#so let me just live in the hypothetical scenario

[lurensa]

they shouldn't be teaching romeo and juliet in schools, it should be yulma

[humphul]

but i'm not asking about hamas. i'm asking about israel. i'm asking how many people they are allowed to massacre before you draw a line on supporting the radical zionists in power. what would you personally say is the line for you? how many innocents could they kill before you said "well this is a bit too much collateral damage for my tastes"? one hundred thousand? one million? what will it take?

I dunno, man. How many ICU patients should die from understaffing in public hospitals before you donate 100% of your net worth to healthcare? How many ecosystems should be decimated by climate change before you switch off your computer?

You want me to put a number on how many Palestinian deaths I think would be justified? I'm not going to do that. I don't have an answer to a question like that.

But for now, I don't need one, because Israel hasn't killed 1 million Palestinians. They haven't killed even close to a million. You're inventing hypothetical scenarios to elicit responses from me that I simply don't have.

Here's what I do have:

(1) The State of Israel will be destroyed if it doesn't defend itself

(2) If the State of Israel is destroyed, most of its 7 million Jews will die

(3) If the nation of Palestine is destroyed, most of its 4.8 million Palestinians will die

(4) The current death toll of 33,000 Gazans (if we believe Hamas) is tragic

(5) 33,000 is significantly less than 4.8 million

(6) 33,000 is significantly less than 7 million

(7) A two-state solution will allow both Palestinians and Jews to live in the Levant without the need for 4.8 million Palestinians or 7 million Jews to die

(8) Hamas won't stop trying to destroy Israel so long as they exist

(9) A two-state solution can't happen so long as Hamas exists

(10) Hamas can't be destroyed without innocent civilian deaths, since they operate within extremely densely populated areas

(11) Those civilian deaths are preventing an even bigger atrocity from happening: the deaths of 4.8 million Palestinians or the deaths of 7 million Jews.

Ultimately, Hamas started this war and Hamas has the power to stop it. They're refusing to do so. That's why I'm criticizing them instead of Israel.

And they deserve criticism. 33,000 deaths is extremely fucked up.

But your "solution" seems to be for Israel to just sit back and let themselves be destroyed. Which, unless you're happy for millions of Jews to die, is no solution at all.

It's okay to admit you don't have a perfect answer. There is no perfect answer.

What's happening is a tragedy, but the alternatives are worse.

[atalante241]

Hear me out.

A batfam AU where Bruce is this cryptid thing living on the hill, and the town of Gotham for the past 20-ish years has been giving him random things because every time he appears to pick up the thing he seems disinterested.

So one day some genius decides that offering children is a great idea! So they decide to try it out (to the dismay of the newly promoted Jim Gordon), and lookie-here a newly orphaned child! Seems like his parents died during a performance… not Gotham’s problem let’s go give the child.

So they give Dick over. When Bruce in all his blob glory comes a-looking he’s just super confused, but also worried because somebody just left this child out here?? Of course he ends up taking him. How does Dick feel about this? Idk, I don’t even know how old he is in this hypothetical scenario.

And of course, the people hiding in the bushes when Bruce comes to pick up the yearly-random-gift-he-gets-for-some-reason (he’s concluded that it’s like a birthday present) are ecstatic bc expression! The weird shadow bat demon blob thing showed an emotion when picking up the child! So this must obviously be the right gift!!

So anyway. A year (or years, maybe they give him different things in between. but it’d be hella funny that every year they would bring more children until one of them is of age enough to go into town and go: “stop bringing over more children, oh my god!”) later Jason is left the same way Dick was. Not that Jason’s parents know. His mom’s dead and his dad’s somewhere in jail thinking that he’s safe with Catherine and not being offered to the weird shadow thing on the hill.

How does Barbara Gordon come into this? Well I can tell you that she’s old enough to Not Like This when it happens, and Gordon definitely is throwing a fit.

And as the years go more and more children come and some go.

[fatecantstopme]

The Wink

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: Bucky reveals how he really feels about you through a series of winks and an answer to a question you never wanted to ask.

Warnings: SMUT, oral (F receiving), unprotected sex (P in V). Aftercare. Small bits of fluff. Slight body issues (Bucky hates his scars). Feelings about being used for sex. Use of pet names.

"You're an idiot," you said with a laugh.

"Maybe, but this was entirely your idea."

You smacked his arm and rolled your eyes. "It was your idea, James."

He cocked his head to the side as if he was deciding if he agreed with you or not. He took another swig of his beer and shrugged. "It's possible that you're right." He held up a dart and shook it in front of you. "So you gonna take the bet or not?"

You grabbed the dart from his hand and grinned. "You're still an idiot." You threw the dart and it hit the board with expert precision. "Are you sure you wanna take the bet?" you teased.

Hr grinned and stepped forward, throwing his own dart at the board. It was an instant bullseye. "Oh doll, I'm gonna win this one." He winked as he teased you.

You groaned, knowing you were probably going to regret this later. You threw the dart again, aim pretty good, but certainly not a bullseye. "Shit."

Bucky threw his bullseye a second time. He turned to look at you, shooting you a wink as he grabbed his drink. "Your turn, doll."

"You can't win, Barnes."

"I'm pretty sure the game is mine, sweets."

You bit your lip and turned to face the board again. You knew that losing wasn't an option. You took a deep breath and threw your last dart, sinking it right in the bullseye. "Yes!!"

Bucky smiled and threw his last dart. "Ooo, bullseye number three, doll. Looks like I win." He winked at you again before setting his drink down and leaning closer to you. "So now you have to answer my question."

"What was your question again?" you asked in a light tone, trying to give yourself more time to formulate a better answer.

"If you could only save one person's life on the team, who would you choose?"

It was the question you never wanted to think about, let alone answer. If it came down to it, who would you pick? Whose life did you value more? Could you even pick between your teammates--your friends? Hell, every single one of them was more like family...how could you pick one family member to save?

The problem is, you knew your answer. You knew it from the moment Bucky had first asked the question 20 minutes prior. You'd refused to answer, thinking he would just let it go, but you should have known better. Instead, he made a wager...putting the answer to his question on a game darts. A game you had lost.

You could answer him honestly, but that terrified you beyond belief. You could lie to him instead, but that had its own risks. It was a rock and a hard place scenario and he knew he had you.

"I can't choose, Buck," you complained.

"It's hypothetical!"

"I know, but I love all of you. How could I possibly choose?"

"I chose," he said simply.

Your mind wandered back to a mission from three weeks before. The mission where Bucky had saved your life...

The room suddenly lit up, the muzzle of a gun flashing brightly as a bullet shot from it. The gun was pointed at you and you knew you were about to die. You could practically feel the end racing towards you at the speed of a bullet. You closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the pain, but it never came. Your eyes opened to a scene you'd never imagined seeing.

Bucky stood in front of you, his gun firing off a round as he dropped to his knees. His bullet hit his target, killing the Hydra agent instantly. When Bucky hit the ground, you hit it with him, coming to his front to assess the damage.

"Bucky!" your eyes scanned his body, panic settling into your chest. He was bleeding, but he looked alright.

"I'm fine, doll. It's just a shoulder wound."

"Why'd you do that? Why'd you jump in front of me?"

"Because you wouldn't have survived it. And I couldn't live with that," he said softly.

He wasn't wrong. That bullet would have killed you. While it only pierced his shoulder, it would have hit you directly in the head, killing you instantly.

"Thank you," you whispered.

"Anything for you, doll," he said with a wink.

Back in the present, you shook your head, clearing the memories from your mind. "That's not the same, Buck. I'd die for any one of you. That's much different than picking which one of you to save."

He shook his head. "You didn't see the whole thing. I didn't just save your life, I chose yours over Sam's."

You froze, trying to picture the moments before the gun went off, but the room had been so dark...you hadn't even seen Sam. "Sam's fine, though."

"Sam was fighting another Hydra agent when that one squared up with you. I saw him raise the gun at the same moment I saw Sam get pulled into a choke hold with a knife to his throat. I chose to save you."

You were silent, allowing his words to sink in. "I--I didn't know that. Sam never said anything."

"Sam got away moments later, so he never had a reason to bring it up."

"You just acted on instinct though."

"Perhaps, but I knew I would save you if it came down to it. I'd always choose you." He smiled and shot you another wink. It was the third one this evening alone and you were starting to wonder if they meant more than you'd originally thought.

Bucky was always winking at you. Sometimes jokingly, sometimes in a flirtatious manner, and sometimes even in a serious moment. They always made your heart flutter, but you didn't think they meant anything to him. Bucky was flirty, but he'd never made a move, so you assumed he wasn't interested.

"You still haven't answered my question, doll, and you do owe me an answer."

You took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine. I'd pick you, alright?" you said with a huff.

He looked surprised, but unconvinced. "Why? Because I picked you?"

You groaned, deciding to lay your cards out on the table, come what may. "No you idiot. Your stupid face popped into my head the moment you asked me the question, okay? I knew I'd pick you."

"Then why didn't you answer it the first time?"

"Because!"

"That's not an answer."

"Ugh!" You sighed again. "I didn't say it because I didn't want to explain why it was you."

Bucky looked at you strangely. "You're not gonna make me ask, are you?"

"Damnit, James," you groaned. "I can't live without you, okay? There's no world worth being in if you're not in it."

You couldn't believe you'd just said that out loud, but here you were, heart laid bare, in the awkwardly quiet compound game room.

Bucky didn't say a word, but he wasn't speechless. He was simply contemplating his next move, weighing the consequences of his actions before he made them.

After a few more painfully silent moments, he grumbled "Fuck it," before crossing the short distance between you two and pressing his lips to yours in a frantic, yet passionate kiss.

You were surprised by the suddenness of his actions, but you melted into him without a second thought. The kiss was infinitely better than you had imagined, and you had done quite a lot of imagining.

When Bucky's lips left yours, you whined slightly, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss you again.

"Sorry, doll. I've wanted to do that for ages."

"Well what you took you so long?" you asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't sure you wanted me to. You never said anything either, you know. At least I dropped hints."

You rolled your eyes. "Can you please just kiss me again?"

He grinned and leaned back into you, mouth encompassing yours instantly. He loved the taste of your lips, the feeling of your tongue fighting against his, the way you gripped his arms like you were terrified he was going to disappear.

Bucky pulled away once more, the action almost painful. "Should we move this to my room? Anyone could see us here."

"Bit presumptuous of you, James," you teased.

He started to back peddle, a look of panic crossing his features. "Oh, I--uh--I didn't mean--"

You laughed. "I was teasing you, handsome. I'd love to move this elsewhere."

He relaxed, exhaling long and slow. "Thank god." He grabbed your hand and practically dragged you towards the elevator. "Come on."

"Buck, my legs are a lot shorter than yours, so can you slow down a little?" you asked as you jogged after him.

"Sorry, sweets." He turned towards you and scooped you up with ease before continuing to the elevator.

"What are you doing?"

"It's faster if I just carry you."

"Are we in a rush?"

He gave you an unreadable look. "Let's just say I've wanted you for so long that I actually might not be able to contain myself for much longer."

You smirked. "So you're gonna take me right here in this elevator?"

His eyes darkened. "Don't tempt me, baby, because I will."

You blushed. "I wouldn't say no..."

He looked like he was considering it for a moment before shaking his head to clear his dirty mind. "No, no. Our first time needs to be in a bed, where I can attend to your every need, not some dirty elevator."

You'd be lying if you said that the idea of him attending to your every need wasn't sexy as hell. The image of him on his knees for you sent a wave of pleasure straight to your core.

Bucky inhaled deeply and a low growl escaped his throat. "Fuck, you smell good."

You gasped, realizing he could actually smell your arousal...freaking super soldier senses.

The elevator door finally opened and Bucky practically ran towards his room. He pushed his door open and kicked it closed behind him before tossing you on the bed. He stepped away from you and took a few deep breaths.

"Bucky? You okay?" you asked in concern.

"I just need a minute, doll. Need to control myself."

"Why? I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be and you know it," he growled. "I could hurt you and I might if I lose control."

You crawled across the bed towards him, hand reaching out to him. "You're not going to hurt me, Buck. Just come here...please..."

His eyes met yours and you were taken aback by how dark they were. The normally bright blue irises were almost entirely hidden by his pupils, an almost feral look in them. It was an expression that might terrify a lesser woman, but you trusted Bucky with your life. That wasn't going to stop in the bedroom.

"Come here, baby," you whispered gently.

He let you take his arm and pull him towards the bed. He stopped when his legs touched the edge of the mattress. "I wanna be gentle with you, doll. Treat you right."

You cocked your head to the side as you took him in. "While I love that sentiment, Bucky, I don't need that. I need you and I'll take you in whatever form you come."

He groaned. "You're amazing."

You grinned. "Oh baby, you ain't seen nothing yet." You shot him a wink to emphasize your statement and he practically jumped on top of you, earning a squeal of delight from you.

He pinned you to the bed and started kissing you again as his hands began to undress you. His hands were fumbling with your shirt and he groaned in frustration before simply ripping it in two.

"Bucky!"

"I'm sorry, I'll buy you three to replace it," he mumbled, reattaching his lips to your skin.

He quickly rid you of your pants, leaving you in nothing but your underwear and a bralette that was arguably a little small for your chest.

Bucky sat back to take you in, eyes hungrily dancing across your body. He tapped the fabric between your breasts, "Is this expensive?"

You shook your head. "I have a couple more like it."

"Good," he said as he pulled a knife from his pants and slid it under the fabric, cutting the bralette in two. He cut the straps and tossed the ruined fabric onto the floor along with his blade.

You stared at him in a shocked silence, wetness seeping into your underwear. "That was hot as hell."

He grinned and inhaled deeply. "I can tell you liked it, pretty girl."

He grabbed your underwear and tugged them harshly down your legs. "Holy shit," he murmured, sliding a finger between your folds to collect your juices. "This all for me?"

"All for you, Bucky."

He licked his finger and groaned loudly. "Fuck, baby, you taste even better than I imagined."

He dropped to his stomach between your thighs, spreading your legs as wide as he could. He didn't bother to tease you, just dove right in, devouring you with a kind of hunger you'd never experienced.

You were a moaning mess in minutes, begging him not to stop, a plea he took to heart. When your orgasm hit, he worked you through it, never stopping to even take a breath.

You tugged on his hair and whimpered, but he kept going, needing to taste you for a little while longer. He wanted to feel you explode on his tongue again and again and again until you couldn't take it anymore.

"Bucky--I'm so close, please," you gasped.

He dug his fingers into your hips and kept your pussy tight to his face, not letting you squirm away.

Moments later you came with a cry of his name, waves of pleasure making your hips buck against his face. He worked you through it, only stopping when you begged him to give you a break.

He lifted his head, giving you a view of his slick covered beard. "I could eat that pretty pussy all day long, baby." He licked his lips. "Tastes so damn good."

You whimpered softly and reached for him, wanting to kiss him again. He wiped his face on his shirt before tugging it off over his head and lowering his body back down to yours. You held him close as you kissed him, fingers lightly tracing the scars on his left shoulder.

You felt his body stiffen under your hands and you pulled away to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he murmured.

"Hey," you said softly, grabbing his chin to force him to look at you. "Talk to me."

He sighed heavily. "I'm just not used to anyone touching my scars."

"Oh," you said in surprise, pulling your hand away from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Shit--no, that's not what I meant. Most women tend to avoid them. I know they're not pretty to look at."

"I think they're beautiful."

He looked at you as if you were insane.

"I'm serious, Bucky. Each one tells a unique story of your life. They're a part of you and that makes them beautiful to me."

His eyes softened and you could have sworn you saw the ghost of a tear slide down his cheek. "I don't deserve you," he whispered.

"Oh hush. That's not for you to decide." You hooked your leg around his hips and flipped him over with surprising ease. "If we had more time, I'd kiss every single one of your scars until you believed me, but we don't."

His eyes widened. "Are we in a rush, baby?" he teased, echoing your earlier statement.

You grinned. "If I don't get your cock in me soon, I may never recover."

"We can't let that happen, so we better get to it."

He helped you remove his pants, leaving him in just his boxer briefs. His bulge was massive and your mouth was watering in anticipation. You gripped the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down slowly, allowing his cock to spring free.

You inhaled sharply as you took in the massive erection before you, a slight panic settling into your bones at the thought of having something that large inside of you.

As if he sensed your panic, Bucky chuckled lightly and said, "Don't worry, baby. It'll fit."

"I don't think so."

He grinned. "We'll make it fit."

You looked up at him with what you hoped was a neutral expression. Concern immediately clouded his face, so you knew you'd failed miserably.

"Hey doll, it's okay. I'll go nice and slow, alright? I'll be gentle."

You nodded and took a deep breath. You positioned yourself directly above his painfully erect cock and began to lower yourself down very slowly.

Bucky gripped your hips tightly, making sure to guide you as slowly as he could manage. You both moaned as he began to enter you, the stretch causing you to dig your nails into his chest.

"I've got you," he whispered.

You tried to lower yourself further, but Bucky's grip on your hips kept you from moving. He meant it when he said he wanted to be as gentle as possible.

"I can take it, Buck. Let me try," you murmured.

He looked at you and nodded slowly, not looking entirely convinced, but he loosened his grip on your hips, allowing you to take control.

You took a deep breath, deciding to handle this like removing a band-aid--just get it over with. You sat down on top of him, sheathing his entire cock within your tight walls.

You cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain, body stretched in ways it had never been stretched before.

Bucky groaned loudly, almost covering your cry. He looked at you with wide eyes, checking to see if you were okay.

Your body was acclimating to his size and you were becoming desperate the longer he remained still. "Please, Bucky," you whimpered.

"What do you need, baby?"

"I need you to fuck me--please."

He gripped your hips again and started to move slowly, letting you match his pace.

"I'm not made of glass," you grumbled.

He looked up at you in surprise. "What?"

"You're not going to break me, Bucky. I want you to fuck me until I can't walk, understand?"

He nodded rapidly, eyes darkening once more. "Are you sure?"

"Fuck. Me. Now." you demanded.

He wasn't going to deny you such a request. He shifted his body, planted his feet on the bed, and began to piston up into you with speed and force.

"Fuck!" you gasped, the pleasure slamming into you like a freight train.

"You're so tight, doll. Feels so good wrapped around my cock."

Bucky was giving you exactly what you'd asked for and you loved it. The tip of his cock brushed your cervix with every thrust, the whisper of pain only adding to your enjoyment.

"Squeezing me so tight, baby. You gonna cum for me? Gonna make a mess on my cock?"

You whimpered and nodded rapidly, your third orgasm of the night creeping up on you. "Feels so good, Buck."

"I know, baby. It's like heaven--could stay here forever."

Your fingernails were digging crescent shapes into his chest as you clung to him, unable to do anything more than moan and gasp his name. "Please," you whimpered.

He knew exactly what you were asking for, so he didn't slow down or alter his movements. He continued to pound into you until you came with a cry of his name, pussy pulsating around his cock.

"Fuck!" he gasped. "Fuck--baby--shit, you've gotta stop that or I'm not gonna last."

"Can't help it," you mumbled. "Feels so good."

"I know pretty girl." He pulled you down to his chest and held on tightly as he flipped you onto your back, allowing him to get a better angle.

By this stage, your body was hyper-sensitive and you could feel every single movement he made.

His hips began to move again and his fingers caressed every part of you he could reach. He pinched your nipples, rolling them between his fingers as he fucked you. "Can you give me one more, sweets?"

Your eyes widened and you shook your head.

"You sure, doll? I think my pussy can do it." He changed his angle, giving him the ability to hit your g-spot with each thrust, as if to punctuate his sentence.

You moaned loudly and clenched tightly around him, eliciting a groan from his lips.

"I think she can give me one more, baby. My pussy--treating me so good--gonna make sure she feels good too."

You moaned again, nails clawing at his back as he fucked you.

"Yeah? You like that, huh?" he groaned into your ear. "Who's pussy is this, baby?"

"You--yours," you gasped out.

"That's right, doll. It's mine."

He knew you were getting close, so he slid his left hand down between your bodies, using his finger to gently massage your clit.

"Bucky!" you gasped.

"You gonna cum for me again, sweets?"

"So close," you whispered.

"I know, doll."

Three more thrusts and you were falling into an ocean of pleasure, wave after wave crashing into you. You were barely aware of Bucky chasing his own high, the crest of your pleasure blinding you to anything else.

Bucky came with a low groan of your name, spilling his seed deep within you. When he was spent, he collapsed on top of you, body shaking slightly from the intensity of his orgasm.

You laid like that for several minutes before Bucky finally shifted, rolling off of you and leaving you cold and empty. You reached for him almost instinctively, but he wasn't beside you.

You whimpered softly, looking around the room for him. He appeared from the bathroom holding a washcloth, a look of concern on his face.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I didn't know where you went," you whispered sheepishly.

He looked sad. "Just wanted to get a nice warm washcloth to clean you up with, doll."

"Oh."

He very gently began to clean you up, hands surprisingly soft. "I've got you, doll. I'm here."

You felt kind of foolish...you were simply used to be treated differently by men. You'd always been the girl they'd fuck and leave, none of them ever stayed long enough to even make sure you'd cum, let alone clean you up after. It was wrong of you to assume that Bucky was the same.

When he was done, he tossed the washcloth to the floor and crawled back into the bed, pulling you into his chest. "Wanna tell me what's wrong, sweets?"

"I'm--I'm just not used to aftercare, that's all. I...I thought you left."

"It's my room," he teased softly, laying a kiss on top of your head. "Besides, I'd much rather hold you after sex than lay in an empty bed."

You looked up at him, taking in his disheveled appearance and eyes so full of love it almost hurt to look at them. "Thank you, Bucky."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For being you," you said simply, placing a soft kiss to the scar on his right shoulder, the one he got from saving your life.

"Anything for you, doll. Anything for you."

[pablitogavii]

Questions

Recently seen this tiktok so I decided to do it with out golden boy 😉

He's definitely a jealous, protective bf type!!!

"Welcome to another video!! You ready amor??" you said into the camera held by one of Pablo's childhood friends Mario.

"Si, I'm ready. Mi chica torturing me in front of live audience" he said acting annoyed while clapping as his friends joined in including Pedri, Ansu, Balde and Ale. You giggled nodding your head and grabbing his phone where you wrote down some questions.

"Today we are asking my non-jealous boyfriend hypothetical questions" you said and he rolled his eyes acting like a whining child

"Non jealous means I'm celoso and I am not!!!" he said making all his friends laugh with his 'spanglish' and also because they as well as you knew Pablo was super jealous!!!

"Alright, alright! First question..um..what would you do if I called you in the middle of the night blacked out at the side of the road???" you ask giggling afterwards since this was basically impossible since you never drink more than one drink and rarely go out without him.

"I'd come pick you up..." he said making your heart melt and his friends awed making Pablo embarrassed and a blushing mess. You just had to lean in and peck your boyfriend's cheek.

"That's it?? Like you wouldn't be mad at me?" you add after pulling back and he was already clenching his jaw trying his best to appear 'chill' in front of the cameras.

"Come on! Be honest hermano! You would freak the fuck out!" Pedri added getting caught on camera as well and Pablo groaned knowing that he would go crazy if this really happened.

"Um..I would have some questions" he said although you both knew those would not be just 'questions' but whatever you were letting him act all "cool" for now.

"What if I was flirting with your friends???" you ask earning 'sound effects' from the boys which were purposefully trying to agitate Pablo right now.

"What???" he said with big eyes almost pouting and you giggled reminding him it is just hypothetical.

"Um..I..would just leave..I don't know! These are stupid!!" he said looking away but you smirked seeing that all the guys were catching up on your boy's jealousy right now.

"Come on amor, there are more..." you say pulling him back into the frame but he was not in the mood for more 'hypothetical' scenarios where he loses you.

"Por favor..for me???" you pout now and he sighs knowing it's impossible to say no to that so you continued.

"What would you do if I went to the party without you???" you ask and he thinks about this one shrugging his shoulders. Pablo is obviously not that strict where you always need to be together but he likes to know where you're at in case of emergency or knowing who you are with.

"Like with other wags?" he asked bless his heart because that's only other company you ever went out with during those 'girl's nights' when boys aren't allowed to join in.

"Sure..but let's say some guys were there and I didn't tell you about it?" you say and at first Pablo was relaxed but hearing your fulls sentence got him clenching his fists which Mario got on camera of course.

"Yeah..um...I wouldn't be very pleased.." he kept his cool which you knew was very hard so you were proud of him wondering how to brake him.

"No?" you add and he shook his head snaking his arm around your waist and pulling you closer to him which you knew was his reassurance method so you let him.

"Amor..how many more?? I hate this!" he whispered into your neck and you tell him a few which made his groan and lay his head on your shoulder as you looked for the next question.

"Babyyyy!!!" Ansu yelled making you giggle. Pablo really was your baby soemtimes!

"Shut up A!!!" you defended him making Pablo smirk and nod his head proudly.

"What would you do if I slept with another guy.." you started reading but this was too much for Pablo who got off your shoulder immediately.

"AMOR!" he said clearly agitated and you chuckled at his messy hair and big eyes staring at your right now in complete and utter disbelief.

"BUT..but we didn't touch amor???" you raise your brows at the question while he still had his mouth open shaking his head in annoyance.

"Yeah right! "Didn't touch"..come on! Am I right or am I right boys?" Pablo said and all guys agreed that scenario would literally be impossible.

"So you'd leave?" you ask and he nods like it was the most obvious thing in the world before pulling you close again and kissing your lips.

"So stay in my bed only!" he whispered and you giggled nodding your head and pecking his lips one more time. You tried reading the next question but boys kept talking about how stupid 'guy girl friendships are' until you sushed them and held your palm to Pablo's mouth.

"What would you do if I became a stripper???" you say laughing immediately at Pablo's reaction. Everyone knows you're a shy girl so this was literally the opposite of what was possible.

"MY stripper is fine! But NO!" he said smirking and now you were a blushing mess hiding your face into Pablo's chest while everyone teased you.

"I'm done with these!!!" you say giggling and Pablo nodded agreeing with you while raising your chin and kissing your lips as the video ended and you all laughed at the filmed content afterwards.

"You're definitely not celoso, Pablito!" Pedri said and everyone laughed including Pablo who looked at you with literal heart eyes which you adored kissing him quickly again.

Hope you like it!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[lnsfawwi]

bucky is anti-peggy: their relationships with steve and why bucky will always overshadow peggy as love interest

hardly anything novel but I have to get it out of my system. interpretations are strictly in-universe just to be fair. also seb headcanons are canon, I won't hear otherwise!

the difference between stucky and steggy can be summed up by their respective reactions to beefed-up Steve. someone on tumblr points out that these two scenes also serve as analogies of their relationships. steggy would always be about peggy reaching out, their relationship would be under the spotlight, be the center of attention while stucky is the reverse. I just want to add to that.

Peggy was literally dazzled, she tried to touch his naked body, she was eager to see what this body could do (sexually, among other things). that's the first time she saw steve as sexually attractive, the first time she saw steve at all if we are honest, and what she saw was this jacked-up version of him, an icon-to-be, someone whom steve never really accepted as himself. In essence, the first time she really paid attention to steve as the love interest, was the moment steve became someone else.

Bucky, who was tortured for days, if not weeks, still delirious, was confused bc that was not his steve, he probably didn't even think Steve was real at first. Bucky was experimented on, he likely knew there were similar human experiments aimed to enhance, he knew science like that was possible, but whose science? so that's the first question, 'what happened?' Steve joined the army, okay, so this was not forced onto him, probably. then the next thing he asked was, 'did it hurt?' he didn't care how strong it made Steve, he only wanted assurance that Steve was fine. like, what if the process hurt? what could bucky possibly do? nothing. it's not about whether it hurt, it was just bucky simply giving a shit about steve's wellbeing. we don't even need to get into the 'little kid from brooklyn' line.

peggy witnessed a magical transformation and was amazed by the eventual product but bucky saw his best friend who must've gotten through something excruciating. peggy could never fall in love with skinny steve when that's all bucky saw, until the very end (sebastian said bucky probably never got used to big steve).

another contrast would be the final plane crash. sebastian was asked whether Bucky would've gotten on that plane with Steve or stayed behind like Peggy. seb's answer is that Bucky would've tried to get on that plane cuz he felt responsible for steve, and he'd fall again.

the thing is that, had Bucky been on that plane, Steve never would've crashed it. he would've done anything to save Bucky. he didn't have to crash that plane which was canon (pointed out by rhodey). steve could've got out but he didn't. Bucky being there would've given him the motivation to do so. any other person would tbh, but only Bucky would be willing to be on that plane bc Peggy canonly wasn't. in addition to bucky's willingness to follow steve literally into the jaws of death, in this hypothetical scenario, Bucky would be the reason for Steve to live in catfa.

that leads to yet another contrast.

'just go! get out of here!' 'no, not without you!'

steve, who had no idea what he was capable of, jumped through fire for bucky.

'don't do this, there's still time, let me find a way...' 'a lot of people are gonna die if I don't do this, peggy. this's my choice.'

despite peggy's pleading, steve crashed the plane.

the word choice appeared several times in catfa. the first time was when peggy told philip that it was steve's choice (to die trying to save bucky). the second time was when peggy told steve that bucky made a choice (to die fighting with him). and the third time was when steve told peggy it was his choice (to sacrifice himself). it's no coincidence that each and every time the choice was each other, steve echoing the word at the end made it clear that he was doing this for bucky.

a relationship goes both ways. steve and bucky are canonly willing to, and did, die and live for each other. peggy simply doesn't have that level of impact on steve. in fact, steve literally repeatedly chose bucky over her in catfa.

put it simply, bucky and steve care more about each other than themselves, peggy didn't even care about skinny steve in that sense. she also literally couldn't because she only met skinny steve twice. briefly.

plus as I said previously bucky is the only one standing in between a traditional cishet hypermasculine image of steve and the real steve, peggy is the one element that fulfils the false image.

everything bucky is, peggy is the opposite. the differences quite literally result in different interpretations of steve. and who can say honestly that endgame steve is better than cap trilogy steve？

[thirdeyeblue]

“Nine would have treated Martha better than Ten did”

I need to talk about this argument that never seems to stop circulating.

Note: Not a venomous/anti post. There’s more than enough of that across fandom spaces as is, and this is supposed to be a place for ✨sweet, blissful escapism✨

When making this argument, people seem to envision a scenario in which Nine never met Rose.

While I can appreciate a good hypothetical, recognizing Rose's significance to the Doctor (Nine and Ten) is essential to understanding why things with Martha played out the way they did in the first place.

In the third series, the Doctor is grieving. This grief is deliberately threaded into nearly every script, whether spoken aloud or not (and these are just a few examples):

He's burning in Rose’s wake the entire time Martha travels with him, which is why it’s so frequently called upon: It’s 100% deliberate in framing his grief. He grieved as Nine too, of course— having been fresh on the heels of the Time War — but then he met Rose, which changed everything.

Back then, he was still a rude, traumatized pain in the ass, but we watch Rose soften more of those jagged edges with every episode as they grow closer; as he lets his guard down and forms a deep connection with her.

He falls in love (against his better judgment) and it's game over.

And yes: provided S1E1 had been titled 'Martha', one can realistically assume things might have unfolded similarly to how they did with Rose. However, it wouldn’t have been that way just because the Doctor was Nine and “Nine was different” — it would be because he wasn’t already in love with someone else. The same can't be said for the start of S3.

Think of it like this: if Rose AND Martha had been in that cellar — if Nine had taken both of them along with him in S1 — we’d eventually be looking at the most melodramatic love triangle ever, what with him living in close quarters with two brilliant, gorgeous, compassionate young women... But Doctor Who is plenty “soap opera” as is with just one woman in the TARDIS.

(I certainly wouldn’t object to reading that fic, though)

Now, regarding the unrequited elephant in the room…

His inability to be romantic with Martha isn’t because he thinks her lesser, nor is it for lack of compatibility. It isn't because Rose is any better than her. It certainly isn’t just because he’s Ten.

It’s really only for one reason, which can't be denied — and now I’m a broken record:

He is still in love with Rose.

(cut from a tenrosedaily gif)

Nine is Ten, and Ten is only such a mess in S3 because he’s just lost the love of his life. Martha merely got caught in the crosshairs of a volatile Time Lord in mourning, and yes — it sucks. Absolutely.

But it also feels dismissive to chalk Ten and Martha’s relationship up to little more than some sort of mindless dance of pining, jealousy, and toxicity.

Ten trusted Martha with his life over and over again — and hers, with him. He constantly praised her brilliance, happily carting her around time and space with no intention of letting her go. In the BBC’s extended universe of novels/comics/cartoons/etc, there’s so much depth to their relationship: love and trust and trauma and sacrifice. They had their own special bond as mates, their own complexities — so it’s a bummer that it's forever overshadowed by the other things.

I’m not denying that there was a lot of stuff that sucked/was for sure toxic about Ten's S3 behavior, but so many of the things I've seen him catching flak for can be directly attributed to being A Clueless Fucking Alien Idiot (not a trait that’s unique to Ten) — as well as his flat-out obliviousness to Martha’s feelings.

So yes, I agree: if Rose never existed, he would have treated Martha differently as Nine. He also would have treated her differently as Ten. Certainly.

But Rose did exist, and when discussing canon, it matters.

“He tells me that he absolutely, 100% loves Rose... He tells me how my daughter; my wonderful, beautiful, clever little girl saved him from himself before… And he says that’s all because of me! I made her into the Rose Tyler that saved him.”

-Jackie Tyler, Flight Into Hull!

Martha got the short end of the stick in S3. She came round at the wrong place and time, but that doesn't mean it was all bad. It doesn't mean the Doctor didn’t adore her. It certainly doesn't mean the time they spent together was wasted or worthless. They were brilliant!

Sure, he could be a twat, but let it be known that he was a twat with Rose as well, both as Nine and Ten. I’m sure Tentoo can be plenty infuriating, too. So while I'll defend Ten (and Tentoo) into the ground forever and ever and ever, I'll concede that he's fucked up.

The Doctor is a certified Pain In The Ass. It’s one of the things I love so much about this character — dynamics.

But never forget that Martha was goddamn tough as nails and overcame every bit of it. She moved on with her life, and the Doctor moved on with his. One can only pray that, when they inevitably drag her back onto the show (which feels inevitable if I'm honest), we see at once that she's been living her best life for all these years.

[lesbiansforboromir]

Alright, I saw too many posts about DA4 and the pressure valve on dragon age opinions burst so I'm breaking my silence about mage discourse.

One day someone at bioware, can't remember who, made the worst possible PR decision and openly declared mages as an allegory for mental illness. It has all been downhill from there. Quite literally I could not be less interested in treating mages and mental illness as even tangentally related. Within the canon of DA, mages are people who literally have demons speaking to them, can literally become possessed by demons, and who are literally dangerous in extremely real and unavoidable ways even without the demon stuff. Lobotomies not only exist, but also work, the 'tranquil' are no longer plagued by the demons, nor do they have the powers of fireball anymore. It's like they called the 1300's and asked a witch hunter to write this.

And I am absolutely certain this framing is extremely cathartic for some people to relate too. Themactically speaking, turning all the dials up on a social issue for a fantasy world will always resonate with many of the victims of that issue. There is something impactful about taking all the insane stereotypes society has created around your lived experience, deciding they're real in an imaginary world and then playing out scenarios where you deal with them. God only knows gay people love vampires and werewolves.

But in that case it also has to be understood that others will not like it, or find it cathartic at all. The sticking point for me is probably the fact that mages are immensely powerful, something I find so egregiously unrelatable that any possible power fantasy it might be tempting me into just evaporates. And then of course there is Tevinter, which if we're following the allegorical logic is a state ruled by the mentally ill whom have 'embraced their demons' and so are now ruling an empire built on the enslavement of the 'pure' and 'untainted undemonic' population. Which I feel like, if we're weighing the mage narrative on the merit of it's being a cathartic themactic framing, is stretching the concept quite thin.

So I've always experienced mage based narratives as entirely seperate from their irl allegories at least emotionally, even if cognitively I do understand the parallels. And when you look at it like that, so sorry, it actually is a grey moral issue. If there were people in real life who could, without any additional equipment or technology, just create a fire/lightning storm from thin air, that on it's own would be a problem society would have to grapple with solving. You could not just let people with such power live under the same rules as everyone else. Like Wynne as a child nearly burned a barn down and scarred another child. These are not hypothetical issues within the canon.

And somewhat unrelated side tangent but I've seen people say, without an ounce of irony, 'magic doesn't kill people, people kill people' as an argument against the need for magic control. Which is just a fascinating framing all by itself, given the only difference between guns and DA magic is that one is an external tool and the other is built into select people. AND given that witholding gun licenses from the so called 'mentally disturbed' is an often advocated for policy... it's just kind of ironic is all!

Anyway the POINT is this is kind of frustrating to me because technically the mages COULD be a fun little play pretend thought morality experiment. This IS a difficult problem to solve, DA rightly engages with the fact that any institution created to control a subsection of people will create an environment of horrific abuse and dehumanisation. And that is only doubled with the introduction of religious control. When presented neutrally this is a 'do you sacrifice the few for the sake of the many' quandary with a lot of interesting caviates. IS it for the sake of the many? Would the actual number of people harmed by mages really exceed the number of mages themselves? Are we not just sacrificing the peace and freedom of many people for a hypothetical? But IS it a hypothetical since the slaver empire ruled by mages exists? But the hypothetical in the other direction isn't a hypothetical either, since the mage rebellion also exists and arguably did greater harm than free mages might have otherwise! But is that true? What about all the years worth of people in history hypothetically saved from harm by the strict control over mages? Isn't pushing for a more ethical circle a better plan than total abolishion? But is an ethical circle even possible given the cultural position mages hold? But in that case are free mages really going to be able to lead peaceful lives anyway? Doesn't the circle also protect them? But that is a situation the circle created and enforced right? Or is it? Since, once again, Demons definitely exist and mages have become possessed by them for centuries, and other mages have used their powers to dominate and abuse others in the past!

Theoretically, two people with exactly the same humanitarian purposes could argue the opposite ends of this debate in good faith, which is a fantasy. Because in the real world no one is born with a body inherrently able to cause more harm than the majority of other bodies. In fact, the opposite is true, people are born with more vulnerable bodies than the majority and are oppressed for it, their vulnerability taken advantage of by the dominant states in order to further those state's agendas in some way or other. Oppression does not have a 'good reason' to exist that originates from the oppressed class, those supposed reasons are fabricated after the fact to justify oppression in the minds of the general populace whom hold themselves to moral standards that a State does not. So, inherrently, the mages in DA are a fantasy idea and should be thought of as such.

But, amongst many DA fans, this is not the case. We've all seen people argue without irony that NOT taking a moral stance on the side of the mages and against the circles reflects badly upon your actual IRL moral compass. And it's not just that you cannot be pro-templar, even being neutral about it or finding the pro-mage characters or the mage narrative uninteresting is treated as an immoral action. People will ask things like 'who would even side with Meredith?' or 'does anyone even save the templars in DAI?' as if the choices you make narratively in a game have to be a moral judgement! Which we all know is nothing new in terms of fandom discourse, but within the mage/templar discussion it is so pervasive and so volatile that it makes it worth noting.

And like, obviously 'people get too serious about fiction on the internet' is such a non-issue that it's barely worth talking about. But I do find it interesting nonetheless as it's been a major part of my experience of being in the DA fandom, which now spans longer than a decade of my life (screams).

People have told me that I shouldn't treat this narrative theme as debatable because they relate to mage struggles as an autistic. And at the time I was pretty young and didn't really have a response to that other than a vague but powerful sense of discomfort. Nowadays, when I'm pretty sure I'm also autistic, I realise I was made deeply uncomfortable by the idea that there was anything relatable for me within the mage narrative. I do not have magic powers and I can't blow people up with my mind, I can't even get out of bed most days. Most people feel like mages to me just for being able to work a job or take care of themselves without help. And narratives of oppression that surround people with inherrent powers that far exceed anyone else just do not resonate! Which ultimately is just a reinforcement of the concept that the way people engage with fiction is not equivalent to actual real social issues, and really should not be treated as such.

[2smolbeans]

Yandere CEO dilf x Childhood Friend Employee x Yandere Buisness Partner Reader (AU)

You want what he wants, but he doesn't want to share.

Based on my yandere CEO & COO story

Tags: Reader is protrayed as a flirty yandere, stalking, mentions of previous murder victims, rivalry, pettiness, the man ABSOLUTELY despises you, implied daddy issues, stalker stalking another stalker, mentions of a dead partner/wife, delusional thinking, thoughts of marriage/making the 'perfect' family.

Note: This is mostly just me writing scenarios/hypotheticals for my ocs-

Just wanted to make that clear! ^^

______________________

Hyun was young and dumb in his 20s and slept around too much. His friends would warn him to calm down, to settle down, or to at least take a break from the multiple fuck buddies. He didn't listen, and still continued to sleep around like the playboy he was. Eventually, it caught up to him when he got someone pregnant. It was an accident, and by god was it the first time he ever felt fear. He didn't love the mother, he had the power and money to dissapear from her life. But he wanted to at least do the bare minimum. So he listened to her, understanding that she wanted to keep the baby, that she wanted at least some help raising it.

Of course, he did everything he could to make her happy. Letting her live at his house, built a room for their baby, spending quality time with her, throwing money at her so that she could relax and take care of their child. He didn't love her, but he felt proud to be with her. She proved the one thing that mattered in his life. That even though him and his father had the same habits, the same mindset, violent tendencies, sadistic urges, and obessive habits.

they were two different people.

One was a cruel sadistic monster who joyfully indulged tortuing his loved ones, while being the most sweet charasmatic CEO to the outside world.

While the other was a cold stoic buisness man who happily beat down his competitors with no remorse, but being the most kindest gentle father behind closed doors.

It was something Hyun felt pride and comfort from. So when she died, he didn't know what to do with himself. They had been together for only two years. Two years, and just like that, she was gone. Now, only 22 with a two year old son, he didn't know how to raise him alone. He had a company to take care of, a son to raise, and nobody by his side to help him. He felt like a mess. It was hopeless.

Except, he had a friend who wanted to understand him. Someone who put him back on his feet and gave him a hand. That reliable somebody who often helped babysit and care for his son when he had to stay at the office for those long hours. A friend that's known him since he was 16, the friend that's been by his side since the birth of his child.

From the moment Hyun "tragically" lost his father to when had his first child, April was there as the supporting him. Always sleeping over, calling him, bringing all sorts of comforting sweets to cheer him up. He's done everything for him. He's the only one he can rely on.

And with the way April so happily dotes on his son, treating them like his own baby. It's given Hyun retrospective on a lot of things.. He'd be lying if he said he was never attracted to him before. God might as well smite him dead if he ever claimed that he never looked at his friend with a certain lense before. But then why did he sleep around? Why didn't he just pursue him and get it on with? Things could've been so different..

At the time, he was confused about his feelings. All he knew was that he was angry and annoyed about those strange thoughts and urges towards his dear old pal, how there was nothing that he could do about it besides hope that it blows over. But now? He knew better. Espically when April had made it clear in the past on how he wanted to be with Hyun..Sending him all sorts of mixed signals..Smiling at him with so much love, being so sweet towards him and his child, cuddling right up to him whenever he slept over.

He was beautiful and so loving. He was the puzzle, the missing part of the triangle. He was the ideal spouse, the perfect parental figure. It was clear as day that he was trying to tell Hyun that he was his since day one. Now that he was able to gather the pieces, finally knowing his final goal to provide the best for himself and his son, you come along. Ruining it all. Smiling all cheerful when you step into the room. Cackling like the witch you are, moving your lips a rat. Hating you was an understatement. He wanted you gone.

If he didn't care about the company, he could've killed you off like the others. But NOOOO. You were important, special. You were a business partner, somebody that could potentially generate more wealth and eliminate his competition if you worked with him. He had to play this one smart. He had to keep you for the sake of the company.

So grinding his teeth together, he smiled at you when the both of you agreed to sign the contract together. At first, working with you wasn't so bad. You were good at your job, diligent with the numbers, and hell, you even got the company on the spotlight for their new launch of makeup. He almost began to like you.

But then you started walking around the employee cubicles, talking to April out of all people. Smirking at him, teasing at him, even daring to put your hand on his shoulder. Hyun's seen the two of you together. He's seen how you've started to dress up more in the hopes of getting his attention. The way you would get close towards his face, just to see him blush and panic. How you would side eye anyone who dared to interrupt your time with him.

It was a constant battle every day. Hyun would be alone with April at a perfect moment, finally having him all to himself while he would ask him out for a nice 'friendly' dinner. For old times' sake. And just as things were about get good- you come bursting through the door. Hugging him and April at the same time, destroying the moment as you rambled about nothing. Grinning while your hands snaked towards his precious employee's chest, whining about how 'lonely' you were and how you wished someone could 'comfort' you.

Ohh he really fucking hated you.

He remembered asking you one time about how you felt towards April during a business dinner meeting. Commenting how he's seen you linger around him on multiple occasions. It was out of character for him, but curiosity the best of him..

"Mhn? He's just fun to play with. It's cute seeing him squirm. But.. I think I want to know him more. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for glasses~"

He wonders how nice you'll look hanging from a meat hook. :)

You weren't too much of a threat so far, just a bit flirty and annoying. You were a bit nosey as well, often staying late into the company quarters. Snooping around in places you shouldn't be looking. It was funny, really. You were so cunning, such the sweet talker - yet you weren't smart enough to think that he wouldn't keep an eye on you?

You weren't subtle stalking April as well. Hiding from a corner while you watched April walk to his bus stop? That was the equivalent of hiding behind a bush. Taking pictures of him while he's not looking with your cellphone? Subtle. Spreading rumours about certain people so that he avoids them like the plague? What are you, a wannabe Regina George?

Everything thing you do in secret, Hyun knows.. Maybe because Hyun was also stalking you while no one else was..A stalker stalking another stalker- the irony. Hyun just wished that someone would just whisk you away. Someone just as annoying, wealthy, crazy, and possessive to distract you from the person he needs in his life.

God, if only he had someone to introduce you to....

.

.

.

_______________________

[secondratefiction]

Hi there! Hope you’re doing well! Kicking that funeral services degree’s ass with any luck!! I was wondering if you would be up to writing a drabble for Jason or Tim (whoever you think fits the scenario best) as the boyfriend of a law student. Maybe where they’re living together and she’s just barely getting 3-5 hours of sleep a night while trying to study for finals, writing a full legal brief, practicing for oral arguments, getting ready for her summer associateship, and applying for moot court and law review. (Is this based on some poor law student’s real life? We may never know!) And just like her needing someone to be there and take care of her, but also her wanting to take care of him too even though she is very much Trying Her Best to Survive™? (Btw thank you so much for blessing us with batfam content galore, absolute ICON <3 )

Oh good lord… bless you and this ‘hypothetical’ poor law student. I know my degree is kicking my ass all across the state and back, so I can only imagine… They keep telling me the degrees are worth it… we’ll ride it out and see. Good vides, and better times love 💜

—

Now I fully believe that Timmy would be wonderful at this in his own right… but every single thing about this request violently screams Jason Todd to me…

There are only so many hours and so many spoons in a day, and unfortunately a law degree takes up almost every single ounce of both of them

However, Jason has this innately ingrained need to take care of the people that matter to him, so this is exactly where he shines

He was always Alfred’s best protege, so the man cooks and cleans house like a pro. Not only that, but it’s something that he genuinely enjoys because they are simple and repetitive tasks that let zone out and go through the motions to decompress from his ‘other job’.

While he’s happy to take care of all of that and leave you to focus on the proverbial, ever-growing mountain of work you have - He’s not above making you stop to take a break.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for this man to literally close your laptop, throw you over his shoulder*, and haul you out to the kitchen table to sit down and have a meal with him.

((*I do not care what size you are, or what hang ups you might have about your weight, if this man can hold up a collapsing ceiling, he can carry you across y’alls apartment))

“Ok, I have physically seen you putting food and water into your body, you can go back to your cave now.”

This happens at least 2-3 times a week

He is concerned. Just humor him and let him love you.

Jason is 100% the type to be actively learning from anything you tell him

Some nights, when the insomnia and the nightmares decide to double team him, he’ll even sit up browsing through your textbooks just to try and understand everything you're doing more.

Tim get’s labeled the nerd of the family a lot, but really Jason would have been the family scholar if he’d had the chance

The second bedroom in your apartment is both your office and his library. That shit is floor to ceiling.

With that in mind he is always more than happy to be a sounding board when you need him to. Listen to what you’ve got, argue the other side if necessary

Dear god, just know what you’re getting into there… he lives for that kind of stuff, and he will come prepared. This is one of his all time favorite games, that comes second only to aggravating the living shit out of you (which, if he’s lucky, will be a bonus here)

95% of the time, Jason has got this, got you - focus on your school babe, I’ll take care of it… but that 5%? That bit where he’s not actually infallible? He so very desperately doesn’t want you to see that.

What you’re doing is important, and he doesn’t want the fact he had a rough night to be a distraction for you. This is where you enter a bit of a balancing act…

As much as you may want to put everything aside and take care of him, that is the fastest way to make him shut down.

Instead, grab a textbook and a highlighter. Go ‘make yourself some tea’ and pour him a mug too. Set everything up in the living room and drag him onto the couch with you.

Put his head in your lap, and just run your fingers through his hair while you do some reading.

Bonus points if you put a blanket over him

Poor baby is gonna melt in an instant and be out cold before you know it. Just keep playing with his hair and let him sleep.

And do not mention it if he is emotional when he wakes up… he’s never going to be good/get used to receiving love and affection. Do it anyway, and don’t make a big deal about it.

[ranna-alga]

I think about this conversation between Ellie and Tommy in TLOU2 a lot, particularly this line, because what if it was Ellie that died instead of Joel?

(Disclaimer: this text will make absolutely zero sense probably since I put very little thought into it and there are likely some plot holes. You can choose to dislike it or not but this is all hypothetical so let me have my depressingly whimsical wonders here)

Imagine it this way: Joel's death scene pretty much plays out the same way as it does canonically, except that the roles are reversed: Joel is the one who is pinned down and forced to watch Ellie be brutally murdered in front of him. Perhaps, in whatever way, Abby's group discover that she's The Immune Girl™ that Joel killed almost the entire Saint Mary's hospital for - the reason why Abby's father was murdered. If she's here, and is still as close with Joel as Abby may assume, then he couldn't be that far (say that members of the group saw Joel and Ellie moving together for a while before taking separate directions for whatever reason or something). The plan was to originally kill Joel, but Abby can't help but think: why do they get to live a picture-perfect life with each other as father and daughter, when he was the one who robbed me and my actual father of that life and she was the reason my father was in that position in the first place? How can he commit the sin and live without consequence after? Knowing that Joel would be looking for Ellie, the attack on her would start and continue even when Joel finds her and is made to watch - a sort of 'you took away the thing I cared about the most in this world, so now I will do the same to you and make you feel the pain I felt' message to Joel from Abby.

This would have been the second time he watched his daughter die. The second time he lost the one thing he lived for. The second time he's failed - as a protector, as a survivor, as a father. He had only four years with her, two of which was lost due to her anger towards him for what he did at Salt Lake City. And only the night before her murder did she confide in him about possible forgiveness, only for that to be taken from him? For her to be taken from him? After everything he did for her to ensure her safety, even if it meant the cost of her trust in him. Every part of him that died alongside Sarah was brought back to life slowly but surely thanks to this girl who stole his heart in only one year after two decades of being an empty shell of violence and resentment towards the world and himself.

His biggest fear came true - losing Ellie, failing her too - and it happened right in front of his eyes, just like Sarah.

Remember when it was heavily implied that both Tommy and Joel had a very violent and vicious past during the early years of the apocalypse where they were their darkest selves? Joel would have likely reverted back to that in this scenario. Absolutely nobody in Seattle will be safe. That man would turn that militarised city into a fucking ghost town, no doubt about it.

As for Tommy... Would he have been the same? Would he also want vengeance for Ellie as much as Joel did? Or would the pain of having another niece die + watching his brother descend into bloodlust and resentment again be simply too much to bare? Could he tolerate losing his brother and not get him back this time ever again?

It took twenty years after Sarah's death to find solace in life thanks to Ellie. He can't wait another twenty for another one - he can never go back, never again. He failed to save the lives of those he cared for (Sarah, Tess, Sam/Henry) and he feared the same for Ellie. But at least they made it into Jackson, their new home, alive and safe. But now? What more does he have to live for? How much more stronger would his self-hatred become for failing again and again and again where he can no longer see the light Ellie brought to him?

Knowing now that the surgeon he killed was Abby's father, he probably thinks it was an error to kill him instead of just knocking him out so that this WLF ambush costing Ellie's life wouldn't happen. But one thing he's certain he doesn't regret? Dooming humanity of a cure, because taking both of his daughters away from him proved Joel's decision to save Ellie from the Fireflies: to him, humanity didn't deserve to be saved, not anymore.

TLDR; I may be aromantic asexual but I'm still a proud Joel Miller simp who loves the thought of Joel in the bloody Santa Barbara appearance Ellie had in the canon TLOU2. No shame.

[vandalyssm]

Theory: Merlin's Recent Publicity and its Correlation to a Possible Sequel/Revival/Reboot (+Eoin Macken's Pseudo Merlin Project)

'Ello. Fancied sharing my thoughts on recent developments regarding BBC's Merlin.

Fair, firm warning: I'm only sharing speculations and my personal opinions on the matter, and I do not advertise them as fact whatsoever. Consider them musings (or delusions, your choice). You can use this to further fuel your hope of the slim chance that this beloved show will see the light of day once again or maybe make theories of your own. Dispelling it is also an option, as I cannot assure my arguments would be free from flaws.

Right. Without further ado...

Revival of the Official Merlin Twitter Account

Let's put this into scenario.

Imagine a dated piece of media, previously well-known worldwide and had its own golden age for a time. This media launched the last of its contents over a decade ago, yet it gained a loyal, devoted following that persisted to grow and continued the legacy of the franchise over the years. Though there were highs and lows, the community remained alive for an impressive amount of time, steadily producing art, fiction, and creations dedicated to the media, despite not having anything new to work with. This devotion is acknowledged by those from an outsider's perspective, including the creators of this media (cast, staff, and distributors alike).

To put into context, the community was left unsatisfied with how the media ended, and many wished for the media to return. Articles were written, petitions were signed, comments left on the cast' social media accounts, and even questions were asked directly to them. Although different in wording, the inquired notion remained the same: Will there be a possibility of a sequel/revival/return/reboot? The answers range from a neutral, vague reply to a more resounding no.

This cycle persisted, but the people were immovable; they were visionaries and their dream lived on in their hearts. And this did not go unnoticed.

So it continued... until one of the media's social accounts made a sudden return. Out of nowhere, without a warning. They're back for good, the account announced. It sent the community into a frenzy. But if you took a step back from the excitement, you'd notice that it's strange. Why would a media ended over a decade ago suddenly be promoted again?

Now, I'm going to explore two possibilities; pragmatic and idealistic. The previous hypothetical scenario lays the general principal of Merlin's relevance (duh).

I'll make the pragmatic perspective brief. FremantleMedia saw the opportunity to make some bucks from Merlin because of the loyal fanbase, using a no-cost yet effective method to keep us tuned in; hoping. OMG, what does this mean? Does this mean they're going make a sequel?! Holy shit, they're teasing us, aren't they? I can't believe this is happening, it's a dream come true! And so on and so forth. Evidently, it works and numbers are growing. The official Merlin twitter account is racking up more followers and likes with each post. In this possibility, there's no such thing as a sequel/whatever it is the fanbase hopes for; just a reanimated corpse doing the same silly tap dance while we holler at it, dumbly hoping that they bust out new moves.

Now, the fun part. The idealistic version!

I'm going to use a real life example for my theory: the upcoming release of Dragon's Dogma 2. With a quick Google search, you can learn that Dragon's Dogma 2 is the highly awaited sequel for its well-liked predecessor, Dragon's Dogma.

For some time, Dragon's Dogma was on sale on Steam (with a decent cut too). This was done to gain the attention of...

1. those who haven't previously dived into the franchise. It's to make them think 'Wow! This game's so good. Oh, there's a sequel of it that's gonna be released soon? With even better graphics and gameplay? Sign me the fuck up!'. You liked Blueberry Cheesecake, so it'd make sense that you'd be more open to buying Double Blueberry Cheesecake, Premium Ingredients Addition, with 2 additional paid toppings.

2. Veterans and nostalgic fans. 'They're promoting the game I liked years ago... Oh, well, it won't hurt to play it again, just for the nostalgia. It never really left my mind anyway."

In other words: hype! hype! hype!

If using this principle, then the possibility of a sequel/revival/reboot/new content exists. It's either being processed (wishful thinking, not as likely) or being considered (more likely). If it's the latter, then they're testing the waters to see how much people still care/how much money they'll make. The more attention and hype it gets, the higher the likelihood.

Simplified:

P (old media pushed for publicity) -> Q (hype built)

Q (hype built) -> R (new content)

Eoin Macken's Pseudo Merlin Project

If I recall correctly, Eoin Macken first announced a pseudo Merlin project in late 2020. It's first teased to be released in 2021, but nothing came out of it so far (at the time of writing this) except if you count the small handful of times Macken hinted it over the ongoing four year period.

Now, I understand his position. First and foremost, he needs the legal rights to actually produce anything and it's no easy feat when you're dealing with a massive company. Then there's the issue of costumes, props, sets, and equipment. A lot to consider. To put it simply, he must offer the company something worth more than the show itself or contribute in their favor in some way. Macken seems like a charming and capable guy, so he can make it work. Probably.

I lean towards the spin-off theory because a cast reunion would not take four years. As far as I know, Macken is close with the knights and they could get together at any convenient time. If the project was a zoom call or a recorded get-together, it would've been released already. To compare, by using the average of 385,000 babies born each day during the last three years, we have 421,575,000 newborns before the Pseudo Merlin Project.

I want to tie this in with the previous theory, but eh. It can connect, but not really. I don't have any further explanation or evidence since Macken hasn't given any news.

---

Anyways. That's enough of this. I hope it made sense, at least it did to me. I'm entering my third year in the fandom, so I'm relatively new and still hopeful. (Though I try hard to keep my feet on the ground while I stare up at the clouds.)

To end this post, I'd like to say: keep hoping. Hope is such a stupidly beautiful thing, and it should be nurtured. Turn that feeling into art, into efforts.

There are franchises revived 2-3 decades after, and Merlin is no exception.

[giantchasm]

Sir Uther: PEONY! HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST MARKETING SCHEME!

[He lies on the floor, facing up as if he was preparing for death itself]

Sir Uther: DO IT! DON'T HOLD BAAAACK!!

Of course, before authenticating any purchases, there's probably some legal jargon I should read off to you. Let me check my notes... Okay, yes!

Please be aware that the Haltmann Works Company™ and Peony Haltmann are not responsible for any injuries sustained while using the Haltmann Works Company™'s Super Guillotine™. The Super Guillotine™ is potentially dangerous and should only be handled responsibly. Refunds are not available for the Super Guillotine™. All purchases are final. Do note that now is a fantastic time to buy it, however, as the Super Guillotine™ is currently on sale for a low, low price of just three small payments of $995.95. Please ignore the fact that the Super Guillotine™ has 'been on sale' for as long as it's been on the market. Customers who point this out risk becoming product testers for the next model of the Super Guillotine™. Thank you for your patronage. The Haltmann Works Company™ appreciates your continued support.

Hehehe... exciting, yeah!? Surely I've sealed the deal~! Y'know, when it comes guillotines, I hear a lot of people saying nasty stuff like 'eat the rich' and 'viva la revolution,' but I think that's a little bit brash. What have billionaires or royals done to deserve that? I think people are just judgy! 'Exploitative business moguls' or 'oppressive tyrants' are plenty nice once you take the time to actually get to know them! Most people just don't give them a chance. But it would be a shame NOT to use a product as incredible as this, and so we've reached a dilemma: Who exactly should we be using guillotines on? If you ask me, I believe guillotine use is best reserved for Bad People. Y’know… deadbeat dads and wizard haters and stuff. If, in theory, there was someone who was both of those things… let’s call him Uir Suther for the purpose of this thought experiment— well, I’d definitely behead someone like that. Even if he WERE already just a walking head more or less. This is all just hypothetical, though, of course! Any resemblance to persons living or dead in this made-up scenario is pure coincidence. But enough of my rambling. You were going to stick your head in, yes? Do you think I got him? Usually I’d hesitate to be so direct, but the target of my marketing scheme here isn’t exactly the paragon of intellect. Something tells me he didn’t even hear half of what I just said. He'll probably fall for it hook line and sinker. I don’t know if this will actually kill him, mind you, but it’ll be rather funny either way, I reason.

Ohhhh, Peony.

I thought I already told you you were supposed to be putting out PROPAGANDA. Revealing you're a bootlicker is kind of the opposite, kiddo. I can't exactly blame you considering who your parents are, but all the same, I'm not sure this will boost your approval rating.

At least you're trying to kill Uther, though! Everyone in the tourney appreciates an attempt at that... and so who knows? Maybe you'll be fine. Just... read a book on economic theory sometime, won't you?

No-one tell her, by the way, that she's failed to successfully exclude her entire family from the list of people who deserve to be beheaded. If you were to point out her grandfather was, in fact, a deadbeat dad, I think she'd throw her little hands in the air and storm off angrily.

What a strange, strange child.

@kirbyoctournament

[pdrrook]

In an alternate yandere universe, what kind of yanderes would the ROs be, like hypothetically? 👀

Enable me, why don’t you. It’s actually very interesting to think of a situation or a chain of events that could make the ROs unhinged like that, though I don’t believe it could happen in their current idk lives? Let’s see, tho. Under the cut for the peeps who don’t like that shit:

Flavio is the type who you’d never ever suspect of scheming, but he’s also a bit of a double-faced person in general, always trying to seem positive and kind even when it tires him out. He’d be the one who’d never be caught because even if MC had a hunch, they’d have no proof. Flavio, I think, would be a very mild case, relaying on white lies and puppeteering the environment to get what he wants and ensuring that MC knows he’s a good, kind, and sweet person, their exact type, the only one they will EVER need. 

Reed already is prone to falling into co-dependency, and if not for his pride and wanting MC to see him as reliable, I could easily see him pretending to be weak and helpless to endure MC’s continuous care and attention, even going to the point of fabricating injuries and confrontations. 

Jewel is tricky, because she’s so level-headed, but because she’s prone to anxiety, I think she could fall into the trap of ‘you’re only safe when you’re with me,’ since she’d only be assured of MC’s safety if she can see them. Opposite of Reed, she could be the one manufacturing little accidents and scares to keep MC exactly where she wants them, which is by her side constantly. 

Laurent already has a tumultuous relationship with control, but what if instead of controlling himself he’d want to control everything else, just to make sure nothing unexpected happens? A bit similar to Jewel, Laurent would be terrified of the idea of MC being hurt or dying, resorting to extreme measures like uh that one cage meme— I am kidding, he’d buy them a house, deep deep in the woods, with no dangers around. Just him :)

Nino has anger issues, but she’s not exactly manipulative, she’s also very aloof and doesn’t care about most people. I think she’d be the kind that acts normal until something triggers her, i.e. someone hitting on MC, and then her ire would be pointed at said person. Well, people die all the time in Elazar, such is life. If they find another body in a trashcan, it surely has nothing to do with her, right?

Alan is already great at manipulation, which comes with the job. In his personal life, he’d like to ensure the person he loves wouldn’t ever dream of leaving him, and he’s creative enough to find just the right scenario for each occasion. Similarly to Flavio, though a bit more sinister, Alan would make it seem like he’s doing you a favor, up until the point when you realize all your life with him was a lie.

[sirianasims]

By the time we entered Paul’s hotel room, the atmosphere had shifted. The lively energy from GeekCon and our animated conversation outside seemed worlds away, replaced by a nervous tension.

Paul took my coat and gestured at the sofa. I had a look around the room while he closed the blinds. Zenview Heights Hotel was old but well kept, and while the furniture was somewhat dated, it was neat and clean.

Paul’s suitcase and a few items of clothing had been placed in the wardrobe, but it was clear that this was a short stay. Most of his things hadn’t even been unpacked.

Over the bed, a picture best described as an art was clinging to the wall like it knew exactly how badly it was failing its sole purpose of being decorative.

Paul followed my gaze.

“If I’d known I would get company, I’d have chosen a fancier hotel.”

“It’s fine. I’m not here for the decor.”

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I was already beginning to recognise as one he made when he was nervous.

“I’m gonna be completely honest, Julia, I have no idea why I let you come back here with me. I wasn’t expecting my day to end like this.”

I laughed. “What? You didn’t expect to – let me see – meet a random cosplayer, chase her through GeekCon, have dinner with her, talk to her all evening, and then bring her back to your hotel room?”

He chuckled, the sound warm and genuine. “Exactly. Despite all the hypothetical scenarios I imagine on a daily basis, I never saw that particular chain of events coming. But I’m still glad our paths crossed.”

He threw his jacket over a chair and sat down, and I felt the unmistakable pull of attraction between us. It was almost too much. I tried to lighten the mood.

“Tell me, are you always this intense, or am I just special?”

He smirked, playing along.

“Well, you do make a compelling argument for special. I can’t recall the last time I felt so drawn to someone.”

The compliment made me giddy, but I also sensed his hesitation.

“But?”

He sighed.

“Look, Julia, you’re incredibly attractive, smart, and funny. But I was actually serious about not dating women half my age… the last thing I want is for you to feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

“Paul, I’m an adult. I make my own choices. I very much chose to be here, in fact I basically followed you home like a stray cat. I appreciate the chivalry, but you can safely drop it.”

His lips quirked up. “I can’t. I’m a superhero, remember?”

“Well, I’m here now. What are you going to do about it?”

beginning / previous / next

[spicybylerpolls]

Here me out, I am not against a byler sex scene cause I don’t think it would be anything remotely explicit anyways so discussing it in depth for me feels pointless, but I have issues with tying a sex scene into the character arcs of mike and will as if it’s the only logical way to wrap up their story, only because had there not been a pandemic and multiple delays, byler would have happened while at least one of them was still a MINOR (maybe both I would have to do the math) and there’s no way the show woulda had a sex scene in those circumstances so it’s more likely to me that having a sex scene—while it would be interesting to go there now that the actors are older—it is not the end all be all for their character arcs and not something that *has* to happen for their end narrative to make sense, since it probably was not going to happen in the first place. So maybe let’s reframe the discussion away from “they have to bone or else all the build up and such makes no sense it’s the only way to end things because blah blah blah” and more as it would be fun/cool/hot to see something more adult now that they ARE actual adults, and it would feel satisfying to their story, but that’s it. cause some people are starting to feel so passionate about the idea that i am concerned they are going to make themselves very angry if there isn’t one …

Hmm, I kinda see your point, but I also feel like there's no real point in speculating about what might have happened in the hypothetical past where the pandemic and the strikes didn't happen because A) we don't live in that timeline lol, and B) the Duffers have always had the ending in the show in mind from the jump and many/most of the beats they knew they needed to hit along the way, BUT I personally don't think they've planned out literally every single detail from the start with no wiggle room.

The writers have said as much, like for example when they tweeted all the crazy things that were supposed to happen in season 2 like possessed Will killing Bob or El mercy killing her mom. They've definitely added and subtracted some things along the way.

Beyond that, regardless of the ages of Finn and Noah, it's not outlandish to argue that sex is still thematically connected to the characters and their arcs. Byler is a story about sexuality, of which sexual attraction and, well, sex play a huge role.

And ST is a coming-of-age show, of which sex often plays a huge role regardless of the age of the actors. During S3, the writers didn't shy away from including sexual themes such as Max's happy screams comment, and the actors were still minors then. Every season has progressed these themes further. The writers and filmmakers are the ones putting the sexual symbolism and jokes into the story, and we're just picking up what they're putting down, right?

Like, I don't think Murray using the phrase "experiment sexually" was accidental, nor was hosegate, nor was Mike checking out Will's ass lol. It's all fair game when you're telling this kind of story (as long as you're creating a safe and comfortable set, of course). Because of this, IMO, there's a high chance the ST writers would've still at least implied that Byler had sex even in your hypothetical scenario. There actually isn't a hard-and-fast rule that prevents actors who aren't legal adults yet from acting out light, non-explicit sex scenes.

You say that, "byler would have happened while at least one of them was still a MINOR (maybe both I would have to do the math) and there’s no way the show woulda had a sex scene in those circumstances," and I understand why you'd say this, but if you look closer at films and shows in media history, that's not always true. I can name several shows and films that call this theory into question.

While it's true that most modern shows with teen sex scenes do tend to also have adults already playing teenagers- there's a whole page on TV Tropes about this phenomenon called Dawson Casting- (and these tend to show a lot of skin, i.e. Euphoria), which makes it easier to explore sexual storylines, that's not the case across the board.

In your hypothetical scenario, the Byler sex scene obviously wouldn't have been an explicit one (and no one's saying it will absolutely be that way now either), but that doesn't really mean it wouldn't have existed in some form. There are many examples of coming-of-age shows/movies where the actors were technically still underage at the time of filming, and it showed them making out intensely before cutting out (and sex was implied) or it showed something slightly more (closer to Stancy) but still not anywhere near HBO-level.

McLovin's sex scene in Superbad comes to mind (his actor was still 17 at the time, and his mother had to watch while it was being filmed). Thora Birch was 16 when American Beauty was filmed. More recently, there was the Jevon sex scene in Chucky this season. Devon's actor recently turned 18, but Jake's actor is still 17. And yet the season was non-subtly building up to the scene, it was 100% tastefully done, and it cut away before anything super specific happened.

Now that both Finn and Noah ARE adults, and we know there will definitely be a time jump, this hypothetical is extra meaningless. And if the Duffers want to go further and bolder with a Byler sex scene, they can, even if this wasn't the original plan. And there's lots of brilliant analysis that argues the Duffers have been planting the seeds for a while for at least some kind of sexual resolution.

But your assertion that, "some people are starting to feel so passionate about the idea that i am concerned they are going to make themselves very angry if there isn’t one" doesn't seem based in reality either. Spicy bylers might want a sex scene, and many might believe there at least will be something implied like Jancy, but I don't think anyone will actually be angry if there isn't one. Correct me if I'm wrong? I think most people are just happy there's a space to talk about Byler in unfiltered ways, to analyze the mature themes of the show, and also to have fun while doing so, especially since the season is still a ways away. It's not like people will actually fist fight the Duffers if Mike isn't moaning and giving Will backshots in S5 💀.

What do y'all think?