#while the guardians are learning to love and accept themselves

[crazynerdandproud]

I was really not expecting Will Poulter to be Adam Warlock. He was such a fun little guy. Also the catalyst for his redemption arc being the little creature he adopted. Like. The sovereign told him to kill it. He was committing blasphemy by keeping it. But like the sovereign said he is more or less just a kid. And already he is going against everything the High Evolutionary is going for. He finds a “lower life form” and bonds with it. He loves this creature for what it is, not what it could be. And that is in direct contrast to the High Evolutionary. The moment he decided to care for and protect the little guy was the moment it becomes evident that he will be a good guy.

#like yes his mothers death obviously affected him #but the core of it all was his love of this little strange looking thing #and when groot saves him despite his previous actions #he is confused at the kindness of this stranger #and basically the thing that makes him decide to be one of the good guys #to stay and be a guardian of the galaxy #is love #while the guardians are learning to love and accept themselves #he is learning just what love truly is #while the high evolutionary is without it #and kraglin #when Yondu briefly showed up and told him it’s all about heart #Kraglin was able to fully control the arrow and almost single handedly take out the things attacking knowhere because he cared #because he loved the people there #I have a lot of feeling a about this movie #gotg spoilers #guardians of the galaxy spoilers #when yondu showed up in that brief second I start crying (again) #a lot of tears were shed during this movie

[spacedlexi]

i just think a "friended/romanced + saved + trust aj" violet does such a good job rounding out the plot and characters of S4 and i dont say that lightly

she walls people off out of fear just like S3 clem did and learned to grow out of through the compassion of others. feeling like she could have done more to save minnie being what initially makes her step up to lead, but her accepting her love for clem (and clem choosing to save her) is what leads to her Truly accepting the school and everyone inside it as her Home and gives her something to fight for ("i tried my damnedest not to care about either of you. and i still couldnt tell you why." "i know where youre coming from. after losing so many people, sometimes its easier to keep everyone at arms length." "and then you wonder why you fight so hard to stay alive. i dont wonder anymore."). this being the reasoning behind violets detachment from the school, as well as a negative home life impacting her idea of what a home even was. but together they turn ericson from a prison into the home theyve BOTH been looking for, renaming it together, and envisioning it for the future together. the two of them understand each other deeply, from what theyve lost to how its affected them and the poor ways theyve decided to react to it. but through their support of the other, they BOTH get to evolve into more relaxed and confident versions of themselves, who know Exactly what theyre fighting for

her troubled relationship with brody and getting to learn more about what happened with the twins/violets reaction to it and how she ultimately blames herself/brodys guilt about her part in it and how she misses violet. getting the chance to mend that relationship before its too late. the 3 of them becoming closer because of it. and getting to develop clems friendship with brody leads to a more impactful moment later in the basement

her relationship with tenn reflecting clems relationship with aj, in the way they both made the decision to look after their respective boys after their primary guardians died (ajs parents, tenns sisters). both of them can understand the responsibilities they have taken upon themselves, and how hard it can be to do right. the 4 of them become a tight knit group quickly. especially in EP2 as vi supports clem while tenn supports aj through the marlon fiasco

her confused relationship with minerva introducing interesting conflict both within her relationship with clem (who has her own personal conflict with minerva, which vi still ties into through her relationship with both minnie and tenn) and the over arching plot, which has themes of learning when to let someone go because they are no longer who they once were (clem and lilly "we were family once", mitch about ms martin "you get all caught up in who people used to be, and you cant deal with whats in front of you", violet about minnie "the real minnie? shes been gone this whole time and i have to stop mourning her")

having a saved violet on the boat expanding the conversation with minerva about her motivations with the delta. violet apologizing for never looking for her, minnie saying she knows she would have but that its too late now, so sure this is just the way things have to be. getting to hear minnie say "you can be rewarded, just like i am", giving us insight into her character. and clem getting the last word before she rams the door down, her and violet fighting minnie Together. and violet saves clems life, making the Choice to shoot minerva, which in and of itself is a huge moment for violets character in regards to her relationship with both minnie And clem

and aj shooting tenn on the bridge brings things full circle, by putting violet in the same position louis was in EP2, where aj has killed the most important person to her, in an effort to save her life, and now she must reckon with those feelings the same way louis had to about marlon. not so easy now is it violet? ("so youre mad, but sad" "can i be that for a while?" "yeah, its ok")

just... ough... violets whole character just fits into Everything so well, but in a way that elevates the characters and plots around her, while also developing her into her own

#plus tenn dying with minnie feels like looking at a clem and aj Bad End and that feels intentional #and vi being there fighting minnie for tenns life....the boy she took it upon herself to look out for.. and losing him 😭 #ALSO i feel like the whole point of S4 is raising aj into someone clem trusts. like did you do a good job raising him or not?? #like through the decisions i made i Did naturally trust him in that cave. but after seeing other routes i can def see why some didnt #but even if clem doesnt trust him in that cave he still proves later in the barn that he knows when to make his own call #its more about what clem has to lose/how long it takes for her to trust aj. he knows what hes doing now. clem says as much #none of this is me saying picking louis' route is BAD. im just pointing out the ways violets works on so many levels for me #esp since the season is already so short. all of this really helps to flesh out the plot and side characters in those 4 eps #but anyway this is why i cant stand violet slander especially when people say she was underdeveloped compared to other characters #i just think youre not paying attention to her #but what else is new for female characters #twdg #it speaks

[what-the-fic-khr]

Hiiiii! Recently discovered your page and am currently enjoying scrolling through. Just saw your tea prompts and just wanted to request for Giotto with milk tea and/or pomegranate tea(your choice hehe) anyways, hope you have a nice day!

ahhhh I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog, thank you for checking my stuff out!! I chose to do both prompts but a little different; I had a really clear plan and story so I turned the two answers into a longer, more cohesive story combined instead of two separate scenarios. I hope that’s alright, and that you like it!! my first time doing so but I really wanted to write this out and the two prompts really fit well so,,, (side note, he’s so pretty in the manga…… adore him omg)

character/s: giotto, g, ugestu asari, reader-insert (gender-neutral)

word count: —

warnings: discussions of being chased and beating some dude up (a little bit), very minor injuries

prompt: tea prompts (milk tea, pomegranate tea)

milk tea; what are their kisses like?

I think his kisses are very gentle. soft. he’s always very soft; he’s never had a reason to be otherwise with his partner. he’s such a gentleman… so romantic. unless, of course…

His Guardians had been split up, and while he worried, he didn’t have to worry too much. They all knew how to fight, how to protect themselves.

You did not, however. You weren’t a fighter. So the fact you were not by his side…

Giotto and G straightened when some bushes to their left rustled, tense as they waited to see who would come out.

“Ahh, Giotto, G…! I finally found someone…!”

…unless, of course, he was really worried about your safety. if he could get you back in his arms, reassured you’re safe… I think that’s one of the very rare times he’d be anything but soft; he’d be firm and insistent, overwhelmed with his relief that you’re okay

“My dear!” Giotto took long strides to reach you and you preened when he took your cheeks into his gloved hands, lifting your face up gently. You let out a short, muffled noise when he kissed you, strong and firm. You made sure to relay your feelings in return, head tilting.

“You’re alright…” He spoke quietly, lips brushing yours as he did. You wrapped your arms up and around his torso, underneath his cloak so you could grip at his vest tightly. “And you’re hurt… I’m sorry.”

You shook your head, resting your chin on his chest gently so you could look up at him. “I’m okay… Just a few scrapes here and there. Ahh, I was being chased and it was scary…!”

You pulled back to show him the palms of your hands and G finally joined after giving you two a moment, eyeing over the scratches on your hands.

“I can’t fight, but… I broke off a branch and just.” You huffed softly and G had to stifle a snort. “Just… beat him over the head until I could run away again.”

Giotto released a soft breath, head tilting. “Good job, my love. You did well on your own, all things considered.” He took your hands gently, turning them over to bring your knuckles to his lips. “Still, I have to apologise for letting you out of my sight… I won’t let it happen again. I’ll be there to protect you next time, I promise.”

“Ehh?” You shuffled on the spot, cheeks warming. “Oh, it’s not your fault at all, Giotto…! I’m okay!”

pomegranate tea; at what point did they know they loved their s/o?

very familial with him. you doing something very close with his Guardians. if his Guardians can truly learn to accept you, become close with you at the same time as he falls for you… he’s sure that’d be the best outcome. his whole relationship he gauges his Guardians reactions, too. so if you can all be just as close, like family, I think he’d happily fall in love with ease after that point

“Primo.” G nodded down at you two once before nodding in the direction you came from. “It’ll be no good letting them run around. I’ll go find the one they ran from. I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, you’re going?” You had reached out to grab one of G’s sleeves, eyes wide. “Ah, I know you can fight… Be careful, okay? I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, especially if I upset him further…”

G hummed lowly, reaching up to pet your hand gently twice before squeezing in reassurance and then returning your hand to Giotto’s. “Appreciated, but I’ll definitely be fine, so there’s no need to worry. One of the others should be back soon - they better be, anyways.”

“Right, of course.”

You watched G wander off before jumping when he stopped short of the bushes to point across the clearing. “Hey! Get over there and help them out; they’re injured!”

“Pardon? Of course!”

You turned quickly to look over your shoulder at Asari, smiling crookedly and holding up your hands along with Giotto’s. “Just a few scrapes, so don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, they made it out on their own.” Giotto sounded a bit proud as he said this, turning you gently to face Asari. “After beating him themselves.”

Asari blinked in surprise at this before smiling, watching you hold up your hands, palms facing him. “Oh my. Did you? Excellent work. I’m glad you’re alright. Let me see them.”

“Yes! I’m not strong by any means, but…! They don’t hurt much, so if you need to we can wait until we return to the estate.”

“That won’t do. We should treat them here while we have the time. Is that okay?”

You could feel Giotto squeeze your shoulders, encouragingly, reassuringly, and you acquiesced.

There was something about watching you get tended to by one of his Guardians; one nagging thought that this may only be the first time… and not the last that this will happen. But a greater thought that you truly were cherished by the Vongola, and for now he chose to focus on that one instead.

#giotto #khr #katekyo hitman reborn #mine #giotto x reader #khr imagines #katekyo hitman reborn imagines #katekyo hitman reborn x reader #khr x reader #won’t tag the others bc it’ll clog my tags but yeah #ANYWAYS he’s so pretty… so pretty… #also yeah this little storyline was so clear in my head when I came up with the answers for these prompts #so I wanted to try this out by writing a more cohesive one!! #requests #tea prompts #g #shorthands lol

[ppeasants]

Hey so I ended up making a good amount of Headcanons for the Rito in Wind Waker, and I wanted to share them with y'all.

This came about while writing for my Wind fic focusing on the obscene amount of father figures he has (check it out here). This chapter was focused on Quill, and while I was developing their relationship, I ended up developing a decent amount of internal lore for the Rito, and I couldn't fit them all in the fic

So, I'm putting them so people can see it, and if people like em, they can hopefully use it for themselves, or expand on them, or just tell me what their own HCs are, or what they would change. I love the Rito, especially Wind Waker's, and I had so much fun doing this.

Just a quick disclaimer, I am not any sort of anthropologist, or linguist, or anything, so if I disrespect any real-world race or culture with this, I am really sorry. Please let me know if I misrepresent something so I can learn from it and change whatever is wrong.

HCs under the cut:

Tribe

It's all but confirmed that the Rito were evolved from the Zora, who were forced to evolve due to the unlivable water of the Great Flood. This colours a lot my headcanons about the Rio's values, traditions, and relations.

It is hard for the Rito to call any one place their home, since they lost theirs in the flood.

Their flight is important to them threefold: It's the gift theyr were given by Valoo in order to survive the flood, it gives them the freedom to explore around when they feel the loss of their home, and it's the closest thing they have to the freedom of swimming.

It's why the sky, their flight, and Valoo is all so important ot them.

Their connection to Valoo is why they call Dragon Roost home, although to them, it's more like a common hub, or home base. Most Rito don't actually have a set home, instead they travel around between place to place. It's why the Rito as delivery workers works so well for them.

Along with losing their home, the Rito also lost a lot of their culture. This causes them to be very protective of what they have now, rarely letting others take part in their actual traditions.

It's why Link (Wind) being a part of their family is such a big deal; hes one of the only Hylians to actually be accepted as a Rito¹ (the idea of Link being a Rito will come up later)

As a part of their culture and their worship of the sky as their new freedom, they revere Zephos and Cyclos, even more than sailor of the Great Sea do. A lot of their rituals focus on the Wind Gods.

They have always worshiped Zephos, but Cyclos was lost to time. When they were reminded of his existence, they were horrified that they might have lost more of their culture, but were quick to reinstate Cyclos as a deity, and they do celebrate him now.

Relations

To the Rito as a Tribe, relations to each other are everything. Everyone who is a Rito is connected on some way to the other Rito.

You are defined by your connections to the other Rito. Unless you're the ruler of the Rito, then you are your connections.

You are your mother's daughter - you are the fathger of your son - you are best friend, the partner, the beloved, and they are yours.

As relationships are the biggest way to define who you are as a Rito, it is possible for people who were not born as Rito to be a part of the tribe. There are very few non-species Rito, as they are protective of their identity, but it is possible.

¹This is why Link (Wind) is a Rito. He is defined by his relationships to the Rito: specifically Quill, Medli, and Komali. He is Quill's beloved, and Quill is Link's guardian. He is Medli's mentor, and she is his sage. He is Komali's chosen, and Komali is his partner (komalink truthers rise up).

Feathers are important in defining those relationships. If you are close enough to be defined by a relationship, then you given a feather from the other to keep those relationships.

Most Rito would weave those feathers into their wings, although they would be placed in a way that they could get removed easily. Most Rito only wear their feathers during formal events or festivals, although some wear them at all times.

In Link's case, he has 3 feathers, one from Quill, Medli, and Komali. Link has two feather sets - one which is a loose set of feathers he can braid into his hair, and one in a solid set of 3 which he can place behind his ear.

Language

I did not come up with a full language for the Rito. What I did develop was a base which to base the Rito language off of , and a way to buid off of it in the future as necessary.

One major thing is that the language isn't a full language, for every single word. Another thing they lost in the flood was their language, only bits and pieces of it remaining as they evolved.

What was left was a descriptive language; where words are used to describe larger concepts.

Speaking and Writing in Rito involves using Rito Language and Common/Hylian simultaneously, using words from both to describe full sentences.

The Rito Language itself is a Agglutinative Language. What that means, is that words are formed by merging syllaybles, where every syllable has a unique meaning, and the combinations of syllables make words which are defined by the syllables meanings.

Words tend not to have direct Common/Hylian translations; instead syllables have meanings, and their relationships to each other define concepts.

Concepts and words tend not to exist until invented; they are all based on the same syllables which all share meanings, or different combinations arte invented when needed, and understood when told.

As an example, I'll share the two invented words in my fic - Towaki and Towaveh - divided in syllables as: To, Wa, Ki, and Veh.

To: shortening of Rito

Wa: Love (non-superficial)

Ki: Mine (ownership)

Veh: Theirs (ownership)

Towaki: They are my beloved.

Towaveh: I am their beloved.

Festivals

The two biggest celebrations in Rito Culture are Ballad's Day and Requiems's Day, named after the Wind's Requiem and the Ballad of Gales. The two celebrations are six months apart, and each happen once a year.

Ballad's Day celebrates Cyclos, and Requiem's Day celebrates Zephos. Both festivals consist of three phases.

The first phase is meant for Valoo's attendant and the current Rito ruler. The two ascend Dragon Roost Island and request a scale from Valoo, to give to the Wind Gods in offering.

The second phase has Valoo's attendant, and the upcoming ruler (if one is not born, the current ruler) partaking in a ritual involving a performance of either the Wind's Requiem or the Ballad of Gales to offer the scale to the celebrated deity to ask for favourable winds n front of all of the gathered Rito² (There is nuance as to who is currently involved during Wind Waker's time, which I will explain later)

The third phase is a celebration: Every Rito who can make it for the festivals gather for a large feast. More than the second phase, this is Zephos and Cyclos' favourite part, as it makes them happy to see their worshippers happy.

These two days are some of the only days where almost every Rito comes back to Dragon Roost. These days are the best times to catch up with the various other Rito, as it's the only times all of the Rito see each other.

This aspect of the festival is just as important as the offering to the deities, since their relations to each other are so important, and their need to travel makes it so they can;t see each other often.

²In the Wind Waker's time, the people who participate in the ritual are Komali, Medli, and Link. Komali and Medli are a given, as they're the upcoming ruler and current attendant, but Medli is also the Wind Sage. Her music is powerful magically, and even more so when conducted by Link.

Link's inclusion on the ritual is threefold. He is partially a mentor for Medli, and will help her with her part in the ritual. He is Komali's chosen (komalink truthers rise up), so he is also connected to the upcoming ruler. He is the Hero of Winds, and they are the Wind Gods. Although he wasn't destined to be one from Hylia, he was chosen by Zephos and accepted by Cyclos.

His relations to the Rito involved and the gods make him an important part of the ritual. For Cyclos, he also just wants Link specifically to be there, as he is the one who brought the deity back into the Rito's ritual. Zephos is okay if Link misses the ritual, Cyclos basically requires it.

That's all I have for now! Lemme know what y'all think, if it's good, if this makes sense, or what other HCs y'all have! I love the Rito and would just love to talk more about them!

<3

(also check out my fic here hehe).

#legend of zelda #rito #wind waker #dragon roost island #wind waker link #quill wind waker #prince komali #ww medli #zephos #cyclos #komalink #linked universe #lu wind

[gapsbetweenlovers]

little by little

——

Romance has never been a flourishing facet in Carmen Berzatto's life.

His fundamental core resembles a slice of cherry pie. The golden crust, buttered and flaky, epitomizes what keeps him grounded — his kitchen family. Admittedly, they are all guilty of spreading themselves too thin at times, including Carmen. But a snappish reminder for everyone to chill always seems to temporarily patch the breakage. No matter the chaotic blend of clashing personalities running around, there is always an unspoken level of respect, and if someone were to peel back the layers of the pastry, a sense of deep love present between the chefs would reveal itself.

And, of course, a crust is not thought to be perfect without adding a teaspoon of Sugar.

The filling, syrupy and tart, represents the heart of what Carmen does — cooking. It's his identity. From a young boy making hodgepodge recipes with his older brother Mikey, to working his way up the ranks until he was honored with a prestigious James Beard award for his excellence in the culinary arts at one of the best restaurants in the world. He'd beg to differ that last part based on his degrading and mentally taxing experience being chef de cuisine there, but he tries not to dwell on the past. Everything has led him to where he is now — managing his dead brother's sandwich shop, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, and ardently attempting to keep it afloat even when the crew is drowning. Hell, every part of the place is being sucked into the depths of despair.

The topping, latticed and bursting, symbolizes the woven pathways of Carmen's grief. Anger, anxiety, fear, and guilt all cross over one another like a mesh pattern, the cherries of his gashed heart desperately rupturing through the barrier. Mikey's suicide set up roadblocks that Carmen had never encountered before, like his grief manifesting itself in physical pain and surreal nightmares jolting him from his sleep. Most noticeable is his repressed rage. It cuts loose at work, often unannounced and uncontrollable, yelling swears aplenty and throwing objects, ranging from ballpoint pens to pots. He doesn't mean to outpour his anger onto other people, but it's busting at the seams.

So, Carmen may come across as a withdrawn, frantic chef whose ducks are certainly not in a row. In fact, they’re all dead at the bottom of a lake, pale and malnourished. But, somehow, he met someone who has thankfully never witnessed his eruptions in the kitchen and has otherwise accepted his detached and diffident behavior outside of work.

There was an instance a couple of months ago where a girl was standing at the counter, looking at the top menu with a curious expression. You looked like a classic city girl, plucked straight out of the posh suburbs and dropped into the grubby interior of a failing sandwich shop on the brink of bankruptcy. Sticking out like a sore thumb with your comically large tote bag and a shearling leather jacket, it was impossible not to regard you with concealed fascination.

Carmen just so happened to be running Front of House that day, and when he glanced up from the dingy cash register while counting singles, he had to do a double take. Angelic was the first word that popped into his pounding head. It was as if the world around him fizzled away and solely focused on you, a radiant guardian angel sent from above. He froze and went speechless until he managed to stutter out the casual question he asked every customer: What can I getcha?

Long story short, he had a brief conversation with you before he was pulled away to diffuse a fiery argument in the kitchen between Tina and Ebraheim. He learned that you lived in the suburbs of Glencoe, which he could have guessed based on your conduct. You were unruffled by the bustling interior of The Beef, which consisted of orders being loudly relayed to the chefs in the back, the ticket printer whirring constantly, and the chatter of patrons waiting for their meal. None of this seemed to scare you, which piqued his interest as he mentally recalled and stored your order with the dozen others floating around in his scattered brain.

Fast forward to today, a tiring Friday, and Carmen is finally providing you with a proper date tonight, just you and him without distractions or work obligations. Through quick hangouts during his lunch break and late-night phone calls on the verge of sleep, he decided he really liked you and wanted to dip his feet into the dating pool. He’s never had any girlfriends before, a personal choice since he prefers isolation and not giving vulnerable pieces of himself to a stranger, but because of the ease and warmth you so easily bring him, he's willing to give it a whirl. A cautious one, though.

With that being said, the best course of action for this date is to put his skills to the test and cook you an impressive dinner at your condominium.

Unfortunately, the world is working against him today.

It's already going on nine p.m., and Carmen is still at The Beef. He's sitting in his cramped office, the pathetic desk lamp shining a dim light on papers strewn about in front of him. He was supposed to be at your place at approximately seven, but he's been falling behind on inventory. The numbers blur and duplicate from his exhaustion as he hunches over the desk, his hand restlessly swiping through his disheveled hair.

Carmen settles on taking his cell phone out of his pocket, typing his extremely protective passcode of 1-1-1-1-1-1, then opens his contacts. He calls your number, a migraine slowly pulsing in his temples, ready to break the bad news that he got caught up at work and ruined the chance of a nice night. The line rings monotonously, and he bites his nails as he waits for your soft voice to greet him. He's afraid of the disappointment he's going to hear.

"Hello?"

Anxiously rubbing his collarbone, Carmen clears his throat and says, "Hey. Look, I'm so sorry. I know you've been waiting for me."

"Still at work?" you wonder, sweet and understanding.

"Yeah," he replies dejectedly. "Shit's been hitting the fan recently."

"I figured you'd be staying late. It's totally fine. We can take a rain check."

Carmen scratches behind his ear and leans back in his office chair, the rusty springs squeaking in protest. "I feel like an asshole."

Work consumes him like the blackest smoke, and it's easy to forget how to be a functioning human outside of the kitchen. He doesn't even realize all the things he repels until it's too late. Suffocation has become almost addictive.

Your voice is hesitant when you ask, "Do you… still wanna come over? Just to chill?"

Carmen contemplates by closing his eyes and picturing the two forks in the road — going home to his solitary apartment and wallowing in his numbness, or cooking dinner for a beautiful girl who makes him feel alive.

Easy goddamn choice.

"I'd have to catch the 'L' Train," he decides. "Don't know if there's a route to Glencoe running this late."

"You don't have a car?"

Carmen scrunches his face in embarrassment. "I, uh, walk to work. I live close by, and it saves me money."

"Oh, cool. I love that.” You hum thoughtfully. “Well, hey, I could maybe come and pick you up? Unless you just want to go home. The ball's in your court."

"I... you know what? I'd dig that. Yeah, as long as you don't mind.”

"No problem. I'll be there in thirty minutes, okay?"

Carmen nods, internally convincing himself that he made the right choice. That he's not going to screw this up. "Okay," he says quietly, spinning the chair in a semicircle. "Can't wait to see you. I'm sorry I've been so occupied.”

"Don't sweat it, Carm," you reply breezily. "I admire what you're doing with the place. I can't imagine the pressure you face every day. I mean, really, you and your crew deserve a lot of credit."

Carmen runs a hand down his face, a strange rush of warmth spreading through his chest at your words. When was the last time someone said that they admired him? So convincingly and generously? And when you call him Carm, his heart beats faster in a way that’s not caused by panic. What the hell are you doing to him?

The only thing he can say is, "Drive safely, okay?"

You laugh gently. "Always do. Want me to get some food on the way? You must be starving.”

"Nah, I'll make us something. I promised."

"You're very sweet. All right, see you soon.”

He whispers a quiet goodbye before hanging up and softly smiling at the ceiling.

——

As you shove open the glass door of The Beef, you're greeted by the empty aftermath of a busy, beloved restaurant. Downtown Chicago’s streetlights and outdoor neon signs cast just enough light to be able to notice your surroundings. Inside, it's eerily still and quiet, a completely different atmosphere as opposed to when it's lively throughout the day. Everything has been cleaned, perfectly polished stainless-steel sparkling and smelling like disinfectant.

There’s also a bullet hole in one of the front windows, but you choose to actively disregard it. If you don't look at it or think about it, it simply doesn't exist.

"Carmen?" you call, making your way to the kitchen.

Your echoing footsteps lead you to his office, and when you pop your head past the doorway, you find him sitting and twirling a pen between his fingers. He still has his blue apron tied around his trusty white T-shirt, and you’d be lying if you said your eyes don't immediately gravitate toward his biceps filling the material alarmingly well. And his tattoos, scattered sporadically on his arms and hands, beg for a glimpse. His sandy brown hair is raised in all directions, flat and curly all the same, as if he's been combing through the strands nonstop. His posture is that of an old man, and it's clear he is completely and utterly spent. You feel sympathy for the turmoil his mind and body go through day in and day out.

And then there are his eyes. When they find yours, you're mesmerized. They’re an iridescent shade similar to the pale blue of a misty morning sky, and they seem to always appear fatigued. Dead also comes to mind, but that's a little harsh. They are, say, hauntingly beautiful. And they sadden you, but also intimidate you, with the manner in which they bore into the windows of your soul.

"Let's get out of here," you say, smiling and nodding toward the exit.

Carmen stands, stretching, then swipes his wool jacket from the back of his chair. He loosens his apron and stuffs it in a plastic box filled with dozens more, then shrugs his shoulders into his jacket. You notice he almost drowns in it, making him look boyish and fragile. Someone you want to protect.

He shuffles next to you, placing a protective hand on the small of your back and guiding you through the twists and turns of the restaurant. You've realized he's not a touchy type of person. He takes his time warming up to people he's not familiar with, and you sincerely hope that one day he'll get to a place where he feels comfortable enough to let loose around you, flaws and all.

You both jump into your car, immediately cranking the heat because of the autumn chill that currently covers Chicago. You pull out of the vacant parking lot and drive toward Glencoe, the downtown streets lit by stop-and-go lights and vivid signs. From the corner of your eye, you find Carmen resting his head on the defrosting passenger window, his eyes fluttering shut with every second, and building, that passes by. You let him sleep peacefully, braking with the slightest pressure and making the safest turns.

When you finally arrive at your condo, a brick structure surrounded by towering elm trees, it's nearing ten p.m. and fatigue is also washing over you in tiny, pulsating waves. You kill the engine, distant sounds of squawking crows and rustling leaves filling the atmosphere. Glancing at Carmen, you find that he's slowly waking up, the look on his face telling you he feels guilty for crashing so fast. And in your car on a supposed date, no less.

You had a nagging feeling this would happen, but you're honestly not disheartened by it in the slightest. If anything, he deserves some rest after everything he has to deal with. Apparently earlier today, Richie was stabbed in the ass by Sydney, as Carmen so bluntly passed on in his text message to you.

Pray tell, you had responded.

He probably deserved it, was his honest explanation. That's all you need to know.

You unlock your door and step inside your temporary home, flicking the lights on as you drop your tote bag to the floor. Carmen has only been over two times before, and yet he makes a beeline straight to your one-wall kitchen like he lives there.

"What're you in the mood to eat?" he asks, already pushing the sleeves of his jacket up to his elbows.

"You really don't have to. I know you're tired."

"No, no. Lemme whip somethin' up for you. I insist."

You cross your arms and toss ideas in your head. "Well, I've been craving a grilled cheese, actually. Think you can handle that, chef?"

A small smirk plays upon his lips. "Bread, butter, and cheese… what could go wrong?"

As Carmen searches your pantry and refrigerator for the ingredients, you sit on the kitchen counter and swing your feet while watching him effortlessly prepare your comfort meal. He's so meticulous with the way he smears butter on two slices of honey wheat bread all while fastidiously flicking on the stove's gas like he's cooking for a food critic. You grab a pan for him from the cupboard directly underneath you and set it over the flickering blue flame. His hip nudges your knee, teasingly scooting you out of his way so he can work his culinary magic.

As the bread toasts, he asks, "Where do you keep your cheese?"

"In the crisper drawer."

He nods and opens it, then tuts in disapproval. "Really? Kraft singles? You need the real shit, baby. Real, authentic American cheese. None of this processed garbage."

You hop off the counter and tug on the gold chain loose around his neck, pulling him closer. Your boldness might have something to do with the fact that he just casually called you baby. "My apologies, chef," you whisper.

His lips part, a thick silence hanging in the air. Your fingers hook around his belt loop, patiently waiting for him to initiate something. You watch his throat bob with a swallow. His eyes don't waver from your face. They hold so much hidden emotion, and you'd do anything to open the capsule to all of them.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing," Carmen murmurs, a tinge of regret swimming in his tone.

"What do you mean?"

He sighs. "I don't know. Intimacy, I guess. Kissing on a first date. Dating in general."

Your heart soaks up his insecurities. "You just have to let your body feel it," you say, your other hand sliding up his chest and into the hair that curls around his ear. “Let it come to you naturally. What is your body telling you right now?"

"It's telling me that if I kiss you right now, there's no going back." Carmen's gaze flashes to your mouth. "That I'll look back on this moment and remember that despite all the other parts of my life I fucked up, at least I did one thing right."

"Then I think you should listen."

Carmen inhales sharply and ducks his head, his lips clashing with yours, deep and hungry. His hands grip your waist, drawing you against his firm body. His nose slides next to yours as his mouth coaxes pleased noises from your throat. His own moans mingle with yours to create the perfect concoction. It's messy and uncoordinated, but it's human. Teaching him the ropes of how to let his good emotions rise up against the bad ones and bubble toward the surface.

The strong smell of burnt toast wafts your way, causing you to reluctantly pull apart from Carmen's needy mouth and blindly click on the stove's overhead fan so the smoke detectors don't wake the entire neighborhood.

"Didn't mean to be a distraction," you say coyly, backing away slowly and then spinning on your heel.

Carmen, flushed with swollen lips, says, "No worries."

Little by little, he's blooming like the petals of a rose, unfurling just for you. And he's a beautiful garden that's worth helping flourish.

——

#the bear fanfic #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto fluff #jeremy allen white #the bear #the bear fx

[moron-rights]

So I finished BG3 (Good Tav Playthrough, Astarion Romance) Spoiler End Thoughts And Some Critique

SPOILERS,Great SPOILERS for parts of the romance and playthrough. Mind Ye, my thoughts are incredibly scattered...

This is mostly about *how* the game ended. And let me clarify before you get too far that I LOVED playing this game and the music and combat and companions were perfectly charming

*

*

*

but.... what.... the... ending?

I spent about 94 hours on this playthrough, regular origin, romancing Astarion, skimping largely through act one but completing almost every quest available in act 2 and 3, and save scrubbing where glitches (though minor) took hold. Ultimately, I robbed Raphael and freed Orpheus and destroyed the brain. I adored act one (put 336 hours into EA already) and act two felt like a very seamless and natural extension. Act three felt disjointed but it also seemed like the purpose of the act was to showcase companion quests (which are all vastly different), so I just went with it. Even though the Oathbreaker guy bugged and never showed up to my camp once I started act 3 (Boo).

I finished all the quests and pushed all companions toward a good trajectory. I had romanced Astarion starting in Act 1 and influenced him so much that he autonomously made good decisions (ie, warned his siblings what their fate would be, set the spawns free, wanted to destroy the tadpole and mentioned guiding the spawn to control themselves). Got the grave scene, it was wholesome. Finished the other companion quests, which -except for Wyll's (I saved his father and broke the pact and learned who the Guardian really was)- felt a little bland after the sheer emotional impact, acting, and animation of Astarion's deny ascension finale. Who knew watching a man brutally stab his abuser and then emptily sob while covered in blood could be something so personal?

After I cleaned all my quests up, I went ahead and started "act 3.5" so to speak. Once I went to confront the brain, there were no more major companion-specific cutscenes or unique dialogues or romance interactions, save for Lae'zel and Karlach. I freed Orpheus and convinced him to become a mindflayer. (I am aware of the alternative route where Karlach volunteers to become the mindflayer but I did not have her in my party for that). I was sure there would be at least one more cutscene or lengthy dialogue -- particularly for the romance-- at the very end, so I took out the Netherbrain, completed the game, hit the ending post-battle chat. I was... disappointed.

A few companions had one or two sentences to say on the docks. Astarion started to burn in the sun and he panicked and ran away, and then I got a one-line response from Lae'zel that boiled down to "I suppose that's the last of the sun Astarion will ever see." Karlach's engine failed and my Wyll autonomously offered to take her to the Hells with him and she autonomously accepted. And then I got a narrator epi. telling me about how the people reclaimed their city. Then my credits rolled.

I learned through save snooping that If you let Wyll take Karlach to hell with him, it locks you out of the ending romance dialogues.

So, I reloaded to persuade Wyll to let Karlach die so I could get my romanced Astarion dialogue. I told him I'd go with him to the Underdark to help him guide the spawns (seemed natural, I rolled Drow), and he was happy to have Tav by his side. Then hard cut to credits again. No mini cutscene of Tav going off with him, no end cards, no epilogue text. I was stunned, especially because the ending romance dialogue was just them standing and having a back-and-forth conversation, and it was so brief. No animated interactions between the two. Or... anyone. Just a conversation in a room with wooden walls.

I watched all the way through the credits, hoping I'd get closure for the other companions maybe, but there was none of that either. Gale's crown blew up and fell into the ocean (so it feels his personal quest was rendered completely irrelevant no matter which way you swayed him), and who knows what happened to Halsin or Shadowheart under un-romanced circumstances (or Jaheira and Minsc for that matter).

It felt so odd and out of place to have an abrupt ending with limited choice, animation and dialogue when the rest of the game so faithfully respects player choice and commits to animating even the sillier actions. One playthrough easily has the capacity for 90+ hours of content but still manages to push you into about 3 recongisably different endings for a standard Tav (arguably 4 or 5 if Urge). Post the final boss, it 100% feels like cutscenes and dialogues are missing or glitched... which may still be a possibility (only 4% of players have finished the game as of date) but is unlikely. Ending romance dialogues across all companions seem to indicate that it follows after a party, which we do not get to see. All dialogue options for ending romances, at least in Astarion's, mostly led to the same responses with a few variants in wording, which might have been fine except for the lack of companion epilogue elements.

I don't know how to say this other than I'm bummed. I don't need a happy ending, just an ending that feels complete. I enjoyed playing the game so much, the companions were perfectly charming, the world was delightful and I had fun with combat and then the end just sorta... happened. I don't think I'd play through as a customized character again. Maybe once for the Urge, as what you choose to do with yourself seems a bit more concrete. And I have no desire to roll the origins. Replaying as any of the ones I frequently had in my party just seems odd to me. Especially for the ones I took down opposite paths. Selunite Shadowheart and Unascended Astarion are stuck in my head, but they feel like endings that would only come naturally if a Tav were around.

Some people keep saying it feels like it's set up for DLC, and it really-really does, but Swen has repeatedly stated that DLC for this game is incredibly unlikely, due to how DnD rules work when you get to level 20. But now that's all I want. It would've been all the more easy to accept how it is now if I had just some epilogue flavour. Or maybe something like ME3 extended cut DLC. Or just a little more conversation.

tl;dr, game was great until act 3. my choices with the final boss and all dialogue options after the encounter were disappointingly limited. no ending narration or cinematics or epilogue cards to give closure on your companions or romances. I loved everything until then, and wished there was more.

#dont worry i did actually like the game and it really was the most fun ive had in a long time #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #spoilers #astarion #bg3 wyll #karlach #shadowheart #lae'zel #baldur's gate 3 #thoughts i suppose

[fairy-verse]

Random questions!

1. What would happen if a season fairy were to fall in love and have a child with a non-season fairy?

2. Since season fairies were initially born from the hopes and dreams of the Firstborn, do they have an innate desire to serve them or is it something they learn from their environment?

3. Is there a specific hierarchy/special roles among the fairies, or is it just the Firstborn and the season fairies?

4. How big is each season fairy colony? Do the Firstborn have close bonds with their fairies, or is it more of a ruler/subject relationship?

It has happened before (Cross’s father, XGaster, was half winter fairy, half monster fairy) and only a few minor inconveniences happened back then. Firstly, the faerling in question might be more season fairy, or more monster fairy, but would in both cases have something from both parents either way. They might wish to live among the monster fairies, or they may wish to stay with the season fairies. They will be accepted into the community they desire to stay with, but cannot later change their mind, lest they wish to be pushed away. Why this happens is uncertain, but anyway, this isn’t something that happens often.

XGaster stayed within Error’s Mountain Halls once he was old enough to make that choice, but later began to feel isolated and lonely due to the differences that made him struggle with relating to other pure-born winter fairies. His troubles made him rather harsh with Cross who desperately needed his emotional support after his mother passed away, and this situation caused a major rift to form between them. xGaster still cares for his faerling, Cross is all he has left after his beloved mate perished, but he doesn’t know how to reconnect with him, and he’s gone to deal with his own projects by the caverns of the most north parts of Error’s Mountains, so neither he nor Cross truly sees each other anymore; unless they actively seek each other out (which is rarely).

All season fairies have an innate desire to serve their respective Firstborn. This desire doesn’t truly set in until said faerling begins to grow of age, but they all will eventually feel it within themselves. Hybrids may feel a strong pull towards the Firstborn that represents the season they most relate to, but some (like Killer) may also just pick and choose as they like. If they serve at least one Firstborn, then that urge within them will be sated. Hybrids that are part Monster Fairy may be born without this innate desire.

The Firstborn is essentially the god/guardian/king/queen/mother/father of their respective season fairies, but any fairy that becomes their mate will immediately grow above a common season fairy, though there isn’t a particular name for them. They’d just be recognised as fairies of importance. Other than that, there would be specific fairies that might be labelled as guards/knights due to their strength and a heightened ability to protect other fairies from the Big Folk, and they’d be highly regarded as well. While some would view them as frightening (Horror), most will agree that these fairies are ideal mates due to how they will produce strong faerlings (Cross didn’t know how many admirers he had before he met Dream), and because of this, they are often seen as a higher rank than a common season fairy.

So, to conclude, it would go something like this: Firstborn A Firstborn’s mate Guards/Knights Common season fairy

The season fairies are somewhat scattered around the Firstborn’s domain, though you’d find most of them clustered around wherever their Firstborn has permanently settled down. Many winter fairies live in the grand mountain hall beneath the tunnel that leads to Error’s nest atop his tallest mountain peak. Summer fairies live nearby to Dream’s nest, which is within the giant willow tree settled on the tiny island in the lake of his valley. Nightmare’s underground nest stretches far out beneath his lands, and there are many entrances scattered around; usually next to roots by giant trees, and most of his fairies live down there with him, though a few will live in the trees up above, too. The spring fairies have no set colony anywhere because Ink has too many nests and he keeps making more; he often gives them away to his subjects since he couldn’t possibly have need of that many for his own tiny self (he thinks he has many, he’s not sure, at least his fairies say he does, so it must be true).

And as to bonds with the season fairies…

Nightmare might be seen as Queen more often than not, but many of his fairies also call him mother due to his nurturing nature. He has a close bond with them all, and he grieves every time one of them dies.

Dream is viewed as a guardian by most of his fairies, and they worship him for the light and warmth that he brings them. He is close to his subjects, but that is mostly what they are to him, his subjects. Still, he cares for them and wouldn’t wish for any of them to be hurt.

Error is seen as a deity by his fairies. They tread carefully when they know that he’s agitated, yet they worship him and bestow their admiration upon him whenever he graces them with his presence. Error isn’t the one who set this kind of relationship into place, but it is the one that developed due to his private nature. He’s not that close to his winter fairies, but he, too, cares for them and wishes to keep them safe.

Ink is nicknamed “father” by many of his spring fairies, but this doesn’t necessarily come from a very close bond to them, but mostly because he’s fathered so many of them. He’s playful and enjoys scheming and flying with his fairies, but he’s not very close to any of them.

#aufairyverse #utmv #ask for the fairy #general fairy info #fairy!nightmare #fairy!error #fairy!dream #fairy!ink #nightmare sans #error sans #dream sans #ink sans #error and ink are very alike when it comes to certain things #ink is just better at hiding some of them #gods this answer feels so messy but i don't know how to make it better #forgive me

[mashpotatoequeen]

mentor figures

Thinking, again, about Mr. Benedict. About how he reads differently from so many mentor figures in so many books directed at young people. It’s a well established role, a well established trope, of course, but it’s rare I read a story where I thoroughly enjoy the character the way I do him.

Excuse my whimsy, but it’s a funny little thing, to read a children’s story once you’ve grown. To have fallen in love with the characters woven through the pages gripped in your grubby childhood hands, and then to fall in love in an entirely different way as they remain, stagnant in their growth, and you just get older and older. The tale stays the same and your perspective shifts.

Stories often go like this. A child, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, gets brought into a life different from their own and falls in love with it. A mentor- usually older, usually grey, wise and experienced and knower of secrets and holder of quests- offers them an adventure and they accept it, heedless of the danger.

Crooked perspectives, crooked lines in the sand. Reading these stories again as you grow, you cannot help but think about the burdens these sorts of characters place on such young narrow shoulders. The unfairness of it all. The idle cruelty under the laurels. Books can call it love all they want, but to send a child to the front lines even once is enough to make me question.

(You have to be fair about it, mostly. You have to acknowledge when children's books are meant for children, that if the characters are never allowed to step up to the plate then the story would never have happened. Plot needs conflict, breeds the necessity of child soldiers, and allows young readers to see themselves as heroes in their own stories, too. It's easy to forget, and important to remember.)

I don’t know. Thinking about Mr. Benedict, this wise old man, who was ridiculed and determined and young, too, once. Thinking about Mr. Benedict, looking at these children collected at his door and knowing exactly how it feels to be that kind of particular lonely, the sort of lonely that comes with being young and knowing you should have someone, but don’t. The kind of lonely that comes from being different. 

In the books, Mr. Benedict lays the dangers out one by one by one. He says, clearly, exactly what he knows and how. Answers details and explains logic. He asks the children to complete a dangerous quest, of course, but he does not lead them into it blind. 

He doesn’t expect them to do it alone, either. Every step of the way, there are grown-ups watching over the Mysterious Benedict Society as best they can. The kids aren’t sent to be spies, they’re sent to go to school. Stay safe. Collect information. There are two priorities there and it’s easy to guess which is the one Mr. Benedict prioritises. 

Priorities: the minute the danger becomes prominent, Milligan is sent to retrieve the children. Their lives are not forfeit. They are prioritised over even the world's twisted end. This is a series in part about mysteries and puzzles and adventure, but it’s in part about this, too. About finding the people who love you. It’s about sorting out your own self and the way you fit into a family both.

It goes like this: Mr. Benedict asks the children, once, as a last resort, to go on a carefully observed quest, and then he never asks anything more of them except to learn, grow, listen, and be as safe as possible while doing so. Any adventure hereafter is because the kids embarked on it on their own, going specifically against their guardians' wishes to do so (that particular kind of loneliness, after all, is a hard habit to break).

I don’t know. I don’t have too much to say here. Something about kindness I suppose. Something about characters made to fit in roles designed to be a loving mentor actually getting to be so. It's a clever bit of writing, to make someone read the way Mr. Benedict does in this series, to have both the children in the spotlight even as they are surrounded by people who love them and care enough to try and give them ways out.

(Thinking, again, about the third book. The children finally start asking for help and reaching for it, and when the grown ups rise up to answer the call, it feels earned.)

#my writing #the mysterious benedict society #tmbs #nicholas benedict #idle thoughts #character analysis

[nevertheless-moving]

I posted 162 times in 2022

66 posts created (41%)

96 posts reblogged (59%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@nevertheless-moving

@phoenixyfriend

@willowcrowned

@lullabyknell

@twinterrors29

I tagged 139 of my posts in 2022

Only 14% of my posts had no tags

#star wars - 68 posts

#murderbot - 21 posts

#nevertheless meta - 17 posts

#my au - 13 posts

#kenobi spoilers - 12 posts

#kenobi - 11 posts

#murderbot diaries - 11 posts

#tbobf - 10 posts

#stone soup - 9 posts

#ask - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#if you ever feel like singing or danceing or drawing or any of the things you really truly dont have to be good at them for it to be fun

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

1,026 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#4

today we celebrate Esther for being nasty hot and sleeping with the right dude. thank u for risking your sugar daddy and also your life. from the bottom of my heart, you fucking rock. now, please join me in doing a shot in her honor.

1,178 notes - Posted March 16, 2022

#3

sorry not sorry but murderbot dropping ‘i was going to kill all humans until i saw sanctuary moon and then i decided i’d rather watch that instead’ on the sanctuary moon team like a space future atom bomb is exquisite.

assistant sound director going home like ‘yeah your other son might be a doctor but guess who stopped a mass murder?’ a couple lead actors developing even worse diva/god complexes than they already had. the insane stress on the production team ‘if we don’t get the next season out when we promised it might snap and kill thousands of innocent people. it probably won’t. but it might.’ the overwhelming preening desire to work it into ad campaigns, acceptance speeches, casual brunches, etc, balanced out by marketing weeping ‘people do not like SecUnits! we can NOT advertise ourselves as the preferred serial for serial killers!’ crossed with that one extremely paranoid dude in accounting going ‘shutupshutup it can and will hear you and it can and will find you and it can and will kill you stoptalkingaboutit.’ the studio allocating a 5% budget increase for next season instead of the planned 5% budget decrease just—just in case. the odd relief the secondary love interest’s actor feels: ‘well when the robot revolution comes i’ll be one of the last to die’. the odd nervousness the primary antagonist actress feels: ‘it knows this is fiction right? it’s not mad at me, right?’ One of the writers who had been increasingly phoning it in over the last few years suddenly quitting drinking and turning their life around because their work has meaning dammit their work has MEANING.

1,898 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

#2

alright so people learn to express themselves through observation, right? it’s one of the reasons facial expressions and perception there of vary country to country, why people might end up more expressive/stoic depending on your parents/guardians pattern of behavior. and murderbot didn’t acculturate itself watching people around it, it hates watching real people. murderbot developed it’s sense of self watching soap operas. tens of thousands of hours of soap operas. We already know it’s face is painfully easy to read, and while murderbot attributes it to not having practice controlling it’s expression without the benefit of armor:

Then she added, “You know, you can stay here in the crew area if you want. Would you like that?” They all looked at me, most of them smiling. One disadvantage in wearing the armor is that I get used to opaquing the faceplate. I’m out of practice at controlling my expression. Right now I’m pretty sure it was somewhere in the region of stunned horror, or maybe appalled horror.  Mensah sat up, startled. She said hurriedly, “Or not, you know, whatever you like.”  I said, “I need to check the perimeter,” and managed to turn and leave the crew area in a totally normal way and not like I was fleeing from a bunch of giant hostiles.

I would argue that it’s not just lack of practice being neutral—due to it’s particular set of formative experiences, it’s default facial expressions are, in human terms, almost absurdly overexaggerarated. That look of horror is the same one the sanctuary moon terraforming supervisor had when she discovered her twin sister was sleeping with her second husband, and they were both planning on framing her for the death of the colony representative.

2,308 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

There is — god I don’t know how to put this — there is something profound and tragic and senseless in the fact that the disappointment I feel in JK Rowling so closely mirrors the disappointment Harry and the rest of us felt for his role models. Dumbledore saved the world, Dumbledore was manipulative. Snape was cruel, Snape protected Harry. The Marauders bullied, the Marauders loved. 

Rowling’s failure of empathy and the hurt she’s inflicting cuts so deep because I feel immense, inescapable love for the world she gave us all. How can I still love what comes from someone hateful? How can I stop? If I continue to sing praises of her art does that make me hateful?

Stories are important, especially the stories we’re told as children. They shape our character, they form the framework of how we understand the world, they do. And Harry Potter was the story, it can not be understated, and those of you who feel the same don’t need me to explain. And now when I lean on that to understand this sorrow I’m left with a recursive sort of remorse.

It’s a very raw and painful feeling.

3,052 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[quarkasgod]

Steddyhands HC

Okay, what if Izzy, being the first fan of the Kraken, is also first to realize how much Edward has become more destructive, more not HIMSELF in fact. What if Izzy gets more and more beatings, cuts, bruises from his captain so that he can’t stop the bleeding for days. And what if from a certain moment of this breakdown Izzy looks into the Kraken's eyes every time he tortures him, and searches for Edward Blackbeard Teach behind them. And every time he sees this fog of depression. And then he listens to Edward sobbing in the cabin for a short period of time before getting drunk again and plunging into a blissful veil of cruelty.

Izzy understands that this is largely his doing. And he thinks, "If it wasn't for StedeFuckingBonnet, Ed would have stayed all for me". Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. This name has always been a brand that Izzy carefully helped to build from scratch, but now Edward is really in a terrible state, now it's really almost like an alternative personality.

And so Izzy realizes that without damn Stede Bonnet, he can't cope and won't bring their loved one back. Stede showed the bright path not only to Ed, but Izzy believed that being soft means death. He did not think about the MEASURE and NUANCES. Now, when he experienced almost unending stream of Kraken's attention on his own skin, he realizes that this is not what he wanted at all. He wanted to see how vividly Ed reflects the world, learning from it, and how naturally he turns out to believe in universe and himself. Izzy always wanted to be a protective spirit, guardian dog for Edward, but then he demanded too much for himself. Yes, Izzy had to experience seas of pain before he realized how badly they hurt one another.

Therefore, while the ship is standing in the ocean in a dead calm, Israel Hands drags his wounded body into the dinghy and goes for Stede. Who is always not far away, chasing Revenge in the footsteps.

And just imagine, Izzy gets on board of Stede's new small ship, and Stede meets him at first with the usual "oh, it's you, pathetic creature" and wants to say that he was not invited on board, but then Stede notices Izzy's appearance, endless bandages on his hands, abrasions on the face, bruises on neck. Stede is horrified, immediately changing his attitude.

So they talk and talk, at first Izzy just talks about what happened to him, what happened to Edward.

"He's still not killing, Stede” - Izzy builds normal eye contact with his second captain - “but he's killing himself".

Israel Hands asks for help, and they keep talking, Stede asks Izzy about every little detail, every one of his, Israel's, emotions. And it's as frank as it's ever been, and it's like a healing balm for Izzy's wounded soul and heart. Izzy has long admitted his weaknesses, but Stede helps him accept himself, accept that having weak spots is normal. That Izzy is not Edward Teach, not a chaotic child at heart, and he doesn't have to become ONLY soft. And that Izzy's main strengths are wisdom, sanity AND passion. So Izzy finds himself again with Stede’s certainty by his side.

After these conversations and warm herbal tea, Izzy passes out in the captain's chair holding this very captain by the hand.

He is sure - together they will bring Edward back, be able to be themselves, all three of them and forgive each other. They just need to get back together before the end of the calm.

#steddy hands #stizzy #izzy hands #stede bonnet #edward teach #izzyposting #dizzy dizzy dizzy on my mind

[greatqueenanna]

Comparing the Sister's Personalities.

Let’s start with this — I know that there have been hundreds of posts on Tumblr and other websites that have compared Anna and Elsa’s personalities. It’s nothing original or new. But I remember reading Jennifer Lee’s comments about Elsa and Anna’s preferences while traveling, and it got me thinking about the sister’s personalities on a deeper level.

Elsa and Anna’s personalities don’t just stop at Elsa is the quiet, sophisticated one while Anna is the loud and stubborn one. The way they respond to trauma, how they show love, how they approach situations — there’s so much complexity there that I just had to write about it.

Anna

Anna is in her comfort zone when surrounded by noise and people. She is the very definition of an extrovert, she thrives in social situations, to the point where she speaks before thinking. She just loves being around people so much, that she can get too excited and say the goofiest things. During their travels, the writers commented on how Anna would personally love the towns found all over Norway over everything else. This perfectly describes her character - her desire for human contact and communication.

Anna's desire for human contact doesn't just stop at admiration though - the way she handles problems shows this as well. She reaches out to people, readily asks for help when she can, and wants to solve issues as a group rather than on her own. While she is a bit naive at first, she approaches problems in a logical way that benefits the group as a whole. Basically, she'll leave any sort of martyrdom as a last resort and prefers to solve problems with others.

How she shows her love and is very outspoken as well - she's loud, speaks her mind, and is open to everyone. She expresses her love openly and proudly and wants to be right by her loved one's side at any cost. She never lets someone face a problem on their own, and prefers to stand right beside them where she can protect them.

This of course, also makes Anna a bit forceful and stubborn. Anna has a difficult time accepting that someone would want to be alone or want to solve something on their own. Why should they do it by themselves when people are around to help them?

Elsa

Elsa prefers quiet and the vast unknown. Elsa doesn't want to be tied down - she wants to be free. She prefers quiet contemplation over big debates. Elsa is said to prefer the vast openness of Iceland's glaciers. For her whole life, she was locked away in secret, unable to fully explore and find herself. Now, there's nothing that is going to stand in her way. She wants to chase the wind and find her limits.

This doesn't mean Elsa doesn't love people, it means her love is more distant and soft. Elsa wants to stand overhead and be a distant guardian, taking care of problems on her own before they bother anyone else - even at the expense of her own well-being. If she solves problems on her own, then no one else has to suffer because of her.

This often leads to her isolating her emotions, however. Elsa is no stranger to keeping secrets and ignoring problems affecting her for the sake of others. She places others above her own well-being - she just doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

Elsa does learn how to open herself to others, and to ask for help instead of carrying the world on her shoulders. However, her drive for freedom is still there, and she finds herself in the openness of the world, rather than in the bustling towns of man.

Anna and Elsa - Two Sides of a Bridge

Why are Anna and Elsa both the Fifth Spirit? Because they are opposite. Elsa is quiet and distant, while Anna is loud and close. Elsa brings individuality and self-sacrifice to the middle, while Anna brings community and determination. Elsa gives Anna the strength to stand on her own, while Anna gives Elsa the strength to ask for help. Both of these elements are important in order to protect those we love.

#Anna #Elsa #Frozen #Frozen 2 #greatqueenanna/analysis #Frozen 3

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Titans Academy

Fandom: DC Comics, Titans, Arrowfam

Summary: Grant struggles to accept his new reality when Roy takes him in and enrolls him in Titans Academy. He must adjust to life at a boarding school and life with his new foster family (Roy and Lian). Can he learn to trust the people who claim to care about him? Or will he shut himself off from love altogether?

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Grant Emerson, Roy Harper, Bart Allen, Toni Monetti, Cody Driscoll, Lian Harper, Jade Nguyen, Audrey Spears, Tommy Blake Jr.

Additional Tags: Father-Son Relationship, Boarding School AU, No Powers AU, Found Family, Second Chances, Roy Harper is a Legal Guardian, Roy Harper is a Father, POV First Person, Grant Emerson POV, Autistic Bart Allen

Chapter Four: Group Therapy I

It felt like the day went on forever, but I still had to go to group therapy. Roy practically escorted me there. I didn't know any of the kids in my group from my other classes. They went around introducing themselves and saying what grades they were in. When they got to me, I introduced myself, but I forgot to say what grade I was in. "Hey, pay attention, Daddy's boy. You forgot to say what grade you were in," the first boy teased. I hated being talked to like that. "Cody—." "Fuck you," I replied. Cody grinned. "Hey, can we bring it back?" one of the other kids suggested. "It's nice to meet you, Grant... Try not to worry too much about what Cody has going on." "Roy's not my dad... I don't know my dad. And I'm a junior," I replied. "Cool-. I mean, the junior part. Not the part about your dad," she whispered. Once the group got back on track, the guy moderating started talking about family and conflict. "My mom was cool about everything, but she worried. I gave her a lot of reasons to worry, I guess. She didn't even tell me I was going here," Cody replied, "She just dropped me off... But I guess it was good that she did." "Sounds like she was trying to avoid conflict for herself, not for you," one of the girls mentioned. Cody softened, and he shook his head. "My mom's doing her best. What's bashing her gonna do?" Cody asked. He didn't seem argumentative or cocky anymore. That all faded away with a bit of criticism of his mom. I felt a little bit sorry for the guy. "At least she did something," I replied, "My—. I guess she's not even my mom... She never tried to help. She stood back, and she'd clean everything up after the fact. All she did was try to make me forget, but it wasn't to protect me. Do you know how bad that feels?" I realized I was talking about myself, and I sank down in my seat. Cody mouthed, "Thank you." I nodded in reply, but I felt weird sharing anything about my parents in front of strangers. Another kid jumped in and started talking about how his dad turned everything into an argument, and a few other kids shared. The guy moderating explained that there's a balance to conflict. Too little battle could prove to be as detrimental as too much. "A fear of disputes can look like complacency or a lack of consideration... While too much can make you feel like your guardians are nitpicking or that they simply don't appreciate you at all," the man whispered. We closed out, and Roy met me outside. He had tears in his eyes. "You okay?" I asked. Roy nodded. "It was a brutal end to the day, but I'll make it. Group's never easy," Roy replied, "How was your first day?" "I thought I was gonna hate it at first... But it wasn't that bad—." "Thanks for today, new kid," Cody whispered. Roy glanced at me and smiled. "Cody's thanking someone?" Roy questioned. He seemed impressed. "You're free to go for the next forty-five minutes, but I want you home by nine." I nodded, and Roy left me to wander the campus. Bart ran into me and offered for me to come back to his room to read comics. I took him up on his offer, but we mostly hung out. Bart talked the whole time, but I didn't hate it. At least he seemed happy. "Hey, Bart... Who's this?" I asked as I touched one of the pictures hanging on his wall. "That's my dad. He died when I was a baby," Bart replied, "And the other pictures are of my grandpa and grandma, my cousins, Wally and Jenni, and—." "You're a twin," I interrupted accidentally. Bart tensed up. "Where's your brother?" "I don't have a brother... I have a twin," Bart replied. I didn't know what he meant by that, so I didn't say anything else. I said goodnight, and I went home. Roy lay on the couch with his eyes closed. "You're early, you know," Roy whispered. He seemed exhausted. "What'd you do?" "Why does Bart hate his twin?" I asked.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Roy replied, "Could I hear about your day?" I sat in his chair, linking my fingers over my chest as I stared at Roy. He lay still, eyes shut, but I knew he was listening. "It was alright... Am I allowed to talk about the group?" I asked. "You can talk about yourself but no one else," Roy replied. "The day was long, but I'm glad I don't have to talk about myself anymore this week. Am I allowed to hang out this weekend?" I asked. "Yeah. If you get through tomorrow the way you did today, you can go wherever. I think Garth is going to the beach or something... Donna's going bowling with whoever's down to go... And I'm doing movie night. Saturday, though, I'm not sure what we're doing. I'll probably take some of the kids hiking. I feel like I'm forgetting something important," Roy mumbled. He pulled a blanket over himself and stretched out. "You don't have to wake up at four tomorrow... But that's not what I'm forgetting." "Roy? Are you gonna sleep there tonight?" I asked. "Not sleeping, just resting my eyes... Thursdays are my tough days. I run a group just like everyone else, and sometimes it takes a toll... But I'll be okay by tomorrow," Roy reassured me. I rolled my shoulders back and went to the kitchen. I couldn't sleep when people seemed tense, so I made Roy some tea. He had a bunch of different kinds. Some stuff I'd never even heard of. After the kettle started whistling, I picked two packets with a picture of white flowers and what I imagined was a lemon. I set the teacup on a coaster and tapped Roy's shoulder. "I don't know how you like your tea... I just thought that-." Roy sat up and took a deep breath. I thought he'd chew into me for touching his stuff, but he leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. "Thank you, Grant. That was really thoughtful," Roy whispered. He collected himself without a tear, but I could tell it was hard. It was weird. I'd only known the guy for three days, but it seemed like he knew me way longer than that. I wondered if he knew something I didn't or if he was like that with everybody. It felt good to finally come home at the end of the day, but I worried things wouldn't stay that way. If I learned anything from my parents, things are never what they seem.

#fic #titans #titans academy fic #Grant Emerson #Roy Harper #Bart Allen #Toni Monetti #Cody Driscoll #Lian Harper #Jade Nguyen #Audrey Spears #Tommy Blake Jr. #Father-Son Relationship #Boarding School AU #No Powers AU #Found Family #Second Chances #Roy Harper is a Legal Guardian #Roy Harper is a Father #POV First Person #Grant Emerson POV #Autistic Bart Allen #arrowfam #audhd Bart Allen if we're being real

[maximalttigers]

While I am stilling writing up profiles and designing characters for my Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! series 'Hunted Butterfly', I decided to do a quick character lineup of my OCs that I considered to be a part of the main cast. I will have a line up for supporting characters and antagonists. 

I also wrote up some basic info about them as a form of roll call to introduce them to new people. 

From left to right we have; 

Salem- A demon spider-monkey hybrid. Knighted warrior of his home planet and guardian of his godson Reynold Nystrom Jr./Rain, he is Gibson's biological brother. His mysterious knowledge about Dark Ones and his unique combat have helped the Hyperforce team in many ways, they are concerned about his awareness of Dark Ones as he will not elaborate on where he got this knowledge from.

Tech- Commonly going by his nickname, a very skilled mechanic and Chrome's younger brother. He usually works alongside his creator/father in his projects and helping with raising his goddaughter, Sophie Ito. His understanding of new and old technology has helped the Hyperforce team a lot with fighting the war, he and Otto are close mechanic buddies as they work on new projects together while also having a mutual concern for Chrome albeit for slightly distinct reasons.

Chrome- A fully robot monkey mercenary as well as the chosen wielder of the Dark Reaper who fights the Krivark on his home planet. He is Tech's older brother and primary guardian of his goddaughter Sophie Ito; he later becomes Otto's boyfriend. He works to find the answers to many secrets relating to his home but also Eki's past, secretly having a feeling she's more important than what was originally thought to be.

Skyper- The last monkey created by the Alchemist and later became a Formless-Monkey Hybrid due to Skeleton King; he is Antauri's biological younger brother. He's very unique in not just biology but also in his general personality, at times he's mysterious even to himself. These days, he's acting as Eki's self-proclaimed guardian/protector.

Eki- A bionic human girl who was rescued from her 'creator' by the Hyperforce which after some time she becomes a member of the team and Chiro's foster sister. She is learning about life and freedom while adapting to her powers, thankfully for her she has a good support group in her growing development. 

Amy- The botanist of the Hyperforce, using her knowledge to help Gibson craft cures and keep the team safe from dangerous specimens on unknown worlds. She is also Sparx's younger biological sister; She's probably one of the very few who can stop everyone else from killing Sparx but will have her moments where she wants to 'kill' him. While not an occasional fighter, she can hold her own when needed. 

Azure Spear and Ruby Mace- A pair of monkeys who are very much in love to the point where they got married, they live on the same planet as Chrome and work various part-time jobs to keep themselves occupied. Azure is the peacekeeper while Ruby is the warrior, they in a way act as unofficial advisors to the Hyperforce with Ruby more of the fighting type mentor while Azure is the more emotional/mental advisor. They have a good relationship with the Hyperforce team while being old friends of Salem, Chrome and Tech. 

Octavia- A monkey-sea siren/mermaid hybrid and the adopted daughter to the current queen of Atlantia, an underwater kingdom that resides in the Shuggazoom ocean. She acts as the expert of sea life and later becomes Gibson's girlfriend, through her Gibson has learned to relax more and accept the concepts of 'magic' better. She's close to the female members of the team and has a good relationship with the males, Sparx is protective of her's and Gibson relationship. 

Coco- A young female monkey created by an exiled Veron Mystic member and raised as not just his student but also his daughter in a small pocket dimension. Other than the Power Primate, she had light and healing powers. She eventually becomes Antauri's girlfriend (And to Skyper's delight, his sister-in-law). She's honestly struggling to adapt to Shuggazoom but she knows that she'll be ok with the rest of the Hyperforce team with her. 

Kaneki- One and the only surviving prototype of the monkey team who later became a part of the Super Robot as a part of its subconscious and in control of it. When he is discovered and his new body is completed with the updated nano bots, he is fully trusted with controlling the Super Robot when needed and acts as a secondary advisor and guardian to the whole team. It is heavily implied that he and Antauri have developed a form of psychic connection due to the events of 'I, Chiro' while he's lowkey worrisome about Chiro's future. 

That's it for now, hopefully I will have written up the profiles for other characters as well. 

#oc #hunted butterfly #srmthfg hb #srmthfg #digital art #antauri #art #chiro #gibson #otto

[celestiall0tus]

Bonds of love, Creation and Nature

Nature lived alone until Destruction led her to Creation. Though their worlds kept them apart, they cared for one another. A bond established between the pair. Nature broke from her world to protect Creation and became Creation's greatest guardian.

Through Nature, Creation learned to be strong and fearless. To strike as deadly and malicious as Nature while Nature learned from Creation to be gentle.

Through love, they accept influence. They become more for themselves and each other.

#au #miraculous #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #alternate universe #fanart #miraculous fanart #miraculous ladybug #digital art #miraculous au #miraculous marinette #marinette dupain cheng #marinette fanart #kagaminette #mlb kagami #miraculous kagami #kagami tsurugi #shipping #miraculous ship #dragon #ladybug #bonds of love

[drag0natlas]

GOTG3 SPOILERS

another thing i loved about gotg 3 was the lily pond analogy about peter learning to accept that gamora is gone and to move on. this whole movie is about healing and learning to live again and in the end several characters “learned to swim” and found that acceptance and closure in their own various storylines. The evolutionary did not - he refused to accept the world as it was, trying to somehow perfect it instead of accepting that while you should fight for your goals and help others do the same not everything will turn out exactly as you want or expect it to. Sometimes there is beauty in letting go, in letting things be imperfect and finding new love in that difference. I loved how they handled peter and gamora here. They allowed this version of gamora to become her own person, even if it took a while for peter to see that his view of who she was wasn’t going to be real.

but in the end even though facing their past and letting themselves move on was painful, they learned to live again and find joy. i loved the ending dancing scene so much. i could honestly go on about this movie for so long lol, each character’s story is interconnected in such a good way and theres so much depth and details to it. just ahhh what a fantastic ending. Im honestly a bit tired of movies that have a bittersweet ending where the protagonists’ happiness was cut short. was so satisfying to see the guardians find joy laughing and dancing together in the end after going through so much, and allowing themselves and each other to find their own happiness without it feeling like they were torn from each other.

#i feel a bit like an english teacher finding all the nuances and connections in the story haha #just so obsessed with this movie #it destroyed me and put me back together again #gotg 3 spoilers #guardians of the galaxy

[juneandnick]

5x06 : Together (My POV)

After being captured at the border, June and Luke find themselves in a van: destination unknown. Luke completely freaks out while June seems impassive.

They are photographed as if they were arrested by the police for a crime: a frontal shot and a profile shot. Then they are locked up individually in cages.

Scarlet noticed something very interesting about the cages: The striking contrast of having them together but separated. It only shows where their marriage is at.

The Gilead's doctor to Aunt Lydia: Now Esther will be transferred to the high-risk obstetrics hospital and she will be there on bedrest, until term. She is pregnant of three weeks after being raped by Putnam, a day before she was posted. Aunt Lydia is shocked because the ceremony is sacred. Is that all that shocks her?

In cages, Luke panics and annoys June until she loses her temper. Because he is complaining. Because once again June must reassure him and tries to keep her cool. A parallel with S4E08, when they are in the kitchen eating, he told her: I am really sorry about today. About coming to court and … But at least now I know everything. And maybe we can just move on. I mean, if you want to talk to me about anything to do with Hannah or … All right. Well, I am here. I do not know what to do. I am trying. Just tell me. He whines. She gets up and tries to comfort him.

When June says to Luke I survived, I wonder if it is a parallel with S3E05, about Nick: I need you to know that Nichole was born out of love. Her real name is Holly. Her father is a driver named Nick. He helped me to survive. Or nothing to do with it.

At the same time, Luke confides: I just wish I could have been the kinda guy that could have come and got ya. And I know how that sounds, I just wish I could have been with you through that. As Alwaysnyc14 wrote, there is an elephant in the room. Maybe it is time for these two to have a honest conversation about Nick. At least, this latter did it with Rose. I am crossing my fingers for season 6.

June and Luke joke in the cage before the housekeepers arrive. Once again she should think before to talk: You tell your boss he has to call Commander Lawrence or Commander Blaine. After S5E01, it was incredibly stupid. Did not she learn that in Gilead, if they ever really are at Gilead, she can not trust anyone? Even less hooded men. She gives names without thinking it might get them in trouble.

What the hell Luke was thinking when he tried to escape? No comment.

At Lawrence's house, Nick cannot hide his disgust at Warren's remarks. Which does not escape Joseph. So the plans for New Bethlehem seem compromised.

Joseph: It is a good example for young Commander Blaine. Accept when you have been outplayed. Nick: I am learning a lot from the both of you.

Was it a secret code between these two? A sort of: Our dearest friend, you have no idea that your hour has just struck. It will only be a formality. I really love it.

June to Luke: Last time when we were apart… No matter what happened, I never gave up hope. And you never gave up hope. Because we knew, we just knew that we would find each other again. So, we are gonna do that again. Right?

About it, I already shared my point of view.

Later, they are separated because he is legal, they do not want him. I wonder if this line: We stay together is a sort of wink to Let's stay together that he sang in the previous episode. The two struggle because they do not want to be separated.

Interesting fact about the symbolic of their marriage: Resistancerising56.

I did not know there were restaurants in Gilead. Anyway, this is where the story continues. Guardians arrive and take by force Warren outside. Nick kills him because officially Gilead found him guilty of apostasy and sins of the flesh. There is a parallel with S4E10. Before to die, Warren says: But I have a baby on the way! Before to die Fred said: I have a son! A son! And on S5E02, Warren said to Serena: Fred was like a brother to me. True or not they had the same destiny.

Eric Tuchman says: We have to remember that as much as we love Nick he is not a boy scout. Over the years he has seen Gilead corrupted and perverted by men like Putnam, who have exploited it and used it for their own pleasure and gain. So to Nick's mind, this is a justified execution. He did what he dreamed to do to Fred.

In S5E01, Rose seems to understand June’s revenge to Fred. Even if, it is not really clear what she exactly knows. Nevertheless, she seemed to be a support for Nick.

But in this episode, Rose cries and says: I am worried about the kind of person this makes you. Turnaround situation. She is frightened and disapproves.

Resistancerising56 noticed something very interesting but about the title of the episode. Contrary to what one might think it is not about June and Luke. It is about June and Nick. Because: Their only concern is the well-being of their children.

It seems there is no doubt that Nick is the father of Rose's child.

June gets out from the bus with Ezra and face to face with Serena, who forced her to pray on her knees. I pray for our children. I pray that my daughters live a life of peace. A life without all of this hate and violence. Give them a life, give them a happy life. And, dear God, may they do better than we did. Serena answers Amen and shoots Ezra in the chest. Before to go on the run with June.

Personally I find it unhealthy to maintain the June / Serena relationship.

Music by Adam Taylor

- I Survived ❤️

- Separated Again ❤️

Source Pictures: Screenshots (by me)

#the handmaid's tale #osblaine #june osborne #nick blaine #S5E06 #season5 #my POV #adam taylor #music