#friend 1 i'm giving no further context on i feel that one is rather self explanatory

[wimallidge]

having text conversations with three different friends at once,

friend 1: yeah i've been getting really homesick recently and it's really affecting me

friend 2: yeah i want to do a bedsheet ghost photo shoot but i've got to wait for someone to die

friend 3: hey does your hand still fit in a pringles can? my vape got stuck in my pringles can and i can't get it out

[evolvingchaoswitch]

Comprehensive Guide to your Traumatized Partner

Summary:

Reader and Rocket have agreed that their both shit at taking care of themselves and have decided to take care of one another. Follow them on the difficult journey of putting those words into action and figuring out what it really means to care for one another. And whatever intergalactic bullshit that the universe throws at them to make things harder than it needs to be.

Notes:

This is the same Reader from my previous Rocket x Reader fanfics, so if you need context I'd suggest giving those a read. To my Readers that have been following this chain of stories I hope you enjoy the ride, sidenote this is my first time writing since I've been medicated for my ADHD for the first time in my life, and I would love to hear in the comments if you notice a difference in quality levels. I was able to write this in two days rather than it taking a whole week to get half this chapter done and I'm really happy. Enjoy :D Just realized I forgot to put my fics up on Tumblr for my non Ao3 friends

Chapter 1: Jealously

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since your injury and for the most part your fellow Guardians were pretty chill over the fact that you weren’t ready to explain why you had wanted to leave. Today you finally bit the bullet and explained what had been going on in your head before that point with mixed reactions; you didn’t tell them about the hardcore fucking with Rocket or the deal the two of you had made. As per usual it was uncomfortable to try to be vulnerable in any way given your past history, you fought yourself against the urge to pinch or scratch yourself as a way of introducing pain to help you self regulate. You didn’t notice that Rocket was taking stock of your body language as if he was trying to build an internal database of some of your more subtle distress signals to look out for later.

You gave the cliff notes version of your personal history opting out of the gritter sections of your childhood, with Peter having such a close relationship to his Mother you couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t encourage you to reconnect with yours; though you didn’t use that word for her. You could tell that Mantis knew a bit more about what was going on about your general energy in the moment but seemed to understand the look you gave a moment ago. The clear look that any further interference with your emotional state would be taken as some major boundary stomping and to say you’d react poorly was a gross understatement. Drax placed a firm hand on your shoulder to give a comforting squeeze, it was usually the people that were good parents that picked up on some of your tone and language surrounding your biological ties.

Rocket stayed off to the side observing you before speaking “Ar’ight leave them alone that’s enough chit chat bout their personal stuff”

Could Rocket tell you were getting overwhelmed with the conversation or was he just sick of the conversation? Rocket wasn’t the best person at fully processing through his own trauma, maybe he thought it was better to shove the incident into the back of everyone’s minds rather than go through the uncomfortable emotions. You needed to have them understand one clear boundary before this conversation ended. You took a deep breath before letting your mask slide down a bit to deliver the most honest version of yourself for this sentence.

“I’m going to be writing in my journal again, and if any one on this ship even Groot reads through my personal thoughts and feelings without my consent there will be issues”

The calm coldness of your voice made a few of your shipmates very unused to that tone step back slightly.

“Issues?” Peter echoed the phrase back to you voice tinged with a nervousness that wasn’t there before.

You continued in the same frigid saccharine tone that you had used before “I’m a nice person till I’m not and when I’m not”

You stepped forward delighting in the fact that he instinctively stepped back trying to edge away from the energy you were putting off. He was frightened. Good. Afterall he was one of the ones that started the trend of thieving the journal from you before you had abandoned it.

“And when I’m not I tend to get spiteful” The slow foxlike smirk slowly painted itself over your lips.

“What happens when you get spiteful?” You could see the lesson was sinking into Peter's head rapidly but you needed to make sure they all had a good idea of what you actually were capable of.

“I get creative” You let the dangerous connotations of the phrase hang in the air before continuing.

“Couple that with the fact I have a particular skill at gathering personal information about the people around me due to being one of those quiet observers types I tend to get a lot of material to work with and you all know my thoughts about wasted resources”

You might not be top tier with your ability to outshine any of them physically but psychological warfare was your bread and butter. Being raised in such a toxic homelife had sharpened your senses and your ability to hurt people by exploiting their subtle vulnerabilities, you didn’t like to use the skill but no matter how much time passes between your use of it you could still wield it as masterfully as a maestro at their instrument.

“You do understand what I mean don’t you all” You slowly turned in place so that you made eye contact with each and every one of them with the same bite that you were giving Peter so they fully understood; even Rocket. You didn’t even speak that loudly but you knew that every one of them heard what you said and it was written all over their faces.

You tilted your head to the side, scrunching your face up in the same cute passive aggressive smile that you had perfected over the years “Fantastic” before letting the energy return to your usual chill state.

You decided to head back to your room to let the message fully sink in and to let the racing of your heart settle down. It wasn’t easy to let your mask down to show the uglier sides of your personality but it needed to be done. You needed something soft to cuddle and for a moment you thought about how snuggling with Rocket would be amazing. Either curling him into your body as he took the position of the little spoon, letting your energies soak into one another and drawing comfort from each other's presence. Maybe he’d try to be the big spoon letting you feel as small as you felt inside but from a point of safety for once, perhaps he’d even stroke behind your ear in the way that you loved; though that seemed impossible he didn’t even know about that spot.

Both scenarios felt unlikely after all it was clear to anyone that had eyes that Rocket’s experience in being touch starved led him to being touch adverse outside of sexual touches which wasn’t the headspace you needed to be in. You both needed to sit down to talk about what taking care of one another meant in practice, what the boundaries that needed to be respected and a bunch of other phrases that you had learned during your time in therapy but that could wait till after your nap. Reaching into a bag that you had hidden under the bed ages ago you pulled out Judy, your rainbow fox squishmellow to cuddle as you slept. You kept her out of sight to avoid her being messed with like your former journal was, and you really didn’t need to hear anyone raz on you for your comfort item. As your eyes drifted shut you made a note to journal when you woke up next to get a better idea of what to do with Rocket next.

Rocket had watched on the sidelines as you gave the gist around why you had wanted to leave earlier this week. He glared at each one of his crew mates as you spoke to ensure they kept their traps shut till you were done talking, judging by the way your hands were fidgeting Rocket figured this was hard for you. He was fucking awful at reaching out for help, being honest with his feelings and all that other mushy stuff for himself so he got how hard it was. Honestly he admired your bravery but he could also see how the conversation took its toll on you before you shifted topics.

Then the energy in the room altered as your voice had suddenly shifted to a tone he had never heard from you before which was both unnerving and sexy as flark. Somehow his Kit had managed to terrify every single one in that room for a moment and they didn’t even raise their voice. Every syllable that left your lips had this perplexing blend of syrupy sweetness and bitter cold that had managed to raise his hackles up; as well as his cock which twitched with excitement. Rocket knew that there was some type of edge to your personality that he was attracted to, and he was enjoying witnessing it. It was good for you to start acting like who you really were rather than faking it. He had been more than ready to start ribbing on Quill when your eyes turned on him as they did everyone else in the room individually and he swallowed whatever comment he was going to say.

Your eyes were practically slitted alight with a predatory glint that Rocket had only seen twice before and both had been while he was buried deep within those warm tight walls of yours. He was somewhat glad that you had left the room quickly before he ended up stripping you of your pants and pounding you rotten in front of everyone. You two were still figuring shit out and you didn’t need those morons making it any harder for the both of you. Rocket wasn’t quite sure where to start in that talking thing you both planned to do about your new situation but he did have an idea of how to keep everyone's mitts of your journal; even his.

Rifling through his tools he got to work on putting a lock on your journal that only your biometrics could open, and would record the last person who handled the book if it wasn’t you. You had explained to him earlier that keeping all your thoughts swirling in your head made you feel anxious and put you in a bad way. He was hoping this would help and show you that he was sorry for messing with your journal without having to say it out loud; he still wasn’t great with giving apologies.

Rocket got up off of his work station after he had finished the lock to go track down where you had made your way off to. Rocket wasn’t a fan of how much you holed yourself up in your room but he couldn’t say anything. Something told him that being hypocritical would do him no favors, and he was really hoping to get back into bed with you again. A delightful shiver trickled down his spine as memories of the last encounter flooded his cerebellum, his mouth watered remembering how good you tasted quivering under his tongue.

Rocket entered your room after knocking only to be greeted with the sight of you sleeping back to the door. He watched as you rolled over in your sleep clutching some fat rainbow animal thing that you were squeezing tightly to yourself, burying your face in what looked like soft material. Intellectually Rocket understood that this had to be one of those Terran comfort items that both you and Quill had tried to explain to him when you first joined the crew. What Rocket couldn’t understand was why he felt so annoyed at the mere existence of the thing. Made no flarkin sense since there was no contest between him and it as to who was better after all he was real.

Rocket heard you made out a little whimper in your sleep, most likely from a nightmare judging by the microexpressions that spread across your face signaling your distress. Rocket didn’t like what he saw, it made something in his chest clench uncomfortably that had nothing to do with his forced enhancements, the feeling only got stronger when he could smell the scent of tears. He instinctively raised his paw to wipe the few tears that had escaped, as soon as you felt the warmth he watched as you moved your head towards his touch and your face started to relax a little.

It was taking Rocket a moment to catch up to the fact that his touch soothed you in some way, and he wondered what would happen if he gave you some more access to his touch. Edging the rainbow thing out of your arms slowly so as not to disturb you, he slipped into the space that it had previously occupied settling into the crook of your neck. Rocket figured that he owed you some cuddling to make up for not doing any the first time you two had sex and sending you on that downward spiral that almost had you; Rocket couldn’t finish the sentence.

He felt as your arms adjusted around him pulling him closer as you breathed in his scent before a calm smile slowly spread across your face replacing the frown that had been there seconds ago. Rocket usually didn’t like cuddling, it made him feel claustrophobic being forced into such close proximity to others like he was in one of those prison sleep piles but something about this was nice. At first he was sure you were confusing him for that squishy thing that you were holding earlier then he felt you nuzzle the top of his head and mumbled “Rocket snuggles” in a contented murmur.

Rocket couldn’t tell you at what point he had drifted off to better sleep than he had gotten in the last while but if he had to hazard a guess it had to be shortly after that.

You had thought you had woken up from your rest but there was no way that Rocket was cuddling you in every way you wished he had before and have it not be a dream. You took a moment to adjust to your waking state before confirming that yes it was Rocket curled into your side, gently purring up a storm in his sleep as your hand had unconsciously started stroking his head at some point. You bent your head down to place a soft kiss on the top of his head, giving a little bit of extra love to where he needed it most. You could feel him start to stir as he slowly woke up. Your eyes drifted over to where Judy had been unceremoniously tossed across the room further away from you than if you had dropped her in your sleep.

You found yourself looking down at his beautiful maroon colored eyes before you made the connection that he was awake.

“Hey” You said as gently as you could, taking into consideration how close your mouth was to his ear. You watched as he gave out a long yawn before he spoke “Hey” . You noticed that he didn’t do anything to remove himself from your arms immediately which made your heart skip with joy.

“Don’t remember falling asleep embracing you but I’m not unhappy with the update, though why does it look like Judy was thrown across the room?”

“Is tat what it’s name is?” You could see Rocket narrow his eyes at your squishmellow like she had wronged him somehow, then an insane concept crossed your mind.

“Rocket, did you yeet Judy across the room to take her place?” You watched as his ears twitched in slight annoyance at the mention of her again.

“Don’t know whatcha talkin about” You could feel him blushing through his fur as he tried to deny it, you couldn’t help but pull him in for a hug without saying anything further, you didn’t want to mess up the moment.

“What brought you to my room for a visit? Usually you’re tinkering on something by now” You pressed into him further hoping to convey that you enjoyed his presence in your arms.

Rocket gestured over to your table where some new invention of his laid “Made you that, it’ll keep your journal locked up an safe from prying eyes once you equip it” he snickered “It’ll even take a recording of who dicked with it so you can shame em later for it” Of course Rocket would build in a punishment that was so on brand for him.

You smiled down at him “Well thank you, I love it” You placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his maw enjoying the smile that spread on his face. Gifts were most definitely his love language. You opened your arms to let him escape from your grip, you didn’t want to push any of his boundaries by holding onto him too tightly. You felt as he corrected your arms to wrap around him again much to your delight “I ain’t movin unless you want me to” The second part of the sentence was said surprisingly softly compared to his usual brash tone.

You looked down at him sheepishly “I just know you don’t like being touched that much for non sexy things, so I didn’t want to push for more but I love this so much” You were trying to fight your blush down but were failing spectacularly.

“I like your touch, it’s calming” He said so softly that you almost missed it “And both of us touch starved schmucks need it more than that thing does” He gestured over at Judy who was smiling from her position on the floor.

You dismissed the idea of giving him some good natured teasing and opted instead to remove his top then yours. He looked confused till you brought him back in the snuggling position you had been before, now nestled skin to fur, and you were certain he didn’t hear the contented trilling noise he had made but you were going to keep that in your mind forever.

Nothing more needed to be said at the moment, not aloud at the very least, it could all wait till later. For now nothing in the galaxy existed but you and him; and that was all that mattered.

Chapter Management

Edit Chapter

Chapter 2: University Major

Summary:

Rocket has new tech that has an effect on his relationship with the Reader, and Reader has some feelings about this new piece of tech. Throw in a trip to one of the hottest dance clubs in the galaxy? Well you're in for a good time or are you?

Notes:

Note: References to pro-Cannabis use and call out to an OC of a friend of mine Mr.Cosmic intergalactic DJ and weed connoisseur, whose tokes are literally out of this world. I hope you enjoy looking forward to see any comments left and till next time :)

Chapter Text

Something was going to change about your current situation before the end of the night or you were going to SNAP, CRACKLE and POP! At the beginning of last week you had finally thought that Rocket was finally in a good enough place for the two of you to finally define what taking care of one another meant, neither one of you was fantastic with trying to explain what you needed from another person, so the conversation was going to be a doozy. Then on the last mission Rocket managed to get his delightfully devious paws around a new piece of technology that he had become completely obsessive over. Trying to get his attention was impossible. He was completely bewitched by his new toy and you were completely pissed that he went from being jealous of your Squishmellow cuddling you to falling asleep at his work bench instead of spending the night with you.

You were also beginning to feel that twisting ball of nerves that clenched painfully in your stomach every time Rocket brushed you off, maybe the two of you weren’t right for each other. Afterall Rocket got what he really wanted out of you during the interaction that started it all, he hadn’t approached you for any more sex; was this his way of ghosting you? You shoved your Bluetooth earphones in and started blasting a song into your cerebellum to distract from your thoughts. You ended up listening to Fixer Upper by Chandler Leighton on repeat in a delightful bout of echolalia before finally feeling good enough to join the others in one of the many hangout spots on the Milano.

You stepped into the edges of the conversation that was already in progress to get an idea of what everyone was talking about so excitedly. Apparently the Milano was headed to the hottest club in the galaxy run by the man that brought the chill to every event, Mr.Cosmic. The club was called The Blazing Place which housed one of the biggest dance floors on that side of the galaxy, including designated places on the dance floor that left space for people to add floor work to their dancing. There was also a gambling floor for people to enjoy their hands at lady luck, you could hear Rocket boasting about how many suckers he planned to target at the poker tables. You swallowed down a bitter lump of disappointment. He wasn't even going to ask if you might want to do something with him, so fuck him then.

You were smart enough to read the writing on the wall when it came to determining if someone was actually into you and whatever that moment you both had was now over. So now to get over him, maybe try to get a one night stand for the evening. It had never been your usual style but maybe it was time to try to venture out of your comfort zone. Some booze, some Terran dance music ; the club's specialty; and the decent chance that at least one being might find you attractive enough to invest some time into. You were not going to let another persons problems with commitment roped you into staying in a situation longer than was healthy to; fuck that!

You had taken a little longer to get ready than the rest of the group but you knew where they were going so you had told them to go on ahead. You pulled on your favorite black crop top with a deep v-cut in the front that clung to you like a second skin preventing your chest from going anywhere when you dance but still providing some delightfully saucy levels of cleavage. A pair of black leather like pants that gave your tiny tush the type of lift that made your legs look like they went on forever, thick heeled metal accented boots served two purposes of fulfilling your aesthetic needs and being safe to dance in without breaking your ankle.

You clipped in a few extensions into your hair to give it a bit more length to flip around on the dance floor, you did love some good hairography to go along with whatever string of moves you put together. You went sultry with your makeup extending your eyeliner into sharper points in both corners of your eyes, and it would be blasphemy to not pair the look with your favorite shade of red lipstick aptly named I am Fierce. What other shade of color could be more perfect. Pulling on your favorite spiked choker that proudly read CHAOS and slid your litany of mismatching earrings into your many piercings you headed into the club.

The club was filled with splotches of green and blue on its walls that really reminded you of fruit gushers for some reason that escaped you. It was a pleasing array of shades to look at coupled with the different levels of flashing lights towards the dance floor that beckoned to you but something ended up stopping you from immediately heading over to the dance floor, someone was calling your name. You turned to see who it was because it didn’t sound like any of your crewmates and to your astonishment it was your old roommate from university Stacy.

In the standard way of two neurodivergent friends that hadn’t seen each other in a few years the two of you circled around each other like excited dogs and asked rapid fire questions to catch up. Like what the fuck she was doing in space; tourism apparently; and what the fuck you were doing in space ; helping your crew. You two linked arms heading to the bar to get something to drink before heading to one of the floor work safe areas both agreeing to split the cost of the floorspace for the next three hours. You had donated many hours to dancing with her at clubs to help her pick up some one night stands so it was time for Stacy to return the favor and if you weren’t able to get anyone that you felt safe with you’d go bang it out with her. Just like the old days.

To your delight the both of you danced just as well as you did  back when you were on the same dance team, this club wasn’t ready for this pair of dance majors that was for damn sure.

Rocket was grinning behind his glass of Delorian whiskey as he watched some other poor sucker lose money to his superior gambling skills at the table he was playing at. Quill had been right, the trip to the club was what the crew needed. Each one of them wandered their way to the part of the club that suited their entertainment needs and each one seemed to be having a good time. Rocket briefly wondered what the newest member of the crew was up to, he wasn’t expecting the wave of guilt that accompanied the thought, he hadn’t paid a lot of attention to them in the last week. Too wrapped up in that sexy piece of tech he managed to get his hands on, he didn’t even realize it had been a week since he went to see them and he was really hoping the outing he planned for the two of you with all the money he just won would make up for it.

Rocket decided to go sit down with Quill to see whatever the twat was so obsessed with watching on the multiple screens littered in different lounge set ups in the club.

“Whatcha watching Quill?” He figured just asking outright would be the best course of action.

Peter took another swallow of his own drink before turning to Rocket “ It’s footage from the dance floor, you can vote for your favorite section of the floor  if you really like someone dancing or if it’s so bad you want to enjoy watching the person fuck up”

Rocket was about to ask Pete if he saw anything from the dance floor concerning their newest crew member when a voice rang through the comm system of the club.

“THIS IS MR.COSMIC SHOUTING OUT FROM THE DANCE FLOOR, WHERE TWO DANCE MAJORS ARE PUTTING ON ONE HELL OF A SHOW ! TUNE INTO SCREEN 6 TO WATCH AND ENJOY THE VIBES PARTY PEOPLE!!!”

Rocket got his answer as to where you went as he watched the screen switch to footage from the dance floor to where the object of his affection was enjoying themselves, looking sexier than he had ever seen them. The blonde dancing with them wasn’t hard on the eyes by any measure but he wasn’t comfortable with the amount of familiarity each showed when touching each other's bodies, though he couldn’t bring himself to move from his seat staring at the screen.

Tell me what you want, what you like, it's okay

I'm a little curious too

Each dancer walked towards the other slowly before meeting in the middle tentatively cupping each other's face in a shy but gently teasing manner.

Tell me if it's wrong, if it's right, I don't care

I can keep a secret, can you?

Both dragged a finger over their lips before slowly pointing at each other with a playful flirtation behind the flourishes of the hand movement.

Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind

Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite

 Their respective hands dragged their way from the head tapping it gently before sliding sensually down the torso before reversing the action back up the body. Licking the lower lip as if to get the traces of cherry off the lip before nipping at the air in front of them.

Don't tell your mother

Kiss one another

Die for each other

We're cool for the summer

Each leaned in close ghosting lips over one another before clawing down the column of each other's throats, leaving angry red marks trailing down the opposite side of each throat. Suddenly both broke apart to strut to opposite sides of the rented space.

Rocket’s breath caught in his throat when the two almost kissed, and then had to push down the feelings of possessiveness when he saw the welt on the side of your neck. Who was that blonde bitch that thought she had the right to leave marks on his Kit and before he could ruminate on the thought further his jaw dropped at the energy behind the strut. The look in their eyes when they strutted clearly spelt out the message bitches bow down; they were taking what they wanted with  full unabashed  confidence; Rocket hoped he got to be bitches in this situation.

Take me down into your paradise

Don't be scared, 'cause I'm your body type

Just something that we wanna try

'Cause you and I, we're cool for the summer

Sliding hands down over the crotch to give clear indication to what paradise was , rolling the bodies down slowly before snapping their heads up into a well timed hair flip with the music. Rapid small movements showing the control each dancer had over their abdominal muscles, coupled with rolling hips and arm movements that flowed in time with the beat occasionally slowing down for emphasis. 

The lyrics faded out to Rocket for a moment as he focused on the way Kits body responded to the mystery blonde, was she an old lover or someone looking to become a new lover? He watched as the blonde splayed themselves down on the floor, arms above her head ,legs open wide as Kit slid over their body grinding before rolling their body against  the woman then guiding her back up onto her feet and into the next set of moves for their dance.

Rocket had always been impressed by the way his Kit had moved even before he tied them to the bed. He had loved watching them scale buildings and whatever was in the way really during missions, the level of trust they had in themselves to make each jump astounded him. The dark corners of Rockets mind reached out to coax him into remembering why you had taken up the hobby you had at that level, it was his Kits version of an indirect suicide attempt each time they jumped or climbed something before he forcibly put some safety tech in their gear. For once the darkness in his mind was unable to take root this evening because Rocket was too entranced by the swinging hips of his darling Kit.

We're cool for the summer

We're cool for the summer

The next strut across the dance floor had both dancers give their breasts a quick grab in an aggressive but suggestive way, licking their lips as they did so, before dropping their hips down and rocking them side to side.

Shh, don't tell your mother

Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind

Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite

(Take me down)

Rocket watched as you slid in front of the mystery blonde only to have hands heavy over your body directing where your body needed to move to make it look like you were seeking the blondes touch. Rocket couldn’t help but let out a small growl as he watched as the two nearly kissed again before losing the sound to the echoing of his own dropped jaw. Kit had gone from standing on two feet to moving into a perfectly timed body roll right against the floor, before just as quickly moving into the next series of moves.

“Goddamn they are good at floorwork” 

Rocket for the first time since the dancing started remembered Quill was sitting right next to him and he did not appreciate that leering look he was giving them. Peter looked at the glare Rocket gave him before quirking his head to the side in confusion.

“What I can enjoy the view, it’s not like they’re with anyone and they are clearly looking for some fun tonight. If not with the smoking hot blonde then with someone else” 

Peter turned to look at his clearly aggravated friend with more attention than he had previously been giving to ask the question that had been stuck on his mind for the last while and it would clear up whether or not he should go join you on the dancefloor. One thing was certain at the end of the night was that the newest crewmate was going to officially be the one they ended any dance battles with; you were a goddamn assassin on the dance floor.

“What’s going on with you two? Thought you both were a thing, especially seeing all the marks you left on them but in the last week especially you’ve been ignoring them and every attempt they made to get your attention in favor of playing with the new tech you got your hands on instead. You ghosting them or something because I know I’ve been guilty of it in the past but dude not cool if you are”

Rocket’s ears flattened to his head, he’d known he had failed to pay attention to his Kit in the last week but he didn’t realize how many times they had tried to initiate during that week. He thought they were just really happy he had something to play with, and didn’t even think to look closer into the situation to see if his assumption was based in fact. Flark he was an asshole.

“What the flark is ghosting?”  Rocket tried to pull some of the self loathing into aggression in his voice instead, after all Pete was contemplating shooting his shot and he needed to shut that shit down asap.

Even he recognized when he spoke that his voice failed to have the level of bite he wanted from it.

“It’s when you start shutting down communication with a person somewhat abruptly, I mean it’s not entirely the same since it’s pretty obvious what your time is going to, but it is kinda similar”

Peter took another gulp of his drink “Look whatever issues you two got going on, you both need to figure that shit out, before”  He started to trail off not knowing how to finish the sentence off without potentially pissing Rocket off.

“Before?”  Rocket didn’t like the mixture of emotions on Peter’s face.

“Before our darling crewmate decides that the lack of clarification from your end means that you’re no longer interested in pursuing anything further with them”

Rocket watched as Peter’s eyes trailed back to the screen again before pointing at it “Afterall an outfit with dance moves like that? That’s someone putting the clear vibe out that they want to be seen as attractive and would like some attention”

Rocket looked up at the screen himself to see what the dance moves that Peter was trying to call attention to.

Gotta be compatible

Takes me to my limits

Girl, when I break you off

I promise that you won't want to get off

If you're horny, let's do it

Ride it, my pony

My saddle's waitin'

Come and jump on it

The variety of different moves that you were able to pull off while having your knees on the dancefloor both impressed and aroused him. Rocket downed his drink quickly before heading down to the dance floor, as he had some misunderstandings to clear up before he had to shove his blaster up the nostrils of some misinformed dumbass that tried to touch you. He waved Quill off as he told him good luck, he didn’t need it after all he was damn good at getting the results he wanted when he put his mind to it.

You were having a blast dancing with Stacy, spinning around each other just like old times, and judging by the amount of eyes on you during your dancing it was safe to say it wouldn’t be hard to find a partner to lick your wounds with. You headed over to the bathrooms opting to wait outside for her to finish when you felt someone grab your hand, in a grip that you were very familiar with.

“Can we talk?” You looked down to lock eyes with Rocket's dark whiskey colored eyes, you could see the jealousy he was trying to squash down and the gruffness of his voice did nothing to disguise that the question was more of a demand than request.

You snatched your hand back “I don’t know Rocket you seem to be far happier when I’m not talking to you” You glowered at him not bothering to hide the hostility in your eyes, you were sick of feeling like you were just an afterthought, it just re-enforced to you the belief that you were too much for anyone in a relationship to handle.

“I just wanna talk to yeah, Kit” He shouted over the music more aggressively than he had meant to, he wasn’t used to you being so pissed at him and he wasn’t responding well to it at all.

Rocket watched as your face glowed with rage, a  vicious scowl cutting across your lips, eyes filled with a fury he wasn’t used to being directed at him and he could see your hands clench having the nails bite into the skin.

“YOU DON’T GET TO USE PET NAMES WHEN YOU’VE BEEN IGNORING ME FOR A WEEK! IF I’M NOT WORTH INVESTING ATTENTION IN JUST TELL ME AND I CAN MOVE ON YOU FUCKING COWARD!!”

Your face was flushed a deep red, your breathing coming into your lungs in quick frenzied breaths, and your entire body trembling with rage. How fucking dare he! You were going to tear him a new orifice but then suddenly you heard a voice interrupt the blossoming fight.

“Hello Friends, I get that you’re trying to sort some shit out but we don’t need you killing everyone's vibes. So here is a private room for you to hash it out in. Peace Bitches!!”

All you remember was seeing the swirl of the galaxy before finding yourself with Rocket in a very comfy pale blue room accented with an array of lush plants and plush looking furniture in shades of dark oak brown.

“Did I just see the entirety of the galaxy or did the entirety of the galaxy see me?”  You plopped down on the couch taking note of how comfortable it felt as you reoriented yourself with reality.

“I have no idea” Rocket inhaled for the joint that was already lit in his mouth “When the flark did I get a joint?”

You shook your head and rolled your eyes “Mr.Cosmic, duh”  You took a drag from your  joint that you forgot you were smoking. Where did I?  You already answered your own question.

Rocket took another draw of the joint exhaling it through his muzzle “I didn’t realize that I was ignoring you right away and I didn’t want to approach you till I had planned some grand event to make it up to you. Guess I screwed the pooch with that huh?”

Your shoulder slumps as you leaned forward “Always the engineer eh Rocket? Can’t show someone a solution till it’s finished. I would have just preferred if you went to bed with me yesterday” You took a harsh inhale of the joint “I even made a big production of dragging Judy around near you announcing like a git that it was bedtime and I was going to enjoy a nice cuddle that night and no reaction from you at all”

Rocket wanted to smack himself on the forehead,  thinking back that must have been why Gamora suggested that he go to bed last night instead of falling asleep at his work bench again. 

“Why didn’t you just snatch the ting out of my hands if you wanted my attention?” Rocket’s voice was low, he couldn’t understand why you didn’t just snatch the item out of his paws if you wanted attention. Others have done it before so why didn’t you?

A hollow chuckle escaped your lips “Like that wouldn’t have gotten me bitten”

“I wouldn’t have bitten you” Rocket could feel his hackles start to raise as he snapped out the phrase harsher than he meant to.

Irritation slipped into your voice with every syllable “You bit Mantis twice a month ago for doing the same thing you’re suggesting and it clearly bothers you when people do that Rocket. I’d never disrespect such a clear and obvious boundary that you were presenting!” 

Rocket didn’t know what to say he wasn’t that great at the emotional talkin stuff, getting people over their rock bottom moments he could flarkin do that no damn problem but trying to do the same about current issues, that was hard for him.

“I wouldn’t have bitten you” He placed a paw on your shoulder only to have you shrug it off and turn away from him, slowly curling into yourself as the last wisps of the joint slipped out of your mouth.

“Of course you wouldn’t have” The bitterness in your voice surprised Rocket “You haven’t approached me for sex at all” You turned to look at Rocket hating that there was no way that he couldn’t see the tears threatening to escape from the edges of your eyes “If I was some curiosity you sated and decided it wasn’t good enough fucking tell me!!”  You turned your head away “Don’t fucking lead me on and hope that finally someone might want to deal with my damage enough to actually put the effort in” 

You were fully crying though not facing Rocket.

Rocket couldn’t believe what he was hearing! Did you not remember how he responded to you the first time you both slept together? How completely enthralled he was with every reaction he was able to pull from your incredibly responsive body?  He didn’t want to scare you with his libido, with how he wanted to feel your skin on his fur, how much he wanted to sleep with you still buried deep into that delightful pussy of yours just so he could go to bed feeling as connected to a person as closely as physically possible.

“I can’t deal with another person saying that they want to put in the effort to know my damage, to want to help with it and then silently reneging on the offer without giving me the update. Leaving me to keep hoping that maybe this time I’m enough, that this time someone is going to say something and mean it. That I’m not going to be abandoned just like the stray I am once the novelty of me has worn off to then”

Your body shook with sobs.

“I just can’t” The sentence was broken up through shaky inhales of breath and tears.

Rocket was floored to hear what had just come out of your mouth, it would seem that his Kit had just as shitty an inner voice as he did. He also wanted to hunt down every asshat that had made you feel that way but right now you needed assurance and he was going to give it to you but he knew he needed to show through actions as talk was cheap to you.

Rocket leaned over your hunched form, nuzzling at your tear streaked face and started to lick away at the tears which caused you to turn your head confused. He took the opportunity offered to get his head under your chin to start purring underneath it hoping the vibrations would soothe you. You weren’t shoving him away so that had to be a good sign right? He gently pushed you down on the plush couch while pushing himself further into your torso, trying to get as much skin to fur as he could get. He removed his top before continuing with what he had started.

He hoped that this would work.

He heard the quick inhale of breath when one of his fangs nipped under your chin as he was giving it soft reassuring licks and he couldn’t help himself but he nibbled again. He continued to kiss the column of your throat, leaving small occasional nips just to keep hearing the delightful sound you made every time he did. He was elated in how you moved your body so responsively to his touch, arcing your torso towards him making it easy to start slowly dragging his paw over the tops of your breasts. He kissed the small bit of skin behind your ear that he had unintentionally ignored during your last physical tryst, and instantly regretted not capitalizing on the bundle of nerves sooner because the noises you made were downright criminal in all the best ways.

Taking both hands off of your breasts for a moment, Rocket cupped your face drawing you into a long sensual kiss. You felt as he left several small kisses on your lips as if to leave his mark on every section before sliding his tongue into your mouth.

Rocket felt so relieved when you kissed back, the feeling of your arms wrapping his torso gave him the confidence to keep going as he reached down to unclip your top. He smiled into the kiss as he felt the warmth of each exposed breast against his torso, feeling as each nipple started to harden in response to the sensation of his fur against them. He could already smell evidence of your arousal currently pooling within your underwear as you both kissed, and he didn’t think he could get harder but there you were making him surprise himself.

He broke the kiss to continue nipping at your neck with added pressure, addicted to getting to hear those sounds come out of your mouth again, and they only got better when he got his deft fingers around those pert nipples of yours. Enjoying every second of listening to you lose control over your vocal capabilities as he lightly tortured each nipple, gently scraping his claw over each. Kissing down your torso he could feel your hands stroke the top of his head as he kissed over the tops of each freed breast, enjoying the combination of scents that was currently soaking your body, the lingering smells of the dance floor, the smoke from the joint you just smoked and all the enticing smells that peaked out from your lower half.

“R…ock…et” 

Was all that was able to slip out of your mouth once Rocket got his jaw around one of your tasty mounds, tongue spoiling the delicate areola with tender sensation. 

Rocket grinned at the eager response as his other paw busied itself kneading the other breast so that it didn’t feel neglected, before switching breasts lavishing the right with just as much enthusiasm as he did the left.

Your head felt dizzy with sensation as your body was painfully sensitive to his touch and some small part of your brain reminded you that solving communication issues with sex is what started this all but you were unable to focus once he slid off your pants.

Rocket’s mouth watered in anticipation as he was staring at your sopping wet mewling quim, flushed with arousal, your clitoris peaking out erect begging for attention. He took a second to let his hot breath wash over the delicate flesh watching in delight as it trembled in response before getting his tongue around his new favorite snack. Rocket quickly went to work reacquainting himself with every contour of your labia, sucking on each gently relishing in each moan that you let out before securing his maw against your clit. Rocket made sure he had good suction around the delectable nub that he was about to torture, as he lazily stroked the clit in small circles before alternating to bigger ones. He loved how your thighs trembled on either side of his head as he sucked the clit directly keeping it lightly trapped between two of his fangs. He switched to a rapid flicking of his tongue vertically as he switched tempo between soft and hard sucking, you came seconds later.

Rocket didn’t stop there fully intent to flood your body with so much dopamine and serotonin that you wouldn’t be able to entertain such stupid thoughts when you two finally got to the talking aspects of the issues you were having but for now this time was for your pleasure.

Rocket’s tongue stroked each inner wall of your cunt like he was trying to make his own 3-D model of it in his head. It didn't take long for him to find the location of the small ridged section of your velvety walls that marked the sensitive bundle of nerves that was your g-spot nor did it take him long to start manipulating said bundle of nerves to the point that your knees turned to jelly. Rocket continued to thrust his tongue at a pistons speed not content with the few orgasms that he had already coaxed from your willing body already, no he wanted to make sure you were thoroughly lubricated when he finally slid in. Though the pre-cum leaking from his fully erect cock was sure to help ease himself into you.

Rocket pulled away once he felt that he was satisfied with his work and judging by the lustful glaze that clouded your pretty irises he had a right to be proud. He smirked at the whimper you made as he rubbed the head of his cock up and down the soaked labia that he had just had his tongue around before slowly sinking into his favorite type of warmth. He rolled his hips into yours slowly enjoying the gasp you made as he did, he was even more enthused to watch the hips that had tormented him on the dance floor, roll to meet his with a degree of urgency that made him feel real good about himself.

Rocket kept his pace slow, deliberate so that you could feel every point of contact from each other whenever he thrust in, all you could do was chant his name like a prayer or a curse before wrapping your legs around him to bring him closer. You needed him closer.

Rocket busied himself groping your breasts as he continued to thrust, he would have preferred to take things slower but he just couldn’t. He needed to feel this closeness with you if the communication problem was ever going to be fixed. Rocket bit into the side of your neck as he came, lightly panting from the exertion and you could hear a few quiet contented trills as Rocket enjoyed the aftermath of his orgasm.

You were expecting him to slide out, and put distance between the both of you like the last time but to your surprise Rocket made no moves to get up.

“I wanna be close with you like this all the time, but it’s not something we could pull off living and working on a ship. And I didn’t want to scare you off with how much I like touchin yah”

You looked down at Rocket sighing lightly to yourself, you were both a pair of idiots that liked to assume what the other was thinking and the meaning behind each action.

“We need to have that actual talk, Rocket, we can’t keep doing this back and forth dance of assuming what the other is up to then getting it wrong. I can’t handle the emotional whiplash”

Your eyes were begging him to agree.

Rocket looked up at you “You’re right” he paused before an idea crossed his mind “Maybe we can go on a trip just the two of us to hash this all out without our idiot crewmates making commentary?”

He was trying so hard, and it did sound like a good idea for you both “Alright Rocket, that sounds great”

The smile that he gave you in response was infectious and you couldn’t help but smile back as well.

Though neither of you meant to, the both of you fell asleep in the private room of The Blazing Place but woke up in your room on the Milano with a few pre-rolled joints on your bedside table and a note that read: Glad you two were able to work things out. Enjoy these joints to help you both keep up with the new better vibes!Come back anytime!

Mr.Cosmic

You decided to fall back asleep in Rocket's arms dreaming of quality time spent on the vacation you had yet to plan but things were looking up. @raccoonfallsharder @watchersclaws-blog

[raayllum]

i have a sinking feeling that rayla won’t appear at all or only in the last episode of this season

what do you think?

I don't think so, simply because there's too much context they have to give that they can't give without showing her side of things (and that would take time). We know S4 is written for the casual viewer, so said casual viewers won't have the 1) preparation of expecting her to be gone and 2) context and elaboration of Through The Moon. Case in point, 4x01 doesn't mention her at all until the very end, in which we find out she disappeared on Callum's birthday 1-2 years ago.

However, if the viewer is too enmeshed in Callum's feelings, it can be very easy for them to lose sympathy or understanding for Rayla's side of things. She wasn't right to leave and I don't believe the show/narrative will portray otherwise, but we also can't have people broadly writing her off for it (and people have, even with the context of TTM, which is...)

So there's a few things S4 has to do with Rayla:

Explain why she left in a way that's sympathetic even if undeniably flawed

Give context to her current situation and what she's been doing for the past two years. This could both wildly diverge from post-ttm thoughts (maybe she has allies, maybe she's gotten involved in some deep dark magic shit, who knows) or be sad Rayla alone times the way we've largely speculated

Resolve her arc. I don't think we'll see much more of "Rayla taking things on" to this degree post-s4 (aka she'll probably always be selfless and a little reckless, but not self-destructive and not going to abandon her friends/family again) so somehow, she has to have a self-worth epiphany and change of heart.

Also resolve her plot line with Callum since even if S5 may see some stuff lingering (reaffirming some of their trust, etc) I don't think they'll continue to be separated post-S4 / Aaravos getting out of the mirror. There will be too much else going on post-release for us to have time for them to be separated further, I think, at least in so dramatic / unresolved way. I could see them having separate episodes / subplots in the future (like 1x07 and 2x01 for ex)

Possibly learn that her family are in the Coins (as of TTM she just thinks they're dead) which is one of the reasons I'm leaning towards her being captured, as it would give her and Callum something to chase together (to again, reaffirm the resolution of her S4 arc) and set up a dual drive for approaching Aaravos etc head on in S5. (I could also see the coins ending up in her possession in S4 though so S5 is just figuring out how to get them out.)

So I think we may have to wait until post-4x03 to see Rayla (unless they explain her absence sooner rather than later in 4x02 or something) but I think she'll be a big player by the mid-point, if only because I do think she'll be a major aspect of the finale arc (4x07-4x09ish) in a variety of ways.

But her not being in the season almost at all?

[funkymbtifiction]

How can I word this? Well, I'll give it a try.

I think I'm most likely sx-blind, but I've seen certain traits in myself that seem capable of creating "fake sx."

Ni-dom tends to give me an instant "vibe" of what I think people are like. I usually categorize them the more I get to know them, almost like they're "avatars" with a particular aura I grasp at first (melancholy but bubbly on the surface, social sorority type, art school type who likes solitude are examples) with traits that tend to fall into further fleshing out those categories. I usually am not surprised by things I find out about people as a result, because they usually fall into my initial conclusions rather than feeling like completely new information (even though I wouldn't have predicted them in advance.) There's a fair amount of confirmation bias involved in this. This analysis has struck me as so, even if it's immediate, because of the amount of "analyzing people based on social groups" involved in it. I don't think of people as people I can describe immediately so much as collections of various traits and influences.

Anyway, that sounds very analytical, but the "instant vibe" ability means that I can usually predict after 1-2 conversations whether a person could be a close friend of mine, a somewhat close friend/acquaintance, or someone I don't see myself hanging out with much in the future. This has led to more "sx" behavior where I hyper-focus on some individuals who I think I'd get along with and don't really pay as much attention to others (though I don't purposefully try to drive them away, either. I prefer to be polite to everyone than randomly exclusionary.) The individuals I focus on tend to also be the only ones I have romantic or sexual interest in, though I'm not sure if this is sx so much as I only have romantic interest when I feel socially comfortable with someone.

You sound like an INFJ with a social instinct and possibly a sexual instinct, yes. Could be so/sx.

I'm also pretty sure I'm a 4, as when things go wrong for me I immediately focus on my flaws and why I'm so terrible that no one ever wants me for me. I've heard of an sx thing called "merging," and I think as a 4, when I meet someone I really respect, I have a similar thing where I want to become them to some extent. Sometimes I don't really feel confident as myself because I assume it's not "right for the context," and so I imagine a friend or celebrity I think would do well in the situation, whose personality seems to fit better, and try to re-create myself in their image temporarily. When it's really unhealthy, I try to forget that I'm myself entirely and to completely take on the best traits of someone who seems perfect and has it all together. Kind of like going through my day roleplaying because acting like myself just feels unlikeable.

None of that is 4. That is anti-4. A 4 would refuse to recreate themselves into someone else or copy them, or become more like them, because the 4's whole thing is being unique / nobody else like me, so they would self-differentiate (here are our differences, I will make a tarnished necklace of my identity and wear it, showcasing what is damaged about me as a sexual display) to the extreme. Recreating oneself into other people, feeling others have a more interesting identity, and taking on their traits is more 3. So you could be a 3w4 or even a 9w1 merging into other people's identities, since it seems confusing and unattractive to create your own. But not a 4.

Also, compared to other sx-blinds I know, I feel less discomfort with sex and dating, assuming I'm socially comfortable with someone. I like talking about romantic experiences (well, more hearing about them from other people than describing my own unless it's a very comfortable environment,) and I find it interesting to "push" people slightly to see how they'll respond, especially in debates. There are certain topics and hobbies I can get very emotionally intense about, like music and fiction, and the most "authentic" way for me to work is to get passionate and focus on something deeply, for a short amount of time. I'm not sure why all this is and if it has anything to do with Enneagram, or if it's just personal preference.

This could be so/sx, yeah.

[mbti-notes]

P1) So I have this friend, an Enfp like me. For years she's been a dear friend of mine, and being of similar types have made us very easily get along. But now that we're growing older it feels like I'm in a different place in terms of Fi development, and her lack of development is starting to rub me the wrong way. During the time when we both started to get into Fi development, I started focusing on branching out and figuring out who I was, and she ended up in one relationship after another.

[con’t: The men were nice, and I'm not saying that being in relationships is a bad thing or is inherently detrimental to Fi. But now she's single, and says she feels listless, lonely. She says she seeks out men of status to make her feel accomplished but then either ends up losing interest or they break it off. I've been giving her advice to generate self interest, instead of seeking out interest solely in other people, to pursue her passions, and for a bit it seemed like she was taking my advice. 

But recently I've seen a... I don't know if it's a different version of unhealthy Fi, or whether it truly is a problem with me. If it is me, I would like to fix it. She seems to kind of assume my motives based off of what she herself is feeling. For example, if she feels insecure about something she'll act on the assumption that I'm judging her. I will be completely clueless to the fact that she thinks this until one of her actions based off of that assumption ends up being hurtful. When I come back and tell her that her actions are hurtful and based on false premises, she doesn't apologize, and despite saying that she loves me regardless, says that she feels I'm kind of a judgy person so that's why she assumed. I try my level best to be a non-judgemental person, given that I'm quite aware that people come from all sorts of life experiences and backgrounds, and I've had friends tell me it's one of my better qualities. 

There are times when I do say I can't condone a course of action (because it will hurt someone else or cause problems) and I have had someone break a friendship with me over that before. That person I've been told was toxic and manipulative, and later on I've heard that she herself thought she mightve been wrong. So I've assumed that what she said might not have been true. My family teases me about me being rigid on my morals, but apart from that no one has really mentioned it to me before. I know that being judgy could be a unhealthy trait from Fi, but I have the feeling that my close friend might be having an unhealthy Fi instead. 

So I suppose my questions are: am I indulging in unhealthy Fi traits? If so, how should I fix it? If she's the one being unhealthy, how so and how would you advise me to react? As I said, she's a dear friend of mine of many years. I know there've been times that I've been shitty that she's patiently guided me and times I've been behind where she's waited for me to catch up, so in this case I don't want to leave her behind. I know that I can't get her to change if she doesn't want to, (especially now that she feels that I'm being judgemental I don't want to press) but how do I react to someone with an unhealthy Fi while asserting my boundaries?]

When you’ve been friends with someone for a long time, especially if many of those years were formative years, it’s natural for the relationship to carry a lot of baggage - they become more like a family member than a friend. That “baggage” can be a blessing and a curse. It’s nice to have someone who’s known you so well and so long. They’re able to put you in context, they’re able to reflect back to you how you have or haven’t changed for the better, and the bond between you is strong due to all the shared experiences. On the negative side, baggage means that there exist some unresolved issues, problems that float around in the background, pain or resentment that gets swallowed for fear of rocking the boat too much, etc. Try to remember the positive when things get negative.

As a general rule, when an unhealthy dynamic between two people forms, both people feed into it in some way, otherwise it wouldn’t continue to get worse over time. Avoid trying to label one person as the only source of the problem. It’s not a case of either/or:

1) I believe that your friend is indeed having difficulty with Fi development, which is HER business to handle. It sounds like she uses men as a means to paper over low self-esteem, which is a manifestation of Te loop that gets in the way of Fi development. What she chooses to do is part of her journey of growth (or lack of growth as the case may be). You have to let her make her own mistakes and learn from them, just as I’m sure you wouldn’t appreciate always being told what to do as though you’re stupid. This reminds me of an old song that goes something like: “If I make mistakes, they’re MY mistakes, and I cherish them as part of MY story.” You may believe that you know better than her about how to develop Fi, but perhaps you forget that an important part of being FP is that you have to honor your own story. You can’t live someone else’s story, i.e., betray Fi, and then hope to have healthy Fi in the end. Sometimes, honoring your own story means taking paths that others wouldn’t and falling flat on your face.

2) I also believe that your friend is defensive partly because you have been somewhat judgmental, which is YOUR business to handle. Even if you don’t say it out loud, people can sense disapproval, especially NFs. With your voice in her ear, I’m sure she has some awareness that her behavior is problematic. However, if you keep reminding her of this, what you’re doing is exacerbating the shame and guilt that she feels for “slipping”. You’re asking her to do what’s right, which is what Fi would do, but remember that you may also be asking her to do something that she is not yet ready or ABLE to do - this is how the line gets crossed. 

When you keep reminding FPs that they’re unable to do something, it doesn’t help them - it only makes them feel incompetent. If they feel that way long enough, it affects their self-esteem, which further exacerbates the feeling of incompetence in a vicious cycle. From here, she starts to assume things about your motives, as she projects her own sense of inadequacy. No one likes to feel less than. If you want to give advice, make sure that it’s wanted and appropriate for her level of competency. Most importantly, advice should be given lovingly, i.e., it should always be obvious that you are doing it from a place of care and empathy rather than a place of moral judgment. Avoid language that implies something about her moral character and focus more on the actions/consequences. You can’t speak such that you never offend anybody, but you can always check and recheck your own intentions to make sure that you’re speaking from the heart rather than the finger.

Sometimes, healing a relationship means stepping back a bit to let things cool down, such that you are able to return with fresher eyes. There’s a time for encouraging your friend, there’s a time for telling them the truth, and there’s a time for leaving them alone. It’s not always easy to decide the best option because the other person may not even know what it is they really need from you, if anything. At least she’s letting you know in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t need or want your judgment. To me, this raises the question of what she does need from you. It seems that you don’t know, because every time you try to intervene, you’re not helping her in any discernible way. If the people close to you are implying that you’re judgy, it’s something to pay attention to. It means that you’re either not approaching “helping” with the right intention or you’re not expressing your desire to help in the right way. Something that I often have to remind Fi types of is that “helping” is ultimately about the other person, not just about you satisfying your own moral imperatives. If you forget this, you may easily overstep and disrespect the other person’s boundaries due to imposing your values on them.

ENFPs love to discuss the things that are important to them. They love to explore new ideas and possibilities. But if the only reason you’re engaging in the discussion is to try to “lead” her into agreeing with your way of judging the situation, she’ll know, and she’ll close up, because you’re being disingenuous. In essence, being “judgy” might mean that you are imposing your idea of what Fi development is onto her, instead of helping her to discover the best ways of reaching healthy Fi on her own terms, at her own pace, in her own way - assuming that Fi development is still something that she wants. 

It’s easy to spot problems in people, but it’s a lot harder to come up with the most appropriate solution. Like it or not, these men are fulfilling a need in her life, and this can easily turn into a form of addiction, with withdrawal symptoms and all that jazz. The longer someone carries on a pattern, the harder it is to break. What exactly is the need that she’s attempting to fill? Where does that need come from, why does it exist in that form, or why is it such an urgent matter to her that she’s unable to give up her pattern of serial dating? Is there a better or healthier method to address the need... a method that she is capable of carrying out? If there is a competency problem, what is the best way to address it? These are the questions that you should ask, if you want to understand her well enough to tackle the problem constructively. And you may not get the answers until you approach her at the right time, in the right way.

[scripttorture]

So, I have a plotbunny where what happens to the MC functionally = partial(?) Solitary Confinement, but it's a little odd so I'd like your thoughts to see if I'm on a realistic track? MC (16yo girl) voluntarily agrees to "give her life" to a supernatural being to save her mother. However, classic Fairy Logic applies - she THINKS she'll die or disappear, but it's actually "you must devotedly guard this isolated magical place". What this amounts to is a situation I'll detail in more Asks...?(1/7)

2/7) So, MC thinks then that she'll be obligated to do this forever/rest of her life, in order to save/protect her mother. She's compassionate/strongly attached to her loved ones, so keeping BOTH her parents from suffering from what would happen to Mom is "worth it" to her (note: effectively there is also another "her" who is their kid. The parents don't realize a "version" of her is doing this, so they're blissfully ignorant too). This gives her a Purpose automatically, but it definitely (...)(3/7) changes what she thought she was resigned to. The (humanoid) entity she's serving does spend time with her each day, including gentle touch, and leaves its familiars (two very friendly big cats) with her always, but it does leave her by herself for long periods (hours at a time), and she is forbidden from leaving without permission and even when one of her friends winds up finding the place, she's not allowed to admit to them it's really her/have proper contact with them. However (...)(4/7) Shortly after that, she is told that it was never intended to be permanent - it was for "a year and a day" - a test, which she's just passed. So, she is abruptly told she can/should "go home", when she thought she would be there indefinitely. She winds up with a version of her family who have lost their version of her. They know she's an alt-universe version, but to them, she's so similar to their kid, and anyway, "biologically her twin", that they feel emotionally attached to her (...)(5/7) + they empathize with/feel responsible for her, especially as she's still so young + they're horrified to learn she was apparently "alone" (or at least without her loved ones/normal contact) for so long. They immediately accept her as their kid, and she can't help but see them as the "same" people, so she's drawn to the idea of being adopted/with them but, obviously the whole thing is kind of traumatic and weird for her - and this is what I'm wanting to run by you? So far, I have her (...)(6/7) struggling to adjust to the sudden shift in routines (they try to send her back to normal school, which feels "noisy" and "chaotic" to her; she puts up with it b/c she "has to", but winds up "spacey and distracted" [dissociating] during some of her classes, and struggles with focus on academic material); being twitchy/hypervigilant (she reduces her anxiety by always plotting physical exits and practicing kata every morning/evening); having poor sleep/trouble falling asleep/nightmares (...)(7/7) + suffering anxiety/self-doubt, questioning whether these versions of her loved ones really accept her or if they just feel obligated to pretend/secretly internally reject her or worse, see her as a daily reminder of the girl they lost and feeling pain that they're hiding from her. She also tries to pretend nothing is wrong when they ask how she's doing out of worry, b/c she doesn't want to "burden" anybody. Plausible - yes/no/maybe? (Also - sorry for the length of this, wow)

I actually really likelong asks. They tend to mean I have all the detail I need to give a proper,helpful answer. (They are a little intimidating but so satisfying once answered).Sorry it took so long to get this answered.

 You’ve got a reallyinteresting scenario here and I think generally speaking it’s really plausible.

 I always link to Shalev’sSourcebook when solitary comes up because it’s a brilliant free resource.

 All of the thingsyou’ve hit on are possible symptoms of prolonged (ie over a week) solitaryconfinement. And they’re symptoms that can persist for a very long time afterrelease.

 She should also showthese symptoms while she’s insolitary. You could write it asthough she had these symptoms but didn’t consciously notice most of them whileshe was acting as a guard. If she was spending most of her time alone or withanimals she might not necessarily have processed her dissociation, anxiety orhypervigilance as unusual.

 People aren’t alwaysaware of the symptoms they have. Sometimes it takes interaction with others torealise that what’s happening isn’t ‘normal’. She may also have seen her symptoms as normal for her situation and expected them to stop instantly if she ever got out.

 If the only human-likeinteraction she has is with a mythological creature (that from the sound ofthings doesn’t think or act like a human) well then she could potentially go ayear without realising these are symptoms. She’d feel them and she’d feel‘bad’, but she might not have the words to express them or think of them assomething that’s caused by her circumstances.

 The interaction she haswith her ‘captor’ sounds as though it’s mostly positive and never violent. Thatwould help her hugely.

 The main negative factor is her going throughthis thinking that she’ll be stuck there forever. It sounds as though she madepeace with that and accepted her fate. So suddenly being jerked out of thatsituation would be a helluva shock. And that would impact her symptoms.

 Overall I think you’vegot a very solid scenario here, but there are two things I’d suggest adding toit.

 The first is physicalsymptoms. Solitary does have a set of physical symptoms some of which may becaused by prison conditions but some are harder to pin down. The eye sightproblems Shalev lists may be causedby the conditions in the average solitary cell, which isn’t similar to her situation. But the headaches, joint aches and insomniaare harder to pin down. They could be applicable to her situation and thephysical symptoms of solitary confinement/isolation are rarely discussed infiction.

 The second thing ismemory problems. Difficulty concentrating and learning are common in torturevictims and can persist for years after torture. I’d expect a noticeable dropin her grades if she returned to school. I’d also expect her to find learningand remembering information from her classes more difficult, and for that to befrustrating and perhaps stressful.

 It’s the kind of thingthat feeds into a victim’s negative feelings about themselves, whether they‘belong’ in their community and their self worth. And since you seem to befocusing on that through her other mental health problems I think includingmemory problems could add to your story.

 It sounds a lot likeyou’re exploring the social isolation victims can feel, or at least as thoughthe story could be heading there. I think that’s great because it’s notsomething we generally see in fiction. At least not from theinside. 

Instead social isolation tends to be something victims are blamed for:either because their symptoms are deemed socially unacceptable (and thereforetheir fault) or because they’re not ‘trying hard enough’ to interact. The wayyou’ve used her symptoms to show whyshe feels out of place and how that can lead to further isolation is reallyvery good. And probably true to a lot of people’s experiences.

 Some further points youmight want to consider-

 How well known is thissort of magic in your setting? If your character doesn’t have to constantlyexplain what happened to her and if this sort of situation happens often enoughthat she’s believed that will helpher recovery a lot. But it will probably also affect how the people around herinteract with her. Do kids at school pester her, point her out in thecorridors, or want her to recount every detail of her ordeal?

 Would the kind ofsacrifice you character made be regarded as exceptional, or would it be anexpected/proper show of familial devotion?

 Would the people aroundher make any kind of allowances for her behaviour/experience? For example ifshe finds school noisy and chaotic would the other children talk more quietlyif she asked? If they do makeallowances would she be grateful or resent them as a reminder that she’s‘different’ and doesn’t fit in.

 Arethere any other people who might have experienced something similar? Could shecommunicate with them? Mental illness is usually pretty scary but it’s a LOTscarier if you can’t recognise what’s happening to you. Being able tocommunicate with someone who could tell her that the anxiety, the hypervigilance,the (possible) memory problems are normalwould help her immensely. It would put these symptoms into context and enableher to recognise them as symptomsrather than something fundamentally ‘broken’ about herself.

 Beingable to exchange coping strategies can also be hugely beneficial.

 This is also going tobe hugely stressful for her parents who are probably trying very hard tosupport her, but may not know exactly what to do. My own family has generallybeen pretty shit about mental health so I have rather more examples of thingsthat don’t help than things that do.

 One ‘normal’ thing thatstands out which could potentially have a huge negative effect is how theyrespond to her falling grades and the way she’s struggling at school.Approaching it as though she’s not working hard or trying could be hugelydamaging and feed into her doubts and anxiety.

 I hope that helps.Generally I think it sounds like you’re doing really well. :)

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