#like some sort of parallel spouses

[meraki-yao]

George-Hebry reincarnation? I'm very intrigued 👀

Oh my God this one, I'm gonna have to do a lot of character study on show George if I wanna get this one right

I think the idea started with seeing a post in passing on Weibo on someone saying that George reincarnated as Henry and getting to be loved instead of used and be used, so the core idea isn't an original idea from me

But it did get me thinking about possible parallels

I have a similarly structured fic planned out but not written for my other fandom: Shadowhunters, for Raphael Santigo -> Rafael Lightwood-Bane, but the idea is reincarnation is a second chance of some sort

So in George and Henry's case, the basis is that Henry is George's second chance, one where things are opposite: genuinely loving immediate family with adoring parents, being told to suppress his sexuality instead of flaunting it, having power given to him instead of fighting then being corrupted by it, getting to experience true love without alternative motives

I need to watch it with an analytical lens, but I feel like George from the first episode, although kind of petulant, is a starry-eyed good kid who believes in die-hard romances and love before all. That transparent heart was polluted inch by inch until it was black.

Now look at Henry, someone who wants and believes in die-hard romance and one true love, just thinking he can't have it.

So what if the starry-eyed kid George used to be actually got to grow up without having that part of him twisted?

This is more a character study in the form of a fic more than anything. The structure will kind of be George's story first, then Henry's story phrased as paralleling lines of George's.

Something else about this fic that I thought about is that how movie Henry still has his middle name "George Edward James", but now has the surname "Stuart", the same name as the King who loved George more than the world. Something something taking your spouse's surname something something symbolism.

Also there's a contrast/ parallel to be drawn with the meaning of their names:

George, the impoverished boy who rose the power to the point where he was the de facto ruler of the kingdom: Farmer

Henry, the prince born into power but being so careful with it, wanting to do actual good with it: Ruler

James: May God Protect Him

Alexander: Protector of Man

I don't know maybe it's just me but I'm a sucker for poetic paralleling shit like this

Ask me about my WIPs!

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Costume meta 6x12

Thank you wardrobe team - for giving me half a chance with the costumes this week 😂 After the insane costume levels last week, it was nice to have fewer costumes to talk about this week! Have to admit I did go off on a bit of a side quest while writing this - shout out to fridge and beer theory 😳😂🤓

I'm not going to go character by character this week because they did something really interesting with the colour palette this episode. So I'm going to break things down colour by colour and it means I'll be talking about Wendell, Tamara and Connor as well!

Firstly there were 3 main colour in use in 6x12 - red blue and grey, with a couple of secondary colours also in play - the army drab green, white and pink. There were also some very interesting parallels at play in the costuming as well - not only in relation to the text, but specifically to the shooting - we see a lot of costume references to that arc as a whole and I'll go into those as we get to them.

as always the rest is below the cut to save your dash!

Red

So in 6x12 we see red/maroon used 4 times and on all 4 occasions its being worn by someone in the role of advisor and or parent/carer.

First up we have Athena (her in a rare denim wearing occurrence!!) in a wine red turtle neck - she is filling the role of advisor for Bobby here - providing him with information pertaining to the investigation into Wendell's death. she is displaying her care for Bobby and his wellbeing - pursuing a seemingly impossible task to help him get answers - she fully understands Bobbys need to pursue the case - the potential for it to impact on Bobbys sobriety if he's unable to get answers. I've spoken before about red being an energetic and powerful colour, we see both those aspects at play in this costume - Athena has powerful information that reenergises the case for Bobby. This is Athena in supportive spouse mode.

Next up we have Maddie - very intentionally in her dispatcher uniform and this putting her in maroon/burgundy. The use of her uniform is an indicator of Maddie managing things - putting up a sort of boundary. She is managing Buck in the same way she would manage one of her calls at dispatch. I need to mention the fact that Buck is in navy blue here - that he is wearing a tee that matches his own uniform and we barely see the grey joggers because he is standing behind the kitchen island. It is important to recognise that both of them are hiding behind being 'in uniform' and we see that fact effectively erecting barriers between them - it is only when the are both out of those colours that they are able to talk and understand (I'll talk more on that later on!).

Wendell's costume here is such a choice!!! Even if we hadn't been told in the previous flashback that Wendell was ex military, we would have been able to reach that conclusion ourselves because of this costume. does it remind you o the way they've styled anyone else on the show? perhaps a certain someone with their own military background?? thats right - this costume is straight out of the Eddie Diaz costume book! long sleeve maroon henley, olive drab combat style trousers and smartish leather boots. they've given Wendell his own twist - with the metal watch and the necklaces, but the look is deliberately meant to look similar to Eddie. The general audience will subconsciously draw the association.

For me this costume and its use in this particular scene is super fascinating - a conversation about 'getting back out there' and dating around a bit and the concept of impulsivity compared with Bobby knowing that Athena makes him feel like he's on solid ground. the costume is very much helping to foreshadow Eddies story here - he's going to take the road that Wendell suggests here - date around a bit - before figuring out what Bobby already has - that he wants and already has someone who makes him feel like he's on solid ground. the show has been paralleling Bathena and Buddie for a long time now, this is just another example of them doing this, especially because Bobby and Buck have been costume paralleled a lot, as have Athena and Eddie. The fact that the show has chosen to use this scene as part of this episode where those costume parallels are especially loud is really telling, clever and shows they're having fun with the build up of this slow burn!

Eddie - Like I've said above this is some very intentional costume paralleling going on in terms of foreshadowing for Eddie in the rest of season 6. But there is also the parallel to Athena and Maddie (we can pull Maddie into the paralleling because they chose to put Chimney in blue when Maddie get's home from work). the maroon is in the red part of the colour wheel and shares many of the same attributes - mostly relating to power, passion and confidence, but also its brown undertones hint at stability and comfort as well as protection.

These are all things we see from Eddie in the two scenes - the comfort and protection Eddie offers Buck in the first scene that allows Buck to fall asleep on the couch, with those same traits combining with stability, power and confidence in the kitchen scene. Eddie is the epitome of stability from bucks perspective - the Diaz house is a stable and supportive place and Eddie is at the centre of that for Buck. The power and confidence come from Eddies knowledge of Buck, giving him the space he needs and knowing when to push, but also from Eddie himself knowing where the line is - know ing that Buck won't benefit from Eddies full honesty at this point in time.

All of that is not the only thing that shirt is hinting at. I've spoken a lot about the use of maroon on male characters specifically as a symbol of fatherhood and parental responsibility and here is no different - Eddie making Christophers lunch in the kitchen scene (is this kitchen scene .3 or .4 ?) was a very deliberate choice for the simple reason that it connects to the shooting visually - right down to the choice of putting Eddie in dark trousers - mirroring Buck when he tells Christopher about his dad being shot. The Christopher of the equation remains relevant even now - as they actually talk about the shooting for the first time - he is not directly a part of the conversation, but he is still there in the background (in much the way the will still lingers in the background).

Blue

So fun overarching fact about the use of blue in this episode - it gets progressively lighter as the episode progresses! This is something the show has been playing with a bit this season - especially in connection with Buck. It's so informative as to the journeys of Bobby and Buck in this episode.

We do also see Chimney and Tamara in blue in this episode, but only once. Chimneys is in balance to the Red of Maddie - its playing into the colour trope of couples that we've seen the show use over and over to both draw parallels between the actual couples on the show as well as draw parallels with those couples and Buddie.

Here we Have Chimney in a shade of blue he wears a lot, I think this jumper is the same on we see him in when Maddie's kitchen floods, but the lighting is very different in the two scenes and that makes it hard to be sure. it is important to note that this blue doesn't sit in the same colour spectrum of the other blues in this episode - its much more of a green blue - having peacock or turquoise undertones. this is a deliberate choice - it still allows chimney to sit in the colour blocking of blue and red that we see in this episode and in the show more widely, but it also others him - he doesn't fit into the journey towards healing that we see the others go on.

Bobby goes through a spectrum of blue like I said. this first polo is really hard to define - its under a heavy filter which gives everything a greyish yellow tone - which the show uses in most of its flashback scenes. we can see its blue, but as to the specifics of shade, its hard to tell - it is definitely towards a navy colour, but not as dark.

This is a moment when Bobby is vulnerable, but is accepting of help - a darker navy wouldn't be the right choice here - bobby is in the darkness that navy hints at, but he is also accepting the help he asked for and this lighter slightly greener tone the filter gives the shirt shows us that - the greener tone suggesting growth.

Then we move on to the shirt we see Bobby in for most of the episode. The lighter navy with a bluish grey check pattern. The Check foreshadows (as always) the problems Bobby is going to face in his hunt for the truth of what happened to Wendell.

I loved the fact that they put Bobby and Tamara in similar shades of blue for this scene. its a brighter blue - much more of an azure or ultramarine blue - much more hopeful supportive and accepting. its meant to show us that they are in the same place emotionally, but also it ties the help they received from Wendell to the two of them - pointing out that because of him they are both on the right path .

Bobby then wears full dark navy blue when the Walshes are arrested (the picture of this is down in the other colours section of this post) with the same green jacket as the one he wears when he meets up with Tamara

Then we get this grey blue shirt when we see Bobby in full sponsor mode.

As you can see the blue gets progressively lighter as Bobby progresses through the episode and we end up with him a colour that matches the check from the first shirt. I think this is intentional - that we're supposed to read it as Bobby breaking out of things that have been holding him back up to now. The other thing about this blue/grey shirt is that it's almost the same colour as the knit polo that Buck is wearing . This is telling me two things - we are supposed to make the connection between where Bobby is at and where Buck is at respectively - that they are at similar points in their respective healing journeys - something made more obvious by the two costumes being worn at the same time in their respective scenes. The other thing it's doing is reinforcing the father son aspect of Bobby and Bucks relationship - visually connecting the two of them at the same time as the script.

Buck in navy - like I said above - this is very much about reflecting Bucks LAFD uniform - especially in relation to Maddie, Josh and to a point Hen. we get to see the grey sweatpants much more when it comes to Hen, because this is the person Buck has been most honest with up to this point and then Connor - once Buck establishes he's not part of Maddies schedule!

The navy is also an outward manifestation of Bucks internal struggles with the whole dying part of his reality post lightning strike. navy is often associated with depression and with avoiding confrontation (one of the reasons its used as a uniform colour so often) and attention. Here we have a Buck who is trying to do both - avoid causing confrontation and trying to deflect attention away from himself (the script also shows us this by is his leaving a note and running to Eddies) ad well as making it obvious that Buck is struggling with his mental health and over facing up to the reality that he died.

The final costume we see Buck in is this very light blue knit polo - which has grey undertones and connects in with crash and learn and the locker room conversation Buck has with Hen - about the secret to happiness. Having seen Buck in blue or grey for all of the episode, this bluish grey merges the two colours together and implies that the two different versions of Buck - the closed off navy blue one and the honest vulnerable grey ones have merged - erring more towards the grey version of Buck than the navy one. this is a clear choice - it shows Buck accepting and embracing that more vulnerable version of himself and we see that in action when he talks to Maddie about her over the top schedule.

The other thing with this pale blue is that it ties into a series of moments we've seen from Buck since 5x18. The blue suit of Hen and Karens wedding - representing the freeing himself of Taylor, the blue shirt from the locker room conversation with Hen when we see Buck really start to think about what it is that he wants/needs to be happy and when we find out that Kameron is pregnant, and now this one. All of these are moments when Buck is making progress in figuring out what he wants and how he can find his happiness - in some ways they are like the use of Bucks white shoes - where as those are a more general representation of his journey - the smaller steps as it were, these blue outfits are bigger strides forward.

Grey

I have so many thoughts about the grey of it all in this episode!! We only see Buck and Athena in grey.

Athena wears this grey turtleneck and waterfall front cardigan combo. Grey is a neutral colour, but it is also a colour of compromise and here we see Athena essentially compromising with bobby and giving him the information he needs to get in contact with Tamara.

The ribbed grey jumper that Buck wears to Eddies house along with the lighter grey sweats is such a choice. First thing to point out- this jumper has been put on over the navy blue tee - we can see a slither of the tee in the picture below - between the jumper and the sweats (costume department for the win on little details like these!)

Grey is like I said above a neutral colour, but it is also somewhat ambiguous - because of its place between black and white on the colour chart. it is also associated with wisdom and maturity. here we have a Buck who is being mature in his recovery - being wise

The fact that the ribbing gives the jumper an air of chainmail is also an interesting thing, it hints at the idea of protection - its not the full on protection of plate armour, but it is non the less a protective layer - in this instance it is Buck both protecting himself from Maddie's overbearing (but well meant) schedule, but it also serves as a barrier for the kitchen conversation - that in between stage we've spoken of, where Buck and Eddie aren't fully ready to talk about the full implications of the shooting. Eddie reads it and doesn't go into the full truth of what he remembers - the grey jumper is the visual representation of the fact Buck is still not fully ready to talk about it (even if Eddie is).

The use of ribbing also means this jumper fits into a theory i've been keeping an eye on since 6x01 with regards to Buck and vertical stripes - you can read it at the end of the 6x01 meta if you haven't already read it. Essentially though - Buck seems to wear vertical stripes when he is emotionally imprisoned or trapped in some way. this jumper is maybe stretching the metaphor a bit, but the theory works for this scenario - Buck is struggling - reckoning with death and the emotional trauma that has brought him. Its going to be interesting to see if this continues to play out in the rest of 6b!

The final thing to point out about this jumper is the long sleeves - and this ties into the costumes of all the other characters as well - when around Buck. If Buck is wearing short sleeves everyone else is wearing long sleeves and if Buck is wearing long sleeves, then the characters he interacts with (only Eddie) are wearing short sleeves. This is significant - Buck is his most open and honest about where he is at with his recovery etc when he's wearing long sleeves and his opposite is wearing short. Eddie wearing short sleeves appears to be concealing things from Buck - much like Buck has been doing with everyone else in this episode - not being completely honest with them. its a play on the idea of Buck being good at hiding his true feelings from others - in physical form and only making himself vulnerable when he has protections in place and he's with one of the few people who can understand his trauma (Chimney is the other one but we don't see them interact in this episode!).

Other colours

Hens costume is very much carrying on her costume theme from 6x11 - which is perfect - the orange brown and green place her in the same context as we saw her last week - its a form of continuity - she is still the representation of emotional strength and optimism through the orange, the brown is still the representation of stability and the green (which has gotten brighter) is still a reference to growth and security and health. The green being more obvious this epsiode is showing us the improvement in Bucks health - Hen is the most skilled medic on the show - her being in green is a show of that in connection with other characters when the scene is not about her directly - in this case - Buck and his health post death and resurrection.

Connor is an interesting one this week, the tan/beige jacket combined with the baby pink and blue pinstripe shirt is telling me a lot of things! Firstly the beige - beige is considered a 'boring' colour and as such it is often used to mask other things - its a colour that 'blends in with the crowd' and it being worn as an outer here is very much playing into that as a concept - outwardly Connor is deflecting attention away from himself - from his own internal struggles

The pink and blue pinstripe shirt however is saying a whole lot, firstly the use of pale pink and blue - colours that often have 'baby' placed in front of them as a denotation or the specific shades - baby pink and baby blue. This automatically and subconsciously encourages the brain to think about babies - the central theme of Connors arc on the show - pregnancy, babies/children and fatherhood or pending fatherhood.

Pink has lots of meanings attached to it, but pale or baby pinks are generally considered to represent immaturity and or naivety and I think that is what its use is trying to suggest here - it is foreshadowing and hinting at Connors actual feelings around Kameron's pregnancy.Its telling us that Connor hasn't actually thought through (not necessarily intentionally) the full reality of being/becoming a father when the child is not genetically his - its hinting that that is his journey (and Bucks) for the remainder of the season and pregnancy.

Again there are lots of meanings that can be attached to blue and it comes in a myriad of shades (probably the most wide range of shades of any colour to be honest) which also impacts its meaning. The blue pinstripes here are very much of the baby blue variety there are a couple of things that I think the use of blue here is trying to tell us - firstly blue at the lighter end of the spectrum tends to be positive, it also tends to be responsible and reliable. the fact that the blue stripes 'run through' the pink - the implication being that it runs through that naivety that I spoke about a moment ago - thats essentially a good thing - its telling us that the outcomes of this arc will be positive - I'm guessing that Connor will get his head around being a dad - learning and understanding that genetics don't necessarily make a father.

The other thing we need to talk about with regards to Connor - that I spotted and I think hints at things to come is his wedding band. in the above picture he is wearing it on his right hand rather than his left - as he has done all the way up to this point. THis can only be an intentional choice - in America the most common finger to wear a wedding band on is the left ring finger (its not something that would get missed or that would be put on the wrong hand by accident). Connors wedding band changing hands is pretty telling.

Interestingly there are a few things about wearing a wedding band on the right hand instead of the left - it is common in many countries - including Peru (👀) but it is also symbolic - before gay marriage was legal, it was (and still is) common for same sex couples to wear rings on their right hands as a show of commitment. The other (and possibly more relevant reason here) is that it is a fairly common thing for people cheating on their partner to do - it can be a signal of availability. Now I'm not saying Connor is out and out cheating on Kameron, what I am saying is that his wedding ring changing hands may be a visual signal that he is struggling with his relationship and is emotionally not al in it at the moment - that he is perhaps not feeling connected to his marriage because of his struggles with the baby and not being able to emotionally invest in that aspect of his relationship at this moment.

Its going to be very interesting and telling the next time we see Connor and Kameron on screen together if the ring changes back - and if we see it on the right hand again!

Maddie in black and pink when Buck and her have an honest conversation about their individual trauma and the way its interconnected is an interesting choice the black and pink has similar vibes to the maroon and black of Maddie's uniform, except its dressed down, its more flow-y and as a result more inviting of Bucks honesty and Maddie's own admissions. The pink is representing Maddie's nurturing tendencies, but also her unconditional love for her brother. I've said before that black is a colour of power and sophistication - here those traits are showing the power of growth and sophistication is both Maddie and Buck developing and understanding the complexities of their traumas and developing better ways of dealingwih them.

I've included the picture of the shooting below at this point because I want to highlight a couple of things. I've used this picture because its the only time we can see all of what Buck is wearing - White high-tops, black socks, grey trousers and the infamous white shirt with grey pinstripes.

Tamara is the first costume hint at the shooting arc we get in the episode. the white pinstripe shirt and the white high-tops are very much a direct reference to Bucks outfit. If we look at the bigger picture here and look at both the arc and the characters as a whole then we can see clear similarities between this arc and the shooting arc.

We have an 'overdose' as the catalyst in both arcs. Charlie both being dosed by his mother and his act of overdosing her, which leads to Eddie being shot as he tries to help. Then we have Tamara - in the same position as Charlie - she's being controlled in a similar way by the Walshes through her previous drug use etc. Wendell fills the role of Eddie in this arc - he is the one that goes in to help Tamara and ends up 'shot' (read shooting up as a metaphor for being shot!) as he tries to help. Only unlike Eddie, Wendell does actually die. Tamara also fits into the same roll as Buck - she is there when Wendell dies - in the same way Buck is there when Eddie gets shot.

Bobby and Athena placed in essentially the same roles (more on Athena in a moment) as in the shooting - a bit more of a lean into Bobby solving things where as Athena was more filling that role in the shooting arc, but the outcome is the same.

The arrest of the Walshes shows Athena back in her usual colour ways of black olive drab and white, which is an important touchstone for us as viewers (especially after we spent so much time in a coma world last week), but it also plays into the shooting arc throwbacks with her costume - the leather jacket is not identical, but its almost the same as the one she wears for most of the investigation into the shooter in the season 4 arc.

Finally we get Athena in this amazing purple jacket - dark purple being a colour of magic, spirituality enlightenment and wisdom. this jacket is in its own way connected to the shooting arc - the fact that Bobby didn't let Athena in that time - when he was trying to sponsor the drunk driver from blindsided (4x09). It shows us just how far they have both come since that moment.

Finally I have to talk about Bucks white high-tops because they were very prominent in this episode. I've had the theory for a while that they represent his journey towards happiness (there is a post on my pinned post all about it if you haven't read it or want a refresher!).

He wears them all the time he's not at the loft in this episode - their most prominent appearance is on Eddies Coffee table (buck I love you but you're a heathen!!) - literally the only time you should put your feet up on the coffee table is when you are at home - never at someone elses house - this plays into the whole 'this is Eddies house, I'm not really a guest' of it all. the fact that he does so in his white high-tops is actually really important - we've never seen those shoes anywhere except the floor up to now - Buck putting his feet up while wearing them is a symbol of both him being at home/ coming home, as well as a symbol - its foreshadowing that Buck's journey to find happiness ends here - at home in the Diaz house and as a part of the Diaz family!

we also see him wearing them at the park when he is contemplating the fire that lead to him being hit by lightnin after his appointment with Dr Salazar - again this is Buck very much on his journey - he is contemplative and making progress!

And there we have it 6x12 costume meta done!! Thank you as always for reading - it really does mean the world to me that you're interested in the costuming of our wee woo show!!

As always tagged people below - if anyone wants to be added to (or removed from) the list please let me know in the comments and I'll add you to the next one! Same goes if your url has changed and the tag is no longer working 😎

Until the next episode! 💜💜💜

@mistmarauder @theladyyavilee @loveyourownsmiilee @leothil @girldadbuddie @kitkatpancakestack  @buckscurls @lemotmo @trashendence @elishareads  @clipboardsandstethoscopes @comfortbuddie @fiona-fififi  @callanee @calyssmarviss @pbandjeremiah @batgrldes  @spotsandsocks @livingwherethesidewalkends  @idontshitpostbuttheolympicpark @diazboysbuckley @sweettsubaki @shortsighted-owl @sherlocking-out-loud @dickley-buddie  @favouritealias @hearteyesdiaz  @ktinastrikesback  @princesschez75 @bucksbuddie @oneawkwardcookie  @leatherat @moniquekatie @wanderingwomanwondering  @trickster-archangel @outrunningthedark @asharadaine @ajunerose  @talespinner230 @pop-kam @swiftiebuckleys @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @butchjerry @mandzuking17 @yelenascowboys @copyninjabuckley @name-code-black-widow @rogerzsteven @bi-moonlight @wandiinha

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; pure vanilla cookie

requested by ; anonymous (31/05/23)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; pure vanilla cookie

outline ; “can you please do some pure vanilla relationship hcs please? thx (btw: i hope you have a nice break)”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

pure vanilla cookie is a complete and utter gentleman in how he treats the people around him, but especially you as his spouse — starting from how he took his time to traditionally court and woo you before the two of you became an ‘official’ couple, and ending with him treating you as nothing short of royalty as you two settle more and more into your relationship

he rarely ever calls you by your formal name and rotates through a small selection of sweet pet names whenever he’s talking to or about you — including, but not limited to: ‘(my) beloved’, ‘(my) angel’, ‘(my) darling’, ‘dearest’, and ‘sweetheart’

he’s naturally a very giving person and will happily indulge in every single expression of love he knows of just to make sure you have no room left to doubt his feelings for you

acts of service — when it comes to taking care of you, status be damned pure vanilla cookie will do just about anything it takes to make your day a little brighter. this can mean all sorts of things, such as: going out of his way to get up earlier and make you breakfast in bed, sending word out to local vendors in the kingdom to ensure that they always have your favourite things in stock when he knows you’re going to go out to the market, or making sure that you get spoiled rotten and properly celebrated for every birthday, anniversary, or achievement.

gift giving — being the ruler of a thriving kingdom and a talented magic user, it’s safe to say that pure vanilla cookie is more than capable and willing to shower you with all sorts of gifts. of course amongst these gifts are things that are more lavish and elaborate (whole wardrobes worth of new clothing in the style of his kingdom, organised banquets to celebrate important milestones, using his magic to organise unforgettable dates for you both, and so on) but most of the things he gifts you are more small and thoughtful in nature, as is to be expected of someone like him: trinkets and souvenirs from his travels, books he thinks you’ll like, accessories that reminded him of you, and anything he sees that he knows will make you smile (e.g. a type of item he knows you like to collect)

physical touch — though he does tend to stick to a socially appropriate level of pda with you, pure vanilla cookie is far from the type to shy away from physical affection with you. around others he usually sticks to a set few acts (hand holding, bringing your hand up to his lips to kiss the back of your hand/your fingertips/your knuckles, kissing you chastely on the lips or temple, brushing any hair out of your face, and reassuringly stroking his hands up and down your arms), but in private he’s much more varied in his displays of affection: more passionate kisses, cuddling and hugging you, dancing with you at random, letting his arms rest around your hips or waist, kissing along your shoulders, neck and wrists, etc. (he’s just… very touchy with you haha)

quality time — you’re his absolute favourite person to be around without question, whether you’re going out and having fun as a couple or just sitting together in silence doing your own things parallel to each other. every conversation, every date, every outing, every holiday, and every moment spent with you is something he treasures dearly and he does what he can to make sure that you’re as content and as comfortable in his presence as he is in yours.

words of affirmation — he’s the type of partner who tends to shower you with praise and attention whenever the opportunity arises. most of his affirmations are verbal (calling you beautiful/handsome as he presses a chaste kiss against your knuckles, earnestly congratulating you for every achievement and accolade you collect, softly and quietly reassuring you before you step out of your comfort zone, smiling as he recalls your strengths and talents to his oldest friends with more awe than he recalls those old stories from his adventuring days, etc.), but he’s also the type of sappy romantic to leave little love letters and notes around your shared space for you to find in his absence (e.g. a neatly folded note on your pillow telling you where he is, reaffirming his love for you, apologising for being absent, and promising to make it up to you at lunch time / or / a floating note on your vanity in his signature cursive that recalls a different positive affirmation every day that’s designed to make you smile, laugh, and relax for the day ahead)

though it’s easy to forget given how passive and pleasant he’s become in recent years, pure vanilla cookie is still a very capable magic wielder and, thus, is more than capable of protecting you should it come down to that — of course he’d much rather have the option to talk things out without having to shed blood, but if your safety is on the line then he’s not above returning to his roots and making damn sure the offending party knows to never try a stunt like this again

on the rare occasion that hollyberry cookie and the other ancients actually manage to get him tipsy (or, better yet, outright drunk), pure vanilla cookie will not stop talking about how amazing you are and how much he loves you — if nobody stops him or brings him somewhere quiet to rest and sober up, then there’s every chance that the ancients will spend the next few hours hearing about every little thing he adores about you until he finally passes out or golden cheese cookie goes and gets you so you can take your poor boyfriend home for the night

(the girls all think it’s absolutely adorable, dark cacao cookis is mostly neutral about the whole affair and just lets him rant, but golden cheese cookie and hollyberry cookie have both been known to tease him by reciting the sappiest things he’s said about you back to him when he’s sober again — usually something about your smile or the sound of your laughter)

[extasiswings]

it’s wildly apparent to me that they fully pivoted and went in a whole new direction from what they originally planned for a slower, more drawn out 6B and I’m not mad about it but I do think it’s hilarious. <- how so? I'm curious about the direction change and from what to what? 🤔

Sure! So, we all complained about the pacing of 6A, right? And how weird it felt to have such strong Vibes right out the gate in the premiere setting forth the couch metaphor and the theme of "missing what is right in front of you" only to then shift away from that completely to the sperm donor arc, which itself felt oddly paced? By the end of 6A, I was still fully on the train of "S6 is the season of some sort of Buddie canon, I'm just not 100% sure what that looks like," but couldn't tell if the pacing issues were a matter of working out the kinks with a new showrunner, or if there was something more at play behind the scenes that was leading to creative tension (and to be clear when I say that I mean something above Kristen's level because the haters don't give her enough credit for everything she's done for the development of this ship).

But regardless! We got 6A, it was what it was, including Tomorrow which was not only a gorgeous love story for Henren but was loud as HELL with Buddie parallels, and then what we saw on our screens with the sperm donor arc was that Buck 100% had not thought through the "donor-not-dad" situation, he literally announced he was going to be a father, we got to see Eddie react but not really respond at all...and after all that when they started teasing 6B is was all about how Eddie was suddenly going to start thinking about dating again (which was framed as much more thoughtful and a major 6B arc), and how Buck was going to be "struggling with boundaries" over the sperm donor situation right off the bat because he hadn't thought things through, etc etc (which FULLY tracked what we saw with the onesie etc at the end of 6x09). So I started thinking, okay, if that's the game, it seems like despite the heavy-handedness in the beginning, they're taking a much slower path to Buddie canon where the season ends with Buck using the sperm donor arc to accept what he is to Christopher/what he already has there but leaving the question of his love life couch unresolved, and if Eddie is dating then it's probably at least partly a reaction to the sperm donor situation and feeling like that flicker of hope about how maybe some of the things you think are only "fantasies" can actually come true was dashed.

Except...then 6x10 happened. And suddenly Buck had done a complete 180 and was totally fine with the fact that he was only a donor. There was no struggling with boundaries, there was no scene with Bobby unpacking that struggle (which iirc Oliver had specifically teased), and suddenly both Oliver and Kristen in interviews were basically like "if you ever heard us say Buck was going to have an issue with this or saw anything in canon to suggest that, no you didn't actually" which...okay? And Eddie fully lost it over Buck getting struck by lightning? And was then framed as a grieving spouse all through 6x11? And then 6x12 came out of nowhere with Buck on Eddie's damn COUCH (after Oliver confirmed that the couch metaphor is real and Buck absolutely equates couches with romantic relationships etc etc) and another kitchen scene + shooting conversation that I'm still in shock over? And then there were other, little things that I probably wouldn't have thought anything of under normal circumstances, but that felt relevant once 6B actually hit and everything seemed so different.

Like how they seemed to have done pretty extensive reshoots for 6x10. Like how the first mention we had that the Buckleys were coming back was in reference to 6x11 (which itself seemed to me at least to be framed as sort of comic?), but oh hey, actually they're in 6x10, sike. Like how it took ages to get episode titles and other 6B info (writers, etc). Like how 6x12 feels like it could have easily just been exclusively a Bobby episode (and frankly with the way they talked about it, I expected more flashbacks with Wendell and Bobby) and while the Buck (and Buddie) subplot works, it also feels like almost a totally separate episode. Like how Ryan is apparently in every episode of 6B despite traditionally being gone for two episodes per season. Like how there has been zero mention of Eddie's love life in canon yet despite the fact that Eddie dating was originally framed as if it was supposed to be a major part of 6B. Like how Marisol's actress posted about not knowing if whatever she filmed (I'm assuming related to Eddie) had aired yet despite the fact that this is a major network tv show (which at least to me reads as if things were moved around). Like how Eddie dating no longer appears to be the deep, thoughtful, potentially angsty arc about him choosing to explore himself that it was originally framed as, but looks like instead it's mostly comic and the result of his aunt?

Anyway, to me at least all of that is super sus and feels like whatever issue there was behind the scenes was resolved somewhere around the time of the midseason finale, they totally flipped directions on whatever slow, drawn out plan they had, and now they've slammed on the gas and are hightailing it towards full out Buddie canon in the finale. Idk if it's because they're worried about renewal or if they just don't want to fuck around anymore, but whatever the case, I am extremely curious about the next six episodes (and really really really want to know if I'm right about Buddie trapped dads in the finale).

[icemavschild]

Can you please do a fic where Bradley is an instructor and his squadron keeps trying to figure out who he is married to. Kinda like Icemav

After a bit of clarification, I have been asked to write Hangster! This is gonna be fun.

I tried to REALLY IceMav parallel this shit.

—————————————————————————

Pairings: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin

Summary: read the request

Warnings: none (maybe humour..bc my humour is bad)

A/N: Hope this was okay, considering it’s not my ship…but I gave it a try!! (I’m treating it like IceMav tbh)

—————————————————————————

When Bradley entered the hanger, he could pick up a few words form a group conversation.

“He’s married.”

“Really? To who?”

“Some pilot.”

“Do we know them?”

He could feel a smirk rising in his lips and just walked forward to make his presence known, the room shutting up immediately. The group of lieutenants dropped their curiosities and listened wholeheartedly to The Rooster.

The Rooster who went on the famous Uranium Mission. The Rooster who is apart of the Special Opps Dagger Team. The Rooster who back seated in an ancient F-14 with an ancient Pilot who was too sassy and too gay for his own good.

Little did they know, Rooster learnt a few habits from his God Fathers.

~~~

As Rooster was finishing up in his office, he watched his phone screen light up and smiled to himself.

“Hey baby.” Rooster cooed, a lovesick grin on his face. He began to pack up and leave his office, phone pressed against his ear; missing the way his class suddenly became very attentive to their instructor. “My day was good, how was yours?”

The Top Gun class of 2042 squinted their eyes and leant forward to catch the conversation, hoping to get some sort of inkling toward who the hell Captain Bradshaws spouse was.

~~~

Two weeks had gone by and the Top Gun class had had enough. They were done with trying to figure it out, and Bradley knew.

So Bradley made a phone call to a certain Admiral Seresin. He hadn’t seen his husband in at least 4 months, and he needed some overdue cuddles and soft, loving, sex from his very attentive husband.

When Bradley entered his hanger, he almost laughed at the class’s silence. There, at his desk, was Admiral Seresin. His Top Gun class wasn’t talking, wasn’t laughing and wasn’t doing anything that Bradley had complained about to said Admiral.

“They’re a lot more well behaved then you make them out to be, Roos.” Jake said with a small smile, Rooster rolled his eyes and tutted.

“Please refer to me as Captain Bradshaw while at work Admiral.” Bradley teased, watching Jake’s eyebrow shoot up suggestively.

“Yes, sir.” Jake said, a smirk clear as day on his face. “Well! See you for lunch, Roos.” As Jake passed Bradley, he pressed a small peck to his lips and slapped his ass. Knowing fully well Cyclone, who was somehow still at Top Gun, was going to grill him for it.

“IS ADMIRAL SERESIN YOUR HUSBAND?!” One of the lieutenants exclaimed, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

[forevertrueblue]

Another parallel between my experience with Loki Season 2 and Endgame that I've noticed is how I've been feeling about what they're doing with Mobius.

I've known since middle of Season 1 with the big variant reveal that there was a decent-to-strong possibility Mobius would end up leaving the TVA, likely returning to a family he left behind. I've been afraid of that happening for the past two years and feeling the possibility hanging over us that whole time. And now it's looking like it's probably going to happen.

I remember when speculating about Endgame my big fear was Tony dying, but talking to people about theories beforehand I came up with a sort of criteria for it, stuff that if they included, I'd probably be okay with him dying in the movie. And then all of it was there, essentially.

The same thing has been happening with Mobius so far this season. I thought he was gonna be more sidelined this time around, but he's gotten a ton of screentime! I'd grown really attached to the idea of him being reluctant to see his timeline memories to the point I had to talk myself down from getting my hopes up for it to be canon...and then it became canon! I thought it was kind of unlikely but wanted him to be a single dad on the timeline (I think him having a spouse - ok LBR a wife because that's all they would have done - was giving me too many flashbacks to a certain OTHER Endgame ending) and lo and behold...!

And most of all, Loki's relationship with him is prioritized. He clearly isn't ready to let Mobius go (and neither am I lol) meaning it'll be an important moment if and when he does. It's not just gonna be some la-dee-dah happy thing (and there's one other aspect of it briefly shown in trailers that's making me giddy haha). While I'm disappointed at them likely writing Mobius out of the MCU this early, I'm not that upset about how it's being handled. They've really been giving me everything I wanted with him in order to make it okay...well, as okay as it can be.

Also this may be the healing I need from the trauma of Steve Rogers's ending I still experience 5 years later. Like they're already handling this way better than that travesty was. Can't wait to write an article about how all the ways this one puts it to shame and get paid for my fandom woes lmao.

[rowavolo]

hiiii !! 2 4 6 and 12 (if you have one) for your obey me s/i? either one! c:

hi hi hi !! :D ty for the ask wheeeee also i MUST compliment your choice of numbers here. these are lovely numbers. some of my favourites genuinely

answers under the cut i KNOW im not gonna be able to shut the hell up !! im gonna do it for angel!ro because hes funny and cool i think

2. How similar is your s/i to you? Are they a carbon copy, completely different or a mix of the two?

Hmm, a bit of a mix, really! But also I do like to try and include my little quirks/idiosyncrasies where i can for my s/is because theyre very much a way that i express myself and explore things that aren't necessarily feasible for me irl . I think the main difference is my s/is are slightly less depressed. though that may be more due to circumstance and stuff. also significantly less time spent laying in bed due to pain/fatigue. but other than that (and the obvious physical differences) I try to keep the personality and vibes pretty similar to myself in real life where i can :3

4. How did your s/i feel when they first met your f/o(s)? How do they feel about them now?

To begin with, my s/i was definitely very ... not exactly intimidated by, but sort of .. anxious around Diavolo. Due to the nature of their relationship and the arranged aspects of it, he felt a lot of pressure to get along well with Dia and be like the 'perfect' spouse, since this marriage had so much riding on it (peace between celestial realm and devildom , blah blah blah, whatever) so at first hes very quiet and anxious and just afraid to speak up or make himself a nuisance in any way, so he'd always just smile and nod along to Diavolo's suggestions and jokes and sort of 'dull down' any gruesome answers to the questions he was posed about the celestial realm (though this is also in part due to the fact that things up there are very much Not As They Seem and the angels are uhh 'strongly encouraged' not to disclose too much information)

As time goes by and he gets more comfortable, however, he lets his weirdness really shine, along with his dark sense of humour. He and Diavolo wind up going through a lot together and sort of bond over that, along with their weirdly parallel upbringings, so they become really close and painfully in love. Like. 'will only use pet names for one another and always be holding hands' levels of PDA. It's obnoxious and codependent. Diavolo absolutely dotes on Ro, and Ro definitely comes to rely on him more and more as like.. 'his person.' He becomes more comfortable with unmasking and asking Dia for help with things (and if Dia can't, then he'll ask Barbs to). Theyre like two bonded cats. if you separate them they'll get depressed and start pining and become physically ill after too long. It may be a little unhealthy but like. theyre just hanging out. they like it that way. they can spend time away from each other, they just don't often really want to. They vibe like the most stereotypical 'straight guys who do really gay stuff for the bit' but they committed fully and are so so in love. theyve been around each other so much that they basically have their own language, etc. and are just so comfy and happy around one another that its obnoxious to look at i think <3 ro loves his big silly himbo to bits and vice versa

6. Has your s/i undergone any design/story changes since they were first made?

Hmm, I'd have to say absolutely yes, but genuinely I can't think of exactly what off the top of my head. He's kind of been adjusted a bit as i've fleshed out the ~vibes~ of the way i interpret the celestial realm, he got given haunted angel cryptid lore and lack of 'flock' attraction lore (theyre intertwined also) and put through The Horrors also. he also has his own more fucked up au with even more Horrors. just like for the funny. Visually though, his design has mostly stayed the same. I'm not really a huge fan of how his outfit vibes, but i think overall i do like his Vibe and hes very silly and parallels nicely with Dia!

Though looking at the pics below i havent entirely decided how i like to draw his hair. which is like blaaahhh bleeeh bluueeueueuh

12. Can we see a picture of your s/i?

tada!!!!! silly nya nya!!!!!

[anxiouspotatorants]

I’ve seen some talk about how there are a lot of similarities and parallels between the Eyk/Maura/Daniel love triangle and the Jérôme/Clémence/Julien love triangle and I can’t get it out of my head because it is both so true and also not. And it’s all because of how I try to break the triangles down.

The obvious route is to go for the ‘centre’ of the triangle and take it from there. Maura and Clémence are both women who potentially find themselves torn between two separate men. They are both in different kinds of dead marriages (Maura has forgotten her life outside of the simulation, Clémence is in an unfullfilling simulation-marriage), and feel some draw to another man. But then things get blurry. Because yes, Daniel and Lucien are both the spouses in their respective love triangles, but they approach their wives completely differently. Lucien is pushing Clémence away because of his impending death and guilt over living a stolen life, while Daniel is actively reaching out to Maura to help her remember and set her free from the simulation. In that sense, he seems to parallel Jérôme more than Lucien, as Jérôme is the one sitting on a truth that could change everything. 

But then again, Jérôme is not on the Kerberos for Clémence, he is there to confront Lucien. He had no intention of interacting with Clémence and rather seems to act against his own interest by continuing to interact with her. That may give him a parallel to Eyk, who is also initially here to get the ship from point A to B but is then sucked in to the Prometheus mystery and becomes part of exploring the edges of the simulation with Maura.

But to claim that Maura and Clémence are in the same position isn’t entirely right either. In some ways Maura actually resembles Lucien more than Clémence. Clémence, while clearly disillusioned with her marriage, still continuously reaches out to Lucien and shows affection to him. She wants their relationship to function in some way it appears. Meanwhile Maura cannot let herself remember Daniel because that would make her remember Elliot and then his death and that’s the whole reason she seemingly made the simulation. Maura shuts down, differently but still sort of in parallel to Lucien. They would both rather be alone in the torture simulation than risk a greater pain. To Maura that pain is the knowledge of her son’s death, and to Lucien it’s putting his heart on the line for a woman who may not love the man he truly is back.

But if we go by the logic that Maura = Lucien, Daniel = Clèmence and Eyk =Jérôme than the similarities between the triangles still don’t make complete sense. Because Daniel and Eyk are not drawn to each other in the way Clémence and Jérôme are. This could be because Daniel has the ultimate outsider-factor that comes from knowing he’s in a simulation while absolutely nobody else does, but how does that help anything unless Clémence secretly knows something about the simulation too?

But then again, everything we learn has to be taken with a grain of salt because season 1 is one big box full of questions that are supposed to be answered further down the line. For all we know the french trio have no connection to each other in real life. Eyk could be a sleeper agent for Ciaran. Daniel could be dead. Maura could’ve imagined every single person on the Kerberos including the other five. I feel like I’ve been given countless photos that I’m supposed to tie together on a conspiracy board and I have no string yet.

[thistle-and-thorn]

I just watched Katharine Hepburn's 1936 "Mary of Scotland" and I was a bit surprised at how pro Mary it was? I barely know the basics of the Tudors and Stewarts, much less any particular knowledge about the historical figure of Mary herself. What do you think of Mary Queen of Scots? What's your opinion on Darnley and Bothwell? What about Moray?

Buckle your seat belt. Of course I have unreasonably strong opinions of this. And I haven’t seen the Katharine Hepburn movie though it’s all my favorite things and people (1930s historical dramas, KH, Tudors) in one place so I should.

I think a lot of popular culture is very sympathetic with Mary…There’s the play Mary Stuart which I Love very much but is very pro-Catholic in its approach (in response to the playwright’s problems with German Lutheranism rather than Anglo Protestantism). There’s the tv show Reign (?) and the recent movie with Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan which felt very pro-Mary as well. And I sort of get it…like she was executed, leaving behind a young son, and she had many spouses and a cinematic life. The contrasts between her and Elizabeth are appealing—a woman married three times disastrously compared to a woman who never married, Mary being younger and beautiful and fertile, the irony of James I becoming king of England later, etc Some of the way that Elizabeth is portrayed in these adaptions reek of the ca 2011 Taylor Swift “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women” brand of feminism. Which is…not how monarchy works lol.

My personal opinion of Mary is that you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. The more interesting parallel of Elizabeth and Mary to me is that they were both imprisoned at times when their religious affiliation and political position was dynamite. Elizabeth was imprisoned under her sister (also called) Mary, who was instituting an aggressive campaign of Protestant persecution, and Mary of Scots, under Elizabeth during a time of a lot of Catholic terrorism. Both were implicated in plotting to varying degrees of truthfulness and both were faced with a Queen who viewed them as existential threat because of their youth (and ability to have heirs), their sympathizers (including internationally, in Mary of Scots’ case), their claims to the throne. The difference is…Mary of Scots actually plotted to assassinate Elizabeth. The Babington letters and code are likely to be real. So. Like. There are consequences to that. I don’t know what to say. Elizabeth was extremely reluctant and cautious in handling Mary in the wake of her reign falling apart until she couldn’t be anymore. Elizabeth’s ruling style was very conservative…she didn’t make decisions quickly or lightly….which made her really, really effective but also could turn into indecisiveness and you see the benefits and detriments of that approach all over her handling of Mary. HOWEVER: You plot to kill someone, they’re probably going to kill you right back. So I’m not overly sympathetic with Mary in her political struggles tbh.

Her personal struggles on the other hand are different. Darnley was an asshole and killed her friend in front of her. This is wild. As to whether or not she had a hand in his death…like would we blame her necessarily. It is a 50/50 guess as to whether she was forced into marriage and sexual relations with Bothwell or not. Maybe she wasn’t but theres a solid chance that she was. These are horrible things and she was surrounded by horrible men who destabilized her position. That’s terrible and I’m sorry for it. I feel a lot of pathos for her personal life. I don’t have a strong opinion of Moray, except that I think he was smart about some things and stupid about others. He was a Protestant with a Protestant agenda and opposed Mary’s marriage to Darnley but knew enough to remove himself during Darnley’s murder. I don’t think he would have brought peace to Scotland lol. He had a habit of just…burning stuff to the ground lol. Which is a great authoritarian tactic and not maybe great for reconciliation.

Tracy Borman wrote about the gender of Mary and Elizabeth in a way which is sort of fascinating. Elizabeth played into her sexuality and femininity in certain ways—her dramatic dress, her appearance, and her flirtations with marriage and symbol as the object of courtly love. But she existed in a politically androgynous state—she was often called “the female prince,” drew strong parallels between her and her father, referred to herself as a King. She dominated the men around her in interpersonal interactions. She did not marry (even men she probably loved like Robert Dudley) or have children. Mary’s performance of gender was much more traditional and a lot of her biggest political disasters, like her marriages, are described as being the result of her passions and being “weaker” than the male power players around her. Elizabeth’s refusal to have heirs prevented immediate instability while also causing a lot of uncertainty. Mary’s son provided a future in a way, but also was the result of terrible persona situations that contributed to her downfall. No woman can win lol. I think we see this gender contrast, in some ways, in how they’re treated in fiction.

anyway, thank you for indulging!

[whatdoyoumeanitsnotcanon]

Not entirely sure if you are still taking requests interested but if you are, would it be fine for an NSFW HC for the Rennala/Radagon and Marika/Godfrey poly? (Seperate)

Feel free to ignore this part in particular, just some rambling. But I like to imagine the third person/consort of the poly with Marika and Godfrey being similar to Varré (though leaning on being more tired and scarier than him), like some sort of parallel to MohVarNished.

Do have a wonderful day/night!

Morning, anon. Hope your day is going well!

Sure I can give some headcanon. Seriously, why did I even think of the name MohVarNished? Sounds like some brand of wood varnish, to be honest.

Without further ado:

For the Godfrey x Marika polycule:

You're dealing with a couple who are always on the go, Godfrey more so than Marika and as a result, you would be a grounding, objective presence in their daily lives. You'd balance their love languages and would teach Marika how to be much more affectionate in her personal life.

Marika is a busy body. Well of course she is, she's a literal god but even she needs some downtime, yeah? Her lovely consort gives her full-body massages. And it never fails to turn to sex.

Their consort's favorite parts are her breasts and hands because they are so perfect and soft. And she has long, slender fingers, too, so hueheuheueheuheuehe

Marika's moans are melodious.

Very rarely does Marika blush but when she does, it's so adorable, especially after a good orgasm and she gets a little ashamed for being so loud and 'coming out of character' (see what I did thar?)

Is actually quite shy to initiate, surprisingly, especially when it comes to intimacy without sex. AND THEN GODFREY–

Y'all, his consorts will never not be pleased sexually.

Those thick fingers of his are godly.

Surprisingly, whenever he returns from a campaign, sex with his consorts is gentle and life-affirming. He needs to feel them, feel their love again.

He's actually afraid to get rough during sex and even if his consorts ask for more, harder, he'd ask 'are you sure?' multiple times.

After those sessions, you'll be good for a couple days.

Favorite non-sex activity for this polycule is soaking in the bath, Godfrey's arms around both his spouses.

For the Radagon x Rennala polycule:

This pairing is so sweet, I have cavities. Pleasure will be had by all.

Best way to help her de-stress? Oral.

Oooooh boy, your Carian queen loves a good oral session.

Foreplay, foreplay, foreplay.

You will be sandwiched between them. And oh, are they so warm. And they will cover you in kisses from head to toe.

Imagine you and Rennala teasing and pleasuring Radagon because he does soo much to keep you all safe and loved.

Rennala showing their lover the erogenous zones on Radagon's body that make him go wild.

Radagon fingering one consort will giving the other oral.

He will make sure you have at least two orgasms apiece.

One of ya'll watching the other two fuck and succumb to their orgasms.

Rennala gently holding you and cooing in your ear as Radagon fucks you to orgasm.

The intimacy afterward, trading kisses and snuggles; you're in the middle again. They will not let you go. But it's not like you'd want to, eh?

The knowing smiles they give you in public that make you blush.

UGGGGH, THE CAVITIES.

[thewolfruns]

get to know the author!

name : lucia

pronouns :  she/her

preference of communication : i like a tumblr im at first, but then it's discord once we know one another/are mutuals. i'm super adhd/working/a mom, so it's easy for me to lose track thinking i've responded to messages that really i just read and then replied in my head to. so don't be afraid to double message me.

most active muse :  hmmm, i'm not sure who is most active? maybe blanca, since she's a newer one and i'm trying to figure her out.

experience / how many years : oh, gosh. well, i've sort of rped earlier than tumblr, but it was a long time ago. i'd say i started on tumblr in maybe 2013? 2012? i ran a game of thrones fashion blog lmao and an rp hit me up for a promo. i was like, this seems cool and joined. then i joined hellstate in 2015, which was a zombie rp and where i met velouria! we've been writing together ever since both in groups and indie.

best experience : i miss group rp a lot sometimes, because of the shared universe and like community there. i think hellstate was my best experience and like 2015 hellstate was peak. there's so much like shared lore and it's really fun when a group works. velouria has had quite a few amazing brainchildren we've built together, so maybe another fave would be southboundhq, which deserved so much more time! now we work on verses and that's p great. aside from that, i've really been enjoying this account since i started fresh. i've got quite a few people to write with who seem both interested in worldbuilding/their own muses and in mine as well. so thank you all!

rp pet peeves : oh, gosh. weird vocabulary fads? like eyes being called hues. there's nothing really wrong with it, but it makes me laugh at how things like that really catch on in the rpc. when folks don't have much to add in plotting conversations and it feels sort of like you're the only one keeping the conversation going. i feel too awkward! i can't do it!

fluff, angst, or smut : oh, gosh, angst. i don't write smut and i'm not really super into fluff either? unless it's like a little meme answer or drabble, which can be a nice refresher. but i'm here for the horror and drama okay.

plots or memes : i like a loose plot, but i'm very go with the flow. it's more exciting though to have an idea where we're going with something. i think that's why my open starters are so long lmao because i need to paint a clear picture of where it's going.

long or short replies : i like a short reply for when i'm trying to break out of a writer's block or, like right now, dusting off my writing cap. they almost always turn into much longer replies though. i can't stop myself. i want like 87 paragraphs and i have no chill.

time to write : has to be nighttime, babies. i have a pretty great couple hours like 8 nights a month where i can really get to writing. it's always after my kiddo goes to sleep and my spouse is working (unless we're like parallel playing and he's gaming or cooking or something, then i get a little more time).

are you like your muses : oh, there's definitely aspects of myself in most of my muses. or people i know. or i write muses to work through certain things (i.e. neve has a lot of job similarities/family history for working through some trauma, nadja has some old punk rock memories and sort of an amalgamation of old friends and my mom, miguel has sort of similar personality to my partner, etc.) i sort of just steal elements from myself or people i know and mold them together into someone new. but i don't think i share like an overall personality with any of them.

tagged by: @missmvrder

tagging: @someotherdog , @wynterlanding , @mutatedangels , @peachyuus , @mctionsick , @aliasmultimuse , and anybody else! tagging folks gives me anxiety lmao. i hate leaving people out.

[introvertbard]

Yet more Anakin musings

I accidentally deleted my near-finished draft about this, and now I have to type it back up, so a lot of my original parallels will be missing, ugh. Content warning for slavery and especially the lack of autonomy that comes with it.

So it’s no secret that Anakin’s unhealthy attachment to Padmé gets stronger every time a humanoid male so much as blinks in her direction, and he overreacts so damn much.  I was just wondering how the powerlessness of his secret marriage, where he is Padmé’s husband but cannot ACT LIKE IT in public, is yet another way that he might consider the Jedi to be slave-owners under a different name.

--

Anakin grew up as a slave on Tatooine, and I wonder just how FRAGILE the idea of marriage would be for the poor folks there, and especially the slaves.

All sorts of shit can happen--a raid or a gangster fight in Mos Espa will kill one of you while you’re just doing your business, and then the survivor has a VERY high likelihood of going from “free” to “slave” by the next morning. But even if you both survive, there is no guarantee that your impending new master wants two new mouths to feed, and there’s a small chance that you can go rescue your spouse.

You could be injured; you could have relatives and children to feed at home; you could just NOT HAVE much more than a blaster and a speeder, compared to the Hutts who have DOZENS of people at the palace alone.

Cliegg Lars tried to rescue Shmi from the Tusken Raiders with a posse of thirty moisture-farmers. They came back with FOUR, and Cliegg was missing a leg. I’m pretty sure that the reason he felt like he could do that was because 1) Owen is grown already, and 2) he’s got a girlfriend for support. A newly disabled man would NOT be able to get enough help on a farm from a young child, especially one who is ALSO traumatized from losing his stepmother to raiders.

Meanwhile, on the lesser end of the scale, some merchant might be doing business with you, a moisture-farmer, and they end up taking a shine to you or your spouse or another HOPEFULLY GROWN relative, so they offer to spend the night in exchange for [buying less water] / [paying more money]. And it’s like, very few people WANT a relative and especially a spouse to be prostituted if they can help it, but the merchant has more money, more rank, and at least a COUPLE of trained guards around to take care of their cargo. There is also a very high risk that refusing to sleep with them means they’ll stop doing business with you entirely, so can you AFFORD to say no?

So here’s Anakin Skywalker, who grew up enslaved with a single mother on the ass end of the universe. Nine-year-old Anakin couldn’t protect his mother or himself from their masters, because nine-year-olds are tiny and they’re not supposed to take on adult responsibilities--but even if he was older and bigger and stronger, he would NOT BE ALLOWED to protect her.

He knows this because Shmi wasn’t allowed to protect him. Watto’s got a gambling habit and he forces Ani to enter in podracing as a child. It’s dangerous as fuck, and humans are ill-suited for it. Shmi is terrified for his safety, but she is not allowed to tell Watto to stop endangering her child, because he is legally Watto’s property. Anakin is not allowed to refuse running in Space-Nascar.

“But he’s GOOD AT IT, and he’s got THE FORCE to help him!” Yeah, but Anakin’s pilot skills and Force-sensitivity really only amount to letting him survive long enough for Watto to... what? Keep fucking gambling with him?

Talented slaves are still SLAVES, they’re just more exciting than regular ones.

Shmi and Anakin have tracking chips on their bodies that their masters could detonate if they get too “difficult,” or try to escape.

Anakin and Shmi and other slaves who got implants don’t know where the chips are on them. Anakin is trying to make a scanner to locate them, under Watto’s nose. The slaves were most likely sedated, implanted with it during some other medical procedure, or they were just too young to remember.

Even without the chip, Watto could “just” beat her, or Anakin, or BOTH OF THEM, for protesting. He hasn’t done it (in canon?), but their former masters or other slaves’ masters do, and this threat hangs over Anakin and Shmi all the time. He hasn’t beaten them, but other people beat their slaves.

Ten years later, Anakin is grown up and married to Padmé--but he’s not supposed to be married as a Jedi, or he will be expelled, and her own reputation is definitely at stake if people know she's “corrupted” a high-profile space-monk, so he’s now forced to watch men hit on her or try to ask her out for dates. Are you really “married” if you can’t ACT like a husband and wife in public?

Can you get married if you’re a slave? What does that MEAN for them? Their spouses would be pimped out to their masters’ clients, or be forced to have sex with the masters themselves. Poor people would get solicited by rich folks, and forced to weigh their emotions versus money/resources. Or they just wouldn’t be able to protect their loved ones from assault by people with more social status, more money, more blasters, just more of everything, and you have to DEAL WITH IT and pick up the pieces as best you can.

And in real life, marriage between slaves could be seen as a “positive” in that “YAY, YOU GET MORE SLAVES!” Or “look, I’m not THAT bad--I let you have RELATIONSHIPS!”

It could be seen as a neutral because you can’t micromanage EVERY SINGLE PART of your slaves’ lives, so what’s the harm if they keep doing their jobs?

It could also be a “negative” because now the master has more mouths to feed, and humans take a long time to grow up, or their once-obedient slave starts acting up when their spouse/relative gets pimped out or forced into dangerous jobs, and now you have to sell one off (or THREATEN to sell one of them off) to keep them quiet.

And with Anakin growing up to be Stonking Hot Hayden Christensen, who was already solicited/lusted-after by multiple women as a forbidden-fruit Jedi, I can only imagine how much WORSE that would be on Tatooine if he had still been a slave and at the mercy of whoever wants him.

Adult slaves would almost certainly be compartmentalizing “non-coerced sex,” with no power or resources attached, compared to: “sex for money,” “sex for physical safety,” “getting barked at by their master to sleep with someone,” and all the other ways that they cannot control their sexual relationships.

It reminds me of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s dialogue before their final battle in Revenge of the Sith--everyone knows he has a hard time taking responsibility for himself, but I also find it telling that he doesn’t blame Padmé either, at least not for long.

When Obi-Wan gets out of the ship, Anakin at first calls Padmé a liar and force-chokes her in a rage, but he gets this horribly confused look on his face and THEN he starts screaming at Obi-Wan:

“YOU TURNED HER AGAINST ME!”

She said she loved him thirty seconds ago. She didn’t WANT to turn against him, she didn’t WANT TO lie, she didn’t WANT Obi-Wan to kill him--but he made her do it, because slaves don’t get choices.

“YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!”

Obi-Wan wants Padmé or their child or both. She wants to stay with Anakin. She’s carrying Anakin’s child. But Obi-Wan will take her anyway, because slaves don't get to pick who they want.

OBI-WAN MADE HER DO THINGS SHE DIDN’T WANT TO DO! THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME ON TATOOINE! This totally makes sense to Anakin’s formerly-enslaved and Sith-fueled brain!

Shmi could not protect her son, and Padmé cannot protect her husband, and Anakin couldn’t protect his mother, and now Anakin cannot protect Padmé or Baby Skywalker, and he’s seething like a cornered animal.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan is clearly having an entirely different conversation, because he thinks Anakin is 1) an equal and 2) in his right mind.

Like, the man just kept telling Anakin to “LET GO OF HER!!!” With words. After rewatching the scene years later, I just keep thinking “OBI-WAN, SHE CAN'T BREATHE! YOU GOTTA FUCKING TACKLE HIM! OR PUNCH HIM! USE THE FORCE! DO IT NOW!”

But that’s also me 1) watching this from my safe living room, and 2) being a fairly normal person, who was not indoctrinated by warrior-priests to chant away your hard emotions.

So Obi-Wan didn’t know, or didn’t realize, or didn’t want to admit, that Anakin is going off the rails, and in times like these, you need to fucking MAKE HIM stop choking Padmé. But now she’s unconscious and Anakin’s screaming at Obi-Wan and he’s IGNITING HIS LIGHTSABER.

Canonically, the novel of ROTS says Obi-Wan left Anakin on Mustafar because he couldn’t bring himself to properly kill him, so it is also very likely that Obi-Wan was fucking shocked out of his mind and couldn’t bring himself to HIT Anakin, his padawan and brother-figure, not even to make him stop choking Padmé.

-

Musings on Anakin’s Mental Damage Loop:

So Anakin calls Padmé his wife and he calls himself her husband, but they are publicly not-married because the Jedi can’t get married. He cannot protect her from men who think she’s single, like his mother couldn’t protect him from being a living gambling chip, like he couldn’t protect his mother from Tusken Raiders.

And he calls himself free, but he can’t bear to leave the Jedi Order because that is all he knows, and he thinks he owes them something, and he believes them when they say he’s Special, and he is always hurt when The Masters Do Not Love Him.

He wants to free the slaves when he’s nine years old, but ten years later, he wants to be a master of the Galaxy. He says he will be a Good Master, because he once lived in terror of Bad Masters, and he knows what they do and he knows that he Will Not Do That. He doesn’t realize that he shouldn’t want to be a master, that he’s just going in circles with who gets to be in chains this time, BECAUSE THERE’S NO THERAPY IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY.

And he calls himself An Adult, but he runs off against orders, he flies too fast and lands too hard, he sulks or throws tantrums at twenty years old, because he has learned that Bad Kids Get ACKNOWLEDGED, even if it hurts and he hates being treated like a child, because he’s acting like a child.

He keeps saying things he does are not his fault, because Slaves Don't Get Choices. He WANTS TO be a person, he WANTS TO make choices, but he doesn’t realize he already is a person and he’s made choices, lots of them. That’s almost certainly a part of why he’s so reckless--because at his core, regardless of what he says or believes, maybe Anakin’s still not used to the idea that his actions matter to people, because slaves don’t matter to people.

Anakin hasn't broken out of his conditioning because the Jedi unknowingly ENFORCE it, both with their hierarchy and with their mishandling of him as an individual. They’re barely equipped to deal with REGULAR children, let alone a damaged kid that was freed from slavery last week, so ten years later, they think he’s just acting up like regular people do, and they dress him down for being foolhardy and tell him to SHUT UP AND LISTEN. They don’t know why this makes him MORE mad, why he won’t control himself and acts foolhardy again, and rinse and repeat.

Because what kind of CONTROL has this man known? Not when he was born into slavery, not when Another Master bought him and his mother, and not when Another Master gambled him off WITHOUT his mother. And he is not able to control when Qui-Gon dies, when he’s taken from Shmi, when he gets a crush on the very first pretty girl he sees, because he’s not used to dealing with death or loss or affection as a Person Who Experiences Things, instead of a Slave That Things Happen To, and so the emotional tidal waves of PRETTY GIRL IS NICE TO ME and MOM ISN’T COMING ON THE SHIP and QUI-GON JINN IS DEAD and OBI-WAN IS MY NEW MASTER overwhelm the poor kid, like they’re forces of nature.

He wasn't in control when someone drafted him into a war and told him to go on this mission or that mission, or that one and that one and that one, for three fucking years.

He cannot control Padmé Amidala, or Shmi Skywalker, or Ahsoka Tano, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, or anyone else he loves in his too-hard-and-too-fast manner, and he clutches them in his vice-grip because he knows they soothe the frothing pain in his soul, but he thinks he needs other people to make the pain stop, because he thinks he can't control himself.

[alto-tenure]

38 for the layton asks!

38) Do you ship any characters? If yes, what are your ships?

Layclaire is my OTP in a way that I can't say happens often for other ships -- I have difficulty imagining a world in which they met and didn't fall in love. Even though I can ship both of them with other characters, it ends up coming back to them. I also have a fondness for Ranlay, but they kind of feed into each other for me? Like my love of Layclaire is a big part of why I like Ranlay so much, it wouldn't be as much to me without the Randall-Claire parallels. I'd probably still enjoy Ranlay without the experience of having shipped Layclaire first, but I don't think it'd be to the same level.

I'm also very fond of Evespella, the two of them mean a lot to me and I simply think they compliment each other haha

I like Laywright but mostly in a "I think it's hilarious" sort of way. TFW you meet an idealized version of yourself and decide to kiss about it skdjfhskdjfhksjdfh

Katriana is also very good. Love me some rivals to lovers.

Bakepeace (Lucy/Diane) is me and like. Three to five other people but rarepair solidarity, we are stronger together!

I have...so many complicated and conflicting emotions about Rangela. I think it's sweet and has a great deal of heart to it, but it's also incredibly complicated and I don't see it working in a post-canon state. I have, however, been thinking about them a lot since I wrote a fic that had a lot of Angela in it.

I watched the Relic Treasures arc of the anime recently and it's come with a fondness for Luke and Marina! I simply think that They. Mystery solving spouses <3 I will build them a story since Level 5 didn't

That pretty much summarizes the ships I have some passion for ^^ I enjoy other ships, but in a more...casual sort of way. These are the ones that really inspire me to create, other ships are basically "cool concept but not that compelling to me" or "I don't ship this because my headcanons for their orientations are incompatible" or "this has something that actively squicks me out"

[bloodreplay]

andrew koji . cis man . he/him . wasn’t that cain mori wandering the city of twilanna ? it’s nice to see the smuggler out and about on such a fine day as this. i’ve heard from the court spies that they notoriously vicious , whilst also managing to be quite resilient . the thirty four year old is seemingly in support of no house . it’s funny, whenever i think of them, i think of quick fingers and quicker daggers, a silence as quiet as a shadow, a smile that dulls the sun . great to see the cutthroat around, isn’t it ?

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

full  name.   cain more.    nicknames.    none.    gender.   cis  man,  he/him.   birthday/zodiac.   november 15  /  scorpio.  age.    thirty four.    birthplace. arratsa  .   class. mortal.   occupation.   he’s a criminal babey!.    spouse.   none    sexuality.   bisexual

height.   6'2.   build.    lean.    hair.    black, mid length, often messy but sometimes neatly combed.    eye  color.   black.    dominant  hand.    right.   scars.    he has a multitude of them from fighting.

character  parallels.    he’s a mix of kaz brekker and matthias helvar from soc. there’s an angel there, ah sahm (warrior) ,  tba.   skillset.    hand to hand combat, deadly with all sorts of weaponry    alignment.   chaotic  good.    demeanor.   he is very closed off and comes off as jaded. is also very quiet most of the time but he can lighten up in the right company. he’s quite different when he is when someone he trusts, he smiles more and he laughs more. generally can come off as dangerous but he is extremely loyal to his own.   strengths.   a whole lot of heart and he is very resilient.    weaknesses.   very jaded! a little starved for affection but also doesn’t want anyone close to him!

𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 

you grow up surrounded by love and little else. your first memory is of your sister; she falls and skins her knee on the rough stones that line your door; she starts to cry you do too  even though there is not a scratch on you. your mother is always nearby with a fix and your father’s laugh can fill up any room. you do not have much and to others it might seem like a hard life but there is nothing you wouldn’t give up to go back.

your parents could see light in the darkest of hearts. they spoke of a better world, of a more equal world. they told stories of a rebellion that had no hope of survival, not when monsters still ruled the land. they are killed for their hope; your small house burned down and the light snuffed out. you and your sister watch from a distance, hand in hand, ash falling at your feet.

you are taken in by the underground rebellion that your parents had signed their life to. it is a family of sorts. you are taught to fight; to kill; to survive even when survival is impossible. you have always valued family above else but it is here you learn that the word can have a multitude of meanings. it is not the sort of love that your parents gave you but love still slips in through the cracks and it is enough to make you want to live another day.

and then there is an attack. almost everyone you know is killed and the others scatters. you and your sister survive as you always do; some would call it a miracle but you would call it a curse. you survive in whatever manner you can. you smuggle, you kill, you steal. you learn to bury every part of yourself in the name of survival. it is rage and hate that keeps you alive all these years.

you are betrayed by someone close to you, ending up in prison. the dark presses against you from each corner and you see the faces of your parents in that place; you see everyone else you have lost but you never see your sister. you consider it a blessing because only the dead dwell in this place. you are made to fight for others’ entertainment and for a chance to live. it is something you do well even if in some moments you forget you were human once; you forget the sun still shines outside these walls. when you are released, it is someone else that walks out but you know you will make it through. enduring is what you do best.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

betrayer. someone betrayed him and he went to prison and it was a pretty awful time. i kept the location pretty open so it could be in any of the courts. this would be someone who he was very close to. i’m open to this being platonic or romantic!! i just want the angst!!

court connections. i really want him to have some connections with higher/lesser eternals. he absolutely hates eternals because he was raised by the underground rebellion and later they were killed and also bcos booo rich people. this could go all sorts of way. maybe he supplies them with drugs. maybe they hired him for some job! to steal something! to kill someone! maybe he stole something from them and they suspect him! want to make his life hell! maybe they met and he didn’t know they were eternals and they ended up hitting it off. im literally down for anything.

rebellion. him and his twin sister were taken in by the underground rebellion people after his parents are killed (who were also part of the rebellion) but that group was snuffed out as well. i imagine them to be like a family so would love to have more connections there! family meeting up after a long time makes me insane <3

others. friends! enemies! lovers etc! he doesn’t trust easily but i’d love for him to have some friends. maybe even old friends that he lost? turned on? fell apart with because of who he is as a person <3 he has also done a lot of shady stuff so he has a lot of enemies and that would be spicy too. always up for an enemies to lovers plot also <3 but also would love hookups or exes connection!

[crystaldivination]

hii i really wanna get in your spouse game:) my first impression of you is space station. your soul game feel like very sacred and kind of consciousness expands. I can imagine a scene where a hidden prophet appears briefly in a parallel universe and guides us. You reminds me of space travel. 🌠💫 my initials are JYE, she/her ( I prefer men), my zodiac sign is Capricorn 🐐 thanks 🌟

HI LOVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING 🧡

Ohh it’s so cool that you got that vibe of me. I’m actually interested in space and astronomy. I do think I’m pretty far in terms of consciousness but you’re making me feel like a god of some sort wow

HERE'S YOUR MOODBOARD:

I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT. PLEASE LEAVE A FEEDBACK IN MY ASK BOX!

Book your personal reading now!

© crystaldivination — all rights reserved. Leave a T I P 🫙

[random-thought-depository]

Idea for a story I should write someday: a story kind of like the Babylon 5 episode Believers, but it’s obliquely referencing the continuity of consciousness arguments about uploading and teleportation.

The story’s equivalent of Shon is an alien from an intelligent species for whom unconsciousness is naturally super-rare; they don’t sleep, and they have a highly redundant nervous system that makes them very resistant to being “knocked out” by blunt force trauma or drugs. As a result, this species has developed philosophical arguments that a continuous stream of consciousness is constitutive of identity, and hence to lose consciousness is to die, and if somebody loses consciousness and then wakes up later that person has died and a new person who happens to have their memories has awakened in their body. This perspective is intuitive to them, in the same way “if somebody creates a perfect copy of you and then immediately kills the original you, you have died” is intuitive to us, and it’s the view of multiple mainstream religions and philosophies on their world. Their equivalents of the words awake and alive are more-or-less synonyms, their word for being born roughly translates as “awaken,” and their word for death roughly translates as “the cessation of movement and thought” (maybe they classify sessile organisms like plants and fungi as not alive, in the same way we classify viruses as not alive?).

Obviously, one consequence of this is that most surgeries in their society are done with local anesthetic, with the patient being carefully kept awake (”alive”) the whole time. But in this case a child of this species has an illness or injury that will definitely kill them (in the uncontroversial sense of the concept) if it isn’t remedied with an operation that definitely will result in a period of unconsciousness. And the story centers on a human doctor trying to convince the child and their parents that what they’re proposing will save the child’s life instead of just killing them and replacing them with a different person.

The take a third option happy ending would be that the doctor manages to find a way to do the operation while keeping the child conscious the whole time, but I think I prefer something a bit more bittersweet. So I’m thinking maybe they try something like that, and it works in the sense that the child physically survives and is fine, but it fails in that the child loses consciousness for a few minutes during the operation so the parents see them as having died.

Oh, they don’t filicide their own child like in the B5 episode or anything like that. They don’t think they’re an abomination or anything like that. They just think their child has died and been replaced with something like an identical twin. While unconsciousness is very rare among them, there have been cases throughout their history, and their culture has developed procedures for it. When a person dies and a new person awakens in their body, the new person is given a name (different from that of the original inhabitant of their body) and their equivalent of a baptism. The family of body’s previous inhabitant may adopt them. If they’re married, the spouse of their body’s previous inhabitant may marry them. They may adopt the children of their body’s previous inhabitant. They inherent the personal property of their body’s previous inhabitant, but they are not responsible for any debts and crimes of the previous inhabitant of their body, which are considered to belong to the dead person. The “dead” inhabitant of their body is given a funeral, with a small effigy of wood or wax buried or burned as a corpse would be. The “dead” inhabitant of their body is then given the same daily prayers for the dead as other dead immediate family members.

So, before the operation the child prepares for the possibility that they might lose consciousness by writing a letter to the inheritor of their body saying something like “Please don’t feel bad about inheriting my body, you didn’t ask for this, it isn’t your fault.” After the operation the child is given a new name and their equivalent of a new baptism and adopted into the family, as a foundling would be, and is introduced to their sibling as a new member of the family who happens to look like the dead sibling. The child inherits the personal property of the “dead” child, in this case a few toys and video games and the like. The parents arrange for their “new” child’s education to continue where the “dead” child’s left off, as they share the same memories (when they go back to their school - which is a small “neighborhood” school run by and for the community of their species on the space station the story takes place on - they are introduced to their classmates as a new student). The “new” child participates in the funeral of the “dead” child and before every evening meal participates in the daily prayers for the dead, in which the “dead” child is mentioned by name as other dead immediate family members are. The “new” child will celebrate their birthday on the anniversary of the operation, and the day of the operation will be counted as the day of their birth (“awakening”). Basically, the parents are as nice about the whole thing as they can be, but they really believe that they’ve lost a child and gained a new one (through no fault of the new child!), and they and the rest of their immediate community act accordingly.

Some time later the human doctors gets invited to participate in some sort of ceremony for the “new” child, formal acknowledgment of them having finished memorizing some sacred scripture in their school or something like that. They give the human doctor the role in the ceremony that the midwife who assisted in the child’s birth would normally have.

---------------

Some peripheral notes for this concept:

In the setting of this story, humans are a relatively minor race; Earth is an unusually densely populated world, but on the periphery of known space and relatively backward, humans only developed a high-tech civilization recently and haven’t spread out much and are a small percentage of known space’s population. The human doctor is one of the few humans on a trade hub space station, or at least one of the few humans who’s part of the official staff; most of the humans there are part of the station’s working/lower class, a mix of low-level maintenance and dock workers, small-time shopkeepers, entertainers and service workers of various sorts, homeless people, and petty criminals (with a fair amount of fluidity between those classes).

Sleep is a weird thing humans do in this setting; it’s unique to humans (and other Earth animals), other intelligent species don’t need it or do it. However, most intelligent species don’t have the “unconsciousness = death” belief, because while most intelligent species don’t sleep they are more familiar with unconsciousness as a semi-normal thing from people passing out drunk, getting knocked out in a brawl, etc.. Maybe there’s even one or two intelligent species who don’t sleep regularly but can hibernate in periods of resource scarcity like bears or go into torpor if the temperature gets too low (common alien words for human sleep might translate to things like “micro-hibernation” and “false thermocoma”). It’s just this one species for whom unconsciousness is naturally super-rare so their culture developed in a context where it was some extraordinary, freakish, even eldritch-seeming thing.

In this context, the human doctor experiences some of the limitations of humans as something a lot like a disability. She can’t regularly work the 20+ hour shifts that are normal for her colleagues, because she needs to sleep. She needs more time off than most of her colleagues, because normal alien schedules are made around the assumption of effectively having an extra eight hours every day to get stuff done. Because the aliens are active 24 hours, most intelligent species have much better night vision than humans, so to save on energy and burned out light bulb equivalents the common area and default lighting on the space station is what a human experiences as semi-darkness. She wears basically night vision goggles most of the time to be able to easily work in what the aliens consider normal indoor lighting conditions. A lot of the alien tools and furniture are the wrong size and shape for her, and she gets a friend in the station’s machine shop to recut and otherwise modify a lot of the medical tools for her. Humans are relatively unusual in the wider galaxy and kind of funny looking even by the standards of a relatively cosmopolitan multi-species society (the more typical body plans for an intelligent species are “six-limbed quadruped with four legs and two arms” and “kind of like a theropod dinosaur”), so common alien furniture is really not built for her (the human sitting posture is super-weird and freaky by alien standards, they tend to get uncomfortable just looking at it), and she gets kind of a lot of people (especially children) staring at her and wanting to touch various parts of her and so on, but it’s mostly benign curiosity. She’s uncomfortably aware that she’s a “diversity hire” (the alien polity that runs the station likes to hire members of their various allied and subject races to give them a sense of inclusion) and that a lot of people kind of resent having to do all these accommodations for her instead of just hiring a normal person.

The family of the sick child actually have a kind of parallel experience. Their world is even more marginal and peripheral than Earth and they’re a small minority in the galactic population, and the space station was built by and primarily for beings smaller than them so they have to deal with a lot of uncomfortably small tools and furniture and spaces or stick to special areas and facilities for bigger beings. This is a universe where big alien theory is true, so they’re actually more-or-less average size for an intelligent species, but the most numerous races are around human size so around human size is what gets treated as normal size for a person to be. Note: around human size with quadrupedal or theropod-like body plans translates to the human doctor has to stoop to fit inside a lot of small corridors built for beings substantially shorter than humans, but thankfully the station is designed for a cosmopolitan crowd so at least the bigger public spaces are sized to be accessible to beings up to approximately the size of large sauropod dinosaurs (and the water-filled sections for water/ocean-dwellers are designed to be accessible to even bigger beings).

---------------

Rough draft/outline for some lines in a conversation that would happen in this story:

Human doctor: I sleep every day. Well, almost every day, anyway. <Laughs a little, then turns serious> Do you think I die every time I go to sleep? Do you think the version of me you talked to yesterday is dead, and I’m... What, the latest in a line of thousands of doppelganger-clones of [her name]?

Alien parent: I... <uncomfortable pause> My partner holds it as a matter of faith that is works differently for Humans, because the Makers would not be so cruel as to create a race that is born in the morning, lives one day, dies that night, passes their body on to a new person who continues their errands and then dies in turn the next night. But I’m a rationalist, and... <uncomfortable pause and squirming> ... If you really look at nature, you see a multitude of horrors. The buzzer-fly’s young tear it apart from inside and eat its corpse. Nature is amoral. I can believe nature would create such a thing as an intelligent race that lives one day. I... Honestly, I try to not think about it much, to preserve my sanity.

Human doctor: I slept last night. I don’t feel like I died. I feel like I’m the same person I was yesterday.

Alien parent: Suppose this question had an objective and testable answer, and it was that I was right. Suppose I could show you I was right, as I could show my ancestors the Red Thirst with a microscope and say “See, it is not a curse, it is a thing like a tiny plant, that gets inside you and grows inside you like a strangling vine.” What would you do? How would you react to knowing that you have hours to live, that you were born this morning and will die tonight and are but one in a long chain of inhabitants of your body who lived only one day, and your whole race is like that?”

Human doctor: <thinks about it for a moment> “I think I’d find some way to tell myself that it wasn’t true, that you were wrong, and then I wouldn’t think about it much, to preserve my sanity.”

Alien parent: “For what it’s worth, I really hope it doesn’t actually work like that. But I’m not willing to gamble my child’s life on ‘I really hope it doesn’t actually work like that.’”

-----------------

On that note: at some point the parents see the human doctor while she’s dozing at work and it’s intensely disturbing and creepy to them. An unconscious person is disturbing to them in the same way fantasy undead would be disturbing to humans: they’re simultaneously dead and alive in a way that seems unnatural in the sense people use when they use that term to refer to something horrible. I think I might have some fun describing human sleep in a way that channels a Lovecraft protagonist: “Alive, yet not alive. Clearly dead, but stirred by inward motion.”

It’s more logical when you remember that their language uses a lot of the same or similar words for life and consciousness and for death and unconsciousness. Like, yes, she is indeed [alive/awake] but not [alive/awake], clearly [unawake] but moving a little, those are totally factual observations, I’m just translating the emotional charge they’d have for these people.

One of these poor people would probably have a breakdown when they see their own child in that state on the operating table. :(

On a lighter note, there’d be comic relief potential in this too:

Alien child: “Are they dead?”

Alien parent: “Kind of, but it’s not as big a problem for them as it is for us.”

And also tragicomedy potential: at one point the alien child asks the human doctor what death is like, saying she should know since she dies every day.

Tangential note: I’m thinking the alien child’s race is hermaphroditic, in which case it’d be appropriate to use gender-neutral pronouns for them ... and they probably wouldn’t have a concept of gender (except insofar as they might have learned that some other species have such concepts), so it would make sense for them to use gender-neutral language when they talk about humans among themselves too; their language wouldn’t have gendered pronouns except maybe specifically as a device adopted for being polite to certain aliens when you talk to them. Not sure how I’d handle pronouns for hermaphroditic aliens in a story.

-----------------

Other character concepts for this story:

When it comes to having to deal with a station built by and for beings that have rather different bodies than you, the human doctor is lucky compared to her colleague and best friend, a giant whale-like being who does most of their work through teleoperation while sitting in basically a giant swimming pool.

This person’s homeworld is a cold planet almost entirely covered by ocean; only a few almost totally barren tiny islands rise above an otherwise uninterrupted sea so deep it drowns all but the very highest mountain peaks (with so little land, multicellular life on this world has never left the sea). Their species (which is hermaphroditic, hence the choice of pronoun) is very much like the filter-feeding whales of Earth. Evolution of their intelligence probably was driven more by social selection than intrinsic stimulation of their watery world; they live their life by The Game, a complex and ever-shifting web of relationships that determines social status, access to resources, and mating opportunities, and that contributes to their survival. They are highly intelligent (their brain probably weighs more than you do!), and they might have tentacles or a manipulatory tongue or something, but before known space society found them and offered them access to space travel their watery world offered them little opportunity to develop technology. It’s unknown how long they’ve been sapient, but their oral history includes accounts of an asteroid impact that happened several million years ago.

This character thinks most of their people are good-natured but provincial. They’re good folks, but once you’ve gotten through the latest permutations of The Game and last year’s migrations and the plan for next year’s migrations and what the krill tastes like in various places these days the conversation tends to just kind of drift there like a sea-plant. They remember the 74th year of their life; the most interesting thing that happened that year was their pod passed close to an island. Why, on Earth, that was the year humans sent their first crewed expedition to Mars! They left their world to find a more interesting life.

They can use their powerful sonar to “see” inside their patients and still swear by this vs. the more advanced high-tech instruments.

--

The case of the sick child ends up involving a lawyer. He’s a member of another minor species of known space society, an arboreal intelligent species that originally inhabited the forests of a humid world. The evolution of intelligence in his species was driven mostly by social and sexual selection, like the whale people but moreso. His species is highly intelligent, but mostly uninterested in physical problems; in their original society most of their intelligence was focused on socialization, mating strategies, and art (the art was part of the socialization and mating strategies). When wider known space society found them, they were living as hunter-gatherers with a rich artistic tradition but a Stone Age level of technology. Examination of their world’s fossil record indicated that they had existed at that level for over a hundred million years. However, once integrated into a high-tech interstellar society, they became very successful as artists, lawyers, politicians, and business people, and can be found in those professions in numbers greatly disproportionate to their percentage of known space’s population. He is colorful and beautiful, like a peacock, and for the same reason.