#it was in response to another post but i decided not to post it at the time

[loversatthegreatdivide]

Heavy Lies the Heart - Part 3

Masterlist

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x F!OC Word Count: 2.3k Tropes: mutual pining, fluff, angst with a happy ending, royalty Warnings: (eventual) canon death Summary: Two second-borns looking for direction meet by chance. Can they find purpose in each other, or will circumstance keep them apart? A/N: CanNOT believe I'm updating a third time in as many days. This whole chapter is just dialog. All 2,300 words of it. I am deceased. I love writing dialog, but there is a limit. Also, tumblr is held together with old gum and scotch tape, so currently I can't reply to comments on posts. Until they fix it just know I do see them all, even though I can't respond at the moment. For now, if you want a direct response you'll need to send an ask!

Benedict was quite certain he must be dreaming.

He stood outside his home, in the low light of evening, with the girl he had been searching for.

She had come to him all on her own; and now he knew her name.

Beatrice.

"A lovely name indeed," he praised, "But it would perhaps be more proper for me to address you by your surname." Even Benedict, with his distaste for the rigid etiquette of the aristocracy, would feel a certain level of unease referring to a young lady of rank by her given name.

Beatrice looked back at him nervously, "No no, I think Beatrice will do just fine."

"You do have a surname?" Benedict joked.

"Naturally," she lied. While her full name was rather long, it did not include a surname. As was the case with all members of the royal family.

Benedict raised a brow curiously, "It would seem you do not wish to tell me."

"Well...no, I would rather not."

"How intriguing; why ever not? Is your family embroiled in some sort of scandal?" he asked.

"It is nothing like that," she replied, her eyes moving to avoid his gaze, "It is only...well, truthfully I fear once you learn of my lineage, obligation will keep you from speaking honestly with me."

Beatrice knew she was dancing close to the edge. While she had not directly told Benedict her true identity, the more he knew, the more likely he was to put the pieces together. All but telling him her family was of a high rank was a risk, but she wanted to be as honest as she could be with him. She did not enjoy the thought of deceiving him any more than was absolutely necessary.

There was a small smile on his face as he examined her worried expression. He could see this was quite important to her, so decided to leave it be.

"My, your family must be quite important," he commented, "But I shall ask no more. I believe we are all entitled to a secret or two--and of course, I would also enjoy continuing to speak freely with one another." He smiled reassuringly at her as she stared back in surprise, "Beatrice it is."

She felt her face flush at the sound of her name. While it had been at her insistence, it still felt strange to be addressed so casually by anyone outside of her family.

"Thank you," Beatrice replied with a grateful smile.

"However, there is a condition," Benedict continued, "If I am to address you by your given name, I must insist you address me by mine."

"Oh." Beatrice hadn't considered it, but then again it did seem only fair, "I suppose that would be alright...Benedict."

She knew her cheeks were red, but she took some comfort in the fact that he seemed similarly effected.

He looked away, attempting to regain his composure, "Good. Yes, alright then," he cleared his throat, "Now that we've gotten all of that settled, perhaps you would do me the pleasure of an evening promenade?"

He seemed apprehensive, perhaps worried she would decline; Beatrice found it rather endearing.

"That sounds lovely," she answered. He looked back at her, clearly relieved by her answer, "Oh, but before we go," she pointed to his cheek, "you have a bit of charcoal on you face, just there." Benedict's hand instantly flew to to his face.

"How humiliating! And you said nothing as I stood here looking like a chimney sweep?" he joked through his embarrassment.

Beatrice laughed, "Well, there never seemed to be a good time to tell you--and if your were secretly in the business of cleaning chimneys, I would certainly have hated to embarrass you by pointing it out."

"Well then perhaps I should be thanking you for your discretion," he smirked, his hand moving to wipe his face in an attempt to remove the dust.

"No no, don't do that! You'll only smudge it more," she said, batting at the air near his arm in protest. He stopped, lowering his hand as instructed. "Here, allow me."

She lifted her arm, her free hand grabbing the reticle around her wrist. She adjusted it until she was able to reach inside, pulling out a handkerchief. It was lovely: Pure white, with intricate floral embroidery and a lace trim. She raised the handkerchief towards his face, and he instinctively leaned back.

"No ah, well, that is..." he sputtered, "You'll ruin your handkerchief," he finally managed to say.

In truth he was simply startled by her sudden action. She had been so casual in reaching out to touch him, as if it hadn't occurred to her how it might look. Benedict found himself once again surprised by her. So often she seemed to try to conform to the expectations of society, even when it clearly caused her discomfort. Then she would do something like this, and she hardly seemed to care what others might think of it.

"It is only a handkerchief, it can be cleaned you know," she replied, her hand moving once more. Benedict didn't shy away this time, and soon felt the soft fabric rest against his skin. His heart began to race at the simple gesture.

He suddenly found himself unable to look her in the eye.

Beatrice was gentle as she began wiping the charcoal away, seeming completely unaffected by the action or his reaction to it. It lasted only a few moments, but to Benedict it seemed far longer.

"There, much better," she said, removing her hand and smiling at her work. Benedict blushed.

"Yes, thank you," he replied nervously.

"It was no trouble," she assured him, moving to place the handkerchief, now stained with black, back inside her reticle, "Though, I believe I can offer little help for your gloves."

Benedict looked down, his white gloves covered with splotchy, black fingerprints. His hands must have been covered in charcoal when he left his room, and he simply hadn't noticed.

Had he truly been so distracted?

"Forgive me, I am truly a mess this evening."

"Not at all," she replied, before grinning, "It seems you were dealing with quite the begrimed chimney."

He smiled gratefully, "Surely they must keep their fire going year round, to build up such an impressive level of soot."

With that, he offered her his arm.

"Now that you will feel marginally less mortified to be seen with me, perhaps we can be off?" She smiled shyly, pulling at the edge of her hood.

"Yes, I would like that," she answered, her hand moving to entwine her arm with his. They set off down the street, strolling to nowhere in particular at a leisurely pace.

"So," Beatrice was the first to speak, "You are an artist then?"

"And what makes you say so? There could be any number of reasons for a man to have charcoal on his hands...and his face," Benedict quipped.

Beatrice smiled, "No, I believe I am right. You certainly behave like one passionate about the arts."

"Oh? And how is it I behave exactly?"

"Well, my grandmother would say you are rather...bohemian," Beatrice replied.

"Bohemian? And I suppose your grandmother would not mean that to be complimentary?" Benedict asked.

"Indeed she would not," Beatrice laughed, "Though as a rule she is simply not one for compliments. She is, above all things, proper, and can be rather terse at times."

Benedict nodded in understanding, "Ah yes. I have only a few childhood memories of my own grandmother, but she seemed much the same."

"Please don't misunderstand--I am actually quite fond of her," Beatrice corrected, "She is simply not an overly affectionate person."

"I see. So do you spend much time with your grandmother then?" he asked.

"As much as I am able, though my father is quite strict and doesn't like me away from home for too long. I am quite lucky he allowed me to stay with her for the season," she replied.

"Ah, an overbearing father. That makes sense," he commented, smirking at her as she pouted at him.

"Oh? And what about you? I can't imagine your parents restricted you much, given your proclivity for breaking with societal expectations."

Benedict laughed, "This from the girl who has clearly left home without permission to meet a man unchaperoned." She blushed in surprise, turning her face away.

"Well, that is..." She struggled to find a believable justification for her actions.

"Not that I judge you. If anything I'm glad you decided to break a few rules," he smiled as she continued avoiding his gaze, "And for what it's worth, you are correct; I am guilty of being raised by kind, loving parents who supported my interest in the arts and allowed me plenty of freedom."

"I knew it." Beatrice turned back, smirking at him triumphantly, "About you upbringing and being an artist, it would seem."

Benedict laughed, "Oh please, do congratulation yourself more."

"Perhaps I will," she joked.

Soon, her face fell into a thoughtful smile, "You're parents, did they love each other?"

That seemed an interesting turn in conversation.

Benedict nodded, "Yes, from what I remember they were quite mad for one another. My mother talks about it often, particularly mow that so many of her children have come of age. She is constantly encouraging us to find love matches for ourselves."

"You're all lucky to have such a caring mother. Not many would prioritize their children's happiness over their obligation to secure a good match," Beatrice replied.

"You're right, we have been very fortunate," Benedict smiled affectionately, "And so far my mother has gotten her wish: Both my brother and my sister have found love matches for themselves, though it is less certain that the rest of my siblings will follow suite."

"And you?" Beatrice asked without thinking.

"Me?" Benedict repeated, "Well, I'm not sure I shall ever marry."

In spite of herself, Beatrice could not help but look somewhat disappointed, "Oh, I see."

"Though," he continued, "I suppose love may be the one thing to entice me into such an arrangement, should I ever find it."

He couldn't help noticing how the corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly as he spoke.

"And what of you? Are you hoping to marry for love?" It was little business of his, but he had to admit he was more curious about her answer than he aught to have been.

"I," she hesitated, her head falling as her gaze fell to the ground, "I would certainly like to, but I'm afraid it's rather unlikely. At best, I can hope my future husband is someone I don't utterly dislike."

"Ah, right--you mentioned your father was strict. Will he be choosing for you?" Benedict asked sympathetically.

"Yes," she confirmed, trying to hold fast to her smile, "My mother and father's marriage was arranged, and now the two despise each other. I suppose so long as my marriage is at all better than theirs I can count myself lucky."

"That must have been a difficult way to grow up," he commented, not know what else he could say.

"I suppose, though it could have been worse. My mother hasn't lived with us since before I was born. When they are forced to around one another, it is an unpleasant affair for all involved; so perhaps it's for the best."

"That's...quite an unusual situation," Benedict noted.

"Perhaps it is, but it is mine," she replied, glancing up at him, "But now it is I who has made you uncomfortable. Perhaps we should move to a lighter subject?"

"Of course," Benedict agreed.l

He wanted to comfort her in some way, but he wasn't sure how he could. He certainly had no idea what it was like to grow up the way she had, or what it was to know that inevitably your future would be chosen for you. There had been a certain level of expectation placed on him as the second son, but he still enjoyed immense freedom. He felt any attempt at comfort may come off as disingenuous, or perhaps even patronizing. He wanted her to know he was sincere.

"Are you attending the next ball?" she asked him after a long moment of walking in silence.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. This is my sister Francesca's first year out, and the second year for my sister Eloise. My brothers and I typically accompany our mother to help keep an eye on them."

"What thoughtful brothers you are," she replied, her tone somewhat teasing.

"Well yes, I suppose we are rather good brothers--the best, even. Our sisters are quite lucky to have such devoted elder brothers looking out for them," Benedict joked back. Beatrice smiled at that, turning her head so he wouldn't see.

Benedict clearedhis throat, "Will you also be attending?" he asked as casually as he was able.

It was unlike him, but even the chance omhe may be able to dance with her was enough to entice him into attending every event for the rest of the season.

"I believe so," she answered.

"So we will see each other again soon?" He asked, hope clear in his voice.

"Yes, though..." she looked up at him nervously, "before that, perhaps I might visit you again?"

"You mean sneak out and see me at Bridgerton House?" She nodded in response, "Hmm...you're not going to throw more rocks at me, are you?"

Beatrice laughed, "I won't so long as you're paying attention."

"Well then, how could I say no?" He smirked.m, and she smiled back at him shyly.

At that moment, they stopped. Benedict looked around, surprised to see it had gotten quite dark. He realized they had walked farther than he had intended to go.

"As much as I loathe to suggest it, perhaps we should be heading back?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Of course," Beatrice agreed, "Though, I believe I am closer to home here than back the other way."

"Well then, allow me to walk you home," he offered.

"No!" she answered quickly, "Thank you, but I am quite alright getting back on my own."

He nodded, "Ah yes of course--your secret. Well, so long as you're certain you'll be alright alone?"

"I will," she looked away, looking pleased, "Thank you for understanding."

She unwove her arm from his, "Well, I suppose I should be off, it was truly a pleasure to see you again, Benedict."

He smiled, reaching forward, grabbing her hand and holding it in his.

"The pleasure was all mine, Beatrice," he replied, kissing the back of her gloved hand gently. She felt her cheeks burn. He released her from his grip, and Beatrice held her freed hand tightly against her chest.

"Yes, well...I'll be going then," she replied, quickly turning and making her way down the lamplit street. She glanced back only once, and he lifted his hand to give her a small wave.

Benedict continued watching her until her silhouette finally disappeared into the night.

----------

Tags: @empressnatsume @sarahskywalker-amidala @may-and-lay @lovelyxjanett @asterizee @g4ns3y

[stillness-in-green]

Chapter 423 Thoughts: Further Reading

I'm going to try to clear out some inbox/message/AO3 comment backlog in the next week, but in the meantime, having gotten my own post up on the chapter, I also want to share some posts from others that are in a similar vein as my own thoughts, or that I otherwise find worthwhile.

From @codenamesazanka: 

Nal has been doing a lot of post-writing and ask-answering since the leaks first dropped, and it’s all on-point, but there are a few posts I want to specifically link to:

Firstly, this post on how the U.A. kids in general and Deku specifically have, despite fans’ expectations, long been underprepared to truly acknowledge and address the structural problems of the system they’re upholding, as well as how Deku bears that out in the Edgy Deku arc.

Secondly, this post is on how the warning signs for this ending have been there all along offers a good concise rundown of some key places where, if Deku had ever cared about Shigaraki Tomura as a person (rather than just the Crying Child as a metaphorical construct), we should have seen him acting differently than he did. 

Thirdly and fourthly, these two posts talk about the Japanese BNHA fandom’s response to the chapter.  I think it’s interesting and worthwhile to consider the target audience/native culture’s response to a work when possible—there’s a lot you can learn about a story and its author’s intentions by knowing how the story’s audience is receiving it!  It can tell you about the audience the story is written for, what the values infusing the story are understood to be, whether those values align with the values of the audience, whether the author is trying to be populist or challenging, and so forth.

The culture gap between Horikoshi and his Western/U.S.ian audience can result in a lot of crossed wires, and checking how the Japanese BNHA fandom is reacting to the story can clarify some of that confusion.  It is, of course, up to the individual to decide how much to mitigate one’s own response to the story in light of that culture gap; I don’t think any creator is owed unquestioning carte blanche just because they’re from a culture with different popular values.  I certainly wouldn’t want someone in Japan watching, for example, Top Gun: Maverick and concluding that it’s beyond criticism because the fetishization of military hardware is just American culture!  Having at least some grasp on the author’s personal context is thus helpful in balancing open-mindedness and critical thinking when analyzing/critiquing a work.

(So, just to be clear, I understand the cultural context of Deku "saving Shigaraki's heart" being considered a worthwhile victory even in the absence of saving his *checks notes* life. I just disagree in the strongest possible terms.)

For good measure, have another post about the disparity between how destructive Deku’s focus on the Crying Child is to any chance Hero Society has to improve in the future.     

From @itsnothingofinterest: 

This reblog of an older post discussing the increasing power of quirks over the generations and how that problem would logically intersect with the precedents Deku sets here.  Bleak stuff!      

From @class1akids: 

First, this post runs through some of the fans’ desperate attempts to second-guess Shigaraki dying here but explains the various ways each would be in some fashion unsatisfying, because there’s no solution that doesn’t ruin some key aspect of the story.

Second, this very short post raises a very good point—one I hadn’t considered!—about how Shouto may not have talked as much to Dabi as Ochaco did to Toga, but Shouto’s always valued actions over words, and his actions indicate loud and clear how much he wanted to save Dabi.  And in ways that thematically tie into his arc about how he perceives and defines his quirk, no less!  It’s not about Chapter 423, as such, but it’s a very instructional contrast between Deku and Shouto, the latter of whom was actually trying to both stop and save the Villain he was fighting, the former of whom…was not.     

From @linkspooky: 

Spooky’s got a pair of posts contrasting BNHA with Yu-Gi-Oh GX, both of which are very long and very worth reading.  I don’t know if they were always intended to be companion posts—the first one was posted last month, and the second less than 48 hours after the leaks landed—but they function well in that capacity now.

The Supreme King Judai vs. Dark Deku: How To Do a Dark Deconstruction of your Shonen Hero! is an arc comparison post between the titular arcs and discusses in detail the way GX’s Judai and BNHA’s Deku are put through the paces of a dark hero arc, and why Judai’s works and Deku’s doesn’t.  What it boils down is that GX is willing to let Judai make the bad decisions his prior characterization always foreshadowed that he would make, leading him to fail, horribly, in consequential, lasting ways that paint him as being very much in the wrong.  BNHA, conversely, has the characterization foreshadowing but is unwilling to the point of open terror of letting Deku fail or be wrong in ways that will actually do lasting damage to him, his friends, or his relationships.  This is the same core problem the overarching series faces, and thus, while not about Chapter 423 itself, this piece is an excellent preface for the next one.

Shigaraki Vs. Yubel: How To Save Your Villain deals with the total collapse of BNHA as a story due to the way it fails to recognize Deku killing Shigaraki as a failure of its main character’s personal arc.  In comparison to GX’s resolution of Judai and Yubel’s relationship, It describes the story BNHA seemed to be promising us it would tell in its endgame, then discusses how that story is fundamentally broken by its actual depiction of Deku’s actions wrt Shigaraki and the other Villains Deku faces.  I particularly enjoy the breakdown of why the language of “forgiveness” thrown around by Deku and Ochaco is so wrong-headed and off-base.

A handful of pithy witticisms and bleak humor:

At least we’ll always have Spinaraki.

Imagine the story we’d have gotten if Deku had walked out into the hallway and thrown it into the nearest trashcan.

This would have been a lot less work than the concert, admit it.

[kttiuh]

୨୧ | "WHO'S PUSSY IS THIS ?"

pairings multi x black! chubby! reader

content very slightly degrading dirty talk. spanking twice (ass and face). pretty tame post, it's just nasty. nsfw.

a/n i think any man saying this is so corny and unattractive ughggh!! anyways, i'll let my fav sexies say it anytime !!!!

men that are so cocksure, so overtly confident. whether it’s him being full of themself because of who or what he is — or knowing he can please that pretty pussy so well that it just brings out the worst and nastiest in him. how can he not tease you so bad? you’re giving him so much to work with, pussy so tight it’s like you don’t even want him to pull out, just need him to stay buried deep in your drooling cunt. pussy so tight and warm that he can’t even piston into your syrupy walls properly.

he’s got you positioned into a nasty, steep arch. one of his hands is tangled in your curls, keeping your cheek smushed into whatever pillow he decided would do best to muffle your sing-songy moans and cries ‘til he decides to let up. with each mean thrust battering against your slick pussy, your own sticky gush of drool dampens the pillow — it leaves the side of your face moist and warm.

the other hand is between the skin where your ass and thighs meet. he bites his lips, throating down a groan at just how convenient the little area is, almost a good of a grip as your love handles — so soft, he loves the fat there — almost as much as he loves how fat your cunt is.

you feel his fingers give a tight grip at the area of skin before moving to the expanse of your brown ass, squeezing the flesh. this time, he doesn’t bother quieting his next growl as he watches the abundant, plush flesh spill out between each digit. before you can properly react to it, a sharp ‘slap!’ reaches your ears — and you feel the quick sting on your behind afterwards.

“fuck. so perfect. you’re so perfect. pussy’s so perfect.” he grunts bending over you. at the new angle, he's now enveloping you, chest flush against your back. he’s getting drunk off your pussy. drunk off how he can feel and see the swollen flesh grip and cling onto his cock, pussy juice wetting his pelvis and your inner thighs. his sweat mixes with yours, he’s so close like this, pratically hunched over your plump form.

more drool leaks from your mouth as he slows down his previously rough hips to roll them in tight, steady circles. the distinct motion has quick shots of pleasure move throughout your pussy, rewarding him with more cream on his cock.

“you goin’ stupid on me, pretty girl?” he asks, another roll of his hips, he gives your ass a few taps to make sure you’re not completely dumb on his dick. yet.

even though your eyes threaten to roll towards your skull, and your pink tongue is lolled out your lips — having you already fucked out before his pussy creams on him proper would be just cruel.

“fuuuck…who’s pussy is this?” he grunts, right next to your ear, breath hot on the sensitive skin. a little strained noise leaves your wet, swollen brown lips. it doesn’t seem to work for him though, and he gives a singular rough thrust, trying to coax a response out your pretty ‘lil fucked out form.

“c’mon babyy…” he coos, tone of voice so sugary sweet you’d think he wasn’t trying to push further into you, wanting his cock to press a pretty kiss against your cervix.

he laughs — a short, but amused one when he sees you still don’t respond. his hand previously in your hair moves to your cheeks, squishing the supple flesh before you feel it—

another sound of impact in the room, though its your face stinging this time instead of your ass. it wasn’t heavy enough to hurt — just to bring you back to earth so you can fully experience him dicking you down. going stupid on him and his cock is pretty ungrateful, isn’t it?

“fuck — yours!” you cry out when you see his hand reposition for another slap.

“pussy’s all yours, only you can make me feel s’good,” you praise, toes instictively curling and pussy somehow getting even tighter. of course your perfect cunt knows how to milk him so deliciously.

“there you go, pretty. you and this pussy know who fucks you so good.” he says. he readjusts his position, pulling his hips back until his cock is fully unsheathed, hot and sticky. nasty rewards from your cunny for drilling it out so well.

you whine as he slaps his angry, red tip on your puffy pussy, whining and cooing for him to just put it back in.

“don’t worry. ‘m not goin’ anywhere. greedy pussy, still needs me, yeah?”

of course it does — you need him to dig out your gummy walls in the shape of his cock. need him churning out cream and slick arousal from you.

and he’d never leave his girl or his pussy needy. <3

GOJO, TOJI, sukuna, suguru, CHILDE, KAEYA, wriothesley, diluc, HAWKS, DABI, ghost, john price, kishibe, CHRIS REDFIELD, carlos oliveria

© 𝐊𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐔��� do not copy, modify, or otherwise repost my works to any other sites.

[gamerbunny1996]

Jschlatt x Innocent reader

First off before we start I will be posting soon a request bored for anyone who wants me to write something. Next is I'm not very good at writing I have dyslexia so it's hard for me sometimes so sorry if something doesn't make sense but yeah.

“Hello guys welcome back. Today I'm going to be playing Minecraft. I'm hoping to finally finish my cherry blossom house. It's so close to being done.” You said to the camera. Chat talking about things to add to your house. Launching up the game you get a dono. Any new stuff animals you bought. “Yes actually” soon you're pulling up a new teddy bear that says My princess on it. “My friend sent me this isn't he cute I haven't decided what to call him yet” putting the bear down you continue on playing Minecraft.

Later on another dono came through. Which friend gave you the bear laughing at the message you look at the camera dead on. “It's a secret he would kill me if I told” you purposely said he so the chat could go wild. “I don't know why the bear says my princess though because I'm a queen but eh what can you do” you commented out on the chat still going crazy at the fact the bear says my princess. “Also I see you guys spamming bunny ears no not today guys I only wear them when you get the goal and you haven't done that yet.” Soon you see a call come in from discord. Rolling your eyes, you answered it. “What” you say. “Hello to you,” Schlatt responded. “Anyway what's up” you replied. “Well I seen you streaming and decided to come ruin it”

“Of course that's what you do best” rolling your eyes at the camera to show the annoyed expression you had towards schlatt. “You know it sweetheart” he winked at you. Blushing hard at that you try to play it off. “So your not a princess huh I couldn't find a queen one but I don't think it fits you anyway” schlatt points out that he was the one that got the bear for you” chat went crazy with different responses like omg schlatt and Y/n are together or ew gross would rather have schlatt single.

“Look what you did now, chat is going crazy” he laughed out loud amused at what he did. “Well I didn't care if people knew that I gave you a stuffed bear. What was wrong with that? Don't you like stuffed animals you always beg me to buy you one” he was right but you didn't want you fans or even his fans to know he buys you things. “Guys we're not dating, calm down” you said to chat. You could hear Schlatt laughing. “I just wanted a calm stream playing Minecraft'' you flip you screen to show just your face.

“I think I'm done with Tonight guys. I know it wasn't long but someone had to come and ruin it” you look at the screen where Schlatt's facecam was.”

“That's what I do best, toots. Well maybe now we can have alone time” Schlatt wiggled his eyebrows.

“We have alone time all the time. What makes this different?” you asked clueless to what he said. Chat going crazy trying not to have schlatt ruin your innocents.

“Oh sweetheart we do now? I don't ever remember us having a special time alone” he smiled an evil smile.

“I'm confused now” you said reading chat hoping they would tell you what he means. All your reading is most everyone saying nooo.

“Maybe I should show you but you'll have to turn off the live stream. I don't want anyone hearing or seeing” now at this point you're so confused. “Okay?” You go to turn off the live stream when you hear Schlatt start laughing so hard. “Someone please explain what's going on” once Schlatt catches his breath he replied to you. “I was messing around with you. Damn you're so innocent it drives me insane” you puff out your cheeks mad. “I'm not innocent”

“Okay prove it say something perverted”

“Ummmm….” You start to blush crazy. “No that's not appropriate” you try to defend. “You're so innocent” crossing your arms. “What ever I'm ending the live for real this time” you go and click end live and now it's just you and schlatt.

“So like can I come over”

“For what”

“To show you what I mean” you look at him confused. “I guess” he jumped up so fast off his chair it fell. “On my way” and soon the screen went off. You look at your husky who was laying on the floor by your desk. “That man will be the death of me” you turned off your whole set up and went to the living room waiting for schlatt.

[likeshipsonthesea]

i had feelings and wrote this post about shannon and i didn't wanna confuse it w eddie stuff but as she is ultimately a character in eddie's story i also wanted to go into the implications of this for eddie

do i think eddie was a bad husband? yes. does this make him a horrible irredeemable man who should take a vow of celibacy to protect the world from the burden of his romantic love? no.

but i think it's important that eddie actually deals with the reality of his relationship with shannon. i think we've got a start with this arc, and all the things he said to kim, but even then he starts out saying shannon was "the love of [his] life" when bestie, you didn't even know her.

they met in high school. they got pregnant unexpectedly and married just as fast. and then eddie left and they didn't know each other outside of a screen and brief visits for five years, then eddie was full of trauma and shannon's mother was dying, and then another two years apart, and then they were back together but didn't really talk outside of christopher.

by the time eddie re-proposed, he knew shannon as christopher's mother. that's it. he had no idea she wouldn't want another proposal. he heard "pregnant" and immediately went back to his 18-21ish self who knew nothing more than Responsibility. he didn't know shannon wouldn't want that. he didn't know anything about her--or at least, the audience didn't. where did she live? what did she do for work? what were her interests? from the beginning, the narrative--and eddie--treated shannon like a mother-shaped ghost to flit into and out of eddie's life.

and right as eddie was forced to look the truth of his and shannon's relationship in the eye, she died. how is he meant to consider all the nitty gritty rough edges and centers of their relationship through the rose-colored veil of grief?

i get why eddie hasn't tried to de-tangle all these feelings. it feels like he's shitting on shannon's memory. but i don't think eddie will ever be able to give himself to anyone until he realizes how formative his relationship with shannon was in all the wrong ways.

i'mma be bold here and claim: eddie didn't love shannon towards the end. he didn't KNOW her. he was happy to play family with her until she thought she might be pregnant again and then he immediately thought Pregnancy=Propose=Responsibility. it wasn't out of love for who shannon was as a person, it was out of responsibility.

and the shannon eddie married would've said yes, as she presumably did when they got married the first time. but the shannon of s2 didn't want that, a marriage of necessity. she knew herself enough to know she couldn't devote herself to eddie as a husband and christopher as a mom at the same time, and she chose christopher. i think eddie loves her for being christopher's mother, the way michael loves athena even though he isn't In love with her, but i don't think eddie knows the difference.

eddie thinks romantic love is responsibility and tradition and expectation and christopher's mother. he's learned how to live for himself and be better for himself but he hasn't learned how to LOVE for himself.

this doesn't keep him from making incredibly selfish decisions, like leading kim on or treating his love-interests like sex-giving mother machines, but i digress. eddie has learned how to break out of the roles he's played--perfect son, army hero, self-sacrificing single dad--but he's never stopped to think about the role he plays in a romantic relationship and the feelings that come along with it.

the kim arc is forcing him to look all of this straight-on and i love it. i hope they take it further. i need eddie to reckon with the fact that he and shannon failed each other, and that she wasn't the great love of his life because he didn't actually know her well enough to be in love with her at the end. i need eddie to look at how he acts as a husband/boyfriend and realize he's fucked up, to acknowledge how he's made bad choices and decide to make better ones.

eddie has so much to give, and i think he can make someone really happy if he manages to break out of the Husband role he's learned and really give himself truly to someone. and hopefully, it'll make him really happy too.

[lover-of-mine]

[whohasthecards]

Bradley, Bob, & Jake as Brothers

Just imagining the dynamic if these three because of the Dagger Squad and Mav and Ice began started to bond.

Bradley: An only child who was suddenly given 2 baby brothers.

Goose and Carol's only son, became a Mama's boy

After Goose died, the class of '86 helped chip in to raise him, meaning before they settled in with their own families he got the attention of so many uncles.

Mav of course took the most active role, basically being the father-figure to Bradley after Goose died. Bradley sees him more as a dad than Goose, that's why it hurt so much when Mav pulled his papers.

Then suddenly, the mission happened, they turn into a permanent squadron, and wow is Mav bringing Jake and Bob around more and more.

Hmmm, so Bob's former squadron giving him some trouble? No they're not.

Goddammit, Jake, give that back, right now!

Bradley: Hangman's the worst, selfish prick (Jake ate his leftovers). Some guy: Yeah, the guy's a fucking selfish assho- Bradley: What the fuck did you just say?

Bob: The youngest child given an older brother that actually pays attention to him and a younger brother that he needs to protect.

Big age difference between him and his siblings, he's the baby, was born when his siblings were already teenagers and young adults, focused on their own lives than him.

He was spoiled and loved by his family though, but they couldn't give him a lot of time and attention. His siblings were building their own lives, his parents were getting older, and he was an "easy kid". Bob was quiet, easy to please, easy to ignore.

When he said he wanted to join the Navy, his family was not supportive and doubted his ability. Deeply hurt him.

Then Bradley came, who would actually listen to him. Ruffle his hair and offer to hang out with him. They would play instruments together and stuff. Who defended him against his former squadron when they were making fun of him.

Then there was Jake who loved poking fun at him, but never in a mean way. Who would forget to eat when he was busy or having fun, making him have to shove fruit snacks in his mouth. Who would simultaneously teach and make fun of him when playing pool.

Bob: Come on, Rooster, not the hair (Bob rolled his eyes as Bradley ruffled his hair) Bradley: Awww, you're taking after Jakey, caring about your hair so much. Bob: Well, we actually want to look presentable (scrunches his nose at Bradley's Hawaiian shirt) Bradley: How rude.

Jake: The forcibly responsible, yet ignored middle-child, being given 2 older brothers who are protective of him, and finally gives him the chance to be free.

Jake is the middle child, have two older siblings and one younger sibling. His parents were neglectful, did not care enough.

He and his siblings used to be tight, but due to circumstances falls apart.

His older brother is a Navy SEAL, but suffers from PTSD, when he's on leave, he gets into trouble and drinks too much. He has to bail his brother out a couple of times.

His older sister began to be distant, he doesn't know where she is, she sends money and calls every now and then, but she started a new life. Whenever Jake asks for help, she refuses, claiming that Jake is strong and smart enough, that he can do it. (Jake simultaneously can't blame her and is resentful of her)

His younger sister needs financial support since she's just a teenager, she's in college right now and Jake is extremely proud of her. Just lonely as well. She's doing well for herself, Jake wants to protect her innocence. He acts more like her dad than their dad ever was.

Jake always has to be the rock, steady and strong. He's just tired.

He's a twenty-something, and he wants to be a twenty-something, careless and free. Fuck up and have fun every once in a while.

Then Bradley and Bob comes in.

He can't help but allow himself to play around with them, mess with them, tease them. They make him let his guard down, it's fun being around them, he's not responsible of them outside of being their teammate.

And they actually pay attention to him, and dote over him. He grumbles about them being overprotective or being too much of a mother hen, but he's sad whenever they hesitate to ruffle his hair, wondering if they were overstepping.

Maybe one day, he'll tell them about his family.

Jake (sinks 8-ball in): HAH! I won this game Bobert, pay up Bob (rolls his eyes as he pushes the cup of peanuts towards Jake): Eat up, you mean. Bradley (Ruffles Jake's hair): You gotta let him win once in a while. Jake (pouts): But how will he learn? And plus, how else would I be able to get some peanuts?

[lgbtlunaverse]

I cannot stress enough how MINOR of a petpeeve this is and how this is an interpretation that i'm comfortable with other people having even if i personally do not but I've noticed in a lot of 3zun fics, if jgy is holding smth back- generally his own feelings because his natural reaction to conflict is to make it Go Away and so if his emotional needs are the potential source conflict he will simply Not Look At Them.- That between nielan Xichen is the one who's worried and presses for comunication and Mingjue is like "Meng Yao is an adult if there was a problem he'd say so."

And I get why this is done, because nieyao's communication is generally atrocious and Xichen is the Gentle One who'd want to make sure a-yao is okay. So I get it. But. Canonically. The person going "I know a-yao, we trust each other, I don't need to ask him, he'll tell me on his own terms." is Lan Xichen and the one going "If Meng Yao doesn't want me to know something he WILL hide it from me and i'll have no idea because he's just that good at lying" is Nie Mingjue. And in a healthier nieyao dynamic, as these fics work under, that knowledge would not lead to automatic distrust but rather a desire to check in, to go: please remember that I value your honesty more than whatever you think you would burden me with by telling me what's going on.

Xichen also wants honesty and open communication ofc but his reaction to conflict is also to make it go away as fast as possible and he feels like saying it constantly feels accusatory so he wouldn't. If he asks if something is ok and a-yao smiles and goes of course er-ge checking again if it's really okay would be implying he was lying the first time!! He's showing his trust in him!! This is really refreshing if you're constantly assumed to be untrustworthy and meng yao appreciates it so much and it works really well 95% of the time but when it doesn't? Oh boy.

[genocat]

this one iterator OC i never post because his trauma is too fucking severe for anyone to even be able to comprehend in one sitting

[aleki-lives-here]

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

[rozunderpressure]

I wish someone would talk about how Chloé is like… A literal tragic character…

Who she is currently does not allow her to make the current right choice, but also makes her worse which goes on to not allow her to make the right choice next time either, so she is stuck in a cycle where she is constantly nudged further into the dark with no one pulling her back because all the people who could, at one point, have done it have already been pushed away by previous bad choice she was nudged into making.

And people keep giving her bad advice and not responding correctly to her BS. Like Miss Bustier being dismissive of her bad behavior or Ladybug telling her to act more like her mother which probably made sense for Mari, WHO HAS A GOOD LOVING MOTHER, and is just a teenager who really should have not been given this kind of weight to carry.

The problem is that Chloé's problems are ones that are not solved by being a goody nice nice to her, which is how MLB (the show, not the character) likes to solve all its problems... They would be solved by her being give some real (AND PROPORTIONAL) consequences to any thing she does wrong, while also guiding her in a better direction…

Her problems can not be solved with a pep talk, which means they never will in this show... Which, again, makes her a very tragic character...

[bellincurl]

Rupaul making an online bookstore that hosts libs of tiktok and Matt Walsh's books bc 'you can't fight hate if you don't study it' like contributing to the sale of hate speech and trans conspiracy theories is necessary at all and not fucking crazy. Like there aren't lgbt people dissecting how these idealogies work that's more explicitly useful to promote? You just have to promote 'What is a woman?' Raw. Is it just like censorship to not have it there? It doesn't seem like Matt Walsh is struggling to have his voice heard right now does it.

The funds for these books are going towards his rainbow bus that'll give out banned books for free, but it's still another sold sticker for people who are Alive Right Now who want us dead and who also contribute to book those bans in the first place.

link Also her long time friend Lady Bunny dragging her for it too.

Rupaul makes 1 million per drag race episode. She's the most famous drag queen in the world contributing to forces she should be vocally loudly against and is aiming to squirrel away in a doomsday bunker on her husbands giga fracking ranch instead. (Nails digging into head) make it stopppppp

https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/rupaul-s-fracking-controversy-explained

[pinkeoni]

“X character either ends the series in a relationship or they have to die” listen to how you sound

[lukewarmbreadatamoderatepace]

In the kind of setting where gods directly get their power from the belief of mortals, then like....

Gods fading out of existence due to lack of believers would be common enough, but inherently that's not going to get much attention, since by the time they die no one believed in them anyway. But if a god that lots of people still believed in died, it feels like that'd make some pretty big waves. That's a powerful being under a pretty big spotlight.

So like, say that, for the first time ever, a Major God falls (this could be from whatever cause you like but I like the bonus irony you get if it was fellow god(s) that did it). All the gods would be trying to keep it quiet, would be PISSED at the ones who did it. Can't let the mortals know we can die! But you can't keep that up literally forever. A GOD is DEAD, it's surely gonna leak out somehow.

I'm imagining kind of a chain reaction: the first prominent god dying triggers the first major batch of conversions to the "none of them are gods, actually, they're just powerful magical assholes" school of atheism. If they can die, then they were never gods to begin with.

People dying or converting to different religions wouldn't affect the net balance of power between gods and mortals-- a mortal dying removes one believer and one belief-target, someone swapping to favoring a different god is just moving the power around among them.

but atheism? That's directly robbing the gods of a follower, with no equivalent reduction in mortal-power!

[systemofshadow]

any other systems / collectives / etc have alters / facets / headmates / etc who come out literally Just to do a bit. like the commitment to the bit is what they're here for