#recovery!tale

[fallingdownstars]

Repressing the urge to make a detailed description of my version of Underlust lore

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

[detailedart]

“Crying is a sign of strength. It is a demonstration of a completely comfortable relationship with the self. Choosing to cry and feel is a choice in the interest of one’s emotional health. Choosing to cry is also choosing not to care about the opinions of others. Since crying is so stigmatized, rising above society’s thoughts is pure authenticity. Crying also helps set an example to others. Especially in recovery when peers are struggling to connect with, articulate, and express their own emotions, seeing someone freely express themselves is inspiring. Not only will they learn from the act of crying, but they will see the transformation that takes place from working through emotions.” source

[asoftepiloguemylove]

on change

Ursula Le Guin Dragonfly; The Tales from Earthsea / BoJack Horseman (2014-2020); Nice While It Lasted dir. Aaron Long / Eric Jong Becoming Light: Poems New & Selected / Ocean Vuong On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous / C.G. Jung The Red Book (via @tamsoj) / Charlotte Eriksson Everything Changed When I Forgave Myself / BoJack Horseman (2014-2020); Nice While It Lasted dir. Aaron Long / Rainer Maria Rilke Letters to a Young Poet

[stripeixii]

"Have you selected one?"

"I have."

[1071png]

xillia pokemon teams ^.^

(left my long ass comments about the teams in the notes for the curious)

[not-poignant]

Daily excerpt from chapter 8 of Constellations:

‘I think Lludd really hurt him,’ Gwyn said, his voice breaking. ‘I know he body-checked Efnisien sometimes. Like, slammed him into walls by shouldering him really hard. He was such a petty… I once saw him stick his foot out from under the table, and Efnisien tripped and slammed into the counter, jarring his arm really badly.’ ‘Was Crielle there?’ Gwyn nodded. ‘She kind of cooed over him, but she…’ Gwyn frowned at the memory that came to life in his mind. ‘She grabbed his arm where he’d hurt it,’ Gwyn said. ‘He made a noise, like it hurt, but it was- It was like he didn’t want to make it. I thought at the time that she mustn’t have realised where he’d hurt himself because she didn’t move her hand away. But…maybe she did.’ He stared ahead blankly. That was something she’d been willing to do in front of all of them, and Efnisien hadn’t said a word of complaint. He hadn’t even told her to stop. Gwyn felt sick. ‘Maybe she did,’ Chelsea said in agreement. ‘It’s also possible that your father was being careful just how much he was hurting Efnisien around you all, in order to avoid retribution from his wife. Crielle was everyone’s problem, and you all had to navigate her in different ways, and that included Lludd.’ ‘I get so fucking tired of secrets,’ Gwyn said with quiet vehemence.

[ofyorkshire]

sitting on bj now bc now i'm thinking about his gender again and how i have no idea how to figure it out because he doesn't totally seem to know, and even if he did, there's a huge discrepancy between the films (where i primarily base my portrayal) and the novels.

i think he should experiment more. he doesn't get to, but he should. i think he's mostly afraid of the reactions he'd get from friends, whether he decides "yeah, actually, i'm a girl / i'm genderfluid / i thought i was something else for a while but actually i think i am cis after all and just feel euphoric cross-dressing, sorry, i've never been allowed to form an identity until now", and idk. whatever it is, i think i do need to figure it out, eventually, if only bc it seemed so important to him that barry gannon understood him.

whatever tumbles out of him when i get the chance to really shake him for it, i'm soft about bj having the freedom to discover himself. and i'm soft thinking about him having friends who'll accept him not in just whatever he finds, but his in searching.

[bilightningwhumper]

Mangst 2024- Day 1

“I never wanted this”

(Also posted on Ao3, will be doing both this and posting on there for Mangst 2024) Warnings for this one: talk and description of throwing up, then talk of past abuse Not beta read, so bear with me, lol Wrote this before midnight, but typing it up took a while. It's not the next day until I go to bed and wake up tomorrow. Characters: Sienna- Red Riding Hood Rae- "Huntsman" Director Wolf (mentioned)- Big Bad Wolf

Rae's POV

Something woke Rae up. Blinking blearily around, she was alone in the room. Under the door was a faint light. Not enough to wake her, though. Sienna was probably just taking a late bathroom trip.

When she rolled over to fall asleep again, that’s when she heard it.

Retching.

Rae threw off the blankets, stumbling slightly over the clothing she’d left in a pile. She pulled open the door and made her way over to the bathroom. The sight that met her broke her heart.

Pale and trembling, Sienna was hunched over the toilet. Tears streaming down her face. Eyes red and puffy. As Rae came in, another bout of retching started, vomit turning to bile.

“Oh, Sienna.” Rae murmured, reaching over to flush the toilet to get rid of some of the smell. Then she sat down, gently rubbing Sienna’s back.

Her soulmate didn’t do much more than whimper, a sob briefly bursting out as more tears came down.

Rae slowly coaxed Sienna to sit back against the wall. Not far from the toilet, just so she wasn’t hunched over it anymore. The tears didn’t stop, but the trembling slowly ceased and color started coming back into her face.

“Sorry.” she mumbled, resting her head against Rae’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

Wrapping an arm around Sienna’s waist, Rae kissed her temple softly. “You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t something either of us can control.”

They both went silent. Sienna curled up more into Rae’s side. She responded by pulling Sienna closer, gently rubbing her side.

Rae could hear the clock in the living room ticking in the distance. What time was it anyway? Sienna had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. A good thing, too, with this happening.

Just as she was about to suggest going back to bed-

“I never wanted this.”

Rae frowned. “Wanted what?”

Sienna didn’t answer right away. She drew away from Rae, playing with her shirt hem. Rae couldn’t make eye contact with her even when she tried.

“To …” Sienna swallowed hard. “To miss him.” A sniffle. “To dream about him. Long for another heat for him to help me, comfort me. To -” She broke off, twisting her shirt so hard it might rip.

Rae put her hands over Sienna’s.

“Sienna, can you look at me?”

It took a few heartbeats, but vibrant bloodshot green eyes finally met hers.

“You are allowed to feel whatever you feel.” she said in a clear measured voice. “Wolf took your trust, your need for love and kindness and used it against you. But it’s not your fault for falling for it. It’s entirely his for taking advantage of you. Okay?”

Sienna let out a shakey breath. “I still feel his hands on me. He’s in my dreams. Why- why do I still want him? Even knowing that-” Her voice cracked again as she held Rae’s hands tight.

Slowly pulling a hand away, Rae pushed some hair behind Sienna’s ear and cupped her cheek.

“Because healing isn’t linear.” she said, using her thumb to brush away a fresh bout of tears. “It took years for him and everyone else to do this to you. It’s going to take time to undo that.”

“What if it never goes away? The memories? The craving?”

Rae hummed. “Well, I know I’m determined to make new happy memories with you. And over time, they’ll outnumber the old and bad ones.” Then she gently booped Sienna’s nose. “And I dunno, maybe we’ll replace the craving with one for ice cream or something.”

Sienna let out a surprised laugh, wiping at her tears herself. “Really? Ice cream?”

Rae just shrugged. “I’m tired, alright? It was the first thing to pop into my head. It’s not like I’m going to encourage a habit of drinking or drugs, now am I?”

Hearing Sienna’s giggled warmed Rae’s heart as well as seeing the small smile on her soulmate’s face. She took her hands, gently pulling her up.

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

Sienna followed her up off the floor. Then stopped Rae with a hand on her shoulder.

“Is it alright if… if I spend the night with you?”

Rae flushed a little, a warm feeling setting in her chest at the look of cautious hope in Sienna’s face.

“That’s fine by me.”

The bright smile Sienna gave her was worth the nervousness thrumming through Rae at the prospect. Pushing the door open to her room, she realized this was the first time she’d be sharing the bed with anyone since breaking up with Jenny.

Arms around her waist broke her train of thought.

“I can smell you overthinking, Rae. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. We don’t have to do this. If-”

Rae stopped her, intertwining her finger’s with Sienna’s on her stomach. She probably didn’t mean to, but feeling Sienna’s breath on her neck flustered her more.

Clearing her throat, Rae turned to take Sienna’s hands again, smiling softly. Sienna’s comfort mattered more than her nervousness and any past feelings she may have had for Jenny. But the concern on Sienna’s face made her pause.

“It’s…” She wet her lips, searching Sienna’s face. “This is a big step. Sleeping together. I mean,” Her face started burning. “Well, just sleeping sleeping, not, you know, but-”

Sienna cut her off with a finger to her lips, confusion turning to amusement.

“Rae, you just woke up from a dead sleep after a long day at work and still came to make sure I was okay. I know that’s bare minimum, but it means a lot to me anyway. And right now I really, really just want to be surrounded by you and your scent because you make me feel the safest I’ve been in years. No more nightmares, or at least no more waking up alone after them.” She moved back, tucking her hair behind her ear again. “I trust you.”

Rae’s voice caught there, knowing the weight behind those three words, especially for this. Not trusting herself not to go into another tired ramble, she stepped aside for Sienna to enter the room first.

After Sienna got settled, looking unfairly cute tucked into Rae’s blankets, she clambered in next to her, pulling her close again. They ended up with Sienna curled up using Rae’s chest as a pillow, Rae’s arms around her, legs close to entangled.

As Rae started to drift off, Sienna murmured her name. She hummed in response.

“I don’t want to crave ice cream.”

Rae hummed again, too tired to do much else.

Sienna snuggled close, wrapping an arm around Rae’s middle. “Would it be alright, eventually, if I started craving you instead?”

That got a strangled tired noise out of Rae as she rolled over to hug Sienna more as she started giggling at the response.

“Hush you.” she said, nuzzling into Sienna’s hair. “Sleep now, teasing later.”

Rae felt Sienna let out a soft laugh that turned into a contented sigh, hugging her tightly for a second before relaxing again. Breaths slowly became more level and even as she drifted off.

Kissing the top of her head softly, Rae murmured. “Love you, Sienna.” before drifting off herself.

[whumpetywhump]

Favourite Trope: Held Hostage (138/?) Tale Of The Nine-Tailed 1938 - Ep. 1

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[dieseldolls]

had to be medicated bc of a really bad panic attack and ended up sleeping for 14 hours straight LOL

[fallingdownstars]

Part 1 | TW SUICIDE IN PART 2‼️

I think imma start making small comics for my AU Recovery! Tale.

I’m splitting it into parts cause this is taking long to make and I wanna post something for you guys <3

Cant honestly say how my comics I’ll be making for Recovery! Tale but stick around I’ll try to come out with at least the second part to this

[richter10]

We need more fanfics about Marinette healing from trauma/burnout

I would love to read fanfics about Marinette recovering from trauma or burnout, specially if by rediscovering her passion for creating...

[skaldish]

The mind isn’t a singular uniform process but rather an ecosystem of processes. This is why it’s possible for me to be delighted at my top surgery, and for the weasel governing my amygdala to scream, “There is a BOOB-SNATCHING PREDATOR out there! You must HIDE and RECOVER!”

[makethiscanon]

I’m back again with my half formed story snippets. 👀

Delving into a Krel fic to test out how I’d write him.

Words: 350

Genre: Angst/Comfort/Recovery

Warnings: Injury detail

Krel rescues a girl from drowning on vacation (CPR), but she’s not out of the woods yet. So it’s back to the hotel to fix her.

AKA: Krel dealing with an unconscious body.

(Yes this is the closest you’re getting to a new fic. I’m so sorry 😭😭)

-------

Waiting to hear the click of Seamus locking himself in the bathroom, Krel pulled his serrator from his suitcase then pressed the button on its side. With a flash, his human façade morphed into his usual, much taller, much bluer Akiridion body.

Now with four arms and strength unfettered by a disguise, Krel collected up everything he needed from around his hotel room then sat down beside Tia.

Her bruising had gotten worse. He could only hope she was in a deep enough sleep to ignore the pain.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, lifting her from the bed like a delicate flower. He knew every slight movement had to be hurting her. “I’ll be gentle.”

Keeping her upright, he used his extra arms to feel along the ridges of her ribcage, checking the damage. Human bodies were so fragile. His façade had prevented him from exerting too much of his natural strength, but he had still hurt her.

“I... promise it was necessary.”

He sighed, tracing the contours of her shoulders, arms, wrists. Luckily nothing else seemed broken. Sprained, perhaps.

He double-checked that Seamus had closed the door to the bathroom, then with the dignity of a paramedic, began peeling the swimsuit from her top half, simultaneously reaching for the set of black cordamite rings, slipping them across his fingers. He had recently branched into the study of practical application of Akiridion Tech on humans. His tests were still in their infancy, but had shown enough promise for this.

Breathing deep, he held his ringed hands to his core, imbuing the cordamite with energy. The stones began glowing the same colour as his skin, so he placed them on Tia’s chest, over her damaged ribs.

“Seklos and Gaylen, help me.”

Under the guide of the charged cordamite, Krel felt Tia’s muscles start to constrict; popping, shifting until they pulled the bone back into place. Human bodies truly were a hideous miracle. He glided his hands over her skin, being careful to touch each bruise and scrape in turn. Then with even more delicacy he pulled her forwards, cradling her against his body so he could work on her back.

It was a comfort to feel her gentle breath dusting over his skin; a steady rhythm that told him her body was working with him to keep her alive.

“You’ll be okay,” he murmured, tilting his head to speak close to her ear. He didn’t know if she could hear him, but he was troubled by the thought that she was someone’s daughter. Perhaps she was someone’s sister. He wanted her to feel safe, the way he hoped someone else would keep Aja safe.

------

[stripeixii]

"I want to help you~!"

Redraw of this cover because it upset me dearly