#those boys need better communication skills

[comradekatara]

I’m curious if you have any thoughts about Ty Lee and Mai re: their reasons for and willingness to follow Azula during the course of the show? Their introductions — with Ty Lee initially reluctant and joining out of fear, whereas Mai was all in the moment she showed up in Omashu — contrasted with their endings — Mai growing resentful and eventually betraying Azula, and Ty Lee staying close to her right up to the moment she spots an opening — are so fascinating and emblemic of their characters

yes, exactly. ty lee has to be coerced whereas mai doesn't need to be told twice. more specifically, ty lee had the initiative to run away at some point (it's also far easier to leave your home when you have six identical sisters) and has settled in an environment that she actually enjoys, whereas mai is trapped with her family and takes up azula's offer specifically as a means of escape. that doesn't mean she particularly enjoys the prospect of hunting down the boy she used to like, but she gets to see the world and use her knife skills and hang out with her besties. it's not perfect, but it's still a far better deal than being stuck under the thumb of her controlling mother and scheming father in a foreign city that is essentially a ghost town (now that its entire native population is literally living underground). mai doesn't like being bossed around by azula – or being bossed around by anyone, for that matter – but she knows better than to question the commands of her princess, so she sticks to side-eyeing her as she complies, and only ever denying her requests when azula is too far away to notice ("she can shoot all the lightning at me she wants, i am not going in that wall sludge juice." "just take the bear." etc etc).

ty lee, however, doesn't just comply with azula's commands, she comports herself into the very image of obedience, she forces herself to embody exactly what it is azula wants in a loyal servant, but also in a best friend, and in a beautiful girl. because, like, the thing about mai is that she is really very normal. she uses apathy and sarcasm to mask her true emotions, whether they be fear, rage, or a combination thereof, but she's also quite sincere and blunt and kind. mai adapts to her environment in the sense that she knows to comply with the demands of her family and azula, she knows how to play the part of fire nation noblewoman, but she's not closed off from her feelings, she just presents that way. ty lee, however, is a complete and utter chameleon, to the point that she's somehow the one who seems more sincere out of the pair, even though nary an honest word comes out of her mouth throughout the entire show.

mai expresses her disagreements with azula when she knows that the moment allows for it, and she expresses her irritation, her vulnerability (to an extent), and her emotions when she can. but even when ty lee could choose to be honest, it's like she doesn't actually know how. the most honest ty lee ever actually gets before her betrayal is when she insults mai's makeup, and she's still putting mai down in azula's presence as to establish a hierarchy of affection. even when she's lovingly teasing mai by demonstrating how their friendship is genuine enough that she can insult her instead of vapidly praising her like she does with all those shallow, stupid boys and a certain princess, she's still strategically positioning herself in azula's favor. she operates in a coded language, simultaneously communicating to mai the sincerity of her affection and communicating to azula that they are in fact a pair, teaming up to put down and bully mai as they have been doing since they were children. in the beautiful words of shiv roy, ty lee has never eaten a grapefruit without an agenda.

even though ty lee does seem more loyal to azula despite having to be coerced into joining her, whereas mai seemingly agrees immediately, ty lee is an acrobat and a circus performer; contorting herself to suit the needs of others and appear a certain way to certain people is literally her wheelhouse. whereas mai is a thoughtful yet impulsive, apathetic yet sincere teenage girl. and the cracks in mai's agreeability begin to show as early as in her introductory episode, when azula decides to sacrifice tom-tom to keep bumi, and mai has no choice but to comply with her princess despite obviously wanting to save her baby brother.

mai's loyalty was always on a razor's edge; it was never an ideal situation for her, she just never found a better option. mai lived her whole life in an extremely stifling gilded cage, and she craves enrichment in her enclosure. but then she sees potential beyond the bars, as demonstrated by zuko, and she takes a stand for something she believes in. ty lee doesn't do that, because ty lee does not truly have beliefs beyond her own immediate survival. you can say she values entertainment, laughter, violence that doesn't kill, but i think she'd become anything the world demanded of her without a moment's hesitation. and in this moment, the world demands that she choose. choose between the girl she loved to put down and ostracize within their little trio so as to better curry azula's favor, or the girl who threatened to burn her alive if she did not comply with her every demand. and it should be so obvious, shouldn't it? of course ty lee would choose mai over azula, it's so clear in hindsight. but it shocks azula, and it shocks mai, and it even sort of shocks ty lee herself. because she has done such a good job of hiding her personhood so far beneath her facade that even mai, the one person she cares about more than her own survival, doesn't actually know it.

"anything to get me out of this place," is mai's response to azula's offer. mai was always looking for a better situation, striving for the best possible scenario within a very limited array of options. but ty lee knows what she wants, and she knows she cannot have it, and so she denies herself. denies her own agency, her affections, her desires, her personality, her intelligence, her values. she would do anything to survive, even if it means killing every single true part of herself. mai's betrayal against azula is decidedly a declaration of love, not only for zuko, but also for herself. but ty lee's betrayal is the greatest declaration of love there is. her willingness to throw away her so deliberately, carefully cultivated, precarious security and safety for the sake of someone who doesn't even know that ty lee loves her is such a resounding confession that it actually shocks mai into perfect stillness. mai, who is always so quick to act and react, frozen to the floor by the cosmic weight of this revelation, this paradigm shift. mai had always assumed that she was the discarded, neglected, bullied friend of the trio, the one who would always be second best to azula (and keep in mind ty lee never actually says that azula had to coerce her into joining, she simply says "azula called a little louder," because she is always making mai read between the lines). but here, ty lee proves that there is one she values over her own life and everything she has done to keep it, and it is mai.

"why?" asks azula. "why would you do it? you knew the consequences." i think that mai would gladly throw her worthless life away if it meant dying for something real, something true within a world of masks and lies and manipulations. she knows the consequences, but they no longer matter, now that she has sight of something that she truly, actually cares about. but ty lee is different. ty lee excels in the world of masks, lies, and manipulations, thrives in it to the point that azula, so-called "people person," doesn't even realize that the girl she loves is nothing more than a carefully cultivated phantasm. ty lee truly cares, far more than mai, about the consequences. and yet, when it comes down to it, when she weighs all her options, she not only hurts azula to save mai, but she stays by mai's side through it all. the girl who could effortlessly subdue every guard holding her in place and jump up onto the gondola cord and run across its length to the other side of the volcano within minutes stays next to mai with no resistance, merely sheds her mask to finally glare at azula with her true face. so it is not entirely accurate to say that ty lee's values are conditional and fabricated. there is, in fact, one thing ty lee values above all else, but only when it is true.

#flashhwing #asks #mai #ty lee #maixtylee #azula #analysis #azula&tylee #azula&mai #ohhhh you got me talking abt the atla ship i have been obsessed with since i was a baby who simply liked their contrasting aesthetics #you got me RAMBLING ABOUT MAI AND TY LEE 😭😭 #i love them so much...... #mai my babygirl my everything. ty lee my insanegirl also my everything #ppl who dont like the boiling rock are so crazy. dyke drama truly does not get better than this!!!!!!!!

[rileyslibrary]

HELLO!!!! Soo i was wondering if you could do a very strictly platonic COD MW2 141 (or others, whatever u want!) x gn or fem (she/they pronouns or they/them pronouns, both are fine to me) reader 😸 it can be them interacting, or on a mission, or something along those lines!!! For aome specifications, i was thinking of the reader being the youngest in the 141, but still very skilled at what they do. Lots of love!!! ❤️❤️

Hmmm…I believe have just the thing for you, anon! *climbs up the rolling library ladder and comes down with a story*. I was saving this for another time but, here, you can have it.

(It doesn’t have everything you requested in it, and I added a few things here and there, but I think it works. Enjoy!)

———————————————————————

“Are they okay?”

“I don’t know, but I think they’re breathing.”

“You sure?”

Soap hikes up his pants and settles on a bench, a few meters away from where your body lies. He tilts his head and squints his eyes, searching for any signs of movement.

“Yes,” he finally says to Gaz, who sits beside him, legs stretched out and back resting against the concrete wall. “You’re right—they’re breathing.”

You all just returned to your temporary base from your latest mission, exhausted but unharmed. It has been a while since you managed to secure a win, and a much-needed one at that, after a string of defeats which began to take a toll on the team’s morale. Fights started to break out, filled with little jabs of what could have been done better, whose fault it was, and pointing fingers instead of acknowledging the team’s effort.

On the outside, you maintained a professional facade for the contractors and the world, but the strain was beginning to show behind closed doors. It was like a house with a pristine front porch, while the backyard concealed a chaotic mess, hidden from view.

But this time, you nailed it—all of you. Whether it was luck, improved communication, better strategy, or the alignment of stars, you managed to come through. And suddenly, the future seemed a little brighter, for now.

“I can hear you, you know.” You murmur, slowly pushing yourself up into a seated position.

“Didn’t mean to disturb you,” Soap says, “we were just making sure you were alright; you took quite the beating earlier.”

You give him a tired smile. “No worries,” you reply, stretching your arms and legs. “I was just doing some breathing exercises to relax.”

“You know,” he says to Gaz, “I read about these breathing exercises, and they’re supposed to—”

“You read?”

Your attention shifts to the corner nearby, where Ghost and Price stand, engaged in their conversation about the mission. Price smiles at Ghost’s comment, but Ghost’s tone suggests he isn’t joking. It’s hard to tell since his voice always sounds the same, whether telling jokes or giving orders.

“Yes,” Soap replies, “and they say it’s supposed to help calm certain edgy, skull-faced boys.”

“As a matter of fact, I think you would all benefit from this,” you state, spreading your arms wide, inviting them to join you. “Lie down.”

“Not my way of calming down, kid,” Ghost replies, “I’d much rather prefer a glass of bourbon.”

“Do you have a glass of bourbon right now, Lt?”

“No.”

“Then lie down.”

“Order me one more time, you little sh-”

Price claps his hands once and places his right hand on Ghost’s shoulder, giving him gentle pats.

“Come on, brother,” he says, “We have nothing else to do right now—our flight won’t be arriving anytime soon, and my back is killing me.”

You’ve often wondered what makes the Lieutenant so salty, and each time you resorted to blaming that mask of his. Having it on all the time must be uncomfortable, like a bra that you can’t wait to sling across the room at the end of a long day. But you never doubted what brings him back to his senses or at least makes him more accepting—it was Price himself.

Ghost sighs and removes the towel he had draped over his shoulder. He places it on the ground and lies down. Soap, Gaz, and Price follow his lead, with Price placing a towel while the others rest directly on the concrete. Ghost mutters something like “ya filthy mutts” under his breath, and you make soothing hushing noises to prevent any potential conflict from arising. The last thing you want right now is a simple breathing exercise to turn into a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session.

You wait for them to settle in a comfortable position, and with a gentle voice, you begin guiding them through.

“Let’s start by taking a deep breath through the nose,” you whisper. “Feel the air fill your lungs. Hold it in, then slowly exhale through your mouth.”

You continue the guidance, leading them through a series of deep breaths. You focus on the softness in your voice and pair it with the rhythm of your words to create a soothing cadence.

“As you inhale, imagine a wave washing over you,” you continue. “And as you exhale, imagine releasing any burden, letting it drift away with each breath.”

As you guide them through the breathing exercise, everything becomes so serene, even for you, who acts as their guide. There’s some heavy breathing and slight shifting here and there, but that’s much better than the usual arguments, yelling, and complaints. There are no more blame games or defeated postures. You have all worked so hard. Now you and the team can finally find some peace.

You twist your body to look at your teammates, and a smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you find them all asleep, like children at nap time.

Ghost has one hand behind his head, the other resting on his chest. He has finally let go of the tension that usually consumes him. So much for that glass of bourbon, Lieutenant, you think to yourself.

Soap is curled up to the side, with his knees drawn closer to his body. He has formed a pillow with his hands and placed them under his head.

Next to him, Gaz lies on his back, one leg straight and the other bent to the side, like a ballerina caught mid-spin.

Price placed his hat on his face, shielding his eyes from the light. His legs are crossed, and his fingers are interlocked on his stomach.

You continue speaking, but softer now, to avoid waking them. You rise up, careful not to disturb them, and move silently to the door, leaving it slightly open, to not startle them upon closing it.

You step out into the hallway and close your eyes, taking one deep breath of your own.

———————————————————————

#task force 141 x reader #141 x reader #john soap mctavish x reader #john soap mctavish x you #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick x reader #kyle gaz garrick x you #kyle gaz garrick #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley #captain john price x reader #captain john price x you #captain john price #task force 141 #call of duty #modern warfare 2 #cod mwii #cod fanfic #cod mw2 fanfic

[blue-and-grey-army]

- - C A R A M E L - - 3

3. Espresso

Genre: BTS, Idol AU, poly au, BTS x reader, OT7, OT7 x reader, Idol BTS, Dom BTS, sub reader, angst, fluff, eventual smut

Warnings: BTS x reader, very subby reader, innocent reader, power play, eventual smut, sexual and non sexual domination, a lot of skinship (but like lots) excessive pet names, sexism, anxiety, insecurities, possessive behavior, maybe BTS x BTS etc…

…

“I hope I got everything right…” you mumble to yourself as you walk through the halls of Hybe’s building.

That day, the boys noticed how hazy and soft you had gotten, so after gorging your hand all nicely patched up, decided to stop fuzzing over you…for now. So they started talking business. And you completely believed them when they told you they were in need of a new assistant. Of course they had Sejin and a handful of assistants, but they said they were in need of someone to take care of more personal requests. After meeting you in the café and seeing how well you worked, they thought you would be perfect for the job. They even told you how they had loved your coffee more than any of the other baristas from the little shop from the building!

Of course, you fell right through it.

You were a little skeptical at first, but as soon as they started praising your skills, you couldn’t stop yourself from blushing a little and accepting their deal with a soft smile. It was not your fault!! It was their voices…and the way they would give you camouflaged grounding words that just made your life easier and calmed your anxious brain. If they were so nice all the time, you thought, maybe this job wouldn’t be as bad as you imagined. And it seemed you weren’t getting fired anytime soon, or that’s what they told you when they heard a little of one of your nervous ramblings when they brought out a non-disclosure-agreement and the contract. When you saw the pay, you could only feel even surer about accepting the job.

And here you were. Your first official day.

First you had to go through the front desk to pick up the ID card and pass the boys had asked specially for you. You received a couple of weird looks from the woman on the reception, but you didn’t have time to think about it since your phone chimed on your pocket. They all had asked for your number, since it would be way easier and faster to communicate their requests. So now you had each of their contacts, as well as a couple group chats they had added you too and sent many funny memes and stickers that made you feel more at ease.

You too your phone out to see a message.

Hoseok-nim

Hey, pretty, would you be a peach and bring me an Espresso?

You typed a quick answer, starting to walk towards the small kitchen-type room only a few had access in Hybe. As their new personal assistant, of course you did.

You

Of course, Hoseok-nim. Where should I bring it to you?

Hoseok-nim

I’m in my studio! Hope world 🌞 on the seventeenth floor.

And don’t call me that, sweet thing!! You don’t have to be so formal with us!

Call me Hobi!

You wouldn’t want to be a bad girl and make your sunshine upset, would you, girlie? 🥺

You

Of course not, Hoseok-nim!!

No no! I’m sorry!

I mean, Hobi…

Please don’t get angry :(

Hoseok-nim

That’s much better, Y/nie

And please make one of those nasty drinks Yoongi hyung likes, he’s been on his studio since last night.

You

I’ll be there soon, sir!

I could get used to hearing her call me sir…but that thought stayed in Hoseok’s mind as he sighed.

You move swiftly, preparing the drinks you had been ordered, with a soft blush on your cheeks from Hoseok’s words. Calling him Hobi felt much better, and your absolutely loved it. Even though you weren’t sure if it was appropriate…he said it was alright, didn’t he? So there shouldn’t be a problem.

As soon as the drinks were ready, you put the lids on the plastic cups and started making your way towards the studio. You were still a bit nervous, not used to working with such important and handsome people. Not ever in a million years would you imagine yourself in such a position. The boys had made their biggest effort to make you feel comfortable, but you still needed a bit more time. You made it to the studio with a the vibrant letters “Hope World”

You used your free hand to knock on the door, and you felt a little stupid when you saw a doorbell in the panel for the password. With a sighed, you pressed the little button and the door flew open almost immediately, a smiling Hoseok welcoming you.

“Hello pretty girl, you are fast walker aren’t you?” you smiled shyly to the pet name, and you looked at him through your lashes.

“A bit…I-I've been told I walk quickly when I’m nervous” you admit rubbing your nape, making him coo.

“Aigoo, we can’t have that, can we? Come inside” you were about to protest, not wanting to interrupt his work, but he sent you such an intense look that made you shut your mouth and follow him inside the studio and watch as he sat on the desk to save a file he was working on. “I forgot to give you the password so you wouldn’t have to ring. Sorry about that.”

“No no! Don’t be sorry Hoseok-nim! I understand you wouldn’t want to give such an important information to just anyone! It’s already a lot for you let me come in here and…” You speak as you shake your free hand to articulate, starting another one of your nervous rambling but stopping abruptly.

Hoseok’s chair turned around slowly, very slowly. And he set his eyes on you.

You felt electricity go down your spine and something tighten inside your belly. He was looking at you with a stone gaze, the same one you had seen in a few dance practice videos were one of the meme bees made a mistake or he wasn’t happy with the choreography. One of his hands was holding tightly to the armrest of the chair, and the other was was splayed over his thigh. Dangerously close to his crotch. You removed your gaze immediately when you realized you were staring, but not fast enough for him not to notice. He smirked a bit, but his eyes didn’t soften, raising his chin before speaking.

“What did you just call me?” Your eyes widened as you realized your mistake, but he didn’t even let you even open your mouth before he clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Here I was, thinking you were a good girl, seems like I was mistaken, hmm?”

You start to panic, your breathing hitching a bit too often as you look at him with big puppy eyes. You don’t want him to think you are bad! You weren’t bad, you just had a little slip, but it was enough too had your lip trembling. You wanted to be good for him, and for the others. You felt just like the first day you met them in their office, filled with this weird sensation of wanting to do what they say, follow their orders and hear their praises afterwards.

And it was so weird! You barely new them! But somehow, you felt comfortable enough to allow yourself this feelings of wanting to please. To receive their orders.

To give control up.

“No no! S-sir…H-Hobi! H-Hobi!” you can’t help but stutter as your rub your feet together nervously, looking at him with sad regretful eyes “I’m sorry, I-I really sorry. I won’t do it again…I-I’ll listen! I can be good! I promise! I’m sorry” You look at him pitifully, with your lips tucked in a trembling pout.

And he uses most of his self control not to kiss that pretty little pout on your lips and make you repeat his name as sweetly as you had just done for him.

But he didn’t. He got up and walked close to you, fixing a strand of your hair behind your ear and cupping you jaw, tightening his grip a tiny bit when you tried to lower your gaze. His hand was warm, and his slender fingers felt good against your skin.

Your mouth fell a little open, and he took advantage of that and shook your face a little bit, helping to ground you again. Your tense body relaxes and your cheeks blush softly, a tiny happy smile appears on your face as you feel warm taking over your whole body, specially your lower belly, but your smile disappears when you shiver softly as soon as you feel his fingers graze your earlobe, and he can’t help but notice the way your bones vibrate, holding back a whimper.

Oh, now he wants to hear it.

He grazes your earlobe again, using his thumb and index finger to slightly pinch it as the rest of his fingers caress your neck. Goosebumps appear all over your skin and a whimper comes out of your lips, loud and clear. He wishes he had the microphones from the studio recording so he could capture such a sound, as it comes out of you again when he repeats the motion.

“Hmm, you are sensitive, aren’t you?” you can’t do much more than nod tiredly, cuddling a little bit against his grip that remains on your jaw. You were feeling tingly all over your body. “It’s alright, pretty girl. How could I not forgive you when you apologized so prettily? Such a good girl for me…”

You smile, openly cuddling against his hand as he caressed your neck one last time, before letting you. Not without making sure you came back to earth, even though way more calmed. He took his drink from the plastic holder you brought and put it back in your hand with Yoongi’s order.

“Even though I would love to have you here, I need to get back to work, and I’m sure hyung could use the distraction, so why don’t you act the treat and take this to him before the ice melts?” he smirked as you nodded obediently, a happy blush decorating your cheeks.

“Yes, Hobi” you flashed a smile at him as you waved softly, and he gave a small encouraging tap on your lower back (a tiny bit lower than he should have, but no one had to notice that)

“Oh, and the password from here is 940218, so come back whenever you want, peach. And don’t say again you are ‘just anyone’, because I assure you, you are not”

_________

Taglist

@thebisexualonesworld @openup-yourmind @jewishmommy @sld88 @djodjom1 @whipwhoops

If your username is in red it’s because I can’t tag you however much I try! I’m sorry! Try answering this post again and I will try again or do my best to solve it

#ot7 x you #bts soulmate #ot7 x reader #bts fanfic #bts #bts smut #bts au #bts au fanfic #bts idol au #bts poly x reader #bts poly fic #bts poly au #bts x reader #caramel #poly bts x reader #bts ot7 x reader #bts ot7 #bts fluff #bts army #bts x y/n #poly bts #bts fic #taehyung #hoseok #namjoon #yoongi #seokjin x reader #bts jimin #jungkook #bts yoongi

[fantastic-nonsense]

im soso curious, i need to know... why is tim a child of apollo? bless u for not going with fanon<3

[referencing how I decided who the Batfam's godly parents were in my PJO AU WIP]

People like to sort him into Athena because DC has spent the last few years emphasizing how smart he is and how he's better at the more “cerebral” and detective aspects of the job. But Tim’s most prominent pre-reboot traits are not actually his detective or tech skills: they’re his reckless, impulsive bravery, his ability to analyze and think very quickly on his feet in dangerous situations, and his "power of friendship" idealism.

He's a people person; it's one of his greatest strengths. Tim is like...physically incapable of going somewhere and not making at least one friend while he's there. Hell, when he ran off to travel the world on his "fuck you, I'll find Bruce on my own" trip he still managed to pick up his own little crew of assassin friends along the way. Making connections and talking to people and relying on others for help is how he successfully navigates being a hero, as he himself notes on multiple occasions:

"Did you think I was going to run all around the city, desperately trying to save everyone all by myself? I'm not Batman. I have friends." -Red Robin #12

Tim loves his family and friends, and losing so many people he's close to within such a small timespan sends him off the deep end in multiple ways (trying to clone Kon, fighting Dick to get the Lazarus water, isolating himself from everyone, fighting with Dick and running off to find proof that Bruce was alive on his own, etc).

At his core, Tim is an idealist who becomes a hero for no other reason than a) a broken man needs help and a broken family needs mending and b) if Dick won't go back to being Robin he might as well do it, because someone has to be Robin. He sees what will happen if Bruce stays on the path he's on and says "no. I'm not going to let that happen." He's a hero because someone has to help, and he's able and available to do so. He doesn't work on cold hard logic and facts. He works off of gut instinct and then uses his big brain to go find facts and logical conclusions that support those instincts.

Tim was never going to be an Athena child.

So I started thinking. At first, I wanted him to be a Hermes child; it seemed right to frame his parentage around being the child of the messenger of the gods given how he became Robin. But that's not really him, either. Apollo, within the scope of both classical mythology and the PJO-verse's depiction of him and his children, fits him better.

While modern culture tends to zero in a lot on Apollo's status as the god of music, poetry, and the arts (for good reason), Apollo in classical Greek mythology was first and foremost known as the god who (for lack of a better term) helps his people. He's the god of the sun, of light, of medicine and healing, of prophecy, of truth.

Tim comes into Bruce's life at a time when Bruce is at his absolute lowest point. Jason is dead. He's estranged from Dick. He's failing in his mission to save Gotham. He's highkey passively suicidal. And Tim takes it upon himself to fix that. And he does it by being a solid, bright, stable presence in Bruce's life and an extremely blunt, truthful messenger of the future he sees: Batman needs a Robin, and if Bruce doesn't have one he's going to die.

And I didn't abandon his intelligence in the calculations: Apollo is also the god of rational thinking, order, and knowledge, contrasting and working in harmony with Dionysus (the god of irrationality, chaos, and passion). He was also known to be the god whose job it was to interpret the will of Zeus to humankind, which I thought was appropriate for a boy who spends quite a lot of his time being the living communication translator between Bruce and everyone around him.

So. Apollo child.

............also I thought it was funny to make the god of youth the father of the boy DC refuses to allow to age.

#I also have a thread of connection running between Apollo being the god of plagues and Tim getting the Clench in Contagion #but that was kind of an aside to the whole thing #tim drake #tim drake meta #dc comics #bruce wayne #batman #my writing #batfam pjo au

[kiragecko]

This is a post about why I'm currently considering myself to be nonbinary, but it's not a post about gender.

-

It’s about 90% of the elementary school girls wanting to sit on the grass and talk about boys, and me still not understanding why even now, in my mid 30s.

It’s about ‘girls books’ that were all about friendship drama and worrying about menstruating, and how these were framed as universal concerns. My only friends were a pair of male cousins and we mostly cared about how our Lego ninjas’ castle infiltration was going. (The options were limited in my small library in the mid-90s.)

It’s about the ‘wild’, ‘disobedient’, and 'hyper' kids in the books I grew up with being so much better behaved than me, even on my best day, that I’d puzzle over it for weeks. Maybe if my parents were stricter I would be able to follow instructions easier? Maybe I was one of the mean kids in those books? Why was nobody in books like me?

It’s about the revulsion I feel when I think about ‘romantic’ gestures. Remembering my mom getting flowers from someone at church, and my aunt getting upset when I laughed about how she wouldn’t like them. MY MOM IS ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS, but a person who had nothing to do with the situation got offended that I didn’t consider them a thoughtful and nice gift. It makes me feel nauseous thinking about how I’m ‘supposed’ to think things that I don’t want and can’t use are loving gifts, just because society decided they were.

It's about people wanting me to already know their social conventions, and feeling like they are doing SO MUCH WORK when they make allowances for my mistakes, but thinking that learning anything about how I like to communicate is asking far too much of them.

It's about trying to make friends as a teen, and all the guys getting upset or weird when it became clear that wasn't code for dating.

It's about makeup giving me rashes, and my hair being done up giving me headaches.

It’s about women in lingerie in ads, and how I wore a headscarf for a year in reaction to how that made me feel.

It's about learning biblical gender roles, and getting really excited about the idea of protection and love in return for submission. And then finding out I like the BDSM understanding of protection and submission a lot more than I like the church's. That the person I love doesn't have the skill to protect me in ways that make submission safe.

It’s about having noise and light sensitivities, but being expected to enjoy crowded weddings.

It’s about people acting disgusted when I get too loud. Or excited. Or happy. Or interested.

It's about 'body language experts' that ""explain"" what various gestures mean, and it's about that month when my husband believed them and told me I was wrong about what I felt.

It's about definitions of 'womanhood' and 'humanity' that contain things that exclude me. And learning how to be okay with being the exception this time. And eventually getting so used to being the exception that I can no longer connect to the concept at all.

It's about only reading fantasy, now, because an elf's experience isn't supposed to be relatable.

It’s about learning that ‘I actually wanted’ things I didn’t want, and I was ‘unreasonable’ when I said no, and I was being ‘too sensitive’ when things physically or emotionally hurt.

It’s about being ADHD and aroace and weird in far too many ways; in a culture that seems to consider that to be willful rebellion and disrespect.

-

I don’t know how to be a woman. I don’t know how to feel good about being a woman. I don't feel I can fulfill the roles and dynamics associated with femininity. I can't present myself in the expected ways, and I don't really want to. In isolation, 'woman' feels like an accurate description. But than I think of OTHER people considering me a woman, and having the right to define what that means, and I just can't.

I need a break from considering myself female, so I can figure out how to do it in a way that doesn’t break me.

I want to learn how to interact with other people in a way that are less exhausting and painful. Engage on my own terms, and disengage if those terms aren’t fulfilled. Protect my own boundaries with strangers and acquaintances - people I don’t expect to make allowances for me. Not by demanding things of them, but by only offering myself on certain terms.

I don't want to ask anything about anyone else. I'm tired of it being about them. I want to ask things of myself. Ask for respect, and care. Figure out what that would actually look like. I want to process and let go of my self-hatred and feelings of being 'designed wrong'.

I've heard the terms 'acegender' and 'neurogender'. They don't excite me, but I recognize that's part of what's going on. Having ADHD gets in the way of performing womanhood to the point that it becomes hard to separate them. And some much of femaleness is defined in relation to being a part of a heterosexual romantic couple. I've got the man, but that hasn't helped me decode the mysteries of romantic and sexual attraction. The baffling concept of men having some sort of allure that women lack, of being a different category.

But, like my marriage isn't about my lack of attraction (it's about the choice I made to love him, and the decade plus of commitment we've had to each other), being nonbinary isn't about my lack of understanding of and ability to perform womanhood. It's about choosing to love myself, and recognizing that I've internalized enough harmful beliefs that I can't healthily identify as female right now.

It's not about gender.

#nonbinary #gender stuff #neurodivergence #asexuality #acegender #neurogender #when you spent years thinking your desire for they/them pronouns was about not being female #and it turns out it's actually about wanting to opt out of stereotypes that were destroying you

[high-achiever-dream]

some angst of breakup Headcanons with SWK, MK and Mayor from LMK? GN Reader btw. i just need some angst.

[Pain shall be fed into the beating heart] 💥

【If we ever broke up, I'd be sad. 💔】

{Sun Wukong, Mk, and Mayor breakup with GN! Reader}

➳ Lego Monkie kid (LMK) // Headcanons // Seperated // Angst! ✍🏻

──･ ｡ﾟ☆*. .* ☆ﾟ.──･☆ﾟ.──･｡ﾟ☆ *. .* ──

"You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them ... but still move on without them." - Mandy Hale.

Sun Wukong

The realization about a mortal human being and the immortal monkey king put into a loving relationship would not work.

Sun Wukong could give you his peaches of immortality to accompany him until the end of time. Except the horror that if you live forever, everyone and everything around you will move on. Somethings will die and forgotten without you. No peaches for you, hun.

Sun Wukong does not allowed to let anyone notice you as his lover, he just want to protect you from anyone that cause harm. Which makes you believe he is embarrassed to have you.

Sun Wukong is lacking the ability to explain of how he truly feeling towards you. From time to time again to have communication problems and abuse that cannot be solved.

In Sun Wukong's opinion, love is just another useless emotion to express that lead to heartbreak and disappointment. He is not ready to handle any of those qualities.

In conclusion, Sun Wukong is unexpectedly certain to break up with you, just to save you from himself. He is arrogant and a trickster is known to everyone who has heard of or had the chance to meet the legendary Monkey King.

"Eternal life can bring eternal suffering, I don't want you to feel the same way as me."

The fact that Sun Wukong has said his goodbyes to you and gone from your sight, the good thing is glad to know that you have great life and bright future ahead from destiny than his. The bad thing is, he will miss you deeply more than you ever know.

────･ ｡ﾟ☆*. .* ☆ﾟ.──･☆ﾟ.──･｡ﾟ☆ *. .* ──

"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe.

MK

At first, Mk does not understand why you would choose someone like him to be your boyfriend, and he felt that not asking about it was better. He always thinking that he does not deserve your love.

Mk ponders about you cherish them because they are a powerful hero, and everything else within them has no importance. That is why the noodle boy worried that one day they would accidentally use their unnatural monkey magic skills to hurting you, and afraid they might fail to save you from danger.

Mk is often excusing himself with his training, delivering noodles, saving the world/universe, and joining his friends to avoid you.

Mk repeatedly forgets the important events, such as your birthday, the dating anniversary day, the national holidays, and meeting with your friends or family. Heis busy to handle with the fate of being heroic rest on his shoulders, and gaining more trauma through the rest of his journey.

One time, Mk send one of their clone to accompany you in the entire day. Later, the copy of them bluntly told you that they (Original self) actually felt forced in love and does not feel the same way as you anymore.

You have grown tired of him and finally choose to breakup for the best, which Mk had expected and planned this all along.

"I'm very sorry! You deserve someone else better than me."

Though still feeling awkward, you and Mk agree to became friends once again. Furthermore, both of you always ignoring the questions of "That's your ex?"

──･ ｡ﾟ☆*. .* ☆ﾟ.──･☆ﾟ.──･｡ﾟ☆ *. .* ──

"Sometimes the only way to let go is to love someone enough to want the best for him or her, even if that means not being together." - Anonymous

The Mayor

After years of dating, there is nothing special happening between the two of you. No happiness and no pleasure, just empty.

Oh, how unfortunate you do not know so much about him, even his real name is remain unknown. The Mayor is most likely to kept horrifying secrets and plans to himself from you.

Sadly, whenever the Mayor is near you, he did not have a smile on his face. Only emotionless can be seen in your eyes. Revealing his true colors.

The Mayor would rather focus on granting his Lady's requests than to spend all of his time with you.

It is a ridiculous suspicion that the Mayor is cheating on you simply because he worships The Lady Bone Demon as his only goddess until the bitter end.

At long last, you decided to breakup with the cold-hearted and odd man, his response is none other than a giggle and does not mind.

"You see, dear?" Mayor spoke up as he turn around, "letting someone go is actually easier than we thought."

At that exact moment, the Mayor show his silly toothy smile to you for one last time before he disappeared. Leaving you heartbroken and wish him for the best to accomplish his duty.

──･ ｡ﾟ☆*. .* ☆ﾟ.──･☆ﾟ.──･｡ﾟ☆ *. .* ──

True Colors - SLAVES

"Wait, did you ever take a moment just to think

About anyone, anyone other than yourself?!

Give me back the love I wasted now

Cold, one day it's gonna hit you, you're alone

I won't be there, won't be there

It's cruel to turn around

Give me back the love I wasted now."

#lego monkie kid x reader #lego monkie kid #sun wukong x reader #swk x reader #lmk x reader #wukong lmk x reader #sun wukong lmk x reader #mk x reader #mayor x reader #mk lmk x reader #mayor lmk x reader #monkie king x reader #monkie kid x reader #lmk mayor x reader #lmk mk x reader

[lorata]

so the exam week is currently starting over here -advanced biology is the first one for me ;)- so to calm my nerves, could i learn about how your dear victors would cope if they had chosen an academic path?

i do not have the most academically minded bunch, to put it diplomatically, but here goes

answers under the cut for length

Ronan: business or law, probably, something douchey but everyone forgives him because he's just that charming. however he'd be a little bit adam parrish in that his entire backstory is a total fiction and nobody realizes none of them know who he really is

Adessa: biology, genetics, behavioural psychology, i don't even know, she'd want to do everything and probably does multiple degrees. she'd be an absolute terror and "um, actually" everyone so they'd hate her but they'd also fight to be in her highly coveted and exclusive study group sessions

Odin: he'd do very well, obviously, either something obnoxious like classics (affectionate) or coming out of left field with natural science. doesn't really need to study but takes meticulous and beautiful notes

Misha: she drops out of high school in every modern AU i've put her in, so this one is tough! i can only imagine her as a campus cryptid who sneaks into classes without actually enrolling because she's interested in the content and no one knows who she is but they're all afraid to ask. she doesn't do assignments because she's not a student but once in a while she'll turn in something startlingly sharp

Claudius: music, obviously, like if he had to. i think he'd be one of those people who had a rotten time in the early years but liked doing his degree once he got there. assuming he gets recognition & accommodation for the dyslexia i think he'd manage all right

Devon: i think he'd do a degree in social work and he'd be very good at the people aspect and the practicum and all that but the adhd used to have him staring into space and missing things in class as a bb so i think the actual sit-in-chair part of coursework is always his least favourite. the centre is, for better or worse, very active and hands-on; university, not so much. studying has him lying flat on his back with his book laid over his face groaning aloud into the air. he'd need to find a cute boy and play 'one kiss for every fact i remember'

Petra: legitimately I don't know WHAT she'd do for a degree but I know that studying does not come easy to her (undiagnosed learning disability) and she pushes herself to near exhaustion to get top of the class if there are stakes involved (e.g. a scholarship, or Selene). she studies with Dash and works herself to the brink but she does it! and then eventually someone notices and says hey maybe you should get tested, and she resists because what are you implying! but she does, and what do you mean it's not this hard for everyone, what do you mean it could be easier, and she has a full out crying fit right there in the office. and then she still has to work hard but it's not AS hard, you know what i mean?

Brutus: struggled with this one because again, blue collar boy, BUT i genuinely think he'd like sports medicine! he'd need glasses and a dyslexia diagnosis but he'd throw himself at studying the same as at a cliff wall: silently, with grim determination, one step at a time

Emory: another one who in modern AUs like ... runs a bakery giving skills training to at-risk kids and volunteers at the local community centre all with a high school diploma, so my brain squints trying to imagine her in academia. maybe child psychology for teen therapy/counselling? like the others she'd need help with the learning disability but she is very stubborn when she wants to do a thing. flashcards work very well for her bc she can activate memory

Alec: the kind of student who studies super hard and still comes second to the one who rocks up the day of the exam without studying at all, and he tries very hard not to be annoyed about it, but he is, and he knows it's a character flaw, but oh well. med school is hard but he loves every minute of it

Creed: doesn't actually know how to study. he just ... comes to class, understands the material and does well? is that bad? people always make studying sound super complicated, but oh well. 100% poli sci / communications major

Lyme: i can't decide if she'd be on the kinesiology / sports medicine side or over on the social work / child psychologist side (i've written AUs with her doing both), it really depends. either way she's pretty focused and doesn't socialize much until people from class drag her out because they're afraid her brain is going to explode

Enobaria: i'm imagining 5 hour energy + 4 loko + redbull study sessions that leave everyone amazed she's still alive and a little bit afraid, honestly, but she needs the buzz to get her through it because the content is fun but the actual studying is so boring. i think it would help her to record lectures and listen to them while running but it would take her a while to realize it because her whole childhood is people trying to get her to sit down and do her homework ~properly

Nero: definitely social work but with a minor in like ... philosophy? poetry? something like that anyway. i want to say he's pretty quiet in class but does very well on exams and it startles his classmates the first time, but the profs tell him he needs to participate in discussions if he wants a good grade and he's like ............. y tho, but he does after

not sure for my less-developed characters but hopefully this is fun!

#lorata answers #anonymous #we must be killers: tales from district 2

[p1nkshield]

Chapter 10

Hi! Its been a while! But I'm about to take a break from school so I'm finally allowed enough time for hobbies :) I hope you enjoy!

J'onn had not drawn from his experience as a school teacher in quite a while so when approaching this meeting he felt some semblance of reminiscence and slight rustiness.

"Have been informed that you are in need of guidance on your phasing abilities."

Jason looked at his old teacher pointedly.

"Yes, I don't do well with vague instructions."

"Hey!"

Danny was far too engrossed in tinkering with whatever gadgets he had found around the bat cave to really be insulted.

"Its not my fault you don't understand my weathered, ancient advice."

"'Try not to fall' is not good advice man!"

"Not if you're a genius like me!"

"You still haven't caught on that Alfred leaves old tech around the cave for you to find!"

"I-"

"..."

"..."

J'onn's face remained neutral as they bickered but those who truly knew him would be able to catch the slight tinge of amusement in his voice.

"May I resume?"

Jason straightened his posture at the question and turned his attention to Martian Manhunter.

"From what I have been able to observe your intangibility occurs involuntarily at random intervals throughout the day." J'onn began.

Jason cringed at the apt description before catching himself as he nearly phased through his seat.

"My intangibility differs because it is a voluntary process. My practice was initiation of the ability and subsequent control. Yours will be on cessation and then control."

Jason nodded along with this lesson.

"Sometimes involuntary use of powers has a subconscious aspect to them. If one truly believes in their own abilities it can become second nature to use them."

Jason's receptiveness receded a bit. Subconscious aspects?

"I know that there is a certain discomfort surrounding allowing another to peer into your mind in earthen cultures but it may be helpful to be able find the reason why you are struggling with control over your intangibility."

Jason did not like this idea. Introspection is already uncomfortable enough he did not want someone else to witness it. Jason was at his wits end though, and he couldn't stand this lack of control much longer. He was tired.

"Okay."

"Thank you for trusting me. I will try to remain as close to your surface thoughts as possible."

J'onn began to approach.

"Wait."

Jason looked into the eyes of the hero.

"Please don't tell anyone what you find."

J'onn nodded.

Jason gripped J'onn's wrist hard enough that his fingertips left pastel green imprints in his skin.

"Please don't tell Batman what you find."

J'onn paused and then assured him.

"Your thoughts will remain confidential I promise."

Jason truly did not like vulnerability. It very rarely ended well for him. But his life has changed so much in the past few weeks that maybe that streak of luck might have changed too? Maybe.

Jason let go.

So perhaps Dick had inherited some of his adoptive father's intense vigilance. Was there really a problem with that? He was better than his father. He communicated with others and allowed his teammates to participate in planning. He clued people in. His contingency plans were known of by his teammates so there was no drama, no betrayal. He learned from Bruce's mistakes. So when he saw a considerable increase in temperature in the cave he did so not because he was secretly monitoring the lesson out of worry but out of routine. He sprinted, very calmly mind you, to the nearest cave entrance. What he found was outside his expectations and expertise.

A Martian writhing on the floor in immense pain.

A Ghost boy looking rather sallow as he attempted to keep the room cool with his ice powers.

And his brother lying on one of the examination tables whilst ON FIRE!

FIRE?

FIRE!

At some point Dick heard a plea for help from the only conscious person in the room.

"I can't keep this up for much longer! I also can't wake up Mr. J'onzz!"

Dick's communications skills may have taken a significant blow but he was able to communicate everything that came to mind.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

@boo-ghosties @skulld3mort-1fan @addie-lover-of-stories @isaactheautobot @krzys2000 @ectoradiation @worthlesswall @mewzaque @mnemovoid @phantom-dc @justwannabecat @kitty-page @cutelittlebeanie @meira-3919 @amyheart19 @scarlette-foxx @thegatorsgoose @farmercale

#dc x dp #At the Core Fic #Jason can't catch a break Todd #Richard has no idea what to do with this situation #Dick: I leave for all of TWO MINUTES! AND EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE. #I know j’onn probably doesn’t normally do the thing where pressing his skin makes it go pale #but I like to think that he does earthly stuff like that to make distressed earthlings more comfortable

[teenandbeyond]

Hey girl!!! I loved the Bayverse one!!! It was so accurate on how I have seizures!!! I loved it!!! I was thinking maybe that again but maybe the mha boys. I was thinking Shinsou, Bakugou, Deku, and Tokoyami. If that’s to much then I’m sorry!!!! I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable!!!

Bnha Boys x Chubby. Autistic Reader

Want more, get addicted HERE.

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

Let's Learn Each Other (BNHA or Boku no Hero Academia)

Warning(s): Seizures (and again, it's in the ask, so...)

You worry you may be too much for your boy, but he's happy to assure you, you're worth it...

✨✨✨✨✨✨

Shinsou

Shinsou was so chill about everything, you felt comfortable enough to not mask your behaviors.

And he didn’t pay them any mind until someone else pointed out that they weren’t typical.

Which he didn’t take very kindly.

They were offered a glare, “Are you saying [Name] has a problem?”

You had to hold back the laugh that wanted to escape from his protectiveness, “Well, it’s not a problem as much as a–um–condition.”

“Huh?”

“They’re right, I don’t—I don’t have normal behaviors, since I’m autistic,” you explained.

“Oh, I know you are,” he shrugged, “I just don’t find any issue with it. It’s a part of you and I like you, so it didn’t make sense to make a big deal of it like it’s bad or something.”

He admitted that he noticed your tics and traits but quickly grew used to them and continued as normal.

He thought you were perfect for him, you were sensitive to touch, and he wasn’t a touchy guy.

In the past, you would feel bad that you couldn’t touch him like most couples did. You’d force yourself to hold his hand despite the anxiety. Until he told you he wasn’t a big fan, either.

You were direct, which was a trait he respected and valued.

And he honestly wasn’t much of a conversationalist himself, so he didn’t mind the communication issues you had.

And despite you not understanding many emotions, you easily flustered him.

“Shinsou, your Quirk is so cool, you know that?”

“You did a good job. I’m proud of you.”

Cue a Shinsou with a flushed face avoiding eye contact.

Sometimes you’d think you’d embarrassed him until he tells you.

“No, I just…stuff like that makes me a little shy sometimes, that’s it.”

“You don’t like it?”

He shook his head, which he realized was probably confusing, “I don’t mind when you do it.”

Since he was pretty aware of Autism before he met you, he could guess when you had a seizure for the first time on the couch...

Which was repetitive swallowing.

A focal seizure. It wasn’t long, and it was subtle.

But he carefully watched you until it passed, “You okay?”

You waited for a moment before you nodded.

“I’m okay now.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it.”

“People usually think of seizures as only being dramatic, obvious, and intense…but it isn’t always that way. There just has to be more people out there to teach them.”

“Yeah. Another thing this society has to change,” he picked up the remote to change the show.

“Shinsou?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

Midoriya (Deku)

“Autism?... I think I heard of it.”

A few minutes later Midoriya will have a clear notebook from who knows where, writing things down like a madman.

“Oh! That explains why you do that head tilt thing a lot.”

In between the internet, he will ask you questions that are specific to you, outside of the general stuff.

He tries to ask questions sparingly so it doesn’t get overwhelming.

“They also mentioned seizures. Do you have those?”

“Yes. Sometimes.”

Even though he now understands your behavior better, he will still misunderstand you for a few moments until he remembers.

Like when your bluntness can be offensive without intending to. But trust Midoriya won’t burst into tears, he’s had much worse things said to him.

Sometimes you will misread the mood, but he’ll explain it to you.

You attempt to practice better communication skills, but he’ll assure you.

“Don’t practice too hard, [Name], you don’t need to be perfect at it. Besides, I…don’t have the best communications skills, either.”

And sometimes, Midoriya’s back and forth consistency throws you off.

But you both work to make the relationship good for the both of you.

And then he experiences a seizure experience with you for the first time.

You’re in his room at home when your muscles suddenly go rigid.

Of course, you’re used to this happening, but you can’t help the slight panic of sudden loss of control.

His first instinct is to panic, but he fights against it because he realizes you already are. He doesn't want to make it worse.

He quickly works on timing it while making sure to make you’re comfortable. He softly starts to tell you a story, his voice is calming and you start to freak out a little less.

Then, it’s finally over.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better…a little sore. But better.”

His brows furrowed as he thought, “That was a…tonic seizure?”

“Yes.”

“Before I met you, I didn’t realize there were so many different types–Hm, can I ask a few questions? So I can be better prepared, next time?” he quickly parted from you to find his spare [Name] notebook.

“You didn’t do too bad this time. But okay, go ahead.”

Bakugo

You would mask your behaviors around people. You were a hero in training, you didn’t want anyone questioning your capabilities for something you couldn’t change.

But Bakugo’s incredibly observant and picked up on a few things you let slip without realizing.

Once he’d watched you for a while, he approached you and got straight to the point. He wasn't one to beat around the bush.

“Oi. Are you Autistic?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“Thought so.”

You were surprised Bakugo had approached you considering you actively avoided him.

You were sensitive to loud noises. You’d learned to adjust to some sounds that couldn’t be avoided as a hero, but his yelling still made you anxious as hell.

But right now, he was quiet. No yelling.

You thought that was the end of it, that he was just curious about your possible Autism…but no, he kept talking to you. He kept asking you questions.

And you didn’t mind answering them.

And along the way, you found yourselves in a relationship.

The class was wondering how in the world you tamed Bakugo, he wasn’t yelling nearly as much…when you were around, anyway.

But you didn’t do anything. Behind closed doors, he was always relaxed, his speaking tone was even, and he was gentle.

You had to learn how to understand each other.

Bakugo was emotional and buried what he felt. He would keep to himself how he was feeling. And you weren’t able to read his emotions sometimes.

So you learned to ask him.

“Hey, Bakugo.”

“Yeah?”

“How are you…feeling? You look tired, but you sound upset?”

And he learned to be more direct with his feelings, which helped you understand him better.

And sometimes, on accident, he would get a little loud, so you would ask for breaks, which he would give you.

Although Bakugo could be spontaneous, he was consistent with the things that mattered, so it made it a little easier for you to learn him.

Bakugo treated you like any other person, he didn’t treat you like Autism was something strange or bad. He was protective of you, so if anyone talked about your behaviors or appearance, he would pull them aside to go off on them.

He showed interest in your interest. He loved when you would ramble about it and he would always remember what you’d say.

He had to compromise touch, since you craved it. He was surprised, but all you said was,

“It’s actually a myth that all people on the autistic spectrum are averse to touch. Some of us like it, depends on the person.”

But he found he liked it when you cuddled with him, so he didn’t mind. It wasn’t a bad compromise.

Bakugo likes knowing things, so he’ll look stuff up and ask questions until he has a wide knowledge of Autism, your specific type, and everything about it. He learned about you outside of your Autism, your favorite foods, favorite color, any information he could get his hands on.

He paid special attention to information on your seizures.

Talked to you about them, watched videos, read books.

So when he witnessed it the first time, he was prepared.

You weren’t, since it was in the common room and most of your class was there.

Everyone was panicking, this hadn’t happened to you with them around before.

Kirishima rushed to get Bakugo from his room, let him know what’s going on.

“Shit. Is everyone panicking?” he rushed past his redheaded friend.

“I–Who wouldn’t? It was just so sudden!”

Once he made it into the room, everyone was crowded around you.

And someone looked as if they were about to try and hold you down.

“Back up! All of you!” he barked out.

“But Bakugo—”

“Stop standing there like idiots and move!” he growled, pushing past them.

He started moving things away from you and carefully checked your breathing.

“How long has it been like this?”

“N-Not long–Half a minute, maybe?”

“Okay.”

He spoke quietly to you, apologizing that he wasn’t there with you when it started, apologizing for the idiots making things worse.

“Maybe [Name] needs some water—”

He turned to Kaminari, about ready to strangle him for the suggestion, “Does it look like they can drink water right now? Does that make any sense to you?”

“Right–Right, sorry.”

“And all of you, back up some more or leave. I feel like you’re breathing down our necks,” he scoffed.

So they did, now it was just the two of you. Then you settled.

He waited for a minute, softly petting at your head until you could speak again.

“Thank you, Bakugo.”

“Huh? For what?”

“Helping. They weren’t being very helpful.”

“They’re the ‘panic first, get into action later’ types.”

“I noticed.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I need water, I think. And cuddles, too. If you’re up for it.”

Tokoyami

He honestly hadn’t noticed anything was unique about you until you told him you had Autism.

“Oh? I hadn’t noticed.”

He does ask you plenty of questions over the next few weeks whenever one comes to mind.

You find yourself fascinated by Dark Shadow, though you misunderstand some things he says to Tokoyami that make him flustered. It was always something about you.

You were also sensitive to bright lights, which made you perfect for Tokoyami. He wasn’t a fan himself.

He showed devotion to listening to you about your interest, never seeming annoyed about the same thing.

He was very uncomplicated to you.

He spoke his mind, he was to the point. If he didn’t tell you his emotions at first, he will tell you eventually.

Behind closed doors, he lets you gently pet his feathers–although they are sensitive, it relaxes you, so it’s the least he can do.

He also helps you find relaxation training, which you appreciate.

And one day, he experiences your seizure with you. He almost missed that’s what it was, since you would stare off and get confused suddenly.

He kept the environment relaxed until the moment passed.

Which you were grateful for, but then…

“Tokoyami. Let’s–Let’s take a nap.”

“That’s a good idea, [Name].”

And a nap you took.

#bnha x reader #bnha #mha fluff #mha #mha x reader #anime #fluff #bnha shinsou #bnha bakugo #bnha deku #bnha tokoyami #tokoyami #bakugo #deku #shinsou #autistic reader #autistic reader req #bnha x autistic reader #mha deku #mha bakugo #mha shinsou #mha tokoyami

[ribbononline]

Alright Im almost never finishing the proper refs for this so just have an assortment of Doodles I've done over time as an excuse to info dump :'D beauty and the beast au made w my boyfriend lets go!

Tale of a beast

Once upon a time, there was a boy born in a city. Unlike those who lived in the heart of it, the boy lived in the outskirts. The people in his neighbourhood had no money and no comfort. While the upperclass and noblemen feasted and partied inside their mansions, the poor commoners had to work long days only to pay for their meals, while always still being hungry at the end of it. The boy dreamed of being able to raise those around him up and allow them the same safety and comfort as those who walked past them without ever sparing a glance in the streets. He started trying to teach himself how to read, in the hopes of one day being able to join the city council and vouch for those in need. Those around him noticed his efforts, and gathering all the resources they had, managed to get him the money for school and further education. There, the boy flourished into a young man, smart and resourceful. Clawing his way into the upper ranks, his knowledge and skills forced them to acknowledge him, and so the man came to fulfil the goal he’d set for himself in childhood: become a part of the city council.

The poor commoners who had once raised him were overjoyed, the whole community filled with pride. Finally, they all had hopes for a better life. But good things do not last forever, and their joy would quickly end. For all the noble intentions the man had once had, now surrounded by those of the upperclass, the need to prove himself worthy got more and more intense. If the nobles did not like him, he surely would lose all that he’d gained, he reasoned, and impressing them now came before all else. As those thoughts clouded his mind, the old community who’d meant so much to him was forgotten more and more, decisions no longer being made to help improve life for them, but rather to improve and secure his own status. Just like that, the child who’d dreamed of changing the system, was now one of the men responsible for upholding it.

Those who once knew him mourned, grew bitter, and finally cursed his name and eventually, their call was answered. A witch came to town and promised to give the man one final test to see where his loyalties laid. It was so that it came to the day that the witch and an old woman who had known the man as a child went to his house in the heart of the city. They entered in the middle of a meeting with his new ‚friends‘ and the old woman begged for help. Their community was starving out in the cold and he simply had to vouch for them to get better wages and working conditions. As the other upperclassmen around him started whispering and laughing, the man felt embarrassment rise upon him as the woman continued. Finally, unable to take it any longer, he yelled at her- she was simply old and mad. He did not know her, and she had to leave his house. It was with that his fate was sealed. The witch stepped forward and spoke. The man had forgotten what empathy meant- capable of nothing but worsening the situation of those he was meant to protect. Cursed was his name, and with those words, the man was changed forever. Feet turned into hooves, nose into a snout and with a pair of horns worthy of the devil upon his head, everyone who laid eyes upon him would see him as he truly was now: a beast. The only shimmer of hope left being a single rose given to him: if someone could love him before the last petal fell, perhaps that meant he’d finally be worthy of being human again.

Laughed out of the room by the nobles he’d surrounded himself with, and no longer gaining any sympathy from his old community he’d burned every single bridge with, the beast fled into the night clutching the rose to his chest. No one there would ever see him again, and no one there would miss him.

~~~

Archie is a mercenary, traveling from village to village to take up whatever jobs he can get. Somewhat aimless in life, he only truly lives for the time on the road, living between nature. Shelly, an old friend, is one of the few humans alive he can say he truly cares for, helped inform him on potential jobs more often. So too did she come to him with the tip that deep in the woods to the west was a small villaged, plagued by a monstrous beast that needed to be slain- the man asking willing to pay a large sum of money towards anyone capable of the task. So, with no other jobs lined up and more then able to use the money, off he goes into the woods.

Making it to the village he realises most people there really do not appear to be freightened of the so called beast- in fact, most seem to see it as a protector of the forest. Living in old castle ruins, it protects a great treasure, so they say. As Archie meets with the man who hired his services, he realises the man must be after the treasure. Taking payment in advance to cover supplies, Archie heads out into the woods to search for the ruins. If the man is willing to pay that much, the treasure must be worth much more- the man simply banking on Archie doing the hard work so the man can reap the spoils. No, Archie simply plans on taking the beast out, taking whatever treasure he'd be able to find in the castle and stashing it away somewhere- before returning to the man with the horns of the beast to get his reward money and leaving before the man could ever figure out there was no longer any treasure left in the ruins.

Making it to the ruins and hyping himself up for the fight of his life, Archie does find the beast he looked for- comically small, shaking hard from the crossbow pointed at him and seemingly with no defense other then chucking pebbles at him.

Shocked to find the beast intelligent and humanoid, Archie abandons his plans of killing him rather quickly. 'Maximillian', the beast calls itself- 'Maxie', Archie nicknames him immediately.

The beast explains his curse- explains that he is indeed protecting a room in the castle containing a treasure, but that it's nothing worth gold. Instead it's a magic rose, and it holds the key to turning him human once more. He has to be close now to managing it, he swears, and Archie has no reason to doubt it. Despite the beast making multiple attemps to shoo Archie off- 'There's nothing for you here, leave', he has very little success. For the first time in a long time Archie feels invested in something again- even if it's as petty as watching the funny goat man stumble about castle ruins.

Only when night falls does Archie leave towards the village again- only to show up once more the next day. So the days continue on. Archie ends up getting a job and housing at a local tailor, the seamstress odd and silent but a house is a house, and Archie sure isn't complaining. Befriending a big burly fisherman who usually spends his days in the woods fishing in the river, Archie's off days are spend either fishing, with Maxie, or bringing fish to Maxie to feed him something other then the grass he normally eats.

Maxie never leaves his ruins- furnished with old discarded furniture gotten from the village, nor does he ever let Archie see his rose- 'You'll somehow manage to destroy it, stay away'- but the cold and angry demeanor the beast put up initially melts away and they manage a pretty good friendship only getting closer as time passes. Archie helps Maxie get all the matting out of his fur and helps trim his hooves, Maxie working hard to find little things he can do in return- proudly presenting Archie a new fishing hook he found scavenging, trying his best to make nice meals out of the berries in the forest and even managing to find some old relics actually worth money in the castle to give him.

As the days continue on, Archie starts realising Maxie is honestly just really lonely in his ruins, and starts making an attempt to pull him out. 'The villagers aren't even that scared of ya, Max! It'll be fine if we just tell them-' 'They send you here to kill me!' 'Alright, well, okay, so maybe one guy--' 'I'm not going anywhere until I'm human again.'

And with that hard rule set, Archie decides it's time to finally investigate that dang rose himself. Despite Maxie's grandiose claims of having some magic way to get it to turn him back that'll surely work any day now, he desperately avoids talking about it further. Perhaps something is preventing him from getting it to work- the man is pretty stubborn, so maybe he just doesn't want to ask for help?

With that in his mind, Archie sneaks into the rose room at night. Sure enough, in the middle of the room he finds a glass casing, the moonlight shining beautifully upon it. Carefully tilting it up, he looks at the rose inside, and--

finds it long withered, no more then a dry brown stalk left. Staring dumbfounded at it, Maxie bursts into the room behind him in full hysterics, yelling (is he crying?) at him to get out, get out now, and never to return. So he stumbles off again- to process the information he just learned.

Archie realises the rose must have been dead from the start- perhaps for a long time at that point already. That was why Maxie wouldn't allow him near it, nor ever wanted to talk about it. Max... wasn't returning to normal, ever again, and obviously that scared him.

Giving the man a day to cool off, he makes his way back to the castle. He's seen Maxie moody before- usually always hiding behind anger. Now, there's none of it. The man looks almost defeated, sitting curled up on himself in the corner. No further fight in him, the man finally talked to explain everything. There's no hope left for him, he explains- he won't ever get to be human again. He won't ever get to love again- and he won't ever get to be loved again. He missed the chance he had- never even got to attempt it.

After fleeing into the forest after he was cursed, on stumbling new legs he wasn't used to, he ran around aimlessly for ages. With the wild hair, large horns and the hunched position due to not being able to keep himself upright, people from afar mistook him for a monster- and as such, kept their distance. Ashamed and afraid, he hid himself away in old ruins he'd found in the forest, using his new ability to howl to scare off anyone who got to close. So the rumor of the beast in the castle was created, and with it, an excuse to stay far away from society- never having to face his own actions, nor the reactions of others. Days went by, and he wished to believe the witch had simply lied- surely, he could break the spell on his own. No one would have to see him in this state, and he'd be able to return to the life he'd once had. So the time flew by, and the petals fell, one by one. Each one making his dread worse- each one making him more scared to reach out again.

And now, here he was. His pride had gotten him here, and as punishment, he'd die alone.

Finally with that, Archie interrupted him. Perhaps his actions had let him here- but they'd also let him here. Sitting together with Archie, having fish together and hanging out. He had not been alone in a long time now- and Archie truthfully had no intentions of leaving. He loved the forest and the river, and finally had found a reason to stay in one village rather then continue onwards in the community around him and Maxie himself.

And if Maxie could find the courage to face what he'd so long put off, put himself under eyes of others again, worked to make new relationships where old ones had once broken off, he too could live amongst people once more and build up the life he'd once long lost.

With a flicker of hope the beast had long forgotten he had in him, he swallowed his pride and agreed to follow the ex-mercenary back into town. His reputation would never be the same- but if he never put in the effort to be liked again, he'd only succeed in writing a self fulfilling prophecy. Archie had not minded the horns upon his head, and perhaps, if he could show the humanity inside him once more to the world, the others would not either.

So they went on, hand in hand. As they arrived to the village, people stared in a shocked silence. The beast of the forest was here- walking, talking, and nervous. For a long while, no one said a word- until finally, Archie's boss- the odd seamstress spoke, pointing at the old robes Maxie wore- the only thing he'd been able to fit onto his new body comfortably.

"Your clothes... are ugly."

With that, tensions dissepated. People got closer in curiosity to the sputtering beast-man, asking him many questions with no malice in their hearts. The man who had once originally hired Archie to get rid of the beast stood off to the side- and realising there was no treaure to gain anymore, even he could do no further harm then grumble to himself before going back to his shop.

The seamstress helped make fitting clothes again, the fisherman Archie had gotten close to laughed with the knowledge what Archie always had all those extra fish for now- and someone from the village (who Archie had sworn was the leader, but according to the man himself was apparently just an advisor) while sighing about the paperwork this would take, promised to help Archie and Maxie find their own proper house in the village.

Just like that, a new start had been handed to them, the old ruins deep in the forest long forgotten. Days passed by, and their marriage was celebrated throughout the whole town- even Shelly finally visited to Archie's delight, although he had a lot to explain to her.

Finally, on a walk together through the forest, gather berries and flowers for nothing but fun, the stumbled upon the old castle Maxie had once hid himself in once more. And while the singular red rose laid unchanged and withered deep within, the outsides were now covered in hundreds of blue and red roses, growing beautiful and vibrant over the walls.

The clock could not be turned back, and neither past actions nor curses could ever be undone- but new life bloomed in it's place, and that was the happiest ending anyone could have asked for.

Alright! quick explanation of extra stuff (mostly the images) uhh. First image is just Max progression wwww. In the first (the prologue human version) hes about early to mid twenties, in the last (in the epilogue blue rose outfit) hes in his thirties. He's a bit smaller as a goat then he ever was as a human. The second version of the first image / the second image are his form back when he just got cursed and was essentially just kind of roaming the woods. Second image mostly included to show off what people wouldve seen in the distance in the woods in an attempt to show off why most ppl initially assumed he was like. a large monster boar or something jkdhfsdj

Third version of the first image in his dumb wizard robes is his hiding in the ruins phase. Man who could not find nor had the skills ot make clothes that fit his stupid legs n just made do with some curtains he fashioned into something.

Fifth image is the other pure reference image there to show off the patterning he has on his fur.

Fourth image is meant to be Archie helping cut said fur </3 the getting out the matting part. Max took care of the area around his face once he made the ruins his home but besides that just kind of. gave up on the rest. so poor Archie spend a lot of time with an unwilling Max fixing his shit.

Sixth and seventh image are direct follow ups on eachotehr wwww.

Max is mostly based upon a goat but he has some traits of other animals mixed in, mostly behavior wise. Like he has a loud howl, is capable of purring etc

It didnt really fit the summary here to go into them more but the seamstress is meant to be courtney, village not-leader-but-everyone-respects-n-treats-him-as-such is tabi, n the fisherman matt! Shelly is obviously. Shelly.

Archie actually builds up a lot of relationships in town during the period he's still visiting Max in the ruins- Max may be having his arc in the foreground but Archie is having his in the bg too. Finally being comfortable somewhere and being able to build himself a home. This writeup just already got way too long so I just ended up focusing on the core beauty and the beast part ;; Sorry Archie hon.

What happened to Max' old town? who knows. imagine the witch appointed herself mayor and is fixing shit over there or something.

and thats it! If you read this far. uhm. Thank you! I very much appreciate people reading my silly little thoughts. Shoutout once more to my beloved boyfriend for coming up w the concept for this. Without them many of my aus would not exist in general smek smek to him etc

#hardenshipping #THATS ALL IM TAGGING THIS AS I DONT WANT THIS IN THEIR MAIN CHARACTER TAGS WGGGG #overgrown rose au #thats been our internal name for it so thats what its gettin tagged as #anyways furry max is a lot of fun to draw actually. i do enjoy his shitty wizard robes also i enjoy making him a cone #also he does NOT get to turn back . unlike disney i am simply not a coward !

[katiifaetarot]

Before we start:

Thank you to that anonymous person/message i recieved last night regarding my previous tarot reading blog post, I only recieved one, but boy did it make me feel better about my current path and where i am headed! Thank you for taking the time to send that message, i greatly FKN appreciate it and it gave me confidence and drive to keep going today!! ♡♡

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Hello friends, beings, and starlights! This is my third tarot reading on here and Im new to the tarot community (at least on this specific platform) and would like to help guide, give honest/TRUTHFUL advice, and be a safe space for anyone+everyone who feels safe here! 🧚🏽‍♀️✨️

My goals/intentions are always to help others through my experience, to teach/guide them to work on themselves, and encourage them to find the strength, courage, discipline, and honest wisdom within themselves, without looking for outside validation!

** I AM NOT A MEDICAL OR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL; PLEASE USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AND DISCERNMENT TO DETERMINE IF YOU NEED OR WANT TO SEEK PROPER HELP OR TREATMENTS FOR YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF TUMBLR OR SOCIAL MEDIA!!

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Today's reading is short, simple, sweet, and straight to the point: Messages you need to recieve for the New Month starting today! Feb 1st, 2024 ( sooo its not timeless but also is timeless b/c time is wacky and weird HA )˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

There are 4 piles and you will be picking through your pile's SPECIFIC Oracle Card! (may sound confusing, but basically, you're picking using the word associated with your pile's oracle card for today!!) which is right below this text! Feel free to look at the specific photos for each pile if you feel called too!

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✨️🧚🏽‍♀️please choose your pile and may your intuition and inner knowing guide you to the pile with the energy most suited for you and most suited to help you along your path at this current point in time, no matter what that might sound like🧚🏽‍♀️✨️

PILE 1- Mindful

PILE 2- Soulful

PILE 3- Peace

PILE 4- Balance

** sometimes ( most of the time ) i will pick up on multiple energies that need attention or want to be expressed during the reading so i ASK YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS DURING THOSE TYPES OF READINGS:

depending on how the reader chooses to look at the situation or however the situation resonates for the reader and because this is a general reading;

⚠️you HAVE to be able to use your better discernment + better judgement skills to fully absorb the message and be able to do the necessary work to keep you on track for the future you WANT for yourself⚠️

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PILE 1: Mindful

New Month Message(s): FOCUS ON FILLING YOUR DAILY LIFE WITH QUALITY SITUATIONS, FOCUS ON BALANCING OUT YOUR LIFE AND YOUR INTERNAL HEAD SPACE, FOCUS ON CULTIVATING YOUR DESIRED FUTURE!!

Stop paying attention to people,places, or things that no longer matter. This new month is trying to teach you the lesson of mindfulness. Which means stillness.....which also essentially means meditating and not being afraid of silence. Patience.

Sometimes mediating can be standing on your front or back porch for 1-5mins in nature, absorbing what you're grateful for in that particular moment or letting go of someone/something which no longer brings you peace or no longer helps with cultivating healthier habits. ((Take it how it resonates but be aware there are soooo many more examples that could apply here as well, just use YOUR discernment and trust your intuition please!!))

The point is that meditating looks differently for everyone, or maybe the same sometimes!! But regardless, you must find a way to fully tap into the silence that will help you learn patience this month.

And yes this will take mental fortitude and strength on YOUR part to fully absorb + CREATE these moments that help you find balance, rest, MINDFULNESS, resiliency, PATIENCE, etc. But that word create is important here b/c, YOU HAVE TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW YOU FEEL, WHAT YOU NEED, WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOUR BODY NEEDS/WANTS, WHO IS AROUND YOU, etc!!!! to even CREATE a space or CREATE time for yourself that focuses on the practice of mindfulness.

(( some of you have to be willing to admit that you might need some proper rest first before you can even BEGIN a mindfulness routine for yourself that will stick!! ))

YOU have to do the work or else you wont see the changes you want. YOU also have to accept things for how they are now and be willing to see your mistakes and do better.

This month will be huge for you, if you allow yourself to fully feel what needs to be released, start cultivating mindfulness for your future endeavors, and just resting. Just rest and allow yourself to feel the flow of life while also understanding: You are a human, who is doing human things, and living a human expirence; So tap into the hope, strength, and wisdom that comes along with this journey called life.

Also dont be afraid to do things differently!! Maybe you're the trendsetter of the century ;)

This month is all about believing in yourself pile 1, So Just Do It !!!!!!

Things to do OR look into this February:

Yoga or Meditations on YouTube, Going out to classes that focus on Meditation or Yoga in the real world, REIKI, Listening to chakra meditations while you sleep ( specifically getting sacral + solar plexus chakras ), Taking walks in nature to appreciate things around you.

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PILE 2: Soulful

New Month Message(s): TAP INTO YOUR DEPTH, TAP INTO THE PRIDE YOU FEEL FOR YOURSELF AND HOW FAR YOU'VE COME, TAP INTO YOUR MOST LOVING, AUTHENTIC, RAWEST FORM!

Pile 2, this month is all about being authentic(soulful) WITHOUT FEAR! dont let your fears or doubts hold you back from doing or being what you want/need for yourself right now!

Collaboration could be HUGE this month if you're willing to change how you view yourself, your skills, your abilities, your achievements, your- etc!!! Focusing on building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down will make new possibilities and opportunities happen for you.

Stop doubting and playing the victim! Its time to stand tf up and CELEBRATE YOURSELF!! You have done alot of work and gone through HEAVY situations to get yourself to here and now. So BE FULLY AND TOTALLY proud of yourself for how far you have come and get excited for more!!!

You know life isnt fair to good people sometimes, so why dwell or wallow when you could just as easily Journal about w/e is or was bothering you and let that SHIIIZZZ gooooo!!!

Dont carry unnecessary burdens. Tap into your passion, your drive, YOUR DETERMINATION!! flourish in your authentic and soulful self! Dont be afraid of showing up how you've always wanted to show up in the world! Its okay to be different, cooky, wacky, WEIRD!!! as long as you're happy......who gives a FDDUCK!

CERTAINLY NOT YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO BUSY BEING YOUR WONDERFUL, INSPIRING, RICH IN ABUNDANCE SELLLF TO CARE!!

You're ready to take on life and all its battles, you are a fighter-WARRIOR- and truthfully life only gets tougher, but it also gets easier to deal with once you trust yourself to handle anything that MIGHT come your way by utilizing your skills and abilities for your betterment instead of using your preceptiveness as a way to hurt yourself or tear you down.

Things to do OR look into this February:

journaling, dressing up however you want, going out and expirencing something new, do something you're afraid of doing, sit with your accomplishments and thank yourself for how far you've come but also acknowledge the road to your future in some way.

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PILE 3: Peace

New Month Message(s): DONT CHASE BUT ATTRACT WHAT YOU DESIRE, FOCUS ON YOUR NEEDS, CULTIVATING EMOTIONAL BOUNDARIES // BETTER BOUNDARIES IN GENERAL!!

Pile3, you're so soft, nurturing, kind, gentle, nice, and so many more wonderful words but you're also stubborn(>_<)

Its not about the outside, its about the inside. Refocusing your attention on what you NEED to calm your mind and what you NEED to balance out your dreams with your reality, etc.....will do wonders for manifestations coming in or out!

You're beautiful pile 3, and this month is asking you to focus on yourself before going out and trying to fit new people in your life. Focus on the ones you have now that give you care, attention, and love in healthy ways********* while also getting rid of people that dont respect you or deserve your kind and compassionate energy.

This month is about Tapping into your emotions and understanding that EXPRESSING your emotions will ultimately bring you closer to what you desire....but you have to forget about what you want. Focus on what YOU NEEEEEEEED!!!!!

Dont chase, Attract means believing that what you want(deserve) wont pass you by, and the more you enjoy your own company and get to know yourself deeper, the more you can appreciate things around you and maybe even find that SP or New Job or NEW ANYTHING!!

save yourself for the correct people, but first you must do the necessary work inside yourself to even trust yourself enough to show up infront of the correct people authentically and unapologetically too.

work on maintaining and setting the healthy/proper boundaries within yourself to help you express any or ALL boundaries you will have with other people later in life! Dont be afraid, use your voice! If someones reaction is less then pleasant when enforcing a boundary......leave. They dont appreciate or respect you.

Seriously get rid of any negative self talk or negative people/energies in your life! Stay calm and present as you navigate who needs to go and what in your mind also needs to go.

Things to do OR look into this February:

feeling your raw emotions without shame, saving money, shifting perspectives, taking self-care days seriously, more YOU TIME! setting and maintaining boundaries, releasing the anger, sadness, hurt, or all of the PAST IN GENERAL!! Forgiveness is key--either towards yourself or someone else.

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PILE 4: Balance

New Month Message(s): BALANCE YOUR MIND TO BALANCE YOUR SURROUNDINGS, HEART NEEDS SOME HEALING, HERMIT MODE NEEDS TO BE ACTIVATED SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOURSELF WITHOUT DISTRACTION!!

okaaayy pile 4 :(, im.sorry for any loss or heartbreak you may have suffered recently or in the past that still affects you and your mental state.

But its time to move on. Maybe not forgive, just yet, but a release needs to happen so you can fully enjoy your life again.....or even just enjoy YOUR energy again.

This will require a hard stop and HARD look into what is causing imbalances in your daily life. Continuing to walk away from old cycles, patterns, ways of being, ways of doing, comfortability that keeps your complacent, fears, doubts, etc. Will ultimately help you keep a balanced mind and calm demeanor too.

Allow the hurt to wash over you first, of course....but your self care this month is fundamentally about bringing back balance to your life that has grown overcrowded with too many commitments and responsibilities.

Which is why You NEED to take either a mini hermit mode ( if you can//when you can ) or a HUGE HERMIT MODE!!! so that the hermit mode will afford you with opportunities to get rid of what no longer needs to be bothering you and help you focus on what NEEDS your attention.

Feeling suspended or stuck right now might make you feel uncomfortable, but working through the uncomfortableness to ultimately get yourself to movement on the other side will be so worth the lonely nights and harder ones too. Once again, i am truly sorry but i also believe you can get through this too!

Things to do OR look into this February:

reading that book you have, reading a completely new book, try a new recipe!, make space for quiet time for yourself, look into those projects you've been wanting to make progress in, making time and putting effort in yourself!

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I sincerely hope you received what you needed and released what you don't !! See you again soon!! Take it easyyy and just breathe and fllooowwww!!! you got this! byyeee~🧚🏽‍♀️✨️

**please let me know how I'm doing in any way you can! that is the easiest way to support me and also a good way to signal to me that I should keep going + any helpful advice from the community would be welcomed and appreciated 🥺 🥹 🙏🏼

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⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

**ONCE AGAIN, I AM NOT A MEDICAL OR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL; PLEASE USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AND DISCERNMENT TO DETERMINE IF YOU NEED OR WANT TO SEEK PROPER HELP OR TREATMENTS FOR YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF TUMBLR OR SOCIAL MEDIA!!

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

#tarotonline #tarot journal #tarot blog #tarot reading #witch aesthetic #pick a pile #pick one #pick a card #pac #tarot #tarot cards #tarotcommunity #new month #walking away #new things

[the-feels-assassin]

A Pern/Avengers Crossover (That No One Asked for)

So I was reading a recent popular book involving dragons and dragonriders, and thinking how much I like the Dragonriders of Pern better (lol), and of course my brain did it's thing. So here you have it. My definitive opinion on what sorts of people the Avengers would be in the world of Pern.

We're gonna start with Steve/Peggy/Bucky because I HAVE THOUGHTS:

Of course this is during a Pass, because Steve/Peggy/Bucky have to be during a time of War and a Pass is the closet we have to War in the Dragonrider sof Pern.

Steve Rogers: oh, Steve. Poor, tiny, sickly Steve. He and Bucky are fosters at a Weyr, but no one expects/wants Steve to bond a dragon because no one is confident this sickly kid is going to live through the night at any given time. So either they keep him off the sands during a hatching or he's up in the bleachers. But Steve, being Steve, we get a Jaxom or Keevan scenario. No one means Steve to Impress a dragon, but of course you can't communicate that to freshly hatched dragons. And so of course between the sheer determination of Steve pulling himself out of the infirmary (ala Keevan in The Smallest Dragon Boy) and the stubbornness of the dragon refusing everyone on the sands (ala Ruth looking for Jaxom), we get tiny Steve Rogers bonded to what will be the biggest, most powerful Bronze Dragon the Weyr has ever seen. Steve becomes a Wingleader and everyone expect he'll be Weyrleader one day when Peggy becomes head Weyrwoman. Which leads us to Peggy Carter

Peggy Carter: Peggy is a rider of a gold dragon, of course she is. She was fostered in a different Weyr from Steve and Bucky (hence the different accent), but due to injuries and deaths during the passes, she gets redistributed to another Weyr that is lean on Golds and their leading Gold and Weyrwoman are aging. Peggy will be the next Weyrwoman. She is Peggy Carter in every way, fierce and determined, and like Lessa she fights the leadership of her time to enable Gold dragons to fight. Because Peggy Carter is all about sticking it to the patriarchy.

Bucky Barnes: Bucky Barnes is solid and reliable and dependable. He Impressed one of those Brown dragons that's as big as a Bronze (ala F'nor and Canth). He is Steve's Wing-Second. And then something happens while they are fighting Thread. Bucky is hit. Thread takes his left arm and sears most of his dragon on the left side. His dragon jumps Between and never comes back. Everyone assumes Bucky went with him, dead.

Everyone, of course, assumes wrong.

So what happens to Steve?

Steve just fought Thread, the battle is over and he's beat, and he's just doing a sweep to make sure nothing got through. It's time to go home; he goes to jump Between. He accidentally jumps time. He envisioned something off--something in the stars, maybe it was a night jump?--and suddenly he's in the future. He has no idea how to get back. Steve Rogers is a bit of a legend. His arrival sends both the Weyr into chaos, but also no one really believes it's him. They need the Harpers to verify, since the Harpers hold the history of Pern.

Which of course...brings us to SHIELD.

Because we all know the Harpers are the Spies of Pern, and the Masterharper of Pern is the most powerful man on Pern (search your feelings, you know it to be true) so of course I'm saying that:

Nick Fury: Nick Fury is the mother-loving Masterharper of Pern. Look, I don't care if he doesn't sing or play an instrument that we know of in the Marvel movies. In the Pern novels, Robinton has his fingers in EVERYTHING. He is the puppet master. Nick Fury is the Masterharper of Pern. I will brook no argument on this. Which of course means all of our SHIELD agents are harpers. Yes. It's wonderful.

Clint Barton: I mean how could Clint Barton NOT be a harper? He grew up Holdless. He picked up his acrobatic, juggling, and archery skills as a Holdless kid. But a Harper (probably Fury) saw his talent and potential and recruited him to be a Harper. Sure the kid is partially deaf, but he's a natural with an instrument and a born-entertainer. He's also so darn personable. Everyone immediately likes him and trusts him and tells him things. So of course, of course he's a perfect Harper, a perfect person to collect information and brook trust with the Holdless, Holds, and Weyrs alike.

Natasha Romanoff: There isn't really an equivalent of the Soviet Union in Pern. Natasha grows up in the Southern Continent, maybe the child of an Oldtimer exiled there. I think like Menolly, Natasha naturally Impressed a whole little flight of fire lizards, because she is like that. While Natasha is raised in an environment where all those in the Northern Continent are the enemy, eventually she meets Clint Barton and is recruited to Harper Hall and to the cause of ridding Pern of thread forever (the Ultimate Goal).

Phil Coulson: Look he makes Harper Hall run. He mostly stays in Harper Hall while Fury is out doing God knows what, and it's Coulson who is keeping tabs and getting reports from Barton and Romanoff.

Okay but what about Tony and Bruce? They are the last two Main Avengers left.

Tony Stark: Obviously the youngest Master ever at Smithcraft Hall. Could be on track to be the next Mastersmith BUT you know Tony. He likes to work on what he wants to work on. He's a genius and we love him, but staying within an authority matrix or running one isn't his strong suit. Eventually he becomes the head of Computer craft, when he meets....

JARVIS: Obviously the AIVAS analog. Tony is just bitter he didn't invent JARVIS himself. In this AU, I think it's Natasha who discovers AIVAS, while messing around on the Southern continent, doing her undercover recon thing. She sends her queen firelizard (the only one with two brain cells, obviously) to report back to Fury, who immediately gets Tony down there via Dragon. And of course that Dragonrider is none other than Tony's best friend.

James Rhodes: Rhodey was raised in Smithcraft Hall, went to be fostered at a Weyr for a short period of time, mainly to learn more about the Weyr's needs and how Smithcraft Hall could better plug in and whoops, impressed a dragon. Tony is still mad his best friend "abandoned him" for a "giant lizard" (which really Tony is just incredibly jealous. Who doesn't want to be a dragonrider?).

Bruce Banner: Bruce is basically the opposite of Rhodey. He was a dragonrider and he lost his dragon fighting Thread. This has left Bruce teetering between suicidal depression and complete rage. He's found new purpose in Smithcraft Hall and has become friends with Tony, but there is just a pain in him that is indescribable and everyone who interacts with him can feel it. In this AU, General Ross is the Weyrleader of the Weyr that Bruce was in--Betty is still his daughter and a gold rider. But since Bruce's bronze dragon is dead, well, there is just really no future for him and Betty.

Okay that's it for now. I have no idea what happened to Bucky (how does he come back? What is a Winter Soldier equivalent in Pern??), and I have no intention of writing a story in this AU, but inexplicably this keeps coming to me.

#long post #Avengers #Dragonriders of Pern #crossover #an AU no one asked for

[sunnflowyyr]

Hey hey hey beautiful person! It's me again! ( Another request right after you posted the one I had requested??? Yes baby,i'm the speed) but it's because i see your sun's guide request and see jujutsu kaisen in there,i have an idea that mixes rottmnt and jujutsu that you might be interested in 😏

So. Hear. Me. Out.

Rise Leonardo (or the boys) with a reader (female or neutral,your choise) BUT the reader have the same "mistic power" of toge inumaki from jujutsu kaisen,wait for it.......

BOOOMM!!

Yeah baby,and,if you don't remenber what it is,the power of the inumaki is called cursed speech,when he say something it's happen but with a cost like,if he says "die",he would overwhelmed himself end up hurt or worst, that's why he only says sushi ingredients like "tsuna,mayo" you got it? You got it? Please say yes i really think that's is a good one ;-;

But of course,if you don't wanna do it,feel completely free to just ignore my outbreak lol

EDIT: my inbox is OPEN for requests again!!! check my pinned post for guidelines and fandoms i write for before requesting please. have a good day and stay hydrated! 💛

i remember seeing your request and thinking "you are speed" after posting your first request. but i need to apologize ... you've been collecting a little dust in my inbox for a while now. i've decided to chalk that up to "adulting sucks." because it does.

i also want to emphasize how much i love this request. i just do. i could never ignore your outbreak. I LOVE THIS !! you have the best ideas.

i included all the turtles in this fic, but it mainly focuses on leo's connection with the reader. also, with toge's vocabulary being onigiri ingredients, i was a little stumped on figuring out how to use it in these headcanons; so i used this super useful reference on twitter! i try to give plenty of context in this piece, but if you want to have a better understanding feel free to check it out!

anyways, enough about that ... I HOPE YOU ENJOY !!! <3

rise!leo with a reader who has the cursed speech technique.

first, let me give some backstory:

you had been fighting your way out of the battle nexus and running from big mama's people in the hidden city

the turtles witness the fighting after it causes a commotion in town, and they were in awe

your fighting skills were amazing, but they was so intrigued by the obvious effect your words had on your opponents.

after the turtles helped you (because they couldn't just watch), they all turned around to talk to you

to which you simply greeted them with "kelp (hello)."

to say they were confused is an understatement

you felt a little helpless trying to communicate with them; they couldn't understand you if they didn't know about your ability

after a humiliating game of charades, you were able to get a pen and paper to write down an explanation for them

they understood, and offered to get you out of the hidden city and a place to hide from big mama for a while

donnie even offered to make a translation device so that you could communicate with them better

you were thankful for their kindness, and soon enough ... you all became friends

leo at first assumed you were a bit aloof because of how quiet you were, but he eventually noticed that you were actually a very social person

when you first met them, you only listened to their conversations intently.

but once they were able to understand you better, you even participated in them.

but your vocabulary is still pretty small and it makes it hard to communicate fully the way you want to

it's an insecurity, and you are terrified of somehow hurting the turtles with your ability

you have great control, but mistakes can happen ... it's a fear that looms over your head.

not to mention, you’ve had people befriend you to take advantage of your power, and you were scared of the heartbreak again.

those fears make you slowly pull yourself away from them, and leo worries when he notices you get distant

so he does confront you one day, worried that you’ll completely remove yourself from their lives

and he doesn’t want that, and he’s intent on trying to help you feel better when you (hesitantly) open up to him

it makes you feel better, and you almost cry a little when he says

“listen (name), while i’ll never stop admiring how cool your power is, i’d chose to brag about you over your power any day. people might see you as that, but i see you for who you are. you’re way cooler than that, so don’t let people define you by your power.”

he flinches a bit when you jump up to hug him, but smiles when you whisper “salmon (thank you).”

he hugs you back, knowing the hug was much needed before he pulls away

“though if you ever want to use it to get us an unlimited supply of pizza, i won’t complain— ow!”

you playfully slap him and disagree. “okaka (no way).”

#rottmnt x reader #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt leo #tmnt x reader #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt raph

[bisexual-horror-fan]

"Stay Ready." Gabriel May X AFAB! Reader.

Sooo! In the Boiler Lounge we watched Malignant a few weeks ago and I decided I fucking love Gabriel May and so fuck it, he’s on the list. I had this idea of some cockwarming and suspension work and so I just had to get into it, let’s not waste time and let’s get into this first fic with the new boy!

—

Rating. Explicit. Length. 1.5K. Gabriel May X AFAB! Reader. No Pronouns Specified. Warnings: Toy Use. Cockwarming. Shibari. Suspension. Blow Job. Gagging. Rope Play. Restrained Reader. Denial. Frustration. Praise. Leave Alone Play. 

—

You are not sure how he got so proficient with rope work, but perhaps it wasn’t best to linger on the thought for too long and honestly, trying to pin down when he honed the skill wouldn’t make this any easier would it? Maybe it might distract you but that would be momentary at best and wouldn’t last, or maybe it would have the opposite effect if you think heavily on the dedication he would have poured in to become this good at it? The image slips into your mind, of rough ropes passing through his fingers, working quickly, deftly, tying and untying knots, trying different configurations, finding just the best way to do it, constant improvement and betterment. 

A clench of your walls happens involuntarily over the image and you let out a weak groan into your gag. You aren’t sure how long you have been like this, time is hard to keep track of in this state but you do know you are starting to feel sore. Gabriel had something to go out to attend to, important business, but he said he had plans for you when he got home, plans that would be made much easier with some appropriate preparations. You were of course completely down for whatever he had in mind, to quote you, “No matter how intense.” 

You didn’t realise you’d come to regret those very words. 

The idea sounded fun, different, the thrum of excitement runs through you as you strip down, the feeling increases when the ropes come out, and elevates further still when he starts coiling the woven fibres around the appropriate points. Wrists, ankles, elbows, knees, wrapping over your hips and biceps and over your shoulders, crossing over your back. The points he picked were very carefully chosen, you were rigged up in the attic of course, the way the ropes rested ensured good circulation and little strain, holding you up comfortably and easily. Your heart races, the act of him tying you is playful but tension filled, you keep catching his eye as he works and you can’t help but grin. 

But it couldn’t just be that could it?

No, it couldn’t be so simple, there needed to be more to this. 

This was about preparing you, after all, making sure that you were ready for what he had in mind. You thought he was done when he finished tying you up but no he was not, he had procured that first toy he’d purchased when you got together. In his hand was that monstrous dildo that he felt best represented what he hoped, wanted, wished his dick could be, the best of what he thought it could be, the ultimate ideal. 

It was a gorgeous toy, no expense spared, you splurged, naturally. It was long, thick, with bumps and ridges, a well defined head, a part of the shaft that had an intense dip and was meant to grind just so into your clit when it was balls deep inside, it was this almost blood red bleeding down into a stunning black, a very cool looking ombre effect. If you had a gun to your head? You’d say it was probably the kind of dick you’d imagine a demon having, the whole purpose of it to fuck and to do so better than a regular mortal dick could ever hope to, hit spots and stretch in ways no average man could ever achieve. It suited him, he was more than mortal, better than man, he deserved a cock that communicated as such. 

He made you suck it, made you lube it with your own mouth to his satisfaction and didn’t stop until the drool had spilled down your chin and neck. He held the base and it moved it back and forth, made you take more, a few slight gags here, he made sure to give you plenty of encouragement, the praise pouring out of the radio on the nearby work bench. How can he wreck you with just a few simple words? Even the basic, “Good job. Look at you.” that he gave made you fucking weak.

“I could watch you choke on it for hours-” But, you know a but is coming. 

“-but I have places to be.” Even the admission of his departure sounds good, even if you wished he wouldn’t leave, even though you wanted him to stay and play, the rough quality to his voice as it crackles out with the static hits you hard. 

Now with his dick soaked and dripping with your spit he brings it down and he wastes no time to work it into you, one hand holding the base, the other occupied with stimulating you to make taking it actually feasible. A leather clad thumb flicks up and down your clit as the head prods at your hole, as the pleasure sinks in, sticking to your very bones you begin to accept the intrusion. You get wet embarrassingly quick, it doesn’t take much effort to get the first half into you, the laugh makes you want to press your thighs together, he comments that your hole is, “-so fucking hungry. Swallowing me up so fast.” 

You hang off every word he forces out as he drives the toy up into you harder, he revels in every moan you release, and soon enough he has the whole insertable length buried in you, stretching you wide, almost painfully so. You thought he was done with the rope but apparently not, he pulled more out still and then, he added to the ties already on you and his aim became self-explanatory, it’s to hold the toy inside of you.

“Try to move.” The command makes you act on instinct, a shift of your hips, you can move barely but it is enough to make you grind your clit the barest bit, to  cause the toy to flex inside you just a hair, a terrible fucking tease. You repeat the action a few times, you groan and your eyes roll back and he sounds almost gleeful at seeing how frustratingly little you get out of trying to fuck yourself, “Perfect.”

The gag is pulled out and stuffed into your mouth, you take it gratefully, a gloved hand stroking down your face and he tells you, “Be good.” 

And then he is leaving. You listen to the sound of the heavy boot falls as he leaves you alone and tied up for who knows how long. 

This is so smart of him really. This is keeping you loose and open for him, perpetually ready, and it is whipping you up into a total mess of need without him having to put forth any further effort once the set up was complete. You are worsening your own situation, every squirm moves the toy and it makes you want more, it makes you wetter, your thoughts run wild and it all starts feeding into itself. Your thighs are drenched, your clit is throbbing incessantly, begging for some serious attention, desperate to get off, to cum. Your cunt is split open and so full, you didn’t know you could take having something so large inside you for so long, this is maddening. You should have expected this at some point, Gabriel had expressed wanting to cockwarm you at some point, you naively thought that meant he would be here for the experience. 

This is just the start too. He is going to do more with you when he is home, this is the precursor, this is to get you ready for him and whatever he had in mind and your nerves are already frayed, soreness already threatening to set in and yet you can’t stop moving, even when all it does is aggravate your issue. 

Wiggle, squirm, writhe, slight grind, it’s not enough, never enough, thinking of him, craving him, wanting him, it’s enough to make you cry and you are pretty sure you do at one point. 

Left alone to stew in your own juices, hung like a decoration, treated like a toy for his amusement and worse still, you love it and are going to show him just how much whenever he returns. You think of his praise, of hearing his footsteps approaching, of him touching you, commenting on how drenched you are. 

You think of his hands, of them bringing you pleasure, of you finally getting to cum, you think of pleasing him and it helps carry you through. You could do this, you could wait for him, you were going to prove to him that you were more than worthy of his time, energy and effort. 

You take some deep breaths, try to keep yourself composed, gear yourself up to endure but when you think of his body to yours, of him nipping at your throat, the whine bubbles out and you buck your hips and the cycle starts over again.

You give a silent prayer, hoping he will come home soon and that the next stage of this game will bring your satisfaction as well as his.

#Gabriel May X reader #slasher x reader #BHF writing #WELP #NEW BOY #GET IN HERE #READ IT UPPPP

[toomanybandstocare]

{Flickering Stars}

Program: Having grown close to the Marshal Commander after joining the civilian relief squad, you find yourselves at each other throats after a trap set by Separatists on Endor. Time ticks as the army pushes on through enemy territory, but almost everyone is more worried about you pulling away after Cody's fear getting the better of him with harsh words. When your life begins to flicker in front of his eyes, Cody does everything he can to save and with the hopes to tell you that he loves you. He'll stop at nothing to make sure your death isn't written in the stars rather than your love story.

Pairing: Pining! Cody x Pining, GN! Reader

Genre: Angst, Star Crossed Lovers (Kind Of)

Length: 5571w

Warnings: Couple of swears, Near death experience and injuries (not too descriptive), Medical references, Reader gets picked up and carried

Counselor Notes: I like emotional pain with my fics what can I say :) As much as I love my boys, I also love seeing them face heartbreak. Let me know if you want to be tagged in future Clone Wars works <3 Would love to chat with duderinos and share thoughts.

Camp Resolute Masterlist

Camper Tags: @staygoldwriting

After passing your engineering exams, you immediately enrolled in the civilian support squadron in the GAR. A strong sense of urgency drove you to learn skills and become an expert in a field that would aid the effort to end the war. During your assessment qualifiers, you proved your knowledge and quick thinking that impressed the squad’s officers. With some of the top marks in your enrollment class, you were immediately paired with the 212th legion and sent to the battle of Christophsis as a part of the emergency relief. Now having worked with the battalion so closely for more than a few cycles, you’ve been invited into their ranks as an honorary member. With all the laughs and helping hands from the troopers, there also comes the high expectations of their Marshal Commander.

When the battalion has the fleeting opportunity to relax either on the starship or planetside, you find yourself gravitating to Cody. His calm composure draws you in, and it washes you in a warm feeling of acceptance. He often brings you a cup of caf when your head is stuck in the engineer of a gunship. Most nights than not, you find yourself kicking at the commander’s shin guards to get him to leave his desk and go eat something. The pair of you have formed an inseparable connection where you both understand each other even without communicating with words to convey it.That, however, doesn’t stop him from treating you any different from those in his command when facing down Separatist droids. Cody’s voice cuts through the chaos of the battlefield to make sure you stay out of the concentrated heat of gunfire. You hold him in high esteem and respect, but there are times where you find yourself acting out of order when needed to survive. Similar enough to how you desperately try to avoid his rightfully upset reaction to your actions in a trap on the latest battle on Endor.

“Do you ever stop to think about how your actions affect all of us?” Cody spits out in frustration. Usually the ever collected and mindful commander, Cody’s normally warm eyes sit heavy on your hunched figure on the med cot. Still dressed in full body armor, he leans against one of the towering trees as he watches the medic carefully place bacta patches on your arms.

Aching and unable to sit up in attention from the dull weight of new bruises and a stinging gash, you curl into yourself. His words punch you in the gut with every syllable. The familiar memory of Cody’s disappointed look is imprinted on the back of your eyelids.

You bite your lip before breathing out, “I just thought -”.

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?,” Cody interrupts you and pushes off the tree. Twigs snap and mulch shuffles underneath his footfall as he stalks closer to you. “You didn’t think. I gave you direct orders to get out of there, and you didn’t listen. It’s my job to make sure that my men and the civilian relief squadron come back safe”. He emphasizes the difference between his battalion of soldiers and your civilian status.

His harsh words sting your waterline. Cody’s plastoid armor and Kix’s med uniform come in and out of view as you focus past them. The flickering embers of the night’s campfire disappear into the darkness. It’d be a relief to be able to join them and turn into dust rather than having to endure this conversation.

“You’re right, Commander,” you softly mumble. Your voice sounds watery and disconnected even to your own ears.

As Cody’s concerned eyes watch you further crawl into yourself, a shoulder shove breaks his gaze. His heart aches from the long term adrenaline rush of witnessing you put yourself in danger today while setting off a Separatists landmine when trying to disarm it. However, it comes to a stand still when he meets Kix's hard expression of warning. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Cody clears his throat and faces your shrinking form. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, “Just- just go to bed after you’ve been cleared. I need to get back to the command console, so I don’t have time to feed into your guilt tonight. What’s done is done, and we’ll just need to work past all this … and the clanker reinforcements”.

Your throat constricts as you raise your gaze to watch the bottom of his boots walk away from you.

“He’s,” Kix starts after a long pause, “just concerned for your safety. You gave us all a good scare today”. He tries to break the tense air with a light chuckle, and he offers you a sympathetic smile.

“I just wanted to help,” your hoarse voice whispers with the fire’s crackling. “Disarming a landmine is part of my job description and well within my skill set. It shouldn’t have been something to cause the Commander to reprimand me. Maybe because it went off. Certainly not because I was doing my job”. You have to push the words past the weight of today’s events lingering.

“You’re right, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to help. Especially if it’s within your expertise,” Kix reassures you. He bites the inside of his cheek and thinks about his next words extremely carefully. It seems every clone and GAR official has taken an unofficial oath to tiptoe between your’s and Cody’s feelings for each other. Each swearing they won’t interfere, because everyone understands the severity of love during war.

Kix places a hand on your shoulder and shifts to make your gaze meeting his own. His understanding expression looks strained, but it still manages to send small waves of ease through you. His lips press into a tired smile, and he moves to start cleaning up the med station to move out in the morning. Kix calls over his shoulder, “Why don’t you take it easy tonight? Get some sleep and let tomorrow come as a fresh start. I’ll send a comm over to your squad leader to take you off move out prep to give yourself a break”.

“No, it’s okay. I can -”, your words fall off your tongue when Kix flashes you a stern look. You heave a sigh knowing his word is final. “Thanks,” you weakly smile at him and push off the cot.

Aware of your aching muscles, you start the small trek across camp. The majestic Endor forest envelopes everyone in a peaceful pocket of safety tucked away for the night. Hammocks stretch across the ancient trunks as laughter echoes from all sides and hushed conversations hum with the insects. Each battalion has their own sections, and you catch glimpses of small stacks of painted armor near the entrances. 

The only exception being the CO console in the center of basecamp. Three Jedi generals, Masters Kenobi, Skywalker, and Koon, huddle around the holotable with their respective commanding officers. Only the 501st’s Captain is missing from the meeting. Most likely seeing if Kix needs any assistance packing up, you assume.

“I’m afraid the effects of today’s trap are more concerning than we had initially feared,” General Koon explains. With a tap on the hologram, he reveals the flickering waves of red blips hovering in the surrounding area. An entire droid army waiting. Watching. Planning.

You pull your attention away from the group as nausea burns your stomach. With much effort you put one foot in front of the other and try to focus on how the mossy floor sinks underneath you. Just one step at a time, and you’ll make it to your hammock.

“Can I speak to you for a minute,” a voice calls out behind you. Footsteps unnoticed in your intense focus. A gloved hand carefully claspes an uninjured area of your arm to slowly ease you to a stop.

You keep your eyes cast down on the toadstools and forest floor, but blue scuffed armor plates and kama step into view. Two blasters strapped to the Captain’s gear belt.

“It’s not your fault,” Rex quietly states. His belief in you rings clear. “Cody,” Rex slows his speech and words his thoughts carefully, “can be a bit difficult and intense when it comes to the wellbeing of people involved in operations. He also doesn’t always remember that your training and strategy decisions come from a different perspective than our own”.

“Captain,” you sigh.

“Rex,” he pushes back. “We’re friends,” Rex’s voice was almost a desperate plea. “Don’t shut me, or any of us out, just because of our di’kut of a brother”. His heart hammers against his chest when his pathetic attempt at a joke is met with crickets.

“I get it. You don’t need to feel bad or worry about me,” your words sound like an automatic recording. Tugging your arm out of his grasp, you shoot him a strained smile. You don’t dare meet his gaze as he quickly tries to see your face. “I won’t fuck anything else up for you boys, and I’ll stay in my lane fixing your equipment mess at the end of the day. I know where my place is after today”. You bow your head quickly and rush off to the civilian relief section before Rex can respond.

As you near the camp, all eyes peer past the roaring campfire and watch you approach. Slate, a long time friend and member of your enrollment class, nods in the direction of what you can only assume is your home for the night. You flash your Twi’lek friend an appreciative look as you head straight to your hammock. Each step lighter than the last.

As you sit down on your makeshift bed, your eyes can’t help but search for gold painted armor at the CO console through the tree line openings. The hard expression of each man still focuses on the holotable. Cody shifts his weights from one foot to the other. A twitch of exhaustion or exasperation flickers across his face before he throws his head back slightly and presses his hands into his face. You’ve seen this gesture many times when the two of you were working on reports together late at night tucked away in the officer’s lounge. 

Just out of your view, a blue glove knocks into Cody’s shoulder. He quickly catches himself and looks like he’s about to have a go at the guilty party, but a smile slips onto his face. Chuckles shake Cody’s shoulder, and you watch as Rex easily pulls Cody back from his stormy emotions.

“Fuck,” you hiss. Sinking into the hammock’s hold, you bat away threatening tears as you stare up at the starry sky. Little blips twinkle before your tired eyes. All glowing in their own beautiful hues and brightness. They proudly write their stories for the galaxy’s celestial archive before they flicker one last time. Before they leave an empty void among their constellation collective. With a sigh, you close your eyes and hope drifting into slumber will ease the ache settling in your body and making home in your heart.

Just as quickly as the morning rays trickle through the treetops, the GAR packs up and moves out from basecamp. Only the sounds of animal calls and twigs snapping underfoot echo around you as the army pushes further into the forest. General Koon and the wolf pack lead the legions while General Skywalker and the 501st guard the back. General Kenobi and Commander Cody stick close to the middle of the formation with the relief squad and medic staff.

From where you sit atop the ray cannon, you overlook the entire army and watch the approaching paths for any disturbances. Cody’s constant hovering nearby and careful watch over your movements during load out sparked your nerves. The mechanical vibrations from the vehicle bounce through you and do nothing but add to the stinging anxiety nipping inside your skin. Looking down from your spot, you steal a glance at the commander.

Even though he’s so sure of his footing, Cody’s posture is locked stiff. His helmet constantly scans the area before turning upward just enough to catch sight of your figure.

“When do you reckon those clankers will pop out,” a low voice breathes against the shell of your ear.

You whip your head to see Slate next to you as he attempts to keep his wheezing laughter. “Not funny,” you hiss. As your heart races up your throat, a traitorous laugh escapes your lips.

“Got you to laugh a little though,” Slate points out with a flicker of glee in his eyes.

“Nearly made me jump off this thing,” you mutter and bump his shoulder.

Leaning close, Slate’s warm breath fans across your necks. He whispers, “And who would have been right there to catch you when you fall, hm?”

A flush washes over your, and you indulge yourself with the thought. How Cody would hold you close to him. How the steady rise and fall of his chest would feel against your own. His hands would hold you gently as Cody looks you over. Even with his helmet on, you could still imagine his gaze full of care. Your eyes flutter closed as every worry seeps away and you fall further into your daydream.

“Have you two forgotten that we are in the middle of enemy territory. Trying to move undetected,” Cody’s static voice shocks you awake.

Your body grows rigid as you peer down to meet his shielded gaze. Unfortunately, you could feel every ounce of disapproval through his visor.

“No, sir,” both you and Slate reaffirm.

“Sure have an interesting way of keeping quiet then,” Cody dryly mutters as he turns away.

Your stomach drops. When you redirect your gaze to the front of the army, the hair tingles at the back of your neck. Commander Wolffe raises his fist in the air and foot steps halt immediately. Only the machine’s hum can be heard in the clearing. The forest stands still. Silent.

“Here we go,” you faintly register General Skywalker’s voice.

A distant whirl fast approaches, and you watch with wide eyes as a small missile flies straight towards the legions. It cuts through the air with precision before landing just ahead of the group. Its impact rocks the ground with debris and smoke a few klicks ahead of everyone.

As the air begins to clear, your ears twitch at the forest’s sudden rustle. Scuffle and snapping surrounds the entire army deep within the forest line. You blink away the dust as you sight darts from a shrub to shaking branches above.

Only able to hear blood rushing to your ears, you find yourself looking to the man you’ve always admired. A man who you haven't gathered the courage to express your growing feelings towards. The very same man who, despite his training to stay alert and focused on possible threats during this type of situation, looks up at you

Cody’s heart pounds against his chest. He swears it’s trying to find its way home to you in fear of the worst to come. Unknowingly, he scuffles his foot closer to the ray cannon. He pushes his feet deeper into the ground, ready to jump into action. When the time comes, he needs to be able to get you out of harm's way. Should he just climb up now? He could easily grab you and run out of the battleground for cover.

You watch as Cody’s body freezes almost stuck in mid action. But the sound of a breakthrough pulls your attention away. An assassin droid rushes from the treeline and swings its blade down on the closest trooper. Clashing metal on plastoid triggers the forest to snap. Blasters sound off the cacophony as the cannon booms into action nearly jostling you off. Without hesitation or delay, the GAR jumps into action.

“Come on,” Slate hollers. His oil glove grabs the top of your arm and pulls you to the rooftop entrance to the canon.

“Get to cover. Now,” Cody shouts.

Tossing a look of worry over your shoulder, you watch as Cody fights off a different assassin droid. General Kenobi deflects targeted blaster rays, by his side.

“We don’t have time. He’ll be fine,” Slate pushes. His grasp firmly tugs at you. When you meet his gaze, Slate only shows calm determination.

“Right, let’s move,” you nod. Your voice wavers only slightly as you attempt to convey the same assuredness. All to mask over the flooding panic that fills you. Heart stabbing you with every beat as you pull away from Cody.

The two of you jump down the hatch and secure it before joining the clones at its control.

“Well, if it isn’t our favorite mecha civvies,” Clash spares the two of you a glance over his seat. “Hang on. We’re in for a tough fight”.

Axel, the lead operator, adjusts the systems and makes the cannon lurch forward. As the vehicle moves forward and cuts through the battlefield, blaster rays ricochet off the outer hull. Faint shouts and screams from outside are muffled by the incoming comm static.

“We need you to clear a path through the approaching line and destroy as many of those droids as you can,” General Kenobi’s voice rings through the control room.

“If you get past that wave, try to make it to the missile launch,” General Skywalker grunts. Reverb from his lightsaber cracks with static and blaster impact snaps through the transmission. “That’s our only chance at pulling this off”.

“Copy that, sir,” Axel responds and flicks some of the switches on the control panels on the wall.

“Sending signal to move out of our way, now,” Clash pushes a button.

Both operators adjust their controls, and the cannon moves faster. Smoke blankets an ominous shadow over the front view. Only the vibrant light of blaster shots and swinging lightsabers cut through.

“If you turn on the floodlights, you’ll break through the cloud,” you explain as you lean forward between the two seats. “They’re also set to a frequency that’ll temporarily blind droid vision”.

“Knew you were our favorite civvie for a reason,” Clash teases. He flips the switch as Slate protests his jab, and you watch as the battlefield is blinded by bright light.

“What are you doing,” Cody exclaims breathlessly through your wrist comm.

“Following orders, Commander,” you calmly remind him. “I am capable of following my job every once and awhile”.

Broken snickers from the others in the vehicle fuel your confidence. However, the onslaught of blasters rain down on the cannon’s exterior makes you swallow a lump in your throat. Through the front viewport, you watch as the majority of firepower now targets you.

“I never doubted that,” Cody growls, “but this is too dangerous. You and Slate need to get out of there and let Clash and Axel handle this”. 

You bristle at his words. They ring eerily familiar from the previous night’s stab.

“And do what? Walk free in the midst  of enemy territory,” you snap back, throwing his own observation back at him.

“What, you don’t trust us to keep your precious cy’are safe?” Axel leans into your wrist comm’s range. He pulls back in laughter.

“I’m going to have to side with Axel on this, Commander. I’m offended by your lack of faith in us,” Clash jokes. “You’d think we’re a couple of shinies with how you’re talking about us”. 

Clash and Axel push the cannon further through enemy lines. Clanking metal clatters against its hull as it swings from side to side underneath you. The launch pad slowly comes closer into view.

“Don’t worry,” Axel reassures Cody. “We’re making good progress, sir. Target in sight, and we’ll be breaking for regroup before you even know it”.

“Maybe save your near death confession for another time, ori’vod,” Clash chuckles.

“Wait,” you start to question.

“Shebs’palons,” Cody shouts.

Both your words tumble together, but they’re cut off by the viewport shattering.

“Shit, stay back,” Clash yells. His words cut off by an assassin droid’s blade to his neck.

Slate immediately pulls out his blaster and shoots off a few rapid shots. He renders the droid useless. Slate pushes past you and moves the deceased clone out of the seat and the droid out the broken opening in the viewport. As he takes a hold of the controls, more blaster bolts descend upon the cannon. Their flashing energies scorch the inside control systems.

“What’s going on up there?” General Kenobi’s comm cuts in and through the cannon’s transmission.

You can’t pull your eyes away from the viewport as the missile launch rotates and locks onto the cannon.

“Clash is dead, sir,” Axel grunts. “Slate is on second. Front viewport compromised. Nearly to target”.

The launcher’s mechanisms click and grind at your approach. Almost like it’s snarling its teeth, readying to bite back.

“We can’t hold on much longer. Whatever you do -” General Skywalker’s voice fizzles.

All other noise falls mute to your ears. Only the hiss of ignition registers.

“Get down,” you scream.

“Cyar’ika”, Cody calls out in panic.

Blasting into the air, the missile hurdles head on towards the cannon. You pull yourself to look away from its fast approach and crouch behind Axel’s seat. The impact sends you flying into the back wall panels. Searing quick flashes of pain shoot through your body. When you pry your eyes open, black splotches block parts of your vision. A mute hum rings in your ears.

“Hey,” a far away voice calls out.

You push off the floor and ignore your body’s protests.

“Need you to -” the voice fizzles out.

Forcing your aching muscles, you return to the control seats. There, sitting in a pool of sickly sweet blood, Slate’s body slumps over the console. His eyes, void of any emotion, stare up at you.

“We don’t have time,” Axel’s panicked shouts cut through your hearing clearly, “I am so sorry for your loss, but I need you here”.

“Cyar’ika,” Cody’s voice barely comes through your comm, “Are you okay? Talk to me”.

“Alright. What’s the current status,” you inquire and clear your mind of all distractions as you pull your friend out of the way. With care, you place him beside your other fallen friend.

“Utter shit,” Axel hisses as he jostles the controls and checks the system sensors.

“Status,” Cody grunts in confusion. “Forget status. Get out of there, now”.

You sit at the second seat and jury the controls. Everything feels tight to the touch.

“Cannon controls are dead,” Axel declares. An understanding of the situation fills the atmosphere with a heavy decision to be made between the three of you.

“We’re just behind you,” Cody’s voice through in bits and pieces. “Get out and search for cover until we regroup”.

Scanning what’s left of the control panels, you refocus on the launcher. Your eyes quickly dissect its build as you’re just a few klicks away. “This,” you slowly break the anticipation, “should be just enough. Even at his speed”.

Your words hang in the air. Pulling a deep breath up and out your mouth, you face Axel with cool determination. He pulls off his helmet and shares a bittersweet expression of agreement.

“Just enough,” he weakly confirms and clears his throat. Axel nods his head to you and begins to adjust his station. “Let’s see what’s left of this old thing and if we can get some more power”. 

“What are you doing,” Cody bellows and grunts from your commlink. The background noise of the Separatist onslaught comes through and solidifies your resolve. “I gave you a direct order. Do not,” his panting catches on his words, “go through with this plan”.

Swallowing a threatening sob, you mirror Axel’s movements and adjust your controls accordingly. As you patch all remaining power on your side to the engine, your determined gaze locks onto the panicking droids by the launcher. Just a few more klicks.

“All systems powered,” you announce.

“Don’t,” Cody begs.

“Target in sight and locked onto,” Axel confirms.

“Just wait,” Cody yells.

You grip the controls tighter. Nerves swirl in your stomach, pleading with you to turn away, as you jostle closer to the launcher.

“Three,” Axel yells over warning signals beeping.

“Stand down, Axel,” Cody tries to take back command.

“Two,” you grit out.

The wave of blasters intensifies, and you feel each minor impact’s vibration land in your core. Through the haze, you can make out the model number on the launcher’s base plate.

“Please, cy’are,” Cody desperately pleads with you.

A final attempt to convince you to come home.

“One,” Axel shouts and jerks the controls forward.

You move the controls in sync and switch on the back up power.

The sudden acceleration pushes you further into your seat, and your heart hammers against your ribs. Tears freely flow from your lash line. Either from the lack of protection from the wind or an understanding of the consequences of your actions.

“Cody,” you breathe out.

The words die in your throat as collision shutters all around you. As your body’s thrown against the wall, you try to imagine how safe you felt curled into Cody’s side. The two of you are always by each other’s sides during breaks and evening watch. One night at the mission’s start, the pair of you sat at the camp’s main fire and pointed out constellations. Cody kept you close with an arm wrapped around you. His warmth rivaled the fire’s as it spread through you and sent your heart into a flurry.

As the cannon’s hull shudders and collapses from pressure, it sends you forward into the control console back into reality. In the midst of metal scraping and cramping, distant shouts and screams from outside the vehicle register in your mind. Too tired, your eyes flutter shut just as you could easily reach out and touch the missile loaded into the launcher with your hand. 

Please, Maker, just let Cody survive this. All of this: this battle, this war, losing his brothers, and letting me go.

The cannon catches and lurches forward further. Only all forces pivot the machine onto its front ledge and push it upward. Unable to move your body against the pressure crushing you onto the console, you reach towards Axel and grab his glove with a tight grip. Knots twist and turn in your stomach from the impending impact.

Gritting through the pain and pushing away the droid carcass, Cody’s sight locks onto the cannon as it begins rear into the air. All sense of control disappears from his mind as he pushes off the ground and races through the raging battle. Not bothering with his gun, Cody chokes on his breathing to get to you as soon as he can. His heart screaming for his other half as his lungs beg for relief.

“Cody,” General Kenobi calls from beside him, “You focus on evacuating the crew. Anakin and I will try to stop the cannon going topside and buy you some time”.

His chest burns with every step, but Cody only sucks in a breath as he launches himself at the side of the near vertical vehicle.

“Got your back, vod,” Rex’s voice rings through the helmet channels. “On the other side. I’ll get Axel”.

“I’m not going to let my cy’are die a hero,” Cody grits. He moves with precision and uses the ledges to creep towards the shattered window. 

“The only way that’ll ever happen,” he huffs and pulls himself into the hull, “is once my heart stops beating”.

The vehicle teeters as he stands above your body on the console. Lights flicker and illuminate the trickle of blood glistening next to your head.

“My loyalty may lie with the Republic,” Cody grunts and pulls you up to his chest. His words directed to your limp body in laying in his hands. “But my allegiance is with you. I will lay down my life for you if you give the command”.

Cody holds you close and moves with the vehicle’s slow shift in force. Now standing on the hull’s floor, he cradles your body and leans over the console to hand you to Kix. It’s actions like these that have him worried about both your lives. Without you by his side, his life will come to an end.

Quickly hopping out of the vehicle, Cody hurries to follow Kix over to the makeshift medical station. Already filled with many injured, some cots have sheets pulled over the lost lives. Before Cody can get too close to the station, an arm clamps down on his shoulders.

“Give them space to work,” Rex warns his brother. A low, rumbling threat lingers between the two.

“I need to be there. With -” Cody’s words rush out in a breathless flood.

“Cody,” Rex pulls him meet eye to eye. His collected, yet serious, expression eases some tension in Cody’s locked body. “Let Kix do his job. ‘Member what he always says?”

“‘I outrank all of you when it comes to someone’s life,’” Cody barely mumbles. A wave of dizziness sinks into him as the coursing adrenaline begins to melt away from his system. His breathing racks through his pained lungs as he attempts to recollect himself.

Rex smiles a little and opens his mouth, but shouts from the med station come out instead.

“We have a drop,” Kix calls out, “I need another pair of hands”.

Cody’s body jerks in Rex’s hold. His body moves to be by your side without thought, but Rex blocks him from stepping closer.

“Get out of my way,” Cody snaps. Anger boiling and seething as his breathing grows heavy again. His vision tunnels, only focused on your general direction, before his dark eyes lock onto Rex.

“Waxxer,” Rex shouts for back up.

In a moment of opportunity, Cody breaks Rex’s hold and bolts. This isn’t how this was supposed to go. Need to get to you. Be by your side where I should have always been.

Almost to the med station, Cody makes out your arm hanging off one of the cots. Just a few more steps, and I’ll be with you, riduur.

Wind kissing his cheeks, it then swipes across Cody’s face as something impacts his side and knocks him onto the ground. Cody twists to try to balance himself, but another impact hits his back and holds him down on the mossy, forest floor.

“Sorry, vod,” Waxxer breathes heavily, “but you’ll understand later”.

“Get off me,” Cody’s hoarse voice pleads.

“Not yet,” Rex pushes back.

Grappled by his two closest brothers, Cody can only watch as medics flurry around your cot.

“We’re losing time,” Kix snaps. “Where’s the med-vac?”

Coddy shudders a breath as his concentrated gaze focuses on you. He wrestles against his brothers, trying to break free of their hold. “I will never,” he growls lowly, “ forgive either of you if I lay here and witness the death of the love of my life”.

“I know,” Rex softly admits. He watches as Kix’s team works quickly with injections and IV stands to do what they can to stabilize you. It doesn’t look good as Kix looks up to search for the approaching evac ships. The air gradually swirls and howls as the med-vacs hover nearby.

Making sure the medical team is accounted for and all patients have been loaded on, Rex nods to Waxxer. Both step away from Cody and let him run home free.

Cody doesn’t process anything in the time he recognizes being released and the time he finds himself jumping onto the ship’s loading floor. His body moves on instinct, and Cody gravitates to your cot. All air hardens in his lungs at the sight of the scattered wounds and bruises littered across your skin.

“I’m only letting you come, because I know you’ll only get yourself killed if you’re separated,” Kix slowly explains.

Cody sits on the nearest seat as he takes your hand in his own. Mindful of the IV, he rests in an uncomfortable position to hold you. If he ever needs to check, he can subtly slide two fingers to your pulse point. For his sake or if asked by the medical staff.

“What do I always say,” Kix asks. His voice mixed with seriousness and light teasing. He tries to ease the Commander’s worry while reminding him that Kix is in charge in this situation. Regardless of whether he's attending to a brother or lover.

“Kix,” Cody’s voice breaks, “I am not your commanding officer. I come before you as a man begging you to do everything you can his cy’are. Should you need anything, just give the command and I will follow your orders. If you ask me to collect a vial of blood from the Zillo beast, I will come back only once I have successfully collected it or not at all.There is nothing I won’t do to help save the light of my life. Even if it means leaving them in your care and temporarily stepping away from their side”.

Cody briefly pries his watery eyes from the strained rise and fall of your breathing to meet Kix’s concerned gaze.

“Please, vod,” Cody croaks. Tears sting his lash line as Kix’s expression melts from shock to sympathy. 

“Save my flickering star, so I can confess to my cyar’ika that they’re the love of my life”.

#commander cody #commander cody x you #commander cody x reader #commander cody x female reader #commander cody fic #commander cody imagine #commander cody one shot #commander cody angst #commander cody fics #commander cody imagines #commander cody x male reader #clone wars fanfic #the clone wars fanfic #the clone wars fic #212th x you #212th x reader #tcw fanfic #the clone wars #the clone wars angst #the clone wars fics #star wars fic #star wars fics #star wars fanfic #212th battalion #clone wars #clone wars fic #tcw fic #clone wars x reader #tcw #reader insert

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group H Round 1: #H4 vs #H5

#H4: Teen Shogi prodigy grows up and battles his mental health

Having reached professional status in middle school, Rei Kiriyama is one of the few elite in the world of shogi. Due to this, he faces an enormous amount of pressure, both from the shogi community and his adoptive family. Seeking independence from his tense home life, he moves into an apartment in Tokyo. As a 17-year-old living on his own, Rei tends to take poor care of himself, and his reclusive personality ostracizes him from his peers in school and at the shogi hall.

However, not long after his arrival in Tokyo, Rei meets Akari, Hinata, and Momo Kawamoto, a trio of sisters living with their grandfather who owns a traditional wagashi shop. Akari, the oldest of the three girls, is determined to combat Rei's loneliness and poorly sustained lifestyle with motherly hospitality. The Kawamoto sisters, coping with past tragedies, also share with Rei a unique familial bond that he has lacked for most of his life. As he struggles to maintain himself physically and mentally through his shogi career, Rei must learn how to interact with others and understand his own complex emotions.

#H5: Middle school soft tennis club deals with trauma

Constantly outperformed by the girls' club, the boys' soft tennis club faces disbandment due to their poor skills and lack of positive results in matches. In desperate need of members, Toma Shinjou is looking to recruit capable players, but he fails to scout anyone. Enter Maki Katsuragi, a new transfer student who demonstrates great reflexes when he catches a stray cat in his classroom, instantly capturing Toma's attention. With his interest piqued, Toma ambitiously asks Maki to join the boys' team but is quickly rejected, as Maki doesn't wish to join any clubs. Toma refuses to back down and ends up persuading Maki—only under the condition that Toma will pay him for his participation and cover other club expenses.

As Maki joins the team, his incredible form and quick learning allow him to immediately outshine the rest of the team. Although this gives rise to conflict among the boys, Maki challenges and pushes his fellow team members to not only keep up with his seemingly natural talent, but also drive them to devote themselves to the game they once neglected.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#H4: March Comes in Like a Lion (Sangatsu no Lion)

Propaganda:

Sangatsu no Lion is a series that gets praise and has some awards, but it gets rarely talked about. It’s ranked highly on anime lists as being a good anime to watch, but there’s little fan engagement or video essays about it like other promising titles.

Maybe it's because the series is a slow-paced slice-of-life drama that goes over topics like mental health and the trauma of losing loved ones at a young age, and how those factors impacts the lead deeply.

Rei is a hard character to watch sometimes. He’s a doormat, shy and quiet, with crippling low self-esteem. He’s a social outcast. He puts a lot of burden on his own shoulders and blames himself for living up to people’s expectations. He’s a flawed and traumatized teenager forced to grow up too quickly.

Rei lives isolated, and that's how we're introduced to him. He has a strained relationship with his adoptive family. He has trouble interacting with his classmates. He has a few tentative friendships with the people he plays Shogi against, but Rei struggles to connect with others. It doesn't help that he feels pressured by the expectations placed on him as the fifth ever Shogi player to go pro in middle school, making him a prodigy. He's losing multiple matches and stagnating, struggling because of his mental health taking a downward spiral.

When Rei meets the Kawamoto girls, his life seems to get better. Rei initially doesn't want to get to close to the Kawamoto family for fear of rejection, but he ends up visiting often. With them, he receives the care and affection he never had in his foster home. He also learns to socialize and rely on others with his interactions with the Kawamotos, growing as a person.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Mild child neglect from adopted family, death of birth family, healing from mental health issues.

The plot revolves around Rei and him trying to cope with the stress of life and growing as a person. A part of this is him having to make peace with the trauma of losing his biological family and having a strained relationship with his adoptive family, who are neglectful and bitter towards him. The anime overall goes over Rei healing from his mental health issues, including battling his anxiety and issues with self-worth.

#H5: Stars Align (Hoshiai no Sora)

Propaganda 1:

Covers a wide variety of issues and gets into the nitty-gritty of the often under-prosecuted instances of child abuse in Japanese society. Multiple LGBT characters, subversions of gender roles, a simple but appealing art style, and some really talented seiyuu to top it all off.

Propaganda 2:

This series is so amazing even though it was cut halfway through (and the trigger warnings, mainly in regard to the environments many of the characters live in) make it difficult to suggest at times. It’s half a sports anime and half a drama, switching between the sports sections and explorations of the lives of the characters involved, the latter of which is the part I really adore. The story discusses the heavily discussed topic of abuse pretty well and also has a good handle on discussions about things like gender (specifically in regard to a canon non-binary character, though there is also a minor character who is a trans man who is also discussed) that I haven’t seen too many other series address, or at least not to the effectiveness of this story. The characters also just have so much charm and compliment each other well, and I love watching them get closer and interact. They’re buddies, and I adore the boys soft tennis team plus Yuu and Mitsue (+ Arashi I guess. He’s from a different school’s team and directly opposed the team, but he very quickly becomes their friend afterwards), as well as all of their dynamics. It’s not a watch for when you’re looking strictly to have a fun time or looking for a complete story, but it’s an amazing story regardless. Also, I love the opening and ending songs so much. I wish this series got its season two so much because it’s so good, I don’t think I did it justice at all.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

#it’s the emotional sports anime matchup #anime #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #animated show #group stage #group stage round 1 #tournament polls #group h #march comes in like a lion #sangatsu no lion #3 gatsu no lion #stars align #hoshiai no sora