#this probably doesn't make much sense but if you get it

[meanbossart]

Odd question, but when you're shading your pictures, where do you put the "true" color of whatever it is you're drawing? The parts that are in light are brighter than the original color and a bit of a different color, too, based on the source. The shadows are darker than the original color and more based on the undertones of the object/hair/skin or whatever, so also not the original color. I've noticed you have a kind of gradient between the colors to make them harsh but still blend together, too. Where does the shade you're basing these off of come in?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense 🙏 I'm trying to study art styles I like to figure out how to improve my own drawings, and your page is a huge inspiration for me.

Hmmm If I understand correctly, you're asking me why you can't color pick the base tones as shown below from anywhere in the picture, right?

That's because A) I know these colors, roughly, by heart. So, Instead of picking them from the original drawing, I did what I always do and selected them manually. But also - and what I think is actually relevant for your question: B) A lot of processing takes place OVER these base colors! Let me get the spherical piece of Bhaal's sacred flesh to explain.

Here we have just the base color by Itself. Next, I add a light wash of the undertone to places like the face, ears, hands - basically anywhere the body has a tendency to become flushed. The intensity of this depends on the person and skintone, and in DU drow's case I tend to make it pretty prominent.

Next, I add the "overtone". I don't even know if that's the right term for it, but it's something that happens with very dark skintones because they tend to reflect more light. With my character, this color is almost always blue for stylistic reasons.

The base tone is still there, even though you probably couldn't easily color pick it anymore. It's doing it's quiet, thankless job: being a base!

As if that wasn't enough, out comes all the fancy stuff:

And I can get even sillier than this with more layers of shadows, multiple light sources, highlights, and so on. These colors here are just examples too - they can be pretty much anything in a similar level of brightness/contrast. All elements of the art that I want to render get this treatment or similar depending on their texture, not just the skin, so you can probably guess how they would get "lost" despite being used as a base.

Hopefully this clears things up!

[mssainz]

PART 13 | AFTER FIVE YEARS

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x Reader

Summary: Carlos Sainz finally met his son he had with her ex-wife, Y/N.

Warning: None

YN'S INSTAGRAM STORIES

CARLOS' INSTAGRAM STORIES

"Mama, I miss Papa. When can we see him again?" Cael asked you. You two flew back to your home after the small gathering with the other drivers. Your DM is swarming with messages of happiness and hatred from Carlos’ fans. It's been a while since you've been active on your public account, and it makes you want to close it now.

"I don't know, baby, I'm sorry. Papa is probably busy with his race. But, do you want to call him, my love?" You asked.

"Yes, Mama! Yes!" Cael excitedly requested. Although Carlos tries to call or text you regarding your son, Cael just can't help but be attached to his father.

After a few rings, Carlos finally picked up his phone. "Hello, who's this?" the voice of a woman answered his phone.

What the heck?

You immediately ended the call and put down your phone. Pain and betrayal start filling your mind the moment you drop the call. Cold sweats gush out of your skin that makes your world stop for a moment. "Mama, what's wrong?" Cael curiously asked, looking at you with worried eyes.

"Nothing, baby. It's just…. Papa can't be reached right now. Maybe he's busy at the moment. Let's try again another time. Is that fine with you?"

"Okay, Mama. That's alright, maybe Papa is busy with his stuff," Cael replied while pouting. You can feel the longing in his eyes. He was excited to call his father but almost ended up talking to his father's mistress.

What the heck was that, Carlos? You said you wanted to try, but you're still messing around with another woman. God, I almost fell for it.

“Hey, stop killing that chicken that's already dead,” Elle said when she sat next to you at the hospital’s cafeteria. You are just immensely shredding the chicken breast on your plate.

“What's wrong? You're so grumpy today. Red days?” your best friend asks. She has been sensing your frustration even in the ER this morning.

“Grumpy? What are you talking about? I'm not grumpy,” You replied, as you dig into your food and stuff it into your mouth.

“Dude, you keep slamming things since this morning. You make me dizzy from all the roaming and hoarding of patients. You only do that when you're frustrated and want to keep your mind occupied. What's the deal?” Elle said. You paused for a moment and hesitated to talk about it.

“Well, I have this friend, his ex-boyfriend wants to get back to her and she almost believed him. It turns out that he is still messing around with other women,” YN explained.

“You mean, Carlos?”

“Yes, I mean no! This is not about me, okay. It's about my friend, a friend,” YN denied.

“Okay, okay, chill. I have never seen you so frustrated for a friend. So what did Carlitos do? He wants to get back to you?,” Elle said, teasing YN. She knows she's talking about Carlos. YN doesn't have many friends and it's so unlikely for her to be furious about someone else's problem. The least thing she will do is be bothered with someone else's life when she already has too much on her plate.

YN rolled her eyes. “You know what, whatever,” YN finished her food and went back to the ER, leaving Elle laughing her ass off.

You kept yourself busy the entire day, had duty at the hospital, and bonded with your son. But, you were low-key waiting for Carlos to return your call. "Mama, I miss Papa. Do you miss him too?" Cael asked as you tucked him into bed.

Cael, you and your questions. I don't miss him. Why would I? He is just handsome and irresistible but he's still a cheater and a liar. So why would I?

"Uhm, probably not as much as you do," YN said, playing it safe.

"Yeah, is he still busy, Mama?"

"I think so, my love," but you actually don't know if he is really busy with work or with her.

The next morning was your day off. You slept an hour more than your usual wake-up time and then got up to prepare breakfast for yourself and Cael. It's rare for you to do this because you have your mom, who always gets up earlier than anyone else in this house. But, now that she is on vacation with her siblings, you are the one to do it.

You were enjoying your iced coffee when someone knocked on your door, almost banging it down. "Who the heck is banging someone else's door so early?" YN hissed and walked towards the door.

The door revealed your ex-husband panting, almost fainting. "Carlos? What are yo.."

"It was the new PR staff," Carlos blurted out while catching his breath.

"Ha? What are you talking about?"

"We were filming something yesterday, and.. and I.. forgot my phone. That's when you called, and she… happened.. to answer it. So.. I came here to assure you that I'm not.. I'm not cheating on you and Cael," Carlos explained, still panting. You stand frozen in front of him, not knowing what to say.

"Can I enter? I badly need water," He continued. You walked him to the kitchen and handed him a glass of water. "Ugh, thank you," he replied after gulping every single drop from the glass.

"You could have told me over the phone. You don't have to fly over here just to tell me about that. As if I care who the heck you are dating," YN said.

"But, I do care about what you're thinking. And do you think you’ll believe that she was just a staff if I just told you over the phone? I don't think so," Carlos replied.

He's right about that. Point taken.

"Whatever. Why the heck are you panting anyway?" YN said, changing the topic.

"Because the crazy godfather of our child gave me the wrong address. I knocked on someone’s door only to know that your house is still a few miles away. So I had to walk here, almost run,” Carlos explained, exaggerating the distance he had to walk. And you just laughed at him.

“Is this crazy godfather's name, Daniel Ric?,” YN asked, still laughing at him. Carlos gave her a nod. “I bet he was already sleepy when you texted him.”

“Yeah, probably. But, I still hate him, he made me walk so far,” Carlos replied.

“Papa?” Cael walked into the kitchen with his hair messy from sleeping.

“Good morning, bud,” Carlos said and approached his son. “You're here,” Cael said, resting his head on his father's shoulders.

“Yes, baby, Papa’s here. You're not dreaming,” Carlos chuckled while rubbing Cael's back. “You're not busy anymore?” Cael asked.

“I’m still busy, but I just wanted to see you and Mama,” Carlos said, looking at you. It made you choke on your coffee.

Why are you looking at me like that? Bastard, I almost swallowed an ice cube.

You hadn't finished your coffee when your phone rang. It was a call from the hospital.

“Bitch!” Doc Elle from the other line said.

“Whoa, where's the hi and hello,”

“Well, hello, bitch, I know you're on your day off right now. But there's a vehicular accident involving a bus, and five SUVs. They're bringing them all here. And I kinda need a hand here. If you're still frustrated, now's your time to hoard some patients” You could hear the scream for help from your best friend.

“Why does it always happen on my day off?” YN whispered in annoyance.

“Just come, please. I need your help,” Elle requested. You could hear chaos from the other line. It seemed like the patients were beginning to arrive.

“Okay, I'll be there in a minute,” You replied before ending the call.

Wait, mom’s not here. Who's going to take care of Cael?

Your eyes moved towards Carlos. “What?” Carlos said, confused why you were looking at him without saying anything.

“I need to go to the hospital,” You replied.

“Okay?” Carlos replied, waiting for you to continue. “Can you take care of Cael for today? Here's his routine. I listed everything here that you must know. Please?” You gave him Cael's schedule and routine throughout the day. You had written it for your mom whenever you're not around.

“You don’t need to ask for it. Don’t worry, I’ll take over today,” Carlos said.

You immediately put on your scrubs and grabbed the keys to your car. “I'm sorry, baby. There's an accident, and Mama is needed at the hospital. Papa will take care of you today. So behave, okay? I'll be back later. I love you,” You said, before kissing your son goodbye.

“Take good care of him, okay?” You reminded Carlos. “Don't worry, I'll take care of him. Drive safely,” Carlos said, in return.

“Yeah, I will. Thanks,” You said before finally leaving the house. You went to the actual location of the accident to attend to patients who were still there.

Carlos read what was on Cael's schedule. “Breakfast, vitamins, shower…” Carlos was amused by how organized it was. “Your mom really wrote them in detail,” Carlos whispered.

“Bud, let's take a shower,” Carlos said to his son who was now playing with his toys. “No, Papa, I still want to play plus the water is cold. I don't wanna,” Cael replied.

“You can play after you take a shower, my love,” Carlos said, trying to persuade his son.

“No, Papa. No,” Cael resisted, pouting at his father and hiding in the corner of his room. After a few negotiations and a little bit of running around the house, Carlos finally got Cael to shower.

God, I only fed Cael and took him to shower. It is already exhausting. This is more strenuous than working out. - Carlos

Carlos let him choose what to wear and put it on him. “I badly need a shower too,” Carlos whispered. “What did you say, Papa?” Cael said.

“Nothing, bud. Uhm, let's go to the mall. Papa just flew here, so I didn't pack any clothes with me,” Carlos explained.

“That's fun. Let's go to the mall, Papa!” Cael excitedly agreed.

Carlos bought a few pairs of clothes. He had to fly back for the race weekend and other promotion schedules. “Bud, stay with Papa, okay? Don’t let go of my hand. I can’t lose you here, your mom will kill me, understand?” Carlos said, reminding his fully-charged son. Cael nodded at him with a smile on his face.

He did not only buy clothes for himself but also for Cael. “Papa, look! Sunflowers. Shall we buy some for Mama? She loves them,” Cael said, stopping in front of a flower shop.

“Yeah, sunflowers. How do you know she loves sunflowers?” Carlos curiously asked his son. Carlos used to buy them for YN when they're still together. “She buys them for herself. Mama said they brighten her mood whenever she looks at them.” Carlos smiled in return for what his son said. “Okay, let’s buy and arrange them at home, okay?”

Cael and Carlos arranged the sunflowers and placed them in a vase in the dining area and the living room. He then took care of Cael, bathed him, and changed his clothes for bedtime.

Carlos lay beside Cael’s bed. “Papa, I had fun today. Thank you for the clothes and toys you got me. I love them,” Cael said.

“I’m glad you like them, bud,” Carlos said. A loud silence then followed. After a few minutes, Carlos thought that Cael was already asleep but when he looked at him, his eyes were still wide awake. Cael just giggled at the way his father peeked at him. “I can’t believe you still have the energy to laugh at me, Cael.” Carlos said making Cael giggle.

“Stop giggling, little man. Close your eyes,” Carlos said, before closing his eyes too.

“Papa, I don't know who to marry,” Cael blurted out of nowhere.

“Hmm? You don't know who to marry? Why are you thinking about that too early?” Carlos said and leaned closer to his son.

“I don't know, Papa. I just wonder who I'm gonna marry someday.” Cael replied, eliciting a laugh from Carlos.

“Don't worry, bud, when you get older and wiser, you'll know who to marry. You'll meet her maybe not now but in the future. I'm sure you'll find her, the right person for you to marry,” Carlos tried to explain it to him.

“But how? How would I know if I already found her?” Cael replied.

“How? Hmm, your heart will tell you, bud,”

“My heart will tell me? But my heart can't speak,” Carlos laughed at his child's innocence and purity.

“Yeah, but you'll just know it, bud. If she makes you happy, if she makes you feel safe, if she loves you, despite your strengths and weaknesses. If she loves everything about you. If she takes care of you and you take care of her,”

“Like Mama, Papa?” Cael replied that made Carlos taken aback.

“Yeah, like Mama, bud,”

“I want to marry someone like Mama, Papa,”

“Me too, bud. Me too ,”

Little did the boys know, YN had just got back from work and was listening to their conversation the whole time at the other side of the door.

Me too Carlos. Me too.

-------------------------------------------------

CARLOS INSTAGRAM STORY

YN INSTAGRAM STORY

AN: Sorry for late updates I have lots of things to do. But here's another update, I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts and id you wanna be added to the taglist. Thank you!

TAGLIST:

@seasonswinter @charizznorizz @itsjustkhaos @celesteablack @timmychalametsstuff @viennakarma @i-love-ptv @evie-119 @somepeoplemaybe @amberpanda99 @gotthatname @karlossainz @khaylin27 @hc-dutch @avengers-assemble123456 @likedbygaslyy @yukiotadako @barcelonaloverf1life @heyheyheyggg @sunny44 @mxdi0 @casperlikej @ironmaiden1313 @biitch-with-wifi @elia-the-bibliophile @nataliazzzz @bernelflo @lillunna @loloekie @jinimon-tr @glai1023-blog @not-nyasa @jolixtreesunn @changetyre @thatsusbitch @distancedss @miarabanana @voidsfics @jasminesacademia @glow-ish @ccallistata @carpediem241108 @thearchieves @kenzeyeballs @formula1simp @dessxoxsworld @hoeforsirius @norwayxo

[obsessedwithceleste]

Lorenzo Berkshire Headcannons

©️ obsessedwithceleste. all works posted here belong to me and should not be reposted or copied in any way or form.

Growing up, Lorenzo is constantly neglected by his mother

He's also very often compared to Mattheo or his cousin Draco

Despite the open disdain from his mother, Lorenzo remains rather bright and good-natured

He gets branded as "the weak link" pretty early on

Still he remains extremely close with both boys as they grow up together (just because they're treated better, doesn't mean they're treated well)

As he gets older, he develops a certain bite to him

There's power that comes with being constantly underestimated and overlooked

Of course he might seem like the softest among the three, but how soft can you really be when comparing three stone cold boulders?

Lorenzo is sweet, charming, and charismatic with a dazzling smile

But that's just to lure you into a false sense of security

Like Draco, Lorenzo also has a tendency to preen

Because he never really received any type of validation from his mother, he has to get it from somewhere

He especially likes the attention he gets from the female population of Hogwarts (he's always been a bit of a romantic)

Lorenzo is openly flirtatious

And he quickly earns the label of "heartbreaker"

It night not be him, but the labels give him some kind of identity at least

While he was no one's first pick at home, he gets attention here

And he likes it

He also becomes very close with Theodore Nott very quickly

He admires his intellect and his preference to hide in plain sight

There might be a bit of jealousy boiling under the surface at his friend's indifference towards the spot light

What Lorenzo lacks in intellect and book smarts, he makes up for with grueling hard work

People often assume that he wouldn't be one to lift so much as a finger

But there's a lot of work that goes into being seemingly perfect all the time

Maybe that's why he grows to love herbology

An unsuspecting choice for Hogwart's resident "pretty boy"

But it's messy and dirty and surprisingly complex

And Lorenzo loves it

He loves pouring all of his focus and energy into growing something beautiful (and preferably deadly)

Because if there's one thing he knows, it's the endless pitfall that comes with trying to please someone you'll never truly be able to win over

That's probably what initially attracts him to you

He's not interested in games, in girls playing hard to get, or any of the emotional whiplash

But he's not overly invested in any of the girls throwing themselves at him either

You see him, and you're simply you

You don't make him jump through hoops, and you don't giggle lifelessly at every word that comes out of his mouth, and he simply adores you for it

It takes a bit for him to convince you that he’s serious about you

But once he does, he treats you like the perfect gentleman

100% wants to sweep you off your feet

Also VERY overprotective/territorial

Secretly terrified that you’ll leave once you find someone better

Once you realize it though, you make certain that he knows that he’s the only one for you

And he revels in it

He’s normally a social butterfly, except with you

He’s content to spend hours, days with just you

He’s just happy to have found someone to love him unconditionally

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

In Bloom 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, allusions to trauma, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: After wasting much of your youth in a toxic situation, things are starting to look up. That's until you meet a certain flower seller.

Characters: Cole Turner, short!reader

Note: Tomorrow is beach day for me.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

The city streets seem to slant around you, looming outside the car windows, blurring at the edges. Your displacement adds to the effect, making your dizzy, leaving your hands raw as you wring them compulsively. You shrink back into your seat, shying away from the world that seems so scary to you. 

Aunt Bev is completely unbothered. She sings along to her favourite 80s bop as she keeps speed with the rest of traffic. She's always in a sunny mood but that day, she beams even brighter. When you asked why, she was almost stunned by the question; 'well, sweetheart, it's your birthday!' 

You forgot. Or didn't care. You never really celebrate. Your last birthday you can barely discern from all the other grim days. You try not to think of that life you had before Aunt Bev showed up to drag you into the light. You suppose it's probably been just under a year since. 

As if sensing your grey thought, she reaches to turn the volume down. She resumes her firm grip on the wheel and peeks over quickly. She smiles as she stops at the changing light. 

"You get a free scoop. You got your ID?" She says. 

You nod. That's one of the things that's new to you. Before you never even had a library card. Before, it was like you never even existed. As far as the world was concerned, you didn't.  

You look down at the purse in your lap. Your cousin Lena gave it to you. She said she never used it and it suited you better. There was a lot she handed over, though without any real concern. Her and your other cousin, Mason, have so much, they hardly know the difference. 

You stare at the embroidered petals on the black velvet. Lena's wrong. It's too nice for you. 

You tear your hands apart and lift the flap. You slide out the small wallet within. Another inherited piece. You slip out the ID card and stare at the photo. It doesn't really look like you but you've never really been able to recognise yourself. Your features always struck you as unfamiliar. 

You remember when you went to fill out the paperwork. Standing in front of that lens, staring into its black eye, and the sudden flash. You tuck the card away and shove the wallet back in the depths of the purse. 

"Lena's making you a cake," Bev says, "she always loves an excuse to make a mess of my kitchen." 

You try to laugh, it's more a crackle. That's the thing about Aunt Bev, everything is so careless to her, so easy. It all feels so strange to you. You don't fit but no one else seems to notice. 

"Mason should be there but heavens knows he's always late. That's not my doing, by the way, your uncle's always been horrible about time," she scoffs. 

You hum to acknowledge you're listening. The mention of your cousin and uncle make you uneasy. It isn't that they're bad. No, they're so nice, like Lena and Bev, but they're men. You try not to hold that against them but you've never been very comfortable around them. Not that you spent much time around male counterparts. 

"Twenty-five," she preens, "exciting." 

You clear your dry throat, "yep." 

You tuck your chin down and fidget with the strap of the purse. Twenty-five. Halfway through your first decade of adulthood and you still feel like a child. It's nothing to celebrate but Aunt Bev sees everyday as a reason. 

She puts on her signal and waits in the line of cars. You squint through her side and see the bustling of vehicles and people in a large lot. All this for ice cream. You told her you aren't particularly hungry even but she insisted. 

She turns and rolls into the lot, finding a spot amid the tight lines. She sighs and pulls the visor down to check her dyed waves in the mirror. She's always so put together. She tried to help you but you don't like the feel of mascara and you had an allergic reaction to the lip gloss. She didn't try again. 

"Alright, ice cream!" She snaps the visor up, "do you know which flavour you want?" 

You unbuckle your seat belt and shrug, "I don't know what they have." 

"Fair," she tilts her head as she opens her door, "I'm feeling a good old vanilla cone." 

You get out and shut the door. You hook the purse on your shoulder and meet her by the hood. You walk in step with her, peering around at the other people streaming towards the other side of the lot. There’s a large archway leading to a large plot of booths and stands. It’s a market of some sort, the kind you’ve only seen on television. 

“I thought we were getting ice cream,” you say as you grip your purse. 

“They have ice cream. I have another surprise. For your birthday,” she insists, “I wanted to buy you a gift.” 

“Oh? I don’t need one.” 

“I want to,” she says, “me and Lena used to come here all the time. You’ll like it.” 

You don’t argue. You have no right to. She’s doing you a favour. Another one.  

It’s crowded but everyone seems happy. You’re not used to all the noise or clamour. A woman pushes a stroller ahead of you as her husband chases a lively toddler past her. You press your chapped lips together and hold in your unease. 

You’re not the best in these sort of situations. Too many people, too much going on. Just going down to City Hall to get your ID was a lot. The hospital too. Those stiff, cramped plastic chairs and people filling even the space between them. 

You keep your shoulders curled in as you walk with Bev. You end up behind her, following her lead, stopping where she stops, looking at whatever she looks at. She points out a crystal sunflower necklace and you smile and nod. When you see the price, you frown. 

“Maybe something else. I don’t wear jewelry,” you say. You don’t wear it because you never had it. 

“It would be so pretty,” she remarks. 

“No, really, it’s... nice, but not for me.” 

You sidle on. There’s a table of soaps so pungent they make your head cloudy, and candles that look like whipped desserts. You cross to another booth and Bev buys some local honey and apple butter. She likes the honey in her tea in the evening. She always makes you a cup too. 

She shows you the wildflower honey giddily and points you onward. You stick close, following her direction as it keeps your head from spinning. You go to crocheter’s stand with stuffed animals meant for the children shouting and running around more than you. That whale might be cute but you’re not a child anymore, are you? 

You carry on. Bev shows you several other things. A little compact mirror with mother of pearl on the case and a hand-painted wooden chest you could put on your dresser. The dresser she bought in the room she gave you in the house she pays for. 

“You really don’t need to buy my anything. The ice creams good enough,” you say as your doubt bubbles over but it’s too loud for her to hear you. And she’s too distracted. 

Aunt Bev stands on her toes, though she’s already a tall figure, and waves at someone. She grabs your wrist and you wince as she pulls you through the swaths of people. You want to tear away as her grip makes you itch. You don’t like being touched. You’re not used to it. 

She pulls you to another row of stalls and stops before a medley of plants. There's a little chalkboard sign in the corner that reads ‘Cole’s Corner’. Pots line the top of the table, cacti and spider plants and succulents. Their green and lovely and lush. 

Bev lets go and you stare down at them. They’re familiar. They’re pretty. You could smile if your ears weren’t burning from the bustling people around. 

You’ve always known soil, always known the smell of pollen and the tough roots of unwanted weeds. When you weren’t trapped in your room, you were stranded in the garden, searching for bright petals or nursing wilting stems. Out in the dirt, you didn’t have to worry about anything. 

Often Aunt Bev found you in the plot she allotted you among her rose bushes and tulips. The space you made your own with the gnome you painted yourself. That was one of her little crafts she liked to do. She always had an idea for something or the other; waxed-linen to use as reusable bowl covers or tie-dye tee shirts. 

You stare down at a pot of aloe vera. The pot is clay; the base is brown and the top is painted white. You admire the jutting rigid leaves as the chaos around you settles into the background. You lean in closer at the burst of colour behind it, a bunch of pleasant pink begonias. 

“Cole,” your aunt chirps, “busy today.” 

“Sure is,” the man behind the table answers and your eyes flick up as you nearly jump.  

You hadn’t seen him. You were too distracted by the fauna. You don’t know how you didn’t. He’s tall and his blue eyes twinkle as they meet yours. You quickly shy away as the sight of his soft hay brown hair lingers in your mind. 

“This your sister?” He asks. 

“Oh, Cole, don’t be silly. You can flatter me all you like. You’re still a horrible salesman.” 

“Usually works,” he chuckles, “daughter?” 

“You’ve met Lena,” she chides then introduces you by name, “this is my niece. Hon, this is Cole. He grows these all himself.” 

“Ah, the niece,” he snaps his fingers. “I remember.” 

As he turns away you continue to peruse. Your cheeks are burning. You’re suddenly not as content to browse the plants. Not as you feel the sting of that man’s gaze nipping at you. It’s just the way he’d looked at you. Maybe just that he’d even saw you. 

Suddenly, a pot wrapped in burlap is set down in front of you. You examine the yellow petals and peek over at Aunt Bev. She grins and her gaze trails between you and the man. You gulp and turn back to once more consider the flowers. 

“Daylily,” you murmur. 

He leans in and lets out a scratchy noise, “that’s right.” 

You suck in your lower lip. You hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Your lashes flick up then down as you can’t figure what to do with yourself. 

“You like flowers? Your aunt says you spend all your time in the garden.” 

You shrug, then nod, and once more dart a look over at Aunt Bev. She said all that? To him? Why? 

“How about that one?” She comes closer as she reaches for her purse, “it’s her birthday. I’d like her to get something nice for her.” 

“Can’t go wrong with day lily. They keep bloom for a while but each blossom only lasts about a day,” he turns the pot slightly as he speaks, “symbolic of devotion and forgetting worries. They brighten the place right up.” 

“So?” Aunt Bev nudges you with her elbow. 

You dip your chin, “um, sure, okay. Thank you, Aunt Bev.” 

“Flowers are always a good gift. These ones won’t need much in the winter either. They’ll come right back,” he explains, “is that all?” 

“Yep, I think you’ve bled me dry,” Bev kids as she hands over her money, “I only have so much room left in the backyard.” 

“Ah, don’t got that problem on the farm. Sometimes, I don’t know what to do with all the land,” he counts out her change from a metal box. 

“Must be nice. I swear, living in the city can be so... suffocating,” Bev mopes as she tucks away the coins. “Go on, hon, you wanna carry your flowers?” 

You mutter your acquiescence and step forward to reach for the pot. Before you can, that man, Cole, slides it out of your grasp. “Wait, one minute.” He turns and digs around in a crate hidden beneath the perpendicular table, “it’s your birthday, isn’t it?” He pulls out a ribbon, the same colour as the daylily, “just put a proper bow on.” 

He ties it up in a drooping uneven bow. You peek up at his face as he gives it a helpless smile and shrugs, “not perfect but... happy birthday.” 

He pushes the pot towards you and you cautiously take it. His large hand brushes yours and you quickly bring the flowers against your stomach, recoiling a step back from the table. His fingers fall onto the table and he taps them. 

“Oh, wait,” he turns once more and digs around, this time in a bag on the top of the table, “Marvita brough these over from her booth.” He takes out a small box and lifts the lid to reveal an array of macarons in a variety of hues, “I can’t eat them all.” he shoves the box at you, “please.” 

You don’t move but Bev eagerly accepts one; a pink one. “Go on,” she urges, “live a little, birthday girl.” 

You scrunch your mouth up and slant it this way, then that. You take a cookie; a green one. As you hug the plant with one arm and retract the other, you remember your manners. A tingle runs through the back of your hand, a memory of those lessons, as the ‘thank you’ tumbles off your tongue. 

You look up and once more your eyes meet. You blanch and swiftly turn away. 

“No problem,” he says brightly, “hey, Bev,” he calls as she goes to shuffle away, “next week?” 

“Eh, I don’t know, my husband’s been on me about the spending,” she laughs, “we’ll see.” 

“Oh yeah, see you then,” he snorts, “you too, I hope.” 

“Uh, bye,” you wave with the cookie and hurry past your aunt. You know he’s talking to you but you can’t face him. He’s just being nice and you won’t be back. 

“I love those, they’re so pretty,” Aunt Bev reaches over to touch the petals, “such a nice man, isn’t he?” 

[andy-wm]

his “coming out” should not be in any way shape or form be connected to jungkook. idk why you shippers can’t leave them tf alone when they’re not dating ffs.

[Select.font=sarcasm]

Oooh I am so glad you came here to tell me this, Anon! You are clearly well informed on both Jimin’s life, and "coming out".

I didn't even know that "coming out" needs to be in inverted commas. Thank you for helping me understand.

I also didn't know what his "coming out" should or should not be! I didn't know there were rules for "coming out"! I'm so grateful to have this information now.

I hope you've also told Jimin how he should "come out"?

I hope he listens to you since obviously, you have his happiness at heart.

Because "coming out" with no significant other to support him - and facing the inevitable repercussions alone - that would DEFINITELY make things better for him, right?

Also we all know how much Jimin LOVES being alone, so naturally we should wish that for him.

Objectively, he would be happier if he was single I guess? Because having a secure and healthy long term relationship with someone who loves and supports you is known to be pretty shit. Makes sense... that's why nobody looks for love. They certainly don't write songs about love.

Ever.

People aspire to being isolated, like Jimin showed us this with his song Serendipity.

When he sang "just let me love you" he probably meant he wanted to be single and live alone forever in his bubble. That makes sense.

And of course they aren't dating!

You're right, there's absolutely nothing special between Jimin and Jungkook. They are 100% platonic and good pals.

It would be ridiculous to look at them and see love and intimacy.

I dont know what love looks like, but this is not it...

Definitely not this either.

Just friends here.

So friendly!

Brothers even!

Keeping to the bro code here too, 100%

Absolutely no crossing of boundaries here....

I always caress my friend's clothes when I sing their own love song back to them. Especially when my face is less than a foot from their face. It's very platonic.

Anyway, there's no reason to think they might be dating.

Why would people even think they COULD be?

It's unimaginable.

Society has never ignored or dismissed loving romantic relationships between same-sex couples, and that's certainly not what you're doing. Not at all. You just know they aren't dating because ... reasons.

I'm sure you don't object to Jimin being gay because that would be homophobic (you even know how he should "come out"). If that was the case you might as well just get a tattoo of an L on your forehead and throw away all your Jimin merch because our boy is gayer than a rainbow cake. Gayer even than the rainbow cake his appa has *always in stock* in his coffee shop in Busan.

And if you generously tolerate his gayness, i imagine you will allow that one day he could date (definitely not now, because he probably has no interest in sex. He's too busy working and anyway he has ARMY to love him) yeah, but not now please.

But one day he could have a nice boyfriend who sits beside him on the sofa and smiles benignly and holds his hand like a good boy.

Definitely NOT one that sings about fucking night after night seven days a week, or watching in 3D, or DEAR GOD... the imagery... champagne confetti.

Not someone who sings Sam Smith songs on his Live, or who goes around whacking off fire hydrants in his music videos or miming blow jobs on national tv.

Not someone that demands you see him as an adult who enjoys adult things and wont accept your judgement of him. Not one who puts boundaries in place.

Not someone who (the audacity!) lies in bed naked and begs Jimin to come over.

And that brings us to the villain of our story:

JEON JUNGKOOK

I guess, since you will allow a relationship in theory, you just object to the idea of a relationship specifically with Jungkook.

And I can see why. Jungkook very obviously has no interest in Jimin’s happiness. Jungkook doesn't support him at all.

He doesn't hold jimin when he cries, he doesn't spam us with Jimin content when Jimin has a comeback, he doesn't cook Jimin’s favourite food for him, or fold his underpants while he does his own laundry.

He doesn't take him on trips to Japan, or send thirst-trap messages for his birthday, or play his songs, or sing on his albums.

He doesn't carry him, bridal style, any time Jimin jumps into his arms, and I can guarantee you that he doesn't let Jimin fuck him just the way Jimin likes it, as often as he wants it, wherever and whenever he gets the chance. And vice versa.

They didn't enlist in the military as companions, after all.

So reallly, what would Jungkook even know about Jimin's happiness?

What could he POSSIBLY know about Jimin that you don't know. Nothing, right?

What could POSSIBLY happen behind closed doors and away from the camera, that you don't see with your third eye and your vivid imagination? Again, nothing. You know ALL, right?

[Deselect.font=sarcasm]

I think we've covered everything?

Theres only one thing left to say i guess.

Whoever you are, you'd do well to consider whose happiness you're supporting.

If you don't support what makes Jimin happy, you don't support Jimin. Period.

[poggersbathwater]

vivziepop: this show is about criticising Christianity"

proceeds to: woobify sinners and make them overlords as a reward,for some reason all or most sinners (cannibals, rapists,murderers....etc) are queer,villainized Adam the first human (had nothing to do with Christianity at the time he got created and it's not his fault that god made him for a woman and just wanted peaceful life with her) who lost two women because of lucifer,made lucifer the good innocent guy (let's ignore that he is the main reason why humanity is suffering), "7 DEADLY SINS ARE GOOD FOR YOU ACTUALLY! LUST IS ABOUT CONSENT AND GLUTTONY ARE ABOUT SELF CONTROL,EXCEPT FOR GREED CAUSE THERE'S NO SUCH A THING AS A GOOD GREED CAUSE FUCK RICH!....btw please buy my Valentino cups! (I Wonder why 7 sins are deadly in a first place if they're caring and healthy according to viv)" "Wait.....are you telling me that stolas is a wise high ranking demon who give knowledge to those who summon him? Nonsense! Stolas is a horny softie who needs his imp slave to protect him! Screw accuracy! And you know what? I am making the rest of ars goetia and turn them into birds and had nothing to do with their demonology because I just need to use their names to make more characters"

(Yeah sorry about stolas accuracy part,it's just that I am tired of "not everything should be accurate" argument,that's like making thoth a Egyptian god of wisdom into a weak softie hypocrite character who is obsessed with sex and have nothing to do with his wisdom and knowledge,actually there's a lot of interesting things about thoth that makes him respected amongst gods and if viv wrote him he would be nothing but a joke character that have no personality outside of sex and victimhood mentally)

Alright lightning round here

Woobifying (idk what that means but i imagine it means glorification) sinners: I think the overlords are there to run businesses and industries in Hell, not to reward them exactly- but I do see the point you're making. The worse they are, the more power they have, which doesn't look too good for Hell's case.

Having most of the sinners be queer: Yeah I.. also get this one. It's weird how no fascists or.. well, generally bigoted people are there, but all the characters that ARE there happen to be queer. And I'm not saying queer people can't be bad, they can, but when there's more queer people than bigots in a place that's supposed to have the bad people... yeahhhhh no

Villainizing Adam: Yeah I hate how they turn Adam into a righteous douche- though it could make sense, since he did eat the fruit too (it probably changed his behavior a lot), turning him into a righteous douche who's bitter he lost his wife was.. kinda messed up.

The characterization of the sins: YEAH ACTUALLY THIS ONE SUCKS !! The whole point of Gluttony is that you just keep indulging without a care- the whole point of lust is that it's forced and it hurts people- if it wasn't about force, it'd be called love. Because consent is love. Force and betrayal (cheating/infidelity) is lust. The sins being characterized as good people takes away from why they are sins.

Stolas: Okay I don't know much about demon stuff, so I'll leave that alone (the ars goetia isn't talked about in Christianity so that's why I can't answer it), but I will say that stolas being the victim all the time is fucking ass. Yes, stolas has been forced into an arranged marriage. That sucks, it does. But that doesn't excuse any of his actions towards Blitzo, or his emotional unavailability towards Via.

I've never gotten this many asks Holy shit

[bubblewrapsnek]

Phantomarine Reread: Chapter 1

For this chapter I don't have too much to elaborate on so it'll probably be mostly stuff I enjoy about it so uhh enjoy!

Let's begin:

The cover of the chapter is just very fun and good, I love how in a full page what acts as frame is the composition itself, using the rock as both a titlecard, flat space made to have Phae stand out in the centre thanks to less detail around her, and has a couple skeletons climbing on it too making it interacted with the enviorment too, it's just very good, plus lots of cute critters

Bonus, pretty lady with pretty dress

One sword lady just happy to be there, good for her!

Cheth working like a lamp, getting turned off as soon as Phae chickens out is a very good bit xD

Something I also enjoy a lot from this chapter is just how present those godly veins are

You can clearly see them flowing into everything Cheth uses, they work at being somewhat subtle to me, at a first read I just assumed they were for flare, it's a god in the sea hopping bodies, of course he has an aura, but going back they are very consistantly threads coursing through what he touches and moves, around him at all time, and it makes the reveal that those aren't something he causes, but those are HIM very fun to go back to

Also Cheth being so unserious even when angry, giving eyelashes to a t-rex HE CHOSE TO THROUGH A HISSY FIT WITH, THIS GOD CHOSE THE DINOSAUR FAMOUS FOR HAVING TENEE TINY ARMS TO PERK THEM UP AND SHOW ANNOYANCE, love that for them

Something else I want to point out is how Phae is never still, every panel she is moving, posing with dumb bravado sometimes downplaying it a bit, it keeps her expressive and alive even when the obvious main show is Cheth's flamboyance and shapeshifting circus play, and that in itself is also a very fun thing, in a revolving door of actors, the play doesn't loose itself, Cheth's emotions are readable, a character is expressed constantly and flows nicely into a variety of states, and for both of them, keeping this bravado will pay off later in the chapter VERY well

Great visual, the veins themselves working as the smoke, showing he is loosing patience, he is fuming while being underwater

Another bonus point: Extremely rare instance where I find M!Cheth looking hot in a sense of coolness instead of the usual lovely dork clown (he is hot in both ways but this is a different taste)

Plus

The facless crowd of red eyes not playing, smiling or fooling around anymore, they are finally dead set on her, she created a play for them and he provides the pressure of an audience, more than the panel before, with her literally being portrayed in front of the t-rex's mouth, this feels like the maw of the beast surrounding her, sizing her and ready to devour her, ready to have her be part of the facless crowd of observers, very spooky

And this feeling of the maw of the beast pays off, 'cause shit gets real very fast, Cheth doesn't take it lightly and goes for the throat with a question that not only he thinks she would never know, but that hurts so so much, (and also shows what is in his mind when dealing with royalty, not the attacks towards him directly, not the damage to him, but the countless children who have been deprived of a family due to all this). This works as a tone shift, the first, altho minor, payoff from the swagger set up early in the chapter, and this question hits you in the face hard and fast

Cheth's frame while asking this is almost as big as the burden of that knowledge, a question so heavy the panel under it is quite literally being smothered, Phae's face accomapanying the reader who didn't expect the shift

And this leads to another piece of characterization that will come back later, Cheth cares for children, this isn't just a question done to hurt her but it's something he cares for, and why do I say this? well it's something I read not only in what will be said later on in other chapters, but in Cheth's reaction when Phae actually can provide an answer

He is confused, but also looks genuinely worried about her, he is dumbfounded AND concerned for the woman who showed to care about something he thought she would have only superficial empathy towards, for the girl who just admitted to being herself a lost child in grief (little headcanon, the cat showing up is there to be ready to help in case it got too far)

Something else I want to make note of that I find very compelling:

The background, Phae answers and the background goes BLANK, until now it consistantly framed her in either blue or red, either in Cheth's play or taking a step back from it, but now, this is something that wasn't part of his tease, this wasn't something he thought would happen, Phae's care and grief quite literally breaks Cheth's overwhelming, presence here, it feels as if not only is he shocked, but he is giving her a brief moment to breath, letting her have some space for just a moment, I love it

And this also leads to a moment I find very interesting, and I would like to give my reading to

The way I read it as of the time of writing this, is that Cheth has a deep fondness towards humanity, the anathema comic shows a devotion to his love for the people he fares in the afterlife, for the children of man who have all but forsaken him, and here he is ANGRY, but why would he be angry that the king actually cared for said people? I can think of one reason: at this point he has been waiting for a sign for 5000 years, made to sit back and watch for ages the humanity he loves sending their man foolishly to die in a war against him in which he isn't even participating, and I think he might have internalized how the people he loves have accepted a doctrine against him so deeply that they deem the sacrifice of their lives and the suffering of their children as worth less than fighting him. But what does he learn now? that the king, the guide of this war, feels guilt over this, that the mean leading all those people to die had to find a way to cope with how terrible that weight is, that they haven't forgotten how precious the lives of his people are, AND YET HE KEEPS SENDING THEM TO DIE, EXACTLY LIKE THEY DID FOR THE PAST 5000 YEARS. This is beyond foolish, this is pure denial of knowing that what you are doing is terrible, and thinking you can offset it by being kind instead of working on the problem at the root of it, I too would be angry if the man leading those fathers and mothers to abandon their children tried to save his conscience by doing charity instead of preventing those deaths to begin with.

God this came out rant-y, and probably not perfectly worded

Moving on

Remember when I spoke about how the constant expressiveness and bravado of the characters is a great setup, well here we get to the first very big payoff in my opinion

Once again, Cheth's overwhelming red get's completely broken, stark white coral framing the object of something that deeply hits him and breaks his flow, he stops to a screeching halt for the first time, speechless and astounded. without all that overwhelming presence before, all that bravado, this loss of control would hit so much less and it doesn't stop here, no this is the first punch of a two hit combo, the proverbial quiet before the storm

And this also leads to another reversal in their constant duel present in this chapter, up to now all of this has been a back an forth, a dance where Phae responds in kind to Cheth's provocations, and here, she doesn't reflect an attack, but just like Cheth seeing her at a low before had him react with a look of pity, she responds here with the same concerned expression

Sadly, Cheth isn't in a place where vulnerabilty is something that can be helped with pity or comfort, not now

Now all he is, is a raging storm of emotions

And how does he get back control of the scene? he lashes out, he once again becomes overwhelming, the entire scene becomes a vortex of red and anguished faces, Phae's bright yellow gets tinted in a red glow, something deep within him has been touched

And MY GOD is the subsequent page a mic drop, the red slowly drifts to the bottom, her emotions are settling down, there is a moment of reflection and quiet, of many things she probably couldn't hope to think about for such a long time finally piecing together, and with those elements coming into place, here comes a new face that we will come to know along the way, not only is this a new face in the chapter, this is an expression of Cheth's state of mind in my opinion, as we will later learn that the sign he was waiting for, all he is doing and setting up, it was all in the name of a promise made to this face. at least, this is my read atm, we'll have to see how the story unfolds to see how well it fits

Have you ever seen a lady so beautiful you forgot you are dealing with Satan and decided to flirt? Phae sure has

And here we arrive at the reason I said Phae's tired reaction to the death of children was the "minor" payoff to the bravado shown

Cause damn here we get to the main show of her fall

But also, shock factor aside, I want to point out how this is the first truly mean spirited move Cheth has made thus far, the question of children came from a place of care, this is purely mean, nothing can come from being this petty and evil in action, it's almost parody of the demonic figure he gets painted as, almost...

Yeah you all probably know what I'm getting at, this is the first action she takes after learning of the bonefish, of the sign, and we later learn that she actively decided to play up the evil aspect Phae knows her as, painting herself as a disgusting villain because that was the role she thought would work, after all, would kindness and explaining have worked? she is basically programmed to hate them...

And with this Cheth has completely put the curtain back on, the second act of the play has started and they are both the director and the actors, the scene once more tinges itself in overwhelming red as they start their show

After this point the chapter is quite straightforward to me, tho it doesn't shy away from some very neat shots that end up being some of my favourites of the entire chapter

Like this one, it creates a very good feel of having Phae on the backfoot, the textbox itself works in presenting her driven in a corner, against a wall, even amidst a boundless ocean she has no escape, and Cheth taking center stage to the panel also works in establishing them once more in control

Meanwhile, I honestly can't even explain why I like this laugh so much, it's just so visceral, so played to an extreme, the sea itself is laughing, Cheth looks like he could fall over on their back from how the laugh is bending them, you the reader aren't safe from the thunderous laughter as the panel itself breaks down, becoming seafoam, you are seeing them explode over the question of Shoshanna's return and once again, Cheth is playing up a villain, we see later down the line how the argument of Shoshanna breaks them and tears them down, and here I think they are masking it, they play up their bravado to an higher degree than ever before, a villain so incredibly sure of themselves that they can stop and laugh so much they aren't even seeing you anymore, they are completely exposed, not a single shade has their eyes open to keep watch on you

What grief could ever deserve such a boisterous mask?

AND HE KEEPS GOING, HE KEEPS UPPING THE FACADE

He both becomes and rides a wave about to wash Phae away, he both is master of a distaster and the disaster itself, all this part feels like is him deciding to play the villain and putting on his best theatrics to deliver it, they become mean, deameaning, ruthless, the teases don't feel as fun anymore, Phae isn't in a place to make it a back and forth anymore

The chapter starts as an ebb and flow between our main characters, but by the end there is no more pushback, Cheth has become a flood and Phae has lost the ground she was so confidently standing on before

And she manages to get a hold for a last desperate second, she has been pushed so far back in a corner that she lashes out violently, but in the end, even this is futile, in the end...

The tidal wave has crushed her, and she can do nothing but break.

[chocoqtelle]

pac — what's the drama? (ex edition bc that's all the messages were about 💀)

@ pile one

your words have HURTTTT someone. if this was someone you had to cuss out, I understand. it caused a lot of growth for them. this was like an awakening for them. they had to realize how they act isn't aligned with how they view themselves. you set boundaries to protect yourself and they weren't having it. they couldn't grasp the idea that you don't have to obey them and they aren't the main character. you went through some kind of heartbreak before this situation started but you actually learned from it. you realized you don't wanna experience that again and did better. you probably operate in a more logical way and hide your emotions until you're really comfortable with someone. after you experienced that heartbreak, you could have gotten into short lived relationships a lot and flings to protect your feelings. they see you in your power not worrying about them and it hurts them even more. don't go chasing them, let them enjoy the situation they put themselves in.

@ pile two

if you don't let your ex go immediately... there's nothing to like. the drama is that they're a piece of shit and you're still thinking about them. if they cheated once, they'll cheat again. if they used you, they'll use you again. if they replaced you, they'll replace you again. I need you to be so serious, do you really think someone like this is worth your time? you need to stop talking to people about this person and focus on yourself. a lot of people around you are lowkey haters too so you shouldn't be telling them much of anything. do you have any projects/goals of your own right now? besides things to do with them, of course. you're trying to rest but you're still worrying about your ex so how are you relaxing? 😭😭 you need to block them asap. ill tryyyy to be nice since I can see you're going through it but please have some standards for yourself and others. no, dating people like them will not fill that void. YOU need to fill that void by loving yourself enough that you don't need love from random losers to feel worthy. instead of being sad about the things you can't change, work on the things you can.

@ pile three

i wanna start off by saying this pile is not for everyone. then i wanna point out how annoyingggg you and your ex are 😭😭 ive been getting this piles energy all in the other readings even when it didn't make sense with the other piles messages. i swear y'all need to stop being stubborn. if you like them, you like them. I pulled the lovers and kept channeling let em know through this entire pac. i get you guys are all mad at each other but it doesn't even seem like the breakup was that serious. it seems like it was just a petty argument, moving homes, or a fight from way too long ago to still be upset about. you guys might not be realizing the things you did wrong too. im not gonna tell you to text your ex or anything though. just let things happen naturally. you have to maintain a balance. don't deny your clear feelings but don't be obsessed. you're independent but not overdependent. accept how you feel and do your shadow work. there's not a whole lot else besides that to do. if the same cycle is repeating with them then maybe try doing something different. i hate to be one of those "your ex is coming back" tarot readers but y'all are killing me.

[barrenclan]

Chonny Jash's cover of The Moss seems very patfw-core to me. I think someone's brought it up before but I'd like to specifically point out some of the new/changed lyrics that I think fit

But everything you see isn't everything that is

Every thing you think to be, every thought you can't dismiss

The lives we try to lead and the time we try to give

Well it's all a fallacy, we continue to relive

^ Cats like Pinepaw and Rainhaze's curiosity about what's beyond Barrenclan territory, how cats like Cootstorm try to discourage that type of thinking and how their actions unintentionally lead them to their fates. Also very cyclecore

And every thing will live, just as every thing will die

Every foe that you forgive, and every friend that you deny

Every single first hello, and every single last goodbye

Every smile that you show, every tear that you hide

^ In my head I'm picturing an amv/pmv and for this part I'm very much imagining a sort of slideshow section about contrasts and various events: Barrenclan/Defiance, Rainhaze and Ranger/Rainhaze and Asphodelpaw, Pinepaw and Saturn/Pinepaw and Wild Rose, Slugpelt and Cashew/Slugpelt and Dustfeather. Idk if that makes sense

Well, legend has it that we're all just doomed

And we've ruined our society

Well, legend has it that we dug our tomb

Which we'll lie in for all eternity

^ Barrenclan's whole staying as punishment for their cowardice ideology

Well legend has it that, the world once knew a whole palette of lovely blues and greens

Well legend has it that, our corpses lie a foundation of insincerity

^ what Barrenclan's territory used to be - blue and green - and what it is now - on a foundation of corpses

*Attempts to Jashify Raz* *Attempts to Jashify Raz* *Attempts to Jashify Raz—

I've seen a lot of people in the server talking about Chonny Jash, he seems pretty fun. But if I'm honest, I'm more of a Johnny Cash fan. :P

Ooh, yes! You've targeted me with a TMBG suggestion, I actually went ahead and added "Don't Let's Start" to the playlist but I love this song too.

Even when you're out of work you still have a job to do Even when you don't know what it is Your job knows what it is What it is is it's coming to get you

And when you wake up you can feel your hair grow Crawl out of your cave and you can watch your shadow Creep across the ground until the day is done All the while the planet circles 'round the sun

Haha, that is funny irony. But I agree with you! Isn't it interesting how despite being named that way, "Defiance" doesn't allow any of its members to defy Deepdark?

Compliance We just need your compliance You will feel no pain anymore No more defiance

Fall into line, you will do as you're told No choice fatigue, your blood is running cold We lose control, the world will fall apart Love of your life will mend your broken heart

Will Wood is ever-popular, of course, though I never got really into him. I can see this is as a Pinepaw song!

All nightmares start as dreams and I hear my subconscious screaming They say that beauty's just skin deep So naturally, please show me your

Bones, bones, bones, let me see your bones Well, I don't wanna know if the feeling follows home Bones, bones, bones, hell, we're all alone If I come home, baby, will you show your bones?

They say that beauty's just skin deep So Ana stands and rends the rancid meat from her

Oh... Rainhaze and Slugpelt song.

Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? God, I sure hope you are dead

Well, you disappeared so often like you dissolved into coffee Are you here right now, or are there probably fossils under your meat?

Defiance song! Spefically, I could see it as from Ranger/broader Defiance's perspective as he navigates the group.

We're at a revolution And we're baying for your blood We're laying down the law And your name's mud

Cause you say you fight for us Cross your heart and hope to die You're the bully in the playground and we'll hang you out to dry

Oh yeah, I remember this song from the IncuriousCat PMV. I like it! "Nowhere King" is also a Deepdark song, so that creepy children's song-esque music does fit with the series. If anyone wanted to edit together a trailer it'd be cool!

Perfect. No notes.

Actually, someone's already made a PMV to the comic with the song! You can check it out here.

I don't think it's been suggested yet! It's a Pinepaw song, of course.

I'll cut my hair (Ooh) to make you stare (Ooh) I'll hide my chest And I'll figure out a way to get us out of here

I can't really think right now and this place Has too many colors, enough to drive all of us insane Are you dead? Sometimes I think I'm dead 'Cause I can feel ghosts and ghouls wrapping my head But I don't wanna fall asleep just yet

[nori-the-cat]

What is Heesung like as a boyfriend? (Requested)

Remember, tarot readings should be taken with a grain of salt.

As a boyfriend:

Card(s): 10oW, 7oP rx, 2oP rx, AoP, and KoW rx

According to these cards, Heesung seems like a reliable and diligent partner who cares about having a stable and secure relationship.

Heesung would probably take good care of his partner, making sure they feel supported and loved, even with all the things he has to handle.

He takes his promises seriously and puts effort into creating a strong connection with his partner. However, he might get a bit frustrated or impatient if things don't move as fast as he wants, or if it's tough for him to manage his work life and love life at the same time.

Heesung's Potential Red Flag in a Relationship:

Card(s):

Heesung acts on impulses. Sometimes he starts plans or shares ideas but doesn't always follow through. In relationships, this could mean making promises that he struggles to keep.

He also believes strongly in destiny. If things don't work out, he tends to accept it as fate. While this can be romantic, it might mean he takes a passive approach to relationship problems. Heesung might believe things will resolve themselves without actively addressing issues, which could lead to unresolved conflicts.

Lastly, he tends to be over-protective. While this can be seen as caring, it might lead to him being too controlling or suffocating in a relationship. He might try to protect his partner or take care of them excessively, which could hinder their independence and personal growth.

Heesung's Potential Green Flags in a Relationship:

Card(s): KoS, PoW rx, justice, PoC, and death rx

Heesung is someone who values being clear and honest about how he feels and what he wants. Sometimes, he needs a little encouragement to try new things in the relationship, but he's open to learning from his partner's point of view. He strongly believes in treating each other fairly and equally, making decisions together with respect.

When it comes to emotions, Heesung is sensitive and can sense what his partner needs. He shows his love through thoughtful actions that really mean a lot to his partner. Even though he might be unsure about changes, once he's committed, he stays loyal and works hard to make the relationship strong and happy.

In short, Heesung is a great boyfriend because he communicates clearly, cares about feelings, values fairness, and stays loyal. He wants a balanced and loving relationship where both people feel important and understood.

Heesung's Love Language:

Card(s): Knight of Cups reversed

Heesung would like his partner to spend as much quality time with him. So, I think his love language might revolve around quality time in a calm setting where he can feel emotionally supported and understood. His ideal partner would intuitively recognize his need for emotional space and provide a comforting environment where he can freely express himself.

Channelled Songs:

[l4long-winded]

hi it’s the best friend lip anon from before and…omg the playboy magazines with lip…need….

both of you looking, lip mostly watching you as you read the headlines in a silly fake sexy voice, him pointing out how fake a model’s tits look while you say you like her outfit…cue him trying not to think about you in said outfit.

he’s got a couple other magazines he’s stolen stashed away, one with a girl that looks a little like you hidden deep between the wall and his mattress. he was half expecting you to rag on him for having these magazines, especially when there’s the internet and actual videos now, but you claim you like the aesthetic and some other ‘pretentious nerd shit’ that has him fighting the urge to kiss you, maybe ask if you’d wanna be a playboy model for him

okay, okay, okay, this was in my head for a while, so i really fuck with all of this.

i see it as one of your pastimes with lip. sometimes you smoke, sometimes you talk shit, sometimes you let him vent, coming up with a get-rich-quick scheme or two, and sometimes, you look over his playboy magazines together. the first time you found one, yes, he did expect some kind of feminist speech on it, a side of judgment, but instead, he sees you reading through the minimal text with interest.

it's not just about the nude models. it's about the stories that are there. the woman, with perky breasts he's positive are fake (they probably are), has kind eyes, a knack for reading, an intelligent gaze that conveys to the camera more than just come and fuck me.

that's what you say, earning an eye roll, and then a small laugh when you agree that she does have a really nice chest. you're not analyzing the magazine like he would, providing insightful commentary he would skid past in trying to get off, while also praising the images. you appreciate them for what they are.

yeah, she's got a nice smile, but her ass.

look at the curve of her hip here.

oh my god, does this even count as an outfit?

this is not a good color on her. blue would've been better, what were they thinking?

he enjoys this activity with you. everything you say sticks with him when he picks up the books on his own. you're his best friend, what you say matters to him... especially your conversation last time you both looked over his new magazine together.

he opens it up, sighing as he turns to one of the playmates on page 6. she's got on a stringy bikini, a pair of shorts like she's about to box someone. her bikini bottoms are peeking out the vibrant striped shorts. if he flips the page, she'll be out of the shorts and the top, still somehow in the gloves.

"it doesn't make sense."

"it's not supposed to make sense, dork."

"how did she get her clothes off with those stupid gloves on, lip?"

he smiles faintly at the memory. you're not here today. something with your family. he's not really thinking much about it. he remains on the page, his hand starting to wander, unbuckle himself, drag his zipper down, palm himself over his boxers.

"this is kinda cute. i like the color scheme."

"would you wear it?"

he recalls the way you looked up at him from the page, the way you looked taken aback by the question. your gaze lingered, a thoughtful expression on your features. lip groans, the outfit on the model in front of him beginning to morph onto your body behind his lids as he closes his eyes, his nose and eyebrows scrunching in concentration, hand fisting himself back and forth.

"... yeah. yeah, i'd wear it."

[seramilla]

So human au Sera's and Emily's apartment is nearly livable and soon they will have to go back. No one wants them to go back but the learned hyper independence and self deprecation Sera got from her childhood makes her feel like she has to leave as quickly as possible even if she deep down really wants to stay. Carmilla who wants the two to stay is frustrated that all her efforts to convince Sera to stay forever didn't work so she decides to play a little dirty. One day when Sera is off somewhere and Emily is with Carmilla the girl says she wishes Sera and her could stay here forever and Carmilla tells her that she wants that too. Now Emily will be more on the side of coming to live with her and the girls which may eventually get them to move in full time once the lease is up.

When Sera tells Carmilla that her and Emily's apartment is nearly ready for them to move back into, Carmilla stops in her tracks, struck out of her good mood and back into the reality she's been trying to avoid for so long. That this arrangement between Sera, Emily, and the Carmines was probably temporary. Even though Carmilla had hoped against all hope that it wouldn't be.

Sera and Emily have been staying with Carmilla and her girls for nearly three weeks. It's been the happiest, most content that Carmilla has felt in her big, mostly empty house in years. Odette and Clara have been ecstatic, more than happy to have Emily as a playmate for nearly every waking hour. Carmilla herself has also felt so much peace in her heart, her head, and in her psyche, having Sera so close.

She hasn't made a move on Sera yet. Not really. Their interactions are still mostly friendly. Maybe teetering a little into the realm of more-than-friends. But she still highly respects Sera as a fellow parent, of sorts, being the one and only family member and guardian that Emily has. Carmilla has been extremely fond of Sera for a while now -- having the other woman so close, being able to talk to her every day, seeing that smile on her face, and having her comforting presence around them all daily...

It's been nearly a dream come true. And now the dream is ending, and she has to wake up. Carmilla absolutely hates it.

Carmilla hasn't admitted it to Sera herself yet, but...she has grown deeply, madly in love with her. And it's Carmilla's own sense of doubt, and not wanting to ruin the friendship they already have, that keeps her from admitting it aloud. Using the actual words "I love you" is a hurdle she hasn't quite yet overcome. She'd hoped Sera and Emily would stay longer, for the long haul...forever. Carmilla's spirits are now dashed in that regard. Carmilla doesn't know how to respond.

Little Emily comes to her that morning, showing Carmilla a picture she's drawn, of the five of them together, happy in a sunny field of wildflowers and little animals all around. Carmilla feigns excitement and praise. But Emily, just like Sera, is very astute and has the observation skills of someone twice her age. She looks up at Carmilla inquisitively, tilting her head, and asks, "Are you okay?"

Carmilla is a little shocked out of her own stupor. She hadn't expected to be called out like this...especially not by a little girl. She had thought her false happy face was fool-proof. Apparently she's wrong.

"Yes," Carmilla says at first. Emily doesn't appear to believe. "Well...I am very you're here, Emily. But I'm also a little sad."

Emily's eyes widen. She looks so concerned for Carmilla. She comes up to the matriarch, and puts her little hand on Carmilla's leg, and pats it softly.

"Why are you sad?"

"Because you and your sister might be leaving soon. Your aparment is almost finished."

"Oh." Emily says the single word with so much finality, that for a moment, Carmilla wonders that the little girl is almost taking this too lightly. Like it doesn't bother her. But then Emily continues, "Will you miss us?"

Carmilla smiles. She leans down to pick up Emily, holding the girl in her arms for a moment, before drawing her in for a tight hug. She can smell the familiar scent of Sera all over Emily...she's like a tiny version of her sister, and Carmilla loves the little girl just as much as her guardian. She hasn't admitted it to herself until now.

"Of course I will, Emily. I would miss you both so much."

Emily seems to take this statement in stride. She bobs her little head forward, in a tiny approximation of a nod, and then squirms as if she wants to be put down.

"I will miss you, too. Sera will miss you. She likes you, you know."

This is news to Carmilla. She puts the girl back down on the floor, and Emily looks back up at her as she turns away, looking like she wants to get back to playing with Odette and Clara before they have to leave for school.

"Please don't be sad," Emily says before she finally goes into the other room. "I don't like it when people are sad."

Carmilla doubles down on the fake smile. She hates to see other people sad, as well. Especially little Emily or her sister. So she twists her mouth into another corny, fake grin. One she hopes is convincing for both Emily and the woman she loves.

"I'm sorry. I'm happy now, Emily. Thank you!"

Emily looks like she doesn't believe Carmilla one bit. She frowns, but ultimately turns away, and goes back to Odette and Clara's room to play, and finish getting ready to leave for the day.

Carmilla lets out a sigh. A big one. Then she leans down on the kitchen counter, both arms curling over her head in a defeated posture, and groans into the crook of her arms.

This isn't the outcome she'd wanted. She wants them to stay. But more than that, she wants them to be happy, whatever Sera decides. Now that she knows Emily would miss her...and Sera, too...Sera's decision to leave makes even less sense. This just got a lot more confusing and complicated.

She loves Sera. But she doesn't want to force the issue. That would be bad for everyone. Sera must have her reasons for wanting to go back. Carmilla decides she has to respect Sera's decision, no matter what it is, and no matter how much she might hate it. So Carmilla stands up straight, puts on her most convincing happy face, and gets ready for work. She can already tell it's going to be a long, agonizing day.

[lover-of-mine]

Low key on Oliver and Ryan. Since we know they watch us. I think he was offended at people turning on Ryan. Sure they probably don't have scripts yet but they know the direction and were probably already told you know? It's why he never promoted the pairing or followed Lou. Especially when the other side made the attacks on Ryan so personal. It's a double offense really. They built this ship. Do you think Oliver is cool getting all the accolades and leaving Ryan behind for a wal mart version of Eddie??? Just know the other side, Oliver is judging you!!

That's my Roman Empire 😂

Full conspiracy theory, but I keep saying Ryan has known where it's going and that's why he was locked into pr jail, and Oliver was just brought into the inner circle and that's why he looks so frustrated, but here's the thing, Oliver and Ryan know what they have in their hands when it comes to the impact buddie could have, there's no way they don't, and obviously, they would want that, the amount of exposure they could get from this is insane, and Oliver seems annoyed, just look at the way he refuses to talk about bt long or like you said, didn't follow Lou, or the absolute insanity of opening his Instagram after 710 just to like a video of the thumb thing and nothing else. Realistically dude is probably frustrated that Buck being bi stopped being about Buck, trapped him in a ship war and made people turn on the thing they've been working on for yeaaaaars and the way Lou was encouraging it probably didn't help. I don't blame Lou for capitalizing, if people wanted to pay me 145 dollars to talk out of my ass about a ship I would be doing it too, hell, I'm running this blog for free kapakapka. But my thing is, the plan was Eddie going first and that got switched mid production, so, again conspiracy theory, my thought process here is that Oliver and Ryan were told "okay abc is cool with it, we're pulling the trigger" because that would explain the way they were acting that week leading up to the season premiering, the way Ryan was just saying shit and Oliver was in a perpetual state of blushing, but then T was better received than expected and the showrunners decided to capitalize on that for longer than anticipated, because looking at it from a business perspective, they already had s8 confirmed and they are probably expecting the same level of exposure they got from Buck being bi to come from Eddie being queer, especially because Eddie being queer means buddie going canon, so delaying Eddie's arc because they want to make the most of the publicity makes sense (rip Eddie confirmed queer by family feud, we will make it true, I promise), it would explain why Ryan changed his tune during the promo for 707 and 709, but switch back after 710 and it would also explain why Buck was pushed to the background during that space too. Tim keeps saying he doesn't have a plan, while I do believe he doesn't have the exact plot, I REFUSE to believe someone can manage to setup a love story like buddie accidentally and just going with the flow. A show is a living organism in a way a book or a movie won't be because it needs to adjust to the circumstances in which it's airing, but I cannot believe they don't have some sort of outline with the ideas they want to give, the general way they want to get there and the endgame of the situation. And I've been saying this since s6 and the very blatant switch in tone with Buck and Eddie in 6b when they thought they were gonna get cancelled that they promptly pretended wasn't there once s7 started. If I, a girl with a blog in the middle of nowhere Brazil getting absolutely nothing out of it, can see that buddie can accomplish something that doesn't exist in media, there isn't a slow burn queer relationship where both characters were not introduced as queer that go through so much together they can't help but falling in love in a media that isn't about queer themes, hell, I can't think of one from something about queer themes, you think people who have been working on this for years can't see it too? Come on, Oliver knows that Buck ending up with walmart Eddie is worst case scenario when compared to the thing he could have if buddie goes canon. And Ryan is his friend, Buck is this thing he pours his soul into, of course he will want the best possible thing there. He so is judging the other side. Dude admitted to crying in the shower to buddie edits. They read fanfiction. Like, come oooooon, they are driving the clown car, cocaptains of the ship.

[nkn0va]

Persona request: Mitsuru, Yukiko, and Makoto get caught making out with thier M!S/O please.

I have nothing clever to say here. Uhh...sorry about the inactivity? I finally bought Gigantic and was re-living my middle school years of playing the shit out of it so that's been distracting me.

-Getting Mitsuru to open up to intimacy is quite the undertaking, to say the least. Out of everyone here she's the hardest to crack due to a previous relationship that wasn't exactly ideal to say the least.

-Frankly she probably doesn't even get completely comfortable with the idea of 'making out' until after the events of P3. Luckily she does manage to grow in your relationship and get much more confident.

-A particularly long, draining day of running the Shadow Operatives has Mitsuru exhausted and she looks forward to nothing more than having some alone time with you to recharge.

-She never once thought of intimacy with her old fiance (I can't add accents on Tumblr, ffs), so she's completely inexperienced despite being the one who's not in their first relationship here.

-After so long of her being averse to intimacy you're more than happy to attempt it. However just as you two are inches apart there's a knock on the door.

-It's...Akihiko, coming to give his reports for the day. Thankfully he's pretty romantically clueless so it's easy enough to trick him that you two weren't doing anything important. Though that also lead him to interrupting you two.

-Oh well, there's always next time.

-Yukiko might not look it, but she as a bit of a rebellious streak hidden deep inside her, and that tends to come out the most when it comes to dating.

-It's nothing too crazy of course, but she can't help but feel that sense of adventure, of exploring what it truly means to be in love with someone else.

-Of course if anyone else were to find out she'd probably drop dead on the spot but it's something you'll need to accept as part of her if you wanna keep this relationship going.

-That being said, eventually the time we'll come when she wants to try making out, namely when the Investigation Team takes a visit to the Amagi Inn. When everyone's about to wind down for the night and go to sleep she drags you off somewhere private.

-It's about to start getting really steamy when you suddenly hear footsteps behind you and both your hearts simultaneously stop. It's Yu. He was looking for Yukiko to ask where the bathrooms were, certainly not expecting to find you two getting frisky.

-At least he acts cool about it. He's perfectly capable of ignoring what just happened and acting like he didn't interrupt anything important, and truthfully, you'd both rather it be him than anyone else. Only God knows if it was Teddie what that stupid bear would do...

-Out of all the ladies so far, Makoto is by far the most romantically inept, and that's definitely saying something. She never even thought about dating until you came along because of how much importance she placed on studies due to her sister and father.

-It's only when she hears about the process of making out (how she does is up to you), does she want to try it, but there's no way in hell she has the confidence to do so.

-Chances are, you're going to have to lead the relationship into being more physically affectionate if you want it to get to that point at all. This is going to be much to her embarrassment, though.

-Makoto definitely won't turn you down though, she wants to keep you happy while dating her, and it's an opportunity to for her to grow in your relationship together.

-She doesn't have the guts to do it anywhere that isn't her house where she knows you two will be alone. She'll still be super nervous but with your reassurance she'll slowly but surely ease into it.

-That is until there's a knock at the door. Sae appears to have come home much earlier than usual, causing you both to stiffen up immediately and scoot away from each other and do your best to act natural.

-Thankfully for the both of you Sae is just as romantically incompetent as her sister so it's easy to fool her, although she will be suspicious and probably keep a closer eye on you two from now on.

[archie-sunshine]

sorry i love thinking about rodimus and drift's relationship and all it's complexities.

because like. it's not healthy. in the slightest. rodimus is actively using drift to justify his more negative behaviours. he literally talks about how he doesn't listen to either magnus or drift because one is too negative and one it too positive so he ends up being able to do what he wants.

there's also that one scene in the shadowplay arc where it's implied he starts calling drift slurs if he doesn't pick up his phone fast enough.

this scene btw

like obviously rodimus could be calling him anything but considering drift literally ends that statement with "anyways, let's move on" it's probably not the nicest thing. which is not indicative of a healthy friendship

but the thing is it kinda goes both ways. the lost light is a ship away from the rest of cybertron, drift is able to put some amount of distance between himself and his past and there's a sort of buffer that likely comes from being around rodimus

cause like. the thing is. drift isn't some sort of hippy chill guy. that's an act he puts on for everyone else. like he's still spiritual, that's a big aspect of his character, but he's still very much a morally grey guy. he's shown to have zero issues with throwing himself headlong into combat. there's one scene where he literally gets pissy at rodimus for kill stealing him

and in the sound of breaking glass which is the in between scene after the tyrest arc, we learn that drift doesn't leave for rodimus' reputation or his sake, he leaves for the rest of the crew.

quote

"When I put this sword through my spark, I saw something."

"What, like a vision?"

"Kind of. More a sense of how thing would play out. It was abstract and it was fleeting, and every time I call it to mind it becomes harder to interpret, but something is around the corner, Rodimus - and a year from now, or 50 years from now, that something will arrive, and we won't be able to stop it unless we find the Knights. And I don't care if you thin, 'Oh that's just Drift being Drift,' because I'm convinced that you need to remain in charge. People can come and go - they can die - but you have to be here, otherwise we will fail. And so the simple the solution - the only solution - is that I take the blame for this."

"I won't let you do this for me."

"I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for everyone else."

End quote.

i don't know. i feel like this conversation is really important to understanding drift and rodimus' friendship that a lot of people miss because sometimes they don't read the interlude's.

drift and rodimus are not a healthy friendship but neither of them are actively trying to hurt the other. it's a mutually destructive relationship not just rodimus trying to take advantage of drift while drift is blissfully ignorant. (i really hate how people woobify drift. he's not some uwu spiritual hippy who is ignorant of how bad of a person he is. he's putting on a persona for everyone else to make them more comfortable around him, even if it makes him miserable and/or devalues him as a person in the eyes of others. that's why ratchet is good for him, because he doesn't care. he likes drift for drift.)

and that's a thing a lot of people seem to misunderstand about rodimus. he's not like, willfully ignorant. he's painfully aware of how badly he's fucked up on so many levels. that's a key aspect of his character arc. he recognises that he needs to grow and change

anyways hopefully this doesn't come off as annoying. i just really like thinking about the characters in mtmte and i think that a lot of people tend to conflate a lot of fandom personalities with the canon ones. something something, that every 3 months people should have to reread the source material

I have said this to literally everyone i've asked to read mtmte, and i will say it again:

RODIMUS STRAIGHT UP SUCKS.

LIKE FOR A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME.

The whole point of the story is that rodimus is a less than great guy who demands too much of people, disregards them, uses them, etc. and then he LEARNS. through having a thousand rocks thrown at him! that he needs to stop sucking!!!

They both enable each other's worst qualities. they are FULLY bad for each other. I have a soft spot for that kind of thing sometimes.

... BEFORE they go through their own separate character arcs.

I agree with everything you've laid out, because you ARE right, however, I argue personally that POST CANON driftrod can be healthy. I have a whole fix it fic planned about it, i believe they should kiss, etc etc

Like i'm a driftrod defender and i can say for certain that their initial friendship is very very bad for both of them, but I can SEE the POTENTIAL of them both growing as people, having to do that separately, and being able to come back together happily.

BUT GENUINELY PLEASE DONT FIGHT ME ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS IM SCARED I DONT WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN SHIP WARS-

[viquipo]

No bc I'm so mad rn I usually post my rants on ig stories but I need the tumblrites to tell me if I'm crazy or what. Jwcc/ct spoilers WHATEVER

First of all I want to preface this by saying that this is just my opinion on the matter, I'm not saying your headcanons are "wrong" or whatever tf, it's a kids cartoon where they unironically use terms like "fam". You can play with the characters however you'd like.

That being said, this is why TO ME it does not makes sense for Ben to be anything other than gay. Again, if you think he's bi or straight or anything else that's cool. I'm also leaning towards the opinion that he does actually have a girlfriend. I don't think the shows gonna pull a 180 on it because, realistically, 2 queer characters is already a lot for a DreamWorks kids show. As much as I'd like it not to be.

But, since the beginning, Ben has been very clearly coded as exclusively into men to me. Before finally going into it, I remind everyone on here that I'm a lesbian. I have felt an affinity with his character specifically for the experience of only liking the same gender. I might be totally projecting.

Ok, so.

1. The arc Ben goes through during the show is yes, one of self discovery, but also one of self acceptance. He changes a lot from the start of s1, but he also comes to terms with stuff himself or other people didn't like about him. He doesn't throw the dork pouch away or tells Kenji to keep it, the first thing he does when he takes it back from Kenji is put on hand sanitizer. He is covered in dirt, he's not afraid of filth anymore, but he still does that action because it's part of who he is as a person. He also becomes very unashamed at the things he does. He went from being embarrassed of his carob bars to eating grubs in front of people who he knows think it's gross. He knows himself as he is and he accepts it. To me (and to lots of other people) this works very well as a gay metaphor, and pairs up pretty nicely with the whole "jungle boy? Jungle MAN" arc being a trans metaphor. But how does this make Ben uniquely into men?

Well, it doesn't. But I think this next one does.

2. Enter Yasmina. She's pretty, she's smart, athletic, funny, all that good stuff. I'm not saying that means every wlm character should automatically be into her, but it certainly helps. Now forgive me if I don't remember specific episodes/seasons, but we all remember that episode where Ben convinces himself that Yaz is in love with him for some reason. When he "rejects" her, he says : "I'm just now starting to find myself". That's cool, cause I'm pretty sure Ben's " finding himself " personality wise was over and done a couple of seasons ago. To me, that is a really good hint at him dealing with his gayness.

3. He's also the first person Yasmina talks to about her feelings for Sammy. Now, in this particular context, the options for Yaz to talk to were Darius, Brooklynn, or Ben. It would initially seem to make more sense for her to confide in Brooklynn, since the two of them are far closer than her and Ben, and it also wouldn't be the first time she brings up Sammy as a romantic interest for Yaz (see: everyone tweaking abt that one line back in like s2). So why does Yasmina, a very private and reserved person, choose Ben to talk to about her same sex crush? She has probably gathered from the previous conversation that Ben relates to her struggle in a unique way in which Brooklynn just can't. Ben seems very receptive of what Yaz is saying ("feelings, am I right?") and it seems like he REALLY gets where she's coming from.

4. This is one I don't see talked about a lot, and maybe it's just cause I'm too out of the loop with the fandom, but I want to examine it as well. It's when Ben decides to not actually stay on the island. Everyone (except Sammy) already knew he wasn't going to stay in the end, but still didn't force him out. I think this is especially clear in a line Darius says when they reunite on the boat that goes something like "you needed to figure it out on your own" *smile hand on shoulder combo*. No explanation needed I think

I am diagnosed with autism did you guys know what