#doing the thing where characters talk like they've been to therapy

[girl-mercury]

sometimes your bestie tells you to get some fucking therapy

“I think you need to talk to someone,” Donna says.

“I talk all the time, I talk to you, I talk to your mother, I talk to the man who brings the mail —amazing arrangement, mail, not sure I ever stopped to appreciate— what do you mean I should talk to someone?”

“You know what I mean. A professional. A therapist or something.” 

“Donna! What the hell would I say to a therapist? Really. What would a human therapist have to say about my life? Nobody lives like me, Donna, nobody has these experiences, nobody studies these experiences in school—“

“You need someone!”

“I’ve got you! I’ve got you. And other friends. So many friends. That I’m actually seeing again. Or planning to. I really do plan to.”

Donna sighs. She feels old. Not in a tired sort of way, not in an ancient sort of way —actually, scratch that, she has a teenage daughter, she’s made to feel ancient five times before breakfast— but she feels old in a grown-up kind of way. The kind of grown up where you know what to say to make a dentist appointment, because it’s no longer your first time doing it after your mum’s made your dentist appointments your whole life. Being grown up means that there’s a lot of things you’re not doing for the first time, all scared and unsure what to say or what you’ll need. You’ve done this before. You’ve got this. 

The Doctor always runs, not just from his past but to new experiences. Constantly, new, new, new. It’s a glorious life, full of adventure. Donna’s lived it, and she loves it. It’s such a rush, to never know what you’re doing, but knowing you’ll throw yourself headlong into it regardless. But that’s not all there is. There’s beauty in layering one experience done a hundred times over on top of itself. Every morning she sees Rose’s beautiful face again, so happy now that she can show the face she feels is hers. Every kiss she shares with Shaun is the same as the million before it, all the way back to the first time they kissed, and isn’t that marvelous? The Doctor’s never around for the millionth time of anything. He’s already long gone. 

“Just think about it,” she says. “I can help find somebody, figure out what sort of person might get it. Maybe UNIT’s got some resources. I don’t know how long Time Lord burnout lasts, I think taking a break is really going well for you, but I know how you get in your head. Might be good to let it out.”

“How do you know what’s in my head, Donna Noble?” he asks, teasing, knowing the answer. 

“Cause I’ve been in there, Spaceman, and it’s a real tip,” she answers, grinning. 

He slings an arm around her neck and pulls her close, dropping a quick kiss on her head, and then Rose gets home from school, and there’s some shouting about homework before sewing her new batch of stuffed Adipose babies, and then Wilf rings and says somebody needs to come get him if he’s coming for supper, and then the phone rings again and Donna has to have her third argument of the week with the home insurance company about her claim for the damage the aliens did to the house, and the very ordinary day goes on. The Doctor slips out to go for a walk. 

He goes for a lot of walks these days. Trying to slow down from all the running. 

+ + +

It’s a few weeks later when he and Shaun are out at the pub, waiting for Donna to join them. The Doctor’s asking if Shaun would mind if he takes Rose on a little adventure to Egypt for her birthday. Shaun’s a little dry when he says, “Permission, eh?”

“Well,” says the Doctor expansively. “It’s up to her, really. Less permission, more… advance warning.”

Donna arrives, drops a kiss on Shaun’s lips, bumps her arm up against the Doctor’s. There’s a pint already waiting for her. “The Doctor’s going to have Rose running through pyramid trap tunnels chased by possessed mummies for her birthday,” Shaun tells her. 

“I didn’t say that!” the Doctor protests. “I don’t know that there’s going to be possessed mummies. Just… I do run into some gods, every time I’m there. Not really gods, but, well, you know how rumors get around.”

“Fine,” Donna says. “If I hear my daughter’s even ended up on the altar for being a human sacrifice, I will slap you so hard your face will spin back to the first one.” 

His eyebrows go up. If anyone could manage that, Donna could. 

Later in the evening, they’ve left, the Doctor is still sitting at one of the outside tables, talking to some other guy whose name he doesn’t know. They’re not drunk, just having the kind of deep conversation you can have with a stranger after three beers. 

“My friend, she thinks I need to talk to a therapist,” the Doctor says to his new friend. The man’s an American, just moved to London. He’s told him about adventuring through space, and  aliens have come through London enough times that someone having space adventures is plausible even to someone normal. Or maybe the guy thinks he’s bullshitting the whole thing. Impossible to tell, really. 

“Therapists can help,” the man says. He lights up a cigarette. “I’ve had to see one a few times, just to get me straightened out after shit’s happened.”

“I don’t know, I just don’t like talking about, you know. Stuff. Things.”

“Oh, yeah, the stuff and the things.”

“And I don’t know who would even have advice. They don’t have specialists in space adventurers, do they? Not to sound arrogant, really and truly, but no one else has this kind of life.”

The man’s taking a drag when the Doctor says this so plaintively, and he chokes, coughing before he can get out his laughing. And then he laughs some more, and the Doctor’s considering getting a little offended. “No, man,” the guy eventually gets out. “You’re in emergency services.”

“I’m in what?” 

“Like an EMT, or whatever people call them over here. The medical folks who ride in the back of the ambulance. You show up to a place, everything’s on fire, everyone’s yelling. You get people to safety, you find out what’s wrong with them, and you start helping. You help other people get things to stop exploding, you point the police at whoever caused the ruckus in the first place. You see people at their best, and you see them at their worst, not a lot in between. Then once it’s over, you go home, and sleep, and get up the next day, and go to the next place that’s on fire. Every day.”

“Well, I’m the Doctor,” says the Doctor. 

“Maybe a bit overqualified, then. But it gets to you. You do it because you function best under pressure, when everything’s urgent and lives are on the line, and then you keep doing it because it’s what you know how to do. Even when you’ve seen so many fucked up things that there’s this numb part of you that you’re afraid doesn’t feel anything anymore. People die when you’re doing everything to save them and it’s like you’re not even there, and then you realize you’re not there when you’re around the people you love, either, even though they’re happy and safe. Cause it all never stops being on fire.”

“What do you do then?” the Doctor asks.

The guy grinds out his cigarette in the ashtray. “Quit your job and move across the ocean,” he says. “Try doing something new. And see a therapist.”

“Ah.” 

“I might have a number for someone you could call, make an appointment with, if you wanted it.”

The Doctor doesn’t think he’s going to call, but he takes it anyway. 

You never know.

#like i said i'm not writing fic #doing the thing where characters talk like they've been to therapy #doctor who #fanfiction

[scarletlizzard]

Part 1: Get Help

Sessions Series

Pairing: psychiatrist Wanda x female reader

Tags Minors DNI: being stalked, paranoia, therapy, mentions of sex

Masterlist

Fall 2018

It was the same thing every day.

You wake up, make breakfast, and go for a run. You go to work, a normal 9-5 job downtown. After work, you would wind down by making dinner and sometimes taking a bath with a glass of wine. You go to bed around the same time every night, letting the sounds of I Love Lucy lull you to sleep.

Your routine was all but normal, though. You had a shadow.

Your daily jog was filled with turning your head, constantly aware of a presence behind you, one that you could never see. You thought it was over until one night when you were making dinner, you happened to look out the window and saw a person standing across the street. The glass of wine you were holding dropped from your hand onto the floor beneath your feet. You step back onto the glass and wince, tearing your eyes from the shapeless figure.

When you look up again, they've disappeared.

This happened for weeks until you finally gave in and told your friend one night over a bottle of wine.

"Look, this is them. They're back," you say, handing the phone to Natasha. She raises an eyebrow and looks at the blurry picture on the screen. Practically a black dot next to the bus stop a few houses down from yours.

"But why would they wait so long? It's been over a year, and.." she squints, staring at the picture. "That kind of just looks like a blob.." the woman says and sips her wine, a concerned look on her face at your frantic state.

"It's not. It's them! I-I swear I'm being followed, being watched... every where I go, it's like, I can feel them. The police won't do anything about it." You move your shaking hand away from her to gulp down the rest of your wine.

"Look, Y/N.." Natasha sighs and sets down her glass, turning her body to face yours. "I know you've been through a lot, everything that.. happened last summer. I think - maybe you should.. get some help." She tries to soften the blow of calling you crazy by resting a hand on your thigh. You only look to her with betrayed eyes.

"I'm not crazy," you speak calmly, your tone stern, but the crack in your voice only solidifies Natashas' point.

"I don't think you are, Y/N. Here.." She grabs her purse, pulling out a business card from it casually, as if she just happened to have it. You knew her better than that. "This is my friend. She's an amazing psychiatrist. Just talk to her, give it a chance."

You snatch the card away from her hands, not making eye contact with her. Natasha sighs again and stands, watching your leg bounce harder. She leans down to kiss your forehead.

"I'll call you tomorrow. I love you.." She trails off, unsure if you'd even reply.

"Love you." You mumble, pouring yourself another glass.

After she leaves, you stare at the business card in your hand, eyes settled on the name in bold lettering. You crumple the card, ball it up in your hand, and throw it across the room. It bounces off the wall with a small 'thunk'. Then you're left sitting, recalling the events of last summer.

***

Summer 2017

It was an exceptionally hot night. The air conditioner had been broke all day, leaving you sweating and fanning yourself with a magazine. Also leaving you with no choice but to leave the windows open, letting a cooler breeze flow through your quiet house.

You shot a quick text to Natasha- See you tomorrow, meet at the coffee shop near yours.

With a sigh, you rest your head on the back of the couch, listening to the voices on the TV. You get a strange feeling suddenly, your whole body covered in goosebumps, the small hairs on your arms standing straight up. You slowly open your eyes, staring straight ahead at the characters running around the screen.

"Get a grip, Y/N.." You mumble to yourself, patting your cheeks as if to wake yourself up. Maybe you just needed some sleep. Your anxiety seemed to be kicking up again. Your hands reach for the remote on the table in front of you, and you press the power button, turning the TV off.

It's then you see, in the black screen, reflecting an image not only of you but a person standing directly behind you.

***

Current Fall 2018

No, I'm NOT doing this right now.

You think to yourself, swallowing down your third glass of wine for the night. Instead, you get up to double -no, triple- check all of the locks in your house. The windows to the backyard, locked. The sliding glass backdoor, locked. The windows to the front of the house, locked. The front door, locked. The side door leading to the garage, locked. Windows in any bedrooms, locked. Your bedroom door and window, locked.

It was exhausting, but it was a routine you had been following for the past year. It kept you safe. You turn on I Love Lucy, drifting off into another nightmare with your mysterious shadow.

The morning after, you awake to your alarm and slap your hand on your loud phone to slide it off. You lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The morning sun shines brightly in the room, the light warm on your skin.

I am NOT crazy...

You repeat to yourself over and over, a mantra easily spoken and believed in your mind. Breakfast was made and eaten, running shoes tied to your feet, laces double knotted, ID and cash in case of emergencies, and headphones settle snug in your ears. The first mile was fine, humming along to your music, and enjoying the cold fall. It was when you were heading back towards your house that you began to have that unsettling feeling.

Your panicked eyes look around as you jog, your head constantly turning from side to side as you look for your shadow. You find yourself reaching into your pocket, letting your hand grab onto the pepper spray you had brought with you. Only a little ways to go. It's fine.

Your pace sped up, but your shadow was creeping up closer to you. Your heart was racing. Sweat was dripping down your forehead. With your thumb gripping the spray, you suddenly turn around, spraying the shadow behind you.

"Ahhh! What the fuck!" A man screams, falling to his knees in front of you. Your heart was beating out of your chest at the sight of him, rubbing his eyes and screaming in pain. But on the sidewalk in front of him you see your emergency clip that held your cash and ID.

"Jason! Oh my god, what did you do to him?" A woman comes running up to his side, sliding her arm around him. "Are you crazy? You dropped this. He was trying to give it back to you!" She screams at you, throwing the clip in your direction. Dollar bills fly to the ground, and you back up.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know, I thought he was - I didn't know.." Your voice trails off as you shake your head, hands shaking. "I didn't know.." You repeat it 4 times.

"Y/N, you're lucky he didn't press charges, I can't believe you actually pepper sprayed him.." Natashas voice sounded from the phone in your hand as you recall the events from the morning.

"I know, I can't believe I did either. I feel so fucking bad about it.." you hold your head in your hand, guilt filling your gut.

"It happened. There's nothing you can do about it now. He'll be fine.. people get pepper sprayed all the time," she tries to joke, attempting to lighten the mood.

You sit up and sigh into the phone, looking around the room. The TV playing, the dusty art supplies sitting on a desk in the corner. Your eyes find and focus on the crumpled business card on the floor by the wall. As you stand, your feet carry you over, picking it up.

"I'll talk to you later, Nat," you say, letting her say goodbye before you hang up. Your hands straighten out the card, and you once again read the name in bold lettering.

The clock on the wall read 5:28 as you sat, one day after work, on a chair in the hallway near the front door. You look around the hallway that leads to a massive house. It seemed the front was used for her practice, a room on either side of the hallway. One you assumed an office, the other a room to meet with patients. The clock ticked to 5:29, and your leg began to bounce.

The door on the wall across from you opens, revealing a brown headed woman with a warm smile on her face. She was taller, a creme colored blouse and brown pants settled on her legs. Her familiar green eyes find yours, and you both let out a small, awkward chuckle.

"Y/N.." Wanda says and holds out her hand to you, watching as you stand in front of her.

Your hand reaches for hers, "Wanda.." Her hand is warm and soft in yours. You know you linger too long in her grip. She leads you into room number two, a medium-sized room with one big, comfortable looking chair and an even more comfortable looking couch. Behind her comfy chair was an extravagant looking fireplace. Bookshelves lined the walls, and as you walked inside, your fingers trail the spines of the books that sat on them. It felt comfortable and safe. The sun was beginning to set, and an orange glow filled the room. Wanda sits in a chair, a notepad, and pen in her lap. You follow suit, sitting across from her on the couch.

"So, are you sure you want to do this? I'd be more than happy to recommend you to some other, highly recommended, co-workers of mine?" Wanda says with a smile, and you can't help but blush. She just had that effect on you.

"As long as you're okay with it, I am. I trust you, and right now, I really need that.." You mumble the last part, sitting back into the couch. Wanda nods, understanding of you.

One of the last times you saw Wanda she was in your bed, giving you what still stands today, the best orgasms of your life. Natasha had thrown a Christmas party where you met. You and Wanda came alone. You both had a lot to drink, and one thing led to another. You spent the night talking and laughing, getting to know each other as you came on her fingers. After that, you saw her from time to time, over a couple of months. She let you eat her out on your couch and fucked you against the counter in your kitchen. It was the best sex you'll probably ever have. You felt more alive with her than you had in years.

But then you had to leave town for work, and by the time you came back, the two of you had lost touch. Then, a few months after, during the summer, when your shadow appeared, you cut practically everyone out of your life.

"Well then, let's get started," Wanda interrupts your train of thoughts with a click of her pen, crossing her legs. "I reviewed the file you sent over from your stay at the Bay Point Medical Center. Do you want to talk about that?" She asks, her voice as smooth as honey.

You let out a shaky sigh, playing with the zipper of the bag you held in your lap. "I've always been.. anxious, since I was a kid. Always had these uh, routines. Tie my shoes until they felt right, flick the lights 4 times before bed."

"Were you ever diagnosed or tested as a kid?"

"No, my mom didn't believe in that sort of thing."

"So you were first diagnosed with OCD and Bipolar Disorder at Bay Point." Wanda makes a note. You tap your leg 4 times.

"Yes."

"So what led you to that moment, to that night?" Her voice is so inviting. You would tell her just about anything at this point.

"I'm sure it says in the file.." You clear your throat, suddenly being unable to look her in the eyes.

"There is a version, but I'd like to hear yours." Her eyebrows raise, pen hovering over the paper of the pad.

"It was a few days after I saw my shadow," you start, Wanda has a curious look on her face.

A pause.

"Your shadow?" She asks, you nod.

"The stalker, person watching me." You reply, she nods for you to continue. "I hadn't slept in days. The police didn't believe me. There was no evidence, they said, that anyone besides me had been in the house that night. So I went to the docks, and I-I bought a gun from some junkie. I'm not proud of what I did," you say, meeting her comforting gaze.

"I'm sure. You hadn't slept in days. You were delusional - sleep deprived. No medication, no diagnosis. Under extreme stress. Given the circumstances, I'm glad no one was hurt." Wanda concurs.

"Well, maybe not physically. But when you wave a gun around at 3 in the morning down the street, maybe a little psychological damage to the family that found me," you groan and put your head in your hands.

"The report said you had left a note at your house. What did it say?" Wanda asks, and you think back to when you scribbled on a piece of paper, what you thought would be, your last words. You're quiet for a moment. Wanda can tell you won't answer that question just yet.

"How about, who did you leave it for?" She asks.

"For my shadow."

The rest of the session you had spilled about your feelings that night and talked about you OCD and Bipolar disorder. You told her about your stay at the mental hospital, and told her about your routines. You spoke to her of almost everything.

"I think this session was really productive, Y/N. You've been very open with me, and I appreciate that." Wanda stood at the front door, smiling down to you. It was dark now, the sun at set completely. "I'll see you at the same time, Thursday?"

You nod and smile back at her. "I'll see you then." You walk to your car, feeling lighter. But you also can't ignore the hair on the back of your neck rising as you drive away.

***

Summer 2017

You scream loudly as you turn to see a figure behind you. A shadow, dressed in all black. A white faceless mask covered their true face. They stand still as you back away, slowly tilting their head to the side.

"Run." A menacing whisper, a familiar tone.

You run.

#marvel #wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda x you #wanda x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x reader #elizabeth olsen #lizzie olsen #dark fic

[lizaluvsthis]

Smg4: smg4 doesn't meme for 1 second

Mostly Gay Boys talk / and well lil bit of crew talk

SPOILER ALERT!

The crew convinced three to take four in for a therapy session. Tho that didnt solve his problems on complete brain rot with all of the memes.

Three did try his best to make him stay a bit focused on the topic they were meant to discuss with four's own meme problems.

And that didn't work-

- after smg4 was sent to meme rehab -

Everyone in the crew were sitting in the gaming room watching some tv, they were seen bored as ever without smg4.

Even just a small glimpse with each memeber entirely they've missed smg4 as well. He was their friend, their leader.

Shroomy came in with the mention of "among us" everyone- as in EVERYONE looked at where smg4 is supposed to be sitting at- reminded them the times when he would laugh at couple of meme jokes.

It is pretty much saddened by the crew how worse it could be in a day without smg4 is by at their side could make them feel miserable.

Then Meggy mentioned about missing smg4...

You know who responded to that?

Three himself...

"Yeah...like, if... er... smg4's stupid humor... like actually... made our lives more exciting...and we didn't like... realize it or something?"

"We're going over to that facility... to get SMG4 back!"

Smg3 was the one who knocked the door, he wanted him to come back. Even the crew also needs smg4 back because he wasn't just any other leader. He was already part of them as well.

They could all tell so, even for smg3 too.

Smg3's character development has taken him way more better to where he'd come far off being the evil villain he used to be before then coming to how much important he chose his own path.

"Hi, how are you" gave them the shock on their faces. Like they felt it was already too late to take back the treatment he was given while he was away.

"Woah smg4! Look at the phone! Wow, sk---di! Yeah you like this! Wooh! Sk---di t--l-t! Hehe. Stinky, woaaaaahh!" ★(I had to censor this because I hate reading nor hearing [REDACTED])

Smg3 attempted to try and brighten out his mood. Gave it a chance who mightve thought would work, giving him those meme moments that definitely would make him laugh.

But three didnt even know he wasnt even sure- if he even liked sk---di t--l-t.

Last time we know is that four almost lost his sh-t during that one cintent farm episode, he cringed to the part of mentioning this kind of brain rot.

But now that his mind is not any other that he'd act at all, smg4 became the normal. The person he wasnt supposed to be. Who SHOULDNT be.

"What is... a meme..."

Everyone didnt want to lose smg4's senses, they didnt want his own person to disappear SO. they went inside the lab to get back his uhh... meme... thing-

Then- yeah he did-

Some of their eyes were relaxed but still worrying for him, while tari and smg3's eyes were a bit widened in shock. (Three was more widened than tari btw)

This indicates that three may have grew tons of roots being there for smg4 as well. That their friendship they both have planted is far beyond than just "sticking" to the sides.

Now that Four is back in his senses, everyone joined in including smg3 to do the... t pose? Whatever it's called.

Three was so happy- to finally get him back- speaking of having the role as a tritagonist, he really mustve took way more care and tells how important he already is to him. Even as a friend.

Honestly the hosts here who've completely have done much was Meggy and Three. Well- mostly three since he'd been convincing the crew to not give up or regret the choices made.

He LITERALLY told them that they need to get him BACK.

And everyone did understood.

So- tell me- PLEASE THEY BOTH HAVE TO BE CANON ALREADY THERE IS JUST NO WAY YOU'RE MISSING A 'HOMIE' FOR THAT-

Mark my words they have to be- (if they dont become canon in wotfi 2024 i will cry and die)

There is literally no way you guys look at each other like that. Stare for atleast SIX MORE SECONDS. (/referring to Puzzlevision movie when FOUR HAD BEEN STARING AT THREE)

and then caring for one another so emotionally like- mate- THATS FRUITY ALREADY- ENOUGH- WITH THE "FRIENDS" WHERE IS THE "BOY" AND "FRIEND"??????

I cant- I cannot- thats how badly they both need each other and slow burn is just- literally... uuuuuurugghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They both mightve had the longest slowburn i have EVER seen in the sun and moon shipping history/silly

This mostly takes alot of time (judging by like lumity or catradora)

But i wouldnt mind with this also- its- well- kind of almost there but not yet...?

#lizafixates #smg4 #smg34 #smg3 #smg4 smg3 #smg4 crew

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Adrien is Marinette's Therapist, NOT her Boyfriend and it's Gross

Mental health struggles are no joke and, if you have those struggles, then you absolutely need a partner who will support you through them. That's why, at face value, Adrien supporting Marinette with her PTSD and anxiety is very sweet. It's what a good boyfriend should do. The problem is that Adrien is being written like her therapist, not her boyfriend.

Adrien has his own struggles with depression, loss, and paternal neglect. Yet none of these struggles are brought up once Adrien and Marinette get together. Instead, the relationship is all about her needs and struggles even though this season ends with Gabriel's take down, meaning that focusing on Adrien's issues would have made more sense from a narrative perspective. How much more powerful would the final have been if Marinette really understood Adrien, Emilie, and Gabriel's relationship?

But why do that when we can make everything about Adrienette instead? Why bother to mention Emilie when Marinette is a much better point of conflict between Adrien and Gabriel? After all, if we did that, then Adrien would have a life outside of Marinette and that would be, well, sigh, let's get into it, shall we?

In Derision, we learn that Marinette apparently doesn't have some form of anxiety or ADHD or any of the other things that people have theorized over the years. No, vanilla-Marinette is a totally relaxed, go-with-the-flow non-planner who only started planning after Chloe, Sabrina, and Kim gave her PTSD. Does this insult her character and make no sense? Yes, but let's not get into that. Let's just accept the retcon and look at the fallout of Adrien knowing that his new girlfriend has massive trauma that's mainly focused on romance and controlling situations.

The very next episode is Intuition. In it we see Marinette calling Adrien to show off her ability to do things without planning (or, at least, with less planning) and it's clear from context that this is an exercise that they're doing:

Adrien: Well... (his phone rings) Fancy that! Marinette! I like spending time with Marinette. (picks up his phone) Marinette: (on-call) Guess what I'm calling for: nothing! Can you believe it? I'm calling you randomly, totally out of the blue, for no reason at all! Adrien: So you didn't write down everything you might need to say to me based on everything I might say to you? Marinette: Not at all! Well... I did. I really tried not to, you know, but it was too hard! Anyhow, I limited myself to fourteen possible conversations, including this one! Adrien: Congratulations! Marinette: (on-call) Thank you! Adrien: And did you prepare questions for science class? Marinette: (on-call) Not-a-one! Not even for the live video conference we're doing with Max's mom on the super awesome Tsurugi space jet! I, Marinette, will improvise questions, unpredictably, without planning anything!

In the context of the show, this conversation is deeply concerning and I don't know wtf the writers think they're doing. There is no way in hell that a 14-year-old should be guiding his girlfriend through a therapy session or therapy exercise unless he has the guidance and approval of a trained mental health professional.

Seriously look at what Adrien is doing in this dialogue: Marinette tells him that she's called him without planning and he doesn't just say "that's great!" Instead, he asks if that's true, congratulates her for her mild improvement, and then prompts her to talk about another situation where she would plan things out. In other words, he's asking about the therapy homework that he's clearly given her or that they've decided on together. It's also clear that this isn't their first discussion on the topic because he's very comfortable knowing what to ask about to see if she's done her homework right.

Why was this homework chosen? Who knows! It certainly wasn't picked by someone with training! A therapist wouldn't tell you to avoid planning for a school assignment (something that we've never seen Marinette overplan before, but once again, we're ignoring the retcon). This scene would arguably be inappropriate for an established adult relationship, but a nascent teenage one? Absolutely not.

My SO and I have both done therapy and seen wildly unbalanced relationships. This conversation threw massive red flags for us on both fronts. This is not what a healthy relationship looks like. This is not a give and take. This is why you need a therapist to at least guide you through this type of situation or you will set yourself up in roles where person A is not getting their needs met because the relationship has an established dynamic where person A is the giver and person B is the taker.

This is especially true for a young relationship that's just getting its feet off of the ground. They're supposed to be in the honeymoon phase! More established relationships are better able to handle phases where one person needs more support than the other which absolutely happens and is totally normal. However, when those things happen, it's vital for the supporting partner to have their own support since they can't get it from their partner.

Miraculous denies Adrien this suport. In the very next episode, we get this:

Adrien: I've always seen Marinette acting funny in my presence. I thought that was just the way she was. I thought it was sweet. I thought it was just her charm. But now that I know it's because she loves me and she freaks out about telling me, I feel bad. Because it means that this whole time she's been uncomfortable around me, and I haven't done anything to help her. Kagami: But you didn't know. Adrien: It doesn't take away from her suffering. I just wish she could feel more at ease when she's with me. Otherwise, one day, it'll be too late and she'll give up. Kagami: What can I do to help, Adrien? Adrien: Thanks, but it's not up to you or anyone else to help. I'm the one who's gotta do something.

No! Adrien, you are not equipped to deal with this solo. Ask Kagami to help! Ask Alya to help! Ask Marinette's parents to help! There are times when it's okay to involve others in your relationship and this is one of those times! This isn't even a relationship issue! It's a mental health issue! I know we're flipping gender roles here, but it's not somehow cute or healthy just because a guy is trying to "fix" the girl for once. No one should try to take on that task. This is what therapy is for.

If therapy is not an option for financial or other reasons, then yes, sometimes you have to struggle through and loved ones can help, but in TV land? Especially aimed-at-kids TV land? Show the ideal scenario! At the very least, show a support network! And I mean actual support, not Kagami asking to help and Adrien shooting her down! Writers, you are making Gabriel's dislike of Marinette valid! You are making it so that she is dragging Adrien down! Stop doing that!

Adrien deserves love and support, too. Adrien deserves to be romanced. Adrien deserves more than a kiss and an "I love you" that he had to fight to hear! He never even gets one of the presents from Marinette's chest. She did more to woo him before they got together and it's such pathetic writing.

The fun of getting these two together is letting them do all the stuff they've always wanted to do! Let Marinette bring him macrons! Let him bring her roses! Let her enhance his wardrobe! Let him write her poems! Let them be a healthy, balanced, sickeningly-cute couple! It's fine if she's nervous at the start and takes a while to act normal, but this show takes it to a level beyond teenage jitters and it's not funny or cute. It's concerning.

All of these issues start with Derision's romance-based-PTSD retcon and it was the worst thing they could have done for the Love Square. It poisons the rest of the season and is why I just can't ship these two in canon even though I love what they could have been. They have established such a horrifically unhealthy dynamic that I can't see this ending well unless they get couple's therapy in the very near future and that's not even touching on the baggage that will come from the lies and still unresolved Ladynoir trauma.

As soon as Marinette has romance-based PTSD, she was incapable of being in a relationship until after she'd learned to manage her PTSD. (PTSD cannot be cured, btw, you just learn how to manage it and the symptoms can lessen.) The writers apparently knew that. It's why they gave her a therapist to support her as she worked through her issues and got to the point where she can say "I love you". His name is Adrien. Isn't he cute?

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical #ml season 5 salt #adrien deserves better #suffering through a rewatch of season 5 for love of my so #ml intuition #ml derision #ml perfection #marinette deserves better #I just wanted a cute romance not whatever the writers think they're doing

[olderthannetfic]

I had an incredibly odd moment last night at an event night for my dorm. Basically this girl and I were the last people left painting after everyone else had finished, the conversation was going well, and then she mentioned fanfic and how cringy and bad it was. Confused by my fellow nerdy type disliking a core part of nerdery, I admitted that I wrote fanfic, that I loved canon-divergent AUs and I wasn't sure what was wrong. "It's equally fictional either way," I said, which she did seem to pause and think about before acknowledging that was true.

Then she clarified the problem was Boku No Hero Academia. (For full transparency, I have not watched it. Confused, I said, "Isn't that just some shounen series? What's wrong with that? I like shounen." So then she hits me with, "The fandom is gross. That write things that shouldn't be depicted or portrayed." I stared at her, confused. "Like pedophilia."

I admitted, because I felt comfortable with her, that I had written fanfic about CSA and a survivor finding hope for the future, a therapist, true love and his abuser eventually getting his comeuppance. She looked at the painting and not at me. I couldn't tell if she was mad or not. So I added that, over the course of the year and a half of writing it, nine people had told me that reading it had helped them either decide to seek out therapy or helped them realize what happened to them was abuse and that it mattered. And I think it's worth it to make something that makes someone uncomfortable if it helps other people out, and also, the back button is right there. No one has to read something.

Looking upset but affect flat, she said that BNHA fans write things that "glorify" pedophilia. And I, because I am a dick with no social skills, went, "Well, don't read it." She clarified it shouldn't be allowed to exist because it "does harm to people". I said that abusers are responsible for abuse they commit, and nothing they read makes them do it. Psychologists, I reminded her, since several people in her family are psychologists, study and witness things much more horrible than we can imagine, which abusers often say are necessary, justified and sometimes kinda cool, and they don't do any of it. Stephen King didn't commit any murders as a run-up to writing about murder.

She went back to staring at the paint and said I didn't understand the harm it was doing, because it was normalizing it. So I pointed out that no amount of movies where killing the bad guy is a cool, glorious, badass thing to do has made murder socially acceptable in society. "But that's killing," was the objection. "Which is violence," I said in return, "just not sexual violence. But if a hundred years of killing the person who wronged you in cinema didn't make people fine with murder, I don't think a fanfic is going to make it that way." She scoffed and looked away. In a gentler tone, I finished with, "I don't think all of the socialization someone goes through in life and everything they've been told in their entire life can be undone by some anime characters."

She did not say anything to me for the rest of the painting time. She left without a word. I thought for sure she was angry with me and we weren't going to take anymore.

Today, she smiled and waved at me on campus like everything is fine and nothing uncomfy happened.

I don't understand. I am, however, neurodivergent, and therefore bad at social signals, so I may be missing something, here. She was never visibly angry at me when we talked, nor did she raise her voice, so I don't think that I was awful, here. However, not saying anything to me for a full forty minutes or even looking at me indicates to me I had said something that made her upset.

Neurotypicals, please advise. What is going on, here?

--

Well... probably she just had her dumb assumptions challenged and wasn't sure how to feel about it in the moment.

[cyborg-squid]

I'm thinking about the moment with Meursault in Canto 6, when he talks about ensuring Heathcliff's safety even if it means forsaking the Golden Bough, as well as Heathcliff stabbing himself with the Bough which I couldn't help but think was inspired by when Yi Sang was stabbed with one, and what I love about it, more than just Sinners becoming friends, 'found family' sort of stuff, is that it comes after this period where. Dante really has a lot of doubts about the Sinners relationships with each other and themself, the fact that the Sinners, and even Vergilius, are all in this for their own reasons and goals. And there's Ishmael pushing everyone away in SEA and her Canto, and even back at the very beginning with the Sinners just murdering each other at 1st meeting.

It'd be one thing if it was like "Oh, they're friends now because they've been fighting alongside each other and have good chemistry" or whatever, but because this improvement in Sinner (and Vergilius!) relations comes after Dantes understandable doubts, and moments of downright unfriendliness and hostility between some of them, makes it so much better.

And of course, it also makes sense after the experiences we've had with the Golden Boughs so far, them showing and reflecting the past of the Sinners, as well as going up against people from their pasts; the characters with the most 'successful' Bough acquisitions, with them more fully confronting their pasts and manifesting EGOs (Yi Sang, Ishmael, Heathcliff), they come to better understand themselves, and of course, the others Sinners (and Dante) who witness it would come to understand and empathize with them as well, at least to an extent!

In a way, it mirrors the Floor Realizations of Library of Ruina; Angela's relationship with Patron Librarians starts in a much worse spot than the Sinner relationships, but it's through these Floor Realizations that the pasts of Angela, and then Roland, and the Sephirot themselves are put on display, are shown truly to one another, where motives and intentions can be understood, even if not agreed with. And of fucking course, doing all the Floor Realizations is the only way to get the true ending, understanding and acknowledgement and change is not only beneficial, it is necessary, not only to the individuals themselves, but to the City as a whole.

It is somewhat of a glib simplification to call the Floor Realizations and then the Golden Bough encounters 'therapy', but it's really not all that wrong.

I'm sure other posters have expressed it better before, but the way the Golden Bough successes have been helping their Sinners, makes me think of the end of LoR, how Angela and the Library can and will change the City and the people of it, for the better, contrary to the apathy expressed by Roland and others earlier in the story. "That's that, and this is this." That's just the way things are. But things don't have to be that way, and structural change begins at the individual level, starting with people being more honest with themselves, an overlapping belief of both Carmen and Angela (which is part of why there's this fine line between Distorting and manifesting EGO, two sides of the same coin).

So what I'm getting to is that I think the Golden Boughs have, in some way, been intentionally released from the Library in an attempt to bring about change to the people of the City, to have people go through positive changes like those some Sinners have had so far. From 'Lament', "stolen from the tree's hand", as well as Dante's new ability having the text "Sapling of Light" (iirc), you have these connections to trees and nature, specifically the Seed of Light project, as well as the 'boughs' of Golden Boughs.

Now, I do think things might not be going exactly as 'planned', the Limbus Company swooping in and taking the Golden Boughs; this attempt at mass self-help being caught up within the corporate gears of the City. Faust, Vergilius, others might have the proper idea of what the Boughs are all about, but you get the feeling that who (Dias???) or whatever is backing the Limbus Company has different motives.

I feel like all this, this idea of what the Golden Boughs might be and their intent, is kind of old news at this point and it's probably already been figured out by a lot of players, I've had it in my head for a while but was only able to properly articulate it now.

#this is like. my cornerstone. #limbus company #my posts #limbus company meta

[spielcave]

God of War Valhalla DLC (Aka, 'Kratos and Mimir go on a bro trip that ends up being Therapy')

Just wanted to start by saying thank whatever is out there for Santa Monica Studios, for their phenomenal work into giving Kratos some much needed development and exploring his complexity. I'll explore this game in subsequent posts and maybe any suggestions you're welcome to shoot my way.

Spoilers ahead!

I think it's a testament to how beloved the Norse games have been through the amount of cheering the second Kratos came on the screen during the reveal trailer for Valhalla, Mimir in tow. After rewatching the "Raising Kratos" Documentary on YT, I know the team at Santa Monica Studios really feel the love from their fans. If they intend to make a game about Kratos going to another mythology, I really hope Mimir is with him. It's clear they've gotten very close between 2018 and Ragnarök with how at ease and personal they get, especially since I'm pretty sure if Kratos left him with Freya, she's likely to 'misplace' him in the Lake of Nine. I found the different difficulty settings interesting when you first chose Valhalla at the main menu. I started on the 3rd (the very middle) and am currently working my up when I feel it's getting to hard. Right now I'm at the one right before "Show Me Mastery" (the names escape me lol). I'm not expert at Rogue-Likes, but the consensus I seem to see is that the gameplay of God of War really lends itself well to the style of game. And what a genius way to utilize what was previously, I felt, an underused character, Tyr! Even when you free him in Niflheim, I feel I was waiting for him to do more outside the post-story interactions you get to get glimpses to his character (and potentially hint and later games). Him being Kratos' therapist is really demonstrates how similar they both are, how strong Tyr is, and what we can hopefully see Kratos grow into moving forward. As someone who recently started therapy around the same time as this DLC came out, I couldn't help but feel connected to Kratos myself. Especially Mimir. I, too, have been trying to improve from someone I wasn't proud of and as a result I'm too hard on myself sometimes. It limits me from achieving personal acceptance, like I don't deserve the good things in my life. What this game puts Kratos (and myself by proxy) through, is how to accept his actions, his mistakes. To acknowledge who we were and to not let it stop us from embracing the chances to do better. Now, you don't have to have killed entire pantheons, your family, and plunge a society into destruction with mountains of innocent lives at your feet... but I think we can agree that kind of message resonates. The scene where he sees his younger self in that throne just HITS. Kratos admonishes his past self for doing such awful things and being such an awful person... but also accepting him/himself to be more complex than that, he always has been. In a way, it sticks it to the people who said (prior to the 2018 game) that God of War is just about over the top violence, blood, tits, gore, more blood is missing the forest for the trees. They're big trees, sure, but not the whole forest. There was always more to Kratos that violence and the hack and slash genre, dude is a massive greek tragedy. And in Norse, he's putting Hero's Journeys like he was born for it.

The side conversations with Mimir hit me the hardest, grappling with your own self esteem when you feel you aren't enough for our loved ones, hearing about he and Sigrun first met, how utter in love he was with her throughout the last two games and here. It strikes a familiar cord... which is why I'm so glad he was able to let go so she can find herself in the end and the support he has from Kratos. We talk about all the time how the wise and loving decision is usually to let go (as it is!), but I think it must be said how hard it can be. It's the right choice, ultimately, but damn if isn't difficult to actually get there. I think my take away has been more of an affirmation that letting go is what I need to do, and the way to help ease the transition is to make sure I have a support system and learn to love time with myself in order to value my own merits, even if I have shortcomings. "Does she not deserve the smartest man alive?" CHILLS On a less serious note, it's good to see Freya out and about! Finding her freedom and stepping up as a leader for the 9 realms. It's good to see that post story, she does care about the both of them. Maybe they parted ways for a bit as Freya takes a more public role in organizing her council, but their journeys (which we can assume all side objectives you can do with her are canon) brought more than a professional connection. Like,

(sorry for shit quality) Totally gives off "Wife found Husband doing something reckless/stupid" vibes. And I'll admit, I am like... 85% if not 90% on the Kraya/Freytos/Warflower train. Baldur's death really does weigh on my mind when I think about Freya and Kratos as a pairing. And I do also like the idea of them being good friends as time goes on. Not to mention Kratos likely still holds Faye close and Freya's last marriage was fuckin bonkers. But I still do like to see these grieving parents, comrades at arms, finding a home in each other, a connection that makes each one feel safe, real, and loved. Not without bumps in the road, but they'd make an awesome power couple. And the shameless smut, but it goes without saying. Oh and whatever reaction it would get from Atreus would be hilarious.

In the end, this DLC really leaves me wanting more, theorizing where the story goes from here. I see a lot of people throwing out ideas on what mythologies they go to next, who's our next playable character. I feel it's still gonna be Kratos, but I also feel it has to make sense to his story. He's become very developed in this DLC, when you have a character who becomes so developed, there is little room/reason to really keep telling their story, at least in a way that can translate to an action pact video game epic. The only thing I can think of for Kratos, is we get to see him follow through with his development. And that, my friends, is another post. Until then! I hope enjoyed my ramblings!

#writers on tumblr #gow #god of war #gow ragnarok #warflower #kratos #mimir #freya #not bad for a first post #review #really just me gushing lol #images are from google #I do not own them

[visionthefox]

Imagine an episode with just Sun and Moon(Lunar and Earth could be there but it has to be Sun and Moon) sitting down and talking out things, processing them, and it isn't just a sad-pity-shouting party, but the two genuinely hearing out what the other is going through or has experienced, new Moon can work through his doubts and fears, Sun can finally talk out his issues without just shouting them in an outburst or holding his tongue until he explodes like he has been for many episodes now, actually begin to process everything that's happened to the both of them, not as a therapy episode but just as a brotherly conversation episode where the two can be just fully honest towards one another in a way they haven't really done before, since previously when they've attempted talks like this with old Moon it often turned into a shouting match, and even with new Moon when these talks happen it can feel like not much has changed sometimes, or that not enough was said, it could be nice to see the twins talk things out like that more

oh my god.. imagine! imagine! I want it! not only is for the characters to grow.. is for the kiddos watching to LEARN how to talk things out you dont have to attack the other, dont make it a "who got it worst" discussion, just.. hear the other, and let the other talk out.. this is something that bothers me a hell lot.. im a sister of two male brothers, one move out. but he was my "younger" by one year- in so many ways Im Sun he is Moon.. we used to fight so much until we just.. talked.. just talked. have an issue? face it- dont go in someone's back, dont get someone else involved, just face it. calmly and chill.. we got better over time, and help us so much .. the show is so used to have Sun be too emotional to talk his issues out, or hold on so so much.. (I think there is a clip of Solar saying to Moon that maybe Sun is lying but Moon saying is not happening) and Moon being or too deep in his ass-or be too lost on what to do.. as if he needs to fix the issue himself? Moon needs to *listen* and just that.. listen..and he also needs to come to terms, he has been failing- no more excuses- no more "this happened" no.. he needs to face the fact he pushed Sun out And Sun? needs to face he keeps hidding things , still not opening up to the brother that does try to change, and needs guidence.. Sun left Moon to work since "hes the smart one! he always does it" while Moon here needs Computer to tell him things.. aaaa I need them to talk in the sofa, drinks in hands, no one else in the room just the cats.. and come to terms "we are not the perfect brothers.. but we are better than before.."

Anon, we both wants the same things.. yet.. I think we both know that aint happening.. they need the drama.. the slice of life is long been left of the table.. theres only tea here...

#sams ask #tsams ask #the sun and moon show

[mineonmain]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @telomeke ^u^ slay

Credit: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy was my first and probably till date my fav. What a way to start. Very few BLs overall have lived up to the unreal standard that this show set, and no matter what all has happened IRL since the airing of the show, this show has a place in my heart that nothing is going to ever replace. It's the show that revived my love and passion for TV shows after years. This show (ep 5 4/4 👀) changed my brain chemistry, without exaggeration. P'Aof i'm chewing on your furniture until you pay for my therapy. [Other favs are MLC, ATOTS, UWMA, Between Us, MSP]

Favorite Pairing: I guess i'll talk about actor pairings but onscreen, not how they are offscreen. EarthMix is absolutely one of my favs, they bring a maturity, natural-ness, and intensity to their acting that I've rarely found in other GMMTV pairings. I'm also gonna mention FourthGem because they're the GMM young blood and I think they've got an incredible amount of potential. We've already seen their range in MLC and MSP, and I think they're going to be huge. I have a huge soft spot for BounPrem (but I may be biased lol), and this may be a lukewarm take but I really enjoyed BillySeng, I thought they had some incredible onscreen chemistry.

Most underrated actor: Oh jeez where do I start. Gotta mention Fourth - he's not really underrated but he's just starting out, but I can already see he's got the chops and with the right training and right directors he's absolutely Going Placed. Shout out to Fluke Natouch, that boy does emotional scenes like no one else. Special shoutout to Tonnam - he's supposed to be starring in his first BL as a main character this year, idk if that's still on schedule or not, but every character he's ever played so far has been a hit in my book. His comedic timing is unparalleled for me, it never fails to hit.

Favorite Character: How do I choose!! Pat Napat is so dear to me??? As is Ae from LBC???? Tutor from Why R U???? Team from Between Us?? I've got so many different little blorbos it's impossible to choose. They're all pocket sized to me. Making me choose is a crime.

Favorite Side Character: Idk why but the first one that comes to mind is View from Between Us. He's absolutely Little Bro, but he's also so sweet and genuine and full of love??? He's annoying bc all little brothers are genetically coded to be annoying but he's impossible not to love. His smile is healing. You can't take him away from me.

Favorite scene in a QL: Bad Buddy Ep 5 4/4. This was the scene that actually broke me. The lead up to the scene, the subtle but deliberate choices that both the characters made. Pat gritting himself to go talk to Pran bc if there's one thing he doesn't do it's avoid people and situations. Pran resigning himself to the conversation bc he can't avoid it any longer. Pat finally saying exactly how he's been feeling less than a business day after he had the realisation himself, bc the moment he feels something and decides it he has to act on it. The music swelling in the background. Pran realising that he's been projecting his fears onto Pat this entire time, that Pat has always feel differently about him too. Pran asking the question to break it all, wording in one way where he was expecting one kind of answer, not expecting that it would be interpreted in an entirely different way and would rock the foundation of their already teetering relationship. Pran asking if they want to be friends, because the alternative would be to be enemies. Pat hearing 'do you want to be only friends', and realising that that would never be enough for the both of them. Pat seeing that Pran is scared, and realising that he has to have courage enough for the both of them. Pat taking the deepest and shakiest breath of his life, swallowing down his fear and trepidation, voice trembling saying 'no'. This is the scariest thing that Pat has ever had to do, but how he'd rather do this than lose Pran again. Them both taking a step towards each other, because this is a decision not of one but of equals, mutual as they have always been. Pat treating this like his first kiss, like a relief of finally knowing the answer to a question that has long plagued him, like the start of something, going into it with utter joy and coming out of it with complete bliss, because the world finally makes sense. Pran treating this like his last kiss, like the end of everything they had ever been or ever could be, like he was going to milk this for everything it was worth because he was never going to get a chance to do this ever again, going into it with fear and desperation, and coming out of it with heartache and resignation, because they had lost everything they had and couldn't get it back. Pat crying tears of joy because he finally found what he was looking for, and Pran crying tears of pain because he got to experience for the first and last time what he would never be allowed to have but had longed for all of his life. Yeah I'm so normal about this show.

Favorite line in a QL: I mean. I literally said it all above, but yeah. 'If we're not enemies, could we be friends?' 'Do you want to be friends?' 'No.'

Most Anticipated QL (& why): I don't honestly know?? But I do wanna see the Thai remake of Cherry Magic, I'm interested in seeing how they're gonna treat it differently from the source show, esp since Thai shows have a tendency to bit more high heat and the original show was all about the tenderness of falling for someone because of their goodness.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: oooh i gotta go for TinnGun from MSP, they're just so lovable. Yes it's a highschool relationship but it was presented so sweetly without coming across as childish, and my boy Tinn is the ultimate green flag. Also even tho I'm not personally a SaifahZon fan (they're not my cup of tea) I think they're incredibly healthy.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: TharnType (i'm mostly looking at you Tharn), most of the KP pairings (the T in Theerapanyakuls stands for needs Therapy), early RainPhayu (i'm sorry but pigtail-pulling on the playground to show you like someone is very kindergarten behavior Phayu), LianKuea (go ahead girlbosses who gaslight and gatekeep).

Guilty pleasure series: I honestly don't know if anything I like counts as a guilty pleasure. Maybe SCOY?? Because I know there's a lot of people who don't like it and find it cringe but I think they're all kind of missing the point. I could write a mini-essay about this show too but i'll save that for another day.

Most underrated series: Ingredients (Baby Jeff!!), My Only 12% (It absolutely deserved more love and hype).

Tagging: @antisocial-burrito @liyazaki @webetterlove @bisexualhedgehog @shortpplfedup @whatisgodtoanonbeliever @onstoryladders @respectthepetty @heesulovebot @gunsatthaphan @incandescentflower @rythyme @elevatormusic @vegaspetesupremicy

#thai bl tag game #thai ql tag game #bad buddy #bad buddy series #earthmix #fourthgemini #between us #my school president #atots #uwma #msp #yall idk what all to tag in this #also if anyone actually read that giant essay in the middle of this tag: i'm sorry and you deserve a veteran's discount #but i have feelings about that scene that has taken permanent residence in my brain #the bgms from that scene have conditioned me to cry to them everytime i hear them #tharntype #kinnporsche #scoy #love by change #why r u #love in the air #phayurain #cutie pie the series #also sorry to anyone if i slandered your favs but guess what!!! it's my opinion and also it's not that deep!! #if you don't like my fav show that's fine!! i won't cancel you!! just don't be mean about it

[goldenhawk-k]

👁👁

your tim survives the unknowing headcanons, hand em over 🖐🖐

omg i'm so glad you asked teehee

trigger warning for tim typical suicidal ideation

ok, before we start, to be clear, this is not a list of hcs where tim lived bc he became an avatar. if you want those ur gonna have to WAIT for my end!tim au. this is an au where he survived the unknowing as just a normal guy by pure miracle, ok? ok. awesome.

Tim was in a coma for about a week, and then was quickly put into a medically induced coma for another six because his body was so deeply fucked up. In total, he was out for about seven weeks.

Jon threw himself over Tim during The Unknowing in hopes of saving him. Ultimately, it saved his life (just barely, though. like, if the first responders arrived five minutes later, they wouldn't have been able to save him).

However, due to their positioning, Jon was only able to cover Tim's torso and head.

His legs got pretty much destroyed by the debris from the explosion.

After he wakes up, he's an ambulatory wheelchair user. When not in his wheelchair, he uses elbow crutches.

Anyways. back to when he first wakes up

When he first wakes up from his coma, he's confused. Obviously he's confused, he was asleep for seven weeks.

Once he realizes what happens, he's so fucking angry because he thought he finally got out of everything, he thought he was dead, his brother had been avenged, so what the fuck else is he here for?

He's incredibly suicidal when he first wakes up. It only worsens when the nurse tells him his mom visited him exactly once when he was asleep, within the first two weeks, and hasn't been back since.

(He tries to call her. That was the most contact they've had since Danny went missing, and he missed it.)

(She doesn't answer.)

(...the worst part is that Tim wasn't even expecting her to.)

He just kinda. Assumes that Jon's dead, but when Basira visits in the week he's being kept in the hospital, she tells him that Jon's 'technically' alive

"What do you mean technically" "...the nurses told me not to stress you out."

Tim DEMANDS to go visit Jon.

The nurses originally said no, but Tim started ripping out his IV, and they conceded.

He gets wheeled into the room they're keeping Jon in and every bit of anger towards him just vanishes.

He looks so small and fragile, and it reminds Tim of the friend he had in research.

He misses Jon so much.

Now this is the point where it could split into my "Tim is in Martin's place in s4 - Tim becomes a lonely avatar" au but this is not the post for that but know that is something that is in my head.

Tim takes to sitting by Jon's bedside at least three times a week, but it's usually more as he can't even get into the archive for the first month he's awake.

The reason he can't is that he's still going through physical therapy to work his elbow crutches. And you KNOW the magnus institute isn't fully accessible so he literally can't get down those stairs to the archive.

So. he sits with Jon most the time.

He has a civil relationship with melanie. she's going through her own slaughter shit. Basira and him get along well enough. But the main person he talks to is Jon's nearly lifeless body.

Jon hears ever bitch and complaint of Tim's life from the time he woke up.

If Tim cried in Jon's room, he'll never tell. Not like Jon would know either.

Things all go to hell after the flesh attacks the archive, which was one of the few days he's actually in the archives with his elbow crutches. he's nearly killed when basira leaves him

(i like basira btw but you know she'd leave people behind if it were to save either her or daisy. thats like. one of her character traits)

He sits by Jon more

And Tim never expects Jon to wake up, so when he comes in one day and Jon's sitting up, breathing, he turns around and leaves the hospital.

He comes back two days later and they talk.

And that's all my thoughts really. Bonus hc is that Tim has a sportier design of wheelchair with no handlebars or armrests and it's purple bc he needed something to lift him up.

Double bonus hc: tim has a few stickers on his crutches. he never buys them, but if he finds or just gets a sticker, that's where he puts them bc it makes him a little happier

#tw sui ideation #tim stoker #tma #the magnus archives #tim lives au #long post

[yakult-noir]

Long Rant about Baldur's Gate 3

Content warning: intrusive thoughts mention, body image, very mild spoilers of act 3 (does not mention characters or specific events, only implies)

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Honestly, playing Baldur's Gate 3 has helped me with a lot of issues that therapy failed to do. I'm playing two runs at the same time, one of which is the Dark Urge.

I am having so much fun playing the Dark Urge. Its helped me with my intrusive thoughts without me noticing. Whenever I struggled with intrusive thoughts, I couldn't push them away no matter how hard I tried, and it would always make them worse.

I sometimes felt horrible because of it even though I knew that wasn't my fault and doesn't say anything about what sort of person I am.

The Dark Urge struggles in trying to repress violent thoughts lest they act on them and commit atrocities. Intrusive thoughts aren't as dire in that you won't actually commit the atrocities in real life, but playing the Dark Urge helps cement that fact further.

And I'm not even getting to the companions yet. I struggle with the fear of what other people see me as. I try to appear as someone a bit different (personality wise) but struggle a lot when I make even a singular mistake or do something that makes me feel like an idiot.

The companions are still loved and still retain their image even though they sometimes make dumbass mistakes.

They've also helped me deal with the fear of getting older. I've never played games much where the main character/s are canonically in their late 30s to 50s. And the fact they're still made out as attractive is very reassuring.

I don't see that happen a lot, not without them trying to look as young as they can to be seen as attractive.

Overall, the companions feel so much more real and lifelike than a lot of other video game characters.

I don't exactly know why or even how to explain it, but I've never liked the idea of having a physical body.

I've always had a complicated relationship with how others view me and my own body image. I also struggle with trying to wrap my head around what's considered socially normal and feel completely detached from other people's experiences.

I can't actually 'feel' out my feelings without intellectualising them or comparing them to feelings of other people. I usually use the concept of other people as a rough template of how to do things and how to react. Things always feel complicated and 'too-real'.

If that makes sense. Like a realisation of "holy shit there are consequences? Do I have control? Is there a control? How do I avoid Bad Consequences? How do I react?"

Lowkey kinda feels like a child just testing out just doing things for the first time. Mind you, I do have a mental illness and have been kinda repressed for a bit of my life.

Any experience I have with doing daily life stuff or with relationships has been from reading about other people's experiences and noting down what to do and what not to do to become the Ultimate Perfect human being.

And that means I always feel uncomfortable with my body, talking about private things, even talking about supposedly 'risky' things that aren't even risky or shouldn't be seen as such (like menstruation, lingerie, clothing, weight fluctuation), wondering if I just did something socially taboo even if it's like an unspoken rule I've never heard of, and then wondering if I'm unpleasant company or a little too strange to hang around a lot.

So playing as the Dark Urge and romancing Astarion has actually helped a lot with discomfort in talking about random things in friendships and just feeling more comfortable being in my own body and having human experiences.

Especially since the companions just say whatever, and are even straight up rude and say things that wouldn't be socially acceptable in real life, but they're still liked.

I mentioned mental illness before, but Baldur's Gate 3 has some of the best representation about having ordinary experiences and consequences of being alive. I love how in the game, you have the option to help the companions the best you can, and no matter what, there is no closure. I haven't completed the game yet, so this is stuff I spoiled for myself.

Even if you get out of a difficult situation and learn there's a better way to live and do things, it's still horrible and painful and you're still not sure if you've done the right thing or not. You don't get any awards (that are obvious at least) for dealing with the problem you've faced most of your life.

You've still got to deal with your own emotional issues that are there as a result of the problem and that you will probably spend the rest of your life trying to deal with.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion #the dark urge #durge #long post

[edgepunk]

Yeah, your post about the issues with the plot are basically what I thought too once I had time to think about it beyond the initial excitement. I like the base plot and the moments we got, but it needed more time, especially down time between big events that are incorporated into the main story rather than optional side missions, and the third act in particular felt rushed and like there were missing scenes that should have been there or plots and characters that got dropped?

For example, it was weird enough that Peter maybe only had the symbiote for two days, but then Harry immediately gets the symbiote himself and turns into Venom like an hour or two after Peter removed it? And you would think that even if Peter was too frantic to call, Connors would have called him to discuss their failed plan to destroy the symbiote that has now lead to a city-wide infestation, but he never does and when he does, it's about something unrelated, and even that gets brushed aside for more big set pieces. The meteorite thing was also weird bc it didn't really seem to do more than Venom was already doing without it.

And the Norman moment was weird bc it felt like they suddenly remembered that in other works, Peter and Harry have tension partly over Norman's favouritism, but there was no real build up to that here where Norman has only ever been a good father to Harry, so we get an out of context misunderstanding to rush Harry turning on Peter over that? If they were going for Harry feeling like his father had given up on him and was moving onto Peter already, that needed to be clearer.

Re: Mary Jane, I think she only asks Peter if he remembers last night, and when he doesn't, they never bring it up again, not even during the Scream fight, I think? Otherwise, they only argue about her article and Miles later says he almost killed here during the Peter boss fight, but it absolutely should have been a breaking point of how the suit has to go right now.

Agreed!! Have nothing else to add, you nailed how I feel about the game and how the major plot beats were handled.

Also MJ - SO weird that they've never talked about it. It must've been a terrifying experience for MJ to be almost killed by her own boyfriend who was adamant on keeping her safe for so many years. It didn't need to be a cutscene that turns into full-on therapy session, but just...a short conversation. Something. Anything. It's so bizarre that the tunnel scene (which was amazing and terrifying) got brushed off so quickly without any lasting consequences. I mean, MJ grabbed her stun gun, but idk it felt so anti-climactic

Again, it felt like they were rushing to get to the next big plot point.

#sm2 spoilers #sorry if I don't make much sense it's getting late and I'm tired shdhdj

[mischas]

First, Merry Chrismukkah & I hope you have a happy 2024! Second, I was wondering if an O.C. revival ever happened, how would it play out in terms of story, characters, & a R+M reunion? (I see it like the final scene in Titanic, the trope where they don't get a happy ending, but still end up together nonetheless)

Hello! Same to you! Happy belated Chrismukkah! ❤️🎄

Do you mean revival as if Marissa went off to Greece? I operate in this head canon daily so I'm always thinking up random scenarios. I'm personally of the mind that she goes to Greece, comes back a year or half a year later, enrolls in NYU, lives her best New York life, visits Providence a bit to see SS, becomes besties with Seth, has a college-spanning situationship with Ryan as they mine their high school traumas. Sometimes I wonder if RM would ever really talk everything out or if Marissa would hold things against Ryan unintentionally that keeps them in the situationship phase. I also see them deciding to be a couple again for good without ironing everything out and that coming back to bite them in the ass. Avoidant babies doing avoidant baby things.

As for the others, I imagine Julie marrying Neil but still making time for Jimmy when he pops back into her life. Which Marissa and Kaitlin are more than aware of and it impacts how they view love and marriage. Enter: convenient situationships.

I also sorta head canon that Marissa and Summer are more reticent about marriage than Ryan and Seth ever are. Ryan obviously comes from a broken home but has lived with the Cohens' since he was 16 and he and Seth don't really live with frayed parental relationships in the ways Marissa and Summer do. Sometimes I think that Seth proposes to Summer and that's when their relationship falls apart. I think they'd still find their way back to one another someday but it quickly dawns on Summer in college that she's been with one guy her whole life.

Kirsten starts a foundation for lower-income addicts in Southern California and Sandy gets back into the PD's office. There's no earthquake so the Cohen home endures.

Seth gets back into creating for Atomic County and has a fun, though sometimes tense, working relationship with Zach. There's no big-budget adaptation shit going on but it's steady money and mildly successful. At some point Seth plans to create a spinoff set on the east coast but is still figuring that out.

Seth visits New York a lot for work meetings and indie concerts and stays with Marissa who becomes his bestie. They smoke weed and talk about Allen Ginsburg. Seth-Ryan time is still on the books every week but it's hard to do so when they live on opposite coasts and have different schedules. Ryan grows mildly jealous that he sometimes gets more Marissa updates from Seth than he does Marissa herself. But them being such good friends warms his heart, and it warms Summer's too.

At some point Trey dies and it forces Ryan to face some things he's been pushing down for years. I think Marissa's been working on things in therapy but it's still a source of tension between them. Marissa's all-too-understanding that Ryan's confused about his grief and he's mad that he's grieving at all. It translates into them finally acknowledging this thing between them is built on a love that is unconditional and profound and has existed since they were 16. It's a connection that they've always been scared of losing if they were to ever give into it fully. Their propensity for jumping into full-on-yet-noncommunicative commitment in their youth contrasted with their friends-who-hook-up-nature in college is a twist I like imagining them taking, especially as their lives mellow out when living outside Newport.

As for the ending up together yet sorta unhappy ending, I can see Marissa and Ryan finally jumping into long-term commitment after years of being friends who hook up and it taking a while before it all slots into place. I do think it would, but there's the idea in their heads that maybe this is a relationship that cannot last because it's never been all that successful before. And I think they both have a ton of self-loathing to work through before their hearts can be open to the possibility of happily ever after.

#ask #anonymous #head canons #this is a mess and probably hard to follow #but generally how i see their stories playing out

[mithrilbookofmystery]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE GAY FIREFIGHTERS AREN'T CANON!? AND WHAT DOES A COUCH HAVE TO DO WITH IT??? - from, an outsider who's invested but has no clue what's going on (P.S. I wish you the best with the rest of the season lol)

I MEAN THEY AREN'T CANON 😭 To be quite honest, and I hate to be the one to break this to you, but we don't even know for sure if they're gay 😔

But LONG(ish) story short(ish), there was a scene in the season opener where Buck (gay firefighter A - actually no wait gay firefighter B bc his name is Buck - aka the blond one, if you identify them through that) was complaining to Eddie (gay firefighter A, aka the dark haired one) that Bobby (their captain/also kinda Bucks father figure) wasn't thinking about naming Buck interm Captain while Bobby went on his belated honeymoon (he and his wife got married like 4 seasons ago I think but they've been, like, busy and shit rip in pieces) and he's complaining to Eddie whiLE HE MAKES EDDIE AND CHRISTOPHER (Eddie's son) (also somewhat Buck's son but if I went into that we'd be here literally all day) LASAGNA IN HIS APARTMENT and Chris says "maybe it's because you don't have a couch" while he looks pointedly back at where there is a large empty spot in Bucks living room where a couch should be because Chris is cheeky like that and we love him, and Buck's like "well my last two couches came with girlfriends" because this is true, and then Eddie goes "no, your last two girlfriends came with couches" because this is a much better way of putting things and Eddie's been going to therapy all last season so he knows how to do that now, and then Eddie goes "Taylor (Bucks last girlfriend) left four months ago, you could have replaced that couch by now" while fucking staring Buck down in the eyes in the soul and Buck goes "maybe I'm afraid of choosing the wrong one" and we're not talking about couches anymore we're talking about relationships. Got that? Good.

And then at the end of the episode, Bobby names Hen (who is the actual canon gay firefighter of the show and we do not talk about her enough we should all be talking about her more we love her we stan <3) as the temporary captain and then he goes to talk to Buck about it, and says that he didnt choose Buck because Buck doesn't have enough life experience, and Buck just kinda. Deflates. And goes "is this because I don't have a couch?" And Bobby is SO fucking confused by this god bless and says "Why don't you have a couch???" (as any normal person would ask) and meanwhile Buck is still in the relationship metaphor and goes "I'm afraid of making another mistake" bc Buck relationships are NOTORIOUSLY messy and Bobby sees what's going on because he always does and he talks about how Buck needs to learn to look at what he has in his life now and know that it's good, and he deserves to learn to settle. And then later, in the closing montage (except not bc theres a plot twist at the last second but its about other characters, you dont need to worry about that) there's a clip of Eddie and Chris playing a game together for like. Really no reason?? Like everyone else in the closing montage had Something going on in the episode that needed a few seconds of closure, they really didn't Need to cut back to Eddie and Chris but they did and anyways immediately after that it cuts to Buck as if he was looking at them, or at least he's looking at the table where Eddie and Chris were earlier, and he smiles, Bobby's words about seeing what you have in your life right now in front of you still ringing in our ears and I tell you I GASPED at Bucks little smile, ok? And then he picks up the armchair he's always had and moves it to where the couch used to be and sits down in it. Because he has what he needs right here.

And then another small thing: Buck canonically sleeps on Eddie's couch sometimes. He has done this multiple times in the past. He will likely do it again in the future and the second Eddie asks him to stay over is the day this fandom combusts and explodes

#and the fucking lasagna convo in and of itself #the parallels between buck wanting to be chosen by bobby and also maybe possibly being chosen by eddie. exquisite. im going feral #911 spoilers #911 on fox #buddie #buck 911 #eddie 911 #911 #911 fox

[bemusedlybespectacled]

so at this point I'm just fully on the Izzy Hands apologia train, so I want to talk about a potential redemption arc for Izzy. because I do think it's possible for him to have a redemption arc, I think it would fit with the tone and message of the show for him to be redeemed, and because we already have a framework for his redemption, and that framework is Mary's character arc.

Hear me out!

The point of "Discomfort in a Married State" (including, like, its fucking title) is to compare Stede and Ed's lives before meeting each other. nearly identical scenes are juxtaposed with each other (ex: Stede showing the model ship to Mary being followed by Ed getting excited over the model ship to Izzy) to directly compare the two relationships. and this comes up again and again, including in interviews with David Jenkins: if Mary is Stede's jilted spouse, Izzy is Ed's. both relationships are unhealthy, just in different ways.

So, okay, why is Stede and Mary's relationship unhealthy? is it because they are both inherently bad people who are awful for each other? no. it's because they are two profoundly different people who are both bound by the same unhealthy societal structure.

Stede has to adhere to a specific set of societal norms, which include being a specific kind of masculine (not crying and picking flowers), being heterosexual, being married to a woman, and having children. and I'm not even getting into the class stuff because I'm focusing specifically on the heteropatriarchal problems here, but there is also A Lot Of Class Stuff. And Mary also has to adhere to a specific set of requirements, which include being a mother, not having a career, having all of her desires being subordinate to her husband's, and lacking any legal freedoms.

And they're both absolutely miserable.

And the thing is, Mary and Stede have done everything they're supposed to do. They got married. They had kids, including a male heir. They both do that thing where they get each other presents they'd rather have for themselves, and they clearly don't care about each other's interests, but they're not violent towards each other or even constantly arguing. On the surface, they have a perfectly fine arranged marriage for the time; not a love match, but a lot better than some other arranged marriages. But they're still miserable, because they aren't the problem; their situation is.

And what's Mary's solution to this problem? Try harder at being married. Clearly what we're doing isn't working, so if we just do even more than what we're doing, force ourselves into these roles we've been stuck in even more, maybe we'll get to be happy. Because clearly other married people are happy, so it must be that we're just not trying hard enough.

Now, we the audience know that that's not the problem, because no amount of 1700s couples' therapy could ever make Stede straight. but Mary doesn't know that, and the only tools she has access to are within that same structure, and so the only conclusion she can draw is "we must not be doing marriage right. if we just do it more and we do it better, we'll be happier."

But what happens when Mary becomes a "widow"? She is legally independent. She can parent the kids how she wants to. She can have sex with someone she's actually attracted to, that's actually satisfying. She can pursue her own hobbies, have a career, and sleep by herself in her own fucking bed because she's no longer trapped in all of the baggage that comes with being a married woman in the 1700s. And this is clearly not just a thing for her: the whole point of the "grief counseling group" scene is that they're all happier as widows than as wives.

And that's why Stede has to "die" a second time. Because the solution to their dysfunction isn't to be married better; it's to free each other from the same restraints. It doesn't matter that they've resolved their differences or understand each other more! It has nothing to do with them or their relationship! It's the system they're in! They will never be happy so long as they're being forced into roles they don't want! So the only solution is both of them getting out of it!

OKAY. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT ED AND IZZY.

Ed is in the same position as Stede at the start of the show. He's bored and depressed to the point of being suicidal; he's attracted to Stede specifically because he is different than all other pirates Ed has encountered.

And Izzy knows this! Izzy knows how Ed feels! And what's his solution? "You're not doing piracy correctly. You need to pirate harder." That's his fix every single time.

His reasoning is different (it's Stede's bad influence on Ed, not a simple lack of effort), but it's the same, over and over again: if you're not happy as Blackbeard now, that means you need to be Blackbeard even more. Stop playing with the model ship, boss, we need to do The Uzsh to these imbeciles. Stop having scones with marmalade and telling ghost stories on deck, boss, you need to murder him. You have to be Blackbeard, not "some namby-pamby in a silk gown pining for his boyfriend."

And you know what? Ed does that! He does that so fucking hard! That's what the Kraken is! And what's the last we see of him? Sobbing uncontrollably with eyeliner running down his face because spoiler alert, it turns out just being even more Blackbeard didn't fucking work.

The issue isn't that Ed isn't trying hard enough at being Blackbeard. The issue is the expectations of being Blackbeard: being violent, being domineering, hiding all negative emotions other than anger, refusing to admit fear or weakness, and having socially acceptable interests (i.e. not fine fabrics). In other words, toxic masculinity.

But Ed's already had a go at giving up those expectations. He was totally ready to wear the Depression Robe around and write emo song lyrics and host a talent show and whatever. But Izzy didn't, and that's why it failed. So long as Izzy is bound by the same strictures, he's going to keep trying the same thing over and over again, because the system he's in doesn't have any other tools for him to use, and that means crab-bucketing Ed back into his toxic version of piracy. To get Ed out of this horrible, claustrophobic system, Izzy needs to get out, too.

And like, I think at this point in canon, Izzy is maybe getting an inkling that this situation isn't great for him, either, but he's not going to recognize it as a systemic problem so much as a Kraken-specific problem that, again, could just be fixed if you did piracy better. Not a problem with toxic masculinity in general, absolutely not. it's just Blackbeard doing Blackbeard wrong.

He's certainly not feeling the same monotony of their day-to-day pirate lives that Ed did... but neither did Mary. She was upset at the very idea that Stede would think their lives are boring. She didn't know things could be better until they became so by Stede's abandonment.

I feel like it has to happen for any kind of satisfying resolution to Izzy's character. It seems to me that it would be profoundly unfair for Izzy to be denied the chance to escape this repressive prison he's in because he's repressed and is acting accordingly. that's some circular logic right there.

tl;dr: I want there to be a redemption arc for Izzy, and I want that redemption to be he and Ed freeing each other from the toxic cesspool of violence and pain that they're both currently trapped in.

#personal #our flag means death #izzy hands #meta #long post

[jidem]

So, yesterday i asked you all what your favorite character was, and you were all extremely based and i wanted to befriend all of you. Today tho? Today i want to make ennemies (affectionate).

So.

Pastel Princess x Plaid Princes :

Are they gonna break up or what?

Discuss.

Ill put my own thoughts under the read more. I also would like to say that even tho ive worded this like a call to discourse for comedic purpose, i dont think there's any wrong answer here, and i'd just like to discuss the BEST WEBTOON OUT THERE.

So i dont think im controversial when i say that gwen and Frederick arent in any real danger here? Like! They've talked! There's still are some things that would benefit from being talked further, but the heavy communication lifting is DONE. Those kids are, despite everything, still in a position where it's going to take all of one (1) conversation for them to make up and hopefully make out.

Tho i say that but Gwen is going through some serious emotional damage rn, so those crazy kids might decide to still take a break to rethink their relationship, which i mean. Good! For! Them. I dont have any doubts they'll rekindle even in that case, however.

Maria and Blaine tho 😬

Well. I say that but actually, i think that they still stand an okay chance. Blaine has NOT been showing the best of himself out here, and im still waiting to know how much of that was just an act before giving my FINAL JUDGMENT, but if there's some good intentions in there, then not everything's lost. Those two have been communicating, after all. Blaine has made a scincere effort to get to know Maria, and he has shared some of his doubt with her as well! That's good that's a good base ! Of course then he betrayed her and attacked her castle, she used his insecurities against him, and we still dont know how on board with The Plan:tm: he actually is, which does put a damper in my optimism.

I would be really disappointed if they just got back together immediately after the final arc. Those two NEED to take a serious break. It would be very good for Maria to consider some other options, and it would be GREAT for Blaine to get some therapy. I think that they need some time away from each other to reconsider. And if after that they wanna try again? Great! I really do think that those two can work together.

Lorena and Lance tho i really cant say the same thing. Of the three, i think that they have the highest chances of breaking up for good. They never really learned anything about each other deeper than surgace level, they have very conflicting life goals, and i think not enough deep affection toward each other to work through it. Plus, Lorena being the "warrior" amongst her sister, and aiming to take over the military, i just dont see her forgiving the man who INVADED HER KINGDOM.

Now, i do think that those two would be amazing besties, and i wish them a long and fructuous friendship. But it would take a LOT of legwork in a VERY short time for me to buy them as a romantic couple.

#cursed princess club #cpc #cpc frederick #cpc gwen #cpc lance #cpc blaine #cpc maria #cpc lorena #Jidem's silly theories #Watch my aromantic ass analyse fictional couple