#and my emotions are really high so I'd really like it if you could avoid doing this'' and theyre likr ''okay'' LMFAO

[overuseduniverse]

when someone has a social life, goes to school, works, etc etc but still makes time for you, it's the best feeling in the fucking world

#like omg you actually care enough to make time for me??? eeeee #its important to me #hes texting me while he's playing dnd with his friends and I'm like WOW I am IMPORTANT TO YOU THST MAKSS MY HEART ACHE!!! #difjskdn #i havent had a bpd episode since my break up either which is incredible #the people in my life who would be the people I care enough about to trigger me actually respect my triggers 😅 #and its not a huge deal to them #im like ''hey btw whrn you do (this thing) it really triggers me and i have bpd so it puts me at risk for bad coping mechanisms #and my emotions are really high so I'd really like it if you could avoid doing this'' and theyre likr ''okay'' LMFAO #then i never have to deal with it again #i had to constantly deal witj it in my last relationship. id repeatedly address the trigger iver and over and theyd keep doing it anywyas #even tho i was harming myself and popping pills 24/7 #im so much happier now #a

[vaguelyapeanutbutterandjelly]

Can you do a fic where the team gets back from a really stressful mission and M reader had messed up during the mission and when he got back started crying in his room and then price walked in and sat him on his lap and rocked him until he stopped crying (my daddy issues are acting up sorry, also can I be like 🕷️ anon it’s ok if your not doing that tho)

Price x Male!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Soap getting shot and Gaz having a concussion,

A/N: Spider anon!!!! (Que me getting unreasonably excited over having an emoji anon person, yes please I'd love that.) I

There were days where everything went just right. Missions gone as planned, everyone making it out unscathed and in a good mood. Today was not one of those days. In fact, it seemed like it was doing its best job to be the direct opposite. It was a high risk mission, infiltrating an infamous cartel's main base of operation for crucial information. Your job was to get in and get out with the info, to be long gone before they even suspected something was wrong

But instead, you tripped on air and subsequently alerted the entire compound to the task forces presence. Starting a fire fight that ended up with Soap shot in the leg and Gaz with a concussion. It was pure luck that the bullet missed the Scotts arteries by a inch. You'd ended up with the information, sure, it was enough to make Laswells job 10 times easier. But that didn't stop the ache in your chest when you saw Soap leaning on Ghost. Hobbling into his seat on the evac heli. Sitting down in your own seat, you barely managed to keep yourself from crying then and there. Tears threatened to spill as you re-playing the mission, and more importantly what you did to mess it up, the entire ride. Too focused on the mistakes to notice Price glancing over at you. His normally hard gaze softened as he gazed at you.

When the helicopter landed, you were the first to get up and hurriedly walked off. Each second you sped up as you got closer to your room. Your chest was beginning to get uncomfortably tight and your breathing became unsteady. Rushing into your room, you quickly and not-so-carefully closed the door behind you. Everything coming to a stand still as you stood in the entrance of your room. It was dark, everything was as you left it, it was peaceful. Finally a tear fell, a choked sob escaped your lips as tears started to cascade down your face. Finally alone, adrenaline worn off, and exhausted from being shot at only intensified the hurricane of emotions you were feeling. Breathing unsteady as you ripped off the various straps and holsters on your body, discarding the gear onto your floor. Sitting down on your bed it felt like an endless loop of analyzing what went wrong and your brain tormenting you for it. How their injuries were avoidable, you barley even registered Price entering the room. He knew from the look he got of you on the helicopter that something was wrong. The way your body was stiff in the seat and your eyes were unfocused the entire flight made his heart ache. Price hoped that you'd come to him for it, to talk or to just distress and calm down after the hectic mission. But his plans changed when you all but sprinted off the evac helicopter. Price had followed after you, standing on the other side of your door thinking about what he'd say to you before he heard your sobbing. Price's heart shattered as he looked down at you on your bed, "Oh, love..." He cooed, closing the door behind him so that no one could walk past and see you so vulnerable. Finally your head snapped up to look up at him, your eyes meeting his jaded blue ones. They softened when you looked at him, filled with a love that he only held for you. Price took a step forward, whispering a small "Can I sit?", waiting for your shakey nod before plopping himself down next to you. Tears still poured down your face as you sat sit by side, the quiet only disturbed by your occasional sniffles. Price turned to you slowly, "Do you want me to rock you, baby boy? You don't have to say yes." He whispered slowly, making sure that he gave you a out in case you'd rather not be touched. "Yes please." You sniffled, turning to climb into Price lap. His carefully toned arms helping to guild you into a comfortable position for the both of you. Free of guns and gear your bodies fit together perfectly, like a carefully crafted puzzle. Carefully putting a warm hand on the back of your head, Price guided your head into the crook of his neck. Allowing you to settle before the other came to rub along your back. Slowly rubbing up and down as the pleasant warmth he naturally emitted seeped into your skin. Making sure you were comfortable Price began to slowly rock. Holding you close to himself as he swayed back and fourth on the bed. Allowing you to cry into his shoulder as he calmly rocked you, he placed a kiss on the crown of your head. "Take as long as you need, love. I'll be here as long as you'll have me" Price hummed into the top of your head. ----------------------------------------------------

A/N 2.0: I'm a little nervous since this is my first fic fic on this account, and I'm kinda rusty so I hope I did well :D Thanks for reading :>

#cod x male reader #john price x male reader #price x male reader #price cod #price mw2

[yueasuka]

Marinette is a bad leader

There I say it...

As a leader, Marinette sure has... some trait that make her not fitted for a leader position. Namely :

Avoidant Low empathy Control freak

I don't care whatever character in universe preach about her being a great leader, the show show otherwise to me. Here some opinion :

Being a leader means she MUST communicate about pretty much anything necessary for the battle, her intend and strategy and also make sure her teamate have high morale. There's no "Follow me and guess what my plan is" and there's no planning behind someone's back, especially if that someone is an active participant in the battle. Being a leader also means she MUST keep your teamate in check, means asked about their well being, listened to their problem and being attentive to their need. She can't just "If you have a problem then good luck with it because I too have a problem" which is an occuring behaviour from her (NY Special, Destruction). As a leader she must put her teamate need first and foremost before her own because THEY'RE HER RESPONSIBILITY. Her avoidant trait make her literally avoiding all of it because she doesn't like "emotional talk". She's the type who's like "let's sleep and hope for all the problem just magically disappear tomorrow". She do this with Queen Bee problem, her delaying telling Chloe that she couldn't have miraculous anymore make Chloe thinking that she's still Queen Bee (her entitlement doesn't help). She do this again in s4 to Chat Noir and continue to do so in s5. Avoidant is basically the worst trait she has as a leader.

Having low empathy is probably not a big problem for a leader except, it is for Marinette. Her having low empathy caused her to make a plan without discussing it beforehand to her teamate, consent and boundaries tend to be forgotten and it is a problem as it make her forget that her teamate isn't just a pion in a chess game, they're human who have feelings and emotions. Her having low empathy make her freely do anything without discussing it before hand or, thinking about people around her. The recent case is her make a rain of rubble to fell down to Emilie's coffin, other cases is her bringing down Eifell tower (the Mime), make akuma destroy Arc de Triomphe (Anansi), and basically any plan that require her to throw Chat Noir to the akuma (Stone Heart, Backwarder, etc).

Her being control freak doesn't really help her to manage her team, which is also part of her role as a leader. Her "Follow me and just play along" is her being bad at delegating the role and communicating her intend, but that also her controlling her teamate so they're forced to focus on her and have no time to improvise beyond what she need them to. Control freak leader doesn't trust their teamate, they seek to control instead of guiding and this is what demoralise her teamate as seen in s4. Marinette control freak nature not only demoralising Chat Noir but also stunted his growth and performance in battle which resulting in LadyNoir conflict, she doesn't listen but people must listen to her, Her being control freak also what lead her to her decision in Ephemeral and s5 final, it has little to nothing to do with her being thoughtful of Chat Noir/Adrien, it's her with her way of thinking that her way is the only one right without thinking about Adrien's feeling. To put it simply, it's her way to control the information. Upset teamate is uncontrollable teamate after all.

That being said, I'm not saying she won't be able to be a great leader. She could, but only if she grow out those trait I mentioned. Try to communicate better, delegating role instead of controlling everything and mosre importantly, remember that her teamate is a human (or person) instead of just a pion. But as for now, I'd say she's the worst leader in the Mahou Shojo genre I've ever watch.

And also... someone can care and love someone else while also hurt them simultaneously, it's not separated thing. Just because she doesn't do it maliciously doesn't mean her action doesn't hurt the other people involved.

#I'm also blame the writers to refuse to give her a character growth #Instead it's the people around her who need to adjust themselves to her need #That's not empowering at all that's disappointing #I hate nerfing the other character is their way to make her shine #That make her being great leader status questionable #If the only way to make her shine is to nerf other that means it's a bad writing #Like what the heck writers 😂 #Ml salt #I mean... I don't mean is as salt but just to be safe #Marinette salt

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC questionnaire

Thanks to @drchenquill here, @somethingclevermahogony here and here, @mk-writes-stuff here, @elsie-writes here, and @dyrewrites here!

My last questionnaires:

Robbie, Gwen, Maddie, Noelle, Jedi, and Kelsey here.

Carmen, George, Akash, Sam, Lexi, and Ash here.

Gabriel, Carla, Parker, Rose, Alex, and Ewan here!

Below the cut I'll do: Liam, Hye-Jin, Wendy, Wade, Issa, and CJ!

#1- Liam

Which color do you hate?

“Beige. Oh my God, it's just a boring color. I thought that we were past this. Different shades of beige and brown are being used to be the ~aesthetic~ of so many people on Tiktok. Ma'am, where are you from, Boringsville??? I'm not dissing brown. Brown is a great color. But beige??? Who thought this would look nice on anything, much less everything? Why are all of your walls beige--you look like you live in a sandcastle. Man, I feel bad for Hye-Jin. Her powers appear beige! You poor thing. I have brown. An awesome color, remember. So earthly. Anyway, beige can go die with the sand in the Yukon River Basin for all I care. If I go into your house and see one beige wall, I'm leaving. A rainbow is weeping. You disgraced the rainbow. How dare you.”

If all the sounds in the world would cease to exist, which sound would you miss the most?

“I don't see the point in making me choose a favorite sound. Also, how do you know sound stopped? Ceased to exist? Sound exists as a vibration through matter. Why would that vibration suddenly stop? How do you know we didn't all just go deaf? That's a significantly more logical explanation than sound disappearing. And if you think I don't have an answer and am just avoiding the question, you're very mistaken. I'd miss people's voices. For a variety of reasons. Connection, analyzing tone, nuances of emotion or thought, even my own voice. Sure, I'd be able to learn a gesture-based language--I am not saying voice is the most important thing to hear. But considering I like a good oral debate, I would still miss it, even if it would take me time to adjust to the new mode of speaking. Next!”

What is the first rule you learned as a child?

“You are going to have to rebel and argue your way out of everything. You may or may not be able to tell, but I am a strongly opinionated person. I can make an argument out of everything. Knowing how to back stuff up with logic and facts to get your way. Push and push and push. Know your shit. If you're wondering how this was the first rule I learned, one of my first memories is refusing to eat my carrots because they were bad. I was...three and a half maybe. And I told my mom, 'if I eat these carrots, I will throw up, and then I'd have to eat more food, and you get mad when food is wasted'. I then ate carrots and threw up. Never had to eat them again.”

#2- Hye-Jin

What is one embarassing memory from your childhood that you can't shake?

“Oh, oh no. First day of class, kindergarten. I had to introduce myself in front of the class. I was so excited for my first day of class. I wore this cute little dress, my hair in high pigtails and bows. But when I stood in front of everyone else, I got so sick I threw up. I think I ate something like prune juice in the morning. My dress was ruined. Had to be walked to the nurse to change. Wore that the rest of the day.”

What would you take with you if you were trapped on a desert island for one week?

“Food, water, and shelter. Sunscreen. I'm not pale, but that doesn't mean I'll be protected from UV rays. I would like a change of clothes just so I feel clean. I wouldn't mind bringing one person along with me, but you said what, so that may not be an option. But I really think I could do it.”

What is your favorite animal?

“I actually really like snakes. They're super cool in terms of design. Love reading about them, and I have a snake themed room!”

#3- Wendy

What is your favourite animal?

“Changes depending on the day. Yesterday it was tigersharks. Today it's a water dragon. Tomorrow it may be a capybara.”

Do you have any obscure skills? What are they?

“I can basket weave. Some people think that's obscure.”

If you could change one thing about the world you live in, what would it be?

“More hours in the day so I can do what I want to do.”

#4- Wade

What is your favorite song?

“Rasputin. How can you not love that song? Mr. Brightside is up there, too.”

Do you like consuming happy, positive media, or sadder, more thought-provoking media?

“I like both. You need a balance in life. But thought-provoking in general. I like thinking about things, analyzing them. Not necessarily sadder stories, but thought-provoking.”

What is your favorite type of weather?

“I like it warm and sunny, but enough cloud coverage. The kind of weather where everything is greener, that makes you say out loud, 'it sure is a beautiful day.'”

#5- Issa

When is the last time you were afraid?

“Last week, I was staying up late working on an essay. I was home alone--something I rarely am with six siblings. It was eerily quiet. I already felt uncomfortable. I was on the phone with Alex, multitasking, so I could have someone to talk to to ease my nerves. She got up to pee, which left me alone in my living room for a few minutes. In that time, I heard a banging on our garage door. It was harsh, constant. I thought someone was trying to break in. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. Alex got back on the line then. I would've felt much better if whatever that was happened any other time.”

Does the fear haunt you still?

“Not really. It was only a minute, maybe two. Took about an hour talking to Alex. But I stopped working on my essay for the rest of the night. Not that I didn't try, but Alex convinced me to stop when I couldn't concentrate due to my heart pounding.”

What do you do when you're afraid?

“What's with all the fear questions? Well, I usually stand my ground. I yelped a bit when that happened. I was frozen for a bit, but I actually was about to get up to check what the banging was when it stopped.”

#6- CJ

What was your favorite toy as a child?

“I had little mini figurines of a bunch of Puppets* characters. I liked them because most of my playtime consisted of me ordering them based on height. After I lined them up, I would play. I also liked burying a bunch of rubber balls in the yard, leaving them there for, like, a week, then digging them up again. My shovels were definitely a favorite. There was also some cool Alii tech thing that simulated growth of a plant. The entire life cycle, in fact. Man, that was awesome.”

What makes you laugh every time you see it?

“Issa and Alex invite us to their improv shows each Friday. Issa is the best at anything they give her. I could watch her all day. She loves putting inside jokes in her skits for me, and is great at linking back previous gags. And then Alex wins Can You Ask a Question? each time. But it's hilarious how she and Issa interact. One time, Wendy laughed harder than I'd ever seen, and she spit out her drink. Then this one asshole Ellie slipped on it during her turn. So yeah, the improv shows.”

Who is the most annoying person you know?

“Issa is annoyingly optimistic sometimes, but that's why I love her. Parker is also a bit annoying at times, but he's funny as shit, so I don't care. Gabriel is quite annoying. Everyone tells me that we're very similar, but I don't see it. Honestly, yeah, it's Ellie. I didn't want to say she was annoying cause she's mainly rude. She's constantly making fun of me for everything I do. Like she doesn't like how organized and specific I am for some reason. She asked for a pencil once, and I told her no, I have my pencils for a very specific reason, and don't let anyone else use them. I think she's hated me ever since. It's probably not as petty as that, unless it is. I don't know. Thankfully, I don't know her well enough to answer that question.”

*this universe's Muppets

TSP intro

I'll tag @gracehosborn @little-peril-stories @willtheweaver @willowiswriting @rickie-the-storyteller @mysticstarlightduck @badluck990 @unrepentantcheeseaddict @winterandwords @oh-no-another-idea @awritingcaitlin @cwritesfiction + anyone else who would like to play!

EDIT: I DID NOT GIVE YOU QUESTIONS OH MY GODDDDDD I'm so sorry

What's something that was horrible in the moment, but in hindsight is hilarious?

Do you often get lost in thought? Where does your mind go? How do you focus?

Who do you worry about the most?

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

#the secret portal #tsp #teaspoon #oc questionnaire #oc tag game #my ocs #liam beaumont #hye-jin song #wendy amante #wade attwood #issa johansen #cj reynolds #writers on tumblr #writing community #writers of tumblr #writing on tumblr #writeblr #writeblr community #writing tag game

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd-centric, POV Jason Todd, POV First Person, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth Knows, Stalker Tim Drake, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unlikely Friends, Injury Recovery, Emotional Baggage, Rage, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating

Chapter Four: Looking Glasses

My glasses weren't ready for my Wednesday appointment, but they were done the Friday after my second week of school. So, I took a cab to the optometrist's and then the pizza parlor, where I ran into Tim. He was with his friends, so I thought he wouldn't notice me. "One meat lover's pizza with thin garlic butter crust," I ordered. I waited in the corner, drinking out of the two-liter soda I bought to drown my misery. I had a crappy week at school and didn't want to speak to talk to anyone. The smell of pizza usually left me in a better mood. Besides, I liked being away from the house and the family. I ate the fries they gave me for dining in and watched people standing at the street corner.

"Order for Christopher!" the man at the counter called. I finished my fries, threw the two-liter in my bag, and grabbed my crutches. When I got to the counter, I realized I couldn't carry my pizza and use my crutches. Tim got up and offered to help. I was mortified. I hid my name and everything to avoid speaking to him, only to need his help.

"Here, listen, my driver's on his way. He can drop you off if you want, and I'll help you to your-."

"I don't wanna be any trouble," I interrupted. I said it harshly without meaning to, but I don't think Tim cared. He'd been following me around campus all day, and we just so happened to meet at the pizza place. It would've felt like he was stalking me had he not gotten there first. "I should've thought-."

"No, it's okay. It's really no trouble. I insist," Tim replied.

There was no polite way to turn him down, and his driver just pulled up out front. "I'll split this pie with you if you don't take me home."

Tim grinned a half-smile. "Alright. Come on, I've got your pizza," Tim reassured me. He carried my pizza to the car, and I followed him out.

Once we got in the car, I asked the question I'd had since the first day of school. "Are you watching me? At school, I mean?" I asked.

"I've been-. I'm curious. People talk, and-. Well, you never let anybody close enough to learn anything about you," Tim replied. I knit my brows with great effort.

"What do you wanna know, Tim?" I asked.

"Jason, what kind of accident was it?" Tim questioned.

"Explosion... Gas leak explosion. I don't like to talk about it," I lied. Honestly, I was dying to talk about it. I was sick of holding it all inside myself, but I couldn't afford to let anyone in my head. Especially not some freshman I'd known for less than a week. Tim gave me my pizza box and the okay to eat in the car. I set the box between us and draped an open napkin over my lap. I let Tim eat, but he wasn't hungry. I ate in silence.

It'd been a while since I'd had pizza. I think it was my birthday the last time. I was in the hospital then. Bruce wanted to cheer me up, but all I could think about was my-. I could only think about Sheila. I tried to take the brunt of the blast, but I wasn't big enough. She impaled her skull on a rock anyway. So, I lay trapped between the debris and her lifeless body for what felt like forever. I relived that moment constantly. Lately, I only think about it when I feel trapped. "Jason?" Tim whispered as he touched my arm. It shook me out of a trance. "You alright? You were gone for a while... We're at my house now."

"Oh, we're here?" I mumbled as if I'd been asleep. I slipped my backpack on, and Tim helped me carry my pizza box inside. His house was mostly empty, save for a maid or nanny working on the premises. He set the box on the coffee table and turned the tv on.

I took my homework out of my bag and sat it upright on the floor. "You're gonna do your homework?" Tim asked. I nodded and put on my glasses.

"Yeah, that's what I typically do when I get a minute to sit down," I half-joked. Tim shrugged and flipped through the channels.

"Would it be distracting if I asked you a few questions?" Tim asked. I shook my head. "Jason, when you were thirteen, you went on a short trip to Hollywood over the spring break, right?" The question was weird, but I nodded.

"Yeah, I was visiting a friend. He invited me out to see the movie his Aunt worked on," I answered. That was a half-truth.

"Did you get to see Robin while you were there?" Tim asked.

I laughed it off. "Robin lived in Gotham... But no one's seen much of him lately," I replied. Tim nodded seriously and turned toward the tv.

"He was in Los Angeles that week," Tim replied, "Weird coincidence, huh?"

"What are you getting at, Tim?" I asked.

"Nothing, I'm just a big fan of Robin. I always ask," Tim whispered. I took a deep breath. "I'm coming on too strong, huh?

"A little," I replied as I opened my history book and filled out my worksheet. It took me an hour to finish my homework before I asked Tim to call me a cab.

Tim seemed sad at first, but he called the cab anyway. When the cab got there, he lingered out front with me. "Hey, um-."

"Thanks for everything, Tim. Can we do this again?" I asked. Tim grinned. I didn't want to admit it, but it was the first time I'd felt normal since the accident. I didn't want to let that feeling go. I opened the door and waved at Tim before heading home.

As soon as I got home, Bruce came out of the manor fuming. He waited until I reached the front door to start in on me. "Where the hell have you been?" Bruce asked, whispering through clenched teeth.

"I got my glasses, ate, and did my homework... How are you?" I asked.

"I was worried-. Did you ask me how I was?" Bruce questioned. I nodded. I never asked him how he was. I think my sincerity shocked him. I offered an awkward smile. "I'm alright... How are you?"

"I'm good... I think-. Yeah, I'm good," I smiled. Bruce let me in, and I took the stairlift without argument. I didn't even have to argue with him. I chose peace and peace felt... Kinda nice.

#fic #batfam #catch and release fic #Jason Todd #Bruce Wayne #Alfred Pennyworth #Tim Drake #Dick Grayson #Barbara Gordon #Sebastian Ives #Jack Drake #Janet Drake #Jason Todd Lives #Jason Todd-centric #POV Jason Todd #POV First Person #Tim Drake Has Issues #Tim Drake is Not Robin #Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore) #Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug #Alfred Pennyworth is the Best #Alfred Pennyworth Knows #Stalker Tim Drake #Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain #Jason Todd Has PTSD #Angst with a Happy Ending #Unlikely Friends #Injury Recovery #Emotional Baggage #Rage

[squaregoals]

I made an Astarion playlist because I am a little more than a little hyperfixated on this game and him.

Astarion, The Pale Elf Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2HsZxHcyCzhRBAHLoJ6LFX

It's a mix of his romance plot, his two endings, songs I feel catch his vibe, and songs I feel like could be sung to him. Oddly it IS in an order but absolutely can be played in shuffle.

((Some highlights from the list)):

White Dove- Koda

I've got a bone to pick/ Somebody showed you all of the horror/ You weren't born with it// You're a silver tongued jackboot thug with/ White skin but you're no white dove/ And you're scared of us 'cause we show you love/ Until there's none of us left to love/ None of us left to love//I had this feeling that you'd betray me/If I gave too much and you took too much

There's so much to say, but this is just Astarion in general. He's true commitment avoidant, got this way because Cazador, and uses the people he's around. This song is a lot of his flaws.

Dr Sunshine is Dead- Will Wood and the Tapeworms

Well, who should I be then, if I'll never be the same?// I will be my sunshine, I will be my moon at night/ Who else could I be, when I can't fucking see?/ I will be my sunshine, I will be my moon at night/ I'm nowhere now, here's no one now to be// And if dreams can come true/ what does that say about nightmares?/ I'll stay awake tonight

This speaks to Astarion's strengths. He is strong willed and will do anything he can in order to succeed and survive, even if it's not something good for him. He'll depend on himself. The lyrics seem tame but that part of the song is so raw and emotional it gets me everytime. It fits him, as a lot of Will Wood songs do.

Good Looking Boy- Suki Waterhouse

You stop for breath and I sped up/Just to impress you// The skyline falls as I try to make sense of it all/ I thought I'd uncovered your secrets, but turns out there's more

This one is singing to him. For those that fell for him and found out he was just using you. Open to either him eventually reciprocating or not, but it reminded me of Act II romance conversations.

Hail To The King- Avenged Sevenfold

Hail to the king/ Hail to the one/ Kneel to the crown, stand in the sun/ Hail to the king// Blood is spilt while holding keys to the throne/ Born again, but it's too late to atone

This one is steeped in Ascended route imagery. Like those lyrics? For real. The obvious, he's in power and can stand literally in the sun and will make people kneel in his victory. But also the last two lines I included, he achieved it through irreversible sacrifice. It's such an easy song to attribute.

Habits (Stay High)- Tove Lo

You're gone, and I gotta stay high all the time/ To keep you off my mind/ High all the time to keep you off my mind// Spend my days locked in a haze/ Trying to forget you, babe, I fall back down/ Gotta stay high all my life to forget I'm missing you

More towards the breaking up with Ascended Astarion route. Not meaning he'd be on drugs, but just trying to distract himself and high with power and conquest to try and ignore the fact he won't move on as easy as he says he can. Also covers some of the constant fear he now lives in, from what the subtext says of he now is more fearful post-ascension than pre.

Oleander- Mother, Mother

And if you leave me/ Rest assured it would kill me// Like an oleander/ White, white leaves/ Of an oleander/ White like me

This one I feel like is after he's really truly fallen for whoever he's with. Him singing to his love interest. Also he's pale white and snow white hair so theme and literally like oleander.

-----+++++++-------

I could go on, because I could seriously write a long character analysis based off each song. But this post is long enough lol.

Will make one for Wyll, and my specific Tav at some point.

#baldurs gate astarion #astarion #character study #astarion character study #spoilers #bg3 spoilers #astarion spoilers #ascended astarion #spawn astarion #astarion acunin #my love #baulders gate 3 #baldur's gate 3

[14dayswithyou]

▋REN LOVING HOURS/THIRST ASKS !

✦゜ANSWERED: To avoid flooding the dash with all of these asks, I'm just gonna compile them into one big "masterpost" ^w^

By pressing 'keep reading' you confirm that you are 18 or older.

Anonymous asked: man i want to smother ren with kisses and cling to him all day long then relentlessly ride him till' he's all fucked up and covered in love bites <33 

😳😏

Anonymous asked: can I just say that Ren has become a source of comfort for me? literally thinking of him while having a bad day at work, dealing with rude ppl or when the deprussy gorilla grips me too hard soothes the ache in my heart and makes things a lil easier to endure💗💗 ty for entertaining my ramble 

Wahhh I'm honestly so honoured to hear that Ren is a source of comfort for you! I'm glad he makes your day better, and I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that >.< And thank you for sending in this ask!! (also "deprussy gorilla grip" hAD ME CRYIGN)

Anonymous asked: I feel so sorry for Ren because of his bad childhood.  I just want to give him a big hug and tell him that I'm there so he can finally relax and try to let it go. 😭 Can I ? Pls T-T

You can definitely do that!! He might start getting a bit emotional if you talk about his childhood though... ;v;

Anonymous asked: i'm thinking Ren is my new f/o 👀

Omggg??? I'd literally be so honoured!! It's seriously so heart-warming to know that people would wanna consider Ren as one of their F/O's ;w; <3

Anonymous asked: Ren is my comfort character. I didn’t realize till today because I went hiking and it was really high up. I’m afraid of heights and in that moment, I felt like I was going to fall off the cliff. Lmaoo it’s embarrassing but I thought of Ren and how he would have held my hands and made sure I was safe. I felt extra bad because the person I went hiking with totally ignored that I was afraid of heights and kept pushing me to go up higher :( 

aaaaa yes, Ren definitely would've done those things! He's very attentive towards your needs and emotions, so he would definitely hold both of your hands, comfort you, and make sure that you felt safe and secure. I'm sure he would even offer to carry you back down the cliff if you didn't want to look, or even find ways to take your mind off of the scary height. I'm so sorry you had to go through that experience though, and that the person you were with was so insensitive T_T

Anonymous asked: i want to cuddle the deranged hacker :(

The deranged hacker is currently shoving his laptop and tech aside and patting the space next to him for you to join :)

Anonymous asked: I get so soft when I put together that Ren's practically our childhood friend/stalker lmao I don't know, I'm a sucker for childhood friends stereotypes (which is why I also adore Leon, although Ren definitely takes 1st place), I feel like Ren could totally take advantage of it if he ever decided to tell us about the history.

Hehehehe game spoilers go brrrrr

Anonymous asked: loved so much your game is so good to play, Ren is so cute >.< , I'm sad he pretends to be someone else to please the MC :( I want to hug him and tell him he can be himself, poor guy deserves all the love that the world exists. ❤❤

Wahhh he'd definitely let you!! ;v;

Anonymous asked: i’ve never seen alt/eboy ren but i’m already ready to go fucking FERAL over the man :)

oh boy you're gonna have a blast once you reach day 9 >:)

@queenlilithprime asked: Ren: Respects pronouns, Respects our consent (not privacy tho), Adores us, wants us to be happy (with them), is willing to care for us, doesn't mind if we are disabled, loves spending time with us, and is willing to kill for us? Bestie I don't want a hero who would sacrifice me for the sake of the world, I want the villain who would sacrifice the world for me. Ren is practically super glued to my heart. (also sorry for always sending in asks I just love 14dwy so much it's all I think about 😭❤️😭❤️😭)

jkasfjkas Ren really said “All I want is for you to be happy :) Your needs come before my own :) I respect you so much and would never do anything to make you uncomfortable :) oh except when it comes to murder and stalking lol hehe :)” (where can I get a Ren irl?? T_T)

@whispereons asked: Simp time. I don't like getting hurt so soft yanderes are the best and Renren is the best. When I first saw the glimpse of his tattoos in the game I thought that he was secretly a demon and he kept the shirt on to hide his demon marks. That ring was supposedly a charm to keep his demon form a secret too. Blame my dumb brain for that. I find both 'Ren' and True hot but what makes him hotter is the gap moe. True being sub? Hot. Ren being dom? Hot. He can be my househusband and cook dinner with me

Demon/incubus!Ren confirmed???? 😳 But fr I'm happy to hear that you enjoy the duality between Ren and [REDACTED]!! The gap moe is real with him lmao

Anonymous asked: My poor heart is breaking for Ren and how his past was! I can now see why he has been clingy. Ren needs lots of love so if we MCs that follow Ren we'll glue ourselves to him 24/7 for EVERYTHING!!! Just knowing that when he's alone there is a chance that sadness creeps in from his past and we MCs can't have that!!! We'll mend your heart Ren even if we have to find every way to erase every feeling of sadness of your past! Seeing Ren smile is the best thing to come out of all that for MCs!

This is all he could ever ask for T_T <3

Anonymous asked: HDHDJGJWBEIDJS ARE RENS NAILS PAINTED BLACK?!!?? Any guys with painted nails immediately get 7 extra points to their attractiveness scale… congrats Ren you’re a solid 17/10 for me ❤️

he's a 10 but he paints his nails black and adds glitter to his middle fingers 🤔 (he's still a 10) But lmao I'm glad you like his subtle choice of self-expression!!

Anonymous asked: Hold up…Ren has glasses AND painted nails??? Sai are you trying to kill us with cuteness?! Sob- I’ve fallen and I can’t get up, help-

Ya girl's got a type and she's projecting it onto her OCs fkjfjkaf

Anonymous asked: Wanna give ren a makeover 

He'd definitely let you! Ren is also amazing at dying hair, matching different shades of black, and applying winged eyeliner; so feel free to ask him to give you a makeover as well!

Anonymous asked: Ren is so big and strong 👉🏻👈🏻 I've never loved a yandere so much, I just want to kiss his cute and sexy little body while I freak out because I'm kissing him 😳💖💕💖💕💓💗

this is almost as lewd as h*lding his h*nd.....

Anonymous asked: would fall in love with Ren from the moment I met him, he is so handsome and adorable, and since I love cute men I would be on my knees and laughing like an idiot like a schoolgirl in love

Looks like his plan worked lmao :')

Anonymous asked: Me:*gotta find that college thot cuz Renren is not all rough and tough* Switch to woohoo scene Me: oh darling *dash to Renren like a lightning bolt*-🍀

Okay lightning McQueen, i see u!! Kachow!!!! But lmaoooo "college thot" TOOK ME OUT💀

Anonymous asked: i’ve been playing this game everyday for the past week or so and i’m obsessed with [rendacted]… need him and his eboy fuckery so bad, it’s not even funny. all he needs to do is take off the haruko wig and dress like he does at home and i’ll be moving in with him myself on the 1st day and lending him my underwear real quick.

Bro just pull a reverse-Ren and break into his apartment when he least expects it :') You'd get all the [REDACTED] eboy eye-candy you could ever ask for lmao

Anonymous asked: [REDACTED] ren supremacy 🫶🏻

friendship ended with renren supremacy, now [REDACTED][REDACTED] supremacy is my new tumblr tag

Anonymous asked: MC: Ren you are so hot, cute, adorable, sexy, gorgeous and perfect~

He's currently a blushing puddle of goo on the ground right now <3

#💌 — answered. #💖 — about ren. #🔞 — woohoo zone. #queued post #🍀 anon #masterlist #FAQ

[sakkiichi]

hello, i'd like to request a matchup! i'm in my 20s, significant other/male matchup please

my friend's description:

she can look intimidating at first sight but once you get to know her, she can give the deepest conversations, intellectual topics and the best listener when you need someone to talk to instead of advices. She is quite lazy to go somewhere but can spend hours in department stores. She never judges someone and open-minded to any opinions but is very loyal to her own beliefs and is very prideful. She expects decent-level respect from everyone which can be stressful to herself. In terms of relationship, she needs someone who is quick-witted, observative and needs to know their ways to make someone talk their feelings.

random facts: i look bored/sleepy/angry normally, rbf in definition.. but im super timid and people pleasing, avoidant attachment, quick to drown in my head/thoughts, get quiet and dismissive when sad/angry, and the most important aspect of a person for me is their emotional depth and respect.

thank you sm!

hello, dear nonnie ! thank you for the info you sent <3 i hope you like your matchup ! i apologize too for the wait…

i’m publishing the ask since you didn’t sign it and i have no way to identify you otherwise, hope that’s alright with you.

your genshin impact match is someone who, much like you, looks intimidating the first time you lay eyes upon him. his smarts are definitely a good quality in him; though, at times, it can lead into him being less than good with feelings, bordering on harsh. In a parallel to your listening over advising trait, he’s the type to provide solid facts and practical solutions rather than comfort. If you are looking for someone quick-witted, who can hold intellectual conversations, he’s definitely your man.

well, can you guess who fits this description…?

✧ ALHAITHAM

What you deem to look intimidating at first sight, is, in no way, a setback for the scribe. I mean, take a look at him, he’s not the softest looking either, and yet, he cares (in his own way).

Your ability to be a good listener is something Alhaitham really needs. Even if he won’t express it at all, it is not frequently when he can lay his burdens on anyone else, often tending to shoulder them by himself. In addition, your tendency to listen over providing advice is something that really can favor our beloved former acting grand sage; he has the means to figure out his troubles himself, but, albeit not the best at making it obvious, he’d really appreciate and value the warmth of his lover by his side in his most trying times.

Don’t worry if you’re lazy to go out, Alhaitham isn’t the most adamant when it comes to outings, nor is he fond of crowds.

However, that smile of yours, when you browse through department stores, all sparkly eyed and radiating joy… he could stare at you forever, like this…

—

Bags keep accumulating on the scribe’s strong arms.

For once, he can’t say ‘no’.

But did he really want to ever deny you, when sunshine itself seems to cling to your frame as you run from one place to the other?

From bookstores you spent hours perusing, giving your lover the puppy eyes every time a tome was too high up for you to reach; to shops filled from floor to ceiling with plushies, to the most crowded clothing stores, the subtle smile on Alhaitham’s lips doesn’t waver.

“Alhaitham! Look, look! Isn’t this bag super pretty? It matches your eyes!” You excitedly wave, holding a turquoise handbag with golden accents for him to see.

His jade-like stare, however, is paying little attention to the object in your hands, favoring instead the crescent outlined in your lips.

Now, Alhaitham has always considered himself in control of his impulses, but right now, you’re making it pretty damn hard.

If it weren’t for the several bags he’s carrying, he’d wrap his arms around you and kiss you breathless right here, right now.

He loves you too much, though, so he’ll humor you.

“Hmm you’re quite right, darling.” He states, gaze sharp, set on the hue of the accessory you’re holding. “I do think it goes very well with the shade of your skin and hair, don’t you think so?” Your boyfriend smirks, aquamarine stare glinting behind the silver edged waves of his soft looking strands.

“Huh, you really think so?” You prompt, a grin tugging at the corner of your lips. Stepping closer to him, you run a hand over his abdomen, stopping with your palm flat over his chest. “In that case, I’ll really have to get it, no?” You practically purr into his ear.

“As long as you’re happy,” the scribe lets out, voice low, managing to balance your new acquisitions and take your chin in between his fingers at the same time, his lips teasingly brushing yours.

As you stand there, frozen and smiley, he takes the new bag from you, paying for it while you dreamily stare at him from a distance.

You can’t wait to start discussing the new books you got today with him later tonight.

And well, your lover can’t wait to kiss you properly later, no people and intense lights around.

—

You being loyal to what you believe in and prideful are attributes Alhaitham really admires from you. Even if at times he can be a bit stubborn, both your personalities can easily reach agreements through debate, due to your open minded nature, which brings us to the next point.

You mention you’d like someone who is quick-witted, so fear not, Alhaitham is plenty quick-witted. With him, no argument is boring, both you and him exposing your facts and reasoning, rather that rising your voices.

He is very observant too, and even though, he is not the best at expressing his own emotions, he can tell when you’re starting to feel uncomfortable or hurt, resulting in him backing off and putting your feelings first.

For that same reason, in moments when you drown in your thoughts, or get detached because you feel angry, sad or frustrated, Alhaitham knows without you having to express it verbally. In these instances, it is not rare for him to just sit by your side, book in hand, as he wraps an arm around you. If you lean into his touch, your head resting on his broad chest, he’ll take that as an indication to run his hands through your hair, soothing the whipping waves of your rage or despair.

If emotional depth and respect are aspects you value in a partner, well, Alhaitham is definitely a complex individual in that sense. As aforementioned, he may not be the most adamant at making it known, but he definitely has an elaborate set of morals and emotions very few are privy to. In rare moments, however, when it’s just you and him, you get to see his more tender side; even his more explosive feelings if you ever got into a dangerous situation.

Considering everything, I do believe you and Alhaitham would make a really nice couple, with lots of interesting conversations by candlelight, as the stars of Sumeru’s distant skies pass over you, bearing witness to the facts on romance you write through hands intertwined and gazes scanning the same page.

✧ RUNNER UP: NEUVILLETTE

You and Fontaine’s chief of justice share some traits in common: looking serious, but being softer than your appearances suggest. You, having a timid temperament and a tendency to people pleasing; him, being sensitive but not fully knowing how to express it.

This man is the epitome of respect. A true gentleman, he’s totally the kind to open doors for you, carry your back, be sure you’re walking on the inner side of the sidewalk, while keeping a protective arm lingering at the small of your back.

If you seek someone with a depth to their character, there’s definitely a lot to unpack when it comes to Neuvillette. He is mysterious, highly intelligent, and way more softhearted than his imposing aura suggests. Just please, hold him softly while you figure out the puzzles of his soul.

I can envision deep philosophical conversations between you and him as well, be it on justice, the latest discoveries on Fontaine’s technology or simply a new mystery novel you’ve picked up, discussing who’s the culprit and trying to piece together the yet to be unveiled facts.

#genshin impact matchup #genshin impact matchups #astronetwrk #alhaitham x reader #neuvillette x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact x you #alhaitham x you #neuvillette x you #genshin matchups

[ghostoffuturespast]

Life's Loops: Cyberpunk 2077's Cereal Conspiracy Theory - Part I

I have some thoughts about the Tower ending for Cyberpunk 2077. (Because I just played it again for the second time. I still need to do the other versions, but I'll get there.) And not the touchy-feely kind of thoughts, so I'm gonna dish because I cannot do what I'm doing rn and sit on this for another two fucking years... Am I gonna do anything with this information? I don't know and I don't really care, but I'm putting it out there.

If you'd like to see what true tinfoil madness looks like, continue below the cut. Also, warning long text post & SPOILERS.

I'd like to preface, like with any good conspiracy theory, there's a high chance that I'm dead wrong. And the only reason I've come up with this alternative is because I'm so lost in the sauce by this point that I'm fucking desperate for there to be something where there might not be anything. (I've accepted this.)

However, unlike the whole FF06B5 mystery, there's actually some semblance of logic behind all this. I have no way of proving any of my theories, but, BUT, stories don't keep alluding to, referencing, and foreshadowing specific things if they didn't mean something. Which is to say all of this is based off things that are in the game, whether it be dialogue, shards, or various other story telling details.

Now, not every detail out there is necessarily world altering, sometimes things are just added for some extra flavor. But god damn it. Sometimes the curtains are blue for a reason.

I have plenty of other theories that I haven't divulged to anyone, because they're really large components of my fic that I'm working on and I don't want to spoil it, but when I played this ending through I was a little disappointed because my initial reaction was that there was no way it could be connected. There's not enough wiggle room. But then I thought about it some more, looked at the things that were hinted at between the lines...

Extrapolating all this doesn't mean I'm right, it just means it's possible. And possible within the details that are provided by the story. Which is all I needed.

Am I pulling this out of my ass, maybe, but here goes:

It's really easy to take the Tower ending at face value.

V ultimately gets what they want (their MacGuffin, a chance at living) but it also emotionally punches you in the gut repeatedly. You basically lose everything that makes you you in the process. You lose Johnny. You lose your close friends. You lose all your cyberware. Night City's not how you last saw it. Blah, blah, blah.

I'm not here to talk about that. Because feelings and emotions in this game are a smokescreen. They make you forget to ask questions, so you avoid connecting the dots that this game throws at you in fucking spades.

Should you do the Tower ending, regardless of how you got there, you hand Songbird over to Reed, basically along with the neural matrix. Which is the MacGuffin for Phantom Liberty and your supposed shot at surviving.

Now, we spent some time with Rosalind Meyers, president of the NUSA and who, ultimately gives FIA its marching orders. She's quite charismatic but you get into the meat of the story you find out she's not all really that different from Kurt Hansen. She's government official but similar levels of cruel, and power hungry, and not above throwing people under the bus should she need to cover her own ass. (And if you're familiar with the trope, never trust a character in white.)

Here's the thing, Meyers isn't afraid to kill Songbird if she needs to. Having made Songbird dive beyond the Blackwall it's breaking all sorts of international laws and treaties. Yeah, Meyers would do it to cover her ass. If she needed to. But you hand Songbird over alive and with the MacGuffin to keep her alive.

If you did The Killing Moon quest, moments before you do this, Songbird reveals to you that the neural matrix is a single use item. Doesn't matter what your reasoning is behind handing Songbird over, you do it. If you did this quest you also get a taste of just how powerful those Blackwall daemons are that Song is infected with.

Meyers could kill Songbird if she needed to, but let's be real, Songbird is much more valuable to her and the NUSA alive. A literal walking WMD. So if Meyers is going to pick between keeping Songbird and V alive and she's got the MacGuffin, who do you think she's gonna pick?

Maybe you trust Reed at end, he never outright lies to you. But he's a leashed dog. And because you're in your feels, you don't question the specifics of your operation, or how it's possible that Song's still alive, or why you were in a coma for two years. (Sure, seems like a reasonable amount of time to be in a coma. But it's specific and puts the year at 2079, which is the year before 2080... more fuel for my flaming pile of tinfoil) Things have changed. Accept the change. That's what every character and the game keeps fucking telling you.

You don't bother to question the hand that feeds you, because you're too busy crying while it's feeding you and because you trust the game to be honest.

However, this game is constantly asking you what you know and who you trust. It's literally the question for the entire expansion. Song or Reed? Those questions are asked all the time in the base game too. Dex. Evelyn. Takemura. Hanako. The Peralezes. Johnny, our lovingly unreliable narrator...

We're also told to Trust No One and are bombarded with so much information that it can difficult to tell what we know. And what the truth ultimately is.

But this is why you never play confidence games, you lose when you agree to play the game.

So if Meyers used the neural matrix on Song, where does that leave V? Because, yeah, we survived and all, we all woke up and looked in the mirror. That was us. Albeit, a little different, worse for wear, but us.

Except, should you trust what you see? Because we know, from an earlier quest, that's it's possible not to. The technology exists. You and Alex both use it when you infiltrate the stadium. You both become entirely different people for a time.

It gives the phrase face in the crowd a whole new meaning.

And hey, handsome. Nice to see you too ;)

#cyberpunk 2077 #phantom liberty #phantom liberty spoilers #i'll make you a tinfoil hat too #conspiracy theories #long post #may as well join all the junkies in dogtown with all the blacklace i'm huffing #trust no one #nothing comes before night city

[omgkalyppso]

i am curious about "brothers" and "syvlain's birthday" 👀

hello! thank you for the ask!

brothers is intended to be a fic where cal and lia bg3 cause rolan stress by each having romantic entanglements. i posted all of it here once.

edit: i was wrong, there's more blocked dialogue because that was only 1/3 but it's fine.

sylvain's birthday was the start of a dimivain fic that takes place just post gronder fe3h (rodrigue lives au). really all that exists could just be it's own little fic, but i'd like to add more to it someday before posting:

With so much happening after the battle of Gronder, and Dimitri’s renewed direction to reorient their army towards Fhirdiad, Sylvain hadn’t expected it when the second of the Garland Moon rolled around and Dimitri cautiously approached him in the hall outside of Rodrigue’s recovery room.

“Sylvain.”

He smiled, biting back the bittersweet emotions that were yet coming in response to having Dimitri’s gaze leveled upon him. In some ways, seeing Dimitri enraged had felt appropriate. He’d been betrayed, disabled and abandoned. To see him calm and happy forced Sylvain to face how it wasn’t the nebulous fault of the kingdom that Dimitri was so injured, but his own, his father’s, and anyone else who’d withheld their support when it had mattered, either because they believed themselves powerless or … any other excuses.

Dimitri was a good man, and had always been a good friend.

While Sylvain had once faced the wrath of his father and his own personal demons, it felt appropriate now to let go of propriety, alone in a hallway with an old friend, so close to where a hero from their childhood lay weakened in bed.

“Yes, Dimitri?”

Sylvain’s smile was a little more genuine then, as Dimitri straightened his posture, trying not to otherwise startle from being addressed as other than His Highness.

“It’s, um… I know I have much and more to apologize for, amends to make in significant ways, and not just to individual people such as yourself but—”

“It’s alright,” Sylvain said casually, chuckling a little. “We’re not expecting it to happen all at once. Do you need my help? I think I have more experience avoiding important apologies than standing through them.”

“I—” Dimitri hesitated. “I would not go so far as to defame your character… But no, no I was not asking for your help, but rather — your birthday is this week, is it not? Is there not something I could do for you?”

[xximpressions]

Falling For Fairytales

Anthony Bridgerton x black!Reader

Series Summary: Taking a slight twist on your classic Cinderella story, you are the daughter of a Marquis who died when you were 18. Several years later, you are told by your stepmother that you must marry this season, or she will engage you to her elderly Uncle. Having no money of your own, you realize you are going to have to strategize if you are going to avoid such a fate. So it's a good thing you run into a Viscount who sees marriage as a battlefield.

Chapter Summary: After being away for years, you return to London.

Word Count: 921

A/N: Hey guys! After writing my Newlyweds (18+) oneshot, I was inspired to write the story that brought the two together. So here's the first chapter! Please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear any feedback 😊

____________________________________________________________

Taking in a deep breath of the rich sea air, you could not stop yourself from reminiscing on the events in your life that led you to standing alone on a bustling port near your hometown of London.

Thinking back, you could not identify the exact moment your life had taken such an unexpected turn. You just knew that at some point, it did. You also knew there were many moments in your past that could have been the catalyst for how you ended up here.

The moment of your birth came to mind as you began to take in all the activity occurring around you.

You had been born to the Marquis and Marchioness of Dorchester almost twenty-five years ago on what you were told was a beautiful Summer morning. Your father’s noble line went back centuries and your mother was the high-born daughter of an Earl. Though their match had been arranged, you knew they had loved each other by the time you arrived. Even in your earliest memories of them, there was nothing but contentment in their eyes as they looked at you and one another. 

Your childhood was a joyous one! Filled with laughter and play as your parents indulged all of your childish whims, you remember feeling like the epitome of happiness all of the time in your little bubble of three.

You remember the feeling because you remember when it started to slowly slip away from you.

Beginning when you were eight, laughter seemed to leave your life when your mother did. Lost at sea when the ship she was on capsized during a storm, it took a while for you and your father to get used to the absence. And because you so strongly resembled her, it took a while for your father to get used to you.

Never really being able to look you directly in the eyes again, a distance grew between you two as you both grieved the late Marchioness. 

But as the years went by and the pain minimized, so did the distance. You were fourteen when you finally felt like your relationship with your father was what it once was, but those feelings changed when he brought a new woman into your life. 

A well-born widow with a daughter of her own, your father insisted she was exactly what you needed. Marrying your father when you were fifteen, things began to slowly change with the addition of her presence. Gradually being excluded from dinners and family outings under your new stepmother’s influence, you could not remember when you last spent time in the presence of your father.

But you do remember the next time tragedy struck your home.

No more than six months into your father’s second marriage, your new step-sister fell ill with a fever. In your kindness, you had tried to care for her only to become sick yourself. 

In order to keep the sickness from spreading to others in the house, a physician had suggested you both stay quarantined within your rooms for everyone’s safety. A week later, you walked out of your room completely on the mend.

Your sister-by-law never left her room, having succumbed to her illness that same day.

You could not be sure how her death affected your stepmother as she never allowed you to see her emotions, but you did know how her daughter’s death affected the way she interacted with you.

Not even pretending to be polite with you anymore, she only spoke to you when completely necessary and with barely concealed disdain. It was a wonder your father never noticed, but you were smart enough to read through the lines.

She did not like you and she wanted you to know it.

That is why you know the true catalyst moment of your life came when your father died three years later. At the young age of eighteen, you remember being told that he had an unexpected heart attack and that, thankfully, he did not have to suffer long.

Since no will could be found, you were left in your stepmother’s care and she was left with all of his assets. However, because she could not be bothered with you, she arranged for you to live with your father’s sister—located in another country—for the foreseeable future.  

And that is where you have been for the past seven years. You had truly started to believe that you would never see London again when you received one fateful letter. A letter that made you realize your life was about to shift once more.

“My Lady?”

Turning to look in front of you, you saw that you were being addressed by what looked like a footman.

“Yes?” You replied with the slightest bit of hesitance.

Bowing before you, the footman said, “I am from the Danbury Estate. I was sent by Lady Danbury to escort you there as soon as you arrived.”

Handing you a letter with her family seal on it, he and another footman proceeded to pick up your trunk before leading you to a carriage. Helping you in and closing the door, you leaned back and got comfortable as they made the horses pull off. As the carriage began to move, you remembered the letter.

Breaking the wax seal on the envelope, you pulled out a slip of stationary and saw the words,

“Welcome Back” 

Written elegantly on a notecard and nothing else.

Despite what you were up against, you could not help allowing one small, genuine smile to grace your lips as you turned to look out the window and take in all the sites you had missed.

Next

Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist!

Taglist: @easilyobessedbutflighty

#anthony bridgerton #anthony bridgerton x black!reader #anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton x imagine #anthony bridgerton fanfic #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton #anthony bridgerton x y/n #anthony bridgerton fanfiction #anthony bridgerton imagine

[mystery-moose]

Someone in my life posed some interesting questions about stories recently! In considering them I figured I'd keep a record of my thoughts here on my tumblr web log, because what void should I holler into if not this one?

First, how I think about stories. I try to avoid thinking about them as morality plays or parables (mostly because this can keep me from engaging with challenging art) but I also don't like thinking about them purely as escapism. Each story has a reason it exists, whether that's entertainment, communication, or contemplation. They're designed to draw out our empathy, communicate a feeling, create a mood. Sometimes that's in service of something important to the author. Other times, it's something meant to distract. I don't judge a story based on its pretensions, or on its naked commercialism -- I try to judge based on its execution, how it's doing what it's doing, and how well it succeeds. There are great artists right now working solely with other people's licenses, doing work-for-hire gigs, and their skills are just as worthy of praise and appreciation as the latest semi-original high-concept novel hanging in the middle of the New York Times bestseller list.

Basically, I think about stories like stories! Or, if I absolutely have to be metaphorical, like buildings. Are the foundations strong? Is it doing anything special? Can I navigate it easily? How accessible is it? That last matters a lot to me, because it doesn't matter how cool the interior is if most people can't find their way inside.

Second, what do I need a story to do to recommend it to someone else? I'm gonna go with "accessibility" at the top, not in the disability sense but the populist one. Yeah, playing to the cheap seats can hurt a story a lot, and you obviously can't please everyone, but ignoring your audience doesn't make me appreciate your story much myself, let alone get me to recommend it to anyone else. You have to find a balance where what you're communicating isn't absolute nonsense to most of your audience. Not all! Just most. Effective communication of your thoughts, feelings, and ideas to a layman is something I think a lot of storytellers could stand to care about more when it comes to honing their craft, and that goes for folks outside of the arts especially. So if I find a story with a big concept, beautiful craft, intense emotion, and it's not too esoteric or inaccessibly written? That's great art in my book, and I'll tell everyone about it.

Next, what do I look for in stories? Now that is a tough one... I guess, beyond sheer execution (if your prose is good enough you can take me almost anywhere) I look for something that makes me care about its characters as it introduces me to their world, and does so without me feeling like I'm being told why I should care about the characters or what their world is like. This goes for everything from period pieces to stories set in places or communities I'm unfamiliar with, just as much as it goes for fantasy or science-fiction. I do generally have to care about the characters in a piece to really devote a significant amount of time to a story, though. If I don't, the other elements of the work (craft, originality, feeling) have to carry a whole lot more of the weight in order to get me to finish something.

What are red flags for me? Honestly, a big one is feeling either preached or condescended to. Even if it's politics or perspectives I agree with, if I feel like I'm being told what to think rather than thinking it on my own, or if I simply think the author doesn't trust me to understand what they're trying to say? I check out. Beyond that, when a story excuses terrible behavior in the interests of forcing me to sympathize with a character the author clearly favors, I also check out. There's other stuff too -- I don't much care for certain tropes when they feel obvious or sufficiently undisguised (at least try to put some kind of spin on it!) -- but those are the big ones I think. If I see those, my desire to continue drops real sharp.

A recent example of a story I really loved, because I try to stay positive: earlier this year I finished a book called A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, which almost instantly became one of my favorite stories. I had to sit with my feelings for days before I really settled on that, too! I worry about recency bias sometimes, that an impact will dull with time, but Empire has lived in my head since I read it. It's a well-told and compelling yarn that dips into a number of my favorite genres (science-fiction, murder-mystery, political intrigue, thriller) told from one of my favorite POVs (first-person) that also happens to dig into concepts that I find super cool and interesting! Things like history, how it's recorded, who makes it, what matters versus what historians only think matters. Things like the colonialism, cultural imperialism, and the politics of empire -- the pressure of being a small community being subsumed by a larger, more dominant one, the complicated nature of being a person from two worlds, whether by choice or by birth, and so on. It's got a lot of thoughts about that stuff, and it can't touch on all of them with the depth that they deserve, but it knows enough to know there's no easy answer for a lot of its questions, and it manages to make that feel like a natural conclusion rather than a copout. A great novel, and one I recommend to most everyone I know!

One I'm still in the middle of that I need to get back to: Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. That's a work that I think is a bit inaccessible, with characters that I don't necessarily love (the protagonist is a professional torturer, if that tells you anything) but the sheer craft on display... my god. There are whole sections I've read, passages that describe a feeling that I've had before but never put to words, and it expresses them so effectively and with such excellent language that it carries me forward on those passages even when I'm unsure what this person's quest is or whether or not I even like them. And that's to say nothing of the depth of the text itself -- Ursula K. Le Guin famously called Gene Wolfe genre fiction's Herman Melville, and that's been borne out in what I've read so far. I've been listening to the Shelved by Genre podcast as I've been reading the book, and their own insights and analysis illuminate whole sections of the text that I would never have noticed otherwise, or would have without knowing exactly why! Awesome stuff.

#moose blogs #on storytelling #i think about stories a lot #like i think about history a lot #that venn diagram is a circle in my mind #so when i find a story that thinks about the same stuff? #that's the best babyyy

[whatiswrongwithpeople]

Helloo!! I hope you're able to sort out your schedule soon and your university studies go well! Remember that it's ok to take a break and focus on other stuff, the fandom will still be here ❤️❤️❤️

In terms of things that I'd love to see, this has lived in my head rent free since you first posted it. I LOVE how you write intimate moments with Tangerine!! The pining looks and soft touches really send me into orbit 😍

So, maybe some soft moments in the middle of a stressful job when Tangerine is upset and Tabasco tries to comfort him? He could be worried about getting everyone out safely (since he's a Gordon and he feels like that's his responsibility). I could see Tabasco being his center of support and he's just so in love with her for it.

Just a thought I had. Excited to see what you come up with! Have a good day!! 🥰🥰

A/N: Thank you and everyone else so much for all your ideas and prompts! I’ve taken note of all of them and will try to write something whenever my schedule allows it. Once again a big fat thank you to all of you for being so patient with me!!

Summary: A fight broke out , not only on the Bullet Train but also in Tangerine’s mind. His medicine? Tabasco.

Warnings: Description of panic/anxiety, not proof read

Hope you enjoy!! 🍊🧡

He felt trapped. Not physically no, he felt trapped within his own mind. This was not something Tangerine was familiar with. Usually his anger would just overtake his body , immediately shutting down any other emotions or thoughts, but seemingly his body decided to try something else today. At some point , and Tangerine was not able to tell when exactly for the sake of Thomas , a thought manifested itself in the contract killer’s mind. ”Get them out of here. You have to get them out of here alive.“ kept repeating itself like a broken record, steadily building up like an orchestrated symphony of agony.

Making sure to keep a tight grip on the vest of her attacker, Tabasco glanced over at her partner. She always kept an eye on him , but tonight he was acting very out of line. His usually angry ,steady strikes seemed to be a bit more unsteady, somewhat unsure and he would occasionally shake his head as if he was trying to get rid of something. Keeping her focus on the man who occupied her mind way more often than she‘d like him to, Tabasco forcefully slammed her knee into the head of her opponent and carelessly discarded his body on the train wagon‘s floor. She was fully aware that the mission should always be her top priority , but even with multiple armed men charging at her , her focus was set entirely on getting to Tangerine. Quickly avoiding a fist swinging her way ,the female assassin scanned the rather tiny space with calculating eyes. Tangerine was located at the far end of the wagon, switching between fighting in the aisle and the corridor. Right in front of her was Ladybug, who was currently suffocating a man with his bucket hat. And guarding the door right behind her back was Lemon. The latter turned to her, a sincere tone accompanying the usual grumpy expression. “You better get over there and bring my brother back on track. He looks like he is applying for a job in a haunted house and I don’t like that at all.” Throwing a suitcase to knock out an approaching attacker, Lemon threw her one last urging glance before turning back around and continuing his mission. Not wasting anymore time, Tabasco took off towards Tangerine. She could swear that she was hearing Lemon angrily explaining Thomas the Tank Engine lore whilst beating someone up behind her. Swiftly making her way through the aisle , she reached Tangerine’s end of the carriage. Mentally noting to ask Ladybug about his bucket hat technique as soon as all of this was over.

Tangerine on the other hand was not noticing anything, his senses too high on alert and his mind to confused by the panicked sensation climbing its way upwards his spine. At this point his body was completely relying on muscle memory to take out any threats and he swore he has never been more grateful for the exhausting and quite frustrating training sessions ,he has put himself through. In fact, the unfamiliar feeling of anxiety had a grip so strong on him that he didn’t notice the pull on his arm , until he found himself in the corridor ,Tabasco standing directly in front of him , searching his frantically roaming gaze. “Hey, Hey!” the constant ringing in his ears got replaced with a soft voice. Snapping his head in her direction, he tried to answer but his breathing got thrown off its rhythm, words replaced by quick , shallow breaths. Breaking out of her shock at seeing the usually anger driven Tangerine so confused and lost by his failure to function , Tabasco took his face in her hands locking her eyes with his baby blues. “Hey! It’s okay.” She reassured the distraught man. Reaching down with one of her hands ,she got a hold of his colder one and placed it onto her cheek , so that he could feel her warm breath skimming the skin of his palm. “Here , breathe with me.” she utters, making her breath match a rhythm Lemon had taught her a while ago when he had found her awake one night after a mission which she had failed horribly. Slowly Tangerine’s throat started to open up again.

The proximity of their bodies as well as Tabasco’s thumb still tracing his cheek, spread a fiery warmth across his cold skin. Her breath gently blowing away the troubles plaguing his mind , like a fresh summer breeze after a thunderstorm. His eyes clung to her form like a religious man would to his sacred scripture. “There you are.” the woman chuckled softly, her tracing fingers noticing how the hardened features of his face softened. Tangerine was not a man of any believes , but in this moment , surrounded by utter chaos, he was convinced that someone has sent him an angel.

“You’re fucking magical , do you know that?” he mumbled, eliciting a laugh from the woman. The sound of it a lullaby to his inner demons. “Might as well call me Houdini then.” She teased back , a grin plastered on her face. Leaning forward, Tangerine pressed his forehead to hers. The look in his eyes serious and genuine. “Thank you ,love.” he breathed out, briefly pulling her into his chest and placing a kiss on her hair, before taking a step back and squaring his shoulders. “Let’s get back to business then , shall we?” Tangerine asked , his accent laid on extra thick, an outstretched arm gesturing towards the door. “Oh we definitely should!” Tabasco exclaimed, making her way through the door. “ I don’t think beating Thomas the Tank Engine lore into someones brain and choking someone to death with your bucket hat are sufficient techniques for this mission.” Straightening out his vest and adjusting his cufflinks, Tangerine followed Tabasco back into the other section of the train. His head snapping up in confusion, the familiar tinge of anger back on his face. “Wait , what did you just say?”

Tag list: @spookyspecterino @peachydoesstuff @shittingonyourgrave

#tangerine x reader #tangerine x tabasco #bullet train x reader #tangerine imagine #tangerine #tangerine x original female character #bullet train #bullet train imagine #tangerine oneshot #tangerine bullet train #lemon x platonic!reader #ladybug x platonic!reader #lemon bullet train #ladybug bullet train #tangerine and lemon

[nickmillermit]

With great branding comes great responsibility

In January, I spent my winter break traveling around Asia for a whole month––visiting Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and South Korea.  As someone who grew up in a lower-middle class suburb of Philadelphia, I never travelled much as a kid and did not get a lot of exposure to many different cultures around the world.  Up until this trip, I'd never been to Asia and had never seen a developing country.

Walking around the streets of Tokyo, I found myself completely enamored with small details that my friends didn’t seem affected by at all.  From hot soup vending machines to bamboo trees, the sidewalks were sprawling with peculiar fascinations that caught my attention and slowed my gait to an annoying pace.

One thing in particular, though, really caught my eye in a way that made me stop and think.  Below is the picture of what I saw.

Lebron James in a Louis Vuitton ad on the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo.  Now, I am a basketball fan (go Sixers!), sure, so maybe it struck me so deeply because it was a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.  But this ad would be quite blasé if you saw it in New York or LA, so why was it so startling?

Well, what you don’t see in this picture is the fact that the vast, vast majority of advertisements I saw during my month-long trip showed people with fair skin.  Whether of Asian or Caucasian descent, it felt to me like I hadn’t seen anyone with black or brown skin in weeks––whether on the street or in print.

This gets me back to this week’s discussion on Fair & Lovely, a Unilever brand that is a market leader in fairness creams that––despite controversies and growing awareness about the harmful societal impacts of such products––continues to hold a significant market share in the South Asian skincare industry.  (Interestingly enough, Dove is another Unilever brand known for its "Real Beauty" campaign, which one could argue is a sharp contrast to the messaging from Fair & Lovely….)

Especially in sensitive areas like health and beauty, consumers often see brands as extensions of their own identity.  Brands that align with a consumer’s identity in terms of values, aesthetics, or community can forge stronger emotional bonds.  This is why a brand that promotes fairness as a universal beauty standard may alienate those who feel misrepresented or stigmatized by such standards.

As future business leaders, many Sloanies will have the unique opportunity to align our company’s operations with ethical practices and positive social impact.  This begins with creating fair, sustainable, principled, high-quality products and services, but it also includes developing responsible marketing strategies that avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes or unrealistic standards.  Instead, we must focus on inclusive and empowering messaging that respects diversity and promotes self-acceptance.

In this conversation, I also can’t help but to think about our final project: the rebranding of the Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Washington Redskins.  I think that this example offers a key example of how societal pressures and the demand for cultural sensitivity can drive significant changes in brand management.  This transformation was largely influenced by long-standing criticisms over the original name, which was seen as a racial slur against Native Americans.  The decision to adopt a new name and identity reflects a broader movement towards inclusivity and respect for cultural diversity, aligning the brand with contemporary social values.

Much like the case with Dove’s promotion of diversity and self-acceptance, the rebranding process involved engaging various stakeholders, including fans, community leaders, and cultural experts, to ensure the new brand was well-received and free from past controversies.  This stakeholder engagement is crucial for maintaining brand loyalty and trust, illustrating a commitment to ethical considerations and cultural sensitivity.

#mitsloanbranding2024a

[aerospas]

Hello! :) I've really enjoyed all your posts so far. It feels like you understand these characters on an incredibly intimate level, and so many of your headcanons and characterizations hit the spot for me. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful things you create with us! Looking through your writing brightens up my day every time.

If possible, I'd like to request a Star Trek matchup. I've only watched TOS, AOS and a bit of DS9 and TNG, but I'm completely open to any character that comes to mind regardless of series and gender.

I'm a transmasc enby and lean towards masc or androgynous presentation. I have dark brown eyes and wavy hair. I have a bit of grey hair from stress and a single dimple that shows when I smile or purse my lips. My height and build are on the lower end of average and I've been told I have fairly broad shoulders.

My MBTI is INFP. I'm reasonably sure my enneagram is 4w5, but I could be wrong. I'm neurodivergent and that factors into a lot of my personality and worldview. I'm an old soul. I have a variable social battery, but I am always there for people when it matters the most. I feel things quite deeply, but I strongly believe that emotions and logic go hand in hand, and as a result have a pretty high EQ.

I'm very easygoing and approachable, and like to make lots of friendly acquaintances in my daily life. I try to connect a bit with everyone I can strike up a conversation with regardless of age. I care a lot about people and I think people would generally consider me sweet or easy to get along with. With my closer friends, I'm maybe the dad friend counterpart to our other mom friend. I'll be silly with them but am usually the first to go no-nonsense when they need a voice of reason. My brand of humor is quite deadpan, but I laugh a lot at my friends' antics. I will only sass or give a ribbing to people I consider fairly good friends, but make sure to avoid any sore spots.

I'm passionate but not really competitive and thrive in environments where everyone really loves what they do. I have no problem taking on leadership roles or otherwise. I generally serve as a mediator for conflicts, and don't mind speaking up for other people's needs. Otherwise, I'm somewhat easily embarrassed and prefer to deal with problems myself instead of asking people to go out of their way to help me.

I gravitate towards creative mediums like art, reading and writing, music and theatre, but also have a soft spot for anthropology and biology. I really like talking to and connecting with other people. It is pretty easy for me to find beauty in all sorts of places and people and things, and one of my favorite things to do is to take things slow and focus on the little things for a while.

I'm demisexual, sex-positive, and probably ambiamorous. My love language is words of affirmation then physical touch, in that order. Gender doesn't really factor into my attraction for someone and I find people attractive because of who they are as a person, not how they present. I'm most drawn to people who are fundamentally kind but are unafraid to push me to think about things from more perspectives. I feel like the basis for my attraction is first and foremost the capacity for a strong bond built around trust and communication.

-🪁

from the original series, i'd pair you with, spock!

with your introspective and empathetic nature, spock would find himself drawn to your depth of understanding and your unique perspective on life. initially intrigued by your combination of logic and emotion, he would appreciate the way you balance your feelings with rationality, much like he does himself. your gentle demeanour and quiet strength would complement spock's reserved nature. your capacity for understanding others' emotions, despite your own occasional struggles with vulnerability, would resonate with spock's own internal conflict between logic and emotion; he would admire your ability to navigate the complexities of human interaction with grace and compassion.

from deep space nine, i'd pair you with, kira nerys!

kira would admire your courage and resilience, seeing in you someone who understands the importance of fighting for justice in the face of adversity. initially, she might be cautious around your easygoing nature, unsure of how to reconcile it with your deep sense of purpose, but she would come to trust your sincerity and reliability. your willingness to mediate conflicts and support those in need would resonate strongly with kira, who shares your dedication to protecting others.

#request #anon asks #anon request #star trek #star trek the original series #star trek tos #star trek x reader #star trek the original series x reader #star trek tos x reader #spock #spock x reader #star trek deep space nine #star trek deep space 9 #star trek ds9 #star trek deep space nine x reader #star trek deep space 9 x reader #star trek ds9 x reader #kira nerys #kira nerys x reader #── eris writes

[zalrb]

What would your argument be to ppl justifying Belly’s behaviour as her being a teenager? Because I’m like so is like every other character ever? The OC Gilmore girls one tree hill TVD gossip girl , like why are ppl pretending this is the first teenager ever and all is justified bc of it because teenagers make mistakes and their emotions are messy…

Well 1. She can just be an awful teenager. Like "they're a teenager" doesn't magically wipe away all bad behaviour, there can be particularly selfish and self-centered teenagers. 2. I've mentioned this in pretty much all of my reviews I think the show is too lazy to really tap into the chaos of emotions you feel as a teenager

I'll provide examples but I am well aware that what I'm going to say I felt and saw with these examples is what I'm meant to see and feel with TSITP but the issue is Belly is a nightmare because the choices she makes all seem entirely avoidable. And not like hindsight, as an adult, I now know I would not make those decisions, just generally, it's like, you could just not do that, Belly.

So, for instance, Oz/Willow/Xander in season 3. For two seasons, we see -- without reliance on voiceover and flashbacks -- how much Willow has secretly-not-secretly pined for Xander and she's given moments that are super teen and uncomfortable because of how teen they are. Like, they almost kiss when he wipes away the ice cream on her nose

and they're interrupted and she wants to recreate that moment so later on, she purposefully puts yogurt on her nose to get him to notice her

and it falls so flat

and she's crushed

she wants Xander to see her differently so Buffy tries to get her to dress sexily on Halloween

but Willow ultimately chooses to go as a ghost and Xander is a dick about it

and that's super high school.

We see her heart break

over

and over

we also see that every time there's an episode where Xander breaks her heart,

it's also an episode that shows that he will risk his life for her

he always ends up choosing her over the girl he's romantically interested in

in some capacity

so that when he finally does notice her when she's with Oz because Xander is such a teenage boy,

I've been aligned with Willow enough and the show has really solidified their relationship that even if I don't agree with what she's doing I'm like yo, I get it, if the guy I've liked forever is suddenly calling me stunning and there's a vibe going on even though I'm with someone I like/love I can understand at 16 how that's confusing and you make stupid choices

There is literally nothing about being 16 that will have me like I can see how Belly told Conrad to go to hell in front of everyone at his mother's wake.

It's one thing to see him with Aubrey and jump to conclusions and rush out of the room and as an anon said lock yourself in a bathroom or run outside and keep going.

It's another to do this

that's not being a teenager that's being a dick.

Added to the fact that the writing is weak like I said before I never saw this

I never saw Belly trying so hard to connect with Conrad and Conrad shutting her out, like again, we don't get this energy

for her to see him with Aubrey and have that breakdown. It's bad writing.

And then when she's drunk at the beach and is all "If I'd known you'd gone to Jeremiah, I would've fought for us" in the same breath she says "I thought we loved each other", he hadn't given her any indication that he didn't love her because he's waxing poetic about how they're infinite and he's making all these grand declarations that I'm just like, Belly what??

Another example is Joey/Dawson/Jen or Joey and Dawson in the first two seasons of Dawson's Creek. Joey is pretty terrible but she's terrible in a very fifteen year old kinda way where I'm like it's not fair, Jen does not deserve this but I understand it because you're fifteen and you're in love with a boy who is clueless and self-centered and this interloper comes in and takes all of his attention and you're not mature enough yet to be like this isn't Jen's fault. You're just territorial and jealous and angry and you're being horrible.

And the pilot does a very good job in establishing all of that in the first ten minutes because Joey is frustrated with Dawson in the opening scene because she wants their relationship to change, she's talking about how they're getting older and they're getting hormonal

and Dawson is so convinced they're not sexual, he insists they share a bed and says that he doesn't even see her as a girl

but it's clear when he sees Jen that he very clearly sees her as a girl that he's attracted to and it's frustrating for Joey to watch

so she's just angry and I get that.

Then when she and Dawson do get together and she kisses Jack and then blames Dawson for it and breaks up with him, I got why she did it and I got why Dawson was upset

I can get on board with the idea that Joey had been in love with Dawson for so long and had idealized him for so long and had been nothing but his best friend for so long that now that she got what she wanted, she’s having a sort of crisis and realizing that she needs to find herself outside of their relationship and that Jack kissing her was something new and it was wrapped up in her desire to learn more about art and find something she was passionate about outside of Dawson and that’s why she ultimately ends things with him because she needs to go do that.

But the thing about the writing for Dawson is that he is self-involved and he is self-absorbed and a majority of his friendship with Joey that we’ve seen has been him bitching about his problems (which isn’t to say we don’t see Dawson be there for Joey because we do but not nearly as much because at this point this show is still very heavily about Dawson, it is called Dawson’s Creek) and Joey responding to that and Joey will tell Dawson to get over himself, tell him when he’s being trite, tell him when he’s being boring, tell him when she wants to talk about something else, tell him when he’s being privileged, but she never tells him hey, let’s talk about me now, hey I’m getting kind of tired just being there for you, so when she’s yelling IT’S ABOUT ME, IT’S FINALLY ABOUT ME, I can see how in her head it is that but I think it makes absolute sense that he’s like ………. what? I did not know that’s how you felt and you’re making the fact that you kissed another guy MY fault what the hell??

And then she doesn’t give him a chance to do those things in a relationship, which fine, but then what gets me is that she wants to continue to be friends with him afterwards and is surprised and indignant when he’s like you dumped me and I don’t want to talk to you right now. Like NO. You kissed someone else, blamed me for it, dumped me, and now you want to be friends still? NO.

Like when you think about Joey’s “inner life” as they say so many times on this show, it makes sense, but because she is actually really bad at communicating, she just seems ENTIRELY unreasonable outwardly.

and it's like none of you handled this well at all because you all suck at communication but this is very teenage soap-y drama where if you just had the capacity to thin outside of yourselves for like fifteen minutes this could've gone a very different way.

I don't have the same type of grace for Belly who kissed Jeremiah then chose to be with Conrad immediately after, then had a huge public meltdown about Conrad being in the same room with his ex and then is now like hey I'm kinda vibing with Jeremiah again because it doesn't feel unavoidable or inevitable or understandable especially considering that when we do have flashbacks to her time with Conrad it doesn't seem like she felt Jeremiah's absence at all. She says that she missed him, Conrad says it's tearing Belly up that he doesn't return her calls but there are no scenes to actually suggest this and when they do see each other at Thanksgiving she makes zero effort to talk to him she just smiles at him awkwardly and makes a half-assed attempt to get him to be social

So Jeremiah now just seems like nothing more than convenience or a fall-back plan for her. And I'm sure before they get together, they'll have that conversation and she'll be like no it's you, it's really you, you get me but you were just breaking down on the beach to Conrad about how you would've fought if you knew he loved you while also saying you thought you two loved each other. It doesn't come across as 'oh to be 16' it comes across as callous.

Belly just seems like she does whatever she wants to do and makes herself the victim and messes with people's emotions without care and if that was the point, if the point was like oh yeah you can be a nightmare as a teenager then that would be one thing but that's not the point, it's just supposed to be oh the woes of a young heart and the complications that arise but Belly, imo, is entirely unsympathetic.