#i always live to see the doctor be curious af

[batcxves]

Reputation

a battinson pic, fem!reader, reader insert, riddler is conspiring against reader, reader has a budding relationship with b. wayne, as well as an established business-ish relationship with the batman, ongoing/not finished.

synopsis: A doctor of criminology, Y/N has been secretly conspiring with the masked vigilante of Gotham, the Batman. Despite her secret, she has rose to a sort of fame within the police department, and at a banquet honoring her success, she is shot. Bruce Wayne rescues her, and fights an ever-growing attachment to her. Meanwhile, she conspires with the Batman to catch the perpetrator that is targeting her. As tensions rise and she discovers that the shooter is much more dangerous than she previously believed him to be, she fights internal battles of complicated feelings towards the two banes of her existence: Bruce Wayne, and the Batman.

content warnings for this chapter: pining af

a/n: ACTUAL ACTION IN THIS CHAPTER FINALLY :) hooray. I love to see everyone sharing or noting it means so much to share this story with others. hope you continue to enjoy !!

. . .

CHAPTER FOUR -

She stood in the crack of her door, watching, waiting, hoping that she would hear his footsteps ascending back up the stairs; see his silhouette reappear in the empty hallway. Dumbfounded was the only way to describe her current state. Slamming her door shut, she paced to the curtained window overtop her desk, peeling back the black-out cloth to watch for him. She could see his car parked across the street; it was the only dark, expensive-looking car in the vicinity. Despite being rather financially well-off, she had always opted to keep to a small space. She couldn’t begin to imagine how someone like Mr. Wayne conducted himself in his grand mansion overlooking the whole of the city. To be all alone was one thing, but to be all alone in a space that one’s singular presence could not fill, would be more lonesome than words would be able to explain.

She watched as he stepped outside onto the sidewalk, head low. He had come to see her, to see how she was—how did he even know where she lived? Why would he risk being seen in a lower-income part of town? Why would he risk his image being tainted? She paused her thoughts as she saw him pull a piece of paper out of his coat pocket and tear it in half quickly. As he crossed the street, he crumpled the now ripped paper in one singular fist, dropping it in the garbage outside of the apartment complex across the street. He rubbed his hands together and pulled on his jacket to tighten it even further around him, ducking his head as his driver opened the door to his car for him. In the back windshield, she saw his body contort in order to turn back towards her building, and quickly, she closed the curtain with an anxiously extreme force.

Pacing, she listened for the motor of his expensive car to disappear down the street before she opened the curtain again. She was deathly curious to know what the paper entailed; was it for her? It was an awfully odd place to dispose of a paper, and Mr. Wayne didn’t appear to her to be the type to carry useless garbage around in his pockets. Of course, she’d have to wait until the sun set to look for the paper. She couldn’t risk being seen digging through the dumpster just after being shot; it was clear the beloved image she had imagined herself to have was deteriorating quickly. She wouldn’t have her career ended for something as stupid as rumors and defamation of her image. If she would go down, it would have to be much, much better than that. She had decided long ago that if she were to be ruined, it would have to be over the Bat. She wouldn’t have it any other way. She didn’t deserve her career ruined over anything else. He was her one thing. The thing that would certainly destroy her, but she could not seem to stop herself from having. The feeling she got from solving case after case with him as her partner could only be described as comparable to the feeling drug addicts chased. That feeling, that high that she would not become tolerant to anytime soon.

As the day progressed, she found her mind wandering back and forth between the two masked men—one literally, the other figuratively. Neither would ever let her in, yet with the passing days, she had begun to feel a growing desire to attempt to crack the walls surrounding the both of them. It was her nature, as a detective. Every mysterious person was simply a challenge to her, a puzzle. She supposed that her thought process was the reason behind her having no personal relationships; she didn’t see people as just that: people. They were objects to her, something for her to solve, and once she did that, she moved on to the next most mysterious thing. When she solved things, broke through a person’s barriers, she no longer had a challenge, and therefore, no longer had an interest. Both a blessing and a curse, her thirst for knowledge consumed her.

Soon, her impatience consumed her, and as the sun was just beginning to set, she decided that she could wait no longer. Slipping on a long black shirt and black cargo pants, which were a tad too big, she decided to start down to the dumpster to begin her search. By the time she had finished her descent down the stairs, the sun had completely set, and darkness was about to consume the city. Though she had been a private investigator for years, she still never felt very comfortable on the streets of her neighborhood, especially at night. In the waistband of her cargo pants, a handgun was tucked away, ready in case of need.

As she crossed the street to the dumpster on the other side, the street was quiet. The sound of crickets and the wind in the midsummer night relaxed her as she stood on tiptoe to peer inside the dumpster, using her phone’s flashlight to navigate through the trash. It had just been emptied the day before, God bless. She hoisted herself up and climbed in, landing on her feet upon the metal bottom of the dumpster. She fell to her knees and dug around for a moment, finding one of the pieces of paper scattered throughout the contents. She turned her head towards the sky to hold the paper up into the moonlight, only to find her vision of the sky blocked by the familiar silhouette of a cowl upon a pair of hefty shoulders. Suppressing a shriek, she immediately reached for gun out of instinct. He frowned and reached forward, grabbing her wrist before she could bring the gun up to level with him. A moment passed, but she became considerably less tense as she came to realize who the man in front of her was.

“Don’t you ever just say hello?” She growled, embarrassed to be caught in such a lowly position. “What the hell are you doing here? Keeping tabs, Bat? I don’t know if you’re aware, but my mother stopped hiring babysitters for me years ago.”

He stood silently, for a moment, pondering the image of her in the dumpster. With a firm grip on her wrist, he traveled to her hand, prying it open to take the piece of paper from her. She protested immediately, lurching so hard towards him that she recoiled and hissed from the pain of his grip on her pulling on her shoulder. He released her, ignoring her protests and groans of pain as she tried to pull herself out of the dumpster. He held the paper up to the sky, and the moonlight shone upon it, illuminating the black words scribbled onto the page. The end of a word or two were cut off from the rip, but two words were clear: a signature. B. Wayne. He looked over his shoulder at her, and she cowered against the dumpster. It had been the only time that he had ever seen her look anything less than determined and confident. Red in the face, refusing to make eye contact, she appeared to be ashamed. He crumpled the paper in his fist and tucked it into his pocket, turning to face her now. Not a word had passed between them for a few minutes now, and a cold, awkward silence fell over them. His jaw was set as he stared blankly at her with a frown, trying to make out any sense from her angered silence.

Suddenly, he took two steps forward, reaching over her to grab the lid of the dumpster. He closed it firmly, firmly. The loud bang that echoed behind her told her just how disproving he was of her actions, and she, too, felt the same disgust for herself. Hovering over her now, she found the sight of her shoes to be rather interesting.

“Look at me.” His gruff voice broke the silence. She hesitated, but slowly lifted her head, her eyes trailing after the movement of her neck, and it was then that she realized how close he was. Pressed against the cold metal of the dumpster, she felt as if she had shrunk. His body seemed to be twice the size of hers, and when she turned to look away again, feeling embarrassed by the aggressive eye contact he was making, he grabbed her chin, pulling her face back to look at his. “You,” his voice was quiet, but firm, “Do not want him.” His eyes were darting back and forth between hers, and for a second, they fell to her lips. Grabbing his wrist, she pulled his hand away from her, shoving past him to head back towards her apartment complex. Wordlessly, he watched her go. She stopped, hesitated, and then turned around and made her way back to him. Laughing almost hysterically, she firmly pressed her hand into his chest, shoving him backwards.

“You’re absolutely right, asshole. I don’t. I don’t want him. I sure as hell don’t need him. Even if I did, Bat, I’d recommend you mind your own fucking business for once. Leave me the hell alone. I am your business partner. You don’t need to babysit me. You don’t need to keep tabs on me. I am a grown woman. Just because I was shot doesn’t mean that—”

“This isn’t about that.” He cut her off grimly, jaw set as he clenched his teeth, almost as if he were biting his tongue.

“Then what, Batman, could it possibly fucking be about—”

Before she could finish her last word, his gloved hands were roughly grabbing her by each side of her neck. The feeling of his lips upon hers had a fire alight in her throat, ready to scream, ready to cry, but she stood completely still as his hands worked their way to hold her chin, thumbs working in circles to rub the joints of her jaw. Her jaw went slack at the feeling and her eyes eased shut, and something about it felt so right that she couldn’t help herself when she began to move her lips synchronously with his. The absolute sheer power of him, the way he kissed her as if he had been starving for a taste of her, it was all so overwhelmingly intoxicating. It was sloppy, it was rough, and it was hot. It was when she felt his teeth against her bottom lip that she came to her senses and pushed on his chest with all the strength she could muster. She stood there for a fraction of a second, her hand upon her lips, as if she were protecting them from him. She could bare to meet his eyes for only a split second before she stumbled backwards and turned, darting back across the street and forcing the door of her apartment complex open as quickly as she could, and though she bit back a scream of pain as the door made contact with her shoulder, she bit her lips and kept quiet the entire way up the stairs.

The moment she slammed the door of her flat shut, she collapsed to the floor with a shaking sob, trying to scream. The only sound she could muster was a breathy sob as she clutched at her chest and shoulder, trying to go back, pleading to reverse time and stay inside. Begging to have never met him, never worked with him, never spoken to him.

It was her first kiss.

[genevievemd]

Yesterday you said something about Gen having attachment issues that led her to behave the way she does and now I'm super curious. Does she realize it at some point? Does she go to therapy? Or did she seek therapy for it in the past? Will she overcome it or will this be a constant in her relationship and both Gen and Ethan will have to learn to live with it?

I love these 😫😫

She realizes it after this current incident. She recognizes that the way she reacted was not that of something with a healthy/normal attachment style. She’s always struggled with anxiety but never thought it affected how she is in a relationship. So this current hurdle was enlightening.

And G’s been in and out of therapy for years, for various reasons. As a doctor, she knows the importance of mental health and isn’t ashamed to go into therapy every so often. It’s a healthy and safe place to talk about whatever is troubling her.

So after this fight, she goes back, to talk about why she reacted the way she did, and Ethan joins her. Like a few pre-marriage counseling sessions. (Spoiler, sorry)

As for her “issue”, it’s not something you can just get over, it’s ingrained in your brain. But with therapy you learn ways to cope and handle symptoms when they appear. And your partner will learn ways to help.

G has anxious pre-occupied attachment, (and instead of explaining it myself imma throw a photo of the explanation and symptoms)

Ethan I speculate is either dismissive-avoidant or fearful-avoidant. Stemming from his mom abandoning him and alan being so busy trying to provide for him that Ethan became independent af

I think a big reason (or let’s be honest my reason) why Ethan didn’t see or realize, or understand Gen’s reaction is because of his own attachment style. So they have to learn how to help the other. And they do in couples therapy.

I’ll link the two articles I read last night (1, 2)

Now I’m obviously not a psych major or therapist, so I’m not an expert, but that’s my answer to your questions.

(Also anyone who sends hate for this is getting blocked because this is a no hate/no shame household)

[naturedust]

The Arcana characters during the Covid-19 pandemic: Part 1 (Asra, Julian, Valerius)

hi everyone! i felt really happy whilst writing this. in each set of headcanons, the apprentice lives with that character! i don’t specify if there’s anything romantic or sexual going on between them though. this is VERY detailed, i’m still writing out muriel, nadia, portia, and lucio’s headcanons so they’ll come in part 2 <3 i hope you enjoy!! AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27529276/chapters/67324228

Asra

asra hosts weekly magic workshops (covering very very basic magic) with the apprentice over microsoft teams 💻 each workshop has a small fee, with all proceeds going to local vesuvian charities like mask suppliers, and food banks (who he tries to donate extra food to every week) supporting the poorest amongst their population. it was the apprentice who first suggested he do this, on a day he was feeling really afraid in the face of the pandemic.

i think he has days when he feels really helpless and trapped – and it runs a little deeper than cabin fever and restlessness. other than the pain he’d experience if he lost the apprentice again, being unable to do things freely is the worst situation he can think of... as much as asra prioritises the apprentice’s mental health, he doesn’t practice emotional expression a lot. he truly strives to be there for the apprentice and even when he remembers how they suffered after coming back...asra only cries silently at night when they are asleep – when he knows they can’t hear him. 

that’s part of the reason why he’s always seemed so mysterious in the game — growing up without his parents meant that he learnt to push down his fear and put on a brave face... and one of the reasons why he goes on trips without much explanation is to escape reality for a bit. he lets his vulnerability show only on the worst of days (like the day the apprentice died). on days where asra feels really afraid of the world and defeated, the apprentice takes over his shop duties and brews much more lapsang souchong than usual to comfort him. so much that even passerbys outside the shop are caught in the smokiness of it! unlike the red plague, every community in the world is affected, and there is nowhere for asra to escape to. this includes nopal. after vesuvia’s Covid-19 situation gets better though, he and the apprentice stay there sometimes as a mini vacation of sorts and it brings him peace 🏜

asra’s leading an effort to make high quality masks more accessible to vesuvians. in fact, that local mask provider i mentioned earlier is his initiative. he set it up after seeing people buy all the beaked plague doctor masks (the PPE of vesuvia) that actual working doctors need access to. he would never admit it but, when asra thinks about the doctors, julian is the first who comes to mind. anyways, the masks asra designs are stunning. he spends tireless nights testing their 3-ply efficacy, and they aren’t just plain blue or white – there are intricate details imprinted on them through his magic 🔮 

i think asra would also be really into coming up with new herbal concoctions for customers, after he notices how tired people look from being indoors all day – for example, he’s developed an immune system-boosting drink that’s a gorgeous swirly purple colour 🍶 it’s similar to traditional chinese medicine. also he only uses ethically sourced, 100% local herbs (by local, i mean from nopal and the tarske forest, where muriel helps him collect wildflowers and herbs!!)  🌿 he uses spells to counter the toxicity of his favourite belladonna flower and it becomes a superfood staple of his concoctions

he goes out every couple of days just to gather herbs and ingredients for aforementioned concoctions, always prioritising the ones he makes for the apprentice and always making those sweeter, taking more time to create colourful depths in them that resemble galaxies. asra also makes particular effort to bring back a wide range of fruits from his local trips as it always cheers the apprentice up 🍈

asra invents the most effective, affordable, environmentally-friendly, non-toxic and skin-friendly hand sanitiser and because this magician is the sweetest person ever and cares much more about people’s lives than making a profit during the pandemic, he shares the recipe online for free & magicians all around the world recreate the hand sanitiser for their local neighbourhoods. he’s since been featured in a couple of “Top 10 People You Should Follow” lists in business magazines and there’s an online petition with over 200k signatures calling for his nobel prize nomination lol. asra insists he doesn’t care about fame but when the apprentice laughs about these recognitions, they always notice asra’s eyes crinkling

asra would also become a lot more active on his youtube channel. that’s right, he’s always had a youtube channel, he’s just had a million hiatuses because of all his adventures. he has around 20,000 subscribers (and a similar amount on instagram...his feed is colourful and full of pictures depicting his travels, the shop, and above all, the apprentice). since he’s decided to stay at the shop with the apprentice – who is actually a little more vulnerable than others to viruses, because of their “reborn” form – he has the time to post weekly videos again. i think asra wouldn’t want to show his face in any of the videos, and not on his instagram either... and it’s got nothing to do with his self-esteem – he just wants the focus to be on what he’s doing rather than how he looks. the videos vary from very domestic vlogs with titles like “what two magicians do in a day” to packed af guides like “🐍 SPELLS TO REFINE AT HOME 🐍” & “crystals that can calm you during these times” and his wildly popular “carving crystals i mined: in real time” ⏳ the apprentice is a permanent fixture in all of them <3 viewers always assume they’re together and whether they are or not...that’s for you to think about ;)

asra is big on healing crystals and gemstones. like really, really big on them. he always makes sure to inform his customers and audiences that they are alternatives and not substitutes, and that sicknesses need real medicine & they can’t just wear a crystal in place of a mask (bc that’s happened before and he felt so guilty for carving and selling the crystal in question) what’s strange is, even though he usually sources his crystals from other countries during his travels, there seem to more than ever all around the shop and the apartment upstairs..

when the apprentice asks about it, it turns out that asra goes mining alone in nopal! he doesn’t really like to mine the actual desert as he’s only ever dug up gold and silver there. one time, he accidentally stumbled upon a cave at the edge of nopal and – ever the curious wandering magician – he ventured deep within it and found amazing crystals and gemstones everywhere 💎 he never mentioned it to the apprentice because he always thought it was too dangerous for them to go, until they remind him it’s dangerous for him too. from that day onwards they go looking for crystals every weekend together :’)

if asra was living alone, he would be fine with just wearing a mask to go outside. but since he lives with the apprentice – and especially after what happened during the red plague – he’s not risking ANYTHING. he wears aviator goggles and eco-vinyl gloves when he’s in the market, just to be extra safe, though when he’s out foraging he takes off his mask because there’s usually no one else there & it’s way too humid. the apprentice likes to make fun of how steampunk he looks & the way the big goggles make his hair extra poofy  🤍 

Julian

julian is on the frontlines of the vesuvian pandemic response. with his experience as a doctor – specifically, a frontline doctor during the red plague who discovered the cure (!!!) – he is revered by new doctors and nurses, most of whom are volunteers. when the pandemic first begins, there aren’t formal hospitals or medical schools set up in vesuvia, so he has to make do by reopening his clinic in the centre city, as an alternative to valdemar’s one in the palace – which, quite frankly is the stuff of nightmares for most of the population

as you know, julian is universally loved by the vesuvian people... so the waiting list of the hospital branch he works at is ALWAYS full. patients always report how gentle and attentive he is and how comforted they feel in his presence. even though he has to wear a hazmat suit and the plague doctor beak mask, he is known for visiting the most severely affect Covid-19 patients and holding their hands in their last moments.

the apprentice brings different flowers to put inside his beak mask every day (this is a headcanon that i’m pretty sure originated from the writer telanaris on AO3!!) to give julian some small comfort amongst all the death and suffering he’s witness to every day. they go out to the tarske forest or even to nopal with asra, or sometimes alone. because julian mentioned wolfsbane was his favourite flower once, the apprentice picked some without knowing that they’re poisonous. long story short, they blacked out and woke up in his clinic with an extremely worried julian nearly in tears launching into a self-blame monologue, about to black out himself from staying by their side the whole night

i also think julian would be featured in the news a lot and sometimes pretty randomly. he gives official weekly Covid-19 updates on the main vesuvian tv news channel – though the apprentice stands in for him after the first two weeks (he tries very hard to refuse their help because he doesn’t want to burden them, even though they assure him they actually want to relieve him of at least one of his burdens since he’s a full-time pandemic doctor – and because he almost fainted from exhaustion the second time. the apprentice kindly, but sternly asks him to take care of himself too, as he does everyone else)

he would just be on the news in general too...his random acts of kindness would go viral on social media – “Vesuvian Doctor Helps Elderly In Race for Toilet Paper.” ❤️ “Local Doctor Delivers Groceries for Struggling Families.” and his “grandmothers” in nevivon always get excited when they see him on the news and send letters to congratulate him (much to his embarrassment). julian would also go viral on twitter. one photo of him has 100k retweets: “oh my fcking god i just rounded the corner and there’s this really fucking t a l l man handing out free bottles of sanitiser. i don’t need to see him under his plague beak to know he’s hot af HELP” and the apprentice would retweet it saying “so proud of my bf” and the internet would go wild over this comment. it’s up to you to decide if they’re actually together or not hehe bc who knows the apprentice might’ve meant best friend 🤷🏻‍♀️

he sets up a youtube channel with no profile picture or description to upload a single video... “How to PROPERLY use hand sanitiser!” and all the comments are just about his looks and voice 😚 it reaches cities outside of vesuvia and because the hand sanitiser in the video is locally made (by asra!) it quickly becomes sold out by either those who don’t know how to do magic or people without access to the products being replicated by other magicians... because a lot of them actually marked up the price :(  + even communities that are afraid of magic buy it because asra’s detailed method and julian’s instructive marketing combined are that effective. a power couple... in another life, perhaps 💫

julian would then be invited to do a city-sponsored video guide on how to wash your hands (the idea is helmed by nadia, of course, who recognises the usefulness of his newfound fame). not only would he be extremely exhausted from full-day shifts, he’d also be overthinking to the point of hyperventilation before filming starts – but he surprises the apprentice with how professional and clear he is in the videos. a true thespian at heart, instead of happy birthday, he improvises on set and sings an old tune from nevivon instead as he washes his hands for 20 seconds 🌊 lemme just say...his hands also go viral lol. also, julian could be a tik tok star if he wanted to. he’s certainly got the moves for it, and can easily achieve the e-boy vibe – plus, he’s gone viral on there several times already!

even though julian doesn’t seem to care when he’s in danger, he’s very meticulous when it comes to the apprentice’s safety. living through his second pandemic and working with patients first hand means that he is very aware of how severe the situation is. every morning he prepares a 99:1 water:bleach ratio spray to spray his shoes when he comes home. he refuses to even touch the apprentice (for fear of passing on anything from the clinic) before he’s taken off his mask, thrown it away safely – then showering and washing his hair thoroughly.

having grown up in nevivon, i like to think that julian is really environmentally conscious, especially with regards to the sea. he used to go diving in the sea to retrieve trash, and as a young man he made a habit of going to the docks every weekend to remove plastic containers and wires from around the necks of salt seals 🌫. so, no matter how tired he is, when he comes home to the apprentice, julian never forgets to snip the ear loops of his surgical masks in half, as he knows sea creatures can get caught up in them. i’m sure he makes a second youtube video at some point to talk about this issue. tldr julian is an environmental activist <3

Valerius

so it’s been a long while since valerius was freed from you-know-who. his personality has definitely changed a lot since then... he’s back to his old and real self (which we never really saw in the game) 🌄 he works side by side with nadia now, not only as colleagues but also genuine friends, and he oversees the health department. he sets up dozens of hospitals and more general clinics in and out of vesuvia, consulting experienced doctors in vesuvia like julian as well as officials from neighbouring countries and states. as a side note, valerius is actually a very humble person and the most attentive listener you will ever meet. people from neighbouring governments & royal households admire him immensely as a result <3

out of everyone, i think valerius would be the most careful during the pandemic. during the red plague he witnessed lucio’s illness up close and it’s had a profound impact on him. he worries about the apprentice, a lot. more than anyone who knows him expects him to. he’s always the first to notice and remind them if their mask is falling down their nose, or if they’re about to rub their eyes with unwashed hands. you will never catch him forgetting to wear a mask or touching his face at all when he’s outside. he takes the time to use disinfectant wipes to clean everything he brings back home one by one, and though valerius is adamant it’s not the apprentice’s responsibility (because most of the things are usually files from the palace he has to go through before the next morning or things he brings back from the market) the apprentice always insists they want to help out :’) so it becomes a nice daily evening ritual, sitting together on the floor after returning from the palace, cleaning their things in silence together 💜

speaking of things he buys, valerius loves the marketplace. he discovers it one day by accident when looking for a bouquet of 🌹 red roses 🌹 to bring back for the apprentice, who was particularly upset that day after helping valerius out at the new hospitals and not being able to help any of the patients as much as they would have liked with their magic. when valerius stumbles across the marketplace, he is absolutely amazed by the colours and smells that surround him. he spends a lot of his free time and lunch hours looking through jewellery stalls – especially hairpins and hair sticks. 

anyone looking at him would be able to see how much care valerius puts into maintaining his hair. because he washes his hair every day (to avoid bringing any Covid-19 related germs into bed), and because being free from you-know-who has made him a lot more open to magic... not to mention because he actually lives with the apprentice now 💜 i think valerius would also consult asra about magical hair masks and conditioners, to keep his very long and thick hair healthy and soft, despite washing it every day.

he knows from accidentally overhearing asra a long time ago that the apprentice loves pumpkin bread, so he asks around for hours until he finally finds the baker’s stall 🍞 it takes hours because valerius is really bad with directions and gets lost a few times... it doesn’t help that he’s distracted by all the different foods and jewellery that he’s never seen before (he picks up a nice ring for the apprentice, and yes he’s so attentive and familiar with jewellery that he guesses their ring band size correctly). from that day onwards, once or twice a week, he wakes up a little earlier than usual to sneak out of his estate and buy the bread, so that the apprentice can enjoy it – freshly made, warm, and their favourite – for breakfast 🥣

yes, he has an estate (this mr. darcy-like headcanon is from jane_ways on AO3!!) and he treats his household employees very well, offering paid leave for all of them so that they can stay with their own families. in their absence, he proves to be an incredible cook, albeit a little rusty because he hasn’t cooked anything substantial since being under you-know-who’s influence and because he’s been too busy at the palace to eat anything that isn’t catered. 

due to social distancing, the apprentice and him eat in a lot more – valerius is very ambitious and soon moves past making homemade dishes... he cooks blown out, elaborate dinners and prepares creative and (visually) beautiful packed lunches to bring to work 🍴 whenever the apprentice has to work late he brings them dinners inspired by the colours of the shop that day – he is hesitant to admit it, at first, but he’s always admired the crystals there, and he is often inspired by them in his food presentations. asra is ever perceptive and gifts him a few (polished amethyst because he used to be an insomniac, black tourmaline and selenite to keep you-know-who at bay 💎) soon after the apprentice frees him from the curse

i really see valerius as someone who against all expectations is really into hands-on work like welding and carving – things that can get messy. he’s slowly trying to get rid of it, but since he first started working at the palace he’s maintained a very prim and posh appearance. he really loves to weld jewellery like rings and earrings. before the pandemic began, he took a few classes in the marketplace – classes which are on hiatus now, of course. he's set up a little studio in his estate and wears a blacksmith’s apron and goggles and everything. it’s honestly quite the sight. whenever the apprentice is working longer hours at the shop making potions with asra, he goes into the studio to continue his projects. some of the ones he’s proudest of are: the pure-silver wine rack, the gold headbands and rings he makes for himself – and then for the apprentice too when they keep “borrowing” his – and his favourite of all is his first ever project: the cast iron skillet that took him over a week to weld. he hand engraved the apprentice and his initials onto its handle <3  you don't need to read any of this as a romantic gesture, because friends can definitely do the same!

i like to think that prakra managed the pandemic especially well, and that valerius sits down to have zoom calls with queen nasrin to discuss ways the two places can collaborate and help each other 👑 she becomes his mentor of sorts, as he’s still relatively young and inexperienced when it comes to governing a city-state like vesuvia. when nasrin visited nadia before at the palace, she was not a fan of valerius at all and was just as wary of him as nadia was. however she becomes very fond of him as a result of their collaboration, and even starts to see him as a son ❕ other than the apprentice, nasrin would be the second person valerius talks the most freely with. initially he is very reluctant to share anything about his life, let alone his past before landing the consul job – but he eventually opens up and nasrin plays a role in helping him move past his failures (his eyes are opened after the apprentice frees him, and he feels immense shame from how he didn’t lead vesuvia very successfully in nadia’s absence)

[emiken-070907]

Since I realized it's going to take me some time to get to the point of my fic to actually introduce my OC's, I'm just going to do that here now!

I'm also going to name some canon characters (e.g. Che'nya) and will explain their positions in the fic and how I think their personalities are.

Wondorsmore is the dorm founded on the curiosity of the Young Explorer. They are housed in a deformed, very colourful house with a gigantic garden and maze. Gem colour is blue.

Alicynthia Fantasmore (Alice): A light headed 2nd year student and the dorm leader of the dorm. She's a very kindhearted girl who loves tea time, baked sweets and croquet. Mostly everyone calls her Ali-chan, since her actual name is rather hard to pronounce for others. Nobody knows how she got the title 'dorm leader', because she daydreams a lot and gets distracted very easily. She has terrible orientation and will even get lost on an open field. Her mother handles all trading between the Rose Kingdom and the other lands, for which she respects her very deeply and hopes that she'll be able to handle such responsibilities one day.

Che'nya/Alchemi Alchemivichi Pinka (Cheshire Cat): The vice leader and one of Ali-chan's personal 'caretakers' and advisor. She's very aware of her responsibilities but necklaces them most of the time by napping or pranking other students, and loves to speak in riddles and confuse others. She has an immense fear of dogs, since one nearly bit her hand of when she was a child.

Marriposa Fafelyna (Caterpillar): Jokingly gets called the 'Second Vice of Wondorsmore'. Also Ali-chan's caretaker #2, but she's more of an motherly figure than Che'nya, who's more of an aunt. The 3rd year is kind of strict, but means it well, and has a lot of patience for others. She's hungry 24/7 and very tall. She also pupates up when she is faalls asleep. Smokes, but is not allowed to in any closed room or building, that's why she's mostly in the garden. Che'nya's roommate.

Arley Blanca (White Rabbit): A curious 1st year with a terrible sense of time. That's why she has a lot of clocks. Her father even runs a clock shop and got tought on how to build and repair clocks and watches. Her whole site of her shared room is full with clocks. Naturally, when ever it's a full hour, it's get very loud, which doesn't bother her, since she's used to it, even though she has very sensitive ears. She is allowed to do that, because she is alone in the four-person room.

Sunizwe is the dorm founded on the leadership of the Lion King. The members live in a big wood house, which has many plants and veins growing along it's sides, in the Savanna jungle. It has no roof unless it's raining and wild animals can't get near the dorm. Gem colour is topaz yellow.

Rainona Adolpha (Little Red Riding Hood): A 3nd year girl from the Land of Pyroxene as dorm leader in the middle of the Savanna, surrounded by beastmen. She's way mor robust than she looks. Never seen without her red hood/cape.

Zywie Najyba (Rafiki): Vice leader and 'doctor' of the dorm/school. Comes from a family of doctors or medical related stuff, they also work for the Royal Family. So, of course, she knows a lot about medicine and how things are within the family. Also has exsperience as a shaman. The 3rd year is concidered the 'wises' in the dorm

Eventyhav is the dorm founded by the dedication of the Little Mermaid. The dorm members live in an old shipwreck underwater. Gem colour is aqua blue.

Rielle af Atlantica (Arielle): A 2nd year dormleader and the youngest princess of the 7 princesses of the coral sea. Always full of question and likes sticking her noise into things that aren't her business. She's super impressed by human culture. But she often misunderstands the use or meaning of things. For example, for some time she used a fork as a hairbrush. Her voice is incredible lovely and beautiful.

Fabienne Guppy (Flounder): The vice of the dorm and best friend of Rielle. She's very shy, sweet and easily flustered. She's afraid of many things, sharks being the Nr. 1. Rielle always tries (and being successful every time) to convince her to go with her on her 'adventures'. Rielle also mainly calls her 'Fabie'. She is very good with the oboe (and saxophone, to some degree) and often plays for the dorm members.

Amyrlas is the dorm founded on the intelligence of the Prince of Sands. They are housed in a tiger head shaped, gold and marble cave near an oases. The gem colour is turquis.

Jaseema Dha-Hab (Jasmine): Dormleader and the older twin of the Dha-Hab twins. She's one of Kalima's cousins, the stricter and more hot-tempered one. The 2nd year student cares deeply for her sister, but doesn't show it well. Like Kalima, both are very rich, and, surprisingly, the only children in the family. She's very aware of their advantages, and that her parents most likely payed for her and her sister's positions. So she decided to use the money she has to help others. She donates very often and always helps her dorm mates. Which makes her very busy and not being able to spend time with her sister. Back at home, she's stuck with her overprotective parents who forbid her and her sister to go outside without a guard. So she's very happy and grateful for the freedom RSA provides her.

Aliye Dha-Hab (Aladdin): The vice dorm leader and younger twin. She's very carefree, like Kalima, eventhough she knows what could happen to her. Because of that, she leaves her sister in constant worry. And she's very aware of that. The reason she doesn't stop that or doesn't stop causing trouble is that, this, in her eyes, is the only way to get her sisters attention. Even back at home she causes trouble. She often goes outside without permission. When she's outside she disguises herself with poor clothes so she'll blend in easier. She often takes things like food or similar with her to give it to the poor, or sells it so she can give the money to others. Sometimes she even steals things to give them. This is her own way of donating, besides giving money; Being there for them. She has a small hideout in an abandoned building. She even has a small monkey, named Hamai, as a pet/companion.

Ebenholz is the dorm founded on the kindness of the Fairest of Them All. The mebers live in little cottages in the woods near a smal mine. Gem colour is red.

Neige LeBlanche: Dorm leader and the beauty of the school. She's very busy due to her being a model and actress, but always manages to spend time with her dwarf friends. Is like a second mother to them, but can be a bit overbearing sometimes.

The Dwarves: 7 dwarves who are constantly at Neige's side. Often get mistaken as kids and/or siblings. Both claims are false. Come from a dwarf clan that's known for their handywork and multiple mines. All are very good at mining and sorting out gems from real and fake. Surprisingly strong, can lift 5 times the weight they have. Dominic is the 'oldest sister', being the most mature. Hop and Gran often get into friendly arguments. Shelpy mostly sleeps, but loves some drama at school and knows everything about it. Sneek has to deal with a lot of allergies and holds a strong dislike towards spring. She and Hop (aswell as Domi) are often 'mental support' for the ever so shy Timmy. Toby is the air-head and 'youngest sister'. Since a young age, she had trouble remebering things and also had trouble with correct speech.

Theoroas is the dorm founded on the strength of the Godly Hero. They are housed in an ancient Greek themed building with an arena attached to it. Gem colour is copper.

Ziana Thora (Zeus): The 3rd year dormleader of the dorm. She's very stoic and serious, always wearing an angry expression. Very respected and feared, even known as 'The Queen of Royal Sword Academy'. He obtained the title 'dorm leader' as a fist year, right in the first week by challenging the former leader and winning by a land slide. He also has a younger sister (Hercules), but doesn't want to acknowlage her as that. So their relationship is rather complicated. She's also the daughter of the head of the company 'Olympus'.

Pacifica Aquarius (Poseidon): Cousin of Ziana (and Idia) and vice dorm leader. A very bubbly and lightheaded girl. She often drives her cousin insane because she can be very annoying and intrusive. Often just called 'Percy' or 'Paz'. She's very found of the merfolk. Like Idia (and Ziana, technically), Pacifica is a noble aswell; A noble of the Coral Sea. Besides making Ziana often mad, she's also the one who keeps his temper in check.

Verrepantou is the dorm founded on the hope of the Hardworking Princesse. It's only a small dorm, but the members are housed in a simple house, which turns into an impressive palace at night. Gem colour is purple.

Aimée Trein (Cinderella): The sweet and kind dorm leader. She didn't see the need to declare a vice, since it's a small dorm. She also has not the best sence of time, especilly when it's near 12, regardless of am or pm. Overworks herself very often does chores for others out of pure kindness. Also has a big thing for shoes and has multiple wardrobes just for that. Step-daughter to Mozus Trein and has two older step-sisters. Lost her father at a young age.

[iwriteficsandmore]

A Little Piece of You

Oh shit, haha! Forgot to put a preview here. Hi! I’m alive! Have been busy writing for my other WIPs but wanted to get this out here bc I love you guys and also this was a cute af soulmate au. Thanks to @insanemarshmallow for the wonderful explanation of this chibi soulmate AU! Also god bless the settphel pairing of league of legends. It gave me the right amount of inspiration for a cute and angtsy oneshot :D

For a child, it's a wondrous thought the one of knowing you would one day find a soulmate. Even more so when you constantly saw it everywhere you went. People going about their lives with cute tiny versions of that one person that belonged with them and whom they were to spend the rest of their lives with. It was a fairytale on its own. One that became yours to live once you turned eighteen and that little piece of them came to you. It was a strange thing to see it happen, but just as great as you thought it'd be when a tiny version of your soulmate hatched from its egg. It had been born alongside you, a reminder that you, too, had someone waiting for you once you grew. You took care of that egg when young knowing how precious it was after hearing so many stories of happily ever afters. And now you finally had it. Alive. 

The first thing that came out of the shell when it broke were red feathers. They poked out somewhat matted and ruffled as it finally emerged and huge amber eyes met yours. His tiny hands ruffled his dark blonde hair back. Chills ran down him as he shook himself out of his stupor and traveled from his head all the way to his toes and tiny wings, sprouting at the end like a blown-up balloon. He was adorable. And the first and only thing he said was his name: Keigo. Finally, you had your very own soulmate! 

But...the experience of having a soulmate was tiring to say the least. 

You didn't know if it was just Keigo, but taking care of this particular red bird was a full-time job. Quirks were already a problem to deal with in and of themselves. But that the small part of your soulmate's soul could readily use those wings of his to fly all around your house was a bigger problem in itself. When you got him at first you thought about keeping him in a cage whenever you had to go out and couldn't take him with you. The first few times, though, you noted how sad he was when you came home. The way he clung to you every time you let him out and how those massive tears welled up in his eyes broke you inside. You threw that cage away after a week of having it. Having no place to keep him however meant that you needed to teach him to be careful. If Keigo wanted to be free, he needed to be careful lest he be taken away or hurt. Little Keigo didn't take that lesson fully to heart until after a little incident with a cat. After that, he would stay close to you whenever you took him outside with you. It took almost a full year to get used to him, but once you did, it was like you two had been together for your whole life. 

Little Keigo was fun to be around with, always enjoying the things you did with him. His taste for chicken got you to learn plenty of new recipes. He slept soundly with you, his little hands always cradling your thumb when he slept in the palm of your hand. And those feathers. You kind of figured what his Quirk was simply by the way he would control all those feathers on his crimson wings. Thing was that he would try to help you at times with things a little too heavy for him which was both worrying and sweet in equal measures. 

Sadly not everything was nice. Not long after he was born did you notice that he began showing signs of pain. Always different places but very visibly hurting. Like someone was hitting or hurting him somehow. You knew the wounds wouldn't show, but seeing him always tired and in pain for days on end would cause your heart to ache to no end. There were also times when his feathers would simply fall with no explanation. It wasn't him controlling them either. They would simply fall and turn a dark brown like petals falling from flowers. And in a way, it was, because when that happened, it would take several days for new ones to grow. Although you were saddened that he was grumpy and glum from being unable to fly, a part of you was also glad. Only when his feathers fell like that did he ever seem to take any breaks and rest. 

'It's your soulmate,' your mother said when you asked her. 'He's reacting to the soul bond between them. There's nothing you can do except wait it out with him.'

And it's exactly what you did. You never questioned it nor chastised him. You knew it wouldn't serve any purpose. Instead, you took care that Keigo wouldn't suffer anymore from your end than his counterpart was already going through. It still hurt though, seeing him hurting. But what stung your heart the most was the way that sometimes tears would just spring from him out of the blue. It happened during the middle of the night almost always and when that crying woke you up, it tore at your heart that you could do nothing more than hold him close and soothe that tiny part of his soul. 

A couple more years went by like that—sometimes painfully, most rather joyfully—until you figured it out. 

It was during dinnertime. Now that you were out of home and living by yourselves in a little apartment close to campus, it was usually spent doing exactly that, eating. But that particular day, Keigo wanted to watch TV. It's not something you did often. You were what they called a country bumpkin through and through. Though you had the resources, you seldom were on the web unless necessary for a task. You had a TV when you lived with your folks but aside from watching cartoons every now and then you never really paid it any attention. The one you had in your tiny apartment was one that had been left behind by the previous tenant. Just a small box with antennas that worked only when it wanted. Complying with his request, you somehow made it work, having it close enough for him to watch while you both ate. And it was while chewing through a serving of yakitori, you saw him.

Keigo. A much, much bigger version. And he was saving people and beating villains on network television. To say you almost choked to death would be an understatement. Keigo—your cute, little Keigo—was the Number Three Hero in all of Japan. The hero known as Hawks. Disbelief was what struck you first and hard. But the more your little Keigo, that little piece of him that resembled the hero to a T, pointed at the flickering screen with a larger than life smile on his face, the more you knew there was no denying the truth. But how? How had you missed such a huge thing for so long? Sure your upbringing explained it a bit. That your parents weren't big hero fans in general also added to it. But that could only hide everything for a little while. Maybe the first year. But for the last four?

God, you seriously needed to see an eye doctor from how damn blind you were. 

You were still baffled as could be when you and Kei went out to the convenience store if only to get your mind out of things. But there was no time for you to space out when, out of the blue, Keigo suddenly perked up and flew away from his perch on your shoulder. Utterly freaking out when it was this late at night, you chased after the fast little pigeon, turning corner after corner and getting more lost the longer you did. You dodged some random people who were on their late night stroll or going back home from work apologizing all the way as you chased after that little red fluff of feathers as quick as you could. Finally, when he was getting too far, you shouted his name in an attempt to get him to slow down. He turned a corner, you did too—and crashed right into someone.

A hand firmly grasped your arm to stop you from falling back almost instantly. You hurriedly apologized not wanting to lose Keigo. But when the person spoke up, you froze in your tracks.

"Y/n?"

Almost instantly, your head snapped upward and met amber eyes. Rather familiar ones at that with those delineations on those eyes. The name spilled from little lips almost instantly without you even noticing.  

"Keigo?"

A soft glow took both of your attentions and made you face to the side were a couple of little things were floating in midair. It was your little Keigo and in his arms...a tiny version of you. Both were giddily giggling as he spun them in midair with his wings. The glow that caught your sight had been the one they were emanating as they danced. A glow that, like you'd been told by your mother long ago, meant that you and your soulmate had finally found one another and were truly bonded. Out of breath as you were, it took you a second to finally turn back to the man before you. 'Keigo,' you reminded yourself. Before you could say anything, he let out a hearty laughter that reached his eyes as he took off the baseball cap he had on letting windswept blonde tresses fall over his face. Curious how on him it was a rather handsome look instead of cute. 

"Who would've thought, huh?" As he laughed again, he reached out his hand to the two tiny versions of yourselves. Your little Keigo brought themselves back to the palm of his hand, the two holding hands and bumping their foreheads against each other like little doves. "Y'know, I always thought the little you was cute. Never thought you'd be this lovely in real life."

"T-Thank you." Dumb, yes, but you had no idea what else to say. Your brain was fried after all these surprises in less than 24 hours! The No.3 hero—your soulmate—was before you, and it was far more than you could take at the moment. When you noticed him staring, it finally brought back some of that notorious self-consciousness of yours as you fidgeted in your own shoes. "S-Sorry! It's a bit of a shock to find you, well, here. Now. And god, I can't believe this is happening now when I just found out about you."

Those amber eyes grew a bit quizzical at her statement. "What do you mean?" You were embarrassed to admit that you barely had put two and two together about his identity which got another laugh from him. "Honestly, not surprising." He reached up to ruffle the little you's head lovingly as a tender smile came to his face. "You never liked watching TV or playing with my phone. I always carry a book with me because you like to read so much. I never thought it'd take this long to find each other."

"How long have you been a hero?" you asked, curious.

"Since I was eighteen."

Oh. That explained so much. Yet nothing at all at the same time. Wanting to start things again, you cleared your throat and stood in front of him as your little Keigo returned to your side, sitting on your shoulder with a proud grin. "H-How about we start again? I'm y/n, it's nice to meet you, Kiego-san."

Keigo chuckled as the little you returned to the safety of his shirt pocket, peeking out from under the flap with as wide a smile as his. "It's nice to meet you, too, y/n."

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

SNEEZE.

Obispo “Bishop” Losa x reader

Anon asked: hey darling i would like to request an imagine with bishop about something like this: you work on the scrapyard helping chucky (or in the bar at mayans parties) and he has a soft spot on you, but you think he is just nice but in fact it’s because he is in love with you but he is scared that you don’t reciprocate the feeling and because you are much younger than him

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford 💖

Word count: 3.6k

Author Comments: I hope you all enjoy. Gif isn't mine.

Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​ @sassymox @whyisgmora @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @arveeee @witchy-wish ✨ (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

After sneezing for sixth time, your nose starts to bleed, covering it with both hands and a “shit” drowned in your throat. Tranq and Bishop look at you with raised eyebrows, seen you using a cloth when the drops stain your shirt. 

“You ok, kid?” The president asks visibly worried. You nod throwing your head forward and breathing by your mouth.

“I'll find you a shirt, wait”. The other mexican says, disappearing through the hallway to the dorms.

“Com'ere, sit down”. Bishop offers you a hand, guiding your steps to the closer sofa.

Nailing your elbows on your nap, you continue with your head down as your mother taught you when you were a child. 

“Are you cold, or sick, or something like, ah?”

“I think so... Yesterday… the heating in my house just… broke. And when I sneeze too much, this happens”. You sigh pulling away the cloth to see how it's going. Still bleeding.

“Did you call a tec'?” Then, you shake your head because you actually forgot it. “What if I take you home, uh? You should rest”.

The man places his right palm on your forehead, noticing that it's warm than normal. The gesture gives you some chills, coughing because of the blood stuck in your throat. Tranq offers you the the shirt, he was looking for, as the president helps you to getting up.

“Change it, okay? I'll ride you home”.

“I'm ok, prez”. You shake your head taking it. “I just… gonna change it and go back to work. I have to… I have to get everything ready fo' tonight”.

“Querida, you're not gonna work having fever”.

“Yea', nor bleeding like that. Stockton is like an excited bull when they see something red”. Tranq makes you chuckle, nodding just one time before walking towards the bathroom.

“Find Coco, tell him I need his car for a couple hours”. 

┅┅ ┅ ┅ ┅┅

Your house feels like the North Pole, bearing in mind that the sun only gives you a couple of hours a day and that you forgot to close the large window of the living room. At least, you left it after clean the mess in it. Sideways, you find Bishop trying not to look around, so you would not think that he's ‘too curious’. Continuing your steps to the window, you close it and you also run the curtains. Sneezing again covering your nose with both hands, and turning to your boss, you sigh heavily.

“Have a cold shower and get some rest. I'll get you some pills to help you, and find a tec' who fix the heating, ok?”

“Sounds like ain't another option”. You joke a little, trying to breathe by your nose.

Bishop smirks at you, putting his gaze away before leaving your house. He's always attentive, kindly and gentle with you, helping with whatever he can help without even asking him to do it. And it feels nice having someone who takes care of you so disinterestedly, and wanting nothing back. Just doing it because it's what he desiderate. And because of that, you obey every indication the man gives you without complain about it.

After having a shower and putting on some comfy sport clothes, you lie down on the sofa hugging a cushion. You don't feel better, with the stuffy nose and the dry throat. Have fever and a cold on a day like this it's a big shit, because Mayans pays pretty good jack for some hours serving beers and shots. And even if you don't need it, not at all, it's always okay to save some more money. Turning on the tv and looking for whatever to watch, you wait for your boss to come back, falling asleep in the process.

You can't know how much time has passed, when you feel a hand narrowing your shoulder gently with a sweet voice calling you. Opening your eyes so slowly, you find Bishop there. Getting up to sit, you cough covering your mouth with a fist.

“How you feel, ah?”

“I'm okay”. You lie, making him chuckle for a second.

“The sales' told me you should take one of this, every six hours”. He says then, giving you a small box of analgesics by taking it off from a cardboard box. “And I also bought you an orange juice”.

Putting it on the table, he walks to the kitchen, coming back towards you in just a few seconds. 

“Didn' know if you have a thermometer, so…” Having a sit by your side, he grabs it from inside the bag to take off the plastic that wraps it. “Okay, open your mouth”.

You can't help but laughing with some difficulties, taking it under your tongue and pressing your lips while he serves you the drink in the crystal glass. After exactly one minute, the thermometer beeps six times. Bishop removes it from your mouth, looking at the number that it's marking. The man clicks his tongue, somewhat disappointed.

“You will not work tonight”.

“But I'm okay!” You complain about his decision, whilst he's raising both eyebrows.

Ignoring you, the man takes one of the pills giving it to you and offering the juice with the other hand. Sighing heavy you obey again, pulling back your hair before it.

“You don' have to do'et”. You exhale resting the back against the sofa and turning your head to him.

“Do what?”

“Stay here. Take care of me like that”.

“Are you gonna do it?”

No. Not at all. If it were up to you, you would continue working on the scrapyard. But you have to recognize that you feel a little bit ashamed of Bishop seeing you looking like shit, and putting all your efforts so that he doesn't notice it.

“You can go, if you need it. I do—”.

“I'm staying till after lunch, you need to eat. So, go to bed and rest”. Palming one of your thighs, kicking off his boots and leaving the kutte on the armrest, he raises both eyebrows with no more gesture on his face.

You do it, again without any compliment knowing that you already lost the battle of working tonight at the Mayan party. Falling down on your bed and hugging your pillow with both arms, after lower the blind, you try to have some rest but because of your stuffy nose you know it's not a possibility. So you just lie there, with the door almost open but seeing Bishop focused in his phone through the opening. 

Sometimes you ask yourself why he is so gentle with you, since the first moment you met. With the time, you thought that maybe he had a kid and he was just being protective, or something like. But then you knew that he hadn't more family than Marcus Alvarez, el Padrino. You feel like a stalker watching him enraptured, trying to pretend you're not looking at him when the man gets up after some hours there. Maybe it's time to eat, but you have your phone in the living room. So you just wait again for Bishop.

And when a delicious smell slices into your room, calling you as the sweetest and charming melody, flooding it completely; you hear two knocks on your door, finding his shadow on the floor.

“Lunch is ready, c'mon, kid”.

“I'm not a kid”. You snort getting out from your door, as he laughs softly.

“You are, compared with me”.

“Yea', I'm sorry, Mr. Mummy”. You joke on him, coughing again as soon as you try to laugh walking towards the table. “Boiled veggies… Seriously, Obispo? 'Amma joke to you?”

“See? You're a kid”.

┅┅ ┅ ┅ ┅┅

After being sure that you can take care of yourself for the moment, the president left your house to attend the party. Highlighting thousands times to call him in case you continue worse. You're not going to do it, because he has the right to have some fun and don't wasting his time being a nurse, but you nod the thousand times back. Even if you enjoyed his company, it's not fair.

Desperate and rough knocks hits your door, waking you up violently and jumping off from the sofa very dizzy. Your heart is about to stop because of the hits, walking sleepy towards the main door. 

“Why haven't you answered your phone, ah?! You scared the shit outta' me!”

“Shit, lower your voice, prez. My head is gonna explode”. You sob between growls.

Without expecting, he places a hand on your forehead and another on your nape. Clicking his tongue, he walks inside your house right to your room. With the door still open, he comes back holding a hoodie and a pair of sneakers.

“Put them on, we're going to the hospital”.

“Bishop, I'm fi—”.

“No, you're not”. He snorts somewhat upset, stretching both arms.

You know you can't fight against him, being more headstrong than you. So sitting on the closest chair, you put on the shoes before wearing the sweater. Walking by his side to the Coco's car, you have a seat on the copilot one, adjusting the seat belt around your body. You have never seen Bishop driving more than his bike, till today. And you have to recognize he does it pretty well too, thinking about something he's bad into. Nothing, apparently. Sometimes he's a little annoying, like now, knowing that you don't need to visit the urgencies.

In the road, you look for your insurance number in your phone, keeping it opened to fill the former as long as you're there. But he decided to do it for you, forcing you to wait for him at the waiting room. It's cold, at least, it's what you feel trembling slightly and curling your legs against your chest above the chair. Bishop doesn't look happy when he sits next to you, probably because the doctors are going to take a while to see you, with all the people there sitting behind your back. The man looks at you, with your eyes closed and breathing by your mouth, hearing somewhat like a zip being opened. You raise your gaze to him when he helps you to get up a little, so he can wraps you with his jacket.

“I got you, have some rest”. He speaks with a low tone, don't wanting to bother you, nor your headache, placing an arm on your shoulders pushing your body close to him.

Getting a little more comfy over his chest with your cheek resting there, you sigh closing your eyes feeling too tired. For you, it's just another cold. But for him, seems like you're dying. It's funny finding out how careful he can be. And you're starting to be okay with that when he ends up sitting you on his lap, thinking you could be better, curling your legs above the next chair whilst he's holding you tightly. Yes, it's feels so much better. Maybe it's not that bad being sick, even when you look like a helpless child sheathed by a jacket bigger than you and his arms surrounding your body.

Some long minutes after, when you're almost falling asleep and you're feeling warm, your name resonates through the megaphone. Bishops helps you to get up, still holding you and following the hallways to the doctor's office. 

“(Y/N)?” The man asks seeing you both come in after calling to the door.

“Yea'”. You mutter going straight to the stretcher and sitting there.

“How you feel, miss?”

“Pretty good, doc—”. You cough again, putting a hand on your chest when it rips you internally.

“She has almost one hundred and four”. Bishop talks then. “I gave her some analgesic, but ain't no working”.

“Okay, let's see”. The doctor nods taking the stethoscope. “Are you her partn—?”

“Her boss”.

“Lucky girl, then. My boss would kick my ass if I felt like you, miss”.

“Yea', I like to… take care of my mechanic. That little trouble knows who to fuck up my bike”. He chuckles, leaving an unexpected kiss on your left temple.

“A wise man. But I need you to leave the consult, so she can take off her shirt”.

“Ye—Yes. Sure”. Bishop agrees clearing his throat. “I'll be right there, okay?”

The study begins once you're alone, hearing your lungs and your heart beat, looking inside your throat and taking your temperature. It doesn't take much longer than three or four minutes, when the doctor asks you to get dressed again, but pull down a little your sweatpants so he can puncture some medicine on your lower back. It hurts like hell, feeling how the cold liquid running under your skin, making you press a little cotton against it after it's done.

“I'll recipe you some analgesic. And water. Drink a lot of water. Sometimes looks like foolishness, but it actually helps”. The man says, sitting at his deck and writing something you can't understand. 

Giving you the paper, he lets you go.

“And?” Bishop asks getting up from the wall, as long as he sees you.

“Medicine and water. And a gift prick”. You reply, putting his arm again on your shoulder and taking the recipe with his free hand. “My ass hurts”.

He laughs shaking his head, as you smirk softly surrounding his waist and resting your cheek against his cheek. You feel protected, even if you hate to feel defenseless. But with him, you accept it.

┅┅ ┅ ┅ ┅┅

It's been two days and life has come back to you, under Bishop's care and paranoia of taking your meds at a exactly time of the day. And you need to reward him. Of course, Marcus is who knows him better and you know how much his cousin could appreciate a homemade lunch. Tacos al pastor. A small cliche, but easy to prepare. So you actually surprise him when he comes to your house, with a random text saying him you're feeling worse. Five minutes it's the time it takes him to get there, hitting your door bell insistently.

“Hey! What's up? You okay?” He's about to have a heart attack, with shaky breathe and a worried look on his face.

“Food is gonna get cold”.

“What food? Are you okay or not?” Bishop asks coming in, following the delicious smell of meat mixed with pineapple.

“I'm okay, relax. It was just a joke”. You chuckle closing the door and pushing him by your hands on his back, guiding him to the table already served.

“Amma' fuckin' kill you…” He growls turning to you, visibly upset and somewhat angry.

“Sit, grumpy mummy”. Rolling your eyes, you point a sit.

“What is that for?”

“I'm thankful 'you have been so annoying, taking care of me”.

“You did— Is tha— Who told you?”

“I have my own contacts, presidente”. You almost sing raising your chin proud.

And you don't know at what time you find yourself lying on the sofa under his weight. His waist between your legs, whilst his tongue is fighting yours and your lips biting his whenever they can. You have no air in your lungs, but seems like you don't care pushing him closer with both hands on his nape and head. His are running through your body with needy caresses that he was containing for so long. And he's hard, pretty hard, rubbing the lump under his jeans against your wetted crotch. You want more, moaning because of the friction among your thighs, when he wraps your throat with a hand, raising a little your neck so he can kiss and suck the exposed skin.

But something bad seems like clicks his neurons, when he snorts heavily against your skin.

“I'm sorry, I can't”. He just says getting up from the sofa. “I can't do it. I gotta go, sorry”.

You are confused, raising your back by your forearms, with your eyes on him seeing how he takes his jacket thrown above the floor. Bishop leaves your house in silence. Also leaving you there trying to find the point where you have fuck him up. But there's no point. You were good, having a great moment, taking a first step. You really wanted it, even if it wasn't the way you liked to start a relationship with him, so Bishop might think it's the only thing you want from him. Taking care of you those days it just made you fall in love a little bit more, and maybe he's not. And he only wants to protect you of making yourself illusion about something smoky.

You only can wait till night, hoping that maybe he could come back or text you at least. But nothing happened, and you're not going to give up. 

It's the first time you reach the clubhouse in less than ten minutes, surprising yourself even, while you park the car next to the motorcycles. Seems like Mayans are having a party inside and, by that, you don't surprise. Coming in without calling, nor asking, being greeted by Gilly and Creeper with shouts and laughs. But you're not in the mood to joying them, finding Bishop dancing with one of Vicki's girl. Obviously. Sometimes it's too foreseeable. Without words, you walk towards him with a serious gesture on your face. He turns at you, as the blonde does.

“Isn't too soon to open the scrapyard?” The president is somewhat drunk, provoking some laughs around your.

It wasn't what you wanted, but plan b.

“I'm coming back to Guadalajara tomorrow, just came to return my uniform”. You reply, shaking your head a little, taking off the green shirt from your bag to leave it above the pool table.

The silence has been installed all around the clubhouse and even if he wants to hide his rage, he can't. Grabbing you by your left wrist, the president drags you inside the Templo letting you there with a soft push, at the same time he closes the glass door.

“The fuck is wrong with you?”

“With me? You're the one who is playing”.

“I'm not playing anything”.

“Oh, really? Then, you don't give a fuck if I go, or if I stay”.

He snort rubbing his face with both hands, supporting one on the column and other on his waist. He looks ratty, chuckling for no reason as he shakes his head.

“What the hell you want”.

“You”.

“That's not going to happen”.

“Why?”

Bishop clicks his tongue, about to leave you there alone. Supporting the door almost opened, he finally closes it again. Walking next to you cross-armed, looking at you from top to bottom.

“Lemme' tell yo—”.

“No. Now you're gonna hear me, Obispo. What the fuck is wrong with you? A fuckin' boss doesn't take care of a fuckin' mechanic just because ‘that little trouble knows who to fuck up my bike’”. Highlighting those last words he said some nights before, you're pointing his chest with your forefinger. “I don' know what the hell you thought this morning, but I wasn' trying to give you a ride to thank you what you did for me… I called Marcus, 'cause two or three or… I don't give a fuck. Some months ago I heard you telling the guys that… there was nothing better, after a long week, that come back home and have some good food on the table. And Padrino told me how much you like those tacos”.

The president is staring at you apparently impassive and unflappable. 

“I like you, Obispo. I actually… love you”.

“Fuck is wrong with you?”

“Nothing is fuckin' wrong with me! Stop fuckin' asking that, Jesus Christ”.

“I could be your damn father”.

“But he's dead, and you're not. You don' even know my mother”.

“I'm not gonna ruin your life”.

“It was ruined before I met you, don't be so egocentric”. Rolling your eyes, you try to uncross his arms while he's pressing them tightly to his chest. “Fuck! Stop behaving like a child!”

“I'm not”.

“Yes, you are! Be a fuckin' man and recognize what you feel!” Reaching that point of the night, you're furious and mad as never, pushing his chest with both hands.

“I'm older than you and my hands aren't clean”. He insists walking back some steps.

“Good, congratulations. Do you want a medal, bad boy?”

“No, I want you to stay safe”.

“I am when we're together. I don' care about your age or mine, those are just numbers. And I don' care about your ‘job’, 'cause I know how to shoot a gun too”.

“It's n—”.

“You know what? You're a fuckin' coward”.

“Am I?” A bittersweet laughs escapes from his lips, putting away his eyes for a while.

“Yea'. You're letting me go 'cause you think you can ruin my life, actually ruining both whilst you're covering it with alcohol and putas, 'cause it's easier. That's not fair, Bishop. I can decided too”.

“You're coming back to Guadalajara”.

“'Course not! I just… Por el amor de Dios... I just wanted to talk with you. Alone”.

Bishop is about to reply with somebullshit. He sneezes. One time. Two times. Three times. You can't help but breaking in loud laughs, as he frowns his eyebrows cleaning his nose with the back of his hand.

“Fuckin' hate you”. He growls, with your hands surrounding his forearms to push him closer.

“Let's go home, prez…” The man wraps your waist, resting his forehead on your chest for a second.

“I'm fuckin' annoyen' when I'm sick”.

“Good that I don' care”.

[the-beskar-alchemist]

Here we go again with my recap ramblings! Had to do a bit of nip/tuck for this one, it’s a bit lengthy.

My opinions, as I've stated before, are based on my limited knowledge of the Star Wars universe. I have NOT seen anything outside of the movie franchise, so please bear with me...

- First off I would like to express my appreciation for this episode going balls-to-the-wall with Ashoka, instead of spending an unnecessary amount of time working towards her introduction. Considering we spent two episodes just GETTING to her, the fact that it was like "BAM! There she is!" was very refreshing.

- Also I would like to thank Filoni for establishing her badassery UP FRONT, instead of having her do some sort of "Surprise! These are my special skills!" maneuver. The concept hit home on the first try, and it hit HARD.

- I know people are iffy with Rosario Dawson (I'm not that caught up on her to know the details myself), but she does bring a certain......presence, I guess......to this episode, but just as the character, not really HER specifically.  She seems more powerful when she's silent, versus when she speaks, her portrayal of the dialogue seems kinda monotone for my taste honestly. (I think it's worth mentioning that, while I understand people wish for Ashley, it would involve "black face" makeup on some levels to achieve Ashoka's skin-tone, I don't think it would've worked, no matter how skilled the makeup artists are)

- The ghastly forest makes me think of the lighting technique they used for The Half Blood Prince film

- As I've said, I have not seen the Clone Wars series, so I'm not familiar with Ashoka's animated fighting techniques, but I do love how practical she is with the lightsabers in a dark setting, turning them off to avoid too much attention, and only turning them back on right when she's ready to attack to really take her enemies off guard

- Din narrating to the baby has me in my feels a bit, this dude is really going through the motions isn't he? He's trying so hard to keep it together, acting like he's fine that his whole world is about to change in a way he's not fully prepared to handle.

- Can we take a moment to discuss how observant the baby is? He may not know about circuitry to help with ship maintenance, but he has the wherewithal to know when he's headed to a place that's potentially harmful. Episode 7 in season 1, when Din mentions going back to Nevarro? The baby immediately tries to adjust the ships trajectory to avoid going to a place of which his only memories consist of him being experimented on and possibly almost killed. And NOW? Now he recognizes that the name of the planet Din is taking him to will be where they separate, so OF COURSE his first instinct is to, not only avoid leaving Din's side at the pilot's seat, but to also seek out one of the few tangible objects that brings him comfort: THE METAL BALL FROM THE LEVER........baby boi is so smart, we do not give him enough credit

- Baby REALLY didn't want to leave his papa.......also DIN LET HIM KEEP THE BALL PLS

- Din walking through the town reminded me of the Two Towers when the party arrived at Rohan and Gimli was like "You'll find more cheer in a graveyard"

- I have to wonder what was going through Din's mind upon seeing the prisoners in the electric cages. I'm sure he was disgusted, but everything presented in this series is VERY deliberate, ergo Din was meant to see this to IMMEDIATELY establish that this magistrate was someone he wouldn't want to be allied with, a feat that could've been established with the intro into the town alone, but it seems that the best way to really drive home just how terrible these people are is voyeurism.

- The town versus inside the magistrates gated home? Night and day. The contrast is intriguing, how "dead" the town looks but inside the second gate there's life, somewhat flourishing.

- If Din KNEW that the magistrate was referring to Ashoka, than he basically tricked her into helping him find her under the guise of making a deal. If not, than he figured it out during their first fight upon seeing how she maneuvered around him. Either way, we stan one smart cookie.

- Lang reminds me of Number Two from the Austin Powers series

- BATU BATU BATU BATU

- I love the fact that Din is including the baby in his bounty hunting process, not just telling him they've reached the coordinates, but also letting him know to start looking, IT'S BRING YOUR SON TO WORK DAY......(but like EVERYday for him tho.....)

- Okay but like LOGICALLY I KNEW THAT BESKAR CANNOT BE DAMAGED BY A LIGHTSABER BUT MY HEART STOPPED FOR A SECOND

- DIN PACING LIKE A NERVOUS DAD IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE, POOR BABY

- I have to wonder how the baby "talks" via the Force, is it full "sentences"? Clipped "sentences"? Or is it kinda like Renesmee from Twilight where she "inserted" visuals into another person's head? I know they can "feel" each other's thoughts, but I've always wondered exactly HOW they "feel" them...

- I understand people are a little put-off by the lekku, and that cosplayers have done it "better", but we have to remember that cosplayers aren't doing (multiple) fight scenes, the head-piece has to be practical in its design, as well as authentic. There are stunt-doubles, and having to create multiple versions that not only can withstand constant movement, but also won't break easily. Not to mention when you try to do a live-action based off an animated series, it almost ALWAYS looks "wrong" on some levels (live-action anime? it's awkward af, no matter how hard you try...)

- About the Grogu controversy: I'm on the fence, but will most likely come to love/appreciate the name. Is it within the realm of what I was expecting? Nope. Is it possible that we are ALL projecting our own ideas of what name the baby "should" have had, so much so that almost ANY name they would've given him would've sounded "wrong"? VERY distinctive possibility......this is Star Wars after all, names are meant to sound "weird".  Grogu sounds like a Star Wars kind of name, in fact it's kinda fitting for a species that looks reptilian-ish

- THE BABY HEARING DIN SAY HIS NAME FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE WHIPLASH IN THAT HEAD-TURN, BUT LIKE.....I love the slight parallels to Grogu's and Din's name-arc: They both went DECADES without hearing their own names, and the reveal's are so contrasting, Din hears his name during a time when he's in danger, the baby hears his while having a heart-to-heart. I'm curious about how Din was feeling in this moment, thinking about how long Grogu must've gone without hearing his own name, and how Din longs to have someone say HIS name with an almost reverent tone

- YODA NAME-DROP.....but also Grogu looked at Ashoka when she said the name, I wonder if he knew Yoda

- Some people have mentioned Ashoka's lekku not being long enough for her age, I'm wondering if they compensated with the "wrinkles" in it? Can lekku have wrinkles?

- Grogu trying to be good for his papa, but also NOT wanting to use his powers because he KNOWS it would mean that papa has to leave him (and Din's little head tilt to get him to cooperate) I JUST....I CAN'T

- Ashoka telling Din to connect with Grogu, and Din shifting around all like "LOOK ITS BAD ENOUGH I HAVE TO LEAVE MY SON WITH YOU, CAN YOU NOT MAKE THIS HARDER FOR ME???"

- FATHER AND SON GAME OF CATCH AND DIN'S EXCITEMENT WHEN GROGU CAUGHT THE METAL BALL, MY OVARIES CANNOT TAKE THIS MUCH FLUFF

- Subtle Anakin reference, given what happened to the younglings after he went dark, it's a good thing Grogu was taken.......but by WHO???

- Din calling the lightsabers "laser swords" and Ashoka's little grin like, she WANTED to correct him, but she was enjoying Din's dorkyness???

- Din trusted her enough to let her borrow his pauldron??? I HAD A MOMENT

- DIN GUNSLINGER DJARIN

- Did my eyes fucking DECEIVE ME?? DID ASHOKA CUT THE SPEAR IN HALF????? Like this is the second time I'm watching this, the first time I noticed it I was like "No fucking WAY", but I'm seeing it AGAIN, IT WASN'T A TRICK OF THE EYE....so beskar is only lightsaber RESISTANT??

- Lang vs Din was like Johnny Ringo vs Doc Holliday, "You're no daisy!"

- More name-dropping. Did Ashoka kill Elsbeth? They never show her after the exchange.

- Din could've jetpacked his way back to the ship, but chose to walk instead. The way he avoids actually waking up Grogu at first, holding him for a bit, then taking the time to get him ready. Din baby who are you fooling? You're not ready, and you never will be.

- DIN STICKING HIS FINGERS OUT TO LET GROGU HOLD HIS HAND

- Ashoka knows okay?? She KNOWS that Din and Grogu are meant to stay together

- Din calling out Ashoka for trying to weasel out of the deal vs calling out Bo-Katan for changing the deal: No malice in his voice, he barely put up a fight, then sounded relieved after she gave him an alternative, one that could lead to the baby deciding NOT to become like the Jedi and instead choosing to remain with this buir

[popcornaddict500]

M6 x mc headcanons but, EVERYONE is a demon

(i thought of this. What if everyone had become a demon after the devil’s plans, and were living normal lives? See it as a wholesome twist on the reversed endings! The world is ovbiously not as fucked up, it’s just that all people are demons or monsters or creatures, or even hybrids. It’s fun, you’ll see. I’ll be putting my own designs as the m6′s demon forms, they’re gonna be different than in the reversed endings (in Julian’s and Nadia’s case). You can look however you want to, just imagine a demon form you like. I’ll keep that neutral.)

Asra

-He’s become a fox person, sporting a large, white, bushy tail and fox ears on his head. He has soft, white fur covering his neck and his lower arms and legs. His feet and hands are fox-like and he’s got claws. His eyes lack a white sclera, instead they’re entirely purple (like cat or dog eyes). Also, he’s got fangs. He’s become taller and bigger in stature, but to be fair, everyone has.

-Still travels with you a lot, meeting other people from far away, and seeing new demon species and creatures.

-Once, the two of you helped a person with the lower body of a spider to escape a pool of quicksand

-They thanked the two of you by giving you a shimmering gem

-Asra still loves to cuddle you, and you love it too. He’s so soft and fluffy.

-A lot of naps

-He tends to fall asleep anywhere

-Faust has become a smol dragon

-Asra loves it when you pet his ears and brush the fur on his tail

-He just melts

-Despite everything, despite everyone becoming a monster or demon they are still living normal lives, and he’s content with it. As long as he’s with you.

-His tongue also got a lot longer 😏

-If he gets excited or he has to laugh, he makes yowling noises and it’s so cute

-Still loves water, find him swimming in a lake with a waterfall in the forest. He’ll ask you to join him, definitely 😏

Julian

-He’s become a dragon-man sort of creature. He’s got large, black, leathery wings on his back, and a long tail. His arms and legs are a scaly black, with clawed feet. He’s got black, pointed ears and some small, smooth scales on his throat. He can breathe fire but doesn’t really do it often. His teeth got sharper too, though he’d never use them on you. (he still has his hair, not like his reversed ending)

-He’s known as the ‘dragon doctor’ and has a clinic next to your shop.

-He’s still as goofy and likes trouble as much as he used to, and with his new form he can find it much easier.

-Takes flights with you on his back quite often, travelling through the forest or just in the sky.

-He loves visiting other towns to find ‘the rowdiest places’

-These visits end with him being injured 95% of the time

-But it’s hella fun anyway. He’s a demon so he heals a lot quicker.

-He can be self concious at times, imagine being on a date with him like

-’’Don’t you think we stand out too much?’’ 

-’’Julian. Look around the restaurant. That lady has 18 arms, that man has eyes all over his body and that person has a squid for a head and tentacles for arms. I really don’t think we’re the strangest people here.’’

-Despite having clawed hands, he’s remarkably gentle with you. But, when needed, he can scare someone shitless.

-Not only his body is monster sized now if you know what i mean 😏 he has a knot-

-His sense of smell is a lot stronger, he loves your scent and will often spend a lot of time kissing and cuddling you with you enveloped in his wings.

Nadia

-She’s become a beautiful creature, (she already was tho) with massive, butterfly wings resting down her back. The wings are a mixture of a shiny black and a deep purple, as well as magenta. She has two long antennea on her head and a long, thin tongue. She has 4 arms, with a bug-like structure to it. (kinda like doll arms, with segments yknow) She’s incredibly lightweight and very fast.

-Sometimes goes on flights with you, Chandra joins her. Chandra’s become a griffon, though a small one. 

-She can get to one side of the city to the other in less than 2 minutes

-Her different tongue is a guilty pleasure of hers, she loves kissing you like this

-She’s gained a weird love for flowers and often spends a lot of time in the garden

-Though she had to get used to her new arms, she’s discovered how useful 4 arms can be.

-She can walk on the walls and the ceiling for some reason

-Her servants are all demons and creatures too btw

-If you give her a bouquet of flowers she’ll love you so much

-Her wings are rather sensitive and it’s considered EXTREMELY rude for people to touch them without permission

-But of course she’s totally fine with it if you’re doing it 😏

-Gives great hugs 

-You can pick her up with one hand, she’s just so lightweight look out for stormy weather though

Muriel

-He’s become a werewolf-like creature, though he doesn’t really change much on a full moon. He has two wolf ears on his head. He’s got fur covering his neck and upper collarbone, as well as his lower arms and legs. He’s got a bushy tail and fangs, he can see in the dark. Like Asra, his eyes lack a sclera and are cat or dog like.

-He is quieter, because his voice has roughened somewhat. 

-He enjoys being in your presence, though. You put him at ease.

-He’s always worried that you dislike him because of what he’s become, but you convince him that you still love him. After all, we’re all monsters.

-He’s even bigger than he used to be and can just carry you with no effort in the slightest

-Inanna is a GIGANTIC doggo

-Can be used as a horse (Inanna, not Muriel xd)

-Somehow, when you pet his hair, he just purrs. 

-Gets super embarassed about it despite liking your touch

-Takes you with him when he goes exploring

-GIANT TEDDYBEAR

Portia

-She’s become a saber-tooth tiger creature. Her fangs are rather small (in saber standards) but visible, she’s got two fluffy ears on her head and a loooong fluffy tiger tail. Retractable claws on her hands and her feet. Feet look like cat paws but bigger.

-She loves cuddling, being a cat

-Honestly cuddling with her is heaven bc she SOFT

-She tends to get frisky after cuddling for a long while, sneaking her tail under your clothing 😏

-Pepi has become a winged cat with a detachable head

-Sleeps a LOT

-Can jump really damn high

-She can climb up walls like a pro

-If you kiss her she’ll want more, nuzzling into you and purring to get your attention

-’’Rawr!’’ ‘’Portia! You scared me!’’

-Dates are always so fun, she can always make you laugh even if it’s just from her tickling you with her tail

-Has a habit of falling asleep on top of you

Lucio

-He’s become a satyr. He has horns as well as a goat tail and hooves. His ears are goat ears. Also his hair is long. His legs are covered with blonde fur.

-He likes vegetables a lot more than he did before

-If you pull on his tail he’ll shriek in surprise

-Bleats when angry

-He is horny af 24/7 (it’s in a satyr’s nature)

-He’s curious to see what grass tastes like

-Please stop him from doing this

-Will sometimes carry you on his back and just take you on a journey

-He won’t mind if you ride him differently either 😏

-Loves to kiss and snuggle

(if y’all want more of a specific character, by all means, ask away.)

[k-l-a-n-c-e-a-c-a-d-e-m-y]

Re zero anon :) ok so for doctor stone I had considered watching it when it came out but I did not like how the girls eyes were drawn... it’s kind of funny that that’s what threw me off it really was the one and only thing that stopped me from watching it when it came out. but like I said I saw you posting about it and it sounded nice so I thought I’d give it a shot and I really really liked it! I had no idea I would like it so much actually, but I love the characters and even though I have no idea how concrete the actual science is it’s a neat concept done well enough and it’s always so crazy! I just always have a good time watching dcst even when it’s sad it has a nice feeling to it... I feel like no matter how many times I watch it I’m always gonna be so excited to see how Senku pulls off all his crazy science stuff he’s such a great character, I love how he cares for his friends even if he’s not the best at showing it LOL also I cried over his dad he loved him so much it literally saved humanity his dad LOVES HIM!!!!!! 😭

for YNM it was the “sorry if this looks gay to the viewers” and “it’s gay af to deduce another man” posts that actually got me curious even before I’d watched it I thought they were really funny... I saw a couple more people talking about it too and it really is so satisfying, like seeing a bunch of rich assholes die? Excellent. 10/10 concept and the characters are likable too, the live action Sherlock could never. I love how even though the Moriartys are the “bad guys” in the grand scheme of things they’re not bad people and they are truly making the world a better place and doing it all for the good of the people. Also it is literally the best version of Sherlock I’ve ever seen he is so funny. I love that he’s still smart and dedicated but he’s also allowed to have fun and joke around with the other characters, he is just very endearing to me.

Also I think it’s really sweet that you want to hear my thoughts too, it’s really nice to have someone to talk to about it! (๑>◡<๑) you always make whatever you’re watching seem super enjoyable it’s really fun to see even secondhand :)

REZERO ANON SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO RESPOND !!! Holds ur hand OKAY I AGREE WIYH LIKE EVERYRHING H SAID AAAAAA so YEAH. Like it’s incredible to me how like. The men in dcst are drawn SO WELL. They’re all GENUINELy so pretty 😭😭 and then u see the women Ans it’s like 😃 what happened . Please go outside . Look at a woman please please THEURE drawn in that horrible like. Comic book way? Where like where are their organs. The spine. Hello.... it’s their proportions and the eyes.... I just don’t get why they COULDNT be drawn the same way.... and it suxks so bad bc I ADORE kohaku and Yuzuriha .... kohaku is so so funny and I love how she jumps to violence so fast 😭😭 And yeah a major part of why I love DCST so much is because of the characters and their relationships?? Like it’s so fucking sweet how much they all care for each other like they’re literally a family. I can go more in depth into like my fav relationships bc they make me so soft .... OH who are ur fav characters??? I have a handful like . It’s hard to pick one when it comes to DCST 😭😭 and iirc actual scientists get involved and like fact check the science that goes on with dr stone so for the most part it is legit or at least grounded in logic.... AND YEAH LIKE. I did not expect it to be as emotional as it was .... AND FOR YNM YESYEYSYSYSYSYZ like it genuinely such a good series I do wish it was more popular >:/ like again I love how like. It’s just GOOD like the crimes and stuff is kinda cool and I adore the sherliam dynamic 😭😭 also like again like DCST I love the characters and the relationships likw how the Moriarty crew are a found family. Like Albert, Liam, and Louis’ relationship with one another is so heart warming and so sweet to see 🥺 and I do love that like. They’re considered to be the “bad” guys but the narrative doesn’t rlly condemn them.... like even Sherlock, the supposed hero doesn’t hate Liam for being behind the crimes he actually wanted that 😭 AND WHAAA u remember those posts 🥺🥺🥺 AND RIGHT LIKE I ALWAYS SAY YNM SHERLOCK IS LIKE RHE BEST INTERPRETATION. (I do love the dgs Sherlock too ) AND EXACTLY LIKE I love that Sherlock is a brat and can kinda be an asshole but he genuinely loves the people arounf him (like how John and Hudson are like family to him) and yeah he’s so funny I LOVE WHEN HES JUST ANNOYING . ALSO WTF WTF UR LAST PARAGRAPH IM PINING THAT MESSAGE IN MY HEAD THATS SO SWEET .... AND YEA it’s so nice to be able to talk to this kinda stuff with someone who gets it first hand, yanno?

[bamon4bamily]

TVD 9x11 - Jukebox Feels (part 1) Enjoy! =)

Cut to - 2018 prison world, the Salvatore mansion. Katherine walks through the front door, dazed and confused. She must be having a nightmare, she thinks to herself; this can’t be happening, she can’t possibly be where she thinks she is. Although her intuition tells her the contrary, she gives it a shot, on the slim chance it might not be true…

KATHERINE: Hello? Anyone there? (She searches the house; as expected, it’s empty. She tries different techniques to escape the situation. Pinches herself to wake up, nothing. Taps her feet together, and with her eyes closed whispers: There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home… doesn’t work either). Maybe if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up and everything will be back to normal… Yes, I need to sleep (she goes into Stefan’s room, puts on one of his pajamas and lies in his bed. Not even a minute in, and she’s off dreaming of sheep.

Cut to – Akumal, Mexico. After a beautiful moonlight dinner, Damon and Bonnie sit on the beach, admiring the full moon’s glow, and some real good tequila.

 DAMON: (Randomly) Truth or dare…

BONNIE: (Laughs) Are you serious?

DAMON: I’m dead serious, come on, scaredy-cat!

BONNIE: Please! I just don’t want to humiliate you, cry-baby!

DAMON: Oh, it’s on! Brace yourself for defeat!

BONNIE: Bring it!

DAMON: One rule, no magic or psychy stuff!

BONNIE: Fine, no vamp tricks.

DAMON: Deal. Truth or dare?

BONNIE: Dare.

DAMON: I’ll start easy, (smirks) don’t want you loosing so fast. I dare you to take a shot of tequila while doing a handstand.

BONNIE: Piece of cake! (Delivers to perfection) My turn, truth or dare?

DAMON: Truth.

BONNIE: Okay, let’s settle this once and for all; do you steal from the bank when we play monopoly?

DAMON: (Grins) Not every time…

BONNIE: (Whacks him with her elbow) I knew it!

DAMON: What can I say, Bon, too much temptation. Okay, truth or dare?

BONNIE: Dare.

DAMON: I’m sensing a pattern here, but suit yourself. I dare you to go up to one of the people at the bar and tell them, in a very low and creepy voice, I see dead people…

BONNIE: I’m gonna get you back for this one! (Although hesitant, she delivers; freaking the hell out of the poor soul unfortunate to be approached by her. They go back to their spot) Okay, Mr. smarty pants. My turn, truth or dare… and you better choose dare!

DAMON: Dare… I say truth!

BONNIE: I’ll break you, eventually. What is the most embarrassing thing in your room?

DAMON: Oh, you’re going there! You already know the answer…

BONNIE: I do, but I want to hear you say it.

DAMON: Fine, my unicorn onesies.

BONNIE: With a butt crack… can’t forget the butt crack (she laughs)!

DAMON: They’re cozy! Okay, missy, shit just got real! Truth or dare…

BONNIE: I’m going with truth; just cause I know you’ll make me do some crazy shit after that one.  

DAMON: (With a wicked grin, rubbing his hands) Excellent…  What is your guilty pleasure?

BONNIE: Oh, come on! You know that…

DAMON: I do, but I also want to hear you say it, so, go on…

BONNIE: Fine… occasionally I like to dress up like Whitney Houston in the Queen of the Night video from the Bodyguard, and perform in front of the mirror…

DAMON: Occasionally? More like every other Sunday... and it’s HOT AF!  

BONNIE: Can’t believe you caught me doing that!

DAMON: One of my fondest prison world memories! I have to hand it to you, Bon, you really got creative with the costume.

BONNIE: I’ve perfected it since then… Well, there, I said it! Happy now?

DAMON: Never been happier… (leans in to kiss her) and you are, beyond a doubt, the queen of the night…

BONNIE: Don’t think for a second that’s gonna get you out of what’s coming…Truth or dare?

DAMON: I’m a mix it up and go with dare.

BONNIE: (With a wicked grin, rubbing her hands) Been waiting for that since we started.

DAMON: I’m instantly regretting my decision.

BONNIE: (Laughs) Oh, and you should! You’re in trouble now… Mr. Damon Salvatore, your mission, which you have no choice but to accept, is to (she opens a portal to their room, goes and comes back).

DAMON: Hey, we said no tricks!

BONNIE: You said no magic, no psychic stuff, but you never mentioned teleporting, so suck it! Here (hands him one of her outfits and her make-up kit) Put this on, make-up and all. Once you are ready, and looking gorge, you are going to perform Queen of the Night to the guests at the beach bar. Good luck, doll! (Laughs hysterically).

DAMON: Oh, Bon-Bon… when you least expected, I’ll get you back.

BONNIE: (Mocking) I’m sure you will; but for now, come on, dancing queen, your audience awaits. (Damon performs, surprisingly well, or at least good enough to receive and applause from his audience, who, although very confused, found the show quite entertaining. They go back to their spot). You did great, almost nailed the choreography.

DAMON: Well, I learned from the best.

BONNIE: I think it’s safe to say I won this little game.

DAMON: This time around… 

BONNIE: How bout you get out of those clothes, I get out of mine, and we go for a night swim?

DAMON: Don’t have to ask me twice! (As he is taking the high heels off) How do you guys walk in these things??

BONNIE: You get used to it, (teasing) just don’t get too used to it... Ready, my night queen?

DAMON: (Carries her) Let’s go, witchy! (They swim under the moonlight; then make love till sunrise).

Cut to - The secret facility, Edward’s cell. He has been sleeping for quite some time. He slowly begins to wake; as he opens his eyes, he sees someone lying on the floor under a pool of blood, right next to his bed. He jumps up in a scare.

 AUGUSTUS: Oh, don’t be alarmed, son, it’s not me, I’m doing just fine. Meet your uncle Pete; granted it might not be the best introduction, but hey, you wanted to meet your family… well, there you go.

EDWARD: (Disgusted and in shock) What is this!!??  

AUGUSTUS: It’s a dead body, son. And, from what I hear they start to smell pretty bad once they decompose; so, I suggest you move fast and bring your cousin Matty back. Feel free to use our tech if it helps, Eddie here (points to the strange man that has been standing outside his cell everyday) is more than happy to help.

EDWARD: (Crying in despair, looking at the corpse) Oh god, oh, god!!! (To his father) You are fucking insane!!!

AUGUSTUS: Language, boy! I taught you better manners than that… guess I should have never left you in Tamara’s care; what a waste of an ivy-league education. My fault for bringing in the trash. Oh, well… time is ticking, and that body is stinking… Ha, that rhymed, maybe I should pick up poetry? I always did love Literature… Anyway, (belittling) Mayor Powell, let’s see just how smart and powerful you really are. Rest assured, if you get the job done, I promise I will make it worth your while (he leaves; Edward can’t stop crying, imagining Matt’s pain).

Cut to - Munich, Germany. Sam, Elena, Sage, and Alex, are having some drinks, after their first days of the program.

SAGE: I knew this program was going to be out of the ordinary, but it’s totally blowing my mind!  

ELENA: I agree, it’s amazing! The equipment we have access to is unbelievable! Never knew those types of tools and tech even existed.

SAM: (Putting his drink up for a cheer) Here’s to an unorthodox quality education, and to new awakenings!

ALL: Cheers! (They drink, share some laughs and anecdotes; at some point, the boys get into their own conversation in another area of the bar. Elena and Sage have no option but to interact more closely).

ELENA: Listen, I’m sorry for calling you a bitch.

SAGE: I’m sorry for being one. (Holds her hand out for a handshake) Do-over?

ELENA: Do-over (shakes her hand). So, tell me, why are you so obsessed with Pietro? Not judging, just curious.

SAGE: I know a lot of people think he is just an entitled jerk, but he is so far from that. I mean, yes, he is arrogant and pretentious, but when you’ve accomplished what he has, you kind of earn the right to be.

ELENA: Still don’t get it, what has he accomplished? He’s not even a Doctor…

SAGE: He owns the world’s most groundbreaking technology companies. Ai, IoT, nanotech, you name it, he is behind it. He might not be the science side of the operation, but he is the business side that makes it possible. Just between us, I’m pretty sure he is a vampire. Get this, while I was doing research on his background, I stumbled upon some pretty crazy documentation that dates his birth back to 1865. It’s either that, or he stole some real old dead guy’s identity.

ELENA: That is definitely not a coincidence… Do the names Stefan and Damon Salvatore ring a bell?

SAGE: Never heard of them, who are they?

ELENA: Besides my ex-boyfriends, I think they might be Pietro’s half-brothers.

SAGE: (Laughs) That’s impossible…

ELENA: Put two and two together…

SAGE: Oh, they’re also…? OMG! So, you slept with two vampires, and they were brothers??!! I totally miss read you, you’re a badass!! I love it!! (Holds her drink up) Cheers for that!

ELENA: Well, the brothers thing is something I’m really not proud of. I was young and gave in to my darkest desires; but I guess karma got me served, because they both fell in love with my best friends; so…

SAGE: Hey, nothing to be ashamed of; more power to you! I mean, it’s okay when men do it, but as woman we get shamed for it… Fuck that shit!

ELENA: Good point... (holds her glass up for a cheer) Here’s to woman equality!

SAGE: Fuck yeah! So, tell me, how did you end up getting involved with vampires?

ELENA: It’s a long and complicated story… Let’s just say I look exactly like someone they were once very obsessed with, and it grew from there.

SAGE: Who did you go out with first?

ELENA: Stefan… my first true love; but then I fell for the bad boy, who just happened to be his brother. Like I said, not proud, but that’s how it went down.

SAGE: Was it serious?

ELENA: Very. With Stefan I could see my entire future; it was like a fairytale love. With Damon, I lived for the moment and was consumed with passion.  

SAGE: Sounds like you were quite in a predicament.

ELENA: I was, for a while; but I ended up choosing Damon.

SAGE: So, what happened? Why did you two split?

ELENA: There were many reasons, but every time I go back to it, I think it’s because we got off to a wrong start. When I became a vampire, I was sired to him… not the best way to start a relationship.

SAGE: Wait, you are a vampire!!? Are you kidding me?!! This story keeps getting better and better!

ELENA: No, no! I’m not one anymore, but I was.

SAGE: Oh, okay, you freaked me out there for a sec! Anyway, then, what happened? Spill!!

ELENA: Well, a whole bunch of crazy stuff... then I took a cure, became human again, only to be put into a three-year sleeping spell, then I woke up. At first it was bliss, but then, once we moved in together our deeper problems began to surface…

SAGE: Did those problems have to do with him falling for one of your best friends?

ELENA: Not expressively… but in part, yes. I knew he was in love with her, and that there was nothing I could do to change that.

SAGE: Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.

ELENA: I mean, he never cheated or anything like that, they didn’t even get together until recently, but just knowing he would never love me like her, hurt for a while… then I met Sam…

SAGE: Wow, that’s quite a story!

ELENA: Straight out of a supernatural YA book, am I right?

SAGE: I’m a big fan of YA drama, and supernatural lure, so, right up my alley! Okay, let me ask you one last question. If you could go back, would you make the same choice?

ELENA: What do you mean?

SAGE: Stefan or Damon? Who would you choose?

ELENA: (Laughs) Uhm, okay, that’s a weird question…

SAGE: Oh, come on, just for fun, and keeping with the YA context.

ELENA: I’d say as a human, I would choose Stefan; as a vampire, Damon. But I guess it wouldn’t matter who I would choose, since they wouldn’t choose me a second time around, that’s for sure.

SAGE: (Teasing) Well, good news for Sam.

ELENA: Okay, I shared my stories; now it’s your turn.

SAGE: Well my stories are quite boring compared to that!

ELENA: Still, spill! It’s only fair, you have leverage on me, I should have some on you.

SAGE: Fair enough. What do you want to know?

ELENA: You and Alex, what’s the story there?

SAGE: Oh god, no! Nothing like that, he’s like a brother to me.

ELENA: Aw, that’s too bad, you two are cute together. How about you and Sam, anything ever happen between you two?

SAGE: This conversation is getting dangerous...

ELENA: Oh, come on, what’s in the past is in the past; there’s nothing dangerous about that.

SAGE: Fine, you asked for it. Long time ago, one crazy drunken night; that’s all.

ELENA: I know, he told me; just wanted to check if you would be honest with me.

SAGE: (Teasing) Now who’s the bitch!

ELENA: Sorry, trust issues. Now, for real, any past epic loves?

SAGE: Uhm, not really… I mean, I’ve had many relationships but nothing serious. I’m not the deep connection type; I just like to have fun, and I don’t like to put in the time, so short and sweet works out perfectly for me.

ELENA: Crazy hookups?

SAGE: Now that is my area of expertise! Wow, where do I start… I’ve done all the clichés, mile high club being my favorite one. But I have to say, the craziest has been with someone you actually know, (mocking) the renowned city Mayor of Mystic Falls.

ELENA: (Spits out her drink) Are you serious? You had a thing with Edward Powell? How do you even know him?!

SAGE: From NYC, our hometown. We were both part of the upper east side elite; a real Gossip Girl type thing. And let me tell you, he might seem like a Nate on the outside, but inside, he is a full-on Chuck Bass. Anyway, we went to this masquerade ball at an exclusive mansion outside the city. Long story short, we ended up covering for a murder which turned out to be anything but that; it was just a really drunk-ass Wall-Street magnate, that passed out in a tub filled with red wine. Good thing he woke up before we finished filling the whole… and that he didn’t see us having sex next to what we thought was his corpse. In our defense, we were also really drunk, and high as fuck.

ELENA: Holy shit! And you call your stories boring? Wonder what the exciting ones are like!

SAGE: (Laughs; then sees that Alex and Sam are heading back to their table) Well, that’s a conversation for another night… this has been fun, but I think our girl time is over; I’m glad we had a chance to talk like this.

ELENA: Me too, and I’m sorry I was so quick to judge you.

SAGE: Dido. Friends?

ELENA: Friends.

Cut to – Akumal, Mexico. Bonnie, Damon, Stefan and Caroline are having a nice beachfront brunch.

 CAROLINE: I can’t believe this is our last day! Time went by way too fast!

BONNIE: I know, seems like we just got here.

STEFAN: How about we make a deal, right here, the four of us.

DAMON: (Teasing) Bro, we are not even done with brunch; plus, it would be way too weird…

STEFAN: Of course your mind would go there… Anyway, no, Damon, that’s not what I want to propose. How do you guys feel about spending some money and investing on a property down here? That way we can come back whenever we want.

CAROLINE: I love it, yes!!!!

BONNIE: I’m in!

STEFAN: Damon?

DAMON: Just tell me where to sign!

BONNIE: La Bruja is coming over for dinner tonight, maybe she can give us some tips on property here.

STEFAN: That be great. I’m thinking nothing too fancy, but definitely beachfront.

BONNIE: And secluded.

CAROLINE: 2 master bedrooms, 1 kids room, and two or three guestrooms for when Ty, Lexi, Matt and Alaric come visit.

DAMON: So much for “not too fancy” …

CAROLINE: I’m not saying it needs to be fancy, just spacious, there are way too many of us.

BONNIE: We’ll also need a garden, good footprint area so we can grow our own food.

CAROLINE: And a pool of course, for the girls.

STEFAN: And I think we can all agree, we need a big bar.

DAMON: And a wine cellar.

STEFAN: Maybe we’re gonna have to build it from scratch, I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to find a place that checks all of our boxes.

BONNIE: If we have someone design it for us, I’m pretty sure La Bruja and I can pull it off.

DAMON: It’s settled then, we’ll brief La Bruja over dinner and start to plan our perfect Belvafore hide-away!

STEFAN: Belvafore?

DAMON: Yes; Bennett, Salvatore, and Forbes… Belvafore!

BONNIE: (To Stefan, mocking Damon) I’m telling you, not even with his vamp back on…

CAROLINE: I like it! It’s like Steroline and Bamon!

BONNIE: Steroline and Bamon?

CAROLINE: Yes, Bamon, aka, Bonnie and Damon; isn’t it perfect?! Stefan came up with it.

STEFAN: Sorry, Bon, just a fan.

BONNIE: (Laughing) Oh, Stefan, didn’t see that one coming... And Steroline, is Stefan and Caroline...

CAROLINE: You got it! (With pride) I came up with that one!

BONNIE: (With a y’all crazy look) Okay...

DAMON: Oh, come on, Bon-Bon; Bamon, gotta love it!

BONNIE: Fine, I’ll admit it... y’all crazy but I love it!

CAROLINE: (Holds her mimosa glass up for a cheer) To Belvafore and building new traditions!

ALL: Cheers!

Cut to – The Salvatore school, Alaric’s study. Alaric, and Radka, are trying to figure out their next steps.

ALARIC: How could I have been so reckless and stupid…

RADKA: It was an honest mistake, Ric. How were you supposed to know what would happen?

ALARIC: I know how dangerous that little gadget is, it was my responsibility to keep it under lock and key. Now, thanks to me, Katherine is probably being hunted down by a psychopath.

RADKA: Katherine is strong and witty, if anyone, Kai is the one that needs to worry. I’m sure she’ll be fine; we just need to figure out how to bring her back.

ALARIC: The only one that can help with that is Bonnie, and I’m not letting her go near Kai. We need to figure out a way to do this without the need for Bennett blood.

RADKA: How about 2 werewolves, 2 vampires and a hunter… think we could pull it off?

ALARIC: The problem is not getting in, but out… there’s no way out without the right ingredients.

RADKA: Okay, I might be thinking crazy here, but we need to think outside the box. What if we ask Margo to summon a Bennett witch, she can open a temporary spirit realm and do an incarnation spell so she can be materialized; then, we go to this prison world, get Katherine and use the blood of that Bennett witch to come back…

ALARIC: That sounds insane… but it might actually work. Isn’t Margo still on sick leave?

RADKA: She’s better now, called me up this morning to let me know she’d be back tomorrow.

ALARIC: Do you think she would be up for it?

RADKA: Not sure, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Cut to – 2018 prison world, Stefan’s room. Katherine wakes up to find herself tied up with her mouth covered. Kai is sitting on a chair, reading. He looks quite different than expected; very clean cut and intellectual, glasses and all.

KAI: I’m sorry I had to tie you up, but I do not appreciate intruders. God, these new generations have completely lost their manners. Sneaking into other people’s homes, putting on their nightclothes, sleeping in their beds… The audacity!

(Kai gets up, walks towards one of the many jukeboxes he has installed around the house, and plays a song...)

TVD 9x11 (part 2), coming soon! Hope you stop by, read and enjoy! =)

[epouvantes]

❛ willa fitzgerald, cis woman, she/her ❜ was that charlie brodeur? the twenty-six year old nurse has been in town since birth. the human has a reputation for being kindhearted & quick-tempered. you know they’re around when you get flashes of ( messy buns, deep breaths, cracked iphone screen & fairy lights strung all over ). rumor has it, they have no affiliations. { samu, est, 25, she/they }

( OOC: TW: ANXIETY MENTION AT THE END OF THIS PARAGRAPH. hi! i’m samu, i’m 25 and i use she/they pronouns! i’m so so so so so excited for this rp and for you all to meet my babies!!!!! i wanted to make this lil ooc section just to let y’all know that i’ll be posting longer and more detailed intro-like posts for my charas eventually, but i wanted to be able to give lil summaries and connection ideas before then so!!!!! there it is!!!!! thank u sm for reading!!!!! also if i ever message you to plot, which i’d like to do with everyone if my social anxiety allows it, pls don’t feel obligated to plot with me at all!!!!! i love connecting with other writers and stuff but i’ll completely understand if you’re not up to plot with me and my charas <33 ) ← this is the same ooc paragraph in all of my first three intros, so pls feel free to skip it! <3

brief introduction.

charlie’s mother was born and then spent all her life in ottawa, ontario, until she got pregant with charlie (original name is charlotte but charlie legally changed it as soon as she legally could after turning eighteen). isabelle, charlie’s mother, had a double citizenship (canada/usa) thanks to her mother (who she had a very complicated relationship with) being american, so when she basically ran away from home (although not really because she was twenty years old at the time), the move to the states was somewhat easy (or well, as easy as it could be).

charlie and her mother are very close!! kind of similar-ish to lorelai and rory in gilmore girls when it comes to closeness, except that they’re more like... soft, i guess? very intelligent and curious like the gilmore girls, sure, but not necessarily as quick-witted, humorous and energetic. well, isabelle sort of is a bit more so than charlie, but yes! basically, charlie and her mom are super close!

charlie’s mom (isabelle) made herself quite the stable home in blackthorne, and it’s been a home to her and charlie ever since they arrived (whilst charlie was still a fetus, of course)! nowadays, the two of them don’t live together anymore, but they see a lot of each other and get along rlly rlly well! i don’t want to set isabelle’s job in stone since i’ll probably make a wanted connection for her, but i’m picturing her doing something either really artsy or people-focused! or even both?

charlie has known she wanted to be a nurse since the age of thirteen. back in her pre-teens, isabelle and charlie’s elderly neighbour, mrs. cunningham, got quite sick and though charlie obvi didn’t do physical tasks to help out, just holding mrs. cunningham’s hands and being there for her felt right. charlie has always felt best when she's helping or caring for others, and that doesn’t seem close to change any time soon!

she was honestly a bit difficult to get along with when she was younger? bc as kind as she tended to be, she got angry VERY easily, especially when it came to other kids being careless and not paying attention to others. like, since childhood, there’s nothing that frustrates charlie more than people not taking others into consideration. also, um... when she gets mad, she gets MAD. she’s a fire sign (zodiac wise) and it really, REALLY shows lmao!!!!! she also tends to be quite dramatic and theatrical when it comes to her anger so idfjlkdjlkfdj it can lowkey be entertaining for those not involved in whatever is going on!

rn she’s living in a two bedroom apartment with two roommates! i picture charlie sharing a bedroom with one of her roommate (and can they PLEASE have bunk beds iM begging sjdljfdljfdlkfdj), and for the other roommate to have their own bedroom! i feel like both bedrooms would be REALLY small, but that actually all the other rooms would be quite roomy? and that it’d be a super well lit apartment? and like definitely not high class or anything, but DEFINITELY homey!

can be a bit reckless when it comes to her own safety, especially if others are in danger (she does have a bit of a hero complex), which is DEF not ideal right now lmao dflkjdlkfjlkdfj

loves partying btw!!!! she works rlly rlly hard as a nurse and is generally quite chill outside of work, but she feels the need to let loose, like really loose at least once every two weeks or more!

connection ideas.

CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND: along with her mother, this is the person charlie trusts and cherishes the most. and also lbr she can be a TINY bit more of herself with her best friend than with her mother, bc no matter how much she loves her mother, she’s still her mother. and this best friend would actually probably get along with isabelle really well too! i didn’t necessarily picture charlie’s best friends as one of her roommates, but if you’d like to go for that too, i definitely wouldn’t be opposed! ( 00 / 01 )

ROOMMATES: as described a lil bit above, charlie shares a two-bedroom apartment with two other roommates! the rooms are all pretty spacey, except for the bedrooms which are on the small size! still, charlie shares one of the bedrooms with one of her roommates (probably with bunk beds!!!!!! the adult-y kind?? where the bottom bunk is like a bit bigger??), and the other roommate has a room of their own!! the apartment is also really well-lit, with a lot of well-placed window, and though it’s definitely not luxurious, it 100% has a very homey feel to it! ( 00 / 02 )

COLLEAGUE(S): people who charlie works with! other nurses would definitely be interesting because they can unwind together and understand each other in a way that other people can’t? ooooh, although there could also maybe be a “rival” nurse to charlie for whatever reason we can work out together (bc charlie is caring af so maybe if your character is more ambitious and has a different way of dealing with patients - which is probably just as good as charlie’s but only different - so maybe they clash about that?) but also!!!!!! dOCTORS PLEASE!!!!!! knowing some people in health services, the way doctors act with nurses can vary quite intensely (from what i know which ofc is only a small sample tho so!!), but like....... mayhaps a doctor who really respects nurses and understands how they can have a unique point of view when it comes to what’s happening to the patients, and who tries to work with the nurses as a team!! therefore a doctor who charlie probably really admires and appreciates!!!! on the other hand, though...... a doctor who seems to think they’re above nurses (whether they really are or not is up to you, but it could be the impression that charlie is getting!) like maybe a doctor who doesn’t take kindly to being questioned, especially not by people who aren’t doctors and like...... lmao charlie doesn’t care!!!! she’ll question you!!!! (also lowkey..... this is FAR from necessary but i just stumbled upon a list of enemies to lovers novels and this seems like such a cliché plot but slfkjlxjfkljdf i wouldn’t be opposed to that if it works out with the chemistry and all of that? i’m not into planning long term romantic plots bc i feel like it hinders things and what not, but! it can be a possibility if you’d like that, maybe?) ( 00 / ?? )

EX-FIANCÉ(E): charlie’s high school sweetheart!! they started dating when charlie was fifteen (and your chara was in the same year as charlie but ig depending on the time of year they might have been the same age or a few months older or younger sflkdfjlkjfd), and they got engaged when they were twenty-one years old! charlie’s mother actually didn’t really approve of the union, even though she loved your chara, as she thought they were too young, but back then, charlie didn’t care about what others said about she and your chara’s relationship! they were actually engaged for two years before they both realized that they kept on pushing off the wedding. and it wasn’t just because they were scared; they just weren’t sure they actually wanted it anymore. then, they decided to take a “break”. that was around three years ago, and the two have barely talked to each other since, avoiding each other’s stares when they walk by each other on the street, something that happens much too often to their taste. they both still have their rings, but i feel like they’re probably just holding on to them out of nostalgia, because it seems quite clear that their relationship is over. problem is, they were close friends before they started dating, and they honestly miss each other’s friendship. also!! i don’t have a gender preference for your chara tbh!! at the age of nine, charlie loudly announced that she liked girls after climbing on the tallest tree in the park during a special school outing (to the park a block away from their school..... ok it wasn’t that special of an outing, but most of the school was still there in the park!) and at the age of fourteen she officially came out as bisexual! ( 00 / 01 )

EDIT: i wanna post this now so i won’t make a lil paragraph for it right now, but!!!! party friends is def an idea that would work very very well!

i can’t think of anything else right now, but i’m definitely open to many many more ideas! these were just the few things i could come up with right now!

[dickie-gayson]

guess what it’s Doctor Mid-Nite loving hour again!

‘but wait! Dickie didn’t u make a Mid-Nite appreciation post recently??’

ur goddamn right i did and ur damn skippy im making another bcus Pieter Cross is literally a saint and i LOVE him. yall!! gonna!! see!! him!!!

for real tho, pls at least humor me and take a look at some things he’s done bcus he’s not just a great superhero - he’s a genuinely good man that works so hard to help everyone around him. like highkey id cuff him if i was given even a split second of a chance and i dont even do relationships. he’s just that genuinely kind-hearted. (Dinah u missed out, girl)

here’s some shit he’s done just as regular Pieter Cross:

1. He treats sex-workers with genuine respect 

and goes out of his way to make sure they’re staying healthy and gives them free condoms to make sure they’re protected. he even comments that he wants to help them stay in business by making sure they’re safe bcus he understands that they’re just making a living and there’s nothing wrong with that. he doesn’t grandstand or judge them or try to change what they do. he accepts them for who they are and treats them kindly. like i dare you to list other heroes who go out of their way to do this on the regular. he does this shit daily.

2. He takes part in a safe needle exchange. 

He understands that not all addicts are going to quit and those that try likely can’t quit cold turkey and that trying to do so can be super dangerous. he doesn’t posture or insist they stop using right then and there or any of that shit. He provides clean, free needles so that those using are using safely bcus above EVERYTHING he genuinely fucking cares for each and every human. he doesn’t judge. he understands. like Mr Terrific said, his greatest attribute is his compassion. he wants to help those addicted to drugs while also making sure they’re being safe in the process. he wants to help them get better and be healthy in whatever way he can.

(there was another panel where it’s mentioned he provides clean needles but i forgot to save it and idr which issue it was in)

3. He operates a free clinic. 

Mind you: he’s a world-class doctor who graduated from Harvard Med at 19. He chooses to operate a free clinic and even has a website to offer free advice. He never got into the profession for money (it’s actually mentioned he’ll throw his money around willy-nilly to help others). And it’s said time and time again that he’s a bleeding heart who thinks he can change the world himself. He’s called the ‘Midnight Doctor’ bcus he makes nightly rounds through the impoverished neighborhoods offering free care and supplies to those in need. He helps ppl without hesitation or a second-thought. It’s actually garnered him quite a bit of local loyalty bcus he’s just...so fuckin kind. ppl turn around and try to help him when he needs it.

4. He doesn’t judge. 

As mentioned in early points he legit does not judge anyone. like...ever. Not unless they’re foul, cruel human beings who hurt others. In that case, he’ll prob try to fight them for being terrible. other than that? he never judges a person for the way they live or what they’ve done. drugs, sex work, poor self-care, impoverished, etc. none of that matters. he looks into the hearts of people. also he always asks if he can help someone. 

These next ones are just fun bcus i straight laughed at these panels. 

 5. A little oblivious. 

He’s a genuis and a goddamn angel but by god if he isn’t a lil obtuse some times. he shows up in a lady's apartment in the middle of the night looking like a whole-ass villain about to monologue and has the gall to act shocked that she screams and runs right into his bigass friend that looks like a bodyguard/goon. imo it’s bcus he legit forgot that there are really shitty ppl in the world and popping up in random houses looks sketchy af.

honestly Pieter wtf did u expect to happen. ur lucky she even trusted ur ass after that. must be all the Saintly Vibes he gives off (btw for those curious she has a rare medical condition and uses an illegal and dangerous drug to cope. he saw her at a drug deal so he popped up at her house to offer his help)

6. Kinda goofy

and Not Awesome at the whole ‘secret identity’ thing tbh. at least not at the beginning. these are just mild and tiny things i zeroed in on like a fuckin hawk. He has medical stationery with his superhero name on it. what a goddamn NERD. i LOVE it. also when he became Doctor Mid-Nite he immediately told like...4-5 ppl?? he’s SUPER trusting like that. tbh his Norwegian accent prob doesn’t help since he was living in Oregon at the time. also that free medical advice site he runs?? that’s run as Doctor Mid-Nite lmaoo Imagine going onto the internet and getting medical advice from a goddamn superhero. That’d be so sick.

(It reads: 

From the Desk of Doctor Mid-Nite

Take three creeps & lock them up forever! 

Doctor Mid-Nite)

what a cornball, im in L O V E.

These boys stole the groceries from a little girl and he swooped in like a fuckin Nightmare to scare the shit out of them and chide them for stealing. Then what does he do???? he walks the little girl home with her bag of groceries and insists they eat healthily and stay well while still in full superhero gear. that lil girl calls him her friend without a second of hesitation. im weak help. 

Panels from: Doctor Mid-Nite Issues #1 & 3 (mostly 1).

[clarasfm]

–––––– hey  CLARA  SLOANE  ,  welcome  to  dillon  university  .  has  anyone  ever  told  you  you’re  ADDISON  RAE  ’s  twin  ?  no  ?  well  okay  ,  i  heard  you  are  NINETEEN  &  a  SOPHOMORE  at  the  university  .  we  hope  ATHLETIC  TRAINING  isn’t  kicking  your  ass  too  much  ,  especially  since  you’re  the  FOOTBALL  TEAM’S  DEFENSIVE  COORDINATOR’S  DAUGHTER  /  STUDENT  ATHLETIC  TRAINER  .  see  you  at  the  next  game,  SLOANE  &  cis female  +  she/her  .

CLICK HERE FOR A CUTE TRIP TO CLARA’S PINTEREST !! 

                        HELLO , FRIENDS ! i’m b and this is my idiot child clara . a handful & the epitome of chaotic good , if you will . under the cut you’ll find a little more about who she is !! i’m super excited to get started , so if you wanna plot feel free to come find me at local sad girl#9956 or like and i’ll come to you  to figure out if IMs or discord works better!! –––––––

background.

clara leigh sloane was born in small town, louisiana to a family that lived and breathed sports. her grandpa coached college football in the sec for years, ending his career with a national championship team that included his son, clara’s father. that was the same year clara’s older brother was born, the spitting image of her father and the sloane family’s pride & joy. it was then that, choosing coaching over a professional career for the sake of his son. five years later, clara came along.

her parents were college sweethearts, and they really thought they wanted the same things. one kid couldn’t save their marriage... two kids didn’t do the trick either, and when clara was five, her mother packed her things and left, never to be heard from again.

they were a happy little trio, though! traveling every now and then for the sake of dad’s job as a high school football coach. he had quite a few national championship titles under his belt at the high school level, all of which clara watched from the sidelines.

she grew up very interested in everything her dad and brother were doing. curious in general, honestly, but this began her love of sports. specifically: football and hockey. football, from her father. hockey, from her brother.

she and her brother were just far enough apart in age to never have to cross each others paths too much, but everyone who knew cameron–– clara’s brother–– knew her as little sloane. she never minded it, just as she never minded drowning in one of his old hockey jerseys from the sidelines and learning to skate with him also on the ice. he was .. her favorite person, honestly. and he didn’t mind his kid sister being around either.

life was relatively smooth sailing. never rich, but never going hungry. never short on love in the sloane household, and never boring with two kids that had crazy colorful personalities. like these two were just.. . . goofballs and they played off of  each other’s energy like it was nothing. comedians of family thanksgiving. choreographed living room routine. idiots, rly

when she was about 13, her dad got into coaching at the college level, taking a small school to a national championship before being hired by the university of michigan to turn their football program around.

he was given two years, and he couldn’t manage it, despite coming close. around the same time cameron got a full ride to dillon for hockey, their father got hired as the defensive coordinator at dillon. thus, the whole family picked up and moved to texas.

when she was a senior in high school, and cameron was a junior in college, cam was involved in a car accident that left him brain dead. after days in the hospital and exhausting resources, clara and her father said their goodbyes and he was gone. u know that scene in if i stay?? where the grandpa is like it’s okay.. you can leave go if you have to?? p much . .. that. clara held his hand until she was dragged away

there’s a bit of a grey cloud that hangs over the sloane family since. his room hasn’t been touched. his car sits under a tarp in a shed behind the house. their father doesn’t talk about it, never did, so clara just kinda navigated that grief alone. she’s... fINE REALLY SHE’S perfectly fine

but incapable of leaving dillon, it seems, as she chose to go there to stay close to her dad and to be close to cameron

she’s always loved the sidelines and has a very stem-wired brain, so she’s going for athletic training to be an athletic trainer... of course akjdhfa in hopes of working for the nfl or the nhl... or maybe med school to be an actual team-hired doctor

personality.

like i said!! the epitome of chaotic good. she’s got big sunshine energy and big idiot energy. to give you some references from pop culture: sheryl yoast from remember the titans, harper from set it up, fucking ace from nancy drew, annabeth chase from percy jackson and fuckin honestly?? sophie turner just in general 

very much ‘do no harm but take no shit’

a lot of her friendships are very surface level because she’s got this way about her that’s very optimistic, very fun, very sunshine and that’s kind of what people expect of her, so she doesn’t really let anyone see anything different than that. very few people get close to her, but those people?? she’d do anything for ... .. . lowkey she soft

stubborn! and! competitive! put them together and you have someone who hates not being immediately perfect at something. she gets frustrated with herself very very easily

very opinionated and does not hesitate to stand up for herself or others. this can kinda come off as a bit know it all sometimes, or like she’s incredibly sure of herself. she’s not. in fact, she’s.... not her own biggest fan. her older brother was golden, and losing him made her an only child in some sorts. that pressure to be perfect was now on her, and her strained relationship with her father certainly didn’t help that. nowadays he seems to be more interested in his work and getting to a head coaching spot at another university than anything else.

humor as a defense mechanism! sarcasm to deflect! this girl does it all! 

mild adhd & clear generalized anxiety disorder which does not help with the way she gets frustrated with herself becaaauuusssee...

she is intuitive as hell! she’s good at people! and problem solving! but being book smart comes a bit harder. she doesn’t struggle with school, but it isn’t a cake walk either. she’s needed help before, and she’ll probably need it again

kinda like a golden retriever in human form

a bit of an old soul meaning she’s really on her late 80s, early 90s shit

hopelessly optimistic about seeing the best in people, also kind of hopelessly romantic thanks to 80s films

literally never knows what’s going on but is hopeful she’ll figure it out eventually!

night owl af

there’s a scene in nancy drew where ace fully drinks a bottle of what could be water! but could also be poison! just to prove a point in the quickest way possible. that... sums clara up pretty well. stupid but for the greater good usually!!!

has never backed down from a dare

has a dog named maverick yes bc of top gun that she loves more than herself

wrinkles her nose when she hears something she doesn’t like bc the bitch wears her emotions on her face and cannot lie foR SHIT

was a competitive gymnast for A WHILE . . . but tore her acl and was like nOPE no not for me i’m good no thank you! but still works out like  a freak bc she likes feeling strong  :\

very invested in the games even though she’s supposed to be keeping a professional air about her. also a student athletic trainer for the hockey team when that season is under way

would rather die  than listen to any country music that came out after 2003 or toby keith like she may be  a southern gal but TASTE SHE HAS  TASTE

y’all know  lena from scooby doo zombie island??? a lil more subtle and you’ve got clara’s southern louisiana accent woof 

stress bakes but not... well 

big fan of busted sneakers

soft girl but don’t tell anyone.... no one can know

OKAY THAT’S IT THAT’S ALL 

[theyearoftheking]

Book 5: The Stand

Bloggers note: if you’re looking for a complete plot summary and a list of all the characters in this epic tome, this is not the blog post for you. Proceed with caution. 

Once upon a time, there was a precocious ten year-old, with divorced parents. One parent embraced her weirdness and didn’t pay attention to what books she was bringing home from the library; and the other parent was my dad... who constantly wondered (aloud) why I wasn’t like normal kids. 

Being of slightly above-average intelligence, I saw this as an affront, and did subtle things just to piss him off. Subtle things “normal” children probs wouldn’t do. The summer I was ten, my dad had picked up a paperback copy of The Stand, and was raving to me about how good it was. I remember he was fixated on people falling dead in their bowls of Chunky soup. 

“Sounds like a cool book, maybe I’ll read it,” I commented. 

“This isn’t a book for children. You still haven’t read that copy of The Hobbit I gave you.” 

Hold my beer, motherfucker. I’m here for it. And The Hobbit was boring af. I never got past all the singing. 

Just to piss him off, I read the book cover to cover, faster than he did. You know, like normal vindictive ten year-old girls do. I don’t have a lot of memories of my dad growing up, but I hold onto this one fast and tight, because I got mine in the end. I was like the Trashcan Man of the fifth grade set. Just with a worse haircut. See below. 

Needless to say, my comprehension of The Stand almost thirty years later is a little bigger, wider, and deeper. It’s also colored by other epic “Good vs. Evil” reads (sigh, yes... even Tolkien); and King’s other works (mostly The Dark Tower). While at times this was not an easy book to read, I’m glad I powered through it. Ultimately, I feel rewarded I didn’t give up on page 872 like I had initially wanted to. I’m also glad I didn’t go with my gut instinct of reading the original released in in 1978, and then later on the uncut edition that was released in 1990. One reading of The Stand per year is more than enough, thank you. And besides, there’s fun pictures along the way! I mean, if I’m being honest, the book is mostly pictures with just a few words here and there to break it up. I’m absolutely kidding. 

Let’s get into it, shall we?

First of all, I picked the worst fucking time to read this book. Coronavirus is probably going to kill the whole world, and I refuse to be one of the survivors like in The Stand. There’s not enough bourbon in Kentucky for me to survive that shit show. Additionally, my family is huge into board games, and we thought Pandemic might be a fun cooperative game to try. Spoiler: it’s awesome, we’re all hooked on it. I highly recommend it for your next game night. Maybe an End of the World/Pandemic theme?? You can all wear gloves and masks, eat shelf stable foods and bottled water, and play REM on repeat. Sounds... awesome. 

But I digress. The Stand is your ultimate post-apocalyptic good versus evil showdown. A government employee with Captain Trips (the world ending virus) goes AWOL from his base, and takes a frantic road trip across the country with his family, where he manages to contaminate everyone he comes in contact with. 

What is Captain Trips? Well, I’m so glad you asked! To hear a doctor explain it, “We’ve got a disease with several well-defined stages... but some people may skip a stage. Some people may backtrack a stage. Some people may do both. Some people stay in one stage for a relatively long time and others zoom though all four as if they were on a rocket-sled...” 

The virus spreads (like viruses do), until there’s less than 15,000 people left in the country (rough estimate). The people still alive start having two types of dreams; either scary nightmares about The Walking Man, or peaceful dreams about Mother Abigail. Again... good versus evil. Guess who is who. If you need clarification, let me give you this one little quote about Randall Flagg, courtesy of Mother Abigail, “He’s the purest evil left in the world. The rest of the bad is a little evil. Shoplifters and sexfiends and people who like to use their fists. But he’ll call them. He’s started already. He’s getting them together a lot faster than we are. Before he’s ready to make his move, I guess he’ll have a lot more. Not just the evil ones that are like him, but the weak ones... the lonely ones... and the ones that have left God out of their hearts.” 

And his followers?

“They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn’t much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn’t grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn’t grow very well in a place where it was always dark.” 

Yeah. I’m just going to leave that there for you to read and digest. 

So, the remaining people from all over the country either ended up in Vegas with Flagg, or Boulder with Mother Abigail and The Free Zone; which is basically Bernie Sander’s Utopian dream. 

God damn it! I swore I wasn’t going to get political and compare Donald Trump to Randall Fla- 

Ok, so The Free Zone. Most of the people who come to Boulder, want to meet Mother Abigail Freemantle, the one hundred and eight year old black woman they’ve been dreaming about. She’s got a self-described case of the shine, and speaks stupid relevant truth to her followers, “I have harbored hate of the Lord in my heart. Every man or woman who loves Him, they hate Him too, because He’s a hard God, a jealous God, He Is, what He Is, and in this world He’s apt to repay service with pain while those who do evil ride over the roads in Cadillac cars. Even the joy of serving Him is a bitter joy. I do His will, but the human part o me has cursed Him in my heart.” 

I’m not religious, but that hit hard. And it shows you the clear difference between Randall Flagg, and Mother Abigail. 

Later on, Mother Abigail also hits us over the head, and explains to us why this book is titled, The Stand: “But he is in Las Vegas, and you must go there, and it is there that you will make your stand. You will go, and you will not falter, because you have the Everlasting Arm of the Lord God of Hosts to lean on. Yes. With God’s help you will stand.”

Spoiler: it doesn’t quite go according to her plan. Very few are left standing at the end.

 So, The Free Zone. People come together, dispose of dead bodies, get electricity turned back on again, clear the roads of abandoned cars, and form a de-facto government. While lots of characters come and go (die. They die.) throughout the book, there are a few mainstays in The Free Zone: Franny, Harold, Stu, Larry, Nick, Tom, Nadine, and Lucy. But again... good versus evil. While most of the residents of The Free Zone are good, Flagg is able to whisper in the ears of some members, mostly Harold and Nadine, who end up defecting and making the trip to Vegas. 

While socialist utopia is succeeding in Boulder, Flagg is ruling with fear of crucifixion in Vegas. His henchmen include Lloyd, and The Trashcan Man. Oh, Trashy... maybe one of King’s most iconic characters. He’s a bit of a firebug (understatement of the century), and really goes out in a blaze of glory (ha. Pun intended). 

In fact, the two heroes of this book are Trashcan Man, thanks to his epic nuclear disaster; and simple-minded Tom Cullen, who is able to infiltrate Flagg’s inner circle, and successfully make it out, rescuing Stu Redman, who is dying in the desert with a broken leg and a horrible infection along the way. Tom Cullen is the character you root for. But Trashy is the character you’re always curious about. He’s like that rebel guy you dated in high school for ten minutes, and now stalk on Facebook, because you want to see what shady shit he’s up to twenty years later. 

This is the biggest oversimplification I think I’ve ever written. The onus is on you to just pick up the damn book and read it yourself. Do it soon, because you might not have a lot of time left, what with Coronavirus breathing it’s death fumes down our necks. 

For those still keeping track, we have TWO Wisconsin references in The Stand. The first was on page five, set in a gas station in East Texas, “...had covered himself with glory as a quarterback of the regional high school team, had gone on to Texas A&M with an athletic scholarship, and had played for ten years with the Green Bay Packers...” 

I can’t help but feel Steve is a closeted Packers fan. He lives in Maine, so I know he’s contractually obligated to be a Patriots fan (gag), but come on... homeboy loves him some green and yellow. 

The second reference comes from our friend Trashcan Man, while trying to find a walking route of possible destruction. “He had planned to get over to the west side of Gary, near the confusion of interchanges leading various roads towards Chicago or Milwaukee...”

Question... does Gary, Indiana still smell in a post-apocalyptic world? Asking for a friend. 

We also start getting the Dark Tower references fast and heavy. I didn’t make note every time Steve referenced wolves, crows, or wheels; because we’d be up over a million references now. And Randall Flagg himself is straight out of The Tower. So that’s fun. And we have our first “ka” reference: “And it came to him with a dreamy, testicle-shriveling certainty that this was the dark man, his soul, his ka somehow projected into this rain-drenched, grinning crow that was looking at him...”

‘Tis ka, bitches. 

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 8

Dark Tower References: 4

Book Grade: A- 

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books 

The Shining

The Stand

‘Salem’s Lot

Carrie 

Night Shift

Next up is The Dead Zone, which I must have watched a million times as a kid, because my mom was obsessed with it, but I’ve never actually read the book. So this should be fun! I mean... who doesn’t love reading a book and imagining Christopher Walken without his cowbell as the main character? 

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, Rebecca 

[recalibr8]

The mEtOHd in my madness

I’d been out with my teen lads on a Friday. We got off the train and there was a young, crumpled woman sat on the platform, fat tears splashing into a puddle of sick on her trench coated lap. I offered her some tissues; I’m a mum, it come with the membership card. After a few sorries she asked “where did you stop?”. It took us a while to realise she meant, ‘where are we?’ She was out by 2 stations which on the face of it wasn’t bad. We pointed her onto the next train, gave her a mint (gold membership benefits) and my youngest shouted “take care of yourself” as we trudged up the platform. We agreed it was probably work drinks getting out of bounds and she’d be ok now she had tissues. But I kept thinking, “where did you stop?”. Where did I stop? Because I’m now AF af.

AF af. That’s alcohol free and doing pretty darn ruddy brilliant. Three months ago I upgraded my BrewDog to NannyState, went Becks Blue and am thinking in an offhand way about brewing Kombucha. I’ve teamed this up with going plasticlite, veganish and kimchi curious. So far, so middle class virtual signalling. But where did I stop?

I’ve been drinking since I was 5. I’d adorably finish up the beer in my parents’ guests glasses and well, kept going. Not in a Drew, Carrie or Liza rehab by 13 sense but I think I’ve probably had my fair share. I’m well aware that I knew, know and don’t know but suspect people who I love who have significant alcohol use problems and this is blog is in no way trying to say my needs are greater than theirs. I know a lot of highly creative endeavours and friendships were found in a gin bottle but also unforgivable abuses. And I know friends whose acts are based around the camaraderie of drinking. And I’d never tell anyone what they *should* do. But like all ex anybodies, I’m annoying about my sobriety journey right now. Bear with me.

But it’s not just me though. I see booze everywhere. For a dose related lethal toxin that’s very effective marketing. There’s a giant ad on Toots Broadway station entreating me to Go Bottomless and every other Facebook ad is for a spirit that promises to make evenings round the back of Catford Lidl magical. And many of these are aimed at women. A recent industry survey found ‘only’ 17% of women drank beer and this needed sorting out. Look out for more lady drinking adverts, they’re coming.

But I wasn’t alcoholic. Was I? Are you? You’re only an alcoholic if you have one more drink than you doctor. I’m

a doctor ... so let’s take a look.

*I’m really low on the alcoholic check list*

I’ve never drank alcohol in the morning, blacked out, been told by others I have a problem, had to apologise...

Ah, I have had to apologise once or twice. Nothing major, just ‘sorry, I was a bit wobbly/silly/rude/loud/insulting/gave you my shoes as a gift’. I once lost my credit and oyster card at the bar of a immersive theatre event though. I don’t know how I got home. I had to find the site manager the next day and he definitely had other things to do. Not long after my bag was stolen in SoHo because I was distracted. Not sure how I got home then either. Friends put me in an Uber after my MA showcase because I wasn’t walking very straight. Or being very nice. So I definitely remember getting home then.

These were all Thursdays or weekends. I’ve always been careful not to have any chance of affecting my work. But yeah, how clear headed was I for my family, myself? And much of this was stress drinking after a week of being a clever doctor. Just loosened up the joints a bit. Particularly if your slightly socially awkward. But I wasn’t a drunk, no. Maybe just a binge drinker. And that’s ok, isn’t it?

*Hangovers are just a thing*.

With only drinking at the end of the week, I was careful not to be hungover at work. But I had a Friday at home hangover where I didn’t get out of bed for the day. I claimed I’d been poisoned. I’d just had one too many Jaegerbombs. I vomited in the taxi. I’ve vomited in several taxis. That’s not a good look at any age. Hangovers are a funny meme, a cartoon of a dog in sunglasses, office banter. It’s your liver crying and your brain folding it’s arms in judgment. It’s not bad wine, it’s bad choices.

*Get kids used to drinking. Like the French. Then they won’t binge*.

My 13 year old buys old vodka bottles from charity shops. Wearing a furry hat, his comedy drunk Russian is not bad I used to have the deepest voice of my friends at 14 so it was my job to buy the booze for house parties. My mother always told me drink a pint of milk before you go out to soak up the booze. At 14. I had a few sexual assaults along the way but if I blame myself that’s victim blaming and I don’t want to be a bad feminist on top of everything. Med school in the 80’s/90’s was all over the drink. Freshers’ week was a booze insurance test. The circle line pub crawl, the Clint Eastwood Appreciation Society, the Med School pub crawl...end at Barts because Smithfield’s liscence meant you’d keep going all night.

*Booze always cheers you up*.

I’ve got to confess, my life has got a lot quieter. I’m going out much less, I leave early, I’m not champagne Charlie any more. I’m always, well, me. My dad was a depressed alcoholic, so was his dad (he ran a tobacconist and offie so that didn’t help) and his dad before him. And I have depression and PTSD. My moods are now not so high, but they are also not so low. This is very strange. I’m hoping this is a good thing. I’ve heard it is. This, this is the mEtOHd in my madness. The mood stabilisation. That’s the plan.

*Being a doctor is just one of those boozey jobs*

Fun quiz! Who do you think drinks the most? Enough to have a problem. Oooh, were good at guessing this in ED. Writers must be bad, farmers, journalists! yes, they’re always drunk, private invsestigators (?), airline pilots (like my dad, I saw what those guys put away). Ok...it’s.

Lawyers - reporting 33% with problematic drinking

Construction workers- 16.5%

Miners -17.5%

Then it’s Healthcare workers, especially doctors (oh no). A. 2012 study of American surgeons published in JAMA Surgery found 15.4 percent had an alcohol use disorder. Female surgeons (25.6 percent) were more likely than male surgeons (13.9 percent) to exhibit symptoms of alcohol addiction. Healthcare professionals in general it’s 10%

https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/common-professions/

Performing artists and writers - 11.5%

Catering/hospitality -11%

So no pilots then? I think there’s something they’re not telling us or things are much better since the 80’s. 


 A 1998 study of junior doctors in Newcastle-upon-Tyne reported that:

* 60% exceeded the recommended safe limits for alcohol consumption

* 36% of males and 20% of females used cannabis 

The Sick Doctors Trust says “Since our working lives are spent helping others, it is easy to push aside our own problems, in addition to which, denial is quite common in medical staff. This is not deliberate, but a part of the whole illness of addiction. That addiction is a chronic illness which therefore requires treatment as for any other condition, is now well-established but there is still a tendency to feel that it is a sign of weakness, and that maybe things aren't 'that bad'.’

That some individuals are more prone to developing addiction is generally agreed. There is no single determining factor, but usually a combination of biological, psychosocial and environmental factors - a mixture of nature and nurture. There is now much evidence implicating dysfunction in the Dopamine transmitter system & it’s involvement in craving. There is also evidence to suggest that the effect alcohol has on an individual’s brain is genetically determined. A family history is present in many alcoholics- those having direct family affected being more at risk...

*Its a family affair*

I went to Adult Children of Alcoholics once. It wasn’t for me but what they said made total sense. I take responsibility for everyone, I’m primed for betrayal and disaster and I totally thrive in emotional drama. My dad wasn’t a nice drunk. He made my mum drink when pregnant ‘to keep him company’. She in turn gave babies a tot of brandy to keep them quiet as a stewardess and I can’t imagine my permanently shouting parents wouldn’t have liked us to be quiet babies too. So I’ve got pre and postnatal form. But I don’t have to fix them now. Particularly dad. It’s quite hard to fix dead people.

https://adultchildren.org/

*Booze: the solution AND cause of all of life’s difficulties*

Sick Doctors again “ Alcohol is the commonest substance of abuse in all doctors. Drinking will surprisingly continue despite negative consequences such as job difficulties, relationship breakdowns, financial problems, loss of driving licence; the alcoholic is driven by an irrational compulsion to continue, and frequently results in despair to the point of suicide. Fortunately, the depression associated with active alcoholism often abates when sober.”

http://sick-doctors-trust.co.uk/page/addiction

*I’m not an alcoholic*

and you probably aren’t either. But you might have problematic drinking. I did a survey as part of an UCLH research project. You can too. I lied a bit on it and still came out drinking more than 97% of women my age. Now an icon opens up on my phone every day to that says ‘DRINK LESS’. I stopped leaving my phone on meetings tables.

Drink Less. by Robert West

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/drink-less/id1020579244

If you are thinking about getting help for problematic drinking or any other addictions including workaholism or have any burnout symptoms for more than 3 weeks, you can of course get staff support and occupational health. But/And there is the amazing NHS Practitioner Health Programme where doctors with any addictions are supported https://php.nhs.uk/ DocHealth is another equally good programme https://www.dochealth.org.uk/. I used the latter when it was MedNet.

So, do I feel amazing? Had I got amazing skin, lost weight, feel energised and hopeful. Urg, not really. I feel a bit scared actually. I’ve lost my social crutch and I’ve stopped going out. I’m worried I’m boring and people will think I’m weird. But....I can get up earlier to walk the dog, I’m moderately less tired and although I’m not skipping down the road happy, the depressive moment I had in spring could have been a lot worse. I think that’s actually amazing. And that’s why I’m doing this. I want to face the world honestly and openly. I want to enjoy my kids before they leave home which is frighteningly soon and weirdly, I want to know my liver replaced itself in a year so I’m literally a new person (don’t google Theseus’ Boat Paradox, life is complicated enough). Oddly compelling, that. So where did I stop? I stopped here. In a weird waiting room in my head. But with the promise of a new adventure through the next door.

But don’t stop doing you, babes. Keep telling me your booze bantz. They are hilarious. Any story that starts or ends with Baileys is only going one way. This clearly isn’t a lecture. Most people can do moderation. And do could I, mostly. And it’s the mostly that’s not good enough. Not for me. Not any more.

Online support - https://www.facebook.com/groups/joinclubsoda/?ref=share

Samaritans- https://www.samaritans.org/

BMA wellbeing including 24 hour support - https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-wellbeing

Tea and Empathy for doctors’ online support - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1215686978446877/?ref=share

Al Anon for children of alcoholics https://adultchildren.org/

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

Dedicated to my husband who gave up the wine w*nker 6 years ago without any of this mid life crisis fuss. But I gave up meat and caffeine first so I still win.

[awed-frog]

Can I ask something about menstrual cups? I can't really use tampons - getting them in is time consuming and I can feel them which is super uncomfortable (and I know they say you have to push them further but I literally can't) but I was kind of wondering how a menstrual cup compares to that? Can you feel them? How long do you need to practice with them?

Hey there! So, I have no problem answering this question, but please remember this is my experience - not all vaginas are created equal. 

tl;dr answer: menstrual cups don’t compare to tampons in any way because tampons are The Claw of the Devil and cups love you and support you and want to see you happy; no, you can’t feel a menstrual cup, it’s like not wearing one at all; you can learn to how insert it and take it out in half an hour, but it may take you a couple of months to work out the kinks.

(pictured: me when I realized I would never have to use a tampon ever again)

Longer answer under the cut.

As a first thing - if you find you have a lot of trouble putting in a tampon, remember that you could simply be nervous or anxious (that will cause your muscles to clench, and it’s possible you won’t even realize you’re clenching because you have the impression you’re more or less relaxed), but it could also be a problem of vaginal dryness or another health issue, like vaginismus - maybe consider a chat with your ob/gyn doctor?

That said, what you describe is pretty common. I’ve got friends who hate tampons with a vengeance, and I never wore them myself if I could avoid it. Here is how a menstrual cup is different:

1) Tampons are dry. This means they can be uncomfortable to insert, especially during the first and last days of your cycle. Cups, on the other hand, are made of silicone, which means they easily slide against your skin - in theory, you can wear them even when you’re not bleeding at all (apparently some women put them in a few hours before they expect their period to start, and that’s the level of organization and attention to detail we all should aspire to).

 2) Tampons and cups sit in different places inside your body. Have a look:

You see how it works? That darker, bean-shaped thing is your uterus, and the opening between the vagina and the uterus is your cervix - while it’s impossible for a tampon to get inside it, a sharp pressure against the cervix can hurt - a lot. That’s why sometimes you feel a stab of pain when wearing a tampon (and that can be a problem during sexual intercourse as well, by the way, because some guys seem convinced that the whole goal of sex is to put their thing inside your vagina and watch it come out of your mouth or something). But cups, bless them, sit far, far away from your cervix, and that’s another reason why you don’t feel they’re there.

3) Another advantage here is that you need to push tampons back a whole lot for them to be in the right place, and if you’re young, or have small fingers, it’s annoying af. If you want to keep using tampons, those with applicators are probably a good idea, but personally I hated them even more because a) they’re not discreet - for weird women like me who don’t use purses, it feels like you’re walking around with a damn sigar; b) it’s like you’re injecting yourself with something, which you aren’t, but that THERE’S GOING TO BE A NEEDLE UP MY FANNY feeling is not something you need when you’re in the middle of your cycle, and mostly c) they’re so, so wasteful - look at all the paper and plastic you’re literally throwing away. Ugh. 

(I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think every woman should experiment with everything we’ve got available for this stupid problem and find something that suits her, but personally I wish cups had been a thing twenty years ago.)

Anyway - since cups sit much lower, putting them in is much less annoying. I remember those fed up attempts to push a tampon another inch back and wondering if it was the right place at all - well, bye bye to that and fuck you very much, tampons. 

It’s much easier to place cups in the right spot, I promise you.

4) Tampons tend to dry out your vaginal walls, which can be painful, especially when you insert or remove a tampon (think micro-wounds and all that crap). Cups just sit there without bothering anyone because they’re just nice that way.

So these are the reasons why a cup shouldn’t annoy you as much as a tampon. As to how to get used to them, here are a few tips.

A) If you’re a virgin or a teenager, take it easy. Your vagina is probably a bit tighter, and it’s likely you’ll be more nervous and less used to your body. That’s okay. Remember you’re allowed to get familiar with how you look down there - feel free to look at diagrams and experiment, in sexual or non sexual way, to learn what your vagina feels like. Be curious and patient. Also: a cup will slide through your hymen, but, like a tampon, it can also cause the hymen to tear. Now, this is absolutely not a problem, because the hymen is just an annoying flap of skin which means nothing, BUT if you live in a country where it’s dangerous not to be a virgin at your wedding, please - safety first. I wish I didn’t have to say this and that we lived in a better world, but we don’t, so if your family is very traditional or very religious and you know you could be in danger if your hymen tears before your wedding, please discuss this with your mother or a health professional before using tampons or a cup.

B) Pick the right size. As far as I can see, all brands are pretty much the same, but most tend to have two sizes. If you have children or are over forty, you should go with the bigger one.

C) Pick the right time. Learning how to insert a cup can take anywhere from ten minutes to a couple of hours, so the best thing is to have the house to yourself, put on some cheerful or relaxing music and give yourself time to do it properly.

D) Baby steps. Finally, once you’re used to it you’ll be able to insert and remove your cup while sitting on the toilet and to do it very quickly, but I think for your first time it’s easier if you squat in your shower or your bathtub. You can wait till the middle of your cycle if you want, but as I said above, the cup can also be used when you’re not bleeding, so you can also pick a random day and see how it works. Most brands will have a very long stem - don’t cut it just yet. It’s a psychological support that helps you let go of the fear the cup could be lost inside your body (which it won’t, by the way), so just ignore it’s there, hold the cup between your thumb and middle finger, squish it with your index so the opening becomes C-shaped, and gently insert it up your vagina. It may take you a few tries to see where it should sit, especially if you’re used to tampons, but the instructions are very clear, and you can also Google for more tips (if you want privacy, guest mode is the invisible option, not incognito mode). Once it’s in, pinch the base a little bit to make it pop open and then make sure it is actually open by pushing your finger very gently around the body. If it’s still close, you’ll feel the C-shaped crease; pinch again and move it around a bit until it opens (a folded cup won’t adhere to the vaginal walls, which makes it useless). Once it’s in, stand up and move around. If the stem is still there, you should feel it, but not the cup itself. Congrats, you’ve done it! 

To take it out, squat again and push down on the cup with one finger to form a crease, then simply slide it out. After you’ve done it a few times, you’ll learn to take it out without spilling the blood inside, but for now don’t worry about that.

E) That’s it! Once you get how it’s done, you can cut off the stem and start your new life as a Free & Happy Woman. Remember to boil the cup before and after every cycle and to change it regularly - it may need to be changed every two to four hours in case of very heavy bleeding, but to be honest the main problem will be remembering you’re on your period - since you don’t feel the cup at all, it’s more than likely you’ll forget to clean it out, or even to take it out at the end of your period. It’s just that comfortable.

F) Finally, a piece of unsolicited advice: there’s no ‘forever’ when it comes to periods. Your regularity, flow level, mood swings and aches may change from month to month. It’s always a good idea to keep a calendar so you have some idea of when your period is due (also when PMS is likely to hit you) and if you’re experiencing negative symptoms, try changing stuff around before taking medication. There is nothing wrong about painkillers, but pain is often a message from your body, so if you can answer that message instead of silencing it, well, I’d say that’s a good thing. Period cramps and PMS mood swings can often be managed by adjusting your diet (as usual, think more greens and less junk food), drinking some teas (like fennel or ginger) and, counter-intuitively, moving around more. In my experience, drastically reducing your sugar intake also helps a lot. Oh, and in case you’ve never seen it, here’s a funny and no-nonsense video about how our cycle works:

I hope this helped. Getting used to a menstrual cup may take some time - for the first month, I tried to avoid changing in public toilets because I was terrified it would fall inside (ugh) and didn’t exactly know how to clean it (paper works, but if you’ve got a small bathroom and the sink is right next to the toilet, well, that’s really the best way to rinse your cup out), but other than that, I was comfortable from the start. I always hated both pads and tampons, especially in warm weather, so this feeling of being completely free and forgetting you even have a period at all - yeah, that sold it for me. I also found it’s way more pleasant to insert a cup that’s slightly warm, so that could be another way to make it an easier and less stressful experience when you’re just starting out (but don’t make the water too hot - your skin’s sensitive down there!). Here are some more tips for first time users which I find pretty sensible. But also, you know - all of this makes it sound way more difficult than it is. It’s just a matter of relaxing and learning how to squish it an unsquish it - then you’re good to go. Happy bleeding, you magnificent she-beast!