#as long as their characters dont regress

[popstart]

the moment people stop being comically against courtney is the day i stop making fun of them for being weird and wrong. stop being weird about a fictional character in ways that are hilariously stupid and ill stop calling you hilariously stupid

[youngyoo-apologist]

Writing fanfic with like 90% of the plot already planned is so funny but also so painful because every time there’s a mystery I purposefully put into the story as something that will be foreshadowed to revealed and revealed later in just praying people don’t think its a plot hole.

Like for example, the timeline OG Cale and Choi Han living in being different from TBoaH with some similarities. (The major differences being that Lily Henituse is alive, and while the rest of the continent took a pretty hard hit with the war, the Roan Kingdom managed to rebuild some of itself later in the war) , this one is so important because like, things aren’t supposed to be that way! I didn’t change canon for no reason! That happened for a reason! Guys! I swear!

Same thing with like KRS and OG Cale being able to hear eachother since they were young through their dreams, like that also has a reasoning behind it I promiseeee guys I swear😭😭 it’s like my biggest irrational fear that people will think that I’m just doing these things with nothing to back them up even though I know I shouldn’t rlly think abt it too much and just write the story like I intended 😭😭

I feel like a part of writing fanfic, especially LCF fanfic that makes me so nervous is the fact that canon is already and established and really well written universe. If things change, I feel like I need to make it OBVIOUS that they changed on purpose and not cause I’m changing things for the sake of changing them.

Sometimes I re read older chapters and go “wow, the delivery of this line sucked! I should re-write that slightly” because I’ve gotten better at phrasing things but WHAT IF ITS TOO LATEEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 when I don’t have a limited vocabulary anymore it’s going to be the day I write something real good

Like I’m reading the early chaoters of [In the Borderline] and it’s like, FUCK some of these things just look like a dues ex machina even though they have reasons behind them.

I think a huge part of it is because of the wording, and how sudden everything is, I should have emphasized the characters confusion to these things to as a way to show that yes, things are off, BUT I DIDNT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS WRITING I FORGOT TO PROOF READ 😭😭😭😭 AND NOW ITS TOO LATEEE

Idk I’m just saying stuff at this point, but I guess my point is for a story like lcf, I want my fanfic to be something good becauee I really love lcf. I want to be able to write a story that shows how much I love the characters and things I want to see happening, but without erasing importance of characters or anything from TCF because I firmly believe that KRS is important no matter what.

There are things I will never change, like KRS being the one to name Raon, KRS being the children averaging whatever years old’s father, KRS having the silver shield(cause I think that’s like THE ancient power that represents him, that and Vitality of the Heart)

In a regression fic like [In the Borderline], where the time line has diverged so much, and in general is a fic that plays the long game when it comes to plot points, I just want it to be clear that everything happens for a reason and that I’ll never change KRS’s importance to the story, cause in that fic, OG Cale and KRS are both so important.

Choi Han too but he’s like, supposed to be cool and mysterious rn I can’t reveal too much abt him and TBoaH and why the world Cale and Choi Han lived in has so many differences from TboaH novel

[asgardian--angels]

EIGHT SEASONS DOWN THE ROAD WHAT

from (x)

[hirachat]

LONG POSTT i wanna ramble ab illustrhater for a bit dont mind me

i infamously live for filler so i had a blast with the premiere episode :) i wanted to breifly (lmao) talk about this ep bc oh my goodness i have faith in the writers this season bc they understand our characters so well

the way mari wants to initiate casual intimacy with adrien but doesnt know how bc shes never played that role before in a relationship (luka initiated most of it honestly) was genuinely so cute. plus shes obviously not really scared of *him* but is scared to not be *enough for him* which is where i predicted any conflict between them would go. and i dont see this as regression but more as a realistic timeline for growing up with anxiety. bc mari isnt just anxious sometimes, she has anxiety!! shes an anxious person who over thinks everything, so it makes sense that she would over complicate the smaller things in life too. im so glad theyre staying true to that aspect of her character while still keeping some of her confidence.

mari then switching to ladybug every time she got overwhelmed by trying to be close with her “perfect boyfriend” was actually so funny. bc here she is manufacturing problems in her personal life, only to then go to her alter ego where she has so many other things to worry about, but because she didnt create the problem herself she wants to fix it! 😭😭 i loved that

and chat noir staying with her was so funny, he was just watching her spiral for so long im sure he was nervous for her. and adrien hesitating to leave the date 👀 im keeping tabs on that hehehehe. adrien in general was super chill and was very much not used to initiating intimate contact with mari, to the point where he didnt even pick up on their lack of casual closeness. i blame that on the trauma honestly.

and then the kwamataga, oh my god. i strongly believe that alya would be an amazing guardian and she was the most obvious choice (no i will not argue ab this, i am a chat noir is an equal truther to the bone but this is just different shhhhh). HOWEVER, i hate the role of the guardian. its just so sad. your memories being wiped? having a target on ur back until u are taken out or renounce your role? thats so heavy, and im sure mari deliberated over it for a while. but damn. i was hoping that mari would find a way to avoid the fate of the guardians before her. and now that burden is being passed over to alya…. my heart hurts for them. the brutal cycle continues.

and then the silence after they mentioned something happening to mari was SO LOUD. GOD SHES SO DOOMED. poor babies theyre ab to go through hell.

i also loveeee chrysalis down. there was also mention of a “them” and “us” and now im just really scared 🤣 that could mean anything!!! im so excited but im also shitting myself we are not prepared for act ii of this season 😭

basically i loved it and im kinda scared for the actual lore eps bc they will hit us like a bullet train. im choosing the easy choice of enjoying life rn and avoiding the obvious impending doom looming over the narrative bc im TERRIFIED 😭

[enchantedsword]

i read to many wukong somehow ends up human/mostly human the same way mk does, deaged/amnesia and sick wukong fics and now i want to make one thats a mix of all three, i dont have much but i do have a little.

basically wukong caught the nine headed demon trying to wake and take mk, he tried to stop him but the resulting fight ended in wukongs powers and memories being sealed and regressed in age, the nine headed demon leaves them both in the city, where the eventually are found by pigsy and tang(who are married), wukongs is the same age as mk so its assumed they are half demon twins, since mk looks pretty much fully human, while wukong still has his tail and his peach shaped face mark.

as for the sick wukong part of this, i was thinking since his powers are sealed, i think his immortality is also sealed(i dont know how just pretend it makes sense), a lot of his past injuries have reared up and cause a lot of health problems, the furnace resulting in eye problems making him need glasses, along with lung problems, immune system problems caused buy 500 years under a mountain and being fed molten copper, plus the malnutrition, and highly intense migraines caused by of the circlet

they find out about these medical issues shortly after pigsy and tang takes them both in, it caused a bit of trauma for everyone, and a long string of doctor and hospital visits, never really getting a clear diagnosis, but always being told not to expect a long life for him. wukong grows up with a lot of love and support, but he does have a lot of guilt and self conscience issues about being a burden medically and financially. they also found out early on that his body cant handle hot foods or meats. pigsy and sandy make up for their fight a lot sooner then in canon due to sandy training service cats, and they have get one for wukong.

what no one realizes is that wukong is on a time limit, if they dont unlock his powers at least then he will eventually die because of his health problems

wukong is still his hyperactive and impulsive self(he is definitely audhd) but he does have a lot of limitations due to his health and hes weak because of it(and the fact his powers are sealed), he is howeververy agile and loves to do parkour when hes actually feeling well enough. hes obviously a lot kinder due to being raised by tang and pigsy and growing up with mk, he is still a little shit and a bit of a prankster, never cruel ones though. a little socially awkward since his constant health problems and resulting doctors and hospital visits caused him to miss out on school a lot growing up, mei and mk being his only friends. they met mei around the time they started school, mei being the only one willing to interact with the sick kid and his overprotective brother. pigsy and tang tend to hover a lot, even tho they do try to give wukong independence and encourage mk to have his own outside of wukong. the twins did grow up loving the stories of journey to the west, mks favorite character the story being wukong obviously, but wukongs favorite ends up being both tripitaka and the six eared macaque, i subscribe to the headcanon the wukong views tripitaka as a parental figure and obviously im a shadowpeach shipper.

at the time of canons start wukong is in the hospital due to a scare from a serious case of pneumonia, hes not released until around the time macaque shows up, and yeah everyone from wukongs past knows who he is or has suspicions on who he is, there are a lot of assumptions ranging from hes pretending to not know anything and "playing human" to something happened and he was reincarnated, all in all it takes a long time for all of them(mk and crew included) to realize that with all his powers and immortalies sealed that he will actually die. i really dont have a plan for how any of these confrontations and meetings would go, but i know its all gonna be angsty as hell. also lots of hurt comfort on all sides.

im not sure if i want to keep his name wukong or something with like xiaoyang or something with yang in it, either way his nickname would be sunny(i know its overdone im sorry i like it), im also throwing my headcanons in that hes trans and uses he/they pronouns. i even have a sort of idea of what he would look like by the start of canon, i love long haired haired wukong, so his hair is about shoulder length or a bit past, his outfit is a yellow hoodie with a macaque emblem on the back(boy has a crush and doesnt hide it) a pink skirt(cause i think that would be his favorite color) black leggings because he moves around a lot, and im not sure if i want to give him shoes or have him refuse to wear them. wukong, mk and mei are all about 19/20 around the start of canon.

i think thats everything, if i remember anything else ill just edit this post here

EDIT: i should probably go to bed but someone reminded me of the name shihou(thank you btw,i forget things easily) and now i have a cute/funny little scenario stuck in my head, we all know pigsy is the one that called mk monkie kid when he was found and adding wukong to that pigsy just names him sunny, tang however being the voice of reason on names gives them the legal names of qi xiaotian and qi shihou, named the baby monkey after the baby monkey cause he couldnt think of anything else and he loves jttw and hey if pigsy can name the more human looking one monkie kid and then he can get away with naming one shihou, they both still go by mk and sunny most of the time tho

[tiniestkitty]

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ activities to do with long-distance regressor/little friends !!

🩷 video games to play : 💛

𐙚🫧 Sky: the Children of the Light - free, online mobile game ( also available for the Nintendo Switch ) intended for all ages where you can dress up your character , decorate your own nest , and chat and "interact" with friends like giving hugs and holding hands! there are also plushie items you can get, as well as a very cheerful and kind environment and community. I really love this game when I'm not regressed as well. ૮ ◞ ﻌ ◟ ა

𐙚🫧 Minecraft - can be played on so many devices ! simple sandbox game, with a multiplayer option where you can join others in their worlds. you can build, play fight, explore and go on so many adventures together.

𐙚🫧 ROBLOX - free online game platform, available on mobile and on a computer. lots of different types of games, even games made specifically for regressors !! :DD

🧸 other activities: 🌼

𐙚🌧️ write each other notes on a drawing app or take a picture and send it to them ! I really love sending my regressor friend notes like this and pretending we are passing notes at school hehe ! ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

𐙚🌧️ voice chat while you color, craft or journal, if you feel comfortable

𐙚🌧️ make long distance friendship bracelets ! ( you use your beads to make one that reminds you of them, and they use theirs to make one that reminds them of you )

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡important reminder: especially if you are a minor, be careful of who your online friends may be. you should never speak to someone online who makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or oversteps your boundaries. never-ever share personal information and allways make sure the person you are talking to is who they say they are by checking their accounts on multiple platforms if you dont already know them. ૮ ◞ . ◟ ა 💛 /gen

[huevobuevo]

ive fuckingggg HAD IT . i am going to talk about gegg qsmp because idk why but charlie slimecicle made one of the best representations of age regression ive seen in media and i am NOT joking.

so i dont rlly post alot about the qsmp on my blog, thus i wouldn't be surprised if this post goes unnoticed or ignored by a vast majority of my friends & followers. for those of you who ARE reading this with no prior experience with the QSMP lemme just quickly summarize some much needed background knowledge.

(Quackity Voice) The QSMP Is The Worlds First Multi-lingual Minecraft Server; it hosts a wide variety of twitch streamers who speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. the beginning plotline of the server (which is where Gegg came into existence) follows the various players as they are grouped into pairs to care for a dragon egg. The main ones that will be talked about today are Tilin, Quackity's egg, and Juanaflippa, Slimecicle & ElMariana's egg. The eggs are, of course, played by anonymous admins, who have given these eggs their own unique personalitys despite only communicating through signs and emotes. The players have quickly imprinted on their respective eggs, as expected, and have gone on to view these eggs as their own children. The rules were simple - each egg had two lives and two lives ONLY. each day the eggs have tasks for the streamers to complete ON STREAM or else the egg could die of starvation & neglect (points at Trump, Maximus & DanTDM's egg).

i will be referring to Slimecicles character in the QSMP as Charlie or Slime for better coherency. from now on i will be referring to the characters, not the streamers.

Slimecicle and Mariana were not the best parents to Juanaflippa, but it was clear that they truly and deeply cared for their daughter. They supported her transition and, especially in Slimes case, did everything they could to make sure their daughter was safe. Juanaflippa had lost her second life due to an accident, which caused Slime to loose his shit and go on a murderous rampage to try and get the literal Minecraft Jesus Christ of Nazareth to come back and revive his daughter (she came back after a court case. long story.)

Basically Juanaflippa was loved, and she loved her parents back- but there was someone else she cared for the most in the whole wide world

Tilin, who Slime offered to take care of once her father had to log off game. There was another accident, and Tilin was caught in the crossfire between Charlie and a few mobs at night. She was on her second life, meaning that Charlie had officially ended his daughters best friend right infront of her eyes. Distraught and ashamed, Charlie ran off into self-isolation and left Juanaflippa in the care of Mariana and their friend Roier. During his "Eggxile" while he was trying to find a way to bring back Tilin, Charlie learnt that Mariana killed Juanaflippa AGAIN. Instead of going on another tirade Charlie just lost it.

He's now carrying the deaths of two children on his mind, isolating himself from what little friends he had on the main island. During his initial stay on the island there were only English and Spanish players, but when the French and Brazilian players arrived he still spent a majority of his time in isolation. Charlie wasn't apart of a good chunk of the main island lore for a long, long time, and pretty soon it began to feel like he was completely, and utterly, alone. He attended a wedding and a few parties, but it was visible how outcasted he was from all the new events and connections. He had regular breakdowns and pretty soon began to believe that Juanaflippa wasn't dead, she was just... somewhere else. He was gonna get her back. He did it once, he'll do it again. Fuck, he couldn't even bring himself to attend her own funeral, and even when he was allowed one final goodbye with his dead daughter Charlie still refused to accept the fact that Juanaflippa was never gonna come back home. He built a campfire on the beach of his Eggxile house with three chairs- one for him, one for his wife (who hadn't logged on in months), and one for Flippa.

TL;DR q!slime is going the fuck through it.

Later on Quackity decided to get Charlie in on a plan to try and steal from other peoples houses. They both lost their families, so it seemed only fair to Quackity that they ruin other people's lives as well. Basically Charlie had to pretend to be Quackity's NEW egg so that he can get close with the other eggs and fuck shit up.

Charlie liked it. Charlie... REALLY liked it, actually. His egg name was Gegg, and without knowing it he began to age regress.

Im calling Gegg a form of Age Regression because not only is Charlie mentally AND physically becoming a child, but through Gegg Charlie is allowed the freedom to escape his grief and explore what it means to be a "child" who was loved unconditionally. On the last Gegg stream Slime referred to the little goopy guy as something that lives inside of him. Gegg takes over him and he just looses himself in the act. He's not just playing a character called Gegg, he IS Gegg.

In the very first stream as Gegg he expressed his desire to learn what having a family was like- a common reason most people have for regressing. When "regressed" to this state Charlie/Gegg is constantly acting as a young child and actually enjoys it! He LOVED being Gegg! Even if it got too far in the end, Gegg was allowed to be open about his wants & emotions. Charlie was pushed back into the lives of the other players and fully reconnected with several people again for the first time since his self-imposed isolation. He gained new friends, too, once Gegg was introduced to the Brazilian and French players.

In turn the players never made any effort to expose Charlie's regression. while at the beginning there was some distrust & confusion over Charlie's sudden egg act it never went farther then a few subtle jokes at Geggs "true" identity (commenting on his backflips, which is something Charlie was known for). Aside from Wilbur, everybody treated Gegg as any other egg-child. He was cared for, his tasks would be completed on occasion, and the French+Brazilian players ESPECIALLY loved him! They supported Charlie's regression since at this point they began to realize how much shit he has been through since the deaths of Tilin and Flippa. Not only that, but the eggs as well played along with Gegg's coping mechanism; Leonarda (FoolishGamers + Vegetta777's egg) was one of the first to try and adopt Gegg as their own baby, while Chayanne (Philza+MissaSinfonia's egg) & Tallulah (Wilbur Soot's egg) acted as his "Geggsiblings" (even though Tallulah sorta got a bit rude to him during their second encounter, im guessing due to a new admin who wasn't around during Tallulah & Gegg's first interaction),

Infact, one of the best scenes of the Gegg Arc was during an interaction between Gegg & Bobby. Bobby was Roier & JaidenAnimation's egg, and he was also close to Juanaflippa & Tilin. The two kids talked through signs, where Bobby confessed that he held a grudge against Slime for what he did. Gegg said that he had every right to be upset, the poor boy had lost two of his closest friends after all. But then Bobby did something that shocked Charlie- he forgave him. he told Gegg to tell that "green guy" that he shouldn't be hard on himself anymore, both of them needed to move on already. Not only was Bobby a child, but he was one of the main eggs Quackity wanted Gegg to kill off first. Bobby was the reason why Gegg existed, the reason why Charlie was given the chance to heal from his trauma, and now he is telling Charlie to his face that its ok to forgive himself for the deaths of Tilin and Flippa.

Bobby knows who Gegg is, everybody does, which is why they treat Gegg with the same amount of love that every other egg gets.

Age Regression has frequently been misunderstood, and very rarely does it get the proper representation that it deserves. It is a very "taboo" form of coping, which is unfortunate due to how common it actually is. Most people feel uncomfortable with the image of grown adults acting as toddlers in diapers, and lump it together with the whole Age Play/DDLG ordeal- yet they fail to take into account what age regressors are ACTUALLY like. while it is something that just about anyone can do, the type of regression I will be talking about stems from people who seek refuge from traumatic events usually in their childhood. It can be voluntary or involuntary, and is a way for people to explore & reevaluate what it means to be a child. it is just that- a trauma response, one that im sure many of you participate in but are too scared to discuss it due to the stigma around it. Children who have experienced abuse regress, Teenagers who struggle with mental health regress, Adults with severe PTSD regress, and yet it is such a misunderstood part of the healing process that is practically unaccounted for in media. There is little to nothing on age regression representation that delivers it in a respectful, honest manner, due to this stigma, which only serves to push it further into the shadows of mental health discourse.

So to see age regression be used on a fucking minecraft server of all places in such a healthy light is so refreshing to see. While ironic at first, Charlie showcased age regression as something that shouldn't be shunned. It actively aided him through a dark period in his life and showed that he deserves a second chance. After Gegg canonically "died" Charlie returned to the island for his birthday and was finally ready to move on from Flippa & Tilins death (and then, yakno, the whole Codeflippa Arc happened)

TL;DR #2 Charlie Slimecicle's Character In The QSMP Age Regresses As A Way To Cope From The Deaths Of Two Eggs & Oh My God It Was Actually Really Fucking Emotional

[babyzzai]

arcane cglre labels ⋆˙⟡ ♡

vi: flip with caregiver lean // i think vi has a natural instinct to care for others, the way she cared for powder, and in a way mylo and claggor too. she just has such big sister energy that i cant not see her as a caregiver. despite this i think she still needs her own regression time, and her own time to decompress and let herself be taken care of for once. i think her little age is around 3-5! a bit on the younger side, because shes never really been taken care of before, and so being in a younger headspace would allow her to more easily depend on someone else.

jinx: regressor ALL the way. // oh my gawd. if jinx isnt a baby the sky is freaking like purple idk, because ill bet my top dollar shes a regressor. shes a very very mischievous baby lol, probably a chaos toddler, around 3-5 years old!

cait: neutral // shes never heard of age regression before she met vi, and was a little confused but ultimately accepting in the long run. shes not a caregiver but shell care for vi whenever she regresses, because she loves her!

jayce: regressor // for a long time he thought he was neutral too, but actually engaged in regression without realizing!! he doesnt really know his regression age. id say maybe somewhere between 6-10, but its kinda unsure. hes not that familiar with his regression and is kinda uneducated about it so even after finding out about agere he doesnt really know what to do with that.

viktor: flip with no lean!! // everyone hcs viktor as a little, which i can get behind because i think living with a terminal and chronic illness is traumatic for him and he regresses to cope with those feelings and the physical pain, but something in me sees so much potential of viktor as a gentle caregiver. oh my gawd caregiver viktor please save me, hes SO important to me!! i think viktor is actually pretty educated about age regression because hes a scientist and he understands psychology more than the other character probably. i think his regression age would be around 8-10, a bit older, but still a kiddo. sometimes hell go younger though, around 4-6.

ekko: regressor // idk why i have this headcanon, i just do. it just feels right. his regression age is around 5-7! he likes to try and use his hoverboard when regressed but he does not have the same control and balance as he does when big lol.

mel: neutral // i think mel is neutral but knows of age regression. shell be a babysitter for any littles in need but i dont think she has her own little tbh. she views it as something completely normal and natural, which shed be correct for, and doesnt think twice of it tbh. i think it was mel actually who first informed jayce of age regression and asked him if he thought he could be a regressor!

isha: regressor // isha is already pretty young, id guess probably between 8-10 years old literally. i think though shes experienced a lot of traumatic events, no one even really knows where her parents are in the show if im correct, and she regresses to around 1-3 years old! jinx isnt a caregiver but she sees herself as ishas big sister so of course shell… attempt to take care of her baby sister lol. caregiving may not come naturally to jinx, but she tries. she makes her fun toys and plays games like hide and seek and tag, and likes to doodle with the baby!

[familyagrestefanblog]

As glad as I am that at least the Sublime conflict is more than just Marinette regressing on all the character development (the show mostly gave mere lip service for her to have had of-screen in the first place)

But good God, as far as the leaks show, Marinette is being cuddled through every second of the upcoming episode. I have never seen a show THIS dedicated to make sure the main character experiences nothing but fluffed up consequences for her actions where everyone gives maximum effort to make sure she feels as little discomfort as possible

Which btw is effort Marinette rarely actually makes in return because the show is too busy having her prioritize her every whim and comfort and benefit too which everyone else eventually has to bow to to make her comfortable.

This honestly feels genuinely inappropriate for a kids show at this point and I hope the full context saves this. Cause if a parent handled their child's morally questionable behaviour which such child's- ego- centered morality, one would very quickly called it out as the bad parenting it is because it's spoiling the child rooted, making them believe nothing is more important than any feeling of discomfort they ever experience, no matter their actions, no matter the circumstances. If the world isn't cuddling the child for the pathetically low standard of having feefees then the world is "in the wrong and mean".

The show wants to get credit for covering compelx interpersonal conflicts, but refuses to send any other message since s4 besides that the world around you (as your life's Main character) is obligated to pamper and cuddle you for having any slither of complex emotions which apparently makes you "unique" since the world doesn't get the same consideration from YOU.

Marinette apparently genuinely can't have an interpersonal conflict anymore without getting wrapped up in fluffy clouds and be surrounded by picture perfect victims who do all the heavy lifting to resolve the issue which of course always leads to Marinette being framed as the poor little underdog who needs to be taken care of and showered in support, excuses, inaccurate pay offs for her initial motivation entirely rooted in the other person being told something else and Marinette not owing up to the WHOLE truth to instead go with what limited information works in her favor, or straight up free passes for her behaviour as long as she says "I'm sorry, I guess I am capable of doing morally bad/ questionable things 🥺 you will reward me now, right? Then I may be able to stop when you make sure i dont feel bad about it anymore 🥺"

Seriously, I hope the full context saves this cause jesus fucking christ Marinette, stop being wrapped up in cotton candy and then STILL cry about how bad you have it. Children shouldn't be taught that this is how taking accountability works because Marinette's victim complex is excessive by this point.

Marinette, you genuinely fucked up, stop acting like you're in emotional agony every second you ever have to face the realisation that you are capable of causing even the tiniest bad thing. The problems and harm you cause aren't about you, stop always throwing shocked pitty parties for yourself and woman the fuck up.

[angy-grrr]

im going to say something that might be surprising coming from me: if hori decided to make izu///ocha happen, I wouldnt be angry, and I could see why it could make sense for the story.

I personally dont think izu///ocha will happen and see their "romantic moments" as platonic/not focused on them as a couple, but if he were to make them happen I wont go around saying how the manga is pure trash and that he cant write anything.

These past weeks many stans of some characters have been dominating the general tags with doom posting and being mean, mainly because the ideas they were sure would happen in the manga were broken and denied, and I dont think we should do that if we end up in a similar position. Dont get me wrong, I would "mourn" that ending because I see the potential and the way the characters need something else to be fulfilled -I dont see how Izuku would fulfill anything with that, and Ochako's character would regress.

We still need to be respectful and not forget all the things we have enjoyed just because we dont get all the things we wanted -some of us criticize this about other parts of the fandom, so lets do our best to learn from those things.

As a bkdk and togachako, I would be heartbroken. As a reader, I would be confused and bored -in any case, if he ends up adding some sort of dramatic confession, I could appreciate a cute dialogue and drawing. Im not going to talk shit about the manga that has been a part of my life for such a long time just because there are decisions I cant enjoy.

When I say I can see how it would make sense I dont mean it as in well written, but as in "yeah, a shonen. They blushed, he thought about her words to remember he can try to save Shigaraki, and she said she fell in love with him". I can see how it could become canon, but there isnt much going on that would make me be happy or interested in them together at all -when I say theres no drama going on with them, its meant to be interpreted as "I dont see any romantic tension, or way this could further the plot nor serve the characters. This is mainly to have a classic shonen ending, not because the story needs it from my point of view".

Im not going to bully someone or wish the characters died tho. And I think others shouldn't either.

[sweetlittlenamjoon]

ZB1 as caregivers! ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡

SFW interaction only please!!!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

Hanbin 🐹💞

is either fully goofball mode or fully serious leader mode no inbetween

very firm on meal and bed times

will meow at you unprompted

best of both worlds

fr tho the vocal stimming back and forth is very good and very silly

reads you to sleep qwq

acts like he's not fully engrossed in all of your shows

"but wait- the episode is ending? just like that?"

he calls you little one a lot

co-cares with hao

Jiwoong 🐈🦋

sweetest, lovey-dovey boy ever

constantly has you in his lap or holding his hand or snuggling

likes to just ambiently braid your hair

bought a bunch of little clippies to keep your hair out of your face and to decorate

always asking if you ate

(and sneaking you snacks behind hanbin's back)

will let you put stickers on his face if he gets to pick which ones

calls you every petname under the sun, bro whips out the schnookums from time to time

fixes your blankets when you're asleep and gives you a smooch on the forehead

Hao 🦝🎻

he was so nervous at first

really REALLY didn't want to mess up while you're regressed

but he's gotten a lot more comfy

dramatic as,,, we've all seen the baby cloud ep where he pretends he's dying so the babies will pay attention to him

that but everyday

making up for lost time

is always on your side even if you're wrong bc its funny

like,,, sassy aunt energy??

buys you little gifts at the dollar store

colouring together!!

he colours with you to destress uwu

calls you sweetheart and dear and stuff like that

Matthew 🦊🎧

can always tell right away when you're regressed

like he'll just stand up mid sentence and bring you a stuffie and a blanket

has a list of all your stuffies and their names and things you tell him about them

always so giddy when you use a cg title for him

picks you up and spins

especially when youre tired

gotta put those muscles to use somehow

tries very hard to cook for you but isn't very good qwq

is always fighting hanbin tooth and nail to let you go play in the mud

sweetest boy tho fr very huggy

Taerae 🐥🎸

he'd be so awkward at first poor boy T^T

always speaks in full sentences never baby talks

(around the other boys)

(dont tell on him he'll get embarrassed)

lets you play with his smaller model cars

cuts up fruit for you and puts little character picks in them

hair ruffler 100%

calls you dumb nicknames like "buckaroo"

"whatcha got there, buckaroo?"

co-cares with others a lot

mostly just sits near you and keeps you company :)

Ricky 🐱🍓

he's a little stupid /lh /lovingly

so he's been hanging out with you for so long regressed and he just didn't think about it

like you just go baby mode sometimes idk

but when one of the other boys tells him he goes full cutie patootie mode

like literally just watches you do things

cat blinks

always helps out with things even if you fully can do them

"I'll get that! it's too high up for you, sweetheart."

my love, honey, sweetheart

will share his smoothies with you and noone else

he's very pookie is what im saying

Gyuvin 🐶🥭

we've all seen the baby cloud episode, yes?

absolute sweetest boy in the whole universe

also a fruit cutter-upper

him and taerae bicker about who gets to bring you fruit this time

always holds your hand when youre walking

the airplane where they lift you with their feet

baby talk KING

can understand you even at your most regressed

calls you stuff like kiddo and buddy

will slip in the occasional sweet nickname if youre being extra cute tho

Gunwook 🐶🐷

now this is a silly goober!!

loves to play little games with you like peekaboo

points to stuff and asks what colour it is or points to animals and asks what noise they make

little claps when you get it right

he WILL be picking you up and spinning you around

no choice

playdates at the park uwu

pushes you on the swings and waits for you at the bottom of the slide

and then you get popsicles at the store :)

calls you bub or baby

Yujin 🐰⚽️

this is your brother now

if you're older than him he still calls you noona/hyung when you're regressed

he gets nervous qwq

doing your little worksheets next to him doing his homework

plays mario kart with you and even lets you win sometimes

you two are in total kahoots when it comes to annoying the older boys tho

devious little plans

makes pillow forts with you and does not allow anyone without snacks in

watching shows on his phone together

buncha cuties

[saltypossum]

this is mostly a vent/comfort thing i drew really quickly cus shark week started for me and decided to hit like a bus. ‼️CONTEXT AND INFO BELOW ART especially for those who dont know/understand age regression‼️

age regression(or agere) is a type of coping mechanism, mostly caused by stress or other things(not all of the time but from what i get is most). it can be involuntary and voluntary, where a person mentally goes to a younger age. they can range from just a few years younger to really young. it is not harmful(unless it can be, im not fully aware since im not a regressor myself, but a dream regressor(will get into that)) or a fetish. i did this cus i felt like i needed comfort and anything having to do with agere and adding comfort characters/characters i like helps me since its usually calm and angstless. im not a regressor myself, but a dream regressor. all that really means is that i do and find the comfort of regressing, but im mentally the same age. it is also always voluntary. sorry for the long ramble, i just wanted to get that info out just in case it is misinterpreted, and i did this purely cus i needed some kind of comfort cus i was in pain :)

[scullymaxxing]

the real x files

is were they fuckin.

and from my hours of research, scouring countless delusional pro-g*llovny internet users, i can say that you all would make shit detectives. specifically the g*llovny blogs that compare pictures of DA and DD's kids and try to argue that they've have some secret elaborate 30 year long relationship?? theyre not actually the characters they portray, u guys kno that right? right??

ok good.

so basically...

i think DD and GA hooked up in the beginning of filming, before they knew they have to see each other for the next decade (link to website). and then obviously by the time GA was pregnant (beginning of 1993) she was with Klotz. theres a reason most of the msr gifs are from the first few seasons...

Her and Klotz divorced the same year DD and Tea Leoni got married, 1997. The 1997 golden globes (u know the one), was in january.

DD and GA's "dark period" was a year later, 1998, and i feel like they could have regressed in between the time of her divorce and his marriage (this slightly dubious interview from 2002 with GA claims just that) (context: interview transcript with GA, allegedly translated from an italian paper in 2002. even discounting this source, it is not implausible, but definitely left to speculation). they were also filming the movie around 1997-1998, and im certain that they were around each other more than their partners at the time.

Marketing

given that a lot of the DDGA confirmed sources are from magazines, im gonna agree with the claim that DDGA was kind of not that secret at the time, as well as a marketing ploy. anything they said or did in 2008, 2013, 2016-2017 was fully marketing idc. the revival era interviews (including 2008 in this era) do show different stages of DD and GA reflecting on their relationship which is insightful and there are countless interviews where GA kind of hints to stuff, but they were all promos for x files (interviews linked below the cut). they certainty fan the flame, though. and while i am certain it was not by design, their chemistry in the first season, whatever the catalyst may have been, was a saving grace of the show.

the Industry

also, i dont think g*llovny shippers on the Celibacy Website have a realistic grasp on the television/film industry or the business of marketing and publicity. luckily, i go to a college full of people who do just that, and let me tell u, actors fuck each other all the time, and i dont think sex was necessarily sacred or all that deep for either of them... (as with most actors,,, have you ever met a film kid??)

some potential drama given this analysis that i think about:

did GA get with Klotz to make DD jealous, or to move on? or both? GA and DD had a "professional" relationship until her divorce? and then post-divorce was when shit got real...

i also think a big reason to deny the relationship (besides, like the right to privacy as a human being), is because of their timing,,, like she was married and had a kid by the end of 1994, what good would admitting to an affair during that time bring? i dont think DD is the father or anything, but i think even admitting it given the timing would have cast messy implications on DD, GA, Klotz, and/or her daughter.

did DD marry Tea after hooking up with GA in 1997 as an apology and commitment to her, or to move on? the timing is odd if that one dubious excerpt is to be believed, but even without it, it would provide plausible context concerning the catalyst of the Dark Times.

there is the detail that DD and GA announced their divorces on each other's birthdays, which is... a crazy coincidence.

i NEED to know about the "dark times"... i literally can not imagine Hating someone and then being able to look deeply into their eyes. i need to see bloopers or something.

overly specific timeline with sources below the cut (i never said i wasnt as thorough or meticulous as g*llovny shippers, i just said theyre dillusional)

1992: CC writes the pilot, it is picked up by Fox, DD and GA meet at auditions.

sept 10, 1993: s1e1 pilot airs. we can assume they have been filming since or shortly after auditions. They would have known each other and been shooting for at least a few months by the time the pilot aired.

1994: This clip from Entertainment Tonight that i suspect was filmed around the time they were filming S1, in 1993. DD: "ive spent more time with gillian than anybody in my whole life... so, you know, it’s.. you know, you gotta be careful.. somebody could get hurt." GA mouths "me." the whole time GA is trying to suppress some mixed but kind of revealing facial expressions. idk u gotta watch it, but it looks very early on in the series, and is the type of banter that people trying to convince themselves not to fuck engage in.

sept 1994: Gillians daughter is born. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, they probably werent fucking for about nine months before this.nine months before sept would have been around december 1993 by the most liberal of estimates

so they essentially had from whenever they met in 1992 until around the end of 1993, though GA probably would have been with Klotz for a few months before she got pregnant around the beginning of 1994

1994-1995 Interview: (sometime during season 2 filming, post pregnancy): In an interview, around the 8 min mark, GA: "at the beginning we [her and DD] started out very close, and, um, as you work together... things change a little bit. we have a very professional relationship, very business orientated."

post-2003: there are countless interviews with GA where she sloppily evades the questions. 2008 jimmy kimmel interview , 2009 interview , 2014 interview GA: “maybe... there might even be more than an attraction.. but it’s not gonna happen”

personal psychoanalysis of strangers, by a stranger

GA:

2003: in a BBC produced podcast recorded around 2003, GA talks about having lethal depression as a teen and engaging in rebellious/self sabotaging behaviors while in the US. (honestly, it makes sense why scully resonated with queer emos, GA was one!)

1999: excerpt where GA describes her attraction to “dangerous” (ie toxic, avoidant, noncommittal) men and DD definitely fits the bill.

GA’s dating and marriage history is kinda crazy and impulsive in retrospect. of course i know she wasn’t thinking about that as she was living her life but, she makes wild moves.

GA was also so so young and new to the industry. Hollywood is infamous for its coercive business tactics and Gillian sure knows how to play the game. (the crown) or "bc the director liked her".

DD:

2008: DD sex addiction. and he probably thought with his dick and had very lose ideas about relationships for years before he came out with the addition. (like maybe 10 or 20 years of giving into the same self sabotaging behavior patters) tbh he 100% fits the fuckboy profile, he was just a Man in the 90's and none of the gen-z g*llovny sh*ppers are used to seeing a Classic Fuckboy.

u guys guys see too much mulder in DD. DD is an intelligent, rich, NYC jew who went to TWO ivy league schools.... youre a young, handsome, educated actor who just got signed onto his first pilot... thats gotta make a man bold and impulsive.

at present, he is a rich boomer podcaster engaged to someone less less than half his age who looks like a guy who would call me a slur in the street. DD isnt the clever, witty, crimefighting mulder or hank moody or any of his charming characters, hes literally just some guy. same goes for GA, shes just a rich white lady...

[little-tf2-time]

Hello hello!

Welcome in!

Welcome to my very own TF2 AGERE RP BLOG!!

This blog will be centered around my own headcanons for the characters, including agere/petre/agedre related headcanons, gender/sexuality headcanons and personality headcanons!

Of course i will try to keep their personalities as close to canon as i can when running this sort of blog, but theres going to definitely be a lot out of character most likely!

More about the blog (dni, how this works, who all is able to answer questions, etc!) Under the cut!

Anon names though first : ✂️ anon/anon✂️, blossom🌸

Who all can you send asks for?

You can send asks for;

The mercs (spy, scout, engineer, pyro, heavy, medic, soldier, demo, sniper)!

Miss pauling!

Saxton hale!

Only red team right now, but im working on some ideas for blue team which could be added later!!

How does this work?

Its rather simple, just send in an in character ask and youll get an in character reply!

If you send a not in character ask, or an ask towards me or about the lore, ill answer accordingly!

You can send the requests to specific characters, just specify who!

Sadly right now there wont be any art to go along with it but theres a chance ill start adding some if i can later on :)

I will be starting a headcanons/fics/oneshot blog too, so you can also send questions there when its up, but i dont mind answering them now!

Is there a story or plot to this?

Sorta yes! The main idea is the usual, the merce live in the same house/base and hang out out of work! Only differences is that miss pauling lives there too, and saxton lives close enough to come by a lot!

This is set in the red base specifically, where its much warmer and sunnier!

In this, red team is the originals and blue team are slightly tweaked clones! Its confusing and wont be brought up much though. The blue team acts different and have different likes/dislikes, and they live in a very cold area.

What you should know about the cloning thing is that the spys are both fathers of their respective scouts, red spy and red scout and blue spy and blue scout! Scouts ma does sorta know about the clones, she just chooses not to think abt it too much /hj

Who regresses in this? Why? To what? (+ pronouns)

(Thisll be long hang in there)

Scout (he/they) - age regressor and babysitter! He regresses usually around 4 to 8 usually, but some days he can get down to 2. His main cg is engineer but he also likes to be cared for by spy

Sniper (he/him) - flip! He regresses to around 5 or 6 usually, only gets littler under high stress. He mainly likes being cared for by heavy, but doesnt mind to be babysat by saxton or engie

Pyro (they/it) - age regressor and temporary babysitter sometimes! Has the biggest age range, 1 to 15, but usually stays in the 5 to 8 range, but sometimes dips all the way to 1 or 2. Their primary cg is engineer, and they are almost always a bit little honestly, they also love being babysat by heavy and medic!

Engineer (they/he) - flip with caregiver lean! He doesnt regress often and he even less will he let himself be cared for without a fuss, but when he does he goes veeery young, 0 to 3 at best! Hes a very warm father cg though and the main one for pyro and scout

Spy (she/he/they, fluctuating preference) - flip, but also caregiver lean! When he does regress she regresses to 0 - 2! Otherwise their the primary caregiger for miss pauling, secondary for scout, and usually the most prepared one

Heavy (he/they) - sorta flip? He regresses so rarely that its only been around medic, not many of the of the others even KNOW he regresses actually. He regresses around 0 to 1, and its usually an extreme stress regression. Though when hes caring hes one of the best! Usually just a babysitter to most, but the main cg to sniper

Medic (it/he/they, no preference) - flip again! Hes both an age and pet regressor. He regressed pretty young, 2-5, and pet regresses into a dove/domestic pigeon! When he cares hes decent at it, a little scary sometimes but hes improving! He usually is the doctor for many stuffed animals and their littles (colorful stickers gallore with him)

Soldier (it/they/he) - age regressor and pet regressor! Age regression to around 6 to 10 usually, and pet regresses to a raccoon and puppy! Main cg is saxton, but often settles with engie happily

Demo (he/they/xe) - age regressor and sometimes babysitter! Regresses a lot due to being drunk, or being hungover. Usually regresses to about 2 to 7

Miss Pauling (she/they) - sorta flip! She regresses more then she acts as a cg but shes absolutely fine with babysitting! She regresses very young, only around 0 to 6, and a lot of the time she'll slip when stressed or overly tired (she has to be dragged away from her work a lot too)

Saxton (he/she) - caregiver and babysitter! Main caregiver for soldier (being the only one who can keep up with him) but has babysat all the frequent regressors! Hes the least prepared but the kids have fun! Usually is called "uncle" by most

Dni!

Basic dni criteria (terfs/homophobs/racists etc)

Anti agere/petre

NSFW accounts of any kind

Ddlg and any varient

Pedos/zoos whatever just those kinda people and anyone who supports them!!

Gross people

I will delete asks or comments, or ignore messages if they are blatently harmful and are intended to hurt

[emeryhiro]

Hi. I love your analysis of the episodes and the trailer. I love what we got. But I don't quite understand why Daryl says that he and Isabelle talked so that the three of them could go to America. If she wants Daryl to stay, she manipulates him. If Daryl is angry and cold with her. where did this family "three of them together" come from. It's weird and destroys all my expectations for Caryl.

Hey Anon😊

Thank you for the kind words 🩵

Unfortunatly I can't give you a sure answer but I'll share and explain my opinion/thoughts on it.

I agree with you on the fact that this line feels out of place and doesn't really make sense in terms of where the story and characters are going.

To put it in simple terms I think this is just Daryl trying to have his cake and eat it too. But to be more specific, I believe that as he starts to see the cracks in the Nest's system, he'll also start to realise the danger that Laurent is in, and we can't deny that he cares for the kid and feels a sense of responsibility for him because he knows Laurent wasn't raised for that world and wouldn't really make it long without Daryl around to teach him.

We also know for a fact that Daryl wants to go home, cast and crew have said this many time, and Norman even said it again yesterday in their SDCC IGN interview (timestamp 2:15).

So we know that Daryl want's to go home, that he doesn't think he'd ever be happy in France, and that he can't stay in France, but we also knows that he can't leave Laurent behind while he's in danger, he's not that guy, especially with Genet's impending attack which Laurent would never survive.

If he can't leave without Laurent, his next best option is to take Laurent back to America with him and away from all conflict, somewhere where he knows he can get what he wants (being with his family), keep Laurent safe, and give him a regular childhood in the commonwealth. At the same time, however, he also knows that as long as Isabelle is alive, Laurent wouldn't leave her, and also Daryl wouldn't feel right separating a child from the only biological family he has left. Which is how I think he came to the conclusion that the best thing he can do is to take both of them.

I dont expect his plans for the "three of them together" to go anywhere. I think that's just Daryl being naive and overly pessimistic about what he can achieve.

Regarding how he feels about Isabelle, I know that he can sense he's being used and manipulated but it's now too late for him to get out of this on his own, he's now emotionally invested in Laurent and can't bring himself to leave him, which is what Isabelle wanted all along. I've mentioned this a few times before, and I'll say it again, I believe that the longer he spends away from Carol the more he regresses into his old self, and that version of Daryl would have accepted this treatment from Isabelle becasue he wouldn't have believe that he deserved any better. We see this same pattern of behaviour develop between Daryl and Leah when he was in the woods, searching for Rick, and away from Carol for years. I know there's a lot more to both these situations which I may write it's own post about instead of making my response here unberably long to read.

Once Carol and Daryl are reunited, he'll start to think clearly again, because firstly, Carol would see right through Isabelle and never stand for or allow the manipulation, and secondly, once Daryl see's Carol again, there will be no more distractions, he's mindset will heal and completely shift, and like always Carol will be his number one priority, not Laurent, not the Nest, and definitly not Isabelle.

Yes, he'll still want to help/save them, but never at the expense of Carol and her safety. I expect that there will be some conflict between Carol and Daryl, or as Norman describes it, some "bickering like an old married couple", which I guess would revolve around:

The two of them finally being reunited and having the chance to leave without further risk, and

Daryl feeling guilty about leaving before he resolves things at the Nest and making sure that Laurent is safe and set.

However, untimetly I think the choice would be up to Carol and Daryl would follow her no matter what she decides. And in her true selfless nature, Carol would never leave before helping the people that Daryl cares about, especially if she see's him so torn about it.

And also hypothetically, even if the 3 of them did make it back to the US/Commonwealth, Isabelle would never be able to manipulate and abuse Daryl again, not while he's around and empowered by Carol and the rest of their family.

~~~

I hope this makes sense, and that I explain myself well, I know I sometimes have the habit of getting carried away 😅 I completely understand your frustration, I sometimes feel that way myself but in circumstances like this where something seem's out of character I personally just try to both look at the bigger picture and delve into what I know about the character.

Please feel free to let me know you thoughts on what I've said, even if you agree or diagree, or if there was anything else you'd like to discuss. I always enjoy these discussions and seeing different persepctives🩵

[shreddeddescent]

Oh don't apologize about writing this, we are literally reading it too! I find the story interesting and like, yeah it is fucked up, but I'm having fun reading it too 💪💪💪

Also, how does Mikey feel about all this? I was thinking about that because he likes to deny the has 'adult problems' like you said, so I am really wondering about how he's dealing with all that is happening

🌠👾

ughhhh god...... the mikey can of worms about this specifically is exactly what that was about and whats been really tough to talk about. like this specific scene was what i had to get up and walk away from cuz it was painful.

he's not okay. he also doesnt care about it, cuz hes like... ugh you know what. i think i should actually just share this whole thing i wrote about it. this one is rough. nothing graphic, but if you wanna see how fucking not okay this kid is despite how much he's pretending he can be? yeah. hes gonna talk about his bullshit for the first time ever, and something bad had happened to mikey before. and he doesnt even know what.

which is like where i think the whole climax of this arch is going in my head. i havent written it all out yet. im being tugged along on a journey, yknow.

warnings for csa and incest and like. very poor coping mechanisms. all of it this one hurt me personally the most in the end.

theres some implications of things going on in the background, cuz at this exact moment none of the characters have been coping well hence the fucking.... need for these adults. raph needed to be alone to spiral about the 3 kids by himself, leo needed to be put to bed (by mikey) cuz he got way too high after realizing how much he'd been personally juggling everybody else, and donnie wont mind his buisness about anything, mikey had a go at him about it which resulted in him trying to help mikey with his current 'im having traumatic sex dreams' problem. but donnie is the same age and wasnt gonna be able to help much.

if any of it sounds confusing im sorry. id try and do a whole. fic thing about it but i really dont know if i can. whats important here is the mikey part. cuz this is where it all came to a head.

also mentions of lita, whos raph's little alter. the one that was only ever around for shredder. until recently

--

Mikey was glad that Donnie seemed better when he left the bathroom. He seemed to have been spiralling about whatever was going on between Leo and Raph.

He was pretty sure the idea of sex repulsed his twin, despite his attempts to explain it to him. He was a good brother. But it really wasn’t worth worrying about if Raph and Leo needed to be away from each other. It was weird he cared.

Donnie cared about too many fucking things.

Mikey had spent an extra long time in the bathroom, thinking over if he felt any attraction like Donnie said. He’d thought about exploring his body, but the idea reminded him of Raph. He really didn’t want it to but it did. The first time he’d seen his own penis was when it was forced into his sleeping brother.

His brother who felt like his mom.

It fucking broke something inside of him. He was trying like hell to be the baby Raph needed, to be okay for him, so he wouldn’t make Raph worse. But in the back of his mind he did know he wasn’t okay. And maybe he was just age regressing to cope. Maybe he was only getting angry at everyone cuz he couldn’t help the age regressing.

It was easy to feel like a baby when you were so malnourished as a child that you looked way younger than you should. Father had seen to that. He didn’t take care of him and then blamed Raph for his condition. And maybe he just didn’t want Raph to feel bad about it anymore.

And he had recently remembered.. something. Childhood Raph who wasn’t Raph. Raph leaving crying, coming back Lita and not crying. And… Lita apologizing for something.

The rest was a mystery. A mystery he’d thought he might be able to uncover in therapy with Big Mama, but now?! Now there was this whole… situation!

So he was just sitting with Donnie quietly, watching dumb shit on YouTube. Ignoring his feelings.

They’d seen Leo very not so subtly leave his room. He still stunk. He walked funny and airheaded, but as long as he wasn’t gonna bother Raph, who cared where he went.

…Mikey cared a little. And he was the only one who saw how much weed he’d smoked.

So after about 5 minutes he sighed and felt the need to get up and see if he could find him.

He went out in his red hoodie and some fresh sweatpants, it was night time and maybe he went outside.

He wandered the hall and felt that vertigo feeling again. He hated it, he didn't feel present. Made him think of the drugs from the cages. The drugs he’d been extra pumped full of for being good at fighting them off. That made it worse.

He rested against the wall for a moment and rubbed his eyes.

“Hey, little man.”

He blinked and looked up. It wasn’t Leo.

Jennika was there, in a loose white shirt and cargo pants. She got down into a squat in front of him and smiled.

“Are you okay?”

He felt like maybe he was standing on a fault line.

“Sorry… I’m kinda queasy…” he mumbled.

She eyed the place he was standing and gently gripped his shoulders, tugging him about 3 feet to the left.

The feeling faded and he sighed out in relief.

“Better?”

“Yeah..” he took a deep breath and stood up straight, smiling at her. “You’re…. I know who you are now.”

She stood at her full height and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah… sorry I was uh… lying before. I guess I wasn’t really lying? But you know.”

He nodded slowly and smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you. You seemed kinda.. not okay?”

Mikey laughed and shook his head. “Nah! I’m good! I’m fine, I’m just looking for Leo, he’s the one who’s not good.”

“Leo’s alright. I saw him earlier. Kirby’s kinda.. talking him down from his high I think.”

“Oh! Wow! Kirby’s talking to Leo?” He smiled up at her, that was exciting. He knew Leo seemed upset about being ignored by his…. Son. “That’s good. I think that’s good for him.”

She nodded and held out her hand. “Do you wanna walk somewhere? These walls are so… migraine city.”

Mikey looked up at her curiously and beamed. “Sure!” He took her hand and squeezed it softly.

She squeezed back and they walked to the elevator together. He noticed when she was inside there were more buttons and she pushed one.

She seemed a little shy so he tugged on her arm. She looked down at him curiously.

“Can I call you Jenny? Or is Jennika better?”

“You can call me whatever you want, I don’t mind.”

“Raph said you're trans like him. So that means you probably chose your own name, right? I mean... he didn’t. Cuz he’s.. his situation’s weird, but am I right?”

She blinked and smiled softly.

“Yeah.. I did. Is it… a cool name?”

“Yeah! So if you chose it that makes it extra important, so I wanna make sure I say it how you want it said. Jen-nick-kah. I like it!”

She took in an audibly shaky breath and looked back at the buttons.

“Th…thanks Mikey…”

He squeezed her hand.

“I uh… I don’t think you’re looking at me for like… ugh.. dad approval. But like, you seem cool.”

She smiled and laughed a little. “No, I’m definitely not, but thanks. I feel a little.. weird to be honest. But I hope we can clear the air?”

He smiled up at her genuinely and nodded. “I’d like that.”

The elevator doors opened into a lobby Mikey hadn’t seen before. They’d been portaled from the city straight into Big Mama’s office. This was an actual entrance.

And… it was a button they got blocked from pressing? He’d need to think about that later.

Jennika walked with him out of the building and Mikey came into contact with a whole other world. They were in a courtyard of sorts, a city street across from them. The sky was pitch black, because it wasn’t a sky, it was high dark cave walls that stretched beyond what he could see. There were floating crystals for street lamps lighting the streets.

The streets were full of yokai, going about their days. Shopping at storefronts of magic and mundane. It seemed busy. It seemed normal.

He stopped in his tracks and Jennika turned to look at him worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“W-where…” He kept staring over at the street. There were weird chariots for cars, and creatures flying above his head.

This wasn’t New York City. 

She seemed to realize what was wrong and her eyes widened. “Oh! You’ve.. never been to the Hidden City. Oh shit. This was stupid Kirby’s gonna kill me.”

Mikey stumbled back into a fountain in the courtyard and sat on it. He looked behind him and he could see the exterior of the hotel for the first time.

A skyscraper that existed underground, he couldn’t even see the top because of how dark it was up there.

He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths.

“Mikey are you okay?!” She sat down beside him and put her hand on his shell.

“I… yeah.. it’s just a lot…” he didn’t open his eyes but he did lean into her. “I don’t get out much, I guess. I’d be more excited if it hadn’t been… a day.”

He might have been letting his very well crafted facade slip.

She rubbed his shell. “I just thought we could go get some ice cream and talk it out. I thought maybe the hotel was a dumb place to talk, but maybe that’s my bad… I didn’t think about how weird this would be, I’m sorry.”

He looked up at her. She looked anxious and guilty.

So he thought about what she’d just asked and blinked up at her.

“Hidden city has ice cream? Like somewhere I could try every flavour? Cuz we fit in down here?!” He asked excitedly.

Her eyes widened and she beamed. “Yeah! That’s exactly what I was tryina do!”

He jumped up and tugged her arm.

“Show me! Show me show me!”

She grinned and stood up, jogging with him down the street.

He was laughing as they ran goofily down the street. People were staring but not because they were freaks, just cuz they were having fun.

They found a storefront for ice cream and there was a many armed person at the till. Jennika boldly asked for two samples of every flavour and it earned a very annoyed look from the clerk. She slid some kind of hidden city money over with an apologetic smile to make it worth their time which cheered them up.

There was some weird flavours in there he’d never heard of. Some sounded like fruits that didn’t exist, others were weirdly goopy or fleshy in nature. One even made them breathe fire, it was fun. They had a laugh.

By the time they’d tried everything Mikey was given some kind of mix of 5 flavours in a bowl with a spoon, and Jennika got the same.

So they walked down the street eating ice cream together. Like they were normal people having a normal outing.

It was so weird how normal it felt.

She showed him a park to walk through, the trees and plants were purple instead of green which was cool.

They sat down at a bench facing a glowing green lake to sit and eat. It was peaceful. He liked it.

“So how are you?” She finally asked, scooping ice cream in her mouth.

“Kinda confused. You’re really nice and cool, but like… you’re.. you know. And I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel… like, I feel kinda silly? But also.. feel kinda bad?” He was squishing the ice cream together, mixing the colours absentmindedly in the bowl.

She hummed and swallowed back her current bite, placing the bowl down beside her. “I can tell you how I see it. Which is that you’re like.. a brother. Like I know where I come from, but you’re just a kid, and you’re a kid on your own and that makes me sad, and I feel like I’m standing right here in front of you with like.. I dunno, open ears. No that’s not the phrase..” she tapped her chin as she tried to think.

Mikey looked up at her curiously. “Open arms?”

She snapped her fingers and grinned down at him. “Yeah! Open arms. I know it’s weird. I'm not trying to make you feel weird, I just wanna listen if you need someone.”

He looked down at his bowl and took a small bite. He wasn’t sure how well some of this went together but he liked it all the same. A big fucked up hodgepodge of deliciousness.

“I… don’t want you to feel weird. Maybe I’m hoping we’re just gonna be a big family with ease and nobodies gonna have any problems anymore and I can just be normal and not worry anymore.”

She smiled sadly and bumped his arm with hers.

“I’d like to be a family like that, but I think it won’t be so easy. And that’s okay. I wanna put work in, we all do. I think it’s worth a try, and I’m kinda old enough that I can handle whatever you wanna throw at me.”

He glared at the lake with a tired look in his eye. “Just cuz you’re old doesn’t make you able to handle stuff. Old people never handle stuff good as far as I’ve seen. I guess that’s not fair… I just think I’ve seen my brothers get hurt over and over cuz people don’t care how they come off to us. Cuz Shredder treated us like animals, and Splinter…” he sighed. That was a whole can of worms. “She’s old, and yet she felt more emotionally stupid than everybody else. Than her own kids.”

He blinked and realized he’d been talking a bunch and looked up at her. She was just watching him with a sad look.

“Sorry. I’m fine. Thanks for the ice cream, it's good!” He put his happy voice back on and shoved more in his mouth. He thought about how much he could fit at once before swallowing so he took bigger bites. 

“I’m… sorry your mom wasn’t good to you. I’m extra sorry your dad was…” she sighed. “I guess adults really let you down a lot. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and swallowed back his huge mouthful of ice cream. And then he felt the brain freeze and cupped his head. “Auuuugh there it is! Brain freeze!”

She hummed a laugh and rubbed his shell. “You’re trying to avoid talking. You wanna seem like a happy normal kid don’t you? You’re putting on an act.”

That hurt more than the brain freeze.

He groaned and kept holding his head as it passed, she was holding him to distract from the hurt in his brain.

“How do you know I’m acting! Maybe I’m just immature!”

“Maybe. But maybe you know you’re hurting and you don’t wanna make it my problem for some reason.”

He furrowed his brow and looked away.

“Is it cuz you think I’m like your kid? Cuz really… I really don’t see me like that Mikey…”

“No, it’s not that..” he sighed. He wasn’t sure what it was. He’d been able to talk to Donnie, he’d wanted to talk to Leo. But Jennika was actually asking him how he felt and he could only sit there thinking of ways to seem like he was a baby again. Ways to try and seem normal, like a good kid brother who makes her want to take care of him normally, so he wouldn’t scare her off, or traumatize her!

Oh…

“It’s cuz you make me think of Raph…”

She took a deep breath and nodded knowingly, sighing.

“You don’t talk to him about how you feel. You just go baby made. So you wanna do that with me too.”

“I’m sorry… I’ve got issues. People think I don’t but…” he sighed. “I don’t know..”

She patted his back. “I'm not Raph. I’m not your mom. I’m your cooool big sister! And I know you’ve got issues, I’m open, I’m here. Hit me.”

He looked up at her nervously.

“I…” he looked around. It was really empty here. He decided to lay his head in her lap. “Is this okay..?”

He felt her hand gently stroke his head. “Yeah, that’s okay..”

He took a few deep breaths. “I keep thinking about the cages… about.. what happened. I’m really embarrassed about it, and ashamed of myself… it’s stupid cuz I know it’s not my fault, but the.. specifics of what hurt me was all related to this..” he sighed and closed his eyes. “Weird relationship I have with him, where I try to let him be my mom cuz I never had one. And maybe it’s cuz he’s female and I imprinted on him as a baby, or maybe it’s just cuz I was so small and he was so worried about me.. but the… the mixing of these two things in my head, the 'mama Raph' and the fact I….” He felt tears rolling down his cheeks and he sobbed audibly. It was getting uncontrollable.

She just rubbed his head. He heard her sniff but didn’t look up. He just let her pet him and tried to collect himself.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t… know what to do, I know you’re not… but I’d never even seen my body before my dad made me use it against my will, a-and so I’m just.. b-back to baby mode, h-hoping I never grow up and have to think about it again…”

“God… Mikey I’m fucking sorry, that sounds like so much…” she was probably crying but kept petting him. He wasn’t sure how to respond now. “I… I think it sounds like you know you shouldn’t do that. That you’re like… pushing stuff down to make yourself seem okay. I think maybe you wanna be worried about normally just so you feel normal, maybe that’s why you’re acting like that…” he chanced a look up at her. She might have looked like him, but the way she was crying over him made her look like Raph. So he was crying in her lap quietly.

He looked away and clutched the fabric of her pants. “I’m.. not trying to act out… I just really don’t want these grown up problems, I-I wanna worry about stupid stuff, n-not wake up with my thing out cuz I h-had a nightmare…”

She took a deep shaky breath and blew it out slowly. “We don’t get to choose to not grow up. I know why you want to? But look at me. If I could have stayed a kid forever I probably would have. I hated puberty. Being a grown up sucks. But you can’t stop it. And you’ve gotten forced into the worst thing, but it doesn’t make you grown up, it just.. means you have to deal with something complicated. I... think ignoring that kinda problem won’t make it go away, and if you need to talk to someone about.. all that gross complicated stuff you’re scared of, I’m here. I’ve had lots of weird feelings over the years, going from like.. weapon to person, boy to girl.. you can tell me more if you want. Maybe I’ll get it.”

Mikey sat up and wiped his eyes. “I.. I haven’t even been asking about you, I’m so sorry Jennika…”

She smiled sadly and draped her arm over his shoulder, pulling him close and giving him a gentle shake. “No, it’s fine! You’re having a bad day. I wanna help with that, don’t worry about me at all.”

He looked up at her sadly, pressing his head against her chest.

“I-it’s weird.. if I’m not your dad, that probably means Raph’s not your mom right..?”

She sighed and looked at the lake. “No… he’s not. It’s kinda complicated, cuz there’s a piece of my heart that still.. I dunno, craves a mom? So that’s why I was so weird when he called me beautiful… but he’s not, he’s my brother just like you are.”

He looked over at the lake. “Is it weird that I think of him as my mom..?”

“No… Not at all, I get it. He’s been your caretaker, and he likes doing that.”

Mikey nodded slowly. “Then.. you get why its… fucking with my head that I’ll dream about the cage, and wake up like that.. why I feel sick to my stomach about it…”

“God, yeah I get that… I would be scared.”

“And I can’t cry to him about it, cuz it’s about him…”

She nodded slowly. “And that would make it worse.. yeah. I’m sorry Mikey…” she rubbed his shoulder. “Okay.. so this will be weird no matter what, but like.. you had the bird and bees talk? And any other talks about your body and stuff..?”

He looked up at her and shrugged sadly. “How much talk needed? We already made you.. think I get where babies come from…”

She looked down at him sadly and then gently rubbed his head. “Oh.. buddy that doesn’t mean you know everything. Did Splinter never…?”

He looked away. “Maybe she tried. Maybe I ran away. I don’t know, I don’t remember…”

She nodded and kept rubbing his head. “Okay. Let’s jump past babies and stuff. I think what you’re describing is like a sex dream, and it’s one you’re having cuz you got forced into it. A trauma dream, making you relive the only time you’ve ever felt arousal. You can’t control it, it's not your fault, it’s a natural response. It doesn’t mean you actually feel aroused by Raph, that you actually want him like that. It’s… ugh I’m sorry. Consent is a better place to maybe start this. Consent and body autonomy and finding a partner you trust…?” She shifted a little.

He looked up. She seemed a little frustrated that she couldn’t find the words.

He sighed and idly squeezed her knee. “I know what you’re trying to say. That I was raped. That I raped Raph but I didn’t, that he raped me but he didnt… dad raped us. Used us to rape each other. I… I know that.”

She looked down at him sadly, clearly sad about how much he was using the word. But he should be allowed to say it over and over again!

“Yeah…”

“I’m too young for sex. I don’t want a sex partner or whatever. I don’t want to have to worry about that, but I’m scared that I’m…” he keeled over and started crying out of nowhere. “I-I think maybe when I was little dad raped me too..? W-when Lita.. I-I can’t remember it… sh-she said I saw something I w-wasn’t supposed to… sh-she seemed so fucking sorry… a-and that’s all I’ve been thinking about for a week… a-and nobody cares!”

Jennika gently shook him and she was crying too. “I care! Fuck Mikey I care so much, I’m so fucking sorry!”

“E-everyone’s been tiptoeing around it! L-like around Raph! A-and maybe I wanted to go to therapy and talk about it! T-talk to Lita! Get more information! B-but there was the… th-the YOU situation! A-and he was traumatized enough! A-and now Big Mama is evil and I-I can’t!”

She took a deep shaky break and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in her lap for a hug. He let her as he sobbed against her chest. “We don’t need her to do that. We can figure it out without her, we can find ways of dealing with it. God Mikey you’ve been so fucking… I’m sorry. Everything is so fucked up but I fucking promise you that’s my priority okay? We’re gonna help you with that.”

Mikey was clinging to her shirt and sobbing into it. He nodded miserably as he cried. “I-I’m sorry.. I-I keep forgetting t-to bring it up c-cuz I only I-learned about it when y-you were b-born! B-but that was like a week ago! A-and that’s its whole own thing! A-and I’m too fucked up t-to think about it!”

She held him tight and pressed her head against his.

“Fuck… you’ve been keeping so much in there…” She pulled back to cup his cheeks in her hands and smile determined at him, tears still freely falling down her face. He sniffled and shook as he looked back at her. “You don’t need to worry about any of this other stuff. No villains no brothers no fucking weird turtles coming back from the future. Your priority is Mikey. And so’s mine. We’re gonna figure it out. You and me. We’re gonna talk it out one step at a time together. Anything you fucking need I’m here, okay?”

He put his hands on hers, he was struggling to breathe through the crying. This wasn’t his usual crying, he felt fucking broken. His whole body hurt from how hard he was crying.

And it felt good. To fucking scream and yell and cry about how miserable he REALLY was, and to feel seen for it. To feel cared for about it.

So he shakily nodded and kept crying in her face.

She held him again. This wasn’t like how Raph would make him feel at all, this wasn’t a mom thing. This wasn’t a ‘push my feelings down and pretend you’re normal’ upset thing. This was just a sibling really fucking seeing him and letting him be as big of a wreck as he needed. Someone he wasn’t scared of making the problems worse of.

Maybe she was exactly what he needed right now.