#i absolutely 100% agree with everything she said here

[ccfever]

Satou Sabally on Caitlin Clark:

“It’s really really hard to put that much pressure on a young woman to be a spokesperson for things that the United States, and really globally, and historically we have struggled with as an entire society. To make her the spokesperson for that is a lot. But, can you talk about white privilege? Yes you can, but do you have to be the spokesperson for it? I don’t think so. If that doesn’t come from her, I think it’s unfair to put that burden onto someone.

“But I do think it’s good as a society to have that conversation on why are we so set on certain things, and why do certain players get more endorsement deals than other players.

“But I do think she’s doing a great job and I would just tell her, ‘I’m proud of you, keep doing your thing, and try to blend out the noise.’ Everyone has some type of different noise around them, and it looks different for everyone, and she’s just... now, like, all eyes on her. And what I hope for her is that she still knows that there’s a community of women around her that want her to succeed.

“Not everyone wants someone to fail. Because if you want someone to fail, you’re jealous. You’re not great if you want someone else to fail. Cause you can’t prove your own greatness, in my opinion.

“I just hope that she knows that. And I don’t know, I feel like you guys [Paul George] feel the same way about the collective strength that you have.”

[loafysainz]

the parent trap (remake) | CS 55

cast: carlos sainz x fem!reader

warn: 100% fiction & remake

next chap

Part 17 THE CHAOS CAMP

Carlos glanced at Meredith, who was pacing the living room like a cat on a hot tin roof. “And what exactly do you want me to do in these three days? Sit down and knit?” Meredith snapped, throwing her hands in the air. Her voice had that sharp edge, the one that Carlos had learned to handle with extreme caution.

“Honey, it’s a delicate matter,” Carlos said carefully, keeping his tone as calm as possible.

“Delicate?” Meredith repeated, her tone incredulous. “What do you mean by delicate? What kind of ‘delicate’ requires me to be here, looking like an absolute idiot?”

Before Carlos could respond, the sound of humming drifted in from the terrace. Both of them turned their heads in unison just as Y/N casually strolled inside, looking far too relaxed for the tension brewing in the room. Her hands were in her pockets, and she had that annoyingly charming smile on her face—the kind that made people trust her, even when they shouldn’t.

Meredith’s mouth fell open in sheer indignation as Y/N walked over, clearly unbothered by the chaos she’d just walked into. “Excuse me?” Meredith sputtered, turning to Carlos with a glare. “What is she doing here?”

Carlos sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s part of the deal, honey. We’re going camping. Together.”

Meredith froze for a second before bursting out, “Camping? What’s next—matching family sweaters? Are we all becoming one big happy family?”

Y/N raised an eyebrow at that, her expression unreadable but her smirk still firmly in place. “Hey, is something wrong?” she asked, his voice perfectly casual as she shifted his gaze between Carlos and Meredith.

“Yes, something’s wrong,” Meredith shot back, her voice rising an octave. “I wasn’t aware of this.. tradition. And for the record, I don’t agree with the idea.”

“Well, you’re right,” Y/N said, her tone suddenly more serious as she folded her arms. “Imagining the ex-sleeping with your own partner is not exactly a vacation dream.”

Carlos winced. He could tell Y/N was up to something—she always was—but he had no idea where this was going. “Y/N…” he warned, but Y/N just kept smiling, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

“I appreciate it,” Meredith interjected, her mood instantly lifting at Y/N apparent support. “Finally, someone with some sense around here.”

Y/N glanced at Meredith, her expression almost too kind. “Yes, and that’s why I’m asking you to come with us.” Her voice was sweet enough to rot teeth.

Meredith blinked, utterly thrown off. “Wait, what?”

Carlos had to bite back a laugh at Meredith’s face, which was a mix of shock and betrayal. “Y/N…” Carlos started, but his ex- held up a hand, silencing him with that practiced charm.

“Seriously, Carlos,” Y/N said smoothly. “I’ve already ruined your weekend, haven’t I? It would be rude of me not to join. Please, consider it my way of making up for everything.”

Meredith looked like she might faint, and Carlos wasn’t far behind. “That’s enough, Y/N,” Carlos said with a forced laugh, but it was too late. The plan was already in motion.

Meanwhile, Matheo and Mattia were busy packing their camping gear when they spotted Meredith, dressed in gym clothes, stepping out of the house with Carlos. The sight alone was enough to make them pause.

“What’s she doing here?” Matheo asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Carlos smiled as he loaded the car. “Your mom invited her,” he said casually, like it was no big deal. But judging by the looks on the boys’ faces, it was definitely a big deal.

Mattia tried to argue. “But—”

“No buts,” Carlos interrupted, gently but firmly. “I expect you to be polite. Got it?”

Matheo and Mattia shared a look, both equally disgusted by the idea. But they said nothing, choosing instead to stew in silence as they got into the car.

Well, most of them. Y/N remained planted on the driveway, looking far too smug for Carlos’ liking.

“Have fun!” Y/N called out cheerfully, waving them off like a benevolent queen sending her troops into battle.

Carlos frowned. “Y/N, what are you doing? I thought you were coming with us.”

Y/N’ grin widened. “Oh, I just thought it might be nice to get a little alone time before the big day,” she said innocently, her tone dripping with fake sweetness.

“But—” Carlos started, only to be interrupted by Mattia from the backseat. “Mom, that wasn’t the deal!”

“Relax, darling,” Y/N said, her voice honeyed and calm. “You’ll have so much more fun without me, trust me.”

Meredith looked visibly panicked. “If she’s not going, I don’t think I should—”

“No, no,” Y/N said quickly, her smile growing even brighter. “You’ll do great, darling. Besides, this is your chance to bond with the kids. In a few weeks, they’ll all be yours anyway.”

Meredith’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing, slipping on her sunglasses instead. Carlos gave Y/N one last exasperated look before climbing into the car and starting the engine.

From the rearview mirror, he could see his kids sulking, Meredith stewing, and Y/N waving cheerfully in the distance.

As the car pulled away, Chessy strolled up next to Y/N, sipping on an iced coffee. “I’d pay good money to see her try to survive out there,” Chessy said with a grin.

Y/N laughed, her gaze still on the disappearing car. “Oh, you won’t need to pay anything. Just wait.”

*****

The four of them made their way down the winding trail, with Carlos and Mattia leading the way, their strides confident and steady. Behind them, Matheo trailed slightly, keeping an eye on Meredith, who was practically dragging her feet while grumbling non-stop. Meredith’s complaints ranged from the incline of the path to the unfairness of life, her dramatic tone making the entire ordeal oddly hilarious to Matheo.

Carlos glanced over his shoulder and immediately noticed Meredith’s weary expression. He stopped in his tracks, raising his hand to signal a break. “Alright, let’s take a moment. Another break.”

Mattia groaned, turning to his father with an exaggerated eye roll. “What? At this rate, we’ll make it to the lake by winter.”

“Be wise, Meredith isn’t used to this,” Carlos replied patiently as he unscrewed his water bottle, taking a few steps closer to Meredith.

“I swear, I can’t move anymore,” Meredith panted dramatically, flopping onto a nearby rock. “I don’t get how people do this for fun.”

Matheo exchanged a look with Mattia, mischief flashing in his eyes. Quietly, he picked up a rock and tiptoed over to Meredith’s backpack. Mattia didn’t need any explanation—he smirked knowingly as Matheo began slipping the rock into Meredith’s bag.

“Hey, can you pass me my water bottle?” Meredith asked, oblivious to the antics happening behind her.

Matheo hurriedly zipped up the bag, grabbed the bottle, and handed it over. “Here you go, Meredith.” He bent down mid-motion, catching sight of a tiny lizard darting across the trail. A grin spread across his face as he gently scooped it up.

Meredith guzzled down her water, sighing in relief. Everything seemed to be fine… until she caught sight of the lizard perched casually on the rim of her bottle. Her scream echoed through the forest as she launched the bottle into the air.

Mattia and Matheo clamped their hands over their mouths, their laughter barely contained as Carlos rushed over, concern etched on his face. “What happened? Mer, are you okay?”

Matheo held up the lizard with a sheepish grin. “He just had a little surprise visitor, Dad.”

Carlos couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Don’t worry, Honey. He’s harmless. He’s not going to hurt you.”

“Y-yeah, totally,” Meredith stammered, laughing nervously as she took a step back.

But before he could get too far, Matheo, ever the troublemaker, brought the lizard up close again, this time inches from Meredith’s face. “Look, Meredith, he likes you!”

Meredith shrieked and flailed, dodging backward. “Get that thing away from me! I hate crawling things!”

Carlos seeing his kids teasing Meredith, he ordered them to leave first, “You two go on ahead.”

“Alright, alright,” Matheo relented with a laugh, placing the lizard safely on a nearby rock. But not before whispering something to Mattia, who instantly grinned. Meredith had no idea what was coming next.

By the time they reached the campsite by the lake, Meredith was in full survival mode. The twins, however, were thriving—plotting and giggling as they watched their favorite victim struggle to carry her weighted-down backpack.

Dinner by the campfire didn’t offer much relief for Meredith. The freshly grilled trout was delicious, but after the fourth serving, her enthusiasm had waned. She poked at his plate with her fork, looking forlorn.

“Hey, mom, do you want more trout?” Matheo asked innocently, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his true intentions.

“How about you call me Meredith? I’m pretty sure Y/N would prefer it,” Meredith shot back, ignoring the new call. “And no, I don’t want more trout. What are we having for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Trout,” Carlos, Mattia, and Matheo answered in unison, their timing impeccable.

Meredith groaned, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t understand how anyone likes camping. It’s mosquitoes, trout, and near-death experiences.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, sniffing the water bottle Meredith had been sipping from. He wrinkled his nose slightly. “Honey, this is sugar water. No wonder the mosquitoes love you. Who gave you this?”

Meredith glared daggers at the twins, who were suddenly very engrossed in their plates. “Enough, I will go to sleep, I will take my sleeping pills and sleeping peacefully.” she stood up, and smiled as she walked over to Carlos, her boyfriend. Without hesitation, she tilted Carlos’ chin up and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Carlos melted into it, a warm contrast to the cool night air.

Matheo and Mattia, sitting nearby with crossed arms and matching scowls, exchanged a look of shared irritation. Their dad was a goner, and they knew it.

Meredith pulled back with a smirk, glancing at the twins. “Good night,” she said, voice dripping with confidence.

Matheo rolled his eyes. Mattia crossed his arms tighter, but neither said a word. Carlos, ever the peacemaker, sighed and looked at his kids. “Kids, leave her alone. I’m not marrying her just because she’s pretty.”

“Then why are you marrying her?” Matheo asked, his tone sharp.

Carlos’ patience was thinning. “Go to sleep,” he said, finality lacing his words.

The twins didn’t respond, but their silence was louder than any protest. Carlos got up and disappeared into his tent.

Hours later, under the cover of darkness, The boy’s tent flap creaked open. Matheo scanned the area cautiously before signaling to Mattia. The two crept through the shadows with the kind of stealth only mischievous children could master.

“I hope the sleeping pills worked,” Matheo whispered as they reached Meredith’s tent.

The twins carefully unzipped the entrance. Inside, Meredith was sprawled out on her mattress, blissfully unaware of the chaos about to unfold.

With coordinated effort, they lifted the mattress, struggling only slightly under its weight. As they began to move it, Meredith murmured in his sleep, “Carlos…”

Mattia slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. “Damn…” he whispered.

After the momentary scare, they continued their plan, hauling the mattress out of the tent and down to the lake. With one final heave, they pushed it onto the water. The mattress floated gently, carrying its unsuspecting passenger into the middle of the lake.

Matheo smirked, watching their handiwork. “Good night, dear mommy,” he whispered before he and Mattia retreated into the shadows, their laughter barely contained.

Meredith stirred as the cool morning air brushed against her skin. She felt something soft on her neck, half-dreaming it was Carlos. “That feels nice,” she murmured. But as she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with a bird perched on her shoulder.

“What the…?!” she shrieked, startling the bird, which flew off in a panic.

Meredith bolted upright, the realization hitting her like a wave—literally. She was floating in the middle of the lake.

“Carlos!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the forest.

Back on shore, Carlos woke with a start, groggily stepping out of his tent. The sight of Meredith, flailing on a mattress in the water, made him shock. “Oh… fuck…” he muttered. He watched helplessly as Meredith toppled into the water. Shit.

Carlos’ gaze shifted to his kids, who were now standing by their tent, looking suspiciously innocent.

By the time Meredith waded back to tent, she was soaked, furious, and dripping with lake water. She stomped past the campfire, kicking a still-hot kettle with impressive force.

Carlos stood there, arms crossed, unsure what to say. “Umm… what happens now?” he asked cautiously.

Meredith pointed a trembling finger at the twins. “This is what happens! When you and I get married, I’m sending those two brats straight to boarding school in Switzerland! Got it? Now choose. Is it me or them? You have two seconds.”

Carlos looked between Meredith and his children, his expression unreadable. Finally, he smiled. “I choose them.”

Meredith blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said,” Carlos repeated, his voice firm, “I choose my children. Do you understand?”

Meredith’s jaw dropped. She looked ready to explode, but all that came out was an unintelligible noise of frustration.

Matheo and Mattia exchanged triumphant grins, their dad’s loyalty cemented in their favor.

Carlos watched as Meredith stormed off, muttering about ungrateful families and Swiss boarding schools. He sighed, shaking his head. His kids were a handful, but they were his handful, and nothing—not even Meredith Blake—could come between them.

prev chap

[highfantasy-soul]

So a lot has been said about Evan/Sam and I 100% agree - their dynamic is amazing and so wholesome.

But can we please please please take a sec to talk about the dynamic between Jammer and K????

I cannot stop thinking about how complementary they are to each other - both obsessed with caring for their communities (Jammer's basketball team and community center, K's online activist cohort) to the detriment of themselves.

K needs to give all of themselves to the cause - fix some of what they think they broke when she and Evan shared the knowledge of magic to the masses. To the point where they don't eat, don't sleep, don't interact with anyone face-to-face, never having herself be the one taking the credit, but rather a million screen-names no one even knows is all the same person. Yet being on call 24/7 whenever anyone needs it.

Jammer needs to be what his community needs him to be - what his family needs. He denies himself his bigger dreams of playing in the big leagues in favor of staying with his home team. He gives and gives all of himself to the children who look up to him, to his teammates who probably will never make it pro - and even though he's showing his face, they name him, he's still putting on a front that he thinks will be best for them. He's being there for his community in the mundane, caring ways that keep a people together - the way a leader needs to be.

K is an amorphous online hero wearing a thousand avatars, never resting, but never connecting with their people either. Jammer is a grounded, hometown hero who everyone knows his face when he walks down the street. He connects intimately with the people in his community yet feels as though he has to hide aspects of himself that aren't directly helpful to them (namely his magic).

K needs Jammer - needs to see what a real, in person, community functions. She's so desperate to connect to a group and lend aid, and Jammer has that - he can show them what it feels like to have a group of people SEE you and help them individually. K can make a real difference in the small space Jammer has cultivated. It's not 'saving the world', it's not a grand gesture or sacrifice that alters the very fabric of reality - it's small, a gentle nudge here, a comforting word there, yet still makes a real and profound difference in people's lives.

Jammer needs K - needs to see that it's ok to dream big. It's ok to yearn for more, set out to affect more than his small community. That he can still be true to himself and taking bigger leaps doesn't mean he's abandoning his community, it's just making it that much bigger. He needs to see that it's ok to go all out and be his own freaky, magical self and lean into the ridiculous, sometimes melodramatic, bigger than life aspects of himself.

They both need to accept that taking care of oneself isn't selfish, it's not letting your community down, it's why we HAVE community - so we all can share the burden - they are not the only one holding everything together. Jammer and K both lead their respective communities - they both give all of themselves to the task of taking care of and leading those they care about. Together, they can grow and heal from that pressure they put on themselves.

I just think they're such complementary characters who I think would be absolutely perfect working in tandem with their communities (and adopting the other's community).

I'm not a 'everyone needs to be paired up' type of person, but I do think that whatever relationship K and Jammer have, they'd be magic together (shut up, I can do a pun if I want).

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hello mr. sex witch. 100% ok to discard if this is inappropriate or out of your wheelhouse. i love my husband very much and feel very safe with him, but i tend to dissociate pretty bad when trying to have sex. like, full on my soul leaving my body and floating a few steps away from it. it’s really distressing and makes me feel terrible because it makes me want sex less, which makes my husband feel like i must not be attracted to him or love him and i feel like an awful spouse.

i’m in therapy already, but it’s one of the hardest things for me to talk about with another person. it makes me feel dirty and shameful and disgusting every time i try. i love my therapist and have been seeing her for around 4 years now, but i just want to leap out of my skin anytime our sessions go anywhere near my relationship to sex, and i have a hard time even using correct anatomical terms to refer to my body parts when talking to her about it. i usually just slip into vagueries like “down there” or “that part” or “that area.” my mouth and throat dry up otherwise.

not at all asking you to diagnose me with anything, but i was wondering if there happen to be any good self-help resources you know of for moving past this? the things i have found in the past 10-ish years or so often feel sort of like “just look at yourself in the mirror and jerk off more and then one day you’ll magically get over it in one fell swoop,” and that’s never really felt like anything but dismissal to me. (i also acknowledge that i could be misreading the tone of some of these stories and guides because i’m coming at them from a place of pain and fear. may very well not be their fault.)

if you don’t have anything for something like this it’s okay, i don’t want to be annoying or a burden. you just seem really knowledgable and i thought maybe would know of something or other. if not it’s totally fine, i hope you’re having a nice day. thanks for your time reading this.

hi anon,

I want to be very delicate here, because I'm broadly opposed to offering diagnoses here especially when it's in an area that's very outside my realm of knowledge, and I really appreciate that you aren't asking me for a diagnosis.

having said that: virtually everything you're describing here, from the consistent dissociation to the physical distress response you experience when trying to talk about sex, sounds very much like a trauma response. I absolutely agree that most of the resources you've been finding likely aren't suitable to be helpful for you, because they're aimed at people who are feeling a little insecure in their body and not someone who has a deeply rooted distress response.

it sounds like the most well-equipped person to help you tackle this is a trauma-informed therapist. I obviously don't know anything about the therapist you see now, and I'm sure she's been able to help you in other ways, but it seems like you're having a hard time cracking this particular matter with her to make any positive change in the direction you want. if trauma isn't an area where she's able to work with patients, I think it may be very worth your while to consult someone more specialized to help you address this specifically.

I know that all by itself this isn't really an answer, almost certainly not the one you were hoping for, and is only a suggestion of more work and emotional difficulty for you, in addition to the potential costs of finding a second mental healthcare provider. I am sincerely sorry about that. I wish there was an easier solution I could provide, and I wish you the best of luck.

[casscainmainly]

I feel like part of the reason Bruce is so concerned with Cass being “perfect” is because he projects onto her and sees her supposed perfection as a justification or validation for his choices as Batman. Kinda like, “See? My whole obsessive crusade and pursuit of becoming the best version of Batman, even at the expense of my humanity and relationships, is worth it because here is an example that is inherently perfect”. Except of course she’s not perfect, she’s human, and acknowledging Cass’s humanity ruins his little power fantasy of himself. Meanwhile Cass is like, I can’t be perfect if I can’t connect and communicate with other people.

This is an interesting take! I agree that Bruce projects onto her, though I'm not as sure it's because he sees her as a justification for his choices as Batman. I also wouldn't personally call it a power fantasy - though Bruce for sure maps himself onto Cass, I see it as more of a genuine desire to connect with/see himself in someone, rather than an egotistical desire to see her as an extension of himself. (The latter is more representative of David Cain).

If we look at issue 4, where the 'perfect' quote comes from, there's a moment right before that is equally important to understanding Bruce's conception of Cass:

"It wouldn't have looked this way to anyone else." That anyone else is vital - it shows that Bruce not only thinks he understands Cass, but that he is the only one who understands Cass. His disbelief at Cass killing someone is not only a disbelief that someone with his code can have killed, but the bitter surprise that he does not understand Cass as well as he thought.

Bruce genuinely believes he can help Cass, and this belief is predicated on the idea that he knows Cass. That they are similar - that he's found a kindred spirit. Does this boost his ego? Absolutely, and the 'perfect' throughline shows that. But fundamentally it's his love for Cass, and his desire to help her, that makes him unable to see her as her own person. Because it is so much easier to help someone you think you know everything about than someone you realise you don't know at all.

There's also the wider context of Jason Todd, and how 'perfection' means Bruce being able to trust Cass with keeping herself alive. And that, given their conversation in #9, Bruce knows that Cass herself wants to be like Bruce. His desire for her to be like him is multifaceted: it is 100% what you said about him projecting onto her, but it's also his wish to keep her safe, his belief that it's what she wants, and his earnest desire that their shared understanding will help her. So you're totally right, but his view of Cass really defies simple categorisation (which is why we can have so many different takes that are all valid and interesting!).

[chronicsyd]

I'm starting to get Real tired of this fandom because when I say, "It's understandable why Caitlyn does A, B and C" people are Immediate to jump at my fucking throat and say "Oh you think everything she does is justified and you endorse fascism/domestic abuse/whatever whatever whatever!"

No... that is NOT what I said.

"Understandable" and "Justified" are two Totally separate words here. I'm saying it's understandable because "A, B, and C happens to her which causes her to react and do A, B, and C which consequentially causes A, B, and C to happen." I'm not saying Caitlyn is right in doing what she's doing, because she isn't. I'm explaining the WHY it happens. WHY Caitlyn is reacting the way that she is, and those reactions are WHY her character is so compelling for me to watch. And even after watching these episodes I don't hate her despite that's what everyone kept Telling me I'd do.

This whole "purity culture" of "you're only allowed to like such and such character because they're the most "morally good"" is Absolutely ridiculous. Because following this the Only character in Arcane you'd be "allowed" to like is Ekko. Nope not Jinx, or Vi, or Caitlyn, or Vander, or anyone else. Because the rest of them do things that do not fit the "morally good" standard that's been set by people.

Because let's not pretend that people like Darth Vader and Kuvira aren't some people's favorite character and that Darth Vader is like the most popular Star Wars character. People are allowed to enjoy morally grey or just straight up villainous characters. That doesn't mean they endorse every decision that that character makes.

Yes it's a problem with the Caitlyn and Jinx glazers who deem "ohh pookie could do no wrong" but that's NOT what I'm talking about, it's people getting pissy about people making Any kind of defense for Caitlyn, whether you 100% agree with what she's doing or not.

If someone's merely mentioning that they enjoy Caitlyn's character and think she's complex and compelling to watch, just let them be. it's really not as deep as you're making it out to be.

[sunnymothmoss]

Discussing OCD through the prisoners of Milgram

What if all the milgram characters had ocd? Besides jackalope. (and Es, but I might come back to them). These aren't serious headcanons this is just to explore the diversity of the disorder and potential scenarios.

Just to get some things straight for people who don't know much about ocd - ocd themes and the intrusive thoughts around them are EGODYSTONIC, meaning they go against everything the person actually wants and who they are as a person. This will be at the forefront of what I will be discussing here. Furthermore my experience of ocd has been primarily "Pure O" (internal compulsions) so I know less about more externally compulsive ocd presentations.

Haruka - trauma-based/real event/harm ocd. Going off the theory that the 'second child' was himself, this doesn't work otherwise. I truly believe that Haruka really didn't want to hurt anything anymore after his horror at his murder. I believe that event deeply traumatised him and he became terrified of himself. Now, theoretically, this could result in constant intrusive thoughts about hurting others, despite it now being the absolute opposite of what he wants, particularly animals and children. In this scenario, his avoidance of those things is a compulsion, his eventual ability to overcome his fear of Amane is the start of his recovery from this. However, he died so that didn't get very far.

I will clarify, I'm not an ocd expert but I do have personal experience with the disorder. And the trauma-based/real event/harm combo, in particular, was one of my two main themes, though for myself it was sh.

Yuno - I doubt Yuno has ocd but for the sake of this I could theoretically see an existential theme. Existential topics are definitely something that weigh on her mind a lot and doubt over existential questions (e.g am I really alive?) seem consistent with her character. However I don't think we really see her having anxiety or anything around these so likely not.

Fuuta - moral scrupulosity ocd. Someone has already discussed this an I agree with what they said. Shout out to @azuremist, that's where this idea came from (me impulsively saying give all the milgram characters ocd like I wanted to make milgram worse for them or something 😭)

Muu - I don't think Muu has ocd tbh and I'm struggling to think of an idea for a scenario that fits with canon where she could have? Though this may be more on the basis of her having low empathy and my experience of ocd being empathy-based? People with low-empathy can have ocd but it looks different so I know less about it. This is not at all a judgement against people with low empathy btw! I am part of the autistic community and likely have a personality disorder so I know and understand a lot of people with low empathy (cognitive/emotional or both).

Shidou - ah 100%, someone else has also already discussed this. I think moral/harm ocd as well though. @vividstardustrevolution has written a theory post about it which was very thorough in analysis and I don't really have anything to add though idk if its on tumblr. Shidou is actually a character I really relate to

Mahiru - okay let's use our brain sunny. Relationship ocd - cheaters are who she hates the most, hence intrusive thoughts about cheating. I could definitely see that. Alongside her likely having bpd it would add to the intensity of her anxiety her relationship. The constant checking and calling could have doubled as compulsions to reassure herself that she still loves him and everything's okay between them.

Kazui - this is a hard one because he has a lot of irrational guilt but that's likely over internalised homophobia, it's seen that he does actually have a desire and genuine attraction towards men, he enjoys it, just feels that he shouldn't - so he can't have sexual orientation ocd. I also think due to the fact that he genuinely didn't love Hinako romantically, he didn't have relationship ocd. Unrelated to his main struggles, he definitely has excessive feelings of responsibility but I feel that that's more due to the situation he's in. Conclusion: I can't think of a way Kazui can have ocd, hell maybe he has somatic ocd or something who knows.

Amane - trauma-based/religious ocd. Almost self-explanatory. I think it's perfectly plausible that Amane experiences obsessive religious intrusive thoughts about 'sinning' and has to perform compulsions, maybe even continuing the abusive punishments her parents subjected her to or just simply praying, to in her mind, neutralise these thoughts.

Mikoto - again I don't know, don't really think Mikoto or John have ocd. Mikoto maybe? But I don't know what theme. EDIT - thank you @bravadoting for helping me come up with this idea: Mikoto somatic ocd headcanons fr. Because Mikoto is so hyperaware of how others percieve him he is constantly worrying about people noticing the tiniest noises and movements he makes. He worries about whether not being able to stop noticing his blinking or mouth noises will get in the way of his productivity or whether he is unprofessional for having to go to the loo often to make sure his bladders empty. He gets anxious when talking to his boss that he's blinking too much/too little, getting muscle twitches/tics in the 'wrong' body parts or making too loud mouth noises and that those things will be seen as unprofessional or creepy. He worries he'll get fired because he's not moving right. This extends to his interactions with everyone but his symptoms were most severe when he was at work/trying to do work due to the stress. John starts fronting whenever this becomes too overwhelming for Mikoto and has to mask as him to cover the rest of the situation.

Kotoko - yeah possibly? Stick with me here guys. Kotoko has very strong, if pretty skewed due to black and white thinking, moral convictions. She believes with all her heart that the bad guys should die but evidently has some deep seated self hatred towards herself as well (she views everyone as victim or monster and constantly reminds us she is apparently not a victim). Anyway I think Kotoko could totally have a taboo ocd theme or any moral related theme (tho not anything related to physical violence as we see she has no problem with that and probably not pocd as she doesn't seem scared of kids at all/doesn't avoid them). I just feel it'd make sense given she probably spends a lot of time thinking about how evil and unforgivable some people are then her brain responds to that with intrusive thoughts, worrying she could be like them (istg this happens to me whenever my annoying ocd brain comments about something being unthinkable, honestly at this point I've had intrusive thoughts about every 'unthinkable' thing) which further motivates her vigilantism because she feels she needs to prove to herself that she's not evil.

[thechaoticplayer]

that anon wasn’t me but they are absolutely correct and i feel like i should give my two cents worth about all of this among the sea of hate towards the nijisanji livers. i’m not bootlicking the company, but i feel like it’s hypocritical for people to sent hate to the talents after doki said MULTIPLE times not to since she was also a victim of such behavior (and plenty of dragoons no longer even feel safe in her community because of the immense amount of people who are only there to harass and don’t even care for her) this is a rant that just shows that the issue is gray and that we’ll never really know what’s going on as outsiders

tell the remaining members to graduate because their fanbase will follow them is stupid, acting like they didn’t work their asses off to get where they are and haven’t invested so much in their current persona. ike, elira, and vox are some of the most popular talents so that it makes sense for anycolor to force them into making the stream. saying that vox doesn’t care about mental health after his charity stream and saying that it was just for show need to shut up because we’ll never how how he’s really feeling behind the avatar. elira specifically doesn’t deserve the disproportionate amount of hate and disgusting things she received from it from what was essentially revenge porn to art of her being abused, have these people not been taught that if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all? it costs NOTHING to spam hate on your private account instead.

while i agree that the 2% merch sales and 1/4 (after youtube) of the supas should be raised, that doesn’t mean that the livers aren’t making any money and are poor as several of them have mentioned being able to pay off student loans and have turned their lives around with the money. while it sucks that selen made no profit after investing 200k into projects, maria has mentioned before that covers were more of passion gifts to fans rather than something to make money off of (i DO think that they should be paid for their projects, but that’s just how it goes unfortunately). last cup of coffee was taken down because she didn’t have all of the proper permissions and rushed posting it as a sweet gift to fans, management had full intentions to put it back up.

accusing livers of being bullies based on speculations is idiotic as it just hurts innocent people in the crossfire. these may just look like anime women and men to you, but they are REAL PEOPLE and streaming for nijisanji is their main livelihood! have some empathy, it’s hurting their mental health (the mental health some “dragoons” seem to care about so much)

this goes to say, i am on doki’s side because NO ONE should have to go what she went through, but i just want to show that there are two sides to a coin. i think that nijisanji needs better management, to allow their talents more freedom and a higher percentage of merch sales/supas, and stop treating their livers like shit! stop the harassment and move on, it’s what doki has mentioned multiple times that she wanted! don’t be one of the reasons another liver may have to go what she went through because you have an irrational hate boner for the company

also stream mani / gilty x gilty by maria marionette, finana ryugu, POMU RAINPUFF, meloco kyoran, and kotoka torahime

guys this shit right here

This right here

We need to like post this everywhere bc holy shit people need to understand

You are 100% right!! I agree with everything you just said, esp the "graduate and get out of the company" because they really did bust their asses off to get where they are now and it's a childish way of thinking

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I told my sister she wasn't entitled to everything just because she's pregnant?

I (19F) have a younger sister, E, who just turned 18. She got emancipated when she was 16, and moved out to go and live with her boyfriend (my age). E is currently 8 months pregnant. She shared with me, the day she found out, that her baby 100% does NOT belong to her boyfriend of 3 years. This is important because he continues to stay with her, much to his parents' discontent. She lived with him for about 6 months of her pregnancy, but absolutely trashed their house every day, refused to work, and refused to do anything around the house other than smoke weed in their bedroom, so they called our mom, and forced her to come and pick E up.

We let E stay at our house after that. It's important to note that we live in a 4 bedroom, where our youngest sibling still lives in our parents bedroom, and one of our other younger siblings had to give up their room for her to stay in. She got a job in our small town (~3000 people), and started to spread rumors at work about how terrible we were, how we were forcing her to work while pregnant, and taking all of her paycheck. None of which was happening. Our parents told E that she could either get a job and pay for some of the groceries, or she could give us her food stamps payments, which she usually sells for weed, as there are 4 other kids under the age of 18 in the house that they have to provide for. E later got fired for smoking weed in the bathroom of the restaurant where she worked. When we brought up how she'd need to give us that months food stamps for us to let her stay, because she got fired, she brought me into the argument. She said that since I was over 18, I should have to work as well to earn my spot in the house, when in reality, most of what I do all day is clean up after and take care of our younger siblings. My mom argued back on my behalf, saying that since I'm disabled, and my disability checks, as well as child support payments from my biological father, go to living expenses, I shouldn't be suddenly forced to move out when I do my share of work around the house. E blew up on our mom for defending me, citing her own history of mental health issues and her pregnancy, and left.

A few weeks ago, she came back, asking for a room while she waited for her new apartment to clear, as her boyfriend's parents had once again kicked her out. Our parents agreed, on the grounds that she stay in the trailer we have on the property, as opposed to taking over our younger sibling's room again, because she completely trashed it last time and refused to clean or fix anything she broke. She agreed.

Here's where I may be the asshole. Every time she's in the house proper, she badgers me to make her food, when I am clearly busy cleaning or taking care of one of our younger siblings. She takes over the chair that our mom has to sit in for her back issues, citing her pregnancy as to why she needs the extra back support. She uses our younger sister's expensive bath products, which she had to get a babysitting job to pay for herself, without asking, and didn't stop when asked, despite having her own bath products. She constantly complains about how I never do anything, despite the fact that while she says that, I'm actively cleaning up after her the same amount I am a literal four year old, while she never even lifts a finger to help out, or even make her own food. She does not pay for food, or pay any sort of rent at all, as she's only supposed to be here for a few more weeks. The absolute last straw for me was when I, a chronically ill person who has to have a very specific diet and meal replacement shakes, came out of my room to see her eating from a tupperware container literally labeled with my name, and drinking one of my meal replacement shakes.

Would I be the asshole if I told her that just because she's pregnant, that doesn't mean she's entitled to all of our things? I want to tell her that she needs to start making her own food, and cleaning up after herself, instead of forcing me to do it. I want to tell her that, just because I'm her older sister, that doesn't mean that I still have to take care of her like our 4 and 7 year old ones. That she doesn't need to keep taking from things specifically bought by/for another person in the house, without offering to pay for it or compensate?

WIBTA?

What are these acronyms?

[bylrlve]

Warning! Potential leaks for season five of Stranger Things!

Alex (aka @dyersfilms on twitter, used to be swiftlynatalia) is the person who successfully leaked most of season 4 due to her knowing a source. She did, however, insist Byler was entirely platonic that season and they fought for most of it and only made up at the end in the pizza van, so…

Here’s her saying she won’t post any byler leaks this time around, which she has said previously.

She got a message saying they’re all fake, and she thinks they all are, so keep that in mind.

Here’s a short one: Will distancing himself from the party bc it’s too hard to be closeted and to be around Mike. If real? Endgame fr.

A ‘leak’ from episode one where shit goes down after the opening scene of Will singing SISOSIG, Will falls, and Mike helps him up,

Here’s an extremely detailed one that casually drops Mileven breakup, Robin-Mike bonding over Vickie and Will, Will trying to avoid Mike ‘confronting him about the painting’, Mike and Jonathan fighting over Will’s safety. Nothing here is debunkable but…. Yeah. God, would it be nice, though.

The two most interesting ones. First, an ask that’s almost entirely plausible except for the mileven part - and that part, specifically, I’m calling bullshit on bc it claims that Hopper is still on the Mike Hate Train. It was made abundantly clear, after their talk and their awkwardly long hug at the end of season 4, that that’s in the past. Besides, it just wouldn’t fit tonally. S3 was the heterosexual-cliché, silly filler season. S5? Nah. Can’t 100% say it’s fake, but even Alex agrees this one isn’t real.

Lastly, an interesting one that’s plausible throughout which claims Mike gets seriously injured and spends some time in hospital. Will stays by his bedside after everyone else leaves and kisses Mike on the forehead. Mike wakes up after he leaves - I think the insinuation is that Mike does a Half-Blood Prince and wakes up knowing that someone he felt safe with was there, but he doesn’t know who it was. If that’s legit? As I said, endgame fr.

I do want to note that both the mileven and Byler asks word the ‘main character getting injured part’ as everyone being ‘shaken up’ so there are a few options: it’s the same person with legit leaks, and Byler isn’t endgame. That, I’d be more willing to accept, cautious as I am, were it not for the Hopper part, which sticks out like a sore thumb. Second option: it’s the same person messing around. Third: it’s two people, one building on the other.

Cannot emphasise enough that these are most likely just bored people having fun, but I figured I’d share them all. The last one is getting passed around the tag sans context, and I wanted to clarify everything else Alex has received. Do not get your hopes up about Byler based solely on these.

Letting my imagination run absolutely wild here for just a moment, however: Maya and Vickie are confirmed to be filming at the hospital set, presumably visiting someone. There’s also a pic of someone with bloody shoes. Imagine if Robin visits Mike in the hospital, witnesses some Platinum-Tier Will Byers Pining™️, and ends up talking to Mike after he wakes up - no mention of how long he stays there.

Lastly, it is fun comparing these to the more doom-and-gloom (re: Mike) leaks Sapphicjopper on twitter got. The awesome @solgmorell has a post explaining those in detail.

Oh, and an interview came out today where Shawn Levy said something insane but, you know, water is wet.

[psychic-refugee]

I liked WSSF for what it was. A fun romcom/coming of age movie meant to give the warm fuzzies.

Do I think any of them deserves Oscars? No. lol Do I think Jenna and Percy had amazing chemistry and their comfort and trust with each other really shined through? Absolutely. People say that Jenna specifically wanted and asked Percy to play Barnes and I totally believe that. I can see how comfortable she felt with him, and how she trusts him from their time on Wednesday.

I think they played well off of each other, I thought their body language and small acts of intimacy really brought to life their young, idealistic love. I was totally convinced Remi and Barnes were in love with each other.

The way that they look at each other, I think people are purposefully being obtuse if they think they had no chemistry. It's so playful and I think falling in love was easy for them.

Am I a sucker for declarations of love via serenade? YES. Was I extra impressed that Barnes had the backing of an indie band who was part of said serenade? Extra yes.

It was nice when Remi realized that while happy at Harvard, she was happier with Barnes and she wants to fight for a future where she can have both. Sometimes we have to get out of our own head and out of our own way.

I actually liked Barnes a lot. He was a good guy if you watch the WHOLE MOVIE and see everything he does in context. He’s cool, chill, open-minded, and really supportive of Remi.

From what we saw, he’s actually a very excellent partner.  Sensitive to her feelings and emotionally mature/intelligent enough to ask "are you ok?" even when she's pretending.

When Remi realizes that public sector is literally a thankless job with no money and starts her own law firm, I think Barnes is ready and waiting to be that cute trophy husband. I 100% see him as the happy husband that stays home with the kids and supports his boss wife, and they have specific weekends where they let the grandparents take the kids and they light up.  

Here are a few criticisms.

Green Screen Driving

I agree with others that this was not well done, it was very obvious that they were driving against a green screen. I get it though, it was a lower budget indie film with a first time director. I suspect they didn’t have it in the budget to have the proper rigging or insurance for actual driving. The bad effects were a bit distracting, but overall the scenes were well acted and got us from Point A to Point B narration wise.

Pacing

I felt some of the pacing was off. I would have loved a few more “days” between Spring and Summer to get more of an idea of their dynamic and how they fell in love. A few more days between Summer and Fall to see how they dealt with the grief of the end of the relationship.

I understand the whole premise of the movie is specifically four days, I just want more lol.

I mostly would have loved to see her evolution of realizing that volunteering to help with Sea Turtles is really a passion of hers not something she just pulled out of thin air for Barnes to do during his gap year, especially when she realizes she’s ALLOWED to have a passion outside of Harvard and getting her JD.

There are a few things where you have to suspend belief/people who are actually familiar with the subject matter know how the movie is bullshit. lol

Harvard, and most schools, have a 1-year deferred enrollment option. Her taking a gap year just WASN’T as bad of an issue as her parents were making it out to be.  

This might just be MY SPECIFIC personal experience with Prom, but mine had a much stricter “formal attire” dress code. Very few of those dresses/suits were actual formal wear. But I also didn’t attend school in bumfuck Jersey. This may be accurate for Jersy and public school. lol

She wants a JD from Harvard to become a lawyer in the public sector (I winced so hard at this part IYKYK), she wants to do advocacy and policy…but then become a circuit judge by 40? Kind of a weird career track lol. And why 40? The only qualifications she needs to be a circuit judge in Jersey is to “be in good standing” and 10 years of practice. So, say she does 4 years undergrad. 3 years to get her JD. Then 10 years of working towards specifically to be a judge: She could get it as early as 34 presuming she started Harvard at 17. If she wants federal, there aren't any specific requirements. lol All that money on Harvard to not make that much money compared to your private sector counterparts. Her parents should have been mad about that, for real. lol Like why go into advocacy and policy in the areas of labor and employment just to stay in the judicial? And why specifically want to go into the appeals court? I feel like she’d do better on a political track, many politicians start out as attorneys, if she really wanted to shape policy. OR she could have what they call a boutique firm, where she specializes IN advocacy for employment/labor etc… Her career spiel/life plan until 40 doesn’t make sense to me. lol I do like that she does have a solid plan for her law degree. The attorney field is oversaturated, so it’s good to have a solid plan for what you want to do with it. Either have an “in” with someone and a clear path to a good law firm or have a passion and accept shitty pay and long hours in the public sector or at a non-profit.

The subway/commuter train…not one I’ve ever been on or seen in New York or Jersey. lol

Despite these mild criticisms, I'd give the movie an arbitrary A. lol I liked it, it's watchable, it's fun, it's cute. It's what a fun, indie, YA romcom movie should be.

[she-whatshername]

Brotherhood Pt 2

This is a bit from the next chapter of 'Drifted', but it clearly works for this prompt as I would 100% hope this would happen if anyone tried to break up with Bodhi. Xaden and Garrick do make the perfect parental duo. If you're confused, read 'Drifted', specifically chapter 4.

They were back at Riorson House, attempting to eat dinner together, though it was rather hard to actually enjoy the meal, what with Xaden still chewing them out for not keeping an eye on Violet and Bodhi for not being able to literally chew his food without the sting in his jaw from the fight earlier in Dorn. With Brennan still gone, his body would have to heal itself for now. Garrick was also feeling the sting of his bruises and his ego as Xaden was laying into him,

“-And for fuck’s sake Garrick you’re literally the one person who can locate anyone and you still lost sight of her?” 

“I know, we’re sorry, cousin.” Bodhi practically groaned, butting in for both himself and Garrick. Seriously, Xaden usually has a stick in his ass from being…well Xaden, but anything that concerned Violet made his mother hen tendencies unbearably worse. “We told you we were at Dorn brokering a deal with-”

“Don’t distract me with that bullshit, Bodhi.” Xaden accused while pointing at him with his fork, “I get it you pulled some strings for us but that’s not going to get you assholes off the hook for-”

“Ridoc ended things with Bodhi.”

Xaden’s eyes snapped over towards his friend, “He what?”

Bodhi’s jaw hung open before he glared at his brother - he didn’t even want to call him that anymore, “Garrick!” 

How the hells did he know that? Well, he knew the answer. Garrick was hyper vigilant to everything even before his signet manifested. Bodhi went to speak again, but the damage was already done. For Ridoc that is. Xaden now had his eyes locked on the poor boy across the dining hall, his shadows creeping across the stone floor to pull the chair out from underneath him, sending him falling backwards onto his ass, much laughter of his friends at the table.

“Xaden!” Bodhi finally said with a harsh whisper before smacking him on the shoulder discreetly. 

“That bastard.” Xaden grumbled, still glaring at Ridoc, who was looking around in all the wrong places to find the source of his misfortune.

Bodhi felt the need to defend both himself and his friend, “We weren’t exclusive. And it's not your business, now please stop.” Seriously, the asshole was now using his shadows to tie the laces of Ridoc’s boots together. 

But, to Bodhi’s own annoyance and poor fortunes, he was currently being ignored as Xaden and Garrick began scheming together on how to make the poor boy pay. 

“We have to do something, right?” Garrick asked.

“Absolutely.” Xaden agreed. Though, after a brief moment he turned to him with an annoyed sigh, “He’s Violet’s friend.” 

“Bodhi’s our brother. And he’s not even Violet’s favorite friend, right?”

Xaden pondered for a moment, “No…but still. We can't kill him. She’ll be pissed.”

“Guys,” Bodhi was almost pleading, “Please stop.”

“I got it!” Garrick’s eyes beamed. “We’ll kick his ass, instead.”

“Ridoc will tell. He’s got a big mouth.” Xaden countered. 

Garrick leaned in closer, looking practically devious, “We kick his ass, tomorrow night, after the Cliffsbane cadets get here. Then, we get Im to erase his memories. So him, Violet and all her friends will think a flier attacked him; they’ll never know it was us.” 

Why the hell was Xaden looking like he was entertained by this idea? “Imogen is his squadmate...you think she’d be down for that?” 

“Oh she absolutely will.” Garrick nodded “When she finds out he dumped Bodhi...look this will be the best plan to safely control her wrath and get in on the revenge ourselves.” 

Xaden gave his friend a hard look before glancing back at Ridoc, “...Tell her to meet us in the kitchen in 1 hour.”

[fishsticksloser]

hii so this is kinda like. self indulgent 😭 but could you write platonic spiderverse headcanons w a gn spider-reader who’s 12?(got bitten at around 9-10)

hopefully that’s ok, if not it’s fine tho sorry 😭😭

Young!Spiderperson

Spiderverse + gn!reader

Warnings: slight angst, platonic fluff, pretty short

A/N: I'm so tired. I wish I could sleep... We don't need sleep... We only need Astarion... Also before you all yell at me... Noir was bitten at 16 in the comics and says he's been spiderman for 3 years in ItSV meaning he's 19 then 20/21 in AtSV. Same with Hobie, bitten at 16 and says he's been spiderman for 3 years making him 19-20

Miles

He was only 14 when he was bitten

So he's very understanding and wants to help in any way he can

He's thankful he had Peter to help him learn how to be Spider-Man

He can't imagine being 9/10 and doing it alone

Miles has had a fair share of difficult times

But being so young and going through that

Terrifying to him

He will beg his parents to adopt you

Pav

A lot like Miles

He cares so much

He's such a good listener too

And he wants to do everything he can to make your job easier

He was bitten at 14/15, so he's fairly knowledgeable on how hard this is

So never once has he yelled at you for how you performed

Pav spends a lot of time with you

He thinks you're so amazing and he tells you that every time he sees you

He might be your number one fan... Might there might be someone who has him beat

Gwen

She was bitten at 12/13

So the fact that you've already been spiderman for a few years just...

Breaks her heart

It was hard enough at the age she was bitten

She can't imagine having that pressure, those powers

And still be in elementary school

She decides to help you

Not just learn how to use your powers (cause you've been doing it for 2-3 years at this point)

But she decides to be your confidant

She wants you to come to her if you need help or guidance

Noir

He will adopt you

In a heartbeat, are you kidding?

Did you see how quickly he basically adopted Peni?

Yeah... he basically adopted a 14 year old while he was 19

But being so close to Peni, he understood the termoil she went through after she was bitten at 8

This man will fight for you

Tooth and nail

Especially since the spider goddess won't let him die...

He will do whatever it takes to protect and empower you

#1 dad young dad

Hobie

I said someone might have Pav beat for your number one fan...

And this man here might have him beat

He's a punk

Are you kidding?

He is astonished by you

He had his own problems being 16 and a crime fighting rockstar in his universe

But you...

You were just a "wee thing"

He is your biggest fan

Constantly encouraging you to do better

Be better

Be amazing

He is definitely upset that you had so much on your shoulders so young

He wishes he could go back and take it so you could be a kid

Miguel

As if anyone could be more upset by what has happened to you

Losing his daughter at such a young age

He was outraged that you were put under this

He makes you a little escape at HQ

He absolutely builds forts with you

Whatever you want

He just wants to make you happy

You didn't deserve this

Really none of them did, but at 9/10?

You never got to experience what it was like to be a normal kid

Peter

Dad #2 on this list

Peter adopts you instantly, on sight

He's 100% 'kidnapping' you

He treats you like his own kid

You wanna spend the night at his?

He doesn't even have to ask MJ cause she'll agree

Smores, popcorn, Kool aid, you name it he'll get it

He wants you to experience real kid things without all the pressure

Cause you don't deserve that

You shouldn't have had to go through that

And he plans to make you feel loved and appreciated every day of his life

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

Labor & Oxytocin

Kali: (bursts through the front doors of the hospital) And this is precisely why I told Blake that she needed to give birth back home, not in some overpriced hospital a continent away.

Ghira: Kali, dearest, please, control yourself.

Willow: Kali, it was the safest option. You said yourself that you had plenty of complications giving birth to Blake.

Kali: And now I'm realizing that over 36 hours of labor is worse than having a few complications. (to the nurse) Blake Belladonna. Where is she.

Willow: Thirty-six hours?!?!

Jaune: Uh, Mrs. Belladonna! What a surprise! Really, truly, a pure shock. Um, unfortunately, even though you are her mother, I'm not allowed to disclose-

Willow: (cuts him off) No! You are bringing us all to Blake's room this instant. (glyph beowulf suddenly appears next to her) Unless you want a pack of beowolves to scour the hospital and we can find her ourselves.

Jaune: (sweats) Yes, Ma'am! Right away, Ma'am! This way, Ma'am! (quickly leads the three to Blake's room)

Blake: (panting and in discomfort as Yang escorts her around the room) This is absolute hell...

Yang: (rubbing soothing circles on Blake's lower back) I know, babe. I know. (kisses Blake's head)

Doctor: Good news. You're only six centimeters away.

Blake: (groans)

-Door bursts open to a very protective mother panther-

Kali: Where's the doctor fucking up my baby girl's labor?!

Blake/Yang: Mom?!/Kali?!

Doctor: Excuse me, Ma'am, but you can't be in here-

Kali: Don't care. What have you done to help my baby girl get the baby out?

Doctor: We have tried everything from walking laps, squats, and bouncing on the labor ball.

Willow: What about oxytocin? Have you tried that?

Nurse: It's written in Ms. Belladonna's file that she's allergic to synthetic oxytocin.

Kali: .....(to Willow) Oxytocin?

Willow: Pleasure hormone.

Kali: They synthesize that? Why? Her wife is right there. (points at Yang before turning to the doctor) Are you seriously saying that you never considered natural stimulation to help my daughter???

Doctor: Erm.... Excuse me?

Nurse: I... think she's referring to pleasuring the patient....

Blake: The patient is right here and can hear you! (groans)

Kali: There's no mistake that the gods put the g-spot in the birth canal. What gets the baby in will get the baby out.

Ghira: (mortified) Good lord....

Doctor: That's highly unorthodox-

Yang: Wait, I can just play with Blake's clit until she dilates?!

Kali: With climax. Ladies always come first.

Yang: Damn right they do.

Willow: It allows the most oxytocin to get into the bloodstream.

Ghira: kill me now....

Blake: That's it! Everyone, out! That goes for you (points to doctor) you (points to nurse) and definitely you (points to Ghira). (turns to Kali and Willow) Respectfully, because I don't want you to... you know...

Kali: Already gone, dear. (kisses Blake and Yang's foreheads before leaving the room, hauling a flabbergasted Ghira with her)

Willow: Best of luck, dears. (strokes their cheeks affectionately) I'll call Weiss and tell her to get here as fast as she can. That baby is going to be here before you know it. (grabs the doctor by the coat collar and drags him out of the room)

Nurse: (follows dutifully, leaving Blake and Yang alone)

Blake: Yang...

Yang: Yes, babe?

Blake: You know the drill. And if this doesn't work, I'm going to kill you.

Yang: (gently lifts Blake up and brings her to the hospital bed) I happen to have a 100% mission success rate. I don't intend on marring that now!

Two hours later, the Xiao-Long/Belladonna family welcomed a beautiful baby into the world. Ghira was still suffering. Kali could not have been prouder. Willow and Weiss squealed with delight. Ruby rand spaztically around the room. Qrow and Raven agreed that the baby was so ugly it was adorable. It was a great day.

[monstermoviedean]

i’ve got a list in my head of moments in spn where i think it would’ve been the perfect moment to bring in a secondary character, and there’s one in particular that i think is just. so, after the rupture, cas meets up with claire. she finds out about jack, she finds out about mary. and yeah idk i just think claire would have a really interesting perspective about it all. about dean. i don’t think she’d be completely on dean’s “side” (i don’t like calling them on diff sides but i think you get what i mean) and yell at cas or guilt him or whatever, nor would i want that(!), but… after all, claire knows what it’s like to care about, to love, people who have hurt her family. 😕

oh this one hurts. this one hurts. you're absolutely right though and my god is this a good fucking take. like. okay so first off this made me realize that jack and claire never met. and while i don't think claire would be like "you stole my dad" (because of course she wouldn't) i think there could be some really really interesting feelings to work through in term of cas having another kid who is dead now, and how hard he's taking it. i think claire would have to initiate this meetup, not cas, because cas is trying to isolate himself and would not want to look at another child he believes he failed.

absolutely 100% agree that there's not really "sides" but i also don't have a better term for it. i think claire would see cas' "side" and could give cas some real comfort, if he was open to it. she knows what it's like to lose people and to feel like you failed. she believes that cas is good, and trying to be better. and she's a living, breathing symbol that not everything he touches goes wrong. i think she could represent healing to cas, and just talking to her could nudge him towards reconciliation.

(side note: i would have liked to see their relationship develop further past season 10. i feel like it was a really promising start and then just. nothing. it felt like once she had jody they were like 'okay she's being parented cas doesn't need to do it anymore!')

i also think claire could easily see and sympathize with dean's "side." her dad abandoned her and her mom was absent from her life for a long time. her mom literally died in her arms. i could see why the pain of losing a parent would resonate with her. i can also see why, if she talked to dean, she would sympathize with feeling abandoned by cas (talking about seasons 4 through 10 here). and last but certainly not least, claire is going through a widow arc of her own. she's still reeling from having lost kaia. while she didn't see dean during his widower arc, jody did, and i'm sure jody mentioned that dean really wasn't doing well. and that might be on claire's mind too - that dean is in serious pain from losing a parent, a child, and a friend who could be something more.

like you said, i don't want claire to yell at or guilt either of them. i'm not sure she would, either. but i think she could sympathize with both of them in a way not many others in their lives could. and i would also like to see her again :)

[randomly--accessed--memories]

Is Alastor aware of Vox’s children - specifically his daughter?

Personally I interpret that Vox was probably a parent who played favorites [unintentional or intentional] and assuming his relationship with his son was likely strained - Vox gave his daughter more attention & affection. Making the memories pop in a bittersweet way.

I could see Alastor being conflicted, depending on if he knew about Vox’s children before he reduced his former friend turned enemy to static. Alastor assuming he was a terrible father [easy assumption because it’s… Vox lol] and feeling so disgusted with a man who already fell into his distaste. We know Alastor’s daddy issues, I can’t imagine him being comfortable with a [absent father at best, neglectful & emotionally abusive father at worst] around unless he were his little plaything.

I can think of so many ways Alastor could torture Vox psychologically with this knowledge. Gaslighting Vox into thinking a porcelain doll is actually his baby, allowing him to get attached to said doll for a while — only to shatter it right in front of him.

“Oh! Well, you can always make a new one! Haha!”

Alastor’s pettiness levels are 100% showing here as the mentality of “replacing the old with the new” that Vox used to spout out constantly is being used ��� in reference to his “baby”.

Of course Vox is absolutely distraught, feebly sputtering and trying to pick up the broken pieces of the doll before quickly devolving into pure rage.

“I trusted you! She’s my daughter!”

Alastor is merely grinning, laughing even. Right at Vox’s face. Vox is cursing him out using every word in the book, get violent almost immediately - and if any of the hotel residents are there all Hell will break loose.

Alastor could also just say “Oh she’s dead.” Anytime Vox asks where his daughter is… that’s a lot simple than what I just wrote lol.

But yeah neat little scenario I wanted to explore, I absolutely love love love this AU!! Everything is so well-written and thought out! I hope I didn’t write Alastor too evil, or Vox too pathetic(?) :p

- 🐚

OH JEEZ

Yeah, Vox was... not a great dad. He just wasn't around most of the time and saw his role as breadwinner as the only thing he really needed to do in order to be a Good Father™. He loved his kids in his own, self-absorbed way, but just wasn't involved with them in any meaningful manner. He was never abusive towards them but still managed to traumatize them through the constant, vicious arguments he would get into with their mother. You're right though, he did prefer Sarah (his younger child) to Thomas (his elder child) quite a bit, and she ended up with far more fond memories of him because of it.

Alastor is vaguely aware that Vox was a father when he was alive, but never felt any desire to delve into that aspect of his life. Vox lowkey compulsively overshares with the people he'd attracted to and Alastor ended up learning a lot more about Vox than he really wanted to back when they were friends. I'd never thought about how he would feel about what kind of father Vox was though– that's an interesting concept.

My HC backstory for Alastor is that he was born out of wedlock and never knew his biological father. At age 6, he and his mother left his grandparents' house and moved in with his mother's white cousin and her husband, who agreed to pretend Alastor (who was white-passing) was their son in exchange for his mother working as their maid. When Al was 11, he caught a glimpse of his mother having sex with his "adoptive father"– he'd threatened to kick her and Alastor out of the house if she didn't agree to sleep with him. He grew to loathe the man and eventually smothered him to death while he was recovering from the Spanish Flu that had swept through the house and claimed his mother's life.

With that context, I don't think Alastor would begrudge Vox for being a neglectful father that much since he just sort of sucked in a way that most men from that time period sucked. He'd see Vox's memories of his children in a similar way as he sees Vark; irrelevant and harmless, but a weak point he could easily exploit if he felt it was necessary.

The concept of the doll is fucking brutal. Al would probably be aware of how easily Vox projects memories of Sarah onto various people/things since it happens occasionally with Niffty, but I think that'd be a type of torment restricted to when he's feeling especially sadistic for whatever reason. Alastor thinks of himself as having standards, although he's willing to bend on some of them if he can think of a good justification and already wants to do it. So yeah, basically Vox's kids are off-limits until they're Not anymore.

Thank you for the compliments! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really appreciate long, elaborate scenarios like this; they give me a chance to talk about so many different things and get me to consider elements that I hadn't previously thought of.