#and it's usually. mutual love. and person b is saying that with joy. which also makes it cute

[zeawesomebirdie]

Brudick Co-parenting + Batfam Shenanigans Rec List

Thanks to @holybatmandickgrayson for requesting this, and thanks for your patience while I put it together!! (And paging @steine-druff as per usual!) Dick acting as the defacto second parent in the Wayne household is one of the best brudick tropes, and it has my whole entire heart. And the batfam dynamic itself has so much potential and is a joy to read, especially when the common goal of teasing Dick about Bruce is involved!

These are in no particular order, but I've tried to organise them into general categories. The titles to each fic contain a link to it. A lot of these are on the shorter end of the spectrum, but there's a few longer fics included too! I hope you find something here that you haven't read yet!

Co-parenting

1. Till You Find Your Dream by Kyele [@timeforalongstory on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 177,062 words; 31 chapters; complete

Summary:

“You know, my child, that the orphanage cannot continue to support you once you become an adult.” The abbess sighs. “There is one path that is always open to you. You may choose a holy vocation, and take orders. The Sisters of Perpetual Grace will accept you as a postulant if you choose.”

Dick had known to expect this. “Thank you, Reverend Mother,” Dick says respectfully, “but I cannot follow that path.”

The Mother Superior nods. He looks unsurprised. “Then perhaps,” he says, “you would be interested to hear of another opportunity.” From the papers on his desk, the abbess removes a single sheet. “Are you familiar with Captain Wayne?”

---

Dick accepts a position as governess to eight war-orphans, adopted by millionaire and WW1 flying ace Captain Bruce Wayne. The rest is inevitable.

Starting this list off with a bang, this fic is glorious! It's a The Sound of Music AU and A/B/O, and that sounds like a wacky mixture but truly this is one of the best co-parenting brudick fics I've ever read. It features beautiful sibling dynamics, Dick learning to function in high society at the same time as he's teaching the children to do the same, and the best exploration of gender and social roles I've ever come across. And the way the children come to accept Dick as their governess then protect him from being fired by Captain Wayne is utterly glorious!

2. The Fall of An April's Fool by Mysterious_Aud_Lou; rated M; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 3,967 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

All it took was one mission, one week, one bed, and one very tired mistake for Bruce Wayne to realize that he was in love with Dick Grayson.... and then came the fallout.

Bruce and Dick just came back from a mission in which they were fake engaged, and during that short mission, Bruce got a little too used to acting as a couple. Of course, the rest of the batkids pick up on this immediately, but luckily Dick is great at improv, and so this one has lived rent-free in my head ever since I first read it!

Damian Playing Matchmaker

Because I have a very surprising number of recs with this exact premise! These also sometimes double as co-parenting fics with the other batkids besides Damian too :)

1. Covet by resurrectedhippo; rated M; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 16,059 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Dick Grayson is an extension of Bruce Wayne. If there’s no Bruce Wayne, there’s no Dick Grayson. They struggle to exist without each other.

The entire world wonders if they have ever been separate people.

This one is a little bit of both co-parenting and Damian being the one to force them together. It features Bruce denying his feelings for a million years, Dick helping to train each successive Robin, and so much mutual pining it hurts (affectionate). And of course, Damian calling a family meeting to announce that Bruce and Dick will need to be wed over the summer, much to the shock of every other person in the family

And I'm adding a cut here because this is getting long, but I've got more under the read more!

2. Better than the Sweetest Dream by shield_of_selene; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 15,089 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Damian accuses Bruce of failing his Valentine’s Day duties; namely, romancing Dick Grayson. This starts a chain reaction that leads to exploding heart bombs, forced imprisonment, and wedding bells.

I love a villain who can commit to the bit, and the Matchmaker, a Valentine's Day themed villain, does not disappoint! This fic also features Damian having a better grasp of Bruce's emotions than Bruce himself does, which is always a delight to see!

3. To Court a Grayson by Mysterious_Aud_Lou; rated T; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 3,285 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Damian Wayne has always gotten what he wants, and what he wants is his father to realize that Bruce will find no better romantic partner than Damian's beloved Grayson. So, armed with a briefcase and a carefully planned powerpoint presentation, Damian takes on the challenge of convincing his father that it's time to throw all other romantic entanglements aside, and begin to court Grayson properly.

Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with this one? The whole thing is just glorious, featuring Damian hacking into Bruce's work calender, Bruce actually sitting through the entirety of Damian's presentation, and one of the most delightful reveals I've ever read!

General Batfam

1. Old and New by junetangerine; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 5,241 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Objectively speaking, he knew the man wasn’t infallible or indestructible (heaven knew he’d picked enough fights over it, Bruce insisting on patrolling even when he could barely stand on his own), but the prospect that he might not bounce back into the brilliant steamroller of a man that Dick loved in more ways than was appropriate or healthy was terrifying.

Not as jarring as the Twilight Zone experience of having Bruce look openly delighted to see him.

“Dick!”

It was all Dick could do to remain frozen in place while Bruce crossed the distance between them and just kept going, right into Dick’s personal space and then closer, until his mouth was against Dick’s. It was short, just a firm press of lips, but enough to turn Dick’s world on its head.

---

A head injury leaves Bruce confused. He seems to believe he and Dick are a couple. Dick doesn't have it in him to say otherwise.

Exactly what it says on the tin. This fic is a delight, featuring Dick being incredibly conflicted and Bruce trying to deny his feelings the moment he gets his memory back! Also featuring the various batkids accepting this new dynamic with surprising ease

2. Be Kind, Rewind by kleine_aster; rated T; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 2,138 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Batman always thinks of everything, except for erasing his old tapes when he really, really should.

This fic is very funny! I greatly enjoyed the dynamics between the various batkids as they processed what they were watching, and Dick's frantic reaction to being caught with Bruce

3. It's A Christmas Miracle (Or Not) by RandomMayhem [@randomlymayhemic on tumblr]; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 6,864 words; 2 chapters; complete

Summary:

With Harley and Ivy causing chaos in Las Vegas, Dick and Bruce must go on an impromptu trip to stop the unruly couple. Only, they aren't quite sure what exactly they're supposed to be stopping...

Waking up married wasn't in the plan, regardless. Not with Damian on the verge of pulling a Rumplestiltskin. So, there's no doubt about it - the holiday season's about to get a whole lot crazier.

In which Damian threatens Dick's firstborn child should they return home late for Hanukkah. This fic is very cute and very enjoyable, and the batfam's reactions to their impromptu marriage are a delight!

4. Truth or Dare by rnedagemacaroni; rated T; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 959 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

This is why the Bat Family kids should not have free time.

Anything with the batkids actually getting to relax and have fun is an amazing read, and this fic is no exception!! Oh to be a fly on the wall during their games of truth or dare!

5. Wayne Family Adventure: the secret episode by Caroaimezoe; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 4,005 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Prompt: How will the Batfamily take discovering that their dad and big brother/mother have been in a secret relationship for years

I adore the sibling dynamics in this one, and Damian being smug the whole time is just SO cute! There's also so much that could be said about how valiantly Dick tries to keep their relationship secret only to fail so miserably, it's a true delight

And that's all for now! I hope you enjoy these!

[yenvengerberg]

Hi! I've always wondered about the users you tag when you make stuff and vice versa - I'm a creator, mainly for s&b and I've always felt like I see everyone tagging the same people (which I totally get!), so I feel like it's hard to break in, make genuine friends, especially when everyone knows each other and at times it can feel clique-y, at least to an outsider like me. I'm socially awkward and don't do anything super fancy like you do and other people do, which also makes me feel like I'm not good enough. I've made content for a while, but I don't feel seen (which I know is probably an issue to work on, but it's still a bummer). I just wanted to know what your thoughts are and see if other creators you're friends with have any thoughts about this as well, would love the input.

hello anon! it's a difficult one, as someone who is also socially awkward and struggles to speak to someone i'm not sure the advice i can give is necessarily the easiest to follow, but truly the way to make friends with other creators is to speak to them. from my own personal experience while it can seem from the outside to be cliquey, us creators are usually very open to speaking to others and sharing the joy of something we love!

i don't think you have to make the fanciest gifset in the world, but then to get noticed you do unfortunately have to reach out to people. and you can start with just small things: send a message that you love someone's work, reblog their stuff and leave nice tags, those are the things that make me notice other blogs at least. the people i tend to tag are mutuals who i know will reblog and often leave nice comments, because i love to see their opinion on a set. when i post it i go 'oh i'll tag this person because i think they'll like it and i want to see their thoughts on it!'. the tags don't have to be long, it can just be a quick comment, but i do think that engaging in content that way at least makes a difference for me as a content creator in noticing others. but, the biggest thing is to just talk to someone and tell them you're open to being tagged - i've had blogs do that for me before and i'll tag them, because honestly i never really know who to tag which is why i usually go back to a usual group who tag me in return. though i'd also say don't be sad if people aren't tagging you, there are a lot of blogs i would love to tag in some things but tumblr's 20 tag limit means i just can't, and it's not personal.

anyway, i don't know if this is helpful at all, because i think the hardest thing to do is reach out and make yourself known to someone but also, that's sort of what you have to do? like from my perspective right now, with the new season dropping my activity and tag are both crazy. i can't notice everyone because there's a lot going on. when things calm down a bit i can notice someone tagging me consistently and check out their blog, and that can also work as a way to get noticed. but ultimately the shortcut is to speak to someone, and i really do understand that is intimidating, but i promise that the majority of content creators are also just socially anxious people funneling their hyperfixations into their creations and they're happy to talk to people like them!

[daz4i]

i genuinely love those plotlines or even like short fanart stuff that have one person saying smth like "happy anniversary to us :)" or "I'm so glad you're my boyfriend <3" or like anything the confirms a relationship between them and the other person immediately goes "WAIT WE'RE DATING?" bc tbh. most relatable shit ever

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hi!! i recently got into johnlock and the universe has somehow directed me to your blog (which is an absolute godsend omfg). have you got any good possessive!john fics?

Hi Lovely!!!

AHHHH!! I’m so glad you enjoy my blog!!! <3 Thank you so much! <3

AHHH you know what??? I don’t get asked this all that much at all! I think mostly because it’s easier to find Possessive Sherlock fics and people then just... forget LOL

So guess what?? You’re the prompter for any fics I actually tagged or filed with Possessive John! <3 A pioneer you are! LOL I’m combining it with a few of the Obsessive fics as well, since I don’t have many new ones.

As usual, gang, feel free to add your own!! <3

POSSESSIVE / OBSESSIVE JOHN

See also: 

Specifically Jealous John b/c of Other People

Jealous John

Jealous John Pt. 2 and Jealous Sherlock Pt 2

Jealous John Pt 3 and Jealous Sherlock Pt 3

Jealous John and Sherlock Pt. 4

Jealous John and Sherlock Pt. 5

Hell or High water by bluefire301175 (E, 2,250 w., 1 Ch. || PWP, Frottage, Alley Sex, First Person POV John, Case-ish Fic, Mutual Pining, Bed Sharing) – John wants. Sherlock wants. Plain and simple.

Display by 221b_hound (E, 2,377 w., 1 Ch. || Post-HLV, Tattoos, Public Hand Jobs, Exhibitionism, Possessive Sex, Possessive Sherlock, Possessive John) – A new client has been flirting with Sherlock and, finding no joy there, with John. John seems annoyed to be second-best, Sherlock thinks, so Sherlock decides to give the departing woman (and maybe also John) a demonstration of who, exactly, John belongs to. But there's more than one level of sexual jealousy and more than one display of possession going on here, outlined in the window of 221b Baker Street. Part 2 of Lock and Key

Apodyopsis by QuinnAnderson (E, 3,347 w.,1 Ch. || PWP, Rough Sex, Table Sex, Anal, Sexual Tension) – Apodyopsis: (æpəʊdaɪˈɒpsɪs) noun. the act of mentally undressing someone. Part 2 of Undressed

Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Dev. Rel., Embarrassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

Sherlock and John Go Clubbing by wendymarlowe (E, 4,716 w., 3 Ch. || Clubbing, Dirty Talk, Dancing, Coming Untouched, Coming in Pants, Bi John, For a Case, Friends to Lovers, Flirting, Sherlock is Lost for Words, Sexy John, Mutual Pining, Possessive John, Floor Sex/Hand Job/Frottage) – John pinched the bridge of his nose - even for Sherlock, this was a new level of no bloody boundaries. “You want me to go with you to a gay club, wait around twiddling my thumbs while I let you get pawed by a criminal, then out-flirt him and talk you into coming home with me instead?” Part 32 of John and Sherlock's Kinky First Times

Caves in the Mountains Are Seldom Unoccupied by starrysummernights & TheMadKatter13 (E, 7,925 w., 1 Ch. || Were-Creatures ||  Werebear John, Pseudo Bestiality, Rimming, Heavy Dub Con, Rough Sex, Come Inflation / Eating, Size Kink, PWP, Bratty Sherlock, Rutting) – “This isn’t something to play at, Sherlock,” he snapped. “If it doesn’t work out- what you’re asking of me- we can’t shrug and say 'oh well, at least we tried'. If we do this… I could seriously hurt you. Do you understand? I could lose control. I could… I could kill you.”

My Life for His by QuinnAnderson (E, 8,816 w., 1 Ch. || Guardian/Protector, Greek Mythology || Growing Up, Sex, Religious Themes, Suicide, Minor Character Death) – It began when Sherlock was eight, and he attempted to climb all the way up to the highest branch in the old willow tree in his back garden. He'd thought he was still small enough that it could support him, but the second he'd grabbed hold of it to pull himself up, the branch snapped, and down he went, plummeting a solid twenty metres. The odd thing was, he never actually hit the ground.

Of Course I Forgive You by allonsys_girl (E, 10,735 w., 1 Ch. || Love Confessions, Canon Divergence, First Time, Frottage, Wall Sex, Infidelity) – What if things had gone differently on that train car?

The Invocation of Saint Margaret by Ewebie (E, 15,831 w., 1 Ch. || POV John,  Crossing Timelines, Light Angst, Fluff, Series 3 John / Series 1 Sherlock, The Matchbox, Mushy Romance, First Time, Bisexual John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Sensuality, Emotional Love Making, Snippets of Time) – When Sherlock Holmes opens the matchbox from The Sign of Three and John finds himself years in the past, back to that first dinner at Angelo's with a much younger Sherlock Holmes. Is he dreaming?

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

The Kepler Problem by kinklock (E, 24,270 w., 1 Ch. || Sci-Fi AU, Alien Sherlock, Space Repairman John, Alien Biology, Horny John) – Working in uncharted space exploration was not as exciting as John had hoped, especially when it turned out to be mostly bot maintenance on uninhabited planets. However, the mystery of the repeated, unexplained malfunctions on planet BAK 2212 might turn out to be exactly the kind of adventure he'd been craving.

Inscrutable to the Last by DiscordantWords (M, 48,842 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, Alternate S3, John’s Blog/S3 is a Story By John, Divorce, Marital Difficulties, John is a Mess, Emotional Reunion, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Grief / Mourning, Pining John, First Kiss, Adorably Clueless Sherlock, Nostalgia, Love Confessions, Eventual Happy Ending, Obsessive John) – He wasn't Sherlock, he couldn't work miracles. All he'd ever been able to do was write about them.

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time, Obsessive John) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

The Bells of King's College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It's only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths...

Gimme Shelter by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (E, 159,368 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || 70′s Surfer AU || Period Typical Homophobia, Hawaii, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Professional Surfers, Gay John / Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John was a Sailor, Misunderstandings) – All John Watson wants is the feeling of a freshly waxed surfboard under his feet and the hot California sun baking down onto his back. To finally go pro in the newly formed world of professional surfing and leave the dark memories of his past behind him as he rips across the face of a towering blue barrel. To lounge beside the beach bonfire every evening with an ice cold beer tucked into the cool sand beside him and listen to Pink Floyd and the Doors while the saltwater dries in his sun bleached hair. That's all he wants, that is, until the hot young phenom taking Oahu and the Hawaiian shores by storm steps up next to him in the sand in the second round of the 1976 International Surf Competition. (PUBLISHED AS ‘The Sea Ain’t Mine Alone’)

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

Free Falling by twistedthicket1 (M, 203,574 w., 38 Ch. || Guardian Angels AU || Guardian Angel John, Fluff and Angst, Humour, Kidlock / Teenlock, Light Mystrade, Passage of Time, Possessive John, Drug Use / Overdose, Victor Trevor, Graphic Bullying, Big Brother Mycroft, Hard Drug Use, Depression, Possessive Sherlock, Possessive John, Panic Attacks, Nightmares/PTSD, Pining, Healing Abilities, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Blow Jobs, Virgin John, Emotional Development / Attachment, Mortality, Happy Ending) – All Guardian angels are born with a Chosen human. When this child is born, the angel comes into being to protect and care for them during their life on Earth. For John Watson, all he cares about in the world revolves around his Chosen, Sherlock Holmes. Watching him grow up though, the angel soon learns that God must have had a sense of humour the day he decided to make Sherlock, as trouble seems to follow him like a magnet wherever he goes. John can't decide what's worse, the idea of losing his Chosen one, or the fact that he may be breaking the most taboo law of heaven as he disguises himself as a human to better protect and befriend the beloved detective he's always watched from afar. He was meant to care for him. But what happens when caring evolves into something more? What happens when an emotion an angel is supposed to be incapable of possessing comes to life suddenly and viciously inside John's chest?

[haifengg]

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Lucas can’t really go without affection. He needs a smooch at least before he leaves the house or when he says goodbye on dates. He wants to be reminded that their S/O loves him and that he loves them. It’s as easy as this.

B = Before (What were they like when they had a crush?) Dude would try to impress. With bad jokes. With flexing his guns. He would always ask his crush if they want to come with him and the guys to do whatever. And if they agree he wouldn’t really be able to hide his excitement. It would light a spark of pure joy in his eyes. It would be very obvious really.

C = Confession (What was their confession like?) Regardless of his looks and height Lucas still is a very childish man and he’s not that old either. I would honestly go that far and say that during his life he wasn’t the one confessing often. He usually got confessed to. So when it is actually his turn he would probably get all shy around his crush and he maybe asked Kun for advice as well on how to tell them and what to say since he is not the very best with words.

D = Date (What was the first official date they went on?) I am guessing something cheesy. Lucas may or may not be a romantic person but being all nervous about fulfilling expectations and doing a solid job he would take their S/O out to go an amusement park. He is a child really and his sometimes subtle playfulness is probably what attracts his S/O to him as well.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) Please don’t come for me on this one but I recon he would choose a text. As I mentioned in section C = Confession I imagine him being this popular kid in school everyone had a crush on at least once a week. (We’ve all seen the pics he’s adorable.) That being said he maybe got too used to dumping people interested in him. I won’t say it is the same with his S/O as it was with high school sweethearts but he might just fall back into old patterns due to convenience. Breaking up would still hurt him and still be difficult.

F = Fights (What would fights look like? What are things that upset them?) Honestly: Fights with Lucas would be a pain mainly because he doesn’t see where he’s wrong or what the issue exactly is. He is a very loyal person once fully committed but maybe not the most understanding one.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) His emotional way is very gentle. His physical way in terms of hugs and holding hands is too. Simple mind - Simple showings off affection other things we don’t discuss here it is SWF, please

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) Just like Johnny his arms are insanely long and wrapping them tightly around his S/O is just way to nice to not do it constantly.

I = Intimacy (What is their favorite form of intimacy? Do they have problems with it?) He knows why he’s in SM. He got casted off the streets for his looks. He also really radiates the vibes of only being there for the fun and the people only. Lucas is very confident in the way he looks and he is aware of how many thousand people find him insanely attractive. I am pretty sure there are close to no problems when it comes to intimacy but that is something very personal because we know that everyone has at least one issue with themselves which we sometimes could never tell.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?) He gets jealous. Not much but he does in general. I am not sure how exactly that would display or how he would show it but overall: Yes he does.

K = Kisses (Are they a good kisser? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) I hope he is. Okay no honestly, hear me out lmao. Lucas ... is either very excellent at kissing or he isn’t. I just look at him and I really hope he is because that would be so grate and elevate him one step closer to being the complete package. He meets the height requirements. He has the hands to hold his S/O. He surely has the lips as well. Which is also where they like to kiss/be kissed the most.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?) Lucas is the perfect personality type for getting along well with kids. He is goofy enough to play around with them and fun and fool but he is also calm enough to not out-child them and keep an eye on them. He is guiding their playfulness in a way only a few people can.

M = Messages (How often do they text his S/O?) He texts them A LOT when he’s bored. During practice or some random meeting he would get distracted by his phone and text them about how bored he is. Also he would often take pictures or snaps of stupid little things he wants to show them but they’re not around. Speaking of SnapChat: Filters.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?) Nights out in clubs are hot and fun. Nights out in bars (if they are dates) are hot. Nights out in movie theatre would be so much fun. He would totally get this slushies that turn your tongue in different Colors but would also hold his S/O during scary parts of the movie even though he’s scared himself. Acting all tough

O = Opinion (Would they ask for their S/O’s opinion a lot? How important is it in terms of decisions?) He would ask for their opinion but mainly because he thinks he has to or that they would want to be ask. If it’s about his personal matters. When it comes to mutual decisions it’s different because well of course he asks for his S/O opinion. What they say matters to him and he wants both of them to be comfortable. So when they say that sofa is ugly - it’s ugly.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?) Getting on his nerves is quite hard I assume. He probably would be the one getting on his S/O’s nerves (most of the time by accident tho.) If it’s something about them that actually bothers him he will be patient and ask them to maybe change that behaviour for a long time before actually admitting how much it is bothering him and eventually raising his voice.

Q = Quizzes (How does a bar trivia night teamed up with them look like?) A complete mess. Lucas once admitted he is not the smartest one and I adore people who are aware of that and own it in their own way. He would still try his best to not let his S/O and maybe other teammates down. BUT he is still an important part of the team: The one who chugs everything for the sake of the cause. IDK I just see him being able to drink a lot. He radiates this frat boy energy help

R = Remember (How much do they remember about their S/O or their relaitonship in general?) Lucas does his best but he is forgetting a lot. He writes it down in his phone. For example there could be a list for his S/O's family member’s birthdays and all their important anniversaries. He may still forget them tho. When it comes to memory Lucas knows it’s not his forté but he is trying hard.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) He is maybe one of the most protective boyfriends you will find in whole NCT. He shields his S/O from wind or rain, he corners them in crowded subways. He flags and gets in cabs first. He will shove between his S/O and other guys dancing at clubs casually so they don’t notice. He will tell people to fo k off if they are obviously bothering his S/O. He does it all.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) He might be sloppy with everyday chores but he will rather often take his S/O on spontaneous coffee dates or bring home take out aka steal something from the dorm Kun cooked.

U = Unique (What makes them unique as a S/O?) What makes Lucas unique as a S/O is definitely his awareness of his ... stupidity? Now I can see people coming for me for saying this but he once said he is not very smart and he is probably correct about that. His abilities lay more in the practical and emotional/empathic area. So what makes him special is is ability to pull his S/O’s guard down. If they come home from work super stressed he will put their mind at ease by simply talking to them about not so heavy or challenging topic. He will be their save heaven. A place where they don’t need to pretend or to impress. Lucas loves his S/O 190% for their character or quirks and maybe even for their intellect as well but he doesn’t compete with it and is real about himself.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) SO. MUHC. He has sloppy days tho but they will mostly never catch him with greasy hair or anything. And also he is in shape and plans to stay that way.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without their S/O?) He would. If he is not with them for a long time he can feel how he is losing his inner center or balance. Lucas would be fine on his own but honestly exactly just fine.

X = X-Ray (How transparent are they?) Lucas is an open book. He can’t hide anything and he is so easy to fool on like April 1st or some prank they want to play on him. If he’s feeling down they’ll see it. If he’s happy they’ll know it. if he truly loves them it will be on the local news.

Y = Yuck (Everyone has flaws. What is theirs?) Bruh okay. Well. He leaves his underwear everywhere. Or his socks. and he leaves the toilet seat up.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?) Being asleep he grabs everything and pulls it in close. There is no escape. And I feel like he will wander towards the mid of the bed so if their S/O is avoiding being hold custody they will have no where to go but the sofa or wake him up.

Gif is not mine

Taglist

@jeonghanmoon @kpopsnowball @pocky-otp @himitsu-luna @soleilsuhh @dundun-baby

Masterlist

[phaltu]

zan, i wanted to ask you something - and i hope you don't mind the lengthy ask, but i'm gonna split this into two (or three). i wanted to ask you this because you are one of my favorite writers in danmei, and i wanted to get your two cents on this. so. if there's one thing that i've noticed in danmei fandom, it's that there seems to be two groups of ppl - i'll call them A & B. A are those who don't necessarily create, who are more there to rlly digest and meta the texts. if they do create 1/

- then they're most likely to be canon compliant, e.g. following mxtx's rules of no switching, no separating. B is what i would call the transformative one, who aren't rlly canon compliant and who break those "rules", so they switch up dynamics or separate the main cp. personally i'm not inclined to switch or separate, but even so, if it's not done because bottoming is seen as "weak", which is another thing altogether, then i think it's all good? and my ask is - 2/

- i've seen ppl in group A diss ppl in group B, calling them stupid for shipping character a of main cp with side character b (regardless of whether or not they want that ship to be canon, which is not usually the case), and even outright saying that ao3 sucks (which is okay, warranted, giving that ao3 lacks in the blocking/reporting feature), but generally i'm just a little.. surprised because i come from fandoms where practices in group B were the norm, ppl would go ham with canon 3/

- and altho both groups are not mutually exclusive, you can have someone who is very canon compliant in their own fics but reads more transformative works, i just. i guess i'm confused (and paranoid) because i don't know what should be, or is the right "approach" re: fandom. on the one hand, i like canon compliant, and do write canon compliant, but on the other, i would also like the wiggle room to create freely. i don't want to be cancelled by group A for having OOC characterization 4/

or get called out for "writing OCs with the characters' faces just pasted onto them". and i know, i get the irony, why am i, a fully grown-adult (ha!) so concerned abt what other ppl on the internet think abt me and my whims? a few years back i was worried i wasn't wild enough with my fics, because i was very canon-compliant, and a few years later i'm worried i'm not canon enough. just - may i ask what is your approach to fandom, in general and in danmei? i know i said only 2-3 asks but ;_; end/

----------------------------

Honestly I think it's all about who you follow! I follow a wide variety of folks and funnily enough, people I mutual'd from one danmei are rigid with canon and people I mutualed from others are WAY more open to being like group B. Both have their pros and cons-- the former, I have to end up seeing ships and concepts and pairings I loathe untagged, and with the latter, I can't run blockchain on their insane friends that rant like they and the author because then I'll accidentally block people I actually like talking with.

anyways my approach in fandom has really...always been to just do my own thing. compared to how I was when I participated in Voltron, I don't really get involved in discussions about characterizations and meta and critical analysis or what not. First, because I like to put that energy towards writing personally, and while others get joy out of it, I don't particularly personally, and second, I pretty much have only 2, 3 friends I talk about the danmei I consume with when it comes to actual headcanons because we're on the same page when it comes to how we interpret texts, so it's fun.

I love making things for fandom and I like consuming things and I love fandom community that way. I love the what-ifs and the horny ideas and what not. But critical analysis and head canons and meta in general is just not my shtick. anything i have to say about the character, i say it through fic which brings me to my last part in this rambling answer which is that as long as the fic feels right to me, it's going to go up.

I've written some OOC stuff myself but as long as you have the confidence in what you're writing, people are going to be really forgiving. Sometimes when I doubt myself, I think about all the people tweeting wildly incorrect meta with their whole chest talking about how you need reading comprehension if you don't see it their way, and channel the same inner confidence, as misguided as theirs may be.

if someone was to rip me for my characterizations I'd feel hurt for sure but I don't pre-emptively think about it when I'm posting something. If I do, it's kind of a "well if it sucks it sucks I guess" which is part in due to me just getting slapped so much irl that fandom is low on the list of things to spend time having a crisis about

also if you're following anyone that says ao3 sucks just unfollow them. mute them. get rid of them. if they're mutuals mute them. so many mutuals have to cycle through the mute bin for my own sanity and in some cases, our friendship

ANYWAYSSSSSSSSSSSSS long rant over just post that fic!! do it!!!

[dumbkombuchakid]

I’m finding more and more that mindfulness and awareness play a massive role in everything. All the growth I’ve undergone has been rooted in cultivating those skills in myself. 

Getting curious instead of judgmental, asking questions and being objective, letting go of outcome and expectations. All of these things seem tiny and maybe insignificant on paper; but in practice have made all the difference for me.

This past Thursday, I met with my therapist (as I usually do on Thursdays) and she told me she was proud of me. I am so grateful for that feedback, for her helping to contribute to my awareness of myself. Awareness extends beyond the present moment, it encompasses patterns and trends and habits and intentions and consequences. It informs decisions and aids processing and understanding. Awareness is the key to it all.

She commended me for staying in wise-mind while telling her about a situation that was upsetting me. She noted that though I had the opportunity to allow my emotions to take control, to pull me into a spiral, I made a choice to remain in control. That’s not what I would’ve done a year ago. That might not even be what I would’ve done a few months ago. Her providing that feedback about my new patterns and trends, specifically my ability to abstain from following old, maladaptive patterns and trends, brought that new data into my awareness. It’s very difficult to be cognizant of your own patterns. It requires parallel processing of data about several versions of yourself in different but comparable situations across a timeline. That’s not a skill that comes naturally; that depth of data about each version of ourselves just isn’t stored. 

I am proud of myself. I’m proud of my ability to say that I’m proud of myself; proud of my capacity to believe that I’m proud of myself. For the larger majority of my life (I’m talkin 1st 19 years) I refused to allow pride to penetrate my consciousness. I grew up fearing that I’d slip into narcissism and lose who I was, instead developing into some spawn of my father; a figure I’d associated with all things self-centered and antisocial. Any shred of pride or self-esteem was too great a risk; I’d rather be humble and miserable but secure in my pro-social self-appraisal. I vividly remember the day I felt true self worth for the first time. It was in june, a month before I’d turn 20. That day came a few years after another significant (in hindsight) day when I began working with my current therapist. I fear I may accidentally catalog the past several years here for the sake of clarity and continuity, but the main takeaway point is that I’ve undergone immense growth, all a result of my own innervism.

Innervism is a term I’m borrowing from Elizabeth Lesser, the author of the book Cassandra Speaks. It refers to inward awareness and intentional growth. Tuning in to tune up. If not for facing the things about myself that I didn’t want to get true, I’d never have reached a point where I’m able to act with intention and display a self of whom I’m proud.

I’m far from perfect, and I’ve made a personal vow to never stop growing, learning, listening, and adapting. I will never reach my final form; there is always room for growth.

My point in writing right now is to address some of the cognitive behaviors I’ve noticed myself exhibit when in relationships. In the beginning, when things are wonderful and new and affection has a strong presence, I latch on. I start to fantasize about the future and how my life could play out with this other individual by my side, treating me the way they do at the beginning. 

This tendency to idealize based on that first impression, that best-behavior scenario, extends into the period when things begin to slip. When the negligence begins, when manipulative tactics begin being employed. When I am expected both to change myself and also to unilaterally accept the other’s lack of change. I am projected to grow into a mould that aligns with their current state, rather than the two of us developing into a new shape, together.

Internally, this is accompanied by a fear of communicating my feelings. A hesitation to go against the grain and a tendency to shrink and abide by these new terms of engagement. I get quiet and small and they become all powerful. I am aware of the red flags and harm and damage and yet I remain docile and strive for perfection in their eyes.

This is how I’ve always done it, it’s how I’ve been conditioned to behave in relationships. I’ve been conditioned to accept that A) there will be a power imbalance and B) it will not favor me.

I no longer accept that. Today I did something that past me would not have done. 

A few important things to note about the situation that allowed me to make this development are that:

1. my “picker” is getting pickier. I’ve always fallen into relationships with narcissists in the past, not because I chose them, but because they chose me and I only knew how to go along. This time, in my current relationship, I made a choice as much as they did. The quality of their character actually had a chance to play a role in deciding whether or not the relationship was worth pursuing.

2. I trust them. I trust that they care about me and want this to work. I trust that they want me to be happy and healthy and that they’re willing to grow.

We didn’t talk much today because he had a big day of doing things that I won’t get into, but then tonight when we did finally get to talk, we spent a long time discussing his day in depth and then never shifted to talking about me. Instead, he started multitasking and doing other things and talking and singing to himself. I told him if he wanted to do those things that was fine, but if we were going to be on the phone that I wanted to him to talk to me, to pay me attention. This didn’t actually turn a result, which hurt me.

Eventually, he got tired and said he was going to turn in, and wished me a goodnight. I said goodnight too, without my typical enthusiasm or affection, and he noticed that those were missing. Instead of asking why though, he simply told me to say it like I meant it, since he didn’t believe me. He has a tendency to make jokes when I’d really rather he be serious, and I’ve stopped laughing along and instead stay true to the tone I want to be received. I don’t want to diminish the weight and value my thoughts and feelings deserve. I’ve decided to not accept less than I deserve.

We hung up and I journaled a bit and felt myself getting worked up, and this is where I did a few things I’m proud of.

I called him back. He didn’t answer, so I recorded a snapchat video and told him how certain aspects of our conversation made me feel, and how I had realized that if I didn’t tell him then he’d have no way to know that those things had hurt and upset me.

This was honestly terrifying, and sending it (and not getting an immediate response) made me feel a whole other type of awful. 

I decided to set a timer for 15 minutes and meditate. During my meditation, I focused on a few things. I repeatedly reminded myself that I must let go of outcome; remind myself that I spoke only about my feelings and my feelings deserve to be heard. Silencing all the spiraling thoughts about the conversations that could follow was hard, and I noticed the colors in my awareness shift as more potential outcomes forced their way in. I repeated the mantra “I deserve love” to myself and focused hard on not allowing expectations or theories about what could or may happen in. Those things aren’t real, they’re imagined. I forced myself to choose to refrain from processing events until an event actually occurred.

15 minutes passed and I felt a little lighter. Part of me still really just wanted to cry, but then eventually I got a notification. He said he was sorry, that it was more of a mental hiccup than a true representation of how he feels.

I thanked him - intentionally rerouting from a typical path of saying “it’s okay” in response to an apology. I then wished him sweet dreams and told him we’d talk tomorrow, and I meant it.

It was uncomfortable, I’ll admit. It’s never fun to confront something that hurts you, especially when it’s something or someone that you don’t want to lose. During my meditation I had to remind myself that if someone doesn’t value my feelings or have respect for me, then they aren’t the person I should be with. That’s terrifying - holding people to a higher standard. Choosing to not accept less than what I deserve is something almost completely foreign to me and is fucking scary, but it’s also sort of exhilarating. The idea that mutual respect is now a requirement, that my partner needs to give a shit about me and express that through their behavior is something I deserve. I never used to think about myself as deserving anything - at least not anything good. But now? I put so much effort into who I am and how I treat others. I’m a good, kind, caring person. I know that I am because I do it on purpose. I think that qualifies me as deserving someone who treats me the same. 

It’s 5am now. My sleep schedule is off kilter in a big way. I’m going to finally stop and allow this day to end. I’ve already made a to-do list for tomorrow and I hope the day brings joy. I appreciate you reading what I have to write; it helps me to do this and I hope it helps you to read.

Goodnight and sweet dreams, remember that you deserve love.

[harvestdew]

and i feel like - and maybe im just biased here cause he's my favourite - ppl could argue that the whole saviour thing applies to sebastian too, since before he meets the mc he's generally quite unhappy and wants to move out of the valley. but the way i see it it's less abt "saving" someone and more abt learning to make compromises, seeing the world from a different perspective as a result of mutual growth. IDK. that's just one little bear's opinion <3 ANYWAY sorry for spamming ur askbox sm

it’s okay! there’s definitely a difference between finding someone that makes you happy and is an emotional pillar of support for you. the issue lies in the romanticization of “fixing shane” like you said and saving him when realistically, you should probably help shane not because it makes you feel good (which ppl w/ savior complexes usually do) but because he genuinely needs help breaking negative behavior patterns for the sake of his own mental health. i’ve seen plenty of farmer and shane pairings (s/o to azuneekun, stardewcowboy, lilium-valley and other blogs i’m forgetting for depicting a healthy relationship) that seem fine because they don’t buy into the savior rhetoric, but plenty of pairings that DO buy into it and it’s generally unhealthy. i don’t like the idea that the farmer makes shane feel so indebted to them that a co-dependent relationship develops LOL and i’m not saying there’s anything wrong with wanting to help anyone given that a lot of the npcs in stardew valley are actually struggling with internal conflict, but you know. tread carefully. given his issues i really hope for the best for shane and watching his journey to recovery has always been a joy as for sebastian (i’m also biased) the same thing definitely kinda applies. my own dynamic between kiki and sebastian has always been trying to steer away that even though i barely draw anything around that area because i’m lazy but i try to see sebastian being happier around any farmer oc as a result of someone a) showing him affection personally b) reminding him that the whole world doesn’t really hate him - robin loves him, sam and abigail do, maru WANTS to but he pushes her away, etc. people feel bad for him when he doesn’t move away to the city for you but i try to see it as (and i think he says this), him realizing that he would actually hate the city, given that he is introverted and hates being around people. i might be projecting a bit because i used to really want to move to the city and i’m an introvert and i guess i do live in the city now but sometimes i fucking hate it here it’s so bad for my anxiety i SWEAR. tl;dr there’s no “you’re saving sebastian to feel better about yourself” unless you write it that way

[alawaisi]

ID: 102816

Date: May 10, 2021

Bringing interviews to life

Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American retired broadcast journalist, author, and television personality.[1][2] Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as the host of numerous television programs, including Today, The View, 20/20, and the ABC Evening News. Walters was a working journalist from 1951 until 2015.

Walters began her career on The Today Show in the early 1960s as a writer and segment producer of women's interest stories. Her popularity with viewers resulted in Walters receiving more airtime, and in 1974, she became co-host of the program, the first woman to hold such a title on an American news program. In 1976, she continued to be a pioneer for women in broadcasting by becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program, alongside Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News. From 1979 to 2004, Walters worked as a producer and co-host on the ABC newsmagazine 20/20. She also became known for an annual special aired on ABC, Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People

Walters created, produced, and co-hosted the ABC daytime talk show The View in 1997, on which she appeared until her retirement in 2014. Thereafter, she continued to host a number of special reports for 20/20 as well as documentary series for Investigation Discovery. Her final on-air appearance for ABC News was in 2015.

Walters was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 2007 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

1- https://youtu.be/xQR5BzN4EKg?list=PLjoP5WBpAeS4do6w31o-PsTMnTlbybSa_

Lucille Ball & Barbara Walters: An Interview of a Life Time 

The first interview was with Lucille Ball, the interview style was friendly. First Barbara started the interview with a very nice biography about her personal life and her working experience.

In the interview Barbra was clever in her selection of questions she used some deep personal questions. She used some smart questions; she used a friendly way of interviewing her guest.

Barbara Walters sits down with Lucy and Gary Morton. Barbara Walters asks the questions Lucy steered away from up until this point of her career on TV (post-I Love Lucy) Some say Lucy was uncomfortable with discussing her past life with her current husband, as she wanted to respect the present joys they had in their successful marriage, and giving it its own identity-It's definitely interesting to see Lucy a little stern with Barbara about her first marriage and tells the truth of how it was, and why it didn’t work. Barbara is wonderful and friendly but asks those good questions you have always wanted to know.

2- https://youtu.be/SZHc3zmtYdw?list=PLjoP5WBpAeS4do6w31o-PsTMnTlbybSa_

Barbara Walters Interview with Clint Eastwood 1982

The second interview was with Clint Eastwood, the interview style was friendly. First Barbara started the interview with a very nice biography about his personal life and his working experience.

Clint Eastwood did his best to throw Barbara Walters off of her interview game by flirting with her. It worked. She knew how to ask tough questions and get key information from her interview subjects. Walters sat down with Eastwood for 20/20 in 1982, discussing the rugged star's acting methods and romances at the height of his career and Walters was so charmed by the famously.

I think Clint was very comfortable in the interview while Barbra was uncomfortable for some emotional reasons.

 3- https://youtu.be/E499RlpyOEk?list=PLjoP5WBpAeS4do6w31o-PsTMnTlbybSa_

Sandra Bullock interview in Barbara Walters Special 2010

The third interview was with Sandra Bullock, the interview style was friendly. First Barbara started the interview as usual with a very nice biography about her personal life and her working experience.

Barbara Walters falls into the classic trap of letting Sandra's credibility as an actress begin with Blind Side, and according to Walters, it seems that a credible actress must be a "serious artist", whereas Sandra's credibility as a comedienne was already firmly established long before Blind Side arrived, and she was already a credible actress, because a great comedienne is of course a great artist, and that's about as "serious" as it needs to get

Both of them were feeling comfortable, as the interview was friendly and full of laughs and jokes.

4- https://youtu.be/NRz--1LstNc?list=PLjoP5WBpAeS4do6w31o-PsTMnTlbybSa_

Ronald Reagan interviewed by Barbara Walters on 20/20

The fourth interview was with the American president Ronald Reagan who looked very quiet and peaceful showing his respect and welcome to the US audience, the interview style was very formal due to his position as a president but the environment was very friendly.

Barbara Walters hosts this warm personality study of President Ronald Reagan, which features Reagan working on and touring his California ranch, the type of questions were mostly friendly about his interests, his sanctuary and his personal life.

Reagan was very cheerful that he made Barbra feel comfortable.

 5- https://youtu.be/gF_-KGBexLk?list=PLjoP5WBpAeS4do6w31o-PsTMnTlbybSa_

Barbara Walters Interviews Johnny Carson in 1984 

The fifth interview was with Johnny Carson, the style of the interview was formal and friendly because Carson was very friendly.

He seems to put so much effort into each expression. She was an amazing interviewer. I mean, just look at what she got him to reveal here (and Carson was about as tight lipped about personal matters as they get). Barbara has a way of looking a guest in the eye and speaking with them that gives them the freedom to reveal and communicate intimacies, as opposed to how they might with your cookie-cutter "sensational" interviewer.

I think that Carson was not feeling comfortable in some parts of the interview.

Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included two Peabodys, an Emmy and ten Cable ACE Awards. He hosted over 50,000 interviews.

King was a radio interviewer in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s, and gained prominence in 1978 as host of The Larry King Show, an all-night nationwide call-in radio program heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. From 1985 to 2010, he hosted the nightly interview television program Larry King Live on CNN. King hosted Larry King Now from 2012 to 2020, which aired on Hulu, Ora TV, and RT America. He hosted Politicking with Larry King, a weekly political talk show, on the same three channels from 2013 to 2020. King also appeared in television series and films, usually playing himself.

1- https://youtu.be/TNnCN0BwUww

 Interview: Larry King Interviews Donald Trump on Larry King Now, on October 4, 2013

The first interview was with Donald Trump, the interview style was formal. First King started the interview with a very brief introduction about him.

In the interview Larry was clever in his selection of questions he used some deep political questions. He was very smart in selecting the questions; he used a friendly way of interviewing his guest.

In the interview, Larry covered most of the US problems and how Trump is going to face them the most important part was when Trump was just trying to get through this whole time is his country is weak because they put their nose in other countries business they fund other countries they walk on them. The peace treaty that was signed years ago was probably misinterpreted by polotitions today.

Larry is wonderful and friendly but asks those good questions you have always wanted to know.

2- https://youtu.be/YNSoOM4Nq6g

 Larry king interview Vladimir Putin

The second interview was with the Russian BM president Vladimir Putin, the interview style was Formal. First Larry started the interview with warm greetings and went directly into questions.

 Larry asked Putin several questions almost he covered most of the important worldwide issues from north Korea to Iran to the relations between America and Russia even he asked him about some internal Russian problems.

Larry was very smart and professional in choosing his questions also Putin was a very quiet person and smart in answering all the questions.

I think the interview was uncomfortable for both of them.

3- https://youtu.be/53uC0A4il8k

 Larry King / Natalie Portman on Late Night (1994) 

The third interview was with Natalie Portman, the interview style was very friendly. First Larry started the interview as usual with a warm welcome.


Natalie was such an intelligent young woman. She's already so aware of social dynamics at age 13. Notice how she laughs to make others feel comfortable and well received, and not just laughing because a joke is funny. Both of them were feeling comfortable, as the interview was friendly and full of laughs and jokes.

The interview was very comfortable for all of them that the audience can`t stop laughing at her.

 4- https://youtu.be/Gu0mypIa-rk

 Monica Lewinsky on Larry King Live

The fourth interview was with Monica Lewinsky who looked very quiet and peaceful showing, the interview style was very friendly.

I really like how Larry handled this interview. He did not grill or berate her. He asked good questions and let her explain herself. Monica very obviously has a good mind. However, like many of us, she made foolish choices in her youth. She is not the only, not the first, and not the last to be charmed by a predator and overawed by the trappings of power. She is so brave and so beautiful even though she has been through hell at this point. Larry was very professional in this interview.

Monika was very comfortable in answering all these questions.

 5- https://youtu.be/u_29DHdH_ig

 Stan Lee Discusses his Career, Movie Cameos & Bonding with Marvel Actors

The fifth interview was with Stan Lee, the style of the interview was formal and friendly because Lee was very friendly.

Marvel icon, Stan Lee, sits down with Larry for a rare, in-depth interview at Lee’s Beverly Hills office to discuss everything from his big new ‘X-Men’ cameo to the new Chinese super hero he is creating.

I absolutely love how this interview takes place between two old timers who probably grew up in the same era. Stan doesn't even care about the money, he's just extremely glad so many people are connecting with the characters he helped create! In every interview, he makes sure to thank the artists.

The choose of questions was very smart from Larry. He seems to put so much effort into each expression. She was an amazing interviewer.

I think that Carson was not feeling comfortable in some parts of the interview.

Evaluation

What I have learnt from both the interviewers was the way you host someone, the type of questions you can ask and when, also how to change the interview into a friendly interview.

The way you look at your guest and the body language you use to make him feel comfortable

For Barbra I like the way she is introducing her guest and the warm up she makes at the beginning of each interview.

And for Larry he is very professional in starting and involving his guest into the interview I like him the most.

Both of them are considered two of the greatest interviewers in the world they are called as softball interviewers.

 #Jourapplication_21 #Mass_3114_21

[consumedkings-archive]

6, 9, 10, 23, 25, 35 + elliot & isolde xx

hello stella, light of my life, welcome to “questions getting answered 300 years later” (❁´◡`❁) thank u for sending this in AND i love u immensely!

under the cut for mentions of prenatal depression and ptsd.

detailed oc questions!

✤ ELLIOT HONEYSETT

6. what were they like at school? did they enjoy it? did they finish? what level of higher education did they reach? what subjects did they enjoy? which did they hate?

elliot was a pretty average student. high b’s across the board, because of course scarlet would have tolerated nothing below a b+, and elliot graduated high school and went straight off into the academy. that’s pretty much the extent of her “higher” education--she thought for the longest time that she was going to go to vet school, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to deal with animals being in pain, so THAT course of action was QUICKLY nixed.

9. do animals like them? do they get on well with animals?

she has always and will always have “snow white syndrome”--you know, animals flocking to her, bringing home strays, etc and so on. ell’s love for animals extends throughout the entire animal kingdom, and most bugs, exceptions the centipede/millipede family and earwigs (yuck). she even loves ocean-dwellers, even though she absolutely fucking hates the ocean.

10. do they like children? do children like them? do they have or want any children? what would they be like as a parent? or as a godparent/babysitter/etc?

she does! she likes kids a lot. she thinks they’re funny. i think kids tend to like elliot because she’s pretty straight forward and entertains them/talks to them as if they’re adults. she has never particularly thought or felt connected to the idea of having children--and even struggles with feeling connected to her and john’s first baby when she’s pregnant--but this does change drastically once nolan is born. after that, john manages to get one (1) more baby (faye) and then that’s IT. elliot is like a worry parent, constantly trailing after the babies and picking up after them and making sure they’re not getting hurt. john is the fun parent.

23. do they have a good memory? short term or long term? are they good with names? or faces?

elliot has...questionable memory. she somehow manages to remember certain things very well--like things that people have said to her, crucial moments--but even those memories should be taken with a grain of salt. part of her wildly untreated ptsd means that elliot has to be really mindful of everything that’s going on and things that she wants to commit to memory, such as the order of her books on her shelf or the few conversations she’s had with her father that she can remember.

she is, however, very good with faces. names, not so much.

25. what do they find funny? do they have a good sense of humour? are they funny themselves?

it’s very hard not to make elliot laugh. she’s got a whip-sharp sense of humor (and thinks herself very funny) and when she’s not under constant duress she’s the kind of person who’s quick to laugh or find some way to lighten a situation with a joke. in fact, humor is usually how elliot deflects any kind of seriousness, and deals with most things. outside of getting blisteringly angry, of course. : ‘ )

35. what’s their guilty pleasure? what is their totally unguilty pleasure?  

guilty pleasure would be cheesy hallmark movies. unguilty pleasure is bringing home stray animals all the time. you know those videos of like that little old man feeding a herd of raccoons? that would be elliot’s life if john wouldn’t come absolutely unglued. 

✤ ISOLDE KHAN

6. what were they like at school? did they enjoy it? did they finish? what level of higher education did they reach? what subjects did they enjoy? which did they hate?

i’m sure this won’t come as any surprise, but isolde was AGGRESSIVELY the best student in class and also a huge trouble-maker. her parents like to say, half-joking, that she was always meant to be a lawyer because she’s so fucking obtuse and argumentative. isolde would play devil’s advocate for absolutely no reason. but she was too smart, and her grades were too high (and, isolde would argue, she was too cute) to ever get into any real trouble. her parents were very strict about her education, so she went to the best private schools in turkey, was tutored in plenty of electives, and then went to an ivy league law school where she, of course, eventually met john (poor thing) and opened up a business with him.

her favorite subject was debate. HATES english lit. what, you want her to like...feel stuff?

9. do animals like them? do they get on well with animals?

uhhhhh hm. isolde is like not a huge animal person. it’s not like she dislikes animals--she likes them fine--but she doesn’t go out of her way to have them around her all the time. she does have a rosy boa named cordelia who is the light of her life.

for some reason, even though isolde is very hesitant to engage animals she is unfamiliar with, they really like her. john thinks it’s her perfume.

10. do they like children? do children like them? do they have or want any children? what would they be like as a parent? or as a godparent/babysitter/etc?

nope! isolde hates kids. sticky hands. messes. screaming. for what? she should be the one screaming, have you seen her life? she has a really really hard time connecting with children and i think, in part, it’s because she was such a little adult as a child anyway, it’s hard to connect with creatures you can’t empathize with. like with anything, of course, her marriage with joseph is a transaction that is based and founded on mutual love, but a transaction nonetheless; joseph wants kids, and isolde doesn’t, so they come to a compromise. one child, and isolde gets to pick the first name (”no more biblical shit, joseph”). way way way way down the line, they have one baby--a boy, who they name eren, a turkish name meaning saint!

soli is an assertive parent, to say the least. joseph is definitely the more relaxed of them, where she takes a much more traditional route; because she was so thoroughly educated, she has no problems homeschooling. the two of them strike a pretty fair balance as parents.

23. do they have a good memory? short term or long term? are they good with names? or faces?

bro you KNOW, you KNOW she has the absolute most bomb memory. for better or worse. joseph likes to say, fondly, that isolde is incredibly smart, and for nobody’s benefit but her own, which is absolutely 1000000% true. isolde will recall with perfect memory the exact thing someone said to her, the exact date, and time that they said it, and almost always to hold it against them. 

names, faces, dates--it don’t matter. she’ll remember it. and that’s a threat!

25. what do they find funny? do they have a good sense of humour? are they funny themselves?

making john squirm is her favorite past time. she really, really enjoys picking on him, and it’s pretty obvious that isolde gets a pretty marked, singular joy out of making people in general squirm. she’s got a dry sense of humour and it usually translates as quite grim. she also thinks she’s very, very funny--and she is, but i think it’s a pretty particular brand of humour that not everyone will appreciate, lol.

35. what’s their guilty pleasure? what is their totally unguilty pleasure?  

hmmmm. i think her guilty pleasure is food. isolde is a big foodie, a great cook, but it definitely feels like an indulgence for her because she’s usually so efficient about everything else that taking a long time to make or enjoy food instead of just eating the necessary nutrients to survive can feel greedy, lol. her totally unguilty pleasure is clothing. she looks so good in them, how could she feel guilty about shopping?

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Hi Rachel, if you had to choose three favorite scenes/moments from Moth Work, which are they and why?

Okay, y’all have been sending in some poppin questions recently?? Here are my top three MW moments. 

1. LONAN ALONE

Probably my favourite scene in terms of prose in the book (comes from ch. 6 Holy Queen) because of all the cathedral imagery, but this scene where Lonan wanders to a cathedral in the middle of the night captures his character perfectly. We really get a true look into his character and what he struggles with, not filtered through Harrison’s lens. Since this is the first scene in a long time where Lonan’s been truly alone, we get to see how much of a lost person he really is, where he might usually come across as #brooding haha.

This scene was also a lot of fun to write because it was the first time I really got to revisit Catholicism and incorporate parts of it I remember from childhood which has since become a bit of a trend in Lonan’s POV. It was nostalgic to revisit some of these things (like the prayer Hail Holy Queen which the chapter is titled after)

The cathedral melts around him. Rain pattering against the stained glass, pinks, cyans, lemons, magentas. Sculpted plaques of the stations of the cross line the perimeter, and it could be chipping off the walls; those tiny people could be foaming at the lips.

2. “HE’S GOOD TO ME.”

Lonan takes Harrison to chapter nine’s beautiful place because he wants to make him feel better (CUTE) where they chat about the essential end to their relationship and the apparent start of Lonan’s new relationship with Eliza that has just... occurred. Harrison is concerned about this relationship which is very valid because it’s :) concerning :) but really only wants to know if Eliza’s good to Lonan (pure). Lonan dodges this question and they kind of talk around it. Previous to this, Harrison threw down his guardian angel necklace while arguing with his mother (she gave it to him) and unbeknownst to him, Lonan scooped it up and now has it! Romantically because I am self indulgent, Lonan puts the necklace on Harrison and shortly after admits Eliza is in fact good to him. Harrison realizes Lonan’s not going to go back with him to the east coast, HOWEVER!!! Lonan backtracks and says something along the line of “haha I’ve loved you a long time haha” and revises his statement from “she’s good to me” to “he’s good to me” because a) bi energy and b) Rachel is self indulgent and can’t stop this romantic angst.

“He’s good to me,” Lonan traces the constellation of Harrison’s freckles with his ring finger. The waves frothy just ahead of them, a silver light haloing them both now. “He’s good.”

3. EARL GREY

I shared this recently in the last writing update, but the final scene before the boys split up for good is TENDER but also I HURT. Some tender things I loved: they share a cup of tea, read the newspaper together, Lonan is concerned he interrupted Harrison’s sleep, Harrison gives Lonan his guardian angel necklace and puts! it! on! for! him! (I’m self indulging), and they talk in subtext?? They be like “haha this tea tho” but mean “haha I love you.”

I loved writing this scene because it’s sort of whimsical and though obvi they’re both moving in different directions, it’s so clear they don’t want to but are doing so for the better/because that’s the way it’s happening?? This scene in particular was a lot of fun to write because the roles sort of shift here. Harrison clearly has a plan of what he’s doing (he’s woken up knowing he’s not hanging around to just observe Lonan’s chaotic relationship with Eliza lol me tooooo) and because they know each other so well, Lonan also knows this from the first moment they interact, despite never discussing it. This scene has this cinematic soap opera quality to it and I had way too much fun constructing it. It’s all the romantical drama you need. 

Lonan knuckles the mug over and Harrison picks it up like he’s holding an eyeball. The tea is hot, though Lonan hasn’t seemed to mind, and its flowery perfume burns Harrison’s throat. Lonan pulls the mug back to him when Harrison’s done, and takes another sip.      

“I still have no idea,” Harrison says, and to his shame, studies Lonan’s face for a bite wound.

“Earl grey.”

“Sounds fancy.”

“It expired four years ago.”

There are 100% other moments I love, but I think these three really get me lol. Any moment with Harrison and Eliza interacting was also a joy to write since they just mutually roast each other.

[sunseteyes]

xhello welcome to dreamland, @pandaboba123 ~ thank you for participating in the matchup exchange with this matchmaker! i have already processed your information (down below) and alas, i am matching you up with...

KYOUJUROU RENGOKU - flame pillar, male, gold hair with red tips, and golden eyes with red irides

kyoujurou may seem firey and all but his sun sign is taurus, which meant that he is grounded, warmhearted, and reliable. honestly without reviewing the signs, i wanted to match you up with rengoku and it was to my joy when i found out that he’s an earth sign and not a fire sign likei thought he was.

moving on, your height will be perfect since he’s towering for 5’9 and a half. but aside from that, it will be enjoyable to ask him for you to braid his hair~ i am quite sure he’d like that especially if it would mean spending time with you.

aside from that, kyoujurou is also the type who’d look into a person’s heart and not their appearance so don’t feel conscious around him~ either way, he’d sense that and will change your mind soon!

he would do his best every single day not to make you feel anxious about yourself so do expect do receive lots of love daily! that’s how much kyoujurou would treat his partner 

personality-wise, i think he’d be a good conversationalist and you’d warm up to him as soon as possible. he wouldn’t mind if you get too emotional on him but do expect for him to give you advice and motivation later on, after he had listened intently to your thoughts or what you want to say

“what is it, love? why are you crying?” “you can tell it to me.”

despite of this, do know that he is a good listener and he’d always side with what he thinks is right

personally, i think he would love how sweet and kind you are! since i’ve talked to you, i can’t help but feel fluffy and super soft so i am very sure kyoujurou would also think of that way--almost like when he’s with his brother. everyone in kyoujurou’s household seems pretty strict so i think for him to have you, it would be totally different but pleasing nonetheless

also, when you ask kyoujurou for cuddles or hugs or handholding, he wouldn’t hesitate further and give it to you! though i might say that there’s no need to do that because he’ll be the first to initiate them anyway

and also! i think he’ll love it when you do fight back especially for him. as much as he’d like protecting you, he’s going to be very proud of you and will praise you if you try to defend yourself or someone you really care about to others

nature walks? you got it! everything you love, kyoujurou will too! he’;s just going to relish the fact that you’re there with him and he is willing to spend every second available with you

and... MIRIO TOGATA - yuuei hero course student, male, blonde hair and blue eyes

mirio is a lot like kyoujurou but i didn’t really chose him because of that. i was supposed to choose midoriya and i still want to but you are taller than izuku for an inch which meant that mirio might be the better option. either way, both ares suitable for you!

why? both of them are cancerians like me. cancerians are compatible to pisces like you and i have a feeling that mirio himself would b

mirio stands 5′11 and he is tall but i think that it’s just a perfect height for you--and there may be times that he’ll carry you so i hope you don’t mind that

he would be a very sweet companion and he’ll always be present in your life, but not to the point that it’s suffocating. if you want to be clingy, he’d be too. but if you don’t, then he’ll understand completely.

“what’s the matter, angel? do you want me to hug you?”

being a pisces and a water sign, you must be someone who loves and cares a lot. so guess what? of course mirio would be like that too! considering his personality and zodiac sign, it’s obvious he’s just a sweetie pie to his companion or any people, in general. he is very dedicated of everyone and it’s the reason why he’s the top one in yuuei,

your safety will be top priority. but if you decide to fight back for someone who is bashing him or telling bad things to your friends, like kyoujurou, he’ll be proud while standing beside you

“wow! i didn’t know you could do that, (y/n)!” he’d say the first time he’ll see you act like that

“yeah! that’s my girl!”

he’d hype you every time, tbh. he’s just that proud of seeing his girl proving to other people not to mess with her or the people she cares about

for your love in vintage stuff, i can just see him gift you casette tapes during your birthdays or important events and it’s either he’ll record greetings from your--and his because you will have a lot of mutual--friends or it’s his own greeting but usually it’s both 

i can also just see him taking you to the park and he’d notice that you like nature so maybe he’ll even take you to go mountain climbing, or island hopping, or taking a walk by the forest and all of that

all in all, mirio would be the type to want to always bring a smile in your face and would do anything and everything to protect that

———————

Hey!! So this is my first time doing this, so please tell me if I mess anything up (by the way, I love your writings so much!!). Can I request a one BNHA and one KNY boy to matchup with me? I’m about 5’6, and I have shorter wavy blond hair and green eyes. I’m pretty extroverted when I know someone well, and I am super into physical affection. I’m also super emotional, so I also need a shoulder to cry on (since I don’t really open up my true feelings because I don’t want to be a bother). The people I’m close to say I am kind and sweet, so yeah!! Thanks again!!❤️

Hmm.. honestly there isn’t a lot much more to know. I love vintage type stuff, like records and cassette tapes. I’m the most Pisces person you could meet lol, every zodiac post I’ve ever seen for Pisces has been 100% accurate for me. I have self-esteem issues, and I easily get in my head a lot so I would probably need someone who could pull me back out. I am always nice to everyone, even the people treat me like crap. I just have a tolerance for it I guess. But if anyone dares to mess with someone I love, hell will be unleashed. I don’t look it, but I’m pretty strong. I love nature though, like I would cry if my s/o took me on an adventure in the forest or something like that. I also love the idea of amusement park dates. I’m also a huge hugger and cuddler so boy better be ready for it 😂

[naruhearts]

14x18 First Watch Thoughts: Mary Winchester the Mirror, TFW and Destiel

**FLAILS**

My thoughts are practically incoherent because I’m having BIG FEELS right now...VERY big feels re: TFW/Destiel narratives.

I am SUPER glad Berens was the one who penned Mary’s death!! The episode was just well-done all around from start to finish and intensely executed, with the proper solid balance of angst, emotional insight from the characters placed inside Mary’s cathartic contextual role, and the consistent reiteration of Mary as TFW’s overall Parental Catharsis in 14x18′s storytelling (and S12-14′s whole parental premise in conjunction with John Winchester’s ghost). 

Mary was portrayed as the singular contrasting foil to TFW’s individual and combined arcs. Absence was, obviously, a core theme, with Mary’s absence -- her death -- playing out as A. familial purpose (accountability and her death as the impetus to work together --> forgive each other, forgive yourself), B. self-purpose (self-realization via Jack: what did I do? Why did I do it? Why do we do things?), and C. romantic purpose on the Dean/Cas front. 

Let me explain C. -- well, WE BEEN KNEW. The metasphere wrote about this (my post x).

x

Dean was HEAVILY subtextually framed as the angry spouse undergoing a rough patch with Cas over Mary’s death  (the tension, juxtaposed by sad orchestral strings and soft lighting, Dean lashing out at Cas, romantic framing via Dean’s back turned to Cas, their interactions holding frustration yet still underpinned by certain tenderness etc *sighhhhh*) and Dean continuing down the route of giving Cas, not Sam, frosty shoulders -- emphasized by the romantic visual framing of space between them e.g. Sam preventing Cas from comforting Dean during Mary’s funeral, backs again facing each other, Dean and Cas interacting sparsely, Dean bitter and disengaged, Cas longing for forgiveness from Dean, Sam as the overt brother caught in the middle as he embodies the role of mediator and stable thinker for both of them etc -- just strengthens my belief that Destiel is going to experience another (hopefully) intense romance-coded confrontation as intense as the one they had in the cabin -- one that leads up to a lover’s make-up or some kind of emotional breakthrough/realization which has Cas happy enough to be taken by the Empty (remember, DEAN STILL DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT CAS’ DEAL. Cas’ life to save his son’s life, harking back to Dean’s own fatherly self-sacrificial deal by saying Yes to Michael. He is utterly unaware that he’ll lose Cas) and it’s a double punch here, because Dean will realize how stupid he is for not appreciating Cas -- more accurately, trying to be mutually transparent and honest with him (he has, though, and he’s made leaps and bounds) before it’s too late but failing (final regression before progression). He does appreciate Cas, and Cas means more to him than anyone could ever describe *points at his Mind!Bar 14x10* yet their love languages still don’t align. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN, DEAN! 14x19 is written by BL so I additionally hope the D/C subtext from this point onwards works in our favour!!

As I said in above and in my liveblog posts, a summary: 

The differences in Dean’s grieving are a COMPLETE visual comparison to 12x23, complete with overhead 📸 shots and differing funeral pyre scenes: when he grieved over Cas, he was alone, kneeling on the ground, and was blatantly numb/emotionally incapacitated – Dean mourned the loss of his lover. When he’s grieving Mary, Sam is by his side. Brothers mourning the loss of their mother. Romantic vs familial.

Overt romance-coded parallels with Sam/Rowena keeping constant contact just like Dean/Cas do both offscreen and onscreen

Sam telling Dean IT WASN’T JUST CAS and his own emotional pull in this ep as expressing accountability for TFW’s actions in general – besides internalizing/talking about the self-guilt, shame, and the inevitable pain of losing people despite saving people (also re: the 🔑 theme of doing the wrong, stupid thing for the right reasons) -- was character development on a marvelous scale. Dean was enlightened and began to admit it himself. Honest, open words. Dean and Cas should learn from him!!

 Cas was absolutely humanized, subsuming the Winchester Way of Bringing Family Back, and he additionally evoked honesty/an emotional justification while admitting his mistakes and again representing FAITH: faith in Jack narratively linked to FAITH IN HIMSELF and the season-long theme of believing there’s another way -- in believing that good things shall come. As he appropriately told Anael last episode -- loneliness is a construct misconstrued by her; not being in one’s physical presence doesn’t mean they aren’t there -- they are there. They are there for you. Narrative symmetry with 14x17′s presence of emotional acknowledgement despite physical absence re: God (and TFW; just because Cas wasn’t with the Winchesters did not mean he loved them any less) vs 14x18′s absence of full-frontal communication despite physical presence re: Dean and Cas/TFW (being physically present also entails being emotionally present through HONESTY). Berens interlinked the subtext. Negative spaces are being filled. And there’s also an Evil/dark dimension added to this Presence vs Absence commentary: Lucifer’s a visage in Jack’s mind, just like Sam. Jack’s soullessness has come to a psychological crux. He’s teeter-tottering – tried desperately to bring Mary back, and now he might have fucked up the natural order (if BTS pics of zombies in 14x20 is linked to this).  Furthermore:

(*clutches chest* There’s the heartbreaking spousal-coded visual narrative.)

Oh, Cas...Jack is BOTH good and evil. This is the intrinsic dualism of human nature. It’s what makes Jack human. And goodness involves badness. 

CAS: [Jack] was good for us. Indeed, we know he was. The unhealthily-codependent-abusive notion of family TFW used to possess (where their overarching parental issues -- Chuck’s absence, John’s abuse and Mary’s absence -- crippled their early formative growth, extending into decades) was deconstructed and rebuilt in healthier ways. Being a parent to Jack offset their true capabilities/qualities: FAITH (Cas), HOPE (Sam), and LOVE (Dean), alongside all the stickiness that came with his birth. By direct association, Cas learned (is learning) how to believe in himself. Sam learned (is learning) how to hope in himself. Dean learned (is learning) how to love himself. Mental/emotional release from their internal chains took place (will come to its final culmination in S15). In other words, Jack the Unifying TFW Mirror -- like Mary -- was the great interpersonal conduit for (a Jesus-figure-representation) honesty, appreciation (spending time with your loved ones), positive vs negative self-process, and self-awareness. Keep in mind that Jack has characteristically taken the place of Dean, Cas and Sam’s own dark arcs (Soulless!Sam, in particular) with what looks like a Godstiel mirror in 14x19 -- he’s literally becoming textualized as TFW’s mirror -- and, like his parents, he is going to make his independent (wayward) choices and question the primacy of human nature: good, evil, and the grey in-between. Will he listen to his head or his heart?  Most of all, Jack taught them that HuntingTM is filled with pain, horror, and death, but genuine purpose lies beyond it. The lives they live are also innumerably interlinked with joy and happiness. These positive things aren’t as sparse as they think: they have each other.

Mary Winchester is ⚰️ and resides in Heaven (her death successfully made me emotional and packed a deep personal punch; the black and white flashbacks interspersed throughout 14x18 relative to Mary’s influence on TFW was A++). She disappeared right when TFW’s arcs came together to display character progression. Her purpose – pushing TFW to engage in self-introspection, personal growth, and honesty with the Self and others – is done.

Mary, the Cas mirror, carved M.W. into the table with S.W and D.W. You know who should be next, right? CASTIEL W. (and Jack W.) (recall that in 14x17, Mary relayed to Dean that she treasured and enjoyed her time with him and Sam -- channeling Cas’ 14x12 farewell speech. Mary has always embodied LOVE, both romantic and familial, with the great virtue of honesty, and Dean, by proxy, has been telling his family he loves them. Again, who is the next family member he’ll say I LOVE YOU to? What do Dean and Cas WANT? Time to answer this question!!)

WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE. Narrative cyclism, y’all. Mary and John Winchester are finally at ✌️, and by so doing, TFW will experience emotional/personal/psychological ✌️ as they leave their past behind to create their own optimistic self-actualized future. THERE’LL BE GENUINE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE.

TFW MUST TALK

I mean, I’ll probably reblog this with new thoughts during the next few days, but yes, ENDGAME’S UPON US, and all the extensive meta regarding Dabb Era Love and...Love, Unity, Family, Honesty, the centrality of interpersonal relationships and Reconciliation of the Past & Future since Season New Beginnings 12/13 over Season Who Am I 14 should be realized in the final two ANGST-filled eps. TL;DR a gigantic multilayered soup of character-positive/relationship growth-positive meta coming to fruition for the main plot.

Berens has killed us all. 14x18 is one of my favourite Emotion-centric episodes yet!

RATING: 10/10

Thank you for reading my sloppier-than-usual word-vomit!

[lingeringscars]

i would spontaneously combust if asked to list my top five t/100 dynamics but bellamy & raven will always hold a special place in my heart. he just cares about her a lot, like go into the woods at the end of the world because the idea of living without raven does not spark joy lot. he just thinks she’s the most brilliant person he’s ever met, and he clearly has no difficulty talking about this both to and about her. he doesn’t really see the pressure this could put on her, though?? he’s just...shut off to this aspect because even when he’s making inane statements like “raven could have built a cathedral by now,” he means it. she’s raven reyes and she’s gonna save them all. “we have raven. are you telling me she can’t figure out another way to make water?” it really could be construed as blind faith because putting all of his belief into her, but like i said he believes in her more than anyone else in the world. 

i’m starting my rewatch w/ my roommate tonight so this might be amended / updated and is v much from bellamy’s perspective but i do think he starts developing feelings for her around when they have sex. i have a lot of thoughts and feelings about that scene in general and have tag spiraled on more than one occasion in relation to it. raven is not in the best place because of finn & clarke there and bellamy genuinely doesn’t like seeing people suffer! ( from what I remember ) he’s seen around raven more after this scene / earlier that ep was again from what i remember the first bellamy giving raven pep talks re her being a huge pain in the ass but smart. he immediately discusses everything she did to get to the ground + then asked what else she had in her brain, and later that ep they have sex which brings us to the “did that help?” “no” scene and from then on, he’s one of the first people at her side whenever anything happens. 

i think about bellamy’s “is that raven” in the season 2 finale about 100 times a day. he recognized her from her scream, that’s absolutely horrifying, but he’s also so in tune with her pain and just feels that so deeply. it’s so automatic for him to give raven the support she needs !! adjusts automatically and is one of the first people if not the first to get to her if she needs it ( helping her down after being strung up & tortured by lexa, holding her during finn’s death, when he sees her trying to get back into camp after being shot, i’m sure there are others these just stand out specifically ).

bellamy is very...physically affectionate but pre-space, this usually takes form in grabbing someone’s shoulder than any other. he doesn’t tend to initiate hugs and definitely doesn’t solely initiate. as in, a lot of the hugs he has on screen are either someone else initiating it / both hugging at the same time. but that’s never been the case with raven!! in season 3 and season 4 where she really isn’t in a place where she can respond to it, he initiates a hug. she really doesn’t respond to either and yet he doesn’t let go immediately. he just loves her a lot !! i think his feelings for her kind of get buried but it’s these moments where they shine through because despite their differences, there’s a lot of love and trust there? and i think part of this is that bellamy was risking his life..every second he was in mount weather and raven really kept him tethered !! hearing her voice was enough to motivate him somedays when he didn’t know what they had to do, and talking it out with her ultimately helped w/ everything. 

i’ve spent a lot of time with the “you were never that devoted to gina” and “you don’t know what you’re talking about” quote, and I think this post about the script change kind of sums up my feelings because regardless of bob changing the line, this is always how i have perceived that scene !! he doesn’t say anything until that last moment, directly after ALIE!Raven makes a comment about it. we’re never gonna really know what was going on in that scene, and Raven’s can interpret what ALIE was reading into there, but i’ve talked this out a lot with @loveisaviolence esp after she added gina, so this is largely how we’ve developed that dynamic (bellamy x gina x raven) and i’m not gonna assume it with anyone else!! with that said, i CAN see bellamy kind of pursuing Raven post mount weather. i don’t see it going further than asking about getting a drink and he really cares for her so it doesn’t need to be a romantic thing !! but he does have feelings for her too, that continue to grow deeper the more time they spend together !! raven has also made comments about gina being too good for bellamy and like....there are layers to his thoughts that like on surface level and deep down he both agrees and disagrees with this statement. gina is bright !! and not this constant reminder of mount weather / what he did. she’s who he could get to with time, but raven is connected to mount weather ( especially since it was seeing her tortured that led to him starting to question whether they really did only have one option in mount weather ) and that leads to him feeling closer with her and wanting to be around her, but it makes it hard for a relationship too. while Monty & Harper could form a romantic relationship, it makes sense that bellamy & raven wouldn’t !! they’re both people that throw themselves into their work and respond w/ “i’m fine” even if they clearly aren’t ! they’re also just independent, albeit in very different ways. raven pushed wick away, and it makes so much sense that after everything she just wouldn’t be receptive to bellamy !! and that these memories would be present during the ALIE!Raven scene, which could make it seem like gina wasn’t his first choice even if she did become that and he did care about her so so so much. 

and i think it’s kind of the same when they get to space ! the feelings for raven didn’t just disappear and she’s still someone he loves and cares about. he knew that she was their best chance of survival and leaving her behind was never an option because that’s raven!! they need her, he needs her. they also are bonded by losing clarke and he’s gonna need to rely on raven more than ever !! ( can i just insert here that bellamy x clarke x raven is ...such a hot dynamic... ) season 4 was very good for that bellamy x clarke x raven dynamic in terms of leadership and how they all respond to it / the contention it forms between them. but going off of that....bellamy and raven are very different in that regard. bellamy sees short term: people are suffering, i can do this to stop the suffering, we have months and raven will figure it out. raven sees that bellamy making that final decision to blow up the hydro-generator cost them time and lives. bellamy saved those lives now and that’s what mattered to him but raven is able to say that he just postponed the inevitable for them and now made it so they don’t have 500 spots but 100. this is just !!! one of my favorite episodes / scenes of the entire show !! it really shows so much and I absolutely live for the “i made the call and i’ll live with that” and “and you’re not the one that has to live with your call as usual.” it’s such a brilliant scene whew okay back to my point. he does that again when making the call to get to raven instead of trying to get back to the bunker, asking her if she can get them off the ground before the death wave hits. 

anyway this would ... have to be plotted obviously but i could see them trying something in space within the first year just because mutual grief and comfort and having already been with each other even if it’d be different now. and ultimately...it not working out. i love them a lot and they’re one of the few t/100 romantic ships i actually ship because the show isn’t really about romance so much as just love and it’s why i can’t choose between dynamics because every single one is so rich !! but i think it also makes sense that it....would never work. i know a lot of people were excited at the prospect of b.raven getting together during the time jump but their dynamic kind of had to take a different turn as they grew? but more than that....i actually think they’re too similar! i don’t really know how to put it into words but it’s something i’ve thought about for a while... they push each other but they don’t necessarily grow from that....they just kinda push against each other. they’re also just...both so stubborn again in different ways but it makes it hard to do anything when you’re both too stubborn to bend. and as much love and care and trust they have for each other, that cannot sustain a romantic relationship !! they also just need someone to take them away from their work and i think bellamy would try and be that person for raven, but i don’t know if he could be effective at it especially considering....he has one of the strongest motivations to get back to the ground ( octavia ). they need someone that is going to get them away from throwing themselves completely into work, and that’s also another reason why they wouldn’t have worked during the first time jump. there’s always something else to grab their attention, always something else that needs to get done. 

b & e clearly reach a point where they discuss things and reach a place of forgiveness, but i don’t know if b.raven could do that? in terms of actual discussions and processing of trauma instead of just focusing on work. i think that if they were to have something in space, it would be rooted in love but....would basically be seeking out comfort and support and just....another body more than having a romantic partner. they’re two people who take on the world in different ways, but i don’t know if they’re as effective as other dynamics to share that with someone else?? like b & c shoulder burdens together and i like to think that raven & emori get there too, but i don’t know if b.raven would be particularly good for each other right now !! 

and i think raven is always gonna be someone that bellamy cares deeply for but all romantic feelings kind of go away after the first year -- at least for now as far as I think? i also think he’s just more adjusted at this point too. i don’t think he’s ever going to love going back to an empty room but he can find solace in it now more than before because spending all your time with the same six people can be a lot. my own personal headcanon has always been that bellamy asked raven to sleep in her room in the very beginning outside of any romantic / sexual relationship between the two of them just because she’s one of his favorite people / she’s safety / she’s comfort / they’re just kinda bonded because of everything on the ground and out of everyone...she’s the one he feels closest to especially in the beginning. ( it could be under the guise of trying to figure out how to get people to get along which i find amusing coming from these two people but their leadership dynamic wasn’t really explored and it makes sense that echo would take on a more prominent role and step into the leadership role on the ground but in space they made it clear that it was gonna be bellamy & raven and i’m ?? interested ?? in how that would have gone again because of their different leadership styles as mentioned earlier. they might be able to balance each other out ?? idk i don’t have a lot of thoughts on it bc i’ve never really explored it / thought about it )

i never really know how to end metas so in summation: bellamy loves raven a lot, believes in her a lot, thinks she’s the smartest person he has ever and will ever meet, he did develop romantic feelings for her even if it was never fully explored / him having feelings is usually assumed  depending on when, whether or not anything comes of it never is, after the six years in space, he doesn’t have romantic feelings for him anymore but she is his family and he loves her. 

[riseandshinelittleblossom]

Unfinished Business (4/6)

Summary: Today is the day that Renee will become the Queen of Cordonia, but oh how her mind still wanders…

Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters, we’re just having a good time. Also this series will contain smatters of Canon dialogue that I also do not own

Part one

Part two

Part three

Masterlist

Tags: @ritachacha@fullbeaumonty@leelee10898@tornbetween2loves@zaffrenotes@hopefulmoonobject@ownworldresident @alj4890@writerxdreamer@stiles-o-dylan24@lettersofwrittencollective @dcbbw@ao719 @lizeboredom@carabeth @zilch3 @rainbowsinthestorm @friedherringclodthing

 After making last minute wardrobe selections for her wedding party, Renee steeled her nerves and followed everyone out of the boutique. As she entered the hallway, Liam took her gently by the elbow pulling her aside.

      "This is where we part ways. Next time we meet you'll be walking down the aisle."

     His eyes searched hers for a long moment and Renee wondered if this was his way of trying to give her an out. She licked her lips, considering it.

      A part of her knew that even if she and Liam were not in love with one another in the way most couples were upon marriage, he would always take care of her. He would always do anything to ensure her happiness. He would be a good husband and they would make an excellent team.

     However, the other part of her-the hopeless romantic part- couldn't shake the feeling that she and Liam both deserved to be marrying the person that truly made their hearts soar. She wasn't meant to be his one true love, nor he hers. It felt wrong, disgusting even, to be cheating themselves out of what could be.

     Liam did love her, in fact he would likely say he was actually in love the way one ought to be in this situation. Renee knew better though. Liam was in love with what she represented. Freedom. A wife and a queen not from the tradition he'd been raised with. One of his own choosing.

  And although Liam had never admitted it out loud, the feelings he had for Drake were all but evident. Many times over the course of her stay in Cordonia she had caught the two men, eyes locked across a crowded room as if no one else even existed. She had often found herself wondering what it must be like, to feel as though the person you were inside wasn't good enough for the station you were born to. Those ponderings had only left her more confused when Maxwell and Bertrand had given her lessons in Cordonian ancient history and she learned all about the storied Queens of Stormholt, the first rulers of the Five Kingdoms.

   Kenna and Annalyse Rys had seen their kingdom flourish and expand.

  Renee questioned why Liam didn't simply follow his heart given the accepting nature of his people. Surely Cordonians everywhere would accept Drake Walker as a king consort, especially given the great lengths he'd gone through to save their country recently. An heir could be sorted, just as it had been for Queen Kenna and Queen Annalyse.

     Deciding she may never know the king's true reasons for denying himself the love of his life and filled with her own  shame she looked away from Liam as she replied, "If everything goes smoothly."

     The king's strong arms wrapped around her, squeezing her gently against his chest. He held her for a few moments, his steady heartbeat thumping below her head, calming her by measures. When he pulled away from her he was smiling.

    "See you soon, my queen."

    He pressed his lips to her temple before disappearing out the door.

   Maxwell approached her from across the corridor, spewing nonsense about writing vows, as Liam had gone off script with his. She shook her head, dread beginning to set in. It was almost time to promise herself to someone forever and she could see no reason for her to change the traditional vows of a Cordonian wedding when she was already less than enthused to be a part of it. Then suddenly, Bertrand stood behind his brother his expression far away. Renee could tell he was struggling to properly hide his emotions and for a moment she was glad.

     "Good. You should feel as rotten as I do. It should be every inch as difficult for you to give me away as it is for me to let you go." She thought, but quickly and silently reprimanded herself. This was a mutual decision, after all. Her love for Bertrand Beaumont was so strong that the mere thought of his unhappiness pained her, and yet she was happy to see it in his eyes. It almost validated her, in fact.

     "Renee, it's time to make your final preparations." The duke said finally, clearing his throat as his voice threatened to betray him.

     "It's happening." Her face fell, despite her best efforts.

      "Yes, the time is upon us. Now, let's move lest you risk being late to your own marriage."

    Maxwell turned to her, ever the uplifting force of nature that he was, and grinned from ear to ear kissing her forehead quickly.

    "Good luck, Renee. I'll see you soon."

      He bounced away and Renee felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach as she was left alone with Bertrand.

     He extended an elbow to her which she accepted almost reluctantly. The warmth of his arm beneath his tweed suit coat was a blessing and a curse, simultaneously comforting her and ripping her heart out of her chest.

    Together they stepped into the sunlight, Renee blinking rapidly forcing her eyes to adjust. Bertrand led her down a short cobblestone path to an awaiting carriage, navy blue with golden filigree. It reminded her of the future she was barreling towards- gilded and dripping in decadence, yet destined to never be enough.

     He opened the door, rambling about where they were headed so that Renee could dress and have her hair and makeup done.

     They took seats on either side of the carriage, their knees knocking each other's slightly in the center. Bertrand fixed his gaze solemnly out the window, Renee fixed hers on the Duke,trying desperately to memorize his every line and every feature.

****************

     "... I'll never forgive myself for putting you in danger." Liam told her with a furrowed brow.

  "Hey, I chose to be here. We're in this together," Renee squeezed his hand reassuringly, "For better or worse."

     "I plan to make it more of the former and less of the latter."

   Just then Maxwell chimed in demanding to know where the love was. Hana scolded him playfully and a wide smile bloomed on Renee's lips as she threw her arms around them both. She blinked back tears of joy as she caught sight of Bertrand over Hana's shoulder and she pulled him into the group hug as well so thankful they'd all made it out of the palace unscathed.

      "That's more like it." Maxwell sing-songed, squeezing her tight like a vice.

    "I am...so pleased to see you in good health." Bertrand told her, pulling away from the embrace.

     Maxwell was talking again but his words were lost on Renee, her eyes narrowing slightly at the Duke as he adjusted his cuffs. Thankfully Drake piped up from the couch, complaining that usually doctors prescribed quiet for gunshot victims. No one seemed to notice the new Duchess was distracted as they all hurried to their injured friend's side.

    Feeling dejected by Bertrand's obvious lack of concern for her well being, Renee slipped quietly out of the front door and onto the small porch.

   She took a few deep breaths, trying to regain composure. She was desperately attempting to sort through the flood of emotions washing over her as she started to pace.

  Jealousy. Anger. Elation. Confusion. They all swirled together into a lump in Renee's throat. Just when she thought she would surely choke on them, Bertrand appeared on the porch as well.

   "Leave it to you to sneak away, even under such dire circumstances, Duchess Valtoria."

    His tone was smooth and even with a hint of playfulness that likely only Renee would have ever picked up on and she spun on her heels to face him.

     " ' I am pleased to see you in good health.' ?! What the Hell was that, Your Grace?" she spat.

    Bertrand blinked, unprepared for her outburst.

    "Well I am. What else was I supposed to say?"

    Renee's hands balled into fists by her side.

    "Anything else, Bertrand, literally. Hours ago you finally confessed your love to me. Said that no matter where our lives take us next, you will always be in love with me. Now after I've been shot at 'I'm pleased you're in good health' is the best you've got?"

  "Again I ask, Your Grace, what would have had me do differently? Thrust myself upon you? Wrap you up so tightly in my arms that ever letting you go would be an impossibility? Tell you that last night was the worst night I've ever lived through, not knowing if the love of my life was safe? You would have me tell you these things in front of my king, who is also your betrothed?"

    Renee's chest was still heaving from her outburst, but hearing Bertrand's logic did seem to settle her nerves. Of course he was right, but she'd felt so betrayed by him in that moment that she hadn't thought of it like that.

   He crossed the porch in two long strides, taking her hand in his and cupping her cheek with the other.

    "That's exactly what I wanted to do. Renee, I thought I lost you-truly lost you. I-well I don't even want to think of living a life without you in it, no matter the capacity. I have never been so terrified."

     She gripped his forearm, standing on tiptoes to capture his lips in a searing kiss, trying to convey exactly how much he meant to her.

    They kissed until they were breathless, hair and clothing mussed by the time they pulled apart.

     "I can't imagine losing you either. Every fiber of my being loves you, B. I just...I was so overjoyed to see you...all of this clandestine relationship stuff is getting so hard to keep up with. I just want you, Bertrand. I'm so tired of hiding that. Liam knows- hell they all know. Can't we just-?"

    Bertrand cut her off with a somber shake of his head. "This is the way things have to be, Renee. It's what's best for everyone involved. I love you so much, and a world where the things you speak of are possible would be my greatest wish fulfilled, but it just isn't reality. I am so sorry, Sweetheart."

*****************

   "We're here." Bertrand said plainly as they came to a stop.

   "So what will you do while I'm getting ready?" Renee questioned as he exited the carriage, turning to help her out as well.

   "Well, I will attend to you, of course. I will do any and everything I can to make your wedding day a day you will never forget, Sweetheart."

 Renee's lips parted as her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes pierced through Bertrand's for several moments, and she couldn't help but wonder how she'd been lucky enough to find a man willing to give so much to her, even at his own expense.

   "So you'll stay with me, then?" She finally managed.

  The duke gave her a terse nod as he held out his arm to her.

    "Until the bitter end." he assured.

[quarantingz]

contradictions, bitterness & my relationship with coffee.

4 april, saturday

11.10am

Appreciation for the day: the sweet sweet taste of parallelism *not relevant, but I’ll explain it later*

As I sit on my dusty-green carpet in the living room, back soaking in the warm morning sun streaming in through the tilted blinds, I try to focus on the blank document on my laptop. Which waits wide-eyed and curious for what I’ll write today. As usual, I do not know, but as is the journey of life, we’ll take it step by step and see where we end up :)

Which makes me think about contradictions, and how this Saturday morning has been nothing but bittersweet.

At 7.30am my mum made the rounds of my sister and I’s bedrooms by bounding in and waking us up for our family morning walk. Her face plastered with a heart-warming large smile, much like a dog ready for a walk. Because I slept at 2am watching Triple Frontier on Netflixparty with B, I arose groggily, bitter, but also a little bit excited. I pulled on my tights, wrapped my coat around my shoulders and stepped out the door with my equally tired family members at exactly 7.57am. Out before 8am (gotta celebrate the small things right?), the air was chilly but incredibly peaceful. We trekked through Kepa Bush Reserve, a six minute walk from ours, and appreciated the quiet and beauty of nature in our five-person walking train. The walk was long, but oh so sweet, despite the initial bitterness of such an early start - especially on a Saturday!

As I taught my mum various stretches back home and bonded over how good it felt to feel the pull and release of our tense muscles and joints, the term “bitterness” sank in and I was beginning to feel super positive for the day ahead. However, this feeling of bitterness became all the more applicable as the morning drew on.

After making questionable banana buckwheat pancakes on my mum’s random and insistent request, I am confronted by the jumble and mess of my thoughts and words currently on my screen.

Let me explain. As the demands of work are put on hold till Monday, my house seems more alive and bustling today. Although my music is turned up to the max through my headphones, this and my concentration battle with the noise around me. It competes with my mum’s obsession with sourdough, which she intends to make into a pizza base (who knew!) for tonight, and consequently, the sound of her mixer and the clink of kitchen appliances. My dad’s tablet is also on full volume, the description of the production of rockets in Alabama completely capturing his attention. My sister also flits in and out of the ranch slider, tending to her newly planted snow peas.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a noisy and lived-in household, but to be honest, I wanted some quiet I didn’t know I wanted for today. This is where bitterness sank in. A mix of gratefulness that this morning was agreeable, but now too also disgruntled. I missed and craved the segregated spaces my family and I have created for the past two weeks. And can’t help but miss the quiet “work weekdays” - a time and space where my thoughts can naturally flow onto the page. But as my sentences stop and start, halt and jerk, super awkward and chunky on the page, I think about what a mess my mind feels right now.

Which is why as I sip my incredibly below-average instant coffee I heated up in the microwave for one minute because I poured too much almond milk and took too long to start this entry, I think about my friend, coffee. Or rather the timeline of our relationship. From the moment I first laid eyes on coffee, incredibly bitter at first, to our decade-long evasion of one another, mutual of course. And to our eventual and unlikely friendship presently. A story mixing bitterness with sweetness. What a contradiction!

Let me begin by describing what began with a hand-to-mouth, gag-like reflex, nose scrunched kind of relationship, I’d like to think coffee and I have a very different relationship now.

I now live for a good coffee, without sugar and chocolate (but still with milk, almond specifically) and it wasn’t always like that. I used to hate the taste of coffee - the bitterness. But now I like this taste and almost consider it a sweet taste. It doesn’t actually taste sweet, but maybe it’s the feeling it gives me. The hope and promise of a productive and wholesome day.

I think this is a lot like our relationship with people. There is always the promise of a good relationship and hope that it will be better than another, or the last, or just better than it has ever been. But like coffee and I’s, it is a process. You learn how to talk better, interact better, love better and most importantly, understand better. And somehow, we stop taking people in our lives for granted - instead, we taste and see the “sweetness” that they bring into our lives - whether or not we want it or need it.

It comes with time and it comes with a change in tastebuds - maturity. I feel like this can also be a constant and regular process which can repeat in a circle of dislike and like, letdown and hope, bitterness and sweetness, over and over again.

Once again, this is more of a mind-dump and me trying to articulate what my thought for today is. I guess what I’m trying to say is that relationships are like coffee. A wake-up call you could say. Something bittersweet. Note the contradiction. Note the oxymoron between the two negative and positive terms. There is a natural push and pull that we may feel towards people.

I’ve come to realise relationships can be contradictory. And that is because humans are contradictive in general. Our own feelings and moods are contradictory. Which affects how we interact, feel, see and act towards people and the world as a whole.

So as you and I know now (I’m trying to understand just as much as you), this entry isn’t actually about coffee or my love for contradictions. Maybe not even about people and relationships! But actually, it is simply about how messy life is. How confusing, strange, contradicting everything can be. For example, feelings of confusion and fear contradicting that of hope and joy - which you may be feeling during this time. Contradicting like my initial bitter relationship with coffee and now the sweet fondness I have for it. Like the word bittersweet. Like this morning…And there you go, we’ve come full circle!

I could leave it at that, but I think I will leave you, maybe even more confused than you started off as, with this thought:

Life is confusing and messy yes, but bittersweet, and that’s okay.

Because then it would be boring :)

* okay, now for that explanation you waited the whole blog to read: prior to writing this I read Paulz’ entry and couldn’t help but chuckle with glee that she too wrote about one of her “relationships” (specifically with sleep, nature and her dog - which you should go READ HERE if you haven’t already!) and the fact she went on an 8am morning walk today is just…a sweet parallelism - hehe, maybe I should write about parallelism next aye pal? - a

[9 april, thursday]

Thought about parallelism more today and the conversation we had about it pal...I think parallelism is so relevant right now haha, because although we clarified that parallelism means two things align, but do not touch, isn’t it funny that that is exactly how things have ended up? The fact that so many things have happened beyond our control, and have aligned with one another so well, BUT we haven’t been in direct contact with each other for the past few weeks (social separation and iso and whatnot).

And coz we’re allllll about diagrams now, here’s one for you:

See we’re headed in the same direction, things have aligned, but social distancing makes parallelism so fitting. Haha, random thought I know, but I think it’s so funny now that I think about it!