#like what experiences in his life primed him to react like This to the story events?

[quaranmine]

random firewatch au detail that has basically no impact on the story unless you want to psychoanalyze fw!grian even further than i did as the author, but it's very intentional that i always refer to both of mumbo's parents but only grian's mom. did i give him daddy issues? i guess so, but not in a way where i really deeply examined the implications as meaningful to the story. it was just a detail i stuck with from the beginning as a way to keep fleshing out the story's background subtly. the idea behind grian's dual citizenship was always that he was born in america to an american dad and british mom, and that his mom moved back to the UK when he was very young since she wanted to be closer to her family. perhaps his dad didn't go with them? or perhaps his dad did, and then later they split and he went back to america? whatever the cause, grian never even mentions his dad in the story, and it wasn't because i intended him to be dead (because that would have come up in a story about grief) if you get me

[phoenixblaze1412]

Hi! Could I request child reader reacting to Omega deleting the other clones?

Main segments to take note of (not canon):

Webttore will be referred to as Theta

Akademiya segment will be Iota

Child segment will be Kappa

You could only look in horror as you glanced around the laboratory that was filled with the motionless bodies of the segments.

You had just woken up from a nap that Iota tucked you in earlier yet here you are staring at his lifeless eyes.

Chemicals and lab equipments have been scattered around the room. Splatters of blood was scattered throughout the lab, the scent of iron filling your nostrils. You could only whimper in fear as you held a plush of Dottore close to your chest.

You walked closer to Theta's figure, kneeling down and gently shaking him. You were hoping they were only playing a trick with you. They would usually tease you by playing a game where they would pretend they were dead.

But why aren't they moving?

"Theta, wake up. I don't like this game anymore..."

You felt tears prick the corner of your eyes as you moved Theta's mask away from his face. You know he would lightly scold you about removing his mask and playing with it.

"Why aren't you scolding me.. I took off your mask, Theta. Please look at me..."

You patted the segment's cheek, after receiving a silence in reply, you could only let out a cry as you kneeled down in the middle of the corpses.

Even though they were only a replica of Prime himself in different parts of his life, you considered them as your own family. They treated you like a little sibling, even protected you from the dangers of the world.

You just wanted Theta to wake up and playfully pinch your cheeks. Epsilon handing you your favorite sweets. Beta and Gamma teaching you how to read and write. Iota reading you bedtime stories. And even Sigma who would dress you up in lots of different clothes and would always make sure you looked presentable.

You gasped as you looked around the room in search of Kappa, the child segment of Prime. Your footsteps, covered in red liquid, echoed through the room.

You dropped your Dottore plushie as you stared at Kappa's figure. He was sitting up against the wall, blood dripping down the corner of his lips as the back of his head looked like it just exploded.

Now that you notice it, all the segments in the lab looked like their heads exploded.

You cried as you moved closer to Kappa and held him close to you, the blood from his head stained your clothes but you didn't have the mind to react on it.

"No, no Kappa.. not you too please..."

Your wails can be heard along the hallways as you held onto Kappa. He was the segment that was almost close to your age. He was your playmate whenever the others are busy doing experiments. Kappa would even comfort you whenever you would hear the screams of the test subjects that was coming from the lab.

You choked back a sob when you heard the door to the lab open and a figure walk in. You tightly held onto Kappa as you watched the figure approach you.

Once the figure showed themself under the light, you were faced with Omega's towering form. You also noticed a purple and green item in in his grasps but had no clue on what it could be.

"Omega! E-everyone isn't waking up.. and there's blood a-and their heads..."

"Calm down, little one. There's no need to cry."

You lost your hold on Kappa as Omega picked you up in his arms.

"B-but everyone.."

"They are not going to wake up. They never will. They are now dead, (Y/n)."

You cried on Omega's shoulder in grief, he only cooed and tried to calm you down by rubbing your head.

You didn't notice him kicking Kappa's corpse away as if it was a mere pebble on the road. Even doing it to the other dead segments as he made his way out of the lab with you in his hold.

"But how.. no one dangerous came in the lab before I took a nap."

Omega hummed as he gently rubbed circles on your back.

"It's simple, really. I was the one who destroyed them."

You slowly looked up at Omega, your mind not able to process the information he told you.

"What do you mean you destroyed them?.."

"I had to neutralize them, give them the direct order to self-destruct. Just so I can be able to obtain the dendro and electro gnosis."

You felt your grief turn to anger as you glared and punched at Omega's chest.

"You killed them! Why would you do that, Omega?! They're family!"

Omega didn't even flinch as you repeatedly hit his chest. Your cries of telling him to bring the others back only fell on deaf ears.

You cried out in pain when Omega pinched a pressure point at your neck, knocking you unconscious. He adjusted his hold on you so that your head was laying against his shoulder before making his way to find Prime.

"What's done is done, (Y/n). You'll come to learn that sacrifices must be made. I'm sure you'll forgive me soon. Besides, they can be created again.. although they won't have any memories of their old versions."

Back in the laboratory, besides Kappa's bloodied corpse, there laid your Dottore plushie. All covered in blood and forgotten just like the rest of the segments.

[agentravensong]

i've had a fic in my drafts for multiple years now (first version of it is from shortly post witch in the web) about paul becoming something of a surrogate dad for hannah (or, more accurately, just beginning on that journey, and then the events of tgwdlm happen). and now i have an idea for a similar story that i think i'm even less likely to finish, so i'm gifting it to tumblr:

bill becoming grace's new, better dad (potentially leading to, depending on how much you want to balloon the scope, the full ccrp gang (minus ted, for timeline reasons we'll get to shortly) becoming psuedo-parental figures for the full npmd protag gang)

to start: bill and grace. i think we can all agree that grace deserves better parents, right? well, there's one reason i think bill is the prime candidate to step into that role for her: they're canonically the same denomination and go to the same church. meaning that a) bill has seen this girl once a week for probably her whole life, so he's got to at least know her a little bit by now, and b) grace probably has a baseline level of respect for and willingness to listen to him, at least compared to any of the other ccrp adults (who are all different denominations).

them having their church in common gives them a starting point, but we also know just how different bill is from grace's parents (for one, he has no problem with his daughter being gay and dating). so being around him could give grace another perspective on life, one she wouldn't be so easily able to dismiss out of hand. there's a chance, however slight, that grace might actually believe him when he shows her there are other ways to be good. other ways to Be.

i guess there's also the possibility that grace's family (and thus grace) could secretly despise bill for not adhering to their version of their denomination's beliefs? but i still think it could work given the right circumstances.

what would be those circumstances, you ask? here's what i think:

the workin boys timeline, post workin boys (gals).

think about it: bill was there, and he has to know grace was there, since she's the one who Dealt with hidgens. imagine being him, and going to church the next sunday, and seeing her there. you'd be at least a little concerned about how she's doing, right?

now, answer me this: do you think grace's parents would be at all equipped to give grace the emotional support she would need after that experience? do you think they'd react at all rationally when they found out about this whole thing?

do you think grace would be able to fully keep up appearances the next time she went to church, after smiting someone in the name of god?

which is to say, i think bill, for as obtuse as he can sometimes be, would notice that she's not okay. and knowing how much he misses alice when she's not around, and how much he always worries for her... i think it's a fair jump to make that bill's fatherly side would start coming out. that he'd offer to be there for grace, and maybe start looking into her family on his own.

and grace, after a short while doing her best to hold things together on her own, cracks, and decides to take him up on that offer.

i think bill would have to do some more developing himself in order to really help grace, because we do see in his relationship with alice that familiar strain of overprotectiveness, even if it's much less dominant than in the chasitys. in that respect, i think setting a version of this idea in the watcher world timeline could be easier, because bill goes through some serious development there... but overall i find that version less interesting for grace, so instead, bill is gonna have to learn the longer way.

it would take a while for bill to start getting at the heart of how grace got messed up by her parents. but i think, with enough time — and maybe some help from a certain social worker and his specially gifted (girl)friend, if we say this timeline is one of the better 50% — he could get there.

now, i mentioned the other npmd teens up top. for the sake of this story, i like imagining that ruth actually survived; she hid when hidgens started murdering and he didn't get to her before the curtains went up. so she gets to be here! yay!

but, uh. none of them are doing too hot. obviously a ruth who lived through that would be traumatized; it might even ruin her love of theater entirely. ritchie saw it all, and i figure ruth wouldn't come out of hiding until after it was all over, so there were a good few minutes at least where he genuinely believed his (maybe best) friend was dead.

and, pete... he wasn't there, but, ya know. he lost his brother. so.

all the kids need help, is the point. and if bill is starting to look after grace, then it's basically inevitable (heh) that he'd start seeing some of ritchie (since he and grace were already kind of friends in this timeline, and i can imagine them developing a trauma bond in the aftermath of the event) and then, by association, ruth. i can even imagine him encouraging grace to hang out with them more as part of her healing, and then they could start having hang-outs at his place, and... plus, i figure the other ccrp adults probably at least vaguely knew about ted's younger brother, so bill doing at least one courtesy check-in on pete makes sense. and pete is friends with richtie and ruth, so, it all comes together!

and at some point, if bill is gonna end up helping out all these teens to some extent, it'll probably become part of his small talk at work, and that's how, if you wanted to, you could get the other adults involved. like, we know paul has babysat for alice before, so i think bill could probably convince him to help out here too... eventually. i mean, it's not like he'd ask him to take them to a musical, given Everything. if paul has started pursuing something with emma, then she can be here too! and charlotte... well, i don't know if we know anything about her opinion on children, and i don't want to stereotype her given she's the only woman of the group. but she's at least generally a nice person; i think she'd be willing to help out when she sees bill starting to get overwhelmed.

which basically just leaves the question of how steph gets involved. my answer: she hears about what happened, then learns that pete's brother was one of the casualties, and through some combo of feeling obligated and having a spark of an interest in pete, reaches out to him to ask how he's doing. so she gets pulled in through him. with this set-up, tho, i figure she probably wouldn't be a major player (though she definitely also deserves a better parent... that can be its own story).

to kind of wrap this up, the point of this whole story concept is that bill accidentally gets a second daughter, figuring out how to be a better dad in the process; and grace, on the precipe of entering adulthood with some fresh trauma, gets a real chance at salvation. a chance to be, relatively, normal. or, whatever she wants to be when free of her parents' expectations and religious standards. anything else for any other characters is a bonus.

(there can also be some alice — bill drama when alice next visits and starts noticing how much bill is devoting himself to this girl that isn't even his daughter. drama that, eventually, results in the two of them becoming closer, and grace getting an honorary older sister!)

(also remember that duke and holloway can be here helping with the kids, if you want them to be. and why wouldn't you?)

like i said up-top, i have no plans to actually write this. y'all can take it and do whatever you want with it. i just hope at least one other person gets something out of this bain blast i had :D

[porkcracker]

Can you please do an Tfp imagine where the reader was a shy, kind scientist (who adored and studied organic organisms (and has a downloading ability as Tfa Black Arachnia)) who disappeared before the war (to an organic planet with giant spiders) to do an experiment by him/herself but was attacked by the spiders, used their downloading power on them but mutated him/herself into a bitter, sassy techno-organic spiderbot, crash landed on Earth and said to his/her old friends Optimus and Megatron grinning, "Looks like I'm not the only that changed. How are you Pax/Megs?", how will all the bots, cons, and humans react?

Hello and thank you for requesting. This was quite fun to write, though I think I might have made the reader a tad more bitter than you asked, but alas. As it fit the prompt the best I made a bit of story, with the reaction in headcanons. Also the headcanons are a tad shorter than usual since there are so many characters. I hope you enjoy reading.

Blackarachnid like GN!Reader & TFP Characters

When a new signal appeared on the radar of both the Autobots and the Decepticons it jump-starts the usual race of 'Which faction will be the first?' and reap the possible benefits for themselves. Arriving at the coordinates quickly revealed to both factions, just why the signal had been so easy to track. Inside the impact crate dividing the enemy factions laid a ship belonging to neither faction, that had clearly only recently crashed there. It didn't take long, before the surprise at the found was overcome and a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons broke out once again.

It was without surprise that Optimus and Megatron quickly ended up facing each other in combat, meanwhile Breakdown and Knock Out found themselves going against Bulkhead and Bumblebee. As the others fought Starscream wasted no time sneaking off, to try and find an easy accessible entryway, but quickly found himself followed by Arcee.

Before either of the two, however, got too close to the vessel, the fights were interrupted by an unexpected source.

The hangar door open, a cold red stare wandered over each bot as they had stopped in their movements at the unexpected revelation of a passenger. Neither of the factions had been able to pick up a life signal so they had expected the ship to be empty or the passengers to be dead.

With metallic clicks of heels meeting ramp the unknown bot exited the ship. The bot looked unlike anything any of the others had ever met. The bot was of average height, but two stingers growing from their shoulders almost reached Optimus' height. They were black and purple coloured and as they came to a stop upon exiting fully another extraordinary feature revealed itself. Attached to their lower body, was a spider looking lower body.

It seemed so similar, but very other at the same time.

The red eyes of the bot landed on Optimus and Megatron and a dark smirk grew on their face, revealing pointed fangs. "What a nice welcome committee. Pax. Megs. Looks like I'm not the only one changed. Long time no see, how are you?", the smirk grew bitter and their eyes narrowed.

Optimus Prime

You look so very different, but your voice is still the same as before, so he recognizes you the moment you speak

He's shocked

What happened to you? Why do you look so different? How are you alive?

He was one of the first to get the news of your unfortunate demise during a solo mission

A mission he helped you research for in the archives

Another one of those silent guilts he carries around with him

So to see you here, changed, but alive is not only shocking, but absolutely elating

Until he is forced to see the way you not only changed appearance, but personality as well

It saddens him to see you be so bitter and cold

He offers you a place with the Autobots, but you brush him off with a cold chuckle and cruel words

Optimus will not give up that easily though

As you continue to meet, he'll continue to try and bring out your old self and have you join the Autobots

This boy will not give up, ever

Ratchet

Ratchet wasn't actually there for you grand reveal, because he had to control the ground bridge

But he knows something happened from the way the others look upon return

He expected a lot, but not to get told by Optimus that his old friend had returned in such a changed way

While not close friends, Ratchet knew you before too

You were friendly acquaintances

You'd meet as a trio sometimes and if you got injured you often ended up with him too

Unlike Optimus, Ratchet is more wary

What exactly DID happen?

You don't just get declared offline for nothing

If he meets you, he'll definitely try to talk

But he will also accept it, if you are not save able

His focus in that case would he more on Optimus, to make sure his friend is okay

But he will silently grief for you too, if not much considering he already thought you were dead

Arcee

She didn't know you before the war

And while she feels for the loss of her leader

You remind her too much of Arachnid to be comfortable around you

Or really have anything positive in store for you

That would change with time, if only you would join the Autobots

As long as you're a Neutral or Decepticon, however, it will not

The most likely thing to happen really, is that you end up in more than just one fight with her

Once Arachnid is actually in reach, she'll mostly ignore you for her, however

You look like her nemesis, but you aren't

Might feel bad about it long after the war is over and she just so happen to get reminded of you

Bumblebee

Bumblebee too, didn't know you before the war or off you

He is quite sorry for the loss Optimus experienced

But he still asks to know more about you

Who were you?

What happened to you?

Can they help you?

He'll sure try

To be perfectly honest, he's kinda freaked out by you

But he promises himself to not judge you by your appearance

It is quickly clear your freaky on the inside too

He's not a fan

You're so bitter, he can't help to both feel sorry for you, while also pitying you for being unable to enjoy your existence

Bulkhead

Just like Arcee and Bumblebee he didn't know you, before you changed

And really, he's kinda glad he didn't

The idea makes him uncomfortable

Just thinking of the idea of getting news that, for example, Bumblebee offlined, only to meet him as a completely different bot is not easy to think off

He's the first of the Autobots to actually realise that you're not just a spider bot, but a techno-organic

To put it lightly

He doesn't handle that well upon reveal

Will avoid you as best as possible

Getting trapped in actual web and poisoned, made him very wary of you

Megatron

Unlike Optimus, Megatron doesn't immediately recognise you

He's way too focused on your looks

At first he thinks that you're Arachnid with a frame upgrade

But then he realizes

Hey they seem familiar

Then it clicks and he recognizes you

To be perfectly honest, he doesn't really care about what happened to you

Megatronus would have

But Megatron only sees your potential use for the Decepticons

For one your appearance promises power

Power he can't wait to control

And for the other, he does remember how close you, Optimus and him used to be

And sentimental as Optimus is, he has no doubt he would go easy on you

His planning his slightly derailed, when he realizes that

Yes, you're not joining the Autobots

You're also not joining the Decepticons

The truth is you seem to be against both Optimus and him

Well, he won't beg you

And if you don't join willingly

He'll just have to offline you

Starscream

Once he gets word of who you were from listening in on Megatrons ranting he actually recognises you

While by far not as close to you as Optimus or Megatron, or even Ratchet and Soundwave

Starscream has a different advantage

He used to work in similar fields as you

And as he watches and plans he notices

All that talking about you, but nobot is mentioning your amazing ability

He has no illusion about Soundwave's knowledge of it

But so far no one has acted on it

So he will do his best to be the first to get his servos on you

And in tandem on your ability

With this advantage on his side he is confident he could overthrow Megatron finally

Soundwave

Similar to Ratchet, Soundwave did not witness your reveal first hand

And just like Ratchet, he was not necessarily your friend

But a good acquaintance

To be perfectly honest

Your reappearance doesn't really faze him

He saves the information and makes sure to remember to stay far from you

His ability to read processors is far to precious to fall into your hands

But he won't stop Starscream's sheming

After all, it is a good opportunity to see, if your ability works still in your changed frame

Knock Out

Really there is only two things he thinks about you

One is the giddy excitement of possibly getting you on his table

So many interesting parts to take a closer look off

Preferably removed from your frame

Which brings us to the second thing

While he appreciates humans horror movies

He thinks you're disgusting

Absolutely not a fan of spider's at all

On one hand he's glad he doesn't have you near him as a Decepticon

On the other hand that means he might have to fight you

An unpleasant thought

Breakdown

To be perfectly honest

He's things you look kinda good

But as you're a Neutral

And not even considering joining the Decepticons

He pretty quickly gets over it

Still might try to flirt while fighting, but after being shot down, both metaphorically and literally

He has given up

Kinda just another enemy to him

Humans

All the children pretty quickly agree that you're spooky

Though Miko also thinks you look kinda cool

But one closer meeting and all three are sure

You are very different from all other bots

And not on a positive way

Jack will follow Arcee's lead and just see you as an enemy

Miko, not only thinks you look cool

But that they absolutely should beat your aft for what you did to Bulkhead

Even, if that was also kinda cool

Would love to have you join the Autobots

Raf, however, asks Optimus and Ratchet for stories

He admires your old self a bit

Wishes he could have met you before

Your current form scares him

Got almost poisoned once, has a lot of respect for you

Avoids you,if possible

Agent Fowler is not happy at all

Not only another bot

But one unaligned that hates both factions?

Not a happy camper

He never actually gets to meet you

Deep inside he's kinda glad about that

You almost look scarier than the standard Decepticon with your spider like appearance

[my-name-is-jefferooni]

I JUST SAW “GRIME TIDINGS” AND I AM SHOOKITH TO MAH CORE

The new episode was… Oh my god. There’s so much Sonadow in just this first episode and I am close to fucking SOBBING.

So to start off, we got the fabled “Sonic feels bad about how Nine took the shards” in the cavern scene and even though it ended far too quickly compared to most other predictions, it was still very enjoyable! Shadow wasted absolutely no time in getting Sonic back in the game, while it took Sonic a while to realize that now is NOT THE TIME FOT A GODDAMN MENTAL BREAKDOWN. Twas a great interaction that had my soul flying outta my body frfr

THEN SONIC’S FRIENDS LITERALLY START FLYING AWAY AND MY HEART JUST SHATTERS BECAUSE WTF THEY LITERALLY JUST WENT TO SAY HI TO GOD I AM NEVER GONNA BE NORMAL ABOUT THAT THEY LEGIT JUST SAID “Bye Sonic cya in heaven” AND THEN WERE GONE LIKE WHAT

Poor Sonic just had to speed run the five stages of grief lmao

AND THEN ALL MY WORRIES WASH AWAY WHEN I SEE SONADOW WORKING TOGETHER TO GET OUT OF GHOST HILL AND IT IS SERIOUSLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SEQUENCE OF 3D ANIMATION I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. There is so much squash-and-stretch, so much dynamic posing, so many fast movements, so many moments where you blink and you miss something. It’s so fluid and so expertly done, my heart was melting when I saw it. Prime is just straight up eye candy at this point and I am not in any way complaining. This scene was so pretty and so epic and so intense. And I could feel literally every impact. Wonderful story boarding to whoever did the storyboards. You have my full respect.

And then Shadow gives Sonic a compliment and my soul once again leaves my body. I am not okay.

AND THEN THE SONADOW FANKID BATTLE ENSUES WOOHOOOOOOOOOOO

And then. AND THEN. WHEN NINE BRINGS OUT THE OTHER 4 ROBOTS TO FIGHT SONIC AND SHADOW THE TWO HEDGEHOGS LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND GO “Behind you!” AT THE SAME TIME AND I START DYING AGAIN. Feel bad for Big tho. Bro didn’t get a robot… 🥺 Feel so horribly bad for Shadow too. He got stuck fighting the Rouge robot during the fight. Must’ve been a horrible experience. Can’t wait to see how he’ll react to the other versions of her though! If we even get to see him again…!

Which by the way, the ending scene…? OH MY GOD??????????? THEY REALLY HIT US WITH THE BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER EVER. SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG. SHADOW THE GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING HEDGEHOG. THE BITCH WITH ALL THE EMO DRIP AND THE HEELIES. THE ONE WHO CAN FUCKING FLY NOW. YEAH. HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR SONIC. WHAT!!!!!?????????

Obviously, he’s not gone for good. Cuz then we wouldn’t be able to call this season “Sonadow Prime season 2.” But the fact that he gave himself up and chose to fight off a whole horde of super strong and powerful robots that could beat him in an instant all because Nine had his sights on the blue blur…? That is A LOT. Especially since we’ve waited like 2 whole decades for some good Shadow characterization. In no way am I complaining, duh, but for someone like me…? MAN I WAS NOT OKAY.

Sinister Nine is… It is wild. I always knew he was gonna be a problem ever since Shadow pointed it out at the beginning of season 2, but I never expected him to actually be this evil. He lands next to Sonic and Shadow before the sacrifice, and when he reveals what he plans to do to Sonic… He’s hardly recognizable anymore. It’s scary, how utterly broken and changed he feels. This is still the same fox as before though, just a bit more sure of what he wants. And that’s terrifying.

So naturally, when Shadow figures it out, he is mortified.

AND I START INTERNALLY SCREAMING BECAUSE I WAS NOT EXPECTING HIM TO REACT THAT WAY OH MY GOD BRO WAS FLABBERGASTED HE WAS SO TAKEN ABACK HE WAS SO HEARTBROKEN HE WAS LIKE “Why u tryna hurt my boo???” AND THAT MAKES THE SACRIFICE HIT THAT MUCH HARDER. OH MY GOD. MAKES IT WORSE THAT SONIC HAD NO IDEA WTF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT TOO.

Anywhizzle my energy has dwindled since my first watch because it’s been like 30 minutes but I just wanna add that. I am pretty sure it’s official that the Prime Universe is dead. Gone. Deceased. That shit ain’t coming back, I can guarantee. We spent like half the episode trying to get out of Ghost Hill and then mourning the loss of it, and I highly doubt all that screen time is gonna go to waste. They’ll probably say that Sonic succeeded and that we’ll be shown everyone returning to normal, but based off what we see I at least hope this isn’t the case. This now feels more like a show about moving on, about finding out who you are and making friends. It’s about change, but it’s also about connection. And with the Prime Universe gone, with Ghost Hill destroyed, and with the Paradox Prism in Nine’s grasp until the foreseeable future… I really doubt we’ll see Ghost Hill restored. This fact is amplified by the fact that we’ve been getting more screen time and development with each different universe/shatterverse.

Aight that’s all for now bye bye

[melishade]

I wonder that OP will make Gabi his next kid in Dark Timeline. Hell, her trait is similiar to Eren. Well, it wont same trait be no more cause Marley Loyalty is overall bullshit.

Anyway, thnx. Will be waiting for the main story next chapter :)

Part 17: The Trade

Guess we can take a break from the angst for a bit and go into something more wholesome for the Dark Timeline.

So yeah, Gabi, after being captured by Shockwave, being tortured, seeing Optimus' memories, and having Optimus save her life, doesn't believe in the Marleyan propaganda anymore. It's been undone. Plain and simple. However, being on the island as she's slowly recovering is a weird experience, since she's spent her whole life demonizing these people and they turn out to be normal people.

She's still stubborn and actively trying to help out when she can, resulting in everyone benching her. The desire to help used to come from a way to prove her worth and be respected. Now, she just doesn't want to feel helpless. Which is ironic, since the trauma induced by Shockwave has only made her feel helpless. Maybe because of what she's seen she just doesn't want to go through that ever again.

But after Optimus visits them, specifically Gabi to make sure that she's alright, there's definitely been a change in the dynamic of the Marleyans. Annie, Pieck, and Reiner tell the Warrior Cadets to stay away from Magath, and explain why. And it devastates Gabi even further, because Shockwave was right. The Eldians were doomed either way. Reiner had also informed them that Optimus would provide them immunity once this was over. Some of the cadets, like Colt and Falco, don't believe Optimus out of caution, but Gabi automatically does. She owes Optimus her life and her loyalty.

After this, Gabi decides to seek out Optimus herself, with the other Warrior Cadets following her to make sure she's okay and doesn't get herself into trouble. It takes a while, but they do find him...in holoform being scolded by Hanji about exerting himself while Megatron is rolling his optics in titan form. It's a weird sight to see, and Optimus is actively trying to provide a retort but Hanji is not having it. By the end of the confrontation, and Hanji practically ordering Megatron to help her out with some stuff (not before a quip of her character) before leaving Optimus. But not before she shouts at him to rest. No more training.

Optimus doesn't think that's productive. But before he could say anything, someone tug on his sleeve. His right sleeve, his blind spot. Optimus immediately pulled back and was prepared to attack, but was stunned to see Gabi raising her hands in surrender, followed by the Warrior Cadets desperately trying to pull her back. Optimus apologizes and explain that he can't see out of his right optic anymore, which is why he reacted so negatively. And Gabi just feels guilty because she feels responsible for causing it. But Optimus tells her that he wouldn't have hesitated to do it again in order to ensure her safety.

The Warrior Cadets then grab her and try to leave the titan alone, but since Optimus isn't going to be allowed to do anything strenuous, he offers to take him to his library. Which they are all confused by. With some convincing, Optimus does take him to his library in Wall Sina, and the Prime is a little bit saddened to see that it was closed off. No one visited and dust had accumulated on the books and shelves, so Optimus dedicates his time to cleaning it up. Gabi immediately offers to help, cause of repayment, and Optimus lets her. This prompts the other Warriors to follow suite, because he offered them to stay and read once they were done. It was just a nice gesture. The titan didn't even know them and he was being kind to them.

After they're done, Optimus takes out a few books as promised and offers to read to them. The Warrior Cadets are curious so they decide to stick around. And as Optimus is reading to them they get so entranced by it. Udo, unintentionally, asks a question, but quickly covers his mouth and everyone is instinctually scared. Because Eldians aren't allowed to ask questions. They have to accept things as they are. But Optimus welcomes the question, even asks Udo what he thinks. The Warrior Cadets are stunned at this. Why was he doing this?

"Knowledge is power," Optimus explained, "To keep that knowledge from you, would be unethical as an archivist, and as someone who values freedom."

This causes Gabi to ask more questions, which Optimus is more than willing to answer. This pattern continues for a while: Optimus reads and they ask questions. And they just really grow to admire and respect Optimus.

Reiner's in a panic later cause he has no idea where they are, so he asks Eren to help him look. (The two are in a better place and get along better now compared to what they were a few months ago, and they find Optimus with the kids at his library.)

At the end of it, Optimus does still train to get stronger and be prepared, but whatever free time he has, he dedicates to the Warrior Cadets and shows them a world beyond their internment zone walls. Gabi ends up sticking to Optimus' side like glue whenever she gets the chance because she trusts him completely. Optimus lets her because she's been through a lot as Shockwave's and she's a kid. Hanji thinks it's hilarious and cute.

[echofromtheabyss]

A big thing I run into with discourse around “The End of Eternity” is that modern readers miss a big point of the narrative and just are not going to stick out enough of the story to see how Asimov resolves it. We’re in the era of “any portrayal of a structure equals condoning it.” People don’t grasp that a particular structure is Objectively Bad unless that is pointed out early on. There is a real anxiety about not knowing who you are supposed to root for.

I feel like this ambiguity was a bigger preference for readers of lots of 90s work; you can’t really portray moral grayness now. I do not feel TEOE is a “gray” work - the author’s moral stance eventually becomes clear regarding the primary bureaucratic structure of the setting. However - the main character doesn’t really begin to question that structure until halfway through the book or later. And if you don’t stick out Andrew Harlan’s development (this is actually a very richly worldbuilt setting for its length and you will experience quite a bit of immersion into the Eternals before Harlan begins to question what he’s been taught all of his life) then it’s easy to make assumptions about the work.

I think this is hard for people who grew up with YA and haven’t engaged harder work, especially in sci fi, to engage with.

also the book has a lot to say about gender segregation in society and toxic masculinity but you have to stick the book out for that. Asimov didn’t just give you that on the first page. And if you’re the type of reader who has been primed to not empathize with *men’s* experience of that thing or with complicated, kinda fucked up male characters then you may not find Harlan relatable.

TEOE is easily one of Asimov’s most adaptable works, and Hollywood has been leaving money on the table for a long time, and Ridley Scott was going to adapt it but it got stuck in development hell at one point. At this point it probably won’t be made, as that was (well?) over a decade ago. An adaptation would probably leave out the parts that are the most problematic to modern viewers/readers. It would probably remove all the weird gender politics from the Eternals and make some of the Eternals women. (Understandably so; some of the assumptions about why women most often can’t be Eternals, are based in a cultural context of women’s lives in 1955, vs men’s; there was a far greater likelihood of a 1950s man leaving no descendants, than of a woman.)

unfortunately, if it did that, to me - it would sanitize away what’s actually one of the most interesting aspects of the book. I’m fascinated by what it has to say about gender, because to me, there is a way this book hits different if you can contextualize Harlan and the Eternals in terms of a strict gender-segregated society that strictly limits one’s understanding of and contact with the opposite sex so that every possible interaction between the sexes is tremendously fraught and full of tension.

There is a whole analysis of this book that’s possible if you have read authors like, say, Chaim Potok, and or are in general familiar with the gender mores of ultra-orthodox Jewish culture, or some other kind of equally regimented and gender-segregated culture.

Harlan doesn’t react to being attracted to a woman in a manner of a contemporary man who has grown up in *our* world. He hasn’t been taught to manage his emotions in any other way besides the most strict suppression, and is overwhelmed by them the first time he feels them. He was taken away from his family young and has only ever known this all-male world that has raised him.

There’s also a queer reading that’s possible, if you read it in a certain light, though Asimov would likely not have intended this. Andrew Harlan is basically a non-asexual hetero man in a world where that’s Bad, and basically the plot is that he’s going to be straight and do crimes.

the book doesn’t at any point get rapey, though Harlan’s emotional landscape would be alien to modern readers. Some things he seems to experience and express seem to be from the point of view of a man who has never been allowed to actually gain any kind of emotional maturity about relationships, and it’s actually a best case scenario in that regard.

a common complaint about the book is that Noys Lambent (love interest) is basically a human McGuffin with no real character development of her own but this actually comes off better considering Harlan as a somewhat unreliable narrator who doesn’t see the world beyond his own introspection. (This is easily one of Asimov’s very most introspective and personal works, compared to the tone in his other writing.) And basically the common complaint is that she’s Just A Pretty Face.

well… once again, people critiquing the book didn’t stick it out.

I really suspect modern readers require the “tells” a lot earlier in a book and a moral dilemma or surprise twist characterization can be missed when the thing takes too long to build.

[hylialeia]

How do you think Dany would have reacted if Aegon had come in Meereen to meet her?

Suspiciously and cautiously, with good reason. Tyrion has a pretty accurate (albeit somewhat harsh) description of what Aegon would sound like to someone in Dany's position--a position he also happens to have an excellent read on, given his current knowledge:

"I know that she spent her childhood in exile, impoverished, living on dreams and schemes, running from one city to the next, always fearful, never safe, friendless but for a brother who was by all accounts half-mad … a brother who sold her maidenhood to the Dothraki for the promise of an army. I know that somewhere out upon the grass her dragons hatched, and so did she. I know she is proud. How not? What else was left her but pride? I know she is strong. How not? The Dothraki despise weakness. If Daenerys had been weak, she would have perished with Viserys. I know she is fierce. Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen are proof enough of that. She has crossed the grasslands and the red waste, survived assassins and conspiracies and fell sorceries, grieved for a brother and a husband and a son, trod the cities of the slavers to dust beneath her dainty sandaled feet. Now, how do you suppose this queen will react when you turn up with your begging bowl in hand and say, 'Good morrow to you, Auntie. I am your nephew, Aegon, returned from the dead. I've been hiding on a poleboat all my life, but now I've washed the blue dye from my hair and I'd like a dragon, please … and oh, did I mention, my claim to the Iron Throne is stronger than your own?'" (Tyrion VI, ADWD)

Granted, Tyrion's intentionally poking at Aegon's sense of pride here, trying to steer him towards Westeros, but he's not exactly wrong, either. Daenerys might long for familial connection and kinship, but she's not going to blindly trust someone claiming to be a blood relative based solely on that desire; in ADWD especially, Dany has enough experience to be wary. At the very least, Aegon's story is the sort of thing she would find suspicious enough to investigate--though, since he'd still be on track with Varys and Illyrio's plans for him, there's less of a chance Dany would find any particularly damning evidence.

That said, even if it's not a particularly glorious or trustworthy position to be in, Aegon probably would have been better off approaching Daenerys directly than carrying on like he is in canon. Though Tyrion's advice to head to Westeros isn't terrible in itself (he's spot on when he says Daenerys is, "above all a rescuer"), I think it's clear that Aegon's going to take things a lot further than planned. As per Varys and Illyrio's plans, Westeros is prime for conquering, so it won't take long for Aegon to actually conquer King's Landing, declare himself king, and even potentially marry someone else before Dany ever arrives. Combine that with Daenerys finding out about his more-than-likely Blackfyre heritage, and suddenly Aegon's actions look less heroic and more like a coup.

Tyrion says it best during their cyvesse game:

The prince stared at the playing board. "My dragon—"

"—is too far away to save you. You should have moved her to the center of the battle."

"But you said—"

"I lied. Trust no one. And keep your dragon close."

[thedeafprophet]

17 for your gang -- I'd love to also know which of them you think have it worst overall

17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Oh... see now this is an interesting one. Because like. Josephine and Alex I feel have more specific 'worst things' (and also more the games fault then mine), vs Jamie and Rory is more like, a general theme of bad things rather then concrete moments

Alex

His backstory is pretty filled with bad moments (his mom dying in childbirth, the house fire, overall abuse and neglect) but honestly I still think the actual game events of Light Fingers qualify as the worst thing I put him through story wise.

The whole 'absolute horror of the orphanage', 'being burried alive', 'dealing with a stalker', etc. etc. kinda trumps any childhood trauma. Y'know. so i can't say I am to blame for the worst things Alex has been through story wise. But I sure did choose to put him through it

Josephine

Josie gets a combo ambition related and backstory related. Nemesis pretty much sets that up.

Nothing could triumph over the abosloute horror of Josie loosing her older brother when she was 10, not long after loosing her parents to illness.

Coming home that day to that scene will forever haunt her. She wasnt able to move past it. And she never will.

Jamie

Jamie's 'worst thing' is a bit more ambigious, but honestly is probably their struggle with mental health and addiction/alcholoism. Which of course, is spurred on by their experiences with abandonment, bullying, general isolation, attachment issues, and, unknown to them, untreated adhd.

They struggle pretty heavily with dark thoughts and often self sabotage in situations. In culminates overall to being their greatest struggle, a battle they dont always know they are fighting.

Aurora

Rory, again, is a bit more vague rather then a specific moment. Rory's struggles form around societal expectations for women and her own complicated feelings towards gender and sexuality.

Her life was a constant struggle of trying to fit in a role she could never match, being an adopted child of a wealthy couple who couldnt have kids themself. The inherent struggles of having a mother is a prime thing for Rory, combined with needing to fit a mold of feminitiy she didnt match, and expectations for marriage and having children

For her story, this rejection of expectation is a prominent aspect of her story.

----

I dont like to compare 'who has it worse' in things. A fundmental theme with my ocs is the various ways different people will react and be shaped by trauma, and how theres no one way things will go. Everyone is different. We are shaped by our pasts, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.

....But obvs Nemesis and LFs are a bit heavier in terms of plot.

I think Josie and Alex are fairly tied, in different aspects. But Jamie is also probably one who's really struggled with things too so hmmm.

Ask Game From Here

[moonlightknightess]

hello , first I would like to say that I missed you very much 😭 honestly , second so in Eremika open relationship au( they're married anf have a kid toggether) what If sasha got pregnant from Eren ofc by accident , how would sasha react ( I think she would have a mental breakdown and panic cause she'll feel like homewrecker and thinks Eremika will resent her and the child , and the child will never feel like his half siblings, then she'll start thinking about (TW!!!) Abortion or giving the child up for adoption) and how would eremik react and how would they know ?

TW: Mentions of abortion

Hiii 🥰 Before I start I have to say I really appreciate your words, seriously! I didn't really expect anyone missing my pressence here so knowing that there is people who really like the things I write makes me both happy and sad a the same time 😭 (I don't mean to dissapear like that I swear!) So thank you 🥲

Now this is prime angst material!!! I try to imagine the whole thing and it ends poorly everytime I do 🥲 like, she would seriously be terrified when she finds out that she sees the two lines on the pregnancy test and that there is no other person she does it with other than Eren fucking Yeager, her bf's husband who somehow managed to sweep her off her feet, so there is no doubts it's his

I imagine that she would struggle a lot with coming into terms with not only becomig a mother, but also knowing that it's her bestfriends husband who is the father, the very same guy who is expecting his own child with the woman he truly loves, making her lose her mind little by little, like going into all the 5 stages of grief until she goes to the doctor and he congratulates her for the baby, dooming her life forever 🥲

Yes she would feel like a homewreaker! This was not supposed to happen ever, they all agreed on it but certainly didn't plan on how to act if by any chances it happened, and the fact that Mikasa was already expecting her own bundle of happiness just makes everything worse since she doesn't want to ruin her moment, so she doesn't say a thing about it, secretly plotting on an abortion or leaving the kid up for adoption once she gives birth to them, which breaks her heart just at the mention of it since its not something she wants to do at all! She always wanted kids on her own so doing such a thing makes her sick in the stomach! But at the same time tries to understand she can't in anyway take charge of a kid, she is simply not ready yet

From now on this could go in two ways, a short one and a long one, the short one being that Sasha eventually tells them about the pregnancy and EreMika somehow convinces her to take an abortion, the whole experience so heart breaking for Sasha and EreMika doing their best to help her through all of it, giving it a somehow tragic and hopeful ending at the same time (? Idk lol

The long one would be something like those stories in which there is a happily married family that somehow find out that the husband got a bastard child, especifially by running into Sasha after some time since she seemed to dissapear from Eren and Mikasa's life, just to find her with a baby in her arms that got Eren's green eyes and Sasha's redhair, the both of them placing the pieces together once they realize why did she seemed to distant from them

Confessions are made and before she can blame herself for anything and swear to never bother them it's Eren who suggest to at least try to form a family of three, to help her with the burden of raising a child alone and to let him take resposability of his actions, maybe seek redemption for all the time he has missed, even if it wasn't technically his fault, Mikasa also agreeing to it as a way to help her friend and because she could never live with the fact that all this open relationship issue stressed Sasha so much and she never did anything to help her

They would try for some time, maybe spend some quality time as a big weird family, and for time it seems to work, Eren and Sasha seems to get along pretty fine whenever they have to take care of their child and Mikasa loves the idea of her little girl getting a half-sibling to play with, ultil she herself addresses the elefant in the room by saying that it didn't felt genuine, that everything in between them in the romantic aspects felt forced

And it would be true honestly, there was nothing in between Eren and Sasha nor Mikasa and Sasha outside physical attraction, they only seeked each other only for pleasure reasons so even if they tried, they couldn't make everything in between them work, it would be a good old "lovers who felt out of love" only difference being that they never fell in love, it was mostly lust that lead them to this situation

And yet, they still care for each other, and since the experience at least helped to create a bond in between the kids they would at least want to be around each other, Eren because he still wants to be a present father, Mikasa because she still sees Sasha's kid as and extension of Eren and because she stills holds Sasha dear to her heart plus the time they spent together made her feel like a mother to her friends kid too, and Sasha because she just always wanted her child and herself to be a part of their lives, all of them understandig that there are not romantic feelings in between them but still wanting to form a family, giving a more happier ending in which Eren and Mikasa still stay together and Sasha eventually finds someone else, preferably someone that doesn't mind the closeness their partner share with her kid's father and his wife... and that doesn't mind her messing around with them from time to time either 🤣

I really think I went overboard with this 🤭 I'm just weird like this sometimes i'm sorry 😭 this one has to be the craziest thing I ever headcannoned

The worst part is that I just know that if it wasn't settled in the eremika open rs au I would make this three have their big weird family have a disney-like ending omg 😂 someone help me (?

[blaiddydbrokeit]

OC ask prompt: Gonna pick some randomass numbers

7, 8, 13, 69, 88, 100

Go wild

Thank you, I have no chill therefore I am going to hyperfixate on Allan for this.

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively? Well, this one should be obvious enough, but Dimitri. Over the course of the story, from being estranged cousins to being classmates with similar academic goals, to becoming more like brothers with each other's backs. It's one of the reasons that writing him to be canon-compliant still demands some minor changes for them to tempo the focus to and from each other, being the two sides of the same coin. Without Dimitri, he would have ended up a similar case to Marianne - who if not recruited, often disappears in Part II entirely, rumored to have died.

However, that is not to say that he should be Azure Moon locked - quite the contrary, because although Dimitri's presence does allow him to open up given the right circumstance, Dimitri's absence and subsequent death in SS and VW also inadvertently fulfills Rufus' very first intent for Allan's purpose - to displace and remove Dimitri, such that Allan becomes King. In a sense, that is neither a good ending nor a bad one, but that it is a salvaged ending where they must make do with the circumstance to make their efforts bear fruit - that is why I call those endings the "Loog II" endings. They are the endings where the Kingdom must be reborn from ruins of war, but leaves a legacy of both the old and the new.

8. What's the weirdest thing they have ever eaten? He attempts to put cheese on everything. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. The weirdest thing by far was the time he put grated hard cheese on peach sorbet thinking it would make the peach sorbet more enjoyable. It did not. He vows to try it with cream cheese next time.

13. How do they react to feelings of guilt? Allan takes guilt terribly. His more reclusive childhood in Itha with Rufus leads him to realize that in some way that he doesn't understand, Rufus has wronged Lambert. Even though he isn't at all meant to be responsible for Rufus' acts, he still feels incredibly guilty because he can't bring himself to mention it until after Rufus' assassination. As a result, he actually attempts to take Dimitri's place in execution, believing it to be if nothing else, an equalizer for Lambert's death in Rufus' stead. Thankfully, he does come to realize that such a thing would only unfairly put more weight on Dimitri's shoulders and leverages on the immense power of two crests to break out and flee.

69. Is there something that they find really gross? "Gross" is an interesting adjective in this context - much of his trauma from the experiments being held in terrible conditions and frequent encounters with bloody scenes and illnesses have desensitized him to these typically gross settings. However, as a child, due to Rufus' frequent womanizing when he was still in his prime, he has an aversion to provocative, promiscuous dressing. In other words, gross to him is like seeing bare ankles on a woman.

88. Are they trustworthy? Most of the Blue Lions are, and he is no exception. However, given that many of them have their own groups, few actually find reason to confide in him first. Dimitri is the first, entrusting his feelings of being unfit to inherit the throne, to which he does not try to exploit. This is one of the catalysts to Dedue eventually also trusting him enough to confide his worries about Dimitri's deterioration. Most others try not to load too much on him, though, since they come to realize that he is also keeping the heavier depths of his own trauma to himself.

100. Wildcard (I'll just give a fun fact for this) As the Grand Duke of Itha and part of House Blaiddyd, his personal official motto is "In Life I Serve, In Death I Inspire".

[snootsnoot-fiction]

Your Gentleman

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: None really

A/n: My first marvel fic yay!!! I love that it’s Bucky as well☺️ This is a birthday gift for my dear friend who I love @inthatmomentwewereinfinite 🎉🎉🎉 you’re honestly one of the nicest people on the planet, I hope you have the best day you can ❤️

Summary: You haven’t seen Bucky in years…

The life of one James Buchanan Barnes was quite the tragedy. At least for the most part.It was a long, involuntary life, but to say he wouldn’t be the least bit grateful for the majority time skip would be a lie. Oh, there were things “Bucky” Barnes missed of course, but there was plenty to make up for it.

The man thought he would lead a simple life; serve in the war, get married with Steve as his best man, maybe even die of old age. A far cry from the fate that really awaited him, for he found himself being part of the Red Skull’s experiment. An experiment that began his journey as who would infamously be known as The Winter Soldier. 

~~~~~

You were quite the artist to say the least. You lived and enjoyed a fairly quiet life as well. That’s not to say your talents weren’t sought out, for you were also quite the fashion designer. Sometimes you would simply consult. Create and draw up a design for someone else to make. Occasionally you would make the pieces yourself. It was an interesting way of making money, and you were happy to keep living your quiet life - your involvement usually kept secret in some way at your request.

Needless to say, one of the biggest things you ever worked on was the new suit for Captain America. You found his tale fascinating. You knew of the man, but it wasn’t until you heard he was back that you looked into him a little more. Strange things seemed to be happening more often.

The detail of his best friend’s supposed ‘death’ was another thing that interested you, but all anyone could assume was he actually was dead now. It didn’t stop you from wondering though.

You did work on occasion for people such as The Avengers, but aside from that, you were a normal citizen. So to say you were surprised when you caught the eye of Mr Barnes in modern day was an understatement.

Recognising him immediately, you weren’t sure what to do. He looked beyond exhausted, and it was clear to you he was trying to keep his head down. The man carried on, and despite thinking you probably shouldn’t, you followed. The next thing you knew, a cold arm was pinning you against a wall as the one and only James Barnes stared at you. Up close, his eyes looked even tireder, and you could see just how rough a state he was in.

“Why are you following me?” He huffed out. Anyone could see how tense he was. Almost afraid.

“I’m no-one I swear! I just recognised you and got curious… you’re Bucky?” He slowly let you go, but remained tense. “I don’t even know what happened… you look awful…” you frowned slightly as you gave him a proper look. You really had no idea what was going on, but you felt bad for him. Whatever happened to this man, you were glad to not know right now. 

~~ a few months later ~~

You wondered how people would react to finding out about you helping ‘The Winter Soldier’. The thought made you nervous sometimes, but you knew what you were doing to be right. Something in you from the moment you met him told you he himself was at no fault, but of course, not everyone would see it that way.

The day you met him, you had ended up giving him a fresh change of clothes that would help him to blend in more. You had offered more, even a meal, but trust would take time to build, and he didn’t want to stick around you too long. 

‘Too many innocent people…’ was all he muttered before giving thanks and leaving without a word.

‘I’m happy to help…’ you hadn’t been sure if he even heard you, but surprisingly it wasn't long before you saw him again; with time, the two of you built a sense of trust. Bucky would never stay too long, but when he did you would allow him to use your own facilities if he needed, You would make him a warm meal almost every time, and give him another fresh change of clothes if he needed them.

Trust takes time though, and you didn’t know much of the story of why he was even here. You didn’t want to push or pry, but you couldn’t help but wonder sometimes. 

Today was the day you’d learn.

The old soldier hesitantly stepped into your home. It always made you frown a little to see just how hesitant he was; whatever it was he was hiding from, you wish he didn’t have to.

“I know you don’t like to, but I made my sofa up for you just in case-”

“Sofa? The couch?” You went a little red and chuckled nervously.

“Yeah sorry, I didn’t grow up here..” and for the first time, you saw him smile. It was little, but it was there. It made your heart flutter just a bit, causing you to smile.

“I might take you up on that.” His words were quiet as he walked in to see the couch. You had set a single, plump pillow on one end, and laid your biggest blanket over the piece of furniture. Bucky had been so hesitant to talk even one word to anyone, nevermind taking refuge from someone, but he couldn’t even remember the last time he had a nice place or spot to sleep. Not only that, but you seemed genuine to him. Deep down he knew he could trust you. Your smile widened.

“Are you hungry?” At your question, he looked back at you with a small nod. The tired look in his eyes made you want to really look after him, but there was only so much you could do and you didn’t want to startle him.

That night, you sat on opposite ends of the couch as you ate a freshly cooked meal, some sitcom on the TV. Eventually you decided to ask him what had happened to land him here. There was no pressure to answer of course, and you were more than willing to forget you asked if he didn’t yet feel comfortable to tell his story… but he did. You listened patiently and quietly as Bucky talked about The Winter Soldier.

Little did you know just how far you had already fallen for this man.

~~ Avengers Civil War ~~

After hiding for so long, Bucky had to admit there was something refreshing about now being out in the open.Of course, the circumstances were most unfortunate, but whatever happened, he would no longer be in hiding. Therefore he wouldn’t be putting you in any more potential danger. The two of you had grown quite close, and if anything happened to you because of him, well.. he didn’t like to think about it.

People like himself existed and had been used to assassinate King T’Chaka, and now the group his best friend Steve had put together were trying to get to the guy behind all of this. Unfortunately Tony Stark had created an obstacle for them. The old soldier could see that both men were somewhat regretful, but firm in their beliefs. Before he knew it, the fighting had begun.

Bucky and Sam Wilson had hidden in the airport terminal to start when this kid in a red and blue costume came at them. Sam knocked the kid away, so Bucky ran after them, and when he reached them, he saw an opening and threw a chunk of metal at the weirdly flexible kid. Naturally this kid was able to throw it right on back before being tackled by Wilson again.

Reaching the both of them just in time, Bucky ran between them as the spider kid flung himself at Sam, landing both the men in the floor below and his metal arm in some sort of.. webbing. The old soldier hated the fact they ended up in this position because of a child who didn’t even sound as though he had hit puberty yet. That’s when the kid was thrown out the window by the little robot bird.

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” he growled at Sam, genuinely annoyed with the guy.

“I hate you.” Bucky merely scoffed at the response. They were in the middle of something big, but for a brief moment he found it funny that Steve’s new friend was this guy of all people.

Despite all this, you were still there. In his mind. With everything now in the open, he hoped your part in all of this was still in the dark. He just wanted you safe. To live your life.

~~ present time ~~

To Bucky, it almost felt like his past had repeated somewhat; to skip from one time to the other was confusing and frustrating. At least this time around it wasn’t as far into the future as the last time.

For you, however, it was a lonely experience. With The Snap, you had stayed behind. You lived out those five years. You had found a connection with this older guy you absolutely adored, and then you find out he was snapped out of existence along with half the planet. Lonely was an understatement, especially at the start.

At least he didn’t physically die - a fact you turned out to be grateful for when suddenly all those who had been Snapped were back. Of course, you knew the type of life Bucky led beforehand, so you were still worried, but you hoped with time he would contact you again. That hopefully things had finally calmed down at least somewhat in the world now. 

Meanwhile, in the last five years you had moved to New York. With half the world gone, work had been a difficult adjustment for everyone, and you decided to start your own little business in The Big Apple; a prime area for you. It was just a little fashion/clothing business, but it turned out well enough to keep you afloat. Business got quite busy when everyone reappeared. It was stressful at first, but you managed to hire a few other people that helped. You were even able to start taking a little time to yourself occasionally in all due time. Eventually it became the norm.

With business and the world calming down, Bucky Barnes had been on your mind recently. You wondered where he was, if he was alright.

You were in your store. It was a weirdly calm day today, so you sat on a chair behind the main cash register. You heard the door open, but by the time you looked up, the person had disappeared behind one of the clothing racks. You thought about keeping an eye on them, ready to get up if it looked like they needed assistance.

“I got ‘im.” One of your workers said from behind you, offering a smile as she walked past you.

“Thanks.” You smiled back, watching her hover near whoever the customer was before looking back down at the book in your hands. You seemed to get quite into the book, because before you knew  it, a shadow stood over you, but you didn’t notice until he spoke.

“Hey..” the voice caused your heart to stop as your ears perked and a weird yet pleasant shiver flew down your spine. You knew that voice. You knew eventually you would see him again, but it was still a surprise.

Slowly, you closed the book, and your eyes dragged up until they were on that same face you had last seen way over five years ago now. His hair was short now, but it was him alright. It was Bucky.

The man offered a small smile and wave as you stared at him. You had no idea what to do.

“Uh.. this your place?”

“Yeah…”

“You’ve done well.”

“I’ve had a lot of time.” Your responses were automatic. Your mind was blank.

“Uuhh..”

“Bucky?” You stared at him with wide eyes, your voice triggered a slightly wider smile on his lips as he nodded.

“It’s been a while.” His words made you scoff loudly.

“You’re telling me!” The both of you chuckled. The last five years had felt so long for you, but the two of you were already falling back into your old dynamic.

“... Listen Y/N.. all that old stuff.. The Winter Soldier stuff… it’s gone now.” His words made you smile for him. You knew how much his past had troubled him. You doubted it was completely out of the way, but you knew what he meant.

“No more hiding?”

“No more hiding.” Bucky smiled, a look of genuine relief on his face.

Just then, a group of teen girls walked in and your smile disappeared for a moment.

“I’m at work. I’m the boss but I still gotta work, we can’t..”

“I know a place we can go to later if you want? Catch up?”

“I’d love to! I close up around six today, we can go after then.”

“Perfect! I’ll come back and we can walk there together.” You smiled and nodded, too shy to say anything else right now. Bucky smiled before turning around, looking back at you as he opened the door to leave. You gave him a little shy wave.

You spent the next few hours constantly thinking about Bucky and finally being able to see and talk to him again. Excited was an understatement. You were happy. Bucky was back. You were always too shy to say anything about what you felt, but absolute adoration was another understatement when it came to that man.

The clock had finally struck six. Your employees were now leaving, and you decided to check the store, make sure everything was alright before closing up. The same employee that had helped out earlier that day came up to you as you picked up your things.

“Your gentleman caller is waiting outside.” She had a knowing smile on her face. She even seemed kind of excited and she stood there and waited as you blushed.

“Thank you..” you attempted to avoid her gaze as you packed the rest of your things in your bag.

“I’ll tell him you won’t be long.” At that, you offered her a smile before she left and you took a moment to relax before following.

Bucky wasn’t right there as you left through the front, but when you turned back around after shutting and locking the place, there he was just a couple feet away from you. A small flower bouquet in his hand. Your heart melted at the sight.

“I know you’re not much of a flower person, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.. You know… with the time gap and all.. But these are your favourites.” Bucky looked almost nervous. You shyly stuck your hand out to take the bouquet, your fingers brushing against his as you did.

“They’re perfect, thank you.” A small smile tugged at your lips again as you looked at them before looking back to the man in front of you.

“I’ve missed you Y/N.”

“Me too.. You that is! I’ve missed you, not myself.” You blushed as Bucky chuckled at your flustered self. He then held out an arm.

“Shall we?” You hesitated before taking hold of his arm with your free hand, a feeling of happy warmth washing over you.

“We shall.”

Tagging; @blondekel77 @book-hoardingdragon @mandosmimi

[thesoulspulse]

Danny Phantom Randomness ~ History Repeats Itself

I know this is a bit of a stretch, but I had this idea the other day that as an extra dark turn of events in “Kindred Spirits” maybe when Vlad tries to forcefully steal a mid-morph sample from Danny...he accidentally splits him in two by mistake. And understandably, Danny freaks out about it in more ways than one. The torture he had just endured and traumatic shock make Danny's ghost half go feral while his human half is still overshadowed by a clone and rendered unconscious from the sudden withdrawal of losing such an important part of himself.

Obviously, Vlad didn't expect this to happen either and although he tries to stop Danny’s feral ghost half, he ends up badly wounded during their battle since Danny's unrestrained power as a full ghost is surprising to the elder halfa, especially since it’s fueled by his pure hatred towards Vlad at the time for finally crossing the line. He doesn't stop lashing out against Vlad, driven mad with power, up until he happens to see a reflection of himself in the glass of the prime clone’s incubation pod and realizes he looks just like Dan due to Vlad’s influence on him...

So after rather violently ripping out the clone ghost out of his human half  to save him, he hastily retreats, terrified of becoming that monster just like in the other timeline. Even Vlad can’t believe what just happened, and he’s even a little afraid of the boy himself and of the darkness he just awakened in Danny. Regardless, Vlad still needs that sample for his prime clone since it didn’t get destabilized just yet and with only one other clone remaining, Dani, since the other one overshadowing Danny’s human half destabilized after being forcefully removed, Vlad sends her to find Danny and capture him again since he’s too injured to do it himself.

Thankfully, Danny didn’t cripple Vlad, but he came dangerous close to which unsettles the man and he realizes he may have to rethink his assessment of Danny not being a viable threat to him. Clearly, something else scared Danny into fleeing otherwise he probably would have continued to beat Vlad within an inch of his life after finally snapping. And so, Vlad seeks answers and Danny goes into hiding, unable to return home and struggling to regain his sanity while he exists as a ghost and a human at the same time, each sensing the others thoughts, feeling each other’s pain, and still in shock from the horrific experience.

Anyways, this is just an angsty idea I came up with the other day and feel free to borrow it since I have other story projects to work on right and have already done a Dan rematch story in “Nowhere To Run.” And I mean, I’m not the only one who wonders how Dan or someone close to him would react to all the “new” things that happened in the timeline like Vlad cloning him and all that other season 3 bull crap...

I’m mostly only thinking about this stuff while researching for the next few chapters of “Ghost in the Machine” since I’ll probably have to deal with the opposite, of a more Danny-like clone reacting to the revelation of Dan’s existence and the effect he had on the current version he was cloned from.

[inklingofadream]

yes tell us the kid au

ok it comes with a title, which is "there is something wrong in this house." Also this is obscenely long and may not even make sense

and all the crack stuff is in the backstory, bc elias is the one doing it and the fics from the kids' perspectives. elias going "actually screw this, I'm making one from scratch" is a time-honored excuse to get lil baby Jarchivist, and it's what we're going with here. but, like, making a kid is a lot of effort, and they can't even talk at first, and Agnes didn't work out anyway

So he adopts. Attempt #1: Timothy Stoker, recently lost his whole family to a tragic accident, marked by the Stranger (he hasn't hit on the ritual idea yet but he figures that having some awareness of the supernatural to start with can't hurt. But for now it's all very normal). He can be very subtle about priming Tim to be Archivist, and what better way to ensure loyalty that to be Literally Family?

Unfortunately for Elias, we've seen how Tim reacts to grief in canon, and it's making drastic life changes and getting angry, depending on how much control he feels like he has and how much support he's getting. And not having control is a big theme in this, so he goes for angry. It rapidly becomes pretty obvious that Tim is not going to be a good Archivist.

So we try again, like within a year of adopting Tim. Sasha is Tim's age, and v lightly marked by the Spiral. She's great, Elias is v excited, Sasha is going to be Archivist.

But he still has Tim. And murdering a kid who's not even to double digits is a bit much, even for Elias. But Tim and Sasha bond hard and fast, which, y'know, Archivists do need Assistants. And connection to a beloved brother is probably a pretty good way to get your Archivist back if they end up in the Lonely or the like. You can't use them as cannon fodder, but he figures that Sasha can have one keeper and he can hire randos to fill the other assistant slots.

So Elias' life is going great. Second part of plan: He needs to get rid of Gertrude... some day, but he wants the time to plan it, and she's still useful. But kids grow up, and he doesn't want to put Sasha in place until he's sure he's got a timeframe nailed down for his Ritual, and he doesn't want Sasha responsible for stopping Rituals. But kids grow up and get other careers and turn into their own people.

(Kids are already their own people, you say. Well, Elias barely treats adults like people sometimes. Obviously he's not going to be any better than the controlling and possessive and manipulative stuff we get with Jon in canon with people who also do not have the ability to fight back in the way adults can. Tim can't run away to Malaysia in this! He can't even get out of the city on his own!)

And Elias finds out that he really likes being a parent (this is not at ALL proportional to the quality of said parenting). He doesn't want to be done. And so he puts into use a lil Web artifact, which is that because I say so (and because the experience of being a child and not getting your opinion considered and all your stuff being filtered through what your parents think feels v Webby, to me) he has his kids take vitamins every night, some of which are normal and some of which are Evil Vitamins of Never Grow Up. (the Evil Vitamins have extensive world-building around how and when they're useful, they won't solve Jonah's dying issue bc they're playing on the kid thing, and he's not a kid. Also they are technically still aging, just v slow)

So Tim and Sasha just kind of. Stay 8 or 9ish. And kids that age aren't that observant. It takes them a looooooonnnng time to figure things out.

Meanwhile, y'know, Elias really does like having kids. And if one super-loyal assistant is good, surely more is better? And also, Tim leveled out when he had Literally Anyone besides Elias (because obviously your Vampire Kids have tutors, you can't exactly send em to school) to bounce off of, maybe another sibling will have the same effect. So if he were to find an entity marked orphan (or... not orphan. I think he straight up steals Martin), why not? So he basically acquires Martin and Jon the same way multiple people I know have ended up with extra kids, which is remembering how cute they are and deciding more is better. The kids take well to each other, and Tim in particular gets his big brother instinct activated hard.

And the thing is. Sasha was supposed to be Archivist, but no one really knows that. He didn't tell anyone. And he likes Jon. Jon is just as curious as Sasha, but also waaaay more susceptible to positive reinforcement (for a long time Elias is Jon's favorite as much as Jon is Elias') and reminds Elias of himself more, because boy. So now Jon is future Archivist and the rest will be his assistants. But for now they're all in Vitamin Limbo

And this all sounds very fluffy and goofy, but the actual matter of the story (though it's maybe more a series of vignettes) this is for is from the kids' POV, with them gradually realizing that there's something subtly not right with Elias, and exploring how they feel trapped, how they catch on to little things, and how each discovery has to be pitched to the other three, with varying success. And then focusing on how Jon especially just. Refuses to see it. And trying to convince him otherwise just puts distance between him and the rest and makes him closer and closer with Elias. And tonally it's kind of like a haunted house story? Only the ghost is what Elias is planning for them, and what he's already doing/done to them. Eventually at least Tim stops taking the vitamins, and then that worsens for him because he has more and more idea of how wrong things are, and can't convince the others, and can't take them all away from Elias if he can, and he feels this overbearing need to protect them all but he can't

[addictedtojmanga]

Shoujo manga recommendations - otome game isekai

So, after 10+ years reading shoujo manga, I’ve read over 1k titles, admittedly, a reasonable amount is one-shot (or at least a collection of), but nonetheless, over time I had to expand my interests.

Lately, I’ve started reading the otome game isekai genre, and decided it’d be nice to share the ones I thought were best.

Most of them are pretty much the same, but the best ones usually have a twist, so...

! Warning: You’ll most likely want to beat up 1 or 2 characters from each one, but worry not, so do I and the other characters

1. Fiancée's Observation Log of the Self-proclaimed Villainess

Crown prince Cecil was so brilliant that everything in life was easy to the point of boring him, then one day, his fiancée Bertia suddenly said "Prince Cecil, I am a villainess!" Claiming that this world is the same as that of an "otome game" from her past life and that she is playing the role of the "villainess" in it, she aims to play her part well and have their engagement annulled. With that goal in mind, she sets about causing turmoil in Cecil's daily life.

This one definitely takes the gold for me. Super sweet and pretty funny.

2. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play. Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny. However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.

This one takes 2nd place! It has a different result than others, and the FL is great - everyone is, to be fair.

3. Of Course I’ll Claim Palimony

"I'll annul our engagement!" My fiancé suddenly declared?! Apparently he's in love with the recently transferred count's daughter and is planning on making me the villain in order to annul the engagement. Although I have no lingering attachments about the engagement, I do have to claim a hefty consolation fee don't I?

This is sooo good. The FL is spectacular and manages to stand out - even if just a bit - from the rest of the genre.

4. I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss

Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene. Using her memories of her former life, she recognizes flags indicating she's en-route to the bad end, so she makes a plan to conquer the last boss (the evil king Claude), make him her lover, and see if she can open up a new route!

Pretty funny, and the FL is bold. Also, the ML is a bishounen.

It’s one of the few mangas from this genre that has been completely translated, and since it only has 13 chapters, it’s a good way to start out.

5. The Plain & Unnoticeable Me is No More

Elaine Lana Norris, who was born at the top of the aristocratic daughter, was declared abandoned by her second fiancé at the school's founding party. Lana, who has been made a villain daughter, is driven out of her home by a strict grandfather. But there is a secret in Lana that everyone doesn't know about?

I don’t want to give out any spoilers, however, it suffices to say that she accepts her role as the villainess.

Ok, I think these 5 are my favorite, but the ones below have been selected as well, so they’re still pretty good and worth reading.

6. The Villiainess Is Adored by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Kingdom    

Tiararose was supposed to be disengaged and exiled from the country. “This was the Otome game I had played!” She realized on the day before the story’s ending??……. Shall I wait for the judgment? But, I did not do anything too cruel……. Thinking so, the ending continues. But, during the judgement??something that was not possible in the game happened. The neighboring crown prince courted the villainous daughter Tiararose.

ML: 10/10 FL: 8/10 (too insecure for my taste)

7. Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess

She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with herself…!??? She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place.? As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte, the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour. Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée, Prince Siegward. That is where this story begins.

8. I’m the Villainess, but the Capture Targets are too Abnormal  

The villainess, Mystia, remembered her past life on her 10th birthday and has unwittingly turned the characters in the otome game "Kyun Kyun Love School" into yanderes! In order to avoid becoming the love rival of the "heroine" who will lead her to her downfall, she starts making every effort to break off her engagement with her "prince-like classmate"! That’s was what supposed to happen...But, because of her kind personality, her favorability increased instead!

It’s still in its beginning stages, but seems pretty solid.    

9. Though I May Be a Villainess, I'll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness!  

A collection of one shots.

Great way to start out, it has quite a few options, so if you don’t like one, give another one a try!

10.  The Villainess, Cecilia Silvie, Doesn't Want to Die, So She Decided to Cross-dress!      

I was reincarnated into the body Cecilia Silvie, the villainess of an otome game. According to the plot, what awaits me in the normal route is either a slow, painful death or an instantaneous one... Essentially, every route leads to my demise. Then I'll change my fate! And that's why I decided to become a man. However, I made a mistake during a certain event, and the story began to head down an unexpected path...?

I haven’t seen any other like this, and if you like gender bender, this one’s for you!

11.  I’ll Become a Villainess That Will Go Down in History ― The More of a Villainess I Become, the More the Prince will Dote on Me

Alicia is the eldest daughter of the noble Williams family—a bloodline that excels in dark magic. Her jet-black hair and golden eyes command a powerful presence, but her most unique features are, without a doubt, her sharp tongue and malevolent nature. By all means, she is a villainess, but also a fictional character from an otome game!

12. I’m Not a Villainess!! Just Because I Can Control Darkness Doesn’t Mean I’m a Bad Person!

The novel The Saint Beloved by the Prince is set in the land of Lacia, where spirits control the elements, each of which is overseen by a "Spirit King." On rare occasions, these Spirit Kings may bless a single human, granting them immense magical control over their respective element. The heroine, Amelia Logan, and the villainess, Claudia Leitzya, are two sides of the same coin, blessed by the Light and Dark Spirit Kings respectively. However, while Amelia is beloved, Claudia is hated and rejected due to her dark skin, ebony locks, and aptitude for dark magic. After dying in modern-day Japan, Sakura is reborn as an infant Claudia. While difficult at first, Claudia tries to adjust to this new life, all the while accompanied by the Dark Spirit King Gerald. But even this task is far from easy; people fear her at first glance, no matter how she acts toward them. Still, Claudia is set on changing her fate from the novel, proving she is a good person and breaking free from the shackles of a "villainess."

13. Rebirth of the Villainess: The Life of Letizia after the Engagement Annulment      

For some reason, the duke's daughter, Letizia, was plotting to break her engagement with the prince. Her plan succeeded and the prince, none the wiser. But shortly after the engagement was terminated... The King collapsed! In that moment, she recalled her memories of her past life as a nurse and she fully utilised her knowledge & experience as a nurse, to save the King's life. Thinking she had achieved what she wanted, she thought she could finally relax, drinking her favourite beverage and leisurely spend her time, she instead somehow keeps getting involved in incident after incident. The slow and peaceful life is now nothing but a dream!? Lazy daughter, busy seeking freedom and laziness!

14. I Won't Become a Villainess. I'm Just a "Normal" Duke's Daughter!

A Japanese person reincarnated into an otome game chock full of death flags for the villainess, Rosalind. "I'm going to live an enjoyable life in this world!" Making full use of the game knowledge to avoid death flags, for some reason events keep happening one after another?! Contracting with spirits, helping her father (the prime minister) with his work using her modern day knowledge, taking a walk with the holy beast... and on top of all that, even starting up the heroine's event...? Will Rosalind be able to smash through every unknown death flag that comes her way...?! And will she be able to be fluffy lovey-dovey with the supporting beastkin character she liked from her previous life?!

Cute. Has beasts.

15. Milady Just Wants to Relax      

She worked herself to death in her past life, but then she was reborn in another world as the villainess Ronia! As expected, her engagement is broken and she's expelled from society, but now she takes that chance to live peacefully, and even opens a cafe with the help of her fairy comrades, which is becoming unexpectedly popular with beast-kin...?

Also cute. Also has beasts.

16. I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!            

Violette, a proud and beautiful daughter of a duke, commits a crime out of jealousy towards her half-sister. Convicted, Violet faces her own heart with sincerity in a prison cell and regrets her sin. Then time rewinds to a turning point—to her first meeting with Maryjun one year ago. Violette makes a decision. She will not make mistakes this time. Without committing a crime and bothering anyone, she will live an ordinary, plain and inconspicuous life...! However, incidents contrary to Violette's expectations occur one after another...?!

17. I Became a Villain Daughter

On her 15th birthday, Hinase Kaede, a young girl who was working as a part-timer, perished in a traffic accident. Upon her death, a self-proclaimed “God” appeared, declaring that Kaede would be brought back to life. However, Kaede’s happiness was short-lived and her soul was thrown into Erika, the villainess of an otome game! In the original game, Erika became a saint candidate alongside the heroine, committed evil deeds over the course of the candidacy, and ultimately faced condemnation. Thus, Kaede decides that she will not get close to the main characters of the game so as to avoid the bad end, but yet——?

[luna-tiel]

Horde Clone Headcanons

Figured it would be a good idea to organize my notes on this and share them.

Most of my headcanons for Horde Clones are fairly surface level. My stories operate under the assumption that the Hivemind left little room for clones to make more than the most basic decisions, or develop a strong sense of individuality. Their mental deviations are kept small, as when they build up, the unfortunate clone gets a trip to Purification. There is no rigid command structure, and the clones are all manufactured the same way with no specialization prior to decanting. They each receive the same general cognitive conditioning as their brains are maturing, and they are given their designations after they are born and assessed for flaws. These designations are based on any small deviations they may have -- reflexes, strength, cognitive speed, etc.

Clones that are measured as physically strong upon decanting tend to be given manual labor tasks (ship repair, weapons manufacturing, soldiers), and clones that show exceptional mental processing speeds are given more technical tasks (navigation, decanting, reconditioning). Most clones become general attendants with no fixed task, or soldiers sent to the battlefield. Prime selects his personal attendants at his whim. Any noticeable physical anomaly can land a clone on the front lines as canon fodder. Clones that are stubbornly noncompliant to conditioning, and those with noticeable birth defects that cannot be easily corrected, are often decommissioned immediately and dissected for study, to help prevent such mistakes in the future.

Clones that have a ‘specialized’ task generally must have no noticeable physical or mental deviations upon decanting. They are the most perfectly conditioned of Prime’s creations. It is among these that Prime most often selects his next vessel (which, upon selection, is taken to undergo the physical changes that result in Prime’s unique appearance). Clones with minor deviations of thought are allowed among the ranks of attendants. When they are in error, they are publicly Purified, or sent to be reconditioned. Prime allows these small deviations because they amuse him, and if he tires of any, they are disposable. The discovery of any injuries or sickness is enough for a clone to be sent to battle. Sometimes they are experimented on prior to this to strengthen them.

By this system, there are five loose categories, six if I count those Prime sets aside as vessel candidates;

Labor clones (S)

Technical clones (S)

Service clones (G)

Battle clones (G/D)

Defects

Other than the last category, which earns a one-way ticket to death, all of these designations are subject to change at any time. This is partially done so that clones do not develop a strong sense of identity surrounding their tasks. The bleed of memory through the Hivemind ensures that many clones have a basic understanding of jobs outside their own designation. This bleed of information is stronger for those clones in close proximity to one another. For example, attendants that work near the lower decks and have frequent contact with maintenance engineers will pick up a lot of mental chatter concerning the mechanical workings of the Velvet Glove. Techs that work in Birthing, Reconditioning, and Decommissioning all work in adjacent chambers very near one another, and the mental synchronicity between these groups is particularly strong.

As there is no rigid command structure, no clone below Prime has any permanent authority over another. Rank is impermanent and based upon Prime’s whim. Clones that work in close proximity to Prime, or who host his mental presence, may come to think of themselves as above others, but it’s false, and pride is a dangerous thing to develop where Prime can see it.

For the mental programming, I think it’s a layered system that gets put in place while the clones are maturing prior to birth. Once the programming is complete, when they are presented with certain circumstances or a set of instructions, their neurons are conditioned to respond in a particular way. It’s not a guaranteed 1-2-3 sequence, more of a mental nudge like an instinct or ingrained habit. However, some clones are more affected by certain parts of the conditioning than others, so those sequences may become more ingrained. This mental conditioning is also reinforced during their sleep cycles.

The clones are not programmed for strategy or creative thinking. Prime has been fighting wars on the galactic level for centuries, and it doesn’t take him long to gain the details of a particular situation from the clones on the battlefront, or issue strategies for them to execute. In the absence of his personal input, the clones will implement battle patterns from their programming.

With all the chatter that goes on within the Hivemind -- even just idle thoughts concerning tasks -- the clones operate in a state of perpetual half-distraction. Their organic brains react to what they see and hear, and differences emerge, but very few develop strong distinct thoughts that deviate from their programming. Those that do tend not to know how to hide it, so knowledge easily spreads to Prime. Especially if they are reported by their fellow clones. This system encourages clones to confess any errors directly, in the hopes of receiving mercy from Prime. However, the fear of decommissioning is always present. Some will attempt to hide, to varying degrees of success.

This is just a bit of background for my clone fics. The stories all take place post-Disconnect, and these headcanons are important aspects of the clone’s shared past that informs how they try to adjust to life now that Prime is gone and the Hivemind is no more. However, I couldn’t figure a good way to explain these things in-story other than injecting information dumps, so for the most part they will remain subtext.