#when they finally get together they're both happy that not only did their partner get to meet their moms

[tmntxthings]

Fun fact: Turtles touch/tap the face of their partner as a form mating display, so can we get some head canons of the rise boys unconsciously/involuntarily touching their s/o face, like cupping their cheeks with one or both hands habitually whenever they're in arms length or tapping/brushing the back of their hand on s/o cheek to get their attention?

Turtle Taps

author’s note: here you are cute anon!! i was smitten with this idea but it only came to fruition bc of @marwhoa’s encouragement hehe

warnings: fluff, kisses, established relationships, unedited

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Leonardo

he would poke

idk but i imagine when the two of you were close friends, borderline dating, he’d ‘annoy’ you by poking your face, especially those chubby cheeks of yours

you would complain, batting his hands away, and as friends that was fine but when the two of you started dating it would hurt his feelings

“I can’t help it!” “You’re just too cute!” He’d repeat those excuses, not truly explaining the full meaning behind his repeated actions. And Leo would’ve never told you!

The two of you were dozed off during a movie marathon in the projector room. Laying in bean bags that were pressed together, Leo had made sure his was close to yours. He woke up first and as he turned to see your sleeping form his hands went out on their own accord.

Cupping your cheeks gently and his thumbs giving soft taps. He felt so happy when you snuggled your face further into his hands. So happy in fact that he couldn’t help it when he started poking those chubby cheeks

Your eyes snapped open, “Leo!” You grumped, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. His hands would freeze, his eyes widening, feeling badly about having gotten caught and your rejection as you batted his hands away once again.

He quickly got up, mumbling an excuse about getting something to eat. His immediate reaction had you sitting up, feeling guilty for having hurt his feelings you finally did a google search.

‘Why do turtles tap faces?’ Upon further research after being so utterly shocked at the initial results. You felt like a fool. You got up, blushing furiously as you rushed to the kitchen. Leo was faced away from you but he heard your approach and asked if you wanted something to eat as well. “We got leftover piz-

He stopped short as he felt your hands encase his face. Then hesitantly only out of nerves, you started to lightly tap his green cheeks. Leo was a churring mess, moving too fast so he could turn to see you. You pulled back and he was smiling brightly, face awaiting for you to continue your earlier actions

So you complied, hands going out once more and you tapped his cheeks, the smile Leo gave you practically blinded you. “You could’ve told me what this actually meant!” You complained, poking his cheeks in the same annoying way he would, but he’d just nuzzle his face into your touches

“Yeah I guess I could’ve,” he mused. He had been too embarrassed to just say it. That and he just wasn’t the type to admit the truth that easily. But if he had known your reaction would’ve been this he’d have spilled sooner. You smile and shake your head, stilling your hands and pulling him close to plant a sweet kiss to his snout.

Michelangelo

Mikey would squish your face in pure excitement. He’s just so happy, he can’t contain himself, he’s squishing your cheeks together.

He could be on the whole other side of the room, or not in the same space at all, but he’ll run through the lair, find you at random and squish your cheeks together squealing about something that excited him.

Definitely happens so much that you’ve accepted it at this point, you’ll see him barreling towards you (yes he’s tackled you to the ground a couple times when you weren’t prepared for him to jump you!) and accept your fate

You try to play it off sometimes like you’re annoyed but truthfully it’s just so cute and endearing, when he’s reallyyyyy happy or when the two of you are alone he’ll squish your cheeks together and peck your lips with a soft kiss. A flurry of them too, you’re not just getting one kiss

Many many swift kisses in rapid session, and let’s say he just won in a video game, the arcade room empty except for you two, he’ll give the room a quick scan before he’s on you

“Y/n!!!! I wonnn !! Hehe did ya see??” He squishes your cheeks together while he speaks and as soon as he’s done he’s kissing you before you can answer, you hadn’t seen him win, you were playing your own game but he didn’t need to know that

Once he parted you spoke though your speech sounded slightly off because he still had his hands cupping your face, squishing, “ ‘hat’s awesome Mikey” he’d blush, coming down from the excitement

It was like his thoughts would come after he took action, taking note of his hands and how his lips felt, he’d pull you closer, slower this time and giving you a breath-taking smooch

Only this time he had forgotten to glance around beforehand so he flinched as he heard the snap of a camera. “Oh don’t mind me lovebirds, just documenting for future-“ Leo stopped midway realizing Mikey was actually quite close all of the sudden

“Give that here!! Leo!!” Mikey yelled chasing after his older brother. Of course it had been Leo, laughter and yelling could be heard throughout the lair and you were sure everyone would be witnessing this spectacle, you chuckled strolling at a leisure pace after your orange clad turtle

Donatello

Donnie brushes you with his hand

It doesn’t happen often and when it happens it surprises Donnie the most out of the two of you

He’ll be overthinking or had gotten so overworked that Donnie will blink and suddenly you’re in front of him with worried eyes, your mouth moving but he doesn’t hear anything as his hands reach out as if by instinct and he’s brushing the back of his hand against your cheek

He’s blinking slowly and watching your expression soften as you gingerly do the same to him, giving him time to move away if he doesn’t want your touch. But this time he does want it, he’s exhausted honestly but as soon as he feels your fingers brushing against his green cheek he’s sighing

Like he’s expelling all the stress and worries he had minutes earlier, he’s leaning into your touch and it’s like his battery that was depleted is now recharging

He stays there, nuzzling his face into your hand as Donnie continues brushing or just holding your face close to his own. Once he’s charged though he’ll blink and suddenly remember himself, pulling back sharply and blushing a darker green

Coughing into his fist as you pull back, smirking at his embarrassed reaction, “How about we eat some pizza and you go to bed? Hmmm Donatello??” Teasing him no doubt but making sure he understands that it’s probably best to take a break from his projects

“Sure, sure.” Donnie’s standing stiffly, one hand coming up to cover another fit of embarrassed coughs as he swiftly leaves the lab, you follow him smiling to yourself as your own cheeks felt warm.

Raphael

Raph gives you light taps

He’s always treating you with an extra amount of care. He’d never forgive himself if he was the cause to your pain.

Raph isn’t as shy as he is with his feelings towards tapping you, but he is similar in a way that he doesn’t do it super often

If you’re around and the two of you aren’t alone he’ll probably hold himself back but if you are alone he likes greeting you with light taps to your cheek

He’ll be a blushing mess, eyes cast everywhere but at you and Raph will give you sweet gentle taps, he only makes eye contact when your hands cover his, giggling at his expression

“Still so shy even after all this time?” You quip and Raph gives you a bashful grin, “Only with this!” And he’ll kiss you easily to prove the point. He definitely isn’t shy about that which shocks you more since these cute taps don’t seem that embarrassing

[gayelderstourney]

OLD MAN YAOI BRACKET ROUND 2

Propaganda:

Fiddleford McGucket/Stanford Pines:

lab "partners" who broke the laws of physics and nature together but it went horribly wrong and one of them got stranded in alternate dimensions and the other wiped his memory so hard he went mad. 30 years later and they were finally able to reunite during the apocalypse. even though both had changed so much they wanted to forgive each other and move forwards

if fiddauthor isn't real then why is there only one bed in the bunker. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did they go stargazing and talk about wanting to start a family. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "my partner" and "my fiddleford". if fiddauthor isn't real then why does fiddleford subconsciously hang out around the shack decades after he stopped living there. if fiddauthor isn't real then why does ford have dreams about him every night. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did fiddleford leave his son and his failing/failed marriage to go live alone in an isolated cottage in the woods with his best friend from college. if fiddauthor isn't real then why is ford's ideal world one where he gets to work with fiddleford for the rest of time. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "life would be a nightmare without them" and "it's the most meaningful thing in the world". if fiddauthor isn't real then why did alex hirsch change that one scene in the book to sound less gay. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did fiddleford make his laptop password ford's name. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did they hold hands while hugging. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "i could have sworn that as he joyfully played, i could see the age lift off his face, and see the fiddleford who had been my friend so many years ago". IF FIDDAUTHOR ISN'T REAL THEN WHY DID FORD'S MORE HONEST RETELLING OF THE PORTAL SCENE FEATURE HIM GENTLY CRADLING FIDDLEFORD IN HIS ARMS

Bob Zanotto/Helmut Fullbear:

THEY LITERALLY MADE MR CRY THE FIRST TIME I PLAYED THE GAME. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH AND THEY FINALLY GET TO BE HAPPY TOGETHER. YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO ME.

they are married in canon and are epic and amazing. they had sad canon events where bob thought helmut was dead for like 30 years or something but helmut WASN'T dead his brain was still alive and they are reunited in the game first by way of stealing an evil dictator's body and then later on they put helmut's brain in a ball as a temporary fix while they go out to find his body which has been frozen in ice. the game forces you to walk through bob's memory of saying his vows at their wedding ceremony and it's seriously some of the most romantic and heartwarming shit i've ever heard, especially "just when i thought i was turning to seed, you made me bloom again" like my god. i love them

they're gay and old as hell!!!! there's a level dedicated to their wedding!!!

Helmut is voiced by Jack Black and is currently a brain in a ball, and Bob knows him so well that the mental image of him in his drunken mind says things Bob KNOWS the real Helmut would never say. Also Helmut is temporarily in the body of a guy voiced by Elijah Wood-

[g3llyfish]

"SIT RIGHT DOWN AND STAY A WHILE"

MK x GN!reader

Established relationship

Comfort and fluff<3, you both miss eachother :{, tired and overworked MK

   You stare at the text with a sigh when your boyfriend, MK, apologizes for not being able to spend some time with you again because he was busy training with the monkey king.

     Sometimes you would wish that he isn't the monkey king's prodigy, you're happy that you're with someone special like him but with all the training and working at pigsy's. He ends up overworking himself and risking his physical health and mental health and you're getting more and more worried for him.

     You understand why, ofcourse you're not one of those possessive partners that controls every decision your partner makes but you really miss him, you can't even remember when you two had a proper date or even a sleepover.

     You turn off your phone again and rose up from you bed, determined to think of a plan to spend some time with him, until you got an idea.

     You grabbed your phone again and starts to dial Mei.

     "Hey, I'm gonna do something for MK, do you think you have some time to help me real quick?"

✧˖*°࿐

     MK, the Monkey Kid, the great sage somewhat equal to heaven, the one who saved the city from damnation from several demons is currently driving in his delivery vehicle to pigsy's noodles to finish off his chores after the training he went through.

     He swears he could feel his bones breaking just from sitting down, his eye bags were deep and his skin became slightly pale from exhaustion.

     Wukong noticed this ofcourse and told him off to get some rest, the monkey king isn't that cruel to his successor, if he has to be honest, the monkey cares about MK so much more than himself.

     MK sighs as he remembers when he texted you that he was too busy to be with you, he missed seeing you, holding you, being with you, just you in general.

     He stops at a red light and decides to pull up his phone to see if he has any notification... Nothing, just the wallpaper of your first date together, he looked so tense and nervous in the photo making him scoff a laugh.

     The monkey man doesn't know why but you still make him nervous in some way, you're amazing as a friend and also as his partner, he still doesn't believe that you accepted him to be your boyfriend until this day.

     The brunette was too busy reminiscing the time when he was with you to the fact that didn't even notice the light turned green until a loud horn from behind took his attention away.

     "Hey kid! Get a move on!" "S-s-sorry!"

✧˖*°࿐

     MK walks inside the noodle shop with the neon light above the door off,—indicating that they're closing up, MK only sees Pigsy cleaning by himself with a mop at hand, roughly cleaning a stain on the floor.

     "MK, you're finally back!" The pig notices MK and stops mopping.

     "Hey, pigsy!" MK greeted his dad "here, I'll help you with cleaning the shop."

     He was about to grab the mop from Pigsy but the noodle shop owner stops him by grabbing his hand and puts it down as he shakes his head no.

     "You can get an early off, kid" Pigsy pats MK's arm "you've been hard on yourself, too hard if I have to be specific so go up and get some rest."

     MK looks at Pigsy flabbergasted and blinks a few times.

     "But what about the shop?" "Don't worry about it, Tang is here to help me out so it's fine"

     From afar MK could hear Tang shouting 'I did not agree to this!' in the kitchen then the sound of a bunch plates falling down was heard making Pigsy flinch.

     An early day off? And it doesn't cut off his salary? Is this a dream?

     "Don't worry about me pigsy! I'm okay, really..." MK yawns, not helping his excuse "I want to help you, four extra hands with your hands can close the shop up early."

     The brunette smiles cheerfully with dark eyebags making him look like some escaped patient in an asylum and reaches for the mop again but the pig sways the mop away from the man making MK pout.

     "You can help me out by going up to your room and not bother me cleaning, now go up and rest" Pigsy demanded.

     MK took a second to respond, his eyes squinting in suspicion.

     "Am I in a Kalabash again?" "It's an order, MK!" "sir yes, sir!"

     As MK walks up to his apartment or more to say room, he wondered why everyone was sending him home more early than usual. First it was Wukong and now Pigsy? Sure, he was tired and his body feels like it could sink to the ground but he can manage it!

     He's the monkey kid afterall, he can deal with anything! Right? 

     The man yawns again as he stumbled slightly and opens the door to his place,  his groggy and tired eyes lit up seeing a well made fort on his bed.

     MK walks forward and see how comfortable it is then noticed the Sun Wukong plushies in the fort and Monkey Cop could be heard on his TV.

     He pulls out a tired smile, it was like he already knew who made did this. The door behind him opens.

     "Awh dang it! You got here before me..." Your voice calls out making him turn around to see you, who was carrying arms full of snacks.

     "[Y/n]..." MK breathes out a hearty laugh.

     "I was just getting some food for us for incase you were hungry once you come home," You walk pass him and sets down the various of snacks on his bed "I wanted to surprise you but oh well..."

     You turn around to face him and does an awkward jazz hands.

     "Sur... prise? I guess?"

     This made MK laugh as he walks towards you and wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer to him, he buries his face on the crook of your neck as he lets out a delightful sigh.

     You were shocked about the sudden hug but you held him tightly anyways, missing his warm embrace for so long.

     This is what MK needs, you, the tenseness of his shoulder relaxes as he inhaled the smell of your shampoo, he loves your scent... It made him feel like he's at home weirdly enough...

     MK's eyes closes and cherished this moment with you for a brief moment, it was as if he never wants to let go.

     "You doing alright, MK?" you ask, as your hug tightens.

     "Hm," he nods "I just miss you."

     This made you smile, knowing that he misses you the same way that you miss him makes your heart giddy as you let out a giggle.

     "What?" "Nothing nothing, you're just cute... I miss you too"

     You pull away and grab both MK's cheek firmly before planting a kiss on his lips, he froze on the spot from shock of your bold action before melting into your lips.

     He places his hands on your hips and pulls you towards him as you both savor this short moment with eachother.

     MK starts to smile in the kiss. 

     You both pull away as the two of you look at eachother for a while before laughing at eachother like it was your first kiss all over again.

     "Come'on, let's watch some Monkey Cop together" "Yeah! haha... Can you stay a while even after the movie?" "Ofcourse..."

Requested from Quotev :3, it's really not that much but I tried TT

[venerawrites]

Hi! I feel so blessed to have found your blog, your fluff is top tier 🫶🏻 Can I please request fluff for Kakashi x fem!reader where they take their son (who looks exactly like Kakashi) to meet Team 7 and they're all enamoured by baby Kakashi and how happy he is with wife reader? I feel like it'd be so cute~ I hope that's an alright request. Thank you so much! 😘

author's note: this is such a cute request and it has been sitting in my drafts for a while, since I have been waiting to be in the right mood for it! It was such a pleasure to write it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Thank you for requesting! <3

If there was anything Konoha did best, it was celebrating.

Compared to many of the other villages, the Leaf had some form of a festival almost every month. The first Sakura trees have blossomed? Celebration. The war is won? Celebration. The Hokage has a birthday? Celebration. 6 months without any outside threats? Celebration.

For the outsiders these constant festivities were both bizzare and a bit foolish. They could only imagine how much money were spend from the yearly budget, yet somehow the village blossomed economically. The other Kages tried to ask Lady Tsunade more than once in the past how exactly do they manage to do that, but they could never get anything more than a smug smile from her.

You, unlike your husband, loved a good party. During events like this everything felt different - the people were happier, the streets were busier, even the air felt more fresh! You have been waiting for the Spring festival for a while now - not only because you loved trying all the delicious street food, but also because this year you were taking your baby with you.

Being only a few months old, your son was an exact copy of Kakashi. His hair, his eyes, his nose, his lips, even the way he pouted was absolutely the same as your partner. There were times when you sat next to his crib, looking at him for hours, trying to find at least one thing in his appearance that he may took after you. While there were none, you found solace in the fact that he showed at least some traits of your personality - the main one being obsessed with Kakashi, of course.

As you watched your husband gently rocking your child in his arms and whispering sweet words to him, you couldn't stop the smile from spreading wide on your lips. Kakashi hasn't noticed your presence by the door yet, too busy booping your baby's nose and listening to his happy laughter.

He was definitely the favourite parent.

"I can't believe I carried him for nine months and I am still the second best in his eyes", you finally said, making Kakashi whip his head in the direction of your voice. He smiled sheepishly at you, his one free arm extending for you to take.

"You know that is not true, my dove", he tried to reassure you, his attention moving back to the bundle of joy who kept twitching in his grip, "No one can replace mommy! Isn’t that right, little man?"

Almost if understanding his words, the baby turned toward you, reaching one of his small hands toward your face. You immediately melted at the gesture, before carefully grabbing it in yours and lying numerous small kisses on his little fingers.

“Do we really have to go?”, your husband groaned, looking at you pleadingly. If it was up to him the three of you would stay in your house, enjoying a cosy evening just playing and goofing around the living room. With his new role as a Hokage, your time together was limited anyway and he liked to grab any chance he got to spend a few hours with you at home.

“You were the one that promised Naruto you would finally let him see the baby”, you cocked one of your eyebrows and Kakashi immediately shut his mouth, knowing he cannot argue further.

Even since you told Team 7 that you are pregnant, Naruto has shown an enormous enthusiasm about welcoming the baby. He self proclaimed himself “the best uncle to ever exist” and has bought dozen of plush toys and clothes before you even found what the gender is. Both you and Kakashi found this amusing, yet cute, promising him that he would be one of the first people to see your son once he is born.

However, things didn't go as planned and since he was on a mission outside Konoha for the last three months and a half, Naruto was now one of the last people to meet your child. Sakura has asked you countless of times during this period to let her and Sasuke come to your house, but feeling it was unfair to Naruto, you refused every single time.

Now that the blonde was back, however, all three were eagerly waiting to meet the young Hatake.

Kakashi gently passed you the baby, while he went to the corridor to grab the baby carrier wrap he liked to use. One thing about your husband was that he absolutely refused to use a pram.

"It is safer for them to be close to me", he often said, not even hiding his overprotectiveness. Despite your baby already being the village's favourite, he only allowed people to watch him, but never touch him or hold him. It was almost like your son was some kind of a rare jewel, which was so delicate, it had to be admired from a far. And while you found Kakashi's behaviour funny, he was being very serious about it, going as far as to glare and hiss a warning at Guy and Genma every time they tried to pinch your baby's chubby cheeks.

Once the little one was safely wrapped against your partner, you both made your way toward the village centre, where you could already hear music sounding. The streets were flooded with both adults and children, who were all eager to try some foreign food and watch special performances. Every year there were entertainers coming from different lands, performing traditional songs and dances from their cultures. While you knew you couldn't stay for all of them, since you had to put your child to bed quite early, you were excited to see at least some.

You felt one of Kakashi's arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you closer to him, while he shielded your son's body with the other one. While there were none real threats or risk for any of you, the amount of people made the man anxious. You were just about to grab his hand and try to make him relax, when Naruto's loud voice sounded from somewhere in front of you.

"Kakashi-sensei! Y/N! Over here!", he waved his hands energetically in the air, while both Sasuke and Sakura looked away embarrassed from his behaviour. Your smiled at the blonde, waving back, while your husband couldn't do anything else than let out a sigh.

Once you were a few meters away, the Uzumaki ran toward you, his whole face lighting up once his eyes met those of your son. He pushed past you, without even paying any attention to you, before leaning his head close to the baby's.

" Kakashi! That's your twin, dattebayo!", he shouted and moved his finger between his sensei and your son. Kakashi flicked his hand away, glaring harshly at his student. You sniffled a laugh, before you felt Sakura's hand on your shoulder. Turning around, you offered a smile to both her and Sasuke.

"Don't touch, step back and only watch from a distance", Kakashi instructed, his eyes narrowing at Naruto. The blonde, however, didn't acknowledge his words in any way, instead turning toward you.

"Can I hold him?", he asked, his blue eyes sparkling.

"No!", Kakashi immediately answered for you and you rolled your eyes at your husband, before moving toward the males.

"Of course you can!", before your husband can protest, you gave him a stare and he reluctantly picked up your son from the carrier wrap. He held him in his hands for a few more seconds, eyeing Naruto with suspicion.

"Be very, very, VERY careful!", he said, while passing the wriggling baby to the boy's stretched out arms, "And make sure to support his head! No, not like that... Naruto, I swear to Kami-"

You cut off the white haired male's rambling by wrapping your arm around his waist and placing your head against his shoulder. The Uzumaki was doing just fine, but Kakashi being Kakashi started to panic just at sight of someone else holding your little treasure.

The baby seemed to like the blonde, as he giggled, stretching his small hand toward his face. Sakura, who has been patiently waiting for her sensei to relax a bit, immediately rushed to her teammate's side, uncapable of controlling herself longer. She wriggled her forefinger in front of the child's face, her heart melting once he caught it.

"Hello, little one! I am auntie Sakura!", the baby grinned at her with its toothless smile and she let out an "aww" sound, before turning to you and your husband, "Kakashi-sensei, he really is your exact copy! Y/N, are you sure that's your child?"

You laughed at her joke, before shrugging your shoulders and pressing yourself closer to Kakashi.

"Trust me, I ask myself that every single day!"

Finally tearing your gaze away from Naruto and Sakura, you looked over to Sasuke, who remained frozen in his place. His eyes were focused on the little baby and there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but unlike his teammates he maintained a safe distance. Feeling someone was watching him, he turned his head in your direction, his cheeks going bright red once he realized you caught him staring.

"Sasuke", you smiled at him and everyone's attention went to the Uchiha, "Do you want to hold him too?"

The dark haired male gulped, his eyes widening. He nervously scratched his shoulder, his gaze going down to his feet.

"I...", he became silent, stealing one more glance at the baby. You found it almost amusing how he was a fearsome ninja that could take dozen of enemies at the same time, yet he felt scared to hold a tiny human.

Looking over at Naruto, you nodded your head, signalling him to pass your son to Sasuke. The blonde let out a huff, dragging his feet toward his teammate.

"Be careful! And hold the head!", he warned the Uchiha, who rolled his eyes in response.

"I know how to hold a baby, dobe! I am not stupid!"

"Language!", Kakashi warned next to you and you looked up at him, only for him to shake his head. It must've been hard dealing with these two for so many years, yet you knew your husband wouldn't had it any other way.

At this moment, surrounded by so much love and happiness, you felt like you finally had everything you wanted in life - an amazing husband, a healthy child and enormous support by anyone around you. If you could choose to re-live only one moment of your life, it would be this.

"You okay, my dove?", Kakashi whispered and you nodded your head, laying a small kiss on his covered chin.

"Never been better."

Unbeknown to you, all of Team 7 smiled at both of you, admiring how happy their sensei was. After decades of suffering and loss, Kakashi took the leap of faith and opened his heart to you. While he was unsure in the beginning if he was ready to be with someone and have a family, looking back he was glad he did.

Pulling down his mask, he laid a soft kiss on your forehead, before nuzzling his nose against it.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

cc artwork: Pietro Smurra

[johns-prince]

John was being honest when he described himself as dead lazy, and so having a partner and bff like Paul was perfect for him since Paul is such a workaholic and can hardly sit still.

John needed a push, someone who could carefully and patiently nudge and drive him along, or at least light the fire under his butt, because if not he could become listless, lethargic, and stuck. I'd say this was pretty obvious during the 70s.

Paul was perfectly suited for John in this, like in so many other ways too. Paul seemed not at all bothered, but quite comfortable with this position in their relationship, as far as I can tell. I'm thinking back to Paul making his way to John's house in Kenwood, that he'd often have to wake John up, this involving cups of tea or coffee. Maybe they did some writing and playing, maybe they didn't, as Paul said it was his way to get out of London.

Or, how Paul, John, and Ringo (sans George) had to do a Christmas recording, and how Paul, the whole time, was gently and patiently urging John on to just do it.

I think they're a perfect encapsulation of their relationship, these moments and memories caught.

They both gave each other a harmless need to compete, and to accomplish, together. I mean I'm sure there were plenty of times Paul's patience wore thin with John, and I'm sure John was very intentional in needling that, but insofar that I can tell, Paul really did have exceedingly, almost near limitless patience and love for John as both a partner and a friend.

John needed that, he needed someone like Paul, who could truly and unapologetically put up with him, and love him, and still want to work with him every day, day and night.

Even when the band broke up, the divorce finalized, and John was both loving and hating Paul in tandem for the next ten years... Paul was desperate to write with John again, and John was desperate just to write, you see.

PLAYBOY: But wasn’t it clear that John wanted only to work with Yoko?

LINDA: No. I know that Paul was desperate to write with John again. And I know John was desperate to write … desperate. People thought, Well, he’s taking care of Sean, he’s a house-husband and all that, but he wasn’t happy. He couldn’t write and it drove him crazy. And Paul could have helped him—easily.”

— Linda on John and Paul in the late 70’s and 1980. (X)

While Yoko was definitely driven and career oriented, that didn't necessarily mean she influenced, inspired, or drove John on herself. Not in the way Paul did. I think that's pretty evident, considering he subsumed himself to "house husband", only occasionally baking bread before even that lost his interest, in which he'd keep to lazing about, sleeping hours on end, and mindlessly watching tv.

John was no house husband, the role he took with Yoko was pretty far removed from his potential, even with Cynthia it wasn't that bad.

With Paul, John even thought of writing musicals, and he apparently wasn't even that fond of musicals—but if Paul wanted to do it, like so many other things, then why couldn't John? If John had Paul, then he could do just about anything and everything, really.

“MM: In the early days, did John and Paul really write together?

MARTIN: Yes, but they also wrote separately. “Please Please Me” and “From Me To You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” were undoubtedly collaborative efforts. They’d sit down and literally construct the songs together. I can’t remember the first individual songs, although obviously even before I met them they were writing individually, but if you go through them you can hear which of them are John-oriented and which are Paul-oriented. “Yesterday” is obviously Paul, and that’s an interesting point because it was the first time we ever used anyone other than Beatles on a record. There was no one on that record but Paul and a string quartet.

MM: Did you notice them growing apart, developing distinct personalities?

MARTIN: Paul and John had their own identifiable styles: Paul was the syrupy one and John was the hard one. But the rift wasn’t there then. They were really a unit.

MM: Could you tell me what you think of what each one has done individually since the last Beatles record?

MARTIN: I have great admiration for George. He’s done tremendously because it’s a sort of devotion to duty as far as he’s concerned. We forced him into being a loner, I guess … he could never collaborate with anybody in his writing and therefore when the split came he had more strength because he was forced to be alone. He learned an awful lot about producing, studio techniques, and so on, so that he was able … obviously, any one of them had the power - because they had the money - to spend as much time in the recording studio as they liked, and I know that when George made his album he spent six months doing nothing but overdubbing his own voice 16 times and producing his album. To have the tenacity to do that in itself is something of an achievement, but to go along and actually produce good sounds and good music and good lyrics with it is tremendous. I’m full of admiration for that.

I think the other two have suffered by comparison, because they’ve each indulged themselves in their own way. John’s become more obvious in a way … “Power To The People” is a rehash of “Give Peace A Chance,” and it isn’t really very good. It doesn’t have the intensity that John’s capable of. Paul, similarly with his first album … it was nice enough, but very much a home-made affair, and very much a little family affair. I don’t think he ever really rated it as being as important as the stuff he’d done before.

I don’t think Linda is a substitute for John Lennon, any more than Yoko is a substitute for Paul McCartney.”

— George Martin, Melody Maker Interview, 1971. (X)

John was very partner orientated. He needed someone, whether he liked it or not, and he needed them to need him too.

He didn't like being a husband, but he liked having a wife, someone there for him constantly, who loves him and will care for him. John had Cynthia for that, at the start. John had Pete as his partner in crime, bestest of mates, when they were just kids.

Then, John had Paul, and turns out, Paul just about covered all of that, too, and plus it. A best friend, a coconspirator, a wife, a collaborator, his partner, his rival and his greatest ally and muse. Cherry on top, Paul needed John just as badly, madly. Maybe John never saw it that way, maybe that was why he had his fear, his insecurity that Paul never really needed him as much as John needed him.

“IRVIN: Back then people were very keen on knowing who the leader of the group was…

GEORGE M.: Yes, I was. When I first auditioned them I said, “Who’s going to be the leader, is it John or Paul?” Such an odd couple really, because they were diferent and yet very similar, both had big egos, both very good songwriters, but they needed each other like mad.

IRVIN: Did they really like each other? It wasn’t just a competitive partnership.

GEORGE M.: Oh no, they loved each other! They were brothers, and like brothers they pissed each other off quite a lot. John could be maddening at times, Paul can be very bossy and even more maddening and George would get fed up with both of them. But they did love each other and adored what the other did and had an incredible bond.

Paul always took inspiration from John, especially in his lyric-writing. ‘Eleanor Rigby’, for example, wouldn’t have happened without John’s influence. Paul wrote all of it but John’s influence was there and similarly John was knocked out by the freshness Paul brought to melodies and harmonies. He learnt from Paul how to put in the odd chord that choked you up a bit.”

— George Martin, interview w/ Jim Irvin for Mojo: Sir George Martin: The Mojo interview. (March, 2007) (X)

I think I've gone off tangent, but the point of this was to say, John was dead lazy, vastly intelligent and talented, but very prone to sloth. Paul was a rather perfect stopper to that. He could whip John up, get him moving, shaking, ever patient and ever loving, just the right enough of mean, bitchy and stubborn, smart and quick tongued, to meet John toe-to-toe. Like a house on fire these two fired each other up, talk about all-consuming and intense.

They were pretty perfectly matched for each other.

“It was like a tug of war. Imagine two people pulling on a rope, smiling at each other and pulling all the time with all their might. The tension between the two of them made for the bond.”

— George Martin on Lennon/McCartney (X)

[mouwrites]

Hey can we get the Ninjas with an S/O who's basically Jessica rabbit and how they would deal with people constantly hitting on their S/O?

Of course my dear!! Unrelated but I love Jessica Rabbit,,,

Ninjago - Ninjas With an s/o Who Gets Flited With a Lot

Kai

When he first sees someone flirting with you, his initial reaction is a sort of pride

He's happy that other people are noticing how smoking hot his s/o is

But that only lasts for half a second; then comes the jealousy

He hops up and tries to look casual while he saunters over and wraps an arm around your waist

He'll stare coldly at the person flirting with you, trying to intimidate them

When it doesn't work he uses his voice, trying to show the person that they're not welcome

"And just who are you again?"

He'll only get more passive aggressive as the interaction goes on

There have been times that he's escalated it to straight-up aggression, and even violence, at which point you had to take it upon yourself to remove you both from the situation

You'll have to talk to him while he cools down, letting him vent about how angry the person was making him

In the end he knows it's not your fault and that you'd never leave him

Still, reassuring him on that front would probably help him calm down

He's just mad that some scumbag thought they could take you from him

After such an instance he usually sticks close to you, making sure to keep a hand on you to demonstrate that you're together

Cole

He doesn't really care when people flirt with you

He knows that it's only natural; you're the most gorgeous person in the world to him (and others, evidently)

He trusts that you'll be loyal and that you can handle yourself

But he still keeps an eye on you when out in public

He's watching to see if you're uncomfortable and need help; only then will he step in

He knows all your tells, but you guys also have a secret hand gesture that means you need help

So, when he sees the gesture, or any body language signaling that you're uncomfortable, he jumps into action

He sidles up to your side, placing himself as close as possible to you

He'll try to be at least somewhat pleasant at first: just emphasizing that you guys are dating, hoping to put the person off

But if that doesn't work he'll be more blunt

"Dude. You're being creepy. Get lost."

When they finally leave, he checks to make sure you're okay

Your well-being is much more important to him than any doubts he might have about your relationship

Not that he has any; he's fully confident that your relationship is strong

But if he did he'd still put you first

If you want him to be your body guard for the rest of the night, he'll happily oblige

(and he makes a pretty good guard, too, being so huge and intimidating (when he wants to be))

Jay

He HATES when people flirt with you

Like, he knows why; you're obviously always the most attractive person in the room

But you're his s/o! Other people shouldn't be flirting with you!

Sometimes he wishes that you could just wear a big sign that says "I'm taken"

(He has actually asked you to do this before)

The second he sees someone talking to you, he's already inching closer to see what's up

Even if they're not being outright flirty, he's still suspicious of them

He'll keep getting closer, not bothering to be sneaky at all

This often has the unintentional effect of the person leaving before he even gets within talking range

They just get creeped out that this guy is glaring at them while slowly yet steadily approaching

If they don't get scared off, he wraps an arm around you and intensifies his glare

He'll insert himself into the conversation crudely, speaking directly to you and "ignoring" the other person

"Hey, babe. Ready to go back to our shared apartment? Where we live together because we're partners?"

Then the person usually takes the hint, but by then they're probably more amused than annoyed

When they're finally gone Jay still watches them, still glaring

He's a little insecure that you'll leave him, just because you're so stunning (and, admittedly, sometimes the people flirting with you are, too)

He'll need lots of reassurance that he's good enough for you :(

Zane

Out of all the ninjas, Zane is the most bothered when people flirt with you

He knows he's not the best when it comes to romance, so he feels like every time someone flirts with you he's instantly being one-upped

It makes him more sad and insecure than anything

He knows that you're loyal to him, so he's not jealous

But he doesn't know why you're so adamant to stay with him, especially when someone flirts with you

He just frowns while he listens to their clever pick up lines, sometimes not even understanding them

It makes him feel a little better when you frown, too

When you send him the "a little help here?" look, though, that's when his heart skips a beat

It's his chance to show why he's the one you chose

He balks for half a second, but quickly gathers the courage to insert himself into the interaction

He places himself at your side, standing like a perfect gentleman and even smiling faintly (despite the fact that he feels a little inferior to the flirter)

Then it's your cue to emphasize what a gentleman he is, and how disinterested you are in everyone else

"This is my boyfriend, Zane. He's always so respectful in. Just look at how he's standing! Never gets all handsy or flirty in public, either."

Zane just nods, his smile growing along with his confidence

He needs to hear those words about as much as his "competitor" does

Once they're gone, he feels much more confident about himself and why you want to be with him :)

Lloyd

Lloyd respects you immensely; he knows you're loyal, honorable, brave... and most of all, drop-dead gorgeous

It's that last thing that worries him a little

Not because it makes him question your other merits; not at all

It makes him more conscious about others' merits (or rather, lack of)

He doesn't trust people to be respectful to you

He tries his best not to hover when you're in public, but he does get a touch anxious if you don't check in every now and again

Especially if you're the type to get uncomfortable when someone flirts with you

He tries to prevent flirting from happening in the first place, but sometimes it just can't be helped

The second he sees someone flirting with you, anxiety strikes

He knows how... inappropriate flirting can get, and just the thought makes him blush

He doesn't want you to be subject to that

So he'll hurry to your side, turning the situation away from romance

He won't be nasty or try to scare the person off, he'll just redirect the conversation

"Hey, how about that game last night? The, uh... sports... game..."

He's trying 😭

He doesn't want to disrespect this person (even though they're low-key disrespecting you)

When they're gone he'll double-check to make sure they didn't make you uncomfortable or anything

As long as you're good, he's good :) until someone else comes up

Nya

She also gets flirted with a lot, especially operating in a team of all boys

So she knows the struggle, and she's fully equipped to help you out

She'll teach you the tricks she's learned to scare off creeps, but of course she's also always more than happy to step in

You guys have a complete code language of phrases and gestures that mean things ranging from "creep o'clock, be on guard" to "I'm good, are you?" to "please save me"

To give an example: if you're both in a conversation and someone is starting to seem like they have bad intentions, you can say "I saw a snake a while ago," which means "potential creep right here. thoughts?"

Responses include: "so did I," ("yep, let's ditch") or "no, it was a rubber hose, remember?" ("let's stick around a little longer")

It's a very intricate language that only expands over time

You guys actually have a lot of fun making and using it

And it's obviously quite useful

But in terms of jealousy, since Nya knows what it's like to be harassed, she knows it's not a challenge to one's loyalty

She totally trusts you, and expects you to feel the same

But sometimes when she just really doesn't like someone, she'll put a protective arm around you and make it obvious that you're hers

When they're finally gone, you guys either giggle about it or watch them leave with scowls; either way you make sure to check in on each other first

In general, though, you guys learn to have fun expelling unwarranted advances; it's almost like a fun little game you play together :]

Thank you for this request! And thanks for reading, take care sweet duckies <33

(divider by saradika)

[lostinforestbound]

Can I ask for HCs of Rolan with a partner who's big on surprising him with gifts? Not the 'getting him the most expensive and lavish stuff' but the 'takes notes of all the stuff he likes and gifts it to him even without any big occasion' kind

YES YES YES I ABSOLUTELY CAN!!! This idea is so sweet and I am in desperate need for Rolan fluff!

Giving Gifts to Rolan

Rolan, outside of Cal and his mother, never receives gifts from anyone. When he became the new master of Ramazith's tower, he was given gifts by the people in celebration. Potions, Tapestries, all these lavish things he never cared for. He usually puts them in a closet and forgets about them.

When Tav and him finally get together officially, he's not sure how to react when they start giving him gifts out of nowhere. He's confused by it even; why would they get him something out of nowhere? What did he do to deserve it? He didn't earn this.

He will start reciprocating, giving gifts in response to the ones he's receiving. Surely they're expecting something back? He would be a fool to not try and match them, but gift giving isn't something he's good at.

When Tav eventually asks why he's also getting them gifts, and he responds with "well, it's a nice exchange, is it not?" and they'll quickly realize that this man thought he had to give something back every time.

They explain that this is their love language. They love giving him gifts, without expecting anything in return. He immediately asks why if he hasn't earned it: "Well, I love you, and I love getting you things. It makes me feel good to see you happy."

He doesn't argue it further, but it still feels strange to him. Though he can't deny his heart flutters a little when they get him something thoughtful, like an item he was looking at in the market and they got it for him in secret.

Some gifts he ends up loving: Magic books (despite his infinite library in the tower), peerless focus elixirs, a sweet baked treat, horn jewelry, earrings, new robes, nice smelling shampoos for his hair, and facial care ointments.

What he would find so sweet (or funny depending on context) is the certain gifts coming with enchantments on them. He loves having small magical items in collections. Earrings that give him a boost in charisma, rings of protection, and scarfs that keep him extra warm in the cold months.

Funnier magical items he has received thus far: Sweater of Calming, a Ring of Rock Eating, Seal of Approval, Book of Mispells, Cookie of Hunger, and a Giggle Dagger.

Sometimes they give it to him directly, but he's always delighted to see when wrap it in a bow or they put it in a little box on his desk. It makes it a little extra special and he adores it. It's an instant mood lifter for him!

It takes him a while to realize his tail visibly flicks about happily when he sees that he got another gift. Tav never says a thing when they see it since they find it both adorable and endearing. The secret is revealed only when Cal and Lia tease him about it, and now he actively tries to control his tail.

Rolan starts responding to the gifts again, but in his own way outside of gift giving: spending time with them, cooking them breakfast or dinner, setting up more romantic dates, and anything he can to show he appreciates them. That he loves them dearly, and they are the true gift to him.

[cumulo-ghoulll]

Papa HCs!

(I think they're all autistic)

Primo

Primo likes to spend a lot of time by himself or with his ghouls. He doesn't care for social gatherings and likes to keep himself to himself. He's fairly good at small talk but he absolutely hates it. When he was younger, Primo masked a lot. He tried to be outgoing, which was expected of him, especially because he was very open about his desire to be the frontman of the project. He'd finish each day absolutely exhausted. He'd have no energy to do the things he enjoyed, instead he spent a lot of time stuck in bed or dissociating in front of a mirror. It was only until he met his ghouls that he learnt how to take care of himself. His ghouls taught him about preserving his social battery, how to avoid burn out, and most importantly, that they care about him and are always happy to help him. Now that he's older, he's got a lot better at taking care of his wellbeing and asking for help when he needs it. His favourite part of getting old is that people don't care what he does or how he behaves as much as they did when he was younger. Now, when he spends all day in his greenhouse, no one questions what he's doing, or when he stares at the flames in his fireplace, people assume he's just doing 'generic old man things', whereas those close to him know that he's stimming.

Secondo

Secondo has very little problem with big social gatherings and loves to be the life and soul of the party. He loves meeting new people at parties too. Secondo has a hard time holding down relationships with people, both romantically and platonically. He loves having hookups though as it gives him a chance to be close to someone while them going separate ways afterwards is expected. Secondo is aroace, which usually shocks most people he tells. He does try to explain that his lack of sexual attraction doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy sex, and he enjoys doing romantic things even though he doesn't feel romantic attraction either, but people very rarely understand. Secondo likes being a sugar daddy. The rules and boundaries are very clear and he gets what he wants out of relationships without genuine romantic interest being expected. He also has a platonic partner who visits him on a schedule. They both organise what they're going to do when they next meet up a week in advance to give him plenty of time to prepare.

Terzo

Terzo masked HARD when he was younger. Nihil constantly made remarks about how he behaved, especially about how flamboyant he was. He was told off for being rude a lot, but used to get really annoyed when no one would explain what he'd actually done wrong. He spent a lot of time learning the 'correct' and 'acceptable' way to interact with people. Because of how much he masked, he was constantly burnt out and later developed depression and self worth issues. Terzo began to isolate himself. Like they asked, he stopped being loud, he stopped being flamboyant, and he stopped being rude. He actually stopped speaking all together. After all this, Sister and Nihil still seemed to have a problem with him. He didn't know what he was doing wrong. His self worth issues stayed with him the whole way through his life. Being dragged off stage was the final piece of proof he needed that he wasn't and never would be good enough for his parents or anyone.

Copia

Copia has always been the 'weird kid'. His obsession with rats was usually enough to put most people off. Unlike Terzo, a lot of Copia's behaviour was excused, so he never felt the need to mask. Terzo didn't particularly like Copia in the brief time they knew each other because of this. Copia picks up sarcasm and jokes with ease and both come very easily to him. On the other hand, social cues, having to read between the lines, and oftentimes, other people's innuendos go right over his head. He spends a lot of time in his room, not necessarily to avoid people but moreso for the fact he keeps all his favourite things in his room on display. Copia has a lot of sensory aversions. His costume designer and tailor have a list of fabrics they cannot use. Copia also has a lot of food aversions as he's really picky with textures. He has few safe foods, the large majority of them being pasta, pizza, and any beige carb. Copia is closer to his ghouls than any of the other Papas were. When he's feeling overstimulated, he has Aether 'squash his soul back into his body' by lying on him like a compression blanket. Copia's very open about his autism with his ghouls and they're all very supportive and mindful of him.

[silent-browser]

Consider, if you would, soft yan werewolf. Also darling and Yan are together in this one.

The person who never wants you, his darling, to see him when he's all wolfed out and not in control because he is worried about the wolf seeing you as prey.

So they're really careful about scheduling and keeping the moon phases in mind when ever he has something planned with you or if they want to stalk you for the night. The one thing they didn't account for was you showing up at their place unexpectedly to celebrate their birthday or an anniversary on the night of a full moon.

The wolfs first reaction to someone unknown to him entering his territory, his den no less, was aggression. How dare they walk here without his permission! How dare they disturb his slumber! How dare they enter- How dare- How... How adorable! He had never seen such a perfect being in his entire life! And they were here! In his den! And setting down food!!! Clearly this was fate. Oh but look at his nest. It was so messy and flat. No it had to be made perfect. It had to look pretty and comfy and inviting. Otherwise that beautiful creature might choose someone else's den to spend the night in.

He both growled and whimpered at the thought. No they had to stay here and be pampered by him. So he instantly got to work. Dragging over blankets and pillows. Padding the bottom of the nest with bath towels. Pushing and pulling pieces into place. Squashing down the center with his paws. And finally scent rolling all over and around the nest to hopefully entice them into staying longer and to let any unwanted intruders that this nest was his. He proudly sat back and admired this newly improved nest as the door opened quietly.

The noises of growling and shuffling in the other room weren't subtle at all. You were afraid because as far as you were aware your partner was visiting family out of town and he doesn't have a pet. So this was either some very strange burglar or some wild animal had some how gotten in, and as you take a peek inside the room you are inclined to believe the latter as sitting on the bed is the largest canine you had ever seen. You quickly covered your mouth to try and hide your panicked breathing as you slowly backed away from the door. Only for your elbow to bump against a lamp, causing said lamp to topple off of the side table and shatter in the ground.

This quickly alerted the wolf in the other room as it quickly turned around and shoved open the door to find the source of the sound. Which caused you to fall backwards in surprise. The wolf slowly prowled closer, carefully avoiding the broken lamp and started snuffling as it draws closer. You quickly push yourself away. When your back hits a wall dread and despair floods your viens, turning them ice cold. This is my death. You cover your face not wanting to witness the wolfs giant teeth reaching towards you when a cold, wet and squishy object suddenly pressed against your wrist. You take a moment to wait for the pain of teeth and eventual death but when that doesn't happen you peek past your arms and towards your wrist. The wolf, in all its terrifying stature and strength had layed down in front of you and pressed it's large nose to your skin. It gazed into your eyes for a moment before looking away and beginning to roll onto its-his back.

Lowering your arms in shock and surprise you watch this monster of a wolf slowly get back onto his belly and carefully crawl towards you, keening and and giving puppy eyes the entire time.

He needed you to like him. He had never needed anything more. He needed you to like him. Every show of submission he knew he did. Every act of cute he had ever scoffed at he performed unashamed. Please like him. Please please please. He became hopeful when he saw you begin to relax. He grew ecstatic when he could gently nudge and guide you towards the sleeping room. And he just about melted with happiness once you settled in the nest he made all on your own. His tail wagged wildly when he settled in beside you. He felt whole. He wanted this night to last forever, you in this nest and him beside you. Keeping you warm and safe forever.

I have more for this one but I can't find a way to smoothly transition into it...

[m3r1m4r5u333]

Okay I've settled on my head canon which is that Eddie is bi (or some version of "likes women and men"), too... I need to ramble about it because this popular idea that Eddie is gay just bothers me tbh it just feels ignorant, bi erasurery. And sure, maybe I'll be proven wrong, but in the mean time...

I think the reason why Eddie just can't be happy with the women he's pushing himself to date is because he's only really ever been drawn, and loved, two people: Shannon and Buck.

And these women he's since dated... are neither of those people. So the other relationships are just... fake, unhappy. Not because of sexual incompatibility, but because they're loveless, on Eddie's part.

The romance with Shannon started as a teen-age romance. They were childhood friends and lovers, but they were too young and immature to really handle the stress of parenthood, and despite that, pushed into a marriage.

It was too much for this young, immature, love to survive. Them freaking out and not being a team.... That just started to hack away at their mutual trust, and that eventually killed the romance, and the marriage. This immature love just could not handle all this pressure, and co-exist with that dying trust.

And then, Eddie meets Buck when his and Shannon's marriage is on a break. She's runs, is away for a long time, Eddie is raising Chris alone... And Buck steps in.

And Buck is insanely helpful, a major stress relief -letting Bobby know that Eddie is struggling to find a caretaker for Chris. Researching for ways to help Eddie... He finds Carla to help them. Buck takes one look at Christopher and melts, wants to spend time with them... Eddie thinks "Woah. This guy is amazing. This is someone I can count on, who has my back."

So Eddie just moved on from Shannon. He did love her once... but then they killed their love and marriage, together. Mutual destruction.

Eddie didn't trust her anymore, she didn't trust him after he'd enlisted in a panic to run from the parenthood, from Christopher's diagnosis... they were fighting all the time... and then she just left him alone with Chris.

And I refuse to demonize her for leaving btw, she was young, under a lot of stress, and Eddie was running from his parenthood. Eddie needed that push, to take responsibility, and connect with Chris!!

But still.. She left, Eddie was hurt and alone, and really doesn't trust her anymore, and then he meets Buck.

So Eddie moves on. His and Shannon's romantic love just... dies. And when she finally tries to re-connect. Yes, he still finds her desirable, and the human bond is still an important one. But where's the love?

They've known each other since they were children, they're friends, Shannon is Christopher's mother. But Eddie no longer really loves her like he once did. He tries. He forgives her, for everything, and really tries to mend their marriage, even proposes again after finding out she may be pregnant...

But it's just too late for both of them, they don't really work as a couple, and she realises she is tired of this battle, she is done.

Shannon leaving.... this made Eddie move on from her, even though he tried to deny it, even to himself. By leaving, Shannon gave the final killing blow to their already fractured mutual trust. Then she was gone for a long time, and when she finally came back, Eddie had already moved on, connected with someone else. She even says this - I was away for too long.

She realises that their marriage dead. She is shocked when Eddie keeps pushing her away from Chris, realises their mutual lack of trust. And she finally admits to herself that she doesn't really want to get back together with Eddie.

Eddie is dragging his feet, not really accepting her back, keeps looking for a "sign" that would say they should have another serious go as partners. Only proposes after there's another pregnancy scare.

Shannon thinks, this marriage is too broken, I want out. We both deserve something better than this. So it is a story of falling in love, and falling out of love.

And then she dies, and Eddie grieves, deeply. He did love Shannon, even though their marriage was a failure. He'd loved her in so many ways. She was his friend, she was his wife, she was Christopher's mother.

However, I do feel like the reason why he struggles to date after Shannon's death is a combination of grief - being afraid to try again with anyone... and it's denial of his feelings for Buck, and also fear that what if... This happens again, what if he loves and they leave. I think the key problem here really is Buck.

Eddie has already fallen for someone, and tries to deny it, ignore it. He thinks this is a road that would take him nowhere, so why try. He thinks Buck is straight!

So he starts pushing Buck away because this odd family unit they have...? Where is it going really, he thinks, Buck doesn't want him.

This line, said to Buck:

"Somehow we became a ready-made family and I... I don't know if I'm ready for that."

It's grief for Shannon, and it's unrequited love for Buck, and it's about being unable to love Ana because of those both massive things stopping Eddie from being able to connect with her.

Remember.... that Buck starts the thing with Taylor before Eddie starts dating Ana?

Eddie, looking like a zombie, hosting Buck and Taylor, telling Buck that he needs to move on, Eddie has. (Yeah it's a lie.)

And remember all these talks about Eddie needing to move on, before he goes on dates?

This is Eddie, trying to move on, and find his third family unit.

The scene with Eddie and Buck when they've just met, Buck bragging that "some of us don't need good lighting to look good..."

And then Eddie at the fire station, looking at Buck, forgetting to introduce Ana to everyone, realising his mistake and saying to Ana;

"Oh, you've never been here!"...

Because she wasn't, Buck's presence just erases her from Eddie's mind, it's like she isn't even in the same room.

It's true, Eddie realises. Buck really doesn't need good lighting to look good, not to Eddie.

"Even in the dark, this place is amazing."

It's terrible, but disturbingly true for Eddie. This feeling, of existing in the darkness, alone, and watching someone who just doesn't need good lighting to look amazing. They just glow anyway, overwhelmingly, they just erase everyone else from your mind.

I feel like this symbolizes deep, unrequited love really well. Even in the dark this place is amazing.

So Eddie keeps struggling. He won't let Buck close because that's killing him, but he also can't let go of him. He's just ...always dying.

And then Buck comes out to him? It's a shock. It's a brief moment of dumb, wide-eyed hope.

But then Eddie immediately realizes... This changes nothing. Buck is dating someone else. Buck is falling for someone else. Buck is still... Just a friend.

Nothing has changed for Buck, and therefore not for Eddie either. Eddie is still alone in this. And keeps dying.

So... The point I'm trying to make here.

I feel like this struggle we're seeing, it's not about Eddie being gay. He fell for Shannon, they agreed the sex was never the problem.

Even this new relationship with Marisol. He does feel sexual desire for her... Their sex life is great... Until he learns that she was almost a nun? Imagine being in the closet, bi, and realising your girlfriend was almost a nun?

It's truly "eyes on the ground". Would she still want her, if she really knew who, or what, Eddie is? Would she be disgusted if she learned about all of Eddie's fantasies?

How can Eddie trust her?

So... That's what making him run from Marisol. I do think he's making a genuine effort to move on from his old flames - Shannon and Buck.

I mean... Remember Eddie's talk with his tia? Learning that she had been married before, and refusing to even try dating someone else, until her friends dragged her out?

And ultimately this made her move on, meeting someone else. And soon she didn't regret trying again.

So Eddie is trying to move on from Shannon, and Buck.

But can he? Is he?

One thing about Buck's coming out, and the following scene, the talk with Eddie...

Noticed the buddie subtext, and the bisexual subtext of the lines when he talks about Marisol there? About needing to go home.

The "menu" is not the issue. The issue is that he doesn't want to go home, to Marisol. (Lol, there's btw that bicycle again, hanging on the wall behind Eddie's back. Bi subtext!!)

Eddie does desire her. ... He just doesn't love her. And that keeps happening... Because his heart is already taken.

[thisismeracing]

ok so building in that komh tattoo thot

what if they got their pet names for each other tattooed in their partners handwriting

i.e. hamilton!reader calls mick mouse and he has a tattoo of the name in her hand writing (imo she writes almost exclusively in cursive, sue me)

thank about this liebe or schatzi in micks handwriting on hamilton!readers left wrist where you check for pulse cause mick is her life and you check for pulse to see if someone is still alive

mouse would be located on mick’s neck where you also check for pulse

one of these bitches gets a tattoo and then the other follows suit because they want to match and i respect it

THEY GET THE PET NAME TATS TOGETHER THIS TIME AND THEY ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF THEIR SIBLINGS HOLDING THEIR HANDS

*flashback to last ask*

gina is in europe and mick slams the door open to her room (how did he get here??) and drags her to the tattoo parlor to get the high heel done

and on the entire car ride there mick is gushing about how hamilton!reader got a tattoo for HIM and now he has to do the same

gina is really just doing this for him to calm tf down

back to regularly scheduled programming

the siblings are still there at the appointment but they are more so there to take pictures and document the process

ok imma stop there cause this ask is getting long as hell

☕️

part 1 tattoo thot

"You're really getting a tattoo on your neck?" Gina asks sitting beside Lewis who's watching as Yn scribbles something on the paper the tattoo artist gave her. They were yet unaware that the tattoo would be in Mick's and Yn's handwriting, both just knew the couple was getting matching tattoos. Well, new matching tattoos because they already had done it the last month. Yn sporting the number 47 just behind her ear, and Mick sporting a small shoe in the same location.

Mick nods to Gina, "Yeah, it'll look good," he grins at Yn who playfully rolls her eyes, trying to keep the anticipation of kissing her own handwriting on his neck.

"Your is gonna be in your neck as well?" Lewis asks his sister, but Yn shakes her head.

"Mine will be on my wrist," she turns it up, pointing to the exact place with the pen in her hands.

Mick grabs a pen, writing "Schatzi" in it a couple times, before showing Yn, "Is this a good size?"

Gina and Lewis shared a look finally understanding what their baby siblings were doing. Gina has a grin bigger than her face, and Lewis just chuckles watching the whole scene unfold. He's happy for Yn, though he'll definitely talk with Mick again, just for a measure, because now the German has two marks on his baby sister, two tattoos when he only has one with her.

The artist starts to explain the whole procedure even though they were there just a few weeks back. Mick and Yn are sitting side by side and nod along. They're holding hands, keeping them laced while Mick gets his tattoo. He makes some faces at Yn and holds back the laughter when she winces for him in a particular spot. It doesn't take long. It's a fairly small tattoo, "mouse" in cursive letters. Her nickname for him. The silly little name she's been calling him even before they got together. When it's her turn, things are almost the same. Gina and Lewis from the back filming and joking, and Mick and Yn holding hands.

Mick bends to capture her lips in a quick kiss when she whines about how the first S is hurting. It's in capital letters, and it's his handwriting. He feels a surge of pride watching the drawing getting form. Yn is distracted enough by his kisses and whispers to whine again. And when it's finished they're both smiling at the other.

"This looks so cool," Yn gazes at Mick's neck, his new tattoo covered by a thin layer of protector foil.

"Well, we are done with tattoos for a long while now, yeah?" Lewis quirks his brows, clearly joking with the couple. Yn shows him her tongue, and Mick just shrugs, both silently hiding the fact that they're are already having new ideas.

Yn's body was his temple, and Mick was a feverish devotee. She was his queen, and he was her proud subject. Of course, he would have her eternalized on his skin in a way that everyone could see.

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[justheretoposttrash]

day 12 of the final endhawks: endhawkspocalypse:

the adhd side of my brain has taken over and decided that consistency can No Longer Happen, so i've decided to make this my last day of posting, at least when it comes to sequential daily posts. i'm still unhinged-ly working on endhawks-related things for the foreseeable future though, and always happy to talk about the ship!

here's a final hodgepodge of thoughts!

part 1 - more ch430 positives

the continued use of a ranked *number system* in particular is silly imo (ig the masses do love a catchy numbered list). but at the very least, i gotta appreciate that the main characters didn't get top rankings straight outta school--when i think about how old they are post-timeskip compared to hawks, especially! bbygirl got #2 at 22 but was child-soldiered into it and was absolutely breaking his proverbial back. it's really not an aspirational thing to beat, and it's not something the main characters have to achieve to be "cool" or fulfilled narratively. they focused on their happiness, instead--shoto on finding his own identity and balancing his life thanks to his support system, bakugo on getting his boyfriend/whatever/queerplatonic-died-in-each-others'-arms-on-a-battlefield-in-a-past-life-and-now-they-keep-reincarnating-together soul-partners/rival back at his side so they can keep pushing each other, etc.! mirio's ascent notwithstanding, it's a healthy nugget from the final chap.

another cute thing from 430 is when hawks jokes that nagant is a villain. this joke has layers to it, considering both had to take on the villain label because of the commission, also contributing to their respective traumas under the commission. (they both even had someone cradle them in their arms shouting that they were still a hero despite them being at their low points--and physically very crispy. one of those someones being hawks himself, ofc.)

next, i gotta appreciate how unfettered hawks's facial expressions have become (also, his under-eyes are already thicker and darker, bro needs to sleep 😭) compared to how subdued they were in the twice fight (and to be clear, his expressions still screamed volumes then. i love how they're drawn to convey so much nuance in his emotions). once he was cut free from the commission, he stopped putting on a smile while doing hero work (there wasn't much to smile about post-raid, but pre-raid i'd argue things were bleak for him already, so at least he doesn't feel the need to put on as many airs). he also started actively sweating and showing fear, but without losing more genuine displays of confidence and happiness. (all this makes me very curious if his speech patterns have also changed in the original japanese to any extent compared to how they were at his introduction)

part 2 - dabi=endhawks truther?!?! *not clickbait*

i remember it being kinda hilarious that dabi tossed out hawks's history as an extra "fuck you" to endeavor, but i forgot how direct he is about his intentions.

he's just like, "yeah, i specifically wanted to drag hawks (and reveal his betrayal and hopefully shake your faith in him) to hurt you, dad. even though you two have hung out, like, maybe twice (may he rest in peace) in your whole lives. trust me, i knew this would be devastating for you. don't ask me how i know." like. touya my man. what are you doing. also thank you. almost makes the angst-lover in me wish he'd added a "don't worry about hawks, dad. you'll be joining him soon" right before attacking him with prominence burn to twist the knife, though understandably that would've convoluted the spotlight when the focus was meant to be on family and the touya reveal. but goddamn, just imagine.

he basically did the exact same thing to hawks by telling him his identity. in revealing a name that could only hold any significance to hawks through its relation to endeavor and what touya's existence implies about him, touya wielded a secret from endeavor's past to psychologically hurt hawks and shake his faith. it's just wild that he did it to both of them, pulled off flawlessly and with maximum drama, in rapid succession. legendary.

anyway, ppl tend to portray dabi as an endhawks anti, when funnily he's kinda more on the side of enjoying the fact they have a connection--granted, mainly as a thing to leverage to hurt them, bc he fuckin despises them (and granted, hatred in dabi's eyes is a complicated thing)--but still! he ain't in denial about endeavor's and hawks's relationship, he's an og! he's first in line! this makes his daddy issue allegations so much worse, but he doesn't care! and honestly i owe my life to him for his service in unearthing the truth; he's doing canon, in-text work to forcefeed the public endhawks crumbs that they didn't even want, and he deserves our utmost respect 🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡

part 3 - our hero academia ft. protective enji

my mind was too wrapped up in The Plot to notice the subtleties of when Press Conference Lady yells at endeavor post-raid--for one thing, i realize on a second read that she's actually kinda yelling at hawks. so much of the emphasis is on endeavor's past actions that i didn't pick up on a few key details. for one, when hawks discusses his murder of jin, the visual centers endeavor's reaction, solemn but accepting/calm.

secondly, Press Con Lady speaks up right after hawks is done talking. thirdly, what she describes--not looking sorry, empty-seeming apologies, incompetence in the face of villains--apply as criticisms equally to hawks as they do to endeavor (notably not to jeanist, as he doesn't have a past or scandalous behavior to answer for).

it's also at this time that endeavor looks more angry (just look at his frown in the panel above!) and actually gives some pricklier-sounding pushback, when before he was mainly resolved and remorseful.

notably, he's translated as saying "we" and "our". ofc he's paying respect to his colleagues at large as well, but considering Press Con's criticisms are pointed most specifically and apply most to hawks and himself, he's strongly implying and acknowledging the pain that hawks has been through.

as he goes on to speak, the word choice shifts away from "us" and "we" to "me" as he claims responsibility for what happens next and urges peoples' slings and arrows to aim at him alone--again, for the sake of his colleagues and family at large, but particularly for hawks in this moment.

the undercurrents are so understated in this scene, but the degree to which endeavor shifts the language and focus away from hawks and onto himself is profound. throughout mha, we've got plenty of thought bubbles showing how hawks feels about endeavor in outright terms, but not as many from endeavor about hawks, especially after all their dirty laundry gets aired out. but even without thought bubbles, how he feels about hawks even at the worst of times becomes perfectly clear.

(god they drive me insane lmao)

[6okuto]

Hey! I absolutely loved seeing your Cove with a pregnant reader, and was wondering if you had any hcs for cove with him and his partner’s newborn? Either way! Thank you so much for reading.

COVE WITH HIS BABY

gn!reader | points are specified if the baby's biologically theirs ! and i used both they and it while referring to.. the hypothetical baby...um. don't think many of these points would be specific to a newborn btw, but Definitely a Baby👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍💻

cove's researched how to take care of a baby for so many months, and he still finds himself unprepared when he finally sees his family together

biological | yes he does point out any features that the baby shares with his partner. yes he does get a little excited if the baby has his hair

you can only describe the look on his face as pure adoration and awe when the baby tries to grasp his hand, only managing to hold a single finger.

^ he thought seeing baby clothes was enough to get used to how small they are. but now he's whispering "your hands are so small" before looking at his partner and going "their hands are so small." like babies are seriously So small

whatever the baby's name is, he'll keep repeating it. whether just the name or saying "hello ___," in a very soft voice

he's,, quite nervous to hold his baby for the first time. what if he holds them wrong? where do his hands go? the pick-up / hand-off is kinda clunky but he gets the hang of it!

cove has a very big grin on his face when their families come to visit. the look he shares with his parents is so. it's. i mean wow i will cry rn. they're so proud of and happy for him

biological | if anyone comments on the baby's similarities to its parents, he sort of unconsciously puffs his chest in pride because well,, that's his baby !!

cries when they finally bring the baby home and place it in the bassinet

depending on his partner's own sleeping patterns and state, he'll be the one to get up if the baby is crying. in fact if he knows his partner's more tired than him when they both wake up, he will make them stay in bed

having a newborn is just so very tiring. shout-out to new parents btw they are so much stronger than me. cove really really loves his partner, and makes sure they're doing okay. splitting up responsibilities, scheduling rest days, spending time together, etc. is super important to him

he really develops a new appreciation for his parents because of this, it can be so hard being a parent. cove calls and asks for help, and also to thank them for everything

the confusion and concern in cliff's voice when cove calls him in the middle of the evening, voice strained as he thanked his dad for taking care of him,, vs the laugh he lets out when cove tells him the baby finally stopped crying after so so long, how do babies just keep crying??? did he always cry ??

omg. have you guys seen that dad who matches outfits with his daughter and lets her choose by holding the outfits up in front of her. omg

^ probably asks his partner for help with picking out clothes. like they're all baby clothes, won't his baby look cute either way??

the photo opportunities....cove sleeping next to the bassinet/crib...them cuddling...cove reading a little story... him playing with them and lighting up when the baby giggles.. thinking about a very specific photo where the baby's holding his face and cove's laughing. pls.

sends these photos to their families! it's time to make a new scrapbook of photos. if his partner really wants to get this guy emotional/flustered, all they have to do is compare photos of their baby to cove when he was a baby

cove takes walks around the neighborhood with the baby for sure. he always invited his partner to join, too

^ he's very excited the first time they all go to the beach btw. he's a little worried at first that the baby won't like it, and is Very relieved when they do

takes toys seriously. well. seriously in the way that he notes which ones they bought that the baby really likes so he can get more similar ones

cove carrying them over to the fish tank so they can see them all (T＿T) tells them all the fishes' names, and about the different types

something i think is fun is when people talk to babies as if they're making sense. when a baby blabbers and the person nods along like "yeah, i know right? it makes no sense." < cove fr. very supportive of his baby's insightful opinions on the current political climate. and also dora's silly adventures. babies can care about both, he reassures his partner

do you guys know the newborn scrunch. when his baby stops doing that he Will find his partner to tell them. if they're both there to witness it,, the shock on his face. wow. his baby's growing up

cove coming home to both his partner and baby :') there's definitely a few times when he's walked in on them spending time together and he thinks he might cry. he cries

🏷 | @lordbugs @xfangirl-trashx @fifteenshadesofpinkk @lotus-sukimono @bakugosgrenade @vhenis @anime-ships-gay @dreamtydraw

[ideasarestuckinmyhead]

Could we have y!Alphonse and y!Seth?

Protective or obsessive?

tw SOME ONE DIES :D also some gore so I'm gonna have to mark this. I need to do that to my Lucien one actually-

Sugarboo was a very good catch, Alphonse and Seth always told them that. Along with how lucky they both were to finally have them in their lives because they help better both boy's. There was lots of people in town that also told Sugarboo that, they chose not to comment on it. But it was starting to become annoying to deal with when the older women would tell them about their own grandchild looking for a partner.

Since there was more younger people coming into town Sugarboo ended up getting admirer's. It was sweet getting flowers form blushing people as they left quickly when told they had two loving partners. Hearing that they were poly some of the admirer's tries wooing their boyfriends to see if they could join the relationship.

Alphonse and Seth mostly shut that down quickly, but there was a few that tried threatening the ex con-men. Like that was going to work, a few punches and some cracked bones made the admirer's run away like a dog with it's tail tucked between it's legs. Sugarboo knew what they were doing and were happy, because there was a few that wanted to join for the boy's too.

But there was this one woman that kept messing with them, always trying to butt in thinking they'd let her. Lilith was one of the younger women that moved to town during the 'great young migration' named by the older people in town. At first she was sweet and began a friend of SB's bringing her close to their lovers and she fucking flirted with them. Obviously all three told her to kick fucking rocks but she kept pushing hard, like she had a death wish.

"Come on! I can be good for all three of you~" Slurring out Lilith leaned her chest on Alphonse's arm and let a hand grope on Seth's. Both men yank their arm's away in disgust and Alphonse started to speak.

"Listen here dumbass I'm in a relationship and we all three agreed we DID NOT WANT YOU! Kick rocks already lady god!" Seth grunted in agreement as both walked away from her, both were in a alley way of sorts in town picking up some groceries for Sugarboo's cooking. Lilith was able to falsely tell them that she wanted to speak in private about a apology. SB told the two to be nice to her because they already were on the sheriff's bad side getting into so many fights.

"What's so good about them anyways? They're not even that great! But everyone fuckin' praises them like their a saint when really their noth-AH!" Getting roughly shoved on the brick wall behind her by Seth, Alphonse looked over the brown hair man shoulder's. Glaring at Lilith, both were VERY protective of Sugarboo after the whole Derek shit went down.

"Sugar is a good person. THAT IS WHY EVERYONE LIKES THEM." Scolding in a dark tone to Lilith by Seth the woman looked frightened. Both men had crazy look's in their eyes when she didn't finish her insults about their partner.

"Come near us again or our Boo and we WILL deal with you." Leaning down more to get in the woman's face her breath hitched, "Your only being spared because Boo told us too." Walking away with bags of groceries and Seth following suit both left the woman with her thoughts.

Three days past from that and Sugarboo was running late home, so both boys decided to go to the bakery Sugarboo set up in town. They saw a small group of people chatting a few buildings down and quietly walking to them listened in.

"Okay so the baker gets out in three minutes, Luke your going to grab them and put this over their face. Simon go get in the car and have it ready for us to get in. Yue you got the gloves?" Lilith's voice was heard and both men pieced together what they were going to do.

"Why do I have to grab- Wait...who- AH!" Acting quickly Alphonse grabbed the closest person, Luke and smashed his head against the wall. Seth looked at Yue who froze and dropped the butcher knife she was holding, reaching down to her arm he spoke.

"Sorry." Then a sickening crack was heard as his hand shot up to hold Yue's mouth closed. Her screaming muffled by his big hand as the shorter woman sobbed into it. Lilith was behind Simon looking at Alphonse and Seth, the two men were shaking with anger. Yue was thrown down on the ground by Luke as the two crazed lovers began stalking towards the pair that was going to hurt Sugarboo.

"Didn't I say we'd deal with ya?" Cracking his knuckles Alphonse had a manic smile as he went and grabbed Lilith's hair. Before Simon could react Seth grabbed his throat and began chocking him, watching how the skinny man began losing color in his face then passing out.

"Al, hurry up before Sugar come's out and get's m-" There was a sigh at the entrance of the alley way. Turning quickly both men smiled as they saw their Sugarboo, who looked a bit annoyed.

"Really? Now we gotta hide them! Ugh you two....Seth go get Al's car." Commanding the sad eye man he nodded passing by them quickly but gave them a peck on the cheek. Then sprinting off to go get the car, he was a fast runner out of the three of them.

"Y......You three are psychopaths! Why are you so calm-" Lilith interrupted herself as she finally saw Sugarboo's face. Disappointment. They slowly walked to her as she was anchored down by Alphonse gripping her hair still.

"You really should have listened." In the little light in the alley way the butcher knife Sugarboo picked up glinted. Then it in bedded itself in Lilith's skull, she screamed for a short second before a switch blade stabbed itself into her throat. Alphonse holding a switch blade yanked it out, Lilith pawed at her head and tried touching her throat.

"Aa...akfghh??" Blood spilled as she tried to speak but with her throat slashed her vocal cords could make any sounds. Lilith then passed out hanging limply by Alphonse still gripping her hair. A car engine was heard and Seth opened it then coming back to the alley way.

"Awe man you got blood on the floor! That's gonna take long to clean!" Complaining Seth grabbed a cleaning tool form the car and some body bags. Sugarboo sighed and started to bag up the bodies with Seth, Alphonse smiled at the two wondering how he got so lucky with them.

[earthry]

Hellooo love I hope you have a nice day/or night Can i ask for papas x reader with soulmate matching marks?

Also I want you to know I really love your short fics and they give me comfort (maybe Im weird, but your angst is my favourite thing to read)

Aw thank you! I’m very glad to hear they give you comfort! <3 I hope you don't mind the angst I gave this prompt eheheh! They're all happy endings though, I promise.

Warnings: sfw, hurt/comfort, angst, subjects of coma & hospital, happy endings for all regardless

Primo

Knew the two of you were soulmates from the first day he met you, but has never said anything because you deserve someone else, not someone as old and worn out and tired like him.

He’s not strong enough to not get to know you and talk to you and make you laugh though. He never plans on letting you know that he’s your soulmate, and has accepted that one day you will fall in love and leave his side and he will have to let you go. Jokes on him though, all that time spent together because he couldn’t bear being away from you only served to make you fall deeper and deeper in love with him.

You loved how patient and knowledgeable he was, how his age has mellowed him and retirement has allowed him to pursue his interests. You often find your feet moving on their own to the gardens, and it never feels like a complete day without getting to see or talk to him at least once. It doesn’t help that he uses pet names and calls you things like dear and treasure and sweetheart in his mother tongue.

A year later finds you secretly wishing he could be your soulmate, but knowing he isn’t because he would have told you if you were; he’s seen your soulmate mark countless times. But through some accident or perhaps a moment of fate, you get a glimpse of Primo’s soulmate mark without him realizing and— that’s your mark. Your soulmate mark on Primo. The same exact one he sees on you every single day you see each other and you’ve never felt more hurt. The knowledge that he never spoke up or claimed you as his was heart wrenching.

Of course, you assume that he just didn’t want you. What else could it be? No, the only explanation there can be is that he simply does not want you. You know him well enough to know that if he didn’t like you he wouldn’t keep you around. But you also know that he likes you good enough as a friend but you will never be enough to be a partner, a lover, soulmate.

You fall apart and Primo’s never felt guiltier in his life, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever forgive himself. He tries to hold you in his arms in comfort but you pull away with a sob. You plead him to tell you what it is that makes you so unloveable and unwanted and he can hardly bear it.

The truth comes spilling out and he begs you to listen, begs you to believe him when he says that he does want you, he’d love nothing more than to have you as his and his forever. It’s his fault, his own insecurities and reservations about himself that caused this. And when you finally let him pull you into his arms, he holds you oh so tightly. Tells you he loves you without requisite, whispers that he’s never letting go, that the two of you will figure this out.

He takes you back to his rooms after you’ve calmed— runs you a bath with essential oils and salts and helps you wash your hair. He presses light kisses to your skin as he goes, often making you giggle at the sensation. Each laugh he coaxes from you makes his heart lighter. Afterwards, he bundles you up in a fluffy white towel and insists you wear his clothing to bed. There’s a possessive look on his face when you come out wearing only his shirt and he can’t help but sweep you into a hungry kiss. When you’re both sated, you settle into bed together and he holds you against him. You fall asleep to soft kisses and whispers of love and reassurance. He promises he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to make up for the pain he caused you.

Secondo

You knew that the two of you were soulmates before he did. You also knew that he didn’t want a soulmate. It was common knowledge, really. Grass is green, the sky is blue, and Secondo does not want a soulmate.

Even if you knew he would never want you, you still wanted to be in his life as much as you could. As much as you were allowed. It starts small, bringing him cups of coffee exactly how he likes them, asking if he needs help with his work, a few passing comments on a book he’s reading that evolves to conversation.

Soon your presence in his life becomes something natural and you tell yourself it’s enough. And in a way it is, being able to see him each day, make him chuckle at something funny you said, coaxing a smile and pleased look on his face when you bring him food during a particularly long work or reading binge.

It still doesn’t change the fact that seeing him bed countless others shatters you almost each and every time. Each morning you visit and there’s hickies on his neck barely covered by his papal pain, a satisfied aura around him as he goes about his day. You feel your heart crack.

Your constant vigil by his side is an anomaly to him; he’s never had someone like you stay by his side this long. Especially not for the man behind the paint. At first you were simply a tolerable pretty face that he accepted into his orbit but soon you because so much more.

You weren’t just another sister, brother, sibling-in-sin anymore. You became the smile he looked forwards to greeting each morning, the voice that caressed that bitter hurt wound around his heart, the face he saw in his dreams. Secondo didn’t realize he was falling in love with you, but as surely as the moon shines, he was already lost on you.

Secondo finds out that you are his soulmate through an accident. Something happens and he rushes you to the abby’s infirmary, his heart pounding and scared out of his mind for your safety. He doesn’t mean to see you in such a state of undress while the nurses have to cut around your clothing to get to your wound, but he does and that’s when he sees it— his soulmate mark on you. It hits him hard, the sudden knowledge that you’re soulmates and you must have known, and now that he knows he can’t do anything about it because you’re laying so, so still in that bed. He’s not even upset at you for not telling him; he just wants you to be okay. He needs you to be okay.

You don’t wake up and he has you transferred to the best hospital in reach, where you’ll have the best treatment and the best chance. The hospital bills are insanely expensive but he puts his card down on your expenses and orders them to continue charging any needed cost for you to the card. He would give you everything, give you anything to have you be okay.

Secondo becomes a permanent fixture in your hospital room, and for the first few days he sits there gloomily not doing much except for wallowing in his guilt and grief. He regrets openly announcing that he doesn’t want a soulmate, regrets boasting that he doesn’t really think they’re anything special. He wishes he could take it all back.

Sometimes he can’t help but reach over to feel your weak pulse to remind himself you’re still alive, can’t help but gently, so gently tracing his soulmate mark etched into your skin. A week passes and you haven’t woken but just as Secondo begins to despair, you finally wake.

As much as he hates showing emotion, he cries. He holds you so close to him, as close as he can without aggravating your wounds. He kisses your palms, rests his forehead against the back of your hand and pleads with you to believe him when he says he loves you and that he was a fool to think he’d never want a soulmate. You feel skeptical at first but time after time as he will show you just how much he means it.

He takes you home when you are well enough to be discharged from the hospital and you find yourself in a luxurious house you’ve never seen before. You look at Secondo questioningly and he explains that he isn’t required to live at the Abby or be involved as much since he’s retired. Now that he has you, he’s ready to settle down. You look at him, and then you look around the huge house in a very nice area with a beautiful yard that must be very expensive to maintain. It has at least three stories and when you glance out the window to the backyard, it stretches on and on. You turn back to the love of your life with large eyes and go: “wait what.” “Welcome to our new home, amore mio.”

Terzo

The first time you meet Terzo you accidentally mace the poor fool because he sees your mark from afar and realizes the two of you are soulmates and in his exuberance and relief and joy that he actually had a soulmate, that there’s someone for him, he flings himself at you in a whirlwind of hugs and kisses and then you mace him and he cries and you cry— anyways some people intervene and you find out he’s actually not a creep, he’s your soulmate and very bad at self control. Despite the rocky beginning, you find yourself enamored with his charm and clumsiness.

He's such a romantic, wants to do all the 'How Well Do You Know Your Soulmate' quizzes together. He loves cooking your favorite dishes for you and planning dates and treating you to expensive nice things.

You do learn a little bit about his reputation around the ministry, plus there's always the occasional jealous sibling-in-sin that gossips to you about what a playboy, what a womanizer Terzo is. How he can't commit, how he's good in bed but not worth sticking around for (those last ones get you really upset on his behalf), but you decide to ignore them and to let his own actions and words speak for themselves. He's already shown you that he's a thoughtful person-- he listens to you and has a silly sense of humor. He's not very coordinated and often gets into little accidents, but you're always there to kiss each scrap and bruise better. You realize that you're falling in love with him one night when you're both cooking in his kitchen and he is singing to the radio and dancing goofy to make you laugh (though the laugh turns into concern when he slips and half the ingredients in the bowl he was holding go flying across the room-- regardless it's one of your favorite memories.)

Terzo is already half in love with you after your first meeting and he makes it a mission to do anything and everything he can to convince you he is the perfect soulmate. Because he wants you to stay-- needs you to stay. If he's not perfect, if he isn't everything you've ever wanted, why would you stay? Why would anyone stay for him?

It starts becoming a issue when Terzo begins to get flustered and upset with himself when things on dates go wrong; sometimes it's natural and cannot be helped, like a rainy day or crowded restaurant, but you can still tell from the look on his face that he's beating himself up over it.

He doesn't have much work to do at the abby now that he's retired so he dotes on you as much as he can. He hovers and sticks so close to you all the time that eventually you get a little frustrated and ask for some space.

That night when you retreat to your shared bedroom, you find Terzo curled up in bed, eyes red and puffy, papal paint smeared and runny. He tries to hide his distress from you but you're not having it and eventually it all comes out and he sobs in your arms as you hold him in your lap, murmuring in gentle tones promising that he is enough, promising him you love him and you're not going anywhere. It doesn't immediately heal all the hurt that's been festering all these years, all the shame and self-hatred that he's carried on his shoulders all this time-- but it's a start.

Copia

Sighs. We know where this one is going already, in case you haven’t guessed. You two grew up together. Yup, you’re childhood friends again.

You’ve known each other since you were like 7 years old when Copia was being bullied by some kids for being the ‘weird rat kid’ and you bullied them back and scared them off because at that age you were a little bit of a hellion with a big attitude. The other kids were kind of scared of you too. Even though he also found you scary, Copia ended up following you around after that and you guys have been close since.

He used to hold your hand when you were kids cause it made him feel safer and also so he wouldn’t get lost around the big Abby halls, and it kind of ended up carrying over to when you two got older. It just came naturally and you didn’t mind and if anyone commented or said anything a quick glare from you had them shutting up real quick. Your reputation for being scary had not changed much since you were a kid, if anything it got even worse because you could pull nasty pranks for revenge. People learned not to be mean or rude to Copia at all because you’re a menace and would make their lives literally unbearable if you found out they made him upset or something.

When you were both 15, it was two in the morning and the two of you sneaked out to hit up a 24 hour fast food joint together— with scrapped knuckles from your last scuffle, grass-stained jeans and blinding neon lights illuminating your face as you very gracefully (which is to say not graceful at all) scarfed down your greasy burger, how could he not kiss you? How could he not tell you he loves you? You’re more than enthusiastic to kiss him back, to tell him you love him too and would kill a man for him (to which he very weakly replies ‘please don’t’ and you shrug and he looks very very worried until you give him a kiss to his temple and tell him you’re joking)(kind of).

As you neared the age of eighteen when you would develop your soulmates marks, Copia got anxious. While you were absolutely certain the two of you would be soulmates, Copia had his fears. He wasn’t sure what he would do if you weren’t his soulmate— the idea of having to spend his life and be with someone else for the rest of his life was nauseating. The idea that the one person who’s always been there for him, who knows him better than himself, who stands up for him even to his own mother, the idea that you aren’t his soulmate— that keeps him up at night.

Your birthdays are two months apart, and you get your soulmate mark first because you're older. It's beautiful and you show it off to Copia who admires it and caresses it. He tells you it suits you well, and that he loves it. You tell him good, because he will be getting the same one, and his smile falters (Because what if he doesn't? What if he doesn't get to be yours?) and you ask him what's wrong. "What if... what if we aren't soulmates?" You scoff and tell him that that's impossible and he goes quiet and nods. Sometimes you hate yourself for being so blunt; so insensitive sometimes, because a week later he disappears.

You're frantic when you realize he's missing-- you tear the abby apart, asking everyone and anyone who will listen if they've seen him. Eventually you go to his mother and she tells you not to worry about him. She tells you to just forget about him actually, it's not like the two of you will end up being soulmates afterall-- and that's when you realize the culprit of Copia's doubts. The whispering rat that has been on his shoulder fostering doubt and insecurities that you don't love him like he loves you, that he'll never be yours. You should have known she'd do something like this-- she never did like you in the first place. You snarl and demand to know where he is but she doesn't look threatened-- she simply repeats her words and leaves you to seethe in an empty room, heart aching for your other half.

It's only when you threaten to tell the whole ministry that Copia is Papa Nihil's son that she gives in-- she can't risk that knowledge coming out so soon, so she reluctantly gives you the address.

It's a small hotel, and you are too jittery to wait for the elevator, instead running up 7 flights of stairs to get to his room. You let yourself in with the keycard his mother gave you and run into the room and there's--

Copia. So small and lost and curled up in such a big hotel bed. Dressed in his red tracksuit he loves to wear so much 'because it's super cozy and soft', eyes bloodshot and surprised when his head shoots up to look at you. Your name is a hushed whisper that leaves his lips, and you can swear you almost hear relief.

"Tesoro, what are you doing here?" "I'm here to bring your dumbass back, is what I'm doing." He splutters a little and you crowd him on the bed. His cheeks flush and he stutters as he asks what you're doing and you tell him you're making sure he can't run away again.

That night, you hold him tight in that hotel room and tell him that you're not going anywhere. Even if the two of you weren't soulmates in the end, you still weren't going anywhere. You kiss his temple and make him a promise you're never leaving his side. You remind him of that promise you made to each other when you were five, that you would always be there to protect him. Because you can't do that if you're not by his side, after all.

And on his eighteen birthday, you're holding his hand as he nervously watches the clock countdown and when midnight strikes and a soulmark identical to yours spreads across his skin, the smile his eyes make will forever be your favorite memory.

[khruschevshoe]

Jim and Oluwande got the worst end of the deal. I'd even say they regressed as both characters and partners and anything they had built up in s1 was almost completely stripped away from them. The way they're portrayed together and apart in s2 is not only unlike the characters we saw in s1, but their rich storyline was reduced to extreme side characters used only as plot devices in a way they absolutely did not have to be used. I LOVED them in s1, and I was so disappointed by what s2 did to them and their potential growth, which I think applies to pretty much everything in s2, not only them.

Mind if I piggyback of this ask to go into all my critiques of the handling of Jim/Olu in Season 2? Thanks!

OFMD Critique: Tealoranges, Dropped Storylines, and Wasted Potential

God, the issues I have with the writing of Season 2 extend in so many directions. Jim's character, I felt, was well-handled for at least the first two episodes but then slowly starts skewing wrong as early as episode 3 (I am still chewing glass over the way their reunion scene with Oluwande was written- or, rather, NOT written). Episode 4 was good, but everything after that? Someone said that Jim in the back half of the season feels more like Vico than Jim, and though I do love and appreciate Vico, it's completely true. Jim doesn't feel like the same character we've come to know, whether from Season 1 or even what is set up in early season 2.

And yet, I STILL feel like they're written better than Olu, if you can believe it? So, I haven't talked about this much, but I feel like Olu is done dirty from almost the moment he is introduced in Season 2. At least Jim (through editing alone, but hey, we'll give the show the smallest benefit of the doubt) gets an acknowledgement that they miss Olu during that flashback sequences while they talk to Archie- Olu doesn't even get that. I read about a deleted scene that would have had Pete and Olu desperate to reunite with Lucius and Jim in episode 1 and I feel like that was DESPERATELY needed to make the Season 1 finale -> Season 2 jump make any sort of sense. I like Zheng, but for the love of God, her romance with Olu (which I had my own issues with for the disservice it does both their characters) is not worth destroying the tealoranges build up from Season 1. Just cut something from the first episode or one of the Zheng/Olu scenes from the second episode to make it make sense.

Then, moving onto later in the season- I've posted about how Olu and Jim deserved the grand, epic reunion otherwise 1x10 and everything set up with them in Season 1 doesn't make sense. Could the writers of the show have possibly redistributed some of the glorious cinematography from Ed and Stede over to Jim and Olu? All I need is one shot of their reunion (a proper, emotional one, not played for laughs or friendship or whatever) framed by the sun to parallel Ed and Stede's being framed by the moon and I would have been happy on that front.

And then later in the season...I was down for the poly elements if they could have been executed better. Fanfics have shown that the Archie plot could have been executed well. But the fact that Zheng is straight up NOT MENTIONED until 2x7 by Olu? And then Jim says that he's been pining for her the whole time? I'm sorry, but it doesn't compute. Show, don't tell. There's a reason why I'm down for Jim/Archie/Olu (if executed well), but can't see Zheng/Olu at all.

But of course, 2x7 comes along and we get the "family who fucked" line. And the implication that Olu could have ever left the Revenge without Jim, when in Season 1 he became a wreck because Jim left for A FEW DAYS, much less was FORCEFULLY SEPARATED from him for MONTHS. Then in the finale, at the lupete wedding, they were separated out, him with Zheng and them with Archie, and, well, at that point...I was tired. I'm not gonna lie. Because this wasn't questionable or problematic writing, it just fundamentally DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.

And this is just on a romantic relationship POV. I hated seeing Olu lose his leadership arc from Season 1 and his loyalty to Jim and his nuanced emotional level-headedness/sense of logic. Season 1 really felt like it was slowly building up the idea that the ideal Captain was neither Stede nor Blackbeard but someone a bit more rational, a bit more grounded, a bit more communicative with his crew- someone like Olu. And he gets shoved into the back in Season 2 and reduced to the guy who can't sort scrolls or know that the BOATS ON A MAP MATTER. He gets no influence on plot or major decisions when he was often the voice of reason in Season 1 (we all remember Lucius being a romantic voice of reason in Season 1, but rarely remember that Olu was a major supporting deciding factor in a number of decisions made on the Revenge).

And as for Jim, I wanted more exploration or even just acknowledgement of their trauma post episode-4. I wanted an actual organic continuation of their character arc post-vengeance quest and post-Blackbeard, not just them getting defined by "funny knife thrower with a girlfriend and an ex-boyfriend who they want to get with his crush." They were so much more than that, and it killed me to see the two people who were basically main character 3 and 4 in Season 1 get shoved aside for unneeded subplots about Ricky and Zheng or Gentlebeard's three separate breakups when Jim and Olu's plotline had so much more potential than any of that. They weren't just star-crossed lovers- they were a slow burn ship built of absolutely interesting, complicated, and well-developed characters who brought out the best in each other with a DEVASTATING midpoint to their arc and it honestly would have made a better season not just for them as characters, but for the show overall if someone had just realized that the parallels between a couple that fights and claws to stay together no matter what (tealoranges) and a main ship that was still figuring itself out (Gentlebeard) would have SLAPPED.

(I am now picturing a version of this season where instead of the Izzy fakeout death/Gentlebeard reunion in the beginning of the first episode, we get an Olu/Jim reunion in episode 3 to parallel whatever reunion the writers wanted to slap together for Stede/Ed. I would have actively cried over the Olu/Jim reunion and it would have drastically improved the season.)