#several offers for adoptive moms and families

[the-moon-loves-the-sea]

Hello! I hope I'm not intruding :) I just saw a message you wrote Mr. Gaiman about Good Omens and leaving a religious community. In your message you mention your own story as well as some twitter screenshots bc more people had the same experience. I was wondering, if you'd feel ok to share the screenshots? Or perhaps the twitter thread if thats easier? If not totally fine, hope you have a great day :)

Hi! No intrusion, lovely to hear from you! Love to link you the thread. I can’t share the screenshots bc of tumblr’s image limit—there were so many people. (Check replies and quote tweets both.) Sometimes Twitter is gorgeous.

Also at one point I accidentally broke the thread, so the second half of the thread is here:

Love to you!

[runfromthemedic]

Danny Phantom adopts more kids than Bruce Wayne

I’ve seen a lot of fics going around about how Danny will get summoned as the Ghost King via cultist and dpxdc fics going around and I had an idea.

So Danny (ages 14-16 ish depending) gets summoned a lot, and in those summoning's there is usually a sacrifice. Normally, if the sacrifices are kidnapped adults and the like Danny beats up the cultist and just lets the sacrifices go.

But what happens when the sacrifices are younger?

A literal child gets offered up, a soul contract binding them to Danny (probably as a slave or food or whatever, I just think like John Constantine’s contracts but without the con). Danny still beats up the cultist but now he has a kid with a soul contract that he can’t break without severe backlash happening to the kid and there already pretty hurt form the cultist.

Panicking and worried about the kid, Danny seals the contract but with some adjustments, so now for all intent and purposes he now has a kid. 

Danny takes the kid back to the Far Frozen for Frostbite to heal, constantly sending calming emotions to his new kid while panic texting Sam and Tucker they had a kid now and spamming Jazz with questions on how to parent.

Many freak-outs and logistic family meetings later and they’ve worked out a relatively (more like half-way) decent plan for parenting. The kid is very happy with the new and loving parents and auntie and things calm down as much as things can with three liminal teenagers, a half-dead one, and a elementary schooler can between parenting, going to school, ghost king duties, and hiding all of this from Jack and Maddie. 

Danny cries the first time the tot called him Dad. Sam and Tucker record this for blackmail. Danny gets even when Sam and Tucker breakout the waterworks when they get called Mom and Pops.

And then a few months later another summoning happens, this time with a 17 year old. They get adopted.

Five months after that, another summoning, this time with two 12 year old's. They get adopted.

Thirteen months after that, another summoning. The kids 15. Adopted.

Two months after that, summoning and there’s three of them. All adopted.

By the time Danny, Sam, and Tucker are about to hit college age they have thirteen kids give or take.  All of them call the Trio Dad, Mom, and Pops. Doesn’t matter if some of the kids are older. Team Phantom are the best parents most of them have ever had. Age is blatantly ignored in most situations. Dani is considered the oldest. The first adopted kid is considered the second oldest, etc.

Danny’s castle in the Infinite Realms has a room for all of this kids and portals going out into different dimensions depending on where the summoning happened. The Trio didn’t want to completely uproot any of their kids lives so they make sure all of the kids have the right records, access to schooling, etc. 

Cue two of the kids (maybe three if you want John Constantine drunkenly auctioning off his at the time non-existent first born, accidents happen, the whole hodgepodge family has a understanding to punch Constantine on sight if they ever see him on their siblings/sons behalf) being from the DC universe.

Older of the two goes to Gotham U (I think studying communications, politics, philosophy etc to be able to help Danny with his Ghost Kind Duties) and the younger getting a scholarship to the fancy rich kid school Damian attends. 

Danny’s kids are about as liminal as they can get between the adoption contract, all of the ectoplasm exposure, and the kids all living in the Infinite Realms the majority of the time. Damian and the younger get along like a house on fire be cause they have similar interest based on life. I think the older sibling somehow befriends Tim Drake, Tim possible develops a crush.

Batman is very paranoid about the two possibly metas around his kids

[imagining-in-the-margins]

CM New Beginnings Fics

Hey everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who participated. I am so happy to share everyone’s hard work. If you have a oneshot or masterlist you’d like me to add, please send me a message - new additions are always welcome.

First, check out @emberfrostlovesloki 's 🌈 Masterlist of Entries ☀️: This lovely prolific writer has entered several fics, which include Hotch, Emily, and Spencer fics! Check out their page for even more!

🌼 SFW S.R./Reader Entries 🌼

Play Dates by me: [GN] Reader finds out Spencer hasn’t had many dates and offers several Play Dates.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder by @foxy-eva: [GN] Spencer was the right person at the wrong time, no doubt about it. When Reader is finally back in town, they're ready for a fresh start. 

You're Gonna Go Far, Love by @writer-in-theory: [GN] After relapsing, Spencer takes the first flight with no plan other than to get a fresh start.

Love Like the Sea by @rynwritesreid: [GN] After Spencer lost Maeve, he swore of love, until Reader came around.

Cowboy Like Me by @foxy-eva: [Fem] Spencer decides to fulfill a childhood dream to become a cowboy.

In Sickness and In Health by @pathologicalreid: [Fem] Minutes before Reader's wedding is supposed to start, Spencer gets cold feet.

Maybe We Found Love Right Where We Are by @andiebeaword: [Fem] Spencer just got engaged to Maeve on Valentine’s Day. Finding out his best friend’s heart will be broken changes things. 

More ratings and pairings below!

🌼 Other Pairings/Gen SFW Fics 🌼

Silent Demon by @angellsell: [Derek/Fem!Reader] Reader celebrates a month milestone of sobriety, but she isn't very proud of it.

Hearts on Our Sleeves by @angellsell: [Hotch/Fem!Reader] Aaron and Reader decide to give a try at a new relationship after a long dry spell.

Good Fortune by @reasonablerodents: [Hotchreid] Spencer and Aaron are the only ones without a partner for a New Year's Kiss.

And When Dawn Came by @snarkylinda: [Gen] Spencer calls Emily the night that Cat has the baby he decided to adopt.

The Date by @codename-mom: [Gen] Jessica didn't expect what her former brother-in-law was going to ask her.

Last Recruit by @/codename-mom: [Gen] There's a new agent at the BAU eager to start her new life. Her name is Penelope Garcia.

First Steps by @/codename-mom: [Gen] Rossi found a young agent named Aaron Hotchner who could be a good new recruit for the BAU.

First Day at School by @/codename-mom: [Gen] Jack is now old enough to go at school and his father has trouble to deal with this very special day.

🌼 NSFW Entries (S.R./Fem!R) 🌼

Second Time's a Charm by @foxy-eva: Back in college Spencer Reid and Fem!Reader left many things unsaid. Years later they give it another try.

It’s Too Cliché by me: Reader and Spencer are the worst at friends with benefits. After an exchange of gifts & nasty words, the two reunite on a very eventful NYE.

For the Love of Lace by @reidmotif: Reader decides she doesn't want to pine for her best friend anymore but needs his help deciding what lingerie to wear for her date.

Sweet Agony by @incognit0slut: After tragedy, Reader believed she was unworthy of love. Spencer proves her wrong.

Maybe Someday by @dudeitiskarev: (Mini-series) A case brought you back to Spencer, and this time, he won’t let you slip away.

Co-Creator Bonus List

🌼 SFW S.R./Fem!R Fics 🌼

The Only Hoax I Believe In by Foxy: Spencer struggles with his addiction after prison until Reader is determined to help him, no matter the cost.

The Perfect Plan by me: Reader has a question for Spencer, but things don’t go according to plan.

Impromptu by me: Reader learns some shocking news when a case lands her in the hospital.

Defining Family by me: Spencer finds out he’s a dad… to a twelve year old girl. Your twelve year old girl, who just broke into the FBI.

Clean Shaven by me: Reader helps Spencer shave after prison.

Drunk Dial by me: It’s been years since Reader talked to Spencer, but after a bunch of drinks it seems like a really good idea.

Repentance by me: Spencer is confronted with his second chance at life, finding it full of regrets. Reader tries to talk him through it.

Happy Hydrangea by me: TransMan!Reader. JJ is corrected in finding out Spencer has had a boyfriend for a while now.

🌼 NSFW S.R./Fem!R Fics 🌼

Lily of the Valley (Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3) by me: Unsub!Reid. Spencer was found guilty but mentally ill after the torture and murder of several men. He finds solace in his psychiatrist at the institution.

Duet by Foxy: Letting the love of his life get away was Spencer’s biggest regret, so he decides to go after her.

Honeymoon by Foxy: Spencer and his wife are excited about their future (and their honeymoon).

To Have and To Hold by me: Reader is trying to save her marriage, but Spencer seems resigned to its failure.

Stork Song by me: Spencer and Reader try to find intimacy again following a terrible loss.

Domesticity by me: Reader gets worked up watching Spencer with kids. He notices.

Different Kind of Daddy by me: After a rough day, Reader has good news for her husband.

🌼 Other SFW Pairings 🌼

Till Death Do Us Part by Foxy: [Emily/GN!Reader] Reader didn't expect grief to linger after Emily came back from the dead.

Motherhood by Foxy: [Tara/Emily] Emily and Tara finally become mothers.

Happy Reading!

P.S. If I missed your fic or you have a new one to add, feel free to send me a message. I would love to add it!

[phoenixyfriend]

Star Wars AU Masterlist: General AUs

Navigation Post

Fun fact, tumblr allows 250 links on the old editor and 100 in the new. So. Network of masterlists. This is one of sixteen masterposts I have for Star Wars. These are just the most ‘generic’ of the AUs.

(Also this post has been randomly deleted at least once so uhhhh great thanks to the wayback machine holy shit.)

RANDOM AUS IN CANONVERSE

Misconceptions AU

Fem!Obi-Wan - not the same AU, but related: hair and makeup

Magically attractive Obi-Wan

Obi-Wan is Immortal (and it’s not great for his self preservation)

Padme/Sabe timeline

Jedi who leave the Order as a way to save it

“AUs where Obi-Wan gets adopted by Mandalorians” but I made it pro-Jedi and also Obitine

I did not know that about Haiti, whoops

Omegaverse Jedi should be LESS intense about sexism, not more

Pre-TPM

Obi-Wan fakes his death on Melida/Daan

Dooku knows Jango before Galidraan AU

Slutty Xanatos

Sharad Hett finds baby Anakin in Mos Espa and has to Deal With That

Shake that (Stewjoni) Bagpipe - various instruments with various characters

Anakin & Obi-Wan age swap, ft. Anakin and Satine being saltmates

Mand’alor Satine

Rael finds and keeps Komari - Expanded

Force-Sensitive Satine Kryze

Xanatos-Obi age swap (Xanatos/Bo-Katan)

Aayla/Bo-Katan meet during The Year On The Run

Quinlan meets toddler Anakin pre-canon, and Obi-Wan has a contact on-planet (Shmi) when TPM comes around

Raised a Sith Anakin, except Dooku snaps up Anakin and his mom from Mustafar since he’s better at Childcare than Sidious (who is annoyed at this situation)

That time Qui-Gon turned into a tree (via @willowcrowned, with fic by @smilebackwards)

Pre-TCW

Anakin&Obi-Wan, Jedi Stuff

Anakin’s paternal DNA came from Palpatine via Sith Magic

Anakin Skywalker, Secret Son of a Disgraced King

* Kick Up Your Heels - The Summary

Drag Queen AU - Oh, That’s Just Ben

Obi-Wan Wins a Moon

Tiniest Assistant Teacher

Anakin Loses his Connection to the Force, Time For Career Guidance - Addendum

Amnesiac Qui-Gon

Taking out Obi-Wan Kenobi (MaulObi)

Murder Puppy Anakin

Anakin the Snake - This AU is in the Wider AUs masterlist

One of several reasons Qui-Gon may not have been the best teacher for Anakin

Anakin’s teenage rebellion

Through strange coincidence, Obi-Wan and Shmi are actually stepsiblings

The Jedi are Kyber

Best masters for Anakin when Obi-Wan and Mace aren’t available

Obikin Sleeping Beauty AU - TCW Anakin finds a hot guy in cryo, turns out it’s Qui-Gon’s missing padawan from like twelve years ago

Mandalorian and Clone Stuff

Bo-Katan Decides She’s Siding With Family

* Kamino Belongs to the Clones (ft. banana)

Secret Clones AU

Anakin finds the clones a year early

In which Bo-Katan, or possibly Jango, breaks the cycle of violence that raised them

The Darksaber Picks Satine

Sith&Other Stuff

Ventress vs. Absolute Primogeniture

Maul ‘acquires’ Ferus Olin

Dooku Acquires a YA Sith Maul, following up on Sidious’s notes: I can teach you the ways of the Dark Side. Dooku, following literal decades of habit: …I can domesticate him.

Dooku becomes Count of Serenno… and brings the Jedi with him

Dooku hasn’t Fallen yet, and adopts teen Ventress, who has

An Accountant in Theed

Parenting Focus

Obitine Raise Anakin, ft. Grampa Dooku

* Mand’Alor Korkie Kenobi

The secret accidental Obitine baby isn’t Korkie, it’s Bo-Katan - Bokkin addendum

Obitine’s Pregnancy Scare

Obi, Protect Them

She’s Little Sister Shaped

Power Limiter Robes

Quinlan’s Smear Campaign

Artoo and Threepio adopt Boba

* Congratulations, Master Jinn, It’s a Boy!

Anakin isn’t human and reproduces via Space Parthenogenesis (and possibly lays an egg)

A “Stewjoni are all capable of pregnancy” fic where Obi-Wan offers to have Bail and Breha’s heir for them

Calligraphy I prompted from @theshitpostcalligrapher

Bo-Katan is Korkie’s bio mom, but got him removed to finish gestation in a tube (like clones) as soon as she found out because she was sixteen and not at all ready

Transmasc Obi-Wan babytraps ‘escaped Naboo intact’ Maul, who is now having difficulty deciding what to do with himself - Why we love MaulObi

TCW

Main: Anakin

Anakin Assists the Jedi Council While On Medical Leave (with a Horrible Miscommunication Addendum by @willowcrowned) - Now with a longform (and really good) fic on AO3! Sith Lightning, Paperwork, and Other Extreme Sports by @deadstarsrisingsblog

Chip Reactivation AU

The Romance Movie Curse - Ficlet written by @chaoticevilbean

Deserters? What deserters?

Anakin accidentally used the Force to make people like him, and is now panicking in an attempt to undo All of it (especially Padme)

Mace gets de-aged, hooks up with Anakin (much to the distress of Obi-Wan and Depa)

* Ficlet: Because I Fell Too

In for a Penny (Anakin confesses to the Tuskens)

Truth Serum AU (Anakin confesses to the Tuskens) - It’s all fun and games until it isn’t

In Which Palpatine Leaves the Door Open (Anakin confesses to the Tuskens) - A conjugal visit

Voluntary servitude (slavery) as the highest form of penitence and reparation on Tatooine, Anakin’s apology to the Tuskens - A different response - The context of Anakin’s childhood

Anakin invents a twin brother

Undercover Anakin&Mace have to pretend to be father and son

Anakin becomes aware of the fourth wall and ‘solves’ his problems by leaking nudes and otherwise fucking up his life “The way to break free of a story’s gravity is to consider every possible option and then pick the one that makes the absolute least sense.”

Sith Heir Anakin arranged marriage to second daughter of Mandalore Bo-Katan

Everyone Anakin meets is obsessed with keeping him safe post-Mortis and he hates it (horror)

Main: Obi-Wan

Mandalorian Mamma Mia (AKA Korkie lies about his dad)

(Most Obi-Wan focused AUs are in other lists).

Main: Ahsoka

Ahsoka gets Winter-Soldiered (This already exists and is much better than I could have managed)

Artificially Evil Ahsoka (Mortis had some lasting effects)

Ahsoka accidentally becomes a Film Noir Private Detective after leaving the Jedi, and derails all of Palpatine’s plots

Ahsoka’s crush on Barriss is “notice me senpai”

Bosoka arranged marriage when?

Main: Disaster Trio

Ghost on the Wire AU

* Anakin’s DNA Wish

Even Ventress Sees You’re Dad - Anakin talks too much

Disaster Lineage on SpaceTube

SW Prequels “Watch Your Own Series” AU (chrono)

Anakin & Barriss

Obi-Wan joins Dooku in AotC as a ploy to gather information, fails upwards

Anakin Accuses Obi-Wan of being Blonde

Sudden Soulmarks

Ahsoka accidentally outs Palpatine as a Sith through the use of incomprehensible emoji jibberish

Main: Clones

In which Cody and Rex Accidentally God-Mode - Kix Fights Rex’s Blood

Furbie the Coruscant Guard

Clint and Matt

Ghost Kitten Clones

Keep the Jedi Out of It, now with art by @lemoneste

In Which Fox Arrests His Boss - On a Technicality

Bly’s Glitching Brain Chip

Commander Fox is the Organas’ sugar baby (non-sexual, mostly)

Rex/Ventress - stranded together

Sponsor a Battalion

Fox arrests some senators for littering

Cody and Fox become building safety inspectors post-war

Clones deserve to be frat boys. Also date Anakin.

Rex/Barriss, in which Barriss is Fucked Up (but trying to do better)

Echo takes Dogma under his wing

Main: Other

Sidious and the Worst Kidnapping Ever

Who Gave Ventress the Keys? - Additions by others

Yoda commits a murder, blames the dementia

Shrink ‘em

Necromancied Qui-Gon kidnaps Ventress (she’s a Free Grad Student) - Addendum

Ventress Gets Married to Fuck Up Sidious’s Day

Dookasta interviews/negotiations, TCW as the galaxy’s ugliest divorce

Korkie picks up the Darksaber, and sees Dead Mand’alore

Satine manages to piss off both sides of the war by taking in defecting clones

Parenting Focus

Ahsoka Steals a Baby

Rattatak Death Swap

Baby 501st Legion

Oh, So THAT’S What People Think

Fairy Jango Fett

* Big Sis ‘Soka

Anakin volunteers to be a surrogate (the timing is… not optimal)

Trans Anakin explains that he is NOT the father

* Implications of a Miracle Pregnancy

If Obi-Wan gets pregnant, Anakin’s going to be the one getting invested in the future nibling

Grieving with Newborns (Padme still dies, and Anakin goes to Obi-Wan for help) - Addendum - Addendum 2

Ventress gets pregnant as a get-out-of-jail card

Anakin and Obi-Wan babytalk the twins differently

Post-O66

* Eldritch Ahsoka (1k plus notes)

- Speaker of Mortis

The Mortis Song

Emperor Bail - Addendum

Pirate Mace (Mace survives O66, joins Hondo) - Tax Evasion

Yularen’s Radio Show

Yularen undercover on the Death Star (feeding info to the Rebellion)

* When Vader Fails (in the Wrong Direction) (quick note)

* Owen Needs a Favor

Korkie gets dragged along on Bo-Katan’s insurgency plots

What’s Korkie Up To?

Barriss breaks out of prison and incidentally joins up with Rex

Barriss breaks out of prison and finds Ahsoka because she needs an external moral compass

Quinlan finds, frees, and press-gangs Bly into helping him fuck up the Empire, in Aayla’s memory/honor

Ventress Bothers Darth Vader

Bo-Katan bothers Ben Kenobi

Vader hallucinates so intensely that he destroys the Empire because he talked to a ghost who was disappointed in him.

Vader gets turned into an anime waifu and everyone hates that

A trad Mando of Din’s type finds Merrin, and decides to return her to her people. The only one still alive that they know of is Ventress.

Padme’s Handmaidens: Let’s Scam The Empire Into Thinking Amidala Is Still Alive

Original Trilogy and Beyond

Han’s Anti-Force Force-Sensitivity

Bumbling Vampire Han Solo

The ghosts of all those murdered Jedi Kids are haunting Vader but he’s just… too pathetic for them to try that hard

Mace’s ghost mentors Luke - Jocasta’s ghost mentors Leia

ANH Obi-Wan pretends to be senile, lost, and politely befuddled on the Death Star when noticed by Stormtroopers

Rex and Wolffe, dying Cody

Boba Accidentally Acquires The Darksaber, And Now He Can’t Get Rid Of It

Vader skypes his kids from jail

Mpreg Vader - This AU is in the Wider AUs Masterlist

Trans Vaderkin pregnancy, prenatal addiction to the Dark Side - Followup

Darth Vader gets turned into a cute teen girl and makes it everyone’s problem

Luke finds Decrepit Old Hermit Dooku hiding out on some mountain and recruits him to the new Jedi School before anyone can tell him why that’s a bad idea

The Mandalorian:

Ahsoka’s got Beef (The Mandalorian)

Boba’s Older Brothers

No, REALLY Old

Whacking sticks

Maul’s Back - Now with art by @its-not-a-pen

What I would want out of The Mandalorian            

Bo-Katan knows Luke is Vader’s kid, keeps her mouth shut

Bo-Katan fucking with Obi-Wan’s Ghost

Get some actual Mando’a in here, Disney, you cowards

BobaDin but Fennec’s making fun of Boba the whole time

Satine is one of the darksaber ghosts - Addendum

Tradition as Din’s Covert vs. Tradition as Death Watch

Middle-Aged Foppish Duke in Distress Korkie is very enamored by Mand’alor Din regularly rescuing him

[little-pondhead]

Fenton Family on Vacation (part 1)

Original Post⬅️

"You know, when you revealed yourself as Phantom, I thought it would be much harder to adjust." Madeline Fenton, ghost-hunting extraordinaire and mother of two, stared at the swirling green portal in her basement. Despite building the darn thing herself, with its glowing wires and simple design, Maddie felt like she was seeing the whole thing for the first time.

It was late afternoon on a Saturday. At least, Maddie assumed so. She hadn't stepped foot outside their lab for a while now. Too busy modifying all their ghost-hunting equipment. The blinking red numbers of the digital clock on their desk said it was almost six in the evening. Then again, it has been six in the evening for the past several months. The clock was very much broken, and no one had bothered to fix it. 

It was summer, so the time spent in the Fenton lab drastically increased. And with the reveal of their son Danny, Maddie practically breathed ectoplasm with the amount of time she was spending in the basement. Danny said it was no big deal, but both Fenton parents were determined to re-evaluate their research and inventions completely. Basically, starting from scratch. 

So imagine her surprise when, two days ago, both Jazz and Danny sat them down to propose a memorable family vacation. 

And for some reason, she couldn't say no. Was it her guilt? They were prepared to shell out the money for any dream destination the kids proposed. But no, Danny had invited them to a different dimension via the Ghost Zone. This was tremendous progress, not just in her relationship with her kids but also for their new research. (Let's not mention the headache she got from learning parallel dimensions exist.)

Apparently, the kids had been planning this for a while because now everyone was packed and armed to the teeth, two days later. Jazz had taken care of the logistics-when to leave, how to get there, what to bring. Danny was the one to choose the location since he was the most familiar with the Ghost Zone. Maddie learned much later that he had just thrown a dart at a lineup of names on a corkboard.  

"Are you sure it's okay for us to enter?" Maddie looked concerned.

"Yeah! It'll be fun, mom!" Danny reassured. "It's just a week off-I've always wanted to show you the cool parts of the Ghost Zone without the immediate threat of horrible death." Maddie gave her son the stink eye. He was grinning a bit too innocently for her liking.

"Well, I think it'll be a great bonding experience!" Jack announced, winking at Danny. Badly. "Someone was being a little paranoid about the mall trip yesterday; I hardly got a chance to spoil our new little princess."

Ah, yes, their new granddaughter. Danielle. Maddie had been furious to discover how horrible Vlad had been to her family. Attempting to murder her husband, trying to recruit Danny as a weird evil son/apprentice, outright disrespecting and dismissing Jazz's existence, and wanting to marry her?? "Furious" was putting it lightly. The man slept with a doll version of herself, for heaven's sake! And then Danny just offendedly mentions that Vlad had cloned him. Several times. Only one clone survived; a little girl with no identity of her own. And here was her son sheepishly asking if they might consider letting the clone stay? Even for a little? She was traveling around right now but didn't really have a place to call home-

Maddie and Jack immediately offered to adopt the girl into the family as their youngest. 

(Jazz giggled. "Danny already beat you to it. They tried being cousins at first, but he acts like a total dad around her—the fastest case of ghost adoption that I've ever seen. Instead of a new child, Elle's more like a new grandchild.")

Danny blushed, hunching his shoulders in. "I don't know if Elle wants to be a grandkid-we haven't talked about it, really."

"YOU CAN BET YOUR SWEET BISCUITS I WANNA BE A GRANDKID."

The trio startled and turned, watching the last two of the Fenton family work their way down the stairs into the lab. Jazz was gripping her backpack in one hand and Elle's arm in the other, using her superhuman strength to keep Elle in line. Probably so Elle wouldn't run down the stairs and permanently kill herself. Jack quietly chuckled at the sight of Elle's ghost-themed backpack, so painstakingly picked out the day before. It was a tad too big and looked just adorable on her. A few tiny blob ghosts floating around her head whizzed in excitement, sometimes using the backpack as a place to hide. Maddie, personally, loved the pink light-up sneakers that Elle showed off as much as possible. Her husband had done well shopping by himself. 

It was evident Elle was excited about the trip. Despite all her travels abroad, satisfying her wanderlust, she'd never been to another dimension. When they had reached the bottom, Elle phased out of Jazz's grip, bolting to collide with Jack in a hug. "Yesterday was loads of fun." She exclaimed. "I loved shopping around for new stuff. And if being Danny's kid means I get two new grandparents in the deal, then I'm taking it."

Danny made a face. "But isn't it weird to have a dad so close in age to you? What if people look at you weird?"

Jazz snorted at her brother's words, picking her way around the lab mess. "Danny, you'd be the one they would look at funny. A fifteen-year-old-"

"I'm almost sixteen!"

"A fifteen-year-old who has a physically thirteen-year-old daughter? People will be ready to call CPS."

"And besides!" Elle detangled herself from Jack's grip and stomped over to Maddie with a shit-eating grin as she looked at her dad. "Technically, I'm only a year old. You're not going to leave your poor, unstable clone daughter alone in the world to fend for herself, right?" Danny just grumbled. Something about not even being old enough to drive. 

Maddie cooed a bit and enjoyed the hug from her new granddaughter. It was cold but in a good way. Elle's response was a low hum that vibrated through her body. It reminded Maddie of a cat's purr.

"I've been meaning to ask," Maddie said. Elle clung tighter as she adjusted her grip. "What is ghost adoption?? You mentioned that before when explaining your relationship with Elle."

Their son shuffled his feet a little. "Uh, it basically means my core has connected to hers in a parental way, I guess." He was obviously nervous. "When we first met, even before I knew Elle was a clone, my core recognized her as a "baby ghost," so to speak. There was enough of a connection that I kind of adopted her subconsciously."

"But it doesn't happen with between all ghosts." Jazz cut in. It felt like their eldest was giving them a lecture on this and that every week. "Frostbite explained it a while ago, something about similar cores and ambient ectoplasm. Kind of like pack bonding?"

Maddie nodded, barely following. "And Frostbite...you said we were visiting this person?"

Danny perked up, actually floating a few feet off the ground in excitement. "Frostbite is the best! He's the leader of the Far Frozen and looks like a giant yeti. He helped me figure a bunch of things out and makes the best cocoa."

"Well, I'm excited to meet him."

And they were. Going through the portal was an experience and a half. It wasn't the first time they'd done this, but it was still memorable. Danny and Elle had gone ghost and chased each other around the Specter Speeder while Jazz piloted, hunched over the steering wheel. The Ghost Zone was a wonderful mix of greens and purples; Jack lamented his lack of a camera.

("We don't want to give Technus something to use." Tucker explained. Danny's friends had come by to help them all pack properly. "The Fenton Cameras haven't been ghost-proofed all the way, and Technus is an insufferable b-uh, idiot when he manages to get his hands on new tech. I'll never hear the end of it.")

It was just so much colder than they expected. The "Far Frozen" certainly lived up to its name. So did Frostbite and his legendary cocoa. The giant yeti (did he count as a ghost??) also took the opportunity to give each Fenton a checkup (ghosts have doctors???) to make sure everyone was healthy enough for inter-dimensional travel. They were, and Frostbite even handed over a few extra vials of pure ectoplasm to tide the kids over in case they didn't land near a natural source in the new dimension. Jack and Maddie took a few vials each, one for each of their ghost kids, and Jazz just tucked hers away in her luggage with a little pat.

Then they were off sightseeing. Understandably, most of Danny's allies were a bit wary around the (mostly former) ghost hunters but did their best to hide it. Jack and Maddie got to meet Princess Dorathea, who could turn into a freaking dragon how cool was that, Jack-

There was Pandora, a towering woman with blue skin and four arms. She took a liking to Maddie and gifted her an engraved xiphos. "To match her fighting spirit." The woman explained. She did not tell anyone what the engraving meant. At some point, they saw a towering castle in the distance. It was hard to see, but the towers looked like spiraling ice. Jack asked about it.

"Oh, that's nothing special." Danny waved them off. "Don't worry about it. We DO need to worry about Walker's prison, so duck down for a bit. He doesn't like it when the living are in his territory." Maddie didn't bother pushing the subject, so they moved on.

Then there was Wulf, a werewolf who could make portals and was the kids' teacher on that subject. Jazz was especially excited, greeting Wulf with a bear hug. (Maddie vaguely remembered something about her daughter being a werewolf now, but she very rarely changed while in the living world. Maddie had almost forgotten.) Jack was pleasantly surprised to learn Wulf spoke Esperanto. In fact, that was the only thing he could speak. It turns out Esperanto was something Jack had learned during their college days. The two hit it off, and Jack had to be dragged away from whatever conversation they were having.

Time moved a bit sluggishly, but eventually, they got around to "the least annoying ones." Elle had a blast messing with someone named Fright Knight, who just kept calling her 'my lady' for some reason. Danny got a few potshots in when one of his rouges (was that a robot?) got too close to the Speeder. They met Ghost Writer, Amorpho, Lunch Lady, Nocturne, Technus, Ember, Cujo, and a few others. Their final stop was Clockwork's.

The flight there was exceptionally long. It felt like forever, yet the clock in the Speeder only moved forward five minutes. Jazz explained that this was Clockwork's influence. He was the Master of Time, and the closer they got to his lair, the weirder time was. Eventually, the Fenton family arrived. Clockwork's lair was, well, a clock tower.

("Really, I don't know what we expected, Maddie.")

It was dark and green, sitting on a tiny island they could barely land on. Ectoplasm was thick in the air; Maddie was sure that if she weren't already ecto-contaminated, it would have been increasingly difficult to breathe. Multiple ticking sounds filled the air as if the tower was filled with nothing but clocks. Maddie took a wild guess and thought it probably was. A glowing green sticky note drew their attention as they approached the door.

Danny scowled as he read the note. "Daniel, something has come up with the Observants. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make the Watchtower your new haunt. A natural portal will open next to the Speeder. Enjoy your vacation, Clockwork. Drat, I was hoping he'd be home. I really wanted you to meet him."

Maddie pats his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm sure we'll find time later." Elle giggled at the pun.

"I know." He sighed. "It's just, he can be so cryptic. Why would I make a watchtower my new haunt? I've never even been to a real watchtower! But the note says a natural portal will spawn next to the Speeder so that we can wait for that."

"You mean this portal?"

Jazz was closely examining a small tear in reality that had popped into existence next to her foot. It was small and low to the ground. Small enough that the Specter Speeder definitely couldn't get through. Maddie doubted they'd be going in all at once.

Elle peered over her shoulder. "That's it! Come on, old man, I'll race you!" She dove in without waiting for a reply.

"DANIELLE MADELINE FENTON!" Danny immediately chased after, disappearing into a swirl of green.

"Oh yeah, she's definitely related." Jazz said. "Come on. I'll follow behind once you two go through." Maddie looked at Jack, and Jack looked at Maddie. Fine with them.

Jack went first, knuckles tight from gripping his bag straps, doing his best to suck in his gut before dropping out of existence. Maddie went next, standing on tiptoes and still having Jazz bend down to press a kiss to her cheek before she left. "Make sure to lock up the Speeder."

Jazz smiled, her eyes glowing with the barest hint of green. She had a hand on the Fenton thermos clipped to her belt and if Maddie squinted, she could see the barest outline of a crown on her head. "See you on the other side, mom."

Maddie stepped into the portal, feeling nothing but open air, and fell through.

---

Edit: OH GOD I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL ABOUT JAZZ I FIXED IT I AM SO SORRY

(the fix was kind of rushed but there is an extra line or two now that actually mentions it)

[television-overload]

of our own making

(an X-Files fanfic)

Chapter 2/34 - decaf coffee

[Read on AO3]

In the next week, the topic of adoption doesn’t come up again, and she tries to put it out of her mind as much as possible. They wrap up their case, spending several dull hours working on their reports, and wait impatiently for something else to come across their desk, ideally something a little more intellectually stimulating than the last few duds they’ve worked.

The good thing about not having any cases, though, is that no one blinks twice when they take a long lunch here, or leave work a few minutes early at the end of the day there. A spontaneous mid-morning coffee break at their favorite cafe down the street gets them out of the building, enjoying a rare warm day in December.

On the way to the coffee shop, they walk side by side—as always—until Scully stops suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Oh, Mulder. Look,” she says sadly.

He follows her gaze to the other side of the street, where a little boy no older than four stands with frightened eyes, looking back and forth helplessly while busy businessmen and women in suits pass by without sparing him a glance.

Mulder checks for cars quickly before jogging across the street, giving Scully little warning before taking off. She follows behind, carefully dodging traffic as it approaches.

“Hey, buddy, you lost?” Mulder asks, approaching the boy and kneeling down to his height.

The boy nods, red-faced and eyes brimming with tears.

“That’s okay, we’ll help you get this figured out,” he says consolingly. “Are you here with your mom?”

“Uh huh,” the little boy answers shakily.

Mulder gives him a comforting pat on the shoulder, offering him a reassuring smile. “Alright, well let’s find her, yeah?”

“Okay.”

“I’m Fox and this is Dana,” he says, nodding up at her. “We work for the FBI, do you know what that is?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Well, we’re kind of like cops.”

He sniffles.

“What’s your name, bud?”

“William.”

The world slows to a halt, and Scully’s eyes widen.

It’s a common name. So common, in fact, that she can name at least six Williams, Wills, or Bills off the top of her head without hesitating. But that’s exactly the problem.

It’s a family name. Both her family, and Mulder’s.

Fox William Mulder.

“William? Hey, that’s my middle name!”

She won’t think about it. She won’t think about the way that she wanted to use that name, if they were lucky enough to succeed at in vitro fertilization. She won’t think of that little boy she pictured, or the man she hoped would stay and be his father.

“Really?” William asks, eyes lighting up for the first time.

Mulder smiles. “Yeah, better than Fox, right?”

She hears a giggle, and remembers Emily. Mulder got her to laugh, too, even under the most harrowing circumstances. She shakes her head, focusing on the situation at hand. She won’t be of any help if she can’t get her head out of the clouds.

Mulder asks, “You know what your mommy’s name is?”

“Um—Susan,” William answers.

“That’s great. Good job, buddy, that helps. Where did you last see her?”

“We goed to get me shoes for playing soccer,” he says matter-of-factly.

“Soccer, huh? I’m partial to baseball myself—”

“Mulder—” Scully stops him, tapping him on the shoulder. When he looks at her, she points to the other side of the road, and he nods his thanks.

“Hey, look, there’s a shoe store across the street,” he says triumphantly, refocusing in on William. “I bet you she’s right over there looking for you!”

He stands, reaching out his hand for William to hold, and they cross the street together with Scully following closely behind. She watches them, and thinks that if she were a passerby, she might think they were father and son, out for a midday stroll.

It’s a side of Mulder she doesn’t often get to see. A side she suspected lay dormant for a long time after Samantha disappeared, but it’s still there, popping up here and there when it is needed.

“Hey, Scully, can you go in and check if there’s a Susan in there?” Mulder asks, looking to her for assistance. “I want to stay out here in case she comes by looking for him.”

She nods, clearing her head once again of the swirling thoughts that had occupied her. “Yeah, of course.”

She goes in and comes back out just as quickly, shaking her head despondently.

“The clerk said she and her son left about 10 minutes ago,” she reports.

“Did he say which way they went?”

“To the right.”

Mulder glances in that direction and nods. “10 minutes, well she couldn’t have gotten far. We found him just over there,” he says optimistically. “William, keep an eye out for if you see her.”

“Okay,” he agrees.

They head to the right, Mulder now carrying William on his shoulders up above the crowds. They pass a few stores, finding no luck so far, but then are startled when some pedestrians up in front of them nearly get bowled over by the sudden opening of a shop door. A frantic woman exits, then darts off, apologizing as she goes. 

Mulder starts jogging, knowing that it must be the mother. He dodges other people walking, skirting between them expertly, which leaves Scully behind by a fair few paces. Luckily, she’s used to it. The woman is poised to enter the next shop when he calls out, “Susan?”

She turns.

“I think this little one belongs to you.”

An instant wave of relief washes over the woman’s face, and she runs to reach them. “William!” she gasps.

The boy all but leaps into her arms, curling in close while she strokes the back of his head, comforting them both.

“Where did you find him?” she asks through tears, holding tight to her wayward son.

“Just across the street,” Mulder says with a smile, pointing to where they came from.

Susan sighs in muted frustration. “There’s an ice cream shop over there, I should have known.”

“My sister did the same thing when I was about 9. Gave us all a heart attack,” Mulder chuckles.

The casual mention of his sister causes Scully to look at him in shock, but he’s too preoccupied to notice.

“I can’t thank you enough. I turned my back for one second.”

“No problem, just glad he’s back where he belongs,” Mulder responds.

After waving goodbye to William, he turns around, a content smile on his face. He starts in the direction of the coffee shop, as if the events of the last few minutes had never happened. Expecting Scully to follow, he walks right past her, but she stands frozen in place.

It’s insane. It’s impulsive. She’s going to do it anyway.

“Okay.”

He pauses and glances back at the statue that is Dana Scully. Amusement plays at his lips, though there’s more than a little confusion there too.

“Huh?”

“Okay.”

He laughs, backtracking a few steps so he is closer to her.

“You’re gonna have to say more words, Scully, I don’t know what you’re—”

“I want to adopt a baby.”

His eyes widen, and he looks to his right and left as if someone might overhear their personal conversation and go tell on them to their supervisors.

“You’re bringing this up now?” he asks, a little incredulously.

“Yeah.”

“And– and you’ve thought this through? You’re sure?”

No, not really. To be honest, she’d barely thought through this at all. There are so many reasons why they shouldn’t, why this is a terrible idea. They’re not ordinary people. They have enemies who could use this against them, careers that have proven to be life threatening on multiple occasions.

And yet…

“Mulder, seeing you with that boy…” she says, her eyes trailing off in the direction the mother and son had disappeared. “Yes, I’m sure. Only if the offer still stands, I won’t hold it against you if you’ve changed your—”

He stops her. “No! No, I’m in. Let’s do it. Let’s– We should talk about this.” He grabs her elbow and starts toward the coffee shop with her in tow, and the pace of his step forces her to walk faster to keep up. “Buy you a cup of coffee? Breakfast sandwich?” he asks, scrambling for something to say.

“I feel like I’m gonna throw up.”

“Just the coffee then.”

The bell jingles as they enter. They sit down at a booth and Mulder leans in, his voice low and placating.

“Okay, no need to panic. We’re just talking about it, yeah? Breathe.”

She huffs out a laugh. “How are you so calm about this?”

He smirks. “I’ve been reading about this stuff for months. You only found my stash of brochures last week.”

“Months?” she breathes, voice laced with disbelief. Her head feels like it’s spinning. “It’s just a little… overwhelming, I suppose,” she says.

“I have that effect on people,” he jokes. “It’s not a rush. If we do this, it will take time, we just have to decide if it’s something we want to pursue. There’s an application process, and getting approved, not to mention finding the right placement...”

Scully feels out of her depth. He knows a lot more about this than she does. She almost wants to ask if he has a slide show prepared.

“I want to do it. I do,” she assures him, carefully choosing her words, “I just don’t know where to begin. It sounds like a crazy idea. Is it crazy?”

“Probably,” he says with a shrug and a grin. “Kind of just makes me want to do it more.”

She’d never admit it, but she feels the same way. Maybe Bill’s right. He has rubbed off on her.

“So… where do we start? What do we need to do?” she asks, needing more information before she starts spiraling.

“Why don’t we take it slow? Start with you and me and an actual adult conversation about our priorities, and then maybe this weekend I can stop by with some Chinese and we can look into next steps.”

She takes a deep breath, heart rate slowing back down to normal.

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.”

How do we do this? How do we have this conversation we should have had months ago?

Before they get a chance, a waitress stops by to take their orders, and Scully opts for decaf. As electrified and anxious as she feels right now, she really doesn’t need caffeine to make it even worse. She can feel her knee bouncing relentlessly under the table.

Once the waitress is gone, Mulder gets the ball rolling with the first order of business. 

“I guess to start us off, I need to know how involved you want me to be. I can help you find an agency and be your personal reference on your application, or I could—” he pauses. Breathes. “Like I said, I’ll be as involved as you want. I just need to know what you’re thinking.”

She shakes her head. “Mulder, I couldn’t ask you to—”

“I should tell you that the agencies favor couples over single parents,” he adds before she can finish, “It might be more difficult to get approved on your own, but if that’s what you want, I’ll help you.”

She studies him, the nuance of every microexpression on his face. She knows what her heart is wishing for, but what about him? Would she be asking too much of him?

“What do you want?”

He ducks his head, staring at the chipped surface of the table before glancing up at her with an apologetic smile.

“I’m a selfish man.”

She looks at him, needing more of an answer before she dares to respond. If he doesn’t mean what she thinks he means, one wrong word could spell disaster. Upset the delicate balance that is their friendship. She has to hear it straight from his mouth, this is no time for assumptions.

He sits back in his booth, and she braces herself for what he’s about to say.

“I want to coach little league,” he confesses. “I want to drive an ugly minivan, the ugliest one you’ve ever seen. I want to help with math homework, to tell crazy stories at bedtime and go on camping trips together.” 

He looks deep in her eyes, and she shudders, feeling like his words have penetrated her very soul.

“I want it all, Scully. I want a family.”

I want you.

She feels tears pool in her eyes, her throat closing with emotion.

“I want that too,” she chokes out, unable to form any more words.

He reaches out a hand across the table and takes hers. She holds on tight.

“Well, that’s one thing settled,” he says, blinking back the pinpricks of tears in his own eyes.

~~~

Lovely tag list ♡: [if you would like to be added or removed, let me know!]

@today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr @agent-troi @angegova @baronessblixen @calimanc @captainsolocide @cutemothman @danasculls @deathsbestgirl @edierone @enigmaticxbee @figureofdismay @frogsmulder @hippocampouts @invidiosa @monaiargancoconutsoy @numinousmysteries @primrose19 @randomfoggytiger @skelavender @skylarksong @slippinmickeys @stephy-gold @teenie-xf @the-redhead-in-a-dress @vincentsleftear @whovianderson

[gaybae1021]

Kiki’s Rainbow Baby

Tw: Mentions of abortion and miscarriage

So I’ve had a lot of thoughts about motherhood in mcd. With Jess having a lot of kids, Aphmau the character ending up with 4 children by season 3, and Irene’s og title being “the Matron”, I think motherhood is a big theme in mcd. By itself that isn’t a bad thing, I love parental relationships, and the prevalence of adopted families is very wholesome. That being said, this theme of motherhood sometimes clashes with the actual content of the story. Specifically in regards to Travis’s mother, and Kiki.

Both of them ended up pregnant by absolutely despicable people, and at least for Kiki, came as a complete surprise. Despite this, the story can’t even fathom the idea that they wouldn’t want these children. They aren’t even allowed to have complicated feelings about it. I know abortion is a heavy topic that might’ve not have been appropriate for the age of the audience, but not only were the characters not offered a choice, another option just fully does not exist within the story. They are assumed to be baby-crazy, probably because that’s what Jess feels.

I’m going to largely focus on Kiki because Travis’s mom was never really much of a character, and my rewrite of her is still in progress. So here’s my thoughts about Kiki.

The amulet from the og mcd is the most terrifying thing I’ve seen outside of a horror movie. At least with sex people recognize that pregnancy is a risk. But Kiki was given a piece of jewelry, something she assumed was just a gift. And because of that simple act she experienced severe pregnancy symptoms had a child to take care of. As someone with a fear of getting pregnant this would absolutely cause me to have a complete mental breakdown. Because of this I’ve removed the amulet from the story entirely.

In my rewrite, Zane and Kiki just have a normal one-night stand. Zane is less of an outright evil monster in my version, but that being said, his fling with Kiki was still built entirely off of deception, disguising both his identity and appearance. So I still wanted Kiki to have a strong reason to keep the pregnancy.

Shoutout to jurygarroth’s trans Kiki comic, not only is it wholesome, I also think it’s an excellent explanation for why Kiki would be excited about being a mom separate from her feelings about Zane. I definitely wanted to do something along those lines. Though obviously without the amulet, trans Kiki isn’t an option for me, so I had to come up with something else.

So I imagine Kiki is one of the slightly older characters, around late twenties during season 1. After the events surrounding Donna and Logan’s wedding, Kiki started to feel off. After this feeling persisted for a few weeks she went to Zoey, who confirmed that she was pregnant. Despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding it, after the initial shock Kiki was actually very happy about the news. However, as time went on Kiki began acting strangely. She isolated herself from her friends and brother. Her only significant interactions were her frequent check-ups with Zoey, with her growing more and more paranoid over every little thing.

Aph, growing increasingly concerned about Kiki, went to Brendan. He admitted that knew what was bothering Kiki, but also said it wasn’t his place to talk about it without her there. So Aph decided to pay Kiki a visit.

After some pushing, Kiki revealed that she was married when she was younger, but that marriage had fallen apart after a series of infertility issues and multiple miscarriages. Kiki had come to Phoenix Drop as a way to start over, a new place where she could focus on finding new things that made her happy, rather than hoping for something that just wasn’t meant to be. It’s why she got interested in animal care and handling. But even after finding her passion, it didn’t make her losses hurt any less.

Kiki had gotten into other romances while staying in Phoenix Drop, but always cut things off before they got too serious. To her, being alone was easier than risking more loss, both in terms of her lost children and her first partner’s rejection of her.

But now, she was pregnant again. And unlike the first times, she hadn’t even had to try. She took this as a sign, that if the pregnancy had come so easy then maybe this time, it would work. But she was so determined to not lose it that she was scared to do anything that might cause her physical or emotional stress. But of course, isolating herself with just her thoughts during this delicate time was only causing her harm.

Aph was, of course, heartbroken that Kiki had been going through this by herself. She eventually convinces Kiki to talk to Zoey about it, who gets Kiki to start going outside again. Kiki starts to open up to the rest of the village, and builds a good support system.

Leona was ultimately very premature, and had several complications. Zoey didn’t have much hope for Leona surviving beyond a few days, but Kiki was absolutely unwilling to accept that. The day after literally giving birth she took Leona to Bodolf’s tribe, in the hopes that turning Leona would give her the extra strength she needed. The turn was successful, and Leona’s health improved. Kiki finally got to see her child open their eyes.

[redpanther23]

So now that I'm home I realize all my optimism can only take me so far. I've talked a little here before about the way my family treat my little cousins and their dogs (they beat them with switches and subject them to horrific levels of neglect.) They also hoard trash, and they told me I wasn't allowed to stay if I didn't do more work to clean than anyone else. My aunt and uncle scream abuse at each other and the kids (and me if I'm there) constantly. It's especially shocking because they're the family that raised me, and living in that house with my grandma was the happiest part of my childhood. It's the reason I moved into my car three years ago.

Recently I visited someone who used to be my friend, who I actually used to feature in my comic pretty regularly, and saw his dog, who had so many fleas he had no hair remaining on his body. The infestation was so severe, I got bit 20 or 30 times in the two minutes I was there. There was trash piled high everywhere, and it reminded me so much of home, I realized I'm not ready to go back at all. I offered to help him clean and treat for fleas, but as with my family, to him there's no problem. I've been in a state of shock because of it, honestly.

Most of the family photographs and records are with my great aunt, but I've been warned she won't recognize me and will shoot me if I show up - she doesn't speak to anyone else in the family. My mom made extensive copies of our family photographs and records, and probably has everything I need, but the last time I saw her was when I ran away from home when I was 15 because of how badly she and my step dad treated me. In 2019 she sent a really long message to this blog, telling me that she'll never love me and I should kill myself since I'll never go to college. That was the last I heard from her.

I need to talk to them so I can prove my racial purity to the creek nation, but at this point I'm reluctant to do so. There are some online resources for learning some phrases and words, but if you want to actually learn in a class with other speakers, you have to either have been registered on a list, or you have to jump through hoops to prove who you are. I don't even know if my family would be willing to help at all, because it has no benefit to them - honestly a big reason I wanted this was because I figured it would also make my grandma a tribe member, and my mom, and then my family might be able to have some sort of assisstance or a community (they are extremely isolated, my mom has been in a mental hospital for at least 8 years, so I've heard.) I was informed that I could only apply for myself, and that even though I would be a member because of my grandma's genetic background, my grandma would not be a member despite her genetic background. It doesn't make sense.

It's hard for me to do things that only benefit myself, when I have adopted family who need my help more than I need to learn a language. When my mom dies I might have access to resources to follow through with this, but as it is, I don't think it's possible (I'm not even sure who would tell me if she died, something I've thought about a lot.) I'm just going to keep doing my work and learning what I can from books and my fellow anarchists.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I take some of our dogs to the pound, or make my mom buy them shock collars?

CW: Animal Abuse Mention, Suicide Mention

I (nb24) live in a house with my mom, dad, little brother and 4 yappy dogs. Living in this house takes a severe toll on my mental health, but I'm generally left to my own devices and it's a stable environment. I do not have the finances to move out, the economy is in shambles.

My mom had accumulated two small and very loud dogs over the years. This already was a strain. Neither of these dogs are trained. They are never taken outside, only use the pad about half of the time, and one actively attacks and bites visitors. (They are so small that this doesn't cause severe injury.) I am autistic and am easily overstimulated by loud noises. So was my format partner, and the dogs were one of the contributing factors as to why they moved out (though not the primary one.)

Things only got worse after that. About a year ago, my mom brought home two more dogs without anyone's consent. She had apparently discussed the prospect of bringing home one to my dad exclusively, but not two. She said that they were the last two at the breeder and she didn't want to separate them.

One of these dogs turned out to be very anxious and barks nearly constantly. I tried voicing my concerns, telling my mom that the dog would be a problem and she should give it away. She insisted that it would settle in, and if it didn't, she'd consider my words. The dog has only gotten worse, and she moved the goal posts, refusing to get rid of the dog because it's bonded now.

This has had debilitating consequences. There have been weeks where I would be having a full meltdown every day. My headaches have gotten worse and are definitely affecting my work. Everyone else in the family hates this dog, and my dad has often threatened to abuse or kill it. My mom has been offering unethical solutions like debarking, which I've refused, but still will not give any of the dogs away.

At this point, I've reached my limit. I cannot continue to live like this. The noise has been frequently driving me to thoughts of SH or suicide.

From what I see, I have three options.

1. I can either underhandedly steal the two most problematic dogs (the new one and the one that bites people) and take them to the pound, where they will... hopefully... be adopted eventually. My mom is going through a lot of severe unrelated stress rn, so I'm afraid of the wrath I might receive and the repercussions this will have on her mental health.

2. I finally cave to the immoral options. The one that seems the least bad would be remote-controlled shock collars. I've already tried the humane ones that vibrate and they do not work.

... or 3. I don't do anything to the detriment of my mental health. This is their home and their pets. Maybe I can find a place to stay during the day so I'm not trapped here.

So... WIBTA if I carry out option 1 or 2? If anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it. Please help.

What are these acronyms?

[s2pdoktopus]

So my oc as Madoka Magica character

Bethany Miden

She, alongside her twin brother was adopted by a man when they were 5. They love him a lot and he loves them, they lived happily together as a family. A few years later their dad fell in love with a woman who rejected his feelings. This upset the 10 year old Bethany as her dad was clearly brokenhearted by the event. Kyubey appeared before her during this, promising to grant her wish. She wished for the power to "destroy" the woman who rejected her dad.

She became a magical girl then she and the woman met in the middle of a labyrinth. The woman is also a magical girl. A strong one, who had been doing this for almost a decade. She knew the truth behind the magical girls, having the experience of her former group turning into witches. She was horrified to see her co-worker's daughter as a magical girl. Bethany fought her, due to her wish she was more powerful, although clearly inexperienced. It was during this fight that the woman found out how and what Bethany wished to be a magical girl for.

Bethany was soundly defeated by experience and the woman explained to her that her dad was a wonderful man. She would love to have the experience of being with a man him, but she also thought that a wonderful man like him deserved to be with a real human being. Not a hollow body with its soul cut out. Bethany calmed down after hearing that the woman actually liked her dad. Bethany then encouraged her to tell her dad and let her dad decide. Bethany firmly believed that her dad would still choose to be with her despite the zombie situation because Bethany knew that her dad would love her all the same if she revealed her magical powers to him. The woman firmly told her that she will make sure that her dad knew.

After informing Bethany's dad about the situation, he was distraught. The woman promised him that she will make sure that Bethany lived by any means necessary. Their relationship blossomed from there. When her dad and the woman married, the woman promised that as Bethany's mother, she will find a way to make her a normal girl again.

*Due to her wish, she is always stronger against her mother.

*though she respects the woman who would become her mother, she likes to pretend that she doesn't

*now at 15, she's better at fighting but still not experienced enough to defeat her mother

Lucifiel Elheim

Lucifiel had what many would call, a perfect life and she has nothing to ask for. Her best friend, Enea, doesn't have what she has. It wasn't a surprise when Enea ran away from home, still, no one knew what to do when he did. Search parties are deployed and the entire neighborhood participated in the search. Luci joined too, together with her three dogs. After a week no sign of Enea appeared, the search effort dwindled. As if a response to her distress, Kyubey offered to grant her one wish. The 9 year old did not hesitate and wished to find Enea. With her new power, she located Enea in a labyrinth.

Luci was 9, new at the job and a little bit insane. While her first emotion at the sight of the witch was fear, it soon turned into anger when she saw Enea at its clutches. The anger turned into a single-minded determination to save her best friend no matter what. Her first agenda was to retrieve Enea. Her charge was reckless, it involved using her pendulums to tie the witch down or as distractions as she approached the arm that held her friend. Her second plan after that, was to run in and attempt to stab the witch to death with the pointed part of her hairpin. Thankfully Bethany saved her before anything that stupid happened. They brought Enea to the hospital. He was severely dehydrated but otherwise, will live.

Enea found out what Luci sacrificed from Bethany and her mom. He felt very guilty and decided to make sure that she is as happy as he could make her to be.

*Bethany's mother, the de facto leader of their unofficial group, has tasked her with looking for other new magical girls so they could prevent their early deaths

*Doesn't look like it but she has promised Kyubey that she will use her power to find and destroy each and every single one of them and their creator if they ever attempt to turn her sister or her friends into a magical girl

Rihoka Adlao

When she was 11, robbers came into their house and murdered her parents. The murder was witnessed by her brother and ever since he's been catatonic. Her older sister, fifteen at the time, took on the burden of providing for them both. Rihoka was left with the task of caring for her brother and there was not a single day that she never wished for, more than anything, her brother to be well again. She seized this opportunity when Kyubey offered.

During her first battle against a witch, she was lucky that Luci had found her since her weapon, a bell, wasn't all that suited for fighting. She joined their unofficial group and offered great support when the witches they're fighting stronger witches.

Rihoka, unlike Luci and Bethany who seemed to not care all that much what they must do to survive or Bethany's mother who has the experience of fortifying her emotions, felt very uncomfortable about the reality of what they must do to live. To her, it's like eating a poor girl's soul, reducing all their pain and grief into a means to an end. Due to her compassion, ironically, she needed to ingest more grief seeds to survive. It weighed on her so much she almost ate all of the group's reserved seeds. Feeling like a burden, she was resigned to becoming a witch, this way she can be a seed that would be useful to the group and her sister would not worry about arranging a funeral. This all came to a stop when her sister found out about everything and wished to take all of her magic powers to herself.

Rurika Adlao

Rihoka's big sister, Rurika is considered to have a lot of potential by Kyubey. Contracting Rihoka was more of a ploy to get her into making a contract as well. Rurika started worrying over her sister when her usual shy but helpful personality turned into avoidant and depressed. Kyubey helpfully filled her in on the details and Rurika didn't hesitate to wish to take Rihoka's power for herself, effectively turning Rihoka back to being a normal girl. Rihoka felt guilty about it, crying to her sister and asking why she did that. Rurika simply said that Rihoka is too kind, unlike her big sister, she can't do some despicable things, and that's not a bad trait to have.

*she has all of Rihoka's previous powers

Bethany's mother

(she has a name in a long bond paper somewhere in my portfolio somewhere lol)

She's currently 25 years old. She's also someone with a lot of potential. She was contracted when she was 12, her wish was to excel at everything.

She lost many friends in her long tenure as a magical girl, to keep despair at bay she always finds new things to do; to help others, to save her friends, to save other magical girls and now to ensure that the children she found herself saddled with will have a bright future. She's very selfless but lately she found herself wishing for selfish things like seeing her children graduate.

*during Rihoka's time as a magical girl, she was incapable of helping them fight witches due to pregnancy.

[vikkirosko]

Hello. Can I request Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth with child reader please?

Reader is 10/11 years old and is accused for the murder of her father. He was killed in their apartment, stabbed 56 times on his entire body. Reader's mother is in a critical stade in the hospital, being severely injured after falling down the stairs while running away from the gruesome scene, and is in no condition to testify.

Reader pleads guilty, but the building owner, a nice old lady who knows Reader since she was a baby and often babysit her, refuses to believe that Reader has done such a horrible thing. So she asked Wright to be her attorney, even if reader refused to have one.

Even if all the evidences are against her, and the prosecutor too, Wright made sure that the truth was revealed :

The truth is, Reader's mother killed her husband to protect her daughter. Reader's father was a horrible man, mistreating his family on a daily basic. Reader's mother had enough and killed him when he was about to hit Reader with the still hot frying pan.

Reader was so scared that she ran away but her mother followed her, tripped and fall down the stairs.

Reader felt guilty for all of this and wanted her mother ro be free and happy, so she put the blame on her.

After the audience, the hospital doctor called to say that Reader's mother has just die from her injuries.

Now alone and broken, reader resign herself of a sad and lonely life, but Miles decided to adopt her.

Thanks!

🚲 Phoenix Wright x kid!Reader x Miles Edgeworth platonic headcanons 🚘

When an old lady came to Phoenix's office, he was surprised. However, it quickly became clear that his client would not be an old lady, but you. You were a ten-year-old child who was accused of the brutal murder of his father and the attempted murder of his mother, but the worst thing was that you admitted it yourself. However, the old lady was sure that you were not guilty, she knew you almost all your life and you were always a kind and sweet child. Phoenix understood that something was wrong in this case, so he agreed to become your lawyer

When Phoenix received the case file, he was sure that you couldn't do it. Your father died from multiple stab wounds, namely fifty-six times. Your mother was in the hospital in critical condition. She was seriously injured while trying to escape and now doctors were trying to save her life, so Phoenix could not find out her version of events. You kept saying it was your fault. Because of this, you were considered guilty of murder and even tried to refuse the services of Phoenix, but there was something that calmed your lawyer. The prosecutor in this case was Edgeworth, which meant that all was not lost yet

The longer the trial went on, the more Phoenix and Edgeworth realized that you were not guilty. They both tried to get to the truth and on the third day of the trial they succeeded. That's when you told me what really happened. As it turned out, your father was a cruel man. He often raised his hand against your mom and you, and that night he beat you up again. But when he swung a hot frying pan at you, your mom didn't put up with it anymore. She stabbed him with a kitchen knife. You were very scared of this and ran away, and your mom followed you, tripped and fell down the stairs. The injuries that your father inflicted on her and the fall from the stairs led to such a serious condition. You sincerely loved your mom and wanted her to be happy and free, so you took the blame on yourself

After the trial was over, Edgeworth came to Phoenix and you. He saw that you were depressed, but he couldn't help but tell you the news that he was told on the phone. Your mother died from her injuries. When you heard about it, you couldn't contain your emotions and cried. She was the only person you could call your own, but now you had no one. You didn't know what to do next. Phoenix tried to calm you down and offered you to stay with him for a while, but Miles stopped him. He said he would take care of you. He understood that it would be difficult, because he didn't have much experience with children, but he sincerely wanted to help you

A few months later, you were officially adopted by Miles Edgeworth. It was still hard for you from losing your mother, but he tried his best to help you. Phoenix didn't stay away either. You spent a lot of time in his office, communicating with him and Maya, who sincerely sympathized with your loss and even helped you talk to your mom for the last time, who sincerely wished you happiness. Edgeworth was genuinely glad when he saw your smile when you thanked him and Phoenix for helping you. You needed time to fully move on with your life and they were both willing to be there for you to help you

[gothampubliclibrary]

Plot Bunny Adoption Corner #5

Bruce "dies" during the Final Crisis, and everything is the same as canon up until the moments after Tim discovers Dick has given the Robin mantle to Damian behind his back.

Just as before, Tim is devastated and angry at the betrayal. However, instead of lashing out and destroying the room that would eventually inspire him that Bruce is alive and sends him on BruceQuest, Tim leaves the manor and seeks out Selina Kyle.

When he gets to Selina's place, though, he discovers she's dealing with her own spiral of grief and anxiety. Earlier that same day, Selina discovered that she's pregnant with Bruce's child. Because it's Bruce's, Selina wants to keep the baby, but the idea of raising their baby alone is devastating to her.

In this moment, Tim offers to stay with Selina and help her with the baby. At first Selina is resistant because she doesn't want to take Tim from his family and responsibilities as Robin. But then he reveals to her that he's no longer Robin. That Dick chose Damian over him and he doesn't have a place among the Waynes anymore.

Selina can see how much Tim is hurting from this too. They're both loved ones of Bruce's who appear to have no place within the new Wayne family status quo. So she agrees to let him stay with her and they'll take care of each other.

They end up leaving Gotham City together. Selina doesn't want to risk having a baby in that god-forsaken city, and Tim wants to put as much distance as he can between himself and the Waynes. They end up moving to either London or Paris.

Dick is devastated at Tim running away, but he's spread so thin being Batman and keeping Damian in check that he can't spare any time to look for his wayward brother. It falls on Barbara to locate Tim.

It takes several months, but eventually she does... and she's shocked to discover that (1) he's with Selina and (2) Selina's pregnant with Bruce's new daughter. Tim reveals his side of how he lost Robin (Dick was a little light on important details of why Damian was Robin now). He also stresses to Babs that he wants to stay with Selina. He's got a responsibility to protect his new baby sister when she's finally born. Babs understands and agrees to help shield him and Selina from the prying eyes of the Waynes back in Gotham. She also promises to get a hold of Cass for him. Tim misses his big sister, but isn't sure how to find her on his own.

(Babs may also be feeling salty towards Dick and Damian on how Tim really lost the Robin mantle.)

What Babs doesn't know, though, is that even during her pregnancy, Selina's been teaching Tim all she knows about being a stealthy cat-burgler. Part of it is because it helps her pass the time as the baby grows inside her. Her pregnancy is taking a lot out of her. The other part is because Tim wants to learn so he can help Selina too. He won't just steal from anyone, but he finds himself ok with stealing from confirmed corrupt rich assholes and then sharing the ill-gotten wealth with those less fortunate in need.

In this AU, instead of becoming Red Robin, Tim becomes Stray. Instead of being a vigilante, he's more like a Robin Hood figure where he steals from the wealthy corrupt and gives back to the poor and less fortunate.

As Stray, Tim begins to shake off some of the grief and weight-of-the-world burden from his shoulders. Free of Gotham and the Waynes, and supported by Selina, Tim begins a journey of self-discovery to learn who he really is/who he wants to be/what his priorities in life are.

One of his biggest priorities: protecting his baby sister Helena once she's born as well as his new mom Selena.

[miraculous-magicalconnections]

Lycée Kingsworth Students Rewritten

Below are the rewritten backstories for Rose, Juleka, Nathaniel, Kim, and Ivan

Rose Lavillant:

Rose was born on August 13th to her parents Claire and Antoine Lavillant, along with her other parents Fujino Miki and Vanni Opizzi For most of Rose's childhood she was in and out of the hospital for her poor immune system. She got sick often, that was the main reason, but she was also diabetic and the combination of the two made her visits to the hospital more than her parents would like She was also accident prone, wanting to prove that she wasn't weak just because of how often she went to the hospital, so there were several times of her injuring herself, though thankfully most of those injuries didn't result in a hospital trip Rose also tried to be tough, to be strong, to be positive, and she was; she didn't want people to worry about her just because she wasn't as strong as other people When she was 12, she met Juleka, and Juleka told her she was the strongest person she'd ever met Rose wanted to continue to be the strongest person Juleka ever knew

Juleka Couffaine:

Juleka was born on Janurary 22nd to her parents Anarka Couffaine and a man she never truly knew. From the very little her mom would tell her about their dad, all she knew was that he wasn't the best dad Juleka's childhood was a decent one, it wasn't perfect by any means but they wouldn't trade it for the world, Luka was an amazing sibling to them and Anarka always did everything in her power to make sure everything went as well as it could for her children When she was 13, she was in a small car accident that thankfully only resulted in a broken leg. However while in her stay at the hospital, she met a girl her age named Rose. Despite being in a hospital bed and not feeling well, Rose was so positive about everything and Juleka was so confused how she could feel that way; the two became inseparable Rose would eventually confess to Juleka when they were 16/17 respectively On Juleka's 18th birthday, they and Luka got matching tattoos Juleka became a member of her siblings band "The Band of Witz" by Luka's invitation and she and Rose joined as the lead singer and bassist respectively

Nathaniel Kurtzberg:

Nathaniel was born on November 5th to his parents that not long after passed Nathaniel was in the foster care system for his entire life, going in and out of different homes many times until he eventually just aged out of the system. Throughout his life he did countless odd jobs until he could actually apply places, saving up the money to get himself an apartment, but when it came time to, Alim, Alix's dad, told him that he didn't need to and offered one of the extra apartments within the Louvre like the one the Kubdel's lived in and he was quick to take the offer

Ivan Bruel:

CW: Past Mental/Emotional Abuse and Child Neglect

Ivan was born on April 25th and adopted into his family when he was 7, and his adoptive parents Pénélope and Seraphine Bruel and eventually becoming the older brother to Sophie Ivan's life after he was adopted was filled with nothing but love and care from his family and the few friends he had over the years However during his first seven years with his birth parents, he faced nothing but neglect and emotional and mental abuse, resulting in him developing selective mutism as a coping mechanism as, to him, staying quiet is almost always better Over the years, he slowly began to unlearn the habit of going mute for days at a time, now only doing it in times of extreme stress When he was 14, he met Mylène and despite not believing in them before, he knew he had met his soulmate and tried his best to befriend her, eventually doing so by the time they were 15 and beginning to date not long before they turned 16 When he was 16, he met and become rivals with Lê Chiến Kim; truthfully neither really remember what exactly had started this rivalry, but neither had let up on it since they met

Lê Chiến Kim:

Kim was born on December 10th to his parents Lê Chiến Quan and Cleménce Mullins, however his parents wouldn't stay together long When he was 5, his parents divorced but not for any fault of their marriage, it was because they were forced to conform to society and refused who they truly were By the time Kim was 10, his parents were in happy and loving relationships, giving him his Dad Badru, his Papa Quan, His Maman Cleménce, and his Mom Aya Throughout Kim's life, he had issues with reading social cues and learning, something that very quickly caused him to fall back from his peers and even almost causing him to be held back a grade during his early education He (and his parents) would figure out he had ADHD when he was 11 and his parents helped him in any way that they could, including getting him a personal tutor but his tutor's never really stuck until the one he got when he was 16 His tutor was a year younger than him and yet was in the same grade, which wasn't that exciting since he only skipped one grade, but that wasn't what made Kim work better, it was the fact that his tutor, Max, managed to explain things to him in ways that made him understand it Eventually the two went from tutor and student, to friends, to dating three years later When he they were 17, he met and become rivals with Ivan Bruel; truthfully neither really remember what exactly had started this rivalry, but neither had let up on it since they met

[ae-neon]

REQUEST TO SPILL MORE ABOUT YOUR FANON IC PLEASE🥺🥺🥺

This is late and probably gonna be long as hell. But I love love talking about this and getting feedback, criticism, ideas etc

Context: at the time of Jurian's Rebellion, there were 8 Courts that covered Prythian from north to south.

+Mor is Illyrian and Azriel is high Fae, just trust me

The Illyrians are native to the mountain range that splits Dusk and Night but had been driven mostly into Dusk and the fringes of Night by Rhys' ancestors.

Rhys' grandfather was on a long unofficial campaign against Dusk so when the rebellion broke out and Amarantha offered Hybern's help in a deal, Dusk refused and Night accepted so they would be on opposing sides and have reason to wage war.

(Aeron & Carys are Rhysand's dad & mom)

In Aeron's time, after Amarantha has become High Queen, he completes the genocide of the Dusk High Fae by offering the illyrians a sort of autonomous rule of the Sunset Steppes. In return the Illyrian generals killed most of the Illyrian royals and nobility except the princess, Carys, who Aeron takes as his consort.

He seats Carys in Velaris as he doesn't feel that she would be entirely safe in Illyria and as a lesser Fae she won't be fully accepted in the CoN. She gets pregnant with Rhysand around 150 years after the Wall.

As a child, Rhys is taken to the CoN every now and then so the nobility acknowledges him and vice versa. But feeling like her son is being taken away, Carys mentions the importance of training to be acknowledged by the Illyrians so Aeron allows them to go to Illyria to begin Rhys' training at around 8 like all other Illyrian boys

The training includes, reading, writing, sports, hunting, fighting etc and is a lot like the Spartan Agoge - it's uniform and under the supervision of the state. In this case from the age of 8 to 25.

Anyways, here Rhys struggles to adjust to the rules of not using his magic abilities so he gets sorted into a group of 3 that's struggling a lot. The two others are Cassian and Morin, Cassian is strong and scrappy but has lots of trouble with technique and etiquette while Morin is scrawny but smart. Rhys doesn't get along with most people at the school so he isolates himself.

Under his mother's insistence and guidance, the trio help each other and start to improve.

One day, at around 12 or 14 years old, his father has a visitor, the new Lord of Day, Helion. It's custom when making an alliance that heirs will be sort of adopted by other HLs. Helion doesn't quite know what to do with Rhys, especially because they are so opposite in personality.

Still, Rhys has to visit Day often. And eventually Helion manages to make an impression on Rhys by opening his eyes to how different the world is. He also teaches him to be more tactical by putting on a mask for the court, something that gets Rhys positive attention from his father so it's a skill he hones.

Because Aeron is working under Amarantha, he is spending more and more time UtM so he wants to appoint a steward to the Hewn City and takes Rhys to meet several families who are vying for the seat.

During one of these meetings, Keir brings his bastard son to meet the HL and heir and Rhys meets Azriel for the first time.

Azriel is useful to the high lord and Keir because he has shadowsinger abilities and is Keir's bastard son therefore can be among the nobility and spy without them realising.

Aeron likes this and accepts Keir as Steward.

Using his daemati abilities, Rhys is able to understand Azriel's misery and want to please his father and the bullying he is experiencing. So Rhys publicly befriends him to boost Azriel's standing.

Still attending school, Rhys, Cassian and Morin turn 15 and undergo their first proper trial where they must survive in the wilderness. During this, Morin's identity as a girl slips to them.

Cassian and Rhys both say they know - Rhys through his daemati abilities and Cassian was told by Carys to look out for Mor. They promise to keep her secret and to complete the rite together. It brings them all closer. They pass the trial.

While visiting Day, Helion takes Rhysand to the Spring Court and he meets Tamlin and they click right away. Rhys continues to visit Tam whenever he can.

However this catches the attention of Amarantha who becomes weary of Aeron and thinks he sent Rhys there as part of another alliance pact and thinks he's secretly gathering power to overthrow her. She begins plotting to turn Spring and Night against each other.

In the meantime Carys invites Mor, Cassian and Azriel to spend Starfall with her and Rhys in Velaris. And they start a tradition.

At around 20, an incident leads to Mor being publicly found out as a girl and having the power of Truth and the Illyrian school masters call her a witch and want to have her executed. Rhys convinces his father to intervene.

Aeron is upset at Rhys for acting up but agrees that Mor could be useful so he takes her to the CoN and places her under Keir's Darkbringer legion where they will develop her power further but because she's Illyrian she is treated terribly. Rhys secretly asks Azriel to look after Mor.

Through the years, Azriel grows attached to her and one day after Mor is almost assaulted, he acts up and protects her. But Keir is disgusted, knowing he can't touch Mor, he has Azriel hurt by burning his hands.

Mor and Azriel escape to Velaris and seek sanctuary with (pregnant?) Carys since Aeron is still UtM for now and Keir cannot follow them to Velaris but Mor feels immense guilt about what happened to Azriel.

She flies back to Illyria in the middle of the night, and arrives just before the Rite starts so Rhys and Cassian tell her to secretly join them as once it begins, no one can interfere.

The three of them make it through and are ecstatic but when they descend, news arrives that Carys has been murdered

***

I can't go into much more detail because it's already so much but I hope this answers the question

Again, this is subject to change as I have a ton of scattered notes and my ideas are always evolving but essentially the key aim is to expand the canon while still keeping key elements

The Azriel and Mor swap is new so I'm still ironing that out and I might swap back if I compare and like the original better since I had that all worked out already

Amarantha is behind the feud between Spring and Night. (Can't find my notes rn so I can't elaborate further but it's a whole thing)

In essence, this is just to show how the IC formed their bonds and it led to the relationship they have now

[shin-meddlesome-hero]

Mini review: Gundam 0079 Episode 13: Coming Home

When I watched the preview of Gundam 0079 episode 13: “Coming Home” I thought that I had the general idea of what to expect: The young hero would reunite with his mother and experiment again the joys of his sheltered childhood life, he will even be tempted to remain home and stay safe. However, he has a duty to fulfill, so at the end of the episode he would leave his mother in order to continue his heroic quest while promising that he would come back once the world is saved. This type of episodes used to be common on stories depicting a young hero’s journey (off the top of my head I can mention one episode from the Saiyan Saga where Gohan manages to get back home but decides to train with Piccolo before getting to see his mom or that episode from “Remi” where the titular character leaves Mrs. Milligan -who was willing to adopt him- to continue his journey with Mr. Vitalis).

As you can expect, by the time I watched the actual episode, my expectations where upturned. If there’s something I’m starting to learn about “Gundam” is that it uses the narrative of the Hero’s Journey to hint at more bleak aspects of reality. So this particular story isn’t really about the boy who becomes a Man and therefore has to leave his mother’s side. Instead, it’s about a mother who realizes that her child has changed into someone who is able to kill without remorse, while the child doesn’t understand why his mother rejects him for doing what he knows he has to do to ensure his survival and the survival of his peers. At the end, Amuro goes on with his journey not only because it’s his duty but because at that moment, that’s the only place he belongs to. Even if his mother still lives, there’s no longer a home he can return to anymore.

The episode is a poignant story about the death of innocence. Amuro comes back to his childhood home only to find that his house is being ransacked by soldiers. Shortly after, he learns that one of the girls he used to play with when he was little has died, and his hometown is desolated. He gets to find out that his mother is alive and reunites with her only to feel her rejection after he shoots an enemy soldier in order to protect himself and the other refugees. He later goes on to vent his frustration by attacking a nearby enemy base (and presumably killing even more people).

Meanwhile, Kamaria asks why such a sweet child like his son grew up to become someone who has no regards for human life. She wonders if it’s because Amuro was raised by a man (which is preposterous because we all know that women can also raise their children into murderers #feminism /j), of course what this actually means is that she feels terribly guilty for staying on Earth instead of following her family to space, and now she doesn’t know how to face the grim reality of seeing her son turned into someone she can’t recognize anymore.

We as the audience, have seen that Amuro’s not a heartless soldier yet. His transformation has been gradual and it has taken a toll on him that manifests in severe stress and trauma. He knows that he’s killing people and has great trouble to do so when the enemy doesn’t take the form of faceless Zakus and battleships that he can destroy without any conscious remorse. But he’s unable to articulate what’s happening to him, so any chance to communicate with his mother is nullified. Mother and son are unable connect with each other and thus, they can’t be together. Amuro goes back to the only people that may understand him and Kamaria is left alone with her guilt and regret. From then on, Amuro would have to go on wherever his journey takes him even if there’s no hope that he’ll have a normal life ever again. And that’s what happens to everyone that gets involved in war.

Overall this was a great episode offering an excellent character study and a reflection of how war irrevocably changes people and the horror of seeing a loved one turning into the opposite of what once they stood for.

Also this happened to be the Swimsuit Episode for some reason, so there’s that…

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Nymphaea Thermarum 03 Knitting

“Daaaaaad!” The little voice yelled as loud as she could, somewhat dramatically from the living room. 

Frederick grinned as he listened to his mother in law struggling not to laugh out loud. “I’m coming baby girl, let me finish the pancakes!”

“Grandma’s gunna start without you though!” Lily’s little voice yelled again in worry now.

“I’ll wait for your dad, little flower,” The older woman said, still trying not to laugh, shifting on the couch.

“But you said!” came the worried protest.

“You did mom,” Jessica laughed as she came back from another, pausing in the kitchen to give the taller man a kiss. She picked up the stand trays to carry into the living room with the basket she had, “Don’t worry Lily, grandma can’t start knitting without your dad if she doesn’t have the yarn. Right?”

The tiny girl gasped as this made sense, wiggling on the center console of the couch. She was sitting back down on a cushion that was made for her by the older woman to Lily’s left. There was a small wooden, painted table on the console that the girl was trying to pull closer, then just scooted to the table instead. There were some fresh blueberries still on the table from earlier. Lily was reaching for half of one to get a bite, eyeing her human grandma just in case she magically pulled out yarn from nowhere like she sometimes did from the big carrying purse bag.

Grandma reached for that big bag, Lily’s eyes widening as she watched very intently as the wooden tv trays were set up. The little girl relaxed only somewhat as her human grandma started to set several different embroidery thread bundles to spread out beside Lily. 

“Here baby girl, pick one you like,” The older woman said, making sure each bundle was not tangled. “Ah! I’ve found another shop online!”

“What did you find mom?” Jessica asked as she made sure everyone had left projects and that Lily had enough water before helping to get everyone their brunch in the tv trays. 

“I found some more miniature looms,” Grandma said, taking a moment to be sure Lily’s pick of thread had no knots, as well as the girl was getting plenty of food as Frederick sat down on the other side of the couch.

“But you gave me two?” Lily asked in a baffled tone, but then she brightened at the big spoon and offered the little pancake drops that were just perfect for two big pancakes for herself. “Thank you dad!”

“I did get you some, but its not what I hoped it would be, I want you to have a good loom to give you wide fabrics for making cloths and other things.” The grandma explained, sharing a little bit of soft chocolate chip from her pancake with her tiny grandchild. 

“You want some syrup or strawberries baby girl?” The man asked as he settled down. Smiling at the cheer for the latter of the two. Giving her some of the strawberry syrup and soft berry. Knowing full well Lily likely would not finish her food but that was okay, as most of it could be nibbled on throughout the day. 

Grandma waited until the movie was playing, and everyone had some time to happily munch away before settling back in her seat. It was a planned relaxed day, and the family settled for a group crafting day basically. Grandma taught the other three, but mostly Lily and her adopted father how to do a new thing in knitting while watching a new documentary on textile history.