#with no pain and nothing to fear

[the-promise-has-been-made]

Saying goodbye to my fluffy son, who went across the rainbow bridge this morning to join his best friend there. They are playing in the sun now, and they know they were both so, so loved

[caffeinatedopossum]

Me when I remember something I said ages ago that was wrong or my values no longer align with

[hinamie]

I don't want to regret the way I lived

[s0fter-sin]

something happening on a mission, something personal that has soap spiralling; panic and rage making him reckless, thoughtless, and ghost has to draw the line

“you’re compromised johnny; you know what that means?”

“you’re not pulling me out,” soap immediately snarls. he turns on him and ghost barely recognises him; venomous fear turning his eyes to unyielding ice. "you're not sidelining me; i need to be in this-!"

but ghost has never been afraid of venom; spat or dripped straight from bared fangs.

he snakes out a hand grip the back of his neck, jerking him in a rough shake. "if you can't think, you can't be a soldier," he growls and he flinches like he's been struck.

his lips quiver as they twist in a sneer and he wrenches, trying to free himself of his hold.

ghost doesn't let him.

"it means you give your body to me because your head ain't fucking attached to it anymore."

soap stills, body trembling beneath his hand as he sucks in shaking breaths.

he tightens his grip, pulling him closer and digs his forehead hard into his. “it means you give yourself to me so i can have the weapon that you are and use you the way you're meant to be used."

the ice in soap's eyes fractures.

ghost’s voice drops to a whisper, spoken only to johnny, not this facade of vengeance and pain, and wills it to reach him through the glaciers.

“so i can keep you safe ‘til it’s done and i can bring you back.”

[robotsandramblings]

sorry the quality isn't the best, but i wanted to torture myself with zoomed in shots of Crosshair's expressions while Omega is trying to convince him of her recapture/Tantiss plan. 🥺(S3 E11)

[tora-the-cat]

A happy ending for Sasuke is literally not even POSSIBLE for basically ALL of Naruto like it's not even funny. He really never even had a CHANCE he has of living a decent life, it's not even on the TABLE, by literally no fault of his own (because he's never done anything wrong). I'm going to scream.

0-6? Forces unbelievably outside of his control are organizing, ensuring, and executing an ethnic cleansing of his entire clan at the hands of his favoritest person in the world. Forces including the shattered psyche of said favoritest person, who tortures him until he is too terrified and traumatized to even think about anything else for years.

7-12? enrolled in Child Soilder School, completely isolated socially (not as a pariah but as a prodigy) befret of any support system, still traumatized beyond belief, and left with no outlet for any of his issues besides obsessing over the day, one day in the future, where Itachi will be dead and all this unresolved suffering and guilt and love and anger and fear and fear and FEAR will go away forever. Right? Because it has to. There has to be an end. Right?

12? Government assigned found family give him the support and love and attention and outlet and for the future that he's been craving for so long he didn't even KNOW it's what he needed. Has a soulmate and a bestie that can read his mind and a mentor who actually is willing to meet him where he's at and help him and maybe even love him and is this......Hope? That perhaps he can have a life outside of what Itachi did to- Itachi. Itach- FUCK. ITACHI IS LITERALLY HUNTING NARUTO FOR SPORT WITH ALL HIS WAR CRIMINAL FRIENDS AND SASUKE SHOULDN'T HAVE LET HIS GUARD DOWN BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW STRONG KAKASHI OR EVEN THE WHOLE VILLAGE IS, ITACHI WILL KILL ANYONE SASUKE IS STUPID AND SHORT SIDED AND CRUEL ENOUGH TO CARE ABOUT, HOW DID HE FORGET, HOW DARE HE FORGET, HE NEEDS TO GET STRONGER HE NEEDS TO AVENGE HIS CLAN HE NEEDS TO FUFILL HIS FRATERNAL DUTY HE NEEDS TO LEAVE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE IS MURDERED BY ASSOCIATION-

13-16? He dropped a lit match on his support system behind him him and ran into the cold shadows of obsessive anger that he only stepped out of long enough to loose the ability to ignore the gnawing want for warmth. That's bad enough, not even taking cohabitating with goddamned OROCHIMARU. No further explanation required there.

17? Kills his brother, gets NONE of the 'benefits' he spent his life convincing (begging) himself must be awaiting at the end. Instead everyhting has, in fact, gotten much worse very quickly and now all he has is a list of powerful people and systems that don't work and hurts and kills and tortures the people they've promised to protect that no one except him will oppose because it's basically suicide, and isn't he already so familiar with being on the shit side of this dynamic? Isn't it the normalest thing in the world, to fill the hole where his vengeance used to be with a hunt with near identical goals and intentions of his first vengance, the only real difference being his increasing dissalussion with ever being able to 'go back home', his almost all comsuming doubt that there's a 'home' waiting for him still, if there ever even was? So he dives into another goal before it goes as cold as the love he doesn't dare indulge, accumulating more power and rage then he knows what to do with (where can he put it down? where can he put it down?) and no reason NOT to challange corruption until it's either all gone or it kills him. Naruto, once the only person who looked at him with empathy instead of pity or expectation, thinks he should grit his teeth and bear it and go back to the village, as if that was ever an option for him. Sakura, once the only person who understood him, who followed his every thought process with ease and loved him even when he thought himself a monster, has finally given up on him and tries to kill him. What can he do but laugh as the world burns? It burned him first.

(but if that was true, then why is he still so cold?)

[eldritch-nightmare]

i love liu so much he is just. That guy. to me.

everything about him is just. he's such an interesting character to me. he is so tragic in the sense that no matter how many times he loves someone, they're always doomed to die. he can never form any bonds, platonic or romantic, because death follows him like a loyal dog. it's his fault, he supposes. divine punishment for going down the path of revenge. something along those lines, he thinks.

i think liu tries so hard to protect those close to him. i think, even though they always end up dead, he never gets used to it. he feels to much. he never grows numb to the grief. maybe that's why sully is the one to always deal with death, because he knows liu will crumble at the sight of it. sully is the only person he's yet to lose, simply because he can't.

i've conjured up many different scenarios of liu falling in love, only for his lover to inevitably die in his arms. it haunts me like ghost. but there's always one specific one that haunts me the most.

heads up: many mentions of death, major character death, blood, and god.

i think about him meeting someone one day. it wasn't anything romantic or ‘drama’ worthy. hell, it probably wasn't even a meet-cute. realistically, it was probably something as simple as bumping into each other one time and then suddenly that person is like… everywhere you go, yknow?

and meeting you the second time, the third time, the fourth… it all felt natural. it was scary, how easily you wormed your way into his heart but then again, he never built up any walls. he can never stop himself from getting attached. he's only human, after all.

he never intended on becoming friends with you. he had wanted to keep you as a mere acquaintance, but you wanted more. you always asked to hang out with him whenever you saw him, even if it meant sitting in silence as he prayed or read a book. you didn't care, because you already viewed him as your friend.

viewing you as a friend was scary, because he knew the moment he got attached, then he was basically cursing you to die. but then months went by, and you were still here. you didn't vanish. you never got sick, or hit by a car, or murdered in a failed robbery. you were still alive. maybe that's when he started getting more comfortable around you, hesitantly letting himself get attached bit by bit, piece by piece.

death never came for you. you were so… alive. it took his breath away each time he saw you.

you started becoming a constant in his life. the one friend he allowed himself to have. even sully seemed to like you, which was saying a lot. he smiled more when you were around. it felt as if he could actually live a normal life, if he wanted to.

it's a shame that he didn't. maybe things would have turned out different, if he had.

you added color to his world in ways no one ever has before, and it was only a matter of time before he found himself falling in love with you. day by day, every time you came around with that sweet smile of yours, liu could feel himself falling. it was… scary.

would you die if he loved you? you haven't yet, so it would be okay, right? he could love you. he wants to love you. he does love you.

and loving you was as easy as breathing. it was an embarrassed, flustered mess when he told you how he felt about you. the guy wears his heart on his sleeve, so you weren't surprised when he confessed to you. but he was certainly surprised when you reciprocated his feelings.

it was like every day felt brighter with you in his life. he got happy over the smallest things. your smile, your laugh, the way the stars reflect in your eyes, how you light up like the sun whenever you start talking about something you enjoy… liu could spend hours just looking at you. you're like a painting come to life. he thanked god every day for bringing you into his life, because he simply couldn't picture himself living without you anymore.

and sully was just as smitten as liu. you had him wrapped around your finger. he's never had anyone other than liu, so he was fiercely protective of you. he was like a dog, the way he stuck by your side and scared off pretty much anyone he considered to be a threat. but the moment you call his name, he's turning into mush. he looks at you like you're the only other person in the universe. to him, nothing else could ever compare to you. nothing will ever match your beauty. if he could, he would devour you.

for the longest time, liu was terrified of leaving you alone for long periods of time. if he left you alone, you could die. but you always reassured him. no matter what happened, you weren't going to leave him.

“you're stuck with me, liu. even if you grow tired of me, i'll stay by your side.”

he had always been scared of telling you he loved you, but you said it so easily. you two could be sitting in total silence, and you'd suddenly say it. looking at him as if he were the stars and ocean combined, holding his face so gently in your hands, whispering it like a prayer.

sleep was easier with you. he felt safe. he felt like a different person with you. he felt as if he could forget about everything, and that he could just be liu woods.

it would take him forever to tell you about his past. he was worried that you'd want nothing to do with him if you knew. you listened to each word that came out of his mouth the night he told you, his head resting on your lap as you played with his hair. he thought you'd tell him that revenge wasn't going to make things better. he was prepared for it, actually. but instead…

“you won't leave after you kill him, will you?”

liu would have hesitated to answer before he met you. he never saw himself living after killing jeff. it was a bit grim, but that was his reality. but not anymore. not with you.

“i could never leave you. you're stuck with me.”

and that was all you needed to hear.

he was so caught up in his love for you that he forgot. he forgot. and he fucking hates himself for forgetting.

three years. three years into your relationship, almost five into knowing you. he left you alone for the first time. four days. he was gone for four days, and not once did he think anything bad could happen to you.

not once did he ever consider you crossing paths with his brother. he really should've, but he was so… so sure that this time would be different. you were supposed to live. you had so much life in you that liu couldn't even imagine you dying anymore.

you're the only reason he had a phone. you wanted to contact him when he was away, so you had got him one and added him to your plan. and when that phone rang, liu answered it happily with a small smile on his face, excited to hear your voice.

“i love you.”

your voice had been quiet. he could hear the terror in your words, the tears you were no doubt crying. worse, he could hear his brother in the background, mocking you.

“aw, i give you one phone call and you don't think to call the police? god, you're dumb. now your poor lover boy is gonna hear you die.”

and liu has never ran so fast. the panic, the adrenaline, it was the only thing that kept him from blacking out even as his lungs begged him for rest.

but it was too late. jeff was gone by the time he got there, and you were barely clinging to life in the middle of your bedroom floor. your blood pooled around you, staining your clothes. the floor. your skin. your phone.

it was like the world was coming to a quiet end. he held you in his arms, crying tears he couldn't feel.

“are you an angel?” you had playfully asked, your voice quiet. so quiet.

he begged. he begged you to stay alive. he begged god to not take you from him.

“i’m sorry i lied.” you said. “it looks like i won't be able to stay with you anymore.”

your heart was starting to slow. there was so much blood. why was he so cruel with you? what did you do to deserve this?

liu couldn't think of anything to say. he couldn't comfort you. he couldn't beg anymore. it was pointless, it all was.

“i love you.” it was the first time he said it, he realizes. three years of dating you, and he's only saying it now.

and you laughed. it hurt, but you laughed. that was all you needed to hear.

shakily bringing a hand up to his face, looking at him as if he were life itself, “i love you too.” he grabbed your hand before it could fall, your breathing starting to slow.

“i'm cold.”

watching the life leave your eyes was the worst thing to have ever happened to him. when you took your last breath, it was as if liu died with you. the grief he felt was so much that he shut down, sully having to take over.

and when sully saw your lifeless body in his arms, he laughed. this was a joke, right? you were just pretending. you can't be dead. you can't… you can't die. and when he stopped laughing, he cried. sully has never had to grieve someone before.

he cursed god. he cursed jeff. he cursed liu. he cursed himself.

i don't think liu or sully will ever heal from this, honestly. the grief will never go away. if anything, your death solidifies the idea that jeff needed to die.

for the longest time, i think sully would despise you for dying. how could you leave them? you promised you'd stay by their side, and now all they have left of you is a tombstone.

everything reminds them of you. it's like you were still with them, and yet they could never feel you.

how are they supposed to ever get used to never seeing your smile again? they'll never get to hear your voice or your laugh. they'll never feel your skin underneath their hands anymore. it's gone. you're gone.

liu would kill a thousand people if it meant bringing you back to life. sully would tear the heavens down and kill god if it meant you'd breathe again.

and sometimes, on the rare chance that liu is able to sleep, he dreams of you. he always hates waking up from those dreams.

liu will never stop loving you. no matter how much time passes, he always ends the day visiting your tombstone.

you were right.

he was stuck with you.

[alicentflorent]

If they had let Rhaenyra publicly order Vaemonds execution last season then this could have been used as reason why people suspected that Rhaenyra may have been involved in the assasination of Jahaerys. They witnessed her order daemon to kill the nobleman calling her sons bastard so the mindset is “if she’s capable of killing to protect her sons from being declared illegitimate imagine what she might do if the usurpers killed her son?” instead of just being like this was obviously Rhaenyra’s doing despite the fact that she’s never shown she’s capable of cruelty or enabling Daemon’s cruelty. Rhaenyra showed she can be rutheless when it comes to protecting her sons and now this is fuelling the “Rhaenyra the Cruel” narrative because the one time a woman does something morally wrong then they’re torn apart and villainized.

[grahamcarmen]

[lightbulb-warning]

so has anyone figured out WHY there is the Need To Share our Artworks™ or is it just the vibes and our Soul apparently

[aelswiths]

*screams into the void*

[faaun]

procrastination is starting to have its consequences finally

[hinamie]

i don't normally participate in these redraw challenges but it's megumi so i'll make an exception

[alluralater]

hey everyone, i won’t be as active for a while. got home last night super late after being on the road for 20 some odd hours. dealing with some family things and as an older sister, my priority of taking care of my siblings comes first before anything else. being on here is amazing for me but i don’t think i’ll have much time for it. reminder to please treat those in your life who are battling addiction with patience and care. i lost my older brother (sweetest person i’ve ever known and he remained that way up until his last night) to suicide and alcoholism, trauma and ptsd, depression and his feelings of hopelessness. talk with the people you care about. another of my siblings is dealing with the same and i refuse to let it escalate to such a terrifying end twice in less than a fucking year. remind the people you care about that there are beautiful things to live for. show them kindness and love. there is all kinds of misinformation out there but know this, you can make a difference for someone. don’t let them suffer in silence.

[broodygaming]

I'm listening to the audiobooks of the His Dark Materials series again. I've read / listened to them many times but not for a few years.

Gods it's just hitting me again how awful what's happening to the kids in the first book. It's always awful, but I always forget how scary and visceral it is. You feel the fear and the finality and the tragedy of it. It's hard to even comprehend because we don't really have an equivalent in our world, right? Like maybe traumatizing a child so deeply they're never the same and then die. Die from sheer trauma to their spirit and body.

And it's just hitting me that they not only.... so deliberately ruin these children. They leave them out in the cold frozen woods to slowly die. They just. I can't even put it into words. They just ruin them and throw them away. They kill them and then kill them again.

Of all the characters in this vast series of names and places and tragedies and injustices - this little boy named Tony and his Ratter really weigh on my heart. Your alcoholic absent mother may not remember you in this fictional world, but in this real world I know I will.

[stars-n-spice]

No actually,,

If the finale comes out and then they all somehow make it out alive and the producers and shit are like, "LOL APRIL FOOLS (a month late)" I think I will spontaneously combust.