#there is still hope

[ineloquent-tumbling]

I was driving up to a friend’s for the weekend on Friday and nearly broke down in tears because I saw a billboard on the side of a southern highway. It had the same yellow background with red text that those awful, ubiquitous “Jesus Saves!” billboards have. I nearly missed it.

It said:

“Rejoice! God loves trans kids!”

#sd.txt #there’s still good people in the world #there is still hope #trans #gender is bullshit

[akindplace]

Things take time. Change takes time, so does healing. But it’s okay, because we’re still here and we still have time. None of it was a waste. There is still hope, let your heart be full of it. ❤️‍🩹🌱

#on hope #on being human #there is still time #there is still hope #reminder #original writing

[stedefxckingbonnet]

hello hello! i don’t think i’ve seen anything like this yet, so may i request izzy x gn!reader who’s a bit insecure?

maybe they struggle with body image or something and izzy is basically like “how are they so blind??” but he struggles to express it because he’s never had to be so soft for anyone?

of course, ignore it if you’re not comfortable with it! :)

Hi, everyone!!

So, it's been a while. And I mean, a while. Longer than I wanted to step away from writing, and I never really wanted to step away from it in the first place but some stuff happened and yada yada. But I'm truly, truly hoping to be back and writing again to some capacity, I have truly missed writing for Izzy and for you all and I feel as though the world needs Izzy Hands content now more than ever! I truly do hope to be back.

I hope you don't mind that I put my own spin onto this, anon! You provided the lovely central plot and idea, and I simply provided an atmosphere and story to go with. Body image/insecurity is something I struggle with too, no matter how many times people tell me that I am beautiful, and I tried to channel that in this one. I am also not trying to send the message that other people's validation is what can make a person feel better about themself! I am more so trying to convey that the one(s) we love can often show us things about ourselves that we didn't know were there or didn't see before, and that they help us to love and appreciate these things about ourselves, and ourselves in general. You all who are reading this are so, so wonderful and beautiful and extraordinary even if you have a hard time believing it, and maybe your comfort character can help you to believe it a bit more in this little fic♡

Anyhow, please, request! Don't hesitate! My messages are also always open for anyone who needs anything but also just to say hi or talk about anything really. Thank you all for your everlasting support, patience, and kindness especially through my sort of absence ♡ Also, please, if I have used your gif or you know who created it, please credit yourself or them! I am not always good at figuring that sort of stuff out, but I want to give credit where credit is due. Have a wonderful day (or night), everyone!

Love,

Lavinia

What I See | Izzy Hands x Reader

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, slight swearing, struggles with body image and insecurity, very direct izzy (in a good, affectionate way but may be inaccurate ish? but i believe it isn't)

Word Count: 2525

"I just don't understand it!" the first mate angrily threw his hands up in the air. "I just don't understand why Bonnet is dragging us to one of those stupid...fancy people gatherings."

You couldn't help but laugh at such a sight, seeing Izzy Hands so distraught, though his usual cloud of anguish didn't seem to surround him. This was different, something you couldn't exactly place, but it was endearing nonetheless. "A ball, you mean?" your lips curled into a playful smile.

"I don't care what it's called," Izzy grumbled. "All I know is that I don't want to be there."

"It could be fun!" you suggested, your smile growing larger.

"Has Bonnet brainwashed you somehow?" Izzy rolled his eyes, but for just a moment, maybe, you could have sworn you saw a smile on the first mate's visage.

"If worse comes to worse, there'll be plenty of alcohol to drink," you laughed, softly squeezing Izzy's shoulder. Subtle touches like these between the two of you were second nature, almost instinctual, yet you were certain Izzy didn't make much of it and plainly saw them as something friendly. You almost sighed at such a thought.

And perhaps you had your own motives for wanting to drag Israel Hands along to such an event. Perhaps it gave you an excuse to hold him close to you without him suspecting a single thing, just that it was all custom meant to be followed in such a setting. You thought maybe, just maybe, it would be the opportune night to spend some more time with Izzy, just the two of you in the moonlight, dancing and chatting the night away, cheek to cheek...

"Fancy people alcohol," Izzy groaned in response, snapping you out of your daydream, to which luckily, he didn't notice you had slipped into in the first place.

"It's better than nothing," you rolled your eyes playfully. "Now, come on. Bonnet's got some fabrics for us to borrow, he says. I've come to fetch you," you now smiled teasingly.

"Oh, joy!" Izzy exclaimed sarcastically, yet he still followed your lead.

The only reason he was even remotely tolerating the night ahead was to be able to find himself closer to you, away from the chaos of The Revenge and all else it had to offer. Spending a night with you wouldn't be dreadful in the slightest for Izzy, and had you not been attending at all, he wouldn't even hesitate to let Ed and Stede go off to this awful event by themselves. But even Stede knew that your presence was enough to get Izzy to agree to such a thing, and really, what could be more convincing than you?

Before Izzy could comprehend it, your figure was wrapped in an ethereal ensemble. You studied yourself in the mirror, a frown naturally falling upon your face, though it quickly faltered as he came into view.

By the sea gods, you looked astonishing. Izzy already knew you would be the most bewitching of the ball, and that perhaps he would have to compete with other awful suitors of high society to even just get a moment alone with you. He almost became troubled at the thought, but your unmatched beauty was enough to distract him from such a notion. You had taken his breath away and this wasn't exactly a feeling he was used to, though it wasn't one that he disliked. No, not at all. In fact, he could get used to this, and he wanted to. Even though his own reflection stood right before him, he couldn't take his eyes off of you. He never could have fathomed until he met you that someone could be so breathtaking, so...alluring.

But all you were thinking about is how your clothing seemed to accentuate all of the wrong features, in your eyes.

'And the color—it washes me out, doesn't it?' you thought to yourself, almost fighting back tears.

Finally, Izzy spoke, though he immediately regret doing so. "Will you be comfortable?" He almost began to scold himself. 'That's all you have to say? This attractive person is standing right beside you and that's all you can manage to say?'

"Oh, yes. I've got plenty of moving room," you assured him, doing your best to step out of your own head for a moment. You even tried to shoot him a convincing smile. "I'll be just fine."

Finally, your eyes wandered over to his image, instead of focusing either at your own reflection or onto the ground. You felt your face becoming warm as you caught a glimpse of the man before you—how he was transformed, yet, still the Izzy Hands you knew and loved. Only elevated, and even more enchanting than usual. Your jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"What? I look fucking dumb, don't I?" Izzy laughed annoyedly.

"No! No, Izzy, you look..."

Before you could finish your statement, Stede rushed in. "You two ready to go? Oh, look at the two of you! You look divine!"

You looked over at Izzy, sending a supportive, yet spirited smile his way. Izzy couldn't help but return the sentiment as the two of you were ushered off of the ship and into another realm unbeknownst to the both of you.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Some of the sweetest melodies you had ever heard began to surround you as you stepped into the ornately decorated room. You could hardly believe how much space there was in just one part of this residence, and that it was dedicated for dancing and other sorts of happenings similar to these. Before you knew it, for just a moment, you succumbed to your wonder of what having a life like this would entail, though you were quickly reminded of your distaste towards it when you saw a woman weeping and being chased out of the room by a man screaming extreme obscenities toward her. You and Izzy slowly looked toward one another in disbelief, the both of you fighting off laughter.

"It's not too late to get out of here," Izzy whispered.

You rolled your eyes with that same familiar grin this action always seemed to come with. "We're hardly even here."

Defeated, Izzy sighed and slumped against a wall, though quickly coming off it as soon as he spotted Stede glaring daggers at him from across the room. Another sigh escaped his lips, and you burst into a fit of laughter, unable to contain yourself. As annoyed as Izzy was at what just happened, your laughter was an antidote, and he was certainly taking it in.

Though, his newfound smile quickly faltered when he noticed a handsome stranger eyeing you from a few feet away. But you didn't even notice that someone else had noticed you—you only cared if the man in front of you had, and he seemed to be occupied by something else.

"Iz?" you asked in confusion. "What is it?"

Without another word, Izzy motioned his head to the side, to which you finally noticed the attention of another that you had captured.

"And?" you shook your head, unsure of what Izzy had been insinuating.

"He wants to dance with you," Izzy pointed out, rolling his eyes without realizing. "And you should have some fun. Don't let me hold you back."

You opened your mouth to speak in protest, but quickly closed it once again. How would you admit, in the midst of a stuffy room with a plethora of people you don't know who are all dancing and speaking at the top of their lungs, that all you had looked forward to this evening was to sharing a dance with Izzy Hands and no one else? That it was the only reason you even considered forcing yourself into an outfit that made you feel bad about yourself, even worse than you already do, and surrounding yourself with a million strangers whilst doing it? The thought alone sounded like a nightmare, but with Izzy by your side, it sounded like a dream come true. But Izzy was pushing you toward this stranger before you could comprehend it, and then you watched Izzy's figure disappear slowly into the distance as you were whisked away.

"I've never seen you here before," the stranger pointed out. "And if I had, I think I'd remember a beautiful person such as yourself."

These words made your insides twist. Your companion spoke with sincerity, but you couldn't bring yourself to believe it. 'He's just being polite,' you told yourself, brushing it off.

"It's been a few years," you lied, not wanting to blow your cover, or especially Stede's cover, as you were sure he wasn't exactly welcomed back into an environment such as this. "I don't usually speak to many."

"Well, isn't it my lucky day then?" he laughed. "No one here even compares to you. You are something special. What did you say your name was?"

But before the perhaps unlucky stranger knew it, you were nowhere to be found. You kept running until your environs became darker, and the moon was your only source of light. You leaned against the railing of a balcony, your vision blurred by tears. You flinched upon feeling a hand on your shoulder, but quickly relaxed once you noticed out of your periphery that it was none other than Izzy's touch.

"Did he offend you? I swear, I'll have his head before he can even fucking think of using it again—"

"No, no. He didn't. It's fine, really," you shrugged, blinking back tears to the best of your ability. But even the darkness of the night failed to hide your misery. Izzy softened upon noticing your state.

"What is it?" he asked, concern dripping from his voice as he looked at you intently. You stared at your hands gripping the railing, but you quickly tore your eyes away from that sight and stared out into the night.

"I—This is why I didn't want to come tonight!" you exclaimed.

"You—but you were so—"

"Excited? Yeah, right," you laughed sadly, shaking your head.

"What is it?" Izzy repeated, worry written all over his face. "Are you sure I don't need to behead anyone?"

Another laugh escaped you. "No, Izzy. He—he said I was beautiful. That's not a crime."

"He wasn't wrong," Izzy shrugged, a small smile making its way onto his face. With this, you couldn't help but meet Izzy's eyes, and you couldn't help but return a smile. Though quickly, it vanished, and your original demeanor overtook you once again.

"He was though," you protested. "This is why I don't like coming to these things. Squeezing myself into these clothes."

"I know these clothes are a bit ridiculous," Izzy laughed. "But yet you still manage to be so...beautiful."

Your heart began to do pirouettes inside your chest. For once in your life, part of you believed such a statement could be directed toward yourself. But Izzy could see the plagued expression on your face.

"You don't believe me?"

You shook your head as you finally allowed tears to fall down your face and drip onto your chest. Izzy frowned and took a few steps closer to you so as to gently wipe away your tears with his thumb, though his hand lingered for a moment longer, caressing your cheek as he was about to speak.

"You could be covered in dirt and I'd still find you beautiful," Izzy assured you. "You know, when I first saw you, I knew even then that you were. And you become more so every single day. You are the most enchanting person I've ever crossed paths with and laid my eyes upon. And there's so many things about the world I find are awful to have to experience and look at, but not you. You're the opposite of everything that's wrong with the world."

Sobs escaped your chest as you fell into Izzy's arms, to which he instinctively caught you, engulfing you carefully in his arms. He softly wrapped his fingers in your hair as he held you. 'I am holding the world in my arms right now,' he thought to himself, and thank the sea gods your face was buried into the crook of his neck and you couldn't see the grin that conquered his lips.

As for you, you never believed it when anyone else said these sorts of things to you. You found it impossible to believe these things about yourself; there were even days where you'd purposefully avoid any sort of reflective surface just to ensure that you don't break down. Sometimes, you couldn't even bear to look at yourself. But hearing Izzy declaring all of this to you—for the first time, perhaps you would actually be able to believe it.

Your silence made beads of sweat form atop Izzy's temple, but he didn't dare let you go to wipe them away. You clung onto him tighter, which only thawed Izzy's heart even more. He couldn't believe all that he just said, even though it was all true, and your lack of a response made his heart race even more.

"You are beautiful," Izzy repeated as he melted into your embrace, and embraced the shared silence. Something about it was comforting in a way he had never experienced before. If he could, he would exist in this moment forever.

Finally, you slowly pulled away, though your hands still clung onto the first mate's arms, and your faces were a short distance away from one another. At the same time, the two of you leaned in to close said distance between the two of you, and all bits of yearning, desire, love, and desperation poured out into this moment. Even without Izzy's words, he had already managed to make you feel lovely in every way even just by him being around. He was the one person who managed to help you see what was so amazing about yourself. You quickly melted into the sudden collision of your lips and he kissed you with a fervor that you had been craving from him for as long as you could remember. You smiled against his lips, and once air became scarce, the two of you simultaneously sought it. Once you both pulled apart for air, a collective joyous laugh filled both of your ears.

"I only wanted to come to this stupid thing because you'd be here," you admitted, and you were sure your cheeks were as red as the roses in the garden that surrounded you.

Izzy couldn't help but smile. "I wasn't going to come until Bonnet mentioned you would be. I meant what I said, you know. You are beautiful, and I'm sorry, but you're fucking dumb if you don't see that."

You threw your head back as you laughed before meeting Izzy's gaze once again. "You are so beautiful," Izzy repeated once again, all teasing aside to show his sincerity. You reached for his hand and squeezed it tenderly as the two of you looked out into nighttime, but all Izzy could focus on was how even more ravishing you looked as the moon illuminated your face.

#ofmd #our flag means death #izzy hands #ofmd season 2 #x reader #izzy hands my beloved #izzy hands x reader #fanfic #ofmd izzy hands #renew as a crew #guys i still have hope for a season 3 because of the petitions and renew as a crew stuff on twitter okay #there is still hope #or else i will cry every day #requests are open #request #please request #anon request #im back bitches #and i missed you all so much

[human837]

Christan Borle has 4 more chances to get up on the Gutenberg stage and hand Andrew Rannells a broadway contract before it's too late

#there is still hope #he needs to make an appearance #gutenberg the musical #andrew rannells #musicals #christian borle #josh gad

[absurda-h]

“Come sleep with me: We won't make love, love will make us.”

— Julio Cortázar

#on love #poetry #excerpts #absurda-h #yours #there is still hope

[scandalousscarlet83]

Today, at the age of 39, I went on my first actual date with a woman. I've known since I was 6 that I was bi/pan. My point is that you still have time. It's never too late. What you're looking for will find you.

#me mine #me #me txt #me text #scarlet speaks #wlw #there is still hope #it is never too late #bisexual #pansexual #words #silly little thoughts

[cipher26]

Last thought before I have to go to bed and wake up in 3 hours…

I actually like how we got here. At the end of last episode it felt like Matt gave them other options besides revisiting VM, and they took that to heart. They did actually explore those options and ask around in this episode, and none of them were viable. Hell, Imogen even messaged Delilah (I’ll unpack that later), and all we got from that interaction was that time is running out.

But I like that they didn’t just commit to Keyleth right away, they did try to ask other people, and those people just didn’t have the answers. It felt like Keyleth was the only choice left.

And at first I had thought Matt was trying to steer them away from that, but honestly it makes sense from a story standpoint. Orym knows and trusts her, it ties into Laudna’s backstory, and it’s relevant to the moon plot. Keyleth is involved somehow, that we know from the attempt on her life. And also, she just was in Vasselheim? That could be related to the moon stuff and the secret texts! This meetup could very well go beyond just saving Laudna, and that’s why it’s so good. It doesn’t feel cheap, or feel like a cop out, it feels earned and relevant to the story.

And I really think if Matt didn’t want them going this route, he would have given them other viable options.

Okay that’s it for now. So much to process and unpack, but I have to be up in 3 hours for a long ass day. PHEW.

#glad i stayed up for this one though #there is still hope #and oh what poetic justice to be brought back by VM #after losing her life because of them #GOD #critical role #laudna #keyleth #vox machina #bell’s hells #imogen temult #voice of the tempest #keyleth of the air ashari #whitestone #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers

[nychthemeron-rants]

Reminder that we need to keep hope about the world. If we lose hope, then we'll be dooming ourselves to face the fate we all fear. Apathy does nothing but seals our fates. It sucks, its hard, but for the love of god, keep hope, keep fighting for change, and keep working towards a brighter future.

#there is still hope #there fucking is #its grim #its serious #but there is fucking hope #and constantly focusing on the bad and freaking yourself and others out to the point of hopelessness is not productive #all it does is play into the wishes of the people making the world this shitty #climate change #climate crisis #climate hope #anti capitalist #anti genocide #hope

[aniah-who]

psalm of the soul.

//night seasons//

here i've been wondering if there's anything left of me.

i realize now that Satan has been getting the best of me.

they tell you to get up when you've been down for so long.

but what is a fast recovery when the trauma's of the soul?

unanswered questions discourage me every single day;

my lips have become so numb that i've forgotten how to pray.

i've hit rock bottom, a place i'd never thought to be.

and unless God delivers, this will be the end of me.

'how did i end up here?', is the question on my mind.

unrepentant sin has added up over time.

my boyfriend tells me i'm beautiful and i can't help but cringe,

because the outside may be pleasant, but it's a terrifying within.

this is where i've been lately; i have to be honest.

Lord, please, remember me, and please, remember your promise.

#night photography #night #night seasons #poem #poetry club #poetry #christian poems #christian poetry #rhyme poem #moon #pain #spiritual warfare #spiritual attacks #God help me #psalms #crying for help #Jesus #depression #hope #there is still hope #please dont give up #dont give up #hang on to hope #have faith #dont lose hope #jesus please #sin kills #turn away from sin #god help us all #god hears

[darealsaltysam]

mascot horror is SO back y’all

#THERE IS STILL HOPE #THANK U DREAD XP #the fact that they also published sucker for love AND the mortuary assistant???? #actually reinventing indie horror (i know sfl isnt horror shhhhh) #this post is about #amanda the adventurer #and #my friendly neighborhood #tho

[ineffag-swag]

The fnaf movie was fun but it would have been better if there was toxic old man yuri divorce in it if you know what I'm talking about

#fnaf movie #fnaf #there is still hope #<- actually no

[the-sea-anemone]

my thesis supervisor: please please please keep your chapters under 30 pages

me glancing nervously at the chapter, 25 pages in and still not done: *jaws music*

#grad school #there is still hope #i mean. not a lot of it but it's maybe still technically possible?

[ocdhuacheng]

Anyway I’ve been super busy so I haven’t been posting about csm that much but trust me I be Thinking it anyway I love nayuta and denji so much this last chapter did not go how I thought it was going to go which is probably a good thing bc I was expecting close to the worst but that’s not exactly saying much bc denji is currently being made into a pincushion. Or maybe Jesus.

#wailing. #anyway. anyway. #I just love nayuta I’m so proud of her so much #also denji was like. not chill exactly but not as snapped as I thought he was gonna be considering the last chapter. l #THERE IS STILL HOPE #um anyway I need to reread it again tho once things calm down so I can start rotating it more thoroughly in my brain #.txt #csm #denji #cc

[becoming-thebest]

#keep going #there is still hope #Good days are coming

[ananaslices]

thoughts on susan pevensie

i haven't read the narnia books, but i know what happens to susan in the last battle.

i am a christian. i grew up in church and even now i serve. i still go to service. i pray. i read the bible. i search God because i need a truth. the fact that cs lewis poured his christian values in this story is basically the reason why i decided to watch the movies in the first place (because i hadn't seen them as a child. my mother wouldn't allow me). so, let me put some light into the topic from my perspective as a christian

i relate to the pevensies (especially peter) A LOT in the sense that i am sent to "fight." i have tasks to do at church, and i serve with the children, in the worship group, etc. furthermore, my grandpa is the pastor, so, in a sense, i feel like the "two sons of adam and two daughter of eve," who are the chosen ones, the children from the prophecy. they are thrown into a battle and then made rulers of a whole country, being only children. narnia doesn't wait for them to be ready, narnia gets them ready.

but then, they are simply taken away from narnia. their kingdom. the kingdom they ruled over and loved so much. they are thrown into the bodies they had outgrown. and, after a whole year of trying to adapt to the place they once called home, they are dragged into it again, into the ruins of their home, into a new battle, only to have the eldest siblings banned from it because they are too old.

this is when susan comes in.

remember that scene where she tells lucy that she's glad to be back to narnia, in the prince caspian film, "while it lasts"???

that scene hurts. susan wants to see aslan, she wants to find God, and i totally relate to that. but no. lucy is the one to see aslan, and only for a second. all the other siblings have left is some kind of hope, some kind of faith that they'll see aslan, eventually.

but after their adventure ends, she will never see aslan, the great lion, again. she can't go back to narnia. she's too old. now she has to fight her own battles back "home." she has to find God the way other humans have to. she can't go back to the place she really feels home.

is that even fair? can we judge her for having stop believing? is she condemned not to see her siblings again? i don't believe that. i believe that, in her struggle (through her struggle), she might find God, and become a friend of narnia once again, and go to aslan's country after her death.

her siblings' death is not a punishment. it just happened because God allowed it. it's not like He said, "oh, I'll kill Susan's siblings to show her that she's doesn't have to wear make up." i don't know about cs lewis, but, as a christian, that is not how i believe God works. she just wasn't there with them because they were talking about narnia, but they were there and, i don't know why, there was an accident. they died. death is not an argument against God's existance or God's kindness.

what might make a christian like me, or like susan, doubt God's existance is the fact that it hurts to believe. susan can't think of narnia because the memories hurt, the fact that she can't go back hurts. the fact that she has something that feels real at the moment (make up or whatever things they mention in the books) soothes that pain -- that's the only truth she can hold on to at the moment. that's what she can see.

sometimes it's better to believe that it is all a lie, or a dream, or a fantasy, or an illusion, because truth can't hurt that much, right?

#that's where jesus comes in #note that i said she can still find God in the middle of her pain #when we are at our lowest #we can only look up #we can still find light #there is still hope #narnia #chronicles of narnia #the last battle #susan pevensie #thoughts #narnia spoilers #christianism #opinion #narnia meta #mine

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Okay I will shut up about my opinions with Portwell for the rest of the season. Whatever happens happens. But if they are paralleling HSM2 like they have so far they will break up at prom and get back together in the finale and it will be super cute. If it’s not paralleling HSM2 then everything will just go to hell basically.

#i know my comments have been super annoying #after watching HSM2 to refresh my memory i realized its super similar #and troyella had the summer from hell but in the end ended happy #so there is hope #fingers crossed #hsmtmts #portwells virtual air hug #there is still hope #im expecting only good things