Stephen Maturin is great because he’s cat-like in the sense that on his own turf he’s a dangerous and highly effective predator contributing to the extinction of many species (non-British intelligence agencies, common diseases among sailors) but in any other context he’s just a little guy. just a little dude. adults, children, and even some animals take one look and go ‘is anybody gonna adopt that guy?’ and then don’t wait for an answer.
Apocalyptic ROTTMNT future headcanon/au where it's largely the same except Donnie experiences physical trauma to the larynx from getting tortured by the Krang so now he has to talk with a robot voice and/or some kind of aac device (this came to me while driving and listening to Goodbye to a World by Porter Robinson)
The idea of always wanting to be the victim in circumstances where you have been offended is a common human trait. Each person wants to be viewed as the aggrieved party.
Stephen Richards, The Pain You Feel Today Is The Strength You Feel Tomorrow