#adult relationships do be like that sometimes

[apolloendymion]

for the record btw, the answer is no, there is no such thing as an "addictive personality."

some key highlights from the article (emphasis mine):

During the 1990s, the term "addictive personality" was used by some pharmaceutical companies – and, perhaps ironically, to promote addictive painkiller drugs.

While marketing the opioid prescription drug OxyContin, for example, US pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma instructed their representatives to tell doctors that only people with an "addictive personality" were at risk of becoming addicted, despite knowing that it was highly addictive and widely abused.

[...]

The idea that your personality determines whether or not you become addicted to a substance would have "suited the pharmaceutical industry very well", says Ian Hamilton, associate professor in addiction at the University of York in the UK. "It kind of lets them off the hook. The message is: 'if you're weak enough to develop a problem with our product, it's due to your personality, it's nothing to do with us'."

[...]

The addictive personality "is a black-and-white way of thinking about something that's highly complex", says Anshul Swami, a psychiatrist in adult mental health and addictions at Nightingale Hospital in London. "There is no one personality type [predictive of addiction] and there is no one person who is the same as another addict."

The article goes on to discuss various risk factors for addiction, which include high neuroticism, depression, childhood trauma, genetics, and even sex and gender.

The experts they interviewed also go to great lengths to point out that some of these traits are a "chicken and egg" situation. A study may find that addicts are more likely to be depressed, but is that what made them an addict, or is the addiction causing their depression?

They mention that establishing causility for genetics, sex, and gender is especially tricky.

But Hamilton warns that there may be significant data gaps as women are less likely to seek treatment due to childcare issues and stigma.

[...]

"Psychosocial factors like violence, sexual abuse and emotional neglect are strongly associated with addiction," says Swami. "Many people will say 'I've got a history of addiction, it's because of my genetics'. But when you drill down in their clinical history, you find that there was a lot of drinking, neglect, abuse, trauma and deprivation. That has been passed down from generation to generation and has surfaced as an addiction."

I'm reminded of my own family. My sister worked like hell to avoid losing custody of my niece due to her heroin addiction. I'm grateful that she could keep her daughter and receive treatment, but not everyone is so lucky. I can certainly understand women who are too afraid of losing their kids to seek help.

My father has been sober around 40 years, and he used to tell me allllll the time that we both had genetically addictive personalities, as did his father. This gave me a complex, to be honest! When I consume alcohol, cannabis, my own prescriptions, even TV, video games, and sex, his voice rings in the back of my mind. It's hard to have a healthy relationship with these things when you feel like you're constantly teetering over a precipice.

Nevermind the fact that my late grandfather's abuse and neglect, plus the family's abject poverty, created ripple effects throughout his descendants. Nevermind that my father abused and neglected me. Nevermind that I had undiagnosed ADHD, and I suspect he does, too!

The problem must be that I have some kind of inherent evil within me. I must avoid anything that makes me feel good, lest I fall into sin. (sarcasm)

From my own experience, and from watching my friends and loved ones go through it, addiction is a combination of self-medication and built-up chemical dependence. There's no inherent "weakness" in a person that makes them a potential addict.

People will fill their needs with whatever they have access to. Sometimes this negatively impacts their quality of life and they want to get off of it, in which case we must help them find another way to meet their needs. Sometimes they're chemically dependent as well, and we must provide education and treatment to prevent serious harm (do NOT quit addictive substances cold turkey, I don't care what your AA sponsor said, that can Kill You!! yes, that very much includes alcohol!!) Sometimes they aren't even addicted! Sometimes they just successfully medicate with a stigmatized substance like cannabis or opioids. Maybe this creates a chemical dependence (as many medications do, addictive or not), maybe it doesn't. Maybe it has negative side effects, but the benefits outweigh them. Maybe it only works temporarily, but it gives them the support they need to build long-term solutions -- like a cast on a broken bone. Or maybe they'll be on it for the rest of their lives! Ultimately, they know the pros and cons, and they've decided it's the best way to manage their health. It's up to us to believe them, and to give them the tools to reduce potential harm.

One final quote from the article:

"Addictions are highly complex biological, psychological, social illnesses, just like every other illness on the planet," says Swami. "Everyone is looking for a simple answer, but there isn't one."

Okay I do not give a shit about this article at all but where did they get this picture of the skeleton wearing prescription pill armor

Like this is the coolest fucking thing I have seen in a while who made this

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing your Character's "Soulmate"

Soulmate - someone with whom you share immense compatibility.

Deep connections forge soulmates, and while people often see soulmates through a rom-com lens as a love story-perfect match, soulmates can transcend much more than romantic love.

It is possible that your true love—your spouse or romantic partner—is your soulmate, but you can have another or a different soulmate, like a best friend, mentor, or professional partner.

Healthy relationships outside of marriage are essential.

Still, when people mention a soulmate, they often refer to “the one”: the person with whom they share an instant connection and romantic interest.

No matter what kind of soulmate you have or seek, this person will uplift and fulfill you in life-changing ways.

Types of Soulmates

Several types of relationships can be soulmates. Consider the following strong connections that can be soulmates:

Best friends: A best friend can be a soulmate. A best friend might be someone you’ve known since middle or high school or from an adult friendship. Best friends will foster a deep connection and find it easy and fun to be in each other’s presence. Best friends may go on trips together, support one another’s families and life goals, and be there in times of difficulty to help each other.

Karmic soulmates: A karmic soulmate will come into your life to teach you something or provide a need. Each person may bring particular skills to the table in this soulmate connection, but both unite in a shared vision.

Life partners: A life partner—a spouse or significant other—can be a romantic soulmate. This soulmate relationship usually entails building a home and family together. Unconditional love is a marker of this kind of soulmate.

Twin flames: A twin flame connection describes a relationship in which each person sees a part of themselves in the other. Twin flames might share specific qualities, passions, or insecurities. Twin flame love can be platonic, emotional, romantic, intellectual, or a combination. Sometimes it is an artistic collaborator, mentor, or standalone friend with whom you share a deep bond.

Finding Your Soulmate

Pay attention to the following 5 signs, pointing to someone being your soulmate:

You can easily spend time together. There should be little to no tension when you spend time with a soulmate; your hours together will take on a breezy quality, and time passes quickly. Soulmates can and do have disagreements, but the important thing is that you always act toward one another from a place of love and find room in your heart for forgiveness.

You care about their well-being. You will want to genuinely support your soulmate’s family, career aspirations, and ventures outside of your relationship, and they should want the same happiness for you.

You feel a spark around the person. You might feel a romantic spark—an ineffable feeling when you are in each other’s presence—but it also may be a platonic or intellectual spark. Whatever it is, it will feel contagious and like you want to spend more time together.

Your self-confidence increases. You may feel sunnier when spending time with a soulmate. This person should make you feel better about yourself, raising your self-esteem. Similarly, this person should feel safe, comfortable, and celebrated by you as well.

Imagining a life without your soulmate may feel dark and lonely. Losing a soulmate can be a tremendous loss, so you may feel bittersweet with this person as you know how lucky finding a soulmate is, how fragile some relationships are, and how important this person is to have in your life.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[sunflower1experiment]

Children (Risk's Prequel 2.0)

pt1, pt2

Harley is so full of himself, sometimes dating him was like dipping your hand in a rose bush. Like him they were beautiful. charming, hell you even considered the relationship with him to be a thorn bush without the roses. But it was the day something happened in the labs, you went in and noticed the toys were crying? "What happened?"

You march by and comfort them, "What is wrong with them!?" The other scientist who fails to answer at first, backs away but then she feels you lean in. "What happened? Answer."

"You really don't know? Of course not, not when you're busy playing work wife for Sawyer." You glance at Leith, eyes filling with animosity.

"Mind running that by me? What is wrong with my children?"

"Ah so you claim them. Well, let me break it down, your children, they are not just toys. You of all people should have noticed the vast majority of the new high rise of emotions and tension between them and us." What is he spouting about!? You look at Stelle with a curious eyebrow quirk, she avoids your gaze and once more you return to Leith's cold side glance.

"Sawyer didn't....inform me..."

"Of course not, why would he want to break his favorite sentimental experiment's heart." It goes quiet.

The toys who coward behind you, look up as he leaves, as everyone leaves. You kneel down to study them, then your eyes begin to well up. "......Prototype was serious."

The little ones start to hug your feeble form, while you realize how terrible and naive you are the sounds of shoes fill your ears. "You, you're different..." A pink hand holds your shoulder, a long arm follows after and hugs you.

"No need to cry, Mommy's here." You look at this so-called Mommy, and realize why you recognize this voice, it couldn't be, not her.

"Marie Payne?" She backs up with a slight chuckle and the little toys cling to your hand sadly while Mommy stands on the ground, "So you know, or you did know. What makes you think you're different from them?"

"I'm not, I failed...I-"

"Then stop wallowing and do something!" Mommy's hand punches the ground, this was obviously Marie talking. You firmly nod but then hug the toys again, Banzo bunny, the mini huggys, Daisy, Cat-Bee, so many of these little ones.

When you leave the toys behind you take one more glance at them, Mommy watches with a somber stare, Harley took you for a fool didn't he? Or did he simply know how senstive you were.

You couldn't let these children starve, going back home, it meant missing dinner, breakfast, sure but they had to eat. Risking your job would be worth it regardless, Leith calling you an experiment was one thing but to be embarrassed by everyone? Over his dead body, whenever you returned to work with food, you'd just make a simple curt excuse, then place the boxes and containers down.

"What is this?" Mommy grabs the food, "This will feed you all, starvation leads to difficult actions. Now come on. We have to take care of the kids."

She was in shock, for you to get back up after a day, why weren't the adults who hurt her like you? Even if you played a role, the willingness to do better still prevails. Maybe, she looks at your lab coat while you feed the children fruits, "Maybe there are some good people."

It was a lot to handle, a bit overwhelming even but you didn't pull any punches, but when you met with Harley, you both were quiet. He was sent to sleep on the couch that night. Three days would pass, and he’d check on you, “Dear?”

“What did you do with those orphans I cared for?” Harley kicks himself, cursing Leith, Stella and Eddie. Those three were told to keep you away, how can he adore you if you know too much!? Your face of revulsion or disappointment, so he gently holds your hand, “What do you mean?”

“Harley, do not play dumb with me, you’re smart and that's what I love about you…” Of course, of course he should be honest…. “I, well Elliot said we should do this for the betterment of humanity, I’m simply following orders.” The audacity, you were there when he argued with Elliot and everyone knew he had anger issues. 

That was why you chose to avoid Harley but you both attracted each other, he was enamored by your genuine curiosity and adoration for simplistics, meanwhile he always had such charisma with that gentle tone, polite demeanor and fascination with anatomy. Were you in love with a facade perhaps? “So you knew, and didn’t tell me?”

 He didn’t deny the knowledge but to deliberately not tell you, why? So Kissy, her stress, Mommy, Huggy, and who else? Harley hated it when you cried, he knew when the tears fell that you’d rebel or probably not speak to him. Relationships were complicated, but you both communicated and that was what made Harley stay, yet this time he knew you’d speak your mind. So he did what he could to try and change the perception of the situation.”You know I love you, I would never lie.” 

His hand falls flat and he clutches it, your face wasn’t shedding tears but they looked disappointed. You then hold your stomach before hugging him sadly, “.....One more question, what did you do…with him?”

No, not him, not the boy… 

“Him?” That was the answer you needed, “How can I trust you if you won't even tell me the truth?"

Why? Why were you so sentimental!? Did you not realize the risks? No, of course not.

--

NSFW, CW and TW // Minors DNI (signs of pregnancy, intimacy for NSFW)

CW// Signs of emotional abuse, self-loathing, child experimenting, and abuse

TW// Slight suicidal thoughts. (If you ever feel this way, be sure to call a trusted friend/adult or the hotline, know that you are not alone, you are deserving of care and to be heard.)

"I'm sorry, I’ll make sure to do better..." You nod into his hand while his gentle gaze remains on you, he may be a liar but Harley knew he adored you, you’re perfect. His perfect experiment, the only one who understands him, the only responsive and reactionary force he wished to invest in after he was tired from his other sets of experiments. He slept in the bed beside you, his larger hands resting along  the arm while you remained in Harley’s arms, you were naive even when you held so much unconditional love for him. His lips travel to your neck, hands intertwined together in the moment where Harley’s lips touch, he notices how much your lips embellish his growing adoration. 

When things start to heat up, Harley is there, his arms will wrap around your waist while you admire him, those worry wrinkles, his gentle hands with calluses, and most of all his gaze. Bed creaking, your soft sounds of breathing filling the doctor’s ears whenever those hands of his would roam your frame. At some point he had a moment of lingering, a longing, and it makes him wonder what would you have done if he told the truth? Would you love him enough to fix things, perhaps give him a chance. It was wishful thinking on his end, especially when it comes to his lover. In the intensity of this heated moment between you both, he could feel your hands resting along his face or they’d move to hold him close. 

His deep chuckles and breaths, while you both share more kisses than one can count, Harley would let himself sink into your arms while he indulges in everything he loves. About you, it was strange to be in love with someone, someone of his intellect falling for you. A scientist with a bleeding heart and someone who was always willing to cater to him.

Harley would simply lose his mind at the idea of not being able to cradle your form, in life or death maybe but, he simply wouldn't allow it. Not when someone as perfect as you, could fit his standards of experimentation.

Every fiber of your being knew something was wrong, even after you began cuddling again, his grasp of you was firm with the iron grip. The way he’d kiss your forehead while you lean into his bare chest, “Hey....if Leith ever talks to you poorly, let me know…and, try not to worry about the toys. You should be focused on our work.” It goes silent, as you cuddle into him with a distant sad gaze, taking note of his slightly serious tone. 

“Okay..”

--

You lied, now you were worrying for the children more than ever, feeding them and then the visit to Kissy’s room, carefully feeding her you note the long gaze. Kissy slowly moves forward and then her slender arm moves carefully; she begins hugging you close. “It's okay Kissy, I’m fine.”

How could someone of your caliber be so naive and caring? Especially when she and these children rely on you, the only adult to make this right?

"So, you and Harley?" Stella tries to make conversation, you merely nod in agreement, even if he had to sleep on the couch for a couple of days. Somehow it always worked out, because you'd still feed him, tend to him, you could be angry right now and he's already slipping through those cracks and crevices. But when he was angry, he was never one to aim it at you but when he did, you'd offer a hug, some time alone or just to talk.

The thing is this anger wasn't ever aiming to you: his partner, but instead your coworkers who could feign innocent all they want, yet none of them were any better than you or Harley. That is why you hated your sense of morals; how could you date a potential child abuser? What if, he hurts....

"Mz.?" You startle when Stella speaks again, gently moving the Candy-cat toy so he wouldn't get hurt. "I- need to check on the children."

She frowns, "Hey, um...If...Harley is..."

"What?"

"You'll come to me if he does anything right?" Stelle asks, you pause then turn to her while she gives a somber smile to assure any form of Desolate emotions that threaten to spill out.

"Stelle, you and Leith know what he is doing. You never told me; we are no better than him and you shouldn't try to be of help when these children are being treated this way. The least I can do is comfort, nurture and love them." As your back turns to the woman who watches your retesting form she looks down, gripping the Zinnia while Harley, as if to mock her walks by with a Tuberose flower.

He places it in your vase, then looks to Stella, "You should focus on work. I'm sure you both will find a way to rekindle whatever friendship you had."

Whatever Harley told you it was obvious he didn't realize how much it would hurt you at the end, Stella saw the signs clear as day. She was your friend, easy to socialize with, but you always took the time to listen to her dreams and desire to care for the children. As you place more food down for the little ones, Mommy finally speaks again.

"I saw you with Kissy, she's being moved...further down, and... there are more...down below."

"Down, below?" Mommy couldn't help but scowl at your naivety, she felt sorry for you. ".....That boy, Quinn?"

What about Quinn? She tells you softly while you listen, her hands grip your arms to keep you from running. Being outraged, it was quiet...

Down below, Quinn, Marie, how many children...

One last thing to do.

You step into the lab, where Prototype remains. "gOoD tO sEe-E you, mY dEAr.." His metallic hands carefully hold your soft fleshy ones.

But you merely look away, he senses the hesitation to speak and realizes how much you knew. "s0 thE dOcTeR t-TRu-TRULY! Truly did fail, you know a lot but how much?"

Enough to where you were sitting before his creation, "I...I am not any better than him. I asked him to stop hurting you, he was...."

"Angry?" The experiment says in his voice to which you wince and then nod slowly, "Yes but it wasn't enough, you and I both know that." Prototype lifts your chin up.

"oF cOurSe."

"I'm sorry, I cannot apologize enough, I so badly wanted to think that, not everyone is truly a monster, and these children deserve the best....as many have said: Children deserve parents, but parents do not deserve children or deserve to even be parents. But I was truly naive, Mommy knows this." As the Prototype listens, he also twitches.

Harley was coming, so he gently shushes you and then points. You stand, grabbing the files but before you leave. You speak one more time, "Please do not hurt the children, and don't let vengeance cloud your perception."

With that you leave with the door shutting behind you, Harley walks in and notices the files. At first, he wanted to start a long lecture about his experiments being disturbed but you hand him the files. "Sorry, I wanted to help you work..."

Harley smiles at you for a quick moment but then you both go your separate ways, until you stop. "Harley."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever considered the thought of children?"

He pauses at the question, thinking of the implications of you having his child...the thought occurred to him during your intimate nights together. But he truly didn't see the resolve, especially when there are children surrounding you every day. "No, not when we have the Playtime Co. You and I are truly different."

It goes quiet and you leave, but not after chuckling to his little banter. Of course, Harley Sawyer is so full of himself. Very apathetic, very....

Foolish.

Sometimes, life felt like grappling at a thread just to see you survive, the more food you'd distribute the more guilt you felt.

The last straw was probably when you asked him to go down below. ".....Of course, is there a reason?"

"Of course, I want to see my partner's work up close." Harley couldn't help but crack a smile, he holds your hand, like always as if trying to form some sort of emotional power balance. Then his lips connect to your head, "I'd be happy to."

.....

What have you done?

[a-bottle-of-tyelenol]

regressor athena headcanons !!

— art by ximena natzel —

— request by @ducydoo2000 —

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

🦋 - a non-verbal regressor; the most you will ever get out of her is bird-like chirps and hums. her bird instincts and mannerisms come out a lot when she’s small (which is really saying something considering she always acts fairly inhuman). gods are fairly odd as children with their magic manifesting in strange behaviors and athena never technically was a child, so it all comes out now with ruffled feathers and stilted movements.

🦋 - she’s extremely inquisitive and her favorite activity while regressed is listening to someone talk about something they’re very knowledgeable about. she usually already knows a lot about whatever the topic is, but she’s always very pleased to remind herself and, sometimes, she does actually learn something new and she always celebrates with happy flaps (I usually write her as the mother of autism, hence the stims, but also imagine an excited baby bird hopping around with their wings flapping and that’s what I’m referencing).

🦋 - she oftentimes elects to ignore the fact that she regresses at all when she’s out of headspace and pretends that it’s not a thing. she loathes the inability to control herself and finds the emotions that regression forces upon her to be very overwhelming. she’s far more sensitive and in tune with her emotions when small, almost as if whatever wall between her brain and her heart comes down, and it leads to her being very expressive. it also leads to her crying every time she slips into her headspace because the sudden shift is jarring.

🦋 - part of the reason she regresses is because of how much pressure she puts on herself and the extremely high expectations she has for everyone and everything. being free of those things while small is easily her favorite part of regression. the part she hates the most, though, is the crushing guilt that she uses her headspace to process. sometimes her time spent regressed (because she meticulously plans out her sessions and routines) just has her pressed up against odysseus while she cries about how awful everything feels. odysseus’ relationship with athena is really complicated and he has a lot of mixed feelings about it, but he never shows that when she’s small and just lets her feel her feelings while reassuring her that everything is okay (telemachus is usually better at it, though, because ody is a little jaded. athena doesn’t really care. she’s just glad he doesn’t completely reject her).

🦋 - she’s kind of a bratty little. not being able to talk doesn’t change her attitude problems and athena hates being told what to do. even when small, she finds rules to be restricting and you’d be hard pressed to find one she agrees with. this is especially true if her caregiver is human (like the time odysseus told her that she couldn’t play with her spear because it’s dangerous and all it got him was her tail feathers flared and a baby arguing with him using bird noises), but it’s equally true with god caregivers as well. adult athena can see logic and understand why a rule is put into place, but baby athena views rules as an attack on her and her intelliegence.

🦋 - she’s very calculated in her older headspace, with each move she makes methodical. unlike her regular movements, which are overly proper and awkward/clunky, she is often described as graceful in fights, smoothly traveling the battlefield as if it were her natural habitat. small athena has no such luck on either front. when regressed, athena is very clumsy, unable to tell how big she physically is, and she finds controlling her long limbs to be difficult. as such, it’s actually very common for her to remain in her owl form when she’s regressed (which has her being just as clumsy, by the way. her flying is rough and she often just hangs out on someone’s shoulder or head instead). she once tried disguising herself as a young human, but she didn’t like it. she isn’t human and she’s never been an actual child so becoming both is actually very disorienting and uncomfortable.

[phoenixblaze1412]

Hellooo! How are you? I hope you are okay. So I have a request and I hope it's not much. I saw the post with a crush on pantalone, and I really loved it! (I like all your posts tbh) so can I ask you about father dottore and segments and the reader is in a relationship with pantalone, how would they act I wanna know, and thank you so muchh

The air in the Fatui headquarters buzzed with its usual energy: sharp footsteps against marble, hushed conversations about classified missions, and the occasional crash coming from one of Dottore's experiments gone awry.

But today, something unusual loomed over the corridors—a sense of impending chaos that only the Doctor and his devoted (and sometimes meddlesome) segments could conjure.

And it all started with a rumor.

You and Pantalone had been trying to keep your relationship under wraps. The Ninth Harbinger, ever poised and composed, found a certain thrill in sneaking moments with you between meetings and diplomatic missions. You, meanwhile, were content just to bask in his company despite the complications it might bring.

Unfortunately, secrecy wasn’t exactly feasible when your father is Dottore.

It was Theta who stumbled upon you two first.

He had wandered into the garden section of the headquarters during his 'break,' only to freeze when he saw you leaning against a tree with Pantalone beside you, his gloved hand resting lightly on your waist as he spoke softly into your ear.

"Are you kidding me?" Theta blurted, eyes wide with disbelief. "You’re dating the literal Regrator?"

You winced. "Theta, keep your voice down!"

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

Dottore slammed a gloved hand down on his desk, the room vibrating with his barely contained fury. "Pantalone?" he spat, pacing back and forth as Alpha, Zeta, and Theta stood nearby like a dysfunctional peanut gallery. "Of all people, my child chooses that manipulative snake?"

Theta, ever the instigator, grinned. "I mean, at least it’s not Tartaglia. That guy would probably teach them how to duel on their first date."

Alpha crossed his arms. "This is unacceptable. Regrator is dangerous."

Zeta, the voice of reason, cleared his throat. "Technically, sir, they’re both consenting adults."

Dottore glared at him. "Not helping."

You and Pantalone were having a rare moment of peace in his luxurious office. He had just poured you a glass of finely aged wine, his smile soft as he leaned toward you.

"To us," he murmured, clinking his glass gently against yours.

"To us," you echoed, heart fluttering.

Just as your faces drew closer, the door burst open.

"There will be no 'us' here," Dottore declared, flanked by Alpha and Iota.

You groaned. "Dad!"

Pantalone, ever composed, merely raised an eyebrow. "Ah, Doctor. To what do I owe this.. intrusive visit?"

"I’m here to protect my child’s innocence," Dottore said with deadly seriousness. "Something you clearly intend to corrupt."

Pantalone's lips quirked into a faint smirk. "I assure you, my intentions are honorable."

"Honorable, my—" Theta cut in from behind, grinning like a madman. "Pantalone’s about as trustworthy as a loaded crossbow."

You pinched the bridge of your nose. "Can I have one moment of peace?"

"No," Dottore and Theta said in unison.

It wasn’t just one incident. Dottore and his segments made it their mission to sabotage any private time you had with Pantalone.

Romantic dinners? Interrupted by sudden “urgent lab assignments.”

Walks through the garden? Constantly monitored by Alpha, who insisted he was "on patrol."

Even simple hand-holding was met with disapproving glares from Iota, who somehow always materialized at the worst moments.

One evening, after another failed attempt at a quiet evening together, you stormed into the lab where Dottore was working.

"Enough!" you snapped, slamming your hands on the table. "I’m not a child, Dad. I love Pantalone, and you can’t control my life forever."

Dottore didn’t look up from his work. "Love is a chemical imbalance," he said flatly. "It clouds judgment."

"Yeah, well, so does obsession with experiments," you shot back.

Theta snickered from across the room. "Ooh, burn."

Desperate for some alone time, you and Pantalone devised a plan: a secret weekend getaway to one of his private estates outside Snezhnaya.

It was perfect—or so you thought.

You were halfway through a candlelit dinner when the sound of something crashing through the window made you jump.

Standing in the shattered frame was none other than Theta, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

"Found you!"

Behind him, Alpha and Iota descended from a rope tied to the balcony.

Pantalone sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is getting ridiculous."

"You think?" you deadpanned.

Dottore strode in through the front door, completely unbothered by the chaos. "This ends now," he declared. "You are coming back with me."

"No, I’m not," you said firmly. "I love Pantalone, and you need to accept that, Dad. I'm old enough to make some choices of my own and you have to acknowledge that."

The room fell silent.

Dottore’s expression was unreadable, but finally, he let out a long sigh. "... fine," he said before glancing over at the Regrator and narrowed his eyes at him. "But if he breaks your heart, I will be the one to personally dissect him, put all of his organs in different jars and throw them into the sea."

Pantalone chuckled, raising his glass. "Noted, Doctor."

Over time, Dottore and the segments eased up—slightly.

Theta still teased you relentlessly, and Alpha continued to glare at Pantalone during meetings. But there was a sense of reluctant acceptance in the air.

One evening, as you sat with Dottore in the lab, he spoke without looking up from his work. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yeah," you said softly. "He really does."

Dottore huffed. "Fine. But if he so much as looks at you the wrong way—"

"I know, I know. Dissection."

"Good."

[bodysnatch3r]

copy/pasting my last reply to @darethshirl because i feel like it captures what i'm trying to get at, as someone who has criticisms towards veilguard but also thinks the ideas it presents and the additions it brings to the lore and the overall story are worth exploring:

in a way, it reminds me of the discourse that exploded following star wars: the last jedi's release, how people claimed it had destroyed the franchise, it had gleefully ignored the lore, it had made nonsensical choices and insulted its audience. does the last jedi have flaws? yes. of course. its writing is at its weakest when it fumbles with giving finn a meaningful arc. but i also, personally, think it was one of the best modern star wars movies, and still is. i think it asks interesting questions about legacy and what star wars even is, and when it released if you even dared express this opinion on the wider internet people were ready to nuke you from orbit. and these people won, in the end! i saw the rise of skywalker exactly once, realised it had walked back everything interesting the last jedi had to say, and never engaged with it again. i feel like the same is happening with veilguard: the predominant narrative on the internet being that it has destroyed the franchise, the implication it is more stupid or less complex than its predecessors, the unwillingness to interact with it or give it the same grace that inquisition and the other games get after a decade of percolating in the fandom consciousness. r/dragonage is mostly negative; r/solasmancers is mostly negative; twitter/bluesky hounded john epler into deactivating his account for a day; every youtube that posts about it is inundated with right wing grifters and critics alike (not the same thing, i know!); even the dedicated veilguard subreddit is mostly people either criticising the game or apologising for liking it in the first place. i'm not saying criticism should stop: ongoing, constructive conversations like this one are how fandoms stay alive. but when the dominant discourse is constant criticism, when the general implication is that whoever likes veilguard is stupid or a corporate shill or up bioware's ass… it's hard.

and a brief addendum: my aim is not to tone police or tell folks they should not criticise veilguard or should not voice their disappointment. there are things in veilguard that have disappointed me too. i wanted solas' modern-day rebellion. i wanted more on the evanuris and the world before the veil so we could truly understand the depth of the moral dilemma at the heart of the veil. i think the game is poorer without these things. i've said often that veilguard's flaws are due to the writers correctly employing the rule that the best way to write about social issues is through characters and then sometimes forgetting the social issues at all. i still mourn the reactivity that we lost and the carryover from previous games; i recognise bioware has been plagued by mismanagement longer than i've been an adult.

these games will never be perfect. but when i write, when i make my own art and my own stories, it is so much healthier for me to do so in an environment where the relationship between artist/creative and art enjoyer is not endlessly antagonistic. why create at all, if people's first point of order is to assume the worst faith possible behind your own art?

FUCK ME. art really is subjective.

[clockworkreapers]

So Majell and Falmea have feelings for each-other??

Yep! It’s platonic though, kinda like a familial bond more than anything. So they would be moirales I suppose. Will they say it/ do they have to say it though? No not really, they know what they are to each other and that’s good enough for them.

[erinwantstowrite]

why are people saying Bruce was a teen when he started fostering Dick? he was in his early twenties

[spotaus]

Hi guys, this is usually what a doodle page ends up looking like <3 (oh, and @ancha-aus thought you might like this! Not writing but certainly fuel to my fire lol-)

This one is New Age filled!!! (Close-ups abd Lore beneath the cut!)

1) Night and Cross!

Night is actually very clingy once he's a teen. He doesn't usually realize it, but around the castle he'll snake to be closer to his Knights so long as there's no one he needs to keep his composure infront of is nearby. Cross is the one who's not used to physical touch (when it's not Ink ofc) so Night in his personal bubble makes his heart melt but also scares tf out of him <3

2) Error and Night's Meeting!

Error was carrying his whole life on his back and trying not to get arrested for unintentional property damage at this point, so when he saw the chance to get back at his brother and prove he was strong enough? Yeah, he got that on chance instantly. And was VERY smug when Nightmare chose him. (Also, Error is wearing gloves, so less Haphephobia)

3) Dream and Blue designs!

I think these are good tentative designs! Dream probably has a more regal fit, but he likes to play up that rugged exile look- He's inspired by Archers, while Blue takes on that classic Knightly-vibe. Their equipment is mostly stolen from Night's troops or brought with them from Blue's home kingdom.

Also, Dream is approx Killer's height at this point, shorter than Cross and *much* shorter than Apple!Nightmare. (Hc that Skeletons tend to be tinier in stature thanks to weird monster beauty standards. Horror and Geno's fam are outliers.)

4) Horror and Dust designs!

Horror is naturally a very *large* monster. He's very malnourished when Nightmare meets him, but by the time he's a Knight Nightmare has made sure that's no longer the case. He actually loves comfy, simple clothes, but to play up the whole 'strong mysterious' bit he wears a more barbaric Knight's garb. He doesn't mind acting scary, it's more fun that way :]. Dust is very very small, and envies horror sometimes for his size, but his tiny stature let's him control his body and move a lot quicker. He's very much based on a rogue, and usually covers the lower part of his face w/ a black cloth, and the upper part w/ his hood or mask. Dust only removes both to bathe, eat, or relax in a safe location. (Ignore that I can't draw the stupid gaster blaster lmao-)

These last two were space-fillers, but Cross and his Borzoi (Windmill, otherwise known as Milly (Killer named her-)) and really bad first wips of Ccino! I think Ccino was a chubby, happy toddler, but lost a lot of 'weight' (bone mass? Magic?) due to stress and pressure and bad eating habits. So it isn't until a while after the Coronation that he starts to relax abd feel safe enough to eat normal meals (Nightmare used to guilt him into eating snacks together, but as his boss (and younger brother) he can encourage it more often). By the time Killer shows he's still not quite healthy, but he's better. As more weight is lifted off his shoulders, the better he is. (That 'beauty' most people saw was a more stereotypical slimness, but Killer never stopped seeing Ccino as beautiful-) I think he never looked traditionally underweight, so no one noticed, and it was only much later that Night processed it. (And maybe it's why Dream hardly recognized him later on-)

[katierosefun]

modern family is all fun and games until you get to the scenes where you burst into tears because the once-vaguely homophobic dad now refers to his son's husband as family, and also the academically gifted daughter realizes that her dorky, clumsy dad was always really proud of her and just never surprised because he just assumed she could do anything, and also the eldest daughter who eloped comes crawling back to her parents' room and whispers that she still wants her parents to be present for her wedding, and also the anxious queer lawyer character admits that he was terrified that his husband would just leave him alone with their baby daughter, and also that the once-vaguely grouchy dad looks at his stepson and tells him that what makes a family is who sticks around, not who you're blood-related to and anyways what was i saying

[petrow1tch]

They weren't lying, this psychological recovery journey got hands

[beneathsilverstars]

I didn't even consider bonnie not actually having a best friend with that post. My best friend gave me bad definitions when we were kids bc she thought it was hilarious, and she's still one of my closest friends in adulthood

Per my last ask, I thought the joke was that the adults didn't get little kids humor/pranks

it definitely could not mean anything bad! trolling your friends is a time-honored tradition. but there's a lot of things like that that can be fun, but can also get taken too far, or be done too unevenly.

i feel like with "gullible" in specific it's easy to imagine like. "oh bonnie. you are SO gullible." "what's that mean?" "oh ^^ super cool and awesome" "yay!" <- it is now established that not only is bonnie the most gullible person in the friend group, you can also get away with calling them that, which makes it doubly fun to tease them this way!

and it's not like malicious, nor did it even notably bother bonnie at the time - they still consider the person who told them this their best friend! but maybe if bonnie had a true best friend who prioritized them over the rest of the group, that person would've told bonnie the actual meaning at some point, yknow?

and ofc it still could have been a perfectly fine thing, with bonnie getting their friend back just as often! you can't know from just these two lines.

but as i said, i think everyone in this party grew up some level of lonely/alienated. and the rest of them are old enough now to have looked back at some of their own youthful experiences and gone "ah. i think they were actually making fun of me." so these particular people - despite enjoying a bit of familial teasing and trolling and mean joking themselves - heard this particular story and went. hm. well. i'm not going to say anything. but i am going to take note of this as a potential issue.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Scarlet Throne

Nepali-inspired high fantasy

a girl who is the vessel for a goddess, holding the power over her province - whose power secretly comes from a demon, through blood magic

when it’s decided that she’s too old and will be replaced by a new girl - she does whatever she can to keep her position and safety, even if she starts to grow a strange attachment to the girl

villain MC, feline smoke demon, siblings

character focused, political, no romance

[phoebeejeebies]

I’m gonna be strange in ur askbox …

Pheobe and Melody thoughts!! uh mm m

pheobe knows that she’ll never see Melody again. At least not for a while.

But she’ll talk to her. Even if she can’t hear her.

“Uh.. if you can hear me in the fabric of the universe, I miss you.”

And she’ll ramble on and on about what’s going on in her life. Maybe she’ll cry a little. Maybe she’ll cry a LOT.

can melody hear her from the other side? Maybe . Pheobe hopes she can.

Melody can hear her and listens to every word. Melody memorizes all of what Pheobe says. Melody will memorize what Pheobe says beat for beat and play the melody (get it?) in her head over and over again when she misses that damn ghostbuster.

Melody wishes she stayed, sometimes.

Melody wishes she didn’t let go, sometimes.

It gnaws at her spirit - it gnaws at the peace she feels in passing on.

But Pheobe is reminded of Melody’s weaving into the fabric of the universe when it’s the perfect temperature outside, when she gets a rush of adrenaline, when nights are quiet and she can work in peace.

Melody sprinkles little things into the world, just for her Pheobe.

The stars shine a little brighter and maybe for a little bit , Pheobe feels whole again.

you make me sick. thank you for sharing. im ill. (all /pos) UUGHAAHNFGG you GET IT. PHOEBE AND MELODY are THEEEE doomed yuri. the way that this relationship will irreparably affect her for the rest of her life. moving on is hard enough, but knowing that you were in love with a GHOST GIRL and you see her in EVERYTHING you do. phoebe takes doomed yuri and ramps it up a little 😭😭😭

i read something that was similar recently. i forgot where. but phoebe would talk about her feelings when she things no one is listening but secretly hope melody is listening. it helps her move on, even if she knows logically melody is gone. but is she really? she's in everything. she was everything. tells her about her day, about her family. how things get better, get easier, get worse sometimes. healing has never been a linear process after all :')

and then on the other side, melody :''') manifesting good things for phoebe. partially because of the tiny tugging guilt melody has for her lack of honesty - because phoebe had grown on her. she goes out of her way to just make the world a little bit lighter, a little bit kinder, more beautiful. phoebe grows a fondness for the moon, for the stars in the sky. for the warm evenings and cloudy mornings, for the busy-ness of new york city.

phoebe makes an effort to go to melody's diner routinely. she becomes a regular. she just misses her. so much.

(i accidentally KEPT rambling in the tags. i didnt mean to T_T)

[salty-software-engineer]

Man I just finished Babel and I was excited to read discussions online because there's so much going on in it with so many little things and just....angry white people. Everywhere. Truly a dead dove moment.

[brionysea]

honestly, with the damage that hopper's secret keeping did to mike's (already not great) mental health FOR A FULL YEAR, mike hanging out in hopper's house and being kind of annoying for a couple months is a more than proportionate reaction. if anything that was mike being nice