#blame & excuse

[ossie50]

Wilful ignorance, discomfort & guilt avoidance

It’s that time of the year when possibly millions of people in the USA will be sitting down to watch the annual replay of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1950’s movie version of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. Scrooge was what you might label as being wilfully ignorant. In other words, blocking what he did not want to see and believe in spite of the potential consequences. This deliberate choice…

[toots-senpai]

self indulgent asf but like imagine könig coming home from deployment and all he can hear is your coughs and the sound of you blowing out the mucus from your congested nose and he's already on his way to help you but the door is locked.

he doesn’t blame you because you probably still think you’re home alone but he does berate the door when he can’t open it and he knows you're sleeping behind it.

queue him anxiously making you soup and pacing from the bedroom door back out into the kitchen with every cough and sniffle

he’s definitely getting amped up to barge down the door but he knows you are sleeping so sickly peaceful inside the room

he might even be writhing in his own personal discomfort from not being able to take care of you.

he might even start to feel a little helpless after waiting for so long but that's when you’re opening the door, sick and with a small coo of his name that has him snapping so quick awake that he genuinely startles you in return.

but he's so quick to scoop up your little sick form into his arms and start taking care of you for every second thus fourth. your personal heater and his attention undivided on you.

for-sure gives you excuses to keep staying on bedrest and also medicates you by the hour.

if you’re a herbalist, he’s already already made the tea you suggest and towering over you at grocery stores so he can grab what you need and avoid you getting yourself sicker.

[leslutdepointedulac]

Did Nicki really love Lestat?

I feel like there's sometimes a question in this fandom as to whether or not Nicki truly loved Lestat, or if it was all a 'ruse' of sorts. Some people will say that there was no love there, either at points, or just overall. But personally, I'm inclined to disagree. The way I see it, Nicki did genuinely love Lestat, especially at the beginning of their relationship.

They knew each other as children and, to an extent, they grew up together. This already puts them in a relatively close relationship with each other. This relationship between them starts out as just a friendship, but of course this evolves into something more.

When Nicki presents Lestat with the cloak, it's him who is acting rather flirty towards Lestat, not the other way around with him leaning into him and saying

"Only the impossible can do the impossible."

A week later when they're in the room at the inn, Nicki is the one who leans in and initiates that first show of intimacy, by kissing Lestat. Granted they were drunk at the time, but Nicki doesn't give me the impression he goes around kissing just anyone, even while intoxicated. I think the fact that they were drunk was just the perfect excuse/opportunity for Nicki to act on his feelings towards Lestat.

Further down the line, when they're in Paris - and at this point have been together for several months - Lestat returns to the theatre after his 'disappearance'. One of the first things the other actors do when Lestat initially arrives, is call Nicki to tell him that Lestat is back. And once he turns up to join the others in greeting Lestat, the actors immediately part to make way for Nicki to come through. I think they all knew there was a deeper level of connection between them. They share a very long and tender moment together, which the troupe allows without disturbance. Personally, I see that hug between them as coming from a place of love, heartbreak that they had been separated, and relief that they're back together again. Yes, Nicki had previously been, and still was angry and hurt that Lestat had supposedly left him, and without any warning. Especially considering Lestat was - as far as everyone else was concerned - perfectly fine during that time, only for him to turn up out of the blue with little to no explanation as to his whereabouts. I think Nicki's anger at this was partially down to Nicki being terrified at the thought he had lost his lover, and he couldn't hold his upset in.

Skipping forward to Nicki's turning, in my opinion, his very recently experienced trauma, combined with his already fragile mental state, were both amped up x100 by said turning.

The way I see it, Nicki got overwhelmed by the recent events and his mental condition clouded his mind causing him to lash out at the one person who he loved the most. Lestat. The reasoning for him lashing out at Lestat specifically, being because he was so immensely hurt by Lestat's disappearance, with him returning acting as though nothing had happened. This understandably angered Nicki, and mixed with his strong feelings for Lestat, it all bubbled up and exploded in their faces.

I think Nicki said what he said to Lestat during their last proper interaction, because he was deeply hurt and quite frankly, he just wasn't well. I don't think he was seeing/thinking clearly, and was probably also confused by the very sudden and drastic changes in his life. This led to him taking it all out on Lestat out of a need to blame someone for everything that had happened. Lestat just so happened to be the easiest and most obvious target for Nicki to let his anger out on.

Eleni tells Lestat in her letters to him, that even the mention of his name in Nicki's presence is enough to send Nicki over the edge. But I think this was down to his mental instability, along with his lingering hurt that had festered in his mind for so many years at that point; he wasn't in his right mind and so wasn't able to give appropriate reactions to his former lover.

Before Nicki goes into the fire, he gives his violin to Eleni, with the instruction to send it to Lestat. He also says how he had originally intended to give it to him the last time they saw each other, before Lestat left Paris. In my opinion, I don't see why Nicki would've had his violin that Lestat bought him, sent to Lestat, right before taking his own life. And there is a chance that he did this with malicious intent, as a way to taunt Lestat, but in my mind, I feel as though there was some lingering care left for him. I don't know that there was any love remaining on Nicki's part, I'll be honest, but I do there was some semblance of care left in him. I don't think this is something Nicki would admit to anyone, even himself, and I also don't know that he was aware of this - that it was more of a subconscious feeling. But I still think, regardless, there was something still in Nicki that cared even just a little bit for Lestat, albeit buried beneath the darkness in his mind.

Re: Nicki's interest in the violin and his comment about wanting to 'go down' in Paris, I think his initial interest in the violin was genuine. But when people around him *cough his father cough* told him to abandon the idea, that's when it turned into a thing of spite. However, I do believe there was still an honest love for playing. Even after Nicki had gone mad, playing the violin was something he turned to as a source of familiar comfort through his dark times.

As for Paris, it was Nicki's idea in the first place for both him and Lestat to run off (although, yes, it was more of a joke when he said it.) But I think he genuinely wanted him and Lestat to get away from the village that had been suffocating them both for so many years. When Nicki said he wanted them to 'go down', I think that was also as a result of his unstable mind, and his hurt at the recent events being taken out on Lestat. There may very well have been elements of truth in what he said, but overall, I think it's just yet another example of his inability to contain his pain.

Of course, none of this excuses the way Nicki treated Lestat in the end, but I think to simply say it was all because he didn't love Lestat is missing out on taking a deeper look into the reasons why he did and said those things. To denounce the love Nicki felt for Lestat seems unfair to me given his situation.

[grimreaperschild]

guitar practice 4

summary: sad excuse for a plot thickens and wednesday pays you an untimely visit

warnings: swearing, wednesday level affection

a/n: some flashbacks and we get to see rs abilities sorry i took a while to get this out lol been enjoying summer, gonna post some drabbles soon hopefully, any ideas or requests greatly appreciated also let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist it wouldn’t let me tag some people so if i didn’t tag you im sorry, happy reading!-🦷

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you wake with a start sitting up sweat sticking your (y/h/c) to your forehead, turning to your bedside table you pick up your phone and check the time 2:44am the clock reads, you groan. looking over at the other side of your dorm yoko is snoring softly, no practicing in here then.

letting out a content sigh you push open the door to your studio letting the familiar scenery put you at ease, the “studio” was actually just a room tucked into the far corner of nevermore academy’s many winding hallways, the walls covered in your spray paint cans covering the shelf’s a small sofa big enough to seat 3 sat dejectedly in the corner your amp next to it a line of mirrors on the left side that opened up to closet space that you still hadn’t found a use for.

you throw yourself onto the sofa pressing your palms to your eyes it’s starting again his voice rings clear in your mind, “yes, yes i can see that” you mutter pressing into your eyes more.

the nightmares always got worse near parents weekend, the buzz of all the students making your heart thrum in your chest, your palms sweat in class and he seems to follow you everywhere, hovering over your shoulder voice penetrating your mind, usually you could swipe him away his body dissipating into the air leaving you in peace y/n “callum, stop.” you all but whined but it was too late.

you know i don’t blame you

that’s all it took for the memories you had tried so desperately to push down to rush back leaving deep gashes as they claw steadily to the front of your mind.

“your a monster” your mother screamed chocking on her tears no. bright blue and red flashes danced off the walls as the body bag was thrown into the back of the ambulance stop no. you grab at your chest as your breathing comes out in ragged gasps fire spreading from your fingertips to your elbows you close your eyes focusing on your breathing like your therapist (dr kimbot) had taught you, eventually your breathing evened out and you cracked open your eyes looking at the charred remains of your sleep shirt, you frown that’s the 3rd time this week and it’s only wednesday, oh, wednesday.

you shake your head clearing the name from your mind, you pick up one of your many guitars this being one of your favourite acoustics, your dad had made it for you when you were 12 you rub your fingers over the engraving “to my daughter the love and light of my life don’t ever give up- pa” you smile sadly strumming to ensure it was still in tune you quickly lose yourself in the music.

a familiar chord progression slips from your fingers and you freeze realising what you’d played the memories flashing through your mind

“nes” you giggled at the girl’s unimpressed expression “baby it’s not that hard” she swats your hand away from hers that’s resting on the body of your guitar, she frowns nimble fingers struggling to stretch into the correct position for the chord you where currently trying to teach her, you lean back and observe the girl the light from the rising sun was casting her in a golden glow her brown eyes twinkling when she finally sounded out the chord “told you it wasn’t hard” she hummed eyes coming to meet yours “sometimes i dream about dissecting you, i imagine there’s fire flowing through your veins” the ghost of a smile on her lips at the thought, you snort “your morbid wednesday” “i want our remains to be burned together” she says completely ignoring your last statement “romantic” you quip back a smile on your lips, she stands “come cara mia i have a surprise for you” she doesn’t wait for you as she steps back through the window into her dorm

your crying?

the comment snaps you out of your mind you reach up and feel your cheeks are wet “i guess i am” go on tell your big brother you watch as his form jumps over the back of the sofa landing with a soft thud his toothy grin putting you at ease “im older than you now” i still age when im dead y/n, don’t take that from me.

you chuckle at how serious he’s being “yes sir” you mock salute him giggling as he pulls his lips into a thin line still waiting for an answer to his previous question, you wait for a second knowing your not going to be able to avoid this one you take a deep breath readying yourself “im scared to see mum again cal, and wednesday won’t stop starting at me and enid and i don’t even know what me and enid are and i miss you and i hate being an outcast” you rush out all in one breath then in a much smaller voice you add “and i hate that i see dead people, i hate that all i do is destroy things and the more i feel the more i lose control, god i’ve set so much on fire recently” you sink back into the chair feeling deflated.

he leans forward your not cruel y/n, your damaged, damaged goods are still good.

you say nothing letting his words wash over you, you push yourself up off the sofa checking your phone 5am blinks back at you and you take your dnd off watching the plethora of messages, mainly from enid pour through

3:24am

(enid❤️): y/n you ok? yoko said your not in your bed?

(enid❤️): your worrying me bby

4:50am

(enid❤️): y/n i’ve given you as much space as i can, please answer your phone.

4:55am

(yoko🧛‍♀️): told enid your probs in your studio good luck and god speed my friend

you giggle at that last message shooting a quick one back before focusing back on enid’s chat

(y/n): don’t wait up for me

you smile as yet another message comes through from enid

(enid❤️): ur lights on can i come in? x

(y/n): come in enid, the doors always unlocked for you x

you slip your phone into your back pocket as the door opens and closes you turn back to the sofa a hollow feeling in your chest as you realise callum’s given you and enid space, she gasps when she sees you “you’ve been crying” you hum too tired to reply and she puts her hands on your forearms taking in your burned t “the nightmares have started haven’t they?” you nod pulling her with you to the sofa and pulling her into your lap arms tight around her waist her hands come up to massage your scalp kissing your head.

your not sure when you fell asleep but you wake up sprawled out over enid her arms around you in a protective manner, you yawn and suddenly an icy feeling makes it’s way down your spine as you look up and make eye contact with wednesday, she’s stood at the door impassive expression on her face you untangle yourself from enid without waking her standing and padding over to her “your not welcome here anymore wednesday” you whisper yell at her, she opens her mouth to speak closes it again thinks finds the right words and takes a step forward towards you “i have accepted tyler’s invite to the raven, i understand you and enid will be there together, you must know i will have you back”

you stand in stunned silence as she continues taking another step towards you “i know you, i know you still think of me, im utterly devoted to you but you must let my investigation run its course” you take a step back towards the sleeping blond suddenly not liking how far away you are “that’s sweet, didn’t know you had it in you, good for you wednesday but your actions make your words meaningless, now if you’ll excuse me im sure im late enough for parents day as it is” you take another step back checking the time.

1:23pm

your eyes near jump out of your head

shit.

“enid” you yelp and she jumps and slinks out of the room like a kicked dog before enid can spot her “enid” you shout this time and it finally stirs her out of her slumber groaning at the bright light of your studio room “what” she grumbles not being a morning person “it’s half 1” she jumps up at the realisation “fuck” “yeah. fuck.” she scrambles to the door grabbing your hand and pulling you with her as she runs for your dorm as it’s closest throwing the door open and going straight to your closet “yeah help yourself” you call out chuckling at the girls antics, a shirt hits you square in the face as she tumbles out half dressed in your joggers and a hoodie.

“put that on keep the joggers you have on now we don’t have time, shit they’ve been here for 2 hours” you hum anxiety spiking as you picture your mums face, you grab enid’s arm as she attempts to rush past you while pulling her shoes back on, you pull her flush against you “good luck with your family today text me im gonna miss you” she smiles reaching up to peck you on the lips “remember to call me if it gets too much n/n, good luck too” she kisses you again sweetly and then she’s gone out the door and down the hall before you even blink.

your left alone in your room tear tracks on your cheeks the tattered remains of a t-shirt clinging to your body the fresh one enid threw at you in your hands, you sigh, again.

come on trooper, let’s do this together

you smile as cal forms in-front of you, at least being able to talk to the dead meant you could be haunted by your favourite sibling.

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tag list: @allison-iloveyou @thedemoninme141 @alphaniner1415 @ctrlamira

[justenjoythegossip]

Will Chris’ “psychotic” fans be held responsible for the end of the shitshow?

Recently an article regarding Abba’s near ”abduction” story resurfaced, or I should say was reposted. It seemed pretty random of course. But was it? Because you see, this story hints at an original trauma that she might have suffered as a kid. If you combine this (real or fictitious) traumatic experience with the narrative that Chris’ fans are psychos who really can’t stand to see him in a relationship, well then you have created the perfect storm for their separation. Will that excuse be used to explain their divorce which couldn’t come soon enough by the way? 

So many breadcrumbs pointing to Abba being scared… 

The narrative that Chris’ fans are crazy and don’t want to see him with anyone has been going on for years. His brother Scott alluded to it not so long ago during an interview. Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted about it as well, in a very over-the-top and unhinged way just after Chris and Abba made it official with their first papwalk. So there have been many crumbs pointing to his fans’ problematic behavior being the cause for concerns. And indeed, there have already been several articles pointing to Abba being scared for her safety. Here are a couple of examples.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/1119789-chris-evans-jealous-fans-pose-safety-concerns-for-his-wife-alba-baptista

Recently, that excuse has been used to explain why Abba couldn’t attend an event for Warrior Nun.

We all know of her extraordinary professionalism. She has promoted the show so much so that we can only imagine how terrified and heartbroken she must have felt to turn down this event. (read sarcasm) And it probably explains why she refused to talk to the media at the GQ event. You see she was not being rude and a diva, she was just being shy and afraid…

Also remember during Chris and Abba’s last papwalk when they allegedly had dinner with Rob Pattinson, Suki, Adrien Brody and Harvey Weinstein’s former wife, they were escorted by Guillermo who is Chris’ bodyguard. Sure it was meant to sell that they are a very famous and popular couple but maybe it served another purpose. Maybe it was meant to sell the narrative that she is terrified of Chris’ fans and needs the protection of a bodyguard. So the question remains: will they be blamed for their divorce?

The ending of this shitshow isn’t likely to happen soon…

Crumbs and hints are in place but that doesn’t mean the end of the shitshow is near. In fact, I would be very surprised if he doesn’t mention his “wife” during his next con at Seattle on March 2nd. Indeed this con is overseen by the same company that did C2E2 and NYCC last year, and let’s remember the NY con was used to confirm the 2 kinda of ceremonies and to show off his ill-fitting ring. We can suspect this company is one of their sponsors, just like the jewelry brand or airline company. But I am just speculating. 

It’s safe to assume there will be similar shenanigans in Seattle anyway. Will she actually be there? It’s a real possibility. Especially, since the Oscars’ ceremony is on March 10th. Like for the Golden Globes, it’s a time when celebrities try to be seen. And it will be one of their last occasions to make a splash for a while and have their names in every publication since Chris is supposed to start shooting a new movie in March as well. Unless we get pap pics of them on his movie set. They haven’t done it yet and it would be another box to check off in their PR games.  

The manufactured psychotic fans…

For sure there are some crazy fans out there. But I have little doubt as well that most of his crazy fans act this way on purpose because there are plants on the payroll. Even recently, we have seen a ridiculous fake drama around Dodger. An account even published an old picture of Dodger at Daycare. So this mod either hacked into the security cameras of the dog daycare center 6 years ago. Or by some off chance, a crazy stalker fan who worked at that center leaked that pic and sent it to that mod? I should probably specify that this account also got the exclusive (and very believable) story that Renner and Hemsworth told two strangers that they were in Boston for Chris’ wedding. Obviously the most logical explanation is that this blog was fed real info (and that pic) by his team or is working directly for his team. But officially they will pass as crazy fans who crossed the line… And this narrative has proved quite useful in the past.

Playing the victim card is unlikely to get them any sympathy… 

I personally think that this strategy won’t benefit either of them. 

Particularly Abba. First of all, people are unlikely to believe she needs protection because nobody knows her in the first place. We all remember that ridiculous cringe moment at the Ghosted premiere where a paid actor pretended to be her fan and screamed her name. Also and I don’t mean any disrespect but she is not only unknown to the public but she is also totally unremarkable. She is so unremarkable in fact that when that influencer got the video of them at Walt Disney (the video where you can hear the influencer say at the end: “got it”) she had a pic of Abba’s back tattoo on her screen to make sure she recognized her. 

As for Chris, blaming his fans for the end of this shitshow is unlikely to gain him any sympathy either. We have seen so many fan pages disappear, so many fans leave. He has alienated so many loyal fans and a part of the general public with this relationship that isn’t on brand for him. It wouldn’t be wise to alienate the fans that have stuck around. 

Also playing the victim card is just not as popular as it once was. First of all, most normal people have troubles feeling sorry for out of touch celebrities. And why should they? They live in the real world and have real problems. Like having to hold on to their low-paying job, to take care of their kids or to put food on the table. Look at Harry and Meghan. Most people can’t stand them anymore. So Chris’ team would be wise to look for another exit strategy. They have time…

[baby-alien11]

Being Miles Quaritch daughter (2)

Living in Pandora with ten years and a little brother almost newborn wasn't easy at first

Especially the first months, beacuse you often cried to sleep due to missing all of your family

But fortunately, a big part of the humans that stayed in Pandora, helped you to take care of little Miles

And thanks to that, you and Miles grow up learning and apreciating the planet that was your new home

And with spending time in the forest, it also included spending time with the Sully family, mostly the kids

While growing, Miles was the one that played along with the kids, meanwhile you stayed close reading a book keeping an eye on him

The kids were nice to both of you, often showing interest in your things

But with Jake and Neytiri, things were a little different

Specially when both of you were the children of the person that tried to kill them and attacked their clan multiple times

You couldn't blame them, your father's actions were horrible

After hearing all the things he did and tried to, you couldn't look at him the same way you did when he was alive

Due to spending time in the forest and with the omaticaya, Miles started to dress and act like them, including having blue paint in his body with the excuse to look more like them, also starting to demand that everyone named him Spider

You prefered to dress still like your own kind while having beads in your hair, and accesories like necklaces and bracelets from the na'vi

Basically, your life was good

Until the RDA came back

The return of the RDA meant to all of the omaticaya clan including his human allies moved from the forest to the Hallellujah mountains

Within the year, things got really intense because of the attacks of the omaticaya clan towards the RDA

But that didn't stop Spider, Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk to explore the forest, dragging you with them because you never leave your brother alone

Due to the fact that you didn't know how to climb trees, Lo'ak had to carry you in his back

After walking for a little while, you end up founding a crashed ship from the battle from years ago

Also founding the AMP suit and the avatar units

That made you sick, becuase you knew that belonged to your father who died in that same place

"Okay guys, I think we've seen enough", you said trying to get them to leave, "You know we cannot be here"

"Sis, chill a little", Spider said watching the place, "This is where our dads fought"

"Exactly", you replied, "Enough reasons to go back"

"Guys, Y/N has a point", Kiri supported you, "Dad is going to kill you, Lo'ak, specially because Tuk is here"

Unfortunately, it was to late, because a group of avatars that none of you ever seen arrived at the place, causing Lo'ak to alert Jake about the situation

In response, Jake told him to get out of there

But it was to late because, all of you had been captured by them

And after paying attention to all of them, you noticed some similarities with part of your founded family

Comfirming everything when Quartich identified Spider

"What's your name, kid?", Quaritch asked with interest

"Socorro", Spider answered

"Miles?", Quaritch cuestioned bending down to be at the level of his eyes, "I thought they sent you and your sister back to earth"

"A baby could die if they put them in a crio machine, genius", you practically yelled gainning his attention

"Y/N", Miles said getting close to you, "You are not a child anymore"

"Of course not", you laughed with sarcasm, "I'm 24 now"

But when the night arrived, the chaos erupted

While the Sully kids went back with their parents, you and Spider were captured by the recoms, ending up in the new base of the RDA

Fortunately, both of you ended up in the same cell

While Spider started to scream and try to break the glass with a chair, you just lay down in the table knowing that they weren't going to let you go so easily

But suddenly, two guards entered the room dragging Spider with them, causing you to fight to letting him go, but that didn't work because they were a lot stronger than you

During the whole time that your brother was out of sight, you only cried while pacing around the cell, you spend all of your life taking care of him, only to get ripped of your side in an instant

After what felt like hours, Spider finally came back to the cell looking tired and a little traumatized, causing you to give him a hug and assure that he was good, letting him stay under the table for more security while sitting by his side

Few moments later, Quaritch entered the cell making you and Spider tense by his presence

Taking the opportunity, Spider tried to escape but Miles anticipated that, catching him mid-air and putting him on the table, doing the same with you

After a chat about how he wasn't the same man as before and how he wasn't related to you, the three of you made an agreement: you and Spider (mostly Spider) will help him and the rest of the recoms how to be true na'vi

So, after getting new oxi-masks with tracking chips, you flew with the rest of the team to the forest

"There she is!", Lyle exclaimed with happiness while flying, "Little Quatirch back with the team"

"Hi uncle Lyle", you smiled a little nostalgic noticing how Z-Dog and Mansk also were watching you, "Aunt Z, uncle Mansk"

During the whole flight, you made sure to get a hold grip on Spider by his loincloth to make sure he doesn't try to jump from the plane, even if the two of you were surrounded

When you finally arrived at the forest, you and Spider stand on a fallen tree to be at the same level to the recoms

And when you heard their attempted of na'vi, both of you laughed lightly gainning their attention

That's how the full na'vi curse started

From connecting with the woods, learning how to climb, what to eat, the importance of Eywa and identifying the animals that lived there

Until, the time to claim an ikran came, and due to the fact that you didn't know how to climb and Spider couldn't climb with you in his back, you ended up in your father's back

"I don't know if you rembember this, but you used to carry me like this when I was a child", you said casually

"I remember that", Miles responded, "I might not be the same as before, but I have all the memories"

"In that case, can I ask why Paz didn't get a avatar body?", you asked carefuly so Spider didn't listen

"She wasn't part of my main squad", Miles sighed, "Only of the pilots squad, that's why; you miss her, huh?"

"Everyday", you nodded, "I made sure to tell Spider stories of her once he started to understand things"

After that chat and reaching out the floating mountains where the ikrans lived, you sat in a rock to watch their attempts of tamming one

Of course, Miles Quaritch being the leader of the squad, had to go first, which wasn't easy

"And he's dead", you sentenced after he falled along with the ikran, "Again"

Hearing that sentence, Spider along with all the recoms laugh a little

Surprisingly, he was alive and encouraging the rest of his team to claim an ikran, which lasted almost all day

After all of them claimed their ikrans, they started to fly with them, meaning that you and Spider had to fly in your father's ikran

For most of the time flying, Spider continue to teaching the language and mannerisms of the na'vi, while you decided to take a little nap cuddled in your father's chest just like in the old times

Basically, things felt like before the first war (except for a blue detail)

Then, an alert about an old jet was sent

Things got worse from right there

From hunting and killing a tulkun just for a milliliters of liquid, to terrorizing small village of metkayinas, by burning their homes and killing one of their ilus

Watching all of that, made you keep Spider next to you, making sure that he doesn't leave your side

It was an terrifying situation to be in

Even worse when the Sully's became involved

The attemptes of both of you to letting Lo'ak, Tuk and a metkayina girl go didn't work, causing you to stay basically as prisioners in the inside of the ship

Fortunelly that didn't last long because you two managed to scape with the help of Neteyam and Lo'ak after a tulkun crashed the ship, but the eldest got shot by a bullet in the chest

Between you three and Tsireya, the metkayina girl who was also prisioned, took Neteyam to firm earth where Jake helped to carry him

Watching all of the scene in front of your eyes made you realize that even if your father wasn't the one who shot the bullet, he was the same man who screamed at you when you where ten before heading to go to war against the omaticaya

All of that things made you to curl yourself on the floor while crying in silence for all the damage he caused

taglist: @ducks118 @dyingofcookies @neteyamsgirll @mariataliya

[eviltiddyproductions]

I know parents parent for the first time and deserve grace but Haein’s mom in Queen of Tears simply pisses me off. She’s pretty close to the female lead’s mom in CLOY like, your love for your child exists in a labyrinth. Even I as the viewer have to look a little hard to find it.

No child should have to live like this. Carrying a burden or a wound, that’s literally inflicted by their parent.

What pisses me off the most is that characters in most shows worldwide are just forced to forgive parents in their show. It happened in CLOY, it’ll happen in QoT and it happened in Where the Camellia Blooms too!

I just threw out a lot of random examples and to be fair at least the mom in Camellia tried extremely hard to rectify the damage she’d caused but the former two? unserious !!!

my memories of CLOY are not that strong to give word for word examples but the mom in QoT just angers me 😭

you can’t just blame your child for the death of their sibling like that’s their sibling too ?!!!! that’s an insane thing to do. and to guilt them their entire life? prefer other children over them and the sheer refusal to acknowledge any hurt she’s causing to her daughter ???

all she does is yell, say extremely hurtful things, make excuses and then ends all of this with the grand ‘well I can’t let go of what she’s done’ like be so fucking real rn 😭

I know her redemption is coming or they’ll write something in there to soften her character but I just don’t feel like it’s earned?

We see moments of her wanting to parent her but then she decides to amp it up to a 100 in the wrong direction and takes it out on her 😭 a very unserious lady!

idk she just annoys me when she gets on screen because I know what’s going to happen and since it’s not a relationship that gets a lot of screen time, the resolution will probably be super fast

I just rambled so if it doesn’t make sense to you… I get it.

[thatadhdfeel]

I'd like to vent/rant here I'm sorry.. ;-;

I think I have ADHD. It's only this year that I've been struggling THIS much to stay organised and disciplined. I've been relating to more adhd memes than I should (I didn't even know they were adhd related)

I'm scared to get diagnosed and also to know if I don't.

If I get diagnosed I'll be trapped in the mindset that I'm going to struggle for the rest of my life.

If I know that I don't have ADHD, my self hate will amp up cause I can't do anything right. I'm a loser who can't do basic stuff trying to find something to blame for my loser-ness.

If I don't try getting diagnosed at all, 1. I'll be worried if I have it for a while, 2. Any existent ADHD in me will amplify and make my future adulthood much more difficult, 3. Self-hate stonks

(For some bg : I've been a "gifted kid" for pretty much all my childhood and now school is getting difficult and eiufhwhfhjejne)

Idk what to do T-T

firstly you are not a loser. i’m sorry you’ve been having such a hard time.

diagnosis is scary. it brings a lot of difficult, conflicting emotions with it. however, if you are in school, i would recommend pursuing evaluation as you will, in most cases, need something on record in order to get accommodations.

whether it ends up being adhd or not, it’s not “find[ing] something to blame” — you are struggling, there is a reason, and you deserve to find that reason and address it. how would you get help otherwise? it’s perfectly rational, you’re not making excuses. give yourself some grace ❤️

i hope things get better soon!!

[the-sidekick-club]

Rooftop Rendezvous

Written by:

@heroes-villains-side-blog★​​@tratieisdabest★@just-a-space-rabbit​​  

TW: Past Betrayal Mentioned,

❘〣❘〣❘ ★ ❘〣❘〣❘

Lukas’s cheeks were already blushing as he read the message from Alexandria. They had been texting here and there since the night she had broken into his base. But, today, she had agreed to meet him on the roof over the old theater. It was just going to be him and her for at least an hour or two, just talking; even if Mender had been subtly (she literally told him what the perfect date was) trying to get him to ask Alexa out, he didn't want to rush things. The two had agreed to take it slow, and he didn't want to go against that… even if every time he learned something new about Alexa she seemed even closer to perfect. 

He contemplated going in his super suit, but decided that a mask was enough. Quickly, he stuffed it in the pocket of his pants and pulled on a light sweater for the fall air, checking his reflection in the mirror before heading out of his room to the hidden door leading outside. 

But as he rounded the corner to pass the living room, a voice startled him just as he was reaching for the door. 

“And where are you going?” Hirra asked suspiciously. 

“Hirra! I thought you had gone to sleep!” He needed to come up with an excuse. “I’m going out for a long walk and some fresh air.” he half lied. 

But Hirra’s eyes only narrowed suspiciously, which he couldn't blame her for. She seemed to still be amped up about the whole battle against Dragonfly some weeks ago. 

“Okay! I’m just craving some half moon pizza, and just get out a bit. I’ll be back in an hour or two.”

“Promise?” 

“Yes, I promise. Do you want me to bring you some?” he smiled, but Hirra just shook her head (he knew she would since she only liked his homemade ones, but it never hurt to ask), before saying that she'll be on her way to bed. 

Once Lukas got out and was out of range of his security cameras and mics, he breathed a sigh of relief. Hirra didn't suspect a thing! Normally, he would've told her, but with the whole sidekick club thing, he didn't, since, well… he'd really rather avoid being constantly spied on by 3 very nosey supers. 

He really did need the fresh air, that wasn't a lie; he was incredibly nervous. So, instead of shadow-leaping, he chose to take a walk that passed far too fast, reaching the historical theater after what felt like a few seconds. Taking a couple of deep breaths to steel himself, he placed his mask on (the two trusted each other but decided to keep them on due to cameras), and climbed up the side of the building to the roof. 

"Hi, Shadows!" Alexa said without looking away from the sky. She was on the other side of the roof, her legs precariously hanging off the edge. 

He moved to sit next to her before replying softly. "Hi Alexa, what are you doing?"

She turned to look at him then and smiled involuntarily. "Stargazing! I like looking at the stars, my first sidekick loved space and taught me a bit about it. I don't really understand it to be honest, but she likes it and that's what matters. Nowadays, she even works in the Explorers branch of the GPEA doing… space things. So seeing the stars always makes me think about her. "

Sometimes when the two talked about the past they shrunk into themselves a bit, falling quiet, but neither one minded. But it didn't take long for the silence to break. 

"What have you been working on lately?" Alexa asked after a minute of quiet. 

Lukas narrowed his eyes playfully. "Oh, you think I'm going to tell you all my plans just because you're cute?" 

Alexa pouted at that. "I'm just being polite!" She protested, trying to seem upset through a smile (it didn't work). 

"Sure, sure. Well, I’ve just been taking it easy. Hirra has decided for me that I needed a vacation, or at least a break, after everything with Dragonfly, so we’ve both just been chilling. So, what have you been working on lately? Sidekick Day is coming up, got anything planned for Mender?"

Sidekick Day was the anniversary of the end of child sidekicks in Nizorro, and was celebrated every year through a parade and gifts organized by the agency and mentor heroes. 

Alexa immediately grew excited at the question. "Okay, listen. I'm building her a book nook." She paused dramatically, "But that isn't the best part! I'm also teaming up with a few other heroes to build a mythology themed float, since all our sidekicks are that brand of nerd. It's very loose, and is really just gonna look like what Mount Olympus might; bright white, gold accents, pillars, all that stuff; but I want it to look like it's floating!"

"That’s very cool, but not accurate —"

"— Yes, I know,” Suddenly there were blueprints being shoved in his lap, “but it's cool enough that they won't even care. And, Lukas, think of the puns! A float… that floats. It's literally perfect. Here, look — "

She grabbed the blueprints and began explaining every little detail with excitement. Lukas was already impressed by the professionalism of it all. He was more of a simple pen and paper kind of guy, only making detailed blueprints when absolutely necessary, but hearing her be so passionate and thorough with her design almost convinced him making the tedious prints was worth it. 

"And then we'll — why are you looking at me like that?"

Lukas smirked, immediately noticing a chance to fluster her. "Well, you see, I just fell for you a bit more. You're very passionate about this design and, I mean, don't get me started on the blueprints! When did you even learn to make those?"

Alexa looked away bashfully. "Well, I've always been fascinated by architecture, so I just kind of… figured it out. Watched a couple videos to help refine what I deduced on my own, and then I took a class in college on it, so… yeah."

Lukas nodded. "May I see them?" He asked, gesturing to the prints. 

She nodded, handing them to him carefully. After carefully inspecting them, he gave her a few notes and ideas, which she got adorably excited about. 

"How is Mender, by the way? She looked pretty beat up after everything with Dragonfly." 

Alexa sighed. "She’s doing a lot better. The problem with always bouncing back after bad injuries is that you don't really give your mind a chance to rest. Like, her life was at risk, she thought you two were going to die! But now we're back to work like normal, and she insists she's fine and everything, but I worry about her."

Lukas frowned. "Surely the healers kept her for a bit just to be safe, right?" 

"Yeah, she was there for a couple of days, but that meant she missed work. So now she's trying to make up for missed time, since I did start work on a couple of cases. So, now she might burn herself out after just experiencing severe emotional distress! It's not like we've never been in a life or death situation, but this was the first one she had to handle without me." 

Lukas nodded in understanding before Alexa continued. 

"She did say your puns helped, whatever that means?"

Lukas stifled a laugh, instead smiling mischievously. "Sorry, it's an inside joke."

Alexa glared at him. "You can't have inside jokes with my sidekick!"

Lukas clicked his tongue. "Sorry, we have shared trauma now, so we've become best friends. In fact, after this, I'm going to go talk to her — "

"Are you really? Don't you dare tell her about my plans for Sidekick Day! I don't care how cute your little ponytail and sweater are, if you mess this up — "

By now, Alexa was standing over him, so he had to look up to snarkily reply, "You think I'm cute?"

All the fight immediately left Alexa, replaced with annoyance. "You know I do, I'm sure you read all those sticky notes even if I told you not to!"

Lukas scrunched his face up in false confusion, standing up, so he could see her better. "What? What sticky notes? I don't know wha — "

Alexa huffed. "Don’t play dumb with me, Shadow Man. It doesn't suit you."

Lukas grinned at that. "Oh, am I back to Shadow Man now? Not even Shadows? You know that isn't even my actual villain name, right?"

Alexa whipped around in confusion. "It's not?" 

"Nope. The agency is just too lazy to change it in my files, no matter how many requests I send in!"

"What's the actual one, then?"

"Shadow Wraith."

Alexa blinked, taking in the new information. "So you're telling me I've been calling you by the wrong name this whole time? What kind of nemesis am I?"

“Like I said, you’re a cute nemesis, and you usually call me Shadows anyway. That name’s allowed because it’s a nickname Kim gave me way back in the day. Though, it’s mostly just them and Hirra who call me that. The only one that I ever allow to call me Shadow Man, is Mender.”

“Ah, yes… Mister Shadow Man.” Alexandria smiled, remembering how her sidekick always politely calls him that, though more recently shortened to Mr. Shadows. Lukas also smiled at the name. “So, you’re telling me I’ve either been using the wrong name, or a nickname?” she asked him as they both sat back down.

Lucas nodded. “I don’t know why they’re so strangely stubborn about a name, there have only been a few other times that something similar’s happened, and they resolved that so easily, so I think someone in the agency just don’t like me… which, honestly, is probably the case.”

“What? Who in the agency would do that?” Alexandria asked.

Immediately, Lukas pivoted, “Um… Did your first sidekick teach you all the constellations?” he asked. Alexandria just shook her head, and he laid down, looking up at the stars. “Kim taught me way back! I can’t remember all of them, but I know that one is Aries, which has something to do with a bull that got sacrificed into the golden fleece. And the person who did it is someone they saved, like, what the heck? Over there's Perseus… is that the name of the constellation, or just who it's about? I… don't know, but, hey, at least after everything he goes through, he gets a happy ending! Oh, and that one is Leo, the lion constellation, its story is —”

" — Pyramus and Thisbe, star-crossed lovers. It killed one of them, right?"

Lukas hummed in agreement. It really was a tragic tale, and hopefully not one he and Alexa would experience in any way. 

At this point, Alexandria had laid down next to him, and now they were both stargazing. “I didn’t know Kim was interested in the stars.”

“They used to love them a lot, back in the day… I remember whenever we had fun making designs for our dream base, Kim insisted on having an observatory. Granted, they also wanted a spaceship and pet dragons, so, you know…” he smiled. 

“Pet dragon? Kim wanted a pet dragon?” Alexandria laughed. “How old were they when you made the designs?” 

“They were twelve at the time,” he said, making Alexandria freeze as she heard the words, before she sat back up.

“Twelve? Kim joined you at twelve?!” 

She knew that Hirra was fourteen when Lukas had taken her into his home, not that she knew where Hirra had come from, or anything else about her past for that matter. But that Kim was only twelve when joining him was news to her. She now had so many more questions about both of them. 

“Where did you find Kim?”

Lukas did not answer right away, choosing to sit back up as well. “On the streets of Boreas… it was the middle of winter. They were alone and looked halfway to death. No parents, no money, just the thin clothes covering them and a tiny stolen sandwich in their hands…” he stopped. It had been a while since he had thought about when Kim was young… the betrayal still hurt. Lukas still struggled to understand how Kim could leave Hirra, leave him! After everything they went through together, he would have never guessed that Kim would choose Vulcan…

Alexa noticed that now was not the time to talk about this, and while she didn't like tiptoeing around Kim, especially considering her sidekick's friendship with them, it was clear Lukas needed a new subject. Kim would probably come back as a topic for another time, but not now. 

"And what about Hirra?" 

Lukas paused, trying to think of the right thing to say. This was more Hirra's story to tell, but he didn't want to leave Alexa without an answer. 

"She was… mistreated by her family, and then sent far away from home to… somewhere when they discovered she had powers. Then I, and a few other villains, found her and several other kids during a heist.” He grew silent for a moment, thinking back to the horrors he saw that day. “We rescued her and the other kids. Hirra refused to go to an orphanage or anything, insisting on joining Kim's family. Luckily for her, we were already smitten by her, and, well… the rest is history."

‘If Hirra was fourteen at the time, then that lines up with the sudden destruction of… that place.’ The thought sent shivers up her spine as the memories of the horrible rumors came back alive. 

Lukas paused, a warm look on his face as he thought back. "She did take a liking to Kim quicker than me, though. The first two weeks, she only talked to me while hiding behind Kim. It was adorable in the start, but it did make things hard. But then Kim was out one day, and I was suddenly one-on-one with the biggest spider I had ever seen." 

“What? The great Shadow Wraith was afraid of a little spider?” Alexandria teased.

“Little? It was at least 4 cm! Anyway, I was cornered, but then Hirra saw me. She jumped into action and took the foul beast down. Guess she wasn’t very scared of me after that…”

Alexandria was not able to hold back her laughter at the mental image of Lukas scared of a little bug. And Hirra saving him from its clutches.

He blushed a bit in embarrassment, but brightened when he remembered something. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Alexa said, slightly suspicious. 

Lukas huffed. "You have to guess!"

"Hirra stole something from Sa —  um… Mender?" 

Lukas smiled at that. "Good guess, but no. I made you a present as a thank you for the flowers!" He brought out an orb, inside was a light so beautiful it looked as if Shadows had plucked the most beautiful star from the night sky and placed it gently in her hands.

“How…” was all she could say.

“It will burn like that for over 500 years… I could go over the technical part of it, but honestly it isn't as interesting as the item looks.” he smiled. 

"This is way more than flowers, Lukas… I can’t accept this." She tried to give it back, but he had vanished into the shadows, now near the ladder leading to the ground. 

"Well, I guess you'll have to give me more flowers then. What a shame." He then asked nervously, “I hope I can see you again? Sorry, but I promised Hirra I'd be back soon and — "

"Lukas," she began softly, illuminated by the orb in her hands, "of course I want to see you again." 

"Okay, great! Um, bye now." 

She snorted at his less than graceful goodbye and walked over to him. After a moment of contemplation, with the two awkwardly staring at each other, she placed the orb into her pocket and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Bye! And same here. Mender will have my head if I'm not home soon."

And with that she ran off, jumping off the building and somehow landing with grace. 

Shadows looked towards her slowly disappearing silhouette, frozen and flustered, a red blush going from ear to ear. When he could no longer see her, he turned and climbed down the ladder in silence. Only when his fluster finally wore off, minutes later, did he remember that he can teleport home. 

He doesn't though, because he needs the fresh air… again. Spending time with the most amazing woman on Aiga can make you really nervous, okay? Especially if she kisses you on the cheek.

On the way back home, he received a message from said amazing woman. 

Hey, forgot to ask you this before. But was thinking, since the trio and their club is going to spy on us, why don’t we start a club and spy on them? >:)

[foxfacedd]

impressed

—send IMPRESSED for a scene from my muse's past in which they tried to impress someone, successfully or not

"Is that yours?" Jeremy asks, pointing at a guitar Mike's left in the corner.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Mike says, propping himself up on an elbow briefly to see it. They're in bed together, Mike halfway through a bowl. Jeremy's not as familiar with the drug, but didn't decline trying it out himself. They've been like this for a while now, letting the time slip away from them, talking about everything and nothing all at once together.

"I didn't know you knew you– knew how to..." Jeremy trails off. It's a bit of a repetitive sentence, and Mike's well aware of Jeremy's struggle with words. His head's probably all foggy too at this point, so he doesn't blame him for slightly giving up.

"I mean, barely," Mike says. "I know some stuff." He stands from the bed and picks it up. It's a glossy black electric guitar, with silver frets that stand out against the dark fingerboard.

"I wasn't really allowed to be loud at home," he tells Jeremy. "Didn't stop me from putting my music on as loud as I could whenever my dad wasn't home." He chuckles, looking down at the guitar. "I always wanted to learn, and be in a band like the ones I listened to. Soon as I moved out, I got this. Never got that good at it, though."

"I'm sure you're good," Jeremy says. He pats the space on the bed next to him. "Play something."

Mike isn't sure anything he plays will be any good, but he's definitely going to try. He plugs the guitar into its amp and drags both closer to the bed, sitting next to Jeremy. "Any requests?"

Jeremy ponders the question, longer than anyone else might, but Mike is used to this now, too. He knows all Jeremy really needs is a little patience– ever since his "accident," he's never quite been as quick on the draw as he used to be. Not that Mike knew him before it, but... Because of that, he still feels a bit like an asshole for thinking Jeremy was weird when they'd first met. Who cares if he talks slow, or takes extra time to process stuff? When he does get around to speaking, it's always insightful. He knows how not to waste words, much better than Mike does, at least.

"...What's that one song," Jeremy says finally. "The, ah... the one by AC/DC."

Mike scoffs. "Thunderstruck?"

"Yeah."

"I c–" He's about to protest that it's too difficult, but realizes if he pulls this off, he would look so fucking cool in front of him. "Okay. Watch this."

Mike starts to play the song, those famous arpeggios, and he honestly starts better than he expected to. Maybe it's just muscle memory, he figures. No matter if he's rusty, as long as he doesn't think about it too hard he'll– aw fuck he's thought about it too hard and now he messed up.

Jeremy laughs. Another quirk of his– he never quite figured out how to emote right again after his injury. Most of the time, his face looks somewhere between bored and sleepy, but Mike has come to learn the subtle things Jeremy does to express his emotions in other ways. When he laughs, it's the easiest. It's the only time Mike sees the corners of his mouth curl up, even if just slightly. A happiness so strong it moves even Jeremy's face... and it's caused by Mike. What a thought.

"Listen, man, I'm high," Mike excuses, feeling his face flush a little. "Totally not my fault."

"Play something else," Jeremy suggests.

"Yeah, watch," Mike says, and starts playing a different riff. "Heartbreaker. Led Zeppelin."

"Play the solo," Jeremy says.

"No," Mike responds plainly. They both know well enough how difficult that solo is.

Jeremy laughs again, and Mike can't hide his stupid smile this time. Jeremy's happiness, all because of him– his stupid shitty guitar playing? Maybe his mere presence is enough to make Jeremy happy. Jeremy's presence is enough for Mike, he knows.

Moments like this make Mike question why he's so hesitant to just... kiss the guy already. Call him his. But the idea of making whatever it is they have any more real than this... he doesn't know why, but it scares him. He just isn't ready.

But here, being with Jeremy, laughing with him... does it matter what they call their relationship? They make each other happy. Maybe that's all that matters.

[tookishrogue]

guilt

hey all! so sorry for the long hiatus, but I’m back! for now anyway lol. here’s my latest fic!! 

pairing: none. I do not ship Merry and Pippin. they are cousins. 

warnings: smoking (brief), PTSD flashbacks

A/N: again, I DO NOT SHIP MERRY AND PIPPIN. this is just a fic based off of my own experiences with PTSD and trauma regarding a family member’s harm. 

taglist: @blueberryrock, @zalie, @justmemyselfandthefridge, @to-be-frank-i-dont-care, @heckin-music-dork (ty for egging me on to write this lol!!), @frodo-with-glasses!

     “Do you blame yourself?”

     “What?”

     “Do you blame yourself?”

    The words shot through Merry’s mind like a flaming arrow, burning and slicing his already exhausted mind. Of course he did. Pippin was his cousin; practically his brother. He was supposed to be the responsible one, the one keeping his kid cousin out of trouble. Yet he had failed. His mind was always at the ready, constantly formulating excuses for Pippin’s childish behavior, but his body was far weaker than he had planned for. He had slipped; fallen asleep. All it took was a single second of pure carelessness. 

     Shifting awkwardly, he answered: “Are you okay?” At times like these, it was best to sidestep his own feelings. Shut them down, pack them away.

     “You didn’t answer my question…” A near-silent reply, a whisper. They were waiting in the Hall, an agonizing hush looming over the Fellowship. Pippin’s voice echoed, causing a few to glance their way, warning scowls of worry etched on weary faces. Merry sighed and shifted once more, this time away from his dear cousin. A single sign of weakness or emotion could cause a chain reaction; Pippin would break down, Sam would scold, Frodo would go silent; the discomfort infecting everyone nearby like some fatal disease. 

     Merry was trembling. Flashes of Pippin’s horrified, twisted face seared his mind. Images of his younger cousin writhing in pain on the floor, screaming. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf crowding him, pulling at him in a vain attempt to help. A cry from Aragorn as he yanked the Palantir away from Pippin. The glass orb rolling across the floor. Fabric flying through the air as Gandalf frantically covered it. The interrogation; Pippin weeping and covered in sweat, his eyes wild as he clung to whoever was closest. Agonizing silence between shaking breaths. His own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he turned away.

     “...He’s a fool, but an honest fool.” 

     That was all Merry had heard; his mind trapping him in a torturous loop of the hour before. As Gandalf concluded his speech and the older members of the Fellowship began speaking of war and treachery, he slipped out of the room and onto the balcony. The rich, cool night air brought a wave of relief, but tears quickly followed. Shame and guilt flooded his mind. If he had been quick enough to stop his cousin, none of this would’ve happened. No one would be hurt. Pippin wouldn’t be the center of distrust and worry. If only he had done his job. If only he hadn’t been so careless; so cowardly. 

     He walked to the nearest corner of the balcony and leaned against the wall for support, sighing heavily. He had never felt so old, so young, in his life. The horrible mixture of ‘I should’ve known better’ and ‘I couldn’t have stopped him if I tried’ fought in his mind; a losing battle either way. Why did he look away? Why did he shield himself from Pippin’s pain, and not shield Pippin himself? He looked up to Merry, saw him as a big brother. He idolized him, always had. 

     He smiled through tears as he recalled one of his first memories of them together: Pippin, who had just learned to crawl, trailing after a newly-walking Merry, giggling and babbling at him as he sneakily handed him snacks from his mother’s pantry. As the years passed and the two grew older, Pippin would amp up the pranks, dangerous acts, and foolish ideas that he had witnessed his older cousin doing. He’d always been that way: seeing something his idol did, no matter how foolish or dangerous, and replicating it, making it even more reckless. Merry had spent most of his childhood and early teenage years pulling him out of trouble or making excuses for him. So many nights sneaking a sullen, caught Pippin snacks during time-outs and staying out of his aunt’s sight as he put on shadow puppet shows to cheer him up without he himself getting caught. Silent tears turned to desperate sobs as fond memories slowly became tainted by the ever-growing guilt and shame, the what-ifs that had become his constant companion in the hours since. 

     A door opened behind him, catching him off guard once again. The sound of bare feet hesitantly creeping towards him broke the silence between his sobs; he hadn’t had enough warning to stop himself. Fabric rustled and the subtle warmth of someone’s body hovering next to him caused his body to tense; an unconscious habit Merry had picked up many years ago, another ridiculous method of shielding his cousin from the ugly side of life. Silence fell between the two. The intoxicating scent of Old Toby floating through the night air slowly eased him back into breathing normally, if only for a moment. 

     “Don’t worry about me, Merr. I’m okay. Gandalf himself said it. I’m just an honest fool. I know you blame yourself for…that, but really, I’m okay. Nothing a little Old Toby can’t fix, anyway.” A brief, awkward smile, a quick glance.

     Merry’s guilt and fear turned to rage. “That’s just it. You’re not okay! Nothing is okay. You could’ve died, Pippin. Do you realize that? Don’t you understand? Sauron could easily send an army here, if he hasn’t already. Don’t you get it?! He thinks you have the Ring! It is my fault. I knew what you were doing. I heard you get up. I heard you take that stupid orb! Instead of stopping you, I just sat there, like an idiot. If anyone should take the blame, it should be me.”

     Again, silence. Pippin casually blew a smoke ring and watched it float away before facing him. “Merry. I know I don’t seem like it, but I’m an adult now. I’m responsible for my own actions. You aren’t. Don’t worry about me. If it makes you feel better, I’ll quit smoking so much -- I know you hate it. I’ll even stay to the side, out of trouble. Out of sight, out of mind.” He rested his hand on Merry’s shoulder. “I’m fine. Promise.” 

     Merry’s eyes flooded with outburst-induced tears, which he angrily wiped away. Pippin smiled a new, more caring smile; one Merry hadn’t seen before. He set down his pipe and hugged his cousin, patting his back in a gesture of comfort. Before Merry could stop himself, more tears came. Perhaps Pippin was right after all; he really had grown up. Perhaps Merry could finally receive the comfort he had been giving out for all these years. He squeezed his eyes shut and wept into his cousin’s shoulder, finally letting go of all the grief, fear, pain, and worry he had felt for him for all these years.

[film-in-my-soul]

Review: En of Love: Love Mechanics (2020)

Region: Thailand

Aprox. Length: 02:25:18

Viewing Source: YouTube, Viki

Summary: A love story that starts one night in a club — between an engineering major, Mark, who is absolutely drunk and carrying the painful burden of his one-sided love, and the boy whom he bumps into and mistakes as the object of his affection, Bar Sarawut. This is an imperfect love story between two imperfect human beings.

Overall Opinion: I won’t sugarcoat it, En of Love: Love Mechanics is my least favorite of the 2020 trilogy. Outside of not enjoying the drama of the story, I really just do not like Vee. To the show's credit, I understand that I’m not supposed to. As the summary says, our main characters are imperfect and so is their love, but I just couldn’t get behind the relationship and the drama never felt like it had enough time to really build the anticipation for the inevitable fallout and more than that I took issue with how the ultimate conflict appeared to be smoothed over so quickly. I think, personal bias aside, this part of the En of Love trilogy is watchable as well as the best acted and I can even understand why it’s some people's preferred section because it’s messy. For me it just didn’t hit the mark, I didn’t like the couple as much as the other two parts, and the choices that Vee keeps making had me fuming. I’m interested to see what the 2022 version will be able to accomplish and if the added run time of having Mark and Vee be the focus couple of a full series might improve my opinion of their relationship, but reading the synopsis of what is to come does not fill me with much hope.

Technical Rating:  ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Personal Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

(See under the cut for a deeper analysis/opinions of character/plot/technical aspects. Beware of possible spoilers.)

Main Characters:

Vee (right):

As previously stated, Vee is not a character I enjoyed. He is flakey and makes some of the most toxic, terrible choices I’ve ever seen from a Thai BL character, and honestly, at no point was I convinced he deserved Mark or that Mark should want to be with him. Now, is Vee completely to blame? No. I will get into Mark’s choices in his own section, but I do not believe that Vee didn’t understand the possible consequences of his actions! Again, this show was meant to explore a messy relationship, I know I’m not meant to root for Vee as the active cheater, but I just can’t get behind a character like him, especially when, for all intends and purposes, he gets a redemption arch I don’t think he earned. Yin Anan Wong, however, played him exceptionally well and I cannot fault his acting in this role, my opinion on the character aside.

Mark (left):

Some might have the opinion that Mark is a bit of a doormat in the first couple of episodes but honestly, it’s a reaction I think a character like him should be having. Not only is Vee older than him, but he’s also the person who took care of Mark at his weakest. He also, at the very least, attempts not to act on his growing feelings for Vee. Neither character is perfect, Mark knows that Vee has a girlfriend and that he is helping Vee facilitate his cheating, but I have more sympathy for him as a character since he’s still dealing with the fallout of Bar’s rejection of him and the fact is that at least Vee wants him. While I personally don’t mind Mark’s choice of actively making Vee feel like shit by kissing other people after he catches Vee kissing his ex in the later episodes, I do think it feeds into the “no communication ever” trope that BLs exploit to amp up the drama. I also think that Vee’s reasoning and excuse as to why he did shouldn’t have prompted Mark’s forgiveness at all, but that’s his choice I suppose… Regardless, Mark reads as a more interesting character than Vee because he’s someone easier to connect with you and understand, even if you don’t agree, with the not-so-great choices he makes through the show. War Wanarat Ratsameerat is also an actor I really enjoyed in this role.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Side Characters:

Because of the length of En of Love: Love Mechanics and the focus of the show on Mark and Vee, I really didn’t find much to say about the side characters who rotate as main characters in the other two installments of the 2020 En of Love series. They don’t feel consequential to the story and ultimately serve as plot fodder and devices for Vee and Mark to move around as opposed to characters who actively impact the story on their own accord. Such, this section will remain blank but will still receive a rating.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Story/Plot:

I’ll get my complaints out of the way first so I can end this portion on a more positive note. I do not like cheaters in any sense. Outside of what could be considered a drunken accident, Vee actively chooses to cheat on his girlfriend before he finds out she’s cheating on him. In fact, he’s relieved after because he no longer feels like he has to be guilty for being with Mark because of this and I hate that. I also hate that Mark chooses, after getting his own revenge for Vee kissing his ex (for the stupidest fucking inexcusable reason really) to take Vee back. My last biggest issue, from which all the other smaller issues come, is that neither Mark nor Vee have active, productive communication with one another, it’s all reactive to the situation and assumptions in order for the drama to drive forward and I do not think that is good or effective writing. Now, it’s possible the effect of the split and then reconciliation between Mark and Vee could have been handled better with more run time and I understand that, still, I never felt like Mark, outside of just liking Vee, had a good enough reason to take him back.

Moving on to things I did like. Regardless of my personal distaste for elements of Mark and Vee’s relationship, En of Love: Love Mechanics was designed to explore a messy, imperfect, toxic relationship and it did that and I know it did because I don’t think my dislike would be so obvious if that weren’t the case. I had no real problem with how it was written or implemented, I was never rolling my eyes because of dialogue or tropes. I was mad because of how effective the acting was and how the tropes implemented worked within the setting. It still doesn’t make me enjoy the viewing but I can and will commend the drama or choosing to make complicated, not obviously good, or "right" characters, and giving that to us. For that, because I have to look past my bias against the material, it earns a higher rating in the story than I’d want to give it.

If you’re looking to complete the series of En of Love then watching this one can be recommended. Tonealy it’s different than the other two and it’s arguably the best acted amongst the trilogy, but if you’re easily effected by toxic relationship bullshit I would say viewer beware.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Technical/Visual Execution:

I have a general problem with the pacing of the entire trilogy and that comes down to the stories being forced into four episodes each which can be hard to translate effectively. I also think the opening scene of drunk Mark is hard to understand what’s happening, even after finishing En of Love: TOSSARA, and it takes a minute to get your bearings. Outside those factors, it’s a standard Thai BL visually and technically, so it’s not winning any awards for cinematography from me.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

INBOX - Any feedback is more than welcome or suggestions for further reviews.

Masterlist Navigation - Check out my other content if you'd like!

Thank you so much for reading!

[ducknotinarow]

Rhodes - Family Meme; all that apply uwu and yes the mum one does include Karine as well >:)

Talking about family

"You want me to talk about my family? Whatever not like it's gonna be all that interesting...wait I have to talk about her too? fucking...fine fine whatever."

Send 👔 for my muse to talk about their father

"Dad was different when I was younger compared to now,we just aint like we used to be when I was a kid. He was the one to tell me to put school first but he also was the one that got me into music too. I remember listening to all those old rock bands together and him taking me to music stores to start my own record collection. I guess starting a new family with his old one around still? I dunno changed him I guess. Despite custody mostly going towards him? I felt shut out. Sometimes I wonder if he rather I'd be with my mom more or fully so he could devote all his time to his new family now instead." As Rhodes stated his love for music was started by his father Derek. Who introduced Rhodes to 80's rock bands which are his favorites, especially glam rock bands. Have a lot to do for his taste in music. Rhodes won't really admit to it but of course the divorce effected him deeply. His happy home tearing apart and to Rhodes his father pulled away from him as well. Rhodes relationship with Derek has really just worsened over the years. In part Rhodes knows his father just wants the best for him but its hard to always see that when your father seems so against something that brings you a lot of joy. Music was what truly helped Rhodes get through his parents divorce playing out how he was feeling as a way to express the hurt and confusion that kind of situation brings only to have his father reduce it being nonsense? Even with Rhodes seeming to comply with his father's choice he never really did. He still collects records, he takes part in school events that let him play music to some extent. Even the way he dresses and wear make up is meant as a show of rebel towards his father.

Safe to say Rhodes and his fathers relationship? is very likely to go low contact once he graduates from school. He kind of has a fantasy of applying to the best school. And the night of his party to celebrate? he going to pull out an amp and his new guitar tear up the letter to say he aint going before shreading "we'er not gonna take it"

Despite this Rhode in part dose try and excuse a lot of his fathers actions. He still trying to protect his younger self in a sense. He likes to think one day his dad and him can be close again but the damage may be too much to turn back on.

Send 👚 for my muse to talk about their mother

"I love my mom, shes a for real hippie, she always wearing these crazy patterns on her clothes all in tune with emotions and such. She talks a lot about auras and whatever else I don't fully understand it like at all. But it's like the first thing she'll tell about someone is what color their Aura was and such. Mom's always had my back, when you think of biggest supporter my mom fits the bill. She's the only one of my parents to know I'm gay. She's even met past guys I've dated. Mostly upset I never stick to anyone, she blames herself for that. And well I hate that she blames herself for much. I tend not to tell her any issues going on at my Dad's cause to her it's her fault I'm in the situation I am. She isn't doing it to seem like the victim my mom just like that. She also is way to on board with me liking Buddy and Charlie, she was the one who brought up all three us dating in truth. Like I said shes a hippie so you know any stereo type you can think with that she fits with. Mom's also the best artist ever. Biased and not Biased included. She not afraid to just try something, she mostly excels in mix media art combine stuff together. She sells a lot of art she makes at the farmer market. Stuff for like garden decor wind chimes, stone mosaics. She makes paints as well, she really just found her love for art and full went into it...and I want to be the same with music. I miss that feeling I used to get with it. And well she just makes everything better. Sometimes just calling her up on the phone is enough to make any interaction with fucking bitch ass Karine not as bad. Speaking of her, where do I even start? I don't even understand what Dad sees in that women shes nothing like mom." "She and I didn't always click when Dad did finally introduce me to his new girlfriend, I mean she seemed nice enough even bought me a gift. But that was just to get brownie points with my Dad I'm sure. She thinks she knows everything which she doesn't and she LOVES when I point out when she is wrong. I think it was about the second time Dad had the three of us hang out when I decided I didn't like her. Dad stepped away well we met up for a meal. A diner place, I liked cause we used to go all the time which was why we went there. They severed 'happy face pancakes' on the kids menu of course that's what I wanted. Dad wouldn't care. But the waiter came by when he was away and Karine decided I shouldn't eat that. Sure I sound petty but that has pretty much set a precedent. Karine don't even like me, once she got her own kid she became way more obvious with it. That women gets pissed at any need I have. School meetings, after school stuff, doctor appointments. I don't get why she married a man that had a kid if she was gonna be such a bitch about it." As you can see Rhodes loves his mother more than anyone, she really has set an impossible standard. He finds her way of being to be weird but its said through affection. He likes the weird ones cause of his mom. I'd say his mother has really shape a lot of how he is why he can be so laid back and passionate why creative outlets mean so much and help him the most. His mother to him is the one who put more time and effort into him when his life was falling apart. meanwhile it felt like his dad was leaving him behind. And considering the women he would later move on to? It didn't really help in the slightest. Karine and Rhodes are not on the same page at all either. Part of Rhodes knows somehow she makes his Dad happy so he kind of suffers for his sake. Sadly this continues to be a tread.

Send 🤜 for my muse to talk about (one of) their sibling(s)

"Yeah I got a little half-sister, her name is Erin. She's mixed like me but looks more like a pigeon as well, good thing to or she also be a horrible canadian goose like Karine." He sighs a moment but smiles "But nah Erin a good kid by some miracle. Shes very shy, unless i'm around than shes talking none stop. I don't mind it though I know how it feels to be kind of ignored as a kid. She well pretty much what you expect a kid her age. She likes dolls, she likes pink she loves to hang out with me when i'm home. Karine hates it cause I teach her things. Erin's at the stage where she very much a sponge. Karin really hated it when she was walking around singing the lyrics to Burn in hell. I guess sometimes my feelings can be a bit complicated. I mean at first I didn't want to be her brother...to me it was more proof my parents would never get back together. Somehow I didn't think a kid wouldn't mean my Dad and Karine could divorce as well. I wanted to hate Erin. But...I guess I started to see how she was like me. And I didn't have anyone to be there for me. So I decided to be there for her...its why I don't get the custody changed So, i'm with mom more. Erin needs me."

Rhodes is a bit of a doting older brother to Erin, like himself she took after Derek and is a pigeon like Rhodes. As admitted Rhodes wasn't thrilled when he was told about getting a baby sister. At the time he was still holding out hope for his parents to get back together and everything to go back to how it was. But seeing how excited his Dad was about a baby on the way? It sort of finalized everything to him. He was prett distant with her for years. Keeping to himself he wanted nothing todo with her. But Even Rhodes is immune to a cute little chick saying his name as her first word. Erin is very close to Rhodes. Karine isn't to no surpise, a great mom pretty much expects a kid to be a little adult. Erin is nerd non-verbal cause she tends to be worried about upsetting Karine. Rhodes more laid back personalty however makes her feel more at ease. Rhodes tends to help her with her homework, they have a bit of gap between them in age. Rhodes is 15 where Erin is only five herself. He knows she has a bit of a rough time when hes not home well with his mom. When he is at his Dad he tends to be the target for her mother. Not that Karine is as bad as she is with Rhodes but shes not patient with Erin. So he worries a bit when it comes to her. But they get along pretty well he doesn't even mind babysitting her and hopefully his boyfriends don't mind her crashing dates at times.

Send 🎣 for my muse to talk about (one of) their aunt(s)/uncle(s) Future in laws

Im the mun i'm cheating uwu in a sens eit counts cause they are like family uwu.

"Hmm I'm a fan of Bailey, hes real cool actually and he understand the whole step monster thing. It's kind of nice to not be made to feel like I'm just being some dumb kid when it comes to Karine. Bailey don't make me feel that way at least. Richard's a pretty quite guy himself, but the times I talk to him its clear he has a passion for what he dose. He's kind of dork but it's also kind of cool just how much passion he has for something as simple as making coffee. I guess when they say do something you love that's what they mean? Together? They are grossly in love for sure. Not in a bad way but it explains why Bubbles is way he is. Maple reminds me of my mom a bit more so that once she got an idea you cant really talk her out of it. Shes very nice and welcoming though you pretty get told your coming to dinner and its clear she wants you around. Jasper is more clam himself, he also seems just as welcoming hes got a nice clam air to him. I can see how those two took up raising Chippy." Im the mun I can do what I want XD, Rhodes is still getting to know the other adults, I feel he'll be closest to Bailey of course due to Bailey offering to talk to him with his step-mom issues. And since Bailey basically made his family home open for Rhodes to hide away at when needed? I feel he'll be pretty close to them. He likes all the adults and I feel he feels safe around any of the four of them if his mother isn't around. he isn't used to adults outside him mom treating him as well not an issue so it's just a nice change of pace for him.

Send 🐾 for my muse to talk about (one of) their pet(s)

"I don't have any pets at my Dad's. Karine got a thing about pets, but I did get a pet when my mom moved to St.Canard. She insisted on me needing company when she wasn't around. But I gotta say she is right Joan is the sweetest and chillest Lizard ever after all." I just see Rhodes having a pet but he have a bit out of the norm pet like a reptile of some sort. Joan is his pet lizard, as stated, she is a bearded dragon named after the singer Joan Jett which is her full name. She answers to Joan, Jett, Joan Jett and Jetty.Rhodes handles her well enough to let her rest on his shoulders. She sometimes likes to perch around his neck even well he cleans her tank. He's had her for a few years so she trusts Rhodes to care for her. Rhodes likes to spoil her a little when he can, getting her the best food, or even things to play with so he makes sure her tank has pleantly of things for her to explore and keep her interest. He often takes her out as well when he dose homework or practices on his instruments. Rhodes had her just a bit before his parents divorce, Karine didn't like her so his mom took her. So Rhodes wouldn't have to lose his pet.

[the-firebird69]

There's a couple other things they're very rude sometimes about how they do things and wrong I'm really upset about it I'm so tired of this donkey dick show who's the best timers Ruth Westheimer is in charge this is disgusting. No one has a stupid s***

Hera

Finally happening and it is going on right now we're getting some numbers and finally and they're going to be pretty big the schedule lying all the time but they did start a war and they are going just really slowly soon to be faster and it's true Florida is evacuating and eventually it'll be empty it's more luck right now they're going to the low desert as well and to seek the serpents and Trump is there and can't even recall the other one no he remembers he's just really stupid and lame this is a huge bag didn't know his ass from his elbow so they're going out there and there's probably 0.005% it's just half of 1/10 of 1%, which is a lot and that's a huge army and they're going to be fighting and they found Max there trying to pull up samples fighting each other they're going to the Mojave answer that's research area and they want to use it as an excuse they're sending a big bunch there it's about the same number and if burning Man they're sending 0.01% and that's 1/10 of a percent which is catastrophically huge because they ran into them in the tunnels and they're blocking and obstructing they're sending a huge numbers and it also sending large numbers into the Midwest tunnels they did investigate probably half the tunnels not all of them like we said I guess how many there are and we get it out there using a simple trick. And they're going to investigate the rest soon tonight they plan on going in and they want to see what it's like and what they've got and what they're doing and what they're facing and they want to see if those ships are there and really they don't count as part of the empire fleet that's in Saturn or outside of it they don't count the little ones and they have several trillion no they have a lot and the ones in the ground globally about 400 trillion and they have about 100 trillion and you're the ones who are wrong you're the one who should be getting the Intel and you're idiots that's true and the dumb f*** is stupid and I have to tell you what these people had really freaking airheads and they missed it all and I hate them for it we'll see how they're doing nothing bothering people is it disgusting so they're going to go in there with big armies and they have like 12 13% off Island but on island they have a lot of reserves and they're going to be using them up finally they have something to fight for and then blaming Tom Cruise which is great so it's kind of like our sun is kind of Jamie Lee Fox and he does have electrical power swing is bigger and his grandpa did mess with him with the two and a half service 200 amp service it's not very nice just trying to harm him badly to kidnap him what a bunch of weeklies so it's going on that it wasn't worth it reality is sinking in and they have to work now it's hard work we're getting it done any Caesar that's really like again he's actually seeing it

-one with all this commotion the diner piped in today they said I would like you to thank you for the effort and I'm feeling good I'm doing things again I see him struggling and trying all the time very hard and I'll give it an effort and he says I'm doing a lot of work and she typed in and always does and we're saying thank you to her and she said no I mean I'm here because of you and I want to remain that way and we hear The interpreter she probably wants to know what's going on so she was asking and we have several systems and when was approved for you and she said oh that's a good one the longest train in history and yeah children are going to carry it this is what it's like tons of children and they're lying to become leaders and nuana and Ariana heard it and Uriel and goddess wife whole bunch of people it says you can't get away now and he remembers the line in the middle of church on the way out it's just he said you can't get away now cuz the train is huge she says it's following me wherever I go and she started laughing at each other and it's working out. So that's a lot of fun. But we have more to report in a moment

Thor Freya

Olympus

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Will the fall of Meghan & Harry help to destroy the rest of victimhood culture ?! by u/International_Bed719

Will the fall of Meghan & Harry help to destroy the rest of victimhood culture ?! When Meghan and Harry left the RF and started their victimhood tour it struck me that we had reached peak victimhood. The Queen let Harry marry Meghan despite her reservations (and MI6 file as thick as War & Peace) because she knew she'd be called a racist if she didn't. When even members of the RF recognise that power and privilege lie not in what titles you have or what political position you occupy, but where you stand on the victimhood scale, it was clear that this sickness had spread to all levels of our society and that no-one was safe from its toxicity. This made me incredibly depressed for the future to be honest ......................but............................ I now have new hope.For the last 10+ years the US has spread this toxic culture of grievance around the world and has been ripping itself apart over it for good measure, which is odd because up until that time it was generally americans who were the most allergic to whining, complaining and excuse making.This week however, what with the US media pile on from left and right that we're all now witnessing, it seems to me that we're not only seeing the destruction of the gruesome twosome in real-time, but that of victhimhood culture too. Maybe the fact that what the US exported was picked up and reimported by a British prince, jolted americans out of their slumber and forced them to realise how ridiculous this narrative is.Who knows, maybe I'm being over optimistic. Either way as a British person I do hope our american cousins won't now start getting carried away, rewriting history and putting all the blame for woke on the ubiquitous nasty redcoats etc etc.All that s**t came from you guys and you've infected the world with it. That it took a British prince to mirror it back at you, doesn't change that.​ post link: https://ift.tt/W96lv70 author: International_Bed719 submitted: June 28, 2023 at 02:35PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[akaraboonline]

What Should You Do If You're Ghosted After Your First Date?

There is no greater blow to one's self-esteem than being ghosted after the first date. It happens to the best of us, but just because it's common doesn't make it any less upsetting. It's not fun to have what you thought was a magical first date only to be left waiting for a message or phone call that never arrives. When someone cuts off all communication without explanation, it can be shocking, and it's difficult to know how to respond or even if you want to put forth the effort to respond. It's entirely up to you and what you're comfortable with, but here are some things to consider when someone hasn't bothered to reach out to you.

1. Accept it

What Should You Do If You're Ghosted After Your First Date? Acceptance is essential, even if the situation is painful and frustrating. While you may want to lash out or change the situation right away, don't try to fight it or chase them down. Try to look at it positively - in some ways, you should be relieved that someone like that has left your life.

2. Focus on moving on

What Should You Do If You're Ghosted After Your First Date? When you've been ignored or left on read, it's tempting to go crazy and keep messaging until you get a response. However, it is critical to understand that in the long run, the best thing for you to do is let it go and move on.

3. Delete and block

Mute or unfollow them on social media to get them off your mind and prevent you from reaching out when you shouldn't. Delete their number if necessary, and focus your energy on things that bring you joy rather than anxiety and negative energy. Talking to your support network, journaling, or focusing on hobbies are all examples of this.

4. Call out your ghoster if you want to

Before you hit the block or delete button, keep in mind that while holding them accountable for their responses is fine, it may not provide you with the closure or emotional satisfaction you're looking for. There are no rules in this situation; instead, don't expect an explanation or apology. Express yourself and use "I Feel" statements rather than "You" statements to avoid sounding accusatory. Send a message like this only if they have ignored your follow-up.

5. Don’t be overcritical of yourself

You are not to blame for their poor communication skills or lack of regard for how they treat other people. It's perfectly fine to allow yourself to feel rejected and hurt, but keep in mind that this is about them, not you. Ghosting happens, and it's not your fault; you were just unlucky enough to meet someone who does it.

6. Focus on other activities

What Should You Do If You're Ghosted After Your First Date? This is an excellent time to start a new hobby. Activities or getting together with friends can help distract you from this unfortunate incident and help you move on faster. Fortunately, this person revealed their true colors on the first date, preventing them from progressing to relationship status. You can also use this time to improve yourself, whether by working out or trying on a new look.

7. Don’t make excuses for them

Make no excuses for those who refuse to explain or accept responsibility for their actions. In reality, we have no idea what people are thinking when they make these decisions, and no amount of rationalization will help you find out. Making excuses for someone else is a form of self-deception; instead, accept the truth and don't give this person any more brain space.

8. Amp up the self-care

This can help you get to the moving on stage faster. If you can afford it, treat yourself to a day at the spa, or book a simple massage or mani/pedi. Get your favorite treatment, splurge on your favorite dessert, and remember not to isolate yourself during this self-care time unless you truly want to spend time alone. Instead, call your mother or best friend!

9. Build resilience

The first thing you should understand about ghosting is that you should not take it personally. While we hope this does not happen again, it has happened before, so you have some resilience and inner strength. This results from prioritizing your mental and physical health as well as compassion for yourself. Keep in mind that it is not you, but them. Read the full article