#I just want that quality Reconciliation

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

How would you have ended Voltron ??

In particular, what would you have done with Lotor and Allura ??

Hi, anon! Oooh what an interesting question!

If I absolutely had to start with the end of s8, assuming everything before has still occurred:

The easiest option would be that Allura doesn’t die, given that her life force is tied to Voltron and the Realm of Universal Consciousness is where the living and dead exist in the same space anyway.

Instead, previous paladins of Voltron, current paladins of Voltron, Voltron itself, and others (including a willing/repentant Lotor) help Allura restore the universe so that it’s not always just mostly her doing all the heavy work, offering their spiritual energy together to accomplish this massive feat. (Because legit, we need some found family / stronger together vibes! That’s the heartbeat of Voltron!)

It’s during the restoration that the selfish and defeated Honerva gets purified / fully restored herself.

The restoration burns out the rift creatures haunting the quintessence field.

When the universe is restored, Allura realizes she can bring the previously dead with her from out of this liminal space.

All the current paladins open their Lions to take in refugees and bring them back to their restored planets.

While Allura might offer them a second chance, Honerva and Zarkon choose to stay behind, as do many of the victims of the 10,000-year war who prefer the peace they’ve found.

Cue Allura’s heartfelt convo with her parents, who like many of the elders choose to stay behind, but not before doting on their daughter and offering her something that indicates the crown of Altea has been passed down to her / replaces the circlet she lost in s7. Perhaps Allura can still call on her parents in some way if she ever needs help or guidance (as previous-franchise versions of Allura could do). (More under the cut!)

The elders (Zarkon, Alfor, Honerva, etc.) could agree to help guard the flow of quintessence in some way, so that the living have sustainable access without going insane. (Idk what the limits are of this liminal space they're in.) Or else maybe the true secret of sustainable power is revealed through them, answering the problem that started this whole war.

As the paladins are encouraging others to come back with them, Lotor hangs back in the crowd. He does not feel worthy of a second chance at life, and is possibly unsure whether he even has the energy to try. He feels shame over his past and how quintessence twisted his mind.

Out of all the paladins, Allura approaches him and holds out her hand. “We were meant for more than fear and war,” she says, voice soft. “Do not be afraid to live.”

Lotor asks something like, deeply hesitant, “What life do I have? I isolated all allies and nearly destroyed the universe in going mad.”

Allura goes silent and then tries again, still holding out her hand, “And yet, the universe is restored, and all here know you took part in this great work. Your energy and will is a part of New Daibazaal’s atmosphere, its rivers and valleys.” She manages a weak smile. “If I remember correctly, you always did want to explore.”

“And can the past be so fully undone?” he asks. “Would I even be free to explore?”

Perhaps some moment where Zarkon and Honerva take responsibility for Lotor’s screwy life. Bonus if he gets some kind of call that the Galra still need a leader to help them in this new phase of peace, and that he hasn't reached his true potential yet.

Probably, some paladins chime in, validate that the alliance is back on, and the serious moment gets broken.

Lotor grabs onto Allura’s hand. She leads him to Blue Lion, where he joins the multitudes returning to the restored universe.

The Robot that jettisoned itself off Lotor’s spaceship from S5 is part of the crowd!! Lotor reunites on-screen with his cat, Kova!

Cue silly paladin shenanigans, a few stowaway mice finding a new resting spot on Lotor’s shoulders, and Allura’s new circlet catching the light as the paladins of Voltron launch back toward their reality, away from the Realm of Universal Consciousness.

Cue a pan-out to the restored universe, where the rift is healed, and New Altea and New Daibazaal exist side-by-side as their suns rise.

I think something open-ended, in the context of several characters—focused on a theme about not being afraid to live, about reconciling the past with the present—would hype that found family / stronger-when-we’re-together / comic energy that made Voltron unique…and leave lots of possibilities for the fandom to explore this new world!

If I could roll the clocks farther back than s8, I’d massively overhaul several things about the show. But this is just where I see a way to better land what we got toward the end.

Thanks for this ask! So fun to think about!

#Voltron #VLD #Allura #Lotor #Lotura #Alfor #Melenor #Honerva #Zarkon #paladins of Voltron #I just want that quality Reconciliation #Death and sacrifice existed throughout the whole story so for the end to really be a new beginning would have meant a lot to me #As a big lotura fan I'd probably want more lotura content but I think the show could strike a good balance for the sake of the larger story #and leave things open for hope #It also kinda bothers me that Voltron and the other paladins got sidelined in the end #I would want them to be active characters in their own story too #ah but yeah just an idea for the end! #Thanks for the note anon!

[saltwife]

Paul

(Image description, and close ups of elements, behind the cut)

I have been obsessed with the idea of Paul as the Rebis, the Great Alchemical Work, since the moment I read the birth scene (a few weeks ago now). It just fits too perfectly, and I am sure it is not a coincidence. From Wikipedia:

The Rebis (from the Latin res bina, meaning dual or double matter) is the end product of the alchemical magnum opus or great work.

After one has gone through the stages of putrefaction and purification, separating opposing qualities, those qualities are united once more in what is sometimes described as the divine hermaphrodite, a reconciliation of spirit and matter, a being of both male and female qualities as indicated by the male and female head within a single body.

I wanted to do it in a style evocative of the time that alchemy was 'popular,' and include imagery evocative of story elements surrounding Paul's birth and origins. I looked at a lot of medieval illustrations, especially woodcuts, for inspiration. This took me 84 years to do, so I hope you will enjoy! :)

Like what I do? Please consider supporting me! Prints and other merch is available on redbubble, or you can sponsor me on patreon!

Image description: An illustration in medieval woodcut style of Cam/Pal/Paul as the Rebis, the great alchemical work. It is a fusion of their male and female bodies. Their heads are crowned, and skeletal bat wings spread from their shoulders. Camilla, on the right, holds one of her knives, while the half that is Palamedes holds a key. Immediately behind the figure is Noodle. In the Background on the right is the ruins of the Building, with the Greek letter Rho below it; and on the left is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The figure is standing on a rock where also rests the skull of the sixth house. In the foreground the River is depicted with skeletal hands reaching upward, and bones bobbing among the waves. The constellation Cassiopea is above.

#the locked tomb #nona the ninth #camilla hect #palamedes #palamedes sextus #locked tomb #paul #religious imagery #alchemy #rebis #art #my art #finally I can rest

[ceilidho]

Sorry to dump this here, but no one in my immediate and/or accessible circle reads as much as I do and this conversation came up at the right time.

I don't read a lot of romance and I started reading some popular ones last year to ease my way into it. I feel like such a snob to say this, but the plot and writing are never fully fleshed out nor are the characters. None of the romantic actions I see people swoon over are ever explained well enough for me to understand the hype. A scene in which there should be an emotional inner monologue is shorted to a paragraph and if the character is toxic (I understand a lot of people enjoy toxic/dark men, but romance books never write them well enough) and destroys the other character's life/says a relationship-ending lie/any other cliche, there is never enough explanation, justification, groveling, or any thought process behind the reconciliation.

It's always just one half-written and half-baked trope after the other.

Again, apologies for dumping it here, but I think there are such damning consequences for women (the main demographic of romance readers) who read things like this and don't give constructive criticism or thought when facing these problems.

no but you're 100% right. i mean, this is one annoying bitch's opinion (mine LMAO) but trad publishing is in the absolute pits right now. that's not to say that there aren't still some good books coming out because of course, every now and then you're going to get a gem. but i think the environment has become outwardly hostile to good writing.

i mean, i know this has been discussed a ton, but the "fast fashionization" of books has become a huge problem. every time there's a new microtrend or whatever, every author rushes to push out a book to meet the demand (see: the hockey romance trend). this, obviously, means that the editing time is severely compressed and you get books published by like harper collins and penguin with typos, grammar issues, and more.

i got some flack for this when i posted about it on twitter ahah but i honestly do not understand why the sequel to "fourth wing" came out so soon (not even getting into the messy qualities of the first book). sequels used to take a year or more to come out to allow for the book to go through several rounds of editing and fine tuning! what happened??!!

i think authors now feel compelled to get their books out as soon as possible out of fear that booktok/readers will simply move on after the initial hype and they'll lose their reader base. there's like an anxiety about being left behind in the current publishing world.

this is kind of in line with what i was talking about the other day with Bo actually - writing romance and smut is actually way harder than people think. you can't just use the same 5 recycled porn dialogue lines and call it a day. you have to care a little about the story you're trying to tell, not just churning it out to make a buck or to make people pay attention to you. i'm not saying belabour every single action and decision made by your main character or go crazy on description (i still think the sweet spot for a published book is between 250-300 pages, and maybe more if you're writing a genre specific book that involves a lot of worldbuilding), but as a writer you need to want to be writing that book in the first place.

no one who's legitimately excited about what they're writing is going to resort to cliches and overused tropes - they might lean on tropes they like, but there's inevitably going to be something original and exciting there.

also my lil controversial opinion about the state of trad publishing lately is that i think it's 100% influenced by this weird pervasive strain of purity culture that's on booktok where people feel like any enjoyment they get from reading a particular thing has a direct reflection on them as a person and their values. rather than it just being a book.

(by the way i actually completely agree with you that even dark romances are as bad as everything else we've been talking about - that's another conversation lol. i also kind of agree with the idea of more romance books coming with content warnings on the front page - this hasn't really caught on yet except with some dark romance authors but i think it's a really good idea)

i don't think there's anything wrong about people getting excited about books on tiktok and instagram and youtube btw. i think it's a fun way to share recommendations, commentary, and interests. what i think is the big problem is that the publishing industry has almost become beholden to trends and online perception because they've seen how much profit they can generate by catering to it, and i think that's why books now just feel bland and soulless. they're tapping into a FOMO on both the authors' and writers' side, of either being left behind and not being able to make a living, or missing out on what everyone else is reading and talking about.

#today is the day that i cannot stfu apparently

[txttletale]

I really agree w/ all your Hades opinions! I played that one first and then went back to all the other SG games, and was surprised at how much better the storytelling was in Transistor and Pyre. Hades is really fun and clearly high quality, but its world and characters feel so much shallower compared to its predecessors, and I really despise Hades himself, so the "reconciliation" stuff falls flat for me. Since you like Pyre, I wondered if you would maybe want to talk about your general feelings on it a little bit--what you like about it, what you don't? It's the least popular of SG's portfolio, which is so sad to me because I think it's the weirdest and most interesting one of the bunch, both story-wise and gameplay-wise (even though my personal fave is Transistor, which is still excellent, I think Pyre does more things I admire).

pyre is one of my favourite games of all time so i would love to talk about it! i mean. where to begin. i love its world. i love the very clever decision to make all the proper nouns and fantasy stuff hoverable hyperlinks so that you, the player, can be filled in on important background information about the world without the need for stilted expository dialogue:

i love the world of pyre. it's genuinely beautiful, it's my favourite of any of supergiant's worlds: the downside looks genuinely unique, it looks at once forbidding and electrically pretty.

like god damn. but what i love most about pyre is the story and characters, and how they're both not just communicated to you through the traditional methods this game employs (dialogue, flavour text) but in a way that's woven into the gameplay.

like, pyre isn't a game about fighting, it's a game about sports. it's a very high-stakes sport, but it's a sport -- for those who haven't played it, the plot of pyre is that you and your band of wacky misfits have been banished to a secret underground world. from time to time, the stars align and one person can escape this exile by winning a game of fantasy baskebtall -- and because it's a sport, the game's happy to let you lose. you can lose and that can just be part of the story. on two different occasions, i chose to throw plot-critical matches in pyre--once because an NPC on my team asked me to and once because i felt like the other guys deserved to win more than the protagonists did. and the game treats that as a valid choice, a valid thing to happen in the story! it lets the game explore opportunities and feelings and situations that a more traditional game where the player 'has' to win in the 'canonical' ending isn't capable of and it does it really well

and similarly there's something very very clever done with the character writing. getting to know characters better -- finding out why they were exiled, what's at home that they want to return to, why they want to get back to the surface -- is the same process as improving that character's stats and skills in the basketball games. the result of this is that the characters you know best, the ones you're most emotionally invested in getting to escape exile, are also the ones who you've been relying on to win your basketball games! it's by far the best iteration of the 'switch up your playstyle or else' mechanic that supergiant obsessively puts in their games because it ties directly into the emotional stakes of the story and can make it a genuinely difficult choice to liberate someone who's an essential part of your team but you've just learned has a desperate need to escape before something terrible happens to their loved ones outside.

also its got the best romance route of any supergiant game. i dont give a shit about meg or thanatos when i've got sandra the unseeing

<3

#ask #pyre #long post

[icedroplove]

gruvia week

Day 2 - perseverance

Usually, romantic relationships went through stages. In that order, the couple got to know each other, one of them took the first step and asked the other out. Then, a milestone: first date. After that, it took some weeks, months even to go from seeing each other to dating . During the dating stage, some milestones occurred: meeting the parents, first fight, first reconciliation, first time, first ‘I love you’. Then, after a couple of years, moving together and marriage. After some time, boom! Children. Then taking care of the kids, watching them grow, getting old together, grandchildren and then-

Gosh, that was a lot.

There were exceptions to this scheme, though. A lot of couples stayed as friends for a long time before dating. Others broke up, went separate ways, then got back together. Some had children before marrying, some wanted pets instead of kids. Some wanted both, some wanted none. Sometimes, first I love you went after first fight and and first time before getting to know.

Now that Gray started thinking about it, there were a lot of relationships that didn’t follow the pattern everyone talked about. That made him feel better, after all, his relationship with Juvia was very different from any pattern, as he started to recollect.

The getting to know stage came right with a milestone: first fight. Enemies at first, but after a short time he showed her something she had never seen before from another person: empathy. Mercy. And then, she saw the sun for the first time (that counted as first reconciliation, right?)

For years, they stayed in the friends stage, but they had reached the milestone of first ‘I love you’ (from Juvia, not reciprocated).

After seven years stuck in Tenrou and the Grand Magic Games, they got a milestone he saw few couples achieve: first sacrifice. Even if he didn’t actually die in the end, it still counted (he stayed dead for one second, come on). And after that…

First rejection.

However, even when Gray didn’t have the courage to start exploring the feelings he was developing for Juvia and blatantly denied her advances, she persevered. 

Damn, if there was one quality that Juvia had it definitely was perseverance.

After that bitter milestone, a lot of time passed before they got to the next step: meeting the parents. This one was not only crooked in order, but also in significance. Knowing the father of your loved one as a spirit and having to set it free, ending once and for all that existence… that wasn’t exactly a romantic scenario. It meant a lot for him in other ways, though.

Moving together came shortly after. For months, they had a domestic peaceful and endearing life, even if they were just friends.

Then, he abandoned her and had her trust in him tested for the first time. She persevered, though, and they overcame it. During the battle of Alvarez, they reached once again a rare milestone: double sacrifice.

The longer he thought about it, the more he was certain their path was unique (not necessarily in a good way).

It was only after the first time he really thought he lost her that their story got into the rails. After the one hundred years quest (in which he saw that his edolas self had gone on a straighter line than him and already had a son with edo-Juvia) he finally gathered courage to do the hardest thing:

Step one, ask out.

And now, looking at his bride, walking to him as beautiful as ever, he couldn’t be more grateful for everything they went through if it meant having her in his arms for all his life.

They had persevered.

#gruvia week #gruvia week 2024 #gruvia #fairy tail #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #fairy tail 100 years quest #writing

[absolutebl]

This week in BL - I am all over the place, But Laws of Attraction is Phenomenal af

July 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Thai Sat iQIYI) 1 of 8 - Icky picked it up but it’s not airing for me until Sundays so I held this post specifically to watch and talk about this show. Stars the pair from To Sir With Love with the same production team. IT’S SO GOOD Y’ALL. A morally corrupted trickster lawyer with a tragic past, sad eyes, and a beautiful smile that he uses like a weapon. Meets paladin martial arts instructor from other side of the tracks (who is out, at least to his baby sister). Corrupt police. Spoiled rich kid evil. Ambitious politician. Tragic death. Terrible subs.* This show is very like Manner of Death but so far it is a much better/tighter story. It’s NOT BL but it is fucking phenomenal. And you shoudl watch it. Not wait to binge it. WATCH IT. On a global scale this might be the best thing currently airing featuring gay romantic leads. Its really fucking good. It’s Lawless Lawyer but more complex character motivation and gay af. Fuck yes please and thank you. FINALLY. Triggers for violence, beatings, death & torture depicted on screen. Like MoD they are not holding back.  (* A lot of the familial names they are using are not gendered in Thai but translated as such, like “nephew”. This one is gonna go down a lot easier if you know some Thai.)

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 12fin - 2 years pass and no one’s hairstyle changes? Srs. Them meeting again = hella AWKWARD. Both still pining & hurt. NO SINGING. The reconciliation scene was great. I enjoyed that on the “do over relationship” they went with phi/pom (instead of the super formal khuns). So cute and so much more relaxed. Also lots of neck kisses! Charming final ep. It’s only flaw being they dropped the side couple, but I wasn’t really into them anyway. Ultimately? This is what Boss & Babe should have been and could we please have Up lead out another BL? I miss him and he only gets prettier. Full review below.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 12fin - I adore the tiny little baby GL thread that we almost got. And I wish we had had more of it throughout the show. The side couple turned out to be good too. Emotional crying kisses are my favorite. Sunshine netted himself an earnest serious romantic boy, we likey. As for the main couple? Well... Tai’s search story arc was dull and dragging in a final ep and it felt bloated and slow as a result. It was a good confession reunion with Tai figuring all of his shit out, not surprising but fine. Kind of a a weak final ep. Full review below. 

Hidden Agenda (Thai Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - JoonDunk are back and we have all seen this a million times before, but Thailand never executed a successful formula it didn’t want to repeat a million times over, drunk bathroom and everything. Welcome (back) to Thai BL (and back and back and back). Basically they just added glasses, a new 1-shared-brain-cell friendship group, and different uni departments. Ah GMMTV, forever trying to recreate the magic of 2gether. But also I’m enjoying it. I’m a simple person. (Hi Jamie! Still in college since 2018 I see.) Anyone else notice that Chinese phrase that they did not translate for us? Mmm hum. Cute. Still... NO SINGING. 

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 8 - Thames is in coma and getting slagged off on the socials. It’s moving a bit slowly but the premise is interesting despite the poor quality of the execution. 

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 eps - Major trigger for self harm depicted on screen in part 2/4. I skipped it. Then there is assault and verbal abuse. I told you Ultimate Troop is NOT to be trusted. 

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 2 of 12 - Look, I don’t really mind this show but I also don’t like second hand embarrassment and I sense a metric butt ton incoming.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - I was not best pleased with this episode. Ya’ll round the tumblr-sphere seem to be enjoying it but I have officially hit the wall on Kawi. There is not enough booze for me to cope with his shizz. I may be alone in this. But gotta say how I feel... Unlike him. Trash watch here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 8 - Poor Ren, he feels compelled to take on the burden of protecting everyone from sexual assault because he blames himself. And he can’t even talk to his boyfriend about it. Oh fuck me the pair of shoes at the door. And neck kisses? TOO MUCH. Argh. Japan. Why must you hurt so good? 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 3 of 10 eps - It’s a very cute show. All the tropes and archetypes with no fuss or attempts to be clever, just executing them (sometimes over and over again). Even hiccoughs as a result of flirting! I haven’t seen that one in ages. The show feels old fashioned as a result. Nostalgic. I’m good with that. 

Tie The Not (Pinoy YouTube) ep 6 of 8 - Sad boys still sad now drunk. (Noooooo shoes on bed! Argh.) Finally kisses! Also good ones for a large portion of this ep. Plus hair pulling. And verse rep! And after sex convo. Then side dishes have a whole proper gay ax covo about top/bottom. Everyone say thank you Philippines! get down with your queer selves! 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 6fin - I believe this was the final episode. It was cute. This is a standard sort of semi-crappy VBL high school drama. Enjoyable in its floppy friendliness, weirdly like a queer after school special promoting education. Dead fish kisses but fine for what it is. 7/10 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 2 of 12 eps - Activate cohabitation trope. They okay bfs. Minato not as frustrating this week, but still frustrating for me and Shin. Next week = cute outfits and dumb miscommunication yay!

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 11 of 12 - again it didn’t show up on my dash in time for this. I’ll pop it into next week. 

It’s airing but ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I’m not bothering.

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me.

Ended This Week

Step By Step Series Review  

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel). Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). I also really enjoyed the brothers’ relationship, and kinda wished they hadn’t attempted (and failed) to give said brother his own side BL. That one flaw made it a 9/10 for me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

La Pluie Series Review

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. By activating + examining the soulmates trope this show is challenging a foundation of romance: the idea that there is one person meant to be your one romantic partner all your life. This means that we, as viewers, spend much of the show worried about it having a happy ending, and that’s the source of both its brilliance and tension: would the narrative have the strength to truly challenge its own romantic core? But, ultimately, all this elevated complexity was executed in a somewhat shaky manner with the narrative derailing into some serious pacing issues and characters manipulated by miscommunication. However, with good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn a 9/10. I enjoyed it even as it made me think, so despite its flaws: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:  

7/19 Wedding Plan (Thai Wed YouTube & iQIYI)  - It's Mame and she's coming for our GL. She's such a misogynist IMAGINE what we will get with a GL side dish? It's going to be absolute carnage. To crane your neck as you drive by the car wreck or not? That is the question. Me? I'm wallowing in the guts. Trying to decide to trash watch or not... 

7/20 Jun & Jun (Korea Thu Viki) - From 2022 I CAN’T FUCKING WAIT! So excited for this one. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

FYI roselle juice is made from hibiscus (a flower) so technically neither a tea nor a juice. (Hidden Agenda)

Tie the Not = all the verse rep this ep. I love this for them. 

The giggling was SO DAMN CUTE (Step by Step, na?) 

We all guessed it but it was still fun. (Stupid Genius) Also miracles of miracles, two actors who actually look like they could be brothers play brothers. 

First time I’ve seen faen translated as significant other. (Laws of Attraction)

THE PAIN! (Tokyo) 

(Last week.)

#this week in BL #BL gossip #bl news #upcoming BL #July 2023 BL #BL reviews #korean bl #japanese bl #thai bl #Vietnamese bl #pinoy bl #taiwanese bl #live action yaoi #Rakutan Viki #gagaoolala #GMMTV #Laws of Attraction #Step By Step review #La Pluie review #Stupid Genius review #Hidden Agenda the series #Low Frequency the series #Dinosaur Love #Be Mine Super Star #Shigatsu no Tokyo wa #Stay By My Side the series #\Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 #Tie The Not #Manner of Death #Lawless Lawyer

[natalisdragon]

Just like before, but not as same

I read recently about how some feel the end of Bucchigiri?! was a return to the status quo, and while I don't entirely disagree, is that really so? I think part of the problem comes from how compressed the episode was, so it's very easy for some things to go unnoticed. Because yes, we are back to "normal." But at least in the case of Arajin and Matakara we can notice (very briefly) that something has changed.

Let's go in order…

First let's talk about Arajin, I understand that as a character he can be frustrating for many, especially seeing him go after Mahoro again, even though it seemed like he had finally learned something from everything that happened, but there is something that we must highlight and that is the scene in front of the mirror while trying to imitate Marito.

Arajin always appeared as someone simple and content with his mediocrity, because as many here have already said, it was not only a way to escape from his guilt, but also because he surely felt unworthy of something better than being a "common" boy

It's easy to believe that he's just trying to imitate Marito because he knows that Mahoro has him on a pedestal, but… wouldn't it also mean that he's finally willing to aspire for more? Marito is someone strong, charismatic, casual and who never hesitates in the face of any challenge that catches his attention, qualities that if we think carefully, can be attractive to someone like Arajin, contrasting with the more disciplinary and traditional principles of Minato kai, much more in line for someone like Matakara.

Imitating Marito means recognizing him as superior, and therefore, a goal to achieve, and perhaps even surpass, something that until now, Arajin had never dared to consider.

And regarding insisting on Mahoro again… We remember that Arajin is a teenager, right? I understand that his approach to her has never been the most appropriate, but… is it so strange that he wants to try again now that he has rediscovered his own courage?(again, it's obvious that his way is not the right one)

In Matakara's case, although the fact that everyone forgives him so easily after what happened still seems convenient, I prefer to believe that it has more to do with the reputation he had and the high esteem in which he was held even if he was not capable to notice it, once again reinforcing the idea that he is no longer alone.

His changes, like Arajin's, are very subtle, but deep down they say a lot. The first thing is at the party to celebrate Marito and Kenichiro, where we see him making gyoza with Arajin. I had already said it in a previous analysis, about how cooking is connected to affection and bonds. Here I will take the opportunity to complement it with a couple of things.

Something I mentioned was how the ability to cook could be interpreted as the provision of tools to deal with life, although now that I think about it, also how they were in an unequal relationship. But returning to the party, we see Matakara managing to make his first gyoza well, making visible the fact that the gap between them has fallen, but not only that, I also mentioned how cooking as an activity is closely related to the people Matakara loves. It's more than evident that Arajin has been teaching him, again reinforcing not only their reconciliation, but also the fact that from now on he will be there for him.

Here we also add that he is cooking, not only for his close circle, but for everyone, letting us know that he is finally willing to open his heart to others, which we can also appreciate by how he affectionately hugs his friends after being accepted into Minato kai again.

I had already said this, but I think it is worth returning to it. Remember since Mitsukuni's incident Matakara didn't go to see him even once? Surely because seeing his brother in that state would have been more than he could have endured. You don't have to be a genius to understand what a shock it's for someone like him and at that age. It was a reality that he was fleeing from, because most likely deep down he knew that there was no way to rationalize what had happened with his weakness.

Now, however, knowing that he is no longer alone, that there are people who, despite not knowing him thoroughly, care about him, he finally feels that he can face the situation without his own darkness tormenting him, in one way or another, he has accepted his vulnerability and that he has no control over what will happen, which is certainly a difficult and sometimes very painful lesson.

It's obvious that such a hasty ending in one way or another still hinders the experience and doesn't justify other problems, but I do think that perhaps we shouldn't say that our boys didn't learn anything from all this, plus, again, they are teenagers, This is not the only thing they will have to learn, but there is no doubt that the seed of change has sprouted in both, whether to a greater or lesser extent.

#bucchigiri?! #The change is real

[darklinggalleg0s]

I recently came across a post by "vole-mon-amour" that sparked some thoughts about a particular topic I've been pondering.

"I firmly believe that if it weren't for Johnny, V would have never personally known Kerry, given Kerry's immense popularity and the vast number of fans he has, including V. Just another face in the crowd."

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment and feel that V is precisely what Kerry needs. Imagine having someone ordinary, who admires him not because he's the renowned Kerry Eurodyne, but for his genuine qualities, humor, and charm. Someone who offers sincere support without seeking any advantage, other than the joy of being together. I'm convinced that Kerry is weary of the constant gossip and superficial relationships with other people, including celebrities.

Moreover, Kerry could benefit from a partner detached from the glare of publicity and the corrupt music industry, to prevent any competition for the crowd's attention within the relationship. Many couples manage to maintain relationships when only one partner is famous. Kerry's partner must be also successful in their own domain, achieving notable success to avoid any power imbalances in their relationship. This dynamic makes their relationship utterly convincing in "The Star" ending, in my view.

And now to the main part.

I'm fully drawn to the drama of the "Phantom Liberty" ending and hold onto the hope that V and Kerry WILL find their way back to each other. But, I'm at a loss as to how V could possibly win Kerry back! Mr. Eurodyne didn't even care much about V's disappearance. 13 missed calls that's all we got. He's balls deep into his music and has a second wind in his career, surrounded by fans and groupies... So I see no reason for Kerry to want to rekindle their relationship! V is just another face in the crowd. Especially since 2 years have passed. My desire for them to reunite was so strong that I even considered writing fanfiction about it, but all I can envision is a story filled with anguish, sorrow, and no hope for their reconciliation. The script created by CD Projekt is so meticulously crafted that I find myself unable to "navigate" through it and envision a scenario where they could reconcile (GOD DAMN IT).

What are your thoughts on this?

#cyberpunk 2077 #kerry eurodyne #phantom liberty #cyberpunk phantom liberty

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hi mbtinotes 22yo INFJ here. I recently lost a friend (INTJ) after dating her briefly. After breaking things off, there was a lot of hurt on both sides that we weren't able to reconcile. I ended up blocking her to move on, since then have unblocked but never reached out. This loss has been eating away at me every day since and I can't stop thinking about my mistakes or feeling like a failure. At the same time, I don't think maintaining a friendship was benefitting either of us.

There was a lot of drama over how I handled the breakup, and it was messy since we both still had feelings but she no longer trusted me. I also think we were in somewhat of a codependent relationship and my thoughts about her are obsessive. I constantly wonder what she's thinking and whether or not I can "fix" things despite the damage done. I've always had self esteem issues, social anxiety, and I believe have struggled with depression for a long time.

I know I have good qualities and my friends remind me all the time, but I just don't see myself that way, and I've always struggled with dating and this falling out with my friend has put me even deeper into my issues and made me more aware of them. I still care for her a lot, but I don't know if reconciliation is possible and am afraid of repeating the cycle, and she's villainized me at this point anyway. I honestly have no idea how I'm supposed to build myself up from here.

----------------------

The best way to have healthy self-esteem is to be a person of integrity. It means making decisions primarily from the perspective of your better self, with a view of the bigger picture (Ni). It means doing whatever is necessary to preserve every person's well-being, including your own (Fe). It is never too late to choose integrity. The sooner you choose it, the sooner you can get to a more positive place in life. The path to integrity is a lifelong process of learning how to be the person you're really meant to be.

When it comes to failure, having integrity means owning up to mistakes and learning to do better. The way is: face facts, take full responsibility for everything that was in your hands, and resolve the situation to the best of your ability.

Resolve is not the same as fix. "Fixing" is usually motivated by an egocentric desire to assuage guilt, silence regret, or unload resentment. By contrast, "resolving" should be motivated by care and empathy and a genuine desire to do what is best for everyone involved. Negative feelings must be laid to rest and everyone must be allowed to move on in the most positive way possible. Resolution can be a difficult process and might require several steps, for example:

Contrition: For the sake of learning and personal growth, do a full accounting of all the things you have done that were hurtful, harmful, or morally problematic. Make a list and review the reasons why you engaged in such behavior. Feel your remorse fully, and make a choice to forgive yourself by accepting that you are human and still have much to learn about how to make moral decisions.

Atonement: Issue a detailed and heartfelt apology to everyone who was negatively affected by your behavior. Provide an honest explanation for why you behaved poorly, without making excuses or deflecting responsibility. Ask for forgiveness, recognizing that you are not entitled to it and do not have control over whether it is granted. In your own mind, forgive others their mistakes, for the sake of your own well-being, because you do not want to keep carrying around the heavy burden of a heart poisoned by resentment, anger, or hate.

Closure: Do a full accounting of all the things you appreciate about the person and the relationship you had together, and say thank you to them. Express that you hope the negative experiences won't erase all the positive experiences you've had together. Sincerely wish them the best going forward. Grant everyone the freedom to open a new chapter of life.

Blame is always counter-productive to relationships. Since the relationship is basically beyond repair, continuing to play any kind of blame game (whether blaming yourself or her) is only going to keep you stuck in negativity. It sounds like blame was a significant factor contributing to the breakup, so it's time you learned a better way of handling painful feelings via improving your emotional intelligence. You need to get back in touch with your caring and empathetic side in order to let go of blame and leave the past behind.

You've had many opportunities to end the situation but instead chose to continue it. At some point, you have to make a decision as to whether your energy is better utilized moving backward or moving forward - you can't have it both ways. When you choose to move forward, feelings will fade as time passes, and you'll get better perspective from which to learn important lessons, lessons that will hopefully better equip you for success in future relationships.

Remember that the process of grieving a loss and healing from it cannot begin in earnest until you release yourself from the compulsion to fix and, instead, move toward full acceptance of reality.

#infj #infj relationships #breakup #integrity #acceptance #closure #apology #forgiveness #regret #ask

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: Growth S5 vs. S6

Since 6x15 “Death and Taxes”, I’ve been trying to figure out why Buck’s growth in season 6 felt like it was unfinished but then I finally realized why it felt different when I compared it with Eddie’s growth from season 5.

Eddie’s growth started in season 5, it appeared to be linear and it continued through the beginning of season 6.  He was happier after he clawed his way back from the depths of a mental breakdown.

Shooting➡️Panic attacks (x3)➡️Breakup➡️Panic attack #4➡️Chris’ nightmare and his comment about Eddie possibly dying➡️Quitting the 118➡️Made to feel like an outcast at dispatch ➡️ Isolation ➡️Yelled at Bobby ➡️Therapy➡️Mental Breakdown➡️Buck asks what he was afraid of and he admitted he was afraid he was never going to feel normal again➡️ Return to therapy➡️Waited for a sign to return to the 118 and Linda told him God has spoken ➡️ Worked on being better for himself➡️Reconciliation with Ramon➡️Return to the 118 ➡️Happier Eddie at the beginning of season 6

His path to being better for himself is easily identifiable.

Buck’s growth was choppy and the audience NEVER saw how he progressed from one stage to the next so there’s no clear way to illustrate his progress unless question marks are included.

Wanted to be interim captain ❓Wants to be happy❓Read self-help books ❓Asked to be a sperm donor and he accepted❓Probably should have had a self-discovery journey to ask himself if he should have done this while considering his whole “defective parts” comment from season 4 but...❓He only talked to Hen about it❓He donated and stopped at nothing to do it❓He’s told there’s a baby on the way ➡️He tells his parents he’s a donor ➡️He gets struck by lightning and dies but he didn’t deal with it and he didn’t learn anything about himself in his coma dream especially since Bobby told him to STOP being concerned with the way people see him ❓He become distraught and searched for answers ❓Tried to process his death ❓Special math skills acquired and he was happy ➡️ Special skills disappeared and he was back to square one❓Met the death doula and she asked him out to discuss his death and she thought it was cool that he died❓He tells Eddie, “she sees me”❓Eddie asks what changed in him ➡️ He admitted he was different and pretending for everyone else’s sake❓He contacted the doula for a date and they went out but they kept getting interrupted ❓She left after learning he has a full life❓Kameron stayed in his loft which made him responsible for someone else’s wife❓The 118 was involved in a bridge collapse, he handled the rescue and exhibited some leadership qualities but nothing came of it❓He delivered Kameron’s and Connor’s baby and after a brief look at him with watery eyes, he let go and gave the baby to them ➡️ The doula says she likes him and he likes her too but they don’t know each other❓He assumes this new relationship (for the fourth time) is going to fix him and they decide to buy a couch together

Ok... so clearly there are differences between their growth but the biggest difference is Eddie’s growth appeared to be linear while Buck’s just wasn’t.  It was all over the place and the number of storylines he had going at one time didn’t help.  The audience didn’t see how Buck got from point A to point B but viewers were able to clearly see Eddie’s progress.

Hopefully season 7 will be better because these choppy storylines with no resolution was a HUGE PROBLEM for a lot of the mains in season 6.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #911onfox #911 fox #911 on fox #911 abc #911 meta #911 on abc #911 s6 #911 season 6 #911 season 6 speculation #911

[genomynt]

Hello there, I recently took an interest into Niji X Cosette duo to fan art. But I still have mix feeling about it because of the canon but they are kinda cute together. So how do you deal with your feelings towards this ship?

Also, before you saw their fan art. What’s your opinion of these two when you first saw their interaction in manga/anime?

Hey there anon bud!! 🥰🫶🏼

FIRST ...I sincerely apologize for the late reply 🤦🏻‍♀️ it's been AGES since I've opened this app 😭

That's a good question 👀 and apparently, it's a FAQ for me, given the fact I've been rambling about them for 6 years and counting 👀💀

TBH with you anon, it all started back in 2017-2018 when I rewatched and reread OP again after hearing Sanji's getting married to Pudding in WCI 👀 I stopped because I was in highschool and getting ready to review for college entrance exams that time.💀So I need to take a break from long-running animes and focus for my exams.

I tried to keep up with both the manga and the anime, and apparently, my TL on twitter back then passed a NijiCose fanart and got spoiled before reaching the actual episode 800-802💀😭 that fanart was from @ovaCkuyuri... Here's a pixiv log of the said NijiCose fanarts:

At first I already knew they're problematic based on how they're interpreted on the fanarts (like Niji being a Tsundere to Cosette, and her acting nervous and flustered around him). But as I continued to watch and reread the manga... I noticed something interesting as well on Niji's character on manga that was documented on his profile page in OP wiki:

So far, he has the most "redeeming qualities from his modified brothers 👀 I know it says that his values totally contrast against Sanji, but I still have hopes for him.

In the series tho, I wish for a closure and reconciliation for both Niji and Cosette once the Vinsmoke siblings' modifications have been reversed. I want Niji to genuinely apologize to her and pay her back for everything.

Also, to answer your question how do I deal with this ship, I simply view them as problematic and angsty, yet a redeemable ship.

For sure, Cosette is traumatized deeply from Niji, and for sure she's totally aware of the modification story of the Vinsmoke siblings when she was hired in Germa. She knows what she's getting into when she was hired as their Royal Head Chef. Hopefully we got some backstory of how she got there in the first place 👀

I always daydream of them getting slowburned from Niji's existential crisis as humanity regains from his senses as he feels horribly guilty about his wrong doings as a warmonger, not just to Cosette; and Cosette knowing that he's not born to be evil in the first place, tolerating and slowly tries to understand him.

Disclaimer: I don't and NEVER patronize abuse and Domestic violence IRL.

NijiCose is fiction. One Piece is fiction. My condolences if you can't separate your views from fiction to reality.

‼️Feel free to block this account if you're uncomfortable with my ships.

Addendum:

I recently sent an SBS letter to Oda about some origins of Cosette like how she got there working under Germa.👀 Hopefully that would be answered and clear some things up

#one piece #Vinsmoke Niji #vinsmoke niji #vinsmoke siblings #germa 66 #One Piece cosette #cosette one piece #NijiCose #Niji x Cosette #jazzy writes

[moongoddesss222]

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1. What are your strength and weaknesses. You can give me options to see which field would be good for you? What changes are coming in next 3 months?

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These are channeled messages, I would need your photograph if needed, your name too. And you should be sincerely devoted to ask for this reading.

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This will be a detailed reading, covering all the above aspects, shared in a pdf form via email.

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Detailed check about your chakra and healing insight.

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[zaraomarrogers]

Always and Forever - 1

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem Reader

Series warnings: Fluff, Angst, sexual content, 18+ content, minors do not interact.

*~*

PART 1

Afternoon sun was shining through the large glass windows, illuminating the room with natural lights. Steve was leaning on the chair, feet up on the mahogany desk. Lost in his thoughts he didn't notice when Tony Stark entered his office, dropping the pile of papers on the table.

"Rise and shine, Rogers! The world has moved on." He dropped himself on the chair across from Steve and eyed the blond man.

Tony was not just Steve's boss but both had become good friends. The kind of friends who could rely on each other. Getting an internship at Stark Industries wasn't really a problem for Steve. He'd been a straight A student throughout school and college. Not just his grades, but his willingness to adapt to the work ethics and leadership qualities got him to a position of one of the most competitive marketing executive in Newyork City. Tony had made the best decision when he offered him a job right after four months into his internship. He couldn't afford to lose Steve Rogers to other companies, mostly his rivals. And, today after almost four years later, Steve was the nominee of COO, a position second in rank to Tony's. He'd worked tirelessly to earn this position. Steve had put his heart and soul, blood and sweat to have that power. A power to be on top of his game.

"What brought you here Tony?" Steve asked with bored expression.

"Last time I checked I was still the boss. This is my office." Tony scoffed. "Sulking in the lunch hour and skip your lunch won't get her back in your life..." Tony raised his both hands when Steve shot him a glare.

"I need you to go to Boston for me...." Tony continued when Steve sat up straight in the chair.

"..... Pepper's showcasing her first Fall collection and I want you to go on my behalf."

"Why me Tony?" Steve spoke while gathering the papers Tony threw on the desk.

"Beacuse.... Pepper and I... we aren't on speaking terms right now. She's hired a divorce lawyer Steve, and me going there will only add fuel to fire. I don't want a divorce." Tony said exasperatedly.

"Then why did you push her to take that step Tony?" Steve said  in a matter of fact tone.

"I didn't push her, that woman doesn't listen to me...."

"But you love her." Steve smiled.

"But I love her." Tony sighed, "I should have listened to her, I know I should have." Regret was present in Tony's voice.

"I will go to Boston, attend the showcase only if you promise to visit your wife and daughter after that. You'd offer the reconciliation Tony, don't let your pride ruin your relationship."

"What would you do if you were in my place, Steve?" Tony asked, lost in his thoughts.

"I'm not in your place Tony."  Steve said standing up and collecting his things from the desk, "All I know is, I wouldn't trade what you've jeopardised for anything in this world." Pain reflected through his face and expression hardened.

"Email the flight schedule and details." He left the office because it was started getting suffocating.

His heart was breaking all over again and his mind was occupied by her thoughts only. Putting the car in gear, Steve didn't know where to go. He aimlessly driven through the roads, didn't know where to go - where to stop. He desperately wanted to go home but who's home. The one he was now living with his fiance, Peggy Carter. Or the one, he spent his childhood , his parents house, the sound of her laughter still echoed from his parents house where he had spent numerous hours with her. Loving her. Cherishing her. Breathing her.

Steve didn't have a home to go to because she was his home and he lost her four years ago.

~*~

“Mama wakey wakey...” small hands were softly poking her on tummy resulting in a groan. Y/n knew who it was, she smiled sleepily looking at her  3.5 year old son. “ Happy to you mama.” Little boy squeaked in excitement when he saw his mama smiling. “Good morning Mal-pal.” She said groggily and hugged him tight.

Enveloping in her arms, she caressed his cheeks. “i’s your happy to you day mama. Wakey now.” “Mmmhh it’s too early, cupcake. We still have thirty more minutes to sleep in. How long have you been up.” She kissed Malcolm’s forehead. “Dunno.” He shrugged his shoulders while tracing her facial features with his small fingers. A gesture took her four years back and she tried not to remember anything from her previous life.

This, right here, in her arms was her whole life. Her everything. Her son, Malcolm Steven Rogers.  She didn’t have to look back at the hurtful past. She’d moved on, or so she thought.  

“Okay Mal-pal, mama needs to take a quick shower and get ready. How about you wait here for me.” She ruffled his silky dark blond hair. Malcolm nodded, “Talk to me fwom in there?”

“Sure, how about you start with telling me how do you want to spend the day.” She lightly laughed and headed to the bathroom.

While Malcolm told her how he wanted to spend his mama’s birthday, she brushed her teeth and took a quick warm shower. By the time, she came back in the room twenty minutes later, Malcolm was sprawled on the bed, yawning.

“Chocolate chip pancakes or blueberry muffins?” she asked extending her arms so he could jump in her embrace.

“Nooo, you pick mama. Your happy to you.” He said circling his arms around her neck. She laughed heartily, descending down the stairs, she sat him up on the bar stool and started taking out two bowls and a box of lucky charms.

“Mama’s favourite is cereal Mal-pal, you sure you don’t want pancakes or muffins?”

“I wike ce’weal too.” Malcolm said a little less enthusiastically. Y/n knew she’d have to throw half of his bowl in the bin so she started making pancake batter from the instant mix.

“Good mornin’! oh looks like someone’s woken up early.” It was Alice Maximoff- Carter, Y/n’s step-mother. Her father, Daniel Carter married her few years ago.

“I’s mama's happy to you, Gwanny.” Malcolm said excitedly.

“Mornin’ Alice.” Y/n smiled knowingly. “Happy birthday Y/n/n.” Alice hugged Y/n tightly.

“Thanks.” She smiled. “Coffee's in the pot and pancakes on its way. You can have cereal as well.”

“I’d just take coffee first. Breakfast later with your Dad.” Alice took a seat next to Malcolm and listened to him telling her some thing animatedly.

Alice Maximoff-Carter was the  epitome of kindness. Her blue grey eyes were full of love and empathy. Four years ago when Y/n came knocking down the door of her Dad’s house in the middle of the night, Alice quickly embraced her in a motherly hug. Y/n had craved  the affection and love of a mother while growing up. Alice's kindness warmed Y/n’s  heart and helped her adjust in her new life in a totally new city.

When Y/n left Newyork with her suitcase filled with few clothes and essentials, she was devastated. She had never thought it would happen. He would do such thing was not in the least of her imagination. She was crumpled up like a piece of paper.   Heart broken and dejected, she felt like she had lost the purpose of life. He was her life. She didn’t know how to live in a world without him. She was slowly fading into nothingness when Malcolm came in to her life as a beacon of hope. A Ray of sunshine.

Three weeks after coming to Boston, she found out she was pregnant. She broke down in Alice’s arms, not knowing what to do with the news. The man who had shattered her, had left a part of him in her. Growing his child in her body was agonising. Every memory of them together kept her up all night. It was excruciatingly painful.... but it was all worth it. When she heard Malcolm’s cries, she cried with him. And when she held him for the first time and looked at him, first time in a while she felt like her stopped bleeding. She would finally get healed. Malcolm was the spitting image of his father, Steve Rogers who was unaware of his son's existence. Holding Malcolm for the first time in her arms, she promised to never look behind. She promised herself she’d stop waiting for Steve to come. She’d put everything behind her and live for her son. She’d  give him all the everything she could. Malcolm became the sole purpose of her life.

~*~

The sound of her laughter was echoing through the walls as she wriggled underneath him.

“Stoooooppppp... oh Steeeve, please....” Steve was tickling her mercilessly.

“No, first tell me what did you say? C'mon y/n/n... ya know I won’t stop.”

“How’d I tell ya if you won’t stooopppp... “   And he stopped immediately.

“C'mon...” he nuzzled his nose in the crook her neck inhaling in her scent.

“I lied to Peggy that we’ve... you know... slept together.” A tinge of pink spread on her cheek and Steve kissed her, a light feathery kiss.

“Why’d you lie?”

“Because I wanted her to get off my back. She’d been annoying me the whole time we were at the club, so I lied.” Steve laughed and looked down at her lovingly. He was still very much settled between her legs. Holding his weight on his arms.

“Stop laughing at me, Steve, you know how difficult it is for me to spend a second with Peggy. And I had to spend a weekend with her.”

She pouted, circling her arms around Steve’s neck and pulling him more closer. “Y/n/n, I- you know.....” she cut him off with a tender kiss on his lips.

“I want to do it.” She whispered shyly.

“On my eighteenth birthday, Steve, I want us to... I want you to make love to me.”  She had her face buried in Steve’s neck.

“Are you sure? You’re birthday is next week y/n/n. I want you to be completely sure before we ...”

“I am, Steve! I can’t be more sure about it. I love you.”

“I love you so so much y/n/n.” A sweet and sensual kiss became passionate and hungry in no time.

A pillow landed on Steve’s head brought them out into the real world. “Dinner's ready , Kids. Get your asses off the bed, hurry up.”

Sarah Rogers hollered over the hallway, she didn’t stay to witness her son making out with his girlfriend and her future daughter-in- law. She smiled at the thought of y/n and Steve getting married. She’d loved Y/n like her own child, even when Steve and Y/n were just best friends.

“You made chicken pot pie.” Y/n squealed in joy and sat down on one of the chair of the kitchen table. “Thankyou Sarah.” She said shyly and Sarah couldn’t help but gazed at her longer than usual. Y/n ‘s kissed swollen lips and flushed cheeks were giving away the prove of their previous activity. Not that Sarah mind. She was ecstatic to found out that finally Steve grew a pair and confessed his feelings to Y/n.

“Ma, that’s not fair. You always make y/n's favourite.” Steve came down after her like a lost puppy and took a chair beside her, intertwining his fingers with her.

“That’s your favourite too, Stevie. Remember, when she wasn’t here, you’d been asking me to make all her favourites.” Sarah laughed and Steve looked at Y/n sheepishly.

“In my defense, you been gone for two weeks and I was missing you terribly.” Steve said the latter part under his breath. Y/n gently squeezed his hand under the table.  

Once the dinner was over and Sarah went to her room, Steve and Y/n made their way to the patio. His hand was wrapped around her, she laid her head on his shoulder. They were sitting in a comfortable silence just basking in the warmth of each other.

“I missed you too, you know that right.” She whispered softly.

“Mmmhh, I was counting days for your return. How was the trip anyway?”

“How would it be? It was Peggy and my mom and their obnoxious circle of riches.”  She pressed herself more into him and Steve’s grip tightened around her arms.

“Mom was telling everybody there that I will be going either  to Harvard or Columbia.... I didn’t like the sound of it, Steve. I don’t want to go anywhere without you.” Her tone was little desperate towards the end.

“Y/n/n....” he was having difficulty finding right words.

“I can’t go to Harvard or Columbia, unless they offer me full bright scholarship. Only college is NYU which is offering me scholarship and I can’t miss that chance....”

“You got accepted in NYU?” she cut him off disappointedly.

“I was suppose to surprise you when you come back from the trip.”

“It doesn’t feel like a surprise, Steve. I didn’t even apply for NYU.”

Tears started filling up in her eyes as she stood up. A sudden cold hit her after breaking from Steve’s warm embrace.

“Hey, hey Y/n/n, you’ve still got time to apply for NYU, last few days left. And I knew you wanted to go to Columbia.....” Steve took a hold of her hand again and pulled her close to him.

“.... so I’ve applied there as well, still haven’t heard from them yet. I don’t want to go to college without you either, Y/n/n. I can’t even imagine it. You have no idea how I spent two weeks without you.”

Taking a step closer to her, he placed his forehead on hers.

“It was hard for me too Steve. I realised that I c-can't spend a day without you.” She cupped his cheeks as Steve softly brushed his lips against her. A light feathery touch of their lips on each other sent tingles and an urge for more. She captured his lips, her desire for him was as clear as the day in that kiss.

“Wana apply for NYU?” Steve asked once they pulled apart to breathe. A hint of smile on his lips.

“Yes!” she kissed him hard one more time. “Take me to your room, Rogers.”

“Yes ma'am.” Steve scooped her in his arms, connecting their lips again and bumping into any solid that came into their way to his bedroom.

~*~

Steve was dumping his clothes and few other essentials in the suitcase when he heard the main door open and closed. Keys were thrown at the wooden coffee table and click of heels indicated that Peggy had arrived. He sighed, crease between his eye brows deepened. He wanted to avoid her at all cost. Peggy came into his view and he indignantly shut his suitcase close. Dragging it to the door of the master bedroom he came face to face with his fiancé.

“You going somewhere?” Peggy asked. He could smell a man's perfume on her, one he had stopped using long long time ago.

“Boston. Work trip.” He couldn’t be more to the point.

“When you come back, we’re going to spend some time alone.”

Peggy took a step closer to him. “Just the two of us.” She stepped into his personal space. “It’s been a while we get some down time. I’m gonna take few days off and we’ll do a short vacation trip to Hampton.” She inhaled in his scent, brushing her lips against his perfect jawline. “You, me and the endless ocean.” She placed a kiss on the corner of his lips. Steve’s knuckles turned white in a fist.

Steve took a step back. “I don’t know if I’m free for another month Peggy.” He stepped back, grabbing his suitcase and left the room.

Peggy turned around, once again stopping him in his way. Her tone was aggravated when she said, “I met Joey couple a days ago, and he told me he saw you with someone at the bar.” Her sweet tone she was using moments ago was gone.

“What else Joey told you?” Steve said raising an eye brow.

“That you were fucking a random bitch in the dark corner of the VIP lounge.” Peggy’s perfectly contorted face was emotionless.

“So what?” Steve’s voice was challenging, and for a moment Peggy was speechless.

“Not everybody has to know what kind of a relationship we have, Steve.” She clenched her teeth.

“Relationship?” Steve scoffed.

“Yes! Whatever this is for us, I don’t care but for them, we’re engaged to be married and I’d like to keep it that way.” Peggy was clearly pissed.

“Them who, Peggy?” Steve spoke bitterly. “They don’t give a shit about who we fuck behind each other's back, cause that’s what they all are doing. You and I are no different. You’ve been screwing District Attorney’s assistant, what’s his name, Jason, for a month now.... how’d you think I know?” Peggy turned pale. She wasn’t clearly expecting this. “I think its about time we finally drop the act and break it off.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest.

“Are you out of your damn mind? We can-"

Steve cut her off quickly. “I’m so sick and tired of pretending Peggy. I don’t want to be associated with you or your mom in any way whatsoever.” He didn’t want to raise his voice but it did.

“I agreed to do this because it was beneficial for both of our careers. Your mother played me into this but I can’t do this anymore. It’d be better you call it off. Blame it all on me, I’d handle it but....”

“You still love her, Don't you?” Peggy whispered. “You’re doing this because of her.”

Steve shook his head in disappointment. “I haven’t seen her in four years Peggy. I don’t even know where she is.” Peggy could see it in his eyes.

Sadness.

He didn’t even bother to hide his emotions whenever Y/n’s name come up in their conversation. Peggy didn’t know if it was intentional, but she’d realised long ago that it was a huge mistake on her part to get Steve and Y/n separated. She wanted what they have but she never wanted it with Steve. She’d been engaged to Steve for almost three years now but couldn’t bring herself to feel attracted to him in a romantic way. Steve moved away from in front of her, towards the main entrance of their apartment.

“I never stopped loving her.” Steve whispered, loud enough for Peggy to hear and hurried out of the apartment. It was too much for him. He was hurting way too bad today. Maybe because it was Y/n’s birthday and he was just too tired. Burden of guilt and regret had weighed him down and it’d become too suffocated to breathe.

Boston would be a good escape from all the hustle bustle of New York, he thought to himself. Little did he know what had been waiting for him in Boston.

“Kate, please cancel my flight ticket, I’m going to drive to Boston.” Steve informed his assistant over the call.

“Okay Boss, you want me to inform Mr. Stark?”

“Nope.” He disconnected the call and dialled his mom's number. Sarah picked up on second ring.

“I was thinking about you, Stevie. How are you, sweetheart?” Sarah’s voice was filled with so much love and affection for his only son.

“I’m good, Ma. En route to Boston, filling up for Tony.”

“Are you okay, son?” Sarah asked a little concerned.

“I don’t know, Ma.” He gulped, trying to swallow back the tears that were formed in his eyes. “Wish I could tell you.”

“I’m right here, Stevie. You want to make a stop before you leave?”

“It’s alright, mom. I’m already on highway. I’ll call you when I’m there.”

“Mhmm... You’ll be good.”

“I miss her.” His vision blurred with trail of tears, he’d tried hard to control.

“I miss her so much.” He whispered but Sarah could easily hear him. She knew her son was hurting and she couldn’t do anything to ease that pain away.

“Oh honey... wish I could help you, Stevie.” She felt the burn in her throat.

“I deserve this, Ma. It’s alright. I’m gonna be okay.”  

“Steve, honey....”

“It’s okay, Ma. I’m good. Talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you too, sweetheart.” In almost four or five hours , Steve would arrive in Boston. He’d have to attend Pepper’s first Fall showcase. He didn’t have least bit of an interest in fashion show but it was a favour for Tony. He tried to take his mind off of her by mentally planning his stay in Boston. His phone started ringing, he smiled at the caller ID, it was his best friend, his brother, Bucky. Little did Steve know that Bucky was Wanda's fiance and at the moment babysitting his son Malcolm while Y/n was the soul behind Pepper's Fall showcase. They were celebrating and launching Wanda as the main designer.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers au #Steve rogers angst #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers smut

[artbyblastweave]

Drop your Lois Lane hot takes

(also if you're not a Superman fan, what would you recommend starting off with?)

So MAWS Lois Lane very pointedly has some significant character flaws, generally justified by her backstory and often the opposite side of the conventional "positive" Lois Qualities that she exhibits. Trust issues stemming from her canon-typical dysfunction with her father, upstream of her whole truth-to-power thing. Self-esteem issues and a sense of inadequacy, upstream of her tenacity and singleminded pursuit of her goals. Downstream from her self-esteem issues you've got a sensitivity to perceived betrayal or the idea that people are only pretending to value her. Self-assurance and confidence... that manifests as bouts of myopic thinking or lack of consideration for others. There's a level on which I like this more than S:TAS- she was fun in that, but the purpose there wasn't to give her any kind of arc. She's much more dynamic in this, she has a palpable crisis, and it all combines into a perfect cocktail demonstrating why she reacts so very, very badly to being out of the loop on Superman. In her position it's not insane to assume that Clark expressed interest in her just to jerk her around and sabotage her investigation more thoroughly. But in practice... I (and those watching with me, who joined me in screaming at the TV a bunch during the last couple episodes) felt that the narrative was both-sidesing the dynamic a bit uncomfortably, because Clark has very good reason to not trust Lois specifically with sensitive information. Their first interaction involved her manipulating him for the sake of advancing her career. She's been screaming from the rooftops that she dislikes Superman, wants to expose Superman's secrets, and he was on the verge of coming clean with her before that came up. She functionally threatens to kill herself to force him to out himself, right after he got back from the government (and very likely her father specifically!) trying to assassinate him. Very little of this was coherently voiced when they're having it out, and as a result it felt like the narrative was much more sympathetic to Lois's stance than Clarks, treating his concealing the information as the root of the problem here. And when Jimmy brings up that he's known for years but understood that it was probably a deeply personal situation that Clark would bring up when he was comfortable- that's not a catalyst for introspection about whether Lois is entitled to the information, it isn't used as the point to push the idea that both parties have valid motivations here. It's mostly just the catalyst for another gag where now Jimmy is upset that Clark told Lois first (without. You know. the context.) I walked away thinking that Clark doesn't have a disproportionate amount to apologize for in this situation. Not nothing, but not the brunt. The reconciliation arc really breezed past the fact that she threw herself off a building to force the issue. Any relationship where throwing yourself off a building is a tool in the toolbox seems like it might be on shaky ground, communicatively!

The thing is, well, honestly there's a few things. I'm willing to accept off the bat that I might be lily-orcharding a perfectly unobjectionable creative decision to some extent, because by default I'm really biased in favor of anyone trying to keep deeply compromising information about their identities away from their loved ones for fear of their negative reaction, and that's coloring the intensity of my negative response. Another thing is that I think the show is kind of a victim of the megashort season runs of contemporary cartoons- I mean we'll be lucky if we get 30 episodes of this show total, every arc is gonna be at least somewhat pinched when you get 10 episodes and change per season. And a third, final thing is that the season isn't over yet, and they've left themselves with a great springboard from which to address my misgivings.

Clark leans into the idea that he's the one at fault, begs forgiveness, and so on, but that's actually in character for this version; given that one of his biggest drives is to be accepted, it makes sense that he'd do whatever he thought he had to get things smoothed out as quickly as possible, even if there's still a lot going unaddressed below the surface. And Episode 7 (6?) is basically entirely about how Lois's character flaws, scaled up and appended to power, can turn out really really bad. Kryptonite is introduced in this continuity by a bunch of alternate-universe Lois Lanes who try to kill Superman without giving him the benefit of the doubt- all while never expressly communicating to anyone that the root of their concern is how badly things went with their own Supermen. Lois meets an army of herself and immediately, correctly assumes that they aren't on the up-and-up, that they're holding something back. And the episode ends with her in possession of both a Superman-killing tool and information engineered to set off her well-established paranoid tendencies about Clark.

So if the show is being smart- and there's a very good chance that it is- the next leg is going to be about how for a superhero, just being open about your secret identity to your loved ones isn't necessarily going to be enough to defuse the underlying tensions and failures to communicate; the fact that they really speed-ran the reconciliation is going to turn out to be deliberate, a bandaid fix on the deeper problem, and a much worse reckoning is in the pipes once it becomes obvious that Task Force X is headed by her estranged father. (Which seems like the twist they're going for with that- they've never said the general's name out loud, so I think they're going for a fakeout where we all assume it's Wade Eiling but it turns out to actually be Sam Lane.) However. I've definitely watched a bunch of shows where I kept going "If the show is smart," "If the show is smart," and then the show wasn't smart, and it just turned out that the writers themselves hadn't chewed on the implications of what they were depicting as much as I had. I've got high hopes, though.

(tagging @st-just, @best-wizard, and @howlingguardian, who all also asked for the elaboration.)

#thoughts #meta #asks #please please please do not do discourse in the notes of this one #Normally I stop just short of having “depiction is not endorsement” tatooed on my forehead #but this one specifically got under my skin

[iammistressofmyfate]

My Bodyguard AU for Pynch sort of turned into an original piece...the characterizations were becoming too different that I was like "I can just make them something original"

But I've been toying with a Boxer!Ronan AU that's more Lynch brother centric with some Pynch and Jordeclan tossed in. I just really like writing sports AUs apparently

More about Boxer!Ronan below! CW // discussion of substance abuse and death

Ronan was a successful amateur boxer with his eyes on the Olympics

Declan is his trainer

They have a falling out when their father dies of a drug overdose. Declan grew up seeing his father's substance use where Ronan and Matthew only really knew a sober Niall. Everyone has a lot of big feelings.

Ronan fires Declan and Declan lets him.

Ronan ends up getting injured, which is just fuel on the fire. His dad is gone (so is his mom, several years earlier), he is no longer speaking to his brother, and his hopes and dreams of an Olympic medal are gone

Ronan spirals but with the help of his friends and manager, he's able to right his ship. He's sober, working as an instructor at the woodshop at the local college in their art program and does boxing lessons on the side at Calla's gym. He works with other amateur boxers and does free classes with troubled teens

Ronan meets Adam while in the ER after getting clocked in the face by one of his students who moved too soon. He needs stitches. Adam is the doctor on call. He stitches Ronan up and Ronan fell in love with him the moment he walked into the exam room. Ronan keeps showing up to the ER after his stitches are removed because he wants to see Adam and Adam eventually confronts him. Ronan says he'll leave Adam alone if he goes out with him on one date. Adam says yes (because Ronan IS hot and works with troubled teens so he must have SOME redeemable qualities and isn't always insufferable) They go on a date and hit it off and are engaged in "present day"

Meanwhile, Declan married Jordan and they have two kids. He works as an art dealer. Matthew is the bridge between his brothers and has been trying to get them to reconcile for years. All of the Lynches have been in therapy (because this is fanfic and because I say so)

Adam has noticed how much Ronan seems to miss boxing. During Adam's night shifts he comes home to an empty house on several occasions and finds Ronan at the gym, boxing. They talk about Ronan trying to get back into the amateur circuit and making another go at the Olympics.

Ronan mulls this over. Talks to Calla and his old manager. They think he could pull it off. If not a medal, at least qualifying. Ronan calls Declan. They have an awkward conversation but agree to meet up. They get lunch, catch up, and Declan says he'll think about it.

Declan thinks about it. Jordan encourages him. She knows how much he enjoyed coaching Ronan, how much it meant for both brothers to be that close. Declan agrees to coach Ronan.

>Insert various training montages and boxing matches here<

Ronan qualifies for the Elite team and goes to the Pan Am Games. He wins silver in his weight class, which means he has a ticket to the Olympics. Cue lots of crying and hugging and celebrating. His comeback story is picked up and followed. He does some interviews. This was obviously more than just boxing. This was Ronan and Declan making amends.

Ronan works his way through the prelims to the semifinals, to the quarterfinals, he's in the last bracket for a podium spot. Does he medal...? He'll get at LEAST bronze...

Anyway, as much as I love writing Pynch, I do love a good reconciliation story between the Lynch brothers.

#adam parrish #ronan lynch #declan lynch #matthew lynch #jordan #pynch #jordeclan #boxer!ronan #doctor!adam #art broker!declan #artist!jordan #the raven cycle #the dreamer trilogy #trc #tdt #fic ideas #pynch ideas

[chaoticsoulsword]

I didn’t know how to capture this moment except in a gif (or maybe in a video but the quality and size would still be wonky) so my apologies in advance.

But I’m DESPERATE to talk about it.

This is the moment when both the leaders gather EVERYONE in the square to apologize and share BIG NEWS. Maxie begins with the first part, taking full responsability (even though it wasn’t even their faults this time around) and also encouraging both teams’ admins to do the same (to which Archies also complies - and that’s very daddy-ish of both leaders). Next, Maxie explains that they were humbled by the experience of losing control over Groundon and Kyogre and that there’s no point in fighting over land x water.

But then!! THIS IS THE MOMENT!! This is the moment Maxie stares at Archies and allows him to finish his reasoning. This is the moment of their understanding, their ACTUAL RECONCILIATION!! Archie follows the queue and then reveals that Team Magma and Team Aqua called a truce.

The way Maxie and Archie SHARE the news is just so important. Maxie just stares at Archie as if he were saying “go on, tell them we’re no longer fighting”. And Archie KNOWS and he’s HAPPY about it. Archie’s expression is not of someone displeased (he does have those kinds of animations in the game). But here, he’s happy. He’s happy to deliver the news that the teams finally achieved some kind of peace. AND ON TOP OF THAT, Maxie adds that they’ll help rebuild Pasio (which is basically a very common prompt in Hardenshipping fics post legendaries, mine included lol).

So yup, they pretty much left their differences behind, as they just merely teased they would in ORAS. BUT FINALLY, FINALLY they acknowledge it. Because, in the beginning of this chapter, they both confess to their admins, respectively, that they’re not interested in fighting their rivals. But they don’t know they have similar feelings. They don’t know YET.

However, Looker probably mediated them. Besides, they’ve never attacked each other, it was an accident. And it’s true they blamed one another at first, but as soon as they realized they were wrong, they were mature enough to move past it, which proves that, in fact, they’re also mature to acknowledge the feelings they have for each other.

Not wanting to battle, joining forces, fighting to save the world, those are things that brought them together, and to some degree, they seem very comfortable and happy about it.

Because truth be told, they never wanted to be rivals. They were part of the same organization, they’ve shared the same ideals at some point before developing opposing goals, blinded by their violent and extreme methods.

The amount of growth in this single gesture of Maxie staring at Archie so he could conclude the reasoning and share the news is BONKERS. They’re genuinely getting along again, and Maxie revealing that they only fight because that’s how he acknowledges Archie’s feelings is just... This is HUGE.

IT’S POETIC CINEMA.

I’m speechless at the depth of this storytelling. They didn’t have go to this hard for a ship but they did it anyways.

Maxie and Archie at this point of the game are not even villains anymore. They made their divorce about everyone else and now they’re making their reconciliation about the world they want to build together.

I’m at my limit and I’m an unhealthy amount of not normal about them.

#hardenshipping #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #pokemas #pokemon masters ex #pokemon masters ex spoilers #hoenn villain arc pt 2 #hoenn villain arc #hoenn villain arc spoilers #pokemas spoilers #oras #i'm a bit bitter that zinnia and steven stole the spotlight but also i'm pleased #they're never allowed to be heroes because they need the protagonists to shine #so they're always left behind in every plot but at least we got reconciliation #so all is forgiven