#though that's just me being rude there's nothing objectively wrong with it

[cinnabites]

it's true though ramshackle is distinctly 2014 fandom ask blog

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

peace - m. murdock

a/n: hi guys! missed you. desperately wanted to write more hoh!reader, so i did it. this can be read on it's own, OR it can be read as a part two to my fic, 'the lakes', which you can read here! feedback always appreciated! <3 warnings: so much damn fluff, suggestive behaviors, like literally tooth rotting fluff! mentions of some abelism but nothing actually happens it's just sort of mentioned. matt hates buffalo chicken pizza, the cold hurts readers ears, also a lot of kissin' and tinnitus because of course there is. word count: 3.0k summary: tinnitus, buffalo chicken pizza, and objections. what more can you ask for from matt murdock? paring: matt murdock x hoh!reader now playing: peace - taylor swift "the devils in the details/but you got a friend in me/would be enough if i could never give you peace?"

There are things that no one teaches you about dating.  

There are things that no one teaches you about dating Matt Murdock, a blind man.

There are things that no one teaches you about dating Matt Murdock, a blind man, who has super senses and is also a vigilante.

There are things that no one teaches you about dating Matt Murdock, a blind man, who has super senses and is also a vigilante… while also being deaf.

As you lost your hearing, you knew dating would be difficult. That was never a secret. Your first girlfriend after you started wearing hearing aids once hid them from you as a punishment after an argument. Safe to say that relationship didn’t last long.

One time, you went on a date with a guy who asked in the middle of your dinner, ‘Could you please take off your headphones? It’s cool that they’re Bluetooth but it’s really rude.’ You did not make it to dessert.

Then there was the time that your ex-boyfriend thought you were talking about him in ASL to your mom in front of him. You broke up with him soon after.

And Matt has experienced his fair share of ableism in dating too—Women who thought they could get away with stealing from him because he was blind, or that thought that he just had to have a service dog, and he’d be so cute with one.

So, when you started dating each other, things were obviously different. You weren’t sure how, but the idea of dating another person with a disability never occurred to you. Maybe it was because of how often you found people playing oppression Olympics, a classic game of ‘who has it worse?’ a game you had no interest in playing.

And the struggles you and Matt have in your relationship are never ones represented in rom-coms or in romantic novels. Dating any blind man would have been hardly represented but Matt, with his charm and heightened senses, was completely uncharted waters. And yet, you dive in headfirst.

One of the most romantic things Matt does for you within the first six months of your relationship happens on a cold February day. Winter in New York isn’t over until at least March, so you walk home from work, arm in arm. You decide to stop in for Thai food but decide to stand outside in favor of in the crowded restaurant where Matt would be hearing too many things and you wouldn’t be hearing nearly enough.

But he notices, as he often does, how you squirm in discomfort, waiting for time to pass. Though you do not show it in your face, he hears it in the way you breath deeply to try and relax through whatever it is that’s bothering you. He notices the grip on his arm tightening, even just a bit.

“What’s wrong, bee?” You’re never getting over your fondness for the nickname. But you stay quiet for a second, because you know he can tell if you’re lying.

“My ears hurt.” You hate saying it, because you feel like it’s all you do—yap about your ears and how much they hurt. They hurt from talking on the phone and holding it up to your ear for so long. They hurt from being in loud environments like parties and bars. But dear god, do they hurt right now. And you know exactly why.

“Oh, is it too loud? We could move to a different spot,” he says softly but you shake your head.

“Uh.. No. It’s cold. The cold is bothering my ears.” You explain, and he just nods. But before he can respond, you continue, “They’re in pain when it’s cold and earmuffs don’t do anything except block out sound and I can’t hear anyways, negating the point of my hearing aids.” You’ve tried earmuffs time and time again. And usually, you’d just wear a beanie or something, but you forgot yours.

So, Matt thinks for a moment, before tucking his cane under his arm, before lifting his hands to come up to your face. The heel of his hand comes up to rest against your cheeks while the length of his fingers gently cup around your ears. He’s not pressing down, making it harder to hear, but your ears are immediately warmer. Matt’s hands—and well, everything, are naturally very warm and the leather gloves he has on makes it even more so.

Your face flushes, as you lean into his touch. What a man you have found yourself. You stay like this for a little while, until your food is ready. Your face turns and you plant a gentle kiss to the palm of his hand.

As you leave the restaurant after grabbing your food, you want to say one more thing. Just quickly.

“Thanks for helping, by the way.. I’m sorry I constantly complain about my ears.” You tell him, and he just gets this goofy grin on his face.

“At least you’re not blind. That would suck.” He links his arm with yours. You just laugh, leaning against him.

“Shut up,” and at this request, he scoffs.

“You love listening to me talk, it’s one of your favorite things ever!” he defends.

You just grin because your boyfriend can tell when you’re lying. And you know anything other than telling him that what he said was true would be the biggest lie you ever told.

...

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows with Matt, though.

Okay, maybe that’s sort of dramatic. Neither of you are particularly violent nor angry, but one time you get really heated.

Your time working with Nelson, Murdock & Page is wonderful, and because it’s just the four of you, often, you wind up getting lunch together. Someone runs out, grabs food, and you all sit in the conference room, talk and eat.

But today, you barely made it to lunch.

“Where do you guys wanna eat today?” Foggy asks, leaning against your doorway. He knows Matt can hear him from wherever, but you need him to be in the room to be able to decode what he’s saying. Karen leans against the desk in the main part of the office.

“Pizza?�� You shrug, and Matt calls from his office,

“Sounds good!”

“Great. What do you guys want?” He asks.

“I’m really in the mood for buffalo chicken pizza, I dunno why.” You shrug. Matt’s footsteps echo through the office, before he’s in your doorway as well.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

You gaze at him, perplexed.

“Uh… I want buffalo chicken pizza?”

“Honey, You cannot be serious.”

“What is your problem, Matthew?” You laugh, but he looks disgusted.

“You are a New York native! How can you enjoy something as blasphemous as wanting buffalo chicken pizza?” He asks, and Foggy just laughs.

“Dude, no way. You can’t be discriminatory towards pizza.” Then, Karen speaks up.

“No, you can’t. Not technically. But I most definitely am. Buffalo chicken pizza ruins the point of pizza!”

Then, you go to defend yourself.

“The point of Pizza is to enjoy it! And I enjoy buffalo chicken pizza!”

“Well, you’re enjoying pizza wrong!”

“You can’t enjoy pizza incorrectly!”

At this point, Foggy is just giggling, “I can’t breathe,” He wheezes.

Now, you stand and leave your desk, going into the main part of the office.

“Where are you going?” Matt asks.

“I don’t need to be berated about my pizza preferences in my own office by my own boyfriend!”

“I have a valid excuse; I can taste all the ingredients of buffalo chicken pizza and it’s disgusting!”

“It’s not my fault you’re a freak with crazy senses!”

Matt gasps, “Bee, you wound me!”

“Do not use that nickname with me, Matthew!” You tell him, “That’s a low blow!”

“Why, just because I think your pizza choices are awful doesn’t mean I don’t still love you, Sweetheart! Your pizza preference is just inexcusable, and I think you need to accept that—”

“You know what?”

“What?”

Your hands come up to your ears, quickly turning your hearing aids off and taking them off, putting it on a nearby desk.

Though you cannot hear, Foggy and Karen’s face tells you that they are dying of laughter, and Matt has this offended look on his face when he realizes he no longer hears the familiar buzzing of your hearing aids.

This is how you spend your day. You sit at your desk, hungry, as your boyfriend yaps by your doorway. You know he’s asking you to put your hearing aids in or telling you that your pizza request is dumb, you can just sort of make out what he’s saying by the movement of his lips.

But you do not budge, and by the time it’s time to go back to his apartment, you simply slip on your coat and wait for him to meet you by the door. He has given up trying to talk to you, for the most part. But the silent treatment is killing him. Even when you get to his apartment, he’s left speechless as you silently retreat into his bedroom, stealing some clothes and going to lay down.

Honestly, though? The worst part isn’t the silent treatment or ignoring him, but it’s the fact that he knows your ears ring even worse when you walk through the city without your hearing aids on. He knows you’re in pain. It’s killing him because you’re trying not to show it, but he can tell you’re clenching your jaw and burying your head beneath his pillow. You’re trying to rely on the softness of his sheets and the faint smell of him lingering between the sheets.

So, he devises a plan. And every minute he waits for the plan to be carried out is torture because he knows you’re too stubborn to forfeit your opinion on buffalo chicken pizza. When he is finally able to give you an apology you truly deserve, he grabs your hearing aids off the coffee table and crawls into bed behind you. You feel the bed dip but don’t say anything.

He plants a soft kiss to your hand, beginning to trail kisses up your arm and shoulder. He kisses your neck, and then jaw. You glance back over to him, seeing the hearing aids in his hand. You take them from him and put them on, before turning them on. He grins at the familiar humming they create at a frequency that will not bother you.

“Still mad at me, bee?” He asks, kissing your shoulder again. You shrug.

“Mad is a strong word, but yes.”

“Let me make it up to you?”

“Fine, but only because you’re cute.” He likes this answer. He takes your hand and pulls you off the bed, taking you to the kitchen. And you smell.. Pizza. There’s a box from your favorite place, and you step away from him to open the box. It’s a half plain pie and a half buffalo chicken pie. Because no matter how much he disagrees with you, he just wants you to talk to him and not be in so much pain for the sake of winning an argument.

You turn your head and place a soft kiss to his cheek. He tilts his head and places a soft kiss to your lips.

“Am I forgiven, bee?”

“I think so, Matty.” You hum.

He grins and kisses you again, thrilled to sense your more relaxed posture now.

...

Another challenge of your relationship comes from being lawyers. Mostly since you’re both ridiculously stubborn. You have a fun game you like to play out of it, though.

This one time you play, you’re laying with him on his couch, listening to music when you start yapping.

“I think I might style my hair a different way,” you tell him, but he just shrugs and plays with your hair.

“I think you look gorgeous either way.”

You furrow your brows for a second, and his face splits into a grin since he knows what’s coming.

“Objection,” you start, “You’re blind, you have no actual way of telling if I’m conventionally attractive.”

He considers this for a second.

“Overruled,” He determines, “Beauty is subjective, and in my opinion, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever known.” Your face flushes.

“Objection,” You start again, and he groans, knowing you won’t let it go, “You don’t need to flirt with me, I already want you.”

“Overruled,” He counters again, quicker this time, “I like flirting with you, and it keeps the spark alive. Plus, I like making you blush.”

You raise an eyebrow, and he knows what’s coming next.

“Objection,” You hum, “How could you possibly know I’m blushing?”

He simply moves his hands from your hair and rests them against your cheeks, before deciding.

“Overruled.”

There’s another time that you’re at Josie’s, and you want to talk to Karen about a surprise you’re planning for his birthday, but he’s sitting right there, so you start signing. And he knows you’re signing by the way your hands smack, and the air moves through your fingers.

“Objection,” He groans, “I can’t understand what you’re talking about!”

“Mm, Overruled,” You determine, “There are some things I’m allowed to keep from you, but you have super senses and can tell when I’m lying and can hear me from a long distance away. Signing is the only way to have things be confidential.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, objection—You aren’t supposed to keep secrets from your partner.”

“Overruled.” You tell him. “One, that’s something people say about wedded spouses, ask me to marry you, get a marriage certificate and show me a nice ring then we’ll talk,” He blushes at that, “Two, you have an unhealthy idea of relationships from past relationships. You’re in therapy for a reason.”

Matt nods.

“Okay, okay.” He sighs, “That’s fair.” You grin at this.

“See? Was it so hard to let me win, Counselor?”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Yes, it was, Counselor.” He tells you, but you just giggle, because you love being a lawyer and you love your boyfriend.

But this last time is your favorite.

You spent the night drinking at Marci and Foggy’s, but there was this tension between you and Matt, and you can hardly wait to get home. So at some point, you make a half assed excuse, mumbling something about how your hearing aid batteries are low, but whatever it was that you told them as an excuse, you don’t really care.

Because now you’re on your bed, Matt pressed against you as he kisses down your neck. His teeth graze against your skin, and you gasp when he bites down, leaving a large mark on your neck.

Then, Matt, horny and a little tipsy, goes,

“Objection, I thought I told you to be quiet.” He continues to kiss your neck, jumping from side to side, leaving marks here and there.

“Overruled, I’m deaf, I can’t tell how loud I’m being,” You hum, your fingers lacing into his hair. He hums and kisses your collarbone before he speaks again.

“Objection,”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Matt—”

He shushes you softly before kissing you.

“Ssh… It’s listening time, sweetheart,” Okay, that was hot, “Objection,” He starts again, “You can be quiet for me, I know you can. I know you can follow orders, baby.” He then kisses your neck again.

“Overruled,” You start, tugging on his hair a bit. “You decided to play our game while knowing I’m at your mercy. It’s an abuse of power.”

“An abuse of—” he half scoffs, half chuckles. “You know what, Sweetheart?”

“What, Matty?”

“Objection. Be quiet or I’ll stop.”

Damn. An ultimatum. You knew that in situations like these, Matt’s willpower is stronger than yours.

“Sustained.”

“There we go, bee, was that so hard?”

...

The real best part of dating Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with super senses while being deaf?

Well..

It starts on a warm sunny Sunday morning. You’re laying in bed, the sun peeking through its curtains. You’re laying on your stomach, face smooshed against pillows as he stretches out beside you. In another life, your dear boyfriend was a cat.

You don’t have your hearing aids in yet. It’s too early. Plus, you’re just enjoying the look of Matt basking in the warmth of the light. He’s gorgeous, your boy.

You lean forward and gently kiss the corner of his eyes, squeezed shut as he stretches. He stops when he feels your lips against his skin, smiling softly. He says good morning, but you can’t really hear him, so you just take his hand and press a kiss to his skin there too.

He returns the favor later, as you’re pouring your coffee. He presses a soft kiss to your ear, and you grin, resting your body against his He presses another kiss to your other ear. It’s something small, but it thrills you.

Matt is gentle with you in a way that you’re not used to. It’s not the sort of gentleness that comes with most people, where they’re afraid of breaking you because of your being deaf, but it’s a gentleness that comes despite it.

You enjoy bathing in his affection, especially because he is just so willing to give it to you and while it should be something you’re used to, you’re not. But you’re getting there. Matt makes sure of it.

The pair of you just seem to find the darkest cracks and crevices of the other, and you love those parts dearly.

You begin to kiss the corner of his eyes more often, and it quickly replaces his jaw as your favorite place to kiss. And your ears, despite how much pain and suffering they provide to you, Matt is a big fan of just kissing them.

So, when he leans forward and kisses your ears, you lean over to him and kiss the corners of his eyes. The way he squeezes his eyes shut at the affection is pretty adorable. It’s always awful when he must slip on those red glasses that hide those pretty eyes.

“Objection,” you groan.

He places a soft kiss to the top of your ear.

“Overruled.”

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Don't expect a call | Xavier Thorpe x Addams!Reader

Summary: Your and Xavier's relationship unexpectedly turn into something else over the summer

Word count: 1.9k

Request: 6, 9, 22 with xavier please!! I'm dying to see what you will write with them, knowing how awesome your works in general are! Have a good day 💜 ‘‘Would you just shut up and kiss me already.’‘ + “I wasn’t done kissing you.” + ‘’How can you be so blind?’’

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

Following the death of Principal Weems, the rest of the semester was canceled and everyone went home. Students and parents crowded the hall with their suitcases, making it difficult to navigate. Lurch would be picking you and Wednesday up, but you needed to find your sister first.

Your shoulder was still tender from the arrow you took during the battle against Crackstone, but it was healing well. There will undoubtedly be a scar, but nothing too noticeable.

Your eyes searched for a pink blob, figuring Wednesday would be with Enid. Since the battle, the two have been attached to the hip.

During your search, your eyes fell on Xavier at the top of the stairs, leaning against the railing. He waved and you lifted your eyebrows. What could he want?

The heels of your shoes clicked as you walked up the stairs and made your way to Xavier. You and him had started on the wrong foot at your arrival at Nevermore, but you were good now.

A smile grew on his face when you appeared in his sightline, happy to see you were on your two feet and well. He tried to visit you at the infirmary, but you were already gone when he showed up.

''I heard you're a free man now,'' you said flatly.

Xavier nodded once. ''Yep. All charges dismissed.''

Although you weren't the one who wrongly framed him, you felt a little responsible for the time he spent behind bars. Wednesday needed to apologize for what she put him through. Those days and nights he spent in the small cell must've been long, sad and lonely — even for a solitaire like Xavier.

''I got you something. It's a thank you for taking that arrow for me. You didn't have to do that.'' He handed you a black box with a matching ribbon, trying to conceal how smitten he was for you. ''Welcome to the 21st century, Addams.''

You opened the top, impressed by the fancy wrapping, and revealed the small object inside the box: a brand new and shiny cell phone. Your eyes shifted to the gift giver.

''My number's in there already.''

''It's bold of you to assume I would need it.'' You closed the box. ''I hope you don't expect me to call you.''

Xavier shook his head. He would be waiting forever. ''No. Never. But I'd settle for a text, though.''

''Goodbye, Xavier.''

*

For the first weeks of being home, you ignored every one of his texts. You made it look like you didn't care, but deep down you were very happy to get a message from him. Thing kept telling you it was rude to not answer and that you should text him back, but Xavier knew to expect nothing from you. You doubted he was offended by your silence.

After a full month of silence, you started giving him short answers once in a while. He was surprised the first time you replied. He even sent you a shocked emoji of his face. But you had to tell him that the quote he was reciting was wrong.

And, you were starting to miss him. Just a little.

One late evening, you found yourself looking him up on social media. There were mostly artsy pictures of tubes of paint and dirty brushes, paintings, a garden you assumed to be in his backyard, and the most recent, a selfie of him and Ajax. According to the posting date, it had been taken a few days ago. You noticed Xavier's hair had gotten longer. He was now able to do a full ponytail without having shorter pieces falling out at the front.

He looked handsome.

*

Summer came, and so did Enid. After begging her parents to let her take a flight across the country to visit you and Wednesday — mostly Wednesday —, they finally agreed. Her mom said it was her reward for finally wolfing out, which sounded wrong to your ears.

Your parents were surprised when they saw her coming out of the Addams' black Cadillac, looking the exact opposite of their daughters, but they grew fond of her very quickly. After two days, she was already part of the family.

While Wednesday was slowly and secretly falling for the sweet werewolf who favored the color pink, you caught yourself developing feelings for Xavier. He had taught you how to make video calls and it was so much better than texting.

''What is this called again?'' you asked, seeing Xavier's face through the small screen.

''Facetime.''

''Oh. Yes.'' You always forgot the name. ''I like this.'' I like seeing you.

Xavier smiled, his dimples poking through his cheeks.

You began talking about the black dahlias you grew in your mother's greenhouse and although Xavier didn't know shit about plants and flowers, he listened to everything you had to say. He loved listening to your voice.

As summer went on, it was getting more and more difficult for him to hide his feelings. Even through a screen. He was falling hard for you. But you didn't like him that way and, although he deeply wished you would feel the same, he respected that. He liked you so much that he just wanted to be around you — or in your life —, including being okay with being placed in the friendzone, even if that was obviously the last place he wanted to be.

*

The leaves began changing colors and Lurch drove the Addams clan to the academy. A single black dahlia rested on your lap, which earned a confused look from your sister. If you wanted to bring flowers to your dorm, wouldn't it have been more practical to bring a pot?

You ignored her question and went back to looking out the window until the gates of Nevermore Academy came in sight. A strange feeling bubbled in your stomach and your mother didn't fail to notice the slight twitch of your lips.

After saying goodbye to your parents and Pugsley, Wednesday left to find Enid and your eyes searched the quad for Xavier. You spotted his best friend, and found the green eyed artist by his side.

A small smile curled on your lips, but you quickly composed yourself. To make up, you gave a death stare to the first year boy on your right. He quickly hung his head down. It wasn't nice, but you had a reputation to maintain.

Raising your eyes back to Xavier, you watched as he laughed at something Ajax must have said. It was nice to see him in person and not trapped in a tiny phone screen.

You smoothed your dress and went to him. ''Hi.''

Xavier's attention snapped the second you opened your mouth, a melody to his ears. ''Hi,'' he greeted back, trying to fight the smile on his face but failing.

Beside him, Ajax bit back a snicker, then excused himself.

''This is for you,'' you said, handing him the black dahlia you were holding. ''Grown in my personal greenhouse.''

A soft flush coloring his cheeks. Xavier acted standoffish with everyone, but you had him wrapped around your little finger.

A misogynist would be offended, saying men offer flowers to women. Not Xavier.

He accepted the single flower and twirled it between his fingers. ‘’It’s beautiful. Looks more a deep burgundy and a deep mahogany than black, though.’’

You scoffed lightly. ‘’Trying to impress me with your artist vocabulary?’’

‘’Is it working?’’

‘’No.’’

The corner of his mouth curled.

He would never admit it out loud, but Xavier loved when you’re mean to him. Your blunt honesty and one-liners that knocked people off their pedestals was part of your personality and he found it endearing.

Xavier's phone alarm went off and his smile fell. He fished the device out of his pocket, then read the reminder with a disappointed face. ‘’I gotta go. I have a video appointment with my therapist in ten minutes.’’

You didn't want him to leave, but you couldn't hold him back.

‘’Okay. I'll see you later.’’

‘’Do you...want to walk with me to the dormitory?’’ Xavier asked, holding his breath as he waited for your answer.

You gave him a single nod and headed toward the right aisle of the Academy.

As you were walking, Xavier’s arm could brush yours from time to time. Each time it did, you felt spiders in your stomach. You could smell his cologne too. A mix of pine and something else you couldn't decipher.

‘’After Dr. Kinbott's death and everything that followed, my father was quick to find me a new therapist. An expensive one that would fix all of his son’s crazies in the most secrecy.’’ Xavier scoffed, shaking his head at his father's terrible parenting. ’’She’s been helping me deal with the aftermath of my arrest and put order into my thoughts. I thought my life would go back to how it was before I got arrested, but it didn’t. Although I was proven innocent, some still believe I murdered those people.’’

‘’Tyler was the monster—’’ you quickly said.

‘’I know.’’ He dropped his head, his next words quieter. ‘’But I guess it’s easier to believe an outcast did it than the sheriff’s ‘normie’ son...’’

This made your heart ache for Xavier. He may be obstinate and irrational at times, but he would never murder somebody. Especially not Rowan, who he used to call his roommate and friend. They had a fallout a little before his death, but nothing that would have pushed Xavier to kill him.

If you heard anyone say something bad about him, they better run or they'll know what you're capable of. The Addams were known to be crazy, but you preferred to say wildly devoted to the ones you love — whether it be a friend, a family member or a lover. There's nothing you wouldn't do to defend or protect the ones you cared about.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you reached the boys' dormitory.

That walk was over way too soon.

‘’Xavier?’’ He shifted his green eyes down at you, your height difference more apparent when you were standing close. ‘’Before we part, there's something I need to tell you.’’

He drew his eyebrows, a wash of concern over his face. ‘’I’m listening.’’

‘’This summer has been revealing for me. I found in you a friend I didn't know I needed. I've always been a lonely person and I'm comfortable that way, but it's nice to have a friend. But as the days and weeks went by, I found myself looking forward to your every text and call and sometimes, I never wanted them to end,’’ you admitted transparently. ‘’It took me a while to figure out why I was feeling that way and why I always had spiders in my stomach every time someone mentioned your name. Xavier, I…I think I want us to be more than friends. I don’t know if that’s how I’m supposed to say it, but—’’

Just like in those horrifying normies rom-coms, Xavier crashed his lips on yours, interrupting you with a kiss.

You took a few seconds to react, not expecting him to do this, but then responded to his kiss, standing on your tiptoes and curling a hand behind his neck to pull him closer. Xavier’s lips moved over yours with extreme softness, kissing you the way he always wanted to.

You pulled back for air, finding yourself smiling when seeing a smudge of your lipstick on his face. It wasn’t that noticeable, but you liked that it was there. ‘’I've never been in love before, so I cannot promise you I'll be a perfect lover—’’

Xavier shook his head. ‘’I don't care. Perfect is boring anyway.’’ He held back a grin, pressing his forehead against yours. ''I prefer spooky and kooky.''

—

Wednesday taglist: @sofiaadler @partyfly @hoodforcalum @thelilacmourning @ellessecretobsession @su-alteza-emia @achoo—uu @not-leaprvt @xaviersgf @peterparkerdilf @roadworkaheadisurehopeitdoes @dragon-chica @coldtacozinepanda @wrldofsage @eddiemunsonsluvrrr @capriaura @officialsaturn @babyfiva @maevaomizzolo @kelloggs-world @whosljt @ajpanda181 @belovedrey @emerycrt @elizabitchsshit @heaven-hiding @lilithlikestoread @est-liber @moonisu @dessxoxsworld @parker-nite @bellblake121890 @vesperazhier @kaldurahms-lover @beeebo234 @nephilimsss @mayuphoenix @sweetheartlizzie07 @watermelon-18 @snixx2088 @555stargirl555 @robinscardigan @chumchum19 @lilttblog @aphex2winn @heizenka @mystargirl-interlude @hwrtsiren @babygirljay20 @wildflowerlyss @strangersomeone @openfandoms @charlottelaffin @iheartmaddyperez @starless-starkov @ali-r3n  @poppet05  @ell0ra-br3kk3r

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All and more taglist: @spiokybirdstarfish @kenqki @liidiaaag @hawkegfs  @gillybear17  @areaderinlove @acornacreacure @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @rosie-cameron @Caxddce @laylasbunbunny @gemofthenight @beautyb1ade  @hi-bored-as-fcuk-rn  @lovelyy-moonlight @mellabella101 @vxnity713  @marzipaanz

[cosmicjoke]

I saw somewhere that someone said that Levi takes out his anger by kicking and breaking things whenever he doesn't get his way. One of the examples they gave was that when Levi asked Erwin to stay behind and Erwin refused, Levi took it out on others (Eren and Jean). Both because his wish was not realized and because it triggered his abandonment issues. What do you think about that? And another question I have is, is Levi usually angry? Yes he's usually rude and he's always walking around with a frowny muscular face but I see some people saying that he's usually angry. Maybe it's because things don't always go his way. Is it because he sees things going wrong all the time?

Levi tends to rely on violence to solve problems, that's true. That's just the way he was raised. Framing it as him "kicking and breaking" things whenever he "doesn't get his way" is wrong, though. For the example you cited, Levi was upset, not because Erwin refused to stay behind, but because Erwin admitted to him that he cared more about his personal dream than he did humanity's victory, and Levi was questioning whether the man he had chosen to believe in and follow was really who he thought he was. He was upset at the idea that he'd chosen to trust in someone who wasn't actually a good person. People who want to frame his anger here as being rooted in some romantic feeling for Erwin would say it's Levi's fear of abandonment, but really, it has nothing to do with that. That's what I mean when I say it warps ones ability to view Levi's character objectively when you insist he was "in love" with Erwin and then try to frame every one of his actions through that lens.

I wouldn't say Levi is "angry". Levi certainly has a temper, but his anger always comes out of a place of compassion. If he gets angry, it's because he cares and is worried about others. More often than not, Levi is calm and very collected. He doesn't lose his head and act irrationally, especially under pressure. Someone who was angry all the time wouldn't ever be able to think straight, and that's not Levi at all. I think Levi expects things to go wrong, because his life has been so hard, and he's used to things going wrong. Someone asked me the other day if Levi has social anxiety, and I answered that I didn't think so, but they also asked if he has generalized anxiety, and I think the answer to that is yes, again, because he expects things to go wrong due to his life experience. So if Levi seems on edge or angry often, it's because he's anticipating the worst a lot of the time, and, again, the reason that would make him anxious or put him on edge is because he cares.

[blanketbvby]

A Demon's Guide to Anthropology

part: 3

Word count: 657

Tags: use of 'MC's and they/them pronouns, sensory sensitivity on MC's end, written to be seen as sensory processing disorder, written based on my experience with it but I tried to change it to be broader

Word: "sensory"

Beel's time to shine :], also this is genuinely such bad writing I'm sorry, gonna come back and edit this to be better some day lol

★• ——— –– -

Beelzebub is a lot more perceptive than people like to give him credit for. With brothers like his and being an athlete, he has to be in order to know what's going on.

Which is why it doesn't take him long to notice the way that MC shies away from a lot of foods, clothes, and objects. Completely random to the common eye, but Beelzebub is most concerned with the food issue.

It's not like MC doesn't eat, not at all, they're healthy and never skin out on a good, fresh meal, but they're always so odd with what they eat.

Meats are off the table most of the time, which isn't all that bad. A lot of people just don't like meat. But some drinks and a good few veggies and fruits added onto that is what confuses him.

Maybe MC was just a picky eater, which again is fine, Devildom foods are weird to get used to, but it also seemed prevalent in human foods, too. To Beel, it seemed completely random, from a few spicy foods to a few sweets and sours, in his eyes he couldn't find a common connection.

So with a breath, he knocked on MC's door and entered when he was allowed.

Beelzebub wasn't normally so nervous or anxious, but he knew human bodies were delicate and didn't want MC and their odd aversions to certain objects or foods to somehow leave a bad mark.

"MC," he began after entering and shutting the door. The human sat in their bed with their D.D.D. in hand, "I have a question."

Intruiged and curious as always, MC responds.

"What's up, Beel? Something wrong?"

"Are you okay?" MC blinks, a little caught off guard at the vague question. The giant demon stood above them, looking down and vaguely reminding the human of a large dog looking at a toy it was attached to.

"Uh- elaborate?"

"You don't eat some stuff and you don't touch some things."

To their credit, MC understood after a moment, and they tried not to seem rude by the way they gave a laugh and smile, shaking their head.

"Do you mean how I don't like touching certain fabrics or eating certain foods?" The ginger nodded at the question.

"That's kinda common for humans," MC explained, "It's called sensory sensitivity. Some textures feel really bad to touch or to eat, so I tend to avoid them. Nothing is wrong with me, I promise."

Beelzebub nodded in solemn understanding, sitting beside the mortal on the rather Plush and comfortable bedding. In his hands was a small box of cookies he knew they favored a lot that he'd taken with him. It took everything in Beelzebub's power not to tear the box open and have at the cookies himself.

"So you can't have some foods or wear some things because they feel weird?"

MC nodded, though they didn't seem very down about it. To them, it was simply another day like any other, knowledge as common as grass is green and Luke despises anything demonic.

To Beelzebub, though, it solidified his resolve as he passed the now opened box of cookies over, one in hand and another in his mouth.

"What food can you not have? I'll eat them for you."

The serious expression to the previous words caused another laugh to bubble out of MC, and they took their own cookie from the box.

"It's hard to explain, but I'll pass you any whenever they come with a meal I have. Deal?"

Beelzebub nodded and put a hand on MC's head (the demon struggled sometimes with such casual affection and touch with most people, but had recently picked up on simply resting a hand on the mortal's head and leaving it there for a minute), and after a few moments a comfortable silence and sharing cookies, he spoke once more.

"Hell's Kitchen?"

"Hell's Kitchen."

[laylawatermelon]

I have thoughts about this ep...

(It's not good... But not bad)

911's writing of this storyline seems to be teetering in the wrong direction and it may cause a disconnect with some viewers.

Hi! I literally took a nap and woke up with an essay 🙃.

But let's get to the good stuff.

This season has been phenomenal. The acting and writing has all been consistent with the original past 4 seasons. (Season 5 and 6 were good just had a different tone)

This has been due to the show runner returning.

Now that we've gotten all the facts out of the way here's my opinion.

I'll be honest, the twin/lookalike story that came up is causing me to pull away and not in a good way.

If I objectively look at it as a fan this cones out of left field and may intrigue a set of fans. Those fans are likely in the higher age range. (Nothing wrong with it but just an observation)

(i keep up with updates online so it didn't bother me that much)

But for me as I was watching it and the scene came up and then The Grey's Anatomy came up I don't know why but a flash pinged in my brain of this feels like a Telenovela/Soap Opera.

And it is in fact a storyline commonly used or mentioned of the long lost twin or the doppelganger who's back to destroy, seduce, etc. to shake up the main characters life.

I will say that what 9-1-1 has been doing is a good job between toeing the line between supernatural and realistic.

This is leaning a bit to close to the former and can lose some people.

(i will say that this storyline isn't hitting like it usually does the others, even if I wasn't an buddie fan. Hell as an Eddie fan I'm still confused)

The tone of the show this season has been lighter so of course the storylines do reflect that.

My only gripe is what makes 9-1-1 compelling in the first place is the odd fact that the characters don't die and they're realistic (enough) in their cases and drama.

They're gripping enough that they can use these cliches to grip the audience backed by stellar performances and direction.

I just don't like the soap opera-y feeling I got from the trope. (Personal preference what can I say)

Now the next episode will probably expand on this storyline and will cause the conclusion to be touching and heartfelt.

I'm just a bit sour about the lead up to it because it's like oh this woman who looks exactly like my deceased/missing partner appears in the same vicinity as me (despite living in a very big very populated state) so I must get to know her better. I end up throwing away my morals and then something bizarre happens and then something else happens and I find out she's insert - (illusion/twin/stalker/literally anything out of pocket you can think of).

The audience swoons because of course she is (bad/evil/plotting etc).

It's not gripping me.

Emotionally however I'm intrigued how this will eventually effect Christopher as it he sees her he's screwed for life.

In addition to his dad talking to her in the first place, therefore unintentionally enforcing his women all leave/slight lack of respect for their feelings as they're replaceable (she would literally replace his mom in name and face) or disposable (Marisol as the woman left behind).

Yes Eddie's happy but he's also being more reckless than he usually is.

He's always been aiming to find what they had but his actions have implications.

(imma put on my buddie hat for a second this is all/j)

Like how he leaves his son with his dad and goes on a date with another person constantly. 😤 Rude

(no lie they are good coparents though even if they are platonic. They work better than some romantic straight families on tv)

Back to analysis mode though, this action has dangerous implications on both how relationship with Christopher and how he can harm him and eventually how their relationship can decline because of this.

It's not just the disloyalty to both his current partner and son but the example he'll be setting.

Chris probably may end up listening to Buck more as a result because he wouldn't/hasn't hurt him in the way his father currently does with this situation. For relationship advice and such.

Yes it's good drama (in an emotional/analytical sense) I'm just sulky about the telenovela feel of it don't mind me.

I'm positive their performances will make it lean more towards the procedural drama movie feel the show is known for.

Hell this had to happen some day right? The soap operafication of 9-1-1.

Hope is a beautiful ride at least. 🤷🏾‍♀️

(ps this episode was great all things aside)

[tio-trile]

Hi, I read your answer to that ask, describing what happened in season 2. Know that I completely respect that you don't like it (I loved it). But you have a few things wrong or don't know about them (maybe?).

So, Aziraphale is a landlord but he really doesn't care. He forgives Maggie 8 months of rent for a few records that are worth like 20 pounds. He's chill.

(Yeah Crowley throwing the books was a bit ooc but it was also hilarious, i laugh so hard when he did it a second time.)

I kind of agree with you on the Gabriel x Beelzebub, they were a bit cringe and quite sudden (I ship them in fanfic but they are meh in cannon). I thing their relationship was more about getting rid of Gabriel for plot reasons. So Aziraphale can be involved with the Second Coming.

As for the last 15 minutes of ep6. There is a LOT of things, of subtext and miscommunication and physical expressions and whatnot, between Aziraphale and Crowley as well as for the kiss. There were different things they were both thinking the other said and meant. I'm not good at analyzing shit, but if you scroll down the good omens tagg (if you wanna) there are amazing posts doing just that.

As for why this season feels different, and that they are "retconning" Aziraphales progres from the book and season 1, they aren't, really.

Season 2 is just a bridge between seasons 1 and 3. So don't worry, we will be probably getting the South Downs Cottage.

And Aziraphale did realise that Heaven the system is wrong. But he still has that idea ingrained in his mind that Heaven is good, God is good. That it could be good again, only if someone could change it from within. He was definitely manipulated by Metatron. He basically got pulled back into a toxic/abusive relationship by being given everything he though he wanted. It's complex and it's deep, and again, I'm not the best person to describe it (there are many great posts). I think it's similar to Zuko’s arc from ATLA season 3 and 4. Aziraphale has to see from within the toxicity and wrongness of Heaven. (at least this is kind of my theory, sorry for rambling)

Again, I completely understand and respect your dislike of the season. Different people like different things. I just don't want you to write the show off too hastily. I really hope I didn't came on too strong and rude (if I did, know it wasn't my intention, sorry).

Okay, bye.

Thank you for being so polite and objective about it! Again, publishing some views from the other side. The landlord thing I was honestly half-joking too -- it's just fun to make fun of landlords (they're David Tennant's archnemesis, amiright /j), and honestly I can maybe see Aziraphale being enough of a bastard to do that 😂

I don't agree that "season 2 is just a bridge" because what happened this season didn't make them have no progression or stayed in the place at the end of season 1/the book -- it actively changed a lot of things. Like I said, a big one for me is Aziraphale and Crowley knowing each other as angels. That changed the beginning of the book and S1 and nothing they can do in season 3 is going to backtrack that. Getting the South Downs Cottage isn't really my ultimate goal -- I want the story, themes and vibe to feel really Good Omens, and this season just isn't doing it for me. Of course we may have different understandings of Good Omens, and I also respect that other people can have their own opinions. Thank you for understanding and respecting my dislike, you didn't come off as rude, but I'm just completely checked out now.

[saltsicklover]

Prologue

Here is the Prologue! I don't actually anticipate this fic going over that well, but damn I like were this is going so here it is anyway! Feel free to let me know what you think! Reminder, Florence, Montana is made up town! There is use of (Y/N) in this fic, but it's very few and far between. Enjoy!!

Title: Once an Asshole, Always an Asshole

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 900+

Rating: R

Warnings: Rude Bob, slight hazing if you squint.

Second Chance Romance!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bob Floyd, or anything related to Top Gun Maverick within this piece. Not Proof Read or BETA'd. All mistakes are my own.

I do not consent for my work to be edited, reposted, or translated.

You are responsible for your own media consumption. This is a work of fiction that may contain mature themes. If you are sensitive to those subjects, please do not read.

---

Y/N 'Duchenne' Hannigan has always been a wall flower- well, maybe 'wallflower' was the wrong word. Duchenne was strong, strong enough to keep up with her Uncle Remy and her brother Michael on the family ranch. She's pretty too, but pretty didn't get you far in Florence, Montana. 

She grew up with the notion that she had to work hard, that was the only way she was going to get what she wanted. It never came down to looks or personality, after all, nothing in Montana seemed to matter outside of hard work and a good handshake, except maybe a promise. Those things went together better than anything else; people made their living from that. 

"If you wanna be a big dog, you need to get off the porch," Uncle Remy's broken record words found their way out of his mouth every morning over cups of coffee, something she started drinking way too young. 

"I know, Uncle Rem," She would whisper, pushing her glasses up her nose. The large golden frames overtook the gentle features of her face. She hated them, from the way they slid down her nose to the never ending smudging she had to deal with all day. She often slipped them off of her face the moment she got to school. They found a home in her backpack with the never ending supply of stationary and her good pens. 

It was difficult to navigate so many different facets of life at once, pulling her weight of the work while going to school full time, being the only girl of the family left her to figure out many things for herself. 

The moments she had alone, she read the classics and wrote in her journal. She learned how to be a woman through the books she read, each new novel, a new woman to each her the ways of the world. Duchenne loved words. Simple as that. She wanted to live and breathe them, surround herself with nothing but scripture from the greats and those who inspired her. 

More often than not, though, she found herself day dreaming. The object of her affection being Bob Floyd. The pair had grown up in the same town, they'd always gone to school together, but separate classes kept them apart, acquaintances. That was, until freshman year of high school. She loved his kind eyes, eyes often hid behind the shaggy hair he let fall into his face. Maybe it was the cowboy hat he wore or the way his sleeves were always rolled up to his elbows. Whatever it had been, she was in deep for Bob Floyd, somewhere between a childhood crush and a Bennet and Darcy love story.

The day he started the swim team was the day everything spiraled out of control. Instead of saying hello to her in the hallway, he began walking past, his eyeline always kept just above her head. 

Robert Floyd was a kid with passion. He had a dream. WSO, the title sounded like music to his ears. The idea that he would be in charge of a pilot, thousands of miles above the ground, nothing around him but the bluest skies. That's what he wanted, more than anything. 

So, Bob started telling himself that he avoided Duchenne because he didn't need the distraction. The ranch girl who always had her head stuck in some stuffy book was going to be his downfall, and he knew it. Maybe it was the way her hair stuck out in all sorts of directions or the fact that her clothes were always well worn in and faded in just the right places. 

As time went on, he got meaner. The voices of his teammates playing over and over in his head. "We are your friends, you've got everything you need right here on this team," and so he tried to make himself believe it. After all, if he swam well he could get scholarships, and that money would bring him one step closer to the Navy. 

Who was he to question the word of his team. After all, your word held just as much weight as any handshake in Florence, that much he could guarantee. So he followed in their footsteps, stroke for stroke, narrowing his vision to only what would get him closer to achieving his dream. And, unfortunately, that didn't include her. 

But, oh, god, Bob liked her. He liked the way her name rolled of his lips and the way she was always helping out, using her off periods to volunteer with the front office staff, filing paperwork and running errands. He liked Duchenne so much that he started volunteering too. 

Then he started slipping at swim practice, and once in a meet. His brain was stuck on the image of Duchenne sitting in the back of their math class, large gold framed glasses dwarfing her beautiful face. He watched as she pushed them up with her knuckles, her focus on the test in front of her. She stuck her tongue out in concentration, and that in itself did Bob in. 

He caught himself thinking of that memory often... maybe too often. That's when his own voice took over the ones of his teammates that had been on repeat in his head for the last few months. "For the Navy," he would chant in his head like a prayer. That's all that mattered.

It mattered even more than her. Bob made his choice, leaving Duchenne to question where their friendship went wrong with every cruel word that left his tongue. 

[cat-dragoness]

Reading House of Many Ways out loud to my housemates (pt. 1/?)

(Obviously this is just a thing now. Congrats, this is probably not what you signed up for when you followed me, but it's what you're getting.)

Charmain: *assumes that her parents are lying about trusting her and is surprised by the idea that they might actually miss her*. Housemate #2: "Charmain is really making herself out to be the villain here, isn't she."

Also housemate #2: "Y'know, I kind of feel sorry for Charmain having had such a sheltered life."

Howl: *has awful handwriting*. Charmain: "He must write with a poker!" The housemates: "He probably does."

So, the existence of the Das Zauberbuch book and the implication that it's from Ingary implies that Ingary is fantasy!Germany. I had previously thought it was fantasy!England, and now the fact that Howl is Welsh is a bit funnier. It also means that my brief assumption during Castle that the Ingarians (correct term???) probably have a british accent was probably incorrect.

A comprehensive list of all the spells Charmain technically performed simultaneously: "for Flying," "for Personal Protection," "to Become Invisible," "to Start a Fire," "to Bend Objects to the Will," and "to Make a Wish Come True."

"A Spell to Find Hidden Treasure" and "A Spell to Increase Magical Power" get an honorable mention, since the Boke was mentioned as being open to those pages but had moved on by the time Charmain did anything again.

So, since the flying spell did in fact work (despite Charmain following none of the instructions save for the ingredients list), I wonder if all the other spells might not be somehow in effect as well…

*Charmain spills the teapot and uses her blouse to mop it up*. Housemate #2: "Just clean the kitchen!" Housemate #1: "She doesn't know how!"

She really is helpless, though, and it's kind of pathetic.

The housemates had a moment of sincerely questioning whether Charmain was correct in her interpretation of the washing house, and now I'm questioning where I got my idea of a washing house from and whether it was in fact from House, because I have no memory of ever questioning it myself.

Peter: *exists*. The housemates: "Well, he's rude!"

Charmain basically uses Sophie-magic to turn the pipes cold in the bathroom, and I'm questioning whether that's because she has the same type of magic, or whether it's because of the "Spell to Bend Objects to the Will" that she partially worked earlier.

I actually think that this is why I don't care for Charmain as much as a character, though, because I see a red-headed girl who talks to stuff and magic happens and I'm like "but Sophie's right there and she's so much better."

Four chapters in: The housemates find Charmain frustrating. They also find Peter frustrating. I can't disagree, strictly. Waif, on the other hand, is adorable and can do nothing wrong.

[onyxheartbeat]

Can’t wrap my brain around people who are cruel to people who love them and do things their loved one has never done to them. Like yell or cuss. This is still something that’s keeping me awake at night a year later. I never yelled at him and never got visibly upset at him even when he’d have his outbursts. I was always calm and tried to talk things out and always ended up apologizing even though I didn’t need to and trying to soothe him back. I always recognized something was severely wrong whether he was just depressed or sad or stressed and I’d try to be calm and understanding.

Same with when he’d call me a cunt. He found this insult to be funny, and he’d use it for inanimate objects that wouldn’t work and he’d say it to his stupid Google/Alexa thing etc., and he’d excuse it in his mind because he felt he wasn’t sexist and me being stupid, I’d do a nervous laugh. But after he crossed the line and really just said it to me without a care in the world, I STILL never yelled at him or abandoned the relationship. I was stern and expressed it’s a boundary for me. But he was so fucked up on some stupid pills that he wouldn’t even hear me. And then he crossed the boundary again and again.

And it’s just like…HOW?! How is it in your heart to scream at me, slap me one day for simply trying to tell him he shouldn’t drink (which he literally asked me to hold him to), telling me things like “get the fuck out” and threaten we should end the relationship at the drop of a hat (which when I tried to address, he’d apologize and say it was a defense mechanism which makes no sense since there was nothing to defend!) How can he have done that stuff when I never did things like that to him?!

The whole relationship was literally just him asking me to come over and me coming, and it would be so loving and he’d want to talk and cuddle and make me tea and watch movies, and talk pleasantly for hours, and he’d open up to me and tell me things he’d never told anyone before because he felt safe to cry and be vulnerable…unless he turned into a complete monster for no reason other than his own anger and stress and drug binges. We’d be so, so loving and soft with each other, and he’d be so in love with me until he just wouldn’t.

And now, I’m sort of starting to understand symptoms of BPD. Looking back I don’t know what was BPD symptoms, heart failure symptoms, or just plain stress/depression from his mom’s death and him needing to sell the house. He’d push me away then pull me back in out of utter fear of abandonment, calling me and texting me constantly when I was at work and he wouldn’t even know what time of day it was or that he had just spoken to me and I never knew if it was symptoms of his heart disease worsening (heart failure can make someone very dizzy and short of breath and disoriented).

But I never fought him or lost patience or showed signs of being annoyed or fed up (except the night I found him subscribing to OnlyFans models) and even then I didn’t yell. I just left the house. But he would yell or say incredibly insensitive things and have no care in the world about how that made me feel. I literally never yelled back until the final phone call we had. I never once threw an insult or cussed at him. And I’m just unable to process it! How can someone do that stuff to someone who’s not a threat to them or being rude or mean to them in any way?! Someone who was being so loving and affectionate to them??!

It just takes me back to being a little girl bullied on the school ground, being physically hit by other kids, and just having a complete freeze response and having to go cry and rage in private later.

I was never able to stand up for myself when I valued the approval of (classmates). And then into adulthood, that clearly followed me with the only romantic relationship I’ve ever known.

When it comes to strangers, or just randos, I’m perfectly able to fight back and not care how I’m perceived, but I guess I never learned it when it came to close relationships.

Whatever.

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

Thank you for your response to my question on Zuko and Mai. I hope you are doing well.

This time, I want to ask about The Southern Raiders. There is this line from Zuko to Aang saying "This isn't Air Temple preschool", (I think I may have got the line a little incorrect), when he and Katara were setting off on the trip to find Yon Rah. I have seen this line criticized and defended, and this leaves me confused as to why this line is one of the most discussed ones. I would like your thoughts on this.

The line is discussed because rather than acknowledging that Aang was being reductive - and frankly, incredibly rude to Katara - people would rather try and shift the goal posts and accuse Zuko of being racist or disrespectful of Aang's beliefs, because it's an easy silencing tactic, even though Zuko was very clearly dismissing Aang trying to tell Katara not to confront Yon Rha, not his beliefs. Just because Aang attributes his comments to the Air Nomads doesn't mean he is above criticism. As other people have pointed out, there's no way of even knowing whether Aang is correctly understanding or applying the monks' beliefs or whether the monks would agree with him using their beliefs to tell Katara she is wrong here.

For reference, this is Aang and Zuko's dialogue in the scene:

Aang: The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself.

Zuko: That's cute, but this isn't air temple preschool. It's the real world.

And the thing is that Aang's statement about the monks' belief, by itself, has nothing wrong with it. It's not even something that I think Zuko disagrees with by itself, since Zuko spent like, the whole series trying to deal with his anger and already decided he didn't want to live that way anymore. So the idea that Zuko disagrees because he doesn't respect the Air Nomads or believes that violence is always the answer just doesn't ring true. He is objecting to Aang using this statement to justify his actions in this specific situation. That is why he says this isn't Air Temple preschool, it's the real world. This isn't a theoretical situation, it's a situation where the man who murdered Katara's mother is still out there, and for all they know, still committing crimes against Katara's people. It's not even a Jet situation where innocent people are being harmed if Katara goes after Yon Rha. It's confronting the man at all that Aang is objecting to.

Another thing that I think it is worth pointing out is what prompts Aang to say this. Right before it is the infamous scene where Katara tells Sokka he didn't love their mother as much as she did. The conversation goes like this:

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

Katara: It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster.

Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.

Katara: Then you didn't love her the way I did!

Sokka: [Hurt.] Katara!

Aang: The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself.

Zuko: That's cute, but this isn't air temple preschool. It's the real world.

I haven't seen this discussed before, but I think it's especially clueless for Aang to say what he says about revenge in response to Katara and Sokka's disagreement. A lot of negative things have been said about Katara here, and yes Sokka has a right to be hurt, but there's also a lot of hurt that Katara is feeling here that has to do with how she's carried the burden of her mother's murder in a way Sokka hasn't had to, and he hasn't had to in large part because of her.

This is something that needs to be addressed between Katara and Sokka, and for Aang to chime in with his thoughts on revenge feels like he's reducing the conflict between Katara and Sokka to "see, you're being poisoned by revenge!" As if that was what made Katara say what she said to Sokka and not because of a conflict between brother and sister that has existed since the first episode. I think Katara and Sokka would have had that argument regardless of if Yon Rha were in the picture. If it hadn't come out now, it would have been in some other way, because it goes much deeper than just a philosophical disagreement about forgiveness.

Which is why Zuko's response is so dismissive and implies that Aang is not paying attention to the reality of the situation, because he isn't. There is a whole entire context that Aang is ignoring, that I think Zuko understands better because he knows what it's like to live with pain and anger and guilt that has no outlet, and to be told that you are wrong for being hurt instead of the people who hurt you. That in itself is a poison, so Aang's talk about being poisoned by revenge is kind of meaningless when the poison is already in you.

[futurebird]

“Being social in early 21st America: the definitive guide for the terminally distracted.”

PART I - Basic Social Skills PART II - Objective Beauty PART III - The Hate Trap Most aspects of successful social interactions are more logical and reasonable than you might expect (given the general chaotic unpleasantness of most social situations.) But, there are some expectations people will have, often unconsciously, that can lead them to dislike you for what seem like, on closer examination, wholly arbitrary reasons.

NAMES Correctly remembering names is pretty important. Some people can feel deeply hurt if called the wrong name. They may also feel bad if you never say their name at all. Worse (for you) it’s rude to ask a a person’s name over and over. If you have a facility for memory apply it here. If not, make flash cards or notes and quietly memorize all the names. It’s absurd how effective this is.

GREETINGS AND CHITCHT It’s probably *feels* more efficient to get right to what you want from someone, or what you’re expecting to give to someone, but often people will find this rude. “Are you done working out problem 7? I have the data on problem 12?” is NOT a greeting.

Some people will think you are only interested in what you need or the task at hand, but not them as a person. It can really hurt their feelings and they may decide you are rude. The first thing you say to someone if you have not seen them for 4 or more hours should be “hello” or “how are you doing?” or some variation on a greeting. The purpose of this step is to check in on how they are doing and for them to check in on you. (Only if something is seriously wrong that might interfere with the task would either of you bring it up at this stage. Unless you know each other very well.) Some people need a little more chitchat than others. This is how they assess the mood of the people they are working with. People who are good at remembering the moods of large numbers of people (they exist, weird, I know) can be very helpful to have on a team. They may suggest a break before everyone becomes cranky, or find way to cheer up people who seem to be feeling down. These kinds of people need more chitchat to feel like they are connected with everyone and ready to work.

TALKING ABOUT NOTHING Talking about nothing is about getting to know the others in the conversation. Try to avoid serious, dense or complex topics. If someone asks you a question, give an answer of no more than 90 second, then ask them a similar question in return. Amazingly, while remembering names (mentioned once and never repeated) is critical no one expects you to remember anything from talking about nothing, indeed they will be shocked if you do. Again, chitchat is more about general moods. You can try to practice observing the people you talk to and trying to guess their mood. Later evaluate your guess and see if it made sense or not.

TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE These social things happen around food and drinks and often in loud chaotic spaces. It’s OK to ask about the most quiet table or simply taking a break by going to the restroom. If you have trouble with very loud places and can't really even follow a conversation in those conditions let people know as soon as you think they might be planning on going to such a place "Do you think it will be loud there? It's hard for me to hear and relax when there is a lot of noise, can we look for a more quiet spot?" Is a very reasonable request, most people will try to help, though they may take some time to understand just how quiet you need it to be. People who know you well should remember this about you after the second or third time you've mentioned it. (Just like you should remember their name.) It’s important everyone is offered some of the food and drinks. It’s important that everyone gets a chance to talk for a little bit and be listened to by most of the group. If you decide to go get some drinks ask if anyone else needs anything. If you feel in a position to do so make a point of listening to anyone who has not had as much of a chance to speak. If you feel like you are being shut out in this way consider objectively how much you have been able to talk. If it is not very much the group may not be looking out for you enough!

THANKING PEOPLE

When someone does something that you appreciate, they may not realize that it mattered to you if you forget to say something like “than you so much for “ — it’s also good to thank people if they go out of their way to do something for you. Thank yous work well in your chit chat. If thanking a person face to face is stressful you can always write a little note, or for very nice actions a card. You don't need to write much on the card or note. A simple "Just wanted to say thanks for helping me move into my new apartment. You rock!" is great. People might find the notes and cards a little formal, but they won't be offended by them. OTHER HELPFUL GUIDES: https://creativepromptsforwriting.tumblr.com/post/689038358087860224/how-to-show

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES: See this thread for some more advanced "chit chat" techniques. https://hci.social/@chrisamaphone/110623580754155973

[cheryawa]

This community gets on my nerves with all the limiting beliefs and contradictions but what I'm thinking about now is this:

If you aren't the ego, why do you need to change self? The one desiring is the ego, not awareness. And the ego is doing nothing to make things happen. The desire to change the ego is the ego. Awareness is already perfect.

I want to live in a world where I can think negatively, feel negatively, be mentally free, and still get what I want. So if I am God and not the ego, why would I have to watch my thoughts and feel fulfilled to get what I want?

I just feel like most people repeat what others say without truly understanding or forming their own opinions and it's so frustrating. Most people surely have experienced strongly desiring something they later received. And desiring is part of the human experience. I don't want to lose that.

I just hope I can make people think about whether their beliefs are truly theirs or what they think they're supposed to believe. I don't like people pushing one thing as the objective truth.

Also, yeah the whole point of "manifesting" is to experience it physically. Nothing is wrong with that.

I think about my experience lucid dreaming and instantly making things happen. I didn't fulfill myself. My doubts didn't stop me. My negative thoughts didn't manifest. All I did was want something and it automatically changed to what I wanted, no effort on my part. If reality is a lucid dream, why would you have to do anything?

I think it's dismissive and rude when people say you don't have to do anything without elaborating, though. It's not helpful. I needed to understand everything to let go of my grip on things. The conditioned mind needs to understand the how. That's why I subscribe most to nondualism. It freed me.

I think the most important thing is for people to drop everything and see what resonates for them. But it can be hard when everywhere you look, there are fifty aggressive and contradicting opinions all being treated as fact. It's overwhelming. It drains me on bad days.

I do truly believe nobody really knows what they're talking about, so just believe what you want and do what you want and everything will work out.

[just-here-for-the-art-shit]

Oh no my hand slipp-

_________

The Adventures - Not - of Y/N

On some significant date in history, two people who probably were supernatural or something copulated and 9 or 10 or 8 months later I was born - guess what I'm an orphan. Imagine that. I grew up NORMALLY and NOTHING WEIRD ever HAPPENED. See the trick here is to deny everything the universe throws at you, give the middle finger to destiny. Yada yada.

My name .... Is Your S. Name. The S stands for Slash. And you can probably guess exactly what I look like. Female, pale skin, long wavy blonde hair, small hands, I'm 4'6" with blue eyes - you get it. Look, the fact that my parents named me, "Your Name" should've been the first red flag - but then again I was a baby. Object permanence hadn't even been established yet. Also when I was a baby someone or something probably stole me or I was sold into slavery under some rich guy with a young son - no, none of that happened. Once again - if you're in my position - deny reality.

I go to a NORMAL high school with ... Weirdos - oh here they come now -

“OK - none of you approach me, look at me, think about me, I’m not dating you, we’re not having a love triangle, I know one of you is a vampire or a werewolf or some kind of shit - I don’t care that you’re a billionaires son - not marrying a prince OR A PRINCESS - Villain, I’m not having an enemies to lovers story with you, everyone save the tragic backstories. Ok? Thank you - now move your ass to class, this isn’t storybook highschool, this is real highschool. We’re highschoolers. We should not be superhero teens or having intercourse in your dad’s Impala or some bullshit. We got boring shit to do LET’S GO MOVE IT - FIVE MINUTES TO CROSS THE SCHOOL COME ON!”

This happens everyday multiple times a day. Consequences of being named Your Name. I have two best friends though, to share in my suffering - Main Character and Love Interest. See it's really funny when Love Interest and I met because he said, "I'm supposed to date you but I'm gay sorry," and I knew from that day we'd be besties in this hell hole. And Main Character? He suffers more than me - for instance, yesterday:

“Shit - guys, it’s happening-”

“What’s wrong Main- holy shit-”

“Yeah - it happened last night, my hair turned all white and my eyes turned black and yellow like a cat or something-”

“I can see that.”

“What do I do?”

“Ok listen to me - follow the protocol. Do. Nothing. Don’t walk alone in alleyways or some monster or bad guy is going to jump out at you and try to fight you or some shit. Don’t go with ANYONE who says they’re from an organization, foundation, secret society, cult, past or future - don’t join any clubs, do NOT do any sports, keep your grades average, and if a really sexy shy girl bumps into you and spills all of her books, keep walking.”

“But that sounds kinda rude-”

“Exactly. A main character would be nice and apologetic and help her pick up the books as she shyly brushes her hair behind her ear - DO NOT do that. Be an asshole - but not so much of an asshole that you become an anti-hero or some shit. Just - do the opposite of what you think you should do - ok? It’s like me and Love - friendzone forever.”

“Yeah dude - just make it through highschool, and hopefully things will get better when we’re full adults - most main characters start as kids or teenagers - we can get through this.”

“But - I’m tired of living this boring life! I want to be someone - do something!”

“YOU’RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW MAIN!”

“Oh God you’re right! OK breathe, breathe - I don’t. Want to do. Anything. I'm a normal kid. Phew.”

“Gucci.”

The biggest question you may have is, "how long can you guys keep this up," and that answer is, "Yes."

______________________________________

[countess-of-edessa]

i admit i fell for the whole idea too back in like 2016-2018 but when one side says "you are a bad person if you are/advocate for X" and the other side says "everyone should get a chance to be heard because of free speech" the latter side is the one that is going to lose every time. it took me a while to realize i don’t actually believe that everyone has a right to speak at college campuses or use twitter or whatever. if your views are vile and repugnant and offensive to all common decency, you should be protested when you speak in public. the problem is not that college students/the general public protest against speakers, etc, it’s that so many people today are wrong about what is a vile and repugnant view to have. they think things that are objectively reasonable and correct are wrong. that is the problem. if there was an actual, practicing pedophile who was coming to a college campus to extol the virtues of pedophilia, the way the students at Stanford law treated that judge would be, in my view, perfectly reasonable actions to take. the problem is that a large portion of the population finds vile and hates reality and logic and reason.

and the only intellectually honest answer at the end of the day to any kind of social issue with two opposing sides is that one is right, and one is wrong, and that’s why they cannot be treated equally. this is why pointing out leftist hypocrisy doesn’t work, because all that’s happening is the right begging to be treated as though they’re on equal footing with something objectively incorrect instead of asserting the actual truth. the answer to "why can’t a gay teacher talk about her wife if a straight teacher can talk about her husband" is that being gay is not the same as being straight, and it is wrong, and people should not be gay married. that’s the only real answer. anything else is just mental gymnastics that ties itself in knots trying to work within the constraints of the format that the left has created. meanwhile, someone who is pro-homosexuality has no problem saying that it is objectively right to accept and promote gay rights and that anyone who doesn’t is an incorrect person espousing a bad worldview, and thus does not deserve to promulgate their views. nothing is gained by criticizing the fact that this person thinks that people who hold harmful worldviews should not be given a platform because that’s not the actual problem, the actual problem is that this person (and many others) think being against gay rights is a harmful worldview.

"a prolife speaker was shouted down but a pro-choice speaker was applauded!" the issue isn’t that college campuses lack civility (i mean, thats not untrue, but it’s not the main problem) but that the majority of the college population regards being against the killing of the unborn as one of the most repugnant stances a human being can take. and that is stupid, and objectively incorrect. i don’t care if a pro-segregation speaker is shouted down and not given a chance to speak.

same with "cancel culture". throughout all of history people have experienced social and professional consequences for acting in ways society feels are egregiously wrong. the problem with a kid getting expelled from college for saying a racial slur on twitter at sixteen is not that people should not be expelled from college if they do something heinously wrong in a public sphere. the problem is that saying a racial slur on the internet is not heinously wrong, it’s just rude. if a Twitter video surfaces of a college student viciously beating up a child, i have no problem with the school expelling that individual because i have no problem with people experiencing professional consequences for doing terrible things, the problem is that the definition of a terrible thing is now totally wrong.

i get the argument that if you normalize violent and all-encompassing protests to any opposing viewpoint, it’s going to create an environment in which any views that dissent from the majority are silenced, and that stifles the exchange of ideas and general freedom to differ in beliefs from one another that makes life enjoyable and innovation possible. that being said, focusing on the fact that college protestors should be protesting in a way that doesn’t disrupt a speaker. the main problem is not that opposing views are not treated equally or that too much weight is given to social media posts. the problem is that there is now a large segment of the population that regards anyone who believes things that were considered pretty much universal truths until like 15-20 years ago with contempt reserved for only the most heinously immoral beliefs. the answer is not to complain that objective truth is not being treated with the same respect as blatant falsehood. at best, that just puts the two on the same level.

[omegawizardposting]

Urbanspook wasn't even the only one acting out. What Pastra said about his work was dickish, hands down. He called out Urbanspook by name, on a public platform, to their large following, while outright stating that his work wasn't worthy of praise. That was rude as shit and entirely unnecessary.

The issue is that Urbanspook lost his goddamn mind instead of taking the high road. I know it's frustrating when someone speaks ill of your work, but if you insult them, especially as harshly as Urbanspook did, you're going to end up the bad guy.

What sucks is that Urbanspook CAN take criticism. I've seen him respond kindly and favorably to it before, and it's obvious that he's working to improve his craft. The addition of the 911 call and security camera footage is proof of that. He's diversifying. He's putting in even more effort. This isn't someone who's lazy or has no respect for horror.

Pastra's assholery pushed him over the edge, and unfortunately, he threw a tantrum instead of addressing the issue calmly. Now he's the clown and Pastra gets off without so much as a slap on the wrist.

I like Pastra. I think they usually have some nifty stuff to say. Singling another creator out and then acting shocked when they react negatively was an objectively bad look, though, and it's honestly turned me off of Pastra more than it has Urbanspook at this point. At least Urbanspook later acknowledged that he may have gone too far and that Pastra's cruelty was a "final straw" situation. Pastra continues to think that he did nothing wrong.

There is a place for extreme/shock horror in the community. Urbanspook has put work into his series, and that work does deserve acknowledgment. I, myself, am creeped out by The Painter due to my powerful fears of both the uncanny valley and violent serial killers--and I'm usually pretty hard to scare. The Painter strikes a cord with me because of the senseless violence, because I know that human beings are capable of these types of heinous acts. There is horror in it, and just because it doesn't frighten you doesn't mean it doesn't frighten someone else.

The Painter is as worthy of criticism as it is of praise, but Pastra's "criticism" was both unhelpful and antagonistic.