#i know she does it because not saying anything has put him in dangerous situations previously

[littlelightfish]

Marcille telling Chilchuck that healing magic can be used to torture people only to use it as such a few days later...

It's like she's warning him about what she can and will do if he doesn't cooperate. I find it interesting.

We know they're friends, but he doesn't want to talk about it. They all know that. Chilchuck is not a fan of talking about his life and they aren't usually pushy about it. The one problem is when Marcille wants to know. Because she's curious and has her head full of romantic novels and she just finds out her friend has some delicious and controversial love story. She's not going to let herself not know about his life. Even if he doesn't want to talk about it. For better or worse, she takes advantage from his injuries to make him talk about it, to force him to open up about this. She quite literally tortures him (just a little bit but still) to get this info out of him.

I have just realized about all this, but.. yea, Marcille, that's a kinda fucked up thing to do to your friend.

[dunmeshi-darlings]

There are a few misconceptions on shuro and his behaviors. The reason he was furious at laios for reviving falin using dark magic isnt really that he used dark magic (kabru even poins out shuro would have done the same). But Instead his anger is because he used black magic he put Falins life (as well as everyone elses) in danger because he knows just how the western elves react to black magic and black magic users. As for shuro's feelings towards laios for not picking up on social cues, it was shitty of him to do that however you do need to also take into consideration the kind of culture/life shuro has. He comes from a highly dignified Japanese style royal family, We see that him asking for help saving falin was the first "selfish" request he has ever made. The fact it is considered a "selfish" request speaks volumes on the kind of world that shuro comes from. After shuro and laios fight we see that shuro is actually envious of laios and how he views the world, showing that a portion of his anger isnt really from laios not picking up on his social cues but perhaps more so that laios was ALLOWED to be how he is. Even after their fight shuro offers to give laios sanctuary from the western elves, giving him the bell that when rung would have shuro sending people to go retrieve him and his friends and keep them safe from the western elves. if shuro deeply hated laios he wouldnt have offered this, if he didnt care about laios he wouldnt have offered him a safe place to live if the western elves come after him. i also want to bring up people saying he abandoned asebi/izutsumi. Which is also not true, in his own words when asked about her being left behind. "she will come back to us if she wants to." he explicitly states if she wants to, she will come back. To me this is him letting her make her own choice on what she wants to do with her life. Something that shows to me that i believe shuro has always felt perhaps some form of guilt at her situation but not able to do anything because of who he is and his father and his caretaker with him.

Shuro is not a perfect person, he has his flaws. But he IS a person, thats what people are. We have flaws and make mistakes and have issues that we do wrong on. Shuro is a man living his life and one who makes mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. I wanted to post this and talk about it because sadly some people ar being incredibly hateful about him and people that like him. Which is a shame as it is mostly a misunderstanding. Though i wont lie some of it does feel like its starting to become racist or because of people upset he could get in the way of farcille ship.

[rockrosethistle]

I actually fucking hate Mr. Jägerman here's why

Mr. Jägerman is a character in the Hatchetfield universe who is never onstage and only mentioned in 1 (one) line. This was enough to ignite my rage.

It's because in this one line, so much is revealed about Max's character. So let's dissect that.

Max is mean. We know this. The very first thing established about him is how threatening he is. But I think his character often gets lost in the 'bully' identity, because just like every other Hatchetfield character, he is layered and complex.

We also find out two other things about him pretty much immediately: He has a crush on Grace (we'll come back to that) and he needs to feel in control.

There's a lot of evidence to support this. He repeatedly refers to himself as the 'god' of Hatchetfield High. He creates arbitrary rules around who his friends can date. He creates arbitrary rules around where the nerds are 'allowed' to go. And the moment someone implies he is not as powerful as he thinks he is, he retaliates violently.

This isn't just Max being a jerk. These are all signs of someone who is almost certainly deprived of control in their home life, which forces them to find it elsewhere. Max likely has little to no say in what happens to him at home. He's clinging to a sense of control wherever he can find it. And that line basically confirms that his home isn't a safe place for him.

Back to the crush on Grace, when you look objectively at the actions Max takes in the show, you'll find that he's not really a bad person, he's a mean person. He's a little shit that processes his need for control in the entirely wrong way, but people are shaped by their surroundings. The actions that come from him are different.

His crush on Grace only supports this. Every other bully in every piece of media sees the girl they like and whistle and say "yo lemme hit that." And if the girl rejects them, they resort to "tease bitch." Not Max. The first thing he does is start a conversation with her, laughs at (what he thinks is) a joke, then offers to carry her books. Like, I wish my highschool bullies were that nice to their own girlfriends.

When she rejects him, it's true that he continues to pursue her and calls her "dirty girl," but that once again comes back to his need to feel in control. But he doesn't get aggressive, he doesn't do anything that screams 'bully.'

We don't get a lot of scenes with pre-ghost Max. But when we do, they're interesting to analyze. Like, have you ever noticed that when he finds Steph in the Waylon Place, his very first instinct is to tell her, "Get behind me, I'll protect you" from, as far as he knows, actual ghosts? He feels like his life is in danger, but he's still putting Steph's safety first, despite having no interest in her romantically. That's huge.

There's even some evidence to support that Max terrorizing the nerds is, from his perspective, not so one-sided. When he finds out they were the ones who pulled the pranks, he says "I thought you guys hated me."

And he's open to change. He's not stubborn, he's not brutal. He doesn't continue hating the nerds just because it is what it is. Moments before his death, he is showing signs of opening up to them, and actually seems like he's coming around.

And none of this is meant as trying to defend Max's actions. I know he's the antagonist. I know he treats people unfairly. But all of this has to come from somewhere. I'm trying to say that there was clearly a foundation of a good person underneath all that cruelty. So what toughened his shell?

Mr. Jägerman. Max reveals in that one line that if he were to go back home from the 'party', his dad would call him a 'little cuck.' "can't even fight off one lousy skele'uhn." In this, he reveals his dad is demeaning to him. He's the kind of man who would hear that his son was in a life-or-death situation, and instead of comforting him, he would have made fun of him.

What must that do to a person? As someone who grew up in a home where Dad wasn't always a safe person to be around, I know that when I was younger, a lot of my bad bad behaviours were something I learned from him.

The prank meant to scare Max was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for him.

I think a lot of what happens in NPMD is indirectly Mr. Jägerman's fault. "Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein is the doctor, wisdom is knowing Frankenstein is the monster" type of shit. It is directly because of his actions and the way he treated his own child that any of this happened.

or maybe I'm reading too much into this. But I fucking hate Max's dad so much.

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

"My boby moved on its own" is an SNS trope . Sasuke is the type of person who always does something for Naruto and then finds a logical reason to cover that up.

1. His reason for offering his bento to Naruto

2. His reason for looking after Naruto who had been training all night.

3. His reason for to Save Naruto from Haku's attack.

4. His reason for why he wasn't able to kill Naruto in vote1

5. His reason for protecting Naruto from Obito

It gets so intense every time he protects Naruto from Obito. And Naruto notices how Sasuke protecting him from the attacks every time. Even when his Susanoo is already protecting Naruto, his hand is also going there to shield him.

We've never seen Sasuke do anything like this for Sakura, while with Naruto it's pretty consistent throughout the series. And Why do you think Kishi made 5 scenarios like this to point that out? Sasuke wouldn't do this kind of thing for anyone else. Absolutely no one. So what impression does it make?

In this war arc, Sakura herself acknowledged to the fact that Sasuke didn't care about her:

When Sakura ran up to Madara to get stabbed, both Naruto and Kakashi were either terrified or shocked as she plunged on someone she couldn't deal with. And Sasuke's expression was completely different from the others, he was just focused on the opening to attack madara. Where are Sasuke's instincts when it comes to Sakura? And the one who saved her was Naruto. Look at her dejected face! Even she herself accepting the fact that Sasuke doesn't even worry or care about her. Also, Sasuke put Sakura and Kakashi in their place by calling them "useless" directly to their faces while they were being protected under his Susanoo.

You know, Naruto is the one who asks Kakashi and Sakura to stay closer to him...without knowing what's going on up there. And, Sasuke was talking specifically to Naruto to not move around when he comes down to Naruto and he didn't mention the other two. He only wanted to save Naruto with his Sasunoo from the infinite tsukuyomi, but Sakura and kakashi just happened to be near with Naruto.

And Sasuke himself openly said Kakashi and Sakura just happened to be next to Naruto and that's all! Once again Sakura looked so dejected and realizes it even more in this scene. It's very clear that Sasuke didn't care about kakashi & Sakura. When Sasuke summons a hawk , and Naruto points to the right and says, "Sasuke!! Over there!!" to help Kakashi and Sakura, but Sasuke only saves Naruto

We know that Naruto cares about others and Sasuke knows this very well. And Sasuke is the character who will PROTECT those he cares about in dire situations. And who has he been saving repeatedly? NARUTO. But what Sasuke says and his actions are an underscoring for Naruto to prioritize his own safety and life in the war. Sasuke has a valid point that everything would be over if he and Naruto were to die, but it doesn't erase the fact that he doesn't care about Sakura and Kakashi and almost let them die because he was busy saving Naruto, a person who wasn't even in danger to begin with.

Simply put, he would protect Naruto, no matter what. And all Sasuke's actions are completely and purely instinctive and derived from his sub-consciousness.

To which Naruto said,

Raw: お前の言ってることも分かってるつもりだ... けど... こういう時は体が勝手に動いちまうもんだ ろ... 橋での時────

Romaji: omae no itteru koto mo wakatteru tsumori da ... kedo... kōiu toki wa karada ga katte ni ugoichimau mondaro ...kyōde no tokiーーー

Literal: I think I understand what you're saying. But...in this situation, a body moves on its own (unconciously)... Just like that time on the bridgeーーー

What he meant: " just like your body moved on its own to save me on the bridge.... my body also move on its own to save Kakashi & Sakura". Because Naruto does care about Kakashi & Sakura. Therefore, he cannot ignore them falling into the lava and dying.

The Land of the Waves arc, specifically the battle with Haku and Sasuke's sacrifice, was pivotal to Naruto and Sasuke's relationship, as they both realized for the first time how important and deeply they care for each other. It was a very emotional moment for both of them.

When they came back from Land of waves, Naruto couldn't even look at him without blushing, and then Sasuke couldn't even look at him at all. They'd rather die in this moment than admit that how much they care for each other, but their actions speak louder than words.

Whenever something happens between these two, there are always other characters pointing out what's going on. After they return to Konoha, Kishi uses Sakura to point this out, even though it's clearly visualized in the panel:

Raw: あ〜〜〜まだだわ!

Romaji: a〜〜〜madadawa!

Literal: Ahh〜〜〜 Not again!

Raw: この2人...波の国から帰って来てからちょっ と変なのよね...

Romaji: kono 2 nin...ha no kuni kara kaettekite kara chotto hennanoyone...

Literal: These two... have been acting somewhat/ a bit weird ever since we came back from the land of waves...

Raw: づ〜〜〜 何だか気詰まり...

Romaji: zu〜〜〜 nandaka kizumari...

Literal: oh〜〜〜 I feel ill at ease for some reason....

Raw: 早く来い来い! カカシ先生!! じゃーんなろー!!

Romaji: hayaku koikoi! kakashi sensei !! Shānnarō!!

Literal: Hurry up and get here! Kakashi-Sensei!!

Notes:

変な (henna) - strange; odd; peculiar; weird; queer; eccentric; suspicious; fishy; disturbance; funny; abnormal; unusual etc... It is used as a colloquial word that has many meanings.

何だか気詰まり (nandaka kizumari): somehow I feel awkward; Somehow I feel uncomfortable; I don't know why, but I feel ill at ease.

• the author choose the length of prolonged sound mark (ーーー) longer to implying that the sound is prolonged for longer than normal. e. g: Naruto saying "Time on the bridge."

• prolonged sound mark → a wave line (〜〜〜) is used instead of a straight line (ーー)...this often represents a deliberate prolonging of the sound by the character who speaks it or just a trembly, shaky voice of the character.

Only Naruto and Sasuke knew what happened on the bridge, others like Sakura and Kakashi didn't know about it or not very clear about what exactly happened there. Later, Sasuke & Naruto didn't talk about it, but this scene always comes at crucial moments that point to their "precious person". Finally after 5 years, saving Naruto from falling into the lava leads to Naruto talking about what happened on the bridge.

Sasuke saves Naruto even when he knows Naruto could have saved himself because of Kyuubi Mode, but Sasuke has been known to save Naruto even when he doesn't need saving. We also know that Sasuke would rather give Naruto a stupid and lame excuse than tell the truth straight to Naruto's face. So, this isn't the first time Sasuke prioritize Naruto over Sakura, a pattern that has been repeating since Kishi introduced Sasuke to the story in Chapter 3.

Naruto's feelings for Sasuke grew stronger at this point. After everything Naruto had been through and talking to Sasuke every time they met, Naruto knew for sure that Sasuke still cared for him. Naruto could see through Sasuke's actions. Naruto truly understand and knows that Sasuke cares for him and that's why he mentioned what happened in the Land of Waves.

Naruto only says "bridge", but of course Sasuke knows that he was talking about that time at "The Bridge in the Land of Waves."

Sasuke had a reaction to Naruto's words. No matter what Naruto says, he wouldn't say anything... Sasuke is probably trying to show that he's "unfazed," but in reality, he might be "fazed" because Naruto has seen through his heart.

Sasuke's reaction... His facial expression is hidden by his hair and "not visible," but this "invisibility" stirs up the reader's imagination

And he's confidently teasing Sasuke: "Even though I asked you to save them, you saved me...because your body moved on its own... because you cared about me. so I'm sure you understand my feelings to save them....Sasuke"

However, the "meaning" of this conversation...is something only Naruto and Sasuke can understand and it's their extremely personal thing (because the events on that "bridge" are memories shared only by the two of them). Kakashi & Sakura certainly not aware of this peculiar phenomenon that is unconsciously moving bodies.

Sakura's "inner words"... they really express her current feelings. Sakura is convince herself that what Sasuke says is "reasonable." Look at what Sakura says, she herself agrees with Sasuke: "It's as Sasuke-kun says (we're useless)... but (thank you, Naruto for caring about us)...." Sasuke didn't care about her desperate attempts to get his attention. And Even she herself acknowledged it, you know!

Years ago Naruto & Sasuke couldn't even look at each other pretending nothing happened, but now Naruto was talking about it with confidence. And he's clearly flirting with Sasuke.

[sugar-grigri]

Denji is awake, Asa is already inside and Yoshida is Chainsaw Man's ally

We interpreted the last chapter in reverse, so why not continue the exercise?

I haven't read any reaction, but I know in advance that Yoshida will be shown in the same way: as a cold being always there to make Denji's situation worse. But the observation is quite the opposite: he's the one who's constantly negotiated for his situation. Worse still, interpreting him as an ally makes everything absolutely clearer.

I know what I'm saying may come as a surprise, after all, he's the one who announced Denji's dismemberment and doesn't seem to be doing anything to stop it. But don't interpret things that way, the whole answer is in the title.

The title refers to the ambient sounds of Denji's dismemberment, having no words at all, whereas titles usually refer to the dialogue in the chapter. Why is this? Because the answers are in the scenery and the unspoken words.

For example, the answers lie in the questions that seem to be answers (stay focused): for example, we learn that Denji slept for a week… OK… but why exactly did they let him sleep for a week ? The protagonist asks Yoshida: why didn't you wake me up before?

In addition : why wake him now?

The chapter deliberately focuses on a cold Yoshida, who announces that he's put him back to sleep. But why wake him up to tell him all this and then put him back to sleep? After all, the contract had already been broken, Denji couldn't negotiate.

Because it's been a week since Yoshida negotiated to give Denji one last chance. In any case, the time that has elapsed shows that there have been negotiations about what to do with this out-of-control Chainsaw Man. Why is Yoshida doing this? Because more and more, he starts trying to protect him, even though he's supposed to control him. We'll see that his principles and his own way of surviving will also be increasingly undermined.

Yoshida knows that Asa has a connection with devils, whether it was when he prevented Denji from revealing his identity after fighting Yuko or or when he assisted Yoru during the aquarium arc. Telling her to stay away from Denji was a means of protection, as he knew that she was a disruptive element, which could lead Denji to either reveal his identity or transform and thus put himself in danger.

In chapter 132, Yoshida appeared in an extremely dominant position with a bound Denji, with Yoshida looking almost antagonistic. But in reality, the direct consequence of Yoshida's intervention was an equal negotiation around a table about Nayuta and being Chainsaw Man in the chapter 133 that followed. Above all, Yoshida presented himself as a malevolent force when, in reality, Nayuta arrived earlier than expected, a sign that she was safe and already freed.

Above all, we know that there is a mole because the information leaked to the detriment of the church, the public hunters were aware of the attack to the point that Quanxi stopped it before it went off at 5pm. Worse than a leak, there was an exchange of information because the church was not at all destabilised and had already planned its response with the fire demon.

If you're still not convinced: then interpret Fumiko as the strict inverted product of the system that Yoshida has become. Fumiko is a hunter who presents herself as younger than she is, calling Denji senpai even though she's older than he is, while Yoshida never behaves like the teenager he is.

Fumiko also presents herself as Denji's ally, showing that she sees him as a child, whereas she has never had the will to protect him and has always dehumanized him. Yoshida does the opposite, presenting himself as Denji's enemy, playing on the fact that he's the only figure among the public hunters to negotiate with him and face his wrath, preventing him from doing what he wants while secretly helping him.

Yoshida is beginning to worry about Denji, otherwise he'd be totally indifferent to the fact that he doesn't grasp the stakes of the dilemma the hunters are imposing on him. The aim of the public hunters was to send a hunter around Denji's age for more connection, but in reality it's Yoshida who is becoming more sensitive to Denji's actions than Denji is to Yoshida's words.

By being this mediator who enters into direct negotiations, he feels that he is not only responsible for what Denji may do, but by dreading the fact that he breaks the rules, he also begins to dread the consequence of having broken them: Denji will be in danger.

Negotiations then took place for a week to improve Denji's situation, but failed given the way Chainsaw Man behaved out of control. Yoshida could do nothing officially, so he turned to the last resource he had left: the war devil.

When Yoshida confronted Asa, we sensed that he himself was unsettled by what he was doing. We also feel this unease expressly in this chapter, when he sees the state Denji is in.

But what interests us most is that he apologizes to Asa for attacking her, even though she had followed the rules. It's as if Yoshida realised that, even if he made sure that we totally complied with the State and its conditions (Asa had to stay away from Denji, Denji mustn't transform), that wasn't enough to guarantee the security they were hoping for in return.

All this overturns Yoshida's principles in two ways. From a relational point of view, Yoshida sees solitude as a way of life less likely to be hurt, and we also see that his criteria for normality are the fact of being isolated. But the hunter's tactic backfired: instead of not getting hurt, he became increasingly concerned about the fate of the man he was supposed to dehumanise.

On another level, Yoshida's survival strategy is to trust the system, to trust it blindly and to accept its logic, hence his eyes without a glint in them, like Kishibe's, who had integrated them so as not to suffer. But more and more, he realises that this is not enough to guarantee safety. He realised this when he attacked Asa himself. But above all, Denji himself has never broken the rules. He never revealed his identity to anyone. And when he turned into the Chainsaw Man, the contract had already been broken by the actions of Barem, who attacked his dogs and cat. In reality, Denji trusted Yoshida's words, he had fully integrated them, but the state failed to protect him as it had promised.

It is easier, even if only politically, to accuse a 17-year-old teenager of not honouring his commitment than to recognise that the state was unable to protect dogs and a cat from the actions of the church to prevent this transformation.

But above all, and this is what's fascinating, is that Yoshida uses this very political way of presenting this state failure when he opens the doors and is heard by Fumiko and the other agents, as if to convince them that he's still on their side. Yoshida thought it was enough to be alone and trust the system, but Asa and Denji proved that it wasn't enough. This trust in the state can be represented by the tako-tsubo trap: the octopus enters these cylindrical jars thinking it can protect its fragile constitution by sticking to the sides, but in reality, the octopus remains at the bottom of the trap.

Yoshida becomes aware of the trap he is in and helps Denji more and more. When did he have this realisation? I can't date it, but what I can say for sure is that in chapter 156, he intends to help Denji. He wakes him up to talk to him one last time, he gives him information, if only temporal, and Denji only confirms the failings of the system: Yoshida doesn't know Nayuta's fate because the state has completely failed to protect her.

But more importantly, takotsubo is also a fairly rare heart condition that can be brought on by a great emotional shock, which Yoshida wants to avoid by isolating himself. But as we said, he's already in the trap, so he's already become more emotional.

So Yoshida wants to help Denji, but how? By doing the opposite of what he was supposed to do, bringing Asa back into the equation by warning her about Denji's situation and his position.

The dismemberment of Chainsaw Man is a more than secret operation, and Fumiko asks Yoshida for confirmation, a sign that he is one of the only people with the most reliable information about Chainsaw Man's fate. No-one else could have warned Asa. But above all, Yoshida's information is going to help the war demon: by redeeming himself.

Denji has one leg removed, then the other, but what's left? His arms, right? Whereas Asa's legs are shown at the very end. But what was she missing? Her arms, right?

And what are these doctors doing, harvesting limbs and obviously? On top of that, it's a big number... 26... 27... what the public hunters are surely doing is to weaken Chainsaw Man as much as possible by dividing him up, but to accentuate his division, they're pulling on Denji's strap to force his regeneration while playing on his sleep to leave him unconscious. A large number of Denji's body members are harvested.

And who cut off Asa's arm? Yoshida. What could he do? Place her arm among all Denji's arms. To leave her with a weapon of choice within these walls. Warn Asa, and take advantage of her severed arm by recovering it, was Yoshida's plan B.

I know your headache's already there, but let's get on with it. What's the chapter title? Ambient noises, right? But who hears them?

I'm going to say the first sounds are those of the helicopter. The others are those of the dismemberment operation. But who hears all these successive noises? Isn't Denji supposed to be asleep?

Quite simply because Denji has woken up, not physically but to recover his senses a little, hence the detail of his clenched fist and the fact that he can now hear. How is this possible? Probably because Yoshida made sure not to shoot him completely. Why not? Because not only does he need Denji to remain at least minimally conscious, he also needs him to stay awake out of fear for the uncertainty surrounding Nayuta's fate.

We can see that Nayuta's fate agitates Denji and even makes him semi-conscious. Telling her that she was fine would have had the opposite effect, as Denji would have had no desire to get up. I think you can see where I'm going with this, but it was in Denji's interest to frustrate him even more about Nayuta and that's exactly what Yoshida did.

Let's make a brief philosophical and legal point: Leviathan by Hobbes is a work that forms one of the bases for thinking about the relationship between man and the state. Hobbes wrote this essay while traumatized by the English civil wars, for whom the only way to avoid chaos would be to give our liberties to a powerful monarch.

Man is a danger to social well-being; his natural reflex is domination, enslavement and violence.

Giving our freedoms to the state provides a powerful arbiter who in turn ensures security and social peace - the social contract. Why Leviathan? Leviathan is none other than the State, a creature invented by men, against which no individual can compete. Yoshida works for the state and therefore symbolically for Leviathan, the octopus demon.

The quid pro quo of this contract with the State, the Leviathan, is security, which is not guaranteed, as Yoshida can testify. So what does Yoshida do? He helps the figure whose popularity threatened that of the State as the guardian of social peace. But above all, he is helping the element that the state fears most - civil war, i.e. war within its borders. Within its walls.

If Yoshida and Asa have one thing in common, it's that they prefer to be alone to avoid suffering. What they do, however, is join forces to prevent Denji from stopping suffering, to enable them to move forward just like the legs they lack.

Just like friends would do.

[funnyoldworld-isnt-it]

There are so many posts about the weirdness around Nina and Maggie, but the thing that has always bothered me the most is that both of them know Aziraphale but neither one of them seems to know Crowley. Like, at ALL. Not even by sight. Which doesn’t make any sense. For the last four years, Crowley has basically been unemployed and homeless (this sentence made me so sad to type). He has had literally NOTHING to do except hang out at Aziraphale’s bookshop. And the vibe at the beginning of s2 is that he’s there a LOT. Like, multiple times per week (“we both get plenty of use out of it, don’t we”). When Aziraphale calls him in the first episode, he says “2 minutes” the way you tell your spouse how long until you’re home from the grocery store, especially if you were on your way home already.

The dialogue goes to great lengths to highlight that Nina and Maggie SHOULD know Crowley, which just heightens the weirdness of it. When they're at the pub, Crowley asks Aziraphale, “What’s wrong with the cafe?” (implying they usually go to the cafe), but Aziraphale made a point of introducing Crowley to Nina in the first episode. And Nina makes a point of saying to Maggie that she always remembers “the regulars," but she doesn't seem to remember Crowley. Of course, she immediately notices both Jim and Muriel outside the bookshop, so she's clearly paying attention to what's happening in the neighborhood and it seems like she couldn't have failed to spot him coming and going all the time.

And Maggie's situation is even weirder. Her whole back story is that she basically grew up IN the bookshop because her grandmother’s record store was essentially in a corner of the bookshop. And yet, when Maggie and Nina see Crowley on the street right before the lightning strike, Nina says, “Do you see that bloke? Six shots of espresso and he's smoking,” and Maggie responds, “I think that man was just struck by lightning.” Which is something you say about someone you’ve never laid eyes on before. She didn’t say, “Oh, that’s Mr. Fell’s friend,” or “I’ve seen him around. He stops by Mr. Fell’s shop a lot.” And then when he comes back, "It's him. The one who was just struck by lightning. The six shots of espresso." Again, no flash of recognition of anything before the current day. This happens immediately after she's just told Nina about knowing Aziraphale since she was little. It’s just weird. Why build a back story that would put her in extremely close proximity to Crowley LITERALLY her entire life and then write dialogue that makes it clear she's never laid eyes on him before?

You could maybe think, well they're just so used to having to hide...but then I asked myself: Does it make sense that the day that you find out there is an extremely dangerous, existence-threatening problem hiding out in your ineffable husband's bookshop is also the day that you would decide to STOP keeping a low profile and start wandering the streets with abandon, introducing yourself to all the local shopkeepers, and ferrying large plants into and out of said bookshop? No. No, it does not.

In any other show, you could assume that the writers just didn’t think about it very carefully. But, given the layers and layers of meaning and symbolism baked into every detail of this show, from the dialogue, to the costuming, the set design, lighting, blocking, etc., and the way that the story folds back on itself again and again, it just feels significant.

[rebeliz7]

We have to stop meeting like this

Natasha Romanoff x Doctor Reader 

Request: Can you do Natasha x non avenger/reader where reader is very possessive and protective over her wife “Listen pal. There are two things I need from you. Number 1 is get away from my wife and number 2 is stay the hell away from my wife.” Natasha finds her wife’s treats very amusing, considering she’s the black widow and can more than well take care of herself.

Word Count: 2255

…

You’re about to leave the hospital, your shift having just ended, when your phone rings. 

You see Steve’s name on the screen, and your heart stops for a second before you slide a trembling finger across the screen to answer. 

“You need to come in.” He says after murmuring a soft greeting, and you immediately become terrified. 

“Steve, is she - ”

“She’s okay.” He hurries to explain, probably realizing his mistake. “She’s fine, she’s a little beaten up, but she’s fine.”

“She’s alive.” You assure yourself, before taking a deep breath, and gathering your things. “Give me fifteen minutes.”

…

The moment you get to the Compound you know that Steve was more than vague in his explanation, because you walk into the most chaotic state you’ve ever seen the Avengers in. 

Thor is speaking loudly, his voice booming and making the windows shake lightly while Tony rubs his temples, trying to soothe a certain headache. Sam is nursing a bleeding arm on the couch, and he looks pissed as he raises his voice at Tony too. 

Steve, on the other hand, seems to be trying to keep everyone in check while Wanda and Carol sit on the nearest couch looking exhausted. No one notices you at first.

“Good evening, Doctor.” Scratch that, Friday notices you, and suddenly everyone else does too. They all fall silent the moment they see you, and when no one opens their mouth you rush down the hallway to the med-bay, terrified all over again. 

“Wait up.” Someone calls behind you.

“What the hell happened out there?” You ask over your shoulder, and you realize that everyone is coming with you. 

“You know we can’t tell you what happened.” Steve says calmly, and you turn around abruptly causing him to  stumble trying to catch himself before running into you.

You notice that his brow is bleeding from a small cut, and his suit has a tear on its chest, and he looks exhausted. 

“I don’t want the details of the mission, Steve. I meant what happened to my wife.” You clarify, and he looks to his left as he swallows, and then nods. 

“Bullet wound.” He says, and you close your eyes as you take a deep breath. Then you turn around, and resume walking.

You know how secretive Natasha’s work is, and you understand the risks. She’s an Avenger, and protecting the world is her job. Injuries are, at this point, just a professional hazard for her. 

Still, she’s your wife, and over the years you’ve only become more protective of her instead of more accustomed to the inevitability of these kinds of calls. 

“She should have waited.” You hear Tony say, as you round a corner. 

“Yeah, and you were a load of help.” Sam says sarcastically, and you begin to pay closer attention to their conversation. 

“More help than you, that’s for sure. Getting yourself shot the second you showed up.” Tony snarks back, getting angrier by the second.

“You put us all in danger by going for that computer, Stark.” Thor says, and the steel in his voice is terrifying to hear. “You are not a team player.”

“Newsflash, beach boy.” Tony starts, just as you reach the med-bay. “We need that computer if we want to put an end to this nightmare.”

“That’s enough.” Carol says, and even you straighten up at hearing her command. “Not now.”

The second you spot your wife you rush to her side, while simultaneously assessing the situation with a critical eye. Her waist is patched up, and you breathe a little easier when you realize that the bullet must have not hit anything vital. She’s being hydrated intravenously, and they’ve administered an antibiotic. Other than that, she just seems to be sleeping. 

You know she heals faster than a regular person, but you can’t help but feel as scared as you do every time that she comes home with a bruise, let alone a bullet wound. She’s not invincible, despite the world’s beliefs. 

You take a moment to look at her before you press your lips softly to her temple, and pull up the sheets to cover up to her chin. You pick up her chart next. 

The bullet went through and through just like you thought. They just had to patch her up, the wound was already healing when they brought her in. 

“She should have waited.” Tony says again, and you pick up on the fear lacing his tone. Natasha and Tony go way back, you know he’s her oldest friend among the Avengers, and he wouldn’t put her in danger deliberately.

So whatever’s happened, you rest easy at knowing that he had her back. He always does.  

“That’s enough, Stark.” Carol speaks again, her voice is steel  now, and it scares you slightly. “You can try to justify what happened out there all you want, but we all know the truth. We all heard what you said. We all know that it was you who gave Natasha the go-ahead. So stop. Nat is on this bed because of you. Own it.”

The silence that falls upon the room is deafening, and your confusion only increases the moment Natasha opens her eyes. 

“Jesus, Danvers! You’re being way too harsh.” Your wife rasps with humor in her tone. You know she’s okay, but that still doesn’t stop you from leaning down to kiss her lips the moment she’s done speaking. “Who called my wife?” She asks, her hand cupping your face as you comb her hair back with your fingers before kissing her again. 

“We gotta stop meeting like this.” You joke, and she scrunches up her nose. 

“You think you’re funny.” She says, her thumb caressing your cheek.

“Yeah, well. You married me.” You shrug, and she smiles up at you. 

However, your joy at having your wife in one piece is quickly snatched away when you can feel the rising tension among her team again. 

“We can talk about this later.” Steve says, as you sit down on the edge of the mattress, your wife’s hand in yours as you both turn your attention to her friends. 

“Of course.” Tony says, but you can hear the sarcasm in his voice, and so can everyone else. 

“Tony, come on. We’ll talk about it later.” Wanda insists, her hand on his forearm, but he’s quick to shake her hand off, and step closer to the bed, his eyes firmly locked on your wife. 

“You were an idiot!” He points a finger at Nat, and it’s your turn to frown. 

“Tony.” Sam, and Carol try to stop him but he continues to advance on your wife anyway. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” You wife asks as you slowly stand up. 

“That’s enough, Tony. Come on, man.” Steve intervenes, but Tony ignores him, his eyes still trained on your wife.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the master spy? The brains of this bunch, besides me?” He shouts, his anger sparking your own, and you find yourself pushing him back before he can take another step closer to Natasha. 

“Listen  here, pal.” You growl, as he stumbles back a couple of steps. “There are two things I need from you right now. One: Stop yelling at my wife, and Two: Stay the hell away from her. Got it?”

“Seriously?” He raises an eyebrow at you, and you step closer, daring him to try you. He may be Iron Man, and a dear friend, but you’re Natasha’s wife, and he’ll have to respect that. 

You glare until he takes a step back in response, still frowning. He looks at Nat over your shoulder, and you hear her snicker. 

“I’d listen to her, Tony.” She tells him, and you can hear the amusement in her voice. She’s not angry, or hurt, despite Tony’s frustrations. 

“Is anyone seeing this?” He asks, his index finger pointing at your chest, as he looks at everyone else in this room. 

“Come on, man.” Steve sighs again, and you catch Carol smirking, as Wanda rounds the bed to get closer to Natasha. 

When Tony looks at you again you can see the regret in his eyes as clear as day. You don’t know what happened out there, but you don’t blame him for your wife being on this bed. Natasha doesn’t take uncalculated risks, at least not since you two got married. Whatever decision she made during their mission was her own, you’re certain of that. 

“How about a shower, and a nap?” You tell him, your hand on his arm now, and he lets out a deep breath. He looks exhausted, and he’s a dear friend of yours too. You need him rested, and taken care of before he attempts to speak to Natasha again. “Come back later, we’ll be here all night.”

“Yeah.” He nods, and he leaves quickly, leaving you surrounded by equally exhausted superheros. 

“How do you do that?” Sam asks you, as Carol and Steve walk closer to the bed too. 

“Do what?” You ask him, feigning ignorance.

“You know what.” He says, and Carol is laughing when you turn around. 

“What’s so funny?” You wife asks her as you sit on the mattress, and begin running your fingers through her hair again. You smile to yourself as the Avengers gather around your wife’s bed. 

“Nothing, really.” Carol shakes her head, and your wife frowns, fixes Carol with a glare that only makes the Captain laugh harder as she turns around, and makes for the door. 

“Don’t say it.” Sam shakes his head, also amused and you’re tempted to laugh at the look on their faces but you limit yourself to watching the interaction. 

“What?!” Your wife insists. 

“Well, your wife is a lot scarier than you these days.” Carol shrugs, one foot in the hallway already, and Sam hides his laughter behind a very fake coughing fit. 

“And that’s funny why?” Your wife asks, and Steve shakes his head, finally smiling. 

“You’re the Black Widow.” Carol deadpans, and your wife glares harder. 

“It is kinda true.” Wanda says, nodding her head, and your wife huffs in disbelief this time. 

“Children, the bunch of you.” You call them, as you stand up again to put an end to their teasing. Natasha really does need to rest, as do all of them. “Go, take showers please. And eat something.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Steve says with humor in his voice, and you roll your eyes as you practically push him out of the room.

When they’re gone, you close the door before taking off your jacket, and heels.

“What are you doing?” Your wife asks with a smile, even while she scoots over on the mattress, already making room for you. 

You get in bed with her, your arms wrapping around her middle as she presses her lips to your temple, and hugs you tight. 

“You need a shower too.” You tell her after a little while, and she pinches your arm as she laughs.

“Rude.” She says, but you’re quick to kiss her lips. 

“Babe, I love you. But you’re all sweaty and gross right now.” 

“I was shot!” She reminds you, and you hum in response. 

“No need to remind me.” 

“I’m sorry.” She apologizes. “I got distracted for just one second.”

“What happened?” You ask her.

“There was this really cute tabby-cat, and he was right in the middle of - ”

“Hold on.” You interrupt her, your hand in the air. “Please tell me that you didn’t get shot because of a cat, Natasha.”

The silence that you’re met with is answer enough, but she looks absolutely adorable as she grimaces, and pulls back a few inches from you. But that’s exactly who she is, isn’t it? She’s the kind of person that would get shot because she was trying to protect someone… or in this case a cat. 

“You really are scary.” She tells you, and you roll your eyes again. You know she likes cats but this is just ridiculous. 

“I swear!” You huff, and she hugs you closer, her lips pressing sweet kisses on your shoulder again. “Do they know why you got shot?”

“Wanda does.” She says with a smile. 

“That girl is always helping you when you’re reckless.”

“That’s why I love her.” Natasha smiles wider this time, and her wandering lips continue to press kisses along your neck, your jaw. 

“If you think you’re getting lucky while you’re lying on a bed after getting shot because you saved a cat, think again.” You tell her with a pointed look and she lets out a disappointed breath, a smile on her face as she presses one last kiss on the corner of your lips.

“You need to tell Tony that. He thinks you got shot because of him.” You tell her quietly.

“I know.” She sighs, and you can see how tired she feels. 

“Thanks for defending me.” She says after a few minutes of lying in silence. 

“Anytime.” You grin cheekily at her, and she presses one last kiss on your cheek before getting more comfortable. 

You both know that she doesn’t need you standing up for her. She could have handled Tony on her own, and she can take her teammates teasing. They all know how far to push after all. She is the Black Widow. 

But ‘Black Widow’, ‘ex-assassin’, ‘deadliest woman alive’ or not she’s still your wife, and the love of your life and you will always, always stand up for her. 

… 

[cobragardens]

5 Good Omens Timefucks that Haunt Me

1.

Why is this here? Why is this line included? Is it just to add texture, to imply that larger world of corporate fascism of which Crowley and Aziraphale are subjects and victims and little worker bees? If so, why "They've started early" specifically? Why not "I wouldn't have expected that shrub to be the first to go" or "Aw, I liked that rock formation"?

Crawly doesn't make this comment in an offhand way: he sounds a bit taken aback and not thrilled that things have kicked off sooner than he anticipated. But it doesn't ultimately seem to make any difference to this scene, so why do we, the audience, need to know Hell started early?

2.

This one I'm not as confident will turn out to be significant, because iirc it appears in the book, which was a complete story when written, and because it serves a narrative purpose: it puts Agnes Nutter in charge of the situation, not her murderers. By backfooting Witchfinder Major Pulsifer, Agnes startles him enough she's able to walk past him without Pulsifer seizing her and discovering the extra 80 lbs of gunpowder and roofing nails in her skirts.

But. Agnes Nutter's sense of time is Nice and Accurate, and she notices the witchburning party are late and remarks on it to herself before she says anything to Pulsifer. So assuming a few minutes to position Agnes, tie her to the stake, and read the charges and conviction against her, Pulsifer and Agnes' neighbors are 12-15 minutes later than they should be. Why?

If the book answers this question, I don't recall; the show does not. And again, it seems to make no ultimate difference to this scene.

I'm not saying this was even purposely included in S1 as a timefuck. I am suggesting that as Gaiman seems to be fucking with time or timelines in this story, even if he and Pratchett didn't plan it like this when discussing the sequel, a retcon is hardly out of the question.

3.

As others have pointed out, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 is 45-55 minutes long. If you're listening to it on 78s instead of LPs because you are a CRAZY PERSON, it's going to take you more like 1 hour 5 minutes, because one side of a 78 holds, at most, 5 minutes of music, so every 5 minutes you have to get up and flip or switch the record.

Shostakovich wrote his 5th symphony in response to criticism in the state newspaper (possibly penned by Stalin himself) that his previous work didn't suck the Communist Party's dick hard enough--the kind of criticism that put him in danger of being sent to prison or killed. At the time it was first performed in 1937, Symphony No. 5 was considered a massive triumph, walking the line perfectly between Shostakovich's artistic standards and the Communist Party's demands of him.

The choice is symbolically significant, but it's a symphony, so whoever's censoring it isn't censoring lyrics or information. Again, why? Why is a 45-55-minute symphony only 21 minutes long? What did the time thief do with the 24-34 minutes?

4.

Here's the rug that covers the portal to Heaven in Episode 1:

Here's the rug in Ep. 2:

Aziraphale does not change this rug for the party. We know this bc we see it in Episode 5 when Mrs Sandwich enters the bookshop and the party is in full swing:

Now here's Aziraphale moving the circular rug to expose the portal to Heaven:

But here's Crowley, putting the rug back:

Why are there two different rugs?

5.

Every end credits track has the first line of "Everyday" embedded in it But after the line from "Everyday," at the end of Episode 4, the theme skips twice like a vinyl record, and then is stopped by whoever controls the turntable and restarted, with several seconds of music having been skipped over.

This is not the first time it has mattered to a character in Good Omens what we in the audience see and hear. I argue here that God asks Aziraphale what he did with the flaming sword She gave him in order to show us the audience who Aziraphale is. God also addresses us the audience directly in S1, not only narrating about characters omnisciently but speaking to us about Herself in first person.

Now we evidently have a second character who has gone meta and is changing what we the audience experience of this story, and--indications are good--the story itself.

[nthspecialll]

When it comes to Abigail Marston leaving John in 1907, a lot of people throw mean comments at her, say that she was unfair for doing so and a lot of other things, however I think that people fail to consider the time that this game is set. This is not our modern day woman, this is 1907, and it might sound like I am stating the obvious but by the hatred that she gets it I think it needs to be said again.

1907!

Do you know the rights that women had then? Or the lack of. Women were bound to their husbands, they weren't allowed to own close to anything and were only allowed to vote in about 4 different states, some women that is. Women were seen as a servant to her husband.

It was also hard for women to earn money, the average woman over 16 working in a factory (as the majority was) earned 5-6 or 6-7 dollars a week, a week! Eggs on average costed 29 cents by the doz, a pound of round steak cost 15 cents and half a gallon of milk costed 15 cents as well.

What about rent? New Austin, which Blackwater and the surrounding area is in, is based of Texas which in 1904 had a rent per room pr month of 28 dollars.

So why would Abigail ever go through all of that? Because of John, because of Jack. Abigail stuck around John for eight years, practically begging him to fix himself, to become better because she knew that she was pretty much dependant on him, because she needs his support to be able to live and she wants to give her boy a chance at a better life but she can't with John constantly picking fights and literally putting her and her son's lives at risk.

A lot of people make it seem like she just suddenly took that chocie, but she didn't, it was a choice that most likely took her years not just due to the financial burden but also the social burden that comes with being a single mom in a time where pre-material sex was seen as a death sin. She could very well be killed merely for being seen with Jack and without a husband.

And not just that, but it was probably also a hard choice because despite of everything she loves John, she really does, yes she screams at him for going out with Saide but who wouldn't. "She won't allow him freedom," no she is scared he is going to die, for us it is easy to say "he isn't going to" because he is a main character and we can just redo if we die taking on twenty skinner brothers or whatnot, but it isn't like that for her. I want you to imagine that your partner/friend/parent told you they were going to fight a gang of who knows how many, you are going to be scared no matter how skilled that friend is because you don't want to lose them. John himself admits it is dangerous work by saying "we always find a way to almost get killed, dont we?" Which Sadie agees to.

Abigail took the choice to leave, putting herself in a terrible situation, not for herself, but for her son. She gave up her one true love so that her son could have a chance at life, have a chance to be better than her and John. It was not easy and it is not something we should shame her for, if anything we should praise her for putting her son before herself.

I love John, I really do, but I think it shows just how shitty of a father he really was, and that Abigail leaving was exactly the push he needed to get himself together, it was the wake-up call he needed. He knew how shitty women had it, he would have to realize how terrible he must have been for her to prefer that over him.

Now am I saying Abigail did everything right? No, she did not. Although I understand her fustrations with him doing bounties she has to realize she is not in a place to be picky about jobs. She did ask John to take on a huge debt for the farm and John is right in one thing "it is legal work that I can handle," and while the farm is taking some time to get up and running it is the best form of income that they have access to.

Now to talk about her annoyance with John going after Micah, it is understandable as it could trigger a decline to their former life of crime or just lead to straight up death. It is unnecessary, revenge is unnecessary, meaning that John is risking their entire life for "nothing." He argues back with "I am doing it for Arthur" but again, yes Micah killed Arthur but killing Micah wont change that, killinh Micah will not bring Arthur back nor put him in a better situation, it is revenge, it is not nessesary, it doesn’t do any good.

If John had died she would not only have lost her husband but also the farm, as women could not own property. I am not that knowledgable on debt laws in 1907, but I would imagine that in some way or another the massive debt John got would end up with her or Jack either way, putting her in a terrible situation.

@heavenlymorals made a similar post back in may 11th where they also explore and explain Mary Linton and Abigail in 1899, it is really amazing and also puts some other light on it.

Sources:

Rent, page 369: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-commissioner-labor-6306/eighteenth-annual-report-commissioner-labor-608452?start_page=370

Food, page 233: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000014585x&seq=233

Wages, page 15: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu56779232&seq=15

[lyricailove]

Does it ever hit you that because of Frank and Monica's emotional detachment, all of the Gallagher's seek out affection from romantic partners? But like to an almost obsessive degree.

Fiona's is obvious. She's hypersexual and falls in love easily. She will downplay her issues with Frank as something she's grown used to, but it's clear that it still affects her. She also does the same when it comes to Monica but I feel like her hostility towards other women comes from how she doesn't trust Monica, doesn't really trust herself, and sees those insecurities on other women. Ex: Her treatment of Mandy and distrust of her around Lip.

Lip is a classic case of a man dealing with his mommy issues by making it every woman's problem. He's hostile towards his romantic partners when they want a real commitment from him and he talks to women with so much disrespect that it's a wonder someone hasn't stomped his ass out yet. He's especially harsh towards his own sisters even though they've been the one's who have been there for him. He may hate Frank but he's noticeably giving and extremely forgiving towards men, even those he's only known for a short while. Almost like the story about the turtle was just as much about him hoping that he could fix Frank as it was about Frank crushing his hopes of a real father figure.

Ian being groomed is in no way his fault and is the fault of the creeps who pursued him. But I can't ignore the fact that Frank's abuse and neglect opened him up the further abuse he suffered at the hands of Kash and Ned. It's no coincidence that both Kash and Ned shower Ian with gifts and compliments about how impressive, smart, and mature he is.

Debbie 1. deals with comphet in the first few seasons, and 2. Feels ignored by her family so she tries to create her own family. Debbie is visibly the one most affected by Frank's issues and even when she for all intents and purposes gives up on him, it still affects her. Frank's hurtful words about her only finding love with someone "just as fucked up as she is" pushes her to put consider a dangerous situation with Heidi. She's also someone who struggles with control issues because she needs to help other people. She's a problem solver by nature. It's just that the two problems she wishes she could solve more than anything are out of her hands (Frank and Monica). She can't fix Frank's addiction, his selfishness, or his abusive tendencies. She can't fix Monica's wanderlust, her avoidance, or her aversion to long-term commitment.

Carl is so good at masking his emotions. It's easy to miss. But then you notice things like his attachment to Fiona, his absolute devotion to the girls he likes, and his need to protect. Carl is hypersexual, even though I've seen it rarely brought up in fandom, and longs for a long-term girlfriend. When he does get girlfriends he's all in from the beginning. When Carl loves someone he is all about them. He's so casual when it comes to talking about Frank and Monica, but that doesn't mean those feelings aren't there and they aren't affecting him.

Liam is still young so we don't get to see him in a relationship. He's the one Gallagher who's consistently treated like an actual kid. Probably the one who has the best chance at healthy emotional attachments. But then again, Fiona leaving most likely did a number on him and we weren't privy to what that looks like for him because the latter seasons forgot how to do long-term storytelling and emotional payoff. All we know is that he doesn't remember Monica, Frank being gone makes him an orphan and he's worried about where he's gonna live because Lip forgot that Liam was technically under Frank's care. We didn't get to see it, but I'd say Liam's first emotional crash is probably on the horizon.

[our-happygirl500-fan]

Okay we all know that Leo loves his brothers more than anything, he has literally tried to sacrifice himself for his brothers multiple times & we were all there for the ‘I’m nothing without them’ line

But I feel like we also should acknowledge the part of Leo’s relationship with his brothers that is just, Leo’s brother’s annoying him until he nearly gets a migraine. 

Everyone always places Leo as the annoying sibling but Rise Leo has to deal with his brothers raising his blood pressure just as much as any other Leo does.

Raph: Good thing we didn’t do Leo’s idea of being afraid of spiders! Ha!

Leo: I don’t know I still don’t trust her!

Raph: HA! In your face!

Raph: HA! In your face! And yours! And yours! And yours again!

Yes Raph loves his brothers very much, he takes care of them & looks out for them ect He also teases & makes fun of them relentlessly & Leo is his primary target for said teasing. In the traditional Raph VS Leo fashion Raph has made countless jokes at Leo’s expense & when he’s teasing his brothers in the episode Sidekick Ahoy! He literally rubs getting the Jupiter Jim sidekick position in Leo’s face twice.

Leo: Then give us ice for our horribly mangled bodies!

Donnie: ... It melted

Donnie: Sheldon needs time to recharge before firing his anti- turtle ray

Leo: Why is that a ray Donnie!?

Leo: You turned a cuddly animatronic bear into a psychotic robot bent on destroying us? No? Got April fired? Hmm? Nothing?

Donnie: That does not sound like me

I’m pretty sure that Leo is a vast majority of Donnie’s impulse control there are countless times when Donnie’s first instinct is over the top violence & Leo is the first one to pull him back but if that wasn’t enough to deal with Donnie has a tendency for trying to avoid admitting wrong doing as well just deciding he’s going to make Leo’s day a bit more difficult sometimes.

Leo: So when she kept growing that wasn’t a clue to stop screaming?

Mikey: Sorry, but hopefully Raph heard me

Leo: Astronauts heard you!

Leo: This is not a compatition!

Mikey: Says the guy with zero unicorns.

 Leo loves Mikey, he’s probably Mikey’s biggest supporter & Mikey loves & looks up to Leo so much but as emotionally mature as Mikey can be sometimes, Mikey is still the youngest of his brothers which means there are times where he acts immature & either doesn’t read the situation correctly & puts himself & his brothers in danger or he doesn’t take the situation seriously & makes things more difficult. Either way it gives Leo a lot of stress to deal with.

Leo: Come on! Come on! Come on! Help us fight these guys!

Mikey: No! I want a refill on my coconut!

Raph:  Take us back to Tahiti!

Donnie: More Tahiti!

Leo loves his brothers, he is literally willing to give his life for them on multiple occasions & they are the people he trusts & believes in most but in a true sibling fashion they are also a constant source of stress for Leo. Just because Leo isn’t the oldest in Rise does not mean that his brothers aren’t constantly raising his blood pressure. 

[in1-nutshell]

Can i Request Tfp Breakdown having a daughter, a youngling who is the opposite of him. She likes to fight, but with swords.

She is the niece of Bulkhead and Wheeljack, and Jackie is her fav uncle. One day, she had to fought with Bulkhead, but because of their story, she spared him. Starscream saw and told Megatron. Megs saw this as traitor behavior and decided to destroy her. BD with the help of his partner KO, the other dad of the kid, managed to get her to autobot territory. They hugged her and told her that everything would be okay. And then she passed out because of KO. The couple called the bots and told them about the situation and agreed to take her in.

(I love the daughters with opposite personality, Ironbolt is currently my Fav 🩷)

Another daughter to add to the list!

I will be figuring out a name for her and putting it on the Buddy name list when I do!

Hope you enjoy!

Breakdown with a daughter with the opposite personality

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Angst, Cybertronian reader

TFP

Buddy had known Breakdown since she was a sparkling.

Her parents were good friends with him and Bulkhead, after having worked in the same construction team for a couple of years.

Neither parent was able to stay at home with the sparkling, so she often came to the construction sites.

The bots didn’t mind the new cute face playing in their little play pin away from anything dangerous.

One thing the bots found out was that the sparkling could be incredibly fussy if things weren’t according to plan.

Breakdown looks at a slightly uncomfortable Bulkhead. Breakdown: “Bulk? You, okay? You look like a turbo fox’s gnawing on your pede.” Bulkhead: “I’m okay. It’s just…” Bulkhead motioned behind him. Breakdown looked behind him. Buddy was clutching the sides of her play pin with a glare that would make any bot say sorry. Bulkhead: “It started when I accidentally put her coloring pads in the other corner by her energon formula.” Breakdown: “Wait doesn’t she usually have the pads—” Bulkhead: “On the other side, I know now!” Both mechs look at the sparkling. She was still glaring at them. Breakdown and Bulkhead feel an uncomfortable shiver down their backstruts. Breakdown: “How long has she been staring at you?” Bulkhead: “We’re on hour 2… I don’t know how long she can do this for…”

But the sparkling did have a softer side for her parents and those she deemed worthy of being in her presence.

Nonetheless, the crew loved that little grumpy sparkling.

It was the highlight of their day if they caught a glimpse of the little thing playing with her makeshift toys.

The Accident happened a year before Megatron marched out of the Senate.

There was an explosion inside one of the sites.

It was the one where Buddy and their parents were.

As soon as Breakdown and Bulkhead heard about it, they quickly made their way to the hospital where the patients were recovering.

Buddy’s parents were the closest to the explosion.

Most likely terminated in an instant.

Buddy was lucky enough to make it out with minor scrapes and cuts.

Breakdown was the one who went to get Buddy.

Breakdown enters the room slightly panicked. Breakdown: “Buddy! Buddy are you—” Breakdown stops talking seeing the cherry red framed doctor. The doctor looked at him curiously. Breakdown: “Umm…” Buddy’s helm pops from the doctor’s side. Buddy: “Breakdown!” The sparkling jumps from the med slab and runs straight for Breakdown’s opened arms, burying her face into his chassis. Breakdown sighs in relief. Breakdown: “Thanks for taking care of her.” The doctor huffs. Knockout: “That’s Doctor to you.” He looks a bit more at the mech before smiling. Knockout: “But I guess you can call me Knockout, sweet rims.” Breakdown exe has stopped working.

Buddy didn’t let go of him for a couple of hours, she did go to Bulkhead from time to time, but mainly latched onto Breakdown.

He and Bulkhead step up to the plate to raise Buddy.

Tears up when Buddy starts calling him ‘dad’.

Does pull Buddy aside and tells her about what happened to her actual parents.

Breakdown finishes telling Buddy the story. Buddy looks at him confused. Buddy: “Do you not like it when I call you ‘Dad’?” Breakdown: “Its not that I don’t like it. I don’t deserve that title, Buddy.” Buddy puts her servos on her hips and looks at him with a stern look on her face. Buddy: “I’m still going to call you Dad. You raised me, took me in, and you care for me. If I’m not wrong, isn’t what a parent does?” Breakdown: “Well there’s more stuff but that is the gist.” Buddy: “Then you’re my dad. I don’t care if you’re not biological or that stuff—wait are you crying?” Breakdown with tears in his optics: “N-nope.”

Breakdown is not crying

Nope he is not

Buddy nearly gives Bulkhead whiplash when he hears her call him Uncle.

Breakdown just tells him to go with it.

War breaks out.

The three of them join the Autobot side.

They end up in the Wrecker’s unit.

Breakdown makes it clear to Buddy that she is not going to go out on the field until she is older.

Buddy just nods and helps with the cleaning and restocking.

Something that she is surprisingly good at.

Enter Wheeljack.

Breakdown doesn’t know how his sparkling, a grumpy grump ended up befriending, arguably one of the most chaotic Wrecker’s.

Buddy is running alongside Wheeljack across the base. Breakdown notices Buddy has something in her servos. Breakdown: “Buddy what do you have in your servos?” Buddy, still running raises both her servos displaying twin swords in them. Buddy: “Swords!” Breakdown and Bulkhead start running after her. Breakdown: “Buddy no!” Bulkhead: “Jackie why!?” Wheeljack: “Have you seen her cut things with them? She’s a natural!” Breakdown: “I will break your swords and shove them up your—” Buddy glancing back giving him a quick glare: “Dad! We don’t swear!”

As the war drew on longer, Breakdown started seeing more and more of what the Decepticon’s stood for.

He kept his thoughts to himself until he saw a familiar coat of cherry red sprinting across the battlefield.

He began to see Knockout in secret after that day.

Often asked Bulkhead, Wheeljack or another trusted Wrecker to watch over Buddy.

Buddy was worried about her father’s sudden disappearances, but never voiced it.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack had enough on their plates, so, instead she organized the inventory to get her processor off of things.

The inventory never looked so clean and organized.

Finally, the day came.

Breakdown told her that they both were going to join the Decepticon’s.

Buddy blinks looking at him. Breakdown: “Well, what do you think?” CLANK! Breakdown: "OW! Buddy!” Buddy had thrown a lugnut in between his optics. Buddy stood up looking at him with fury in her optics. Buddy: “Direct me what debris hit you in the helm from the bombing so I can beat it to oblivion for you TO EVEN CONSIDER DEFECTING!” Buddy clenches her servos. Buddy: “What are you even thinking!? No, you’re not!” Breakdown: “Buddy calm down—” Buddy: “You have no RIGHT TO TELL ME TO CALM DOWN AFTER TELLING THIS SCRAP!”

They both tried talking but Buddy was not having it.

Buddy fell asleep angry after that argument… something Breakdown was counting on.

His sparkling was notorious for being a heavy sleeper.

Breakdown ended up taking a sleeping Buddy across enemy lines and asked to join.

Buddy went to sleep an Autobot and woke up with a Decepticon badge on her shoulder.

She hated the Nemesis.

She didn’t talk to Breakdown for a long time after receiving the same work she was doing with the Wrecker’s.

She came around eventually.

It was a slow process, rebuilding their trust, but they made it work.

Meeting Knockout was when everything clicked.

Was part of her angry?

Yes.

Was part of her understanding?

Also, yes.

Buddy and Knockout are in the medbay waiting for Breakdown to come in. Buddy: “… You really love him, don’t you?” Knockout is a bit surprised from the question but remains composed. Knockout: “He’s the least bad out of the bunch here.” Buddy: “You didn’t answer the question, Doctor.” Knockout: “… I do.” Buddy gives a weary smile. Buddy: “You make him happy… I’m happy that he has someone else, but…” Buddy points both her swords at the doctor. Buddy: “I swear I will hunt you down if you break his spark. You WILL BEG for mercy when I’m through with you.” Breakdown enters as Buddy swiftly puts her swords back, acting like nothing happened. Breakdown: “Hey! Everything okay?” Knockout nods a bit scared from the sudden threat. Buddy smiles: “Just giving Knockout here a talk, nothing much.”

Knockout never thought a youngling would make him feel more nervous than Megatron walking into his medbay.

Speaking of other Decepticon’s, Buddy hated almost every single one of them.

Starscream and Megatron were at the top of her list.

The youngling knew well enough not to make her new superiors angry… but that didn’t stop her from making some inconveniences.

Starscream: “You! Where are the new missiles!” Buddy: “Nothing is new here Starscream.” Starscream: “That is Commander Starscream to you.” Buddy does a mock bow. Buddy: “Well, Commander Starscream, we don’t have anymore right now. You used the last ones trying to offline Megatron again.” Starscream: “I demand you make more!” Buddy gives him a deadpan look. Buddy: “Yes, I’ll do that when I get everything else in the storage rooms fixed.” Starscream: “And how long will that take!” Buddy: “Given you blew up part of it, consider it a ‘long time’ until we get the necessary material to fix the breach.” Starscream threw his servos in the air and stomped away. Buddy smirked a bit looking at the nearby box with said missiles, safely tucked away and out of sight.

Timeskip to Earth…

Buddy recently begun to scout for the Con’s.

She was out with some of the Vechicon’s and Starscream as her ‘supervisor’, but she knew for a fact he was using this as an excuse to complain about Megatron and talk about what a great leader he would be.

Even though there was proof what happened the last time he was left leader.

They get ambushed by the Autobots.

Buddy is deflecting all blasts with her swords.

Eventually she is forced to battle Bulkhead.

She really didn’t want to, but his raised wrecking ball said otherwise.

Buddy sees an opening and manages to knock Bulkhead down, pointing her sword straight at his neckcables. Bulkhead just stares at the sword and then at her. She blinks as her steady servo suddenly starts shaking. Bulkhead: “Well, are you going to do it Con?” She quickly backs off, almost dropping her swords and looks at the ground. Bulkhead, confused gets up not sure what to do. Bulkhead: “Umm… what—” Buddy: “Go.” Bulkhead: “What?” Buddy: “Just go Bulkhead.” Bulkhead just looks at her confused. Buddy: “Are your audials rusty? Go!”

Bulkhead gives one last glance before transforming and racing to the groundbrigde.

Unaware that Starscream had seen the exchange.

Back at the Nemesis…

Starscream immediately goes to Megatron and tells what he had seen.

Now, normal Megatron would have asked Buddy himself for her side of the story given how his Second in Command tended to paint some stories.

Too bad Starscream chose the moment when Megatron had placed more Dark energon in his chassis.

Dark energon Megatron immediately understands this as an act of treason and must be terminated.

He excuses Starscream and calls in Breakdown.

Breakdown comes in a bit nervous but doesn’t show it.

Megatron tells him to take Buddy out of the Nemesis and terminate her for her treason.

Breakdown takes a step back immediately asking why.

Megatron glares at him asking if he wants to join her.

Breakdown just slightly bows and leaves.

Just before Megatron demanded proof when he was done with her.

Breakdown quickly tells the news to Knockout.

Both of them fear for Buddy.

Breakdown wants to break something.

Knockout literally knocks some sense into him saying that that wasn’t going to help Buddy.

Both come up with a plan.

Buddy in the meantime was having inner turmoil.

This had been the first time in years that she had seen Bulkhead.

It brought up too many painful memories.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Breakdown called her asking if she wanted to go out with him and Knockout for a drive.

Buddy a bit surprised agrees.

Breakdown catches Megatron out of the corner of his optic before they enter the groundbridge.

Through the whole drive, they talked about anything and everything.

In it, Buddy confessed to letting Bulkhead go, she couldn’t do him in after all this time.

She quietly asks if they are both disappointed in her.

They tell her no.

That answer was good enough for her.

Buddy did however start to notice that they were entering an area notorious for Autobot sightings.

But it was also Knockout’s favorite place to race.

Best not to think too hard.

They transformed in a slightly wooded area. Buddy looks around. Buddy: “Isn’t this a bit too close to Autobot territory? I get that its nice, but we could get caught—” Breakdown cuts her off by bringing her into a tight hug. Buddy is a bit surprised but hugs back. Buddy: “Hey, is everything okay? You don’t usually do this out in the open.” Breakdown looks at his sparkling, his little one. Breakdown: “I just love ya kid.” Buddy looks a bit flustered and hugs a bit tighter. Buddy: “Love you too Dad.” Breakdown lets out a shaky sigh. Breakdown: “Everything’s going to be okay.” Buddy looks at him confused. Buddy: “What do you mean—AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”

Knockout used his electric staff, knocking her out cold.

Breakdown just held her limp frame as Knockout grabbed a scalpel and quickly removed it from her shoulder, drawing a bit of energon on the badge.

Enough proof for Megatron.

Breakdown sent out an old Autobot S.O.S while Knockout patched up the bleeding shoulder.

It took a couple of minutes before a groundbrigde came out.

It was Bulkhead and Ratchet.

Bulkhead stood in front of Ratchet and ready to attack Breakdown when he noticed Buddy in his arms.

Bulkhead: “Breakdown? What in the Pits is this.” Breakdown: “Thanks to Buddy having a soft spark, you got away.” Bulkhead: “And?” Breakdown: “Starscream saw it. He reported back to Megatron that she let you go on purpose.” Bulkhead and Ratchet both tensed hearing the Second in Commands name. Breakdown looked down sadly at his youngling. Breakdown: “…Megatron gave me orders to terminate her—” Bulkhead: “Hold up! You called us here to watch you offline your own sparkling!?” Ratchet: “Bulkhead wait, I think he has more to say.” Breakdown: “ Obvoiusly there is no way I’m terminating my own child Bulk.” Ratchet: “See.” Breakdown: “That’s why I’m giving her to you.” Bulkhead and Ratchet: “What?!” Breakdown: “Buddy was never Con material. I should have never taken her to the other side and now termination looming over her helm… she’ll be safer with you Bots.” Bulkhead: “What do you mean taken her? I thought you both—” Breakdown chuckles humorlessly. Breakdown: “The day I told her about going to the Con’s, she tried talking and knocking some sense back into my processor. I took her across the line when she was sleeping, nearly cost my entire relationship with her. Bulkhead, this is my last chance to make it up to her, give her a fighting chance to live for a cause she can fight for.” Ratchet looks angrily at the Ex-Wrecker. Bulkhead is quiet for a couple of seconds. Bulkhead: “…Pass her over.” Breakdown hesitates a bit before gently placing Buddy into Bulkhead’s arms. Breakdown nods at the two bots before turning to Knockout and start to head out. Bulkhead: “Breakdown.” Breakdown stops. Breakdown: “Yeah?” Bulkhead: “Anything else I should know about her?” Breakdown: “She’s still the same grump Bulkhead… but do watch out for her swords.” With that Breakdown and Knockout transformed and raced out of the area.

Breakdown refused to look back, because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to go back to the Nemesis.

This…

This was for the best.

Ratchet was making sure the wound on Buddy’s shoulder was properly addressed while Bulkhead looked closely at the youngling in his arms.

She wasn’t the little sparkling he remembered chasing Wheeljack around with her swords.

Buddy had grown.

She had hit a grow spurt during her time with the cons, easily a helm shorter than him.

As the three bots walked into the groundbrigde, Bulkhead was thinking on a way to explain this situation to the rest of the team.

…This was going to be fun…

[juuuulez]

📰 | part two: capulet.

info: Carl Grimes x Saviour!Reader, female reader, father-figure Negan, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, no use of (y/n) because immersion.

summary: During your first visit to Alexandria, when Carl misfires a gun, you’re instructed to “babysit” him. This does not go very well.

previous | next

I’m glad everyone liked the first part!! This one is definitely more juicy. Kids being kids. Writing the next part now, let me know if you have any particular requests!

Also (finally) titled!! Drawing heavily on Romeo and Juliet, except… more spiteful at the beginning.

A few days later, and you’re back.

The town of Alexandria is actually quite nice, when you aren’t being cooped up in a cell.

Your fellow Saviours seem to think so too, exploring the place, taking supplies they deem useful for the Sanctuary. After all, there’s mouths to feed, therefore you’ve stopped feeling bad for all these communities you bleed dry.

Well, you felt a little bad last night.

The lineup was rough, it always is. You hadn’t seen the brunt of it, instead sitting safe in the RV where Negan had all but interrogated you regarding your time locked up; coming from a place of concern for your well-being. But you stepped out just as dawn was beginning to hit, and saw the aftermath.

It was just for a few seconds, to retrieve a weapon from Dwight, but you felt a twinge of guilt as Negan taunted that poor boy.

At least he wasn’t wearing the stupid hat anymore.

Whatever, it didn’t matter. At least that’s what you told yourself. Guilt had no place in the apocalypse, especially not for the Saviours, a group of well earned apex predators in this bleak world.

That’s how you saw it.

You oversee the work of your people whilst Negan is talking with Rick. Everybody respects you.. or maybe everybody is scared of you. Scared of your father. Either way, it works.

You’re comfortable as a leader. Somebody who can give orders without hesitation. At the start, there was resistance. Who wanted to be ordered around by a teenage girl? But eventually everything fell into place, and people realised that you were a central part to this operation.

Then the sound of a gunshot rings through the air, putting everybody on edge. Weapons suddenly unholstered, dropping whatever menial task they were completing.

You command them to stand down with a wave of the hand, going to investigate yourself.

Fortunately enough, the situation has already been handled.

Or mostly handled.

“Just who I wanted to see.” Negan says with his usual prowess, however it’s dimmed by an underlying irritation. He brings you further into the room with a gloved hand on your shoulder.

He positions you there like a prize, something valuable. Or maybe a dangerous weapon. A constant show of ‘look at what’s mine, look at what she can do.’ You quite like that.

“Now, it appears that young Grimes is too trigger-happy for his own good,” Negan continues, to which you finally notice Carl standing in the middle of the room, “So why don’t you babysit him for me, darling?”

The boy is practically seething. That same expression you’d seen at the lineup, pure anger and rebellion.

You could feel yourself beginning to smile.

“Of course,” You agree, a grin spreading across your lips, “I’d appreciate a tour, to see if anything here interests me.”

There’s no reply. Carl glares at you, then shoots a pleading look at his father, but to no avail. Rick nods his head in the direction of the door, and you feel like you’ve just won the lottery. This was going to be good.

Now, you didn’t enjoy toying with peoples emotions, per-say. But getting them all riled up sure was fun.

And a teenage boy? This was like a gift from above.

Grown men grew tired of your commanding nature, they’d get violent, speak out of line. It was a dangerous game, one that you loved. Like a cat and mouse, or Icarus flying too close to the sun.

A teenage boy was much more in your ballpark.

“You play sports?” You ask Carl, who is walking a few paces behind you, begrudgingly following despite the fact he was meant to be showing you around. But you didn’t mind.

He doesn’t answer.

You turn to face him, shooting him a backwards glare of what the hell is your problem. “What, you took a vow of silence, or something?” It’s snarky, immature, prodding the bear.

But it works.

“No, I don’t play sports.” Carl answers reluctantly, his tone flat and unamused. It’s becoming more and more evident that when you’re in power like this, in control, you can be a nightmare.

You don’t bother to suppress your grin of satisfaction, turning back away from him, “Yeah, didn’t think so, stringbean. Bet I’ve got more muscle mass than you.”

This must do something, as suddenly Carl has closed the few paces between you, and is blocking your path from continuing. He’s in your face, closer than comfortable, but you love it.

“What the hell’s your problem?” He asks, clearly angry at your snide little comments. That righteous attitude is back. “You can’t come in here, and tell everybody what to do. We’re gonna fight back, and when we do, you’ll be sorry.”

You give him a firm shove, letting Carl stumble a few feet back, “Yeah, how’d that go for you back there, huh? Aim much?”

It’s a low blow, you know that, which is why it feels so goddamn good.

He opens his mouth to speak, but you interrupt him.

“Didn’t shoot me at the satellite station, either. I’m starting to think you’re more harmless than you’re letting on.”

“I’m not exactly in the interest of murdering children,” Carl retorts angrily, “What are you, twelve?”

“I’m seventeen!” You yell back at him, walking swiftly past the boy, but making sure to harshly bump your shoulders together. “Now show me your armoury. You’ve got something of mine.”

You’re walking too quickly for Carl to shoot back a comment, and he needs to awkwardly skip in order to catch up. This time he takes a few strides forward, making the effort to walk just fast enough to stay in front of you.

He wants to be in charge.

Luckily, you love to be petty.

As the pair of you reach the armoury, you swiftly side-step Carl, entering the room first, much to his dismay. You’re eyes are scanning the shelves, rows and rows of guns and weaponry, with one thing in mind. The bat.

“Too bad we’re confiscating all your guns, this is quite the collection,” You comment, finding a supply sheet to glance over, “Good job on that one, by the way. Aren’t you helpful?”

Carl essentially ignores your sarcasm, speaking from the other side of the room, “Looking for something?”

You turn, a momentary flash of confusion on your face, until you realise that he’s got it. The metal bat clutched in one hand, held up tauntingly. When you take a step forward to retrieve it, he only takes a step back.

“That’s not funny.” You say, a sense of agitation in your tone, that dominant and teasing persona gone in an instant.

It only causes Carl to grin, taking pleasure in this momentary inch of power he’s gained.

“You even know how to play baseball?” He asks, switching the bat into his dominant hand, pretending to slowly swing it.

“I do, actually,” You snap, reaching out to finally grasp the metal bat, taking it from his grip unceremoniously, “Wanna see? I can use your skull as the ball.”

This works to shut him up, judging by how Carl’s eyes narrow into a glare, but he doesn’t dare to say anything. You take this as a victory, once again knocking shoulders as you leave the small space, not bothering to shut the door behind you.

You’re not even a few meters down the street before there are footsteps again, Carl still following you, despite wanting otherwise. It makes that malicious grin to return.

“Aren’t you obedient?” You quip, not even bothering to look back at him as you speak, as if he isn’t worth the time. It’s a power trip, one you’re addicted to, one Carl is unknowingly feeding into. Or, maybe he does know, but can’t do anything about it.

Carl scoffs, “Coming from you. Do you always do everything Negan tells you to?”

It’s smart, getting you to roll your eyes in displeasure, that metal bat swinging by your side as you walk. “It’s called being a good soldier, like you would understand.”

“Yeah? Soldier, or pet?” He continues, and you can basically hear the grin in his voice.

The fuck does he know?

You finally spin around, grip tightening ever so slightly on the bat. Control is slowly slipping through your fingers, this stupid back and forth game beginning to get on your nerves, despite being the instigator.

“You wanna talk about pet?” You spit, closing in on his personal space, “Rick tells you to murder twenty people, and you do it? That’s called being a little bitch, okay, daddy’s boy?”

This works, as Carl’s face twists into a look of anger, his fists clenching at his sides.

But you continue, “This stupid group has had this coming for a long time. There’s no such thing as being the good guys, you’re just another bunch of stupid pricks, who need to be put in their place.”

It snaps something inside of Carl, because suddenly he’s giving you a harsh shove, where you stumble a few feet backwards. You mirror his childish temper, throwing your body at him with equal force, where the two of you awkwardly wrestle in the middle of the street.

You attempt to gain leverage, steeling your feet into the ground, bending your knees. Then, out of nowhere, you’re raising your arm with the bat, ready to try and dislocate his shoulder, or something. Anything. Just to show that you aren’t weak.

But before you can swing, there’s resistance, and you snap out of this little squabble to realise that somebody else is holding your bat.

“The hell are you doin’, girl?”

Negan swiftly lifts the bat from your grip, holding it at an arms length. You let go of Carl, whipping around to glare at the older man.

“He’s being a total jagoff!” You shout, twisting to see a similar look of discontent on Carl’s face, like he’s itching to leap back into your little fight.

It’s no use, because then Negan is holding your shoulder, giving you a gentle push in the opposite direction, “Truck, now. We’re making our departure.”

And you listen, despite everything telling you to continue. To prove yourself, maintain that power.

To make matters worse, Carl has taken this experience as some sort of mental victory, yelling out from the footpath, “Daddy’s girl!”

You can only turn, angrily giving him the finger as you storm off towards the gates, but it acts as fuel to the fire. Getting sick of that stupid expression, you turn back away, footsteps quickening in an attempt to seperate yourself from the ever so slightly humiliating experience.

Next time you’ll get him.

[echoingspectrum]

����𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐾𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠

𝑠𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑠 : 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑠.

Scampering over from cabinet to cabinet, you hurriedly opened each cupboard for any of your thread and needles, desperately searching for the tools you needed to mend your fellow passenger who happens to have a severe wound on their back upon their mission at Belobog.

Unfortunately, at the time, you stayed behind with Pom-Pom and the other two adults in the express. Assuming they'll manage to handle the situation with the stellaron inflicting the planet's harsh temperature and condition. 

Which, of course, they do ⏤ March and Dan Heng are two of the experienced members of the crew, known for their resourcefulness and quick thinking. You are not sure of March's caliber, but she does have creative problem-solving skills. You're not doubting March; she just has a colorful way of doing things.

As for Caelus, the newly-recruited member of the Astral Express, he has the spirit and essence of the stellaron within him; you're certain he will be able to withstand any extreme condition. Plus, with his unique connection to the stellaron, he might even be able to find a way to control or manipulate its attributes for the benefit of the mission. 

However, as experienced as one might be, one of them had fallen into the clutches of the fragmentum's assault and acquired a nasty bruise. 

So here you are, in your room ( aka the medical room ). The Astral Express has a ton of vacant rooms for you to stay in, but you're more comfortable with the aroma of the medical room. The scent of antiseptic and sterile equipment puts your mind at ease, reminding you of the countless times you've been patched up after intense missions. 

Dan Heng waited patiently and was seated in a chair nearby, his face etched with utter stoicism. That's him, alright. Always the poker face, despite the chaos and danger surrounding him. You've come to rely on his unwavering composure in times of crisis, knowing that he will always have your and everyone's back. 

As you finally locate the thread and needles, you feel a sense of relief, knowing that the train guard's wound can now be properly attended to. With a deep breath, you gather your supplies and rush back to where he was waiting. 

"Sorry for the delay, Dan Heng," you say, catching your breath. "I found the supplies I needed. Let's get to work and patch up that wound." 

Heng nods silently, his expression unchanged. "It's alright. I trust you to do what needs to be done," he replies calmly. 

Placing the tools on the metallic tray, you remained unmoving by his side. This caught the attention of Dan Heng's calm demeanor as he glanced at you curiously. "Is something wrong?"

Clearing your throat, your cheeks were painted with a drip of pink hue across your cheeks. Think professional ( Name ). 

"Would you mind if you…take off your upper clothes? I need to examine the wound thoroughly to ensure proper treatment. It's necessary for a thorough assessment and to determine the extent of the injury." You pause, waiting for his response, aware of the potential awkwardness of the request. 

Most of the injuries that you treated involved either a hand or their face. However, in this case, the wound seems to be located on his back. It'S nOt bECAuse yOU waNT TO sEe hIS aBS oR aNYthIng⏤

"Sure. Just give me some time." He then proceeded to remove his upper clothes, layer by layer. Shrugging his jade armor and his tailored coat, then unzipping his black turtleneck that hugs his accentuated, slender yet muscled body. 

You felt your heart skip a beat as you caught a glimpse of his chiseled physique. But quickly regaining your composure, debating your inner turmoil to be respectfully professional, and focused on the task at hand. 

'Stop simping and get things over with! It's rude to stare,' you thought to yourself. You cleared your throat and directed your attention back to the matter that needed addressing, reminding yourself that appearances should not distract from the purpose of the meeting. 

A gasp elicit from your lips as soon as your eyes were glued to his back, taking a moment to assess the severity of the train guard's wound. The gash on his back appears deep, with a 5-inch scar, but thankfully, it doesn't seem to be bleeding excessively.

But not only that, there were faint scars littering over his back. You wonder, How did he get those? Was it from his missions? Or something more?

"How long did you have this?" you asked, concern evident in your voice. The train guard turned around, thinking you were asking about his recent large gash on his back. "I've had it for a couple of days now," he replied, wincing as he shifted his weight. 

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked, his voice strained with uncertainty. You quickly snapped out of your thoughts and let out a whispered chuckle.

A small grin spread across your face as you reassured him, "You asked as if it's my first time. I've seen worse. I'll clean and dress the wound, and you'll be back on your feet in no time." Confidence filled your voice as you prepared to tend to the injured train guard. 

You fetch hot, boiled water, but not too boiled that gives a third-degree burn. Then, soaked with a fresh, neat towel, with a careful and practiced hand, you gently dabbed at the wound, cleaning away any dirt or soiled remains. 

Feeling something warm and wet provided a sense of ease for Dan Heng, knowing that you were taking proper care of his injury with nimble fingers. His muscles were now less tense, and he began to relax, trusting in your expertise. 

After all, you're Astral Express's best and only medic. 

You then sanitize both the needle and thread for the forthcoming medical treatment. "I'll be stitching your wound now. Tell me if anything is bothering you." Dan nodded, his eyes fixed on you as you prepared to stitch his wound. 

The room fell silent, except for the sound of your steady breathing and the faint hum of medical equipment in the background. With each careful stitch, you could sense Dan's solemn increase.

Your non-occupied hand was gently laid on his back, providing a comforting presence as you worked. As the last stitch was secured, you smiled reassuringly at him, putting on an ointment and then covering it with a bandage afterward. 

"There, that should do it." You beamed as you finished tending to Dan Heng's wound. 

Right before he could wear his upper clothes once more, you stopped him. "Dan Heng, do you want me to treat your other wounds as well? I know they are faint and not as severe as your current wound, but it's better to address them now rather than letting them potentially worsen over time." 

'Of course they would know.' Dan Heng sighed. Nothing escapes your vision. Contemplating whether he should let you treat his other wounds. He knew that you were skilled in medical care and genuinely cared about his well-being. 

However, he also didn't want to burden you with additional tasks or take up too much of your time. 

"I...thank you for your concern, and I appreciate your offer. It's just that I don't want to impose on you or distract you from more important matters. But if you think it's necessary, I trust your judgment and will gladly accept your help." 

"Admit it. You just want my hands around you~" you teasingly responded, playfully poking his arm. 

He can only sigh and roll his eyes at your jest. "You are insufferable." 

"I am, but you love me~"

"You won't get an argument from me..."

Your playful banter went back and forth until it was reduced to a peaceful silence. The twinkling stars gleamed brightly with delight and hilarity. Your medical room has a wide landscape for a window for you to infinitely stargaze upon the outside of the express in the comfort of your own space. 

You're thankful for Lady Himeko for giving you this room as your bedroom, too. Every trip you and your fellow companions take, you are solely focused on the cosmic tapestry right before you.

Now that you're with Dan Heng, there's a sensuous feeling to your stargazing sessions. As you both gaze at the stars, at the same time you're applying a gel to his fainted scars. 

You rubbed his back in a circling motion, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your fingertips. The gentle rhythm of your touch creates a soothing ambiance, enhancing the tranquility of the stargazing experience. 

With each stroke, you can't help but feel a deep connection forming between you and Dan, as if the stars themselves are aligning to bring you closer together. 

That or you're quite delulu⏤

"These scars—where did you get them?" you ask softly, breaking the peaceful silence. Dan's eyes flicker with a mix of vulnerability and hesitation.

"They're from the mission. It was a hard time," he whispered as he traced his gloved fingers over the scars, careful not to erase the applied gel. His voice was filled with a tinge of sorrow, yet resilience was still there. 

Every night, he would glimpse a fragments of his past through his dreams. Everything he saw felt surreal and transcendent, beyond the reality of his current predicament. He had learned to carry the weight of his experiences, using them as fuel to drive him forward. 

Despite the lingered pain, he remained driven to make a difference in the world he's presently resided in, never allowing his scars to define him.

In the midst of his inner turmoil, he suddenly arched his back forward upon feeling the sensation of soft lips making contact with the un-applied scars. He swerved his head to lock his gaze on yours.

"W-What…are you doing?"

"Sorry, it's just...No one has ever kissed them before, so I’m doing it now." Your apology came out in a meek whisper. Your fingers tenderly soothe the wounds. Your gaze upon his eyes was silent yet solace. 

"Your scars echoed with endless tunes of agony and perseverance. They longed to be touched and healed. I don't know what past you're trying to escape, but hopefully, I can bring some peace of mind." You continued to gently caress his scars, littering some miniature kisses there and here.

Trails of kisses traveled across his scars, leaving a trail of warmth and comfort in their wake. Your hot breath contrasts with his cold skin, giving an electrifying sensation to his spine. 

An arm encircle around his torso, your head place softly against his chiseled back. ( Don't worry it won't affect the gel⏤ )

His heart beats fast against his chest, his breath hitching as he slowly regains comfort under your gentle touch. The vulnerability in his eyes spoke volumes, revealing a depth of insatiable pain that words could not capture. 

He doesn't know what possessed you to do an act like this. Even your inner self is conflicted and embarrassed by the boldness of your actions. But in that moment, all your mind could think about was providing your train guard with the sense of solace and ease he needed.

"Don't worry, I'm here..."

His calloused hand grasps your non-occupied one and gives it a soothing squeeze. He let his eyes drop to the ground. Letting the serene atmosphere engulf the both of you. Let the stars be you audience and your witness to this silent exchange of comfort and understanding.

Scars are permanent marks that trail beyond retrospection and future struggles. They are etched into the skin, just as they are engraved into our memories. 

[bumblingbabooshka]

My name is [BRUTUS] and my name means [HEAVY] so with a [HEAVY] heart I'll guide this dagger Into the heart of my enemy

Something about having absolutely no choice in who you marry. About being literally forced by the law to spill blood - to accept this stranger as your husband over a man you truly care for or accept the fact that the man you love might die because you put him in danger. Something about risking becoming the wife of a man you've never even seen before a few minutes prior because you know anything would be better than putting your beloved in harm's way. Something about the trust inherent in that decision and in the way she speaks of it after. Truthfully, T'Pring doesn't know the captain and she doesn't know Spock. Either one of them could have taken her as their wife but she does know Stonn. She knows that Stonn will remain by her side no matter what. They made a plan together. They have an agreement which T'Pring believes will be upheld even though the plan changed with the arrival of Kirk. Stonn will always be there, always, and Stonn will be hers. Something about the language used around T'Pring: Ownership, subservience, non-personhood. T'Pring is an object that Spock can win. She cannot reject him, she has no say in the matter other than having Stonn 'claim' her instead. Even when Spock leaves after being very clearly rejected by T'Pring he says "Stonn, she is yours." as if despite her clear rejection he still owns her and is must formally 'give' her to Stonn. But the language T'Pring uses around Stonn is a break from that: "There was Stonn who wanted very much to be my consort, and I wanted him." Stonn who wanted very much to be HER consort and she WANTED him. The language here is very particular - It's not, for example: "Stonn wanted me to be his wife" - he is HERS. And she WANTS him. There's a mutual affection there and a strong trust - a trust which seems to be well founded since Stonn (though silent) stands by her side at the end of the episode. <- That might seem small but if Spock would reject her for 'daring to challenge' (again, the language is not 'because I don't want you' but more of an implied disgust at her having the AUDACITY to reject him) then it's not a stretch to assume that it'd be considered an insult in the TOS Vulcan society to NOT choose Stonn as her champion after a prior agreement. Anyway T'Pring was a woman in an impossible situation within a society which saw her as more of an object than a person and she wanted Stonn and Stonn wanted to be hers and she trusted that he would understand if she had to publicly pick someone else to ensure his life would be spared and he did understand.

[introspectivememories]

tim and bernard who break up and it's nothing big, no one cheated or anything. it's just their lifestyles didn't work out well together. tim cannot give up vigilantism currently and bear cannot handle the level of danger tim puts himself in. and on the other hand, tim cannot handle the fact that bear chooses to run into danger as an emt bc he already worries about everything but now he has to worry if he'll find his boyfriend convulsing from fear gas in a random alley but also bear who felt the life drain out of darla cannot stand the thought of not helping people and runs headfirst into dangerous situation after dangerous situation hoping that every person he saves can somehow make up for the fact that he could not save darla.

(he very pointedly does not think about the fact that there was nothing he could do because if he thinks about that, he'll spiral until they have to lock him in arkham too)

and so they break up but they were tim & bernard in high school and when they started dating they balanced out the worst of each other and they became tim&bernard. and everyone who knows them, knows that they're better together but they cant be together, they refuse actually because they cannot lose another person to the violence of gotham and by the time they figure out that they cant work together as long as the other is an emt or vigilante, it's too late for both them. they've already left too many pieces of themselves in each other.

tim still knows what bear means when he says "tim" in that exasperated voice. tim still goes boneless when he hears bear say "baby" in that firm tone. bear can still read tim like a book. he still knows the right way to massage tim's neck so that tim can go to sleep. everyone at the first responders gala knows not to bother ceo drake-wayne and senior emt dowd when they're talking.

(and if they're standing a little too close to each other than what is normal, who are they to judge? everyone knows that dowd and drake-wayne have history)

and if everyone on the night shift has caught red robin with his head tucked into the crook of emt dowd's neck as emt dowd runs a soothing hand up and down the vigilante's back, well then, they just quietly back away.

(after all, dowd's one of like, five, emts that can get the bats to receive medical treatment so if turning a blind eye to whatever the fuck they have going on is what allows them to give back to their heroes, then the night shift will do it every time)

and of course, tim and bear are practical people. they loved (love) each other sure, but when your lives are fundamentally incompatible, well, you cant get too stuck on the what-ifs, that's for sure. and so they do find love with other people and yeah, maybe it's not what they expected love to be when they first fell in love with each other. it's not the bubbly, stomach-swoopy, cant stop grinning, feeling that permeated tim&bernard's early days or the i Know you/you Know me that was their middle or the quiet despair that was their end but it is contentment. and in a life with as many losses as theirs, contentment is something they hold dearly

and they're happy! truly! but sometimes, at galas when they're making each other snort champagne out their noses or in darkened alleyways when their clothes are both stained with blood or at rallies for stricter gun regulations in gotham where they both sit too close to each other, fingers enclosed around each other in a death grip, when the presenters inevitably bring up grieves

(worst school shooting in gotham in decades, there's blood on their hands and blood in their mouths and darla is dead in between both of them and there is a chasm so wide that they are screaming to get their voices across and she will always be dead and maybe this had always been the problem that she is dead and there is no coming back from that and that there is blood on their hands and blood in their mouth and blood on their han-)

but sometimes, most especially on opposite sides of the street, as life pulls them in different directions, just sometimes, they see each other and just for a second, nothing too long, the flap of a hummingbird's wings, the time it takes to blink, an electron's orbital, they look at each other and for the briefest moment, blue on brown, a barely noticeable stutter in their steps, the space between heartbeats, because this is all they will give themselves because they do not dwell on what-ifs or what-could-have-beens, or what-should-have-beens, or delusions of a softer world, their eyes meet and they think to themselves, god, in another life, i would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with him.