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Chapter 17 of Human Bill Causes Problems And Ruins Relationships On Purpose (title TBD), featuring: Mabel and Ford, not letting their relationship be ruined.

They're gonna be okay.

Also: weird donuts, cool crystals, and summer class.

####

Mabel was out of sight by the time Ford exited the shop—stupid, why hadn't he chased her the second he saw her run? He knew Mabel was fast. He circled the block calling her name—there was nowhere she could have gone, this mixed-use building was surrounded by residential houses—and then he hurried back to the parking garage, worst case scenarios tumbling through his head.

When he spied her leaning against the trunk of Stan's car, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Mabel! You shouldn't run off like that in a strange city. Anything could have happened."

Mabel tightened her crossed arms, glaring at her shoes. "I'm better at taking care of myself than you think."

Ford's shoulders slumped. He stood there useless, the silence thick between them, grappling for something to say to cut through it.

He never did well with these thick, awkward, choking moments—the moment before Stan left home, the moment after Fiddleford left the portal project, all the moments on the phone with his parents or with Shermie when he couldn't think of anything they'd be truly interested to hear about his life or any questions he truly wanted them to answer. He'd lost a lot of relationships in those moments. "Mabel—you're not in trouble, and I'm... I'm not mad at you."

"Being disappointed isn't better."

"I'm not disappointed, either. Just... concerned."

Wrong word. Mabel looked up at Ford with a dark, furious look that reminded him unnervingly of a look Bill had given him a few days ago. (He still hadn't learned to identify this as the hallmark gaze of the defiant teenager.) Then she glared at the ground again. "I wanna go home."

If he took her home, it would be an agonizing hour and a half silence—and what were the odds she'd just run to Bill and tell him he'd been "right," and he'd fill her head with more poison? It was far too late to forbid her from talking to him without exacerbating the situation. Ford could force her to stay right here in Portland until he'd talked to her—he had the keys, the driver's license, and almost fifty years' seniority—but if he did that, she'd tune out anything he said.

And she'd be right to. Who was he to her except the other uncle, the one who'd spent a year lavishing attention on her brother and only asked to spend time with her as a trap to give her a lecture?

He leaned on the car trunk next to her and looked down at the top of Mabel's head. She was wearing a headband studded with rhinestones and plastic ruby earrings. She'd dressed up for this. Ford swallowed hard. "Mabel, I'm an idiot."

She didn't say anything.

"I am. I'm a fool. I put all my skill points in intelligence and zero in charisma." He paused. "Which... that sentence probably makes self-evident." He cleared his throat. "I started out bad at socializing, and not interacting with humans for thirty years didn't make me any better. So I don't have any idea what I'm doing here. But... I asked you to come here with me because I really do want to spend more time with you; and because Bill hurt me, and I love you too much not to make sure you're protected against him doing the same to you."

He put a hand on her shoulder, and when she didn't tense up or pull away, he went on: "I think I tried to do too much in one trip, and it just made what should have been a fun time... awkward for you. But, if it helps, it's awkward for me, too. We can be awkward together. We're on the same side, I promise."

Mabel let out a loud, snotty sniff. "You... really do wanna hang out with me?" Quieter, she asked, "Not just Dipper?"

"Of course I do!" Ford said. "But I don't blame you for doubting me. I... know I've spent less time with you than with Dipper. I thought he needed me more. I'm sorry it took this to make me make time for you like I should have all along."

"Was... was there ever really a crystal store on the highway?"

"There was! I promise! I honestly don't know what happened to it! Maybe when I was coming from the airport Soos took a different exit than I thought? Or maybe a truck got between us and the sign as we were passing it and we didn't realize, but—"

He was getting off topic. The mystery of the crystal store wasn't what was important here. Reel in the puzzled scientist for a moment and be an uncle. "But—I swear Mabel, I didn't make up a story just to get you out here. I truly wanted to go to a crystal shop with you, hand on my heart." He put his hand on his heart. "That's a full finger more sincere than normal."

Mabel let out a choked giggle. She finally looked up at Ford, eyes red, cheeks tear streaked, but fighting to smile through her tears. "Grunkle Ford, I—" She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his sweater. "I'm not trying to ruin summer again, I promise! All I'm talking to Bill about is preschool cartoons and arts & crafts! Sure, he's—he's been nice since I helped him out, but—that doesn't mean I've forgotten who he is or what he can do..."

"Mabel, you didn't ruin last summer." Ford knelt down and hugged her back. "Bill did. Never forget that. I'm just trying to prevent him from doing it again."

Mabel nodded, unconvinced. "He couldn't have ruined it by himself."

"You're right. He couldn't. Which is why I was so wrong to keep the rift secret from everyone in the house but Dipper. I was trying to keep you safe, but you never would have fallen for his lies if I'd armed you with all the information you needed."

He leaned back from Mabel and patted his briefcase. "That's why I'm doing things properly this time! I'm prepared to educate you on every trick Bill has ever borrowed from the books of con artists, cult leaders, and serial manipulators. If you're going to talk to him, you'll know the rules of every mind game he plays before he starts playing them." He unzipped his briefcase and pulled out some of the research materials he'd assembled to prepare for this conversation. "I'm afraid even that might not be enough to fully protect you against his devious tricks, but if you keep your guard up and regularly check in with the rest of the family, then—"

Mabel looked in Ford's briefcase and exploded in a peal of laughter. "Grunkle Ford, are you making me go to school in the summer?! Gross!"

Ford blinked. If this was Dipper, he'd have been delighted at the educational opportunity. This just went to show how much he still needed to learn about Mabel, too. "Come now, Mabel. There's no greater defense against the shadowy forces of deception than the light of knowledge!"

Mabel laughed again. "You nerd!"

Ford grinned. "But, I'll try to make it fun, too."

"Okay, I'll take your psychology class. Bill-proof me! Arm me with knowledge!" She raised her arms like she was flexing her biceps.

"Great!" Ford rummaged through his briefcase. "I'll start with the broad strategies I've seen or heard of him using to isolate his victims, then narrow in on specific tactics he uses to steer conversations his way. First we'll go over the B.I.T.E. model of authoritarian control, and—"

Mabel put a hand on his shoulder. "How about we start with lunch?"

Ford paused, then let out a huff. "Yes, of course. We should eat."

They got in the car and went looking for a restaurant.

####

They had lunch at a burger place, and Ford told Mabel everything he could think of about how Bill operated—all guided by copious research notes.

To his relief, Mabel never got bored. Instead, she immediately related his lesson back to things she'd already seen Bill do: how easily he'd gotten her, Dipper, and Soos to do his job for him inside Stan's mind, or how he'd tried to turn Mabel and Dipper against each other during Mabel's puppet show. When she admitted what Bill had said to make her worry about talking to Ford, he confessed how Bill had turned him against Fiddleford—and how he'd done it with just a couple comments. All he'd had to say was that Fiddleford might not be committed enough to the portal project, might not be bold enough to finish, and Ford's mind had done the rest.

Ford hadn't even told Dipper about that part—instead, he'd just let Dipper read it in his journal. Ford had yet to so much as talk to Fiddleford himself about it. It was shameful to admit out loud; but less so when he knew he was talking to someone else who'd very nearly been fooled the same way—and that sharing his story might save her from repeating it.

They wrapped up lunch, moved to a nearby shop called Druid Donuts for dessert, and continued their conversation on one of the picnic tables outside. Mabel got a donut wizard with a pretzel stick wand and purple cream filling, and Ford tried out a donut with jelly beans on top. The jelly beans were kinda stale. He plucked them off and ate them anyway.

Mabel sighed, "Grunkle Ford, I'm so sorry I let Bill make me doubt you."

"Bill has that effect on people. When I had this same talk with Dipper, he tried to shoot me with the memory gun in case Bill was possessing me."

"Dipper never mentioned that!" Mabel laughed; but it quickly petered out as she remembered who had ultimately gotten memory gunned over Bill.

She gazed thoughtfully down at her wizard. (She'd eaten off one of his arms, half his robe, and licked out the purple cream filling.) "What made Bill so awful?"

"I sorely wish I knew," Ford said. "I spent half my life trying to find out where he came from, along with how to defeat him. All I ever learned is that he's from a two-dimensional realm—and he destroyed his dimension, friends and family included, for power."

Mabel's eyes widened.

"But... why? I still don't know. He told me he found his home 'restrictive'—but I imagine any limitations would feel restrictive to someone who's seeking omnipotence, so I have no idea what that truly means." Ford looked down at his donut. He'd plucked off all the jelly beans and sorted them into two piles on a napkin, one of regular beans and a smaller one with a few deformed ones. He popped a couple of beans in his mouth.

"It's weird," Mabel said. "It's like... I'm trying to hate him, but it's hard. It was easy last year! And I know who he is, and I know that all this"—she pointed at Ford's bag full of notes—"is going on in his head, but—when I talk to him, he just seems like... not a different person, but a—a normal person. I don't want to not give that person a chance just because he's Bill. You know? Does that make sense?" Mabel grimaced. "Or is that just how good he is at acting?"

Softly, Ford said, "I think it does make sense. Actually, even after everything he's done to me... since he's been locked up with us, I've—had a moment or two like that. I don't think he's doing it on purpose. I think it's a natural side effect of being in such close proximity to him."

Ford had been thinking a lot about his bizarre burst of compassion on the night Bill burned off his hair. He'd wondered if, maybe, putting a human face over Bill had made Ford see him as a new person. But that wasn't right. Like Mabel had said: Ford didn't see this human Bill as a different person, but rather...

Ford had obsessed over Bill for thirty years. He'd combed the multiverse for information about Bill's history, his state of existence, his potential weaknesses. But in all that time—in all that time, he hadn't once spoken with Bill.

He'd spent half a lifetime moving amongst people who saw Bill as a symbol, a legend, a cosmic force. He'd come to see Bill the same way. A threat, a target, an idea. He'd spent so many years picking a scant few hours of conversation with Bill to shreds that—he was now beginning to realize—he'd half convinced himself that Bill didn't actually have an identity beneath his lies.

It wasn't that seeing a human face made Ford forget that this person was Bill. It was that seeing a human face made Ford remember that Bill was a person. Ford had gotten so used to hating Bill the symbol; had he ever learned how to hate Bill the person? Or had he just let himself believe Bill wasn't a person at all?

Treating Bill like an idea rather than a person was useful enough when Bill was some distant foe. But now Bill was here. Ford couldn't let himself go soft just because Bill was capable of filling space in a window seat and tripping on the furniture and waking screaming from nightmares and regretting a stupid haircut.

Bill had been a person every other time Ford had tried to kill him, too. And that didn't change the fact that he needed to die.

And Mabel—who had so much less practice with hatred than Ford had—was struggling with the same thing.

"You want him to make sense," Ford said. "I understand that completely. Once we see somebody as a person, it's hard to see them as a monster, even if that's what they are. Our minds think monsters want to destroy the world, not play weird chess games. Seeing him as just a monster would be safer for everyone—but, as long as he's imprisoned and powerless, all he can do is be a person."

Mabel thought that over. "Yeah," she said. "You can hate somebody or you can get to know them, but you can't do both."

Ford could think of a few people he'd only hated more the better he got to know them, but he supposed Mabel was kinder than him. "More or less."

"How do you deal with it?"

"By avoiding him."

Mabel's gaze dropped back to her donut wizard. She ate his wand and other arm.

Ford took a deep breath. "Mabel... knowing everything you know now, do you still want to keep talking to him?"

Her neck sank down into her turtleneck. "Do I fail your class if I say yeah?"

Ford smiled sadly. Was she too kind for her own good, or—like Ford—too curious? "I thought you might say that," he said. "Follow-up question: are you prepared to be disappointed when he doesn't live up to your hopes? And I do mean 'when,' not 'if.' You're offering him a charity I don't think he's capable of reciprocating."

If she'd gotten angry, if she'd gotten defensive, he would have worried more. But she laughed and said, "Grunkle Ford, last summer I got my heart broken by like, sixteen boys. After that, I can handle finding out the evil demon triangle I'm trying to reform is still an evil demon. I'll be impressed if he ever gets an opportunity to kill one of us and doesn't take it."

Ford chuckled, relieved. "I think you deserve to hang out with people you can hold to higher standards than that."

"I do! But the other people I hang out with don't wanna watch the same shows as me. I don't think I can make you understand how important that is."

On the one hand, that struck Ford as a very thirteen-year-old priority. On the other hand... He winced. "Actually... for a while, he was the only person that would play Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons with me."

"WHAT! What kind of character did he play!"

"None. He always wanted to be the dungeon master," Ford said. "He ran very strange campaigns. And had a weird fascination with princesses with eyeballs for heads. And, in retrospect, it was probably a red flag when he decided to portray the God of Long Odds as a one-eyed golden triangle."

Mabel at least had the good grace to bite her lip instead of laughing at Ford.

"Well. I don't think you should want to talk to him. But, if you do... then you have a rare opportunity. Perhaps the first in multiversal history. Bill's our captive, he seems to trust you, he's motivated to make you trust him... I think if anyone's ever had a chance of finding out what made him like he is, it might be you. Perhaps you'll get your question answered."

"Grunkle Ford..." Mabel grinned slyly. "Are you saying that you want me to talk to him? Like, as a spy?"

Ford grimaced. "If I said that, that would make me a terrible uncle. I should be doing everything in my power to steer you away from him. I know that would be safer for everyone and healthier for you." He paused. "But. I can't control you. And as long as you've decided to talk to him anyway—I want to know everything you learn."

Mabel laughed. "You got it!"

"Final advice: don't trust anything he says, assume everything he does has an ulterior motive, and never agree to do anything he asks without twenty-four hours away from him to consider it. And keep talking to us—to me, to Dipper, to Stanley. He might fool one of us, but he can't fool all of us."

"Yeah!" Mabel raised a hand. "Pines power!"

"Pines power." Ford high-sixed her, then finished up his donut. "Well, I think this was very educational for both of us." He stood. "You've still got your $50. Want to go back to the crystal shop?"

####

They grabbed a big green box of donuts for the family and headed back to Lunar Blessings. While Mabel was agonizing over several fun-colored crystals, Ford wandered back toward the statue of Bill. He had to do something about this. "Excuse me." He waved down the shopkeeper. "Do you happen to know where this sculpture came from? The name of the artist, or...?"

She came over to study it. "I think we get all of these from a studio in the Bahamas, but I don't remember the artist off the top of my head. Why?"

He tried to think of a lie that sounded more realistic than the truth—maybe if he said he thought he recognized the art style and wanted to know if an old friend had made it, she'd be willing to dig up the artist's name?

He decided to go with a story that might get this thing off the shelf faster. "Because that particular depiction of the Eye of Providence is associated with a dangerous cult."

Her brows went up. "You're sure? It's a common symbol."

"Giving it eyelashes and a bow tie isn't. Trust me: either the artist is a cultist, or they got the design from somebody who is."

"Cult's a... pretty loaded word." (Ford grudgingly respected her for her wariness. She probably dealt with somebody calling something-or-other in this shop "cultish" on a daily basis.) "How do you know they're that bad?"

"Because once I got in, it took me thirty years to get out."

The shopkeeper's demeanor changed immediately. "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. We get these in bulk with a lot of other sculptures, I thought it was just some obscure... Are these people dangerous, or—?"

"Not as much as they used to be, I don't think. Their founder's incarcerated. But... the kind of people who'd be eager to buy this probably aren't the people you want to sell to."

As she eyed the sculpture skeptically—probably deciding whether she found this stranger's story credible enough to warrant taking merch off her shelves—Ford asked, "Do you think you could find the artist? With the founder gone, I... I've been wondering how his other victims are faring." There wasn't much point in pushing further to remove the item. He'd given the shopkeeper enough to think about, and he doubted one more statue on one more shelf would really do any harm while Bill couldn't use its eye.

She hesitated, then nodded. "I'll check our records. If we don't have it, you can give me your contact info and I'll let you know when I find out."

"Thank you." What would Ford say if he did meet another of Bill's victims? He'd known a few, very distantly, thirty years ago; Bill had told him who he could go to to get art, much like the sculpture in this store. Back then, he'd felt like he was in a secret society—a real secret society with real secrets, not like the corny social club styling itself a "secret society" he'd joined in college—with the double secret that none of the other members knew that Ford was the society president's favorite. In retrospect, they'd probably thought they were Bill's favorites, too.

He supposed he'd find out if he ever met the artist.

####

Mabel found a little pink cat figurine, a string of small nazar eye beads she thought would be great for crafts, an extremely small crystal naturally colored like a watermelon slice, and a bracelet made out of tiny colorful rock chips arranged in a rainbow. The shopkeeper wasn't able to find the artist's name before they left; but Ford left his name, address, and the shack's number on a piece of receipt paper so she could contact him if she found out more.

As they were leaving, Ford said to Mabel, "You know... if you still like those glass pyramids, I think there's a couple in my study that escaped the purge. You could have one."

"Really? You're sure? You don't have to..."

"I'm sure. They're not magical or dangerous—and I think I'd like for one of them to get new, better associations. Just, keep it in a room where Bill can't get his hands on it," Ford said. "But if he does see it... make up a story about it that will drive him crazy."

Mabel considered that. And then a wicked smile twisted up her face.

####

"Okay, your turn," Mabel said. She was slouched down in her seat with her feet up on the car's dashboard. "Befriend, betray, or betroth: Carl Sagan, the Queen of England, and... a wizard."

Ford sucked in a breath. "Ooh, that's tough." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Describe the wizard."

"Greatest wizard of all time! And his beard is like, ten feet long."

Ford pursed his lips as he thought. "Marry the wizard," he said. "As much as I admire Carl's mind, he freely shares his knowledge with the public. Wizards are far more reclusive. Marriage may be my only way to learn his secrets."

"The queen isn't even on the table?"

"I've been a king before, Mabel. Too many social obligations for me," Ford said. "I suppose I'll have to befriend the queen. I can't afford to make any more powerful enemies. Anyway, it could give me an opportunity to ask about some of the legends surrounding Buckingham Palace."

"So you'd betray...?"

Ford frowned deeply. "This game is vicious."

Mabel laughed. "I won't tell him!"

"I appreciate it," Ford said. "All right, your turn. Befriend, betray, or betroth: a president, a movie star, and an astronaut."

Mabel paused. Mabel thought about the guy on the $10 bill—who, she was sure, was definitely a president, or else they wouldn't have put him on a bill. Mabel said, "Which president?"

He'd meant the concept of a president, but. "Uh..."

Mabel gasped and sat up straight. "Grunkle Ford, look!" She pointed out the driver's side window.

"Wh—?" Ford gaped as they drove past a tall pole topped with a gray sign. The sign read, "OCCULTED CRYSTALS". Beneath the words was a glass window shaped like a cut diamond.

"Is that—?"

"That's it!" Ford swerved into the exit lane. "You're not getting away this time, you sonofagun!"

"I've still got like two dollars! Let's do this!"

They celebrated and congratulated each other as they descended onto the frontage road and made a U-turn under the highway.

On the other side, there was no trace of the sign. All they found was a strip of five nondescript whitewashed storefronts, all out of business, with a narrow weed-filled parking lot in front.

Mabel and Ford exchanged a baffled look.

Ford pulled into the empty parking lot and stepped out of the car. "It was here, wasn't it?" he asked. "It can't have been farther back than this." He squinted to the west, shielding his eyes with his hand. No signs that way, and no trees or buildings tall enough to be hiding one.

"Maybe it's a time travel thing!" Mabel jumped out of the car and ran to the abandoned stores, peering through the windows one at a time to see if any looked like a former crystal shop.

Ford glanced warily at a concrete block along the edge of the parking lot that looked like it might once have supported a pole. "Hmm."

Eventually, when they couldn't find anything, they slunk back into the car, got on the frontage road, took the next U-turn, and got back on the highway.

The diamond-windowed Occulted Crystals sign taunted them from the horizon.

They stared dumbly at it.

Mabel pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.

"What are you?" Ford asked the sign. "Is it invisible on its other side?"

Mabel turned in her seat and peered through the back window as they passed it. "Still visible!"

"Then can it only be seen if you're traveling east on the highway?" Ford mused. "But you'd have to be westbound to take an exit that reaches that location. It's impossible to access."

"What if you're traveling west but you drive the car backwards!"

Ford mulled over that. "For starters, we'd probably get pulled over." Ford glanced down at the car's clock. "It's getting late, too. We can't procrastinate anymore if we want to be home in time for dinner."

The sign had disappeared behind them. Mabel turned back around and settled in her seat. "I think this calls for a follow-up investigation later, don't you?"

Ford grinned. "I had the exact same thought."

####

"... And that's how we realized it wasn't Louisa who had slashed Sarah's tires," Abuelita said, "it was Arthur! Can you believe it? Arthur!" She turned away from the stove to look at Bill, eyebrows raised, making sure he fully appreciated this twist.

Sitting backwards on one of the kitchen chairs, he shrugged. "I can't blame him. Every man has his limit. And Sarah's been pushing his for weeks." He took a swig from a bottle of spoiled grape juice.

"Stop drinking my cooking wine," Abuelita said. "Sure, but Arthur's so passive! I thought he'd have a nervous breakdown long before he ever took action! Anyway, things just haven't been the same since he got arrested."

Bill shook his head sympathetically. "I tell you. This town's bingo hall is really going to the dogs."

The front door swung open, and Mabel's voice drifted in: "Betroth the vampire, of course. And—is it possible to betray a zombie? Do they understand loyalty? When Soos got turned..."

Bill perked up, set the juice bottle on the kitchen table, and got to his feet, immediately drawn to a more rewarding distraction. "I'll get out of your hair," he told Abuelita, and switched to English. "Hey, Shooting Star and Sixer!" He leaned against the kitchen doorway. "How were the crystals?"

"Great! I got a watermelon rock and a cat and some beads and the coolest bracelet!" She raised her hand and twisted it back and forth, making the rock chips click together. "And donuts!" She shoved a big green open box in Bill's face. "You're allowed to take one. Only one."

He grabbed the yellowest one he saw and bit in. "Huh. Piña colada. Weird." He took another bite and leaned around the open box lid to look at Mabel. "So. Did you two have fun?"

"Yes! It was a blast!" Mabel gushed. "We got lunch in Portland, and we talked foreverrr, and we've got more in common than I ever imagined, and we're gonna make more trips to Portland soon! I think it really brought us closer together."

"Huh." Bill's gaze flicked up to Ford. "How about that." Ford's face betrayed nothing. Bill looked back at Mabel and grinned wider. "Glad he's less of a killjoy than I thought."

"Pffft! You know he knows how to have fun," Mabel said. "Mr. God of Long Odds."

Bill's eyebrows shot up.

Mabel squeezed past Bill into the kitchen. "Abuelita, if you want a donut, I'm putting them in the bottom left cabinet with the pots."

"Thank you, Mabel."

"I'm taking Ford to the record store to introduce him to late 80's music," Mabel went on. "And we saw a crystal shop that isn't there depending on which way you're driving! Whaaat! Crazy, right!"

"Oh, you found Occulted Crystals?" Now Bill's grin was aimed at Ford. "I know you didn't get that bracelet there. Didn't figure out how to get in?" He winked. "Do you want to?"

Ford's expression darkened; but before he could say anything, Mabel darted back into the entryway. "No! No spoilers! You'll ruin the fun of figuring it out!"

Bill laughed. "Okay, fine! Just one safety tip: never go looking for it on an empty stomach."

Mabel gave him a distrustful look. "Will that help us get in?"

"It'll help you get back out."

She nodded slowly. "Good to know." She hugged Ford. "I'll be right back! I haven't been to the bathroom since lunch." She bounded upstairs.

Leaving Ford with Bill.

Bill simply smiled. "You talked about DD&MD? That takes me back."

"I know what you're up to, you snake," Ford said. "And it's not going to work. At least leave her out of it."

"Hey, you can't blame me for worrying about her," Bill said. "She's such a caring little thing. And you don't have a strong history of family loyalty."

Ford's hands curled into fists; but he forced himself to turn away from Bill without acknowledging him, and headed for his and Stan's guest room.

"But hey," Bill called after him. "I really am thrilled to see you two getting along so well."

Nothing in Bill's tone sounded sarcastic. Ford paused and glanced back at him suspiciously; but then he shook his head and kept going.

Bill's smile faded. He made a rude gesture at Ford's back; then returned to his post at the kitchen table to listen to Abuelita's gossip and make sure she didn't touch the poison.

####

(Thank y'all for not pulling out the pitchforks at the end of last chapter lol. If you enjoyed, I'd appreciate a comment or reblog! Thanks! 💕)

#mabel pines #grunkle ford #(for the art)#bill cipher #human bill cipher #(for the fic)#gravity falls #gravity falls fanart #gravity falls fic #my writing #my art #bill goldilocks cipher

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cinderella-ish · 4 months

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Fruits Basket Queer Headcanons

The more I watch and read Fruits Basket, the more I get the sense that no one is straight here. Well... almost no one. So, in honor of pride month, here are my queer headcanons for the cast of Fruits Basket!

(Disclaimer that these are my own personal headcanons, obviously nothing official, etc... I try to draw on evidence from the text, but I'll admit I'm occasionally going purely off vibe. Also, I'm bi and genderfluid, so that's the lens I'm bringing to this. I'd love to hear your headcanons, especially if they differ from mine! Enjoy!)

Genderfluid and/or genderqueer: Ayame and Ritsu

I (probably somewhat controversially) think a lot of the gender non-conformity among Fruits Basket characters is just that: gender non-conformity. Momiji is one example; he dresses in girls' clothing (though not "like a girl") until his growth spurt, but it seems important to him to be seen as a man from at least that point forward.

Ritsu is someone whose gender identity and/or nonconformity really should've been explored more in the manga - as written, it feels like Ritsu's exploration of gender was viewed as something he'd grow out of, rather than a search for understanding himself. He doesn't really seem to mind being identified as either male or female, though he obviously feels a lot of shame about his comfort with wearing women's clothes (though no one around him when we meet him really seems to mind, which is nice-- I also appreciate that Ritsu was shown to have friends who adore him outside of the Sohmas). Anyway, the fact that he seems okay with being referred to as both a man and a woman is the entire basis for this headcanon.

Ritsu also idolizes Ayame, and I think part of this stems from Ayame's own security in his non-traditional gender presentation. We don't really get a lot of Ayame's thoughts on gender, despite his line of work, but he strikes me as the sort of person who would enjoy playing with his own gender presentation and would be more than open to exploring his gender identity (and probably has!). I think Ayame would lean more toward having an expansive view of masculinity rather than dressing more feminine when he feels more feminine, but I also think he would embrace the different ways people might perceive his gender.

Transgender Woman: Akito Sohma

This I think is quite clear in canon. Akito was assigned male at birth, then transitioned to female.

What makes it hard for some people to see Akito as trans is that the reason she was assigned male at birth was not the typical reason people are assigned male at birth in our world (it was her mother's demand, rather than a guess based on the shape of her genitals), but I don't think that makes her any less trans.

Under the Ace and/or Aro Umbrellas

This umbrella is a little tricky for several of these characters, because they've been forbidden from dating, or had very controlling parents, or thought they'd only hurt anyone they loved, so they haven't necessarily had time to figure out whether they've just repressed that part of themselves or they just don't experience attraction at all/without a strong emotional connection first. (Not everyone needs time to figure that out, though!) But anyway, here's who I think would eventually find themselves under at least one of these umbrellas!

Asexual/Aromantic: Kazuma

I love the tidbit that Kazuma tried dating women, but talked so much about Kyo that he never got a second date. I like the interpretation of him as a gay man, but to me, he reads as asexual/aromantic. Dating just doesn't even seem to be on his radar!

Demisexual/Demiromantic: Kyo, Shigure, Machi

A lot of the fandom sees Kyo as demi, and I'm totally here for that interpretation of him. He generally seems annoyed by or frightened of girls who aren't Tohru (frightened either when there's a risk of transforming, or when Kagura is involved). Also, it's CUTE that Kyo takes after his dad (Kazuma) in this way.

At first blush, it seems very unlikely Shigure is under the ace umbrella, but I couldn't stop thinking about his brief relationship with Mayu. He's the one who suggested they date, yet he seemed completely disinterested in her. He did sleep with Ren, but that was only for revenge and because he imagined Akito would look like her if she'd been allowed to grow up as a woman. I genuinely believe all his "high school girls" ickiness was an act, much like most of his personality.

It doesn't seem like Machi can totally tell if/when she likes something (or someone!). This makes me wonder if she's just never had feelings for anyone before Yuki.

Demiromantic: Rin, Hiro

Rin seems open to sexual relations with people other than Haru, but I genuinely can't see her having romantic feelings for anyone other than him. I see Hiro similarly with respect to Kisa. I think, if they ever split, it would take an extremely long time for him to even be open to falling for someone else.

Under the Bi/Pan+ Umbrella

So, I'm not making a distinction between these two (and other orientations that fall under the same umbrella, like poly- or omnisexual) because that seems like a very personal, internal conversation. I know some people make a distinction between the way bi and pan people experience attraction, but some don't, and that feels too prescriptivist for my purposes here. So, these are characters who I think experience attraction to multiple genders!

Tohru obviously falls for Kyo, but she also thinks Akito is cute, she thinks Rin is "shapely" and "beautiful" (her words!), and she goes along with it when Saki talks about them getting married.

Yuki ends up with Machi (and I love them together!) but I think Kyo was his first crush. His arc is also very relatable for a lot of queer folks (myself included!). And he's a disaster. Long live bisexual disaster Yuki Sohma!

Shigure is tricky, because the flirtation between him and Ayame could just be a joke, but I personally think it's a joke that arose out of some fun nights spent together...

Akito obviously likes men, but she also flirts with Tohru when they first meet.

Saki talks about marrying both Tohru and Kazuma. She's probably joking about Kazuma, but she's generally a very literal person, so I don't think she's joking about Tohru. She also marries a foreigner canonically, and that foreigner is probably a man.

Momiji talks about finding an amazing sweetheart-- not an amazing wife or girlfriend!!-- one day. I think he was being very intentional in not specifying his future partner's gender.

Hatori is the one I feel least sure of, but my headcanon is that he gets so annoyed and embarrassed by Shigure and Ayame because he doesn't want anyone to know he was totally part of at least a few of those trysts...

Mutsuki and Hajime are definitely together, right? And it seems like the fandom mostly sees Mutsuki as bi, which... yeah, that tracks.

Hatsuharu's first love was Yuki, and his last love was Rin.

Kakeru has a girlfriend, but for some reason, I have it in my head that he always refers to Kyo as Yuki's "hot cousin"? Did I just imagine that? Anyway... even if I did make that up, I think his backstory is a great analogy for the experience of coming out. He was trying to fit in a box and decided he was done with it. Pure chaotic bi energy.

For Ayame, see Shigure and Hatori above. (Also, “I am a bottom ALL THE WAY!!!”)

Mine is admittedly here just based on vibes.

Mitsuru likes Ritsu even though she's not entirely sure of Ritsu's gender!

Kimi is also here purely based on vibes.

Gay and Lesbian

Hiroshi has always struck me as gay. I can't really explain it. I usually have absolutely awful gaydar, so it's odd that he gives me such clear gay vibes. I wrote him as gay in my longfic, Bloom Within Us, and I'll probably always write him as gay.

President Takei obviously has a crush on Yuki. We don't really see him show interest in anyone else (partially because he's such a minor character). He also seems to still be a bachelor in Another, which could be because he can't legally marry yet...

My headcanon that Kunimitsu is gay kind of popped up as I was writing Bloom Within Us. There's no particular reason, and he doesn't give me strong gay vibes or anything.

Hajime and Mutsuki are definitely a couple! (Right?!) And it seems like most of the fandom sees Hajime as gay which... yeah, I can get behind that.

Akimoto (Arisa's senpai from her gang) is another character who gives me such strong vibes that I thought it was canon that she was a lesbian. Whoops. Anyway, I headcanon that Akimoto is gay, and referenced that in one of my oneshots.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Controversial omission: Arisa Uotani. She says she likes Kureno because he reminds her of Tohru, but she doesn't like Tohru? Yes, she gives me major queer vibes but this to me points to her being straight. Also, based on the way she reacts to her friends developing crushes or falling in love (and the way they react to her falling in love), I don't think there's anything between her and Saki or her and Tohru (as much as I love fics that pair her with Saki!). I also think not every relationship with lots of physical affection and strong feelings of love has to be romantic.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading my queer headcanons! This has been in my drafts for months, so I'm really glad Pride Month gave me a reason to finish this post!

Happy Pride!

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biscuits-of-bagend · 3 months

Text

DnDoc #2 - Reunion

Part #1

---

As the Doctor and Ruby dragged Rogue to his feet, his eyes started to water and he lost all sense of depth perception in the transcendent dimensions of the TARDIS. The round things were bobbing up and down across his vision, mixing with little red spots that had probably come from standing up too fast. It was like he was looking out the window of his spaceship at a starscape he was passing, except really really hungover.

Rogue was aware he was considerably taller than the two people dragging him along, so he did his best to put weight on his feet as they led him up to the living quarters. His legs had got him this far; they could get him a little further. It was just that they had buckled as soon as he'd seen the inside of this machine, as soon as the Doctor had come rushing towards him, as soon as he knew that he had finally made it back.

There were words buzzing formlessly around in his mind but every time he tried to get hold of one to start saying something he got a stab of pain behind his eyes and clearly the Doctor could tell because he kept shushing him and telling him firmly not to rush. Finally they got him into a small room with two black leather futons. They had ergonomic curves at the head and the knees so that he wasn't lying completely flat, and the headrest was so soft that his tired neck relaxed and he could concentrate on keeping his eyes open.

The Doctor perched on the other futon, setting the empty water cup on a little end-table between the heads of the two futons.

"Oh hey, I'll refill that," said Ruby. "Pass it here?"

She and the Doctor shared some sort of eye-contact communication as the Doctor handed her the cup. She looked from him to Rogue and back.

"Just want to say, Rogue, I know you sort of did it for him as well but thank you so much for, you know, saving my life. That was amazing." She raised the empty cup as if in a cheers. "So… I'll leave you two to catch up." Then she ducked out of the room and swung the door closed behind her.

Rogue turned his head slightly to the left so that he was actually looking at the Doctor. "Is she trying to wing-woman you or is she actually going to bring me more water?"

"Um… maybe both? She'll probably, you know, dawdle," said the Doctor, pressing his fingertips together a couple of times as he searched for the word.

"Oh good, dawdling is good," said Rogue, enjoying this brief moment of awkwardness from the Doctor. He'd get settled down soon, be smooth as hell. But Rogue remembered how flustered he'd got in the moment when that identifying papers gadget had called Rogue hot, the first second since they'd met where it seemed like the Doctor might have been aware he was not totally in control of the situation. Now that was hot. Of course, then everything had gotten much more dramatic and had almost ended in disaster. That stupid button had almost ruined everything; if anything it had had as much redemption as Rogue himself.

"Rogue? You alright?" the Doctor said. "You're spacing out again."

"Ah, sorry," said Rogue. "It's just been me in my own head for a long time. I am trying to get out of there."

The Doctor leaned forward and stroked his forehead again. Rogue could feel the air prickle on his skin as the Doctor wiped away some sweat, which on the one hand was gross, but on the other hand was a welcome breather.

"So, I was wondering," said the Doctor, holding Rogue's eye contact strongly and calmly now - back in control. "Are there any Chuldur I should be worrying about? Please tell me the trap didn't interpret 'random barren dimension' as Scotland and send them all here."

"I mean the weather is miserable," said Rogue. "But no, I don't think you get this much rainfall in barren dimensions."

"So no Chuldur chasing you?"

"No," said Rogue. "I shook them off immediately. Just ducked out while they were all arguing. Very low DC on that stealth check. There were these like, dry and twisted trees? I don't think any of them had seen a leaf in a millennia, but there were certainly a lot of them and very densely packed. Great cover. So off I went into the forest."

"And you had no idea where you were? No way to get anywhere else?" said the Doctor.

Rogue could hear the concern in his voice, but there was also a suppressed eagerness, a curiosity. So Rogue took a deep breath and, with brief breaks for clearing his throat or spluttering some phlegm into a dish, he told the Doctor his story.

---

If anyone is wondering what the hell I'm talking about with the futons, it's meant to be these:

(Ian and Susan in The Edge of Destruction and Barbara and Vicki in The Web Planet)

---

Part #3

@off-traveling-in-the-stars @casavanse (let me know at any point if you no longer wish to be tagged in each post)

#doctor who #doctor who spoilers #fanfic #fanfiction #dw spoilers #doctor who rogue

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collegetennisoriginstory · 9 months

Note

(same anon as about the difference in m&f ROs & attraction) Thank you for your reply! It was an interesting read. I will add that some of what I was thinking about was also based on fashion choices and looks (based on the previous art breeder images) - f!G and f!Sam both looked aesthetically very feminine to me, which is not my style, while if I remember correctly from a different post f!Rayyan dresses more sporty/masc-leaning/gender neutral. But behavior/personality/energy is also an important part of this of course. I don't know if the characters themselves would identify as more feminine or masculine, if either (or if the art breeders even were a very good representation re: make up and styling and such)... but it's something that really affects my own attraction to ROs, so I sort of go off whatever impressions I get when it comes to that! Things like, "would this woman wear a dress or not" and long versus short hair and styling etc... Like, for even more context, my ideal female ROs are butches and studs -- but those specific identities are extremely hard to find in anything hahah...

Ooohhh that totally makes sense. I go into more detail on how I picture the F!RO styles in (slight) relation to the ask, but let me know if you guys are interested in M!RO styles too.

I'd say F!Rayyan definitely dresses more masc (a longstanding sore spot with their traditional muslim parents) BUT as I mentioned previously, in casual "civilian" clothes, F!Rayyan does wear a headscarf at the very least, and tries to avoid outfits that show their midriff. Just a nod to their upbringing. They go for a more outdoorsy/tough look.

But yeah f!Tobin doesn't dress femme per se, in casual clothes they'd be just as likely to wear something like a simple t shirt and jeans or a thrift store find, but they clean up nicely and would go to say, a formal event in something more femme, like a low cut v-neck dress. They go for comfort, yes, but of all the f!ROs they're probably the most stylish (perhaps tied with G when G is "trying".)

F!Sam's eclectic in their dressing and goes through different phases / is versatile in their style, but I'd say their go-to is something a little more casual/nerdy/laidback, like graphic tees with funny slogans, video game/book references, and/or something fun and unique.

F!G straddles edgy-chic (leather jackets and skinny torn jeans) with femme-chic, can rock anything from boots and a pantsuit to a full-on femme fatale gown to an ordinary cotton shirt /jeans combo.

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vellichorom · 1 month

Note

feel free to ignore this but I’m a little curious lmao ,, if you were to draw korekiyo is there anything you would do to tweak his design? Or how would you draw him in general

btw korekiyo is my fav danganronpa character all three games (four bla bla bla) UGH

i fucking LOVE korekiyo shinguji man... you know what's good,

& WHAT A GOOD QUESTION TOO! i don't think i have a very interesting answer for it but...

like with MOST danganronpa character designs ( or the designs of my blorbos period ) - save for a few tweaks here & there, i'm quite content with it! now, i'm sure others would beg to differ ( & they'd probably make a better point than i would ), but he's got a good design, i think! he's an eccentric & offputting, though compellingly mysterious, leaning-toward-the-darker-aspects-of-life, & is all about his research & existing, anthropologist -- which i think his design reflects pretty well!

i think the only things i myself might change -- tweak, rather -- about the design is removing / adjusting more of the unnecessary, more tedious details; his little punk shoulder spikes for one, or replacing the mummy-wrapped hands with off-white gloves for another,

&- you know, maybe making him look a bit more... imperfectly human, as opposed to the glimmering perfection most animes incorporate into their designs; a bit of a sicklier look about him, dark circles or bags under his eyes, obviously too-long fingers ( i like thinking he's got some arachnodactyly ), some acne or scars, a bit more meat on his bones maybe, off-white teeth ( when visible ) & eyes, such & such & such ( i've also always enjoyed tanned / dark skinned korekiyo takes, man's probably out in the sun a lot... )

just little things, you know? nothing big that i can dream of personally, though i have seen the most gorgeous dangan redesigns & Especially for korekiyo that do him even More justice than the games Ever could. i can't identify any by name, BUT BELIEVE ME, there are others WAY more educated & qualified to give their two cents on his design that mean way more than whatever i say - & i Know it's as deserving of criticism as anything Else in this damn awful franchise

but hey, you'll sooner see me coming up to plate regarding his WRITING rather than his design amirite

here, FOR YOUR NICE ASK & INTEREST - a modern day korekiyo drawn by yours truly after a couple years without;

with absolutely none of my proposed tweaks added because i'm cute like that

THANK YOU FOR ASKING !!!!

#anonymous #inbox #Danganposting #BLESSED BE THE LITTLE KOREKIYO SNIFFING HOUNDS APPEARING IN MY NOTES AS OF LATE #making me think of my rotten sad little guy again #yeah i'm a bit of a basic bitch because my main critique of any of the dangan designs is for the love of god give those girls some PANTS #BUT HEY STILL NICE TO BE ASKED

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howlingday · 1 year

Note

Belated Easter prompt: Many people think that Jaune is a rabbit faunus, when he is in fact a Hare faunus (there's a difference), thanks to his ears. Those that don't know that quickly learn the difference. Velvet of course already knew that.

"Hey, there, Bunny Boy~!"

Jaune let out a sigh as his fears of Cardin approaching from behind were well-founded. He hated he was right. Every day, since initiation, Jaune had been subject to teasing, bullying, and assault at the hands of the taller boy. It didn't help that his cronies were always close by enough to support.

"I saw you and Velvet talking in the hall this morning." Cardin grinned. "She need her bunny boyfriend to come save her?"

"It's not like that." Jaune futilely defended.

"Aw, really? Then what's it like then?"

"He's been failing his classes, so maybe he needs some help." Russel leaned in. "Probably in math."

"Why?" Dove chuckled. "Figured rabbits would be good at multiplying."

"I'm not a rabbit." Jaune corrected.

"No?" Lark asked. "Those are some long ears for a mouse, don't you think?"

"Nah, he's definitely a rabbit." Jaune grunted as his ears were tugged at. Cardin showed no mercy taking a fistful of Jaune's ear. "See?"

"Argh! S-Stop it!" Jaune groaned.

"O-Over there, Professor!" The group turned and saw Professor Port stomping in a fury. His white, burly mustache was well-defined in front of his reddened face. As he chased after Team CRDL, Velvet approached Jaune. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jaune stepped away.

"Let me see." Velvet demanded, making Jaune duck down and bend over. She let out a hum. "It doesn't look like he bruised you."

"I told you I'm fine." Jaune stood up straight.

"No, you're not." She said, wagging a finger. "You were being bullied and you did nothing, so I had to get help to help you."

"I could have handled it myself."

"Maybe, but not without getting hurt." She rubbed his arm. "You could have run away."

"Yeah, I could've." Jaune agreed, not looking her in the eye. "But that wouldn't stop them."

"They'd give up eventually."

"And then you would-" Jaune shut his mouth. He then felt slender arms wrap around his torso. "Sorry for making you worry."

"You're my boyfriend. It's my job to worry about you now."

"Thank you." Jaune hugged her back.

"Anything for my honey hare~." She cooed.

He let out a chuckle. "My beautiful bunny~."

Fun Fuct! Despite their similar appearance, there are many key differences between rabbits and hares. Rabbits are born blind and hairless while hares are born with fur. Hares build their nests above ground while most rabbits prefer to live in burrows. Rabbits are social animals while hares prefer to live alone, or in pairs.

Fun Fact! Female rabbits are notably more aggressive than males, and are more likely to be dominant in their social groupings. The alpha can be identified as the rabbit who patrols the most in the territory, and causes other rabbits to move out of their way.

Fun Fact! Rabbits and hare are incapable of breeding, as the two are entirely different species of animals that don't belong to the same genus. However, it should be noted Jaune and Velvet are neither rabbits nor hares, but people.

#rwby #jaune arc #velveteen knight #velvet scarlatina #cardin winchester #russel thrush #sky lark #dove bronzewing #hare!faunus jaune #peter port #happy easter #easter

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fandoms-in-law · 9 months

Text

Paperwork Reunion at Christmas

Summary: A month ago the Harrington's returned to their Hawkins home and found some paperwork that by all laws should be invalid and illegal signed by their son.

Yesterday they finally found where his address was saved so now, a week from Christmas, they're finally reaching out, realising how badly they treated their son.

Author's Note: Happy Christmas everyone. I have no clue why this was what happened when I wanted to write something christmassy but I like it.

/\/\

There were no lights on the house, nor visible on the tree in the window.

The glass icicles hung along the window had nothing to make them glow and there was only baubles and garland wrapped around the tree.

The angel sat atop the tree looked less picturesque and more alike a nurse than a heavenly being.

Mr and Mrs Harrington paused outside their sons home wondering if it was right to call in. They knew, or at least, knew now, that how they'd treated their son all those years ago was wrong and had missed a lot of a story they still didn't understand and probably couldn't without Steve sharing, but they'd expected the kid that had adored all the lights and decorations of Christmastime to have more up now he's established in his own home.

Mr Harrington looked into the box he'd pulled out of the car before realising how few decorations were on the house and decidedly made his way up the steps to knock on the front door, with his wife following just behind.

Whether it was right or wrong to make this trip at Christmas, the legal papers they'd found left in their sons room when returning to their house in Hawkins did need returning. The month it had taken to remember where Steve's address had been noted down was already too long for them to have kept it all since finding it.

“Which of the kids do you think it is, Eds? Make your bet now before I open the door.” Steve's teasing voice could be heard behind the door and Mrs Harrington shared a nervous smile with him while listening for the reply.

“Max and Lucas. Dustin can't get out here until next week.” The second voice was quieter and not one either of them recognised, but their focus was kept on the door now opening and their son's face falling into confusion at the sight of them instead of whichever kids he'd been expecting.

For a moment he was quiet, blinking as if trying to check they were real. “Mother, Father, um, hello?” Steve asked, glancing back into the house before clearly deciding that he'd prefer to invite them in whatever his reservations against doing so. “I wasn't expecting you but come in? Do you want anything to drink?”

“Which kid was it, Sweetheart?” The second voice was closer now, soon identified as belonging to a curly haired man leaning around the door.

Steve glanced at them again, now cautious as well as confused. “Hey Eddie, these are my parents, Richard and Lucille Harrington. Mother, Father, this is Eddie, by partner.” He introduced. “I was just going to get us some drinks.”

Lucille gasped a little, but moved forwards, holding her hand out towards Eddie. Richard would have done so first except he was trying to see if there was somewhere to place the box down. “Thank you for being here for Steve. I'm sorry we haven't met you sooner.” She said, ignoring the slightly stunned expression now replacing the confusion and caution in their expressions.

“Steve, before you get us drinks, perhaps I could put this box somewhere, preferably not difficult to reach.” Richard asked, glancing around, and sighing when Eddie immediately took it from him, disappearing back into the room he'd be in the doorway of.

“I've got it Stevie. Mr and Mrs Harrington, would you like to come into the sitting room while Steve sorts the drinks out?” Eddie called back, just as they noticed Steve coming back across the kitchen.

Lucille was already following Eddie, but Richard hung back, a questioning glance at Steve. “Need any help in there, even just to bring the drinks through?”

“I'm just making coffee for us all. I'll set a tray up. Unless you're going to get in an argument you can go and chat with Eddie.” He reassured, waving him through.

In the living room Eddie was already talking about the kids they'd mentioned. “Max is a spitfire and honesty I'd wonder how Lucas keeps up with her sometimes but Steve manages to match me so who am I to question love?”

“They sound lovely, but who's kids are they?” Lucille asked, looking over the framed pictures on the wall.

“We call them ours, because Steve's been looking after them all since he was dating Nancy way back. Mike's her little brother. Will's the brother of the guy she got with after Steve and the rest are all their other friends.” Eddie gestured to the photos but the reference to Nancy only reminded Richard again of the papers they were returning. He didn't bring it up and Eddie was still chatting away, “I tried to steal the boys away with the D&D club I ran in the school, well not really, but it was definitely a competition between us for a while. Dustin especially. Once that brat adopts you, it's too late.”

Steve laughed coming through the door, “Are you talking about Dustin, Eds? He'll love knowing that my parents have heard the most about him.”

“I think that goes to Max and Lucas currently. How have you been, Steve? It's been so long.” Richard asked, accepting the mug that was offered to him and turning to add milk from the jug included on the tray.

“Happy.” Steve simply replied, gesturing back to the wall of photos. “It was a lot of studying while working but I started teaching last year and it's so fulfilling. Teaching in a beautician school, not actual kids. I've had enough of herding kids for now.”

Lucille leant closer to the picture he'd pointed out, smiling at the graduation photo for the school. “Who's this?”

“Robin. She's my best friend, has been since we worked together at Scoops Ahoy.” Steve beamed at the question. “She lives next door as Nancy and Eddie wouldn't let us buy one big house for the four of us.”

“They're ridiculously co-dependant. We had to find some way to separate them. Honestly I'm not quite sure how Nancy managed it.” Eddie teased with a grin.

Richard laughed while Steve rolled his eyes, “You've built a family around yourself. I'm proud of you.”

“Thank you. It's a shame you haven't visited to hear about them before.” He agreed, “Which does make me ask what brings you here today?”

“We found that box last month. It seems like pretty important stuff you probably shouldn't have left behind when you moved, but also seems pretty illegal too.” Richard nodded, growing serious as he remembered what contracts were in there.

Steve frowned at that. “Illegal how?” He asked, moving to look through the box.

“Illegal as in you signed those papers without a lawyer present, without us present, when underage and given there seems to be a couple of drops of blood on some of the pages, signed while injured as well. All things that make those documents invalid in a court of law.” Richard listed off the things he'd realised while looking through their things. “Please tell me the kids Eddie was telling us about weren't made to sign anything similar, or at least had their parents informed and aware of what they were signing.”

“You're about to fight the government if I say they were, aren't you?” He explained, pausing in tugging the papers out to check what they were.

Lucille nodded, just as resolute as she moved to sit beside Richard. “Yes. I don't know what went down during your teenage years but they have a major lawsuit coming their way and whatever they gave you to get that signature should be tripled at minimum because of the laws they broke even as you followed their contracts.”

“If you're willing to introduce us to one or all of these kids and any of your other friends made to sign similar contracts it would make it easier to bring the case up. You mentioned still being in touch with Nancy and I've heard that she's made quite a name as an investigative journalist and would probably be fantastic for making waves with articles about this.” He continued.

Steve and Eddie shared a long look, before nodding slowly. “This is really interesting, but it's Christmas. Perhaps we could arrange a big get together for you to meet the party in January and discuss the legal action you want to take.”

“Of course, if you're willing to remain in touch with us.” Richard offered easily. “I know we need to apologise for all the times we left you alone and these years without any contact. This wouldn't even be the beginning of our apology.”

“You're right, but I guess, being late to get to know you is better than never.” Steve said, a private smile directed to Eddie that they didn't understand.

Richard smiled as well, hopeful that this meant they'd have that chance. “We did bring a few gifts. I'm sorry they might be a little generic, but I wasn't quite sure what you'd want or need. I can fetch them from the car if you want.”

“Please.” Steve said, looking a little stunned, “I – Eddie'll tell me off if I apologise for not having anything for you. It's a rule that we can't apologise for things we couldn't predict, but you are welcome to join us for Christmas dinner next week.”

“As long as you have space, we'd be delighted to.” Lucille agreed for them both while Richard stood to go and fetch the gifts.

/\/\

Christmas came easily and once again Richard and Lucille were parking outside their sons house, looking around in confusion. For all Steve and Eddie had mentioned a lot of kids as theirs they hadn't expected to find what amounted to a fleet of cars and vans parked outside.

"He made a family without us, Richard. Why weren't we there for him?" Lucille asked, already emotional and wondering if she could make up for the years.

Richard sighed heavily, unable to find a satisfactory answer now when in previous years he'd have simply answered that their law firm and clients were more important. Hard to believe that after discovering the papers. "Because we lost track of our priorities and forgot to include him in them. We'll make up for it. Help me get the gifts for his kids out."

That had been their first plan after leaving Steve's the other night; to get gifts for anyone they'd be meeting Christmas day, generally themed around the d&d game Eddie had mentioned playing with the kids. It didn't feel like enough but it hopefully showed they were ready to fit in rather than expect Steve to adjust for them.

"I knew I saw someone pull in. Come on Mr and Mrs Harrington, come and meet everyone!" Eddie called, leaning out the door and waving an arm to beckon them in.

"Rich strangers with presents. Are you sure they're safe to invite in?" A girl with fiery hair called as they entered, addressing Eddie.

"They're my parents." Steve countered, taking the bag from them. "And you didn't have to get anything else. The gifts you already brought were more than enough."

Richard shook his head. "We weren't going to come without something for everyone, most of these are for your kids if Eddie and you will peek in the bags to give them to the people who'll like them most?"

“Damn, you actually do want to make up with him and paid attention when you turned up last week. Wasn't sure I believed you'd even show.” A woman who appeared around Steve's age and draped herself over his shoulder said. Before Richard could try to identify her from his memories of the photos she carried on, “I'm Robin, platonic soulmate and the one who will murder you without a trace if you hurt him again.”

“We'll all do that, Robin, so you'll treat our Steve nicely now, won't you?” The curly hair was enough for them to be certain that this was Dustin, but being threatened multiple times about hurting their son definitely had the Harrington's reeling.

Lucille nodded, nervously but thankfully too. “Of course, we can't agree more and will accept it if you find the need. I can't say how grateful I am, we both are, that he found a family so worthy of him when we weren't.”

A girl with an intense stare sized them up, the rest of the group all watching her in silence as if waiting for her approval to be given so Richard and Lucille did too, trying to subtly glance at the photos they were now in view of to identify which of Steve's kids this might be. Near a tree that hadn't been put up the week before Steve and Eddie were ignoring the scene, and tugging Robin down with them to look through the gift bags they'd brought and separate them into the piles that had already been formed.

“You're being truthful.” The girl decided, nonchalantly reaching for a tissue as her nose began to bleed. “The breakdown once you got home last week was dramatic but your intentions are currently good. Encourage that in yourselves.”

Somehow everyone relaxed and tensed up again simultaneously, and Richard could only assume the challenge in their eyes was to do with her knowledge that she shouldn't have had. “I intend to. I know Steve's asked that we leave it until after the new year, but we're intending to raise a lawsuit against the government regarding the legal documents they had Steve, at least, sign as a minor without parental or legal advice. If you've, any of you, been made to do the same, we're quite enthusiastic to expand the lawsuit for all of you as well.”

“Which you can all think and talk about later. For now, I think Richard can put his hat and beard on and play Santa for us all.” Eddie called, clapping his hands and leaping up, tugging a Santa hat and beard from behind the sofa.

As confident as he sounded and looked there was something cautious in Eddie's gaze and Steve had a hand raised as if ready to retract the request until Richard laughed taking the accessories. “Ho ho ho. Let's begin.”

A few hours passed of gift giving, laughing and watching the family tease each other even if some of the jokes didn't make sense to Lucille and Richard. All of Steve's family did include them though, sometime explaining jokes they seemed confused by but mostly distracting them with other conversations.

Lucille did notice Steve occasionally disappearing from the room, only once with Eddie just before he called everyone to set the tables out. “Mom and Dad, get over here please.” He added on, after watching the kids all jump up and hurry out of the room with the gifts they'd received.

Richard and Lucille had both been given a notebook and bottle of their favourite drink each, the notebook filled with memories Steve or Eddie had written out as something they might like to know. They picked these up at the call, wondering if there was something to do with that that their son called them over for.

Before they could ask however Steve had a hand on one shoulder of each of them and was tugging them closer to the wall just as Dustin and Mike came hurrying back with a table top between them, legs folded in and only just noticeable. “It's not the biggest house so for meals like Christmas the kids are in charge of putting the table and chairs up after clearing everything else away.” Steve explained. “You can help me plate everything up to take through.

“Of course. This reminds me of the chaotic family Christmases I miss from childhood.” Richard laughed, following him through as more kids hurried around, bringing tablecloths, chairs and place mats.

It was a lovely day he could hardly believe Steve was allowing so soon after their first apology was made, but the Harrington's looked forwards hopefully to many more.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #steddie #steve harringtons parents #christmas

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obsessionexpert · 2 months

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Damian Wayne is absolutely trans

So much trans energy

So I propose Trans Fem Damian Wayne with they/he/she

Gender:

Gender is more some foggy but solid quality, but in there is some feminineness, hence them identifying with trans fem as a simple label she slapped on so that they didn't have to question longer since it didn't feel wrong.

Discovery:

I don't think he'd spend much time thinking about her transness. Only reason she discovers it being that her dysphoria gets really bad, so they embark on a secret quest to figure out what's bothering her so she can no longer be a potential liability especially if this thing gets worse. "This thing" being transness.

They come out to Dick by announcing she is neither girl nor boy and he shall respect that. Then struts out of the room to avoid conversation. Next time Dick sees Damian its while Dicks talking on the phone about Damian (for some unrelated things) uses they on the phone, notices dami, mutes himself, asks if that pronoun set is okay. Damian is like "tisk is it not obvious" and Dick asks if other people can know, and about damians name. Damian clears up that yes everyone can know (tho not the general public) and yes she's fine with their name.

Finding out he's trans fem is a different story that probably involves a late night conversation/confession/pondering of transness. I'm leaning with Tim.

Pronoun Elaboration:

Damian wouldn't put that much effort into pronouns. He ponders what pronouns they'd be okay with for thoroughness because obviously they can't leave their research half-done, but caring about pronouns is an additional grievance that others can use as a weapon and it'd be weak if something so insignificant others don't really care about became something that could be used to harm them.

I do think Damian would end up using she more as he and the people around him, get more used to seeing her as trans fem. Especially as they transition more visibly (btw when I say transition I mean all kinds of transition. Damians mainly social for awhile but this applies for when he does medically transition to)

Dysphoria:

He doesn't really get social dysphoria, it's a lot more bottom dysphoria, physical dysphoria in general, and even the way she internally genders herself, but they do like being included in stuff like girls night and other groups/activities intended to be exclusive to girls. Damian doesn't really get how others (Like Jason who I also head cannons as trans) can be bothered by the wrong pronouns and stuff other then a pride thing.

Physical Transition:

Damians transition goals aren't really that physical. Maybe way farther in the future he might consider going on E but since that could decrease his physical possibilities they probably won't want it anytime soon. It might change depending on how canon goes for him. She figured out she was trans too late for puberty blockers, but he does want bottom surgery as soon as they discover transness. (Which isn't happening. I don't have an age yet for when this happens but they're not a teen yet). Damian as a teen goes through a phase of trying to build more lean/less bulky muscles but that ends somehow. The influence of muscly woman in her life and the general shattering of that traditional framework combined with Damian prioritizing what's needed for vigilantism.

Social Transition:

They tried wearing breast forms but some light hearted remark, embarrassment, and dysphoria led to them never trying it again. Damian doesn't want the general public to know, but everyone she deems as important enough to know personal info about him does. (Probably a pride thing and plus who wants the Gotham upper crust to rag on you *cough* what happened to Dick *cough*) Damian does give in (Begrudgingly they insist) to getting more traditionally feminine clothing and they definitely wear it. At first to kind of challenge the batfam, because really how far are they going to let him go? Surely they won't keep up with this when she wears a skirt? It's less out of any real desire for this to be in her wardrobe, but lo and behold it ended up mingling a bit with the rest of his fashion. They end up growing their hair out in a still short (The style only goes down halfway to his neck at the longest) but more androgynous haircut. Damian also employs the use of a plain dark green headband to "push back the longer hairs blocking her sight" even though he would never let his hair grow long enough to block her sight and really the hairband is for aesthetics sake more than functionality most of the time. The headband is a gift from Alfred.

Conclusion:

Holy shit I have so many trans batfam head cannons. Expect a part 2 to this probably

#trans damian wayne #trans fem Damian wayne #trans headcanon #trans batfam #trans fem damian #transgender #trans feminine #trans fem #damian wayne #just got mark out some future ideas #Cis+ Tim Cryptic gender Cass Trans woman Dick and babs genderflud Jason he/she duke Steph as that one hc I might agree with and need to fin #Man-ish Bruce perhaps #WHY WAS FEMININE TENDERNESS IN HERE???

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zarvasace · 1 year

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Attention

Disability AU, Four&Hyrule, some emotional hurt/comfort but it's all good in the end! About 1.2k. AO3 link here.

---

Though Hyrule didn't ever see much more than vague shadows, even he could tell that everything was very, very bright today. He sat in a cool patch of the beach, feet pointed toward the water, ears primed to hear anything approaching from the jungle behind. His fingers dug into the sand, finding a cool, damp layer underneath the top one. Out in the crashing waves, most of the others yelled and splashed. Hyrule's hair dried with salt in it.

He felt calm, though not quite content. Something deep and empty stirred in his heart, unwilling to be filled with words of his own.

Next to him, Four moved about, humming a little to himself in fits and bursts. They'd been sitting together for a while now, without much conversation. Hyrule was usually okay with that, but he'd been mentally rehearsing his opening line for a few minutes, now.

"Do you ever…" Hyrule began, his voice faltering. He paused and tried again. Four went still to listen. "Do you ever feel… left out?"

Hyrule knew what would happen if he asked someone else that question. Sky or Twilight would immediately ask if he ever felt that way and try to fix it. Wild would go quiet. Wind might not understand, yet. Hyrule still had trouble communicating with Warriors at all, despite the signs he'd learned to identify by touch. Legend and Time might give him a real answer or might deflect. Four, though… Four was nothing if not honest, sometimes to his detriment.

It took a moment to get an answer. Sand rustled.

"Of course," Four said eventually. Hyrule frowned, not expecting that. Four explained. "I mean, you're really asking that now? I'm not much of a beach-goer, but of course I feel left out when people are enjoying something I can't participate in."

Out in the distance, Legend shouted a few rapid-fire curses and got Twilight to yell at him for swearing again. Hyrule couldn't hear what, exactly, they were saying.

"I… I didn't think you'd say it like that. I mean, feeling lonely isn't usual, is it? I wouldn't know. I don't really talk to people much. Or, well. I didn't." Hyrule had battled with the emotion for years, and usually won, but it had gotten harder after getting attached to the other Heroes.

Four took a breath and rearranged himself, probably leaning against the heavy treasure chest Wild had unearthed from the sand. It had held a single rupee, which started off the current water fight.

"I think that it depends," Four said. "As Hylians, we crave relationships. We want people to like us. It's a well-documented phenomenon, with plenty of studies and evidence, though I'll spare you all the boring details. But suffice it to say that to the deepest parts of our brains, attention—in the form of compliments, time, gifts, even hugs—and love are often the same thing. So when people don't pay attention to us, our brains worry that we're unloved, which makes us feel very alone and unsupported. People do crazy things when they crave that attention and love." His voice lowered as he spoke, becoming softer and more personal.

"Oh."

The water rushed against itself, sounding like the wind in a storm, but somehow much calmer. Hyrule wiggled his toes in the sunshine and listened to Wind's screaming laughter get cut off as he got dunked in the ocean. He still felt a little empty, but understanding the feeling more helped. A little.

Four continued. "And I can only assume that the feeling is worse for most of us due to our different disabilities. It is for me. I can't go everywhere I want to as easily or quickly as other people anymore, so I get left behind. Even when I choose to get left behind, I still feel… left out, sometimes."

"I feel like that too, sometimes," Hyrule said before he could overthink it. "I miss a lot. I know that. I can't see Warriors's signing, and I don't see facial expressions or gestures. Sometimes I feel like I miss half the conversation."

"Nonverbal communication is, in fact, almost more important than verbal, sometimes."

"Exactly. And I can't do it."

"Actually, you do," Four said, turning to him. "You make faces and gestures, and we can tell what you think. You participate in conversations with more than just speaking, even if it's more difficult for you to pick up on the cues others put out."

It wasn't really a cure for loneliness, but Hyrule supposed that there wasn't one. He felt better, though. Four had actually paid attention to him. Perhaps there was something to that.

Hyrule smiled a little. "Well, I guess if everyone feels that way sometimes, then I can try a bit harder to help them feel it less. I love everyone. I don't want them to feel like I don't."

"I think everyone knows you care for them," Four assured him. "You prove it every time you yell at us over preventable injuries." Hyrule laughed. "But it can't hurt to say it again."

Wild's feet ran up to them, skidding to a stop in front of them. He panted, but sounded happy. "You guys look hot out here. Come on, we're retreating into the trees a bit for the night."

"Need any help with tea or dinner?" Hyrule asked, jumping on the immediate chance to prove he loved the others by paying them attention. Wild gave them special tea or food when he noticed that they needed it, from sleeping draughts to comforting recipes. That was how he paid attention and proved his love. Hyrule climbed to his feet and reached his hand toward Four.

Four's small, tough hand took Hyrule's, and his wooden crutches creaked a little as he leaned on them. He muttered a thank you as Wild stammered.

"Uh, well, not with the tea—the tea's fine. Probably not dinner either, I have it handled, it's perfectly all right. It's roasting right now, actually, so there's nothing to do!"

Well, cooking wasn't Hyrule's strong suit, anyway. He smiled. "That's okay, I just like to help where I can."

"I know, and you're good at it—"

A group of the others came ambling up the beach, though Hyrule couldn't immediately tell who. It sounded like everyone, maybe. Their voices competed in the cooling air.

"Hyrule! Put on shoes, for heaven's sake!" Sky said above the others, and Hyrule smiled again. "You never know what you'll step into."

"This sand is pretty soft, though. He's fine." That was Wind, sidling up close. Hyrule raised his eyebrows and took a step away, wary of pranks.

Everyone paused, and Hyrule recognized the sound of this silence, the one that existed for Warriors to speak with his hands. As usual, Sky spoke up for him so Hyrule could hear. "Warriors says that we'd all feel better if you put some shoes on before we head into the jungle, and I have to say I agree. At least it looks like you avoided sunburn."

"We did spend most of the day in the shade," Four says, sounding snappish but pleased. "We might have avoided sunburn, but it looks like our dear vet got a little crispy out there."

"I have a gel for that!" Wild called out.

With everyone chattering around him, Hyrule wondered how he'd ever felt lonely with these people nearby. He cared about them, and he knew they cared about him. They just all showed it in different ways: Sky fussed. Time kept watch. Wild cooked. Warriors gave little gifts. Twilight hugged or poked. Wind prodded for stories to listen to. Four repaired. Legend lent his things out.

"Time to clean up, all of you," Time said. "We need to get that sand out of your hair, Twilight."

"Oh, I don't know, it looks kind of dashing," Legend argued, sounding sarcastic.

"Well, I can't see myself, but I always assume that Legend wants to see me make a fool of myself, so I'll go with Time here." Twilight tried very hard to keep his laughter inside.

"I mean, I can't see you, either," Hyrule said brightly. Legend actually laughed, so he counted that as a win.

#my writing #linked universe #lu four #lu hyrule #disability au #ao3

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eggtqrt · 4 months

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Aromantic EAH Headcanons

Maddie experiences no romantic attraction and has no desire to have a romantic relationship. However, she does love to keep up with her friends' dating lives (you could say she loves the tea...)

Cedar is still figuring out attraction. She has a hard time differentiating between the types of attraction and isn't sure which types she feels.

Sparrow and Duchess are sort of in a queerplatonic relationship (I say sort of because idk that they would ever define their relationship but I would describe them as soulmates who experience no romantic attraction towards each other. They'd rather lean on each other and talk about everything and anything than kiss). They both identify with being greyromantic, but for Sparrow it's more like he has very mild romantic attraction while for Duchess she has romantic attraction very rarely.

Cupid is cupioromantic (and NOT just because of the name lol). She initially had a hard time coming to terms with it, being a god of love and all she felt a bit of imposter syndrome feeling like she couldn't properly give out love advice if she couldn't feel the attraction herself. However, she figured out that even if she didn't feel the butterflies she was still very interested in dating and could still give out valuable relationship advice. Her crush on Dexter would be a huge turning point for her. First, I think she realized her attraction towards Dexter was more aesthetic and alterous plus she probably was more obsessed with the idea of him rather than who he actually was. Upon realizing Dexter liked Raven I think she figured out companionship with others was more important to her than having romantic feelings and also probably came to realize that her advice on romance was still useful from her conversation with Dexter.

Daring is demiromantic. He never really understood love at first sight and only develops romantic feelings after being friends with someone. Just as an example, I'd imagine after going on the date with Lizzie he didn't immediately develop a crush, but definitely could see himself becoming close friends with her and then falling for her over time.

Kitty prefers to be unlabeled but she usually would rather cause chaos than do anything romantic

#i apologize for my tea joke but it was too perfect #i go back and forth on cupid being being cupioromantic because i do adore her and blondie as a romantic ship #but mostly this is just food for thought >:)#ALSO HAPPY PRIDE MONTH #eah #ever after high

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kitkatopinions · 11 months

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That blake and blek interactions post was really fun! Can you do one for rwy and jnr for they're modern counterparts?

Sure!

I think that V1-5 Weiss would start out not liking her counterpart very much and that the two of them might develop a rivalry actually, with V1-5 Weiss being like "That imposter is NOT like me. She's less skilled and her attitude is somehow way worse than mine was a year ago!" And the V6-9 Weiss being like "I can't believe I was ever this annoying," and V1-5 Weiss would think her other self is weak and ineffectual while V6-9 Weiss would think HER other self is mean and self-centered. But the changes in Weiss in the show(while bad enough) are still subtle enough that they'd act more like twins and also be on each other's sides sometimes, and both of them have the distinction of being able to be a bit more calm and self-reflective. Also though I think they'd both get possessive over their loved ones and on a funnier note, V1-5 Weiss would be so disgusted and annoyed by V6-9 Weiss's apparent interest in Jaune. XD

If you had asked me about Ruby's reaction to her future counterpart prior to V9, I would've said that V1-5 Ruby would hate her. But I think after V9, while V1-5 Ruby would still probably get very annoyed by her other self, I think she'd be primarily confused and perturbed by the changes, but also like Blake want to help her other self, but V6-9 Ruby would be resistant. I'm imagining V1-5 Ruby smiling and being like "I know things look bleak, and I know you're tired, but you can-" and V6-9 Ruby is like "I know what you’re gonna say" and V1-5 Ruby is like "Eh... What?" And V6-9 Ruby would tell her that SHE'S made those speeches already, a lot, and it hadn't gotten her far, and then V1-5 Ruby would be like "Well... I'm gonna say it again, with MORE passion! Because we're gonna do it, and that's that!" I think it would actually be fun to watch, because post-V9 Ruby just wants someone else to be the leader, and is more cynical and seems to want to think things through and be realistic (and has those weird Torchwickisms) and she's just tired and needs some help, and V1-5 Ruby would literally identify the problem, help, BE THE LEADER, and have all her optimistic ways and determination and drag V6-9 Ruby along with her.... But V6-9 Ruby would literally be able to lean into the realistic ways and be able to be the person telling V1-5 Ruby to think about the cost of things and things like that. It might actually work out for them.

V1-5 Yang I think actually WOULD hate her V6-9 self. I think coming out of V5 (which I still say is Yang at her best,) V5 Yang would be so weirded out and exasperated by her other self, and spend all her time trying to deal with her while trying to stay level-headed. Like, V6-9 Yang would be like "Ruby doesn't need any change, she's never doubted herself" and V1-5 Yang would be like "Well that's not true, Ruby HAS doubted herself." And V6-9 Yang would act like her own teammates are a threat to Blek because they raised their voice a little, and OG Yang would be like "Are you KIDDING me? They weren’t going to attack you, why are you so paranoid?" And just generally argue with her other self all the time. They might even come to blows if it got bad enough!

I think Ren and his other self would mostly be chill, able to just hang out, though I do think that V1-5 Ren would like, crack dry good natured jokes and V6-9 Ren would be like "It isn't the time for that," because he seems generally more serious than his younger self.

V1-5 Nora would ALSO fight with her other self a lot, I think, but she'd spend more of her time trying to ignore V6-9 Nora and trying to befriend and take care of everyone else that she decides her other self 'isn't treating right.' XD She'd like, have her arm around Oscar and be like "Nobody is mean to my boy Oscar OR my boy Oz, you all - Other Ren, come stand behind me. Nobody be mean to them!"

V.1-5 Jaune would ALSO hate his V6-9 self so much. He'd be like "so you're not only telling me that I turned into this weird buff Cardin-haired weird white-streaked weird super weird guy, but he was just a forty year old man with a beard... And I'm like THIS?" And V6-9 Jaune would be like "You don't know what I've suffered alone" and V1-5 Jaune would be like "Ohhh I just bet, vomit boy. See, this is why I hate myself." I think V1-6 Jaune would just be so unable to connect with his alternate that he just kind of blocks him out and refuses to even call him Jaune, and would just be like "Tough guy over there-" and his other self would be like -_-

I'm not saying all these reactions would be totally fair, but it's what I think would probably happen. XD

#rwde

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heartsbind · 8 days

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more tatsu dev time also hehehe

i got inspired and decided to just answer a bunch of questions from this list of oc prompts! i more or less answered all of the questions to varying degrees of length, so be warned it's quite long, but i hope worth the read?????? DKFJDSFDSFSDF

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

i don't know if there's a specific one, but i think they'd love to just forget about their father entirely, and any memory where their mother cries.

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

probably how willing they are to fight - they're generally so upbeat and happy-go-lucky that it's almost scary how quickly they can get serious / confrontational. most of it is just that they're fiercely protective! and some of it is just that if they have to lock in, they are Locked In™.

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

sometimes, they're a little reckless! it's a weird thing where fear generally keeps them careful - but they try so hard to push beyond their fear that they fall into reckless behavior as a result. i don't think they have once stopped to consider this. it is definitely going to get them into life-threatening trouble in jjk verse FKJDSFKDSJFSF.

When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

they are very much somewhere in between fight and flight - it depends on what's scaring them hahaha and the danger level. things that are low stakes like horror media scares them pretty easy so they're the kind of person that screams whenever jumpscared, and cries when something gets really scary in a movie or game; but once that passes they have this kind of morbid fascination with death (somehow they wind up really enjoying the necromancy spells when i make them in like baldur's gate / divinity etc so i'm starting to wonder if they don't hate horror as much as i think they do and are really just a glutton for punishment DJFSDJFSF)

when their life is in danger they launch into fight though. they're scared out of their mind of getting hurt and worse but they are also very much fueled by the adrenaline rush of fear.

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

pretty far, but they make it kind of effortless, or at least kind of unserious, before they're locked in. like, you wouldn't really know the stakes for them; in bllk verse for instance they mostly act like they're just vibing, although winning is such a priority because being able to make it big as a professional soccer player and earn enough money for their mother to live comfortable is the only thing that really matters at the time that they join. they're not particularly great in school which has otherwise led them to think they don't have many other prospects than that.

How easily could your OC be convinced to do something that goes against their moral compass?

their own moral compass, not terribly easy. it really depends. for example in tatsu's mind, stealing = bad, but stealing from the rich or from bad people = good. not that it's something they have a habit of doing, but one could easily coerce them into doing it if it's not hurting someone they don't think deserves it.

if it involves doing something to someone who they don't think deserves it, it would be significantly harder to convince them. you'd probably have to either make a compelling argument for why they do, or be someone tatsu trusts implicitly enough that they'll go along with it anyway.

What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?

gender presentation DJHFDSJHFSDF. they still identified specifically as a boy when i created them and felt a little more masculine. since then they've really leaned into their genderfluidity which has been fun! tatsu likes being non-binary and also likes being a feminine guy, which is why they use both they and he for pronouns (i always get scared though that someone who hasn't read their pronouns or just their bio overall might just think i'm misgendering them though so i usually just fearfully stick to one KJDFSDKJFDSF i'll get comfortable eventually--)

the core of them has been the same even as i flesh tatsu out, but i have also been modifying their cursed technique a little bit in jjk verse. still a similar premise from the start, but when i was first coming up with it i made it more complicated by suggesting that they wouldn't sustain damage at all if their assailant was weaker... like a whole greater than / less than math problem which feels very gege-esque anyway but i kind of am using that for sae's technique more anyway.

BUT i'm more interested in them still sustaining damage (even if not a lot from a weaker opponent) and really needing rct in order to use their technique to the fullest. i've started to think of tatsu's technique as a monster of sorts (not one that manifests as a physical curse) in the way that it reaches and hungers for other cursed energy and yearns to find someone to send to oblivion alongside tatsu... just neat things KJDFJSDJKDFSF. i like to consider what might happen if tatsu learns to amplify it or creates a technique extension... how they might protect other people using their technique and so on.

Would your OC ostensibly be able to get away with murder?

okay so they definitely think they would if they really were pressed. i think there is a reality/universe where i agree with them DKSJFDSFSDF but in most cases probably not. they probably wouldn't go that far either unless it was self-defense.

Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

not a specific line as of yet but i remember the first time i heard fleetwood mac's the chain after creating tatsu and it resonated so deeply with them that it felt like i'd been slapped KJDNFSDKFSF. i specifically heard it as the backdrop to a scene from gotg 2 while i was on twt and so it was like. between miyu and tatsu i was like oh this is for both of them.

What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

i would just love to keep digging into my jjk au honestly it's been so fun to think about, but also just like any fantasy type au like bg3 which i've been playing like mad of late... i have been obsessed w thoughts of tatsu (and sae tbh) in bg3. bard tatsu so real so true. i started playing divinity 2 again recently and made tatsu there as well SDFDSFDSFDSF.

What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

for bllk which is Just Soccer their "weapon" of sorts is their ability to have really big kicks that are also precise from a long distance, as well as a general unpredictability that makes their actions really difficult to read sometimes. i think it's because of their creativity - they like to imagine ways to keep the ball, ways to score, etc., so they're pretty confident they can score from any position sans keeper. they don't really flex that unpredictability aspect though unless they feel like they need to, but they do it just enough to let people know that if they're passing, it's not because they have to but because they want to DFKDJSFDSF

in other verses that require a weapon: as a bard, they use a sword and a crossbow and have picked up the art of dueling. as a jujutsu sorcerer they do keep throwing knives on them which they use as both ranged and melee.

Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways?

not intentionally, but i do think there's a sort of proclivity toward self-destruction from more reckless behavior whiiiich tatsu kind of falls into oftentimes. i've kind of talked about their recklessness somewhere in this long-ass post SDFKJDSFDSF but yeah.

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

i'd like to think so! only because i'm a people pleaser and tatsu's default state is also to try to get along with everyone.

How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

essentially: someone you can count on to have your back and match your energy, but not someone you can take advantage of. and they hope they can make you laugh, too.

Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

not an irl one and i probably won't go looking, but i based their design on madoka hongou from number24 which was thrilling to find sb in a slightly adjacent sports anime SDJFDSKFDSFDSF. bonus points because madoka's VA is my voiceclaim for tatsu too. technically also chigiri blue lock too but coincidentally every time i heard tatsu talk in my head it sounded exactly like madoka without even digging up the anime on youtube to hear him. also coincidentally acts fairly similar??? i swear it was all accidental --

What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

as afraid of pain as tatsu kind of is, their pain tolerance is actually pretty high! thank god since their cursed technique is literal hell otherwise.

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

honestly nothing that bad yet!! i'm very proud of myself DFJSFDSFSDF. i have a little thing going w my husband where they're currently dueling one of their oc tavs to the death. they're gonna be fine we've already established it but they'd just left the tavern after a night of drinking so it's definitely got them on their toes.

Is your OC more cold and detached or up close and personal?

veeery up close and personal. probably a little too much so, sometimes DSFKSDFDSFDSF. i think they're very good about like keeping their hands to themselves (ie not hugging someone or grabbing arms or hands without their consent, unless they're being affectionate with someone who is like comfortable with that regularly or even matches that energy) but they will start bothering people who tend to be colder/detached/grumpier and they do not take it personally when someone grumps at them.

How does your OC behave when enraged?

actually, this is when they're colder DFKJDSFDFS. their rage is freezing cold; like when people say that something is so cold that it burns. they get very serious, and depending on the situation very calmly aggressive. they stopped someone who was beating up someone close to them once by grabbing a fistful of their hair and very calmly explaining that if they did it again, they'd put them down like an animal, so it's ... very that DFKDSFSF.

Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

yes, i actually learned this recently DFDGSKJFGSDFS don't you love that -- but their jealousy manifests as something that errs toward possessiveness. they don't get too cross but they do get a little "hey this is my person just so you know! :) we're dating! let me put my arm around them just to be clear. i'm the boyfriend. not you! let's go honey!"

Does your OC have any illnesses or disorders? How do they handle it?

i'm positive they have some form of executive dysfunction. they're easily distracted but there are things that can hold their attention if it interests them enough/they're supremely locked in on something (mostly physical things, like soccer or a fight). even with something they find fun like video games, the way they play can be affected by how easily they're distracted by something else that happens in game. they get tempted to fuck around just a little bit in an elden ring boss fight and will sell the whole thing.

it is definitely the key reason why they don't do well at all in school. never ask to borrow their notebook - it's littered with unhelpful notes ranging from shopping lists to "i wish i could use a calculator" to "this book sucks" to crude doodles to notes about elden ring boss battles to stupid little love notes about their crush, etc. etc. if they get a teacher who is really passionate about the subject they're teaching or if someone they care about is infodumping, they will absolutely try harder to listen and it might even work! but if they just aren't invested there's no chance.

i almost forgot to specifically address how they handle it DFKJFJSDDFSF they do not --

What character alignment would you consider your OC to be?

chaotic good, for sure.

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

i think maybe because of how coldly they express their anger, it might still be anger that's the hardest - because it's still very controlled, i think, even when they allow themself to act on it. but they usually try to reign in their sadness, too; they are so willing to cry over such low-stakes things, like sad movies or scary things, but when it's something that hurts deep, they really do try to keep it in or minimize the gravity of it to themself - like, it's not a big deal! they'll get over it!

What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

well i have an au where they became a gymnast instead -- i think at their core they like to perform in some way; sports, song and dance, even the sort of performance that comes from livestreaming a video game. so, if their path diverges only to that degree, i don't think much would be different, and i think those are the sort of career paths they'd default to. (they're good at customer service, but they know it would wear them down, eventually.)

in worlds that have much higher stakes, it really would depend on the most lucrative way to provide care for their mom. i don't know that there are too many paths that would turn them toward something like becoming a curse user, for instance, but if they were led off the path of a sorcerer for one reason or another, it's not impossible.

What is your favorite thing about your OC?

honestly, i just love how much they love. they think the world is amazing! they love to love and be loved, to see people in love. they love when other people love things and have passions, so they love to hear someone talk extensively about things that interest them - it's paying attention to the way their eyes light up with excitement, the smile on their lips, that make it easy to engage. tatsu's actually pretty perceptive, more than they appear, and as much as it's easy for them to pick fights if they feel like it's deserved, they really do try to look for the good in people.

#♡ tatsu: dev #i was like you know what! this is just a good exercise #and it was. it took me hours DFKJSDFDSFSDF #i love tatsu so much cries

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