#I know nothing about physics so this probably wouldn't even work for some reason I don't understand.

[steddieas-shegoes]

good or bad

for @corrodedcoffinfest prompt 'the good, the bad, and the ugly'

and a very special thank you to @thisapplepielife for letting me play in her sandbox again with gareth and di. this is your quarterly reminder to go read Tuesday's Gone With the Wind. you can enjoy this fic without it, but you'll appreciate it A LOT more if you have the backstory.

this is also my 500th work on ao3! of the 15+ years i've been in fandoms, it is kinda crazy to think this is the one that made me go so feral i have over a 1.25 million words written about these characters (mostly steddie).

rated m | 903 words | cw: referenced past drug use/abuse | tags: established relationships, therapy, marriage

👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻👎🏻👍🏻

Gareth knows he doesn’t deserve her, but Di is sitting next to him at this therapy appointment, holding his hand, acting like he does.

She just does these things, he doesn’t even have to ask. In fact, she’s the one who scheduled this. He’s doing good. He thought he was doing good.

“Gareth?” His therapist smiles at her office door, beckoning him inside. “Di! Nice to see you, honey. You doin’ good?”

“Doin’ just fine, Lynn. Take care of my guy, okay?”

Lynn nods and Gareth isn’t sure what to say. He walks into the office and gets comfy in his usual chair.

“Soooo,” she starts. “What’s got Di so concerned that she called me herself?”

Gareth shrugs. He genuinely doesn’t know. He’s been going to his meetings, his doctor appointments, his physical therapy. He’s been in Eddie’s studio having fun, no pressure.

“She mentioned something about some missing cash,” Lynn suggests, trying to get him to talk about stuff.

Oh.

Well, Di is right to be worried about that, for sure. But not because of the reasons she or Lynn may suspect.

“Ah.”

Lynn smiles. “I’d love to hear more about where the missing cash went missing to.”

“Well, it’s simple. I owed a guy a lot of money. You can imagine how a guy who you used to buy the best shit from might get a little upset when he finds out how much money you have and he’s still in the red,” Gareth explains. “All settled up now. Won’t hear from him again. I did call my sponsor about it as promised.”

“But you didn’t tell Di.”

Gareth shakes his head. “No, we agreed I could call the sponsor for anything that wasn’t a relapse.”

“But you see why she might be concerned you’re keeping something from her, why she may be worried about a relapse.”

Gareth sighs, nodding. “Yeah, I guess I should’ve thought of that.”

“I’m sure if you just explain it to her, she’ll understand. Was this guy threatening you in some way? What made you feel pressured to settle your debts now?”

Well, realistically, he could’ve ignored the guy. Probably turned him in to the cops or something, put him away for a long time, if not forever. Wouldn't be $4600 poorer, even though that $4600 is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Wouldn’t be sitting in Lynn’s office on a random Tuesday because he made his wife think he relapsed.

“He’s the only one who has dirt on Eddie that I’d rather not see the light of day,” Gareth admits. “God only knows what he has on me.”

“I see,” Lynn nods in understanding. “Well, do you wanna tell Di or leave it?”

“I’d rather tell her. If she’s so worried.”

“Do you wanna do it here or at home?”

“Home. I think it’ll be better in private.”

Lynn nods and offers to let him talk for the rest of his scheduled session, but he doesn’t really need to. He is doing good right now.

****

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he says as Di chops some onions for dinner. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Sorry I jumped the gun,” she replies, turning to smile at him. “I trust you. I just…I didn’t want this to turn into something more.”

“I’m glad you called her,” Gareth walks up behind her, wraps his arms around her waist, buries his nose in her neck. She laughs, stops chopping so she can settle her hands on his arms. “He’s a shitty guy. I know he would’ve leaked some stuff on Eddie and he doesn’t deserve that. He’s doing good, but he’s still…you know.”

They all worried more about Eddie. He was doing okay most of the time, but he still gets in these moods where no one, not even Steve or Gareth, can get to him. He just lays in bed for a couple days, sulks around the house, and then he’s okay again. It’s hard to watch. It’s a bit of a red flag, honestly.

But as far as they all know, he’s never turned to using during those periods.

“Do you wanna talk about what he’s got?” Di offers, but in the way she always does, where he knows she won’t push.

“He saw Eddie at his worst. You know he never cheated on Steve,” Gareth takes a deep breath. “But there was one time when he did a line off a woman’s stomach. He threw up after. This guy had pictures of it all. Plus stuff I don’t even know about and don’t wanna know about.”

“So you were protecting him.”

“Yeah. I’d do the same for any of them.”

“I know,” she sighs, kisses his cheek, turns back to start chopping again. He doesn’t move, just rests his forehead against her shoulder. “And you know even if it was something worse, I’d be here for you.”

“Yeah,” his voice comes out shaky. He’s doing good, but he knows if he weren’t, she’d still be with him. She’s waited for him through everything, she’s supported him in the times when he least deserved it. She always will. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she says. “Can you stir the pasta?”

“Yep.”

He kisses her shoulder and does as she asked. He’d do anything for her, just as he does anything for him. Good or bad, she’s got his back.

[dreamchaserguild]

The Vamp Turbine 

(A really bad idea for infinite power in Salem's Lot.)

I was watching HBO Max's Salem's Lot the other night and I noticed something peculiar about how crosses work in that movie. I have seen other vampire shows and movies where a cross might weaken a vampire. But in Salem's lot, the crosses glow with a presumably divine golden energy when they are held by the faithful, and that energy repels vampires who are nearby as if pushed by an invisible force. And they get pushed hard, being thrown back dozens of feet by the wielder of the cross. 

To me, this offers incredible potential. Because this energy is generated seemingly from nowhere, I must assume that the energy from the cross is drawn directly from Heaven itself, meaning that the faith of the wielder of the cross opens a portal, allowing the energy of creation to pass through the cross, creating new energy in our universe where there was none before.

Every time somebody in the movie has a cross that starts glowing, every time that cross flings a vampire backwards, a tiny bit of energy is being created and added to the universe. If one could harness this energy, they would have the secrets to clean sustainable power. 

Which brings me to the Vamp Turbine, as depicted in the shitty drawing below.

Tie up some vampires to a wind turbine-like device, have a faithful person stand near it with a cross, and then allow the heavenly energy to flow into the captured vampires, causing the Turbine to spin, absorbing the divine energy of God to power your homes.

I'm certain this couldn't possibly backfire in any way.

[yanderes-galore]

Homelander vs Black Noir from The Boys rivalry-romantic concept??

Oof... Iirc, doesn't Black Noir get bodied in the show? He lost this rivalry before things even started :( Sorry if it's short because of that.

Yandere! Homelander vs Black Noir

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Blood, Controlling behavior, Murder, Breaking and entering, Gore, Forced relationship(s).

This rivalry is so unfair no matter what way you look at it.

It doesn't even matter who gets obsessed first.

If you're looking at Black Noir from the show and animated series, there's no chance.

The comics? Sure, but even then that's just Homelander vs Homelander.

I only write the show version, so it's a rivalry that isn't even in the slightest.

If Black Noir had a chance, it would be because Homelander let him.

Both of them are scary on their own.

However, Homelander is definitely your biggest issue.

Yes, Black Noir is a lethal and silent assassin who can hide and stalk in the shadows.

But then there's Homelander... Do I need to elaborate?

Imagine if you work at Vought for one reason or another, only to have two strong Supes fixated on you.

The two are their own form of evil, honestly.

Black Noir is quiet, never typically talking and only communicating through writing.

He's known to kill as the enforcer of Vought, the scary thing about him is how little is known about him.

Homelander? Well, everyone knows him.

He's practically the poster child of Vought.

He's the strongest one of The Seven and even his superiors can't do much about it.

He's killed probably even more than Black Noir, and gets away with it.

Homelander gets what he wants, end of story.

So, a rivalry would be so one-sided with Black Noir.

Sure, Homelander respects Black Noir.

But this wouldn't even be a rivalry to Homelander.

It would be an annoyance.

The outcome will be the same no matter who you're close to first.

Maybe you're often an assistant for Homelander who oversees what he does.

That way Homelander is close to you to the point of obsession, always wanting you by his side and never letting you leave.

He's overly affectionate, even during meetings.

You can't even have meetings of your own without Homelander stalking you through walls.

Sometimes you just know he is, meaning you have to be careful with what you say.

Black Noir being the second to obsess is difficult, as Homelander will know everything.

Nothing gets past that man.

Black Noir's obsession starts lowkey, he just seems to watch you and often expresses curiosity.

Black Noir would often come and find you, "speaking" with you through notes.

You often answer and talk to him, although you'd be nervous due to Homelander being so close.

Even you know Homelander is letting Black Noir be around you.

If Black Noir knows, he doesn't seem to care, still craving your attention.

Even if Homelander was the second yandere, things pretty much don't change.

Homelander is going to have to be your priority due to his need for attention.

If he feels Black Noir is too close to you, there will definitely be issues.

Which could supposedly be used to your advantage if Black Noir becomes a problem...

But Homelander is the worst one there anyways.

Black Noir enjoys your company, but has to be careful.

While he typically interacts through notes and maybe some physical touch...

Homelander will be able to see all of it.

The worst part?

Homelander gets jealous easily.

Homelander may even warn you to not get too close to Black Noir.

He brings it up in an eerily cheery tone... Yet you can hear the subtle threat.

Naturally, you may end up trying to avoid Black Noir.

Yet he always finds you, oddly attentive and ready to see you.

You, quite frankly, never feel safe.

There's always a pair of eyes on you, you always have to try and deal with the aftermath of someone being murdered.

You aren't sure how to stop any of it.

I can see Black Noir giving you things such as plush toys or writing you notes...

Only for Homelander to get rid of them so he can have your attention back on him.

Homelander wants you to coddle him, while Black Noir wants to coddle you.

Your job is miserable.

Black Noir is definitely the tamest to be around for you.

He just watches you and listens to you speak, occasionally reaching out to touch your face or hold you closer.

You thought that dealing with the two could all be dealt with just at work.

Nope! They also know where you live!

Homelander is expected, that man will follow you anywhere.

Him showing up at your house is scary, yet not entirely unexpected.

Homelander often let himself into your home, expecting attention.

Making you forced to get it.

Black Noir would find out where you lived by looking through databases or simply following you home.

He's scarier as he can slip into your home without a sound, then just show up from the shadows while you're relaxing.

Homelander too busy to visit?

Well now there's Black Noir.

What makes him scarier is just his outfit and silence.

Homelander always just seems to announce himself.

You often have to work with the rest of Vought to clean up and cover up murders these two do.

It's hard for you to deal with at times as you feel so guilty... sometimes wondering if one death or another is due to you.

Them stalking and being suffocating around you is expected.

They're always too touchy and you never have any personal space.

But, just saying, the moment they start fighting?

Homelander's winning that, unfortunately

I love Black Noir, but he's so out of his league in this.

If Homelander ever got tired of Black Noir stealing you from him?

Gone.

You'd end up coming to your job, only to see Homelander covered in blood.

Oh... the gore....

Homelander probably would have killed Black Noir for both knowing about Soldier Boy and trying to be close to you.

There's no alternative option, really.

You walk in and you'll see guts on the floor, Noir's not breathing, and blood is pooling on the floor.

Homelander is in tears, but you're unsure why.

When the Supe turns to look at you, you can see the amount of blood on his suit.

You freeze, Homelander staring at you with what looks to be... sorrow? Relief?

Even now you can't read him.

Homelander would brush off what you just saw, escorting you out of the room and to his own room.

He doesn't bring it up besides telling you it was necessary.

Other than that, Homelander's obsession doesn't change.

Now you're left to pick up the pieces after the death of another Seven...

All while Homelander grins, knowing he's won... Now no one else will take you from him unless they also wish to be red paste.

[restinslices]

Can you please do making out headcanons with the earth realm men pls 🙏

I feel like this is shorter than usual but I am actually in agony😀. My insides? Doing the Cupid Shuffle. My head? Pounding. My eyes? Burning. So much so I’m not rereading this or looking for gifs. You’re getting silly little pictures of these lovable idiots😭. Also I’m broke. I’m finna start charging y’all $50 per word (joking. Not about my agony tho)

Johnny Cage

Johnny gives me the vibe that he loves making out 

I already feel like he loves physical touch, so kissing is definitely something he enjoys 

Idk why but he gives me waist grabber vibes 

I feel like making out would happen very often with this man. He's very cheeky and once again, loves physical touch. 

I could see him grabbing his partner and pulling them aside even when he absolutely should not. Like on set or something 

Johnny can't take shit seriously. Making out wouldn't change this about him. 

Mid make out session he'd mention some make out scene he had in a movie, then gets surprised it kills the mood 

The type to think of some funny shit and start laughing while his tongue is in their mouth. Enough is enough Cage

Also an ass grabber, even if you ain't got nothing back there. He's grabbing onto smth 

It's very easy to move to something further with him 

Calls you a tease if you don't have sex after 

Kenshi Takahashi 

I don't think making out is something often that happens with him, but it's not rare

Unlike Johnny, he initiates it at appropriate times 

Both a face and waist grabber 

If you're sitting, he's the type to pull you onto him 

Idk how his sight works. Idk if it's only when he's fighting or he can always see now, but there was a time when he couldn't see at all, so I think now he takes passes just to look at you. He can also be very touchy for that reason. it's like memorizing you 

If I said he was a lip biter will y'all cheer or boo me?

 There's no rush with him. He actually savors and enjoys the moment with you 

Whether or not it goes further doesn't bother him 

Doesn't enjoy sneaky sessions in public because that means he has way less time with you 

He's romantic but not as romantic as Liu Kang 

Kung Lao

Him and Johnny are some assholes so I feel like they'd do similar stuff 

They both like physical touch, they both grab onto you, they both tease 

Kung Lao may tease more though. You know his ego. Making someone squirm makes him feel better 

Let's his hands wander wherever 

If you have any sensitive spots, his hands are there immediately 

Smirks while kissing because he can feel your reaction. The new timeline did not change how cocky he is 

 Doesn't mind making out in public. His shame is very little

He pulls away sometimes just to see you pull him back in

Gets a kick out of how needy you are for him 

Teasing is such a big thing with him but you tease him and he has to be factory rebooted

I think he'd want it to go further but if you're like “nah” he's not gonna flip a table. He might whine a bit though 

Raiden

Doesn't happen often 

I know y'all want me to slut everyone out but I don't think he's a slut. I'M SORRY 

Him, Liu Kang and Kenshi are romantics to me

Majority of the time it'd probably be you initiating it 

Face grabber 

He'd stop multiple times to make sure you're comfortable doing this still 

Public making out is not happening with him. I'm sorry. He's just not comfortable. Try it and he's gonna pretend he heard a noise and walk away 

Idk why but I feel like either him or Liu Kang are the type to whisper how pretty you are so imma put it down for both of them 

Shorter make out sessions than the other guys 

His hands don't move around as much. He's content with keeping them in one place 

I just feel like he's really sweet and intimate. He's not in a rush, he's not grabbing at you and tryna hurry to sex, he's just taking his time and enjoying the feeling of you against him 

Does not care about having sex afterwards and if it doesn't happen, he doesn't complain 

Liu Kang

Happens every once in awhile 

A romantic through and through. Do y'all see how he treats Kitana?

He is a face grabber but majority of the time he rests his hands on your lower back 

Prefers to take things slower like Raiden. Can he even get old and die? I don't think so. There's legit no rush 

Like I said for Raiden, he whispers how pretty you are and how lucky he is to have you in between kisses 

I can see him doing some corny shit like spinning you around. This man has been lonely for so long. He's not worried about being a cornball

Like Raiden I know y'all want me to slut him out but I don't sense slut. I'm sorry! If anything, he's a romantic slut. He cares way more about romance than tooting it up, yk?

Only in private places or when you're alone. He's supposed to look professional around others 

Not concerned about having sex after at all

Johnny thinks of dumb shit and laughs but I think Liu Kang would smile and laugh just because you're near 

Just a nice soft man

I have another request that imma post tomorrow or the day after just to spread shit out. Also why did I just find out people ship Kenshi and Mileena- isn’t she a lesbian?

Anyway if you see any errors, no you do not. Now I’m finna go suffer while listening to a video in a dark room ‘cause looking at a screen is killing me slowly.

[meanbossart]

what i wanna know is where does the protectiveness of du drow stem from? like, is it just his personality, or was it something triggered within him to protect those around him that he deems in need of protection, whether growing up or in the temple?

did he think orin needed protection? anyone else from the temple?

in my own playthrough with my durge, he felt protective over children or child-like adults (like that one adult who he taught the ways of cannibalism) because he himself never got to have a childhood. so im just wondering if there was a reason for du drow to protect those he thought needed protection.

I'm not sure I would call it "over-protectiveness"! If that's ever the term I used, I hope I properly contextualized it. DU drow doesn't bend over backwards over every nick or scratch on his friend's and partner, nor does he think them incapable in battle... But he has a need to constantly prove that he is - well - needed. He wants to show off how capable and reliable he is so he isn't so easily disposable. DU drow's value lies in his habilities - if he can't provide in resources or physical prowess, he is useless, as he doesn't consider his personality to be a factor in what makes him likeable. This is not a "woe is me" thing for him - it's an extremely pragmatic belief he genuinely holds and accepts, even if it's harmful on the long-run.

Theoretically, if he were to go lone-wolf this would cease to be a problem since he wouldn't have anyone to prove himself to - but I also think that would eventually drive him into a profound depression. Despite all appearances, DU drow is a weird breed of extrovert who needs people he cares about and devotes himself to, otherwise there is absolutely nothing to keep him waking up in the morning. He does not do well entirely by himself at all; that's a situation he was in (more or less, save for Sceleritas' occasional visit) when he was younger, and even if only subconsciously, it may be something he fears ever experiencing again.

So - when he finds people that bring him a little joy, comfort, and peace as Shadowheart and Astarion do, he clamps down on them like a vice; and as he's always been taught, the best way to keep people from leaving is to make sure they need you. This also means he's horrified (hell, in utter denial of the possibility of-) of their deaths and will do whatever he must to keep it from happening unnaturally. I guess he would call that being protective, but it's kind of an excuse.

Pre-tadpole, he did not believe Orin needed protection - he believed she needed him, because he needed her. And I guess that perfectly summarizes how his head works and I didn't have to ramble for that long, LOL.

In regards to the soft-spot he has for mothers and children, that is nowhere near as intense, he's just softer and more understanding of them, and would probably be up to going a little bit out of his way to save a child's life, or provide them with some comfort. This is less of a notable feature and more an example of normality in his otherwise pretty antagonistic behavior, LOL.

Thank you for the question! this was an interesting one to try and parse.

[nightlyrequiem]

hiya requiem!!!!!

okay wait... im totally zooted rn so this mifht sound like wealy stupid.... but Valeria with writer!reader????!!! ^_^

like... reader is writing a dark novel... and they're like 'hey babe do you know how deep a knife needs to go before it hits a major artery and paralyzes sumone???' and val is like 'be rite back!!!' then an hour later she comes back home covered in a suspicious amount of red goo and shes like 'six inches. thats how deep' SHE CHEKCED!!!! AAAAAAAWWW!!!!!!! SO ROMANTIC RIGHT???!!!! (〃´▽`)

OKAAYYYY!!! soooh... it can be both hcs or a oneshot idm!!!! but i do want it to include either reader knowing vals occupatiom or they're just blissfully stupid clueless!!! 🥳🥳🥳

as always thank u foe ur time ans thanks soso much in advancies if u decide to write this!!! buhbye!!! :33

-🃏🌀⭐️

Hiya!! Omg I love this actually. Lowkey wish I had this IRL... but you're so right there's literally nothing more romantic then your wife stabbing a guy just so you can write about it accurately. True love right there. Just pretend you don't see the bloodstains and all will be good :3

Valeria x Author!Reader

You're working on your novel, and you're just stumped by the this one part. One of your characters gets stabbed but you want it to be accurate. But the internet is kind of useless. It either doesn't give you the information you're looking for, or it gives you that little hotline number.

But hey, your girlfriend was in the military and active combat!!! (Presuming you don't know what she does for a living.) So you ask her. Valeria loves you to pieces and also loves your writing. Of course she'll help you figure out how deep a knife has to go in order to paralyze someone. Just let her go ask some of her old war buddies, 'kay?

And by old war buddies, I mean victims. She already has an idea of where to hit in order to paralyze someone. Around the neck and spine. Each stab wound is measured meticulously and written down so she can bring them back to her precious partner. She finds the perfect reference for you. It was messy and a little hard to do, but stabbing someone under the ear in the neck where it begins to slope towards their shoulder. Roughly 3-4 inches down. The Common Carotid. (I googled it, so you probably could too, but for the sake of this let's pretend there's absolutely no information about it on the interwebs.)

Four corpses and three ruined shirts later, she's back with a sheet of references and even explains the process to you. Valeria is so kind as to even give you a physical demonstration. Not on a real person, she'd hate to frighten you. Though she didn't notice the splatter of blood on the bottom of her shirt. You did, and she had to find a valid reason as to why she had that. It's just jam, sweetheart, nothing to worry about.

Though things would be even easier if you knew about her current job. She'd probably let you sit in on interrogations to take notes or explain how certain mechanics work. It definitely wouldn't be practical or realistic because I'd imagine someone who runs a cartel would want to keep it under wraps. But anyway, she'd let you take notes and watch. If you're okay with it, she'd probably use a person for that physical demonstration.

Now your book has an accurate paralysis scene. Your readers praise you for your attention to detail and the realism. All thinks to your wonderful, murderous wife. Oh, those men that went missing were found with wounds similar to the ones in your book? What a coinky-dink!

[startagainaprologue]

ah wait i almost forgot ! here is. some writing thats kind of related to this piece? i generally dont consider myself. writing guy but if anything this was fun to write. here u go :]

also if u saw this on discord!! added a few more little things here and there. lalalaala

----

[Here you are again]

[How many times have you been up here? Probably not much in comparison to… all of your loops. But enough that it still makes you feel uncomfortable.]

[But. You need to be up here. At least for this time.]

[Carefully, avoiding looking at him, you take a seat right next to where his body now sits, eternally.]

[Oof- Owie… They were right huh. You should not be out of bed right now. You have to be, though. You couldn't wait more.]

[You don't know what to say to him, actually.]

[Does it matter, really? You know yourself you can't hear a thing while frozen.]

[But… it feels wrong, doesn't it? To not say a word to him after everything.]

[But what can you say? You can hardly organize your thoughts on him (probably not helped by your craft sickness, or the various new injuries across your body).]

[He… King.. he hurt you a lot, not only physically. (That too, though. You push away the reminder of your own bones shattering to pieces-)]

[He hurt you. He hurt your friends. He did lots of awful, terrible things, you process that now, of course.]

[You processed it a long time ago. You had more than enough time to think about it in the loops.]

[He was your friend too, once. Your first one you ever truly had. That's why you followed along with his plans so easily.]

[If you refused, he'd... leave you. Maybe worse, with all the information you held because of him. You don't know.]

[And, at the time, you'd have nothing left.]

[That's changed now though, you have a family! Or.. friends. And- and... even if everything's a bit shaky right now... you think they still love you.]

[You think King still cared for you though. In some form, despite it all. He shared things he never told anyone else. He trusted you so greatly.]

[You... aren't friends now though. Obviously. But even if he wasn't frozen, you wouldn't be.]

[You are far past the point of learning it'd never work.]

[You... feel relieved. As awful as that makes you feel. You're relieved hes gone. It makes your stomach twist even as you think of it now.]

[You take in a shaking breath, when did you start holding back tears? Hah... it's not like you to cry, is it. That was his thing.]

[You. Need to think about something else.]

[You finally turn to look at him.]

[He's.. no different than when you last saw him, of course. His hands are held up high, cradling some invisible object gently in the palms of his hands.]

[You didn't get the chance to think much on it earlier..but..]

[He remembered, didn't he?]

[His country. The reason why this all happened.]

[He finally got to remember it, and now he'll never forget it again.]

[You wondered how many times he must've wished for this. And now he finally had it granted.]

[Was this how it was always going to end for him?]

[…]

"I'm…"

[You take a moment to take in a breath, trying to keep your voice steady.]

"I'm glad that you're happy, King."

[And you're glad you can be happy now too.]

[a-twistedheartslonging]

About your non human au

Got a bit of a ramble plus a question but it's a bit long

How open to cuddling are the Nrc folks? Or more like, how willing and upfront/obvious about wanting scritches and pets is everyone in Nonhuman au. I was wondering where on the sliding scale of "unabashedly unashamedly asking for cuddles" vs "i totally do not want cuddles but if you don't give attention to me i will be upset for completely unrelated reasons that have nothing to do with not being petted and cuddled"

(also due to my garbo memory, i can't remember if basically the majority of all of NRC is now nonhuman in this au but i do recall that humans are rare so I'm gonna put in the other NRC folks too in case also cause it's fun)

I feel like the most upfront and unabashed about demanding or asking for scritches would be Lilia of course. Followed by Ace (i feel like he's desperately trying to act smug and jokey about it but he will be genuinely upset if you turn him down or worse get annoyed and actually go to someone else). Deuce i feel like wouldn't necessarily be super upfront (he's uber embarrassed and doesn't know how to go about communicating that) but he will do what he thinks will get what he wants without being too pushy. Lots of Deuce being fairly clingy and lots of casual leaning on reader/yuu but Deuce would get flustered easily i believe and he doesn't have the word weaving skills like Ace to try to bluff his way out. Also Floyd will give Lilia a run for his money with how vocal and willing to go get his damn cuddles. Kalim as well but he's not as likely to gun for Reader/Yuu like Lilia or Floyd. More of an impromptu decision based on encounters.

Cater, Trey, Jack, maybe even Ruggie and Jade are less openly vocal and pushy about their scritches and cuddles. They are more likely to be casual i believe and also try to sneak in their wants. However they probably won't deny nor completely avoid the want for pets or grooming. Rook can technically be placed here too cause i feel like he wants to have attention on him but also he wants his little mischievous chase games in the mix (he's being chased and the reward is pets) but he doesn't want to miss out on that relaxation time just in case the lil human can't keep up. Some good old Rook complexity in there involving wanting to be accepted to be seen and to see beauty but also an odd sense of trepidation and almost shyness, he might even half joke about how you're trying to tame him and that you should be responsible for those you tame

The last group definitely feels like the type to never outright demand or ask for cuddles scritches or pets but they will be soo petty and irritated if they think they're not getting their due attention. Jealous tsunderes to me lol. Leona, Vil, Riddle, Idia and Malleus go in this category but for different reasons. Leona and Vil just have a lot of pride and an image they're trying to uphold. Riddle and Idia are soo touch starved and socially awkward that they both don't know how to go about communicating what they want but also they don't know how to handle it when they're actually interacting. (riddle is so socially awkward but he at least has a plethora of rules to work off of unlike idia). Malleus is awkward and out of his depth so i think he just wouldn't know how to express what he wants but he's very jealous of the others for getting their own cuddles so easily in comparison

Loving the ideas you got!

I do love a good ramble.

Ok, so

“How open to cuddling are the Nrc folks?” 

With the guys at that school in general It's sort of a case-by-case type thing and depends on the person in particular. Kind of like how some people are cool with physical affection or hugs but some aren't, and with others, you gotta build up a bond for them to be cool with it. Some of the beasties aren't gonna want some random person touching them, just like a regular person wouldn't be cool with it.

A thing to remember though that changes the circumstance is, that this is a school full of a bunch of hormonal dudes and you happen to be a cute exotic little thing. So some are gonna be cooler with that curious touching just for that…though you should be wary of their intentions.

But that’s just an in general thing for the students, it's gonna be dif with the main guys since they know you and you went through all that stuff with them. You guys are homies.

Looking at what you wrote I say you're pretty spot on with how open those certain main guys would be to it. Adding on to the Lilia bit, not only in his regular form is he perfect for petting but in this au, he has two other forms he can switch into: A big scary sexy bat monster and…adorable little actual bat that you can keep in your pocket. Being in the latter form lets him conserve energy and magic so he likes to chill in it, another benefit is how freaking ADORABLE he is in it, and he uses it to his advantage with no shame.

Pet him, brush him, tell him how cute he is, and kiss his little face. The funest thing to do is feed him little cherry tomatoes and watch him go ham on them. Have you seen those cute vids of fruit bats eating stuff? Well, you should.

Ace and Deuce are clingy little things but in different ways. Deuce wants you to touch him so badly but he’s anxious about making you uncomfortable or you thinking he’s weird. Being a girl would add more to that. Also you call him a good boy while showing him affection he will die. P.S. When he goes home for the break and his mom smells you on him she is going to ask him so many questions and tease him. Please help him.

Ace is…regardless of what creature he is in the au he has asshole cat energy. Like, he's clingy and demands attention at the worst time but when you're in the mood he's like “Meh” but then gets pissy when you go to or smell like someone else. Passive aggressively scents all your stuff.

Floyd and Kalim have no shame in asking. Though with Kalim it's asking and although he’ll get sad when you're busy or not in the mood for it he’ll respect it. Floyd does not. He is like one of those big ass dogs that will straight up lay on you and won't move. Kalim keeps offering to hire you as his personal cuddle giver/groomer and his parents encourage it since having a human serve under you shows status, not that he cares about that.

My god, Cater would use you for so many videos.

So true for the “won't be vocal about it” thing. Cater is gonna “Haha…unless?” about it. Trey, Ruggie, and Jade would definitely manipulate situations so that you WILL pet them. Ruggie is gonna act like he's doing you a favor so you end up cuddling AND feeding him. Jack is still very much a tsundere about it, will probably take a while to get him to let you and he wants to do it in private.

Rook…another with no shame in accepting it. He’s so used to being the one doing the chasing. It's nice having someone so interested in him and giving him praise. He’s still gotta keep some of his mystery so he won't tell you things but he's gonna ask you all kinds of questions and want to take…terns with touching. He’s as interested in your unique body as you are with his. Take that however you want. 

Leona will straight up tell Ruggie to go get you and bring you to his room for Touching Time. With certain affection, he doesn't want others to see but with other kinds, he wants to show off. Especially if your mates.

Vil is pretty particular about what he allows you to do and how you touch him. Do not mess up his hair or feathers. 

Riddle and Idia. Even if he likes you it will take time for him to be cool it. Both want the affection given to be privet. Riddle actually puts together a Snuggle Scedual and gets pretty pissed if someone or someone interrupts or makes it run late. God forbid it gets canceled. Tbh for both of them it's kind of…cuddle therapy? For Riddle it helps with his anger and feelings of loneliness and the lack of affection he's had to deal with since…well forever.

For Idia…tbh I can't help but picture him as one of those anxiety-riddled dogs that's always shaking. You kind of end up his Emotional Support Human and if he absolutely has to leave his room he's keeping you close and hiding behind you, even if you're smol.

Is Mal awkward? Heck yes, but he is also touch-starved and greedy. You'll be lucky if his dragon instincts don't kick in have him keep you in his nest forever. Once he figures out “Oh…these touches are pretty nice.” He won't be shy about physical affection, even with the others around. Might get territorial and you should prob talk to him about it, so he doesn’t end up…going all dragon about it.

[jangofettjamz]

Unlovable Child

Jenna Ortega x Autistic!Male!Reader

Warnings: Child abuse

2nd Person POV

"I'm going out of town for a week to see my parents" you tell Jenna. The two of you were snuggled up together on the couch, binge watching The Mandalorian on Disney+.

"Oh, do you want some company?" Jenna offered to which you shook your head no. Your parents wasn't exactly the gold standard when it comes to parenting, in fact they'd probably win an award as being one of the worst.

You've never discussed your parents with Jenna because of this, not wanting her to be involved with them due to their toxic nature. You feared that exposing them to her would only cause more trouble than its worth.

"You sure you don't want me to come with? I can--"

"No no you really don't have to" you said, cutting her off a little too quickly to go unnoticed. She gave you a look of suspicion, knowing there was likely some underlying tension between your parents and you.

You tried to put her at ease "I-I mean... they haven't seen me for a while... I wouldn't want to overwhelm them by introducing you to them... y'know given your fame and all. No offence"

Your stuttering and lack of a believable reason wasn't enough to ease Jenna's growing concern for you, but she smiled anyway, which in turn made you smile. You knew she wasn't convinced.

She pulled you in closer, making sure you were nestled into her chest. She had a feeling deep down that you were keeping something from; something terrible. Anxiousness flooded her nervous system, making her rethink about letting you go.

Her heartbeat quickened because of this, something you caught by having your head on her chest. "Jenna? Are you okay?" You asked.

She looked at you and smiled to put you at ease "Everything's fine, sweet boy. Everything's okay." She reassured, kissing your forehead to ease your worries.

But it wasn't her you were worried about, it was meeting your parents for the first time in years. The last time you spoke to your parents was 2 years prior, just before you moved out for your new job, just before you met Jenna for the first time. It didn't exactly end on the greatest of terms.

You parents were vile; abelists who took pleasure in calling you the most horrid of insults for their own sick pleasure. It made them feel better about themselves, like they were superior. They were never proud of you, even though your academics should make them so. They could never be proud of someone like you, someone who was autistic.

Of course, with many dysfunctional households come with their fair share of physical abuse, which in your case was fairly common place. The slightest of mistakes ended in severe punishment, that being knocking a drink over, talking to loudly .etc.

You were deemed a failure in the eyes of your parents despite everything you've accomplished in school, your well paying job; it meant nothing. You were never good enough for them. You were simply too much of a "spaz" to love. You were nothing to them, only when money was an issue were you of any use.

You held Jenna a little tighter just think about this. Painful memories from your past flashed through your mind, reminding you of the awful people they were.

But you maybe they had changed, maybe they realised the error of their ways, you naively thought to yourself, only setting yourself up for a meeting that would inevitably send you crashing down.

But you had to believe. "They have changed. Of course they changed, they only said and did all that stuff to make me into the man I am today. They love me. Don't they?"

- 1 day later

Jenna was on the phone with her director discussing filming dates. She was currently working multiple films at once and needed to negotiate dates so that it wouldn't impede on her schedule.

You always admired how she could do so many films at once, though, you wished she would take a break sometimes as it can tire her out.

Jenna's phone call was immediately interrupted by the sound of the door opening revealing your figure. "Mark I'm gonna have to call you back" she hangs up the phone, confused as to why you were back 6 days earlier than anticipated.

You were wearing sunglasses, unusual considering the weather outside was quite gloomy. Perhaps you just felt like wearing them, she thought to herself.

"Hi, baby boy." She kisses your cheek, but noticed that it looked awfully red and... swollen? "You're back early. Did everything go okay down there?" Jenna asked to which you nodded with a smile, albeit a dishonest smile.

"Yeah everything went great, just gad to cut the trip short because they were busy and stuff. My parents are busy people after all" you say in a somewhat cheery tone. The swollen part of your face was pulsing, as though the nerve endings in your face had been set alight.

Jenna continued to examine your face, still finding it strange that you haven't taken off your shades yet. "Wait, he wasn't even wearing shades when he left. Why was he wearing them now?" She thought, trying to ascertain the situation.

She noticed your hands were shaking; odd considering you were always calm around her most of the time and it wasn't cold indoors because of the heating. One of your arms was holding your stomach too.

All this information, combined with the fact that your back 6 days ahead of schedule is enough to tell Jenna that something was very very wrong.

"Hey babe can you take off those glasses for me? I wanna see those pretty eyes of yours." She asked sweetly, forceful was not the right approach. You looked at her, trying to strum up a lame excuse not to oblige.

"No!" He exclaims, catching Jenna off guard. You quickly try to come up with a better excuse. "I mean i-it's really bright in here Jenna, my eyes are kinda tired from driving, y'know" you play off terribly, adding a smile to try and convince otherwise.

Jenna isn't buying it, you know this. She's too smart. "Y/N your face is bright red, and swollen" His smile quickly drops. "Your hands are shaking too, and I can see a cut behind your hair. You and I both know it isn't cold in here and that cut is recent too." She exhales sadly, turning her attention too your stomach "You're holding you're stomach babe, like you're in pain. What happened over there?"

You panic, you knew she wasn't an idiot but you can't bare to let her find out about your parents, about your past. It was too embarrassing, she'd surely leave you for not being man enough to fight back. That what your father had conditioned you to believe, that you weren't a real man because of your condition, that you were sub-human.

"I-I d-dont--" "let me see your eyes, my love" bowing your head in defeat, you allowed Jenna to remove your shades, the sight horrified her, sending shivers down to the deepest depths of her soul. She gasped, her hands covering her mouth as you she saw the damage.

A massive purple bruise covered your right eye, the eye itself was completely red. The area around the eye was completely swollen too. The left eye was also bruised, not as bad but still bruised nonetheless.

Anger bubbled within Jenna, the prospect of someone hurting her baby was sickening to her, she knoew this had to be your parent's doing. "They did this to you, didn't they"

"W-what no! They would never do this to me. My family love me, Jenna. They do" you tried convince her, you tried to convince yourself mostly. Tears pricked at your eyes, stinging even more due to the beating you took.

"Honey... why would they do this to you? What happened?" She asked gently with a tinge of sadness in her tone. You couldn't keep up with the lie any longer.

You took a deep breath. You wanted to tell her what happened, tell her about the desperation you felt when your father's belt connected with your back. How your mother held you down as he did it, beating and beating and beating you for being the spaz who disappointed his parents just by looking at him. She held your hands "It's okay. It's just me. Just Jenna"

A single tear fell down your cheek causing Jenna to wipe it away. "They wanted money..." you started, taking a deep breath before continuing "They wanted money that were apparently "owed" for not getting rid of me. I said no, and I'm sure you can imagine how they reacted to that. They beat me, Jenna. They both did. I couldn't stop them, I tried as hard as I could but they kept..." you sniffled, holding back what would have been a giant sob.

"They kept pummelling me with the belt, punching me in the stomach. Mom held me down and I couldn't anything. They said I was unlovable... I'm unlovable, Jenna!" He broke down completely, falling onto his knees. Your emotions that you'd been holding since you left your parents had escaped, the dull pain now fresh again.

Jenna lifted the back of your shirt to find the purple lashes that layed there, where your father had taken out his anger with the belt. She immediately held you, her own eyes tearing up at your broken state. You clung to her like a lifeline.

"Shhhh, its okay baby. You're safe now. You're safe with me again." He whales in anguish and pain, his sobs became louder as each one left his mouth.

"Jen it hurts" you said like a scared child, exactly what you were at your parent's house.

Upon hearing this Jenna decided it was best for you to lay down on your side to avoid laying on your lashed back. "Come on, honey let's lay you on the couch. Lay on your side for me, my sweet." You did as instructed.

She lifted up your top to see the bruises on your stomach, purple and still fresh. She was going to annihilate your parents, but that comes later. "I'm gonna go get an ice pack, then we're taking you to the hospital"

"No! No! Please no doctors!" You pleaded

She knelt down and stroked your hair to out you at ease as best she could "Shh shh shh, don't think about that now okay. Let me go get an ice pack for your stomach. I'll be right back." She left quickly for the ice, returning as quickly as she left.

She lifted up your shirt and let you get ready for the ice. "On three. One. Two. Three." She presses the ice to your abdomen, the cooling sensation soothed the pain little by little bringing you great relief. "Good boy baby, you being so brave for me" she cooed, kissing the top of his head.

She held the ice pack as you writhed in pain on the couch. Her free hand alternates between rubbing your arm and combing through your hair. She placed little kisses on your swollen cheek, not hurting at all when she did.

The recollection of events that played in your mind caused you to cry again. Jenna brought your head into her neck as she held you close, her skin absorbing most of the tears. "Oh baby, please don't cry. You're not unlovable. You're my very beautiful boy who I love so very very much. They don't deserve you."

You held onto her tight, thinking how lucky you were to have such a wonderful woman in your life. Your parents would've definitely said you didn't deserve her, and maybe you didn't. But that didn't detract from how much you loved her, and appreciated her.

"I love you, Y/N. I love you with every fibre of my being" hearing this made you smile out of pure gratitude and love.

"I love you too, Jenna" you say, voice still wobbly from crying. You pulled your head from the crook of her neck and the two of you just smile at each other, you took in the beauty of her face while Jenna gazed upon your battered one. She pulls you in for a gentle kiss, a long kiss that you desperately needed.

"Bubs we do need to get your tummy looked at. We'll call my mom to have a look at you, but we may need to go to the hospital if it's bad. We can do all that tomorrow though, just rest in my arms for now. Can you do that for me?" You nodded your head "I won't let them get away with this Y/N. Mark my words they're finished."

You'd never seen Jenna this angry, but it brought a strange sense of reassurance, like everything was going to be okay. "Can we watch a movie? I wanna take my mind off of this"

"Of course we can, bubs. What do you wanna watch? Empire strikes back?" She asked, knowing how much you loved that movie. You nodded making her smile and kiss you again.

She layed down next to you, inviting you to curl up next to her and lay your head on her chest. "You're not unlovable, flower. You're a very loveable and amazing person." You smile at her words, Jenna loved you very much and today was evidence of that.

She cradles your body in her arms, still feeling you tremble from everything that has happened. It would be a long road to you heal from this but she'd be with you the whole way there.

She gently rocks you while you watch the film, the sight of Darth Vader igniting your child-like love that Jenna adored.

"Hey bubs, promise you'll never think yourself as unlovable. Promise me that my love."

"I promise." You say, even though you still didn't fully believe it. Your parents words still hurt.

"Good boy. My special beautiful boy"

[lostiolite]

Hiya!! How about general relationship headcanons with Geten? Love him sm🙏

ABKBWJBAJAVWJWBWJABA THANK YOU FOR THE GETEN ASJ OH MY GOS 🩵🩵🩵WKSBSJWJAUABAJWNSNS

Hes kind of like a an overprotective dog, you and redestros personalised gaurd dog 😊

He gives tsundere vibes, but mainly because he obviously has never been in a relationship before, and isn't really the best at understanding his feelings, so he tends to be sort of Standoffish.

Love language

Giving: acts of service and gift-giving i think are his instinctual way of showing love, hes strong and has alot of power within mla. Will buy you something or have some underlings assist you. Despite his twinkish build, hes strong. He'll take heavy groceries on one arm like its nothing, he enjoys helping you out on a personal level like this.

He isnt good with words because he has a tendency of being blunt. He wont hesitate to tell you how much he adores you, or how much he hates that friend of yours. Hes affectionately insulting, "you look... so stupid, anyways i bought you that thing you were looking at earlier". Its clear your different, because the way he insults you is different than how he insults other. He dislikes it when others are being silly or stupid but when its you, it makes him happy. He wants you to have an easy life, to be treated like royalty, thats how high he holds you.

He likes touching you, playing with your hair or laying on you, it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside. When your in his arms he enjoys the feeling of protecting you.

His attention is always on you / or redestro, hes really perceptive so even if it seems like hes in his own world, he's taking note of everything.

I feel like hes very literal and sort of extreme, this also ties hand in hand with his bluntness. You could make a small comment of somthing being cute and he will shower you with presents of said thing. this will lead to miss understandings, the two of you could have a disagreement and you could somthing about him being an asshole or somthing and he assumes you hate him and youre gonna leave him.

Definitely yaps to redestro about you, maybe curious/trumpet as well when he wants to be more "romantic"

Speaking of romance i dont think its really his thing, he doesn't see the need to go on fancy dates. Spending time with you is more than enough for him.

Receiving: please praise him. Let him know how highly you think of him, not in a self absorbed way, but also in a self absorbed way. It makes him feel usefull. I feel like once he starts getting involved with you romantically hes gonna start doing some inner reflection and realize he isnt used to love and probably isnt the best partner. Feeling usefull to you helps leviate his insecurities, even if not for the right reason. It takes him a while to comprehend that you like geten himura not iceman the mla comander.

Touch him, hug him, kiss him, cuddle him please. (Maybe im just self projecting cus i love physical touch) likes laying down on your lap/chest/you in general. Scratch his head please. Makes him feel warm fuzzy and embrassed but a good embrassed. He'll think about it while working and start smiling like an idiot.

General

Gushes to redestro about you, like a middle school girl talking about her crush.

Tbh if it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have confessed to you, or realized his feeling for you in the first place.

Redestro is fond of you, making geten even more content with being in a relationship. Hes kind of dedicated his whole life to work, redestro was his only personal relationship, and he wasn't sure if he would be allowed to pursue one with you or how it would work. Thankfully the old man gave him the ok to confess and even pushed him to do so.

Oh. my. god. Imagine him making ice sculptures for you. It could range from little hearts to miniature versions of you, him and redestro like a little family.

Listens to your music cus he hasn’t really had a chance to find his own taste. Plays the romantic songs over and over again thinking of you.

If you like baking or making food he will cherish it and brag how his s/o made him food. Probably shares it with the rest of the commanders, I feel like some part of him has an attachment to them.

I don’t think he can cook, maybe the most would be a sandwich made with cheese and ham.

Buys you your favorite foods to eat together sort of like a picnic, but not a romantic picnic, just a nice picnic.

I feel like he would enjoy feeding you and being fed by you, something about you holding the fork/chopsticks/spoon for him to eat and vice versa makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Let’s you have the second bite of his food, requests to have a bite of yours, again something about it feels warm and fuzzy to him.

Quirks and children

If you've got a strong quirk he would be really proud. He'd be intrested if you wanted kids, afterall two people with strong quirks are bound to have a strong child. If you didn't want kids i dont think he'd really care, he could always like give him sperm (without Intercourse) to a surrogate for somone else to train if the mla wanted him to continue his bloodline.

If you've got a weak / no quirk he'd be apprehensive first meeting, you not seeing your worth. Hes mad that he fell in love with someone weak, feeling that he shouldn't be with you. Though its redestro who again convinces him to go for it, that if he loves you he should try. Im not sure he'd be a good father, especially if you wanted a child being quirkless/weak. But it lets him realize his whole "only the strong should have power" ideals are kind of fucked up. He still wants his children to have somthing good about them, so unlike him they would probably go to school, not just school but like top teir ones.

Give him a few years before having kids, hes not ready, let him mature. He isnt used to being empathetic or social cause he was robbed from it at an early age to train.

I think redestro kind of understands that he and geten were kind of shoved into power without any choice in the matter, and would encourage geten to let his children have more freedoms and a normal childhood.

[turquoise91]

I know there's some panic about the new stills for 8x14 with Buck and Ravi hanging out again but people are forgetting a few things when it comes to Buck and Ravi:

1) Anirudh has said in an interview that he ships Buddie and that Ravi ships Buddie. The guy has an awareness of the direction of the fandom and probably is aware of the angry mob that would await him if he ever even hinted at pursuing a BuckRavi pairing. Also, I would hope Tim would not be that cruel as to put another friend/coworker in between Buck and Eddie. It didn't work with Lucy or Tommy and it'll just cause damage to Ravi's character. I happen to like Ravi and don't want him written off because fans turned their hatred onto him.

2) Ravi is both afraid of and annoyed by Buck, frequently. The man chased the poor guy around the firehouse with a chainsaw for puking during a call. Eddie might find that intensity endearing but Ravi most certainly doesn't. He also frequently pranks and teases Ravi in juvenile ways. Yes he is affectionate and encouraging, with the big bear hugs and giving Ravi props when he does something right but his behavior reads as big brotherly or an older cousin, someone to look up to but who will still annoy you to death just for fun. Nothing about their interactions reads as romantic or sexual.

3) The Eddie of it all: If Tommy who only dated Buck and was friends with Eddie for 6 months was able to see what a threat Eddie is to his relationship with Buck, what makes anyone think Ravi wouldn't think so too? Ravi spent an entire shift being called by someone else's name and then was dragged out and had to listen to Buck monolog for hours most likely about Eddie. If the first time Eddie left wasn't evidence enough of how obsessed with Eddie, Buck is than that right there would've been it. Tommy didn't want to compete with Eddie, why on Earth would Ravi? Doesn't matter if he's physically not there, Eddie takes up 80% of Buck's mental space. No one with any self respect would go into a relationship knowing that they will never be the number 1 priority in a person's life. Not sure why he thought throwing Tommy at Buck would work for more than a hook up but the guy was having a bad day so I can't blame him for running off.

4) Ravi and Buck are closest in age and experience at the 118 and Ravi is not particularly close to anyone else at the station. He's family, but he's not as dependent on the team, nor has he been present for many big disasters that bond the team. Buck's coma, the cruise, Hen's captaincy, Councilwoman Ortiz, Bobby's heart attack, Gerrard, the plane, etc. He's relatively unscathed compared to the others and trauma tends to bond these guys as much if not more than the good moments. The stills and BTS videos show a bus explosion and Ravi holding a victim's hand.

This might be his first big loss since his time in the Academy and maybe he needs a friend who doesn't have the obligations of a spouse or child. Buck is incredibly empathetic and tends to be the best at showing and reciprocating emotional vulnerability. He could be comforting Ravi after a loss. Buck tends to take his losses on the job personally, he bonds with the victims and sees his failures as a reason to do better, try harder, to fight for every life he saves. He was devastated after the roller-coaster and needed a listening ear and a shoulder and one thing Buck is good at is paying that forward. Talking to Ravi about loss, giving him praise when he does good and encouragement when he fails. He could also feel guilty about treating Ravi like an Eddie replacement and want to genuinely get to know Ravi as a person. Buck might be oblivious sometimes but when he gains perspective he is very good at fixing what he does wrong.

There are so many reasons Buck and Ravi can be hanging out and they don't have to be romantic or sexual. We still don't even know Ravi's sexual orientation. I don't think he's ever even mentioned his preference in partner. Let's try not to catastrophize just yet folks.

[mdmdusol]

Everything I know about Louis De Végobre 1/? Part(s)

(I'm sure I'm forgetting some details hahaha)

Pierre-Louis-Joshep Antonie Manöel de Végobre, born on November 12, 1752, in Geneva, Switzerland, and died sometime in 1840, was a professor, lawyer, magistrate, and writer. (Although he excelled in other activities throughout his life.)

He was the son of Charles Manoël de Végobre and Louise de Vignolles-de-La-Valette. (I don't know why I find it funny that parents have named their children after other genders. Charles = Charlotte; Louise = Louis)

The surname "De Végobre" was invented by C. De Végobre; his original surname is Manoël. A possible reason: to hide his identity. Louis De Végobre's father was embroiled in several controversies, so much so that his entire family was banned from practicing as state lawyers. (But don't worry because Louis ended up being a judge).

He was the second of six children, but his eldest brother died when Louis de Végobre was about 4 years old. (His mother became pregnant 15 times, but only 6 of them were successful.) Like John Laurens, not all of his siblings survived. Only Anne-Charlotte (September 4, 1754–1840) and Phillipe (June 24, 1762–May 2, 1778). (Phillipe died tragically at the age of 16.)

When Louis was 11, his parents left Geneva with Phillipe, leaving him in the care of his sister Charlotte, who was 9 years old.

I could write another post about that, but in general terms: Charles de Végobre was a very active and provocative Protestant. That's why the King of France wanted to kill him. Charles became close friends with Voltaire and, along with other men, became direct rivals of Catholic France.

Charles de Végobre fled because he was wanted (they even called him "the destroyer of worlds") . The reason he didn't take Louis was because he had a chronic respiratory illness (asthma or something similar). This is briefly mentioned in a letter to Voltaire. He didn't take Charlotte so her brother wouldn't be alone - a really bad idea. 9- and 11-year-olds alone, what could happen?

In 1763, De Végobre began working in a library to pay off his father's debts. Some time later (I don't know exactly when, no one specifies) he ends up being arrested in order to make him confess where his father was.

Apparently it was all for nothing, because he spent part of his adolescence on parole and doing forced labor. (until approx 14 years old).

Four or five families paid for his freedom, of which we must remember three names: Chais, Chauvet and Naville.

Jean Antonie Chais: He was John's first tutor when he arrived in Geneva. He taught classics, philosophy, and Latin. You're probably familiar with him. Both, John and Louis, got angry with him over some issue (more on that in another post). My God, I must make so many posts...

David Chauvet: John's second tutor in Geneva. He was a close friend of Henry. He was supposed to be his first tutor, but the residence was full. He recommended De Végobre as John's mathematics tutor.

André Naville: André Naville: He was the father of François Andrés Naville, a schoolmate of Louis. Basically, it was a wealthy family of lawyers and merchants. André Naville ended up "hiring" Louis for some unknown job (I assume a secretary?). By this point, François and Louis had become best friends (Maybe more than frinds at this point?) I don't know what to think. François was a jealous frind. (Said by acquaintances).

At some point in their lives, Louis and François began studying law at the Geneva Academy (now the University of Geneva). Louis wanted to study mathematics and natural philosophy (physics), but he couldn't afford it. There were scholarships in Geneva, but the king forbade the De Végobre family from having one. (Geneva was not independent at that time.) Even a minister of the king went so far as to say that his family would never be considered even bourgeois.

There the group of friends that John Laurens would later join was formed: Marc Auguste Pictet, Albert Turrettini, Pierre Prevost, (?) Martin and François Naville. Later: Kinloch, Müller, Bonstteten and Manigault.

At another, unknown point in his life, Louis began tutoring young boys (including Laurens - 1772) in mathematics. Prevost was studying physics, and with Pictet and De Végobre, they often spent their free time researching physics.

As for his romantic relationships, he never married. Nor did he seem interested in any woman (and Voltaire tried to marry him off to a girl). In my opinion (I'm open to other opinions), Louis only had a serious relationship with Naville. Perhaps I could argue for a brief relationship with Laurens.

Naville-De Végobre:

According to what friends of both casually say, the two were inseparable: Naville wrote poems for him (Pictet once said) no poem found. De Végobre mentions in the epilogue of a book that Naville would have fits of rage and burn all his work and correspondence. Louis tried to save the papers.

François and Louis often argued because François was a Protestant, active, and very provocative (like Charles de Végobre). François also loved getting involved in politics.

At first, neither of them wanted to get married. In the end, François's father married him at the age of 31 to Anne Renée Gallatin (21 years old). The marriage did not go too well, but they had four children (3 boys and a girl).

Before François was murdered, Anne used to argue with François because he spent more time with Louis (information from the draft of the introductory speech to Naville's posthumous work). Even Anne asked Louis not to publish the first version he had written of this work (Discours pour servir d'introduction à un ouvrage posthume de François-André Naville, ci-devant conseiller d'état de la république de Genève) because it was "too personal" and could "tarnish" the family name. He makes a brief reference to this conflict, which is so widely discussed among his acquaintances, on the first page.

Mr. Naville's family felt it was more appropriate to postpone the publication of this work at the very least; I initially believed the reason for this decision would be the Preliminary Discourse. This was also the advice he gave me, which provoked a well-founded timidity.

However, after hesitating for a long time, I follow the advice of my friends. Their opinions are of great importance to me: I surrender to the sense of duty that long prompted me to pay this funeral tribute to the memory of my friend and to that of the virtuous Magistrates who perished with him.

[...]

If I present this Discourse as it was originally composed, without deleting the first two parts, which deal only with my friend, it is because these two parts are not unrelated to his praise, which is my main objective.

A brief reading of that work reveals part of their relationship (although it's quite censored, thanks Anne for screwing up the evidence). I can also understand Anne's point.

It is not, however, before the public that I wish to shed these tears with which I water the grave the ashes of my friends [...]

It is not to the ears of a frivolous public that I wish to make my laments heard for the crimes that have stained and for the catastrophe that has erased from the ranks of nations such a beloved homeland. But it is to the friends of the victims that I mourn, to the Genevans whose hearts respond to mine, to whom I present as a gift this faint expression of the feelings I experience and which it is sweet to find among them.

Throughout the book he tells some anecdotes, this is only part of the first page.

Someone argued with me on Wattpad that Louis was engaged because he's wearing a ring in his Minister portrait. I have several arguments about this:

Maybe that ring is a signet ring. Very common among officials and men of high status (for exenple Henry Laurens). This idea is the most appropriate

Many men wore a ring to avoid questions about their single status. However, De Végobre didn't care about the opinions of others, so this option is unlikely. I mean, just look at the way he expresses himself in his travel guide. He knew it was going to be published, and yet he still wrote ironic things—imagine in his private life.

Maybe something personal. (It could be Naville's ring; he was murdered, and De Végobre kept some of his belongings.) I mean, Naville entrusted him with the education of his children in his will, I don't see the ring as so crazy.

Another option is that he wears a ring without reason, but he is a simple man and he didn't like those things.

This painting is in the library of the University of Geneva. If you go there, they'll show it to you without any problem! (They finally took the opportunity to upload it online in better quality.)

The only time Naville and de Végobre distanced themselves after an argument was, coincidentally, in 1772 and later. Who was in Geneva at that time? That's right: John Laurens.

Those of you who know em from Wattpad already know that I'm not a believer in the Kinloch-De Végobre relationship (with or without Manigault). For me, it didn't existeix, no in same way that her relationship with Laurens or Naville did. I compareu a lot of correspondence between these men. Even I think Kinloch sometimes felt jealous of the De Vegobre-Laurens relationship. Jealous, or perhaps displaced. I believe, evidently, that the Laurens-Kinloch relationship existed.

You've all read De Végobre's letters to Laurens, in fact, there's one not available online from 1781. De Végobre isn't so affectionate with everyone, he's friendly and kind, but there's a big difference.What part should we highlight from their correspondence? «Mon cher, Laurens»,

You have began to make me feeling how hard it is to fee the departure of a man to whoms one's heart ir addicted, others will do the same with me; all is not happines. Engish Friends. I will, i will see you in your country, before i die! [...]

Adieu, I don't know if I in this language I have been able to explain my hart's true sentiments; you shall see in thos letter my knowledge in your tongue; you will laugh at my mistakes in the Grammar, but not at my sentiments. Adieu

De végobre to Laurens, 24 dec. 1774

I want to write another post analyzing letters! This one is supposed to be only about De Végobre!

There is also another interesting figure in his life: Samuel Vincent, a student of his whose theology studies De Végobre helped pay for around 1800. He also deserves a separate post.

Sir, here is another sign of life. It is true that you may sometimes doubt whether I am alive, but you must never doubt whether I love you. You will find my friendship too calm, no doubt, and not very active; alas! It is in keeping with the rest of my character. It is no less sincere and lively for that. Thus, she eagerly seized upon the hope you gave me in a corner of your letter to let you flow toward Languedoc. Since it is the slope that guides you, remember that once you reach Nîmes, you must remain there still and not climb to the heights. The Cévennes should no longer be the sole destination of your travels to Languedoc. I stand in your way, ready to seize you by the throat. When I have detained you long enough in Nîmes and you wish to leave in spite of me, I will quickly go and ambush you at Gajan and catch you when you least expect it. If you escape from me again, who knows? Depending on the weather, I might chase you all the way to the Cévennes or force you back down. May I soon enjoy this happiness, and may I join in the memory. [...]

If you want to know anything about my family, I'll tell you that we're all fine, that we all love you, that we all wish you the same love I've shown you. Yours completely devoted: Pastor S Vincent

Samuel Vincent to Louis De Végobre 8 of March 1810.

I must admit that in the last sentence he makes a slightly strange use of French words, but I didn't pay attention to it. I know there are people who think they were more than friends. I haven't found any evidence to support this claim.

Also in another letter he wrote these verses by Voltaire:

De tous mes sentiments tel est le caractère, Je veux avec excès vous aimer et vous plaire.

Context:

While one of your letters should answer half a dozen of mine, here's one of mine that answers two of yours. And to give Voltaire's verses their true meaning:

Of all my feelings such is the character,

I want to love you and please you excessively.

But laziness destroys in me what is good in the will. As long as you don't doubt my feelings, I will do justice to the reproaches you make me. I recently decided to no longer make excuses for my carelessness in writing. When one writes as little as I do, one shouldn't spend half of that little time making useless excuses, always the same ones.

[...]

All my relatives, all your friends, shower you with their compliments and their blessings. And I join them in wishing you joy and health. This could be most agreeable to your friend and devoted disciple

Vincent to De Vegobre, 6 May 1810

They often shared topics and opinions about the Church in their letters. De Végobre even offered Vincent a teaching job, but he turned it down because he considered himself too young to accept it.

Personally, I don't see them as a couple, but I'm glad to know that De Végobre had friendships after Naville's death!

After Naville's death in 1794, he became depressed. He even said he would have liked to die beside him. He later wrote that it would have been better for him to die instead of Naville (because François was a father and husband).

To avoid getting too involved in political matters, I'll give you some brief background. Naville was often the spokesperson for any political opinion opposed to the monarchy or established regimes. De Végobre was much more quiet, preferring to avoid the topics that had caused so much damage to his family.

Louis had to leave to Vaud in 1781, seeking refuge in the home of Albert Turrettini (where he served as tutor to Turrettini's son), again due to matters involving his father. He had to flee in an emergency, he left without packing anything. His parents died around 1794, but that wasn't the end of it.

When 1793-1794 (Le Terreur) arrived, he was again imprisoned (this time with Naville). His house in Pâquis was burned, and he lost the entire fortune he had managed to amass over the past few years. Several trials followed. First, Louis's, where he was acquitted and granted parole. Immediately after, Naville's, where he was sentenced to death and shot in front of de Végobre. This was too shocking for him, and it kept him distant for the rest of his life (said Pictet).

For the rest of his life, for 45 years, he limited himself to studying and working. No further mention has been made of any friendships or close interactions outside of work. His only correspondence was with Vincent during 1810.

Finally, some professional information about him is that he was so good at physics that he was Pictet's substitute professor at the University of Geneva, helping scientists and mathematicians with their work. (He was literally a human calculator.) As for his legal career, he was a magistrate and judge. He and his sister founded an association to provide legal aid to orphaned minors and prostitutes. (His sister was the founder of the orphanage, and he had been teaching the children there since before 1780.)

He also published several works explaining how to structure the legal system of the independent Republic of Geneva and other places (specifically Vaud).

I'll write a second part! Feel free to write me any questions or concerns. I'll be happy to answer! Thanks for welcoming me so warmly to Tumblr!

[robinmage]

It's curious to me, how the general consensus among others when it comes to Chise's curses are "bad; we need to get rid of it (we just don't know how.)" Which, considering they are both curses made of pain and suffering, makes sense why someone wouldn't want to keep those around.

We (the audience) know vaguely how the curses interact with each other. The dragon's curse: made from strong emotions of anger and despair, provides Chise with her strength and durability against both magical and physical elements, at the cost of her own strength one day tearing herself apart. Cartaphilus' curse prevents her from dying, but offers no protection against injury or decay. Together they "keep each other in check"-- Cartaphilus will keep her alive, the dragon will keep her strong.

A lot of things have happened in the past arc that make it easy to forget the fundamentals of the first season. When the series started, Chise was a few steps away from walking off a roof. Even after she arrived in England, it took a long time before she decided that maybe life wasn't so bad. Her entire life up until that point had been nothing but misery; abandoned and alone, she had no one to protect her from the constant targeting and harassment by both fae and humans alike. She believed that the only way to escape her torment was through death... I think its a facet of her character that goes unfairly unrecognized a lot (especially after the first arc).

When she's in England and is going through her mental/psychological character development, she is still facing the imminent threat of her weak sleigh beggey body constantly failing her. Using magic exacerbates her condition, causing her to be sick and/or incapacitated for significant stretches of time. It's painful, it's uncomfortable, it's frustrating. By the time she realizes she wants to live, her clock is already running quite short.

Her solution is handed to her on a rusted platter. To be "just like everyone else", for once. Finally.

Going to school, hanging out with friends, using magic without it killing her-- all things shes never been able to do before. All thanks to the curses trapped in her. These things that should be considered a horribly tragic fate have now become her salvation. Both physically and mentally, she's the strongest and most resilient she's ever been. Yet, when faced with the idea of liberating herself from her curses...

The curses only work the way they do because they're in sync with each other. Taking away either curse would leave her vulnerable to the other-- the dragon's curse would slowly overwhelm her into a brutally agonizing death, while Cartaphilus' curse would leave her to live and suffer through the constant breaking down of her sleigh beggey body.

When told about the reality of her curses and just how severe they are (not just to her, but to the people around her), she doesn't seem to completely understand what that may mean for herself and her future. Or perhaps, she just doesn't care. After a life where pain and suffering was her "normal", she finally has the means to create something meaningful and positive out of herself. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

She understands on some level that these curses were only ever meant to be temporary. Elias' original goal, to keep Chise alive in spite of her sleigh beggey curse, has not changed. Tacking on two more curses was not a part of the plan, and though they've offered a temporary solution and some time, curses are called curses for a reason. They cannot be relied upon. They've got to go.

But getting rid of those curses (both, or either) essentially puts her back at square one. Back to the pain, discomfort, and illness. She probably won't be able to use magic without hurting herself, too. She's gained freedom in both mind and body for the first time in her life. Sure, she encounters a few hiccups, but considering what she's used to, this is a big step up.

Something has finally given her the power and freedom to spread her wings and fly. Would she be able to clip her own feathers just because that power is "supposed" to be "bad"?

Could she? Could you?

Through it all, everyone she's come across has appointed her curses as a problem. Everyone, except...

[barrenclan]

i actually love this ending, and not just bc there are survivors. it just works, thematically and by subverting everyone's (characters and audiences) expectations

like. i can already see comments on dA when (if) you post in on there. people getting vocally annoyed over it being 'weak' ending and 'not enough death for Defiance' and all. but this isnt about blood and gut showers for shock value, just to fill up the quota about it being about death. it really shows that Deepdark is more than that, even with how he flaunts himself in that.

even the characters expected a bloodbath. BarrenClan to die (physically) and Defiance to kill. Ranger is most vocal about it. and they all fail to really see how Deepdark views it, and for him, it seems like blood must be shed tastefully. it needs reason and design, not just spill it like some brute (like Longest-Claws in his eyes). it really shows that most animals joining Defiance expects mindless bloodspill and no consequences for it. Deepdark remind them, probably not the only time, that that's not how he does and not what he expects of them (as shown with Ranger's punishment).

and really, that does defy the expectations. the defiance of expectations (i know you dont like the 'the' before Defiance, but i hope its okay in this context). we and they expect guts ripped out of the cats and flood their camp with viscera. Deepdark sees more art in showing them mercy, sick twisted mercy as they know next time he wont show it. and they dont know when will be the 'next time'. it could be next week, or next month, or maybe in few hours he will change his mind.

that's the kicker. that's the fear, that is more powerful than just killing them all. because if they are dead, they cant be afraid anymore of what Deepdark will do next. the killing has reason and no reason, but so does mercy. adrenaline from killing and fighting will fade overtime, but the fear of your life after being spared by such force will last forever.

Thank you! And have no fear, PATFW will never be going up on DeviantArt, at least not any more than an announcement post that it exists. As I said a year ago, I've been a bit nervous for the end of this arc because it's such a subversion from what everyone expected, and always hoped it wouldn't come off like an anticlimax, because it's what I've always had in mind for the end of the comic.

(Ha, "relatively soon"? It's like I never learn.)

But I did try and establish Deepdark's personality and motivations as someone entirely unpredictable, but not automatically homicidal. He said in Issue 38 that he would spare BarrenClan if Pinepaw gave an answer he liked - and he did! That was always an option, but the tension came from how impossible it is to predict what Deepdark would do, which is exactly what Pinepaw was experiencing in the issue.

And besides... if I'm being honest, I never wanted to write a comic that ends with everyone dead and everything horrible forever. There's nothing wrong with stories like that - I enjoy quite a few - but it's not personally something I'd write. There can be horror, tragedy, fear, even dourness and gloom constantly haunting the narrative, but it's never the whole of it.

[litnerdwrites]

Day 8 of ACOTAR Games: This or That

Who is the worst sister?

Nesta: For “letting” Feyre hunt (It’s all I remember. I am not biased. Please, add to this list as you please)

Elain: For doing minimal (or nothing) when Feyre hunted and Nesta handled the household. For betraying Nesta when the Inner Circle decided to imprison her.

Feyre: For framing Nesta as a villain with Tamlin and Rhysand/Inner Circle. For exerting control over her sisters when they become homeless because of her wars. For confining Nesta because it reflected poorly on Feyre and the Inner Circle. For letting Cassian punish Nesta with the hike when he had no cause to interfere.

Your contenders: @fenrysmoonbeamswife @gwandas @positivelyruined @hrizantemy @yaralulu @umthisistheonlyusernamenottaken

On penalty: @achaotichuman

Thank you for your compassion. I like morning walks, right after sunrise but before the rush of the world catches up. And, coffee and cats. BTW I see what you did there.

Ooooh, rant time.

Honestly, Elain.

Feyre does come in a very, very close second.

The thing is, based on what we know about Feyre and Nesta at this point in the series, their actions can be explained using context, and, for the most part, don't stem from selfishness or self centred reasoning. This doesn't apply to everything they've said and done through out the series, nor does it excuse some of the things they've said or done, that I firmly believe both of them need to apologise for. But through context, and inference, we can gain the context needed to understand, even vaguely, their motivations, and intentions, and while that doesn't excuse the things they've said or done, it does allow me to empathise more with them, to varying degrees.

Let's start with Nesta.

By the time ACOSF comes around, we know Nesta's spent her entire life being groomed, as well as physically, verbally and emotionally, abused by her mother and grandmother. She spent a lot of time in those lessons, so we can presume that they kept her away from her sisters a fair bit, both of whom their mother didn't take much of an interest in. In Feyre's case, she was completely ignored by their mother. Nesta was raised to believe a fourteen year old seducing a creepy, old ass man, was, in any way, acceptable.

On top of that, her mother, and later Elain, praised her for it, with the former deciding to twist Nesta's passions into a tool to climb the social ladder. Nesta endured all of this so that her sisters wouldn't have to. Had she fallen short of her mother's expectations, or given up, then what would Mama A do? She'd turn to Feyre and Elain. Then who'd be blamed for the abuse whichever sister she chose endured? Given Feyre and the IC's track record of ignoring abusers in favour blaming victims that fall short of their standards, Nesta would be the one blamed, and accosted for making Feyre and Elain endure it.

Back to the past, when they lost their fortune, all of Nesta's skills, plans, and her mother's teachings go out of the window. She tried to ask for help from relatives, to no avail. Given that Nesta is a prideful person, having to swallow her pride and ask for help, knowing that she was probably going to be ignored and laughed at (because she, out of all the sisters, knew best what other nobles were like) wasn't something that was easy for her, and likely sent her spiralling as she remembered her mother's teachings and tried to figure out why her attempts weren't working.

Nesta has a habit of dwelling on her perceived failures, and letting it affect her self worth, so I imagine she'd be upset over her inability to win the heart of a prince before their father lost his fortune, or perhaps she regretted not agreeing to marry the duke, as that might also be a perceived failure on her part. Or perhaps she regretted buying the dress she used that night? Nesta was about 14 when her father lost his fortune, so it had to be around the same time? She'd be replaying the harsh words of her mother and grandmother, I imagine.

Following that, the father who stood by and let her be abused on the daily, came back with pretty words each evening instead of making a tangible effort to keep them from starving. Having dreams and aspirations is one thing, but keeping his daughters alive should've been priority one, not an imaginary future where they were rich again. He's the adult. It was his job. Especially since he already failed Nesta once. I believe that Nesta pushing him to act, even through her own inaction, while perhaps not the best method, was because she didn't want him to fail her sisters like he did her, because Feyre and Elain still loved him dearly. She didn't want them to ever have to realise how negligent he really is.

Then the debtors came, and Nesta hid with Elain while Feyre begged them not to hurt her father. That's pretty shitty, admittedly. Though I can understand that a fourteen/fifteen year old isn't going to be equipped to fight off several grown men. Was she supposed to drag Feyre by the hair and lock her in the room with them? Feyre doesn't seem like the type of character to take that well. She would've fought, perhaps hurt Nesta, drawn attention to three of them, either before or after entering the room, and even left Elain and Nesta exposed to danger, the longer it too. Nesta's actions were shitty, and I think that she should apologise for it, but I can also understand that there was little else she could've done without endangering more people. Doesn't make it right, but it makes me understand why she acted that way a bit more, and doesn't, in any way, indicate that she's acting out of selfishness.

The same thing goes for 'letting' Feyre hunt. Was Nesta supposed to drag her out of the woods by the hair and lock her in the closet? Finding a way to provide for his daughters was their father's problem. Not Nesta's. Not Elain's. Not Feyre's. Her father's. And nobody else's.

We've been told that Nesta did chores, like chopping wood, even though her shoes were worn through and tattered. We never hear of Elain helping at all, and according to Feyre, since the stans treat her word like gospel, "It simply never occurred to her that she might be capable of getting her hands dirty" (for a gardener? Really? I don't think she's that dumb. I also don't think that it went over her head that if she were hungry, growing food might be practical. Though, it might have been Feyre who bought the seeds in the first place, so maybe she didn't know you could grow vegetables?). So until it's stated otherwise, we can assume Nesta helped with house hold chores.

If not all of them, than a majority of them. When Tamlin makes his appearance, Nesta would fight for Elain, but not Feyre? In ACOWAR, both during the HL meeting and when they talk in the library under the house, Nesta expresses trust and respect in Feyre, with the former instance being in public. It seems that Nesta chose to protect Elain here out of respect for Elain, and lack of care for herself. Her self hatred cuts deep, Feyre can protect herself, their father is negligent and an abuser, and Nesta doesn't give a damn about herself. That leaves Elain to be the most Vulnerable.

That's just Nesta's actions form before the first book, up to like, what? Chapter two or three?

Nesta threatening to rip Feyre and her firend's throats out in ACOWAR? It was harsh, but not uncalled for, given how they kept pushing for more and more, even after being the ones responsible for putting her and Elain in danger to start with.

Nesta not telling Mor where Feyre went when she went to find the Suriel? Nesta's loyal to Feyre, not Mor, plus, she didn't know anyway. Feyre didn't tell her.

Nesta distancing herself from their court? They kept pushing her boundaries. Cassian ignores her, Az doesn't really interact with her at all, Rhysand took advantage of her fear, and flew fast to make her sick for... no reason from what I recall and later confirming his hostility towards her, Mor insults her at every opportunity, Amren doesn't see as anything but a weapon, and her sisters just want her to conform without putting in effort to get to know her, her pain and what she needs, not caring if conforming would just hurt her more. Let's also not forget that they stare at her like a circus animal when she enters the room, like that's supposed to make her feel welcome, and my personal, thirteenth reason, threw her SH in her face during the intervention (cause that's what sex and alcohol were, self harm).

Now, moving onto Feyre, I think @hrizantemy put it best. Feyre's actions stem from a 'desire to punish Nesta', though I believe that's only when she doesn't want to use her.

Feyre constantly uses her authority to make Nesta do and act in the way she wants. Whenever she only gives a half assed attempts at stopping them from treating Nesta cruelly, never actually exercising her authority, that's her leveraging their loyalty to her advantage, regardless of if she does it knowingly.

However, as shitty as Feyre's actions are (and if you want a list, I'd recommend reading this post by @munchkinchild, because, while I'm pretty sure they don't list every single thing, a vast majority, if not all of the instances they list, either fall under the category of Feyre getting revenge/punishing Nesta, or Feyre leveraging power over Nesta), they stem from her own frustrations, circumstances, and trauma, all of which are valid.

Feyre's idea of who Nesta is seems vastly different from who Nesta actually is, which is shown through her shock at learning Nesta hiked to the wall for her. Personally, I think that should've alerted Feyre that her perception of Nesta was off, and that they should probably discuss some things, air their grievances, because clearly, they both misunderstood something, somewhere. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

None of that invalidates Feyre's feelings and the pain wrought by Nesta's words or actions, but Feyre's pain doesn't invalidate the pain Nesta feels at Feyre's own words (which were described as being just as bad) and the way she allows the IC to treat her. It also doesn't invalidate Feyre making the stupid decision to allow Nesta to be stuck with a man who clearly doesn't respect her or her autonomy, and follows her home on the regular.

I, personally, won't forgive how Feyre slut shamed Nesta. Nesta's use of sex and alcohol was SH. Feyre threw her sister's SH in her face and called her an embarrassment, even though Mor literally sleeps around all the time, and with high profile, political figures, all to hurt another person, but nobody complains about that. Feyre went way to far in doing this. I don't think I could ever understand where that type of treatment stems from, nor do I ever want to.

The intervention itself, however, was Rhysand's idea. He took advantage of Feyre's desperation and pregnancy hormones to convince her of this plan. He told Feyre to steal from Summer, he told her how to act in the CON, and he let her parade around Illyrian wings. Feyre is a child compared to him, and he's taking advantage of the lack of experience and naiveté in certain areas, to manipulate her into acting and supporting his ideals and beliefs, and Feyre, being so blindly in love, goes along with it.

Feyre's actions stem from either manipulation on the IC's (mostly Rhysand's) part, or from her own frustrations and pain. Had Feyre been able to exercise critical thinking, formulate her own opinions, and perhaps even sat with Nesta (and maybe a councillor that we know exist) to work out their issues on their own, her actions would be different. In some cases, I'd say Feyre really does think she's doing what's best, even though that opinion is either based in a desire for 'sisterly retribution' or Rhysand's ideas.

I believe Feyre is a victim of Rhysand, and her own biases, which prevent her from being able to realise the problems in her behaviour, much like Mor is a victim of the CON and her parents, while her internal bias prevents her from acting in the best interests of the women and children there. It doesn't excuse Feyre's actions, and she owes Nesta an apology, or dozen for what she's done, but the beliefe that she's a victim as well, is pretty much the only thing that keeps her from being as bad as, if not worse than, Elain.

My opinion on Elain is subject to change based on what may or may be revealed about her in the future. However, at this point, Elain is the only sister who seems to act in her own self interest.

In the cabin, sticking close to Nesta, and letting her fight her battles was what Elain saw as being best for herself. Then, after the cauldron, Nesta put her own trauma aside to both look after Elain, and assist in the war efforts so Elain could recover. When Elain asserted herself, from wanting to speak with Grayson, to wanting Nuella and Cerridewn's help getting ready, she gets little to no objections from anyone. Least of all Nesta. Nesta met Elain where she was at every turn.

However, when Nesta was in pain, breaking down, and needed someone to meet her where she was, Elain chose the comfort Feyre provided over being there for her. In ACOFAS, Nesta told Elain that she 'didn't want to come to solstice', and ended up snapping at her. In ACOFAS, Elain slut shames Nesta, gets upset she hasn't healed in week or two, and is upset that she's upset that they put her up there, and she seems pretty confident doing it. That conversation implies that Elain has habit of pushing boundaries like this, in which case, I'd argue that Nesta is in the right to snap.

Elain also argues, later, that Nesta only cares for what Elain's trauma did to her, as opposed to Elain's pain, when I'd argue the opposite is true. Nesta never once cared for herself, or her own pain, and instead punished herself more, and more for a year. She put her pain aside for months to look after her, putting Elain and her desires first, respect every line and boundary Elain set. Second hand trauma is also a thing, so Elain being taken didn't just affect her, it affected Nesta too. Badly. Even after all that, Nesta still cared for Elain, wanting her safe, just in case, before she started searching for the trove.

Elain only cared for how Nesta's trauma reflected on the IC, and how Feyre and Cassian felt. She never once met Nesta where she was, the way she did for her, and instead, pushed her away, shamed her, and made Nesta feel more isolated than she was before. She praised Nesta for seducing a creepy old man, putting the idea of making Nesta do that again, for the IC's benefit, into their heads. Elain never once tries to understand Nesta, and instead just follows the IC's lead.

Elain's actions stem from selfishness and self interest, happily turning her back on Nesta the second her protection and love wasn't enough or deviated from what Elain thought would benefit her the most. It has never, not once, been about Nesta, not just from Elain, but any of them. This becomes clear when you remember that neither Elain nor Feyre (nor anyone else) react to the news of the Kelpie attempting to SA Nesta with the care it deserves. Speaking of SA, nobody considers that Nesta's encounters with men while drunk may not have been entirely consensual either, due to the alcohol impairing her judgment.

As far as I can tell, Elain's actions are the only ones that seem to stem from self interest, whereas with Nesta & Feyre, it's clear that they really do care about each other, even if they struggle to show or express it. I can't say the same for Elain.

I have a lot more to say about the sisters, Elain especially, but I'll leave it at that for now, as I believe it gets my point across.

(Coffee sounds great, especially with a morning walk. Though, while I am more of a dog person, I have a cat. His name is Sharazi and he's got the cutest face ever. and thanks. Oh, and thanks. But like, if I did something, mind telling me, cause I reread that post a few times, and still have no clue what you mean. )

[dominophile]

💙🍃Branch Dating Headcanons🍃💙

Character: Branch

Warnings: small talk of abandonment issues, nothing major

Nsfw?: none

This is for a friend. The reason I ever actually got into Trolls was because she told me all about how hot Branch was.

I also very much want to headcanon this guy I have so many thoughts.

Note: My headcanons will always include my species headcanons too, which includes but isn't limited to different types of tails, claws, hair, etc.

Now for the man of the hour, Branch!

Branch is the perfect man

I mean kind of

From the first day you started dating, this man has been super protective of you

He doesn't want anything bad to happen to you, even if you're definitely safe already, this guy is taking zero chances

Probably at some point tried to keep you in his bunker for "precautionary reasons"

Look it's the thought that counts, he loves you

Now let's not forget the abandonment issues

He's got a genuine fear that people he loves will all leave him, one way or another

Reassure him you're not going anywhere, please, he needs it

You don't have to be with him 24/7 of course

He understands more than anyone the need to be alone or do your own thing, trust me

If you want to hang out with other Trolls, I doubt he would mind

He doesn't like groups much, but he might appreciate the sentiment of you inviting him regardless

Say "I love you"

You might just have to he the first to do so

He loves you so fucking much, but "What if that scares them away??"

Just tell him how much you love him every so often, it helps

On a similar note, communicate!

Communicate how you feel, and encourage him to do the same

Keeping secrets and emotions from him could easily come back to bite you

Even if you don't have bad intentions, he might assume you do

It's not that he doesn't trust you, he just assumes the worst sometimes

That said, he's not sure how to share his own emotions sometimes either

This guy has spent a long time avoiding every other living being and doesn't often understand the difference between talking to himself, and talking to you

Social cues too, don't assume he knows what you're feeling, because as much as he tries with you all his new friends, he still gets it wrong a lot

Work with him, you'll get there

Branch enjoys spending time with you, but he's wary about physical touch

Ever met someone who hates being touched but is also touched starved? That's Branch!

If he wants physical affection or something of the sort, he'll come to you

You can also ask him. He loves and cares about you and even if it's not his favorite, if it makes you happy he'll allow it

He will absolutely protectively wrap his tail around you though if you guys are sitting next to each other

Who cares if you're all alone? Feel safe damn it

You're the only person who can do that, he knows you won't hurt him

If you also dislike physical affection, you two can just vibe in each other's company

Branch overworks himself sometimes, and normally would fight through exhaustion, but if you're around, he wouldn't mind a quick nap

You'll watch his back won't you?

He wouldn't mind if you fell asleep with him too

All in all though, he's a good boyfriend

He's thoughtful

He's caring

He's protective

And he really really loves you so much

He thinks you make him a better person

Like he was incomplete before you came around

"Meeting you was like finding the last missing piece of a puzzle."

Man that's cheesy. But sweet.

Oh maybe that was just a set up to get you to do a puzzle with him

Eh still sweet

I also think he would appreciate if you made him coffee in the mornings sometimes

If you're a coffee person, have some too!

Tea person? Or anything else? He'll stock up on what you like once he realizes you like it

He sleeps in late sometimes though, if you're a morning person you're fending for yourself with drinks

Other Trolls are happy seeing you with him during the day also

Especially Poppy

"So happy to see you branching out!!"

Bunker Bucket List: Learn to love again

Check ✅