#they are beautiful and they're doing great

[nanamincake]

fitness trainer!sukuna x chubby!reader

synopsis: your friend recommends sukuna as your fitness coach as he blows up on social media, you take this chance to finally make your dreams come true and lose weight for yourself!!

content warnings/ tw: insecurities, body dysmorphia/ body image issues, harsh/mean sukuna sometimes☹️, a bunch of miscommunication, slow burn

a/n: enjoy plsss!! lmk if u wanna be added to the taglist! thx for reading and supporting/reblogging! MENTIONS OF ALCOHOL/DRINKING IN THIS CHAPTER!!!

part 3!!

chapter 4: Empathy

─── ᯓᡣ𐭩 ───

you allow the soft alamo of your body love what it's meant to love. the stars in your eyes gleam once you slip on the cream white dress, it's short (mid-thigh) but not too short and your favorite part about it is the bow you tie in the back. it's slightly flowy and it reminds you of a garden flower. you grab your makeup brush and dab a bit more blush onto the center of your cheeks, you smile into the mirror as you twirl, reminding yourself to have a bit of fun tonight.

all of a sudden, isa and nobara storm into your room, their mouths opening as they check you out. nobara exclaims, "that dress looks so good on you!! oh my gosh!" you giggle as you softly respond, "you guys are even more beautiful tonight, your dresses are way more party-like." isa's determined face lights up as she laughs, "we need to get a bunch of pictures tonight!" nobara nods like it's her next mission while you immediately feel bad for your camera space.

as you walk out together to your car, you turn to ask, "is yuuji coming to the party?" nobara hesitates before nodding, "i'm pretty sure. i think sukuna will definitely be there too. but don't let him stop you from finding your husband!" you laugh as you shake your head, "i'm not too sure i'll find someone tonight!" isa slaps your thigh as she gives you an offended look, simply offended that you're going in with low standards, "oh yes you will! and we'll make sure you do!"

─── ᯓᡣ𐭩 ───

isa and nobara walk into the party, dragging you in as you giggle. you mutter, "guys...maybe this isn't a good idea. i can head back and just pick you guys up later!" you hesitantly stutter, almost tripping at the door step. nobara shakes her head, "no can do. we're already here! soak in the smell, the vibe, the men!" you cringe slightly once you smell cheap alcohol and nasty sex, you laugh it off as you finally give in. isa quickly rushes to her boyfriend's side, geto, who greets you and nobara. isa and geto are in a cute honeymoon stage right now and they've never left each others side. geto says, "did you guys want to play a fun game with everyone else?"

maki exclaims, "finally! you're here! i need you for this game!" maki appears and grabs onto nobara's wrists, pulling her quickly to the kitchen. isa teasingly giggles, "so the game's in the kitchen?" geto leads the way, isa on one arm, you follow based on instinct. you can't lie, you feel a bit out of place. but that's okay, maybe you'll enjoy the game. you've yet to see sukuna or yuuji so maybe they're not here at all.

gojo raises his hands in the air as soon as he sees isa and geto enter, "my favorite couple, there you are! and you brought someone new with you, great!" he practically yells into your ears as the music continues to pound through the walls. you notice yuuji and his black-haired friend walk past you all, drink in hand and probably heading to the backyard to make hazing feel legal. you stand between isa and nobara, with a red cup in hand as gojo explains the rules.

"okay, the game is really simple. you just pick up cards from this deck! it's like spoons, you have to get four of the same cards and if you're the last to pick up the ping pong balls in the middle then you have to take a shot! understood?" everyone nods and starts with four cards, you start with two king's which makes you smile softly. gojo's the start pile and geto's the trash pile, the game rolls quickly and maki ends up winning. everyone quickly grabs a ping pong ball while choso ends up last. he groans and mutters, "guys not fair..." as he tosses his cards into the middle, taking a shot as he gulps it quickly. he's officially out.

the game runs quickly for you, you end up losing before isa and nobara and decide to wander around. you head towards the backyard where you spot yuuji and his black-haired friend. you call out, "yuuji! it's so nice to see you again!" you notice the backyard grew in size as many groups start to form around the keg in the middle. yuuji smiles widely, cheerfully laughing, "y/n! you made it! nobara told me you were coming-" you feel him hug you tightly, probably due to his drunk actions. you laugh as you nod, waving at his friend. his friend waves back, a clear flush on his face as he continues to drink. yuuji slaps his friends back as he grins, "this is megumi! he's a big drinker, really quiet!" megumi scowls jokingly as he mutters, "maybe you talk too much..." yuuji laughs it off as his face lightens up, changing the topic briefly. "have you seen sukuna? he said he was around here somewhere!"

you glance around before shaking your head, "i haven't. sorry yuuji, but didn't you two come together?" yuuji shakes his head, his lips pursing in annoyance, "he had an errand to run so he told me was coming to the party later. him and gojo aren't the best of friends right now though." you nod, taking a huge sip from your red plastic cup, "sounds like he's just enjoying life right now then..."

─── ᯓᡣ𐭩 ───

you walk back into the house, tipsy, hands on your dress as you try to push it more down. the dress puts emphasis on your breasts, the low cut showing your cleavage as you walk into the main dancing area. your eyes squint as you try to look for isa and nobara, sighing as you down your red cup of beer. you start to drift into the dancing scene, swaying your hips before someone decides to touch you.

you could recognize those hands anywhere.

sukuna rests his hands onto your hips, swaying them as he hums. his mouth is inches away from your ear, "so this is what you do on the weekends? when you decide to skip the gym." you turn around to face him, making him lose his grip. "you're the one who said i should have breaks."

silence. the air suddenly shifts. his grip on you loosens but he's still holding you close. you look up at him, with the same sweet look you always give him. he almost wants to say something about you, about how you look tonight. it feels like time has paused and the universe was waiting for him to do something right for the first time in a long time. like maybe it's time to settle and find the one.

he feels like you're unlucky, you cling to your two close best friends in life, you go to work, go to the gym and just repeat. he wonders if you've actually lived outside your little bubble. he wonders if you've lived your dream at all.

to him, it feels pathetic.

he feels pathetic.

because he knows what you deserve. everytime you fall, everytime you feel out of place, you've never gotten the answer you've needed. but he knows the flowers you place in other's hearts. you'd rather watch someone's flowers bloom than watch your own.

he can tell you've never been treated right and you set low standards for others around you, you never ask for anything more even if you're the one who's silently drowning. the thing is, he believes people should fall over to help you. people should extend their hand for you and smile at you, cry with you, understand you. just for simply existing.

it's not like it hurts anyone else but him.

you laugh as you stare back at him, waving a hand at his face, "Earth to sukuna? are you there?" his lips slightly tug upwards as he sighs but you can tell he wants to smile and laugh with you. he mutters, "i can tell you've been drinking." your lips curl into a soft pout, he notices the color of the gloss despite the room being a bit dark. he wants to touch your face again, wants to see your chubby cheeks squished into his hands. he puts his hand behind your head, pulling you into his chest. "I...I can't stand your pout right now."

you mutter as your face flushes, you don't know if it's from the alcohol or from the way your face is pressed into his chest. "are ya calling me ugly...?" he snickers as he shakes his head, "you're far from ugly." you lift your head as your brows questionably furrow, "why are you saying all this weird stuff to me? change of heart meanie?" you tease, laughing cutely. but you can't pull away from him. you want to stay this close with him. he scoffs as he places a firm hand on your head, "just let me be nice to you. or i'll push you harder at the gym tomorrow."

you nod as you hum, accepting your silly fate as you wrap your arms around his neck. you could feel the alcohol fighting with your logical reasoning. you whisper as you look into his eyes, "who was the blonde girl at your office the other day?"

he stiffens immediately. he didn't think you saw her. he wants to tell you the truth, but he knows he's better at deflecting.

"don't let it bother you. she's just a fling." just. she's just a fling.

you've never had a serious fling and most times your talking stages never last very long. you're the type of girl who's a hopeless romantic, you'd like to think you deserve someone who treats you really good but you're fine if your future lover can't give you the world. maybe that's why things feel so good with him. but you've never had just a fling. it's not your fault you like to take romance seriously, you remind yourself, maybe he just has different boundaries and standards for romance.

you remember the girl, how it felt like flowers bloomed wherever she walked. like people would fight for her and throw themselves across rooms for her. men have definitely sent her flowers every week and she probably gets her birthday dinners paid for. so you don't blame him. you think, "it's normal to have flings when you need one." you feel your throat tighten as you nod, sending him a small smile as you sigh. "you workout with your flings?" you joke, pushing the pain down and praying it away. you want him to feel guilty even though you know that's what you shouldn't want. you silently curse yourself as you sigh, "sorry, i shouldn't have-"

his tone is flat, and you feel his fingers graze your hips one last time before he lets go, "nah, i deserved that." your eyes soften with worry and guilt, your lips twitch downwards as you look at him. your voice feels like a soft breeze to him, "i'm sorry, i think i should go. i'll see you tomorrow at the gym."

your hands clench the hem of your dress, and you head back outside to see isa and geto hangout with gojo. you smile, eyes brightening as you approach isa, "hey isa! i think i'm ready to go!" isa looks hesitant, like she wants to stay with geto, she says, "oh! you head on home, i'm staying with geto tonight." you should've assumed the sleepover was over once her and geto linked up again. you nod, swallowing the pain caused by the earlier conversation with sukuna. "i'll find nobara and tell her i'm heading home then. have fun isa and stay safe." just before you walk away, isa stops you. "i don't think you're safe to drive tonight. let me call you an uber." your feet stumble over the nonexistent stump, your brows furrow. "no! i'll...i'll take the subway!"

isa hesitates, pulling out her phone anyway. gojo chimes in, resting his arm over geto's shoulder as he hums, "if you need to rest, you can take my room upstairs." nobara and maki pop up outside, the famous red cup in hand as you sigh. "nobara! i'm heading home right now-" nobara's eyes widen as she shakes her head, "in your current condition! no way!" you can hear isa call an uber as you sigh softly, trying to hold yourself up. "i'll take the room for now..."

gojo helps you back into the house, taking you upstairs slowly as you slump against him. you hiccup as you frown, "i'm s-sorry, i'm just so tired." he shakes his head as he smiles, "i can tell you're not into the whole party life." you hum, smiling softly as you lean your head onto the pillow, "yeah..not my vibe." he pulls the blanket over you, "i'll stay here until your uber arrives." you look at him, clutching the blanket to your chest as you smile, "thank you. really, i mean it." he waves his hand in the air like it's nothing, changing the topic briefly. "i saw you and sukuna dancing and talking. what's that about?" you hesitate steadily because you know him and sukuna aren't on the best terms anymore.

"he's just my fitness trainer. nothing more." you lock your heart, swallowing in your own lies as your gut feelings begin to mix. gojo speaks up, hand on chin as he ponders, "i don't think i've ever seen him like that." you lift your head, patting down the fluffy blanket as you pout. "like what?" gojo shrugs, lips pursing in hesitation and confusion but he confirms more in his expression than his words.

"like for the first time in a long time..." he pauses, biting his lip to contemplate his answer, "...someone's hung stars for him."

─── ᯓᡣ𐭩 ───

a/n: #ilovethischapter #softsukunawhen? #gojoking

TL: @vehuzzzz @the2ndl @nina-from-317 @arixhills @paradisestarfishh @minimalisticstyle @blogster-b33 @reree22222 @poopooindamouf @sunqi053 @aluvrina @sweetsformysoul @blossomflowerpott

[bubbleggum444]

—❝VIDEO CALL❞

𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 damian wayne x fem!reader, youtuber!reader au, fluff, 3.7k+ wc.

𝑠𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑠 first video call,,,awkarddd. pt. 6 of "unexpected crush?!" 2 3 4 5

The call finally connected.

Damian's face appeared first. Sharp eyes, arched brows, olive-toned skin. His glasses were perched on a strong, straight nose.

He was leaning on his arm, cheek smushed into his palm. A sleek, expensive watch peeked out from his wrist, the other cheekbone emphasized under the soft lighting.

Nothing in his expression gave away how Damian Wayne was feeling at that moment—a moment he thought would never happen, or at least would be impossible—except: the nervous flick of his irises.

His beautiful green eyes... sharp and calculated, yet betraying how anxious he was to finally speak face-to-face with his crush.

And then—

Her face appeared.

She sat a little farther from the camera. Her face and upper body in frame, perched on her bed in pink pajamas, a Lana Del Rey poster on the wall behind her. A soft pillow rested between her hands and thighs.

God...

Damian’s watch buzzed.

Heart rate: 113 bpm.

He was done for.

"Hi, Damian..."

The watch buzzed again. He quickly sat up straighter, casually sliding the incriminating device off his wrist and chucking it aside.

"Hello..."

Her breath hitched. The gravel in his voice made her almond-shaped nails tighten around the pillow. Her teeth caught her lower lip—just slightly.

"It...took us a while to connect."

She chuckled.

That quiet, shy, slightly awkward giggle every girl lets out at least once when talking to someone cute.

"It sure did."

He laughed too.

Boyish. Deep. A soft breath escaping in the middle. He leaned toward his mouse, adjusted his volume, and nudged his earphones into place.

"I like your earphones," she said, leaning in a bit.

Her tiny strap slid down her shoulder, and Damian swore the watch was still tracking his heart even off his wrist.

"Yeah? My dad got them for me. They're great for blocking him out."

He shrugged.

She blinked.

Oh no. Does she think I hate my dad?!

He’s an idiot, but I don’t hate him—

It was just a joke—

Guys joke like that all the time—

She snorted.

It pulled Damian out of his mental spiral.

She laughed louder this time and covered her mouth. "You're a lot more fun to talk to than to text, Damian Wayne."

He inhaled sharply at the sound of his full name in her voice. Quietly, his hand gripped the arm of his chair, knuckles going pale.

God—he adored this girl.

He adored the way she said his name.

"Yeah? Sorry about before...I couldn’t believe you actually texted me."

He smiled, and he could’ve sworn her eyes widened slightly. A soft blush bloomed on her cheeks.

She nipped at the pillow with her nails. "It was a bit of a hassle..."

.

.

.

"—Finding you! Not texting you! Just...finding you."

She corrected herself quickly, flustered.

"If it weren’t for your famous friend, I wouldn’t have. No profile picture, no full name in the bio, nothing."

She shrugged.

"I’m a very private person. Forgive me for that. But I suppose I should thank my brother for being the torch between us, yeah?"

She looked back up at the screen, into his eyes.

(Name) nodded. "So he’s your brother?"

"Yes. Adopted. Before my father had me with my mother."

Another nod.

"Cool. Really cool, actually."

He smirked, running his tongue over his upper teeth.

"Do you really think so? I’m flattered. He’s...a good brother to me."

He smirked, though his mind was replaying every moment he had fought with his adoptive brother—a vivid flashback of Damian quarreling with Richard when they had just met passed through his thoughts.

Damian inhaled lightly before continuing, his voice softer.

"You look...very lovely."

She raised a playful brow. "Lovely? I’m in my pajamas, Damian."

"Good. That means you’re comfortable. But I wasn’t referring to your clothes—I was referring to you. You’re... absolutely stunning."

Her smile dropped slightly, blush deepening at his blunt sincerity.

"...T...thank you..."

She looked down at her nails, flustered.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

She smiled again, lifting her gaze.

"It’s 7 a.m. here. I haven’t eaten yet."

"Oh."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, make sure you do."

A pause. Her smile grew warmer. Her cheeks, red and apple-round, dimpled slightly between her glossy lips.

"I will."

"Any plans for today?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. Yes."

He corrected gently, brushing a veiny hand through his dark hair. "It’s late here. So I only have tomorrow’s plans. Today’s already done."

"What are they?" she asked like a curious child, leaning into the headboard.

"School. Training. And work."

Her brows lifted. "You work?"

Shoot. Shoot. That slipped out—

"Uh...my father has a firm. I work...part-time."

Great. Lying to the girl you’ve imagined walking down the aisle. Brilliant, Damian.

"Wow. That’s... impressive." Her lips pursed gently.

Ugh. Did I make it weird?

Yes. Very.

"It’s.. nothing really."

Deeper grave: dug.

He leaned back, subtly pushing the chair farther from the camera.

"I mean—it’s his, not mine. I just help out. He appreciates it."

She smiled. "Are you two close?"

He smiled back. His heart flipped.

"I’m closer to my mother, actually."

She hugged the pillow lightly, resting one cheek against it. "What’s she like?"

"Antisociality in human form, I’d say."

She rolled her eyes. "Can’t be worse than me."

"Oh? Trust me. My mother can barely tolerate me half the time."

"Mine’s the same. Maybe they should meet and form a cult."

They both laughed.

"So...what are you up to, beautiful?"

Her eyes widened.

Her heart skipped a few beats.

Her thoughts went into overdrive.

'Beautiful? He called me beautiful?!'

Damian cursed himself internally. He was following Cassandra’s advice.

"Be a bit flirty, little bro. Women dig respectful flirtation!"

Cassandra, you’re dead to me.

"...I’m going to the library after breakfast. Gonna pick up some Tolstoy."

She reached to her bedside table and held up a copy of The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

"Tolstoy? Have you just gotten into him?"

He hummed, smiling crookedly. Leaned in a little.

"How’d you know?"

She raised a light brow, setting the book on her satin pillow.

"Intuition. And the fact that you haven’t talked about him on your channel." He winked, spinning a pen between his fingers.

"Good observation, Dami."

She rolled her eyes playfully. He blushed at the nickname.

Then—a knock on her end.

"That’s...uhm my cue for breakfast...I’m sorry, I have to go."

She smiled apologetically.

God, how he wanted to kiss that soft, apologetic smile.

Make her breathless, if he had to.

"That’s fine. Bye."

He waved.

"Bye....handsome."

She smirked adorably, nose scrunching up.

The call ended.

Damian scoffed quietly, putting a hand over his mouth, unable to stop the grin that pulled at his lips.

He rubbed his eyes, then stood up from the chair.

“Well played…well played, gorgeous.”

He put a hand on his heart. The beating not slowing down for one bit.

Dear heavens, did he hope his heart beats like this for her forever.

Praying he's found the person for him.

Grabbing a clean towel, Damian headed toward the bathroom.

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

𝑏𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑔𝑢𝑚444©

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 <𝟑

╭────────────────────.★..─╮

🏷️;

@liabiamiakiawia @jason-todd-fangirl-14

@shirp-collector-of-fixations @1abi

@nervousalpacalady @silverklaus

@riaaavm  @queenofviolenceandnerds

@noecyan @theonlyjuggernaut @iiriam5

an: sorry for not uploading when I said I would — i had work, luvies :,>

╰─..★.────────────────────╯

[kerink]

Do you think Bill ever fantasizes about the idea of Ford turning into a Euclidean like himself? Like how a toddler might dream of kissing the beast or frog and have them turn into a beautiful prince? Especially now that he’s in theraprism. Or do you think no, Bill likes Ford the way he is - him being human is part of the charm as to why Bill likes him so much. Also do you wonder if that makes Bill a deviant to other interdimensional beings? “You like a human? Those sorry meat bags that barely live a century. Okay creep.” And bill has to defend himself tooth and nail. “Nah nah. I don’t think humans are hot. I think one specific human is hot!” “That’s not any better.” He is like a monsterfucker in reverse

nah i don't think bill would want ford any other way than exactly how he is.

bill's entire character is centered around overcoming the abuse and othering he experienced on euclydia. he's reclaimed being weird, a freak, subversive, and dangerous, all things his society of origin tried to beat out of him. but he hasn't reclaimed them in a "okay, if you say i'm a monster then i'm a monster" way, but in a "what's wrong with being different" way.

not only does bill not think being different is bad, he thinks being different is good, which seem the same but are actually two very different thoughts. if he only believed that there was nothing wrong with being different, then i don't believe he would be as dead set on "redecorating" reality as he seems to be. but by looking at what he did during weirdmageddon, we can see that his goal is to make everything as weird and freaky as others perceive him to be.

being different is better. the stranger you are, the more special you are.

this is one of the philosophies that allowed bill to so effortlessly manipulate ford: not only did it soothe ford's need for acceptance (there's nothing wrong with you) but at the same time it stroked his ego (you're better than everyone else because of it). bill's core philosophy was everything ford had believed but had no way to prove, because he'd yet to do anything with his life that would let others know how great he was. but having this divine being tell him that it's the case? that was all the validation ford needed to become hypnotized by bill.

to change ford would be to reject ford as he is, which would go against bill's philosophy. and to make ford a euclydian would be for bill to conform to his culture of origin, which is what he's rebelling against.

the only "change" i could see bill being interested in doing to ford is: 1) giving him power, like he said in weirdmageddon pt3, 2) making ford immortal, but that would be more a selfish move on his end than truly something for ford.

i do think bill being with ford is something that's judged and looked down upon by other beings at or near bill's power level, or other immortals regardless of where they're at on the multiverse's hierarchy.

from the comics we see that there appears to be some level of bigotry (or preconceived opinions) around the '\ part of the multiverse.

(i don't think it has anything to do with the unincorporated nature of, at least, 46'\ either, because if so then why would anyone know about or care about them?)

so there's something about ford being an "apostrophe backslasher" that bill would have to deal with. but also too, yes, ford having such a short lifespan compared to bill.

what i think gets bill off the hook, though, is that ford's made a name for himself. he is the stanford pines.

like you've got this apostrophe backslasher not even half way through its life cycle suddenly jumping all over reality, asking a lot of dangerous questions about Bill Cipher™️, and stealing/trading/buying a lot of highly dangerous and rare technologies and equipment and chemicals/elements. why has bill put up such a valuable bounty over this little human and why is bill insistent on it being brought in alive?

i think between just who ford is as a person and the reputation he built in the multiverse, the people who would have opinions bill would end up hearing and maybe would give a second thought to are also going to be the people most likely to have a run in with ford, see what he's about, and Get It.

although, i think a lot of the "getting it" comes from other immortals and demi-gods seeing ford as an entertaining hero, and that it's normal for beings of their caliber to get bored and want to play around with some cute little mortal who vows to stop them. and ford's bite actually matches his bark, so yeah, i can see them understanding why bill would want to do the dance with him.

i don't think anyone gets that bill's serious about it, that bill loves him, that bill sees ford as an equal. i think they'd balk at that. but as a toy? a passing fancy? something fun to fight and fuck? yeah.

i also don't think bill defends himself. i think for bill you either get it or you don't, you're either with him or against him. if you question why he's with an '\er, then you just don't understand his philosophy which makes what you think unimportant. if you judge him for it, you're just an ignorant rube caught in the wheel of The Machine, you're blind to the propaganda you've swallowed and regurgitated. hell, bill might not even dismiss you, he might just kill you for having the nerve to talk back to him.

he's bill cipher. he knows what he's doing and knows what he wants, and if he says "we're moving to earth and this human is your new queen" your only response better be "yes boss!"

[proton-wobbler]

Great Backyard Bird Off - Australia (poll 9)

Bird Support

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina ribicen)

"Certified madlads. Absolute fluff balls. Stupidly intelligent, steals my coat hangers every year to nest, shows me the babies in a row and drops them off at my trampoline for free childcare. I’ve walked in on them in the strangest positions sunbathing on a brick wall in my house. Anyways I love them"

"Beautiful singers, horrifically violent"

"You think Canada geese are scary? They might be bigger than maggies, but at least they generally stay on the ground and you can see them coming! In nesting season (spring), every cyclist across Australia knows to beware these swooping birds, lest they take out your eye or knock you off your bike. (They swoop people walking too, but generally focus on cyclists). Seriously, people put zipties on their bike helmets, long end sticking up, specifically so that the magpie runs into the plastic and flies off instead of bashing straight into their heads. After being swooped, I have lain awake at night and fantasied about snatching the magpie out of the air and crushing it to death with my bare hands... All that aside, though, magpies are an intelligent and iconic bird that's found across Australia, and if you feed them or are friendly to them, they'll remember you and be friendly forever :)"

"These birds can get a bad rap. Yes we do have swooping season but only a small portion of magpies swoop and at the end of the day they only want to protect their babies. Plus they have the most magnificent song. Seriously. Look it up, they're beautiful birds. Very intelligent. Can and will fuck you up and honestly I'd side with the bird just about any day."

"The loveliest song I've ever had the privilege of hearing."

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

"A little bit rainbow, a little bit punk, and they whistle when they take off!"

"Not enough people know about it"

"It’s got a nice horn. And nice colours."

A common gray pigeon that is easily identified by the long pointed crest on the top of its head. Mostly pale gray with bright iridescence on wings. Feeds only on the ground. Takes flight with noisy wing-claps, and in flight has a wing-whistle which makes it sound like a wind-up toy. Common in open habitats and is often present in suburban areas. (eBird)

image sources: magpie (Derek Stokes), pigeon (Elspeth M)

[absolutebl]

Thanks for answering my BL Challenge! I love reading them!

For this past few weeks, me and a friend just finished some BL manga/manhwa/manhua that (we know) end up in tragedy or the couple don't end up together. They're all beautiful stories but so sad. And it's so depressing! 😭😭

So, can I ask BL recs from you based on these questions? Because I know, what you like to watch are all great series and must have happy ending. 😄😁😆

a. From all BL that you've watched until now, have you found any that you wish the main couple were not canon (for whatever reason)? Like you prefer MaleMC & ML with other people. Or mc & ML just have platonic strong bond? If you have, what series are they?

b. Can I ask for BL recs with supportive family (parents or siblings)? Like, maybe at first they were shocked or don't understand, but they want to learn and still love him (son or brother).

c. Have you watched "The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window" or "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese"? Now I know both series are BL but somehow I don't feel they're like BL, you know. Even some series that are non-BL felt more like BL for me. What do you think? Have you watched any BL that give you this kinda feeling? Sorry don't mean any negative thing.

d. What are your top 10 favorite moments ever from any BL that you've finished until now?

e. Can I ask your top 10 fav BL J-drama (also your ratings of them)? As BL manga lover I especially curious want to know what are your favorite...

The last few are not questions for BL rec just want to know.

- Have you read the light novel or manga of Utsukushi Kare? If not, then you're so amazing because you can understand their (Hira and Kiyoi) characters based only on the drama series. See, most people must have misunderstand their characters but after I read your posts about them, I can see you really understand them!

- Have you watched BL C-drama "Meet You at the Bloosom" and Taiwan drama "The On1y One" (it's based on one of my fav danmei Mou Mou)? What do you think of these series?

- Thanks to you I know Revenged Love (BL Cdrama), and I love them!

Sorry for this long ask, ABL.

Thanks again for this blog of yours. Always love reading your BL recs and reviews, also I learn so much from you.

Hope you have a wonderful day ....😆😆😄🤩

A quiz for me!

BL Couples I Wish Were NOT Canon

a. From all BL that you've watched until now, have you found any that you wish the main couple were not canon (for whatever reason)? Like you prefer MaleMC & ML with other people. Or mc & ML just have platonic strong bond? If you have, what series are they?

I'm sure this has happened a lot. In recent memory Sweet Tooth Good Dentist put Mark and Jimmy on my screen as love rivals and I was immediately like, nope: They ARE endgame, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I tuned out of the whole show after Jimmy left the screen.

Without question Gen Y 2 got it WRONG. Thanu should have ended up with Phai! I don't think anyone doubts this. And Imma be hella mean, Dun has no chemistry with anyone (least of all the camera), and Bas is on thin ice with me (yes still, Maxky did ALL the heavy lifting in Fourever You, don't @ me you know I'm right). But Pon is a fucking gift, and Sailub should be counting his blessings that boy left Star Hunter and landed in his lap. We are beyond lucky and they deserve a new show yesterday.

Others?

Blue of Winter

Weirdly, Happy Ending Romance (but to be fair I just want to see Leo kiss a boy)

I Am Your King 2 - possibly the most blatantly wrong endgame ever, cafe cutie absolutely should have ended up with the younger brother. However, no one has seen this but me, so it doesn't matter.

Loveless Society

Love With Benefits

My Mate Match (should of been poly)

Our Days (Offroad stole that show, he should have gotten the guy)

TonhonChonlatee - of course they'd have to change the title, but Neo wins. Neo always wins. It's my rule.

And a small part of me wants to add My Stand-In to the mix. But I might get booted off this site.

BL with Supportive Fam

b. Can I ask for BL recs with supportive family (parents or siblings)? Like, maybe at first they were shocked or don't understand, but they want to learn and still love him (son or brother).

I did this one for older BLs, so more recent reps won't be in here, but it's a start. Heritage post time!

There have been a TON more in the past few years but that post gives you a foundation of some of the early ones. It was once quite rare.

c. Have you watched "The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window" or "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese"? Now I know both series are BL but somehow I don't feel they're like BL, you know. Even some series that are non-BL felt more like BL for me. What do you think? Have you watched any BL that give you this kinda feeling? Sorry don't mean any negative thing.

I have seen both. I would not call TNBTTW BL (although I believe the original manga was a yaoi?), but I would call Cornered Mouse Dark BL. I think when we talk about Japanese stuff it's important to know some things about the original style of Live Action Yaoi so I have homework for you, this post: Weeds of Japanese BL

I also have a post talking about Dark BL and what I call "Moody Arthouse Smackdoodle," and I think you're straying into that territory too. One of the things about the genre that many don't realize is that before the rise of Thai BL in particular, fully half of all BL ended sadly, badly, apart, and/or dead.

ALSO, if you come from Yaoi you OWE it to YOURSELF to watch A Man Who Defies The World of BL! OMG you will LOVE it.

d. What are your top 10 favorite moments ever from any BL that you've finished until now?

I'm at over 800 BLs, that's an impossible ask. Here's the assessment I made at the halfway mark, 400 BLs in:

e. Can I ask your top 10 fav BL J-drama (also your ratings of them)? As BL manga lover I especially curious want to know what are your favorite…

I did a whole series about each BL Country, my top 10 and a brief history of the genre in that country. Here is Japan's:

It's only current as of 2023 so I Cannot Reach You is missing from the list.

(Tumblr has a bug where after a certain amount of time/edits you can no longer edit an old post, so I can't keep these updated.)

RANDOM Q&A!

Have you read the light novel or manga of Utsukushi Kare? If not, then you're so amazing because you can understand their (Hira and Kiyoi) characters based only on the drama series. See, most people must have misunderstand their characters but after I read your posts about them, I can see you really understand them!

I have not read the original, and now I'm am chuffed and full of praise beans. Thank you! I must admit I do have a background as a devout yaoi reader (in the early 2000s) so I have the archetypes ingrained in my soul.

Have you watched BL C-drama "Meet You at the Bloosom" and Taiwan drama "The On1y One" (it's based on one of my fav danmei Mou Mou)? What do you think of these series?

Yep!

Meet You at the Blossom I did a trash watch of this (it's v amusing if I do say so myself). I tried to predict at the beginning and then graded myself as I went along.

The On1y One I have VERY strong feels on and here they are:

Based on a Mou Mou novel + the Your Name Engraved Herein team, this is old-school coming of age BL and it was bloody fantastic. Tsundere seme to beat all tsundere (smartest + tallest + bestest at everything but people) meets socially-ept cutie smart-ass uke. They're living together by end of ep 1 and start kissing by end of ep 2. A stellar tense slow burn stepbrothers trope that ate my life and than just belly-flopped the finale. What I'm left with is epic levels of disappointment and well…… at least nobody died?

I am STILL VICIOUSLY MAD about this show.

But if you like it watch Your Name Engraved Herein. And then HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count. Why not? You can come back and curse me out later. *insert evil laugh here*

There is a reason I warn people not to expect and HEA from Taiwan.

Thanks to you I know Revenged Love (BL Cdrama), and I love them!

Careful with that one, you break it you bought it. CBLs love to break it... And by "it" I mean us, we are the ones who will be broken.

I was there and I can never forget Addicted.

[pushspacetocontinue]

"I guess not," Gracie said, "I remember my dad saying about how if only we looked at people the way they looked at flowers. Different shapes and sizes, different colours, different patterns, and yet they're all beautiful."

Gracie nodded.

"And there's also the getting up at stupid o'clock to deal with those annoying customers," Gracie said, "At least if you want to make a head start on getting the stock all made before the customers get there."

Gracie then chuckled.

"Cats will do what they want, won't they?" Gracie said, "If you've met Russell's cat Misty, which you probably have, you'll have seen that for yourself for sure. But they seem to be good company either way."

If not, they were at least adorable and seemed not to cause too much trouble.

"Oh that is handy!" Gracie said, "He was hardly ever a meat fan in the first place from what dad and Martin told me. If they had a cooked breakfast, he would usually trade the sausages or the bacon on his plate for Travis' hash browns or mushrooms. It's great you two have that as well."

She smiled again.

"I'm glad that it's good to meet me, despite what I did," Gracie said, some appreciation in those eyes, "It's been good to meet you as well, Lucien."

And she had no idea just how much of an impact sharing his name first would have had. But then she laughed. It seemed Gracie indeed thought that was a joke.

"Well, I'm glad to know I won't be thrown in there today," Gracie said, her shoulders shaking a little, "At least not before I've had a chance to give Russell this. He's going to love it."

She was confident about that. But then she moved too.

"I can probably that if it's easier?"

"They certainly do. They aren't that different from flowers in that regard, if you think about it."

He was positive Alexa was waving her leaves right about now. The rest of the plants were already doing a good job at showing off and thankfully didn’t join her.

"I would earn far more but no amount of money would repay me for having to deal with complete morons. I like my peace and those people being as far away from me as possible."

At least the perspective of doing basic gardening tended to scare away some of them.

Lucien looked down at the orange menace stalking him again. Yes, she was pretty cute, despite her insistence.

"She's not. None of them are." he replied, before motioning to the rest of the cats chilling around the shop, "They belong to the neighbors, but often come here to enjoy the shade and my attention during the day. They're my most loyal customers."

The most gluttonous as well. But there was an actual paying customer in the shop, they all knew that meant they wouldn't be getting any treats for a while longer.

"Well, he has already shared many amazing recipes with me." Lucien replied as he added a couple of freebies to the bag, "I suppose it helps that we're both vegetarians."

And that Russell didn't care about alcohol either. Lucien's mind briefly wandered back to their first date. It really had been the perfect evening.

"Yes, I heard about you, Gracie." Hence, why he had given up his name so easily. "And I'm pleased to meet you at last."

He was also glad the payment had gone through on the first try. He hated troubleshooting that bloody reader. Lucien nodded and made his way around the counter again to pick up the plant.

"I'm just doing my job. The nice customers get my best behavior, the others will be sacrificed to the mushroom ring."

Hopefully, that sounded as funny as it did to him.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Mitsuya Sensei no Keikakutekina Ezuke. Bon and Rice as Frito Episodes 1 - 4

[sergle]

i feel like you guys only hear about the bad tiktok phenomenon, like Girl Math and stuff like that, bc it prompts more of a reaction. but i want to let you know that i keep seeing one that's called Dinosaur Time, and it's where you SHOVE fistfuls of raw spinach, straight out of the tub, into your mouth and eat it like you're a dinosaur ravenously devouring a delicious tree star. and then you've had a serving of greens. and all it took was 10 beautiful seconds.

[taleswritten]

It's the first time that he's actually seen his boyfriend in this form and it's beautiful. When he stares at Yves, it is not in disgust but rather an adoring gaze. He hadn't realized how beautiful his true form would look but he finds he wants to see more of it when they're not fighting to find Jay. He'll ask later, maybe, for Yves to let him see him in his real form and all the beauty that is.

He'll appreciate that veiw, show him just how much he finds this form beautiful. Something tells him that Yves had stayed in his human form around him so long for a reason. He wants Yves to know that he doesn't have to hide away from him.

Later, he will.

"Be careful." He knows that humans are nothing to Yves but that doesn't mean Voight doesn't worry. He won't promise he'll eat or even sleep, not until he knows that Jay is okay, so he doesn't say anything further. He only takes the clothes from Yves and watches as he flies out the window.

---

The food that he was brought, Jay hardly touched. With the way Anderson has been treating him so far, Jay doesn't trust that it won't be poisoned or full of drugs.

Sure, Jesse may have brought it, but what promise does he have that it's not drugged? He rather starve until he can get some safe food so the tray is pushed to the side.

The sounds of the click of nails and jingling of collars is eerie. These dogs must be trained to patrol by the sound of it and one wrong move, they'd tear into him like he's fresh dinner.

He does, however, try to shower. He can go to the bathroom and he's been given a towel so he might as well. Might help get the icky uneasy feeling from being stripped earlier off of him.

He doesn't take a long shower and by the time he's done, he feels better. He makes a quick retreat to his room because he doesn't know who else is in this compound and won't to expect.

Once he earns their trust, then he'll go trying to get the layout of the compound. He just has to wait until he can climb the ranks, play the part, and hopefully get out of this alive and with more than a few arrests.

He needs to find the people they're trafficking but in order to do that, he needs a lead. Something he might be able to find by eavesdropping but he'll have to be very careful with that.

After his shower, he returns to his room dressed in the same sweatpants and sweat shirt and climbs onto his bed. Nothing left to do but try to get a little rest.

He closes his eyes, sighing in frustration. He feels vulnerable without a gun, wire, or his phone. Jesse promises to give him his phone but is that simply to keep him compliant?

Being lost in thought, he doesn't even notice the bat until it's landed on top of him. Whatever the weight is, it has Jay's instincts kicking into over drive and he jolts upwards, swinging his hand out to smack away the intruder.

"What the fuck?" The poor pink bat flies into a wall and Jay blinks at the sight of it. Was there something in the water? Drugs in the tarp that made contact with him? Being drugged is the only logical explanation he can jump to.

Why the hell is their a little pink bat in his room?

"Great. They drugged me."

Yves nodded seriously. "I will find him," he promised. Blushing, he swept his hand towards all of the windows; both the ones to the exterior and interior of the building frosted at once, obscuring everything but light within. Blushing even more, he stripped, even taking off that scarf he used to hide his scarred throat from the world.

Naked, he folded his clothing up neatly and set it on the desk, absolutely crimson-cheeked, before he let his human disguise fall away. Yves rarely shifted fully like this, rarely let Hank see his true form, sure the man wouldn't appreciate it. Richly pink skin, the color and texture of a rose-petal--soft, subtly shimmering under the lights--with hints of lavender here and there. His wings hung loosely, careful not to bump into anything in the office, a risk smokey plum purple, and his tail curled up nervously. While Yves was most comfortable in this body, he had never admitted as much to his lover, not yet, always worrying that Hank would feel pressured to find something so alien appealing. He looked stronger like this, too--a little less effeminate, the effects of his years of combat training more prevalent, on display, and he couldn't help but worry that it would be too much, not soft enough, not pretty enough. Pupils wide with anxiety, he nonetheless stepped over and cupped Hank's face in his hands, trying not to be nervous, trying not to shiver with the fear of rejection.

"He will be alright," he whispered, and kissed his lover's forehead, before going to open a window just enough. "Please take my clothes home with you...? And remember to eat dinner. And to sleep. This may take a while, my love."

And with a little shimmer of sparkly lavender smoke and light--because of course his magic was sparkly--Yves shifted form into a bat.

He was tiny, easily small enough to curl up in the palm of Hank's hand, wings just barely big enough to cover from fingertips to wrist. Fluttering in the air, he squeaked a few times, flitted around Voight's head, then flew out the window and into the night. I will find your new son. We will not let him be harmed.

-

Jesse returned some time later and dropped off a tray of dinner, along with a bag of toiletries and a towel. He let Jay know where the restroom was, advised him not to try and escape--there's dogs on duty down below, just don't, alright?--and left to wearily seek his own bed, which was just a few doors down the hall. The compound was quiet... and there were cameras damned near everywhere, save for Jay's cell and, presumably, the preacher's room. Dogs could be heard moving around outside on occasion, their collars jingling, their steps quick and excited. Once in a while, one would come into the building; its claws echoed, tick tick tick, as it trotted up and down stairs and hallways, growling quietly, stopping to sniff, to listen...

It was midnight when something fluttered against Jay's window, tiny little claws scrabbling frantically as it slipped and slid before finding the gap and crawling in. Excited, the tiny pink bat fluttered over to Jay's face and landed on his chest with a happy cheep! Settling, it quickly began grooming, having been hit with several awful rain drops on that flight.

[alextcl]

did you ever just see your mutuals (or just people you follow) hating on their artstyle and then you just became a pathetic weeping mess because their art literally gives you a fever and probably a serotonin attack and you want to support them so bad but you can't find right words so you just go and cry in the corner

upd: wanted to say that i mean almost-friend-mutuals, because even if i love someones artstyle i just normally dont talk about it with them directly because i don't know these people and idk their boundaries😭😭 even if i want them to not feel that way lmao

[kannra21]

Rafayel calm down that's your friend 😂

[crossbackpoke-check]

blessed be (lorscher bienensegen) | telling the bees (wiþ ymbe)

"Bees" [remixed, abridged], Claudia Emerson // "Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now" [remixed, abridged], Matthew Olzmann // "Letter to my Great, Great Grandchild" [remixed, abridged], J.P. Grasser | Len Redkole, Nina Weiss, Brian Babineau, Christian Peterson, Mitchell Leff, Dave Isaac, Megan DeRuchie

[is-today-tomorrow-in-nz]

Alina never saw herself as a Grisha. If she did, she never would have sold out Grisha like that. According to her being a Grisha is all about beauty, nothing more. She is jealous of their beauty and their competence(something she could have developed had she paid attention to her classes and not pinned over Mal). She put down them as serfs. So when she became their 'general' she wanted blind compliance from them because they're just serfs in her mind. She never cared for them beyond their uses. I mean she calls Genya her friend and then make her friend seem asylum with the same king that raped her.

She always chose the path of least resistance and then escaped the first chance she got. That was a life of peace- that was a life of cowardice. She actively made choices that sabbotaged her growth and the liberation of thousands of people who were actively being killed in genocide.

If she had 2 braincells, she would have noticed that everything the Darkling predicted came true. The moment the coup failed her precious otkazatsya turned on Grisha and killed them. But she had no sympathy for them. She took their inventions, and sold them to Nikolai. After the war ended, once again the Darkling was proved right about the Grisha torture in other countries and still she never realized her mistakes.

She is the next Baghra- blessed with a great power but an unsympathetic heart to do nothing with it. Baghra was happy to sit in a hut and watch the world fall apart while Alina holed up in an orphanage with her beloved abuser and do the same.

She is not a child. Children have more empathy and integrity than her. She is a coward and a hoax.

Alina's "peaceful" ending as the narrative scam

I often see people defending Alina's cowardly exit in the end with the same "Alina chose peace!" argument.

She deserted and turned her back on her people and her country. She backed up an oppressive monarchy that's been exploiting her people for centuries. She committed mass murder for purely selfish reasons. She became a general with no grasp of politics or warfare, essentially sending people to die and kill other Grisha with no plan, strategy, or even understanding of what she's doing. She endorsed Nikolai's crimes and helped him appropriate Grisha inventions, forcing them to share the results of their labor with the First Army soldiers who lynched them. Even her sainthood is a hoax—she didn't destroy the Fold or die doing it. Nobody benefitted from her actions, nobody but the same corrupted, oppressive, genocidal, tyrannical system, that's it. War, poverty, injustice, persecution—everything went on.

And don't even start with that "But Alina is just a child!" argument. Children do not get to command armies (they don't even get to become mapmakers; potato peelers at best, but that's beyond the point). Children do not negotiate political marriages with princes. Children do not have a say in running the army. Children do not appoint their friends to positions in the council. Children are not allowed to wield weapons of mass destruction. Children can't even build an orphanage and take care of other children. If Alina could make adult choices, she should be able to bear adult responsibilities. And her choices show that she's a class traitor, deserter, war criminal, monarchist bootlicker, and a fraud.

It doesn't matter what she "chose." Alina didn't deserve peace.

[cometblaster2070]

you think glinda sees dorothy and ozma interacting and yk she sees how much they like each other and she's like "ohhhh wait a damn minute WAIT".

she grabs ozma by the shoulders and she's like you hold onto that girl you hold onto her tight and don't ever let go and don't you reject her offer to fly off into the sunset and fight against a tyrannical ruler and ozma's like wasn't planning to do all that but thanks anyways :DDD.

she sees them being all cutesy and in love together and then she's just like

[sunflower-dreamboat]

ggg doodles from a whiteboard with @strawby-fields!

[loverboy-havocboy]

there's something so bittersweet about finding out you're autistic and that autistic people have trouble maintaining friendships long term. one one hand you're like oh! maybe there isn't something uniquely horrible about me! lots of people like me struggle with this! but then you realize that if it's not you, it's not in your power to fix