#but you HAVE to be able to control them they ARE capable of doing harm

[dxxtruction]

Louis does see Armand for all his flaws, and yet still chooses him, and loves him, but when he sees them for what they really were, and really entailed, he no longer can. Oh, gradations of evil. Louis had in ways bought into it.

[gachagon]

Ena's are treated by others based on how capable they are

Yesterday I played through the entirety of Ena Dream BBQ and it was the most fun and surreal time I'd ever had playing a video game since I played OFF.

After I finished it though, I couldn't help but think about how Ena was treated as some kind of dangerous, menacing entity that has the potential for harm from the other entities in the game. Everyone in the game either treats Ena as if she is a troublemaker or someone who is too dangerous to be left by herself or to be alone with. Which is strange because Dream BBQ Ena never does anything like that to anyone in the game.

So why does everyone hate Ena? I think it has to do with the idea that Meanie/Salesperson Ena is way more *capable* and aware than the Classic!Ena from the youtube series.

Meanie/Salesperson Ena is more proactive and is able to advocate for herself, and even has a job (which shocks a some of the characters when they learn that this Ena has a job lol) Meanie/Salesperson Ena is much more capable of doing "bad" things or harm then the Classic Ena we see in the show.

Classic Ena seems to lose control over her "sad" side a lot even if she's not really sad. And sometimes when she *is* sad, it becomes too much and literally makes her ill.

A lot of the characters in the youtube series aren't afraid of this Ena though they do still want her to leave them alone anyways. Nobody is panicked or frightened or even a little bit wary of this Ena because she doesn't even really have control over her own emotions, and she falls apart at the slightest bit of adversity.

And as far as I'm aware this Ena doesn't have a "job" like Dream BBQ Ena does. Meaning I don't think someone other than Moonie has trusted her to do things for them. No one gives her any kind of hard responsibility and once they see how out of control she is over herself, many of the entities seem to relax around her even though she's an Ena.

I know some people have been saying what if the reason Ena's are so mistreated is because they were maybe made to cause trouble or to harm other entities, but I think it's more so that Ena's have the potential to cause harm based off of how capable they are and how in control they are of themselves.

Classic!Ena is not able to pull herself together most of the time and it seems to take a great deal of strength to reel back in her "sad" side. Her sad side also doesn't seem to speak rationally and demeans herself, unlike how Meanie/Salesperson clearly talk and are always on the same subject most of the time. I think for the other entities if you knew Ena's were bad news for some reason and you met one who could barely walk straight because of how "sad" she was all the time, you'd probably think the Ena who's 100% in control of *both* sides to be a little spookier because now you're messing with a person who can seriously do harm to you somehow.

I also think Meanie/Salesperson is aware of this dichotomy between different Ena's thus why they constantly have to reassure other people that they're not doing any kind of "sketchy" or bad things. Entities have probably treated this Ena way worse in the past just because of being an Ena, and being capable and more aware most likely didn't actually help with trying to get people to trust her more.

Meanie/Salesperson might also not be quite as innocent as we may think based off of the ending of chapter 1 because in the end they do kind of "destroy" everything, and in the end the only person who comes out of it okay is Ena.

We don't actually know what their job really is, lol but them having a job at all was enough for a lot of the entities to just trust them to do things for them. I think the fact that Meanie/Salesperson Ena was able to complete their task at all and come out of it okay, kind of proves that maybe the entities in the Uncanny Valley were right to be a little wary because now the Uncanny Valley is gone thanks to Ena turning the smoke off T_T

[st4rtar0t]

Helping your recognise your superpower

I'm currently doing donation based readings to pay for my tuition fees. DM to purchase a reading!

Thank you so much for your time and energy and I hope you have a great day ahead!

Picture 1

Your lust for knowledge is your superpower. And I know you may think that is a lame power to have but I do want to your realise that knowledge is everything. The more knowledgeable you are, the more mature you become. Maturity comes from a sense of understanding and experience. The way you're always ready to learn new things makes you unique. Some of could be an higher achiver, or your sense of self comes from your academic performance. I think it's good to be knowledge but don't bring yourself down when you don't perform well. Give yourself time to learn and revise.

Your another superpower is your ability to look at situations from different perspectives. You know sometimes our pain clouds our vision making it difficult to acknowledge the hurt of others. But not for you, no matter how bad your situation is, you wouldn't let your emotions cloud your judgement Which is an remarkable ability.

Your faith, whether in yourself, in others or in something greater than us all, gives you strength and resilience in times of difficulty. Your belief in humanity, your trust in kindness and your faith in the possibility of a better future awaiting us uplifts not only you but also the people around you.

Picture 2

Your planning is your superpower. It's like having a secret weapon in life. When you plan, you're like a master strategist, able to foresee obstacles and navigate around them. You can set goals and figure out the steps to reach them. Planning helps you stay organized, focused, and prepared for whatever comes your way. It's not just about making lists; it's about taking control of your future and making things happen. So, embrace your planning abilities, because they can truly make you unstoppable. Some of you could be INTJ/ENTJ.

Your another superpower is your protectiveness. It's your ability to shield and guard the ones you care about, keeping them safe from harm. Just like a superhero, you have an instinct to watch over others, anticipating dangers and swooping in to shield them from harm. Your protective nature is a strength that shines brightly, offering comfort and security to those around you. Embrace this superpower, for it is a reflection of your love and dedication to keeping your loved ones out of harm's way. you may think that this makes you more feminine but caring for the people that you makes you stronger. Your constant transformation is your superpower because it means you're always evolving, learning, and adapting. Instead of being stuck in one way of thinking or doing things, you embrace change and use it to your advantage. You're like a chameleon, able to adjust to any situation or challenge that comes your way. This flexibility allows you to grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient with each transformation. So, don't fear change, embrace it, because it's what makes you unstoppable.

Picture 3

Your love for others is your superpower because it has the ability to transform lives in ways beyond imagination. When you extend kindness, understanding, and support to those around you, you create an atmosphere of warmth and positivity. Your love has the power to heal wounds, mend broken hearts, and inspire greatness in others. It's a force that spreads joy, brings people together, and fosters deep connections. Through your love, you become a beacon of hope and strength, capable of uplifting the spirits of those who may be struggling.

Your powerful presence is like a superpower. It's all about how you carry yourself and how you make others feel when you're around. You don't need special abilities because you are your own strength. People notice you without you having to do anything flashy. Your confidence and the way you connect with others make you stand out. Your presence is like a magnet, attracting attention and admiration wherever you go. It's what makes you truly remarkable.

Your voice and the words you choose have immense power. When you speak, it's like magic weaving through the air, touching hearts and minds. The tone, pitch, and rhythm of your voice can convey emotions and messages in ways that no other form of communication can. And the words you select? They're like arrows hitting their target, shaping thoughts, inspiring actions, and building connections. Whether you're calming a storm with soothing words or igniting a fire with passionate speech.

[llonelygoddess]

How they react to...you getting injured

A/N: I hope this doesn't sound redundant but here ya go :)

Romantic Pairings: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Margaery Tyrell, Theon Greyjoy, Khal Drogo, Brienne of Tarth, Missandei

Ned Stark: If you got injured it would most likely be from falling off your horse during a casual ride. As the doting husband he is he would be rushing to your side and calling maesters to check on you. With only a small bruise to show for you try to get back on the horse but Ned doesn't allow it. He doesn't mean to control you, he only wants to keep you safe from any more serious injuries that won't heal as easy as a bruise.

Robb Stark: With Robb, he normally has guards with you at all times because he worries for your safety. When one of them turns out to be a spy with intent to hurt you, Robb is livid. You were pushed and left with a few bruises but all he sees is red. Robb sentences the man to die and takes his head for it. He spends the rest of the day with you in bed, feeling guilty while he looks at your injuries. You'll definitely want to console him cause he will cry, especially thinking of what COULD have happened to you.

Jon Snow: He truly believes in your ability to take care of yourself, but when you get hurt during a fight he rushes to your side without second thought. You'll both have to fight your way out of the conflict but once you're safe he checks on your wounds. He asks for a maester to check them out to keep out infection and feels a little useless not being able to do anything himself. Jon makes it a point to joke about it to take away the serious energy going on and promises to always have your back.

Sansa Stark: Girly is straight up crying. Doesn't matter if it was just a little accident or you were roughed up by some thugs, younger Sansa is a crier. When she finds you she's holding onto you with strength you didn't know she had. Unlike older Sansa who would be ready to pass someone's death sentence, younger Sansa only cares about you feeling better. She does her best to make you a prayer wheel like her mother does for her.

Margaery Tyrell: She'd be a lot more calm than you'd think, at least around others. Once she sees you lying in bed with your leg elevated, she's questioning the hell out of you. What happened? Who was it? Do you need anything? Milk of the Poppy? It's almost entertaining to see how much she worries in contrast to her usual cool attitude. After you assure her that you're alright she's cuddling up in bed with you, probably to read something to you.

Theon Greyjoy: Pre!Reek Theon would instantly be at arms and ready to fight whoever touched you. He's possessive and the thought of ANYONE touching you pisses him off but especially if they meant to harm you. He wouldn't know how to express his worry for you so he'd just angrily stand by you as you recover. Post!Reek Theon is deeply insecure and guilty about you getting hurt. He still wants to fight whoever hurt you but he's more concerned with making sure you're okay.

Khal Drogo: *Activate instant death mode* I mean we saw what happened when Daenerys almost got poisoned, think about actually getting poisoned. Having to lay in bed for days while Drogo goes out in search for whoever did this to you. It doesn't matter why they did it or if you die or not, all that matters to him is giving them the most painful death possible. When he's done, he sits at your bedside knowing you are strong and capable of overcoming this.

Brienne of Tarth: It was only a training accident but your messed up ankle reminded Brienne how fragile you were. She was born and raised to endure the pain that came with being a knight/fighting, but you never asked for it. She'll feel upset at herself for not teaching you properly and it'll come off as anger towards you. Truly she doesn't mean it but if being hard on you will keep you safe next time then she knows what she has to do.

Missandei: Tearsss. She's crying before she even knows what happened to you. Stays by your bedside as you heal from a battle wound and takes responsibility for changing your dressings and cleaning the injury. Missandei knows that this is the life you've chosen to live, but sometimes she wishes she could take you away to her homeland safe from any harm.

[burningcheese-merchant]

I NEED GENERAL HCS ABOUT YANDERE BEAST!!!

YOU GOT IT, BOSS 🫡

Mystic Flour is the only one who's self-aware and knows how fucked up and ridiculous all of this is. She hates herself and her friends for being this way, she hates Dark Cacao for making her feel this way (but also understands how unreasonable it is to blame him), she hates that she's ultimately been ripped away from enlightenment through this... disease that's been brought upon her. But she also can't change and doesn't really know how to (and the feelings are honestly so strong that they practically control her. She wants to obsess over Cacao but also doesn't. She has to endure a lot of cognitive dissonance and being at war with herself all the time, and it causes a massive mental and emotional strain on her), so she's essentially stuck with this bizarre infatuation with the man she's supposed to hate

Silent Salt is the most "successful" of the five, in that he makes the best effort to actually understand who White Lily is as a person and accommodate her accordingly. He knows what flowers she likes and brings her them. He knows what she likes to eat. He knows how she braids her hair (he learned that by watching her do it lol). Things like that. And he really, truly has no interest in harming her in any way, so he's also technically the least threatening one. Lily is more willing to put up with him than the others are with their Beasts because of this: he's able to demonstrate that he's capable of being docile, thus lulling her into a big enough sense of security that she doesn't run from him on sight. (But make no mistake, Salt is still creepy and a sick person and what he does is wrong. The dynamic between him and Lily is arguably the saddest one because Lily feels a certain sense of obligation towards him; she doesn't return his feelings but still feels sort of touched that he makes this effort for her, and also - more importantly - she feels like she has no right to judge or condemn him for his actions because of her own as Dark Enchantress. She's a bad person, too. So in a way, to some degree, she understands him. In fact, she almost has this misguided notion of maybe "fixing" him, as a consequence of him being so calm around her. They lose ground with each other whenever the yandere tendencies REALLY come out of Salt (as in, when she spends time with other people lol); he scares her and pushes her away further with his controlling behavior, she feels like she undoes whatever semblance of progress she made in "taming" him. They're trapped in a very strange and tragic loop where Lily is constantly victim-blaming herself and accidentally enabling Salt's obsession, and Salt is not facing proper consequences for his behavior nor fully grasping that he's being abusive.)

Eternal Sugar, having once been the Herald of Happiness, has experience with charming and pleasing others, and understanding one's joys and wishes. However, after becoming a Beast, she's come to ultimately place HER happiness before all others', and this mentality manifests in her attempts to woo Hollyberry. She'll give Holly happy dreams full of things she knows Holly likes (she, like Salt, actually does make an effort) - BUT, many of these things end up being warped to Sugar's own liking, as she is a fundamentally selfish person and believes her way is superior. Thus, whatever pleasant dreams she grants Holly always end up conforming to Sugar's own tastes (and she always does SOMETHING to Holly's friends and loved ones in them, because Sugar is extremely petty and jealous). Holly is not happy with this, but allows it to happen because she believes it's a better alternative to incentivizing Sugar to come to her in person (she hates enabling Sugar in this way, but Holly always prefers to try deescalation if and when possible). Holly honestly feels really sorry for Sugar, she thinks Sugar is a deeply sick and unhappy (haha) person and, like Lily with Salt, wants to help her. However, unlike Lily, she's more level-headed about the situation and fully grasps the gravity/severity of it all, and so everything she says and does with/to Sugar is extremely calculated so as not to antagonize her and risk retaliation (against her loved ones; Holly can handle herself and isn't afraid of anyone).

Shadow Milk, like Flour, also grapples with a level of cognitive dissonance regarding his obsession with Pure Vanilla, in that he is hateful and endlessly frustrated towards Vanilla but also genuinely adores him. He will be caught sweet-talking and kissing his Vanilla puppet, only to destroy it in anger moments later (and then he'll make another one to replace it, because he legitimately cannot function without Vanilla, even just a puppet version of him). He's waxing poetic about Vanilla's virtues in one breath, then hemming and hawing about Vanilla's flaws in the next. He's irritated by Vanilla's unyielding goody two-shoes nature, he wants to break his mind and spirit as completely as possible... but he also LOVES Vanilla's mental strength and endurance, it's his favorite thing about the man, he never wants Vanilla to break and hopes he stays strong no matter what Milk throws at him. He's cultivated a very Batman/Joker-esque dynamic between them in his mind; of course he wants to "win", but he also adores this game they play together and never wants it to end. Regardless, what underlies Milk's volatile emotions is a very strong sense, albeit deranged, of connection and kinship towards Vanilla. He loves Vanilla because they understand each other so perfectly, are on the same intellectual level (Vanilla is smart, Milk likes that, he wouldn't love him if he was dumb, the only thing dumb people are good for is cheap entertainment), and are ultimately, LITERALLY designed for one another. He hates Vanilla because Vanilla is refusing to accept Milk's POV about the world (not understand, he KNOWS Vanilla understands, VANILLA IS NOT DUMB!), is refusing his advances despite all the love and effort he puts in constantly (come on, who doesn't want to be romantically and sexually harassed inside their own thoughts?), and is actively hindering any other sinister plans Milk has in general (Vanilla knows how to play mind games too. He often stalls Milk for time to figure out how to properly outsmart him. And he always manages to do so, however long it takes). He loves Vanilla, he hates Vanilla, he loves Vanilla, he hates, Vanilla, BUT NO ONE CAN HAVE VANILLA BESIDES HIM REGARDLESS!

Burning Spice, on top of his feverish obsession with Golden Cheese in general, has an obsession WITHIN that obsession: he's obsessed with the concept of marking/branding her. Hickeys on her neck, bruises on her waist and stomach (be they from holding her or outright punching her), scratches on her back. Anywhere and everywhere he can reach with his hands and mouth, he wants to make his presence known, both to her and to anyone who sees her. And that's what's driving it: he wants people to see what he's done to her and know that it was him. It's a way to convey ownership of her. Golden Cheese is HIS, she is HIS to fight and beat and break, HIS to touch and taste, HIS to love and adore, and he wants to rub it into everyone else's face. (On the flipside, he actually would love if she did the exact same to him; nothing would bring him greater joy than her "claiming" him as he wants to "claim" her... and really, he just loves when she's feisty)

Apparently, there's an actual character limit to posts? So I guess I'll stop here lol. One factoid about each Yandere Beast. I have more to offer, all you have to do is ask for it

[ooooo-mcyt]

Somewhat of a continuation to my post on manipulative characters in the life series:

I think we need to remember that "manipulation" is not a single monolithic act and that there are a hundred different ways for someone to be "manipulative" that are not all created equally and do not all map onto each other. Like, someone can be good at mostly benignly influencing how they're perceived, or they can be good at selling things and scamming, or they can be good at turning people against each other, or they can be good at lying to/using and then betraying teammates, and those are all 'manipulative' in some way, but a player being good at or willing to do one of those things doesn't mean that applies to the others?

Scott is good at making people like him and keeping his emotions under wrap to a degree that he can control how he's perceived by others, which is 'manipulative' in a way, he's good at manipulating broad and impersonal (or antagonistic) social settings to benefit him, but you'll rarely see him do the kind of manipulation that involves scamming people, and he would literally never hurt or betray his team, nor is he in the habit of trying to personally control his teammates in a manipulative way.

Gem is good at turning people against each other, making people like her and then pointing one person one direction and one person the other in a way that benefits her team, but she also isn't a scammer, or, importantly, a traitor, and has proven she'll stay with her team even when given the option to choose a bigger team over them. As willing as Gem is to twist narratives, usually she doesn't lie to her teammates or even consider leaving them.

Scar is our big scammer, his big talent comes in with making deals, his ability to utilize a combination of genuine persuasion and his littleguy persona to make people buy literally anything he sells. He's also fairly good at 'misinterpreting' instructions in a way that happen to benefit him and only him. That being said, he's not really a traitor (other than briefly in third life). While Scar can be isolationist and impersonal, he tends to hold onto the teams he does have and won't backstab them.

Martyn is our big traitor, he's earned a reputation at this point for his willingness to flip on a dime if a teammate isn't useful anymore, he very much is the type to stay with someone only so long as it's good for him. He's maybe the first one I'd say is probably willing and able to do all kinds of manipulation as well to be honest, though I think disloyalty within teams is the biggest one for him.

Etho's also good at pretty much every form of manipulation, which does go understated. He'll use the "I'm so pathetic and scared of you :(" shtick to control how people perceive him, he doesn't often 'betray' teams outright but he does always seem to have his foot in at least two (if not more) teams so he has options, and he's scarily good at using the "I'm so pathetic" thing specifically to lure people into traps (the time etho went "waiittt joel i'm scarreedd, joel lets teamm, i need youu :((((" in secret life to manipulate joel into being an easier kill for the boogeyman army was wild).

Ren is good at twisting narratives, and specifically tends to do in the context of making sure he's always viewed as the good guy (even when this means actually literally lying. i know i always use this example. but the time ren suggested unprompted to grian that they attack the g's. and then formed an army against grian the next episode because he "made" ren kill impulse. was wild). But that's, like, the extent of his manipulation. Ren will manipulate narratives and even lie outright to avoid facing his own capacity for harm but other than that he's pretty loyal and honest.

Like I'm just saying that the word "manipulation" covers a super wide range of behaviors, some mostly benign and some very much not, and I feel like sometimes we start assuming someone who is capable of 'manipulating' in one way is automatically willing and able to be manipulative in every conceivable way even when they very obviously don't do that, or, on the opposite side of things, assume that just because someone is honest in some ways means they can't be manipulative in others. Just because Scott can make people like him doesn't mean he's using and trying to control and hurt his teammates, and on the other hand, just because Ren is very loyal and usually honest doesn't mean he's incapable of lying or twisting narratives when he really feels the need to. Idk.

[uglypastels]

Your Logan fics have been great. I enjoy your style and how you write him. It’s so so good.

I had an idea while reading the brainwashed reader one:

Logan is on a mission to a bunker or lab or something for the X-men. Charles requested told him he had to go and help Scott. They go to this bunker and it ends up being a rescue for some mutants that were being experimented on and one of them once back at the mansion is having issues with controlling their power, and Charles asks Logan to help them. I picture the power being very volatile so Logan is there to help because he can take a hit and heal from it. Cause the reader is too scared to use the power on anyone and Charles told them he had the perfect teacher.

thank you so much!!

shoutout to @deceptive-daydreams for helping me come up with the details of this thing. had a lot of fun, as always, writing this request, so please keep em coming yall.

warnings: implied PTSD. platonic teacher/student dynamic. fire. explosions. swearing. anxiety. lots of banter and fluff.

Masterlist ~ X-Men Requests are Open

It had been two weeks since you had moved into the Mansion. Moved in. That’s all that you could bring yourself to call it, doing your best to not think about anything up to the moment that you had been ushered inside the large building and given a room to stay in for as long as you pleased. It had taken at least three days for you to actually get out of there, to let yourself roam the halls freely, reminding yourself that it was safe. 

For you, at least. No one would harm you here.

But not the same could be said about the rest.  

You had never been fully capable of controlling your powers, feeling more like they controlled you instead. When you were held captive, it was them who held power over both. But now that you were free, it was time for things to change. That much had been clear from the second you set foot in the mansion.

Professor Xavier had given you permission to make use of the Danger Room to train as long as you were under the supervision of one of the faculty members—something that should have given you comfort but instead only formed more anxieties.

‘I don’t want to hurt anyone,’ you confessed.

‘You can’t do this on your own,’ the Professor smiled softly. ‘As with any skill, a fine mentor is the first step to succeeding.’

You weren’t sure about that, but also knew that alone, you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere anyway. 

‘Don’t worry,’ the Professor read your mind. ‘I have just the teacher for you.’

⮿

You had recognised Logan as the man who had helped you escape. Who held your hand and hadn’t let go until you stopped shaking. Who gave you soft reassuring smiles whenever you saw eachother across the corridors, reminding you that were alright here.

You knew he was a skilled fighter, but, truthfully, you had not expected him to be the one Professor Xavier assigned as your supervisor in this training endeavour.

‘Show me what you got, kid.’ He said as he took off his leather jacket, and you immediately wish he hadn’t.

‘It’s probably better to keep it on.’ You stated, wincing at his exposed skin. He looked up at you, taking a moment to comprehend what you meant until the nickel fell with recognition.

‘Right.’ He put the jacket back on and leaned against the wall as you watched him expectantly for further instructions. ‘So, what do you do?’

‘You know what I do.’ You couldn’t help but laugh at the question.

‘Explain it to me again.’ He shrugged.

‘Well… I set things on fire.’ The words came out apprehensively.

‘No. I said, explain it to me. Dumb it down like I was a five year old.’ This felt ironically hard to do as you felt like he knew more about your power at this moment than you ever had.

‘I don’t understand—’

‘To be able to control your abilities, you got to understand it.’ Logan clarified. ‘Know what it is that you’re actually doing and you’ll know what to do to keep it contained.’

Yeah, if put like that, it made sense. It also sounded far easier than it was. Understand it, and you’ll be able to control it. Sure. You thought for a moment, back to school and the damn chemistry classes you hated, but now suddenly started to feel rather useful. ‘I uhh… manipulate atoms, rearranging them with the air and heat around them to cause objects to catch a flame.’

‘That’s more like it.’ He praised, and even though it barely meant anything, you felt yourself smile at the kind words. ‘How much have you got it under control?’ But then the question and his inquisitive glare down at you made you feel very aware of your body and your mind.

‘With uhm— with enough concentration I mostly I target the right object, but once the fire is up, I can’t contain it.’ Which was the most important part. If uncontained, the fire would just spread, destroying everything in its way. That much you already knew. You still woke up screaming from the memories of the radiant flames and screaming all around you.

‘And, nothing personal, but I gotta ask, controlling the fire also falls under your division?’ He had crossed his arms.

‘Uhm…’ you didn’t know how to respond to that. 

‘Only asking because we had this kid Jonny who could control fire, but he needed a spark to start it. Maybe you two are two sides of the same coin?’

‘No, I have managed it before. But never long. It would go up and down and up again, the way I wanted it to, but it was exhausting and then I couldn’t handle it and it would all go  to shit.’ You started rambling, and just like the fires, you couldn’t get yourself to stop.

‘Alright, alright.’ Logan spoke calmly. ‘First thing we gotta do is work on you.’

You blinked slowly.

‘It’s all the same with you elemental kind. It’s all in your head. If you can’t get your emotions under control, then the fire will never go out.’

‘That… makes sense.’ You took a deep breath and thought of all things sweet and soft and calm.

‘Alright, I haven’t got all day.’ He clapped his hands, and you tried to not let the loud sound get to you. 

Let the games begin. 

⮿

A few weeks went by, and you wish you could have said you were making progress. 

No, you had to be kinder to yourself. There was progress. It just wasn’t at the pace you had hoped to reach at this point. Logan had helped you with your targeting, and you could proudly say that you had reached an estimated 98% accuracy score. The larger objects you had no problem with, but the smaller and the further away things were, the more you seemed to struggle. Which was perfectly fine, Logan reminded you.

‘You expect to be able to hit a bullseye in the dark from a hundred yards away?’ 

‘I’m sure some people could,’ you mumbled, frustrated as you watched the wrong matchbox in the near line of 4 burn to a pile of ashes.

‘Beating yourself up about it is not gonna help you, kid.’ Logan said, already replacing the box with a new one. ‘Again.’

Knowing that complaining about his training methods would not help either, you simply squinted and focused on the third matchbox, doing your best to ignore the other ones lying around. They simply did not exist. All there was, was this one stupid matchbox— whoosh, and suddenly, the box was no more, just a pilar of blue flames. In your excitement at having finally hit your target, you had completely forgotten to keep the fire down. 

‘Shit, shit, sorry.’ You did your best to suppress it, but it seemed like the fire was in a funny mood today and decided to do the exact opposite of your demands as it grew by the second until Logan had no choice but to drench it with a bucket of water. 

⮿

‘Have you gone mad?’ You stared blankly up at Logan, who–much too confidently, in your opinion– positioned himself a few paces ahead of you. A cigar in hand. 

‘It’s clear that you need some incentive.’

‘I don’t think your death wish can be called that.’ You protested. ‘I’m not doing it.’ ‘Yeah you are.’ He simply said. ‘I’m the teacher. I’m telling you to light the damn thing, so get on with it,’ he growled as he put the cigar between his teeth.

‘Actually insane.’ You said to yourself. ‘There is no way this is going to end well.’

‘Focus sweetheart.’ He did his best to look calm and composed, but you saw how his shoulders tensed as you prepared to do the task. There was so much more you wanted to say to him, but you just had to block it out. All of him had to cease to exist. All you saw was the tip of the cigar. The tiniest layer of tobacco, the–

You shrieked as Logan’s face disappeared behind a cloud of black smoke as the cylinder in his mouth exploded. 

‘Oh my god, Logan!’ You ran to him, relieved as you heard him cough. With the smoke gone, you were happy to realise that it had only been the cigar that had exploded, leaving behind the tiniest but right where Logan had held it in his mouth. The rest of it combusted all around him. ‘Are you alright?’ 

His entire face was black with soot. You watched him wipe it off his eyes, blinking sporadically, clearly dazed from the explosion. You edged to repeat your question of concern, but before you had the chance to, Logan held a thumb up, spit the bud of the cigar out, and coughed out another thick cloud of smoke. 

‘All’s good, bub.’ And you would have believed him if not for the fact he sounded like a cat that had just been suffocated, his burnt throat squeaking out the vibrations of his voice. ‘Let’s try—’ he was about to suggest another exorcise before he erupted in another coughing fit. 

Easy to say you had called it a day after that.

⮿

‘Alright, easy now.’ Logan directed you. 

‘I know what I’m doing, Lo.’ You retorted. All day long, he had been just non-stop talking, making it very hard for you to focus on the job at hand.

‘Do you?’ He quipped, making you glare back at him just long enough for the fire to double in size. You cursed as you held it back down—at least, that’s something you were able to do now. 

‘You got to focus.’ He came over to you as you put the fire out completely.

‘Well, stop distracting me.’ 

‘That’s easy enough here, but what do you think out there’s gonna be like?’ He cocked his head at the walls, indicating the outside world, where indeed, there were distractions aplenty. ‘No one’s gonna give you time to do your breathing exercises in the real world, kid.’

‘Then why give them to me in the first place?’

‘I’m not the one you want to fight,’ was all he said in response. It had been months, and by now, he knew all there was to know about you in the learning environment. He knew how to push your buttons, fire you up and hose you back down. He could tell what you were thinking and it was infuriating that you could not figure out the same about him.

But, suppose that’s what made him the teacher and you the student.

‘Sorry,’ you sighed, letting yourself fall onto the ground, pulling your knees up to your chin. ‘It’s just so frustrating. We’ve been here for months and—’

‘And we’ll stay here for months more if that’s what you need to improve yourself.’ He squatted beside you. ‘You got this. No need to give up now. Or else my time here’s really been a waste, and I don’t take to that too kindly.’ He gave you that smile that once had only been reserved for quick passes in the hallway but now had become the favourite part of your nearly daily training sessions.

‘Sorry,’ you laughed. 

‘Don’t be.’ He got up, extending his hand as leverage as you got back onto your feet as well. ‘Think you got one more in you for today?’

the end.

thank you for reading 💗

if you enjoyed the fic, please consider reblogging and leaving a comment. or send a message via my inbox. requests are also more than welcome. 💗

[drdemonprince]

what was your journey from libertarian to leftest/anarchist like?

well, as a teen i hated authority and society and wanted complete freedom so i was a libertarian. then i realized i was gay and trans and libertarianism weren't gonna do shit for me. when obama won in 2008 i noticed that i felt relieved, even though i had not voted for him. I went away to academia shortly after that, and became surrounded by liberal people, all of them doing research with a liberal point of view, and what do you know, product of my social environment and queer and desperate for acceptance among the group that said they cared about me, I became a liberal too.

over time academia mistreated me and rejected me for who i really was, and i started to transition and realize that i was disabled. i became more left-leaning frankly because it seemed like that was the only way to be able to survive as what i was, identity wise, and find anyone at all who would correctly gender me or tolerate me. if you want to be able to hang out with other trans people and have them treat you right, there are values you basically have to say that you subscribe to. anyone who didn't subscribe to those political values was mistreated, viewed skeptically, talked to like they were dumb, and ostracized. and some of those values did make sense to me, whereas others didn't.

i saw people pushed to the social margins for being libertarians, for instance, as if that is a political ideology that carries any danger when some random trans woman with a very weak social support system says in a support group that she maybe kinda subscribes to it. i was even terrified of people finding out that i used to believe in anything "wrong" according to the social dogma, for a while. but i tried to make the most sense of the confusing tangle of community held beliefs as i could, so that i wouldnt be completely ostracized from both straight and queer society at once. and so I was vaguely leftist, but with a confused understanding of systemic oppression based on identity (among lots of other things, like abolition and anti-colonialism), and a deep terror of ever saying anything that would ever get me criticized/cancelled/viewed as a bad person.

and then the pandemic happened and i wasn't so beholden to mass community scrutiny anymore. i read a ton i looked at how politics actually plays out, and i got a little bit more capable and secure in myself and came to similarly feel awed by how much people are really capable of when they aren't being controlled or dependent upon approval in order to survive. and anarchy basically asserted that it had always been there in me, i just hadn't known the name for it. and by then i felt safe and strong enough and had enough faith in others to decide it was okay to have opinions that others disagreed with, and that i wouldn't starve out in the cold if i gave voice to them.

like a lot of people, i had misconceptions about what anarchism really was and writers like Graeber, Wengrow, Solnit, etc really disabused me of that notion and made me understand that it wasn't a scary worldview at all, it was the most human and accepting one there really was out there.

My political journey has not been especially principled or philosophical, it has been emotional, intuitive, and rooted in a lot of social influences. i think that's what most political ideologies are about for people, ultimately, belonging and safety.

I was originally a political scientist by training and in that field's body of research we see that most people do not have consistent political belief systems, they agree to a mish-mosh of statements and support various policies that don't all add up in a logically explicable way. they also don't tend to have stable views over time. just as i think morality is a pretty bad explanation of why humans do what they do, and why we help eachother and avoid doing harm, it's very evident that political ideology is a piss poor predictor of political behavior or affiliation. the far clearer explanation far more consistent with the evidence is that people politically align themselves based on their social milleu and their feelings.

this is why i always feel myself holding back from dying for a cause, and blanch when MLMs start talking about needing to do all they can to bring about communism with an almost religious fervor (beyond the fact that such thinking also doesn't line up with a lot of communist thought and theory about how capitalism falls anyway). i dont think that any of these ideologies really carry all that much weight or influence people's actions, affiliations, or political behavior on the level we all pretend that they do. i dont think they're "real". anarchy is more of a philosophy of how to relate to other people in daily life, for me, rather than a religion about how the world needs to be or where we specifically need to be heading. it's more big-I Ideological for plenty of other people, and again, i blanch when they start preaching about it as if their whole life is in service to the idea of it. I think we do anarchism by living as if we're free, every day. and that's what i care about, if i'm being honest. feeling free, safe, and cared for by some other people, without conditions, right now.

[robin-evry]

(I am glad you all healthy and ok now) If possible, my request is demigod yuu who is related to Hephaestus.

𝐓𝐖𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈 𝐆𝐎𝐃!𝐘𝐔𝐔 ( 𝐇𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐔𝐒 ) 🔥🔨

Hephaestus (UK: /hɪˈfiːstəs/ hif-EE-stəs, US: /hɪˈfɛstəs/ hif-EST-əs; eight spellings; Ancient Greek: Ἥφαιστος, romanized: Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes. Hephaestus's Roman counterpart is Vulcan.

The number one craftsman in nrc, many students believe that their creation is ambued with divine magic to make it more powerful than anything in twst although they are exaggerating about it due to their technology not reaching the same level as them.

They are known for their brilliant mind, excelling in mechanical and magical engineering, often tinkering with devices and enchanting weapons in Ramshackle. The ramshackle has become a fortress for their craftsmanship.

Instead of just being a rundown dorm, Yuu has converted part of Ramshackle into a mini-forge—complete with an anvil, enchanted hammers, and a constantly burning furnace. The ghosts enjoy watching them work and sometimes help fetch materials.

They are socially awkward but kind, they struggle with self-worth, feeling like an outsider due to their divine nature and lack of attractive qualities.

Due to their divine craftsmanship, their hands and arms bear permanent scorch marks that glow faintly when they work. They wear gloves to prevent others from noticing, but they don’t mind the burns themselves.

If something is broken—whether it’s a dorm’s plumbing, an enchanted mirror, or even a magical staff—students instinctively go to Yuu. Even Crowley occasionally bribes them to fix school property.

Despite their physical durability, they hate unnecessary movement. They’ll pick up a 200-pound cauldron like it’s nothing, but will whine about walking to class.

Not a lot of students know this but demi god!yuu is also a talented seamstress they are able to create clothing that is fire proof as well imbued with magical capabilities, one example of this craftsmanship is that their own uniform is fire proof.

They also possessed abnormal strength accidentally breaking a door knob or accident when trying to open it, as well breaking Crowley arms on first interaction and they accidentally forgot to control the amount of pressure they need to put before breaking someone arm.

As well one time a noble student in pomifiore commands them saying they need to make them a wardrobe and actually insults their appearance was thrown out of the window by them good thing they're not harm.

Vil actually ask them if they can build him a magic mirror that can help him pick outfits and answers his question and the next week, demi god yuu visit the pomifiore dorm and reveal vil the magic mirror he commissioned from them it was radiant and beautiful with golden crusted with apples and knifes decorated on the sides perfect for the dorm leader of the beautiful queen and when ask a question it replied, proving it work.

Everybody was at aww and clapping, rook was releasing some tears as well. Vil paid demi god yuu a hefty model as a thank you.

Becomes nrc handy man, if there's anything broken you know who to call. Many students seek them for enhancement for their gadgets like Carter phone was upgraded by them.

I like to imagine they build like puppets to help them manage the forge, as well take care grim when they're too busy doing commission. Many students commented that the ramshackle temperature is hot very hot like an oven.

Crowley actually checks in on them— but only to beg them to fix school property or basically to make magical enhancement towards the school building.

Sebek admired them because when he's at the dorm talking about the briar valley and how his young master is so cool, demi god!yuu have an idea to try to create a traditional briar valley weapon to show towards sebek and when he asks why they did it, demi god yuu just responded towards being curious about making one.

[meanbossart]

Okay, one more question on the Bhaalist Drow au, if you'll indulge. What happens in Astarion's mindthe immediate aftermath of the ascension failing (as in, right then but also up until the game's end). Do they bother showing up to Withers' party? How does Astarion go slip sliding down into a cowed version of himself over time? And, what I am most fascinated by in something like this, how do the other cultists, especially direct reporters to DU Drow, or like deputies, treat him? Does Astarion find he's confined certain places?

Sorry, thank you!

No apologies needed! This is a very fun scenario to play around in.

So, I'm not sure if Astarion would immediately realize that DU drow purposefully ruined the ritual, but regardless he would have realized that this is the outcome he truly wanted.

I imagine that after Du drow embraced Bhaal, Astarion would have gotten it into his head that he now must ascend so they will be on leveled ground, and fully capable of pursuing their plans of taking control over the sword coast together as equally powerful individuals. DU drow would have sold himself as completely behind this plan and supportive of the idea, eager for them to exert total control as the most dashingly evil couple in all of Faerun. And perhaps this was genuine for a day, before the fear of losing his grasp over Astarion began to settle in. He didn't voice this as all, of course, but as an avid manipulator himself Astarion would be able to tell post-failure that his support wasn't earnest.

And I think Astarion just panicked; going back and forth between convincing himself that he should be thankful to have someone powerful by his side, and just feeling like has no other option but to go along with it. Whether or not he thinks he can abandon DU drow successfully, the world has just become a much scarier place than before, and at least here he knows he has someone to take care of him - someone he should be fond of, even if time eventually proves him wrong.

For a while (weeks, if not months) Astarion would have appeared nothing if not pleased with his predicament. He has a man who is head-over-heels for him who also happens to be the head-honcho of a powerful cult, he has access to as much blood and violence as he pleases and the ability to entertain his fantasies of power and cruelty to their fullest. If there is anyone left who cares for him, he paints elaborate pictures of their routine together - of their outings, of their riches, of his exquisite quarters and their intense sex. He tells them that DU drow might be Bhaal's chosen, but he has him wrapped tight around his finger day and night and pretty much runs the show behind the scenes.

These are fantasies that he wants to others to believe in as much as he wants to convince himself of them, and a narrative that DU drow might even humor - he likes the illusion of Astarion being in control, but it can't ever be like that in practice - but reality is a lot more hollow. They have gold, and they have the expensive garments, and the sex is intense, but life has become a performance from morning until night and Astarion has completely lost the element of tenderness that he had grown to enjoy. DU drow loves him like a prized possession, like a novelty - a fragile ornament that only he knows how to handle, and no one else is allowed near.

Whenever there is push back, whenever Astarion wants to branch out, he is reminded of how vulnerable and small he is. How every day occurrences and objects can harm him, and that while DU drow may appreciate him for the man he is, others will take him for a simple monster. That It is much easier to stick by his side, sacrifice some of his freedom but be cared for than to risk exposing himself to harm. DU drow also constantly reminds him of the pain he would be in if anything were to ever draw them apart, and guilts him about what may happen if he was to die.

And as rebellious towards Cazador as he might have been, total servitude is a default he learned to fall back into in search of safety. It is easier to turn to old habits and simply accept his circumstances, surrender to them. At least here, he is never tortured, he is never physically hurt, and he is only sometimes verbally berated. He can deal with it as long as it is an improvement upon his previous situation. Slowly, he'd just become DU drow's yes-man, he'd concern himself constantly with pleasing him, looking desirable, acting desirable, fulfilling his fantasies and acting the part that's expected of him. From the outside it may even seen like he enjoys the life.

He is basically seen but not heard by DU drow's consorts. It's less about the respect that they may or may not have for him and more about the respect (or should I say fear) that they have for their leader. DU Drow would make it clear again and again that no one is allowed to touch him, he would be weary of anybody trying get too close, of being too friendly, even of staring a little too hard - he would kill and torture men over the most mundane of comments whether they be positive or negative until everyone is just too fearful of interacting with Astarion at all. As for people outside of the temple, he basically never has a chance to mingle without DU drow's watchful gaze over him (all for the sake of protecting him, of course).

I think Sceleritas would be the only person who can consistently interact with alone, since DU drow trusts him completely. The little goblin himself no longer sees Astarion as so much of a person, more so a possession; one that keeps his master happy and productive. So he extends the same amount of respect to him as he does to DU drow himself, and functions as a butler to both.

He also reports back to DU drow about Astarion's every request, every diversion from habit, every misplaced sigh and fluctuation in mood, every eye-roll. He knows the questions to ask to get the answers he wants, to interrogate him with poise on behalf of his master so he can make sure that his beau is always happy and content. Astarion realizes this learns to watch himself around Sceleritas over time too.

[thewriterwithsnakes]

Monsters Together

Avengers Loki x Avengers Female Reader

Summary: Loki and Reader are close friends, she's the angel to his devil and both have feelings for the other that they refuse to admit, but what happens when he finds out she's not as angelic as he thought?

Warnings: Fluff and angst, Jotun! Loki makes an appearance, comfort, Reader sees herself as a monster.

Note: Reader is Lucifer Morningstars (From the show Lucifer) daughter. No use of Y/N. This is my first story on here so please give me feedback!

Everybody at Stark Tower absolutely adored you. Making things for everyone once they got back from missions was your specialty but you also loved to just hug and be affectionate with everybody too. You had been on a small handful of missions but you hated hurting people and so your usual job was to use your wings to scout out places from above, though most times Tony just used his drones. You didn't mind missing out on the action, you often preferred to be sitting in and reading anyhow. Whether it was bear hugging Nat after a successful reconnaissance assignment, baking Thor some homemade pop-tarts, or making little origami figures for Sam, you loved to give. And that went for everybody, including Loki.

He began with pretending not to care about your affections, choosing to go to his room when you'd try to talk to him in the library or seeming indifferent about your baking. But your friendship slowly grew and blossomed. You were the only person at Stark Tower who actually treated Loki nicely and took an interest in the things he spoke about or liked. Though he'd never admit it, he was incredibly grateful for your seemingly never ending kindness. The two of you became quite close and you grew feelings for the asgardian rather quickly.

However, you knew you could never tell him how you felt. Because despite what everybody thought of you, you knew the truth. You were no angel, quite the opposite infact. You were the daughter of Lucifer himself and that technically made you a demon. You were determined to prove everybody wrong, you did not have to be bad because of your heritage. You were a monster when you were a teenager, it's why Fury put you on the team. He knew the harm you were capable of and talked you into helping, but you'd made him promise that your past stayed between the two of you. You'd let your anger get the better of you when a group of humans were committing horrific acts in the name of your father, claiming it's what he wished for.

You and your father had an rocky relationship but you still cared for him deeply, and you weren't going to let some humans make him feel responsible for their actions, even though you knew your father could handle it. So you slaughtered them. A whole group of satanists gone just like that. That was the day you'd realized you'd become exactly what everybody thought you'd be, and you vowed to never let that happen again. You would not become your father. So it was for the best that you were rarely put on missions, you wouldn't be able to hurt people that way.

Loki was also rarely allowed on missions, despite being at Stark Tower and causing relatively no trouble for nearly two years. It aggravated you that they treated him so. After the New York incident, he had done nothing but keep to himself and mostly do what he was asked. You had only ever know him as the introverted, sarcastic, and handsome man who would occasionally read to you if you had a bad day (even if he made you swear you'd never tell anyone). So the fact that they told you to 'babysit' him while they were on mission and make jabs at him or leave him out all the time made you livid. You had never really gotten angry with the avengers though, you controlled your temper and would reprimand them calmly for their behavior. Though, they never really listened.

You woke up on the wrong side of the bed one particular morning, neck aching from sleeping wrong and mouth incredibly parched. You stood from your bed and promptly tripped on your way to your closet. Okay seriously? Today's going to be one of those days? You thought to yourself. Getting changed into a comfy sweater and determined to make today a good day, you headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. You found Bucky, Steve, and Sam in the kitchen chatting. You smiled at the welcome sight of your friend's.

"Good morning doll," Bucky gave you a soft smile. "Yeah good morning," Steve greeted. "Hey guess what?" Sam asked. You wanted to groan in annoyance at being asked a question right after you woke up but instead you entertained his antics with a smile. "What?" You asked tiredly. "Goooood morning!" He beamed. You giggled. "Good morning to you guys too," You couldn't help the smile spread across your face, despite the bad morning, you had your friend's to cheer you up even when they didn't know anything was wrong.

Bucky gave you a quizzical smile and a raised brow, before you could ask what was up he spoke. "Doll, is that my sweater?" You laughed, "Oh its yours? I saw it on the couch yesterday and took it. Finders keepers you know. It's so soft!" You smiled and rubbed the fabric of the sleeve against your cheek. You hadn't noticed Loki enter, which meant you also hadn't notice the frown that he bore at the notion of you wearing Bucky's sweater. He turned heel and left without anybodys notice. You weren't the only one starting off with a bad morning.

After breakfast you ran into Natasha whom you discussed a movie night with. She told you that she'd invite everybody to watch the new horror movie with you in a few nights. You made sure she meant everyone. Last time, unbeknownst to you, they didn't even tell Loki about it. When he didn't show, you went to his room and promptly realized what happened. You calmly informed everyone that the next time Loki wasn't included in any events invite, you wouldn't be going either. Everybody groaned and whined but you stuck to your guns and ended up skipping T's next party because of Lokis lack of invitation. The memory made you frown and want to go see Loki but you relented. The asgardian did enjoy his alone time and you didn't want to be too annoying or clingy.

You hadn't seen Loki all morning, and while it wasn't entirely unusual, it still saddened you a little. You were trying to ignore your rather disappointing and upsetting morning by watching your favorite movie on the couch when Tony walked in, laughing along with Thor. Thors voice boomed as he spoke. "Yes! I agree!" "I mean I think Loki is still just a sad little boy who can't accept who he really is." Tony laughed at his own statement. Today was not the day. White hot anger shot through you. You honestly didn't know what got into you but you were tired of people talking about Loki like that and especially tired of people taking your kindness as weakness. That bullshit was about to stop.

"What the fuck, Tony?" You snapped, standing from the couch. Both he and Thors eyebrows shot up in surprise. Not only did you just snap at them and swear, but you always called Tony 'T' as a nickname. Even when you were reprimanding him like you were his mother, you used the nickname. He took a step back wearily. "Uhm okay let's calm down for a second-". "No I'm not going to fucking calm down! You treat Loki like shit all the fucking time and you talk about him like he's nothing! And Thor! Condoning this? Loki is your brother! And you wonder why he despises you," You laughed cruelly, upper lip curling into a snarl. "My Lady I appreciate your concern for my brother but you do not know him like I do. He is fine and he can certainly handle a few jokes." "The way you treat him is not a joke, Thor!" Your fists were clenched and you chest was heaving. You could feel yourself shaking with anger and you took a couple deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm down.

"Darling is everything alright? I heard you yelling?" Loki stepped into the room, Natasha and the super soldiers in tow. His brows were furrowed in concern as he stepped towards you. "Oh come on, you're a monster don't pretend like you give a shit about an angel like her." Your head snapped towards Tony's voice. You saw red and you couldn't think. You had made it vehemently clear when you showed the team your wings to not call you angel. Even as a nickname. You weren't an angel.

You lunged for him. Clamoring ontop of him and you did not pull any punches. You weren't even aware you were screaming until you stopped. Loki clamped his arms down over yours and pried you off of Tony. He led you away gently as Thor grabbed Tony and began leading him to the infirmary. You looked around. Eyes darting from the damage done to Tony's face to the people, your friend's, staring at you, they knew what you were. A monster. You looked up at Loki, wide eyed as tears began to well up. "Lokes, can we please go?" Your voice shook as you spoke, lips trembling. "Of course, dove, of course." You used to adore that nickname, now it just felt like a name born of a lie. Doves were innocent and beautiful, and you were, well, you.

Loki carried you to his room where he gently placed you to sit on his bed. He sat next to you but said nothing. You'd never known him to be the type at a loss for words but right now he said nothing. He shot you a few glances as you tried to hold yourself together. You will not cry infront of him. Do not be weak. You tried but you just couldn't keep it together. You began to sob. Loki pulled you into him, rubbing circles on your back with his left hand and lightly grabbing your waist with his right. You relaxed in his embrace and sniffled into his shirt.

"Darling, you don't have to defend me you know? Especially not if it makes you feel like this." That statement made you want to cry even harder, but you steeled yourself and pulled away from him, even if it broke you. "Loki defending you doesn't make me feel this way, they do. You don't deserve to be treated like that and they never listen." Your voice shook but you refused to cry again. "It's okay my little dove, I can handle it. And besides, I am a monster, I do deserve it." You stiffened. Your jaw clenched and you slapped him across the face lightly. "You are not a monster. You are amazing Loki. Do not ever let anybody tell you any different." You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you. He stood angrily. "Yes I am! Do you not remember the attack on New York?! Are you dull?!" "Loki-" "No, you do not understand. I am a monster." "Really Loki? Because monsters don't read to their friends when they have a bad day. Monsters don't help their enemies, monsters don't try to fix their mistakes, Loki, monsters don't-" "Enough!" Loki changed. The once pale, green eyed, asgardian that you fell for became a blue-skinned, red-eyed, Jotun that was fuming with anger. You gasped. "Now you see. How monstrous I truly am. How worthy am I of your kindness now?" "Loki," You paused, debating on what to say. You took a breath and began to speak, slowly standing and stepping towards him as you did.

"Lokes, what you look like does not dictate who you are. Who you were born as is not who you are destined to be. I do not show you kindness because I think you're a saint. I show you kindness because I've been there Lokes. I know what it's like. And I know that hurt people hurt people. I don't care if you never tell me who hurt you but I refuse to become one of the people in that group. Don't let anybody but yourself tell you who you are going to be. I've never known you to let anybody tell you a damn thing before." You gave him a weak smile as you took his hands in yours. His skin was freezing but you didn't mind. "You are beautiful Loki, the most handsome being I've ever laid eyes on, yes even like this. It pains me that you cannot see that." His brows furrowed as his eyes searched yours. "Do you truly believe that darling?" He spoke softly, like he couldn't quite find his voice. You nodded. "How? Why do you not see me as everyone else does?"

Your wings carefully opened, usually everyone would speak about how the dark grey made you look beautiful, but not now. Now they were different. The once gray and beautiful feathered wings were now bat-like, deep red skin webbed between the black structures of the wings that pointed to a tip at the top, reminiscent of horns. "Because, I've been there too. I know what's it's like thinking your a monster, Lokes." You pressed your lips together in worry. Searching his eyes for a reaction. He pulled his left hand from yours as he brought it to your cheek. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to yours. Melting into the kiss, you reached up and tangled your hands in his hair. His right hand fell to your waist and pulled you into him. You wished you could stay in this moment forever. He pulled away, much to your disappointment.

"If we are monsters, Lokes, than we can be monsters together."

[ohbo-ohno]

loneliness and fallen woman with price please! happy 1000 followers ❤️

1k game here - no more please!

alright anon. i gotta be real with you, i barely used the prompts you gave and for that i really am sorry. i wrote like 1k of this about three different times because they kept just not being quite right, and they got increasingly further and further from the prompts. sorry!

2.6k of reader x local crime kingpin price. no smut! (the background plot and "worldbuilding" here is really weak, but just ignore it lol)

You know you’re doing something stupid, but that seems to be all you’re capable of these days. The last few weeks have been nothing but stipid decision after stupid decision, your absolute stupidest decision leading you to this exact moment.

You should’ve never slept with John Price. You should’ve known, should’ve recognized his face, but you’d been a little tipsy and a little desperate, and hadn’t connected the very common name John with the very well known criminal John Price. 

No, that had come the next morning, when you’d woken up before him and been able to really take a look at him, completely sober. Him and the gun in its holster resting on his folded pile of clothes.

You should’ve recognized him long before then, and you should’ve turned tail and run. You shouldn’t have let him buy you a drink, you shouldn’t have let him coax you into dumping all your troubles onto him, and you certainly shouldn’t have slept with him. 

You’d left before he could wake up and say God knows what, fear pumping through your veins at the realization of who you’d slept with. You’d nearly knocked yourself out trying to get dressed, almost fallen on top of him before you managed to stumble out of the hotel room he’d bought for you.

Everyone knows John Price. No one ever really bothers to detail why he’s dangerous, but they all seem confident he is. You’re a recent transfer to the area, and you still haven’t been able to get anyone to really say why they always whisper when they say his name.

What you do know about him is that every few weeks, almost routinely, you hear that he’s been arrested. Then two or three days later, like clockwork, it’s announced that he’s escaped, always thought to be “armed and dangerous”. His mugshots are shown on TV enough that it’s truly surprising you hadn’t recognized him at the bar. 

You always figured you’d never run into him. You don’t exactly lead a life of crime, don’t exaclty put yourself in harm’s way. You work a boring nine to five job, have dinner with friends every couple weeks, occasionally meet up with someone from a dating app, and never really stray from that. Had he not happened to be in the same bar as you, you never would’ve met him, never would’ve slept with him, and never would’ve been hunting him down now, weeks later.

Hell, you might not have even slept with him had you not just been stood up by what was supposed to be a first date on the same day you’d lost out on a promotion. But a few shots, that loneliness that grows more and more familiar every day, a simmering frustration in your career, and a handsome man are not a good combination for your self control. 

But you had slept with him, had been especially stupid and not even worn protection - something you’d only really noticed the next morning, when you felt… him still leaking from you, saw that there was no condom wrapper.

And now here you are - stood in that same run down bar you’d first met him in, wearing an old hoodie and your favorite sweatpants, three positive pregnancy tests tucked in your front pocket.

You try to take a deep breath.

You really don’t know what you’re doing. You’ve been running on autopilot since you realized you might be pregnant, the time between buying tests and taking them a blur. Even now, you’re running on instinct alone. Instinct tells you to find John Price, and tell him about… this.

You can figure everything else out after. 

You scan the crowd, hoping to spot him quickly. You know he owns the bar - something you’d found out once you’d gotten home and fallen deep into a rabbit hole and read everything about the man you could find. You’re not sure how he still owns the bar considering he’s got multiple warrants out for his arrest, but you figure it’s probably the same reason he never actually ends up in jail.

But he’s not here now. At least, not anywhere you can see.

You step up to the bar, rest your elbows on the counter and rest your head in your hands, taking a few long, stablizing breaths.

“What can I get for ye?”

You glance up at the sudden voice, coming face to face with the bartender. It’s not the same man as last time - this man’s got a Scottish accent and a mohawk, a far cry from the darker skinned British man with pretty eyes who’d served you last time.

“Do you…” you glance around again, sigh, and decide you should try and find somewhere to compose yourself a bit. “Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?”

“Course,” he smiles at you, open and friendly, and you feel some of the tension ease from your shoulders. “Just ‘round that corner there, a few doors down. Can’t miss it.”

You give him a tight smile, mutter your thanks as you head in the direction he’d gestured. His directions are exactly right, the women’s bathroom door towards the end of the hallway but clearly marked.

Just past the bathroom doors is a stairwell. The door is half open, but you can clearly see the stairs even halfway down the hallway. You’re not sure why, but you walk right past the bathrooms, ducking into the stairwell instead after shooting a quick look over your shoulder to make sure no one saw you. 

It’s nearly silent, the music from the bar growing more and more muffled as you start to make your way to the next floor. It’s even quieter once you reach your destination, just a distant and faint rumbling in the floorboards.

You step out into a hallway with four doors - two of them with nameplates nailed to them. Stepping close, you see one is labeled Simon Riley and the other reads John Price.

Before you can consider whether or not you’re making another stupid decision you’re knocking on the door with Price’s name. 

You regret it the moment your knuckles rap against the wood, can’t believe you keep doing such stupid things without thinking.

Before you can even get a step away from the door, there’s a voice calling out from inside the room.

“Come in.”

Your breath hitches. 

You can’t leave now. There’s no way he wouldn’t come to the door, see who knocked. You’re not about to ding dong ditch John Price, but that doesn’t make it any easier to move forward. You only manage it because you feel oddly exposed in the hallway, and your nerves urge you forward enough to open the door.

You shut it quickly behind you, eager for privacy for some reason you can’t quite pin down. Listening to your instincts regardless, you keep your back pressed to the closed door and shove one hand in your pocket to wrap around the pregnancy tests.

John looks… mostly the same, which only makes you feel even more foolish for not recognizing him on the night that started this whole mess.

His beard’s a bit longer, but he’s got a button up and that silly hat on, the same thing he’d been wearing the first night you saw him. It’s almost like you’re yanked back to that night without warning, the only real difference being the fact that he’s sat behind a desk instead of beside you.

“Oh,” he says, looking oddly unsurprised as he leans back in his chair, hands lacing over his stomach. “It’s you. My little runaway.”

You scowl, your trepidation immediately replaced with anger. 

“First of all,” you hiss, scowling and moving towards his desk, the twitch at the corner of his lips only working you up further. “I’m not your anything. And I didn’t run away.”

His lips curve into a fuller smile, and he shifts his chair back enough for you to see his thighs, thick and bulging against his tight pants. He’s manspreading in his own office chair, and you have to swallow thickly when you realize just how attractive it is.

When you glance back to his face and see the distinctly smug expression he’s wearing, your ire only grows.

“Not sure what else you’d call it,” he rumbles. “Was hoping to spend a little more time with you, love, but you were gone before we could set up a date.”

You instinctively go to bite back, but stumble a bit when what he’d said settles. The idea that he’d been disappointed when he woke up alone, that he wanted more time with you…

You shake the thought off. It doesn’t matter, you have more important things to discuss.

You force yourself to straighten, fingers toying with the tests in your pocket. Your nerves return now that you’re really face to face with John again, now that you’ve got to actually figure out how to tell him. 

He seems to sense the shift in your mood, leaning forward so he’s not sprawled out so casually and resting his forearms on his desk.

“Why’re you here, love?”

This is it, you think to yourself, closing your eyes to take a deep, stablizing breath.

You tug the pregnancy tests out of your pocket, drop them wordlessly in front of him. It’s hard to keep your eyes open, to watch his expression as he slowly looks down at your offering, watch as realization washes over him.

John’s silent for a long moment. Your palms sweat, and you just barely resist the urge to wipe them off on your pants.

Finally, he looks back up at you, shifting in his chair. “You’re sure?”

You hesitate, nod a bit. “There are… I took more, at home. Didn’t want to bring them all.”

He nods, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. “And it’s mine?”

You flush, face going hot. You know it’s a fair question, but you can’t help but bristle anyway. 

“Yes,” you hiss, shifting your weight from foot to foot. “I haven’t… I didn’t…” You cut yourself off, the words you were my first trapping themselves behind your teeth. You hadn’t meant to lose your virginity to John Price, and you see no need to tell him you even had. As far as you’re concerned, you can keep that knowledge to yourself. “It’s yours.”

He doesn’t look convinced, and that only makes your face go hotter. You fight the urge to tuck your hands beneath your armpits, determined not to shrink in front of this man.

“I haven’t been with anyone else,” you elaborate, eyes flicking away from his face.

He takes a deep breath, exhales in a loud sigh. You hear his fingers tap against the desk, just barely bite back your annoyance at the sound. You work your tongue between your teeth, nerves racing again.

“Well,” he eventually says, standing from his chair. You can’t help but jolt a bit, having forgotten just how big he is. He towers over you even from a few feet away, his broad shoulders and barrel chest only making him feel twice as large. It’s a conscious effort on your part not to take a step back. “I hope you weren’t too attached to your apartment, love.”

He stalks around the desk, walking towards the door, but you can’t move from your spot. Your eyebrows furrow, and you track him with your eyes.

“My apartment? What’re you talking about?”

He shoots you a look, one you have no idea how to interpret, as he tugs his door open. “Simon!”

“John,” you hiss, stepping closer to him again. “What’re you-?”

He holds a hand up to quiet you as the other door opens, and you can just barely spot another man stepping forward. “Yeah?”

“Need you to call some movers. Need to get my girl moved into my place.”

You gape like a fish as the new man leans to the side a bit to look where Price is gesturing to you, and he nods. “Got it. Timeline?”

“Done by tonight.”

The other man grunts, and leaves again. John closes the door, turning back to you and starting back to his desk.

“What- what the hell?” You splutter, mouth opening and closing in shock. “You can’t- you don’t even know where I live!”

John settles back into his chair and shoots you a look that you can clearly read - it’s nothing but unimpressed.

“Course I do, love. Did you think we wouldn’t be meeting again?”

You blink at him, dumbfounded, as he turns to his computer, lips twitching into a smile.

“Of course we wouldn’t,” you try, hand resting on one of the chairs in front of the desk to steady yourself. “We only… we only slept together once. I didn’t even know who you were.”

He hums an agreement, typing. “No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t matter, you know now. And considering the other… developments,” he shoots a look to your belly, and you rest your free hand over the small curve protectively. “It’s best we get to know each other in far closer quarters, hm?”

“No,” you argue, trying to inject some sterness into your tone. “I’m not moving in with you, that’s ridiculous. I just… I only told you about the baby so you could be involved. Maybe pay some child support. But there’s no reason for anything more.”

He sighs heavily through his nose, giving you another of those unimpressed looks. “You’re tellin’ me you’d rather keep living on your own? Take care of yourself and my baby all on your own?”

You brows furrow. “My baby.”

“Our baby.”

“Whatever,” you huff, moving to sit in one of the chairs, slumping back. “I can’t move in with you. Just because we… slept together, once, doesn’t mean you can just boss me around like a minon.”

 “Oh, it was more than once, love,” he corrects, voice pitching lower. You force down a shiver, cheeks heating again. “And is it really bossing you around if it’s for the best?”

You shoot him your own unimpressed look. “Yes, of course it is.”

He shrugs, turning back to his computer. “Then I guess I am bossing you around. Regardless, Simon will have your belongings in one of my properties by tonight.”

You scowl, leaning forward enough to plant a hand on his desk. “Listen, John, I have a life. A perfectly nice apartment, a job I like, friends - you can’t just take me away from all of that just because we made a mistake!”

The quick glance he shoots you verges on scolding. “That’s exactly what I can do, and it’s exactly what I will do.”

He stands before you can reply, fixing his cuffs as he strides back to the office door.

“You can call your boss tomorrow to turn in your resignation,” he says over his shoulder, tugging the door open and already walking away, winking at you just before he disappears from your sight. “You won’t be working while carrying our baby.”

You gape at the spot where he just was, palms still slick with sweat. It takes you a moment to fully grasp what he’s just said, how the entire conversation has gone, but when you do you’re enraged.

“John!” You shout, storming after him, leaving the pregnancy tests behind. “Get back here, you insane man! That’s absolutely not happening!”

The sound of his low laugh echoing through the stairwell only pisses you off more. Your scowl feels etched into your face, and as you storm after John you vow to keep him from completely steam rolling your life.

If he thinks he’s going to just pluck you from your life and drop you in his with no fight, he’s got another thing coming. 

[unhetalia]

Could you share some of your headcanons for the relationship between Alfred and Matthew? Like what kid of relationship they have?

These two are weirdos, first and foremost. I have a few different configurations for how they are depending on how angsty I want a universe to be. If we're talking headcanons for the relationship that looks similar to what they have in canon (they spend time together of their own volition), this is what I have.

My Matthew and Alfred's relationship can't be talked about wholly without mentioning the fact that there is an additional sibling - Maria, the eldest - and that she actively preferred Alfred to Matthew, meaning that there has NEVER been a time when Matthew felt in equal standing with Alfred when someone knows both Alfred and Matthew. I cannot emphasise how much this fucks Matthew up.

(Lack of self-awareness on Matthew's part, he also vastly prefers Alfred to Maria.)

This means that Matthew really doesn't like sharing friends with Alfred. This means he tends to be friends with Nations who actively dislike Alfred - Cuba, for one. Old English colonies who have always been bitter about having to compete with the ghost of Alfred Jones.

Alfred doesn't mention it, but this is something that hurts Alfred quite a bit, and leads to Alfred seeking out Maria and others' company more than Matthew's, which upsets him.

Matthew's blind spot is absolutely Alfred - he doesn't consider Alfred's feelings because he can't imagine that Alfred's feelings are capable of getting hurt. He truly sees Alfred as someone with a charmed life.

On the other hand, Alfred underestimates his twin. He never brings up anything Matthew does wrong because he believes Matthew "doesn't mean anything bad by it" and doesn't think Matthew can handle the criticism, thereby leading to a relationship where Matthew feels like he is a better sibling to Alfred than Matthew is to him.

It isn't just in their relationship - Alfred sees Matthew as dependent on his government, on England and France. He doesn't really see Matthew as someone who can stand on his own two feet, and therefore he doesn't see Matthew as being able to handle lots of things. (This is kind of a bigger thing wherein both Alfred AND Maria look down on Nations who work too closely with governments, as they see it is antithesis to their existence - more on this later.)

So these two have a lot of issues! Matthew blames Alfred for too many things that Alfred can't actually control instead of addressing his own issues with his self-worth, and Alfred lets Matthew get away with a lot of things because he sees Matthew as a delicate flower who is incapable of malice and can't handle criticism (or anything too hard, really).

BUT as with all familial relationships it's not all bad! These are two people who love each other DEEPLY.

Matthew doesn't love anyone more than he loves Alfred, no matter their issues. He will defend Alfred from any physical harm (see: Canadian response to Pearl Harbour - there ARE pluses to being attached to your government).

Alfred never forgets Mattie! He's on his speed dial! (Which number he is on speed dial I have not yet decided). He and Mattie have a lot of things they do, just the two of them - a lot are hiking-in-nature related. Or food related.

Matt and Al have six different secret languages - one of which is a form of sign language and three which they can use to communicate while one of them is bound and tied up and the kidnapper makes the ransom call in the same room.

Matthew has one of Al's baby teeth saved all the way from the 1600s. It's one of his most prized possessions, as its basically one of the only real proof of them ever being children that he has.

I've always headcanon'd that Al only has one home in the US, BUT he also has a cabin in Canada that he and Matthew stay in often. (Al just stays with Maria when he's in Mexico, but Al feels uncomfortable staying in Matt's house because both the Canadian AND US governments know where it is.)

Alfred remembers Kumajirou's name and vice versa.

Matthew favourite food is Alfred's apple pie - even more than pancakes. Alfred likes hockey over American football or baseball.

[tsarjozinzbazin]

Greetings,

I am a little obsessed with your Rossier pirate AU now. I was wondering whether you'd be willing to share the long version of it (the short version in the tags was already excellent)!

All the best

Ps. Because I sometimes think I am funny:

John Ross, having the Admiralty on speed dial: Why is my nephew fraternizing with this Irish guy??

William Edward Parry (their captain, basically), covering for them: Lol, idk what you mean, man.

Sorry this has been sitting here for a while because I didn't exactly know what to write so my pookie @vykerr helped me :))) and I also wanted to draw something for it so here we go!

Yippee!!

After coming back from the Antarctic expedition, Crozier is wracked by jealousy that his beloved Ross is getting married, even though he knows they cannot be together. Unbeknownst to him, Ross is using the marriage as a cover to protect Crozier, as he knows what the admiralty would do if they found out the Irishman was also a sodomite.

When Crozier is passed over to command the expedition to find the northwest passage, he finally snaps. He takes a small crew, sneaks onto the Terror, and commandeers her, sailing south instead of north. In the southern hemisphere he grows his crew by visiting various ports and taking on other naval officers and seamen that have been left out to dry by the admiralty. Then Crozier begins to engage in acts of piracy, though only against British naval vessels. He is somewhat of a master tactician, and the Terror being a warship also helps. The men on these crews who survive his raids and surrender are offered a choice between joining his crew or being dropped off at the nearest port.

The admiralty of course wants to send someone to apprehend Crozier and bring him to justice. Ross volunteers, wanting to make sure no harm comes to his beloved Francis, to try and bring him home safely and then he will try and protect him from the harsh hand of the admiralty. But Crozier knows Ross too well, and Ross won't risk killing him, and Crozier uses that to his advantage in their battles. Though of course, Crozier won't risk killing Ross either. He always manages to escape somehow, usually by disabling Ross' ship and then hightailing it out of there.

It gets to the point where despite Ross' insistence that he will eventually be able to capture Crozier, the admiralty no longer think he is capable of it. So they send in the Erebus, captained by Franklin with Fitzjames as his second. Franklin is cocksure that he will be able to take down the Terror with his superior vessel. However, his confidence turns out to be unfounded, as Crozier soundly thrashes him, his men boarding the Erebus and cutting down most of the men. Crozier indulges in killing Franklin himself, revenge for stealing his command. Some of the Erebites surrender, such as Fitzjames, who is taken captive by Crozier. In this case where these men attacked him, Crozier keeps them prisoner.

Crozier has also amassed a large enough crew now for two ships, so decides to take control of Terror's sister, spreading his crew out across the two ships mixed in with a few Erebites who are forced into working for him. The other crewmates teach them all about being pirates. But Crozier takes an instant liking to handsome Fitzjames, and decides to keep him as a personal prisoner in the great cabin.

phew! so many words! Everyone thank Vyker for helping me out because my ass cannot speak English this well!

[abbyfmc]

Yandere Eunuch! x Empress! Reader Phrases:

Eunuch: Eunuchs are castrated servants (generally men) who served in the palace, having different ranks in their profession and jobs. They were especially seen in ancient imperial China working in cleaning, maintenance, and guard duties, and they could even be servants of the emperor and his consorts.

-"Greetings to Her Highness the Empress."- I'll start off soft, since here the yandere eunuch would simply tell you when greeting you or seeing you.

-"Please your highness, let me work for you. No matter the difficulties; Being at your side serving you is an honor and a compliment to me."- The yandere eunuch would be begging you to let him work for you (if he hasn't worked for you in the first place) and if you accept, he will be more than happy to be your servant.

-"I'm sorry your highness, I've talked too much."- In an environment where even the number of words spoken is controlled, it would not be unusual for the yandere eunuch to do this (regardless of whether he pretends to care about this rule or not) whether in the presence of you or the emperor himself.

-"My job is to ensure your safety and protect you, Your Highness."- The yandere eunuch would be very paranoid when it comes to you, to the point of not letting anyone lay their hands on you.

-"Incompetent servant! Watch where you walk and be careful with the empress!"- The yandere eunuch would not tolerate someone bumping into you, even accidentally. The only one who would stop the yandere eunuch from slapping or punishing the other servant who bumped into you would be you.

-"Your Highness, I am at your complete disposal with pleasure. I will do any task you give me and I will also gladly punish anyone who disrespects you."- Yes, eunuchs who were in charge of departments or some particular activity among servants in the palace were capable of punishing those who broke the rules. This also happened with eunuchs who worked for the emperor himself, the empress, or her consort, and the yandere eunuch would be no exception.

-"I am able to taste your foods and drinks to prevent them from poisoning my dear highness."- And there could be attempts at poisoning you by your husband's consorts. The yandere eunuch would follow each one carefully, listen and study their plans so that in the end, when you are about to taste your food or drink, two things would happen: 1) He would taste your dishes for himself and would end up swallowing the whole poison; 2) He would force your perpetrator to taste the food to check for poison.

-"For your highness I am willing to break any rule."- Whether he proposes to be with you, or you do it, he will never say no to you.

-"When I hear how you have fun with His Majesty at night, it breaks my heart."- Obviously, on the nights where you serve your respective emperor, he would be outside, "standing guard" and listening to you having fun with a man who is not him, which would break his heart and increase his hatred for the emperor.

-"The empress's palace must be very careful with luxury of detail. If anyone dares to break something or even rudely cut a flower from my beloved's garden, they will be severely punished."- Of course, being your yandere palace eunuch, he will personally ensure that your rooms do not lack a single area to clean.

-"How dare you speak to his highness like that?!"- The yandere eunuch will not tolerate anyone speaking in a mean or derogatory way to you, especially if it comes from low-ranking servants or concubines. The ONLY reason the eunuch doesn't whip them to death is because of your interventions, but if you didn't tell him anything…those people would have been beaten to death by the yandere eunuch.

-"No no no no no!; she can't… get pregnant."- And of course sooner or later you would get pregnant thanks to the emperor. The yandere eunuch obviously wouldn't be happy about this, but he knows that if he tries to do anything to you or harm your baby, he won't live to tell about it so he has no choice but to accept it.

-"I don't care if that child isn't mine. I will take meticulous care of you and him or her, your highness."- Whether you know of his love or not, he would tell you this to ensure his fidelity to you, especially in that possible pregnancy.

-The end.

[scatterbrainedbot]

I AM SPINNING I AM PACING I AM FULL ON FROLICKING IM SO EXCITED

@d1sc0rd1a THANK U FOR THESE TAGS

okayokayokayokay so pretty much all of these questions will be Officially Answered properly in the character design/intro pages im working on but also i am physically vibrating with excitement about the fact that you noticed all these details and i have very little self control so! lore dump time!!!

(minor tw for mentions of leos self-harm/self-destructive anxious behaviors and unhealthy coping skills)

- mikey does indeed have curly fur! i believe he would be considered a 'rex' rat (pictured on the left) for this trait? though the curls can be more easily seen on mice (pictured on the right). or, at least it seems that way. have not delved too deeply into the details of rodent genes and husbandry, but id assume its the same sort of mutation considering curly haired mice are also referred to as rex sometimes? either way hes a extra floofy bby 🧡

-as for raphie, unfortunately being more fluff and less shell than the average rapheal comes with its downsides. especially if you and your brothers occasionally encounter things like territorial dogs, hungry cats, or sewer crocodiles while exploring places ur dad said not supposed to go. (most of his scars will have more ninja related stories, but his ear i think got messed up from something very animal. probably around age 11 ish? old enough to sneak out from dads protection but young enough to not fully know how to handle himself alone against real danger. thankfully his ear injury looks worse than it actually is for the most part, as the damage was largely to the outer ear. his hearing wasnt super affected, except that he now has a bit of a harder time being able to track/pinpoint noises origins if its on his right side.)

-also yep! dons got some glasses that just clip/rest on the bridge of his nose! theyre mostly just for home use, as they do fall off if hes knocked around. in the field he has some goggles he tends to use (theyre helpful as they have multiple additional functions like heat-imaging, extra zoom/telescoping, and recording capabilities. but also theyll give him headaches if he wears them for too long without breaks). contacts are theoretically also an option but he absolutely hates the sensation of putting them in. so sometimes when hes tired he'll just not bother with either clips or goggles and just squint and struggle. leo hates when he does that lol.

-speaking of leo, he is def an anxious baby :) he has a few patches of fur missing on his hand cos he has the tendency to tug on it while hes thinking. he yanked and chewed on his own tail a lot when he was younger too, which is why when hes older he usually wears some wraps to cover the scars left from that behavior. he finds those scars specifically to be kinda embarrassing and shameful because they werent from any battle or life-lesson, just his own 'inability to control himself'. all of his brothers have repeatedly called him out on the fact that that is not a healthy way to think about his anxiety or mental health, but leo insists hes fine. hes kinda convinced himself that a proper warrior always has control over his own body* and his own thoughts, thus he should be able to just like willpower-brute-force his way into 'being better'. (this line of thinking pisses raph off so much he has to leave and go hit something)

Splinter also tries to talk him through some of that internalized guilt/shame/everything, but splinters very metaphorical, poetic, and indirect when it comes to talking about Big Things, which combined with how much leo gets caught in his own head, makes it kinda hard to gauge how much these talks actually help

*this is made extra fun considering leos also ftm trans, so he is faced with a body that fundamentally disobeys him perhaps more than the average rat-man.

-and im still going back and forth between a few species for splinter, but im leaning mostly towards an African Spurred Tortoise! they have these beautiful if kinda subtle geometric shell patterns and are the third largest species of tortoise in the world. the only thing that doesnt fit perfectly with Splints is that (allegedly) their lifespan in captivity is around 50ish years, whereas im p sure Tortoise Splinter is well over 75, probably closer to 90 when the boys are born and hes mutated into Old Man Papa.

but maybe hes just a particularly long lasting African Spurred Tortoise.

the Hamato family has taken very good care of him for many decades after all. :)

(well. until everything all fell apart, that is.....)