#although i understand why the doctor doesn't really talk about her

[enbysiriusblack]

"martha needs a doctor next" martha wouldn't want him. i think she'd just be pretty annoyed if he turned up. she left of her own will, the others didn't.

[briefalpacashark]

~Darkest fear~

The boys of 141 find out your darkest fear.

Warning: Swearing and mentions of needles.

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How well did you fit in with the boys of 141. Too well. From day one you and Soap instantly connected. Price called you Soap 2.0. Why? Because your sarcasm and wit had you and Soap bantering for hours on end. Everything you two would say would just feed and complement the others. And God help whoever you were making fun of that day. One time Gaz had to endure two hours of back and forth. You had worked with Price before, and you were already close. Gaz you become quick friends with. And Ghost, well although slightly intimidated by the giant you came to respect one another, and the specialist abilities you both held. 

After all, you were respectful and kind. You always wore a smile and they would never admit it but to them you were like a little ball of sunshine. Or like a cute little puppy.

One day, about two days before your next mission you walked into base. Into the shared common area. To your surprise you found Gaz, Soap, and Ghost all standing around the far side of the table.

“What's going on?” you asked. Hearing the door shut behind you. You glanced back to see Price locking it and then placing his body in between you and the exit.

“You alright captain?” you asked hesitantly seeing his nervous look. 

“Damn cap, you look like you're trying to shit a brick,” Soap commented with a bemused chuckle. He wore a smirk that showed he was far too happy to be there.

“She can't be that bad,” Gaz shrugged, gesturing to you.

“What am I bad at?” You asked with a confused chuckle.

“Alright love. Now I want you to be calm,” Price raised his hands like he was talking to an injured animal. Love, it was a nickname all the british lads used. 

“Calm, what you on abou-” Your words trailed off as you spotted the syringe in his hand. It was a shot. A vaccination of some kind. Instantly you scooted away from him moving around the table. Your blood ran cold as adrenaline filled your every being. You were scared of needles. Scared to the point where you would do anything to keep away from them.

“The fuck is that cap?” You asked lowly.

“Wait, you're really scared of needles?” Soap chuckled at your reactions as you hide yourself behind him.

“Love, come on now,” Price was really trying his best.

“Price, I told you. I fucken told you. You drug the fuck out of me and then that's when you give me the fucking shot,” You had a plan, one Price knew about and had done before for quite a few of your shots. You would take a sedative and that's when they would stick you. Was it ethical, no in the slightest. but it was the only way of giving you a shot without anyone getting hurt.

“I know, but this one needs to be taken when you're conscious. Something bout side effects or what not,” he explained calmly.

“I told you how I get cap,” you mumbled, pointing an accusing finger at him as you shifted from side to side.

“I know, that's why I got the lads here,” he said, nodding to them. You looked at the three that surrounded you with betrayal.

“You're in on this?” You asked. “Come on lass, it's just a little needle,” Soap smirked loving the ammo he was receiving to tease you later with. "I thought you Australians were supposed to have nerves of steel?" he joked.

“I don't think you guys understand the severity of this. I turn feral ok. I once almost bit a doctor's finger off, ok,” You admitted honestly.

“Almost?” Ghost asked.

“It doesn't matter. Cap you can't do this alright. Let's just do it tomorrow yeah?” You said as you went to slip out of the little corral they had you in only for Gaz to hold up his hand to stop you.

“Grab her,” Price gave the order. 

“Eat a dick Price!” You snapped. Gaz was the first to reach for you. With a cocky and bemused smirk, he went to grab you. A cocky smirk that was slammed against the table. Everyone's eyes went wide at the movement. You had ducked under his hand taking ahold of it and grabbed his neck slamming his face onto the table. It was a reaction; one you had no control over. 

“Oh my god, I'm sorry,” You rushed out the words shocked at your own actions. Soap was the next one to reach for you, well more like tackle. You crouched sliding to your left through Ghost's legs.

------ 

A few other soldiers on the base stared in confusion at the barrack building. What sounded like a bar fight was happening inside. The sounds of breaking furniture and shattering plates filled the air. 

There was a shocking amount of swearing and a few choice sentences before you slammed through the window. Shattering it upon impact and landing from the three story building in a tuck and roll.

And then you legged it. Like the devil himself was on your heels. There was another commotion before the three men stumbled out of the room, Pierce with a busted nose, Gaz holding his head, Ghost dusting the remnants of a broken glass of his shoulder and Soap still laying on the floor inside curled up in the fetal position. His hands clutching his family jewels. 

“How the fucks did she do that?” Price muttered in confusion as they watched your disappearing figure.

The boys in all their wisdom beside to treat giving you the shot like a mission. On the thoroughly planned and scoped out before enacting. Little did they know it would be one of their hardest missions yet. They tried to administer the shot 29 times. Every time they would come up with a different plan. They had tried everything, bribery, outsmarting you, trapping you. None of it worked, you always managed to get away.

“Macgyver!” You bloody froze as you heard your call sign. At that very moment you sat perched up in the very high corner of an aircraft hangar. Had you scaled the walls to get there, yes, was it your greatest idea, no. But you weren't thinking logically. You knew it was stupid how frightened you got but you just weren't able to control it.

“We know you're here,” they called again. You peeked around the large beam spotting only Ghost in the entrance. Instantly you looked for the others. Were they trying to trap you again? 

“Come on Sargent,” He was your Lieutenant. You should have listened to him. But you kept your mouth shut happily perched in your little hidey hole. 

“It's fine. Just so you know Gaz it hurt. Idiot sprained his ankle running afta ya,” He informed. Instantly you felt guilty, and a little worried for your teammate. You wanted to get down and help, but you also knew the possibility of it being a trap. Ghost waited a few moments before cursing under his breath. He began to search the hanger. Under every trap inside every plane. Around every corner. He looked like he was about to give up. Then out of sheer luck for him, and anything but luck for you he looked up. Instantly the two of you made eye contact. He stared for a moment truly grasping the situation, trying to forget about how exactly you got up there. 

“The fuck you doing up there?” his gruff voice asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

“Thought it looked like a comfortable place to sit,” you shrugged nonchalantly. Ghost took in the awkward sit/balanced crouch you had going on.

“Oh yeah, it looks real comfortable,” he said.

“Well I am,” you stated.

“Right, well come on now, fun's over,” he nodded for you to come down.

“Respectfully sir. Suck a dick” Ghost propped an eyebrow at the insult. With your apologetic expression he knew you didn't mean it, but he had to admit. It was refreshing to see someone who was willing to insult him. “Fine, well it's either you get down yourself or I come get you,” he gave you the ultimatum.

“You're right, Let my just give up now and come down. Just like you said,'' You pretended to get ready to descale the walls.

“Thankyou,” Ghost was actually genuinely thankful. He thought by some miracle you were actually going to listen to him. 

“Yeah you know just let me,” Quickly snapping back to your original position you flipped him off. He stared for a few bewildered moments.

“That's just childish,” he said.

“You're a child,” you snapped back.

“Right,” Ghost huffed, walking up to the beams. You watched him as he struggled to scale the walls. After all he was a big man, he was carrying a lot of weight. As he finally reached the beam you were on he turned to look at you. Only you weren't there. He frowned looking down to see you sliding down a beam and hitting the ground. 

“Fuck,” he quickly did the same. Hearing the thunderous footsteps of Ghost feet would be encouragement enough for anyone to run for their lives. To you it was a reminder that you not only insulted your lieutenant but you flipped him off and called him a child. You had just made it outside of the hanger. 

Now you were fast, the fastest on the team when it came to running. You could have outrun him. Only when you stepped out into the open did you feel a sharp pain hit your left ass cheek. 

“Fucking Ass!” you came to a small hopping stop as you looked for the culprit. A little red feathered dart had been plugged into the soft tissue of your ass. 

“Did you just shoot a dart at my ass!” Your bewildered and angry yell was directed to the general direction of where it had come from. Price sat on the roof of a nearby building, dart gun in hand, Gaz by his side with a pair of binoculars.

“Direct hit,” GAz announced.

“She's pissed,” Soap commented as they watched your little tantrum. 

Later that night you stood outside on your little makeshift patio area. You hand rubbing the still stinging spot on your ass with a permanent frown. Hearing the door open you snapped your head around to glare. Ghost silently walked out and stood beside you.

“Using Gaz was a low blow,” you grumbled. Ghost silently looked over you, your cute little frown. It reminded him of a toddler that wasn't allowed to have chocolate. 

“Then what do you call kicking Johnny in the balls?” he asked.

“Tactical,” you grumbled. You were surprised to hear the softest huff of a chuckle come from Ghost. It was times like these you wish you could see his expression. But you were sure you saw the side of his mask where the edge of a smile would be, tilt upwards. The idea of Ghost smiling had you chuckling.

“What's so funny?” he asked.

“All this, I'm a medic you think I'd be comfortable with needles,” you chuckled.

“That ain’t funny. Soap getting kicked in the balls. That's funny. Fucker deserved it,” Ghost said. You chuckled again. Ghost glanced over at you, he liked your laugh. It was always a true honest one.

“Well I guess I should apologize about the disrespect I've shown today,” With a deep sigh you stood at attention. “I apologize for the disrespect I showed and not listening to orders,” You said with an embarrassed smile.

“So what will be the punishment, Lieutenant?” You asked. This was the first time you had done anything wrong with the boys. While they seemed ok with it, you were used to the military hierarchy. You had insulted a higher ranking officer once. It didn't go so well. You expected Ghost to be no different.

“Not gonna punish you,” he shrugged. You let out a relieved sigh closing your eyes. “But,” when you opened them again, Ghost was standing directly in front of you. On instinct you stepped back, hitting the pole you had been leaning on. Ghost closed the distance. You swallowed as he stepped close enough for you to feel his body heat, your neck craned back to make eye contact with him. 

“Don't ever call me a child again,” he stated his voice dropping into a serious tone. You quickly nodded with an awkward chuckle. It was meant to be intimidating, Ghost had used his size to intimidate before. While you were intimidated there was one thing that kept your attention. You could have sworn you could see a smirk under that mask. 

“Um, yeah sure,” You muttered. Leaning down he hovered his head by your ear, his hot breath faint through the mask but you could still feel it. You felt your heart jump. skip a beat and then rattle the back of your throat. Why was he so close?

“I promise you love I'm no kid,” he whispered. You were barely able to frown at his comment when something pricked your thigh. 

“The fuck was that?” you asked at the small amount of pain giving Ghost’s chest a soft shove. He stepped back holding his hand up that held an empty syringe.

“You bastard,” you whispered. Now you were sure he was smirking. You could see it in his eyes.

“Price thought it best not to tell you about the second shot,” he shrugged nonchalantly. Wow, so he basically just gave you a mini heart attack just to give you a shot.

“Next time I need to take blood from you I'm gonna miss your veins so many times,” you threatened half heartedly.

“Good thing I'm not scared of needles,” he said, his eyes shining smugly.

“You..” You glared at the tease. He simply turned towards the door. 

“Fuckers,” you grumbled as you watched him walk back into the barracks.

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--COD Master List Here--

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[lahulotteshitpost]

***Sorry this started out as a rant***

The idea that you only reciprocate someone's love if you can be open about your feelings or date them is honestly insulting.

I find it especially mature from the Doctor to admit she can't date Yaz, knowing it will break her heart.

In LOTSD, you can clearly see the pain on their faces (both of them), but it's the kindest thing the Doctor could have done. Their relationship would have been unhealthy. We know this because we've seen the Doctor losing herself and being a terrible friend to Yaz.

And the Doctor knows that, she knows her mental state won't allow her to actually be in a relationship. She knows the relationship would be toxic, she knows she's been a terrible friend, she even admitted it in Flux but admitting it didn't fix her.

I've lived longer, seen more, loved more, and lost more.

- It Takes You Away

Yaz, I'm sorry. I didn't let you in to what I was doing... what I was looking for. I shouldn't have shut you out.

- The Vanquishers

But the point is, if it was going to be anyone, it'd be you. But I can't. Because at some point time always runs out.

- Legend of the Sea Devils

Not because I don't want to, because I might. But if I do fix myself to somebody I know, sooner or later, it'll hurt.

- Legend of the Sea Devils

The Doctor is very clear:

- she's not been a good friend,

- she loves Yaz,

- she wishes she could date her.

Being in love, even when it's reciprocal, doesn't always end in a relationship. Sometimes, even "trying" is impossible.

They can't be together, because the Doctor can't bring herself to do that. She's been desperately trying to avoid feelings and attachments since she fell into that Sheffield train. Of course, it doesn't work, and of course it's not a healthy coping mechanism, but this is something people go through.

Yaz understands. And I will argue that Yaz got to confess her love to the Doctor in LOTSD, they both expressed their feelings indirectly.

My nani says, courage is knowing something will hurt and doing it anyway. Mind you, she also said it's the definition of stupidity.

- Legend of the Sea Devils

This is Yaz telling the Doctor "I love you, I wish you could get over your fears, but I understand.

(And there is a lot to say about consent, as, clearly, understanding despite the pain is also the healthier reaction. You cannot force someone into a relationship, Yaz has often been mistreated by the Doctor but in this very moment, she is not a victim.)

There's a reason why she adds that bit about "stupidity" and it's not just to make the Doctor laugh.

Their romance is a slow burn with no happy ending. It's incredibly bittersweet, but it's also very real.

Mentally ill people who avoid relationships are often ashamed of it, we don't openly talk about it because it's definitely not "normal". You can be traumatised, depressed, anxious, but you're still in a happy romantic and sexual relationship, obviously.

Except when you can't.

I started shipping Thasmin during Series 12, initially believing it to be unrequited. I never expected it to be more than subtext, in a way it subverted a lot of my expectations.

I'm no different from most shippers, I was hoping for a kiss (every Doctor had one!) although I expected it to be disappointingly non romantic (à la Nine/Rose).

A kiss, the ultimate romantic trope!

Doctor Who didn't give me what I was hoping for.

It gave me something that I desperately needed.

Home.

Representation.

When you are one of those fucked up queer people, afraid of people knowing deep down you can't date, avoiding feelings and relationships because this is how your traumas shaped you, do you really get to see yourself?

Thasmin isn't every queer person, it isn't even every sapphic you will ever meet, but no story is. And their queerness isn't the cause of their doomed love, which I find extremely respectful and far from usual tropes.

I can see myself in them, at different stages of my life. I know some aro/ace spec people see their relationship as very queerplatonic and also felt represented.

Maybe you don't, and that's fine. You don't have to see yourself in them, you don't have to like this story.

Just understand other queer people will.

[incorrectquotesconaisseur]

I think it's time we talked about the doctor's "do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?" in relation to the master.

Bc throughout their lives, everytime the master did something bad, when he’d cone back they'd still have a sort of teasing relationship. Like they both knew it was a game. They both knew their limits and the true extent of their games. So there wasn't really place for betrayal in the game bc they both knew betrayal (on the master's side) WAS involved in it.

Then comes the time war and the doctor thinks he did the unforgivable and committed genocide on his own planet. And then the master shows up, arguably his most important friend, the only one who truly understands him - and then the master does something that's pretty unforgivable by enslaving the human race and turning the people at the end of the universe in killing machines. And yet the doctor, in a very important scene, forgives him like it's the easiest thing. Because they're still the same, the game hasn't changed, they're still on tjr same page, still doing the same things to each other.

And 12 was careful and a bit wary but he wholeheartedly wanted to help missy change - he saved her life in the process too. And I think he was happy at the prospect of missy becoming good bc that meant that the person he felt closest too, who was fundamentally different from him before (and it was okay bc it was in the rules of the game), was ready to be even more like him. Soulmatism x1000.

He thought missy wanted to change the rules of the game and that meant betrayal would no longer be part of it. He wouldn't run and she wouldn't stab him in the back for it.

Thing is - he thinks missy betrayed him. And he STAYED. He asked her to stay too, which is different from what he used to do to her - abandon her, run from her etc. And he thought that he was changing the rules of the game too. But missy betrayed him (in his eyes, he doesn’t know she wanted to come back) and he felt like they no longer even had the game.

The thing with 13 and the master is that the whole "do you think I care for you so little thag betraying me would make a difference?" doesn't seem applicable anymore and you wonder why. Bc it's not like they don't CARE about each other, in a twisted way. It's that the master still wants to play the game, although with significantly more violence because he's significantly hurting more than ever before, and the doctor doesn't want to play the game anymore at all.

[avocadorablepirate]

What Do We Call This? - 08

prev || mini masterlist || next

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x fem!reader

Summary: On a quest to find what you've been looking for, you acquire the help of the Straw Hat pirates, who've agreed to let you temporarily join them. There are however many challenges that come along with your temporary recruitment - an alliance with a certain Trafalgar Law being one of them.

Word Count: 3.1K

Warnings: fluff, angst, kinda slow burn, swearing, the occasional OP spoiler (this chapter references/hints at events that happen after the Wano arc)

A/N: Chapter's longer than usual, but I still hope it doesn't feel rushed cause I think I could have added more....but it is what it is. Also, my memory of the older One Piece episodes isn't great, so I may have changed a few things and added my own bits. Anyway, I hope you like it!

—⁠☆✿☆—⁠

It's been four days since your argument with Law. The tension between you two is thick, and everyone onboard the Polar Tang can sense it too. Although, you're not even trying to be subtle with your decision to ignore him, so it's no surprise that people have noticed.

You could be in the middle of a meal, but would walk out the minute Law entered the room. If you were conversing with someone and he approached, you would abruptly end the conversation and walk away. In short, Law could never seem to get a moment alone with you, but even if he did, he wasn't sure what he would say. His mind is flooded with questions and things he wants to tell you, but he's uncertain where to begin. More than anything, your last words haunt him, replaying in his mind at the slightest thought of you, which is almost constantly.

Usually when Law finds himself overwhelmed by such thoughts, he confines himself to his room, his work helping as a distraction. But right now he's needed on deck since the Polar Tang had stopped at an island to refuel. However, with the way he's pacing back and forth, lost in a maze of his thoughts and emotions, he's not being of much help.

"Something bothering you Tra?" Zoro inquires, a hint of amusement lacing his words as he observes the doctor's preoccupied demeanor with a bemused expression. He leans against the railing, crossing his arms as he waits for Law's response, his curiosity piqued by the unusual display of distraction from the typically stoic pirate.

Law, however, remains oblivious to Zoro's jest, his focus shifting instead to Robin. If he was going to talk to you he needed to understand you, and since you were not speaking to him, Robin was the next logical choice for insight, as you always appeared most comfortable in her presence.

"Nico-ya, what do you know about (Y/N)'s past?"

His question surprises Robin, and she momentarily hesitates before responding , "Hmm... we're not entirely sure about what happened before she reached Fishman Island, but from what she's told us we know that at the age of five she left her island and a month later was found by a Marine agent who took her in. Now she's looking for that island."

"Why was she stuck on Fishman Island for so long?" Law asks, remembering that you had mentioned being there for nearly four years.

Robin visibly frowns, she knows the answer to that question, but she's not sure whether it's her place to tell him. However, Zoro interjects before she can contemplate further.

"She was being held captive by a Fishman named Hody."

Law recalls the name, and the story behind it. Chopper had briefly told him about the ordeal in Fishman Island. However, the reindeer had either forgotten or chosen not to mention this key piece of information.

"What would he make her do?" Law felt agitated, did he really want to know the answer to that question? Based on what he had heard, he had a vague idea already, but he hoped his suspicions were wrong.

"He would make her use her powers to torture humans, and the rest of the time she was handcuffed with sea prism cuffs."

Robin's reply has Law feeling uneasy, his grip on his katana tightening, "But that would have hurt-", he cuts himself off before he can divulge your secret.

"That's why she's so keen on helping people. She doesn't necessarily have to use her powers to hurt people anymore."

Law's thoughts raced with everything he had just heard. If you didn't approve of using your powers to hurt people why had you used them to help him in Punk Hazard? What else had you been through that he didn't know about?, and the question that gnawed at him the most: was he the reason you were alone through it all? Had he taken Corazon away from you?

Law swiftly excused himself from the group, desperate for the solace of his room. He needed to sit down. No, he needed to find you. But, you had gone out with Bepo to help restock the Polar Tang, and it was unlikely that you would willingly talk to him. Nevertheless, he had made up his mind - he would speak to you one way or another. But how?

He then recalls something. Every night, once everyone else was asleep, you would sneak your way to the infirmary. However, for Law, who stayed up well into the early hours of the next day, your tiptoeing past his room did not go unnoticed. He would intercept you during one of your midnight visits to the infirmary.

_______________________________________________

That night, Law sat by his door, patiently anticipating your arrival. Around one o'clock, he heard your footsteps as you passed by his room. Peeking through the small gap, he confirmed it was you before silently trailing behind. Upon reaching the infirmary, he found you struggling to wrap gauze around your torso while grumbling to yourself about it. Seizing the opportunity, Law stealthily entered and closed the door, which let out a loud creak, startling you. You nearly stumbled but caught yourself on the surgical bed, though your elbow collided with its metal frame.

You wince from the impact but swiftly attempt to regain your composure, desperate to save yourself from the situation as soon as possible. However, escape seemed futile with Law leaning against the door, effectively blocking your only exit. Damn it, if only I had his powers.

"Law I really don't want to talk to you right now. So, please just leave me alone."

You couldn't quite pinpoint the reason, but you felt your eyes welling up with tears. Perhaps it was the lingering pain in your elbow or the weight of suppressed emotions. Nonetheless, you do your best to hold back the tears, biting down on your lip to stop it from quivering.

Ignoring your words, Law slowly approaches you, and for a moment you think of making a run for it. But you knew even without his devil fruit all it would take was his outstretched arm to stop you.

"Sit," he says, and you find yourself complying to his command. He takes the leftover gauze from your hand, and undoes your careless bandaging. Lightly tracing the bruises as he applies an ointment, he looks up to make sure he isn't hurting you before meticulously wrapping the gauze around your torso. He doesn't say a word, and neither do you, averting your gaze, so that you wouldn't have to meet his eyes that continue to glance at you from time to time.

"It should be healed completely by the time we reach Wano," he finally says, securing the end of the bandage and fixing it in a few places before taking a step back.

"I know you don't want anyone else seeing your bruises, and you really shouldn't be changing the bandages yourself," he pauses, thinking over his next words, "So, every night, at around the same time, come here and I'll change them for you."

He doesn't give you time to respond, the blue light enveloping you and teleporting you back to your bed.

Over the next few days you fall into a routine. You go to the infirmary at around one in the morning and find Law already there, waiting for you. Once you're seated on the surgical bed, he removes the old bandages, examines your wounds, applies an ointment, and then wraps them up again. But, the routine is always accompanied by silence, and it's not a completely comfortable one. That being said, the tension between you and Law has definitely simmered down. For starters you don't immediately walk out of a room the minute he walks in.

Tonight is no different from the previous nights - except that the silence is eating at you. Ever since Law had started doing this little gesture for you, the weight of guilt from your earlier words to him has only grown heavier, and tonight it feels particularly suffocating. You know you have to address it, but you're so consumed by your thoughts that you don't even notice Law finishing up. It's the soft blue light that finally draws your attention.

"Law wait!" you yell with a sense of urgency, and his head snaps up to look at you, the dome disappearing.

"Everything alright?" he asks, looking you up and down with concern.

"Yes...well actually no. I wanted to apologise. I'm sorry about what I said, I shouldn't have. You've been through so much shit and I was so caught up in my own emotions that I didn't even think before being so fucking insensitive," you confess, nervously fiddling with your fingers. Unsure of what else to say, you continue speaking, hoping to alleviate some of the guilt weighing on you.

Law releases a heavy sigh, bringing an end to your rambling. Slowly, he approaches you, silently seeking permission to sit beside you. You give a slight nod, and he settles into the vacant space beside you.

"I was at fault too. I shouldn't have said what I said without even considering your reasons," he lets out another sigh, placing his head in his hands as he continues, "When I realised that you somehow knew Cora-san, I felt protective. Like if I let anything happen to you I would lose what's left of him, or I would lose something he was trying to protect."

Law felt vulnerable. Opening up to others was unfamiliar, something he actively avoided. It was simpler to suppress his emotions than to burden someone else with them. Yet, now he realized he wasn't alone in this sentiment. Perhaps that's why you found it easier to be vulnerable around him as well.

"It must have been hard huh?" you ask, but don't expect a response, "I was devastated when they brought his body back, but it must have been so much more worse for you," you say, inwardly cringing at your attempt to console him.

"I'm sorry. You lost him because of me."

You release a sigh at his admission, feeling frustrated that you couldn't find the right words to ease his pain. Your mind races, desperately searching for the next thing to say. You couldn't mess up again.

"I was playing in this cove when it happened. The sky changed colour, and there was this weird light coming from above. My parents who were with me quickly put me in a small boat and told me to row as fast as I could to the next island, promising to meet me there. I did as I was told, but I was so focused on getting away I didn't even see how the island just completely disappeared in seconds. The harsh current that followed knocked me out and when I woke up I was on the island my parents had told me about. While I was there nobody could afford to take me in, but they were kind enough to leave me their leftovers. Although it was pointless. I had given up. I refused to eat, or do anything for that matter." You take a deep breath as you recall the memory of the scraps of food that would lay untouched in the cold alleyway that you called 'home' for a while.

"Then, almost a month later Cora-san found me. Apparently the Donquixote family was on the same island, and he was supposed to make contact with Doflamingo for the first time after their separation. Instead, he chose to take me back to Marine Headquarters, and I was an absolute brat about it," you let out a soft chuckle, remembering how you had shoved Corazon and then attempted to run away, "I even threatened to eat a devil fruit that he had found during his mission. Obviously, he didn't think I would actually do it. Hence, the weird powers," you pause to stretch your arms out, flexing your fingers, before continuing. "But he still wouldn't abandon me. Even told Sengoku that he had accidentally dropped the fruit into the sea. Which was honestly possible considering what he was like," you add, another chuckle escaping you, accompanied by a faint laugh from beside you.

"He took care of me for the next couple of years, and he became my only reason to continue. I would eagerly wait for him to come back from a mission and recount his adventures to me." You smile fondly at the memory, remembering the little trinkets he would bring back for you every time.

"One day he came back after visiting Doflamingo and he told me about this boy who tried to kill him. I was absolutely livid, but he seemed to have found it funny," you take a break to catch your breath, taking a quick glance at Law before continuing, "He would tell me about the same boy every time he came back from meeting the Donquixote family, and it honestly made me a little jealous. I didn't want to share him with anyone." You once again look at Law, and there's a hint of a smile across his face, and you can't help but smile to yourself, "Then one day he called Sengoku and said he would be gone for a while and wanted to speak to me about it. I immediately knew it was for this other kid, and threw a huge tantrum. But all he said was that this boy needed someone to help him find his reason to live. Needed someone to free him. Save for the sniffling, my tantrum stopped after hearing his words. Because who better than Cora-san to get the job done. The same person who had given me my reason to live."

Law finally looks at you, his lips contorting into a frown while you bite down on your own to prevent a sob from escaping.

"I took him away from you. You should despise me."

"There was a point where I did. I blamed you for what Doflamingo did. Though it faded over the years. Then when I saw you at Punk Hazard I realised that I didn't hold that grudge any longer, and it's because it dawned on me that what Cora-san wanted had come true. We had both found our reasons to keep living."

You try your best to offer Law a smile. It had been ages since you had spoken to someone about Corazon, and remembering everything all at once was overwhelming. Still, Law accepted your attempt and gave you a small smile in return.

"My reason was just to get revenge," he says, tilting his head back as he lets out a sigh of frustration.

"No, I don't think so," you firmly state as you lean against the wall behind you, not taking your gaze away from him. "I know that's what I said, but I didn't mean it. I think you found other reasons - your crew, wanting to find out the meaning behind the name 'D'. Maybe they weren't your initial reasons, but along the way they became reasons too."

Law's eyes drift shut, repeating your words in his mind, his reasons. They do so much to calm him - his reasons to live....Perhaps, just perhaps, he can entertain the notion of finding another one.

The silence between you two shifts to a comfortable one, and Law finds himself savouring the moment, allowing himself to momentarily forget the weight of his burdens. As he relishes in the peace, he feels the soft fabric of something against his palm, and he opens his eyes to see what it is. It's the dark pink hood you've always worn.

"I've had it for long enough, and I think he would have wanted you to have something of his." Law gazes fondly at the pink hat in his hand, twirling the straps with the little hearts at the end around his finger, when he's reminded of something.

"Come with me," he says, sitting up straight and you're slightly confused by his words, "Where?" But he doesn't say anything else, teleporting the two of you with the flick of his fingers.

You find yourself in a bedroom, standing in front of what you assume to be Law's study table; you can't really tell with all the sheets of paper that are thrown everywhere. While Law rummages through the drawers of his table looking for something, you take a moment to survey his room. It's sparsely furnished, with a bed shoved into one corner, a bookshelf overflowing with assorted items near its base, and this table that sits against the opposite wall.

"Here," Law says, holding a brown leather pouch in front of you, urging you to take it.

"What is it?"

"Cora-san left it with me that night. I think it was meant for you."

You both sit down on opposite ends of Law's bed, and you carefully empty the contents of the pouch onto his mattress. Out falls various little trinkets, and your breath catches in a mixture of surprise and fascination.

"At the time I didn't really know why he would insist on stopping at atleast one store in every village we went to, but I guess he was collecting them for you."

You're flooded by a wave of emotions, that you don't even think before you tackle Law into a hug. The sudden movement catches him off guard, causing him to lose his balance and hit his back against the headboard. As you both settle, your head finds a resting place against his chest, his hands instinctively gripping your waist to steady you.

It takes a bit longer than expected for the realization of your proximity to sink in, but you're the first to react, pushing yourself off him and jumping to your feet. "Sorry, I must be tipsy from drinking with Zoro. I should probably head back to bed, thanks for these," you quickly say, shoving the trinkets back into the pouch before you scurry off.

"Tipsy? I don't think so. I know what tipsy you is like," Law teases, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Huh? What do you mean?" you inquire, pausing in your retreat, eyebrows knit in confusion.

"If anything, you're more truthful when you're tipsy, and maybe a bit bold."

"How would you know?"

"How else would I have known that you knew Cora-san."

Your face flushes with embarrassment as the wheels slowly turn. You recall the party on Bartolomeo's ship, and the splitting headache you woke up with the next morning that had made you forget most of the events of the previous night.

"Um...I should go," you stammer, attempting to retreat from his room once more.

"No, stay," Law mumbles, and you wouldn't have heard him if he was any softer.

"I want to talk some more," he says, rubbing the nape of his neck while avoiding your gaze, "On-only if you want to that is."

"I would like that."

A smile threatens to spread across your face as you return to the same spot on the bed, this time with your back against the wall and your head resting on your knees. Law shifts closer, mirroring your position, his head pressed against the wall as he gazes at you fondly.

"So..."

"So..."

_______________________________________________

A/N: Ended it the same way I would have ended any conversation I didn't know how to keep going ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠˘⁠_⁠˘⁠)⁠┌.

taglist: @trafalgardaria @deathsmajestysworld @cottoncandyloverrrr @magnificenttaledreamland

[itsmaferart]

I think the best thing about the last chapter is how we again see the parallel between Twilight and Yor's feelings in opposite ways.

I know many people point out that Yor is still too clumsy at this point to burn her husband's shirt, probably distracted by the knowledge that he's taking a bath. But the best chapter is seeing Twilight and Yor's feelings mature in different ways.

Yor is learning to define what he wants and express it.

As I said in previous comments, Yor doesn't often verbalize his needs and wants, because she doesn't know what she wants or is looking for.

But this time, we have Yor, expressing her desire to 'be in an equitable relationship'. A true marriage. She doesn't just want to figure as a mother and take care of Anya, she wants to be for Loid, to take care of him, to be his support.

This arc presumed us about the possible first couple argument between the Forger's, but the real issue was that Yor wanted to be more involved in the relationship, while Twilight is saturating 24-hour work wearing out his own physique.

Yor's chapter with her friends, shows us how Yor apparently has no complaints about Loid. He is basically a perfect husband, loving and attentive, able to do all the chores. That's why he has to make up a fake excuse to appear normal. Yor's real grievance was never against Loid, and his efficiency but rather her genuine desire is to be a support for him.

She knows that he doesn't need her to be a functional person, he can do everything on his own and that makes her feel like a bad partner. But the truth is that Yor can also see through her husband's exhaustion, and knows that while Loid strives to fulfill all his duties as father, husband, doctor, spy it is at the cost of his own health. Which could one day take a severe toll on him.....Somehow, Loid's all-encompassing idea makes Yor feel that she is not contributing much (although she is not).

Meanwhile, Twilight is desperately trying to always be perfect, overworking at work and at home. He always wants to do everything at home so that Yor is not dissatisfied with his arrangement and does not leave him because he is so much in love with her, because of the mission.

The confrontation against Yuri and Wheleer makes him finally face these feelings (or part of them). His doubts for his family are what really weaken him, because he still doesn't want to accept that they are his greatest strength. Putting Yor's welfare above his job by keeping Yuri alive, the fact that he lets his guard down and feels lost, and that his greatest terror is having to return home to continue the supposed argument with his wife.

Yor's sweet smile made him relax for a moment and his whole body collapse, he was no longer in alert mode, everything will be fine as long as she is there to smile. He only found the angelic aura of his beautiful wife.

I think the highlight of this arc was not having Yor and Loid come into conflict, but having them both begin to open up emotionally. Yor talking about their needs and desires to feel involved and Twilight understanding that there are feelings involved for his wife and allowing (even a little bit) to get help.

[xjulixred45x]

The Collector(The Owl House) and Platonic! Reader...

but with a small detail.

Reader has a complicated family life, she comes from a family where she is constantly neglected (either due to family problems or simply her parents are like the Blights, too focused on their reputations to give her adequate attention) and that makes her a very dependent girl of her imagination but also quite lonely.

I think it would be especially sad if we are talking about a Blight Reader. since she sees her sibilings having interactions and friends while she cannot join because she is smaller and has problems socializing (': adding to that that she is too young for Odalia to give her a decent "use" to give her attention and Alador...it's Alador.

Imagine that JUST WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD is when Reader ends up having something like a "friend."

If we go with the Blight reader, it is much more obvious how the reader and The Collector met, Odalia serving as his "mom" WOULD HAVE THE NERVE to offer the reader as a better playmate (trying to have favoritism) and leaves the reader reader alone with this child with god-like powers.

Now, reader didn't expect the collector to be so...innocent, he acted like a child her age, MAXIMUN. Besides that he was really interested in the game ideas she had to offer. For this reader to hear that someone is even willing to listen to what she wants to say is a MIRACLE, but putting it into practice and encouraging it? is this a dream?

They are both children extremely deprived of touch and interaction for a long time, so surprisingly, the reader ended up really enjoying her stay in the Archives with the collector and King, whether playing "the owl house" all together, board games that the reader invention, flying on the little flying stars, etc.

The reader definitely had a change of look just like King and Odalia, with a star-studded outfit and everything, although I think the collector lets her personalize it. and he definitely won't let Odalia intervene in the reader's clothes, with the excuse that her "suggestions" are too boring.

Tea parties with puppets! Yes, it's a bit creepy, but hey, they're better off there than down there with Belos (after what the reader secretly heard from her sister, he sounds like a bad guy). apart from the fact that low gravity is fun.

I think that one of the games that they could play the most could be a slightly more extreme version of "rescue the princess" where either a reader or a puppet is the "damsel in distress", King is the great Dragon and the Collector/reader are the knights. Don't worry though! Even if reader is who has to be the lady in distress, she will not be in real danger.

Although if the reader gets hurt (whether from playing or simply due to clumsiness) it means a DAY FREE FROM GAMES for everyone. Although they also play doctor and take care of the reader, maybe they play board games to avoid getting bored.

The Collector definitely feels jealous when Odalia tries to talk to the reader for any reason (probably to have a better position), and sometimes that causes him to give her more work like arranging the puppets they use when they play The Owl House (ironically this could make Odalia see what a bad mother she is being when she sees that a mini space god is better at her job than her).

Now there is no limit to the reader's creativity, no matter how silly or strange the idea for the new game is, he wants to hear it! He always has something positive to get out of even the "worst" ideas (for him that doesn't exist).

Sometimes he has trouble understanding which reader has to sleep and rest more than him and King, but they explain it to him with apples and pears and he more or less understands the concept of three meals a day and 8 hours of sleep (that was how easy it was, how difficult it was for King to explain to TWO CHILDREN why the reader SHOULD NOT eat only sweets).

I imagine that the reader sleeps in the same "room" as the Collector and King, in an extra bed and her own accessories. Maybe the reader even has stuffed animals of abominations (that remind her a little of her family) that she lends time to time to Collie (did you think she wouldn't use that nickname? ha) sometimes keeps them for herself because she's nostalgic, other times she's detached or even angry and gives them to him for several nights.

I can definitely see the Collector being pretty angry at the Blight siblings if he had gotten to know them in a different context, like "how dare you make my best friend CRY?" and it would definitely require a lot of hard work from King and the reader together so that he wouldn't "break" them out of rage.

King knows there's not much point in trying to convince the reader to help him in his plan against the collector, he understands where she's coming from, having someone who takes her seriously and motivates her is a dream come true! It is thanks to this that he sees the Collector more as a sad child and not as someone so terrifying..

After "Raine" lies to the Collector about King wanting to hurt him, he most likely also becomes clingier with the reader (and slightly more protective).

I can even see the reader teaming up with him when they play their "favorite games" against Eda, Luz and King, even if they coordinate well they can't help but lose in one way or another😅

The reader definitely empathizes a lot with the collector when he tells his story and how his brothers simply put him aside, causing him to be imprisoned, but she also begins to reflect and realize that, well, not everything is a game, but she wants them to be friends.

After the events of the season finale, you can be sure that the reader's family is trying SO hard to make up for the damage done (especially Amity and Alador) and that they are not so sure how to feel about the baby of the house being lost. she made friends with an almost god😅

Collie, now being PAINFULLY aware of the reader's mortality, is much gentler with the games when he comes to visit (especially because, well, you know, getting hurt when you're little isn't the same as when you're big) and in general they grow up. together to learn to accept more friends whenever they are:'3

AHHGGG I NEEDED THIS. Maybe I'll do a version with a father/mother! reader, we'll see.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[sardonic-the-writer]

You van now marry me because I am interested in your tf2 headcanons

Tell me more please

so happy someone asked for this. giving your forhead a big fat smooch. also, i would habe included tracker in these, but i feel like that would have been a bit self pretentious

scout

• good artist. has drawn tom jones fanart before

• knows a little bit of french; his mom made him learn. also knows a few french songs because of this

• bisexual but battles with it a lot

• really appreciates his teammates and conciders all of them—except for maybe spy—to be his best friends

• terrified of medical procedures and terrible at hiding it

soldier

• brightest blue eyes you've ever seen

• wears underwear with the pattern of the american flag on them

• doesn't know it's not normal to have gay thoughts. literally would kiss a man sloppy style and then not understand why everyones looking at him. probably straight, but makes exceptions

• has had his hands cut off at least five times before. it's getting concerning at this point

pryo

• uses asl with their team and teaches those who don't know. they'll still use muffled sounds to communicate though

• has no gender actually. not trans, not cis, but a secret third thing

• aroace! latches so strongly onto platonic relationships though its actually insane

• attends bonfires with enigneer sometimes

• has a pair of onsie pajamas that they wear over their suit to bed at night

heavy

• is definitely in love with medic, no doubts to be had

• has a PHD in russian literature! a very smart fella, he just has trouble speaking his mind in english

• gay. so so gay. mlm all day

• the only merc to regularly check out books from teuforts library sans soldier. although he doesn't really check out books, he just yells at the librarian for not carrying sun tzu's the art of war

• sings little songs to sasha in russian

demomam

• has scars all over his chest from an accident with a grenade he had as a kid

• sends lots of post cards and souvenirs to his mom when he's on the job. he really loves her

• actually used to style his hair in dreads when he was a little bit younger, but just doesn't have time to do much with his hair anymore

• so casually bisexual; especially considering it's the sixties and seventies. takes interest in both men and women

• best friends with both his and the other teams soldier!

sniper

• his camper is such a mess all of the time. only ever cleans if he knows someone's going to be visiting, and even then there's a few stray piss bottles laying around

• plays poker & other card games with scout all the time. when they can't bet money, they'll end up using other things to play, like bullets or stray snacks

• thinks he likes both men and women. tries not to dwell on it too much since he gets anxious about it, but at the end of the day can't deny that he finds men attractive as well

• has a mug that says world's number one best sniper that miss pauling got him

engineer

• shortest mercenary r.i.p

• parental figure to pyro

• one of the only good cooks at the base. often ends up making dinner for everyone even if it's someone else's turn to cook that night

• has a prosthetic arm that he built from scratch & spends a lot of his time adding to/upgrading

• probably straight, but the biggest ally you'd ever meet

spy

• genderfluid. has a few lady disguises he's had to use before, and is just as comfortable in them as any other one of his disguises. definitely had gay sex with scouts mom before

• reverts to straight french when he gets irritated or upset

• heavily bisexual and very open about it with any of his partners. a man/womanizer

• the only merc with a sense of fashion to be frank. have you seen everyone else. soldier thinks being naked and covered in honey is the epitome of fashion for fucks sake

medic

• probably knows more about the medical field than any other doctor at the time. is actively dropping some medical talk & procedures that won't even be invented until a few decades later. he's fun like that

• owns one pair of regular clothes. everything else is lab coats and black pants. maybe a turtleneck or two if you're lucky

• super mega über gay for heavy. see what i did there

• also, i'd like to headcanon that he needs glasses because he's nearsighted of all things. it makes performing surgery hard without them

[silviakundera]

re: Story of Kunning Palace. If we get into Themes of the Novel...

I can see why Xei Wei is positioned as her ultimate romance.

The story seems to be a character journey for FL. Part of this jouney is coming to terms with herself and not just being "redeemed" but FEELING redeemed. Look at her conversation in jail w Yan Li. I'm bad, she says. It's something she still believes.

JX enters the story thinking of herself as unworthy of ZZ and in her mind, getting to be accepted & loved by him would be a barometer of goodness. But that's not what she NEEDS. She doesn't need a gold star blessing from a paragon of justice. She needs to accept the ugliness of her past and her imperfections and be able to live with it, to no longer be ashamed. As trite as it sounds, she needs to learn to love herself.

Look at this MTL passage from the novel, on the barrier between her & Xei Wei in her 1st life....

No one knew that the reason why she didn't want to learn the qin after entering Beijing was because of Xie Wei.

Four years ago on the way to Beijing, Xie Wei was holding a qin. She thought this man was really a distant relative of the Jiang family, he was dressed in white clothes, he had nothing but a qin, and he looked sick. Although he was in the same vehicle as her, he didn't like to talk to others, and closed his eyes most of the time to rest his mind. Only when he stopped occasionally in the middle of the journey, he would touch the qin.

Jiang Xuening didn't understand, and she didn't like him either.

Only then had she learned her true background, and knew that there was a "sister" who was praised by everyone in the family. She was afraid that she would be looked down upon by the maid who came to pick her up in Beijing along the way. One has to put on the posture of a young lady, for that humble and pitiful "self-esteem".

Young ladies are all condescending and domineering. Therefore, she was also superior to others and bosses them around - and "others" included Xie Wei.

She grew up in the countryside and didn't learn any rules, but this person had rules when walking, sitting and lying down; whether it's the posture of holding chopsticks when eating together, or when leaning in the carriage for a nap, he was always in order. It hurt her to see it. At that time, she felt that this man was shabby but still carried himself well.

It was only after a long time that she was willing to admit that the reason why she felt uncomfortable was because even if she didn't understand, she could still feel the difference between cloud and mud. And this difference is exactly the difference between her who grew up in the countryside at that time and the bustling capital she was about to arrive in.

But people are always reluctant to admit such truths.

Even after she became a queen, she didn't want to see Xie Wei, and Xie Wei's name was always associated with the qin, and she didn't want to see one.

When she was most terrified and miserable in her life, she was seen by this person. As long as she saw this person, she would think of that past.

And this was what she tabooed the most in her previous life.

Who knows what Xie Wei thought of her at that time? Today's empress was just a country girl who wore a dragon robe and didn't have the look of royalty.

As long as she thought about it, she felt embarrassed, so Jiang Xuening always just told herself that this past does not exist.

The insightful Xie Wei probably knew what she was thinking. Even though he had a high status in the ruling and opposition parties, and frequently goes in and out of the court, he rarely appeared in front of her, and never mentioned it.

As for the scar on her wrist, she asked the imperial doctor to prescribe a prescription, and carefully applied the medicine for two years, and it disappeared completely.

// What i can't stop thinking about is Xei Wei telling her in the drama that he liked the miss ning'er that met during that journey. The girl she was so ashamed of in her first life (before she realized there are worst things to be). He thought she was unpolished jade and was upset to see her sink into the habits of a cold hearted noble in the capital.

She misunderstood him but more importantly she misunderstood herself. She repressed the parts of her that didn't fit the lifestyle she was trying to gain. But in her 2nd life she no longer feels the need to fit in with the other capital nobles, to take back from her sister, to climb the imperial harem. Letting all sides of herself free and meeting Xei Wei head-on is thematically important.

[variousqueerthings]

I think it's also interesting to see how things change depending on the time in which they're being engaged with. so I see things about rose today that point out that she's written to be 19 when she meets the doctor and that's a big age difference (which... I understand the point is it's a big age difference because billie piper was 23 and eccleston was 40, and then dtennant was like 34/35 when he started which isn't so big of a shift but anyway the optics I get what people are getting at, but also I think it does oversimplify a lot of what's actually going on in the written dynamic, anyway-)

and also that the rtd run's Themes start coming together properly around s3 (although they are present from day one), and in some ways at this point, because nu!who has been running for... fuckn. actually quite a few years, which is wild to me as someone who started watching as a kid, and I wonder if classic!who fans felt the same way about their show and anyway -- she shifts from being Literally The First Companion You'd Seen For 17 Years (not counting the movie and fan things and the sketch) Who Was Defining A New Era For A New Generation to... a companion

comparable to other companions, comparable to the rest of the show

we sift through the writing to see what worked and what didn't (in our opinion), and we know how the ten-and-rose storyline Really ends, and how the ten storyline ends (sort, of because now that doctor and donna are Back), and we know what happens afterwards, and we talk about tenrose with a 2020s eye, and rose is "just" one of the people that travels with the doctor, one of several, and notably the one who gets most of the sunshiney doctor that buries a lot of the (wonderfully portrayed) angst of the latter half of the rtd show, and doesn't have as much lore as everything after that, so the story is "just" more simple overall

and to me she's kind of incapable of being just that. doctor who was still a risk that first season, it wasn't a done deal that it would have legs at all, never mind that it would continue for as long as it has. rose was created to be the Face of what nu!who was, moreso than nine/eccleston, because even with the extra angst and the eccleston gravitas, we know the doctor, the doctor is established, it's not actually the doctor that needs to sell what the new show is going to become and what the Feel of that new show is going to be (I mean, partly ofc, but-)

rose was doing so much heavy lifting and she succeeded! she was the face of who before dtennant or any other doctor or companion of his era and subsequent eras. she was created to appeal to a demographic of girls who wanted someone relatable in science fiction, because rtd wanted this to be for the girls, and billie piper came into it off the back of being a popstar and it changed her entire trajectory (for the better I think/hope -- there's a lot of bad shit in billie piper's past and I'm always sending her a fond thought)

nine/ten-and-rose were It! not calling it romantic or platonic or any secret third thing (haunting the narrative), but simply It! that's why it has so much staying power as a ship (which, my opinion on shipping has been somewhat *eh shrug* in later years, but in early-days when that was how you engaged with dynamics that got to you, of course it was going to be massive). it's so hard to properly describe how "for the time in which it was made" that this dynamic was written for, and how successful it was. it was rose that breathed doctor who -- and the doctor's character -- to life, as much as herself

she sets the stage for everything that comes next, both within and without the show proper

and I'm always so pleased that rtd at the time was thinking about what was needed to create this character and he opened with a shot from a girl on the estate with messy hair, clumpy eyeliner, and a minimum wage job, and went "that's the girl who's going to go on the adventure of a lifetime, that's the girl we're seeing the story through and relating to, because that's what girls (and uh... those who were girls at the time - and their parents and the boys) should be seeing."

I know rose isn't the first working class companion including classic!who, but she set the tone for nu!who and her family and background are important to why she is who she is, and is explored

"I've got no A-levels, no job, no future-" said the girl about to see the universe

she was very much for teenagers, and so she reads differently when you're an adult watching it back (much like those "teenager saves the world," novels you loved as a kid), but that's why she's 19 at the beginning. that's why she's billie piper (who does a perfect job). she was there to bring a new generation into this story, and it was perfect. and then she grows up. and we grew up. and she had adventures and it was brilliant and she survived and she made a life for herself. that's her story

[sxftkxssxs]

if your comfortable with it, could you please write something about the m6 (or just Asra and Julian) with an anorexic mc? as someone kind of struggling rn I could use the comfort, but if your not comfortable with it I totally understand 🌻

Oh I definitely can!! I hope this helps, even though its forever late :((

Anorexic mc (main 6)

Asra

He's going to be the most worried about you

He'll do anything he can to support you, and I mean anything

Asra would make sure the things you both eat are things you are okay trying, and he definitely tries to make eating more enjoyable for you

He always checks in on you to make sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard.

He’s always so proud of you, making sure you can hear him say it when you’re in the privacy of your room. It’s often mixed in with soft whispers of praise.

might invite you to cook with him, if you accept, the kitchen ends up a little more of a mess than before (why is there flour on the ceiling..?)

Faust likes to wrap and squeeze you when you have a hard day. (She’s very cold and now you are too!) 

Julian

At first he’s probably a little stumped, but he’s a doctor. he knows about these things

He makes sure he doesn’t get too carried away with the doctor talk, you’re safe from doctor lectures

Malak will often perch on your shoulders, only squawking at Julian a mild amount

Julian doesn't push you too hard, and often leaves you little reminders that you're doing amazing (though you can't really read that chicken scratch doctor handwriting..) 

He tries his best to be there for you when it gets harder, offering to sit with you while you both eat together, dramatic support when you do well!!

Overall he's such a sweetheart, and he makes sure you're not being too hard on yourself

Nadia

Nadia worries almost as bad as Asra does, but she doesn’t always let it show

She’ll take this into consideration for every meal that's planned

She makes sure any meal you both have won’t be too much for you!

Nadia shows how proud she is of you with soft touches outside of the privacy your rooms provide. When inside the privacy of her own spaces she’ll often invite you to bathe with her. (if you turn that down I’ll go in for you).

if you have a really bad day she’ll have them make something a little less, extravagant

Muriel

He won’t have much to say, but you can tell he remembers from other things he does for you

He’ll quietly ask you if you’ve eaten or if you’re alright if he notices anything off

The food he makes always suits your tastes and always looks like someone put a lot of care into it

Muriel makes sure to eat with you, taking a seat beside you

Inanna will still gladly accept any leftovers, although she’s much less eager to snatch it right off your plate

He tries to show he’s proud of you, he gets a little smile on his face every time you two eat together. Inanna often snuggles up to you after you all eat and won’t get up for anything

Muriel won’t be disappointed if theres some things you just can’t bring yourself to eat, either he or Inanna will eat it 

Portia 

Portia definitely has concerns

She’s more of a baker but she can make (some) foods for you if you’d prefer!

She’d likely ask Julian some questions, or just let him spew as much as he knew on the topic 

She’ll encourage you to hang out with her in the kitchens eventually, and everyone working there would be incredibly supportive

Pepi sometimes steals from the kitchens for you, bringing you little parts of things you like (and a leaf once!) 

Portia shows she’s proud of you loud and clear, big hugs and kisses are absolutely part of the routine

Lucio

He’s got a lot of spirit I can tell you that

Most likely won’t be paying much attention to your plate or anything other than the conversation you’re having

he’ll take some time to process why you might not wanna eat- he genuinely thinks you’re amazing no matter what

Lucio is all about fun and making things not seem as bad, so that’s what he does-

He’ll tell you about things he’s done in the past, things he’s planning on the two of you doing, all of it

I think he’s always got to have a hand on you in some way, so depending on what you two are eating he might draw circles on your unused hand, or link pinkies with you.

Mercedes and Melchior often nudge you, slipping their heads under your arm occasionally. No one can ever tell if they’re trying to encourage you or beg for scraps…

[nevis-the-skeleton]

So in “The Polar Star”, what would’ve happened if Arcee and Bee saw the files instead of Smokescreen?

I was reading and randomly had this thought

It’s indeed a good question, I apologize in advance if my answer is a little messy, sometimes it’s not easy to completely reimagine a scenario XD. It's true that Smokescreen really wasn't the best bot to find out the truth about Starscream, especially because of his more than inappropriate words about Cold Constructions.

Additionally, Starscream and Smokescreen are both very impulsive, which creates a torrent of chaos. We also saw what could have happened with Ratchet, and the result was not better, if not worse, due to his status as a doctor (here). But with Arcee, and especially Bumblebee, there is a possibility that the outcome could be much less dramatic.

*

First of all let's talk about Arcee, we must already put their current situation in context: the two are in a fairly cordial understanding, although they both made mistakes at the beginning, when Starscream had just joined the team, they managed to put their differences aside to work better together.

And, Arcee also has a huge advantage on her side: she's a Caminus. So this may seem like a super strange reason, but you should know that in my AU the Cold Constructions were only persecuted on Cybertron, and not on the other colonies, in particular Veloctitron and Caminus.

Caminus was the only planet to oppose the Caste System, and the Mistress of Flame also showed great disapproval of the treatment of Slaves and Cold Constructions. So the fact that Arcee grew up in an environment such as Caminus may make it easier for her to gain Starscream's trust, unlike Smokescreen.

But Arcee will still have to be careful. She'll be facing a terrified and cornered Starscream, and it's truly the worst thing that could happen with him. Both are impulsive, so if Starscream tries to fight, she won't hesitate to fight back. It will really be up to Arcee to defuse the situation, by starting a conversation directly.

I already think that, unlike Smokescreen, she won't hide what she discovered from Starscream. She will show him what she found, ask him if it is true, waiting for his reaction. Of course, the Seeker's reaction will be bad, and Arcee will have to be very quick so that it doesn't get out of hand. But it's definitely possible.

This will also be an opportunity for her to talk about the Autobots' real goal, which was never to reestablish the Caste System, as Starscream thought all along. Indeed, the Seeker must surely have wondered for a long time why a Caminus had joined the Autobot camp, when her people were against the Cybertron system.

In this alternative of my story, it would therefore not be Ultra Magnus, but Arcee who would tell Starscream about the existence of the Sentinels.

*

Now let's talk about Bumblebee, he is at a much greater disadvantage than Arcee, due to his age (which is the same as Smokescreen) and the fact that he is a Cybertronian who was raised by the Autobots. That really doesn't work in his favor.

But, Bumblebee was raised primarily by Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet, and the three never wanted Bumblebee to fully know Sentinel Prime, knowing full well that he really wasn't a good influence, and that his speeches were the more often inappropriate and disrespectful.

So, Bumblebee grew up in an environment where he was taught that every life was important, and that no one was worth more than the other, while Smokescreen was with a conservative and strict Creator, who viewed Cold Constructions as defective waste and Slaves as disposable robots. So, it is indeed not the best setting to have a fair point of view.

Bumblebee also has the advantage of being eloquent, despite the lack of his voice, and his empathy can greatly help him defuse the situation with Starscream. In Part 2 (spoiler alert if you haven't read it yet), when Starscream has a panic attack, it's Bumblebee who goes to see him and speaks with him. He's also the one Starscream confides in about what happened with Smokescreen, no one else (end of spoil). And it’s quite simply because despite his young age, Bumblebee knows how to listen, he manages to put himself in the other person’s place.

So, if he discovers the truth, it will be natural for the young Autobot to start a discussion with Starscream. He will know how to find the right words (or rather beeps) to calm the Seeker and put him at ease. And if Starscream asks him not to tell anyone, Bumblebee will promise not to (and promising is something very important among Transformers).

*

So, as we saw, it was really bad luck that it was Smokescreen who discovered the truth about Starscream. Arcee would have had the advantage of her origin, and the fact that she and Starscream have been getting along better for a while, while Bumblebee will have his empathy to help him.

Although, honestly, the best scenario is when Bumblebee finds out the truth, because unlike Arcee he is not impulsive, so there would be no risk of fighting, unlike with Arcee.

[dyns33]

Shielded by the moon - Part 2

I had NO IDEA how to end this properly…

Tag : @lotrefcp (I thought about it !)

Y/N had a habit of lying. Of hiding things.

Between her job for SHIELD and her special abilities, she had to learn early on how to modify the truth to avoid trouble. That didn't mean she liked it.

It was perfectly normal for Steven to be a little upset that she hadn't told him she was an agent on a mission, even though he said he understood and wasn't angry.

It was even more normal that Marc and Jake didn't trust her.

The first because she had hidden things, the other because he knew that she continued to hide things, even if it was also somewhat his fault.

“Mentirosa.” he muttered as he followed her to her hotel, because his God had ordered him to protect her, or at least to watch over her.

"You're one to talk. The others don't know you exist, or what you do."

“And it will stay that way !”

"You're calling me a liar, while asking me to lie. Make a choice."

"You, make a choice. Leave them alone. Leave. You have the answers you wanted, so leave."

The Moon Knight wasn't wrong. Y/N had gotten all the answers SHIELD was looking for, she knew who the mummy was, how he got his powers, and his motivations.

Although Jake wasn't very talkative, she understood that he wasn't a danger, even if he was dangerous. He only took on people who deserved it, criminals, so there was no need to constantly follow him, or try to stop him.

There were two problems.

Y/N couldn't give these answers to her superiors, because Jake didn't want anyone to know about him. It was already too much that she knew.

It also risked putting Marc and Steven in danger, when they didn't even know that another alter was using the body when they slept to jump on roofs and beat up people.

And Y/N didn’t want to leave Steven. She really liked Steven.

SHIELD wouldn't be that hard to trick. She just had to pretend that she had to stay in London longer to track down the mummy, while giving a few new elements to satisfy them.

The problem was that she didn't want to lie to Steven, or to Marc, who both seemed to have suffered enough because of the secrets and lies.

They already knew about her work, but not about her abilities. Y/N was afraid they wouldn’t understand. That they would judge her, look at her like her parents and the doctors. It seemed stupid, but the idea was eating her inside.

There was also Jake.

“If you talk about me, you’re dead.” he said before flying away.

“I couldn’t find anything on this Jake.” Marc had said the next day, continuing to look everywhere for the new Moon Knight, and not understanding why their paths never crossed.

Jake was the real problem. Because as long as she didn't talk about him, he considered her a dangerous liar, and if she talked about him, she became an enemy to be defeated.

Probably because of his past, the mercenary could sense that Y/N was still hiding something, and he didn't trust the young woman either.

There was only Steven, who agreed to believe her.

"Excuse him, he had some issues, if I can say that. I know you're a nice person. I mean, SHIELD hasn't always done good things, but with good intentions, and I think it’s the same for you.”

“If anyone is nice here, it’s you Steven.”

"Thank you, love. Dove ! I mean…Thank you !"

Their relationship was unclear. It wasn't really easy, between her job, Marc who was staring at them in the mirror with a dark look, Jake who came to threaten her during the night when they were sleeping, and the shadow of Khonshu who hovered over her constantly.

Wanting to be with Steven was normal, and dangerous and loud and stressful.

"You'll never really be with him, mentirosa. He doesn't know who you are. He doesn't know that you're hiding things from him. He hates that, you know ? Marc made him suffer a lot."

"And not you ?"

“No, I’m not here for that.” growled the Moon Knight as he approached dangerously. "And I won't let anything happen to them. Why these lies anyway ? Little prophet. Khonshu has nothing but compliments and sweet words for you, like he worships you. He says you're special. I think that you are nothing, and you must leave.”

It could have been simple if she had listened. Y/N would have returned to her small apartment, telling her bosses that she didn't know the identity of the mummy, but that she could determine that he was not a threat, and everything would be stopped there.

But she stayed, and Marc called Layla.

Their marriage, their divorce and Steven's crush did not affect her. Layla was a nice woman. The large hippo that followed her was another story.

The cries between the hippopotamus and Khonshu especially.

Y/N remembered the screams of the creatures when she was a child, when she entered a sacred place, always followed by her father's screams because he didn't understand why she was crying.

"… Y/N ? Is everything okay? "

She didn't hear the question. The gods were shouting too loudly, attracting other things, and suddenly she was on the ground, hands over her ears, desperately trying to shut herself out from the world. There were too many voices, too many noises, too much of everything.

“Make them stop, make them stop.” she begged, sobbing.

"Sal de aquí. ¡ Mierda, lárgate ahora !"

It took a long time for her to realize that silence had returned, and that there was someone near her on the floor, holding her close, rocking her and whispering incomprehensible things. Things in Spanish.

“… Jake ?”

"Shh. Breathe, mi pequeña mentirosa. Breathe."

"I… I'm sorry… I…"

“Breathe.”

There was almost no air left in her lungs. The advice was quite wise. Y/N didn’t understand why he was giving it to her. Jake didn't like her, he didn't trust her. He would probably be happy if she disappeared.

But his God would not. Neither would Steven.

"Love, talk to me, please. Please. Less noise. No, Marc, not now. We'll see later, you two stop. Y/N ? Tell me what I can do."

"I'm sorry. Sorry." she cried, clinging to him. "Don't call the doctors. I don't want to go back. I'm sorry. I won't lie again… Sorry."

She had said that often when she was younger. A sentence that made no sense, because her parents asked her to stop talking about the monsters she pretended to see and the visions she claimed to receive. Lies, according to them. As time went on, Y/N sometimes had trouble knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry." she continued to repeat, afraid of what was going to happen to her.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, babe. Nothing at all."

It was Marc who happened.

Undoubtedly the one of the three who could understand her the most, and he decided that she only deserved kisses, hugs and massages on the back, to reassure and protect her. Everything he would have wanted to have in his childhood and that Steven, and Jake in secret, offered him.

They stayed like that until Y/N felt better. The rest could wait, even the annoyed moon god, who had been ordered to leave the room by his own avatar. But it was for the sake of a prophet, so he accepted.

"… You want to talk about it ?" Marc asked almost shyly.

"No."

"Fine. Me neither."

Later, it was Steven who decided to talk about it. Because Steven had no problem speaking, and he considered communication to be important in a couple, if they were a couple. They still had to talk about this.

He didn't force her to speak though. He respected her need for privacy, and he didn't see it as a lie.

Either way, they had a more pressing concern.

“So… Jake?”

“I couldn’t tell you about him.”

"Oh, I'm not mad at you, love. Neither is Marc. In fact, they're the ones I'm talking to." he said, pointing at the mirror.

"Jake isn't too upset that I talked about him ?"

"He says you didn't talk about him, he was the one who showed himself, so no. Why does he call you 'my little liar' ? I don't like that. Marc, stop calling her 'babe', I don't like that either."

"My avatars and a prophet are a sign. The moon is brighter since you met, and my powers greater."

"Shut up, you big pigeon ! Why can I see the big pigeon again ?! Why are you still working for him, Jake ?!"

There were still several arguments and misunderstandings, especially with Jake who had even more difficulty than Marc in communicating, but no more lying.

The only ones Y/N said were sent to SHIELD, with a transfer letter to stay in England, in order to keep an eye on the Moon Knight who only agreed to collaborate if she was the intermediary. Not that it was really a lie.

[a-writhing-mass]

DW episode thoughts.

Hmm...

(some spoilers)

Not sure what to think of the new Doctor Who episodes so far.

I love the new Doctor and Ruby though - they seem like great characters. But I felt that the space babies thing was a bit... weird. Talking babies, with stiff cgi lips just don't cut it for me. Bit too uncanny valley to be likeable so I feel like that episode really flopped for me. And the Devils Chord felt a bit too constantly chaotic for me personally.

I liked the reference to Susan but... ooof I hope that means they'll bring her back this series in some form.

As an adoptee though I'm kinda hoping that they don't fuck up the resolution for Ruby's origin. So far I'm thinking the constant 'I am adopted' talk feels a bit forced. In fact I kinda wish they'd exposition that feeling though jokes. As in 'ohhh maybe I'm actually an alien', rather than the continuing vibe of 'I don't know x and this sucks'. Yeah. It does. But that's why you end up fantasising about your own origin. Ruby could be a Time Lord. She could be a princess. Heck she could be both! Or even a bloody dragon that was cursed to be born human! Although it's crap you don't know, it can be a fun coping mechanism to make shit up and I kinda would like to see that more. Another thing I'd like to see is Ruby looking at other people and comparing her looks to them; 'oh, that person has similar eyes, etc' - not in those words obviously, but a lot of adoptees and relinquished people do that. They seek out their genetic mirrors.

Actually I'm kinda hoping we never find out who her birth parents are, or where the Doctor originally came from. That might seem unsatisfying for viewers but actually that's exactly what it's like to feel as a relinquished person. There is a lot of stuff about your past that can never be answered and quite frankly I kinda hope that feeling can be conveyed to an audience that mostly doesn't understand that. I'd much rather they keep showing Ruby's mother is supportive in her efforts to find out more about herself than Ruby actually finding the truth.

In the Doctor's case especially. I think I prefer them as a mysterious entity - by revealing that they might not actually be a Time Lord, while it sucks that 60 years backstory has been practically discarded, it might be a good thing to add that mystery back to them.

So yeah. I'm hoping that both their origins always remain a mystery.

[lem-de-lemon]

English: (Translate)

I had already uploaded one of these on Amino, but it was just Elijah. This is a second, less literal version of a "Reverse AU"?

So...

Sydney Sargent: The Architect.

Sydney is a nurse's aide at Camp Here & There, Lucille saved him when he was a child and despite his difficulties he dedicated his life to being useful to her and staying by his best friend's side keeping him safe. He is affectionate although somewhat distracted so he can sometimes seem distant, but he does not stop loving others. He spends his days mostly in his office recording his progress on a "project" on cassettes and as a hobby he also likes to take care of a small garden of wild plants. He has a special interest in fungi so part of his library is about them. He suspects that he may be ill, but he has not said anything about it.

Jedidiah Martin: The Muse

Nurse at Camp Here & There. He has a good heart, but the children run away from him despite his attempts to help the other camp counselors. He is in charge of giving the announcements in the camp, he doesn't seem to be doing too badly. For some reason he seems to be very interested in clocks, he has a small collection of several of them in different and extravagant designs from around the world. Lately he feels watched, he is not very religious but he claims to be persecuted by a guy with a goat mask (The others don't know whether to believe him or not and those who do have very strange theories about satanic cults. Sydney doesn't have an opinion on that , in fact he seems a little uncomfortable and prefers to avoid the topic.) He has a slight allergy to rabbits.

(Up and) Adam: A stranger in the woods.

He was once a psychology student, but one day he disappeared in the woods and no one cared enough to go find him. He has a strange obsession with Jedidiah Martin, he believes she may be the solution to his problems. He doesn't like Sydney, but he has offered Jedidiah sessions to talk about him (Gaslight?). He's weird. When he takes off his mask he makes the others feel sleepy, sometimes it amuses him to wake Jedidiah up by making a lot of noise with his tambourine. Probably cannibal. "Bone Apple Teeth"

Elijah Volkov: A demon with a PhD.

A "nice" nurse demon, he walks around in the dreams of others (especially Jedidiah and Sydney) causing them to have quite strange nightmares. He wears part of a pink suit that would not at all give you the feeling that you were talking to a doctor. Why study medicine? He really isn't sure, maybe he wanted to understand the camp nurses a little more, maybe he was bored or maybe he just finds it funny to correct others so they call him "Dr." He has a strange relationship with Sydney, possibly it has to do with his medical condition or why Jedidiah went from looking like a dead person overnight to looking better than ever when they were kids. He has a strange taste with elephants, he would put stickers of them in other people's notebooks and the others would find them on random pages everywhere.

Español: (Lengua nativa)

Ya había subido uno de éstos en Amino, pero solo era Elijah. Esta es una segunda versión menos literal de un "AU Reverse"?

Asíque...

Sydney Sargent: El arquitecto.

Sydney es un ayudante de enfermería en Camp Here & There, Lucille lo salvó cuando era un niño y a pesar de las dificultades dedicó su vida a serle útil y permanecer al lado de su mejor amigo manteniéndolo a salvo. Es cariñoso aunque algo distraido por lo que aveces puede verse distante, pero no deja de amar a los demás. Pasa sus días mayormente en su oficina grabando sus avances sobre un "proyecto" en cassettes y como pasatiempo a parte le gusta cuidar de un pequeño jardín de plantas silvestres. Tiene un interés especial en los hongos por lo que parte de su biblioteca trata sobre ellos. Se sospecha que pueda estar enfermo, pero no ha dicho nada al respecto.

Jedidiah Martin: La Musa

Enfermero en Camp Here & There. Tiene un buen corazón, pero los niños huyen de él a pesar de sus intentos por ayudar a los demás consejeros del campamento. Es el encargado de dar los anuncios en el campamento, no parece irle mal. Por alguna razón parece interesarle muchos los relojes, tiene una pequeña colección de varios de ellos en diferentes y extravagantes diseños del mundo. Últimamente se siente observado, no es muy religioso pero dice ser perseguido por un sujeto con máscara de cabra (Los demás no saben si creerle o no y los que si lo hacen tienen teorías muy raras sobre cultos satánicos. Sydney no tiene una opinión sobre eso, de hecho parece algo incómodo y prefiere evitar el tema.) Tiene una leve alergia a los conejos.

(Up and) Adam: Un extraño en el bosque.

Alguna vez fué un estudiante de psicología, pero un día desapareció en el bosque y a nadie le importó lo suficiente para ir por él. Tiene una extraña obsesión con Jedidiah Martin, cree que pueda ser la solución a sus problemas. No le gusta Sydney, pero le ha ofrecido a Jedidiah tener sesiones para hablar sobre él (¿Gaslight?). Es... extraño. Cuando se quita la máscara provoca que los demás se sientan somnolientos, aveces le divierte despertar a Jedidiah haciendo mucho ruido con su pandereta. Probablemente caníbal. "Bone Apple Teeth"

Elijah Volkov: Un demonio con doctorado.

Un "simpático" demonio enfermero, se pasea en los sueños de los demás (Especialmente Jedidiah y Sydney) provocandoles pesadillas bastante extrañas. Porta parte de un traje rosa que para nada te daría la sensación de estar hablando con un doctor. ¿Porqué estudiar medicina? Realmente no está seguro, quizás queria enteneder un poco más a los enfermeros del campamento, quizás estaba oburrido o quizás simplemente encuentra divertido corregir a los demás para quelo llamen "Dr". Tiene una relación extraña con Sydney, posiblemente tenga que ver con su condición médica o porqué de la noche a la mañana Jedidiah pasó de verse como un muerto a estar mejor que nunca cuando eran niños. Tiene una extraña afición con los elefantes, pagaría stickers de ellos en los cuadernos de los demás y los demás los encontrarían en páginas random por todoa lados.

[unofficialarchives]

Statement of Sabrina Petrikoff regarding a concert she attended with a friend in 2016. Statement verbatim from subject. Go ahead, Ms. Petrikoff. From the beginning.

Do I just.. sorry, do I talk into it? Or.. am I supposed to write something down..? No, No, I'll just.. state.. my statement. Yeah. And if it's wrong, or doesn't record you people can call me back and have me say it alll over again, although I.. really wouldn't want to waste your time twice. *sighs* from the beginning..? I suppose.. alright, well.. Brenda was a strange girl. She stood out in class, kept to herself, and overall was quiet. Most of us at least went to the school pep rallies.. But not Brenda. No, she.. just seemed to disappear those days if she came at all. So you see, I didn't really talk to her until we were paired together on a science project, that we had to present after the weekend. So, when end of day came friday and we hadn't really finished it, I invited her over to my house the next day. We worked on the project diligently, and quietly for a few hours, before Brenda sheepishly said thank you for having me, and went home. It still wasn't finished, so I asked if she wanted to finish it up at her house the next day. She frantically agreed. So.. I went over. I waited for her, in her room. I scanned the room after a while, struggling to sit still for that long. I noticed she had.. some textbooks on her book shelf. They seemed to mostly center around science.. and.. human anatomy. Ny first thought was that Brenda had simply forgotten to return them, and upon opening one and seeing well worn pages, I felt vindicated. Until, that is, I saw the writing in the margins, and the scattered notes stuffed between pages. I flipped to the front as she walked into the door, and realized these weren't library books. They were hers. When she realized what I had in my hands, her whole face lit up, as though she had only just come alive and she asked excitedly 'Do you like anatomy too?' I didn't, not really, but seeing her like that, hearing this excitement rush forth from her in a way I'd never seen before, I said 'yes, but..I haven't been sure where to start.' She sat down next to me, and we spent the next few hours talking about human anatomy, things like which bones are hollow, and why, and which ones aren't - She said she always found it odd we didn't have more hollow bones like birds. I didn't understand why but.. I know she wouldn't feel the same now.

I learned quickly she had a keen interest in anatomy and science, and that she was kind of a nerd, and this explained why she had such a hard time making friends, why she stood out, and why she disappeared during rallies. She'd slip off to the library to read up or study instead. I left, a big smile on my face, and I realized we hadn't actually finished our project. I called her, and did my best to explain that we hadn't finished and needed to present it the next day - She told me not to worry, the project would be done, and to just read from my agreed upon section the next day. So.. I did. Sure enough, it was finished and we got an A on the project. After that, we started to become friends. She told me more about anatomy, and I told her about history, so when she pointed out that my wrists seemed stiff, and that I was having issues, I listened. My carpal tunnel was diagnosed shortly thereafter. When she suggested I favored my left side, I looked into it and learned I had tendon issues in my left knee. She'd called it before any doctor could've. My point is, she really knew her stuff. I learned her favorite color was green, her favorite food was burgers, and her favorite bone was the radius, and of course.. her favorite band. The Corset Interns - She'd asked me if I knew them. I did, but none of my other friends knew. They were all preppy, and wouldn't understand the appeal of a rock/indie band. So when we saw a post online advertising that they were coming to play in our town, we jumped at the opportunity to see them live. We begged our parents, and worked hard, until finally we'd earned our tickets. The opener was going to be some.. other indie band I hadn't heard of. Poppet. At the time, we just assumed that it would be a band with a similar sound, to really amp up the crowd for the concert. But about a week prior to the concert, Brenda asked me if I'd found anything else online to support Corset Interns coming down, or Anything at all on Poppet - I hadn't. I once again assured her that it was pretty normal not to see anything, as the Corset Interns were pretty underground, and didn't typically post anything about their concerts until after the fact. She nodded, and then went back to the opener. 'I'd understand if they were up and coming, but then wouldn't they want to have a large online prescence..?' I shrugged. I honestly didn't care much, I was just excited to go see Corset Interns with her. She sort of left it alone, until a few days later. 'Sabrina - Psst, Sabrina! The Corset Interns aren't coming. They're not playing here.' She shook her head, looking worried. 'What do you mean? We've already bought our tickets, of course they are' I fired back hotly. 'Sabrina please, just look at this okay?' She showed me a post by some rando online, saying that they'd be playing across the country in a different town the night we were meant to be going. I laughed softly. 'Probably just rumors, or someone bitter they couldn't make it out. At worst, it's someone who's been misinformed.' I said trying to reassure her. She nodded, hesitantly. 'Yeah..you're probably right. Still. Let's ask my mom if she can be on standby in case we need her to come pick us up, okay?' I nodded this time. I doubted Mrs. Johnson would like it, but if it made Brenda feel more comfortable, I wasn't going to fight her on it. After all, it was her first concert with a friend. Of course she'd be nervous, right? The night of the concert, her mum fell ill. Bed ridden. I asked if she wanted to cancel, I even said I wouldn't go without her - but she insisted, though she was clearly shaken and pale when we picked her up. My mum dropped us off, and Brenda reminded me to set up a just in case ride, and I told her I would - But.. I didn't. I wish I had. If I had maybe she - We went. Anyways. Found our seats, and settled in, and as the lights dimmed, we heard Mother - Lead singer of the Corset Interns, personally welcoming us.