#// It wasn't all her fault but she definitely didn't try to make situations better

[deputygonebye]

No other canon character frustrates me more than Lori. She makes me wanna rip my hair out. LOL. I can respect her desire for chaos, though.

[thevoidstaredback]

Honestly, Danny doesn't know how he gets into these situations. It's probably the fault of a deity or an Ancient or someone. It's most definitely Clockwork's fault.

Going on that mission with Constantine sounded like a good idea at the time, and Raven was going to be there! She's the best impulse control on the team. He realizes he should've clarified why Raven was going with them. Evidently, it was not to help or be impulse control for the Ghost King and the Alcoholic Soul Whore. (Don't tell Constantine that's his nickname) Raven was going along because she had business at Titan Tower. It should've been obvious, but Danny is not the most observant.

Either way, he was wrong. He thought going on this mission with John - there was a demon running around an apartment building and people were, apparently, quite upset about that - would deter the Justice League from hounding him like roaches. He was right about that, but also very wrong because the proteges took the opportunity to sniff him out like the bloodhounds they are. Unsurprisingly, Red Robin was at the head of the charge.

Raven, the traitor, sat back and laughed at him. She wasn't laughing, but it was obvious that she found his misery amusing.

Anyway, this lead to a citywide hunt for Danny. Anytime he spotted even a hint of any of the Titans chasing him, he was gone. He couldn't stray too far from Constantine, though, and Beast Boy had a nose like a damn elephant.

The chase lasted a solid three hours before he had to let them catch him, if only so that he could tell them to leave him alone because he's there on official JLD business. Not like that would actually work, but he had hope. Unfortunately, he forgot that Red Robin is Bat Trained.

Danny took a second for himself before the Titans caught up with him. Was this really better than Deadman harassing him about his first time in Gotham? No, it wasn't. It wasn't any worse, either, and he didn't know how to feel about that.

"Are you finally done running?" Red Robin asked, landing in a crouch in front of him.

Danny folded his legs to sit criss-cross in the air as the rest of the kids that had been chasing him joined RR. "You make it sound like I'm a criminal."

"You ran like one," Beast Boy pointed out. Fair, but rude. "And, dude, I don't know if you know this, but you smell horrible."

Danny placed a hand on his chest with a dramatic gasp. "How dare you! I took a shower just last week!"

Raven was now unamused.

Superboy gagged a bit. "He's right," A small shudder. "I couldn't smell it before, but I can now that you're so close to me."

He sighed with equal dramatics as his gasp. "I guess I can never get rid of the smell, even after all this time."

Wonder Girl tilted her head to the side slightly. "Oh? And what smell would that be?"

"The smell of death," John Constantine, ever a man of impeccable timing, turned onto the side street to join them. He largely ignored the kids in favor of the ghost child who isn't actually a child but no one listens to him when he explains that so he's probably going to stop trying. "It lingers. C'mon, kid, we've got a demon to exorcise."

Danny huffed like a petulant child, "Still not a kid!"

Constantine continued walking away. "Still don't care."

Part 4 Part 6

Tag List:

@zaiothe4th @someonebored0100 @wolfeyedwitch @angelheartgamer @nymanders @princessbelix @luminanightfall @kgne-k @bianca-hooks123 @reigning-catsanddogs @sassywombatranchhorse @dontfightmecauseillcry @soul-lime @anarinette

[bloodcasket]

WHEN YOU'RE INJURED.

PAIRING(S): Ellie Williams x Reader, Abby Anderson x Reader.

WARNINGS: Mentions injury(cuts), blood, and other wounded descriptions. Slight angst?- (Possibly). Do not read if these are sensitive topics for you!

DESCRIPTION: How they react to your injury/take care of your wounds.

ELLIE WILLIAMS ;

The more loving, and attentive in this situation.

She sees you standing in front of her with a bleeding arm and she's immediately panicking.

After her trauma with Riley and all her other friends dying from infection, the last thing she wishes to see is her lover in pain.

But, she is extremely attentive. Remember when she was taking care of Joel? She will be on her hands and knees for you during times like these.

She rushes to go grab some supplies, not really having an idea in mind, just the goal of getting you healed.

She's full of anxiety and almost forgets to breathe.

"Shit! Where the fuck is it?". She quite literally rummages through everything and makes a mess.

Nothing else matters but you in this situation.

She comes back out with some antibiotics to clean you up, and some sutures to stitch your injury.

"I found some stuff...it might not be the best but it'll get you stitched up".

Her hands are shaking, you have to reassure her that you're okay.

"I got you, I got you", she'll whisper as she cleans you up.

Truth is, Ellie is a little insecure.

When she takes care of her own cuts, she does them messily and doesn't care enough to fix them.

But for you? Oh no. She has to make sure she does this right for her angel. She's just a little anxious she can't do it, is all.

When she's finished doing the best she can, she bends down to softly kiss your bandaged skin.

"There ya go. All better babe".

She's whispering sweet nothings to you all night.

She's hot on you ALL WEEK. Will not stop glancing at you and feeling guilty, even though it wasn't her fault.

"Hey babe, you feeling better?".

She needs a lot of reassurance that you're recovering fine. She doesn't want to lose you after all. It's one of her biggest fears. Even if it's over one trivial cut.

Waits for you to fall asleep at the end of every night to make sure you're not in any pain or form of discomfort.

She's the type of girlfriend to trace her fingers over your scarred skin lovingly once it's healed.

"I think I stitched it pretty good, didn't I?". A cocky act for someone who was scared shitless about you being hurt.

She's an extremely caring girlfriend even though she likes to pretend she's not. With Ellie, you'll feel loved and worshipped every moment.

YOU'RE sitting on the couch with Ellie, the faint sound of the record player playing music in background. A faint sigh is heard from below you, one that sounds defeated and downcast.

"You okay?", you run your hands through Ellie's hair as she lays her head down softly in your lap, her face turned toward your stomach. She responds by reaching up and softly tracing her fingers along your wounded arm, feeling the texture of the cotton wrapped around your skin.

"I hate seeing you hurt like this", she grumbles, and you try your best to hold back a chuckle. She's been like this all week, clinging to you with a woeful tone. "I know", is all you can say, your fingers gingerly massaging her scalp, "and I love you".

You watch her melt into your touch, her lips curving into a soft smile. You can tell she tries to hide it. "I love you too babe". Only you can make her smile like this.

ABBY ANDERSON ;

The more experienced and intelligent in this situation.

Abby is definitely more knowledgeable when it comes to issues like this, she knows exactly what to do because of her father being a doctor.

The moment you're showing her your laceration, she's immediately seating you down someplace safe, telling you to wait a second while she grabs the medkit.

She's extremely calm, her face showing patience, but her eyes prevailing concern.

She doesn't panic you in this situation, quite the opposite. She holds her mature composure.

She soothes you and tells you everything is going to be okay, that she'll take care of you.

Her hands are large and soft against you as she's examining your body. Your face becomes flush as her warm palms caress your aching skin.

"Does this area hurt babe?" , Her keen attention does things to you.

She smiles up at you in-between stitching the cut, trying her best to ease you.

"Hey, hey, hey. Focus on me okay? I know it hurts baby, I'm almost done".

She cleans your wounds thoroughly and makes sure everything is disinfected and wrapped up professionally.

She questions you after everything is done, acting annoyed with her grumpy expression. She wants to know every miniscule detail.

Truth is, she's just extremely anxious as to how you even became hurt in the first place. She wants to find a way to prevent it happening again.

"Just...please be safe next time or else I'll have to go with you. Okay baby?".

She gives you that intimidating glare, one that warns you to be more cautious of your surroundings.

You promise it won't happen again.......but your answer doesn't suffice. Abby sticks to you like glue.

She checks up on you every day and helps aid you when it comes to changing the bandages.

"Stop it, give that to me", she quickly takes the bandages from your hand, "let me do that for you".

She's an experienced girlfriend and is set on a routine of taking care of you. When you're dating Abby, you'll feel like a spoiled princess.

YOU'RE currently in the bathroom, examining all the medical tools Abby has. Truth is, you're searching for something to replace your old bandages with since they became soiled and bloody. "Where are they?-" you ask yourself, but are soon stopped as your girlfriend enters.

"What are you doing?", Abby is propped up against the frame of the door, looking at you with a questioning expression. "I thought I told you to come to me when you needed help changing those. Here, let me handle it", she sits you down on the toilet seat as she goes to unwrap your gauze.

"Looks better already. It's healing quick sweetheart, I'm proud of you". Her smile is so sweet and warm as she looks down at you.

She bends down to kiss your forehead, and you're smiling like an idiot as you feel her soft lips press against your temple.

[azurlily]

Dont ask just read, this is what a bored and horny mind can come up with. Yes, this woman needs a name so for now we will call her LSM. What does that stand for? Lets find out together. Completely UNEDITED.

Lesbian Sugar Mommy

You had a daily schedule, a routine. You followed this routine everyday for years. For years. So you being poor as hell at only 24, being barely able to afford food and rent. It was an all time low for you, and an embarrassing one at that. Recently your friend recommends you try a sugar dating app. At first you thought it was stupid, but mulled it over and remembered how broke you were. You made a profile and it took a couple days before you matched with a woman. At first you were incredibly awkward when texting and felt embarrassed. She seemed like the kindest woman you've ever met. She understood you and was better than any man or woman you had previously dated.

You were honestly pretty enamored with her, she has dark green eyes. Like a forest green, god they're beautiful, and you swear they change color depending on what she's wearing. Her hair is long and dark, contrasting her lightly tan skin. Her hair is slightly curly, definitely not straight. In the many pictures she's sent you, you notice all her nails are perfect manicured, but two on each finger have been cut down completely. You didn't bother asking, weren't a virgin or stupid, simply poor. You two began talking a bit more about finances after a couple weeks. She listened to you talk about your financial situation, how you could barely keep a roof over your head. By the end of your two and a half hour conversation, you found yourself being wired $10,000. It wasn't as if it was out of nowhere considering what the conversation was, but it was surprising. LSM had said she wanted to give you a bit of money to keep you going for the month. She had not said she was give 10,000 fucking dollars! You didn't know what to do with the money. Other than pay your bills and let the rest sit.

For a couple days you were worried she'd want it all back, but no, instead she asked if you wanted more.

"Well I didn't give you that much...so I'm just making sure it's enough. I can give you plenty more, sugar."

You had reassured her it was enough, much more than enough. In the following days you were finding her flirting with you more, being more straightforward. You blushed everytime she made a crude joke, but you almost wished it was a statement.

When LSM had asked if you wanted to have dinner at her place you agreed. You wondered how the night would go, if you would fuck up and she'd be mad. You hoped the night went as well as possible, and if not, that she'd at least tell you.

The night went a lot of different ways. At first she was playing the kind and gracious host, then she was flirting with you. Finally you had both drank a little too much of her expensive red wine, and she fucked you against her king size bed.

You dont remember the first little bit, but you certainly remember how your night ended. Well not all of it, that woman has the sex drive of a beast. She continued until she couldn't, until you couldn't walk and she couldn't see straight. If nothing else; your legs will remember this until you die.

"Good morning sugar, how are you feeling? I hope I wasn't too rough on you, although I can't say it was entirely my fault. You kept begging me to keep going, and who am I to deny you?"

You whined, talking hurt, and you couldn't move without some part of your body below your waist hurting. You sit up just a enough and look at yourself in your phone mirror. Oh she knew exactly what she was doing, theres a massive bite mark on your shoulder. Everywhere else there's hickeys, like they're changing color.

"Before you get mad- please look at my back!"

She turned and you saw large scratch marks running down her back. From her shoulders to her ass, you can also see quite the array of bites on her shoulder. One looks like it was actually bleeding. Your reaction must be funny because she's laughing like crazy. She gently cups your face and kisses your lips.

"So pretty. My girl is so pretty arent you? Mommy's little girl."

You just laid in her arms for a while, letting her talk about whatever she wanted. You were tired and her touch made you weak. You began thinking about your job, did you have to call in to work today? Were you working today? You asked LSM, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"You wont need your job anymore, at least not this one. I've already sent your monthly allowance over to you. You can quit that job anytime, it'll give you more time for me."

Monthly allowance? You pulled away to check your bank account. Sure enough she had transferred over $40,000.

You stared at the number for a moment a then looked back at her. You assumed she was some sort of big millionaire, but now that you're looking around. Really looking. You dont want to know what this woman does for a living.

"Pay no mind sugar, now come here. I'll have someone bring breakfast and we can stay in bed all day!"

[buckybarnesss]

The idea of Derek being present in season 5 and being supportive of Stiles intrigues me because of the potential contrast to Stiles & Malia. Malia knew about Donovan but didn't care in the way that Stiles needed her to when he was struggling. Which isn't her fault - she's not human, didn't grow up human, and thus has no understanding of WHY Stiles would be upset.

Malia is definitely one of the characters I think JD mishandled the most.

The potential Scott vs Derek is delicious, because they both went through the Nogitsune ordeal, and because Derek also trusts Stiles implicitly, whereas that trust between Scott and Stiles is frayed.

Derek and the sheriff would 100% destroy any and all evidence against Stiles. It wouldn't even be a question in their minds.

do not get me started on malia tate and how badly she was mishandled. i know she isn't the most popular character but i love her and she deserved so much better than what they gave her.

derek in s5 would've been so intriguing. i was actually making a list of why derek couldn't be in s5 because it'd just break everything.

he'd take one look at theo and called him a great value version of peter and theo would have to no choice but to die of shame

would help and support malia with killing corrine because corrine is trying to kill her.

also it'd be really interesting for derek to have to confront the idea that talia hale forced someone to carry a pregnancy they didn't want in addition to removing peter's memories of it which removed peter's agency in the situation.

he would definitely been able to help liam with his control and be someone liam could actually turn to for advice and help when he felt like scott wasn't listening.

if liam bonded with and grew to trust derek it would've been a great echo of the situation with isaac back in s3. scott could've felt jealous and threatened over it.

he also probably could've been useful with helping kira find control over her fox thereby rendering the skin walker plot useless.

derek would've figured out jordan was a hellhound.

the scott and derek dynamic would've been interesting as fuck because scott was failing as an alpha in the way derek did and scott wasn't very understanding of derek's failures and short comings.

he would've been such a great support system for stiles which would've undermined theo's entire agenda. derek would've never doubted stiles not after everything they'd been through together.

i would've loved to hear his thoughts about the whole le bête situation and how he would've handled that with the argents. like fuck off and die already gerard.

[clumsykleptorocketscientist]

The Winchester Family: A Rant

Can I just say that Sheriff Jody Mills was more of a mother to Sam and Dean Winchester more than Mary ever was, even after Amara brought her back. Like I guess no hate to Mary...? But like isn't the whole thing about the Winchesters is that family isn't just blood. They developed wayy closer bonds than the ones with Mary, and I know it isn't necessarily her fault, but she wasn't there. Like I dunno, I just wasn't in love with Mary coming back, especially since when she did come back, it seemed like she saw they were grown up and like, didn't care..? Like it felt like she went "oh my job is done these are just two grown dudes that I gave birth to once." Like I know its a weird situation, but as a person who grew up watching Once Upon a Time, where like almost the same thing happened, with Snow, David, and Emma, I can't help but compare their reactions and Mary just didn't stack up.

Snow and David were so ecstatic to see Emma and tried so hard to make up for lost time and parent her as much as they could. They kept trying even as Emma pushed them away saying she was grown and that her and her parents were technically the same age. Throughout the show they found a way to still be her parents while still acknowledging she was grown. It was really beautiful to see, but in comparison Mary did not stack up.

Yes, she is a badass, and, yes, her identity should not solely surround her being the boys' mother, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be a mother at all. It would've been nice to see her figure out a way to strike the balance the Snow and David did, and I never got that vibe. In Supernatural, it seemed the opposite. It was Dean and Sam trying to be her sons and she pushed them away for the same reasons. I'm not saying she was a bad person, or even a bad mother, as it was a really weird situation and I can't necessarily blame her for how she dealt with it. What I AM saying, though, is that her name had no right to be carved onto that table. Point. Blank. Period.

Also, by the way, since I'm complaining, that weird episode with the pearl thing that let John Winchester come back so they could have a family dinner?????? As if that could truly be what Dean desired. Are you fucking kidding me. John sucked, made them both feel like shit, abused them, and yet that was the "family dinner" we got. It's been a while since I watched the show, so Idk a timeline, but screw the timeline for a sec. Across the entire show, a true family dinner would be Dean and Cas with their son Jack, Sam as the Uncle with Eileen, Bobby and Jody as the Dean and Sam's parents (because, unlike Mary, I very much feel like Jody struck that balance even though they weren't her actual sons) and Jody's brigade of wayward sisters trailing behind her, Donna as like the step-mother or aunt (Idk how Donna fits, I just LOVE Donna), and Charlie as Sam and Dean's little sister. Jo, Ellen, and Ash pop in with Rufus as those family members that are close, but you can't quite pinpoint how exactly you're related to them. Bonus: Kevin and Linda Tran come over like friendly neighbors because, even though they have a family of their own, the Trans are definitely close to the Winchesters, though, whether they like it or not. As much as I'd like to add Adam (to make up for him being left in the pit), I have a feeling he wouldn't want to. He seemed like a guy who refused to subscribe to the idea that because they were blood, they were family. (Maybe Sam and Dean should've learned a thing or two).

TL;DR:

Sam and Dean had a much bigger, and better, family then just John and Mary, but it was never really acknowledged fully and in the best way.

[haarrrys]

Can you do more single dad harry? Maybe harry struggles with Amani wanting more independence?

independence

wc - 1.5k

🏷️ tags - dad!harry , singledad!harry , minor angst¿, dad!harry x amani, and of course, fluff.

pairings - singledad!harry & daughter!amani 🍪🥛

summary - amani wants to go to a party, harry isn’t so sure.

a/n : i usually like writing amani as a baby/toddler but for this i decided to portray her as a teen, so she's like 14/15 :) the timeline in terms of harry's career might be messy but just know he's still touring and doing well!

more harry and amani!

"no."

"but dad—"

"i said no amani." harry sighed, shutting his laptop harshly and giving her a cold, yet gentle stare. he was becoming frustrated with her. he had been in his at home office for only ten minutes before amani began pestering him about a party. at first he jokingly ignored her, which she found humorous until she realized her dad was very serious about not letting her go.

he understands what she's going through; harry was once an impressionable teen like herself, wanting to do what everyone else was doing, even if some things he did get into could be deemed illegal.

harry regretted a lot throughout his teen years, he lied to his mum a lot and snuck around. he just doesn't want the same for her.

"this is what I'm talking about dad! you don't let me do anything! for just once let me do something on my own! ill be home before ten pm, and farha will be with me the whole time. just, please dad." her voice is quiet at the end, and it makes harry's heart feel terrible; like he did something horribly wrong to have his daughter in tears, even though he's only trying to keep her safe.

"I let you do things." harry whispers, ignoring the real problem at hand.

amani rolls her eyes in annoyance, "like what? last time i did anything remotely by myself was when i snuck out for an hour just to be with some friends, and even then you freaked!" she said, letting out a choked laugh of disbelief.

"I had every right to freak out, you weren't home and you didn't answer your phone! how do you think that made me feel?" he said, wrapping his arms around himself defensively. something similar about him and amani is that they're both stubborn. when they argue, neither wants to admit their faults.

he wishes amani wasn't so much like him sometimes, so sure of herself that she puts herself into situations that aren't safe, so vulnerable that's shes bound to end up hurt by someone.

"how it made you feel?" she deadpans, "do you ever think about me!? how I feel?!"

harry of course considers his daughters feelings, and well being in every situation, but before he can answer amani is storming off, muttering "forget it, I don't care." and he's left to the sound of her feet pattering against the floorboards, becoming more distant with every step. she has the decency to not slam her door, like harry definitely would've.

sometimes, harry wishes amani wasn't like her mother, who always ran away from problems.

—

around eight pm harry began to feel bad. he knew he wasn't wrong for not wanting his daughter, who is only fourteen, to attend this party with no parents or adults present. anything could happen to her, even if her friends are present.

who knows what they could be up to? amani has gossiped to him about some students vaping and doing drugs in the bathroom stalls, and although he trusts amani not to do these things he still doesn't feel safe sending her off while knowing that's what most of them could be doing.

is it so wrong to want to keep her safe? he knows he's struggled with letting her do things on her own but he's gotten better. she has sleepovers, goes to movies, and has even gone on vacation with her friend. all without harry. he's let her do countless of independent things, as long as he knows she's safe. this party, he doesn't think is safe.

—

a knock disrupts harry, and immediately he knows who it is.

"farha? amani isn't going to the party sor—"

"i know..can i come in please?" she cuts him off, not trying to seem rude but having urgency in her tone. harry nods, and moves to the side to allow her to come in. he's known farha since she was in pull ups, so at this point he considers her family.

"she's not in the best mood." he says, watching the girl take off her shoes.

farha sighs, smiling sadly. "I know, she's been reading my text but not answering. i brought some snacks to cheer her up." harry smiles back at her, glad that his daughter has such a great friend.

"aw, that's really nice of you." he says, only before he's interrupting himself.

"did you end up going to the party?" harry knows this may be a weird question, but he's just curious. and knowing farha's parents, they definitely would disapprove of the whole idea too.

she shakes her head, "i did want to go, but only if amani would come too. the party seemed lame anyway, got shut down by cops few minutes ago too. i guess me and amani are lucky, 'cause they're searching everyone." farha explains, laughing a bit towards the end.

harry smirks, and the childish part of him wants to go up to amani and chant a string of, "I told you so" but he's in his late thirties now, so he refrains from doing so.

after talking for a-bit longer, farha heads up to amani’s bedroom, leaving harry to his thoughts again.

he walks over to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. he takes a sip, feeling the cold liquid sliding down his throat. it's been a long day, and he's feeling overwhelmed. he needs to figure out how to balance his daughter's need for independence with his need to protect her.

after all these years, he can’t help but feel like he’s still holding her back. even if his intentions are purely for good.

as he thinks about this, suddenly, someone is behind him, hugging him.

he doesn’t have to turn around to know it’s his amani.

"hey love." he says, trying to sound calm.

"dad," amani says, her voice shaking. "i'm so sorry. I shouldn't have stormed out like that. I know you were just trying to protect me."

harry feels a weight lift off his shoulders. he knows that amani is young and full of hormones, and sometimes she just needs a bit of space. but he also knows that he needs to let her spread her wings, even if that means letting go a little bit.

harry smiled as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, kissing the top of her head. "It's okay, love. I know it's not easy growing up," he said, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

amani sighed and leaned into him, and in that moment, everything felt right in harry's world. he knew that as long as he had her by his side.

harry took a deep breath and pulled away, smiling down at amani. "you know, I've been thinking. maybe we can find a compromise. how about this — you're allowed to go to the parties, IF I know they’re safe, and we set some ground rules that you have to follow."

amani's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "yes!dad, I’d love that!" she exclaimed, hugging him again. harry couldn't help but grin, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

they stood there for a moment, clinging to each other for comfort. it was a reminder of how lucky they were to have each other. they might not always agree on everything, but at the end of the day, they had each other's backs.

he knew that parenting was a constant learning experience, but in that moment, he felt like he had finally gotten it right. he had found a way to give amani the independence she needed while still keeping her safe. It was a delicate balance, but one that he was willing to work on every day — as long as he had his lovely daughter with him.

and as they hugged each other tightly, harry knew that everything was going to be okay. they had each other, and that was all that mattered.

“you guys are so cute,” farha gasped, making herself known as she walked into the kitchen, eating a snack (that was meant to cheer up amani) and joining in on the hug. both harry and amani laughed, rolling their eyes.

everything was gonna be okay.

thank you so much for reading! ☕️ 🤍

requests are always open!

-fic rec masterlist-

look at me posting.. lol.

but no, over the summer i swear I’m gonna be posting & writing a lot more! so anons who sent requests months ago.. get excited.

[utilitycaster]

I've been thinking about this since I started getting tags on this post (which was initially in part about Imogen, but also to an extent Laudna; see the end of this post) about Shiv Roy of Succession, and it was solidified in the incredibly apt comparison of Imogen's powers and the trauma they cause to generational trauma. I initially wanted to cover Shiv too in this, since I agree that in a much more grounded way the same thing often happens to her in fandom, but I think it made the too long post even longer and required a lot of context about Succession, and the fact is that while they share many similarities, Shiv and Imogen are sufficiently different people that an extended comparison weakens the argument. That said, if you are familiar...keep it in mind.

Part of what makes Imogen such a unique character and apt metaphor is that her "privilege" and the harm done to her are even more definitively from the same source than the generational trauma inflicted by a wealthy parent. The fact that the source is a cosmic horror further complicates things, as it's hard to adequately blame the unknowable. It is further complicated by the fact that her mother, at least, believes the way to end the cycle is to free that cosmic horror, and we as the audience do not know for sure if that's true.

Imogen has magical powers beyond what her humble upbringing could have provided her, but, until she receives her circlet, they require immense effort to control. These powers are initially unwanted both by her and those around her, as they represent a profound, if unintended, invasion of privacy. Her isolation is implied to be itself a vicious cycle: she doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the thoughts of others, and so withdraws, and they don't want her to know their thoughts, so they do the same. She says this of father: "No, no, no, my dad's great! He tried, you know, when things started happening, and it wasn't like that growing up, you know, I didn't have all of this. I don't know why it started. It was hard for him, you know? Because I didn't want to be around very many people, and... he just kind of - distanced himself because he knew it made me more comfortable, and...you know, the people in town started talking, and I think he tried to distance himself socially as well for a while to try to, you know. Not his fault, totally." (episode 3x06, 37:35) She later wonders (correctly) if Relvin were partially motivated by not wanting her to learn some of his secrets. She also muses (as we later learn, incorrectly) that his life is probably easier and better without her there. And, most notably, she asks herself why she didn't leave Gelvaan prior to Laudna's arrival.

While the psychic powers are both the cause of Imogen's own harm, physical and psychological; and the damage that invasion of privacy, while again severe, is unintentional; Imogen's departure from Gelvaan is marked by her nearly killing several townspeople. When she returns and speaks to her father, it's revealed that she was aware that she might have killed them. The precise details of why she attacked in that way are not made clear, so it's difficult to judge her level of control and intent in that situation, but the material facts are that she could have killed several people, and does not seem to have considered what this means with regards to how others might see her.

Imogen is justifiably cynical, because she hears everyone's worst thoughts. But as a result she judges people on those thoughts more so than their actions. The problem, of course, is that she focuses on intent and ideology more so than outcome. As Ashton puts it when Imogen considers whether the Vanguard might be good, "There's a bunch of people who are treating other people like they're fucking nothing, like they're fucking pawns. It doesn't matter what the fuck they want. They are doing it wrong." It's why Imogen sees no issue floating the idea of siding with Laudna's murderer: their vision is compelling and she (Imogen) knows that she (Imogen) does not intend harm. But it is a harmful statement nonetheless. That's the problem: one is not always the most objective judge of one's own intent; and that it's very easy to always see the nuance in one's own actions while ignoring how good the reasoning behind other people's actions may be. Imogen knows surface thoughts, but does she know the entire history of everyone whose mind she reads? Are those judgments fair?

Imogen thinks those surface thoughts are enough, and, notably, she will use those powers against people's will to do so, as witnessed with FCG: "I've been trying my damndest to not look into all y'all's minds all the fucking time because it felt like an invasion of privacy. But I will if I have to!" It is a sympathetic statement, since it takes place immediately after FCG's attack...but on the other hand, Imogen has herself (reasonably) scolded FCG for similarly reading her mind without permission, and this is still a surveillance tactic that denies FCG their privacy. To Imogen, the intent is to protect; but that doesn't mean it's not invasive.

Imogen's destruction in Bassuras is very much her being pushed to the limit, and to her immense credit, no one in Bells Hells is injured by it. But we don't know if that's true of any NPCs. [as an aside, if Imogen is not responsible, then Laudna's claim that this is a display of how incredible Imogen is (3x65 at 3:19:34) is no longer valid]. Is this power intentional, in which case under Imogen's system of morality, which is entirely about intent, she is culpable? Is it unintentional, in which case she is still the cause of the damage? If she bears no responsibility, doesn't that make her a simple tool of Otohan? Wouldn't that be worth confiscating or rendering inoperable if that were the case? (to be clear: I don't think that is the case. I think Imogen's agency is, in fact, her saving grace: denying it makes her a tool of mindless destruction, whereas validating it allows her to use these powers for good.)

I would even go so far as to say that this is the running theme of the campaign. Bells Hells can, in a way, be split into two groups: those grappling with both the legacies and the trauma inflicted by one's parents (Fearne, Ashton; Orym serving as a counterexample of someone who follows in good footsteps) and those exploring whether you are the monstrous loss of control or the one who controls it (Chetney, Laudna) with FCG and Imogen - especially Imogen - standing in the overlap of these circles. They have suffered immense loss and pain from these powers and from the ones who made them like this. They have also done great damage themselves. Perhaps they will break that cycle; because this is D&D and they are the heroes, and because I like them, I hope they will.

I will say, because this is within the context of people pushing back against even the most milquetoast criticisms of Imogen, that I recall the gnarlrock fight. In that, Imogen was, among a segment of the fandom - a segment I suspect overlaps with the one now vehemently defending her against each perceived slight - the villain. Because Laudna didn't mean it! Delilah controlled her! And yet, there's Imogen's gnarlrock, and what it represented - she thought it could be what the circlet was - broken. There's Orym and Fearne and Laudna, told to their faces that the person who murdered them might be right. There's the Verdict, nearly burnt to death. There's two people nearly dead in Gelvaan; there's a swath of people whose secrets have been revealed against their will.

You can be a person, who is capable of good and bad and for whom good is an effort and a credit and something you choose, who is responsible for the harm they do even if the intent was to do good; or you can be a mindless object wielded by the controller. Those are the options. I like Imogen too much to reduce her to the latter.

As a final thought, I'd like to share a tweet, which, as you may have heard, Matt Mercer himself liked (well - the first one):

I do not think she is kind, as the above meta hopefully illustrates, but I also don't particularly value "kind" in D&D characters; I am a massive fan of good is not nice as a trope so that doesn't really weigh on my opinion of Imogen. I do agree she is, on the whole, consistently choosing to be good. And I agree with those villain comparisons:

Delilah's love is self-centered in intent, and she is aware of it; "I broke the world for you" is an admission of how profoundly she has upset the cosmic balance. She sees the world, and she sees Sylas's body, and she makes her choice. Lucien too would destroy Exandria for power; he would destroy the source of the power itself for power. Selfish. Liliana and Otohan sell out those who tried to help them, leaving their minds to be destroyed by Ludinus; they, as Imogen states, could be putting at risk everyone who relies on divine magic; they are making choices for Imogen herself without Imogen's input. She is capable of the same self-centeredness, and frequently shows it, but unlike them, does not follow it to the logical extreme.

For Imogen's good to mean anything - for it to be a choice, for it to be intentional rather than automatic, and therefore, of her own admission, good - it must be pushing back against something. And that something is a deep self-centeredness. She is fighting it, but it is there, and to deny it denies the goodness as well. And if she at times stumbles in that fight? Well, as they say, we love a girlfailure.

[ikamigami]

Oh I want to yell at Nexus so badly, him talking about how his family didn't love him when they all did, "Sun was grieving the brother he killed" and yet Sun loved Nexus more than Moon and admitted that more than once, "Lunar was just missing the old me" Lunar never indicated he missed Moon more and it's only when Nexus went off the deep end that he got angry, "Earth was only being nice to fulfill a purpose because dad didn't love her" she wanted to help everyone because she's a kind person and she loved Nexus more than anything hence why the two were so vulnerable with one another, I am glad Solar had the reasonable response to that nonsense but I am anticipating certain people twisting this the wrong way, especially with Nexus's whole "you're the only one I cared about Solar", since that's an argument a lot of people make to justify Nexus, how Solar didn't compare Nexus to Moon

Ha ha ha ha ha 🤣

I only want to laugh at Nexus' attempts at lying to himself that he never cared about anyone beside Solar..

He cared..

But also I really don't believe him.. cause why he didn't say that he will kill Sun? 🤨

I get it most of you probably don't see it like that.. and that's fine..

I don't mind being in the tiny itty bitty group of people who are sure that Nexus still cares about Sun.. (I said group of people cause hey! I think that I'm not the only one who thinks that, right?)

Also I'm proud of Solar and I'm glad that I was hoping that he'll react the way he did.. cause I'm serious that I'd lost every bit of respect towards him if he sided with Nexus.. 😬

Also wow Sun can sense star energy now? Or maybe.. just maybe he can sense Nexus cause he's also his Moon? :)

But I agree with you, dear anon and I'm afraid that you're right that certain fans will twist this situation into something else.. 😮‍💨

And also well.. no one is really comparing Nexus to Moon that much.. I remember Monty doing it..

And well Sun didn't mean to compare them and in fact he wasn't comparing them but I'm not surprised why Nexus felt like he was..

But the truth is.. we can't blame Sun for this.. because it's not his fault that he was grieving and that couldn't explain himself when no one allowed him and that no one helped him with trauma caused by Moon back then..

I think that in situations like that.. it just happened.. it wasn't Sun's fault.. and it wasn't Nexus' fault that he had existential crisis because it's understandable considering circumstances..

Things just happen sometimes..

Nothing justify Nexus' actions though.. because like I said.. he wasn't even lashing out..

And even if he might have been more cold and uncaring because of psychotic episode or something like that.. it doesn't justify him almost killing Earth..

Also cause I almost forgot.. it's obvious that it hurt him that Sun locked him in the cell.. but Nexus doesn't know full story.. cause Sun never planned on leaving him there alone.. and he'd definitely visit him again if it wasn't for Puppet, Foxy and Monty.. and I'm sure that if Sun knew better way to stop Nexus from trying to do something bad he'd do that..

Because I get it that locking Nexus wasn't the best idea.. and that it made Nexus' mental state worse.. but I swear that Sun wouldn't do that if he had better idea.. or if anyone else would help him..

I understand Nexus' feelings.. but it doesn't justify his actions..

And I can't wait for the day when he'll realize that he screwed up big time.. but not in a way that "oh I know that I did bad" but that he'll regret it and finally start getting some help.. and also atone for what he's done..

But the thing is that we don't know what VAs planned for Nexus.. but we shall see I guess..

[good-beanswrites]

🎬: Please do not remind me Kazui and Kotoko didn't get their songs covered by Es 😭 It was such a disservice. I'm gonna just chalk it up to Kazui's voice is so deep that Es couldn't sing it properly and by the time Kotoko's MV was shown to them, the first trial ended before they could even sing it.

Or, y'know. Your AU, so Es did cover their songs too.

Also another thing for post-MILGRAM hangout where Es joins in too...KARAOKE (didn't Milgram have some sort of karaoke-related event running earlier?) Or maybe they have their own karaoke party at someone's home (I know someone has a karaoke set at home!), so they sing their songs and encourage Es to sing too...and pleeeeease sing "half" and "harrow" too (this will lead to Es finding out they've been eavesdropping on their singing. Hey!). Bonus that Deco's song is such a bop in the AU that everyone sings the songs they covered.

...my train of thought is still running, but I just imagined this AU's Milgram allowed everyone to gradually accept their faults that almost led them to their crime. Soooo Mahiru is still just as sweet, BUT rocks it when she sings "Psychogram". Also Amane, I like to imagine at this point she can be a bit more of a kid (I can dream!), so she's sort of bouncing around when she sings "Positive Parade" and "Animal" while the girls dance with her.

But with that said, I hope we'll get more Es' song covers! Or at the very least make up for "half" and "harrow"...and c'mon, Es didn't get to sing at all this trial. What gives?!

RIP I know 😭 I'm hoping we'll get a bunch of covers to fill the trial hiatus, and that they'll start with those two!! I know some people were worried that they would never get covers because they didn't reach 1M before the trial closed, but I think that's an oddly unfair requirement for the later prisoners. So I'm confident we'll get them at some point!

Kotoko's does make a bit more sense -- it was right at the end of the trial, and there wasn't much too break down in the lyrics because she was very forthcoming with information/intention. And I like that explanation for Kazui's! Es was intimidated by his voice and didn't want to do it an injustice by singing it poorly. Maybe Kazui makes a snide comment that they would have actually understood his crime better if they'd studied/sang his lyrics like the others' 😅

And I love the post-Milgram thoughts! Given Yuno's mvs and her written response about liking karaoke, I can definitely see her taking everyone out to her favorite karaoke spot. I like that too because the covers were kind of an indulgent inclusion of mine -- I knew they didn't quite fit in during the trial hiatus but I really wanted it to happen asdfdsn. Like, I know Amane wouldn't do frivolous things, and Kotoko/Shidou/Kazui would try to take the situation seriously and not play around. But if it's all after the experiment... >:3

Thank you 🎬! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those covers soon 😤🤞

[henrysglock]

Patty being the one who makes Henry want to be a better person is so funny to me because that bit specifically stems from the fact that she's dropping mixed signals re; unconditional love the same way his mother does. He's still got hope that she might be able to give him that love he craves from his mother, which makes him want to be a better person so he might be "worthy" of it. Patty gives Henry a healthier version of the mixed signals Virginia gives him. She's caring and accepting up until a point, and then she turns on him at the last minute, despite "loving" him and despite seeing that something is clearly amiss.

It's literally so funny (it kills the man) when you think about it, because with Mr. Newby/the attic attack, Patty just, essentially, leaps right from

"Henry, you're a miracle!"

to:

"Hm. Yeah. This was all Henry's fault. It was all definitely deliberate, too, and he's definitely stalking me/out to kill me for...??? reasons. Because he's Henry. IDK. Math is mathing for sure."

There's no:

"Henry was trying to stop me from going through with that plan to use his powers. Maybe there was a reason for that? Maybe he was trying to warn me that it's dangerous for us both. So maybe he isn't what's dangerous about this, maybe he's just a vessel for something else, something he struggles to control. Maybe that's why he straight up begged my father to get me out of the attic when he showed up to collect me as things went wrong."

despite her supposedly talking Henry through beating the Shadow in the attic. (Which...I don't think she ever actually helped Henry with the attic possession. I think Henry made that all up to save himself.)

There's also no:

"Holy shit, Henry just disappeared after this whole debacle? Last time I saw him, he was half-aware on the floor of the attic. Is he even alive? Does anyone know where he is?"

either, which is something we even got from Joyce and Hopper.

Joyce and Hopper care more about Henry's wellbeing after the attic incident than Patty does, because she veers directly into being terrified of Henry...despite her supposedly having confessed her love to him while witnessing him fighting off possession!

"2+2 = George Washington" type math going on here.

Patty tells Henry early on that whatever powers he has might be a miracle rather than a mistake, only to veer directly into "Henry's a monster. He's going to hunt me down and kill me" each time.

Mixed signals.

And then when she learns better, when Mr. Newby tells her about the Shadow and she goes to find Henry/makes plans to run away with him, all Brenner has to do is tell her about the Creel murders and she's suddenly against Henry again! Despite knowing about the Shadow and about the conditions Brenner had Henry under in the lab!

There was no:

"Did Henry have a choice? What really happened here? What were the circumstances? This doesn't sound right, it sounds like you might have your fingers in all this, Dr. Brenner. Was Henry cornered into this situation?"

It's just:

Mixed signals.

It's not solid love, and it never was.

(This is why Will's exorcism succeeded, too. He had unconditional love on all sides, regardless of the fucked up things the Shadow had him doing. Joyce and Mike didn't care that Will sent all those soldiers to their deaths, they just cared about helping Will. Jonathan felt guilty that he wasn't there to help handle Will. They were all afraid for Will, not of Will.)

[drpeppertummy]

woe tiny little story be upon ye. return of sunny & laurie following a tummy prompt activity with a friend

[unwilling stuffing, tummyache]

"Don't look at me like that. The deal was, if you fuck it up, you have to eat it."

Still, Sunny stared up at Laurie with big sad eyes, but she turned away, leaving him with his cayenne-laden mistake. His eyes slowly fell to the lasagna. Even if it tasted fine, it was still a full-size dish. He felt full already just looking at it. His stomach, not yet up to date on his perilous situation, growled loudly.

"Sounds like you're hungry," said Laurie, not bothering to hide her amusement. "Better get started. It's probably going to take a while."

"You suck," grumbled Sunny.

"Hey, you agreed to it. Not my fault you were messing around."

"I was not messing around! You were getting in the way!"

"I was not!"

"Yes you were!"

"Sunny, would you shut up and eat your lasagna?"

Sunny glared at her and picked up his fork. Stubborn as he was, he was a man of his word. Sighing, he stuck his fork into the dish and dug out a bite. The lasagna's one saving grace was that, aside from accidentally dumping a ton of cayenne into it, Sunny was a good cook. He was relieved to find, taking his first bite, that the heat wasn't unbearable, at least for now. It was still far hotter than it had any business being, however, and definitely not suitable for the party he and Laurie had been cooking for. The replacement was in the oven now, and it pained him to think that he'd be too full to have any by the time it was done.

He continued working on the lasagna while Laurie cleaned up, unsure whether he should pace himself or try to wolf it all down before the fullness set in. He decided to just eat and not think about it, just like he was trying not to think about the heat building on his tongue. He was, however, already finishing up what would have been the equivalent of a second piece, if he had been cutting them and not just eating straight out of the dish, and the growing fullness in his stomach would soon be impossible to ignore. Sunny was notorious for biting off more than he could chew--literally as often as figuratively--and he knew as well as anyone that the capacity of his stomach was underwhelming. He was already past where he would normally quit, and he still had a long way to go.

As Sunny paused between bites, a sharp hiccup shook his body. Laurie turned to look at him, surprised, and was unable to hold back a fit of laughter. Sunny shot her an angry look.

"I'm sorry," Laurie giggled, snorting. Sunny made a face at her and turned miserably back to his lasagna. He was almost a third of the way through it now and well beyond full. He hiccuped again. The harsh contraction of his stomach was not a welcome feeling. He groaned quietly and held his free hand against his belly, which was much rounder and firmer than it had been when he started. With a sigh, he stuck his fork back into the dish and kept going.

The overwhelming fullness had become impossible to ignore, and each bite pushed Sunny further into the realm of discomfort. He would have sworn he could feel his stomach stretching as he forced down the equivalent of a sixth serving. His belly felt unbelievably tight, and was sticking out far over his belt. Another hiccup jostled his stomach, dislodging a weak burp. It didn't provide much relief. He paused for a moment, leaning back in the chair, breathing slowly. He hiccuped. There was still a third of the lasagna left.

Cautiously rubbing his belly, Sunny leaned back toward the lasagna. He picked up another bite and carried on, more slowly than ever. Making himself chew and swallow was becoming increasingly difficult. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. His stomach was tight as a drum, stuffed nearly to bursting with heavy, cheesy pasta. Finally, as he raised the fork again to his mouth, he found himself unable to open up. He dropped it back into the dish and slumped back in his seat, holding his aching belly with both hands.

"I can't do it," he moaned, sounding utterly defeated and a little ashamed. Laurie turned to face him again, surprised at how far he'd gotten. Even in her frustration at having to start the lasagna over from scratch, she hadn't expected him to actually try and eat the whole thing. Only about a quarter of it remained, and the uncomfortable bulge of his bloated stomach was clear evidence that he hadn't just thrown the rest under the table.

"Jeez, Sunny," said Laurie, walking over to him. He thought he heard a twinge of guilt in her voice. The anger between the two of them had faded, and Laurie could barely remember what they'd even been arguing about while they were cooking that got things so heated. Sunny looked up at her, trying to look annoyed but instead just looking sad and exhausted. She sat down in the chair beside him and cautiously reached towards him, half expecting him to protest, but he neither moved nor argued as she placed her hand gently on his belly.

"I didn't think you were going to get that far," she said quietly. "I'm sorry, Sunny."

"I'm sorry too," he mumbled, eyes darting away from her. It wasn't something he said often, and Laurie was surprised to hear it. "Let's pair up with different people next time, alright?"

"Or we could just keep our tempers under control," suggested Laurie, rubbing his belly a little. Sunny returned his gaze to her, staring without a word. "Hm, no, you're right. Different partners next time."

[lovechrissturniolo]

5/ day one - morning

contains: Lea & Chris talking and being interested in/ looking at each other

After a 30 minutes intro Chris and Matt played Fortnite.

As the day was just dawning, Lea - sitting in the living area - noticed an unfavorable change in the light in Chris's room and she texted him:

I have to adjust your light if it`s possible? Your room is a literal lighting challenge!

No problem, go ahead. I open the door so they can't hear when you come in.

Chris tried to concentrate on the game as she slipped into his room, but he couldn't help but watch her out of the corner of his eye.

She had this deliberate posture and highly concentrated look when she was working.

It was kind of cute.

Lea was wearing blue jeans and a black baby-T, her long hair tied into a messy bun and subtle make-up. Chris had to admit to himself that she looked pretty good.

Her belt and the lower part of her belly were visible as she leaned over the table behind the camera making adjustments to the ring light.

〽️

Her being here during the stream was definitely better than some old guy, he thought to himself again.

Immediately afterward, he heard Matt yell and realized he'd been shot down.

“Chris! You're an idiot!”

“Fuck, sorry!” he shouted back, ruffling his hair.

As Chris leaned back in his chair, he caught Lea's gaze, who silently formed the word “Sorry!” and twisted the corner of her mouth.

He waved his hand to indicate that it wasn't her fault and smirked without looking directly at her.

“What's funny about that, you moron?” Matt joked from above.

“Nothing!” Chris answered, laughing about his stupid fault and rubbed his eyes. “Bro, I don't think I've ever played Fortnite this early in the morning! You can't expect my full concentration!”

“You better focus, man! We almost won that round!”

“Yeah yeah, all right! Go!”

Lea sat down on Chris's bed with her laptop and phone.

Sorry for the interruption!! I'll be off again in a minute.

You can also stay! You're not bothering me.

〽️

After the light was set, she moderated the chat without changing her location again to avoid making too much noise.

The madness in the comments was limited - probably because it was still early in the morning - so Lea kept catching herself watching Chris play.

He was one of the most expressive people she had ever met. Concentration, anger, excitement, joy - it was as if his whole body showed how he was feeling in every moment.

Something about his posture and facial expression was so fascinating that she could barely look away.

It was undeniably a beautiful sight to see him on her screen from the front and live from the side.

〽️

Chris noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lea looked over at him once in a while.

He somehow liked it and wondered what was going on in her head. Probably just the lighting situation, but maybe also personal interest?

Chris couldn't really log into Fortnite today, causing him to blow one game after another.

Eventually Matt had enough and they decided to have breakfast and try again later.

Lea disconnected Chris's computer from the stream, stated: "It's off." and gave him a thumbs up.

They unintentionally stretched at the same time and smiled sheepishly when they realized it. “Sorry about the interruption earlier. It shouldn't happen again.”

“Oh, please." Chris relented. "That's not the reason, I'm just still tired and play like shit!”

“That I can't judge, even though I've watched you guys play often.” Lea smiled.

〽️

Chris dropped onto the couch, stretched his hands over his head and mumbled: “I really should have slept more!"

“You didn't?” she asked casually.

“Not really well. Probably too nervous.”

“You guys really don't need to stress. Literally everything you try turns to gold anyway.”

“Nick says, you always have to be a little uncomfortable to be comfortable. That's what we do and why it works, I guess."

“That actually applies to my life too, I have to say,” Lea replied thoughtfully.

“You know what, I'd like to know more about that!” Chris replied quickly, sensing his chance to find out more about her and sat up.

Lea smiled involuntarily and wondered whether she was feeling a little too comfortable right now.

〽️

“You need to go support Matt, I think.”

“Is he already on camera in the kitchen?”

“Yes, he texted me to switch over right away.”

“Damn, this kid needs to chill, we'll be here for a while!” Chris sighed and made his way to the door.

“We talk later. I'll bring something for breakfast when I come back."

next ➡️

⬅️ index

[wundersmith-squall]

Ooooh, okay. Descision making isn't really my strongest suit but I am curious as at how/if Squall meets (and possibly befriends) Jupiter and Unit 919?

I completely understand- its not my strong suit either!

Goodd topicc- Jupiter I can answer now, but I'll have to get back to you on Unit 919, I haven't really thought about it yet!

In my head, Mog tells Jupiter she's gotten into an apprenticeship with Squall pretty quickly, and though he's worried about her safety, he agrees to let it happen as long as he could be there whenever they practiced, to keep an eye on Ezra. Like I said in the last post about him, Ezra starts out as a frustrated and easily angered teacher. Jupiter enters the situation with a deep level of distrust, but over time, as Ezra gets more comfortable around Mog and Jupiter and starts to get a little attached to his new apprentice, Jupiter can see this change occurring in him, and though he still doesnt trust the wundersmith, he can tell that Squall definitely isnt trying to hurt Mog. The fic writer in my head thinks that an accident happens in one of the lessons, and Morrigan almost gets hurt. Jupiter gets angry, his protective side flaring. The two go to Jove's office, and Jupiter goes off at him, angry at himself for even almost trusting the Wundersmith. Ezra, meanwhile, is getting flashbacks to his trial, to what he used to hear about himself on the news, all the accusations of being a monster and an intentional murder and just breaks down under Jupiter's anger, Jupiter, the man whose company he'd actually started to enjoy, turning on him like everyone else, and he deserved it, he'd almost hurt someone else, and it was his fault again, and he just, tells Jupiter everything. How he became a wundersmith in the first place, what led to Courage Square, how he never meant to hurt anyone, how he's trying his best to do better. It was likely the first time he'd ever told the story to anyone in full, not liking to dwell on past events he couldn't change. Talking to Jupiter was, perfect though, because Jupiter could see that he wasn't lying. That the words he said were the truth of the situation. After that meeting, Jupiter treated Ezra differently. Jupiter allowed himself to look past what he'd been told of Squall to see who he was now. He helped Ezra become a better teacher, and more comfortable interacting with people. Ezra began to seek out Jove's company, because Jupiter was the one person he didn't have anything to hide from. The two became fast friends after a while, having similar flairs for showmanship, and the same desire to protect and train Mog. Ezra, Jove, and Mog absolutely get into wunderous chaos at least once a fortnight (harmless, usually, but very fun).

I'll spin Ezra and Unit 919 around for a while and come back to you when I come up with something! I hope this was an enjoyable answer, and feel free to send me more asks if you ever want to, i love rambling about him!

[bisluthq]

https://www.tumblr.com/bisluthq/757147935962251264/joes-nextcurrent-gf-may-not-be-a-swiftie-but?source=share

I think it depends if they end on bad terms and why. His previous exes didn't seem to hate his guts and never really tried to ride the wave to shit on him. I haven't seen any shade even when he and Taylor broke up. In reality wasn't there an ex io his, that actually started to follow him again even? Idk y'all 😂

SLL isn’t really a song that necessitates hating his guts though. It’s a commentary on the most challenging aspects of his personality (or at least his personality with Taylor) and it actually wishes him all the best. She doesn’t say “fuck you I hope you’re miserable forever you fucking cunt” - she says “you’ll find someone, I’m not the one” and I actually relistened to it just before I answered this to make sure I’m not getting anything wrong but it’s the one song since Back To December where she takes a modicum of responsibility/accountability because she says “and you say I abandoned the ship” so she kind of acknowledges that he thinks it’s more her fault than his - which makes sense because of the Matty thing lol and proves he isn’t a total idiot lmao - but then she insists she did her best as I’m sure she feels she did.

FOTS would necessitate at least kinda disliking him tho lol.

and yea as far as I can recall an ex (I think it was Serena) refollowed him after the breakup. Obviously no bad blood there and maybe she figured she’d slide into his DMs again lol. Maybe she even has 😂 It’d be funny if that worked lmao with Taylor trying it again with Matty and all like it’d be funny if he tried or is trying with an ex too.

also not breakup related but how weird would All of The Girls be for his CURRENT/FUTURE girlfriends lmaoooo? I just thought about that. I really, really like that song and have that on my very embarrassing playlist about my bf because I do feel that way about his exes (except maybe his ex wife because I think she probably made him worse not better like overall) and I just think it’s such a positive and cute concept for a song like it’s invisible string (Slut Version) for me. But it’d break my brain if that song was literally written about my bf lol especially given like given how serious he was with Taylor and how deep it was like definitely she is one of the girls who’ll have made him the one the new she’s/she’ll have fallen for lol. So you’ll have a song about your exact situation written by a woman who very much made him the way you found him lmao. Must be trippy af.

[luck-and-larceny]

Decency

It was too hot to sleep and her adrenaline was still too high to really consider it anyway. Malika rolled to her side and the springs of the shitty mattress she had stolen for this shitty safehouse squeaked and creaked under her weight. She'd never heard a mattress creak before, but that was absolutely what this one did.

Once situated adequately (if not comfortably) she stared at the evening's haul.

Pants.

Only pants.

So many pants.

The question "What in the seven hells is wrong with me?" floated momentarily in the air, but was dismissed as quickly as ever. Nothing. There was nothing wrong with her. There was something wrong with everyone else.

There was definitely something wrong with Hollaent Dennmhar–- namely that he didn't have any more pants because Malika had stolen every last pair.

She'd been on her way to another job, but found herself sidelined when she'd heard the Roegadyn snidely suggest that a girl, a stranger to him by all indications, was wearing a skirt that was too short for public decency and that she should 1) be embarrassed and 2) "Get some pants!"

If he had yelled this at Malika she'd have hiked her skirt up even further to spite him. But he hadn't yelled it at her, he'd yelled it at a girl who responded by full-body blushing (adorable) and stammering an apology to him.

An apology!

For wearing a short skirt!?

Anyone with any sense should have been -thanking- her for making the day a bit brighter, not scolding her into an apology for it.

Malika did not make it to her original job that evening. She'd have to try again the next.

She knew Hollaent– or at least of him. A modestly wealthy "decent" man (an oxymoron if Malika had ever heard one), he thoroughly enjoyed calling out people for their perceived "sins" in an attempt to "clean up the dirty streets of Ul'dah". Most were unaffected by him; he was just a weird man who loved yelling and that yelling changed nothing. Malika typically ignored him, too.

But today he'd gone too far!

He'd forced her to sneak into his home while he was busy berating the "trash" of Ul'dah. It was his fault that she carefully checked every closet and dresser she could find and stole every last pair of pants.

Likewise, it was entirely his own doing that kept her hidden nearby when he returned home and made her spirit away the pants he had worn during the day as he bathed, blissfully unaware that there would be no pants for him to change into whenever he should decide that pants were a necessity.

But she wasn't completely heartless. If she were needlessly cruel she'd be no better than he was, after all. Tsk. That wouldn't do. She couldn't leave him completely without options: she'd left him a short skirt he could wear in place of pants.

Now, Malika rested on her shitty, creaky mattress in an intensely shitty, run down room and reflected on the fact that she had not eaten the whole day, she was miserably hot, she had not even a single gil to her name, and that she'd pissed off her client by delaying her actual job by another day. All she had to show for herself was pants.

So many fucking pants.

And that realization made her smile.

"Fucking worth it."