#bc if I don't fail at the beginning I can actually keep going and get a workout

[horizon-verizon]

There is an enduring sense in the fandom that if you cannot structurally change the entire or major parts of an oppressive status quo, it's somehow better that one does absolutely nothing. Bc you're "messing up the stability of an already stable social order, which proved itself to be the best or most reliable bc it's endured for so long".

And I despise it. Because it essentially means that any effort except a huge, topsy-turvy one where the whole system gets upended or severely so doesn't matter. (At the very least those that don't seem like it.)

It's a perfect partner to racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. & people use it not just against Rhaenyra but Dany, Rhaenys, & Alysanne!!! Any Targ woman, really. Aegon V, if one mentions his laws. Ironic, bc Jaehaerys had progressive laws for peasants ONLY bc of Alysanne, but it's obvious why they prefer the female-heir denying Jaehaerys over Aegon V!!!

Coupled with this sense, some say that these women are totally complicit in those systems bc use they happen to be born into royalty or aristocracy, actively use their privileges at times for their own ends instead of ALWAYS to create or influence others for groundbreaking policies & laws, or manage to just escape certain abuses other women face bc they were reserved for the specific task of having children for their male spouses.

Daenerys was a bridal slave, for example. She doesn't face SA from random men every other night, but that doesn't stop the risk of her facing that fate if she were to ever fall out of her husband-owner, Drogo, favor. That doesn't stop her haters from arguing that she should have done more for Mirri & those Lhazareen women, that she even profits from slave labor when she clearly is allocating and directing funds from taxes to the city of Meereen! From ignoring how all those she freed are not still slaves, that the slave masters time and time again have said, point blank, that she is a danger to their enterprise CONTINENT-WIDE!!! She makes mistakes and the biggest one compromising too much with the slave owners of Meereen, yeah, bc she is in the beginning of her leadership journey, and still she manages to inspire loyalty, faith, and hope in many of her followers and she also still manages to keep most people alive w/o actually giving all the way in and that terrifies the slaveowners! For good reason. Read the last few pages of the last book and tell me that she won't come for their necks, either literally or figuratively idc. She's obviously not fucking up so bad or has totally failed in her role as a protector, and she will make mistakes as other leaders before her and after her will! Why this level of negative & bad faith scrutiny?!

And let's go to Rhaenys the Conqueror. She created the rule of thumb & the rule of six, where no man could legally beat their wives to death when she decreed that the rod could not be thicker than the husband's thumb and he could not whack her more than 7 times. Some argue why didn't she outlaw wife-beating entirely if she and her siblings conquered Westeros. First of all, these are the very same people who bleat abt how the Targaryens destroyed and colonized Andal culture without bothering to offer material evidence of such. If Rhaenys & her siblings actually have "colonized" the Andal-FM lords, & it was Andal custom for men to beat their wives indiscriminately…then the Targs couldn't have actually destroyed any part of Andal "culture" and replaced it entirely with Valyrian ones where seemingly men could not beat their wives at all! If you can even consider this "destroying culture", as I'm sure a few would argue. If anything, this was a cultural compromise, and it obviously functioned and was intended as a form of protection for women when before there was absolutely none! Aside from male relatives, but that's not system-wide, makes such cases seem not serious enough or that people across communities shouldn't care too much about others when you personalize it, AND that just reinforces the idea that only men have a property claim over women, be they biologically family or by marriage. Secondly, if you argue that Viserys should have obeyed the "laws" of male primogeniture bc he is a feudal king--the "Protector" of their customs and interests--that is only supported by the swords & loyalty of lords, that the GC of 101 proves that (as if Jaehaerys also didn't use that to enact his own will passively for a male heir), then why is it that Rhaenys seems to do something along those lines and WORK with the current Andal customs, her efforts--which actually are protective to those who needed protecting!!! Rhaenys & her siblings were new monarchs of a newly unified-ish realm, & as unifying conquerors tend to do, they opted for the strategy that would keep them seated bc it made "the lords" comfortable that they would not force them to change the bulk of their religious and cultural practices. Not only did Visenya & Rhaenys arrange strategic marriages that both benefited them and those married (their families), but Aegon made it a point to go on progresses and hear various lords and peasants' issues to arbitrate. Which made it so that these lords felt they would not be led by a leader who'd enforce his laws willy-nilly without considering his subject's conditions or desires. It is in this context that Rhaenys, we could see and assume, was taking a bit of a risk with not one but 2 new laws against men's "rights" over their wives' bodies!

There's Alysanne, who took it a step further in her women's courts, and the right of first nigh abolishment, her attempts at the Citadel, & the Widow's Law. Again, if not for her, Westeros and KL would be 3 steps behind in infrastructure and women's protection. Alysanne was a Queen Consort who had even less power on her own than Rhaenys & Visenya and we see that she had to convince Jaehaerys to implement his laws; it took Septon Barth's interference/support for Jaehaerys to even go along with the abolishment of the right of first night! Later with Viserra, I believe that she arranged the much older Theomore to Viserra bc it coincided with Jaehaerys' plans for that marriage alliance between the Manderlys and the royal house. And to please or to go along with some of her husband's plans was to also add onto her own power…bc a royal Consort only has power by their monarch spouse gives them license to influence and status! Was it clumsy writing? Of course, it was pretty bizarre and partly due to how F&B is written as a historical document despite how this portion of history is better documented than others. Did Alysanne indirectly cause Viserra's death in her refusal to relent from her suspicion that Viserra was trying to become queen, as she interpreted it? Arguably. and I think that GRRM was telling us that over time and over the disappointments w/Jaehaerys, she slowly got more determined to retain any sense control…and where does her control end up coming from? Yeah, GRRM is showing that tightrope, I think.

Rhaenyra was not actively progressive in policy nor direct action as all the prior 3, but to argue that she should be feminist so that the usurpation and the femicide done against her becomes unjustified is absurd! Oh, she wasn't a feminist at all or progressive, she didn't implement any sort of law at all for women or smallfolk [did Aegon?! or Alicent?! or Aemond? Daeron, Otto?! so why are they better?!!!], so that's why she shouldn't be queen even though by the very "law of the land", she is by right the heir to this throne that never actually was about who would make a good, consummate ruler in the first place. 🙄.

So there is a vague & un-discernable, forever shifting, & impossible goal-post-level of feminist activity or "being" that these nihilistic or conservative naysayers use against women being leaders or even passively having positions of power that may still benefit the women of Westeros through setting a precedent &/or actions of necessary intervals that build on the past ones under conditions that are already limiting how much they can do or say in order to be able to put forth those feminist (really proto feminist), anti-slavery, etc., progressive steps--on a damn psychological and psychosocial level that:

diminishes how much brain power and time a woman can put to policy or things outside of the "house" because their power depends on the husband's regard towards them

makes it much harder for women to really commit themselves or fully expect to implement their goals & dreams for any sort of change (or even dream of any) when there's such subtle and unsubtle obstacles in their way: Rhaenyra, her stepmother an siblings plotting against her and then the usurpation, that we see in the microcosm of how the treasury stolen from her and the crown led to the smallfolk turning against her at KL AND the ongoing war, thus preventing her from really establishing herself as Queen/ruling at all; Alysanne, I described with Jaehaerys; Rhaenys, Andal patriarchy; much less, in Rhaena the Black Bride's case, find just actual happiness and plain old security against male aggression!

provides a setting where women become more compelled to compromise with some patriarchal ideas/practices to maintain a certain level of power or defense (there's a thing line to measure and transgress the "right way" and without other's judgement and impatience or lack of faith adds an additional pressure of, outside of fiction but applicable)

leads up to Daenerys having to have the strength to pursue her goals on with her own instincts and compassion and wit, work harder than most men would face in her position...not that any could since men cannot and have not largely had the bridal slave’s experience!

Anyway, all of it ignores or tries to hide the fact that it is exactly that undisrupted male authority over female (of any class or wealth) & under-classed people that is the true destabilizer and destroyer of lives. That there is still so much meaning and real impact in what people like Alysanne and Rhaenys did/do and huge upheavals or entire sweeps of structural change like Dany does takes measured steps!

That through multiple Targ women dying form childbirth, raped, murdered, or sidelined and critically limited in political authority or agency, this becomes so obvious! you cannot oppress half of your population, reduce them to sex-giving broodmares who you can kill if you think they have a male heir on the way or have cheated on you and call yourself progressive! You're actually 10 steps behind where you're supposed to be because half of you is not involved enough in the development of your society!

We wanna be all "feudalism is bad", "blood purity is bad", "the Targs didn't end feudalism so they are the most evil and responsible for all evil in Westeros" but when they see someone either passively or actively seem to make any progress to mitigate the pressures and power of patriarchal boundaries or concepts or whatever....they go screaming "not feminist enough" or "they're actually just like everyone else"! And some of us will also try to say that Daenerys is either entirely too much like her colonist ancestors or she will end up that way as D&D published because she is Targaryen (a bio-essentialist argument) to argue about why SLAVEOWNERS should stay in power!

And it all is very anti-intellectualism, anti-critical thought or introspection and examination...because on closer look and investigation, you will see how F&B is a text that was always anti-misogyny on GRRM's part (attemptively) even as it is misogynist as an-in world text! And it's on purpose--both the writing and how people wax "it's a dragon show, nothing at all to do with misogyny or wokeness!"

Because then you are not challenging the status quo...because you can't reason through it or against it and when it happens in seemingly harmless manifestations people will think it innocuous.

#women in westeros #women in essos #daenerys stormborn #daenerys targaryen #daenerys stormborn's characterization #alysanne's chaarcterization #rhaenys the conqueror #rhaenyra targaryen #rant #asoiaf rant #westerosi women #essosi women #asoiaf slavery #daenerys in slaver's bay #fandom critical #fandom misogyny

[ct-hardcase]

okay I know I said it last year but *this* is the year I finally get some cute sundresses for the summer

#it was slightly warm out while I was shoveling snow ergo I can hardly wait for spring #velyka hra #I looked last year! unfortunately I didn't find anything flattering since everything is a gd midi dress #and weight talk tw after this tag: #but I did not do a great job exercising and so my weight is something I was decreasingly happy with #now I've started again and even though I weigh/look about the same I *feel* so much better #I may need to do more core stuff tho since the class I'm doing tends to focus on upper body #which I *sorely* needed btw my arms are so fucking wimpy #but also!!! this is the first time I've done exercise where if I can't do something they've modified it #and while I'm a bit self-conscious since a lot of the others are seasoned and very fit it's great #bc if I don't fail at the beginning I can actually keep going and get a workout #so I'm hoping there's at least some results by the summer. I'm not expecting anything revolutionary but it'd be cool if there was some stuf #*stuff #and then I may feel better in all the clothes I'm wearing but esp the dresses #but overall it's a net benefit to my mental health as well as hopefully my confidence in my own appearance

[yuquinzel]

because you guys chose reo fluff <;3

“i can't find my perfume.” you say, something in your voice laced with an accusatory tone as the way you'd address a criminal.

if reo had nothing to do with it, nothing at all— he'd have looked at you up and down, gasped dramatically and made a face that says i do not appreciate your tone— if, he had nothing to do with it, that is.

instead he offers you a glance across the corner of his eye, a princely smile gracing his lips, “you can't?” and then tries really hard not to gulp when you only shake your head.

“well,” he says— calmly, sweetly, and painfully charming, “i don't even know which one you're talking about, sweetheart.”

the endearment melts like sugar paper in his mouth, smoothly rolling off his tongue like honey and glossing over his lips with all the love he holds for you wrapped up in the syllables. he really hopes it actually sounds as endearing as he hears it.

you narrow your eyes, “you know, my favorite one. you wouldn't, reo, have any idea what happened to it, right?”

you put a certain emphasis on his name, giving the syllabus a long drag, kissing your teeth and mirroring his smile in mock. reo laughs in response; sweet but short-lived, eyes resting anywhere but you.

then you call out his name, one, twice. sighing a third time, reo can't find it in him to avoid your gaze forever.

when he looks at you again— you're still pretty, smiling. this is where he knows he's already lost.

“okay, so i just wanted to use some—” he begins, “i mean, not for me. but you know i have that fucking business trip, and I'll be away for two weeks,”

you tilt your head, prompting him to continue, “and i already miss you even though you're here so if I'm away for two weeks i think I'm gonna, like, actually die.”

reo pauses when a snicker escapes your lips, and as he watches you quickly bring your fingers to cover your mouth, an amused little smile plays at his lips. “i'm sorry, go on.” you try, you really try, to keep your expressions null and precise to urge him to continue.

“you're laughing at me,” reo says, although there's no defense in his voice. nothing but an amused chuckle of sorts, “well, that's rude.”

you try and fail— the sound of your laugh sputtering through the air like soft and scattered breaths, “i'm sorry, but i really want you to continue. what did you do with my perfume?”

reo knows he's lost a second time today when he feels the ground shift beneath his feet— because it's not really intentional that he takes a long stride towards you, snaking his arms around your waist and leaning in till your noses touch.

“i just wanted to spray it on my hoodies,” you feel his breath, warm and yours to hold onto, “you know, so it'll feel like you're hugging me when i wear them.”

“you're insane.” you grin.

“maybe. but it has worked in the past—” you feel his chuckle reverberate through his chest and up your hands as you lightly push against his chest, laughing as you realise he's done this in the past too.

“— i just miss you, like crazy.” then he rests his head on your shoulders, sighing into the crook of your neck.

“i miss you too,” you whisper, “like crazy. and that's why we call everyday, reo, three times a day.” when you take your fingers through his hair, reo feels lightheaded.

“how about 4 times a day?” he asks, and even though he's being playful— the idea isn't half bad.

you smile, “only if you stop stealing my perfumes.”

“make it five times a day then.” he mumbles.

“okay, five, but tell me what happened to that per—”

reo kisses you before you can finish, “i'll get you a thousand more. just kiss me right now.”

© yuquinzel2023 [ plagiarism is a violation of moral rights ! ]

tagging @venusbby and @inariezaki bc you wanted me to :P

#❀˖° ─ hana writes. #reo mikage x you #reo mikage x reader #reo x you #reo x reader fluff #reo drabble #blue lock x reader #blue lock fluff #blue lock x you #bllk x you #bllk x reader #bllk x reader fluff

[oldmanffucker]

my first instinct upon seeing this was to get angry and want to hit this person with hammers, but actually I want to talk about this.

this post, and I didn't even want to click in the read the rest bc it made me to sad to see, is saying that Wilson and Amber only dated for a maximum of three months, so should he really be this torn up about her loss?

So, as a grief support specialist and house fan, let's talk about it.

First and foremost, it's the depth, not the length, of a relationship that matters. Quality over quantity, all of that. Of course. But also, if we look at Amber and Wilson's relationship itself, this is kind of the first time Wilson is in a relationship that feels really good to him. Amber doesn't just want Wilson bc she needs him and needs to be put first by him, she wants him to take care of himself too. He's being challenged for the first time (in a romantic context) (canonically) to not put himself on the back burner for everyone else, but to think about what Wilson wants. House, of course, does this too, but in different ways. Which is also to say that Amber is a revelation for him because she is like House--House who is his longest and arguably only real friend, the person he trusts the most, is most able to be himself around. And now he's found this person who he can feel all that in a romantic and sexual context too.

Which is all to say that this relationship wasn't like any other three month fling he had, this one had a depth to it from the very beginning that was really important and profound to Wilson, and was changing some parts of himself in a way that was really kind of life altering, even as it was also pretty subtle in many ways to the casual viewer.

This, plus the fact that her death itself was really sudden, very traumatic, and prolonged (a couple days and many really traumatic failed attempts to save her life, including his best friend risking his life for her), really adds up to someone being profoundly affected by this loss.

But beyond this, Wilson did not only experience the loss of Amber with her death. There are losses we grieve beyond simply dying. The whole experience before finding out she was even missing and hurt, of seeing House without memory, of even for a little while thinking they may have had an affair, of watching House kill himself (literally) to bring back his memories - this portion of the situation alone is an experience of a loss of safety. He's realizing that life is random, and terrifying in a whole new way than he may have known it before. His best friend was in a bus accident. Life is random and he could have died. There is no guaranteed safety. His best friend who knows everything suddenly knows nothing. A loss of the status quo, of what he's assumed is the way things are. he's watching his best friend go to extreme lengths in order to capture his memories. he's watching his best friend fucking die on a bus floor as he tries to revive him with his boss. Loss of control, loss of the norm, loss of the future they could have had if none of this happened.

THEN.!! He's made aware that Amber was involved in all of this. And we don't know where she is or how she's doing. He's now been introduced to ambiguous loss (which he has experienced at great length with his brother who went missing, and is now experiencing again). Now they have to find Amber. Okay and now they've found her and she's in a coma and really on the brink of death. And this too is an ambiguous loss of another variety. He's experiencing both sides of ambiguous loss about Amber back to back (1. Physical absence and psychological presence (ex. someone missing/estranged) 2. Physical presence and psychological absence (ex. parent w dementia, someone in a coma))

He then has to skip over the grieving part and jump into problem solving and trying to keep her alive. and then his boy best friend has to risk his life for amber and wilson and almost die. And then Wilson has to realize that now, his kind of technically-alive-but-not girlfriend, he has to let her go. And she's woken up and he has mere moments to say his goodbyes and I love you's.

And ALL OF THAT is just the loss itself.

Then he is "grieving" or "mourning" in the way that is generally understood by the average person. If you ask the average person (esp in the US) what grief is, they'd usually point to this--after someone dies when you're sad--and none of the many paragraphs of grief and loss grappling I wrote about just before that.

The average bereavement leave is 3 days. Grief will invariably last more than three days. The amount of time we see Wilson grieving is frankly, really fucking regular. Even for a death less fraught and traumatic (subjectively) than this one.

Besides all of this, there are a number of different grief styles, and I think that Wilson's grief style is that of the Intuitive, or Heart, Griever (isn't that just perfect? I wonder if the writers knew that when they named the episode Wilson's Heart...).

This type of griever is more overtly emotional than the Intellectual, or Head, Griever (the other 2 styles are the Blended, or Head & Heart Griever, and the Dissonant, or Head vs Heart Griever). But is again, really common! Perhaps the asker of this original Reddit question is a head griever, or a dissonant griever, or perhaps even someone who has never yet had to grieve, and has only been fed the myths about grief, and they're trying to make sense of such a large grief.

There is no right way to grieve, there is no correct length of time that that grieving should last. There's no correct amount of time you are allowed to know someone before you grieve their death or pain. The way you grieve is the way you need to grieve, you simply have to try to honor it.

(I don't have a reddit so I can't respond to this directly, but feel free to link this in the responses to the post itself if you feel so inclined)

#long post #sorry. 2 special interests collide. #house #text post #house md #gregory house #james wilson #my post #wilson #amber #amber volakis #wilsonamber #amberwilson #wilson's heart #danny wilson #grief #loss #media analysis

[purplepixel]

Hi I saw in your pinned post that you've read over 1,000 TMNT fics. Do you have a few really good ones you would recommend?

(don't feel any pressure to respond if you don't want to)

Oh boy this is...quite an ask. Especially bc fanfic recs are so personal? What I think is a good fic will be vastly different from other people. I have a really high angst tolerance, so please double check tags with these. Also keep in mind that I mainly read donnie-centric fics.

Here are my personal favorites! My hand slipped and I have more than just a few to recommend...what can I say there are so many good fics.

CRACK BUT READS LIKE CANON

Back To School by Em_H | 10,965 [FINISHED]

Donnie enrolls in April’s school and tries to juggle his packed schedule. A shrek play is included. Do I need to say more?

☆ In Volvunt: a RotTMNT Fanfiction ☆ by kittylittersmoothie | 27,082 [FINISHED]

In which the rest of the bros continuously try and fail to rick roll donnie. A war is started, alliances are made, betrayals occur, this is a hilarious feel good fic. It’s very in line with the show tonal wise and the dialogue is very rise

Mikey's Jam-Packed, Guaranteed to Get Donnie's Memory Back, Friendship Tour! By Eyse | 92,972 [ON-GOING]

Donnie wakes up with no memory of anyone including himself. Que his brothers trying to find ways to get his memory back. Has some of the most wacky adventures and scenarios I’ve ever encountered in a rise fic. Feels like you’re reading the actual show

YOU WILL BE EMOTIONALLY DESTROYED

Quiet Your Mind by daedelweiss | 18,081 [FINISHED]

Fusion Au with the disaster twins set in the bad future timeline. I don’t cry. This one made me cry. Bittersweet ending.

Telepathy (of a Twin Variety) by vosian_nightmare | 24,423 [FINISHED] 

My personal favorite twin telepathy fic. Character study on the disaster twins.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue by Cass_Phoenix | 31,963 [FINISHED]

A Donnie from an alternate reality kidnaps Leo. Or is he bringing him home? This one will fuck with your mind. One of my bookmark notes is “Reality existentialism” 

Firefight by remrose | 94,480 [ON-GOING]

What if donnie gets trapped in the prison dimension with leo? I’m usually not a fan of changing plot points in the rise movie or suicidal leo, but this fic is the exception. It is VERY well written and has some of the best exchanges between the disaster twins. You WILL be scared for the characters and your heart WILL be crushed. Proud to say I was here for this fic since chapter 1 bc that NEVER happens with me

THE CROSSOVERS

Familiar Places, Foreign Faces by Petra4President | 36,434 [ON-GOING]

Rise/2012 Crossover Fic. The Rise Donnie & 2012 Raph fic I didn’t ask for (I read this before watching 2012) but didn’t realize I NEEDED. Donnie gets sent to the 2012 universe and must find a way home. 

A Tale of Spirits by unorthodoxx | 168,344 [ON-GOING]

Rise/Avatar the Last Airbender AU. This one is pretty popular so I won't say anything else except its really good.

I WOULD BOOK BIND THESE

All I have to say about these fics is that they’re REALLY good and BOOK WORTHY

Monsters Among Us by DanzinoraSwitch | 86,136 [FINISHED]

Violet Hues and Holy Blue by SibillaScribbles08 | 115,752 [FINISHED]

I May Be Invisible, but I Still Look Good by Dandy | 124,862 [FINISHED]

MY PERSONAL COMFORT FICS

Things will never be the same (but that's okay) by Petra4President | 14,493 [FINISHED]

Post movie aftermath fic that focuses on the changes created by the events of the movie. Idk what specifically has me rereading this occasionally, but its really well written and a little different than most aftermath fics I've read.

Corrupted Upgrade by Dandy | 25,898 [FINISHED]

Donnie Villain AU with a twist. He really gives off megamind vibes. DO NOT BE FOOLED. THERE’S A REASON EVERYONE IS OUT OF CHARACTER IN THE BEGINNING. I almost slept on this fic and it became one of my favorites. It’s the type of fic that I can read over and over and over.

Turning Purple by Lizardstuff | 48,123 [ON-GOING]

Donnie slowly gets more and more sick post rise movie and the rest of the characters must find out what’s wrong and find a cure. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, MEDICAL NERDS. Author has done research and any inaccuracies have gone over this EMT’s head. I reread this one every chapter update and every time I’m haunted by “the blueberry french toast paragraph” No I will not explain further, go read it.

MY TOP FIC RECOMMENDATION

Spider's Web with Strings Attached by CurlySwirly | 125,661 [ON-GOING]

Donnie and Leo get kidnapped and are forced to fight in the battle nexus. This is my pick for the most well written fanfic and most in canon characterization with ALL the characters. You will HEAR the characters not just through the dialogue but also through the writing itself. As the reader, you will be beaten down and have your heart crushed mercilessly which makes the pay off the most rewarding, satisfying experience that I've personally ever felt with a fanfic. This fic lives in my head rent free and I think about it at least once a day. It is my all time favorite rise fic and I highly recommend it.

#there's a fic im missing and its driving me crazy #i can't find the post movie fic where donnie and raph are still infected by the krang #and there's a scene where they nearly merge together and raph has to mind meld with donnie to save him from krang's control #idk why i didn't bookmark it its one of my favs #there are so many other amazing fics #if anyone needs any fic recs with specific tropes i got you #i started a google spread sheet categorizing good fics i read #this was like last year #but i couldn't keep up with how much i read #and stopped at around 145 fics #im laughing bc i have two modes #soul crushing angst #and crack #pixel replies #rise fanfic recs #fanfic recommendation #fanfic rec #rottmnt #rottmnt fanfic recs

[zeep-xanflorp]

so at this point everyone is accepting that rick and diane never had a healthy marriage right??

like i think what everyone assumed (including me) is that they retconned all the things about rick not believing in love in the first two seasons when they revealed rick's revenge quest in season 6. like i thought that because rick was doing all of that for diane and beth, that it was indicative of a healthy relationship. but i don't think that's the case anymore after looking into some old episodes. i truly believe it was the intentions of the writers to make him have a bad relationship w diane since the beginning.

so here's what i've been thinking right.

"listen morty, what people call love is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. it hits hard, morty, and then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. i did it. your parents are gonna do it. break the cycle, morty. rise above. focus on science." (rick potion #9, ep 106)

the situation he describes is so specific. he describes "failing marriages" and compared his marriage to that of beth and jerry's which is infamously codependent and toxic.

"i couldn't make [marriage] work and i can turn a black hole into a sun, so..." (the wedding squanchers, ep 210)

he talks about how little he trusts in marriage. because despite his intelligence, he couldn't be happy in his own.

so these are the two hints we get about rick's marriage before diane even actually shows onscreen. both of these quotes demonstrate rather clearly that their relationship was dysfunctional in some capacity. that it was "failing".

so if we're call caught up let's move onto the season 3 premiere.

"why don't i go grab beth and we can go out for ice cream?" (the rickshank redemption, 301)

that's all she has to say after rick says he's giving up on science - his passion. which is rather odd because it was clearly something he was working on for some time and he just says he's giving it all up immediately. which is odd, right? this well seeming remark could be far more insidious than it seems.

i'm not the only one to point this out but that's it. she dismisses his feelings. she invites him out to a place with their daughter (where, with her present, they would be incapable of having an adult conversation which would put more distance between them) and in this regard, beth acts as a physical barrier between them both.

i'm not saying that diane is in the wrong here. i'm not saying rick is perfect. but that's one instance of their relationship where something pretty major had just happened. and it's immediately brushed off.

(abcs of beth, 309)

there are plenty of hints that rick was indeed an absentee father, even when he was still living with his daughter. take the abcs of beth, where rick talks about all the toys that child beth had to play with. beth insists that she asked him to make those because she wanted to spend time with him. let me repeat, beth explains that she wanted to spend time with her father so bad that she asked him to make lethal weapons for her to play with. plus the whole froopyland thing - an environment designed to be safe so he wouldn't have to keep an eye on her. it's obvious she channeled her neglect in a destructive way - aka in a way that she got from her father. but i digress.

the point is, rick has always been absent from his family in some capacity. whether it was emotionally as we see with diane or physically as we see with beth.

there are also some hints at infidelity on rick's end. take mr nimbus, who is confirmed to have known diane.

then when diane and beth die, he absolutely crumbled. and this scene does break my heart watching it bc we know it's not just a part of a fake memory now. it was all real. the pain he experienced in that moment - the hope he had of living a normal life and making everything up to his family - just got ripped away from him.

so even though on the surface, rick appears to have a healthy relationship w diane when she shows up in the show, that doesn't mean that's all there is. it's very unlikely based on all of the information presented in the earlier seasons that these two were stable together and i think that the presentation of diane as a perfect loving caring wife is intentional. it either represents how rick remembers her - as someone kind - or is only a small part of the equation.

oh and let's not forget the ghost ai that rick made for his dead wife. he designed her to berate him, to wear him down. to never let him move on from what happened. like that's something super messed up wow. maybe

in conclusion, rick has never had a stable family or home life. that thing didn't appeal or satisfy him. it caused him to neglect his daughter and continues to impact the relationship he has with his adult family members. by no means is this an excuse and that's hardly my point. i feel it's important that we know the reality of ricks marriage to understand how that impacts him in the show we're watching.

ofc this is just my take on what little we have seen from the two of them. i rlly want to see more so i can maybe make a better assessment. but yeah. whatever went on there? not healthy. no way in hell.

#i know i'm leaving stuff out but i'm tired n this is a rambling rant #rick and morty #rick sanchez #r&m #rick n morty #rnm #rick c 137 #rick c137 #rick #rick and morty season 6 #old man alert #beth sanchez #beth smith #diane sanchez #rick and morty theory #meta #idfk how to tag this #game theory ????

[morkofday]

i find it so ironic how after becoming blind or, simply, disabled, day also turns invisible. suddenly, he's just not there, like it's not he who cannot see but he who cannot be seen.

ppl don't really talk to him, don't address him, barely give him any choices of his own. they talk over him and past him and around him, about him, surely, but not to him. it's like he's not there. he's this huge responsibility, but he's no longer a person. he's left to places like a dog or an object to wait for others to do all the things for him, and then he's just expected to agree with their plans. the same plans that still affect him and his life and future.

no wonder he's so angry and fed up with everybody. he wants to speak for himself. he wants to be heard and seen again. he used to enjoy having eyes on him – as a national athlete, there obviously were many (admiring, evaluating, assessing) eyes on him, and he liked the spotlight. he's obviously very proud of his own accomplishments and it must be frustrating to be suddenly reduced into nothing. like what he did never mattered. like who he is never mattered.

he is just this now. his blindness. someone who can be overlooked bc he cannot see it anyway. he's not far from being dead, as he puts it himself.

-

meanwhile, mork experiences the brutality of being abandoned over and over again. that's his wound. when his sister leaves, the pain gets the loudest, but even outside of that, he's hearing the same thing over and over again.

from what we got to know, no one ever really learned why exactly rung decided to kill herself. i assume it was the guilt over feeling like she failed mork, like she brought him more peril than was worth living for (debt?). she obviously wanted mork to have a good future, but i guess none of her actions ever translated to mork in that way.

to him, rung left after deciding that mork just wasn't worth it. she took "the easy way out" after realizing that fighting beside mork and tolerating his behavior just weren't worth the effort. mork really wasn't making the best choices, but i don't think he was ever "beyond saving". mork just thinks this is how it all went.

and then he keeps hearing the same thing from others:

after being in jail, his friends abandon him even if he took part in that fight for them. he wasn't enough for them to stick around (not that they were actually that good company, but he knew them, spent time with them, relied on them on some level)

porjai broke up with him bc mork was prioritizing his friends over his girlfriend. which porjai points out humorously, as is part of their friendship as exes, but which lands as a stab anyway. "you weren't enough as you are," it says. "you should've done better to not have me leave you."

no one wants mork to work for them bc all they can see is his past mistakes and not him trying to presently correct them. his skills aren't enough to overshadow what he did. him trying to be better cannot erase those mistakes he already made. "you should've been better to begin with," it says. "there's nothing you can do to change that now."

-

ppl keep turning their backs on mork, leaving him behind, labeling him unworthy or simply not good enough. even day's family does this, looking at him once and going, "you obviously do not belong here."

day disagrees. on some level at least, he disagrees. bc mork actually sees him. after all this time, someone actually sees him again.

meanwhile, well. we had that whole montage at the end of the episode to tell us how badly mork wishes to believe that someone is finally giving him a chance to prove he isn't a lost cause, that he is worth something.

-

my expectations for the second ep are that these two are going to learn just how bad it actually feels when someone is able to see you and how hard you will have to work to prove yourself to those who barely wish to listen.

#sorry this probably doesn't even make sense but #i had to get this out bc of that analysis i reblogged #cannot move on from day going blind and becoming invisible #it's so ironic #meanwhile there's the fact that no one believes in mork having a future #even he doesn't believe in having a future #and then he becomes day's caretaker and guide in life #which is like a blind guiding blind #which once again is ironic #last twilight

[scoobydoodean]

Hey there, I have SPN Thought Worms i thought you might appreciate: You know how there’s debate wether (in the biblical story) Abraham “failed” God’s test, if it was a blind loyalty test or to see if he’d put his moral and love over unquestioned orders? In the same vein, do you think Dean truly ‘failed’ Death’s test with the ring and carrying out his duties for the day? Like maybe Death actually wanted Dean to be unable to do it bc it proved he had limits or smth? Or did he just get Sam’s soul back despite the apparent failure because he has a massive soft spot for Dean? (relatable tbh). Hope I made myself clear lol, the concept is jumbled-up in my mind, and have a great day!

This is a really interesting question! I also have a feeling I'll have a lot better of an answer when I get to 6.11 on this rewatch and have the entire season fresh on my mind. That said, Death actually says in the end that the goal was for Dean to learn something.

DEATH Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain. Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So... I think you've learned something today. (x)

I'd really like to watch through season 6 again to solidify this one for myself, but I have a feeling that this isn't about teaching Dean a personal moral lesson at all. I don't think Death is at all concerned with the fact that the nurse died because the little girl didn't from a moral perspective—he wouldn't have ever given Dean his ring if he was. That isn't why he said "good" when Dean said he would have acted differently if he could go back. We can guess it also isn't just a simple lesson about "bringing each other back" being bad and "letting go", because that'd be pretty hypocritical given Death is going to help Dean anyway with no one forcing his hand (and he tells us Dean has use). It isn't a moral issue Death's addressing. It's a lesson he's giving on the structure of the universe. It's about balance. As Death says cryptically later in the scene:

I think what Death wanted to get across to Dean is that souls must pass on, and their energy must be allotted to the appropriate areas in time and space. If one person doesn't die, passing their soul on as energy, another person must die so that a certain balance and energy level is maintained in the universe. Death plans to help Dean from the beginning, because "Right now, you're digging at something. The intrepid Detective. I want you to keep digging, Dean."

Death, as a person who can't ultimately involve himself without also disrupting balance, is ultimately hinting at Dean as best he knows how that he wants him to stop Crowley and Cas from sucking a bunch of souls out of Purgatory, creating absolute chaos. But he can't say that, so instead, he gives Dean a lesson. He tells Dean that human souls are extremely valuable, and that they need to go to the places the universe wants them to go and stay there. If they don't—if they are moved on a large scale—something terrible will happen. Death has to expect Dean to extrapolate all of this information, which is not an easy expectation to fulfill.

So I guess to summarize: I don't think Dean failed Death's test, because actually using the ring and experiencing what happened when Dean tried to change things was more of a lesson than a test. The test was how Dean reflected on the lesson after and evaluated his behavior. He passed when he said he'd behave differently if he could go back. Death wanted Dean to understand the idea of balance in the universe depending on where souls go, and how important it is not to disrupt their flow or move them around. Changing things makes bad things happen. When there's just one soul, the impact is small (something Death is willing to let Dean toy with by offering his ring for the day). But what if someone disrupted the flow of many many souls at once?

#mail #6.11 #season 6 #death 1.0

[stalkerofthegods]

I love your deep dives. Like actually. I do need to ask something of you. You seem to bare a lot of knowledge for your age (respectfully and lovingly meant, non weird way) but do you maybe have some advice? I've been having issues. I've been worshipping apollo and aphrodite now but sometimes I have issues believing the greek gods actually exist and it hurts to even type this bc it sounds like I disrespect apollo or aphrodite. I don't know what to do. If you do not want to answer, please don't. You are not obligated to. Then I also have another question, if you do wanna answer, I don't think aphrodite is it for me, but I do learn how to love and I do want to love properly cause of her, but I don't know if she fits me, her candle flame goes up and then down like it's going to the underworld or some lol (she doesn't have a seperate altar so maybe cause of that) I'm curious to your reaction/response if you decide to answer. Again, don't if you don't want to. (Most questions are from me btw) also again, LOVE YOUR DEEPDIVES.

I know the gods exist, and I’ve heard them and I’ve talked to some of them, and I've channeled, (via pegeleum or talking or just randomly channel ((they say something I look in awe)) I've felt some of their touch before and I've met some them in dreams, I've worshiped the gods for years, I know they're real, it's insane not to think so. “Why would millions worship gods that are fake?” That's what I ask myself, and all answers say they are real, because why would my neighbor worship god if they're fake, but why would my other neighbor worship satan, or my friend worship Apollo and Loki, it's because they are real. the gods don't have to do anything to show us, I think that real devotion is truly and fully thinking they're real, not some “they're gonna come down from the heavens and they do live on a mountain!”, you know they're not gonna, But I always keep in mind they can't go against physics tho, so when I see a candle go crazy I don't go “Oh gosh they're mad” I think “fuck I forgot to trim it” because ur gonna get phycosis from thinking that, I don't believe personally that the gods made physics exist, but I wasn't there when it was created, I've never been where it was, and I don't care, I think the gods don't care about offerings and devotion more than they care that you believe in them, I believe in them because it's in my blood, one of my names means follower, I've doubted them but, even if I don't want too I know they're there and I know I cannot deny it because of my experiences and wisdom, and trust me I've had times I don't want to. I can't tell you to believe me because I sound crazy, and I am crazy, I see hallucinations and I have some disorders (I will not be saying) and I still can tell between the gods and hallucinations and I just know, and I know that ur not gonna hear Apollo say “yippee!” in the middle of the night right next to ur shoulder in a night bathroom, but you are gonna hear him play the piano or simply say something that you will remember for years, The gods give you grace, I don't know how the gods still put up with me, but it's probably because they know, its chemicals and I have no choice to act that way because it's what I've been taught. I'm not gonna tell u that everything u hear is the gods, but trust once you hear, u know. The gods don't care if u doubt them, they don't care if u insult them, they care if u try to learn and understand, they care about growth and the end, not the beginning. And I've learned when I don't see aura on an altar I can go ask or I can wait, I usually wait because if I get confirmation, I know they're gonna come around, but I've had that fail on me before. So never think the gods are gonna hate u truly, Loki doesn't like me, but I think if he saw me stabbed she’d try to help, or if I was throwing up I think Odin would hold my hair. I feel like the best thing to do is just say it to them if you have doubts, I've had to say some nasty things and some embarrassing things, but I don't think when I sit down with them they gonna be mad I said it, they probably gonna be mad I did not say earlier or the way I worded it. We're humans, and the gods know, they know you have no choice sometimes, but don't expect them to be there all the time, I've had hermes ‘leave’ me for a year randomly, but I promise you he was just probably hiding, he probably had a plan. Apollo has seen people disemboweled and many other things, he's a doctor, and I try to understand him, along with Aphrodite, but just like we can't always offer to the gods, the gods can't always help and be there. And a person can never love ‘properly’, and I think Aphrodite's literal saying is that she can help u; Aphrodite goddess of many things, sorrow, widows, blood, stalking, love, etc. She can't stop them from happening or make u understand, but I think u need to try to understand, she can only send experiences, and she's not gonna tell u in dreams, etc, If u feel like ur disconnected redo the alter, move things around. U can only label love if u restrict it, so love freely.

#the gods #hellenic devotion #hellenic polytheism #hellenic worship #greek gods #greek mythology #doing the research for you #ancient greek #greek pantheon #hellenic #apollon deity #apollo #apollo deity #apollon #aphrodite goddess #aphrodite #aphrodite deity #aphrodite devotion #aphrodite worship #answering asks #answering questions #answering stuff

[infinite-orangepeel]

Probably not actually that scandalous, but Steve loves to leave hickies on Eddie's inner thighs 😋

yes, yes, yes and vice versa! love this one <33 thx for submitting anon :)

okay so steve wants everyone to know that eddie belongs to him. its simply not enough for eddie to keep reminding him that he's literally the town 'freak' and no one's going to be flirting it up with him anyways. steve doesn't care. he leaves hickeys all over eddie's body wherever he can and at this point, eddie just lets him. bc steve's never had someone love him as much as eddie loves him and he's just so proud of the fact that he's lucky enough to call eddie his boyfriend.

when steve gives eddie head, he spends a solid half-hour just teasing him and edging him villainously slow. he runs his hands along eddie's inner thighs, grazing with a featherlight touch as he traces shapes and swirls his name with his fingertips. it makes them both whimper and moan profusely as goosebumps begin to rise over eddie's skin, nipples hardening in response. the image alone makes steve drool down his own chin like a dog in heat. panting breathlessly at the mere sight of a very horny and desperate eddie.

and ofc eddie doesn't typically beg. usually that's steve's job. but when they switch things up like this (which they do occasionally), eddie's definitely more than happy to be the one pleading for mercy. desperate to have steve's lavishing wet tongue wrapped around his length. moaning and crying out at the oversensitivity he feels from every little touch steve places on his body.

"please, please, please," eddie whines and kicks his feet out as the tension builds, "i've been good. i've been so good. just give me your mouth, stevie. need your mouth."

"not yet, baby," steve whispers as he presses the softest line of kisses down eddie's dark happy trail. licking and dragging his teeth intermittently, "need to be patient. can't spoil you yet, prove to me that you can behave."

so eddie does his best to obey. bc lord help him, if there's one thing he's determined to do--it's get steve to suck him off. he grimaces, scrunches his nose in frustration, but ultimately fails to hold back for long. accidentally bucking his hip forwards and bumping steve in the nose bc the sensation is overwhelming.

which steve obviously notices and tuts at.

"now that's just not gonna do," he says lowly and smacks the inside of eddie's thighs with an open palm, "you know better."

the fresh sting of pain feels insanely good. eddie groans and watches the pale flesh of his legs become a vibrant red under steve's hands. it's beautiful and he never gets tired of the filthy marks steve leaves behind. only wishes they could all be permanent.

"you're on my time, munson. that means i decide when and how you come. understood?"

"mmm," eddie's hardly keeping it together. he trembles and throws his head back in an attempt to combat the rising pleasure. steve's words sending a rush of blood to his swollen cock, "yes, yes i understand."

"you sure? or do i need to remind you who you belong to, baby?" steve smirks shark-like and vicious, bc they both know exactly where this is going.

"don't remember anymore. gotten too dumb with your hands all over me, 's too distracting," eddie plays into their little game, even bats his eyelashes to drive the point home, "need you to make sure i don't forget again."

and steve does just that. he sinks his sharp teeth into eddie's inner thighs; sucks bruises and lovebites alike into the tender skin. forgets about sucking eddie off for the time being, bc this is his favorite part. he loves being down here on his knees. loves getting carried away and marking eddie up in places only the two of them get to admire.

bc as much as he loves claiming eddie in all those perfect, visible spaces (his chest, his neck, his arms, his shoulders, etc.), there's something extra hot to him about eddie walking around with pretty magenta bruises lining his thighs, hidden beneath his clothes.

steve loves imagining eddie trying to sit down at work the next day or meeting a friend for coffee and not being able to quite cover up the wince of pain that comes from applying pressure to a fresh hickey. having to make an offhand excuse about being sore from a workout which--as anyone close to him knows--eddie doesn't typically do.

"fuck stevie, you're eating me alive down there. that hurts, baby," eddie threads a hand into steve's hair and grips him by the root.

"aw but honey, it hurts good, doesn't it?" steve says with mock sympathy, pretending to pout, "you want more, don't you? want everyone to know what a good slut you are for me?"

they both already know the answer, steve just wants to hear his boyfriend say it out loud in that whiny, fucked out tone of his.

"hurts so good, so fuckin good," eddie cries out and gasps, "please don't stop, could come just like this. don't even need you to blow me."

"hmm, i like the sound of that. let's see if you really are a man of your word, shall we?"

and man of his word that eddie is, he comes harder than he has in weeks within a matter of minutes. completely untouched and covered in an obscene amount of hickeys.

"you're lucky it's winter. otherwise i'd have literally no explanation for this," eddie laughs when they cuddle afterwards; with steve half-asleep on his chest, "and you can bet i'm getting you back next time."

"it's a date."

#hope this scratches an itch for some of you #im usually a sub steve truther but this prompt really gave me something fun to work with and it was fun to switch up the dynamic #steddie #steddie headcanon #steddie asks #steddie brainrot #the steddie brainrot is real #steddie thoughts #thinking steddie #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #steve harrington/eddie munson #eddie munson/steve harrington #steddie ficlet #steddie blurb #steddie excerpt #steddie fic #steddie au #steddie rambling

[fluffypotatey]

What are your in depth thoughts about MK’s and Sun Wukong’s vs MK’s and Macaque’s relationships? Because lemme tell you I’ve got so many it’s essay worthy

i saved you for last <3 but i honestly don't know if i can talk about this coherently T^T

short answer: they are on different levels in 2 ways, MK's comfortability and in how they grow

long answer: *inhales*

so you see, there are many levels that are set between the two relationships. and by levels i mean power dynamics, casualness, formalities, respect, and idolization :)

MK and Sun Wukong

with MK and Sun Wukong their relationship began very formal. MK was simply Wukong's student (with a wish to one day be close friends with his mentor/idol), but then by around 1x09, there becomes this shift in their dynamic. in this episode, we do get insight into how far Wukong actually cares for MK because for about most of s1, the monkey keeps his distance while putting up a laid back attitude. but after MK admits to his desire of being "good enough, like [Wukong]," you will notice that Sun Wukong, slowly starts to pull down his walls for MK. he even invites MK to stay over with him for New Years (2x00), despite knowing that it was more likely for MK to leave and celebrate with his friends. (WHICH MK EVEN SAYS BECAUSE BY THIS POINT MK COMES TO REALIZE THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP MIGHT NEVER BREACH INTO THE FRIENDSHIP HE ROMANTICIZED IN HIS HEAD. THUS SHOWING HOW THE TWO ARE DOING A REVERSE IN THEIR DYNAMIC AND- *gets dragged away to calm down*)

as i was saying.

in s2, Wukong ends up leaving to investigate a way to stop LBD before things blow over (which succeeds and fails bc it did, in fact, blow over). he didn't do it because he believed that it would hurt MK. personally, my assumption is that Sun Wukong didn't really see himself as that great of a mentor and that MK had been able to quickly pick up on new moves and techniques without much help from him, and with that thought, he believed that by leaving MK nothing but scrolls and a goal, MK would still be capable of mastering the new skills (which he did, thereby reinforcing that idea). but unfortunately, our beloved monkey king forgot that while MK is a very capable individual of incredible power, he's not confident in himself. he's simply "just loud" about himself and his prowess (which, if you noticed, MK grew even more quieter about this in seasons 2 & 3....fascinating).

so now there's this manufactured push to bring back their previous formality because Wukong is not completely ready to tell MK the truth despite how much he cares and trusts him (because, and this is my opinion, Wukong really wants to ensure that MK is not too involved in something as dangerous as LBD because she can get into your head and she can make matters worse for everybody). said manufactured push confuses MK because they had come so far from 1x01 and the distance they had before. sure, it's not as close as s3 and s4, but it definitely felt like they were at the cusp of something. this leaves MK sort of in his own limbo on where he stands with the Monkey King, and even if he sought advice about this with his friends, none of them have met the guy yet and can only make opinions based on their assumptions of what they feel like is going on (*cough, cough* Pigsy *cough, cough*).

and even after s2, in s3 Wukong is exhausted, a lot of his power depleted, and has to try and mingle civilly with MK's friends on a mission he originally planned to do alone (a suicidal mission to obtain the Samadhi Fire, if i might add). his reasoning for refusing at the beginning is because they are mortals, which MK misinterprets to mean that Wukong does not think MK can handle this mission and wants to prove himself.

omg their relationship is so complicated and messy T^T i love it

anyway, MK's and Sun Wukong's relationship is a push and pull between both people wanting to uphold and prove their worth to the other (Wukong lying to keep MK ignorant of a danger the monkey plans to eradicate in secret VS MK pushing himself into becoming powerful in order to prove himself as someone swk sees as worthy to trust). also, their dynamic is literally a platonic slow burn that slowly brings them closer and closer with s4 beginning with them (swk mostly lol) trying to be more honest and upfront about their thoughts and feelings. and s4 ending with the two actually fighting for each other and protecting each other and fighting WITH each other and T^T it's so beautiful. but also because their dynamic is a slow burn, that provides ample time to seed in doubt and insecurities and wanting to bottle up your issues to keep the peace and-

ugh T^T them <3

(side note: the actual timeline of this show is a tad confusing to me. how long was s1? a month, a couple months, a week? how long was s2? how long is the gap between seasons???? idk and i've tried to find something feasible to work with but i'm mostly just taking an "academic" estimation)

but now onto Macky and MK's relationship!

Mackenzie and MK

this one despite how rocky it looks is not a slow burn dynamic. it's got a fun roller coaster of levels because it goes "secret mentor/student" to "enemies" to "frenemies?" to "morally dubious but is actually a softie" to "potential mentor 2.0???" and i love it.

so, MK and Macky's dynamic begins in 1x09 (the blessed episode) since that's Mackackle's introduction to the show and MK begins to train under him in secret because MK is frustrated with swk's teaching methods. through the brief montage of MK's training, i can't help but notice the words and phrasing Macky uses:

Mackarell: [sounding disappointed] Not bad...[chuckles] [in a mocking tone] don't get me wrong, but I was expecting a little more with someone of your power. MK: [is defensive] H-hey, I've got more- I can give way more than that! [sighs] I can do better. Macaroni: [bemused] Kay, maybe show me next time.

ok, honestly, i just wanna talk about this. because if you heard it without seeing Marconi's face and how they animated him, you could side-step the the fake disappointment and mocking tone. what he's saying on the surface, isn't anything malicious or cruel. he is acting like a mentor and it appears like he is trying to encourage MK so he can stop hesitating. but that's not what Mac's really doing.

he is acting disappointed in MK because MK has a need to prove himself. the scene before MK meets Macaque, he is with Wukong and is frustrated by how slow his training is. he knows he can do some pretty powerful moves if his mentor allowed him to, if only he can prove to him that he can level up from the "baby stuff", if only he could have someone see that potential and train him in something more his "style." how convenient that right after he vents his frustrations MK encounters exactly what he wants, but oh no, they're disappointed in his strength and prowess, he has to prove that wrong, he CAN prove that wrong.

see where i'm going? MK fell for Macky's web, hook-line-and-sinker because it was tailor made for him. BUT! this mentor/student dynamic does not last very long. and that's mostly because it never a long term relationship in the slightest. Macky always planned to use MK's powers for his own, so now the two are slotted into the enemies level. they were never on equal ground like MK thought, or even on a similar mentor/student level MK has with Wukong. Macaquack absolutely abused that dynamic for his own gain and MK lost his trust for it.

MK cannot trust Macky, why should he? in s2, MK and Macky's relationship is mostly antagonistic because Mk cannot trust Mac and Mac enjoys tormenting the guy by hanging his insecurities over him. they are not on equal ground. Mac only sees MK as some mortal child who is in over his head and thinks he can be a Wukong 2.0 while MK sees Mac as someone who betrayed his trust, tried to kill him and his mentor and it is very personal.

but then there's this interesting choice made by lmk. Mac warns MK of an upcoming danger. why does he do it? he had just proven that he is an enemy! but also, he ends up freeing MK's friends on the basis that it "wasn't fun anymore". why take pity (should we even call it pity) on MK enough to tell him that "big things are coming"?

why choose to give MK some (very vague) advice about what's to come? what caused Macky to decide to offer this information?

well, 1st it is clearly the writers' way of showing that there is more than meets the eye with Macky. this is a little indicator for the audience about "hey! keep an eye on him! he's more complex than you think! he's more than a stock villain!" 2nd, this is the very first push into Mac's more amiable relationship with MK.

in s3, Macky is under LBD's command and has to follow her orders or else she might send him back to the Diyu either by ripping his soul from his body, or encasing him in ice/bone. he is only on her side to survive. he doesn't even plan to stay. instead, it really looks like Mac wants to escape from her hold (which he eventually plans out after learning about the gang's mission to find the Rings of Samadhi).

when it comes to MK, Mac is very antagonistic. @shadowpeachyuri made a really great analysis on Macky's antagonistic behavior in s3. especially in 3x04 where he taunts and mocks MK for his self worth and powers, but he's also stalling from his own mission in retrieving MK for LBD. most of s3 is him stalling and picking fights with people rather than do his own job. not to mention, that he purposefully separated MK and Wukong believing it would be easier to retrieve them. but why all the stalling and hesitation? because he's upset with his circumstances, and wants to take out on everyone? yeah, that's definitely part of it.

still in s3 Mac is not trying to befriend MK, he's not trying to help him either, but he also isn't truly trying to catch him. his main objective is getting out of dodge, escaping and finding somewhere that is far from here. yet, he can't help but challenge MK into using his powers, offer some (very biased and skewed) advice on who the guy should trust. and it's not until "Embrace Your Destiny" when his on-again and off-again mood finally gets to MK because he saved MK, he brought MK to Mei and he gave them the Not-Mayor guy for information.

just...this whole exchange T^T

Mackardy: Look, I brought you the Lady Bone Demon's lapdog, but I'm not up for being a hero, kid.

here lies, Macky trying to tell MK that he is not on his side. he has been constantly antagonistic and while LBD is also his enemy, he was planning to just give MK and his gang enough help for them to plan out how to defeat her.

MK: We don't need you to beat him. We just need you to keep him busy. As long as he's [Monkey King] under her control the Mech's vulnerable. We can do this! You can do this.

enter MK, looking at Macky with such optimism and arguing back at Macky with the guy's own logic. it won't be a battle to try and defeat Wukong, Macky just has to "keep him busy". Stall, like he's been doing for all of s3. and he sprinkles in a bit more optimism and encouragement to sweeten the deal.

Macaroon: Nice speech, kid but it's not gonna- MK: [frustrated growl] STOP! You keep playing at being this bad guy, acting like you're just in it for you! But I know deep, deep down: you're not that guy. Help us. Make it right. Macadoodle: I'm not a hero, bud MK: Then be a warrior!

personally, i feel like this is the moment where the two's new dynamic begins. also, Macky and MK's relationship feels a but more on equal footing. neither of them hold a pedestal or an image of who they are. MK is able to figure out that a lot of Macky's outward appearance is just that, an appearance. and Macky is able to see that MK isn't some Wukong 2.0 he imagined up in his head in s1. MK is the Monkey King's successor but he is also his own person who will and has made different decisions than Wukong.

after s3, their dynamic is very similar to mentor/student in 4x10, but not in the same way as in 1x09. Macky isn't trying to be manipulative or play with double meanings, he's actually trying to help and figured a video game rpg would be the best bet since MK likes video games. MK is able to snap back at Macky and isn't afraid of showing the monkey his worries and fears (something he's struggling to with Wukong and vice versa) because Macky has seen that side of him already.

idk it's fascinating. i feel like i'm repeating myself a lot, but my main takeaway is that MK and Wukong have a slow burn friendship that began with formalities and over the seasons, they gradually grew closer and more comfortable with admitting that they care about each other (mostly Wukong needed this help but it's ok). and MK and Macky's relationship though began as enemies, grew into 2 characters who view each other as equals by the end and respect ach other loads.

there be my thoughts *jazz hands*

#lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk mk #lmk sun wukong #lmk six eared macaque #lmk qi xiaotian #lmk meta #lmk analysis #lmk sunburst duo #lmk soysauce duo #sunburst duo #soysauce duo #bestie i am so sorry it took me this long to finish your answer T^T #i was saving it for last just so i could take my time with it but may have forgotten that my actual time to write all of this was limited #anyway #this was a lot of fun to discuss #you are absolutely free to tell me your thoughts! #i wanna know your essay worthy thoughts profa ;-; #also i single out pigsy at some point here but it's mostly bc besides all of swk's enemies he's the biggest critic of swk who's close to MK #his reasons for being upset at the guy are beCAUSE he unintentionally hurt MK and essentially neglected the guy in his eyes #however: he is an extremely harsh and biased critic not even bothering to hear the other side bc of his distrustful nature & protectiveness #once pigsy somes to a conclusion you will need to provide some solid evidence to back up your argument WHICH WUKONG ALMOST NEVER DOES #the grind for meta is real but so is my commitment to the bit :3 #you will never find me spelling mackadoo's name right unless it's for fic #also i think i my macky analysis might be a tad off bc i kept repeating myself so sorry about that T^T #jfc this took me 3 days ;A; #enjoyed every bit of it #asks

[bookishjules]

any sizzy headcanons revolving around simons band?

i have this really bad habit of imagining simon's band either sticking around and simon stepping in for features, or just competely reforming to allow simon to rejoin at some point in the future (even shadowhunters need hobbies right?), and i think it's important to keep that in mind for context. also, when i say EKM, know i'm referring to eric, kirk, and matt <3

during the whole "will they won't they" sizzy era, at least one of the boys definitely begins a "bro if you don't get with her, i will" running joke. i mean.. EKM start teasing simon as soon as he starts mentioning izzy--before she ever shows up to a show or practice, before even he and clary try and fail to have a relationship

i think EKM are fully aware of simon's forever crush on clary and are ready for him to move on, want him to move on and get over his best friend bc they know it would be the best for him. "plus, from what you're telling us about this isabelle chick, she must be smokin" bc dudes will be dudes. and these dudes are the most dudes

yeah there are songs that start popping up about her. if we're talking quantity of lyrics written, eric takes the cake, but the others have written quality lyrics before too, some of which even end up fitting into a rift they've been fiddling with. and the aforementioned jokes and teasing do find their way into lyrics, in the most fun and unserious way ofc

when simon himself first starts writing about isabelle, it's while he's alone in his room pretending to have the flu but actually hiding the fact that he's a vampire. he sits there in the dark, playing around with his guitar just for something to do, and finds his thoughts being drawn back to isabelle. words start coming to his head to match the tune he's strumming, but it takes him an hour after he finishes the song to actually write it down. good material is good material, even if it's embarrassing, even if he can't tell whether the lyrics are actually representative of his feelings..

speaking of embarrassing.. simon never once allows a song written about izzy to be played at a show she attends (nor, for that matter, did he allow them to be played when maia attended a show during his idiot era)

(and if you're wondering.. no, he never wrote a song about maia)

some of the songs that izzy never heard are too specific to make it through the memory wipe, but others find their way onto the set list of shows isabelle attends in secret. she's alone on those nights.. alone in a way that hurts, but also in the sense that she never told anyone where she was going.. not even clary, bc she knew clary wouldn't be able to stand being this close to simon enjoying himself onstage, enjoying his life and his friends without her.. izzy can stand it tho. or, she tells herself she can stand it. but still she's extra grateful for her glamour when the tears begin to escape because they start playing a song she can tell was once about her.. and it feels like so long since she looked at simon and saw herself reflected in his eyes, even metaphorically.

izzy reintroduces herself to EKM after reconnecting with simon as a move toward staking her claim, and they're too scared of her to not talk simon out of going on any dates during that summer before leaving for the academy.

simon stays friends with his bandmates, even after he leaves the band and then leaves the country for the majority of two years. sometimes they'll meet up and goof around with their instruments. sometimes they'll have a video game or dnd night

izzy knows how important it is for simon to keep these people in his life, so she encourages it and even hangs out with the crew more often than not.

and by crew, i do mean crew, as it begins to grow once EKM start finding partners, once their band adopts a new member or two

after simon asks izzy to marry him, EKM insist on throwing a bachelor party for him. simon tells them they plan on eloping so he doesn't have to give a reason why they aren't invited to the (very shadowhunter) wedding, which only gives them more reason to go all out with the bach.

while sizzy is traveling and working on recruitment etc. EKM will occasionally reach out and ask for an extra opinion on some piece of music or another. sometimes izzy will cut in and offer an idea that helps them get through whatever block they were facing, which, really, how could she not have developed a sense for the process after being around it for so long.

sometimes when simon performs with the band, they'll even have izzy come up and sing with them to add another layer

when sizzy kids start appearing and then getting old enough to appreciate music, izzy will bring them along with her to watch simon perform . they'll run up and hug him after the show when he's all sweaty from the spotlights, but he'll lift them up anyway and ask if they liked the show. one of them has a baby crush on matt and hides when he passes by with pieces of his drum set. another says this song or that was stupid or that daddy should have smashed his guitar at the end like a real rockstar. simon just laughs and leans over the little one's head to kiss isabelle.

#i realized halfway through this that i've been wearing my rock solid panda shirt all weekend #you must understand how much i adore this ask hehe #sizzy #simon lewis #isabelle lightwood #tsc #tmi #sizzy hc #tsc hc #anon <3 #asks

[theholypeanut]

HELLO.

I don't know if you can write this but

I want to request a Akashi x Reader thing like like kien hahvahsbs (THIS IS A FIRST TIME U REQUEST FROM YOU)

The reader is Akashi's best friends since children but sadly they went to another country bc of family business and stuff. Years later they found each other and hugged after a long time ongomgogm

Am so sorry if this is such a struggle 😭😭

I love how my blog is technically also about KNB not somehow I never wrote anything only Kuroko no Basket related, and yet my first request is about Akashi who is (in my opinion) one of the hardest character to write about 😭🫶 But love you and I hope you enjoyed it, sorry it took me so long

Gn!reader x Akashi Seijiuro

- You and Akashi did not hit it off right away, it was more of a slowburn when you were kids. At first you felt jealous about how amazing he was in everything he tried just once, but the more you spent time with him, the more you felt sorry for him. It was actually awful to be perfect.

- One day when you were 5, you just told him, that he is amazing, but not only because he is perfect, but he will still be amazing even if he fails from time to time, which felt so off from what he was taught, so he didn’t believe you at first. What do you mean fail? But later on, he somehow felt comforted by your presence just because he knew that, if he ever fails, you won’t judge him for it. And it was a beginning of a very strong friendship.

- For years you and Akashi were the strongest duo know in the school. He would always have your back and everyone knew they cannot say anything bad about you, if they want to live. And Akashi would know that he can always count on you whenever he just needed comfort, even a silent one. You were a ride or die.

- … Until your dad got a job overseas right before middle school. You two were so exciting to go to Teiko together, and now none of you wanted to even say out loud how heartbroken you felt.

- He gave you a necklace to keep, just a simple chain with a jade on it - jade was always associated with emperor, so it naturally reminded you of him. However none of you decided to give any emotional speech. The only words that lingered in between you two was “we will meet again”

- For a year you kept in touch by messages, but the longer you’ve been gone, the less frequent it got. You kept tabs on Teiko’s amazing wins, but you could feel that something changed in Akashi.

- Between second year of middle school till second year of high school, you stopped talking at all and it broke your heart. You still wore the necklace everyday.

- Around beginning of second year of high school, you got a call out of the blue. It was him.

“Hey” you heard a familiar voice. It got a little more deep and rough, but it still brought back so many memories. “I didn’t know if you’ll answer”

You stayed silent for a while. “Of course I would”

After this couple words an awkward silence filled the line. What else could you say? How are you? What were you doing for the past years?

“I’m sorry” he said. You knew Akashi Seijiuro for years and one thing that you probably never heard from him was an apology. And him ordering fast food. “I missed you. I don’t think you would be proud of what person I was in the past years” His voice felt a little weak, for the proud and amazing Akashi Seijiuro you knew.

“Good. It means you are no longer perfect, doesn’t it?” You decided to keep quiet about how sad it made you to not get a single message in the past years.

“Yes. I guess so”

- After this surprising call, you came back to keeping in touch with each other. You were still in high school overseas, but now finally feeling Akashi’s presence in your life, it felt better, fuller. However also quite empty.

- You were having a phone call at least once per month when you talked like nothing changed. He told you that he plans to play basketball after high school, but wants to go to Tokyo University first. And that was the moment you decided what you want to do with your future too.

~ Two years later ~

Waiting for a luggage never felt longer than now. Why the hell did you have to bring this huge suitcase? Maybe carry on would be enough, for a whole damn moving back to Japan?

You noticed that you started sweating uncontrollably. Of course, now, when you really want to smell like this nice expensive perfume, you will stink like a shoe on a hot summer day. Perfect.

When you finally collected proper baggage, you slowly went towards the arrivals gate. It’s been six years when you last saw each other. Six whole years. What if he won’t recognise you anymore? You were playing with the jade on your neck to calm yourself down.

When you went through the door, you started to look around. Somehow in your mind Akashi is still a small boy with red hair, and you could only imagine how much he changed by seeing his pictures in the magazine photos. Would it be embarrassing if you mistake him for someone else? Doubts started to fill your head. And then, in just one moment, they all disappeared when you saw a familiar face in the crowd.

He got tall, extremely handsome, and he looked just so mature. Your eyes met and he smiled lightly. And in that very moment you felt like everything melt inside of you.

You fasten your steps and when it was only meters away, you dropped your suitcase and jumped into his arms. In this moment you were so thankful for all of this years of heavy training he did, because he held you like you weight nothing, and holding you was the most natural thing to do. You pressed your nose to the crook of his neck.

“Hey” you heard his deep voice, just like two years ago in your phone, but this time, it was louder and clearer. “I missed you”

You felt like your eyes started to water up. You moved away a little to look at his face.

“Yeah, I missed you too”

And on one hand you felt like nothing change and no time has passed, but on the other, just in this moment, you felt like everything will change from now on.

#kuroko no basket #kuroko no basuke #akashi seijuro #akashi seijirou #akashi seijuurou x reader #akashi seijūrō #kuroko no basket headcanons #peanut drabbles

[miniimapp]

Can you make hcs for Aaron T,Z, and fem or gender neutral reader being in a poly relationship?

Gen ;; Fluff - Headcanons

Warnings ;; none lol

Proofread + Edited ;; if you even consider this a possibility do you even know me ??

Auth. Note ;; never written poly before so forgive any inaccuracy,, also we went gn!reader for this bc i wanted to alskfkb

also the colour scheme is giving halloween and i live for it :DD

Jan 2024 Edit ;; excuse my abhorrent timing.. let's pretend it hasn't nearly been a year since i got this, yh ?? sick lol

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈«

literally the first thing that came to mind is lazy mornings

just straight up cuddles only,, no worries

as i typed that i got the sudden like mini scene in my kind of T singing hakuna matata and Z joining in with little harmonies

holy shit T's morning voice is deeper than the fucking mariana trench my dudes

let's get one thing clear,, everyone gets flustered by T's morning voice

and he finds it fucking hilarious

but for the first months of dating,, you thoughts Z was the only exception

literally not a single eyelid batted

you were beyond confused

like,, your cheeks are burning

how is mans enduring this.. what are his secrets

like,, you'd feel your brain melting out of ears trying to maintain some semblance of calm and Z over here is brushing it off like water off of a duck's back

at least that's what you think

inside Z is full on screeching,, he is hot,, he is flustered,, he might be dying..

but hey,, at least no one can tell !!

it took a couple months for you to figure out that Z does not,, in fact,, keep his cool over T's morning voice

he does,, in fact,, lose it just like everyone else

how did you find this out you may be wondering ??

through Z's top secret diary of course !!

you and T stumbled upon by complete accident

really,, you did !!

no sneakiness was utilised in this mission.. definitely not..

but it just so happened to be left open on the table

you didn't even realise what it was at first,, figured it was one of Z's choreo notations and got kinda curious

T always liked to sneak peeks at the choreo beforehand to see how tiring it was going to be lol

then,, once you'd started reading you just couldn't stop

there were pages upon pages of flustered musings,, sincere endearment,, and loving descriptions

it was all too sweet !!

and within those pages was it

all of Z's hidden breakdowns over T's morning voice !!

you knew you weren't the only once,, you just knew it !!

the euphoria quickly subsided to make way for guilt at reading his diary

and you knew T was feeling similarly..

so,, you fessed up

that was awkward,, lemme tell you !!

you'd never seen T so.. squeamish (??) before

luckily,, Z didn't react badly

not even slightly

his reaction actually startled you slightly

because he just started laughing

it started small,, an amused little huff and snowballed into hiccuping snorts

it was honestly kinda adorable..

and that broke the awkwardness for both you and T

you joined in real quick

that really smashed through a couple of layers of ice you guys hadn't even realised was there from the beginning of your relationship

you all got a lot more comfortable around each other after that !!

it was good :))

moving on,,

i feel like T started this game called something stupid like "say that again but rap it"

literally all he does is get Z to repeat his sentences but rap them instead

so Z flipped it back on him because let's be real,, T can talk for a podium position,, he's literally the perfect target of his own game

fr out of nowhere T was rambling and Z waited for him to finish his spoken essay before going,, "say that again but rap it"

T was beyond flabbergasted,, mans forgets the words as soon as they left his mouth

and don't we all frfr

but is that going to stop him from trying (and failing) ??

you bet your ass it isn't !!

mans said real fast "gimme a beat"

AND Z DOES WITHOUT HESITATION

free entertainment baby,, that's what you're in for with these two ;DD

it was a catastrophe,, lemme be real clear

it was mostly just frantic not-words and vocalisations with the odd word or phrase that he actually remembed thrown in

lots of "hmm dumm da stupid fucking washing mashine uhh da dee da" and "broken p- uh p-pu- uh,, what's that word?? da da,, shut up Z !! oh,, pulsator!!"

like,, yeah you got that word but now we've lost all sense of rhythm lmao

it's a great time honestly,, wish i could've been there fr

overall,, i think that this throuple would be so amazingly chaotic but also so sweet and good to one another

you'd never want for anything,, they'd do everything they could for you

and you work so well with them and be such a good connection to the world outside 4*TOWN

i think you'd def keep them feeling human and real

#catch me running over after a year long hiatus #nice to see you to see you nice #i think thats the quote #clearing out my drafts #4town headcanons #4town #4town aaron t #4town aaron z #4town aaron z x reader #4town aaron t x reader #polyamory #turning red

[larcenywrites]

Hello! Could you write more about study dates with boyfriend young!Tony?? 🥺 But this time they're not fighting and are both in good moods hahahah maybe they're helping each other out with homework and giving each other kisses as rewards for getting things right. 😍 Maybe once they're finished, they cuddle in his bed and a soft slow make out session ends up turning into slow cuddly sex?? Thank you in advance!!

Oh, Tony will eat up getting rewards for answering right bc he’s always right 😌But I guess those two do deserve an actual study date (and to be sweet on each other)! This ended being some self-comfort because I have some big tests after spring break

A Much Better Study Date

Warnings: 18+ | unprotected p in v | I guess that’s about it because I’m so used to going ballistic with my kinks | fluff |

Word Count: 2.2K

Finals week. That week before is always the most stressful, but you can always count on your troublesome shadow to help you out! When he's not in a bad mood, horny, or wasn't even paying attention to begin with, that is. His only saving grace was being smart enough to figure it out even when he didn't read the textbook, and honestly it was your saving grace, too, when you were just too lazy to read said textbook. Really, he hardly ever needed to study, but one of his favorite excuses to hang out with you (and get you in his bed) was dragging you over for a study date, specifically when his parents weren't home. And also because he liked helping you out when you were stressed. Though, his help sometimes strayed from the kind you needed. 

"Tony, I'm serious," you laughed, trying to push him away from your neck and earning playful smooches to your arms instead.

"Studying is boring," he argued, a tempting uptick in his voice that alluded to his less-than-boring thoughts. You'd managed to get him through endless chapters of chemistry with no issue, but calculus II was where he drew the line, apparently. 

"I don't want to fail," you said back, more stern this time. He whined in protest, but knew he didn't have a good reason to argue against your concern. "Then can we make it fun?" He quickly sat back up with a newfound idea, much more excited and smiling wide at your small laugh. "Depends on your idea of fun."

He leaned back in, your noses nearly touching as he glanced down at your lips. "When you get it right," he started with a sultry tone, "I'll give you a prize." The offer was as tempting as he was. You'd play along.

"Don't get me too distracted," you teasingly warned. You were a little disappointed when he backed off, snatching up the nearby textbook instead. Unfortunately, however, his little game depended on you getting answers right. Answers to math problems that you had already been struggling on. 

"Wrong." 

"Wrong." 

Wrong.

"Maybe try it again?" His question was unsure, almost scared to suggest it after you looked over at him with a nearly murderous look. You sighed heavily, going back to square one even with the discouragement. 

"Close," he cheered, probably not meaning to sound so condescending. You dramatically fell backward onto the bed with an audible whine. He watched you silence for a moment. 

"Here, maybe you can learn from me," you heard him say before the notebook in your hands was carefully tugged on. You let him take it without a fight, but the heavy textbook that replaced it didn't feel much better.

"You just want me to kiss you when you get everything right," you pouted, sitting back up and pointing your pencil at him. 

"And then I'll kiss you when you get them right," he sassed back, taking the pencil and flipping to a blank page to work in. You sighed as you flipped through for another example problem, not having very high hopes. But he wasn't just scribbling incoherently onto the paper or sorting it in his head. You watched him work at a much slower pace than his brain was probably working at, making sure you could keep up. He was even drawing little arrows to help you connect the dots. You smiled, leaning in for a quick peck to his cheek and hearing his diligent writing stop. "I haven't even done anything yet," he looked at you, a knowing smile hiding on his lips. You shrugged. 

"You didn't have to," you whispered, resting on his shoulder. He looked down with that smile that finally broke through, getting back to whatever he was doing, but you'd lost track by now. So by the time he was boxing in his answer and looking over at you, you hadn't even checked the correct answer yet. Really you didn't need to look to know he was right. That, and he was already leaning down to you for another kiss, knowing he was right. You teasingly avoided his lips, instead kissing at the bridge of his nose. He hummed in disappointment. "Not what I was hoping for." 

You ignored him with a giggle, looking through the study guide for another problem you needed help with. "Do this one," you pointed almost excitedly at the jumble of math. Within minutes he was done, or maybe it was really that easy. That expectant gaze turned to you again, only this time, the grin on his face was a little more smug. You flipped through the pages to find the answer, almost afraid to correct him when you saw it. 

"It says this should be a three," you trailed off, tapping your finger on the page. He studied the page for a few moments.

"I rounded it," he shrugged, deadpanning. 

"It says not to round up."

"It's the same thing," he reasoned, head tilted with a pout. You sighed, unable to keep up your playful banter and leaning over to him. You could feel him smile into your kiss, and hear his whine when you pulled away so shortly after. He let you pick out another one and patiently worked it through with you in mind, playing along with that back-and-forth game, but whether he got bored of the work or just wanted to take control, you weren't sure. 

"Your turn," he sang, pulling the textbook from your lap and offering that notebook in its place. You hesitantly swapped with him. 

"Just look at my work while you do it," he calmly instructed, reassurance radiating through his tone. You only nodded, watching him flip between pages until deciding on the easiest one. Well, the easiest to him, probably. Regardless, you didn't complain, following along with those silly arrows Tony drew. 

"See, easy," he flouted before you even had a chance to finish writing it out. You turned to him with a frown, ready to make some remark or another, but your mind blanked when lips softly pressed to yours. But just as you had done, he didn't stay for long, quickly pecking beside your nose before pulling back. He returned to the text in his lap, continuing to throw whatever problems he deemed fit at you. 

"Look at you," he cooed, feigned impression in his voice as you boxed in another answer. You happily accepted another one of his kisses that had been steadily growing longer each time. And this time, he parted your lips with his, going in harder to leave you breathless. You teasingly bit his lip when you pulled away.

"Thanks," you said quietly, interrupting him before he could successfully chase after you. It wasn't much, but he did help you out a little. His eyes fluttered open to meet yours, glancing between them and your lips with a sigh before brushing it off with that always proud smile at being praised. He sat back up, taking the notebook and pencil from your hands and sliding over to the bedside table to discard those stressful study tools for the night. "Don't thank me yet," he remarked sarcastically. You huffed a half-hearted laugh, watching him flop into his usual spot on the bed and roll onto his side to look at you. 

"You could at least try to believe I'll pass." 

"If you don't, I'll buy you an ice cream or something," he said flippantly with a wave of his hand. You snorted, falling in place beside him. "You'll be fine," he reassured you in a whisper. The way he was looking at you made it so easy to get lost in his bright eyes and smile, chasing away any of your doubts. For tonight, at least. 

You scooted a little closer, his lips already pressing to your forehead and arm circling over you to draw you against him. You yelped in surprise when he suddenly rolled you onto your back, laughing at the rapid-fire kisses being peppered around your face. He dove into your neck, each one starting to linger just a little longer than the last. You bit your lip with a smile when those sweet kisses became soft nips, and your breath hitched at the slow hands finding their way under your shirt. His hands slid their way over your ribcage, coaxing you to curl into him when they slid to your back, expertly twisting apart the hooks of your bra. Tony sat up, bringing you with him, and patiently waited for you to pull your shirt over your head. As soon as it was tossed to the side, your bra was pulled down your arms, joining your discarded t-shirt somewhere on the floor. His quickly followed. Along with your jeans, pulled down with your underwear in one swoop (if not a bit awkwardly while you laughed at his efforts). Even that playful smack to your thigh didn't stop you from giggling. 

But the sight of his cock in his hand when he finally undressed did. You spread your legs in want, inviting him to settle in between them and gripping at the sheets when he did. He leaned over you with one hand anchored at your side while another lined himself up at your entrance. You were greeted with that familiar burning stretch when he entered you, clenching around him and squirming when he stopped moving. He barely moved in and out of you, easing your walls into letting him in more comfortably.

He dropped to you when he finally pushed in further, pressing his face against yours with a blissful sigh that fanned over your lips parted in their own silent moan. It had you smiling, cupping his face in your hands to bring him closer and finally closing that gap. The lips melding with yours pushed you back into the pillow beneath you, carefully licking over your bottom lip as they slowly moved with you. A shallow thrust into you had you gasping into him and drawing your legs to his waist. He made sure to fill you up with his second thrust before finding a rhythm in slowly rocking you with each strong snap of his hips. 

As much as you enjoyed his rougher side, there was safety and affection in this slower passion. The head of his cock languidly dragged against that certain soft spot, a tortuous build-up only mitigated by the harsh kiss to your cervix each time he pushed back in. A warm palm trailed up your arm before taking one of your hands from his cheek, lacing his fingers with yours and nestling into your neck. He pressed into you just a little more, dropping your intertwined hands against the back of his neck and adding to the mix of quiet groans and breathy sighs that filled the room. Your other hand was displaced, instead gripping through his dark hair and trying to pull him in just a little closer, pressing your cheek to his and hugging your legs around him. 

You whined when you involuntarily tightened around him, that gentle build-up finally threatening to tumble. His free hand that had been gripping the sheets flew to your thigh, the thumb caressing shapes into your skin matching the one rubbing at your hand in comfort. 

"Wait for me," he panted quietly, picking up the pace to catch up with you. You gripped at his hand and pushed him into your neck with the grip you had in his hair, trying your best to hold on for him. The tightness in your core was relieved when he faltered, harshly pressing into you between shallowing thrusts. 

"Cum with me, baby, you can do it." Hot breath fanned across your pulse with his words before teeth bit into your shoulder with a strangled moan. His grip on your hand tightened when he spilled deep inside you. You curled into him impossibly more as you let go, pulsing with his throbbing cock. 

You knew he was finished when a gentle kiss replaced those teeth, and those soft lips lingered up your neck. That smiling kiss pecked its way over your cheeks and down the bridge of your nose before finding your own smile. He started that slow makeout again, noses bumping every time he tilted his head and grinning when it made you laugh. 

He finally pulled away, hands leaving you as he slipped out of you and off the bed. It didn't take long for him to return, towel in hand. You reached to thread your fingers through his hair when he rested his head on your chest, flinching a little at the gentle swipe of the towel between your legs. He pecked an apology between your breasts before leaving again.

You rolled to his side of the bed, waiting for his return under the covers and closing your eyes. The lights flicking off caught your attention, feeling a dip in the mattress right next to you and the body responsible pushing you to make room. Despite his efforts, you kept yourself snuggled into his chest as he settled, nudging a leg between his to be closer. You felt his huff against the top of your head, where he still placed one more kiss before draping an arm over you.

"We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."

#tony stark #tony stark x reader #tony stark smut #tony stark one shot #tony stark imagine #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark fic #tony stark x female reader #tony stark x fem!reader #iron man #iron man x reader #iron man drabble #iron man imagine #iron man fanfiction #marvel x reader #marvel

[noxcorvorum]

I uh. I just finished ghost wax ep 44. I'm devastated. I need several moments. At least a day actually. Jesus christ.

(spoilers for part 44)

First of all I love the incantations. Iconic. I have all of them written down in Google keep. The empty table. The world's last fable. Dead mortar, bone pestle. Come death to your vessel. Come now, entropy. The spiral of time. Spin, spin fast. And seer and cable. Pen, fog, and fable. Stay within, flat and pinned. Love all of it and I am actively wanting more of them to memorize for enrichment. And now time to go feral over the Happenings.

So I'm kindof unclear on what happened to pip, did she essentially get jonah magnused, as in whatever entity Charles served controls her eyes now? Does she still have control of the rest of her body? Does the entity have control and she's just watching from within or is she essentially dead/incapacitated with the entity puppeting her? Ack augh I really liked the episode where she had the dream thing where the other characters were her friends and family, Luca as her brother, Owen and Azem (AUGH ILL GET TO HIM) as her uncles ("Uncle cid will be delightfully catty," ACK.), and she lied her way out of it even with the incredibly tempting offer of a world she could control where she can have an actual support system, and she gave it all away to protect the same people in the real world. That episode made me much more familiar with her character than I had been, idk what happened while I was listening but I was pretty neutral about her before this episode bc I didn't know her and AUGH she was just trying to help Charlie and he manipulated her away and into getting caught by whatever he serves and AUGH SHE DOESNT EVEN KNOW WHATS HAPPENING WITH OWEN AND LUCA

We also get a lot more Luca lore in the most recent episodes with his childhood and the beginning of whatever's going on with his soul that at one point Owen said his spirit is incomplete? And Owen gives him a replica of the thing he pulled out of his dream 😭 sobbing. Luca my beloved augh is he dead?? I saw a theory that the body Owens hamsa instincts latched onto was his so what's going to happen to them if that's true? Is one of them going to disappear or is it going to be a John and Arthur Malevolent situation or even will they combine like Paul from Nona the ninth? If that is the case I'm leaning towards something between disappearance and a malevolent situation bc Owen seems to have kept what remains of Azem with him all this time, and he cares enough about Luca that I think he'd do his best to not erase him as much as he possibly could. Luca my boy please don't be dead ;_;

Owen my beloved AUGH. ACK. ALDKSJ. Owen you are devastating me. Apologizing to Charlie bc he failed him when from what I understand pretty much nothing Owen could have done for him would have helped him not do this and then pleading for just five to seven more minutes so he can release what's left of Azem and also cause as little damage as he does as possible??? SIR. I AM WEEPING. He's old, so so old, and he's been here for so long and held on to Azem for so long that all he wants is to be able to let him go, to give him this one last thing. He accepts that he's about to die and that he will lose this last connection to his partner so quickly, and he just wants to give that which remains of Azem the best chance he can give him. I think the fact that he was pleading for this long-dead figure that only remains in mere fragments in Owens head at best to be released and not for his own life and continued connection to Azem broke me. I do think that the body he was in for all that time had some significance regarding Azem, maybe it was azems body?? I think it might be more likely it's the body he held when he met and was with Azem though, but also that whatever parts of Azem are left are tethered to that body, and he can't take him with him if he takes a new one, and he's afraid of letting go even when it's to his own detriment, because he starts using the wax recorders when he starts losing memories of reclaiming from the sheer vast amount of them he has in that brain. When he doesn't want to use an observed as bait and someone suggests he use himself instead and he says he can't, and I think the intro to ep 41 has some interesting implications:

A: ["will you- will you"? Could be a name?] please, oh god, ["please don't make me"?] just let it be over, I don't want it I don't want it anymore-

B: shh, come now, come now it's almost over. hush, hush, my love, we believe in you.

A: I can't, please

B: you knew this would not be easy. You know that. you cannot stop now, it is too late.

A: [weakly, as if weeping] please don't make me

B: this is what you chose. It is the right choice. None of this, none of it is real. It's all just a vivid dream. You choose to wake up. Just a few steps further, my love. [Interspersed with noises from A that sound like sobbing] Free yourself. Almost. [sigh? Or a laugh? Possibly "there"?]

I think "A" is Owen and "B" is either some corruption of Azem or something using his countenance and voice. It's too late at night and I kinda forgot what exactly happened in 41 so I can't elaborate exactly why I think this. However perhaps it is related to the thing Charles is serving (the cypher? Unclear to me) possibly attempting to get Owen to give up prematurely, maybe with a dream such as the one pip had but Actively Bad And Worse? It's something, that's for sure. I couldn't understand some of it too so that's probably contributing to my confusion

#ghost wax #ghost wax spoilers #luca ghost wax #owen voncid #charles baybridge #ghost wax pip #long post #i really like owen if it isnt clear yes i love pip especially with recent episodes yes i adore luca however i love owen lots i just think #hes neat <3