#he doesn’t know how to function w/ emotions

[sku11s1asher]

hi! i loved what you wrote for my request 😭 it was so cute, i didn't really specify it bc i forgot but yeah u did it amazing <33

and yeah u can totally make a part 2! actually i was thinking about it bc i can imagine a meeting between furina and the natlan archon while neuvi and reader are just giving glances to eachother 😭 reader looking like a total meanace but in his mind like "damn he's handsome" almost burning his cheeks and the seat lmao

neuvillette x m! reader (part 1)

note: ngl i feel like i do good at posting then smth with school pops up and i don’t post for like a month.. sorry y’all. also please tell me im not the only one who’s been on and off sick for the past month, rn i have a runny nose and a sore throat AGAIN. i just got over that like, barely 2 weeks ago.

tw: y/n is a bit of a weirdo with his thoughts since he doesn’t understand anything w/ love, internal homophobia (not really but kinda?), y/n is all over the place

After centuries of fighting, killing, and not showing emotions to anyone, all that can end because of a guy with beautiful long hair. The more y/n thinks about it, the more embarrassed he gets. He’s known for being a fearless and intimidating warrior, just for that whole facade to disappear just over a man out of all things.

This whole scenario came into place because his nation archon just had to have a meeting with Fontaine's archon, Furina, at least y/n thinks that’s her name. The meeting consisted of figuring out how to make the justice system within Natlan better and a way to make transportation easier between the two nations. y/n didn’t pay attention to the little details, he was only there to ‘protect’ his archon and make sure things went smoothly.

However, he didn’t realize that the other archon would be bringing a guest with her until a day before the meeting. It did tick y/n off a little bit that he would get notified so late but does it really matter? All y/n is doing is protecting and making sure everything doesn’t go south.

Well, it did go a bit south, as soon as Furina's guest arrived, y/n's mouth went dry. That man did things to him that he didn’t even know could happen. Maybe it was the long hair on the other man that made y/n feel warm inside, it definitely couldn’t have been the slight scent he had. No, definitely not.

Okay, y/n takes that back, he feels like he’s getting intoxicated by the proximity of the other male. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the guest, was a dragon, all it took was a quick look and a secret deep breath to figure it out. He had it figured out, his body wasn’t used to being by another dragon, and he hadn’t seen one in what, centuries? This feeling would go away in maybe 20 minutes, hopefully.

20 minutes later and y/n feels like he’s going to light the whole place on fire. His whole body feels like it’s melting, and to no one’s surprise, it’s all due to the long-haired man in front of him. The stranger might genuinely be the hottest person y/n has ever seen in his entire life. That long hair makes y/n want to run his fingers through it, maybe brush it, but that might be a bit too much to think about.

Once y/n saw the man look at him, he quickly looked away, how embarrassing.. he got caught staring hardcore. He took a deep breath before listening back into the conversation, “Ah, yes, I suppose it would do both nations good to do something like that. Maybe combining a bit of power.” the lovey talk of archons, always talking about power; like it’s the only thing that matters to them.

Power is important though, y/n is in the position he’s in right now because of how powerful he is. In complete honesty, he’s probably too powerful for his own good, only knowing how to use it to protect his nation from people deemed as enemies; even if they aren’t in the public eye. Power rules everything at the end of the day, nothing can function without power.

The more he listens into the conversation, the more he realizes he was glad he was never born as an archon; he’s been around one most of his life and it’s always been boring. Listening in did provide small details though, like the mysterious man’s name.

While y/n was somewhat able to keep his focus off of the other dragon in the room, he managed to not burn anything. But, he had a feeling his archon caught on as they gave him a questionable look; it was a very subtle one that only he could catch onto but it was obvious they knew something. Nothing is going on though, right? The man can’t help it if he gets a bit flustered whenever he remembers Neuvillette is near him.

Gosh, y/n probably looks like a blushed teenager who just confessed to his crush. Well, he at least thought he did. To everyone else though, he looked like he was on guard and was going to fight anyone who even took a step too close to his and the Natlan archon's bubble. y/ns hand accidentally gazed at the chair near him, which caused the leather to burn where his touch was. Good thing no one was looking, right?

y/n couldn’t wait any longer for this meeting to be over, his brain was thinking too many things while he was focusing on every single move everyone else did. It would be overwhelming for anyone who wasn’t trained and as skilled as he was, but that tiny overwhelming feeling didn’t compare to how fast his heart was beating. y/n hoped the other male couldn’t pick up how he was feeling, thankfully Fontaine's archon seemed to be happy with the deal she and the other archon came up with.

In Neuvillette's mind, he could tell that the fire dragon was on edge. He could also tell how much the dragon was staring at him, it was a little nerve-racking. Once Neuvillette caught a glance at the chair that was touched, it made him a bit surprised but he didn’t show it. Maybe he would talk to the other male after the meeting, for work-related things of course!

[genshin-squabbles-and-wobbles]

headcanon of the boys seeing you cry for the first time? Thoma, Kaveh, Kaeya, and Chile

Yes my darling, I shall. Hehehehehe...I might be evil in this one, or I might not. Who knows. :)

Thoma: ◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢

You and Thoma were simply doing work together, handling the Kamisato household together. As you helped Thoma with chores, such as cooking and laundry, your mind was elsewhere.

Of course Thoma noticed this, however, he never got the time to check in on you about it, so he is rather weary behind in his head. Right now he was hanging the laundry outside, while you were inside cleaning the windows.

You were a little distracted today because a lot of things has been happening personally to you, you seemed to have had a bad day. A lot of things were getting to you lately.

You forgot things at home, you were late on paying your taxes and bills, you had to end a friendship with someone who was taking advantage of you, you misplaced your wallet so you can’t buy yourself some lunch, or even groceries. You also came in late, for the first time in your servitude career, you were late. However, since it was a first, you were never scolded.

All these things and misfortunes running through your head, all these overwhelming thoughts, and now overthinking misfortune in the future.

Without realizing, you were already crying, as you had a blank face. You didn’t even fell tears streaming down your cheek. All you felt was anxiety of your failures and your deliberate fuck ups. It hurts. It stings.

All of a sudden, you heard a panicked voice within the right side of you, along with a hand on your arm. "Hey Hey hey! What's going on?! Hey! Look at me!"

You felt a warm hand on your cheek, as you felt it guide you towards a brighter and worried face. It was Thoma's face. He had a panicked expression as he was hurriedly wiping your tears. "What's wrong?"

You heard Thoma whispered to you, as he wrapped his arms around you and rocked you slowly, side to side. "Talk to me, please. I can’t stand to see you like this..."

Kaveh: ─•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•─

You were helping Kaveh with his architect clients. As you were helping him with suggestions. You were holding a book, showing the functionality of buildings and giving ideas to Kaveh.

However, lately, Kaveh as been having a rough time with his works as he was going through an clog. Nothing was coming to him, however, how come you were having ideas, and good ones too? He was the architect, and was the top on in the Akademiya at that.

So, why do you have such good ideas, better than his? Kaveh was getting irritated, of course it's not your fault, it is his own insecurities after all.

Kaveh continued to include some suggestions, but slowly, he would harshly criticize and reject your other simple small suggestions, such as the shape of the windows, or the tiling of the roofing.

You didn’t take it personally, as you knew he was stressed, you know he never meant anything by it. You love Kaveh, he would never hurt you.

You then tried to cheer him up and made a silly suggestion to hopefully cheer him up. You suggested in a silly voice that you should make the whole building blue, a color the client hated.

"Ugh, that is the most stupidest suggestion I have ever heard, don't you read? The client hates blue, if you are going to waste my time with suggestions like these, then go home."

You were taken aback by his small outburst, as he seemed to take that suggestions quite seriously. However, that retaliation stung, it hurt a lot.

You looked at him and closed the book, as you already had tears streaming down your face. You tried your best to not make your voice sound shaken up but failed. "Fine." You said with your voice cracking.

Kaveh immediately turned around and shocked to see your tears. You were usually such a strong person, but that doesn’t excuse him forgetting that you are a human being with emotions just like him. "W-Wait, my love."

You got up and turned your back to him and left his side of the room. You took your jacket and put it on as it was raining outside in Sumeru Forest.

You felt Kaveh grab your hand and stepped in front of you to stop you. "W-Wait, my love, please, I am so sorry, I didn’t make to take my frustrations out on you."

He would pull you into a hug and give you a tight squeeze. He would apologize lovingly, and whisper praises to your ears of how good your suggestions were.

Later, you were on his lap, as he was taking your coat off of your shoulders, shoes and anything else to make you comfortable. He hugged you to him, as he rubbed your back.

You both decided, to drop work for the day, and get dinner together, his treat of course. He gained enough mora from his recent projects thanks to your suggestions so rightfully so, it deserved to be spent on you.

Kaeya ╔═══▣◎▣════╗╔════▣◎▣════╗╔════▣◎▣═══╗

Kaeya is known to often tease you, he just love seeing you blush and pout at him. He likes seeing you get stumbled with his teasing.

He would often tease you just about everything, how cute you are packing up your things, how you can be so clumsy, how you can make a mess while eating. He teases how you take the sheets at night when you guys sleep together.

You honestly didn’t mind it, of course, you had your moments where you teased him back, sometimes it backfired, and sometimes you succeeded. But it was all fun and games. It was all a playful banter.

You were coming back from a quest, as you just cashed in your rewards by Katherine. You were bruised and tired. You just wanted to go home and rest.

Your knees hurt, and your feet hurt more. Maybe a nice hug from Kaeya. You really need some comfort and maybe a space to feel safe enough to unwind from.

You smiled, as you caught up with Kaeya who was waiting for you by the small eating area in Mondstadt and joined him. You told him about your adventures and difficulties and he sat there and listened. "My My, you have had quite the time with those hilichurls huh?" He chuckled.

You smiled, but didn’t give your usual playful reactions, as you were tired to fully react or process his teasings.

Once you stood up, you walked with him, leaving the area, all of a sudden you tripped and fell. You face planted on the ground. You were very embarrassed.

You heard Kaeya chuckling behind you and did his usual tease for when you trip and fall, but this time you were too overwhelmed to take his teasings jokingly.

You began to cry as you were tired and overwhelmed.

Kaeya would immediately stop and looked shocked, as he immediately runs to your side and helped you up. You were crying as you were tired and didn’t want to deal with his teasing. You just wanted to be loved and comforted. Was that so much to ask?

Kaeya had a guilty look on his face, as he kissed your tears away. "My snowflake, I am dearly sorry for my insensitive, I shouldn’t have said that after a hard day..." He cupped your cheek and kissed your cheeks. "Here..let me make up for it, I'll take you home and we can do all your favorite things."

Childe ▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢

Childe is very affectionate and loving to you as per usual, he always takes care of you, and overall, he wants to have a big family with you.

Despite Childe having some issues you guys have found ways to manage in and be in a healthy relationship with routine. ( I know, shocking. )

However, of course he does have his urges to fight and get physical with anyone who he sees as strong and powerful.

However, beyond that, Childe comes home and will always welcome you with open arms, loving kisses, and happy affectionate whispers to your neck.

Childe is very dedicated to you as he is happy to prioritize you over anything, no matter how difficult it is for him to do so.

You were having a rough few months, as you kept it to yourself. Of course you didn’t want to worry your beloved, so you kept it a secret. You wanted him to live his happy fairy tail life with you. You wanted him to be happy, afterall, he deserves it.

However, one day, Childe came home early. You usually cry or try and ease your anxieties when he is out, so you can put on your best self when he is home.

You didn’t realize he came home early, as you were in the bedroom, sobbing quietly.

Childe is used to seeing you happy, and bright, but you crying. This was a whole other side to you that he hasn’t witness before.

You felt arms wrapped around you from behind, as you were now sitting in between his legs, on the edge of the bed. "What's the matter?" He said in a soft and gentle voice.

He took his sleeve and wiped your eyes gently.

You shook your head, not wanting to tell him. You didn’t want him to see your face, as you tried and hide it.

All of a sudden, you felt him move, as you felt him suddenly pinned you down against the bed. You looked at him surprised.

"Don't hide such a face from me. I am your lover, I should know all of you. Why are you hiding your troubles from me? You can talk to me, you know that right?"

Childe was above you, hand on your cheek, stroking your face. His knee was in between your legs, as he leaned down and kissed your forehead. "Look at me. Tell me what's going on." He took your chin to make you look at him and focus on him.

You sniffed as you slowly but surely, spilled out your months of troubles to him.

[heyclickadee]

Guys, I’m gonna need the fandom to stop being weird about Phee.

Okay, so, first off, I’m not back. I’m still on break; I just logged in to check on the DMs? Made the mistake of checking the tags, and happened to see some real hot takes about Phee’s line about Tech and wrote this out before my better judgment kicked in. Two things:

1. From a narrative perspective, a NARRATIVE perspective, not a character perspective, a narrative perspective, Phee’s line has the exact same function as every other mention of Tech by the characters and visual reference to him through the season so far. We haven’t seen any single character process Tech’s “death.” And by processing Tech’s death, I mean that we haven’t seen a single character come to terms with it the way we, for example, saw Omega and Tech come to terms with Echo’s departure, or the entire ghost crew come to terms with Kanan’s death in Rebels.

In refusing to show us this, the show refuses to allow the audience to internalize Tech’s death as an actual event that has consequences and is expected to stick. In addition to this, the show pokes at us at least once an episode, whether by a single line or by visual cues, to remind us of Tech’s absence. In so doing, the show refuses to allow the audience to fully let Tech go; this only makes sense from a writing perspective if the absence is temporary and the much needed catharsis after an event like the first five minutes of “Plan 99” is going to come from something other than processing the character’s death—something like letting him come back. Phee’s line is just another one of those jabs reminding us that Tech is absent.

(Before anyone comes in here saying that they’re probably mourning Tech off-screen: They probably are. That’s not the point. The point is that there is purpose in what writers choose to emphasize. They have had plenty of opportunity to show us Omega or someone coming to terms with what happened, and plenty of time to do even more than that, because not only are they willing to stop for emotional moments—half the season so far has been Crosshair’s extended emotional moment and catharsis from two seasons of buildup. I’m actually not willing to argue about this at this point.)

2. The way Phee talks here is the way that every character has been talking about Tech the whole season. She’s not unique. The Tech mentions have largely been informative and impersonal—just enough to hurt, not enough to derail a conversation. The emphasis has not been on the loss of him as a person, but instead on his absence and how that makes life difficult. Once again, from a narrative perspective, this is because getting personal with the Tech mentions leads directly into the characters actually processing their loss; and since the show is not allowing that processing to happen since it’s almost definitely bringing him back, the little, slightly impersonal mention once an episode is as far as it can go in bringing Tech up. And since it doesn’t want us to forget about him either, that’s what we end up with. It’s not bad just because Phee did it too now.

3. From a character perspective generally speaking (of the whole cast), the way the mentions work reads to me as ambiguous grief. Remember that Hunter and co. never recovered a body, never really saw any evidence, and don’t really know what happened to Tech in the end. And, speaking from personal experience, not knowing can be emotionally paralyzing and can leave you incapable of processing your loss, because you don’t know if it’s a loss or not. They come across to me as stuck and unable to to anything that we see besides noting that he’s not there. He’s gone, they don’t know where he is; he might be dead, and he might not.

4. And, speaking of Phee specifically: Phee’s mention of Tech wasn’t overtly sad, but neither was Omega’s mention of Tech back in “Shadow’s of Tantiss.” Not everyone cries every time they bring up someone they lost. I don’t. Don’t expect everyone to outwardly react the way you want them too, please.

And, frankly (this IS a hill I will die on) Phee brought Tech up out of nowhere. They weren’t talking about him. She brought him up completely unprompted in an unrelated conversation, meaning he’s on her mind, meaning that, no, she’s not over it.

PS: Do not come into my notes and bring up Fives and the lack of Fives discussion in TBB. I love Fives, I love the domino twins, but Fives was a secondary character on a completely different show with a completely different kind of narrative structure. Not bringing him up in this show is not the same as not allowing the characters or audience to process the happened to Tech.

PPS: I’m sorry if I sound salty in this. I am. This isn’t really directed at anyone I follow or interact with on her, or really anyone who follows me; this is directed at certain parts of the larger fandom that are kind of exhausting.

PPPS: If anyone comes into this post to call me delusional for still thinking Tech is coming back because that’s literally what they’ve set up on screen, they’re getting instablocked.

PPPPS: Don’t @ the cast and crew on Twitter, guys. Just don’t. Think about what they’re doing and what you’re doing, and don’t.

[badchoicesworld]

Hello hello :)

I hope you're having a good day!

May I request Hobie and Spider-Noir with a s/o who cries a lot?

Not only out of sadness, but out of everything. They're happy? They cry. They're frustrated? They cry. It's just their body's natural reaction to any intense emotion. Even like, if they're listening to a song that itches their brain just right, boom, tears (talking of personal experience, me? Absolutely.)

I'm just kinda insecure about my crying habits lol, I need reassurance. (I cried to System Of A Down and Slipknot, send help)

Thank you and sending lotsa love :)

hobie brown and spider-noir with an s/o that cries a lot !

ok, first i wanna stress that you should never feel insecure about your natural bodily functions- ever. crying is completely natural and a normal way to express any type of feeling, so i hope you gain a little confidence in your ability to feel so strongly :] it’s a beautiful thing

second, you should check out demon slayer in you haven’t, there’s this character that always cries at everything and he’s the strongest ! gyomei my love

third, these are kinda short and i’m very sorry, i struggled w noir

separate scenarios

warnings: crying ?? insecurity ?

pairing: hobie brown x gn!reader, spider-noir x gn!reader

requests: refer to this bad boy

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

i bet hobie’s one of them guys that gives out great advice about mental health or just in general and doesn’t take his own advice

he’s too cool to cry, he claims

but suddenly it’s not cool for everyone else to NOT cry

also uses common sense and figures that crying is a completely natural reaction when you feel any type of emotion, won’t be embarrassed by you if you start bawling your eyes out in public if you happen to feel happy to be spending time together

he just smiles and rubs your back, shaking his head but in a playful way since this is a common occurrence

does one of those side hug things where he hooks his arm around your neck and squeezes you to his side a few times, talking about “let it out”

it’s nice in a way, he knows that you’re crying cause you’re happy to be spending time with him

he’s close buddies with pav who i can also see crying at a lot of things, man’s not judgemental

and he can of course understand crying at sad things ! if you two are kicked back one day and you’re violently bawling at a movie that’s meant to be a tear jerker, he’s not gonna shame you

he’s probably thinking about how accomplished the movie directors must be/feel while simultaneously shaming the big company who produced it

it’s nothing new and he’d rather not address it directly by asking you each time if you’re okay when you cry, he imagined it would get irritating and make you feel like it’s wrong

so he probably does something to show he’s there, an arm around your shoulder, maybe he ruffles your hair or something if you’re excited crying (i do this w my special interests, there’s no shame)

overall, hobie just wants you to feel comfortable enough to cry at all- this stuff should be normalised after all, no reason to even justify it to begin with

he may even encourage you to cry, get it out your system

he definitely understands frustrated crying, i imagine he’s a man who’s had his fair share of frustrations and sometimes crying is the only way to cope

if it bothers you so much, he might try introducing you to other coping mechanisms that he personally does

encourages you to get into music, play an instrument, do something spontaneous with your appearance

if he ever catches you crying over one of his own creations, the man’s floored with this appreciation

the last fucking thing he’ll do is ever make you feel guilty for crying, he’s having none of that and he’ll silently scowl in such disgust at the people that do

it’s not cool to shame peoples emotions, no invalidation here

if he’s in the right mood and you’re crying for something, happily he might just hype you up honestly

go bestie go, cry your eyes out

noir

someone else who sees nothing wrong with crying- he admittedly associates it most with grief so definitively panics the first few times he sees you crying at anything

but explain how crying is your response to everything and he’ll relax

he’s probably envious of your ability to feel so strongly about everything, since he struggles to feel a thing

the man literally lets matches burn to his fingertips out of hopes of feeling anything

that being said, he doesn’t want you to think like you now get to feel ungrateful for your tendencies to cry at everything since he envies it- crying is still taxing as fuck and you’re entitled to your own functions, he just wished he could take a page or two from your book

nine times outta ten he will probably assume each time that you’re crying out of sadness, he’s horrible at reading the room

it’s a pretty instant reaction from him to ask what’s wrong and assume the worst, man’s is instantly ready to start a fight if you’re crying for something bad that’s happened

makes a really big deal out of hugging you and dramatically wrapping his coat around you before suspiciously listing all of your enemies

he’s more of a “cheer up, sport” kinda guy and is a lot more insistent about talking to him about your feelings

partly because he want to understand the feelings, mostly because he wants to help you

probably cites some old 30’s techniques on how to make your face less puffy after crying if it bothers you- a really bizarre remedy

he’s also heard some more modern techniques, like chewing gum when cutting onions

he assumes that works for crying as a whole

happy crying takes him some time to wrap around his head, but he’ll get it

it’s a little surprising to him at first that you cry at every little thing, but that’s okay

he cant imagine that he’ll ever get over that initial surprise, seeing you cry at all immediately catches his attention - he’ll eventually stop assuming it’s bad, but he does attempt to comfort you each time without fail

you could be crying in such joy and he’ll fail to read the room, strokes your head while talking to you like you’re a dog that’s just had their paw stepped on

thinks he’s helping an incredible amount, has a small ego boost when he does successfully comfort you

he really does embrace it instead of trying to avoid it, which he imagined would be arrogant anyway

he’s envious, overall

good for you for being so in touch with your emotions

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

IM SORRY THIS KINDA SUCKS IM BAD AT CRYING

[littlemissmanga]

A Mechanic in the Sun

Pairing: Tech x Reader (no use of y/n, no physical description at all)

Warnings: Pure fluff, established relationship, just Tech being adorable

Rating: SFW

W/C: 1,039

Summary: As the team’s mechanic, maintenance of the Marauder falls to you and Tech. So while the others are off grabbing supplies on the temperate planet you’ve stopped at, the two of you break off to fix up the ship. But when Tech comes to ask your help with something inside, he finds you not working on the landing gear, but testing a rather odd hypothesis. As a man of science, he can’t very well interrupt, can he?

Clone x Reader Bingo Square: Mechanic @clonexreaderbingo

Masterlist

“Darling, could you-”

“Shhhh”

Tech looks up from his datapad as he comes around to the side of the ship, surprised by your shushing. Even more surprising is your position. Not under the Marauder, performing standard maintenance on the landing gear as he expected.

As you had said you would.

Rather you lay back on a towel you insisted on purchasing last time you were selected for a supply run. Something rather unnecessary in his opinion as the Marauder only had a sonic shower in the refresher. And yet it seems you found a use for it as a blanket, keeping your back clean from the dirt underneath as your limbs sprawl to conquer every corner.

Your eyes are closed and your expression is peaceful. And though he is loath to interrupt your quiet moment, time was of the essence.

Without Echo, the duties of mechanic fall solely to your combined shoulders and there is still much to be done if there is to be any hope of leaving this planet with an optimally functioning ship by nightfall.

“I am afraid I cannot remain silent at this moment. I do rather require your assistance. It seems the ventilation system was damaged as well during our last mission, and I cannot reach the wires in the back of the console. While not critical, we’d be remiss if we did not fix it now, when there’s time.” Tech adjusts his goggles as he rakes over your prone form once again. “And there is also the matter of the landing gear, which you have apparently abandoned.”

“Landing gear is done.” Your hand waves absently in the direction of the ship. “Just needed to be realigned. I’m conducting an experiment now and need to focus.”

Your dry tone may have fooled another, but Tech knows the humor running underneath. His eyebrow raises as he feels his lips tug ever so slightly into a smirk. Your antics never cease to amuse, though it certainly helps that you complete your tasks before engaging in them. Much unlike some of the Batch.

“Oh? And may I inquire as to the details of this experiment?”

It’s impressive, actually, how still you remain even as he can tell that your focus is shifting to center on him.

Warmth surges through his body at the knowledge. It had unnerved him at the beginning — being the object of your focus. Now that emotions had been processed and communicated, now that he knows that focus is one of interest and acceptance, it pleases him immeasurably.

“Homo Sapiens can receive vital nutrients from the sun,” you start, though it seems the gentle warmth of the sunlight you’re currently basking in has taken its toll on you, slowing your words.

You were most endearing like this, and Tech found himself folding to sit next to you. A few minutes indulging you (and in you) surely wouldn’t hurt his schedule too much. “Yes, namely vitamin D. I don’t see how that can be your hypothesis.”

At this, your eyes opened and cut to him. “I wasn’t finished, now, was I?”

With a chuckle, Tech waves you on.

“My hypothesis is that the human body can be trained to absorb more nutrients through sunlight,” you explain, closing your eyes and once again turning your face to the sky.

“My dear, it almost sounds like you are attempting to see if you can photosynthesize. You are much too intelligent not to know that such an endeavor is doomed to fail.”

“Just because the hypothesis has yet to be proven doesn’t mean it has been disproven,” you chastise playfully, finally allowing the smile he could tell you’ve been fighting to claim your lips.  “And this sunlight is so nice, I feel compelled to continue testing my hypothesis until it sets.”

The way you stretch is reminiscent of a lothcat as you maximize the surface area you can offer to the sun … and to him as he takes in how you arch and adjust yourself.

He must admit, you are correct; the sun on this planet is quite pleasant. Not unbearable but still warm. A dangerous indulgence, and yet he could understand how it would be welcome.

Your little ruse aside, maybe some sunlight was exactly what was needed right now.

Scooting down to lay by your side, Tech presses a gentle kiss to your cheek. “While I highly doubt you’ll turn into a plant by nightfall, I do see the benefit of continuing your experiment for another few minutes. In fact, I believe I shall join you.”

You roll lazily onto your side to meet his eyes with yours. “Really?”

He isn’t sure if you are conscious of the way your body curls into him. Likely not, since your entire goal until now has been to stretch out as much as possible. He decides the subconscious movement pleases him more — a sign that even the deepest parts of you reach out for him.

It was still an adjustment to be the one being reached for, looked for, chosen with such consistency and admiration. But it was one Tech eagerly welcomes. And he would always be there reaching out for you in return.

“I never say what I do not mean, my dear,” he confirmed, sealing it with another press of his lips, this time to your forehead. He feels as though his smile could rival the warmth of the sun at the sight of your contented expression in response. “However, I am setting a timer for exactly twenty minutes.”

Your groan reverberates against his chest as you scoot even closer to him. “Can I negotiate to thirty?”

“You may not. We cannot afford our mechanic becoming a layabout.” It feels a bit contradictory, then, for his arm to find its perch at that moment on the curve of your hip to secure you to him. “Though some reward for completing our tasks may not be out of order. If I may tempt you …”

Your eyes raise to his, shining bright with hope as you cleverly hear the tease in his voice.

“We should have additional time after our work is completed before the others return. I propose returning here to watch the sun set then.”

“Deal.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

a/n: I have no idea why my fluffiest thoughts always involve Tech. Like I love Tech as much as the next girl, but I always have the softest thoughts for him and it's odd cause I'm much more of a Wrecker girlie. Still, it was also so much fun to write in his POV!

This is my third entry for my Clone x Reader Bingo Square. You can read the other two here:

Don't Forget That, Okay? - Crosshair, SFW hurt/comfort

One Last Order, Part 2 - Rex, Rated E 18+ please read responsibly. (it can be read as a standalone fic, but if you want the full story, start with pt 1 here.)

[rambheem-is-real]

Cross My Heart Pt 2

pt 1 here pt 3 here

pairing: varadeva

warning: it gets worse

-

The first time Deva wakes up paralyzed, it’s about two weeks after the wire incident. It doesn’t last long, so Deva doesn’t see a reason to tell his family and make them worry. 

The second time it happens, Deva’s in the back of the truck transporting them out of Khansaar. He briefly wakes up from a dream about his father, to find that he can’t open his eyes, or move any of his limbs. He can hear his mother and the driver murmuring in low tones, but it’s all a jumble of sounds. Deva had been fine when it was just him lying in his bed, but now his heart starts to beat faster in fear. He instinctively tries to move to hold his mother, to seek comfort in her arms, but finds he can’t. 

He then remembers why they’re in the truck in the first place, remembers watching as the face of the boy he loved grew smaller and smaller with the distance until he couldn’t see him anymore, and Deva really starts to panic. 

Varadha! His heart screams at him, and the emotional pain combined with the paralysis sends Deva into what he’s told later by the town doctor is a panic attack, once it happens again a few days later when Deva was supposed to be polishing his client’s shoes and suddenly freezes up. 

Amma is stone faced throughout the entire explanation, and Deva avoids her eyes. He hadn’t cared much about the extent of his injuries before, but now, as they’re struggling to make ends meet in this new place, trying to lie low from Khansaar spies, he realizes just how much of a liability this makes him. 

He hadn’t known any of this would happen, that his entire life would get upended in the span of a few hours. He hadn’t even gotten to grieve for his clan, the clan that one day he would’ve been responsible for. Or for his father who, despite all his protests, went to the court to directly confront Raja Mannar about the massacre, before he ran home knowing those thugs would go for his mother. But even if he had somehow known, he thinks selfishly, he wouldn’t have changed his decision that day. Varadha was his first and foremost priority. 

Thinking of Varadha only brings him pain. He’s tried to drown himself in work, doing odd jobs to help support himself and Amma, to distract himself from the bone-deep sense of loneliness he feels all the time now. The other kids his age spend most of the day in school, and he’s too dull, too boring, too angry for them to like him enough to play with him in the evenings. Amma had tried to protest, tried to tell Deva he should continue his education, but he only had to send a pointed look at her growing stomach for her to concede. They needed a lot of money now to prepare for the fourth member of their family, a fact that both delighted and saddened Deva. 

He couldn’t wait to meet his new sibling, brother or sister, but the thought of playing with his sibling in the future only reminds him of Varadha, and Varadha’s newly born brother, Baachi. Varadha had loved to tease Deva about how well he got along with babies, that he should just become a baby caretaker in the future with how much Baachi loved being carried around by Deva. He had grown to love Baachi as well, in the short time he had gotten to know the baby, and missed him sorely as well. 

Deva, selfishly, just hopes Varadha calls him back soon. He’s not sure how he can deal with being away from Varadha for so long. 

-

Deva had been helping a group of men paint the walls of a function hall, as there was going to be a marriage held there in a few days. It was a traveling caravan, a group of event planners, and they had promised a few hundred rupees per day, which was a hefty amount for someone used to getting change for polishing shoes, ironing clothes, or doing quick vehicle repairs. Deva had been on the top rung of a ladder, on his toes and leaning over in order to compensate for his lack of height, when suddenly he felt the entire left side of his body go numb, the side that he was holding on to the ladder with. His left hand went slack and he lost his grip, falling to the ground. Deva lost consciousness as soon as he hit the ground. 

He wakes up in a hospital bed with bandages around his head and his left arm in a cast. He’s not too worried about himself, only regrets that he wasn’t able to complete the painting job to get the money, until he looks to his side to see Amma in a similar bed, connected to a bunch of needles. 

Immediately, Deva’s heart starts hammering in his chest. What happened to his mother? 

“Amma!” he cries out, leaping out of the cot, and one of the nearby doctors shushes him. 

“The patient is resting, let her sleep.”

“What happened to her?”

The doctor looks genuinely regretful as she informs him. “She was in so much stress when she brought you here, that she had a miscarriage.”

Deva.. sits back down, hoping that he had heard her wrong. 

“What?” he asks, numbly. 

“You were brought here without a heartbeat, you were medically dead.” She swallows. “That kind of stress has a toll on even a regular person, and she was heavily pregnant. I’m so sorry to inform you.”

After she doesn’t get a response, the doctor turns back to her papers. 

Deva just looks at his mother, tears slowly falling down his cheeks. I’m so sorry, he thinks. 

-

The years pass, and the bouts of paralysis occur less often. It’s still a pain whenever Deva has to deal with one, but at least they’re infrequent enough that Deva can hold his blacksmithing apprenticeship without worrying about injuring himself. 

Amma still cares for Deva, providing all the food and shelter he needs, but he can tell there’s a wall between them. Besides the usual affection in her eyes, ever since her miscarriage he can see wariness, almost as if she’s trying to see how else he can ruin her life. In one of her grief-addled breakdowns years ago, she had yelled at him about letting Dhaara go to the court. Deva had been the last person to talk to Dhaara, and in her view, he shouldn’t have let Dhaara out of the house. 

She had apologized the next day, when she was in her right mind. In her own style, of course. Amma didn’t say anything explicit about it but bought the expensive eggplants from the market and prepared guthi vankaya curry for when Deva came home. Deva had forgiven her even as she said the words, of course. He doesn’t blame her for lashing out at him, he knows that she carries not only the grief of losing Dhaara but also the grief of letting her clan down. She was supposed to be their leader as well, but couldn’t save them, couldn’t stop the Mannars from killing even the babies in their sleep. 

Deva tries his best to repair the wall between them. He obeys her every word, never tries to argue with any of her decisions. His health is already a liability for her, he doesn’t need to make it worse with his personality. But deep down, something tells Deva that he can never fix it. That in the span of a few hours she lost her husband, her clan, and her second son, and that if she really had to pick, Deva wouldn’t have been on the list of those she wanted back the most. 

In his spare time, he thinks about Varadha. As a child, it had been painful to imagine what his life could have been if the massacre hadn’t happened, but as a young adult thinking of Varadha helps him escape his reality. 

Deva wonders what Varadha would look like now. He would still have those beautiful kajal-lined eyes, of course. He hopes Varadha still has his mukku pogu, that he hasn’t let Rudra take it from him in Deva’s absence, and his black bottu. Would he still have his long hair? While the Shouryanga tradition was to grow out their hair and braid it in formal occasions, the Mannar tradition for males was to cut their hair once they became an adult. Deva’s hands miss stroking through those curls, feeling sadness at the thought of Varadha having lost them by now. He had been tall at their separation, but Deva had grown to tower over most of the city folk by now. Would he still be taller than Deva? Or would he have to tilt his head up to look Deva in the eyes now? Would he still be lanky like a giraffe, as the old women sitting on their porches affectionately called Varadha as he and Deva ran through their streets? Or would he have filled out with muscle? 

What would his voice sound like now? Deva’s own had dropped, and matched with the deep voice of Dhaara from his memories. He remembers how melodic Varadha’s voice was, how freely he could express his emotions through his words. Remembers the way he would call Deva’s name, as if it was the most important word to him. Deva wonders how much longer it would be before he gets to hear Varadha say his name like that once again. Wonders if he’ll ever get to hear Varadha again in his lifetime. 

The doctors had told him that practicing his fine motor skills would help decrease the tremors in his hands, and the advice had worked. Deva, for the past few years, had taken up sketching. Sometimes he would sketch what he saw outside that day, anyone new he met in the city. But most of the time, he would try to guess what Varadha looked like now. His hands still shook whenever he got emotional, but most of the time he was able to keep the tremors under control.

Amma had stumbled upon the sketches, once. He had shown her the regular ones, of course, but never the portraits of Varadha. They were too intimate, too connected with the most vulnerable parts of him. It had been an accident, she had been looking through his drawers for some documents when he saw her stiffen, and pull out the separate journal he used for his sketches of Varadha. 

Deva, also frozen, was unable to do anything other than watch as she flipped through each lovingly traced page. Finally, she had put the journal back, and walked away. He had thought that was the end of it until the next day, when she asked him about potential matches for marriage. 

“Our neighbor’s daughter Samyuktha is a fine woman, don’t you think? Good looking, and nice enough to take care of you with your condition.” Amma had asked while she poured another ladle of sambar onto his rice. 

Deva had stopped eating, had washed his hands in his plate and left the room. She never brought up the topic of marriage again. Deva felt guilty, knew that he was adding to her burden by refusing to get married and letting her be free from him, but he needed her to know that there would be no one for him other than Varadha. 

-

“Deva. Do you still remember me?”

The melodic voice is enough to break through Deva’s concentration, make him stop hammering at the piece of metal. He would remember that voice, that tone, no matter how many decades it had been since he last heard it. Deva takes a second to breathe, to collect himself. The boy that still held his heart, twenty-five years later, was now right behind him. He thinks of all his sketches. Would any of them match what his friend looked like now? 

Deva takes off his helmet, and turns around, heart hammering in his chest. Before him, stands Varadha himself. 

“Your voice might have changed. But the way you call me hasn’t.” He has to look away for a few seconds, overwhelmed, pretending he has to take his gloves off. “Other than my mother, there’s only one person that calls me Deva.”

Deva can’t help but turn back, like he’s a man possessed. The aristocratic posture, the beautiful doe eyes, the affectionate look on his face as he drinks in Deva the same way Deva is doing to him, it’s all the same as he remembers. 

“Varadharaja Mannar.”

He thinks Varadha moves first, but Deva was getting there anyway. They meet in the middle, bodies fitting against each other in a way that’s extremely familiar but also new. Deva doesn’t know how long they hold each other like that, but it feels as if Deva’s frozen heart has started beating again. Varadha, my Varadha, is all he can think, and it seems like Varadha’s in a similar state as he grips the back of Deva’s jacket tightly. He melts into the embrace, letting out a small breath as if he was so relieved to see Deva again, and Deva knows that once again he’ll do anything for this man, even if they haven’t talked in decades. 

All too soon he notices Amma walking into the room, almost as if she was in a daze. Varadha pulls away, and greets Amma, asks for her to feed him. 

Deva watches as Amma comes to life for the first time in decades, for her second son. He watches as the affection in her eyes returns, watches as she feeds Varadha from her own fingers. He’s known, of course, that losing Varadha had been a part of her collective grief of that night, but he hasn’t realized how much until now. 

Later, Deva watches her from the rearview mirror of the truck as he pulls out of their street, driving Varadha and his men back to Khansaar. There’s fear in her face that he hasn’t seen in a long while, that he knows is because he’s returning to Khansaar. I’ll be back, and bring him with me, Deva thinks. Or, if Varadha wants to stay in Khansaar, he’ll make it safe for Amma to live there once again. 

-

Days later, Deva finds himself lying on Varadha’s bed, and Varadha using his stomach as a pillow, in a fond parallel to one of the last times he saw Varadha twenty five years ago. 

Varadha seems to remember too, as he lightly runs his fingers over the scars on Deva’s arm. Deva in turn takes the time to stroke Varadha’s arms, appreciating how toned Varadha’s arms have gotten and how the flimsy tank top he’s wearing doesn’t hide any of the muscle. 

They’ve been talking about anything these past few days, catching up with each other’s lives. It’s a lot easier to do given neither of them have been living interesting lives, Deva having his put on pause both for his injury and for waiting for Varadha to call him back, and Varadha not being allowed to do anything under the fierce scrutiny of his siblings and the other doras. 

“How bad were the symptoms?” Varadha asks. This is the first time they’ve talked about the wire incident, and Deva sees no reason to lie. 

“I used to go into states of paralysis often, but less as the years went by,” he explains, and he can feel Varadha frown into Deva’s stomach. “Muscle tremors, mild aphasia, mood swings, and several smaller symptoms.”

“I’m sorry,” Varadha says, and Deva scoffs. 

“Not again, pichoda [crazy man]. I distinctly remember telling you multiple times it wasn’t your fault.”

“Just because you told me doesn’t make it true,” Varadha teases, attempting to lighten the mood.  

“Yes it does, remember the time you tried to pet that street dog, because ‘Deva look how adorable it is! I want to take it home!’ and I told you that was a horrible idea? And then it tried to chase you through the market? I was right then, wasn’t I?”

“Ok, that doesn’t count, we were both six!” Varadha pouts, and Deva just barely stops himself from poking at his mouth. He really was too cute. “And the dog really was adorable,” Varadha mumbles. 

“I don’t even remember what it looked like now.” Deva laughs. 

Varadha gives him a look that Deva can’t decipher. He’s learned he can usually read Varadha like an open book, even after all the years, but he’s not sure what to make of this one. “I remember,” he says quietly. 

Deva frowns. “Like you said, we were six. How do you remember?”

Varadha buries his face in Deva’s chest, and Deva watches as the tips of his ears get red. “It was fully black, and you said we could get a nicer dog that looked just like it to have as a pet in our house when we grew up.”

Oh.  

It’s Deva’s turn to blush now, at the realization that Varadha had remembered it all these years clearly because Deva had implied they’d live together as they got older. 

“Vara..” Deva starts, and he’s not even sure what he wants to say, just wants to know if the gaping hole inside of him all these years mirrored Varadha’s own, wants to know if Varadha also feels that he can’t live without Deva. Do you love me? The way I love you? 

He doesn’t get to finish that question as they hear gunshots outside, finding out a few seconds later that the sounds were fireworks that Vishnu’s men were using to taunt Varadha. 

They never finish that conversation before the ceasefire ends. 

-

The walls that were up between Deva and Amma before Varadha had arrived have turned into impenetrable blocks of steel. 

With every pointed remark, with every glare sent his way, with every harsh insult, Deva feels himself breaking. I’m sorry, he wants to say. I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this.  

But what’s done is done. A life can’t be brought back, the grief can’t be erased. 

Amma blames Deva for her losing Varadha once more, has accepted that he’ll always be a burden to her.  

Deva doesn’t know what to do other than obey whatever she orders him to do. He goes to work, brings home money for the two of them. In his free time, he plays with her students. They remind him of a young boy he used to know, once. One that he played with every day, carefree and happy. That boy is long gone now, the last shred of innocence ripped out by Deva himself. 

-

Seven years later, Deva stands in court before the karta of Khansaar, on trial for breaking the seal. 

The karta’s eyes linger on Deva’s scars, sorrow clear in his eyes, before he reads the ruling. 

“Shouryanga Devaratha Raisaar is sentenced to a private execution by firing squad.”

Deva lets out a breath, but he expected this the moment he fired on those trucks and saw the design that had been stamped on them. It’s what he deserved, anyway. If anyone had a right to kill him it was Khansaar’s karta. 

An hour before Deva is scheduled to die, he’s visited in his cell by the karta himself, who demands an explanation of what really happened seven years ago.  

Two deaths are recorded that day. 

Bilal emerges as regent karta of Khansaar, to stay until they find a suitable replacement. The public gossip as usual, speculating what could have happened that night. The details of the execution are not made public, nor are the reasons why the karta was also executed, only that it was done of his own will. 

“What is this, Bilal?” A frantic Baba rushes into the karta’s, now Bilal’s quarters. “What happened to Varadha? I thought Deva was on trial? What’s going on?”

Bilal only looks at peace. “What should have happened a long time ago.”

[variousqueerthings]

My granny used to put things on tumblr

It's! The Infamous! Kill The Moon! otherwise known here as the pro-life Doctor Who episode. so that's... something that was on my mind while watching. To be honest, I don't think I'd go that far, I think it was mainly politically completely unsure of what point it was trying to make at all

but yes, it makes the suggestion that Tumblr is not only around but a hit with the teenagers in the year of 2049, which is actually its best and funniest statement

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 8/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored, or given agency to her emotional interiority): 8/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually and philosophically and emotionally): 3/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 7/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 5/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 4/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 4/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 10/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 3/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 2/10

FULL RATING: 54/100 (if I can count….)

this episode.........

OBJECTIFICATION: we brought back fan-favourite ORANGE SPACESUIT (orange spacesuit my beloved). Actually genuinely, hi bby I miss you every time I don't see you. It's been in this season twice for some reason

apart from Clara, we also have Courtney the teenager, and um... science space lady whom I recognise from back when I watched all of Spooks just to get to Richard Armitage in s7 of that. but enough about MI6 propaganda, this is um... Moon Propaganda? listen, I know exactly why it's called the Pro-life episode, and technically that is its worst implication with what it's doing, but I think there's so much else we can tear it to pieces for

however, objectification of its female characters is, blissfully, not one of them

PLOT-POINT: so as of time of beginning this sentence, I've rated this one quite highly, because it's all about Clara's trust and faith in the Doctor being shaken, when he treats her badly just one fucking time too many

I'm unsure if it'll continue being highly rated, because unfortunately the way the episode went about all of it was sooooooooo "forcing something into the correct shaped hole in order to make this exact point and so as consequence I feel like Clara almost suffers as a character, rather than grows"

but this may be an issue to come at in other points. Technically it fulfills this remit!

COMPLEXITY: moon's an egg. [gets a nuclear bomb]. moon's an egg.

oh boy oh boy does it try to do something emotionally complex with this one, but really all it's about is that ostensibly all of humanity is wrong for being worried about a Thing Happening that they've had exactly no knowledge of since like. less than an hour before they have to make a decision, and even then have barely any info on

seriously, listening to Clara's speech, I was wondering if I was on earth, how would I react to that? Ok so wait, moon's an egg- oh it's hatching, right now? and we want to blow it up to... turn it back into the moon? BBC science advisors what do you make of this, oh hallowed of totally unbiased news? doesn't the moon doing all of this mean the earth is fucked either way, I mean... something with tides right? ahhh we have vote by turning off the ligh- well the council roadworks shorted out the building again mate, so idk. guess I'll die. or the moon dies. or we both die? do I have enough mobile data to check in with this one?

so wait, if the moon's an egg- [episode ends]

they should not have involved the whole earth in this one for starters. secondly the Doctor leaving is bonkers yonkers. thirdly the scifi bullshit is streeeeetched thin. sooooo thin in this one. fourthly Science Lady with the nukes, I don't understand your motivations very well beyond Space Scary so this might be scary also. fifthly Clara being in the middle of something that makes so little sense, means that I'm having to engage with her emotions about something that makes no sense, so how can I take her arc seriously? this is ostensibly a Clara-centric episode that has her reevaluate her whole feelings about the Doctor based on being warned about Red Flags numerous times, but the science fiction underlying concept is "would you kill this unborn child if it would save billions of people" to which the answer is... yes?

(aaaand we come around to the pro-life vibes of the plot eyyyy we got there)

but mainly "would you kill this unborn child if it would save billions of people" is then peppered with so many "uhhh ignore this logic flaw" moments that I can't get into the actual ostensible philosophical point it's trying to make, because not only is it a bad point, it's also made badly -- it's not "would you kill this unborn child to save billions," it's "this hypothetical child is the moon, and whether or not you kill it doesn't matter, because the earth is gonna be without a moon either way, so you're basically fucked might as well let it live" or even (as it turns out to be) "this unborn child is the moon in a system that deliberately makes sense to allow earth to continue, so there's no real stakes here actually"

ironically M*ffat-era did this better in s5ep2 with The Beast Below, and there was more to it than "just" people kinda suck. like yeah, that episode struuuuggled with justifying its political structure, but its central philosophical ideas are quite interesting and Amy's journey in that is about growing and changing and seeing

Kill The Moon has such a simple premise that you can't see anything but the question it's asking and the more you look at it the more you go... "wait, what?"

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: this is the episode where Clara finally goes, "hey fuck you!" at the Doctor and yeah, it better be, however I have so many questions about what the heck the Doctor is doing in it

a. leaving Clara behind just to see what she'll do b. "lol if the child that crucially I am the only own who knows doesn't have to die dies, then that's a learning opportunity for... someone" c. this episode starts because the Doctor told a clearly-struggling teenage girl that she "wasn't special." not onscreen or anything, just at some point, just cos -- I have been reminded several times (by others and also by myself) that Ten could be quite unthinking at times, and this is true. it brings to mind when Ten says to Donna that she's not important, but the context there is that Ten sometimes says/does things without thinking and in this instance, crucially, is having a bit of a rough time, and then spends the rest of their time together basically apologising for his own words. now not that this is a "competition," they're not real etcetc. but Twelve is. A Dick. To Everyone. and that is kind of just... there. I am waiting for something to happen with that, I am seeing where this is going, but seeing as I brought up Eleven and The Beast Below a second ago, "you couldn't bear to watch a child cry" is one of the most interesting things about that character, and other Doctors bear this out too. they are -- for the most part -- not massive dicks to kids

Twelve has a line in this where after Clara rebukes him for being a bastard to the kid for the whole episode, goes "she’s fine, what are you 35?" (Courtney then replies, "15")

it's fascinating that this Doctor not only doesn't like people, this Doctor doesn't even see people

and Clara is now reacting to this at last by going, hey buddy, fuck you

but I am definitely reaching a point where I hope all of this makes some sense, because oh boy is the Doctor just not likeable, and the more that is stretched out, the less fun I have watching these episodes, especially when it feels like it's being leaned on for comedy

COMPANIONS MATTER: I have feelings about M*ffat having a couple of episodes where some kids that Clara knows are brought on a space adventure, and those feelings are... it was bad

I think the actress who plays Courtney is better than the two kids in Nightmare In Silver, but she is -- like them -- such a badly written teen, do you not know how 15 year olds speak? what is the purpose of having kids in these stories, if you're not telling a story for that age group? "Hey, you too could fly on the Tardis and have an adventure and do something incredible," but instead it's "hey you too could... tag along, get bored, sit on your phone, make stupid comments, and be ragged on by adults the entire time"

I will give Courtney is 100% going "uh let's not kill this creature" the whole time (weirder vibes with the pro-life undertones, fine if you just consider that like... it doesn't make sense to kill it anyway, because once again, have to say, the scifi is so bullshit as to be unintelligible)

meanwhile Clara asks the earth for advice, decides not to kill the moon against earth's advice and everything is fine and dandy (no consequences within the actual episode, because it's really just a backdrop on which to cause Doctor and Clara Drama), it's... the more you think about it, the less she has to do in this episode, other than to emote (understandably) at the Wildness of the Doctor just deciding to leave her alone, just... because.....

but yeah, technically none of them need to be there. even Science Lady is barely an antagonist

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: HE'S A DICK WITH A TIME MACHINE WHO DECIDES TO PLAY 5D CHESS FOR NO REASON FUCKYOU MATE

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: HE'S A DICK WITH A TIME MACHINE WHO DECIDES TO PLAY 5D CHESS FOR NO REASON FUCKYOU MATE <- this was the previous point also, and I think that may be unfair to call "totally against every way the character has been written thus far," but then again.... is it?

we've had Machiavellian Doctor. we've had Doctor makes decisions for others, because they don't trust people with their own agency (literally from the beginning). we've even had Doctor who tries to unwrite a fixed point in time because of being mad with grief

we've had many flavours of this kind of Doctor. but have we had a Doctor who just... leaves.... because fuck this noise. not leaves out of defeat. not leaves out of disgust with people. not leaves because of idk, exhaustion. leaves because "hey why not let you deal with this one, even though I have all of the information to defuse the situation instantly, but I just don't like anything anymore"

there's some grains of something that could be interesting there -- and even is interesting in other episodes of this season, but maaan do I feel like they gambled on how far they could push things with this episode, but failed to make anything in it compelling, and so the Doctor comes out the other side an incomprehensible asshole

there are fun references to classic who in this episode, but at least one of them feels bastardised (the earth isn't my home) in order to justify the Doctor simply not caring anymore. it's like the inverse journey of Nine, but an endless endless slog

boy oh boy does this season/era have a lot of legwork to do to make me care

“SEXINESS”: I guess at least this is fine?

INTERNAL WORLD: *I wish I could take a massive swig of wine but I do not drink. sips tea with disgust instead* the moon is an egg could be fun. it is not. political situation on earth that merits earth being involved in this episode? nah none of that

Tumblr is still around though. should I vote it one down or up for that assumption?

POLITICS: ohhhhkay we've covered this I feel, in all the other points, but to summarise: it's so incomprehensible, with a dash of I think definitely unintentional pro-life stuff going on, but mainly just there to justify the Doctor's continued bleak, cynical, utter lack of faith in humanity As A Statement

sure there's a breadcrumb at the end of "and now I guess you'll get better" but it's just... it's like you know how Rise Of The Guardians has this whole Thing where children stop believing except for this one persistent light that won't get snuffed out, and so the Guardians all gather around that light as a way to regain their powers and protect the children

this episode doesn't even have one persistent light, never mind a coherent political statement. I think the one persistent light was meant to be Courtney, but it failed so hard at having purpose on any fronts that of course she was barely needed in it either

we also get an added nugget of Danny as he uses his experiences in the army to mirror Clara's experience with the Doctor (which, even that is just... bleak as hell comparison to make here)

Danny: I left the army Clara: You loved the army Danny: Yep. And then one day I didn’t

seriously hope we get something more in-depth about Danny versus the military industrial complex at some point -- I mean, orphan who found structure in a system, the violence of which eventually drove him out? that's interesting. Potentially

FULL RATING: 54/100 (if I can count….)

this episode should not be rated this highly, but its crimes do not extend to literally treating its female characters as garbage for being women, although I do have some questions about Courtney as a Black teen who's told she isn't special as what sounds like a casual aside and acts out as the setup for this episode to happen in the first place

at least we hear she does well at the end of the episode, but urgh, why is she there for this story, when so much of it is pointless, her being there is just as pointless as the rest of it

at the end of it, we are left to question: okay but does the Doctor's character regression at least get better after this?

and what is Clara's whole... deal (at least that, I think, is answered at the end of the next one)

[death-in-a-handbasket]

Ooh on the topic of drinking !!

What would Ayatsuji's favorite drink(s) be? Is he a fruity margarita guy or straight vodka

And any other characters you have in mind I love reading your thoughts!!

OOOH OKAY OKAY.

Yukito: liquor and whiskey. more on the sweet side than not but it def burns, takes a bit for him to get drunk but when he does it is the most vulnerable state you’ll ever see him in, doesn’t drink often but might indulge if there’s something worth celebrating, a lot of his alcohol he has on hand ends up as a cooking ingredient

Tsujimura: likes a good tasty martini but prefers harder drinks because she wants to be badass like all the spy women in her favorite works, can both settle down with a good beer and also do straight vodka if she’s feeling bold (relatively low alcohol tolerance though and passes out after the latter) drinks after work sometimes with coworkers from the special division

Ango: mellow drinker, starts off with whiskey and sips it throughout the night, too responsible most of the time to drink past slightly tipsy, his body is mostly comprised of caffeine instead, might put a little alcohol in the coffee to take the edge off sometimes (only if the day is going really bad and it doesn’t work tbh)

Nikolai: could drink paint thinner if he wanted to (he has) gets rowdier and slightly more emotion when drunk but can somehow still function impeccably well even when plastered, he’s just deeply more chaotic LMAO, probably drinks vodka cut with the fruitiest mix on planet earth because this man likes pizazz, alcohol tolerance so deranged no one is sure if can actually die from alcohol poisoning

Fyodor: doesn’t drink often because he doesn’t want it to impair his mind plus he’s anemic and like 7 pounds soaking wet, it goes right through him like water so he’s fairly lightweight, but if need be he’ll sip on a little vodka throughout a night and go nap after he’s done

Fukuchi: could down a barrel of sake like a boss but the minute he gets drunk old man peepaw is a damn party animal, drinks socially and for sport but it bites him in the ass every time though we know this man gets WHIPLASH fuckin hangovers

Bram: doesn’t want alcohol but doesn’t dislike it either, cannot get drunk by any stretch, mostly just samples shit from time to time for the flavor

Sigma: liquor and wine boy, prefers not to drink but will do it for show while at the casino, can hold his alcohol but prefers not to go past tipsy, a moderate and chill man

Teruko: can outdrink Fukuchi and remain fully lucid on command. everyone is scared of her

Jouno: not much of an alcohol man, will sample a little sake but he doesn’t especially care for it plus his tolerance is super high, passes on drinks most times

Tecchou: can drink his weight in alcohol, has a preference for beer and sake, but instead of getting rowdy in any way he just takes a nap directly afterwards and wakes up normal the next morning with no hangover, no one is quite sure how he does it

Tachihara: more likely to go out drinking with the pm than the hunting dogs, will drink the fancy stuff if need be but he’s a beer man at heart, you can take the scruff off this boy but it’s still there in his heart, slow drinker but once he gets going he’s super happy and rowdy as shit, not immune to doing shots, helps balance out Chuuya’s bitchiness at times

Hirotsu: old fashioned whiskey man, sips on it throughout the night but never gets drunk, the most sober man drinking in the bar tbh, mostly does it to relax, the guy there to keep Chuuya from being a total dick

Chuuya: a wine guy as we all know, starts out slow and savoring it but then gets emotional and pissy and start downing the damn glass, prone to being an angry drunk and yelling like a little bitch before getting shepherded home

Mori: has seen his fair share of alcohols in his time but prefers to remain sober

Verlaine: likes white wine and vodka, also gets angry tipsy and will judge the quality like a megacunt, no one likes to drink with him

Ranpo: prefers not to drink as he despises most alcohol tastes but can be persuaded into amaretto with how much it tastes like candy, gets loud and affectionate when drunk, will call you an idiot and pass out on your arm

Dazai: will try and drink any and every alcohol, can remain entirely lucid no matter what he’s ingested but he loves acting drunk and passing out anyways for the experience and also to be inconvenient for some people (Kunikida)

Fukuzawa: sake enjoyer, doesn’t drink often but drinks slow and steady, high alcohol tolerance, rarely gets drunk

Yosano: wine lover, gets loud and rowdy when drunk, is a social drinker but also samples different kinds of wine in her free time just to judge the flavors

Higuchi: doesn’t drink often but might mellow out and get sad over a beer or whiskey

Oda: drinks slowly and methodically throughout the night, also a beer or whiskey man, prefers to mostly take in the ambiance of the bar than the experience of the alcohol, might get buzzed but hasn’t taken it much further than there

Francis: drinks socially and mostly champagne, gets more energetic and egotistical the more alcohol enters his body, will spend money on progressively stupider shit as the event goes on because he has no sense of consequences while drunk

Sober gang:

Atsushi: low alcohol tolerance and lowkey kind of scared

Akutagawa: he coughs every time because it burns his throat, could have a decent alcohol tolerance if he wanted to but his body can’t take it

Mushitarou: despises being drunk and hates the taste

Poe: too scared to do it

Nathanial: to religious to do it

Gin: not really her thing

Lucy: could hold her own if she wanted to but she hates the way alcohol makes people act and prefers to pass on it

Kunikida: designated driver and wouldn’t touch alcohol because it violates his ideals

Tanizaki: also too scared to do it but if Naomi was allowed she’d get tipsy for fun

Lovecraft: alcohol has net zero effect on him so he simply Doesn’t

—

THIS WAS SO FUN y’all feel free to request any of your faves I forgot 🙏

[rollercoasterwords]

this might be answered in his pov (or possibly hinted at) but is wfrau james on the aromantic spectrum? i just read your post talking about everything with him, lily, & reg, and that's the vibe i got. or is it truly just that he does not (currently?) have romantic feelings for either reg or lily specifically?

yeah basically! i mean there’s not gonna be a moment where he actively goes “oh i’m aromantic” or like an explanation of what exactly that means, the same way that regulus’s sexuality is sort of left unspecified & lily’s is never addressed & james never like outright identifies as bi bc again this fic is set in the 80s when people weren’t thinking abt sexual & romantic orientations the same way we do today & also none of them really care 2 try & define themselves etc, but in my mind writing this character james has always been like. nebulously aromantic.

i’ll explore more exactly what that means in his pov but a lot of it is like. him not understanding where the boundary is supposed 2 be between romantic & platonic love, why there has 2 be a strict boundary, why romantic love has 2 be something exclusive 2 one person, etc. like he has had ppl fall in love w him before & he knows it’s like…they want something more but he doesn’t understand what that more is & how it’s functionally different than the love he already holds 4 them as a friend, or why something like sex is supposed 2 be either completely devoid of emotional attachment or representative of an exclusive emotional attachment—like why not have sex with ur friends if u love them & ur comfortable w each other & it’s fun. he also has some commitment issues related 2 chosen-one baggage etc…gonna have fun exploring all that…

[the-everqueen]

look. this fic started as crack taken seriously except now it's getting longer than a one-shot and we haven't even reached the crack yet. so i'm posting a snippet to like. encourage myself to finish it.

.....................

One thing has proven consistent in Matthew’s life, both as a human and as a raven to Dream of the Endless: changes in management are never smooth. It doesn’t matter how much you plan in advance, it doesn’t matter whether the new boss is qualified—things are gonna go sideways, at least until everyone adjusts.

Don’t get him wrong, Matthew doesn’t doubt that Morpheus did everything he could to ensure the Dreaming’s wellbeing before the Kindly Ones came for him. But jeez. Daniel Hall was a toddler just a few months ago and now he’s the next Dream King. Which Lucienne keeps telling Matthew isn’t quite right: the boss isn’t gone, the Endless are their functions, in some cosmic-fate sense Daniel was always already going to be Dream, yada yada.

Matthew doesn’t buy it. He went to the wake. He gave his tribute.

The kid is all right. But Matthew can’t shake the memory of him clutching the emerald at his throat, the echo of that familiar deep voice cracked down the middle. I am afraid. Hard to hold anything against him—he couldn’t have known what he was signing up for, and this ain’t exactly the kind of job that attracts volunteers. Still…the newness is unsettling. The realm feels like it’s on edge, waiting with bated breath to see what happens.

Which is how Matthew finds himself in search of a delinquent Nightmare.

The Corinthian, Dream tells him, has not shown up to work for the past several days. Dream doesn’t use those words, says failed to perform his function with a kind of detached precision like he’s reading from a script. It makes Matthew feel a little sick, though he’s ashamed to admit it: Morpheus’ words in an unfamiliar mouth.

He ignores that for the more pressing question: “He’s back in the Waking World?”

“No, he has not departed the Dreaming.” Dream’s brow furrows in transparent concern. Weird weird weird to see an identifiable emotion on that face—at least, one that isn’t annoyance or resignation. “I would know what he is doing, if not attending to dreamers.”

“Can’t you—I dunno—check in? You’re the boss.”

What Matthew doesn’t say is, that bastard promised me a reprisal. What he doesn’t say is, I heard Lucienne say he was supposed to be your masterpiece, but he gives me the creeps.

Morpheus would have heard these unspoken protests and said, You don’t need to like him to fulfill your duty to me. This Dream frowns and says quietly, “I don’t know that he would welcome my intervention.”

And that’s new, Dream taking into account someone else’s feelings, particularly one of his creations whose past incarnation—pardon the French—royally fucked him over. Then again, Daniel would have known the Corinthian as a protector of sorts. Maybe he’s feeling a residual fondness, that kernel of humanity come back to haunt the rest of them.

The thought makes Matthew sad. He ruffles his wings. “Yeah. Yeah, all right. I’ll fly around, see whether I can find him.”

Dream doesn’t give him any hints about direction, but Matthew figures it can’t hurt to swing by the Corinthian’s house. Well, “house” is a generous term for the architectural Kleenex box where the nightmare chooses to reside, as close to the shoreline as Dream would tolerate. Matthew wasn’t around to know whether it’s a relic of the first Corinthian, but he thinks it’s an eyesore regardless.

He swoops in through an open skylight. The place is too fucking massive for just one person, in his opinion, so it might take him awhile to search—

“Hey, birdie.”

Matthew lets out a croak of surprise and banks to land on something that might be a side table, might be a piece of driftwood enlisted for Aesthetic Purposes™. The Corinthian is sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by skeins of colorful thread. Instead of a knife, he’s got a needle pinched between his fingers, which he’s stabbing into…surprisingly not a body, but a piece of fabric stretched across some kind of wooden hoop.

“Man, what the fuck,” says Matthew.

“You’re the one who came here uninvited,” the Corinthian says with a shrug. He resumes the stabbing. Matthew can make out the vague outline of something that might be a duck, embroidered in grey and orange thread. It’s got a knife in its beak. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Delivering an HR report.”

“That’s a lie, Lucienne wouldn’t talk to me even through a middleman.”

“It’s from our mutual boss.”

“The Dream King?” The Corinthian frowns. “What’s he want?”

“For you to do your job, apparently.”

“I’ve been doing my job.”

“Uh, no, you haven’t. Not in the past week or two.”

If the Corinthian were a normal human being, Matthew would say the expression that passes over his face is guilt. The fine lines around his mouth(s) tighten, his eye teeth grind together in a gesture that might be glancing from side to side. But then the Corinthian refocuses on his embroidery project. “Well, tell him not to get his panties in a twist. I’ll be on the clock tonight.”

“If you want PTO—“

“—we don’t actually get paid—“

“—you gotta talk to Lucienne—“

“—I know, I know, submit the requisite forms, blah blah blah—“

“—and not just fuck off on your own, I mean, you of all people should know that.”

The Corinthian tilts his head. Something about the motion makes Matthew’s feathers stand on end. “Me of all people?”

“Well. Yeah.”

“No, no, birdie, why don’t you say what you mean.” The Corinthian flips the needle over his fingers and it transforms into knife. “Tell me how I’m special.”

Matthew lets out a nervous kraw, spreading his wings. “Man, you’re on thin fucking ice, you think Dream is gonna be chill about you killing another one of his ravens?”

“Alex Burgess shot Jessamy.”

“Because you made sure she was cut off from the Dreaming.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Close enough.”

“Really? You think the current Dream King is close enough to Morpheus?”

Matthew shuffles from one foot to the other. He ought to take flight, tell Dream that he found the Corinthian and his lord’s former masterpiece has taken up arts and crafts. Let Dream decide what the punishment for that offense is. But he feels the need to protest, to prove his loyalty. Maybe because he’s the New Guy (if not as new as the latest incarnation of the boss). Maybe because the Corinthian doesn’t get to question his commitment to the job.

He says, slowly, “He’s Dream of the Endless. That’s all there is.”

The Corinthian barks out a surprised laugh. “Guess you’ll stick around,” he murmurs cryptically, and the knife is a needle again. He lowers that awful not-gaze back to his embroidery hoop. “You can tell our Lord Shaper that his renegade hammer will be back to pounding nails tonight.”

“Was that an innuendo? It felt like it wanted to be an innuendo.”

“What doesn’t?” The Corinthian’s smile is all teeth.

Matthew ignores that. “So is this what you’ve been doing while AWOL? Making home decor?”

“What’s it to you, birdie?”

“I dunno, seems out of character. Shouldn’t you be plotting murder?”

“Maybe I’ve been slipping into the Waking World.”

“Nah, you aren’t stupid. You wouldn’t be that obvious about it.” Matthew pauses. “Besides, Dream said you hadn’t left the Dreaming.”

“So he is keeping tabs on me.”

“You’re dreamkin.”

“Yeah, veritable tracking chip built right in.” The duck is gaining feet, bright flashes of color making a pantomime of long strides. “Like knowing where your right hand is.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Would it bother you?”

“Not really. I mean, it doesn’t. When the boss rides along. Uses my eyes or whatever. Feels weird, but that’s what I’m here for.”

Matthew looks around the room. It’s organized like a human apartment, albeit one of those fancy places in Architectural Digest: sleek white sofa and matching chairs, glass coffee table that doubles as modern art, hardwood floors so gleaming Matthew can see his reflection in them. He’d assume it was for show except for details like the discarded books and the blood-spattered “Home Sweet Home” cross-stitch framed on the opposite wall.

“Are you…bored?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Taking up new hobbies, skipping out on work.” Matthew gestures at him with a wing. “I dunno, feels like burnout.”

“And what do you care?”

“Well, the last time you got dissatisfied with your job, a lot of people died—caw, fucking shit!”

He takes flight just in time to dodge the wicked blade that comes at him with eerie accuracy. It sticks in the table with a thunk, before it dissolves into sand.

The Corinthian snarls in triplicate, “That. Wasn’t. Me.”

“Okay! Okay, sorry, fuck.” Matthew circles in the air a few times before landing on the back of a chair. “You could just say so, don’t gotta get all murderous about it.”

“S’my nature,” the Corinthian says, mulish. His fingers sort restlessly through the rainbow of thread. It’s a minute before he chooses a sprig of green and starts threading it into his needle. Sunglasses materialize on his face, hiding his terrible eyes. “What are you hangin’ around for? Don’t you have a report to deliver?”

You don’t have friends, huh. Matthew is smart enough not to speak his observation out loud this time. Makes sense, though. The Corinthian is a Nightmare, and in the narratives he inhabits, all his overtures end in murder. Probably other dreams don’t want to get too close, even if this incarnation is supposedly collared and muzzled. Hell, Matthew didn’t want to come here just to see what the fucker was up to. In hindsight, he assumed something nasty. Not…whatever the fuck this is.

He thinks about what it might have been like, being Morpheus’ favorite. He thinks about Dream saying, I don’t know that he would welcome me.

He thinks maybe the Corinthian is lonely.

“I’m not a messenger pigeon,” Matthew says, ruffling his feathers in mock outrage. “Besides, Dream asked me to check out what you’re doing. You really want me to tell him you got distracted making home decor? Won’t that tarnish your image or something?”

The Corinthian frowns at his wobbly duck.

“He already caught me slacking on the job,” he says.

“Look, I’m just saying—if you want me to tell him you got distracted by some cute nightmare, I’ve got your back.”

The Corinthian curls his lip like a dog. “Why? You think I’m gonna forget about you ditching me back in Svartalfheim? I know you don’t fucking like me.”

“What, I can’t do a favor for a coworker?” The Corinthian’s fingers twitch, and Matthew croaks. “Fine, fine, sure, if it makes you feel better. I cover for your ass and you stop threatening to kebab me, how does that sound?”

The Corinthian stitches a whole patch of grass before he says, “All right. You got a deal.”

“Cool.” Matthew tries not to dwell on how it feels worse than if he’d made a pact with the literal Devil. Okay, no, that’s an exaggeration, Matthew went to Hell the once and he’s not keen on having another interaction with Their Unholiness anytime soon. But keeping a secret for the Corinthian feels a lot like betraying Dream, even if it’s harmless.

At least, he thinks it’s harmless.

Man, he’s going to feel so stupid if it turns out the embroidery is part of some scheme.

He mantles his wings, preparing to take off.

Hesitates.

“You got anything you want me to tell the boss?” he asks.

“Thought you said you weren’t a messenger pigeon.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t pass a word along. As a favor.”

The Corinthian doesn’t respond for a long minute. Matthew starts to think that’s his answer, but then he says, all lazy cheer, “Nah. I got nothing to say to him.”

And Matthew thinks that’s the biggest lie he’s ever heard but it’s not his job to argue, so he heads back to the palace.

[neerons]

Hi ! I wanted to ask. What do you think the MBTI personalities of MK characters are ?

Kazuomi screams ENTP for me.

Yuzu is an INTJ but I feel like he is also an INTP. Maybe an INTX ?

Kei seems to be an unhealthy INFJ.

Boss is an introvert for sure and more of a thinker than a feeler, but I can't tell what his functions are.

MC is INTJ as a spy, but her real personality might be INFJ.

Hi! That’s such an interesting ask, thank you.

First of all, I have to say I don’t know much about the MBTI personalities and only did the test a few times for fun before. I remember doing it while acting as if I were Kazuomi once, and I think I had gotten the ESTP one for him back then.

Kazuomi - ESTP

“ESTPs are energetic thrillseekers who are at their best when putting out fires, whether literal or metaphorical. They bring a sense of dynamic energy to their interactions with others and the world around them. They assess situations quickly and move adeptly to respond to immediate problems with practical solutions.”

ENTPs, from what I've read, were described as being more focused on the future than the present moment? I think Kazuomi would be different since he's more the type to enjoy living in the present moment without necessarily thinking of what's to come. He’s very carefree. But there are other traits of this personality that matches Kazuomi though, so I understand why you would assign him this personality. I’ve read the other personalities that could fit Kazuomi to compare, and I think that a lot of them have similarities but if I had to choose, I would assign him the ESTP personality more easily since it seemed to fit him more in my opinion. He’s a very carefree person who loves to have fun and even live in dangerous situations to feel alive, which is why he loves games where he doesn’t know who will win or lose because it brings him that thrill. He radiates charisma and is always the center of attention, whether he wants it or not.

Kei - INFJ

“They tend to be excellent listeners and are good at interacting with people which whom they are emotionally close and connected. While they care deeply about others, INFJs tend to be introverted and only willing to share their "true selves" with a select few.”

I’ve checked out a bit of the other 15 personality types’ main qualities, but I was still at a loss so I asked a friend and they helped me understand more about the INFJs and INTJs. I started reading some reviews about them, and INFJs did seem to fit Kei’s character a lot (highly perceptive about other people, feel things deeply, have a very deep inner world, interest for the human mind/psychology, can get lost in their own thoughts, etc…). Of course you are right to say he’d be more of an "unhealthy" INFJ. His life as an orphan shaped his personality a lot and it had a lot of impact on how he views the world as an adult. INFJs were described as hard to get to know unless they trust they can confide in you, and I think that side of him is very enhanced. It’s obviously a defense mechanism, but he’s more difficult to read. Of course, he’s very good at reading others and often trusts his own intuitions. He’s the only one to have figured out a lot of things about the MC in a short time, including some of her very hidden feelings and some sides of her real personality, in his Season 1.

Yuzuru - INTJ

“They are innovative and creative, working relentlessly until they have achieved their definition of success. They believe they can achieve the most challenging goals and master any subjects that matter to them. (...) While this is a strength of the INTJ personality, this natural determination and steadfastness can quickly become perfectionism which might take a toll on their personal lives outside of work.“

Strict with themselves, can have trouble being patient with emotional or impulsive people, is very logical and self-assured, strives to create what he imagined in his head at all costs. The INTJ personality does suit Yuzu a lot. I’m not sure what INTX means, but I assume it potentially means he’s versatile between INTJ/INTP? But I do like to think INTJ could at least be assigned to him. It seems pretty spot on. Yuzu has a very organized lifestyle, he tries to be as healthy as possible, but when he creates things, he often forgets to care for himself as he needs to work with the inspiration he has in the moment. He became like Jun when she’s crafting something. Yuzu also has a tendency to neglect his relationships for the sake of his work, and he can be very stubborn when it comes to achieving his creations. Learning that he has someone like MC that he can rely on must have helped him a lot to be more flexible with other people.

Seiichi (Boss) - ISTJ

"ISTJs are practical and no-nonsense, and rarely call attention to themselves. Their clothes and possessions tend to be chosen based on utility rather than fashion, and they have an affection for the classics."

I had a lot of trouble finding something perfect but I think that personality type suits him the most out of all the Introverted and Thinker types? What I focused on was the Boss' sense of justice, his dislike of crowds, as well as his methodological approach when working. ISTJs seem to enjoy having a regular and sustainable routine. Aside from his work as a spy, the Boss does have his very own routine when he can live as himself. I also don't think it's bold to assume that he likes rules as they help maintain safety and fairness for people. I believe this is also why he doesn't particularly like Kazuomi since he loves to break rules. ISTJs are described as liking simplicity and being practical (in that sense, Yuzu is pretty similar to this too). He can take on any persona, so his style being simple in reality does make a lot of sense. He might find it reassuring to just be himself with no extravagance when playing a different persona. Having a classic style naturally makes you stand out less, which is helpful and needed for his work too. ISTJs are also very loyal and committed to their relationships, and actions speak louder than words for them, which is how Boss acts with MC. He has trouble making time for himself and having hobbies, since his work takes most of his time. He doesn't have the luxury of being this way due to his position, so I think MC being there for him helps him relax and find some flexibilty in his life.

MC - ENFJ

"ENFJs are typically energetic and driven, and often have a lot on their plates. They are tuned into the needs of others and acutely aware of human suffering; however, they also tend to be optimistic and forward-thinking, intuitively seeing opportunity for improvement. The ENFJ is ambitious, but their ambition is not self-serving: rather, they feel personally responsible for making the world a better place."

She follows her intuitions, and is often right about them. She doesn't like interpersonal conflict. She's magnetic, altruistic, mystical. She has charisma, passion, and often is a leader in social groups. You mentioned INFJ, but if I had to choose, I’d say she’s more of an extrovert. Due to her job, she sometimes needs her alone time to unwind and respond to her emotional needs but for me, she’s more of an extrovert usually. I’d say the times she likes to be alone don’t reflect her actual personality and makes her an introvert, since she was known as pretty much the popular girl in school, and she also can be outgoing pretty much all the time without feeling exhausted for this reason alone. Unlike the Boss, she’s the center of attention (on missions and in her personal life). She has her "me days" every month to relax and be alone, but I think it’s more of a consequence of her lifestyle while working as an agent. She just needs this day to go back to "herself" and enjoy her hobbies. However, I think this aspect of her personality (Extrovert/Introvert) can be arguable. You also mentioned she could be INTJ as a spy, but I personally think she doesn’t change her personality when she’s a "spy", only when she acts as a different persona, and then again, she could be any type of personality if that were the case. I think she’s pretty much like everyone. When she’s at work, she’s professional and is hard to read (especially with the Boss, since that’s kind of their banter), and when she’s at home or with people she’s friends with, she’s just without any filter.

Again, I could be wrong about these! I tried my best since I’m really not knowledgeable when it comes to this, but it was interesting to see how well the personalities could fit to the characters

Thank you for the ask ❤️

[dangermousie]

I will always love this drama for the whole thing that his tree of emotions is restored and all he feels is horror! He tries to burn it down with hellfire but of course can’t.

But then no wonder he doesn’t want to feel. All his feelings are awful - it’s not like got capacity for emotion back and he feels joy and love. Like every flashback we get to his childhood is worse than the last. Like daddy was definitely n1 at something and that something was child abuse! I don’t care if his reason was to save his tribe or w/e, he deserved to be murdered and worse way than he was! When he felt nothing it didn’t matter, but now it’s yikes!

His complaint is his kid didn’t murder him?!

And then he proceeds to abuse the shit out of him for god knows how long. Seriously, he beats him so hard, a stick breaks so he picks up another. I am beginning to think having emotions removed was the best thing that happened to Moon Supreme. Well, that and offing daddy. Team Patricide. (I suppose daddy was right; extreme abuse will create a monster. And emotions removed would make one rational. Hope you enjoyed your rightness as you got a head shorter...)

I love that Orchid with her sheltered life thought restoration of emotions is a good thing and it’s actually a hell of a lot more complicated than that. Like, no emotions a terrifying but functional ruler. Emotions and he may very well go down the mad tyrant path.

[heavenpierceher]

can u do tailgate 4 that ask game

(ask game here! and sorry this took AGES)

one aspect about them i love: would it be weird to say "that he's a liar"? idk i'm really enamored with like, characterizations that manage to take a pathologized/generally seen as Bad trait eg lying, stealing etc and make them like endearing and quirky. i like a lot that he's essentially a compulsive liar who's not like demonized for it and when the initial lie comes crashing down for him it's because he was extended compassion. idk it's very unique i think. ALSO ALSO i think it's sweet that he likes crafting stuff by hand.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them: god im so bad at fandom i dont really pay a lot of attention to like fandom Trends at large. idk it bothers me when people take his punchier more vengeful trauma-response characterization in early lost light as like, Just The Way He Is By Default rather than a temporary defense mechanism? does that make sense

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character: ive said before i think that since cybercrosis weakened his legs he prefers to use his alt mode to travel short distances (in crowd shots where everyone's fuckin Schmoovin he's usually in alt mode) since in alt mode his shoulders (front wheels) can pick up some of the slack... he was probably really happy about being able to transform again post-cybercrosis ;w; i think he probably has a lot of Weird medical stuff he kind of just has to Deal With, first as a consequence of just being old as shit and Built Different, then later because of the cybercrosis and recovery. in general i really like the idea of him being some equivalent of chronically ill/disabled because imo his arc has a lot to do with like coming to terms with how he doesn’t have to be "useful" or "strong" or serve some function in order to deserve support and love

one character i love seeing them interact with: is saying "literally anyone" cheating. i love the recurring bit with people giving him piggyback rides. Eveybody so sooooo nicey to him forever OK?

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more: odd as it sounds, getaway? i understand why the pacing etc wouldn't have allowed for it but i'd have killed for a single conversation between the two post-47. just to figure out what is going ON in there (there being their heads). mainly because i want to know if getaway would just cut to the chase and be like lmao wakeup call i never gave a shit or if he'd like try to keep up the manipulation. get a job stay away from her etc etc

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character: now i feel like you guys know by now about my rodimus+tailgate besties agenda. i think they get along especially well because they both have a weird little thing about being treated more like a set of ideals or a symbol than a person with emotions, rodimus with [gestures] His Whole Fucking Deal and tailgate with being like the Ship's Mascot Sweet Itty Minibot Who Missed The War What A Heroic Little Slugger. their relationship is symbiotic because tailgate loves being used as a projectile weapon they promise magnus they swear see look he's literally fine he's having fun see him thumps up 👍

[give-soup-please]

Could you please write about a reader with parental abuse history being the adopted little sister to The Narrator? Like he sees them being gaslighted and verbally abused and is just: "No, you're going to have to go through me first", "I suppose you need a real elder figure to look up to and teach you things."

(alright, this one went straight into wish fulfillment territory. And I hope I wrote the narrator as a big brother well, I don't have a lot of experience with healthy sibling dynamics)

Narrator as big brother figure to his adopted little sister reader

The narrator has been keeping a close eye on you for a while now. Ever since he broke out of his game, he’s been listlessly wandering from place to place. There are very few willing protagonists on this side of reality. Various humans occupy his attention, but never for very long. Not until he finds you.

There’s something familiar about you. The narrator doesn’t have any relatives, not as far as he knows, but he looks at your actions, the way you move through the world, and it all feels so… recognizable. 

He knows what this is, it’s on the tip of his tongue. It’s the fear he gets before a reset is forced on him. It’s the feeling of total despair whenever Stanley stops responding to him. He sees in you similar shades of emotions to what he’s gone through. Yes, the situations are different, but it makes him upset to see it happen to someone else. 

He watches the fear you have of your parents, the despair of going to sleep in a place that’s terrible for you. He realizes that you need help. So he begins to step in.

He doesn’t quite know why, at first. It hardly makes sense to him. He’s always tried to hold back from being invested in the lives of others, and yet, and yet…

He sees the person hiding underneath the abuse. The spirit, beginning to shatter. The heart, under the stress of cracking. The wonderful being that could be, if given a fighting chance.

He’s still just a voice for the time being, so he comes into your bedroom one night when you’ve been crying. He clears his throat, and you startle.

“W-Who’s there?” You ask, keeping your voice low. You’re too afraid that if you’re loud, your parents will come back. He adopts the same quiet tone. “I was wondering-” and here he pauses, trying to work out what to say next. He decides to start simple. “It appears to me that you could use some help. You seem as though you’re in need of-” What word does he want to use? He flicks through several in the span of a few microseconds. “-A… narrative guide.”

Well, if your mind had snapped, at least it had chosen a nice voice to begin the descent into madness.

“Yeah, alright. My name is reader.” 

And so begins a very interesting dynamic. 

He’s very protective, always trying to sooth you in the best way he knows how: storytelling. Even though it’s been a long time since he and Stanley last interacted, it’s part of his function naturally to talk and spin tales. 

He will tell you Stanley’s story, and then- recognizing that you’ll get bored quicker than he did, researches what stories to tell you next. He’ll tell them all, grandly. Fairy Tales, fantasy, and interestingly enough, he begins to enjoy telling mythology stories as well. There’s something about slightly different versions of the same story that’s really soothing to him.

You’ll sink into bed after another grueling day with your abusers, and he’s there to sooth you with his voice and stories. You’ve fallen asleep many nights to the comforting sounds of him talking.

He begins to document everything your parents do. For some odd reason, their version of the truth and yours don’t match up. Your parents tend to insult and degrade you and then pretend that they didn’t. It’s sickening.

“No, no, no, reader. Your mother definitely said something awful a few hours ago. I won’t repeat it, because I don’t think you need to hear it twice, but I am telling you, she was cruel.”

He watches them play this disgusting game again and again, making you doubt your perception of reality. He’ll do his best to keep you grounded. Now that you’ve got a second pair of ears and eyes, life becomes a bit easier to manage. 

He comforts you as best he can. “Reader, I know it’s difficult, but you’ve got to remember there’s a better life waiting for you outside this place. I can’t intervene, not directly, but I can help hold you together until you have the resources to leave.” 

He celebrates every small victory you have, every inroad to health you create. He doesn’t know when it happens, but he eventually starts seeing you as a little sister.   

He listens to you, whenever you need to vent or complain. You have a lot to complain about, given your current living situation. The narrator is always there to lend a sympathetic ear.

He’s always available to help when you need it, whether it’s encouragement, help with school/work projects, or motivation. The narrator’s skills at convincing people to do things are unparalleled.  

The narrator inwardly seethes at your treatment. He’s watched you suffer for too long. He begins to develop a plan. One of your parents is yelling at you about something stupid. For the first time ever, he speaks up on your behalf. 

“You know, your parenting skills leave much to be desired.” Both you and your parent freeze. It’s the only thing you share in common. He continues, “Honestly, I have no faith in a universe that puts people like reader in the care of a wretch like you, but luckily they have me to help guide them properly.”

The narrator’s voice curls around the room in a slightly sickening way. You’d feel much worse if the venom was directed at you. “Reader is under my protection now, so I suggest you leave before things get ugly. Well, as ugly as your heart is, at any rate.”

Your parent flees the room in terror. You’re somewhere between laughter and tears. The narrator rests his hand on your shoulder, and speaks softly. “Are you alright?” You aren’t sure. 

One day, the treatment by your parent escalates. The narrator watches them storm to your room and feels a spike of fear. He quickly pools his energy together, just in case. They’re screaming in your face. You’re terrified. The narrator is filled with rage. In slow motion, he watches your parent lean back, ready to strike you. And in one visceral instant, he manifests in the physical world and blocks their hand. 

“Oh, no you don’t.” He snarls. The parent gasps in surprise and fear. “Reader, do me a favor. Close your eyes.” You’re quick to obey. Even behind your eyelids, you wince at the flash of white. You wait a few seconds, then cautiously open your eyes. Your parent is gone. 

“Where- did you kill them?” You ask. The narrator sighs. “Unfortunately, no. I don’t have that level of power in this world. I just teleported their body somewhere else. Seattle, the Sahara, somewhere beginning with an ‘S’.” He crouches down to where you’re sitting on the bed. “It’s alright, reader. You’re safe now.” 

“But- how are we going to- I can’t live without their financial support!”

The narrator sighs. “I know. I’ve been working on a few solutions to that. It’s not perfect. The next few months are going to be very hard. Unless-” He looks at you, kindly. “I could bring them back.”

“No!” You say. “I mean- no thank you.” 

The narrator doesn’t know how to feel about what he’s done. But you’re his little sister, and he couldn’t bear the thought of not protecting you when it counted the most.                

[courfeyracs-swordcane]

🥀 [WILTED ROSE], 🍄 [MUSHROOM], and 🍊 [ORANGE] for cj sleepaway

🥀 [WILTED ROSE] How good is your OC at meeting deadlines? What motivates them?

Okay so this guy is both metaphorically and literally Depressed As Shit which is good! Because their line of work doesn’t really have deadlines besides if you don’t do this before the supernatural shit does that everyone will die. It’s also bad, because they’re kind of at a point where they only die if they are killed so the passage of time is kind of meaningless to them which means they have no real timeline to work out any of their shit on so they can just take it slow and wait it out (read. Sit there like a bump on a log trying to self-flagellate themself into being human or being stone whichever one comes first)

Besides that, they’re pretty solely motivated by their duty (to the camp, to the people they’ve hurt (read: mostly Echo bc I think they got through anything w Hati pretty quick but I think depending on. Who’s around in the timeline. They definitely have some Complicated Emotions IRT Ophelia/whoever’s left of C), to the Cataract Knight their boss/mentor, etc)(not necessarily in that order) but also that their Duty TM and the Guilt that they’re made of are twined together way too close to separate. Guy who was brought back to be a weapon essentially and now he is.

🍄 [MUSHROOM] How likely is your OC to eat random berries/mushrooms they find?

Unfortunately being functionally pretty much a statue they do not really need to eat and they also do not have the whimsy required to just find shit and eat it. They sit watch during the camp meals and if someone brings them a plate they’ll pick at it out of politeness but that’s about it

🍊 [ORANGE] Does your OC have a prophecy surrounding them? If they don't, what would it be?

oohOOHOOHOO okay. Okay. Well. CJ doesn’t. NECESSARILY. not so much that I know about anyway. There’s definitely some kind of something to be rotated with how the Cataract Knight picked Joel to fish out of the lake and bring back to life and how he goes on to be King. But like. There’s the bit in the alternate timeline where Jay goes under the hill instead of to the other side of the lake to try and get his dead boyfriend back. (And gets fucked up and evil about it)(attack dog vs guard dog etc etc etc)

[slasher-male-wife]

Billy Lenz x Masc reader

This is gonna be some hurt/comfort type stuff because well I need comfort rn. Gonna be pretty much based on shit that went down like earlier with me but idk man I just cope this way ig

Synopsis: Y/N is hanging out with his friends and his boyfriend Billy. Y/N’s friends aren’t the best people and Billy kinda has to stand up for Y/N.

Warning: Mentions of self harm and self harm scars, homophobic slurs used, Violence mentioned, just verbal and emotional abuse in general. Billy says ‘pretty piggy’ once but it’s in a loving way. Other stuff I probably missed too.

Your friends had come over, Ashely and Elliot. You insisted to Billy not to mention that the two of you are dating before hand. Thankfully he listened. The four of you are on the couch talking. Ashley and Elliot are dating and they love it rub it in your face. Ashley is sitting on Elliot’s lap while you and Billy sit next to each other. Billy noticed a change around you before they came. Putting things away that showed your interest in things and changing out of your usual clothes going for something more basic. But of course they had to criticize it. “So Y/N are you sure you wanna wear shorts?” Ashely asks. You look down at your legs and back up and nod.

“Yeah I am.” You reply. She chuckles and so does Elliot.

“It’s just everyone will see you know. Those scars and think you’re some depressed loser. Or know you’re an attention whore.” She replies referring to your self harm scars. They’ve been healed for a long time now but she knows it’s still a sensitive subject.

“Billy doesn’t, I mean I don’t mind.” Billy says putting a hand on your thigh.

“Yeah well I mean of course you wouldn’t mind. No offense you’re just a bit off.” Elliot comments. Billy goes to reply but Ashley cuts him off.

“So Y/N still no girlfriend? It’s gonna be a bit awkward when we go to beach for vacation don’t you think?” She says.

“Oh I was thinking I could bring Billy.” You say. Elliot scoffs. Billy gets a bit shakey.

“ Y/N we do this every year. We only allow partners to go with us you know?” Elliot says.

“Well you brought Katlin a few times.”

“Well that’s different.” Ashley says. She gets closer and whispers something in your ear. “She’s also not an absolute weirdo and just well you know she’s pretty hot.” Billy heard this and starts bouncing his leg. Ashley goes back to Elliot and kisses his cheek. She goes in and kisses him full on.

“Billy doesn’t like this.” Billy says in your ear.

“I know just suck it up they’ll be gone soon enough.” You whisper back. Ashley pulls away and gives a fake smile. 

“So Y/N still saving up for that liposuction we talked about?” She “playfully” slaps your thigh but it’s hard enough to leave a mark. You wince and Billy goes to grab your hand but you have to push it away.

“Oh are you two dating? I didn’t know you were a fag Y/N. I thought you were a normal guy.” Elliot comments. You feel tears start to swell and you just chuckle. Billy’s frustration growing.

“Nope I’m not dating him. Just roommates you know?” You say.

“I’ll be right back.” Billy say’s getting up. You shoot him a worried look and he keeps his face blank. He walks out of the room and Ashley turns back to you. 

“How can you stand to live with him? He’s so well you know weird.” She comments. You put on a polite smile. 

“He’s not that weird really, he just functions different than most people. It doesn’t mean he’s some freak.” 

“It kinda does. He’s like probably dangerous.” Elliot says holding Ashley tighter. 

“If you feel uncomfortable around him then you can leave.” You say. Ashley gets a bitter look on her face. 

“But we’re your friends. You selfish fag, I’m the one who stopped you from self harming.” You feel the tears coming back. 

“You told me I was doing it for attention. You said I should cut the fat out of my body instead.” Billy comes back into the room. You notice the outline of a pocket knife in his pocket.

“Leave now please.” He says. Elliot scoffs. 

“No Y/N wants us here.” He says. 

“I don’t, please leave.” You say as the tears start to fall. 

“You’re kidding me.” Ashley say.

“ I said get the fuck out.” Billy says.

Ashley stands up and storms off. 

“Fucking fags.” Elliot mutters and leaves. Billy sits on the couch as you keep crying. He pulls you into his lap and hugs you. 

“It’s ok Y/N. Billy’s here. Billy will help.” You cry into his chest, wetting his green sweater. “I’ll deal with them later pretty piggy. Don’t you worry.” You spend a long time in his arms. Crying and crying. Billy pets your head and kisses your forehead. You end up falling asleep in his arms and the next morning he makes you breakfast.