the problem is that being single is seen as the consolidation prize, and not the natural neutral state of being-a-person. at the end of the movie or the book or the poetry, there is a person waiting for you at the altar, and they love you. if the play is a comedy, everyone gets married. the metaphor is about how you are not-whole. the metaphor is about how everyone is going to be happily-ever-after. the metaphor is that romantic love is the most important resource on the planet, not just all-love. all-love is not a thing, that is a disappointment. the treasure is not the friends we made along the way. the treasure is the girl you landed.
the metaphor is that you cannot be alone, that means you are broken. are you getting over someone? that is acceptable, you can be getting over someone, but not for long. you must be single because you would rather not be single. you must be single and looking to not-be-single. you must want to date, eventually.
friendship and community are never seen as being equal-to or even-better than romantic connection. that person is your one! you need to find them. you need to hunt through the sand particles until you can shift out some kind of gem. this is regardless to your own experience of the beach and the sun. you need to be somewhere with someone.
if you are taking this time alone to heal, that is so sad. everyone gives you this little pitying look. the understanding is that you are not actually happier than you were before you were single. it is seen as a sort of pity - oh, you are choosing yourself, making yourself the priority? - that isn't quite right. you must mean that you are making yourself ready for the right person. you are just laying the bed better this time. open up your heart. you'll find them, we promise!
what do you mean you're really-truly genuinely-very happy? you are probably misremembering what it was like to be in a relationship. and besides, once you meet your person, that time will look grey and bland and wasted. your person is the only way for you to see in color. so what if you have taken this time - for the first time in your entire life - to actually-for-real do the fucking work. you can be proud of yourself, sure. but the way we need to know that you got better is that you get a partner. you're healed enough for the next bad part!
people don't choose to be single, they just say they're choosing to be single - they actually mean "nobody wants to date me." it doesn't matter how many people you have gently rejected or how many times you've talked it over carefully in therapy. what matters is that you are single, and by all accounts - that means you are something worth our pity. your successes and life all seem pale in the sunlight. sure, you have done amazing things and finally found your way in life. what matters is that there wasn't a person in the room with you while you did it.
you want to tell them - that's the whole thing. i didn't know how to be alone in the room. i didn't know how to handle the silence. every moment was so sharp, and i kept choosing the wrong way to close the door. i have spent my entire life in the empty well, living in the ricochet of someone else's cruelty. for once i have built myself a ladder. for once everything i taste is all mine, every bite of sunshine and laughter. i have learned how to sleep out in the open with my memories. recently, they have started to purr.
your father rolls his eyes. listen. this isn't about you. i just want a grandchild in my future.
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i need ghoap frantically making out against a door finally taking the leap on their feelings. need ghost grinding against soap, expecting to find him just as hard as him, only to feel nothing
and in all his wisdom and experience, he concludes soap was tortured and never told him
he’s trying to think of a delicate way to say he understands, that he’s been through it and it doesn’t change anything about how he feels (and who the fuck touched him so he can hunt them down and rend them limb from limb)
meanwhile trans!soap’s just trying to find the best angle to grind his cunt on ghost’s thigh
just it never even entering ghost’s head bc he’s never known a trans person but he has met plenty of people who’ve been tortured - himself included - so of course that’s his logical leap
soap takes off his shirt and he sees his top surgery scars and ghost asks if he wants him to kill the one who did it and soap just hums like, “actually, man did pretty good, they healed real well,” and ghost’s just teary-eyes with awe at how well he’s coping, “looking on the bright side, that’s my johnny.”
imagine he thinks johnny was fully castrated but sees he’s determined to still have a sex life with him so he buys packers and straps to help him bc hell yeah healing and soap’s just like, “holy shit i’ve never had such a thoughtful partner before, such a sweet man, lt.”
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"sunshine twins" suits han and felix so well but I feel like in very different ways for both of them. like felix is a sunny day when you're hanging out with your friends at the park and you can't remember ever being sad while han is when the sun comes out after it's been cloudy for a week and you finally feel your bad mood lifting a little because no matter how sad you get the world is still a beautiful place
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it’s the “Danny works for the Justice League” again but even more wonky:
Danny Fenton is but a simple engineer/ghost expert man
Phantom is but a simple ghostly hero
The Ghost King is but a simple “evil” monarch
so o’course Phantom gets called to protect Danny from the Ghost King
but you know that part where the story expanded so Dani was Danny and the Ghost King’s daughter?
and the Justice League thinks Danny was married to the Ghost King because of the Ring of rage that he can’t take off? so they think he still holds a torch?
Right.
Then, after the “truth” come out, the JL calls Phantom like “did you know about this??”
and he can’t just confirm it or deny it, it would be giving away precious info that doesn’t exist and he doesn’t have
Phantom is so obtuse about it that the JL assumes he is avoiding the topic because he objected to the wedding was in love with Danny
“Remember that time Phantom fought the Ghost King? Think maybe it had to do with this? and Danny was like Persephone?”
But then people begin making connections between Dani and Phantom and how they look similar, almost the same
So the people begin to think that Danny cheated on the Ghost King and that is why he’s “after him”
Dani is vibing the chaos, everyone knows she wants to be with her three fathers and rooting for poly, if only they all could meet and talk it out
“Communication is important, Dad,” she says with an innocent grin, “Pops said so.”
Cue meddling heroes conspiring to make the three-- totally different entities, not at all just one person-- do exactly that.
bonus: “What’s the JL thinking?”
danny looking uncomfortable = he is feeling guilty + he is torn
phantom wanting the JL to “leave it alone” + always going “i have to go” or “it doesn’t matter” when the topic comes up = defensive and resigned to unrequited
the ghost king being surprisingly quiet = disappointed and heartbroken + still has feelings and can’t actually do harm + menacingly + wants visitation rights
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