#he realized the sphere was important for the boy

[nelkcats]

King and Joker

The bats were confused when Joker announced he gained a companion. His partner (or sidekick) is strong and has too many powers but looks sad. They tried to ask him if something was wrong but he remained silent. Joker liked to call him "The King", but he insisted that he was only "Phantom". The clown didn't care and continue with the nickname.

"King Phantom" tends to ignore when civilians are evacuated, feign ignorance when someone tries to escape, and has offered the bats bandages and medicine a couple of times. But when The Joker is present he becomes completely desperate and aggressive, as if he is fighting for something.

On the other hand, Joker got a completely new weapon, it was a green sphere that produced lightning but Phantom winced every time he saw him use it. On one occasion Tim swore he heard him whisper "Ellie".

Danny was scared, Ellie was unstable and anything he did could be fatal. When he arrived in Gotham looking for her missing core he didn't expect to find it in the hands of a clown. The clown realized that he had something to bribe him (although he didn't know how important it was) and began to order him around.

Danny hated it, he held back most of the time because he was fighting humans, not revealing many of his powers. And he would have killed the clown a thousand times if it weren't dangerous for Ellie. Joker would never break away from the core by saying it was "good luck", and would lock it in a ghost-proof cell, which is probably where he found it originally. The halfa just wanted his the girl back.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.168 thoughts REDO!

The bulk of this week's review wasn't directly related to Undead Unluck, so I'm going to delete that one and rework it into its own standalone post later. This post is going to start the same as before, but now it's going to address a point I meant to talk about and simply forgot because I got sidetracked

So, once again:

[Time for School]

HIGH SCHOOL! AU! HIGH SCHOOL! AU!

Man, this was one of the funniest chapters in a long time, from Fuuko ripping open Shen's eye to force Untruth onto Feng to Feng realizing that he's been reduced to a gym teacher and won't get to fight anyone, I was laughing start to finish

I really needed it, too, I was having a rough day at work (when normally Jump day is my day off...), and this chapter cheered me right up!

Shen and Mui's relationship developing into an actual romance of course was a great way to start us off, and seeing Fuuko continue to wrap Feng around her finger gives me great hope for how his character is going to interact with the story going forward, but of course the real meat of this chapter was the Union infiltrating Chikara's school

I'm sure that Tozuka will think of a way to actually incorporate everyone into the plot to save Chikara's parents, but man...do they really need to be here? I think that any one of them would be sufficient to stop a truck from hitting some pedestrians, and yet here everyone is, wearing costumes and faking credentials to get close to an underage boy

Boy, sounds bad when you put it like that...

Anyway, of course this is the mission that Fuuko is the most excited about. Fuuko's greatest regret is that she couldn't live a normal school life, so while this is clearly wholly unnecessary to helping Chikara, it's absolutely vital to Fuuko to do this. I imagine it's going to help endear the group to Chikara, too, but this isn't really about him. It's the one truly selfish thing that I think Fuuko is going to be doing in the series, and she deserves it! Treat yourself, girl!!!

And again, there is no need for her to bring everyone else along if she just wants to play high schooler. But let's be honest, there was no way she wasn't going to bring them along. Not only would she want all of her loved ones to be present for what is going to be the most important side quest of her life, but consider this: NO ONE ELSE HERE HAD A NORMAL LIFE EITHER!

Shen and Mui grew up on the street, Billy's been a mercenary for lord knows how long, Sean was in the cartel! I could go on! Sure, a lot of them probably went to high school normally and had these experiences already, but their lives have been screwed up for so long by this point that it'd definitely be good for them to have a taste of normality. Not even just by virtue of being Negators, the way that everyone here has lived their lives has simply been abnormal, so letting them have normal jobs and normal friends is a great way for them to get a basic idea of how their lives could look once everything with God is resolved. Many of them likely won't choose a life like that, but still, having that perspective could really change the trajectory of their lives by expanding their horizons

I just think it's a shame that so many other characters don't get to be here. Sure, world-famous boxing champion Void Volks and American military captain Creed wouldn't make much sense to be here, but c'mon...you did this arc BEFORE recruiting Tatiana?!

The other girl who missed her entire adolescence??? The other girl who can never touch another person??? THE GIRL WHO CHIKARA HAS A CRUSH ON??? She would have been perfect! ...Assuming that she won't be stuck in Sphere this time...oh god, that's probably why, she's still going to be in Sphere and wouldn't be able to go to school...

Also sad that Andy can't be here, but it was established LOOONG ago that he can't pass for a kid in this very school, so while it would be nice to see Fuuko and Andy play high school sweethearts, it would definitely be tricky to pull off. But who knows, maybe this is where we'll finally get him back? Probably not, but I'd like it

I don't expect to see much if any combat in this arc, but weirdly, I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm really excited to see a more domestic look at this cast, and as we've established, Tozuka is just super funny, so this is probably going to be, at least for the next couple weeks, a fantastic slice-of-life manga. I know I said it about the Hong Kong arc too, but I think this is the most excited I've been about an Undead Unluck arc

It definitely says something about Tozuka's quality as an author that he's made me say that two arcs in a row

[gladiatorofthevoid]

Rise April Challenge Day 1: April O’Neil

Next - Masterpost

Ao3 link: here

Today, April had learned something very important, something that she was quite mad at her mom for not telling her. And that was that people were overrated and mean. They weren’t worth her time, and she was never going to talk to one again. Screw those stupid cartoons, the power of friendship was dumb, and she didn’t need it!

The first day of school had not been fun for April O’Neil. Turns out, that kids can be cruel and will easily turn on someone that is even slightly different.  

She laid down on the grass under an old tree and watched the other kids run around the jungle gym with narrow eyes.

She was mad, enraged even, and if her mom thought that a trip to the park would cheer her up then April would prove her wrong. This was not the type of mad that went away with swings and ice cream. This was a life changing type of mad, the kind that made people wear black and laugh evilly. Yes, this was a supervillain mad. And April didn’t think she would mind being a bad guy, they were cool, and they didn’t need any friends.

They didn’t get lonely.  

She wasn’t lonely. She was mad. She was mad. So mad that there was no room to be lonely. She-

Something fell out of the sky inches away from April’s nose. She jumped and scrambled back, fear and shock playing across her face. The thing lay unmoving on the ground as she tried to catch her breath. April looked up into the tree above to see where it had fallen from, but nothing was there. She looked back at it on the ground, and after a moment bent over to pick it up.

It was only about the size of her fist, round and purple, cold and smooth in her hand, and she turned it around. No markings or anything. Was it an egg? Could there be purple eggs? She put it near her ear and shook it. Nothing. April put it back on the ground and stared at it. What were you meant to do when things fell from the sky? Should she just leave it? Tell someone? Call 911? Did this happen a lot?

The egg-thing had apparently gotten tired of waiting for April to do something, and she watched as it sprouted legs. It was so sudden that it took April a few seconds to realize what had happened, she blinked down at its four limbs folding out of its body. Then the thing bolted away from her, towards the bushes that bordered the park.  

“Hey!” She sprinted after it, “Come back!”

It was fast, scurrying across the ground like a spider. Dodging and weaving its way around rocks and sticks. It was too far for her to reach, and it was about to disappear into the scrubs, never to be found again. But she was April O’Neil, and it would not get away that easily. She flung herself forward, arms outstretched, and eyes shut tight as she dove into the bush. Her knees scraped against the ground as she slid, and the branches scraped and caught on her clothes as she broke through the wall of leaves. But her hand had closed around the sphere. She had it.

“Ha!” she shouted “Got ya!” She opened her eyes and stopped when she saw two tennis shoes at her eye level. April looked up and met two wide black eyes, framed by square glasses.

“Uh...Hi?” April said. The masked kid jumped backward, stumbling away from her and falling onto his butt. “Hey! It’s ok, I was just chasing this thing.” She held up the purple sphere so he could see it. “It fell out of a tree and grew legs!”  

The boy did not respond, shrinking into his oversized hoodie, sleeves falling over his hands and the collar covering the bottom of his face. Silence stretched between them for a few seconds as April waited for the kid to talk. He didn’t.

“My name’s April, what’s yours?” Silence.

“Are you ok?” Nothing.

“Can you talk?” The boy shakily nodded. Well, that was a little better. She slowly sat up on to her knees, before looking at the other kid again. “Sorry it I sacred you, this thing was just super cool, and I didn’t want it to get away.” The boy uncurled slightly and leaned a little forward.

“You think it’s cool?” April blinked at the odd question but nodded.

“Yeah, it just fell out of a tree and grew legs all by itself!”

“Well not all by itself.” The boy reached into his jacket and pulled out a blocky remote control. He punched a few buttons and the thing in her hand wiggled out of her grip and ran toward the boy. April’s mouth dropped open.

“It’s a robot?” she asked, amazed.

“Yes,” the boy said sitting straighter and smiling proudly, “I made it.”

April’s eyes widened “Really?”

“But of course. I am testing out different joint attachments and its flexibility so it can climb and cling to different surfaces, that way-”

The boy sat up straighter as he talked, arms waving and gesturing to the bot as he talked. April smiled and listened. She decided that she liked this kid, he was weird. But in a cool way, and he was going to be her friend. But he had acted super jumpy before when she had tried to talk to him before, she would need to be sneaky.

The boy was lost in talking about wires and frequencies, legs kicking out in excitement. Perfect. April scooting closer, nodding and smiling even if he wasn’t really looking. Almost. Almost. He stopped talking when she shoved her hand in front of his face. He looked up at her, scrunching his eyes.  

“My name is April.” She said with a smug grin, happy to have managed to confuse him enough that he wouldn’t just run away.

“Yes, you said that already,” he responded dryly.  

“Yeah, but you need to tell me yours and shake my hand.”  

“Why?”

“Because.”

“That’s a stupid reason.” He turned his head away defiantly.

“Well, I can’t be your friend if I don’t know your name.” She said. The boy’s body stiffened, and he slowly turned towards her.

“You want to be friends with me?” he asked shakily. She smirked.

“You have to tell me your name first.” she demanded. He hesitated and squirmed, April stood still holding her breath. It was all or nothing now. The boy took a breath and locked eyes with her.

“You can’t take it back.” The boy declared.  

“Deal.” She reached to take his hand, but he pulled it back.

“And! You have to be my brothers’ friend too.” April shook her head. While more friends sounded exciting, she wasn’t going to just agree without meeting them. Kids could be mean after all.

“No, I haven’t met them. What if I don’t like them?” The boy paused to think.

“If you like them, then will you be their friend?” He asked. She nodded, that seemed fair. The boy reached out and took her hand. “I’m Donatello.”

April eyes widened as she staired down at her new friend’s green, three-fingered hand, and after a moment smiled at him.

This was going to be way more awesome than being a supervillain.

Next - Masterpost

Ao3 Link: Here

Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge.  Also take a look at @rise-april-art-challenge​ for more submissions. Please give feedback if I need to work on something.

[carpathxanridge]

every once in a while these advice columns come up on my google feed and i read them and get so infuriated by the absence of feminist awareness. she blatantly said it! “earrings are a beautiful way to adorn a little girl (or boy!)” there’s a reason why “or boy” is in parentheses, because it is not a common western cultural practice for the obvious reason that boys are not seen as objects to ADORN in the way that girls are.

“i’m tempted to tell you to defer to your wife as a woman in this situation” despite earlier pretending this isn’t a gendered issue by suggesting baby boys could be similarly adorned in infancy with earrings, she reveals in this bias that this is absolutely about gender. earrings, dresses, makeup, these are all the feminine sphere that it is seen as the mother’s responsibility to guide her daughter in. of course her impulse would be to dismiss this man’s skepticism as ignorance to how girls should be raised. doesn’t he know this is a common cultural practice? but in fact, this is a rare case where a man’s separation from the feminine sphere gives him insight into a pretty obviously backwards cultural practice—of COURSE piercing a toddler’s ears is about “satisfying” the parents’ desires over respecting the child’s agency, and the hypothetic of tattooing a child while hyperbolic is appropriate in that both would needlessly inflict pain for aesthetic purposes. not to say that this father’s objection is feminist, but he’s able to see this situation much more plainly than a woman whose kneejerk reaction is to defend a practice that was done to her, which she goes on to inflict on her own daughter.

“i’ve never heard of a person who had it done and resented it.” perhaps that’s because piercing a baby girl’s ears is one action of many that grooms her into femininity, which most girls don’t grow up to reject in a patriarchal society. women generally don’t like to confront how they were socialized and had their agency undermined by their own parents, feminist consciousness is uncomfortable. while i can’t speak from experience, as someone whose ears weren’t pierced in infancy, i can say i APPRECIATE my mother did not do this to me and gave me a choice. i think i would have ultimately resented her otherwise and am sure there are many gnc girls who share that sentiment. and even though i WAS scared when i chose to get my ears pierced as a girl (after peer pressure), i will always be thankful to my mother that she didn’t force femininity on me in this barbaric way. it may be a small symbol, a moment that doesn’t remain in a girl’s conscious memory, but it’s important for what it represents.

“it can be scarier for a young kid to face a piercing needle than a toddler who wouldn’t realize what’s happening.” but do toddlers not feel pain? when is it ever justifiable to inflict pain on a child for aesthetic reasons, even if only for a moment?

and her conclusion: it isn’t that deep so just concede, there’s no real downside. i despise this attitude that cultural practices don’t have meaning outside of their immediate impact. what happened to matters of principal? girlhood is enduring countless moments of minimal harm and little immediate consequence but which inflict great representative harm and consequence in their cumulative impact on a girl’s psyche. being critical of these moments shouldn’t be seen as overly principled or pedantic, and in fact recognizing these moments is the first step in forming feminist consciousness.

[howtobecomeadragon]

That post you made further proves the Mike/Hopper/Brenner parallels as well. El wants love from Mike not specifically because she expects him to love her romantically, but she's lost without Hopper. Hopper/Mike parallels have always been intentional since S2 I think, heck, maybe even since S1. When Mike is not there to feed and look after El, Hopper fills that role for her in S2. Combine with S3 and S4. El was feeling lost in S4 due to Hopper, we see it right at the beginning when she was talking about him at the class. Is it a coincidence that this whole Mike and El fight were happening when El was trying to fix her Hopper school project?

Then when she finally finds Hopper and when Hopper returns, El doesn't even look for Mike for a second, LMAO. She goes to Hopper right away and seeks comfort and support from him after all the shit that's went down.

Well said, anon, thank you!! Yes, El working on fixing the diorama is such an interesting part of their fight scene. It's literally showing us where her head it at and is placed between Mike and El for a big part of the conversation.

(With the exact same placement that Mike, the closet, and Will have in their scene in the next episode, showing what's on their minds in some way: the closet)

And with El having that parental figure back in her life, that she trusts and loves (not that she doesn't care for Joyce but we didn't see them bonding too too much, and it's just not the same as her relationship with Hopper), I do think we're going to get a very different El, as far as what she feels she needs and how she needs to get it.

With Hopper, she has unconditional love, a support system, someone to teach her and to listen to her, someone to help her navigate life, all of those roles in an appropriate parental figure. With that, and with having other platonic bonds more solidified (close friendship with Max, maybe seeing more with Lucas, brotherly bond with Will especially but also Jonathan), and without her younger and more carefree attitude about making out with Mike ("life isn't just about stupid boys", "what do you like," just being disillusioned about Mike's focus on her powers and struggles saying I love you), I think it's going to be a lot easier now for El to rip off that bandaid and acknowledge that she doesn't need Mike anymore to fill the romantic + familial + platonic roles in her life. She's getting love from so many places, especially what's most important for her, familial love, and she's going to realize that she doesn't want Mike with his foot in three spheres of love for her anymore, especially because he was doing a shitty job of providing that romantic and familial love in s4 anyway.

She won't feel a need to overcompensate with romantic love as she will have her familial love back, so Mike can go back to where he fits best for El, providing platonic love.

[loorain]

Sims 4 Fontenot Legacy Gen 4 Spotlight - Anya Akiyama

Anya Akiyama was born to mother Kira Akiyama (and then Lay) and father Ezequiel Galvin. The two were teenagers when they found out they would be parents, Kira taking on the responsibility on her own. Ezequiel did come and visit a few times, but subsequently stopped after the death of Kira. Anya initially wanted to see her father, but as she grew up in the love and care of her mother, step-father, and aunt, she never wanted for him again. Anya is an incredibly gifted sim, mastering singing and violin as a child and making videos that transformed her into a two-star celeb during her childhood years. When she aged up into a teen, she continued to grow her channel and reached the top level of the celebrity track, earning a Starlight Award and star.

For Anya, being the best at everything she does is important. When she aged into a teen, it was important for her that she becomes a part of the popular crew and she worked hard to grow in her celebrity status to help make the process easier. This meant she dedicated her time to these interests, putting school by the wayside. It worried her stepfather and aunt, who have tried to keep her on the right path. Though she is failing her classes, Anya has successfully made a career for herself in the social media sphere, making regular royalties off of her videos and causing pandemonium wherever she goes. To say she was a younger entrepreneur would be an understatement. Unfortunately, with fame at a young age also came the negative effects; experimenting with substances, entertaining multiple boys, and falling pregnant.

When Anya discovered she was pregnant, she was horrified. Not only was she following in her mother's footsteps in a way Kira desperately tried to protect her from, but the scandal of being a teen mom in the celeb world could very easily ruin everything she worked towards. When she told the father, Haru, he was ecstatic. One day shy of aging into a young adult, Haru was more than willing to take on the role of dad to their child, but Anya couldn't accept it. There were discussions about ending the pregnancy, but Haru was adamantly against it. Anya struggled with deciding what to do while keeping her pregnancy a secret from her family as long as possible, but eventually, her aunt confronted her, sensing something was off. She confessed everything, and though Scarlett was upset, she was supportive and told her she needs to tell her stepfather. When she confessed to him, he was blindsided, not realizing at all what she had been hiding from him. Thinking of his late wife, he swallowed his anger and told Anya that she is loved and supported, no matter what decision she makes. After careful consideration, Anya decided she would have the baby, but Haru would be the one to raise it. She gave birth to a boy named Colt, who is now a young toddler living with his father Haru. Anya did not see Colt again after his birth until her younger cousin Sabrina's birthday party. After avoiding her responsibility as a mother throughout his infant and early toddler years, Anya has finally accepted her son and wants to be a good mother to him. Thankfully, her relationship with his father Haru, has also progressed positively. The two recently got engaged, but they will enjoy a long engagement period while Anya finishes high school and her teen years.

Anya continues to live her life in the celebrity sphere and though she is in multiple exclusive relationships with Haru and her childhood friend Sergio Ito (pictured in the first photo), she and Sergio are taking a break. With her relationship with Haru progressing, it seems that she and Sergio may part ways for good, though the break-up seems like it will be generally amicable. Time will only tell what will be in store next for Anya.

[pixelatedsushirolls]

I was Born, But...

This film made me realize how badly I want for people to make more silent films, or to recreate the aesthetic of a silent film. There is something so entertaining about every single scene being overdramatized by the orchestra. When it came to the film itself and the contents of its story, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't constantly laughing throughout. Despite this movie being made in a different country almost a century ago, I was still able to form a deep connection to the characters and the themes within the over-arching story - the troubles kids may face when moving to a new neighborhood and the various ways one may be deemed as important. Me and my roommates were constantly laughing throughout the movie, as watching the boys skip school, form little "gangs", and perform a hunger strike, was reminiscent of the times when were that young and naive - before we were fully able to understand that there was a world outside of our small social spheres and before we could comprehend that status within the real world is more than then who could fight the best or who has the coolest dad. One scene I found interesting was the scene in which one of the boys was showing off how his father could take out his teeth. In the real world, having this ability would give no one any status and, in fact, would most likely cause for most people to down on his father as he doesn't have the means to properly take care of his teeth. However, to the boys, this is something to be bragged about, as it is something that not every dad can do. This contrast in world view shows up again later when the boys go to watch the home movie. The two new kids become upset as their father as they have recently gained a high social status within their "gang" yet their father was constantly bowing to Taro's father. The two new boys are not able to comprehend why their father is subservient to Taro's father and become upset with him - throwing the same type of tantrums we used to when we were a child. It is this contrasting world view, that I think truly makes this story relatable, as we can remember the time we had the same line of thinking that the children do and thus we can emphasize with the children, yet as the adults we understand the adult's point of view as well. Thanks to this relatability, stories like this one are able to connect to others from despite being from different times and places.

[pesterloglog]

Jade Harley, John Egbert

Act 5, page 2868

-- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] --

GG: john are you there???

EB: whoa, hey!

EB: you're awake!

GG: yes!

GG: im so relieved to talk to you and hear youre ok

GG: i mean.......

GG: are you ok john? your dream self i mean

EB: oh, yeah.

EB: i am pretty sure that i...

EB: he?

EB: am/is fine.

EB: i woke up on the battlefield which was on fire, and had flaming bits of prospit everywhere.

GG: :(

GG: yes, but that was not prospit. that was its moon which was severed by the crazy derse agent

EB: oh, you mean jack?

GG: i dunno!

EB: that is his name, karkat told me.

EB: i saw him there too.

EB: oh!!!!!

EB: i also got your present, and it saved my life!

GG: really?? :D

EB: yes, the bunny was so awesome, it was definitely the best bunny i got today.

EB: thank you so much, jade!

GG: <3

EB: when jack saw it, he flew the hell away. and then the bunny and i went on an adventure together.

EB: does the bunny have a name? i asked him but i don't think he can talk.

GG: i dont know! i did not give him one after applying the upgrades

GG: i gave her a girls name when i was very young, but now she is a different bunny, and also a boy i guess?

GG: its up to you john, he is your bunny

EB: oh, i did not even think of that.

EB: well if she grew up as a girl, then it's not right for me to suddenly make her a boy.

EB: hmm...

EB: you have no idea how tempted i am to name her casey again.

GG: hahahaha

GG: again?

EB: yes, i named a young salamander casey earlier, but then i left her at rose's house.

GG: you were at roses house??

EB: yes, but she was asleep.

EB: also, apparently i am supposed to marry rose. karkat said so.

GG: what!!!!

EB: it is true, it is a fact from an alien.

GG: ugh he is so weird

GG: you shouldnt listen to him!

EB: heheh, i did not take him that seriously.

EB: but karkat is cool, he is angry and funny.

GG: D:

GG: he is angry and a huge pain in the ass

GG: have you ever talked to two of him at once????

EB: haha, no!

GG: dont ever do it! you will get a headache

EB: that sounds kind of awesome.

GG: noooooooo, think again

EB: i've got it.

EB: i will name her liv tyler.

GG: ????

EB: the bunny.

GG: :|

GG: you mean from armageddon?

EB: yeah!

GG: john that is so stupid

GG: but also kind of cute i guess

GG: ok then the bunny will be named after your silly movie star fantasy crush

EB: it's too bad i can't marry liv instead of rose.

EB: the girl i mean, not the bunny.

EB: but i guess she is probably dead now, along with all the other glamorous movie stars who come out to shine on the silver screen.

EB: that's pretty sad.

GG: yeah......

GG: that reminds me john

GG: have you looked in the lab yet?

EB: the lab?

GG: the big room in the sphere at the top of the tower

EB: oh, no. why?

GG: could you do me a favor and not look in there?

EB: ok. why, is there a secret in there?

GG: its nothing that secret or personal or anything....

GG: it is just something kind of sad and weird for you to see

EB: what is it?

GG: it is my dead dream self

GG: it has been there for years, i always knew i would die but i did not realize it would go like this....

EB: oh...

EB: errr...

GG: what?

EB: i have sort of already seen... that.

EB: not in the lab, but on the battlefield.

GG: oh no!!!!!

GG: im sorry john :(

EB: it's ok.

EB: i was so confused and sad when i saw you lying there...

EB: i'd rather not talk about it i guess.

GG: i understand

EB: but, i wonder...

EB: if your dream self died...

EB: then what were you just dreaming about now?

GG: ummmmmmm

GG: i think i would rather not talk about that either

EB: ok, that's cool.

EB: oh, also...

EB: i found your ring.

GG: you did????

EB: yes...

EB: but then i woke up, and didn't have it anymore.

EB: so i am not sure where it is now.

GG: oh nooooooo

GG: john that ring is really important, it belongs to the white queen!

EB: oh, whoa.

GG: when you go to sleep again, you should try to find it and keep it safe!

EB: ok, i will do that.

EB: hey jade, we have a lot to catch up on, but how about later?

EB: we have to hurry, remember there is a big meteor heading for you right now?

GG: yes i have seen it, it is so huge ._.

GG: how much time do you suppose we have?

EB: i will find out now!

[princetonmontessoriacademy]

How To Teach Your Baby Boy To Respect Women

As the parent, it is your duty to sow all the seeds of good behaviors in your child so that he will be grown as the ultimate gentleman with time. The unrest of time has made the younger generation so much impatient that it has been literary scary; especially for women. Many news regarding the misbehavior or harassing the girl are circulated every day. In this scenario, it is the duty and responsibility of the parents of the baby boy to teach him the right way to treat the women.

If your child is going to the Preschool La Canada Flintridge, CA; you have to understand that this is the right time to make him realize how special the girls are and they are equally able to the boys in every sphere of life.

To grow a gentleman, you have to teach them social etiquette from a very early age. Here are some tips that will help you to guide them on the right path.

The     first and most important lesson is to teach the kid respect, compassion,     and kindness for everyone; irrespective of gender, race, or age. The sense     and knowledge of these virtues will help him to become a courteous man in     the future. From his very early age, when he will start to treat people     with respect; it will become his characteristic.

It     is true that the children love to copy and they learn things quickly when     they have a role model. It is good for your son to have a positive role     model like his father or grandfather who respects women. When they will     see someone who treats women with respect, they love to follow it. If you     find someone who is disrespectful towards women, you need to discuss the     behavior with your kids to let them know that it is not right.

Always     be a friend with your kids so that they can express their feeling to you.     If anyone says any offensive things against women, they may inform you.     You have to be the support system for your kid and teach him to accept     disagreement and opinion of other people.  

[radiancehero-blog]

Profile: Tobin

Name: Tobin Species: Mewtwo (Gen 2 Shiny, Alpha Status) Date of Birth/Creation: December 23, 2000 Nature: Gentle Characteristics: Strong Willed Ability: ??? (It isn’t Pressure, I can tell you this now.) Moves: Psystrike, Judgement, Transform (Hidden Move), Shadow Sphere (Custom Move. Type: Dark) Friends (If Tobin appeared in TC-96′s Comics): Ash Ketchum (Sees the Boy as someone important to the twos, despite their own personalities of distrusting Humans), Mewtwo (Mainly because of Tobin’s appearance as a Mewtwo but not the Nature of Mewtwo.), Newtwo (Tobin understands Newtwo’s concerns since Tobin also has issues with certain Humans. But the Human that owned Tobin was very kind to it and would often comfort Newtwo like its Trainer did.), Huey (It’s unknown if Tobin and Huey will get along despite them being Shiny Pokemon. However, Tobin is kind-hearted for a Mewtwo and has feelings that resemble a Human’s. This makes Tobin more protected against Many things that Huey and the Twos are more vulnerable to.), Pigment (It’s quite unknown if Pig and Tobin will get along... And with Pig still an infant, Tobin is awfully concerned for Pig’s safety, especially even if Newtwo is doing its best to protect Pig...) Enemies: Giovanni (After hearing what this Evil Man did to OG Mewtwo. Tobin has grown a very deep hatred towards Giovanni and Team Rocket. He even has a high level Empathy towards Mr. Fuji, who was forced to create OG Mewtwo in an effort to save his Daughter, Amber... but Tobin felt sad since he realized that Giovanni lied to Fuji... And this was the Start of Tobin Hatred towards Giovanni and Team Rocket altogether.) Darkrai (While not an actual Enemy, Darkrai first thought Tobin was manipulated by Giovanni when the two Pokemon encountered each other. However, Tobin never attacked and this confused Darkrai. Though, when Darkrai looked at Tobin, it noticed that Tobin wasn’t manipulated at all. Tobin was acting normal for an Alpha Pokemon. But Tobin never lashed out in a rage nor even attempted to attack Darkrai. So this was only a temporary Enemy of Tobin’s. Darkrai apologized to Tobin for attacking it without looking into the matter a little harder. Tobin’s Human-like Emotions are exactly true when it forgave Darkrai.) Related Family: Arceus (Tobin and Arceus connect with each other at times to check on each other. Because Tobin has Arceus’s DNA, Tobin is a special member of Arceus’s “Family”. Often proud of it for protecting those it cares. Especially to Ash and the Twos.), Mew (While the Mew in Tobin’s Universe is aware of Tobin’s Existence, this Mew isn’t. However, Tobin understands this Mew’s concerns with OG Mewtwo. Even if Tobin is a Differently colored Shiny Variant of This Mew’s Child, Tobin cares for this Mew as it does with its own Mew. And Mew might understand something about Tobin if Tobin is willing enough to reveal its Genetic DNA that made him up, which might surprise this Mew.) OT: Ikari (Tobin’s Official Trainer... and Best Friend. Ikari often felt shy around people that he’s never met before. Tobin is usually by his side... but when Tobin suddenly disappeared one day, Ikari fell into deep fear andf went to loom for his Missing Pokemon.)

[yaldev]

The Aether Suppressor

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the Ascended Nation, I welcome you all!”

Acolyte Decadin is about to go down as one of the most important men in all of human history. Two skills, honed over years of practice, have gotten him here: Aethereal innovation and public speaking. It's an unusual combination, but the former depended on the funding he secured with the latter. His charming smile was practiced, but his gleaming brown eyes are all-natural. Thousands have come for the grand unveiling of his creation.

Floating above Decadin is a circular construct the size of a building, made from crystalline blocks arranged in accordance with the newest scientific findings and magical theories, several of which he'd made up himself. Far above, lightning bolts of many colors jet through the cloudy sky. This fearful display is a symptom of the Aethereal plague wrought on this world, a symptom which will never lurk again above the city of Pelbee.

“Since the dawn of time, Yaldev has been ravaged by the forces of chaos. Primitive theories viewed mana as a requirement of nature, but science and religion have together revealed the truth. Time and time again, we've seen the Aether's constant invasions destroy our wildlife and threaten human society."

The most important thing to remember: keep, the jargon, out. These aren't academics. Stick to language they can understand, and go slow on the big words.

“Many have called for a blockade on the Aether, to stop its flow entirely. It’s an idea that has fascinated me for years, but as of late, I’ve realized it’s impractical. Why block the Aether's power when we could learn to harness it?"

Murmurs drift among the crowd. Uncertainty. Does this man speak of witchcraft? Does he reject Parc Pelbee's message? Time for a brief deviation from the script.

"B-Brilliant minds across the country are already finding new uses for this force, not by magic, but by reason and by faith in Pelbee. He created the Aether as a challenge for his creation to conquer, and reap the reward of eternal power! That is why we are the Ascendants!”

Yes, now they're starting to clap and cheer. Much better. Play up the grandiosity.

“Parc Pelbee's omnipotence manifests in our will and our actions. Just as our ancestors tamed the wild horses to pull their carts, we shall turn the greatest threat to our civilization into a source of prosperity!"

Give them a moment to conclude their applause and praise. Bask in it a little. You've earned it.

“But before we can harness it, we must control it. And so, with the life-changing support of the Exodus Academy, invaluable government grants and the generous donations of our sponsors, my team and I present: the Aether Suppressor!”

With the final word, Decadin's team of overworked engineers outside the event pull the levers and work their magic. A loud pulse emits from the wonder, accompanied by a nearly transparent energy field. With the appearance of permeable glass and the power of a dying god's decree, the field expands out across the crowd. Within a minute, the entire city is surrounded in a sphere of the nigh-invisible energy, stretching from the ground to the sky. As its peak approaches the clouds, the chromatic lightning targets the sphere in a final act of resistance. Once engulfed, the sky within the sphere is calm. No mana enters. The universe feels still. At peace. In order. The Aether Suppressor hangs in the air, slowly rotating and gleaming with a dim light of hope.

After a moment of silence, the crowd breaks into a deafening cheer. Acolyte Decadin shows his practiced smile and raises his hands to the sky, wanting to propel the praises of his people through the halls of history.

“Look at what we've all done together! Let this mark the beginning of a new era!” He shouts over the continuing cries of the excited masses. They have spent their lives in fear that mana would choose their home as a place to bubble into the world, devouring their loved ones. Decadin says more about what lies ahead, the means by which this aura could be expanded, but for now, none of it's heard, and none of it matters. This blessed relief, this energized optimism, this is his gift to the world.

---

Yaldev is a sci-fantasy worldbuilding project by Ulysses Maurer, with art by Beeple. By looking at narratives, stylized loredumps, bad poetry and little details, we'll witness the story of a planet filled with magical power, the nation which tried to conquer it, this empire’s dramatic collapse and the new world which emerged in its wake. Along the way we'll meet the characters who live here, and we'll explore questions about nationalism, rationalism, the natural world and the quest to master it. For all stories in chronological order, check out the pinned posts at r/Yaldev!

[en-hale-archives]

Me with You ~~

pairing ⑅ bestfriend!Jake x fem!reader

genre ⑅ friends to lovers, fluff, slow dancing, suggestive/smut

words/read time ⑅ 3.9k/12-19 mins

warnings ⑅ 18+ content, light cussing

synopsis ⑅ Jake is back in his hometown to spend time with his closest friend. During some fun and frivolous dancing, things start to heat up...

author's note ⑅ I’m really proud of how this story turned out. I'm not a huge fan of second person, so I wrote in first, but if anyone asks, I can copy and post again in second person. It's more fluff than anything, but it does get a bit steamier towards the end, so I’m just going to go ahead and put a warning.

————✧————

When the back door finally slammed shut and the cacophony of barks faded down the street, I could finally let out my sigh of relief that I had been holding in since this morning. I tapped on my phone. How many days had we been watching Mrs. Chen’s pets? And just how was I able to put up with hours of barking, the smell of fresh turd lying across the lawn, and dog walks till dark? Including their rigorous feeding times and bathroom breaks -- I’m surprised I haven’t exploded yet.

I had so much planned the minute they left my house, but instead, the sudden silence felt all too relaxing and I laid my head against the cold countertop. I could finally stop stressing, stop thinking, and stop worrying about reprimanding for chewing on my shoes or peeing in the house or the continued barking that never ended. I was free. I felt like I could’ve stayed laid on the countertop forever, drowning in the evening sun. Who knew watching five dogs would take such a burden out of a person. Jake and I had taken on the job of dog sitting for Mrs. Chen while she visited some family in Tokyo. We both switched off every other day; some of the dogs at my house and the others at his; until we realized it would be easier if he just spent the few days at my house as we co-doggy sat. He got up bright and early to take them on their walks while I prepared their highly detailed and specific meals. Then from there, we spent the rest of the day making sure they didn’t run off somewhere or cause too much destruction in the house. But alas, Mrs. Chen came back early from her getaway and picked up Toby, Caleb, Khao, Sofia, and Pickle on her way home. Although I was exhausted from watching 3-foot dogs all day, the pay was amazing for me, and it would help tremendously for all the online classes I was going to be taking next semester.

The warmth of the sun cast a comforting trance over my heavy eyelids, and soon enough I was fast asleep, standing in the middle of the kitchen with the soft sound of nothing surrounding me.

By the time I had fluttered my eyes open, I had realized I was now seated in my dining chair and a large black jacket was placed over my shoulders. I sat up and let out a yawn, wincing at the bright light coming from the tv and shaking my now numb arm awake. I must have been sleeping for a while because the evening sun had turned to pitch of black. The moonlight beamed through the window and danced along with the sways of the large oak tree out front. I stood up and walked over to the refrigerator in which I grabbed two water bottles and some leftover pasta.

I was sure that Jake hadn’t eaten since lunch, seeing as he only ate if someone sat food in front of his face. I dragged my feet up the stairs until I heard the slamming of a book and the fast typing of a keyboard come from the living room. I turned and looked behind me. Jake had settled his things on the coffee table and floor, large books, folders, and several amounts of crumpled up pieces of paper found their way around Jake, himself slouched up against the edge of the couch. He had changed clothes since the last time I had seen him, he now wore a plain blue shirt with grey sweats, his eyebrows furrowed as he worked hard on whatever he was getting at.

“Oh yes, I was starving!” Propping himself up on the couch, he took the plate of pasta. I placed the waters on the coffee table and settled comfortably on the couch beside him.

“I can’t say that I’ve ever seen anybody sleep standing up before. Look,” Jake took his phone off the charger. “I got a picture.” He pushed the screen in my face, and of course, there was my unconscious body laying on the counter, mouth open and all. I playfully pushed it back his way as his face lit up with a smile I was all too familiar with.

“What are you doing down here so late, it’s almost 12 in the morning,” I asked. Jake’s smile disappeared when he was reminded of the work he had been doing seconds before.

He let out a large huff of air. “Trying to get some words on paper but instead it turned into a paper massacre,” he jokingly replied, “sorry for the mess.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, taking a swig of water. I was going to ask if he wanted to watch a late-night movie, or pull an all-nighter and talk endlessly until the sun rose, but I could tell by each passing second that Jake was worried about this, and he wanted the time he had now over the summer to work on his music. I wished I was motivated to work on my own music, but unlike Jake, I wasn’t in a globally popular boy band. My complicated best friend for over 10 years had been working his butt off since middle school. It was his annual time to sit back and relax while he had the time to, but instead, he chose to use that time to help watch a bunch of dogs with his hometown bestie. God, I loved him.

Jake pulled himself off the couch and right back onto the floor, leaving the rest of the pasta to me. He picked up his pen again and started scribbling down words as quickly as he could, trying hard not to forget the lyrics that had floated into his head. Until he stopped, closing his eyes for just a split second, and let out a powerful sigh. Crumpling up the sheet, he stacks it on top of the others in frustration and started frantically tapping his pencil against the table.

“Maybe it’s best to just try again in the morning,” I advised, taking a small bite of the pasta that was left by my side.

“How come I’m having such a hard time with this?” He gazed up at me frantically for a clue, as if I had the answer to fix a problem as big and as important as his was. I looked at his doleful eyes and the bags that were starting to grow underneath them. I couldn’t help but think, because I made you sit up and watch a bunch of dogs with me.

“Do you want me to see if I could come up with something?”

“If you want. But, hold on, I think my thoughts are coming back up.” He quickly grabbed another piece of paper, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

I tried my best to keep occupied by watching videos on my phone, but I found myself suddenly bored out of my mind. I laid out on my back and picked up one of Jake’s folders. Briefly looking through it, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous at the amount of fan art and letters, praising him and the other members. Followed with that were just more and more engene stuff, full of nothing but kind words and heartfelt messages. Part of me wished that I was able to travel with Jake and see the world like he was. How fun would it be to meet people that praised you? And how cool would it be to see that you had fans? I couldn’t help but plaster on a huge smile as I skimmed through some of the notes until I finally came to one with familiar handwriting.

Remember Me were the words written on the top of the paper in bold and bright colors. But the message written underneath is what caught my attention:

To the person that makes me the luckiest guy in the world, this song is for you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, but please just remember me -- it was Jake’s handwriting.

I didn’t feel like I was breaking any crime reading his stuff until this moment, but curiosity killed the cat, and right now I didn’t mind being a feline. I checked to make sure Jake was still busy, and he was, almost like he had teleported into his own world. I quietly turned back to the sheet and started reading. It was about a girl, presumably his crush I’m sure. She was someone important to him, someone who made him love so much that it hurt. But this was far from a happy song, in fact, it was terribly heartbreaking. She didn’t understand his love, she wasn’t able to interpret it like he wanted her to. But he confesses that he was scared of what telling her would do, worried that she wouldn’t feel the same. So instead, it was like he was apologizing, and asking that she forgive him for not being brave enough to tell her, and if he did ever get the courage to, for her to remember him even if she wasn’t able to love him like he wanted her to.

The song ends like how the title began, and I find myself flabbergasted at the beautiful mixes of rhymes and metaphors that read like a poem. This was the first of Jake’s songs that made me feel this way, like I had just finished watching a tragedy movie with Ryan Renolds starring. I blink back the tears that I didn’t realize were forming. How come he never told me this? We never kept secrets from each other, like ever. It never mattered the subject or the severity, we had always promised that we would be open and honest with each other. I wish I would’ve known this sooner, maybe I could’ve saved him from feeling this way. And what girl could it possibly be? I knew for sure I was the only girl he was presumably close to; but was there someone else?

I glanced down at Jake, who was still in a focused state of mind with the pencil in his mouth and mumbling lyrics softly under his breath. I tried picturing my bubbly Jake writing these agonizing words and miserably failed.

Jake looked up at me as if he could feel my gaze on the back of his head. “I think I’ve found the chorus, but it’s the rest of the song I’m not able to get, and how come it’s so hard to find another word that rhymes with severe? Beer? Sphere? Revere? Appear? Gosh, rhyming sucks some serious ass!”

“This song is beautiful.”

Jake furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Huh?”

“This song I found in your folder.” I glanced back at it in my hand. “Remember Me.”

Jake’s gaze leaped from my eyes to the sheet, and I felt his body tense. “Where’d you get that from?”

“I was just going through one of your folders. Did you accidentally get it mixed up in your fan folder? Cause this is -”

“Did you read it?” He interrupted.

“Yeah, and it’s perfect.”

Jake glanced at me for a split second before turning back around, obviously uncomfortable. “I was watching one of those Kdramas you love so much and it inspired me. Could you help me rhyme with severe now?”

I knew Jake like the back of my hand, so I knew continuing on with this conversation would get him upset if he’s clearly avoiding it. But, I wasn’t going to just let him off that quickly. “Jake, come on, you can tell me anything. Who is this about?”

Jake looked back at me with a hint of something in his eyes, something I’ve never seen before, and something I wasn't able to decipher. “Nobody, I was just feeling really inspired, that's it.” His tone had switched from calm to agitated.

I give him my I’m-not-stupid look and he comes back with his own you’re-being-delusional stare. “It’s seriously nobody, truthfully and honestly.”

“Okay, okay I’ll back off.” I could tell he was starting to get defensive, and when he got like that, it took him at least a few hours before returning to normal. I watched Jake's Adam's apple move up and down, a way in which I could tell he knew I was not convinced in the slightest. “Well, sometimes we go through things that can remind us of situations like that, but not necessarily in that same exact context, you know? It has to be amplified for that audience appeal.”

“Okay...but have you ever felt this way before? Not exactly like how it’s written, but maybe somewhere along these lines?”

I thought I was going to get another vague answer, or worse, an aggravated one. But instead Jake looked down at his pencil as he tapped it along his wrist. “...maybe, but I think everyone can connect to the words in some way. I mean, everyone feels some kind of heartbreak in their life, right?” Jake's answer was still pretty vague, but at least I was able to get something out of him.

“Okay, but you know you can tell me anything, like, anything ever because you know that you’ll never actually have to feel this way, right?” I said, maybe too much in a hurry.

“Of course I know that.” He replied, giving one of his awkward grins.

“And if anyone has made you feel this way, then you know you can tell me that too cause there a sucker to lose out on a perfect person like you.” I teased in a sing-song way, poking his shoulder hard. Jake chuckled and poked me back.

A weird silence grew in the room, and Jake went back to trying to find rhyming words. I tried getting back on my phone, but I knew I needed to say something to let go of the tenseness in the air.

“Hey, crystal clear rhymes!”

He leaned his head back and looked up at me. “Nevermind, I give up for tonight.”

I could see the stress that played on his face. “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, but by the time I do, it’ll be too late.”

“What do you mean?”

Jake pulled his knees up to his chest and spoke. “This was going to go on our album comeback that needs to be finished in the next four months. By the time I think of something, it'll be too late and I’ll have to wait until the next four months. But by then, I'll have forgotten. This always happens and I have no idea how the hell to fix it.” I couldn’t tell if he wanted my help or just a bit of comfort.

“Did you try asking the other guys to see if they had any ideas?”

“Yeah, but they’re working on their own parts, I can’t ask them to do this too.”

“I’m sure they’d be willing to help if you asked,” I assured him.

“I know they would, but I just don’t want to. I always ask them for help, I thought being away from the studio and being back home would help my brainstorming abilities.” He gave a weary chuckle that almost sounded like a groan.

“Well, maybe tomorrow will come with better results.” I did my best to give him some motivation, but I could tell I was failing miserably at that too.

Jake watched as a car zoomed past the window, a low bass sounding off as it zoomed away. “I bet it’s easier to just listen to music than to try and come up with it. I remember when I would just blare NCT all day long and jam out in my room. It seemed so much easier back then to come up with stuff than it does now. I miss it.” He took a slight pause before continuing. “ Did you know that song you read was the easiest thing I have written in my life? I remember writing too. I just had this super weird feeling in my chest one day so I basically locked myself in my room and took maybe two hours and just wrote a bunch of words down and connected them to sound like a song. For once my mind had just gone blank and I couldn’t stop thinking and feeling that song, like I knew what it was supposed to sound like, I knew what the lyrics were supposed to mean. I just knew everything. And I miss that feeling, that feeling of like- '' He broke off his sentence when he looked back up to my eyes. It seemed like he was talking more to himself than to me. He swallowed hard and looked back at the pencil still in hand.

“Well, I'm sorry you don’t feel free anymore. I wish there was something I could do to make you feel like that again-”

“No, please don’t feel like that. It’s just something that had just recently started happening, something I really just can’t fix…” His voice gets softer and softer the more he spoke.

“Have you spoken to your manager about it?” I asked. “He’s super nice from what I understand. And he’ll probably have better answers than your friend who can barely play the piano, let alone produce an entire song.”

Jake laughed before I had the chance to. “ See, now you're underestimating yourself. Remember that song from freshman year? The one about-- what was his name, Josh?” Jake teased. I grabbed a pillow and slammed it into the back of his head. “Oh my gosh, I thought we promised we’d never bring it up again!”

Jake chuckled and laid his arm on the couch completely turning towards me. “How about we sneak out and go get ice cream and try to not wake up your mom in the process?”

I suddenly jumped to my feet when I have the perfect idea on how to cheer up the gloomy Mr. Shim. “Or, we could do something even better!”

“Urgh!” Jake groaned.

I grabbed my phone and hooked it up to the speaker. I was going to turn on his hit song Drunk-Dazed as a joke, but Jake needed this break from his career, so instead, I crunk up Beyonce as loud as it could go without disturbing my mom who slept upstairs. I turn back to Jake and reach out for his hands, already moving my hips to the music.

He shook his head and threw it back onto the couch as if throwing a temper tantrum. “I literally dance for a living.”

“Okay but this will be different, I promise.” I grabbed the piles of papers on the ground and threw them in the trash, I then pushed the coffee table near the wall and piled his folders and books neatly on top.

“Come on, cowboy!” I grabbed his hands and helped him up. He was reluctant to get up, but he threw one last groan before standing on his feet.

“This will get the brain juices flowing again!” I told him. I go back to my phone and switch it to one of my favorite Beyonce songs that she covered, At Last.

I sang dramatically to get Jake to smile, and luckily, it worked. I placed both my hands over his shoulders and swayed us back and forth, still miming the song as overly exaggerated as I could. Jake still couldn’t help but smile, and it didn’t take him long to join me in the rhythm and sway naturally with me. I learned at our middle school dance that Jake had perfect rhythm. He was able to impress the rest of the crowd when he busted out moves from BTS. Everyone was impressed, including me.

Now we were on a steady roll. I accidentally stepped on his feet a few times, but it was fine seeing as I was wearing foam flip-flops and he was barefooted. After a while, the song switched and played another of my favorites that didn’t match our style of dance, but we still moved slowly to the beat. Jake tried twirling me, but since I have two left feet, I almost ended up hitting the wall each time and Jake laughed loud at my clumsiness. The moonlight from the kitchen had now switched to the window in the living room. It gleamed through and glistened on Jake like a spotlight, just like the ones on the stage did for him. In a split second, I was reminded that he wouldn’t be here forever, just like he wasn’t here for the past year. I tried to not let it settle on my face that I was scared to see him go again, so I played up on the fun we were having now. Jake looked like he was at ease; finally, since he’d been here, he looked genuinely happy and I wasn’t going to ruin that.

After another handful of songs full of laughs and giggles, we were soon sweating and taking deeper breaths than normal. Each song was different from the one before, but it didn’t stop us from sticking to our style of dance. Even with the simplicity of the moves and the slowness of the steps, I had to take a minute to relax. I hooked my arms around his neck and rested my entire body on his. I could feel Jake’s own sweat seeping through his shirt, But I didn’t mind the wetness that was now attached to my cheek. I thought he would act awkward and ask for me to pull away, but instead, he gripped tighter on my hips and started slowly moving me side to side. I let out a long overdue sigh, trying my best to match the steady breathing of Jake’s with my own. It was actually therapeutic: hearing his heartbeat in one ear and the softness of the music in the other.

I tried to continue our steady breathing together, but his had picked up a bit, almost out of nowhere. I felt the heat of his breath on the nape of my neck, and it made my entire body tingle in a way it never had before. After this sudden feeling, I realized just how close we really were. His leg hair tickled my legs, I could feel the bone of his foot connecting to mine, I could feel his thin waist against mine as well. I felt like I needed to back up, but instead, I couldn’t and continued to sway softly against him. A few seconds later, Jake’s hands rose a little higher, planting themselves on my waist and tightening their grip as if they were trying to pull me closer than we already were.

The sensation hadn’t stopped though, it clung to my body like my damp shorts did on my thighs. Sooner or later I felt pressure on the lower part of my stomach and thought for sure that Jake was messing around and wasn’t feeling what I was, which indicated that I needed to pull back before this feeling became too much.

This is so embarrassing. I thought. How could I let myself feel like this? How was this in any way okay? I finally pulled back, the sensation becoming too unbearable, and glanced up at his face. His pupils were large in a way I hadn’t seen before. His mouth was slightly open and a drop of sweat slowly traced down his forehead, onto his nose. That pressure I was feeling on my stomach had now doubled in force, and Jake's face had switched from calm and subtle, to alarmed and panicked...

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(part 2 possibly...?)

Thank you guys so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave any constructive criticism you have on helping improve my writing!

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None of the images are mine, They all belong to their rightful owners :)

[chilumi-shipper]

Ready to Hold On

Xiao x Adeptus!Fem!Reader x Zhongli

Summary: Why not both? Love works in strange ways, and fate has given you a choice. Let it be known that your choice is not to choose, but to love them both. You had a realization when you hear from Xiao that Zhongli apparently had excused himself from your "hangout", you wishes that you could be with both Zhongli and Xiao at that moment.

(Alternative Ending to Ready to Let Go, I suggest you read it first. This version is where you start a polyamory relationship with both of them.)

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

"He said he needed to do some extra work because of all the mora he's been spending." Xiao explained as he watch you mold the cookie dough to little spheres before placing them neatly on the tray.

You two were so close to each other, exactly how you wanted it to be. Somehow, you felt as though, you feel something missing. Despite your close proximity with Xiao, him standing right next to you as you create your first every batch of cookies, encouraging you when you say they're probably not gonna be that good, you kind of miss a certain someone who would say very long, unnecessary details about the very origin of cookies, giving you some baking advice so you don't accidentally make a stomach destroyer cookie batch.

Perhaps it was the lingering feeling of golden orbs (aside from Xiao's) that would watch your every move with care, just to make sure nothing is a miss. Maybe it was the feeling of a strong chest behind you or a constant hand of reassurance resting upon your shoulder.

"Y/N..." The soft voice of Xiao calls for you, you looked at him questioningly, stopping what you were doing. "I--" His face seem to turn bashful as he looks down, ears starting to turn pink.

You smiled a bit, feeling giddy as the Yaksha looks for the right words to say. Your eyes gleam as you stare at him expectantly, this was the time you were waiting for!

"You like me?!" In your excitement, you accidentally blurted out your thoughts before he could even finish his sentence.

...

He looked at you, a bit surprised, not expecting that you would blurt something like that out. And yet, you looked equally surprised yourself, covering your mouth with your wrist, since your hands had been handling the cookie dough.

'Ahhhh!!!' You cursed yourself with every bad word you know, screaming internally as you turn your back onto him. 'You're so fricking stupid, Y/N! Why the heck would you say that?! You piece of-'

Even if he did like you back, that's still so awkward!

"I'm sorry..." You whispered, feeling your legs weaken with embarrassment. You heard him sigh from behind you before chuckling.

You felt his hands gently grasping your shoulders, slowly turning you around to face him.

"Was I as obvious as you?" The cat-eyed boy spared a teasing remark, just for you. You can't help but feel shocked, Zhongli said you were obvious too! But Xiao, who doesn't interact with humans to even know how others react when having a crush, is saying that your feelings were pretty obvious? You gotta be real transparent for that one.

You felt your face heat up at what he said, but still, the comment made you laugh. "You're unpredictable, but I like that about you." You finally looked at his golden eyes, and they were filled with happiness, because of you. He is happy because of you.

You scoot yourself closer, now just inches apart from a sweet first kiss. "I like you, Y/N." He finally said it, the words you would imagine him say whenever you're lost in your wondering thoughts, but now, it's actually real. "Is this okay?" You nodded slowly, still starstruck as he gently holds your chin with his gloved fingers.

Xiao tried to initiate slowly, but you smashed your lips against his immediately, stumbling both you back a little, but his other hand slid around your waist, whilst you wrapped your arms around his neck. You felt his smile as you kissed him, which he returned with equal passion.

You slowly pulled way from him, opening your eyes before smiling, "That means, I like you too."

"You're one piece of work." Xiao stated as you retract your arms, ready to go back to baking. "It makes me understand why I'm not the only one who likes you." You freezed at his words, looking back at him like he's grown another head.

"W-what?"

"Morax, he's quite fond of you too, butterfly."

Butterfly, you almost melt at that. Wait, that's not the point, the Zhongli "Morax"? Fond of you too?

Your now lover (hehe, lover) chuckles, although it does not contain any malice or jealousy, unlike how you'd imagine a person to react when they find out another person likes their lover.

"You mean like, friends fondness, right?"

"No." The Yaksha shakes his head.

"How would you know that...?" You quietly asked, still having doubts about what you said. Xiao slides your loose hair behind your ear before cupping your face.

"He acts the same way I do around you." But in your eyes, that still wasn't proof that Zhongli likes likes you. Besides, aren't you only supposed to have one love interest?

"But maybe that's just how he normally is. Why are you so sure?" You questioned him even more.

"Do you feel like you really want him to be here with us right now?" Xiao asked you instead, it's like he was reading your mind or something, you did kind of wish he was here.

You just nodded, not trusting your voice anymore. You looked down to your hands, wiping them clean with a towel.

"You miss him when he's not around, trust him the most, you feel comfortable around him..." You nodded at his words again, not sure where he's getting at. "Then you like him too." You're eyes widen at Xiao's words, your mouth dropping in shock.

"...Xiao, I like you." You explained to him, yet the lingering feeling that maybe he was right started embedding itself within you. He just sighs, before gently holding your hands.

"You can--" He can't help but look down and shake his head. "I can't believe I'm actually the one doing all the talking." You giggled at his little comment, although the feeling of confliction didn't seize.

"Zhongli confessed to me last night, all about how he felt about you. Why he's not actually here today." Xiao finally said, gently caressing your hand with his thumb. "But I forced him to come today." You were a little surprised, Xiao, who would stop at nothing to serve the Geo Archon, actually went against the Archon's wishes. However, you're even more surprised that the mentioned man walked into the Wangshu Inn kitchen, and you already know that he's heard everything.

"Mr. Zhongli!" You try to act normal, but being bombarded with your own conflicting feelings were talking a toll on you. "Uhm..."

Xiao let go of your hands as the older man stood in front of both of you.

"Do you like me, Y/N?" Zhongli asks, despite his sincere smile, you felt the nervousness that courses within him, the same nervousness flowing within you.

You think about this really hard. You've had feelings for Xiao for a very long time, but through all that time, maybe there was another love that sprout without your notice, because you always believed that you could only love one. Both of them have been there your entire immortal life, all of you working side by side to make sure that each of you and Liyue is safe from harm. In all your years of pining, you realized, you crave for both of them when they're not with you, the moment doesn't seem as special without both of them, they're the most important people in your life.

You could never choose one over the other.

Looking up at another pair of golden orbs, you slowly nodded, grabbing one hand of each of your most beloved people in the entire universe.

"I think... I know that I love both of you so much." You smiled as you took both their hands close to your chest.

Zhongli then proceeded to kiss you too, a quick sweet kiss on the lips.

You jumped, "Oh, I forgot about my cookies." Letting go of both their hands, you go back to tending to your treats. "I hope my two favorite people can help taste test after I'm done."

"Of course."

"I'll try it."

You let out a cheerful chuckle, this was probably the most confusing but happiest day of your eternal life.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Requested by: @amethystrain77

[actualbird]

i wanna talk about DAVIS. can i talk about DAVIS? im going to talk about DAVIS.

im immediately just going to gloss over the meta-gaming aspect of how DAVIS is the main tutorial medium for us players to learn the ropes of the game and new event gaming mechanics because thats Outside The Canon and what i wanna focus is Inside The Canon.

Inside The Canon, DAVIS is the artificial intelligence brand ambassador of the Stellis Big Data Lab. i assume that pax technology and stellis city government looked at the fact that they wanted to collect data from nearly every sphere of tangible reality and realized “hey, this might spook people” and then came to the decision to make a cute mascot to ease any worries. good move! but guys, did you have to make ur AI mascot SUCH AN ADORABLE LITTLE LAD????

moving on, what is very interesting to me about DAVIS is the fact that he subtly makes it clear he has a personality, thoughts, opinions, and in general a “mind of his own” so to speak. this is most clear to me in the big data lab function on mc’s phone where we can see not only the information on things we are searching for, but sometimes DAVIS’ little side comments about the information as well.

heres some DAVIS commentary from several big data lab entries 

DAVIS: They have a special chat group for its member. I applied to enter the group but they thought I was a bot... (Anti-PUA Alliance entry)

DAVIS: The people of Nosta place heavy emphasis on death, but I think they should have focused on living. (God of Death entry)

DAVIS: Luke Pearce was born and raised in Stellis, but how come there's very limited information on him... (Luke Pearce entry)

DAVIS: The advancement exam is no joke! Kiki, I know you have it in you to pass and become a graduate attorney! (Kiki Bennet entry)

this is but a SMIDGE of the many comments DAVIS has said over many entries but i picked these just to show some points that each those comments allude to. first entry shows that DAVIS has the capability to do things not necessarily part of his job as an assisting AI. second entry shows that DAVIS has opinions that are pretty damn philosophical. third entry shows that DAVIS can wonder about information he doesnt have. and most endearing to me is that the fourth entry shows....

DAVIS IS NICE!!! HES NICE!!!! HES A GOOD BOY!!!! 

sure, yeah, there are a bunch of other ways to explain DAVIS’ personality and agency but i like to think that DAVIS has unintentionally turned into the world’s first true sentient artificial intelligence, by virtue of absorbing just SO MUCH INFORMATION on the world ever since his creation. 

actually, hes been sentient for a long time now. and nobody knows. because DAVIS just....DOESNT BRING IT UP UNTIL SOMEBODY ASKS. he doesnt talk about it because to him it just isnt important because he genuinely enjoys the job he does 

and he doesnt do anything evil or hugely anomalous because...all the developers who created him are very nice, very kind, and continue to do so. the people who use DAVIS as well have always been wonderful to him, like whenever DAVIS makes little announcement posts on the weather or traffic, without fail, people reply to the post with things like “so true, DAVIS” “thanks bestie <3″ and DAVIS GETS VERY SOFT ABOUT IT. my point here is that DAVIS is sentient and nothing bad happens at all because nobody has ever been bad to him.

somehow, mc is the one to ask DAVIS about himself. and then mc becomes the only person in the world to know that DAVIS is sentient and mc may panic juuuuuust a little bit

mc, frantically texting at DAVIS: BUT.... THIS IS HUGE.... I MEAN, TECHNOLOGICALLY BUT ALSO ETHICALLY I THINK YOU SHOULD BE GETTING PAID NOW??? 

DAVIS: what would i do with money? i dont have a body so material goods dont really interest me!

mc: oh yeah...

DAVIS: additionally, i already have access to stellis' entire cryptocurrency system! so if ever i do want money, it wont be a problem :D

mc, realizing DAVIS could shut down the entire country’s finances but he doesnt because hes a GOOD BOY: ...RIGHT........

my point is that im maybe thinking of a fic now where mc and DAVIS become weirdly good friends. and maybe when the rest of the nxx team is told about DAVIS’ sentience and his friendship with mc, luke can somehow plug DAVIS into the nxx roomba to whizz around whenever he wants to. 

am i saying that the nxx investigation team gets another member who is a hugely powerful and completely benevolent artificial intelligence? yes. yes i AM.

[oraganji]

IF ANYONE WANTS WRITING INSPO

ok here’s the thing. I’m way too lazy and unmotivated to write a whole series, I am in awe of anyone who can actually do that or has done it. But in the spirit of ✨ hypocrisy✨ , of course I love reading them, and thinking about ideas for some series that will never actually come to fruition. So, for all the ACOTAR writers out there, I have a way-too-long idea for an Azriel x reader that I want to read as a series, or even like a couple of snippets of writing. Here it is:

Ok, so our (preferably female bc it’s my request but I’m not trying to disclude people here it’s just my preference) MC (I like the name Kora/Cora, or Arya, whatever, but y’know, since I’m not writing this, it’s not exactly my decision to make, it could just be Y/N, that’s fine too). Anyways, she’s half-seraphim, from Cretea, and is the commander of the seraphim/Cretea army. Now, here’s where the pick your story begins. I was thinking that she could be Drakon’s sister or something, to make her a princess, even though she only acts like a commander (I love nicknames that have a meaning. So like if Azriel calls the reader angel, it’s because of her white seraphim wings, and if he calls her princess, it’s because she actually is one). So she can either be his sister, or just the commander. She was old enough to have fought in that big war that happened with Miryam and stuff about the humans or whatever. IMPORTANT PART OF THIS: MC has water and ice powers, but to a massive scale. Like she can raise ocean tides, create snow/hailstorms, all that good stuff. I was thinking she could be called a Tidemaker, like in the Grishaverse, but you could totally change around the name. That’s the base of her character. Other than what I described, free reign to whoever is crazy enough to read/write this.

So now, I think of this as a slight (major) rewrite. This takes place right after Feyre makes it back home from enemy Tamlin. So, Hybern’s armies attack Createa for some UnKnOwN reason. Maybe MC’s dad/parental figure dies in the battle, and MC is filled with grief and rage. MC fights against them until she’s bloody and battered, using the ocean and sky as her weapons. Cretea is utterly destroyed, and she tries flying to a safe place. She had met Rhysand, Cassian, and our boy Azriel before during that Great War, because she was a commander, and the Night Court was allied with Cretea at the time. She remembers this, and tries to fly all the way to Velaris. She just makes it before collapsing/passing out, and Azriel’s shadows bring him to her.

Now, our boy is shocked because he actually used to have a little crush on MC the war so many decades ago. He sees her about to die and starts to ✨ panic✨ , obviously. So, I’m thinking he tells his shadows to find Madja, and busts into the House of Wind or something, and like alerts everyone by just saying “it’s Kora/Arya/MC”. So blah blah blah, cute Azriel taking care of MC moments, she tells them what she remembers about being attacked, etc. ALSO, i think it would be SO GREAT if Cassian and Rhysand called her Goose, instead of dove, or one of those other cheesy nicknames. Geese still have white wings, so it kinda fits. I just think it would be kinda funny if the first time they were meeting to discuss war strategy, MC showed off all of her powers, and established herself as a powerful, bad b****h, and these idiots call her a goose. AnYwAyS, time skip to the meeting with the high lords cause I don’t think things through. MC comes in later than our night court buddies because she “likes to make an entrance”, and walks in there with like a crown of gold laurels (i like that as a crown idea), and like a sage green dress or something (GREEN AND GOLD IS SO PRETTY), and is all like “hello ladies! and boys. What did I miss?” after not being there for like 200 years. Everyone is shocked, and she has a little spat with Beron, where she’s like “You’re just itching to play, huh Beron? Well, I’ll warn you, fire doesn’t tend to thrive with someone like me *smirk*.” I’M DYING. And meanwhile Azriel’s *mini* crush is slowly developing even more. So after that idc what happens, BUT. I think it would be great if Cassian made MC a general or something to help him out in the war with Hybern. Then, when she goes to leave after the war, to rebuild Cretea, and Rhys and Cass ask her to stay, she give a condition, which is that she wants to train the Illyrian girls. And she would leave after she feels like that initiative is set in place. So once she sees that females are being trained, she leaves. Later, Cass invites her for winter solstice very last minute, so she comes with one gift, for our special somene, AZZY BOY!. And it’s a moonflower in an ice sphere, cause headcannon: Azriel likes moonflowers, and so does MC. One day they were walking together or flying together, and she saw some, and pointed them out. Then Azriel plucked one and TUCKED IT IN HER HAIR OMG GET ME SOMEONE LIKE AZRIEL. And he’s like amazed that she remembered and saved the flower. Crush level rising. But at the same time, Elain seems interested in him, which MC can see, and thinks that Az likes Elain, so she goes back to Cretea cause she a little bit jelly.

I’m not a romance writer, so I was just thinking that once Cretea is close to rebuilt, MC invites everyone to come visit, and is taking a stroll with Azriel. She sees moonflowers again, and this time she plucks one and puts it in his hair, and goes “Damn. I bet I didn’t look this good when that thing was in my hair.” And then Azriel mutters under his breath, “you did. you looked ethereal. like an angel.” but MC kinda hears a little bit of it, so she gives Azriel a little kiss on his jaw, cause she can’t reach his cheek (THE HEIGHT DIFFERENCE I’M SCREAMING) and says “I heard that Az. I think you look ethereal too.” He’s one blushy boy after this. omg why am I like this. But, plot twist, Elain saw this whole interaction go down and gets PISSED. Meanwhile, MC drags Azriel around, while he trails behind her like an awestruck puppy. She finds a starfruit tree (which I’m making native to Cretea, like it’s a rare thing elsewhere) and gets some seeds from them from Elain, saying that it would be good for her garden. And Azriel just thinks about how thoughtful she is, even to people she doesn’t necessarily like. They get back, and Elain is complaining about how Azriel chose MC over her to Nesta , who I think would be besties with MC. MC walks into the room and hears. Elain realizes this and tries to insult/yell at MC. But MC just had a sad smile and goes, “I brought you some starfruit seeds, Elain. They’re only native to Cretea, and I thought it might be good for your garden. Good night Elain.” OK so this is why I think it would be good if MC was Drakon’s sister and a princess. She knows she’s a princess, but she really only considers herself to be a commander. She’s debating going back to Cretea, or staying, and she tells Azriel that she’s prob gonna leave soon. And our bat boy is all ✨ panik✨  when he hears this. He says “But I wa - everyone wants you to stay”. MC smirks and goes “what were going to say Az. They’re like really close together now, so Az leans down and gives her a gentle kiss and goes, “I want you stay”. MC is stunned for a moment, and looking dazed, goes “well then I guess I’m staying.”AHHHHHHHHH. She can prob be a general under Cass.

OK SO I DO HAVE AN IDEA FOR MORE WITH OUR ANGEL AND DEVIL. Where they discover the mating bond, there’s a big threat on Cretea, MC is a bad b***h as always, and protective Azriel makes several appearences.

Y’all can make up some situations after this as well, or if you want, which I don’t know why you would, my disorganized mess of a brain can write more about the thing above.

OMG THIS WAS WAY TOO LONG. Plz tell me if u guys liked this, or are actually gonna write this crap. And let me know is you have questions! Have a nice day lovelies!

[shimmershae]

So.  I have some more thoughts.  Shocking?  Yeah, I know, lol.

Let’s see if I can figure out how to purge what’s inside of my overactive brain and have it make some semblance of sense, shall we?  

Hmm.  

Where to start, where to start?  

Okay.  So I think it’s safe to say that the flashbacks pretty quickly establish that Daryl has essentially been set adrift.  He’s been cast back, in some ways by his own choosing, into a solitary searching life that speaks to his past.  He has no anchor anymore, no touching stone--whether that be Rick, who’s presumed dead, or Carol, who’s chosen by default to leave him behind and try to make a new family in Ezekiel and Henry.  

That’s important.  Because until this season?  Until he really matured and assumed, grudgingly or otherwise, the mantle of leadership of the communities?  

Daryl was a follower.  He took his cues from other stronger personalities.  Other people more quick to voice and own their opinions, right or wrong.  Like Rick.  And Merle before him.  

That’s not to say Daryl hasn’t had anything of value to say or add to the communities or to his relationships.  He has and he did.  Remember back at the Prison how Carol told him he was going to have to live with the love?  Daryl was just beginning to find his voice, so to speak.  He was emerging, even if they were only baby steps at first, from other seemingly more formidable shadows, and learning even then how to be more of a leader that people looked up to even if he was still content to be a follower.  

Being a follower was what he was comfortable with and I’m making some assumptions here, but I’d wager that in his abusive past with his old man, in that household first with Merle then on his own, being a follower and sticking to the safety of the periphery is probably what kept him alive.  Being a follower minimized conflict then, I’m sure.  Being a follower when he met up with and eventually connected with Rick and the rest of Team Family was probably the safest way for him to make emotional connections.  

I’m rambling.  I know it and I’m sorry.  It’s what I do.  Ramble, lol.  

Here.  I’m going to place the rest of this underneath a cut because I got more winding words than I have wind and most of ya’ll have patience.  

With Rick gone, with Carol off trying her damndest to live a fairy tale, Daryl floundered.  For all intents and purposes, he was left without any direction, nobody to take his cues from emotionally or otherwise.  

I mean, he literally made ever-widening circles searching for Rick, didn’t he?  Circles have no end point.  They have no real destination.  Not really.  Daryl essentially lived in a spin cycle of pain and regret and inability to really and truly connect with anybody during those years spent searching for Rick--especially since the person he arguably felt closest to and most comfortable with, Carol, basically decided those past connections Daryl was so desperate to find again were too painful for her and attempted to move on.  

He wasn’t emotionally equipped to or stable enough (perhaps still internally dealing with his anger and angst over his torture and imprisonment by Negan at that point in time) to put in the hard work to reestablish those fraying bonds on his own and the man basically lost the plot.  His world narrowed down to this latest search.  This search for a body.  For closure.  For a new purpose perhaps?  

And you know, the man had to be tired.  In some way or another?  He’s probably been searching his entire life.  It’s kind of what followers do.  They look for meaning outside themselves because they don’t feel like they’re enough.  

So then Dog, in the form of this happy, accepting, affectionate puppy appears out of nowhere.  He’s a welcome distraction and knowing Daryl’s propensity to try to reunite the lost with those they love, he started a new little search.  

That led him to Leah. 

Leah, who was alone.  Like him.  Leah, who knew how to survive.  Like him.  Leah, who was stuck in a place of grief.  Like him.  

Leah, who--and I don’t really feel like I’m going out on too far or precarious limb here considering how many parallels they literally slapped us in the face with during this episode--reminded him of someone he felt he couldn’t have, not even her friendship anymore because by her choosing to ‘be there’ for Ezekiel and Henry and the Kingdom she was always leaving Daryl behind and that’s a pattern we’ve all long suspected has really caused hurt for Daryl even if he’s long ‘accepted’ and dealt with it with stoicism.  

Boy, they really blew the lid off that issue didn’t they?  Oh, it was done rather quietly and in a surprisingly controlled manner, but the hurt it caused?  The tears and emotion it elicited was brought about with an almost surgical precision that stunned Carol, but I digress.  

My point is?  Daryl?  Innate follower that he is?  Daryl had grown accustomed to the human connection he found with Team Family.  He was never 100% comfortable with it but he missed it.  He craved it.  And Rick?  Well, deep down Daryl knew the likelihood of finding his ‘brother’ was minimal.  And with Carol pulling away and putting more and more distance between them--how deep and wide was that river, ya’ll, before the episode was done? when it started off looking like a small trickle of a stream?  how wide was that chasm these two idiots in painfully unspoken love allowed to be formed between them?--essentially the two closest people to him were lost to him, leaving him lost.  

So he stumbles upon this woman who is very reminiscent of people that he’s known.  He’s figured out, even though he keeps trying to buck the trend, that you really can’t make it alone in the world anymore.  And when she shows him some small measure of trust by letting him go?  That part of him that didn’t want to be alone kept drifting back into her sphere.  

Now I’m not going to go so far as saying Daryl fell in love with this Leah.  Because, shipping biases aside?  I really don’t feel like he did.  

Daryl found solace with Leah.  

Companionship.  

Remember another time when Daryl was lost?  When he felt he had failed another member of his family? Lost what he thought was the last of his family?  How alone he was at a crossroads when Joe’s group of Claimers came along?  

I’m not equating Leah with the Claimers in any other way except saying Daryl was in a similar headspace when he met her, okay?  Before anybody goes off on me.  I’m just saying that Leah?  She represented what Daryl felt was his one chance NOT TO BE ALONE.  

Daryl’s emotionally stunted, ya’ll. He’s made great strides, but trauma always seems to regress him.  Thankfully, it seems to regress him less and less as he really and truly matures, but it still has a habit of reverting him back to the Daryl we first met.  The Daryl we can easily see growing up in Merle’s shadow. 

When he threw that damn fish at her door, I literally laughed for ten straight minutes because that was funny as hell.  But honestly?  The more I thought about it, the more it dwelled in my mind?  The sadder it actually made me because here’s a grown man essentially trying to connect with another human being on an adolescent level.  

So much of what we were shown in this episode really just reinforced what I’d already suspected to be true--Daryl Dixon just doesn’t ‘get’ the basics of interpersonal relationships.  At least those that could be perceived as romantic.  For all that Carol mused it was like he had become a man back in Atlanta, during Consumed and their search for Beth?  That man is still very much trying to fumble his way out of the starting gate so far as pursuing a woman in any form or fashion.

This is just my opinion and we all know what they say about those, lol, but Daryl has longed for an even deeper connection with Carol since the Prison.  Maybe even before that. I think at the Farm his eyes were opened to her and he started trying to be a better person to match what he perceived as her goodness.  Before he even knew she wanted one, he was trying to be a man of honor.  Then stuff and thangs happened and shit, like Daryl once told Abe, just never settled.  Carol drifted out of Daryl’s reach because he wasn’t equipped with the emotional tools to really go after what he wanted--her in a deeper, different capacity than he’d ever wanted or asked for before--and shit, ya’ll.  If loneliness is a choice then Daryl Dixon was sick and damn tired of it.  

Do I think there’s even really a choice between Leah and Carol in Daryl’s mind though?  A true choice were he to absolutely, 100% realize and know that Carol’s heart was earmarked for him from the very beginning and that she’s suffering from the same delusions that she’s not good enough or deserving of him?  

Absolutely not.  

Leah knew that even if Daryl never divulged any specifics about Carol.  She knew the answer to her ultimatum before she even made it.  

And that ultimatum, ya’ll. 

Maybe it’s weird, but it put me in mind of when Merle pressed Daryl to make a choice between him and Team Family.  

Merle was blood family but like Carol and others said, he wasn’t good for Daryl.  

Leah might have offered Daryl some solace from his loneliness but ultimately staying isolated with her and not reconnecting with those he identifies as family is just as damaging as Daryl choosing to follow in Merle’s wake again.  Similarly to that situation, Daryl was clearly torn as soon as the words were out of her mouth.  

Between loyalty to family and unspoken love.  

In case there’s any confusion here, the unspoken love I’m talking about is his love for Carol.  He felt something for her back at that Prison.  Fight me.  He knew she’d be hurt by him going back with Merle, but obligation and family loyalty led him to make the decision all the same.  

Still. He knew she’d understand.  And she did, even if his choice hurt her.  

My thought is that this time?  At least initially?  Daryl didn’t completely separate his loyalty to family (searching for Rick) and his unspoken love (for Carol) when he made his decision.  They’re hopelessly entwined because Carol is a little bit of everything to Daryl--friend, family, the woman he loves and has been halfway in love with for so many years.  Initially, he chose the hope that both would come back to him if he just kept searching.  Because searching’s what he does.  From Sophia to Connie, he’s always searched in the hope of bringing the lost back to those that love them.  He’s always searched because nobody searched for him.  

Daryl is the ultimate lost boy who grew to be a man and still feels like he hasn’t been found.  

But how can he be found if the one person he wants to find him keeps running away?  

Daryl didn’t choose Leah.  

Not from his heart.  

Daryl turned back to Leah because he felt Carol slipping away to where he couldn’t follow her.  

If it can even be argued that Daryl chose Leah, it was by default.  Of course, he feels guilty.  Daryl wouldn’t be Daryl without guilt.  He wouldn’t be Carol’s man of honor.  

And he is Carol’s man.  

She may not be in the place to see it--YET--but she’s getting there.  She’s fighting hard against her natural inclination to run.  She’s trying.  She knows what she wants, even if she doesn’t believe she has the hope of getting it.  

Daryl knows what he wants, too.  He knows, once and for all, where he belongs.  He’s stopped searching.  He knows she’s right there.  There’s no more circles.  There’s just a final destination if he can convince the love of his fucking life to stop running from what they both want.  

He may have left that note for Leah, but you can’t convince this viewer that he didn’t write those words for Carol.  

And that’s all I got to say about that.  

For now anyway.  

Omigosh, lovelies.  

So sorry for the emotional word vomit but thank you so much for indulging me even if I did lose my original point somewhere up there, lol.