#checking up on the healing process and making sure nothing is going wrong

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Cannon

Boredom is a silent killer.

A person could sit in a bed for hours doing nothing, withering away as the seconds go by, and nothing would be done about it. They would simply be left to their own devices, forgotten by the world while they disappeared.

“You’re being dramatic,” Kakashi commented, barely even looking up from the paperwork that Tsunade-sama had brought into the room to keep him busy while he was by Gai’s side. “It’s not that bad.”

“Easy for you to say,” Gai huffed. “You at least have something to do.”

“I could give you my paperwork.”

Gai regretted his words instantly. “No, I think I’m good,” Boredom was enough to do him in. He didn’t need to be killed faster by paperwork that wasn’t even his. “Why are you doing that anyways? Isn’t it supposed to be signed by the Hokage?”

“She is signing it,” Kakashi objected. “She just asked that I look through it and sort out what she should sign and what she should just put in the trash.”

“And you agreed to this because?”

“Because it was the only way I could convince her to let me take time off of missions so I could be here with you,” finally he dragged his eyes away from the report he was reading, an unimpressed expression on his face as he stared at Gai. “I could leave if you’d like.”

Gai wanted to jump up and stop Kakashi. To physically hold him in place so he wouldn’t move, but his chest ached at the mere thought of moving so he continued to sit there. Bored and buzzing with the energy he couldn’t burn.

“I could just do a few-”

“No.” Kakashi returned his focus to the report. 

“If I only do-”

“Zero,” his partner responded without looking up. “You will do zero.”

“But I’m bored!” He couldn’t even flop back against the bed dramatically since Shizune had lifted the bed in order for him to sit up. “I want to do something, Rival.”

“And your solution to that is to work out?” 

“Well, I do like working out…”

Sighing, Kakashi set the report back on top of the pile that Tsunade had placed beside him and turned towards Gai. “You just had top surgery,” he reminded him as if Gai could forget. As if he’d just miss placed that information when he’d been looking forward to this day for months.

No, years.

“I’m bored.”

“You’re recovering,” Kakashi placed a hand over Gai’s. A comforting gesture that did little to ease Gai’s anxieties. “What do you always tell me when I end up in the hospital because of Chakra exhaustion?”

“Rest is just as important as training,” he muttered his mantra under his breath, insulted that Kakashi would sit and throw it back at him. “But-”

A finger pressed against his lips, sealing in the words he was trying to say.

“No buts,” Kakashi whispered. “Shizune said you’ll be here for three to six days recovering. The more you overextend yourself, the longer your stay will be.”

Three to six days. If it were Kakashi in this bed the time would fly by. Gai would have an endless list of ideas for things they could do together that wouldn’t overextend his partner and earn him a longer stay.

When it was him stuck in bed, though, he couldn’t think of a single thing to do. 

Not one idea came to him no matter how hard he tried.

“How about a game?” Kakashi suggested suddenly, earning him a confused look from Gai. “I can go get a board game from your apartment. One of the ones we played last time I was stuck in here.”

A board game.

“How did I fail to think of that?” Gai scolded himself, immediately earning himself a flick to the forehead. “Ow! Kakashi!”

“You’re recovering,” He stated as if Gai had somehow magically forgotten that. “Give yourself a break Gai.”

“Sorry, I forgot that I was expecting to lose some of my ability to think when I got rid of my chest.”

“Well, you did always think with your dick and you still don’t have one of those yet.”

Kakashi’s response blindsided him. Never, in all the years he’d known the other man, had he thought he was capable of using such cutthroat words against him of all people. The elders, yes. Naruto, maybe. Iruka-Sensei, absolutely

But him?

Maito Gai?

That was taking things a step too far. Thankfully, Gai had the perfect comeback prepared within seconds. 

"Is this why you don't want bottom surgery?” He asked, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips when Kakashi narrowed his eyes. “You have enough dick in your personality to make up for the lack of one down there?"

There was an honest effort made on Kakashi’s part to keep his cool. A deep breath, the scrunching of his eyes. All done in an attempt to keep his composure and not give in to the weight of Gai’s words.

It all failed, though.

Not even five seconds after Gai had uttered those words, Kakashi was curling into himself laughing. It wasn’t his usual chuckle either, but a full belly laugh that filled the entire room.

“Ok,” Kakashi wheezed. “For that one, I’ll pick up Dango on the way back.”

A board game with his best friend, his favourite treat, and a chance to hear more of that sweet laughter his rival kept so carefully hidden from the rest of the world. Recovery didn’t seem so bad when Gai had all of those things to look forward to.

[babycharmander]

On Bill Cipher and Redemption

I've had a couple posts analyzing The Book of Bill and particularly Bill Cipher's development. You can check those out here and here if you want!

I have more thoughts, now, and I debated on adding them as a reblog to one of my other analyses, but I figure it's probably better as its own posts, so here we are.

I wanted to address the matter of "redeeming" Bill Cipher.

But before I do that, let me quickly do a run-down of what redemption is and is not, as this is a topic that people have a lot of misconceptions about.

Redemption IS NOT:

Ignoring a character's wrongdoings.

Excusing a character's wrongdoings.

Other characters forgiving the character's wrongdoings.

A character's having a sad or sympathetic backstory.

Something a character can "deserve."

Redemption IS:

A character's realizing that they were wrong, and taking steps to become a better person.

So no, I'm not here to say that Bill did nothing wrong (he did), or that what he did wasn't that bad (it was), or that any characters should be expected to forgive Bill (they shouldn't).

With that out of the way, let's move forward in our discussion.

First off, does The Book of Bill redeem Bill?

To put it simply, no. (Stay with me.)

By the end of the book, as I've discussed in my previous posts, Bill is in a worse state than when he started. He is refusing to heal, and, while he does see what he did as monstrous, he makes no attempt to change anything. He can't bring Euclydia back, sure, but he could still try to be better, and he's not doing that--he's insisting that the torture he put Ford through wasn't that bad, and trying desperately to go back to trying to get someone to help him take over once again. He wants to go right back to the awfulness he was doing.

However.

This does not make him incapable of redemption--it just means that, as of his current position in the book, he is not in the process of being redeemed.

But he is in an interesting position.

By the end of the book, Bill has largely given up on trying to convince the reader to go along with his plan, and begins rambling almost to himself. He keeps saying "I'm fine" over and over again, which is not an answer to a question the viewer is asking at that point. He's telling it to himself, which means he's trying to convince himself that he's fine... which, in turn, means that some part of him--a part that's loud enough that he feels the need to try to drown it out--knows he's not fine.

This is important, as it means that he is, potentially, still capable of redemption.

Fully accepting that he is not okay will involve confronting his past and what happened to Euclydia--something he is currently not willing to do. But there is potential for him to do so, especially since within the Theraprism, he is granted infinite time to recover.

It will ultimately have to come from him--he will have to reach a point where he realizes it's not worth living in denial and actually seeks to heal and better himself.

And healing will involve bettering himself, because in order to recover from the trauma of the Euclydian Massacre, he will need to accept that he made a mistake. And to accept that he made a mistake, he will have to admit that he is not a monster, which means he will have to admit that he did not need to keep acting monstrous for his entire life post-Euclydia--that he does not have to continue acting that way now.

That won't be easy, of course--recovery never is--but it is possible.

Bill Cipher is a redeemable character--potentially. But whether he's redeemed or not is up to him.

(And Alex Hirsch. :P)

[moodybluezzz]

Aftermath - Satoru Gojo x Reader

[SFW, fluff with a taste of angst, gender-neutral Y/N, mentions of violence & hospitals. Word count: 1600]

A month ago, you were tasked with taking down a special-grade curse, and to your surprise, your selected partner was none other than the one and only Satoru Gojo. You and Satoru were already acquainted and comfortable with each other, sure, but you couldn't help but feel like there was always something dividing you two. He was out of your league in every sense of the term. So, why the higher-ups thought you were on par with him for this job, you had no idea. All that mattered to you was the thought of finally taking down some curses with the best of the best.

Unfortunately, the curse was stronger than expected, and you were unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire of one of Gojo’s cursed techniques. After weeks of treatment under the best sorcerers in the hospital, you just barely managed to make it out alive.

Throughout your hospital stay, a surprising amount of your comrades came to check in on you. Nanami especially made it a point to make sure you were being cared for with the utmost quality. But despite all of that… you have yet to hear from Satoru. Every time you asked the others how he was doing, they had no good response except that he was busy with missions and they hadn't seen him lately. Now, you weren't sure if you wanted to see him more than anything, or you never wanted to see him again.

“Nanami, what time is it?” You ask as you gather your belongings from the hospital room. Nanami had once again stopped by - this time escorting you out now that you were finally healed enough to be discharged. He glances at his watch. “It's 12:30. We have half an hour until the meeting, so we should try to be on our way quickly.” You hurry up, stuffing the rest of your belongings into a duffle bag and exiting the room. Nanami drops your medical paperwork at the front desk and follows you to the car waiting outside. You're strangely happy to finally be back to attending meetings at Jujutsu High, even though they seemed so boring before. I guess that's what happens when you have nothing to do for a month.

You enter the meeting room and have a seat next to Nanami. “Y/N, long time no see! How are you doing?” “Looking good, Y/N! It's good to have you back!” You're greeted warmly by the others, easing your nerves a bit. You watch the door as your coworkers and friends enter one-by-one, all in surprisingly good spirits. Something must be going right around here for once. I guess I picked the perfect time to come back.

Then Satoru walks through the doorway.

You barely have time to process that unmistakable snow-white hair, black blindfold, tall figure, before a wave of anxiety instinctively shoots through you. You turn back toward Nanami, trying not to panic.

“Y/N, what's wrong?” Nanami whispers. You can barely form a sentence through your nervousness.

Satoru takes a seat across the room, seemingly avoiding conversation with everyone he passes. The room becomes suffocatingly tense.

“I haven't seen him in so long,” you whisper. “He didn't even check on me once! And now he's right there, and he didn't even look at me, and…”

“Just try to calm down, Y/N. I'm sure we'll have a chance to catch up with him after-”

A heavy feeling wells up in your chest. You make your way to the door as quickly as possible, avoiding eye contact with the rest of the room as you hurry outside. You find a bench behind the privacy of a large cherry blossom tree just as tears begin tumbling down your cheeks. Suddenly everything hurts all over again. All your brain seems to be able to process about Satoru is the pain he caused you, even if it was an accident.

A few long minutes pass before you feel a presence behind you. You look up to see none other than Satoru leaning against the tree trunk, watching you intently. You gasp, wiping your tears away quickly.

“What are you doing out here alone, Y/N?” The tall man asks quietly. “I figured Nanami or someone would have followed you out.”

Your heart pounds as you try to think of a response. You turn away, sniffling as you try desperately to keep him from seeing your face.

“What are YOU doing out here?” you hiss.

“Talking to you. Besides, that meeting was gonna be lame anyway.” Gojo sighs before planting himself in front of you and crouching down to your level.

“Hey, why don't we go talk somewhere more private? We won't get anywhere if we can't even look each other in the eyes.”

You gulp, trying to shove down your nervousness. Deep down you know he's right. You do want to talk to him, whether he cares or not.

Before you know it, you're back in the car being driven to Gojo’s place. You'd been there once or twice before for some get-togethers with the others. Even still, entering the spacious apartment, you can't help but be intimidated.

Gojo ushers you to sit down on the couch. He takes a seat on another couch on the opposite side of the coffee table.

“Y/N, look, I'm sorry-”

“You're not sorry! You didn't even check on me when I was in the hospital! You're such an egotistical douchebag, why couldn't you take one day away from your missions and… And…”

You clench your fists, tears forming in your eyes once again. Gojo stands from his seat, making his way toward you. You turn and watch as he sits beside you, pulling the blindfold from his face with a sigh. Your heart skips a beat as he stares into your soul with those bright blue eyes. You hadn't looked into them since the moments before you blacked out after the accident.

“I couldn't bring myself to face you, Y/N. The only way to distract myself was to drown myself in missions. I was a coward, and… I’m sorry, okay?”

He pauses before pulling you forward into his arms.

“I'm so sorry.” He whispers, his face stuffed in the space between your neck and shoulder.

He turned off his infinity…?

You wrap your arms cautiously around the man, his back rising and falling with deep breaths. Your tears drip from your chin down onto his dark uniform. This is what you needed.

His embrace tightens around you. You wince, the pressure becoming too much for your still aching body. He lifts his head, his sky-blue eyes analyzing your tear-stained face with a look of concern and guilt.

Gojo runs his hands slowly up and down your back in response. “I'm so sorry for hurting you... I care about you so much more than you think… I was so careless, I-I thought I killed you… I couldn't lose someone again, I couldn't accept that it was my fault again…”

“Are you… still in pain?”

You avert your eyes, not wanting to make Gojo feel any worse. He stays quiet for a moment, thinking.

“Here, lay on your stomach. Trust me.”

You lay skeptically down on the couch, resting your head on the cushions in the corner. You glance over your shoulder at Gojo as he leans over your body.

“Tell me where it hurts, and I'll make it better.”

You hesitate. “My back…”

You flinch as Gojo’s long fingers begin tracing your muscles, starting at your shoulders and trailing down to your waist. He pauses, his hands still resting on your skin.

“I'm not going to hurt you again, okay? I promise…”

Your body relaxes in response to his gentle words. He continues, bringing his hands back up to your shoulders, this time massaging you more deeply. His eyes focus on every inch he touches, keeping track of whether they elicit a wince of pain or a sigh of relief. All the while, he whispers sweet nothings over you. “You're okay… Don't be scared, I'm here for you now…”

You close your eyes trustingly, taking in the soft affection enveloping your back. Your breathing slows considerably, and for the first time since the accident, you feel safe and at ease. You just didn't expect that Gojo would be the one to make it happen.

Before you can even realize you're dozing off, Gojo whispers, “It's okay if you fall asleep. I'll be right here for you…” he mutters, sensing just how relaxed you've become. “I'm gonna keep you safe this time, I promise.” And sure enough, you fall asleep right there on Gojo’s couch.

You wake up to the bright light of the sunset spilling over you through the apartment windows. Only a few hours have passed, but damn, that was the best sleep you've ever had. You rub your eyes, then look up to find Satoru setting two bowls on the coffee table.

“Good morning, sleepyhead! Just kidding, it's actually 6. I brought your favorite ramen~!”

How can he go back to being his usual self just like that!?

You sit up, finding that a comfy blanket had been draped over your lower body during your rest. A warm feeling flutters through your chest.

“I had to make this all up to you somehow. I would go crazy if I had to eat hospital food every day!” He smiles.

Gojo sits back across the table from you, his legs crossed and his head resting on his hand. He watches as you take a bite of the ramen - it's really good.

“And Y/N… from now on, I'll be there for you.”

[sissytrainingbackuppost]

Sissy Training: Beginner’s Guide

Unlock confidence and self-expression with our comprehensive beginner’s guide to sissy training.

Introduction

What’s sissy training, you ask? Well, if you’re here, you might have some ideas about it. But let’s clear up any confusion anyhow.

Sissy training is a transformative process that involves highlighting an ultra-feminine, drastically submissive persona.

For sissies, it’s a channel to locate, accept, and show off their authentic selves.

It’s not easy to find mediums for sissy training though.

Not when society is still, shall we say, narrow-minded. But just imagine it— just how liberating will it be to express your sissified self?

Many folks out there mistakenly think that sissy training is just about humiliation.

Absolutely not! It’s about finding power in being able to act without any inhibitions. Read on to learn more!

Understanding The Term “Sissy”

Some people might flinch at the term “sissy,” — a reaction we get thanks to society’s tendency to paint it in the wrong light.

But here’s the thing: we’re not society. We’re the redefiners, and so we must call out this misconception.

Today, “sissy” isn’t a smear or an insult. It’s a badge of honor, a sign of courage and self-acceptance.

“Sissy,” in its purest form, refers to a man who drowns himself immense femininity. Why would a man want this?

Think of it like a man’s breather in a world that expects him to do manly things. Such include being strong in every situation possible.

And pretending to be strong is very draining and exhausting.

It’s a man’s way to just let go. To be more intuned with his feminine persona and to heal.

To discover aspects of himself without shame and fear. A sissy can even adopt alter egos to explore more.

Does it involve submission? Sure, it can. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all label. It’s varied and rare for every practitioner.

The Basics of Sissy Training

Right off the bat, let’s address the elephant in the room: starting isn’t easy.

Heck, even I, with all my years of experience, look back on those initial, nerve-wracking steps. But guess what?

Nothing worth achieving comes easy.

Sissy training involves every feminine thing you can imagine. Femme behaviors?

Check. Femme clothes? Check. Femme thinking? Check!

The essence of sissy training lies in understanding that femininity isn’t a monolith— it’s a spectrum.

When you choose to be a sissy, you welcome the vulnerability and softness that comes with it.

But do not ever get this wrong— this “mellowness” also develops distinct strengths.

Such involves resilience and courage. They always go hand in hand, a part of the package.

Here’s a rundown of the absolute basics you must master first before progressing your sissy training:

Immerse yourself completely in your new sissy identity to commemorate your progress!

I’m talking head-to-toe transformation. And so, here are some practical advice I’ve picked up from my very own sissy education:

Dress the Part

What’s the best and easiest way to welcome your femme side?

A closet filled with your favorite women’s clothes, of course! But don’t just get everything!

Get those that fit you perfectly. Only give space in your wardrobe for those that complement your body type.

Your garb should also reflect your femme personality.

To help you get started, I suggest starting with the basics: a nice pair of stockings, a classy little black dress, and, of course, a pair of shoes that make you feel like a queen.

If you don’t have money to splurge, invest time rummaging through thrift stores, online sales, and hand-me-downs! Adopt Feminine Mannerisms

Do you want to look like a sailor dared by his unfunny friends to wear a dress for laughs?

Of course not! Your clothes make up about 50% of your presentation, but your gestures and poise, oh— they will take that up to 100%!

How can you “adopt” these mannerisms? Simple! By observing and engaging with the women around you!

Research indicates that you subconsciously mimic those you interact with, so take full advantage of this science!

Take note of how your graceful lady friend speaks, moves, and expresses their thoughts and feelings.

Who is involved in sissy training? It includes you— a male-to-female crossdresser (aka sissy).

You’ll go through various practices to make you an ultra-fem, subservient to another party in sissy training, your dom.

Other participants are your support system. It can include your fellow sissies, mentors, and allies.

How do I start my journey with sissy training?

Acceptance is first. Then, identify your motivations and objectives. Doing so will make your journey smoother since you have a map you follow. FOR QUESTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAM Telegram: @prettysissyacademy

[vulpixisananimal]

(you leave for one loop. One day. And it becomes a blinding disaster. Oh yes, Stardust gets a loop where they can relax and don't need to worry about anything and look what happens.)

(Because of you.)

(I did not do anything.)

(Oh sure! Was I mistaken? Was I mistaken thinking that the one who's always causing trouble, always making things harder, was the one who messed everything up!?!)

(I had to do what I had to do. It's fixed now.)

(Fixed?!? Is that all you care about?!?)

(You grip the sides of the sink. You might be sick again at this rate. You couldn't tell if the nausea was from looping or from the mental argument you were having.)

(It's fine! Really, it's wonderful even! You could share what you learned now. And figure all this out. It's fine.)

(But first, cue Isabeau.)

"You alright, Sif?--" >> "--Just some loopy stuff, not that bad, I'll meet you for breakfast!"

(It's so easy to slip back into the old routine. It's comfortable. It's easy. You can just zone out and respond in exactly the right way. And yet, it made your skin crawl. After all you've been through you're still supposed to memorize a play? What a joke.)

(You go through the motions, get fully dressed, go downstairs, greet your party. Quesadillas again. They'd probably still be tasty, though you wont want them for a bit after these loops.)

"You sure you're alright??--" >> "--Do you think that's why you're sick again?"

(You were zoning out a lot. Change things up.)

"That would make sense, craft exhaustion, right?"

"Alright eat up then 'Frin, gotta get your energy back." (Nille gave you more food like last time.)

"At least let me finish first breakfast." (You say, smiling.) "I am hungry though."

(You still weren't sure if you felt better or worse after taking some time to relax. Although, that 'relaxing' time was cut short. You take a bite of the quesadilla.)

(??!?!!?!)

"Is Bonnie feeling okay?" (You ask.)

"They woke up with a headache, I think it's from that bonk from yesterday." (Nille looked worried at you bringing it up.) "Just, don't mention the burnt food."

(Odile spoke up from behind her book.) "It shouldn't be from that bang on the head. No concussion, any booboos they had Mirabelle healed up."

"Well what else would it be then."

(You quietly eat up the quesadilla. Just think for a second, Loop. It's probably nothing. Just focus on the task at hand.)

(You and I know that it's impossible for the past to change. If something did change, it would be us who did it.)

(So why does Bonnie have a headache?)

(. . .)

(You're still not giving me all the details~)

(It does not matter, it will distract you.)

(You're afraid arent you~ You're afraid that things are going to change~)

(As are you.)

(I'M at least trying to-)

(You bite your tongue.)

"Blinding-" (You exclaim.) "Ow."

"Everything alright, Siffrin?" (Odile asked.)

"Oh I just bit my tongue, eating too fast."

"Aw no!!" (Isa said, concerned.) Want me to check if it's ok??"

"So you can kiss it better?" (You reply, almost instinctually.)

"!??!?!!!?!?"

"HA!"

"Get a ROOM you two!"

(Isabeaus face was getting off shade, it took you a second before you processed what you just said and what it meant.)

"OH. UH. I DIDNT??? MEAN, UH???"

(you hide yourself in your hat. That's??? So embarrassing?!?!? Oh stars you said that as a JOKE. "I banged my elbow kiss it better." Stupid, stupid Loop! You're making such a fool of yourself.) ". . . S-sorry."

"Noit'sokI'mokit'sfine." (And now Isa was covering his face.)

(. . .)

(Not a WORD from you.)

(There's a bit of an awkward pause before casual conversation starts again. You mostly just zone out untill Bonnie comes back.)

(They looked. . . Fine? It was hard to tell from last time, maybe a bit more tired looking? Nothing physicaly wrong, not that it looked like, they caught you staring at stuck out their tongue at you and make a "nyeeh" noise. You stick your tongue out back.)

"Quite done, you two?" (Odile said without looking up.)

"'Frin started it."

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Alright maybe I did."

(Mirabelle gasped.) "Siffrin? Admiting to cheekyness??"

"Truly a dark day." (Odile commented.)

(You all chuckle.)

(Here again. Back at the explination table. You know you could keep the loops a secret this time, but no. You needed help, you did ask for it after all~)

(Might as well make it fun, though. You look around and see a few scraps of note paper, you grab one and quickly write something down. Next, who to pass it to. . .)

(Odile is still in her book, Mirabelle was checking on Bonnie, Isabeau. . . Passing a note to Isa right now's a bad look. Nille, then. You crumple the paper into a ball and gently throw it at her as she's about to take a bite of food. She pauses and looks at you. You hold up a finger and wink.)

(You lean back in your chair.) "Let's skip going to the defenders, when we head there later today it just becomes a whole mess."

"You looped again!?!?--" >> "--I'll look for one of those next time."

(You hear a stiffled laugh come from Nille, looking over, she had de-crumpled the note and looked at it. She gave you a look and held it up.)

"So do you just have the whole crabbing day memorized, Siffy?" (The note was that whole exchange written down. Nille passes the note to Mirabelle to look.)

(You stick out your tongue.) "Maybe~"

"What's our next line then, Siffrin." (Odile had closed her book, now quite curious.)

"Well, bonnies next line is 'that's crabbing stupid.'"

"Language."

"No that comes after Bonnies line." (Ok this is kind of fun actually)

"Alright, but what's your next line." (Mirabelle says, curious.)

(You nod.) "That this will be try number four, or five, First was me and Odile at the library, rest of you to the Defenders place, Bonnie came running back to us because Mira was framed for kidnapping Bonnie."

"!?!?!?--" >> "--Language."

(There's a bit of a pause as everyone catches up to the exchange that just happened, and laughs.)

"Well, at least you're making light of it?"

"Tee hee, I try~" (Now, how to explain things quickly.) "Next loop we all went to the Defenders and bumped into an old friend of Isabeaus, going by Ramos now. We got split up, Ramos and Isa were acting suspicious, we confronted Ramos and they had a wishing star pendant like from yesterday. There was also a strong mint smell around. And then last loop Mira Isa and Odile went to figure out if mint was a sign of anything."

"That's, quite a lot to take in." (Said Odile.) "Well, did we find anything?"

(You nod) "Yep, a strong mint smell is assosiated with Mind Craft. It makes sense really, with how Isa and Stardust acted~"

". . . Stardust?"

(You wince. Stars! STARS! Oh great you were just TALKING and explaining things and DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. Alright, fine, fine, you'd have to explain this anyways probably.)

(You could try again.)

"R-right, aha, well. . ." (You shook your head, lights, camera...) "Well it's a bit of a story, Mirabelle had the wonderful idea that we take a loop to rest up! Oh very, very thoughtful~"

"Uh, th-thank you?" (Mira looked confused, well, everyone did a little.) "Did, did it go alright?"

"Oh it did! For a bit. And then our good friend Ramos showed up. Stardust, Siffrin, thought it would be a wonderful idea to talk to them to figure out a few things. Buuuuuuuut then Ramos grabed their hand and he started acting ~very different~"

(You felt like you were going to have a heart attack. When was the last time you talked to your party? REALLY talked to them. It was on the final day, wasn't it? And even then you were all worried about Stardust. You just need to keep acting.)

"Let me guess. Siffrin was effected by mind craft in some way, but you weren't?" (Odile, like usual, was ahead of the curve.)

"Correct~ Hello by the way, your friendly neighborhood Loop here to help~"

"Oh! Good to talk to you again then!" (Mirabelle said excitedly.)

"Yeah. Lot cooler than 'Frin." (Bonnie said all cheekily.)

"A devistating blow to someone not even here. Are they around at all, by the way?" (Odile asked.)

"Well. . ."

(We shouldn't bring him to front. They are likely still effected by mind craft.)

(And how would you know that?)

(I don't.)

(Exactly. You tap your chin.) "Well I could get them, but we're worried that mind craft is still effecting him."

"Still?"

"But, didn't you turn back time?!?"

"Yeah, it never happened then, right?"

(You shrug.) "Kinda. Memories stay. Our body keeps some of it's changes, scars and muscle growth, but not wounds. We keep our fighting experience too, naturally. And for some reason, equipment."

"Oh right... Like the bow my classmate got me." (Mirabelle touched their bow, the same one.) "That really hurt my head to think about."

(Nille rubbed her head.) "Well if you get them we can check easily. And if Siffy's still gotten mind crabbery we'll..."

"Then we make sure Loop doesn't get effected either!!" (Isabeau said confidently.)

"Or undo it. It should be easy enough, unless-" (Odile starts)

"-it was powered by a wish." (You finish with her.)

". . This is weird." (Nille says.)

"Give me a day and I could recite those two days in Dormont by heart~"

"Even the sleepover?"

"Especially the sleepover."

(You all chuckle a bit at that. It's. . . Kind of nice, being able to be open about this. Even if you wish it could be in better circumstances.)

"I've got two plans today." (You say, as you take another bite of food.) "First, we'll all check on Stardust and see how he's handling things~ "

"Rude to talk and eat, Loopert." (Nille sais smugly.)

(You choke on your food. Loopert?!?!)

"Hah! Loopert."

"Hehe. It's a cute nickname."

(You sink down in your cloak and quickly finish that bite of food.) "Any chance we could rethink the nickname?"

"No!!! You're Loopert now!!!"

(Great.)

(Well if we they wont remember at least.)

"Alright alright, well the other thing I want to do is try talking to Ramos agian."

"Huh."

"So daring..."

"Are you sure about that, Loop." (Mirabelle seemed worried.)

"Well, I'm curious how they'll react. The last two times we've bumped into eachother they've been. . . acting strange. Oh, and I would like to talk to them one on one if possible."

"You do realize if that mind craft stuck this could be increddibly risky." (Odile looked concerned. Understandibly so.)

"I'd like to be around in case they try anything. . ." (Said Isabeau.)

(You nod.) "Well, if you all could stay nearby in case something does happen, that would be great."

"Why do you need to talk to them alone anyways?" (Nille asked.)

"W-well. . ." (How to put this.) "I don't want to be rude, but you all are terrible actors."

"Ah. . ."

"Oh. . ."

"Ouch, but fair."

"Sorry." (You shrug.) "One of the best advantages of not talking about the loops was knowing exactly how things go. But we made a promise to not keep secrets soooo~"

"No no, I understand Loop." (Mirabelle looked a bit dejected.) "I don't know if I'd be able to keep a straight face."

"Heh, I could do it." (Bonnie said smugly.)

"Sure you could Boniface." (Nille replied.)

"Yeah!!! I could!!!"

"I'll go sign you up for theater classes then."

"NO!!!!"

(Heh, that would be a sight to see.)

(At least we have a plan.)

[last-herondale]

Almost pt. 4

Bucky Barnes x femreader!

/ Steve Rogers x femreader!

Angst, heartbreak, fluff

Warnings: bit of swearing

AN: helloooo next part is out! I’m excited to see where this series goes!!! Honestly I love Bucky and Steve so this is fun 😆

Enjoy 🤘🏼

The physical pain took a couple of weeks to heal. Steve was a steady nurse, changing out your bandages every few hours until the cuts seemed healed. Whatever the poison was, it had done deep damage to your body. It took you a week to regain the use of your muscles. Sam checked in now and again as Steve helped you recover. He was keeping recon on the Hydra base, watching for any new movements since your blunder with the trap, but since then there had been nothing new to report. They both agreed that the mission would be on standby until you were back to full health. Steve had nearly had you shipped out back to New York to recover, but a frantic panic of yours seemed to change his mind.

While you were confined to the safehouse, Steve hardly left your side. It was nice to be taken care of for a change. It was something you weren’t used to. Something you didn’t know how to process. He was patient and kind, even though you felt that you didn’t deserve it. You had fucked up. Big time. Nearly blew the mission with your recklessness and now it was being pushed back to accommodate you. While you would have been content to wallow in your pity, Steve would not allow it.

He pushed you to do your physical therapy everyday, cooked for you, helped you in and out of the shower in the most respectful way he possibly could. He made sure you took your medicine when you needed to. He was attentive to your every need.

When you were finally able to speak clear and full sentences again, one day while he was changing out your bandages you felt a sudden burst of emotion escape your lips.

“Why are you doing this?”

Steve ignored you for a moment, finishing off the last bandage on your left arm before he finally looked up at you with an unimpressed look.

“Because you’re injured and need help, now hold still while I-“

You snatched the bandages out of his hands with your other arm and glared at him defiantly.

“Why. Are. You. Doing. This?” You asked again, your voice becoming stern.

“Doing what exactly?” Steve asked, just as irritated, “Making sure you don’t die?”

“Why are you being so… nice to me? I’ve been on missions with you before, and whenever other people get injured-“

“Are you saying I don’t help my team?” Steve challenged.

You looked him square in the eyes and set your jaw tightly. “Not like this.”

There was a flicker of movement in Steve’s mouth. You knew you had hit a nerve there. While Steve was a great leader, the best probably this world would ever see, he never was this attentive to his injured teammates. When Barton had his side blown off during Ultron’s attack, he did not play bedside nurse for him until he was better. So why here? Why now?

He must have seen that you weren’t going to give up so easily. He sighed.

“I’m doing this because of Bucky.”

You felt your chest go cold.

“He told you to—“

“He hasn’t told me to do anything.” Steve interjected quickly, almost to save himself from saying the wrong thing, “He doesn’t even know what’s happened here, no one but Tony does. No, I’m doing this because of what you did for him.”

“Then why–”

“If you’d just keep quiet for a second, I will explain!” he said, oddly flustered. You had never seen Steve Rogers, fucking Captain America, get flustered. You sat back, crossing your arms and mimicking locking your mouth. He sighed again and drew on hand through his hair.

“Look, I’m not clueless, okay? I was there when Bucky and Nat broke up. I know what he went through after that… what he turned into once she walked out of his life. And I know you and Nat are friends, and I know you might take her side on the matter, but Bucky is my best friend, okay? So I saw what went on behind the scenes too from the other side.

“Neither of them were good for each other. What they had wasn’t healthy. It was toxic and strained and fueled by lust. When that fizzled out it was bound to fall apart.”

You were surprised by the information that Steve knew. Not that you thought that he was clueless, but you didn’t think that Bucky had shared that information with him. It made you feel a bit stupid. Of course he would tell his best friend. Maybe the idea of being the only one Bucky confided in had made you feel special, but now your ego deflated a bit.

“I tried to be there for him at first. Admittedly, I know very little about relationships and breakups. I didn’t know how to be there for him, and he wasn’t going to be truthful with his feelings because that’s just Bucky, stubborn as always. So it was easy for me to tell myself that he was okay, and let him handle things the way he needed to. He has been through so much already, who was I to tell him how to live his life?

“But then you started to show up more and more and he began to get better. I couldn’t explain how or why. I thought maybe that you two had been… together as his rebound, which I now know is not the case!” Steve said a bit sheepishly.

“I didn’t do anything,” You mumbled, “I just hung out with the two of you on the weekends.”

“Cut the shit. I know you stayed with him whenever I would tap out early. I know you would go babysit him whenever he got too drunk and in his feelings to distinguish what was real or fake. You were there for him when I wasn’t. You cared for him when he wouldn’t have the decency to care for himself, and you never belittled him for it. You cannot sit there and tell me that was nothing.”

You drew your mouth into a hard line. You remained silent, and Steve just sighed again and continued on.

“Just answer me this, and answer me honestly. Do you think Bucky is a broken man?”

You froze. That was something Bucky had said that night on the balcony. “She is broken, like me.” There were a lot of words that came to mind when you thought about Bucky, but broken was never one of them.

“No,” you whispered, “He is not broken. He is hurting, and he is stupid, and he is so irritably stubborn that it drives me insane… but he isn’t broken. He thinks that there is some part of him that is irredeemable. That he doesn’t deserve good things to happen to him in his life and it breaks my heart…”

You were crying again, but you didn’t care. Trying to hold back everything you felt for so long had taken all the strength you had. And now you were the weakest you had ever been. You looked to Steve, wondering if he saw you as a crying mumbling mess, but instead he pulled you in for a gentle hug. His large muscled arms comforted you in an embrace that seemed to warm you down to your bones.

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered, “I see how much you love him, how much you care for him. I feared that he would push that love away, that he would hurt you during his time of pain. I wish I could make him see just how special you are.”

Steve’s words hit the tender nerves of your soul and you sobbed against his shoulder. He caressed your hair and held you tighter as you shuddered and cried against him. You felt ridiculous, crying like a helpless baby, but Steve just murmured comforting words and held you securely in place.

“It hurts… I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve lost myself in him… and he doesn’t want me. It’s stupid, it's so stupid… I feel so…empty. I shouldn’t have come on this mission. I’m so…sorry Steve. I’m sorry.”

Raw emotion cut through you as you were a blubbering mess. Steve just held you through it, not judging you or reprimanding you. He was calm, he was gentle, and he was patient. He kept telling you how good you were, how big your heart was. It was strange to be in this position. To be the one being reassured, to be the one being built back up. His words calmed your soul. You don’t remember falling asleep in his arms, but you woke up with him on the couch, his arms still wrapped around you as his head was tilted back on the couch.

You watched him a bit as he slept, not daring to move or stir him awake. You felt warm and safe in his arms. It was nice. He was beautiful, that you could not deny. His features were soft and gentle in his sleep. The rising and falling of his chest was even and steady. You slowly placed your head on his chest, listening to the even beating of his heart as you let yourself fall back asleep. For the first night since you had left New York, you did not dream of James Buchanan Barnes.

~

The next morning you were up, making sure to carefully untangle yourself from Steve’s embrace. He was still asleep when you started making breakfast. It wasn’t until the bacon started sizzling in the pan that you heard him grumble from the couch and pick his head up.

“Good morning,” you greeted, a soft smile on your face.

“Morning,” Steve said as he rubbed his face, “You look better.”

“I feel great, honestly.”

You fixed him a plate of bacon, eggs, toast, and a cup of coffee as he came to sit down at the small wooden table. He gave you an awkward smile as he took a sip of his coffee. You sat down next to him, a cup of coffee in front of you and a slice of toast. The medicine that you were on made you have a low appetite, but you didn’t mind making breakfast for Steve. You thought that it was the least you could do after everything he did for you.

The two of you chatted a bit while he ate his breakfast. He updated you on the situation with Hydra. Sam was able to infiltrate the base on his own, undetected, in the middle of the night. He stole their plans to ship out large quantities of the poison that had afflicted you. The shipment was planned to ship out to the states in a months time. Steve relayed this mission to Tony who suggested sending his own bots in to take care of it. Meaning you would be going home soon.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Steve,” you said softly as he finished his meal. He gave you a soft smile and just shrugged a bit.

You took up his plate and put them in the sink and tidied the kitchen as he went to take a shower. You packed your things, folding up your gear and clothes into your small pack. Steve had done your laundry for you while you had been indisposed. You smiled. It was such a small thing, but so many small things that Steve had done for you over the past few weeks had seemed to heal you in ways that you never thought you would heal from.

You felt a warm sensation in your chest.

You heard him come out of the bathroom. He was shirtless, with a towel draped around his neck as his blonde hair still dripped. “Showers open,” he said as he stepped into the room.

You faced him, gazing at him as you watched a few drops of water fall down his chest. You felt your face grow hot, and stumbled a bit as you tried to step past him. He caught you by the elbow and pulled you up, holding you a bit close to him as he chuckled.

“How many times am I going to have to catch you before we—“

You don’t know what came over you. What made you think that this was okay? All you know is that you leaned forward and kissed Steve gently on the mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and the shock of it made you immediately pull back.

“I’m sorry— I shouldn’t have—“

But he had put his hand under your chin. His blue eyes searched yours a moment, in an incredibly soft and tender way. It made your stomach jump the way he looked at you now. As he leaned in again, slowly, allowing you to push away at any moment you wanted, you could smell the scent of his shampoo as his lips returned to yours.

He was soft and gentle. His hand wrapped around your waist, pulling you a bit closer to him. He broke off for a second, his eyelids were half closed as he searched your face.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, “If you don’t want… if this isn’t something you are comfortable with…”

You raised up on your toes to reach his level and kissed him again. You let your hands wrap around his neck and tangle into his wet hair. Steve let out a pleased sound, and his strong hands lifted you from your waist and held you closer to him.

You thought that this would feel wrong. That kissing Steve would ruin everything between you. You thought maybe he would be angry with you, for kissing him after confessing your love for Bucky just the night before. But here he was, kissing you, murmuring your name as he carried you over to the bed in the room.

Had he really done all he did this week for bucky's sake? Or was there something else? Some other reason why he had been so keen on taking care of you? Your mind tried to process these questions, but the feel of Steve’s mouth on your neck quickly shoved those thoughts away.

He broke apart long enough to lock eyes with you. He was over you on the bed, his eyes a bit wild as he looked at you. Your chests heaved together, his bare and shiny from the water.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked.

The only response you gave, was a gentle nod of your head as you let your hand gently scrape down his bare chest. He gave a shaky breath and shook his head.

“You will be the death of me, you know that?”

All other conversation fell away. All other feelings and thoughts and memories disappeared. There was only you and him. And for the first time in a while, you felt whole.

Part 5

[anarchy-and-piglins]

Care for an AU idea?

Missing Hearts AU, with dark SBI and fantasy/sci-fi setting. (Dark themes, death, mind control, magic, coercion, graphic descriptions. Really I'm just throwing all possible warnings in there just in case.)

Technoblade is a soldier---one of many---who is completely loyal to the Federation's cause. He has no choice.

The Federation, once a loose association of various planets, now a military complex held together by fear mongering and nepotism, has been at war with the Empire long enough to completely restructure the government, long enough that Technoblade cannot recall a time without war or find its start, and long enough to develop some less than savory tactics.

Heartless, they are called, by civilians, by the enemy, and by the heartless themselves. Completely loyal, ruthless, deadly, precise, nearly impossible for an enemy to kill and stronger than any mundane soldier. The Heartless are feared across the Federation and Empire alike. The only group who doesn't use the name are the officials, the Oligarchy at the head of the Federation and their commanders. After all, they know full well where the soldiers hearts are. They're the ones who keep them, after all. Weaving spell after spell to keep the hearts beating, to stifle unwanted generosity, to take their fear, to bind their loyalty, to keep them strong. To kill when a soldier gets out of hand.

Technoblade only saw it once. For the most part, the heartless are kept in check by their fear and the magic beating their hearts. There's no real chance for rebellion, loyalty tied so tightly to their being that it's nearly suffocating. There is failure, though. Any heartless deemed a regular enough failure, a waste of resources, is immediately terminated.

They'd just gotten off a mission. Botched, sure, but they'd pulled off most of it and gotten out almost unscathed. Injuries hurt, despite the healing coursing through their veins, and they could damage a mission. The only thing they wouldn't do was make a heartless die.

They were in the shuttle heading back when the man responsible for the main failure collapsed, clutching his chest. Technoblade, only sixteen, watched in horror as the man choked, the rest of the ship going on like nothing was wrong. The man died, terminated for failure, one too many as he'd find out. Technoblade hadn't had his heart in years, but he almost thought he could feel it seizing in his chest, the gaping void turning hungry and tearing him to nothing. The same blank in the man's eyes.

He went to bed haunted. He woke up to the same apathy as ever, emotions gone now the Federation had given their warning. The memory remained.

(Technoblade himself had his heart removed when he was seven, when he started showing potential for the army. Strength, speed, an interest in strategy. He doesn't remember much of the process. Just the screams, and an angry tearing feeling grown muted with age. He doesn't even remember what it was like to have a heart. He lost his family in the same moment, shut into private training and missions not long after.)

It was after another mission that things changed. The operation had been a large one, with multiple units working in tandem to do... something. The higher ups didn't give much information as to the what or why of a situation unless directly relevant to the soldiers role in the mission. It's only afterward that Technoblade finds it was a raid. Countless empire citizens are taken, one of which is claimed to be the emperor's youngest son. A blond kid joins Technoblade's squad, spitting and angry and with his heart newly gone. He's from the Empire, though no one goes directly out and says it. He's trained, they say. But wrong, differently from Federation tactics, and it's obvious.

Technoblade is assigned to watch him, this kid who yells and jokes and still puts too much emphasis on names when no one there counts as a person, Tommy, his name is, as he insists, growing louder with each repetition until Technoblade caves. "Tommy, then."

Tommy isn't going to mention that using the name will lead his brother and father right to them. He's furious, stuck, and glad to see it all burn. Except, well. They don't get there right away. And as he learns more about the gaping wound in his chest (not as bad as the rest, though he doesn't know that, not as smothered in magic and death), he realizes how little freedom they have, how little personality they're allowed, how little emotion. But Technoblade is funny. In a dry, sarcastic way, like he's afraid if he sounds too real then they're going to off him. And as scary as Technoblade is, he never hurts Tommy. And Tommy isn't silly enough to believe that's because he can't. He doesn't. He's only scary when either Tommy or the mission is at risk. Technoblade cares, and Tommy, still full of rage, is going to steal him. He's going to give him a family. He's going to make sure that every bit of his humor and genius and kindness belongs to the empire, to them, to his family. Technoblade is theirs, and he doesn't even know who he's got.

The Emperor, as it turns out, is not happy with the alleged capture of his youngest, an age still technically older than Technoblade, though perhaps not in looks or maturity. The Empire doesn't have heartless, but they do have their own magic, and it's rumored to include immortality.

They strike hard and fast, capturing or killing a many forces as they can as they push towards the Federation's center, their heart. The Federation is in shambles, scrambling to adjust to the change in tactics resulting from a move they thought would lead to surrender. Or negotiations, at the very least. No. The Empire is out to kill, heedless of their own losses in the rampage to get their prince back. Someone is leaking information (the Empire doesn't have heartless, had no information on the nature of their existence, but Tommy has intimate experience with what it's like to be one, knows their triggers and controls and where the hearts are kept).

Tommy is pulled off of Technoblade's force and vanishes. Technoblade himself is called back to the capital, still with aching wounds from battle after battle as the Empire mounts their assault.

Everything is fine. Everything is within their calculations, the heartless can't die, they can't die, he can't die, all they need to do is stop this- and his men start falling. The facility is a maze, a labyrinth, meant to be entirely secure. The heartless have never known where their hearts are kept within the compound, secrets and lies another barrier to their escape, but they found it and Technoblade gets the call to head to the secret room at the center of the building. The hearts can carry information, the magic a link between the heart's enchanter and the weapon they control.

Maybe there's a fleeting thought that he can take his heart, grab it and go, escape the chaos and save his men. Or maybe he feels nothing at all, winding through halls of fallen heartless.

The doors open whooshing back to reveal the emperor and his eldest son. Smashed containers line the walls, broken hearts left to bleed.

And Technoblade feels a throb of fear. Distant, echoing out from the hearts place in the Emperor's hands. "Hello Technoblade." The Emperor smiles, and Technoblade is frozen in place. The empire didn't know about the hearts, once, but they learn fast and the stiffness of his limbs is more than fear. He tries to speak, but even words die in his throat. "We've been waiting for you."

The heart is tossed from one tyrant to the next, and Technoblade tries to breathe as the Emperor takes him by the arm. He's still smiling as he leads Technoblade out, through desolate halls filled with corpses of his men, all while false affection pumps through his veins at the direction of the hands that hold his heart.

"All for your own good," they say. "Not all the heartless were slain," they explain, talking about rehabilitation, good lives waiting for the heartless soldiers. "We'll give you everything," they promise him, draping him in medals, offering food and riches and blankets and clothing the likes of which he's never seen. "You're one of us," they swear, as another prince to the empire is crowned.

But they never give his heart back, not like they do Tommy who is whole the instant all of him is found. They never let him hold it, rarely let him see it, keep it as a prize. Never let him wander, or flee the prison of gold. And maybe it's because they worry he won't stay without the hands on his heart, feeding him devotion, binding him carefully with loyalty and fear. Maybe they worry who he would be without their touch, with emotions completely his own again. Technoblade wonders too. He'll never know.

Technoblade is a prince---one of few---who is completely devoted to the Empire.

He has no choice.

Congrats on getting the Lenn treatment because I kinda took this ask hostage for a month like I do with their AUs lol. Just a testament to me enjoying them, thank you for the tasty treat Anon.

[hrts4kyo]

Was it worth it in the end? — ♡

♡ jiung x fem!reader <3

♡ genre: angst x fluff (wc; 3.0k)

♡ sypnosis: ever since you found out about your illness and its progression, you always told one person; jiung. Your childhood bestfriend, and the one person you felt closest to. Yet, when you went to your weekly doctors appointment, you came back with news that had you wondering if telling jiung would be the right thing to do.

♡ warnings: mentions of ilness, hospital visits, loss of life, coma, mental health issues.

♡ song suggestion: die 4 you — dean.+`

You never expected to come back from the doctors appointment with such a dreary feeling that consumed your mind. Normally, the hardest part of having a doctors appointment was arriving there in the first place, and leaving with a burden lifted off of your shoulders. You hated how you had to come back to the same clinic every single weekend, and had to walk the same corridors, and enter the same room, and see the same doctor.

The more your illness developed and progressed in its stages, the more you found little comfort in being taken care of. You didn’t like the feeling of burdening people with your struggles, and you hated even more that no matter how hard someone tried to heal you, you only got worse.

The one person who didn’t make you feel as though you were a reminder of sadness and sorrow in its living human form was jiung. Your closest friend that supported you since the very first day.

Yet, after the dreadful news that came with the new files the doctor received, you didn’t know whether or not telling jiung would be the best idea. You still vividly remembered the several calls you got from him this morning, asking you if you would like him to come along so he can be there for any major news. And as much as you wanted him with you, you were fearful that the doctor would say something that would result in nothing but pure despondency. And you weren’t wrong.

Jiung was always one to overthink. He did nothing but care for you ever since he found out about your illness. He always checked up on you, came over to your apartment with a handful of freshly picked flowers and a cup of your favourite drink. He did everything he possibly could to make sure that your mentality remained stable and healthy, unlike your physical health that he unfortunately couldn’t heal, but swore he would heal if he could.

But, ever since you sat him down on your couch at your apartment and told him the news, he had treated you like a piece of damaged glass that could be shattered any second. He no longer ran up to you to give his hugs you could never get enough of, he no longer wrapped his arm around your shoulders and put you into headlock like he did since you were children, and he no longer play fought with you in a fear that he would accidentally hurt you in the process.

And you were sick of it. You were sick and tired of people treating you like you were incapable of doing anything on your own, you hated how everyone started to be gentle around you, and to make it even worse, you hated how no one could ever talk to you about anything but your sickness. Every morning you woke up to the constant messages of; “Are you okay?” “How are you feeling?” “How did the doctors appointment go?” and nothing else.

It was a constant reminder that you were nothing but an ill person that had no future ahead of them.

Of course people only wanted to see how you were doing because they were concerned for you, but you could only take it much longer. No one could be capable of enduring this every second of their day, right?

And so, you decided to not focus on the news the doctor gave you, and make the most of the day that was ahead of you. Even if that meant lying to people whom you swore youd always tell the truth to if it had something to do with you. Without a second thought, you took your phone out of the coat of your long brown jacket, and dialed the number of your most favourite person.

“Jiung?”

“Y/n! I was so worried for you I couldn’t help but pace around my house the entire time you were at the appointment, how did it go? are you doing okay? I coul—“ You sighed and cut jiung off quickly

“jyu, you already know how much I hate those questions, I’m doing good, actually, maybe even better. Do you want to come to the cafe infront of my apartment for a bit and have some brunch? we can go to my apartment later on and watch a movie as well” You smiled to yourself, shaking your head as you continued to walk in the autumn breeze.

“I’ll be there in 5, don’t tire yourself out too much okay?” Jiung called into the phone, the sound of his car keys in the background.

“I wont jyu” And the phone call ended.

You stopped walking for a brief moment, realising how tears had started to collect at the side of your eyes. Tears swelled up and blurred your vision slightly, and so you looked up to the sky, blinking away the proof of your sadness that swallowed you everyday. You let out a puff of air, watching as a cloud of fog like air danced around you due to the coldness that surrounded the city despite the morning sun being out.

You continued on your way, burying your face as far as it could go in your wool scarf.

As you finally arrived to the cafe that was located right around the corner to your apartment block and looked inside, you finally saw him. Jiung was sitting down in a table located in the corner, the very table that you both had claimed together as a special meeting place, it even had the initials of you two scribbled at the very bottom of the table, a true relic of the cafe, with a phone in his hand and two coffee cups placed next to each other waiting to be drunken out of.

“Someone came early today” You laughed, pulling out a chair to sit next to jiung.

“Oh my god i’ve missed you so much Y/n, really, I cant even do normal tasks without thinking about you” Jiung sighed, stuffing his face in his hands as he tried to slow down his heartbeat.

You placed a hand on his shoulder and placed your other hand on one of his hands that his face was stuffed in, telling him to look at you as concern covered all your features.

“Jyu, You dont need to be concerned anymore I swear, I have amazing news”

Guilt started collecting at the pit of your stomach, a sense of uncertainty making you feel nauseous. Was this the right decision, or would you end up regretting not telling him the truth? only time would tell. And right about now, the first option seemed more appropriate.

Jiung immediately pulled his face from his hands, looking up at you with a new profound glimmer in his eyes that you found cuter than anything else in this world.

“Well, the results of this test showed that, I’m not doing as bad as before. I’m getting much better actually jyu.”

And right at that moment, you were glad you told him you were getting better. Within just a few seconds, Jiung was crying as he came to your side of the table to give you the biggest hug he could possibly give. You dug your face in the crook of his neck, hugging him back and taking in the scent of his cologne you loved so very much. As you both sat there intertwined in the hug, you sunk deeper and deeper into his touch, feeling more comfort than you had ever felt for as long as you could remember. Although you wanted to deny it, you had noticed the feelings you had started to develop for jiung were way more than just the platonic love and adoration you had for him previously.

He did way more for you than anyone else had ever done. He knew every small detail about you, from the things that made you the happiest to the things that made you want to hide under your covers. And with each little thing he found out about you, he never once treated you differently than before. Jiung was just as open as you. He talked about his struggles, he talked about what made him happy and what made him sad, but one thing he never failed to mention was how you were his favourite person.

He would bring it up every second of his day if he could, and, he nearly always did.

When the hug started to loosen up, you noticed how your coat had felt dampened from the tears that jiung just couldn’t seem to stop, and it just made you want to start crying yourself. You felt bad for lying to him, you really did, but this would be for the best for the time being, as unfortunate as it was, this was what would make him feel better.

and you’d do anything as long as it meant he was happy.

“Jyu? Oh my god how have you still not stopped crying? Come on, lets go back to my place, we can watch a movie together yeah? I’ve missed doing that a lot.”

Jiung smiled and nodded, holding your hand as he stood up with you. Both of you grabbed the warm coffee cups and started making your way together, huddled as close as possible to keep the warmth between you two.

. . .

You finally arrived home, the warm embrace of your apartment welcoming in both of you with a glimmer of the warm sun. You shook of your coat gently and hung it up in the doorway, jiung following along. His black puffer jacket hung right atop of yours, the brown and black suiting each other as if they belonged together all along. Everytime you saw his belongings around your apartment, you’d get the sudden urge to ask him to move in with you. There was nothing more comforting than seeing him so close to you and around your place treating it as if it was his home as well. It just made you feel so much closer; which you didn’t even think was possible.

“What movie we watching?” Jiung asked, walking into your room to get the white throw you had placed on the side of your bed. The very same throw jiung had gifted for you at the beginning of the year when you first moved in to this home, and the very same throw you cried into when you were at your lowest.

“Hmm, how about—“

“Let me guess, titanic?” Jiung laughed, sitting down quicky on the creme coloured couch that was placed neatly ahead of the tv, getting comfortable as he snuggled up to your throw.

“You know me so well, jyu” You walked next to him, lifting up the throw so you could rest your body on his.

“Of course i do, youre my favourite person y/n. I’m so glad you’re better, I’ll no longer bring up your health from now on, I promise” Jiung said, resting his head atop of yours as he clicked on the tv to play your all time favourite movie.

As the movie started playing, the beautiful shine of the evening sun made its way through the open windows of the building, making you feel in a dream-like state. This is the emotion you had been craving for the longest time. The feeling of safety. The one time you got to think about something other than your health.

Sooner or later, the movie just became back ground noise to you, a sleepiness surrounding all your limbs and mind. As your eyes begun to shut, Jiung noticed and pulled the throw over you slightly higher so it covered your torso, and gave you a small kiss to your head as he rested on you once again. Right as you were about to dose off, you heard a small mumble coming from jiungs lips, his beautiful voice lulling you to sleep.

“I love you, y/n.”

. . .

Before you knew it, it was the next day. And you were still on the same couch, the same yellow throw draped over your figure. Yet, there was one evident difference. Jiung was no longer next to you.

You stood up slowly, picking up yourself as your bones felt weak and sore. Shit. You had forgotten to take your pills last night, and you were feeling even weaker than you usually would, and this was not helpful. You slowly made your way to your counter, to be met with the sight of a small piece of paper placed right on the ledge with a neat handwriting on it.

Of course it was from Jiung.

“Sorry y/n!! I had to leave a bit early for work, Fell asleep on the couch yesterday…oopsies…but, i promise to come back around later today, can we finish the move then? call me if you need anything!

Love — jiung.”

you smiled to yourself, placing the piece of paper in your pocket as you headed towards the pantry to get your pills, might as well take them now, better late then never was the one sentence your doctor would always repeat to you.

When you went to grab the pills from your assigned medical box, you were met with the sight of nothing, pills all finished.

You had ran out.

And your bones were too weak to drive.

As you felt an approaching migraine, you considered calling jiung to ask him if he can get the pills for you, but he was at work, right? its better not to disrupt him. What about your mother? shit. she was out of state. Any other friends? They don’t care enough, do they?

At last, you came to the conclusion that you would have to buy them yourself, even if it meant putting yourself at risk. And even though you were scared this would result badly, The chemist you always bought your pills from was only a few kms away, it wouldnt be much of a problem. And so, you grabbed your car keys with a spinning head and shakey hands, and made your way out of the apartment, praying youd be able to come back safely and step foot back into your apartment with no damage to yourself.

You walked down the stairs as your world continued to spin, holding on to the metal railing beside as tightly as you could, trying to keep your balance and step on the stairs one by one without missing any and causing yourself to go flying down them. Once you made it all the way to the bottom, you took a deep breath in and exhaled with a slight cough, your lungs feeling tighter than they previously were walking down the stairs. When you finally got to your car, you sat down and shut your eyes tightly, nausea building up at the pit of your stomach. You felt like you could throw up any second, but it was only set to get worse if you didn’t go and buy your pills, hence making you lift your head up from the seat and place your hands on the steering wheel to start up your car.

You began to drive at a slow and steady pace, trying to take the roads with the less traffic to ensure your safety, as you knew better than to drive on the freeways with a pounding migraine and nauseous stomach. But, there was one inevitable turn at one of the busiest parts of your city that you just couldn’t get past, and so you had to use it. You tried to focus on the cars coming from every direction around you, But the fast speed they passed you with and the way they blurred together only upset your mind, and with no warning, you felt your stomach start to churn way more, and your eyes start to spin even faster. You couldn’t take it anymore, and so, you pressed the pedal to move forward.

Fuck.

That wasn’t a smart idea.

Within an instant, you were thrown to the other side of the road, the car threatening to flip from the impact of being hit. You felt all your limbs tighten together, until suddenly; you felt light. and your vision had fully dissapeared.

. . .

“God why would you lie to me Y/n?! Why the hell would you do that for fucks sake! I always told you I was here to help you, Why wouldn’t you listen?!”

The voice sounded familiar, and it was too familiar for it to be to your liking. Jiung.

You tried to open your eyes, yet you were met with another layer of darkness. No matter how hard you tried to open your eyes and look around, you only saw an endless pit of black. What the fuck?

immediately, you heard another voice, another one that you had recognised from somewhere.

Your doctor?

“Doctor? Please tell me she’s okay— I— I dont know what to do, I’ve been talking to her for ages yet she wont respond or open her eyes— she told me she was getting much better! ” You heard jiungs cries, sorrow filling your brain. He was crying louder and more than you had ever heard him, and it just agonised you that you couldn’t tell him you were okay. You were okay… right?

“much better? oh no, you must of heard wrong, her condition is critical, and shes at her very last stages currently. The chances of her overcoming the illness is decreasing everday and as of now, considering shes in a coma— its nearly impossible for her body to fight back”

Jiung started sobbing louder than ever, pure screams of dread ripping out of his throat.

Coma?….

You couln’t believe your ears. you were in a coma for god knows how long, and there was no way for you to wake up. And jiung would never know that you were conscious.

“Y/n— i had so much to confess and say and just as i thought i was going to have the chance— fuck, i even planned to get you daffodils after work so we could go to dinner together…Was—

Was it worth it y/n?”

you didn’t know the answer.

Was it worth it in the end?.

[thecherrytarot]

𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐞𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 #𝟐.

pile 1 → pile 2 → pile 3

Pick the photo that you feel the most drawn to. The questions that i picked for this reading were taken from this post. As always, this is a general reading so take what resonates.

𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟏:

What residual guilt are you holding?

You may feel guilty every time you make mistakes. The roots go back to your childhood for example, parents or teachers comparing your marks with others or your 'friends' comparing your less scores with theirs on purpose so that they would feel better about themselves, whatever the case was it stills affects your current self. Whenever you start something, you set expectations for yourself that you will become perfect at this instantly or before anyone else. Due to this, you might be emotionally invested in whatever you do and whenever you make a mistake or see someone else doing something easily, you start to question your abilities and think that they aren't good enough and feel like your younger self again. You are stuck in a negative mindset and have many toxic emotions like bitterness, resentment and hatred could be towards others or yourself, some of you may even use these emotions as motivation. You may often feel emotionally drained and find it hard to concentrate and focus on things.

message: "learning is all about trial and error and you will make mistakes but the more mistakes you make the better you will get. You might feel like you look stupid but don't give up. If you keep doing the work, you will achieve your goal. Then the achievement will mean a lot more to you. Be patient with the learning process. Try not to lie, to others and especially to yourself. The help you need will come to you at the right time, even though it seems impossible to you. So lighten up and stop being so negative or having 'toxic positivity' and remember that is okay to ask or receive help."

How can you be more nurturing to yourself?

Get out of your head and then you will realize that you are not alone. Allow yourself to be vulnerable because it is okay to feel your emotions. Let go of your habit of doing everything by yourself especially when help is offered to you. You may ask the universe or a higher power for help (even searching for some type of guidance online) for someone to help you get out of the mess but when the help does come to you, you decline it. You may feel like no one understands you or gets you or you are afraid that people might not care about you. But the universe wants to tell you that it is not true and you can feel connected to someone only if you allow yourself. Try not to shut down these offers out of fear of vulnerability. When someone offers to help you try being grateful and be vocal about it instead of your usual "no I can do it by myself". Nothing wrong with being independent but also there is no harm in asking for help. I got this strong message of 'you are at the right place, at the right time' so for some of you, the event and the people around you are due to a divine arrangement so maybe this could be your chance to heal a part of your inner child because there is a soul connection to those around you.

message: "Have the courage to even face the uncertainties of your life. Know that you will move forward as you did with your past challenges. Victory doesn't only come from achieving your goals, it also comes from winning over your fears. Do not be afraid of failing. When you were a baby learning how to walk, you fell so many times and even got hurt but did you give up on walking? No, but instead you got back up and look at you now. Take the risk to improve your life, even if there is no guarantee."

𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟐:

If you felt drawn to Pile 3, make sure to check it out as well!!

What residual guilt are you holding?

You might feel guilty for not taking control of your life decisions. You feel like you don't have enough 'knowledge' to make decisions, so always give others the authority to make the decisions for you. Maybe when you were young, you were made fun of or looked down on for making "silly" choices or selecting the wrong option. Now you could be like 'oh I just need outside advice about this xyz situation' and end up doing exactly what they said even though you do not like it because you feel like if you followed your own advice you would fail 100%) You may also feel guilty for procrastinating or ignoring the things that need to be done, its there in the back of your mind but some of you could try to shut it by saying "well what can I do about it? Now is not the right time for it!" and continue sitting in your couch potato position. Also for some of you, whenever someone brings up this topic you try to ignore it or get irritated by it, not in a childish way but in more of a "rebellious" teenager way. You may feel like no one loves you or cares about you and people are secretly hating on you and are jealous of you but for the majority of you, it is most likely in your head (imaginary haters). You have longed so much for something better and since you are not getting it (sometimes you may even feel like there is no chance of this future for you), you have unknowingly developed a pessimistic attitude even though you say that you are being "realistic" about life. There is a strong message about having two choices( you got like 5 cards about it). The universe is telling you that every day you have two choices; to feel the passion within you or to numb it. If you can find enjoyment in your life now, even more, will come. It is either to do or to not. If you don't do it, you can enjoy your comfort now while occasionally feeling guilty about it and later on feel overwhelmed because you do not have enough time for it or you could do it and give yourself time to process it.

message: "Stop thinking that you will grow only when your surroundings will change. You grow when you change. Stop thinking that you will only grow when you are forced to do it, that isn't the case here. This time it IS in your hands, it's up to you and if you fail, trust yourself to get back up. Every day you have a choice, you get to decide which inner voice to listen to. It feels like your inner child is trapped by this version of you. It asks you every day to change but you might listen to it."

How can you be more nurturing to yourself?

You are free, stop living in your head so much it is almost as if you made a prison for yourself. Let go of your fear of looking stupid. Everyone makes mistakes (even the person that you constantly go to for advice and consider authority) its normal to make them, we are all humans. Do not let this fear stop you from even starting something that you want. Let go of your 'pride' which is limiting you from growing. You also embody the strengths you admire in the people you look up to. Don't try to "compare" yourself to the talents, and achievements of others. Identify what life lesson you seem to be repeating, it is one of the big lessons you're here to work on. Instead of getting frustrated and wanting this to be over as soon as possible, learn what this repetition is teaching you. When you decide to change from your old patterns for something good and make efforts to improve yourself every day, it is something to feel proud of. Even if you do not see it, you are getting better and wiser every day.

message: "the answers you seek, can always be found within you. always remember that your inner wisdom will always guide you. try to have a positive mind because how you think affects your reality. if you feel like your inner self is telling you something like "oh we are not good enough for this anyway, and we have to accept it because that's how life works" then you are not hearing from your best self. you can do it, everything is at the table for you, and it is up to do something with it. The cycle of the same misfortunes is repeating because the reason could be rooted in something that you need to resolve from the inside. Your instincts will guide you toward the right action every time, but only if you are in tune with yourself."

𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟑:

If you felt drawn to Pile 2 , check it out as well !!

What residual guilt are you holding?

(i kept thinking about the song I know it's over by The Smiths while writing this song so give it a listen if you haven't already)

You might feel guilty whenever you get emotional. You might feel afraid to open up emotionally because you feel like it will backfire on you in the future and you will get hurt. Maybe when you were young you were shamed or made fun of for crying or being excited about things (i saw a little child collecting stones/ shells from the beach and then getting scolded by the parent, so take however that resonates) You may feel uncomfortable around emotions of others and unknowingly be cold towards because when you felt emotionally vulnerable you were told to not be so sensitive and you don't know what to do. Many of you could be men/ raised were raised as the "man of the house" from a young age regardless of your gender and you were told to toughen up because there was a time to have emotions and be "weak", especially from a mother figure (even in the song I recommended he is talking to his mother). Also, some of you think that if show your emotions it will lead to some sort of financial failure, which relates to the previous line where I said that some of you had to be the man of the house and had some sort of financial responsibility since a young age. Now you find yourself in an unbalanced situation, where you think that following your brain and shutting down your emotions is the right thing to do because that is what you were taught as a child but a part of you says 'this isn't how it is supposed to be, I am a human too, I am supposed to live life and feel too like all the others do.' For this, you will have to stop the thoughts that somehow convince you or put the fear in your mind that something bad WILL happen. When you are anxious about something that hasn't even happened yet, then you are harming yourself with your thinking. Tell yourself that your negative thoughts are just thoughts and not your reality.

message: "you have completed so many challenges, that chapter is done and dusted, it is over now. Now it is time for you to evolve. It is time for you to create the world that you always wanted, the one where your younger self would feel safe and not get judged for being childish, the one where your teenage self can shamelessly dance and laugh and the one where your current self can look at both of these versions and smile and help them make that sand castle at the beach (i keep seeing a beach. it could be a metaphorical situation or literal idk, but it is a message for someone.) Get out of the repeating cycle now that you have the knowledge and guidance to do so."

How can you be more nurturing to yourself?

(yeah there is something important about water bc all three cards you got have water-related images, so you could have a lot of water in your chart especially cancer or feel connected to water.)

Take a look around your environment. It has the power to unconsciously affect your mood and self-esteem. Cut out what no longer or never served you. You do not need it. The more you clean out your personal surroundings, you will feel less heavy and stressed on the inside. Your body and mind have been under immense stress, you have every right to live for yourself and be happy. Love yourself and be open to love. Renew your love for yourself and try to feel with your heart and not your ego. Slow down and enjoy the little things in life and learn to appreciate them. Learn how to balance being in the real world and what your inner self wants. You may feel like there is no time for 'self-care', but sometimes it is important to shut down your mind and listen to your body (you could even feel tremors in your body that happen due to a lot of stress) Protect your health and well-being first.

message: "Every day there is a new opportunity to feel grateful for existing, to make good choices, and to celebrate living. Go out in the sun, ride or learn how to ride a bicycle/horse and feel the warmth of a sunny morning. Stop being a night owl, it is affecting your body and you know it as well. Don't let pride stop you from making mistakes and asking for help. You are not a disappointment if you fail or take help from someone else. Everything always works out, it always has and will continue to do so."

Thank you so much for reading!!!

[sissificationblogpost1]

SISSY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NEWBIES AND EXPERIENCED SISSY

WHO are struggling with their Gurly side and fantasy

Sissy Training: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Unlock confidence and self-expression with our comprehensive beginner’s guide to sissy training.

Introduction

What’s sissy training, you ask? Well, if you’re here, you might have some ideas about it. But let’s clear up any confusion anyhow.

Sissy training is a transformative process that involves highlighting an ultra-feminine, drastically submissive persona.

For sissies, it’s a channel to locate, accept, and show off their authentic selves.

It’s not easy to find mediums for sissy training though.

Not when society is still, shall we say, narrow-minded. But just imagine it— just how liberating will it be to express your sissified self?

Many folks out there mistakenly think that sissy training is just about humiliation.

Absolutely not! It’s about finding power in being able to act without any inhibitions. Read on to learn more!

Understanding The Term “Sissy”

Some people might flinch at the term “sissy,” — a reaction we get thanks to society’s tendency to paint it in the wrong light.

But here’s the thing: we’re not society. We’re the redefiners, and so we must call out this misconception.

Today, “sissy” isn’t a smear or an insult. It’s a badge of honor, a sign of courage and self-acceptance.

“Sissy,” in its purest form, refers to a man who drowns himself immense femininity. Why would a man want this?

Think of it like a man’s breather in a world that expects him to do manly things. Such include being strong in every situation possible.

And pretending to be strong is very draining and exhausting.

It’s a man’s way to just let go. To be more intuned with his feminine persona and to heal.

To discover aspects of himself without shame and fear. A sissy can even adopt alter egos to explore more.

Does it involve submission? Sure, it can. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all label. It’s varied and rare for every practitioner.

The Basics of Sissy Training

Right off the bat, let’s address the elephant in the room: starting isn’t easy.

Heck, even I, with all my years of experience, look back on those initial, nerve-wracking steps. But guess what?

Nothing worth achieving comes easy.

Sissy training involves every feminine thing you can imagine. Femme behaviors?

Check. Femme clothes? Check. Femme thinking? Check!

The essence of sissy training lies in understanding that femininity isn’t a monolith— it’s a spectrum.

When you choose to be a sissy, you welcome the vulnerability and softness that comes with it.

But do not ever get this wrong— this “mellowness” also develops distinct strengths.

Such involves resilience and courage. They always go hand in hand, a part of the package.

Here’s a rundown of the absolute basics you must master first before progressing your sissy training:

Immerse yourself completely in your new sissy identity to commemorate your progress!

I’m talking head-to-toe transformation. And so, here are some practical advice I’ve picked up from my very own sissy education:

Dress the Part

What’s the best and easiest way to welcome your femme side?

A closet filled with your favorite women’s clothes, of course! But don’t just get everything!

Get those that fit you perfectly. Only give space in your wardrobe for those that complement your body type.

Your garb should also reflect your femme personality.

To help you get started, I suggest starting with the basics: a nice pair of stockings, a classy little black dress, and, of course, a pair of shoes that make you feel like a queen.

If you don’t have money to splurge, invest time rummaging through thrift stores, online sales, and hand-me-downs! Adopt Feminine Mannerisms

Do you want to look like a sailor dared by his unfunny friends to wear a dress for laughs?

Of course not! Your clothes make up about 50% of your presentation, but your gestures and poise, oh— they will take that up to 100%!

How can you “adopt” these mannerisms? Simple! By observing and engaging with the women around you!

Research indicates that you subconsciously mimic those you interact with, so take full advantage of this science!

Take note of how your graceful lady friend speaks, moves, and expresses their thoughts and feelings.

Who is involved in sissy training? It includes you— a male-to-female crossdresser (aka sissy).

You’ll go through various practices to make you an ultra-fem, subservient to another party in sissy training, your dom.

Other participants are your support system. It can include your fellow sissies, mentors, and allies.

How do I start my journey with sissy training?

Acceptance is first. Then, identify your motivations and objectives. Doing so will make your journey smoother since you have a map you follow. FOR QUESTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAM EMAIL : mistressforsubmissive746@gmail.com

Telegram @mistressforsubmissive1

[blueskittlesart]

Tell me your thoughts on the link is dead in MM theory?

yeah ok. i feel like it's pretty widely known at this point that i do not care for it but let's really go into why. in the post that i assume prompted this ask i compared it to a similar permadeath botw theory in that i feel both theories only work if one ignores the central theme of the game in question. in terms of theme, majora's mask and botw are quite similar. both feature a highly traumatized link after a hard-reset of his life and follow the beginning of his healing process.

majora's mask features the hero of time after the timeline reset. He is physically a nine-year-old boy, but he has spent significant time in the body of a sixteen-year old and he has spent much of his life essentially as a child soldier without any regard for his feelings. he has fought monsters that adults twice his size and age refused to get within 200 feet of, and NO ONE REMEMBERS THIS, because in order to restore hyrule to what it once was he went back and stopped it all before it even began. understanding what has been done to link and how he remembers the events of oot are crucial to understanding mm.

now we have the actual setting of mm, termina. termina is deliberately strange and off-putting immediately upon entering it. you as the player are meant to pick up on the fact that something is off about your surroundings. the entire game plays this up--something is Wrong about termina. you're never supposed to be completely sure if it's real or a dreamscape. truly, i don't fault people for looking at a deliberately offputting, dreamlike, horror-filled world like termina and equating it to some sort of afterlife. the skull kid himself is often interpreted as a metaphor for death in oot--being a child who wandered into the forest and never came out. (i personally see it more as a reflection of oot's greater themes of coming-of-age and adult/child relationships, but that's a point for another post.) i do understand that the evidence for the theory is THERE, and that the tendency to want to explain away the offputting environment of termina as link being dead is kind of natural. but I think it's worth examining WHY termina is the way it is; how its weird vibe ties back to mm's central themes and link's story arc within it. and when you do, in my opinion, the theory falls apart pretty quickly.

majora's mask is a story about healing from trauma. Link, as previously mentioned, is a child soldier who feels trapped between childhood and adulthood and who has seen firsthand that nothing he does matters because in the end no one but him will remember it. termina is designed to enforce this point of view, initially. link can do everything in his power to help the people of termina, to fix their problems, to be a good kid, but at the end of those 3 days no matter what he does the moon will always come crashing down and he will always have to reset. no one will remember him. he can't change anything, not really. but as you play through the game, you find one thing that DOESN'T go away with each reset--the masks. these are given as rewards for link's good deeds--physical representations of the good he has done, even after everything resets. even though he remains trapped in this cycle, he gains a little something for every person he helps, something that can't be taken away from him. he begins to have hope that everything he does isn't in vain. he begins to HEAL.

on the final cycle, when you've completed all the dungeons and you stop the moon, the game performs a check to see if you have all the masks. if you've done every one of the side quests and helped the people in termina, even though they don't remember it. the check comes in the form of a game of hide-and-seek, a metaphorical return to the childhood that link feels he has lost. if every mask has been collected, link receives the fierce diety mask, making the final battle with majora quite a bit easier. he becomes more powerful because he has taken the time to grow and heal and learn that what he does matters no matter if people remember him or not. this is a central point of majora's mask. and when he wins, when he comes out the other side, the message that greets the player is "Dawn of a new day." a promise that the story will continue. a promise of many more days to come. a promise that the cycle has been broken and everyone in termina, link included, can finally begin to truly live.

again, i think the tendency to equate an obviously metaphorical dreamlike world like termina to an afterlife is somewhat natural. but to suggest that link is dead in the context of a game that is fundamentally about link HEALING and continuing to LIVE is kind of ridiculous imo. a world can be strange and function as a metaphor without being an afterlife. the tendency to try to explain termina's oddity is natural, but the fact that it's not explained is part of the point. whether it really exists or not doesn't matter, what matters is that the spiritual journey link went on DID happen, and he came out the other side able to continue living. he broke the cycle. now a new day can begin. THAT is the point of majora's mask. if link is dead, then that point loses ALL of its impact. what awaits link after breaking termina's cycle if he's dead?? to me, it's tantamount to suggesting his fate WAS sealed. that it's TRUE that nothing he did mattered and he was too late to truly change anything. nothing you do matters when you're dead. mm just functions so much better on a thematic level if link is allowed to continue living in the aftermath.

[caspersickfanfics]

Day 2 of thinking about Tighnari’s lightening injury.

Cyno is unable to come see him immediately after it happens due to work stuff and saving Sumeru and whatnot, but by the time he does, he’s no less worried. While Tighnari has made good progress on healing by then, it’s clear that it’s going to scar. Some days are better than others, the pain is sporadic and unpredictable.

The day Cyno shows up is a good one. He’s tense and frantic, needing the sound of his partner’s heartbeat with every fiber of his being. He finds Tighnari in the kitchen, smiling while making dinner, and clearly expecting him.

Cyno is widely known to be inexpressive. He is sure that this is the case because his peers at the Akademiya had often complained to each other that he was “weird and unreadable” when he was within hearing distance. Many of his current colleagues have repeated this sentiment, albeit with more positive framing, often in the context of inquiring his advice on how to be more intimidating. Cyno hadn’t been much help in either situation; he’s simply always been inexpressive, whether it serves him or not.

Tighnari must be the only person who disagrees. Upon seeing Cyno, his brows furrow together, relaxed manner disappearing at once. He turns off the burner and trots up to his partner, taking hold of his hands and staring intently at his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asks. Cyno is voiceless, trembling. He squeezes Tighnari’s hands and then gently turns him around. He hesitates while lifting the corner of his partner’s shirt, but Tighnari gives him an encouraging nod. Cyno removes the loose-fitting, soft textured shirt and the expertly wrapped bandages beneath it, and then he is looking at a raw mess of burnt skin. A choked noise escapes him. Tighnari turns and cups his cheek.

“I’m okay,” he says gently. Because he can somehow read Cyno’s mind like a book, when no one else can even see him. “It looks worse than it is,” he continues. “It hardly hurts, today. I’ve been taking good care of it.”

Cyno applies a new coat of healing salve to the wound. Tighnari lightly complains that he’s being overly cautious - “It will take ages at this pace. Dinner will go cold.” - but Cyno stubbornly proceeds even more slowly, taking pride in being The Most Gentle with his partner. Tighnari deserves nothing but the best. By the time he’s wrapping him back up, Tighnari’s eyelids are drooping, and Cyno feels the twisted knot in his stomach begin to unravel at the sight.

They have dinner. Cyno convinces Tighnari to sit and relax while he heats up the food that did, indeed, cool off. Tighnari had simply rolled his eyes fondly. They eat and then spend the rest of the evening in a drowsy, comforting haze. Cyno helps Tighnari bathe around the wound, then grooms his tail and massages his ears. Tighnari feels spoiled, and says as much, but Cyno brushes him off with the first joke of the night: “You’re too sweet to be spoiled.”

After that, Tighnari realizes this is the best way for Cyno to heal and process and feel useful, so he stops protesting. He allows himself to let go of his reservations and be taken care of, for once.

They get in bed and start to drift off, clinging to one another. Once Tighnari falls asleep, Cyno’s ear finds his chest and stays there. These actions become something of a routine, as Cyno stays in Gandarva Ville for far longer than he would normally allow himself. He never lets Tighnari far from his sight. Although he has to go back to the city eventually, Cyno quickly becomes more adept at making excuses to take detours during work trips so that he can visit and check in on Tighnari.

[randoimago]

Dear Kat! I have read your excellent CR fandoms and was hoping for the "reader drunk love confession" trope with Ashton, Dorian, Orym, Mollymauk and perhaps my love Dariax? <3 (and any character you want to include)

Drunken Love Confessions

Fandom: Critical Role

Characters: Ashton Greymoore, Dorian Storm, Orym, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Dariax Zaveon

Type of Request: Headcanons

Notes: Technically I’m only doing four characters at a time, but you just had to use my weakness against me (I love Dariax v much). I’m glad to write this for you for all of these babes <3

Ashton

Oh he is just watching you stumble over your words and ramble about being in love with him. Except you think you’re talking to someone else about how amazing Ashton is.

It is a tad embarrassing to know that you feel so strongly about him. Might have to process your words a bit, but for now he’ll gladly ask you to go on with how much you love Ashton. What is it about the genasi that gets your heart pumping?

Absolutely mentions you being drunk off your ass the next morning. Wouldn’t bring up the confession since he doesn’t want to embarrass you when you’re hungover and probably wanting to die from that alone.

Would tell you that he likes you too. Might need time to fully process what exactly happened and make sure you were genuine, cause it was drunk talking and he doesn’t want to be your mistake.

Dorian

He’s nervously laughing as he’s scanning the bar, trying to find someone to help. He needs an adult.

Don’t get him wrong, he is very happy that you love him so much. But you’re so very drunk and don’t know what you’re saying and he’d prefer someone to come help you so if you do remember this, you don’t regret all of this entirely.

The next morning will be him constantly trying to make eye contact and seeing if you’re okay. And also trying to see if you mention remembering confessing to him because he really hopes you do so he can confess while sober.

Also wants to make sure he can talk to you before any possible miscommunications can happen because you were very drunk. If you do forget what you said then Dorian is going to just stew in that confession and be an unhappy genasi because what the fuck is he supposed to do with this information?! He’s awkward!

Mollymauk

Much like Ashton (it’s almost like Taliesin has a type with his characters), he’s teasingly asking you to go on about how much you love this purple tiefling of yours.

Does try switching your alcohol for water several times as he wants you to remember this so you two can actually talk about it the next day. Like hell he’s letting you run and hide from your confession.

Sure, it might just be drunken words that mean nothing, but he still wants to talk to you about it. If it is nothing then he’ll tease you endlessly. But he hopes it means something because he likes you too.

The next morning is him teasing you still but also taking care of you while you’re hungover, just being gentle because he loves you too.

Orym

Orym is very concerned and doesn’t quite know what to think with the drunken confessing. He really thinks you need to drink more water and that you’ll regret all of this tomorrow.

Which he is prepared to tell you it’s okay. That he’s fine being your friend still. Even if the thought hurts his heart, he doesn’t want to lose you due to drunken confessing.

Although with how drunk you are, he might decide to be a tad selfish. He already felt some guilt feeling this way for you when he still loves Wil. But he might let it slip that he loves you too. You’re drunk and there’s a good chance you’ll forget it in the morning.

The next morning is him checking on you and doing his best to get you some healing and water. He might bring up what happened, mostly being vague since he doesn’t want to embarrass you. Should you remember what happened then he’s ready to deal with the consequences of his actions (thankfully it’s good consequences).

Bonus! Dariax

God he’s also very drunk and you two are just being so overly cute with your “I love you” “Well I love you more!”

Dorian wants to put his head through a wall but decided to be the designated sober friend so you two don’t do anything stupid.

The next morning will absolutely be the genasi tuning his lute for hours to antagonize you both with the noise.

Rather you two remember what happened the night before, he doesn’t care (well he kind of does because he wants you two to be happy with each other and not awkward and silent treatment-y).

[violet27writes]

Echoes of Silence

Chapter 3: Truths and Lies

Sky-Centric. (Part 3 of ?) Ao3 Link.

Part 1, Part 2

- - -

Legend frowned.

Not that it was an unusual occurrence, or even an uncommon one. However, his frown was directed at Hyrule, something he knew had happened a total of fewer times than he had fingers on his left hand. But he felt like the traveler earned it this time.

Hyrule had done nothing but fret for the last four hours. Flittering over a still-sleeping Sky and just finally giving up on begging for magic potions. If that kid used any more magic, then they’d just have another body to nurse back to health. They still might have to if the brunette didn’t eat.

Yes, Legend was concerned for Sky. Yes, he waited impatiently for him to wake so they could assess the extent of the damage. But also, he wasn’t willing to let Hyrule harm himself in the process. He could get magic exertion from more effort, or heck, even magic poisoning if he got his hands on too many potions.

No one was doing any self-sacrificing on his watch, thank you very much. He’d stick by for good measure. Both to his successor’s side and to the Skyloftian’s sleeping form.

“Hyrule, please just sit down.”

“But what if he wakes up?” He asked, brows furrowed.

And that too! That stupid determined look on his face actually made him defiant. Refusing anything and everything if Hyrule decided he didn’t like it. “Hyrule. For the thousandth time, wearing yourself out isn’t going to help Sky.”

“But I need to be ready!”

“You aren’t helping-”

“Guys.”

Successor and predecessor met the cook’s gaze. In his hands, Wild held a platter of sliced fruit with a little bowl of cream and honey in the middle. He made a face that left no room for arguments as he set it in between them. “Eat. Dinner won’t be for a while still.”

There was a pause, as if waiting for an argument to start or for the other one to resume. Wild nodded, satisfied, returning to his cooking pot alongside Twilight.

Legend turned back to Hyrule, “You heard him. Now please eat.”

Hyrule didn’t move.

“I won’t eat until you do.” He continued. Did this boy’s stubbornness come from him? Legend sure hoped not.

There was a glance down at the platter.

The Vet sighed, “There’s honey in it.”

The kid finally broke, reaching for a strawberry to dunk in the cream mixture. He ate the whole thing in one bite, leaves and all. He grabbed a slice of melon next.

For a moment, Legend merely watched, as if to make sure Hyrule was actually eating. He was. So Legend ate an apple slice.

They ate in silence, occasionally glancing up at each other but never for longer than a second. Which was fine. Until they ran out of procrastination food.

The Vet sat back, thinking of the best way to break the silence. He wasn’t going to yell, knowing full well that hardly anyone reacted best to that. But logic didn’t seem to work on Hyrule right now. Sky wouldn’t be any better or worse if Hyrule wasn’t a foot away when he woke up. He had to have known that. Go for a more gentle approach, maybe?

He sighed, then opened his mouth to speak-

“Legend?” -As Hyrule cut him off. His green gaze was fixed on the grass in front of him. Voice soft and quiet.

“Yes?”

Hyrule’s ears dropped, nearly pinning themselves to the side of his head. “I’m sorry for being annoying. I’m just worried? Mad? At myself? I don't even know, Ledge.”

There it was, Legend thought, no yelling required. “And why is that?”

Somehow, the teen’s head ducked even lower. “I… He’s… hurt. And I don’t think I can fix it.”

Legend paused, relaying the words in his head. “You don’t… What do you mean?”

“There’s nothing wrong with his ears. I’ve checked over and over again, thinking possibly I’ve just missed something or wasn’t paying enough attention. But there’s nothing. The only injuries my magic can find is his lightning burns, which I can’t exactly finish healing right now. There’s nothing else to fix.”

Ironically, the following silence was deafening, heavy and suffocating. Hyrule looked hopeless.

‘Hopelessness’ was an emotion that Legend had a hard time deciphering with the Traveler. Having grown in such a desolate wasteland world, the teen never knew if he would have a safe place to rest his head for longer than a night. He was realistic, expecting the worst out of everything. It wasn’t hope that kept him alive, day after day, year after year. It was his resilience. His wit. His courage.

Hyrule rarely lost hope because he never held onto it in the first place. However, Legend had seen his entire outlook and mindset starting to change the longer he spent with the other heroes. He started to want things rather than just being content enough with what life brought him.

He would ask Wild for certain meals. Time to teach him better swordplay. Sky how to mend his trousers. Legend if he could sleep beside him.

And that was what ultimately led to Hyrule finding pieces of hope. Building it and watching it and holding it tightly without truly knowing what it was. He’d even asked Legend if he could explain that weird feeling that sparked in his chest.

Now it had fallen apart in his hands, leaving him with crumbs of whatever hope he had bound to his heart.

Hyrule was realistic. He didn’t lie or give sweet nothings. He told it like it was.

Legend began to reach out for his successor, drawing back as Hyrule moved out of his reach. That stung.

“So… You’re saying he’s deaf? For now, right?”

“Well, yes. But as far as I know,” Hyrule hesitated, giving Legend enough time to figure out the ending. “He might never hear again.”

⋟❋⋞

Screaming. Someone was screaming. Everyone was screaming.

One moment it was Zelda, or Groose, or Pippin. Yelling for him, begging for him to save them. He would run towards them, tripping over nothing and everything as this world was nothing but darkness. He would get closer and closer before someone else would cry out, from another direction. He heard Instructor Horwell, Impa, even Ledd, yelling and yelling until they simply stopped, leaving him to chase the next voice deeper into the darkness.

It was hard to breathe, his lungs working overtime as he gasped for breath. The air felt thicker as time went on. His head felt lighter. He tripped over and over on nothing but his own clumsy feet.

Then it was his brothers calling for him. No longer one by one. He could hear them all, screaming, yelling, crying out. Their voices came from every direction and Sky fell…

Warrior’s blood-curdling scream came from in front, Time and Wild from behind, Hyrule, Wind and Twilight to his right, Legend and Four on the Left.

“Help!”

Sky couldn’t move.

“Save us!”

Sky couldn’t choose.

“Stop them!”

He threw his hands over head.

“Please!”

The voices only grew louder.

Something grabbed at his arms.

“No!”

Please.

Holding him down to the ground.

“Sky!”

Make.

Pulling at his hair.

“Sky!”

It.

He was too late.

“Sky!”

Stop.

Always too late-

-The sound vanished the moment he opened his eyes, cutting off before another loved one could cry out his name in vain. His breath was heaving as he tried to gasp for air, coughing mutely as it caught in his lungs. Hands still held him down. He had no strength to fight back against it. Only, he realized he wouldn’t have to fight as the tears fell from his eyes and cleared his vision.

The Veteran was over him, pinning his wrists to the ground by his head, brow furrowed in a concerned way rather than in a pissed-off way.

Unknown hands carded their fingers through his hair, reminding him so greatly of Zelda and her presence. However, it wasn’t her. These hands were too calloused and swept his hair forward instead of back. But they were nearly as gentle.

Sky slowly opened his hands and revealed his palms in a ‘surrendering’ gesture. A moment later he was released, Legend moving to kneel beside him, next to a wide-eyed Hyrule. He found that the skin of his arms still stung and the muscles in them were too worn to make him want to move them at all. Instead, he focused on trying to breathe, closing his eyes, and trying to ignore the hot tears rolling down the sides of his face and hitting his ears.

With his eyes closed and his ears not hearing, it was hard to know how much time was passing. A small hand slipped inside of his. The hand on his head paused for a moment, lifted his head into their lap, carefully wiped the tears from his cheeks, then returned to comb through his hair.

‘Safe.’ He thought. ‘You are safe.’

Another hand began tapping on his left wrist- Tap tap tap, pause, tap tap tap tap tap. It repeated. It was matching his gasping. He breathed in. Tap tap tap. He breathed out. Tap tap tap tap. He tried to follow the pattern, inhaling, holding it, then exhaling. The taps eventually started to slow, the time in between breaths getting longer. The harsh air trapped in his lungs began calming down, leaving him with more controlled -albeit shaky- breaths. The pattern patently continued over and over. Repetitive. Something to focus on other than the dream he’d just been pulled out of.

When he slipped back into sleep, the people surrounding him kept the darkness at bay.

[techtakesoff]

thoughts on sylph of time ?

I like 'em/

The Sylph of Time

More stuff from the bottom of my drafts.

Sylph - passive creating class, one who heals/fixes their aspect, or heals/fixes with their aspect.

Time - control over time itself and the purity of the timeline, it represents patience.

The Sylph of Time is one who heals/fixes Time, or heals/fixes with Time.

The opposite of a Sylph of Time is a Prince of Space.

Healing and fixing through Time. Interesting. Immediately that makes me think that a Sylph of Time is a natural multitasker. Always bringing on some new big project one after another, and even if they get lost in the clouds about starting so many, they always try their hardest to set aside even a little bit of time for it.

They seem like the kind of person to love to compile old archives full of media that would be lost otherwise, and encourage definitely not illegal collection of these types of media.

The Sylph of Time is someone I can imagine keeping the Internet Archive up to date on all their favorite old websites, and donating to projects like that when they have the money for it.

In other sorts of terms, the Sylph of Time seems like someone who would split themselves up to help their friends. They feel like the kind of person to always want to be there for their friends, even if it means they sort of destroy their own health in the process.

They only want what's best for others, and in this sense, can be sort of overbearing about how much they try to involve themselves in their friends' lives. Perhaps it's a daily DM someone gets sick of or a constant stream of 'are you ok?'s that other people get sick of.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with being concerned for your friends like this, and the Sylph of Time isn't doing anything wrong, but part of the adventure that the Sylph of Time needs to go on is to learn that sometimes, you don't need to always be there for other people, that they can handle their own issues.

And that's okay, even if it takes a while. The Sylph of Time would likely need someone else to keep them in check for a change, to make sure that they don't obsess so hard over some project of theirs that they neglect their own needs.

[theotherbuckley]

❤️‍🩹 ❤️‍🩹 ❤️‍🩹 ❤️‍🩹 ❤️‍🩹

Finally getting to one of your several asks abshdhdh. Here’s a lot of sentences from healing fic ❤️‍🩹 (TW allusions to self harm and also Dr. Wells)

To his surprise Bobby doesn’t press any further, but he makes sure to check if any of their current candidates have online appointments.

They settle on three candidates, two women and one man all who have specialties of dealing with addiction and self harm in their patients. Buck’s not sure who to choose — he doesn’t really want to talk to anybody but he knows he needs to. He wonders if choosing the man will lessen the memory of Dr. Wells but for some reason the thought of talking about all of this to a man concerns Buck a little. He can’t explain it. Maybe it’s wrong of him to have any prejudice against a therapist because of their sex but the man reminds him too much of his father that he feels like he’d never be able to be honest with him.

That narrows it down to the two other doctors. Dr. Jefferson and Dr. Booth. He doesn’t like the idea of having to pick with nothing else to go on. What if he picks wrong and he ends up hating it?

“We could book an appointment with both doctors,” Bobby suggests, snapping Buck out of his thoughts. “We could see one, and if you don’t like her we still have the other. How does that sound?”

Buck’s nodding before he can fully process what Bobby’s saying. He trusts Bobby though and this is a good idea, even if it’s a little over the top.

“Thank you,” Buck says in affirmation and Bobby just smiles and looks for the next available appointment. It’s easier to find earlier appointments when Bobby ticks the box for “danger to self or others”. Buck has to try not to wince at that, no matter how true it is.

Tagging some other people who also asked about this fic (tell me if you don’t want to be tagged) @daffi-990 @actuallyitsellie @bucksbignaturals @steadfastsaturnsrings