#So you know. If people say they've thought through that conflict

[ante--meridiem]

Certain tumblr anti-vegans say they don't see the point of veganism because animals and plants are both alive and have equal moral value to them, and there could maybe be a cogent position there, except... do any of these people actually see it that way in practice?

Do they consider joking about accidentally killing all your houseplants morally equivalent to joking about adopting puppies and then neglecting them to death?

Do they see kids who dismember insects for fun as morally equivalent to kids who make daisy chains for fun?

Maybe they do, far be it from me to disbelieve people who say they hold fringe positions, but most of these people don't seem that fringe in how they approach living beings, so I do wonder.

[zyafics]

PLAY FAKE | part nine

MASTERLIST (series) | Rafe Cameron x Female Reader .ᐟ

Summary — When Rafe needs to secure a girlfriend for his father to see him as a viable candidate for Cameron Development, he enlists the help of a bartender who wants nothing to do with him.

Content — 18+, smut, angst, depictions of jealousy + aggression, emotional turmoil, mild descriptions of violence, and usage of drugs. Reader is hyper-independent, a people-pleaser, a smart mouth, stands on business, and mysterious past. Rafe is insecure, possessive, asshole, and has mood swings.

Rafe was gone.

You admit, the discovery was disappointing. You frowned at the empty space beside you but you were also relieved. He made the choice for you. He set some boundaries you weren't sure you could sustain and reminded you of who you are to him. It's a good thing.

At least, that's what you tell yourself.

Groaning, you drag yourself out of bed and walk to the bathroom. In front of the dingy mirror, with the silver peeling at the edge, you see all the marks Rafe left on you: the bruises of his fingertips around your hips, the light welts traveling up your spine and backside. He truly is a possessive fuck.

Popping the last Plan B in your mouth, you take a long shower to clean yourself up. Once you exit from the stall, you dress yourself in some old clothes and get ready for your day.

You don't need a clock to know you overslept and your siblings are on the cusps of being late to class. Loaded with an apology, you step out into the hallway to hear giggles and chatters from your sisters.

And Rafe.

"Don't wake your sister." He warns in a whisper, controlling his volume against their laughter. They say something in response you can't discern but it was reciprocated by a familiar sounding scoff.

Your heart squeezes in your chest—from the fact that Rafe stayed or because he's meeting your siblings, you don't know. 

All you know is it's not a good thing.

You round the corner, stepping out of the shadows, to see Rafe locking pinkies with your sisters, pressing his thumbs against their dainty ones.

He didn't notice you. It's Amara who lifts her head at the sound of your footsteps and brightens up, calling out your name with such enthusiasm, it prompts the trio to turn their attention to you. You don't look at Rafe, approaching the kitchen island where they surrounded themselves.

"What's this?"

You trust Rafe. You do, but you don't know what he could've said to them. Since you don't know how long they've been awake or how long they've been talking, you're afraid, in this short interval of time, Rafe revealed things you wanted to hide.

"Well, you were sleeping." Leilani begins, to which you nod along. "So, your boyfriend helped us with breakfast."

Your first instinct is to correct the label: boyfriend. However, it isn't wise to make a scene and throw contradictions in front of your sisters. So, you stop in front of the island and face Rafe.

"You did?" You raise a brow, leaning against the countertop for some stability. Your muscles are aching and your knees are wobbly, but you couldn't take a seat because Leilani and Amara occupied the only stools in the house. You just hope they don't notice.

But Rafe does.

He merely shrugs, giving you a onceover. "Someone had to. The kids were hungry."

You swallow hard, not knowing how to process this gesture. It's sweet that Rafe is helping you with your sisters, but some part of you wished he didn't. That he would separate himself from your life. It's getting too complicated, too entangled, that you're afraid one day you can't pull him away without losing yourself in the process.

You try your best to hide this internal conflict, but something in his gaze suggests he could see right through your walls. As if he could read your thoughts and understand your soul in one.

It's too much to bear. You had to look away.

Distracting yourself by turning back to your sisters, you ask them what they talked about and Amara and Leilani share a glance with Rafe. You want to inquire what that look meant, before Amara bursts out into an anecdote about how Rafe described your first interaction. How you met at your job. How it all happened.

You realize, as she's reciting your timeline, how it feels like a distant memory. You nod along while Amara recounts the story from Rafe's perspective, shifting your weight off of one leg to the other, leaning faithfully on the island to hold you up.

Rafe moves from his position, coming behind you as your sisters talk amongst themselves about the finer details of your love life, and wraps an arm around your waist. Your natural reflex is to pull away, to avoid exhibiting such affection, but Rafe's strength alleviates some pressure off your feet. You were too grateful for it.

"Sore?" He murmurs against the shell of your ear, to which you nod. Something about the confirmation satisfies him.

When Amara finishes her spiel, having strayed from the original conversation to a tangent about her storybook princesses, you glance over at the time on the stove. 

"Leila, Mara. Go get ready." You announce. "Your bus is going to be here soon."

They whine, wanting to stay longer and extract more information from Rafe. They even tried to argue that Rafe has a car, which can drive them to school like a pumpkin carriage. You rebuff with a scold, shaking your head. "Rafe's done enough. Go get ready. Now."

Pouting, they hop off the stools and pad to their room to change. Amara grumbles something under her breath as she passes you, about hoping Rafe was nicer. He was not. But they didn't need to know that.

Once they depart, reality settles in. You gently pull Rafe's arm off of you and move around the island, putting some distance.

Your mind is in a deep haze. You don't know what to do. Especially with your sisters in the house, acutely aware of Rafe's presence, you can't talk to him the way you normally do. You have to keep your composure.

"What did you make them?" You ask evenly, collecting their plates off the counter, realizing their leftovers had ingredients you didn't own in the house.

"I ordered some breakfast from a local bistro."

"Oh, wow. You're spoiling them."

"At least someone in your family lets me."

You recoil at the accusation, albeit true, and drop their plates into the sink, your palms pressed against the metallic edge of the basin. You refuse to look at him, trying to gather yourself, but you can't seem to think straight.

The silence is palpable, stretching for an eternal moment neither of you made a move to clear.

That's when Rafe opens his mouth. "I feel like you're mad."

You sigh, closing your eyes for a brief second. When you turn around, your gaze connects with Rafe. He stands on the other side of the kitchen, where you left him, with an unreadable expression, trying to figure you out.

"I'm not mad," you begin, not knowing how to properly articulate your thoughts. A part of you is happy that Rafe managed to gain your sisters' approval—proving the cynic inside of you wrong and that this could work. Yet, another part of you is upset, because Rafe went above the provision you laid out in your agreement. It's all haywire. "I'm just... They think you're my boyfriend."

"Yeah."

"And we established that you weren't going to meet them."

He grimaces. "We didn't establish that. You said that."

"Yeah, because look at them," you threw a hand in their direction, where they descended down the hallway and into their bedroom, "you got their hopes up."

His jaw ticks. You weren't being fair to him. "It wasn't like I tried. They barged into your room and saw me. What the fuck could I have done?"

He's raising his voice and you're getting a headache. You know it isn't his fault, not entirely, because at the end of the day, you only have yourself to blame. You have so much to worry about: the bar, taking care of your siblings, Aaron—you shouldn't have let him stay over in the first place.

It's too messy.

"It doesn't matter now." You concede, not wanting to start an argument. "It happened. When the time comes, I'll just have to let them down easy."

His hardened expression falters and his shoulders drop. "When what time comes?" 

"Rafe." You sigh with such defeat, it doesn't even sound like you. "Be serious. You know."

Panic rises in his throat but he doesn't allow that to seep through. All he presents is his temper, an irritation that flares through his sharp features. "No, I don't."

"When we—" you gesture between the two of you, keeping your voice steady, "—break up. Finish our end of the deal."

His heart plummets and he can feel all the air leave his lungs. He hasn't even considered the possibility of this ending. Rafe knows it's pure ignorance on his end, that it makes sense to have a deadline, but the thought of not being able to see you, kiss you, fuck you anymore, tears him apart.

He hasn't thought of it. Not once. But clearly you have. And that, in itself, pisses him off. His jaw locks and his words grow mute. He doesn't even know how to respond to that.

"We don't have to think about it now." You announce, noting the change in his demeanor. You don't want to read too much into it. "But it's something I have to prepare for."

Rafe watches you, trying to fathom how you could be so cavalier about this eventuality. Does he mean so little to you? Is all the time spent together not enough? Can you truly survive the prospect of not being with him anymore? It aggravates him beyond belief how you don't seem to care.

When all you do is care. Deeply.

You know if you think about it too much, you might shatter. You know you shouldn't look for signs that aren't there, but you do anyway. You're a realist, a defeatist, and you have to take everything at face value. If you don't, you might break your own heart.

And you can't afford that.

No one will be there to pick it up.

You want to move away from this, shifting the spotlight back on your siblings. "They seem to like you, though."

Rafe swallows the bitter taste in his mouth. He recognizes your feeble attempt to change the conversation, and though he doesn't want to, he knows it's necessary for his sanity. "I hope so."

You perk up at the idea of Rafe caring about them. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He confirms with a strain through his voice. "Amara is sweet. She's easy to win over. Leilani, on the other hand, was skeptical of me. Reminds me of someone I know."

You laugh. The sound dissolves all the tension in his shoulders and pulls him off the edge. God, the control you have over him is dangerous. You could ask anything of him and he would give it to you.

If only you would.

When Rafe cuts a look to you, the serenity rippling off your features, his gaze descends down to your exposed neck, finding it empty of his necklace.

His jaw clenches again. When did you take it off? He wants to ask, the urge on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't want to ruin the delicate atmosphere. 

Amara and Leilani reemerge from their bedroom, all dressed up in their uniforms. You turn away from Rafe and approach your sisters. Squatting down, you adjust the collar on Amara's polo she forgot to fold.

"Rafey." Amara sing-songs, calling out for the blond. "How do we look?"

Leilani and Mara both do a little spin in their outfits. While it's nothing new, it's just something that makes them happy because they like to pretend they’re wearing ballgowns to a gala. A genuine smile rises to his lips, dissolved of his anger.

"Like princesses."

Amara squeals in delight and Leilani grins, and you're left furrowing your brows. They're giving Rafe the same treatment as JJ and Pope and you can't help but wonder what type of interaction they shared before you came into the kitchen.

The bus honks outside. Amara and Leilani leap to their feet and bid a quick I love you to you and a farewell to Rafe.

"Bye, Rafey!" Amara beams zealously, before turning back to you, her expression shifts to a look of solemnity. "Be nice to him."

You choke on a laugh as they dash down the driveway and towards the yellow charter. Once they safety board, you turn back to Rafe with an amused smile.

"You heard what she said," Rafe teases, tipping his head to the doorway. "Be nice to me."

You return to the kitchen. "I think I'm plenty nice to you."

"Yeah?" He uses your close proximity to grab your wrist, pinning you against the island. You giggle as Rafe boxes you in, both arms on either side of your hips. You lift your gaze to meet his cerulean eyes, his pupils dilated. "Prove it."

"No."

Rafe shakes his head with an easy smile. "You're so stubborn," he groans, grabbing your waist and lifting you off the ground. You let out a small yelp, clutching onto his shoulders, just as Rafe sets you on the countertop. He leans forward. "You know I eventually fuck a yes out of you, right?"

His eyes are hungry, raking over your body, lingering over the exposed skin from the lack of coverage your clothes offer. His rough hand slides under your long tee, raising goosebumps.

"Rafe," you grab his hand before he proceeds further, "I'm still sore."

"I'll take care of you, baby."

The words lick a flame up your stomach, scaling you closer to your inhibitions, that you make a last-ditch effort at staying grounded. "I was about to make us breakfast."

He smirks. "I have something I want to eat."

"Rafe."

He echoes your name in the same tone.

Your eyes land on his, softening, willing, and you brush the pad of your thumb across his cheekbone. "Be gentle with me, okay?"

His heart floods with warmth, knowing this request is your way of letting him in. You would never say it, not explicitly, that he's becoming attuned to the subtle signs and little phrases you use to mean something else.

Rafe dips his head in submission, capturing your lips into a kiss. His hand moves between your legs to massage your thighs.

It feels so good. While you may be tender down there, Rafe has a way of making you forget all the pain. It isn't until he gets a little too close on one of your bruises that you flinch, causing him to retreat and assess his damage. "Fuck. I went hard on you, didn't I?"

You can see guilt crowding his features, his forehead creasing as he examines the discoloration. You push away his concern, running a hand down his neck, wrenching his focus back to you.

"It's okay. I wanted you to."

Rafe swallows hard and, before he gets too lost in his head, you pull him back with a kiss. His mouth is hot against yours, his hands roaming over your curves and kneading your flesh in a manner that leaves you aching. By the time his fingers skims across your panties, they're soaked.

He parts to look down at the wet patch. "No one can make you feel this good, right, baby?"

You nod at his words, chewing on your bottom lip. "Sometimes I think you're the only one who can get me this wet."

He hears it again. Him. Only him.

Possession stirs in him and he descends down your open neck, sucking hard against your sensitive skin. You know he's trying to leave marks there too, but you're too lost in your desire to care. Your nails scrape against his chest, lowering to the erection in his pants.

Rafe catches your wrist. His gaze meets yours.

"Am I about to be punished?"

"I want to make you feel good first."

Your heart swells and you smile, lowering your guards. "Okay."

Lifting your hips, Rafe pulls down your shorts and panties. He immediately moves between your legs, spreading your wet folds apart. You shudder into his light touch.

"I said gentle, not tease." You reprimand and he chuckles lowly.

"Did anyone ever tell you to be patient?"

"No, can you teach me?"

His expression blossoms into pride and he pushes your top up till your tits are fully exposed. Throwing the shirt onto the growing pile on the kitchen floor, Rafe begins to plant wet kisses down the column of your throat, to your shoulders, to the valley of your breasts before reaching your naval.

That's when he sinks to his knees, stepping between your legs and delivering sweet, agonizing kisses to the inside of your thighs while his fingers collect your arousal.

You whine under his touch, your pussy aches from the lack of stimulation. "Hurry."

He answers by gently biting and scraping his teeth against your inner thighs, causing you to grip the edge of the counter. The pleasure is explosive and unbearable.

"Rafe," you beg with a moan, feeling the tip of his fingers lightly entering your cunt before drawing back. "Please."

"I thought I'm giving you a lesson." He murmurs against your heated skin, so close to your core, he can feel your throbbing underneath. "You're not doing a very good job."

"I'll do so much better if you kiss me."

He laughs, about to pull himself up to meet your lips when your hand lands on his head and pushes him back down. "No, down there."

And he listens.

Rafe finally puts you out of your misery and flattens his tongue against your slit, adding pressure. You moan loudly, pushing yourself into his face as he shoves his slick-covered fingers into your mouth. The act surprises you.

But arouses you further.

You grab his arm, holding it in place as you take him in your mouth. Your eyes lock with his as he eats you out and you clean his fingers.

Rafe sucks on your clit as you continue to suck on his fingers, your moans muffled by his thick digits and he shoves them deeper, causing you to gag. He fucking loves that sound.

"No one is going to take care of you as well as I do," he declares into your slopping cunt, "no one."

You nod fervently, your climax reaching closer that you shut your eyes, buckling your hips. Rafe had to pull both hands back, using them to hold you down as he laps over your clit and adds more suction, before finally pushing you over the edge.

You come on his face, slumping back against the island in heavy breaths. When Rafe pushes himself to his feet, he comes forward to cup the nape of your neck and kiss you.

"Fucking mine." He murmurs against your swollen lips, tasting yourself on him. "Do you hear me?"

Rafe pulls back, his eyes locking firmly with yours, waiting for you to answer. You swallow hard, not knowing what to say, that you break the gaze to look down at his pants.

"I haven't taken care of you, yet," you whisper, reaching forward to palm him through his slacks, feeling a bit of wetness at the tent. "Did you come already?"

"No." He snaps bitterly at the accusation before his expression falters and he groans at the way you touch him. "I don't want to hurt you."

You soften at the sentiment, removing your hand to hold the side of his profile. "Rafe. I'm okay. I swear. It'll heal." You affirm, examining the way his eyes go gentle. "I want to make you feel good too."

The corner of his lips turns upwards. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." You nod, unzipping his pants for him. He does the rest, pulling out his swollen cock, which is leaking beads of precum.

"You gonna lay back for me, baby?" He asks thickly. He's throbbing with need and wants to be inside of you. Rafe steps between your legs, lining his tip against your entrance, readying himself to push in. Before he does, you grab his wrist.

"Wait." You stop him, reminded of something. "You have to pull out today."

His brows furrow for a moment, before recognition dawns on him. He remembers seeing the Plan B in your bathroom but he didn't realize you were running low.

"You're out?"

"I took the last one this morning." You explain. "I sometimes take two because I get nervous."

He faintly remembers the first night you stayed at Tannyhill. When you mentioned something about birth control and he brushed you off. He didn't realize he would be fucking you this much; that he would be starved of you.

Rafe likes being inside you. He likes coming in you. And he believes you like it too.

So, it was an easy decision for him.

"I'll get you birth control." He announces and, before you have the chance to object, he thrusts in you, bottoming out.

"Oh, fuck," you whimper, falling back against the countertop, spreading your legs further apart to grant him closer access.

He tips his head back in a low groan, moving slow. You feel so good around him. You always do. Your pussy is wet and tight and squeezes him perfectly. He was honest about last night—he doesn't even want to think about another party, or drink, or woman when he could have this. When he could have you.

You're his vice.

"Faster." You prompt, drawing Rafe's hand to your tits to grope them. He doesn't listen at first. "Rafe, I need you to fuck me like you mean it."

Such a foul mouth. But only for him.

"You have no fucking patience," he declares, quickening his speed and squeezing your breasts. The sound of your wetness is heard through the small kitchen and the little gasps and mewls leaving your mouth attests to your satisfaction. "Can't fucking take care of you without your whining."

His words deliver an intense pulse of desire through your body and you clench around him.

"You just make me feel good," you moan, hearing his heavy breathing as he rails into you more roughly. "So fucking good."

It hurts but it doesn't. You don't voice that, afraid he's going to stop. To you, the pain easily fades into the background while pleasure replaces and courses through you.

Rafe fills you completely, playing with your nipples while hitting all the right spots. Your stomach coils back to the familiar feeling of tightness.

He feels it. He sees you. You're writhing in pleasure underneath him, crying out his name, and he can't seem to imagine another sight. It's you.

You. You. You.

"Rafe, don't stop," you moan, wrapping your legs around his torso. The possessive gesture raises a smile on his face. "God, I'm about to—"

You don't get to finish, arriving at your peak as Rafe continues further. The way your walls clench around him, adding pressure around his cock, pushes him towards his own orgasm.

You're overstimulated and heaving, but you don't let Rafe go until he comes. His incessant thrusts cause you to cry and whine, and when you feel him twitch inside of you—you know.

"Out," you're about to push him off, but he pulls out first, fisting the base of his cock as he pumps out his release. You watch as his handsome face screws up in pleasure, white rope of his cum spurts out and lands all over your chest and stomach.

When he empties himself completely, his eyes meet yours. You can't help but shed a smile, laughing.

"What?" He breathes out.

"You look so fucking hot coming on me." You announce, pulling yourself to the ledge and grabbing Rafe in for a kiss. Both of your heavy breaths collide with each other, savoring the taste of your drawn-out, tired and breathless air, but wanting nothing else.

When you pull apart, you announce you need to take another shower to clean up. You try to get off the counter yourself, but when you hop off, your legs wobble like a baby deer finding their first steps.

Naturally, Rafe picks you up and takes you to your bathroom.

He didn't help you. You didn't allow him—the act is too intimate. When you clean yourself up (again) and step back into your bedroom, you find Rafe leaning against your drawers, shaking his head at his phone.

"What?" You ask, curious, when he lifts his head up to find you in your towel. "What happened?"

He shakes his head again, snapping himself off of a trance.

"Nothin'. It's just Top." He explains, and when you tilt your head, silently asking for more information, he relents. "It's just some Kook party he's hosting tomorrow. He invited me to go."

You're pulled back to reality. Where it's no longer in the confines of your house—where you just had sex with Rafe in your kitchen island. No, you think about to your responsibilities.

You think back to yesterday. How Rafe came over, how he confessed he didn't liked parties anymore, how he fucked you. Those were the good.

But, there was also the bad. You remember how Aaron was here, how you need to pay him back in three—now, two—days, and how he's a dangerous man with real threats.

Your mind is whirling, pulling pieces, that it's all clicking together. A plan formulates in your head, something solid and achievable, but makes your blood run cold.

You pray Rafe doesn't notice the change in your demeanor, this struck of realization, that you try to push it off onto something else.

"Are you going?" You ask lightly.

"No." He says firmly, without hesitation. "I'm done with them, remember?"

You do; you just didn't realize it was so concrete. Rafe says it with this look in his eyes, something vulnerable, something more, that it makes you swallow hard.

You can't tell him what you're about to do. What you need.

You just hope you don't hurt him in the process.

★ part ten ★

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[a-very-tired-jew]

You're not as informed as you think, and age does play a factor.

This is going to ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be said. You're not as informed on the I/P Conflict and the history of the region as you think, and age plays a major factor. Hell, you're not as informed on a lot of topics as you think. I want you to think about what you were doing 5 years ago. Were you still running around on the playground? Were you making dioramas for a science class? Were you in high school worried about being a first year? Were you just starting to pick out colleges or deciding to even go? Did you ever call a teacher by their first name? Now, there is a line that we hear thrown about that people don't fully mature till they're 25. While this is bupkis and misrepresents the research, it is true that the brain does not stop developing till sometime in the mid to late 20s. In fact, the brains of undergraduates age 18-22 and their respective thought patterns more closely resemble high schoolers than they do mid 20s and above. So what does this mean in the course of the I/P conflict? For one thing, this is your first incident. Your first I/P war. Those of us in our 30s and above have seen a good number of them at this point. I even remember when the use of child suicide bombers became a standard method for Hamas and other terrorist groups during the Second Intifada. As such, many of us are used to the manipulation that we see in this particular region. We're used to seeing antisemitism be dismissed and well intentioned people be manipulated. Many of us are just tired because you're going through the same shit we did at your age and we look back and go "oh, we were severely misinformed". Because this is your first, you're super passionate about it, but that passion can be manipulated. Second, you're not as smart or well informed as you think you are. This has to do with the age and maturation thing mentioned above. While 25 is an arbitrary number, there are some milestones that happen by then. By 25 you have had enough life experience to really start piecing together your education, your life experiences, your world experiences, and your respective beliefs into a coherent way of approaching topics. Hopefully by that age you're less likely to have the emotional outburst in response to a subject (think about the stereotypical slamming the door teenager behavior, many of us did that and we cringe thinking about it) and more likely to approach something in a levelheaded and informed manner. Unfortunately there is some research that shows evidence that Gen Z and Millenials are susceptible to propaganda and misinformation, with the former exhibiting behavior akin to Boomers. So keep that in mind that none of us are safe for misinformation, but some generations are worse than others. Now, who am I to say this to you? Some of you are quite mad right at the moment. Some of you have strived to be seen as well informed young adults or to be taken seriously, and in some cases you are. However...

I'm in my 30s and I have been teaching at the college level for a decade and some change now. By no means am I an expert, but I have enough experience to say something. The ages I teach are 18+, meaning I've had students that are typical fresh high school grads and students that are in their 50s. Myself and my colleagues have heard repeatedly from students the "I'm an adult, I know what I'm doing" line to only watch that 18-22 y.o. student fail miserably or come crying to us later. I have personally watched students go through the stages of grief as they realized in my classes that their pet science activism is not what they thought, but they've wrapped so much of their identity around it. You're still learning, and thinking you know more just because you read something online is an issue. You're also still growing and developing as a person. Recognize that you can be manipulated. Recognize that you can be wrong. Recognize your own inherent biases. Then do better.

[kix-mm]

Whatever happens... A, B, and C

"Hey C? Buddy? How're you doing in there? Are you ready to come out yet?"

Their question was met with a cold silence, but B could do nothing about the unpleasant response. It was meant to still be a secret between B and A, with the idea being that once they had reached their third month's anniversary of their relationship that they would tell C. But the surprise came a little too early.

A bent down. "Have they still not come out yet? It's been an hour..." They spoke in a soft and hopeless tone, which was conflicting with their usual upbeat personality.

"No..." B replies while eying the bathroom door. "I just hope they'll be okay... what if they don't like us anymore after this? I don't want to lose them. This is exactly what we were trying to prevent..." he says while silently acknowledging the irony of this whole situation.

B knocks on the little door again. "C? Please come out...". "N-no!..." came a soft squeak, which very briefly settled B and A's worry that their partner had somehow managed to escape through the window. They knew it would actually be impossible for C, but the fear was still there, C had a tendency to accomplish the impossible, such as dating two people who were secretly giants.

The two shared a look of grief, and A could see how B's mind was tumbling: "What if they break up with us? W-what if they leave us?" B asked with a choked voice. "Then we let them... it's not right to hold someone hostage. That would definitely make us monsters. C is already so overwhelmed..." A spoke with pain in their heart. At first, A wanted to pry the door open and get ahold of C, but now that they've thought things through it would most likely never go well.

"I miss them..." B hugged themselves tighter. "I miss them so much, and they're right here. They're so close, and we're losing them A... what do we do..?" A sighs "I don't know..."

Hours continued to fly by till the early morning, around 4. C finally decided to have a peek outside the bathroom to investigate the silence. They almost yelped when he saw how close the two were to the door, A was snuggled up to B, they both looked exhausted. To C, this was a relief. This was their chance to get the hell out of here... C grabbed their keys and bag off the counter and quietly made their way to the door. They took their time to observe their home for a final time and made some connections, such as why the ceiling was so high and why the two always had a glimmer in their eyes whenever they saw each other... C always thought it was because they were in love, which may have been the case, but also because the two shared a deep secret with one another... one that they never deemed necessary to tell C despite being their partner. Maybe C's insecure thoughts were right about them being nothing more than a third wheel.

Suddenly, he noticed B's eyes flicker open. In a panic, C rushes to the door, his steps waking the both of them. He pulled on the door and... nothing. It didn't budge, he tried again, then he tried pushing, nothing. Finally, he looked up from the handle and saw A's hand pressed against the top. Fear struck his already broken heart as he felt it sink to his stomach. He spun back towards the bathroom to see that his safe haven had been blocked off by B.

C looked up at the two with frantic eyes, unable to get his legs to move. He had no real other pace to hide as their layout was rather open. B gently reached to make contact with C, but C jolted away as if B's fingers were knives. "D-Don't touch me!" C hated how the fear rang in his voice, how he stammered in front of them. C never was one to speak up for himself. He was the timid and soft-spoken one of the three.

B and A kept their distance, looking down at C with pleading eyes, please C please don't go. Let us explain, let us hold you, show you that we would never hurt you.

But their silent pleading fell on deaf ears. C stared at the two with blurry eyes, tears obscuring his vision. "Let me go." he rests his hand on the handle, looking at A. Please let me get out of here.

A & B share a look before returning their eyes to C. "Let us first explain ourselves... please Cc?" B pleaded with an all too familiar nickname that made C feel uneasy hearing at the moment.

C's legs were ready to make a run for it as soon as either one made an attempt to grab him again, he was particularly eying B for that distinct twitch they'd show when they lost their patience. This would be C's only chance to speak their mind before something were to happen to them. "I... no, I've heard enough, I've... I've seen enough. I don't know why you'd keep such a big secret from me for so long! I'm not a stranger. We've known each other for years! And not once was I ever considered your equal! I-I'm just that easy to get forget about, aren't I? The small third party! Quick and easy to get rid of!" C's breathing quickened, and his blood boiled, yet he still kept his voice lowered. Regret began to almost instantly set in after he was done talking back at the two in such a tone, he swore that the two were now staring right through him. How dare he speak to them that way, how dare he try to question their decisions when he was so disposable to them?

Instead, A let out a very pitiful sniffle, a gate of tears rolled down their cheeks. "We're sorry, we're so, so sorry... we really messed up this whole plan." they say while trying to wipe all those messy tears off. Wanting nothing more than to be given a second chance to try and be better at how they handled the situation. They wanted to explain how scared they were of C's reaction and how they knew he would be scared if they had revealed this secret any sooner.

B held A's hand before looking at C. "C... no, no C, you're not! Don't say that! Please get that out of your head it was never meant to get so out of hand. We swear we would have told you a-and it was supposed to be a whole setup and everything!" Slowly B moved their hand closer to C. C hadn't even noticed B's hand. they were too occupied by their heart ringing in their ears and the sight of A sobbing in B's arms. Even B looked completely heartbroken.

When C suddenly felt B's hand wrap around his waist and legs, he began to frantically squirm, watching and attempting to push away any enclosing fingers that hugged his body. "n-no stop! Stop!!" C yelped. "I-it's okay! It's okay, I won't drop you, I promise you C..." B spoke with a gentle yet strained voice, trying to hide the pump in his throat as he felt his panicked lover squirm and scratch. Wincing a little as he felt warm tears drip down his fingers.

A quickly wiped his tears and let B open their hand. The two had talked for hours about what it would be like to hold C in their hands, how they wanted C to take naps, demand being held, how soft he would feel... this would probably not be the case anymore... "Cc..." A spoke softly. B looked at C. "I'm sorry I... I just wanted to be near you. Please don't be scared, A and I... we were trying to prevent this reaction, but it just happened. A-and now everything seems forced and-and the timing is terrible and we're scared we're going to lose you! We don't want to lose you C. Please, please believe us, we promise there's nothing else to hide from you, we will tell you everything... let us prove it to you... we will do anything to make up for this mess."

C was a shivering mess. They looked at both lovers like they were predators despite the duo's best attempts to calm him, giving gentle rubs and holding him against their chest. Talking to him with a soft and sweet voice that tried to reassure him that he was safe and that they would never hurt him while also repeatedly apologizing. This continued till the sun rose, and C finally passed out on B's chest.

The two laid him in bed, their poor C was exhausted, their cheeks stained with tear marks and their eyes were puffy, their body never stopped shivering and every now and then they'd jolt and mumble incoherently. The two looked at each other with equally stained cheeks and puffy eyes. They decided it would be best for them to shrink down to the size C was familiar with. B held C's hand and gently kissed their forehead while A kissed C's cheek and snuggled up to spoon him. The 3 got cuddled up together and fell into a deep sleep... hopefully, when C woke up, they'd be more willing to talk. But they couldn't be certain. All they could really focus on was that C was in their arms, and hopefully, after some time, they'd be able to sleep together without fear.

[factual-fantasy]

18 Asks! Thank you!! :}} 🎪

@pink088

Guuuuurl does it look like I missed the boops? XDD

(I DID miss the super boops and revenge boops tho. I was trashed on the couch and stuck on mobile all day so I wasn't able to send any back to anyone💔💔)

Uhhhmm... oh jeez lemme try to remember-- I'm assuming you mean the order I got everyone in the game..?? Cuz other than the goofy little comics I've been drawing there isn't much of a story beyond that-

Uhhh so I started with Midori(Sprigatito) obviously, thennn... I think I caught Grim(Gastly).. then I caught Gloria(Ralts). Thenn..... arrhrhhgh I thiiiink I went looking for eevees, but I found Anastasia(Shiny Kricketot) in the process and kept her. Then I picked one of the eevees I caught at random and kept him. Then lastly I found a Mareep(Bonnie) by surprise and kept her.

My memory is very poor but I thiiink that's mostly accurate <XDD If I misunderstood your question don't be afraid to send another ask! 😅

@pbjfox37147878

Sorry, I don't take requests.. But hey! You already got a solid concept going and some artistic talent, you can always make it yourself for free! :0

Not really.. I've had a surprising number of uncomfortable experiences with the fandom recently so I've decided to take a step back from Octonauts for a while..

@psype

:DD Thank you! I'm glad you like them! :}}

And yeah that's how I pictured her XDD its becuase I use her the most out of all my Pokémon-

Now she's not bossy and doesn't have a leader or "I'm better that you guys" complex, none of that! She's just very intelligent and usually very level headed and calm. I can imagine that she's gotten the team safely through a lot of complicated situations and her plans/advice have rarely led the group astray.

Plus since I use her so often, I like to think that she's one of the most powerful Pokémon on the team. If not the most powerful. So whenever the group was met with a great danger, Gloria was probably the one to rescue them <XD

So the whole group kind'a gravitates behind her and lets/wants her to take the lead most of the time. Especially when things get complicated or dangerous!

@nerdyskullcap (User in ask)

I took a peek at their blog, but I couldn't find any original art of the Conductor after quite a while of scrolling through that tag.. I only found reblogs of other peoples Conductor comics.. <:(

XD That description of Gloria is very fitting! I use her the most out of all my Pokémon and she rarely loses! XDD

This was a cool read, and hey! Some of my Pokémon have some of those attacks! :000 Gloria has draining kiss and Bonnie has discharge! :D

@cat7890

I'd like to think they've never fought before.. maybe some little bickering on a bad day, but never anything serious.

They have good communication and just generally get along really well and like a lot of the same things. So there's rarely conflict between them! :0

Thank you! I'm happy to hear that you like my artwork! :}}

As for your question.. I'm afraid I don't understand/cant explain it--

Lets say I wanna draw Mario. I imagine what the drawing might end up looking like in my head, what pose I'll draw him in and what colors I'll use.. And then I just.. draw it. It might not look exactly like what I pictured but its probably close enough.

If that doesn't answer your question, I'm afraid I either don't understand your question or this is just an art thing that I don't know how to explain. <:( Sorry, feel free to send another ask with more specifics if you have them!

@sleep-deprived-fr3ak

If Bill ever became a lawyer? All hope is lost XDD

@raven-bearden-the-interviewer42

I haven't really thought about the details of the crews travels and adventures.. but I'm sure that when Louis got cursed and became a crab monster? That was probably pretty memorable XD

Probably this one honestly <XD I cant think of anything more cursed off the top of my head-

@fawncr33k

I suppose that would be fine, but I wouldn't prefer it. As I've said many times,, just comments guys! Asks, reblogs, tags, how ever you type them. I just want comments.👍

@neo-metalscottic

No problem! Getting asks are usually a pick me up :}}

As for the Dry Bones thing, that's what I meant by "not sure how it fits into the AU yet" 😅 Who'd they fight? Why did they fight? When did this happen? No idea. Its all just a neat concept with no structure yet :// And beyond the awkward living situation with the Dry Bones today, I haven't really thought about how the Koopa culture has been changed by the war. That's just way too much thinking and I'm way too sick to bother trying to figure it out atm- 💀💔 But maybe someday I'll think it through!

Now Luigi, I had this idea that he had a bizarre encounter with a 1-UP and was later bitten by a Goomba. Over the span of say... 5 days or so..? Luigi slowly got weaker and weaker until eventually he became bedridden and actually died- He came back to life moments after but it still completely shook Mario and Luigi's worlds for a sec there-

I had intended to draw a comic about this, and I made a sketch about it in the past.. but around the time I thought of this idea my Mario phase was kind'a passing over so I didn't feel like making it- <XDD

As for a potential sequel, I would like to see Wario, Waluigi and Toadsworth. Not sure why Toadsworth wasn't in the first movie- he absolutely should have been. That deep voiced purple..? council..? toad guy?? Totally should have been Toadsworth :/

And my request for the Wario bros is that they are taken seriously. 😅🤣

@cherrycreamfairy

I'm doing okay so far today, thank you! :}

@littlelightfish

I haven't really figured out the details about how Tuna and Louis lost their limbs- 😅

But I'm considering that Louis lost his arm (I assume you meant his arm-) in some kind of work related accident a long time ago. It must have been a fishing accident somehow..

As for Tuna, either some kind of natural disaster/accident or.. someone "removed" them... O-O

I do not :/ I'm not even sure what homestuck is.. I thiiink its a webcomic-

@nemo-draco

Oooo! :00 It looks cool! :DD

And thank you, I'm hoping I get over this soon too 😅

[faytelumos]

I'm trying to write a thing (probably only in my head, let's be realistic) and so I have some thoughts?

Sunshine x Grumpy prompts

(specifically a dommy Sunshine and a subby Grumpy, but read/swap these as you will)

Meetings

- They physically bump into each other in the street. Sunshine is trying to gather up Grumpy's stuff and straighten them out, but Grumpy is just trying to get away from Sunshine's overpowering energy.

-> Then afterwards, Grumpy is the one who keeps thinking about the encounter.

- There are no rooms left in the hotel/inn. Sunshine overhears Grumpy all but begging for any kind of room at all, and offers to share theirs.

- Every day, Grumpy walks past Sunshine dancing in a slightly inconvenient place (like a sidewalk or in front of a coffee shop). Eventually, they start watching Sunshine briefly when they come across them. Then, Sunshine makes direct eye contact and motions for them to dance, too.

-> Grumpy may not dance with them, but maybe Sunshine decides to make it their life's mission to tease out the dance moves in Grumpy's heart.

- Grumpy notices Sunshine gently handling a disliked/misunderstood animal. They instantly wonder if Sunshine would be willing to handle them (disliked and misunderstood as they are) so gently.

- People generally assume Grumpy is cruel/brutish in a fight. But when Sunshine sees them being merciful and diplomatic in the face of conflict, their heart goes all aflutter. They must not let this wonderful person slip through their fingers.

Acquaintances to Friends/Lovers

- They know each other only in passing, and Grumpy assumes Sunshine to be a total ditz. But when a fight between strangers breaks out in a tight space, Sunshine rushes into the fray to break it up. (Maybe the sight of Sunshine being strong and capable does something to Grumpy.)

-> Alternatively, it could be an emergency/crisis that Grumpy or another stranger are having (such as choking on something, a severe allergic reaction, or an illness or injury taking a sudden turn for the worse).

- They work together, and Sunshine has been making their way around the workplace day by day, doing something happy and cheerful and everything for each person. Grumpy is dreading the day it's their turn.

*Relationship Intensifies*

- Sunshine is a terrible cook. Grumpy pulls out the apron and shows them a thing or two.

- Sunshine opens up about their dark past during a quiet moment. It is remarkably (even freakishly) similar to what Grumpy went through.

- Sunshine notices that while Grumpy's actions say, "Do not perceive me," their body language screams, "I need you specifically to hold me."

- Over the past few weeks/months, Sunshine and Grumpy have been spending more and more time together. Right as Grumpy starts to feel comfortable opening up, they realize… Sunshine actually doesn't talk about themself. Practically at all.

After Dark

- Grumpy is too nervous/self-conscious to initiate, even though being with Sunshine is all they've been thinking about for the past ten minutes.

-> Sunshine miraculously notices and treats Grumpy so sweetly that Grumpy almost breaks.

->-> Or they do break, and Sunshine's happy to pick up the pieces afterwards.

- Sunshine's "I'll get a smile out of you yet!" attitude shifting into "You're mine and no one will ever hurt you" when things get hot.

- Grumpy's "I refuse to burden people with my presence" attitude becoming "Please, I need every last piece of you" when things get going.

- Grumpy and Sunshine have to switch roles a little when Sunshine drops after they're together.

[stormgardenscurse]

Scuse me! If possible, could I request the first years sneaking into a girls' sleepover that a female reader is attending, and they're disguised as girls? Please and thank you!

sleepover! — twst first years

Summary: First years sneak into a sleepover you're attending (other attendees are all girls). They’re just worried about you (and maybe were bored and thus made bad decisions), but maybe this time they bit off more than they could chew?

Characters: Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Sebek

Note: I don’t specify the reader’s gender within the work. Due to the nature of the request it’s easily assumed that the reader is female—but really, you can imagine it as anything you’d like because I don’t use specific pronouns here!

Ace

No one’s sure who initiated this whole thing, but they can be sure that Ace was the most conflicted about this. On one hand, why was he going through so much trouble just to do something dumb and embarrass himself? On the other hand, they’ve heard… things from their classmates and senpais about how sleepovers can get sometimes, so of course they’re worried about you! (Read: said classmates and senpais talked about horror scenarios for the drama, not knowing they were applying it to a very real situation).

The moment Ace texted you to ask how long you’ve known those people, it was over for them all. How could you go to a sleepover with people you’ve only met like, twice?! Ace is swearing under his breath as he somehow finds himself at Sam’s shop, buying what looked like cosplay outfits and wigs, just to sneak in and make sure you’re fine.

…And maybe he’s doing this because a part of him is afraid you’ll ditch them for new friends, but no one has to know that. Ace covers this sentiment by talking—a lot—and being the one that makes excuses/fake stories while the girls at the sleepover ask them about themselves. Even making a remark about you and Ace, who they've identified (jokingly) as the type that's extroverted at first but only leans on a few friends:

“Despite loosening up now, Ace must not be used to large gatherings like these, huh? She keeps leaning toward you! I can tell you guys are close.”

He doesn’t do that normally, right…? Surely it’s because of nerves and how ridiculous this situation is. Yes, definitely.

Deuce

Deuce didn’t realize the obstacles of this plan until they all arrived at the sleepover; how does he blend in with girls - there’s no specific way, right? They’re just people— And then they start talking about their type in guys and Deuce can’t help but turn red at the idea that somehow, his thoughts just float to you.

He’s admittedly very interested in what answer you’d give (and a little hopeful that it gives him a little guidance in… Uh, nevermind.) And then it’s his turn, and somehow Deuce just blanks out and says that he’d like someone like you—not explicitly, but he ends up describing your traits and only notices later, when Ace’s answer is instead just flippant, that ‘oh, mine was too specific.’

The other girls there assign Deuce with the ‘sporty girl’ type of vibe, and while he’s flattered, he can’t help but get distracted by how your laughter catches him—it’s so clear and bright, Deuce wants to hear it again and again—but moments like these where you’re sparkling in his eyes are rare, and what Deuce doesn’t know is that it’s not your new friends that caused this, but just the memory of how the first years barged into the sleepover with a mission and ‘I’ve got you!’ written across their faces, despite how they’re completely out of their comfort zone.

Deuce in particular does look very cute in a high ponytail; it’d be a crime to not take some pictures together to commemorate the event. Just don’t show them to any of their senpais, alright?

Jack

Jack agreed to go in an attempt to make sure the others don’t end up doing something that derails the entire night for you - he’s pretty sure you could take care of yourself and know what you’re doing, but boys will be boys… And the last thing he’d want is for their sneaking-in to ruin the sleepover.

The long hair and crossdressing outfit is a little uncomfortable though. When you offer to help Jack tie his hair up, he doesn’t know why he starts to feel embarrassed at how your hands brush against the back of his neck, murmuring a little thanks to you.

He doesn’t talk much during the evening because of his voice, but Jack’s quite relieved at how smoothly the sleepover goes. He just doesn’t want to become a liability (you shouldn’t need to worry, just enjoy yourself!), so when he’s asked about his hobbies or interests, Jack answers that he likes to cultivate cacti.

There’s no reason to lie about such a thing, after all - but it surprises him when the other girls ask you if that’s why you wanted to take a detour to a flower shop the other day to get a beginner’s plant.

Unbeknownst to them, you’d actually wanted to try taking care of one and then gift it to Jack later on... So you improvise, saying that yes! It was Jack’s influence that made you want to try it out (still the truth, but without the detail of you wanting to offer it to him along with a proper confession… Maybe you'll need to rehash you plans to be more romantic.)

Epel

Please don’t point out how he could just enter the sleepover and probably not even need a disguise—Epel still had to apply makeup and dress up to blend in! Honestly speaking this idea seemed entirely ridiculous to him, but he got so caught up in the others’ determination and energy that he ended up here too.

Epel isn’t too happy about how you obviously find him cute in this getup, but he’s relieved from the pretense of acting like a shy, soft-spoken girl when you bring up that he really likes magic wheels!

“Epel looks so cool whenever she goes on a joyride, and she plays Magift too!”

“Really?! I never would’ve guessed! Now I’m starting to admire her too... I wish I could do all those things.”

…Okay, so maybe this isn’t so bad. Aside from pretending he’s a girl, Epel’s glad that the people here are really open-minded about hobbies. He even ends up agreeing to race one of them someday (they’re from another magic school, and one of the girls are quite good at flying).

Despite somehow becoming a favorite of the night, Epel doesn’t let you feel left out! He’s here for you first and foremost, and to him, you’re the main character of the day.

…Also, he wants you to be with him whenever he does show off how cool he is. Wowing everyone else fills him with pride, but there’s something he chases after in the way you smile at him - supportive and lingering with amusement at the inside jokes you share.

Sebek

To be honest, the fact that he agreed to do this in itself is really sweet—Sebek found the idea of joining the sleepover ridiculous, until the other guys started appealing about "what if the prefect ends up not enjoying it?” “What if they need our help?”

Ahem. While Sebek isn’t as worried about your socialization skills, he does worry a bit at the idea that you’re going to someone’s house when you haven’t known them for long. So for the sake of your safety (read: his peace of mind), Sebek agrees to go. Just to check on you and leave.

And then two hours pass and suddenly he’s sitting next to you at the sleepover, in what is honestly an embarrassing disguise (who decided to give him that fake bra?!), and trying not to lose his composure while he answers questions from conversation.

Despite all this though, Sebek does conduct himself with poise and the careful way he’s speaking (trying very hard not to be too loud, and really just sitting straight because it’s good practice plus he’s kinda nervous right now. Are girls always this touchy with each other? He can handle some pushing around, but you’re sitting awfully close to him right now!)

The question of celebrity crushes does appear though, and of course Sebek confidently replies that Malleus is the only right answer (slowly convincing some of the girls of Malleus’ appeal when he rambles about the prince) - but at the end of the day, he’s acutely paying attention to you and responds before you even have to ask for things; asking for the snack bowl and letting you take some before he does, placing a blanket over your shoulder when it starts to get cold—it’s cute when he doesn’t expect you to offer the same comforts to him, sharing the blanket and leaning against one-another while a movie plays on the TV.

[brother-emperors]

When you talk about Philippino history and then Roman history, as a Venezuelan it's been making me think about our history and like, I've always thought there's a lot of similarity there but now it's like...its so similar. Your house is haunted too! I always think about how we won wars against the colonizers but their ghosts are still there, and they still sit at the dinner table with us every night. Your work is so cool, I feel like I can extend that train of thought further through time. I've never been interested in Rome but now I kinda am!

Venezuela 🤝the Philippines: being haunted houses (colonized by Spain)

also that is so SO real, the ghosts really are with us!! THEY ARE AT!!! OUR DINNER TABLES!!!!! ngl, once you start noticing it, it's impossible to NOT notice how they've crawled into the spaces and just. stayed.

ancient Rome is so weird for it too, because if you asked me about it, I wouldn't immediately put ancient Rome down for haunting the Philippines, except for the fact that like Catholicism, it's fucking everywhere. it's gotten in the cracks and spaces between the walls. On the stage of theater, Nadres' Hanggang dito na lamang at maraming salamat: the main character is named after Julius Caesar

Closet Queeries, J. Niel C. Garcia

and so many people are named after figures from ancient Rome (I know enough Mark Anthonys I've run out of differentiating nicknames for everyone) that it rivals Catholic saints for naming conventions. neo classical architecture had it's moment in the sun in Manila, our ilustrados brought some of it back when they returned from Spain to call for reform, and then independence, and I am struggling to hold back a plague-infection comparison about that. like, something else crept in with Spain, and like Spain's ghosts, it Did Not Leave.

but on the other hand! there's a long, centuries long, tradition of using the events of the Fall of the Republic to discourse, discuss, to vent or call for action, current events. it provides a interlocutor when something hurts too much to say directly, it provides a stage to explore a tragedy that echoes in our own histories, it gives a script to voice an ideal that a government might otherwise put down. how many centuries have we used Brutus (and Cassius) to rail against Tyranny, and how many centuries with equal enthusiasm have people used Julius Caesar as a martyr to justify the rights of Kings and Empires? these things are equally as important (in a different way) from the ancient events that actually transpired. (this specific topic, of Brutus & the Assassination of Caesar and it's literary revivals in history, are the focus of The Brutus Revival, Manfredi Piccolomini)

and the cores of these things conflict with each other, but in that friction, it's like there's an invitation to sit down and think for a minute. to look back at history and feel it's immediacy in the present.

ANYWAY I got carried away, but I am glad!! that my stuff could make Rome interesting!!! I hope that you find new doors of thoughts to explore!!!!!!!

[burning-academia-if]

I love your characters so much, they are all perfect blends of angsty and soft and attractive. 😭

How would the ROs feel about hearing an MC who is usually a sweet ball of tender sunshine get feisty with someone badmouthing the RO? Cuz sometimes our protectors need to be protected. 🥺

Not me coming back to asks because I gave up coding for the night-

Rook: He's...conflicted. He's seen flashes of this side of you before, but seeing you defend him? He doesn't deserve, and in his mind, they're probably right in some way. There's no reason to bare your teeth for him, especially when you're not normally like this. And yet. It's hard to deny the way his heart squeezes. When has anyone but you bothered to protect him?

Beck: He's uncharacteristically quiet. When you take his hand and the two of you leave the situation, you barely catch the 'thank you.' His head feels a little fuzzy. He's no stranger to the things people say about him, but it's been a long time since there was someone by his side to get him through it. He wants to protect you, especially if you're going to protect him.

Rhea: "You don't need to waste your energy on them." Rhea hasn't even glanced their way. She's used to it all. She's frigid, she's distant, she's a rich bitch who got in because of her dad's influence. There's no reason to acknowledge it. But when she sees how much it upsets you, she wraps her hands around your own and squeezes them. "Thank you for standing up for me, though."

Zoe: They feel nothing at the insults. They've known these their whole life, just like any magician who can't use magic. It's the same old script, but to you, it must all be so new. They wrap their arms around you, hugging you from behind. Their voice is a whisper, "It's alright MC. I'm ok." Their heart beat is even against your back, arms beckoning you to leave. They don't want you to waste their breath. Not on those who will never change.

Lars: Surprisingly, he'd let you. If someone tried to say shit like "Oh, you're letting yourself be protected now--" He'd level them with a threat to finally drive them off. When they're gone, he takes your face in his hands, and you half suspect a scolding. He isn't sure what he's feeling, and ultimately, he only sighs frustrated before dropping his hands and walking away. It's a waste of energy to protect him, but he liked it when you showed teeth. You're always surprising him.

???: You except something. The usual teasing or them stepping in with their own harsh words. Instead, they stare at you. But it's not really at you, it's through you. Their thoughts are far away, trapped in the past within the body of a lonely child. When you call their name, they snap back and shake their head with a laugh, "I didn't know you could sound like that, little moon." They reach for you, taking your hand, and pulling you into a run, away from whoever was bothering the both of you. And maybe to give themselves time to return to themselves.

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Idk if you're up for writing angsty shit with the prompts, but I got some for you ✨

“I fucking hate you.” “No you don’t. Take that back right now.”

“I want to believe you, but I don’t know if I can.”

“Fuck, you’re such a wreck, and because of me, too.”

“Who’s laughing now?” “…Clearly not you. You’re crying, dear God.”

My thoughts/ideas: Adam was deeply hurt by both his wives (who were made for him) cheating on him with Lucifer, and is scared of being close to people in fear of being left behind again. Luci jokingly saying he hates him after they've been dating for a while (weeks? months? up to you) sets him off really bad, and makes him scared Luci doesn't actually care about him.

You're free to leave out any of the prompts if there's too many, or add more if you want to, I'm just curious to see what you make of this and always love to get some more angsty feels :D

Indigo (loves your writing)

Oooou thank you for this! Feed me with more angsty prompts! 😈

Gotta make that babies suffer lol

"I fucking hate you." It was meant to be a joke, Lucifer thought his tone of voice even conveyed that when he spoke the words. Though, when he turned to look at Adam, his face dropped when he saw the very real hurt on his boyfriends face.

Adam's chest felt tight, like he couldn't breathe. He hated him? They've been dating for six months now and the devil didn't even like him, was he just wasting his time? "No you don't, take it back right now." He voice wobbled and he cursed himself, fuck it shouldn't hurt this bad but it felt like he was just gutted by a few mere words. "I thought, I thought you loved me. Or were those more lies!" Adam didn't have to put up with this.

"I do-, Adam! Adam, come on come back." Lucifer chased after his boyfriend as he stormed away from him. He didn't miss the water that lined those golden eyes. "I'm sorry! It was just a joke. I do love you! Duckie, please."

"Don't you duckie me, asshole!" Adam just had to make it to his room and lock the fucking door. He should have known he was only being used, that he was nothing more than a plaything for the king to throw away when he got bored. A tear fell from his eye and he roughly got rid of it. Fuck, he didn't want to cry. "I should have known you're just a fucking liar!"

Everyone leaves, no one has ever wanted him. He might have said that Lucifer was the most hated being in all of creation, but clearly it was him. All people do is leave and hurt him. How could he have been so fucking stupid to think that maybe, MAYBE, he found a slice of happiness with the devil here in Hell.

Adam grunted as he was pushed into the wall, Lucifer holding him in place by his arms. "I'm not lying! Adam, I do love you I always fucking have."

He's lying, his mind screamed and Adam felt his damn lip quiver. He only wants to fuck you to check it off his list, he knew you'd be easy enough to sway. Then there was the smaller part of him that was whispering under everything. Luci saved your life, of course he loves you.

"I want to believe you, but I don't know if I can." Adam felt so conflicted, after everything they had been through they had managed to hold onto the positives and give dating a shot.

"I shouldn't have said that. I'm eternally sorry. You know I would never leave you right? You're too important to me." Lucifer confessed, he could see the war raging in those beautiful golden eyes. How could he have fucked this up so bad, everything was going great until he said that. He knew Adam had abandonment issues since Eden, hell he's the one that fucking gave them to him!

Adam couldn't stop the onslaught of tears that broke free and rolled down his face. No wonder he hates you, who would want a sniveling little bitch like you? Not a king that's for fucking sure. "Important? Like I've ever meant anything to you!" Adam sobbed his throat closing with emotion. Fuck, he shouldn't be crying!

"You mean everything to me!" Lucifer cupped his face. "Fuck you're such a wreck and because of me too. I'm so sorry."

"Ha! Jokes on you, I was a wreck before all of this! Who's laughing now?"

"Clearly not you, you're crying. Dear god, what have I done?" Lucifer said that last part more to himself. He pulled Adam down into a bruising kiss, he wanted to convey all of his emotions for the sinner in a single kiss.

Adam gasped, he felt his tongue enter his mouth, a hand in his hair keeping him in place. Against his better judgement, Adam melted into the kiss returning it, his hands gripping the king's shoulders. His heart fluttered when he felt himself get picked up, his legs instantly wrapped around his boyfriends waist.

The cruel voice in his head died away.

When the kiss ended, Adam was panting as he looked into those red and yellow eyes glowing bright, boring into his own. Fuck he loved him. The devil was going to be the untilmate death of him, to shatter his heart and put it back together again over and over.

And Adam would let him. Like an idiot.

"I love you so much, Adam. Let me make it up to you." Lucifer never wanted to hurt him. He would fight all of Heaven and Hell if it meant they could be together.

Another tear fell. "How?" Another kiss pressed to his lips, more after that. The king was a drug Adam didn't want to quit.

"How about we go see that movie you wanted? And then, we can get dinner at that new meat place across town. We could even go to the mall and I could get you that guitar you've had your eyes on. Maybe do more shopping after? Anything you want, darling." He placed another kiss on Adams lips and smiled when he got one back. "I never want you to doubt my love for you again. I love you, duckie."

Adam smiled, his heart was doing flips and his stomach full of butterflies. "I love you too, Luci."

"What do you say? Does that sound good, would you like to do that?"

How could Adam turn it down? "Okay."

[jillvalentine]

re: my relationship with my abuser, currently @/gwendaria (part one?)

My abusive ex has unfortunately been going full-on with the latest DARVO / smear campaign, and this time it seems to have reached a few people. These callouts are made-up, and they've been popping up continuously in different forms since early 2021 in an attempt to silence or smear me, regardless of their inconsistencies. One second I'm an emotionally abusive gaslighter who they've finally been freed from. The next, I'm someone they don't even know about. The next... I'm a renown stalker. The next... I'm a random girl who got romantically obsessed with them and turned into a terf when I got rejected. The neeeext... I'm a terf stalker racist? Okay! I don't even know anymore. There's definitely more.

I mostly want to focus on the facts. The facts are that I've shared about my experiences enough that I shouldn't have to entertain stupid shit anymore. There will always be the next narrative, more scandalous than the last. Going forward, I just want to make the evidence more accessible so that anyone can find it.

I still have all of our texts, discord logs, whatsapp logs, voicemails, facebook messages, hundreds of screenshots from me and from others (onlookers & other people who have been harmed), and I've become friends with people who have also been friends with or intimate with this person and came out from the other side (some are public and others aren't, because, hey! Look what happened to me after I came out. I have been stalked almost on the hourly for about 4 years now, and I know it won't stop, because I know exactly who my abuser is.)

About 3 years have passed now, so a lot of the 'big' conversations or screenshots I shared earlier on when I spoke out about what had happened to me have been buried in time. (but they are, still there.)

Screenshots where they ragged on and on about my friends, about me being naïve and that I'd know better when I was "a real adult" like them, telling me to drop dead, telling me about slitting their wrists, telling me that someone was messaging them about 'cumming on my face' after I posted (1) selfie. Blocking me everywhere for a bit over that selfie. Unblocking me. Yelling at me. Blocking and unblocking me again because I said something about how they were being awful to me. Rinse and repeat with the next insane shit.

This was during covid lockdown, and it was 24/7. I couldn't fucking breathe. I got questioned about going to the supermarket with my mom. I got mindfucked for not explicitly saying I was back home when I said I was getting the mail, under the guise of caring so much about me, of course.

One time, I sent a snap of these leggings I liked online. Because the photo sent as a file instead of a normal-full-screen-just-taken snap, it became a whole argument of "Did you share this with anyone else?" and I would be like... what would be wrong if I did? Why is it wrong for me to send a photo of some leggings I think look good to a friend to get her opinion? A lot of conflict happened this way. They were incredibly controlling and suffocating, all under the claims of past trauma, undiagnosed mental illness, and most of all - flowery apologies or proclamations.

I used to think I was able to push through anything that happened because they would apologize to me, and it made it okay again. I genuinely thought they just needed someone to give them a chance to heal and get better, or get back to how they used to be early on in the relationship. I wanted to be that someone, I wanted to be strong enough to take all of it and be okay at the end. It gradually got worse, and I found myself trapped in the relationship. Anytime I was close to getting away, I would get drawn back with push-and-pull manipulation tactics. If I had pulled away to recover from their mistreatment, I was then the one apologizing for having had to pull away, and how bad that pulling away had affected them. How awful I was and how much I regretted being affected by anything. I would blame anything else (it wasn't you, it was my own anxiety) to make things calm down.

I didn't see any of this coming from the start. It was a gradual process. Near the end, I was googling things about how to fix toxic relationships (it didn't work because the relationship wasn't a two-way street, it was abusive), trying to think for 5 different people to avoid outbursts, trying to explain away how someone might gaslight and manipulate others without it being fully conscious and intended. I found out it was 100% intentional when I got out. They were telling others that I was doing to them what they were doing to me, along with a bunch of other bullshit to pre-emptively plant seeds.

Gwen frequently tries to use the worst buzz words to create stories and alienate people from one another. She doesn't care about any social issues. What she likes or dislikes is entirely based on what she needs to get out of a situation. If someone she's fixating on positively likes xyz thing, she likes it too. If someone she's fixating on negatively likes or dislikes something, she'll do the opposite. She constantly invented stories and tried to frame people I'd known for years, or anyone who dared to interact with my posts anywhere. She literally impersonated people and had accounts hacked. All she does is obsess over people. She constantly monitored me and created conflict over anything, real or made up. She especially liked to create conflict when it was late, or when I was otherwise not-fully-there, like when I was drugged following a surgery. I was so out-of-it that at that point I didn't want to fight for myself or others anymore.

Near the end of the relationship, I had a private account that I would hide on because social media, and really anything social, had become a minefield. Multiple people had witnessed the change from before the relationship, the start of it, up to the end. I deactivated my main twitter for a period of time (although I was careful enough to reactivate it once every 30 days so it wouldn't be permanently lost) and had to ignore people, stop myself from posting or liking things, and plead with people not to mention anything about me because I would have to answer for it. Multiple people remember me asking them to delete certain posts, or just be careful not to give out that I was doing anything with them. I was abnormal and an immature adult for wanting to spend a bit of time with or buy a gift for my friend on their birthday. We had an age gap, and at first, it was all "you're probably more mature than me :)" - until it turned to Real Adults Don't Spend Time With Friends, lol. Real adults are 100% focused on their partner. Real adults aren't on social media, and other thinly-veiled degradation + mindfuckery. Funny how my age became a bad thing, but they were the experienced 29-year-old who knowingly pursued the inexperienced 23-year-old.

Near the end of the relationship, I was starting to hide away to spend more time with people who treated me well, and it helped me get out. I saw that the way I felt every day wasn't normal. It reminded me of what good relationships are like and what they feel like. My friends tried their best to be supportive, but it was very difficult because my partner was trying very hard to isolate me from them through threats, aggression and manipulation. I'm incredibly lucky that they stayed by my side and told me that what was happening wasn't normal.

Getting out was hard. Staying out was hard. Even after everything that happened, following the split, I told my friends I didn't know what I would do if they tried to get me back again. SO fucking glad that's over.

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

Hope you are doing well.

I have come across the reblogs of The Reckoning of Roku and three things hit me.

The fact that the Air Nomads believe that the world would be better if everyone was a pacifist like them feels a bit like Sozin's thought process. This one is a reach, but I feel there is a small similarity.

I didn't understand the shot at the Fire Lady thing, because we are not shown anything about the Air Nuns mentioned in this novel. Is it a shot at fans? Because if so, this is a stupid attempt.

The novel feels like a deifying of the Air Nomads. That they were these pacifist people, but come to think of it, till book 3, I doubt it was implied that the Air Nomads were pacifist, to my recollection at least. And I doubt Aang's word can be taken into account, because no twelve year old will have an understanding of his culture.

I would like your thoughts on this.

The main problem with the "the world would be better if everyone were pacifists like us" thing is that it isn't inherently wrong. The world WOULD be better if everyone worked to end violence. The problem is that the novel and the series as a whole have a very shallow view of what pacifism actually is. They seem to think it means not eating meat and having a hands off approach to violent conflicts, while what Roku calls for is actual activism and bringing peace through justice. Gyatso declaring that wars would not exist if everyone were like the Air Nomads, while simultaneously advocating for not getting involved, does reek of the same logic Sozin used when he said that the world would be better off if the Fire Nation were to spread its greatness. Neither view is actually doing anything to promote peace.

And of course that doesn't mean Gyatso is just like Sozin, and it certainly doesn't mean that what happened to the Air Nomads was justified (a view I have seen expressed by no one except Aang stans accusing Zutara shippers of saying so in entirely bad faith). But a central theme of atla is that the Fire Nation thought they were the good guys. Their entire ideology was about the belief that they were making the world a better place, and any ideology that assumes the world would be better off if these other people were more like us, while not actually addressing conflicts, is an inherently flawed ideology.

Which would be great if, as I have seen some Aang stans say, also in bad faith arguments to hate on zutara shippers for pointing out bad writing, any of this were actually intentional. But the series is not actually interested in making Gyatso or any of the Air Nomads actual human beings. We're supposed to believe Gyatso is right simply because the Air Nomads are the good guys. And that's why what he says is dangerous. Nobody is saying the Air Nomads are not the good guys here. But it is glaring that the show put these words in the mouth of a character we are supposed to idealize, when the original show explored the dangers of that idealization as one of its main themes. It's because Gyatso is a good guy and a victim of genocide that the writers making him say this is so offensive.

The fire lady mention is absolutely a dig at zutara shippers, who invented the term because of the original show's deficit in depicting the lives of women. It feels like the creators are trying to dodge any accountability for their own sexism, something they have a history of doing. And yeah, it's telling that we still know nothing about Air nuns except that, according to Gyatso, there are "good reasons" for gender segregation. It reeks of "our sacred traditions vs their backwards sexism" as well as the creators once again trying to make excuses for their own sexism.

Which doesn't make any sense from a cultural perspective, but again, the franchise is not interested in depicting the Air Nomads as real people beyond the Shangri-La stereotype they've been running with. They don't even do a good job of trying to be progressive, because that line about how Air Nomads can move temples if their understanding of their gender shifts actually raises more questions than it answers, and just gives a gender essentialist and heteronormative view on lgbtq issues.

[backgroundagent3]

for the character ask, daisy johnson!

Thank you so much for the ask! 💜 I love any excuse to talk about Daisy Johnson.

First impression: I'm trying to squeeze my brain here, but all I remember was trying not to like her at first because I knew se was a double agent for the Rising Tide. It goes without saying I failed miserably about three episodes in.

Impression now: She is my favourite character of all time.

Favorite moment: I really can't choose, but one that comes to mind was the final fight of season 5. I think it's a very underrated fight scene, because it's the end of the world, her dad is dying, she has been recently betrayed and tortured by her friend, and she still goes into battle BY HERSELF against Talbot, and if that wasn't bad enough, when she's about to die a horrible death she realises that the only way she can save the world is if she takes the serum and basically condemns the person she loves most to his death. It's so heartbreaking and poetic, but very cool to watch, and I just love so much it, idk.

Idea for a story: This is angsty but I would love to read something where the events of 5.14 are properly dealt with. May watches the security cameras and goes ballistic on Fitz, and Daisy gets time to grieve and heal. They get Coulson back and he's horrified, and Jemma is so conflicted but she's there for her best friend.

Unpopular opinion: Since apparently I can't stop thinking about season 5, here's some more. I think she actually did a good job of leading the team in season 5b. Especially if you consider that she's been recently tortured, her family doesn't seem to care, she has no experience, and hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in about 5 years. She might be tough, but hello? IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD?? You have to be at least a little bossy if you wanna make it through that. Also if you're gonna be a baby and call her a hard ass maybe you should have thought twice before joining SHIELD.

Favorite relationship: If it's romantic, then Sousa. I love them so so much, they're literally perfect and despite my obvious outrage at season 5, I will forever love the AoS writers for somehow pulling that off. As for platonic relationships, I'd say May. She's the perfect mother figure for her, and I love the parallels between them. I think Daisy has the best relationships in general, but this one is my favourite. Honourable mentions go to Coulson for being the most unhinged dad ever, and to Jemma for being the sweetest friend in the earlier seasons.

Favorite headcanon: before she goes off to space at the end of season 7, she rebuilds Afterlife with the help of Sousa and Kora. I've said this before, but I think they are actually the perfect team to do this. Kora has lived in Afterlife her whole life, she's seen Jiaying help people go through Terrigenesis, and she's been though it herself in a much healthier and safer environment than Daisy. Sousa is reasonable and calm, which are good qualities to have when you're helping someone who's terrified and potentially dangerous. He has experience leading people, which I think would make him a good mentor for the Inhumans. So Kora has the experience, Sousa has the qualities, and in my opinion, Daisy has a nice combination of the two. She has a different and much more horrifying experience of Terrigenesis that people who accidentally go though it can relate to, and she has spent years exploring and controlling her powers, so she knows what the deal is. And she's also a good leader, so where Sousa can help the Inhumans pre-Terrigenesis, she can train them after if that's what they want. Because that's another thing, SHIELD may be funding Afterlife, but they've learnt their lesson and they're not sticking their noses where they shouldn't. They accept new recruits and help train them, but if that's not what the Inhumans want, then SHIELD helps them get settled back into their normal lives. Anyways this got long but it's one of my favourite headcanons, so there you go.

Thank you so much for the ask! Sorry for rambling, but I have a lot to say about Daisy. 🌼💛

Character Asks.

[turning-monday-blue]

"Do you... enjoy this?"

Shit.

I need to deflect, but when I open my mouth, all that comes out is a low moan. I feel so... massive. I can barely think.

"The first time, I was just worried about you. The second time... I just thought it was a weird coincidence. But now," she gestures at all of me with both hands. It's a big gesture. "Three times feels like more than coincidence."

She's not wrong. I've got to say something.

"I've known other people who've gotten blown up, you know? And after they get... you know, fixed, they've- they've all developed phobias, or left town, or gone through really intense therapy. But you," she says, placing a palm on my exposed belly, "have been completely unfazed. You just keep coming back for more."

My skin feels electric where she touches me. Everything is so full and tight, every little brush of breeze against my exposed skin is searing pleasure. I moan again, and she whips her hand away like she'd laid it on a hot stove.

"Sorry! I know I shouldn't be so casual about this. I should really call someone to come help you." She starts patting her pockets looking for her phone. "Sorry," she says again, then she stops. She looks back up at me.

"Should I even call for help? I should, right?"

Is that even a question?

"But what if you just do this again?"

Ouch. I've been lax, I guess, but I haven't been doing this on purpose! I mean... I have thought about it, but... it hasn't been intentional.

I think.

"It just takes up my time. The medical crew's time. Company resources." She looks conflicted. "Maybe I should just leave you like this."

Oh.

I try to plead my case, deny it, but all that comes out is a halfhearted "Nnnnnnnnnn-" before she cuts me off again. I'm just too full to speak.

"I could have you transferred to taste-testing," she muses. "Putting up with weird shit is, like, their whole job description." She starts dialing on her phone. Someone answers promptly.

"Hey, you'll never guess what happened again. Yeah, again again. Third time. Yup, big enough to roll, for sure."

She absentmindedly pats my belly with her free hand, like I'm some sort of bad boy you could fit so many things in. It's thrilling, that small touch. I nearly lose it, right then and there. Thankfully though, she remembers I'm a person just in time to give me an apologetic look before clearing her throat and returning to her call.

"Can you see if R&D has any openings for a QA Consultant? I know, right? All my ideas are good ideas. She's clearly more interested in being a giant balloon full of wasted product than an accountant."

I guess she's not wrong.

"No, no need for a trip to the squeezer. Put a note in her file that she's only to be reduced if she asks for it explicitly. Maybe have them bring a safe-suit, too. Hm?"

She looks me up and down. It's a long, curious look.

"No idea what size. Big. Really, really big. Yeah. One of the ones with the belt. Mhm. Yeah, she's not exactly naked, but... yeah, let's not give HR anything to complain about. Right. Yes, I'll follow up with her landlord and emergency contacts as needed. Yup. Thanks. See ya."

She turns back to me. She takes another long look, and then sighs.

"Congratulations on your promotion," she says, with a weird mixture of sincerity and irony. "We'll obviously miss you in Finance, but we're happy that you'll be rolling onward to bigger opportunities."

Oh good, she's got jokes.

"Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't make fun. Company policy is to treat this as a medical emergency, so I'll be staying with you until help arrives."

She checks her phone again.

"If you want, I can come visit you once you get settled in? I know I've always been happy to see friendly faces amidst all the strangeness of a new job."

She looks up at me again, sadly this time.

"I was looking forward to getting to know you better, you know? I noticed how you started dressing differently after your first... incident. HR would probably have something to say about how much I was... noticing. I thought maybe you were trying to get away from the trauma by being more poised and put-together."

She kicks her heels off and slides down the wall until she's sitting, obscured by the curve of my body.

"Oh well. Probably better for everyone that I didn't start hitting on a coworker."

Wait.

"Especially not one who keeps finding excuses to swell up until she's spherical," she adds, wearily.

Fair.

"I really should have seen this coming, shouldn't I? I mean, you've been touring the factory floor on your lunch break weekly. That's on me, I guess."

She hops back to her feet. "I think I hear the Medical folks." She brushes her skirt out, and looks me in the eyes one last time. "Hey, listen... I'll see you a-round."

She smiles and rolls her eyes at her own terrible pun, and walks away.

[ihopesocomic]

Do you think bullying is considered a type of abuse? Does "bully redemption" trope can also be considered a abuser redemption? I can't like this kind of narrative at all. Not even "A Silent Voice " could convince me.

The thing is with bullying is that it is often committed by children and the overreaching fact is that hardly any adult is going to look back on their actions as a child/young adult and say yes, that totally was not cringe of me. This further compounded by the person's home life and/or if they're dealing with personal issues.

I was a pretty huge asshole as a kid and it's not like I mellowed out the moment I hit 18 either. I was dealing with a lot of stuff (i.e. such as undiagnosed autism/schizophrenia and psychologists refusing to take me seriously) and I dealt with it in a shitty manner by being this "edgy badass" online and just getting into online fights whenever I can because being deemed intimidating and scary online made up for the fact I was an insecure outcast offline.

I truly regret how I conducted myself back then. Regardless of what I was going through, nobody deserved to have to deal with me lashing out at them. It was also just embarrassing behaviour to boot.

But I do think bullying can certainly be counted as abuse and it certainly begets abusive tendencies (points to self, who was bullied throughout elementary and high school). But in that vain, I feel people respond to depictions of it in a manner that isn't exactly constructive and is borderline abusive itself, like the desire to outright commit assault or murder on said bully being depicted. lol

Because I also feel this question is also in reference to Rose and her behaviour and while I can't give much away on how we're going to handle her arc, I feel like people demanding she dies or whatever is just... Yeah, let's not. It's essentially 'I hope Vicious dies, particularly at the hands of her abuser' all over again.

It's clear Rose is growing up in a pretty unhealthy environment and is being groomed to take on a position of authority in said unhealthy environment.

I've seen the same kind of reception to irl children of cult leaders and the intent behind Rose's character is to deconstruct the fact that people - particularly children - are very much influenced by what surrounds them and will respond accordingly to it. We're social animals at the end of the day. Same goes for (anthropomorphic) lions. Not to mention what goes on in a cult that may seem alarming and disturbing to us is not necessarily the case for those within it... because they've been brainwashed into thinking it's OK. Rose is very much not exempt from this and her being groomed to become Queen by her father has only made things worse.

Anyway, my apologies, this thing got pretty long and also kinda personal and it probably also doesn't make a whole lot of sense but feeling that bullies cannot be redeemed? Totally get that. Responding to the depiction with unhealthy thoughts of child abuse or murder? I can't really get behind that. If there's room for growth and a chance for them to change rather than becoming outright established abusers as fully-fledged adults, I feel we should hope for that. - RJ

--

Like everything, it depends on how it's done. I don't know what A Silent Voice is, but some things are just too far past forgiveness or redemption. Cuz at that point its not "bullying", it's hazing. If it's teasing, or there's mutual sass happening, or heck even if one person thinks the other is bullying but it was a misunderstanding (Amity calling Luz a bully in The Owl House), and its not full on harassment, or stalking, I don't see the harm in allowing someone to better themselves and liking how they've changed, especially if they're young. And I don't see a problem with a friendship beginning at a place of conflict and grow into something strong and meaningful. I don't even think forgiveness of the bullying itself is a requirement to move on? Maybe I'm just old so I handle things differently than like a teenager would, but certain stuff just stops bothering you. People I'm still friends with to this day weren't exactly pleasant to me early on in our relationship or vice versa, but we never "forgave" the infraction and we've all just moved on because the infraction in question was never done again which is something I personally care more about. I've actually had someone from High school see me years later and apologize for how they treated me. It was just all water under the bridge at that point. But what I think about how things are handled in media is not the same thing as real people. What might not be a big deal to one person might be a big deal for someone else. Again bully redemption is something to be done with care and more often just excuses abuse which is gross. But I've seen it done right, but I wouldn't exactly call it commonplace. - Cat

[populousgraph]

OKAY

I meant to make this last night before I got to bed, but I got so incredibly sick that I couldn't force myself to stay awake to do it.

Enough about that. This is Carson's time to shine :3

As mentioned in Carter's intro, Carson is his twin brother and the favorite of the two.

He's pretty stoic and calm most of the time. He has a hard time relaxing and having fun since he feels the need to keep up the high standards he thinks people have of him. He does, however, does not take shit from nobody. If you say something bad about him or someone he cares about, he will not hesitate to correct your behavior. He's like a strict parent in that regard.

Growing up, he was the good one. The angel, if you will. He tried to help his brother be better because he didn't like seeing him so upset about being ignored. Of course, this never worked.

Him and Carter had a huge argument and lost contact with each other. He still talks to his parents occasionally but silently blames them for Carter's downfall.

Carson joined the government when he was old enough and became one of their pilots. He's not very social with many of the other members, but he is pals with Charles and Rupert.

He met a cool guy by the name of #̴̯̼̱̱̜̝̳͔̎̊ͅ#̸̡̪̝͖̙̙̬̲̙͈̻͂̐̽#̷̰̜͓̣̜͉͚͓͎̻̺̈́͛̓̓͆̽̐̇̆́̃̊̋̚. Turns out he was a Toppat, but they continued to see each other anyway. That Toppat was none other than CatHat! Of course, if either side found out, they would've gotten in trouble. They ignored that issue and thought it wouldn't been fine so they got married.

It was not fine. They rarely ever get to see each other and have conflicting morals :/

BEFORE YOU SPEAK!

You wanna hear about his relationships?

I KNEW YOU WOULD >:3 (This segment is also longer than Devin's bc he doesn't show up in ItA, and I'll get into CtM stuff later.)

CatHat:

Carson still loves him dearly but is kind of stoic about it. He doesn't get to see him anymore, and he misses him very much. They show each other their affection through their actions more than words (since most of what they say to each other is sort of backhanded and passive-aggressive). Carson still wears his ring under his gloves, so nobody knows he's married.

Charles:

They talk occasionally with Charles, usually doing most of the yapping. Carson just likes to listen to him talk. Charles has gotten Carson to warm up enough that they can high-five each other during good moments. They're not best friends, but Carson does like him enough to talk to him.

Rupert:

They don't talk much, but I would consider them to be at least frienamies. Carson usually corrects Rupert's attitude or behavior on occasion, and Rupert pokes fun at him sometimes. But they've definitely had their good share of laughs and have definitely had a drink together.

Galeforce:

Again, they don't talk much, and when they do, it's usually work related. Their relationship is strictly professional, with Carson respecting him as a boss and Galeforce respecting him as well.

Carter:

He hasn't heard from him since they fought and lost contact. Sometimes, he thinks about tracking him down but always decides against it. He does check records to see if he's been arrested, though. (Carson does not know that Carter joined the Toppats.)

Okay, I think that's mostly everything I wanted to go over. :P