#- the defacto correct one

[tiredtief]

...this is absolutely not what DDDNE means or was created to mean. DDDNE comes from this:

The joke is entirely that the packaging says "dead dove, do not eat", the character opens the bag, and says "I don't know what I expected" because the bag does indeed contain a dead dove as the packaging states. Why he opened it expecting anything else is a personal failing.

The point of DDDNE is not as a warning for graphic content or triggering content necessarily - it's just to say "hey, there are tags on this fic indicating what is in it, you should read those tags and know what this fic contains before reading, so that if you are bothered by this content, you know and don't continue". It has nothing to do with it specifically being graphic content.

From Fanlore:

DDDNE is commonly used with darker fics and topics, yes, but that is because it means "be aware of what's in this, read at your own discretion", because writers were sick of taking time to tag and warn about content only for people to comment "there's (content) in this, how disgusting!". Making posts like this redefining something while clearly not having some basic research on what the actual tag means reflects poorly on you.

y’all… characters drinking alcohol (in fanfics) is not “dead dove do not eat”

character death alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

angst alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

whump alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

self-harm (in fanfics) alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

suicide (in fanfics) alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

infidelity (in fanfics) alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

BDSM / smut / rough sex (in fanfics) alone is not “dead dove do not eat”

even non-con (in fanfics) alone is not necessarily always “dead dove do not eat”

of course, any of the topics mentioned above can be “dead dove do not eat” if it’s written in extremely graphic details in the nature that will sicken your readers / in a way that can make your readers throw up and say what the actual fuck / if it’s the main plot of your story. but taboo topics alone are not “dead dove do not eat”. I’m saying this because I’ve seen people use “dead dove do not eat” tag in stories that only mention a taboo subject once and it’s one sentence or one paragraph long, and that is… not what the tag is for.

for instance, if your story contains non-con, but it’s not explicitly written in graphic details / it’s not written in a way that can make your readers throw up and say what the actual fuck / it’s not the main focus of your work / it’s only one or two paragraph long, tag it as “rape/non-con” accordingly, but it does not warrant the “dead dove do not eat” tag.

sure, you can say it’s “not that deep” and that it’s all just “made up fandom stuff”, but it can also make it more difficult for people who want to avoid the tag or people who seek out the tag specifically to curate their experiences if the tag isn’t being used correctly the way it's supposed to be used.

I’ve explained what “dead dove do not eat” as a tag means and how you can properly use it here.

but to make it as simple as possible, this is basically the meaning of “dead dove do not eat” tag 👇🏻

(so no, the tag isn’t about character going through a nasty breakup and drowning themself in alcohol or character getting drunk and having sex they end up regretting)

[cinerins]

Jaster's yellow diamond?

We've been gathering some references and while looking at other discussions and fan-content, I've noticed pretty much any fanart and costumes of Jaster Mereel I've come across feature a yellow diamond on his chest, based on the Korda Six mission depicted in Open Seasons.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding was that these shapes were specific to that mission and that Jaster's chestplate was normally left blank – the way it was when he was introduced in the comic and how Jango wore it in the third issue.

So... I don't think it was supposed to be part of his standard armor design?

Korda Six was Jango's first mission in a command position – the job was meant to be a simple one and to make it even easier, they decided to split into three groups with a commander each, and keep those groups visually distinct.

Jango's "grunts" all wore armor similar to him, but where he had a big red circle on his chest to show he's the leader, the rest only had a faint outline on their spaulders. Also, I think it's safe to assume these were all teenagers on their first mission without a grown mentor to lead them – so the uniform style would probably make it easier for the others to keep track of on the field.

Montross led Vertigo Company in the air and sported a red rectangle instead. Can't really get a good view of the other members of his squad, but I would believe they likely had rectangles on them too, because...

Jaster's team for the mission was the Headhunter Company and here you can see them with little yellow diamonds on their shoulders, to indicate they're under his command. (Can we talk about his absolute Old Man pose here?)

As I take it, Mandalorians had a bit of a looser command structure – besides the Alor being the defacto Guy In Charge, they'd only really form up squads/companies and assign them a trusted leader as it was relevant for the situation. I take the comic with a grain of salt, so I'm not sure it was common practice to apply a new paint job or emblem for every multi-team mission, or if it was just meant as a sort of exercise for the kids...

Either way, I think the symbols were just a temporary feature and it makes more sense to me to depict Jaster without it beyond this point in time.

[lollyposp]

SPOILERS FOR THE NEW MIRACULOUS SPECIAL

okay so i am going absolutely insane over something marinette says in this special like. insane insane it's been an hour and ive just been thinking about this one line she says

"ladybug knows. ladybug holds the truth. the world will know only what ladybug will tell it. her words will be the truth"

i mean, not only is this a HUGE weight to put on her shoulders, having to lie not just to adrien but to the ENTIRE world (sans nathalie) about gabriel, but i think it speaks so much about what a burden the ladybug role has become to marinette that she not only understands that she can just LIE to the entire world, but that they'll unconditionally believe her too. and the fact that she feels like it's her only option if she wants to preserve some sort of internal peace in adrien, and the fact that she goes through with it when she notoriously hates lying, i just. OUCH. it really speaks to how burdened she is and how quickly she's had to mature since becoming the Guardian.

honestly it does make so much sense for her character to go in that direction. ladybug has always been a strategist, it's just that the scale of her strategies has shifted from winning a battle to sort of playing mind games with everyone she knows so that she can juggle all the different roles she has. because she's smart, and because she's seen as a defacto leader figure, her word matters to EVERYONE - to paris, and to her hero team, and as she's grown more of a reputation as ladybug throughout the show, her word has slowly become law.

ladybug's line also expresses a sense of dissociation between the self, too. she's speaking in third person, but the dissociation isn't even between marinette, "a normal girl", and ladybug, hero of Paris, which is how it normally presents itself. it's between the ladybug she wants to be, a beacon of goodness, and the ladybug she needs to be: I don't know if this is the correct terminology for it (please correct me if im not), but it's almost as if ladybug is dipping her toes into political subterfuge to keep everything going the way she has it planned. like she realises that ladybug the figure has to puppeteer the masses to keep things under control, in the way she needs it to be, even if it means that ladybug the person suffers for it.

the only gripe i have with the special is that adrien is just???? not there at all???? which makes sense considering he wasn't there for Gabriel's defeat either, and i know that's just to establish a conflict in marinette and adrien's dynamic in season 6, but it still makes me upset that the OTHER PROTAGONIST of the show is nowhere to be seen. i love marinette, but when it comes to the story, the Guardian subplot is marinette's, and the hawkmoth plot should ALWAYS have been adrien's. giving it to her makes it feel like adrien is just a side character whose dad just happens to be hawkmoth.

there were a lot of other dynamics laid out in the special that i hope were set up because they're important to season 6. nathalie might become a mentor figure to marinette, as they both know the truth about gabriel and because marinette is in dire need of an adult she can trust (even if that adult is MAYURA??? which is kind of insane). or marinette and kagami both knowing the truth and kagami clearly disapproving of her dishonesty would be really fun to explore: i would love to see growing tension between them as marinette falls further into this "ladybug's word is god" mentality while she tries to keep up all the lies she's set up, and kagami trying to help her but also disagreeing with the entire set up, it would be frankly awesome. (it would also be awesome to see whether marinette trusts alya with the truth, or if she keeps it only to kagami and nathalie.)

all in all, honestly the special is pretty good. marinette's line about ladybug's word being truth will haunt me forever and if they don't make that mentality important to her character in season 6 i might riot

[brucewaynehater101]

I feel like we're sleeping on the fact that if the Batfamily crossovered with Power Rangers Tim would be the defacto leader because like

Red Ranger is always the leader and he's Red Robin

I love and hate that your argument works. You're absolutely correct, but the fact that you are right because he's Red Robin? The fact you're basing it off of his costume color?

Wild.

Though, counter argument, what about Jason and the Red Hood?

Fudge. I don't know enough about Power Rangers to assign them all colors.... I can look it up.

Shit. You inspired me to make up batfam Power Ranger AU lore. Damn it.

Any inconsistencies with Power Rangers can be blamed on DC (and not my lack of knowledge with Power Rangers. Send me an ask or put a comment on this post if you want me to fix something).

According to eggradients.com, this is how I'll assign the batfam Power Ranger colors:

Red - Jason - physical prowess, incredible fighting ability, adventurous spirit, stalwart leader, and has no trouble laying down the law

Blue - Damian - twin sword and shields as weapon and has served with honor

Yellow - Duke - able to detect changes in peers' moods

Black - Barbara - in charge of keeping the coins safe and rallying the team together

White - Tim - heroic/loyal, dark side when stressed, protective of friends, and willing to go to any lengths to help out loved ones

Purple - Steph - sometimes not officially part of the team, serve as a stand-in for the main team when their powers are unavailable (*cough* her time as Robin *cough*), stand up for the weak, protect others, and fight for good

Orange - Cass - powerful warrior, strong, powerful, creativity, and confidence

Grey - Bruce - intelligent, ingenuity, and helps the others become stronger/more accurate/more control over their weapons

Now, the site didn't say anything specific about silver or gold. I kind of want to give Dick pink, but idk if that's an okay thing to do. If not, he's silver.

For some fun lore, Jason has some issues with Tim because he is a rarer Power Ranger color. This is another reason that he picked a fight with Tim (and adds onto that whole "better model" stuff).

Also, apparently orange doesn't truly exist, but it fits Cass.

[katrafiy]

Transunity folks will go on and on about how the statement "trans men aren't oppressed for being men, they are oppressed for being trans" is wrong, and then immediately turn around and, without a hint of irony, say that our oppressors dont oppress trans women for being women, but instead because they are misandrists and see us as men.

They don't see us as men.

They don't treat us like men.

They see us as women they can openly and freely abuse.

Under patriarchy, being a trans woman is one of the worst possible thing you can be, and cis men are pressured to stay in line lest they be treated like the way society treats trans women.

A classic example of this is the practice of "V-coding" trans women in prisons. For those who aren't aware upwards of 80% of transfem inmates get sexually assaulted. Trans women being used to control male prisoners is known as "v-coding" and is so common as to essentially be a defacto part of any trans woman's sentence at this point.

I encourage you all to read more about this, and here's a really good source with more information:

https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=ijlse

The most relevant portion appears on page 314, where it says the following:

"Even PREA-compliant prison facilities can continue to use sexual violence as a management tool. Correctional officers function as gatekeepers to sexual activity, selectively choosing which sexual activity to write up and which to overlook. One common tactic among men’s prison facilities is “V-coding,” or placing transgender women in cells with aggressive cisgender male inmates (who continuously sexually assault them) as a form of social control. V-coding is so common that it has become “a central part of a transwoman’s sentence.” The stories are all the same. Alexis Giraldo, for instance, was housed with a cisgender male prisoner who had status as an employee. The employee, and eventually one of his friends, requested she live with them. They then started raping her daily. Despite her several requests, she was never moved to a different cell."

Our oppressors don't see us as men.

They don't treat us like men.

They know we are women.

They see us as women.

And they treat us like "girls they can hit".

[cutekittenlady]

Planes, Trains, and Autobots Summary Fic Part 3

[Previous] [Next]

The gang emerges from the dugout to see a bit of a standoff between bumblebee, megatron, autobots, and breakdown. Breakdown staying a ways away at the end of the drive in car mode looking ready to take off at the first sign of provocation.

Bumblebee had already explained the situation beforehand but that doesnt stop things from being awkward.

After some uncomfortable moments of Elita-1 scanning the area to make sure Breakdown has kept his word about not bringing anyone with him, being searched for hidden weaponry and spy devices, etc Bumblebee, and interestingly enough Megatron, vouch for him enough that they let up and Breakdown transforms into his robot mode.

He reiterates that he JUST wants to learn whats happened to some "old pals" of his in the Decepticons. Megatron hazards a guess that he's looking into his old combiner team the Stunticons.

After a moment of hesitation, Breakdown says they "caught him" and that the stunticons are, indeed, some of the cons he's wanting to learn the ultimate fate of and asks to have access to the data they collected from the base.

Optimus agrees to allow it. But ONLY if others are in the room with him when he access the database. Breakdown makes a comment about Autobots being incredibly distrustful. Optimus responds that their trust has to be earned, though adds that Breakdown has a pretty decent track record for a decepticon. Not getting up to any real trouble so to speak outisde of illegal racing, saving bumblebee from capture, and helping the Terrans against Mandroid.

All of this is why hes willing to let Breakdown access the information but notes that he'll still have to come down on Breakdown if he tries any "funny business".

Breakdown is surprised by the light praise coming from Optimus and does, in an informal way, thank Optimus for giving him the chance and promises that he's not up to any "funny business".

Ratchet is hanging back with the Terrans looking on at the proceedings and can only give a disapproving look.

With the Maltos residence having become a sort of defacto base of operations for Megatron and the Autobots in Witwicky after the dissolution of GHOST, the data that was gathered was stored on a computer in the Terrans dugout. Since not everyone is able to fit into the dugout safely (and Elita not wanting to leave the outside ungaurded) Bumblebee and Ratchet are the ones who go into the dugout with Breakdown to keep an eyes on him. Hashtag and Nightshade reveal that they had already organized the data files and information so that looking up any particular piece of information would be easier.

Breakdown compliments them on this and moves for the computer only to be stopped by Ratchet. Unlike Optimus, Ratchet doesn't actually say anything to Breakdown about not trusting him. Just abruptly asking him what name he wants them to look up first.

Breakdown sarcastically asks if they seriously don't even trust to type into a keyboard. Even Bumblebee says he thinks Ratchet is going too far. Ratchet doesnt rise to this and just repeats his question to Breakdown about who he wants to look up first.

Ratchet and Breakdown have a staredown before Breakdown says they might as well start with Drag Strip.

As Ratchet is typing in the name and bringing up Drag Strips info, Thrash asks who the Stunticons are.

Bumblebee begins an explanation as Ratchet works on the computer. Occassionally Breakdown stops and cuts in to correct a few of Bumblebees explanations. Pointing out that as HE was a stunticon he knows all about them.

As this is happening Ratchet keeps having to prompt Breakdown to give him more names. Breakdown gives him Dead End and Wild Rider.

Eventually the Terrans ask what a Combiner is.

Breakdown expresses surprise asking Bee if he's seriously never explained to the Terrans what a combiner was. Bumblebee argues that the subject has never come up before.

Ratchet cuts in and point blank asks Breakdown if he wants to looked up Motormaster too. Breakdown visibly flinches but recovers quickly and agrees, thanking Ratchet for helping him find out what happened to his "old group".

One of the terrans ask Breakdown why he isn't with the Stunticons. Breakdown distractedly tells them that the group was dissolved before the end of the war for "various reasons" but does reiterate that they're a five man team.

Bumblebee tries to give a comprehensive explanation of what a combiner is, but the Terrans numerous questions quickly overwhelm him prompting Ratchet to get up and give them a full explanation. Explaining that "combiners" is both a name for Cybertronians born with the ability to "combine" with other cybertronians to create new forms as well as a name for the forms themselves. He explains that two or more cybertronians can fuse together and that the resulting "form" will possess a sort of amalgamated mind made up of the all the minds of the transformers that make it up. As a result of this most first time combiners are extremely unstable and can only remain fused for a short amount of time. With training, practice, mental fortitude, and, most importantly, team work though a group of combiners can fuse together and maintain their shape becoming one of the greatest forces that ever took part in the war.

As this explanation is going on, Breakdown takes advantage of everyone being distracted to type a name into the computer and bring up a file. Unbeknownst to him he's seen by Jawbreaker. However since Jawbreaker heard there were "five stunticons" he assumes Breakdown is looking up their fifth member (it not occurring to him at the time that Breakdown is the fifth member) though he sees the picture of who hes looking up.

Breakdown manages to get away from the computer before Ratchet finishes his explanation by pointedly saying that not all cybertronians are capable of combining and that the ones who can arent always responsible about how they use the ability. THe comment being deliberately aimed at Breakdown.

Breakdown just says that he always went along with what his leader wanted and never thought much about the details. Ratchet responds that thats the whole problem.

Again the two have a stare down and a moment of silence passes.

Breakdown breaks the silence by thanking Bumblebee for letting him see the information. Saying that it was... interesting to know that his old comrades were all still alive.

Bumblebee asks him what he plans to do with the information, and Breakdown just smirks and asks him if he would believe him if he told him the information was just for his peace of mind before he left Witwicky.

Surprised to hear his friend is leaving town he follows him out of the dugout and asks where hes intending to go. Breakdown cryptically says that he may just drive around the states for a while and keep going after that. Saying that with GHOST gone he's free to explore as much as he wants.

Bumblebee begins a warning, but Breakdown stops him. He tells him that he needn't worry about him doing anything to harm any humans or any of the autobots. Announcing to a surprised Optimus, Elita, and Megatron that he's intending to go "unaffiliated" for awhile. Pointing out that as he has no idea how things are going to develop with a lot of the old Decepticons back at large and GHOST gone he wants to take the opportunity to "sort some stuff out" and figure out where hes going from here. And in order to do that he needs to leave Witwicky.

As hes leaving Bumblebee asks Breakdown if he think he'd ever be willing to join the Autobots. Breakdown responds by asking Bee if, were their situations reversed, would he be willing to leave Optimus and the others to join the Decepticons. Bee responds that thats different, but Breakdown refutes the point. Telling him that there are people hes attached to who, as far as he knows, still identify as decepticons and that he's unwilling to abandon them to switch sides. Though he tells him that if those people are willing to ditch the badge in exchanged for the "protection" the autobots might provide in a post-war post-GHOST situation then he may reconsider.

Bumblebee asks if hes talking about the stunticons but Breakdown ignores the question and drives off. Though as hes leaving Breakdown mutters an apology to Bumblebee to himself that "this" is one thing he can't trust him with. Not yet.

[reindeer-writer]

I may be a tad hyperfixated

Ok so like, Starline has 100% become my defacto comfort series and because of that I’m thinking about it nonstop, all the time, every day, so I have a lot of things that I have to share about it

The two listener characters in either entry, Skipper in SL2 and Breckett’s spouse in SL1 (who I’ll be calling Hops because I’m a comedic genius) are left pretty blank character and backstory wise for obvious reasons, but there are still a few things we can deduce about them (us?) that I wanna write down so I don’t forget

I’ll be putting down things we know about Breckett and Hakir as well just for the sake of having it all in one place (and also because they’ve pretty firmly made themselves at home in my mind palace)

I’m splitting this up into two parts because I need to relisten to Starline 1 before I finish that part of this, so this post will only cover Hakir and Skipper

Hakir:

-Hakir’s full name:

Hakir’s full name is Hakir Ven Krolist.

Not exactly groundbreaking information, but it’s only brought up like once or twice in the whole series so I’m putting it here anyway

-Hakir was a sentinel during or before Starline 1

This is mostly just a timeline thing.

Hakir was a sentinel at some point which means he had to have signed up before the war.

However he’s a red diamond, meaning he was dishonourably discharged and fought against them during the war.

-Hakir was about 15 during Starline 1:

In Starline 1 it’s established that a lot of people who sign up to work for the sentinels do so because they don’t have any other choice, needing to help provide for their families or just provide for themselves the moment they come of age.

Hakir was a Sentinel and it’s very likely he joined when he came of age.

In Starline 1 Breckett also says that he was only 13*[SEE END FOR CORRECTIONS] when the Sentinels ruined his life, the fact he says “only 13” means that he was either a child, a teenager, or a very young adult (we can probably remove child from that lineup purely because Breckett seems to have left home soon after that and I doubt a kid would’ve made it very far). 

From this we can deduce that it must be pretty common for intergalactic races to come of age somewhere around 15 years old, probably a bit earlier or a bit later depending on species because if they didn’t he would have clarified what stage of their life his race is in at that age.

Meaning that from now on 15 is the assumed age that a species is considered an adult at.

It can’t have been that much time since Hakir’s discharge from the sentinels because he’s still in tip-top fighting shape by Starline 2 so he obviously isn’t like 50 by then

Assuming he joined the Sentinels as soon as he could to help provide for his family, he would have joined at about 15 years old and have been discharged soon after because of his behaviour.

-Hakir is in his late 20’s to early 30’s 

In the Starline 2 trailer’s description it says it’s been 15 years since the events of Starline 1

meaning that Hakir must be around 30 years old, give or take depending on when his species is an adult.

-Hakir is not very trusting of other people:

Hakir is fairly distrustful of people and quick to close himself off, in fact it’s a fairly large part of his character.

He’s initially distrustful of Trailblazer, very quick to turn on the Director after it’s not how he imagined it. (even if the distrust toward them is justified)

Hell, he didn’t even trust Skipper, the soon-to-be love of his life before they’re put into a life or death situation, and being locked into two different rooms together (the prison in episode 1 and their shared bedroom thereafter.

Hakir is understandably very closed off, and his trust and love for Skipper just goes to show how much they love each other.

-Hakir is still close with his family:

Both when explaining the naming system of his species, and when talking about his and Skipper’s relationship moving forward it’s clear that Hakir is still very close with his family.

-Hakir wants Skipper to step on him:

Need I say more?

Skipper:

-Skipper isn’t their real name:

Ok let’s get this out of the way first

Skipper is almost 100% a nickname or a pseudonym they go by because so much of their work is illegal.

It's just like how Mindflayer's listener character gets nicknamed Rook eventually. (Also sidenote, but Lorraine, Harph, and Rook have the fucking strongest polycule vibes in all of fiction istg)

Maya calls them “Skipper” when speaking to Hakir as well, meaning it’s *definitely* what they use for work.

There’s never any sort of clarification on whether it’s their first name or last name or what the rest of their name is.

It also makes sense from a storytelling perspective to have it be a nickname rather than an actual name since it lets us better project our own traits onto Skipper.

All this to say that Skipper is definitely not their real name, and just one of those nicknames that’s so good everyone calls them that rather than their real name.

-Skipper is really skilled when it comes to combat

Both before and during the series their fights with Hakir show that their abilities are at least equal to that of someone who definitely has both training from the sentinels and combat experience from the war.

From this it’s pretty obvious that Skipper is incredibly skilled with combat and that it’s something they enjoy immensely.

-Skipper is in their 20’s:

In episode 1 Argus says that Skipper started doing smuggling work the moment they were old enough to fly a ship (almost definitely 18), he also says they’ve only been at it for a few years with Smuggling work meaning they’re, at the very youngest, 20 years old, but more likely somewhere between 20-25

A lot less deduction than Haki’s age huh? :3

-Skipper was a child during Starline 1:

Again just more timeline stuff, but Starline 1 takes place 15 years before Starline 2, meaning that Skipper was somewhere between 5-10 years old

-Skipper cares about other people's well-being a lot:

Making sure to keep Hakir off the bottle, getting him to drink water instead of coffee when he's hungover

Early on in the series Skipper begins to show a lot of concern for Hakir’s wellbeing even though up to this point they’ve been pretty bitter rivals.

Whilst there’s an argument to be made that it’s only because they’re working together now, the turnabout in behaviour is far too quick to just be in self-interest, especially if they harboured genuine resentment toward Hakir.

They  make sure to keep Hakir sober when possible, probably already aware of his destructive drinking habits from their shared history.

And the night after they sleep together when Hakir suggests drinking coffee to deal with their hangover Skipper tells him to drink water, he responds with a stutter and a slightly more submissive tone as well which means Skipper was firmly ordering him to drink water rather than just suggesting it.

-Skipper is very trusting of other people: 

Trailblazer and Breckett even though they were both connected to the director (there’s not even any indication given that they’re upset with the director which implies they understand and forgive it)

Skipper is very innately trusting of other people, after meeting trailblazer they’re very quick to trust him despite Hakir’s objections, and it’s only because of them that Hakir is willing to give Blazer a shot.

They also don’t seem to harbour any resentment towards The Director (at least not that’s shown) which seems to imply that they forgive him.

On top of that their relationship with Hakir is built up very quickly expressly *because* they’re willing to bury the hatchet and put their full trust in him right off the bat.

-Skipper is a smartass: 

There are a few different times when Skipper makes a snappy remark or a quick-witted joke, and in episode 8 (Hangover) Hakir straight up calls them a smartass.

On one hand this is mostly just Skipper being a funny person in general, but on the other it seems like it might partially be a bit of a persona they put on to bolster their own confidence considering the fact that in a lot of situations they’re actually rather 

-Skipper is highly intelligent:

Skipper is a very clever person, they’re an incredibly skilled hacker, have good combat awareness, quick on their feet, and being smartass requires that you actually be smart.

-Skipper is very unserious:

Skipper is pretty much constantly making jokes or acting silly, even in dangerous situations like when they were trying to dock the director's ship and make a joke about Iron-Man.

Barring scenarios where they’re in mortal peril, Skipper is always ready to make light of a situation, and this functions as a bit of a grounding force for the people around them like Hakir since he’s a lot more stable mentally and emotionally when they’re around.

-Skipper is a total nerd:

Beyond the obvious Iron-Man reference it’s made pretty clear that Skipper is a bit of a geek.

The main thing is their knowledge with computers and hacking, getting interested enough in computers and stuff to even start hacking already has the dweeb alert blaring at full volume, but beyond that, committing fully, learning how to code and then subsequently learning how to hack is massive nerd activity. 

-Skipper does smuggling work because they love the danger, freedom and adventure that comes with it:

Skipper could pretty easily land a job somewhere with their m4d hax0r sk1llz (god I'm sorry, I shouldn't be allowed near a keyboard) and there aren't exactly a lack of places to find work with the entire universe at their disposal, so it's very likely that they do smuggling work because it's fun rather than because it's profitable (though it probably is, Hakir mentions some jobs Skipper stole from him would've made him rich) and the only reason someone could find this kind of work enjoyable is if they love the danger, freedom, and/or adventure that come with it.

-Skipper is very confident in themselves and exaggerates their confidence further with faux-egotistical behaviour: 

There are 2 or 3 times in the series where Hakir tells Skipper that they shouldn't let something “go to your head”. The fact that this is repeated tells us that this is common behaviour from them. 

Skipper is either actually overconfident in themselves or they pretend to be for the sake of being funny.

The odds of them being genuinely egotistical are incredibly low for a few reasons, but what springs to mind is the night where they sleep with Hakir, because before they're willing to go through with it they voice concerns that it's just a fling rather than anything more. 

It’s obvious that at this point they've already developed feelings for Hakir, and they're concerned enough that he won't be interested in them that he'll just leave again afterward.

This kind of insecurity isn't the type of thing one would expect from someone who would be totally full of themselves.

-Skipper is actually very soft in private

In the scene where Hakir and Skipper are making out drunk and about to sleep together, Skipper needs to be reassured that Hakir is actually interested in them and that it’s not just a one night stand.

In the hangover scene they gently reassure Hakir that they enjoyed their night together even though he thought it was a bit of a disaster.

and finally

In the scene where the two of them have accepted their fate and are lying in one another’s arms ready to die together, Skipper is happy being held and comforted by Hakir about their fate rather than being the one doing the holding or comforting.

All this points to the fact that in private Skipper is actually a huge softie despite their confident and jokey exterior when it comes to how they act in public.

-Skipper isn't close with their family:

Ok so this is a big one. I can't remember in which episode this is, but Hakir says that maybe when Skipper and their parents are on good terms again they could introduce Hakir to them.

This tells us a few things, namely: 

Skipper and their parents are on bad terms, the fact that they might be on better terms at some point in the future means that it's over something that can be forgiven, and the fact that they might introduce their boyfriend means they’re still close enough to care about what their parents think which means their relationship isn't totally shattered, just fractured.

In the first episode Argus mentions that Skipper “started the moment you were old enough to fly a ship” with their career in smuggling which means the second they could they left home and put as much distance between them and their parents as possible. 

From this we can then deduce that whatever caused the fallout between them and their parents was incredibly severe despite the fact they seem willing to forgive.

Which means that it’s probably that Skipper is queer in some way (which is pretty obvious looking at their character, kinda fruity)

All this to say it's pretty likely that it all played out as follows:

Skipper discovers that they're queer in some way during their teenage years.

They choose to come out to their parents

Their parents are NOT accepting, but aren't bad enough to create a permanent divide between them

Skipper leaves home the second they can and starts with their current career

The Exciting Conclusion!

From all of this information we can actually narrow down a lot of things about each of the characters into more concise profiles starting with

Hakir:

Hakir is a very closed off and cautious person, his initial reaction to just about anyone is to keep them at an arm's length unless absolutely necessary.

Once you get close enough to him to break through his hard exterior though he’s a fairly chill guy.

He has a hard time keeping himself mentally or emotionally in check alone, but Skipper helps to keep him happy, healthy and enriched.

He’s a little bit rough around the edges, but Hakir is consistent and reliable, nobody better to have on your side when the chips are down, just be sure to support him and he’ll be there to help.

Skipper:

Skipper is an incredibly trusting and caring person, they put the safety of others before their own and care deeply about anyone close to them to the point they’re willing to forgive huge mistakes or misjudgements of others. 

They put on a persona of independence and confidence both as a way to deal with the hardships that they face on a regular basis, and to ground others around them in times of need.

In more private situations like with close friends or Hakir they drop the act and show that they’re actually a lot softer and are more willing to be doted on than in public.

They’re super sharp, but never use their intelligence to degrade or diminish other people’s abilities.

Fun, caring, and calming. What more could someone want?

I'll be releasing the Starline 1 version sometime soon, so be ready for that when it drops!

*Edit: So I started my relisten of Starline 1 and uhhhhh

I may be stupid

Breckett actually says that he was only in his 30's when the Sentinels came, his use of "only" indicates that his species is still fairly young at 30 years old.

This could mean that Breckett's species might live for far longer than humans do if 30 is still young, maybe even hundreds of years, or that maybe the advancements made in modern technology have extended the lifespans of all species to the point that 30 is still very young. (I choose to believe the second one purely because it means Breckett and Hops get to grow old together, and if they don't get a happy ending then my heart wil shatter)

I also want to bring attention to the fact that the translator might have a part in this since we know it has a tendency to embezzle details a little bit. Like when Breckett makes food from his homeworld and we hear him call it squid, but he also clarifies that it's not a type of seafood.

So there's a very good chance that when Breckett says he's 30 he might not be using human years, he could be using his homeplanet as a reference for how long a year is or it could be some other intergalactic constant we aren't aware of.

Not to mention the fact that there's probably a whole slew of space terminology that doesn't have any equivalent in any human language yet.

And if the translator is meant to function off of a wide set of data from a bunch of different sources like a neural network of some kind the fact that it only has one person as reference for how all of the English language works would probably cause a few issues.

All this to say I've basically just debunked my entire argument for Hakir's age and he could be any number of years old.

I'm sticking to my guns though because I've already implanted it into my brain as canon and if they have similar lifespans then they're far more likely to die at around the same time and not need to mourn their partner's death for like another 100 years. I still think that Hakir is around 30 and no one can convince me otherwise.

Plus this all comes with the bonus headcanon that everyone in the future gets to live far longer which is always nice.

[asongofgoldenfireandblackblood]

Greetings and a very happy Tuesday to everyone in our awesome, fantastic, amazing court! There have been some changes in the line up of our court so here are all our latest updates 💜

New members have joined our court! Please give them a warm welcome and follow:

@lord-kermit-of-riverrun @lyarra-of-house-stark @benjen-mormont @tonameestbelle

The following roles and faceclaims are now taken:

Kermit Tully (Heir and defacto-leader of House Tully) Lady Lyarra Stark (Only sister and youngest sibling of Lord Cregan) Benjen Mormont (Heir to the heir of House Mormont) Lady Jyanna Vance (Fourth child and second youngest daughter of Lord Triston and Lady Roslin)

Max Parker Kaya Scodelario Travis Fimmel Connie Jenkins-Grieg

It seems the court has been corrected on its previous perceptions so please take note that:

Ruling-Lady Mahira Dayne's blog is @mahiraofdorne

Princess Baela Targaryen's faceclaim has been changed to Abbie Hern The faceclaim of Tati Gabrielle is now open

Rodrik Greyjoy-Farman is on reserve from 11/12 through 11/19 Lady Tyshara Lannister is on reserve from 11/12 through 11/19 Ser Robin Grafton is on reserve from 11/12 through 11/19

Full member list under the cut!

~ With Love, Mod Ivory 💜💜

@black-queen-rising - Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen @rogueprincedaemontarg - King-Consort Daemon Targaryen @aegontheyoungprince - Prince Aegon III Targaryen @princeviserystargaryen00 - Prince Viserys II Targaryen @thelittleprincesstargaryen - Princess Visenya Targaryen

@alicenthightowerrp - Dowager-Queen Alicent Hightower @goldaegontargaryen - Prince Aegon Targaryen of Dragonstone @helaenasdreamfyres - Princess Helaena Targaryen of Dragonstone @jaeheratargaryen - Princess Jaehaera Targaryen of Dragonstone

@notatargaryenbastard - Crown-Prince Jacaerys Velaryon @moondancer-rp - Princess Baela Targaryen @rhaenaspearls - Princess Rhaena Targaryen @princeluce - Prince Lucerys Velaryon @princejoffreyvelaryon - Prince Joffrey Velaryon

@aemond-one-eyed - Prince Aemond Targaryen @thefallenprincesss - Princess Rhaenya Targaryen @thedaringprince - Prince Daeron Targaryen

@rideroftheredqueen - Princess Rhaenys Targaryen-Velaryon @lordhusband - Lord Corlys Velaryon @littlevelaryon - Lady Daenaera Velaryon

@calla-celtigar - Lady Calla Celtigar @thelastmallery - Lady Alarra Mallery @sersteffondarklyn - Lord-Commander Steffon Darklyn

@roslinstrong - Lady Roslin Vance @vvilliamvance - Ser Willam Vance @ladylaceyvance - Lady Lacey Vance @tonameestbelle - Lady Jyanna Vance @ladyvioletvance - Lady Violet Vance

@lord-kermit-of-riverrun - Ser Kermit Tully @lady-of-ladies - Lady Sabitha Frey @oscartullyofriverrun - Ser Oscar Tully @alyofraventree - Lady Alysanne "Aly" Blackwood

@goldenclarice - Lady-Regent Clarice Tyrell @lovelylordlyonel - Lord Lyonel Hightower @stunningladysam - Lady Samantha "Sam" Hightower @garmundhightower - Ser Garmund Hightower @ladyoflongtable - Lady Bethany Merryweather

@cool-aunt-amarys - Lady Amarys Greyjoy @thedadkraken - Lord Dalton Greyjoy @rightfvl-lysa - Lysa Farman

@theredripper - Toron Greyjoy @gysellablacktyde - Gysella Blacktyde @sirenalannysgreyjoy - Alannys Greyjoy @payapreciouspenny - Penny Greyjoy

@cerellelannister2 - Lady Cerelle Lannister @josswesterling - Joss Westerling

@ladyjocelynbaratheon - Lady Jocelyn Baratheon-Targaryen @thecleverestorm - Lady Maris Baratheon @lady-ellyn-of-the-storm - Lady Ellyn Baratheon @thefourthstormfloris - Lady Floris Baratheon

@jonswann - Ser Jon Swann @little-griffin-jocie-connington - Lady Jocelyn "Josie" Connington

@jeynearrynvale - Lady-Paramount Jeyne Arryn @teoragrafton - Lady Teora Grafton

@creganstarkrp - Lord Cregan Stark @lyarra-of-house-stark -Lady Lyarra Stark @benjen-mormont - Benjen Mormont @lady-of-knives - Lady Berena Bolton

@torrhen-manderly - Torrhen Manderly @manderlypearl - Lady Erena Manderly

@theprincessofd0rne - Ruling-Princess Aliandra Martell @mahiraofdorne - Ruling-Lady Mahira Dayne

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

Last month, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced it would stop processing gender marker changes on driver's licenses for transgender people who amend their birth certificates. The department also stated it would no longer process name changes if they accompanied gender marker updates and would disregard court orders updating transgender individuals' legal gender. Now, a new email from the Texas DPS reveals that these policies will not only apply to new gender marker changes but could also be used to revoke previous name and gender marker changes for transgender people who already have a valid driver’s license with updated information. The original letter from the Texas Department of Public Safety in late August stated, "effective immediately, the department will not accept court orders or amended birth certificates that change the sex when it differs from the documentation already on file." It further explained that if someone presents a court order that includes both a name and sex marker change, the entire order would be considered invalid, preventing the trans person from even updating their name on their driver's license. Perhaps most troublingly, all trans people seeking such changes would have their name and information emailed to an internal email account, creating a defacto database of such people.

A new letter from DPS Director Steven C. McCraw to Attorney General Ken Paxton has now been made public. In the letter, McCraw poses clarifying questions that suggest the potential future actions the DPS may take in targeting transgender individuals in the state. Toward the end of the letter, McCraw writes, "DPS may have altered many government sex records in mistaken reliance on court orders that either (a) lacked any basis in law or authority to bind DPS or (b) were not relevant proof under statutory authority to correct mistaken records of an individual's sex. On other occasions, when DPS has made an erroneous entry to a person's record, the agency has on its own initiative corrected such a mistake, including by issuing a new driver's license to the person concerned and directing the person to destroy the old license." He goes on to ask, "If DPS’s past changes to applicants’ ‘sex’ based on gender-change orders were inconsistent with state law, may DPS voluntarily correct its own introduction of inaccurate sex information?"

The threat marks a significant escalation in policies targeting transgender adults. Texas driver's licenses are valid for up to eight years, leading many transgender individuals to believe they are safe after updating their documents. Some may choose to wait out potential court rulings, confident that their licenses remain valid in the meantime. However, these individuals could face a harsh reality if the DPS begins systematically revoking their licenses and reissuing old ones with a different gender marker, and potentially, their former names.

In a grotesque act of trans erasure, Texas’s Department of Public Safety may begin reversing gender marker changes on driver's licenses for transgender people who amend their birth certificates.

[transmascpetewentz]

"I am being paid zero dollars, rubles, or shekels for my correct opinions" Like which ones? That arab men directly fighting oppression and a genocide are by defacto rapists?

me: hamas are rapists and that's a bad thing

you: all palestinian men are in hamas and that's a good thing

[constantlymisspelled]

4 - Mandalorian Divorce Court (and Marriage I guess)

[Text in image is as below]

i) Spouse Definition;

a) Romantic, lifelong partner b) Defacto partner in the eyes of the Law, Medical Professionals, and in Clan Law.

ii) Spousal Privileges;

a) Medical Preferential contact and Consent b) Parental Rights regarding Foundlings, Adoptees, and Children from previous marriages.

iii) Conditions for Legal Engagement;

a) The Mando’ade and their partner in question must both be past the Mandalorian Age of Sexual Consent. b) The Mando’ade and their partner, if the partner is not Mando’ade, must have the approval of a Clan Goran to be engaged.

[Text in images is as below]

iv) Consent and Age Restrictions;

a) Age of sexual consent varies between species to great degree. However, for the vast majority of humanoid species, the age of sexual consent is from fifteen onwards, if the other participating partner is within eighteen months of their age (upwards). The age of consent for any humanoid with a partner over the age of eighteen is explicitly sixteen – with or without sexual intent or participation. Sexual relationships that start before these ages and break these rules with humanoid aging individuals will face statutory rape charges. Humanoids of species that age at a slower rate – such as Halassai – are not able to give informed sexual consent of any kind until twenty, and that includes even humanoid partners of a younger age. If both parties are below age of consent, regardless of species, the partnership in question is to be physically removed from each other, and their guardians and clan face fines and jail time for either encouraging, or ignoring underage copulation. b) The Species Aging Index – Accredited to Ordo Technical College – is a comprehensive list of comparative ages between over two thousand of the listed Sentient Species in the Galaxy. The capacity to give sexual, informed, and clerical consent is referred to heavily by Mandalorian Laws to this specific list. Cross species relationships, whether they be sexual, familial, or generally platonic, are subject to the constraints discussed in this list. For instance, a Wookie must be at least seventy standard years of age to even consider adopting another sentient, let alone sexual liaison with another from any species. c) The legitimacy to give consent refers to whether the correct being is being asked for consent – a third party is rarely necessary for engagements, marriage, or divorce. However, witnesses are frequently required. A divorce cannot be filed, not a separation, without at least one partner’s explicit consent. A divorce or separation cannot be fled without any partner being the instigator – family cannot request a divorce on another’s behalf; however, a separation can be requested if there is proof of invalid, or inhibited consent at the time or marriage, or if abuse can be proven. For example, a partner could be under the influence, or trappings of another clan, and their respective clan can file for temporary removal from spouse in order for the partner in question to be psychologically assessed for any interference on the behalf of any clan, clan member, or partner. d) Consent under coherent capacity refers to either inebriation, ability to think independently (for example, mentally impaired Mando’ade with certain disabilities can not reasonably consent to specific matters due to their disability. Signing on a disabled Mando’ade’s behalf can be a position of extreme scrutiny, as Mando’ade with such disability are protected under Mandalorian law and are not to be traded as chattel or near-slaves to their partners.) injury such as concussion, and mental stability, referring to the old practice of Mando’ade taking war prizes in the form of unwilling partners. Such things are no longer to be tolerated in Mandalorian space, and those that attempt such practices will face Mandalorian Military Court.

[Text in image is as below]

v) Conditions for Legal Marriage;

a) Both parties must be present and of age at the time of the vows, and at the time of engagement announced to witnessing Goran and assembly. b) In the occasion of battlefield weddings, both Mando’ade must be in their right mind, with no head injuries, mind altering substances, medical or magical interference, and cannot either be currently wearing sentient trafficking garb, or currently be a slave. c) Mando’ade cannot marry a non-freed slave. Those who marry slaves and keep them as such are declared dar’manda and will face both Mandalorian and Galactic Court. The Freed are completely able to marry any Mandalorian once freed. d) Both parties must be able to give informed consent of their own accord – in the event of a Mando’ade with impaired mental faculty, their carer, who cannot be their future spouse, must be present and one of the signatories for the wedding. Only Mando’ade who’s mental faculty works beyond the significantly impaired grade can reasonably give consent for sexual conduct and intent.

[Text in images is as below]

vi) Conditions for Legal Divorce;

a) Divorce must be recognised by a Goran and witnessed by at least one third party, non-Clan aligned Mando’ade. A divorce cannot be completed without a witness. b) Reasonings for a Legal Divorce (Dar’Riduurok) can be of the following; a change in political, environmental and marital circumstances that cause undue stress to the partnership, the partnership’s children, or the partnership’s Clan. c) Reasonings for a Legal Divorce that declare one or more of the parties involved as Dar’manda (Resulting in a Court Recognised Absolution of Their Oaths) can contain the following; physical, emotional or mental abuse of the spouse requesting the divorce or children within or outside of the partnership’s Aliit. Spouses can divorce a partner without becoming dar’riduur by sending a request to both their local Astro Body Governor, System Governor, affiliated or unaffiliated Goran, Journeyman Protector Commander in Chief, and even the Manda’lor in office if required. If the Manda’lor in question is the being to be held to account, the House Alors can be notified in their stead. d) Divorcees from within, or outside of Mandalore – if they do not have the explicit exemption of a Court Recognised Absolution of their Oaths – cannot marry again and consider themselves Mandalorian afterwards. Divorce does not make a Mando’ade no longer Mandalorian, but ignoring these stipulations resorts in excommunication from Mandalorian Society. e) A Separation Request can be filed without divorce when necessary – such as when a Super Commando has a break in psyche and requires institutionalisation, a Separation Notice will be filed. Whilst, before and after a Separation Notice is filed, a Mando’ade can remarry. Mandalore does not define Marriage as between two partners exclusively – however, lack of notification to other partners can result in a Ban of Marriage and even a Separation filed between the Mando’ade and their ven’riduur in question. This can continue on to existing partners if required, and if the breach is significant. f) The removal of a Mando’ade’s Beskarta is not required to acknowledge a Divorce, Separation, or loss, and is up to the individual beliefs of the Mandalorian in question. g) A married Mando’ade can marry again with the same requirements as their first marriage for as long as a divorce has not been filed.

[Text in image is as below]

vii) Children, Clan and House Considerations;

a) Children are permitted to disown a parent for their choice in partner, or choice to separate from partner or Clan. b) Children from a previous marriage – depending on the stipulations and the manner of the previous partners death, separation, or agreement to a new partnership member – are readopted by both their new parents, and previous parents in order to maintain family security. c) Warring Houses, or Clans in conflict, can not demand any prospective partners discredit, or denounce their oaths. Regardless of the Clan or House of any set of partners, Mando’ade are permitted to marry anyone of any sector, or belief, for as long as the children they raise are raised as Mandalorians. d) Children that are raised as Mandalorians, but do not wish to swear the Creed cannot, regardless of their parents, or Clan’s feelings, be disowned or disavowed in any way. The swearing of a Creed is not what solely makes a Mandalorian, and they cannot break oaths they have not sworn. This is not a legitimate reason for either separation, or divorce in Mandalorian Law.

[Divorce section, my beloved. As always, if you have any ideas or criticism feel completely free to let me know. The sections on consent are close to my heart for many reasons - including having a family member who cannot give Mental Faculty Able Consent - and so I hope I have made it as fair and bullet proof as possible, but I am always happy to make any improvements anyone can think of.]

[Back to main Codex]

[glassrowboat]

I’m new here i was checking to see if you reply to anons😭

I read THE Pantalone fic (silken shadows) and it’s sooo good I want your hand in marriage

Was curious as to why pantalone chose reader in particular? And why didn’t he go to a house that’s used to rich people if he wanted someone to entertain other rich people? I’m getting the idea that reader’s place doesn’t make a lot of money nor does it get upper class costumers so correct me if I’m wrong

I reply to anyone who sends an ask as long as they're not a bitch ^^

But as for Silken Shadows, a lot of those places require reservations beforehand while the Marmeldova house doesn't. As for why her in particular, Escort was the only one available for the night. Avita and Maria (you'll meet her in chapter 4) were already with other clients, so she became a bit of a defacto choice. You can tell Pants type isn't exactly her normal clientele, which will also be addressed later <3

As for my hand in marriage? I want an emerald for my ring xoxo

[barovianlark]

Astarion may not know them, specifically, but he knows those features well enough. Recognized them. He was a relatively new face in Ravenloft. Thus still growing acquired with the results of the Baron’s various dalliances over the years. “You’re one of his, aren’t you? That would explain why the eerie doorman let you in.” His eyes cast over them, taking in their clothing. “You’re better dressed than some of the others I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.” They still don’t have the best looking hair in the castle though.

the staccato of heels against the worn wood floor stop at the first spoken word, and red eyes are turned to the unfamiliar voice. her gaze is apathetic- distant, and an inaudible sigh slightly raises and lowers her shoulders in resignation.

"correct." valentyna does not give the stranger her name- this man is a passing dalliance for her father. he will disappear as swiftly as he appeared in her life, there is no reason to give any him any weight in her heart or mind than a curt politeness. "the children of house zarovich are expected to look no less than perfect in the presence of company." she nods once in thanks towards him, wordlessly satisfied someone at least acknowledged her status as the the defacto trendsetter of barovia. "whether or not my other half-siblings can live up to our father's wishes is another matter."

@apalestar

[lycorim-ao3]

Can I please ask about the “hostage situation change of fate” one and “Vanish You, Night"? 💛

Of course you can! :) Congrats, you picked two of the angstiest WIPs on that list, and (as far as I can recall) the only two hurt/comfort-centric ones!

descriptions and snippets under the cut ;)

----

1)"hostage situation change of fate"- I alluded to this one in a previous post, but the general backstory is that rumors of minor reavings along the Westerland coast reach Robb and his retinue days before Theon is to be sent to Pyke. He is, instead, kept prisoner at Riverrun while Robb is away on campaign, awaiting his sentence. The hostage situation is, then, two fold - Theon, of course, as a defacto hostage in pretty much any situation, but then a wounded Robb as well, as Balon chooses to sack the Crag in the aftermath of the battle there.

The story starts up a while later, when Euron enters the picture and takes the Driftwood Crown for himself, an exiled Asha coming to Riverrun to barter with Catelyn for Theon's life if they can manage to smuggle Robb back to her.

A small snippet from the first section(not quite happy with it yet, this is just the longest coherent section I have thus far):

“I’ll think of something,” he had promised Theon, gripping the sides of his face as best he could through his confines. Their foreheads remained rested together. “No one can hurt you without my leave. Give it some time, while I’m away. A month. Maybe less.”

Less it would not be, if Theon’s careful tallying was at all correct. He’d felt every minute of the last… forty days? Was that right? No, it was more - this cell, the worse one, had been his home only for the back half of his stint in prison, moved there about a week after Robb left. 

It was not hard to guess why. Regardless, Theon had once been hopeful.

A metal click of a lock snapped Theon’s attention to the cell door. That was curious. Hadn’t he been given his breakfast only an hour before?

2)"Vanish You, Night"- This one is a shorter form, more formulaic hurt/comfort one-shot in which the battle at Whispering Wood goes a little differently. While its is still ultimately a victory for the North, Robb takes a couple arrows in the process and is left incapacitated and frustrated as his campaign is forced to more or less continue on without him on the frontlines. Meanwhile, Theon is forced to reconcile with some harbored feelings and the very real (but yet ignored) possibility of Robb dying to this war. Overall, not a plot-heavy idea, but with more emphasis on putting Robb and Theon into situations where they have to evaluate their place in the war/their relationship with one another in the face of near-tragedy.

Snippet:

Calling to him in shouts of distress, a rumpled Dacey Mormont waved him over towards the apex of the carnage. There, a crowd had formed around the shadow of a frenzied direwolf, curses aplenty drifting towards Theon where he stood some good meters away.

“Greyjoy, here!” she beckoned, as though Theon were not already headed right to her. Cursed woman. “The beast listens to you, do something!”

With a frown, Theon packed away the snapped head of his arrow, and hurried over towards the throng.

Several other bannermen hovered warily around the direwolf, approaching in dips and retreats that probably did nothing but antagonize the poor animal further, just off the heels of a battle and as rushed with adrenaline as the rest of them. Shoulders hunched and snapping ferociously at every approach, Grey Wind looked far more beast than usual, and Theon was left wondering what Mormont thought he could possibly manage any better than the other men.

But then he deigned to look down, to what Grey Wind was hunched over, snarling and snapping to protect, and any words he might have had with her on the matter died in his throat.

He saw Robb.

(Additionally, this one is a high contender for a title change before publishing lol. What I have is a little too pretentious for what the fic is.)

----

Thank you for requesting these! I find that it really helps me to get back into my WIPs when I have to explain them to someone else - gets the creative juices flowing again, I guess! :)

[ripcrispyblonde]

@magicveiled asked: "He does have a hell of an ass." from the buzzfeed unsolved meme

her nose wrinkles as she sticks her tongue out briefly in a look of abject disgust at morgan's comment on dean's retreating form. ❝ sorry. visceral reaction. ❞ hearing women fawn over her defacto brother in law is a normal occurrence, but to her he's just that -- a brother; a best friend. ❝ its probably all the burgers he eats. those calories gotta go somewhere. ❞ her chuckling indicates that she is only teasing on both accounts. jessica turns back to her notes, crossing out nearly half of all she had written up in the last few hours; all made moot by dean's interview with the family (and the way he can seemingly effortlessly pick the nonsense out of lore).

with a frustrated sigh, she slaps the notebook shut. this is exactly why she has a pristine notebook full of information verified by one of the winchesters and experienced, complete with sketches -- and half a dozen full of corrections and half-pieced together information. ❝ he can also be one hell of an ass. he means well, but trust me when i say the winchesters can be a bit more -- emotionally stunted -- than most hunters. especially when they've got tunnel vision on their latest case. ❞

[sxbaist]

Shiro hadn't been the only one watching him. As a ghost, Vega had been just in the peripheral, observing Rick with the intensity of a predator, a wolf stalking a deer. Not that she hadn't trusted Shiro to preform his duty-- he was one of her most trusted, a bold claim in a city-clan consisting of those she would die for. Yet Vega had been uneasy, unable to discern if her decision had been the correct one.

While he had begun to work the fields, she perched nearby, memorizing his movements and etching them into her skull. To find a weakness, to discover anything that might render him both vulnerable and a threat. Surrounded by armed people day in and day out ought to lessen her concern; she found some habits died harder than others.

The progress on his dwelling, however, had proved more interesting. Intermittently between scouting, hunting, material gathering, all of the above, she'd quietly noted how he'd built on to the modest abode. Treating it as if it were, if it could become, a permanent residence. Once she'd broken in, while he was away working, to see if she could understand him better via the way he decorated. Her own place was similar, nondescript and barren aside from the necessities and scattered paintings.

Obviously it had been invasive, stealing away a piece of privacy, irreplicable. No matter the reasoning she could string together, the truth was that it was only a means of protecting her people. At least she hadn't caught him without clothes on-- yes, she'd noticed the cycle of washing and drying, without buying more than one outfit. To each their own, the worn leather jacked she adorned a testament of her own stubbornness.

A long while later, Vega had finally decided to offer him leeway-- just a bit more. Twilight lingered over the horizon, a smattering of stars glistening amid the darkness. Cold, windy, yet peaceful within its own right. Inability to rest, to sleep, left her reeling and rather than waste away in her dwelling, she opted to visit Rick. His son, Carl, had been doing well though still remained in the infirmary, under Fox's healing hands. He'd do well there, she knew, trusting entirely in the groups defacto nurse.

"You up?" Gruffly, voice hoarse and unused in days, after knocking a few times at his door. "We need to talk."

Rick's lips parted as he listened to her. Vega. Like the stars? He was paying attention. She was careful and he knew she was sniffing for hints of anything that could reveal his nature. She was guarding her people, defending everyone inside those walls, just like he was defending his group before everything went to shit.

"It's never pretty." He said. "People judge you by what they can take from you now." He nodded, his eyes fixed on the void where his memories were being streamed. "I think I've dealt with the worst. If not...maybe quite close to the worst."

Joe. The Claimers who were group rapists. The cannibals from Terminus, amputating his friend's leg and eating it in front of him.

Rick took his hand to his own face, touching his forehead then scratching his beard. "I meant it. And I know what I meant it. I know the position I am now. We have nowhere to go. So yes, I would like to stay." He looked at her in the eyes for some seconds, silent. His own weren't threatening or offensive at all, but his eyes showed her so much strength, yet so much pain. "I will do anything for my son, and if you indeed accept us here, I will do anything for the group."

Didn't mean he would be happy about it, didn't mean he wanted to do certain things, but he knew he would. He would. He just would. There would be a moment where pressure would just force him to do the most awful things to stay alive and protect his son. I hadn't been two weeks he had bit a guy's throat off and he didn't even know that he COULD do such thing, that he had the strength to do. But he had done. And would do it again. It was recent how he had grabbed an ak47 and shot the hell out of people, let them turn to eat the others who remained. And it had been even more recent that he turned a guy's head into bloody mud with a machete, over and over again. His idealistic, kind, sweet self, who wanted a family, who always chose mercy, that guy was buried so deep inside Rick's soul, that persona couldn't even see light.

"Understood." He said firmly.

That same day, Rick had his wounds treated and he slept by his son's side. Next day he finally ate, but still couldn't move much. He was sore all over and also slept most of the time, healing. The beds and matresses of the infirmary were comfy, he got to be clean and sleep in clean sheets. A different reality for those who didn't need to recover.

On the third day, he was strong enough to start Vega's testing and work, show wha he could do- he got assigned to a small wooden house, which was still being built apparently. One room, a small wooden "porch" outside where he could use water to clean himself. Inside, a small area in the middle to lit a fireplace so he could stay warm. Carl meant no danger to people there so obviously Rick would be alone for a while, having to visit his son at their infirmary as he still seemed to sleep most of the time due to his injuries.

It felt so off to have Shiro following him around, but he tried to ignore. Rick got explained about the work he should do, learned about how to acquire items, their own coin and rules. Nothing he disagreed with. He just thought clothes were so expensive, he would have to wear and wash his own every day. He worked the whole day with the crops at the fields, his mind planning how he could improve his little earth lot and applying what he had learned from Hershel to the plants. Once the sun set and the workers were dismissed, he would gather abandoned planks and buy some materials to finish and improve his little house. He even made a little wooden fence so he could get more privacy at night, when he would leave his clothes to dry by the fire as he ate from the meat or canned food he bought. The contact with the nature did him good. The tomatoes he planted were growing vivid and faster than the others and he could harvest faster due to the tools he adapted, by mounting a little cart with wheels so he had to walk less to carry his production as well as his shovel which he crafted to work on both sides, one used to dig deep and the other to scratch the earth, so he wouldn't need to carry many tools.

He was gathering a lot of money, not knowing what Carl would need when he left the infirmary, he had to be ready. The teenager had woken up, but still needed medical care.

Some days had passed and he had just finished washing his clothes. A cold night but the wind would dry them fast. He rested inside his little house, clean and so organized, hid back against the polished wooden floor, he pulled the blanket over his shivering skin and grabbed a small novel to read. The day he saw it at the market he fell in love with it, he had to buy it. The stories were his companion at night. Curled under his covers with his head on a pillow on the floor, he enjoyed to read by the fireplace in his little world of peace, away from fighting and blood.