#any ONE of these people would do their damnedest to support him and help him out if physically near him or in reliable contact with him

[markantonys]

down with the fandom narrative that min and nynaeve are The Only Ones Who Still Care About Rand/The Only Ones Who Don't Abandon Him just because they're the only ones who are permitted by the plot to stay physically near him throughout the second half of the series. his other loved ones love and worry about him so much! and it's extremely unfair to say that the fact that they can't take a break from their geographically-far-away plot obligations to go be his fulltime cheerleader like min and nynaeve can means they love him less.

What happened to your hand? Light-blinded fool, take better care of yourself. -Perrin

That arm ended in a stump. The first time Mat had seen that - a few weeks back - it had shocked him. How had Rand lost the hand? The man barely seemed alive, propped up like that, unmoving. Though his lips did seem to be moving, mumbling or muttering. Light! Mat thought. Burn you, what are you doing to yourself?

"This is what it must have been like for Rand. No, worse. The stories say he was locked in a box smaller than my cell. At least I can spend part of the evenings chatting with you [Siuan]. He had nobody." -Egwene

"He is well, and he will be well," Aviendha whispered fiercely, as if she intended to assure his survival by killing anything that threatened him.

He was not exactly as [Elayne] had dreamed of him. There had been a boyishness about him sometimes, but it was gone as if burned away. She mourned that for him. She did not think he did, or could.

[canonicallyanxious]

Watched the first season of house of chocolate (chocolate guy's Netflix pastry/chocolatiering competition show) and highkey obsessed with the producers and the editors doing the absolute most to squeeze as much drama as possible out of these eight very professional and serious pastry chefs over eight episodes like I think some people would be understandably put off by the fabricated tensions and the blatant framing of pettiness among a group of highstrung but very talented and Just Trying to Do Their Best individuals but I for one think it's fucking hilarious

Like amaury chocolate guy guichon is out here trying his damnedest to teach and support these chefs and give helpful advice and step in whenever something goes wrong, not sending anyone home and instead giving private one on one instruction to the people who need it, and then every scene is undercut with your typical dramatic cooking competition music and editing in close ups of people looking pissed and salty when they were probably just thinking about nice it'll be to go to bed because they've been filming 14 hour challenges all week

Like I don't think these chefs have nearly as much beef with each other as it seems like from the editing but I do find the narrative being created delightfully compelling like they are trying to tell a STORY here and I respect it. Mellisa and Thiago talking shit at the sink. The dramatic solo shots of all of them in casual clothes brooding angstily on rooftops and in parking lots. Chef amaury deciding two people in two different teams were tied for best in class one episode and making the rest of the teams vote to "break the tie" and then when they all inevitably voted for their own teammates forced the two people to VOTE FOR THEMSELVES (not even to mention that one of them voted for the other with a clip of a post filming interview from him like "I've never been selfish" IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE OTHER VOTING FOR HERSELF). Mellisa picking tyricia to work with specifically so she could win best in class ONLY FOR CHEF AMAURY TO PICK TYRICIA OVER HER. Chef Amaury making the two winners of the pastry challenge one episode PICK THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT ROUND. IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYONE! They didn't have to do any of this but it took me the fuck out every time 10/10 reality TV entertainment thank u Netflix

[ladyknightskye]

SPN trans fem/MtF Dean fic where when Dean is nine yrs old she’s on a witch hunt with Bobby and John but she meets the old witch they were hunting and the old witch found out and after talking to her Dean broke down crying about she wishes she was born in a female body instead of a male one and after finding out the old lady was the old witch they were hunting she’s surprised that instead of hurting Dean she decided to help her by making her a potion and then putting her in the lake to help cast the spell to turn Dean into the girl she’s always wanted to be. When John and Bobby found the witch they were surprised to see the young girl in the witch’s arms was Dean and the witch tells them about Deans gender dysphoria and how she helped John’s daughter/Bobby’s surrogate daughter and to make sure that they love her unconditionally as a girl that they would’ve loved her as a boy. How would Dean react when she woke up in the body she wanted? How would John and Bobby react to actually having a daughter instead of a son? How would Sam feel about his sister? What do you think

Okay, so I'm going to preface this answer with the information that I am a cis woman, and my experiences with gender are radically different from most trans people. So I am going to give you what I imagine Dean feels like, and please, any trans people who wanna jump in and correct me or point things out, please do so.

So, I think Dean, being a child, is going to wake up and be instantly excited. I mean, I don't know how much young trans kids have physical dysphoria, but I feel like Dean would be excited because she's got a girl's body now, her dad HAS to acknowledge this. She's also probably going to be really scared because holy moly, her Dad now knows that she's not a boy.

Keeping in mind that this would be taking place in the late 80s, John and Bobby are probably not going to react well. They're going to try to turn Dean back into a boy, and probably won't listen at first to Dean insisting that she loves being a girl. They're also not going to have the damnedest clue how to deal with a little girl, and I imagine John would insist on using the wrong pronouns for quite awhile. Bobby would come around more quickly I think, and start working on John. John's going to take a hot second because one - that's his little boy, and I have had a child question their gender. Even when you're a supportive parent, there's this niggling feeling of loss. It's not about you and your comfort, but it's still weird and disorienting for the first little while. So imagining John, he's going to have months where he is saying the absolute wrong things, and maybe just ups and leaves the kids at Bobby's because he can't deal with it. He's got to find a way to get his boy back. Charitably, it'll take John realizing that he's about to lose his kid for good to accept that Dean is a girl (keeping in mind that one of John's besetting sins is not being able to truly let go of loved ones). Uncharitably, John will completely alienate Dean to the point where she no longer sees him as her parent. I think he'd go the first way, because I think that John does love his children, he just has no idea how to show it/engage with it.

Sam at this point is like four. He's going to be hella confused, but the world is still weird and wild and wonderful at that age, so he's probably going to get to the point that people would have to remind him that Dean was once a boy.

[introverted-scribblings]

Hiii friend! I have another request! So I'm in a lot of pain right now due to my period.....=_= and I was wondering if I could have Hc's about Tim, Ej, and Jeff's s/o on their period with bad cramps? Because I'm dying right now.....but thank you for your amazing writing! ❤

Oh no!! My friend!! I'm so sorry, period pains suuuuuck! I hope this will make you smile a little! Remember to drink lots of water!!

Tim/Masky:

Oh, honey. This man would be at your every beck and call.

He feels so bad that you’re in so much pain. Mainly because he can’t make it just… go away.

He hates seeing you so uncomfortable, so he’ll do everything in his power to make things easier for you.

Whatever you want. Just say the word and it’s yours.

More pillows? Done. Heating pad? Already handing it to you. Something to drink? Here’s a glass of water and a mug of tea, made just the way you like it.

You’re craving a weird food? Name it and he’ll bring it to you, no questions asked.

HE PASSES THE BOYFRIEND TEST! You need pads and/or tampons? He’ll get them for you.

He’s not embarrassed in the slightest, either. He knows it’s natural and as long as you tell him what to pick up, he won’t have any problems. If anything, he’s too stoic about it which makes other people uncomfortable.

When it comes to cramps he actually does a fair amount of research, making sure he’s informed enough to actually help you. Finding home remedies to help ease the pain such as certain teas, avoiding too much salt, convincing you to try yoga, etc.

He’s always a little iffy on medication, not wanting you to go through what he has to go through. But if you insist, he’ll pick up some over-the-counter stuff for you.

But sometimes… You just want him to hold you. And he’s more than willing to do that for you.

He’ll let you curl up in his arms and cry if you need to. He’ll massage the area if you think it’ll help. All while telling you that he loves you and that he’ll always be there for you.

Overall, 10/10 boyfriend when it comes to caring for you.

Jeff:

This boy definitely used to make the “What? Are you on your period?” comments.

Keywords being “used to”...

The first time he made that comment to you when you were suffering the wrath of your uterus, you smacked him. Straight up.

After a screaming lecture from you, he stopped making those comments.

He has no idea how to help you. It feels like whatever he does is wrong, but it’s only because your hormones are making emotions run wild.

You’ll have to direct him practically every step of the way. I hope you don’t mind repeating yourself.

He’ll start to figure it out though, and once he does he won’t grumble nearly as much as he used to when it comes to your orders.

He’ll throw on a mask and get you pads if you need them, though he’d prefer not to. For several reasons, a big one being that he’s a wanted killer.

After his first experience with your menstrual cycle, he’d actually get better about it. He knows what to expect when it comes around again and is more prepared for it.

If you ask, he’ll hold you when the cramps get really painful.

He won’t say it out loud, but he feels really bad that you have to go through this.

He’ll hold you in his lap, arms wrapped around your middle as he throws on a movie or something in an attempt to distract you from the pain.

He’s not the best at this, but he’s learning! He’ll just need your guidance to get things right.

Eyeless Jack:

This man knew your period was coming before you did.

He knows your patterns down to a T, so when you start acting even slightly differently, he notices.

And seriously, with his sense of smell? He could tell what was going on based purely on your scent.

He’d be so sweet about it, too. Gently reminding you that it was coming up and you should be prepared.

Reminding you to pick up anything you may need in the upcoming days.

Once it actually hits, he makes sure he’s very careful with you. He doesn’t want the demon in him to hurt or take advantage of you.

So honestly, at least at first, he would distance himself from you. Just to make sure he wouldn’t lose control and do something he’d regret.

However, with your pleading, he would step up and be the best support you could ask for.

Medically? He has you covered. He knows what to expect, what signs to look for, what could be a problem, etc. And anything he didn’t know, he’d look up.

That and his more calm demeanor makes him perfect to have around when you’re struggling. As he knows all the tricks to help you feel at least a little bit better.

And when you ask, he’ll absolutely hold you. He’d be a little hesitant (again, wants to make sure he won’t hurt you) but wouldn’t be able to say no for long.

Man is a fucking giant, and would just cradle you in his arms as you curl up with him.

Ask him to read to you, it’s incredibly soothing.

He cares about you so much and doesn’t want to see you suffer, so he’ll do his damnedest to make sure you’re okay!

[damiano-mylove]

The members of our beloved Måneskin reacting to their S/O’s self-harm scars

Tw for self harm, blood, old scars - fresh cuts, vague suicide mentions, don’t read this if you’ll be inspired by it. *Masterlist*

Self harm isn’t cute, it won’t make anybody fall in love with you; this is purely for those who have self harmed/struggle with it currently, so that they don’t feel less than because of their scars

Vic

'If you think this makes your body any less than perfect, you'd be wrong.'

Depending on if was a big reveal, Vic would pull you close to her, able to hear your heart that was beating with the bass of a hundred kick drums - she'd press the softest and most meaningful kisses all over your body, asking if she'd be allowed to kiss your scars

If it were a casual reveal, Vic wouldn't bat an eye

Scars don't change how she'd feel about you; you're already the most ethereal person to walk the Earth to her

On those rare occasions (that we've all had, so don't be embarrassed) where you'd bleed through a pant leg, or skirt sleeve, or anything else because the cut was fresh and it stretched; Vic would be more than willing to pull you into a bathroom and help dab away the blood and help it clot

Yes, she would check you into a ward, if your harming got out of control - Vic wouldn't love you any less, but she would be horrified that you would feel so horrible as to mutilate yourself

When the evenings would be more calm, Vic's cold and rough finger tips would dance over your scars in a haunting tango that would send shivers through your bloodstream

Vic would hide your blades, she'd hide your knives, she'd hide your glass, she'd clip your nails - anything that you would use, Vic would find that steal that away from you, at risk of that thing stealing you away from her

Thomas

When you told Thomas about your...affliction, he was silent

Too many emotions came over Thomas at once, so he opted to shut off for a couple minutes, as to not overreact, to scare you, to make you feel worse than you obviously already did

After the initial shock passed, Thomas was crying - not weeping or sobbing, just crying, just a dribble of sadness down his soft skin

He asked you why, he asked you about the thoughts that filtered through your head as your method of choice drew blood; though he understood your reasoning thoroughly, and without an ounce of judgement

If your cuts were fresh, if you're still struggling, Thomas would offer you his unmitigated support, but maintain that seeing a professional would be your best move

However, if your cuts were old, if they were turning silver and pink, Thomas would feel relief, he would kiss your scars then kiss your lips - he'd ask you what it was that got you to stop, and he would be thankful for whatever your answer entailed every single day

Thomas wouldn't treat you differently afterwards; but he would be even more mindful of your triggers, at risk of you relapsing, or it making your problem worse

Many nights were since spent, sat on the couch, in the wee hours of the morning, tangled limb in limb, with Thomas making sure that you were doing okay, that you were either making a conceited effort to stop, or that you hadn't sunk so low again

Ethan

Ethan would need a minute to dwell on it; he would need some space (but not at your expense), and he would need a clear head to process your actions

No matter how you feel, how other people act, self harm is a very heavy topic to take in - especially when one of the people closest to you feels the need to do it

After a little bit, Ethan would sit down with you, he'd have a conversation with you, because that's how Ethan works; he talks out the important shit, instead of letting it fester in ignorance

He would offer you his full support, then ask if he may ask a few questions

Why you did it, was at the top of his list, and, even though he didn't have a crystal clear view point of the issue, Ethan would try his God-damnedest to understand every single word that cycled through your mind

Scar treatment would also be another forefront topic - Mederma (though it feels like plastic and burns on fresher cuts), Bio-Oil (though it takes long to dry and doesn't work all that quickly) - Ethan would hope that you'd want to take a step to rid yourself of the markings you've bestowed yourself

After the talk, after half a tissue box, after a Kit-Kat, Ethan would sit you on his lap and rest his head against your shoulder

He'd be grateful that a blade hadn't gotten the better of you, and he would be happy that you'd stand with him in wanting to better yourself

Damiano

There would be no possible way that you would be able to casually approach this with Damiano, not a way in Hell

The conversation would be brought up accidentally, in drunken slurs in the moonlight, so Damiano would bank it for the morning where he'd confront you at the table

He'd be perplexed; he loved you so much, saw so many amazing qualities in you, how could you not see them as well?

Damiano's face would screw up, it would get a bit red, and your heart would break just before a couple tears began to fall from his eyes - if you were still going, this reaction warranted you to inspect yourself and really make an effort to stop

Both of you would cry like children at the table as you tried to explain yourself and as Damiano offered up support like a golden egg from the golden goose

Things would be wary for the next couple days, until you had another conversation with him, which would be much more mature, where you two would talk about your respective struggles and routes of recovery

The last thing Damiano wanted was for you to get a bit happy one night and not be there the next day; so he would become much more protectionist over you, and would be willing to throw down for you at the drop of a hat

hundred quid to whomever can guess what ive been up to for the last little bit, based on this shitty hc list

[primrose-path-of-dalliance]

psa: trent ikithon is not as competent and powerful as he makes himself seem.

(cw: discussion of abuse)

.

.

i'm not sure how to get into this in a way that's natural, so i hope you don't mind if i go for the straightforward route.

trent ikithon is an abuser. that means his tactics all center around—and rely upon—making vulnerable people believe that he has far more power than he actually does. and when it comes to our pov, the m9's pov, ikithon is trying his damnedest to accomplish the same.

now, i don't know everything that's in matt mercer's head when he has played or characterized trent ikithon. i'm sure there's some depth to his motivations and intelligence, and i don't doubt that ikithon ideologically believes in strengthening the empire. but this is not relevant to the abuse tactics i want to discuss.

because the reality is this: abusers do what they do because they enjoy victimizing and controlling the vulnerable.

that's why you get abusers like archivist zeenoth who are attracted to positions of authority. those positions facilitate structural imbalances of power between them and their potential victims. trent ikithon, too, is doing the same thing—as an archmage of the cerberus assembly, he is exploiting the authority of his position to gain victims for abusing. he is not doing what he does because he's a brilliant mastermind focused on a goal. if he was, he wouldn't abuse his students.

think about it in terms of effectiveness. no matter what people like ikithon try to assert, his volstrucker are not in any way stronger or more capable from his 'tutelage'. caduceus clay roasted the man in his own dining room for this lie. what the volstrucker are are an organization of ruthless, skilled spies built from deeply abused and damaged people. they aren't healthy; they aren't stable. caleb widogast spent eleven years in a sanatorium because he was one of many recruits who broke under the abuse (see EGtW), and then five years as a solitary, paranoia-ridden mess in a filthy coat. he spent months trying not to self-sabotage his growing friendships and had a panic attack as soon as he left ophelia mardun's mansion in shadycreek (e27, 2:55:21). he has ptsd from using fire magic to burn people to death—considering his statement on executing traitors to the empire as a trainee (e18, 2:48:12), it was probably an everyday part of the job.

even the minority of volstrucker that do get through the training stage aren’t functioning well. only a few episodes ago, we watched astrid finish a conversation with caleb and then duck into an alleyway so she could curl up and have a five-minute breakdown before putting the composed mask back on (e126, 1:50:47). abuse makes being alive harder; good luck being a sustainable espionage program at that point.

so that's one lie. how about another?

at the dinner in ikithon's tower, ikithon implied that he has guided every step of caleb's path to recovery and ever-growing power. that caleb's plans to murder ikithon are exactly what he wants; that he even arranged his escape from the vergessen sanatorium (e110, 2:52:58).

i think enough people have recognized that ikithon's first claim is utter bullshit, considering that caleb and the m9 had just arrived from a random island on which they hosted a cult gathering festooned with phalluses. but the implication that he arranged for caleb's escape from the sanatorium was just that: an implication. he never says outright that he did so. he only couched what he knew in gaslighting platitudes and handed over the holy symbol of the cleric that healed him. you won't sense a lie that hasn't been spoken. he let caleb and the m9 make their assumptions, and the assumption worked in his favor.

let's consider the actual circumstances of caleb's escape (e18, beginning 2:51:54). a fellow inmate of the sanatorium who was a cleric suddenly grabbed him and healed him of his madness before returning to her own ravings. caleb then pretended he was still insane for two weeks before killing a guard, stealing the amulet that kept him hidden, and fleeing. how would any of these events work in trent ikithon's favor? the number of absurd assumptions here are off the charts.

first, you would have to believe that a cleric could permanently heal a man who'd been insane and probably experimented on for eleven years.

second, you would have to assume that this man would still be competent enough to pass general scrutiny and break out.

third, you would have to believe that he'd totally survive on his own without any resources whatsoever,

after eleven years of being institutionalized,

while first beginning deep in the pearlbow wilderness—

all without raising the suspicion of this apparently still hypercompetent ex-patient that his escape was too easy.

and fourth, you would have to believe that this man would actually accomplish something in your interests instead of, say, dying or remaining a vagrant beggar forever.

if this was all on purpose, then trent ikithon is really an idiot.

another truth: caleb was not special. both liam and caleb have said so (talks for e88, beginning 28:00; & e110, 29:06), with the examples of other volstrucker supporting this. all of them are talented mages and good at spycraft! they have to be to graduate in the first place! ikithon's assertions that caleb was extra special (e110, 2:52:11)? also a lie—specifically, a great tactic for convincing a victim of abuse not to think about it further. of course they're being hurt again. of course they're being targeted again. not to mention how abusers selectively compliment in order to confuse the people they’re hurting (relevant here: e88, 3:28:25). caleb having an unhealthy amount of hubris and thus open to being diagnosed with protagonist disease doesn’t help.

ikithon would have easily deduced the details of what happened and obtained the holy symbol after an investigation of the break-out. not too hard to piece things together if you simply ask about unusual events prior to the escape and learn that he'd had an altercation with another patient two weeks ago—and oh yes, that patient used to be a blasphemous cleric.

caleb widogast basically reappeared next door healthier, much more powerful, and more capable than ever. ikithon doesn’t have control over caleb’s entire past and future—but he wants him to believe he does. it’s a gaslighting attempt to make caleb question his own accomplishments and attribute them to ikithon so that ikithon can regain some control over his ex-student.

another truth: trent ikithon is already on thin fucking ice. no one in the cerberus assembly likes each other, of course, but a consistent point was made again and again that everyone deeply dislikes ikithon. he's stayed because he made himself useful, but he could and would get taken care of should he be a detriment instead (see e88, 3:19:27; & e97, 3:19:32).

any sort of thorough investigation into the volstrucker and the vergessen sanatorium would reveal exactly how fragile all of his agents are and how frequently he fails in conditioning his recruits. ikithon gets the pick of the crop when it comes to nationalistic, talented students that enter the soltryce academy. to find out that he drives a significant number of them insane? well, that's a pure waste of unrealized potential. and for what—a program of spies who are paranoid enough and opportunistic enough to turn on each other if prodded the right way?

and now... trent ikithon, as part of the traitorous beacon research, has been under heavy investigation from two fronts: the augen trust and the cobalt soul (e125, 2:31:10). and he has been getting very nervous recently (e125, 2:41:42).

the final truth i want to point out: trent ikithon is just as control-obsessed as any other abuser. we got the most obvious example of this yet from e128—his pursuit of the m9 to nicodranas and tidepeak tower. think about the circumstances again.

he was apparently so curious and so annoyed by caleb rebuffing all of his attempts at ‘conversation’ that he made his excuses before teleporting directly to nicodranas,

through a circle implied to be arranged diplomatically between the empire and the clovis concord,

with a plan to break into the lavish chateau, one of the most high-profile locations of the city, to potentially kidnap or kill everyone,

including the famous and beloved ruby of the sea.

he then chased the m9 and their families to the equally high-profile tidepeak tower on the open quay, all of which is owned by yussa errenis, an archmage himself who’s learned far more about local politics than he ever wanted to know,

intimidated his “man”servant,

and broke in.

and they did all of this possibly with some very confused members of the zhelezo following right behind them.

other people have gone through the potential political consequences of this more thoroughly than me, so suffice to say that trent ikithon has gotten himself into some deep shit. you can’t negotiate or magic yourself out of being witnessed by hundreds of people breaking into the tower of an archmage who is infamous among the locals for being a bitchy recluse.

if he was smart, and clever, and a brilliant mastermind, he wouldn’t have done any of that. what he could have done: continue to handle caleb from an ominous distance through spells like sending. allege to the cerberus assembly and king dwendal that the break-in was an underhanded cobalt soul mission because of beauregard’s association with the m9. or just straight-up say that the m9 broke into his facilities because they have a vendetta against him and have them at least investigated the next time the empire can hold onto them for a second.

but he didn’t do any of those much more clever possibilities. he acted impulsively and rashly and may well be on the way to a lot of trouble now. all because ikithon just could not handle caleb being saucy.

with all this in mind, i want to go back to one last detail: astrid and eadwulf. because these two would suffer terrible consequences if they ran away—allegedly.

because i want to ask... what exactly could ikithon do to them?

they’ve already killed their own parents. so far, we’ve had no sign either that they have anyone else important to them in his reach besides each other. they have nothing tying themselves to him besides years of abuse and the crimes they’ve committed as volstrucker. they might want some power of their own, sure, perhaps they want to kill him while they’re still close. but we certainly know that eadwulf and astrid are not invested in the volstruckers as it stands. they doubt ikithon. and they already have their own amulets.

so what else could make them so terrified by the idea of leaving with the m9 except the way that trent ikithon has abused them and convinced them that he’s powerful enough and capable enough to catch up to them?

don’t be fooled. he hosted the most embarrassing excuse for a dining-with-the-enemy scene (seriously, i hope someone reading this cringed the entire time as well from all the long pauses and terrible topic transitions) and then teleported away to flee caduceus clay’s scalding tea. no retort, no blackmail. he acted recklessly in nicodranas and appropriately pushed two of his own volstrucker to betray him, losing his one opportunity to capture the m9′s family there. and now ikithon is between a rock and a hard place in terms of political standing, with a spy network he has openly encouraged to turn against him.

there is no terror waiting in the wings anymore, no more strings he can pull. just an abuser playing up his own grandeur. at this point, the only thing he hasn’t reached his limit in yet is his high-level spell slots.

[eyrieofsynapses]

I rewatched The Iceman Job last night on the way back from a trip, just under a week after watching the seventh Redemption episode. The sudden pivot from twelve years to two is whiplash at its finest. Most stunning of all, though, is how the ot3 has changed so much--yet where they came from is written into every line of the episode. Even a mere two years into knowing each other, they already get one another. 

It isn’t perfect by any means. They’re awkward newborn foals, stumbling over each other’s sore spots and struggling to maintain a pace together. Hardison makes the mistake of claiming Parker’s works as his own and hurts her pride. Parker struggles to express and deal with her emotions in response. Eliot can see and understand part of the problem but not necessarily help them figure it out yet. 

But Eliot and Parker exchange worried glances as Hardison overplays the con. Eliot shoots her a concerned look as she paces that not only speaks of he’s fucking it up but also dammit, this is hurting her. Parker sticks by his side and they have an unspoken agreement to put up with Hardison’s bullshit, all while leaning on each other in the meantime. Hardison figures out his offense by the end and apologizes to her in his own way. He knows how to improvise with them, how to read every clue Parker leaves and imitate her methods, bantering back and forth with Eliot even as they flawlessly fake a convincing fight. 

And more than that--more than that!--the love is so clear. They don’t know how to love each other yet but they do it fiercely. It’s written in Eliot coming back for Hardison without hesitation despite his threats. It’s Parker pulling Hardison close in the closet as they blow through the floor. It’s Hardison trying to hug Eliot at the end, and Eliot letting him, though it would have been so easy for him to throw Hardison to the floor or twist him around in an armbar. It’s Parker letting Eliot go when he calls Sophie and catching a ride with him later when she’s clearly frustrated. 

It’s the banter as they try their damnedest to pull off the heist together. It’s the concern wrapped up and hidden in annoyance and jabs. Even in the midst of a high-stakes heist they pull each other’s strings and mess with each other--in the middle of a deadly situation, Parker and Eliot do not once hesitate to rescue Hardison. 

Then it’s a decade later. 

It’s a decade later, and Parker and Eliot have the same unspoken language between them, tempered by the ardent fire of twelve long years together. Eliot and Hardison understand each other with an intimacy unmatched: Eliot looks back on the Iceman job and says you were a kid, you have grown and I will always support you as you keep growing, and Hardison looks back on the years and says he has saved hundreds of people who will never know his name and yet he gets up every morning saying “I still got more work to do.” Hardison and Parker’s love is the epitome of love is patient, love is kind. She holds him tight, flirts openly, then tenderly lets him go when he needs to leave so that he can grow and flourish.

They banter still. They laugh over the comms as they did ten years ago, Hardison teasing Eliot, Eliot grumbling back, Parker snickering at them both. But they do not distract one another. Hardison does not overplay his bit. Eliot rolls smoothly with things with unwavering consciousness of the others. Parker is open with her emotions and the other two don’t even need to ask most of the time: they understand her, and she understands them, and there is nothing more to it. 

Parker knows how to nerve strike a man, and Eliot knows how to crawl through vents, and Hardison knows each nook and cranny of any security system. Their skills slide seamlessly into one another’s toolboxes. 

Ten years ago, they were hesitant with each other, pieces of a puzzle with rough edges still learning how to fit into each other. Ten years ago, Eliot’s anger burned hot and bright as a furnace. Hardison’s youthful arrogance and anxiety blinded him with his own genius. Parker’s insecurity and instability left her falling off the highwire and hitting the unforgiving ground of emotion. 

Ten years later?

Ten years later, Eliot’s furnace burns with fires of love, and Hardison’s brilliance shines with the clarity of a supernova, and Parker needs no nets nor ropes or wires: she spreads her wings and flies high with the steady confidence of an eagle. 

Ten years later they are stars pivoting around one another, constellations dancing in the sky together, unfaltering as the turning of the earth and constant as the rise and fall of the tides. The three of them sway to a song only they can hear with a rhythm set in time to their heartbeats.

Heads turn at the sight of them even in commonplace settings. It takes but a glance at one another to communicate. Who could deny such fluency in one another’s language? Who could deny such deep knowledge of another? 

Should Hell be so unwise as to claim Eliot (no matter how he believes he deserves it), Hardison and Parker would be the Orpheus to his Eurydice. The song they spin would move even Hades and Persephone to tears, and all their subjects would fill the kingdom of death with the sound of their sorrow. Even the monsters in the depths of Tartarus would find their hearts pierced by such a lament of love. The gods would not have the will to stop them from stealing away the lost third of their souls: instead Hermes himself (guide of the dead, patron of thieves) would escort them to the surface. 

In another pantheon even Satan would tremble at such love. Were the angels at the gates of Heaven faced with the three of them, they could not bear to part them. Their laws would snap at the sight of three souls so deeply entwined with one another. Such a bond is sacred in a way nothing else truly is. No immortal power can match such mortal love. 

For in a span of hours of knowing each other, they were already devoted more to one another than they had been to anyone in ages. Within days they stumbled into a new home. In weeks, they bared their souls to each other after years of denying anyone--even themselves--that right. Less than a year in and they came back to one another within days despite promising to leave for months. 

This strange contradictory trio established an understanding of one another in record time. Within days of first meeting they trusted each other with their lives. Only a year in, they couldn’t bear to be apart for longer than a few months.  

They weren’t perfect. It took time. But despite cutting each other on their rough edges and struggling desperately to learn one another’s language, they saw themselves reflected in each other even from the beginning. They persisted and fought for the right to love one another. 

Thus twelve years later--twelve years of laughter and tears and anger and frustration and kindness and thoughtfulness and patience and love later--it is not Parker, Hardison, Eliot, but Parker and Hardison and Eliot, looking at each other like the others crafted the sky and all its beauty. For that is true: Parker stole and hung their diamond stars, and Hardison forged the silver moon, and Eliot raised the golden sun. 

They are hitter-hacker-thief, after all. What else would their heavens be made of?

[seacoloredeyes]

ok so obviously that final eddie/buck scene made us lose our minds over the buddieness of it all but i really haven’t been able to stop thinking about what it means when it comes to eddie’s devotion to chris.

We’ve talked at length about the fact that eddie is unsure of himself when it comes to his romantic entanglements and tends to follow other people’s advice to give chris what society would expect him to give him: a mother. But really outside of that he has always fought damn hard to do what he thinks is right no matter what anyone else would think.

When he left texas and refused to go back when «everyone was trying to guilt him into it» even though their support system was there because his parents were stifling them both and he didn’t want them to make the same mistakes with chris that they did with him. When he put his son in therapy and went himself even though he hates it because he doesn’t want his son to ever learn he has to «suck it up». when he tries his damnedest to encourage chris in his dreams and to not let him think of his cp as merely a source of limitations even though so many people tell him to be careful (his parents, carla, ana).

And now when he puts his best friend down as legal guardian instead of his nuclear family because he wants someone there who will keep on teaching chris all of those things and who will fight hard every day to do it no matter what anyone else tells them to do, and yeah obviously my shipper heart loves the fact that it is buck but «no one will ever fight for my son as hard as you. That is what I want for him.»  will live rent free in my mind for months to come because of what it means regarding eddie’s devotion for his son. No one has ever fought harder for chris than eddie who fights everyday against society’s expectations and his own messy upbringing to try to give the best to his son and i just will be crying over this for a while.

And also!! i wanted the episode to be about eddie’s trauma and i’m gutted that it really wasn’t but upon rewatching the scene (... a few times...) i couldn’t help but notice that it acknowledges it more than i thought it did.

In the beginning of that speech eddie talks about his near death experiences («so you might have noticed i almost died. Again. i’ve had a lot of close calls. This one wasn’t even my closest. After the last time when the well collapsed on top of me...» ) and refuses to look at buck while he says any of it. He looks up and away. He looks down. Only looks at buck briefly when he interrupts him and later when he’s moved on from his trauma and is talking about his will.

We know eddie struggled with being emotionally vulnerable. We know that he looks away and tries to hold his tears back when he talks about anything that’s deeply painful to him (his scene with frank in season 3, his scene with bobby in 4x06) and that is exactly what he’s doing here.

I really hope they address it fully because all the ground work is here. Damn do i love eddie diaz.

[exn0bisstudios]

As a preface: no need to answer if you don’t feel comfortable with it,I know people sometimes don’t like these questions so no pressure if you’re one of them! Who likes kids, who would like to be a parent (if their partner also wanted that of course!), and who is good with kids? Thank you!

Well, firstly, thank you for your concern! I'm okay with these topics so long as it's not about me personally, so don't worry! That said, though, I'll put this under a cut since the topic might be uncomfortable for some people.

CW for: talk involving conception, infertility, pregnancy, miscarriage

Edited 5/16 - Changes to include more inclusive language. My apologies! 

Since we're talking about the ROs and kids, let us talk about MC too for a sec.

It should be noted that it is typically challenging for a Seer to bear children/impregnate someone. The corruption that comes with their Void powers usually renders them infertile, or at least close to. However, it's not unheard of for a Seer to have children. Still, it usually results in a difficult pregnancy and can be dangerous to both the carrier and the child. Additionally, any child born from a Seer (either parent) would be Dream-touched.

That said, as we know, MC is a very special Seer. Canonically, their powers have not rendered them infertile, though their kid would still end up Dream-touched. However, I will be leaving it up to players to decide if their MC can or can't have biological kids for other reasons. And, obviously, adoption is also very much an option!

Now on to the ROs!

Mira

Mira likes kids well enough, and they're usually very good with them. They struggle a bit with dealing with noble children. Still, Mira's kind and empathetic nature tend to have children warming up to them regardless. They used to help take care of the young recruits back at the Order, both daily routine stuff and some training.

They would absolutely love to have a family one day, but it's something they kinda push to the back of their mind and try not to think about. Their lifestyle doesn't lend itself to the stability and safety necessary for raising children, considering they could be killed in action any day. They think it would be grossly irresponsible to have a family, then end up dead somewhere and leave them hanging. Mira was an orphan themself, and they know firsthand how hard life is for kids on their own. They have no desire to contribute to that lifestyle or put their own potential child through that.

If there ever came a time where they could lay down their weapons for good, though, then yes. They'd want to start a family in whatever way they could. Though not opposed to having biological children, both masc & fem Mira would prefer to adopt. Again, being an orphan themself, they would choose to take in a child. Mira would ideally like 2-3 kids so they can have a big family to grow old with, and they'd be a very supportive and doting parent. They'd probably struggle with discipline.

Nova

Children confuse the absolute shit out of Nova, and the way mortals procreate admittedly terrifies them. Nightmares are not born in the same sense that mortals are; they just kinda pop into existence fully formed. When Nova first learned about mortal procreation, they had a minor mental breakdown. The idea of another, smaller living thing growing inside someone strikes them as distinctly horrific. They've done their best to accept the idea at this point in their life, but mainly they cope with it by ignoring its existence. They see a pregnant person and basically go, 'suddenly I have no eyes.' Babies and children continue to confuse them despite their best efforts, and they have no idea how to interact with them. You put a child around Nova, and you're liable to hear them genuinely asking the kid why they are so small and dumb.

Nova's mortal body is also infertile by design. They chose this shortly after they realized they actually enjoyed sex and would do it again. They don't know if it would be possible for them to become pregnant/impregnate someone, considering they're not actually mortal. Still, they didn't want to risk it.

The only time Nova would consider starting a family is if it was something their partner(s) really, really wanted. They'd sit down and have an honest talk about how it's something that they know nothing about, that the process scares them, and that they are absolutely going to need help learning how to handle it all. But, if their partner is willing to accept all that, Nova would be willing to try. Though again, they don't know if they can procreate with a mortal, so they'd probably recommend going for a surrogate or adoption. Eventually, Nova'd grow into a good parent, very supportive, and surprisingly level-headed.

Stella

They don't have too much of an opinion on children, which shows in how they don't really know how to interact with them. Stella feels super awkward around kids, and they're more likely to tell them to shoo. Their own childhood has tainted their views, and being around children brings up things they'd rather not think about. Honestly, the fastest way to make Stella disappear is to put a child nearby.

Deep down, though, they like the idea of starting a family. It would take a lot of encouragement to get them to admit that. It'd take even more to help them process long-ignored family-related trauma and unlearn a whole lot of unhealthy habits. With the proper support from their partner(s), though, they'd really like to give things a try. Fem Stella wouldn't mind carrying a child. Still, both fem & masc Stella generally don't care if their kid is biological or adopted.

Stella would make for a very nervous parent, and they'd be absolutely terrible at discipline. They'd probably helicopter and be overprotective and would have to be reminded by their partner(s) that things will be okay.

Désiré

So a bit of history: Dez is one of the only two ROs who already has child-rearing experience. His best friend and second-in-command, Alix, was born and raised in the brothel with him. While he grew up to be an errand boy and bodyguard, she became one of the courtesans. He took up smuggling and worked his ass off to get them out of there, but unfortunately, Alix became pregnant before they could escape. Alix's son, Dimitri, was born in the cabin of the first ship Dez ever owned.

Alix eventually married Catarina, the crew's healer, who has acted as Dimitri's other mother. Thus, while Dez is 'officially' Dimitri's uncle, he has always been his only father-figure. Dimitri is 14 by the time of the game and is still a very active part of Désiré's life. You'll actually get a chance to meet him in-game since he's got a place on Dez's crew (he's the cabin boy)!

Now that history is managed, it's safe to say that Désiré would love to start a family one day. It doesn't matter to him how, though going the biological route, let it be known he's excellent at tending to pregnancy needs. He's a wonderful parent, generally gentle while supportive and encouraging, and is comfortable being stern when it's called for.

Vittore Simone

Sadly I can't get into the specifics of Vittore Simone's thoughts on kids and family without it becoming a spoiler. However, I can say that he vowed when he was young that he'd never have kids and has never thought of it since. Going forward, it would never be something that crossed his mind unless brought up by his partner and would be something he'd defensively refuse at first. Later, he'd come back with apologies and to have a more open conversation on the matter to express his reservations and fears.

Suffice to say that the idea of being a father absolutely terrifies him, and he has always taken great pains to avoid it ever happening. Even just the thought is enough to send him into panic attacks. His partner will need to be patient with him and accept that this is something he may genuinely never be able to do for the sake of his own health and any future child's. It would take a lot of time, reassurance, work, healing, support, and understanding before Vittore Simone ever agreed to give parenthood a shot. It will not be an easy road for him or his partner. It would likely be a road that never truly ends, and he'd need to be sure that they can both accept that without damaging their own relationship. He would try, though. He would do his damnedest. And, thankfully, there will never be any doubt that he genuinely does love his kid.

As a father, initially, he would constantly be terrified he was hurting his kid somehow. He would struggle with being overly permissive & overprotective at the same time. He's liable to have a panic attack any time the kid cries for the first several years. His partner will have to help him get through 'I'm a terrible father, this was a mistake' breakdowns periodically. Slowly, though, he'll build some confidence and be more comfortable interacting and expressing himself with his kid. He'll always be supportive, and he'll work his hardest to be sure his family knows he loves them unconditionally. His partner will have to accept the role of disciplinarian, though. That's never going to be something he'll be able to do on his own (but of course, he'll be there to support them in those conversations. He doesn't want to make them the 'bad guy' by any means).

Andrai

The other RO with child-rearing experience! Andrai has 15 younger siblings (yes, you heard me correctly) and absolutely adores them all. They're all grown now, but he loved taking care of them when they were little, and he still dotes on them whenever he can, in his own way. In general, he loves kids. He just thinks they're adorable. And, despite appearances, he's excellent with them. Kids love this man, they flock to him, and he has no problem with that. It confuses most onlookers.

The idea of starting his own family turns him to absolute mush. And, he'd love to, so so much. Adoption, biological, and surrogacy are okay with him. It would be up to his partner to limit exactly how many kids they have since Andrai would just say he wants them all. He makes an excellent dad, albeit quiet, and is unwaveringly supportive. He's comfortable with discipline and is the type to encourage self-assessing behavior. He's excellent at giving advice and genuinely just likes spending time with his kids and being involved in their lives.

He's probably not the one you would peg as the 'domestic bliss' type, but he absolutely is.

Vzridmi

She's very comfortable with kids since communal rearing is very common in ork communities, and she'd love to have a family one day. Some kids unused to orks might find her a bit intimidating just because of her size, but in general, children think she's fun to be around. She doesn't necessarily think about it too much, though, at this point in her life. It's not something she sees as being on the table for quite some time - she has research and exploration to be doing, after all.

Whenever she was ready to settle down for a family, she'd be comfortable with carrying a child herself, surrogacy, or adopting. She would really like to have at least one biological child if possible, though. She would make for an entertaining mother, excited about her child's life and ever-supportive of their interests and pursuits. She's comfortable with all the aspects of child-rearing. Still, She would definitely need her partner's advice if they ever discovered their kid was dealing with bullying. She'd need to be reminded by her partner not to be overprotective - she's not above threatening others with her war-hammer if they upset her baby.

[echo-of-sounds]

adhd pt.2

How Fatgum, Gang Orca, and Midnight would help and support their s/o who has ADHD. Midnight’s are a little shorter than the others. I had a hard time thinking of more headcanons for her.

Warnings: nothing incredibly explicit, but a couple of these talk about sex

Toyomitsu Taishiro

Tai is a friendly guy. He talks to everyone when you're out and about. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes it's a lot to handle. He wants you to immediately tell him when you’re starting to feel overstimulated or anxious. Before it gets too bad, he’ll carry you to a safe space. And it doesn’t matter where you are, his sweatshirts are yours. Weight can be very grounding and with his size, they’re very heavy. He’ll hold you close and talk you through the emotions.

Any time you lash out, he might try to ease the tension by making a joke. If you’ve ever been angry, you know jokes just make it worse. He’ll give you time to gather yourself when he realizes you’re actually angry. He won’t snap back. Fighting isn’t what he wants to do. Take some time to cool down. You’ll find him waiting for you with a smile. It’s hard to get him angry and it doesn't hurt his feelings when you lash out, but you should still apologize. He would appreciate it.

Feelings overwhelmed can erupt suddenly. When you sit down at your desk and there are five notebooks, scattered pens and pencils, loose papers, and just useless junk everywhere, you feel completely engulfed under them. It’s almost like you can’t breathe. You don’t know where to start or what to do. Tai will set some time aside to help you sort through your stuff. He may not know exactly where everything goes, but he really wants to help. He hates the look on your face when you’re overwhelmed and he’ll do anything to make it go away.

Lack of restraint and risk-taking behaviors are the most concerning to him. Sure, impulsively buying a dumb stuffed animal is one thing. But buying a new gaming system and four video games is another. The costs add up quickly. Or maybe you take another shot at the bar because screw it, you only live once. Then you do that over and over. ‘Just another shot’ turns into ten more. Your safety is always his number one priority and he worries himself sick thinking you’re going to damage your finances, career, or worse, yourself.

If you didn’t catch what he said, he has no problem repeating himself. Though he worries you aren’t paying attention while you’re in public or when something important is happening. He doesn’t want you mindlessly agreeing to something that you don’t actually want to do or potentially getting hurt. Like how you fling your arms out when you’re talking and hit someone or a wall. To ease his anxiety about you, he’ll hold your hand a lot and offer to give you piggyback rides.

He has a little trouble focusing on smaller tasks as well. He would much rather be doing fun activities out in the world. So he understands your trouble. He also understands how you forget to vacuum even though you promised you would. He isn’t annoyed. He’ll remind you when you’re home to do it. 

Since Tai is such a big guy he taught himself to be gentle early on in his life, particularly when it comes to sex, therefore he isn’t worried if you have sexual hypersensitivities. He's also great at communication and loves talking. He’ll ask what positions you can’t do and where you don’t like to be touched to ensure your comfort is at its max. During sex, if your attention starts drifting, he’ll let you take over to help keep you focused.

Gang Orca

Kugo’s a clean, organized man. To him, it’s helpful knowing that everything has its place. If you leave bowls and books around or are an overall cluttered person, he’ll pick up after you. Eventually, when your clutter gets to be too much, he’ll create a routine and a to-do list. Before bed, look at the list and look around the room if there are any pillows to put back on the couch or papers to straighten out.

Having physical sensitives is something Kugo can understand. While it’s not to the point he’s overstimulated like people with ADHD have, his skin is still quite sensitive- more than your ‘average’ human skin because of his mutant-type quirk. Whatever you need for self-soothing, he can bring to you when you’re starting to feel overstimulated. Your favorite heavy quilt will be wrapped around your shoulders and he’ll light some vanilla candles.

He’s utterly unbothered by tapping, fidgeting, or restlessness. However, he’s deeply concerned when he notices blood on your lip or fingers. It’s mindless. You don’t hurt yourself on purpose. No matter how many times you explain, it won’t quell his worries. He just really hates seeing you bleed. Out in public, he’ll hold your hand to stop your picking. At home, he keeps a close eye on you and points out your unhealthy habit so you can find a fidget toy or a pen to click. He hopes if he does it enough times it’ll become a subconscious reaction for you to grab a toy to play with instead of your body.

High mood swings and anger are easy for him to take. Your quick snaps go in one ear and out the other- mainly because he knows it's not about him. While he understands the frustration comes at the flip of a switch, he strongly urges you to find ways to deal with your emotions in a healthy way. He’s willing to listen if you want to talk it out. He’s willing to go to the gym if you need to exercise it out. And (if you’re at that point in the relationship), he’s willing to have sex if you need to fuck it out. 

Kugo loves listening to your interests. He supports any and all of your studies. Are you currently into a new TV series? He’ll buy you posters and action figures for surprises on your bad days. Or is the Viking culture suddenly fascinating and you need to learn everything about it? He scoops up some obscure book from that bookstore he passes every day. Even though his presents might not be exactly what you’re looking for, his excitement and passion to support you is really cute.

Focusing on smaller tasks is incredibly difficult. You strain yourself then get frustrated then give up. Seriously, that one piece of paperwork should take ten minutes tops to complete. But it ends up taking over two hours because you just can’t sit and do it. Whenever he notices you fussing at the table, he’ll sit down with you so you can go through the paperwork together. Having someone next to you is helpful. They keep you on track and guide the way through the long passages of words and seemingly confusing questions.

He's uneasy when it comes to any sexual sensitivities. It takes him a while to be ready for sex in general, but if you’re hypersensitive, it’ll take him a hell of a lot longer. He’s so scared of hurting you, especially since his fingers are more like claws and his teeth are sharp. He tries his damnedest to be gentle because he’s always scared that he’ll overstimulate you to the point you’re crying. Your sexual relationship will start with oral and fingering, plateauing at that for a while until he convinces himself he won’t hurt you.

Kayama Nemuri

Thoughts that bubble up and instantly spout from your mouth are common. Half the time you don’t even realize you spoke. Nemuri will be a little miffed if you keep interrupting her. She doesn’t want to forget her train of thought. She knows you have difficulty controlling it but she would appreciate it if you let her finish her sentence so she can fully listen to and understand yours.

Fidgeting and squirming don’t annoy her. She’s a Hero and a teacher. She’s become desensitized to all sorts of restlessness. Though she is in the same boat as Aizawa in that, if you’re a clicker or tapper, she’ll ask if you could find something else to fidget with. But she won’t snap at you as he may. She has a serious soft spot for her partner and rarely raises her voice.

However, those times when your anger gets sparked because your lotion bottle broke or you thought you had more of your favorite chips and you lash out when she asks what’s wrong, she’ll get defensive from time to time and might snap back. It depends on how long her day was and how tired/stressed she is. Most of the time she can reel herself back, realizing you’re not angry at her. But if she had a hard day, her retort comes quickly and sharply. It’s enough to make you pause, recognizing how you reacted to her simple question. When you apologize, she will too, wanting to make up as soon as possible.

Her quirk is quite convenient for overstimulation. If you give your consent, she can emit a tiny amount of her aroma to relax you. If you need serious instant relief, she can put you to sleep. But she won’t rely on her quirk every single time. She doesn’t like completely knocking you out. Any self-soothing techniques you use, she’ll read about and work out ways she can provide you with what you need.

Nemuri will have to change her outlook on sex a little bit. She’s very dominant, loves being the active partner, and dips (more than a little) into sadism. But she’s experienced. She’s aware her kinks aren’t always liked. Before you’re ever intimate, she’ll sit down with you to set clear and defined boundaries about what you can take. If pain is something you can’t handle or just don’t want, she’s fine without it. Her love for you is more important than her kinks. 

[absynthe--minded]

I saw your conversation post about your Boromir and Théodred headcanon. I would love to hear more!

asdfjkg where do I start??? ummmmmm hm. okay. I’m gonna give you a List Of Things That Have Informed My Thoughts, and then pick one to elaborate on, and if you or anybody else has a desire to see more from me on this please let me know? Help Absynthe Be Less Of A Disaster 2k21, etc.

(these are mostly headcanons; if something is explicitly confirmed in the text

Gondor is the only society in Middle-Earth that I will accept any homophobia from. It’s not religious homophobia, it’s class-based and centered on how the nobility must preserve the blood of Westernesse and Dol Amroth’s elvish lineage by having a lot of heterosexual marriage with each other. marriage is a duty, and sex for sex’s sake or for love only (when it’s not someone of your class and a good political match) is seen as a base urge that must be controlled. fine for the lower classes, sure, but not for the important people, and certainly not for the steward’s son

there are a lot of stereotypes about the Eorlingas that we see in the text, expressed both by Éowyn to Faramir and by Saruman to Théoden - they’re wild, they’re savage, they’re uncultured, and they’re uncivilized. we can guess that these are applied to Rohan by Gondor, as the Dunlendings believe that the Eorlingas are cruel and dangerous warriors, and the hobbits, elves, and dwarves have no preexisting opinions about them. this is something that Boromir has to deal with, and overcome, and he does

Théodred takes one look at Boromir when they meet and immediately realizes that this is an Extremely Traumatized Man and also he’s super hot ( @nikosheba​ writes him like a masc blond Jadzia Dax and I’m here for that characterization so I’m adopting it) and then they catch feelings after some post-battle “yay we’re alive” sex (this is in a fic that is being written so perhaps do not ask for clarification on that, lol, it’ll be published eventually)

For Boromir, Théodred is freedom, really. this is something that I think they share with Russingon (they have a LOT of things in common with Russingon, which explains why I’m as invested in them as I am, because it all runs back to The OTP) but like. Théodred cares about what Boromir wants to do, who he wants to be, what his dreams are. Théodred doesn’t treat him like The Son Of The Steward. Théodred treats him like Boromir.

and conversely, Boromir is one of the few people who really gets Théodred, who understands growing up motherless, who understands wanting to take big steps to change things and make the world better but having to move slowly because your duty is to your people. Boromir encourages him to take charge and think for himself, and Boromir supports his decisions and validates him.

they love one another fiercely and they’re both intimately aware of the fact that this situation is temporary at best because Boromir is going to have to, eventually, settle down and marry. Boromir is doing his damnedest to not be sick at the thought of betraying his love and he really hopes the war will last forever just because as long as he’s more suited to the front lines than the Stewardship he never has to worry about a wife ever.

look they really are Russingon 2.0 Théodred’s death is basically the Nirnaeth except there aren’t any Balrogs and Boromir almost certainly had some kind of psychic or supernatural vision/dream of the thing considering how Faramir maybe-possibly dreamt of his brother’s death (he says it was a dream with no waking in TTT but it’s described like a dream or a vision)

[aiyexayen]

I haven’t known true peace since I realised that Wei Wuxian actually believes this. He’s not just saying dumb shit here, or oversimplifying things to be dramatic--he truly thought of it this way, even back then. Even though nobody else did.

This line has always confused me and maybe I just haven’t given it enough thought. Maybe it’s obvious. But everyone has such a different perspective at that section of the story, including the audience. And that’s part of the tragedy of it all, really, is how much the situation was twisted up--both on purpose, by the Jins, and by simple circumstance--to the point that nobody was on the same page. But the extent of Wei Wuxian’s didn’t really hit me until recently, when puzzling back over this particular scene.

(In my defense, it was easy for me to miss until now, because it’s mixed in with Wei Ying admiring Lan Zhan admiring the moon and followed by Lan Zhan calling Wei Ying out on his “I’m fine” bullshit before carrying him down the stairs.)

At first pass, all I could think was, “Wei Wuxian, are we even watching the same show?” He and Jiang Cheng were rivals as much as they were best friends as much as they were brothers, and frequently at odds.

They never really had a “them two against the world” vibe outside of their Twin Heroes of Yunmeng promise. Wei Wuxian loved the world, and making friends, and did so freely and gladly. He and Jiang Cheng really only ever stood together against really blatant enemies like the Wen before and during the Sunshot campaign, and by the time the Jins and the rest of the prominent sect/clan leaders were at their throats, things were definitely falling apart.

They not only had a fraught childhood together in that household to begin with, but they also haven’t been truly on the same side since the fall of Lotus Pier when it all came to a head; the slow dissolution of their close bond is a huge underlying theme of the story as we suffer through the emotional torture of watching their desperate love create a wider and wider chasm between them, littered with broken promises and unspoken words as they slowly forget how to know each other.

And they really never stood together against Lan Wangji?? Ever?

While Jiang Cheng was regarding him (and every other human being and activity) as a rival for his shige’s attention and proof of his own social ineptitude (a potential cause for worry in his earnest role as sect heir and representative of his clan), Wei Wuxian was utterly enamoured. By the time Wei Wuxian had his rounds of falling-out with Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng regarded him as an ally who stood by his side for months and kept his hope alive while helping him scour the land for all traces of his missing brother and was really confused why Wei Wuxian was being a jackass.

In-between all this, they travel and fight together--all three of them--on more than one occasion, and even go to war together.

We’re frequently shown glimpses, scenes, framing, setups, that show us Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji standing together without or apart from Jiang Cheng as well. Because reasons.

From Lan Wangji’s point of view, he was never not on Wei Wuxian’s side when it counted. He just had trouble communicating this effectively at times, especially while Wei Wuxian was in a constant push-pull with himself and everyone else about what he should be allowed to want and have.

From Jiang Cheng’s point of view, Wei Wuxian was failing to be on his side again and again, and it was never really about his own loyalty, because he was the only one still keeping their promise.

And certainly by Jin Ling’s one-month celebration, they both seemed to be on the same page that they were coming together as Wei Wuxian’s important people, if not actively friends by then, and that they were of one mind in getting Wei Wuxian back around his family and back into society. One of the most shattering things anyone has ever had the nerve to tell me straight into the void that once was my heart is that they (along with Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan) were probably so excited to see Wei Wuxian and proudly show him how well they were all getting along.

So I, humble viewer of episodes, watch all of this happening, and then narrow my eyes at Wei Wuxian in disbelief. Who does he think he is? Jiang Cheng, always at his side? With Lan Wangji, always opposite?

Why does this moment of self-reflection even exist? When he could have taken this opportunity to have some kind of flashback about Lan Wangji and the moon, as the rest of us are? Is it just to torment me, in particular?

But then I thought of three things. One, his point of view at the time. Two, his point of view in this episode. And three, the phrasing of what he’s saying here.

The phrasing feels important. Wei Wuxian simply says he thought Jiang Cheng would be at his side/on his side/by his side, and he thought Lan Wangji would be opposite. Opposite doesn’t necessarily mean a direct rival or enemy. It can mean standing for the opposing viewpoint, or having an opposing position.

Given that he’s directly comparing it to how he feels right now, it makes sense. As of this episode, he’s just had his real first encounter with Jiang Cheng, and it was pretty horrible. He had to deal with Jin Ling and his curse, between now and then, but that isn’t really going to be what’s on his mind.

I might be like, “Ah, yes, running away from Jiang Cheng to go fuck off with Lan Wangji, typical Wei Wuxian scenario, even if I support it especially in this particular instance.” Jiang Cheng might feel that way, too, right down to “Thank fuck he ran away like he always does and didn’t call my bluff about killing him a thousand times over because that would have been embarrassing.”

But to Wei Wuxian, the circumstances are completely different. He’s not running off on an adventure after which he absolutely intends to return home. He’s leaving with what he sees as confirmation (which he was trying to avoid) that Jiang Cheng truly hates him, and the knowledge/reminder that he may never see him again because he will absolutely try his hardest not to. And he’s returning to Lan Wangji, who is his adventure, but also, increasingly, his home.

He can’t really think of it in those terms, yet, though. So he thinks about it as sides.

Even though they and Jiang Cheng are never truly pitted against each other in the present any more than Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were ever pitted against Lan Wangji in the past (that is to say, one or two tense scenes and mostly a lot of wibbly gray areas indicating that there’s a lot more going on in everyone’s heads), Wei Wuxian sees Lan Wangji on the “Wei Wuxian Should Not Be Dead” team and Jiang Cheng sulking on the opposite shore.

Or, at the very least, the teams are “Leave Wei Wuxian Alone” and “Wei Wuxian Needs To Fucking Stop.”

Which reminds him how different it all used to be.

And even if we’re like, “Was it, though?” that’s not his perspective on it. He didn’t see all the pieces that the rest of us saw. He never knew the lengths Lan Wangji was going to in order to try and help him, the rules he broke. He never saw the punishment Lan Wangji endured for simply visiting him. Even Jiang Cheng saw Lan Wangji stand up for him publicly after the heart-wrenching scene in the rain. Wei Wuxian never did.

He only saw Lan Wangji trying his damnedest to get him to give up demonic cultivation. He only heard Lan Wangji’s attempts to convince him to get better that he never really understood. He only ever perceived resistance and disapproval.

Wei Wuxian was expecting Lan Wangji to come and personally try to stop him at Nightless City. Wei Wuxian woke up alive and took one look at Lan Wangji (and softly gayly smiled and took a second look for good measure) and took off. Wei Wuxian woke up again with all his memories and the knowledge he was loved and missed after sixteen years and asked if Lan Wangji had ever really believed him. Wei Wuxian has been slowly coming to terms with the fact that Lan Wangji wholeheartedly and unreservedly does, now. So, to him, it’s the idea that Lan Wangji has “switched sides” as it were.

And Jiang Cheng?

Wei Wuxian thinks he and Jiang Cheng were unquestionably on the same side right up until Jiang Yanli died.

Jiang Cheng was angry, was upset, was in pain. They fought. Promises were broken. But that didn’t mean they were on opposing sides, not really, surely.

They were on the same side about questionable cultivation methods not being questioned as long as it made Yunmeng Jiang strong where it was currently weak. They were on the same side about it not being anyone else’s business. Their fight was faked, even if the separation had to be real.

Wei Wuxian was still standing by Jiang Cheng’s side in prioritising Yunmeng Jiang’s political standing. Jiang Cheng was still standing by his side in caring about their home and their sister. He brought shijie, who brought soup. And something about their public break and Jiang Cheng’s account kept the other sects from piling on Wei Wuxian right at the start.

At Nightless City, while he expected Lan Wangji to be there countering him, he did not expect any of Yunmeng Jiang to be there to actually fight him. Of course Jiang Cheng was there--how could Jiang Cheng not show up? One of the great clans? And they’re not really supposed to have anything to do with one another anymore, right? Wei Wuxian was a traitor to Yunmeng Jiang, right? Of course Jiang Cheng had to show up.

But as long as Wei Wuxian was in control of the resentful energy and puppets, not a single Yunmeng Jiang disciple, let alone Jiang Cheng himself, was so much as looked at sideways.

Jin Zixuan had been killed. Jiang Yanli would never forgive him. His found family full of innocents had been slaughtered by power-hungry hypocrites. The entire cultivation world was after his soul. He was a dead man walking. He’d been hallucinating for hours. His mind was mostly gone.

And he thought, “Lan Wangji is here to put an end to me at last. It is time to fight.”

And he thought, “Jiang Cheng is not truly part of this. I must not touch Yunmeng Jiang.”

Both of these things wound me deeply. The first, because it’s demonstrably untrue. The second, because it might not have been nearly as true as everyone (including Jiang Cheng) wishes, though at least we’ll never really have to know, will we.

And then Jiang Yanli died.

We can see the story happening in stages, the various breakdowns and buildups and breakdowns again. And we always knew this ending was coming. But to him, that’s the moment everything truly, truly broke.

Though, I feel the need to point out, hysterically, he still wasn’t opposite Jiang Cheng even then. Because Jiang Cheng, he believes, wanted him dead (even if he couldn’t do it by his own hand) just as much as Wei Wuxian wanted himself dead. And Lan Wangji did not want him dead. So he stood in solidarity with Jiang Cheng one last time, did right by Jiang Cheng and Yunmeng Jiang and their family one last time, as he yanked his hand away from Lan Wangji.

Only now, in the present, are Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng truly in opposition. And only now are Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji on the same page. Supposedly.

One of Wei Wuxian’s particular character journeys post-timeskip is finally having the concept of interpersonal nuance smashed into his head in a way that still allows him to be himself and follow his own moral codes and build relationships in his own way. His assorted encounters with Jiang Cheng leading up to their reconciliation (as well as the juniors and the sect leaders and other characters) all demonstrate that nicely.

But in this scene, it really is that straightforward to him. Hell, it’s even presented such to us for a hot minute.

If for no other reason than the direct parallel of Lan Wangji finding out about Wei Wuxian’s fear of dogs and protecting him both physically and emotionally without question, and Jiang Cheng already knowing about it but using Fairy against Wei Wuxian until it triggered him into a panic-induced ptsd flashback seriously what a fucking dick move though.

So, perhaps it’s understandable, between Wei Wuxian’s misconceptions of the past and his current experiences in the present and the fact that these are the only two people left to him in all the world.

He believes the bitter irony of fate has dictated that he can never have them both. He was only ever going to have one of them and he never considered it would truly be this one.

And for just one moment, before he can be glad of his gain, he has to mourn the inevitable loss that comes with it. For that one moment, even seeing Lan Wangji so beautiful in the moonlight, so openly and invitingly waiting for him, that’s all he can think about.

It haunts me.

[berjhawn]

Day & Night - Ch. 8 - Contingency Plans

Warnings: Mentions of death, attempted murder, almost sexy scene, etc

(A/N) we’re getting closer to the end!! as usual please do not hesitate to let me know what you guys think. 

Day & Night - Master-List

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I find Diana in the kitchen searching for something to eat and smile as I see my friend for the first time in forever. She was the one person I missed the most after leaving. I knew she understood why I did what I did but I still needed to apologize for basically running away.

“You know, Clark hides some Pop-tarts in the raisin bran box.” I say softly causing her to instantly turn toward me a bright smile on her face.  

“That’s just bad hiding skills.” She replies a playful smirk filling her lips.

Then before either of us has a chance to say anything else I rush over and wrap my arms around her. She hugs me back and it was like we were back in Themyscira. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss my home. Everything there was nice and simple. The only downside was that no men were allowed there, and I doubt I’d be able to live without Bruce.

“I’ve missed you.” I say as I pull away and hold her at arm’s length.

“I knew you’d be back.” She replies a smile filling her beautiful face.

“I wish I could say that was the reason I was here,” I pause worry filling my eyes.

“But?” She questions her expression mimicking mine.

“I need to ask you some things, about when I was younger.” I say and she motions to the table and chairs.

“Ask away,” She says, and I take a deep breath.

“When I was younger, did I ever have any moments when I would just check out? Like my body would be there, but I wasn’t.” I ask and her eyes widen slightly. “What? What is it?”

“When you were younger my mother gifted you with this beautiful hawk.”

“You mean Artemis?” I ask and she nods.

“You loved her more than anything. There was never a moment when the two of you were apart. Do you remember how she died?” Diana asks and I furrow my brow as I try to remember the incident.

“I think it was a hunting accident. One of the other girls was hunting in the same area I was and accidently shot her.”

“Do you remember what happened after that?” She asks and I clench my jaw as I try to remember.

“No.”

“When you realized that she was dead, your eyes turned black and so did your hair. You attacked the girl and almost killed her. It took the lasso and mother to pull you out of it. After that mother took you into a room and no one else was allowed in there. All I remember was the ground shaking and the sky turning dark.

“Three days later you both emerged but you had no recollection of what had happened, and you were asking for Artemis. It was then that you and I became close friends. Mother believed that I could heal the hurt in your heart from your loss. Since then, we haven’t seen Void since.”

“Void?” I ask my brow furrowing.

“That’s what mother called her. Since you are Light, and you can’t have light without dark.”

“Clark’s met her.” I say making Diana’s eyes widen slightly.

“When?”

“He said when I caught him and Lois together my eyes turned black and it was like I wasn’t there anymore. The room was dark and cold.”

“So, she didn’t completely show herself?” Diana asks confusion on her face. “Somehow, you unconsciously kept her in check.”

“I guess.” I answer shrugging my shoulders.

“I hate to say this, but her showing herself is connected to your mental state. Like if you experience something devastating, she’ll fully show herself, and when that happens, I don’t know what will happen.”

“That thought alone terrifies me. Especially since I now have a danger prone family.” I add making her let out a worried sigh. “And you know for a fact those boys won’t stop putting themselves in danger. Just look who their father is.”

“At least with Connor you don’t have to worry too much.”

I nod in agreement. The Kryptonian part of him basically made him invulnerable.

“Unless it’s someone who knows he’s weak to kryptonite.” Diana adds and I glare at her. “Sorry.”

“Do you think I could control her?” I ask and Diana shrugs her shoulders.

“I’m not sure, but I know you. I know you’d never let someone take over your body and hurt others.” Diana says and I nod.

“Thank you, for telling me. Not gonna lie, I’m a little worried about it but I think I’ll be okay. If anything happens, you’re the only one with the ability to stop me. Please, promise me that you will, even if it means I must go back to Themyscira.”

“Bruce won’t be happy about this.”

“Of course, he won’t, but he’ll understand, eventually.” I confirm and she nods.

“Are you back?” she asks and taking a deep breath I smile softly.

I knew without a doubt now that I had people who cared about me and would be here to help me. I could do this. I could come back and help people. Yeah, it would be difficult at first. Especially with how awkward it would be between me and Clark.

“I think I am.”

~~~

I found Bruce in the command room messing around with some buttons and switches. Flash and Cyborg were there with him and I take a deep breath before I walk over to them. I needed to talk with Bruce about what I had discussed with Diana. He needed to know that I was coming back and that if something happened to him or the boys, and Void came out, I needed to know that he would be okay with Diana taking me down.

“Who’s this?” Cyborg asks and I smile.

“Geez you leave the league for a few months and everyone forgets who you are.” I joke and their eyes narrow as they try to figure out who I was. Rolling my eyes, I lift a hand and create a ball of bright hot light. Recognition washes over them, and I am unable to stop Flash as he runs over and wraps his arms around me.

“Where the hell have you been?!” He inquires and I hug him back as I reply.

“I needed a break.”

“Are you back?” Cyborg asks and I glance over to Bruce whose hands had paused their movement and clearing my throat I pull away from Flash.

“Can you guys give Batman and me a second alone? Please?” I ask as I look back at them.

“Fine, but we’re catching up later.” Flash says and I smile softly at him.

“Of course.” I reply as I watch Flash leave. Cyborg gives me a supportive smile before he follows Flash leaving Bruce and I alone. When I am sure we are alone I walk over to him and wrapping my arms around him let out a heavy sigh.

“So, you want to come back?” Bruce asks and I nod into his back.

“I want to be where I can protect everyone. Especially you and the boys.” I reply and I feel Bruce tense.

“I understand your want to protect the boys, but I don’t need protecting.” He retorts and I roll my eyes.

“Don’t you though?” I reply raising a brow at him as I pull away and move to stand beside him giving him a knowing look. “You’re the most danger prone one out of all of us.”  He doesn’t reply because he knows I’m right. “You have the most dangerous villains, like Joker for one.”

“I won’t put you in danger like that.” He announces as he finally looks at me. “(Name),”

“Don’t, we already talked about that. Joker can’t hurt me, physically or mentally. If anything, I could crush him with my pinky.” I joke and Bruce glares at me and I roll my eyes. “I’m joking, well only kind of.”

“How did your talks go?” he asks changing the subject and I turn to lean against the computer console.

“My talk with Clark went well. He’ll try and talk to Connor.”

“And Diana?”

“That… that one was a little more troubling.” I reply as I quickly tell him what Diana and I had discussed.

“You want to go back to Themyscira?” He inquires and I shake my head.

“No, but if that’s what it comes too, I will.” I answer and I investigate his face for any trace of emotion. I look around to make sure no one is here before I continue. “Bruce, I don’t want to leave you or the boys. I love you and them, but I never want to put you all in danger; and Void… I don’t know what she’s capable of.”

“I understand.” Bruce replies reaching out to gently take my hand in his.

“Which brings me to my next issue.” I start my eyes looking down at our joined hands. “I know you have contingency plans for all the league members... except for me.”

“No,” Bruce starts knowing exactly where I’m going with all this.

“Bruce, I need to know that if Diana cannot stop void, I need you to take me out.” I say and he furrows his brow.

“I can’t do that.” He says his grip tightening on me.

“You can’t, or you won’t?” I inquire and he knows I know the truth. “I’m not saying we’ll have to use it; I just want to be prepared. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use it.”

Bruce looks around for a moment before he pulls me into a tight hug. I knew what this hug was. He was going to do as I asked. He was going to make a contingency plan for me, and if I knew him like I believed I did, he would be the one to execute it. My hands snake around his body holding him tighter.

“I don’t want to lose you.” Bruce whispers into my ear and I smile through my hurting heart.

“I know, I hope you never do.” I say softly as I pull away from him and reaching up gently cup his face with my hands. “Bruce, I love you more than anything in this world. If something happens and Void shows herself, I will do my damnedest to fight her to stay with you. I swear I will.”

“I know you will.” Bruce replies reaching up to clasp my hands in his. Pulling them down his brow furrows and I let out a heavy sigh. I needed to lighten the mood.

“How about we think of something else for a while.” I suggest a flirty smirk filling my lips.

“What do you have in mind?” Bruce questions the tension leaving his body.

“Well, there are many rooms here on the watch tower… or we could, you know…” I smile softly as I lean forward and gently yet passionately place my lips against his in a deep kiss.

Bruce’s hands move to my waist as he pulls me into his waist his kiss turning hungrily. Mine shoot up to wrap around his neck and pull him in closer. Before we could go further, he pulls away breathless and grabbing my hand instantly starts to lead me away from the consoles and toward the crew quarters. I giggle inwardly as we sneak past everyone until we reach a room. A soundproof one.

When we are alone, he removes his cowl and instantly pulls me into his arms lifting me up so that I can wrap my legs around his waist. His hands grip tightly to my ass as he tries to pull me in closer. Wrapping my arms around his neck I lean in and passionately kiss his lips.

Bruce moves over to where the bed lies and turning sits down upon it. His hands move from my hips to slip under my shirt, his fingertips touching all the places he knows that drive me wild. A soft moan escapes my lips as I briefly pull away to grab the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head tossing it somewhere in the room.

I smile as reach out and start pulling at his bat suit until he starts to remove it. I take the chance to stand up and remove the rest of my clothes until I am naked in front of him and he is bare before me. I smile devilishly as I move forward and straddling his lap say, “You better be glad this room is soundproof.”

Will Continue- 

[arvandus]

Hi! It’s been a while! So remember my request for the 750 followers event about the singing quirk and the insomnia? I actually made a TikTok account centering around that OC and it’s pretty popular! I just wanted to say thank you so much for answering my request because that really helped me flesh out the character!

Also, this is unrelated, but do you think the LoV would be like a tight-knit found family type situation, or a coworkers type deal? I feel like they would have game/movie nights or something like that maybe with a darker spin cuz they’re reckless and chaotic. I just love your ideas and how you provide lots of depth to characters that don’t get a lot of attention.

Love you and thanks for everything!

That's so awesome that your OC is so well received on Tiktok! I'm so happy for you! It's always a great feeling when your creative content is valued.

As for the LOV... well, you know I tend to ramble, so I'm gonna continue this below the cut... I really get in depth with this, because I love LOVE psychoanalyzing fictional characters and relationship dynamics.

I think each character is different in their own way, and some will be more social than others. So you'd probably get some members hanging out and doing 'normal' things together more than others. Like for Dabi, I see him as often separating himself from the others, even when he's in the same space as them. We all know he's a bit of an ass, and it's my headcanon the he does that on purpose to keep others at arm's length. He's not interested in forming attachments, so he'd be less likely to engage in things like game nights and stuff. He's very goal focused and sees the others as a means to an end; it's all about how useful others are to him. That doesn't mean he doesn't form attachments though; I think he'd just be in denial about it. He might loosen up with a few drinks, or have some late-night one-on-one conversations with some members, depending on how he's feeling. But his motto is always "me first" and he tries his damnedest to stick to that (which is why writing him with conflicting emotions is so damn fun!).

Shigaraki is interesting, because he literally wants to destroy everything, but still seems to value his comrades. It's like he's in conflict with himself where he says he loathes the world and wants to watch it all fall apart.... except for these few people, cuz they're pretty cool. Something to note is that at the beginning of the series, he seems a bit bratty, a bit hot-tempered. But obviously there must be something about him that makes the others stay, and it's not just his power or his connections to AFO - we slowly get to see his personality unfold as he gains confidence in himself, and we start to learn that he can be charming, level-headed, and understanding to his comrades. And really not a huge surprise, considering he had All For One as his mentor, who's ability to manipulate and win over others has probably been his greatest weapon aside from his quirk. I'm not saying Shigaraki is manipulating the League... in fact, I think he's genuine, and it's his genuineness that has won each of them over. But he's learned how to talk to others in a way that has them feeling understood and trusted, and in return they trust him.

That being said, I still think that at first, Shigaraki would struggle with larger social groups, like when all of the league is together. I don't see him liking a lot of noise and rambunctiousness, it'd be a little overwhelming for him. It's not about sensory sensitivity. It'd be overwhelming from a psychological standpoint. He's not used to being around others like that, and he finds it draining. But over time, he would learn to enjoy their company. It would start on a more one-on-one basis or a small group basis. And the more comfortable he gets, the easier it is for him to be around more League members at once, until it's no longer something he worries or thinks about - it just is. It's almost as if he no longer sees it as him vs. them; instead, he almost considers them an extension of himself, and he sees them as his responsibility and something to value. That's a difference between him and Dabi - while Dabi fights attachments tooth and nail, Shigaraki is like, "*shrug* didn't plan for this, but here we are." and now he's valuing and supporting his teammate's dreams like he does his own.

I see Toga, Twice, and Spinner as the more social butterflies while others may drift in and out depending on how full their social meter is. Those three would be the glue holding the rest together; if the league is to develop a sense of "family," it comes from those three. They're the ones that scream "fun" to me, but in different ways. Like, Spinner is just a cool, chill dude. He's that really close friend you can just hang with and not feel any pressure. Wanna watch a movie? Cool. Wanna play games? Awesome. Wanna go grab a bite to eat? Let's go. And he'd be a great listener and super easy to talk to. Twice is all about 'family' and would be big on doing things together. Don't plan something social without inviting him. Toga would be all about having fun and living life to the fullest (although for her, that'd probably include some violent stuff...).

Kurogiri is 100% dad vibes (in a reserved sort of way), while Compress is the cool uncle; I see both of them as more mature than the rest. Compress would join in for things like movie nights and card games, but I don't see him playing video games with the others (although he'd probably watch) or doing late-night shenanigans the way young people tend to do; although like Shigaraki, he'd probably follow along in case their reckless butts need saving.

I also think it's worth noting that all of their relationships with each other would likely evolve the more time they spend together and the more battles they fight together; it creates a sense of camaraderie that might not have been there in the beginning. In the beginning, they were all strangers to each other that were brought together for a common goal, or at least very similar goals. It felt more like an alliance, than a team. But I think as time passes, they learn to value each other more as individuals, and it'd become more and more difficult to separate the work from the emotional attachments.

[dappercritter]

She-Ra for the ask meme! (Maybe a bad time with the final season so close, you can save this until after if you like.)

(Based on this meme.)

Well, did I save this for later or what?

The first character I first fell in love with: Entrapta. Aside from her colour scheme—I do love a good purple girl, to say the least—I adore her for her enthusiastic, inquisitive, compassionate, and rather eccentric personality. Not to mention her design is an absolute joy to watch in action; from the goggles to the prehensile hair, is creative and adorable. She steals every scene she’s in with her loveably manic energy. The fact that she’s a scientist, who specializes in advanced technology no less, makes her an important character in a magic-driven fantasy setting—her design helps her stand out among the more traditional looking princesses, too! The fact that she’s some of the most effectively authentic examples of autistic representation in children’s fiction only enhances her likeability, in addition to the most interesting and sympathetic examples of morally grey characters that I’ve seen. Her wonderful chemistry with the rest of the Horde adds both to her charm, and really helped lighten things up on the villain’s side for the first 2-3 seasons, and her relationship with Hordak… Well, I’ll get to that shortly! 😉

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Madame Razz. I figured Razz was going to be a fun mentor character, but I could have never suspected she’d be the best mentor I and Adora could ask for! I’m not familiar with her original counterpart, but whatever they had to work with, I applaud the crew for taking the silliest looking character in the original line-up and turning her into this charming little old lady whose equal parts Yoda and Ghibli grandma. (Or at least that’s how I describe her.) Her design gets special mention, too, for just how dang cute she is! The big glasses, the raggedy dress, big fluffy hair with moths flying around, and her witch broom all come together so well. Out of all Adora’s mentors, she’s the best— having no ulterior motives, agendas, or any manipulative or toxic behaviour laced into her teaching style, offers the best life advice she can to someone who clearly needs it out of kindness. And because she bears a certain resemblance to someone she once knew in a similar position.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Catra. Shocking right? Look, I know that she had an awful time growing up in the Fright Zone and by the end of the show she became more well-rounded and likeable. Any grief I have with her is pretty much over done with. Problem is though… it is pretty hard to forget everything she did. Now, I know it’s all in the past and a lot of people haven’t forgotten what she did either, and that some of it has to do with the ugliness of the Catradora vs. Entrapdak dynamic discourse and I don’t want to go into that. I really don’t. But put as simply as possible, she was a toxic friend, especially in regards to Adora (the Season 1 and 2/3 finales in particular) and Entrapta (who she betrayed, left to die after lying about her to her lover/best friend, and the offering the bare minimum of an apology), and escalated a war just to get back at Adora. After she tried to destroy REALITY to get back at her. I’m glad she changed but it still feels like too little too late.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Swift Wind. Sure, he’s a talking horse with a design that can wander a good ways into the uncanny valley, and who tries too hard too hard to be funny, but in spite of that I think he’s got a good heart behind that strange face of his. He does his best to be a good friend to Adora, supporting her both as herself and when she’s She-Ra, as well as doing his best to support Adora’s other friends as well (see “Boy’s Night Out”). Chiefly by trying to make light of Adora’s duties as She-Ra by trying help her find the fun and excitement in it. Of course, he doesn’t just try to keep the energy up, he shows genuine concern for Adora and all her friends, not hesitating to rush to their protection or point out when a situation seems especially dire. (see “Beast Island” and “Failsafe”). But I think my favourite example is from “Hero” where he casually reveals that he regularly checks in on Madame Razz because, as he says, “You gotta check up on old ladies alone in the woods.” What a horse!

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Glimmer. I used to love her personality and her design. A peppy rebel who lived for adventure and a good friend to Adora and Bow. Even if she had her flaws like her impulsiveness and her stubbornness, she was still pretty likeable. But then she called her mom a coward for acting as a strategist and looking after Bright Moon, which ended up convincing her to sacrifice herself to close the rift at the end of S3. Alright, fair enough, some things can’t be avoided. Then she took over as queen, and I can understand there was A LOT of factors that were in play—namely grief and Double Trouble deliberately playing on her strained friendship with Adora and Bow as part of one of Catra’s plots—but boy howdy, did she start showing a pretty unsavory side what with her increasingly ruthless demeanor, trusting Adora’s abuser (hi Shadow Weaver, be with you in minute) over her, choosing to leave Entrapta in very real peril on Beast Island, and willingly using a weapon she knew could destroy all of Etheria to win a war. Perhaps I wouldn’t have minded as much if season 5 didn’t rush through her apologies and redemption so quickly, but the fact remains that Glimmer’s character took an awfully dark turn that’s not quite going to be so easily forgotten.

The character I would totally smooch: In a dark future where Entrapta never found love with Hordak, for one terrible reason or another, I would totally give her a smooch. I’ve said it before and say it again: Mad scientist princess is best princess! The character I’d want to be like: Bow. In some capacity I’m already like him, namely being super emotional and doing his damnedest to be a good friend even when things are tough, as well as being the voice of reason and a tinkerer (what? Tinkering with artsy stuff counts!). But I’d like to follow his example of being more level-headed, softer, optimistic, but also more assertive as opposed to my impulsive, harsher, cynical, and reserved current self.

The character I’d slap: Shadow Weaver. Need I explain? No, and anyway I can’t slap her anyways because she pulled the most manipulative heroic sacrifice I’ve ever seen. Dammit it, Shadow Weaver! (I really wanted to say Horde Prime but I feel like he wasn’t developed quite enough to be as hateable as he could be. Not to say that he isn’t an absolute piece of trash who deserved what he had coming already, but we didn’t get to spend three whole seasons getting to know the depths of his manipulative depravity while simultaneously weaseling his way into a twisted version of a redemption arc, unlike someone else I just talked about.)

A pairing that I love: Entrapdak. In case, it wasn’t already obvious. To summarize, in spite of all the drama that surrounds them and their actions, they honestly have the sweetest, most affectionate, and quite possibly the most healthy and engaging pair of the entire show (next to Spinnerella and Netossa, of course). Shoot, if it weren’t for these two and my hopes to see them reunite again, I would have left the fandom entirely at this point! (No seriously, I’m getting tired, folks.)

A pairing that I despise: Hordak X Horde Prime, but I think that’s the point, since most people use it to explore toxic relationships from a distance. Anyways, I really do not want to talk about abusive alien selfcest.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #467

“oh, mary, mary, ain’t this fun?  /  mary, mary, i’ve got a gun”

If the last person you kissed asked you to marry them, what would you do? Pray to god it wasn't in public and tell him it's waaaay too soon for that one. Does your favorite uncle have any children? Yeah, a son and daughter. Name all the members (first, middle and last names) from your favorite band. Ha, it's funny how once upon a time, I could do this. All I've got now is John Michael Osbourne. Have you ever heard a young child swear? Maybe? Have you ever seen someone get a piercing/tattoo?: Yes to both. Has a taste of something ever made you smile? Boy meet me at The Cheesecake Factory and see what my face does lmaooo As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a paleontologist sooo badly. I wanted to discover new dinosaurs, put a shitload of work into unearthing fossils and being so proud to see the final results... Even now as an adult, if I could handle the heat, traveling, and hardcore school, I'd still love to do that. Would you cuss the person you hate the most out to their face? No. My hatred for her is unjustified and I'd rather just not say anything to her. Have you ever spent more than two weeks in a wheelchair? No. Where do you see your closest friend in ten years? As one of the strongest people around. I imagine her with a job in medical coding, while also pursuing the hobbies of ball python breeding and writing. I'm sure she'll have loads of pets to love, too! Do you like Florence + The Machine? I've never listened to them. Did you watch the presidential debates? No. Do you ever watch Dr. Phil? No. Are you typically unattracted to people outside of your race? No; I can be attracted to any race. Have you ever ridden any animal other than a horse? No. Do you brush your hair when it’s wet? Yes. Do you eat the crusts of your bread? Yeah, I always have. Have you ever flown a kite? Yeah! At my childhood home, there was a tobacco field directly across the street, and when they weren't in season so the field was flat, Dad would help us with getting kites set up and in the air. Those are good memories. How are you for money? I don't make any money. Mom is struggling. Do you think you are more intelligent than the average person? Ha, no. Do you ever think about why we are here? Does it matter? We're here, so make the most of it. Do you like cherries? I fucking hate cherries. Name a celebrity that you admire that nobody would expect you to: Jeffree Star, probs. Can you use a yoyo? Not well, but yeah. Do you think Jenna Marbles’ videos are funny? I've actually never watched her. Do you like folk music? NOOOOOOOOO Ever had a crush on somebody of the same sex? Yes. Do you know any lesbians? Yep. Favourite member of your favourite band: I'm unfamiliar with all but Ozzy himself. And Ozzy is rad. Who’s your favourite female rapper? I don't have one. When you were younger, were you ever in a relationship with someone you now realize was way too old for you? No. Have you ever had a seizure? No. I sometimes have very, very quick spasms when I'm falling asleep that feel like what I assume a seizure would, but they barely last a second. They seriously jerk me awake, though, and are very startling. What’s the oldest man-made object you own? I dunno. Is there anything you feel like you need a break from? Not really, no. What do you hate to hear people joke about? I will actually and remorselessly deck you in the jaw if you make a joke about rape. There are other things that are absolutely forbidden joking matters for me, too. What’s the largest animal you’ve seen in the wild? Hmmm... Nothing that big, really. Maybe a whitetail deer buck? Do any of your friends or family members have strange occupations? Not to my knowledge. Have you ever been in weather so severe that you feared for your safety? Oh yeah. We've had some savage thunderstorms. What political issues are the most important to you personally? LGBTQ+ rights and just equality in general, the pro-choice movement, environmental conservation, gun control, the abolishment of poverty and homelessness... There is honestly a lot. I could keep going. Do you know anyone who doesn’t know how to cook even just simple recipes? ... Me. :x Especially now that I'm in a relationship, I really want to make a greater effort to learn. I want to prove to him I give a damn about the success of our relationship and that I'm capable of being an adult that can take part in general adult responsibilities. ^What’s stopping them from learning this basic life skill? Laziness. Forgetfulness. The fear of getting burned. What small thing makes you automatically distrust someone? I can pick up on sketchy body language from a mile away. I'm too paranoid not to. Of all the states/provinces in your country, which one is your favorite? At least from photographs I've seen, Utah appears BEAUTIFUL. That whole region of the U.S. in general. Are there any obscure foods you’ve eaten that most people have never tried? That's very unlikely. I'm far from explorative with food. When you travel to other countries, do you always try the local cuisine? I've never been outside the U.S. I would probably do that, though. I'd really want to experience the culture as thoroughly as I could. What did you do for your 19th birthday? Hell if I remember. What’s the kindest thing a total stranger has done for you? I remember as a young kid, my parents, two sisters, and I were getting food at McDonald's, and whoever was in front of us paid for our meals. Such a sweet gesture for a larger family. Have you ever used a meal kit delivery service? No, but there actually is one that I can't recall the name of that I'd like to try when I cook myself, especially getting started learning, but yeah, subscription fees. You see a lot of YouTubers get sponsored by them, if that rings a bell. Do you have any psychological issues rooted in events from your childhood? Possibly my fear of men, with my dad having been an alcoholic that had a 50/50 chance of being very angry when drunk. How organized are the files on your computer? Pretty organized, I'd say. I put stuff into folders. Would you date someone with braces? Yes? Do you ever rehearse conversations before you have them? Only always. Do you get angry at yourself or at others more often? Myself, for sure. When taking a cab, do you talk to the driver? I've never even taken a cab. Who or what greets you at the door every time you come home? Nobody, really. My cat is occasionally in the living room to see who's home, but not always because he's a lazy cat, ha ha. Do you ever chat about your favourite video games with your friends? Not really, no. I wish. Have you ever supported anyone’s Kickstarter? If so, what was it? No, bc I'm poor. Are you currently studying a language? If so, which one? No. Ever had a friend online for a long time without seeing a photo of them? Yeah. Do you carry pepper spray? No, but I want some 'cuz I'm paranoid as hell. Are you waiting on anything right now? No. Have you ever been described as shy? Is it true? Oh, always. It's absolutely true. Name something you’re a complete sucker for? Baby animals, to name one thing. Do you remember when you first went on the internet? Nope. What is one way someone could completely put you off on a first date? Arrogance/over-confidence. What about a way someone could make you like them more on a first date? Make me genuinely laugh a lot, to name one way. Are you in love right now? Not yet. I love him with our decade of history, but I need more experience as a couple before I've got the confidence to say that. Do you wanna get married anytime soon? It wouldn't be smart to. I want to be in a strong relationship for quite a few years before I want that. Have you ever kissed someone in a band? No. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No but oh my fucking god I wish!!!!!! Did your mom or dad ever put soap in your mouth? No, but Mom would threaten to. What was the last fruit you ate? Well, I had strawberry yogurt earlier today. Who was the last person to make you laugh? Girt. He is very, very good at that. Have you ever dated someone with more piercings than you? No. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Hell yeah man. Is there one night of your life you wish had never happened? I wish it hadn't happened the way it did. Do you have a close relationship with your sibling(s)? No. What was the last thing that you shared? Some watermelon Sour Patch Kids with my mom. Do you think people talk behind your back? You couldn't get me to believe my mom doesn't at least sometimes to my sisters even if you tried your absolute damnedest. In real life do you laugh like ‘haha,’ 'hehe’ or something else? It depends on what I'm laughing at/at what intensity. Do you have any unusual skills? Nah. Who’s your favourite person? I don't have a sole favorite person. I love many people in different ways for varying reasons. Are there any chores you actually enjoy doing? No. When did you last have an "Oh, I get it now!" moment? Watching Attack on Titan yesterday w/ Girt. Have your parents ever suspected something untrue about you? My mom HAD to have suspected I was doing something FAR worse than innocent meerkat RP to have borderline fucking traumatized me invading my privacy and forcing shit out of me regarding what I was always doing on the computer so secretively. Like I get it, she was a concerned mother, but I was a fucking WRECK because I found it so embarrassing. It was insulting that she didn't trust her well-behaved daughter. What do you think about video games? They're great for both the creators and consumers. They're wonderful expressions of creativity, and so much fun to experience as a player, delving into a new world and getting engrossed in the story. I could go onnnn and onnnnn about what video games mean to me. I've gone my whole life as a loyal gamer. Are there any forms of Art you personally find pointless? I really, really don't get a lot of abstract art that's worth fucking thousands, BUT, I absolutely disagree that they are without purpose. The artist created what they did for SOME reason. As a distraction, a method of expressing emotion, to convey an idea... Are you tired right now? I have been SO ridiculously tired today. Like it's unreal. I've taken I wanna say three naps and I'm still sleepy. What’s something you do a lot? Drink something. I'm not talking about alcohol; just in general, I ALWAYS need some kind of drink by me, and I go through drinks pretty quickly. Are you currently on any other websites? Yeah, I'm watching YouTube. Are you good at using Photoshop? I'm decent, I guess. Have you ever been told you naturally tilt your head a certain way? Yes, actually, at least by my mom, and she's right. My head tends to tilt VERY slightly to the right, and I can tell by how easy it is to bend my head that way as opposed to left. I'll feel a biiiit more strain.