#to balance out some angst

[a-small-writer-in-a-big-world]

I feel like I write a lot of angsty things for the roommate series so here’s something fluffy:

Simon loves to read.

I’m not talking just reading as like a downtime thing, he gets into books and consume anything that pertains to it. He’ll buy an entire series, he’ll a book front to back in a matter of a day or two, and will analyze it so much that he even has a note book full of notes on it (he doesn’t like to write or put tabs in the book)

And it’s not just with books. He wouldn’t admit it but he almost loves comics more than he likes books because of the medium and how easy it is to consume

He’s stayed up late just reading, especially when he can’t sleep and if the book is really good his nose is stuck in it.

Sometimes he uses reading as an escape, but truly he’s fascinated by the stories told and the worlds created (he’s a fan of fantasy and fiction, will sometimes pick up a non-fiction book)

You like catching him when he’s reading because unbeknownst to him, he has a very expressive face when he’s reading. You can almost see when a plot twist happens, or when there’s a part he doesn’t like just by the expression on his face. You’ve noticed that he rubs his fingers over his lips when he reads and now because you’ve seen his dog tags, he tends to put one of the disks in his mouth when he reads.

It’s adorable, you think, how engrossed he gets into the stories. You like watching his little expressions and habits when he reads.

But the best part is when you ask him to talk about the book or comic he’s reading.

It took a little bit for him to get past his shyness about sharing his thoughts with you. At first he said short little things about it, but the more you told him you wanted to know what he really thinks, he started to open up more.

Now when you ask him, he’s pulling out his notes and practically giving you a full presentation. He gets excited and riled up talking to you about the current book he’s on and his feelings towards it is.

His eyes light up he smiles a little bit more and he doesn’t see so tense, and though he’s not particularly animated, you can tell that he’s invested.

He’s happy.

Simon loves telling you everything you want to know, he loves that you’re interested and that you’re the one who asks. It makes him feel warm, it makes him excited and it takes everything in him to not kiss you for every encouraging word you say to him.

Doesn’t matter what both of you are doing; whether it’s cuddling, about to go to sleep, or just sitting in the couch, he’s always so ready to tell you everything he thinks about the book/comic

(Added bonus if you’re an aspiring writer, he’s your number one supporter and will pester you to let him read your work, will help if you ask but mostly just wants to read it even if it’s “bad”.)

[crabsnpersimmons]

This one goes out to all the slow burn enjoyers, the dense Y/Ns, and the soft robo jesters that suffer in silence!

Inspired by @bamsara's “Solar Lunacy” fic.

If you feel like reading my ramblings and want to experience more heartbreak for fictional jester blorbos, check under the cut where I detail all the planning behind the frames!

so i heard this song for the first time in a while and the opening lyrics immediately made me think of moon, so i was daydreaming some scenes and then i decided to thumbnail some ideas:

and it all went downhill from there as everything became a metaphor and a parallel to each other, which i will now go into detail on!

you thought the animatic itself was sad?

*writing muse laughs maniacally* IT'S ALL A METAPHOR

Frame 1. "turn down the lights" We start with a back view on Moon. The lights are out, the Moon is out, but we do not see his face. The music and the greyscale atmosphere are enough to establish the weight of the moment and the weight on Moon’s mind.

Frame 2. "turn down the bed" We cut to a shot of Moon's body, kneeling on the ground of the daycare, like a padded cell. Moon’s hands are twitching with the effects of the glitch, with purple sparks coming from his hands. We still do not see his face.

Frame 3. "turn down these voices inside my head" Cut to an extreme close up on the dark half of Moon’s face. Now we see his face, but only a portion of it. His left eye is wide open, red and glitching out. The voices in his head can refer to the glitch but also his repressed feelings. Or maybe it could be Sun's voice in their shared headspace.

Frame 4. "lay down with me" Y/N's hand enters the frame from the upper right corner, lowering down to meet Moon where he kneels on the ground. Only a corner of Moon's face appears on the bottom left corner of the frame, his starry nightcap beginning to cover his glitched left eye.

Frame 5. "tell me no lies" An full shot of Moon on the floor and Y/N standing in front of him with their hand stretched towards him. A light spills out from behind Y/N, creating a boundary between them.

Now we see more of Moon. It is only when Y/N enters the frame—enters his world—that Moon’s body is shown in its entirely. When Y/N is here, he is no longer fragmented. He is whole.

Frame 6. "just hold me close" pspspspsps Playfully, Moon extends his own hand, beckoning Y/N to come closer, to join him. His right hand crossed over his body as he uses the playful gesture to hide his true feelings—to put distance between him and Y/N. His hat continues to cover his glitching left eye. He doesn’t want to worry Y/N.

Frame 7. "don't patronize" In response, Y/N’s hand pats Moon on the head, returning his playfulness. Moon looks surprised by the action. Moon, notably, does not lower his hand—perhaps he has forgotten it or perhaps his invitation is still open.

Frames 8-9. "don't patronize me" Moon rotates his faceplate so Y/N’s hand is touching the side of his faceplate, a more intimate gesture than a head pat. However, his hat is in the way. At this angle, his starry nightcap fully covers his glitchy eye and the dark side of his face, hiding his defect and acting as a veil between him and Y/N. A self-imposed boundary. So close, yet thinly separated. It's better this way. It's safer this way.

The lyrics are broken up by Y/N's arm, both to illustrate how the song is sung ("patronize" is drawn out and "me" is briefly added in before the chorus starts) but also to show how Y/N interrupts Moon's resolve, highlighting the irony between the visuals and the lyrics. Demanding not to be patronized, yet Moon happily accepts this play at intimacy. Don't patronize me, I am weak for it.

This is also the only instance where the red light of Moon's eyes glow and tint the surfaces around it. Visually, it makes it look like Moon is blushing (heavily inspired by @restinsodaroni's art). But also, in this moment of honesty, Moon's intrinsic light spills out, colouring the greyscale world. In this brief moment of honesty, Moon touches the world with his own colours, his own light.

(and this is also where i forgot to clean up the shading on Y/N's arm, but it's okay it doesn't need to be perfect it simply needs to be. And Moon will still love Y/N even if they are a continuity error.)

Frame 10. "'cause I can't make you love me if you don't" A parallel to a frame 4, Y/N retrieves their hand away and immediately Moon is reduced to the corner of his faceplate in the frame. Only now his glitched eye is fully covered by his hat.

The lyrics here (and in the next frame) in particular grow lighter to emphasize Moon's diminishing resolve and agency.

From here on out, the lyrics here are broken up, carrying on this theme of fragmentation. Y/N is pulling away, Moon is breaking up, the words are breaking up. Everything is coming apart.

Frame 11. "you can't make your heart feel something it won't" Y/N turns to leave. The lyrics, broken up as before, highlight the irony of the situation. Y/N, a human, can’t feel something they simply don’t feel. Whereas, Moon, the machine, feels something his code never intended him to feel.

Frame 12. "here in the dark in these final hours" Another full shot that parallels frame 5, as Y/N steps towards the light and Moon leans forward into the space Y/N once occupied. Y/N is leaving—that which makes him whole is leaving. And he is only capable of making it to the boundary where the light cuts into the darkness. The "final hours" suggest it might be the end of Y/N’s shift, or perhaps this scene takes place right before the glitch takes over—the final hours that Y/N has with the true Moon. Either way, time is running out—and only Moon knows it.

There is a contrasting display of body language here. Moon is on the floor leaning towards Y/N with his hand still left out. Whereas Y/N is turned away, walking away, and has already slipped their hand away and into their pocket. Y/N is closed off while Moon is limply open. Y/N is actively moving while Moon is on the floor, waiting, hoping, for that which he lacks the agency to reach for himself.

Frame 13. "I will lay down my heart" A close up on Moon’s hand, rising up again, perhaps to beckon Y/N back once more. This is a slight parallel to Y/N's hand reaching out to Moon. While Y/N can freely reach out and touch Moon, Moon cannot. He can't enter the light and more importantly he can't risk potentially harming his relationship with Y/N—be it through the glitch or by his feelings. He can only lay down his heart—put aside his feelings or hope that someone will pick up his pieces and make him whole.

Frame 14. "and I'll feel the power" Still on a close up on Moon’s hand, now clenched in slightly. This initially was going to have the glitch effects. However, I felt it more meaningful for it to be left without. Leave it up for interpretation why Moon pauses his hand. What is the power that he alone feels and stays his hand?

Frame 15. "but you won't, no, you won't" A parallel to frame 1, a view of on Moon's back with his hand stretched out towards the light, and Y/N walking into the light spilling through the open daycare door.

The placement of the lyrics suggest two different “you won’t”—Y/N who won’t realize Moon’s feelings, and Moon who won’t dare speak them into reality.

Another note on the parallel to frame 1, this time we also see Y/N's back, but it is notably different from our view of Moon's back. With Moon, we literally see inside him through the hole for his loop. However, Y/N is shrouded in shadow, just a solid, obscure silhouette against the bright light of a world Moon—and Sun for that matter—are closed off from. We don’t see into Y/N, just as the Daycare Attendant doesn't have any vantage point of Y/N's life beyond their time at the PizzaPlex. (The unfortunate reality of a being a character made for the purpose of being a vessel for the reader.)

Frame 16. "'cause I can't make you love me" We finally cut to face Moon head-on, frozen in place with his hand stretched out, unable to cross the boundary into the light. His eyes have gone dark. Where we began by seeing bits and parts of Moon, and never seeing his full face—now we, the viewer, see the full Moon, open and vulnerable—unbeknownst to Y/N.

Frame 17. "if you don't" But in the dark, behind closed doors, there is no one to perceive him—no one to receive him. The light dwindles as the daycare doors are closed. Moon stays frozen where he kneels. It is no longer the glitch that plagues him, but a far deeper dread.

But a lone streak of light peaks through the gap in the daycare doors. Perhaps that is just enough. A silver lining. A frail hope. A single, ethereal thread out of darkness and into light.

Thanks for reading and watching!

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled fun and games shortly!

[onioneyez]

Thinking about the GO kiss (of course) and how that strange versatility of the pairing in general extends also to this. The fandom’s grief is so universal because each person sees in it exactly what will hurt them the most.

To this aromantic, Crowley’s desperate gesture looks like: “is this what you want? Will this make us real to you? If I show you I love you in the right way, the human way, will I finally matter enough for you to stay with me?”

[voidartisan]

Not to rant about the Jedi as a family again, but it always makes me so happy to think about the smallest younglings insisting on being picked up and as a result, honored, experienced jedi masters having conversations about Very Important Jedi Matters with toddlers hugging their necks and older younglings being delighted that there are jedi from species big enought to keep picking them up almost until they become padawans, and padawans helping escort younglings to ilum and helping teach initiate classes and the younger padawans gathering around the senior padawans to hear all about the adventures they just had on an off world mission and young jedi knights taking on their first padawans being terrified they'll mess something up because this isn't just a class, this kid is now their responsibility. This is their kid now and being comforted and guided by older knights and masters and old grizzled masters taking on apprentices as young as seven and loving them with their whole hearts and younglings seeing a knight or a master or a senior padawan and just knowing that that's going to be their master and creche masters who wave to their initiates who have become padawans as they walk past in the hallway and asking them to step in and help with a class and archivists who encourage their curiosity and help them navigate the temple archives and all the jedi who don't even recognize that lost-looking kid in the corridor but still stop and ask them if they need help or directions and yeah.

[stevespookington]

Eddie lined up the shot, hand steady. His fingers were starting to get cold, but he just couldn't pack snowballs the same with gloves on.

He waited... waited... and now!

It flew true and...

"EDDIE!"

Yes! A hit! He peered around the tree he was crouched behind and giggled at the sight of Steve. Hair bent down by the weight of the snow, he looked like a sad cat. Pout and all.

Steve's eyes lit on Eddie and oh no that look was probably not good for his warmth. Eddie turned to run and was rapidly tackled into a snowbank.

He shrieked as Steve shoveled snow down his collar, giggling and pleading for mercy. Finally, he managed to roll over and met Steve's eyes with a pout of his own.

Steve snorted and bent down to press a kiss to his nose, "Truce?"

Eddie nodded and let Steve help him up. He quickly shoved some snow into Steve's face and dashed for the front door, "Okay, truce starting now!!"

Later they shivered together, damp clothes exchanged for sweaters and sweatpants. Hot chocolate in hand and music on low, together they huddled.

Warmth in their closeness. Warmth in their hearts

[fanfictionsquared]

[etheravie]

Headcanon: After the events of Pizza Tower, out of all of the bosses, Peppino and the Vigilante have the closest relationship. They aren't the bestest of friends per se, though. They both still remember what they did to each other, but at the very least, they were able to clear up misunderstandings and explain some things.

Bonus: Sometimes, whenever he's heard that Peppino had an especially bad day, the Vigilante will drop by for a short visit to check up on him. It's not much, but he hopes that Peppino appreciates the gesture.

[andthen-light]

okay girls im going to be a little hashtag critical here but i have been ruminating LONG ENOUGH and i really really do not like that scene in the graphic novel murder on the rockport limited where lucretia recognized the umbrastaff. i understand what they were trying to do and i understand you have to change things for the medium but its kind of a disservice to both lucretia and taakos characters imo. lucretia works so hard to keep the boys from questioning things like why would she have a reaction like that. like they couldve alluded to her recognizing it but a scene like that is so in your face and it takes power away from the scene in crystal kingdom where red robe barry recognizes it. and wrt taakos character like. hes never Particularly trustful of lucretia like on a personal level but overall he trusts the bureau and lucretia until reunion tour. adding in a scene like that at that point in the story makes no sense like u cannot convince me taako would not start questioning what the directors really up to and why she had such a personal reaction.

[uselessaussie]

Hiya there, I'd like to take you up on that offer (referring to your pinned post) and because I see you're writing angst, I would like to negate that for a bit and request some fluff with Bela. Prompt can be up to you, but if you need specifics, maybe (GN/F) Reader sketching her while she reads? Thanks a lot if you decide to write this!

Hello anon! Thank you for your request!! I would be happy to write some fluff with one of my favorite flies and apologies! i just remembered that my drafts existed

pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x gender neutral reader

no warnings, just fluff :3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it was your rare day off and luckily the black god granted sunny weather to be outside in the gardens, and just talking with la- Bela while doing your own thing across from each other

you never excepted to form a bond with the eldest Dimitrescu to the point where you dont have to call her by her title when its just the two of you, it felt foreign just saying her name but at the same time, it felt so right

but yes, the two of you were sitting in the gardens, chatting about the recent mystery novel she got from the duke and sharing theories on how it would end while you were sketching

now the golden haired goddess didn't know she was the subject on your paper (she does but you dont need to know that)

and you already a small collection of little sketches of her doing random things that were etched into your mind, begging to be moved onto paper

also she was easy to draw, like it was natural to do so. and it was dragging you deeper into the depths of your feelings for he-

...oh you are falling for her but you suppose you accepted your fate already when she first appeared in your notebook while she invited you to read one afternoon

[dragonologist-phd]

Owlcatober Day 14 - Lake

With the war finally over, Cleo and Galfrey are free to travel where they wish- and to enjoy the scenery while they’re at it.

also on ao3

The summer sun is bright today, and it warms everything it touches. Galfrey lifts her face up to that warmth, basking in the simplicity of the moment. She sits on a rocky outcropping over the edge of a wide lake, miles and miles from any city. Her armor has been left in her tent in favor of simple cotton clothing, and the stone is smooth and hot beneath her bare hands.

Peaceful moments like this used to be few and far between. They’re coming by more often, now, and she’s learning to enjoy them.

Her peace and quiet is interrupted by the approaching clatter of racing, clawed feet, and that’s all the warning she gets before a wolf blurs past her. The creature leaps off the edge of the stone, clearing an impressive distance as she catapults over the lake. Halfway through the arc her shape changes, and by the time she hits the water she’s a tiefling, curled into herself in the shape of a cannonball.

Cleo hits the water with a resounding splash, sending waves and ripples rocking across the once placid lake surface.

“Enjoying yourself?” Galfrey asks wryly when Cleo’s head pops back up for air.

Her former Knight-Commander grins. “The water’s perfect- get on in here with me!”

Out of habit, Galfrey denies immediately, shaking her head and waving Cleo away as she calls back, “I’m just fine up here, thank you very much.”

“Oh, come on.” Cleo backpaddles over to the outcropping, where she floats lazily on her back as she continues her taunts in a singsong voice. “You know you want to, Galfrey.”

Galfrey would have thought that after all this time, Cleo wouldn’t still have such an effect on her. But the sound of Galfrey’s name in her mouth, the daring grin pulling at her lips, even the messiness of the soaked hair plastered against her face- it all stirs something in Galfrey’s chest that’s just as warm as the sun.

It also helps that she’d stripped down for her swim and is now completely naked, with all her curves and muscles on full display as she floats just a few feet below Galfrey’s perch.

“Come on,” she calls again, and with a roll of her eyes Galfrey pulls herself to a standing position. There’s a tingle of anxiety as she slips out of her own clothes; she may be getting used to the pace of her new life, but it’s still a work in progress.

How long has it been, after all, since she’s had the freedom to act without an entire kinngdom’s eyes upon her?

Cleo whistles from below as Galfrey’s clothes fall away, and funnily enough the ridiculous reaction actually eases her nerves. Galfrey steps up to the edge, and without further hesitation throws herself forward into the lake.

The water is cool and refreshing as she plunges beneath the windblown surface, and Galfrey takes her time swimming back up. When she does surface, Cleo is already waiting for her.

She’s obviously pleased with herself, judging by the smirk she wears as she treads closer. “Hey.”

Galfrey pushes her waterlogged braid out of her face and tries to act like she isn’t also grinning like a fool. “Hello, there.”

“Lovely day for a swim, isn’t it?”

“Without a doubt.”

Galfrey’s hands find Cleo’s hips beneath water, and she pulls her close for a kiss. Cleo’s lips taste like lakewater and sunshine, and her hands move to cradle Galfrey’s face as they float together.

Just her, and Cleo, and nobody else around for miles.

It truly is a lovely day.

[blood-inthefields]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, The Witcher (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tissaia de Vries/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg Characters: Tissaia de Vries, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold, Margarita Laux-Antille, Sabrina Glevissig, Keira Metz Additional Tags: tw: mentions of suicide & attempted suicide Summary:

Petals descending from the ceiling. Yennefer knew right away it was Tissaia, from way above up in her study, honoring her fallen girls. She looked at them, admired how they fell silently to cover the freshly dug graves.

Then the pain came.

Sharp, burning, unexpected.

Yennefer gasped.

_____

SPOILERS FOR 3.08

[dirtytransmasc]

Hi!!!!

Do you have any hcs for how Alicole would try and solve and argument with the kids? Like, their dynamic (especially Aegon with Alicole cause he’s the oldest) is just so interesting and I’ve always wondered how an argument/disagreement would play out with them

ooh, tasty concept.

with arguments amongst the children, they try and get them to take a step back. they'll each take a kid (or two if it involves all of them) and give them a hug or something of the like, easing the tensions, before helping them come to some sort of compromise or agreement.

when it comes to non petty arguments that every child has, the source of issues amongst the kids is the following;

with Aegon they have to settle his need to compensate for feeling as though he is lacking. he tends to pick on his siblings when he's feeling down on himself. so it's a lot of affirming words and hugs while also chiding his cruel behavior. he's definitely hard on himself about being cruel as well, he doesn't like being mean it just sorta comes out of him when he's not in good spirits about himself. he shoves his siblings away over little things when he's upset which only makes him feel worse in the long run. the whole situation makes it hard to parent, as it's not right how he treats his siblings at times, but it's also awful how he feels and how it presents itself. there's typically long talks after the fact. Aegon's usually in his dad's arms, more often than not, while he mom comforts him.

with Aemond it's cooling his temper and frustration, deep breaths and grounding. they remind him that he can't let every jab get a rise out of him, that he always had them to turn to when he needs help, that he's not alone to handle his anger. they try and learn more and more each time, what triggers his anger, what helps him calm down, what to avoid, etc. sometimes he needs to just be held other times he needs a moment alone to breathe. they also try and help him learn how to self regulate and also make his siblings aware that he's getting upset prior to him lashing out (they also talk to them about it).

with Helaena, arguments tend to be because she thinks so differently from her brothers. not only is she a girl in a house of boys, but also because she's autistic (I was the autistic 'sister' in a house of boys for most of my life, it definitely brewed some unique arguments, and I'm gonna project god damn it), their ways of thinking and doing are so different sometimes that she just loses it. so with her, they let her talk, they let her ramble and decompress until she can ground herself, then they have to try and explain the boys point of views, how they see may not be the right way, nor is hers, neither are, but they have to learn to agree. then it's hugs and kisses and talking it out, before they go back to hashing it out with the boys.

Daeron's the most agreeable with the siblings, very adhd coded in my mind (so I'm going to project my brother onto him cause they're very copy pasted in my mind) so when he gets into an argument it's because he's going too fast, too passionate, and/or too much. so again, like most of their children, it's grounding first talking later. like Helaena, they have to explain that the way he is isn't bad or wrong, but that's sometimes we need to slow down, take a breath, cool off, and than continue.

with arguments they take their kids separately, normally separated into different rooms and they visit them together. depending on the exact situation they may just offer hugs and softness, or they'll play a slight game of good cop/bad cop, though they're careful with it. the goal is to solve the problem, not slap a bandaid on it. they tend to each kids needs before handling the actual issue at hand and then being them together to find a solution.

they can both be soft and stern in their own ways. Cole is typically softer on them, as he gets to their levels, takes them close while talking, but he has a stern voice and makes it clear he's willing to put a foot down if need be. while Alicent tends to be a bit more formal and stereotypically authoritative, sitting at the table with them, even if she holds their hands in hers and pulls their chairs close so she can stroke their cheeks.

normally the kids can make right up, or at least come to peaceful terms, but if it doesn't, cause kids can hold grudges like no one's business, Alicent and Cole are forced to remain wholly neutral which is much harder than one would think. most of their fights that lead to grudges are very childish so it's really just waiting for them to crack and realize it was a stupid argument. this is made easier when they don't get involved, so they just laugh amongst themselves where the kids can't see them, and try and keep face in front of them (they can smell weakness and betrayal. send help. a 4 kids household isn't easy). they definitely have moments where they wave the white flag cause one of the kids accused them of siding. the "get along" shirt is also an active and well worn member of the family (Aegon and Aemond share it often)

this video is very much Aegon and Daeron. they feud often. they're either acting like Aegon is a second dad to him, or they are actually going to war and have been sworn enemies for generations, fighting a battle to honor their forefathers (Alicent and Criston are so tired). speaking of Aegon being a second dad, he definitely oversees a lot of arguments between Daeron and his friends... does he understand little kid drama? no. is it entertaining as all hell? you fucking bet, he wants to hear all about what little James did at daycare.

when the kids are arguing with them, which with the way they run the house is pretty rare, but not impossible, they first take a step back for themselves. they will never show anger or cruelty towards their kids, so they make sure they're ok before they even think about talking to their kids.

talking will always be their goal, they never want to use threats or punishments to get what they want from their kids, and they have different ways about it. because their kids know how their household works, that things work on their time, and that just being open and honest, they really just need a day or two to themselves, if the reason for arguing isn't time sensitive, and then they can just take it out.

Aegon is sulky, he just closes himself in his room or flees to a friend's house (which they let happen so long as he leaves a note, leaves his location on his phone, and checks in every few hours) if its really bad. he'll drag himself back to the kitchen table in 48 hours tops, wanting nothing more than for his mom and dad to love him again (they never stopped).

Aemond is just frustrated past reason, so he'll go out and fence with his dummy or just something physical, then he's more willing to listen to reason.

Helaena normally had a boundary or nerve pushed, which was normally accidental, either cause she was already frustrated with something or something changed and it just put both parties in bad positions. space is all she needs.

Daeron is a bit of all the above. he's sensitive, though hard to cross, its often more about other things, something his parent did just broke the camels back, so a long run brings everything back to reason.

Alicent and Criston care so much about their kids, every argument they have with their kids, typically one-sided as they refuse to truly yell, breaks their heart whether or not they did anything or not. they never plan to punish their kids for arguing, they were kids once and they know that its good that they feel safe enough to stand up and fight for what they believe to be true, that they feel safe to shout and disagree with them. they would rather that over anything else, cause they know their kids trust them.

while they aren't permissive with their kids, their are rules and hard limits, they don't count arguing as something to be punished, and their kids don't tend to strand into punishable territories. so resolving a fight is a long talk at the kitchen table, no man's land so to speak, where all parties air their grievances. the problem is discussed, apologies are said on all sides, and sometimes it doesn't always end in a hug, but it does end in feelings being soothed and bridges mended. no one walks away with hard feelings.

they're not perfect, but they make it work, and because they've put so much time and effort into making their home safe and sane, the whole family in therapy, making active efforts to be nothing like their first "home" true arguments are far and few between, and when they happen they're equipped to handle it. Alicent and Cole are such good parents, their kids love and trust them, theirs so much space to talk and negotiate and handle issues early on that there typically isn't any reason to fight. I think that's what makes them such a good family, cause its so hard for me to picture them actually fighting outside of petty things.

[jjaydazo]

Aight before I sleep.

Recommend me some Frans fics cause I am starving for contents of them.

[dawdlecentric]

Man, this doujin isn't fucking around

Meanwhile, Seikuri in the background...

Doujin: Flashbackers by Totobe

[dandelion-wings]

A fight gone awry traps Jean and Kaeya beneath a rockfall in the depths of Brightcrown Canyon, and Kaeya's attempt to distract Jean from the severity of her injuries turns into a discussion of her relationship with Barbara as she considers her regrets. Meanwhile, Diluc and Barbara, searching for their missing siblings, have a similar discussion of their own.

Chapter Two! This one is more setup, and fairly short (the shortest there will be, aside from the epilogue).

[favesgrave]

Alone is your prompt

It was a quiet night. All of them were quiet nights, actually. There wasn’t any Deception chatter he could pick up, none that really mattered at least. He… well, he wasn’t disappointed, but he wasn’t thrilled either. It just meant he had nothing to do but drive. Because that was what a car did. They drove and drove until the human that piloted it stepped out. He didn’t have a human, so he would just drive and find remote places to power down when he needed to.

It was repetitive. It was dull. But it was what his mission required. He couldn’t just reject his orders.

Sometimes Blurr would observe the other Autobots that were on Earth, along with that human girl. Sari was what she called herself. They were supposed to be just a maintenance crew, but he knew they were more than that. Not just a team, but... a family.

He'd wonder what that was like, then brush it aside because he worked better on his own than part of a unit. He was capable of making life or death decisions in half a second, something he was always praised for. Others tended to slow him down.

Solo was always how he rolled. Alone was usually less complicated.

Did it bother him? No, of course it didn't! Most, if not all, his missions were like this. He had grown used to it. Though, he supposed that being upset by it and having to live with it were two different things...

Blurr sat motionless in his alt-mode for a long time, thinking it over. Was he happy? Was he okay with being on his own all the time? He liked efficiency, he liked doing things his way... but he also liked the moments he was allowed to breathe back on Cybertron, enjoying a conversation with Wheelie and Dug Base.

Was he happy being alone?

He slammed himself into reverse, tires squealing against the pavement. He'd had more than enough of... all this. He didn't want to think about it at all. So, he drove.

And he kept on driving so his thoughts couldn't catch up.

---

"Hey, Blurr? Hello? Earth to Blurr!"

Blurr's head snapped upwards to find Miko peering over the railing at him. "Sorry, what is it? Do you need something, because I think it'd be more fitting for you to ask Bulkhead since he is technically your guardi-"

"Video game tournament, dude! You in?" She waved a controller down at him, grinning.

"I would, but I don't even know how to play, so maybe-"

"Pfft, no biggie," she said. "Just watch and learn, then you'll get the gist of it. Unless you prefer hands-on experience. Cause if that's the case, then prepared to get crushed." Her grin suddenly turned into a devious one. She didn't even wait on him for an answer. Instead, she raced over to where the TV was set up, wedging herself in between Jack and Rafael on the couch. Their guardians and Smokescreen were there as well.

Well, if that was the case...

Blurr zipped on over, only to be met with an unfortunate problem. He was blocked by everyone else. "Uh, hello? I can't see! Even if I was standing in front of you all, there's still no possible way I could watch or play without seeing the screen, due to the fact that I'm not tall enough!" Him being short had been becoming increasingly obvious with his time here. Practically every other bot towered over him.

"Easy, little buddy, I've got ya'," Bulkhead chuckled. He scooped up the blue racer in his hand before settling him down on top his shoulder.

Oh.

This was a lot better.

Was this was it meant to be tall?

"Thank you, this is definitely an improvement from before."

"Anytime," Bulkhead said.

Here, he wasn't by himself. Here, he was beginning to understand what a family truly was. He wasn't ready to admit that out loud, but... he didn't hate it. In fact, he liked it. He really liked it.

He watched them all play a few rounds, then tried it out for himself. He got the hang of it quickly, his digits a flurry of motion as he pressed the buttons and moved the controls. Miko had called it cheating, and Jack put in his own two cents of her just being a sore loser.

Either way, Blurr didn't care. He was having fun, and he didn't think he ever wanted to truly be on his own ever again.