#meaningful tight bonds

[pizza-feverdream]

Do you believe in the concept of soulmates?

Maybe not in the traditional sense, destiny-bound to be with each other and all that. I do think there are certain people out there that one is bound to "click" with bc of different factors, and it's just a matter of finding them. As in, I think I think there are lots of people you could consider your soul mate, but it's up to you to find them. Also, there may be more than one. (I also think a soul mate could be platonic, or in your family.) I think of it as "someone you're close to with your soul", and that can mean whatever you want it to mean.

#wow that's a lot lol #i just woke up apparently i have a lot of thoughts about this #i just remember being with my ex and the whole time worrying like #if i break up with him will i be able to find someone else? #which #should have been a sign i wasnt invested in the relationship #but eh #but anyway yes #there's people out there just waiting to make deep #meaningful tight bonds #you just gotta find em #AND OMG its hard sometimes #esp with poor social skills #but i have a bff now and i could consider her my soulmare #my sister is my favorite person and she could be considered my soulmate #hell even the old lady at work whos like taken me under her wing #soulmate #ill stop now cause my dog wants me to get up so he can go outside #thank you for the ask! btw #asks #moots #also am i going to count this towards my 300 word daily goal? #hell yeah i am

[lunaetis]

i have 4 more birthday asks for eden to do which i'll get to tmr ! if anyone wanted to send something in pls feel free to ! i'm going to try to finish arle's story quest tonight so writing shall be done over the weekends ! thank you so much for everyone who sent things in for the space raccoon ! she's over the moon !

#.ooc #[ i still can't believe it's been a year since i write this menace #& never thought she'd HAVE SUCH A TIGHT GRIP ON MY BRAINCELL #but not a single regret ! she had met so many ppl & formed many meaningful bonds ! #thank you everyone for loving & adoring my eden / my take on the trailblazer ! i'm eternally grateful ! #here's to more years with this rascal ! ]

[skyrussy]

simon ghost riley having a crush on you.

* y/n is masked as well.

* first thing ive written on here. bare with me as i improve <3

• when having a crush on you ghost absolutely lingers. silent stares are his absolute specialty. debriefing after a mission? his eyes are on you. sure, he may be standing a bit far from you, but the feeling of his eyes are impossible to ignore.

• your interactions are few and far between at the beginning. however, when you do interact, ghost intends to make your interactions somewhat meaningful. never really outright flirty or affectionate, but his little appraisals never pass you by.

“you did good kid. don’t sweat it too much.” followed by a pat on the shoulder and a lack of eye contact before walking away.

“impressive. keep it up soldier.” after watching you take down a man twice your size. ( he found that very attractive but would never allow that to be known. )

• of course they were always a bit quiet and mumbled, but he never even spoke to the 141 that way. his small praises were his little way of letting you know that he’s watching, and he cares.

• slowly but surely your short but sweet interactions began to be something you looked forward to. as months passed you happened to “bump into each other” a bit more than usual and his lingering became a lot more common.

• in the common room he would always stand behind you as you sat, never too close for comfort, although you wouldn’t have necessarily minded if he had moved closer.

• his quick glances that he used to send your way when you walked into a room turned into lingering stares, prolonged eye contact.

• ghost, not very quick to show affection found himself calling you “sweetheart”. at first he almost slapped himself for calling you that, but after seeing the slight smirk form on you face after he did, you really did become “sweetheart” permanently.

• you found yourself, previously a bit more quiet and closed off, becoming comfortable in his presence. choosing to be near him on missions, sitting next to him any chance you got.

• the type of bond you had was one that came quite effortlessly. neither of you were too chatty anyways. silent nods, soft quick touches, a soft hand on your back to guide you, a gentle rub on his shoulder. quiet affection.

• soon enough, it became known that were ghost was, you were often near and vice versa. your quiet touches became louder over the months. a hand on your thigh, arms around his shoulders as he sat, soft smiles underneath masks.

• the day he realized he had fallen in love with you happened 2 years later ( although he always had been, just never allowed himself to acknowledge it. )

• the task force needed a decoy for a mission, someone who could seduce & distract a sergeant of another force. you had to wear a tight red dress, something eye catching, and of course, your mask had to go. you felt nauseous at the idea, especially knowing that no one on the force had seen your face or your true form.

• nonetheless this job is your life. it’s this or nothing.

• you when ghost saw you enter the room, he felt every bit of air in his lungs disappear. every single thought in his mind dissipated completely.

“holy shit..” he mumbled.

• it was the first night he realized how badly he wanted to protect you. the way that the guys in 141 ogled you. the way the surrounding men glanced at you up and down.

• he knew you could hold your own, but the thought of letting anyone have the privilege of experiencing such a sophisticated, patient soul undoubtedly made him shudder.

• once the mission had been completed, you had sustained injuries from your lack of gear and weaponry. he looked at you sitting on the floor breathlessly, hair in front of your face, body slick with a slight sheen of sweat. you had blood trailing down half of your face and marks that were sure to bruise.

• he quickly made his way to you, and you stared up at him. you smiled.

• it was the first time a smile from any single person had made the brute of a man want to melt into a fucking puddle. you looked fearless.

“i did it.” you said laughing a bit.

“christ sweetheart, you did. come on. let’s get you out of here.”

#simon ghost riley #simon riley x you #simon ghost x reader #cod x reader #simon riley #ghost x reader #ghost x y/n #ghost fanfiction #simon x reader #fanfic #simon ghost x you #konig x reader

[chaosmax]

Many thanks to @rewuyuu for the commission!

hello everyone do you have a moment to learn about Sampo and Jing Yuan friendship propaganda because IN THIS ESSAY I WILL--

(based on that one Jason Momoa meme, because this is so their energy)

Edit: said essay--

(obligatory these are just personal headcanons of a friend and mine other interpretations are valid)

-They both go :3 they are both some of the few characters that make that face and it is adorable.

-They both conceal their true deeper feelings behind teehee funny man/lax eepy personas [this is assuming the Funny Bone video is canon to Sampo. It was made for Hoyofair but Hoyoverse showcased it in the Live concert event so I consider that canon until Hoyoverse says otherwise]

-On the topic of that both had a tight-knit group of friends they hung out with when they were younger and were ride or die with. Unfortunately, this turned out to be die as all of their friends died (some of the HCQ are still alive but are either reincarnated or so changed/driven mad from Mara the version Jing Yuan knew had died) while Sampo and Jing Yuan were the only one out of their pals to survive.

-But both had to move on and continue to anyway, whether they wanted to or not

-Due to these things in common they would understand and relate to each other in a deep, meaningful way that few others in their lives could. There would be a certain level of liberty to their friendship because of it. They'd be able to release pent-up emotions and trauma as well as sympathize and empathize with each other. They'd be able to support each other and trust each other with the burdens of their pasts because of it. While not easy for these topics to come up initially, once they did they would find a safe space in each other for these topics. And from this would form a strong bond of trust.

-Not to mention Sampo would be a great way for master strategist ™️ Jing Yuan to keep tabs on what is happening throughout the galaxy in other places or gain valuable information for the Xianzhou Alliance. AND as Jing Yuan has expressed a lot his daily life is quite boring and loves to hear tales from the Astral Express's adventures he'd also love to hear all the wild antics Sampo gets up to because you KNOW Sampo has some wild tales to tell

-In happier news Sampo is very outwardly mischievous while Jing Yuan is also hella sneaky but in a different way usually. But when put together they bring out the utter gremlin in each other and are constantly messing with each other or having a prank war but it's all in good fun. It makes them both genuinely laugh a lot, breathing new life into their days.

-Also Mimi is either really affectionate with Sampo or bullying him (safely and gently) but it freaks Sampo out because she so beeeg. Jing Yuan finds it hilarious.

#honkai star rail #jing yuan #sampo koski #hsr #listen i am SO NORMAL ABOUT THEM #commissioned art #they would mess with each other a lot- but all in good fun and make each other laugh a ton #yet also trust each other with their lives and feel much more free to talk about things they feel they cant #with basically anyone else because of their own circumstances #also like. wowza they both had a tight group of friends that all died/essentially died when they were younger #and they were the only one out of them left standing and something about that just HITS ME #they can found a survivors guilt support group TwT

[yveaart]

Your bf headcannons have been so cute!!! Could you do some for hoshi please? 🧡🧡🧡

hoshi as your bf !!

hoshi as your bf !! who bought you both tiger keychains that hug bc its magnetic.

hoshi as your bf !! who loves cuddling with you with your head on his chest as you both watched and surfed the internet through your phone.

hoshi as your bf !! who cried after you gave him a tub of jongga kimchi for his birthday

hoshi as your bf !! who loves making you watch him dance, he makes it 100x cooler for you

hoshi as your bf !! who tries to act tough with his friends when they’re talking about you, but when you both are alone he follows right behind you like a lost puppy

hoshi as your bf !! who sings for you when you ask him to after a breakdown

hoshi as your bf !! who doesn’t get your jealousy related jokes because he could only ever look your way

hoshi as your bf !! who gives you his coat, earmuffs, gloves, and beanie when he felt you intertwining your hands as your fingers were ice-cold during the winter

hoshi as your bf !! who rushes to your room the second he heard you sniff, he’s gonna give you a tight hug whether you’re sick or not, crying or not. he’ll pull up this face ☹️🥹 combined. “baby bring me to your oblivion” which he meant by take him thru ur thoughts even the deepest darkest ones.

hoshi as your bf !! who turns red like the jojo siwa meme when she was singing traitor once he sees you suddenly at his parents house bonding so well with his family. “so wifey material”

hoshi as your bf !! who goes in the bathroom when he arrives from work knowing you’re taking your time in the bath tub and he helps you shampoo your hair while he’s sitting on top of the toilet lid.

hoshi as your bf !! who comes tearing up on your arms because “it was stinging”, by it he meant your plumping lip gloss that he snooped around on by your vanity

hoshi as your bf !! with the biggest pout when he wants cuddles from you but he’s too shy to ask

hoshi as your bf !! who loves to bring you on spontaneous dates where he thinks are magical enough for you. little did you know that he already planned a very grand one for his future proposal

hoshi as your bf !! who makes those silly raps like he did with seungcheol’s clothes, but so much meaningful

hoshi as your bf !! *insert horanghae hands*

hoshi as your bf !! who saves your name on his phone as “horanghae tamer (my future wife🐯💞)”

#seventeen fluff #svt fluff #svt imagines #seventeen imagines #seventeen #svt #seventeen oneshot #svt oneshot #seventeen fic #svt fic #seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #hoshi #svt hoshi #seventeen hoshi #kwon soonyoung #soonyoung #svt fics #svt x reader #svtcreations #hoshi fluff #hoshi x reader #hoshi fic #hoshi fanfic #hoshi svt #hoshi imagines #soonyoung svt #seventeen soonyoung

[moeitsu]

If your only argument for shipping Arthur and John is “well they’re not real” stay the hell away from me.

I’m not even going to get into why IT IS incest. But here’s my take nonetheless:

Shipping incestuous relationships, even among fictional characters, is ethically problematic. It normalizes taboo behaviors and can distort perceptions of healthy relationships. Incest is universally recognized as harmful due to the potential for exploitation, abuse, and genetic risks. Romanticizing such relationships in fiction risks trivializing these serious issues. Choosing to ship incestuous relationships, even in fiction, perpetuates a harmful misconception and undermines the effort to cultivate a respectful and understanding narrative.

Misinterpreting a familial bond between characters raised as siblings as romantic chemistry reflects a misunderstanding of a healthy adult relationship.

It's important to be able to distinguish between different types of relationships. Such as recognizing the boundaries between familial love and romantic love. When people romanticize these sibling-like relationships, it blurs these distinctions. And it creates misconceptions about appropriate relationship dynamics.

This misinterpretation underscores the need for highlighting the role of media literacy in appreciating diverse human connections. Portraying and perceiving these characters' relationship as romantic undermines the value of familial bonds and may foster unrealistic expectations in adult relationships. It's crucial for audiences to acknowledge and respect the various meaningful connections that extend beyond romantic narratives.

I’m sorry if this reads like an essay, but as someone who’s taken media literacy classes in college and grown up in the Superwholock fandom, I have a lot to say on this topic. Engaging with fandoms and media since a very young age has deepened my understanding of how narratives influence societal norms and personal perceptions. It’s fascinating yet concerning to witness how certain portrayals in media can impact a fans interpretations and behaviors.

I want this to be open for discussion, because I think it’s important to promote a healthy and thoughtful consumption of media. As well as contribute to healthier representations and relationships in media and storytelling.

That’s it, goodnight, sleep tight, and be kind.

#arthur morgan #rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #ao3 #john marston #abigail marston #shitpost #shipping discourse #discussion #let’s discuss #rdr2 dutch #rdr2 fanfic #arthur morgan rdr2 #red dead redemption community #red dead fandom #fandom

[sporesgalaxy]

grips your shoulders really tight. we all understand that Germa 66 embraces Fascist gender roles right. We all get that yeah? And it's important because it was one of the earliest things established about Germa & its royal family?

And yes, the issue with Sanji's chivalry is that some acts of chivalry are historically rooted in the assumption of male superiority.

But One Piece goes out of its way to show that Sanji isn't refusing to fight women because he thinks he has an unfair advantage. He respects the power of his female crewmates and allies.

Which seems nonsensical until we learn that Sanji's attachment to chivalry, and particularly refusing to hit women, is rooted in his love for Zeff.

To Sanji, refusing to hit women isn't a reinforcement of male superiority. It's a symbol of his bond with Zeff-- of Zeff's willingness to take responsibility for Sanji where Judge chose to neglect and abuse him for things beyond Sanji's control.

From a Doylist perspective, this can sound a little contrived on paper. But it makes perfect emotional sense to me. I've gone into a lot of detail here, but fundamentally Sanji is just unquestioningly emotionally attached to an outdated cultural ritual because of something his adoptive dad said that meant a lot to him. That's really not so complicated!

NOW. BACK TO THE FASCISM.

What we DON'T see as directly stated as "men speak with their fists," is the complimentary implication that Germa 66 also enforces fascist gender norms upon women, to some extent.

Sure, Reiju has a raid suit like her brothers and apparently goes into battle with them. But the subservient gender dynamic is still present in Reiju's genetically engineered inability to disobey her Father's orders.

Her designated number being 0 also signals inferiority to her brothers. Despite being firstborn and having many of the same supernatural abilities as her brothers, she is not a male heir and therefore doesn't count.

Sanji's mother's near-complete lack of control over her children being genetically altered, as well as her lack of control over how they were raised, further implies a STEEP and distinctly fascist-adherent gender inequality in Germa 66.

All this to say, Sanji's resulting crossed wires and strong opinions about gender are hilarious when you really understand them.

He feels strongly about placing women on a pedestal because the people who abused him considered women lesser beings, because the women in his early life did not abuse him, and because his adoptive dad said something meaningful to him right after reguegitating some unquestioned gender role stuff.

He feels strongly about being gruff and combative towards men because he was emasculated by his male abusers for being unable to fight, and because he was adopted by a ruffian chef who put on a gruff, combative front while communicating love through acts of service.

Maybe the superficial harshness was familiar enough for Zeff's kindness to feel more believable. Maybe putting on the same harsh act made it less nerve-wracking for Sanji to do the kind things he spent so long being punished for.

I don't remember where I originally planned to go with this post. I like Sanji. His relationship to gender is a fucking hilarious mess, which I can relate to. Hi Sanji. Throws him into the ocean

#1pc #1pc lb #1pc discussion #adddna

[batboi13]

It feels strange to know I'm somehow so important to you

How is that possible

What have I done

Why has a bond that started as a shared perversion become so meaningful

Answer me

I need to know

And you tell me

"I may not be a clever man but

When two freaks of nature collide

They hold on as tight as they can

For it is all they have

And now I would die for you without having used you as a body pillow yet"

We are two disgusting faggots

Caught in each other's embrace

And we love it

We will never wish to leave

#this one is called strays for anybody interested #it means a lot to me #batthew poems

[katelynnwrites]

You Know I Adore You (I’m Crazy For You) | Ona Batlle

warnings: some anxiety

word count: 1425

summary: requested and requested x2, ona coming out 🌈

a/n: i am so sorry i took so long to get around to your request nonny, this isn’t as good as it should be but i hope you like it and happy pride month!

‘Ale? Can we talk please?’ Ona asks.

Her voice is quiet, eyes downcast. Alexia was busy but she made time for the younger girl immediately. The Barcelona captain was worried for the Manchester United fullback who has seemed particularly uneasy this camp.

As Alexia follows Ona out of the dining room, she sends a quick text to Mapi, asking the blonde to meet them at Ona’s room. The younger brunette is close to her too and Alexia thinks that Ona’s fellow defender might be able to offer her some support.

The twenty three year old is silent as she sits on her bed, twisting the ring she’s wearing round and round her finger.

Alexia is really worried now and is relieved when she hears a soft knock on the door.

Ona jumps and Alexia grabs her hands, assuring her that it’s just Mapi.

Both players sit on either side of Ona who bites her lip nervously. She’s biting it so hard Alexia is scared that she’s going to make it bleed.

‘I-I have to tell you something. I want to tell you something.’

‘Okay. We’re here for you Ona.’ Mapi encourages, squeezing the younger defender’s hand gently.

‘No matter what.’ Alexia promises.

‘I’m gay.’ Ona softly admits.

‘Oh thank goodness. Dios mio Ona.’ Alexia exhales.

‘W-What?’

Ona is shaking, trembling with fear and uncertainty.

Mapi pulls her into her arms, kissing her forehead sweetly, ‘I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy that you feel safe and comfortable enough to tell us.’

Alexia kisses Ona’s cheek, ‘I thought you were in trouble, Ona. You were so anxious. I’m so thankful that you wanted to share this with us.’

Ona smiles then, soaking in the tight embrace that she’s in. She doesn’t know why she was so afraid earlier, it’s not as if Mapi and Alexia would have judged her and she voices those thoughts out loud.

‘I guess I was a little anxious.’

Alexia laughs, kissing Ona’s cheek again. Mapi tucks a strand of hair behind Ona’s ear, smiling at her.

‘We forgive you for worrying us Oni.’

Ona giggles, feeling a weight lift off her now that she had finally told two of her teammates.

Then she pauses, ‘Can you help me tell the rest of the team please. I just, I just want them to know.’

Alexia grins slyly.

‘This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain other teammate of ours? One that we all know is gay?’

Ona’s eyes widen and she blushes, mumbling something about how it doesn’t and is completely unrelated.

Neither Mapi nor Alexia believe her but they agree to help their younger teammate all the same.

******

Alexia arranges for the team to gather in her room for a movie night.

You think nothing of it, Alexia has always been keen on team bonding. She believed that a team that knew each other well, played well together.

You’re the first to arrive, having a tendency to be early for everything. It comes as a surprise to you that Ona is already there.

‘Hey you.’ You greet, a smile forming on your face when you see her.

‘Hi.’ Ona giggles, leaning into your side as soon as you sit down on Ale’s bed.

You drop a kiss down onto her head and you feel the brunette shiver.

She cuddles further into you and if you weren’t so focused on her as the rest of your teammates file into the room, you would notice the way Alexia’s and Mapi’s eyes soften.

When the whole La Roja team is squeezed into Alexia’s hotel room, Alexia clears her throat to quieten the room.

She shoots Ona a meaningful look and the fullback stiffens in your arms.

‘Ona?’

‘Um. I-I have something to share with you guys.’

Ona hesitates for a brief moment before looking you in the eyes and blurting out, ‘I’m a lesbian. I’m gay and I thought I should tell all of you because you’re my team, my second family.’

There isn’t a split second’s hesitation for the room to erupt in cheers.

Ona’s cheeks heat up as Leila excitedly screams, ‘Welcome to the club!’

She grins at the support she’s receiving but she’s really only looking at you and waiting for your reaction.

You’re smiling brightly at her, a tiny glimmer of hope in your gaze as you hug her a little tighter.

‘Congratulations on coming out, Ona. You’re so brave.’

‘Gracias.’ Ona hums, reveling in the feeling of being in your arms. She loves it and frequently wished it happened more often.

******

You’re drinking your coffee when Mapi plops down into the empty seat in front of you.

‘You have no excuse now.’

‘What?’

Leila appears beside her best friend then.

‘Obviously it means that you have to tell Ona how you feel.’ She states.

You roll your eyes at the pair, ‘No I don’t. Just because I now know for sure that she likes women doesn’t mean that she’ll like me.’

‘Chica. She doesn’t just like you, she loves you. Ona came out for you, idiota. She wanted you to know so that you can make a move.’

‘Oh.’

You’re silent for a moment as you take in Mapi’s words. The older woman usually joked around a lot but she was serious about this.

‘D-Do you know where she is now?’

‘In her room.’ Leila answers eagerly.

The mostly full cup of coffee is left behind as you leave the dining room immediately.

Mapi and Leila smirk as they watch you rush off to find Ona.

******

Ona is just coming out of her room when she sees you.

Her face lights up and she bounces over to give you a tight hug.

‘Hi Oni.’

‘Hola.’

She grins and blushes when you kiss her cheek lightly.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Good. I’m really happy.’

You smile at her when she turns to you, ‘How are you feeling today?’

‘I feel like I need to tell you something.’

Your heart beats a little faster as you carefully scan her face for any sort of reaction.

Ona doesn’t hesitate, lightly brushing her pinky against yours in comfort, ‘Oh. Would you like to go back into my room to talk about it?’

‘Yes please.’ You softly answer.

Ona senses your anxiety and takes your hand in hers, leading you into her room. You try to hide the way butterflies flutter in your stomach at the contact.

She nudges you gently once you’re back in her room.

‘You can tell me anything. You can trust me, I promise.’

‘I know.’

You chance a glance at the brunette, trying your best to be courageous enough to admit your feelings to her. Ona had been brave enough to come out so surely you could be brave enough to tell her about your feelings for her right?

Ona hums after a moment, her lips ticking upwards into a little smile.

‘I know by the way. That’s kind of why I did it.’

‘What?’

‘You like me.’ The brunette states, matter of factly.

‘I-I do?’

The surprise in your tone makes Ona laugh.

‘You do. You have for years. I’ve seen the way you look at me.’

‘I do.’ You mumble in disbelief, because you really thought you were subtle about it.

Ona laughs again, sitting down on her bed beside you and kissing your forehead affectionately.

‘I’ve waited for you to admit your feelings for years. I tried so hard to show you that I feel the same but you never picked up on it.’

‘I’m sorry.’ You breathe and Ona shakes her head.

‘You drove me crazy you know? I thought I was so obvious. I don’t know what I would have done if last night didn’t work.’

‘I’m sorry.’ You say again, staring at her in a daze, still trying to come to terms with the thought that she had known and reciprocated how you feel all along.

Ona shrugs casually, ‘Te amo. I have for years.’

You blink at her for a moment before shaking your head, ‘I’m an idiot. Mapi and Leila are right.’

The brunette fullback who has your heart giggles loudly.

‘You are. But that’s okay. I love you anyway.’

You grin at her, cherishing the way her chocolate brown eyes sparkle with happiness.

‘Ona?’

‘Yes?’

‘Can I take you out on a date this weekend?’

‘I thought you’d never ask.’

Her eager words and bright smile give you the warmest of feelings inside. She’s the one for you, you just know it.

‘Ona?’

‘Yes?’

‘I love you too.’

Spanish Translations:

dios mio - oh my god

gracias - thank you

chica - girl

idiota - idiot

hola - hi

te amo - i love you

#ona batlle #ona batlle x reader #ona batlle imagine #woso x reader #woso imagine #wsl imagine #wsl x reader #espwnt imagine #espwnt x reader #muwfc imagine #muwfc x reader #spain wnt x reader #spain wnt imagine #katelynnwrites #uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #woso #muwfc #espwnt

[ladykailitha]

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 7

And now you see why I waited until I had this part written before posting the last one? That was one hell of a cliffhanger. Also everyone gets a dig at Al in this. It's family bonding event. But Steve has the best burn I think.

Just a heads up, Steve talks about being abused...heads up if that's a trigger for you.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

***

Steve placed his hand on Eddie’s back the second he felt his friend stiffen next to him.

“Deep breath, Eds,” he murmured. “There is nothing he can say to you that I will let him get away with, okay? Deep breath. Let me and Wayne handle this.”

Eddie let out a deep breath. “Just careful, Stevie. He’s been known to charm snakes out of their skin.”

Steve’s jaw clenched. So that’s the kind of man he was. He knew that kind of man intimately. His own father was like that. He knew what to watch for now that he had been forewarned.

He plastered a solemn expression on his face, that to everyone who didn’t know him well enough would think sincere, but to Eddie and Wayne, they could see the hard set line of his jaw as he kept one eye on Al and the other on the proceedings.

The funeral wrapped up and everyone lined up to throw dirt on the now lowered coffin. Al tried to get directly behind Eddie, but Steve seamlessly inserted himself between them.

Al bristled but the portly man next to him coughed and he was forced to back down.

Finally the family was all that remained as they all walked back to the church.

The portly man stuck to Al like glue and Steve felt a sudden warmth for the boys in blue at that moment. Because he was pretty sure that even though Al Munson had been granted a furlough, someone was paying to keep that man on a short leash.

The family and a small handful of friends arranged themselves on the pews and waited.

It wasn’t too long until a funny little man with thick bottled glasses came hurrying in.

“I’m sorry Mrs Nelson,” he twittered to Penny. “I had a hard time getting to the church.”

Penny just nodded. “It’s all right Mr Mulbury, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

He walked up the pulpit and put his briefcase on it. He pulled out a piece of paper of it and then walked back around the pulpit, leaving the briefcase where it was.

“Ehhm,” Mr Mulbury coughed. “The last will and testament of Gina Munson goes as follows...”

He read it out, people getting little trinkets and things that were meaningful to them, instructions on what to do with her clothes and other things that wouldn’t be given to friends or family.

And then it came time to divide up her meager savings. “My savings of five thousand dollars will be divided three ways. To Penny, you get a thousand to repair that lovely house of yours. I know you didn’t want anything, but use it for your family, dearest girl. Love you all the best.”

Penny laughed a watery little chuckle. She shook her head fondly.

“To Wayne, you get two thousand dollars to finally get that motor home you always wanted. When the time is right, retire and see the world like you always dreamed of. See the stars, my beautiful boy. You deserve stars.”

Wayne teared up, coming down in rivers down his face. Both Steve and Eddie hugged him tight.

“To Allen, who had squandered every good thing he every had, his loving wife, his devoted son, his talents and his good sense, you get nothing. You deserve nothing. If you are here to hear this, I hope it is because the state of Texas deemed it so, and not because you have been set loose again on the world.”

There was a gasp from those gathered and they descended into harsh whispers as they wondered aloud who got the remaining two thousand dollars.

Mr Mulbury cleared his throat. “Instead the remaining two thousand will be given to your son, Edward. Through your actions that boy has suffered so, and because of your actions he will receive not only the money, but all my love as well. Live your dreams, Eddie. Be that star for your uncle. Shine brighter then even that of Polaris. Butterfly kisses into the sunset, darling boy.”

Now Eddie was crying too. Two thousand wouldn’t get him far, but it could get him started. He raised a shaking hand to his quivering lips. Steve grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it.

Eddie looked over and Steve mouthed, “you deserve it.”

He nodded back.

Finally there were some other little things to be wrapped up in the will and then it was all over.

Everyone stood and Steve looked over at Al for the first time since they entered the church. The man had a smile plastered on his face that sent chills down Steve’s spine. Whenever his father wore that expression it meant trouble for someone, usually Steve.

They mingled for a bit, waiting until Penny’s friend came back to tell her that dinner was ready for them. Penny, Wayne, Steve, and Eddie all clustered together while everyone else gathered in other groups.

People were coming up and telling Eddie how much he deserved the money and how much his grandmother loved him. It made Steve puff out his chest in pride.

Finally Al came over and all four of them stiffened.

“Eddie, my boy!” Al greeted warmly. “You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. You’re spitting image of your old man.” He lifted a handcuffed hand with a jaunty little wave. “I’d hug ya, but I’m on a bit of a leash.”

Penny bristled. “I paid good money for that leash, I’m glad to see it working.”

The men turned to her in shock.

“Did you know,” she said through gritted teeth, “that the state of Texas was going to let him come to the funeral without a guard to make sure he didn’t escape? And that you actually have to pay for that service?”

Al grinned. “Ah...Penny-elle-oh-pee, you shouldn’t have.” His voice dropped low and menacing. “You really shouldn’t have.”

The portly man nudged him with his elbow. Al straightened up, his charming mask firmly in place.

Wayne shook his head. “Al, Al, Al...you never did know when to fold and when to call.”

Al turned to his brother for the first time. “Big brother always watching out for everyone and never getting ahead. How much they pay you at that workhouse? You know the one, the one that took Dad’s life?”

Wayne grinned. “Pretty good considering we union’ed up about five years ago. Which would have known if you actually read any of the letters I sent you. Just like you would have known about what Eddie looks like now...”

Steve hurried to cover his snort, but Al whipped his head his direction.

“And who the hell are you?”

Steve eyed him with a raised eyebrow. “Steve Harrington, my mother is Sophia Kincade, of the Lexington Kincades and a good friend of your son’s.”

Al turned to Penny. “Why he is here with family?”

Wayne bristled. “This is the boy that saved your son during that major earthquake we had earlier this year. Another thing you’d know if you’d read my damn letters. He deserves to be here just as much as you if not more so.”

Just then Penny’s friend came in and told them that dinner was ready for the family.

Al ran his tongue over his teeth and grinned. “Hey, Bernie, how much time have we got?”

The portly man looked at his watch. “We’ve got about an hour before we have to leave to catch our flight.”

Penny furrowed her brow but knew she couldn’t deny him dinner as much as it grated.

The friends that had been at the reading made their goodbyes and soon everyone else was filing into cars.

Penny and her family in her blue Chevy, Steve, Eddie and Wayne in his BMW, and Al and Bernie in an unmarked Crown Vic.

They get to the house and the scents of a home cooked meal waft from the open front door.

They all go sit down at the table, Danny and Wayne pulling out two more chairs for their unwelcomed guests.

Steve was disappointed to see that not only was there enough food to feed Al and Bernie, but that there was enough food to feed a fucking army.

Penny’s friend’s name is Lucy and her daughter Beth is one of Lauren’s friends, too. They’re both blonde with bright blue eyes and curvy bodies.

They are bustling around the table making sure everyone has enough food.

About half way through dinner Al speaks up. “So you still playing that guitar of yours, Ed?”

Eddie stiffened. “I’ve got a red NJ Warlock that I play now.”

“Ooh...fancy,” Al whistled. “You steal it?”

Lauren and Wayne bristled, but Eddie scoffed. “No, but I did steal an RV once while on the run wanted for murder, but they were a bunch of pricks anyway.”

Wayne and Steve stifled a laugh while the rest of the family looked as though they weren’t sure if he was telling the truth or not.

“Cleared of all charges,” Steve added with a sly smile. “Court ruled it extenuating circumstances.”

It was Eddie’s turn to hide his smile in his napkin.

Al’s mood darkened. He didn’t like being out of the inside joke. “You gonna do anything with the talent I gave ya, teaching you how to play on that beat up ‘ole six string?”

This time Eddie rankled. How dare AL imply that he had anything to do with his ability to play guitar? As if the real reason wasn’t sitting right there at the table.

Steve put his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, calming him.

“Was that before or after you taught him how to hotwire a car?” he asked, faux innocence.

Al sputtered.

“See, I always got the impression,” Steve continued, “that instead of teaching Eddie how to play guitar or throw a ball you were too busy trying to make sure your son followed in your footsteps straight into the penitentiary.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide with barely contained glee.

“While Wayne on the other hand,” he said scratching his temple, “was working hard to put on the table, get Eddie through school, and give him the best life he could given the hand you dealt both of them. Now, I’m just some outsider, but I know what it’s like to have a shit dad.”

The room was stock still. Steve didn’t think that they were even breathing at this point, but he pressed on.

“Didn’t fit into the box he built? He hit me. Didn’t get captain my sophomore year, something that had never been done ever? He hit me. Didn’t date the right girl? He hit me. Ditched my asshole friends? He hit me. Now, I don’t know if you’re cut from the same cloth or not. I don’t give a fuck. But you tell another lie like that one to these honest folk, and Officer Bernie here will be taking you back to Texas in a body bag.”

Al jumped to his feet, but before he could even twitch Steve’s direction Bernie whipped out a taser and zapped him with it. Soon he was doing a different kind of twitching.

On the floor.

Bernie began clapping and soon everyone else was too.

Steve blushed. “To think I could have been like that asshole if it wasn’t for getting some sense knocked into me by people who actually gave a damn. I’m sorry he ruined dinner.”

Penny scoffed. “Dinner isn’t ruined. Wayne, Danny please help the kind officer take out the trash.”

Officer Bernie chuckled. “Much appreciated, ma’am.”

Wayne and Danny stood up and helped him take Al back into the Crown Vic.

Wayne went through and made sure that Al didn’t steal anything or had anything that might be a danger to the good officer. He never had trusted Al, even as kids and he sure the hell wasn’t going to start now.

Soon the officer was on his way and the family sat down to eat the dinner that was so wonderfully prepared in peace. Like Gina had always intended.

Wayne smiled at Steve. He was proud of how he had stood up to Al for his boy.

****

Pt 8|Pt 9|Pt 10|Pt 11|Pt 12

Tag list: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @messrs-weasley @goodolefashionedloverboi @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @emly03 @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @vecnuthy @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @gutterflower77 @genderless-spoon @hel-spawn @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @mamafaithful @yikes-a-bee @dragonmama76 @flaming-reauxster

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #minor character death #dealing with grief #tw: mentions of abuse

[escapingrealityforamoment]

So what if Reader was friends with Steven? Like she didn't knew Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah but she was Steven's friend, so he invited her for the summer, and reader was a posh person who wasn't a really fan of these things, but listened to her friend, and when she did come there, everyone was all over her as she was really pretty, except Jeremiah and Conrad, Jeremiah liked her as a friend and conrad didn't liked her at all, slowly Reader and Jeremiah had feelings for each other and came into a relationship, and reader came into the same college as conrad and they also slowly became friends, but when they both saw Jeremiah and Belly kissing, both of them hated them and stayed more closer?

Hi love! Thank you so much for the request and I am so sorry it has taken so long for me to respond!! I hope you enjoy reading this and there will be a part two 💖😘

When I first arrived at Cousins Beach for the summer, I had no idea what to expect. My friend Steven had talked up his summers here with the Fisher family, and although I was more accustomed to city life, I trusted his judgment and embarked on the adventure.

As soon as I set foot in this coastal paradise, it felt like the whole world revolved around me. People couldn't help but be drawn to me, a stranger in their tight-knit community. I became a curiosity, a beautiful anomaly in their simple, beachside world. Among those who were captivated by my presence, Jeremiah and Conrad stood out, but for entirely different reasons.

Jeremiah, who had a friendly and approachable demeanor, was the first to break the ice. He didn't treat me as a stranger but as a friend. We spent countless hours talking about our dreams, our love for art, and the little things that made life by the sea so extraordinary. What began as friendship soon blossomed into a deep connection, and my heart couldn't deny the fluttering I felt whenever he was nearby.

Conrad, however, was a different story. His icy exterior never seemed to thaw, and his disapproval of me was evident in every word and gesture. I couldn't understand why I bothered him so much, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break through to the warm-hearted person hidden beneath.

As the summer days melted into the golden hues of fall, the connection between Jeremiah and me couldn't be ignored. We faced the challenges of a long-distance relationship as he went off to college. Our bond remained strong, even as the miles separated us, our late-night calls and longing texts keeping the connection alive.

Surprisingly, Conrad also ended up at my college, and our paths continued to cross. Over time, I could sense his icy exterior slowly thawing as we became friends. Our shared experiences and moments of vulnerability revealed the layers beneath his tough facade.

But then, everything took an unexpected turn. One evening, I found myself witnessing a heartbreaking scene: Jeremiah and Belly, locked in an intimate kiss. My heart shattered, mirroring the pain in Conrad's eyes when he witnessed the same moment. Our worlds collided, and the shared agony of our unrequited love brought us together.

In the midst of heartbreak, Conrad and I found comfort in each other's presence. We shared our stories of love and loss, our struggles and dreams. What had once been a source of tension between us had transformed into a deep and lasting friendship. Together, we healed our wounded hearts, finding solace in each other's company and understanding.

Our shared pain forged an unbreakable bond, and Conrad and I became inseparable. While the scars of the past still ached, we had discovered a deep and meaningful connection that transcended mere friendship. We hoped that someday, we would find the love we both deserved. For now, we found contentment in each other's understanding, empathy, and unwavering support.

#conrad fisher imagine #conrad fisher #conrad fisher x you #conrad fisher x y/n #conrad x reader #conrad fisher x reader #tsitp conrad #jeremiah fisher x y/n #jeremiah fisher x reader #jeremiah x reader #jeremiah fisher imagine #tsitp jeremiah #tsitp x reader #tsitp x you #team conrad #team jeremiah

[femfallenangel]

nothing’s gonna hurt you , baby .

( tate langdon x fem!reader )

warnings ; cursing , wounds & nothing else , just pure fluff where Tate is the most adorable caring bbg ever <3

summary ; after a long day at new school , once you arrive home your father’s patient came a little too early for his session. noticing your injuries due previous school fight , he decides to take care of you well.

“ Mom , dad , I’m home ! “ a soft voice announced , shutting the big , wooden door behind you. No answer. You began searching the place , admiring all of the tiniest details ; some of them must’ve been here since like forever ! It’s been only a week since you moved here , here into this huge Victorian house everyone seems to admire. Some for it’s looks. Some for it’s story.

Your brows formed into a furrow at the sound of creaking floor upstairs. You were sure you’re home alone , yet the noises seemed to increase within each second.

“ Hello ? Who is there ? Mo- “ you were cut off at the feeling of a warm hand resting upon your smaller shoulder. Turning on your heels immediately , you faced a much taller frame of a boy , not much older than you , that’s for sure. His golden waves complemented his pale face so adorably , it made your face soften , chuckle even. “ Are you one of my father’s patients ? He’s not home right now , but I could call him if you’d lik… “

“ What happened to your face ? “ the male stood so firm next to you , a concern taking over his earlier monotonous mimic.

You touched onto your forehead , feeling the dried out blood under your fingertips. Your lower lip all swollen , a cheek starched on the right side. Sharpe exhale filled your nostrils as you gazed down your muddy shoes. “ It’s nothing , just … jerks at my new school. This place sucks , I can’t imagine myself bonding with anyone here really. They’re all full of shit. “ your mutter filling up the growing silence in the entire house.

Tate’s head tilted slightly to the right side as his dark brown irises lighten up in the middle of listening to your speech. Slowly lifting up his hand , he took the strands out of your face behind your ear to have a better look at your wounded , still adorable face.

“ I can take care of it though … “ your smaller tone assured him , eyes now locking onto his.

“ Oh , sit down. What do you usually drink ? Coffee , tea , anything else ? “ his filled with love and care voice asked you as he approached the kitchen , watching you sit down on a chair the closest to him.

“ Tea will do. Thanks. I just don’t really get why you’re doing that … I mean , it’s not that necessary … I’m ( Y / N ) by the way ! “ with a wide smile spreading onto your face , Tate could not refuse himself but to smile right back at you.

“ I know , your father mentioned you on our session. Pleasure to finally meet you , I’m Tate. “ the golden haired male replied as he put the pot on , taking two mugs out of the shelf in front of him.

His sight flew all around the room , searching hard for first aid kit. When Tate’s eyes finally reached the item , he grabbed onto it tight , placing himself right next to you. Analysing your entire , smaller than him frame , a chuckle left his mouth as he opened the kit.

“ What’s so funny ? “ you asked him amused by the sudden wave of joy , following onto his steps and letting out a giggle or two.

His dark eyes pierced right through your body as his smile dropped , tensing up atmosphere high in the air. “ Nothing , nothing … It’s just that you’re … you’re so beautiful. “ he replied to your just as sudden question , shaking his head off as he grabbed a wet towel , pressing it softly against your forehead , causing you to hiss almost silently.

A burning blush painted almost permanently all across your cheeks as Tate complemented your beauty , even if you could not see it yourself , you believed that every sweet word coming right out of his mouth is true , meaningful. Hissing under your nose quietly at the moment the wetness of towel meet your dainty skin made the boy bite onto his lip , trying to caress your skin more gently than before.

As the tried out blood was all gone , his fingers grabbed a couple of band aids , sticking them on the deepest injured places. He did not seem like a guy who’s doing such stuff everyday , yet the care , the precision made you quite impress and might have even awoke a feeling deep down in your stomach.

Your eyes seemed to be taken out of the world for the entire time ; you admired him with your mouth slightly opened , as if you were under some hypnosis. The time he spent to bring your look back to decent felt much shorter than in reality.

Bringing you back to the earth , Tate’s tall frame stood up the counter to fill both of the cups with hot tea , placing one of them right in front of you. He gazed down to meet your alluring sight once again , to see that flustered look on your face and drown in it one more time.

“ Tate , I’m really thankful for this , for … you “ you talked with unease , your joyful eyes looking straight back at his dark ones.

He did not talk back to you. His eyes just ran through you up and down again before finally wrapping his slender arms tight around you , pulling you closer his chest , his racing fast heart,

“ Meet me at the basement , 8 pm sharp. “

#american horror story #ahs fandom #tate langdon #tate langdon x y/n #tate langdon x reader #tate langdon x you #evan peters #evan peters x reader #evan peters fanfic #ahs murder house #american horror story murder house #american horror murder house #kit walker #kai anderson #james patrick march #ahs fanfic #kyle spencer #jimmy darling #evan peters smut #Spotify

[south-of-heaven]

Oh my can you make jey uso being obsessed with reader’s body, like how she hugs him and how her body reacts to his touches…

Hugs || Jey Uso x Reader

Summary: An innocent embrace sparks something more.

A/N: I don't love how this came out. I know it's not exactly what you asked for but this was as good as I could get it.

You and Jey have been friends for a long time. There's a special bond between the two of you that goes beyond mere friendship. You've always been close, but lately, you've noticed that something has changed between you.

One day, you're both hanging out at his place, watching some wrestling matches on TV. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, and you can't help but notice how good Jey looks tonight. As the evening progresses, you find yourself leaning in closer to him on the couch, enjoying the warmth of his presence.

"Hey, you're looking pretty cozy over there," Jey teases, giving you a playful nudge.

You blush, feeling a little embarrassed. "I-I just like being close to you, Jey. Is that okay?"

He grins, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you even closer. "Of course it's okay, babe. I love having you near me."

His words make your heart skip a beat, but you try to hide your feelings behind a smile. You both continue watching the matches, occasionally laughing and teasing each other. But the tension between you is palpable, and you can't help but wonder if there's something more than just friendship between you two.

Later that night, as you're getting ready to leave, Jey walks you to the door. He hesitates for a moment before pulling you into a tight hug.

"I'm really glad you came over tonight," he murmurs, his breath tickling your ear.

"Me too," you reply, your heart racing.

As you pull away, you catch a glimpse of something in Jey's eyes - a flicker of something more. And in that moment, you decide to take a chance.

"Jey, there's something I need to tell you," you say, mustering up the courage.

He looks at you with curiosity and concern. "What is it?"

You take a deep breath. "I think... I think I might have feelings for you, Jey. More than just friendship."

Jey's eyes widen in surprise, but a smile slowly spreads across his face. "Really?"

"Yeah," you admit, feeling vulnerable but hopeful.

He cups your face in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing against your cheeks. "I've been feeling the same way, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same. I didn't want to risk our friendship."

You smile, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. "I'm glad we're on the same page then."

Jey leans in, and you close the distance, your lips meeting in a soft, sweet kiss. It's everything you hoped it would be - tender, passionate, and filled with unspoken emotions.

From that moment on, your relationship with Jey changes. The hugs become more meaningful, and your time together becomes even more special. You share laughter, tears, and everything in between, knowing that you've found something truly precious - a love that grew from a deep and genuine friendship.

And so, the two of you embark on a new chapter of your lives, exploring the beauty of love and the joy of being together. In each other's arms, you find comfort, solace, and a love that will endure through every moment - both good and bad.

#wwe fanfiction #wwe x reader #pro wrestling #wrestling #wwe #jey uso #jey uso x reader #the bloodline

[saltysaltdog]

Narinder and his relationship to the bishops. What caused their falling out?

The game tells you everything you need to know... (Spoiler, it was Leshy)

"Hapless Leshy" is how Haro describes them. And that just means he's very unlucky, unfortunate... doomed.

Leshy is the youngest god, the god of Chaos and flux. For a lot of people when they imagine Chaos, they think of something ever changing, a sensory overload that's never consistent and with no repeating patterns. Constant change.

Notably, Narinder doesn't have anything bad to say about him. His dialogue is limited to one line. "Leshy fell before you like a grain of sand before a tidal wave." Considering how verbose Narinder usually is this should strike you as odd. He comments about how happy he is with seeing the others fall, but not Leshy. He even holds himself in check if you do something that really upsets him, like sell out Ratau (cough cough) but he can't bring himself to demean leshy in the same way, nor celebrate at all.

He should be a natural ally to Narinder, who wanted change. And yet he's not.

"He was unalike the rest of his kin. While others dealt with flux; chaos, famine, pestilence, war. Things in which their constancy must transpose. And yet he was the inevitable; the obstinate and irresistible. The one who waits. Truly peculiar, 'twould then seem, has appetency to invite the novel and the new, break ancient vow and primordial bond alike. Traditions stagnate and appetites augment, nonetheless. Doubt tears faith asunder."

Switching between two states: change, is the natural order of things, Leshy should be inviting chaos, causing it... And there lies the problem.

Bonds of familial duty, turned instead to chains. Most voracious of appetites, curbed and contained. Most infectious of ideas cut off and cauterised before given chance to rot and spread. Cruel, verily. Alas, what other recourse was given? How does one kill Death? ... Alas. One cannot."

The final lines imply that they sacrificed their power, their growth, to stop Narinder, but what if it wasn't him they were doing it for?

Hear me out. Leshy is the youngest and the weakest, it could be that his powers couldn't handle the rate at which things were changing. If so, then he would only be an obstacle to Narinder. At first it would be fine, but if Leshy didn't get better, if the bishops couldn't cause meaningful change, new things, if change itself was making him sick and "Doubt tears faith asunder": wouldn't it be the one to "break ancient vow and primordial bond alike" be first in line for having the blame cast on them?

We don't have a clear idea on what shenainigains Narinder was up to, but both he and Shamura tell us one thing he was working on.

"The blame hangs heavy 'round my neck. I introduced him to ideas of change..." ".... Death cannot flow backward."

Bringing the dead back to life.

He praises you for doing so in response to one of his quests on his quest line. But that's not to say it's all he was working on.

--

Hang tight, because this bit is up for interpretation:

These guys.

Cute mushroom guys that infect you and try to turn you into a mushroom too, and once you die you can be replanted, again and again and again and again and a- its basically immortality!

They live in Narinder's domain, and yet they are Menticide Mushrooms from Anura given a follower form. They are unnatural, and fiercely hunted when they visit there, so they are not endemic to the area. If Narinder was playing with Nature's laws, turning mushrooms into people, or people into mushrooms, then what's to say he wasn't trying it on anything else?

Like say maybe... plants?

Yes.

Now technically a lot of enemies you fight have plant like features, so many in fact that it's like they were mass produced, existing everywhere except the silk cradle: Shamura's domain of war.

Now these plant creatures fight for the bishops, but that's not to say they are natural. We get normal frogs, insects, fish, etc, but we only get these plant-like worm followers after Leshy turns them into plant like creatures. I don't believe you can randomly happen across them. Perhaps these constructs were originally developed to ensure protection of his siblings, something to prevent them from wasting followers on defending their realms from weaker gods. Or launching assaults. After all, don't many people have a primordial bond to the land they grew up on? Having your favourite tree attack you would suck.

While maybe not a direct result of Narinder, although I wouldn't put it past him to look at a worm and crown and go "oh this'll be funny", I think it's possible that no other plant creature developed consciousness, that Leshy is special, unique, alone.

Perhaps everyone had different ideas on how to help him.

It's up to personal preference the order of events and the degree of sentience the plant enemies have, and thus the mental age of leshy when he became a god, but I'm inclined to think that Narinder still considers Leshy his baby brother, one who would be spared if he could.

(He also made the undead enemies you fight but that's probably obvious.)

But this is all speculation, entities like the gold loving tree exist, so there could be old entities that are plant based kicking around. And the mushrooms could just be from the giant dead god skull being a god of decay. It's hard to know for sure.

It'd be so funny if we could plant that mushroom and grow a giant god. Unlikely though.

-

So Leshy's existence is unprecedented, Chaos itself to many who see him. But why doesn't chaos help him? Narinder speaks about the "unordered beauty of his realm..." and his attack patterns are technically random, but most Bishops speak on their domain a lot.

Leshy doesnt.

"Winds of change blow; dost thou sense it? Around us, the world creaks and turns. Afore, it stood immobile. Motionless centuries grow rust. Now leshy has fallen..."

His domain was stagnant. Leshy is concerned with Narinder being a heretic, and thus you, because your rituals don't align with the old faith's practices. But since those "traditions stagnate", it makes sense why he is the least revered among his siblings, his grasp on the order, what those rituals are supposed to bring, isn't that good. He's probably just doing them because he's supposed to without understanding the greater purpose of them.

"The worm, it is hungry. It feeds. It partakes of our flesh. But that is the price for safety. For that we gladly give it all we have."

His average followers don't even use his name, or maybe they aren't really his followers at all? It's hard to know for sure.

"I recall Leshy. Prior to yourself, he was the last to bargain with me. Adept as he was, he rose quickly to the challenges of Godhood, aided by his siblings. Many were drawn to his chaotic ways"

He was helped out a lot by his siblings, likely to the point he would have died if he was alone.

do Narinder's siblings really think Narinder could have attempted to kill leshy after being perhaps monumental in causing his existence?

Part 2: yep.

Narinder says that Shamura "could never handle the multitudes of a being such as I" (paraphrased. I'm lazy.) Which we are to take as a statement on what he wanted to attempt with his power. With the sins of the flesh update however it might not be that simple.

Sup you slithery bastard.

What's key here is listening to how the other bishops talk about Narinder. Leshy refers to him as a heretic, Heket as a monster they chained below, Shamura as a brother and Narinder.

They used the term red crown for him, but with the notion of it's own independence Kallamar becomes the most relevant.

Kallamar: "Shamura, the Red Crown grows stronger by the day. Already it has succeeded where he has failed before. Leshy has been slain!"

There's a collective understanding of who "he" is. Narinder. But it is interesting that Kallamar never directly uses the term to refer to Narinder, only using pronouns. Isn't the vessel's success Narinder's success? This makes it sound like the red crown is an entity of its own, succeeding where Narinder failed, at least in Kallamar's mind.

It should be noted that Kallamar doesn't refer to you as the red crown during the events of the game. You are the vessel of it. Then when he needs to insult you, critter, beast. Then as a final plea, lamb. Before that however, after he figures out you arent leaving he tries to bargin with the crown directly.

It seems you cannot be stopped by disease or hunger. And he sends you back from death stronger each time. Please know, it was not my idea to cast out the Red Crown! The other Bishops, my siblings, the blame lies with them. Please, I beg you, spare me. Kill Shamura, but do not send me to my death. Do not send me to him!

Then finally, in post game, likely before seeing Kallamar again, when you have gathered enough sin the seller will ask you:

"I have dealt with Gods, and often pondered; does the Bearer wear the Crown, Or the Crown the Bearer?"

"Stay back! Stay away! Mercy, Red Crown, mercy..."

Of course once you have him as s follower and he realises you are not walking puppet for damnation personified he chills out.

According to the seller "Foolish though he may have seemed, he wielded the power of his Crown without discrimination." Meaning Kallamar might have the most experience with how screwy the crown may be on the minds of followers, and potentially gods if Chemach is anything to go by.

In this sense Kallamar might be the only one who believes Narinder to be innocent- in the sense that he was not in his right mind when he did whatever it was that made the bishops think he was trying to kill leshy- imagining him to be under some kind hypnosis, unable to tell friend from foe. So he always separates the two just in case. That being said, the need to imprison him for was probably encouraged by him.

Of course this all relies on the "he" mentioned being Narinder and not like Ratau or something. Kallamar does know him by name, weirdly enough. "Your friend Ratau was the last vessel sent against us," which begs the much funnier question that how does he know his name? Did they talk? Did Ratau just scream an introduction before every fight? Presumably that was decades ago Kallamar how do you even remember?

Not the worst ship I've seen.

All fun aside, some of Heket's lines can also be interpreted this way.

Heket: "So it is true. The Red Crown sits upon the brow of another."

"The Bishops… my family. Have they not suffered enough? Have I not suffered enough? We fought, pathetic vessel. We bled. We grieved. And yet the Red Crown wants more. No more."

"Pathetic, sniveling, vile puppet to the Red Crown. You have felled the youngest of us. We are the Bishops of the Old Faith. We protect against heresies such as yours. /....We will not tolerate such blasphemy. Your sins are many, and for that y... "

"You there, vessel of the Red Crown! Bow to me, or you will regret it!"

"It was not so long ago that we cast out the Red Crown. A mere thousand or so years. The heresy it preached could not be tolerated. Such noxious ideals... it could not be allowed. For this most damning of sins_"

The mention of sins and heresy is interesting because more less or we just got here. There's the idea that the crown itself is heretical, perhaps not just as a symbol. Since you know, it tells us to gather sin. But of course, in typical play you have murdered her followers in at least four crusades against Leshy then her so, plenty of heresy and sin there.

Theres no much we can gleam about Narinder's actions, but her dialogue suggests her battle with Narinder stemmed from what he wanted to accomplish/his vision for the future, rather than any attempts on Leshy's life- at least not directly- and considering Narinder says "Heket's words were more toxic and foul than the mushrooms that grew in her domain." I think they may have fought over policy and doctrine a lot. After all, nothing would be so wounding to Narinder than himself to be wrong and someone else to be right.

He calls her "arrogant" but Haro called her "temperamental". The two may not conflict, since haro also says she's "afeared by none" which is to say scared by nothing, not that in her rule nobody was scared of her. The seller calls her "vicious" and a "wicked beast", but also amusing in a way, which I'm more inclined to believe is him saying she was annoyingly persistent in trying to get past him into his portal thing than any form of true disdain. Then again she might have just eaten the god tears to see what they do instead of trading them. So many fun possibilities.

That being said, how do we reconcile Kallamar's belief that Narinder tried to kill Leshy with Heket's main complaint being his ideas?

Shamura.

Part 3: the tl;dr.

Shamura introduced Narinder to change, but according to Haro this should have been something he already knew from being around his siblings since their domains "transpose". Famine: feed. Plague: cure. War: peace. Chaos: order. So this has to be something different.

Shamura's domain used to be knowledge but now she is known for war. Her aspect changed, and it's likely this is what she means.

Narinder wanted to change Leshy's aspect. It would solve all his problems, allowing his other siblings to experiment instead of just stamping out anything new. Once he was set on his course Shamura couldn't stop him.

If leshy was already struggling and tried listening to Narinder and changing how everyone saw him, already having issues with cult management, this could have killed him. A god is nothing without followers. If Narinder started his plan without letting Leshy know, it definitely could have killed him.

The plan would require everyone's cooperation to work, rituals rewritten and spreading word of the change fast enough to keep it from being changed back. Shamura would have argued against it, noting issues that if brushed off by nari would set off Heket and they'd argue viciously, probably about Narinder's character and how callous ignoring the risks are. If Kallamar was put on the spot, already being a cowardly person he wouldn't be of any help. And the fight would continue.

It's possible leshy would have tried it just to stop his siblings, and done catastrophic damage to himself. After all, he's the only one who is said to eat the sacrifices directly. It's possible whatever happened forced him to need to eat food, something the gods usually don't bother with.

This would have cemented his belief in the rules as they are now, instead of however lax he may have been before. He may have liked the mushroomos or learning to make plant people before then and might have been the only one who was interested in what Narinder was doing and not trying to stop it.

You may think yourself righteous in your service to HIM. But you should not be so trusting of the Chained One.

He's the only one to comment on how your quest could be perceived as the right thing to do. He's been there himself and suffered for it.

Even so, Camellia still grows in the dark woods. They are the flowers that grow around any red crown rooms you may find, making them explicitly tied to Narinder.

And with Narinder's inability to celebrate his demise....

They couldn't quite bring themselves to hate the other.

#cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #cotl shamura #cotl leshy #cotl kallamar #cotl heket #cotl #cotl bishops #add it to the list #character analysis is pretty fun in this fandom. you get to hold up pieces and puzzle out how they fit. #cotl ratau #salty art

[wasteofart]

Ok but can you be ace/aro if you're yearing for things like romance and closeness and a relationship and all that? Serious question here.

I've been questioning myself for ages and while I never experienced any attraction to a real person I still long for what I see in movies or read in books to the point where I have a physical tightness in my chest.

Is my brain just not producing the right chemicals for me to fall in love? Is my trauma holding me back from forming any meaningful bond? Have my past experiences lead me to feel repulsed by the idea? Am I experiencing attraction but never realized it? Or am I simply ace/aro and my internalized gender/relationship thinking makes me want what is considered normal?

Please, if anyone has answers hit me up because I've been overthinking for years now

#Ace #Aro #asexual #aromantic #ace aro #Pride #Help #Advice #queer advice #Gay advice #Gay help #Queer help

[ladyloveandjustice]

Spring 2023 Anime Overview-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2

In my review for season one of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, I praised the show for being a compelling sci-fi full or intrigue, centering a well developed queer romance between the robot-piloting protagonist and all around precious girl, Suletta Mercury, and her fierce fiancé, Miorine Rembran.

But having been burned by anime before, I said I would hold off on recommending the entire show until it finished, and crossed my fingers tight that season 2 wouldn’t drop the ball.

The great news is that I can now wholeheartedly recommend the show. The final season did not drop the ball. It remained a great watch, the romance and relationship development continued to be worthwhile and excellent, and it was consistent with the strengths of the first season. It wasn’t perfect, which I’ll get into, but it was very good. Whether you’re here for girls in love, robots wrecking each other, tense battles between opposing political factions, or morally-horrifying moms on a revenge spree, you’re in for a treat.

The shocking last moments of the first season have some great relationship fallout, and the series delves into how Suletta was truly brainwashed by her mother. Miorine’s struggles to come to terms with the bloody legacy she’s inherited and her relationship with Suletta can withstand such a thing. Suletta grapples with her mother’s deception and her own individuality. Both are compelling arcs that built upon the groundwork the first season laid and lead to some nice relationship drama.

(Also, the credit sequence was awesome.)

The parallels between the two girls really pop this season as they both have to confront their mistakes, shoulder their sins, and see if they can move forward with the other. You really see how they mirror each other, and how they need each other. The romance ball isn’t dropped and becomes even more textually explicit, with Suletta explicitly stating she's into Miorine and no one else and eagerly anticipating the wedding, while Miorine also makes her intentions with Suletta very clear.

The second season is also a lot faster paced than the first, delivering tense and heartbreaking episodes one after another and leaving you on the edge of your seat. A lot of the conflicts that had been building from the first episode came to an explosive crescendo. Those bombs dropped and the carnage was wonderful. It was exciting, we saw more sides of the conflict, spent some time on earth, and got to see some unexpected depth in several characters. And yes, there were approximately a million more Utena references, some that made me laugh out loud.

However, this season wasn’t perfect. I was already having a little trouble following all the different factions and agendas in the first season, and this season exacerbated the problem. And while some characters got great roles, there were just so many. That meant a lot of them didn’t have any space to develop or even serve a clear purpose. There were a lot of characters I was excited to see do something, who the show built up as super ominous and meaningful and...then they did nothing. As funny as it is that several characters can be summed up as "s/he did fuck all the whole show and then bounced, king shit", it's also a letdown.

And this season really threw into focus how many of the more distinctive supporting characters were barely explored. Suletta’s bond with Earth House was a major plot point, but we barely know anything about most of them so it doesn't hit as hard as it should. Even Chuchu, who was one of the more developed ones, felt under-served as fan favorite. For instance, there were several bits where she entered the battle and it was treated like a big deal…and we didn’t even get to see her fight, presumably because the show didn’t have time. And it was worse for other characters- I couldn’t even tell you the names of most of the girl squad working with Shaddiq. They all had such potential as characters, I wish we'd gotten more of them. Things that should be impactful the narrative, like Miorine's dad and the consequences to his actions and what it means for their relationship, were barely explored (not that I'm all that interested in him, but it was weird after the emphasis the first season put on it).

No major balls were dropped in the conflict between the Spacians and Earthians, but it also felt like it got lost in the shuffle at times and I felt like the show could have had a clearer ideology. The “war is bad” and “exploitative corporations are bad” came through loud and clear, but it felt like some threads could have been followed up on more.

In hindsight, I was also disappointed how much of the season Suletta and Miorine spent separated- some of that was plot relevant, but some of it was just clearly so they could learn exposition separately, and considering how important the relationship was to the show, it felt like a waste.

A good chunk of screentime was also waited Guel’s brother, Lauda. While Guel’s arc was solid and he’s the character who changed the most throughout the show, his brother and his tendency to blame any woman Guel was standing near for all their problems was not compelling (Nanami did it better). So it felt like there was a conflict involving him just to give Guel something to do during the fighting and tie a bow on things. Even the characters involved admitted what happened was kind of dumb, and I would have liked to see one of the more interesting unexplored characters get development instead.

The finale was especially rushed, and while there were cool moments, I couldn’t really describe how the battle was fought, and even one of the characters in the show admits that certain plot developments don’t make sense. I also couldn’t tell you exactly how exactly the villain’s big plan worked, which is kind of important!

You just had to be like “oh okay, well, pretty lights, stuff happened, don’t know why that was a thing, that was the power of love I guess, I’ll just soak up the vibes.” Which isn’t the end of the world, a lot of anime does that, but it stuck out because all the battles before that had their fantastical mechanics (mostly) clearly explained, There were also several reconciliations I would have been more okay with if the show had spent more time on what the messy process of repairing that broken trust looked like, but because it didn’t, it felt unearned.

And finally, the show spent a lot of time talking about a huge romantic event and in the end we…didn’t see it. It’s made clear it happened off screen, but the fact we didn’t see the event the show itself made such a big deal about felt like a let-down and even a bit of a cop-out, if I’m being honest. I get that outside forces may have been responsible, but it doesn't change my disappointment.

Basically what most of the complaints amount to is that I really enjoy this show, but I feel it needed to be longer than it was. At the very least, the events of the final episode could have used two episodes to unfold, so everything could be fully developed, and we could fully see how the characters ended up where they were. But ideally…Gundam series are typically 50 episodes, and I feel like this show might have been better served as a show of that length (or even 37 episodes/3 seasons). This show had a huge cast, a huge world, and a lot going on. I think we needed to spend a lot more time with the characters to get to know their backstories, personalities and agendas. I would have loved some “filler” episodes focusing on a minor character, or Suletta and Miorine going on a disastrous date.

However, overall I was satisfied with the ending. I came out feeling like a winner. It was fun, a lot of the characters ended up where I wanted them to be, and I liked how things turned out. There was an acknowledgement that a corrupt system of war profiteering and exploitation could not be taken down in one stroke, but that our heroes were going to keep fighting. I dearly want a slice of life following all these people at the end of the day, and my investment in the characters is a sign of a job well done.

The show also continued to treat it’s array of fat characters with respect, and it had some good disability representation as well, highlighting some disabled people leading fulfilling and joyful lives.

I really wish G-Witch could have been the absolute best version of itself. But the version we got is still pretty great. I definitely had a fantastic time with the show, was often touched by it, and I’ll carry the excellent characters with me for a long while. The textual romance between two female leads in a mainstream franchise like Gundam is a monumental achievement, and the show handled the relationship well. I hope its success opens the door for more like it. We deserve more stories like this- stories of all genres where queer people are important and get to go on grand adventures, are protagonists, are a normal part of the setting, where we see the kind of people anime usually ignores (fat people, non-Japanese people of color, queer people and disabled people...) are treated with respect, where the story embraces all even as it explores injustice. G-witch is an important step, and I’m sure it will be remembered fondly for years to come. And I sure wouldn’t say no to an OVA to fill in some of the blanks.

#mobile suit gundam #gundam the witch from mercury #gundam suisei no majo #mobile suit gundam: the witch from mercury #gundam witch from mercury #suletta mercury #miorine rembran #my reviews #anime overview #spring 2023 anime