#*others because she isn't safe to be around

[kaijutegu]

Alligator Bites Might Never Heal, But Doechii Is Good At Holding Alligators

Doechii won the Grammy for Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal, but she also should have won the coveted and definitely not fictitious "Best Alligator Handling" award for the way she held Coconut on the cover!

(Yes, it's this Coconut.)

And the best part? She released a BTS video showing how they shot the cover, meaning that we can see more than just the still image! If a picture's worth a thousand words, video's worth... a lot more. (Sorry if it autoplays I don't think I have any control over that either way)

So, using the photoshoot images and video as evidence, let's take a look at how Doechii handled this alligator very well! I'm going to go into excruciating detail here because I think it's important to know why something is good just as much as it is important to know why something is bad. It's hard to understand alligator body language a lot of the time, so in this writeup, I will address how Doechii's holding the gator and what she's doing right, as well as point out how you can tell from Coconut's reactions that she is not distressed.

Body Support

In the album cover image, Doechii is seated, which is good, because even though she's a small alligator, Coconut is a very strong and powerful creature. That tail is pure muscle! But even in the standing images, you can see that Doechii is giving Coconut great body support and holding her correctly- close to the body, but without grabbing too tightly or being restrained uncomfortably. I think for a gator of this size I would have recommended pinning the back foreleg against her body for a little additional support and movement restriction- but I don't think she had to restrict movement because Coconut seems quite relaxed!

In the seated image, Doechii has one hand under Coconut's chest, supporting her sternum and head. The other hand is on top of her tail, and her knee is under the pelvic girdle. This type of hold lets the alligator feel safe; remember that these are aquatic and terrestrial creatures. An insecure hold that risks dropping them is going to stress them out and make them uncomfortable. By holding the alligator gently against her body and not squeezing, she's avoiding any uncomfortable pressure.

Head and Throat Support

In all of the images, Doechii is bringing her hand under Coconut's neck, creating a cradle with her hand so that the alligator can rest her head. But what she's not doing is she is not squeezing or grabbing the throat. The throat is one of the soft bits of an alligator, and squeezing it too tightly is very uncomfortable for them. But the way Doechii is supporting her gives her several degrees of freedom to move her head if she so chooses.

Body Language

Another indication of good handling is that it's clear that Coconut is not uncomfortably stressed. Alligators express displeasure with being held in a lot of ways, including struggling to get away, hissing, and holding their mouths open. (If you want to know more and see my sources, you can read my post on alligator body language. LOTS of info there, including peer-reviewed ethology sources that explain what alligators do and why they do it! Go get your data-driven answers!)

But Coconut isn't doing that; she's calm and alert. You can see in the BTS video that she's active on set. She's not shut down, and when she wants to walk around, she's not restrained. Obviously the video is an edited timelapse, and it's not the whole story- but when people show alligators in media, they usually don't know enough about them to edit out any uncomfortable body language. So I think that if she had been upset, we would have seen that.

We can also see in the video that Coconut is unbanded, meaning her mouth was not held shut. I thought they might have banded her and then edited the band out for the cover, but no, there was nothing restricting any distress cues. Banding is usually done for public safety, but the facility Coconut's from... doesn't do that, so I'm not surprised she's unbanded. At least it gives more evidence that she's not trying to gape!

One more good indicator that Coconut was comfortable is that she's got her eyes open, which you can even kinda see in the video if you zoom in. Reptiles will often squinch their eyes shut to avoid distressing stimuli or signal distress, and albino alligators have even more reasons to do this. They're much more sensitive to light than their pigmented counterparts. But it looks like her on-set work was completed quickly, meaning that she didn't have to be around bright lights for long.

In conclusion:

Doechii's album cover is an example of good alligator handling. Yay!

That said, please note that this is only about handling and is divorced from any other issues surrounding this particular alligator. (Read the body language post if you want more on that.) These are not issues I'm touching in this post, because that's not the point! I simply want to point out an instance of good handling and how you can identify relaxed body language in an animal that is notoriously hard to read when posted on social media.

[meo-eiru]

Day 5 of Character Trivia Night!

For tonight we have Theo

Theo has a human mother and a cyclops father, though his dad isn't really in the picture as his mom doesn't like to settle down and instead jumps from monster bf to monster bf

Since there aren't any schools for monsters his mom always sent him to human schools, which meant Theo was always around people who did not look like him

His skin is a bit greenish but they usually explain it as a sickness and he always keeps his bangs long to hide his eye, thanks to not having much of a presence as well he was able to go under the radar most of the time

But there was one time in elementary school when he wanted to try playing with the other kids and ended up accidentally showing his eye. His mom quickly moved them to another city and enrolled him into a different school before the news outlets could get their hands on the situation, so by now it's more like a legend of their old town

The experience was quite traumatic for him so now he makes sure to never ever let his eye show in public

Some people who don't know him assumes he's a gamer but he's actually very bad at games

Has no depth perception and wears single lens glasses (glass...?) to make up for it, but they are a bit ugly so he only wears them at home

He actually doesn't have an eyebrow

Due to his quiet and nerdy appearance there are rumors about him being a gamer in class but he's actually really bad at games

That being said he's really into movies, anything sci-fi more specifically. Especially ones about aliens

Maybe because they are often depicted green, or maybe because the focus is on them not being human, but growing up Theo felt a lot of kinship with the aliens he was on the screen and they became a way for him to cope with his own life

He's mostly terrible at cooking but can make fire lasagnas because his mom likes it and it was the one meal she actually taught him

If left alone he would mostly stay alive eating chips and other snacks

He favorite color is green but if he had to choose a second favorite he would say dark purple

The first item of yours he stole borrowed, because of his overflowing love, was the pen you forgot on your desk

Soon he started collecting whatever item he could find of you. Erasers, pencils, napkins, used straws, clothes....

He also likes to take your pictures and hang them on his ceiling and walls, looking at your face as he falls asleep helps him see better dreams

He never intended to make a shrine of you but the items he stole from you and hid in his closet are starting to form the shape of a shrine and he might've added in some fake candle totally not because he wanted to make it more shrine light but because his closet just needed some more light

He's surprisingly good at drawing. He always enjoyed sketching colorful and quirky monster like creatures but lately his notebook has been filled with drawings he made of you. Weirdly enough, unlike everything else he draws, your drawings always look so clean and shiny like he's trying to draw his god

He also likes to write your name over and over again, it helps him calm down when he's too nervous or when his love for you is overflowing and he can't keep it under control

When writing can't cut it anymore he has to lock himself in a quiet bathroom and take care of the trouble under his pants. He wants to have something that belongs to you while doing it and usually even just a pen can do it but if he's lucky he can snatch your used gym clothes without you noticing.... and maybe take them home too if you don't pay attention... and try to spread your smell into his room as much as he can...

He always follows you home to stalk you make sure you're safe so he's familiar with its location and structure

One time he even tried going in thinking no one was home but just when he was walking towards the building he made eye contact with your mom and just ran back before she can say anything

His tear drops are really big, so when he cries it turns into quite a mess. That's why he does his best not to cry but unfortunately he's someone who can cry as easily as a newborn baby

One of his secret fantasies is you catching him while he's stalking you and humiliating him for it. Mostly because he can't think of any other reason for an amazing, incredible and holy person (one might say) like you to approach him

[bigmoon-is-bigwife]

The whole conversation with Bad and Foolish really did solidify the fact that Bad is baffled by Foolish's lack of accountability and care for his subjects. He points out the fact that Ros is a danger to herself, Owen almost chased out another faction member under his rule, Sneeg is unaccounted for most of the time, Clown seems to only be around just to kill people, Tango is a hotdog and Fit walks around with no armor and is at constant risk of death. These are all things Bad seems to think Foolish is somewhat responsible for. I don't think Bad just means it in the way a king is responsible for his subjects either.

We know Bad sees mortals as possessions, he has literally referred to Ros as Foolish's. Bad doesn't think Foolish is looking after his possessions as well as he should. @magnecalliope made a very good post highlighting the differences of how Bad and Foolish treat mortals and how it relates to their factions here. Bad believes in building his mortals up. He puts a lot of effort into the few he has and works to help them become stronger over time. He may not be that openly affectionate but he will do his best to keep his mortals safe because he feels they gain more value over time. He does have some sense of responsibility for them. Foolish on the other hand, mostly lets people do whatever they want for better or worse. He doesn't really have much care for safety and will happily let his own people risk their lives if it's entertaining. He's very impulsive and is easily swayed into encouraging dangerous behavior. He got the idea to see what happens when you infect someone with corrupted crystals and he ordered Ros to try it. It almost killed Ros. He didn't want Ros to die but it was his actions that put her in danger. He knew it was a risk but curiosity got the best of him and that is a common theme for Foolish. He doesn't try to kill people like Bad does but people tend to be disposable to him if curiosity or boredom get to him. It doesn't matter if they're his own people or not, they're all the same to him.

Bad finds Foolish's lack of responsibility for his mortals to be careless. He doesn't understand why Foolish isn't keeping tabs on Sneeg or why he lets Fit walk around armorless or why Ros doesn't seem supported enough. Bad seems to especially be upset with how he perceives Ros to be treated by The Kingdom. He doesn't think she is appreciated or looked out for enough. He really does care for her and it seems the only thing stopping him from taking her under his wing is that she is already Foolish's. Foolish ends up defending the craziness of his kingdom by claiming them to be a 'fun family'. Bad, being a person who cares for family, says that is respectable but he also adds on that if Tina licks one more eyeball they're back to being in crazy town. It's a joke but it still puts that responsibility of preventing Tina from doing that on Foolish.

[writinginatree]

Too Sweet Part 2

Summary: Violet Sorrengail enters the Quadrant and bonds Tairn, leading to angst with a happy ending as requested by anonymous (though tbh it's less angst and more just Xaden being stressed and sulking😅)

Set during Fourth Wing but contains spoilers for Iron Flame

Part 1

By the start of third year, everyone knows Xaden and you are inseparable.

You've made it through all the obstacles of first and second year together, including the unpleasantries of RSC, your love only growing stronger. The interrogation training made him realize that not telling you about the venin and the revolution doesn't equate keeping you safe — there's a huge target on your back just for being with him, regardless of how much or little you know. So after RSC was done, when you sat in his room, patching each other up, he finally caved, told you what his dad's rebellion really was about, the fight him and the other marked ones are continuing in secret.

You took it better than he'd dared to hope, better than he would have in your place. But then, that's you. Always optimistic, never mad at him for long.

It makes him feel worse about the things he's still keeping from you.

The idea of letting you know about his second signet fills him with equal parts terror and guilt. He loathes hiding such an essential part of himself from you, but Sgaeyl has drilled it into him that no one can ever know, not even you. Still, sometimes he wonders what you would make of it. Xaden likes to think you wouldn't mind, would simply accept it like you accepted every other dark part of him.

He hasn't told you about Aretia being rebuilt, either. Someday he'll take you there and show you, if the gods are good. Until then, he has hinted that there is more that he can't tell, details that would endanger too many lives to be spoken aloud here and now.

You understand, like you always do.

Part of Xaden still thinks he doesn't deserve you — probably always will think so — but the rest of him doesn't care. Deserved or not, you're his, and thanks to your gentle patience, he's learning how to trust again.

It's still hard to open up about the painful details of the apostasy, but in the week of leisure and celebration leading up to Conscription Day, he tells you the price General Sorrengail has named for letting the marked ones into the quadrant: keeping her youngest daughter, who's about to join the quadrant herself, alive.

True to your nature, you immediately promise to help Xaden with that task in any way you can. Despite his assurance that it's not necessary, he's glad for the reminder that you will always have his back.

And thank gods for that, because this year is promising to be more stressful than ever.

Between classes, his new duties as Wingleader, and keeping the marked first-years as well as their declared enemy alive, he's running himself ragged. Being his executive officer, you take as much of the leadership work from him as possible, which barely allows him the time to organize weapons runs.

It doesn't help that pretty much every marked one in the quadrant would welcome Sorrengail's death with open arms. Xaden doesn't feel like informing all of them that letting her live is the price for them being given the chance to live, so he keeps them in line by telling them he will handle the matter. They're not happy about it, but they respect him too much to disobey.

Then Threshing comes around, and everything gets worse.

Being a third-year, it should have been a day like any other for him. Patrolling the training grounds, watching foolish first-years get themselves killed and the more competent ones be chosen by dragons — Threshing isn't all that exciting seen from the other side. His pulse speeds a little when he thinks of his foster brother amidst all those unbonded dragons, but Liam is well prepared; Xaden made sure of that himself. He'll be fine.

Sorrengail on the other hand... Well, it's not his problem whether or not she bonds a dragon. He's supposed to keep her alive, but that doesn't mean he has to help her thrive. Not that there's anything he could do, anyway. The dragons do what they want, regardless of how the humans around feel about it — a fact of which Xaden soon gets an unfriendly reminder when that fucking monstrosity Sgaeyl calls a mate shows up and picks Sorrengail of all people. Not that he begrudges her bonding a dragon — he has to admit she's brave for someone so delicate, and her fight against Barlowe and those other dimwits was quite impressive to watch. He can respect her for making it this far. But why, oh why did it have to be Tairn she bonded?

Calling this development a complication would be an understatement, but he can't think of a better word when discussing the matter with you that evening. Not just that he'll die if that damned first-year gets herself killed — that doesn't make much of a difference, since his deal with the General already meant he might well lose his head if he fails at keeping Violet alive.

No, the bigger issue is that Sgaeyl and Tairn can't be apart for long. How is he supposed to go about secret revolution business with Sorrengail acting as a chain and ball around his leg?

He's almost inclined to believe this is a scheme leadership has contrived to keep him under their thumb, but Sgaeyl says her mate is on their side. That doesn't make Xaden feel any better, though. He wouldn't want his life connected to that of any first-year, least of all the Sorrengail girl. He knows what General Sorrengail did wasn't Violet's fault, but she's a constant reminder of it nonetheless.

Xaden kicks his desk. "This is the fucking worst."

"I know it sucks, but it's not the end of the world," you try to comfort him. Rising from where you'd been sitting cross-legged on his bed, you come up behind him to wrap him in a hug. "We just have to make sure she stays alive, then it'll be fine."

Xaden turns to perch on the edge of the desk, pulling you to stand between his legs so he can rest his chin on your shoulder, arms wrapped tight around your waist. "Dying is the least of my worries," he says. "If she finds out what we've been doing, we're all dead, you included."

"You don't know that. Maybe she'll understand that we're doing the right thing. From what I've seen, she seems like a good person."

Xaden would like to disagree, but unfortunately, he can't. He thinks of Parapet, when she'd traded boots with another first-year she'd only just met, of the meeting under the tree she kept quiet about. So she's compassionate, fine. Lots of good that'll do them if she gets suspicious, which she will, considering her attitude toward the marked ones. They have to be more careful than ever from now on.

He sighs and hides his face against the crook of your neck, inhaling your sweet scent. Your hand is in his hair, scritching his scalp the way he likes, but with this new heap of problems to face, not even that can soothe him.

"I should have killed her when I had the chance," he grumbles.

He's not usually one to waste time dwelling on past mistakes, but when he thinks of all the stress he could have spared himself...

"Her mother would have had your head for that," you remind him. "And that of every other marked one, too, probably."

Xaden sighs again. "I know."

"At least you won't have to worry about how to keep the others from killing her anymore now."

A tiny smile tugs on the corner of Xaden's mouth. "Leave it to you to find a plus side to this disaster."

"You're welcome." You turn your head to press a kiss into his hair, and Xaden swears he can feel the soft smile on your lips as you teasingly ask, "Now are you ready to start planning how we should deal with this? Or should I take care of the thinking while you continue to sulk?"

"I'm not sulking." But he sits up straight, runs a hand over his face and thinks. "I guess some extra hand-to-hand training for Sorrengail would be a good start. I'll ask Imogen or Garrick to take care of that. And I thought about moving Liam to her squad to keep an eye on her, but Garrick thinks we should give her the chance to handle herself before taking drastic measures like that."

He pauses, waiting for your opinion.

"Hmm, I don't know. Letting her handle herself is all nice and well in theory, but let's not forget that if she fails to protect herself, it could end with you dead."

"Good point. I'll think it over again tomorrow," he decides. "It's too late to do anything today anyway, and we've got a load of daggers to deliver tomorrow. The Sorrengail issue will have to wait until we're back."

Agreeing that that's a good plan, you drag Xaden to bed, insisting he needs a good night's sleep if he wants to be in shape the following day.

He should have moved Liam into Second Squad the moment Threshing was done, Xaden thinks, cursing as he races down the hall. Returning from the weapons run, they had barely landed on the flight field when Tairn had alerted Sgaeyl that his rider was being attacked. Not that having Liam in her squad would have prevented this; it's the middle of the fucking night.

Bodhi, Garrick, and you are close on his heels, following into the room as he's squeezing the life from the assailants. Leaving the disposal of the bodies to you guys, Xaden convinces Sorrengail to tell him how the hell they got into her room. Like it or not, they're a team now. They'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive.

On the walk back to his room, you're far from your usual bubbly self, pensive and quiet in a way Xaden doesn't like.

"That was too close," you whisper, still clinging to his hand while he closes the door behind you. "If we'd gotten back just a few minutes later you could have been dead."

Xaden wraps his arms around you, holding your head against his chest so you can hear the strong beat of his heart. "Yeah, but I'm not. I'm okay."

You're trembling in his arms. "I almost lost you, just like that. I can't— I can't lose you!"

"Shh, I know. You won't lose me. We'll ask Liam to protect Sorrengail from now on so nothing like this can happen again."

"I could do it," you offer, lifting your head to look at him. Your eyes are swimming with unshed tears. "Liam is strong, but he's just a first-year. I could do it better."

"I don't doubt that, sweetheart, but Liam being a first-year is kind of the point. He can be glued to her side all day, unlike a third-year like you. Not to mention that you're my executive officer. It wouldn't look good for you to be fussing over one of our first-years."

You nod, aware he's right, but he can tell you're still upset.

He has rarely seen you this shaken, but then, it's not everyday that he brushes death like this. And it really is unsettling, to think he could randomly drop dead without warning if something happens to Sorrengail, that he could be killed by someone not even in the same place as him. He refuses to let it freak him out, though. It won't come to that. The whole she dies, he dies-thing is just a theory, anyway. Technically, Tairn — and thereby Sgaeyl — could survive her death, even if it admittedly is unlikely.

"I'm alright," he promises. "Not looking forward to putting a fellow Wingleader on trial for violating the Codex, but alright."

That gets your attention. "A Wingleader?"

"Yeah. Sorrengail said it was Amber Mavis who let the unbonded into her room."

"Fuck."

"Yeah. So let's get some sleep. It's going to be one hell of a day tomorrow."

The news about the attack cause an uproar as expected, and, also as expected, Sorrengail is less than thrilled to be assigned Liam as a bodyguard. Too bad for her. She'll learn to appreciate him the next time someone is out to kill her. Even if she doesn't, Xaden doesn't give a damn. He'd like to stay alive, thank you very much.

Once you get over the shock of truly realizing how easily Xaden could die because of the mated dragons, you make it your mission to befriend Violet. Xaden has to admit it's fun to watch you try. Sorrengail clearly doesn't know what to think of you. The fact that you are Xaden's girlfriend is enough to make her wary of you, but he knows from experience that it's impossible to not like you. And though you associate with marked ones, you aren't one, which serves to make her a little less prejudiced against you.

Between you and Liam, Xaden is sure you'll win her over in no time.

While Imogen oversees Sorrengail's training in the weight room, you've taken it upon yourself to give her additional lessons in hand-to-hand combat, taking her to the mat whenever your schedule allows it. Hesitant as she first seemed to accept your offer to train with her, she never fails to show up for your sessions. Watching from the sidelines, Xaden can already see the first improvements. More often than not, the other first-years from Violet's squad are hanging around too, and you end up showing them new techniques too.

When Xaden asks if it's not too much, training first-years on top of all your other obligations, you laugh and tell him it's actually kind of relaxing — fun. You're a weirdo. But you're his weirdo, and if you're happy, Xaden is happy too. He certainly isn't about to complain; if Fourth Wing wants to win this year's War Games, the first-years need all the training they can get.

It's no surprise how much they all like you — you're the friendliest third-year there is by far, probably the friendliest there has ever been, and much more patient with them than their own older squad mates. Not to mention you're an absolute badass, kicking even Liam's ass during those sparring sessions. Xaden loves watching it. Not only is it incredibly hot to watch you show off for the first-years, it also makes him feel all mushy to see you getting along with his brother.

"We should tell her," Liam says one night, standing in Xaden's room after Violet has gone to bed. "About what's out there. About Brennan being alive."

"Absolutely not." Xaden refuses to even consider it. "Even if she believes us, we don't know what she'd do with that information. It's too great a risk."

To Xaden's surprise, you take Liam's side. "No, it's not. With how smart she is, she'll realize something's going on eventually, and it'd be better if she found out from us rather than figuring it out herself."

"What we should be doing is make sure she doesn't figure it out," he argues.

"Vi isn't our enemy, Xaden. She's nothing like her mother."

Xaden grits his teeth. "I know that, but—"

"She deserves to know that her brother is alive," Liam interrupts from his other side.

"If she tells anyone, he won't be for much longer."

"Which is exactly why she won't tell!"

Xaden sighs. It's rare for Liam to disagree with him like this, but when it does happen, he's almost as hardheaded as Xaden himself, and to make matters worse, the two of you are ganging up on him. Xaden knows he's just being stubborn at this point, overly cautious, maybe even paranoid. But with so many lives at stake, he has to be.

"Come on," you push, using that firm but gentle tone he's used to hearing from you when dealing with scared first-years. "You're the one who told her you need to start trusting each other."

"With our lives, yeah. But not with this."

"She could help us," Liam insists. "She has the second-biggest dragon on the Continent, in case you forgot."

"She also has a memory reader for a best friend," Xaden points out, "who will most definitely go running to his daddy the second he gets the idea we're doing anything that's even a little against his precious rules. Are you really that eager to die?"

Liam rolls his eyes. "Oh, forget Aetos. Vi is sick and tired of his overprotective ass anyway. If we explain the situation to her, she'll keep away from him so he won't find out."

Once again, Xaden shakes his head.

You take his hand, looking at him with so many emotions plain on your face it makes him want to give in. "Please, Xaden. I don't like lying to our friend."

Oh gods, is that what Sorrengail has become? A friend? He scowls when he realizes it's true. How the hell did that happen?

"We're not lying," he reasons. "We're just keeping some things from her."

"Call it what you want, I don't like it. You've told me the truth too, despite having no clue how I would react."

"That's different."

"Yes, but she still deserves to know. She'll choose to do the right thing, I'm sure." Before he can reply, you add, "If it goes badly, we can always have Imogen erase the conversation from her memory, and then I promise we'll never bring it up again."

Xaden sighs, looking from you to Liam and back. With both of you giving him that pleading look, he simply can't say no. "Fine."

Xaden leaves that conversation to you and Liam. While he and Violet have made a sort of peace, the trust between them is still wonky, and he feels she'll take the truth better if it comes from the two of you rather than him.

He waits in the hall with Imogen — just in case — for what feels like ages. Finally the door to Sorrengail's room opens, and the three of you emerge. Violet seems distressed but calm, which is a good sign.

"They told you everything?" Xaden asks her.

A tense nod. What you told her isn't actually everything of course, but the most crucial facts. Who the real enemy is, how you all are trying to help people. He doesn't ask how you managed to convince her; all that matters is that she believes the truth.

"And? Are you in?"

"I'm in."

[singstaircase]

When the Phone Rings– CS55

Summary: The plan was simple– pretend to be your own kidnapper, pressure the cold and distant husband into either divorcing you himself or paying 'you' enough to do it yourself. What wasn't accounted for? His unexpected care and sheer stubbornness.

contains: angst, fluff, implied unhappy marriage, Carlos Sr is the villain because I needed one, reader can speak but is selectively mute, marriage of convenience or is it? Based on the few episodes I saw of the show of the same name.

Carlos and his family think the reader can't speak. The only people who are aware that she can speak is her mother and her friend, Alexandra. Alexandra is the only person the reader speaks to. Felipe and Sofia are the reader's stepfather and stepsister. Alexandra is Alexandra Saint-Mleux.

This is the seventh call. Maybe the eighth, (Name) is starting to lose the count at this point.

She places her steaming cup on the bedside table and at seven pm sharp, dials the number.

Carlos picks up after the first ring.

"Again?" He says. His voice has a hint of irritation but also something else– determination.

"You're persistent, huh?" (Name) rasps, trying to disguise her voice, though it's not needed. The burner phone came with a voice changer after all. Still, she does this every call, just to be safe.

"And you are repetitive," he shots back. The line goes quiet for some time after that, so (Name) picks up her cup and takes a small sip.

Sensing Carlos won't break the silence, (Name) decides to speak again. "You are awfully calm for a man being threatened, Mr. Sainz."

Carlos chuckles, the sound both amused and tired. "You say the same thing everytime. It's getting repetitive."

Het jaw tightens. "Then here's something new. If you don't divorce her, something will happen."

A pause. Then, "To me or her?"

(Name) blinks. She wasn't expecting this. "Why do you care?"

"You act like I don't care," his voice is steady, firm, "but I care about her, more than you realize." and full of confidence.

Her grip on the phone tightens. "Then pay me. I'll leave you both alone."

"You won't succeed in separating us," Carlos speaks so confidently that it makes her chest ache. "No matter what you try."

(Name)'s breath hitches.

Before she can respond, the line goes end.

She stares at her phone, a sinking feeling growing in her chest.

This isn't working.

1.

That evening, Carlos knocks on her door.

"Let's make dinner together," he signs. His hands moved with an ease that tells her he thought this through and practiced before asking.

(Name) hesitates.

Carlos never did this before. Never tried to involve her in his life.

But she finds herself nodding anyway.

***

What starts as a simple meal, turns into flour fights, laughter and accidental touches.

Carlos isn't the best at cooking—he sliced the onions too thick and nearly set the oil on fire—but he laughed and it was infectious.

He guides her hands as they knead dough, his warmth lingering even after he stepped back.

At one point, without thinking, Carlos reaches up to brush flour from (Name)'s cheek. His thumb lingers longer than it should have.

(Name) should have pulled away. But she doesn't.

When they finally sit down to eat, she finds it hard to look at him.

This is a dangerous game she's playing.

2.

(Name) wasn't expecting to get the job.

She applied for the job of the interpreter on impulse, wanting something of her own.

No one on the Williams team knows about her relation with Carlos. It just makes things easier, and the perfect choice.

She was also not expecting Carlos to care.

So when he finds her, that day, after training and signs, "Congratulations."

She freezes.

She didn't realize Carlos knew or cared.

That night, there's a knock on (Name)'s door.

On the other side, Carlos is holding a small velvet box. Inside is a delicate necklace with a tiny charm.

"For your new job," he signs, almost shyly.

(Name)'s breath is caught. Before she can react, Carlos steps closer and clasp it around her neck. His fingers barely touch her skin but she feels the warmth lingering.

Their eyes meet in the mirror.

(Name) swallows hard.

She is supposed to make him want to let go.

Then why does it feel like he is holding on tighter ?

3.

Live.

In front of cameras. In front of thousands of people watching.

(Name) stands beside Carlos, hands gripping her notepad tightly. The interviewer is chatting with another driver first, giving her a few extra minutes to calm herself.

Her heart, however, is anything but calm.

She has done this before. But not live. Not where any mistake will be instantly broadcasted to the world.

She feels Carlos shift beside her. Then, quietly, he leans in.

"You’re going to do amazing," he murmurs. His voice is warm, reassuring.

Slightly startled, (Name) looks up at him.

Before she can react, Carlos reaches for her hand under the table, giving it a small, firm squeeze. He lets go only when the interviewer turns to them.

***

The interview starts and (Name) forces herself to focus. She translates Carlos' answers effortlessly, her hands moving with confidence.

The longer it goes on, the more natural it feels. She barely notices Carlos watching her—how, every time she moves, he follows her gestures like she is the only person in the room.

It isn't until later, scrolling through her phone, that she sees what the world saw.

Twitter and Instagram were filled with clips of the interview. But instead of just Carlos’ words, people were fixated on something else.

“The way Carlos looks at his interpreter is so!!!!.”

“Someone tell me why he’s staring at her like she is the stars in the sky???”

“Imagine being so in love you forget you’re on live TV.”

(Name) frowns, scrolling through video clips of Carlos speaking. His gaze was always on her. Always. She didn't even noticed.

Her stomach twists.

Then, she feels a presence besides her.

"Interesting choice of content," Alexandra teases, peering over her shoulder.

(Name)'s hands tighten around her phone.

"I was just—"

"Analyzing?" Alexandra finishes, smirking.

(Name) scrolls back to a paused clip, Carlos’ expression frozen mid-sentence—his eyes warm, his lips curved in a way that looked almost… soft.

It doesn't mean anything. It can't.

Alexandra nudges her. "So… second thoughts?"

(Name) hesitates.

"I still want the divorce," she says. But the words felt unsteady.

Alexandra hums. "You think so, at least."

(Name) doesn't respond.

4.

(Name) tries to keep her distance.

She reminds herself of the plan. Reminds herself that Carlos isn't her's, not really.

And then, it rains.

Carlos was with the team all afternoon, testing at the track. And (Name) stayed late to wrap up some notes.

By the time she steps out, the sky is pitch black.

Carlos is leaning against his car. Judging by his bored expression and constant darting at his watch, (Name) can tell he is waiting for someone.

Is he waiting for me? The thought makes her heart flutter.

(Name) shakes her head. He doesn't care, at least that's what's she's been telling herself for the past few days.

But she can answer to herself, Carlos' eyes find hers.

He opens the door to the car before even speaking. "Let's go home."

(Name) shakes her head, phone ready in hand to answer.

It’s fine. I’ll call a taxi.

Carlos frowns. "In this weather?" He gestures to the rain, where the track lights makes the downpour shimmer like falling glass. "Just get in."

She hesitates, but another gust of wind sends rain splattering against her.

So she climbs in.

***

They don't speak—not out loud, at least. Instead, (Name) pulls out her phone.

You don’t have to do this.

Carlos glances at her. "Do what?"

Pretend that you care.

His grip on the wheel tightens. "I am not pretending," he says.

They stop at a red light.

Carlos reaches toward the dashboard, turning up the heater. "Are you cold?"

(Name) swallows but shakes her head.

When they arrive, he pulls up in front of the house but doesn't unlock the doors immediately.

"You think I don’t care," he says quietly. "But I do."

(Name) doesn't move. Doesn't look at him.

She opens the door and steps out without a word.

Inside, she presses her back against the door, her heart hammering.

She has to end this.

But somehow, Carlos keeps making it harder.

5.

The dinner was uncomfortable from the start.

Carlos warned (Name) about his father but nothing could have prepared her for this.

***

(Name) spent most of the evening in silence, answering questions with polite smiles and written responses on her phone when necessary.

And then, Carlos Sr turns his attention to (Name).

"This whole marriage," he starts, and points at Carlos and (Name), swirling his wine glass lazily, "was a disaster from the start. We were supposed to get Sofia. But Felipe pawned off his broken daughter and we were fools to take her."

The table falls silent.

(Name) doesn't do anything, but her fingers tightens its grip on her fork.

Shaking his head, Carlos Sr leans back in chair. "She can't even speak. Pathetic."

Carlos' jaw clenches.

"She is a disgrace," his father continues. "We give them everything and they humiliate us with���"

"Enough!"

Carlos' voice is sharp, cutting through the heavy silence like a blade.

Carlos Sr scoffs. "Excuse me?"

Everyone on the table looks around, trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation.

And then, Carlos puts down his glass. "I said enough."

His father narrows his eyes. "I don't appreciate that tone, boy."

"And I don't appreciate you insulting my wife."

A murmur ripples through the table.

Carlos Sr scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't act like you actually care about this marriage, Carlos. You wouldn't even acknowledge her in public–"

Carlos pushes back his seat and gets up.(Name) looks up at him in alarm.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Carlos says coldly. “You think (Name) is pathetic? That she’s some kind of burden? She’s the only person in this family with any real dignity.”

Carlos Sr's expression darkens. “Watch your mouth.”

“No, you watch yours.” Carlos leans forward, resting his hands on the table. “You want to be president, right? You need Felipe’s influence to make that happen. So maybe you should start talking to my wife with the respect she deserves.”

Carlos Sr's face turns red with rage.

Carlos turns to (Name) and holds out his hand. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

(Name) hesitates.

His father stands up. "Carlos." His voice is dangerously low. “You will not walk away from this table.”

Carlos doesn't even look at him.

“I won’t stay in a place where my wife is being disrespected.”

(Name) places her hand in his and together, they walk out.

+1

(Name) needs air.

Carlos steps away to handle a call, and (Name) finds her way to the rooftop of the estate.

Her plan is falling apart.

Carlos wasn't supposed to care. Yet, he does. He wasn't supposed to defend her.

And yet he did.

She pulls out the burner phone and almost like a second nature, seeks out Carlos' number. With trembling fingers, she dials his number.

Carlos answers almost immediately. "What do you want again?"

(Name) swallows. She can't stop, not now.

She checks her surrounding and then, lowers her voice. "Why are you still with her?"

Carlos exhales sharply. "Not this again."

“She’s pathetic.” Every inch of her body screaming at her to stop, hating herself for every word. But (Name) presses on. “She can’t even speak. She is a damaged good. A replacement for her perfect sister. Why are you still holding onto her?”

There's a pause.

Then, Carlos starts speaking.

"Because she is the only good thing in my life."

(Name) steps closer to the edge of the roof and closes her eyes. The night breeze cools her skin but isn't able to reach in and calm her pounding heart.

Carlos continues in a steady pace. “Because in a world where everyone takes and demands, she asks for nothing. And still, she gives everything.”

(Name) opens her eyes and grips the phone tighter. A familiar feeling.

“She makes me feel alive,” Carlos admits, his voice starts to get quieter. “Like I can breathe normally for the first time in years.”

(Name)'s chest aches.

“She is not a replacement. She’s not some extra chapter in someone else’s story.” Carlos say. His voice is softer now but full of confidence as well. “She is a brand-new language. One I want to learn.”

(Name) steps back from the edge as tears begin to blur her vision.

"Don't ever talk about my wife like that again," Carlos finishes.

"Then why?" she whispers, the words slipping out before she can stop them, " Why did you treat her like she didn't matter?" She needs to to know. I need to know.

Silence.

"Why did you act like she was invisible?" (Name)'s voice is uneven by now. "Why were you so ashamed to tell everyone that she was your wife?"

There is no answer.

Then–

A chime.

The elevator door behind her slides open.

(Name) turns around, her heart stopping.

Carlos steps out, staring at her, his phone still pressed to his ear.

And in her hand, the burner phone.

His eyes flickers between her tear-streaked face and the device.

Realization dawns.

(Name)'s world caves in.

This literally came to me in my dreams a few weeks ago and I knew I had to write it.

[thewistlingbadger]

The reason why people fuck with s1 caitvi but don't fuck with S2 caitvi is because Caitlyn and Vi in both seasons are entirely different people.

In season one, Vi was a Zaunite who had been a victim to the enforcers her whole life. They killed her parents, harassed her people as she was growing up, put her family in danger, made her father make an impossible decision, wrongfully jailed her, abused her, etc. She was always very anti enforcers and anti Piltover. In season one, she has a cynical attitude towards Caitlyn and Caitlyn's beliefs. She's constantly saying things that challenge and conflict with Caitlyn's world view, and 9/10 times she's correct.

Caitlyn is arrogant and ignorant in season one, but despite her flaws she has a very good moral character. She believes in change, she is very empathetic towards others once she gets a glimpse at who they truly are, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure what is right is what is done. She disobeys direct orders in order to uncover Silco and learn more about the Undercity in order to keep Piltover safe.

The contrast between these two, oil and water, is what made them so compelling. Caitlyn who is naive and inexperienced paired with Vi, who has just about seen it all and has been hardened by it. Vi, who isn't trusting matched with Caitlyn, who's willing to be open. When Caitlyn is with Vi, she's able to understand the vast depth the world around her has to offer; she learns things she never knew before. When Vi is around Caitlyn, she can allow herself to be vulnerable again, because she feels genuinely seen by Caitlyn.

Season two completely destroys their characters beyond what would be a reasonable amount. Caitlyn loses every ounce of empathy she had for Zaunites in season two, she no longer believes in their need for healing, she no longer cares about the local corruption of both cities...when you watch s1 or at least look over some of Caitlyn's lines, it's a night and day difference between her in s1 and her in S2. It's a difference that is so drastic and unlikeable that it genuinely doesn't feel believable that these characters changes are due to the death of her mother and the manipulation of Ambessa.

In season two, Vi becomes an enforcer, and while she is concerned about Caitlyn's increasingly aggressive attitude, she seems to have no concern for the actions they're committing. She seemingly is unbothered that she and Caitlyn and hurting tons of zaunites. She seemingly is unbothered that she is allowing and supporting the murder or Jinx. Later in the show, she literally lives in the Undercity alone, having seen the consequences of both their actions on a daily basis, and still she never has a moment where she reflects on that period of her life.

At this point, Caitvi are completely different people, and the reasons why we originally liked them don't exist anymore. Caitlyn in S2 decides that everything she saw with Vi, all the things Vi showed her don't matter to her anymore because Jinx ruined everything. She no longer has the capacity to feel bad for others because she's riddled with grief. She no longer is able to see Vi for who she is, literally saying "I keep telling myself you're different but you're not. It's her blood in your veins."

And so I ask the question: why are Caitlyn and Vi together in season two, if the core reasons for their initial attraction/relationship have ceased to exist? What is pulling them together other than history and "I can fix her" mentality? Why should I be rooting for them? Why should Vi want to be with Caitlyn in season two? Why should Caitlyn want to be with Vi in season two?

[moredorkysjonsson]

My Hero Academia OC

Note: my oc's story is not meant to be set in the canon story of mha, it's more of an alternate universe.

She's no pro hero, nor a vigilante. She is a regular citizen with a complicated quirk and a natural instinct with protecting the weak. She calls these attributes a curse, because it just causes a lot of problems for her.

Quirk: "Werewolf", mutant type.

She has a similar behavior with the animals of canis genus, has an advance sense of smell and sense of hearing, high bite force, nails that naturally grows pointy. She's also greatly physically capable, impressively strong och fast, high stamina and her wounds heal faster than average.

Her werewolf transformation gets triggered by the increase of her adrenaline, and the more she transform the more aggressive and impulsive she becomes. Her hair raises hackle, she grows fur on her body, grows a tail, immense bite force, more powerful claws and paw pads. Her physical powers also increases and her body healing ability becomes faster and she can heal lose limbs as long they are placed back together.

Weakness:

Her quirk might appear OP, but she has some weakness too. For example: 0% might be impressively capable, but she's weaker and slower than her 10-100% forms. Advance sense of hearing and smell can also be quite a hassle when it comes to very loud sounds and strong smells. The werewolf transformation is also tremendously physically and mentally exhausting, which makes her body collapse when she re-transforms and the 70-100% forms often causes amnesia, which makes her not remembering what happened during it.

Her collar she has around her neck, is also a somewhat of weakness. Its durability is limitless and can be used against her to maneuver her. As long as she doesn't caught whatever is catching her with her strong jaws. (She has been wearing that collar since she was 5 years old)

Info about her:

Name: Toboe Soichi

Alias: The Werewolf, Wolf, Pup (She didn't choose any of these alias, it's what she's called by people because of her quirk. Her daily 0% form isn't recognized by those alias)

Gender: Female (she, her, they, them)

Age: 30's

Height: 173 - 178cm (5'8 - 5'10)

Eye color: kyanite-blue & deep-yellow

Hair color: Dark chestnut

Occupation: Part time florist assistant

Soichi was born in Nagano Prefecture, her father was one of Japan's top heroes and he died 5 month before her birth. She was raised by her mother and with some help from her aunt (mother's sister). Soichi was born with some of her quirks attributes, but the werewolf transformation took form at the age of 4 and it was quite different than it is today. Her transformation turned straight from 0 to 100%, and the first impression of her new quirk was a disaster, biting off the finger of a kindergarten teacher, and that wouldn't be the last time her quirk caused chaos.

Soichi's childhood was difficult because of her quirk, she struggled to get friends, she was harassed by other children's parents and so did her neighbors, because they were scared of her werewolf form. Soichi's mother was however doing everything she could to keep her safe and loved, and so did the rest of the family. At the age of 9, her and the family moved to Yamanashi Prefecture to try and start a life with less harassment and it fortunately went for the better. However, this is also the chapter in her life when she starts to do heroic things.

In her early 20's she gets in trouble with the law after an altercation with a A rank villain and a misunderstanding fight with the top hero All Might. Soichi gets charged for vigilantism and violence against pro hero, and she gets brought to trial. Soichi's mother begs All Might to help Soichi from getting into prison and she explains her quirk's complication and that she's actually a good person. All Might being the hero that he is decides to meet Soichi himself to get his own impression of her, and when that time came he was surprised by her 0% form, she was a completely different person compare to the one who he fought. She was polite and shy, but most notable was her righteousness and sense of responsibility. Telling him that she deserve to go to prison for attacking him, even if she rather not. This and the fact that Soichi fought the villain to protect people, made All Might realize that she doesn't deserve prison time at all, this also makes him decide to defend her when he attends to the trail as a witness.

During the trial, the judges sympathizes a bit for Soichi's quirk complications, but what really made them recognize her was All Might's input on the situation, and they finally decides to judge her as not guilty. However, this is where Soichi gets labeled as a "risk of violent behavior" at the police registration, which means that the law will have a firm eye on her.

A year after the trial, Soichi gets in contact with a psychotherapist from northern Europe, that works with people who struggles with similar quirk complications as herself. He helps her to learn to better control her negative emotions and a safer way to protect herself and others. After 4 years of this, she grows a lot as a person and she's able to slow down her transformation. Her 100% becomes rare and her 0-60% are a lot more common.

Soichi has no interest in the hero life style, she just want to live a normal life and only protect her family and the few friend she has, but she can't avoid her instinct with helping those who happens to be in danger close by. She tries to avoid the police and most pro heroes. But the law isn't the only problem, so are villains that goes against her and those who recognize the similarity she has with her father.

Inspirations for Soichi and her story:

MHA(obviously), Mob Psycho 100, One Punch Man, Devilman, Invincible, DCUA, Beastars, Naruto and much more.

There is a lot more to Soichi’s story, but I think this should be enough as a preview

---

Pardon for any bad grammar, English isn't my first language and I was a bit tired when I wrote this ^^'

[cruelxfantasies]

Robin has a panic attack at work and Steve helps. tw: panic attack descriptors.

the customer’s voice muffles as though Robin has cotton in her ears. she can barely hear him even though he’s across the counter. his mustache has a piece of food in it. there's a coil wrapping tightly around her sternum. fingers gripping the counter, she needs to find something to ground her. the sensation isn’t enough.

Whatever phone call Steve is on ends and he steps between Robin and the counter, creating distance. He says something, but she's barely there. Robin backs away slowly, moving through molasses, and her hand finds its way to the cold metal of the handle of Keith’s office.

she crashes once she locks the door behind her, crumpling down to the floor as if her strings were cut, forearms crossing against her chest to squeeze her upper arms tightly. robin begins rocking back and forth on the floor, and there’s probably crescent moons littering her skin from how hard she’s pinching. should’ve cut her nails, should’ve cut her nails. please don’t bleed, please don’t bleed.

the door handle rattles. Steve. “Rob — Rob, he’s gone, please open the door.”

pressure pressure pressure is the only coherent word racing in Robin's head. the rocking increases.

“Please let me in, reach for the lock.” steve’s voice is pleading.

the pressure lifts as her left arm reaches behind, fingers blindly searching for the lock behind her. it clicks and she grips her body again.

Steve rushes in immediately, shutting the door behind him as he bends down to her level.

“what do you need?”

a hoarse “squeeze” escapes and Steve understands. he always does.

he comes in from the side, wrapping his arms around robin and squeezes, pressing her arms even more into her body. it’s constricting, and safe safe safe.

blurred vision comes into focus and she can see the empty coke can she left on Keith's desk earlier. the clipboard hanging on the wood paneled wall where they keep track of their hours.

Steve's humming something, but Robin can't make out the melody. she can smell the acrid cologne he won't get rid of because ‘you're just not seeing the vision, Robin.’

there's a clock in the office, but she can't see it from where she's sitting on the floor, with no idea how much time passes. she loosens the grip on her arms, still holding on, just not as tight.

she breathes in deeply; smelling the flowers is what her mom calls it. releases the breath; blowing out the candles. she wrinkles her nose.

"beauty school drop out?" she croaks out, mouth dry. "really, Steve?"

he rests his chin atop her head. "it was the first thing that came to mind. sue me. good to let go?"

"'s fine."

his weight lifts and she winces, but - Steve's still here. he hasn't left, just moving to sit cross legged in front of her.

he plays with a loose string on his green vest. "want to talk about it?"

her tongue still feels thick, heavy. "i-i don't think so. not yet." Robin pauses and her eyes point towards the door. her mascara is probably smeared from some of the sweat and tears she didn't even notice she cried.

"i flipped the sign to closed, locked the door." she didn't have to ask. her best friend takes care of her.

he knows she drinks her hot chocolate with skim milk only. he knows that she can't stand being near cheese that isn't melted. he knows that she ties her left shoe first every day because tying the right first is like stepping on a crack, break your mother’s back.

Robin loves Steve and Steve loves her.

in a few hours, Robin will cuddle up in the recliner in Steve’s living room, him spread out on the couch. each one will have their own bowl of popcorn — Robin has hers with m&m’s on the side while Steve douses his in melted butter. they will dissolve into laughter watching weird science when Anthony Michael Hall says “well, my nuts are halfway up my ass but other than that, i’m perfect!”

the laughter will fade away and turn to snores when the tape ends, both too tired to get up and do anything about it.

she’ll tell him everything tomorrow.

[tarnishedxknight]

Raminas had assumed that Star-Lord was someone of import from the Kingdom of Missouri, but to hear that he was an actual prince... that was humbling. It really was of the utmost importance, then, that he not do anything further to anger this prince of a faraway land he'd never before heard of. Goodness knew Dalmasca already had enough enemies and plenty of obstacles to overcome if she wanted a safe future and to hold onto her sovereignty. Raminas didn't need any more trouble to find his own kingdom.

Such adroit liars, they all are, Munoh thought as they listened to the Guardians each add their own contributions to Quill's embellishment of his own identity. The act of lying perhaps betrayed the character of the person doing it, to some extent. A lack of truth, an unwillingness to be genuine. But lies could also ease pain. They could protect. They could prevent bloodshed. Munoh was not of such delicate morals that they would condemn someone based on lies alone, however... if those lies were used to hurt, to exploit, or to take advantage of others, that they did take offense to.

They decided that they would remain silent and invisible for now, but should the Guardian's not keep their promise of silence on other important matters that could affect Prince Rasler's safety, well... then they might reveal themselves and the Guardian's own deception. For as it was well known, to the House of Nabradia every bit as well as that of Dalamsca, the word of the Occuria was paramount.

Wynna was absolutely delighted that the unique and beautiful visitors received her compliments favorably. When one of them complimented her dress, she seemed to glow with gratitude. "Do you really think so? Thank you! This is my favorite color, this shade of blue." She stepped a bit closer and lowered her voice. "My father hates me in it, but he isn't here to complain at present," she said with a little smile before making her way to the table with them as Gamora suggested.

When Gamora's gaze wandered to Caelen as she recognized their invitation to the dinner, he smiled but said nothing. He knew that, but for his insistence, the Guardians would likely not be here right now. His father was far too afraid of them saying something, either about Vossler or the impending Archadian invasion, to have them around Rasler and Eswynn. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to accept thanks in place of his father. The smile would have to suffice for his acceptance.

Thankfully, Rasler did not pick up on what Drax had been about to say, mostly because he had no way of knowing. Instead, he smiled and looked between Basch and Caelen. "Perhaps Caelen has been learning the arts of diplomacy from Ser Basch. The knight has always been adept with people from all walks of life. I remember visiting as a boy and seeing him manage people better than any other, with kindness and respect. And each time since that he has visited Nabudis, he has always shown me and my family the greatest of respect."

Basch merely nodded politely in acknowledgement of the Prince's words

"And he is so humble as well," Rasler said with a chuckle before turning to Caelen once more. "You've no better teacher in your Knight Captain, I feel."

"I quite agree," Caelen replied.

"I had no idea the Captain was teaching you such things," Raminas said, and from his tone, it was unclear as to whether or not he approved.

"He has taught me a great deal many things, father. He is a wise and intuitive person," Caelen defended Basch.

Basch wished the conversation would move from him. The more the focus was on him, the more Raminas would regret his decision to even allow him to attend such an important dinner in the first place, he felt.

This was Wynna's first time meeting both Caelen, but her brother seemed to think very highly of him, and that counted for a lot. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord," she said to him before looking to Raminas. "And you as well, your majesty."

"It has been so long, Eswynn," Raminas said in a fatherly tone. "You've grown so much that I scarcely recognized you. How are you finding Dalmasca thus far?"

"Oh, I love it!" she exclaimed with a level of enthusiasm that would have earned her a stern chastisement from her father had he been present. She was sincerely thankful that he was not.

The dinner proceeded with pleasantries and light conversation, with politeness and friendliness. Ashelia stole glances at both Rasler and Basch several times, but was fairly quiet. This dinner... and Rasler's arrival... it made her impending marriage all the more real. Her heart had been beating so wildly that she scarcely felt hungry at all, but she made herself eat to maintain the optics of the situation. Her cheeks were pink, however, perhaps giving away something. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice, or if they did, they didn't say anything.

After all the savory foods of the main dinner were picked through, the servants carted them away and replaced them with an array of desserts. There were pastries, little cakes, little fruit tarts, and some sort of candied nuts the Guardians would have been unfamiliar with. Hot tea was brought out to accompany the desserts.

Another Time, Another Place (A Hollow Universe In Space) || closed with tarnishedxknight

@tarnishedxknight continued from here

The Guardians stood there, letting Captain Basch formally introduce them to King Raminas. They all then bowed respectfully except for Rocket, who only did so because Gamora pushed his head down. They trusted Basch for the most part, as he assured them no one would hurt them after telling them to leave their weapons at the ship. Quill and Gamora were the first ones to leave theirs; Drax didn't want to leave his knives, but did so after Mantis looked at him, while Rocket pulled a comical amount of retractable weapons from his pockets.

As they followed Basch, Mantis had stayed behind for a moment to approach Vossler. She felt much better after Munoh sent her some calm energy, and she smirked at the man. Suddenly, her hand was on his cheek, her antennae aglow. "Whenever you open your mouth to say something unkind, you will wail like a baby. Honestly, it might be more coherent than anything else you have said," she whispered. She patted his cheek twice as if to seal her whimsical behest, and hurried to follow the Guardians as Basch guided them through the palace of Rabanastre.

Quill straightened and cleared his throat to speak to the King. Mantis took his hand; Quill was a little confused, but he allowed it since he knew she wasn't feeling great.

"Your Majesty," he said, once again lowering his voice in an attempt to mirror Basch's formal tone and presence, hoping it would make the King like him more. "We come in peace. We thank you for your time, and we apologize for occupying one of your docks. I think I have–" He stopped talking rather suddenly, and swallowed. "Uh... I think... I have..."

What was happening was that Mantis was frantically reading his thoughts as he spoke, using her powers to interrupt him because he was going to say he had the perfect stuff to make up for it, wanting to show the King some Terran music with the Zune. While Terran music was excellent, Mantis knew not everyone would like it, nor find it an acceptable form of apology.

"I have no excuse," Quill said instead. "And I have to... shut up... now."

[fantimati]

OH MY GOD I JUST REALIZE IF COLLEI DID HER WORK STUDY WITH BAIZHU SHE'D SEE CHANGSHENG EVERYDAYYYY

Snakes as a symbol of destruction and her trauma (Archon residue) vs Chengsheng as a symbol of her progress and healing

[demaparbat-hp]

In your Spitfire AU, since Zuko is looking after Lu Ten II, what happened to Ursa?

Zuko is slightly older in the Spitfire AU. He was banished at fifteen, his head a little clearer and denial a little weaker than in canon. After his first look through the Air Temples, Zuko decides that if he can't find a myth, he might as well search for the next best thing.

Finding Ursa isn't easy, but in time he makes it to a secluded house in a near-forgotten part of the world. His mom is there, older and stronger and alive.

But she isn't alone.

And Zuko, as it turns out, didn't keep the best company during his search.

When Ursa is discovered and her secrets are laid bare for assassins (for Ozai) to find, she begs Zuko to take his little brother and run. She'll do anything it takes to protect her children, even if that means leaving them behind to keep a target off their back. Ursa diverts attention from them and allows Lu Ten's ancestry to be kept a secret. She orders Zuko not to follow her again, and disappears.

Zuko is left with a little three-year-old brother to raise and a mother he cannot hold onto.

[bayetea]

I don't like the judo flip in moa as much as the next guy but in my eyes it's largely the result of rick not taking female violence half as seriously as male violence (a result of viewing women as weaker and inferior to men such that their acts of violence don't need to be taken as seriously) and not so much anything about annabeth herself. like I do genuinely feel that annabeth is a complex heroine and definitely one of the better ones in the realm of ya action-adventure fiction produced in the past 25 years but she is still a girl being written by a man and all I'm saying is that her writing clearly reflects that sometimes (more in tags)

[aki-bara]

This was absolutely a 4am thought-- But hear me out.

All of Percy's close friends are outcasts. And this is definitely intentional because of / narrative significance / BUT think about what it says about Percy as a CHARACTER that he can only be vulnerable around people he SEES as being as VULNERABLE as he is. And I say vulnerable because putting yourself out there? Trying to relate to people?? That makes YOU vulnerable to rejection.

Percy's entire character arc is about feeling like he he's not good enough, so of course when he sees other people that don't fit they feel safe. They are like him (he assumes). They also long for somewhere to belong.

Most importantly they don't have power over him (core fear).

He isn't looking at these people and thinking [ they are weak ]. This isn't about some egotistical need to BE stronger. It's about seeing the hurt in others that he sees in himself, about approaching them with the compassion he longs to receive.

Because the number one thing Percy can't take is being told (again) that he doesn't fit, about being rejected, about looking WEAK in front of someone else and giving them power over him. About showing the softest parts of himself to someone and getting hurt AGAIN because that person wasn't someone he should have trusted. (And it's always his fault, for allowing himself to be hurt, to be WEAK).

So yeah. Of course he only approaches the people who can't hurt him. The nerdy kid at school that's bullied worse than you (Grover), that kid is safe. The homeless charity case of a classmate (Tyson)? SAFE. The girl that sees things others can't, that other people won't BELIEVE if she says something weird about you (Rachel)? Safe.

The black horse with wings that no one else can talk to or understand?

Safe.

Of course one of Percy's best friends is a horse.

Honestly though, can we talk about how one of Percy's best friends is a horse?

[fussystreetlight]

(Remaking this post cause I realized I didn't want to reblog from these kinds of people even when I'm reacting to them but I think some context is necessary).

It's always dispiriting to see things like this. And to see, imo, obvious nonsense get so much attention, more attention than fanartists that are not only talented but genuinely kind.

And I know I could ignore this and that I'm giving it more attention. But for my own peace of mind I wanted to add some important amendments :

Be as weird as you want about Skully. Yana Toboso and the TWST developers want you to (so you'll spend money but still...)

If you're a weirdo the game was made for you. Enjoy it however you want.

The game and developers are weird about their own characters (they knew what they were doing especially with the Union Birthday card groovies).

He's a bunch of pixels programmed to be set at an semi-arbitrary number that was chosen cause it made sense for the story, not because he's supposed to represent a person. It's like sleeping with an inflatable doll that was only made a year ago. It's a doll, how long it's been in existence doesn't matter. A very obvious not real character is not comparable to or representative of a person.

Again, he's not real, his "age" doesn't matter because he's an object, and fiction is not a 1:1 reflection of reality. If someone likes him it doesn't mean they'll prey on an actual teen. The chances of there being a correlation are really small. People who assume it does and try to stop people from liking a character; that says more about you than what liking Skully says about the person who likes him. It's like someone finding a chip that looks like a person and then someone else eats it. You're not going to call that person a cannibal and assume they want to eat people, this is the same thing. It's not comparable to a sexual predator. Seriously, why are y'all obsessed with predators, why is it always on your mind? Y'all keep bringing them up in situations that had nothing to do with them, making things about them and seeing them everywhere, and assuming everyone you meet that isn't a clone of you is one. Why is this always the first place your mind goes to? If y'all saw someone reacting the same way about murderers you'd realize they need some help so why are y'all so lacking in self-awareness?

The fact that people were simping for him before his "age reveal" and after it should have driven home the fact that it's simply that people like how this object looks and is programmed to behave, not how long it's been manufactured. Also his voice actor is an adult, so it's more like an adult acting like a younger person, i.e. this is more like a form of age play between consenting adults than a sign that people want to prey on teens (of course if antis looked at things that way then they'd have to face the realization that they are not the valiant heroes they think they are so they won't).

This attitude is what kills fandoms and makes creators not want their stuff to leave their country. It wouldn't surprise me if TWST one day shuts down because of all these antis.

And considering every anti I've come across liked something that does the very same things they claim to hate, are made by people who support the fiction they claim to hate, or like the very things that they claim to hate, I just can't make myself believe they really care about morals or being good people. At this point I genuinely believe antis are either just looking for attention or need professional help but are unwilling to admit it. Or they want to hurt people. But really, why this unhealthy obsession with sexual predators and finding them?? Especially when the people and organizations whose job it is to find actual predators have asked them to stop reporting this stuff because it doesn't count. The line should be drawn when real giving beings are getting hurt. No one is getting hurt by this no matter how much antis like to roleplay victims. Let people have their harmless innocent fun.

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Housemate is letting one of her rabbits walk around at night again :/

[cesium-sheep]

if I get my disability compensation I can afford to cover the rent on this place and still put money aside in quantities large enough to earn actual interest, and still keep nearly 4x my current allowance for myself. poking around I can probably get him half of what he would need to retire comfortably on his own in 20 years (if I get the compensation ofc). arin can more than cover herself with her fancy doctor money and she owes me money anyway, and it's cheaper if we're together than if we're each running entire households alone. (and on top of whatever we save she and I should hypothetically still be getting our disability compensations right up until we die afaik, unless we're documentably no longer disabled, regardless of whether either of them get social security income. (I know I won't because I only have like 6 months' lifetime work credits.))