#and repentant for her family's mistakes

[aboveallarescuer]

it's not even true that barristan does not want to tell the truth to daenerys (as this fandom so believes) but to tell someone (a child) how awful her father was it has to be handled with tact and that's what barristan does: he is tactful i think people just want barristan bluntly spew all out in front of daenerys and to disregard her feelings they just want daenerys to feel miserable and daenerys already expects to hear A LOT of bad stuff about her father no person asks if there is some good to be told about their father if they did not expect the worst to hear (tags by @mikastormborn)

When people argue that Barristan should have bluntly told Daenerys that she is a child of rape, are they genuinely motivated by Barristan making amends to Dany, or are they motivated by wanting Dany to spiral into darkness and hate herself and her family, to pave way for their theory that she should die to let the Targaryen name die?

I ask this because the biggest proponents of this line of argument, or other criticisms of Barristan (who yes, deserves his critiques, no doubt about it), don't apply this logic consistently.

Who will tell the Starklings that their grandfather, Hoster Tully, forced their aunt Lysa to abort a child and marry a pedophile who raped her, at the age of 16? Who will tell the Starklings that their father, Ned Stark, was best friends with a serial rapist and abuser, Robert Baratheon? That Ned Stark's mentor, Jon Arryn, was the pedophile their aunt Lysa married? Particularly because "Barristan served Robert, how dare he try to serve Dany" is one of the criticisms being levied at him––so should not the Starklings know that their father went south and signed their destruction warrant by serving such a man?

You see, if it's about "Dany has to confront the legacy of her horrible family," and "Dany should know that she was only conceived through rape and only exists in this world because her father raped her mother," then shouldn't the Starklings confront the direct role their family has played in aiding and abetting abusive, sexually violent, and predatory men?

Perhaps the logic is that unlike Dany, the Starklings have enough distance from the crimes of their father and grandfather. Or their father and grandfather shouldn't be held accountable to begin with. Theon comes to mind here, as someone who lived alongside the Starks during his formative years. Will those Starklings confront the reality that Ned Stark held him as a hostage, and would have killed him if Balon Greyjoy made the wrong move? Is that something the fandom consistently wants to see, as much as it bays to see Dany react to the knowledge that she was conceived through rape? Will this change how Bran feels about Theon's conquest of Winterfell and betrayal of the Starks?

Should Asha and Theon learn that Victarion murdered his wife to please Euron? That Euron likely raped Aeron? Is this something the fandom yearns to witness, for the Greyjoys to "confront their legacy?"

The only person who has to "confront her legacy" is Dany––the orphan with no family by her side––and this is fashioned through criticisms of Barristan with a fake concern for Dany. Absolutely, he should tell her the truth. Or someone should. But how should that truth be told? And what effect do you want it to have on Dany? Do you want her to know the truth so that she can be a better ruler, or do you want her to know the truth so that she can hate herself, and willingly be a corpse that the rest of the characters step on to see the dawn of a new day?

The proponents of this argument also believe that Rhaegar raped and abducted Lyanna. Who will bluntly tell Jon that he is a product of rape, if you believe that Rhaegar raped Lyanna? Should Jon confront his Targaryen legacy, or is he distant enough from it to not have to die to lay the Targaryen name to rest? Does anyone want to see his emotional state, or do they just skip to "Jon will reject his father and embrace the Starks?"

I'd much rather see Tyrion tell Dany the truth. Tyrion, who was born to a terrible father, like Dany. Tyrion, left to suffer under his elder sister's hands, like Dany was left to suffer under her elder brother's hands. Tyrion, who knows exactly what it's like to strive to embody your identity, all while knowing your family did not want you. Tyrion, whose mother died in childbirth, like Dany's. Tyrion, who is the embodiment of his father and his house, despite being hated by his father and family. Tyrion, who clashes with his family's values and goals. Tyrion, who remains proud of his Lannister identity in spite of it all. The very specific subjectivity of knowing that your father is a rapist, a horrible person, a tyrant, and knowing that you carry his name, is very specifically shared between Dany and Tyrion.

But I want Tyrion to be the one to tell Dany the truth about Aerys because I want to see mistrust evolve into shared understanding and empathy between them. I want it to be a moment of catharsis for them both, of relating to someone who is probably the only one in the world who knows the exact thing you're going through. The rest of you, however, want it to be Barristan, or Jaime, because if we're being honest, you want Dany to hate herself and spiral even more afterward, paving the way for "Dany dies to make the Targaryen name die" endgame.

[dreamlogic]

aye can i get a fuckin uuuhhhh

break. on my burger

[coralaura]

No exit

¡Yandere! ¡Platónico! ¡Batfam x Sable! Lector de DBD

Context: part 1, part 2

There are several differences with other fics in my idea, more than being an abandoned reader, it is more like an uncomfortable relationship.

Sable! Reader didn't know that Bruce Wayne was her father until her mother and father (or in this case stepfather) die, and that's where she realizes that all this time, she was never the daughter of that cheerful man who tried to turn a blind eye to the inevitable reality of death and darkness surrounding them.

As I said in another post (this one) or rather wrote, Sable! Reader always felt different from her parents, she never felt like she fit in, so it doesn't surprise her that her real father is so gloomy, in fact for her it explains a lot of things.

Unlike other fics, Y/N doesn't want to actively establish a relationship with the Batfam, in fact she still feels that this is not the place, after all they are already a formed family, she is just the one night mistake of her mother and a millionaire who didn't know how to put on protection.

For Y/N, the place she belongs is the realm of the entity, there is the only one she felt she fit in with and who could complement Mikaela, her best friend.

Surprisingly, in the realm of the entity, she not only fits in with Mikaela, she discovers more survivors, some with knowledge of the darkness from before arriving in this hell, and with them she gets along best and ends up finding a “family” that has the same purpose and tries to help each other.

However, when she is suddenly taken out of the realm of the entity and sees who she considered uncomfortable family members in front of her, she feels like something has been taken away from her.

On the other hand, the Batfam is still trying to understand how you came back, they watched and analyzed all this time the video in which Y/N Ward disappeared.

Although they have you back, much to the disappointment of the entity, they continue to investigate and find a way for Y/N not to leave again and stray from their side.

They feel guilty for not even having the cordiality to meet you or let you know that you are someone from this family despite being raised by others.

The most repentant in this is Damian, who feels bad for having harassed you, but you can't blame him, right? He believed that he was Bruce's only son and his firstborn and suddenly a girl arrives snatching his place as firstborn and showing that his security was false in all its magnitude, she just needed time to digest it and maybe some threat from him, however she regrets the latter, so you're going to forgive him, right?

Y/N Ward doesn't return the same from the realm of the entity. Do you know how many times she was consumed and killed? No one returns intact from such torture and the poor young woman is no exception, hearing the sound of a chainsaw makes her heart race as if she were running a marathon, the sounds of the old horror movies she used to watch; make the traumas of seeing his friends being killed one by one make their way into his psyche, the sound of an engine; it causes his hands to shake and he just thinks about how many he has left to fix, the blood dripping down his hands reminds him of the times he bled to death on the floor while he saw the killer's mocking expression.

All of these traumas are seen by the Batfam, especially Dick, who tries to help his little sister with her trauma only to be greeted with a dirty look and the phrase "don't bother", Jason also recognizes the clear warning signs, after all the things the Joker did to her weren't daisies and sugar, Jason has a more... distant approach but one that works better than Dick's harassment.

That's where Jason and therefore the others discover that Y/N Ward has died more than once and has come back from the dead over and over and over again, it's a bomb that Y/N literally drops after Jason tells her that she died for a while just to call him a rookie.

How many times did Y/N Ward die? I don’t know and she doesn’t keep count either, she stopped counting when it was over twenty.

Could Y/N heal and be happy? Will she probably have a family to support her? Will the world let her be happy? No, because something else came with her after being cast out of the entity realm and that something, craves her blood, again.

"They may try to hurt you. But they won’t take you down easily.”

Taglist

@sheep-from-rad

@bunbunboysworld

@snowy-violet

The Taglist is always open if you want to join or get out you can ask me at any time, my taglist is also open my inbox, in case you have any ideas or a request

[wileys-russo]

Please could you write something with reader trying to teach alexia english😩

PSA: I don’t speak Spanish so I sincerely apologise for any mistakes

second languages II a.putellas

"hola! ale?" you called out as you let yourself into your girlfriends apartment, bending down to scoop up nala who came hurtling at you from the sofa. "hola!" you heard the blonde call out from her bedroom as you cooed at the small ball of fluff in your arms and kicked off your shoes, sliding them to sit neatly beside your girlfriends.

you couldn't help but chuckle as you entered the bedroom to see alexia's eyes trained on the large tv on her wall, watching barcelonas last match with real madrid. a notebook and pen sat nestled in her lap, the girl clearly taking notes before their upcoming rival game this weekend.

"nadie puede decir que no estás dedicada bonita." (no one can ever say you are not dedicated) you laughed, placing nala down and shaking your head. "para ser el mejor tienes que saber todo sobre tu oponente. hola hermosa." (to be the best you have to know everything about your opponent. hi beautiful) your girlfriend shrugged, moving her notebook away and opening her arms expectantly.

"y por eso eres la mejor?" (and that is why you are the best?) you laughed, placing your keys and phone down on her desk. "si es por eso que soy la mejor." (yes, that is why i am the best) the catalan grinned as you collapsed on top of her, your arms wrapping around one another in a tight hug.

"No es que me queje al verte. pero pensé que tenías trabajo esta tarde?" (not that i am complaining to see you. but i thought you had jobs this afternoon?) alexia questioned curiously as you moved a few loose strands of hair out of her face.

"a few clients cancelled so it freed up my afternoon." you explained with a happy smile, honestly not all that bothered if it meant you got to spend more time with her.

"veo. bueno, al juego todavía le queda la mitad." (i see. well the game still has one half to go) your girlfriend smiled as you sighed, knowing her well enough that there would be very little you could say to pry her away from her match studies.

"i'm gonna go make some food then." you chuckled, pecking her lips and moving to stand but her arms stayed locked around you. "o podrías quedarte y mirar conmigo mi vida." (or you could stay and watch with me) alexia grinned, wiggling her eyebrows making you laugh.

"haré algo de comida y luego volveré y miraré. okay?" (i will make some food then come back and watch) you bargained, the blonde humming and letting you up. "si, okay."

"and don't forget, we're practicing your english later." you reminded causing the older girl to groan loudly in contempt. "ale! you promised." you warned at her response, the blonde flopping backwards and sighing.

"de repente me siento muy mal bebe. podría perder mi voz." (suddenly i am feeling very sick baby. i might lose my voice) the taller girl faked a cough causing you to narrow your eyes at her in a glare.

"alexia you are the one who asked me to help you be more confident in your english. so that you can speak easier with my family!" you warned her sternly, the midfielder whining like a child throwing a tantrum as she kicked her feet and dragged her hands down her face.

bit by the travel bug you decided to spend a summer interning in barcelona around a year and a half ago, you already knew spanish from studying it in school and so when the opportunity came up from one of your old teachers for a photography internship abroad, you'd have been stupid to say no.

that was how you'd met alexia, a few months in you'd been sent to assist on a shoot for the new fc barcelona kit drop.

you'd caught the older girls eyes right away the moment you'd first spoke, alexia finding endless amusement in the way your thick northern accent came through in your spanish.

so with some light teasing throughout the shoot you were surprised when she'd asked if you wanted to grab dinner afterward, claiming that you'd not had a proper barcelona experience until you'd eaten at some of the best places it had to offer which alexia was glad to show you.

and the rest was a story you'd probably tell your grandkids one day.

"o podrías ayudar a tu familia a mejorar su español?" (or you could help your family work on their spanish) your girlfriend suggested with an innocent smile, which promptly dropped as you only continued to wordlessly glare at her.

"fine!" alexia huffed, throwing her hands up in defeat before crossing them over her chest, pouting up at you. "that's not going to work ale. go back to your game!" you nodded to the tv, turning around and heading toward the kitchen.

~

"cual es tu horario para mañana bonita?" (whats your schedule for tomorrow) your girlfriend asked with a stretch, joining you in the kitchen from her bedroom. "hermosa?" she called out again when you didn't answer.

"in english." you turned to her with a smile, leaning against the counter as you took a bite from your sandwich. "qué?" alexia frowned as you pulled yourself to sit on the counter. "english lessons ale. i will only respond when you speak in english!" you explained with a shrug, continuing to eat your sandwich.

"mierda. uh, what are your....jobs tomorrow?" the older girl managed to get out as you nodded encouragingly. "i have a shoot at two and another at five." you answered, your girlfriends understanding of english was fine as was yours of spanish, but it was her diction that she was often insecure about.

"what time is training tomorrow?" you asked, leaning over to place your empty plate in the sink. "training is at ten." alexia answered with a little more ease and you smiled.

"okay so now lets practice like you're talking with my family." you started, jumping down from the counter and moving to the living room, both you and alexia taking a seat on the sofa.

"how have you been?" "good." "okay, they're going to want to know more than that baby. what about football? speak about that." "okay. we have been training for the..." you watched as the blonde struggled to find the right words, huffing in frustration.

"champions league?" "si. sorry, yes. champions league. barcelona lost last time, we do not want that to happen again so we train hard, we try to win all our games." "good! see, you can do it ale." you nudged the older girl with your foot, sending her a soft smile of encouragement. "you will have to help me with your father." alexia chuckled as you agreed, your dads accent easily the thickest of your families with how fast he spoke alexia often struggled to understand what he was saying.

"your accent when you speak english is very cute baby." you grinned, watching on victoriously as a small blush coated the girls cheeks, a welcome change from her often sharp demeanor.

"ojalá pudiera decir lo mismo de tu nena española." (wish i could say the same about your spanish) the taller girl sent you a smile, hands tugging at your top to pull you closer to her. "hey!" you frowned in offence at the comment as you now sat practically in her lap, her long legs reclined down the sofa.

"should i say in english too?" alexia teased as you smacked her chest with a small pout.

"there are some things you like better when i say in spanish baby girl, no?" alexias tone shifted as her eyes roamed your features with a slightly darker gaze. your face heated up at what you knew she was insinuating, her hands gently sliding up and down your bare thighs.

"...maybe some things sound better in spanish."

[makerofmadness]

ok so: Beast-Ancients Swap AU but actually the Beasts messed up the timeline and made it one

(I will explain I swear-) The following sprite edits and designs were a collaborative effort of me and @driftwoodmfb

(Lily's design and edit is not finished yet, and Ssalt isn't getting one until that character is released-)

general shoutouts to Driftwood for collaborating with me on this in a lot of aspects btw she's the mvp of this whole project

I am Very bad at concise descriptions but basically: "5v5 climactic final showdown occurs but the bad guys win and then the group consensus on what to all do together to compromise thanks to slightly different priorities is 'Hey we all really hate the ancients now so let's just like. Screw them over' so they basically used their combined virtues' powers or something (look all of this I came up with just to justify the AU's actual concept) to like reset and alter the timeline to swap their places with the ancients basically. and then they kinda accidentally get redemption arc'd in the process. Meanwhile the og ancients... are not happy"

I'm def gonna post more about these guys in the future (and also I like. Encourage people to send asks because I need enrichment dndndnmd! I have a ton of stuff sitting around about them and I love talking about them- so. Here's my attempt at an overview (I. Suck at being concise this took all day to not make way too long dndndndm):

Shadow Milk Cookie - Calls himself the Dark Moon Magician. He's quite braggadocious and more than a little mischievous, quite the show-off too, but he has a good heart down there (nowadays). Though he has often had to be badgered by the Light of Truth into actually telling the truth on things...

Eternal Sugar Cookie - You'll meet them someday. Just not now.

Mystic Flour Cookie - Her face and voice do not do much to express how much she despises the Cookie she used to be, and the Cookie she still sees whenever she looks in the mirror. She is the most eager to come clean to her Cookies, but something is holding her back... she decides to save it for when she has finally repented enough by her standards, to earn her position as queen. It's never enough.

Burning Spice Cookie - For the kingdom he rules, you may (or may not) be surprised seeing how little he cares for material riches. To him, lived experiences are the most precious things- hence why he's always looking for a good fight. Or to just have fun with those close to him- which is not many as he has had a history of issues- after all, transient things fall to time, but the impressions they leave can last up to forever...

Silent Salt Cookie - The fallen hero. It wasn't supposed to happen again. They all knew it could happen, they agreed to prevent it. Why did they make the same mistake...?

Pure Vanilla Cookie - The embodiment of the most common lie. He can string Cookies up to make them move and speak against their wills. He does this to himself often, when he grows tired. He is very ashamed of what he has become, but no matter, he will be fine once he regains the light of Truth, and exposes the truth of this world to all Cookiekind...

Hollyberry Cookie - Berry juice is a comfort to her, such is why she had wished so badly to drown her mind and all her pain in it. She is... frankly, harmless the way she is now. She doesn't have the power, pride or energy to fight. Her heart is just as full of love as it's always been, even if her mind's gone fluffy as frosting. So much that even being in a permanent stupor won't stop her from missing her family, still...

Dark Cacao Cookie - As he describes himself fully, an empty vessel without a will of his own, whose only goal is to carry out the will of fate. He will play his part in this story, for he knows there is no other way. After all, they'd tried to resist already, and it was all in vain. He is cold, empty, such was his resolve: to be unburdened by feeling, so that he would feel no pain...

Golden Cheese Cookie - Calls herself the Demonic Goddess. When she gets upset, she tends to fly into fits of destruction- which she has become very, very good at causing. She laughs it off, she laughs a lot in general, but she really does not like what she's become. However, she is still the same greedy Cookie as she always was, and still wants nothing more than to annihilate the ones who had displaced her and her friends and take back what is rightfully hers...

White Lily Cookie - Founder of the Lily Kingdom. She is a stern, serious figure who tries to keep everything under her control. She quickly silences those who tell her what she does not wish to hear untrue, unkind, or unnecessary things. She does not get very openly emotional often, and tends to address everyone with the same attitude even if it's her friends. (They can generally tell when she means well). She plans to silence all lies from Cookies' mouths, especially regarding who the "Heroes" and "Beasts" are...

(i. Never mentioned the name of the AU itself the whole time in this post did I? Ok uh that's Immemorial Interchange btw if I ever say that or II then I'm talking about this thing for future reference XD)

Edit: I have a tag on my blog for the au and I just kinda post whatever I feel like. Hope y'all can enjoy this I'm probably gonna be dumping a lot of stuff I've held on to. And I would love it if people send asks X3

[rizzanon]

I love how everyone is faulty in the series, it's entirely refreshing to see not only the family but the MC to be full of imperfections, like MC is brash and rebellious (?), just wanting to prove herself and not mind everyone around her(?). Hopefully yes hopefully they talk it out, all of them, like adults and forgive each other for their mistakes.

Even if this doesn't happen in the main series, hopefully in the 'What ifs' you're going to do after this. I'm looking forward to them making up. :D

the batfam will definitely talk things out, but that would be after mc becomes very petty and avoids and ignore the batfam every chance she gets (until something huge happens…😬) but i promise you they’ll eventually talk things out with mc when the time comes for it. (since mc is very clearly a 20 year old in her 16 year old body, she’s not going to be that immature, trust) (but the batfam needs to grovel and repent for their neglect)

[sevikas-biceps]

Vi and Caitlyn's reunion isn't just to rekindle the relationship they once had. It's still fractured. Once bitten, twice shy, as they say. Vi easily caves in to the needs and/or wants of those she loves dearly, but she's learnt her lesson. At least, this once, she's not going to make the same mistake again.

Telling Caitlyn that she was back in the slums to 'save her dad' was an olive branch.

It's an expression of trust.

It's also a question.

Are you still in there? Does the girl I once knew still exist?

It's a staggering contrast to Caitlyn's insensitive comment in Season 1; What, you don't have parents? Now, Caitlyn knows what it's like to actually lose one. Doubtlessly, she'd've attended funerals for others and expressed her sympathies for grieving families. She knew the effects of loss. Now, she understands it.

Her teaming up with Vi was also a show of personal growth. Yes, she'd acted in her anger. Yes, she'd betrayed her lover. Yes, she'd committed several unforgivable acts along the way. But she's willing to compromise. She's willing to admit her mistakes. She's willing to repent. She's willing to start over, somehow, in some way, even if things won't be the same as they used to be.

It's a very tiny opening, but it's a large step for the both of them.

[em1e]

baby fever | seeing shin w a little baby

⿻ mini series ft. you dating shinichiro and whatever chaos that comes from that !! ✕ cute fluff !! to make up for the heartbreak from the last one ♡ series m.list

shinichiro wants to be impressed, honestly, with how quickly his day can go downhill. 

first, he woke up to mikey and emma arguing about who’d get to take the spiderman lunch box and who would get to take the batman one to the dojo with their grandpa (shinichiro was the deciding factor, and it turns out neither of them would get either – which could’ve been a mistake on his part, since the choice just made them whine and complain more at having to take brown bags).

then the clothes he threw in the dryer for his day with you weren’t completely dry, so he had to make the decision to wear slightly damp (and sour? was that smell coming from the clothes?) or be the disgusting human he knows he is deep down and wear the clothes he’s been wearing for the past week . . . 

he goes for the latter, because surely he can just douse himself in cologne and that’ll get rid of any underlying smells the clothes have accumulated . . . right . . ?

there’s no time to dwell on it, because now he’s late picking you up! 

you were going to kill him. he prays it’s a sweet, painless death as he knocks on your door. 

and of course the universe is against him. he doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this bad luck, but god. he might have to start repenting. 

you pull the door open, and there’s a baby bouncing on your hip. you look tired, hair a mess and still in your pjs despite it being a little past the start of lunch, and the baby doesn’t look any better, crying despite your constant movement and shh’s that it’s okay. 

“uh . . hi?” he offers, brows furrowing, “something you wanna tell me?” 

“saw this one on the street, and thought ‘wow i’ve always wanted one of those’.” you joke humorlessly, opening the door wider so he can walk through, “my sister dropped her off because her stupid boyfriend got in trouble with the cops and her sitter canceled.” 

“so no date?” he concludes, and the way you whirl around to glare at him has him holding his hands defensively, clicking his tongue, “i’ll take that as a no . . want me to take her for a sec? how long have you had her?” 

you don’t hesitate to offer the baby to him, “since six this morning. she’s been fussy because her mom left.” you run a hand through your hair,  clearly exhausted, but the second she’s in shinichiro’s arms, she quiets down. your eyes narrow, “how’d you do that?” 

he moves to sit on the couch, and you scramble to sit beside him, passing the baby blanket he points to from her diaper bag and laying it gently over her. 

“do what?” he asks, voice a thousand times softer with her in his arms, “mikey was a fusser when he was a baby, wouldn’t stop crying unless you held ‘im like this.” 

it’s . . really fucking cute, admittedly, the way he gazes down at your niece and slowly rocks her to sleep. you would be upset at how easily she relaxes in his arms if it didn’t make your heart clench. 

and you’re honestly too worn out to hold a grudge over something so silly. 

your head finds itself on shinichiro’s shoulder, toying with a loose thread on the blanket. 

“you wore that shirt yesterday.” you comment off-handedly, when your niece has been rocked to sleep and you’re ready to follow her down that same path if your eyes fighting to stay open is anything to go by. 

“how do you know?” he asks, the hint of a smile teasing its way to his lips. 

“grease stain from your bike,” you pause with a yawn, then continue while snuggling into his side, “saw ‘em when you drove me home from work.” 

“and you didn’t tell me?” he sounds offended, but really, how does he expect you to take him seriously with the lilt in his voice like he’s still talking nonsense to your niece? 

it’s soft; a side of him you’ve never seen, and it makes you ache at the prospect of having him all to yourself. your own family, your own house with a picket fence. so domestic. 

“can’t wait for us to have our own.” you mumble in favor of answering his question, sleep edging its way into your voice. 

“yeah?” you can still hear the way he’s smiling as he speaks, relaxing further into the couch for the impromptu nap. you only hum in response, and he knows then you’re too far gone to provide a real reply. 

looking down at you, holding this baby in his arms . . . he thinks he can’t wait either. 

[cursedkeyboard]

Babies shouldn't grow up ☆ Jason Todd & GN!Reader (PT.5)

What does Jason do after he tries his best and fails spectacularly to keep his nosy family away from his kid? Make sure he is still your favorite when everyone starts spoiling you rotten, of course. [PART ONE ♤ PART TWO ♤ PART THREE ♤ PART FOUR ♤ PART FIVE ♤ PART SIX]

Pairings: Platonic Jason Todd & Child GN!Reader / Batfamily & Child GN!Reader

When everything was said and done, Jason explaining why he didn't want to expose you to more dangers by introducing you but also the reason why he felt compelled to be honest with you about their identities, the bats soon started to try and bond with you

Dick was the first one, as always, and introduced himself as "little wing's one and only older brother"

You giggled when Jason groaned at that, embarrassed, and Dick took that as a win

Dick's older bro charms 1 - Bruce's gloomy dad stare 0

After getting called out by you so directly and plainly, Bruce had been awfully quiet as everyone interacted with you

It wasn't every day he got called out for the worst mistakes he comitted

But he also was still reeling at the fact that he was a damn grandfather

Steph cooed at how small you were, pointing out how even Damian was taller

Which, in Jason's opinion, was totally unfair since you were only eleven while Damian was thirteen, going on fourteen, and had been trained for along time

Also, excuse him, only he could tease you

Dick would be asking Jason one and a million questions about how he'd been taking care of you, your education, health, etc

"Of course I– You think I wouldn't send my kid to school, Grayson?"

His kid, they thought, part giddy part dumbfounded

"Woah, woah, I'm just asking! Technically you're legally dead and the little angel over here doesn't exactly look like you."

Wow, for some reason that really pissed Jason off

He tucked you under his chin, squeezing you gently as you rested your head on his collarbone

"I signed the papers. I'm not fucking dumb, Dick, I've been the legal guardian for about a year now."

At that, Steph stopped trying to take pictures of you with her eyes alone and quirked one of her eyebrows

"Legally?"

"... For the most part."

No one said anything at that, it's not like any of them really followed the law, especially not the old man behind them

You huffed in amusement at that, making Dick and Steph's hearts warm up

Damn, not even an hour into meeting you and they were already feeling those fuzzy, soft feelings in their chests

Needless to say, it wasn't a casual evening but it wasn't what Jason had been dreading, not at all

There was no screaming about him being reckless, no one tried to take you away from him, Bruce didn't even say much

Damian was still a brat and tried to pick on you, judgy little shit, only to get the nastiest clapback that made Dick choke on his spit

They all knew he was just feeling jealous, like every kid feels when a younger, cuter child shows up in the family

Boohoo, Jason thought as he watched fondly as you and Damian bickered, the demon brat was never as cute as my kid

Bruce, despite his melancholic gaze and awkward nature, managed to talk a bit to the both of you

He'd tell Jason that if you ever needed anything, to just use his credit card, no questions asked

Bruce would always be a call away and with Cass slowly taking over the mantle, he had a bit more time in his hands when the League didn't need him

He'd support the both of you to hell and back, his own way of repenting, and all he asked in return was...

For Jason to visit more

Because he was still upset about not having all of his kids home for Christmas

And bring you with him

it was high time you met everyone and became an official member of the family, he already knew exactly where your portrait would go

And despite his hesitance, you wanted to be a part of Jason's entire life, not just a hidden piece

Jason could never say no when you did a terrible impression of puppy dog eyes

So this is how it started; the start of the bats spoiling the hell out of you

After a couple of dinners together, lunch, and a tour around the manor and the batcave, seeing all of their old and new suits, ("Tell me you didnt actually wear this." "Shut it, I was a child." "I'm a child and I'd rather die than ever touch this."), with you glued to Jason's side always, packages started showing up at the doorstep

At first it'd be cute and silly things like a plush of the newest Pokémon and matching scarves for the incoming winter

Maybe even their own merch, because they're all losers deep inside

Then it was Bruce taking over any kind of expenses you and Jason had because, in his words, he wanted Jason to focus on raising you instead of worrying about rent

–Not like he wasn't already using Bruce's money to pay for everything

But he still felt begrudgingly soft at having his dad care for him and his kiddo like that, though he'd never admit it–

And then Babs and Tim upgrading the cyber security all around your block in the chance of a villain attack or any creeps following you home

From Duke and Cass asking Jason to spend time with you for some bonding time to your entire wardrobe turning into designer and your school materials updated by Wayne tech

Fuck, you even had terribly expensive yet thoughtful action figurines from your and Damian's favorite animated shows

The brat tried to hate you for ripping everyone's attention away from him, for making Bruce and Dick all... gooey, but it was hard when you had Todd's knowing eyes and a developing charm that always cracked a smile out of him

Infuriating, like father like kid

But... he liked you, quite a lot

And, throughout it all, Jason was panicking bad

Look, Jason Todd was always a jealous person by nature

He never liked his things touched, never liked sharing his interests in case someone also got interested in it, and he was particularly possessive with the few romantic partners he had

So when your attention was suddenly split among all of his family, Jason felt a little upset

It's like when a cat that usually only likes you allows other people pet it

Jason didn't quite feel betrayed but... that childish fear of not being your favorite person was very real in his head

So he upped his game

Whenever any member of his family gave you a gift, he'd get something better the next day

If they took you to a cool place, say an arcade or the mall to hang out and get to know you better

Jason was already booking tickets to go to Universal and taking you out for nightly motorcycle rides

Damian was insisting on watching the new season of your favorite show?

Next weekend he'd have prepared the living room to look like a cinema, with snacks and popcorn, for a movie marathon

Babs and Steph got you interested in makeup?

Regardless of gender identity, you know Jason would watchevery YouTube tutorial known to man about makeup so you won't have to ask the girls about it

Bruce would grow all fond of you once you got past, but did not forgive nor forget, the things he's done to Jason and started interacting more with him

So once he's talking about how he learned multiple different languages growing up, during one of the monthly family dinners, Jason would already be Googling how to learn another language fast

And god forbid Dick messed with your hair

He was not above picking a fight with Nightwing for ruining the hairstyle he spent hours doing for you

Look, Jason wouldn't be as petty as to keep you away from his family

No, in the contrary, he really, really loved watching you be coddled and loved by some of the most powerful people on earth

Getting the childhood he had so desperately wanted

It allowed that restless part of his soul to settle knowing you had them looking out for you, always

But Jason also would always want to be your number one

Your favorite person

Your hero

You dad

Yeah, he could admit it now without fear, he's definitely your old man

How could he not be when he's cutting apples for your school snack and making sure you go to bed before nine?

Never mind his age, Jason even bought a grill so you two could barbecue on the rooftop, there's no other more dad move than that

So, after a few months of this real life sitcom, when you were both on the couch watching Pride & Prejudice (Jason's choice tonight), all cuddled up and cozy

You'd rest your head on his shoulder and sigh happily

"You don't need to do all this, you know?"

"Hm? Do what, kiddo?"

"Trying to one up everyone. It's funny and I'm not exactly opposed to being spoiled as hell–"

"You're such a brat."

"Shut up– but you'll always be my favorite, you know that, dad."

Oh.

Oh.

Ok. Wow. He was tearing up.

"Oh, fuck off, don't do this to me."

His voice would be a little wobbly as he hid his face in your hair, squeezing you gently in his arms

And you'd giggle and hug him tighter too, your face warming up nervously but no longer afraid of muttering that one little word that had been stuck in your throat for so long

You two were so, so similar in that regard, afraid of overstepping despite the bubbling emotions inside you, the overflowing love threatening to spill out

So much faith and trust, devotion, care, and adoration

And all it took was one sentence to make it all better

"I still wanna go to the convention next week, though."

And Jason would laugh, teary and almost breathless, and press a kiss to your forehead, feeling happier than he's ever felt

"Yeah, okay, you nerd."

Wonder who you got it from

That night solidified it for him, calming his anxieties and petty jealousy

Jason would always be your favorite person

And you wouldalways be his favorite little one

Nothing would ever change that

To be continued... for one last time.

[plasma-studios]

had some thoughts about the Dreamtale twins + Cross in the typical UTMV setting

@zu-is-here my apologies for tagging you in such a long post, just wanted to hear your thoughts on this analysis! (cream brainrot go brrrrrr)

Cross is a foil of both Dream and Nightmare.

Let me elaborate; they all share a mistake (or at the very least a perceived mistake) made that ended in the destruction of their world and loss of their family. Dream and Nightmare with Dreamtale, Cross with XTale.

In Nightmare's case, his mistake drives him down a path of self-destruction when he's corrupted by the apple as he loses himself. This is paralleled by Cross' own self-loathing created by his own mistake in XTale's last timeline. This mistake drives them down a path of self-destruction, and it isolates them.

In Dream's case, he also made a mistake (or, a perceived one, be it unintentional neglect or ignorance of Nightmare's situation depending on the interpretation) that cost him both his world (Dreamtale) and his family (Nightmare).

However, although Cross is a foil of both, it is with Dream where he can find healing with because of one key difference between the aftermath of how Dream and Nightmare's respective mistakes, of the difference of how they emerged from their mutual tragedy.

2. The parallel between their tragedies

Nightmare's story was and is a tragedy. The story of XTale is also a tragedy. Dreamtale is in itself a tragedy, from Nim's departure fueled by paranoia of her peers to her dying alone because of it. From the very start it was a tragedy. Though the birth of the Dreamtale twins was indeed a hope born of Nim's death, they too suffered their own tragedy of the Apple Incident.

There we see a pattern. Tragedy, hope, then tragedy.

But after tragedy, is hope. And that hope in this iteration of the cycle is Dream. Dream is a representation of how kindness and hope can survive through tragedy. That no mistake is unforgivable, unsalvageable.

That concept of how no mistake is salvageable is exactly what a self-loathing Cross needs. Does he not have the tendency to hold onto his sin, his mistakes? And his self-loathing, self-blame. Dream's existence is a manifestation of the antithesis to what he believes himself to be: there is more to post-tragedy than pain, than regret, than shame. He still has the capacity to be kind. to love. He is still able to love, and be loved. He is not unsalvageable.

3. As such, Dream is Cross' penance.

Dream represents both how a sin/fault, no matter how disastrous or destructive, is the end of. Dream represents the hope that contradicts the very idea of self-blame and self-damnation.

If Cross' sin is hating himself, healing is his penance. Forgiving himself, his own mistakes, through the embodiment of a mistake repented for through kindness. Through Dream.

Dream is his penance for his sin against himself.

And thus, Dream is Cross' weakness because he is Cross' penance.

4. Because Cross is a foil of Nightmare, Cross is also Dream's penance.

Even if Dream could not save his brother from losing himself, at least he could save someone from their self-destruction. At least, this time, he could save someone from themself.

As such, Cross is Dream's weakness because he is Dream's penance.

[fandomsarefamily1966]

Here's a part 2, everyone!

Part 2: The March sisters as the Pevensie siblings from the Chronicles of Narnia. (This one's a bit trickier, as there's more differences than similarities, but I still think it works.)

Meg: Susan. The oldest sister who has to become a second mom to her siblings, is the most practical out of all of them, and temporarily abandons her principles to try and fit in. (Of course Meg doesn't lose her whole family like Susan does, but I'm sure Susan will find her way back like Meg does.)

Jo: Peter. The hot blooded older sibling who puts their family first, and gets along best with the 'heart' of the family. (I just thought of this, but I feel like he's essentially what Jo wishes she could be as a boy.)

Beth: Lucy. The heart of the family who everyone adores, and who keeps her faith no matter what, who may seem angelic but still makes mistakes like everyone else, and who dies a tragic but 'good Christian death' at the end. (Lucy isn't shy like Beth is, of course, but I do feel like she'd have some trouble fitting in after leaving Narnia.)

Amy: Edmund. The troublemaker of the family who's quite antagonistic at first, but then the consequences of their actions come back to haunt them, and they resolve to try and be better people from then on. (While Amy is only selfish and just antagonizes Jo, Edmund is a bully and even betrays his siblings to the White Witch before repenting, but everything else still applies.)

@princesssarisa

[hoarding-niffler]

I looked up a youtube video where you turn Sebastian in and I was absolutely right, after the end of the game you speak to Ominis and he mentions that he is going to visit Anne soon. I *knew* he’d know where she was staying!

Also if you rat him out Sebastian will be expelled and face trial at the Ministry. Ominis also says, “Although Anne wanted to turn him in, I think now she’s torn. I confess I know how she feels. As much as we all wanted Sebastian to face the consequences of his actions--it will never be the same without him. Just standing here in the Undercroft without Sebastian feels wrong.”  Another interesting thing is that Ominis talks to Sebastian before he leaves so he knows who really cursed Anne. Ominis explains, “At first, he wouldn’t believe it. Then he realised it all made sense. Unfortunately, his anger only grew--towards goblins and Dark wizards. Anne was shocked too--but in some sense relieved to know the truth about who was responsible. I think it brought her some peace.”  Ominis is absolutely grieving here.  “Sebastian was my best friend. I can’t imagine Hogwarts--or anywhere--without him. I know you two had grown close. That you were helping each other with more than just finding a cure for Anne. He never gave specifics, but I know it was important. He meant--means--a lot to us both. I hope we get the chance to tell him that one day.

What do we take away from that? 

Ominis and Anne are *close* and he does know where she stays.

Anne and Ominis regret their decision to turn Sebastian in

Instead of wanting to repent and make up for his mistakes like he does when you keep his secret, Sebastian spirals without his family and becomes even more hateful

Despite you turning him in he never broke his promise and spilled your secrets. Not before, not after

Yeah, I’d feel pretty bad if I turned him in now lmao 

Good thing I will never ever do that. :D 

[psycheetamore]

Cleansing of the soul - part 2

Summary: Glossu Rabban failed to capture the pet of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and now needs to repent for his crimes. The question is whether his brother will save him. Weirdly, Feyd is the fluffy one here, sort of, although he has zero respect for family ties

Tags: MDNI, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen Is His Own Warning, smut, humiliation, bondage, violence/torture, vengeance, mutilation, death, Feyd spilling himself, predator/prey, a different form of Feyd's Fucking and Fighting, Feyd' bloodthirst fades compared to OC's bloodthirstyness, Feyd getting turned on by it, Feyd giving his lady what she craves, disfunctional family - the author regrets nothing

Part 6 of 6 of my contribution to the predator/prey thrope for Kinktober of @lady-phasma - nr 1-4 are chapters of 1 story (1-3 Feyd/OC hunt related, nr 4 is the reward for our lord), and nr 5-6 is me sharing my favourite chapter that I have written to date with the hunt between Glossu Rabban/OC. This is the last bit. The most bloody and gore-y bit.

Word count: 4.7k

Based on chapter 11 of Choosing to Follow Destiny - this is my favourite chapter my darlings

“Drop your weapons, NOW” a gruff voice said which only reached Rabban’s ears.

Feyd's pet unintendedly rolled off Rabban, as he fell on his knees. It was only than that she was forced back into this reality, to see the former ruler over Arrakis starting to beg the current to be saved.

It disgusted her. ‘Did this man have no honour?’ she thought.

She was quick to gather her wits as she knew what was about to happen. She needed to step in and stop anything from threatening her path to justice and the final resolution of her fear.

“NO!” she howled to Feyd-Rautha. The first words to leave her mouth since she stopped her verbal barrage towards his brother. “He is no longer yours! You cannot save him. He is mine! Your Baron disowned him! Your family rejected him!” as she pointed one of her daggers at the na-Baron.

He had never seen her like this before. She growled like an animal, claimed his brother as if she were a predator that caught a prey and was facing a bigger carnivore to steal it. If he would not have seen these words coming from her mouth, he would not have recognised him. Guttural sounds. Nothing like the lady she was.

“He is mine! You cannot protect him! His life is mine!” She pushed her knee in Rabban's back, put her dagger to his throat and said with an otherworldly deep voice: “stay away Feyd.”

Briefly looking up she saw his surprised face. Knowing she still needed Feyd-Rautha’s support, she said with a voice laced with more caution but with words still chosen too quickly and without sufficient attention: “Lord Feyd. Lord Baron.”

She recognised the mistakes she had made and continued: “whatever. He needs to atone for his sins.” Back to her dark and fear instilling voice she slowly said: “you do not want to get in my way. You will not get in my way.”

Feyd-Rautha saw her blood boiling. It oozed through her eyes, her mouth, her skin. She was delightful. Even though he did not know it, this was how he had longed to see her like. Aggressive. Feral. Truly dangerous. Lethal. Ready to spill blood. He wanted to claim her, there and then, but she was right. Rabban had lost the protection of the Great House of Harkonnen.

He was pleased to see that she lived up to her promise to be able to take on Rabban, although her skin showed that he had not gone down without a fight. Rabban was not allowed to touch his ladies. He felt a form of fury coming up in him.

“Are you hurt, my darling?” he said with anger in his voice directed at his brother.

She knew why he had asked her this. She saw the look in his eyes. His longing. His claim of ownership. Seeing someone trying to play with his toys. She knew what he wanted to do. She also knew how possessive he could be. Levers to keep the na-Baron in check. She looked at Feyd-Rautha and tauntingly said, to remove any chance of the na-Baron stopping her: “you know your brother came looking for me? That wasn't to have a nice talk, you know. He wanted something else. Something he saw we have been doing. He wants to fight and fuck me, like you do. Knowing that if he touches me, he hurts you. But he failed, as you see. He is undeserving and weak.”

Shifting the focus of her voice back to her hostage: “the damage he caused is nothing compared to what the na-Baron’s hands inflict” pushing the blade tighter onto his artery.

“The bitch is lying!” her prey screamed.

Feyd-Rautha squatted down and lowered his head to see eye to eye with Rabban, while she remained in her position. He could of course help Rabban. Or try to help him. She had positioned herself well on him. If he would use physical force to get her off, she would have enough time to cut his brother’s throat.

And, what use would that be to him. Especially if Rabban tried to take what was his, something off-limits. Someone needed to resolve the mess their uncle had created, and she was doing that right now.

It was a good decision that he gave her these daggers several days ago. It was a pleasure seeing her put them to good use. He noticed her hands were covered in blood, yet she governed the blades. Excellent craftmanship, excellent execution. Her insults were a treasure. He could watch this all day.

He came to reconsider why he stopped her. He was sorry that he wasn't here to see the entire altercation take place. Maybe he could still make that happen.

He put a hand under Rabban’s chin to tilt his head up and said: “dear brother, I don't know what you did to make her this upset, but I am happy I am not in your shoes.”

As he removed his hand from his face to stand up, Rabban pleaded: “she is your pet. Your whore. Get her leashed. Punish her. A Harkonnen cannot be treated like this.”

“You are not a Harkonnen, you never were, Rabban” Feyd-Rautha coldly said. He needed to refrain himself from kicking his brother to the ground.

Rabban screamed: “kill the bitch. She is the Fremen leader that brought our house down in Arrakis. She will be the end of you!”

“She did not do that. You betrayed and humiliated our family. I advise you to just atone for your sins and get this over with. Just be happy it is not me that you tried to attack.” Laughingly he added: “and yes, she is the Sadus. My pet has captured you. My pet, that warms my bed and is eager to be filled by me, is the most feared Fremen warrior. You could not handle her attacks in Arrakis, and you could not handle these while surprising her in a library. And here she is, purring for my favours. Isn’t this a fitting introduction? My pet has advanced your downfall and has captured you. My pet is a delightful treat, just imagine the joy she brings me every day and every night. You might want her benevolence, but you cannot handle it, clearly.”

He cleared his throat as he said: “and now she has a pet of her own.”

Standing up he continued: “this is another first. I have never had a pet who had a pet. What do you want to do with your new pet, miss Yaina?”

“He needs to make up for his wrongdoings. He needs to walk with me.” She shifted her head slightly: “the traditional Fremen way” as she looked straight into Feyd-Rautha’s blue yet dark eyes with a fearless view.

“I won’t let you go denied” he confirmed.

He signed the verdict by: “you heard her, brother. You will walk.”

She looked at Feyd-Rautha and thought ‘deceiving lying condescending bastard. I will deal with you when the time is there. But first, you will help me get my way with Rabban, and you will like it.’

+++

She changed into her Fremen clothes, without cleaning her skin. She grabbed the collar necklace Feyd-Rautha had given her for his personal fête of freedom he had hosted a few days ago, requested her servants to bring her a leash, a whip with nine tails and hooks, and a bag of salt. All of this they brought surprisingly quickly and without any questions raised. It surprised her, although it shouldn’t.

Feyd-Rautha, who just came from his training to collect her from the library, was still wearing battle gear and waited with his brother at the courtyard of the palace. They did not know what she was planning exactly, but the na-Baron had a hunch it could become dangerous, so had loaded full arms for this experience. He was always well prepared.

With deliberate and slow steps she walked towards Rabban, who was standing near the end of the courtyard. She would be savouring every moment. There was no rush, the na-Baron had taught her that.

As she walked to bridge the 60 or so meters between where she entered the yard and the brothers stood, Rabban and Feyd-Rautha could see her with increasing detail. They saw her change of clothes. They saw the harness with the daggers glistering in the light of the star. They saw she was holding things in her hand which dragged over the ground.

Rabban started to get anxious. She had prepared for something. He wondered whether he should plead to his brother again for mercy. He had saved him in the library, so surely he would protect him again.

As she got more nearby, they saw she held a whip and a leash.

Rabban was not happy, but he could endure some humiliation and some pain. And this was a mere woman, would could she bring to him that he could not deal with?

As she got closer, Feyd-Rautha recognised she had bound the collar to the leash. He chuckled as he said to his brother: “you are in for a treat.” Deep inside of him he tried to imagine how it would be if he would be keeping his brother on a leash, or better her on a leash. His mind wandered off to see himself kept on this leash by her, if she would be so kind to indulge him in that pleasure. It aroused him. He almost felt jealous.

With 10 meters between them and her, they saw the whip had metal hooks. Rabban gasped, turned to his brother and started to plead to let him go. He told him he was sorry. Sorry for attempting to violate his pet. Sorry for touching something that was his. Sorry for everything else he had done over time.

Feyd-Rautha was delighted to hear this. Feyd-Rautha ignored him.

When she neared them with just a few meters left, Rabban turned himself to face her. He broadened his body, opened his mouth to start to scream profanities. He did not know how to get out of this frighting situation, so resolved to his modus operandi: trying to intimidate.

While the first insults left him, she accelerated, leaped slightly up and kicked him high enough to his chest causing him to fall. She would not be wasting any words responding to whatever he had to spit to her. Her actions would do the talking, show him his wrongs.

While he laid on the cold stones for all guards to see, she stepped over him to grab the skin of his neck. With her nails painfully in his flesh, she tugged him up on his hands and knees. Utter humiliation before the men he once had commanded, but this no longer concerned him. What occupied his mind was what she would be doing next, considering all her preparation.

He could do nothing but accept the position he was forced in. His brother clearly was not planning on saving him anytime soon.

She proceeded to sit on his back, making herself comfortable. For a moment he feared she would be forcing him to carry her on all fours, which would be ridiculous sight. But that did not appear to be the case, as he felt her cold hands over his neck: she was fixing a collar around him. He heard his brother chuckle and comment: “I did not expect you to use it like that, my darling.” It was as if he was kicked to the gut. He had no one to go to for help. He was here by himself.

To the collar a leash was connected. Surely, she must have been inspired by his brother. Perhaps this was even all his idea. It had his signature all over it. Everything was about power with him. No better display than treating someone like an animal on a rope. He concluded that he had no help to be expected from his brother. Probably he masterminded all of it. He would need to think how he would repay him. This was unacceptable, even to his younger brother’s standards.

“Crawl, you runt. I will save your soul” she commanded him, as she tugged the leash and kicked him hard to his backside to get him to start moving.

“Open the gates!” she shouted. A few seconds later, the na-Baron nodded to the guards and off they went.

From a-far the Baron was looking at the spectacle. His disowned nephew was on his own. It would not have been an outcome he would have favoured, but he could use this as leverage against Feyd-Rautha, his prisoner and anyone who would not be living up to the Harkonnen name. Perhaps, this could even be leveraged against the duke Atreides.

Before her lay a grand allée, the one she had been flown over by the na-Baron, who had praised the architecture and explained all the symbolism behind the buildings. She would force Rabban to walk down the entire allée, past each of these tokens of Harkonnen power, as utter humiliation. Wearing Fremen clothes and clearly identifiable as a woman: it all added to the punishment.

Every couple of steps she would whip him. He had decided he would not succumb to the pain. He would not give her the pleasure of knowing that he was in pain. It worked, the first few strikes. But before long she started to open his clothing, with only his flesh covering what lay beneath. And he could not refuse the pain of flesh being whipped. Of metal hooks holding tight and opening him. Of her repeated tugs to oxidise his blood.

His growls, his howls, his shouts: it aided the filling of the hole in her heart he had so ruthlessly created and re-opened. His altercations in the library had ripped the stiches apart under which her hurt was buried. He had uncovered her pain. He had inflicted this upon himself. If only he had considered what it would have meant if it were to be true: his brother taking a leader of the Fremen as a consort. He should have known how dangerous she would be to touch. Managing to survive his brother to start of with. Managing to capture his attention. Managing to thrive and be appointed as head of his private guard, where others were reduced to temporary pets and sold off. If Rabban would have considered what was happening, he would have seen that there was nothing temporary to this situation. There was nothing normal. He should have left for Lankiveil as soon as he could, to never set step on this planet again and not cross paths with his baby brother's pet.

But he did not. He did not think. And now he would pay the price, for the consequences of repeated not considering the results of his actions. The price started to be paid in blood, the Harkonnen way: red liquid flowed down his arms and legs, leaving a trail of atonement soon adorned with the marks of Feyd-Rautha’s boots who walked behind this display.

The whips continued to find his back, his shoulders, his sides, his backside. A few hooks grabbed the back of his head, tugging into the flesh behind his neck. His head being forced up straight, while she tightened the leash causing him to choke.

He was under her control. It was painful. It was degrading.

He deserved it.

There was no choice. No alternative. He was too weakened to escape. Any attempt would only allow his brother and his bitch to hunt him down and continue where they left. They had overpowered him.

His uncle was nowhere to be found.

Since his birth, his emotions had been broken down enough not to be able to translate the feelings inside of him into words. If he would have been able to, he would see himself as an orphan again. Alone, again. If he had not been taken in by his uncle, forced to destroy his former home, he would have never been put in a position where he could make such grave mistakes. He should never have been promoted to rule Arrakis. The Baron should have known that was a mistake. The Baron most likely knew, but still took that step. Was it a chance out of belief to have Rabban rise to the occasion? Or a set-up to advance his brother? All of this he would never be able to vocalize and therefore not even be able to consider.

Crowds started to flock along the street, around the walking display. They were used to gruesome sights, but this was extraordinary. Never had a member of the ruling family been treated like this. Of course, they had heard stories of massacres within the palace, but always away from curious eyes. Just whispers. Now, blood was everywhere. Rabban whimpering for everyone to hear while being flogged. Where the crowd initially was silent, not knowing what to think about this and how to respond, murmuring started to sound. Despite everything that Rabban could be blamed of, he was still a representative of the house that ruled them. Of their planet. Being degraded by someone foreign, in a hostile and militaristic planet like this that were only used to seeing such people acting as game in the na-Baron’s other displays: it did not sit well.

She announced loudly: “Glossu Rabban is punished for his crimes against the people of Arrakis.”

Whip. Tug. Groan.

“His soul will be cleansed.”

Whip. Tug. Groan.

“He is atoning for his slaughter of innocent children, women and men.”

Whip. Tug. Groan.

They walked past the humongous Harkonnen coat of arms, and the monument that showed the Harkonnen motto ‘Victorious in Life and Death’ in concrete. She felt it was perfect symbolism, as she tugged the leash to get him to look up. She would make sure that he knew what she was thinking.

The hooks started to have difficulty catching on, as they were getting filled with the flesh they took from Rabban's back.

She resolved in whipping harder. The hooks would do their work.

Some people in crowd started to protest. This was no way to treat their leaders.

Rabban being treated like this was insulting to the people of Giedi Prime.

As this protest went unpunished, a few started to throw objects at the na-Baron's pet. The people on this planet had been daring to riot, allowing the young lord to receive his first true fighting experience on squashing such crowds.

She responded by kicking Rabban to the ground and have him grovel, while her foot rested on his shoulder, and she looked at the crowd.

The na-Baron knew how quickly the atmosphere could change, and needed to stop its evolution. He responded by leaping into the crowd and chopping the people down who dared to protest. Throwing a few bodies and heads on the road to show the crowd what he was ready to do.

Nobody dared to protest him.

Getting back on the middle of the wide street, he cleaned his sword on one of the bodies he had dragged with him, after which he declared with his sword held up high in the air: “this rite is punishment sanctioned by me.” Allowing a few seconds to settle the message: “anyone who dare to oppose this rite is opposing me, and will die.”

The crowd turned quiet again, any hope rising within the old lord died, the sound of cries carried far, accompanied by the sounds of the typical songs playing through the city streets, to boost working morale of the people.

Thoughts of all the friends she lost, all the hurt caused by Rabban, all that was destroyed by the Harkonnen: it all passed through her. She could not attack the entire house, nor the emperor who allowed them to do this. Not yet. But she could get a bit of revenge through this ritual. It could be the bandages through which her wounds could start to heal.

Nearing the end of the road, the humiliation was complete, yet far from done. As far as tradition goes, the rite was finalised. Yet, her revenge was still to be fully satisfied. At the end of the allée Rabban crawled on the ground, begging her to let him go. He had hoped this was the end. His wounds would take a long time to heal, but heal they would. And once he was back at his original strength, he would avenge himself. On her, on his brother, on his uncle. All of them. All of them failed him.

But not yet, first he needed to get treatment. Be let go. Escape to his birth planet.

“I will let you go. I will release you from this misery” she said. “There is one last step to this ceremony” she said misleadingly. “You need to climb on that scaffold” pointing at the podium placed at the top of the boulevard. That place was frequently used by the Harkonnen rulers for public punishments and executions.

He climbed up on the podium, wobbly and in pain. He had been crawling on stone for several kilometres, his knees opened till the bone, his hands wounded and filled with a combination of blood and dirt, his energy depleted, under extreme duress. He complied and lay on his stomach and allowed himself to be tied down. He expected a last humiliation or perhaps flogging before he was released. His brother would surely protect him for worse, as he had done earlier that day.

She stood in front of the scaffold, looking at the crowd and repeated with a loud and measured voice: “Glossu Rabban is punished for his crimes against the people of Arrakis. His soul will be cleansed. He is atoning for the massacre of innocent babes, women and men. Give him the courage to take his punishment and find peace” as she raised her arms, looked up to the sky, as if she was seeking a god.

From the side of the platform, Feyd-Rautha saw how his pet put the whip down and grabbed one of the daggers he gifted her. She told Rabban, just loud enough for the na-Baron to hear: “with this dagger, gifted by your brother, in colours honouring my Fremen heritage and covered in your blood, I will now flay you alive. Just as you Harkonnen scum would have done to me if I hadn’t saved your brother’s life.” She continued to spit at him: “but you couldn’t. You are weak and incompetent. You do not deserve to life.”

Rabban finally realised this would not end soon, and he would not be released. Not living in any case. Fear got a hold of him, as he started shouting and screaming. Trying to release himself. Wiggling all around, trying to break the bonds that held him. Pleading to his brother, to the crowd, to his uncle, to free him.

But as with all the victims to this scaffold before him: it was of no use. He had seen that many many times as spectator.

He even resolved to pleading to her. Offering money. Offering apologies. Offering to share all the secrets Feyd-Rautha had, secrets he had kept from her.

The na-Baron grew cautious, and placed a hand on one of the swords he brought, while taking a few steps towards his brother while staying outside of her view. If she would take on his offer, he would make an end to it. He would not feel any reluctance towards him, and just a bit towards her. But she would grow over it. She had her fun.

However, she could not care less. She responded to Rabban, while placing her nails in the skin at the back of his head to allow her to lift it so he could see the crowd and the crowd could see him: “scream for me Rabban, scream. I want to hear you scream. Indulge me. Satisfy me. Give me what I want. I want your pain. Your tears. All of it. Don’t hold back, or I will get it myself.” It was as if his brother was speaking through her voice.

Continuing, now facing the crowd: “Let everybody hear your screams. Let everybody learn what happens if you try to attack the Fremen. What happens if you challenge me! Everybody will learn my name today. You will clench my thirst for justice”. She pushed his face as hard as she could down on the scaffold, breaking his nose in the process, biting in his ear and ripping it off.

Feyd-Rautha backed down, not knowing whether to be fearful or aroused. Or both.

She declared, standing on the scaffold with wide arms and towering over Rabban with a blooded mouth: “Glossu Rabban has lost the protection of House Harkonnen. He is mine In life and in death. My name is Yaina. Remember my name. YAINA.” She dropped down, and started to remove all remaining clothing from the back of his body. Blood seeped cloths fell on the ground, presenting his remaining flesh to her.

She looked at him and felt she had done a good job. She could see through the different layers that made up his body: skin, fat, muscle, bone. Everything had been laid bare. And he was still awake. He was strong.

The final step in this cleansing process could be started.

Feyd-Rautha observed agreeingly. Deep inside of him he was jealous with all the attention Rabban was getting from this woman, his girl.

Rabban’s back was purified by rubbing salt in all his wounds. The pain caused him to scream and cry in sounds of desperation not yet heard that day. Somehow, he had grown accustomed to the pain of her whip, but this pain was different. It stung. It was everywhere. It did not subdue. Even without her touch it continued to hurt, and increased even in pain.

Strip by strip she followed the same process: she made a cut in the flesh, wrapped her hand around the little piece and delicately pulled it to remove the skin. The open wound would then be treated with salt. Small limbs would be cut off. Removing the remainder of his ears, fingers, toes. Flaying his arms, buttocks, legs, feet. She threw the body parts into the crowd, who remained silent during the entire process. His screams were loud enough to be heard in the palace. This was unprecedented. The daggers she was gifted, again proved to be of remarkable quality. Despite all the stress she had been putting her hands through today, they still did not feel weary.

Feyd-Rautha decided Yaina was not a fitting name for her. She did no go in for the kill as the efficient hyena would have done, from what he read in old scriptures. She toyed with her prey, seemingly unnecessary, just for fun, as the illustrious cat used to do according to folklore. Qita would have been a suitable name for her. A better name.

It took hours before all life left his body.

Any and all hunger she had was satisfied. Feyd-Rautha never left her side. The crowd that had grown to a considerable size knew they were not allowed to leave during a public execution, however impromptu. His body was kicked into the gutter by her boots.

She allowed Rabban to cleanse his soul. She received revenge for his victims. She earned a name for herself on this harsh planet. Everybody would fear her name. Another promise she had kept towards the na-Baron.

Feyd-Rautha looked at her, as evening had fallen in Barony. During the entire process she had not looked at him once. Not spoken with him. Not acknowledged him. They walked back to the palace, over the red carpet created by his brother's blood. Artificial lights beamed from behind her making her look like the goddess of vengeance, covered in blood, holding her flesh covered whip in one hand and dragging Rabban's head over the ground on the leash in her other.

Feyd-Rautha had reconciled the violence in her heart. He did not need her acknowledgement to hold this for true.

He fell in love with her that day. That evening was the first time he made love to a woman.

That night, she would sleep tight for the first time since arriving in Giedi Prime, covered in Rabban’s blood and filled with Feyd-Rautha’s seed.

She was more Harkonnen than the man she had just killed, and perhaps just as Harkonnen as the man she had bedded.

+++

Other parts listed on my pinned post

[camloveswriting]

⎯ mentor

warnings: mentions of death (not explicit)

pairing: katniss everdeen x fem!reader

desc: you previously won the hunger games and now you're a mentor for district 12. you used to be best friends with katniss, until you were picked to participate in the games.

wc: 2095

note: i wrote this a while ago so pls lmk if u see any mistakes!

Y/N woke up to Haymitch shaking her awake. She was aware that she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t know why. Then it hit her. She’d had a nightmare. Nightmares were fairly normal for her, especially in the days before the Reaping.

“Y/N, breathe. In, 1, 2, 3. Out, 1, 2, 3.” Haymitch spoke in a quiet voice that was only ever reserved for her.

“I’m fine, Haymitch. It was just a dream.”

“Are you sure? This is the third night in a row.”

“No, I’m fine,” she protested weakly.

Haymitch sighed but let the young girl walk past him to her bathroom. She rinsed her face off with water in a desperate attempt to fully wake herself up. She could still feel her heart pounding, but it was getting slower.

"I'm heading back to my house to get ready," Haymitch yelled.

"Okay,"

Knowing that Haymitch would most likely be late, she turned to her closet. She’d already picked out her dress the night before, so she simply slipped it on before settling on a nice pair of sandals. They were originally Effie’s, their District’s escort, but she’d given them to Y/N when she mentioned she only had one pair of shoes.

Y/N was fine with that, but Effie was distraught at the idea. Therefore, Y/N had new shoes.

She then applied her new perfume, also a gift from Effie. (That lady had a serious problem!) It smelt like spring flowers, perfect for the weather that day.

After deciding against any makeup, she headed downstairs to grab something for breakfast before the Reaping. Haymitch had gone back to his house, hopefully, to get ready and not go back to bed. He had a problem with that.

She stuck two slices of bread into the toaster and grabbed a plate while they cooked. She then grabbed the jam out of the fridge before applying it generously to the two slices of toast.

After she finished eating, Y/N grabbed her bracelet from the counter and slipped it onto her wrist. It was from Katniss, nearly 3 years ago. She still wore it every time she went out.

The girl left the house, making a quick run to Haymitch’s house so they could walk together.

It was a short trip to the Justice Hall, something Y/N despised. She hated living so close to that place, but it was non-negotiable.

She ran into Prim on the way there, who was seperated from the rest of her family. She must've already checked in. Even though she and Katniss weren’t friends any longer, Prim still loved her. She waved before attempting to follow Haymitch up to the part of the stage they needed to be on. Keyword: Attempting.

One thing about Y/N was she was not above shoving a child, which was something she was currently doing. Though Haymitch’s reputation with 12 was down the drain, Y/N’s was not. They loved her. A bit too much, in her opinion, but what could she do about it?

The kids stared at her in awe, even the ones older than her. They seemed to not be able to form a coherent sentence without passing out, which made Y/N want to laugh.

“Excuse me,” she said, still trying to push her way through the kids to get to the stage. “I need through.”

She finally made her way through the children before standing at Haymitch’s side. He was sending her a look that she did not appreciate, and she knew he would laugh at her if she didn’t say something.

“Shut up.”

He laughed anyway.

“It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks,” the Mayor started.

Y/N didn’t really have an opinion of him, they’d never gotten the chance to talk.

He reads off the list of past District 12 victors, though Y/N and Haymitch were the only two alive.

The crowd applauded them, but Haymitch got confused and tried to give Effie the biggest hug Y/N had ever seen. She barely managed to fend him off.

“Haymitch,” Y/N hissed.

She grabbed his arm and tugged him back over to her, holding him upright so he didn’t fall off the stage again. Yes, it’s happened before.

The mayor looked distressed, probably because all of that was being televised. District 12 was always the laughingstock of Panem anyway, so Y/N didn’t know why he even cared.

“I’d like to invite Y/N L/N to the mic for a quick word about the Games.”

Y/N looked up, shocked. He’d never asked her to do that before, why now?

She walked up anyway, after making sure that Haymitch was okay with Effie.

“Um, hello?” she said, cringing when the mic screamed in protest.

“Thank you all for coming. This is a very important time of the year. I wish you all good luck and a happy Hunger Games.” she finished, silently willing Effie to take over. She thought she’d done pretty well for not being prepared.

The crowd had clapped much louder than they did for the mayor, Y/N noticed. It’s what he deserved for making her say something with no warning.

Effie walked past her, squeezing her arm as she did so.

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”

She mentions what an honor it was to be there, though Y/N knew she was lying. She had complained about 12 many times in the few years Y/N had known her.

“Ladies first!” she all but yelled into the mic as she crossed the stage to the girls’ names. She reached in and dug her hand deep into the ball, pulling out a slip of paper. The crowd drew in a collective breath. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Primrose Everdeen!”

Y/N let out a loud gasp, feeling Effie and Haymitch look in her direction, worry etched onto their faces. There was no way Prim was called, there were way too many slips for that. Some kids had hundreds, Prim only had one!

“Prim!” Katniss yelled from across the square.

No, Katniss, please, was all Y/N could think.

“Prim!” she yelled again.

The crowd parted for her much easier than they had done for Y/N. She reached her sister only seconds before she could mount the steps. With one sweep of an arm, she pushed Prim behind her.

“I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!”

Y/N stared in horror as her old best friend signed her life away in seconds. And there was nothing she could do about it.

“Lovely! But I believe there’s a small matter of introducing the Reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth then we, umm,” she trailed off, unsure of herself.

“Let her go,” Y/N said in a stony voice as she tried not to cry in front of the whole District.

Prim, on the other hand, was hysterical. “No, Katniss! No! You can’t go!”

“Prim, let go,” Katniss said quite harshly, probably trying not to cry as well.

“Let go!”

Gale came up behind them and pulled Prim off Katniss’ back. He whispered something to her that Y/N couldn’t make out, not that she cared very much. She’d never liked Gale. He seemed like the type of guy to guilt-trip Katniss into dating him.

As she walked up the stairs, she nodded at Y/N in thanks for helping her.

“Well, bravo!” Effie gushed. “That’s the spirit of the Games! What’s your name?”

“Katniss Everdeen,” she gulped.

“I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don’t want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on everybody! Let’s give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!”

It stayed silent. Y/N raised an eyebrow in surprise. Nobody had ever blatantly ignored the Capitol like that. Then something unexpected happened. Slowly, the members of the crowd touched the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and held it out for Katniss.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N did the same. She was aware she could get killed for that, but she couldn’t bring herself to care that much.

Haymitch took a step away from Y/N, startling her in the process. He was about to do something stupid, she just knew it.

“Look at her. Look at this one! Lots of… spunk!” he said triumphantly. “More than you! More than you!” he shouted, pointing at the camera.

He’d only made it about four feet away from Y/N, so she darted forward and caught his arm right before he tried to plummet off the stage and knock himself unconscious.

“Come on, Haymitch,” she said, trying to pull the heavy man back up for the last few minutes of the Reaping.

After a few moments of struggle, she succeeded. She pulled him back to their original area on the right side of the stage and held onto his waist. She held on tight enough that he wouldn’t be able to get away again and embarrass himself for the second time in one Reaping.

“Sorry,” she announced to the crowd, who had turned silent at the show in front of them.

“What an exciting day!” Effie droned, trying to take the attention of Y/N and Haymitch. “But more excitement to come! It’s time to choose our boy tribute!”

She walked over to the other bowl and slipped her hand inside. She grabbed the first slip she felt, pulling it out and walking back to the podium.

“Peeta Mellark!”

Y/N had only ever heard of the boy in passing, but she’d never interacted with him before. She still felt sorry, though. He was only a child.

The boy steadily climbed onto the stage and took his place next to Effie and Katniss. Effie asked for volunteers, but nobody stepped forward.

The crowd waited in bated silence for the mayor to finish his speech so they could go home. He read the Treaty of Treason, as he did every year.

The moment the anthem ended, Katniss and Peeta were taken into custody. Y/N followed behind them, as she was needed, too. The tributes were led to their rooms while Y/N circled back to talk to Prim.

When she arrived back at the square, Haymitch was nowhere to be seen. She spotted Prim and her mother, though, so she started heading their way. She knew she probably shouldn’t have, but her legs kept walking.

“Prim,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. She’d grown a lot from the last time Y/N had talked to her. She looked older now, more mature.

“Y/N! I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I know, I’m sorry about that.”

Prim replied by wrapping her arms around the taller girl and nearly squeezing the life out of her.

“I missed you,” she whispered into Y/N’s shoulder.

“Me too,”

Prim reluctantly pulled away so Y/N could speak to Ms. Everdeen.

“Y/N-”

“I’m going to do everything I can to keep her alive. I promise.” Y/N interrupted, needing to convince herself as well.

“I know.”

Prim tugged on her mom’s sleeve, alerting her that it was time to say goodbye to Katniss.

Y/N watched as they walked away, already thinking of everything she could do to support Katniss and get her out alive.

[elaynetrakand]

Jane Austen's Emma was such a formative book for me because the main female character spends the bulk of the novel being blatantly wrong and sometimes even hurtful, yet she is still consistently, unconditionally loved by almost everyone who knows her.

Even Knightley still wants to marry her and decides to propose before he knows she's repented and corrected her mistakes with Harriet. He's upset with her, yes, but he still loves and accepts her and wants her, flaws and all.

It was the first book I ever read where the heroine didn't have to be a paragon of virtue, or repent of her sins first, in order to be worthy of everyone's love. Emma does repent, yes, but all her friends and family still consider her worthy even before she repents.

That was so important to me, and it made me a lifelong fan of female characters being accepted for who they are, of female characters who are allowed to be hurtful sometimes, and deeply flawed, and still be considered worthy humans deserving of love.

[sepublic]

Vee has the parallels with Luz that make her reconsider the choices she made, while also foreshadowing for the Day of Unity, and so forth. And I think Vee has the additional narrative function of complicating the idea of Camila just moving to the Boiling Isles, too; As uncomfortable as she still is four years later, Camila’s a supportive mother so fans naturally figured she’d make the sacrifice of moving to the Demon Realm for Luz’s sake, so Luz wouldn’t have to worry about leaving her mom behind. But with Vee’s introduction, it’s not that simple; Because Vee is someone who really wants to stay in the human world and even has her own friends there. And Vee is family, she’s Camila’s other daughter so she can’t just leave her either.

In a way, Vee is like the extended family Camila and Luz would have in the human world, that would deepen the ties they still have with it. Though I would’ve loved to explore their Dominican heritage via their biological relatives and other aspects, to emphasize what’s connecting them to the human world… That said, with Yesterday’s Lie being written after the crew learned of the shortening, I can see how the writers settled for Vee serving that purpose, because she already pulls off the other functions I mentioned before; It keeps things concise when the show’s runtime led to established setup like the Bat Queen’s owner or half of the coven heads being left unexplored. ‘Creepy Luz’ had already been introduced in S1, so there was a prior obligation to explain something already connected to the Nocedas.

And I can see the ties to Vee adding to Luz’s guilt, because in addition to Vee’s existence suggesting to Luz that she never needed to leave in the first place (which is of course a logical fallacy, but her trauma-riddled brain understandably isn’t being rational), it also makes her feel obligated to stay in the human world. Because Camila obviously wants to look after Vee too, and Luz wants stay with her mom, which means all three Nocedas might have to stay in the human world to make that work, since they aren’t certain about there being a new, permanent portal to normalize travel.

There’s now a new layer to her conflict; Luz wouldn’t want to force Vee to lose her own family again (first her fellow basilisks, then Masha and co. when Luz reclaimed her identity), because she doesn’t feel right making that decision for somebody else who she’d tell herself has had it worse. As for Vee, I wonder if she felt obligated to find her fellow basilisks back in the Boiling Isles, and hoped to invite them to the human realm to stay together… At which point, at least Vee can have it both ways, to Luz’s relief. And after her guilt in helping Belos, for Luz her sister would’ve been almost an excuse not to go back to enjoying the Demon Realm.

Because doing so means allowing herself to try being happy, it means letting herself pursue her dreams again, whilst forgiving herself. And in her repentant state of mind, that would’ve been difficult for Luz to accept; That it’s okay for her to keep trying to be happy and consider what she wants. It means facing her guilt by moving on, and taking risks by allowing the possibility of mistakes again; She’s allowed to make mistakes, and Luz shouldn’t have to fear them because of repentance for whatever harm she might cause.

And in the end, the Collector helped to create a new portal; And because of that, everyone could be happy. Vee didn’t have to abandon her new friends and home, but she didn’t have to lose her new mom and sister either; Similarly, Luz and Camila wouldn’t have to forsake a fellow Noceda, as well as everything else about the human world they still held dear, such as their culture.

On Vee’s end, she can also be reunited with her Basilisk family, who now live at the University of Wild Magic! So Vee could still have her own ties to the Demon Realm that she’s allowed to keep, and not be the only Noceda sister interested in maintaining contact; Her siblings still seem fond of the isles, so they too have it both ways with family and their home. In that case, the entire Noceda family —Manny, Camila, Luz, Vee— really is a family of immigrants navigating two worlds at once! Luz might not have been so alone in her dilemma after all, which is another thing for her and Vee to bond over, and a reassurance for her wish because Luz is understood not just by her mother, but her sister as well… It was always available for Luz to work with Vee about what they wanted once the situation had settled.

And finally, Luz can still explore the Demon Realm and hang out with her friends there, while studying its magic; Her quincenera having both families of both worlds, mixing in aspects of her Dominican heritage with the Boiling Isles’ take on things, perfectly encapsulates all of this. None of this would’ve happened if Luz hadn’t let herself go to the Boiling Isles again to help, because she was needed to speak to the Collector, after all, and they helped reconnect the worlds. And she wouldn’t have kept visiting after returning to the human world had Camila not helped Luz forgive herself for loving the Demon Realm.