#he is so afraid and vulnerable

[margonite-seer]

I don't know how else to be with someone. No matter how much I'd like to.

I used the photomode mod to take a look at Astarion's love confession scene. Normally, the camera is focused on Tav when choosing what to say.

These are the expressions Astarion is making off-screen while you are hovering over dialogue options.

#he is so afraid and vulnerable #my poor baby (sobs) #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #not gw2

[ohitslen]

Promises

He should know better. 

Wolfwood has seen Vash make promises, or hear about the ones he has made in the past. He has also seen the end of each one and how every single time the outcome is less than what was promised. 

Vash likes to say embellished words, with a soft and determined voice that lures you into his hopes and dreams, it almost feels like a spell, as if he was calling for you to come closer and believe him. But Wolfwood knows better.

He believes in him, but Vash is much closer to being an idealistic dreamer than a realistic person like he is. He might not be aware of it, but his beautiful promises of a better future give people hope, a hope that is usually embraced with things like disappointment and abandonment. 

He doesn’t think that Vash does it with the intent of looking for any of those things. Far from it, he might even do the impossible in order to accomplish said promises, but life is too short and humans are too mortal for his wishes, so in the end, most of Vash’s promises end up being empty or they come to haunt him as a reminder of his failed vows. He admires the man, for his perseverance and idealism, but he also hates the man, for his stubbornness and lies. 

Wolfwood knows all of this perfectly to a tee. And yet, he has also found himself being drawn to his world. Because he also dreams of it.

A world in where his always present calls for love and peace exist, a world that is far more kind than what he might deserve, a world in where the kids can be happy and roam around without any worry in their heads, a world in where he can peacefully turn grey with age and his hands can shed the harsh callouses of his life. Who knows, maybe a world in where he and Vash can finally know the peace that was taken away from them, in where they can share the calmness that comes with the passage of time, indulging in every tick of the clock welcoming with open arms whatever comes their way without any fear.

It is a beautiful promise. But Wolfwood is a person that has to keep his feet on the ground, indulging in “what ifs” would only make things harder than what they had to be. He can’t have any ifs if he can’t make it through the now. And by the way he is carrying his present, he is doubtful he will even get to see a shed of that promised world that Vash tries to drag him into. So why mourn something he doesn’t even have, or will ever have for that matter.

He hates the way Vash seems to promise things so easily. His tongue silky and pliant, slipping divine words one after the other, promises way too big for what that barren world can actually fit. 

But when Vash talks to him in that holy voice of his, when he hears him say “It’s okay, everything will be alright, I promise” so gently right on his ear, while he holds his face so tenderly making him focus on him and nothing else, he wants to believe him.

He has seen the end of his promises. He knows how impossible they are. But for once, he wants to believe it too. Believe in that loving world that will cradle them both until they fall asleep, listening to the soft sound of the wind laughing while the moons smile upon them. 

So he allows himself to indulge in the warmth of his palms, leaning into the comfort of his existence, feeling the soft air of Vash’s breaths against his skin while their foreheads meet in a touch that feels like a hot brand that will melt him.

For an instant, he allows himself to be selfish and believe that maybe, that is how living in that world Vash so desperately fights for would be. Soft and warm, making him feel safe in the hollow of Vash’s hands where the world seems to fit so well. A world where the blue sky is a blanket that covers the love and care that is nestled in it like the one in Vash’s eyes. He wants to see that world.

For now, he will selfishly think that the world that fits in Vash’s hands is right there in where he is holding him, where his blue eyes are drowning in the light of the sunset dripping with love and care while looking at him, that the gentle touch of Vash’s thumb wiping his tears is the same as the kiss of that laughing wind in that distant future, where the smile of his eyes overcomes the smile of the moons.

He should know better. But he loves the thought of that world. And he hopes that Vash will get to see that world, because that gentle sight is more fitting for someone like him than the one of his violent world.

He promises to himself that he will do what it takes for that day to be possible. Even if the end of that promise will be empty for Nicholas, he knows it will be a full one for Vash. So it really isn’t that empty for him after all.

He hates his lies, and he hates how true they sound, but Vash’s embellished words are far sweeter than his bitter thoughts so they feel better on his insides, almost like a balm that cares for the wounds of his throbbing, painful reality.

He should know better.

But aren’t humans weak at the promise of love?

#yeah….mm…mhm yeah #my thoughts were going crazy with this one. because WW crying is something that has me week on the knees #WEAK FFS #also the thought of him becoming bare and emotional at the hands of Vash makes me want to jump around until I pass out #think of it. he is afraid of him in a way. but he trusts him so deeply too it’s such a contrasting and little contradictory thing #more like. denial after denial but yk what I mean. because that’s the whole post #also as a fun fact. while on the making of this thing the line of “it’s okay. everything will be alright. I promise #it’s meant to be said by Vash to WW #but also I did it considering that a)Vash is saying it to himself as well and b)it’s something WW wants to say to Vash as well #they are both incredibly pained men and they know it but don’t adress it. so verbally saying such words to each other issssUUUEHWHAGAH #ah yes. the intimacy of being emotionally vulnerable with the person who you would trust your life to but never openly say shit to eachother #isn’t that such an amazing flavor? I won’t lie to you it’s one of my favorites #trigun #vashwood #vash the stampede #nicholas d wolfwood #trigun stampede #trigun fanart #wolfwood #nicholas trigun #nicholas the punisher #lenssi writes #lenssi draws #trigun 2023 #trigun 98 #because I did a mishmash on WW design bc this is meant to be TriStamp time skip in my mind #his eyes were originally their canon steel blue/grayish tone. but while doing the lighting the brown looked gorgeous #i couldn’t help myself so I left it that way. because there is something so beautiful abt his eyes shining like that in #the afternoon light while he becomes undone under the sunset ya feel me? #OHFUCKIALMOSTFORGOT another little detail. Vash’s right hand doesn’t have a glove and it’s on purpose btw you’re welcome

[smultronviol]

Ppl going "waaahh unpopular opinion but Alice is kind of annoying and obnoxious and I don't think I'd like be her friend irl" is so funny to me bc like.

God forbid a cast of characters be multifaceted and have actual flaws and unpleasant aspects other than "grr angsty hero" and "whoops i'm so clumsy". Sometimes character dynamics and arcs need to be prioritized above "who would i personally be niceys with irl"

2. bro just WAIT until you hear about season 1 jon lol

#the magnus protocol #tmagp #season 1 jon was obnoxious and sometimes a straight up ASSHOLE and you were supposed to find him kinda grating!!! #yes alice IS a bit annoying and too much sometimes (esp in the first episodes) and i love that <3 #like. its p obvious that she uses the over the top-thing as a shield (to push ppl away/as a defense mechanism/to avoid being vulnerable) #we see her drop the act sometimes w ppl like teddy and sam who she actually feels comfortable around (and who know and understand her) #but like. she's stuck in a job she hates and is kind of afraid of (she KNOWS smth abt the horrors and is keeping her head down to survive) #(shes obviously afraid of sam going to far bc she KNOWS its dangerous) #so yes her act gets too much sometimes and yes sometimes she crosses the line into straight up mean (esp against gwen) #(but their dynamic is a whole other can of worms) #but like. i'm pretty sure its supposed to be seen that way. the audience isnt supposed to just find her kooky funny #the facade is supposed to be dismantled by the viewer etc etc #kind of like SEASON 1 JON the obnoxious bastard!!!!!!! #like. if you ever think alice is too mean towards gwen pls listen to s1 jon again and how he speaks abt martin?? #from a position as his boss no less? ngl i wanted to throttle him sometimes #you kinda forget abt it in the later seasons and if you only engage w fandom content. but like. go back and listen to the shit #he actually says. jesus christ man. i remember kinda hating him in the beginning #and to be clear i love jon! i think hes a great character! #and like. its almost as if his early season personality and facade was an important setup for his character development #and relationships with the other characters??? #but anyway 'alice is kind of annoying' is not an unpopular opinion its literally the FUCKING POINT #and both her and jon are my sweet baby angels <3 #alice dyer #jon sims #(and obviouslyyy you're still allowed to dislike a character ppl can have their own opinions etc etc etc. i just personally find it funny)

[chirpsythismorning]

S5 opener REAL

#byler #will byers #stranger things #every season besides s4-5 opens with non main characters #for el we got a flashback of the lab followed by her perspective in the scene directly after #and I think for Will we will see something similar #with us getting the flashback of him in castle byers in the UD #followed by him in the present in the scene after #but what exactly would warrant that memory being brought up in association with Will in the present? #mayhaps his connection to the mindflayer and the UD run deeper than we realize… #it’s likely not something he could just rid himself of in s2 and now he’s all good #he literally still feels a connection to everything he is feeling #that means he is still technically at risk of being the spy in some capacity #the massacre at Hawkins lab also was a guiding force for El discovering the ‘truth’ in s4 #so it’s likely for Will this instance will operate in a way that re-contextualizes the events in the past up to now #like that time Will suggested they go to the hospital in s3 only for the flayed to be waiting for them #or how flayed Billy knew they were at the cabin… #all while Will was looking cryptic as hell in that scene watching over el #or the fact that he picked Billy in the first place the season after he focused on Will… #you know.. williams #I think the easiest way to introduce the castle Byers flashback is a dream honestly #specifically a dream within a dream #seeing that recent leak and Will looking like either he has a black or hasn’t slept in days #is giving very much ‘I am afraid to sleep bc I’m scared of what will happen’ #I think dude is not exactly possessed in the sense that we already saw in s2 with like the particicles #but he’s still vulnerable #the door is still ajar… #no but fr this idea of opening a door in your mind was so blatant in st2 AND s3b of teen wolf #I think a big part of it will be guilting Will over the fact that Will has helped him before without Will telling the others #hence his weird vibe in s3… like he’s already successfully fucked with Will post s2 potentially with us being none the wiser aka here we go

[samwpmarleau]

JAMIE & KEELEY            ↳ 2.02 Lavender

#jamie activating keeley's passion-and-vulnerability kink part 2 #real talk tho - jamie has no reason to be nervous #like keeley has ALWAYS been his number one defender and has never once said no when he's asked for help #this episode included #but he is a ball of anxiety here and it's both adorable and says so much about his mental state #he's in such a bad place that he overexplains apologizes and has zero chill because he's afraid she'll reject him #(meanwhile keeley's getting all hot and bothered by it lmao) #jamiekeeley in every episode #jamie tartt #keeley jones #jamie x keeley #tl #ted lasso #tedlassosource #tedlassoedit #tledit #mine

[biblicalhorror]

Aroace Riz real but also Fabian is SO clearly in love with him and Riz has no idea

#honestly fabian might not even fully know yet #a core part of fabians character is that he is so deeply afraid of rejection that he is never going to pursue the people he actually wants #i do think he likes Maezy a lot but i think he only knows how to pursue hot toxic women that will discard him at a moments notice #which in a way protects him from ever actually dealing with heartbreak #is he a gay man dealing with comphet? ehh maybe #i could see that #but I think the vibe i get is more about how he has these platonic friends he completely adores and is fully devoted to #and then in another category he has the people that he does not have any actual attachment to that he will allow himself to pursue #and crossing the boundaries in between those two categories or allowing himself to pursue someone he really cares for #would require a level of vulnerability he is in no way prepared for #in his home life he has an emotionally detached mother who is well liked but kind of floats through interactions on a surface level #and a father who is extremely concerned with fame and glory and attention but doesnt seem to have ever stopped moving in his life #genuinely fabian does not know what a safe loving partnership would look like #and we see him constantly oscillating between emulating his mother and his father in relationships #but just beneath the surface is a little boy who wants so badly to cling to his loved ones so tight and be squeezed right back #with no way of knowing how to even ask for that if he wanted #and riz is his best friend in the world and he knows on some level that riz is simply not interested in having that kind of relationship #not on the level fabian needs #but that also makes riz a safe target for these feelings of devotion #theyre just friends! just besties! fabian never has to reckon with his own loneliness or harmful patterns #if he channels all of his yearning for closeness onto his best friend #anyway! this boy needs therapy #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #fabriz

[chloecherrysip]

We're going to save your brother.

#mario movie #mario movie spoilers #super mario bros #super mario bros movie #super mario bros movie spoilers #princess peach #mareach #cherrysip edits #I FEEL LIKE THIS MOMENT DID NOT GET THE ATTENTION AND APPRECIATION IT DESERVED ON HERE #man i could write you an essay about this #i do think that the 'i'm not afraid! i'll do anything for my brother' line actually ISN'T said during this scene - it's probably earlier #but that this line IS in the right place (peach's mouth movements match) #which means that scene is going to break me because it just seems like a very vulnerable sweet moment between them #where peach and mario get to talk about the situation they're in and their fears and how big the stakes are for both of them #peach fighting to protect her kingdom and her subjects - the immense pressure on her to stop bowser because of her role as a leader #and mario desperately trying to save his brother - not knowing if luigi is ok or not and not being able to keep him safe is so painful #i think that's why mario doesn't have his hat on - the adventure is starting to weigh on him and he opens up to peach for the first time #about him and luigi and their closeness and how he CAN'T lose his brother he CAN'T let him down when he needs him more than ever #and peach reassures him and it means the world. even in this quick clip there's something a little sad about his face #but also there's relief and gratefulness to her for saying that. they're the absolute sweetest :) :) :) #i could be off base but that really does seem like the vibe of this scene from what we've seen and i am ALL ABOUT IT

[happyandticklish]

Getting into a relationship and realizing that your worst fear of not being ticklish enough has been disproven, but now you have developed a new fear that possibly you're more ticklish than is needed

He kept pausing in the middle of cuddling 3 hours of making out to ask if I was uncomfortable because I kept squirming, and I had to admit that no, I'm fine, I just apparently can't be touched anywhere without it fucking tickling (which also involved saying The Word several times, much to my chagrin).

He's only genuinely tickled me once and it was only for a couple of seconds, but his excuse was, "Sorry, I couldn't help it," which only made my stomach flip a dozen times

I've kept the fact that I enjoy tickling a secret for my entire life and I am already debating telling him after less than a month in, don't ever get in a relationship guys, it entirely fucks up your decision making skills

#tickling #personal #in fairness ive known the dude for years so theres history there #and i do genuinely think based off everything i know about him that he wouldnt care #if only i wasnt deathly afraid of vulnerability this could be my chance yall #the boo ❤️

[cowboy-caboodles]

I present to you: hypochondriac jack

#living on the streets means you don’t get the luxury of being afraid of germs #so like what if?? #when jack is able to be vulnerable and cared for and attended to when he’s sick #it’s the biggest deal in the world to him #his immune system must be great but it’s 1899 anything can happen #i just #i really love the idea of jack having access to better hygiene #and being absolutely high maintenance #davey has had experience taking care of an overdramatic sick person before (les) #ofc he’d pamper jack without question #i reject jack being a 3-1 soap guy #i embrace him needing to be pampered #anyways! #newsies #livesies #davey jacobs #jack kelly #javey newsies #sick comfort #art #newsies art #boyfriends #character art

[csilla-nocturne]

I was thinking about the part where Feng Xin witnessed Hua Cheng being so upset by Xie Lian joking about injuring himself, and now I'm imagining post canon Feng Xin being like "Is he ok?" asking about Hua Cheng when Xie Lian gets injured on a mission or something cause either he's managed to figure out on his own through seeing other hualian interactions that something happened to Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng was there for it, and is extremely traumatized, or he got sent to Jun Wu for something, and Jun Wu being a colossal ass just told him about the temple thing. Either way now he's feeling kind of protective of Hua Cheng, even though he would rather be tortured to death himself before admitting it.

Poor Mu Qing who has no idea what's going on is starting to wonder if Feng Xin is losing his mind, and Feng Xin is just like "You had to be there, ok?”

To add to this going with the he figured it out himself route, I think the biggest factor for him would be Xie Lian's reactions to situations like that, because the first time Xie Lian was pretty much just as confused as Feng Xin about it, but now that he knows Hua Cheng is Wu Ming, Xie Lian most likely starts reacting differently to situations like that, and Feng Xin probably noticed.

#tian guan ci fu #feng xin #xie lian #hua cheng #hualian #mu qing #Jun Wu #Plotbunny? #Feng Xin gege mode activated! #I just think it's adorable and hilarious. #I can't remember clearly but I think it's the only time Hua Cheng shows that kind of vulnerability to anyone besides Xie Lian? #Also yes FX has SO MANY QUESTIONS in either route but he's afraid to pry.

[natjennie]

what if I was never normal again.

#wanting paint and gasoline for a lawnmower... #I traded a gun for strawberry seeds #you teach me to stay alive and I'll teach you what to stay alive for #do you get it #their little garden party. the boutique. #the whole town to themselves #how fucking lonely bill must have been that whole time #how loving someone makes you so much more vulnerable #I was never afraid until you #even bills posture like how stiff and guarded he was before and without frank #like... the paintings on the wall and the strawberry garden #their radio code and the 'mhm tell me about the list' #'I don't want you here alone' 'I'm not alone' #like........... I'm...... #the last of us #tlou hbo

[qbedience]

theres something so funny about kaidan being just a little silly whenever hes off duty. like when this man is idle he sways his arms and grins like a lil idiot. hes a 35 year old grizzled soldier of war who has let life change him but he kicks his legs in glee and giggles like a little schoolgirl whenever shepard takes the time to talk to him. he gossips on the phone to lt vega during shepard's probation and twirls the phone cord around his finger as he chats. he gets squirky with it

#kaidan alenko #mass effect #q talks #emotional men that arent afraid to be vulnerable or a little goofy i love you. he has my heart #this one never made it out of the drafts so today im releasing it into the wild

[finitevariety]

have to say I really loved how Shiv brought up the waiter. Does she give a shit about him, or that Kendall killed him? Nah, not really. Will she weaponise it to appear more moral in the moment? Yeah, absolutely.

It's like she said to Mencken: she's flexible. She LARPed as progressive to get her career in politics and genuinely believed she believed all these things--it's easy to believe you believe nice things, when the shit you actually do care about isn't in conflict with those beliefs. But then she wrangled Gil and Logan into a handshake, and she played her card as a woman to silence a victim--and, by shooting the one with her head above the parapet, many more victims--of institutional sexual abuse. She has even hurt herself by sailing too close to the wind in her girlboss liberal lean-in shit sometimes, with her dinosaur cull comment at Argestes, or with overplaying the hand she thought she had at Tern Haven.

She was viscerally angry at having to take the photo with Mencken, and perhaps angrier still when ATN called the election for him. Not because he's a fascist, although he is, and not because she dislikes him--although she does! She was angry primarily because the photo nuked any chance of a political career for her going forward, and because the call for Mencken hurt her chances with Matsson.

Did she ever make any of that clear in the moment, though? No. She talked about fascism and morals and things do happen, Rome. It is easier to wear that cloak that sometimes helps her--the woman cloak, where she claims to care for the group that she belongs to and steps upon its members at the same time--than it is to admit personal rage or vulnerability. That would be hysterical, and grasping, and not CEO material.

Shiv's relationship with womanhood is like Peter Pan's with his shadow. She used to be able to cast it off, or feel like she could, and now it is sewn in to her very fabric: it's everywhere she fucking walks.

She hates that there is not a play she can make that will separate her from the group of women-who-experience-misogyny. And still she makes use of that group, because it's one of an increasingly limited set of options she has. She was never allowed to gain experience--so she's inexperienced, and implausible, and shut out. It's the treehouse, again, Kendall up there playing king of the fucking castle. Shiv must have spent some holidays like that: Roman might have stayed with his mom in England on shorter breaks from military school, and Shiv was left to snotty, whickering horses and fucking tennis, throwing rocks up at Kendall whenever she saw a limb emerge from a window or doorway.

Anyway, if Shiv can't have the high ground, at least she can try to claim the moral one when it suits her. That's what I see as the context for her jab about Andrew Dodds.

#succession #shiv roy #there's a bigger thing here about like. shuffling through things that are true and using them as the face or reason for a bigger truth #that is less virtuous or more painful to admit #and that's shiv all over too: s1 'we're adults' instead of actually even attempting to talk it out #that WAS her attempting to talk it out #'love is bullshit' and 'box set death march' instead of getting into why she's so afraid of vulnerability #i love shiv so much lol #and also: KENDALL DOES THIS TOO. #fuck the patriarchy! he shouts #playing rape me on the speakers #it just hits differently for obvious reasons and is miles more transparent and manic. #roman is the only one who's not doing the dance

[thebirdandhersong]

not to be dramatic but will I ever know peace

#will i???????? #i taught this boy to waltz. i taught this boy to communicate his emotions. i taught this boy to not be afraid of vulnerability and honesty. #not to take credit for it ALL but i DID teach him some things and i know because he sure as heck did not do those things before #maybe i should get a t shirt for this. i made it through heartbreak number 3 and all i got was this shirt #not to besmirch his good name but this boy hasn't got a CLUE y'all i can't even tell you #in the same conversation he essentially said yeah you're too old for me and im not attracted to you but if you were a few years younger i'd #consider it he also said. also you're really pretty you smell really good if you want someone to dance with i'm here #and there's this dress you wore before which you look really good in so you should wear it again! #and it has been a roller coaster ever since #genuinely has NOT got a single clue i can tell he was trying hard in that conversation to not freak out but MAN #at risk of sounding self righteous i don't think i deserved half the stuff that's happened since!

[star--anon]

Minewt is so very very important to me

Minho, who is strong and confident, but not emotionally, someone who shies away from more delicate moments, squirms when it gets emotional, will do something nice for someone else but will not make eye contact as he does so

Newt, who is strong and confident, especially emotionally, someone who will grin as they accept help, someone who will willingly die to help someone else, someone who will hug someone in public and not show a hint of shame after, someone who will cry and not care if they're seen

Minho falling head over heels for that sense of safety, for that confidence, for that unabashed vulnerability. Meanwhile Newt is utterly clueless

while Minho is doing things that are the pinnacle of romance to his "affection is awkward" mind, Newt is just like "hey Minho left me a snack! he's been really nice lately :D"

#remember that Kung Fu Panda 2 scene? where Tigress hugs Po and says ''I can't watch my best friend die'' #and she's like. the strongest character out there. super aloof and stoic and powerful and brash #she's strong physically. and it's in that scene where you realize she's strong emotionally too #she's vulnerable and open in front of 7 people. and she just casually walks away afterwards. no shame or embarrassment #the whole movie is Po suppressing his trauma and refusing to acknowledge or feel it #and then there is Tigress. someone who he's kinda jealous of (remember their Fists Of Steel moment on the boat?) #someone who is powerful and strong and everything Po wants to be. AND someone who is willing to feel. #to be afraid. to care. to love. #anyway I was thinking about that while I wrote this #I probably don't have to spell it out but Newt is Tigress and Minho is Po #they are both very strong characters but only one of them is strong emotionally #and while I do like Tigress and Po's dynamic #the fact that Minho and Newt are BOTH confident (albeit Minho a little arrogant) makes the dynamic SO MUCH more fun #there is Po who is insecure and afraid and then there is Minho who is confident and afraid #someone who will kill without blinking but will flinch at a hug #just. AHHHHHHH #anyway #tmr Minho #tmr Newt #Minewt #I don't take constructive criticism because I'm not wrong

[bloogers-boogers]

Second chances part 22 > 21 > 23

#south park #eric cartman #kyle broflovski #kyman #sp kyman #'second chances' (kyman comic)♡ #kyley b is not an antagonist! he's a alter ego of kyle's that can freely express his sickening obsession for cartman #-in a way kyle allows it kyle b can be as many things as kyle wants but something that can never change about him is that he's the most #-emotionally opened kyle can be #kyle b has something kyle deeply craves but fears to be which is being more opening vulnerable around cartman #cause if there's something kyle b is sure of is that he LOVES and would protect cartman at all cost and he's not afraid to admit that #kyle has so many repressed feelings in this comic but the most painful of it all was cartman dumping him and just having to deal with that #okay I'll shut up now #oh and bradley is kyle's butters heheheh