#and it's not as Necessary per se but it's. still useful to her and she is always listening

[ru5t]

scale of 1 to 10 how unsettled would your character be if Tech recognized them by footstep and/or another movement sound of theirs?

[ginnsbaker]

the follow up

Summary: Sequel to 'prophylaxis'. Wanda's follow up appointment with you, her dentist. Includes ice cream, Vision playing matchmaker and Wanda's questionable taste in music

Word count: 3k | Warnings: None. Tooth-rotting fluff. Pun intended.

Ship: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader | Platonic Wanda Maximoff X Vision

Author's note: Let's pretend that the Sokovian accords resolved itself without Tony and Steve divorcing | P.S couldn't resist inserting a T.S. lyric (sorry not sorry)

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

-

Wanda Maximoff is strapped to a chair.

Again.

Fortunately, it's not because she'd been caught behind enemy lines or had to be restrained because of those stupid accords that nobody really cares about except Tony and Steve. 

No, Wanda Maximoff is at the dentist's office. 

Again.

Okay, so, she’s not strapped per se, but the patient bib she wears over her clothes certainly feels like one, especially when that chair starts to tilt back as soon as you nudge the adjustor with your foot. It's like being bound in place, just without the actual restraints.

Her lips are dry, and her heart is beating just a little too fast, but not from fear this time. It's a different sort of edginess that Wanda feels, especially when you lean in too close to her face to check her molars. Your face is just inches from hers, eyebrows strewn in concentration and eyes focused. Wanda tries to look away, but there's nowhere to look except the ceiling or into those scrutinizing eyes.

It also doesn’t help that you smell absolutely incredible. Last week, you smelled like raindrops on petals. Today, you smell like cinnamon and vanilla, and she finds both scents comforting and addicting. 

“So, Wanda,” you say, your voice calm and gentle, “How have you been taking care of your teeth since the last visit?”

“Uh, fine,” Wanda tries to articulate the words properly but all that comes out is a garbled “ahhh fuh”. You don't mock her in any way; instead, you display an expert understanding of your patients' speech patterns. 

“You've been brushing and flossing?”

Wanda nods.

“Good girl,” you say, and even though your smile is hidden behind the mask, she can still see it in your eyes. They crinkle at the corners, and it just sends something warm and happy in Wanda’s chest whenever she sees it. 

But there’s nervousness, too.

In fact, a lot of things about you make her nervous. After all, your kind used to be the bane of her existence.

You turn away to prepare the necessary tools, and Wanda's mind starts to wander. How many patients do you see in a day? Are you always this nice and charming to them? 

Are they also nervous around you? Or is it just her?

“Alright, Wanda,” you say, turning back to her, your eyes kind and understanding. “Let's get started. Just a small pinch, and you'll feel a little numb.”

She nods again, and the procedure begins. 

As you work, you talk about mundane things and the new plant you acquired over the weekend. You also talk a little about the Avengers compound and the unique experiences that come with being their on-call dentist, especially with a synthezoid who insists on getting their teeth checked. 

Wanda answers more freely now, her initial hesitation gone. She finds herself enjoying your company–enjoying this dental appointment, of all things–and even laughing at some of your anecdotes.

Finally, the fillings are in place, and you help her rinse her mouth.

“See?” you say, patting her shoulder. “That wasn't so bad.”

Wanda beams at you, feeling quite proud of herself. “No, it wasn't. Thank you.”

“There are still three more that might need fillings, but we can schedule that for some other time. Don’t want you to get overwhelmed,” you add with a cheeky wink that has Wanda unwittingly clutching the armchair tightly.

You carefully set your tools down on the tray, giving Wanda some room to breathe. Right then, the numbing effect of the anesthesia begins to fade and Wanda winces, her hand instinctively coming up to her jaw, fingers massaging the area where the discomfort is blooming. 

Seeing her reaction, you recall the ice cream you'd thoughtfully stashed away after she’d confirmed her appointment.

“Feeling a bit tender there?” you ask, moving towards the small refrigerator you keep in the room. “I have just the thing.”

Wanda looks at you curiously as you retrieve a container of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. Her eyes widen, and she exclaims, “How did you know this is my favorite?”

You blush as if you’ve been caught doing something you shouldn’t. You hadn't expected Wanda to notice the specific flavor of the ice cream, let alone comment on how suspiciously perfect it was that you picked her favorite. 

“Well, I may have called the Avengers compound and asked around,” you say, sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck. “It was Vision–was it?–who knew. Said you always choose this one.”

You extend the tub of Cherry Garcia to Wanda, and as she takes it, your fingers briefly brush against hers. Both of you pause at the unexpected touch, a small gasp escaping her lips. You quickly shift your attention to the utensil drawer, pulling out a spoon and handing it to her. But instead of digging in immediately, she hesitates, glancing up at you. 

The white mask you're wearing has kept your full face hidden throughout the appointment, and now, she'd be utterly disappointed if she never gets a peek at your face, which is partly the reason she agreed to come here in the first place.

Wanda Maximoff can’t have that. After sitting through an hour in that torture chair, she needs to be rewarded. And not just with ice cream. 

“Would you... would you like to share it with me?” she asks hesitantly, trying to be subtle–

 “I'd really like to see your face, just once.”

–and then failing at subtlety half a second later.

You blink, surprised at her straightforwardness, and feel a deeper blush spread across your cheeks. Her request is unconventional, yes, but it's also earnest and endearing. Slowly, you reach up and remove the mask, unveiling the smile that Wanda's been so desperate to see.

“Well, I do have quite the sweet tooth, so I couldn't possibly refuse.” you say.

You sit side-by-side on the coach, your knees touching ever so often. You occasionally find yourself pointing to Wanda's lips, indicating where she needs to wipe away the stray cream. Wanda blushes at your attentiveness, but she can't help but appreciate the caring gesture.

Wanda truly wants to prolong this moment, this unexpected opportunity to have you all to herself. But as delightful as the company is, ice cream has its own rules, and it's not much enjoyable when it's melted. So, despite her desire to make the moment stretch on, the ice cream is finished in under ten minutes. 

Staring at the empty tub, the idea that she might not be the only one to experience this side of you fills her with both reassurance and a hint of envy. Wanda can't help but wonder if there's something special about the connection you share during these brief appointments, or if your comforting demeanor is simply part of being a skilled and compassionate dentist.

Either way, she wants to do something with you that would set her apart from all your other patients.

“Um, so,” she begins, fumbling with her words, her eyes darting around the room before landing on yours. “I was thinking, you know, if you're not too busy or anything, maybe we could... do this again? Not the dental part!” she quickly adds, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I mean, maybe dinner, or a movie, or whatever you like? If you want to, of course.”

You look at her with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, as if you're trying to catch the words that just slipped out of her mouth. Is it a date? Is it just a friendly outing? Regardless, it's not typically professional to see a patient outside of the clinic, especially one as renowned as Wanda Maximoff. 

“Wanda,” you start. “You’re interesting, funny, and truly amazing.”

You watch as Wanda’s face becomes hopeful, which makes you want to strangle yourself for what you have to say next. 

“But I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to consider the professional boundaries that I need to maintain.”

Wanda's eyes widen momentarily, and then she quickly masks her disappointment with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Oh, of course, I understand,” she says, her voice light, but not quite reaching her eyes. “I shouldn't have asked. It was silly of me.”

But you can see the hurt in her eyes, the way her shoulders slump just a little, the way her smile doesn't scrunch her nose the way it normally does. She's trying to brush it off, to act like it doesn't matter, but you can tell that it does.

With that, your time together draws to a close. You ask Wanda if she wants to schedule another filling for her remaining molars, but she merely shakes her head, telling you she'll have to think about it. Her eyes avoid yours, and her voice is distant, a clear indication of how your rejection has affected her.

You watch her walk away, a part of you wishing you could call her back, and another part knowing that you made the right choice. 

It's the first time you experience a profound sense of loathing towards your profession as a dentist.

You wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t invite you back next year for another routine check-up.

-

Which makes your predicament the following day all the more baffling.

One second, you're tending to a tall, blonde, seemingly ordinary man in your dental chair, going through the routine motions of preparing for a check-up. You turn your back for a moment to prepare your tools, lost in thought and still reeling from yesterday's encounter with Wanda.

When you turn to face your patient again, your heart skips a beat, your hands freezing in place. 

The man is no longer blonde and ordinary but bald and a striking shade of red.

In a snap, it’s another Avenger in your hands.

You clear your throat, forcing a smile as you approach the chair. “Mr. Vision,” you say, trying to keep your voice steady. “I wasn't expecting to see you here.”

Vision is ready to correct you with your use of ‘Mr.’ but then he tilts his head, deciding he likes the title next to his name.

“It's my pleasure to see you, Doctor,” he smiles at you, sitting perfectly still.

You blink at him, still trying to wrap your head around the fact that a synthezoid–one who technically doesn't even have biological teeth–is sitting in your dental chair. You can't help but wonder if this is some kind of joke or if Wanda sent him to kill you.

When you continue to stand unmoving in your position, Vision says, “I’m here for a check-up.”

Huh. 

Okay?

You reach for the mouth mirror and probe, tools typically used for human patients, and hesitate for just a moment. 

How exactly does one perform a check-up on a synthezoid?

Vision seems to read your uncertainty, his crystal-blue eyes meeting yours. “I assure you, I have all the components you would find in a human mouth,” he says. 

You nod, beginning to understand. Gathering your focus, you proceed to perform the unusual check-up he's requesting. As you explore his mouth, you find yourself fascinated by the impeccable craftsmanship that went into creating Vision. Every tooth, every gum, is a perfect imitation of its human counterpart. 

You find yourself feeling a little jealous of his orthodontic assets. 

As you continue the check-up, he starts to share some stories, his voice even and clear despite your probing.

“You know, Wanda once fed an alley full of stray cats during a mission in Bucharest,” he says, a soft chuckle in his voice. “We were on a surveillance assignment, and she noticed them, all huddled together, looking hungry. Before I knew it, she had conjured up bowls of food for them all. It was quite a sight.”

You pause, caught by the image of Wanda surrounded by furry, adorable kittens. “That sounds adorable.” you reply, moving on to examine his upper molars. 'Cute' was the word on the tip of your tongue, exactly what you meant to say. But you know as well as anyone that finding a patient cute is off-limits.

He continues, “Yes, Wanda has a way with things. Once, back at the Avengers HQ, she'd make her dinner portion smaller so the guys with big appetites could eat their fill. Even Natasha, who's quite the cook, found it a stretch sometimes to satisfy the team's hunger.”

And then as he drones on about Wanda, you slowly begin to piece together what's really happening here. Vision isn't just in your clinic for a check-up. 

He's talking up Wanda. 

To you.

As if Wanda even needed talking up.

All you could think about was the brunette with her soulful green eyes and a smile that makes you go weak in the knees. Your heart skips a beat at the very thought of her.

But it's not just because Wanda is your patient that you rejected her. There's the awe and reverence you feel towards her as an Avenger, a symbol of justice and freedom, a hero who seems to belong to the world more than to any one person. And then there's the raw, personal part of you, still healing from a toxic relationship that ended only six months ago.

And as Vision concludes his tales of Wanda by sharing how she's the only one patient enough to show him the ropes of what being human is, you see through his carefully crafted façade. 

He's here to bridge the gap, to make Wanda more accessible, more human in your eyes. He wants you to see her not just as a public figure but as a person with feelings, quirks, and simple kindnesses.

And more than that, he wants you to realize that you're an idiot for saying no to someone as wonderful as Wanda Maximoff.

“You’re not really here for a check-up, are you?” you smile at him knowingly.

Vision looks at you, his synthetic eyes almost mischievous and for a while you forget that he isn’t human. 

He pauses for a moment, as if considering his next words, and then he smiles back.

“No,” he finally says, his voice carrying a hint of both humor and sincerity. “I'm not.”

He then continues, his tone turning thoughtful. “Wanda has been... sulking. For hours, locked up in her room listening to ‘Lips of an Angel’ on repeat. She told me before that I am her 'best friend,'” he says, the term slightly foreign in his mouth. “I looked up what that means, and it included helping her be happy.”

Apart from the reveal of what kind of music Wanda listens to, you feel Vision’s words tugging at your heart strings. Well, at least until he says–

“Natasha explained to me that Wanda is being, as she put it, 'emo' because she got rejected by a possible... sexual mate.”

You'd choke on your water if you were drinking one.

That's not what you expected him to say, not in the least. The sentence hits you like a left-field curveball, utterly disrupting the flow of the conversation. It's so... so... un-Vision-like, and yet, here he is, stating it as matter-of-factly as he might describe the weather.

“Given that, I would like to ask you to reconsider going out with my ‘best friend’.”

You're still coming to grips with everything that's just happened. Vision, Wanda's “best friend” here in your clinic, attempting to play matchmaker. What he's asking isn't small, but the way he's asking, the care he's shown in understanding human relationships, his concern for Wanda's feelings–it all makes you pause.

You think about what you were doing on your computer last night, googling Wanda’s name and trying to find out all you could about the young Avenger.

Finally making a decision, you look up at Vision squarely in the eye. 

“Would you happen to know Wanda’s email address?” you ask, fiddling with the lapels of your white coat. “And also her phone number?”

-

“Oh, thank god,” Natasha sighs as she hears Wanda hit pause on the 46th replay of Lips of an Angel.

Yes, 46. Natasha had made Vision count, and that doesn't include the ones he missed when she urgently dispatched him to you to remediate the Wanda situation immediately.

She hears someone whistling a tune coming from the hallway and is surprised to see Vision, apparently adopting Steve's habit in his eagerness to act more human.

“Mission accomplished?” she asks, her eyes narrowing.

Vision stops whistling, a look of satisfaction in his synthetic eyes. “I believe I made some progress. Our friend has promised to think about reconsidering the decision.”

“Just think about it? You were gone quite a while for a 'maybe.'”

Vision pauses, his head tilting slightly. “I believe I was able to present Wanda in a way that may help our friend realize her feelings for her.”

“You think she has feelings for our Wanda?” Natasha's voice betrays her surprise, and she can't quite catch herself using the word ‘our’. She continues, slightly flustered, “I was thinking maybe she'd just indulge Wanda's crush for a while, then befriend her, so as not to completely shut her down.”

“I observed her vitals while telling her about Wanda, and all the signs point to yes, she has feelings for our Wanda,” Vision answers, thoughtfully echoing Natasha's use of ‘our’. 

She smirks, leaning against the wall. “Well, let's hope your efforts pay off. I can't take another 46 replays of that song.”

Vision stoically considers Natasha's last statement. “Actually, Agent Romanoff, I must disagree. I could listen to another replay. Technically, it's a well-composed song.”

Natasha's face twists into a look of mock disgust. “I swear, if you start advocating for boy bands next, I'm holding Wanda personally responsible.”

“I'll consider that when expanding my musical repertoire.”

She waves a dismissive hand, still grinning. “Just don't start singing in the shower. We've got enough noise in the mornings as it is.”

-

Around the time that Wanda has just hit pause on the Hinder hit that has been playing on loop, a notification sounds off her laptop. 

She quickly turns her attention to it and clicks on the email that has arrived from your clinic. Inside, there's a referral letter personally written by you, referring Wanda to another colleague of yours.

You no longer want to be her dentist, the email makes that clear. Somehow, this hurts more than your rejection of her yesterday.

Before she can fully process the referral, her phone buzzes with a call from an unknown number. She hesitates, before deciding to answer. “Hello?”

“Hi, Wanda. It’s Y/N. F-From the clinic?” you breathe out in a rush, the words tangled with your nerves. Wanda takes note of how your voice sounds over the phone–deeper and more intimate against her ear.

She takes a moment to reply, still a little thrown by the referral. “Oh, hi. I just read your email,” she says.

“Yes, about that…” You trail off, pausing as you try to find the right words. “I was thinking, instead of discussing that over the phone, maybe we could talk about it over dinner on Friday? If you're free–”

“I’d love to,” Wanda quickly accepts, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest.

You try to suppress a chuckle, grateful that Wanda can’t see your cheeks turning a rosy pink. 

“Great! I'll pick you up at seven?"

“Seven it is.” Her reply is soft, almost shy. You say your goodbyes, both of you grinning to yourselves as you both hang up. 

Back in her room, Wanda stares at her phone, a broad smile on her face, touching it as if it's your face.

She presses play on the song once more, not as a lament but as a triumph. 

Much to Natasha’s dismay.

[blankwashed]

Content Warnings: 18+ stuff here, ddlg (daddy dom, little girl), broken family, pretty rough sex, Toji himself should be a warning-

You let out a big sigh. It was probably the hardest or easiest essay you have ever gotten academically. It was an easy question for the rest of your classmates as they were happily writing away about their parents or guardians, thinking about the happy holidays and birthdays that they have received throughout their life.

15 minutes have passed and your paper was still blank, without even a paragraph structure. What could you write about your father? Sure, he wasn’t your actual father per se but your mother married him ever since you were a child so that counts, right?

At the age of 6, your mom kept going out on Friday nights, leaving you to be taken care of by your aunts and uncles. She would leave until it was Sunday night when she picks you up and brings you home. In the mind of a little child, you figured she went out for work purposes but in reality, she was going on dates with a special man whom you would eventually call dad.

Sometimes, she leaves you at home with food already prepared and brings him over. Of course, she would place your toys around the television and goes into the bedroom with the man. As you were innocent, you thought that they were both talking about business as your mother always looks pleased whenever she comes out of the room. A little tired, but a smile on her face.

This went on for 2 years until she came to you saying that you’ll finally have a father figure in your life. Of course, he was your father. The striking, muscular, tall man built like a soldier. Sometimes he made your heart beat faster and louder when he was around the home minding his own business. He watched you grow up into the gorgeous and pretty girl you are now. Attending teacher-parent meetings when necessary, signing documents and being your personal chauffeur whenever you and your friends wanted to go for outings to malls.

Behind all of that, you kept a deep and dark secret from everyone. Something you would not even tell your best friend or even a fly.

“Nyah! Daddy, sore from P.E. class yesterday! My teacher asked us to run laps and I think I overdid myself-“

He thrusted himself deeper into your dry pussy while his fingers were forming quick circles around your clitoris.

Sure, he filled the gap in your mom’s life when your actual dad left. But that wasn’t the only thing he was filling. Toji isn’t blind or stupid. Maybe a little out of his mind but as a man, he watched you grow up. Breasts forming, hips enlarging. It would be a lie if you say you didn’t secretly touched yourself thinking about him.

“No buts, bitch. Today was a hard day at work and the only thing that could make my day is your tight pussy. Mmm, thankfully it’s still tight,,,,,” He pushed himself deeper multiple times while playing with your clit. You were in pain due to the lack of foreplay and you remembered an idea you had in school during Arts class.

It was always something you’ve wanted to try. Running towards your school bag, rummaging through all your utensils.

Found it. A thick flowy strip of red ribbon.

“C‘mere daddy, let me decorate you before I feast on you,” smirking while tying a beautiful ribbon around his leaking hard cock. “Look daddy! It’s giving me a reward for making it look so appealing~” you said, referring to the trickles of pre-cum dripping.

Toji was about x years older than you. This wasn’t the first time he saw a chick gawking (no pun intended) at his length. Obviously that was also the way your own mother knew that he was the man for her.

“Getting creative, are we? Let daddy reward you for giving our play-time a little more effort,” he says lowly while playing with your left nipple with his tongue. His big hands always perform wonders on the rest of your body while his prize winning cock was busy elsewhere on your body.

Your moans were and are melodies to his ears. You weren’t big on being able to form sentences while getting fucked silly, however…

“Please daddy! I-I’m your little dirty slut, make me come daddy! I need it, I NEED you! Daddy…” you tried to touch your clit with your fingers but they were swatted away by his hand.

“When has it ever been about what you want, toy?” he spit on your pussy, and started to rub vigorously. It was in no way pleasurable and it hurt.

You knew he was doing this on purpose and knew that it wouldn’t get better if you kept disobeying his commands. With both your mom and Megumi away, he made you sit on the family’s dining table. Pushing away everything that could be in the way of him and you.

He pushed you down, readying himself to slurp on his wet, awaiting treasure. You were still a mess, moaning and screaming his name. “Daddy please, don’t make me wait any longer, please daddy,,,” your toes start curling and you could feel the long awaited climax reaching.

“Cumming daddy!!! Shit, I fucking love you-“ you screamed as you came while holding onto his broad shoulders. Your mind was as if it was in a different world, a world where Toji, your step-dad was yours. Where you didn’t have to hide your feelings towards him and you could touch him romantically and sexually in public.

so fucking horny for toji, are we???? (we as in me)

[the-kr8tor]

Can i request fae hobie and reader? Maube where it doesnt happen in the fall, like totally separate universe. Like i deadass need to seem him as a dad with kids and with reader happily man😭, you dont gotta do it though dw dw.

Fae! Hobie with kids you say? I gotchu, angel 🫶

Pairing: Fae! Dad! Hobie Brown x fem! Reader

Tags: no use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader, Fae AU, Dad AU, Fluff.

ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Juniper runs happily in the field, green dress swinging wildly, tall grass parting for her, little daisies kiss her feet as she sprints away from her younger sister. Poppy whose smaller legs make it hard for her to keep up, her curly hair frames her chubby cheeks, a toothy grin brings light in your laughter while you watch them chase each other on the grass. The tiny bundle gurgles in your arms, his golden eyes stares at you expectantly like he's asking you why you're laughing.

The sun beams down at your little family and the bubble that Hobie made to keep you and his family away from prying eyes and dangerous people. The large oak tree provides shade for you and your newborn, soft fabric lay under you for comfort. You've settled deep in the woods, miles and miles away from the nearest soul. Hobie has done a great deal to protect you and his children, keeping everyone inside his realm safe and sound. And he'll do anything to keep it that way, with every means necessary.

You tilt your head, cooing and nuzzling your nose on top of Bear’s head. The name wasn't much of a choice per se but you and Hobie couldn't pick a suitable name so you both nicknamed him in the meantime always calling him your ‘little bear’ the both of you got so used to calling him ‘your bear’, you two just decided that it's his name now.

A large hawk flies overhead, a breeze following past, fluttering the grass and the leaves. The girls stop playing, pointing and yelling at the bird.

“Dad’s back!” Junie yells, she runs towards you, all smiles and giggles. She was your carbon copy when she was born but now that she's older there's more of Hobie you see in her everyday. From her height to how she scrunches her nose when she laughs.

“Dad's back! Did you see?!” She bounces up and down, tiny ribbons decorating her thick curls. “Mum, did you see?” Junie breathes heavily from her run.

“I did see, baby. Where's your sister?” You peek behind her, noticing that Poppy isn't following close.

For a second your heart falls from your chest until you see Hobie carrying her in his arms, tiny hands waving wildly in the distance. You can breathe again.

“Come sit down, Junie, drink some water.” she plops down next to you.

“‘m not thirsty.” Stubborn, like her father.

“Even if you're not, you still need to drink because you've been sweating a lot.” You wipe her moist forehead with a towel. “See? Go drink, my flower.” With a huff, she does what she's told. Definitely Hobie's daughter, alright.

A shadow casts over you, Bear smiles, blowing a milk bubble from his lips.

“Hello there.” You smile up at Hobie and Poppy who's currently clambering down from her father.

She settles next to you, greeting Bear with a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Hi mummy.” Her auburn eyes smile at you. Poppy, the sweet heart that she is, presses a loud smooch on your temple.

“Hello, my star, go drink water for me? Please?”

“Okay!” She half crawls towards her sister and the picnic basket. You think this one takes after you more.

“Hey you—” Hobie falls on the blanket with a thud, fatigue marring his chiseled face. “Everything okay?” you roam your eyes over his body for any signs of a fight. Heart clenching at the thought, thankfully you find none.

You trace the muscles on his arm, goosebumps rising on his skin where your fingers have touched him. You find that it's the only thing that could do that to him.

He sighs, despite the tiredness he still finds it in him to smile at you. “Everything is as it should be.” Sitting up, he takes a peek at the new addition in the family. “Little Bear, have you been good?”

“Hobie,” your tone is serious. “The barrier—?”

“It's staying strong.” He flicks a fallen leaf off your shoulder. “Nothin’ to worry about, love.”

You nod, feeling the lump in your throat disappear. Laying your head on his shoulder, you breathe him in, drowning in him.

“Bring me next time? I worry when you're not here.”

“Once you're better,” he promises. “For now, focus on resting.” Hobie holds the back of your head, kissing the crown of flowers the girls made you. It crinkles under the weight of his lips.

“Dad!” Juniper screams for her dad's attention. “Look! Poppy and I caught a lizard!”

He chuckles, right hand cradling Bear's head casually. “Careful, that one breathes fire.” he teases.

“Ack!” Junie lets it go while Poppy laughs. The tiny lizard skidaddles out and into the tall grass. “aww, bye mr. Lizard.”

“Come sit with us, froggy.” Hobie pats the space next to him.

Junie quickly makes her way to him, instead of sitting next to her father, she takes her seat on his lap. The sudden weight brings an ‘oof’ from Hobie. She giggles, embracing her father as a half apology.

Poppy pouts, a copy of Hobie when he wants a cuddle but doesn't want to ask directly.

“There's a seat right in the middle just for you, rabbit.” Hobie scooches a bit, her pout morphs into a grin, baby teeth peeking out from her lips.

You notice her blue overalls are getting smaller on her, mentally making a note to make a new one for her. She's growing so fast, it's what you expected since she takes after her father. It makes you excited to see Bear grow up, you wonder whether he takes after you or Hobie.

Poppy loops her arm around yours while she wraps the other one around Hobie's. She kicks her feet happily, laying her forehead atop your arm. She hums a familiar tune.

You look over her head to peer at Hobie, finding that he's already staring at you. Mouthing an ‘I love you’, you watch as his tiredness fades, replaced by a bright genuine smile.

He answers with a hand behind your neck, pulling you closer, chastely kissing with the promise to protect the family you two made.

[nie7027]

Something I love about the recent development in Fabiniku is despite how upset Jinguungi is with Tachibana's decision to remain as a girl is it only takes him 1 day to go "Allright we need to come up with a way to fake you always were a girl back in the real world"!!!

That's so lovely!

Because

Because he still isn't happy with Tachibana's desicion.

He's doesn't accept it per se.

He's still mad about losing male Tachibana, his oasis...

BUT HE WILL SUPPORT TACHIBANA NO MATTER WHAT *coughbecause he loves hercough*

AND HE WILL COMMIT CRIMES AND FORGE AS MANY IDS AS NECESSARY AND EVEN ASK THE GODDESS HE DESPISES SO MUCH FOR HELP JUST SO TACHIBANA CAN LIVE THE HAPPY LIFE SHE WANTS.

And he's if anything practical, so hes already thinking about the future and trying to find a solution to the problems, boring in comparison to their current lives but necessary, they will eventually have to face.

And another thing I love is that disagreement. They way it's being handled.

Because Jinguungi not immediately accepting Tachibana is a girl could have been used as a cheap way to get some angst.

It could have been used as a quick conflict between the protagonists to add some tension to the story.

But no.

Tachibana has all the right to be upset with Jinguungi not accepting her new identity, to feel betrayed... but no.

She is instead patient.

She knows Jinguungi needs some time to process and accept this sudden turn.

She understands Jinguungi isn't being a dick just because.

She is giving him the grace of believing he would never hurt her like that.

But she's also being very firm about what she wants. She's setting her boundaries and allowing Jinguungi the time and space to adapt to it.

And it pays off.

Because she knows him and she loves him. And she knows he loves her.

And I don't mean this necessarily as romantic love (even though it is obvious that is also there) because before everything Jinguungi and Tachibana are best friends.

Jinguungi had always been there for Tachibana, and she knows this wont be different and he will keep being there for her.

So that's why Tachibana isn't upset (despite having all the right to be) with Jinguungi rejecting her identity at first, why she seems so unaffected by it.

Because she knows Jinguungi will eventually come around. Because she trust the love they have built all these years.

[helpimhyperfixating]

baby Merlyne learning how to crawl.

All Mer learn how to crawl on the beaches. Because sun bathing is such an important aspect of Mer pods, young Mer learn to crawl rather quick.

Not per se by a push from their parents, but while the parents enjoy a good bake, the little rascals start squirming and rolling around, flopping their little tails. Soon enough, they’ll copy what they’ve seen from their parents and start to develop those arm muscles ;3

Little blurb 👇

Sighing softly, Jotaro lay on his back, the sand warm on his skin and the sun calmly shining down, slowly evaporating the water sticking to his form, allowing his skin to properly absorb the salt.

His peace and quiet was short lived however, as grabby hands started to poke and prod at his side.

“Jolyne…” Sighing softly, Jotaro opened an eye, looking at his daughter which was to his right, only to flinch as she suddenly pinched him. “Ow, don’t do that.” He huffed, lifting her little hand away, to which the pup blinked up at her father, surprised to be grabbed before she frowned.

Seeing the angry little face, Jotaro let go of her wrist, grunting as he rolled onto his side, his tail lifting up to curl around his daughter, sand sticking to the underside.

“What is it?” He hummed, resting his head on his hand as he raised an eyebrow, watching the little girl almost seem to try and telepathically tell him what it was - which didn’t help of course as he just saw an angry pout and nothing more.

Seeing her dad’s lack of reaction, Jolyne babbled in frustration, her tail angrily flopping.

She’d gotten to that stage where she just learned how to swim on her own for short distances, talking not really ingrained yet as she instead babbled and clicked nonsense.

Tightening his tail around her a bit, Jotaro almost created a sort of play pen, watching lazily as the small Mer grabbed onto his scales, little claws grazing the strong scales, harmless.

It took a little bit, but the black-tailed Mer then decided to reach out, intending to lift his daughter onto his chest so that she’d stay still and be able to absorb the salt too - much needed if she wanted her skin to thicken and harden.

Yet before he could, he watched as she rolled onto her stomach, little chubby arms reaching out and grabbing onto his tail, his head lifting from his hand in surprise as he watched Jolyne grunt, pulling herself towards his tail, where she then proceeded to bite down, starting to drool onto his tail as she used the scales as a pacifier.

Yet for Jotaro, he quickly looked around, catching his mother’s gaze.

No words were necessary for Holly to understand what just happened. Instantly, a smile beamed onto her face and Jotaro couldn’t help the flutter in his chest, the corners of his mouth lifting up as he looked back to his daughter, purposefully moving his tail out from under her, shifting it just a small distance away.

Letting out an angry little noise, Jolyne began swinging her hands, flopping her tail as she tried to get herself back towards his tail.

It was awkward and her arms lacked the strength, but Jotaro didn’t care. She was trying.

Shifting to sit up, he reached out and lifted her tail, taking the weight over from her, to which the small girl instantly started mowing her arms, trying to wheel herself forward now that it was no longer as heavy.

Obliging, Jotaro watched his daughter ‘crawl’ on her hands towards the end of his tail, a proper smile forming on his face as pride took over.

Pups weren’t usually this quick. Yet here she was, practically crawling already.

A little cheer from his right caught his attention as he saw his mother happily clapping, the both of them watching Jolyne grab hold of his scales once more, content to just nibble and teeth as if it was the most normal of moments.

Yet for Jotaro, it would forever be a memory ingrained in his brain.

After all, this was his little girl.

[bestworstcase]

What do you think Salems goal is, exactly? It's obviously not ending the world to kill herself, but honestly I feel like she has ulterior motives than just "overthrow the gods".

I personally wouldn't be surprised if she wants to rule in the Gods stead after overthrowing them. She's already brought up replacing the gods, and seems to believe that humanity "needs" gods/guidance, but specifically Not The Brothers. I only say this because she was the one who said that humanity was more divided than ever without the gods and that they need guidance (and essentially replacement gods), not Oz.

It's hard to say whether she Still believes this, but since she parallels Darkness (to an extent) and destruction is essentially taking out the old to make way for the new, I definitely wouldn't be surprised. The Brothers are the old, Salem is the new n all.

I just find it hard to believe that all she wants is to overthrow the gods and do... nothing afterwards. I believe characters like Cinder have stated that they're going to be high up in her new world?? I'm not sure tbh.

Plus, I think her goal being that she wants to rule the world after killing(?) The Brothers would be an interesting dilemma for the main characters. Overthrowing the gods? A good idea even Oz would agree with. Salem ruling? ...Well that might not be such a good idea (she *did* immediately go to "let's spread our word and destroy anyone who goes against it" in the Lost Fable, but I have different opinions on whether or not it's reliable so it likely doesn't matter to you). Either way, it'd make things interesting for our heroes. At least, that's how I'd write it.

Thoughts?

to be clear. my stance on the reliability of the lost fable is that jinn answered with absolute honesty exactly the question ruby asked, which was “what is ozpin hiding from us?”—i think she obeys the same rule ambrosius does. you get EXACTLY what you ask for.

so ‘the lost fable’ includes:

information ozpin knows or sincerely believes to be true, AND

actively chose to hide from team rwby, oscar, and qrow.

the reason jinn frames it as a fairytale (“once upon a time…”) is because she is conveying specifically ozpin’s perspective, and fairytales, stories, are fundamental to how he sees the world. she is telling his story in his words, because that’s what ruby asked her to do!

but the lost fable doesn’t include:

anything ozpin doesn’t know

anything salem told ozma that ozpin believes to be false, except when a synopsis is necessary to provide context

anything that ozpin knows but wasn’t actively keeping a secret (for example, the story omits her answers to his questions about the other relics because neither their original locations nor their powers were something ozpin was hiding; he told them what the lamp could do, when they asked, and if they’d asked about the others he would have told them that too).

so jinn herself is not an unreliable narrator per se, but the question ruby asked necessitated that jinn tell only ozpin’s side of the story, without filling in any gaps in his knowledge or correcting his misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions. the lost fable is therefore honest (in the sense that no part of it is a deliberate lie) but biased and limited (because ozpin is fallible and doesn’t know everything.)

which is something ozpin himself points out in his commentaries in the fairytale anthology—on the infinite man: “no one who wasn’t there could know what really happened. and even then, they would only have a small part of the story,” for example.

all of which is the long way around to saying that i do trust the dialogue in the lost fable to be accurate to what the characters actually said, and the scenes to be accurate depictions of events as they happened (if he was there) or as ozma imagined them happening based on what salem told him (if he wasn’t). the parts i don’t trust are the narration, because that’s the part colored by ozpin’s perspective, and the elisions of ozma’s dialogue in the key ozlem scenes, because things salem says in response to ozma lack the context of what ozma said.

(think about what listening to someone make a phone call is like; if the conversation is about a complex subject, it’s difficult to follow along and easy to misunderstand what the person you can hear is really trying to express.)

and on the topic of those elisions: if salem wanted to rule the world herself, i think she would have made an effort to do so before ozma returned. she is demonstrably capable of both merciless conquest (razing vale) and inspiring awe (slaying the nevermore). she’s immortal. she cannot be killed. before ozma returned there was absolutely no one who could have prevented her from, like, taking over a kingdom and expanding it into an empire with herself as the eternal god-queen.

but she didn’t. she lived alone in the woods, in a miserable hovel. given the well-maintained path leading to her doorstep, she had to have been visited on a regular enough basis for whatever community lived outside the woods to go to the effort of paving the way to her shack. which says… village witch.

left to her own devices, that’s what she did with her life: found some village or town at the edge of a forest and built herself a little house in the woods, just close enough that the townspeople could find her when they needed her but otherwise isolated.

and then once ozma found her, they fixed up her house together and lived happily for… apparently quite some time before ozma brought up “humanity seems more divided than ever” as a problem.

there’s nothing in the lost fable to suggest that salem wanted anything more than the life she had with ozma in that cottage. everything she says about bringing humanity together is specifically in response to OZMA telling her he wasn’t satisfied. she’s supporting HIS stated ambitions.

and like… she’s not… wrong? her phrasing is extremely blunt, but… you can’t bring people together without giving them something to believe in—a cause, a creed, a faith, a purpose—no one is going to unite for the sake of being united. ozma despairs that “humanity seems more divided than ever,” and salem goes… well yeah. the gods killed everyone and fucked off. people just need help. we could help. we have the will and the means to change the world, make it better than before.

but.

the problem is.

the task ozma was given isn’t to help people or make the world a better place; it’s to prepare for the final judgment by uniting the whole world—the god of light instructed him to end conflict full stop. ozma needs everyone to unite in submission to the brothers.

and salem is absolutely correct that you cannot achieve that except by conquest. you cannot, you cannot, you cannot unite the whole world under one creed without genocide. it is impossible.

this is why i say the divine mandate is a fundamentally genocidal ideology: the premise is that humans as they are now do not deserve to exist and must be ‘redeemed,’ and the only way to achieve ‘redemption’ is through genocide. the logical end of any ideology that requires universal adoption or universal acceptance of a certain belief or creed is genocide.

salem understands this intuitively; when ozma asks her “are we sure that this is right?” she spells it out to him in plain terms that it’s what is necessary to achieve his goal. her implication is that if the end does not justify the means, he needs to reconsider the end. i don’t think she cared either way as long as ozma was happy, until she learned the truth about what he wanted to do and why.

as i’ve said before, i believe her final statement—why spend our lives trying to redeem these humans when we can replace them with what they could never be?—a) reiterates her longstanding dream of humankind overthrowing their “old masters” and claiming the power of creation for themselves to “perfect their own design” and b) quotes/paraphrases the closing lines of ‘the shallow sea’ to express this idea because she’s trying to communicate in ozma’s language, through stories.

and i think ozma understood her perfectly well, he just doesn’t think her third option of rejecting the mandate is possible. in the present, oz only suggests salem is out to destroy the world when he’s trying to scare hazel into turning against her; what he tells his inner circle is that salem’s after the relics because she wants to “change the world.” he believes she’s doomed to fail.

anyway, as to the question of what salem wants now: it’s revolution.

pretty… overtly. “your so-called free world.” her protégée was an enslaved child who grew up wearing a shock collar in the gilded heart of ozpin’s crowning achievement some sixty years after the vytal accords abolished slavery, and the huntsman who found her in that situation used her suffering to groom her for the huntsman academy instead of using his authority to help her by enforcing the laws against slavery.

watch WOR: kingdoms. compare the almost tender tone with which salem talks about the democratic councils that represent the people to the utter disdain she has for the huntsmen academies that exist solely to train “the next generation of defenders who will fight and die to protect the lifestyle that they’ve become so accustomed to.”

she wants to defeat the god of light, yes—or at least prevent him from ever returning, i do think Plan A might be “destroy the relics”—but she also wants to tear down the systems ozma built to uphold the divine mandate, systems that turned a blind eye to slavery and injustice and abuse. she wants the whole world to know the truth.

i think she also probably wants humans to coexist in peace with the grimm, and i suspect that will be the biggest sticking point; but salem clearly feels affection for the grimm, and—gestures at menagerie’s lack of a grimm problem—coexistence between people and grimm is possible, and because salem herself is grimm she’s never going to have peace or freedom until the existential war between humans and grimm is ended.

and i think she does intend to make good on her promises to her inner circle, in some form. hazel believes she’s planning to create a “new world order” (which, definitionally, a world with no huntsmen academies and no everlasting war is) and mercury says she’s “promised [them] everything,” which he takes to mean that they’ll be “top dogs in her new world.” but the one thing we know for certain about what salem offers to her followers is very vague; all of them project their own desires to fill in the gaps and come away with wildly disparate ideas about what this ‘new world’ will look like.

what salem has always wanted is freedom. she’s never shown any personal ambition to rule—even her rebellion, she isn’t the one who leads the charge, she walks among them. before ozma returned, she was… just the village witch somewhere. i do think it’s really quite likely that her plan is to tear down everything ozma built, destroy the relics or defeat the god of light, participate in rebuilding from the ashes to ensure that the new world isn’t founded upon lies or subjugation or eternal war against her existence, and then just… find a place where she can live. all she ever wanted was to leave the tower. i don’t think that’s changed.

[cupcakeslushie]

is splinter a better father in this au? these bitches need it

So I’d say…yes (full disclosure I don’t think Splinter’s a bad dad per se to start with—I could go on and on about that but I won’t).

Saki’s immediate presence means Splinter has none of the luxury of being a lax parent. Not with the Foot Clan hunting them. He is a bit overprotective of Raph, and he’s much more stringent in teaching him ninjitsu. Then, when April comes around he even teaches her as well so she knows how to stay safe. And when they get Mikey back, well that’s his little baby boy. Splinter spoils Mikey almost as badly as Mikey was spoiled by Big Mama. And when Leo is back with them, Splinter wants nothing more than to prove to Leo that everything Saki filled his head with wasn’t true. And then with Donnie, he just wants him to feel at home, and to have as much of a childhood as he still can at this point.

But all those good things can kind of have negative angles to them, just like anything! Something Splinter eventually realizes.

Being so overprotective, means Raph is more prone to sneaking out with April to explore the human world. Raph is a little more rebellious at first, because he’s not used to having little brothers that rely on him to be the responsible one, something Raph struggles with as they reunite. Mikey getting treated like the baby and spoiled so much, is pretty self explanatory why that turns out bad lol. And Leo feels so guilty that he can’t connect with Splinter. It doesn’t help that his dad’s excessive interest in forcing a positive relationship only makes that guilt weigh heavier and heavier. Lastly, Splinter doesn’t really know how to talk with Donnie, and is terrified that any kind of scolding, no matter how necessary or small, will be received poorly. So Splinter just lets Donnie do whatever with no consequences.

He’s a good dad, but there’s lots he’s gonna have to learn!

[bluerose5]

Zevran & Astarion Banter Pt. 10/?

[First] [Prev] [Next]

...

Astarion: I want to thank you.

Zevran: For being one of few who bring a worthwhile sense of fashion to our camp?

Astarion: For what happened with that wretched drow. Tav had the matter in hand, but you stepped in to defend me when you didn't have to. That... meant a lot.

Zevran: It was nothing, truly.

Astarion: So threatening to "spill her blood for all to see" is something you do for everyone then?

Zevran: I was simply, as they say, threatening her with a good time. Since she enjoys blood so much, I figured that she would probably like to see her own for a change. I gave her an opportunity to die for.

Astarion: Quite literally. Still, it seems that I can always rely on you to remind me that what I want matters, even when I forget that fact myself. For that, I am grateful.

Zevran: And I must reiterate that it was nothing.

Astarion: Yet it was very much something to me.

Zevran: I— Enough. I will speak of this no more. Let us continue on to camp.

...

Zevran: I would like to apologize.

Astarion: Whatever for?

Zevran: I was acting cold towards you earlier. It was uncalled for, childish even on my part.

Astarion: No apology necessary, my dear.

Zevran: Ah, but it is! You were right that I got quite defensive when the drow kept dismissing what you wanted. I would like to think that I would extend most people the same courtesy in defense of their autonomy, but my reaction turned out to be more intense than even I expected, given the circumstances.

Astarion: You didn't seem too keen on discussing this earlier. What changed?

Zevran: Would it be too cheesy if I said everything? Honestly, though, I just don't know how to act around you. I think—I think that I have come to care for you, my dear.

Astarion: Really?

Zevran: I believe so. It is hard to say. I am unused to such a concept.

Astarion: You and me both.

Zevran: For as long as I can remember, I have been taught that affection and sentimentality are weaknesses, only useful if they are to be exploited in service of the Crows. If they serve no greater purpose in carrying out a contract, then they are hindrances at best. My mind keeps telling me that what I feel is wrong. The last time I was close to another, it did not end well, yet —excuse the clichés— my heart refuses to listen.

Astarion: Are you saying that you're in love with me?

Zevran: I do not know. How could I even tell?

Astarion: You're asking the wrong person, darling. I'm afraid that I'm about as clueless as you in that regard.

Zevran: As to be expected, I suppose. I might not know if it is love per se, but I do know that whatever you wish to call it, our bond is important to me, and I would like to explore these new feelings and figure out what they mean together. If you are willing.

Astarion: If I am willing, he says. Dearest Zevran, of course I am.

[twopoppies]

Yes absolutely I would do these things with him for real, I didn’t just make that list (hi it’s me, I made the list. I’m Lindsay). They’re basically all things I did when I was getting to know my best friend in Boston. They’re fun to me and also it is important to think of things we could do together not just be like “make him buy me jewels” or “go yachting/fly private to Dubai.” That’s 1- boring 2- taking advantage of someone 3- just not a cool way to be with people. Things I did not mention: gossip. No I don’t care about celebrity tea per se but everyone loves a little gossip about friends so tell me dirt and I’ll tell you dirt, Harry. Do you have a neighbor you think is a jerk? Let’s tan about them. Absolutely no hot yoga/exercising/pilates/ice baths. It’s important that we have separate interests Harry and all of those suck and I hate sweating. Don’t ask me to do it, I’ll flake. Afternoon on a sailboat/sailing lessons. IF you prove yourself to be good and decent IRL Harry, I’ll introduce you to my niece and nephew they are the best people I know and age 1 and 3. Film photography including developing in a darkroom to see how our work turns out. Share our secret favorite songs from albums that aren’t that well known (this sounds pretentious I realize but I want to play him Both Hands and Untouchable Face by Ani Difranco because I loved those songs when I was like 17 and they’re still good). Topic: animals especially the history of animals and discussing which are interesting and which are not. For example, the giant platypus as mentioned. Who was your first celebrity crush (Mine: Christian Bale in Newsies)? Roof activities- roof parties, roof drinking, roof dining, roof hanging out. Summertime is when the roof hangout is supreme. Explain London neighborhoods to me in detail and tell me what’s actually cool and what’s not and I’ll do the same for you for NYC and Boston. Like is Hammersmith interesting? Do people ever stop name dropping Shoreditch because there are actual good neighborhoods? I’ll keep it secret if necessary. Absolutely no form of Soho House and/or related properties, that whole franchise is corny and not private. Tell me about Jenny Lewis but that’s the only shop talk I’ll ask I swear. And it can just be “is she cool? Is her hair as gorgeous in person as it looks?” I just want to know if she’s cool, basically because I think she is. Falafel. Vegetarian cooking, I am very good and it is fun. Museum gift shops for coffee table books. Mixtape (or Spotify, whatever). Play records because we are being pretentious! Niche foreign beer tasting. Key lime pie. Aaaaaaaaaaand your friends can come hangout with us too Harry if they’re not 1- revolting and/or predatory in my opinion, I have veto power and James can never come. 2- interesting and engaging and not that into themselves or status or clout. We’re not instagramming our way through the hangout, we’re actually hanging out 3- kind. No jerks. Hmm I think that’s all for now but those are all things I would do with Harry if we befriended each other.

Hi, darling. I think those all sound like excellent ideas. Very well-rounded and much more interesting than the average get together. I might need to take notes. 😂

In reference to this (and the everything else in the tag)

[lost-inanotherlife]

Personally, I think Sawyer doesn't understand Jack either. At first, Sawyer did everything to bring out the worst in people on the island so he could feel better about himself and the things he'd done. He saw the worst in Jack, dismissing all the good in him. Kate, on the other hand, saw nothing but the good in Jack, practically putting him on a pedestal while completely disregarding his darker side.

The closest character to understanding Jack would be Juliet imo. She recognized both his heroic qualities and his morally corrupt tendencies, that's why she knew he returned to the island for himself, rather than to "save them". Maybe John did too, with the whole man of science, man of faith dynamic that intensified Jack's identity crisis.

Which brings me to the next point I'd like to discuss – how Jack's obsession wasn't really with his ex-wife, but with the identity of her new partner.

He kept asking her about him. It wasn't a 'you belong with me' kind of obsession (although it was just as disgusting ofc), he didn't care about the details of their separation, it was all about who he was not.

And I quote:

Christian: "It's over."

Jack: "Not until I know his name, where he works, where he lives, when they first kissed. I want to know what it is about him."

I really enjoyed reading your metas btw. I love Kate's character, and it was so frustrating watching her arc in the last couple of seasons bc the writers did her so dirty 😔

Hello again Anon! you're right, I need to rectify. I wrote that Sawyer was the one who better UNDERSTOOD Jack and that wasn't the right verb. In the previous ask we were talking about perception and that's different from understanding.

So what I meant was: Saywer is the one who clocks Jack's not-so-noble-or-very-hero-like side better than others. He's not the best con-man (hello Anthony Cooper) but he's good at his job: he could've conned his way around Jack as he demonstrates in the episode where he steals the guns with Charlie's help. He could do that but he very often chooses to go another way with Jack: he meets him in the middle.

To put it maybe a bit vulgarly: Sawyer knew that if he put out the ruler Jack would take off his pants to see which of the two wins. In other words, Sawyer sees a certain type of "boyhood" in Jack and sort of gives in a little power to him while he could totally con him and Jack would be none the wiser. Hence the ping-pong match and the poker game. Sports and games being considered a "safe" conduit to channel violence, anger and other negative emotions.

Does this mean that he understands Jack? Not really so you're right about that: he does see the worst in Jack though (or, better, not the worst per se but, as I said, a much realer side of him). However, I do stand by the above take on their relationship.

I think Juliet can be considered the chatacter that better understands him or gets very close to it and it would be fitting because I think she's Jack's mirror. Both are people of science, both were in unsatisfying marriages, both are considered good at their job but there's always some shadow over them in that regard (Burke for Juliet and Christian for Jack).

However, clearly Jack is an "ego" character while one of Juliet's defining traits is her love for her sister. She's ambitious too but the Others know her real deal and use her ambition as bait and her sister as leverage. The Others were very good at manipulating people LOL (as if it was a necessary thing to highlight LOL).

Which leads me to you point: yes, totally. Jack's a total douche to Sarah like 100% . This doesn't justify her cheating on him but I could totally understand her when she said that she wanted to move on and live while Jack was still stuck on fixing her.

Jack wanting to know "what it is about him (the other guy)"is exactly what I was talking about earlier with him and Sawyer: Jack gets confrontational with male figures who can threaten him or his "possessions" (ugh but see above: he was a dick to Sarah). Which of course can mean many things: is be sure about himself? does he have a good relationship with masculinity? is he honest with himself about his wants and needs?

Jack is an extremely volatile and emotional man: is this what Christian saw in him that made him say that he "doesn't have it"?

In two words: surprise! Jack's got daddy issues! LOL!

Thank you so much for reading my metas about Kate. I can't believe the writers had Kate Fucking Austen in their hands and decided to go That Way in s5 and s6. I don't get it. I mean, they were the ones who wrote incredible episodes such as "What Kate Did' or "Left Behind". Like, they did write Kate as compelling as she was. And for what?! Well as they would put it in Lost: whatever happened, happened. Maybe in another life, in another tv series...

[zipegs]

Do you think Hannibal was in love with Alana and Bedelia? The same way he was in love with Will? Or how do you see Hannibal's relationship with Alana and Bedelia compared to his intense love for Will?

I don't think Hannibal was in love with them, per se, although I do believe he cared for and maybe loved them in some way—Alana especially.

With Bedelia, I think it was more intrigue than love. He enjoyed her company, he enjoyed toying with and testing her. Before Will, I believe she was the one person in his life who got to peek even slightly behind his person suit (not counting his victims or patients like Randall and Neil, with whom his relationship was much shorter/more limited and who were relatively quickly expendable). I think he enjoyed that freedom to be a little dangerous around her and genuinely enjoyed their "therapy" sessions.

He obviously cared enough about her to maintain a relationship with her throughout the course of the show, and I don't think he would've gone to Florence with her if he didn't. I think he enjoyed pushing the boundaries of their relationship and the boundaries of her tolerance, and I think she was kind of a perfect companion for him during that time.

I do think he'd be sad in some respects to kill her (if we're taking the post-finale leg scene as canon, I think he'd likely have mixed emotions about that—a little nostalgia, a little sorrow, a little regret, but mostly a fitting and promised end of his former life), but that he wouldn't necessarily be conflicted about it. Which I'd also argue isn't a good measure of whether or not he cares about someone; I think he's fully capable of "genuinely" (as genuinely as he can, which is always self-serving imo) loving and caring about someone while being fully able to kill them when he feels it necessary or deserved.

As for Alana, I do think Hannibal genuinely loves her, but I don't think he's in love with her. Their relationship was definitely in big part a product of the circumstances—a threat to Will of what he might lose if he misbehaves, the promise of an ally and alibi, etc.—but I don't think he entered into it without romantic and sexual interest in Alana. I don't think Hannibal ever saw her as a "serious" relationship with the promise of life partnership, nor do I think he would, but I think he fully enjoys the time he spends with her during both their platonic and romantic relationships.

I also think he's genuinely devastated during Mizumono (and before, when he smells the gunpowder on her) and realizes that they'll end up as enemies. While he's fully willing to use her for his own purposes, he does, I think, fully mourn that it ended up in the dissolution of their friendship and relationship. I think he loves her, respects her, admires her, and wants to keep her out of harm's way. That said, he absolutely prioritizes himself; if any of those goals are at odds with what's best for him, he's 10000% willing and ready to drop them at Alana's expense.

So, yeah, I think the flavor of the love Hannibal has for Bedelia and Alana is entirely different from the love he has for Will, but still present in its own way!

[poor-ciceros-voring-again]

Hello I'm here again but this time to ask you about your OCs!!! Who is your Listener? What are they like?

AAAAAAAAA I LOVE TALKING ABOUT HER !!!!

My Listener is named Niveria !! She Bosmer/Imperial ! She's the daughter of Lucien Lachance and a Listener from the 3rd era name Nicnevin(she was in the place of Ungolim, who is only a Silencer in my version of the lore). She was born into the Dark Brotherhood and raised alongside Ocheeva and Teinaava <3 she was taught as if she was a Shadowscale.

Tldr the events of Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood questline happen with some minor adjustments and changes -> Niveria ends up killing her mom from a distance, shot right next to the heart :( Lucien was a second too late to stop it. He sends Niveria to Anvil to figure out who the traitor actually is, but by the time she finds out and meets him at Applewatch it's too late and when she peeks in the window and sees him dead she RUNS

She stays running for 200 years. The Dark Brotherhood isn't actually looking for her, but she was only 18/19 and was panicked and still traumatized from all the terrible stuff she's been though and eventually she just got used to always going place to place, never staying in a single province for too long.

While going north to Dawnstar in 4e 201, she comes across Cicero. Normally she avoids strangers on the road after a few bad accidents where she got mugged when she was younger, but she felt almost physically compelled to help him for an unknown reason. When she finally went to leave after helping, she hears a quiet harsh voice mutter something to her, but she can't quite make out what she heard(it was the Night Mother trying to tell her Hey Bitch!!! It's Time!!! er, not with those words per se tho)

She did end up getting into the dark Brotherhood again by Astrid and became the Listener

Despite being a professional assassin, she's very kind to others. She doesn't really have a temper of any kind. She sees killing others as just a naturally occuring thing, and isn't bothered by death or blood or gore. She's good at manipulating those she seems necessary. She has her hands minorly dipped in politics and the like in order to expand the dark Brotherhood's reaches subtly throughout Cyrodiil. She's also very friendly with one of the Thieves Guild Nightingales, and they tend to work hand in hand regarding expansion of their guilds

[discendia]

🎸,🥊 & 💄 , thank you for the well wishes junebug!

Jojo, thank you for passing by and asking!! I answered these for Rio, but if they were for another character let me know. ✨

《 Red Emoji OC Asks 》

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Rio

🎸 (electric guitar) - What’s your character’s music taste like? Do they have one or two artists they play on repeat or do they have a varied and eclectic collection of music? Do they like mainstream artists or prefer underground musicians? What genres do they enjoy?

Rio doesn't have a music taste per se. She will listen to whatever is on the radio while she works at the restaurant, and whenever the girls talk about the latest hits, she tends to forget all the names and titles of the songs, but sometimes the tunes remain in her head.

There are songs she knows by heart, the ones the school band plays at the baseball matches. She always cheers along when it's Takeshi's turn at batting.

🥊 (boxing glove) - Has your character ever been in a fight? Did they win? Do they fight often? Are they professionally trained or self-taught? Do they enjoy fighting or only do so when necessary?

Rio has won and lost fights, and has a higher probability of winning if she doesn't fight alone. While she had guidance to learn the sword, she had to learn how to use the fan mostly by herself. She took some ideas from Adelheid but still had to adapt them to her style.

She enjoys training but refrains from serious battles unless there is no other way to solve matters, which looks like it's usually the case here, or she's snapped (and you're done for).

💄 (lipstick) - What does your oc think of their face? Do they have a positive or negative opinion? Do they wear makeup? Do they have a skincare routine? What traits do they like most about their face?

Takeshi's face. It’s a nice face, isn't it?

Usually, Rio doesn't overthink about whether she's beautiful or not. There are days, however, when she would look at herself and wonder if she could look more feminine. She's a girl, she should look more like the others, right?

She started wearing makeup thanks to Stella and Ran. Of course, it all started with Stella claiming she couldn't go to a party with a plain face. But then Ran also taught her how important it was to keep a good appearance and hide her weaknesses for her job (like the scars around her eyes).

It's not strictly the face, but Rio likes her hair the most. She takes good care of it since she chose to keep it long.

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

Arc 5, Reflections

Gonna keep doing these, at least.

So. Arc 5 - honestly, I hate to say it Amy, but I like this one more than 3.

I have, and will no doubt continue to, given Wildbow a lot of shit for a lot of things.

But I have to admire his skill with economized worldbuilding. He is able to do an impressive amount of worldbuilding in a minimal amount of space, relative to a lot of other writers. Arc 5 introduces us an entire rogue's gallery of wild and crazy and dangerous villains, but more than that, it exposes us to an entire culture of villainy.

It introduces 'Monster Capes' - Case 53s, and thus, in Interlude 5, finally introduces Cauldron, even if we don't know it by name. And it all fits together, and will continue to, or largely so, one assumes.

Like, I doubt Wildbow had it so thoroughly planned out ahead of time that he never once deviated from some preexisting plan as he wrote Worm, but he is able to introduce all these plot elements well in advance of when most writers would, I think, because he's got it all well planned out, he's got the way the worldbuilding unfolds pretty well mapped.

Beyond the Case 53s, we also see the indications of how powers can change people's minds as well as their bodies (and then, of course, when this idea could do the most interesting stuff, he refuses to fire the Chekov gun, but nobody can bat 1000, and Wildbow sure as shit can't).

Beyond that, Arc 5 gives us some other really cool shit - we get to see just how bad people are at working together despite a common threat, but also, how they can work together - and we see that Taylor, in particular, probably because she's so new and not as cynical and of course because she's still a would-be hero pretending she's masquerading as a villain, she ends up being the one who is most invested in keeping everyone working together, in common cause, the truce, etc.

Obviously something that will end up mattering quite a bit at the end, thematically, and no doubt continue to get developed, that lack of team work.

We also get our first real look at Taylor as a command and control thanks to the battlefield overwatch her bugs give her, which I suspect is something we'll continue to get more of, based on all I've seen and heard, and she isn't perfect with it, or perfect at using it to direct things yet, but you can see where this could be going for her.

One thing I've heard people say, possibly heard people say Wildbow said, is something to the effect of - Taylor isn't actually right, all the time. That indeed, Taylor is often making things worse, or something. I.e. that we're not supposed to see Taylor's way as the best option, that the ending we'll get isn't the 'golden ending' or whatever.

And that may be true, but so far, Wildbow's not doing a great job of showing Taylor's approaches to be all that wrong at solving the immediate problem in front of them. Or maybe we're not supposed to think that yet or... I don't know. Trying to figure out authorial intent is impossible without WoG, and WoG is it's own mess I like to stay away from as much as possible.

I don't even care much about authorial intent, in theory, though it can be interesting to try and see how successful the author was at said intent - but just knowing the intent can then color the reading.

Taylor cutting out Lung's eyes was not something I expected - girl jumped off the slippery slope way faster than I expected with that sort of mutilation, and yet... given the circumstances, given that he regenerates, that he's unconscious (so it's not torture, per se) and given the need to keep him under control, I'm not sure she really did make a wrong choice?

Maybe not the best choice, hard to say, but not a bad choice. Not really? But equally, even when choices like that are necessary, they change you. Make it easier to make that choice again, or make even harder choices. And Taylor wonders why it was so easy for her.

Well, she's a victim lashing out, she's still holding desperately onto her moral center and trying to tell herself she's one of the good guys, and she, by all accounts, largely doesn't lose that moral center down the line.

Like, she kills Tagg and Alexandria and probably makes all sorts of moral compromises, and I know lots of people get tired of the trope of the character who makes all these gray 'hard' decisions, etc, but I do love it. And Taylor is making them. And she keeps making them. And she's going to keep rationalizing each one, and hoo boy, is that gonna be fun to watch happen.

[thebibutterflyao3]

Day Nineteen - Anguish @sapphicmicrofics

April Daily Series - 520 words

<<<Previous Part OR Start Here

Over and done? Over and done, my arse!

Marlene’s boots skidded to a halt with a sharp screech. She closed the gap between herself and Dorcas, then reached out and gripped her elbows. “This isn’t over, Dorcas.”

“Oh?”

“If there’s even a small chance that I can fix this, I will,” Marlene insisted. “Tell me I still have a shot.”

The door opened behind her and their friends’ voices spilled out. Dorcas stepped back to straighten her suit coat. Marlene wanted to drag her into her arms and snog her senseless, but Dorcas wasn’t there yet. There was still a remnant of anguish alongside the longing in her deep brown eyes, and it held Marlene just out of arm’s reach.

Dorcas needed to see for herself that Marlene was willing and able to sacrifice her own pride for their relationship. The brutal truth was harder to accept than the reality that created for herself. Dorcas may have ended this, but Marlene hadn’t offered her any other choice. She’d caved to the self-deprecating voice telling her that she wasn’t worth the effort and hidden her heart away.

This wasn’t simple. It was never simple between them. Marlene had to earn her first chance, and she intended to fight for her last chance too.

“This isn’t over and done,” Marlene whispered, shaking her head. “We’re far from done.”

Dorcas met her gaze and searched her face intently, then nodded. The tension that she carried since she recognised Marlene in her sitting room yesterday was nearly gone now. Her chin lifted defiantly to expose a long, elegant neck that Marlene ached to bury her face in. At first sight, Dorcas’s sharp stare and regal bearing commanded respect, but it was her grace and elegance that transfixed Marlene from minute one.

The Crown Jewels paled in comparison.

“Are you leaving so soon?” Pandora asked, rushing to Dorcas’s side. “Won’t you take off for the afternoon? We could use a voice of reason at the flat today.”

Lily grinned as she leaned in to hug her girlfriend from behind, propping her chin on Pandora’s shoulder. “Finding places in the flat for all of our things is harder than I expected. We’re a tad indecisive.”

Marlene snorted derisively. “A tad? It’s taken you two hours to unpack one box!”

“Two hours?” Dorcas repeated, her eyes wide and incredulous. “How dense are these boxes?”

“Not dense, per se. They’re just filled with memories,” Lily said wistfully.

Dorcas arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and deadpanned, “Sounds heavy.”

Pandora laughed, then caught Dorcas’s hand in hers. “That’s why we need you!”

While Pandora cajoled Dorcas into calling off, Marlene reviewed their row. Dorcas seemed open to considering her appeal, even if she hadn’t said it plainly. Marlene just had to gather evidence and defend her case. She smiled to herself at her mind’s immediate image of facing Dorcas in a courtroom.

She’d destroy me, and I’d thank her for it.

Unfortunately for Dorcas, Marlene rarely played by the rules. Integrity be damned. She would find a way back in, by any means necessary.

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