#at least they're both older and wiser now but STILL

[10yearsofdnp]

December 24, 2014: And this is why we don't leave Dan alone in the apartment! 🕯️🥵

[typecastwritesssss]

okay but like the wind waker man. that intro. so many questions. we all know ocarina is dark but man wind waker just straight up said "and then they all drowned and the gods never came to help" hello??? how many years. how many decades. how much time did the adult hero of time buy for them? which child of zelda’s was daphnes? her son? grandchild? great-grandchild? when he stared at the rising waters and realized nothing was going to save them, his kingdom, did he think it was retribution for all the war? 

has it really been all that long? yes and also no. the lines are so blurred. the zora are birds and the kokiri are koroks and they had time to Get That Way but everywhere you look the old Hyrule, the Hero of Time himself, they're both all over the place. the deku tree is implied to be the sprout from the adult timeline but honestly who knows. the golden goddesses are statues on islands somewhere and there was a tower built to test who came after but…who and how and why? what was the tower of the gods even for? how did they know they’d need it? at what point did they accept the hero of time was never coming back so they’d probably need to train a new one? 

and oh my god, that outset island tradition. “dress your kids in green and give ‘em a sword and pray to the gods they’ll have the courage to cast down evil.” link rolls his eyes at it but he wears them to appease grandma. the revered clothes of the hero have had time to pass into “stupid traditional getup” territory. how many “failed Links” were there before Aryll’s brother? what evil could those children have possibly stricken down? the monsters in the woods?

“what became of that kingdom? none remain who know” like goddamn. say what you want about the hero’s shade in twilight princess. but at least the traumatized ghost got to meet one of his descendants and pass on his songs and his knowledge, even if that knowledge was only of war and death and combat. in the wind waker he’s a statue. an element of a legend mentioned once or twice by the last remaining holdouts of the past—holdouts who so badly want him to return, view him as the solution over all else, that they never pause to consider any other option. there are stained glass windows of the seven sages in the master sword’s chamber that are never mentioned. there is so much that is never mentioned.

nobody knows what the fuck anybody is talking about. link doesn’t know old hylian. tetra is running around the high seas (as a pirate. she and her retainers are now pirates. how did things get that way) with a piece of the damn triforce around her neck and she doesn’t know who ‘princess zelda’ even is. the juxtaposition between ganondorf, older and tired and wiser but still hell-bent on ruling hyrule even if it is a dead land full of nothing and no one, and tetra, a zelda that knows nothing, asking why he’s laughing and calling him insane. because hyrule’s dead. she has no frame of reference for his longing, or what he found so great about this sunken kingdom.

and this is framed as a good thing. the king of red lions thinks it’s better not to let either of the kids in on the loop until tetra nearly dies for lack of knowledge. daphnes nolhansen hyrule brought “the hero” back just to end ganon, and hyrule with him. was the plan always to let the sea fall in on him? maybe. i don’t know. but he rejects zelda’s plea with him to take him with them to the land that will be the new hyrule, because “it will not be hyrule. it will be your land” and that still gets me. he thinks the best thing to do with his kingdom, Hyrule, the kingdom of a whole hell of a lot of irl people’s childhoods, is for it to wash away. he wants the kids to live for the future and they do and they will and they name it hyrule anyway in his honor but he never gets to see it.

anyways i’m still mad everybody got butthurt over “trains in a zelda game” like come on now

[wreckedhoney]

time travel au but specifically with the flavor of post-66 longtime fugitive obi-wan having little to no sense of self importance next to the grand scheme of things. coming across a power that allows him to choose one (or three?) points in the past where he can temporarily possess his past self and alter events, and one of the first things he thinks of doing is sacrificing himself to save qui-gon, because maybe he'd be the better, wiser, more experienced master; maybe he can catch and handle everything obi-wan couldn't.

except young obi-wan is healed with older-wan still in his body, vader following him through time and ensuring that events go as they did originally - before they're both thrust out of this time, obi-wan failing and lost as to why vader wouldn't at least give himself the decent chance to avoid being maimed at mustafar, and vader ensuring that obi-wan will live to be with anakin.

BONUS! AGAIN! for the three points option! obi-wan is torn between speaking personally with anakin, younger and oblivious to obi-wan taking over his younger self as a general, or to head straight for the council. when he comes to this point in time, however, it's like he has no choice. as soon as anakin approaches him, he has to speak with him, but it comes across harried and panicked (he has too little time). he tries to fly through everything, from anakin's freedom to leave the order if he wishes, to their friendship, attachments, to the influence of the chancellor (and obi-wan has to be so, so careful here). he needs to rush past, to find someone else he can speak more freely with, but anakin stops him, alarmed and concerned, and more so when obi-wan is flown a few feet away from him. vader looms a short distance away, unaggressive but halting obi-wan's efforts nonetheless, until they again run out of time.

obi-wan staggers out of mustafar, dragging two injured with him. padmé's last moments are just as agonizing, and anakin/vader's injuries are as well, but obi-wan flies them to a medical facility as fast as he can. he doesn't have just a time limit now; anakin/vader's wounds will be fatal if not mended fast enough, never mind that already he's in better shape than in the original timeline since obi-wan lifted him out quicker. he's also expecting vader - his vader - any moment, but oddly, that future version of him does not make an appearance this time. obi-wan takes another look at the unconscious sith with him, wondering if this self will kill him once he leaves this body. his intervention continues uninterrupted.

that unsettles him, and he opens his eyes to witness what kind of change just that altered decision, perhaps his largest risk of his three chances, had on the future point he originated from, the one he will now have to live in. for the first short moment, there is only the sensation akin to waking up from a deep sleep. and then, the memories flood in, many old and familiar - until others flow alongside them now, new.

[emphasisonthehomo]

So, buck's dick so good that makes Tommy an all star player?🤭🤣

Love that piece! As I am an amateur hockey fan, I really like this snippet!

Is there Christopher somewhere? Bc he is getting three dads for one.

Also, how do you think the buddietommy will get together ? Or there will be endless pining from the Eddie side?

How did buck and Tommy get together? Also, is Tommy trans in this one too?

The headlines about this relationship have the potential to be hilarious.

Post In Question

Lol, there is definitely more than just Buck's dick involved, so strap in because I'm gonna get into detail for how Tommy's last NHL season becomes his career best.

(And also answer your other questions.)

(Also also this got long.)

First I should mention why Tommy hasn't been an All Star before. It's a numbers game. The NHL selects far fewer goalies for the All Stars than they do other positions. Tommy's also never managed to be on a team that has really serious Stanley Cup contention (he's been in the playoffs quite a few times, his career has been a long one, but always out in first or second round) so he just... hasn't ever really been considered for it. He hasn't had that special combo of popularity + skill + winning team before.

The main factor in Tommy actually becoming an All Star Goaltender is, unfortunately, the rookie getting injured. Tommy's ancient and decrepit by NHL standards (38? 39? practically a crypt keeper) his knees and hips are garbage and everything hurts all the time. He's always been a Good Goalie, c'mon he does this professionally, but he hasn't been a starting goalie in a while. Just getting the opportunity to start, an opportunity he wouldn't have otherwise, is a huge leg up.

He didn't sign w/ the team (LA Kings?🤮) to be a starting goalie, and everyone knows it. Spittin' Chiclets has made comments along the lines of 'wow, Kinard is still playing?' He's there to be a reliable backup, to offer some quality mentorship to the rookie, and to have something to do in his last season before he announces retirement. But then the rookie gets injured way early in the season. I'm talking like game 4 or something. Tommy steps in and steps up. No one, least of all him, expects things to go where they do.

It's a dramatic mid game switch. They're on the road. Someone on the opposing team falls onto the rookie mid butterfly and the kid gets stretchered off. It's bad. So Tommy heads out to the net, it's his first time in goal for a game since the pre-season. He's nervous, of course he's nervous. But more than that he's determined.

Mentality contributes to any position, but it's got more of an influence on goal tending. Tommy's got nothing to lose at this point, but also crucial (for him anyway) nothing to win. In his head he's not going to be a starting goalie again, the team probably won't be a serious contender for The Cup. All he has to do is play and play well. He's gotta make sure that when the rookie does return from IR, it's not to a metaphorical dumpster fire.

Now Tommy's been playing professionally/semi-professionally for a long time. Almost 20 years. He's been in goal since he was a kid. This is what he does, this is what he's good at. His career has had some ups and downs, but he's older now. He likes to think he's wiser. This is his last season, he made that decision months ago. He wants to end his career with dignity. Going out with a bang isn't on his mind, but he knows he doesn't want to go out with a whimper.

And then he fucking shuts the door.

He shuts the fucking door, and because of that they manage to come up from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2. As the buzzer sounds both Buck and Eddie are right there, slamming into him for the triumphant post win hug. It's not a shutout, not technically. But it's a shutout for him, and he's pretty damn happy with it.

The next game though. The next game another (even younger) kid is brought up from the feeder team as backup. Tommy gets a proper shutout, and that's when coaching starts to think seriously about how they want to do things. Tommy winds up starting in goal for the rest of the road trip. And then after the team gets home and it becomes clear that their injured rookie will be out for months, Tommy gets the green light to start in general.

It's an opportunity he never thought he'd have again, and because of that Tommy fucking locks in. Spittin' Chiclets is stunned and in awe. What are the odds? He's playing good hockey in a way he hasn't since he was 32. Unlike the last time he was on fire like this, their team is also humming along. And unlike last time there's a story. The NHL loves a story. Veteran goaltender playing some of his best hockey in what everyone assumed would be his last year is a good story.

And it's also because of that, because it's his last season and he's decided to fucking go for it, Tommy decides to also do something monumentally stupid and kiss a teammate. He's spent his entire career in the closet. When he was a rookie he wouldn't even look at other men during the season, much less hookup. As he got older he did slowly come out of his shell, but he was still very careful about it.

One night in November Evan Buckley is gushing about the (frankly insane) scorpion save Tommy managed in the second period. And Tommy's looking at him and thinking "huh" before stepping in close. Evan's gaze snaps down to Tommy's mouth like it's been magnetized, and Tommy decides "fuck it" and goes for the kiss. That kiss leads to a lot more than just kissing.

And so Tommy winds up with career high statistics in his last season. He's confident in himself in a way he never has been before, settled in a way he never thought he would be, and he's deliriously happy with his secret boyfriend. Completely ignorant of the fact that his friend Eddie Diaz is spiraling because of said secret boyfriend.

He gets selected for All Stars for the first time, and is flummoxed because he'd made plans to go be on a beach somewhere like he does every year, and now he has to cancel that.

AS FOR CHRISTOPHER!

Yes, he's around. Eddie is almost neurotic in his attempts to keep Chris out of the media. The team PR kind of hates it, because "NHL Player with Special Needs Son" is frankly clickbait catnip. But they also can't force Eddie to do anything, and Eddie has made it clear he'll put his foot down about it. Eddie's marriage imploded dramatically in the news, and Shannon is MIA (but alive, because I said so) and he's got full custody. The only time Chris is ever on camera is when there's a family skate for a fucking Winter Classic or something, and he's in the background with Buck and Eddie helping him stay vertical on the ice.

There is quite a bit of pining on Eddie's part. He loves Buck. Buck has been his best friend (and sometimes lover) for years. He likes Tommy a lot too. Their friendship took off like a rocket, and Eddie's already at the point where he can't imagine Tommy not being in his house with him and Buck. Tommy grills a mean steak. Tommy is terrible at video games and will good naturedly let Eddie, Chris, and Buck destroy him at Mario Cart over and over again.

It hurts like pressing a bruise. Buck and Tommy are clearly so happy together. Eddie can't stop thinking about it. He wonders why this is different. Why Buck decided to go for something serious with Tommy instead of Eddie, when Eddie's been here the whole time. Simultaneously, Eddie wonders what Tommy saw in Buck that he didn't see in Eddie. It seems like when they hang out, it's always the three of them. He has very complicated feelings about the fact that he wants to kiss them both.

At the same time, this all feels secondary to what's happening on ice. During the pre-season all of the talking heads spoke about their team like they'd probably maybe be playoff hopefuls next season. Now everyone is abuzz because they've got a Very Good Chance of being playoff hopefuls now. Eddie doesn't have time for a crisis, because there's hockey to be played.

Because this is a fic, they get together after winning The Stanley Cup. Of course.

Tommy's not in net for all of the playoffs (his knees hurt so bad) but he's in net for A Lot of it. He's in net when the buzzer sounds on game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. They've squeaked a win 4-3. It was down to the wire. Buck slams into him as soon as the clock winds down to zero, and Tommy sobs openly into the stinky sweaty fabric of Buck's jersey. Eddie is right there, pressing a cartoonish and smacking kiss to the top of Tommy's helmet.

In the champagne fueled blur of a celebration, they all wind up falling into bed together. It's basically all frotting, they're too drunk for anything more coordinated. And then have the most awkward discussion the next morning when they're a combination of brutally hungover (Tommy) still drunk from the night before (Eddie) and somehow??? sobered up??? (Buck)

You should assume Tommy is trans in everything I write. My little lizard brain wants Tommy to also be trans for this, because that's just how my mind works. The logistics of it are complicated. Either this is an au where the NHL is way cooler with stuff than they are IRL, or Tommy has just been closeted the whole time, which is practically impossible. Either way this is a tangled mess of masculinity and sexuality and gender. Delicious.

Anyways. Tommy announces his retirement with a picture of him holding the cup. And then goes to Eddie's house to kiss his boyfriends hello and help Buck make a lasagna, while Eddie works with Chris on his homework.

I think if they were to come out as a cute little throuple, it would happen after all three of them retire.

[cartoonedin]

layla and rory learn why padlocks exist: a fanfiction

can't believe my first uca fanfic is about layla fletcher and totally imagined interactions. who would've thunk it. this was written entirely in discord and came with such insightful commentary from my friend as:

in my mind this takes place when they're older and (not that much) wiser but sophia still being alive might un-suspend your disbelief in that aspect. enjoy!

moonlight sidles into the room. layla’s heart skips a beat at the call of near-curfew. she’s been doing her very best to keep out of trouble this year, which has resulted in complete abstinence from her greatest vices: late-night visits to the library, taking up years worth of teachers’ consultation time, and stashing away her humble coffee making kit/fbi-tracked portable laboratory.

it’s of note, then, that layla is now in possession of a living, breathing boyfriend whose heart beats for her and her alone (and mister mendoza as a quote-unquote bit that often lasts one too many texts to be a smidge, never mind a bit) due to drink smuggling. it’s a dangerous trade, somewhere in the suffocating space between opposing sophia and descending to the depths of the underworld. yet as she found herself sucked into a vortical economy of energy drinks and plots to topple the humble skyberry’s monopolization, she reaped a whirlwind romance for the ages. this fact is very unfortunate for her desire to never get detention again. most dormmate-related facts are.

“i’m just saying, it’s fine by me if you never leave.” rory drapes himself over her lap as he pitches a stolen guitar pick to the ceiling. it’s hardly the best position for the aerodynamics of the act, but she can’t find it in herself to protest.

“never?” layla tucks a nonexistent hair behind her ear. this is one of his invitations, she’s hoping, to enter his world of hyperbole and hypocrisy in a non-miss-furi-provoking situation. “would that make your dormitory your evil lair, and me the fair maiden you’ve stolen away from her gilded cage?”

he yawns. or perhaps he burps. or perhaps he does both at the same time. layla has long given up on boxing rory’s actions within the neat lines of basic biological processes, and rory has long given up any inhibitions about being anything but his usual gross self around girls. even the ones that have painstakingly dragged his grades up to the first half of the alphabet. “hey, i dunno about fair maidens, but most girls would consider me not letting them win at pop pong pretty evil.”

“most girls didn’t get assigned to a dorm with the sorest winner in the world and her throngs of sweaty socks.” she giggles, her tone lowering into a conspiratory teasing. “and everyone knows frost glacier freeze is the superior flavour.”

he’s about to refute her argument when something interrupts him. no, it is not something. it is the thing. it is the sound of combat boots battling each and every tile leading up to rory’s room. it is the overture to a symphony of crackling hellfire. it is valentina furi. 

“rory carmichael, if i catch you drawing deathly omens on my grandmama’s teacups again, i swear–” the door swings open. the pair of amber eyes presumably about to laser rory to death now jump up and down and all around. the assumption of rory being burnt to a crisp only gains more ground. “just what are you two doing?”

they look at each other. they look at the pile of books on the floor. “studying!”

“at least isa–someone and i workshopped our excuses.” her perfectly drawn brows are drawn at a different angle of disapproval than usual. does she look… sad? “honestly, layla, i expected better from you.”

eventually, valentina grows tired of seeing the anthromorphic puddles they are, and the door is slammed with extreme prejudice. the noise is piercing, causing layla to descend into the hissing whisper supposedly reserved for 3am study sessions, not 8pm perfectly platonic looking casual hangouts. “studying? you expected her to believe that?”

“um, yeah, that’s why i said it.” 

it would be the discovery of a lifetime to some, more staggering than mass-energy equivalence or miss primrose’s background in equestrian acrobatics, that rory has reasons for saying things. not to layla. learning that rory has reasons for saying things is to layla as the wright flyer’s first liftoff must’ve been to the wright brothers; all evidence points to a solid truth, but the solid seems to be made of gum to the point where one can’t be faulted for thinking something’s going to go up in flames. she sighs.

“what do you think she meant by having expected better of me?”

“beats me. who cares what carrot top thinks?” rory clears his throat. “i mean, your pupils are a beautiful shade of frost glacier freeze.”

“my irises, rory.” she bats her eyelashes with a practiced innocence. practice makes perfect, indeed. “clearly, you need more one-on-one tutoring.”

a monumental crash of crystal and crockery commences. “HAH! FIFTY BUCKS, FURI!”

layla surmises, by virtue of the sound’s estimated frequency and amplitude and also the sight of isabel’s heels clip-clopping down the hall with as much grace as a horse high on grim magic and gathering book magic and anabolic steroids, that she and rory are going to have a long, long night.

(it turns into a long, long morning when sophia realises she’s been using one of valentina’s acrylic nails to play her guitar for the past week.)

[johaerys-writes]

Do you know the approximate ages of all the main characters in The Iliad?

Hi anon! I haven't looked into this topic before tbh, and I feel like researching it thoroughly will take up a lot of time, so these are just off the top of my head!

Achilles was a teenager when Agamemnon called the men of Hellas to sail to Troy. By the time of the Iliad, he must be in his late 20s.

Patroclus is described as being slightly older, and therefore wiser, than Achilles and is sent to Troy to counsel him. So he must be in his early 30s in the Iliad.

Ajax is Achilles' cousin, and is said to have been trained by Chiron too. But I'm not sure if they trained at the same time? Telamon, Ajax's father, is the elder brother of Peleus, so if we assume that both these men had their kids at about the same age, then Ajax would be at least a few years older than Achilles. Maybe Ajax was sent to Chiron first, and then Achilles followed. I'm really not sure haha. But I would say he must be about mid to late 30s.

The sacrifice of Iphigenia is one of those myths that not everyone accepts as part of the Iliad, but I am one of those that believe that it should be read into the greater myth of the Iliad and the Epic Cycle (for various reasons that I will not go into now lol). Agamemnon and Clytemnestra had four kids, and Iphigenia was the oldest, who at the start of the Trojan war was at marrying age (let's say about 15). That means that Agamemnon must have been at the very least in his mid 30s when the war started (although men generally married older than the women). So in the Iliad he should be at least mid to late 40s.

Menelaus is Agamemnon's younger brother, so.... let's say he's late 30s, early 40s when the Iliad starts? Give or take?? My impression is that he's a quite a bit younger than Agamemnon but I don't remember a specific passage about it right now.

Odysseus left Ithaca after Penelope had just had Telemachus, so that would have been in the first or second year of their marriage. He must have been at least in his 20s when that happened, let's say mid to late twenties. He must be mid to late 30s in the Iliad.

Nestor is described as having seen two generations of men, and that he's still ruling as king in the third age, so I would assume he's FUCK old lmao. Probably 70s-80s in the Iliad, I would say.

Hector is Priam's oldest son by Hecuba, and he has 19 siblings by the same mother. The youngest son, Polydorus, is old enough to meet Achilles on the battlefield in the Iliad. I'm not sure in which order the children were born, but if we assume that Hector has at least a 10 year age difference with Polydorus, and that Polydorus is at least 15 in the Iliad, then we're already looking at a man who is in his mid to late 20s at the very least. But he's most definitely much older than that, because...

Helen's daughter, Hermione, is quite young when Helen leaves with Paris, but I'm not sure how old exactly. What we do know is that Helen spends 10 years in Troy before the Achaeans arrive, and then there's 10 more years of the war, so at the time of the Iliad she must be... late 30s? At least? And Paris is probably around the same age as her. And if Paris is in his late 30s, and he's Hector's younger brother, then Hector is even older than him. Which means that Hector is probably in his early 40s.

Priam has a ton of children, and he is generally described in the Iliad as a kindly and mild-mannered old man, so I would place him about Nestor's age. Virgil in his Aeneid has Priam be in his 80s when Troy is sacked, and I think that estimation is correct.

I think these are the main characters?? Don't think I've missed anyone lol. As I said, these are off the top of my head so if anyone has any corrections or additions they're welcome to add them <3

[itsheccincheebs]

Mha epilouge spoilers ///

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OKAY WITH THE NEW MHA EPILOGUE I HAVE A SEMI NEW CANON FOR DEKU AND ARIA (like an alternate universe if you will)

These are just my thoughts and I hope no harm will be made by this XD

Aria goes to die in the war arc and izuku grieves her so, so, so much and always brings fresh flowers once a week in her grave—-

then with the epilogue incoming izuku still mourns her death and noting the fact that she will forever be 15-16 :,)) and he will continue to old. Then he had a dream or maybe a flashback of what Aria said that had something along the lines of Aria telling him it’s okay to move on and love again :,)).

Hmmm....okay! I guess I'll take a crack at it.😉

CW: major character death, grief, angst

Izuku is 17 and he hates the smell of flowers. When he leaves Heights Alliance, no one in class 2-A asks where he's going. They're all used to him disappearing weekly and every time he comes back, he's deathly quiet, looking far older than his years.

He stops at a local flower shop owned by a little old lady who always includes an extra few roses in his little bouquet, winking at him conspiratorially and none the wiser. "For your lady friend," she whispers.

Izuku doesn't have the heart to tell her to stop adding the little manufactured card that reads "For My Sweetie" in a cutesy, cheesy font. It was a miscommunication when grief sealed his lips and now it's just...a thing. Never mind that his heart clenches every time he glances at it, but the little old lady isn't wrong, technically.

The damaged infrastructure still plaguing the city means he has to take several detours and what would've taken less than half an hour pre-war becomes a two hour trip in this new reality. But he makes it there in one piece, a little worse for wear, but otherwise intact. At least on the outside.

Because when he walks through the familiar pathway to her, his face begins to crumple. He tries to keep it together, just long enough to reach her, there are other people nearby, also grieving, but it's hard. The flowers tremble in his tight grip, releasing their sweet perfume, and he almost gags.

He doesn't know why he keeps doing this to himself. It's already been a year (a whole year...?) and he can't let it go. He should be moving on. He should be doing something...anything other than this weekly ritual.

Chest heaving, tears pouring freely down his face, he sinks to his knees in front of a familiar gravestone. The bouquet drops in a heap and he sucks in great lungfuls of air, but it's not enough. It's never enough.

In front of his late lover's headstone, Izuku weeps as though he had just lost her yesterday. It wasn't fair, the way she died. She looked so afraid, shivering violently around the gunshot in her lung as she desperately tried to breathe, not knowing it was only making it worse. All Izuku had left to remember her by was the bloody handprint she left on his cheek.

He tries to remember the wonderful moments they shared, but the war tore so many good things apart and all he's left with is the remnants of what could've been.

If only he'd been faster, stronger, more alert. Maybe she wouldn't have died.

If only, if only...

"I'm so sorry," he cries, shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs. "I couldn't save you, I...I tried...I wish I could've...I just miss you so much...!"

Izuku doesn't know how long he spends kneeling there, hunched over with only the smell of earth and roses for company. Eventually he calms down, sniffling and wiping his face on his hoodie. Still, he doesn't move, eyes unseeing at the marker in front of him.

"What's the point of being a hero...if I can't save the people I care about...?" he wonders aloud, voice somehow both listless and despondent.

Izuku really hates the smell of flowers. He especially hates that he does because he knows that she used to really love them. She once had a vast garden dedicated to blossoms of all shapes and sizes, a place that was once special to both of them. Where they had both confessed, had their first kiss...now he's not sure if it even exists anymore, most likely decimated in the war.

In time, Izuku stops asking himself this question. It seems arbitrary now at 24 years old, back in the fray with the rest of his former classmates, but he still thinks about her from time to time. He's gotten better at hiding his grief.

He still cries at night sometimes, in his apartment during the nights when sleep won't come. He wonders where she'd be, if she was still alive, what kind of space she'd fill in his life. He's never even attempted to date anyone, even after all this time. It's been hard.

And now, a month after getting his hero suit, there's this something niggling the back of his head. He supposes he's allowed to be happy, but any time he feels anything remotely resembling joy, her face flashes through his mind and it's just...if she was still here, still alive to grow up with him and everyone else...how much happier would he have been, truly?

"You have that look on your face again." Uraraka's voice is quiet yet it still startles him out of his thoughts.

"Wh...what look?" he flounders, because of course he does. Izuku will never be able to convince anyone, least of all Uraraka, that he's cool in any sort of capacity.

They're sitting on a park bench together, watching people amble along across the pond. Between them sits a pair of to-go coffee cups, its contents long since cold. It's just before sunset and in theory, it should be a romantic atmosphere, but Izuku's not an idiot. He can see where this is going.

She levels him with a flat stare before sighing, a little rueful. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. It's...it's honestly okay."

Izuku frowns, shifting in his seat. His lips press into a thin line and it's suddenly difficult to look at her. He feels guilty.

"Midoriya, I...I know you were thinking about her. And I know how you feel." When Izuku's gaze snaps back to hers, Uraraka's smile is sad. "I miss my best friend too. But...I try to keep going for her sake. I don't know what she would've wanted. She's not here anymore to tell me." Her eyes are glassy and she rubs her face against her sleeve with a hearty sniffle. "That being said, I think she'd kick my ass if I just sat around moping."

It's like a gut punch, but Izuku holds himself together. Barely. "Ah, yeah...I...guess she would, huh?"

There's a lull in the conversation and for a moment, he feels a smidge of indignation. He's...allowed to grieve. It's normal, after all.

"But Izuku-kun, you were so special to her. Probably more than she ever let on."

Izuku surprises himself with a chuckle. "She...was really bad at talking about her feelings. It was like pulling teeth sometimes."

Uraraka nods emphatically. "Right?! Gosh, the amount of problems we could've avoided if she had just...said something!" She leans back with a huff, wistful. "She really left a mark on everyone. She was awkward and frustrating sometimes, but she had a good heart. And she trusted you with it."

Uraraka places a hand over his and for once, he doesn't freak out. Instead, he smiles, though when he squeezes her hand back, the sigh that escapes breaks a little.

"I'm not asking you to replace her with me, Izuku-kun," she says. "I just want you to be happy again. I want to be by your side, in whatever form that takes."

He nods, too overwhelmed to speak. The lights in the distance grow fuzzy, clear, then blur once more. He's not letting go, that much is clear to both of them, but the weight that her memory brought grows just a little lighter.

For now, it's enough.

[sleepyheadd0]

pat pat pat!! they are so silly!!! picasso!!!!!!!!

...more stuff about picasso please?? im not really sure what to ask exactly,, but i genuinely want to learn more they're so silly!!!!!! /gen!!

oh my god im so sorry about this taking so long

the tmnt au comp gave me motivation to post about picasso lmfao

SO. picasso backstory.

the very beginning starts after the episode "Sparring Partner", S1 E18B, where we are introduced to Franken-Foot; the reformed paper ninja in raphael's care. after meeting the reformed paper ninja, mikey has an idea. at this point, hes still very babied and coddled; although now he is feeling bolder, with both "Hot Soup: the Game" and "Nothing but Truffle" already having occurred.

seeing raphael being able to reform one if their "enemies", mikey decided to replicate it, for the sake of showing raphael up and proving he can be responsible. so, after yet another battle with the foot clan, mikey slipped away to pluck an injured paper ninja out of the heap of paper after the dust settled.

the paper ninja was in bad shape, to say the least; especially after mikey had to drag it back into his room with his brothers none the wiser. after all, paper isnt exactly the strongest material on its own. but mikey knew exactly what to do, he knew how to make paper stronger. he was the artist, after all! he worked with paper a lot, unlike raphael. and his plan? paper mache.

he slowly but surely fixed the paper ninja up, it took a few days with all of the drying, hiding the living behind from his brothers, all that jazz. but if course, he didnt want to make just another paper ninja, thats boring. he needed to add his own razzmatazz to it! so, using his skills, he created his own turtle pal; complete with a painted cardboard shell.

now, this paper mache turtle wasnt exactly the strongest thing. with all of that weight, it needed something to keep it together! so mikey wrapped ribbons around its limbs, adding an extra layer of protection.

but of course, someone was going to find this out eventually. one day, while mikey was out spray painting the sewers, leo snuck into his room to grab one of his comics he let mikey borrow. only to find a strange colored turtle reading it.

mikey made leo swear to keep it a secret, but after just a week or so, leo spilled the beans to april, who brought it up with donnie assuming he knew. and finally after a month or so, raphael finally learned of the paper mache turtle when it was just walking around. mikey got in deep trouble that day.

once the family finally all knew of the paper mache turtle, it began to join them in their family time at home. its vocabulary expanded, and became almost like a toddler. donnie had some theories, but none were fully solid.

eventually, the paper mache turtle began to notice it was different from the others. no flesh or skin or scales, it was all paper mache. it felt alienated from its family. although, this didnt stop the paper mache turtle from trying to cheer itself up. so when mikey went into his room one day, he saw the paper mache turtle superglueing paper loops on the back of its head to replicate the brothers bandannas / masks.

OKAY THATS ALL I HAVE ABOUT PICASSOS BACKSTORY

but more on other things, picasso uses any/all pronouns, because as paper, they couldnt care less what you refer to them as. mikey is essentially picassos older brother/father figure, taking his toddler creation out into the sewers to teach it things.

while picasso doesnt know much about the world, he isnt a complete idiot. he may be comedically bad at using things when hes first introduced to them, but he eventually learns, like a toddler.

picassos "weapon" of choice is a fork. it was originally a dumb idea my irl friend cane up with, i actually like this idea.

so. mikey spends a lot of time in the kitchen, and picasso follows him because hes her caretaker. she watches him cooking a lot, and she also helps by passing mikey some ingredients or tools for him to use. when she saw that mikey also used a fork a lot to eat, test the readiness if potatoes, whisk together eggs, etc., she decided shed use a fork for everything, just like her caretaker and best friend mikey.

this au is also completely platonic, and picasso is aroace.

thanks for letting me ramble! im thinking of calling this au "paper mache ninja turtle ", or pmnt!

[ut-poppy-askblog]

Dusted's Bio (ACT 2)

Name: Frisk (Dusted) Age: 21  -  “Sib Birthday”: 9/17/XX - Pronouns: They/Them - Species: Human Height: 5ft6

(Dusted and Rust are both owned by Dihze.)

Though the years have passed, Dusted remains the mildly ominous, idly threatening but caring older sibling figure to Poppy, and Cookie's equally ominous-and-threatening but loving partner. They've continued to master their tailoring craft, and strengthening their bonds with their friends (the amount of which has generally remained the same). And strengthening, in general. … This said, they're still not looked on fondly by people outside of their circles, both in and out of their universe.

One day... Cookie had asked them if they'd wanted to move in together as they were travelling for college in their timeline. It took Dusted much deliberation to commit to living in a single place (after all, they'd never really had a place they could fully call "Home"), let alone their responsibilities in their home universe. But living full time with Cookie sounded like something they would naturally want to do. It was a matter of arranging things with Rust, but soon enough, it got sorted out. Not to how Dusted would want it, but so it did. And Dusted and Cookie moved together to their timeline.

They've grown older and wiser of course. They're still as resourceful and strong. They're still sharp as they usually are, but that… comes at a cost of living everyday life. They're often stressed anything will jump at them. They simply take things… Differently. Dusted isn't adapted to living a regular human life by any means. Even the closest thing they'd call human life was with Poppy and Core, they weren't usually aware of so many facets of human life. Even now, a few months after moving in, they're… Still sorting themselves out.

Side notes:

- Dusted uses Core’s last name now. In their fake ID they use in Cookie's timeline. - They've since moved out of their room in Poppy's house, however. It is now a proper guest room. - Their favorite food still stands to be toast. - They continue to tailor make all of Poppy’s clothes for free, Rust, and themselves. They don't touch Cookie's wardrobe. Or, at least, they haven't admitted to replacing all their outfits. - Dusted still works as a gardener in a separate timeline. They, however, are not paid, because they did not understand until recently that you are supposed to get paid for your work. And they would rather not start charging for what has been a free service.  - They've become something of a enigma to the neighbors of their apartment. … And the neighboring buildings as well. However, Dusted doesn't take it to heart. They've been accused of worse. - Dusted keeps in touch with Poppy through phone messages. They're often updated on the going-ons of her life still. As for how they manage this, here is a visual aid.

[imthepunchlord]

The whole system for the Miraculous is wonky as hell and much of the writing feels like they're still on that whole Good/Bad Luck concept from the show's planning stage. LB's power is literally Lucky Charm, and the symbolism of Ladybugs are good luck symbols not creation symbols. Same with the Black Cat symbolism (though the Miraculous borrow from Chinese culture and Black Cats are good luck symbols in China) I'd be more than willing to wager that the Peacock and Butterfly were concepted out before the change and no one went "Hey shouldn't we change the peacock"

Originally there was no Peacock. They were planning to do Bagua instead of Wu Xing. So a couple of miraculous from concepts were able to make it in.

But yeah, I have a growing list of what I noticed to be concepts that got changed, but weren't fully implemented to match those changes, so it's like they're still working off those old concepts despite the changes and it's not working as well, at least, how they're going about things.

As you mentioned, yeah, there's still the Good-Bad Luck theme going on (which both animals are European exclusive in terms of lucky view, an unlucky animal in Chinese should've been an Owl or Wolf).

Marinette's Luck and Tikki's treatment of her.

Now older concept Marinette was a lot more problematic. She was invasive of Felix's company and would try to force kisses on him. She also used her good luck powers selfishly, which brought bad luck as consequences. So being more pushy with her interest and being more selfish, it warrants Tikki to be criticizing and more questioning of Marinette and her choices.

Marinette now though is very selfless and considerate of others, and hardly ever abuses her power or use it selfishly. Despite the changes to her character, she still suffers a lot of bad luck (much of it played for comedy which sometimes goes too far), and Tikki is very criticizing/nitpicky of Marinette's choices and actions.

2. Chat still pursuing LB despite the clear no

Felix still pursued LB despite the clear no because he was cursed with bad luck. His actions aren't ok, but you get his reasoning on why he still tries.

Adrien though is curse free, still pursues LB despite the clear no and its because he really wants to be with her and is trying to wear her down and is dismissing her answer and feelings. That's not good.

3. Hawk Moth and His Son

Felix actually was not HM's son. Between that and him not having a desire to be a hero, it made sense why Felix wouldn't actively look for HM. He doesn't have that close connection nor did he have that drive.

Adrien is HM's son, and he has that close connection and could get that plot moving. And yet 5 seasons now, Adrien is none the wiser. It's a weird placement where they know he is HM's son, but they're also acting like Chat still isn't his son so has no reason to look into HM and discover things and get this plot moving.

4. The Slow Slow Slow Slow Slow Slow Slow Civilian Side Burn

When it was Felix and Marinette, he couldn't stand her (understandably) so he avoided her while she makes all the effort to try and get closer with him. It's understandable why the civilian side of things would be slow going.

Now, Adrien is friendlier and does like Marinette, and she still makes a lot of effort to confess to him and get closer with him. But it fails or goes nowhere, which just sets up this impression that she is far under his radar. And introducing Kagami didn't help cause you could pass off him being too blind/set on LB, but Kagami shows that he can notice other girls, so Marinette just isn't a romantic option. I do hear they finally reversed the LS in s5 but it feels way too late.

5. Marinette and her Parents

Earliest concept of Marinette actually had her coming home finding her father dead. And I didn't see much else of her having parents or them talked about. And given that Marinette is written to be independent, self-reliant, hardly turns to adults for help and advise, and seems to turn to Tikki as a mentor; to me it seems that Marinette's parents were just never meant to be in the picture or factored in. Mindful, I think Marinette was originally meant to be college age. If she and Chat Noir were always meant to be a romantic pair, well, there is no way this Chat is a young teenager.

Either way, she now officially has parents, but they are hardly in her life, she never really turns to them for help and advise like a 13 yo should, and she's still incredibly independent. Mostly, she turns to Tikki for help and advise. At It's almost like her parents aren't there.

This way of writing how uninvolved and absent her parents are, it could be a left of to them possibly being dead, or it could be a left over from the earliest thought that Marinette was going to be older and not need them around as much. They made a change, but it's not fully implemented, especially with Marinette confirmed to be 13 at the start of the show. I don't know how much independence 13 yos in France get, but I'd expect they still rely on their parents quite a bit.

So, this is my list of things I noticed that were changed concepts, but they didn't fully change everything to really make it work, and it feels like they're still working off those old concepts despite making changes. Or they're just trying to have their cake and eat it to. They do that a lot.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hey uh, did you like Sophie’s development in Stellarlune? I thought it was good and she def had a right to lash out at Forkle.

Yes and no. Did I particularly enjoy reading it? Not fully, because there was a tad bit of secondhand embarrassment going on watching her behave as she did. Did I think it made sense for her character, who she is, and what's she's going through? Yes! That's who she is and how she's responding to her situation, and I can't blame her for it!

She's 14 in human years (if my math is right), and that's exactly what it's like to be 14 even when you haven't gone through what Sophie has. It's when you're starting to be a person expressing and doing things for yourself and you make your entrance into the world arguing. Because you haven't figured out how to step back. And because you're passionate and can't turn it off, but are still figuring out where you stand so you're often blundering through things. At least in my experience. And that's what Sophie's doing!

Sophie has tried to work with people, to figure out who she's supposed to be, how to fight back how people are telling her to. And it's not working. And she's tired. And fed up. And she never wanted any of this and never had a choice in it. Not like her friends do. And she's sick of it and yet still has to do it because she has no choice. So that frustration has got to come out somewhere.

She's seen more than enough proof that what they're doing isn't working, so she thinks she has the solution, a new way forward. If people would listen and do things her way and pay attention to her then she could fix it--you know, since that's the whole reason she's there. She's putting the pieces together and getting somewhere, making deals and solving problems. Given all that, I think it makes perfect sense for her to lash out! Both because of her situation, which is completely fair to rage against, and because of her age.

There are parts of her behavior now that I'm not a fan of, but that's not because Shannon wrote it badly. It's because she's well-rounded and imperfect, as she should be. For example, her conviction that the council should let her see all their forgotten secrets. Her reasoning is bad, the idea is poorly thought through, and I face-palmed reading it. But does it make sense for Sophie to think it's a good idea? Yes! She learned things from other caches, hates secrets and wants this to be over, and of course she'd think the best option is for her to expose herself to and use that information. Regardless of the fact she's 14 and dealing with stuff way beyond her. It's exactly the kind of egotistical thing I'd think when I was 14.

All of that to say that yes, I thought it was good development that suited her and where she is in her story and life. I can understand where it all comes from and why. But even so, that's doesn't necessarily make it enjoyable, and it is a tad difficult to read at times because of it. But I'd prefer it be good and uncomfortable than unfaithful and pleasant. Does all that make sense?

(this isn't to say that I'm infinitely wiser and more aware of the world since I'm a few years older, just that there is something about being 14--more like 12-14--that is very specific in how it impacts you. and you can't even realize it until you're no longer 14. it's odd)

[kitkatt0430]

Fuffy, Spangel, Dawn/Connor, and Angel/Riley for the ship bingo!

Fuffy:

I do enjoy Fuffy as a good fix-it fic because it's nice when Faith is able to not go down a bad path that leads to prison and gets a cute girlfriend too. But their canon relationship is so fascinating to me too, I've gotta admit.

I genuinely think that, canonically, Faith's in love with Buffy. But she's just so screwed up and let down by the adults in her life that Faith can't deal with it. She goes after guys that are infatuated with Buffy too - Angel, Xander, Riley, Spike, Robin - but she's not really happy unless she's the center of Buffy's attention. And when things go bad, well... if she can't have positive attention, she'll take the negative.

I... really do enjoy villains that are in that vein don't I? (Eobard Thawne, the Master from Doctor Who...)

That said, Faith is pretty devoted to Buffy, which we see both before and after her little jaunt on the dark side.

On Buffy's part, her actions towards Faith really do read as someone with a crush, pre-accidental manslaughter incident. Her feelings were probably too different from what she was used to for her to recognize the crush for what it was. But especially knowing that Buffy has at least one lady lover in the comics (that I've heard of anyway?) it makes a lot of sense to me that she had a crush on Faith. Faith was good at keeping up this veneer of being everything Buffy wished she could be - free of expectations and comfortable with being the Slayer.

So while their canon relationship is... a mess, I do think there was a window of opportunity where, had things gone a bit differently, they could have been girlfriends.

Spangel:

They've definitely had sex during their fanged four days. They're exes. They're divorced (yet still married). They love each other. They want to murder one another in convoluted loony tunes style plots.

They're Spangel. And they bring out the best and the worst in each other. If I were in more of a mood for vampires, I'd probably feel the need to go through their ship tag but I'm currently too focused on other fandoms.

I think one of my favorite ship fics for these two had Angel saving Spike's life and it caused him this moment of perfect happiness because the idea of perfect happiness was tied to what the caster of the curse believed it to be, deep down. And since the last time Angel had his soul shoved back into his body it was a Willow who'd lost Tara... very poignant but also now they've got Angelus around and his idea of love was... um...

Okay, so maybe I do need to dig that one up and re-read it now. :D

Dawn/Conner:

Since they never met in canon, I don't really have a lot to say about them. I do think they'd have an interesting dynamic - they're both of weird origins and struggle with being not normal - and I've liked fics that included the ship. But they're very much ships that pass in the night.

Angel/Riley:

Canonically these two very much bring out the worst in each other. Angel got his hackles up over Riley being the first guy Buffy was serious about after him. And Riley straight up accuses Buffy of cheating on him with Angel - admittedly likely out of guilt that he'd unwittingly had sex with Faith in Buffy's body and was dealing with having basically suffered rape by deception, so I do cut him some slack even if the accusation was incredibly shitty of him.

While I think scenarios where the two of them become friends would be interesting, with Angel actually acting older and wiser for once and seeing in Riley someone who is suffering and pushing the people who love and support him away... I just don't see anything romantic between them and I don't think I'd ever really want to either.

[therxtking]

Gordon's back on his own territory. He needs to give a plan soon. Very soon. But he doesn't have one... If he tells his people they're done, he'll be torn apart. If he takes them to war, there's no telling how many they'll lose. He just... He doesn't know what to do. So he sits, hugging his legs sitting on a craggy outcropping, watching the sunrise... He still hadn't slept. It'd been two days now. But he couldn't if he tried... And his only company was the traitor.

Sulfur is still beside him. In a similar position. It felt... Odd. After so many months only emphasizing the most powerful and 'masculine' posture. Sitting with his knees tucked up to his chest, hugging himself, nose resting on his forearms. He felt like a pup again. Back in that soft warm place safe underground surrounded by siblings and family. Bustling life. Small, clueless, and helpless. He was all grown up. Then why didn't he feel like it?

Both rats have that in common at least. They both silently long for someone older and wiser to take the reins for just a moment. Or tell them the right next step. To fix it like grownups were supposed to. But they were the grownups now. Then why did they have so much growing up left to do?..

Gordon was supposed to fix it for everyone else. Sulfur was supposed to fix himself. Part of him wanted to join that 'everyone else' again. To fix it for Gordon and be accepted home high and mighty. Be a warlord and esteemed daemon. An acceptable one. All while never being alone again. To be cared for... But he had no idea how he'd achieve it. So it was hopeless for now... But. Gordon was here. Sulfur glances sideways at them a moment. Haloed by the soft white morning light... And he's brave again for a moment. Curled into a fetal position on a mountain he wouldn't jump off of. He was brave like he was running into battle, trusting he wouldn't be torn apart... He stretches out a wing that had never soared. Red and striped. And rests it over the king's back... And in that moment. His black talons glint in the light. The deep smokey red softens. He too, is soft and bright in the rising sun. Like Gordon. So warm and soft and steady under the thin daemon skin. The king doesn't move. Doesn't look up. But Sulfur stares...

[melsdreamweaving]

Moving On (Creative Nonfiction)

Today is January 1st, 2024. My husband I decided to relocate after the places we worked at seemed to be closing down for whatever reason. Striking out and moving was something we talked about. If I had been a lil bit more wiser and frugal I would have gotten us an RV due to property taxes being a huge thing we have to contend with. I decided to leave my childhood home in the care of my mother and her younger brother. Originally I was meant to inherit it under the quiet understanding that both be allowed to stay there. Both are Gen X's who enjoyed the drug scene a little too much in their youth. So their mentality is still that of moody teenagers in older people's bodies (They can be so cute when they're grumpy pants).

I am always fascinated when I run into other functioning adults as I myself grew up in a dysfunctional household. Even in college, this was something that predatory types seemed to enjoy exploiting to get ahead in life. However having grown up around grifter types seemed to help me mark them as such. These were usually people who would extend a helping hand to "help" but in reality they had knife prepped to stab you with later. I had to block many of these people years later on social media. Only because I wanted to move on from the version of me they created in their head.

Remember, you are not responsible for the version of yourself inside of someone else's head. You have your core self and I understand that it's easy to find yourself lost in other people. Sometimes as a teen hanging around these much more intimidating personality types that would walk around with something to prove, would leave me lost in myself.

At least in my mid twenties I found a kind of balance until I let someone in that unbalanced me. An abusive sociopath with too much to prove decided to take over my life and pretend that she was the victim in everything. She now works as a manager in Publix making sandwiches while complaining about why everyone keeps leaving her. But some people are meant to never grow up emotionally. That's why my favorite art instructor used to say:

"My ex-wife is a goat,"

Reminding us that relationships are transient. he used to tease my now husband about asking me out for him.

I'm just glad I came out of that relationship alive. A person trying to reparent you into the perfect anything isn't a good nor wholesome relationship to be involved in.

At least we're up here and the day looks beautiful. We're going to go on a walk and see what the day brings. As usual, lets just be grateful for what we have.

[fearthhereaper]

Finally finished my The Originals rewatch and I have a few thoughts that I didn't have the first time I watched it, back when it was airing.

Klaus's character assassination in TO has been a well-known fact for years now so nothing new in that area. Klaus was my favorite character during my TVDU fangirl era even in spite of it all. He was by far the most interesting character to me, but I have to say that during the rewatch I found myself enjoying Elijah and his complexity to the point where Klaus and his constant over the top theatrics bored me at certain points. The baby plot was stupid, but then again I always thought that, and the only good thing it gave me was Hayley Marshall and Klayley.

Klayley was...as beautiful, as interesting, as iconic as ever. Truly one of my biggest ships of all time, by far the best dynamic in the show imo....but I have to say, as an ex-Haylijah hater, they ate sometimes. Chemistry wise - they're really good. The story is still weird to me but the chemistry really sold most of their scenes this time around. I don't necessarily ship them, because I still think Elijah's feelings exist due to wrong reasons but I can see Hayley's side of it very clearly and I don't dislike it nearly as much as I had the first time around. They really pulled me in during certain scenes, so that was interesting and new.

Marbekah was always a fine ship that didn't really do it for me but now....damn do I hate it. It's so painful to watch and I genuinely don't believe those two love each other enough to pull all the shit they did. I don't believe that she groomed him, at least not intentionally, so it's not even the usual issue of her watching him grow up that's putting me off, it's just the fact that they truly didn't need to do all that because the Epic Love™ feeling they were going for was just not present.

Camille's storyline in s1 was legit so good, it didn't feel like she existed purely as Klaus's love interest. Her storyline in that season was so interesting and one of my favorites from the whole show. S2!Cami, she existed a bit more for Klaus, and I don't even want to mention s3!Cami that was turned into a vampire for no reason only to be killed off for no reason, in both cases when she was finally getting a new (probably very interesting) storyline. I didn't like the whole "I have darkness in me thing" but her storyline in s1 left such a good impression on me that I felt genuinely robbed by her premature death. (but then again the whole show sucked after s3 so maybe her character dodged a bullet)

Freya could've been a Klaus 2.0, instead we got a family therapist older sister whose job was to cast spells and make speeches about her family. S2!dark!Freya is who Freya should've been and stayed and there should've been far more tension between her and Klaus. She adapted way to quickly to having so many siblings, she was somehow the wiser older sister despite living ten years to her siblings' thousand. A shame that the creators for some reason hated dark characters, they made all Mikaelsons far too soft. She can be morally dubious and still love her family bffr.

I felt much more sympathy for Finn and his situation. His very understandable hatred for all Mikaelsons except Freya and his mother. He had every right to try to off them all, sorry.

And to finish it off with Rebekah Mikaelson who suffered the same character assassination that her brother did because who the fuck is TO! Rebekah. As far as I'm concerned TVDs3!Rebekah is the only Rebekah that is in character. From the random maturity she gained in all of three months between TVD and TO, to the painful motherhood woes, i-wish-i-was-human woes, her character became a completely different and frankly...a very boring person. Suddenly she's the one keeping Klaus and Elijah out of trouble.... Rebekah???? REBEKAH??? is keeping Elijah out of trouble....went from living a thousand years as their spoiled baby sister to I'm suddenly the mommy keeping the order of the playhouse.

[the-baddest-of-batches]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Reflections (Sneak Peek)

18 BBY ???

"Over here!"

I groan. What is that sound?

"I'm picking up a life sign, sir, I think he's okay."

Haywire's voice cuts in, gruff and firm. For a moment, I mistake him for Addie, disappointed in me like usual.

"Get in there and get him out, now. I want both streets closed off."

"Sir, yes sir!"

My arms hurt. There's hands gripping my sore bleeding skin. Let me go. I can only moan.

"We have you, just relax."

"You're okay."

I'm really too tired to say anything. I give into them limply. There's a cool injection and some of the pain fades. I can almost breathe again. They're lifting me, hauling me onto a stretcher.

So I guess I'm not dead.

I don't know what time it is. Or how long I've really been here. I probably need some water.

Cracking my hazy eyes, I can see Haywire looking down at me and nodding to someone beside him. Their faces fade and I close my eyes again. The relief is galvanizing. I'm going back to base. I didn't fail.

I'm tearing up without really knowing it, my face too scraped and bruised, but I can feel the salt in all my cuts. They came for me.

#

Captain Haywire waits for me in the debriefing room of the base. He and his men got my message two days ago. And thanks to them, I'm back on my feet, albeit limping. The medics declared at least half my ribs broken. But they cleared me to give the briefing before I head back to the Empire.

I step inside and find the Captain pacing the room.

"Glad to see you on your feet." Haywire doesn't look up.

I walk to the table in the middle and lean on it to take the weight off my bruised hip.

"It's thanks to you," I say.

Haywire pauses momentarily. "I was told you know something. What's the report?"

"You and your men need to prepare," I say and look at the holo table. "I don't have details, but I know those rebels were planning something big. Since none of them have been apprehended yet, I assume they still are."

"How big?"

"The, bringing a droid army against this city and arming it with your stolen weapons, kind of big."

Haywire takes a deep breath. He pulls up the map of the city. "I'll increase patrols and see about civilian evacuation into the base. There's an underground shelter here from the clone wars. We can keep people from getting caught in the crossfire that way."

"I've already informed the Moff," I say. "I asked him to bring you reinforcements."

"We're going to need it." Haywire rubs the back of his head. "Thought I'd never have to see another tinny in my life."

"So did I."

Haywire walks around the table and faces me. We're the same person, same face, same height, but two very different men. He looks older, wiser, and somehow almost like he was born on this planet, while I'm an offworlder.

"I haven't met a lot of men like you in my lifetime," Haywire says, a rather blunt note on perhaps my stubbornness, or maybe that bit of my personality Headshot always called anti-social.

"But you saved a lot of people today." Haywire looks back at the map of the city. "Take care of yourself, Kian."

I look over at the map too. It isn't a big city. But it reminds me of all the cities I've seen in the past. I never could save everyone. Not even when I tried. I couldn't do it alone, and I wouldn't be here now if not for Haywire.

I look at his suntanned grizzled face. My face. Better yet, our face. "I couldn't have done this without you, sir. You saved my life."

I swear Haywire smiles but he doesn't look at me. He picks up his helmet and turns for the door. "I know."

NOTE: This is super late bc I got extremely distracted working on Mandalorian armor and my clone kit, so my apologies!