#hopefully i get some answers this time

[meateater-rabbit]

heart monitors are so much better now than 15 years ago holy shit

[nemotakeit]

i've said it before but i really want to see the lore from torchbearer's perspective as well. we've followed the storyline mostly from tyler/clancy's pov so far and we're very familiar with his vulnerable moments and insecurities. from his perspective it's almost as if tb is this unwavering guiding light who perfectly knows what he's doing all the time, helping him and working in mysterious ways - which, again, reinforces the godlike image tyclancy seems to project onto him. unless tb is ACTUALLY a supernatural being, which i don't think he is, he has to have his own doubts/vulnerabilities/insecurities etc just like clancy. i kinda want to see past the near-divine frame clancy (an unreliable narrator i'd say) encased him in and get to know his side of the story.

[fatuismooches]

DOTTORE SUNSET DATE... i would like to point out there's a lil Puffttore in the sky with a heart... i think that's adorable,,

Him admitting his feelings... :3 (marriage soon)

ACCEPTING THE CHOCOLATE BAR AT LIGHT SPEED... you know he loves you if he shares his sweets with you!!

Other random things... *nom* also because i think it'd be adorable for Dottore to actually look forward to spending an eternity with you.

Last one... he went to bed 12 AM sharp 😭

[feartoxinjelloshot]

I would love to know some backstories of the Rogues in your Batman AU

this is a very broad question considering how many rogues i have in my au, so i'll start out by linking some of them which i have elaborated on before to various degrees, and if you have further questions about them feel free to ask specifically:

POISON IVY

SCARECROW - SCARECROW - MORE SCARECROW (his backstory is kind of convoluted and scattered around. i get a lot of asks about him)

BLACK MASK (somewhat outdated - i intend to update it at some point)

MAD HATTER

KILLER MOTH

NINA & DEIRDRE

CALENDAR QUEEN

PROF. PYG

and here's the cliff notes on some obvious players not mentioned above - again, if you want more specific elaboration, or anyone else i forgot, feel free to ask:

THE JOKER: i guess this is a bit of a spoiler if you like ambiguity, but i've said it on this blog many times already so there's really no point in being coy about it - the joker in my au is an extra-dimensional eldritch creature who, quite literally, eats chaos to survive. it possesses the body of an ACE chemicals employee named Jay Doe after it influences them into jumping into a vat of acid where "the veil between worlds is thinner in that unstable substance" (per writing of mine). the joker is obsessed with the balance between comedy and horror that generates the "food" it needs to survive in our dimension. very few people in-universe are aware of the joker's origin or the true extent of its abilities. it is a genuinely unlikable creature bur very lonely at its core, as it is the only one of its kind on earth and cannot easily exit back to its old dimension. Jay Doe's soul is still around, though kept separate from the body via storage in the joker's personal pocket dimension, the "funhouse" (mainly used for storage to enable looney-tunes esque physical gags, but can be put to much more sinister use. this funhouse is also where the joker puts jason todd.)

HARLEY QUINN: Harleen Quinzel was a fairly average woman who made a comfortable salary at her job working as a psychiatrist at Arkham State Hospital. She was also deeply miserable. The constraints of the cookie-cutter life and career path she was forced into by the expectations of her controlling mother and other adults around her instilled a pervasive repressed need to escape from her own life and "do something wrong". She encountered the joker during one of his on-and-off stints in captivity at Arkham and immediately - and unwillingly - became infatuated with the sense of unique nonconformity he seemed to embody. The following affair between them was less about the joker's manipulation and more about harley grasping for power in the only way she knew how (through the joker did inarguably have his own part in it, because he liked harley and saw her as a potential cure for his lonliness). Eventually it culminated in her own descent into the same acid vat that had "transformed" Jay Doe, but rather than possession, harley emerged with a... heightened sense of clarity about herself and the world around her. The acid also had some malignant effects on her, gradually causing her skin to rot and fall off her body. She compensated by sewing herself back together with colorful patches of fabric. I wrote a rather long fanfic about harley and the joker's relationship (and following breakup) for 2023's nanowrimo, which sadly has not been released yet because i am still editing it. hopefully one day soon it will reach the public.

THE RIDDLER: The riddler's conception is a little fuzzier than other backstories I have, because I'm still working on it, but the main gist of it is that Edward Nygma (born E-------- Nashton) spent many years essentially singlehandedly raising his younger brother, William Nashton. They lived alone with their father (their mother having left the picture years earlier) who was a chronic deadbeat, physically abusive, an alcoholic for good measure, and altogether put very little effort into raising his own children. Edward was a very strange child from the get-go and over time and circumstance his asynchronicities developed into a compulsive need for control and structure. He turned to his most genuine talent - puzzle-solving - and put it to work where it seemed most logical: computers. Edward became a very dedicated and effective hacker, largely by his methods of viewing code as a literal cipher or riddle that he had to untangle to "win". He gained a genuine reputation for the obscure and highly guarded databases he was able to gain access to, which generally served to inflate his ego. Meanwhile, two things: one, the more stress he was put under, the more his obsessive worldview began to take over other parts of his life, especially interpersonal ones - especially his interactions with his father and other antagonistic figures in his life. he became convinced that if he could "solve" the "pattern" of their behaviors, he could escape their abuse or in a sense control them. Two, these insecurities expanded to target his deeply protective instincts over his little brother, who around the time Ed was, say, sixteen or so, in a completely random accident, got hit by a car while crossing the street with Edward (who was spared) and later died from his injuries. Edward's father blamed him for this event, despite Ed having no possible control over the situation. The trauma of his brother's sudden death caused Edward's psychological state to degrade quickly and devastatingly. He began to devote his "puzzle-solving skills" largely to esoteric coping mechanisms, and expressed that if he could "find the pattern in the world around [him]" he could prevent an accident "like that" from happening again, to anyone, ever. His obsessions later expanded to focus upon the Batman, who at the time was less of a public figure and more of a local ghost story - the ultimate mystery for Edward to solve, and prove everyone else wrong, and finally win.

CATWOMAN: Selina Kyle's backstory is fairly straightforward compared to the above tales and hasn't been tampered with very much since its original conception. She grew up very poor and in an unhappy household; as a child she spent a lot of time with her kid neighbor Effy Lynns (later Firefly), who was also in a bad familial situation, and they began to view each other as siblings. As adults they moved into an apartment together. Selina was never very well off, but scraped by working odd jobs over the years, most notably a job at the local animal shelter, which she was genuinely happy at - unusual luck for her. She liked it so much, in fact, that she was trying to save money up to finally finish her degree, so that she could start to pursue a career as a veterinarian. During this time she also lived in an apartment above a chain pharmacy. Her "criminal" career was kicked off when her she learned that her downstairs neighbor, an elderly woman who she was fairly close with, had been denied by insurance to receive insulin due to a gap in coverage and, as she couldn't afford a trip to the emergency room, was in danger of dying. As she lived right above a pharmacy, Selina saw the workers going in and out every day and knew what the code to the back door was. She also knew which breaker would turn the power to the security cameras off. Well, her neighbor was too grateful to really care about where she got the medication from, and Selina asked for nothing in return, except to call if she needed help again. Was it against the law? Sure. Was it a crime? No. Selina never faced any consequences for her actions that day, and was instilled with a (perhaps unearned) sense of confidence - she had learned how easy it was to steal. Her ambitions expanded somewhat worrying quickly, though she resolutely stuck to ethical targets - chain stores, corporations, and eventually the homes of the ultra-wealthy. If asked, selina would say - truthfully so - that it was a genuinely good-hearted attempt at redistribution of wealth. What she was less willing to admit was that there was a significant element of adrenaline-seeking and even kleptomania to it that she wasn't ready to confront in herself. She was doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. The only harm, she supposed, was to herself.

FIREFLY: Like I mentioned in the previous entry, Firefly is the eventual vigilante identity* of Effy Lynns, Selina's adopted sibling. Effy worked for many years in an oil refinery to make ends meet. It was hard, grueling work and the floor workers were treated badly in many respects. One day they were involved in a factory explosion that left them with third degree burns on the right side of their face, neck, shoulder and chest, along with blinding them in that eye and reducing the hearing of that ear. It was later made known to them that the accident was only allowed to occur because of the gross negligence and poor working conditions of their wealthy supervisors. They were also let go by the factory due to not being able to work any more, putting them in financial strife. Understandably, this series of events was a snapping point for Effy, and, inspired by Selina's nighttime activites, they adopted a fire-themed vigilante persona to enact public revenge against the corporate conglomerates that were ruining theirs and other people's lives. Effy's backstory is fairly vague and subject to change, since it's more recent than the others and therefore less developed. I haven't decided if their suit is their own invention or if they collaborate with some other source to design it.

*"Firefly" is actually just their full first name. Friends and family call them Effy more often. They start to embrace use of their full name when things go off the rails, though it only becomes known to the public after their (hypothetical) eventual apprehension.

MR & MRS FREEZE: Victor Fries and Nora Selvam met at a scientific convention in England in their twenties. Both of them had immigrated with their families in their teens, Victor from Russia and Nora from South India. They clicked immediately and were married a year later. Their story together doesn't deviate very far from typical batman canon, with the notable exception that in my version of the story, Victor is the one with an incurable terminal illness. Per usual Victor and Nora work together to attempt to push forward the research on Victor's illness, moving to Gotham somewhere in the process. Over time they both get more desperate, facing their own respective demons: Victor becomes desolate and even suicidal, hopeless as to his own future; Nora becomes erratic and fixated, determined to prove her husband wrong and save him. She takes unreasonable risks for the sake of the research and Victor does nothing to stop her. Victor poses the idea of putting himself in cryostasis until a cure can be invented, not really believing in the idea, mostly just wanting to die in the ice. Nora, though, latches onto the idea and begins working on designs for a stasis machine. She overworks herself to the point where she can no longer recognize dangerous flaws in its internal structure. When the machine is "complete" she has Victor come to the lab and offers to demonstrate the effects of the pod on a butterfly for him. He accepts, curious, and she does, but upon the subsequent unfreezing of the butterfly, it lies cold and unmoving. Frightened and demotivated, they get into a heated, emotional argument, which distracts them fatally from the stabilization alarms sounding on the cryostasis machine. The world turns white. When Victor returns to consciousness his skin is blue and bruised, like a frostbitten corpse, and every breath feels like ice stabbing through his lungs. The lab is encased in an explosion of unmeltable ice, kept supernaturally cooled by the malfunctioning power core of the machine. The lab becomes the only place that Victor can survive in without a cooling suit. The ice in the room is so thick and deep that he can't even see Nora's body inside. But she's in there, somewhere. She has to be. Right...? (Somewhere overhead a butterfly flaps by the skylight.)

TWOFACE: this is another story that is subject to change in the future, because i haven't decided on the exact details, but, Harvey Dent grew up with a physically and emotionally abusive father and an absent mother, as per much of his usual canon. He met Bruce Wayne when they were children and despite going to different schools, coming from different family backgrounds and living very different lifestyles, they made fast and inseparable friends with each other and were joined at the hip for much of their teenage years, even going to college together later in life. As his childhood progressed Harvey became increasingly and uncomfortably aware of "another him" in his head* - an alter, though he had no idea what that was at the time - who called itself Alastor**. Alastor served as Harvey's protector, facing their father's physical abuse instead of Harvey. Harvey was deeply ashamed and resistant to the idea of self-perceived mental illness and did everything he could to feign "normality", i.e. pretend that Alastor didn't exist, or at least that they were the same person. Bruce, being so close to him, had something of an idea that there was something going on with Harvey that he didn't know about - but Harvey was extremely resistant to the idea when Bruce attempted to bring it up, so he left it alone for a long time. Alastor did not have this hesitancy, Thus Bruce and Alastor met and knew each other to some degree without Harvey's knowledge. Despite his generally antagonistic views of almost everyone outside of the system, Alastor developed a begrudging "tolerance" (fondness) for Bruce as Bruce would treat him well in a general sense, having no reason to resent him, especially in their youth. Harvey's adult life also generally follows typical canon: he went to college with Bruce (and a young Thomas Elliot) where they remained close until Bruce suddenly dropped out and effectively fell off the earth, leaving Harvey to complete his studies and attend law school alone. Harvey nor Alastor ever really forgave Bruce for his disappearance and even when he reappeared in Gotham several years later, there was an awkward wedge between them. In his law career Harvey saw significant success, graduating from public defense to assistant DA to District Attorney at an admirable speed. His willingness to call out and prosecute the corruption in the city led to targets being put on his back, but he wasn't deterred and eventually started a campaign for mayor, promising to help make the city into something better. His campaign - though controversial - was ultimately successful. Unfortunately, the attention he attracted by his political outreach included that of a career criminal called the Joker. The Joker, being purely an agent of chaos, did not care about Gotham's politics by any means, except where they were funny to him - and watching Harvey Dent grapple his own brain for control was very funny indeed. Having been entranced by Harvey for several months, the Joker decided he was going to make a laughing-stock of him, on the day of his mayoral inauguration. The Joker broke into City Hall and, with a generous measure of spectacle, tied Harvey to a chair in front of every news camera he could find and ripped the left side of his face off. The Joker's abilities allowed this to be a largely harmless, albeit very painful, process. Harvey's career as mayor was over before it had begun. He escaped, humiliated and panicking, into the depths of the city, where he was not seen again for several months.

*Harvey probably has several other less distinctive alters, but Alastor is the most significant one and the one Harvey is most capable of recognizing.

**I wanted to give harvey's alter a name that wasn't just an altered version of harvey's own name. "Alastor" was taken from a fanfic i read a long time ago and have since hopelessly lost track of. Per google: "In Greek mythology, Alastor is an epithet of the god Zeus, meaning "avenger" or "defender of men". Alastor was also the name of a spirit or force that punished wrongdoing and upheld fairness. The name also symbolizes memory, as it conveys the importance of not forgetting wrongs." In canon, I imagine harvey read about the epithet in a book as a child and was influenced by it. Thus, i suppose Alastor is technically an introject.

[solplease]

i've been very excited to post this but here are my ocs haha!! meet lune, cecilia, nox, and aster!

close ups, more info, and a more detailed relationship chart under the cut! this is gonna be a long post haha. there's also some more info about rowan!

cecilia's twin (he's the older twin) ((by two minutes. lol))

the type to go “here to here, i’ll buy it all”

he's got a temper

possessive, devoted, and jealous yandere

people think he's a tad bit insane (and he's self aware mostly,,)

gets into fights often

“want me to kill that guy for you?” (he’s serious btw)

he’s not nice lmao, but to you he is (in his own special way of course..!)

kind of like a cat who will proudly leave dead rats and leaves on your doorstep as a gift bc it thinks you can’t hunt for yourself

hates nox LMFAO

difficult to approach at first but once you get close he won’t ever let you go.

extroverted

LOUD. someone shut him up, this mf does NOT stop yapping bro

annoying as hell and he doesn’t know that lmao

if he absolutely has to, he’ll behave. but it's... odd

constantly needs to be doing something or he’ll get bored lol

has a bit of a sweet tooth (typical)

Bastard (not literally)

played the piano when he was younger with his sister, but he hated playing it

bad terms with his family except for cecilia

huge rebellious streak

shockingly will not kidnap you! everyone already knows you’re his, and he’s yours. and he won’t let anyone get in between you two. yay..!

hates it when you don’t pay attention to him (will absolutely start sulking too)

he’s impulsive but he’s not completely reckless

you probs shouldn’t trust him too much though he has good (????) intentions lol

seems silly (debatable really) but he’s dangerous.

half of the things he says sound like jokes but trust me, he means it. he’d do anything and everything for you, don’t forget!

shockingly pouty and whiny, only in front of you though

him and cecilia have matching bracelets from when they were younger which they both wear to this day

he’s oblivious as fuck, and an idiot

lune's twin (she's younger)

normal (somewhat) ((not really))

sweet and friendly

really likes giving gifts to people she cares about

jumps to conclusion and freaks out easily, but she’s subtle about it

constantly stressed (lune is her brother, so… i get it)

introverted (runs on a social battery)

says things without thinking sometimes

people pleaser

awkward as hell tbh, but it’s really not obvious because she’s good at putting on a front 

kinda has the ”””””princely””””” persona (i didnt know how to describe that better lmao

has abandonment issues

girlfail tbh

hardworking

shes really protective of her loved ones

likes cute things

has issues with her family but still talks to them (lune does NOT)

on really good terms with lune, they’re very close (even though he’s a huge troublemaker that stresses the shit out of her) ((if he fucks around too much she’ll give him a good smack))

packs a good punch

SENSITIVE…

potential yandere? still not too sure if i’ll make her a fully fledged yan but she def has some of the traits lol

her and lune have matching bracelets from when they were younger! (she wears it everyday!)

she doesn’t mean to put on a front it just kinda happens automatically lmao

could kill someone... probably wouldnt tho

used to play the piano with lune, she still plays it now too (as a hobby)

cunning and annoying

def the type to kidnap you

oddly sweet (???)

but also ominous as hell

docile with the one he loves

isolating and manipulative yandere

dislikes lune

nice but you can tell he’s putting up a wall (with strangers and friends)

introverted

wouldn’t put stalking past him tbh

he’s the type that wants to know everything about you.

he has a tough time interacting with others. he feels awkward in social situations

the type to go to a party and spend the whole time petting the cat in the corner (he would not go to the party in the first place tho lmao)

he’s not misunderstood tho, he just can’t socialize and doesn’t really want to

grabs the end of your shirt in an awkward situation (its kinda cute)

takes time to open up, but when he falls for you, his love is so strong, it’s almost overwhelming. so just accept him, alright?

shittiest sleep schedule known to man, like srsly, what is bro doing

this man’s brain probs short circuits every 5 minutes LMFAO go to bed you idiot

really good with his words, very convincing

loves cats

hidden piercings

careful and patient

is really good at taking care of others (but he would only wanna take care of you) you’ll let him, won’t you?

startles easily lol

elf oc

ditzy and kind (to you)

bit of a mean streak (not to you!) 

wants to appear princely in front of you

kinda stupid (a farce but not completely lol)

has a bit of a temper, but nothing too bad

clingy and cunning yandere

two faced

struggles with empathy (he tries, he’s not human, what’s he supposed to do!)

extroverted (?)

he’s really lonely

when he met you for the first time he was absolutely fascinated as he’s never interacted with a human being before!

BLUNT. he’s not used to convos… just give him some time!

at first it was simple curiosity, but that curiosity turned into something… deeper

he was completely alone before this, but now you’re here, and you’re going to stay, right? 

is obsessed with the idea of you staying here with him forever, so why do you keep talking about going home? can’t you stay here? 

but then you bring up the idea of him coming with you, well why didn’t you say that earlier! he's happy to come with you

It takes him some time to grasp certain concepts so please be patient with him, he’s not used to humans

he’s paranoid and hostile to other humans. it’s not fair, he wants all of your attention, so why is everyone trying to take you from him? he doesn’t like that everyone is getting in his way… 

he’s terrified of bugs. will scream incredibly loudly if he sees one lol

he pulled you through a mirror, that’s how you ended up in his land

so if you wanna go back, just ask and he’ll take you! 

gives you jewelry, expensive jewelry. (maybe he’s slipped on a ring before. haha. jk… unless..?)

prefers to stay inside your place because he really doesn’t like people who aren’t you lmao

don’t stray too far from him, okay? he’s always waiting for you

rowan (who i don't have a new drawing of rn </3 sorry!):

he absolutely hates not being a priority, so please don’t ignore him. please? he just wants you to love him.

clingy, devoted, and obsessive yandere

if you don’t reciprocate he might (unknowingly) try to guilt you into liking him back. will appear like a kicked puppy to really sell it (but it’s not an act lol he’s just like this)

at least his intentions are pure! (?????????) but is that better..?

if when (it will happen) you two end up together, he’ll give you the world if you’d asked for it

used to cut his own hair! :D (not great at it tho tbh)

very attentive and will work hard to keep you happy! just don’t forget that you’ll love only each other for the rest of your life. please don’t leave.

has tripped over nothing, will definitely happen again

here's the shitty relationship chart that i rushed </3 its very ugly im sorry HAHA

i really want to clarify that NONE of them will ever hurt you physically on purpose (they might have to pay up for emotional damages tho. they have your best interest in mind ig)

also i would say that they all share some traits like being clingy, devoted, possessive, obsessive, jealous, protective, and loyal. but if i specifically wrote it, it's probs just a bit more intense... just a bit,,, haha...

[benetnvsch]

I want to see them having more casual interactions please-

[tetedurfarm]

having a snack on their shiny new floor ✨

[journey-to-the-attic]

Astaroph??? By what definition of less sane do you mean in the dragon au? Did he have any friends before cursed armor sought him out?

okay so the thing with astaroth is that you have catch him in his early personality development stages and give him a good hobby - in jtta this was stargazing and later music - and if you fail to do that within a certain window, he turns to other things for entertainment

in the dragon au this is jewel-thievery. it's not for any noble reason, he's literally just bored; any stealing-from-the-rich and giving-to-the-poor aspect is only because he didn't know what to do with the jewels afterwards

then the thievery gets boring too, so he starts making his schemes more elaborate until they're practically full one-man heists. still not enough? okay, what if he starts hunting these people around their own mansions? what if he starts setting up elaborate traps to get them? now that's what he calls a good night out

he goes after the rich, whether good or bad, just because they're the most amusing - it's a coincidental bonus if he kills off a corrupt landlord or abusive duke in the process. he's a decisive, occasional striker; he plans these things out meticulously, and so has never been caught

which is why it throws him off when wiz and alecto walk into town and immediately identify him, courtesy of the cursed armour. he decides to travel with them, again, purely out of boredom - because he does know that it's not normal to elaborately plan and carry out murders for fun, and part of him hates himself for it, but most of him just doesn't care

his objective in travelling is to find something that does make him care. in relation to how mephisto's story seems to naturally end in his death, i think astaroth's would involve actually coming to care for his travelling companions and thus feeling grief for the first time when this happens

(it goes without saying that he does not have anyone that he considers close before this)

[mxwhore]

embarrassing sex!!¡ fuck yea!!!

[nixie-deangel]

Nixie darlin'

WIP Wednesday: 🍒/JJB & 💪/Seresin-problem

❤

I don't actually have any more progress on either of these 🫣🫣🫣 but will be doing a 15 minute sprint on each of these for you, Red!!

[voiceshearingyouloud]

Finally properly sobbing after not being able to cry all day is such a great feeling

[fingertipsmp3]

Guys I am so fucking itchy and every time I scratch I get these purple blotches showing up afterwards. What is that about

[not-poignant]

Hello Pia, I hope your day is going well! 👋

I was wondering if you could expand on the process of, like, Hillview finding alphas for graduates? It's been mentioned a few times- like lucien is going to graduate back to the alpha partner he was with previously who sent him there, but mosk is being placed with Erin and his family, and henton has mentioned an application process now a few times. Early talk had Efnisien going to someone who "didn't mind atypical partners, or even just wants companionship" which suggests it's not necessarily a sort of matchmaking service. It's giving more a sort of dog adoption process, especially those found among specialty rescues (lol) , which seems right on track with a dystopia where omegas can't even get a full education.

I imagine the application process is screening for safety and welfare and general things like that? Is there a like, several meetings with the omega to determine compatibility? Would someone like Flitmouse (in a cruel au where Anton doesn't exist) be able to graduate independently, or is this universe such that an omega *really* can't exist without some kind of alpha/beta/family guardian? (Even if only on paper)

Thank you!

Hi hi anon!

Let's get into worldbuilding :D

I mean you're basically right in saying it's like a dog adoption process. But actually in reality, it's much more like a thorough child adoption process. I.e. There are people who wait a long time - sometimes years or over a decade - to be considered candidates for a particular child. They go through a lot of applications, vetting, police clearances, interviews, and then there will be supervised child / prospective parent interviews before a trial happens, and custody is handed over. Obviously for disreputable ORFs, the process cuts a lot of corners and favours abusive alphas.

About half of the omegas dropped off return to the people who dropped them off, and don't actually need to be reassigned. For the rest, about 20% were abandoned and don't know it (like Nate), and the other 30% are ones who will be removed from the original custody of the people who dropped them off and reassigned.

This is why Hillview often makes a point later of saying they have custody of an omega when they're terrified of going back to an abuser, and they encourage alphas to sign away the custody under the guise of 'this allows us to field all liability should anything happen so you're not culpable' etc.

So for the 50% that will essentially be reassigned, there's a long wait-list similar to what we actually see with adoption.

It is 99% of the time a matchmaking service, because omegas must be sexually serviced competently during a heat. Efnisien's an exception (but also, not really. He barely got through his heat without significant medical intervention because he didn't have penetrative sex), and that's something they'll consider for him, but I would say you could safely assume the rest of the time, sexual consummation of a heat would be considered a fundamental / non-negotiable part of the candidate's abilities to provide a home. For this reason, omegas are never exited to other omegas, betas, or families that don't have an alpha that can't fulfill this requirement.

That being said, there are alphas who can fulfill this requirement who don't want a really deeply loving and romantic relationship, and offer heat consummation, a home, safety, and support as almost a platonic service. So this does happen, it's just rare. Alphas that want to care for someone, and have the drive to consummate heats (which many alphas are drawn to doing), but don't want to be tied up in something romantic, will join waitlists for this reason.

Compatibility is often determined before the omega and alpha meet. Though omegas often get a chance to look through a short-list of files (inc video interview) and make choices based on that in advance. Some alphas have been waiting so long they fall in love with other omegas while waiting and drop off the waitlists. The waitlist is long, there are far more alphas who want an omega who is more independent and 'themselves' than omegas who need them.

There's often significant age gaps though, because many younger alphas are more likely to be in their 'have to control / fuck omegas' and older alphas often realise they want genuine companionship. That's not always true, but that's the overall trend.

But yeah, after that process, there's meetings with the alpha, and the alpha's family. (It's important they make sure they aren't exiting an omega into an abusive family situation where the omega is expected to be 'the help'). There's in-person meetings where potential chemistry, compassion, and sensitivity can be observed. For example, they can learn a lot by how tolerant an alpha is of a pre-existing bond, how tolerant they are of the alpha companion, and how compassionate they are to the fact that their omega will be leaving a bond to re-bond. Interviews often include alpha persuasion by peak alphas like Gary and Temsen, to actually make sure the alpha in question isn't secretly a rapist, monster, etc.

Some alphas meet their omegas more often than others. In the case of Lucien and Denis, they only had to meet once, and that was to review changes and lifestyle support / suggestions. Denis has already gone through an ongoing vetting process, and is trusted, and Lucien's never wavered in wanting to go back to him.

Eran on the other hand had to go through an extremely thorough process, because this alphas are given the responsibility of continuing supporting an omega's autonomy while providing care and compassion. They need to set up support networks, create opportunities for genuine friendships beyond the alpha-omega unit, and create opportunities for education, interdependence and other forms of care.

We can see them talking about the meetings in Underline the Black but it's not the focus of the story so it's only mentioned briefly.

The session with Caleb wrapped up, and Gary felt an affectionate spite, sending Temsen an email letting him know to arrange a transition phase for Lucien and Caleb, starting with a meeting with Denis. This would be the sort of thing he'd be organising in his role as manager of the facility. It was nice, knowing his requests might annoy Temsen. 

Faber later:

'That's… I wanted to say that we've arranged a date for Denis Deschamps to meet with Lucien Beaumont and Caleb, Sirs. Sir.''

Would someone like Flitmouse (in a cruel au where Anton doesn't exist) be able to graduate independently, or is this universe such that an omega *really* can't exist without some kind of alpha/beta/family guardian?

Yes! This is actually talked about more than once in Underline the Gold. Flitmouse even threatens Temsen with it at some point:

'...You're free to leave, of course, that option is always yours, but you have to understand that…we can't let an illness go untreated if you decide to stay, even if you are paying to stay here.' (This is something Temsen reminds him of, and not something Flitmouse mentions at the time).'

And Flitmouse very much believes it's an option to the point of teasing Anton about it:

'You don't have to put up with me,' Flitmouse said, reaching out, fingers hovering near Anton's jaw, but not risking the touch in case it wasn't wanted, wasn't allowed. 'Lovely boy, don't you know that yet? I could leave tomorrow.'

So yeah Flitmouse has full autonomy. He can't make them not treat his eating disorder, because they're a health facility, but he can absolutely leave without being paired with anyone because he's funding his own stay!

Flitmouse has financial autonomy, so even though it would be dangerous for him to leave, Hillview would grant him full rights to. It's one of the reasons Flitmouse chose Hillview in the first place. I think they only thing they'd point out is that while Flitmouse is claimed by Vadim, Flitmouse can be targeted by him and even killed by him in the 'real world' outside of Hillview, and Hillview is in some ways a secure sanctuary as much as anything else.

[sinfulforrest]

man I really need to like, start doodling here again when i can find the time...its been forever since I've drawn murder oc content and other such gross lil nasties and i miss being a weird freak thing on here :'3

[feroluce]

just wanted to thank you for all your work in the henghill department, you literally own the tag, and thanks for opening my eyes to the potential in their dynamic, god bless

I WAS SO HAPPY TO GET THIS YAY THANK YOU ANON. That's honestly one of the greatest compliments, to be able to showcase a ship so well someone develops interest. ♡

They're my favorites right now and I still have a lot more to say about them! Maybe even some more snippets planned! So I'm hoping to lure in a lot more people! ☆

[hailsatanacab]

Im like obsessed with your writing, the way you describe danny's emotions, his spiralling thoughts and their interactions. It feels so real, I'm crying for him.

Soo, just wondering if you'd be continuing 'close enough to be whole again' fic, totally understandable if you're taking a break! 👉🏻👈🏻

Thank you so much!! I'm glad cetbwa resonates so much with you, it never fails to amaze me when people say they like my writing 😅

As for the update, it's coming! I've almost finished writing the chapter, but then it'll need editing because we're almost at 14k words and that's... a lot. This next chapter's a lot. Prepare yourselves for it haha