#I really don't think Rich would be able to recover from that

[rael-rider]

Richard Rider and Arakko

From Guardians of the Galaxy #16 and X-Men Red #14

[kalki-tarot]

Your Future spouse's First Impression of you

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Pick a pile <3

1 - 2 - 3

4 - 5 - 6

Disclaimer — The images I used to select a pile were sourced from Pinterest, I hope the reading will resonate with you. I'm not responsible for any decisions you make in your life from my readings. I'm just a beginner and these readings are just for fun.

Check masterlist for more !

Pile 1

Wheel of fortune, 9 of cups, two of cups, king of wands, ace of swords, king of pentacles, the emperor, bottom of deck 3 of swords.

When this person sees you for the first time, they'll feel an instant connection with you.

This person sees you as their wish come true. They might feel that you are someone who's in a stable position in life. Your calm face and demeanour stands out the most to them.

You are a balanced person in their eyes. They might want to partner up with you.

I'm sensing masculine energy within you, regardless of gender. You seem confident and firm to them.

They see you have a lot of clarity in life. You are someone who has fresh ideas and perspectives about things in life.

They might also see you as someone financially independent, who stands on their own feet.

They can sense your dominating aura. They may also see you as a family oriented person. The provider in the family.

Regardless of what you show outside, you also have a side of you which dwells in pain and longs for understanding. They do notice that. And will be very understanding and patient with you.

Pile 2

10 of cups, 8 of wands, death, 10 of swords rx, two of swords, the hermit, 7 of swords, the lovers

They wanna start a family with you instantly the moment they see you because you provide them emotional fulfillment in some way.

They might be struggling with some betrayal or ex cheated on them or something painful like that. But they are moving on / have move on from that situation or thing in their life. They are recovering from their wounds.

They might be indecisive whether to move forward with your or not. They might second guess things with you due to their past heartbreaks.

They need some deep, introspective time for themselves to reflect within.

They are still hurt from what went wrong in their past so they have trust issues and might not even trust you in the beginning.

They will act strategically with you. They don't wanna hurt themselves again.

Don't worry the lovers came out right now as I clarified things. They would want a romantic relationship with you. They would like to offer you things. They do see you as a marriage material.

They are walking away from the things that don't serve them anymore.

Pile 3

Temperance, the magician, 9 of pentacles, king of pentacles, the hanged man, 10 of swords, 3 of swords, 2 of pentacles

They will think that you are so balanced. A perfect balance of everything. Like you can be the cutest and the sexiest both.

They would be tempted by you, of course, and they will surely start manifesting you after you meet.

The 9 and king of pentacles tells me that either they are very rich and abundant or they'll find you rich and abundant in your lives.

Maybe they noticed your branded purse or something.

They'd be stuck by your beauty like they won't be able to take their eyes off you. Whoever chose this pile is very gorgeous for sure!

They might be stuck at some past heartbreak or betrayal the time they meet you.

They might be in a painful situation that's getting on their nerves constantly. Maybe it's due to finances?

They would see you someone who manages a lot of things or has a lot of responsibilities at a time.

They notice you juggling between things but still not losing your balance.

Pile 4

They'd see you as a powerful combination of ambition and practicality. They'd think you are a successful yet peacful person. Quite occupied in your own business, not really involved in other's drama.

They would also see you someone who is very creative and spontaneous. Very passionate to create new things.

They themselves would feel inspired or intimidated by you and your bold and direct personality.

They'd think that you are someone who was wronged in the past which led to you being all broken and shattered. But you got yourself up on your feet and now you are reaping the benefits of your own hardwork and patience. You are a self made queen / king in their eyes.

They'd be shy or hesitant to approach you first but the divine will do justice to you both.

The divine timing and play is at action and you two will eventually get dating or in a relationship.

They see you as someone they can spend their whole life with.

Pile 5

You both are divinely connected to eachother, on a deeper soul level.

They'll notice your need of balance in life. It feels as if they can see right through you. They give me psychic vibes or you are one.

I can sense a feeling of being trapped and limiting thoughts and actions. Both of you were heartbroken in the past. There were some situations out of you both's hands.

But you need to face pain to undergo some realizations about yourself, your divine purpose and connection.

It feels as if they can sense your heartbreak. They feel as if you've gone through a big transformation in life.

They feel you know a lot about life, you've gone through a lot of things in life.

They see you as someone brave who's fought through life's circumstances and has become what you are now!

They see you as a wife/husband material but also someone they can start a business with.

You have that business and logical mind as well as your intuition with you.

They dont want to load you up with a lot of responsibility as you already have much though.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

When horses end up with severe leg/hip injuries, they are almost always put to sleep. The odds of recovering full mobility from such injuries are slim and the odds of reinjury are high, so even if the horse is perfectly healthy in all other aspects, it is generally recognized to be more humane to put them down than to keep them alive just to live the rest of their lives limping around a small paddock or stall. A life for a horse in which s/he cannot gallop, leap, explore and play is no life at all. Why not apply the same logic to cetaceans? A life for a cetacean in which they can’t dive hundreds of meters, make meaningful autonomous choices (“should I play with the rubber ball or the puzzle feeder today?” is not a meaningful choice; research has shown that autonomy is crucial for animal welfare), echolocate and experience the rich biodiversity of the ocean is no life. I really don’t understand why it’s so horrible to think it more humane to euthanize a confused and sick orca calf if there is no chance of rehab and release than to take her/him permanently into captivity. It’s not disparaging or hateful to cetacean trainers to say so—I know they care about animals—it’s simply a logical ethical stance. Instead of searching in vain for orca conservation organizations that aren’t “radically anti-captivity”, maybe pro-caps should look inwards and ask themselves why all the major orca organizations (Center for Whale Research, Orca Behavior Institute, OrcaLab, Wild Orca, Orca Conservancy, Far East Russia Orca Project, etc.) as well as some cetacean organizations (ex. Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Cetacean Society International) oppose captivity. Is it because all of these esteemed groups, which if you look them up are all staffed by credentialed scientists, have been duped by the “animal rights agenda”, or could it be because maybe, just maybe, they know what they’re talking about? If captive orcas are so different from wild ones that wild orca biologists have no credibility to speak about their welfare, then that’s a clear indictment of captivity already.

Hi. I'm sorry for not answering right away, I was still at my externship when I got your ask, and I wanted to be able to sit down and give you a proper answer. So unfortunately, I don't think what I say will satisfy you. I don't expect to change your mind, nor is that my goal here. I only want to explain why I believe the way I do, so that you or others reading this can at least understand that it's not a position I take lightly, nor do I think it's infallible.

(Long post below the cut):

To start off, as an (almost) veterinarian, there are absolutely plenty of circumstances where I find euthanasia to be the correct decision. Euthanasia is our final gift to our patients, a swift and painless death in the face of prolonged suffering or poor quality of life. A large dog with debilitating osteoarthritis. A cat with terminal lymphoma. A down cow. A raptor with an amputated leg. Or like you mentioned, a horse with a fractured hip. These animals would live in a constant state of pain that they don't understand, and death can rightly be considered a kindness to them.

But an otherwise healthy orca calf? I would consider that a false equivalence. I agree that life in the wild should be prioritized whenever possible, and that captive orcas lead very different lives than their wild counterparts. But if that orca cannot return to the wild (orphaned and unable to be reunited with its pod, habituated to humans, non-painful disability such as deafness), and there is a facility willing to take it on, I do not think euthanasia is an appropriate option. In human care, that calf can still swim, breach, and dive, even if not to the same depths as the ocean (it's also worth noting that these are all costly behavior energetically and are not performed for no reason). It can still socialize and form family bonds with an adopted pod of whales. It can still (theoretically) mate and rear calves. It can still engage its big brain in problem-solving through training and enrichment in the place of hunting. And as a bonus, it will never go hungry and has access to veterinary care if ill or injured.

This is not a wild life. This is not the same life they would've, or should've known. A pool, no matter how well-appointed, is not the ocean, and we should not claim they're comparable. But I don't think it's a fate worse than death. I truly don't. But if it is... if freedom really is worth more than life, then all captive whales need to be euthanized. Even in a sea pen setting, they will not be free. They will not choose their food, their companions, their enrichment, their comings and goings. Those choices will still be made on their behalf by caregivers, and they will still have pretty much the same levels of autonomy as in their tank habitat. They will still be captive. (While some people do advocate for this, I don't think it's a popular outlook. Even SOS Dolfijn, a historically anti-cap organization, recently announced plans to build an aqauarium as a permanent home for non-releasable cetaceans rather than continuing to euthanize them).

Speaking of autonomy, yes, it is very important. But I truly don't think the orcas are distressed by the lack of meaning in choosing between enrichment devices. I think that's why we disagree on this topic... we have different worldviews. We both see orcas as beautiful, intelligent creatures, but I do not see them as people. They are animals, and for all their complexity, I interpret their behavior the same way I do any other species... they are motivated by food, reproduction, and (since they're highly social) companionship. Because of that, I still think we can give them a good life in human care, which is why it frustrates me to see the zoo community throw up their hands and give up rather than trying to improve our current less-than-ideal setups (*shakes my fist at the Blue World project*).

Now, I don't think it's wrong to be emotional about animals. I most definitely am! And it's very clear to me you love orcas and care about their wellbeing deeply. I admire that about you, and I appreciate your passion.

On to the next point... in the cetacean world, I've found that there is an unfortunate divide between researchers and caregivers who work with cetaceans in human care and those who study them exclusively in the wild. And that schism far predates the Blackfish era. Most of those organizations you listed are indeed legitimate, and I fully support their vital work and encourage others to do the same. A few of them, though, share things like this:

I think you can understand why this hurts me. And it's a lie. I've now interned at three aquariums (two of them AZA-accredited) that house various species of cetacean, and it's impossible for me to reconcile what I know and have seen to be true and what Whale and Dolphin Conservation wants the public to believe: that these unbelievably loved, vivacious animals are drugged and tortured by their greedy captors. It's not true, and I do not appreciate WDC for spreading this creepy artwork around. Nor do I think that fighting captivity is a beneficial allocation of resources when there is an overwhelming number of genuine threats to the survival of wild cetaceans.

Anyway, back to the scientists. Personally, I don't consider researchers who work exclusively with wild orcas to be either superior or inferior to those who work with captive whales. And sometimes I wonder how much of their position is a self-fulfilling prophecy: if someone opposes captivity on moral grounds, they won't work with captive whales, so they'll never get to know what their lives and care are like beyond maybe a single tour of the park or memories of how things were done in the 1960s (like Dr. Spong, who worked with some of the very first captive orcas at the Vancouver Aquarium).

I also don't think it diminishes the expertise of wildlife biologists to say that they are not experts on husbandry, training, or medical care... those are very different fields, and ideally, they should all inform each other. And of course, there are folks who work with both wild and captive whales. One of the reasons I linked SR3 in my previous post is they have staff with backgrounds in both managed care and research of free-ranging populations (I actually have no idea what the organization's official stance on captivity is, it's not something they address).

Maybe I'm wrong. I try my best to keep an open mind, but I know I'm also swayed by my own preconceptions and experiences. When I started this blog in December 2020, I was a first year vet student with minimal actual experience outside of domestic animals and some herps, and had only recently adopted the pro-captivity outlook. Now, I'm much more deeply involved in the zoo and aquarium world. These are people I know and respect, people who have written me letters of recommendation and comment on my Facebook posts, people I've had dinner with and showed up with after hours to care for a sick animal. And I recognize that biases me. The zoo world is often resistant to change, especially folks who have been in the industry for many years. And that doesn't do anyone, especially the animals, any good. I don't want to get stuck in an echo chamber, so I make it a point to read anti-captivity literature, even when it upsets me. If there is anything I can do to improve their lives, I want to learn about it, regardless of the source.

I try to adapt to new information. For example, in the past few months alone, I've become a lot more favorable toward the idea of sea pen habitats. My concerns about "sanctuaries" are more logisitical* and philosophical** rather than the idea that artifical habitats are inherently superior to pen habitats (they're not), especially when plenty of traditional facilites already make great use of ocean pens or enclosed lagoons. There are pros and cons to both, and a lot of it depends on the needs of the individual animals.

*funding; maintenance; lack of land-based backup pools and fully-equipped medical facilities; introducing immunologically naive animals to pollutants and infectious agents; disruptions to native wildlife; staffing activists and wildlife biologists rather than those with relevant husbandry experience

**villainizing aquariums; promoting the project as a "release to freedom" to the public when it's really another form of captivity; claiming the animals' lives will be "natural" when they will still require training, artificial enrichment, contraceptives, and social management if done correctly; downplaying or completely denying the very real risks of such a transition and insisting the animals will automatically be better off when Little White and Little Grey have proved that's not the case

If you made it to the bottom, thanks for reading. I wish all the best for you, and I mean that genuinely ❤️ even if we disagree, I hope you can appreciate our shared love for these animals and a desire for their wellbeing. Best of luck in all your endeavors!

[qqueenofhades]

Hi just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully respond to these anon messages. I work in dc w a fairly wonky set and i cant overstate how haunted the DC Professional Thought Havers are by the spectre of the "low propensity voter." I think these ppl (myself included LOL) thought we had everything figured out ahead of the 2016 elections and then never recovered from the way it ended up going......i feel like in all the years that followed.....the liberal bubbles.....the coastal elites.......the hillbilly elegies......the real america....the ohio diners....the pennsylvania diners.......the polls......the 2020 horserace....while part of an earnest attempt to understand What Happened, were primarily self-indulgent, self-flagellation for being "out of touch" bc of a self-diagnosed "elite" status that then turned into ANOTHER myopic view of the world, just opposite, where the "libs" are hapless and everyone else remotely to the left are primarily victims to the unstoppable supernatural forces of the Right. Then in 2020 the narrative flipped AGAIN and once again, instead of taking the opportunity to expand a worldview and having the bravery to confront their own shortcomings, the opinion havers and wonks and beltway pressers have decided to groupthink their way into writing off democracy altogether. Its BEYOND frustrating to see! Like damn volunteer at a soup kitchen or smthn instead of being obsessed w the fact that i vote lol

Yes, and there are several reasons for that. First, despite all the factors that contributed to Trump's shock win in 2016 (anti-Clintonism, white backlash to Obama, general low voter enthusiasm, Russian disinformation, etc) we should never forget that until James Comey decided to announce 10 days before the election that he was reopening the EEEEEEEMAILS case, even though we all knew there was nothing there, she was leading fairly comfortably in the polls. And while we will never know how the 2016 election would have gone without that, which imho was one of the most unforgivable acts of blatant sabotage by a public official in American history, it's also true that we saw her poll averages start sliding almost in real time, as people who hadn't really been keen on voting for her anyway decided firmly not to and Trump was able to scrape out 16,000 votes across PA, MI, and WI to take the Electoral College. Which... we all remember how we felt that night, right? (Or in my case, early morning, since I was overseas?) We don't, we really, really don't want to feel that way again. Just saying.

As such, the media (which had already beat up Clinton nonstop during the BUT HER EEEEEMAILS saga) drastically overcorrected and as you say, began writing endless angsty handwringing pieces about Trump Voters in Rural Ohio Diners and giving endless sympathetic airtime to how "economically left behind" they felt, regardless of the fact that open racism, especially Obama backlash, was and remains the principal animating feature of Republican politics (since their only economic platform is that which makes very rich people even richer and Democratic economic policies are the only ones actually targeted at helping ordinary people). The hangover was so strong that even when Democrats had a massive 2018 midterm result and flipped the House blue for the first time since the post-ACA backlash lost it in 2010, the Conventional Wisdom was now beyond any doubt that Democrats were doomed for a generation or something, and not that Trump had squeaked out a fluky win (while losing the popular vote) due to endless Russian/Comey/third party-etc interference and wasn't actually that powerful. Even in 2020 when Biden was leading fairly steadily and things were going to hell with Covid, etc. etc. TRUMP IS UNSTOPPABLE, TRUMP IS GOING TO WIN.

(And now. Like. I know Trump thinks Trump won in 2020, as do a large majority of his cultists, but that doesn't mean he did.)

Even after that, when Roe went down in 2022, that made no difference to the RED WAVE COMING!!! narrative, and the amount of smug white male pundits insisting that abortion just wasn't very important and people weren't going to base their entire vote on it reached truly disgusting levels. We're now seeing the same thing with the constant "people won't vote for democracy and/or abortion rights" blast, when as you say, this narrative has just been completely made the fuck up by a lot of groupthinking DC media who are determined that this time, Trump really is going to win and then they get to be principled chroniclers in opposition or something. Not to mention, the basic principle of "democracy and abortion rights are good" do in fact win by thumping margins every time they're on the ballot, including in deep red states. But there is literally not a single piece of empirical evidence despite the massive amounts of it supporting the truth (i.e. that Democrats are doing historically well in competitive elections since 2018 and there's not really a major reason to think this will change in 2024) that will get the media to change the "Democrats in disarray and Biden Iz Doomed" horserace BS they so love. They don't like Biden because he's boring and competent and just does the job without being insane, because it's totally a great idea to treat American government like a reality show! (Recall the infamous comment by the CBS CEO who literally said that Trump was bad for America but great for CBS, because he pulled in high ratings and therefore lots of money and visibility for CBS. We live in the worst timeline.)

As such, the mainstream media has a vendetta against Biden, is determined that this time Trump is super definitely going to win and everyone will see how genius they are, and not-so-secretly wants Trump back because a) he's good for money and ratings, and b) because the media conglomerations are owned by oligarchs who have a vested interest in making sure that Democrats and their policies never get too popular. Notice how the once self-proclaimed centrist independent Elon Musk has turned into a rabidly alt-right fanboy ever since the Democrats really got serious about taxing billionaires as a key part of their platform. Likewise, insisting that Biden Iz Doomed makes Democrats nervous (and thus more likely to tune in) and Republicans gleeful (and thus more likely to tune in), so there's literally no incentive for the media to even try to report things accurately. You could create a very different narrative of the 2024 election if you just remotely bothered to write about things that have actually happened as they have actually taken place, rather than bending over backward to insist that Biden being four years older than Trump is a worse crime than 91 felony indictments, 2 impeachments, 1 insurrection, 450 million dollars and counting in punitive jury verdicts, more major criminal trials coming down the pipe, and just demonstrably being the worst human being alive in so many ways. I mean. Wow.

The good news, as I said in my other post, is that when people actually vote, these utter bullshit narratives get routinely blown out of the water, and that's a good thing. Because it turns out that unlike Super Smart Beltway Pundits' Super Smart Predictions, the average American does actually like democracy and freedom for women to make their own personal healthcare decisions, and they vote accordingly. So while yes, it's being made harrowingly much harder than it needs to be because of how much the media simply refuses to report that basic fact, and there is no amount of evidence that will convince them otherwise, at least we're trending in the right direction and, if we all pull our weight, can do it one more time. I realized the other day that I hadn't heard a fucking peep about Ron DeSantis in the last two months, and oh, how glorious it was. I yearn beyond words for the day (God willing, soon) when the same is true of Trump as well.

[ircn-dad]

Sometimes I think about Tony's life before Iron Man and I just feel bad for that man.

He spent his entire childhoods in a house where he wasn't loved for who he was. His dad didn't payed attention to him and mentally abused him (idk if in the MCU he was physically abused too, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was), his Mother- even if she wasn't bad and was lovely- always tried to justify Howard's action towards him (during the BARF scene we can see an example of her actions). Living in a house like this, where you feel no one is at your side is exhausting. Where everyone expect from you the best, and even if you try it, you won't ever be enough for your parents.

He entered at MIT at only fourteen, so that means (I guess) he never went to school with his peers. At seven years old he enters at the Philips Academy and it's a secondary school. Despite his outgoing behaviour, I don't think a little kid is comfortable around people much older. I don't think he even had real friends before going to MIT because even if he was more mature than his age, I don't believe a lot of teenagers or pre teens were ready to befriend with a kid.

So, no friends at school and not a good relationship with his family. He must have felt lonely for 14 years, and when he goes to MIT he decides to change. He puts a mask on and begins his new behaviour. He starts going to parties, to drink and to act cool around people to be liked and appreciated. I remember reading some fake testimonials that Marvel made to honorate the release of Iron Man 3, testimonials about how some ex students remembered Tony at MIT and two of them said:

“No one really knew him, he was just a rich kid. Everyone wanted him around, though, because he'd always bring something fun for the party.”

“I remember him at after-parties on Thayer Street. He was up later than anyone else. But you could always get a ride home with him, because he always had a car.”

No one knows the real him because that's what he does: he hides him self behind parties, fun and this kind of stuff to just be noticed by someone. Some people might say that he just wants to be at the centre of the attention, and yes that's true and it is a bad thing, but ever wondered why? Imagine being a kid, who has no friends, who's father hates you and you feel like no one will ever love you, until you find a way to be finally appreciated. You found a way to have someone who notices you after years of loneliness. I can't speak for everyone, but I would have done the same thing.

He keeps doing this for years and years. He lost his parents, he lost Jarvis and he has to take responsibility for his father's company at 21. He doesn't want that, he just wants to have fun and to distract him self from the reality because half of his life, at the time, was just empty, with no one taking care of him. So he practically leaves the company to Obadiah and he just spends more than 10 years trying to fill that void.

Why do you think he was a playboy?

Now... I don't know if that could be possible in the MCU, but in the comics he was assaulted at fourteen by a woman who was way older thank him That was the first time ever he was touched by someone like that, and even if he was a genius I wouldn't be too surprised (again) to find out he was taking refuge from his problems in s*x. He probably thought that was love, that the only reason someone could really love him was to make s*x with them and to make them feel pleasured (we could apply this logic even if he wasn't assaulted). I can think of other fictional characters who are Playboys (Barney Stinson from "how I met your mother" for example) in which is heavily implied that the only reason they act that way is because they need to feel loved.

Ten years of doing this, and you think he would be able to recover? Ofc no.

He has Rhodey, He has Pepper, He has Happy (and he has Obadiah but we don't talk about that man in this house), He has moneys, fame, he can finally have fun, he can drink and have all the women he wants. His life seems perfect, but we all know that's a lie.

He has everything, but he still has nothing, as Yinsen said.

And Tony, after being kidnapped for three months knows that. He knows his whole life was empty at that point. He said it him self when Yinsen asked him if he had a family out the cave. He just said no, he thinks no one is waiting for him to come back. For 38 years of his life he had nothing to live for, and even though we know how much his friends cared about him, he's not aware of that because he thinks they care for the mask he created for him self when he was young. At the age of 38, he still thinks no one could ever love the real him, because he doesn't love him self.

That's why I hate when people says he's immature, narcissistic and egocentric. Is he aware he is a genius? Yes. It's not bad to know that, especially when everyone expected him to be one since he was born. But that doesn't mean he's narcissistic. He acts like he's better than everyone else, but in reality he feels like the worst person ever. How can a narcissistic person think how their girlfriend deserves so much better than him? (As he said in Iron man 3). How can someone be egocentric and then puts other's life before him every single time, or when he's one of the few who cared for everyone, and who was ready to sacrifice himself for a world who never loved him? How can people even assume he thinks he's better than everyone when he admits himself he's just a man in a tin can?

If you can't see that during all the movies that he covers him self with an armour- not iron man, an INVISIBLE ARMOUR made of humour, sarcasm and fake self-esteem- to protect him self from further pain, then I suggest you to rewatch the movies.

Tony Stark is one of the most human and well written characters in the MCU, it's sad that not a lot of fans (and almost everyone in the marvel universe as well) can't see that.

[solomons-poison]

May I request the datables helping a reader who's broken something? Broke my wrist recently, and could do with a little comfort

Dateables Helping MC with a Broken Wrist

A/N: I'm so sorry to hear that happened, I hope everything heals up quickly for you! I've never broken a bone before but I can imagine breaking something you use fairly often is incredibly annoying. I hope you enjoy this!

Featuring: GN reader || Diavolo x reader, Barbatos x reader, Simeon x reader, Solomon x reader

Warnings: none

══════════════════

Diavolo

Honestly, he hasn't encountered someone with a broken bone that couldn't heal from it pretty quickly, given he's surrounded by fellow demons. So when he hears what happened to you, he's very curious about the average time it takes to heal, the things you have to wear to help it heal correctly, and just overall wondering about human physiology, he's full of endless questions. He's got endless resources at his fingertips, so if there's anything that you need during the healing process, he's happy to get it for you, sometimes even going above and beyond to the point of ridiculous.

If it was your dominant/writing hand, he might hire someone to write your notes for you from class, even if you protest it. He'll also happily abandon his paperwork to be with you, assisting you with things like if you're struggling to reach something, holding groceries for you, tying your shoes for you, etc. Honestly, he's just excited about being able to dote on someone for a change, instead of the other way around.

Despite his excited demeanor, he really is worried about you. As mentioned, he's used to beings that don't even blink at a broken bone, so dealing with a seemingly fragile being is very new to him. But he's eager to learn more about you and what he can do for you to make you feel better.

Barbatos

It is second nature for Barbatos to take care of others, so when he hears you're injured, it doesn't take any thinking to include you in that group. In fact, although he'd be loathe to admit it, he finds himself prioritizing you over his Young Lord, not that Diavolo minds at all. In fact, he likes seeing Barbatos in this caring, doting mode.

He'll set you up with a fancy physician thanks to the castle connections, to make sure you have everything you need to heal properly and keep an eye on your healing process.

He'll make for you nutritious foods rich in protein and calcium to help you, doing lots of research on human world foods that would be aid the healing process the best. But he'll be sure to sneak in some sweet treats for you, too, to boost your mood. He hates seeing you in pain or your mood soured by what had happened, especially when hears how mental health can affect physical health and healing. So he wants to make sure all your needs are taken care of.

Simeon

Simeon is, as always, the resident sweetheart. He's so worried about you when he hears about your injury and comes rushing to your side as soon as he can. It's only after you've assured him a minimum of several times that you're really ok, will he finally calm down

He's more than happy to assist you during class/at RAD, helping you take notes even if it's not your writing hand that was affected. He'll also carry your books for you, sometimes even showing up at the House of Lamentation early in the morning to walk you to the school, and then walking you back home at the end of the day.

If he really wants to be sweet, he might even try to feed you his cooking and baked sweets that he's obtained from Luke, making you tea and just providing you lots of comfort during this time. This also includes cuddles and sometimes he'll even kiss your wrist cast with the sweetest smile on his face. He knows it must be rough recovering from this, and he just wants to be by your side the whole time.

Solomon

He will offer to fix your broken bones with magic. Up to you if you accept. 🤷‍♀️

No but really, he'll take the opportunity to be a cheeky gentleman, following you around and helping you out wherever he can. Although it's just the one wrist that was affected, he'll still pull open doors for you, pull out your seat for you to sit down, offer to help you get dressed if he really wants to be cheeky.

And of course, if you're in any discomfort, he'll be making you potions to provide some comfort, or even obtaining human medicine, anything to make you more comfortable during the healing process. He'll also try to make you "nutritious" food similar to Barbatos, but the other Purgatory Hall residents will have to intervene to distract him so you don't die of something unrelated to your injury. He's just worried about you, but he'll use his aloof attitude to cover up his own worries and hopefully help you feel more at ease.

[creatingblackcharacters]

Character design anon back! You're right, sorry for asking such a vague question lmao.

You covered braids twists and afros in your lessons so far, so how about puffs and beads? Any notes on that? I gave one of my younger biracial characters a mix of microbraids and puffs, because she's creatively inclined and spends a lot of time at home, so I thought she'd have enough time and motivation for a more time-consuming hairstyle.

On a similar note, that ask about the survivalist character was very helpful. Any other hairstyles that you would think are unrealistic if you saw them in a fantasy setting with no magic or technology to keep in mind?

I wanted one of my characters to straighten her hair to represent she was suppressing parts of herself to fit in with a society that didn't accept her as she was, but let her hair recover its natural shape when she stops trying to earn their approval and becomes more comfortable being herself. Do you think that be a respectful use of her design to represent her character arc? I got this idea from my own experiences with my hair, but I know her racial context is very different to mine and I wouldn't want to be insensitive. Straightening her hair might not be realistic for her in this setting either, but I'm worried that if she covers her hair and "grows out of it" that might send the wrong message. Any alternatives or should I write off the idea entirely?

Afro puffs and beads are always amazing. I love both. Puffs are an afro style, so that was already covered- you'd just have to do more searching for what you specifically want. Beads and ornamentation are lovely, but we also have to keep in mind that some jobs won't let you have them. So, depending on the job, maybe not permanent beads. I have these gold loc bands that I love putting in my hair for special occasions, but some folks are just fashionistas 🤷🏾‍♀️ so... We just have fun with it! Full beaded styles tend to be seen more on children, though. Like the braided styles with beads down the braid? Usually on kids, though it's always cool to see an adult with it (there's a movie where Alfre Woodard wears them and she rocks it).

Your character's style sounds cute!

With no magic? Straight hair lol. Bone straight hair on a black person in a fantasy or olden setting with no magic or means is super unrealistic to me. Bc how did it get that straight? Who did it? Using what? You're telling me it was easier to finagle together a hot comb to straighten her hair in these times than to just... Let it be an afro? Really? Is she rich with servants who'll comb it? Do they do it every night so it never frizzes up in any weather? Like I'm sure it's possible, but... 😬

I see what you're saying, and I remember a similar concept in the book Raybearer, where Tarisai's hair is always in tight braids until she begins to come to her own, and then it unleashes into a beautiful afro for the first time. So I don't think the change is a bad idea! Because ik that's what happened to me too- as I began to love myself, it meant loving my own hair, too. Starting fresh!

You may not be familiar with the Tignon laws (I think I mentioned it in the hair lessons) but that's what covering her hair reminds me of. Now, if you do it respectfully, it could fall into context like that- where her natural hair is seen as "bad", but as she learns to love herself, she defies society by loving and choosing her hair. So again, I don't think it's a bad idea! Just show your respect, especially if you're a nonblack author. Don't romanticize the oppression of it. Recognize the context, and recognize what some of your Black readers will be able to read out of it. Be sure to do your research on how to care for her hair. No point in having symbolism that sits so heavily on hair that you don't bother to actually love and care for.

That's my opinion on it, though! Hope it helps!

[bluegekk0]

1 does holly remember any of the spells from the pale vessel fight 2 does holly remember godhome and what happened there 3 was godhome like a dream for hornet or the nailmasters? 4 how are the nailmasters and sly doing? 5 how are cornifer and iselda 6 did the knight finish seer's quest

Oh that's a lot of questions, let me think.

1 - They remember some of them, yes. Particularly focusing to heal, this wasn't a thing in the fight but I assume it's something anyone who learns soul magic can do. They can only heal themselves, though, and to a limited degree (like I mentioned in a previous post, they can't grow back the arm or heal any of their disabilities, only surface wounds). The biggest reasons why they don't generally use soul magic in the AU are: 1. they don't really feel the need to, the domestic life doesn't require combat abilities and they rarely have to heal and 2. they don't have a constant source of soul to use, there are some soul totems scattered around Hallownest but they rarely travel outside of Dirtmouth, and the hot springs in the AU are just water that contains minerals which help you relax and focus, they aren't a source of soul. So while they would in theory be able to use some of the spells, they choose not to.

2 and 3 - Godhome in the AU works a bit differently, I decided to interpret it that way to fit my vision for the AU. It's, as the name suggests, the home of the gods, those which do not have physical forms such as The Radiance and other gods that I want to design some day. Another name I tend to use for this place is The Gods' Plane. The hall of gods doesn't exist in the same form it does in the game (I choose to interpret that part as simply just a gameplay thing with no lore implications). Godhome/The Gods' Plane can be accessed with a Dream Nail through the Godseekers, who I imagine have a similar role to the Moth Tribe and thus similar abilities. Through the hall of the gods, you can enter individual realms of the gods (for example, The Radiance's dream realm, as well as the realms of Unn and The White Lady; the nightmare realm was once part of it but was separated following Grimm's banishment).

So none of these characters were actually there in the AU, physically or through dreaming. The way I imagine it, The Radiance was "summoned" to Godhome from her dream realm and challenged by Ghost. The void then followed, seeping through Godseeker's mind into Godhome. Perhaps Holly witnessed the fight in their consciousness, but they weren't part of it - to them it's more like a memory. So they're the only one who remembers what happened, even if the Pure Vessel fight didn't actually happen there. I hope that makes sense.

4 - Sly moved to the City of Tears after the infection ended, in hopes of becoming rich, to put it short. He has his little shop in the city and finds many more customers than he ever did in Dirtmouth. I imagine he and Lemm are direct competitors since they ended up selling very similar items, so there is some beef between them.

The Nailmasters are where you'd expect them to be. Sheo and the Nailsmith are together, and the other two still live in their huts. Though I like to think Mato visits Dirtmouth from time to time, so he's the most involved of the three brothers. Perhaps there's something going on between him and Brumm, wink wink.

5 - They still live in Dirtmouth and run their shop, though Iselda began joining Cornifer on his trips. They are good friends with the Vyrm family, especially Vyrm himself since Iselda played a big part in helping him recover after the Grimmkin incident (she ran after Brumm as he carried bleeding Vyrm home and then helped with treating the wound). Cornifer is also buddies with him, and Hornet often accompanies him during his trips if they overlap with her morning patrols.

6 - They did, yes. They were collecting dream essence anyway and decided to help her. Which means that the Moth Tribe (that is moths associated with The Radiance, I imagine there are still moth-like species out there) is officially extinct in the AU.

[lcvcntc]

HSHQTASK059!

when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

i think i joined in late 2017! i had to go check, otherwise i would lied and said in 2018! i had just started uni some months earlier, it was a very hectic and weird time. i didn't think my schedule would allow me to stay in a group setting but hshq was too addictive! now i'm an old old old working woman, uni feels a forever ago

which characters have you written over the years ?

oh boy! antonia, levente, mieke, leonor, maybe someone else but only briefly?

what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i think the english plotline will forever stay with me. don't get me wrong, i love the croÿs, they've kept me so entertained and i love them, but the english plotline was intriguing and i liked the magnitude of it. it was also a fun way to comment on the english class system. in all of its absurdity, i feel like it was a smart plotline. one of the lighter and shorter plotlines that i've loved would be lisvente and in extension levente and isabela's hate for each other. lisvente helped me a lot with characterization in the beginning, and honestly i think i lost the plot on levente at some point and he became almost too kind. i wanted him to be genuinely despicable but i think i failed at that a bit. the fights with isabela were fun and i'm sort of sad they became quite civil towards the end.

what about other people's plotlines ?

i'm a big fan of italy. i think it was interesting plotline to follow and it kept surprising me ! and i have a soft spot for viveka and ilona and i wish we could have gotten more of them :(

who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

weidly enough antonia. she wasn't too easy to write but at the height of the english drama, i think i got to write some of the most interesting replies. antonia allowed me to write about the politics that i actually knew something about. antonia was also a refreshing character among all the rich bitches of hshq. it was fun to offer a balancing force. levente's shit was mostly petty and while his plotlines were entertaining and it was fun to write someone horrible, he became a bit repetitive. i think if leonor's plots would have developed past the first threads, i would have fallen more in love with her. she was refreshing and i liked the opportunity to write a truly emotional character!

if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

the very short plotline where fanni had to pretend to sylvia that milena's ultrasound pictures were hers. it was so funny and unexpected chain of events. i had fun!

is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

i don't think so. all of my plotlines have more or less written themselves and i'm fine with the organic way things came to be.

what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

maybe invente? i was so inactive that they never really recovered from the katya thing. i promised to isa that i'd finish one last levente x fanni thread so that's still in the works1

what is your favourite ooc memory ?

nothing particular comes to mind. i think i miss the times when people actually posted ooc stuff on the dash. the times when the dash was more ooc than ic were great because everyone were so invested!

where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i'm not really anywhere anymore, sorry :( if something comes up, you can try this acc but i don't know if i'll login that often

what else would you like to say ?

i've had an amazing time with all of you. this group's been truly remarkable and i am incredibly happy that i wasn't flaky. i've been able to write intricate plotlines that never would have happened if people hadn't been loyal, motivated and innovative! i will literally miss everyone so much <3 ps. i'll write the 58th task soon!

[statementlou]

It's not just the age difference. It's the complete and utter power imbalance. He's rich, famous, far more experienced (even when he was her age), male. She's some Danish kid who's fresh off the plane. And don't you think it's more likely that LTHQ flew her to LA specifically for this rather than she somehow got into a celebrity party before she'd even recovered from jet lag? And as if a young girl who had just come to LA and met famous folk wouldn't have posted on her insta. I do wonder how and when she was recruited.

okay well first of all she lives in LA and your whole "innocent girl imported from Denmark and doesn't even know what's going on" narrative is weird, but more to the point I think she's plenty old enough to make her own decisions around what she can handle by way of jetlag and other work choices, and that this is a weirdly condescending way to talk about an adult trying to make it in the entertainment industry. But more to the point- the power imbalance would be a potential issue IF THEY WERE DATING. But power imbalances between bosses and employees are not just normal, they are literally an integral part of that relationship. That's why it's gross and not okay for people in those positions to date! And if you're making an argument that it's also gross in work situations well listen, I'm an anti capitalist and I couldn't agree more, abolish wage labor and all of it, but a non famous non celeb person being an employee of a rich celeb is hardly a red flag in this society, and no more exploitative than most other jobs. The power imbalances around experience and status and wealth also exist between, like, Harry and his PA Luis for example, so why is this different and is she less able to make that call for herself? It seems to me that this is where you really see the parallels between how people view bearding and sex work- even people who say and think that they know it's fake still get all weird and puritanical about it and think it's just that little bit different from other jobs, that okay it's fake but like it's still kind of like it's real so dating rules apply! No: it's a job. It's not in a special category or personal or intimate: it's just a job. She's an influencer trying to make it and just got her big break (insta followers up 600% and counting in 12 hours!) and chose to take it, good for her. Do you think Louis and the other guys would thank you for denying them their big break as actual teens on the grounds that they were too young and inexperienced to handle it? With the experiences they had in the industry (and presumably would never perpetuate on someone else) and Louis' commitment to helping up and coming folks make it, to say nothing of his general caretaker tendencies and concern for young women he sees as his responsibility, I actually can't think of anyone I'd rather see someone in her position take a job like this with, she hit the fucking jackpot.

[shut-up-morales]

concerning the oceangate thing: I do not find any joy in the suffering of others, or the fact that the CHILD on board (yes he was technically 19, but I don't care if he was legally an adult, he could have had another 80 years of life, and now he doesn't) didn't even want to be there (according to a news source that interviewed his aunt). I find some humor in the irony of the situation om a surface level, but beyond that it's a story of hubris and rich people doing stupid shit because they think their money makes them invincible. The only solace I find is in the fact that they most likely didn't anticipate it and didn't suffer (from what I have read it was likely a catastrophic implosion, and it is atm theorized that it probably happened shortly after they first lost contact with the surface, and it would have killed them instantly).

Yes, fuck rich people, but regardless of that I think too many people are okay finding pleasure in the deaths and possible suffering of others. No one and I mean NO ONE deserves to suffer or die in the ways people have been theorizing about those people (suffocating, crushing, etc). I can't articulate exactly how I feel about all this in the way I want to, I just can't find the words I guess, but I hope that what comes from all of it is more regulations on submersible crafts (there are dangerously few it seems like, due to the technology being so new) AND more regulations on what the ultra wealthy are allowed to get away with. I doubt we'll really get the latter, but if we don't get the former we should all be fucking livid; realistically that sub should never have been allowed in the water, let alone on an expedition with that sort of depth. I hope they're able to recover their bodies. I hope they're able to be put to rest as their families want. I hope this never happens again.

[bassiter2]

ok yeah it's like they're billionaires who chose to get into a tiny vessel using an xbox controller to steer 2 miles below sea level and yes that it just so utterly stupid and priviliged that on the most personal level that's just THAT stupid that yeah they deserve it. but the reaction to it. if i talk to 1 person and they agree "yeah i think they deserve it" that's whatever but knowing that the EN MASSE reaction to all this is like. so normalized. it's a joke. these guys for SURE deserve it but it's crazy to know the sheer number of ppl who think so. bc it's hard to believe that all these ppl have actually put as much thought into it as i have. my immediate assumption (perhaps mistakenly?) is that the majority of all this is thoughtless. just a product of the culture. that the context of this situation doesn't matter nearly as much as a very modern sort of morbid focus. can you imagine you're slowly dying and this process is more psychological than anything and unbeknownst to you twitter is trending with memes about your impending horrific demise. it's probably better that you're not aware of this while alive but oh my god imagine becoming a ghost and you learn about it. and it's like it's not even that i disapprove of the attitude in and of itself bc if you put the thought into it it's 100% valid but i KNOW that's not the majority, i know it's just how we deal with things now, that we don't care. that making light of something so deeply horrifying just like *conceptually* is so normalized. yes i think it's funny yes i also think it's awful. what the fuck is the world we're living in. 5 men are suffocating to death in a place that humans were never meant to be and yes it's their own fault and no it's not a somber moment it's a chance to quote retweet a family guy screencap. it's like the fact alone that they were able to get down there by these means to begin with IS the horror. the news we keep recieving is that there IS no news. we all get live updates on how much air they have left, as though we could do anything about it. why are we being given these not-updates? to honor their lives or just because it seems like we should? because nothing so terrible has ever happened before? because they would be mad if they got rescued and came back and found that nothing was getting reported? and god yeah chances are there will be nothing. the news will be that there is no news. they won't get recovered until we all forget about this. it's a horror story if nothing else of how far you get from reality due to hubris when you get obscenely rich and how ready you are to hop right into just the worst thing that could possibly happen to a person. can you imagine being so rich that nothing bad at all happens to you for like 40+ years and now you're dying like this. can you imagine. what a way to die. is it even really dying? if you're hardly human to begin with? there's no box to fit this into and that's what makes it more horrible than anything else really. i think that's why we have to veer toward humor. it's just THAT bad. i just wish we didn't have the platforms to let me know what the state of the world is. like we're all like this now ok. everything's bad

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #93

Late last night, M, J, and I finished going through the second part of your new story. I didn't end up going to sleep until after 2 in the morning.

…I know I said before that I'd try to treat sleep as something more important. I definitely dropped the ball on that. I'm sorry.

I'm gonna try to get it together when I go to sleep tonight. But I'm not sure how well I'll be able to do that; seem to have me a spot of the post-game blues. It's basically the same thing as post-book blues, or post-series blues, or even post-creation blues. It's the sense of emptiness that occurs after you finish a game, finish a book, finish an episodic series, or even after you finish creating something.

What's more, for this particular thing, I'm left wondering so much. There are several scenes in which it seemed like two polar opposite things were happening simultaneously. And then there's you, or… is that even you? A lot of emphasis was placed on the notion of there being a manipulative cosmic shapeshifting horror running around causing havoc, masquerading as folks that people love or hate, so…

…did we see you in this part of the story at all? And if so, when? And how are we supposed to tell the difference? Guess we'll find out in another 4 or 5 years.

Whether is was you or something else running around in your shape saying all those very unkind things that seem to betray a lack of understanding that other people have thoughts, feelings, and rich inner worlds… I'm still worried for your safety. I still wanna see you turn yourself around and make it through all this okay in the end. I still wanna see you heal so you can continue to make kind, gentle, loving choices. So you can have the peaceful, normal life you wanted. So you can go around helping people recover from circumstances that were similar to yours; even without effort, you've done this for at least one person - I'm standing right here, against all odds. I can't even begin to imagine how many more folks you could reach if/when you manage to finally get your shit together.

…And. I know that reassembly of the self after being shattered is extremely difficult work. I know that making drastic changes to the self - to one's values and morals, to one's behaviors, habits, and thought patterns - takes courage, patience, lots of time, and an astounding capacity to endure pain. But I stand here before you as proof that it's possible. And I know lots of other people who serve as proof that it's possible. The notion that someone can, under the right influences, do a complete 180 in terms of their temperament and fundamental way of being is not NEARLY as "unrealistic" as lots of people in my world seem to like to believe.

And it doesn't HAVE to "make sense"; I know this because the old version of me is, in a lot of fundamental ways, the polar opposite of who I am now. If you asked 20-year-old me whether or not certain kinds of people deserve love, compassion, and mercy, I would have laughed right in your "stupid fucking face" (🙄) and told you that this world only has a place for people who scrape and scrounge and suffer in order to earn it, and that everyone else deserves to disappear, preferably slowly and painfully for having the audacity to have existed as weaklings in the first place (I picked up a lot of REALLY WEIRD SHIT from the people I was raised by). I don't think like that anymore, and frankly, the thought of EVER returning to that frame of mind is abhorrent enough to make me feel a little queasy; I'm gonna stop thinking about who I used to be, at least for now.

The point is this: you can simply wake up one day, take a look around, and decide, "I want to be something other than what my life circumstances tried to shape me into." And then you go and you do it - preferably with some kind of help. Because as far as I know (and I could be wrong about this!), undergoing changes this massive is next to impossible without help. And unfortunately, finding that kind of help can often enough be a very rare thing, at least in the world in which I live; if I had a freaking nickel for every person who looked at me and decided my baggage was too much for them to warrant giving me any kind of chance… goodness… might have enough to retire right the fuck now, hahaha!

I got ASTOUNDINGLY LUCKY that M saw and was willing to fight for whatever tiny shred of goodness he saw within me all those years ago. Most people in my world think that people like me are repulsive and hopeless, and that means that lots of fallen people, who are otherwise amazing people with a lot of good to offer this world, end up never having any opportunity to rise up into becoming who they actually are, because so few people think that they deserve that chance, because conventional wisdom says they're "too far gone".

There's no such thing as a person who is "too far gone". You're not too far gone, and that's why I'm going to keep calling out to you like this. I don't want to live in a world in which I'm stronger than you. Because… who, then, will I look up to? I don't want to go back to having no one to look towards when I feel scared or alone or when I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to having nothing on the distant horizon to strive towards.

Cloud and the others, as people, are all well and good and whatnot, but… I'm not like them. I've looked to you because I'm a lot more like you than like them. They know what it's like to have at least one loving parent, someone who is happy that they exist, and I… I didn't get to grow up with that as the norm. So many people in my world say things like, "Cloud and Tifa and Barret and the others all have trauma and THEY didn't make bad choices, so anyone who doesn't live up to that example is bad", but…

…those people who can say that with such confidence, I would wager, don't know a whole about what it means to have no one and nothing - not even untainted memories to hold onto - if you find yourself scared, weeping, or alone in the dark. They can't understand how the utter absence of something so fundamental can break a person. They don't understand what a huge difference it makes to have this thing that so many take for granted - a loving basis of comparison which helps them to understand that there is more to this world than hostility and suffering and hate, even when bad things happen.

I have all these things now. I was 22 when I met M, and it has been a very long and bumpy road to get to where I am now. But as I looked to you and to M for guidance, and as I began washing the grime off my psyche bit by bit, I found myself able to notice and appreciate the friendships of different kinds of people, able to notice and appreciate different things to love and be grateful for, and different choices at my disposal, regarding who I wanna be and how I wanna speak, act, and show up in this world.

You can do this thing that I've done, this thing I continue to do day by day. Of course you can do it; you're far more awesome than I could ever hope to be, in every possible way. You can become a new self simply by taking a single step, and then continuing to take that single step day after day. And I know that maybe one step doesn't seem like a whole lot, but… I make rice pudding, and a bowl of that is nothing more than a huge collection of single, tiny grains of rice, falling into my rice cooker one by one. I weave trees together, one tiny twist of the wire at a time. I arrange music boxes, one little note at a time. This blog started out as basically nothing, but in a week, I'll have 100 letters to you, because I write a new one, one day at a time. Change of the self works by similar principles - it's one small change at a time, sustained over a long period, until it becomes something bigger than how it started.

Sephiroth. You can do this. I believe in you. I will NEVER stop believing in you. You can make a difference in the best possible ways, if only you begin to realize the true power you wield in your hands. Because that power does not have its basis in breaking things; breaking things is FAR too easy, even for regular mooks like me; literally anyone can do that, and it's boring as all fuck. No, the power in your hands, and indeed the power in everyone's hands, if they choose to use it, is the capacity to weave together something new and beautiful from the pain that came before. So get on it, willya??? For fuck's sake. Take your own advice and uncloud your eyes; don't get yourself killed by continuing to cling all sentimentally to some stupid, lame-ass, destructive shit, because doing that helps NO ONE, and it's not who you are. Okay?

In the meantime, in an effort to distract myself from the post-game blues, I'm gonna Salt some Sanctuaries for a while. If you wanna chill with me, you can do that here:

I love you and I'll write again soon.

Your friend, Lumine

[thesoulesscollection]

I think the old men trio should go out dancing and be dumb. They deserve it, yeah?

I kept this one shot short and sweet but I'm having fun exploring this ship so thank you again. 

Although it was rare for all three to get even a single day off, more a whole weekend and being able to spend it together was a treat they won't waste. 

Now instead of spending it at home, in their living room watching either cheesy rom coms or action movies, the trio decided to go out to the local town. Originally it was meant to be a simple date. 

They knew some would raise an eyebrow at, when they chose a classic bar attached with an extravagant dance room. One they knew and went to for years prior. 

Quentin and Canterbury went first, hand in hand with one another, shamelsss in their relationship status. A loyal couple consisted of three queer old men. Out the three, they're more quicker on their feet, able to stay with the flow and rhythm. They meshed together well, their moves played off each other, hips swinging back to forth, feet tapping against the tiled floor. Soon as time goes on, they began to slow down to catch their breath. 

"You outdid yourself, Cats" Quentin chuckled, breathless, clearly tipsy. 

"Well, my dear. After years of my childhood to teens taking plenty of classes in my day, it's like second nature to me"

"Yeah…" Humming softly, Quentin is fond of his partner's refined extravagance, "... For an old man, you do have it still" 

Naturally sharp, piercing eyes softened not bothered, more amused even at the man's sly, teasing comment. "You as well. No one quite keeps up with me like you do" He rests his head on top of Quentin's, hands around the other's waist as they slowly dance to the soft music. 

"Why thank you. You taught me well" 

"At least you were a lot easier to teach. With Hershell, he's as stubborn as a bull. A bull in a China shop" Both men shamelessly laugh, caring less if it broke up the reserved, silent air around them. 

"He tries. Got to give him that one" Quentin replies with a lazy shrug, "Not our fault nor is his he's built like a lumbering tree with no perception" 

"Speaking of. Where is he then? He should be back now with our drinks?" Curiosty got the better of Canterbury, whipping his head up and around towards the bar room, "Do you think he may be lost?" 

"Lost? Really? How can we loose an almost seven foot giant here?" Quentin pipes up, sarcasm oozing into his voice. 

"I know. But we both know he can get so easily sidetracked"

"Unless his mind on firmly set on something he has no problem with it. He'll return to us soon" Despite rolling his eyes, an involuntary bodily twitch maybe, Quentin still reassured Canterbury on the matter. 

Truth be told, Quentin was right when twenty minutes later, Hershell, bewildered, returns with three drinks in hand. 

"Sorry I'm late" As he's passing the drinks to his partners, his own placed on top the small circualr table beaide them, Hershell mentally recovered, a goofy lopsided grin on his face. "There was an arcade right next door"

"Of course there is and you went?" Cats sighs.  

Once a small sip passed his lips, rich alcohol burning his throat came a quizzical reply from Quentin, "It took you nearly a half an hour or more to get our drinks"

"At least I got them. So you're welcome" 

"You're a dense as hell, dumbell" 

"But you'll love me" Hersh says, brazenly he touches the bare hot skin under Quentin's jacket. "You two can't ever get enough of me" The other, carefully slow this time, holds on to Canterbury's own, squeezing it lightly. 

"Of course, we do. Don't we?" Canterbury cuts in before Quentin can. 

Hershell's grin widened, looking eagerly over at Quentin. 

"We do" 

Hershell leans in then thinks, drawing back, "Nice. I love you two, too" 

[mamamittens]

I'm working on a picture of Rouge and Roger's last kiss as a decompression piece and I can't help but wonder about it.

Like, they both knew Roger was dying way before Ace was conceived. Had to have.

And I know they knew that it would be the last time they would ever see each other. And that Rouge would likely be in incredible danger because of their relationship. That Roger wouldn't be able to do anything but distract the world from his living legacy by drawing their attention to his title and riches. And asking a man that is technically his enemy to look after who he left behind.

But man... That last embrace must have been rough. Even if they fully accepted the reality of their relationship before then.

And it plays into this weird perpetual theme Oda (knowingly or not) has woven into the narrative of One Piece as a whole.

That sacrifice has consequences even when done with love. Especially when done with love.

Again and again we have characters dying for others and absolutely destroying the people left behind. Arguably they didn't have a lot of other options but the impact only seems to compound over time. Each act more and more devastating to those that they want to protect.

As much as I'd like at least one of these "Actually kind of decent Parental figures" to decide to live for their charge, it is a really interesting look at how dying never quite solves the issue.

Just postpones it.

Corazon dies to save Law but Law will never be free of Doflamigo's shadow.

Rouge dies for Ace but he is haunted till his dying breath about his own existence in this world.

Sora dies for Sanji but leaves him vulnerable to the abuse of his family.

Ace dies for Luffy but leaves him in grief and shock that he doesn't shake off for two years in the middle of the battlefield that threatened his life to begin with --though arguably he never quite recovers.

And at the very start of it all, Roger dies for his crew, his lover, and his unborn child (and possibly his own ego cause old men in this series like dying in a blaze of glory). But leaves a wake of chaos in his death that leads to uncountable tragedy and ultimately killing his lover and leaving his only child an orphan in a newly ripped apart world.

It's interesting how selfless but ultimately toxic these acts end up being, despite their intentions. Whether it's because the world at large is simply too ruined to allow these sacrifices to have meaningful, positive effects, or if what they tried to prevent is inevitable remains unclear.

A lot of characters in One Piece are willing to die and kill for their causes. But very few manage to make any real change like they want. At best, they buy time. They stall. They stave off the inevitable. Because they're addressing symptoms, the easiest aspect of a problem to treat. Not the root cause.

They take up causes and set up hills they'll die on without ever considering if it's just the footpath they're on. Dying never solves the issue, and killing the 'source' seems to just spawn a new, bigger issue. Or possibly revealing a new layer of corruption that is even bigger than the last. Almost not taking it seriously despite the stakes.

Which, interestingly enough, is against the first advice we ever get in One Piece.

If you're going to pull out your weapon, you better be ready to use it. You better be ready for the consequences. You can't just wave it around and expect meaningful results.

Either follow through or don't bother.

Or maybe I'm just thinking too hard about it and tying string around unrelated pins on a corkboard. I don't know.

But it's still interesting to think about.

[youraverageaemondsimp]

Hi. This is not a request, just a thought, that i want to share. Feel free to ignore me, everything is fine. In fact, i really love your stories, you're incredibly good at it. Love you, thank you.

And so. Y/n is an unremarkable girl, not very rich, not very popular, not very noble, not the most beautiful, not the kindest. In short, you are not like all those princesses from fairy tales, beautiful and airy. You, it's just you. And you have one huge problem. A prince with long silver hair and one eye. He is very demanding and capricious. If you even breathe in the direction, where he is not, Aemond starts to get mad. Neither his parents, nor yours can do anything about his behavior. You always thought he was calm and balanced, but apparently, Aemond is no better, than Aegon or Daemon, as far as you can tell. You even think, that your stalker is the worst of all his relatives. His mother, almost tearfully begged your mother and you to live in their house, because her son is already driving everyone crazy. He is extremely demanding of your attention and presence. You can't even, excuse him, wash yourself by youself. You would never believe, that a man like him, who is admired by a large number of ladies, can throw such tantrums and scandals. But you are a witness to all this. And you personally calm him down. But your patience is coming to an end.

On his next tantrum of jealousy, you give him a ringing slap in the face. And judging by his eye, after he recovered from the shock, he liked it. As a result, the jealous, overprotective and predatory prince turns into a blushing jelly in your hands. He still demands attention and love, but now with the words: "please. Please, my lady, please, my love, i'm yours, please, my queen, please, i need your love, i need your touch, please" and "thank you, my love", and other sweet phrases. In public, he still hisses and growls at everyone, roughly grabs and drags you along, does not leave you for a second, everywhere and always follows you. But alone, he still follows you always and everywhere, he still does not leave you for a second, he still demands your attention, but now he begs for it, and the stronger, the rougher your attention and love for him, and the more lasting traces your attention leaves on his body, the happier he is.

In fact, you don't have to really love him, but if you carve your name on his chest or anywhere else, he will believe, that you love him and will continue to live in his sweet illusion. He always believed, that you loved him as much as he loved you, he always believed, that your union was created by the gods. And genuinely didn't understand, why you were resisting. Perhaps, he thought, that's how you play with him or testing him. But now, when your hands are closed around his neck, and your feminine warmth is wrapped around his manhood, he is pleased. In his strange head, the more you hurt him, the stronger your love for him, and he will piously believe in it. And no one will ever be able to convince him of this. If they try to take you away from him, he will be furious, if you ignore him, he will cry and beg you, he will even hurt himself, if you look at him, he will hurt anyone just to hear your voice.

The closer you are to Aemond, the tighter you hold his hand, the longer your beautiful eyes look at him with tenderness, the calmer he is. Even if you cry at night from despair, he will not understand, that he is the cause of your tears. He will comfort you, gently hug you, whisper sweet words of love and promises, that everything will be fine, that you will always be together, that he will make you happy, that he will protect you, that he love you. He will give you everything you want, he will make love to you as much as you want, and the way you want. He will do anything for you, just please, tell him, that you love him, tell him, that he is your king. Only him, only yours.

Hi oh my god! I just read this thing entirely and I'm?? I honestly have no words and I literally love it so much! I'm glad you shared this with me, I do not mind things like this dw!! I love to read stuff like this, like y'alls hcs, small fics 💘

THIS WAS ALSO SO BEAUTIFUL TO READ, IDK IF YOU WRITE BUT YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD 💞💞💞