#he’s a little badly adjusted and it’s really not his fault

[strayheartless]

A headcanon I have about Sephiroth is that he’s pretty agoraphobic outside of going to work on missions. He doesn’t really like being outside if he’s not contracted to be there because people perceive him. Even if he manages, by the grace of the gods, to go under the radar, he is still activly hating every second of being outside.

If Genesis or Angeal are with him he’s a bit better. He trusts that they will take care of him and not let anyone come up to him or crowd him. But the minute he has to go on his own? Absolutely not.

He needs food for the week? It’s fine he’ll just starve.

He has run out of Conditioner? He’ll steal Gens.

There’s a really cool thing going on across town that only he is interested in? Crippling disappointment but you still could not fork lift him out of the building.

It’s Bad. With a capital B.

Even when he’s out with his friends he holds Genesis’ sleeve in crowds and keeps close to Angeal’s back. Both of them have little tug marks on all of their civilian clothing that is affectionately-yet also concernedly- referred to as Sephi-tug’s. He needs to be able to reach his hand out to them otherwise they are too far away.

He doesn’t do Bars; he just about manages Theatres because Genesis always pays for box seats; he accepts grocery stores as long as Angeal is with him and he is in charge of the cart. And it’s something that brings him no small amount of shame.

I have this headcanon not because I read Seph as autistic (although I do like that reading.). No, I have this headcanon because Sephiroth grew up in a lab, and I don’t think proper socialising was ever on Hojo’s list of priorities.

We see a little bit of his engagement with the outside world in Ever Crisis and it’s kind of a similar vibe. However as someone who struggles to leave the house independently themselves, Sephiroth gives off the same vibe that I feel when trying to convince myself to walk to the supermarket.

He needs a plan off attack and a buddy. If a task needs done but requires him to go out and buy the stuff to get it done, without a companion? It’s not getting done. End of story. This has knock on effects for him such as, not being able to clean effectively, or shower effectively or handle social interaction outside of his chosen people.

He never had to go outside for anything mundane as a child, so he has no idea how to even breath in the space. It’s scary and apart from being abandoned or never finding his mother, it is one of Sephiroth’s greatest fears.

After Genesis and Angeal leave he doesn’t go out, period. Lazard starts having things delivered to him and once Zack realises how bad it gets, he starts picking up stuff when he goes out with Cloud or Kunsel or to see Aerith. There has been many times he has paused their date so that he can Ring Sephiroth and find out if he has food in or what brand of Shampoo he wants. Aerith thinks it’s sweet. Zack doesn’t want to explain that it’s not just cause he knows he needs it, it’s because if he doesn’t buy it Sephiroth will literally starve himself.

[too-much-tma-stuff]

Never a Dull Moment (Part 15)

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Well for all the meeting with the JL had sort of been shit, it had brought Jason back to the attention of the hero community. He was rebuilding, or building bonds with his adoptive brothers and, while he still wasn’t really a hero, he was far from joining the legion of doom. He wanted to help the heroes when he could, especially if they’d pay him, or return the favour later, or were family. But if he was going to be working with the heroes, and the bats again, there was one more person he really needed to make up with, and one more he needed to meet.

Steph hadn’t been part of the bats before he died, neither had Tim, so he had never met her, and Barb… he’d heard about what had happened to her. The Joker had shot her, paralyzed her from the waist down and officially, and permanently benched Batgirl. Apparently Huntress had tried to take the mantle for a while, but it didn’t suit her style. Jason wasn’t sure how he would handle seeing someone else so badly hurt by the Joker.

It helped that the Joker was dead now of course, but that wasn’t really the part of it he was worried about. She had found a new place for herself, carved out a space as Oracle, the bat’s ‘guy-in-the-chair’, she had adjusted to such a devastating change and she was… okay. He had died, yes, but he had been brought back, but he was unquestionably worse. Seeing her was going to make him so ashamed of himself. Through no fault of her own she was the standard Bats hurt by the joker were held to, and he had failed it spectacularly. 

Not that the others hadn’t been hurt by the Joker. Tim had told Jason about his time as Joker Junior in confidence and it sounded fucking awful, and Tim was permanently affected by it. He said he couldn’t remember many details but he knew he didn’t experience emotions the same way he had before, and he was still prone to bouts of mania. Jason could sympathize with that, he understood, and he certainly understood what it was like to fear insanity, what one could become if they finally fell off the knife edge they were tottering on. Both he and Danny were intimately familiar with that feeling, and they could all support each other through it. 

Once he had met ‘O’ maybe he would find out ways that she wasn’t as well adjusted as she seemed from the outside but right now? Jason found her tremendously intimidating. So sue him that he had been putting off meeting her in person again, in spite of Dickie’s gentle nagging to incorporate himself more with the Gotham vigilantes. 

“Really Jay, she’d be happy to meet you and it would make it so much easier to coordinate with you and help you if you need it.” Dick insisted as he followed from the living room to the kitchen, without seeming to register it.

“I’m already on the coms. I hacked them ages ago and she hasn’t booted me off, we can coordinate. It’s not like I ever ask you guys for help anyway,” Jason grumbled. “Why do you want me to meet your ex so badly?!” He snapped as he put the kitchen island between himself and Dick to enforce some space, then winced a little. He really needed to stop lashing out when he was feeling a bit defencive, thankfully these things seemed to just bounce off of Dick. Though the jury was out on if he knew Jason didn’t mean it or if they just went over his head. 

“Ya, but it’s her channels you’re hacking and honestly she’s starting to get pretty upset about you not engaging with her!” Dick said, talking with his hands to the extent Danny subtly rescued his glass of pop before it could get spilled or accidentally flung at the wall. “Doesn’t matter that she’s my ex, she's one of us and she’s good! You’re getting back involved with our family, you should get back in touch with her!”

Danny put the glass down on the counter and casually blocked Dick’s way before he could follow Jason around the counter, leaning against. He was doing that thing he did where he practically faded into the background without going fully invisible. Not interrupting the conversation while still keeping an eye on Jason, which he appreciated because he did not want to lose it on his well meaning (if pushy) brother. 

“I’m not fucking one of you! I’m not a hero!” Jason growled at Dick, feeling Danny gently rest a hand on his arm reminding him to take a deep breath. 

“But you’re still part of the family, Littlewing,” Dick pleaded, looking a little hurt and terribly hopeful. “Please?”

Jason felt that like a punch in the gut, and really he knew Dick was right and he should meet the two of them. He groaned and rubbed his face. “Fine, she’s always on the coms right? Next time I’ll just apologize for hacking them and have a chat.” 

“Actually Bruce will be off-world next week so we’re all having a family lunch at the manor, you should come!” Dick enthused.

“I haven’t-”

“Yes you have, I know you’ve sneaked in to visit Alfred! Not that I blame you of course. He’d love to have you there,” Dick interrupted, giving Jason his best puppy dog eyes.

Shit, bringing up Alfred was just cheating, those puppy dog eyes didn’t usually work on him but Jason could feel himself softening. His shoulders slowly drooping before he heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Fine, yes, we’ll come,” He grumbled.

“We’ll?” Dick asked looking confused, before Danny slipped out of his half visible state and pressed against Jason’s side smiling at Dick. 

“We’re looking forward to it,” Danny said, smiling at Dick. He hadn’t technically been invited, but surely they couldn’t expect Jason to go without his partner. 

“Oh, ah, right,” Dick said shifting awkwardly. He looked like he might want to suggest Jason's first family lunch since getting back should be with family only, but Danny put on his best innocently excited look and Dick couldn’t bring himself to say no. He stifled a sigh and put his smile back on. “Great! I’m sure Alfred will be happy to have both of you.”

“Great. Now that you’ve gotten your way will you both get out of my kitchen so I can cook?!” Jason insisted, still only half regretting inviting Dick over for dinner tonight.

---------

Jason knew better than to bring anything to the family dinner. Alfred liked to do all of the cooking for these things, he considered coming early to help him with the cooking he wanted to do. But honestly he didn’t think that he could handle any more time with the family then was absolutely needed. Just going back to the manor, not just sneaking into the kitchen to have tea with Alfred, was going to be hard enough. 

Danny wasn’t anywhere near as nervous as Jason was, he was sort of excited to meet them and to get a tour of the home Jason had spent such formative years in. Jason caught the mischievous look in Danny’s eyes when he talked about getting a tour and Jason was pretty sure that Bruce was going to come back to find that something expensive or potentially sentimental had been mysteriously broken. Jason didn’t mention it, he didn’t blame Danny for the urge and didn’t want to know anything about it. He just wanted to show up for dinner, stay for an hour or two to make nice, and then get drunk.

“Jason? We’re going to be late,” Danny said softly, leaning against the back of the couch where Jason was sitting. He didn’t say it with any urgency, he wasn’t rushing Jason. It was a gentle reminder, if Jason wanted to be late Danny would support it, if Jason wanted to cancel and not go at all Danny would curl up on the couch with him and not bring up the dinner again  unless Jason did. Even if he did want to go.

“You’re right, we should get going,” Jason agreed and stood up. “How do I look?” He asked, he was wearing untorn jeans and a short sleeved shirt with a collar, almost a polo.

Danny gave him a considerate look, “Downright preppy,” He chuckled, leaning forward to giving Jason a gentle kiss. He was wearing a sort of silky black button down and tight jeans, also nice, but more his style. 

Jason laughed softly into the kiss and gripped Danny’s hips, pulling him closer and prolonging the kiss as Danny let out a little sound of pleasure. Maybe they should be late after all…

Danny broke the kiss and stepped away. “You look good Jason, you’ll make a good impression on them. And no matter what happens you’ll still have me. If you want to cut them all off again and go back to the way things were, you’ll still have me. No matter what.” Danny promised Jason, holding his hand and guiding him towards the door. 

“I’m not going to isolate us again Danny. And you shouldn’t let me even if I try,” Jason told Danny, trying to keep his tone light to undercut how much he meant it. “And if I do feel free to stage an intervention.”

Danny laughed and gave Jason a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and didn’t respond. Well that was clearly a topic they were going to have to talk about more later, but apparently now was not the time because Danny tugged Jason more forcefully out of the door. Jason took over leading the way down and tugged Danny onto the back of his bike before taking off toward the manor. 

The gate opened as they pulled up which meant someone must have been watching for them, Jason barely had to slow down to duck through the half open gate. He skidded to a stop at the end of the long driveway that separated the Wayne’s from the rest of Gotham. He hadn’t noticed anyone hanging around the gate but he wondered if anyone would notice the two new people driving into the estate, and if there would be any speculation about who they were. He hoped not, unless it would give Bruce a headache, then maybe he could put up with it.

Danny hopped off the back of his bike and took off his helmet, fussing and fluffing up his flattened hair as he looked around them with a grin. Jason flipped down the kickstand and got up as well, taking off his helmet and shrugging off his jacket. Quickly Dick came bursting out of the door and leaping down the front steps to hug Jason, who quickly redirected Dick at Danny who laughed and hugged Dick tightly, lifting him off the ground and making him squeak. 

Jason grinned and looked up, freezing for just a moment when he saw Alfred, standing in the open doorway with his hands clasped behind his back, watching them with a barely there smile. Jason left the other two as Danny put Dick down again laughing at his expression, and Jason went up the stairs ahead of them. 

“It’s good to see you again Master Jason,” Alfred murmured to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. His accent and the warmth in his eyes always felt like home, Jason’s shoulder unknotted a little. “I know the manor doesn’t feel like home for you, but you’re still always welcome here.”

“I know Alfred,” Jason said softly. And he did, even Bruce wouldn’t turn him out, though he would ask for certain concessions. Any time Jason wanted to give up and come home, he could, too bad he’d always been too proud and too driven to give up. He’d blow everything up first, a trait he wasn’t exactly proud of. 

“As long as you know. Come on in, you and your partner,” He said, nodding behind Jason and when he glanced back Danny was there and he nudged gently against Jason’s shoulder. Jason took the hint and wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders.

“Alfred, this is my boyfriend Danny. Danny, this is the family butler, and pseudo grandfather, Alfred.” Jason introduced them and Danny smiled brightly, holding out his hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you!” Danny said as Alfred shook his hand. “Jason has told me so much about you, I’m so glad to finally meet you.” 

“And I you young man, it is delightful to meet anyone who has brought so much joy to my grandchildren’s lives,” Alfred said warmly before ushering them all inside and to the dining room to get them all drinks. 

“It’s good to finally meet you!” A blond girl popped out of nowhere making Jason jump. 

“Fu-”

“Language Master Jason!” Alfred cut in.

“Sorry Alfred, she just startled me,” Jason told him before looking back at the blond. “So you must be Steph eh? Kinda funny how the people who date into this fucked up family never escape even long after the breakup,” He chuckled as he offered her his hand, which she grabbed with both of hers and shook vigorously. 

“Hey I could totally leave if I want to, I didn’t become Spoiler because of him! I like being a vigilante!” She insisted before letting go and moving on to shake Danny’s hand. “Behold! Your future,” She joked and he cackled. 

“Jason and I aren’t planning to break up any time soon,” he joked back. “And I was a cape long before I met him, more of a cape then I am now actually,” He said, clicking his tongue and snuggling back against Jason’s side when she let go. 

“Oh ya? How’d you get into it,” Steph asked curiously. 

“Oh it was after I got my powers at 14,” Danny started to explain. A story Jason had heard before, and he had a feeling Steph already knew as well but wanted to hear directly from the source. 

Jason looked up and around the room, sort of tuning out their conversation since he already had an idea how it would go. He spotted Barbra quickly, she had pulled her wheelchair at the table, she had her elbows propped on the arms and her hands folded, staring at him over steepled fingers. Well, time to face the music. He kissed the top of Danny’s head and slipped away, walking around the table and sitting down next to her. 

“Hey Barbie,” He said a little awkwardly, she gave him a look that made him wince. “Sorry Barbra,” He murmured, wondering how she perfected Alfred’s disappointed look more than any of the kids who actually grew up with him.

“Barb is fine,” She said, spinning her chair to face him a little more. 

“Right, it’s- um, it’s good to see you again?” He said it like a question. 

“Really?” She asked, raising her eyebrows and leaning back in her chair. “And here I thought you’d been avoiding me.”

“Ya, I’m sorry. I don’t really have any excuse,” He admitted, looking away from her. 

“Do you have a reason?” She asked, raising one eyebrow. 

“Well, ya, but I don’t know if it’s a good one,” He told her.

“Tell it to me anyway.”

“I couldn’t face someone else The Joker hurt so bad. I didn’t know about Timmer’s Joker Jr incident when I reached out to him,” Jason sighed, unable to look at her. 

“What? Am I everything you don’t want to be?” She asked dryly and he shook his head. 

“No, you’re what I should have been if I was stronger,” He admitted with a sigh. “I’m sure you had a ton of shit to work through, but you moved forward and found a new role for yourself, stayed a part of the family and didn’t distance yourself. You’re not stuck in the past, obsessed with revenge and so fucking angry and scared,” Jason grumbled. 

“So I make you feel inadequate?” She asked with an amused note to her voice. 

“Ya I guess so,” Jason said with a bitter little snort of a laugh.

“I guess I can understand that,” Barb sighed with a little shrug. “You shouldn't compare yourself to others like that though you know. It's not healthy, you're on your own ‘healing journey’.” At least she put finger-quotes around the phrase. None of the bats took particularly well to therapy talk though she must have had a decent amount of it after her injury. Commissioner Gordon wouldn't have let her go without.

“Gee thanks,” Jason said,  rolling his eyes. “But also, kinda ya. I'm trying to be better you know? That's why I'm here, I'm trying to do better you know? I appreciate that you haven't kicked me off the coms, but I'd like to be on them in a more official way now. Me and Danny, we care about Gotham too, we should work with her other protectors a bit more.”

“Remember you're not supposed to talk about work at dinner, did you already forget that rule?” She teased him with a little smile, at least she didn't seem mad anymore. “But I agree, I'll officially add you to our contacts for Arkham breakouts and stuff.

“Now I think Steph is about to give your boyfriend a tour of the manor, do you want to go with them?” Barb asked, gesturing over at Danny, who was indeed being dragged out of the room while laughing.

“Nah, it seems like they're getting along well and I already know my way around here if I need to,” he said with a shrug. “Unless you're trying to get a break from me, then I'll go.”

“No, honestly I'd rather not be left alone with Dick,” she joked making Jason laugh properly and relax at least a little. He relaxed properly when Alfred brought out drinks and appetizers. Soon he was teasing Dick along with Barb, and getting disapproving looks for talking with his mouth full.

Just as food was brought to the table Steph and Danny returned, Jason could tell from how smug Danny looked that something was in the house was broken, Steph seemed blissfully ignorant. Danny slid into the open seat next to Jason. Jason gave him a questioning look, Danny winked and Jason rolled his eyes, he'd find out more about whatever it was Danny had broken later. Tim joined them at the last minute as well, apologizing for losing track of time in his lab. 

The foods was wonderful, Alfred's cooking always tasted like home, and he was the reason Jason showed his love by feeding people. Everything Alfred made was made with love and soon everyone was chatting between bites. Danny and Tim were talking about his lab, which hadn't been part of the tour so Tim was going to show Danny after dinner. Barb and Jason had started talking about books and Dick kept butting in with irrelevant details because he wasn't very academic but he wanted to be part of the conversation. Steph got him off their back by starting to tease him for being a cop and pestering him for stories.

Things were going really well, until everyone's phones went off, with the special ring tones. Everyone reached for their phones. 

“No phones at the tab-” Alfred started automatically before he realized the implications of all of them getting a call. He closed his mouth with a very soft click, Jason didn't have a JL phone, but even he had gotten a text from Wonder Woman so he checked it to. 

There is a disturbance, we will likely need assistance from you and Hyena. We are waiting for word from Constantine.

“Well shit. Sorry dinner’s gotta end early Alfred, it looks like it's all hands on deck. At least we're all here so Danny and I can just Zeta in with all of you.” Jason sighed and pushed back from the table. 

“I don't have my suit,” Danny exclaimed, startled, “I didn't think I'd need it!”

“How quickly can you get it?” Dick asked, clearly worried.

“Give me ten minutes, is there anything you want me to get for you as well?” Jason nodded and told Danny some specific weapons Danny had built for him.  Danny nodded before transforming and speeding out through the wall leaving shocked silence in his wake.

“So that's what his other form looks like? Pretty cool!” Dick exclaimed finally. “Anyway, we should get ready too. Let's head down to the cave and see what info they've already sent through. 

[hyperfixiation-station]

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Information Pt.3

TW: Blood, Torture, Violence

Summary: You get rescued(finally)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

Silent. From the moment Price had found you in that dingy cell, broken and bleeding, that was all you had been. You were silent when they moved you, though it had to have hurt with how many broken bones and lacerations you had. You were silent when the medics asked you where you were injured, how you had been hurt. You were silent through the debriefings, through the desperate attempts to find out what you had been through, what secrets you had spilled. You were silent through all of it. 

It wasn’t your fault, not really. A mental barrier you had constructed during months of torture to keep secrets from spilling, a dam built with a mantra of DON’T TALK to keep your thoughts at bay as your captors repeatedly tried to draw them out of you. 

Even now, when the rational part of your brain knew you were safe, knew that these men, the men you served with, the men who had tracked you down and saved you, were to be trusted, the barrier would not fall. 

Every ‘what did they want from you, what did you see, did you recognize them, how many of them were there’ was met with silence. Anytime you opened your mouth you were hit with a wave of fear so strong it sent you into a panic attack. 

They understood, in part. They had seen recordings, seen the rooms, seen your broken body at the time of rescue. 

It took them 2 days to get to you after figuring out your location. They went in guns blazing, and tore the place to the ground. They split up, Price and Gaz taking the left with Soap and Ghost taking the right. They shot at anything that moved in their quest for vengeance, breaking down doors and checking every nook and cranny for where you might be locked up. 

Price found you about a quarter of the way into the camp. He took the bottom floor and Gaz took the top as they cleared the building. He had stopped before a door that was different, metal and welded shut with a small little flap in the middle, instead of solid and wooden like the others. It took him and Gaz some prying and metalwork, but they got the door open. 

Price almost cried when his eyes adjusted to the change in light. You lay curled in the corner, back to the wall as you shied away from the light. Your hair was tangled and matted with dried blood, your clothes were torn and dirty and your skin was crusted with so much blood and grime that he couldn’t even see you underneath it. 

“Y/n?” He had called, but there was no response. He crept slowly toward you, keeping his movements as open and relaxed as possible. He crouched in front of you, taking note of your dilated pupils, sunken eyes, obviously malnourished form. He winced at the weird bulges in your skin, indicative of broken bones. 

“Sorry love.” He whispered to you, taking a steadying breath as he slid his arms under you and lifted. Hise expected you to cry out, the action no doubt causing unspeakable pain, but you didn’t. In fact, you didn’t react at all. He didn’t dwell on it then, opting to get you somewhere safe and secure. 

“9 broken ribs, a broken left femur, both shoulders dislocated, pneumonia, dehydration and severe malnutrition, multiple lacerations that required stitches, broken wrists, all 10 fingers broken, right kneecap dislocated, multiple concussions, and a hairline fracture on their skull.” The doctor had said. It hurt all of them to hear how badly wounded you were. 

They gave you two weeks to recover before asking any questions. The first week you were unconscious, in a coma as your body tried to heal you. The second week you spent in worrying silence, saying nothing to anyone, not to your doctors, not to your teammates, not to your friends.

Price sent Ghost in first. He had had similar experiences and Price figured he would be able to relate. However when Ghost came storming out an hour later, slamming the door behind him, he came to regret that decision. 

“I got over it.” He had said, “Why can’t they?” Price reminded him that not everyone responds to trauma the same way and sent him away.

Soap tried next, and came out near tears after sending you into a panic attack after calling you ‘Little Bird’. He was confused until Ghost not-so-gently reminded him of the video they had seen, of the words ‘Pretty Bird’ being used over and over. Ghost pretended not to hear him throwing up in the toilet later. 

Gaz tried, to no avail. He ended up just sitting in silence with you, showing you videos of his cats. He counted it a victory when your busted lips twitched into a tiny grin for a few seconds.

And on and on it went, with refusing to speak to anyone. They were losing hope until the psychiatrist finally spoke with you. 

“GIve them time.” She said gently, “You trying to force a response will just make this worse.” 

So they do. The higher-ups still want answers, of course, but Price manages to dissuade them from asking until you are out of the hospital. They spend the weeks treating you as normal as possible, stopping by to give you updates on missions, show you a video of Soap absolutely biffing it in training, tell you the latest gossip of which recruit is sleeping with who. But even though they are trying, they still handle you with kiddie gloves, afraid that the wrong word or look will make you shatter irreversibly. 

Which brings you to now. It’s nearly 2 A.M, and visiting hours are long over as you stand unsteadily in the bathroom, staring at your pale, pathetic form in the mirror. You open and close your mouth, trying and failing to get words out, the barrier cemented in your mind by blood and tears too strong to break down.  

‘Speak, you stupid fucking bitch!’ You scream mentally at yourself, ‘You have to speak! If you don’t you'll be discharged and you'll never be able to serve again! They already think you’re broken, and if you can’t tell them different they’ll never treat you the same. Stop. being. So. Fucking. Pathetic.’

Tears streak your cheeks as you slide down the wall. You draw your knees up, hiding your face in them as your shoulders shake with silent sobs. Rationally, you know you are safe. Rationally, you know that if you were to speak, nothing would happen. But it’s not the rational part of your brain that is keeping you from speaking. 

Going dark in that hellhole you were trapped in had saved your life, and you couldn’t seem to get past it. Sure, not responding had almost killed you right at first, as Kravchenko became more and more ruthless in his attempts to get you to speak again, but eventually he grew bored. His little plaything had lost its sparkle, and he locked you in a cell and threw away the key as soon as he lost interest. But starving to death was still a better alternative to the all-consuming agony that had been your day-to-day. 

And now, the subconscious, irrational part of your brain was convinced that if you spoke you’d be dragged right back and strapped to a table, that you’d wake up to find that your rescue had all been a dream. That you-

“-/n! Y/N! Y/N!” You flinch, startled out of your reverie. You look down to see rivulets of blood running down your arms, your nails having gouged holes into your skin. You look up to see the eyes of a worried nurse, holding your hands in hers. 

“There you are. We lost you for a minute. Do you mind letting me bandage you up here?” Her voice is soft and gentle and you find yourself nodding, letting her lead you back to your bed where she cleans and bandages your upper arms. 

“What are you doing up so late sweetie?” Her voice is calming, almost hypnotic, “I mean, I’m awake cause I get paid to be, but you should be sleeping all your injuries away, shouldn’t you dearie? If I was you, I’d of been cryin’ too, being awake at 2 A.M. for free.” She laughs, the sound echoing through the room, “Course, I suppose you probably think I’m crazy for agreeing to work this shift anyways. Did you know I was supposed to have this shift off? But Roberta’s kids have the flu and so I agreed-” She keeps talking, her voice soothing your fears and helping you relax. YOu can’t help but mentally thank Roberta’s kids for being sick, for sending this wonderful lady who does not treat you like you're going to break at any moment to you tonight. 

“And that should about do it dearie. Just press that little call button if you need any more help, alright?” She says cheerfully. She squeezes your hand and heads to the door before pausing. 

“Make sure to get some sleep.” She leaves, gently closing the door behind her. Something about her makes you feel safer than you have since falling off that helicopter. Maybe it was her motherly demeanor, maybe it was the fact that she treated you like a normal human being, maybe it was the fact that she could have put you on a psych hold an ddin;t, but whatever it was, you loved her for it. 

And as the door closes and the room stills, you whisper a quiet “thanks.” 

Part 4?

~tags~

@louthedino @scarletdfox @dangerkitten1705 @warenai @spineless-spino @rainy-darling

[justmeinatree]

Empty As A Bottle Of Wine

Summary : niall gets home from tour. you’ve missed each other incredibly.

TW : cockwarming

Word Count : 2k

GIF : @horansqueen

you were pouring your fifth? sixth? cup of coffee as the chime on your clock went off. you looked over at the time, showing it was 4am. 

it seemed a bit ridiculous really, waiting up so late. after niall’s show last night, he jetted off to your place for his 2 week break. he would be exhausted and seeing as you’ve lost count of the amount of coffees you drank, you’re pretty tired too. but honestly, nobody would be able to sleep knowing he was finally on his way. this was by far the longest stretch away since you two met and you’re more than ready to feel his touch again.

you weren’t in an official relationship yet, both too busy flirting and lusting to make a serious move. it was both your faults really. you weren’t sure that you were ready for the incredibly grandiose life change that would come with publicly dating niall. and him, well, you weren’t quite sure why he never made the move, but you do know he had been burned bad in the past. 

long nights were spent listening to him pour his heart out about how the others never got him, had a hard time being thrusted into celebrity status, and just had difficulty adjusting to his hectic schedule. you can imagine it being difficult not knowing where in the world your boyfriend was, but isn’t that why they made cell phones anyway? communication works both ways.

as niall steps into the house, he immediately smells the fresh coffee. he chuckles to himself, thinking that you set the timer on the machine before going to sleep, so that he could have a warm drink after his long night. he drops his bags at the door, not caring about getting them much further than the entrance. he runs his hand through his hair as he rounds the corner into your kitchen. it’s fairly dimly lit, just a few candles spread out and some soft lighting, seeping in from the living room. he notices you perched on the counter, coffee mug in hand as you’re taking a sip. 

it takes him a moment, through bleary, sleep deprived eyes, to notice that you’re there, awake. “hey nialler”, you speak quietly, with a small smile on your face. he lets out a sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he makes his way over to you. he wordlessly wraps you up in his arms, tucking his face in your neck. he squeezes you tightly, breathing in your sweet scent. a mix of your honey scented shampoo, lavender body wash, plus the lingering coffee and it’s just so you. he holds you tighter, afraid that you might slip away if he lets go of you.

your arms are wrapped around his body, one hand snaking into his hair, holding him close to you. you’ve been strong the last few months, keeping yourself busy. the less you think of him, the less you can miss him. but now that he’s here, his arms wrapping your tiny frame, you realize just how terribly hard this time away from him has been. he’s your security blanket. his body wrapping yours up, his scent, his soft hair, it’s everything you didn’t know just how badly you needed.

you gently leave traces of kisses over his shoulder, giving his hair a little tug. he looks up at you, his eyes a little red, with the remnants of tears in them. 

you look at him a bit confused, running the pads of your thumbs under his eyes to collect any bits of tear drops left behind.

“what’s wrong ni ? this is a happy moment, isn’t it?” you ask quietly, pecking the tip of his nose.

he lets out a little breathy chuckle, shaking his head, “ it’s the happiest moment,” he sighs contently. “hello my beautiful girl,” he mumbles, softly pressing his lips to yours.

you return the kiss, slotting your lips with his, letting them drag together lightly. you both try to convey just how much you missed each other, his hands giving your hips a squeeze.

you both pull apart, giving his bottom lip an extra little suck as you rest your forehead against his. “seriously ni, why the teary eyes?” you ask again.

he huffs a little bit of air, his hand coming up to cup your jaw as his thumb strokes your cheek. “i think it’s all just crashing hard. didn’t realize how much i missed ya, petal. how much this feels more like home than any of my actual houses”, he chuckles. “i’m so sorry i was gone so long, i promise it’ll never be like that again,” he mumbles, eyes locking with yours.

you can feel how much power he’s trying to put behind those words. how much he wishes it were true. but you both knew that neither of you had control over his schedule.

your hands cup his jaw, thumbs rubbing his cheeks as you give him a small smile. your hands trail down his neck, over his shoulders and down his arms. you give his hands a squeeze as you lock eyes with him again. “ni, don’t make promises you can’t keep. this was honestly harder than i thought it was gonna be, and i really don’t wanna bring my hopes up,” you murmur. “and fuck, also, please don’t ever apologize for doing what you love,” you add with a little more vigour. 

you decided long ago that no matter what would happen with niall, you would never get in the way of him doing what he loves. 

he pulls you into him, squeezing you tightly again, a lump forming in his throat. he realizes in that moment, that he had been so focused on not letting this become something that could potentially break his heart, that he had been breaking it himself. he knew what kind of girl you were, he knew that you were exponentially different than the others, and hearing you say those words broke him. 

“i’m keeping my promise,” he whispers into your neck. “i’ll fly you around the world if i have to, we are never going 3 months without seeing each other again. that’s a fucking promise, petal.”

he crashes his lips onto yours, his hand gripping the back of your head to keep you as close as possible. 

this kiss felt different. you knew it in your heart, there was no going back. a silent agreement that this was it. you were both going to let this happen, you simply couldn’t stop it anymore. 

he grips you under your legs, hoisting you up into his arms, carrying you upstairs. he nibbled on your neck the entire way, peaking over your shoulder to make sure he wasn’t bumping into anything. 

he laid you down on the bed, getting on top of you, kissing you deeply. your hands ran down his back, slipped under his shirt and rubbed over his smooth skin. you felt shivers trailing behind your fingers, making you smile softly into the kiss. 

he breaks away from your lips, rolling onto his side next to you, pulling you into him, his fingers scratching lightly at your scalp, face buried into your hair. you grip his hip, pulling him infinitely closer to you, making him chuckle lightly, “the sun’s coming up love, and as much as i want this, m’fucking exhausted. and m’sure you are too. how about a little nap now and later i’ll wake ya up with my mouth on you?”

you whimper, throwing your leg over his waist, digging your heel into his ass, needing him so badly. needing the closeness and the intimacy you’ve been so intensely craving over the last few months.

he chuckles again, this time a little more breathily, his cock twitching at being pressed up against your heat for the first time in so long. “not tired darling?” he hums.

“m’exhausted,” you mumble. “but i need to feel you close ni.”

he hums, nodding his head, understanding how you feel. tonight is so so different for both of you. you can feel the shift of lusty flirting and needy sex to the strong passionate need you both have for each other. the kind of love where all your insecurities don’t matter because you have each other.

he taps your arm lightly, sitting himself up in bed, “got an idea pet,” he smiles, taking all of his clothes off and getting under the blankets. “join me?” 

you look at him questioningly, shimmying your clothes off. you weren’t about to say no, but still, “thought you were too tired?”

“m’not fuckin ya yet,” he chuckles. “but i want to feel close too. are ya wet petal?” he hums against your ear as you slip under the blankets as well. 

you whimper again, closing your eyes. you absolutely loved when he called you petal. he smiles knowingly, his mouth and fingers lightly trailing over your skin. from your jaw to your neck, down your shoulders and in the valley of your breasts. he pauses his mission for a moment, giving some attention to your left nipple while his fingers work at your right one. he sucks gently, leaving little nips, watching your head fall back, letting out a breathy moan, “missed your mouth on me.” 

you grip his hair, tugging a bit at the roots, making a mental note to ask him to keep growing it a tiny bit. the thickness of his locks with the current swoopy look was enough to get you going. 

he smirked up at you, pulling away from your chest. he kisses you again, nibbling on your bottom lip, “hmm love kissing you. it’s fucking intoxicating.”

you moan against his mouth as his fingers start gently swiping over your slit. he’s not using any pressure, letting his fingers slowly swirl around your opening, collecting your wetness.

“missed me love?” he hums, making you nod your head. “think you’re wet enough” he adds, pulling his fingers away. you whine at the loss, until he grips your thigh, pulling you flush to him. 

you’re both facing each other, laying on your sides, your leg thrown over his waist, his semi hard cock pressing against you.

he kisses you again, having missed the feel of your lips so badly. he reaches around you to grip his cock, pressing the head against you, making you moan into his mouth, your hips bucking instinctively to feel more of him. 

he slowly bottoms out, his cock fully settled inside you. your head is spinning at the feel of him. you had used some toys while he was away, but nothing compares to the warm feeling of real flesh inside you. 

you’re seeing stars, gripping onto him tightly as he grunts out, “fuck, petal, i can feel you throbbing.” 

you breathe heavily, digging your face into his neck, so overwhelmed with emotion that you start trembling lightly. 

niall rubs your back soothingly, his cock buried deep inside you, staying completely still, murmuring in your ear, “s’just me love. m’right here with you - fuck, you’re so warm,” he breathes out. “does it feel good pet? you’re trembling.”

you breathe out a whiny moan into his neck. “christ niall, i can’t stop squeezing around you. s’so so good. so close to you ni, s’fucking good” you babble, your head a little fuzzy.

“i feel you love,” he hums. “m’not going anywhere. can sleep like this, yeah ? stay nice and close.”

you nod, loving being so full. full of him. he’s here, he’s back, and you’re not sure what the next step is, but you know you’re taking it with him and that’s good enough. 

you slowly drift off to sleep, niall humming a soft tune, so incredibly excited to spend the next couple weeks with each other.

Part 2

……

Masterlist

[isa-ghost]

Yea, undying duo if phil and foolish! Because phil is mr hardcore survival minecraft and foolish is a totem of undying :D

basically, both cubitos have a wack relationship with death (and, I think, aversion to using totems? I know phil for sure but I'm a bit unsure about foolish)

I've done some qFoolish ones before!

qPhil headcanons masterlist

Phil would take another "vacation" with Foolish any time. Especially since the second time around, he actually got to know him really well. He'd like to see him again the next time they're in the same realm. :')

If he wasn't so Fuck The Feds he would consider doing some kind of huge cool build like the kids wanted them to so badly. Maybe in the next realm they'll do it because they won't have some kind of government hovering around. It's just too bad the kids won't see it.

He wishes he could've actually had time to actually enjoy having the titan by the wall but the Feds relocated them all like right after. After the way Foolish and his builds were disrespected last time they shared a realm, Phil is PISSED the Feds had the audacity to basically do the same. Especially when Foolish (kind of) worked for them!!!

Of everyone he got close to on the island, Foolish is one of the ones he wishes he had more time with. He feels like they were weirdly in different worlds despite them both being present so often. That's,, probably kind of Ender King's fault, honestly. He feels like he fell away from multiple people when things got bad.

Tbh he kinda wanted to ask Foolish about wtf he was up to in the last realm they were both in (aside from building) but decided against it bc a majority of his memories from that one are awful. So either Foolish was suffering too, or Phil wouldn't trust himself not to envy him for not having a horrid time.

Insert "MCC is some kinda canon interdimensional death games" hc here. Phil has SEEN Foolish kick ASS in a way that wasn't hysteria-driven Bolas rabies.

I'd like to think there's been at least one event or something where they just sat together and gave each other building tips.

The historian part of Phil's brain wants to talk to Foolish about what his Literally Undying ass has seen and lived through. How long has he been alive?? As long as Phil? Longer? He needs to know.

He's not sure where the eternal banana came from and at this point he's too afraid to ask.

Phil thrives on being a bystander of Foolish and Bad's find each other in every universe curse. He's not sure if the last realm before QI started it or if they've crossed paths even More before QI, but boy does he love getting to watch their beef.

See, Foolhalo might find each other in every universe (derogatory), but Phil knows the REAL one is Foolish and Tina finding each other in every universe (affectionate).

Something something Foolish totem something something Phil refusing to use totems when he's home in Hardcore. Is this anything. Someone cook for me I'm too stupid.

Phil is never gonna understand when or how Foolish became "King of the Capys" or why they chose him specifically. He assumes Foolish just hung out with them the most or something.

He barely got to know Vegetta but he just KNOWS he was Foolish's type. Which is wild bc prior to getting government assigned spouses, Phil didn't even think Foolish was fruity. Somehow. Looking back, it actually kinda makes sense to him. From what little he knew of Foolish before QI.

Inversely, Foolish was absolutely STUNNED to know Phil is some flavor of poly let alone fruity at all. Which is hilarious bc Phil is too tunnel-visioned on other things to try hiding that fact. But no, shark man beyond baffled that Phil lowkey adjusted to having a government assigned husband almost instantly. AND became possessive of said husband over time.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

A/N ::: Love is in the air! (If you're into that kind of stuff!) I just wanted to write a little thing about Draken being cute and kinda shy.

C/W ::: None, just fluff and shoes on a made bed (hey, that shit stresses me out fr!).

"I don't know what to tell you. You're the one who came here." Draken was clearly getting annoyed with your abundance of energy today. But you were bored. And for some reason, you were holding him completely responsible for entertaining you.

"Yeah, I know I came to you. But you also invited me over. I believe your exact words were 'If you're bored, you can come over'. I was. I am. And now ... you're going to make me ... not bored. Ok?" You plopped down next to him on his bed and stretched out.

"Get … your shoes off of my bed, please." He said. Draken was clean. Almost to a fault. But you couldn't imagine being bored with anyone else. Mikey was always doing stuff. Takemichi was always talking about his feelings. It was nice to be with Draken. He was quiet usually. Unless he just had something he had to say. But more often than not he was the one you liked to hang out with.

"Make me." You drag your feet up onto his bed, making the soles of your shoes wrinkle up the covers.

"S- goddamn it. Knock that ... off ... stop it! You aware of what you walk in everyday? There's some really disgusting shit out there, y/n!" He sat up and tried to push your legs off so they would hang over the edge, but you'd planted your heels in deep and they weren't going to budge. "I swear to fucking god, y/n. I'm gonna - HA!"

"Missed me, missed me! Now ya gotta ki-" you stopped chanting the stupid kids rhyme when he rolled over and ended up hovering over your body, face to face with you. The tension in the air grew like a bomb detonating in a small room. You stopped squirming under him and your smile faded when you realized how serious he'd gotten. "Now you ... gotta kiss me."

His jaw clenched a couple of times and his attention fluttered back and forth between your eyes and your parted lips. He adjusted himself so his arms were on either side of your head and he just stared at you. For the longest time. It was like you were seeing each other for the first time in a new light.

Friends, sure. But now there was a new element to this compound. And you wanted so badly for him to mix everything up within you, that you repeated yourself.

"Draken, n-now you gotta ... you gotta kiss ... me."

"Oh." He said quietly and closed his eyes, dipping down and pressing his lips against yours.

[welcome-to-green-hills]

Since Knuckles is coming out in a couple of days, YAY, I wanna share an idea on a side plot of sorts which is something that probably might not happen but DAMMIT I NEED IT- (If I was correct on this, I will flip my lid lmao)

Maybe before Knuckles goes out with Wade, Sonic and Knuckles would have some sort of heated conversation about how Knuckles kept declining Sonic's help since he was the one who got him grounded, and Sonic was only trying to help him feel at home with the people who care about him. How they're trying to help him feel at home.

Sonic just wanted to help Knuckles feel happy to have a family, and as a brother it's his job to help him.

Knuckles is still adjusting to his new home, and hasn't really thought of the idea as him being Sonic and Tails' brother or Tom and Maddie's kid yet. He just coldly replied "I am not your brother," before he just sits there on the floor, wanting to be left alone.

Hearing this hurt Sonic. A lot. He's happy to have more friends. More brothers. But hearing Knuckles say those words to him left him really upset. "You really are an Echidna warrior, huh?" is something Sonic would probably say before leaving the room, leaving them conflicted with each other for nearly the rest of the show.

Since Sonic is convinced that Knuckles won't accept the fact that his life changed for the better and he's sticking to being a warrior with no sign of taking breaks and relaxing and having a real life, and Knuckles believing that Sonic is ignoring his worries of protecting the planet and just lay around, doing nothing and doing whatever else instead of doing his job as a Warrior.

And Knuckles decided to go up from the ceiling window and up the roof to get some fresh air, before an idea pops up of checking up on Wade and seeing what he's up too, only to find him with his mother and sister.

(I also noticed that in the newer Knuckles behind the scenes clip, I think Wade and Wanda have some sort of conflict with each other or something, and this reminded Knuckles of the argument he and Sonic had a while ago, or whenever their meeting will take place in the show. And this will make him think about how he acted while he goes on his journey with Wade all the way up to the fight between him and the Buyer, maybe.)

The next day, Sonic and Tails noticed that Knuckles left the house even though he's grounded and should not step foot out of house until then. Sonic and Tails suspects that Knuckles is just out in town. (At this point Sonic is still upset with Knuckles so he isn't too worried about Knuckles being gone. ...Yet.)

Tom and Maddie hasn't notice Knuckles going missing yet, so Sonic advised a plan that Tails knew that it wouldn't work. It would be a callback to Movie 2 where Sonic made a dummy version of Knuckles tucked in in his bed, so it would look like he's still asleep.

When Tom or Maddie went to check on him, they went to wake him up, since it's already the afternoon. But then noticed that it was just a dummy. If it was Tom who went up to check, he'll probably say: "Not again..." XD

Sonic and Tails would expect Maddie and Tom to take this very badly. Tom was pretty annoyed about it but took it too well, since it happened before many times. (coughcoughsoniccoughcough) but meanwhile Maddie was kind of freaking out and is worried as hell about the little red guy.

Maddie wondered if he ran away? And if he did, was it because of her? Did she fail as a mother? She tried to be patient with him and help him understand and adjust but she thought grounding him was what caused him to leave and she was panicking about it.

Sonic, being the best son/kid ever, goes in to immediately comfort her, telling her that Knuckles will come back, and that he's just probably hanging out with Wade or something. He tells her it's not her fault and she did her best to be there for him.

It calmed Maddie down a little bit, seeing how supportive and sweet Sonic was to her. But once Maddie leaves the room (probably so that Tom could comfort her also,) it was Sonic's turn to feel sad and Tails took notice.

Sonic thought that maybe Knuckles won't come back after what he said to him and how insensitive he thought he was being to him that night. Tails doesn't think so. He knew that he didn't mean it, but it didn't make Sonic feel better.

Sonic thought he screwed up because as a brother, it was his job to be there for Tails and Knuckles, and he only made Knuckles feel worse. (Bonus points if Sonic was almost about to cry during this scene because angst)

It's Tails' turn to comfort him and says to him that it wasn't his fault, and that Knuckles will come back once he understands that those words he said were just him being upset.

It instantly cheered him up. He was still guilty, but he was happy knowing that Tails wasn't upset with him. "Only Miles 'Tails' Prower could comfort his best buddy like that." He would say, ruffling up his bangs. (IT WILL CRY IF HE SAYS THIS 😭)

And maybe after the whole confrontation at maybe the last episode, Knuckles and Wade will finally come back home to Green Hills and the last scene would be him coming home to his house. His home.

The show would most definitely end with Knuckles learning that it's not about being a warrior, but fulfilling another kind of purpose. A purpose to protect his family and the Master Emerald. (Which is placed in a garden surrounded by flowers. Also a headcanon of mine. 🥹)

The Wachowskis just finished eating dinner, and Tom just got done telling everyone that they will form a search party to find Knuckles in the morning in case he hasn't turn up yet.

Sonic put away all the dishes for Maddie since she still wasn't feel okay, but when he puts them in the kitchen sink, Knuckles just crawled through the doggy door and they both just stared at each other.

Knuckles blankly said "I broke the doorbell," since he tried to ring it but it didn't work XD

Sonic tackled Knuckles to the ground and apologized about what he did and said super, super fast that Knuckles couldn't understand what he was saying. The whole family heard the commotion and see Knuckles for the first time since a couple of days ago.

Maddie, relieved to see him back home and okay, yet infuriated with him for disobeying and leaving the house while he was grounded. He was gone for days and she was worried sick about him! She thought something happened to him!

Knuckles, not enjoying seeing Maddie like this, apologizes rather abruptly. For leaving the house without warning and worrying everyone. He understands that his home is with them and that they will look after him, despite his strength, and he wouldn't mind it at all, as long as he is surrounded by the very people who gave him another chance after what he had done in the events if the second film.

He asked if he was still grounded, and Maddie said yes, but it doesn't change the fact that she is so happy and relieved to see her son back home to her. They both gave each other a tight squeeze, happy to have each other again.

Knuckles is grateful to claim Maddie as his mother.

After that embrace, Knuckles also forgave Sonic after their little squabble, and they were both cool with each other again.

The episode would end with Maddie asking where has Knuckles been gone to these past few days, and it may have cut away to outside the house, but after hearing Sonic scream: "YOU WENT THROUGH A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION WITHOUT ME?!", it was clear that Knuckles is going to explain his whole journey to his family, despite their shock. XDD

Just wanted to see a small side plot involving Sonic and Knuckles' misunderstanding with each other complete with Knuckles learning on how he should live his new life on Earth with his newfound family. Just wanted Sonic and Knuckles to heal together, even if their apart for the whole show 😭

(Hope to God you see this cause this took me forever to type down and I really needed to share this with someone because I'm going feral over these thoughts and I want someone to go feral over this with me-)

Oh…. Oh…🥺

[oceansprompts]

Best of Daredevil: Cutting Edge

quotes taken from the Marvel novel, Daredevil: The Cutting Edge (1999) by Madeleine E. Robins // adjust pronouns and lines as needed.

Can I bring you a cup of coffee? I'm already on number seven or eight… I forget which.

Wouldn't you like a chance to go, I don't know, live on a beach somewhere, drinking rum punch or something?

I'd rather go to hell, I love this. This is what I do.

Don't look at me that way; I'm not the one who drank a dozen cups of coffee a day and never got any exercise.

Not bad for a skinny blind kid from Hell's Kitchen.

Not as flashy as Spider-Man, maybe, but not too shabby.

What is this guy, a zombie?

You moron, he's not the perp!

Okay, Mr. Off-the-Rack, what else did you leave behind?

It's okay, you've been very brave.

It was a kind lie, kindly meant.

Don't ever let me lose you.

Pleading "blind man walked into the door" again, your honor.

Yaaaay for the good guy!

So, he was the wall you ran into?

Triumph and hell, all at once. I wish you could have seen it.

How about dinner tonight? In a real restaurant. Like grownups.

Off to Rykers. Another day in Fun City.

Have fun storming the castle!

Maybe I should get Seeing Eye cat?

Well, of the two, I guess the brain's more important.

Doesn't it seem a little too tidy? The pink ribbons and all?

A problem? My dear, I trust you implicitly.

Who put this guy in a position where he can talk to the public?

Not me, I'm naturally suspicious.

Tooth extraction would be more fun than what I'm writing.

I can't smell anything, my food tastes funny…

I'm wasting away to a shadow of my former self.

Two-bit mouthpieces! He actually said that? Who writes his dialouge?

Why not just wave a big, huge red flag that says something suspicious here?

I will be the soul of discretion.

Try not to break any of your well-informed friends too badly loking for information, okay?

Right, everytime you come in to chat, I wind up doing renovations. New plate glass, new tables, new ribcage…

Are you just a discipline problem in the making, or do you have something useful to contribute?

Anyone got anything they want to share with the class?

Naughty, naughty.

No breakage, this time. They're learning.

A little judicious flattery can work wonders.

You're all flipping wild cards. That's part of your charm.

I don't like lawyers!

Call any hour of the day or night.

Don't throw the card away, I'll know.

Okay, hero, play brave, competent, [disabled] person.

Oh, I already do, but make me love him more.

He sounds like the kind of guy who pulled the wings off butterflies and tortured puppy dogs.

Basically, your overprivileged sociopath.

I wasn't always the polished gem you see now.

He has the business ethics of a piranha.

Judiciously applied, the business ethics of a piranha can be very useful.

Make it good, boyo.

If you like it hot, but I gotta say, man, you oughtta use a little caution.

I'm touched by your concern, but I promise you I'm well armed.

Well, the only thing to do with a bully and a coward is face him straight on!

Now it's time for bed, close your weary eyes and dream of me.

You're a darling, but I'm too tired to argue about it.

This is where I'm going to die.

You have great bone structure.

Well, look. The neighborhood avenger. Come on, you wanna play?

Spread the word, sweetheart.

I couldn't... fight him...

You stayed alive, you did the right thing.

Bullies... never give in to... bullies.

You did good, remember that.

Oh my, really bad night.

I don't deserve you.

You roll in here looking like someone shot your dog, so I figure I can be self-absorbed and ill-tempered some other morning.

Listen, sweetheart, whatever you did, it's not your fault.

If anyone's to blame, it' me.

I find I'm old-fashioned enough to prefer talking to a live human being.

Lies. All lies.

I don't think they're ever leaving. I think they like it here.

It's air conditioned, the coffee's free, they get to point and laugh at the poor people trying to work.

Nothing more than crushing piles of work. The usual. What's up?

You'll have to make this the "For Dummies" version.

Heartbreaking. You expect setbacks, but we were so close!

I mean, it worked ⸺ it just had this damned baggage with it.

Well, I'm over it. Grieved, moved on.

So you think because she's a babe that she's capable of planning murder?

Ow! Be careful! You don't know your own strength!

If I were afraid of you, would I be sitting here?

Thank you so much, I really look forard to proving I'm not the monster I'm sure I seemed the other day.

Reduces me to a screaming hormonal pulp?

Don't you think you ought to relax a little?

You really don't like being challenged at all, do you?

I have to do something, and this is what I can do.

My point is, I love you, and I don't want to have to bring you flowers at St. Clare's.

Be careful. That shiner is just beginning to fade; you don't need another, and I do need you. Okay?

Once again, it's all the fault of the guy in the tights, jeez.

It's as tired as I am.

Okay, genius, what now?

What are you gonna do, kill me?

Come on, I'm doing the best I can.

Stay alive, [name]. I'm here.

What are you, Iron Man?

Look, I'm going to close my eyes and rest for a while, don't let anything exciting happen while I'm out, okay?

Are you sure you're supposed to be scolding me in your weakened condition?

I was just trying to distract you from telling me you were right about it.

I hadn't planned on scolding you about that until you were strong enough to fight back.

You say the absolutely perfect thing sometimes. You really do.

I never know whether you're as clumsy as you seem, or just playing a very, very crafty part. Well, you're not dead yet.

That the way you treat all your dates?

Cosmic irony: man with no sympathy has a heart that beats sympathetically.

Hey... I'm one of the good guys, right?

Look at me. I look like... the Hulk's baby sister. And it's going to get worse.

I'm not stupid. I played a risky game and I lost. I lost it big and I'm going to wind up a monster.

Tell me about the colors.

Tell me what you hear.

Anyone here ever ask you what the most beautiful word in the English language is, you can tell'em: home.

Hey you, having a good time?

With you? Always.

We could rent a movie, then curl up on the couch together and ignore it.

That sounds good. We could even forget the movie.

Even better, I love you a lot.

That is what keeps me going.

[felicitysmoaksx]

Anonymous asked: For your advent challenge, can you do sarah x connor with big brother severide?

Day 6 of the Advent Prompt Challenge! I know its really late, but some personal stuff has come up that has made this month really hard and has left me less time to write than I thought. So I'm extending the challenge through till New Years and hope you'll understand.

Her stomach ached. And not from a stomach ache either, but from the hole that the wall that fell on her and punctured a hole in her stomach and if she was more aware, she probably would've been more worried that this was the first time Kelly was seeing Connor as her boyfriend.

And in hindsight, Sarah knew not telling Kelly about Connor and vise versa was going to blow up in her face. But she didn’t know it would actually blow up in her face. Not just metaphorically. But right now Sarah just couldn't find it in herself to care. Instead she sat back and let them figure it out. Like the big boys there were supposed to be.

"You're being a mother hens," Sarah pointed out tiredly as her the men in her life fussed over her.

"I'm the big brother. That's kind of my job description." Kelly pressed a kiss to her forehead, after he finished fluffing her pillow.

"Same with boyfriend perks," Connor continued to fuss over the blankets but before that he had been hovering over nurse as they changed the dressing on her stomach. "I'm still trying to figure out how you knew how to do that. With the trauma pads."

"My roommate and best friend-Shay. She had the exact same injury about four years ago now? Because Med had something similar happen that happened today. She used trauma pads to soak up as much blood as she could to keep going. Until, like Sarah she finally collapsed." Kelly explained to her boyfriend.

"You act like you didn't raise me and you haven't done something similar." Sarah rolled her eyes at her step-brother's pointed words. She was too sleepy to deal with this. The brunette yawned and stretched her arms behind her to adjust her body. Which made both of the men in her life hiss and both reach to help her.

"I'm really starting to miss when you two hated each other," She slurred as her medication made her drowsy.

Kelly snorted and pressed one last kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back okay, little sister? I'm just going to get you some stuff from the apartment."

"My airpods," Sarah requested, "Please."

"First thing on my list." Kelly squeezed her hand, "Love you,"

When he was gone, Sarah looked at her boyfriend. "I'm probably just going to sleep. You can go home."

Connor pecked her lips lightly before he settled into a chair beside her bed. Then he picked up her hand and pressed his lips to her skin in a very tender fashion. "Yeah, well you scared me today. Especially when you lied to Ava about how badly you were hurt until the last possible second. So you'll have to deal with me hovering."

"There were a group of candidates who didn't know what to do because it was their first day on the job. It wasn't their fault their lieutenants didn't keep them on their hips I knew what to do because Kelly's had me in fire drills since I was thirteen at the fire academy. Not to mention the civilians trapped with us. They were hurt too."

Connor shook his head and laughed lightly, "How the hell did I not realize that you and Severide were related?"

[smirk-mode]

The true strength of Back to Earth

From rewatching BTE again a few days ago, it’s made me appreciate once again how good this special actually was and I get a bit irritated when so many people in the Red Dwarf fandom deride it simply because it’s not as funny as other installments in the series (spoiler alert – they were purposefully trying something different with BTE – it wasn’t a sitcom. Yes, it was in many ways a Blade Runner parody but it was also more than that, and it was also trying to be more than just a comedy).

For me it’s the storyline with Lister that really makes it worth watching, coupled with how this Despair Squid is far more intelligent and cunning than the one from Back to Reality.

The Squid from back to reality uses simple tactics to try and kill the boys. It makes Cat think he’s a dork, Rimmer a homeless alcoholic with no-one to blame but himself, Kryten a murderer, and Lister a fascist and a mass murderer. Quite quickly they all decide they’d rather be dead than live in that world… But because the illusion this Despair squid created was so thin, they’d probably have twigged they were in an illusion if they’d stuck around any longer.

This second Despair squid is far smarter though. She doesn’t actually want to kill the boys - but she does want them all thoroughly ensnared for a long time so she can escape without a trace. Ultimately, she doesn’t actually care if her victims succumb, so long as by the time everyone does comes round, she’s either legged it, or has made sure she’s not being threatened (which is exactly what happens as they decided to release her at the end of the special).

She’s taken the time to thoroughly psychoanalyse the boys, in particular Lister, and you can view the Bartikovsky, fake Kochanski and other characters as being her avatars through which the boys interact directly with the squid. She starts working on Lister immediately, sensing where he’s at mentally, and what’s on his mind:

Bartikovsky: Adjustment on command structure is essential if one day Lister is to regenerate human race, huh? Lister: Result. You beauty!

As an audience we’re meant to read this at surface-level – Bartikovsky is taking over the ship so that Lister can get laid… But Lister isn’t that a simple character. Rather this comment is a clue to one of the things that’s weighing on his mind – the fact he’s the last human and can do little about it, but still somehow feels responsible.

Elsewhere Bartikovsky sets about tearing strips off Rimmer. This is either because she’s sensed that Rimmer actually kind of enjoys this (he definitely has some sort of punishment kink..), or more likely she's trying to make him realise how badly he's been failing his bunkmate in recent times. It's here that she slips in this line in relation to Lister:

Bartikovsky: It's tragedy. His body lives but inside he is dead.

Again, reading it on a surface level, or with the level of knowledge the audience currently has about the situation at this point, and you could be forgiven for believing that this is a driven career woman trying to understand the habits of an unambitious slob and coming to the conclusion there's something wrong with him... In reality it’s a genuine observation from the squid, who, having recognised how dire Lister’s mental state is, is actually concerned for him (again, this squid’s not actually interested in killing the crew, she just wants to escape by distracting them…).

Having made such a direct observation, she again focuses her attention on Rimmer, angry that the person closest to Lister hasn’t actually noticed his bunkmate’s ongoing mental health crisis.

Bartikovsky: This is your fault. You kill him […] You responsible for his life but you do nothing. You think only of you.

At this point the squid subtly changes tactics. Rather than suddenly being the senior officer so they can somehow find a way to continue the human race, she instead now tells Lister she’s sending him back to Earth to find a mate. She has another go at Rimmer, telling him to get his affairs in order before she essentially nukes him. It’s clear having read the boys minds that she absolutely cannot stand Rimmer!

When they eventually all gather on the deck at Bartikovsky’s order so she can open a portal to Earth, Lister, the eternal optimist, says this:

Lister: Something always goes wrong. I’m not building me hopes up.

If we hadn’t already seen the scene at the memorial, most long-term viewers would flag this up as being out of character, this is Dave “we’re gonna get through this” Lister. He’s the optimist because Rimmer is usually pessimistic enough for everyone!

Moments later the squid enacts the next bit of her plan – she tells everyone that none of them actually appear to exist, helping frame up what’s going to happen when they reach ‘Earth’. This part of her plan is just buying time, but along the way it’s possible to see what her other aim – other than buying time for an escape – was.

(Cue all the nonsense at John Lewis – my least favourite bit of BTE. Incidentally they cut the best scene from this segment!)

At this point though, the squid already has Lister hook, line and sinker. He’s just happy to be back on Earth, and too happy to analyse the situation properly. But this isn’t enough for the squid. She has an ulterior motive that pays off for both her and the Boys – she sends them on a quest to find their creator to plead for more life, while buying more time for herself.

Looking for their creator, the boys now head to a sci-fi store (as you do), where they meet the owner of the shop - another avatar of the squid. This is when the boys find out they have a fan club!

(Also, the inclusion of the bathtub here is rather smart. It lets us know that Kochanski decided to sneak off the ship while Lister was in the bath, which is why he’s in the bath when Kryten tells him that she’s been killed. Lister runs out of the bath to do something (confirm she’s alive or something) and is so distraught when Kryten confirms that she’s dead, that he completely forgets about the bath and spirals into grief and depression… And nine years later the overflowing bathtub destroys Holly).

As well as learning about the fan club, the shop owner gives them a copy of SFX and sends them on the next part of their wild goose chase – on a bus to visit the props guy – also an avatar of the squid – but along the way Lister meets the two kids on the bus… who are also avatars of the squid and are actually the reason for this part of their quest - and not the props guy.

The conversation with the kids is critical for Lister’s character. Absolutely critical. The squid in the guise of the two kids begins to help Lister rebuild himself – cluing him in to the fact that Kochanski is in fact alive, and that he’s “pretty cool” and “quite brave”. But like the rest of the crew, they also thinks he’s “disgusting”. Here the squid also gives him ample reason to change his ways, elaborating that Kochanski couldn’t bear to watch him slowly destroy himself:

Boy: Kryten made it up. Lister: Why would he do that? Girl: You were a mess, falling apart. Boy: Drinking, being daft. Girl: She couldn’t bare to stay and watch you die, and you wouldn’t listen, so she took a Blue Midget and legged it. Lister: …Why would Kryten lie to me? Girl: He was only trying to save your feelings Boy: So you wouldn’t feel like a big, fat loser. You’ve been dumped!

And just after that:

Girl: Next series, try and find her Boy: And kiss her, I would! Lister: There isn’t going to be a next series. I’m a fictional character. I don’t exist. Girl: I think you exist Boy: I do too

After talking to the kids, he has a lot to think about. Are they right? Is Kochanski alive? Did Kryten lie to him? Does he exist? By this point he’s got to be mulling over his life choices. If he’d taken better care of himself, would she have stayed? How could he expect her to stick around if didn’t even care about himself?

At this point Bartikovsky catches back up with them, but the squid knows there’s no further need for this particular character, and gives Rimmer ample reason to kill her off!

Now onwards to Noseworld, and why can Lister read Chinese? Nobody nose! (I'm so sorry)

And now on to Coronation Street, which was included for two main reasons – budget and contracts. This series was funded by Dave which, although owned by the BBC, has other involved commercial partners which include ITV, and for those not in the UK, Coronation Street is an ITV property. Until the 2000s it was extremely uncommon for actors and other celebrities to do work for both the BBC and ITV simultaneously – some people would appear only on the BBC and vice versa. These days it’s much more common for stars to come and go between the two. But even when BTE aired it was still almost unthinkable to see a BBC mainstay visit the cobbles of Coronation Street.

Trivia aside, this scene is also important for Lister (and good on Craig Charles for being a sport here and running with the plotline). Lister meets the actor who plays him, a man who is famous in this reality… and he’s a mess. Lister walks away glad that he’s Lister and not Craig Charles, which makes him feel better about himself!

Also you could say in this scene that this was Craig Charles acting as the Despair Squid acting as Craig Charles!

(and I miss the Lloyd and Steve double act on Corrie)

From here the Squid is starting to run low on stalling tactics, and doesn’t put any other roadblocks in their way to meeting her penultimate avatar – the Creator - but that doesn’t mean there’s no important lines here. Quite the opposite in fact:

Lister: We want more life, smegger Creator: A series cancellation sequence cannot be revised once it is established Lister: What about all the loose ends? Me and Kochanski? Getting back home? Creator: I grew weary of you

There’s a lot in just these few lines. Lister wants to live because he realises he has unfinished business, which includes Kochanski whom he’d previously thought dead. But then there’s the creator’s ‘weary’ comment, which looks to have really upset Lister. Except Lister has just remembered that his life matters, so he’s not so much upset as he is angry…

Creator: You can never win. Accept it and die well. Lister: *nods as if conceding defeat, then lunges forward and attacks the creator, holding both sides of his head* Creator: If you kill me you moron you cease to exist! Haven’t you been following any of this?! Lister: I’ve been dead for ages man, just sitting around, getting old and fat. I never thought I had responsibility to anyone. I never thought there was anyone out there who was on my side, who wanted things to work out. We’ve got a fan club! They’ve even named a TV station after me! I was never alone, I just didn’t realise it. Now I want more life, smegger!

This is one of Lister's most important quotes in the whole series. Lister is openly admitting just how depressed he is. That prior to this squid incident he’s been sitting around waiting to die. But in the last day or so he’s found a reason to live again… and it’s part of the squid’s ultimate plan. She’s led the crew in circles while trying to find a way out of the water tank, but during this time she’s genuinely been concerned by Lister’s state of mind. It’s possible she’d been sensing the crew’s thoughts and feelings the entire time she was aboard ship, but it’s also possible she only read their minds after they came looking for her in the water tank. Either way, while saving herself, she also steps in and tries to help Lister realise he needs to help himself.

But that doesn’t mean that she values Lister’s life over her own, far from it, and that’s where her final avatar comes into play…

Not long after ‘killing’ the creator, the boys finally figure out what Cat’s little origami creations are – they’re little squid. This is all the boys need to figure out their dilemma and work a way out. But while Rimmer, Kryten and the Cat don’t look upset at the realisation, Lister immediately points out that being in this fake world doesn’t make him feel despair – it makes him feel elation. Lister decides that leaving this illusion and returning to the real world means returning to the shell of a person he’s become, and he doesn’t want that.

Lister: In here I’m somebody. It’s made me want to live again.

With her ruse rumbled, the squid knows she can’t keep the boys occupied for much longer, but to ensure her own safety, she decides to keep Lister with her for a little long (probably hoping the boys will be too preoccupied getting him to wake up back in the real world to bother with her).

And Lister, unable to cope with his depression in the real world, and presented with the possibility of a fake future with a fake Kochanski, begins to consider choosing fantasy over reality.

Lister: I can get her back again. Kids. Everything I’ve ever wanted. Kryten: But in the real world, sir, you’ll be dying. This isn’t real. Lister: It’ll feel real *cut to Rimmer and the Cat’s genuinely horrified faces* Kryten: Not in your heart Lister: I’ve got no option Krytie. This is the only chance I’ve got of getting her back again.

At this point, Kryten finally reveals the truth – Kochanski isn’t dead, and he concocted the story of her dying thinking it would be better for him to hear (it wasn’t, obviously). But even hearing that the real Kochanski isn’t dead isn’t enough anymore… By this point Lister thinks he’s found the perfect solution – he’ll get Krissie back for a little bit before he dies. He’s still ready to die here. More than ready in fact. This is basically Lister choosing suicide.

Lister: She’s in here somewhere as well, in fact she’s right behind that door and in this world she loves me. In fact in this world she’s going to love me till the moment I die.

At this point Rimmer, the Cat and Kryten’s antibodies kick in and they wake up. And realise that Lister won’t wake up. When Rimmer wakes up he looks at Lister in horror and worry. Probably with Bartikovsky’s comments ringing in his ears.

When Squid Kochanski appears she makes an interesting observation off the bat. Unlike Lister’s comments about having to stay, she’s picked up on the shred of doubt in his mind:

Squid!Kochanski: Seems you're undecided about which reality you wish to live in. Lister: I’m-m mulling it over. Squid!Kochanski: Would you mind if I ask you a question? Lister: Shoot Squid!Kochanski: In your dreams, did you kiss me? Lister nods Squid!Kochanski: Was it good? Lister, crying: I never wanted to wake up Squid!Kochanski: Then don’t

At this point the squid’s giving him two options – to take on board what he should have learned from this experience, and choose to live, or to take a convenient out by dying of thirst while in her illusion. At this point I don’t think she’s fussy which he chooses as I think she’s already realised the crew aren’t actually much of a threat to her, but she's still essentially offering Lister the chance to put himself out of his misery...

While Lister is stlll making up his mind they go for a drive. Kochanski’s dressed differently at this point so it’s probably been a day or two from Lister’s perspective. And it’s at this point he makes his mind up for good. Lister's spent enough time with Squid!Kochanski to mull over everything that's happened over the last couple of days, while also realising that the real Kochanski would never act like this illusory version (it's probably also why she's dressed so differently to the real Kochanski). And having previously said he has to stay in the illusion, he now says he has to leave.

The squid doesn’t want him to leave for obvious reasons, but there’s no real urgency about her actions anymore. Her attempt to make Lister stay is half-hearted, and perhaps still has another layer to it since she’s been secretly trying to show Lister his worth for most of this experience.

Squid!Kochanski: The real me? You’ll never get me, I’m way out of your league!

At this point, Lister finally seems to have absorbed what she’s been trying to tell him throughout the illusion, by responding to her as follows:

Lister: I thought that too, but I was wrong. Squid!Kochanski: You were right Lister: No. I’m pretty cool. I don’t take any smeg, and even though I’m disgusting, sometimes I can be quite brave Squid!Kochanski: You’ll never get me Lister: Yeah, I will!

And when Lister chooses life, squid!Kochanski doesn’t look upset at all.

The next scene is Lister waking up back aboard the ship, visibly upset, but surrounded by the boys. He instantly realises that they care because they stuck around waiting for him rather than leaving him alone.

After this, it’s ultimately Lister who makes the decision to release the squid when they get the chance, perhaps realising, at least a little bit, just what she did for him.

After leaving the cargo deck they discuss their predicament and finish off by breaking the fourth wall a bit more (newsflash: we’re not real!), with Lister having a chuckle alongside the boys… but when the rest of the boys turn to leave, his smile falls a bit. An indicator that he’s still down, but perhaps on the road to a better place.

So yeah…that was a bit of an essay, but I hope it shows how BTE was actually a bit of a high concept two-hander between Lister and the squid.

BTE might not have had as many laughs as other series, but it wasn’t trying to. Instead this was a great character study of Lister, and at last a TV canon exploration of his mental state, which couldn’t possibly be good given his circumstances in life.

I also like to think that after this, Rimmer went away and had a good long look at himself. Rimmer was at his absolutely peak of selfishness and self-absorbedness at the start of this special and he needed the squid’s reality-check (oh the irony). At the very least I hope he gave Lister a hug and told him not to scare him like that again.

[zoeykallus]

If your taking writing asks rn, I have one for Wrecker. :] I was hoping you could do a gn reader who is having a bad day, maybe a mission went wrong or they aren't feeling to well, and Wrecker comforts them? There's so little content for Wrecker, and he's my favorite clone! Thx for taking the time to read this and I hope you have a great day! :D

Aloha!

There really isn't much content for Wrecker. Our big guy needs more love!

Wrecker x GN!Reader One-shot - Lean On Me

Fluff/Comfort

You've had a rough day. Aside from feeling guilty for letting your guard down with an unfortunate stumble that nearly doomed the entire mission, you've all sustained some wounds from the very mission you feel responsible for.

No one is really badly hurt, but the outcome of the mission was anything but clean as hoped, and Tech in particular, whose plan you threw into disarray, is now a bit sour.

You have apologized, several times, and no one seems to hold it against you, but you can't get rid of this unpleasant feeling. After the mission, you retreat, put down your equipment and tiredly massage your temples. You can't shake the thought that it's all your fault.

"Hey sweetie."

Wrecker's voice makes you look up.

"Hey big guy."

You give him a tired smile. He leans casually against the wall, crosses his arms in front of his chest, and looks at you scrutinizingly.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

Frowning, you meet his gentle gaze.

"What do you mean?"

Wrecker says softly, "You've been very quiet since we got back, backing off right away. That's not usually your style."

With a sigh, you get up and pace around your cabin.

"Well, things didn't go so great today, I almost blew the entire mission. Did you see Tech's face?"

Wrecker waves it off lightly.

"He'll calm down again. Things like that happen now and then, even to us, you're not alone. We're still in one piece, the mission is complete, and we're all back home."

He smirks at you encouragingly.

"Come on" he says gently, "Don't be so hard on yourself. We've all had bad days"

Uncertainly, you look at him, nervously kneading your hands.

"Do you think the others feel the same way?"

Wrecker nods with conviction.

"Of course, we're all not without fault, that was a minor mishap, we all know you can be counted on."

He unknots his arms and spreads them out.

"Now come on over here and give me a hug".

A wry smile creeps onto your features as you accept his offer and with a deep relieved sigh lean into his arms as he gently squeezes you.

"Feeling better already?"

You laugh softly.

" I really do Wrecker".

But that night you can't sleep, you toss and turn in your bunk. Again and again that awkward moment plays out in your mind's eye, how that little stumble starts a disaster unfolding.

You sigh softly, running your hands wearily over your face, as you hear a voice whisper in the darkness, "Hey sweetie, can't sleep?"

"No, not really," you whisper back.

After a brief pause in which your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see Wrecker moving around in his bunk across from you. He holds up something and says.

"Would you like to have Lula? To cuddle, I mean. Maybe you can sleep if you do."

You can't help it, you have to smile and on impulse you ask softly, "Can't you come to my bunk together with Lula?"

Again there is a short pause, then finally Wrecker asks in surprise, "You want me to come to your bunk?"

"Yes," you say softly, "Together with Lula."

He scratches the back of his head, a gesture he often makes when sheepish. Then you see his massive figure slowly rise from his bunk and come over to you.

"'Scoot over and make room for both of us," he says softly.

Your heart beats faster. You didn't expect him to respond directly. Hastily, you slide to the side of your bunk and let him slip under the covers with you. Wrecker slides an arm under your shoulders and places Lula on your chest.

"Is that better?" he wants to know.

"Much better, Wrecker, thank you."

You can hear the smile in his voice as he says, "You're very welcome, sweetie. You can always lean on me"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

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[starsurfacemortalkombat]

CG Raiden with diapered baby-space Liu Kang? But I can’t decide between (maybe angsty?) Fire God Liu and Mortal Liu…maybe one of each if it’s not too big an ask? 👉👈🥺

Of course!! :D

A quick restate from my last Padded Request:

(Some strong languageuse) Before we get to the hcs, I want to say that there is nothing wrong with using or needing diapers. Some people use diapers use them for weird kink related things, but with age regression they are used for comfort and unfortunate inconvenience. Do not come to my blog because you wish to relate this with any kind of kink. Kindly fuck off and leave my blog alone, thank you.

^ This isn’t to bash regressors btw!!! This is me saying to fuck off if your a dd/lg or any type of blog like that. <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Lord Raiden w/ Babyspace Regressor Liu Kang That Uses Diapers MK11 Hcs

⛈️ Liu Kang started needing protection after the tournament

❤️‍🔥 It was actually Kitana that suggested his using padding (I spoke a bit about this in my CG Kitana w/ Babyspace Liu Kang Hcs)

⛈️ Lord Raiden was . . . shocked when he learnt, but very quick to tell Liu Kang that if he wanted or needed them, there was no shame in them

❤️‍🔥 Liu Kang was, and is, very shy and a bit fussy about needing diapers

⛈️ He mostly only needs padding when he has really scary dreams/memories :(

❤️‍🔥 But sometimes he can regress a bit smaller (he regresses about 1-5 after the tournament), and he needs them then too

⛈️ Absolutely sobbed the first time he had an accident around Raiden in his big boy pants, he felt utterly embarressed and very silly

❤️‍🔥 He didn’t know what happened!! He didn’t have to go potty a few minutes ago, why did he suddenly need to go? That wasn’t fair!!

⛈️ Luckily, Raiden was very quick to help Liu Kang clean up, giving the tearful boy a nice bathe and putting him in a comfy diaper and outfit

❤️‍🔥 Kung Lao teased Liu Kang about using protection once, and Liu Kang ran to Raiden, crying in his arms as a concerned Kung Lao followed him

⛈️ While the teasing was light, it was enough to make Liu Kang regress on spot and tell Dada about how Kung Lao was being a big meanie 🥺

❤️‍🔥 Kung Lao, while still big, got sent to the naughty corner while Raiden comforted Liu Kang (Kung Lao didn’t complain, he didn’t mean to hurt Liu Kang’s feelings that badly)

⛈️ Lao did apoligize and Liu did forgive him, but it definitely didn’t help Liu Kang’s fussiness towards needing padding

❤️‍🔥 If we ignore canon and Liu Kang does have time to adjust to diapers, he gets less embarrassed about them over time

⛈️ He still gets really embarressed during the changing process, and will hide his face in a pillow

❤️‍🔥 Raiden’s very good at changing padding, and he’ll hold Liu Kang gently afterwards

⛈️ Raiden is very quick to shut any kind of negative thoughts, like how he’s ‘too big’ for them, or that he’s not a baby, or that it’s not ‘normal’

❤️‍🔥 Raiden is a sternish cg, and defintently not a lier, so if he tells Liu Kang that it’s okay to use diapers, it’s okay to use diapers, no matter Liu Kang’s reasons

⛈️ He’ll also hold Liu Kang firmly, rocking the both of them while Liu Kang blubbers about his feelings

❤️‍🔥 Overtime he does get more use and okay with them, it’s just really hard to accept them at first :(

⛈️ He actually really likes the padding, and it helps him feel little

❤️‍🔥 When he does use padding, Raidens very on top of checking every so often if Liu Kang has an accident

⛈️ Why? Because Liu Kang sometimes won’t tell him and Raiden doesn’t want him to get a rash

❤️‍🔥 It’s not his fault!!! It’s just embarrassing telling Dada that he had an accident, whcih Raiden is very comforting about

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Raiden w/ Babyspace Regressor Liu Kang That Uses Diapers MK1 Hcs

🌩️ I covered a lot about the fact that Liu Kang needing diapers in my CG Raiden w/ Regressor Liu Kang Nightmares Hcs

🌟 But! I’d love to talk more about them <3

🌩️ After Raiden fids out Liu Kang needs diapers for his nightmares, Liu Kang starts having accidents when he’s not asleep

🌟 The first time this happened, he just sat and stared at the floor

🌩️ Not thinking, not moving, just having this dreading feel of panic

🌟 He starts thinking about the first time he had an accident in front of Lord Raiden and begins to absolutely blubber

🌩️ Luckily, Raiden was just finishing up lunch and quickly rushes to the living room when he starts hearing Liu Kang’s cries

🌟 He’s very quick to get Liu Kang out of his own puddle, giving him a bathe and cuddling him for the next good while

🌩️ ^ And feeding him lunch, they still gotta eat

🌟 This happens a few more times, more times than it ever did back in his old universe

🌩️ Raiden shyly suggests that perhaps Liu Kang should wear diapers during his normal regression, and Liu Kang gets very upset about it

🌟 ^ Up to this point only Raiden knew he needed them and he wasn’t about to go tell the others that he used them

🌩️ To try to help Liu Kang, Raiden admitted to the others that he himself also used padding when he was small, and it did help Liu Kang a bit when using them around the others (they’re also incredibly supportive about it)

🌟 Liu Kang actually really likes the padding, he already regressed to about 2-3 and it helps him regress sometimes

🌩️ He still kinda has that whole ‘Not telling Rai Rai when you have an accident because it’s embarressing’ stage

🌟 But Raiden is very quick to attempt to shut that down

🌩️ He’ll quietly ask Liu Kang is he needs a change, and when Liu Kang gets fussy, he’ll tell him that if he just tells him then he won’t have to bring it up

🌟 To try and help Liu Kang be less embarress about diapers, Raiden will get him some with cute designs!! :D

🌩️ . . . it doesn’t work, but the thought is what counts

🌟 To try and distract Liu Kang during changing, Raiden will give him a small toy to fidget with, or a pillow to hide his face in

🌩️ ^ He’ll jingle Liu Kang’s toy keys too!! They don’t make the best sound, but they’re very distracting and Liu Kang will focus on them instead

🌟 Raiden is very good with padded regressors, he uses them often and, very rare, Kung Lao has too

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

They're not exactly angsty angsty, so I can totally do more if you'd like. <3

[ternfic]

Penance

Chapter Thirteen: Hell’s Bells

“Alastar.”

“I know.”

“Alastar, I know these people.”

“I know, Cary.”

“They’re all-?”

“Dead Master Builders. Yep.”

Sirius squeezed off several warning shots into the oncoming horde, biting his lip and stepping back until he bumped into Good Cop when the shots had no effect. “Ah,” Good Cop said. “Just a moment-” He swiped the pistol out of Sirius’s hands and popped the cover off. “Sir, do you still remember how to fence?”

“Well, it’s been a few years, but I should-” He paused. “…You know, a crowbar isn’t exactly designed with fencing in mind-”

“Unfortunately it’s the best we’ve got for now. Think you and Cary can hold them off for a couple minutes?”

“Are you out of your mind- what are you even doing?”

“Making some adjustments and hoping Cary doesn’t decide to strangle me for it afterwards,” Good Cop quipped as he conjured tools made of magic to do… whatever he was doing to Bad Cop’s laser gun. Bad Cop quirked an eyebrow at his brother, but said nothing, instead taking the crowbar from Sirius.

“Hey!” the President protested, but fell silent when Bad Cop broke the hooked end off before handing it back. “…I can’t see how that little piece is going to do you much good.”

“Not like this it isn’t,” Bad Cop agreed. Sirius stared as he fashioned a pair of brass knuckles from the broken piece of iron.

“You’re sure that’ll work?”

“We’re about to find out.” Sirius sighed and rolled up his sleeves, giving the iron bar a few test swings. When he glanced back up, they were surrounded. The looks on the ghosts’ faces were unsettling, to say the least. As he looked at them he could see anger; grief; fear. He felt cold, then, like ice was running through his veins.

Master Builders, each and every one of them… And their deaths are our faults… He breathed in and out slowly to try to calm his nerves. He couldn’t blame them for wanting revenge- he would, too. Bad Cop glanced over at him as the tip of the crowbar dipped slightly, watching him warily. Would it really be so bad to just… let them? It’s no less than I deserve…

Almost as one the crowd of dead Master Builders swarmed them, separating Sirius from Bad Cop with a speed the officer couldn’t keep up with. He growled, throwing himself into the fight, but the ghosts were remarkably organized, making a concerted effort to keep him from getting to his friend. It made him wonder- was the Ringmaster controlling them, the way he was controlling Keelan? But at least it was keeping their attention off of Good Cop, allowing him to finish making his adjustments.

Good Cop glanced up as the crowbar slipped from Sirius’ grasp and hit the floor with a solid thunk, followed shortly by the President himself. “Sirius!” he shouted, but the President didn’t answer, hunching over and disappearing in the swarm. He gasped as he went unexpectedly cold, as though icy fingers had reached into his chest; it was like the whispers all over again, but inside him where he couldn’t block them out. Bad Cop faltered, apparently feeling the same thing, and Good Cop could only guess that was what had affected Sirius so badly.

He steeled himself against the despair so persistently trying to drown him, and snapped the cover of the blaster back into place. In his peripheral he could see Bad Cop go down; he’d given it his best, but his fighting style was useless against the intangible, when only the strikes enhanced with the iron would land. Good Cop took aim.

“I am not weak.”

He squeezed the trigger, smirking in satisfaction as a wave of energy tore through the spirits harassing Sirius. They vanished like smoke, and he hurried to his friend’s side. He fired again, dispelling Bad Cop’s assailants next. It would provide only a brief reprieve, but it was enough to allow Bad Cop to pull himself to his brother’s side. “Is anything broken?” Good Cop asked, checking him over.

“Not yet,” Bad Cop grunted. “Sirius?”

“Come on buddy, come back…”

“Just let ‘em finish me,” he murmured brokenly. “Can never make up for it…”

“That’s not like you to just give up,” Bad Cop growled back.

“He’s in deep,” Good Cop murmured.

“Where’s Brickowski when you need a heartfelt speech?” Good Cop huffed and swatted at his brother, and Sirius snorted, finally peeking up at them.

“There you are,” Good Cop greeted warmly, giving him a soft smile. “I told you these ghosts have a way of getting under your skin.”

“Look out!” Bad Cop snatched up the crowbar, sweeping it in a wide arc as the ghosts made a comeback, shrieking in fury as they descended upon the trio. Good Cop lifted the blaster again, but it was quickly knocked from his hands before he could use it. He didn’t waste a moment in calling forth his magic, hovering protectively over Sirius as he joined his brother in the fight.

They were too distracted to notice Keelan starting to stir.

With a screech the youngest of the triplets pounced on Sirius, shoving him to the ground. He let out a scream as claws began to slash mercilessly into him, and no amount of thrashing would dislodge Keelan.

“Sirius!” Good Cop cried out, but in his distraction was dragged further away. The ghosts returned as quickly as they were dispersed, overwhelming the two brothers. Soon, Sirius lost sight of the cops altogether under the mass of furious ghosts.

Keelan paused with his hand wrapped around Sirius’ throat, and glanced up at something approaching them. Or someone, Sirius realized as he tilted his head back just enough to see. Judging from the green haze, it wasn’t any of their friends.

“Well done,” said a familiar voice. Sirius stared. The Ringmaster wasn’t quite what he remembered. Mostly in that he wasn’t quite human anymore. His skin had been dark in life, but now it was outright black, like the cops’ uniforms. But mostly, it was his eyes. They weren’t like a human’s eyes anymore, with recognizable pupils and irises and whites. They were a solid, glowing green. And there were four of them. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and turned to the cops, showing off two rows of spines that reminded Sirius of lionfish fins, the bulbous ends glowing the same green. “I don’t think our guests have much fight left in them, now. All we have left to do is wait for the audience to arrive.” He glanced over to where the ghosts dropped his friends, the cops looking the worst he’d seen them in a long time. Bad Cop’s back was to him, but Good Cop sported several bruises and scratches on his face, and a split lip, the lenses of his glasses shattered, the frames mangled. Their uniforms were in much the same state as his suit, and he could only guess at the extent of the hidden damage. “Let’s start with your boss, shall we?”

“No, no you can’t do this to Keelan, please! He’s innocent!” Good Cop begged. Bad Cop struggled to get back to his feet, silent, but his expression promised there would be hell to pay.

Sirius took a deep breath and looked back up into Keelan’s empty eyes. “Come on, kiddo, I know you’re still in there,” he started, and choked when Keelan pressed harder against his throat. He struggled to get his next words out. “Listen to your brothers…” Shakily, he reached up until his hands were on the youngest triplet’s shoulders, yanking him down into a tight embrace. The hand around his throat went slack in surprise. “Fight him!” Keelan screeched, thrashing to get free, and he held on for dear life.

The Ringmaster crouched down near his head, grinning a Cheshire cat grin. “That’s sweet, that you think he can hear you. I have his mind, and he will do my bidding until I get bored and kill him.” He caught something flying toward him out of the corner of his eye, and jerked out of the way just in time for the crowbar to go crashing into the wall. He turned a furious look to where Bad Cop still held one arm out from throwing it. “So you do still have some fight in you!”

“You have no idea,” Bad Cop snarled in response. “I’ve already been through Hell, you’ve got nothing to keep me down.”

“So you figured you’d try to take me on all alone?”

“That’s just it. You’ve been so focused on keeping your hold on Keelan, you haven’t even realized…”

“…He’s not alone,” Emmet finished.

[kazumasdiary]

that 2-3 cutscene, part i: susato

oh, honey.

the thing about susato is that what makes this ending cutscene so heartbreaking isn't what happens in the cutscene. it's what we find out after, and what that means for everything that just happened.

because when her father came back from london, she was six. when her father took kazuma in, she was six. when she decided to become a judicial assistant, she was six, and she stuck with it for ten years.

how badly did she need to be needed? how badly did she need to ensure she wouldn't be left behind?

when barok talks about meeting doctor mikotoba, she says “so... you actually met my father...” and i’m sure that’s an expression of shock. that’s what it’s meant to be. but i think that has to sting, too, just a little, because under all that is- you mean he knew you? you mean he was there, and he got to know you, you got to know him? when he wasn’t there for me?

susato spent the first six years of her life knowing her father only as an absence, and in her own words, “it took time to adjust to having father around.” i don't want to fault mikotoba for travelling to britain, and i do think we get the sense in case 2-1 that she does love him, but i can't help but think that as a child, some part of her felt that she wasn't enough- that there was something more important than her in london, and that's why her father was there instead of with her.

because if nothing else, it would explain why she chose her career path at six years old, and why she chose one that tied her so tightly to someone else.

she says she wanted to help, and i think that's true, but she also took the one route that would make absolutely sure that wherever kazuma went, he would have to take her. ryunosuke knew that it had been kazuma’s dream to go to london. i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that susato did too, and presumably she would have known that if they were sending a lawyer across the country, they’d probably send a judicial assistant with him. so she made herself into that assistant, she made herself absolutely indispensable, because she was not going to be abandoned by another member of her family for london.

and then she is anyway, in the end, because kazuma takes his sword and just leaves.

they get kazuma back and then immediately he’s just gone. he looks at her, thanks her for doing her job, and then he leaves anyway. she has done her absolute best as a judicial assistant, she has done her absolute best to do the thing that was supposed to stop people from leaving her- that was supposed to stop kazuma from leaving her- and it wasn't enough.

there has always been something more important than her, and so if she could not be important enough for somebody to choose her then she could at least be good enough for them to bring her along. she fought so hard to be part of whatever mattered so much, because maybe if she was part of it, then they wouldn't leave her behind. 

and then she finds out that she was never really part of it at all- kazuma wanted to go to london as a lawyer and she was going to help him, she would make it into something they would do together, but it turns out this was never a shared goal at all. kazuma’s reasons, kazuma’s ultimate objective, they have always been entirely different. there is so much more to this than she ever knew, and she was never told. and again, there is something more important than her, and she is left behind.

she is not enough of a reason to stay. she never has been.

| ryunosuke | barok | kazuma |

[voloslobotomyservice]

Tav Character Worksheet

thank you @elven-e-girl for the tag! always feel free to tag me in things like this because I love talking about my little guys!

no pressure tags: @my-favourite-zhent @fistfuloftarenths @leopardmuffinxo

Name: Fiadh O’Keefei

Age: 54 years old

Gender: cis female

Sexuality: fairly fluid, but no solid label

Pronouns: she/her

Tav Voice: voice 2

Family: Fiadh is an only child, with her mother dying during childbirth. She was raised by her father, Keefei, who is the leader of their druid circle. There were many other members of the circle who took care of her when his Archdruid duties took him away from their home. Though Keefei did not have any more children, she treated the other kids in the circle like her own siblings.

Birthplace: She was born in Moonshae Islands, where her parents were originally from. She and her father relocated to Ardeep Forest not long after she was born.

Jobs: Because she lived in her circle for so long, Fiadh didn’t have a “traditional job.” Sometimes she would keep watch of the circle at night, other times she would be sent out to hunt for food or to protect their land. She made sure to help out the circle as much as she could, so she could one day take her father’s place as Archdruid.

Phobias: Not really a phobia, but she does have a fear of failure. She wants to prove to the world that she is a strong, independent woman who is highly successful. She is also afraid of becoming corrupt when she becomes Archdruid, like the stories that her father has told her about.

Guilty Pleasures: She’ll indulge in too much Plum Fizz when the time calls for it. She also enjoys sun bathing in the nude, which she tries to do away from the prying eyes of the circle.

Hobbies: Sparring with her ‘siblings,” practicing lute (rather badly), basket weaving, and occasionally tailoring clothes of various members of the circle. She is also known to cook up a good meal, when the time calls for it.

Alignment: Neutral Good - calling for nature to take its course, no matter the outcome.

Sins: Fiadh tries to be without sin to become a good Archdruid, but she can have a nasty temper. It usually rises when people are making false accusations about her or other people in the circle. She nearly killed an outsider for speaking poorly of her father.

Virtues: Nature shall always have its balance, whether it is helpful or harmful. Respect your elders. Look after the small, for they are the future. Stay humble and be kind.

This or That?

Introverted/Extroverted - after spending so many years in her circle, she has found that she thrives well with others and prefers to be in a large pack-like group

Organized/Disorganized - she helps the others organize their packs and each companion is responsible for various different items

Closed Minded/Open Minded

Calm/Anxious/Restless - she doesn’t feel it necessary to spend her time worrying about the future (spoiler alert: she is worried)

Disagreeable/Agreeable - rather easy to get along with

Cautious/Reckless

Patient/Impatient

Outspoken/Reserved

Leader/Follower - natural leader, helps others try to think rationally before acting

Empathetic/Apathetic - almost to a fault

Optimist/Pessimist/Realist - tries to stay positive, despite the world falling around them

Traditional/Modern - to be fair, it’s all Fiadh’s ever really known

Hardworking/Lazy - she has worked hard over the years to one day take over her father’s place

OTP: The details of her in-game story is still in development, but I believe she and Wyll end up together. She thinks he’s handsome and witty, and has good characteristics of a potential husband. He thinks she’s elegant and handles her leadership with grace, which was refreshing after spending so many years in the wilderness of Faerûn. Eventually, they become Duke and Duchess of Baldur’s Gate and bring peace to the city! It’s an adjustment for Fiadh for sure, but she grows to love Wyll’s home, just as she loves him 🤠

BroTP: Gets along well with Gale, she likes to have scholarly discussions with him, even though she doesn’t have the same education as he does. She and Karlach have similar backgrounds, so they bonded over their untraditional childhoods. They often go on walks through the woods together. She and Shadowheart also become close, they both have respect for each other due to their devotion to their deities. She is also very close to Halsin, considering he and her father became friends when they fought Ketheric Thorm. He shares a lot of stories about his younger days with her, and she tells him of his years leading the circle.

NoTP: Fiadh is friendly with Astarion (and may have hooked up with him once), but she would not see him as anything more than a good friend. Same with Lae’zel. Both of their personalities don’t mesh with hers very well.

[heireign]

Talk about her marriages and how each of them are different for her.

send me a topic to write a meta about my muse on

it was written that it was a matter of discussion who would be a suitable consort for her ' long before any man had any reason to doubt her innocence' ( given the sexually explicit rumours began in the latter half of 111AC, her potential marriage and the idea of a betrothal for her and them choosing the right consort was likely a matter of debate since at least 110AC ) like from the sheer longevity of the amount of time her marriage was being discussed and the place she held in small council from around that same time - she would've heard at least a few of the discussions about who she would inevitably marry. she wholly would have expected them to choose her consort, and likely felt that it was in fact more then a bit safer to let them do it and limit the potential fallout and the potential ramifications of choosing a consort that would be deemed insuitable and would be used against her in the long run, to prove why she herself had poor judgment and worse, would be potentially looked to as yet another reason why she was insuitable to sit the throne. the fact they chose it, wasn't the surprise, the fact she was not informed when the matter was decided, was. she was under the impression that due to the time she had spent more than likely hearing them discuss it, that she would at least be consulted on the matter of who she might marry, when that matter was decided due to her position. which led to her and viserys arguing about it. and her obstinance on the matter, does not come from nowhere, it does not come from nothing.

it stems from the fact that despite how much she does love laenor, and she does, the fact that he does not like women, and it's well known he doesn't prefer the company of women, puts her in a very difficult spot where siring heirs is concerned. because there's only so much she can really expect him to undergo willingly for the sake of duty, and that puts a limit on the time frame to which the two of them could potentially try and sire a child together ( much less children ) because she knows herself, she knows she would never force him to lie with her, which leaves her either being deemed barren, and her heirs being her little brothers which makes it infinitely more difficult to hold onto her title and completely negates why she would need rule at all, or she could do what she did, and sire illegitimate children and pass them off as her husbands, which is dangerous in itself because - he would need to accept that, and them, especially in cases like hers where they don't LOOK like him. and it would be rare to find a man to submit to the indignities of that willingly, especially a man in laenor's position who has a sister who's sons could serve as his heir. he, at the end of the day did not need his own children as badly as she did. and yet he did accept them. and that's not even getting into the prospective biological father who, no, i do not think she ever outright approached harwin to be the sire of her kids, jace was definitely an accident. and like inevitably i do think she knew that ? any child she had would be getting hit with the bastard allegations regardless, because she is who she is, and the reputation she's garnered as a result, and she saw no use in making either of them uncomfortable more then they needed to be.

the beginnings of her marriage to laenor were tumultous, and filled with a lot of stress, and confusion and none of it was his fault, she never once blamed him for any of it, nor the inevitable hit that her reputation would take from the necessity of siring bastard children. i think the hit was worth it to her to be able to shield him from the discomfort of continued attempts with her, and she viewed protecting him from it as doing her ultimate duty by her husband in safeguarding his peace and? it got easier to adjust to the union when the attempts stopped. like they grew up together, they were usually wholly comfortable with each other in the platonic sense. and he afforded her a lot of freedom in their marriage, he let her raise and parent their children how she would've wanted to and he always showed up when it was expected and when it was needed of him. he would come frequently to dragonstone to visit with their children, and like she in turn let him live away from her, and to live primarily on driftmark. the two of them get along well, and they do love and trust each other, but there's no romance there, and they're both wholly comfortable in that fact. she was not thrilled about the union at first whatsoever, but at the end of the day, it happened, and she could either be miserable and subsequently make him miserable as well or learn to deal and adjust to their new reality and work forward as a team and act as a united front. the two times that the beef between her and alicent is said to have gotten notably worse, he was either insulted and subesequently humiliated in public, or he was traumatized extremely like in the case with joffrey lonmouth. like he's her husband, he's now her expected life partner, and she is going to protect him as such, even though there's no romance between them. she is gonna react to insults against him as if they were insults against herself. they were very close, and she was absolutely devastated when he died, and terrified of the ensuing vulnerability of not having the security of a husband as a woman in westeros.

and now her second marriage, to her uncle daemon — was in part a result of that fear. she was only twenty three when her first husband died, and she was more then young enough for a second marriage to be arranged and for her to be expected to have more children. she did not want to go through the uncertainty of the allowing her father’s councilors to choose her spouse again, and most especially after driftmark she did not. she felt entirely vulnerable after that as well, because she herself was punished for the incident ( rightly ) she was officially exiled from court and harwin was fired and sent back to harrenhal, and her father brought back the man who had been fired for questioning the legality of her claim so much so in the past in her absence. she needed a consort who brought with him his own high degree of intimidation, she needed someone who could shock the court in turn and make the circumstances of her departure less glaring. and daemon is a seasoned war general who brought with him caraxes who had been tried and tempered in the stepstones as well. like he represented the security that she craved desperately for her children and herself and their union was ? hardly really described in fire and blood - but the time she spent on dragonstone and subsequently the time she would have spent married to him, is a time where she was at her happiest. she was at peace on her isle with her children, and he does move to back her up in the first black council when she brings up the mention of the costs that using dragons may have on her children and how really, ‘ it isn’t that big of an advantage they have ‘. their marriage was mostly peaceful pre dance if the specifics of it, were so boring no one made note of it. and there’s a level of respect from both parties. it’s different for her because it was definitely a risky political decision that she made knowingly to protect herself before it could be done again, and she would have to learn how to adjust to another person who she could well not know at all. which is a disadvantage she did not have in either of her marriages, with daemon or laenor because she knew them both. it’s different because they were able to have legitimate children together and their legitimacy was something that she didn’t need to defend, and she did not have to hear comments about their hair or eyes when they were born and just people scrutinizing her newborn babies. it was an active choice she was able to make to protect her children and to protect herself. and it solidified a very strong ally at her side.