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#I truly believe that that would solve most world problems
liam-summers · 8 months
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Soulmates + their one (1) shared brain cell fighting for its life while under a spell
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veganineden · 9 months
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On the Evolution of “Happily Ever After” and Why “Nothing Lasts Forever”
A reflection inspired by Good Omens 2
One of my favorite Tumblr posts on the second season of Good Omens 2 was actually not about the series at all, but our reaction to it, primarily the ending. @zehwulf wrote, “I think a lot of us—myself included—got a little too comfortable with assuming [Aziraphale and Crowley would] work on their issues right away post-Armageddon.” We did the work for them through meta, fanfiction, fanart, and building a plethora of headcanons. Who among us AO3-surfing fans didn’t read and love Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm?
In the 4 long years since season one was released, we did more than seek to understand and repair rifts between two fictional beings: we were forced to reckon with ourselves too. We faced a global pandemic, suffered traumatizing losses and isolation, and were forced to really and truly look into the face of our atrocities-ridden and capitalistic world. The mainstream rise of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice work, and our participation in this work, showed us that the systems in place were built to oppress and harm most of us, and they are. 
So, what does this have to do with the evolution of “happily ever after”? 
My friend put it best in a conversation we had following the season finale, when she pointed out a shift in media focus. The “happy end” in old stories about wars and kingdoms used to be “we killed the evil old king and put a noble young king in his place and now citizens can live in peace” and we’re transitioning into a period of “we tore down the whole fucking monarchy.” 
If we look at season one, written to follow the beats of a love story, it comforted us by offering a pretty traditional happy ending pattern: you get your fancy dinner with your special someone, the romantic music plays, and you have a place to call your own. Season one’s finale provided a temporary freedom for Aziraphale and Crowley, the “breathing room,” but it didn't solve the problem that was Heaven and Hell, or the agendas belonging to those systems of oppression. 
Is it good enough to keep our heads down, pretend the bad stuff isn’t happening, and live our own personal happy endings until we die? Moral quandaries aside, if you don't die (or if you care about the generations after you), then, like Aziraphale said, it “can’t last forever.” There’s a clear unpleasant end to the “happily ever after” that’s based on ignoring our problems– it’s the destruction of our relationships, and humanity. 
Ineffable Bureaucracy can go off into the stars because they do not care about humanity. 
You know who does?
Aziraphale. 
And Aziraphale knows that Crowley cares about humanity too. (He knows because Crowley was the one who proposed sabotaging Armageddon in the first place, who only invited him to the stars when he thought all was lost, because Crowley would save humanity if he thought it was possible, and Aziraphale knows Crowley has survived losing Everything before, and he will do all in his power so that Crowley does not need to experience that again.) 
In season one and two, we see how much they care about humanity, beyond their orders, to the point The Systems begin to frown at them. Aziraphale hears Crowley’s offer to run away together in the final episode of season two, to leave Earth behind, and just like the first time that offer was made in season one, he declines. He knows choosing only “us” is not a choice either of them can live with for the rest of eternity.
I believe season 3 will provide an opportunity to “dismantle the system,” but I don’t know how it will play out. I worry that Aziraphale has put himself in the now-dead trope of the “young noble king.” (I wish Crowley had told him why Gabriel was dismissed from his duties.) I worry that he would martyr himself as a sole agent for change. I worry that he doesn’t actually know how to dismantle anything by himself: because you can’t. He needs Crowley. He DOES. He needs Crowley, and Muriel, and other angels and demons and humans without fixed mindsets to help him. Only by learning to listen and making room at the table for all can they (and we) move past personal satisfaction to collective liberation. 
Crowley was right when he said that Aziraphale had discovered his “civic obligations.”
So, I think we will get our modern-day happy ending– and it’s going to involve a lot of pain and discomfort, communication, healing and teamwork– and in the end, it’ll all be okay. There will be a time for rest and a time for “us.” 
And most likely a cottage. 
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
 - Maya Angelou
Support the SAG-AFTRA strike and other unions. Trust @neil-gaiman. Register to vote if you haven’t yet. Hold yourself and others accountable with compassion. Read books. Keep doing the work. Rest. Then watch Good Omens 2 again.  
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I agree that this fight is an amazing, incredible parallel to the Bad Kids’ first fight against the Corn Cuties because it really shows how much the players have grown mechanically, mentally and even just the difference between level one and now
But I feel like even more than that you can see how much the Bad Kids have changed in the conclusion of the fight. At the end of the corn cuties fight, the Bad Kids immediately and desperately sought out help to get their friends revived, they rely on someone else. They witnessed something horrific and were deeply rattled and out of their depth, and immediately trusted that someone would help them fix it.
But when Buddy was killed, there was only a moment of shock before the Bad Kids accepted that this was their problem to solve again. These are kids who have been framed by the police, disregarded or targeted by school staff, gotten people murdered by association with them. When the proctor ended the exam he expected to have to console some horrified students that their friend would be revived and they would be safe. Instead he looked into their faces and saw exhausted acceptance. A group of kids who just displayed power and intelligence and prowess far beyond their years all turn to him, the most immediate adult and authority in the room, and say “Oh, no, we’ll be okay, we’re worried about YOU”.
And the proctor doesn’t understand, not completely. He doesn’t understand that this is the response of a group of children weighed down by the responsibility of the whole world on their shoulders. A group of children who have never really had a full break, always having to chase after another lead or a new angle to solve their world-ending problems. A group of teens who have seen, heard and witnessed amazing and terrible things but can’t bring themselves to trust anyone but each other to bear the burden of knowing, lest they get another innocent bystander killed as punishment. A group of students who trudge from battle into battle into battle, the excitement of success long gone as they’ve grown used to having even more fighting on the horizon.
These kids- children really- should be full of anxious energy- excitement at their success, worry for their friend, fear for themselves, quick to turn to someone older and say “Please, help us”.
Instead they act like soldiers. Years of experience tell them that the battle is never truly over. That they can trust no one to believe them. That only they are responsible to bear the burden and save the day again and again.
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reverieaa · 1 year
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The self, fufilled.
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It might have taken me a while, but as I promised in my last poll, I will deliver what you all were most interested in hearing, my explanation of the self fufilled. Consider this a pt.2 of "a change of clothes".
Yes, I say the self fufilled. I thought this play of words is not only interesting to do but would bring light to a new perspective that may help you come to your own understanding.
Many don't sit to really understand what " no other cause to your thoughts other than you" really means to them, we know, but we don't understand.
How do I stop my doubtful thoughts? How do I manifest quickly? how do I feel my wish fufilled? How do I change my state? How do I feel free? How do I stop punishing myself?
Well for the last one, you can start by putting an end to all previous questions, searching with the intention of finding an outside answer.
The opposite of love is hate, as the opposite of to hurt is to heal.
And the opposite of attention is indifference. As Edward art himself said that indifference is truly the answer to all your doubts.
I don't want you to go through your day and force yourself to imagine, affirm, and re-read every post you've ever read again and again until it finally clicks, I don't want you to fight every thought and scold your mind for "going out of place" either.
All that I want you to do is all that is required for you to do, change the inner. We truly are fortunate when I tell you this good news because change is all we do, all we've ever done.
I'll tell you honestly, not to give you hope and neither to shatter it or delude you when I tell you that majority of your problems that sound so complicated as the universe itself, could be solved just through self identification and a rearrangement of the mind.
I don't say this to give comforting lies, false hope, and support because I don't want people with hopes and dreams in tough situations to feel bad and be a moral person, but because the truth is far more comforting than any of it.
I won't tell you to "keep going" when you feel like nothing is working and breaking down. If you feel the need to change something, then change should happen, and it shall as your word is logic to your world.
I want you to understand that you're not meant to fufill the thing itself, but yourself instead. It's not about your desired face, it's about you, it's not about your ideal relationship and sp, it's about you, it's not about imagining the perfect life, it's about you.
It's not about using yourself to fulfill the scenario/desire. It's about it fulfilling and changing YOU.
Right now, you have a bed, you are not imagining that you do, you're not checking to see if you have a bed, you probably didn't even look to see if you have one, it is a CLAIM within yourself. With the same conviction, you use it for your desires. Take this example with things you have in your life.
I don't think people realize that the whole reason why trying changing the outer reality does not work because there is no outer reality to begin with, I mean that literally.
It is crucial to understand when you imagine that you are not creating the desire or a new reality, but you can only conceptualize that version of you to begin with because it already exists.
Let the ego mind go, let the need for outer change go, both its worries and time-frame of your life so far and just sit there with what I'm trying to say when I tell you to feel the wish fulfilled. It is a CLAIM, not a process, a change of identification.
Once you identify yourself with who you actually are, the awareness/ pure consciousness and believe that you is all there is , you won't want to "manifest a df" just to decorate the outer man, but you'll want to manifest it bc it genuinely makes u happy for yourself, same for every manifestation.
It all comes down to a satisfying claim, a claim of your observation that you see as TRUTH and are currently seeing in your mind.
For those who are wondering what knowingness I'm talking abt, it's the same knowingness when someone asks your name, you know you are (name), you know you're (nr) years old.
And so the same way you know your name, you know you have your desired body, the same way you know how old you are, you know you have your dream car.
We identify as body and outer when the outer world itself is WITHIN us, you are the answer to everything as everything has it's root to you, and at the same, everything cam only live through ypir awareness, nothing greater and nothing to "get".
If i view myself as pure consciousness, then I do not care for the 5 senses to show me anything because I don't view myself as just body, and this doesn't mean you can't deal with things in the 3D, because working in the 3D and identifying with it are different things. Therefore, don't feel the need to commit all your 5 senses to your imaginal act.
This isn't a for you to tell yourself: " ok, I have to know I am pure consciousness/ the creator and work with it from there" this post is telling you that you ALREADY are it, skip emotions here, we have established that you are it right now and youvare becoming aware that you are in imagination.
All we do in life is make claims within ourselves about things we are aware of having in the mind. Say you have a red car, and you think about it in your head, you know it's yours, you don't need to check your own drivers license, you know you have a certain hair color, it is a aware claim, you aren't trying to get it, there is no rush to do so, you are at ease knowing it IS so and are just observing your life through that state on consciousness.
And since you are consciousness, and you can get/be anything you want just by being aware that you are it, what is it that you can't do or be in this world? You can't be satisfied going after the "object" itself bc the only way we can enjoy things in this world is through the awareness that we have it, it has no life of its own outaide your own consciousness.
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wlntrsldler · 4 months
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now i see daylight | part i: don't you
song: don't you by taylor swift
series description: set after lust conquers all, jamie returns to richmond and takes accountability for treating you like shit.
warnings: language-- it's ted laso, what did ya expect?; mention of jamie's dad, misogyny, bff!sam, sad!jamie
pairing: jamie tartt x f! reader
word count: 2276 words
series masterlist | main masterlist
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Working for AFC Richmond meant that strange things happened every day. Sometimes, you'd walk out on the pitch to find the team wheelbarrow racing, while the coaches stood and critiqued their techniques. Or sometimes you'd hear them passionately sing 'Baby' by Justin Bieber in the locker rooms before hearing absolute silence when Ludacris' rap came on. Then, you'd only hear Colin perfectly rapping on beat, and when Justin's voice came back, a roar of cheers for Colin's rapping skills followed. 
Needless to say, there were so many strange things that happen at AFC Richmond that when a day is seemingly normal, that became the new version of strange. 
But the strangest thing that has ever happened at AFC Richmond was when you walked into the locker room to find Jamie fucking Tartt smack-dab in the middle of the room, a million apologies on the tip of his tongue, as the rest of the team shouted all his wrongdoings at him. 
Jamie Tartt is many things. 
For one, he is a mama's boy. He loves Georgie beyond comprehension. He truly believes that the world's largest problems could be solved if people just hugged their mothers more often. His proof? All his problems vanish when he gets a hug from Georgie. Well, maybe not vanish, but they significantly decrease in urgency. 
Two, he is a good football player. Scratch that, he knows that with the proper training and discipline, he’ll be regarded as one of the most legendary players to ever grace the Premier League. He has the potential to be great. 
Three, he is a prick– a goddamn gigantic prick. This was something that he gladly accepted. He didn't come to Richmond to make friends. He came to Richmond to play some fucking football. He was fine being known as a top-notch, proper, prick. 
This was true until he walked into the Richmond locker room and, hand to god, felt physical daggers being drilled into his entire body. 
Jamie knew that coming back to Richmond would ruffle some feathers. Truthfully, if he was in their position, he didn't think he would've been able to walk through the front door without getting ripped to shreds. He walked towards his cubby, head hanging low, not wanting to stoke the flame. He could feel everyone's gaze on him. The locker room was dead silent until Isaac's voice echoed against the walls.
"Oi, Tartt," he yelled, "You have a lot of fucking nerve showing your face here again, bruv." 
That started it. Before Jamie could even respond to Isaac, a million other things came barreling at him from different members of the team. 
"You called me a jaundiced worm!" 
"You hit on my mum, in front of my dad!"
"You cupped a fart and put it in my face!" 
“I don’t know you, but I don’t like you!”
Then, the room fell silent. You walked in. Jamie stared at you, eyes pleading for you to spare him a smile like you used to. He twiddled his thumbs together, his tell of anxiety and doubt. 
Ted blinked, finally stepping in after a few beats, "Alright, fellas, that's enough. I know emotions are runnin’ high, but we're going to have to find a way to work together. As a team– because that's what we are, a team. Alright?" 
Murmurs of agreement, disgruntled agreements but agreements nonetheless, rang around the room. Ted patted Jamie on the back before motioning the coaches to follow him into the office. You watched them walk in and shut the door, unable to do anything but stand frozen in your spot, staring at Jamie.
"Are you alright?" Sam's concerned voice snapped you out of your trance. 
"What the fuck is he doing here? Thought he hated this club.” You mumbled, rubbing your temples with the pads of your fingertips. Jamie hated the way that you were talking about him like he wasn’t there. Like he wasn’t in front of you, looking you in the eye. “His words.”
"Yeah," Sam replied, venom dripping from his lips. "His words." 
"I guess you can never take Jamie Tartt's words at face value," you spat, bidding goodbye to Sam before walking away, leaving Jamie dumbstruck and alone in the locker room where everyone hated him.
Jamie knew that getting the team to accept him coming back to Richmond was going to take some time and a lot of effort. They all hated him– rightfully so. He’s fucked up. A lot. He was a prick to them when he was first loaned to Richmond. He said some nasty things about Ted to the media. And they absolutely had the right to tell him to fuck all the way off when he came back to Richmond after being the reason they were relegated. They could’ve told him that he should go descend into the shit hole he came out of and that every bad thing that was happening in his career was his fault. They could’ve let him become a “has-been” before he even reached his prime after he fucked his football career up by joining that stupid reality show. 
But he knew he’d somehow win them over, eventually. Getting you to forgive him, though, was another story. The way your face morphed into a scowl, one that he’d only seen you use once and that was when Rupert showed up at Nelson Road unexpectedly, and aimed those words at him gave him the shivers. You don’t look at people like that. 
You never looked at him like that.
It’s been weeks. Jamie has tried everything short of getting on his hands and knees and begging you to talk to him. He hasn’t even gotten the chance to apologize because you leave the room whenever he’s around. You walk away whenever he tries to talk to you. He’s even tried to get the team to help him. 
Sam, who slowly opened up to him after Jamie proved that he could be trusted, tried to convince you to give Jamie a chance, which led you to ice Sam out for three days. Sam, who couldn’t go more than a few days without you, his best friend, apologized to Jamie and said there was nothing he could do. Jamie knew that if not even your best friend could convince you to talk to him, there was nobody in the club who could persuade you. He didn’t know what else to do, it seemed impossible. He didn’t want to give up, but it looked like the situation called for it.
Jamie’s eyes widened when he saw you walking toward the locker room by yourself. He quickly twisted the cap on his water bottle before jogging over to you. He called out, “Y/N! Wait up!”
You could pick out that accent from anywhere. You let out a sigh and did a complete 180 on your heels, walking back toward your office. The team PR opportunity can wait. You began to speed up as you heard him coming closer, but you should’ve known better than to try to outrun a professional footballer. 
Jamie ran in front of you, blocking your path. You had no choice but to entertain his attempts this time. He smiled when he realized you weren’t making a move to escape him, but it quickly faded when that scowl overtook your features once more. His shoulders dropped, “Just wanted to say that I’m gonna stop tryin’ to talk to ya after this.” 
You blinked in shock, eyes widening as you digested his words. Protectively, you held the binder closer to your chest, in case this was just a ploy. You stepped back, trying to make sense of the situation. After weeks of trying to talk to you, he’s going to give up just like that? Well, maybe it wasn’t just like that– you did avoid him like the plague. 
He continued to speak when you didn’t make a sound, “Right, figured you weren’t gonna say ‘nything. Well, yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I get it. It took me a while to hear ya, but I’ve been talking to Doc Sharon and she said I need to start thinkin’ about what the people I care about need instead of always thinkin’ of myself.” 
Your eyes nearly bulged out of your head. Jamie chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, “Yeah, ‘m trying to take accountability for my actions in the past and that includes how I treated ya. And how I been treatin’ you since I’ve been back. I keep thinkin’ about how much I miss ya and how badly I want a second chance with you, even though I don’t deserve it.” 
“You don’t,” you replied, lips in a tight line. 
“Exactly,” Jamie wanted to smile even though your words weren’t anything to smile about. You basically confirmed that he had no chance with you, but he couldn’t even focus on that because you spoke to him. You actually said something to him. He bit the corner of his bottom lip before he continued, “So yeah, I realized that you just want me to leave ya alone and I respect that. I promise to only bother ya for brand deals and PR marketing shit. I’m sorry if I pissed you off these last few weeks. This is the last time. I-I just wanted to let you know.” 
You kept your lips sealed, trying to control the emotions on your face. It seemed that you succeeded as Jamie simply nodded and walked away, but not before sending you a friendly smile and a wave of his hand. 
“What the fuck?” you whispered, suddenly feeling very hot. At first you really did want to ignore Jamie, give him a taste of his own medicine. After all, that’s exactly what he did with you after Man City took him back. Once he was back in Manchester, your texts were going unanswered, phone calls gone straight to voicemail, and any shred of a relationship that the both of you shared vanished. 
Before he left Richmond, you and Jamie spent a lot of time together– maybe too much time. Last season, you were a sports journalist turned photographer because the magazine your worked for were misogynistic fucks who thought sports articles written by women would never garner as much attention as those written by men. As much as you hated it, you needed money, so when they offered you a job as a photographer, you took it begrudgingly. 
Jamie, being the self-centered prick that he was last season, spent a lot of time around you, hoping that you’d take more photos of him to post online. He pulled strings to let you into their private practices so you could get action shots of him and a few posed ones, though he’d never admit it. Somehow, those “candid” photos are the only ones he’d post on his socials. 
Eventually, you became a regular addition to his life. He spent time with you outside of football and you found yourself seeing Jamie off the pitch in restaurants, bars, parties, basically anywhere a famous footballer might hang out. Your relationship blossomed into something else. Soon you were a regular at his apartment, which you thoroughly re-decorated because when you first got there it looked exactly like what you would expect a young, hot, single millionaire footballer’s apartment to look like. 
He complained at first, saying that you were ruining his top-notch bachelor pad, but you once saw him snuggling into the throw blanket you bought for him on his couch after watching one too many episodes of The Office. Some nights, you’d sleep over because you were too tired to drive and Jamie would insist that you can stay in the guest bedroom. You’d reluctantly agree. Those nights, the both of you would stay up talking about anything and everything. 
He told you about his dad on the fifth night. You told him about your asshole of a boss on the seventh. He told you about how he was scared to get comfortable at Richmond because everyone in his life that he’s ever cared about, barring Georgie, disappointed him somehow on the tenth. You told him that you might be falling in love with him that same night. 
The next, you found out he was going back to Man City and you never spoke to him again. 
Until today. 
You spent those months hating him. And Jamie made it so easy to hate him. That was the thing about Jamie, he played the part too well. You watched in disgust as he bad-mouthed Ted and the team. You watched as he showboated during the game highlights on the recap shows. You watched as he scored the goal that caused Richmond to get relegated. Those public displays of why he deserved to be hated just added fuel to the fire of why you personally hated Jamie Tartt. But now, you found yourself searching for that Jamie because he was nowhere to be found and your feelings for him were creeping back in. 
“Did Jamie just apologize to you?” Keeley asked, emerging from behind the wall. “Sorry, I was eavesdroppin’, babe.” 
“No, it’s okay, Keels,” you said, looking at her. Your face was flushed, “Yeah, he did. Crazy, innit?” 
“I dunno, Y/N,” she replied, thinking about how she was going to phrase her next few words. “It seems like he’s changed. Seems like he really wants to make amends.” 
“Cheers to him,” you rolled your eyes, beginning to walk toward the locker room once more. “The day I give Jamie Tartt another chance is the day the world ends.” 
--
part ii: treacherous
part iii: daylight
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eowyntheavenger · 2 months
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Hi! I saw your post on telling Americans to vote, and I was wondering what you think of posts from people from other parts of the world who are calling Americans evil for voting for Biden because of his support for Israel. I've seen a few already. They seem to be completely convinced that Americans deliberately voted for Biden specifically to side against Palestine and no other reason, and spread the general (pretty ignorant and hateful) message of "Americans are evil because of the actions of their government and because they collectively refuse to vote for a president who is good and not simply 'the lesser of two evils'". It frustrates me because they seem to think they're experts on US politics, culture, and society and have all the answers, but it also makes me concerned because it reminds me of the whole Russian bot thing from last time. Like, I'm 99% sure the people reblogging these posts aren't Russian bots (don't know about the OPs though), and they unquestioningly believe this. What do you think of this and how would you go about addressing this issue? Do you think it's possible to get them to understand how little they actually know about the US and how they're actually promoting a message that makes things worse for everyone? I've also seen less scathing posts that are just disheartened and don't seem to believe the democrats are truly better to vote for than the republicans and so it's just two sides of the same coin. To be fair, I think that sort of feeling is only further encouraged because there didn't really seem to be much if any progress made with Biden, not even back to square one after Trump moved the country so far backwards. I think most Americans really wish the elections actually had good candidates and they could pick the best of two goods, but are frustrated and stuck with the current system and don't know how to actually get to the point where there are good candidates. (Though personally I think voting for the one who isn't actively trying to make themselves a king with unlimited terms is a decent start. I can understand the frustration though.)
Hi! Thanks for the ask. This stuff worries me too. I've gotten comments on my posts like that too, telling me/other Americans that we're evil for voting for Biden.
But I've seen a much larger number of comments and posts from people outside the United States BEGGING us to vote for Biden. I literally get tags like that on my posts EVERY DAY urging Americans to vote blue. So I think that's valuable context, even if it doesn't solve the problem of the "I hate everybody who votes for Biden" crowd.
And yes, it's definitely a shitty argument on their part to claim that people voting for Biden are specifically siding against Palestine. Literally every single person I know in real life and online who plans to vote for Biden has been criticizing and protesting his policies on Palestine.
In terms of convincing the anti-voters that they're wrong, honestly, I don't know. They don't listen to reason and they seem intent on spreading despair. Some of Biden's policies have been terrible (Willow oil-drilling project), some of them have been downright evil (military aid to Israel), but I'm a rational person and I know that Trump is worse in every respect.
I've tried debating them. It's been pointless every time. They genuinely don't know how the government works, which scares me. Common takes include: 1) a genuine lack of awareness of how pro-Israel Trump and the right wing are, combined with magical thinking that a virtually unknown third party candidate can win the presidential election, 2) truly impressive mental gymnastics blaming Biden for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and 3) continuing the mental gymnastics to blame Biden and the Democrats for anti-trans policies...
I guess my advice is to either ignore them and move on, or debunk things when you have time/energy? It's easier said than done, I know. There's nothing more annoying than someone being stupid on the internet, especially when they accuse you of stuff that just isn't true, and especially when they're spreading dangerous misinformation or voter-suppression rhetoric.
Like you, I'm highly suspicious of anyone who advocates AGAINST voting, or against voting blue. And I agree, many of these people are not bots, like you said, but I call them useful idiots, because they're doing the bots' work for them.
The one thing you said that I'm going to push back on is "there didn't really seem to be much if any progress made with Biden." Biden's actually made lots of progress on a variety of issues, and reversed some of Trump’s damage, it just doesn't get a lot of fanfare and it’s unfortunately happening at the same time as Republican gains in state legislatures and while they control the Supreme Court. But Biden and his administration have:
• invested billions in green architecture and clean energy, including making sure federal investments benefit low-income communities
• introduced new fines for companies' methane emissions
• introduced a plan to cut the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 (that includes the military, which is a huge emitter)
• passed a huge bill for improving the country's infrastructure, including bridges, roads, broadband and more
• introduced first-ever national strategy on gender equality and equity and pushed Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment
• fought for women's reproductive rights after the overturn of Roe v. Wade
• put more women, people of color, and women of color on the federal bench than any of his predecessors combined
• nominated Kentaji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court
• boosted funding to historically Black colleges
• ordered the DOJ to end the use of private prisons by the federal government
• pardoned thousands of people convicted on federal marijuana charges
• created a White House office of gun violence prevention
• passed the Respect for Marriage Act, guaranteeing federal rights and benefits for same-sex couples
• rolled out a series of actions to protect the rights and safety of the LGBTQ+ community, including protecting queer and trans foster youth, improving access to mental health services, and addressing the rise in hate crimes
• challenged discriminatory state bans against gender-affirming care and trans athletes
• called to support trans youth in State of the Union address and restored the White House tradition of recognizing Pride Month
• changed passport rules so that people can obtain a passport with no gender marker
• examined efforts by each federal agency to advance LGBTQ+ rights around the world
• reversed Trump's transgender military ban
• protected the rights of incarcerated trans people
• forgave billions in student debt, repeatedly, and introduced penalties for college programs that trap students in debt
• slashed bank overdraft fees
• expanded guaranteed overtime pay for millions of people
• made union-busting harder
• prevented discriminatory mortgage lending
• made efforts to expand the child tax credit, which could lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty
• cracked down on agriculture monopolies to support farmers and small businesses
• made it so the government is going to start taking drug companies' patents away if they don't make affordable drugs
• made over-the-counter birth control pills available for the first time
• lowered the cost of hearing aids and expanded access to them
• spent millions of dollars on students' mental health
• reversed discriminatory healthcare rules
• reinvigorated cancer research
• announced plans to replace all leaded pipes in the next ten years as well as combatting lead exposure abroad
• changed rules for how people can get aid after disasters so they can get more protection and immediate payments more easily
• introduced new data privacy rules protecting people from tech companies
• pushed the federal government to monitor AI risks
• maintained steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression
• maintained steadfast support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese intimidation
• strengthened ties with allies in Asia and the Pacific Islands
• pledged climate change assistance to low-lying Pacific Island countries
• literally IMMEDIATELY after being elected, Biden fortified DACA, rejoined the Paris Agreement, and ended Trump's discriminatory "Muslim ban", ended the Keystone XL Pipeline and fossil duel development in wildlife monuments, (same as last link) rejoined the WHO, strengthened COVID-19 response measures on a variety of fronts, re-included non-citizens in the U.S. census, and passed executives orders on racial equity in the federal government
And I'm sure there's more I left out.
There are also things Biden does that literally don’t make the news, but matter a lot, like funding the Postal Service, and continuing to have a State Department so we can conduct overseas diplomacy (Trump tried to defund the USPS and wants to purge the State Department and fill it with loyalists).
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luckybunny555 · 10 months
Text
.˚◦⟡ Outta The Clouds✦.·୭ ˚○◦˚.
While hanging out with Gwen, you notice a slight change in her mood, so you try to cheer her up. She ends up confessing her feelings for you
🕷 Gwen Stacy x Spider!Reader 🕷
a/n: I got this idea when I discovered this song(title) and it was just so cute I had to write it! Reader's gender neutral, this is just pure fluff. okay, I realized there's actually a bit of angst too I guess, but juuust a little bit.
Oh, and another note, english isn't my first language so I was a bit unsure about a few words and terms I used(like "stunt" and "splutter" and "peck"), so please lmk if there's anything incorrect or other words that would fit better! Thank you :)
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The sun was starting to hide behind the tall buildings of New York, turning the sky pink and lilac, and you and Gwen had been swinging through your city for a while now. She'd been helping you keep an eye out for any criminals or civilians who needed help, but mostly, she was just distracting you with her jokes and new "spider-stunts" she had learned. Not that you minded, though - neither of your spider-senses had warned you of any danger, so you had time to watch her and giggle at her little performances(clearly an attempt to catch your attention and impress you, but neither of you would admit it out loud). And to be honest, how could you mind it, when she was just so pretty and charming when showing off her new tricks, and how her experience as a dancer gave her a certain gracefulness, especially when she would land on some random roof? Safe to say, she had your attention all for herself.
Eventually, you two took a break, finding a nice spot on a tall building, sitting on the ledge to catch your breath and enjoy the view. Taking off your masks, you share a glace that makes both of you let out a chuckle. You return your attention to the setting sun, admiring its beauty. For a few moments, the two of you sit in silence, seeming peaceful and relaxed as you appreciated the scenery in front of you. Until you realize a slight change in Gwen's expression - head low, eyes focused on her hands, the corners of her lips almost curling down. You cross your legs, shifting slightly closer to her, your eyes sofly scanning her face.
"What's bothering you, pretty girl?" Your head tilts to the side as you offer her a gentle smile, earning from her a small chuckle. She looks at you for a moment, then turns her gaze back to her hands, fiddling with the fabric of her mask.
"Just... thinking about my dad," She responds quietly, letting out a sigh. You knew about what she was going through, and every time you were reminded of it, your heart would sink in your chest. Her words made you want to wrap your arms tightly around her and never let go, to protect her from everything else in the world, to create the most peaceful and safe world inside yourself just for her to live in. But instead, you simply placed your hand over hers, slowing down her nervous movements, making her turn her head to look at you.
You didn't really know what to do about it. If you could, you would solve all of her problems with a magic wand just so you could see her truly happy again. You'd do anything for her. But right now, the best you could do was cheer her up, get her mind off of her troubles and remind her that she was loved by many other people - but mostly, by you.
You reached for your phone, looking for a specific song from your playlist. "Y'know, I'm a firm believer that some songs offer more comfort than normal words can," You tell her, one hand still holding hers as the other holds your phone, your eyes fixed on it. When you find it, you put it on, turning up the volume and placing your phone in the small gap between you two, giving her a sweet, reassuring smile.
As the song starts, you start to sway your head and body to the rythm, the soft and uplifting energy taking over you. Occasionally, you'd sing along to some of the lyrics, either some "message" you wanted to emphasize, since you couldn't word them exactly yourself, or just some verse you had memorized. You took her hand, causing her to sway with you, earning a subtle chuckle from her as she shook her head, amused by your cheerful energy.
The way you smiled and sang along to the song got her stuck in a trance, unable to take her eyes off of you. It even brought a soft smile to her face. She was mesmerized by the way you moved so freely, and how careless and relaxed you seemed to be, even though she was watching. Truth is, sometimes your heart would skip a beat when you noticed her gaze on you, or you'd feel your cheeks heating up. But you tried to brush it off, because your goal was to lighten up her mood, and by the way her smile was growing wider, and how you'd occasionally hear a laugh from her, it seemed you were succeeding. So you kept swaying, occasionally using your intertwined hands as a fake microphone, looking at her while your singing mixed with giggles.
When the song ended, you exchanged a glance, causing you both to laugh. It warmed your heart to see her like that, genuine laughter escaping from her lips as she shut her eyes closed, shaking her head again. When both of you were able to quiet your laughter, your eyes met again, and time seemed to slow down as you observed how the golden light from the sunset illuminated her face. For a quick moment, that seemed to last longer than it did, you noticed the softness of her features, the color of her eyes, her freckles... You ended up forgetting that she was looking at you too.
"Can I tell you something?" She said, finally breaking the silence, snapping you out of your own trance. Her tone was soft and gentle, so you didn't notice the hesitance in her voice, and you couldn't tell how fast her heart was beating when she finally got the courage to speak. You nod, with your attention focused on her and not on the butterflies that seemed to appear in your stomach. "I feel like there's a sun inside my heart... whenever I'm with you."
Her words make your heart skip a beat, taken by surprise. You let out a nervous chuckle, averting her gaze for a moment as you try to soothe your own quick heartbeats, and failing at that. You bring one of your knees up, close to your chest, and rest your head on top of it, taking a deep breath as you look at her. "Does it feel like it's burning?" You joke, trying to cope with your nervousness. But you could feel your cheeks burning, and it wasn't from the warm sunlight that hit your skin.
She shakes her head, chuckling. "Feels more like a blanket," she tells you, and you could swear the way her eyes reflect the setting sun is the prettiest thing you've ever seen. "You make me comfortable," she adds, "and I find myself looking for any opportunity to spend time with you, because you're so bright and sweet, that I just want to..." she doesn't finish her sentence, letting out a sigh as she seems to think about her next words.
Your eyes are fixed on her, studying carefully her expression, and waiting expectantly for her to speak again. You could tell where this was going, and the sensation of butterflies kept growing, making you eager to hear what she would say next. The whole world seemed to fade away in this moment, the girl beside you seemed more interesting and beautiful than anything else.
"I want to be with you, like, all the time," she finally declared, chuckling nervously while turning her gaze to you, looking for your reaction as she tried to figure out what you were feeling or thinking. "I hope you get what I mean, I'm not really sure how to put this into words," she spluttered, unsure about your feelings for her.
"Mm-hm," you nod with a subtle smile, unable to form a coherent sentence with your heart pounding in your chest and your mind emptying with each second that you stare at her. Everything around you seemed to melt like ice-cream, and so did your heart.
She turns her head to face you, your eyes meeting again, and at this point, you can't ignore your butterflies anymore. With a bit of hesitancy, she slowly leans closer to you, moving her gaze from your eyes to your lips as she waited for a hint of your consent. When you finally leaned closer, mirroring her, she connected your lips and hers. She brought her hand to your cheek as she gave you another peck on your lips, gently holding your face. You weren't sure if this moment lasted forever or just a second, but you were simply glad for experiencing it.
The both of you slightly pull away, breaking the kiss with a soft smile on your faces, but you keep your eyes closed for a second longer. When your eyes meet again, you let out a giggle, appreciating the moment - and grateful for her confession. You shift your body closer to hers, laying your head on her shoulder to watch the almost hidden sun. You could still feel the warmth on your cheeks when she placed a gentle kiss on the top of your head before resting her head on yours, breaths slowing down and matching your rhythm.
Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. For now, it certainly was, because she could feel you right next to her, and that was enough to spark some hope in her heart.
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woneuntonzz · 2 months
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competitive academic rival!eunseok x overachiever, afab!reader
“ started with a spark,¹ now we're on fire.² ” ; (1/2)
warning/s: cussing, violent thoughts
content: songfic, enemies to lovers, academic rivals, fluff, incy-wincy bit of angst, very lovey-dovey i'm actually attached, mention of other idol names for world building !!
wc: 5.7k!!
⋆⭒°。⋆ i feel like we've made it pretty far, now we're stargazing ☄️ ; inspired by The Neighbourhood's Stargazing 🎶
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“Stupid algebra.”
Eunseok was never the type to grumble, but in this particular scenario, how could he not? 
You were getting too good at math, better than him even. You were assigned by your teacher to create two algebraic word problems by pair. You were most certainly not expecting to get paired with him.
Your school life could've been perfect if it all had remained as simple as it was, but he had to pop out of nowhere to ruin everything for you. You've been a straight A student ever since stepping foot on a school, unfortunately for you, so was he. 
A second year transfer from the pits of hell.
“Are you trying to say he's hot?”
“Ew, no. Why'd you even ask something that stupid.”
Your friend shrugs at you. “Cause hell is hot?”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” 
A stone-faced egomaniac, just as much as you were a people pleaser that strived off of sarcasm. 
If you thought he was jerk-of-the-year, he thought you're pathetic, and for that reason he paid you special attention. He saw you as this pretentious overachiever that got everyone's approval for a reason he could not understand, either way he refused to understand.
But now you had him caged, tied down, crawling in the dark because of a math problem that you created. It was humiliating for him, but even more so redeeming and amusing for you. 
“Is this a trick question? you sure you're not trying to make a fool out of me?” you scoffed at the frustration being hinted in his tone and his mouth moved fast, apparently not as fast as his brain should've been.
“Uh, yeah. I don't like wasting my time —just admit you can't solve it, geez.” the sound of his pencil hitting his desk followed right after you. “Are you mad at me?”
You looked at his face. Not an ounce of expression could be seen from it. This would be the pinnacle of your hatred, how he's just so good at hiding how annoyed he truly was that you could outsmart him, outperform him in oral recitations, that both teachers and students seemed to be so fond of you. 
You avert your gaze from him. “What an interesting story it would be, Y/n staring at me.”
Halfway from lowering your head to recheck your equations, your head would snap back at him. 
“Don't get too cocky now, the numbers and variables won't solve themselves.” you went back to your paper, expecting to hear not another breath from him.
“So you were staring?” 
You held yourself back from cursing right at his face, pulling on the ends of your skirt as you readjust your position. “No, I believe being a smartass would have granted you the ability to conclude that I simply just refuse to acknowledge your bold assumption.”
You heard him scoff. It was such an excruciating sound, like nails against a chalkboard. He wouldn't speak again for another ten minutes, and when he did, he had already snatched your notebook from you.
“Being respectful and asking isn't in your list of attributes?” you retort, but he remained unbothered, flicking through your notebook and dismissing your foreboding stare. 
You watched as his eyes scanned through your notes. 
“Hmm…” his menacing hum sent shivers down your spine. “No wonder why.” he scoffed again, throwing your notebook into your hands with forgiving force. 
He had a smug look on his face that you wanted to wipe off with such pressure that could erase his entire existence.
“You missed a step, miss know-it-all. Try harder next time.” 
Your notebook hit the top of his head, exerting all the strength you had left in you. The impact was so loud and potent that he could no longer speak —is what could've happened if you weren't so patient. You're not a child after all, so admitting to your mistakes came easier unlike then. These hostile thoughts would only arise because of how tenacious he could be. 
He was right, you missed a step and he saved your project. You would never be in the mood to be thankful, you still wished he could get one of his feet bitten off and not show up in class again. You doubt he was the same with everyone, well, sure, he kept displaying impassiveness towards everyone, but you'd prefer if he'd stay that way and not contest you in anything and everything. 
You wished your misery would end at that, but he'd go on about it everyday. It was definitely on purpose, purposely letting you answer first when both of you had your hands raised, and then answering after, giving a much more impactful stand and if it was a bad day, he'd go on to correct you one way or another and oppose your opinions. You've learned to wait for him to finish answering before you raised your own hand. He picked up on it quickly, you should've known, so he'd go all out when answering, not leaving a single detail out for anyone else, especially you.
Both of you were never certain just how much of an effect you had on each other, but it was there and very undeniably so. Your classmates could see it, your teachers were no exception —your teacher's and other school officials being the few he'd spare his enthusiasm. 
Nobody knew just how far the two of you would go, but it wouldn't take long until he'd finally pushed your buttons down in place. 
“With all due respect Ma'am, Mr. Song and I aren't even friends. I don't think it would make sense for us to copy off of each other's work.” a frown fell upon your face, bracing yourself for whatever Eunseok had to say after shaking his head.
“Ma'am, you must know by now that I would never even attempt such a thing… Miss Y/s/n however…” with slightly knitted brows, the grip of your clasped hands became tighter. “I mean, where's her fair share of well written essays anyways?”
Utter disbelief washed over you. You had a lot to say, a lot of daggers to throw at his chest. 
“Miss Y/s/n, got anything to say for yourself?” It took you about eight seconds to have enough courage to look your English teacher right in the eyes.
“I stand by what I said. I did not copy off of anyone.” 
At the end of the day, you'd walk out of the teachers' faculty room in tears. However, you'd never let anyone catch you in that state of vulnerability and you'd be out of their sight by the time you broke down.
“Y/n!” it was that stupid voice of his again, now it called for you. 
Wiping your tears away, you weakly seek for the cockiness that he'd proudly carry around you. But there was none —he had nothing on him that you could see through your watered eyes.
“Y/n, can we please talk?” the way he grabbed your wrist made your cringe, immediately pulling away before he could even get ahold of you.
“Oh, you wanna talk now? Why didn't you tell her? Why didn't you say that the essay you were holding was not yours?” you tried your best to hold your composure, but halfway into it, your voice cracked and your tears continued to flow.
“Yes, I knew it wasn't mine, but how would I know that it wasn't you who copied whoever wrote that—”
“Are you that fucking shallow? you've been making my life fucking miserable just cause I could do some things a little better than you —you had no reason to hate me —why do you hate me?”
Why did I hate you again? —he searched within the crevices of his mind, “Why wouldn't I when everyone else loves you—”
“Everyone? you know nothing, don't pretend you don't hear others spreading rumors about me.” —the thing is, he never heard them. 
He never cared about everyone else, in his world, he had only one nemesis —you, the only one he thought was worth his thoughts, and his precious time.
“I didn't copy, and whoever did that can—” you had to stop yourself from spewing out anything from your jumbled mind. “Get off my back, fuckface.”
He watched as your feet almost stumble on nothing as you rushed out of the school building. The paper he held whilst he humiliated you in front of your teacher was not his. He went back to the faculty room to ask his teacher why he was called in when the paper had no name or class number written on it at all. 
“The writing is excellent, I couldn't really think of anyone else capable of this. While Miss Y/s/n does have a lot of potential, the sudden shift of word choice and the incredible transitions between the points were flawless.” Eunseok's eyes grew a little wider.
“But it really isn't mine. I haven't submitted anything yet, I was facilitating an org program all week.” 
“Is that so?” the teacher held her chin as she hummed. “Well, we owe Miss Y/s/n an apology, don't we?”
Eunseok nods hesitantly, answering the teacher only in his mind —Only mine, my apology.
“We just have to figure out who submitted that nameless paper.” 
“I'm on it.” Eunseok had only mindlessly gotten himself into something he knew he didn't have a knack for.
While he was familiar with the faces he often saw around school, he'd never really waste his time on familiarizing himself with the attitudes, the eyes and the voices. He has friends, but they were all in his org, with the same motivations and skill level as him.
The next couple of days, he'd observe, but would fail to be inconspicuous. 
You ignored the eyes that lingered at your direction, you thought he was sick for even daring to look anywhere near you. 
He was trying to see who stuck around you, especially when you were at your most useful. 
He was lucky when three days later you were assigned to conduct a trio experiment project on microbiology. The one that seemed to be your best friend was pulled into another group, while two other girls who he'd never seen you hang around with as often would pull you to them.
“You're ours!” The pitchy exclamation from one of the girls inflicted pain to Eunseok's ears.
He fanned his apprehension away to the people who dared to approach him and slowly made his way to you, walking closely behind you as you exited the classroom after briefly greeting your groupmates. 
You could feel his lanky figure following you, but you were persistent. 
“Y/n.” his conceit would shatter when you continued to walk as if he was just a lone spirit cursed to follow you. 
When you were near the library, he swiftly got in front of you, blocking the door. You rolled your eyes at him, turning your feet around to go back, to where? —you didn't have anywhere else to be. 
“Where are you going?” His question halted your steps. 
You finally faced him, mimicking his stoicism. You didn't answer, he didn't deserve an answer. 
“There'll be one duo for the project since there's forty-two of us.” you just stood there and waited for him to speak again. A scoff almost broke out of you when you watched the movement on his throat as he gulped in search of his next words. “Be with me.”
He picked the wrong words and it shuddered your core, he saw it, looking into your eyes as he added with haste, “Be my partner for the project.”
His heart sinks, seeing your eyebrows nearly touch each other. “Did you seriously think I'd even consider it?”
You shook your head, moving towards the door behind him making him move aside warily. You were sane enough to not slam the door at him, and after all you were entering a library. Shh —at that point you had no idea if the librarian had shushed you or if it was just the voices in your head. I hate him, he's just another jerk.
All he had to say was he had already talked with the teacher, and that he's helping —or offered doing all the work himself in finding the culprit responsible for your misfortune. The affliction could've easily been avoided, he was only now starting to realize how much of an asshole he was three days ago. 
Everyone loved you —loved was in the past, people would prove to be ever-changing. 
“I'm really not surprised she plagiarized, she's such a try-hard.” it was meant to be a whisper, but Eunseok could hear it, finally.
“I know right? is it that hard to admit that Eunseok is better—”
“Shh! he's right there!” 
He'd only subtly shake his head at their lax attempts to keep quiet, it seemed as if they wanted him to hear. He felt small under their disparaging mouths. They were all way below him, but somehow they've evoked his frailty with running gossips. 
The cluster of students would flinch at the loud sound of his chair's feet grinding against the floor as he stood. 
Without facing them, he spoke, “She didn't plagiarize anything, she's better than all of you, better than…” his eyes shifted from ahead of him to the floor beneath him. “...me.”
And he could only say so because you weren't there to defend yourself, even then, you wouldn't have the strength to speak up against them.
He'd run into you on his way out of the classroom, and he would stand there and stare into the empty hallway as you walked past him with your headphones on and textbooks in hand. 
He hoped you would see it —he had left you a note under your desk. Be my partner (please?) ;It had a drawing of keroppi, you grew to despise that character. You'd always see it doodled around his notes, and that time you were in the same group for a mosaic project where he had sketched the frog in pencil on multiple spots of your worksheet.
“Keroppi is cute, you should accept his offer.” you almost gagged at your friend —Yunjin's suggestion.
“No, after what he did? Why should I?” Yunjin shrugged at you.
“Maybe he has something to say, maybe he might even apologize.” you avert your eyes from your laptop, giving yourself a second, and more to think.
Apologize? him? with that inflated ego of his he might as well just tell everyone I plagiarized his work. —you vigorously shook your head. “He wouldn't.”
Scrolling through an article in your laptop, your eyes glided over an ad that read, Looks tough? look again., the image of Eunseok's dismay flaunted by his usually stoic face flashed in your mind. You swore you have never seen him that way before. 
He had never raised eyebrows at you or looked at you for more than ten seconds. You both held the same high regard for your time, and for as long as you've started this enclosed war with him, you've had this unspoken vow to never waste a minute of your time on each other unless it was necessary for you to accomplish your goals. 
“Well, are you really going to group up with Yuri and Ahra? they've been milking you like a cow.” you chuckled despite your friend's genuine worry.
“Well what can we do? They need us.” you watched Yunjin shake her head at your response, a bitter smile spreading across her lips. 
You had no choice. You would definitely tell your teacher if they had no contributions, but they tried.Most of the time their work would be utter garbage, but as the assigned leader for every group work and a renowned top student, you were obligated to put up with their shit and correct every mistake and redo it if it was completely useless.
It's this aspect of yours that Eunseok could never compete with, more of a reason for him to despise you. You could easily talk your way in and out of your classmates' favor, and he thought it was unfair. 
Was it your stupid smile? your gaze so sweet it could kill a man? nonetheless, it was unjustifiable. You can't just be perfect.
He knew you weren't perfect, that you still made errors. When he read the copycat of the essay you made for yourself, he could tell it was definitely yours. The copy was plagiarized word for word, technically he was reading through your very essay. There was an overlooked grammar error, you missed a word in one of the sentences of your conclusion. 
For a minute, he loathed the chuckle that escaped his mouth when he spotted that error. It was very unlike him and he noticed a few of his classmates looking at him like he was an extraterrestrial. Ridding of his immersion, he swiftly folds the paper he was reading, hiding it under his desk. 
You were so flawed, yet he hated you for being perfect. 
“Hate's a strong word.” Eunseok didn't even dare to look at Shotaro as he spoke.  
His left leg was restless, bouncing up and down continuously putting it to an abrupt stop as he replied, “Yeah. So, maybe it's not hate.”
As much as he'd like to deny, he knew he fixated on you —your best qualities— as much as he did his studies. Perhaps it was envy, but it wasn't like he tried ousting you from everyone, he would only watch from a distance whilst you connected with others, and he disconnected himself from the world, too preoccupied with the thought of you. Sure, he could never stare at you, but your image in his mind was crystal clear. So it must be jealousy. But was he really jealous of you, or the people you chose to be involved with?
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School hours have ended, the bell rang and it was soon followed by heavy chattering and some laughter. You could also hear some pained groans, must be because of piling deadlines —you thought as you walked past the rambling crowd. 
You are one amongst those who had no time to wander outside of school perimeters for trifling activities like hanging around. You had responsibilities, responsibilities that did not stray far from your academics, responsibilities that kept you busy and distracted from the sorrows of your life. 
“Y/n! hi! I was wondering…” you turned around, being met with the pretty-faced Yuri and by the look in her eyes and her disheveled cheer uniform, you already knew her purpose of approaching you. “I'm really busy with cheerleading these days, we have a big recital coming up. I was just wondering if you could help me with our oral comm project.”
Busy? busy fucking the jocks? —you hid your hostility behind a lenient smile. “Yeah, sure. Will do.”
“Thanks so much!” you yelped when she had —almost aggressively— pecked your cheek before she ran out of the school building.
Well, the help was only writing a five-page transcript accompanied with unfabricated evidence that you could only hope she'd study for her own sake. You couldn't really say no. You didn't play a major part in the student body org or the literary club, and you were still not accepted in the journalism team. There was no way you could say that you were busy too.
Taking another step, you feel a tap on your shoulder. Three quick taps, whoever it was, you felt their aggression falter in between those taps. You turn around again, thinking it might be Ahra. 
“You saw the note, right?” an exasperated sigh leaves your lips.
“The groups are finalized. Find another partner.” you spoke as you turned your back against him, your tone was a mimicry of his. 
“But…” you halt your steps. Pathetic. —you thought he sounded pathetic, and it was amusing, somehow made you want to hear whatever he had to spew.
“But I want you.” When he saw you shake your head and continue to shun him, he promptly added, “We need to talk, please.”
You were already out the door. It was like a scene in a drama, a very melancholic scene. 
For the first time in Eunseok's life, he'd feel like he made the biggest mistake of his life.
“Oh, sorry!” he kept his eyes straight ahead when Yunjin bumped into him. 
He watched you through the glass, as Yunjin ran after you with a query, “Is he asking you to be his partner again?” 
You sigh again, weakly nodding your head. You felt his gaze through the glass doors, instinctively, you looked back. He was at a great distance from you, but you could see his apologetic eyes. Still, you refused to accept them, shying away from his stare as your subconscious drives you to grab Yunjin by the wrist and pull her away with you. 
Writing an argumentative essay is nothing for you, but why can't you just say it? —he was frustrated with himself, his misguided words, his hesitancy. All he had to say was, I spoke to our teacher about your essay, we're trying to find out who did it. I'm sorry. —just as simple as that. 
He kept his eyes on his feet as he walked to the bus stop, vanity hanging low, wondering when he should try again. If he were to do so, he must do it soon. 
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You had left your study music playing as you rushed back to your classroom to grab your favorite pen. It was the best pen, the best brand that fit your handwriting. It made your writing look effortless and pretty, and you hated when you'd use another pen that makes your writing look like you missed all writing days in kindergarten. 
Before you could reach your classroom though, you were stopped by your English teacher. You almost flinched thinking she'd still have this condemn attitude towards you. 
“Hi Miss Y/s/n, i'm sure Mr. Song had already told you about, you know, the essay.” she looked expectant, but you were still clueless.
“Oh, Ma'am, I actually haven't heard anything from him.” —anything other than his constant, piteous pursuits of having you as his partner. 
“Oh, I thought he would've told you by now —well, anyways…” your teacher holds on to your forearm, moving the both of you aside, out of the way of passersby. “We're trying to find out who plagiarized your work, Mr. Song has offered to help as an apology.”
Your eyes widened by itself, shifting and blinking to the melody of your teacher's short hum. “I have three leads, two of them might've not passed their essays yet —and one is the culprit. A Joo Yuri, Choi Jiung, and Matthew.” you nod along with your teacher's words.
It's Yuri again. —you knew all too well.
“Make sure to inform Mr. Song about this too, I apologize for my inconsiderate assumptions.” she holds your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she finishes speaking.
You nod hazily, his name still blurry to your auditory canals, “Will do Ma'am.” your utterance was faint, like you were going to break down into a sob. 
Your teacher leaves you a small hug before walking away.
You clear your throat to no one, almost forgetting why you were there, where you were supposed to be. Why didn't he say anything? —was all you could think about as you made small steps to your classroom. Maintaining your pace, you went to your desk, looking and feeling for your pen, but it wasn't there when it should be. You had one knee making contact with the ground, you remained still next to your chair, unsure of where else to look. It wasn't like you constantly shifted places in the classroom, even during vacant times you were always just sitting pretty on your seat. 
You stood up after another minute, and there you saw him from the corner of your eye. He was only two seats behind you, the image was blurry in your peripheral vision, but you knew he was looking at you. You pretend to fix your uniform, fingers clumsily gliding through your shirt's collar and tugging your skirt down a bit. With a quiet sigh, you would turn your back against him again, but instead of lifting a foot and head back to the library, you just stood there. 
He hoped you had a reason for not moving as fast as you'd usually be, one that would lead you to finally accepting his offer. He was obviously oblivious to the fact that you already knew about his personal little mission, so when you rushed near his desk and said, “Wait for me by the drinking fountain near the exit.” the distinguished fire that he had in soul would form sparks. 
His hopeful eyes watched your figure hurry out of the classroom. He knew you'd ignite his flame again, and with an unspoken promise to himself —and to you, he'd grow to treat you as his equal. 
He took anxious steps to meet you later that day, he still wasn't so sure if you had called him there to slap some sense into him or not. 
He'd be a few meters away when you spot him, keeping your gaze at him as he got closer. When he finally stood in front of you, your mutual eyes would meet. It was the closest he'd seen your eyes, and it reflected his own. It was overwhelming for him, and he'd look down to the floor at his right.
“I'll be your partner.” he snaps his head back up to meet your expectant gaze. 
His eyes were the widest you've seen them, you almost wanted to laugh. You tried your best to keep the corners of your lips from rising, but he saw it. It was small and short lived, but it was something worth his own smile spreading across his face. 
However, you would never see that smile since you'd left him after two minutes, but the watchful eyes of your school saw —those who knew him for being so aloof wanted to ask him what made him that way when they had never seen him smile like that. 
“Won the lottery or something?” Shotaro had come up to him from behind, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Huh? Why'd you ask?” Shotaro only shook his head at him, not minding to explain further.
Eunseok seemed to be indifferent to his own feelings as he'd never realized then just how odd he looked to everyone else, especially Shotaro —who had known him since he transferred, swore he'd never seen him make a face like that. 
“You have got to tell me what happened.” 
It was a soft urge, but Eunseok gave in so easily, words slipping off his tongue like they've been sitting there, “She said yes.”
Shotaro had to stop him for a moment, confused as to what he was referring to. Did he ask someone out? —then he remembered the little mission that Eunseok had about asking you to be his project partner. It felt like centuries for him to finally succeed, and when he did he still he thought it was all because of his own effort.
The next day however, his theory would be debunked, finding out that your English teacher had beat him to it.
“It's either Yuri, Jiung or Matthew according to Mrs. Cho.” you were clear-cut with your words, giving him a good three minutes to think of what to reply. 
You were situated in the school's microbiology lab, seated close enough for the two of you to have a comprehensive conversation as you prepared for the project.
“It should be Yuri, right?” the words that fell from his lips had caused a stagger in your movement. 
“What makes you say so?”
“She sticks around you often —during group assignments. She seems so desperate to have you around, and for what? only to make use of you?” 
Your eyes lingered at the side of his face, unbeknownst to you, he's been looking at you the whole time when you weren't looking at him. He'd slowly look back at you, a low chuckle escaping his mouth when he saw a speck of shock on your face. 
Your eyes only grew wider at the sound of his voice, it was unlike his conceited scoffs, and he did not present himself as usual, there was no arrogance in him it seemed.
“I hope you don't call her your friend. She's not. Friends don't use you, friends don't keep you around because they need you to maintain their B pluses and get a few A's.” his voice had a hint of softness in it, it made you avert your eyes from his.
“I know that. I have a friend —I have Yunjin.” you could see him nod from the corner of your eye. 
“That's good, but maybe stop saying yes to those idiotic low-lives.” as harsh as his words were, his tone contradicts them, sounding like a fresh breath of air on a summer night.
You stared at the poster at the other end of the room, a poster about culturing. You two were like pathogens, slowly growing to understand each other. 
He'd keep the image in his head. He could only see one side of your face, but it was enough for him to see your eyes softening as you zoned out, still refusing to smile wholly. 
Later that day, he walked to the teacher's faculty, straight to Mrs. Cho's desk and he bluntly states, “Joo Yuri, it's Joo Yuri who copied Y/n's essay Ma'am.”
The English teacher would tell him shortly after that she'd already figured it out since the two other leads had already passed their essays earlier that day, but she still thanked him —and reminded him to pass his own essay before the end of the week. 
He'd finally rid of the needle stuck in his mind, it was just that now, he'd find himself a different reason to stick around you. 
──────────﹒★﹒﹒──﹒﹒★﹒──────────
Yuri and Ahra had seated themselves with you and Yunjin in the cafeteria, confused as to why they were now grouped with some other brainlet and not you. You would carry on to explain to them why as you ate your food, but Yuri would interrupt, “Isn't it unfair for you and Eunseok to be in the same group?”
And Ahra would butt in. “Tell me about it, like, share some brain cells guys.”
You and Yunjin exchanged looks with each other, and your friend would subtly shake her head.
“You know what, we could've asked Eunseok first. He's not only really smart, he's like, really cute too.” you softly bit the inside of your cheek, suppressing a scoff as you listened to Yuri babble on about your project partner.
“Yeah? Do you fancy him now?” you ask with a slight laugh.
“Well, yeah. There's no way a little touch won't break him out of his shell.”
You and Yunjin would exchange looks again, this time visibly disgusted. 
There was no way Eunseok would fall for someone like her, right? But he was just another guy, and guys are so unpredictably predictable, if that even made any sense. 
In a span of a few days, you would walk in the classroom seeing Yuri seated next to Eunseok, almost squishing herself into him. You'd meet eyes with him, and you'd immediately look away, almost rolling your eyes as you walked to your seat. 
Once you were seated, you'd hear them converse, or more accurately, here Yuri ramble as Eunseok gave her the driest replies you've ever heard.
“You should tutor me, you know. I feel like you could make me a better student. Maybe we can hang out at your place? study? or anything else you have in mind?”
“I don't do commissions and my family doesn't welcome strays.” Your back faced them so they couldn't see you holding back your laughter as you quietly sat and listened, pretending to read something in your textbook. 
The bell rang minutes later, you remained seated watching everyone else run out of the classroom to get lunch or go on about whatever they had to do before you got up yourself. When you stood up, you felt a slight nudge. It was Yuri, she held out a tiny piece of paper with what you could only make up as numbers —a phone number in Eunseok's handwriting. “I got him.” she whispers, wearing a smug smile after.
You waited for her to disappear from your sight before you shook your head. It wasn't impossible for Eunseok to not give in to her, she's pretty, she's skinny, her hair is healthy, so why not right?
When you had tidied up your space, you turned around to make your way to the door, only to be met with him. It's been more than ten seconds when he realized you were looking right into his eyes, and he'd shy away for a bit before finding your gaze again. 
“What happened to saying no to low-lives?” an innocent chuckle left your mouth as you spoke.
“Oh, that? it wasn't my number.” he smirked, glancing at the ground for a short while. “I saw it on a flyer for pest control.” 
You almost guffawed at what he said, but you maintain your composure. “That's too bad, I thought you'd consider tutoring her.” you started taking steps to the door, and he'd follow closely behind you.
“Me? tutor her?”
“Well, yeah. She's a pretty girl. You could ask every guy in this school and they'll tell you they'd hit.” 
You two were already out of the classroom, walking side-by-side as you made your way to the cafeteria. It was silent for a while, until he spoke again to reply,
“Maybe that's true, but I'd rather have you than her.” he said, almost in a laugh. 
It wasn't quite clear to you what he meant, but you assumed it was just his way of telling you that he'd prefer an intellectual over someone who's just in for play. You two would part ways once you've stepped foot in the cafeteria, giving each other one last glance before heading your separate ways. 
A playful grin greets you when you sit down next to Yunjin who says, “You seem happy today.”
“I do?” it was a genuine question, but Yunjin couldn't help but laugh at you. “What?”
“I see you got yourself a new best friend.” she would then wiggle her brows and point at Eunseok's direction with her head.
“He's not.” a smile would creep up to your lips, shaking your head at the same pace you spoke. 
“Well, you two were definitely not fighting. That has got to count for something.” you would end up quietly laughing with her. 
You couldn't tell if it was just the pity he felt for you that one fateful day at the teachers' faculty room, or if it was something in the air —perhaps something you had said to him that had led him to take a second look. Hate is a strong word, and when he'd look at you again, he knew it wasn't hate, nor resentment. Maybe it wasn't the others' favor that he yearned for —maybe it was yours.
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do you want to stargaze with me?
> yes <33
> no :(( (thanks for reading!)
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flickering-nightfall · 8 months
Note
So, your Infinity Train crossover got me to watch the show, and... woah. Woah. I would love to know if you had any more ideas, blurbs, thoughts, anything about that crossover, because now I can't get enough of imagining the viciously murderous cat and accidentally-fratricidal robot on the train.
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I'm glad you liked Infinity Train too! (and thank you!) More on the crossover... I gotta admit I haven't thought of much other than the initial "haha what if" idea. Maybe I can speculate though:
Spoilers ahead!
There were many hilarious and thoughtful takes on how Pebbles could possibly end up on the train, in the notes of the initial post. I joked that it'd just tear a hole through his structure, but there are more (and less) sane options than that.
Since we only see human passengers on the train, a lot of people would probably mistake Pebbles and Arti as denizens. Simon and Grace would probably not take to them having numbers well. I feel like they'd most likely think it was a trick, but it could shake up their perspective too.
Man humans look kind of similar to ancients maybe. That doesn't mean much to Arti - and I think humans look dissimilar enough from scavs to be spared by her wrath. But to Pebbles...
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Also, iterators haven't communicated with another civilization-era sapient species in a quite a while probably. Some interesting stuff can come out of that.
How many migraines do you think Pebbles gets from trying to figure out what the hell is up with denizens? Or the train itself? I feel like he'd have an aneurysm if he had to interact with Alan Dracula. If he goes home and tries to tell the others what happened without any proof, they'd think he'd had a rot-induced fever dream.
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Numbers are dependent on how close a passenger is to solving their problem. Arti, having already killed the scav chieftain, according to Rain World has hit the point of no return. So her body is completely wrapped up in numbers. But like Amelia, with enough time and determination it might be possible. The main problem is... Arti has to want to fix her problem first. The setup for her to do that is there. She's with Pebbles, so she has less of a reason to go off on a rampage unless she's being threatened. The lack of scavs wouldn't stop her from resorting to violence at this point, but the pure strangeness and unfamiliarity of her surroundings should at least baffle her into a different mental state.
I think in order to get an exit, Arti needs to make peace with herself. She must acknowledge what she has become, and to truly believe that she needs to change. It has little to do with the death of her children at that point. She needs to escape the self-perpetuating circle of violence.
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Pebbles' number is much smaller (but still huge) because he's entrenched in rage and isolation and frustration on a massive timescale, but we see him eventually come to a resolution in Rivulet's campaign. How would the train define his problem though? It could be his anger at Moon and Suns, blaming them for his current state (even if Suns is partially at fault). It could be his tendency to close himself off, his refusal to talk to others or accept help. It could be his denial, believing he can handle and fix everything by himself. It could be his overall arrogance or ego. There's a lot of options there. Ultimately I think whatever brings him to think similarly to how he does in Rivulet's campaign would do the trick.
The sad thing is that Pebbles would probably be better off staying on the train too. I'm not sure if he'd be affected by the rot there, but he'd at least he could (literally) get out of his own head. And he has no choice but to touch grass interact with new people and situations. But to deny his exit would be to deny responsibility for what he's done. If he's really gotten better, that means he knows he can't run away anymore.
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If Pebbles went to the train without Arti there's a chance he'd get killed or ghom'd two days into the trip. We are assuming his puppet is capable of walking for this AU, but also I do not think he knows how to walk. Good luck pink guy!
On the flipside. Pebbles could... probably take over the train even more than Amelia ever did, especially as a (bio)mechanical being himself. The only thing that could limit him are taboos maybe. Any iterator could do this, really. Lots of potential paths with that one.
Something something, One-One and iterators both solving people's big problems with varying amounts of success, and both engineering weird organisms...
...does a RW character that gets ghom'd return to the great cycle? Their soul gets devoured, or their life essence, it's not clear. I guess which one could determine what happens. But also they are in another universe where there is probably no cycle. Are ghoms a triple affirmative? Is crossdimensional travel? The latter wouldn't fit the "portable and generally applicable" part but still. This is a whole rabbit hole and a half, isn't it!
The train is dangerous and all, but that just makes Rain World characters a hilarious fit for it. Like this is just their daily life. Honestly I think their home world is more dangerous than the train, just in less wacky ways.
Lastly: I haven't even touched upon what introducing other characters could do for this narrative, or how they would react. So many possibilities!
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If anyone wants to do more with this, please feel free!
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Dream has a nasty habit of giving advice and not taking it himself:
He tells Orpheus to grieve for Euridice(I'm not sure if I spelled that right) and then get over the loss, but he never got over Orpheus' death;
He tells Hob that taking away someone's free will is dishonorable. Yet he imprisons Nada and unmakes Gault for defying him;
He warns the fox lady against revenge but he wastes his precious energy on trapping Alex's mind in a nightmare after he gets freed.
He's such a bastard and I love him
He loves and cares so deeply for everyone, yet he's petty and spiteful. He never stops loving yet he can be so cruel to those he cares about
I don't remember where but I read this somewhere about Dream: "he can love without forgiveness and forgive without love" and I think that sums up Dream pretty nicely. He's full of contradictions and that's what makes me love him as a character so much
you know, ironically, while it's absolutely true that dream can be hypocritical, you're definitely not wrong, those first two actually aren't, as far as he sees the world
because the thing that hurts dream the most is that he cannot see himself as a living being - he is endless, he has a purpose, that's the extent of his existence
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and therefore he doesn't dream, doesn't have a story, shouldn't want things for himself
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and this is why he causes his own tragedy, because he is a person and he does need the things that make up someone's life, but he refuses to believe so
so when he's talking to orpheus, the important part here is "you are mortal, it is the mortal way"
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dream would benefit greatly from being allowed to mourn orpheus, but he can't, he has a job to do, and allowing himself to grieve would interfere with his purpose. so he has no choice, he has to bury it
"so live" only applies to orpheus, as far as dream's concerned, because he doesn't think the endless live
gault falls under the exact same logic. dream sees his creations as extensions of him and is always surprised when they go beyond that. and if he's not allowed a life of his own, if he has to spend eternity fulfilling his purpose as it was given to him, they do too. they're not mortal, they don't live, and thus they don't have free will
(i'm honestly super curious to see what happens in the show from here because gault didn't exist in the comics, and dream actually acknowledging she was right is a major step forward that comic dream never managed to make)
and nada had free will
she just didn't think she did
that's how hell (or any afterlife) works, in the sandman universe, there is no being that judges it. death doesn't decide where you go, and neither does anyone else. you go where you believe you should
which is what makes sure people get to the right afterlife for their particular religion, but also it means that everyone in hell believes they deserve to be there
dream may have put her there, but he didn't have the power to keep her there. when she says "only your forgiveness can free me", that doesn't mean dream has to formally pardon her, it means she can only leave when she stops feeling like she was in the wrong here. and a part of her hates him for this, but a part of her is also stuck feeling guilty, and that's what's keeping her in hell. it's still a shitty move on dream's part, don't get me wrong, but when he said that to hob he was not currently doing anything to prevent her free will. had she truly decided what dream did was unfair, she could have left
revenge, however, that's where you're absolutely right. dream knows, on so many levels, that revenge causes more problems than it solves, and yet this is the one indulgence into human feelings he actually allows himself
he tells the fox not to, he tells hob revenge is a bad idea, he's constantly explaining to people he cares about not to take revenge because it will get them hurt. he is the prince of stories, and he knows how revenge stories end
(destruction even says he was disappointed that dream is still viewing everyone as stories, he'd hoped one day dream would realise people are people)
dream, though. dream doesn't have a story, so who says his revenge has to end in tragedy? he pushes down all his emotions for the sake of the world but anger doesn't want to leave, anger is good at convincing you it deserves to stay, anger can be righteous
if everyone else is just a story, well, the end is that they get what's coming to them. they deserve to be punished for hurting the people dream cares about, and who better to ensure the end of the story than him?
(and he doesn't realise how much his own emotions are influencing those decisions. he thinks he's being rational. he's not. what you were saying about him being both loving and spiteful always makes me think of orpheus - he loved his son more than anything in the world, he was a genuinely good dad and he did everything in his power to keep orpheus from tragedy. but then when orpheus ignored him and got hurt anyway, dream couldn't help but be angry at orpheus for causing their entire family so much pain, and that's why he walked away)
all the endless have different ways in which they see themselves in comparison to mortal beings. the more emotionally healthy ones realise that there's very little difference between the two. and then you get desire who explicitly admitted (in internal narration) that their entire sanity is hinging on believing that they are in control of the universe, they physically can't believe dream when he says they serve humanity and not the other way around. and dream, who sees everything and everyone as a story, except himself
he's not a living being, he doesn't follow their rules. he's not playing the game, he's the referee
except that's not and never was true
and that is the root of all of dream's problems
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Note
some angst of breakup Headcanons with SWK, MK and Mayor from LMK? GN Reader btw. i just need some angst.
[Pain shall be fed into the beating heart] 💥
【If we ever broke up, I'd be sad. 💔】
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{Sun Wukong, Mk, and Mayor breakup with GN! Reader}
➳ Lego Monkie kid (LMK) // Headcanons // Seperated // Angst! ✍🏻
──・ 。゚☆*. .* ☆゚.──・☆゚.──・。゚☆ *. .* ──
"You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them ... but still move on without them." - Mandy Hale.
Sun Wukong
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The realization about a mortal human being and the immortal monkey king put into a loving relationship would not work.
Sun Wukong could give you his peaches of immortality to accompany him until the end of time. Except the horror that if you live forever, everyone and everything around you will move on. Somethings will die and forgotten without you. No peaches for you, hun.
Sun Wukong does not allowed to let anyone notice you as his lover, he just want to protect you from anyone that cause harm. Which makes you believe he is embarrassed to have you.
Sun Wukong is lacking the ability to explain of how he truly feeling towards you. From time to time again to have communication problems and abuse that cannot be solved.
In Sun Wukong's opinion, love is just another useless emotion to express that lead to heartbreak and disappointment. He is not ready to handle any of those qualities.
In conclusion, Sun Wukong is unexpectedly certain to break up with you, just to save you from himself. He is arrogant and a trickster is known to everyone who has heard of or had the chance to meet the legendary Monkey King.
"Eternal life can bring eternal suffering, I don't want you to feel the same way as me."
The fact that Sun Wukong has said his goodbyes to you and gone from your sight, the good thing is glad to know that you have great life and bright future ahead from destiny than his. The bad thing is, he will miss you deeply more than you ever know.
────・ 。゚☆*. .* ☆゚.──・☆゚.──・。゚☆ *. .* ──
"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe.
MK
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At first, Mk does not understand why you would choose someone like him to be your boyfriend, and he felt that not asking about it was better. He always thinking that he does not deserve your love.
Mk ponders about you cherish them because they are a powerful hero, and everything else within them has no importance. That is why the noodle boy worried that one day they would accidentally use their unnatural monkey magic skills to hurting you, and afraid they might fail to save you from danger.
Mk is often excusing himself with his training, delivering noodles, saving the world/universe, and joining his friends to avoid you.
Mk repeatedly forgets the important events, such as your birthday, the dating anniversary day, the national holidays, and meeting with your friends or family. Heis busy to handle with the fate of being heroic rest on his shoulders, and gaining more trauma through the rest of his journey.
One time, Mk send one of their clone to accompany you in the entire day. Later, the copy of them bluntly told you that they (Original self) actually felt forced in love and does not feel the same way as you anymore.
You have grown tired of him and finally choose to breakup for the best, which Mk had expected and planned this all along.
"I'm very sorry! You deserve someone else better than me."
Though still feeling awkward, you and Mk agree to became friends once again. Furthermore, both of you always ignoring the questions of "That's your ex?"
──・ 。゚☆*. .* ☆゚.──・☆゚.──・。゚☆ *. .* ──
"Sometimes the only way to let go is to love someone enough to want the best for him or her, even if that means not being together." - Anonymous
The Mayor
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After years of dating, there is nothing special happening between the two of you. No happiness and no pleasure, just empty.
Oh, how unfortunate you do not know so much about him, even his real name is remain unknown. The Mayor is most likely to kept horrifying secrets and plans to himself from you.
Sadly, whenever the Mayor is near you, he did not have a smile on his face. Only emotionless can be seen in your eyes. Revealing his true colors.
The Mayor would rather focus on granting his Lady's requests than to spend all of his time with you.
It is a ridiculous suspicion that the Mayor is cheating on you simply because he worships The Lady Bone Demon as his only goddess until the bitter end.
At long last, you decided to breakup with the cold-hearted and odd man, his response is none other than a giggle and does not mind.
"You see, dear?" Mayor spoke up as he turn around, "letting someone go is actually easier than we thought."
At that exact moment, the Mayor show his silly toothy smile to you for one last time before he disappeared. Leaving you heartbroken and wish him for the best to accomplish his duty.
──・ 。゚☆*. .* ☆゚.──・☆゚.──・。゚☆ *. .* ──
True Colors - SLAVES
"Wait, did you ever take a moment just to think
About anyone, anyone other than yourself?!
Give me back the love I wasted now
Cold, one day it's gonna hit you, you're alone
I won't be there, won't be there
It's cruel to turn around
Give me back the love I wasted now."
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delusionalwings · 1 year
Note
can you do barbatos, mammon and simeon with a darling that’s physically weaker than most people? like they’re lethargic, can’t lift heavy things, pass out sometimes just from standing too long, etc.
― synopsis -> with a darling who's physically weaker than most
― characters -> mammon, barbatos, simeon
― gender neutral reader
― headcanons
― warnings -> yandere behavior, induced dependence on him (everyone), gambling, making you feel guilty, disregarding you (mammon), mentions of kidnapping, mentions of anger and violence, emotional manipulation (simeon), mentions of kidnapping, treats you like an object (barbatos)
hope this is fine!
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MAMMON
First and foremost, he is glad that you don't have the strength to hang out with those other lower demons grrrr. You are his trophy and it will remain that way.
"Dontcha worry! The Great Mammon looks after his servants," he announces before using your ailment as a reason to borrow more money and gamble it all away.
He truly wants to make a fortune so that he can take you to a doctor and offer you a better life. As a result, however, he just invites more debt and a long lecture from Lucifer.
"Don't you look so concerned about me! I will find a way to make quick money and take you somewhere better."
Your pleas for him to stop fall on deaf ears. His schemes make you feel guilty; it makes you wish that you could do more for him. The bruises on his face that he clumsily tries to hide makes you feel pathetic. Since he is working so hard for you, you wonder what can you give him in return.
But then again, why can't your words be valued? Why can't he respect your wishes? Especially when his way is sure to fail? He seems to believe that since you can't get up and stop him because of your health, he would do his bidding anyway. It's almost as if you're a noble excuse for him to gamble more, without any restraint or fear or guilt.
That's how he starts returning to you with a downcast face every single day to confess the amount that he lost while you lie there, feeling mentally exhausted too, blaming and cursing yourself.
BARBATOS
Hmm... It does pose a problem but since every problem has a solution and Barbatos knows them all, he solves your dilemma too.
All you need to do is smile for him and help him relax during the rare times he is free. Other than that, worry neither about making a living nor about having any kind of freedom. So it doesn't matter if you are incapable of extreme physical exertion. There shall be no need for that when you have magic and Barbatos.
You will be provided for and get your condition checked by the best doctors and magicians. If anything, you are in very capable hands so you can just sit back and let him make all the decisions for you. Focus all your energy in resting and thinking about him till you are needed to act like you are living.
When he tells you to get up, you will get up. When he orders you to entertain him, you will obey. But be assured that he won't go out of his way to torment you physically. There's no merit in it when you can't help yourself. But you will mentally stimulate him, even when your mind is in shambles because of physical pain. You will need to push yourself often with Barbatos. It's your voluntary obedience that he desires and he will take it.
You need to learn proper etiquettes in his presence. He is your master and you need to be perfect wherever you can.
He is at ease knowing that you won't run away anytime soon so he can perform his own duties in peace. Still he is always on the watch.
SIMEON
You have your angel at your beck and call. Leave all the heavy lifting to him. All the housework is his job anyway. What else can one do when they have taken you away from the entire world? You are his duty now.
Sit down, lie down and give him cuddles, validate him, love him. He is still shy about holding you close but he enjoys your warmth and wants to get more familiar with your touch. So instead of spending the time working, take rest and let him take care of you. And when he returns tired each day, be a sweet angel for him.
It isn't like you are completely unable to use your body. A little movement here and there actually helps but Simeon doesn't believe that. Why are you getting up? No no, you will get sick. He is overcautious, to the point of hysteria.
What will he do with you if something happened to you? What will you do without him? Work yourself into some life threatening ilness!
An angry Simeon is bad news and you learn about it when you find yourself in a situation where you can't even run away. You are trapped and exhausted, scared and alert and you never escape without bruises. Sometimes he only fumes over your unconscious body before turning around.
Despite that, he always apologises, asks you to understand that it is your fault for pushing him so far. If only you had listened to him, he would have maintained his composure. Then he applies ointment on your wounds and tells you to rest. You will listen to him this time, won't you? After you saw what he is capable of otherwise, you must.
He is already upset about hurting you so he wants you to rest till you feel better. If you feel bored or want to get out of the house, he reads you various books so that you can imagine the wonders of the world. Even if you can't visit these places because of your health, you can always picture travelling there with Simeon. Imagine Simeon guiding you to the ends of the world. Always there to pamper you.
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veryrichbitchh · 2 months
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Let’s chat.. i am a black woman and I recently found out about ‘divesting’ from YouTube and that was the nail that broke the camels back for me. I’ve been getting so many signs saying leave SW FULLY from God.. I was fighting too hard to be handed a luxury life (that is not actually luxury) and not working for it for myself, righteously. Honestly… why are so much of us trying to sell p*ssy instead of getting ahead in life by doing the hard work that won’t leave our soul feeling rotten…?
So, I’ve accepted SW as a phase in my life. My Holy Spirit has been wanting me to stop but my body/flesh did not want to let go of it. I need to believe that God can solve my problems and have the highest faith in Him only, and serve no other gods.
Be careful who you bring around you also, friends can lead you into that lifestyle and it happens quickly. Around age 21 when I let superficial friends that only care about designers, men, etc… get around me and essentially corrupt my mind. Be careful because you can easily get sucked into that life of shallowness and do things you should not to keep up with the shallowness. It happened to me, led me to spend above my income and in turn, it led me to thinking money, rich men,luxury trips and dates, drinks, etc… can validate me. Then came me turning to older white men since I live in a city where the men with money are generally white. Even if marriage wasn’t the goal for me most times with them , it is truly embarrassing to be so strung out/in the sunken place (lol) that I thought being with a 70,60,50+ year old white man (especially in public) is okay. (I’m in my 20s!!!) I even at one point thought marriage was in the picture with them… lol. I was about to allow myself to enter that mindset when I know that’s not what I want. I know for a fact that I deserve better.
The lifestyle of the sugar baby, sw'er, whatever, I've been invested in for so long and I am just tired of faking that it is .. idk the word . Tired of faking that it is “all that”. Idk the word .. but you get my point (maybe). And I’m not saying it was an entirely horrible experience… but at the end of it all you don’t gain much. (What is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul.) and I feel God never let me get fully invested (face out) either like He kept me protected. My Holy Spirit had me understand through the whole journey that this is not forever and to not let my mistakes linger for life that I actually start to embrace the mistakes.
But thinking back to it all, what was it for? Because I could have put all that time into a more l*gal and profitable business that I am actually proud of , but I chose not to… I chose the “easy” way out which was not so easy especially when the income is sporadic. Maybe it was the thrill. It was like a high. A drug almost. This is a lot to unpack babes.. The devil wanted me to give even more than I gave to that lifestyle and I gave a lot… but nothing God cannot return.
Anyway, babes, I have so much on my mind but I am choosing to work on businesses, study/figure out how to pass my exams, take trips, learn the righteous way I can live my life, travel, lean on God always and just being at peace. I am so at peace right now it's amazing. I am okay with my past because without it i would not come to this realization and I am thankful for the Grace of God that his kindness led me here. So, ladies, the summary is, work for what you want that is beneficial for your Holy Spirit. I am no longer in sw and will continue to write updates here and there! <3
And yes I still very much am a Very Rich B*tchh😘
-VRB
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capnsaltsquid · 2 years
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OK, let's talk about Luz
This scene was designed to be painful to watch, and it is doubly so for anyone who has struggled with clinical depression. It confirmed beyond any doubt what I had long suspected: Luz, at least subconsciously, wishes to die.
We've seen hints before in the way she acts; facing Belos alone twice, challenging witches much stronger than her to duels, taking Amity's place at the Blight Industries show and, most of all, jumping off the spar of a ship with a sword to attack the selkidomus. She knew these were potentially fatal actions - and they would have been if no one had come to her aid - but she places so little value on her life that she didn't care. There was always a sliver of doubt, though - maybe she was just trying to be a hero and not not thinking things through.
This scene in Thanks to Them removes any such illusion. Luz thinks the world would be better off without her, and that is textbook suicidal ideation - the kind that can lead to action if left untreated. It's visible all throughout the episode in her insomnia, her constant sadness, and her inability to enjoy things that would normally make her happy. I mean, she has a girlfriend who wants to cosplay her favorite characters together with her; it should be a dream come true but she can only summon half-hearted enthusiasm.
Behind all this are two driving forces. The first is her belief that the mistakes she's made make her unworthy to live. The second is believing that she has a binary choice to make: stay in the human realm forever and hurt herself and her friends, or stay in the demon realm and hurt her mom. She doesn't see a way out without causing someone pain, and she blames herself for being in the position to have to make this choice.
But here is where I see hope. I believe that her friends will help her through the first problem. All of them (especially Amity and Hunter) have dealt with self-worth issues and, to some extent at least, have conquered them. They are well placed to help Luz through her own struggle and get her to understand her true worth.
The second issue will be solved by Camila. She saw Luz's vlog, saw the tears as she made her decision to stay behind. Camila is smart; she knows now that Luz considers staying in the human world to be the "bad ending", and most importantly she now understands why. Having the Hex Squad for nearly a year showed her what Luz would be giving up by staying. I truly believe that Camila will find a way to allow Luz to finish school at Hexside and let her know that she isn't hurt by Luz's choice.
That's what I hope for at any rate, because Luz is almost certainly going to blame herself for Flapjack's death, and the reassurance from her friends and mom at the end of Thanks to Them - while helpful - will not be enough to turn her from the dark mental journey she's on.
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muzansfangs · 1 month
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Hello. Its been a while since i saw that giant aizen requests in some bleach fan page i want hear your thought about this (MAN that's the craziest thing EVER but also its fun😅)
There is a community called G/T(means giant/tiny its sfw and it can have fearplay or fluff or even both)
i think imagining aizen in this case will be anyone's nightmare but still cool😏😁
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Giant Aizen Sosuke and how his condition would affect his relationship with his significant other.
Starring: Aizen Sosuke x f!reader;
Format: head canons;
Warnings: fluff, some fear play and Aizen being the absolute menace he has always been;
Plot: If Aizen Sosuke was a giant, what would happen to his relationship with his significant other? Would his behavior change overall? What could happen to the world? Would his condition be detrimental to his plans?
Author note: It is rather rare for me to put the ‘author note’ on the top of my works, but since I am unfamiliar with this field and community, I felt like apologizing ahead of time if I have not centered the topic. I did not plan to write this request now, I have already written down a list of works with ‘TOP PRIORITY’ to take care of, but when the right inspiration for something strikes me… Well, guys, you know me. I have to write down whatever crosses my mind. As per usual, feedback is greatly appreciated, especially from people who might have experience with this scenario!
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• Aizen Sosuke is already a menace with his standard height. Now, if he was a giant, what do you think would happen? Oh, guys, world domination is coming. Nothing could ever stop this man from achieving his goals and I believe his condition would make it actually easier for him to literally squash down onto the concrete his opponents, seeing them as nothing but ants.
• Destroying things and enemies with a snap of his fingers became an hobby for him. He did not even had to wield his sword, most of the times. Thus made his confidence boost, naturally.
• Albeit he constantly needs to calibrate his strength, or else he is going to demolish everything around him, Sosuke mantains his grace and he does not need to put much effort into reducing the impacts of his limbs on his surroundings. It comes natural to him.
• Expect a lot of sassy comebacks from him, when Yamamoto or Ichigo try to slash at him. A shit-eating grin plastered over his face, he would literally swat them away like flies. Amusement rather than annoyance filling his eyes.
• “Midges are truly pests, don’t you agree, darling?”.
• Obviously, he actually becomes the Soul King and haa no qualms about anyone, but you. Always by his side, nestled into his pocket, he never leaves you alone. He can not risk his enemies hurting you, his most precious thing. Wherever he goes, you follow him. Maybe it would be more appropriate saying he would ‘carry you’ with him. Literally.
• This giant villain would give you the moon, if you wanted it. There is nothing he could not provide you with in his regular form. Just imagine whatn he would be able to do if he was a giant. He could literally eradicate the Eiffel Tower from Paris to give it to you. Your wish is his command.
• I believe he would be a little scared of hurting you. Stroking your cheeks and hair was not that easy what just his finger could break your spine. Sosuke was extra careful in touching you, but this would not be much of a problems. Years of experience helped him to adapt himself to the situation. There are times, though, when he would love nothing more than to hold you in his arms, nose buried into the crook of his neck. While it could be impossible to ever be involved into a tight embrace, Sosuke would work day and night for a solution: making you a giant too would solve a lot of problems after all.
• While you were frankly scared as Hell at the thought of going through such an invasive practice, forcing your body to transform into a larger one, challenging biology and human limits, he was a smooth talker and he persuaded you to let him try to turn you into a giant. He was a brilliant man, after all, he knew what he was doing. Also, the incentive of finally experiencing his hugs was enough to make you agree with his plan.
• Sosuke is not a man keen to lose control. Yet, when he does, his shouts literally make the ground shake and your body tremble in fear. You knew he would have never hurt you, but you feared his rage. His power, his reiatsu were amplified and all you could do not to evaporate, victim of a tragic and collateral damage, was running away as fast as you could, looking for shelter somewhere in your Fortress.
• “I will miss the tiny version of you. There is something endearing in having such a deep connection with you, a fragile being, that almost made me desist from committing atrocities” he whispered once, while holding you in the palm of his hand.
• While everybody feared him, you did not. Loving him came natural to you, his edges never scared you, not even a bit. How could you be scared when someone as powerful and cruel as him watched over you when you were asleep and got rid of anything that generated fears and insecurities in you?
AUTHOR NOTE.
Hello there! Geez, I hope that was not that bad! In that case, forgive me.
Until next,
X O X O
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anjelicawrites · 1 year
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Their first time together
Paring: Aemond Targaryen x reader x Osferth and all the combinations thereof, I mean there’s three of them, so…
Synopsis: filling this request from anon “More Osferth and Aemond and reader please (their first time actually perhaps).”
Warnings: Smut with angst and a happy ending. Blowjob, cunnilingus. References to Aemond’s experience in the whorehouse. Talk of safeword use.
A/N: follows directly from this headcanon. This is NSFW, 18+ only work, please don’t interact if you are a minor. 
When you wake up, Osferth is already gone. If you know your man right, he is making breakfast, if you are lucky, he is going to carry it to bed.
Aemond is still asleep with his head under your chin; the eyepatch is still on and you wonder if it hurts to wear it for so long, but you understand why he doesn’t feel confident enough to let Osferth see him without it; your heart breaks again and you try not to cry, you don’t want to make matters awkward with him. As if on cue, Aemond starts to stir up and you start caressing his hairs, wanting him to be as relaxed as possible. His lonely eye stares owlishly at you for a moment, before he finds his bearings and his head whips around to find Osferth
“Good morning lovely - you smile - Os is cooking breakfast”
“Good morning” he answers, trying not to show you how awkward he feels after last night
“Did you sleep well?” 
It’s not like you are trying to ignore the elephant you know he believes is in the room, you just want to show him that it’s ok that last night nothing happened between you three. 
He doesn’t look surprised that you are not angry at his perceived failure, he is insecure about what he is supposed to do, though. Should he pretend nothing happened? Or would it be better for him to try and stake his claim, even though he is not sure he is ready? 
You keep talking and your hands are so very soothing on his scalp and hairs that following the conversation feels like the most normal thing in the world, after a failed attempt at a threesome, so he keeps talking to you, even letting his hands dart to the soft skin of your back to caress the dip of your spine, like he is not utterly and completely clueless on what to do, for the first time in his life.
He doesn’t even know how the subject has moved to Osferth’s job
“You are positive that what he does is legal, right?” he asks
“I do Aemond or I wouldn’t have chosen him for myself. He and his friends solve problems, that doesn’t sound so ominous”
“No, it just sounds like what someone in the mob would do” you laugh at that but he is deadly serious
“They are helping people, not hurting them. I swear on my pets that everything is absolutely legal. He might come home a bit bruised sometimes, but nothing we should need a lawyer for”
In his head Aemond makes a note to keep a list of attorneys and physicians handy, if he decides to stay around.
He might still be on the fence about going steady with the two of you, but his traitor cock is more than eager to show you how happy he is. He hasn’t woken up hard and has no idea why he is sporting the erection of the century right now, when he is simply talking to you. In a panic he moves himself away from you, you let him but keep one hand light on his hip, telling him that everything is ok, as he stammers how sorry he is
“There’s nothing to feel sorry about. You are a young, healthy man, naked in a bed with a woman, who happens to be naked as well. That’s physiology for you” you say calmly.
He doesn’t know how to respond, he wants to convey that he respects you and is truly interested in the conversation and that this is beyond his control; only a frustrated “Hmm” leaves his lips as he turns on his back and throws an arm over his face. You decide to respect the distance he has put between you, curling your arm back against your own torso
“Aemond, do you want me to go?” you ask confused on what to do, preferring to have a cue from him.
He doesn’t answer with his words, but the way he whips his head around to stare at you says all
“Please don’t go, raqiarzy - the ‘beloved’ in High Valyrian leaves his lips without his control - stay” he begs.
He doesn’t want you to leave, and doesn't want to take matters in his own hands under the icy cold spray of the shower, as he would usually do. On the other hand, he is not sure of what he needs, the ghost of his only sexual experience looming in his head and the pain of his engorged cock all too real.
“Talk to me Aemond - you say gently, never stopping staring into his eye - tell me how I can help you”.
The problem being, he has no idea how you can help. The animal part of him, the dragon, is screaming in his head to take your hand and show you how he usually does it, the scared thirteen year old just wants to cry in your arms until his erection fades. He is so tired of having to live with what that woman had done to him, he wants to be able to sleep with you like a man would, he wants it but he is so afraid.
Aemond closes his eye and hangs his head in defeat and you will have none of that. Gently you lift his chin and then cup his cheeks, mindful of the scar, letting only your foreheads touch
“Stare at me, my love - your tone gentle but firm, he obeys - I want to help you but I don’t know how. I don’t want to force you into anything that might hurt you, but I don’t know what to do. Help me help you, please” you beg
“You’ll never hurt me - he says, voice small - even if you tried”.
You want to kiss him for that and you will, when you don’t feel like any of your moves would push him in a direction he doesn’t want to go, so you beam at him and caress his cheeks, trying to convey all the love you have for him in the small gesture. He just stares at you with intent, taking your features in until you see a small shift in his expression, as if he has evaluated something, all the pros and cons and has finally made a decision.
Aemond turns his head and kisses the closes palm he can find, his eye closed and expression unreadable, until the mask drops and the unsecure young man appears
“Will you help me? - his cheeks redden but he needs to soldier on or he’ll never find the courage again - I’m not sure I can go all the way, but you can help, right?” he looks so lost you want to go to find his brother and that woman and have a go at them for hurting him so
“I will - you smile, far less calm that you try to convey - may I kiss you first?”
His “Yes” is a breathless whisper, when you ask him if you can use your tongue he nods eagerly and you are beyond positive that whomever has said that consent isn’t sexy, doesn’t have the slightest idea of what sexy is.
The kiss is slow and messy, you can hear him moan as your tongue enters his mouth; on instinct only he grabs your hips, his fingers sinking in the soft skin there with need but he says “Sorry” after your lips leave his and you tell him not to be.
You let him explore you with shaky hands; he treats you with a reverence only Osferth has shown you, like you are made of glass and he is afraid he might hurt you. You want to tell him that he can be rougher, that you can take whatever he wants to throw at you, but you don’t want to scare him away, even when your pussy hurts and you have to stop your hands from wandering to the apex of your tights.
“Raqiarzy - he begs, his eye glossy - help me”
“How do you want me? Do you want me to use my mouth?” you pray that woman hasn’t done that to him
“Yes, please” he says brokenly
“We can stop whenever you want - you stop for a second -  say red if you want me to stop, just say the word and not even the Gods themselves will force me to continue. If I am overwhelming you and want me to go slower, say yellow; green is for when you want me to keep going because everything is fine” you say and he answers a small “Yes”, he blushes and stutters when he tells you that you can touch him everywhere but he begs you not to hold his wrist and not to put your whole weight on him, as if you are stopping him from moving away. The hatred you feel for Aegon and the sex worker burns into you like wildflames, but he doesn’t need this now, he needs love.
You have been kissing all over his body and are just now sucking the delicate skin of the inside of his right tight, when Osferth arrives.
He is stunned by the sight in front of him: Aemond naked and hard tossing his head from one side to the other, his back arched as your lips are going everywhere but where he needs you desperately. He clears his throat, unsure if the other man wants him here or not. You stop your ministration but keep caressing the tight you were kissing, Aemond’s eye shots open, burning inside Osferth’s for a second as long as a century. Aemond knows this moment is pivotal, in his head is either all or nothing and decides for the leap of faith. He has trusted you with so much; you trust Osferth and the other has been nothing but patient with him and then again, you trust him, why shouldn’t he, at this point? Has he ever been unworthy of your trust, or his? The only answer Aemond can give is no, therefore he extends his hand to the other man, even though he is trembling on the inside, fear and desire battling in his chest. Osferth quickly stares between the two of you and then sits on the bed, hoping to appear more calm than he feels. You quickly tell him what Aemond has asked you and he agrees, Aemond tries to chirp in, but his brain is too scrambled and slips into High Valyrian without even noticing. You sit up and exchange a long stare with Osferth; neither of you know the language, how are you supposed to understand the word red?
Without hovering too much, Osferth delicately grabs Aemond’s sharp chin to have him stare into his eyes, asking him gently to tell the two of you the terms in High Valyrian for red, yellow and green; Aemond needs a second to collect his thoughts, having to force himself to shift from one language to another, with an herculean effort he answers, adding the words for yes, no and please.
“Raqiarzy kostilus” please he begs, torn between need and courage slipping from his fingers. He needs, needs, needs you but fear is crawling up his spine and uncertainty and his mind is spiraling.
“Look at me - Osferth’s voice is the anchor he needs - look at our beautiful lover. You are here with us, with her. Nothing bad will happen to you; tell us your color”
“Qeldlie” he sobs.
Yellow, go slow. You can work with that, you think as you start your ministrations again, kissing the delicate skin of his tights, trying to bring him back to pleasure.
Aemond’s hands are grabbing Osferth’s arm and soft T-shirt, his eye open as the other man stares calmly at him, telling him he can close his eye if he wants, to only feel your lips on his body, that he is here to keep him safe and Aemond slowly slips back to that place where his body’s needs take over the constant scream in his head, where fear and shame have no place, where his instincts take the wheel over his memories, where he is free to scream “kasta”, green, before his brain shuts down completely. Where he can grab furiously at Osferth’s gray T-shirt as pleasure envelops him to force his lips over the other man’s because he is feeling too much and needs an anchor or he will not know what to do with his trashing body, as your tongue and lips give him a pleasure he’d never believed possible.
You have to pin his hips to the bed or he’ll break your nose as you swallow him down your throat, ready to finish him off; he comes down your throat taking you by surprise and you choke and cough as his body is ravaged by pleasure. The millisecond you are again in control of yourself, you start licking him clean, prolonging his orgasm until you can feel Osferth’s hand in your hair, grabbing your tresses so he can smash his mouth against yours in a heated kiss; yes, he needs to know what Aemond tastes like, if he is lucky he’ll sample from the source one day, for now he needs this to tide himself over.
You and Osferth lie by Aemond’s side, who is still trying to come back to this world and his body; when his brain feels not as scrambled eggs as it was before, he is surprised to feel this good. A small part of him was afraid to feel the shame he had at thirteen but he doesn’t. He carefully tries to gauge his own emotions and what he feels is the exhilaration of being drunk, a sense of lightness of the good kind, where the constant gloom of his own thoughts is not on the forefront, for the first time in his life. His whole body feels heavy and tired, like after a long fencing session, even opening his eye feels like a challenge. 
He can feel you and Osferth at his sides, your hand on his shoulder, Osferth’s on his hip; he can hear your labored breaths and your combined warmths mingling with his as he tries to answer when you ask him how he feels; he needs a couple of tries before he can croak out a lonely “good”. He is normally capable of complete phrases, but his brain is still trying to rewire itself. If he is reduced to this just by your mouth, what will happen after the whole deal? Speechless for a week? 
He can hear Osferth moving and then standing up while saying neither of you should move, as if he can. He feels you burrow your head against his neck with a long sigh and the knowledge pierces through him
“I didn’t help you, you know… finish” he says embarrassed
“Not a problem” 
“It is! I should have…” he tries but you just put a finger on his mouth
“This was about you, not me - you say propping your head on your hand - seeing you embrace pleasure the way you did was better than any orgasm”.
His face reddens at your words and even more after Osferth tells him this is a fight he is not going to win.
The other man sits on the bed, putting a couple of cotton cloths and a pitcher of water on the nightstand as you roll on your back. Before starting cleaning the mess on your face and bosom he reaches out for Aemond’s eyepatch and adjusts it: with all the trashing the thing is partially askew and Osferth doesn’t want it to fall off. Aemond, whose first instinct had been not letting Osferth touch the leather, feels his heart beam at the kind gesture.
Aemond stares with interest as Osferth is cleaning you with gentle touches and realizes that’s his seed staining your skin; he knows he should feel embarrassed he has debased you so, but the new part of him, the one still basking in the endorphins, rejoices and wants to see you stained like this again. As if on cue, Osferth winks at him saying a curt “good stuff” and Aemond finds himself nodding, feeling his brain going back to that good place where his body commands, not his mind. With ferocious curiosity he follows Osferth’s hands with his eye, as the man finishes washing away seed and perspiration. You moan when the soft cotton comes in contact with your swollen, wet lips and Aemond holds his breath as Osferth opens your lips to delicately wipe you clean but stops before doing anything. Instead he stares at Aemond and asks casually
“Do you want to learn something new?”
“Osferth don’t push it” but he shushes you
“Yes,” Aemond answers.
Probably he has seen the act in the brothel, but there everything felt like staining his eyes and soul, here he doesn’t feel dirty, doesn’t feel like the Gods have abandoned him. It feels like they are blessing him.
“Good - Osferth says propping your legs over his shoulders, positioning himself so that you can’t wriggle away - the trick is to make sure she has nowhere to go. The pleasure is going to make her try and squirm away because it is too much; don’t let yourself be fooled, if she truly wants to stop she’ll use her safeword. Me and you have a great advantage: our big noses, they come in handy in this situation. Third thing, she likes it sloppy so use your tongue all you want”.
With that Osferth dives between your legs and starts eating you like he is a man starved and you are his only meal. You scream and try to get away and he just pushes your hips more firmly against his face, keeping you there, at his mercy. Your upper body curves and your legs kick violently against his back as Aemond watches transfixed as you are being thrown face first into pleasure. You beg already, your hands crawling at the sheets and he just stares at the way Osferth eats you out, trying to memorize everything the other man does. You call both their names and Aemond is there, his forehead against yours, asking if you need to use your safeword, but you are too far gone and just scratch and kiss his skin until you come with tears in your eyes. Osferth lets you ride your orgasm against his face; when he feels your tremors subside, he makes a quick work of his tracksuit, freeing his cock. He just needs a couple of strokes to come on your trembling belly, before falling face first on the bed. Aemond can feel his cock trying valiantly to get hard again, but his body is still trying to process his own orgasm and he settles into drying your tears as you try to catch your breath.
This time it is Aemond who delicately washes your skin with long strokes and trembling hands, treating you like a treasure he has to handle with care, staring with naked love and respect in his eye. When you ask him if everything is alright with him, he kisses you forehead and then your nose
“That was educational” he says
“Good or bad?” you are so afraid Osferth might have traumatized him but the way he stares at you tells you another story altogether
“Great,” he answers, his emotions a maelström of the good kind.
You can hear Osferth’s laugh as he cleans himself with the other towel. Aemond knows, right this moment, that he is not going to go anywhere, the two of you are struck with him, for as long as you want him. He knows there’s still so much work he has to do on himself, that his trauma is not miraculously gone, but you make him believe that there’s a path he can follow to a better place.
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