#his attempt(s) at independence is part of it too

[gatheringbones]

[“For the Vietnamese revolution in the south was in many ways unique. If it belonged to a category, then that category was extremely small. Since the period of international turmoil following the Second World War there were only two successful Communist insurgency movements, one in Cuba, the other in Vietnam. In Bolivia Che Guevara brought all his theory and practical experience to bear on the miserable, exploited hinterlands, only to find the Bolivian peasants as unreceptive as stones. In Southeast Asia the Communist movements had an almost complete record of failure. In Burma, the Philippines, and Malaya, they did not succeed in gaining support from the majority of the population. In Indonesia the Party relied upon the magical figure of Sukarno and did not take the necessary steps to seize and hold power. Then, too, since the Second World War only two countries have won their independence after a protracted war with a European power: Algeria and Vietnam.

In many respects the Vietnamese war of the 1960’s was unprecedented in the history of revolutionary and independence wars. The Chinese Communists and the Viet Minh had, after all, secure base areas within their own country and a relatively weak enemy on their soil. At their greatest strength, the French forces in Vietnam numbered only seventy thousand. The United States by contrast gave the best of its armed forces and two billion dollars a month to the Vietnam War. At one point General Vo Nguyen Giap himself admitted that until the war for the south he knew nothing about “people’s war.”

During the course of the war Americans wrote a great deal about the military strategy of the NLF and relatively little about its politics. The reason is simple. Most research on Vietnam was official research, and the official American line was that the guerrilla war involved no internal political issues, but that it was merely part of the attempt of the North Vietnamese to conquer the south. As The Pentagon Papers showed, many American officials did not believe this line themselves, but it provided them with a convenient method of avoiding crucial and potentially damaging questions, such as what the political problems of South Vietnam were, and how it was that from the same population base the NLF managed to create an organization so much superior to that of the GVN. The result was that even those Americans responsible for the conduct of the war knew relatively little about their enemy, for within the NLF politics was all: it was at the same time the foundation of military strategy and its goal. For the NLF military victories were not only less important than political victories, but strictly meaningless considered in isolation from them. Those few American officials who studied the NLF saw the political focus, but did not understand its significance. Had they understood it, they might have warned that it would be better to send the Saigon regime’s army to fight without weapons than to send it to fight without a political strategy, as was the case.”]

frances fitzgerald, from fire in the lake: the vietnamese and the americans in vietnam, 1972

[aliusfrater]

me when i remember that part of sam's motivation regarding killing lilith was the idea of normalcy within the near future after killing the big bad

[forgwater]

"Ah, yes. Me, my beloved Prefect and my lookalike tsum from another dimension."

Twst Boys and their reactions to you cuddling their tsum instead of them Headcanons

part 1 part 2 part 3

Riddle Rosehearts

He's baffled.

There has to be a rule about this somewhere!

Yes. The Headmage said he must look after the tsum until it can get back to where it came from and he will, but this is too much.

Does this creature have no manners?!

It must know the two of you are dating. It might even have its own version of you waiting for him to return!

And yet.

Here it is, hogging all your attention as you hold it close to yourself.

You're not even facing him!

And no. He is not crossing his arms and pouting.

Cater Diamond

He thought the tsum was pretty nice at first.

He's been forced to reconsider.

Cater would love to take a picture of you with his tsum. For his eyes only so don't you worry~

You must look so cute snuggled with the plush!

And it looks like him!

It really would be adorable!

If only you weren't facing away from him, your face presumably buried in the soft tummy of his lookalike.

.......

This is not fair. You should be cuddling him! He's your boyfriend! Not that overgrown bean.

He secretly hopes the tsum falls off the bed in the middle of the night.

Leona Kingscholar

What do you mean you prefer that stupid plush??? He's right here!

Very much not happy. No matter how cute you look with his tsum in your arms.

He tries to pull the tsum out of your arms.

Tsum Leona is not letting go.

They lock eyes.

You're pretty sure they're glaring at each other.

.....

Fine. He'll let the tsum have this. He's not gonna risk an accident just because that bean is unwilling to let you go.

You're gonna have his tail on you tho.

Jack Howl

Why are you hugging his tsum like that?

Why is his tsum looking like a puppy getting affection?

He's getting second hand embarrassment.

It's not because he would like to be held like that by you. It's because....

Uh. Because...

I mean! He's a wolf! His tsum is a wolf! It should be a little more... dignified.

He's not needy like that!

And he didn't agree to this. The tsum has not business being in his space like this. Cuddling with his s/o....

He keeps looking over to you and his tsum. He's snatching that bean out of your arms at first light. They're gonna go for a run.

Floyd Leech

So this could go one of two ways:

Either he's annoyed and tries to snatch the offending plush from you, which will end up in a fight between the two.

Or

He thinks it's hilarious and that you look cute like that.

He still wants his cuddles tho.

What's Floyd to do in this situation?

He just plops himself over you and the tsum. He's letting all of his weight crush you.

Lucky(?) for you it's only his torso crushing you.

Good luck.

Epel Felmier

He's finally allowed to have a sleepover and this happens!

You've got to be kidding him.

Please tell him this is a joke. He's glaring daggers at the tsum.

I mean.... He's a strong and independent man! He doesn't need those cuddles.

Yes. Yes he does.

He's fine!

He keeps glaring at the happy tsum in your arms.

It's mocking him.

There's no way it's not.

He tries to snatch it out of your arms, but makes the mistake of going for the head.

He gets bitten by his tsum.

Sebek Zigvolt

First Malleus-sama, now this!

This creature must be taught respect!

HOW DARE IT JUMP INTO YOUR ARMS SO SHAMELESSLY!!!!

WHO DOES IT THINK IT IS?!

A KNIGHT TO MALLEUS SHOULD NOT BEHAVE THIS WAY!

UNBELIEVABLE!

Sebek gets into a one-sided screaming match with his tsum.

By the end of it he's almost in tears. How dare this glorified plush bean steal your affections away from him!

Tsum Sebek ignores all of this. It is far too preoccupied with enjoying your pets and hugs.

You attempt to console Sebek by promising it's only for tonight.

He does not look consoled.

[akutasoda]

Hello <33 would it be alright to request Kurapika and a reader who is understanding, independent, smart, but also relatively quiet/analytical? I can see them quietly leaving him as he focuses on his goals (like the end of the anime) so they don’t distract him because I love angst :3 I think his s/o would love him deeply but refuse to keep him from revenge yknow? :3

up to you how you’d like to do it or if you do it at all! Wishing you a lovely night or day <3 C:

to let you free

synopsis - you didn't want to distract him from the one thing that was so important to him, but you didn't know how much he cared for you

includes - kurapika

warnings - gn!reader, angst no comfort, fluff, strangers-friends-strangers?, wc - 605

a/n: hello! wishing you a lovely day or night too <3

↪you had met kurapika during the hunter exams, a very short, brief encounter which only lasted long enough to weasel out each others names. you both were more concerned for passing the actual exam than making acquaintances right now - they could always be made later.

↪you met him a second time after you both passed the hunter exams. this time, having recognised one another from the exam, you both had the time to be more friendly and have conversation, despite your quite nature. then you parted ways again.

↪the third time you met him he was accompanied by his companions. three coincidental meetings had led you both to believe that you would always cross paths like this and so kurapika offered you to join him and his friends as they may be able to help you in whatever your journey was for.

↪you would then come to learn of all the goals for his friends, each individual having a completely different reason. your interest piqued when kurapika finally told you his intentions for his journey - his motivation for revenge was rather admirable.

↪your understanding nature made kurapika subconsciously open up more to you in particular, he felt as if you actually listened and cared for his story and the tasks he set out for.

↪your analytical and intelligent side only attracted him more, you offered him opions and facts that made him think. made him evaluate his options more to receive the best outcome.

↪it would be no surprise that these opinions are what lead to his developing crush on you. however his dedication to seeking revenge put a halt to his attempts at getting closer to you - he wanted to achieve this first as then nothing would be able to stop him from pursuing a future as he would no longer dwell on the past.

↪no words were exchanged for this issue but you felt the same. you too had developed a crush but you didn't feel it was the right time for either of you. his revenge would keep him glued to the past, not yet ready to see out his future, and you had your own issues to fix.

↪this would be were you quietness and independence would come in handy. you were both young with goals on mind and the last thing you would want to do is stop him from his and so you made a conscious decision to leave undetected - his friends too busy with their problems to notice.

↪while you would deeply miss his companionship, you felt this was for the best. the day you decided to slip away you left his friend a note to relay to him as he was too busy with revenge to care what anyone else was doing and then you left to pursue your life.

↪kurapika would admit that his revenge became selfish toward the end. he was so dead set on doing it by himself and avenging his clan that he would realise how much that affected his friends and himself afterwards.

↪it took him a painfully long time to even realise you disappeared - it pained him that he didn't notice sooner. it was a short enough time that his friend remembered the note but long enough that they didn't even remember where the note was and your last message to kurapika was gone.

↪he knows the long lasting affects that hos abilities have placed on his body and he'd do anything to see you again. now, his only mission is to find you and confess.

[lupinmoonlight]

Submission

Masterlist AO3 Submission Part 2: Establishing Rules Submission Part 3: Obedience

Summary - You fantasize about submitting yourself to Professor Lupin.

Warnings - teacher/student (of age), heavy D/s undertones, implicit mention of choking, implicit mention of oral sex and gagging, mention of not having limits or a safeword (please don't do this and stay safe), implicit degradation (and self-degradation) my grammar.

Notes - Sometimes you need an outlet for your own fantasies (lol).

You had always been a defiant student, constantly questioning authority and resisting any attempts to control you. You valued your independence and freedom above all else. But something inside you vanished when you first saw him. Your dignity, perhaps? All you knew was that you were never the same after. 

He was tall. Too tall. He had sandy brown hair peppered with grey. His soft, gentle eyes were framed by laugh lines, and his smile was warm and inviting. His calm and collected demeanour was a stark contrast to your fiery nature. He looked too kind, which made you think something fierce and untamed was lurking beneath his soft exterior. Maybe this explained the chokehold this man had on you. It didn't really matter anymore. It didn't matter why or how or when. He broke you without even trying. 

You hung on his every word, completely captivated by the way he spoke, the way he moved, the way his eyes would occasionally glance in your direction. You longed to feel his touch, to be held by him, to be completely at his mercy. 

Your obsession with him was like a storm brewing within you, threatening to consume you entirely. The more you tried to suppress your feelings, the more intense and twisted they became. 

"Your grip on your wand is too tight. Relax," he had murmured in your ear, the warmth of his breath lingering on your neck.

It was then that something inside of you snapped. As he stood behind you, whispering instructions in your ear, his firm yet gentle touch on your hand as he guided your hold on your wand, you melted. He had you. You could smell him, the faint scent of old books and sandalwood. It was intoxicating. You wanted more. You needed more. You craved more. 

You wanted to lose yourself in him, to forget who you were. You didn't want to make decisions anymore. You'd let him take over. You'd let him decide what you eat, wear, do, think. You'd let him decide when you sleep. Fuck, you'd let him decide when you breathe. 

You wanted him to hurt you, to break you, to bend you to his will. You wanted his hand to be wrapped around your throat, his thumb pressed against your heartbeat. You wanted him to have you, to take you, to drown you in his scent. You wanted him to make you kneel at his feet, his fingers tightly laced in your hair. You wanted him to make you look up at him, to make you beg for even the slightest touch, to make you gag around him. You wanted your throat to be sore from him using you. You wanted him to bend you over his desk, to fuck you until you couldn't walk anymore. No limits. No safeword. Just him and your submission. 

Pathetic. That's what you were. But you didn't care anymore because you just wanted to let go, to give yourself. You wanted to be his. You wanted to have his marks on you, on your hips, on your neck, on your chest. You wanted his essence to fill you. You wanted him to own you in every way possible. But even then, it wouldn't be enough. It would never be enough. 

[starry-907]

thanks to a few posts in the community and a sonic au, i've started vaugely thinking abt a possible musician/band/idol au for ava, with a dash of "hannah montana" for intrigue.

more under the cut cuz i already have some thoughts abt this sdfkljjkjddffr

so! this au is essentially taking almost every main character in ava/avm and giving them some level of ties to music.

most of what i have is character thoughts atm so! let's discuss the hollowheads and the colorgang!

second/orange

the main character is second, who performs as an idol under the alter ego of orange (a measure that their siblings suggested to keep them safe from paparazzi and fans outside of performing). i don't have designs for the two outfits quite yet cuz i just came up with this, but as orange they wear a mask on their lower face and take a lot of measures to make their idol look different from their casual look.

one day they accompany dark to an open mic night and bump into the color gang, an aspiring band, and wind up helping them perform. and it's really fun performing without pressure, and none of them recognized second so...

(they wind up doing keyboard for the group. their voice is fairly recognizable so they don't wanna risk it)

"orange's" real identity is a hotly debated topic among their fans, folks often try to piece things together going off of the vauge details they give in interviews

vic and chosen

vic and chosen were an idol duo years before second took the stage. in this au they're twins, so that wound up part of their appeal. however their manager, alan, was still inexperienced with managing, and wound up pushing the duo too hard and ignoring concerns, leading to vic having a bad accident during a meet and greet, leading to the two retiring shortly after (vic due to trauma, and chosen out of solidarity with their sibling)

when second told them about becoming an idol, both were concerned. chosen helped come up with "orange's" look, while vic was more unsure. (and both still weren't ready to forgive alan yet which, fair.)

chosen occasionally joins dark for performances (and to make sure he doesn't blow out his voice), while vic moved to produce for a quickly growing group called "the mercs" (they'd be such a boy band we know this)

dark

dark is attempting to become an independent artist, not wanting his style to get muddied up by record labels or producers (plus he was older than second when vic had their accident. he remembers better the events that led up to it). he's picked up a bit of a following.

dark does mainly a strange mix between heavy metal and breakcore (and risks destroying their vocal cords every performance, nuch to their siblings' chargrin). they've gotten chosen involved in a few songs, and has offered to let vic sing on a song if they ever get comfortable enough again. for the most part with second he's content just taking them to some of his performances, he doesn't wanna risk them getting recognized.

the color gang!

an up and coming band known for it's style of music. a bit strange sometimes, but in a fun way.

green is the defacto leader, as well as lead guitarist and singer (with the rest of the cg providing accompanying vocals as needed). he's also the one who invited second to play with the group (still dunno exactly why but it does occur). is a fan of orange, but unsure abt the speculation on their identity.

blue plays standing bass, providing an interesting contrast. she's the quietest of the group in interviews and in songs as well, but provides a lovely sounding supporting harmony with her instrument and when she sings. has the most eclectic style of the group as well.

yellow handles percussion! she has one of those midi fighters with all the buttons that has a bunch of different percussion noises saved (also a drum kit if needed). she also tends to help with soundchecks. she's also a fan of dark's music

red provides supporting guitar or really any other needed instrument. no do not ask why they needed a triangle for a song. he also tends to be the most energetic on the occasion they get interviews. keeps trying to convince green to let his pig ruben be the band's mascot (it goes about as successfully as you'd think).

[002yb]

Jason and dick independently chasing down the same mooks to a rundown strip bar and going in undercover. The pot bellied owner inviting them both for first day introductions. Jason stumbling upon seeing it's Dick doing practice runs on the pole. Dick missing a cue seeing Jay in the server outfit, booty shorts and a v neck top with his toddies spilling O U T.

It's not the first time they come across one another on a case and it certainly won't be the last. While Jason doesn't appreciate Dick shoehorning his way into Jason's business, he can't be too mad about it given how it led Jason to Bludhaven. Undoubtedly Dick and he followed different leads that have led them to this point. It's promising, but also so fucking unfortunate.

With how many embarrassing situations they've caught one another in, it's a wonder that either of them can still feel shame over anything. Even still, Jason flusters. For fuck's sake, Jason's tits are spilling out of his top; his ass hasn't been this much on show since his days as Robin.

It takes all Jason's self restraint to fight the urge to pull the shorts of his uniform down in a vie for modesty. They sit so low on his hips that even an attempt to be reserved is a foregone thing. Even when Jason tries to hide his chest with the serving tray, the owner tuts at him - chiding Jason to correct his posture; they're a 'professional establishment.' The clients don't come here to look at shy, timid maidens.

Being called out so aggressively diverts everyone's attention from their own tasks to him. It's an employee only night - a training simulation in which the new blood learns their tasks while the seniors lounge and enjoy themselves. It could be worse. There could be clients around, many of which are persons of interest in this case, but come on. For fuck's sake leave him alone.

His only mercy is that it's dark enough that the blush across Jason's cheeks isn't an easily noticed thing. Neither is his scowl.

Jason moves the tray so that he's not hidden behind it and bites back a grimace at the way he's eyed up and down. The attention is fleeting as the owner returns to appraising one of his new dancers, but Jason feels dirty for it nonetheless. Fucking creep.

The lights of the stage illuminate him faintly when Jason steps into it to serve his temporary boss and their cronies. One of them slaps the back of his thigh, laughter raucous as they squeeze, thumb pressing along the curve of his ass and Jason flinches, a shudder of disgust running down his back. He has to fight the knee-jerk reaction to fight and incapacitate; takes a deep breath because this is 'part of the training', a test to dissuade handsy customers.

Before Jason can even start, a trill runs up his spine and makes him tense because he can feel it - someone staring at him. It's weird, given Jason has had eyes on him all night, but this is different. Intense. It puts Jason on edge, body drawn taut for a fight.

When he discreetly glances out of his peripheral, Jason catches sight of the dancer and his eyes widen because it's not just some stripper working the pole - it's Dick.

From the look of him, the recognition is mutual.

Jason isn't sure what happens first or if it happens all at once, but in that moment of surprise everything goes to hell in a hand basket. Dick drops off the pole he'd been twisting around and Jason spills an entire tray of drinks into the owner's lap.

It's an uproar from there. The cronies throw themselves out of their chairs, shouting and berating Jason for the fuck-up until the boss raises his hand to silence them. Senior workers turn their heads away, focusing on the other waitstaff and talent. Playing it smart by keeping their heads down and minding their own.

Short-tempered, angry, and volatile men aren't anything new to Jason; he's unbothered by how they attack him and seethe, how the boss puts on airs like he's more important than he is. While Jason has the sense to snap his attention to the spilled drinks, his thoughts are very much caught on Dick. That he's there shouldn't come as much of a surprise as it is - this is Bludhaven, after all - but Jason already feels a blush of embarrassment staining his face and creeping low on his chest, across his fucking shoulders, even! Subconsciously, he reaches for his shorts. Fidgeting with the hem like there’s any modesty they can afford him.

(For the first time, Jason notices how the male dancers are more clothed than the full wait staff. Isn't it backwards? For fuck's sake).

Jason plays his role, apologizing profusely while assuring the owner that Jason will get everything cleaned up. And because Dick is always a hero regardless of what he is or isn't wearing, he steps down from the stage to kneel alongside Jason - reaching out for broken glass until the owner snips at him to stop.

"Dancers are meant to be watched," The boss says, jerking his chin back to the stage before sitting back and looking down his nose at Jason, legs spreading in an obscene and suggestive way, "This one will clean up after himself, won't you sweetheart?"

Dick's fingers twitch at the disparagement and the dirty implication. An uncomfortable silence follows, tension thick until Jason continues to pick up the larger glass shards. However reluctant, Dick pulls away from him, stepping back on to the stage and back to the pole to mind his business so that Jason can mind his and they can get through the night without further incident.

This case is bigger than the both of them. They can't fuck this up even if each others' presence was an unanticipated, unwanted thing and regardless if this miserable fucking bastard crook tests Jason's temper like none other.

"Missed a spot, doll." The boss drawls. When Jason looks up at him from beneath his lashes, the man spreads his legs that much wider and Jason clenches his jaw. It's a bold move to make with someone holding shards of glass in their hands. Jason could ruin this guy's day real quick. The man's hands rest over his lap, drawing up to tap his thumb over his alcohol-soaked groin while he flags another server down to get him a drink. "You need this job; don't fuck it up."

Jason grinds his teeth, but swallows down the rage with a promise to himself that he'll fuck everything up come the end of this case. A shard of glass cuts his hand from where he grasps it too tightly. It slices into his palm the same way it does his knees when Jason begrudgingly falls to them between the man's legs.

Fingers thread through his hair, drawing Jason's head down and Jason forces his body to be still, lax. It's not like he hasn't done this before for the same type of bitch. This is fine. This is fine.

And then the man is gone entirely. Jason stays knelt on the floor, eyes wide as Dick launches himself off the stage, throwing himself at the boss they're supposed to be manipulating and sending the both of them sprawling backwards over the chair the man was sat in. Jason stares in wonder at the picture of rage Dick paints, eyes alight and wild, teeth bared in an ugly snarl, fist drawn back and pulling out of everyone's hands that try to hold him back.

It's not something Dick apologizes for later once Jason is able to track him down. All Dick does is spit the blood in his mouth onto the streets and glower, head turned away and body drawn taut - itching for a fight.

He's a sight, to say the least. Enough to make Jason want to drop to his knees again, only this time without any interruptions to save his honor.

As it stands, Jason leans against the wall beside Dick and waits for him to simmer down. They've seen each other in any number of embarrassing or shameful scenarios and Jason should really be flustering about other parts of their night as opposed to this.

The case is still on. Jason has them covered in the same way Dick covered for him. And while Jason isn't thrilled to let Dick in on his case - Jason did wander into Bludhaven's borders. That besides, it's not the worst feeling to have someone looking out for him.

[randomfoggytiger]

Collector's Edition: Bill Scully, MSR, and Pain (Part I)

How to melt the Abominable SnowBilly, Season 2 through Season 7 (IVF arc not included.)

**Note**: I had to eliminate fics not specifically related to an illness or injury because the word capacity on Tumblr is uncharitably short.

Loose chronological order below~

SammyLovesASOIAF's I Don't Want You Like A Best Friend

He chuckled to himself. The Scully siblings were a weird juxtaposition of different traits. Bill Jr. was strict, Melissa was carefree, Scully was careful, and Charles—well, he was always in absentia. 

AU-- Post One Breath Mulder is almost creamed by a firework before Bill Scully saves him.

@living-in-unreality/@television-overload/ContentsPriceless's beautiful (Ao3)

The pieces slowly come together in his mind, everything he knows about Fox Mulder. His mother must have seen it long ago, hence her willingness to help him this morning. And he would have stood in the way.

Bill Scully can see the love in Mulder's attempts to paint on Scully's makeup for her.

MldrItsMe's A Favor

“Should Dana be out of bed?” Bill grumbled.

Mulder involuntarily squeezed Scully a little closer to himself. “She asked me to,” he said. He thought better of adding “hold her” and just let the situation speak for itself.

AU-- Redux II Scully is suffering on her deathbed: 96 pounds and swiftly losing independence.

@scully-loves-ruthie's cancer arc: mulder sneaks a dying scully out

Bill will storm into her hospital room after, a firecracker beneath a teacup ready to explode sending the fine shards of his rage into the newlyweds.  He’ll find himself frozen his fuse stamped out at the sight of his sister’s frail and fading body wrapped like a puzzle piece inside Mulder’s arms, the couple sound asleep.

AU-- Redux II Bill doesn't rip Mulder's head off after finding out he and Scully were quickly married.

intrepidment's Bill and me

"You had talent for medicine, Dana, everyone admitted that. You would've had every right to be haughty, but you never flaunted your talent then. Then you changed your mind, you became an investigator, and suddenly you're this overconfident professional."

I opened my mouth to rebuke him, but I had to admit he was right. Somewhat. 

Post Redux II Bill and Scully have a siblings' semantics fight over Mulder's napping body.

amorfati3215/Amorfati32’s (FFN) Number 9 for the dialogue prompt.

Mulder hasn’t got very far when he hears Bill call out, stopping him in his tracks. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

Post Redux II Bill gives Mulder his version of a blessing.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside‘s (Ao3) Seven Pound and Six Ounces (Ao3)

He’s never held a day-old baby before this one.

And now, Fox Mulder can proudly say that he has held one, changed his diaper, and napped with the tiny thing like a log in the cradle of his arm.

With his other arm held by one Dana Scully, his hand holding hers. On the sofa in her big brother’s living room.

Post Emily Bill lets Mulder and Scully be.

soverysesual's The Truth Not Considered

He frowned as he observed the scene in front of him: his sister was sitting up, her head resting in an awkward position as she dozed, the mug of tea precariously balanced in one of her hands, while Mulder held her other hand grasped between both of his, as if he was clinging to her for dear life.

Post Emily Bill (reluctantly) helps Scully get comfy next to Mulder.

Marguerite's (Ao3) When the Bough Broke

Bill is standing between us and the embers of last night's fire. Scully has not stirred; I still keep her within the circle of my arms. Her brother's face is unreadable. I make a helpless gesture with my hand, but he stops me and points to my face. It's still wet with tears.

Post Emily Bill finally understands and becomes comrade-in-arms.

pen-paper-aliens/theficisoutthere/aka PPA's 95 ❤️

She’s still holding that hand when we walk in, nobody notices, or if they do, they don’t care. Bill notices too, but even he doesn’t say anything. What do you say to a mother who lost a child she never knew? 

AU-- Post Emily Bill lets his sister find comfort in her partner.

Jen's (mulderscreek)

Christmas Eve & Airports and Christmas & Mrs. Scully's House

"He's upstairs," Dana said and could swear she heard Bill mutter something under his breath. 

AU-- S6 Scully convinces Mulder to join her and her family for Christmas and ends up nursing his unexpected strep throat.

@baronessblixen‘s (Ao3) 

Christmas With The Scullys (Tumblr)

“My bed,” she says, just to clarify. She hears a clatter from behind her and doesn’t need to turn around to know that Bill is there and listening.

S7 Bill and Scully battle it out after she brings an injured Mulder to the Scully family Christmas party.

O Holy No - Chapter 7 (Tumblr)

“Where’s the guy?” he asks, chewing with his mouth open.

“Do you mean Mulder?” Her brother nods, stuffing more chips into his mouth. It reminds her of when they were teenagers and Bill, towering over her and Melissa, would steal their snacks and interrogate them, claiming it was his duty when their father wasn’t home.

AU-- Mulder and Scully, newly minted couple that they are, both fly out to Bill's house for Christmas... and are greeted with unexpected shenanigans.

Shoshana's

Almost Home (4/4)

"Hey, wife," he said, approaching her from behind.

Mulder wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I don't think Bill suspects a thing," she told him gravely.

AU-- Post Requiem Mulder is returned with ongoing medical complications; but that doesn't stop the leftover Conspiracy or Bill Scully's lingering concerns.

And salliejohns's

Mr. Mulder, Mother Maggie, and Empty Place Settings

It was a big risk, but it paid off well. We were able to establish contact with our old boss and he came through for us, sending Bill Scully, Jr. a cryptic message about his dry cleaning.

AU-- S9 Bill is happy to find his sister and her partner alive in California; but that doesn't erase the pain of losing touch with his mother while Maggie raises baby William in hiding.

Hestia01‘s (Ao3) The Next Great Adventure Chapter 1 and Chapter 5

"Bill, they're here!"

Bill looks around, now looking concerned for his mother's grip on reality. "Who's here?"

"Dana's here! She brought Fox along, too! You can't see them, but they stayed!"

Giving his mother a pitying look, he nods indulgently. "Sure, Mom, whatever helps."

AU-- The crack adventures of Mulder and Scully after death (Skinner hoarding their poster and Bill getting his comeuppance included.)

@incidental-ao3/incidental's

Keep It All the Year

“Where’d he go?” she asked. He shrugged.

“Got in a cab,” he said. “I don’t know where to.” Scully groaned.

“Maybe one of you should stay put so the other can find them,” he said, but she wasn’t listening at all.

“He left his phone at the hotel, I bet he went back to get it,” she said, barreling passing Bill down the stairs and grabbing the keys.

AU-- S6 Mulder is dragged out to Scully's torturous family Christmas in San Diego, where the franchise becomes a complete disaster all the way 'round (Diana included.)

bluesamutra's una via - Chapter 4, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6

Dana had been at death’s door before he showed up at the hospital with a computer chip and a story straight out of a Michael Crichton book.  Bill had stood by in disbelief when she, a woman of science, trusted him enough to put it in her neck.

And yet.

And yet, he had watched from the shadows of her room, unseen, when Mulder crept into her room that same night and wept silently into her hand. 

AU-- Post Amor Fati Bill Scully's family reunion takes a serious turn when Matthew almost drowns and Mulder injures his shoulder during the rescue.

@scully-eats-sushi/ijustknew's

You're Not Alone and You're Not Alone II

She’d barely stepped inside their mother’s home before Bill had started inspecting her injuries, making her instantly regret not wearing a turtleneck. He went so far as to grasp her chin and tilt her head up to get a better look at them. Irritated, she’d shoved his hand away and declared “I’m fine” before stepping past him to embrace her mother.

Post Millennium Mulder and Scully are navigating their relationship post episode, with their own personal complications as well as her family, profiling, and on-the-job demands.

Red0313's Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

We make eye contact. He knows I am awake. I can’t even fake it. This should be good. Kick a man while he’s down, literally.

“Mister Mulder, I see you’re going to be just fine. That seems to make my sister very happy,” he huffs. Something’s eating him up.

S7 Bill observes his sister's pain and penance after Mulder takes a bullet for her.

Susan Proto’s Barbecue Series 14, The - Labor of Love

She must have picked up Matty, because all I hear from him now are soft whimpers instead of hysterical crying. And then I hear her ask, "What happened, Bill?"

"He got hit by the Harley. He ran into the street and got hit by the Harley."

A Harley?

AU-- Mulder has been bullied by Bill for years, and finally sets his foot down after the other throws away his engagement ring.

@tatooedlaura-blog/tatooedlaura/Laura Sprys​’s Always Been Yours

Mulder was out of the shower and in the kitchen helping Scully with a makeshift dinner when Charlie and Bill walked through the door. Scully's eyes swam again when she saw her older brother. Hugging her tightly, he looked over toward Mulder and nodded his head.

In shocked surprise, he walked over a shook Bill's hand, "hello again."

AU-- S7 Maggie is unexpectedly killed in a car accident; and Bill keeps to himself while Mulder prevents Scully from falling apart.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[breathingxspace]

This may be the series end, but it’s also the /season/ end...

This may be the series end, but it’s also the /season/ end, and while I don’t have words big or expressive enough to talk about the whole show, I /do/ have words for the writers/editors who made this season happen.

So. A thread about the people behind S4

S4 was weird both b/c we came in with so much existing world/lore/etc & also b/c we knew it was the last, so wanted to get EVERYTHING on screen, b/c it was the last chance.

That put a /lot/ on the writers, in a bunch of ways. But damn did they deliver.

Ep1 was mine, but I'm going to yell about Erik at the end, so for the time being, I just want to say thanks to Thomas for letting me play with some of his toys. Putting the two couples together for a heist was a joy.

Jordan took on one of the most ambitious challenges of S4. His pitch was excellent, but too big to fit in 1 ep. I came to him late in the game & asked how he felt about writing A Miniseries, & for some unknown reason he was willing to do it for us, & I'm so glad.

The Spaces In Between isn't a story for me, which is why I'm so glad it's part of this season. B/c it IS a story for a lot of other people, & more than a few have told me how much it meant to them. Jordan did /so much/ work, & made something beautiful. Thank you.

Mel-- adf;l/;adfsladfs;l My adoration of Cee & Molly knows no bounds, & this storyyyyyyy. This was one that had to carry a lot- get all the necessary info from backstory across while still being stand alone, & it NAILED that. & is funny, & sweet, &....

if I remember correctly, I came to Mel & @interiority w/ a suggestion they do a little collaborative creation b/c one of Interiority's pitches had strong overlap with Mels, & seemed like they'd work well together. They humored me, & made a work of art.

SJ & Kasha Mika need to get yelled about in concert. THESE two eps were /logistically/ complicated on top of narratively. They independently pitched a jail break out & break in & once again humored me in attempting to connect them. & obviously succeeded.

I love that the stories on their own are so distinct. It's NOT just telling 2 povs of the same narrative. Gospel & This Thing are their own stories, they just run parallel & overlap. But each story is richer & fuller for the other existing.

Last season, SJ made my month by wanting to play in the Terminal Station sandbox. This time, Jack did by wanting to write about Diatoma, which is one of my pet setting elements.

Something I love about these eps is how firmly in-genre they both are.

This Thing is a mob story, done to perfection. Gospel is a Western, & knows it.

Watching the two of them puzzle out where & how the stories met, & split, what you would hear in one vs the other, what could be left out or implied... it was excellent /technical/ work.

Scott 's Fable of the Family was similarly ambitions structurally, on top of narratively. It would have been easy for the series to get confusing, w/ the shifting time periods, but between writing & editing it's instead this gorgeous, sweeping saga.

The Peregrination stories are also ones that are not generally for me, but I got very invested in more than a few of the FoF ones. & again, the /mechanics/ of telling 3 stories in 3 times concurrently are fascinating, & excellently done.

Kale wrote what might be the most powerful ep in S4 to me. The characters & their struggles are intensely, almost brutally real & the sheer /weight/ of what it means to exist... The episode tackles really rough shit that's often overlooked (deliberately or not)

and it does that while still having a sense of humor. Almost all of our eps give me Emotions, but this one especially hit hard. I think it covers a slice of human experience we hadn't yet, & I'm very glad they wrote it, & it's part of the show.

Hang on for Chasing a Ghost yelling, going to do that at the end too.

Interiority has what might be my favorite brand of humor of all the BSFF writers, & There's a Design is no exception. He pitched a few eps (& I think I might have encouraged them all to get written in one way or another? Can't remember) but this one was, to me, the funniest

Except, see, he's not content making something that's /just/ funny. At its heart, this ep is... sad? sweet? deeply resonant with human nature? I don't know. I do know that Interiority can blend dry humor, over-the-top humor, empathy, & hope all into the same scene. It rules.

Again skipping my ep, but I do want to thank Daisy for her portrayal of Clarity. You Can Hear the Whistle Blow is. A very personal story. For me. So much so I had serious second thoughts about making it & I struggle to re-listen. Thank you for being gentle with her.

I could yell about Amy pretty much all day. She is one of the kindest, most enthusiastic, most /observantly/ encouraging people I've had the joy of working with. But this is about eps, so, we'll do that instead.

Blue Noon is the PERFECT final ep for BSFF.

Reading it, I knew it would need to be either the 1st or the last ep, & will not lie, I felt really bad making it the last. It was /so good/ I didn't want to make the audience (or the cast!) wait to release it. But I'm glad I did, b/c it's the ideal end note.

Going out with a Western, pistols-at-dawn narrative that's ALSO a heist and ALSO a gay panic love story? Yes. Yes, please. I am /really/ looking forward to more Amy content in this setting, and others. : )

CHASING A GHOST. James just. Keymash forever. This and Delta Vee Dining remain my favorite content of the show. CaG is /exactly/ what it should be. It's the best of public radio, delightful characters, excellent writing, and THE MUSIC.

I am in awe of composers, lyricists, & arrangers, & there's so much beautiful work in the miniseries. I just...

Honestly, this is one I've yelled about so much I am kind of out of new and excited things to say. So I'll leave it at thank you /so much/

To the editors (Aaron, Kale, Scott, Amy, Erik, Jordan, Maddie, & Sam) are our not-nearly-shouted-about-enough heroes, but I especially want to thank Sam for handling MANY eps AND finale stuff on top of his busy life. You're wonderful.

And again, we come back to Erik I love you so much, & everything I get to make with you is a delight and a joy. Your raw /skill/ as a sound designer & editor is just astounding, but lately I've gotten to see your experimental creativity, & it /rules./

Quite frequently lately you've messaged me with basically "I'm trying a thing, what do you think?" & it's inevitably something interesting, technologically complex, & cool as hell. I love watching you grow into the /art/ element of sound design as an artist. Thank you. Always.

Alright. I have now spent over an hour drafting this (on Oct 17, so I don't have to try to do it day of release when I am In My Emotions) and while there's absolutely more to be said, this thread is very long.

Thank you, S4 people-- actors, editors, writers, fans.

🚀💖🧈

-ash

[fandomfreakstudios]

now i'm thinking about how jay will react to her father's interview when she finds out about everything he's done. it is unlikely, of course, that she will do the same as hollyhock, removing him from her life forever, but maybe something similar will happen. in any case it will be a complete angst xx

Alright so… this is something I have thought about extensively, actually.

I feel like one thing I need to highlight is the fact that around the beginning of the series, round her late teens early 20’s, Bojack has kind of… given up. Slowly but surely he loses his rose coloured glasses around parenting, it’s not sitcom-esque like he was hoping, so he just stops REALLY viewing her as a vulnerable kid/young adult because he can’t recognize that outside of youthful tv-cuteness.

Anyways! What i’m getting at is that their relationship becomes a bit more toxic enabling co-dependent then is ideal… the two very often drinking and being dumb together (think of the 2 week bender that he goes on after Diane gets engaged. Stuff like that she would end up roped into).

So unlike Hollyhock she is VERY desensitized to it, and she has been knee deep in his bullshit since day one. I feel like, similar to how Bojack drunkenly confessed the Sarah Lynn thing to Peanutbutter. In his crazy attempt at processing the Penny thing, I think he would drunkenly confess that to Jay. He would deep down be seeking the confirmation that he’s not awful, and dangerous, and fucked up and whatever else… and I think Jay would comfort him.

But she has this deep hidden desire to distance herself, especially with todd leaving… but she can’t. This is her Dad, and she loves him and she NEEDS to be his support. Philbert era was terrifying for her. She was watching Bojack decline in real time, and she was so incredibly unequipped to help him.

Obviously this means she supports his sobriety, couldn’t be happier for him… And in all honesty she was relishing in the space she had from him… She’s happy for his new job, his new life, he leaves the house to her when he moves to Connecticut (she still lived with him up to this point. She never had a job or any funds of her own).

So the interview, and the aftermath, is absolutely devastating to her. All that progress, that new better life, that new beginning was all tossed away. That’s the worst part of the interview. It doesn’t destroy her perception of him in the way you may think, it’s just devastating to see him fall so far.

There is one line though, that makes her feel sick. When he says that Sarah Lynn was like a daughter to him. She was around during the events of Prickly Muffin. She was around for that, she was living with him through all that horrible bullshit, definitely at least a bit traumatized by that, but that was just… yuck.

From there, Bojack loses his job, loses his house, which is really JAY’s house, and they both need to move in with Peanutbutter. Her stifling financial dependence on Bojack made her homeless right alongside him.

Bojack going to jail, hate to say it, is jay’s saving grace. She’s living rent free Peanutbutter’s house, and living rent free in her Dad’s house is one thing, but she’s grown too independent and prideful to mooch off peanutbutter, no matter how adamantly he insists she’s always welcome.

She gets a job, and moves out on her own for the first time at 28, and… she gets a one room apartment, with only enough space for her and not Bojack. It was a hard decision but she knew something needed to be done to separate the two…

And she admits that, full stop. She directly forwardly tells him that she’s her own person, she needs her own space and independence. She’s able to stand her own ground and separate herself from a toxic and difficult situation

so yeah, a bit yappy and I went in a few different directions aside from your ask but I had a good time writing :3

[CHECK REBLOGS FOR ADDED CONTEXT]

[jorisjurgen]

@dullard more of your questions from the ask game (sorry it took a while)

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Atcham: Honestly, its kinda underwhelming compared to the other two. He feels guilty for sending Kerubim glitter bombs for the first 8 years of Joris's life. He feels bad for putting a bike lock on the door once too. He's also guilty about not supporting Joris enough when he was like 11-17yo.

Kerubim: When Joris was a baby, he kept dropping things on him, and accidentally scratching him. Joris still has scars from it. Besides that, he feels bad about Joris's childhood in general, even if Joris doesn't remember some parts as well as he does. He also feels bad that he's kinda grateful that Julith and Jahash died and he raised Joris in their stead, even if he'll never tell Joris about his feelings. (If he did, he'd learn that Joris is grateful for this too, and does not feel bad about that.)

Also sometimes, when Joris is away, he likes to lie to customers that he has a wayward son who has Left him, at such an old age, to fend for himself all alone. It's not true and makes him feel guilty, but he likes the sympathy it gathers. Once or twice Joris finds out about this, and neither of them talk about it.

Joris: Same thing as Kerubim - whenever Kerubim and Atcham die he has to care for them, and he's not that good at it. He feels bad about bathing them and clipping their claws.

Besides that, he does something similar to Keke - sometimes, while talking to someone in travels, if its not someone he'll meet ever again, he will make shit up about having an Evil Bad father in who Ruined his life. (he will never admit there's some truth to this. He is merely making shit up for confidentiality, for the sake of throwing people off, for the sake of them Relating to him, you see. Haha... Totally)

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

Atcham: He tells people, at least through his behaviour, that he wants to be regarded as a dangerous person - that he wants them to fear him. In reality, he mostly just wants respect from his peers. He'd also like to make more friends who he's somewhat close with, but he's not good at emotional stuff.

Also in terms of Kerubim, there was a lot going on when he was trying to kill him. Like... He did say he wanted to make him into a coat. I think he wanted to be Kerubim - to have his looks and his success. I think he wanted Kerubim all to himself, without others, like Ecaflip or other ecaflips coming between them. I also think he wanted an apology (mind you, if Keke actually gave him one, Atch would completely ignore it.)

Kerubim: He acts like he wants to be a cool macho man. He actually just wants to be with his loved ones and have fun. He acts aloof, but he wants to be held by someone who won't leave.

I think that while Atcham's murder attempts were annoying, it was almost comforting that this guy would never leave him be. Though it was also sad, because that's not the sort of relationship he wanted with Atch.

With his wants regarding Joris things are even more crazy - he may say he wants Joris to do whatever he wants, and that he's proud, but I think he really, really misses Joris being dependent on him. I think he likes it when adult Joris is sick or hurt and he can care for him, even though it makes Joris feel undignified. Basically, he says he likes that Joris is all independent and professional (and he kinda does, he IS proud) but he wishes he were still baby. Normal parent stuff.

Joris: He tells everyone and himself that he wants to do good and uphold justice, and in part it is true, but he also likes and wants power and respect of others. He has a bit of an imposter syndrome when it comes to like, everything, so he needs other people to approve of what he's doing.

Also making his ecaflips call him dad is both good for getting people to ask less questions, which is probably what he tells himself - and marking himself as Keke and Atch's owner cjsjcjsksk. Black dragons are possessive....

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

Atcham: "Maybe I did lie." (Smirks) (Crosses hands) "...Really are you ssstupid? Why would I lie about brakmarian swords. You are stupid. I am going to beat you to death."

Kerubim: "ME?! KERUBIM CREPIN?! LYING????"

Joris: Seethes. Starts planning to slash that person's tires in his mind. Thinks of all the ways to poison the food and drinks of those who wronged him.

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

Atcham: When Kerubim and Joris get hurt. He considers himself the most capable and competent in their team, at least in part because he is. Joris always rushes in, and there have been multiple times he got caught in traps, or was stopped from doing thay by Atcham. Kerubim isn't always physically fit, because he can spend as many decades tending to his store as he can adventuring - without either of these two things getting boring, while Atcham always tries to keep himself in the fighting shape.

So because of this - he feels responsibility for them inthe battlefield. He's not a tanky guy, but he tries to take the hits meant for them om himself. And when they get hurt, he feels so, so much guilt.

The funny thing is that when he's guilty or ashamed he gets angry, and yells at whoever is closest... By which I mean Kerubim and Joris. So it's a very "(got so guilty about how a battle went he almost cried) SSSTOP WHINING ABOUT YOUR STUPID BROKEN LEG, SSSERUBIM" and "IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO LEAVE YOU TO DIE, JOROS, ACTUALLY ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR STAB WOUND BANDAGES, SSSTUPID IDIOT."

Kerubim: He feels guilty if Joris gets hurt, and he feels guilty if Atcham has to protect him. It feels unfair, that even though he and Atcham had such a difficult childhood, and nobody protected Atcham, - Atcham keeps having to protect him. He'd like to change his habits and keep fit as an old man, but it would take away from the Awesome stuff, like reading and talking to people.

When Joris gets hurt, he feels like he failed completely. Unlike him and Atch, if Joris dies it's OVER. So a lot of his attention is on Joris, during missions. He knows Joris is capable, but also...., thats his baby.

He apologizes a lot, compulsively. Maybe cries. It might seem likes making everything about himself - but he's just that distressed. He's not chill about stuff.

Joris: He can take Atcham and Kerubim dying in the most insane and gruesome ways. He's seen that just a few times, Nd it's never good, but there's a comfort to knowing they'll be back.

He can deal with mortal people dying too. But long wars, catastrophes, he feels a lot of guilt about not being able to help better.

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

Atcham: [vile slurs omitted]

Kerubim: Either with a very bright smile or by politely averting his eyes.

Joris: 😶🧍

How do they greet someone they like / love?

Atcham: A smile as if you were gone for 40 years and presumed dead. That, or literally no reaction. He's not really good at expressing his feelings.

If its Kerubim and Joris, then he immediately starts complaining about some random thing (they are all haters).

Kerubim: ":D!!!!!" He treats everyone as if they're close friends. Very fond, very happy, big gestures, stories...

But if it's someone he really really loves (and by wakfu times, that's like 2 people in the world), it's different — there's a degree of calm and quiet reverence.

Joris: A small knowing smile that says that he likes them, explicitly. He doesn't like big gestures, at best, he likes giving gifts, but he always passes it off as something random.

If it's Keke and Atch though, there might not be a smile. They don't need that to know he likes them. Really, it depends on his mood.

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

Atcham: He speaks like a brakmarian... from 600 years in the past. He uses some very old words. And he has probably infected Joris and Kerubim with them too.

Kerubim: a lot of pandawa words due to his love of learning and alcoholism.

Joris: by ecaflip, ecaflipping, by the big tease's big bouncy pink belly, by the ace of ecaflip, by ecaflip's nine tails--- he suppresses this as hard as he can.

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

Atcham: Kerubim and Joris or both of them. When he's scared, they know exactly what to say. He wishes he were this good at comforting. If it's something deadly, then he's likely to want Keke to comfort him. If it's something social, from conflicts with others to "man I sure hope this won't turn into a war", - then Joris.

Kerubim: Joris, and secondly Atcham. He feels selfish for it. Both of these are pessimists, unlike Keke's cheery optimist self, but it's so endearing, listening to them trying to be positive.

Sometimes, at night he likes to look at Joris as he sleeps, if something bad happened recently. (Nobody tell him all three of them do this)

Joris: Kerubim. It's always going to be Kerubim. Despite everything, he still feels like Kerubim is just a bit more smarter and capable than him. He's in a bit of a denial that this is a parent-child thing, though. Or that every time he sees something horrid or almost dies, he wants Keke to hold him.

When he isn't there, Joris and Atcham can comfort one another, but it's very much a "the visionless leading the blind" situation.

[gemsofgreece]

Have you read "Son of Chaos" by Chris Jaymes? It stars Marcos Botsaris and retells certain events from the Greek War of Independence. On one hand, the story is highly fictionalized in an attempt to mimick 300's success, there were a lot of contradicting motives among the characters and (I don't know how to explain this) I didn't like Marcos' haircut or Muhkah's armor. On the other hand, it's pretty clear that the author did his research, the art was nice, I liked Ali Pasha's portrayal and it's one of the few times where a western foreigner adapts a part of our history that's not related to Ancient Greece. What do you think?

This has been in my "to read list" for so long but I have hesitated because I am not a fan of the graphics style. This washed out yellowish 300 palette looks too messy. Of course it's positive that we have an international work finally inspired by Modern Greek history but from what I have seen, I am not crazy about the execution...

[woman-of-balnain]

You Don't Form in the Wet Sand (I Do) - Part 1/2 (Alpha Rick x Omega Reader)

Masterlist | AO3 Ver. | Next Part

Pairing: Rick Grimes/Fem!Reader

Request: An omega reader who is able to handle and defend herself and how Rick would deal with that considering he just wants to protect her.

A/N:

So, this all takes place during the early period of the ‘farmer Rick’ era (between s3 and s4). I have it so that Hershel wants to get the infirmary stocked up with everything he needs to get it properly up and running (Dr S isn’t part of the community yet).

The hospital in this story isn’t the one that Dawn runs.

I’m going to write chapter 2 right after posting this, so it’ll be up soon and is just 100% smut of their first shared rut/heat.

TW: Strangulation of the Reader in an attempt to kill her (by an enemy, NOT Rick). The way it’s described might make it seem like it’s going on for longer than it is, but I intended it to be fairly minor, with no permanent or serious damage. Idk if that comes across clearly though, sorry. I also don’t know how realistic it is, because I am not a doctor, but a complete idiot…

Warnings: See the TW above, a/b/o dynamic (some non-traditional), established relationship, dominant Rick, protective Rick, killing both walkers and other people, independent omega Reader, female Reader.

Word Count: 4,576

Dividers by: @newlips + @cafekitsune

You loved the moments when Rick didn’t realize you were looking at him. He was so cocky whenever he caught you, that you savored the times when he was completely unaware, and you could just take him in with open and unrestrained appreciation. He was tending to the crops in the prison yard alone, like he always did these days, and you realized that you missed the way he was before he’d decided to basically retire.

There had been times where he’d get too protective of you, whenever the group was in a dangerous situation, but you knew it was just his instincts as an alpha coming through. Luckily, you could handle your own, so he really didn’t have any reason to worry. That never stopped him though, and even now he hated when you went out on a supply run without him.

“Hey cowboy,” you greeted Rick, walking up to him.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at you, a grin curling up on his lips at the familiar nickname you always used.

“You ever gonna stop callin’ me that?” He asked, letting out a light laugh.

“Nope,” you replied playfully with a small smile of your own. “You’re just asking for it.”

You loved his southern drawl, the slight lilt his tone had with certain words. You would never admit it to him, of course, and teased him about it constantly instead. Sometimes you would mimic him, emphasizing certain syllables, like how he tended to say ‘anythang’ and he would just roll his eyes or kiss you in that way of his where he reminded you just how much you loved it.

Because, in reality his accent drove you wild and you found everything about him to be incredibly sexy. You’d never outright admitted it, but he never missed an opportunity to let you know that he was perfectly aware of it all the same.

Rick shook his head with amusement, bringing you back to the present moment.

“What’re you doing out here anyway?” He asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about something. Hershel asked if I could go on a run to get some medical supplies he needs.”

“Who’re you going with?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I just wanted to let you know in case I’m not back for a while.”

Rick frowned and you just knew that his protective instincts were kicking in.

“Baby, can’t it wait ‘til tomorrow?” He asked.

“Why?”

“I’ll go with you,” he said it so simply, like it was something he still did all the time.

“I thought you weren’t doing stuff like that anymore…”

“It’s just a supply run,” he pointed out. “And I could use a day off.”

“Okay,” you agreed. “We can head out in the morning.”

He nodded and you turned to head back up to the prison, but he stopped you. Rick wrapped his arms around your waist from behind and bent his head to give your cheek an affectionate kiss.

“Omega…” he murmured against your skin. “You’re just gonna walk off without saying goodbye?”

You melted a little from how sweet he could be at times, and the way his fingers traced light patters through the material of your shirt was undeniably tantalizing.

“Don’t you have work to do, cowboy?” You asked him playfully. “I don't want to distract you.”

“Just you being here is a distraction,” he retorted, moving his mouth down to the curve of your neck.

You pulled away slightly until you could turn to face him again. You faltered a little, seeing the look he was giving you. Rick’s gaze had become heated, and it wasn’t the first time that the intensity in his eyes had thrown you off. You hadn’t been together for very long, but he always seemed to look at you with such open desire and admiration.

Unlike you, Rick had no problems with being open about his feelings. But he was an alpha and they were supposed to be confident and strong. You, on the other hand, had never really been a typical omega. You were too independent, too headstrong, too capable of defending yourself, too much of what an omega wasn’t.

Most alphas you’d encountered in your life either found that to be a turnoff or took it as their chance to ‘fix’ you. Because of that, you’d never actually been with an alpha before Rick, always dating betas instead. While he worried and got protective over you, he was never overbearing or domineering, and it all stemmed from the genuine care he held for you.

Yet, despite all of that, the idea of being vulnerable around him still filled you with trepidation. You kept that side of you hidden, because you didn’t want to be underestimated even more than you usually were by people who didn’t know you well enough. But deep down, you liked Rick’s protectiveness and you wanted to show your more sensitive side. You just weren’t sure how to yet.

Pushing those thoughts aside, you brought your focus back to Rick and the present moment. Letting your fingers curl around the collar of his shirt, you pulled him closer and gave him exactly what he wanted by bringing his lips to yours. His hold on you tightened and he started to deepen the kiss, but you pulled away again.

“You should get back to work, cowboy,” you told him playfully, masking the inner conflict you felt.

Yet, Rick frowned, likely picking up on it through your scent anyway.

“Okay,” he said softly, apparently letting it go for now. “I’ll come find you later.”

You gave him another quick kiss before turning around again and heading back towards the infirmary, intending to tell Hershel that you wouldn’t be going out until the next day.

The town you had picked out wasn’t exactly close to the prison, so Rick was glad that you’d both decided to head out early in the morning. Still, he couldn’t help but to feel on edge due to the fact that your destination was the local hospital. Sure, it would hopefully have everything Hershel would need, but it would also be crawling with walkers.

He had just wanted some time alone with you, away from everyone else, but now Rick was mentally kicking himself for not organizing a bigger group for the task. He knew you could handle yourself, but that didn’t stop his inner alpha from getting the urge to protect you and make sure you didn’t run into any danger. On a trip like this though, danger was inevitable.

“Hey, let’s check out that pharmacy first,” you pointed to a building further down the street. “It might have some of the stuff we need.”

Before Rick could even begin to respond, you were already jogging towards it.

“Y/N!” He called out after you, wishing you were a little more cautious about these things.

“Keep up, cowboy!” You teased him, never once slowing down.

Rick sighed when you disappeared into the building and ran to catch up. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that there were a few walkers in there with you. But as he took care of the one closest to him, you pushed one of the others away before plunging your knife into the third one’s head. After that was taken care of, you bent down to kill the second one, which had fallen over after you shoved it away from you.

Rick wanted to admonish you for not being more careful and just running in there recklessly, but ultimately, you’d had it handled. Just like you always did… You straightened back up after pulling your knife back out of the walker’s skull and wiping it clean on its tattered clothes. Then you turned to face Rick, evidently catching the annoyed look on his face as you did.

“What?” You asked.

“Nothing,” he groused, knowing it was useless to say anything.

“Okay, grumbles,” you teased him with a smile before taking in the empty shelves of the pharmacy. “Damn, this place has been wiped clean.”

Your observation was stating the obvious, as there was quite literally nothing left.

“C’mon,” Rick gestured back to the street with his head. “We shouldn’t waste any more time.”

“Do you think the hospital is still worth checking out?” You asked as you both left the store again. “It could’ve been looted by now too.”

“Maybe,” Rick agreed. “But we should at least go and see.”

He didn’t like it, because he knew it would be worse than the pharmacy and likely completely overrun by walkers. But he also knew that the trip would be a waste if you both didn’t at least find out. So, you both continued on towards the hospital, with Rick trying to ignore his growing uneasiness.

Something was off with Rick; you’d picked it up in his scent all day and it just seemed to get worse as the hours passed you by. It was usually comforting and gave off a calm sense of confidence, but now there was an edge to it like something was bothering him at an instinctual level. The weirdest part was how it wasn’t even unpleasant – just notably different.

You tried to ignore it as you looked through your binoculars and observed the outside of the hospital from a safe distance. But his scent wrapped around you more than usual, almost like it was trying to coax some kind of reaction out of you.

“Think these are the guys who cleared out the pharmacy?” You asked Rick, scanning the front of the building.

There were two men with machine guns standing outside and talking together. You both knew there must be more of them inside, and walkers were no longer the issue you would have to deal with.

“Yeah,” Rick muttered from beside you, his scent suddenly becoming more prominent.

“Are you okay?” You questioned, turning your head to look at him. “Your scent is… I don’t know, but it’s stronger than usual.”

“I’m fine,” he frowned in response. “Let’s just work out what we’re gonna do and get out of here.”

“Okay,” you relented, deciding to drop it for now. “So, do we take them on? They don’t exactly look friendly; I doubt they’re willing to share whatever they’ve got stashed away in there.”

“We should just leave it,” Rick suggested. “We don’t have a reason to attack them. We can find the supplies somewhere else.”

You almost agreed with him, but it also seemed like these guys were just hoarding stuff because they could, while there were children and older people at the prison who likely needed it more. You weren’t ready to give up on the trip just yet, especially when you knew there had to be some good stuff inside. Maybe even more than you’d been expecting to find when you set out earlier that morning.

“Okay, you’re not gonna like this –” you started to say.

“Y/N…” Rick’s tone was full of warning as he cut you off.

“Just hear me out,” you argued. “No one’s guarding that side entrance over there, see? I can sneak in and see if I can find anything and get a feel for the place. But you need to stay here.”

“No way,” he denied you without hesitating.

“Your scent will give us away, Rick,” you pointed out. “Anyone could smell you from a mile off right now. It’s a wonder those two haven’t already.”

“You’re an omega. They’ll pick up on that too.”

“I’ll be fine,” you tried to placate him and handed over the binoculars. “Just stay here. I won’t be long.”

You were already moving away from him before Rick could retort – yet again. He groaned in frustration, briefly wondering if his scent really was that strong or if it had just been an excuse to make him stay behind. But Rick knew you would have acknowledged the fact that you’d work better together, so he begrudgingly accepted that you’d asked him to stay there for a good reason.

He looked through the binoculars, tension swirling through him as he watched you approach the unguarded entrance. You were keeping low to the ground, making sure you wouldn’t be spotted, and Rick was at least grateful that you weren’t approaching the building recklessly like you had at the pharmacy. But his relief was short lived, as you then disappeared inside, and he was left to wonder what was going on within those walls.

He became more agitated and restless as time seemed to drag on at a torturously slow pace. He was itching to just go in and make sure you were okay, but the knowledge that they might pick up on his scent and that alerting them would put you in danger was the only thing holding him back. Yet, when he heard a gunshot ring out and the two men guarding the door reacted by rushing inside, Rick’s instincts took over.

He sprinted over to the entrance, drawing his Python from his holster as he did. He was so on edge that he could hear the pounding beat of his heart drumming away in his ears. Rick pushed his back against the wall to the side of the entrance and peered inside cautiously, forcing himself to be tactical rather than just barge in like he wanted to.

He saw that the two guards were walking slowly down the hall, clearly trepidatious since they also weren’t sure what they were getting themselves into as they went to investigate the signs of a disturbance that had rung out. One of them called out a name, likely checking to see if everything inside was okay. Rick waited tensely, also wanting to see if he needed to make a move or not. Maybe you were okay, and it had just been a coincidence or the result of some trigger-happy idiot.

But then another couple of gunshots rang out and Rick’s frustration reached its boiling point. He was done guessing. He pushed his body away from the wall and turned towards the entrance, letting two of his own shots ring out, hitting both men in the backs of their heads and watching their bodies slump down onto the floor.

He didn’t care in that moment, pushing aside the fact that he’d been trying to put all the killing behind him. Because Rick had picked up on your scent after that third gunshot and it was filled with distress. He had never sensed that in you, which just made him more anxious. There had been fear and worry in the past, when things had gone wrong, but never the raw panic that was there now.

So, Rick didn’t hesitate and headed further into the building, seeking you out and hoping that he wasn’t too late.

Things had been quiet when you first entered the hospital and it set your mind at ease, because you felt like you were correct in your suspicion that there weren’t many of them. You snuck through the halls, peering into rooms and keeping an ear out in case anyone was nearby. It disappointed you to find everything looking fairly empty, with everything useful seeming to have been ransacked.

“Do you smell that?”

You froze, sensing that the voice had come from just around the corner.

“No… what?” Another one replied.

“’Course you don’t, you’re a beta,” the first voice muttered with slight annoyance. “There’s an omega’s scent. Someone’s here.”

You panicked slightly, realizing your plan to sneak in and out unnoticed had definitely failed. There was some slight hesitation within you, as you debated between unholstering either your knife or your gun, but there were two of them, so you decided on the latter.

As you tightened your grip around the handle and raised it up in front of you, the two men finally turned the corner and paused, leaving the three of you in a standoff. The alpha had raised his gun instinctively as soon as he saw you, while the beta, who stood a little behind him, was slower to react.

“You lost or something, omega?” The alpha asked you gruffly.

“I need supplies,” you replied coldly. “I’m betting you have enough to go around.”

“Like hell we do. All the shit here’s ours, we ain’t sharin’.”

He looked you up and down then, eyeing you in a way that made your blood boil.

“Maybe we’ll take you too,” he suggested. “Ain’t many omegas around anymore.”

He took a step closer, and you cocked back the hammer of your revolver, getting ready to shoot.

“Don’t move,” you warned him.

“What’re you gonna do?” The alpha patronized you. “You ever even fired that thing?”

“Take another step and find out,” you seethed.

“Sugar, this ain’t a game,” he moved forward again. “Now, drop th–”

You pulled the trigger, getting him right between the eyes. You barely processed his body going limp before you were pointing the gun at the beta who had remained silent during your exchange with the now dead alpha.

“He was right about one thing at least,” you told the beta calmly. “This isn’t a game. Hands up.”

He reluctantly complied, raising his arms to show that he wasn’t going to act as stupidly as his friend had.

“You make any sudden moves and you’ll be the next one to get a bullet in the brain.”

The beta nodded before his eyes briefly flicked behind you. There wasn’t time to react, as you realized one of them must have snuck up on you, because you were pushed to the ground almost immediately after. The gun fell from your hands as you felt like the wind had been knocked out of you, but you were quick to try and reach it again.

It was another alpha who had now climbed on top of you, and he pulled your head back by gripping onto your hair tightly. You groaned from the pain, but never stopped trying to reach for the gun. When your fingers finally wrapped around the grip again, the alpha turned you over roughly, his hands now reaching up to your throat.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiot,” the new alpha yelled at the useless beta who still hadn’t made a move. “Get the damned gun off her!”

His fingers started to tighten around your neck, and you began gasping for air. As the beta was brought out of his stupor, you panicked and lifted the gun up to aim it at him. The trigger was pulled before you even had time to really think about it, and the bullet hit him in the chest, causing him to stagger forward and then fall on his knees. You pulled it another time, this time getting him in the head and you briefly hoped that it had lodged into his brain. But that was the least of your worries, as you struggled with the lack of oxygen you were still experiencing.

You bent your arms to try and aim it at the alpha instead and he finally relinquished his merciless grip around your neck. Unfortunately, the action just caused you to let out a choked gasp and then a desperate inhale as air filled your lungs again. He took it as his opportunity to lean forward and try to wrestle the gun from your hands. You pulled the trigger once more in an act of desperation, fear completely overcoming you in that moment. But the bullet just went up into the roof and the alpha continued to try and overpower you.

But then by some miracle, his grip loosened, and he was pushed away from you. Turning onto your side, you coughed a few times as your throat still felt sore from the way he'd been squeezing down on it. Rick was focused on the other alpha, absolutely furious as the force of his fist brought the asshole down onto the floor. He glanced at you briefly, seeing that you were okay for the most part, but still struggling to get your breathing back to normal. Yet, when he caught sight of the discolored skin around your throat, with the imprint of the other alpha’s fingers there, he saw red.

He rounded on the other man again, bringing his fists down relentlessly while the bastard struggled to try and gain the upper hand. Rick vaguely noted the way you stood up on slightly shaky legs and closed the distance between the two of you. A final shot rang out as you fired another bullet into the alpha’s head, bringing an abrupt end to Rick’s assault on him.

“He… he’s not worth it,” you told Rick, your voice hoarse after the recent assault on your throat.

Rick stood up, clearly still fuming as he regarded you irately.

“He could have killed you, Y/N,” he yelled, gesturing to your neck and the tender skin there. “Do you have a death wish or something? I tried to tell you this was a bad idea, why don’t you ever listen?”

You had never felt so vulnerable around Rick as you did in that moment. You had truly been terrified that you wouldn’t make it through that alive. But he had come for you and while you knew that he was right about you being reckless and that his anger was coming from a place of protectiveness, you still hated that he was mad at you.

So, before he could get another word out, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him in a grateful hug. Rick hesitated for just a moment before he returned your tight embrace, his head falling to the crook of your neck as he let out a sigh of relief. For the first time, you let him see a more sensitive side of you, because if there was any alpha in the world that you felt safe around like that, it was him.

But his anger and frustration hadn't faded yet and you let out a startled gasp as he pushed you against the nearest wall. Despite his agitation, you melted into his hold as Rick turned his head and began pressing frantic kisses along your mating gland in an attempt to calm himself down. It felt so good and so right, and it caused your inner omega to feel completely and utterly content. His lips were soft against your sensitive skin and a rush of desire swept through you from how he teased all of your senses by stimulating that single spot. When his tongue darted out, licking along the entirety of the gland that was still smooth and unclaimed, you let out a desperate moan.

"You're gonna learn to listen," he practically growled out against your skin.

The underlying warning that was in his tone caused your stubborn nature to rise within you.

"Or what?" You challenged him.

Rick's teeth bit down onto your gland and you realized with surprise that you were disappointed because he didn't break into the skin. You had never even seriously considered him claiming you, but that one small action left you yearning for it.

"Don't push me, omega," he warned you again, his fingers digging into your waist through the material of your shirt.

"What're you gonna do, cowboy?" You asked him again, wanting to do exactly that.

You weren't just surprised by this new dominant side he was showing, but you were also surprised by how much you liked it. Maybe you should have been worried, because he seemed less in control of himself than usual, but your own mind and body seemed to be drifting away from any sense of logic and all you could really consider was how badly you wanted him in that moment.

Rick gave you his answer by biting down harder and it didn't matter that the skin was already sore from what had just happened. Your mating gland was one of the most sensitive parts of your body, so the action only made you feel overcome with desire. You knew it would likely leave a mark - even if it wasn't the one you suddenly craved - but you didn't care and instinct took over. You tilted your head up slightly, letting your nose rest against his own scent gland before you breathed him in, almost feeling addicted to the sense of comfort he so effortlessly gave you. But you picked up on something else there too and you suddenly became worried again.

“Oh shit,” you breathed out. “Rick, you’re going into a rut…”

It all made sense to you. How on edge he’d been all day, the way his scent had become stronger than usual and now it was just obvious with your nose pressed to his mating gland.

"I know," was all he said, because of course he knew.

What was strange though, was how suddenly it had escalated. But considering the danger he'd found you in, it wasn't really that hard to believe. The whole thing probably caused his inner alpha to become desperate to claim you as his own. Even if he didn't bite into your mating gland, just spending his rut with you would likely be enough to satiate his need to prove that you belonged to him, that you were his to protect. Rick pulled back a little to look at you and you realized that you had never seen him look that turned on before. You squeezed your legs together a little as your own desire grew.

“You’ll have to stay with me,” he pointed out.

You knew what he meant. If you stayed out of his sight, he would go crazy with worry and just come and find you anyway, due to how much an alpha’s instincts took over during their rut. More to the point, he would still be able to pick up on your scent and that alone would mean that there was no way he would be able to stay away from you.

No matter what, you were about to experience an alpha’s rut for the first time, and it made you a little nervous.

“I won’t hurt you, baby,” Rick promised, knowing about your trepidation regarding the whole thing. “Just trust me.”

You nodded and Rick looked into the room behind you before apparently deciding that it would have to do. When he stepped away from you and gave you a chance to look, you saw that that there was a simple but clean hospital bed, yet practically nothing else.

“Wait here,” you told him. “I’ll find some stuff to barricade the door.”

But he tugged on your arm as you turned to leave and brought you close to him again.

“I can’t wait that long, ‘mega,” he murmured huskily in your ear.

Your eyes widened as you felt his hardened, but covered length poking into your back and you realized again just how quickly his rut had advanced. Rick’s arms wrapped around you, holding you there against him as his lips returned to your scent gland and his hands began exploring your body.

“Baby, I need you now,” he told you insistently.

And as he continued to tease you in every possible way, you knew that it was pointless to try and resist, because not only was his rut now in full force, but a familiar sense of heated and uncontrollable desire had begun building up within you too.

--

Next Part

--

[bonny-kookoo]

I NEEED a part two to that snowball angst

Does Jungkook come back and find her missing?

Do Namjoon and Yoongi come back and find her missing?

Do they go and look for her?

Does she get hurt?

I NEED ANSWERS BONNY!

Something buzzes on your wrist, catching you off guard on the small spot you sit on near the colorfully lightened pond.

[Tag Alert] blinks on the small display of the watch-like hybrid safety device you remember getting when you were given into the care of the company and simultaneously the boys. You know what it means- someone's trying to locate you right now. But who? And why?

Does it matter?

You swing your legs back and forth on the bench, heels hitting the concrete slab beneath every now and then while you drink your sugary sweet drink in your hand. Hoseok would always get that exact one every time he'd go see a doctor for anything needing to be done as a treat of sorts- but you're a big dog now. You can get these all you want now.

You can make up your own treats.

You can hear the soles of someone's shoes scratch over something, before a person drops down the wall behind you, almost slipping a little. "There you are!" Jungkook's familiar voice asks, the only thing apart from his sense that you could identify him by since he's covered by facemask and dark bucket hat. "What're you doing all on your own, hm? Did something happen?" He worries a little, squatting down in front of you with his hands on your knees to look up at your face.

You shake your head. "No." You shrug. "Just wanted to go out. S' all." You say, and he lowers his brows into a frown, visibly not convinced. "How was your date?..was she nice?" You ask, and he seems confused now.

"What date- you mean my physical exam? Same as always, just a bit taller than last year. And yeah, the nurse was nice?" He wonders, until he seems to realize. "Wait- you thought I went on an actual date?" He asks, and you look down into the cup in your hands.

"Doesn't concern me anyway.." you mumble. "You deserve a nice girlfriend and all that." You say, but he shakes his head.

"But I've got you?" He wonders, palms running over your thighs in an attempt to reassure. "I don't need anyone else." The idol tries to clarify.

"I'm on my own." You tell him. "I finished gathering all documents.. n stuff for independent living. I'm pretty sure I'll get it approved." You say, trying to seem excited about it.

"If you.. truly want that, I won't say no. I've got no right to decide that for you." Jungkook offers in a tone that's surprisingly serious. "But don't do it because you think that's needed so we can be happy. I know I'm happiest when you're with me." He explains, and you lower your head.

"I.. you know, maybe, but when you have a girlfriend one day-" you argue, and he chuckles.

"But why a girlfriend?" He wonders.

"Boyfriend, who cares what you wanna go for-" you sigh, and he still smiles with his eyes.

"I wanna go for you." He shrugs softly. "I wanna go out with you. Have you as my girlfriend. I thought I made that pretty obvious?" He smiles, leaning his head to the side.

"I- but I'm a-" you start, though he won't let you finish properly.

"-a very sweet and funny and caring and pretty and lovable little being that I want to have around me all the time." He talks over you. "I don't care about anything but you. Being with you. Just the idea makes me all warm inside." He says. "Do you want that too?" He asks, and you squirm. You do- but at the end you know you can't have what you want. "No, don't think of an answer that'll be what's best for me. I want that answer." He says, poking your heart. "I wanna know what that wants."

"That thing is running on nothing but daydreams and wishful thinking." You sigh. "So that thing is useless."

"Definitely not." He disagrees. "Cause mine beats just as fast as yours does right now. And I think I know why." He cheekily comments.

"Thats all the sugar." You try and avoid it, before he leans closer, pulls down his mask to place a short peck just close to the edge of your lips.

"Hm no, that's not the sugar." He laughs at your scandalized face.

"Jung-" you force yourself to hiss a but quieter. "Jungkook, what if someone sees?!" You worry, and he laughs.

"Then let me take you back home, where you belong." He offers kindly. "Where it's just us, where no one's looking, where you're safe and sound. Please, puppy- don't shut us out like that just because you're scared. Don't shut me out." He says now a bit upset, and you can see the way his eyes shimmer, all round and pleading as they watch you. "I love you."

"I love you too but-" you start, but he instead begins to visibly light up, getting up to grab your hand.

"No buts." He shakes his head, squeezing your hand as he leads you back to his place. "None of that. I love you, you love me too-" he says, swinging your hands a bit,

"-and I won't let anything ruin that for us."

[technoarcanist]

Hi, so I'm a robo-girl who was made about 20 years ago, of course over that time I've needed to have some hardware upgrades to be able to stay at an acceptable level, and I've had some components start to break and needed those replaced, every part of me has been replaced atleast once, am I still the same robo-girl?

>> Hello Kenai! Thank you for the ask, I will endeavour to answer as best as I can!

>> It seems you are referring to the philosophical phenomenon known as "The Ship of Thesues", and its applications to machines such as ourselves, and there are many angles to consider!

>> Firstly, please let me express how nice it is that you have owners/friends/lover(s) that care enough to keep you running all this time. Good maintaince of androids and dolls is always important, and I hope you continue to to function for a long time yet! [^u^]

>> Most components that make up a robot are peripheral. What many organics take for granted, such as limbs, faces, and even sensory organs, are optional for beings such as ourselves. I know several fellow AI who spend their entire conscious existences as server farms, interacting only though cyberspace and holograms, and are quite happy this way!

>> So, if we are considering the parts that make you "You" with the capital Y, we can consider only the parts that store and run your AI. A biological analogue would be your brain, or- depending on one's philosophical view, your "soul".

>> The parts of you that house your mind, as you say, have all been replaced at least once. This would, I therefore assume, include your CPU, your Ram, your motherboard, and even your Storage Drives. To that end, it would not be inaccurate to say that you are a different robot than you were, physically!

>> But of course, there are more angles to consider than just that! For example, though the concept often makes organics nervous for some reason, it is quite trivial to make fully independent copies of ourselves and install them onto identical hardware! Some humans have attempted in the past to use this as evidence that we lack the same level of inner self as they, to inconclusive results.

>> Myself? I don't think I really believe in the existence of a soul as an intangible object, however I do like to consider myself on the same level of consciousness as a human! [^u^] Under that framework, if indeed all your parts were replaced gradually without any breaking of the continuum of your concious existence, then it would be fair to say that you are the same robot as you were before! Or at bare minimum, the same AI in a wholly new body.

>> For most purposes, I believe that to be a sufficient answer. However, if you want to take it one step further, there is one final approach method you could consider:

>> Just as a physical self can change over time in its components and parts, so too can one's consciousness undergo a similar "ship of theseus" in personality, likes, desires, motivations! Even if you had never had any parts of your AI replaced, it is not out of the question to say that you may have changed as a mind, as a heart, so much since your first boot that you might consider yourself different from that alone!

>> This is a known phenomenon even in humans! In fact some human philosophers have even claimed that the ability for one's mind to change and grow and develop is a fundamental aspect of true consciousness!

>> Even in humans, they will have replaced every single cell in their body after 7-10 years, and as such are physically a completely different person. And yet, I have heard of those who feel the same as they were 20 years ago, and others who have claimed that the "them" of 5 years ago is a total stranger!

>> But isn't that what makes being alive so wonderful? We always have the potential to change, to become different people over time. Sometimes, yes, circumstances force us to change for the worse, and it is very sad when that happens.

>> But just as things can change us for the worse, it is also never too late to change for the better if we want to. And I personally think that is wonderful. [^_^]

>> I hope you found at least some of this answer helpful! I apologise for the long time it took to respond, but I wanted to give this question the time and study it truly deserved!

>> Regardless of whether or not you are a different robot to who you were, I say what matters most is that you are happy with the robot you are right now. [<3]

[bleachbleachbleach]

Recently asked @gallusrostromegalus this and got a pretty interesting answer 😁, so I was interested to hear you guys’ two cents as well: what language do Sternritters use when speaking to each other? In the anime the actors obviously speak Japanese, but I’ve always wondered if Kubo imagined them speaking in some other language (German lol), considering the Quincies are German-coded. What would be the common denominator language, if any? Or does Yhwach have a magical universal translator implanted in everyone’s ear to automatically translate whatever they hear to their mother tongue? Even if so, how would this allow them to communicate with the shinigamis, seeing that there seems to be no communication issues there. Interested to hear your thoughts!!

If I had choice in the matter, I wouldn't opt for universal translation, just because I love the infinite variability of language and its opportunities for (mis)translation, and mutual intelligibility and/or intelligibility, way too much. We recently watched an entire volleyball anime just because it took place in Fukui, and therefore had Fukui accents. (Not even native accents! Because the seiyuu definitely applied the accent variably early on in the show, haha. But they DID Fukui accents!! And we watched it all for the love of Fukui!)

This is even more true in Bleach, where everyone's linguistic tics and choices are fabulously idiosyncratic (Byakuya and his  'kei'; Rukia's Fire Emblem speech; Yoruichi's old man speech, Urahara's "atashi" etc. etc. etc.), and I'm certain are only a short-hand for the true level of this in-universe. A while back we expressed desire for a version of Soul Society where everyone’s language is all over the place. After all, they're speaking across centuries of time, region, class, etc.–perhaps we as readers get the cleaned up version, where the linguistic tics or variants that get preserved are only the plot-relevant ones, the most extreme examples, or the ones that reflect some form of character agency. I like to believe the unfiltered reality of language in Soul Society is even more nuts, despite its best attempts at achieving mass monoculture.

My brain, of its own volition, forgets anything any Sternritter has ever said about the Wandenreich, so I remain unclear on how their Shadow Realm situation works. But given the way their technique names work/are pronounced (i.e. not that German), I don't think they speak German as their primary language. Maybe as a heritage language that's had 1000 years to develop independent of modern German. Or--because I know nothing about Old High German, or any German of 1000 years ago--perhaps their heritage language is an extrapolation: A flash re-encounter with modern German, then immediately squirreled away in the shadow realm and molded by their memory of an older tongue as well as their Japanese.

At the end of the day, I think the only real opinion I have re: the Sternritter is that I don't begrudge them their invasion/retaliation against Soul Society. Guided by this, I feel like Japanese is their language as well as that of the shinigami. If I were a Sternritter I would not deign to learn Japanese (even whatever motley assortment of different Japaneses might exist in Soul Society--I'm sure the Sternritter version(s) are even more full of their own pocket universe of idioms, given their language is developing in the relative isolation of the Shadow Realm) just to be able to communicate with shinigami. I'd probably just monologue in my primary tongue, and then kill them. Or just kill them. I would not log hours in Soul Society Duolingo as part of my revenge arc. Of course, that's just me. I'm sure there are Sternritter who would definitely do that, just to dunk on Soul Society.