#decided to come up with my own companion who is an alien- and i have a pretty well thought out backstory for how they join the doc-

[saviltriide]

Hi hello, im terribly invested in doctor who again <3

[hamsternella]

Second part of this one

Bill Cipher x Fem!Reader

cw: gore, bill is a warning by himself, mdni, yandere and obsessive behavior

''She's my wife! You're talking about my wife, Cipher!'' Ford ran his hands through his hair, feeling desperate. Disgust was driving him mad; fury was blinding him. ''You've crossed a boundary! You're a…''

''A monster, a madman, a sick man,'' Bill interrupted him lazily. ''Yeah, yeah. I get that a lot, thanks, Fordsy. Anyway, what do you say? Do we have a deal?''

Ford backed up a couple of steps, colliding with the edge of his desk behind him. His hand brushed against a statuette of Cipher himself; a figure of pure gold that weighed between his fingers as he lifted it into the air, eyes fixed on the demon. The latter shook his hand in denial. 'No, no. Don't even think about it.' But he did it anyway. He didn't even get to hit him—Bill had disappeared.

"Come back here, Bill!" cried the investigator in despair. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my wife again, Cipher!"

But all he received in response was a shrill laugh, and the blow of a warm breeze that made him stagger. The lights went out, and in the gloom the only thing that enveloped Ford was silence barely interrupted by his own breathing.

"My God," he whispered, "what have I done?"

After your talk with Bill, and the forced kiss that sealed an implied deal, your life becomes confusing and uncomfortable.

The demon had not stopped possessing your husband until the day you decided that enough was enough.

The limit was to have found him on you, forcing your petticoats with the hands of the man who was supposed to be your companion.

How were you supposed to know when it was Ford and not Bill? How could you let him kiss your lips with that sweetness, sometimes interspersed with the awkwardness of a need that already seemed alien to you?

When Ford found out about the situation you were acting so strange about, his fury is such that even you find yourself terrified of the human as you were of the demon.

They felt like one and the same entity. At this point you didn't know what to think about it.

Your relationship with your husband deteriorated considerably. It was easy to see how uncomfortable it made him to know that you and Bill had been intimate.

"Aren't we ever going to talk about it, then? Ford, I'm addressing the word to you..."

"I know," he interrupted you, the frustration palpable in his voice. "You've been saying the same thing every day, throughout every week; it's a regular thing come this point."

"Because we need to talk about it! For God's sake, Ford, you can't even stand to be in the same room with me anymore. Do you think this situation hasn't affected me too?"

You heard his footsteps coming towards where you were. You felt him in front of you, with his scent and his breathing altered into a choked growl. "Be honest with me, didn't you suspect at any time that that imitation wasn't me?"

"Ford, not again with this..." you sighed.

"Not again, you say? Not again, as if it were something upsetting to you," he exclaimed. "Oh, well, perhaps it is—perhaps because things happened there that I don't know about. More things I don't know—I don't want to know. Terrible things, lots of secrets hidden from me, your husband!"

"Are you serious, Stanford? You're coming at me with such audacity!" You had risen from your seat, colliding immediately with your husband's chest. His hands took you by surprise; a shove brought you back to the world as you hit the table at your side. "Ford! What's wrong with you, God..."

"This is all wrong! This is all terrible!" he shouted. Moments later there was silence. It took your husband some time to regulate his own breathing. "Whole weeks... being possessed by a creature I thought was my friend, my companion. Days believing I was falling into madness; the darkness of a confused dream enveloping me, devouring my senses... all of me. All of me! My works, my researches, my wife! He dared to possess my woman!"

"So that's what I am to you," you hastened to add. "Just your woman. That's what this irrational outburst of yours is all about, Stanford."

"It's everything! This is about everything! For God's sake, woman, understand. He's taken everything from me—he's trying to make it, and he's closing in on me by leaps and bounds... He's wanted to ruin my life completely and you don't understand! You can't be so selfish!"

"Who's being selfish here, when you were the scoundrel hiding a demon under our feet! This was all started by you, Stanford! And you never told me the truth!" You covered your face for a moment, sighing faintly. "You let him take your body and walk around the house; you kept me ignorant of your true plans while to him you built a shrine."

"How did you..."

"He told me," you interrupted him coldly, "as usual. Because of course I have to find out what's going on in my own house from a demon. Same demon who, by the way, got into our room to try to molest me!"

"You could have told me that in the first place! Things don't magically escalate."

"Excuse me? What are you trying to tell me?"

His silence confirmed the shame that had overwhelmed him by his own words.

"I'm talking to you, Ford."

"You should have told me. You allowed him direct entry."

"I don't think I gave him that much power," you shook your head. "Not like you gave it to him, Ford, with your portals and your 'insignificant' studies."

"I didn't mean to."

"And you think it was my intention to have him on top of me?"

"For God's sake—this is not about you!"

"It's never about me! Nothing is ever about me, your very wife, Ford!" You held back the heart-rending cry in your throat, until the other words snatched it from you. "I could have been raped that night and you didn't care! That thing has kissed me, touched me while in your body, and what affects you most is losing your portal! Please, Stanford, please, I beg you to understand!"

You stretched out your arms in a desperate attempt to cling to your husband's shirt. You knew where he was when you brushed against his body; there your hands rested, fingers digging like daggers into his arms. Your voice was barely a whisper corrupted by pain and despair.

"I gave up everything for you," you continued, "even my hobbies, my friends and my family. I believed in you like no one ever has; I sacrificed time, sweat and tears on your journey to glory... All for you. Always for you. When will there be something for me? When will I have a family of my own? When will I have a nice home? When will I feel safe?" you weighed a couple of raw ideas at the back of your mind. "When will I feel safe with you, Ford. You're supposed to be my husband..." you sobbed.

"I need you to understand," he whispered back. "Please, honey. I need you to."

"I'm tired of understanding things I don't know," you shook your head, possessed by crying. "You let that thing into this house. You gave your body, your mind... your wife."

"I would never allow him to lay a hand on you!"

"He's done it already!" you shouted back. "He's already done as much damage as you have, Ford! You're just like that! Unsatisfied, cruel creatures; eager to carry more than your arms can carry. He may be able to make it. Not you, Ford. And that's your problem—yourself. You're selfish, self-centered..."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"... and I begin to believe that I have been a victim of that victorious perversity that consumes you when you get something that others want and can't. But you could! And now you want more! More of what you shouldn't, of that which you can't have."

"I can have it! I'm capable! You know it; you've heard me achieve it."

"Thanks to him. And everything has a price in life, Stanford. Who says I'm not that now?"

The laughter that your husband dismissed hurt your soul.

"It's not that simple. He couldn't want you for... I don't understand. Why would he want you for something like this? I don't get it. Why would he want you in exchange for something like this? What do you figure here, but a sack of meat like me?"

"I don't know, you tell me," you shrugged. "Why do you want me, Ford? What do you think I possess, beyond a hole for you to fuck when you're stressed? Do you consider me to have value? Maybe you think I'm a stupid bitch—"

"Don't talk about yourself like that!" he interrupted you, sounding hurt. "One thing has nothing to do with the other here, right now."

"I think it has a lot to do with when your pride outweighs your wife's honor and safety. Does that title do any good? Perhaps the term 'maid' paints a better picture, considering how much you hold me in high regard as a person."

"Stop it."

"And that's all you have to say."

Life feels empty when your marriage suddenly seems like a sham.

You no longer consider Ford a company that provides you with security; now you are truly on your own.

The world is scary.

And this is where he comes to save the day.

More or less, let's assume.

Bill takes this opportunity to start filling your head with hallucinations. You can't escape them.

Your husband is a nightmare that whispers lies in your ear, which later become truths the more you think about them.

Cipher doesn't show up in your dreams until months later, when your husband is at his worst peak of stress and paranoid episodes.

The demon is much more kind, caring and receptive to you than ever before; even manipulating your brain to reproduce his figure in your mind.

At last you meet Mr. Cipher.

"But look who it is! The protagonist of this beautiful story of bloody, forbidden visceral romance from...! Oh, forget it. The title is too long."

The triangle levitates around you with its golden glow. Its edges are sharp; it has only one eye, and it wears a galley and a staff that seems to have a life of its own, far away from you, circling in the air. It is black, just like the galley and the slender limbs of the beast.

The laughter is as loud as ever. For a moment it brings you peace. It's the same—nothing has changed nor is a lie. It's just Bill.

"That's me! Yes, ma'am." Its figure reappears in front of you, with one of its small hands resting on your cheek. "My pronouns are call/me/Bill; but I also go by he/him."

"Are you reading my mind?"

"Oh, you little bag of muscle and nerves! We're in your mind," he laughed. "By the way, you should be nicer to me."

"I don't have to be nice to you," you replied. "You've ruined my life."

"Ruin your life, you say! Oh, no, my dear, but I haven't done anything!" His hand moved away from you, returning to his back as he entwined it with the other. His eye narrowed for a moment; he was fascinated. "But didn't you mean, rather, your husband's life? Isn't it the same as yours?"

"Is that, you suppose, a comment to hurt me?"

"Hurting you is one of my last thoughts when I think of you," he said. "And believe me: I think about you a lot."

"I don't want to know what kind of things."

"And you do very well not to want to!"

Another shrill laugh pierced your ears like a needle. The sound settled painfully in your brain.

"Oh, my dear! So beautiful and so pitifully silly," he sighed. "How I've missed you."

"I find it rather disturbing the way you address me. Especially after the accident..."

"That night!" he interrupted you; so fascinated that his yellow color darkened into a kind of still luminous blush. "Perhaps I was a little thrilled by the tenderness of your flesh—how your heart throbbed! An organ pumping warm blood, under that weak skin."

The triangle was suddenly in front of you. His eye wide open.

"The way your muscles tensed in your face," he continued, "with each eye wide open, as if you could just see me. No need to when you can feel me, little one. And how did that feel? How did you feel under the rough warmth of hands on the smooth skin of your belly?"

"While you were using my husband!" you cried out in shame. "You forced yourself on me with my husband's body. You are a..."

You bit your lip, holding back the string of insults that were about to hang from your mouth. Bill narrowed his eye, humming an unfamiliar tune.

"I'm a... what? Say it, come on!"

"Just shut up," you growled. "Shut your mouth—whatever you use to talk. Shut it."

"A little bird told me something very interesting. I'm sure you want to know! I know you do!"

You covered your face, using your hands to stifle a frustrated scream that could barely overshadow Bill's animated narration. His voice was penetrating your head, which was funny to think about considering the two of you were in your mind; there was no way his voice wasn't getting through to you being in a place like this. There was no escape possible.

"Oh! Yes, that's right," he pointed out with his cane. "You can't wake up until I decide."

"That's crazy!"

"I guess... Whatever! You want to play a game of chess for which you might lose something very valuable to you when I cheat?"

"Of course not!" You rubbed both hands together, trying to stop the trembling all over your body. "Ford will notice I'm not in the kitchen; I always make breakfast. He'll notice, won't he?"

"Dear, are you asking me or are you losing your senses?"

"Isn't it the same?" you turned to look at him, narrowing your eyes. "Wondering something to you, losing my mind—isn't it the same thing?"

Bill rolled his eye, dropping his cane in the air again. "What a mood! Too many gentlemen on this world for so few ladies—"

"What do you want?" you interrupted him. There was no answer. You took a deep breath as you met his gaze upon you; too much intensity, with his figure levitating slower and slower. "Bill, please, is there something you want? Because I can't give it to you. You should talk it over with Ford, like always" you muttered.

"Something I want," he repeated. "Maybe I wasn't very clear with you. In the olden days new romantic prospects used to murder the current spouse. You want that? So freaky, grr—"

"What the fuck are you talking about! My God," you swallowed the string of insults hanging from your throat. "Cipher, let me go right now. Go and talk to my husband and do together whatever it is you have in mind. Leave me alone!"

"I tried to talk to Fordsy about you," rushed the demon defensively, "but I don't think he liked certain details... My bad, I admit it! There are always second chances—although with him we'd be going for number three hundred and twenty something, I think... I don't know, I don't care! Hey, you really don't want to play chess with me?"

"You told him about that night," you whispered. Tears began to tickle your cheeks without your noticing them. "You told him first and he never... Ford never told me—he never told me about it..."

"And then he made you feel terrible about it," he laughed. "How crazy is Fordsy. And what's with all that pushing and shoving this last week? Didn't you see it coming? Ha! Get it? Because you're totally blind—"

"I can't wail and cry if I hear your shitty voice."

"Oh, come on! It's not my fault your husband is a deranged madman. There are lots of fish in the ocean, did you know that? Lots and lots... Lots, really... Then there's me, who's better," he pointed to himself, shrinking his eye in a smile. "I mean, uh, a god, technically."

"A demon."

"Very soon a god," he corrected you.

You frowned, forcing a smile as you said, "But you're still a demon. One trapped far away from our world, aren't you? What assures you that you're going to be anything more than that, when Stanford no longer believes in you?"

"The last thing I care about is your husband," Bill narrowed his eye. "Beyond that, could it be that you're testing me?"

"Testing you?"

"If I can get out of here, if I can catch you anywhere, anytime," he continued, "does that mean I win?"

"For you everything is a game. A demon at the end of the day."

Bill's shrill laughter pierced your ears again. This time you found him in front of you in the blink of an eye; closer, more attentive.

"Does that mean I win?" he whispered. "Because I believe I can have you whenever I want, wherever I want—this is just a taste of my power."

"This is a sign of what a monster you are," you replied in kind. "Ford will not allow you to go beyond your dimension—"

"Fordsy couldn't stop me all those times I messed with you," the demon interrupted you, suddenly surly at the mention of your husband. "It's almost like he doesn't care. Anyway, that brainiac is going to fail sooner or later, and there's no corner of the universe where you can hide your head. I'll be there, in your dreams; and I'll be here, where you don't see me. Everywhere I'm going to be, dear little flesh bag."

"Don't fucking call me that!"

"Nuh-uh!"

You opened your mouth, ready to pour over his expectant eye a couple more insults, but the lack of your own voice led you to wrap both hands around your neck. You thought you were piercing flesh with your fingernails; you caressed muscle, you smeared yourself with blood. You wanted to scream, terrified, alone in the middle of an empty, dark space, but the only response to the nervous silence of your panic attack was another thunderous laugh.

Everything was suddenly red. Red and painful. A sharp stab of pain shot through your body from your throat, and with a shocking jolt you fell to your knees, drowning in your own blood. Warm, viscous, thick. You closed your eyes, too disgusted with the spectacle of intense sensations assaulting your senses, and let yourself be carried away by the spasms that seemed to go on forever. You barely felt him on you.

When you opened your eyes, overcome by another intense, hot sensation, you found Bill leaning over you. His yellow color had migrated to a deep black; red edges like your blood, glowing, and with the same wide-open, watchful eye. You noted with another kind of horror that same morbid charm in his gaze—the ravenous hunger of a natural hunter.

You shook your head, barely moving your lips in a faint 'please'.

"I missed this," he said. "I missed you. It's strange... this feeling, I mean—it's kind of weird. It's unpleasant. But when I finally have you again, when I can touch you, I can see you, I can hear you, that awful feeling goes away; it disappears and I feel good again. I feel better. It's strange, like I told you."

One of his limbs brushed against the bleeding wound on your neck. The nightmare was compounded by the pressure of his fingers playing with your flesh.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "If you could see yourself. I don't think you'd understand. It would be fun, anyway. See you cry, make you scream," he laughed. "You know, the usual. Stanford makes you cry a lot, doesn't he? He hurts you."

It took you a while to respond, but you were able to give him a nod.

"Everything he does is a product of my own genius," Bill continued. "I'm better. A hell of a lot better. This is just beginning; there's more to this than I've shown you now. A lot more. But that's all right! We have all the time in the world. Lots of nights, lots of dreams. Opportunities, my pretty little bag of nerves."

His limb moved away from your wound, wrenching another spasm from your body. You couldn't take your eyes off the way the demon was spewing a long, slimy tongue from the strip below his eye, starting from the socket. Another repulsive limb. The flesh of your body disappeared in what was a light taste of your own flavor. You noticed the fascination in his small figure; the tremor of ecstasy bursting the moment.

"Fordsy would be delighted to know this," Bill said, squinting his eye. "You think we should tell him?"

'We?' Your own mind gave you away.

"I'm asking for your opinion! That's what couples do, right?"

Silence. Bill let out a sigh; his yellow color back with a particular glow.

"Whatever," he shrugged, "I don't think he'll mind. This may be our little secret." He approached you, levitating gently. "As for you, beautiful little waste, I hope to see you in a better mood soon. There's so much to do! So many things to talk about. Our plans ahead, of course—the big moment. What a thrill!"

Your eyes began to close. The pain gradually, gently subsided. It was getting harder and harder to hear Bill chattering.

"... portal, and the... But maybe a crazy... you and me, of..."

Before you faced the impending total darkness, Bill's intense gaze invaded your mind. This time you stopped listening to him. In spite of that, a new sharp pang of pain pierced your head; it upset you completely, as one who feels disarmed at the discomfort of their own body, and made you wake up again. This time there was no yellow demon in front of you. There was nothing, directly. Not that nothing of one whose eyes are covered—but that kind of empty expectation, typical of the blind.

'Returned home,' you thought with a sigh.

The morning was quiet, but not calm. Bill's nightmare had left you jittery, with tremors and a nagging itch in your neck. A sick kind of paranoia kept you standing between the bedroom and the bathroom, unable to go any further. It was the murmur of timid footsteps downstairs that made you make the decision: tell Ford, give him the chance again. Who else did you have in the world but him?

You walked down the stairs with the itch in your neck increasing as your husband's silence to your calls did. At a certain point, and with madness tearing tears from your eyes, you ended up tripping over an obstacle on the floor where you thought the living room was. You rested your hands as soon as you felt the blow of the air like a whip; the pain came seconds later, along with the roughness of a jacket.

Ford did not wear such jackets.

You pushed your fingers against the leather, dragging your nails along the inner fur. You felt the coolness of some pins, and maybe found a couple of holes.

"Ford?"

"He's not here."

A man's broken voice took you by surprise. You jumped up, fell back down, and began to crawl backwards across the floor. You forgot about the pain and itching in your neck.

"Who are you?! What did you do to my husband—"

"Just... just a moment! Please!" The voice broke even more, as if choked with an inevitable cry. "You said husband—you must be her, I mean, his girl. His wife. Logically, isn't it?" an unfunny laugh broke through his words. "Please, I'm not here to do anything bad..."

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Silence. A long one, interrupted by a couple of accelerated breaths.

"Stanley," the man replied. "I'm Stanley Pines. I'm Stanford's brother."

"He doesn't... No, because he doesn't have a brother. You are lying to me—"

"Are you blind?"

This time the silence came from you.

"I didn't think... Sorry, I didn't get a good look at you," he rushed back. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Stanley Pines," you said, "is that really your name? Stanford never told me about you." You craned your neck, gathering as much air as you could. "Stanf—"

"He's not here."

"What do you mean? Did he go out or something? Again," you sighed.

Silences were commonplace at this point. You had time to stand up with the help of the supposed Stanley. You let him guide you to an armchair, allowing him as much freedom as a tired woman could allow a man this robust. You tried not to let fear blind your senses.

If he was inside the house, it meant he hadn't set off any traps. Was he telling the truth?

"Did Ford tell you where he went?" you insisted in the absence of an answer. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"I don't think he..." a heavy, shaky sigh. "Sorry, but I think Stanford—I don't think he can come, today, at least..."

"What do you mean?"

But you didn't need a clear answer. Stanley was still talking, saying things very unimportant to you; and yet there was something special that leapt into your mind along with the memory of a thunderous laugh. The word 'portal' throbbed in rhythm with your heart, leaving in its wake a trail of horror from which a couple of tears were born. Only then did you return to the world—along with Stanley's hand caressing your back.

"I'm really sorry," he continued in a soft cry. "I didn't mean to, I swear..."

"Through the portal?"

"It was too fast, and... and then we pushed each other a lot, and there was screaming—"

"Then I guess he's not coming back," you sighed shakily, interrupting him. "Ford's not coming back. My God..."

"I'm going to fix that thing. You have my word."

The image of Bill in your dreams quickly jumped into your memories. You reached desperately for Stan's hands, taking them in yours. You stared into the void, hoping to behold his face of -possible- intrigue.

"You can't touch that thing!" you exclaimed in warning. "Stanley, you can't go near that portal, please. You have no idea what's in store for us on the other side."

"My brother is trapped in there! God, woman, your own husband!"

"This is beyond him right now!"

His hands released yours; a push let you know that he had risen from your side.

"You're crazy," he growled. "As crazy as he is. Just a crazy couple!"

"You have no idea what this is, Stanley Pines... You have no idea. You haven't the faintest idea. Am I crazy? Do you think I've lost my mind? I think you saw Ford very well; I'd like to think there's something of him in you—that you understand why I'm this way. Whose fault is it!"

"Your husband could be dead and you just go around attributing blame!"

"Our lives are at stake! Good Lord, Stanley, you have no idea what it was like to live with him!"

The image of Bill wouldn't leave your head. At this point you didn't know if you were thinking of Ford, or the triangular demon.

"I'm going to fix that fucking machine," Stanley spat angrily, "and I'm not going to let some crazy woman stop me over a couple of superstitions. I've had enough of that with Stanford. I want my brother back, and I'm going to get him. Whatever it takes."

You heard his footsteps walk away from the room, and seconds later a slamming door vibrated through your bare feet. Until then you hadn't felt the cold seeping into your sensitive flesh. Nothing seemed to matter enough to you.

It wasn't about Ford anymore; now you had to deal with the nervous insanity of his so-called brother. Could it get even worse?

Maybe.

[hxney-lemcn]

Just Let Me Help — Eleventh Doctor x gn! reader

summary: Getting injured on a mission leads reader to question their relationship with the Doctor. He will do his most to help them, even if he'll get hurt in doing so.

tw: Hurt/comfort (lots of comfort), injury, blood (alien blood but still)

a/n: I love him sm and he needs someone who is also immortal 😭😭😭 Also, I need more alien reader with the doctor </3

wc: 1.7k

Master List

(This can be stand alone, but the first part can be read here)

“Are you two like…a thing?” Rory asked. I was surprised at how well Rory handled everything, and how he even seemed to start to warm up to the Doctor. 

I looked up from watching the Doctor work underneath the console of the Tardis, “Who? The Doctor and I?” 

“Well…yeah,” Rory replied back awkwardly. 

“Oh, uh, no. Just old friends,” I shrugged, his awkwardness falling onto me. 

I can’t lie, I had fallen for the Doctor ages ago. No matter how he looked, how he acted, he would always be my beloved Doctor. And he never failed to fall on my doorstop, no matter where I went. He was the cure to my loneliness, someone who’d always be there, even if he was out traveling through time and space. I left my planet for a reason, and the Doctor understood. We were both outcasts in our own sense, and we’ve created a bond because of it. 

“Could you hand me the wrench, dear?” The Doctor spoke up, oblivious to the conversation but also not helping my point.

“Right,” Rory replied skeptical. I rolled my eyes while simultaneously leaning down and handing the Doctor his wrench.

“His new regeneration is just affectionate, okay?” I whispered, feeling like I had to defend myself. 

“Thanks dear,” The Doctor thanked, squeezing my hand gently in thanks before letting go completely. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Rory replied, hands held up in mock surrender. I could see the glint in his eyes still. 

“Shut up,” I pouted slightly. The Doctor's childishness has seemed to rub off on me. 

“What are you two babbling about?” Amy asked, coming into the console room. 

“Speculating about relationships,” The Doctor chimed up. I didn’t even realize he was walking up the stairs. Even so, I couldn’t help but admire how cute he looked with his goggles sitting in his hair. I tensed, feeling flustered that he caught on, even though I didn’t say anything wrong, or to show my feelings, I still felt like I was caught in a lie. 

“Speculating?” I asked. “I was clarifying.”

The Doctor paused midstep, raked his eyes over my figure, an emotion I couldn’t place held in his gaze. He continued to the console like nothing even happened and clapped his hands. 

“Where to now?”

______

“What are you doing!” The Doctor shouted, rushing towards me.

I gritted my teeth in pain as the Mihrol bit into my arm. With my other three arms, I tried to pry its jaw open. Mihrol were violent creatures, aggressive. I didn’t blame it, it wasn’t conscious of its own actions, only acting on its instincts. But it was going to attack the Doctor, so I decided to step in the way. 

In fact, I felt bad for the creature. Even with its teeth bared into my arm, its fate was set as soon as it ingested my blood. Perhaps…I shouldn’t have stepped in the way, as I was now a danger to anyone who tried to help. I couldn’t stop the pathetic whimper as the Mihrol’s body slumped, and its jaw weakened enough for me to pry it off. Glittery blue blood continued to seep from my arm as the others got to me.

“Stop!” I shouted as Rory tried to approach me. 

“I’m a nurse!” He argued. “I can help.”

“No you can’t,” The Doctor said calmly, stepping in between his companions and I. “They’re a Zeknil. Blue blood littered with cleythil, a poison that can penetrate even the thickest of skin. It's why they’re blood glitters so brilliantly.”

I clutched my injured arm, stepping back, “I’ll need to take care of this on my own.” The Doctor stepped close to me and I glared at him, “That means no Doctor or nurse.”

“I can help you,” The Doctor whispered. “Its effects are severely diluted. There’s a reason why Zeknil’s and Gallifrey’s stuck together for all those years.”

“I won’t take that chance,” I shook my head. “Besides, you have a better chance of finding another Zeknil than finding the cure.”

I watched as frustration danced across his eyes the longer we argued, but I held my ground. I will not lose the one person that is supposed to be by my side forever. Not to anyone else, and definitely not because of my own choices. 

“Go to the Tardis,” Doctor ordered Amy and Rory. “Tell her of the situation and she’ll lead you to a specific kit. Grab it and bring it to us.” 

“You’re overreacting,” I grumbled. Ripping off a piece of my shirt and holding it to the wound to stop the bleeding. “It's gonna take a lot more to kill me than a bite.”

He stayed quiet, eyes trailing the path of my blood, up to my wound, then finally meeting my eyes. I felt my own heart break at the unshed tears he held. At that moment, I realized exactly what I meant to him. How I would’ve felt if he would’ve been hurt instead. The want to help the one you love, the need to not see them in pain. 

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling that familiar pressure before you cry.

“At least you would be able to tend to me,” He laughed dryly, a tear rolling down his eye. “I wouldn’t have minded that.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me, the other option having been to cry, “Of course that’s what you say now. If you got hurt you would’ve been whining at me the entire time. I had to save myself from that.”

He laughed with me. Finally the others came back and I opened up this special kit and my eyes widened when I realized it was a first aid kit from my planet. I stared up at the Doctor in shock, but quickly went to tend to my wounds. I quite like how the bandages from my planet would meld to the injury just how you needed it to. Much better than human ones. As soon as that was all fixed up, I cleaned the blood from me as best as I could.

“Back to the Tardis everyone!” The Doctor exclaimed cheerfully, but I could tell that he was hiding his true emotions. “Best we get situated.” 

“Shouldn’t we go back-”

“No, no, the threat is gone, the village is safe,” He waved Amy off, eyes never leaving me as we walked back to the Tardis. 

When we entered, I went straight to my room. I needed to decompress, think. Whether it was the loss of blood, or the hot weather of the planet we were just on, my head felt fuzzy, thoughts running rampant. 

The shower seemed to help me focus a bit more. Although they were things I didn’t want to focus on. That moment…the look in his eyes…it was such a powerful emotion. Like how I felt for him. But he couldn’t love me, not like how I loved him. He’s had many human companions that he’s fallen for when the two of us knew each other. And Rose…their love was something that transcended time and space. I didn’t hold a candle to her…not that she doesn’t deserve to be special. She was an amazing human, one of the few companions of the Doctor’s I got to meet. 

I shook my head, I need to rest. Turning off the shower, I got into something comfortable before laying down in the room he’s provided me. In the morning, I should regenerate all my blood and my wound should be nearly fully healed. Hence why my race is seen as immortal. Our cells regenerate so fast that we live for thousands of years.

______

The smell of freshly cooked food woke me up. It smelled like one of my favorite meals from my home planet. Opening my eyes, I looked toward the source to see the Doctor himself placing a tray of food on the nightstand. 

“Hello,” I muttered, sitting up with a yawn. 

“Oh!” He replied startled. “Hello, good morning, how do you do?” He rambled on a few more greetings before he stopped. 

“Is this how you’re going to tend to me?” I asked without realizing until a few ticks later. It was too late now, I already said it…and I was a bit curious.

A soft look made its way onto his sharp features, “Of course, dear. Anything and everything you want, just name it.”

My heart stuttered and constricted at the same time. Little does he know that he’s all I want, and I’m sure it's the one thing he can’t give. I shook my head softly, teasing but also dismissing his admission. I went to grab the tray but he batted my hand, taking the tray himself and sitting on the edge of my bed. 

“Now now,” He tutted. “I’m here to tend to you, open wide.”

“I’m not a child,” I huffed, lightly glaring at him.

Nudging my face with the fork filled with food, he pouted, “Just indulge me.”

We stared at each other for a few more seconds, but his puppy dog eyes won me over and I hesitantly opened my mouth. His smile brightened as he continued to feed me while talking about whatever came to mind. Things he’d think I’d like, planets we could visit, foods I had to try. For a second, it made me feel special. Not special as in one of the few Zeknil left. Not special as in the species that worked hand in hand with Gallifrey from the start. I felt special to him. A dangerous feeling indeed. 

“Let me help you,” The Doctor requested as I lifted my injured arm.

“You know I can’t let you,” I sighed. “The bandage is bloodied and I won’t chance you getting fucking poisoned because of me.”

“Language,” He murmured half-heartedly which caused me to chuckle lightly.

I let out a sigh, “How about this. I take off the bandage, clean up any residue blood, and if I deem it safe enough I’ll let you do the rest. Deal?”

“Deal.”

I did my part, my guess last night being accurate. My wound was almost fully healed, I probably didn’t even need to replace the bandage, but I let the Doctor do what he felt he needed to. His touch was so gentle, making sure he didn’t harm me any more than I already was. Once again my heart stuttered as he laid a gentle kiss on top of the new bandage.

“There you go,” He muttered. “All better.” “Thank you, Doctor.” I emphasized his name. “You really do live up to your name.”

[quietwingsinthesky]

people are saying he « led her on » because he did. the fact that he kissed her in the first episode set the tone for the rest of the season and if you can’t perceive the flirting I’m sorry but how?? he didn’t make anything clear he sent the craziest mixed signals in the world. there’s nothing revolutionary about claiming that Martha was being pushy toward someone who was clearly not interested it’s 1) weird to claim in what it suggests about her 2) factually not true.

I wasn’t gonna respond to this at first because the top half of this ask is pretty much just individual interpretation and I don’t really care about it. Like, no, to me, the Doctor doesn’t seem especially flirty towards Martha. He’s just sort of Like That. That’s his damage, you know, Mr. I need to traumadump on anyone who tolerates being around me for more than five minutes. Mr. If I don’t develop an intensely codependent emotional bond with the companion I have currently I’ll die. It doesn’t read to me as him trying to lead her on because that bit’s honest, and he does it with damn near every companion he’s ever had.

And if nothing else, because we do see Ten when he tries to flirt intentionally and he’s a fuckin dork about it. Kind of guy who looked up romance in the dictionary and took notes. Kinda guy who draws diagrams to maximize kissing potential. It would have been obvious even to me (<- romance-blind as all fuck) if he was flirting with Martha on purpose because he’s not smooth at all; he flirts like he’s gotten lines in a play and he’s super excited to be the main star.

But anyway, as I was saying, that’s just how I see it. And if you see it different, no skin off my back, I just disagree.

But I take umbrage with you putting words in my mouth. I never said Martha was pushy towards him. Because yeah, she’s not. If I implied that she was, then it was a result of poor phrasing on my part. Martha’s not at fault for what she feels, for wanting there to come something of it. No more at fault than the Doctor is for not returning those feelings. It’s a bit weird that you’re assuming that I think one of them has to be the bad guy here when that was the opposite of what I was saying. My point was: When it comes to their romantic subtext of their relationship, it’s weird to pretend like either of them are to blame for them not being in a relationship at the end of s3, and even weirder to assert that as part of why Martha supposedly wouldn’t like the Doctor afterwards when they’re. friends. they continue to be friends into s4.

Martha’s not pushy. She has a crush on her friend. It happens. He doesn’t return it. This also happens. Both of these facts are pushed to the extreme because he’s a time-traveling alien with poor emotional skills and she’s put herself in the position of needing to help him from minute one of meeting each other. That’s why it’s fun to watch, because the Doctor is both so open and so unavailable in turns, because Martha’s feelings for him grow and change as she knows more about her Doctor until she decides to step back.

I don’t know, man. You seem to be coming at this as if one of them has to be The Problem™️. I don’t think either of them is, not so definitively. I think boiling their relationship down to that is reductive and an insult to the way they both grow over s3, to Martha’s choice to continue to be his friend while also establishing her own boundaries, to the fact that the Doctor is able to let her go without immediately trying to kill himself afterwards when she’s not there to catch him.

[variousqueerthings]

Which companions would you personally say are True Alien fuckers and which ones forget the doctor isn't human?

Okay, so taking out audio plays and the like, and with a caveat that I haven't seen everything (yet) and so some companions I am stipulating based on clips and descriptions and the like + my memory is. trying.

Disclaimer that this is about whose attraction to the Doctor encapsulates the doctor's inherent Alien-ness, such as gender fluidity, total change of appearance (on occasion), near immortality, alien physiology, and other variety of alien oddness.

this is about humans only.

See scores at the bottom. Forgive the mess, I'm operating on memory here.

(EDIT: keeping the original martha thoughts, but I was Wrong, she's an alienfucker, Martha I'm sorry I slandered you)

First Doctor companions: well to begin with, none of them. they're all presented to the incredibly no-sex-allowed show, including the most elderly the Doctor has ever appeared, in the true crotchety old-man sense (although... see the Twelfth Doctor). On top of that the dynamic was mostly paternal and companions tended to leave to do their own thing. Most Alien Fucker however I would give to Steven Taylor (who has an unfair advantage, being from the future, which is also a trend we see over again). Anyone who either travelled only with the First Doctor (Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Dodo) or witnessed the regeneration into Second (Polly, Ben) for various reasons simply would not. To be fair, the Doctor here radiates a "do not sexualise" aura. still. I think the real test was right here, and they all failed to make the grade

Second Doctor companions: notably the appearance of the Brigadier! I think he takes the crown of Most Alien Fucker of Second, although I would say, while Zoe is a bit young to be actively an Alien Fucker, she for sure is shaping up to be one in the future. Jamie and Victoria I personally think are a solid No generally

Third Doctor companions: Truthfully I'd give this one to the Brigadier as well. But wait, you say, what about Sarah-Jane Smith! Ah, but here I create a ripple perhaps by claiming that she wasn't an Alien Fucker, so much as a person who regularly engaged with the Doctor on a human level, despite the Doctor not being human. it's interesting, because she's someone so actively doing alien investigations, but I never think she was seduced in the wink wink nudge nudge sense to the alien-ness of it all. I think her betrayal with the Doctor is very related to the Doctor's non-humanness taking her by surprise (she and Rose have a fair bit in common). Jo is also not an Alien Fucker. Jo wanted a family I believe, in the human traditional conventional sense. Liz could go either way, but if an Alien Fucker, then that alien is not the Doctor. in some ways I think Liz is a bit ace overall, but in spirit youknow.

Fourth Doctor companions: note here we get some mildly non-human companions, but still humanish, which makes it hard. I've decided "born on earth" as a stipulation, no matter what time that is. However that takes out Leela, Adric, and Nyssa, and none of the more born-on-earth humans are Alien Fuckers. notably the Fourth Doctor is considered one of the more obviously eccentric Doctors, so does that have anything to do with it? who knows, I'm making up the rules as I go along

Fifth Doctor companions: similarly Vislor does not meet the stipulations, otherwise I would have awarded him the gold star. RIP to how Peri was treated generally, but she may have an undercurrent of Alien Fucking, because (ironically) she's not so into the Doctor really, but comes to understand (Sixth Doctor) more over time + she hooked up with a warrior king offscreen as part of her leaving so. She's not a timelord Alien Fucker though, I'd say

Sixth Doctor companions: Includes Peri, but we already talked about her, so: Mel. Is she an Alien Fucker? Wee-eell, yes-and-no. Yes, she witnesses a regeneration and is kinda chill about it, no because I wouldn't say she was into the Doctor in either regeneration. So could this be the Doctor specifically? Would it have been different if it had been Eight or Ten? I haven't watched far enough yet to know what her deal with Glitz is, but clearly there's some Alien Fucking genes there

Seventh Doctor companions: which leaves us in the classic series with Ace!!!! Who is absolutely a lesbian, and not at all giving off the vibes of someone mooning after the Doctor specifically. However would this lesbianism include some gender bending fluidity? I cannot say yet, I've not reached that far. My gut says that Ace is firmly into humans, but we shall see!

Eighth Doctor companion: Not an Alien Fucker. Grace was into Paul McGann and the beautiful early-eighth doctor hair, and that is more than fair, however, shallow in terms of Alien Fucking

Ninth/Tenth Doctor companions: okay, I'm gonna have the possibly unpopular opinion that Rose is not an Alien Fucker. there are many different aliens in her story, and she remains firmly into "good looking blokes," while continuously being re-reminded that the Doctor is very much not a human guy and is surprised by this each time. also I like the tragedy that in some ways, Rose may be more into the TenToo clone than the Doctor because she knows that TenToo is stable (in terms of mortality, in terms of never changing appearance, in terms of never having to put anything before Rose). She might be persuaded to be into a bit of gender-fluidity though, we never do find that out

also in short order: neither Adam nor Mickey are Alien Fuckers. Jack, obviously, is an Alien Fucker, but he's also cheating according to my stipulations, that 51st century Boe-born rapscallion!

Martha, likewise, not an Alien Fucker. Her attraction to the Doctor is initially based on awe and the fact that he Needs her, and then when she realises she can do better and deserves better, she rightfully steps the fuck out of his direct orbit (although am not a fan of her ending up with Mickey -- very pair the spares. she deserves that other doctor guy). I think Martha should have been allowed to snog Thirteen though, personally

Donna: not an Alien Fucker and quite chill about that. she's admiring though (not of the Doctor lol), but she knows what she likes.

Eleventh Doctor companions: The Ponds aren't Alien Fuckers, sorry Amy and Rory. River, sure, but I have some mixed opinions on just how human she counts as, considering the mess that is her backstory.

Twelfth Doctor companions: I know Clara met Eleven first, but she's solidly a Twelve companion as far as I'm concerned, and you know. She's got actual Alien Fucker energy. I'd need to rewatch these seasons to form more of an opinion beyond this, because I cannot remember much, but this opinion is solid and unchangeable.

Bill is... hmmmm.... canonically a lesbian of course, and as far as I can remember (again, we're approaching a rewatch, but haven't got this far) solidly hitting on earth girls, but then there's that ending... Does she know that timelords can regenerate? does it matter when she's become, well... Matter. Actually the more I think about it, the more I'd say yes she is an Alien Fucker, but also she's in a somekindof relationship with Heather-Matter, which was also the point at which she became a bonafide Alien Fucker, while also transcending the bounds of humanity, so in and of herself has become the Non-human... it's complicated

I cannot speak to Thirteen, because I've only seen the first season (so far) but from what I've seen of that, they're not Alien Fuckers. sorry guys. let me know if I'm wrong though

SO IN TERMS OF ACTUAL ALIEN FUCKERS INCLUDING AND/OR SPECIFICALLY THE DOCTOR: 2 (Brigadier, Clara)

ALIEN FUCKER POTENTIAL: 2 (Steven, Zoe)

IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HUMANITY: 1 (River Song) (arguably Adric, Jack, Nyssa, Tegan, Leela, Vislor, Bill... a few others)

THEY'D FUCK OTHER ALIENS BUT NOT THE DOCTOR/A TIMELORD: 5 (Polly, Zoe, Liz, Peri, Mel, Bill)

REGULARLY FORGETS THE DOCTOR ISN'T HUMAN: 17 (Ben, Yaz, Graham, Ryan, Rose, Martha, Sarah-Jane, Jo, Amy, Rory, Grace, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Dodo, Victoria, Jamie)

DOESN'T UUUSUALLY FORGET THE DOCTOR ISN'T HUMAN BUT STILL WOULDN'T FUCK THEM: 4 (Liz, Ace, Mickey, Donna)

UNIMPORTANT TO THIS DISCUSSION: 1 (Adam)

HON MENTION: 1 (Jackie Tyler asking if "there's anything else he's got two of")

FORGOT TO INCLUDE: the UNIT people and a handful of single-episode companions oh well

All in All: it's tough to be a timelord huh.

[masterqwertster]

Because it's been rolling around in my head for a while thanks to the Indigo Disk DLC release...

Bells Hells Pokémon Teams!

These are all vibe based, limited to the six Pokémon teams, and everyone gets at least one Legendary and Shiny. Some will be evolutionary lines because I could see them coming into the campaign unevolved.

Chetney

Stoutland- received as a Lillipup when Chet was a kid, this majestic old dog is his oldest companion. I think Stoutland speaks nicely to Chetney having a pretty normal life before he became a werewolf. Aslo, Chet can ride his Stoutland around, which is fun

Phantump- met as Chet trained in the Bramblewood, this spirit of a child in a tree stump/wood fell in love with Chetney's toy carving. Chet loves the joy this Pokémon feels with every project

Snover/Abamasnow- this tree Pokémon was caught during the Icelost years that Chet was present for in Tal'Dorei

Banette- Chetney is worried about his toycraft becoming obsolete, and this Pokémon is an abandoned toy. Also Chet talked about letting his grudges stew before werewolfdom

Lycanroc (Midnight Form, Shiny)- it's a Pokémon with something like the classical wolfman-werewolf shape, so werewolf vibes, baby! Caught after Chet got lycanthropy, shiny because it matches Chet's original color scheme

Zacian- look, it's a wolf that's set to shank a bitch. Tell me that doesn't vibe with Chetney

Orym

Sirfetch'd- Flying-type with a sword and shield, obviously meant for Mr Sword and Shield of the Air Ashari

Honedge/Doublade/Aegislash- Orym's memento of his husband that always travels with him is Will's sword, so the ghost sword(and later sword/shield combo) makes sense for Oym

Comfey- friendly cute flowers for Mr Druidcraft gifts

Pidgey/Pidgeotto/Pidgeot- the normal-est bird for the normal-est guy. Yet capable and more striking the further down the line they get

Appletun (Shiny)- got it in Byroden as a reminder to enjoy life and pie. Also, little guy solidarity. Shiny because green apple for Orym who wears green

Shaymin- more friendly flowers for Orym, and the Sky Form is a little fighter like him

Fearne

Darumaka- Fearne needs a fire monkey to mirror Little Mister and this is the round fire monkey shaped like the Little Mister plush

Braixen/Delphox- fire Pokémon with a bit of a witch aesthetic for the fire girl of the Witchy Bitches

Impidimp- a Fairy-type with a mischievous streak for our mischievous fey

Skiddo/Gogoat- for the goat-ness of being a faun and a little druidic Grass-type

Gloom/Vileplume (Shiny)- for Fearne's love of poisonous flowers. And shiny because it's green and orange, which are Fearne's colors

Moltres- a burning phoenix Pokémon that Fearne worries will take on the Galarian Form that her Bad Future Self had

Imogen

Mudsdale- workhorse for the farmgirl who loves horses

Ponyta (Galarian)- cute unicorn pony with Psychic typing (not Galarian Rapidash because I think it's ugly)

Blitzle/Zebstrika (Shiny)- the Electric-type "horse" (zebras are close, okay?) Pokémon for our storming electrical Horse Girl. And shiny because Zebstrika is purple when shiny

Hattrem/Hatterene- Imogen's witch Pokémon. It's Psychic-type and sensitive to emotions, making it sort of like her mindreading

Elgyem/Beheeyem- Psychic-type and kind of alien-ish and said to mess with people's heads, this Pokémon showed up to Imogen after her Exaltant powers awakened

Spectrier- Legendary horse that comes in Imogen's two colors: purple and red

Laudna

Rattata (Alolan)- to mirror Pâté. Potentially shiny as the deep red and black are Laudna's colors

Mimikyu (Shiny)- a broken doll-like Pokémon for a person who feels like a broken doll. And shiny makes it a pale black and white like Laudna

Mismagius- Laudna's witch Pokémon, and ghostly of course (Also collar gems like Delilah?)

Leavanny- a bit of a crafter Pokémon and protective of kids

Meowth (Galarian)- the Alolan Meowth and Kantonian Persian are the kind of Pokémon I could see noble ladies having, so Laudna decided to catch her own Meowth... and ended up with a scrungly Galarian one. But she loves them anyways

Marshadow- it's shadow theme matches Laudna's Shadow Sorcerery. And Laudna does spend time trying to copy the Ladies of Whitestone...

FCG

Togepi/Togetic/Togekiss- Pokémon that are about bestowing happiness, because that's all FCG wants for their friends. Possibly not enthused by Togekiss being so bird-like, while Togetic is definitely on the edge of comfortable

Happiny/Chansey/Blissey- classic Pokémon Center helper and healers line for the cleric

Porygon/Porygon 2/Porygon-Z- artificial Pokémon for the artificially made person. The bird-ish shape might weird FCG out a bit

Fidough/Dachsbund- obtained after they got their oven installed, this Pokémon helps FCG with his baking endeavors

Iron Thorns- secret Aeorian rage-mode Pokémon since Future Paradox Pokémon look like robots and Tyranitar, which Iron Thorns is based off of, is known for raging around (also reflects Ashton having a Tyranitar a bit)

Magearna- a man-made clockwork Legendary for the Aeormaton

Ashton

Golett/Golurk (Shiny)- a rock person Pokémon for an actual rock person. And they're also powered by mysterious energies. Probably Ashton's original Pokémon. Shiny for green glow lines

Tyranitar- acquired as a Larvitar in Bassuras and a point of pride to have fully evolved given the reputation of such a Pokémon in that city

Tinkaton- also caught in Bassuras as a Tinkatink. It's a Pokémon with a big hammer and the evolutionary line would probably be semi-common in the scrap heaps of Bassuras (Also the Corviknight hunting as a get rid of birds that FCG fears/hates)

Growlithe/Arcanine(Hisuian)- for Ashton's strong loyalties. Possibly acquired after attempting to absorb the Spark of Rau'shan for the Fire/Rock typing, or just had since a kid from Hishari

Cosmog- suddenly appeared after Ashton got galaxy-brained because it's a little galaxy guy from another (higher?) dimension. It's Ashton's innocent baby who doesn't know how to stay in the damn pokéball and not reveal his soft side

Regigigas- this is the big titan Pokémon, hauling continents and shit. Not to mention that the Slow Start ability reflects how Ashton had a titan shard for twenty years before they really got it to do anything spectacular

[emmabirb8]

Megamind and Zim

So, I'm a huge nerd (as you all know). And I've recently gotten a bit back into Invader Zim because my hyperfixations are a neverending cycle of whatever happens to capture my interest.

Well, since my brain likes to make connections between hyperfixations, I decided to start listing out similarities between one of my most precious blorbos - Megamind - and Zim. Just for funsies. :P

And uh, there's A LOT, actually. Which shouldn't surprise me considering they're both Very Dramatic aliens, but either way. I'm gonna post what I've gathered here for my own amusement. 😁

So here's what I got:

Aliens

Landed on Earth

Grew up parentless

Outcasts of society

Robotic servants/minions that were given to them prior to being sent to Earth (yes, Minion is a fish, but he does have a robotic body)

Black heeled boots and black gloves

Viewed as "evil" even tho neither are actually evil (Zim is self-centered, chaotic, and destructive but I wouldn't classify him as evil even if he himself might - his mission to conquer Earth is more to please his Tallest and be validated as a good invader than to actually be evil for the sake of being evil)

Have strong relationships with their rivals/enemies to the point where they give their lives meaning and purpose - both became depressed and unmotivated when those enemies were suddenly not around to fight (due to being "defeated" in Megs' case and pursuing "real science" in Zim's case in the unfinished ep Mopiness of Doom)

Both are frequently shipped with their enemies in fanworks (Metro Man for Megs, Dib for Zim)

Intelligent scientists and inventors but they're also goofy as hell and they create plans that continually fail

Speech idiosyncrasies (pronouncing words incorrectly for Megs, emphasizing certain words and poor volume control for Zim)

Very animated and dramatic/theatrical when speaking

Short (Zim more so than Megs but Megs is still, like, shorter than Roxanne)

Big egos that hide their severe insecurities

Significant amounts of angst to both character's backstories

Cool color skin tones

Bullied in school

Affinity for junk food

Many fans of their respective media are in the lgbtqia+ community - both characters themselves also read as some flavor of queer and fans often HC/interpret them as such

Both come across as some level of neurodivergent

Pretty neat, huh? Well, I took it a step further (bc of course I did) and decided to ALSO find as many similarities as I could between Roxanne Ritchi and Dib Membrane. Being the main human characters, it felt more appropriate than trying to compare Metro Man to Dib, even tho Metro Man largely fills the "enemy" role for Megamind (and bc I am a filthy shipper at heart, fight me*).

Anyway, so Roxanne and Dib:

Human (potentially questionable in Dib's case, but still)

Foils and equals to the alien protagonists

Intelligent

Sneak into alien protagonists' bases to take pictures and figure out "evil" plans to try to stop them

Have been kidnapped by aliens

Know the real truth of the alien protagonists, but their peers don't (Roxanne knows Megamind isn't really evil or dangerous, Dib knows Zim is really an alien - in Megamind's case, the people of Metro City do eventually come around, but not til the end)

Have false narratives about some aspect of their lives widely believed by the general public (most the citizens of Metro City think that Roxanne is dating Metro Man, almost everyone around Dib believes he's just crazy for thinking Zim is an alien)

Have companions who are also privy to the alien protagonists' true natures, but those companions are apathetic (Metro Man and Gaz respectively)

Concerned for the well-being of their fellow humans and cities

Like their aliens, both also come across as some level of neurodivergent (you kinda have to squint to notice it in Roxanne, but it's definitely there)

Alien boyfriends* (if you ship Megarox and ZaDr :P)

So yeah! Just some fun comparisons to ponder.

*Although I don't ship ZaDr within the canon universe of the show itself, I do enjoy it in certain transformative contexts. I'm v aware of the controversial nature of the pairing, so I wanna make that clear. I just like having fun with it.

[silentwillowwhisperer]

*sparkle*

Hi, yep, I'm alive (maybe.)

Here we have cute flower shop Lance and Keith who is very bad at peopleing.

----------------------------------------

Keith slams the door of the nearest shop open and dashes inside. He bends over and grips his knees, panting. His drenched clothes are making a large puddle at his feet.

"Um... Can I help you?"

Keith looks up and surveys his surroundings. There are various plants of all shapes and sizes on every available surface, and brightly colored flowers pierce Keith's vision. His eyes trail all the way to the far end of the room until they meet iridescent blue.

"Are you ok? You look like you've been running from a herd of angry purple alien cats armed with guns."

Keith has to snort at that. It sounds like the plot of a cartoon made for 7-year-olds. (Which is exactly the sort of thing he likes to watch, but can we just let him pretend to be cool?)

The guy has golden brown skin and a splash of freckles across his cheeks. He has a couple inches on Keith and broad shoulders. The corner of his mouth is quirked up into a little smile, and oh my goodness, Keith really hopes that this guy is at least a little bit gay. (That would definitely make his day go from 'horrible freaking disaster' to 'wonderful freaking disaster.)

This is Shiro's fault. It's that dumb, skunk-haired jerk's fault that Keith is standing sopping wet and making eye contact with an unbelievably cute guy in the middle of a flower shop.

Keith had been sleeping peacefully when Shiro called him at 3am (you read that right, Shiro is a monster) to remind him to take medication. Keith could appreciate this gesture when it wasn't the witching hour, but it was and then Keith was awake, and yeah he hid take the medicine, and because insomnia exists, Keith gave up on sleep and decided to go for a very early run.

Keith can't be blamed for forgetting to check the weather forecast, it was early and he couldn't think about anything but coffee.

And that's why Keith decided to walk the 5 miles from his shack in the middle of nowhere to the nearest town to find a Starbucks.

And that's also why he had to run the last 3 miles because the sky opened up and god decided to have a good cry all over Keith and his favorite sweatshirt.

Yep, completely, 100% Shiro's fault.

Wait. Keith has been staring at the flower boy for too long hasn't he? He can tell from the furrow in his perfectly shaped eyebrows that Keith is not following social conduct right now.

"Right. Sorry. Raining. Water. It's wet." Keith is forcing out words and desperately hoping something he says actually makes sense.

The cute guy laughs. (hallelujah!) "Yes, I can see that. Would you like a towel?" All Keith can do is nod stupidly, terrified of saying something else and having Shimmery-Eye-Dude realize that Keith is about to pass out from social anxiety.

He walks up to the cash register to accept the towel being held out to him. As soon as he does, Dreamy Man smirks and leans up against the counter so that his wonderful face is only inches away from Keith's.

Is it safe to assume that Mr. Ocean Eyes is into guys?

Is this a thing that platonic male companions do when greeting each other??

Is Keith being initiated as a 'bro???'

Why is Keith allowed to leave home on his own???? He should never be allowed into a public area without someone to supervise him!

"I-I- um... h-hi?" Oh look, Keith's stutter is here to say hello.

Tall-Mocha-and-Handsome barks out a laugh. (Wow, Keith would really love a cup of coffee right now.) "Hi there. You come here often?"

Wait. Wait! Keith knows this! Shiro explained this to him last week! Flirting! Keith might have a chance after all!

"I- I've never been here inside of this place and if you mean have I been in front of your face before, no I don't think so because your eyes are kind of sparkling very loudly right now and I don't think I would have forgotten that even though I'm face bland and who are you because you might be flirting with me right now and I really hope so because your face is pretty and hi I'm Keith I'm gay."

Keith has to gasp in a breath of air after the word mush that just erupted from his traitorous face hole. Flirty-Person stares at his face in shock as he tries to process the words that have been shoved at him.

After what feels like an eternity, Please-Marry-Keith's mouth returns to its position in a crooked half-smile and his brow furrows slightly. Keith can't tell if this face means confused pity/teasing or endearment.

"O...k then. You're blunt, aren't you?"

Keith has used up his capacity for language-speaking, so all he can do is flush bright red and try to hide his face in the hood of his sweatshirt.

"Welp, I can work with that. Keith, is it? I'm glad you're not homophobic, you we're staring at me so long that I was worried that you were about to start spouting some nonsense about crimes to humanity. I'm Lance, and are you from outer space? Because your body is out of this world!"

Stop. No. There is no way that Lance (yay, finally, a name! Keith was about to start calling him Sokka.) is a dork. Because Keith's weak heart will actually die. Oop, too late, he's already dead. Deceased. He has officially kicked. the. bucket.

He can't help but dissolve in to giggles. He so caught of guard by the pick-up line that he has to brace himself against the counter to keep from collapsing onto the ground. He rests his forehead on the smooth marble surface and desperately tries to stop choking on his laughter.

"Awww, what? That was my best line!" Keith looks up at Lance's face to see him smiling fondly at him. At least he hopes that's what it is. It there still a chance that Lance is fake smiling to hide the fact that he's calling the police?

Keith finds himself smiling back.

(Two days later they have their first date at the park, Lance prepares a giant picnic and Keith has never been more excited.)

(Shiro never lets Keith hear the end of this.)

-------------------------------------------------------

I think that was an acceptable ending. Alright, now no one wake me up until I've had at least 10 hours of sleep or I might cry. (That means you @gavemebluethenpurplepinkskies, are you happy now?)

[almightyhamslice]

GRYLL COMPILATION!!!!

I didn't forget abt them I just wasn't totally sure where to place them since they're meant to be encountered AFTER the story concludes. They're not even the last drawing in my Star Stacker series though! Very close to the end though... just two more drawings left!

Gryll is an alien witch who travels through the cosmos looking for people to stack stars with! They always conjure up the blocks themself, so their 'playmates' don't have the excuse of not having a game board or blocks... and if others don't know the rules of the game, Gryll explains it to them in agonizing detail! Gryll strikes me as being rather long-lived, but also incredibly carefree and not concerned about their own mortality & just living in pursuit of fun! They might be the same species of alien as (or perhaps an offshoot of) Marx's species? The two might've even played a game together once upon a time. Gryll can be irritating when it comes to asking others to play their games, but they do care about fairness-- they NEVER cheat because it removes the fun for them! They already know they're the best player, but they want to prove themself in an honorable way.

Other than their fixation on star stacking, Gryll is also very fond of onions! Their three onion companions are named Sugar, Salt, and Pepper; Sugar has no leaves, Salt has short leaves, and Pepper has long leaves. I think for Gryll, cultivating onions is less like farming plants and more like caring for animals? Like chickens, maybe? Though the onions themselves are smarter than that, so maybe it's more like taking care of parrots or crows? Point is they're really common on Gryll's homeworld and they like to have a few of them following them through space at all times. So they don't get lonely! Though, Gryll does also like the flavor of edible onions.

Overexplanation of my gijinka design under the cut!

Design wise I did kinda base Gryll's appearance off Marx (mostly cuz they both have huge shiny eyes and are from outer space! Though notably, Gryll has invisible/detached arms that are covered by arm warmers, and no external ears (maybe I will remove Marx's ears as well?). I knew I wanted to emphasize that they have detached arms, but very clearly visible legs! Though I also wanted them to have more stripes in their design, so I decided they should go to their arm warmers. Similarly, I thought they could use more red, so I added a little red shawl. My gijinka design has bare legs since I think they're a very striking feature of Gryll's in-game design-- Gryll has actual legs rather than connected shoes or floating shoes, which not a lot of Kirby characters have! Their top is cut on the sides; it's more androgynous that way I think, and it's also a nod to how Gryll was accidentally depicted with actual arms in one of their in-game panels. I interpreted the lines on their face as whiskers/patchy facial hair, again because it feels more androgynous to me! And I think it makes them look cute. I suppose it could just be blush or paint but I like whiskers!! Basically, I totally overthought Gryll's design lol! I think it's because this is their only appearance so I don't rlly have room to redesign them! Unless I feel like it later lol.

anyways heres my funny drafts of Gryll! They used to have striped sleeves but I wasnt satisfied w that rlly.

They remind me of a Rayman character or perhaps Rayman himself? (has only played Rayman 1 and failed miserably at it)

[gs0nk]

Right after I finished Aiden's route in Baldur's Gate 3, I decided to write a small text that will complete his own ending. I included Lorroakan here, cause in my version of timeline, they started to feel close to each other after first met (in which Aiden kicked Lorchie's ass really hard because he's a slavery hater and chain breaker for sure)

I also made a sketch illustration for this moment! Hope you'll enjoy reading this uwu

Lorroakan hated leaving his tower - even the invasion of illithids from the depths of the underground city could not shake his principles, and it was much easier to manage defensive processes while maintaining an unstable flow of magical energy in safety inside than outside in the epicenter of the massacre. Let those who consider themselves defenders of the city do this. However… The thought of one particular person never left my head even when it became clear: victory was on the side of the adventurers who decided to fight back the threat.

And yet, when it was all over, the cries of the defeated, newly converted victims of ceremorphosis died, and the refugees stopped bothering him with attempts to break into his house, the magician decided to go outside. The last words of the half-elf, whom he had seen quite often lately, did not want to leave his head - so often that he managed to get used to them and their “friends”, who had a habit of showing up on the threshold of the tower in their dirty armor, soaked in someone’s blood, brazenly examining every corner of his house for a moment, and even, it seems, stealing a couple of artifacts from him in the process. An unthinkable insolence that he could not tolerate and yet for some reason he forgave everything to his newfound acquaintance.

The magician himself was now thinking about how he would arrogantly reprimand this friend of his for the fact that solely because of him Lorroakan had to bother descending into a literal hell on earth, having the opportunity to contemplate the carnage that had taken place and endure the presence of not only ordinary, still frightened people, but also the stench of an alien city, wounded and practically destroyed.

Without bothering with pleasantries, he asked the aimlessly wandering locals about the heroes who put an end to the Absolute. Some still clutched makeshift weapons in their hands, unable to believe that the danger had retreated from Baldur's Gate, that it was all over. Finally, a couple of “unwashed militiamen” pointed to the pier - where the very same half-elf whom the magician so wanted to find was last seen.

Lorroakan, cursing everything that came into his field of vision, finally reached the right place and went down to the boardwalk of the pier. He did not take his eyes off the lonely silhouette of a young man in the rays of the setting sun, as if worried that he would now disappear like an illusory haze. That did not happen.

However, the magician tried to hide all unnecessary emotions, coming very close to the one he was so zealously looking for. Without wasting time on unnecessary honors to the “savior of the city,” he chuckled disdainfully:

- Are you without companions this time? Where is your noisy group of ragamuffins?

Aiden didn’t turn around at the stranger’s voice, but a smile was visible on theirs tired face. They wiped their own blood from the cut on cheek and shrugged.

- It's all over. Our story came to an end and everyone went their separate ways, and you were late for a tearful send-off. We don’t yet know which road we prefer.

The half-elf pulled a strand of red hair behind his ear and exhaled with a whistle.

- For the first time in many months, there is one less voice obsessed with world domination in my head. This change is surprisingly difficult to get used to, at least for now. And you? Have you come here to balance my loss? You're a so-so manipulator, don't flatter yourself with hopes.

Aiden didn’t see, but they knew perfectly well that the magician was now rolling his eyes and raising his right hand in a mannered gesture, as he always did, expressing his displeasure. Lorroakan crossed his arms and chuckled again.

- Oh, i beg you, how can I compete with your friends on the other side! Lolth, the incubus of Raphael, the Thai ghouls, your fragmented self, maybe there is someone else I don’t know about… But that’s not what I’m here for.

The magician crosses his arms over his chest and looks into the distance, where the sun is slowly sinking into the stormy ocean waters.

- I wanted to generously offer to stay in this terrible damn city, with me. After all your undoubtedly disgusting attempts to sabotage my well-deserved immortality, cripple me several times over that misunderstanding with the aasimar, and deprive me of my clueless student, I want, no, I demand, that you should live in my tower. You can take any vacant servant's position; today many of them chose to posthumously change their occupation.

The half-elf finally turns around and looks at Lorroacan mockingly, tilting their head slightly to the side.

- After becoming the savior of – no less – the entire world, being your servant is a huge step backwards, don’t you think?

Aiden takes a step towards the wizard and rests their forehead on his chest.

- Luckily for you, my services hardly require payment and we have no home to which we could return. And… We managed to get used to you.

- Hell, just don't force me to tell you the same thing!

Lorroakan frowns, but then the magician half-whispers and his voice is devoid of all feigned mannerisms:

- I need you. So I ask you to stay with me.

They will spend this night and all subsequent ones together.

The half-elf's hands rest on mage's shoulders. The wizard allows himself to exhale, hugging Aiden back.

Huddled close to each other, they watch as the unbearably long day recedes under the onslaught of dusk and the sun finally plunges into the depths of the waters.

[the-cult-of-riley]

Sleeping With Ghosts (Act one: Chapter Fourteen)

Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Female OC

[[Masterlist]]

A/N: I’ve decided not to put a song with every single chapter because there’s a fuck tonne of them and it’s getting harder to pick ones lmao I have a few saved for certain chapters, songs I listened to when I wrote them etc but from now on, there won’t be a song with every single one. Mostly because my OCD brain decided to only pick Placebo or NIN songs which is making my life harder lololol That being said, this chapter, ironically, does have a song lmao

Also, it took me an ungodly amount of time to realise how much of myself I put into Charlotte :’)

Placebo - I’ll Be Yours

I'll be your water bathing you clean

The liquid piece

I'll be your ether you'll breathe me in

You won't release

Well I've seen you suffer, I've seen you cry the whole night through

So I'll be your water bathing you clean

Liquid blue

I'll be your father, I'll be your mother

I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

I'll be your liquor bathing your soul

With juice that's pure

And I'll be your anchor you'll never leave

Shores that cure

Well I've seen you suffer, I've seen you cry for days and days

So I'll be your liquor demons will drown

And float away

I'll be your father, I'll be your mother

I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

Yours

The cold autumn breeze blew through the front garden and Simon glanced to his left, eyeing his companion as she wrung her hands nervously, her eyes wide as saucers. She had a look reminiscent of Privates going on their first ever tour, convinced they wouldn't make it back. 

“Just breathe, love,” he murmured and he felt like a right bastard for putting her in this situation. He’d been back a week now and he’d been staying with her most nights but not all, didn't want to annoy her too much. But he’d mentioned how his family wanted to meet her because his mum wouldn't stop fucking nagging him about it and honestly, he wanted them to meet. 

She’d been shocked for some reason he couldn't fathom but she’d been more than happy to agree. He’d decided it was best to split it up, not wanting to overwhelm her with too many people and knowing how Tommy can be. He settled on his mum first who wanted to cook dinner for her. After hearing Charlotte’s favourite food was bolognese, that's what she settled on making and he knew from experience his mum's bolognese was fucking mint. He planned on taking her to a pub to meet Tommy and Beth the next day, somewhere more neutral and a little less over the top so she could handle his baby brother who was a frantic ball of energy on the best of days. 

Right now though, they were outside his mother’s house as Lottie seemed to suddenly realise what was about to happen and she had some sort of existential crisis. He felt bad for putting this on her now seeing how utterly nervous she was. Poor girl was shitting herself.

“It’ll be alright, Lottie,” he murmured, rubbing her back soothingly as she looked up at him with those wide, scared eyes.

“What if she doesn't like me? What if I say something she doesn't like and then she hates me and then you’ll hate me and-” she rambled anxiously and he pressed a hand over her mouth to stop her. 

“Get outta that head of yours, Charlotte. Mum loves you already and she hasn't even met you yet and she's as soft hearted as they come. There's nothin’ you could do to make her hate you. And even if you did somehow, doesn't mean I’d give two shits, does it?” he asked, trying to calm her mind. He really hadn't expected her to get so worked up about it but then again, she had no parents of her own, did she? This whole thing must have been alien to her. 

Her breathing was all over the place and the hand on her mouth moved to settle over her chest, rubbing it gently as if he could stimulate her lungs to function at a normal capacity. She started to take slow and deep breaths and he really looked at her. Despite the panic all over her, she looked beautiful. She’d settled on a sage green polar neck sweater and some black jeans. Her hair was down and wavy, a pretty clip of a raven pinning the side of her hair up and away from her face. 

“I’m sorry,” she frowned once she got her breathing under control and he moved to press a kiss to her forehead. 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s a big step for us. Just take it at your pace. If this is too much, we can go back to yours,” he said softly and he meant it too. Even if he would be disappointed, he wouldn't mind, it’d do no good to push her into something she wasn't ready for. She shook her head vehemently at his words, laying her hand over his on her chest. 

“No! I… I want to be here, it’s just… I get overwhelmed easy, I guess,” her brows were pinched together and he didn't need to be inside of that pretty head of hers to know she was mentally berating herself for feeling this way. Those three little words almost fell from his lips, the urge to tell her, to reassure her burrowing its way into his brain. He ignored the urge though, now wasn't the time to fuck everything up. 

“Just take some breaths and we’ll go in, yeah? I promise she’s nice, you got nothin’ to worry about,” as if on cue, the front door swung open and his mother stood there in a knee length floral dress, her shorter hair styled all nice, showing him she really made an effort for this and it warmed his chest. 

She eyed the couple, her eyes shining with something Simon was unsure of as a smile spread on her face. It was then he realised his hand was still over Charlotte's chest and her hand was over his. It wasn't sexual by any means but it was definitely an intimate moment his mother had stumbled upon. Loving even. Maybe that's why she was giving him that look from the doorway. Charlotte stood there like a deer caught in the headlights as if his mother was a big fucking truck about to slap into her. 

“Charlotte! It's so lovely to meet you!” his mother beamed, stepping out of the door. Charlotte relaxed a little, a shy smile tugging at her lips as Simon put a hand on her lower back and guided her to the door. 

“You too, Mrs Riley,” she replied quietly. 

“Oh, no need for formalities, hun. Just call me Anne,” she smiled and moved to give Charlotte a hug. Simon watched carefully, his heart thumping a little too wildly in his chest for his liking as he started to panic it would be too much for his girl. She hugged his mum back though and when they moved away he noticed her pink tinged cheeks. 

“Our Simon told us you love spaghetti so that's what I’ve made. I don't know if it’ll be as good as you're used to, but my boys love it,” his mum babbled, acting like she hadn't seen another human in months and was so excited to see one. 

She ushered the both of them in the house and Simon guided her to the living room/dining room. The large table was on the far side, already set out with placemats and a basket of fucking garlic bread in the middle. She never usually went this all out but maybe it was a big deal, being his first girlfriend and all. 

“You two sit down, I'm just plating up,” his mum told them as she left the room to go into the kitchen. He glanced at Lottie, seeing her standing rigidly in her spot like she was made of stone. 

“Wanna see a picture?” he asked, desperate to take her mind somewhere else so she’d finally relax. She turned her eyes to him then, nodding as she chewed her lower lip restlessly. 

He led her over to the fireplace despite his mum’s previous insistence of sitting down, led her right to a framed picture on it. He grabbed it, a wistful smile on his face as he held it between them so she could peer at it. It was of him about 13 years old, holding Tommy upside down by his ankles, the pair with matching grins. He didn't often get to smile in his childhood but on the rare occasions his dad fucked off on a long bender, it happened. 

He didn't have many pictures of being a baby or a child because of how rough everything was and it was something his mum had expressed regret over time and time again. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her as her eyes scanned the photo and her lips tugged up in amusement. He was relieved to see she was capable of calming down after all.

“You’ve always been a little shit, then,” she stated wryly and he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to him as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 

Movement out of the corner of his eye tore his eyes off her to the doorway, seeing his mum standing there with two plates in her hand. He wasn't sure how long she’d been standing there but she had this soft look in her eyes as she observed the pair of them, a warm and tender smile gracing her face as her eyes met his. His chest felt a little tight and he quickly looked away, dropping the arm from around Lottie as he suddenly became self conscious of having an audience. 

His mum cleared her throat, breezing into the room as if she hadn't been peeping at them like their relationship was the next best soap opera. Simon guided her to the table and they sat side by side, his mother coming back with her own plate and sitting opposite them. 

“Well, Charlotte, tell me about yourself. Simon’s been so embarrassed, I feel like I don’t know much,” his mum started with a smile and Simon’s eyes could have fallen from their sockets.

“Mum!” he chided, a stupefied look on his face as he shook his head. 

“What?! I don't mean embarrassed of the relationship but you’ve been so hush hush. God knows it's your first relationship, Simon, it's okay to be feeling out of sorts,” she huffed and Simon wanted a hole to open up from the ground and swallow him whole. He was glad he’d told her about not having a girlfriend beforehand or this would have been a fucking uncomfortable dinner.

“She’s here for dinner, not a fuckin’ interrogation,” he bit out and his mum narrowed her eyes at him in exasperation. He didn't mean to be a dick but Charlotte had already been panicking, he didn't want to make it worse with his mother’s prying. Didn't need the girl getting spooked and running off.

“It’s okay,” Charlotte spoke up softly, looking at him pleadingly. The look very much said ‘please stop’ and he knew he was the one making it worse right now. He blew out a breath, giving his mum a firm look before he looked back at Lottie and his eyes softened immensely.

“I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable, love,” he murmured apologetically. She gave him a little smile and he felt her nudge her leg into his under the table. A small gesture that let him know she appreciated him looking out for her. 

“I’m not trying to make her uncomfortable, Simon. I just… I’m excited to get to know her,” his mother added, only making his guilt get worse. There were a fair few times in his life where he’d snap at his mother and feel like an utter twat afterwards over it. 

“I know, mum… I know. Sorry, I’m just…” he frowned, feeling like he’d ruined the dinner before any of them had even eaten anything. His mother reached out, a smaller hand settling over his own and he glanced at her, seeing her soft and affectionate look aimed at him. 

“You're protective, it's sweet,” she murmured and he felt heat creep up his face. He figured it was best to just eat his fucking food now and keep out of it before he dug himself a hole and buried himself in it.

They all ate, Charlotte telling him mum bits and pieces about herself and answering questions as they did. He felt himself slowly start to unwind, muscles uncoiling with each passing moment. His mum got a little less overbearing and Lottie got a little more relaxed the more she spoke. By the time dinner was done, the pair of women were smiling and chatting away while Simon sat at the table watching, a warmth starting in his chest and spreading through his entire body. It was nice, seeing them getting along like this. 

“I’ll go sort the dishes out, mum,” he said when there was a slight lull in conversation, not wanting to interrupt. 

“Alright, pet,” she smiled at him and he piled the plates up on top of one another. He stood up, leaning down and placing a kiss to Charlotte’s head without a thought. 

He disappeared into the kitchen, washing the dishes in the sink as he felt pleased it had gone well. He was glad Tommy and Beth weren’t here though, he was sure Lottie would have had a fucking aneurysm if they had been. He was still nervous for that exchange, but one at a time. He hadn't really known just how much it meant to him, having Charlotte and his mum get along like this, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he felt weightless. He was so lost in thought when he was drying and putting away the dishes that he jumped when the kitchen door opened. His mother walked in, a smile on her face.

“I really love her, Simon. It's easy to see why you do,” she breathed, batting him out of the way and taking over with putting the plates away. 

“Mum,” he sighed, giving her a sharp look before he glanced to the door worriedly. 

“She can’t hear us from here. And you should tell her anyway, you two are head over heels for each other,” she tutted. He knew she cared about him, he wasn't stupid, but his treacherous brain had a hard time believing she actually loved him. Not the way he did her. 

“Thanks for dinner, mum,” he murmured sincerely and her face softened at his tone. If anyone could read him, it was his mother. 

“Don’t mention it, just make sure you bring her around again,” she pointed an accusing finger at him and he raised his hands up in mock surrender.

“I will,” he answered and she nodded, looking pleased with herself. 

“When is Tommy meeting her?” she asked curiously, turning to face him. 

“Tomorrow. Gonna meet him and Beth at the pub in town we usually go to,” he explained. 

“Just make sure you warn her beforehand, you know how Tommy gets,” she snorted fondly and he chuckled.

“‘Course I do,” amusement coloured his tone as he thought of his baby brother. He was pretty sure he never really grew up with the amount of energy he still had, it was insane. 

“I’ll let you two get back then, you’ll both need rest for tomorrow and I think she’s probably had enough stress for one day,” the tea towel got chucked on the counter with her words and he nodded.

“You just want us to fuck off,” he replied cheekily and she gave him a dirty look.

“Mind your language, you cheeky shit,” she squinted and his lips quirked up before he left the room, his mum hot on his heels. Charlotte was sitting at the now empty table and he felt a little bad about leaving her on her own, despite knowing she probably appreciated a moment to herself.

“Right, love. You ready?” he asked her and she nodded, standing up and swiping at invisible crumbs on her jumper. He hadn't been sure how long they'd stay for but he was pretty sure his mother wanted rid of them because her soaps were about to start and she never missed an episode. 

“Thanks for dinner, Mrs- Anne,” she corrected herself quickly, cheeks slightly pink as he guided her to the front door and opened it. 

“No need to thank me and you’re welcome here anytime, you both are,” his mum’s words were punctuated by a pointed look at him and he knew she wanted to see more of him, of them both. 

She leaned in to give Charlotte a hug, murmuring about how she couldn't wait to see her again and Charlotte nodded. Poor girl was flustered when she pulled away, he was sure she wasn't used to people paying her such attention. His mum moved over to him then, wrapping her arms around his middle and giving him a squeeze. He hugged her back and tried to ignore the pinching in his chest that always seemed to accompany him when he visited her. 

“I love you, Simon,” she murmured quietly and the pinching got worse.

“Love you too, mum. Be by again soon, yeah?” His voice was low and soft and she moved away with a smile and an eager nod. 

“I look forward to it. You both stay safe on the way home.'' With those parting words, Simon grasped Charlotte’s hand and led her down the path and out of the front garden. 

She was quiet as they walked to the bus stop and he kept stealing glances at her. 

“Alright, love?” he asked hesitantly as they sat waiting for the bus. He still had that worry that it had been too much for her, that despite her smiles when she was there, that she’d hated it.

“I’m okay. Today’s just been… a lot. It was good though, we got along. She likes me… I think,” her frantic eyes turned to him then, wide and pleading and he smiled, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it. 

“She loved you, sweetheart. No need to worry,” he replied easily and it seemed to settle her right away. A relieved smile painted her face and her tension seemed to melt. 

“You want a bath when you get in?” he asked her as he toyed with her fingers.

“You just want to get me naked,” she snorted impishly and he rolled his eyes playfully.

“Never gonna turn down an opportunity to get you naked, sweetheart, but I’m more concerned with makin’ sure you're not stressed out,” he murmured and her impish smile turned into something more sweet, those pretty blue eyes sparkling at him.

“I’m fine but I wouldn't say no to a bath,” she replied, blinking her long lashes up at him. He couldn't tear his eyes away, his heart turning to nothing but mush inside of his chest the longer he looked. She was like the opposite of Medusa, instead of turning him to stone, she was turning him into nothing but jelly. 

Simon was happy, very fucking happy. In his current situation, he realised he’d been right to have Lottie meet his mum first, breaking the ice in meeting his family so to speak. She’d been nervous as they headed out to the pub, of course she had, but it hadn’t been as bad as when they’d gone to dinner at his dear old mum’s house. He wondered if part of it had been wanting to win his mum over more than Tommy. He’d told her a lot more about his brother and his antics and how he got on with everyone, so maybe it was less daunting than trying to win over his mum. He’d heard stories of nightmare mother in laws before who were weird with their sons and shit, maybe Charlotte had thought his mum would get possessive or something. Not that his mum was her mother in law, they weren't close to being married and the idea of popping that question to her was dizzying when he couldn't even get the balls to tell her he loved her. 

Right now though, he, Lottie, Tommy and Beth were all sitting around a table in the pub, and right now, he felt like he was looking at a different person to the girl from the day before. Surprisingly, Tommy had behaved himself although there were a few embarrassing stories he just had to get in there but he’d kick the shit out of him later. But other than that, he hadn't been over the top and Simon was grateful, he knew his brother was reigning in it for a reason. 

Lottie had really taken to Beth, maybe it was a girl thing or something or maybe she missed having that dynamic since her last best mate had fucked her boyfriend. Either way, the girls hadn’t stopped talking since they got here to the point that Tommy kept whining about how Beth was hogging Charlotte, the boy practically pouting. Things had been going smoothly, so smoothly in fact that he was pretty sure he jinxed himself while he sat there happy with the outcome. 

The switch in her had been so minute that Tommy and Beth hadn't even clocked onto it, but he had. Of course he fucking had, there wasn’t a damn thing he wouldn’t notice about her. He couldn't quite place what set off his radar because she still continued to converse with Beth, still laughed at Tommy’s shitty jokes and still smiled, but maybe that was it. Her smile suddenly didn't reach her eyes, those blue eyes that had been just a moment ago vibrant and alive now dulled. 

It made him anxious, worried about what had bothered her, wondered if his brother or Beth had said something that had somehow upset her. He couldn’t look away from her, his brain obsessing over where the fuck it had gone wrong. He didn't like it at all, didn't like her feeling uncomfortable or upset, didn't like not knowing the cause. He was half a moment away from telling Tommy and Beth they were going home and dragging her back to hers to get it out of her when she stood up, excusing herself to the bathroom. 

Anxiety was eating him up from the inside out and his baby brother was none the wiser as he rubbed Beth’s now large belly and spoke in hushed tones to her. He drummed his fingers restlessly on the table before he got up too, not even bothering to say anything as he went to the back of the pub where the toilets were. He couldn't sit there and just allow this to happen, not if something was bothering her. He needed to find out what was going on and how the fuck he could fix it.

Charlotte blinked at her reflection for a moment, taking a long and steadying breath as she tried to get her head together. She hated her own mind sometimes, hated how it was ruining what had been a good night. It had been far less scary to meet Tommy and Beth and with how nice Anne had been, she hadn't been as nervous about it. She liked Tommy, had enjoyed witnessing him and Simon banter and try to upstage each other with terrible jokes and Beth had been lovely. She’d really gotten along with Beth and she hoped Beth liked her too, it was nice having a friend again. So why was her own mind trying to put a downer on the whole thing? 

She took another deep inhale, telling herself to get it together. She didn't want to be that person, the wet blanket that always ruined the mood or a decent time. It was hardly a good impression if that was the case and Simon would soon tire of her and her overactive mind. She exited the bathroom to come face to face with the man in question and her heart faltered. He was leaning on the wall opposite the door, thick arms crossed over his broad chest. She tried to give him a smile as she walked the little distance between them.

“You alright?” He asked carefully. She should have known he'd pick up on her mood shift, he was crazy perceptive of everything. 

“I'm fine,” she tried, getting narrowed eyes for her trouble that told her he wasn't buying it. He shifted on his feet, suddenly looking unsure of himself.

“If it's .. if this is too much then… then we can go back-” he started fumbling with an anxious frown, unable to meet her eyes. Her chest ached at the idea of him thinking he or his family had caused her upset. It may have triggered it but it was her own past haunting her. 

“No! It's not…I-” she cut him off, mouth floundering as she tried to find the words. He relaxed but only minutely, dark eyes glued to her as if he was trying to see through her skull and into her brain. Trying to figure out just what was going on with her. 

“It's stupid,” she sighed, feeling a twinge of heat bloom on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed for feeling the way she did, it was so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

“Let's get some air, yeah?” He asked, his tone telling her it was more of a command than a suggestion. 

Before she could answer, he took her hand, leading her through the pub. He quickly passed by the table, letting Tommy and Beth know he wanted to go for a smoke before gently tugging her along outside. She’d found out in her time with him that he didn't smoke too often, he’d referred to himself as a social smoker. The air was crisp but not too cold and he moved them to sit on the wall surrounding the pub. 

They sat side by side and she sat in silence as he smoked. She knew he was waiting for her to start talking but she wasn't sure how to bring it up without sounding like a whiny baby. His family had been nothing but kind to her and she knew she was being ridiculous. He gave her the space she needed until he was done with his smoke, stubbing it out and tossing it in the bin not too far from them. Decidingly having enough of her silence, he finally spoke up.

“Talk to me, Lottie,” he pleaded, taking her hand and pulling it to his lap. 

“I told you, it's stupid,” she frowned softly, eyes glued to his fingers of his other hand that were slowly gliding up her forearm. They were tracing soothing patterns on her skin. 

“It's not stupid. You're upset and I wanna know why,” he said firmly and she nibbled her lower lip for a moment. She blew out a breath, eyes still watching his fingers as she swallowed thickly. 

“It's just… I've had a nice time and I started to realise that I don’t… I don’t have anyone to introduce you to and it's just… depressing. I met someone amazing and I’m excited about it and I don't have a single person to tell,” she lamented. 

In the past, she’d at least had Jessica to talk to about things like this, about anything she was excited about, but now she had no one. She had Simon but she couldn't exactly talk to him about himself, could she? It had just made her realise how isolated she was, how miserable and lonely her life was. 

“Charlotte…” he murmured sadly and she shook her head, blinking rapidly before the tears could start. She was already embarrassing herself enough, she wasn't about to cry in front of him.

“No, it's fine. I know that it's stupid, I guess it just hit me how alone I am,” she rambled.

“I wish that I could go back and change your past, change it so you don't feel so alone… But you've got me now. You never have to be alone again, I promise you that,” he insisted and she gave him a watery smile that didn't meet her eyes.

“You can't promise me that, Simon. You're in the army, anything could happen to you,” she uttered darkly, causing a deafening silence between them as his fingers stilled on her skin.

“You worry about that?” He asked in a low voice, sounding like he'd never considered it. It was her own fault really. She'd never voiced those very real fears she had, never made it known that him being in the military bothered her. It wasn't like she wanted him to get out or anything but it was something that always lingered in the periphery of her mind.

“Of course I do. Thought about it all the time when you were gone,” she admitted with a frown, unable to look at him. Those six months had been hell for her and knowing it would come again soon enough made her feel sick.

“Why didn't you say anything?” He asked, voice guarded and it made her frown deepen.

“What was I supposed to say? We both know the risks of you being there, it's just part of the package. Doesn't mean I don't worry about you though,” she huffed and he sighed, moving to put his arm around her.

“Don't need to worry about me, love. As long as I've got you to come home to, nothin’ll stop me,” he said sweetly, and while she knew it was a ridiculous statement and something so far out of his control, it still made her smile up at him that he was trying.

“I'll hold you to that,” she murmured, making him smile as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her lips.

“You and Beth seemed to get on well… maybe you two could become friends. Maybe that might help,” he uttered, nuzzling her temple softly and she nodded. 

“I hope so, she’s really nice,” she replied, leaning into him more. “I’m sorry if I ruined the night for you,” she frowned, anxiety prickling at her. 

“Didn't ruin anythin’, yeah? Wish you didn't feel the way you do but it's also understandable. You can always talk to me though, Lottie. Don’t want you keepin’ shit like this from me. I need to know when my girl’s sad so I can try and make it better,” he insisted and she felt a smile pulling at her lips at his words. His girl. It made her feel all soft and mushy on the inside. 

“I know, I’m sorry. This whole thing is different to what I’m used to,” she confessed and she knew that he’d know exactly what she was getting at. Talking about her feelings in her last relationship hadn't happened because her feelings hadn't mattered.

“Well, you need to get used to it. You're important to me and I need to know you're alright,” he kissed her head again as if it would kiss some sense into her and she smiled to herself. She still couldn't quite fathom how she landed a man like Simon. 

They sat like that for a moment longer as she allowed her sadness to ebb away, replaced by Simon’s tenderness. Maybe she was a little isolated right now but she had Simon and some potential friends in Tommy and Beth, some potential family in Anne. Maybe soon she wouldn't feel so alone, maybe by the time of his next deployment she would have people in her life to make it a little less lonely. 

“Ready to go back in?” He asked after a while and she nodded. She was glad to get some things off her chest and now she just wanted to enjoy herself a little longer. Maybe she and Beth could meet up sometimes, become friends like Simon said. 

When they stood up, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. She felt him smile into the kiss as he grabbed her face and deepened the kiss. When he pulled away, he looked so happy, his dark eyes radiant and it made her stomach flutter.

“Thank you,” she murmured with a soft smile, hoping her eyes could convey what her words couldn't, not yet. His face softened even more, looking at her with that expression that always made her melt. 

“No need to thank me, love,” he replied, giving her a tender smile before he led her back into the pub. She still had a long way to go with all her issues and insecurities but she was glad she had Simon by her side to help her through it. 

[wolfram-everhearth]

BG3 Act 1 - The First Day

Figured I'd put some of my playthrough notes / headcannons / GaleFram / basically sitcom scripts out here for anyone interested. I also added several screenshots because the game is pretty.

See this post for the Pre-BG3 Tav backstory. (Minus 10 years in the Feywilds & 5 in Baldur's Gate which Wolfram tells the companions about as the game progresses. Please look forward to it! 😂)

Here's the Carrd (Better Organized)

This includes story stuff so don't read if you haven't played the game yet!

The Nautiloid

After ten years of serving his patron in the Feywild, Wolfram returned to the mortal realm. He gave up his powers after an argument with the archfey for deceiving him. He's been living in Baldur's Gate for the past five years. One day he wakes up aboard the Mindflayer ship with no recollection of how he got there.

Wolfram is trapped in the pod and calls out to his former patron in desperation. He apologizes for how he spoke to her at the end and says that her deception was his own fault for not being clever enough to ask more specific questions when creating the pact. He says he realized she was just trying to protect him a while ago but had let his pride get in the way of making amends.

The archfey tells him she'd never severed their connection because she knew he'd calm down eventually - she merely cut off the flow of power. She's glad he's come to his senses in time. Of course, she will help him escape but would like his aid with something as well.

Fey are being captured, tortured, and killed. Somewhere nearby. She wants him to find the cause and stop it. His patron will honor the initial pact and in exchange for her power, he will defend nature and fey kind from any threats. The 10-year term had been met so now he has more autonomy but she may have the occasional specific request. The worm has done something to him and it will take a bit of time for her to bestow all of his old powers to him. He accepts and thanks her. As the power surges into him she says she'll check on him when she can.

He blasts himself out of the pod, unable to stifle a giggle as he realizes how much he has missed his warlock abilities. He finds a longsword on the floor - which he uses to pry open the few remaining pods. Unfortunately, he doesn't find any survivors.

Wolfram goes into the next room and explores a bit, hoping to get his bearings on the alien ship. He curiously pokes at the creepy talking brain and then cringes, stabbing it repeatedly. 😂

He meets Lae'zel and thinks she’s abrasive, but chalks it up to being from a very closed culture. He lets the rudeness slide, happy to have help in the escape from someone who seems to understand these ships.

He insists on rescuing Shadowheart despite the Gith’s protests. He easily opens the pod with magic. She’s grateful and he introduces himself, saying he was happy to help, while giving Lae’zel a pointed look. Shadowheart gets something out of the pod but he puts off his curiosity about the artifact for later.

They continue on to the helm and escape the ship. He wakes up on the beach the next day and quickly finds Shadowheart. They decide to search the area for a healer.

Introductions and Meet-cute

He and Shadowheart sneak up on the intellect devourers and push them into the fire of the wreckage. Wolfram cheers as the brains shrivel up in the flames and Shadowheart quirks a brow at this oddly cheerful man - fighting an amused smile.

They come across a very pale elf shouting for help. Wolfram offers to aid Astarion. He sees the boar but is too slow and the rogue gets a blade on him. The warlock calmly motions to Shadowheart to not attack and talks Astarion down, saying he won't hold it against him. They're all a bit anxious after the ordeal. Wolfram notices the teeth marks and red eyes but he has read books on vampires and even met a few so he second-guesses his instinct since Astarion is in the sun.

They come across some swirling energy against a rock. Wolfram hears someone shouting for help from inside. He focuses on stabilizing the arcane energy and then pulls a man out of the portal, falling backward onto the ground. Gale falls on top of him. They look each other in the eyes. The warlock smiles “Hello there, handsome.” The wizard is a bit flustered “My apologies!” Wolfram points at Astarion and smirks “It’s alright. The last guy pulled a knife on me.” Gale looks around to see the others. Shadowheart standing with arms crossed and brow furrowed, holding in a chuckle. Astarion gestures to the mages on the ground “Well darling, if I’d known *this* was an option…” Wolfram laughs. Gale gets to his feet, muttering while dusting himself off “That was certainly not the softest of landings…” The warlock chuckles “I beg your pardon. Alas, all of my cushioning is gone after years of pulling random wizards from boulders.”

Gale laughs then extends a hand “Hello, I’m Gale of Waterdeep. Apologies, I’m usually better at this.” Wolfram snorts and shakes his hand “Better at introductions? I should hope so.” Gale chuckles “At magic…do I know you?” Wolf shrugs “I’m Wolfram of Sen - uh - of Baldur’s Gate? I’m quite certain we haven’t met before. I’d remember you.” Gale ponders “OH! I know! You were on the nautiloid as well!” The warlock eyes the stone “Nevermind the Nautiloid - how’d you end up in that blasted thing?” Gale starts explaining animatedly as if trying to entertain them. The rest of the party’s eyes glaze over but Wolfram just listens with an amused smile. “I don’t know what transpired exactly, but the ship broke into pieces and I suddenly found myself in freefall. As I was plummeting to certain death, I spied a glimmer quite near where I estimated my body to impact with less-than-savory propulsion. Recognizing this glimmer to be magical in nature, I reached out to it with a Weaving of words and found myself on the other side as it were.” Wolfram smirks “Ah, so in other words - a spell gone wrong. I’m glad we found you when we did.” He gestures to Shadowheart “Shadowheart and I escaped the Nautilid together and woke up on the beach. Not sure how we survived to be honest. There was another with us but we lost her after the crash.” He gestures to Astarion “And he -” Astarion scoffs “Oh you can leave me out of the introductions.” Wolfram smiles sweetly and points down the road. “Well then make yourself useful and go see if those goblins have anything good.” Astarion rolls his eyes but begins looting the corpses as the others walk slowly in the other direction.

He and Gale talk about the tadpoles and what may be done about them. When asking about a cleric ("uncannily adroit with a knitting needle?") Wolfram smugly states “Well, I am quite good with a needle, but otherwise I’m more adept at hurting than healing.” He points to Shadowheart “This lass is our best bet. She's a very talented cleric.” Shadowheart unamused “Lass? I’d warrant I have a few years on you full humans… and this is beyond most healers' expertise.” Wolfram winces “Just my way of speaking from living in - Aye, I’ll try to correct it.” He nods respectfully.

Gale smiles hopefully “So Wolfram, as you seem to be the leader of this party - How about we lend each other a helping hand once more and look for a healer together?” The warlock nods “Oh… I suppose I am? We’d be happy to have you join us.” Shadowheart shrugs “The more the merrier to deal with these little monsters in our heads.” Astarion groans audibly while catching up to them with a pack of new weapons. Gale smiles “Most excellent! A parasite shared is a parasite halved… Or something to that effect.” Wolfram snorts “That’s one way to look at it.” Gale stops walking and faces him “Oh! But before you think you’re about to embark on a journey with most ill-mannered a man: thank you for pulling me out of that stone. It was an act of foresighted kindness I assure you, for I have the feeling ample opportunities will present themselves for me to return the favor.” Wolfram winks “Oh I certainly hope so.” Gale confused. "I assure you I am most practiced in the arcane arts and pledge to make myself useful in combat." The warlock gives an awkward thumbs up and giggles then starts walking along the path. He mutters to himself to get it together, damned fey magics.

They continue on. Shadowheart listens quietly as Wolfram and Gale talk. Astarion follows at a distance, sticking to the shadows. Gale asks “You’re not versed in magic, are you?” The warlock looks uneasy “...Why do you ask?” Gale eyes the large sword on his back “Oh, I *do* apologize. I meant to ask: are you *studied* in magic? Which you are not." Wolfram smirks and nods “Indeed, I am not studied.” Gale continues "If you meet any elder wizards, let me know. There is a matter I’d like to seek advice on from a master.” Wolfram eyes him wearily “Well… I’m not close with any wizards exactly - but I am friends with a few powerful magic users. Those that live in this realm are in Baldur’s Gate though… which I have a feeling is quite the journey from here. Wherever here is.” Gale is confused but intrigued “In *this realm*?” The warlock smiles awkwardly and starts ranting about how pretty the trees are.

They find Lae’zel in a cage with two Tieflings arguing over what to do with her. Wolfram convinces the Tieflings he'll take care of Lae'zel and they should get to safety. After they leave he teasingly tells her to ask nicely to get her down. She responds with violence and he rolls his eyes and shoots her down. Shadowheart is upset and says they can't trust her. Gale says he's not met any Gith and would be happy to learn more about them. Astarion says this is all very dull but at the very least he must mention that she shouldn't be seen around these parts for a while because the next time she won't be so lucky. Lae’zel says she could defeat any of these ‘teeth-lings’ in combat. Wolfram says it's a shame she wants to explore with them because she's clearly the only one experienced enough to find an easily defensible campsite in case the Tieflings return. The others are impressed he was able to convince her to go find a patch of dirt to guard.

They take a short break. Wolfram goes off into the forest for a bit then returns, saying there is a place up ahead worth checking out.

The Ruins

They continue on to some ruins. Wolfram convinces the bandits at the entrance to leave. Gale Is impressed again "You certainly have a way with words." The warlock winks "I have been told I've got a good tongue." Gale scoffs “I believe the term is ‘silver tongue’” Wolfram shrugs “Yeah, that too.” Astarion amused, mutters "Someone thinks highly of themselves." Shadowheart chuckles "Wolfram, your charms will serve us well, but please let us focus on the task at hand." Wolf nods to Shadowheart. "Aye, sorry. I’m a bit out of sorts still. Anyroad, words won't be enough once we're in here. My friend just said there are about 10 more of them in the ruins. We'll likely need to fight. Shadowheart frowns in confusion "Your friend?" Wolfram beams "Felicia. I sense that she's very trustworthy." He points to the boar who has been following them from a distance since the cliffs "Alright my dear, thank you for showing me. As you make your way back to your family please do stay clear of that wreckage." Gale eyes him with an amused grin. Felicia grunts and runs off before Astarion can shoot her. Wolfram glares “Oy! Don’t kill her! She just helped us.” Astarion pouts. Shadowheart asks "Oh? Are they a druid?" The warlock chuckles. "No, just a normal boar. I make a habit of talking to everyone I come across. You never know who has good information. Now - let's see if I can talk our way in here.”

After Wolfram works his charms, the bandit guard opens the door to the unexpected guests. Gale manages to put the guard to sleep as he starts to shout for his friends. Wolfram gives an approving nod to the wizard, impressed. They position themselves in the shadows. Shadowheart and Astarion stand close to the next door. Gale stands back and Wolfram follows him. He eyes him with confusion "Surely this is too far back. Or do you plan to throw your sword?" Wolfram laughs "Ah, that's a bit of a last resort." He pauses then says, hesitantly. "I'm a warlock." Gale frowns in disappointment "Oh..." He recovers quickly and smiles "Well that's alright I suppose. You did get us in here. I don't mind doing the brunt of the spell work." Wolfram mocks gratitude "Oh well thank you so much! It's nice to have a proper magic user around." His hands crackle red with energy then he winks and hits the door with a powerful Eldritch blast, knocking it off the hinges and crushing two bandits under it.

After the bandits are defeated (and looted) they make their way to the dank crypt. Shadowheart notices the statue and says it's amusing that Jergal is here. Gale is curious about what information the scribes had that was worth killing over. As they're looting Astarion finds a book and unlocks it then sees the cover "Dead Gods? Sounds awfully boring." He sets it aside. Wolfram picks it up and thumbs through it, curious why some names are scratched out. He hands it to Gale who says maybe the book is why the scribes were killed. Whoever scratched out the names was clearly trying to hide something. Wolfram agrees. They look around the statue. Wolf notices a button and Astarion argues with him over who should get to push it. Gale inspects the device and the wall it's on and concludes that it likely opens a hidden door. Shadowheart says a secret room is likely trapped. Wolfram draws his blade and stands in front of the door while Astarion presses the button. The dead scribes rise and start towards them.

After defeating the undead they go into the room and meet Withers. They’re all a bit surprised with the talking skeleton, but it’s not the strangest thing that’s happened to them recently so they roll with it. Withers asks Wolfram what the value of one mortal life is. The warlock takes a moment to think as the others debate among themselves. Astarion scoffs and says the only life he cares about is his own. Anyone who says otherwise is an idealistic fool. Shadowheart says a life's worth should be measured in their devotion. What they're willing to do to remove the suffering of others. Gale says every life is precious in its own way. Full of potential…for good or ill - hopefully good.

Wolfram listens to them, smiling at Gale’s answer. He turns back to Withers and says, hesitantly "I suppose that depends on the person. Everyone approaches their life goals differently and therefore have a unique effect on the world around them. Ideally, the intentions behind their actions are judged along with the result. I’m certainly counting on that." Withers is satisfied with the answer and then cryptically says he'll see them again at the appropriate time and place.

They leave the tomb a bit confused… but they find an amulet that lets them speak to the dead so that's cool.

They return to Lae'zel at camp (She set it up in an open area near a stream). Wolfram thanks her for picking such an easily defensible position. He knew he could count on her. She scoffs and says she needs no thanks - but hopes they found some food.

As Wolfram is stacking wood for a fire Withers shows up and says he'll be there at camp to aid them. They're all a bit weary but he seems powerful so better to have him as an ally.

The First Night at Camp

Party Banter

Shadowheart: I'm a tad surprised you change into more comfortable garb at camp, Lae'zel. You strike me as the 'sleeps in her armor' type.

Lae'zel: It would cause too much noise during my nighttime…exertions. I do not wish to alert foes of our location.

Shadowheart: Nightime exertions… oh! I see. Well, considerate of you I suppose.

Wolfram: Who were you planning to uh… exert with?

Lae'zel: Whoever I wish, Wolf-rum.

Astarion: (giggles) I think you'll find a bit more effort is required to secure a partner around these parts…only a bit.

Gale: I'm surprised you're allowed to choose a partner outside your own people.

Lae'zel: We are to use and misuse every civilization in the stars in every way we know. I do not conquer by blade alone, Gale.

Gale: I can't imagine mother Gith would approve. Doesn't she prefer us lesser species enslaved? Or eviscerated?

Lae'zel: T’chk! And with that comment - this topic no longer concerns you.

Wolfram: (chuckles) What a shame, Gale. I hope you're not too heartbroken.

Lae'zel: What is this talk of breaking hearts? The wizard is still useful - I merely do not wish to lay with him. There is no cause to fear for his life.

Gale: Ah, well that's quite kind of you! Thank you for your mercy…on both counts.

The group is eating some fruit and dried meats they’d stolen from the bandits. (Astarion is just pretending to eat.) Lae’zel is sharpening her sword while chewing. Shadowheart asks Wolfram what he’d been doing before all this. He throws an apple core into the forest and then answers “I was a cook in Baldur’s Gate. Had my own place. Just a little 10-seater but I got by. A nice simple life. I'm eager to get back to it.” Gale laughs. Wolfram looks at him with a confused expression. Gale is surprised ‘Oh! You were serious? You don't seem the type.” Shadowheart frowns “After seeing you fight I must admit that’s a shock to me as well.” He shrugs “I’m full of surprises.” 

Shadowheart nods "Well it's quite the coincidence. I need to return there as well." Astarion looks at them with interest but says nothing. Wolfram asks Shadowheart if she has business there or is a resident. She says it's a bit of both but would rather say no more. It's a…sensitive matter. Gale nods then picks a scroll out of his pack and starts reading. The warlock holds up his hands saying he’s not the type to pry. 

Wolfram smiles "Perhaps once we have a cure we could travel there together?” Shadowheart nods "I don't see why not, Wolfram. You've proven yourself to be very helpful so far." He chuckles "Well, I'll take that as a compliment." She smirks "Perhaps it was." Lae'zel scoffs "You Fae-run denizens and your subtle courtship rituals. It's unnecessarily complicated." Wolfram and Shadowheart object at the same time. Shadowheart scolds "People can simply be friendly. Though I doubt you know the meaning of the word." The warlock scoffs smugly "I assure you I'm anything but subtle in my 'courtship'." Astarion giggles "I'll say, Wolfram. Your flirtations are completely artless. It's embarrassing really." The elf glances at Gale who is still intensely focused on reading a Ray of Sickness scroll they found. Wolf follows Astarion's eyes to Gale then shrugs "We’re in mortal peril, so why bother being subtle?"

Wolfram smiles awkwardly at Gale "How about you, handsome? What will you do after all of this is over." Gale keeps reading. Shadowheart and Astarion chuckle. Lae'zel scoffs and goes back to sharpening her blade. Wolf nudges Gale, who looks genuinely surprised as he sets down the scroll "Yes? Apologies, it's been some time since I learned that one. Quite an engaging read. I was miles away. How can I help you?" Wolfram smirks "I was asking what you plan to do once we've been healed." Gale's face falls briefly "Oh…" but a smile quickly returns "Well Wolfram, I suppose in a perfect world I'd return to Waterdeep. Back to my tower - surrounded by old tomes and having collected new tales to entertain my assistant." The warlock senses Gale is hiding something, but smiles "That sounds nice."

In time the sun sets and they all go to their tents. Wolfram goes to talk to Astarion. The elf complains about having to rough it outdoors. Wolf tries to reassure him and says it’s not so bad. Astarion frowns “It sounds like he’s done it before.” The warlock nods “Quite a bit. This is nothing compared to the time I managed to get some shuteye in a bog surrounded by will-o-wisp. …Although the normally peaceful forest with a satyr party raging outside my tent was its brand of challenging.” Astarion impressed “Oh my…how did you manage to rest during *that*?” Wolfram looks off dreamily “Oh I didn’t, not a wink. I failed miserably.” Astarion laughs “Well well! Our hero seems to have quite the past.” Wolf laughs “I’m no hero, but as for a past… I suspect we all do, right?” Astarion becomes guarded, furrowing his brow and crossing his arms. Wolfram smiles reassuringly “All I’m trying to say is that this place isn’t so bad. You’ll be fine.” Astarion's frown lifts a bit “Oh, alright. I suppose it’s only until we get these worms out of our heads. Then I'll find a decent inn with silk sheets and a nice drink.” The warlock nods “That does sound more comfortable. Well, good evening to you.” Wolfram walks off, muttering “What I wouldn’t give for a proper bath right now. Ilithids are nasty.” 

He talks with Shadowheart and asks how she’s feeling about the worm. She says there’s no point thinking about it. They need action. He nods and says that’s fair. They’ll continue looking first thing in the morning. She tries to warn him to be wary of Gale. Wolfram looks over at the mage pacing by the fire and smiles warmly “Aye, wizards may have a reputation…but who doesn't go a bit mad with power from time to time? I’ve a good feeling about this one.” Shadowheart shakes her head in disapproval as he walks away and mumbles “Lady guide me. Is there a reasonable one in this bunch?”

Wolfram talks to Lae’zel. She says they need to find a creche. She thinks one of the teeth-lings has seen her people. He asks if they'll be safe among them. She says they will so long as she's with them.

He goes over to Gale. (‘Go to Hell’ scene.) The warlock smirks "Good evening to you too." Gale chuckles “You’re a good sport.” The wizard is contemplative about the day's events. Wolfram stands next to him and looks into the fire. “I understand. We’ve been through a lot in a short time... and it's a scary situation we’ve found ourselves in. I’m trying to focus on other thoughts.” Gale nods “I must say - you seem more serious than earlier.” Wolf smiles awkwardly “Ah… well aboard the ship I was… under the influence of something that improves my mood.” Gale smirks “I won’t judge. I’ll confess I’d enjoyed the occasional recreational potion in my youth.” Wolfram laughs “I wasn’t high, Gale! Well, not under the effect of a potion anyroad.” Gale grins “Well, I’m pleased to see you taking things seriously now. Perhaps fewer attempts at humor? I have that domain covered.” The warlock chuckles “You certainly do, but I’ll have you know going forward I do tend to laugh in the face of danger. Rest assured I still take every fight seriously.”

Gale smiles, a bit more relaxed. Wolfram jokes around but is ultimately comforting. He offers Gale a drink to calm his nerves. Gale takes a sip of the liquor “I suppose this is one way to handle the situation we've found ourselves in. Alas, I have no books. A good read and a glass of wine do wonders for my constitution.” The warlock roots around in his bag and hands him two books he’d found in the ruins. “I guess I can share.” Gale is surprised “You looted them?” Wolfram shrugs “Of course. Some dusty tomes in an ancient ruin. How could I resist?” Gale smiles warmly “I seem to have judged you incorrectly. A fair few times today.” Wolf shrugs “In all honesty I’d expected it. You’re not the first wizard I’ve known.” He chuckles “A recent customer was quite possibly the most arrogant person I'd ever met. I suspect I won't need to cut you off and throw you out onto the street too?” Gale scoffs confidently “I’d like to see you try. Besides, I'm sure you're aware we're not all the same. I, for instance, am exceptionally humble despite my many impressive accomplishments.” Wolfram chuckles at Gale's smug expression then winks "I'm just teasing you. How about this, handsome - you keep an open mind and I’ll do the same?” Gale looks confused, more by the nickname than the proposition. He recovers and smiles apologetically “That sounds like a most excellent idea.”

After making the rounds, Wolfram returns to his tent. Despite his exhaustion, he can't sleep. He tries to think of home... his cozy apartment, the little bar and its odd clientele, the street urchins that may be going hungry without him to dole out scraps at closing time, the contracts he'll miss out on in his absence - likely to go to some bloodthirsty Guild member without care for casualties... Unfortunately, the only image that seems to stick is one of tentacles breaking through his skull. How will he lead this group of misfits amid his rising panic? How will he keep up his calm facade? A restless night of tossing and turning won't help, but that seems to be what's in store for him.

[junosartsthetic]

A Bizarre Beginning

This is the 2k word first place fic won by @strawberrystepmom in my 600 followers celebration event. 

Warning(s): Swearing, that’s basically it, this is a meet-cute sort of fic that is more like 2.5k than 2 but I got carried away, oh also this is post-part 3 but pre-part 4 mid-twenties joot, and he is still in his emo phase because i said so

-

You weren’t sure how you got into this situation in the first place—it was bizarre, to say the least, but you couldn’t bring yourself to regret it. It was the opposite, in fact, you wanted nothing more than to stay where you were for the rest of your life.

It all began when you met the love of your life—Jotaro Kujo. You were fresh out of college, with a bright future in your, well, future. You were ecstatic to achieve such a large goal on your road to normalcy. All your life you’d grown up with something strange always lurking around you. . . something nobody else spoke of. It was like it was invisible to everyone but you, though you knew you weren’t crazy. It was a humanoid figure, though more alien-looking than human. You could tell it to come and go, but it didn’t do much else besides hover around.  Eventually, you accepted your fate, to be forever bonded to the bizarre entity, and ignored it as much as you could. It didn’t bother you nowadays, especially now that you had a normal future ahead of you.

That’s when you met him. The man who saw your companion. 

It was a normal run-in—walking the aisles of a supermarket, your ever-hovering entity trailing behind you as you grabbed your groceries. You had spotted him at the end of the aisle in a large black coat, a similar colored hat upon his head. He looked rather handsome—at least from where you were standing, so you quietly slid closer, pretending to browse for nothing in particular. 

You searched your mind for something clever or interesting to say to him, but had nothing. It was strange—you would normally never approach someone like this, but it was like something beyond your reach lured you closer. You couldn’t help yourself. You had to talk to him.

“Hey,” he suddenly spoke, deep voice spooking you. You jumped lightly, taking a step back. He didn’t look at you, but instead stared at the two items in his hand. Two cans of soda. “Cherry or vanilla?”

You tilted your head, though of course he didn’t see. Deciding not to question why he was asking a stranger for advice on fizzy beverages, you answered him. “Cherry-vanilla,” you said, grabbing the aforementioned can off the shelf. You held it out for him to grab. “It’s the best of both.”

He set the cans down, looking over to grab the soda, when his eyes widened ever so slightly. He leaned back stiffly, guarding himself as he stared you down. “Call off your stand before things get ugly,” he threatened, an entity materializing beside him. You gasped.

His spirit looked completely different than yours—a muscular, scantily clad god-of-a-man with long black hair and piercing eyes. It locked eyes with you, unblinking. You beckoned your own companion beside you. “You can see it, too?” you whispered. “And you have a spirit of your own.”

“They’re called stands. And they’re manifestations of your soul.” His stance relaxed slightly. “I’m assuming by your reaction you’ve never met another stand-user before.” 

“I always assumed I was alone,” you said. “There’s others out there like me—well, like us?”

“Yeah. Too many, if you ask me.” He grabbed the cherry-vanilla soda from your hand, popping it open as he gestured you to follow him. “Follow me. I’ll tell you what you need to know.” 

You did as told, trailing behind as he walked out of the store, chugging the soda down before tossing in the trash bin outside. “You gonna pay for that?” you questioned, glancing behind you at the clueless cashier. 

“I doubt a can of soda will bankrupt ‘em. Now let’s get a move-on. I don’t have all day to play teacher.”

“Get a move-on where? I don’t even know you.” You stopped, watching as he opened the door to his car. He rolled his eyes, as though your legitimate concerns were petty questions that didn’t need answered. Still, he spoke up.

“Jotaro Kujo. And we’re heading back to my apartment. I’m not standing in a grocery store revealing sensitive information.” He gestured to the passenger door from his side. “Get in.”

“Great,” you muttered sarcastically, popping the door open and slipping inside. “This is definitely not a stupid and dangerous idea. Sure. Why not?”

“Stop talking to yourself. If you think it’s so stupid then why’d you follow me out here?” He started up the engine, pulling out of the parking lot. He turned up the radio slightly. Punk-rock played through the speakers. You two had the same taste in genre, you noted. At least if he was going to kill you, you’d die listening to decent music. 

“Because I care more about answers than my wellbeing,” you replied honestly, arms crossed as you stared out the window. “My whole life I’ve never seen anyone like me. Then I suddenly run into you at a grocery store I decide to visit for the first time? It’s. . . bizarre.”

“Stand users are more common than you’d think. But even so, the likelihood of bumping into each other. . .” he trailed off, brows furrowed in concentration. His hands gripped the steering wheel, fingers occasionally tapping against it. “It’s like we’re all magnets. . .”

“Would you mind elaborating? How do you know so much about all this, anyway?”

He shot you a glare. “Damn it. I’m trying to think here!” You locked eyes with him, returning the dirty look tenfold. It’s not like it was your fault for getting coerced into a stranger’s car. Well. . . it may have been a little bit of stupid curiosity on your part, but to pass up the opportunity to get answers about the being that’s haunted you since you could remember? That wasn’t going to happen. You couldn’t let someone like yourself slip through your fingers. You had to know what he had to say.

“You told me you’d give me answers, Kujo.” You clicked your tongue. “But fine. I’ll shut up. . . for now.”

The rest of the ride was silent, save for Jotaro muttering under his breath. When he finally pulled into a nice apartment complex, you tore out of the car. You were halfway to the building before he’d turned it off. You stood on the concrete sidewalk, leaning on either foot anxiously. 

He walked past you, heading up the stairs. You followed swiftly behind, careful not to step on his coat. Why was he wearing such a large jacket, anyway? It was rather hot out. If he was trying to make a statement, he should’ve gone with white. It would contrast his hair better.

You brushed off your odd thoughts, instead watching as he finally stopped at a door, swinging it open. He didn’t bother to welcome you inside, just leaving it open as he slipped his shoes off. You followed in, shutting the door behind you. You took your shoes off, setting them neatly against the entryway wall. You almost left them on in case you needed to sprint out of there, but your common courtesy forbade it. 

“Alright. Now answers,” you said, taking a seat on the plush brown couch in the living area. He stood in the kitchen—the open floor plan allowing you to watch him as he dug a soda out of the fridge. He tossed a can to you. Well, more like at you. 

“Would you give me a second? Good grief, you’re impatient.” 

You barely caught it before it hit the window behind you. You looked at the label. Cherry-vanilla. Why did he ask you about your soda opinion in the first place if he already had. . . it didn’t matter. You popped it open, taking a sip. “I came here to talk about why the hell you and I have strange entities permanently tied to our bodies and how we managed to run into each other despite the likelihood of that happening being next to zero. Not to sip soda and have small talk.” 

He finally took a seat across from you in a comfortable looking loveseat, popping open another soda. “I hear you. Jesus, woman, give me a break.”

You huffed. “Just tell me what you know, please.”

“Look.” He took his hat off, setting it on the coffee table. He propped his feet next to it. If you were his mother you’d scold him for that. “This whole thing started with my great-great-grandfather and his asshole step-brother. It’s a long story.”

Your eye twitched. You glanced over at your spirit—or stand as Jotaro called it—that was lingering beside you. “Any way you can start a little closer to the present day? Like how you managed to control your ‘stand’ like you did? All mine does is sort of hover around.”

Jotaro’s stand appeared once more, standing next to the seat. “I call him Star Platinum. All you need to do is focus on controlling it. It’s part of you. Like moving a limb.” Star Platinum punched the air a few times before letting out a swift and rather quiet, “ora”. You blinked. His could even talk? Well. . . make sounds was a better word for it, but it still surpassed your own stand, who was barely more than a semi-permeable puppet. You turned to face your entity. You examined its every detail, studying it like it was your own body. You imagined it moving its hand to pick up your soda, now discarded on the coffee table. It did nothing. You grunted, focusing harder. You concentrated with everything you had. It’s your hand. It’s your hand. It’s your hand. Move. Move. Move—

Your stand’s fingers twitched, before its whole arm came alive. It moved robotically, but with purpose. Grasping the soda can, it picked it up, handing it to you. You took the soda. You sipped the sweet beverage smugly. You did it. 

“Good to know you’ll be safe next time you visit a vending machine,” Jotaro ridiculed, a barely noticeable smirk on his face. 

“Shut up,” you shot back. “Anyway, what does some distant relative have to do with all this?”

“To save time, all you need to know is that the asshole step-brother became a vampire, stole my ancestor’s body, and led an army of stand users to kill my grandfather and I as we tried to save my mother from becoming victim to her own stand. Other people joined us too but they’re not important right now. They have stands as well. So does my grandfather. We killed the vampire—Dio—but stand users keep appearing, and we don’t know why.”

You resisted the urge to spit up your soda laughing. He had to be joking. Did he really think you were that stupid? Body-snatching? Vampires? This wasn’t a movie or some bizarre television show. Those so-called ‘creatures of the night’ weren’t real. 

“It sounds fake,” Jotaro said, breaking your unbelieving silence. “It’s not. You know stands exist. They don’t make sense, either.”

“Fine,” you accepted. “Let’s say your little bizarre adventure is true. That still doesn’t explain how we could’ve possibly met each other. I’m not even supposed to be in this town. I took the wrong bus.” You relaxed your elbows onto your knees, leaning forward. “What’s the answer to that?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed, crunching his now-empty can. He threw it behind himself haphazardly. It landed into the bin perfectly. You wondered how long it took for him to do that. 

“Well. What about your grandfather or the people you mentioned?” you asked. “Do they know anything?”

“Half of those people died on the trip. My grandfather’s in no shape to do much of anything. And Polnareff is already scouring aimlessly with no answers.”

“Oh.” You glanced at the wooden floor awkwardly. “Sorry for your loss.”

“All you need to do now is put your stand away, lay low, and watch out for anyone who may be a stand user,” Jotaro said, quickly changing the subject. “Not everyone who has a stand is an upstanding citizen. They can and will use them for evil.” 

“Are there more stand users around here?” you questioned. “I guess if we’re all attracted to each other like magnets, there’s bound to be more.”

“Exactly. Which is why you need to learn to use your stand for more than picking up soda.”

“I get it,” you said, waving off his taunts. You stood up from the couch, walking towards where he sat. “I’ll keep in touch. For now, I’m going back home. I’ve had enough information for one day. Gimme a paper and I’ll jot down my number.”

He stood up, and you stepped back. You forgot just how tall he was for a second there. You wondered how many doorframes he’d hit in his lifetime. 

Jotaro grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from off the kitchen counter, tossing it to you. You really did not enjoy the amount of throwing this man did. You managed to catch the pen and paper though, though it wasn’t your hands that held the objects, but your stand’s. 

“You’re catching on fast,” he said, leaning against the counter, elbows holding him up. “Not bad.”

You ignored the sudden warmth of your cheeks, instead scribbling down your information before tossing the paper and pen back. “There. I put my name on there too since you didn’t have the decency to ask for it.” 

With that, you slipped your shoes back on, swinging open the apartment door and walking out.

Jotaro watched you leave, a gleam in his eye and an embarrassed smirk on his face. As much as he hated to admit it, he was looking forward to seeing you again. Even if you were loud and snarky and matched his quips blow-for-blow. As strange and unexplained the attraction between stand users could be, he had a decent idea about why he was drawn to you.

He was never one for romance—he’d skipped all his school dances and after-school parties—but there was just something about you. He glanced at your unfinished soda placed on the coffee table. What a stupid way to talk to a woman. Cherry or vanilla? Though he supposed he did manage to get you home in one day. He must’ve done something right.

He looked to his side, examining Star Platinum’s giddy expression. As much control as he had in his stand, he could never get Star to calm his unwaveringly unhidden emotions.

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Good grief. My idiot grandfather would be ashamed.” How’d that old man act so charismatic all the time?

Meanwhile, after you’d finally made it back home after hours of taking public transportation, you collapsed into your comfortable bed, thinking about the man you’d met that day. You couldn’t get him out of your head. Even after all the information you’d received, all you could picture was Jotaro’s stoic expression as he spoke, black hair falling into his face without his hat to keep it up. He intrigued you. Not only because he was the first person you’d ever met with a power like yours, but also because of his demeanor. There was something more to his stoic nature. And you couldn’t wait to discover it.

[raspberry-gloaming]

Anyone want to hear about my episode ideas for my fan companion (and secret zygon), Erin? No? Well your getting them! :D

Episode 1: Bats in the Belfry aka, "That is not a fucking bat"

We are introduced to Erin as she drives up to a property. This property is in the north east of England, and is a kinda crumbling, old country house/estate. It has recently been bought by a new family, and they want to do it up (as much as they can since something like this is probably listed lol) or even like perhaps it's a new property that has come into the hands of the NHS. Either way, the owners are having a bat survey done. Enter Erin, a 29 year old Ecologist.

There are hints or even scenes, building up tensions as the audience but not the characters can see that these possible bats... that ain't a bat. Erin decides, as per surveying thingy I need to research more, to come back at night/dusk when the bats are more active as there is stuff that suggests bat activity, but haven't been able to see anything since it's daytime and bats are nocturnal.

On return, hyjinks! Or rather more scary than simply hyjinks, but the adventure begins. Enter, Doctor. Why is he here? Plot reasons, that's what. Perhaps he's been tracking these things - that to absolutely no doctor who fan's surprise, are not bats, but actually aliens.

Plot. Ending. She's gonna travel and be a companion, tada! I know that didn't sound that interesting, but I've got a lot of thoughts I can't really express on mini scenes and visuals and relationships between how the characters interact that I can't put in writing, frustratingly. Just know that there's a vibe.

Episode xyz: The one where a bird gets stuck in the TARDIS

I'm surprised this hasn't happened before - or perhaps it has, and we just haven't seen it. This episode takes place for the majority, just inside the TARDIS. Unless I'm wrong, we haven't had a tardis as the setting episode since... Series 7? It's time to bring that back, with a low stakes episode.

Most people know the frustration of trying to get some animal, be it bird, insect or even something else, out of your house. And that animal like, never, wants to go out the way it came, it's like it wants to bang into the wall or window instead of the wide open door. Now imagine your house is an infinite complex of tunnels and rooms, stretching on for ever and ever and ever and ever... and ever... and ever....

Yup, that's the tardis, and there's a frightened animal, earth or otherwise, that we need to get out. Perhaps add possible tension by it damaging wiring or getting into places it really shouldn't, or the TARDIS ain't happy about all that jazz. Watch Erin and the Doctor bond as they hyjinks inside the TARDIS, and we get to see some rooms, and mechanics, and dimension-breaking stuff that we haven't seen before.

I've also got ideas for a two parter - somewhere in the second half of the series, possibly even like last two episodes. Not really anything about the big bad or whatever arc the series has, but about The Reveal.

And also the flashback and montage cold open at the start of the second episode of said two parter - Mwah! Chefs kiss! What I've got in my head I adore, each little scene and interaction, character building, little threads and stuff. The big bad ain't important, nooo it's this stuff it's delicious and I ship my own characters so damn much, but like... not in a straight up romantic way? It's complicated. They're alien. They're simultaneously Tudors, Millenials and Gen Alpha all at the same time. They're in love. But is it romantic love like humans have? Do zygons have a concept of romance? Idk but Rahul and Erin are soooo cute and I love them even though I made both of them up in my head.

[undead-potatoes]

So! Tell me about Aurora! Did they have a life before the Urge came calling? How has their journey been through the game? Are they romancing anybody or do they have any other significant bonds?

I hope you don't mind, but I decided to split this into two posts. You asked about her journey through the game, and suddenly I had written 1400 words that didn't fit with the rest. So uuh yeah, here's the first and the last question at least!

I'm still a little unsure about her life before the Urge. There's the few "canon" things we're given through bits of dialogue (like murdering their parents as a child), but I honestly don't tend to get too caught up in canon if I want to do something different.

She had a lot of nightmares as a child (thanks dad), and it made her a very skittish and nervous child. In combination with minor Urges which made her say and sometimes do off-putting shit, I imagine she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Like once she probably bit someone when the Urge overtook her, but bc they were baby urges and she was like 6-years-old it didn't really do much but alienate her.

But I think she was otherwise a good kid, doing her best and loved by her adoptive parents, even if they probably worried about her a lot.

I kinda like the idea of her being slightly older, someone who briefly escaped her heritage due to Bhaal's death before he returned in full, and the Urge became too strong to ignore. To have the Urge hovering around in the background her entire life, but always being able to repress it, until she suddenly couldn't.

Idk there's just something to the tragedy of being so close to escaping your predestined fate, when in reality it was always going to end like that, on way or another. You never truly escaped anything, you simply just delayed the inevitable.

She could still have murdered her family, still living with her adoptive parents and possible siblings, or maybe she had her own family by then. Either way, Bhaal would have wanted them out of the way.

The Urge building and building, sending her flip-flopping between moments of bloodlust and lucidity filled with fear, until the Urge took her away completely.

(Would the Urge even work like that for any of this? Who cares, just gonna do as Larian does, my city now).

TL;DR: I don't even know, it's still stewing in there.

- - -

Though I've watched like every Durge related video on YouTube, I haven't actually played very far in Aurora's playthrough, mostly bc I'm waiting for Larian to stop breaking the game with every new patch 🙈

Meaning I haven't actually had a lot of time with her interacting with the companions and gotten a good feel for where they're at.

Wyll and Shadowheart are possible candidates for some at least surface level boding. Like Wyll's whole "self sacrifice for the good of others" thing, and with Shadowheart they both have been brainwashed and forced into cruelty in service of an evil god.

And Karlach bc I love her and I said so.

Maybe some more interesting dynamics will pop up once I really get in there with her 🤔 (Larian fix your shit already, I want to plaaay)

There's also Jay who's already wrangling every other companion and their problems, so I'm sure he'll have some fingers in her pies too eventually (it's what he does, after all).

-

The only solid relationship to have formed in my head as of yet is her romance, and bc I'm as original as a pair of earbuds from AliExpress, she eventually starts a thing with Astarion.

He initially sees her as an easy target, a shy and possibly meek person quite literally removed from the others at camp (a deliberate choice on her part), but it doesn't go quite as he had planned.

I've written a whole post about it that's hanging out in my drafts, but tl;dr: he tries to bite her, but she wakes and angrily sends him away. She later comes to him one night, panicked after the Murder At Camp™, and he (begrudgingly) agrees to help her with the body. This begins this weird partnership where they keep each other's secret, and she lets him drink from her as thanks for helping her.

Their relationship is a bit rocky at first, like they don't hate each other or anything, but there's a fair share of bickering and such. She can be a bit blunt, and is too impatient and exhausted from the urge to deal with his very obvious mind games, tiredly telling him "stop trying to seduce me, you already have what you came for".

When he offers to sleep with her at the party, she thinks "why not". They're already putting each other at risk, so might as well have some fun with it. He might have tried to bed her sooner if she hadn't been so blunt and unapproachable, but it did also give him some time to rethink his strategy. Based on finds with the freecam during his party sex scene, he has set up a lil spot on a blanket, with wine and maybe some food, in an attempt to seem more genuine, which admittedly she does find a little cute.

Ultimately it's all the bits in between, the quiet moments after feeding or sex that gives them an excuse to talk, and they realize they enjoy each other's company a lot more than they first thought. She vibes with him a lot more when he's being genuine, something she sees more of when he's fed and generally less guarded.

She've kept her distance from the others bc of the urge, in fear of either harming someone, or being discovered through the tadpoles somehow. It puts her on edge constantly, but Astarion already knows, and she knows he doesn't judge her for it, so she's more at ease too.

Aurora can become ride or die pretty fast, especially in combination with other intense personality traits (hello devotion), and I think maybe Astarion picks up on that and thinks he can use that to his advantage. At least until he too accidentally catches feelings and becomes pretty ride or die himself lmao. Great job idiot.

Which is also when her more self sacrificing nature goes from something that could be to his advantage, to something that actively upsets him. Stop it! Stop sacrificing yourself for others who probably don't even deserve it! Stop putting yourself in situations that could take you away from me for no good reason.

They're note super lovey-dovey either. Like sure there's romance and tenderness there, but there's also some clash of personalities ("stop being an asshole" "stop trying to be such a bloody hero"). Nothing too bad but there's definitively something for them to work on.

This became the Aurora and Astarion post, sorry about that (not really). I hope to have some better answers to these in the future, my brain is still cooking (unfortunately it's a slowcooker).

[empressawesomecoolness]

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Speedrun Marathon - Series 2 (2006)

Woah. I mean, what a Series! I didn’t know how Tennant and Piper would follow up Series 1, but they did a great job, not just in carrying over aspects from Series 1, but doing new things and carving out a new niche for the 10th Doctor. A lot of fun from all angles.

General Thoughts

I’ve always really loved David Tennant as an actor. Even before I properly started watching Doctor Who, he was my personal favorite Doctor (that might change over the course of this marathon, but that’ll come much later). Now having actually fully seen him in action as the 10th Doctor, I’m really happy that he met my expectations and more. He’s fun and snarky, same as McGann and Eccleston, but he brings this new sorta wide-eyed manic energy that one would probably expect from a 900+ year old time/space traveler. His look is also really fun and iconic, with pinstripe suits, long trench coats, and spiked-up hair. It compliments Tennant’s already tall and slim figure, giving 10 a lanky look reminiscent to a sort of alien Sherlock Holmes. The converse are a fun touch, too.

He’s definitely different from his immediate predecessor, but in a good way that makes sense given his new found attachment to Rose after Series 1 (or at least that’s my reading of it). He’s got a bit less angst, although it does peer through in good dramatic moments. Overall, Tennant’s able to juggle what made the recent previous Doctor’s special and memorable with his own acting sensibilities and personality. He really lends himself well to a character like the Doctor.

In companion news, Rose is just as strong and likable a character as ever. I knew new companions would show up eventually, so this whole Series I was just dreading the moment when it became clear that she’d be gone for good. Although I didn’t expect her departure to be THAT devastating! I mean holy fuck. Despite that ending though, Rose never stopped being an intensely compelling character, despite my assumption that her time as a companion was coming to an end.

As for the other campions, we only see Mickey return in this Series. When the Cybermen return to the show in a parallel universe, Mickey decides to stay behind there and help fight their invasion. It was another welcome surprise moment of character development from Mickey, especially when he finally realizes that he has a life and agency outside of Rose. However, when he’s able to return and help Rose and the Doctor fight the invading Cybermen and Daleks, it feels really truly earned on his end.

Also, how cool was it to see Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen) and K-9 (played by K-9) again?! That was a really cool and welcome surprise for me. It also avoids being a plot line of mere fan-service, since we get really cool insight into the life and mind of companions left behind by the Doctor decades before. However, they do eventually reconcile with the Doctor in their own bittersweet moments towards the episode’s end. Although, that reconciliation is a little bittersweet, given Rose’s fate at this Series’ end. I hope she gets something similar later in the show.

Favorite Episodes

Tooth and Claw

New Earth

School Reunion

The Girl in the Fireplace

Love and Monsters

Favorite Moments

Queen Victoria’s hemophilia being explained as a strain of alien lycanthropy was very funny and very Doctor Who. The running gag about Rose trying to get her to say the supposed “We are not amused” line was funny as hell too.

The 10th Doctor meets alien Satan.

Cassandra returning was a shock. I know she got a bit of a redemption arc in this Series’ premiere but I don’t really care. fuck her

I felt so clever picking up on the little references to Torchwood before they were properly revealed towards the end teehee. Making up for not noticing most of the Bad Wolf hints in Series 1 ig.

Madame de Pompadour getting a whole episode to herself in order to fight against evil French masquerade nightmare robots from the future was a welcome surprise.

Alright, that about wraps up everything I wanted to say about Series 2. A great Series itself and an amazingly solid start to Tennant’s iconic tenure as the 10th Doctor. Now, onto Series 3.