#new relationships are hard

[slothquisitor]

Some Credit in Trying

New relationships are hard to navigate. Also, let's have a new first kiss *after* Moonrise. Astarion x Liv, 3.5k, fluff-adjacent?

Also on AO3.

As Moonrise Towers recedes behind them, a curse lifted and a direction found, Astarion breathes in the lighter air. There’s a hint of sea breeze, a promise of sunshine and warmth ahead of them. Nothing has gone the way he thought it would at Moonrise. They know now what the Absolute is, and who is behind this entire plot. An elder brain, The Chosen of the Dead Three. It’s like something out of the adventure stories he loves so much. It’s….a lot. He believed they were out of their depth before with all of this, but now, he knows how laughable and naive they’d been. There are gods at work. And they’re what? Supposed to steal these netherstones and save the day? It’s probably hopeless, but he feels far from it. Perhaps it’s the high of the victory at Moonrise, at the way they’d faced down Myrkul and Ketheric and won, but Cazador can’t be that far out of his reach. 

He knows what the scars on his back mean now, knows all about Cazador’s little plan. He could not only snatch this ritual away from Cazador, but he could take the power for himself. How delicious would it be to not only stop the man who ruined his life, but also to take this ritual that means so much to him for himself? If he’s successful, he’ll never be at the mercy of anyone ever again. He’ll be able to walk in the sun and be the master of his own fate once they get rid of the tadpole. He will be free, and he will never have to be afraid again. 

 Liv wants to stop Cazador too, but there’s some hesitation whenever he mentions completing the rite himself. Nothing good can come from devils, she says. Can he really just sacrifice his siblings so callously, she asks. He’s sure that she’ll come around, sure that he’ll convince her to see the reason in this. An elder brain and Bhaal and Bane’s chosen will be nothing when he is the one who ascends. It’ll all but guarantee their victory. 

It’s so close he can almost taste it. 

With Baldur’s Gate just one sleep away, their growing group has set up camp in a crumbling ruin on the hillside. The city spreads out in the distance like a promise, the soft glowing lights twinkle like fireflies. After endless weeks in the wilderness, the Underdark, and the Shadowlands, the city feels like light and life and… home. It surprises him how sentimental he feels about the place, now that he’s seeing it again in freedom. He’s not the only one. 

Wyll and Karlach are trading stories by the fire, reminiscing about places they love and hope to see again. Shadowheart sits near them, maybe she’s hoping something will click a forgotten memory into place. Astarion is content to drink with them, offering his own critiques or insights into if a tavern or restaurant still exists or has changed management in the years Wyll and Karlach have been away. 

Eventually, Karlach glances around before leaning over to him. “Hey, where’s Liv gotten to?”

“Why are you asking me? I’m sure she’s around,” he lifts a hand to encompass their little camp, but he knows it’s the wrong response as soon as the words leave his lips. 

Karlach frowns. “She slipped away after dinner and hasn’t come back. I’ll go look for her if you won’t.” Karlach’s golden eyes are awash with disapproval, and guilt settles into his stomach. Her extended absence in the evening isn’t her usual way, and he should’ve noticed. But he didn’t. 

“I will of course go and see what she’s gotten up to,” he says, a note of apology entering his voice. The truth is that he’d noticed she wasn’t here, but simply hadn’t thought that much about it.  But now that he looks around the camp, he sees no sign of her. 

“You do that,” Karlach says. Her words are delivered with careful control, a hint of admonishment lacing them. 

He’s not very good at this…whatever he and Liv are to each other business, and it’s clear Karlach has seen that. It’s not that he wouldn’t have preferred to be spending time with Liv this evening over anyone else, but he…simply hadn’t thought about finding her. And of course, Karlach would ask if he knew where she was. They’d scarcely been out of each other’s sight, and he’d taken every opportunity to be as close to her as he could at every opportunity. Their…attachment is no secret. 

While their companions aren’t privy to the specific details about what is or rather what isn’t currently happening within whatever they are to each other…he’s still sure that they look at the two of them and know what he knows: that he’s invariably getting the better deal out of it. He’s not sure what he has to offer anyone beyond complications and baggage. His feelings for Liv are genuine, but somehow he still feels like he’s taking advantage of her kindness. 

Perhaps he should’ve let Karlach go; she’s probably better company this evening anyway. But he does go, setting off on his own exploration of the ruin, hoping to find wherever Liv has absconded. 

It takes some doing, but eventually, he finds her at the top of the highest point of the ruin. She’s sitting up against the parapet, facing the city that’s visible from her vantage point only because the opposite wall has crumbled away. She glances up at him as he approaches, and looks relieved, perhaps. He takes it as an invitation. 

“It’s quite the spectacular view,” he says, sitting down beside her. They’re not quite touching, but the proximity is nice on its own. “Is everything alright?”

She looks back at the city and sighs. It’s a heavy thing, and he realizes that of their group, she’s the only one (aside from Halsin) who hasn’t seemed excited about getting to the city. 

She shrugs. “Sure. Just thinking about what we’re going to find when we get to the city is all.”

“So you were brooding,” he says the words with a hint of tease, knocking her shoulder with his own, hoping for a smile or a laugh or something. 

“I wasn’t brooding,” she says, shooting him a long-suffering look that is a confirmation all its own. 

“Sulking, ruminating, or worrying then? I could go all night with the synonyms.” Liv is always steady, always so unflappable. Seeing her like this makes him worried. He used to think it would be entertaining to see her break, to fall apart spectacularly. Now, he wants to be the person who helps keep her together. 

“Oh, I know.” She finally huffs a little laugh. “Maybe a little bit of worrying.” 

He leans in closer and takes her hand in his in a gesture that has lost none of its novelty for the familiarity. Her fingers lace with his, warm and steady and sure. He loves this. “Tell me what you were worrying about, my dear.” 

She shakes her head. “Nothing that matters. Truly.” She squeezes their joined hands, as if in reassurance, but he knows her too well to believe her. She’s not lying, not in the sense that she’s trying to be dishonest, but she is so very good at minimizing her own problems, worries, and concerns. Before Moonrise, he might have let her have the deflection, might not have pressed, but that’s not what this is anymore. 

“It matters to me,” he says. “Talk to me.”

If thinking of himself too much is his failing, then this is hers: she never thinks enough of herself. Her world-ending tadpole problem is nothing in the face of other’s suffering. She wants to save everyone, always. Even him. He wonders sometimes if she’s ever tried to save herself if she could be that selfish for anything. 

She is quiet before finally glaring out at the city as if it’s just another enemy to stand against. “It’s just my family…I don’t want to see them, and I’m afraid it’s inevitable.”

She never talks about her family. Oh, he’s pieced together a few things. He knows she has siblings, all older, but he doesn’t know their names, or what they’re like. But the fact she doesn’t want to see them is enough for him. Liv is kind and doesn’t say no enough. But if she’s decided she doesn’t want them in her life, well that’s all he needs to know. He doesn’t speak, just squeezes her hand lightly in encouragement, so she knows she can go on. 

“I don’t know how to talk about them. With you,” she admits, glancing at him before looking away again. “I don’t know how to talk about them with anyone. But especially you because…you’ve experienced far worse, and I don’t know. I don’t know how to tell you without minimizing your pain.”

He doesn’t know what to say. He’s sure he’s not given the impression that he is an especially empathetic person. And it’s true, he doesn’t have a lot of practice giving a shit about other people’s problems. When he first stumbled off of the nautiloid, he wasn’t interested in solving anyone else’s problems but his own. Two centuries of captivity and he was finally free for who knew how long, and he didn’t want to waste this chance, this opportunity. He was desperate for it to mean something. The urgency has faded somewhat. They’re protected, and they’re not going to turn into mind flayers any second. And well, he knows his companions now…it’s different. Sort of. He’s finding himself moved more often these days. It’s annoying, and probably Liv’s influence. But…he cares about her problems. Always has, even when he wouldn’t allow himself to ask about them. He has no such internal rules now. 

“I’m not used to being trusted with the burdens of others, but you so happily share mine. I want to do the same for you.” For so long, his life had been only about survival from moment to moment, there was no room for anyone or anything else. He keeps clawing space, trying to reclaim something more for himself, for her, for them. It’s not perfect, but she has given him precious, impossible moments of comfort. He only wants to be able to do the same for her. He’s just not sure how.

“I’m afraid of going back to Baldur’s Gate, afraid of seeing my family again because the only time I’ve ever felt like my own person was out here. I’ve never been looked at as anything or anyone that mattered much at all, but then I met all of you…and everyone just…trusted me, followed me.” Her words are stilted, like she’s still unsure about voicing any of this aloud. 

“It felt good. Better than good. It felt like proving my family wrong,” she explains. 

“Wrong about what?” he asks, but he’s sure he already knows the answer, or part of it anyway. 

“Magical aptitude was all my parents cared about. I was reminded, often, that I would never amount to anything, and that I would certainly never measure up to my siblings. Failure to meet expectations was not treated kindly. My parents are quite adept, and would use their magic to…motivate us.” 

He recognizes the careful tone, the way she says motivate like it’s a repetition of someone else’s lexicon, a word with its own painful universe contained within. He has many of those himself. He stays silent. 

“They also encouraged my siblings to use their magic on each other. That’s…that’s how my sister Brelia died. She was fighting with Cressida and Percy and…my parents made sure it was ruled an accident. We were forbidden from saying anything. Not that Percy or Cressida wanted the truth out there anyway.

“Roland and I just stood there at Brelia’s graveside letting people tell us how fucking sorry they were and we couldn’t say anything about it. We couldn’t tell a single person the truth. Not with Percy and Cressida and our parents standing by, watching us the whole time.”

Her shoulders slump inward, and Astarion doesn’t know what to say. He can tell that this is important, and he wishes he was better at this. At knowing the right things to say. This is real; he doesn’t want to mess it up. 

In the silence, she continues, “After Brelia died, I thought Roland would stay. Thought he’d stick around with me to try to find a way to fight back to get…justice? But he left me, went off to Candlekeep, barely even returned my letters. But I stayed…I stayed too long. I don’t know why or what I thought I was accomplishing spending every day letting them treat me like shit. And I woke up one morning about six months ago, and I…I just left.”

“They let you leave?”

She sad smile spreads across her lips. “I thought that maybe they’d come looking. I think part of me wanted them to, if only because it would prove…they cared or something. But they didn’t. I could have left at any time, and it wouldn’t have mattered. Wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. They didn’t care.” She looks at him, unshed tears gathering in her eyes. 

He feels so far out of his depth. He understands now why Liv apologizes so fucking often, the words ‘I’m sorry’ are the only ones coming to mind, but they don’t feel like the wrong ones. “I’m sorry. They didn’t deserve you.”

“I’m sure they’d disagree.” She wipes at her eyes with her free hand. “I like who I am here, with all of you. I don’t want to go back to Baldur’s Gate and be reminded of them or their impossible expectations. And I’m sure that if they’ve thought there’s anything to gain in allying with Gortash, they’d do it.”

“You think they’re tangled in all this.”

She nods. “I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re very powerful and very good at following whatever way the wind seems to be blowing. They get into things just deep enough to profit. If they thought Gortash could gain them anything, I guarantee they struck some sort of a deal. We have enough problems, and I don’t want my family to be another.”

“I’d be very happy to kill them,” he says. He means it too. 

With what has to be the first genuine smile he’s seen tonight, she shakes her head. “You know, not every situation should be solved with murder.”

“I don’t know, our track record of the last few weeks might suggest otherwise. Would you like the examples chronologically or alphabetically?” 

She rolls her eyes. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d rather just leave them alone.”

He cannot fathom this. They hurt her, and she what, wants them to just go on being awful? Where is the justice in that? “To go on hurting people? To let them get away with covering up a murder? What about justice? Don’t you think they should pay? Don’t you think you deserve better?” 

“People rarely get what they deserve, you don’t have to look very far even in our camp to see that,” she says. 

She’s right, of course. Karlach didn’t deserve to be betrayed and handed over to Zariel, and Gale didn’t deserve his goddess telling him to die. And Wyll didn’t deserve to have to sell his soul to save Baldur’s Gate. Shadowheart didn’t deserve to lose her memories or be manipulated by Shar, and Lae’zel didn’t deserve to be cast out from her people for questioning her queen. Liv certainly didn’t deserve her upbringing, didn’t deserve parents who cared more about what she could do than who she was. Most days, he’s not sure what he deserves, but after two centuries of shit, pure shit, he thinks he deserves something better too.

“I can’t make them sorry. I can’t make them care that they hurt me. All I can do is learn how to live my life without being ruled by it.” Where is the fairness in that? Astarion doesn’t want to take any sort of high road out of this.

“I suppose that’s what you want me to do, too, isn’t it? Just forgive Cazador and move on with my life being good and kind for the rest of my days?” He knows that his words are unkind, unfair even. He cannot be good like her; is not sure he wants to be. “That…was unfair…”

There is a hard edge to her gaze when she looks at him, her words quiet. “No. It’s alright. Cazador needs to die.” 

He agrees of course, but it is gratifying to hear it come from her. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page about that.”

“We’ll make sure that he can’t ever hurt anyone ever again. You have my word,” Liv says. He doesn’t like promises; they’re too easily broken, but with her, it’s different. But even as she promises this, he realizes that he’s somehow taken this moment, and twisted it to be about him. He doesn’t want that because wants her to feel heard too. 

“For what it is worth, I think you’re rather wonderful, and that has nothing to do with your magic. You’re patient, and you’re kind. You always listen, and your first reaction to any situation is to look for a way to help.” 

Her eyes narrow, but her tone isn’t accusing. “I thought you hated that I always wanted to help.”

“Because no one ever helped me. People don’t help, but you aren’t people. You’re you. And I am grateful that I met you.”

“I’m grateful to have met you too.” She’s smiling now, and he thinks that maybe he might not be completely terrible at this. “Could I…could I kiss you?” 

It’s his turn to smile. He did do something right after all. She always asks for consent before touching him. It’s not a concession he ever believed he needed, would have never asked for, but he loves it. There’s a thrill in being asked what he wants, and a safety in knowing he can always say no. “There is nothing I’d like more.”

Since Moonrise, their relationship has been deliberately careful. It has been a profound relief to discover that Liv is fine simply holding his hand or hugging him goodnight and that neither of them has felt the need to ask for more. He’s wanted to kiss her, of course he has, but if he’s being honest, he’s been waiting for her to ask. He’s not sure he trusts himself to know what the normal progression of a relationship should look like anyway. But he trusts her, trusts that she’s not going to push him into anything he’s not ready for. She’s always been careful with them both, even when he wasn’t. 

She cups his cheek, as she slowly leans in, eyes never leaving his. There’s a careful watchfulness in this, and he realizes that she’s looking for any sign of hesitation on his part. The slowness is deliberate, giving him an out if he needs it. Something in his chest clenches at the care, the consideration. But he’s never been a particularly patient person, and so he leans into her, enthusiastically closing the rest of the distance.

This kiss is soft, unhurried, a kiss just for the sake of a kiss. Liv keeps their fingers laced tight between them, anchoring him to this moment. He is not sure if he can ever match her gentleness. He is used to reading his partners, meeting them where they are, matching their urgency, their insistence, and ardor - forever aware of the half-life of those couplings. He worries that not only was he not made for sweetness, but that he is not capable of it. That he will always reach for her with sharpness, in a way that cuts and wounds. 

But she is not afraid, so perhaps, he shouldn’t be either. 

The kiss is over all too soon. Their eyes meet as she pulls away, and he wonders if this is a first kiss they might have shared, in another life, another time, another set of circumstances where their hearts were less broken. 

“Mmm,” he sighs. And because she needs to hear it, and he needs to say the words aloud, he tells her, “I did rather like that, you know.” He hopes that’s a reassurance given, a permission granted for more moments like this. 

And because she makes him feel brave, he releases her hand to instead drape his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She burrows into his side, slotting into the space perfectly, and they sit together and watch the city glittering in the distance, a place that holds so much hurt and pain and potential for them both. They’ll face it together, of that much he is sure.

There is much to learn, and to unlearn, but he knows that he wants nothing more than the time to try. 

Thanks for reading!

[originalartblog]

@bsdfanweek's skk Valentine's week day 2: Camellias and Floral Troubles

Dazai's love life is so hard. This is in reference to my recent skk post!

[bluerosefox]

Courting Chaos (to Balance)

A KlarionxDanny brain worm that has spawned

Tim Drake, aka Red Robin gets kidnapped suddenly and very randomly by Klarion in the middle of a JL and others meeting.

Leaving with a

"I'LL RETURN HIM WHEN HES NO LONGER USEFUL JUSTICE LOSERS!"

And fire and chaos in his wake.

While the JL, and others scramble to figure out what Klarion has planned this time, Tim manages to break free of whatever Klarion had used to kidnap him only to find himself on a couch and Klarion nervously petting Teekl on his lap while also sitting in a chair across from him.

When Tim goes to demand to know why Klarion kidnapped him Klarion finally speaks.

"Okay, I wanna strike a deal. I won't bug you or your little Young Just US buddies if you help me ask someone out..."

"...What the fuck Klarion?" Was Tim's only response.

-x-x-

So it turns out, every so often the three main entities and actual factions of Order, Chaos, and Balance get together to well discuss things happening in certain Realms, worlds, and timelines. Basicly to touch base, see where everyone was at. Etc etc.

Order was Order. Chaos was Chaos.

Very simple.

Both could be bad. To much order caused restraint and could snuff out growth. To much Chaos could get out of hand and cause ruin.

Both could be good. Order help stabilizes worlds and builds their future. Chaos allowed creativity to roam and brought forth wonderful things.

And Balance.

Well Balance was the very scales that kept both sides in check. They were neutral grounds. The ones that normally oversaw the meetings as well. And despite their low numbers they held powerful entities that more than made up for it.

Balance did their best to keep things in check, sure they do have their own preference sometimes and allowed the scales to tip a tiny bit but always corrected it later if it tips to much.

It was at this meeting, a meeting even Klarion knew better than to do anything too chaotic, pranks were fine but nothing too much, and had been chatting with a newcomer to the side of Chaos (Danielle, call me Ellie, Phantom. She did some heroing on the side but liked causing chaos in her wake to do so, he liked her so far though.) When the bells for the side of Balance to appear announced them.

Ellie had smiled brightly and said her brother was coming with his mentor, turns out her brother was apart of the Balance group which meant that he was strong, strong enough to need a mentor.

He watched as the members of Balance walked, teleported, flew, and other means into the meeting halls. And then froze when his eyes caught sight of him.

Floating next to a blue skined being that was switching ages was a beautiful otherworldly person.

Snow white hair that wisped upwards oh so softly. Glowing green eyes that were cat-like with their piercing glance. A galaxy cloak hanged around his shoulders and seemed to shift with each movement. Star like freckles decorated his face and seemed to glow a soft bluish white. A crown made of ice and aurora lights floated above his head as well.

All in all Klarion couldn't keep his eyes off of the being at all. He nearly spat his water out when Ellie commented that was her brother Danny, or rather.

High King of the Infinite Realms, Daniel 'Danny' Phantom. The Great One. Defeater of the Tyrant King. The Halfa. The Peaceful End. The Balance of the Undead. (And his mentor was the Ghost of Time itself. THE very Keeper of Time, Kronos original form himself.)

Klarion honestly didn't know what to think or rather what emotions he was feeling when he spotted Danny, nor why his face felt so hot and red when the young man looked over at them and smiled. (He was smiling at Ellie but Klarion for some reason hoped it was for him as well)

It wasn't until halfway in the meeting when a rather ingenious prank that Klarion, Ellie, and a few others had set up went off... thing was it strong enough that it had hit Danny's side of the meeting and had hit him.

Now, again pranks were okay but only after the meetings. It was one of the few rules many, even those in Chaos, took seriously because once it was done and over they could go do their things. So for it to happen in the middle of a meeting means someone set their time on the prank wrong and add the fact it hit a person on the Balance side...

Yeah not good.

Only...

Only instead of getting angry, even Clockwork who was seated next to Danny was chuckling, Danny threw his head back and laughed about it. And his laugh... was very cute.

And before he knew it, Klarion had already fallen.

-x-x-

"So yeah.... Since you have a boyfriend and know how to date in this modern age, I need your advice."

".... Klarion just because I'm dating Bernard doesn't mean I know how I did it..."

"Bernard? I thought you were dating that one Supes?"

[iridescentoracle]

i am so obsessed with how like. taken as read the ot3 are at this point. like on the one hand it feels like they've been building up to this for ages but on the other hand it kind of feels like i blinked and we skipped right past some Major Turning Point where everything got spelled out and we're just already in firmly Established Relationship-land. obviously tarvek is too well-protected for anyone to assassinate openly, look how angry his boyfriend and girlfriend are at the idea of anyone threatening him. at this point i'm half-convinced agatha's just going to refer to her boyfriends in passing to someone else and no one's even going to comment on it until van finds out twenty pages later and immediately starts making everyone pay up

[ganondoodle]

so, inspired by the warm welcome the captain received with that rough doodle i posted, i made an updated design for Ki'ita as well (basic and with clothes)

i removed the piercings she had bc considering that they spend the majority of their time in arctic waters i think having metal directly in your skin is a bad idea, no matter how thick your blubber is; i also gave her typical white markings a green hue bc ... i liked how it looked and makes them stand out a little more

(i will not repeat what i wrote on the post about the captain but wanted to add a bit of more info about Ki'ita herself)

(i dont have ALL of their backstory done yet but) the captain and Ki'ita worked together in another organization, one in which the father of the captains child also worked at, before being betrayed and barely managing to escape, after which the both of them founded their pirate crew (possible name is the Solar Pirates bc of their solar powered boat stuff); since the captain had her daughter shortly afterwards Ki'ita managed most of the organisational matters at first, including the construction of their base on an abandoned island they had initially fled to

over the years they invented the solar powered ships that allowed them to gain control over a large part of an important trade route, leaving normal ships (mostly) alone but attacking those of hunters and similar, rescuing demons and mutants, even some humans from them, most of which also join the crew and it quickly lead to them becoming their own little community

Ki'ita does not like to spend alot of time among large groups of people, no matter how much she cares about them, and her originally being from norther lands gave her the idea to explore, and if viable, do underground missions in those norther areas to disrupt the infrastructure the hunters had built in recent years and overall keep the crew informed about things that may otherwise stay hidden; with each of their travels her time absent from the base increased but the patience of the captain is wearing thin so its likely a serious talk is underway on Ki'itas third solo mission she nearly died due to entanglement in abandoned nets made by hunters from an unknown material that she could not break, the massive scars on her tail especially come from that, only surviving bc the date they were supposed to return to the crew had passed and the captain grew to worried about her and made the entire crew rush into an emergency search, including the captain herself and her toddler, who were not suited for the cold climate just like the rest of crew, taking a huge risk that Ki'ita still feels ashamed of for causing; they stayed within the base for a whole year afterwards, not just to recover but also as a silent apology, taking time preparing herself to ensure theyd not get into a situation like that again

(before departing on their next mission the captain gifted her a sword with the blade made from the material of the net, a wooden handle, bc of the cold, and a blue wrap around it reminiscent of the captains striking blue teeth; a reminder of what had happened, a means to defend herself when their strength and teeth are not enough, and also a promise to always return again)

the oldest members of the crew know Ki'ita well and treat her like an old friend, among the newer members she has more of a .. cryptic status, the mysteriously absent vice-captain who only appears every few months or so out of thin air, throws a big party, sleeps for a few days and then vanishes again, the only hint to when they will return soon again being the captain getting noticably grumpier

(OC art, Ki'ita, she/they)

[redrobin-detective]

Something I wonder about Simon and Betty's relationship is how long they were together before the whole crown ordeal. But they were engaged, you say. My aunt (in)famously met my uncle and had a ring on her finger in 8 weeks. We've seen that both Betty and Simon were both weird outcasts, crazy determined and a pinch insane. I would not be surprised if they decided they'd met their one true love and got engaged super quick.

My point being, Betty's shifting to revolve around Simon and Simon's rose colored glasses of their relationship feels very much like New Love. They're people who love each other and love being a couple but still haven't quite figured out how to coexist together, as two people in a partnership. I feel like if they'd known each other longer, lived together longer, some of the issues we're seeing would have probably self resolved.

I don't think their relationship is toxic nor is it totally perfect. It's two lonely, most likely neurodivergent people in a relatively early relationship still figuring out how it works. Everything that happened afterwards: the crown, the seperation, the time travel, the magic/madness/sadness just exemplified issues they had both as individuals and as a couple.

[mint-stone]

Aite, this is the ep that finally got me thinking that yeah Peri is a bit in over his head w/ his kid.

[aardvaark]

i think it’s noteworthy that parker finds a way, multiple times, to pretend to be with hardison in a con. she kisses him in the first david job, she pretends she’s meeting him to have sex in the wedding job, they pretend they’re getting a marriage visa in the zanzibar marketplace job, and they act like they’ve been making out in the jailhouse job. and i can’t think of a time that she’s done that with any of the others?? tell me if im wrong but i don’t think she’s fake-made-out with anyone else, at least.

i mean, parker stabs or breaks the fingers of guys who flirt with her or touch her. yet in the first david job she kisses hardison. in season one, when she’s still so resistant to touch and her heart is so guarded. its just for the con, of course. but a fake kiss, something she can easily write off - that’s all she can do at that stage. she can’t offer her heart, she won’t let herself get attached, and really it takes until the long way down job (ie season 4) for her to start accepting that she is capable of loving and being loved. in season 1, when she was entirely closed off, a fake kiss is all she can do with her feelings for hardison pretzels. she keeps taking the opportunity to kiss him or be together, without the consequence of Having To Talk About It and all the problems she knows would come with that. her method of coping with Emotions is to let herself get into a bunch of mini fake dating AUs with him lol.

i think its worth bringing up because ive mentioned how sweet hardison is with her, and we all talk about how much he cares for her and shows patience and understanding, but its certainly not one-sided! parker’s enamoured with him since pretty early on. her way of showing it is just different and somehow both far less and way more direct lol. they both put effort into figuring each other out and learning to be in a relationship, not to mention that trying to be capable of a healthy relationship with hardison is one of the biggest driving forces behind parker’s character growth. he’s so important to her (and they’re so important to me <3).

[whatimdoing-here]

NCIS HAWAII | 3.10

[tswwwit]

I think it was sort of implied Bill had exes (or more like ex- one night stands? Maybe even ex- acquaintances with benefits?) so my question is 1) are any of them still alive 2) will dipper meet them 3) if so will dipper /know/ that he met them, and how does he feel about that? Bonus points for descriptions of their various improbable anatomies (picture dipper meeting a sentient pile of hornets and wondering how exactly it and a triangle managed to bone down XD).

Maybe!

Possibly!

Depends! Bill might not be totally up-to-date on the 'how to healthy relationship' course - but even he knows opining on previous flings conflicts with domestic bliss. So if Dipper does meet one of the exes, he could figure it out from context clues, perhaps. Or some bystander could let him in on the hot gossip. Or the ex could be very up-front about their previous relationship to this impudent little flavor-of-the-week fleshbag.

Bill's absolutely banged some things so physically different that trying to figure out the mechanics makes Dipper's head hurt. He's not gonna think about it for multiple reasons.

[silveryhill]

F1 RACING, 01.06.2001

Murray Walker's interview with Alain

The last is the inevitable one, Ayrton Senna. But before you answer, I want to tell you a little story. One year at Monaco, I waited four and a half hours outside the Marlboro motorhome to do an interview with Senna. The two of you were having a debrief. When the door opened, the first person who came out was you. I said: "You've been in there for four and a half hours. What on earth do you talk about for all that time?" You said: "Well, Murray, we talk about this and we talk about that, but I do not like to be the first to leave!" Did that sum up your relationship with Ayrton?

Yes and no. The team were very professional. Everything we could get from each other was important. If you left too soon, you would miss learning something.

But the way you said it, I had the impression that once you left, Ayrton would say, "And put another two pounds in the tyres."

We were very professional. Even when we had the big fight. It was a funny situation because we only talked to each other in the briefings. There, it was like we never had any problem. We were sharing set-ups and things on the car. I promise you – and I don't know whether the same is true for him – that I never, ever lied to him.

As someone who had enormous admiration for Senna, I never forgave him for lying about Japan in '90.

The only problems I have today are Imola '89 and Japan '90. I really suffered over them. Everybody lies in life, but when you lie for your own benefit... I suffered a lot. I almost stopped at the end of '90. For a few days I wondered whether it was worth carrying on, especially when I saw the comments in the papers that it was almost my fault! I remember one of the Honda engineers coming to me on the evening of the race and saying, "We have looked at the telemetry. It is unbelievable, Senna stayed absolutely flat until the impact." I thought, "Shit." Why didn't the truth come out? Living with that was very difficult. You must understand that Ayrton's motivation was to beat me. All he wanted to do was beat me. Being world champion was one thing, but that was almost second to the challenge of beating me. I was his obsession. As soon as I retired, he changed totally. We talked on the phone as if we had been friends for a long time. After I stopped, our new relationship made me forget about everything else. I remembered only the best of Ayrton and not the worst. It's like in school.

[thatskindarough]

They need to make a queer space where the extroverted queers adopt the introverted queers today so we can have our occasional social enrichment but also not have to worry about socializing in the moments we don’t feel like it.

[willowser]

okay i know everyone hates amnesia fics but can you imagine sitting in a hospital bed, being visited every day by bakugou sourpuss katsuki 🥺 and he has to go through the terrible painful process of making you fall in love with him AGAIN ??? like, he feels lucky enough that it happened the first time !!! now he has to do it all over ??

and can you imagine asking him to explain it to you, what you were to each other 🥺 and he has big sad eyes and lil pink cheeks and he tells you hesitant and gruff, "we—fuckin' love each other. you're it for me 'n i think...i hope i was it for you."

SAD. GOODBYE. SCREAMING.

[undead-moth]

I know I've been on about this for a while now and I'm being a hater but you're telling me SydCarmy was "always meant to be platonic" even though there are two seasons of writing making use of tried-and-true explicitly romantic tropes, themes and writing signals, and SydLuca is going to be romantic because...he was nice to her on screen for a few minutes?

I don't even care if people ship SydLuca, or if they just prefer it, but you can't honestly tell me that you believe Carmy was always meant to be a friend but Luca is an obvious love interest.

Just because Syd and Carmy haven't kissed or confessed their love to each other doesn't mean that isn't very obviously the direction this show is going. The Bear has already shown you who is endgame. It has shown you every episode of the show so far.

Honestly I really don't think The Bear fanbase understands this show or cares about these characters or the story being told here, which is unfortunate because this show is shockingly well-written in comparison to most shows right now, and we should be so grateful for it but all we're doing is complaining that the writers led us on by not making a ship canon fast enough. It's just. Sad.

[the-sunbee]

so- i was having thoughts about the cmv (and graciously threw them at a friend) and yall get them too.

isla chose everyone else's survival over her own:

she left her kingdom and married fable to save her people

she was either made or decided to stop visiting her fathers to save them from seeing her misery

she went to enderian for information because her husband wouldn't give ti to her (to protect her people again)

she left fable and went to enderian to save both her children

she left enderian to save icarus

she hid from the gods to save her children

she got taken by fable to save her children again

something something Isla only chose herself and her feelings when she fell in love with Enderian

[anna-scribbles]

h-how do you ever finish any of your work? genuine question because you seem to be productive despite your agreste syndrome and I need to learn your ways. but also how do you ever finish any of your work

unclear. last night i stayed up and finished a report worth 25% of my grade at about 5am, arrived on time for my 9am lecture, and spent about half of it zoned out while thinking about seventeen year old emilie agreste. and i was one of the most active participants in the class discussion