#you can tell she was such a great mom

[mysweetsinfulobsessions]

From this

to this...

and this in the course of 20 minutes

Harlivy kicking the crap out of their daughter and being very uncool moms in Harley Quinn, the animated series, S04e07, Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise

#so many good moments #they can be my moms if she doesn't want them #there is such a thing as cool moms! #you ruin my life! Lol #princess lady fingers loool #telling your daughter to fuck off is parenting 101 #i love it when ivy curses #which just means i love Lake Bell's voice #beating the crap out of their kid; harley: we make great parents #should i tag this as violence? haha #harlivy #neytiri #neytiri harley quinn #harley quinn #harley quinn show #harley quinn the animated series #harley quinn animated series #pamela isley #hqtas #hqas #harley quinn and poison ivy #poison ivy

[boilingrain]

There’s something silly to me about Bluestar x Yellowfang

It’s just “yeah Firestar’s moms should date”

Old women with tragic backstories and the very orange boy they separately adopted

#it's a great ship I love it #listen you can claim Bluestar wasn't a maternal figure to Firestar & that she was just his mentor but you can't do that with Yellowfang #She canonically tells Fireheart that she wishes he was her son #That's not a thing left up to reader interpretation or anything. The direct quote (from Rising Storm) is #''I wished you'd been my son but I could not have borne a cat like you.'' #(there's more to the quote but I can't fit all of it in the character limit of the tags) #(or technically I could but it would have to be several tags and I don't feel like doing that) #she also says ''I only regret that I will miss watching you become what Starclan has destined you to be.'' to him in that same bit of dialo #that is his mom. Like you cannot reasonably deny that #I'm going to shut myself up now before I actually write an entire essay about Yellowfang in the tags of this post #because I know myself and I know I'd do it #Warrior Cats #yellowfang #bluestar #bluestar x yellowfang #blueyellow #(I think that's their ship name?) #(I'd make a joke about how we should just call it ''Green'' but I'm sure that joke has been made already) #and because I mentioned Starclan's most special little orange boy #wc firestar #firestar #honestly if I ever decide to do fun character tags that's what Firestar's will be

[lilbagdermole]

do you have any headcanons for the dunebabies (toph and aang's kids)?

Hello Anon!

Thank you so much for sending an ask - as you can tell I absolutely love talking about Taang and everything related to them. I especially love talking about the dunebabies and how they'd handle parenting!

Ok, as I previously stated in a past post, I really think Toph and Aang would have a very big family - about five to six kids. It comes in part because of Aang's burden of repopulating the Air Temples and keeping his culture alive. But I just genuinely believe that Toph and Aang are such a good team and couple that they take the challenge of raising a large family, test their communication, relationship and love.

They have 3 girls (one earthbender, two airbenders) and 3 boys (one earthbenders and two airbenders);

Their first-born son, at the ripe age of two, sneezes twelve feet into the air - scaring his mother as she momentarily lost "sight" of her boy; his father, on the other hand, cried with thrill with the notion he was no longer the last living proof of the Air Nomads;

Their first three children are all airbenders. Toph loves them more than she'll ever be able to put into words, but a part of her does fear that her earthbending genetics would not pass onto her children. Thankfully, their fourth child, a beautiful girl, at one, whilst throwing a temper tantrum, cracked their living room wall.

All their children are menaces - they either adopted their mother's humor and confidence, or inherited their father's mischievous and playful personality. They're kind and respectful children, but, just like their parents when they were young, they love having fun and goofing off;

Toph loves parenthood, adores being a mother. It's something she had once believed ill-suited her and she'd worried she lacked the nurturing, soft, gentle touch that came naturally to Katara and Suki. Despite everyone's concerns, Toph is an amazing mom. Laidback and carefree but strict when need be; she gives her children the freedom her own parents had denied her but always keeping a close, protective "eye" to guarantee their safety; she plays with the kids, tells them bedside stories of her adventures with Aang, suffocates them with tender love and care (love and care exclusively reserved for her family). Aang never once doubted her.

Aang would take all his kids to the Air Temples - earthbenders and airbenders alike - he took great pride in teaching them his culture, his values and morals, his history. He'd promised Toph he wouldn't force the Air Nomad lifestyle on his kin, unless they showed interest in pursuing it; additionally, Toph had made it clear that if he ever showed any sigh of favoritism for his airbending children, she'd terminate the Avatar Cycle with him - it was a threat he had taken seriously (though Aang would never neglect his two little earthbenders, he loved all their kids equally);

The kids adore teasing and pranking Toph because of her blindness - especially her airbending boys. They had found great joy in airbending their way out of her sight to escape punishment - so much so, that she had crafted little metal bracelets for all her children so she could keep tabs on their whereabouts (and so they wouldn't surprise her into an early grave);

The dunebabies love their uncles and aunts - and when accompanied by the steambabies and bladebabies... chaos and mayhem is certain. It doesn't help that the two youngest members of the Gaang enjoy causing their friends just as much stress as their children - many a times, Aang and Toph would join all the children in terrorizing the Fire Palace Staff or pissing their parents off;

Instead of having a permanent home - they have little homes in every nation due to Aang's Avatar duties. However, once the children grow old enough to go to school, cultivate friendships and need that stability - Aang and Toph agree that a forever home was long overdue. They eventually settle to reside within a calm town just on the outskirts of Republic City;

Toph eventually reforms the old Dai Li into Republic City's law enforcers. Balancing motherhood with her professional life was no easy feat, however, she and Aang had always worked in perfect harmony. So, when she needed to be present at work to teach metalbending, Aang would be at home caring for the kids; When Aang needed to leave for Peace Summits, Political Events and other Avatar duties, Toph would step in. They were always a team and because of that their kids never once had to be alone or without a parental figure.

Despite the odds, Aang and Toph raise their children beautifully and their a happy family, imperfect yet wonderful.

#dunebabies #aang x toph #taang #toph x aang #atla aang #toph beifong #adult taang #taang headcanons #taang as parents #they would be such great parents #they balance each other out so well and together I think they'd avoid becoming what they become in TLOK #I'm still pissed off with Toph and Aang's characterization in TLOK can you tell? #Like Toph would NEVER allow for her babies to be neglected #SHE KNEW HOW THAT FELT AND YOU'RE TELLING ME SHE BECAME A NEGLECTFUL MOM??? NAH BRO

[cheddertm]

JAY SOBBING IN CHIPS ARMS BECAUSE SHE DOESNT WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER PERSON IN HER LIFE SINCE EVERYONE SHES EVER KNOWN BASICALLY LEAVES HER OR DOESNT CARE ABOUT HER AND NOW SHE HAS FRIENDS N STUFF AND- [uncontrollable sobbing]

#jrwi #jrwi riptide #jay ferin #can you tell I’m a Jay fan #can you tell that I love her so much #BECAUSE I DO #SHES SO NEAT AND GREAT TO ME AND I’M SO HAPPY WHEN SHE SHOWS EMOTION SHE GETS IT BACK FROM HER FRIENDS #BECAUSE I DOUBT THAT ANYTHING IN THE FERIN HOUSEHOLD BESIDES TWO PEOPLE HAVE EVER GIVEN JAY AFFECTION #LIKE BESIDES HER SISTSER WHO IS DEAD LIKE SHES MILLIONS OF MILES AWAY FROM HER MOM #SOBS #ANYWAYS

[brittlebutch]

Katja Cleaver doesn't get enough attention for being the most 'poor little meow meow' character i've ever seen in my life. literally off the walls 'she was found in a wet cardboard box on the side of the road' energy

#N posts stuff #her dad is so absent he thinks she's still 16 when she is already fully 18 years old #her dad is so absent that Katja considers it the GREATEST kindness she can give him to NEVER show him how sad that makes her #she didn't tell any of her friends about her birthday because she 'didn't wanna say anything' even though they've been friends for 2 years #her only friend for the first like 16 years of her life was her horse #the first time she thought she made a friend that 'friend' immediately turned around and kidnapped her #she made her first actual group of friends right after that and her dad does not know a single one of their names #she loves her horse so much that she eats dry fucking oats for breakfast because she likes it when they can share #her parents Forgot about her at school often enough for it to be a routine occurrence she had to figure out as a child #katja looked her Absent dad in the eyes and MEANT it when she said 'i think you're great because you stayed' bc her mom DIDNT #babygirl i love you <3 #d20: seven maidens #dimension 20 #edit: i cannot BELIEVE i forgot to mention that even though she has friends she still continued to wear the single half of a friendship #heart necklace that no one else had the second half of bc she didn't feel confident enough to ask if any of her friends would wear it

[restinthewest]

My mom is categorically not a dog person (or a pet person at all) and whenever she spends time with Hallow (usually just at my parents house) she always mentions to me that she thinks that Hallow is “mentally ill” (a conclusion she has arrived at due to the fact that Hallow ignores my family and always watches/follows me and doesn’t care to be pet). I always tell her that Hallow is fine she’s just acting like a GSD but my mom cannot be convinced that it’s normal behavior. So I usually just have to meet her halfway and say “okay maybe it’s mental illness but it’s an intentionally coded feature”

#my mom is a great lady she just doesn’t get pets #and she actually does like hallow she just thinks she’s weird #also I try to tell her that hallow is way less Velcro and stare-y when we’re somewhere fun or with human and dog friends #but Hallow has to abide by a TON of rules at my parents house and it’s not particularly fun for her so she defaults to quiet staring at me #because there’s nothing else to do #to be clear hallow doesn’t have sep anxiety and can be removed from me without a fuss #honestly most dog breeds if you boil them down are ‘we intentionally selected for weird ass behavior’

[crypt-tids]

Writing Epona honestly makes me miss horses lol. When I was younger, I took horseback riding lessons and one of the horses was a really sweet, older, black mare named sugar. She was always my favorite to ride because she was so chill and agreeable haha. Epona is based off of her (though Epona is a bit bigger than Sugar, Sugar was probably the smallest horse at the rescue lol).

Now I was no Tina Belcher tier horse girl or anything like that, but if I had a farm, I would probably have a horse lol.

#horses are also super empathetic #they can tell when you're nervous or unsure and will react accordingly #which is not great if the horse already likes to take the piss out of you lol #i never had issues because i never feared horses but my mom had a harder time with the stubborn horses #so thats why Epona reacts the way she does with Lucas #if you were wondering lol

[herd-reject-arts]

Here I go to spend several days by myself in the North Carolina wilderness. Wish me luck. Never gone camping alone (but I have my dogs, and I trust them more than any people I know), so that's intimidating. Hopefully I don't have to fistfight a bear over whatever I'm cooking that night. Not looking forward to no toilet or shower until Monday, but it is what it is. I absolutely have to do this, for my mental health. I'm losing so much money taking the time off work to just have mountain time to myself. But I gotta. My life has been such a chaotic mess for over half a year now - everything that could go wrong, has - and I've never felt so close to just letting myself snap. I can feel it boiling right under the surface at any given time.

But yeah. Should be a time. Might post pictures upon my return (provided a bear doesn't decide I'm on the menu). Wish me luck!

#not vc sorry #camping #going to pisgah in case i never return and y'all gotta help direct the cops #should be back online sometime next week #really hoping there's no phone service so no one can bother me #i WILL hike the mountains. i WILL return to the dirt and moss from which i came. #i think it'll be good for me to just fuck off for a while and hang out with my puppies #it's just been shit after shit for so long #like. starts off with me getting fired over a false police report that no one cared was obviously fake #then the only person I've ever given a shit about says he's had a massive thing for me for years and just ghosts me? #then my mom started getting worse and is constantly blaming me for all her problems and breaking my stuff etc #like. she tells my 15 year old brother he's a failure and won't be shit at least once a day. blames me for his behavior. #then I'm getting constantly fucked over at work. treated like I'm an idiot. paid less than the guys despite doing the same work. #my physical health isn't great but what do i even do about that? #i have no control over anything in my life. it's all going to shit. #but you know what i can control? where my gay ass subaru is driven. and it's driving me to the mother fucking mountains. #and i WILL chill and relax and not stress over shit that's out of my hands!!!!!!! #it's supposed to rain a lot but who cares. just means less likelihood of other people camping near me.

[fluffypotatey]

Being a medieval geek and watching medieval shows is both a blessing and a curse, because sometimes the anachronism is funny, and other times it makes you want to throttle the writers and ask them what the fuck they're doing.

Funny Things: technically none of the saddles on BBC Merlin should have stirrups, those didn't reach England until 10th century during the Viking invasions. The shiny decoration on Morgana's green dress wouldn't be beading but most likely preserved beetle shells. The bright red colour of the Pendragon banners and capes would come from a dye made with bugs.

I-Have-QUESTIONS Things: If Gaius and Hunith are supposed to be siblings and Gaius wasn't previously a freeman (ergo bound in service to Camelot, meaning his entire family was also) how did Hunith end up in another kingdom, that's literally illegal, she's also got an education that she clearly passed on to Merlin, so their family must have had wealth/importance at one point, so again WHY IS SHE IN PODUNK, ESSETIR, and [gunshots]

here me out: Young Hunith was an anarchist and deliberately left Camelot bc she wanted to start her own life somewhere else, thereby going against Gaius's wishes to stay low and keep the peace. unlike her relative Gaius, who stayed bc that was the law and whatnot, Hunith said "fuck that" and in this essay i will--

#evidence? you mean the stuff where their sources are me? that evidence? #part one of the essay is explaining medieval hierarchy and fealty #part two is explaining why hunith left camelot willingly with the knowledge that such an act was punishable #conclusion is a segue to explain why her past actions can be reflected on her son merlin and how he goes about the show #bbc merlin #hunith #she's a powerhouse of a woman #headcanon??? i think you mean absolutely canon #yep nothing to see here but the truth of hunith #better yet let's pull will into this he's basically hunith's 2nd son tbh #will and merlin provide great example of who hunith was in her younger years #why will?? bc her and will's mom was close and she raised him when he had no one else duh #asks #also can we discuss the absolute confusion on WHEN THE FUCK ARTHURIAN LEGEND TAKES PLACE????? #KNIGHTS WEREN'T A THING UNTIL HENRY THE CONQUEROR CAME BC FRENCH INFLUENCES #THEY SAY THEY FOUGHT THE SAXONS BUT WERE ALLIES WITH MERCIA (AN ANGLO SAXON KINGDOM) #WHEN ARE YOU SET TELL ME

[cinna-bunnie]

i had a fun day 2 day ૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა everyone has been so nicey 2 me all day from the minute i left my house earlier ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა ♡⁠

i went to a Retreat for the first time for work earlier 0: and I did SO good for being up since 2am it didn't even feel like it 💀

it was so chill i drove like an hour away but Away from the city so there wasn't rly traffic and the mountains r so pretty 2 drive thru (❁´◡`❁) got some rain n v low clouds and since it's autumn there's all these pretty colors. i took an edible on the way n was just jammin out n enjoying the scenery among the many safe opportunities 2 look

and then at the thing we got 2 do different ice breakers n go on decently long breaks; i got 2 hang in different groups n actually Talk w a bunch of ppl which i never have time for omg. it's nice working at a legal nonprofit, i would NOT want to do this with corporate mfs !! 😹

went around n said hii to the enbies and i ran up a hill that looked a lot smaller than it was, i made it like 80% of the way before my legs were immediately like no girl we're done !! but my brain was like but it's Right There, and i struggled 2 finish the climb but I Did !! ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა and i was so so tired i do not remember ever being that winded before 💀 getting down was so much slower n worse bc my legs were Done and when i finally made it to the bottom i laid flat on my back for like 15m, and when when i made it back to sit n chill i still need like 10 more minutes akskska. i do not b exercising !! i just wanted 2 play it looked fun and i got excited (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠)

in between things i was working on my sister's choker n kept winding up w a group of ppl around me 2 talk to about it and just talk 2 in general n the company was rly nice (❁´◡`❁) ♡ had a lot of different kinda talks 2day!! everyone is a sweetie!! some ppl r so funny n chill and i rly hope 2 get 2 talk more casually w people perhaps As Friends when i go in 👉👈

there's one girl in particular who is rly cute n sweet and i want 2 see her again ૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა when I got home finally i had 2 hop on my work laptop real quick 2 look up her name again 2 make sure i didn't forget ☝️😌 we do not work at the same office but hii i am visiting next week 🐇

yippee!!!! ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა !!!

#i think i have become an introverted extrovert at some point 0: #which is rly nice bc my social anxiety was SO bad at the beginning of the year like i didn't even know where to start skskdksk #but i kinda figured it out? but it's also just being me? idk.. much 2 think. but i made good progress #i am getting a good grade in being funny and nice and talking to people !! #i want 2 kiss someone on the forehead #omg but if there's ANYONE who deserves a kiss it's this old lady who lives a few buildings down on the way to my car #where EVERY time i see her she always has something so so sweet to tell me about how i look #today she said I'm always looking fancy (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠) ♡⁠ and more but that's the main thing i remember besides the small talk #and the first time we met she asked me if i was a model fr and she's told me I'm cute and I'm just like PLEASE SKDKDKS #i can't fully tell if you're just really sweet or kinda 👀 at me but girl u r so sweet like hello do u Want a hug or a kiss ?? i love u !! #old ladies have a warmth they fill u with that just take the weight of Everything off ur shoulders n leave u feeling full n happy!! #bless old ladies fr!! literally my favorite people to interact with always i love u abuelas everywhere u r everything to me and i would do #anything for u !!!! i miss getting to help friends grandmas w stuff as a kid 🥺 it was just always great 2 talk 2 them and be close n on #good terms n stuff :3 i was the same way with their moms hehe. hi hello i want 2 help !! (⁠✿ ‚‚⌒‿⌒‚‚) #my friend is being lame and acting embarrassed but i love you please talk to me i am so so interested and think you're really #cool and funny and sweet and wise actually ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა ♡⁠ i wanna be around u if u wanna hang out #even if it's as simple as getting 2 help in the kitchen n always helping w dishes n stuff ૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა aaa ♡⁠ #omg i was late 2 the thing too and missed the breakfast and there's this sweet energetic old lady who's always like #omg u didn't get to eat? do u want this? can i get you some coffee or tea? and I'm always just like no no it's okay I'm gonna get it but #appreciate the offer and just ૮ – ﻌ–ა she is always looking out 4 me !! but she's just a sweetie like that !! #i think sharing food is a universally good way 2 make friends and it always warms my heart 2 meet ppl who r the same (❁´◡`❁) #they r always so so sweet 😭🥰 for my astrology girlies i correctly guessed that she's a taurus hehe 😼 #there's another old lady who's an office manager for one of the offices n she is so soft spoken n sweet and i wish i got 2 hug her n talk #to her more 🥺 she's so far though omg i don't get to see her in person much #n e ways i work w some really warm bubbly ppl ૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა i am a happy girlie 2day!! then im going Serious Mode again tmrw 🫡 #oo i get to setup like an Actual server for a rack w linux and it's being delivered 2 my place tomorrow 0: I'm excited abt it as a project #AND my new jewelry came in today along w some cute underwear we r starting this wk off strong !!! #there was so so much more frm 2day i am just rly stoned n thinking abt it all (⁠〒⁠﹏⁠〒⁠) #if u actually read all of my ramble ily ty for letting me Talk ૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა ♡⁠

[memecatwings]

honestly the one piece worldbuilding lore is so so so fascinating but the problem is that you only ever get crumbs of it for 1070 episodes you get nothing but crumbs 1070 episodes in and there's still only like one slice of breads worth of crumbs forget the whole loaf this is maddening im opperating on theories and assumptions here im in platos cave looking at shadows you cant do this to meeeeeeeee

#chewing my wrist off honestly #there was quite literally a character who could time travel but only forwards and she traveled 800 years into the future #to witness the fullfillment of a prophecy but then changed her mind and decided her priority was actually getting married and having kids #and then she died and we got absolutely zero lore info from her despite the fact that she could have blown this whole thing open #her character shows up and you think 'oh! she's from the lost century! the century in one piece lore where there are no surviving #archeological records and it coincidentally happens immediately after the formation of the world government! #surely she will tell us something!' and then.. nothing #never been more frustrated with a story IN MY LIFE #watching 900 episodes of an anime and thinking we're finally getting somewhere but then she just exists in the story to be a dead mom 😭 #the lore in one piece is like a giant leviathan swimming deep in the ocean beneath your boat #you Know its there and you can SEE the great big shadow but it remains elusive mysterious and unknowable #you cannot see the details and are left to guess and what its incomprehensible bulk could mean #anyways im eating glass

[nobodysdaydreams]

#Very interested in this poll #A lot of horrible parents are up here but you can only pick one #I personally lean more towards Sticky’s aunt Nicholas’ parents/orphanage lady and Martina’s parents #Cause yeah number 2’s mom and Nathaniel were bad parents. But they also have clear signs of trauma history and mental health issues #Which to be clear: isn’t an excuse at all. But in a scenario where you can only hit one person… #Like. Martina was in a cult. She was almost brainswept. Can’t get into college. Nearly died. And her parents “aren’t interested?” #As for Sticky’s off screen aunt: this is your dead sibling’s kid and you used him for money and did nothing to find him! #You could say Nicholas’ parents had decent intentions and were just uneducated about the importance of keeping siblings in contact BUT #the orphanage director lady? SHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER #Actually she led the adoptive parents over to Nicholas... did she… RECOMMEND SPLITTING THEM UP? #Was she like “oh we have a child that likes to read he’ll be great for you don’t worry about his brother you’ll be his new family” #Or did she recommend that they not take Nathaniel because she was worried he might be trouble? #We know the least about Martina and Nicholas’ parents but things are not looking good for them I’ll tell you that. #tmbs #mbs #tmbs disney #mbs disney #the mysterious benedict society #mysterious benedict society

[cowardlycowboys]

over emotional older sisters and their confused younger brothers who have to deal with them

#omg kiera no one cares #this is about mykah and then also about me because like you cant have a post about mykah with it including me #it really sucks to like watch a kid just live your life really #like hey man it really doesn't get better!!!! I'm sorry!!! at least your parents got divorced tho i told my mom I'd kill myself if she left #i was your age too so like i get it!! hate to tell you this tho but it mostly gets worse and he doesn't really get better unless he goes on #a lot a lot of drugs! #she just started crying this morning and was like I'm just being over emotional like wow I've said that too all the time at that age #mykah is sooo kieracoded and that's why she hates when i tell her anything #we butt heads because she's me<33 #I've been thinking about this all day and i just cried lol so #i hope she isn't as bad as me tho because i stood in the kitchen with a knife to me when my mom got divorce INFORMATION #like dubi I'll do it you leave him I'll do it i don't care that he's sooo mean and violent I'll end everything right now at 6½ #forgot i did that until just now but wow great times<33 #can laugh about it now hahahaha

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

I FUCKING HATE MEDICAL FACILITIES!!!!!!!!!!

#GODDD WHY CAN NOTHING BE EASY #i call a place last weekend. im like hey i need a physical for work can you do that #yes we can! #awesome can i schedule an appointment #oh dont worry we take walk ins you dont need one #great! cool! #fast forward to this morning. i fucking hate doctors offices i hate thinking about them i hate going to them. #i psyche myself up for like an hour. i drive the 45 minutes to this place. i get inside hand them the paper tbe lady is like #super frustrated. doing that awful thing moms do where theyre like. doing things more forcefully than needed and sighing #she goes. we dont do this here. im like. oh well i called last weekedn and someone said i could come here #shes like. idk what to tell you we cant do this. im like ok do you have any suggestions for places that do. she says no. i leave. #i call like THREE DIFFERENT PLACES and all of them are like. lol you need a pcp. i dont have one of those yet. #head in hands. i just wasted two damn hours of my weekend for nothing AND NOW I HAVE TO GO GROVERY SHOPPING. i fucking #hate it here everything sucks im so mad. #i literally just need someone to go “yeah youre healthy” and sign a paper. thats IT

[softquietsteadylove]

I saw that you accept prompts for your „teach me to love“ fic! So here is an idea:

Gil is on his way to Thena to give her papers for a little school theater play when he sees her and Kro outside the door in an heated argument. He sees how Kro gets angrier and angrier and how he comes dangerously and threatening closer to Thena so Gil rushes and puts himself between him and her. He is looking very serious and intimidating and telling him with a very calm but cold voice (serious mafia vibes here xD) to be very careful of his next steps. Thena has never seen Gil like this and is too stunned.

So you can choose if you want to put it as a prompt out here or like a new idea for your fic. Because I just thought after the first encounter between him and Gil that kro would cause a few problems through the story :)

Gil made the quick trip down the street to Thena's house. He had a few papers for her to sign for the upcoming activities for the month. Of course, he could have just emailed her, or just sent them home with Druig, as he had with the rest of the kids.

He had just...forgotten to. That was all.

It wasn't that it was an excuse to see her. She was his neighbour, it was just convenient to be able to run them over to her. He was pretty sure that even Thena would say they were friends at this point. He was just doing a favour for his friend. That was it.

"Fuck you!"

That was most definitely not Thena's voice.

Gil picked up his pace to a light jog until he could see past Phastos' house and into her front yard. She was on the front porch, arguing with an eerily tall and imposing figure. Gil had a bad feeling he knew who that was.

"Will you keep your voice down!" she hissed at the man who quickly leaned in to tower over her again.

"Let me the fuck inside, Thee," Kro growled at her, not necessarily shouting anymore but certainly not keeping his voice down either. "I came to see my goddamn kid."

"Kro, we have rules about this for a reason," she crossed her arms at him, unmoved by his growling at her. "You cannot just come over here any time you wish."

"I can't bring my son a fucking birthday present?" he snarled at her.

"His birthday is next month."

"No, it's not."

Thena pushed Kro back by his chest, "I was there! I was there alone, if you recall!"

"This again," Kro stepped back, rolling his eyes at her. As if not having been there for the birth of his child was some small thing to nag him about.

"I have full custody, Kro," Thena pressed, stepping forward and even surrendering her elevated stance on the porch to push back at him. "That was the agreement. I decide when and where you get to see him--if you get to see him!"

"You agreed not to keep me from my own kid, y'self-righteous bitch!"

"That was before you showed up with barely a warning at Christmas and frightened him!"

"You saying my own boy's afraid of me?!" Kro bellowed at her, far beyond proving her point for her. He ceased letting her push him back from her space, marching forward again. "Because that's your doing, Thee! You fuckin' coddled him until he was a such a momma's boy that he'd cry at the littlest thing!"

"He's five!"

"I'm goin' to see my kid!" Kro pushed forward until Thena's feet hit the front step again. She turned instinctively to balance herself but Kro grabbed her wrist, forcing her eyes back to him, "and you're-"

"That's enough!"

Thena blinked as she found herself released, no longer with her ex-husband screaming in her face but behind a warm, sturdy back. "Gil?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Kro snarled at Gil, snapping his hand back to him in a fist after it was wrenched away from Thena.

Gil didn't dignify that with a response. They had literally met before. "Back up."

"Wait," Kro frowned, his eerily blue eyes going dark. He eyed Gil up and down with deep disdain on his face, "I know--you're the school marm."

"I'm Druig's teacher," Gil corrected him, unbothered by the murderous look on the taller man's face. He could bark and growl all he liked at him. "And I think it's time for you to go."

"Oh, you do," Kro got in Gil's face, as he had with Thena. He didn't have to lean down quite as far. "This is between me and the missus, mate."

Thena glared at Kro from behind Gil's shoulder, "I am not your wife!"

Kro saw his opening, immediately lunging for her again but Gil moved quicker, angling his shoulders, moving Kro further away and Thena further back behind him. Kro leaned back again, narrowly avoiding colliding with Gil's thick shoulder. "Look, this isn't any of your business."

"It's my business if you're bullying her," Gil growled right back at him. He wasn't one for confrontation, really. He didn't like having to use his size. But the last thing he was going to do was let Thena get pushed around. "She deserves some respect, don't you think?"

"Stay the fuck out of it."

Gil inhaled, drawing up his shoulders and puffing his chest out faintly. It didn't take much for him to easily outdo Kro when it came to muscle mass. Kro was tall, and he definitely was strong. But Gil had no doubt that he was stronger. "Think very carefully about what your next move is."

Kro raised his fist, which Gil seemed prepared to take. He faltered as a pale hand emerged and wrapped around Gil's arm.

"Come inside," she whispered to Gil, although Kro had heard it plain as day. She gave him a withering glare, "he's not worth it."

"Thee." It was somewhere in between anger and shock and maybe even some betrayal and...something sad?

Gil put his hands on Thena's shoulders, ushering her inside and leaving her ex-husband out on the stoop without a second thought. He closed and locked the door behind him, not sure just how much of a problem Kro's anger issues really were.

Thena sighed, her shoulders dropping from the tension draining out of her, "I suppose there goes my hope of no longer being the subject of neighbourhood gossip."

Gil shook his head, keeping a hand connected to her as he moved around to face her. "Are you okay?"

She looked reasonably unshaken, though. If anything, she looked unfortunately unsurprised by her ex's behaviour. She smiled up at Gil, "thanks to you."

Gil looked over her shoulder to where Kro was apparently making the wise decision of getting the hell away from them. He sighed, his brows deeply furrowed and a scowl on his face, "the nerve of that guy."

"I'm afraid you don't know the half of it," Thena lamented with no particular sadness as Kro's tires screeched out of the driveway. She looked up at Gil again, her hands clasped in front of her, "thanks for coming to my rescue."

Gil didn't even think before he blurted out, "always."

"Yes, you do seem to be coming to my rescue rather often," she shook her head, although she still hadn't moved away from his hand on her shoulder. "Would you-"

"Mum!--is Dad gone?!"

Gil chuckled at the shout coming from the kitchen. That was what had made Thena go out there to talk to Kro alone. It, as was always the case with Thena, was to protect Druig.

"Yes, Darling, he's gone home," she answered, not letting a shred of vulnerability into her voice. She looked up at Gil, switching to a whisper, "he's refused to speak with him on the phone since Christmas."

That was why Kro had come all this way in person. It was because Druig didn't want to talk to him.

It seemed a little manipulative for the guy to try and bribe his way into his son's life with presents, but Gil set that aside for now. He ran his hands down Thena's arms until he could hold her hands in his. "Are you sure you're okay? I can stick around for a bit."

Thena gave him that smile that reminded him that it was literally her job to be beautiful. Obviously it came to her naturally. "I'm not worried about him. But, if you'd like to join us for some afternoon tea...?"

He wasn't one for tea, really. He liked coffee with lots of cream and sugar, and he liked lightly steeped barley tea. But tea? "Sounds great."

#Teach Me to Love AU #okay so this is basically #like a scrapped chapter I have for this #so that works out great for me #and I hope you like it too! #it was very tempting for me to work in protective mode Gil #but just never got the chance #until now! #listen #Gil is a school teacher #he's a reasonable guy #but he might lose it just a little bit when he sees Kro getting in Thena's face #and yeah she's a strong woman and can handle herself #but that doesn't mean he's going to watch her ex-husband give her a hard time #Thena like Druig your father is on the phone #Druig goes...tell him I'm not home #and Thena isn't going to make Druig talk to his dad because she's a great mom #and anyway #Gil stays for tea #which he's relieved to find out just means a snack #Thena has tea and little finger sandwiches #Druig has juice and some fruit #but I do think there's something inherently romantic about being like #I hate tea...but if you invite me in for some then I'm there

[embryhallowed]

Oh gender stuff

I visited back home for the first time in a while and my parents let me invite some friends for a bonfire in the back yard.

One of my friends is trans and they're probably the first trans person my family have knowingly been around. I told my family beforehand to be nice and respectful or else 🔪 and lo, they were!

Which was a pleasant surprise, because who can guess how an extremely conservative family will behave, but it was interesting to see my mom's reaction to my friend.

She pulled me aside privately at one point and was like, "when you said they were trans I thought maybe they were born male? But s-they don't seem to be? I'm coming from a place of ignorance, can you help me understand?"

Sure, she stumbled over her words a bit, but she seemed genuine about wanting to learn and be respectful, so that was nice, but it was also here that I realized my mom's only perception of trans people was either as trans men or trans women. It was definitely one of those "oh right, I forgot not everyone knows about this" moments for me.

I briefly explained that trans is an umbrella term for many identities, cited a couple of my friends as examples of the spectrum, and assured her that I'd be happy to talk about it with her in depth some other time. She seemed receptive to this, which was really really nice?

And the idea of being able to explain these things to her sounded really good at the time, and honestly still does, but later I had the realization that if I have this talk with her, it will probably give her the power to clock me???

Which. Oh no.

My mom and I have been able to maintain a decent relationship on the basis of denial for at least the last decade or so. If I explain the spectrum of gender beyond the binary, that will probably endanger the denial. And can she handle me without that? IDK.

I don't know if she knows what a binder is, but she saw me wearing one, she knows my hair is super short, and she sees what I post on social media. She even told me that, with my haircut, I look like my most masculine sibling. I can just imagine her connecting the dots as I explain what non-binary is.

I've told myself that if anyone directly asked, I wouldn't deny it, but this also isn't a part of myself I planned on making vulnerable to her/the family at large?

But maybe that conversation would be a good thing? I would get the chance to explain things to her from a perspective that isn't steeped in bigotry, which would be great. But, then she might really see me... But that might not be a bad thing either? I mean, hell, my family was all "people shouldn't marry outside of their race!" for ages, and their opinion didn't change until my mixed cousin was born. Maybe they really do need it to impact them personally before they can care. IDK.

Anyone else had to navigate this sort of thing yet?

#i can see it now #“Mom gender is a construct and a spectrum and some people don't exist within the binary of male and female” #“you don't have to be amab and ID as a trans woman or vice versa” #“a lot of trans people never do hrt or surgeries” #“some don't even change their names or pronouns” #“sometimes they just wear binders and change their hair or clothes 😬😅” #yeah that'll go great #gender #nonbinary #lgbtq #queer #i did tell her i was bi a few years ago and she barely reacted at all beyond “i figured” so that's not the worst but #the thing about my gender is that it simultaneously is and is not a big deal to me #and i worry if she knows then it will FORCE IT to be a big deal? #like ma it really doesn't matter i just don't feel exclusively like a girl #I've been over here thinking about metaphors and shit to help explain #it's like looking at the color green and calling it yellow #yeah it has yellow in it but it also has blue??? #and if you don't describe the blue then you're leaving out some very important parts of the color #IDK #personal #Embry #queer ramblings