#i think im the wrong person to ask for this

[nastybuckybarnes]

Coal - One

Pairing: Alpha!Simon 'Ghost' Riley X Omega!Reader

Summary: ...Snapping the folder closed, he tosses it back to Price and rises to his feet. "Since you're just the messenger, you can tell them to send the pup back where it came from."...

Warnings: A/b/o dynamics, military inaccuracies, language, sexual themes, smut, injuries, lowkey mean!simon, kinda strangers to simons a hater to lovers?

Word Count: 3.4K

A/N: Y'all really thought i would be involved in the COD waters and NOT do something a/b/o??? y'all thought wrong. Im such a hoe for this shit but enjoy cause i have another a/b/o idea for cod? idk maaaan

A/N2: I literally have like 12 different things written and ready for posting idk why i dont post them. i think im scared of you guys 😣 but im gonna try to post at least once a week until i start getting through my inventory........

~*~

"Thank you for joining me on such short notice," The Captain says, pushing open the door to one of the interview rooms.

The Lieutenant steps in a moment after him, ducking slightly through the doorway, but says nothing.

The Captain sits down first, then motions for the other man to sit across from him.

Ever the good soldier, Ghost obeys, taking a stiff seat while his eyes flicker around the otherwise empty room.

"What's goin' on?" He finally asks, tugging his gaze from the mirror behind Price and focusing on him instead.

The older man heaves a sigh and tosses a thick folder across the table. It thuds lowly upon impact and slides over to Ghost, and the man only stares at it blankly.

"This is done. There's nothing you can say or do that will change this."

Running near a mile a minute, he wracks his brain trying to figure out what's going on as he slowly flips open the folder.

Confusion settles on his shoulders when he finds the contents sealed in a plastic bag.

Eyes flickering up to his Captain, he pauses.

Only after Price gives an encouraging nod does he open the bag, and when he does he wishes he hadn't.

His eyes roll back and a shudder tears down his back.

"What is this?" He grits out, yanking the shirt out of the bag and crumpling it up in his hand as the scent slowly fills his nose through the fabric of his balaclava.

It smells earthy, homey. Sweet and warm like baking with the cool fog of morning dew.

"This is your Omega."

"Try again."

Price sighs, "don't make this any harder than it already is. It's above my head, Lieutenant. These aren't my orders, I'm just the messenger."

Ghost is quiet for a long moment, then he quickly flips the folder open and starts scanning over the words on the page.

There's a picture of a pretty Omega with warm, happy eyes.

Looking past that, he reads her name, nationality, presentation age. He eats up every word, stopping only when he gets to the part about her upbringing.

The Omega they've so kindly gifted is from a Military Omega Shelter.

The shelters are more of a ghost story than he is.

Snapping the folder closed, he tosses it back to Price and rises to his feet.

"Since you're just the messenger, you can tell them to send the pup back where it came from."

He leaves the room, and the walls tremble with the force of the door closing.

Price heaves out a heavy sigh and turns to look at the mirror over his shoulder.

On the other side of the glass, Laswell watches you carefully.

She keeps her senses on high alert for every breath, every tiny change in your scent.

Your eyes, however, are locked on where the angry Alpha was just standing.

You'd been told stories of why Omegas needed to see Alphas in their natural habitat before submitting to a mate. Something about the primitive nature taking over and kicking the Omega into fight or flight when seeing an unknown Alpha for the first time. You were never a big believer in that, you'd openly scoffed at it.

But now? Now you couldn't be more grateful the Shelter enforced it before sending you off.

If you'd had to meet this Lieutenant Riley in person without seeing him from a distance first, you're sure the weight of his glare would've killed you.

The silence hangs so heavily between you and Chief Laswell that a trill starts to ring in your ears.

"That wasn't too bad," she finally says.

Your eyes find your fingertips as your brows draw together.

That wasn't too bad?

If that's 'not too bad' you're positive you don't want to know what 'bad' is.

His harsh words echo in your head and your frown deepens.

A chuckle leaves her lips at the look on your face, and she watches as Captain Price slowly rises to his feet and leaves the room.

"I wasn't sure what they would've told you about this assignment," she confesses, leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

She slides over a folder that bears a striking resemblance to the one that Captain Price gave the Lieutenant.

"They told me I would find out when I got here," you answer quietly, eyeing the folder.

That's not entirely true.

You knew you would be coming here to be mated. That here you would service an Alpha or perhaps a pack.

Everyone in the Shelter knew.

The only time girls leave the Shelter is when an Alpha needs an outlet, a rut bunny to quell his raging animalistic needs. And there's no shortage of those particular Alphas in the military.

On the off-chance an Omega isn't chosen, she stays with the Shelter and goes on to teach the next generation.

You weren't one of those lucky ones.

"By now, everyone who knew you has been led to believe that you died in the helicopter that brought you here. Your funeral will be in two weeks. Empty casket."

Her words shock you so deeply that, for a split second, you bring your gaze to hers.

"The rest of your life will be, from this moment on, highly classified. To be shared with none but those in your pack, with the exception of given doctors and myself. All your medical needs will be met through our facilities, and anything you require will be provided. Do you understand?"

Her voice rings with such authority that all the suppressants in the world can't hide the fact that she's an Alpha.

"Yes."

She gives one firm nod of her head, then flips the folder open for you.

There, on the first page, is a generic photo icon in place of where your new mate's face should be.

"Lieutenant Riley is a private man, required by his profession. If he wants you to see him, you'll see him."

You skim your eyes over the page, breathing steadily to keep your scent even and hide the apprehension growing in your belly.

The document is more redacted than not, and it's a mere two pages long.

Sitting up straighter and casting your eyes down to the floor, you nod your understanding.

Laswell rises and motions for you to do the same.

Like the good Omega you are, you obey, following her as she opens the door to the hallway.

"He won't be on board with this. He'll likely refuse. Vehemently. You must understand that it has nothing to do with you as an individual and everything to do with the situation at hand. No Alpha will admit they need help, fewer still will accept it. Even when it's wrapped wonderfully in a gift like you."

Her words ease some of your nerves, her compliment warming your tummy for the briefest of moments.

Your inner Omega yearns for more approval from this Alpha, hell, from any Alpha, really.

The Shelter gave just the right amount of Alpha exposure to cause a deep craving for their approval.

Surely one of the reasons you were chosen for this particular one.

"You are here to help him in ways he may not even understand. Be patient and know that you're doing what's necessary. You're helping him."

The warmth in your tummy spreads to your chest and you can't help the smile that tugs at the corner of your mouth.

That smile vanishes, however, when Laswell turns down a long hallway with only one door at the end. In front of the door is the very man in question.

His eyes bore into yours and you quickly drop your gaze, heart racing in your chest.

Laswell doesn't falter. She continues down the hall with you at her side, and Simon straightens up and starts walking.

"Lieutenant," She greets, pausing her stride.

"Laswell."

He walks right on by the two of you without sparing either of you a glance.

The sound of his voice so close, the deep rumbling growl of it around that one word has your scent permeating the air.

Risking a glance over your shoulder, you catch sight of him as he turns the corner, his glare focused on you.

You suck in a shuddering breath at the menacing look and snap your head back forward, biting on your bottom lip to stop it from quivering.

"I put your bags in here already. I didn't think he'd be that attuned to your scent so soon," She confesses.

The two of you come to a stop outside of the door that must be for your quarters.

"This is a biometric locking system. Right now, you and I are the only ones with access. Once you've been claimed and welcomed into the pack, your pack mates will also be given access with the permission of your Alpha."

You say nothing, only nod your understanding as she unlocks the door.

Respecting the boundary of the threshold, she takes a half-step back to give you enough space to enter.

Slowly, you step into the room, glancing around quickly before flicking on the light.

Though far better and larger than your room at the Shelter, it's still very sterile and military.

There's a bed to the right, with a nightstand on either side. At the foot of the bed is a stack of extra pillows and blankets.

On the opposite wall is a small desk with four folders placed neatly on it. Your bags occupy the space on the floor beside the desk.

To the left are two doors. One that likely leads to a closet and another to a bathroom.

Your inner Omega recoils at the stale stench of the air.

"You'll be okay here for the night?" Chief Laswell asks after a moment.

"Yes." Is your automatic reply. You don't know why she's asking, you both know that you don't have a choice.

She nods, watching from her spot outside the door as you step further into the room.

"The first week or two I won't mind if you ask me for anything you need, but I would like to see you get more comfortable with your Alpha and with the other members of your pack."

You nod your understanding, walking toward the desk and inspecting the other contents.

"Once you get used to them, the team's not so bad. I think you'll get along well with the Sergeants."

Your brows furrow for a moment, but before you can say another word the door closes between the two of you with a soft click and the 'whir' of the lock.

At least no one else can come in.

Slowly, you make your way around the perimeter of the room, taking your time and breathing heavily to cover the area in your scent.

Once you've successfully scented the room, the bathroom, and the closet, you take a careful seat on the corner of the bed and let the silence envelope you.

Ever since the Shelter took you in, you knew that your life would be some variation of this. But you never thought it would be so... alien.

It's almost like you're watching someone else live your life.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you stand up and make your way back over to the desk, flipping open the folders.

Each one has a plastic bag inside, and information on your new pack.

Lieutenant Riley's folder is as bare as the one Laswell slid over to you, however the plastic bag is what really piques your interest.

Carefully, you pull it open, a soft purr leaving you as his scent fills your nose.

He smells wonderful. Like the earth after a rainstorm. The smoke wafting from a dying fire through fresh morning fog. Like destruction and the peace that follows.

After another long, deep breath, you seal the bag once more and hug it close to your chest.

Your mind wanders back to when he found out about you. The anger that filled him, the way he shuddered when he smelled your scent.

Chief Laswell's words ring in your ears as you start to worry.

It's not you. You're not the problem. He's angry at the situation.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you set the bag down and flip open the next folder, shivering when you see another plastic bag, and a photo of Captain Price.

The whole team must be here. A tiny piece of them given to you, to allow yourself to get familiar with them even in their absence.

You're more than sure that Lieutenant Riley didn't willingly provide anything. The others, though? You're a little bit more hopeful.

You open the plastic bag a crack and give it a gentle sniff, another purr of satisfaction rumbling softly in your chest.

The Captain smells more woodsy, with a spicy undertone. Like an old, warmly lit cabin in the middle of the forest, in the heart of the winter.

You keep the bag held up to your nose as you read over what little information there is.

The document is redacted, but still gives you far more information than the Lieutenant's.

Sealing the bag, you move on to the next folder, cocking your head to the side and letting your eyes flutter closed as you open the bag.

This one is fresh and citrusy, like linen hanging to dry in the sun beside an orange tree.

Sergeant Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick.

A Beta.

You had expected the pack to consist of all Alphas.

Truly, you expected the Military to only employ Alphas.

Your eyes scan over the words quickly, greedily devouring all that you can about this Beta as you take deep breaths of his scent.

This is good news. Great news, even.

Sealing and setting down his bag, you move on to the last one.

Your eyes widen when you read the name and presentation.

Another Beta.

Who goes by Soap?

This one smells like the loveliest combination of lemon, jasmine, and sandalwood. Like a Sunday reset, a freshly clean house, and a lover at your hip.

After reading through Sergeant MacTavish's file you set his bag down and take a few steps back, so far, in fact, that you hit your legs on the edge of the bed and stumble back.

Falling onto your back, you take a few breaths and try to clear your head.

Your eyelashes lightly kiss your cheeks as you let your eyes fall closed, basking in the lingering embrace of your new packs scents.

You bask in it so much that you fall asleep right there on your back.

It's hours later that you're awoken by a soft knock on your door.

Pushing to your feet, you take a moment to sniff the air, recognizing the scent from one of the many folders on your desk.

Slowly, you open the door, a little surprised to see the Captain standing in front of you.

"Evenin'," he greets, smiling gently at you.

You bow your head in acknowledgement, refusing to let your eyes stray to his.

"I'm Captain John Price. I... I figured you know that already, but I thought it best to come introduce myself properly."

His scent is so much stronger like this, like a brick wall of woodsy spice that makes you feel cozy and warm.

He must feel you relaxing, your scent easing to something a bit softer, because his shoulders relax and his scent wafts more freely.

"They're serving dinner, if you'd care to join us?"

His words confuse you, but the way he asks confuses you more.

He's your pack leader. He barks orders and the rest of you follow them.

So why is he asking if you want to go with him?

They didn't go over this at the Shelter.

Instead of verbalizing any of your confusion, you just give him a soft nod and take a step out of your room.

The door shuts and locks behind you automatically, something that eases your nerves.

Captain Price leads the way, and you follow closely behind him, anxiety prickling your palms at all the new faces you pass.

Every single person stops to watch as you walk by, their gazes heavy with judgement, intrigue, and some other things that you'd rather not put a name to.

Finally, after what feels like hours of walking in silence, Captain Price pushes open the door to the mess, leading you toward a table in the far corner where two men have already taken a seat.

"Here, have a seat with the boys while I get you some food."

You obey instantly, taking a seat across from the two Beta's as the Captain turns and leaves.

There's a moment of tense silence between the three of you before one of the two men across from you finally speaks.

"S'nice to finally meet the reason why the Lt's been busting his knuckles for the past four hours," The Scottish one says.

You look up as he speaks, your eyes meeting his.

"This is Gaz, and I'm Soap. Or Kyle and Johnny. Or, your favourite pack members. We're not picky with what you call us, really," he continues, smiling cheekily at you.

Something about him has you feeling immediately at ease, a small smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

"How are you adjusting so far?" The other one, Gaz, asks.

You glance around the mess for a moment before bringing your gaze back to him.

"It's... a lot. But I'm sure I'll get used to it quickly."

He nods his understanding, his own eyes drifting over your shoulder to where his Pack Leader is getting you food.

Providing for Omega.

The two Betas would be lying if they said it didn't make them feel good to see you already getting taken care of.

Simon's standpoint on the pack needing an Omega (him needing an Omega) is firm. The rest of the pack, however, don't share his disdain.

Soap couldn't be more elated!

A plaything! A toy! A woman with soft hips and a gentle smile. This is exactly what they've been missing, Simon's just too stubborn to see that yet.

That's fine. Even though your mate isn't too keen on making you feel like part of the pack, Soap's dead set on making you feel included.

"Well, anything you need you let us know, yeah? We want you to be happy here," Gaz says.

You nod your gratitude, dropping your eyes when you feel Captain Price return.

He sets a tray of food down in front of you, then another beside you for himself.

"Now, don't feel pressured to eat everything here. I wanted to get you a bit of everything."

"Thank you," you murmur softly.

Price clenches his jaw to stop the shiver that so desperately wants to roll down his spine at the sound of your soft sweet voice.

Conversation picks up between the three men after that. Each contributing their part between bites of food.

You pick at the food on your plate, taking nibbles here and there, but your attention stays focused everywhere but your food.

How could you focus on something like eating when you have a new life to explore? A new pack to learn?

That last part isn't as hard as you had thought it would be.

As they eat and chat, you're able to put together the mosaic that is their pack. Your pack, now.

Captain Price is an Alpha, the lead Alpha, and he leads his pack. He bears the weight of their safety on his shoulders and back, and you're included in that.

Soap has a naturally charming and calming energy about him, as if all the issues in the world couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. More than once has he made a sly remark that has your brows raising and a giggle falling from your lips.

And Gaz is a healthy mix of humour and tender level-headedness that really does make you feel like he may understand what you're going through. And if he doesn't fully understand it, then he certainly can empathize with it.

"All finished there, little one?"

You're snapped out of your thoughts by Captain Price's low voice, and you turn your head toward him, nodding your answer.

He nods along with you then rises, taking the tray from in front of you.

"Well, little one," Soap teases playfully once the Captain is out of earshot, "how about a tour?"

[nenlio]

Against All Odds BoyFail Danny Scores a Dilf

> DP x DC #0.2 - Copper Ice <

one again shout out to @chekhovs-slinky for the og prompt

As Danny and Sam entered their shared home the sounds of a action movie reached them signaling the location of their housemate.

"Were home!!!" Sam yelled into the house.

"In the cinema room!!"

They strolled further in until they reached their friend, Tucker was sat on the sofa leaving a gap that Danny flopped himself on to, groaning in embarrassment at his actions from earlier. Patting his back Tucker winced at Dannys behavior "Woah whats up with you dude? Did you mess up or something? I thought you left the shy guy act in your twenties?"

Sams laugh caught Tuckers attention " Oh he did something alright. Get this, I come up to Danny to ask him for my keys and hes totally zoned out! I finally get his attention and he tells me he thinks he has a chance to get a date with the guy hes looking at. Now, who do you think he was talking about?"

"Based on Dannys reaction I'd say Bruce Wayne?" At Tuckers reply Sam makes an X motion over her chest "EH wrong, Danny-boy over here went after Alfred Pennyworth, As in the guy that raised Bruce Wayne, As in the guy Bruces children consider their grandfather, As in the guy who is 35 years older than Danny!!"

"NO WAY WHAT" Tucker looked down at Danny on his lap and started shaking him "DANNY STOP BEING PATHETIC AND TELL ME EVERYTHING"

"Danny cant answer the phone hes dead" came Dannys muffled reply. Tucker rolled his eyes and turned back to Sam, "so what did Alfred say?"

Sitting down Sam started to, dramatically in Dannys humble opinion, regale Tucker with their evening story," im not even joking Tuck he looked like Alfred was the Cinderella to his Prince Charming with the way he ran after him. Me and Brucie looked so lost and we had to have awkward small talk about the charity until Danny came back."

At this point the force of Tuckers laughter was making him a very uncomfortable pillow so Danny rolled over to glare at him. "Danny, dude, you gotta admit its hilarious how desperate you must have looked in front of Wayne. You probably don't even know where your taking Alfred on a date do you." Dannys groan of embarrassment was answer enough for Tucker to lose it once more.

"Don't worry Danny well come up with a plan for you to woo your beau" Sam soothed as she patted his back, Danny simply groaned out of embarrassment. He had the worst friends.

The batcave was a flurry of voices all asking Alfred questions, the man in question simply arching a brow at their unruly behavior.

"Alfred are you really going on a date with that guy?! We don't even know anything about him!!" Dick was seemingly the most distraught at the news, his grandfather?? Dating?

Oracles voice crackled as she spoke through the caves speakers " His name is Danyal Danny Nightingale, 36 years old, he is the co-owner and eventual heir to DalvCo. He has a relatively clean record aside from some speeding and arrests for unruly protests."

Alfred simply sighed in response, "Master Dick, Ms. Barbara, while I understand your worry that is no reason to invade our guests privacy. And yes Master Dick I will be going on a date with Mr. Nightingale, his efforts to pursue me are commendable, and I will be giving him a chance even if it isn't earnest on my behalf."

"So youre just going along with his whims? 'tt' I expected more from you Pennyworth" Damian didn't show it outwardly but he was excited for Alfreds date. He had immediately recognized Nightingale during the gala, not because of his business, but because he was the person to bring back the purple backed gorillas from extinction. Damian had been 6 years old when he first saw a magazine featuring Daniel Nightingale. He had devoured the every word written about Daniel and it sparked the beginning of Damians infatuation with animal conservation beyond that of his families ideas.

Now seeing the opportunity to meet his role model face to face, and possibly even being related to him (if Alfred's account of Nightingale wanting to court with the intent of marriage was correct.) Damian knew what had to be done.

Damian was going to become Gothams cupid and make sure his Grandfather and role model got together.

Laying back on Tuckers legs, Danny tensed as he felt another sneeze attack coming on, halting all conversation.

ACHOO "Bless you" " Bless you" "Thanks, ugh who decided that speaking my name would cause me to sneeze"

Sam rolled her eyes at Dannys whining. "At least you dont get the calling to be summoned like with your royal title" Danny glared at Sam "gee thanks for being so compassionate, Ill be sure to sneeze on you next time"

"I wonder who's talking about me though"

[confusedmothboy]

im scared to ask how you feel about lottie as a character

i have a very complicated relationship with lottie and ive been DYINGGG to talking about her because shes more interesting than shauna can ever dream of being. SHE'S the complex female character we need more of.

okay so to preface: i have multiple scales for character appreciation in my mind. there's writing (how well they're characterized and their role as a narrative decive), personality (how much i would fw them as people), action defendability (self explanatory, how willing i am to ride for their defense), and treatment in the fandom (how contrarian i wanna be)

yall know how it is yapping under the cut

lottie. ohhh boy.

writing: oh no notes. 10/10 she is one of the most fascinating characters in the show. her setup and descent is so well done, and her motivations are beyond complex, like you have her trying to do the best for everyone, but also her whole "the wilderness will choose" mindset. she contrasts herself in the yummiest ways possible. her role in the story is absolutely the most relevant and important for the narrative to progress the way it does. as a character, shes's so well done it makes me wish that i could be objective about the whole thing

personality: unfortunately im not able to enjoy characters simply from a robot analysis objective scale. lottie's personality is -while interesting- absolutely INFURIATING to watch. i personally cant stand characters that i call "progress blockers". she repeatedly forces her belief system (deep psychosis) onto the rest of the team, at the expense of escape or actual rational thought. this is where i have to admit: i root for morally sound, logical characters especially in shows like this. "but you can't watch the cannibalism show and complain about the cannibalism" first off. who said im complaining about the cannibalism. im just complaining that shes tormenting my favs (ben, travis, akilah, nat). i do like that she plays a complicated role as the group's mediator, except her mind is so warped, she does an awful job at it (drugging travis, letting shauna beat her up, deluding her followers). i think that shows how much she cares for these people deep down, and i can respect that. more on that later in ther actions section.

actions: so lottie, like i mentioned earlier, has a really interesting internal conflict of wanting to do whats best for as many of the team as she can, while also not being against sacrificing them for the wilderness's mercy. she very much believes that the ends justify the means. however. i can't ever look past her scenes on doomcoming. and im hoping that the people who made it this far aren't illiterate fucking troglodytes who want to debate on what actually happened to travis that night. because it was s/a, actually, it was attempted gang rape and then attempted ritualistic murder. "you cant watch the murder show and hold it against the murderers" we all know damn well that thats not what was most upsetting about that scene, and im allowed to hold certain crimes over eachother in terms of severity. and quite frankly i just cant bring myself to like a character who engaged -ACTIVELY LED AND RATIONALIZED- in that. lottie's whole schtick is that she just doesnt fucking understand or respect boundaries, literally and metaphorically. moving on from doomcoming, she's weird and culty about shauna's baby, which shauna has full right to be freaked out and pissed about. she becomes the leader of the group in s2 and then can't make proper decisions. she lets shauna almost beat her to death instead of trying to mediate the situation rationally, setting up shauna's vengeful nature we see in s3. thats something i could talk about for hours, how shes partially responsible for the shauna we all know and hate. her drugging travis and akilah is a page straight out of misty's handbook, and i dont think i have to explain why it's wrong. her killing edwin?? denying them all escape, causing a chain reaction with shauna and tai also staying behind??? that elevated my blood pressure to a level dangerous to my health. i cannot stand progress blockers. yes, i know she thinks everything she does is right. that doesn't make me (a rational bystander) like her actions any more. again, there are rational people in the show, so im just gravitated towards them sorry guys.

fandom: lottie has two types of people rooting for her in the fandom. theres the "omg my lord and savior she can do no wrong" group and the "omg crazy ass schizo mental illness queen" group and neither of them get her. she's flawed. but her flaws shouldn't all be attributed to dehumanizing conversations about her mental illness. let's not forget that she was a 17 year old going cold turkey on antipsychotics after living the last decade on them, in a situation that's beyond stressful, mind you. no fucking wonder she turned out that way. whatever. i feel like there arent a lot of her fans who recognize the absolute gray nuance in her character. or maybe im just on tiktok too much and everyone on there is fucking rotted beyond belief.

conclusion: i love her. i hate her. im neutral. she scares me. i blame her for all the problems out there and she's doing her best. that's the point

guh

[stoopkidlisteningtocsh]

You are so deeply privileged to feel this way. Western medicine and especially psychiatry were founded on non consenting patient experiments. And deep deep abelism. There are studies that people with anger issues and lack of understanding of others become doctors in america at high rates

Even the good ones are LEAVING because it is so corrupt. The good ones struggle to stay cause its just constantly watching the system kill and harm people.

Woman/afab people, poc, and plus size people are historically and constantly berated by the system because the system was founded on making them more socially acceptable or justifying locking them away from society. Do you remember the diagnosis of female hysteria? Do you know that gynecologist practices were founded on unconsenting slaves? Do you know we dont get any pain killers or prep before because that study said woman cant feel pain down there? Are you aware how many people cannot go to the doctor alone and need an advocate cause certain illness make doctors instantly think your drug seeking? Do you know that in many places you still need permission from your husband to get your tubes ties or uterus removed? And in some places you need to have multiple kids before doing it? Do you know most of the time when a doctor asks about a womans period theres no actual benefit to that expect knowing if they can blame it on hormones or possible pregnancy? Do you know that its 100% legal for doctors to do unrelated shit to you body when your knocked out for surgery, like showing students how to put in a cathider?

Telling someone to give doctors and nurses the benefit of the doubt is genuinely so fucking dangerous. I still go to doctor obviously and i currently have the best doctor ive ever had and i still do not trust her implicitly. I never will for my safety and health. Doctors even if they are trying to be good people, are still being taught outdated and harmful information. A doctor with 100% good intentions could still do something insanely harmful if you do not continue to advocate for yourself.

Its genuinely fucking insane for someone to here the horrific stories of american healthcare and go "but most of them are trying their best!" I dont care! Alot of doctors "best" are actively and badly harming people. I know alot of doctors are tired and struggling and yes the system is to blame. But there is objectively SO much more to this than just "oh my doctor took a long time to come in". No. I know theyre overworked but that dosent excuse a good amount of shit thats wrong. Like oh your so overworked you started doing lectures on unconsenting unconscious patients? Oh your so overworked you label every person in pain as a drug seeker? Well cool because you had a bad day i now will suffer with whatever the fuck you put on my record for the rest of my fucking life

If a doctor is genuinely good. They will understand that you dont trust them. I trust myself and what i feel and that is SO important for american healthcare. The fact that you posted this really shows youre unaware of just how fucking bad it can get. I havent even mentioned how evil dentists are! Or that compared to other countries our pap smears are borderline barbaric.

Imo this is just like saying "guys the cops themselves arnt bad its the system that teaches them to be that way" okay well the system made them bastards! And im going to call them that and be upset at the people harming others no matter what the system has done to make them think theyre the hero. I do not give a singular fuck about intention when it comes to literal life or death in many situations

"I can only speak for my country" i really REALLY hope your not american. And honestly if you arnt it just makes me what to tell you to shut up even more cause like. Okay yeah cool its awesome YOUR doctors arnt the enemy but most people with this perspective are american and have genuine reasons to think this way. The doctors are apart of the system so if the system is fucked than by extention the doctors are too. But to try and say to give them the benefit of the doubt when my medication that i need to live is in there hands, is insane

The negativity surrounding doctors

every now and then I make the mistake of reading comments online under posts that have even the tiniest thing to do with medicine

it’s always one and the same thing about how doctors are parasites and all they ever want is more money and how they don’t listen to patients and they’re all filthy rich and don’t get me started on the shit that antivaxxers still spew out

I can only speak for my country, but doctors are not the enemy. There’s plenty of asshole doctors, no doubt about it. But the vast, VAST majority are good natured people who genuinely give a shit about their patients and are doing their best in a system that only ever works against them.

So who should you really be upset with? Who is really to blame that the wait times are long and that your own pay is shit and that the doctor doesn’t have time to sit with you and listen to you properly without having to work overtime and/or keeping other patients waiting and/or miss out on time with their own family and life?

Some doctors are bad doctors, hell, some are even bad people. Though the bad ones were maybe good before they had to sacrifice a little bit more than they thought they would have to and turned bitter and exhausted when that sacrifice gave very little in return and was often sprinkled with ungratefulness, spite or even abuse.

Because the enemy here is the system. For both the doctor and the patient.

So if your doc is being an asshat and genuinely doing an objectively bad job at treating you, I’m really sorry about that and I hope you can get someone better.

But the majority of healthcare folks are really doing their best for you and have sacrificed a lot to be there and keep trying, even though the system keeps fucking them over.

[transmutationisms]

perennial student problem: got a piece of really mean feedback from my prof, probably worst feedback of every class ive been in, (he thinks there's) literally nothing good in the stuff i submitted, etc. what did u tell urself during these times

im pretty firm with myself about distinguishing between feedback that is deservedly harsh and feedback that is pettily mean. if my work was bad and someone tells me so, it's not a personal judgment; if on the other hand i reread the work and disagree with the negative feedback given, then that's when i need to go talk to the prof and figure out whether there's something i don't know yet or whether this person is simply wrong <- first year of grad school prof who loved talking about the sokal hoax and marked me off for saying anthropology is a racialising discipline lol.

in your lifetime you will probably have to work with more than one person who hates you or says mean things to you and on a personal level you deal with that however you can. receiving and responding to substantive criticism is a different matter imo, and needs to be excised from matters of ego as rapidly and definitively as possible. otherwise what the hell am i doing in an environment where i expressly ask people to rank and rate my work, yknow?

[0viraptoraskblog]

Hello, I hope you're doing well, I love the things you write!

This is probably going to be a long one. It turns out that ever since I discovered btd 1 and 2, and tpof, I've always been really curious about Ren's character. I imagine that just like me, people must have been surprised to see how he had become in Tpof. I'm SO excited for Ykmet! I know this game is mainly focused on Strade, because of course his name is there! XD

I love him too, but I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the parts with Ren. I know about the changes that Gato has prepared for him, and I hope they're positive, I trust what she's doing.

Anyway! I think I've gone on too long. The thing is, since I finished Tpof, I haven't found many people who give analysis to the older Ren character. I don't know if I'm looking in the wrong place, but I always thought tumblr was the best place to look, because the fandom seems more active here.

There were many things I didn't understand, because I'm terrible at analyzing, I try, but I constantly feel like I end up overthinking, my head always tries to provide several explanations like A, B, C, D, and it goes beyond that.

From your perspective, opinions and thoughts on the DLC, what do you think people often miss about Fox? Something you noticed that some people probably didn't. I would particularly like to know about your interpretation of the ending. Yes, I know it's straightforward and clear, he saves us. But I've always wondered about his motivations. I think that conversation we have with him in the bunker affects him, but in what way? What are his thoughts? And what are his thoughts about us after that?

I constantly noticed that he was also always adjusting his posture in his streams, and in the third one when he bites and then licks the wound on Mc's neck, then he looks almost embarrassed. Was it just because he got too excited or was it something else that i didn't catch because im too stupid? lmao

I'll end the ask here or it will be too long, I apologize for that, and if I didn't manage to express my questions very well

(although, if you answer this, I hope it's okay if I ask a bit more)

I think Fox has built this new version of himself based on being in control. He used to be a captive, always weary of Strade, and then trying and failing to be in control of MC in btd2 (who either died or escaped, given that this is Ren’s darker path). After that, he wanted to be in control for once.

He runs the entire auction system, he has his own show, and he’s incredibly good at what he does. That security not only makes him confident in what he does now, but it makes him finally like who he is (at least, he thinks.)

Young Ren was struggling a lot with his image and self worth, in terms of being treated as a pet/property, being abused, and then convincing himself that it was all because Strade loved him. Those years affected his mind so much. When his plan with MC went wrong after the second game, I think he realized that he should have been following Strade’s advice more. He fell back into that mental state of idolizing Strade and his way of doing things, his way of thinking. Why would Ren try anything else? Of course Strade was right. (This is the wrong idea, sadly, but it must have been the conclusion he turned to.)

It started as him trying to follow the footsteps of the only person he’d ever had to look up to— Strade. That’s why he started doing shows, because Strade was successful and Ren wanted to follow his example. He was also swayed a lot by emotion, the loneliness he felt and the emptiness he has after Strade’s death. Continuing his legacy was a way to fill the void, at least a little. He also needed money sooner or later.

Over time, he started to make it his own. He started to think less about Strade and more about himself. By the time we see Fox, he’s pretty much moved on from Strade. He does it as his own show, in his own name, his own life.

He is a great showman, naturally. That’s where the posture, gestures, and lively way he talks comes from. He knows how to entertain an audience, and he’s spent years perfecting that skill. He does enjoy the shows, to an extent. But remember, when MC asks him why he does this? Because he’s good at it.

He does like the feeling of being in the spotlight, and entertaining an audience— but his answer wasn’t because it’s his passion, not because he likes being in power, but because he’s good at it.

He’s accustomed to it.

The thing I think people miss is that Fox still has that unsure feeling inside. Deep down, he likes you. And he wants to keep you. But the show must go on! He likes who he is now, and he has to perform for chat. Like I said, it started out as ‘that’s what Strade would have done’ when he was younger, but now he’s moved on from Strade and just become so conditioned to it that he doesn’t know how to break the cycle. It’s how the show goes: he tortures someone, does what chat wants, gets paid, and they die in the end. That’s how it’s always gone. But what about when he grows attached?

An Easter egg to prove my point:

Middle picture, third row down He literally hurts himself for letting you go, because he’s realized he likes you, but he doesn’t know how to deny chat. (this happens when you make all the wrong choices when he visits you in the bunker before show 3. Making all the right choices will result in the survival ending.)

That’s why the survival ending is so critical to his character— he did something for himself. Because he wanted to. It’s a sign of him breaking free, and realizing that he can be in charge.

MC’s dialogue choices are important there too. When he tells MC their fate is up to chat, and you say “I thought you were in charge?” It makes him stop and think. You set things in motion for him. That leads you to the ending where he saves you.

As for when he licks the blood on your neck, I think he got a little flustered because he let his animal side show/let his composure fall a bit. A big part of these shows is the power imbalance between him and the victim, and he always puts on a front of being more put together than they are.

But yeah, that’s my mini analysis on Fox. There’s so much more to his character, but that’s for a later date ;) You’re always welcome to ask more!

[sillydeimos]

Ship requests.... Polycombat

-💻🌌

is polycombat specifically status quo, and if so does it include doc because its kinda confusing to me still

[cultkinkcoven]

@zaizai-11037 Decided to make a whole post about this because I realized I actually have A LOT to say about this. Hope that’s okay lol

Ok, the first thing is that Lord Lucifer is not a human. You don’t feel jealous when you see the sun shining on someone else’s face because you too can go out and stand in the sunlight. You don’t get jealous that someone across the planet is seeing the moon, because you know you will see her in a few hours. Lucifer is not a man, he is a spirit that can be embodied. He is in the artist’s pen and the poet’s tongue, he is the raven caw and the howling wind. I try not to anthropomorphize him *too much*, because he is not a human. He’s not an invisible man. He is everywhere at once, and I know that he’s still with me even when I can’t see him. He’s still with me when he’s with everyone else.

The other thing is knowing that he’s still speaking to me through his interactions with others. That’s why I love reading other people’s experiences so much, I learn more about him through them. And sometimes those posts inspire me to approach him with new questions. I feel a kinship with others who know him like this, I’m excited and relieved to know I’m not the only one. My immediate response is usually awe rather than jealousy.

And lastly, my Lucifer is mine. Every relationship every person has with him is unique. Lucifer may have many lovers but none of them are the same. I don’t yearn to experience what others are experiencing, I’m busy having my own experiences. It’s nice to witness them experiencing something similar to me, we can relate to each other. But no one else is ever going to be what I am to him, and the same applies to everyone he has ever had a relationship with. My Lucifer talks to me and manifests to me differently than he does to anyone else, even if he uses a few of the same tricks.

I was going to end this post here, but I think that would be a bit dishonest. To be completely real, I DO get a little bit jealous sometimes lol. It’s one of those things that is illogical and unavoidable sometimes, feeling that way isn’t wrong, especially when it is uncontrollable. Such is the way of the human heart. I saw a post from an amazing artist who painted a beautiful piece for him and their caption said something like “I want to be his personal painter” and I was like !!IM! His personal painter!!!

It’s silly lol, and it’s fun to laugh about it. Having jealousy isn’t really the issue, the actions one takes afterwards however may be.

The thing that has always made it easier for me has been Lucifer’s reaction himself. I know he’s just happy to have two painters. He seems to find it endearing when I find myself in these little ruts. My eagerness to please him, to compensate for my slight jealousy, only means I’ll be more vigorous in my devotion. And in some weird way, his teasing makes everything feel less serious.

“Oh, are you working hard for me, my boy?”

“That seemed to strike a nerve, are you going to make me a painting too now?“

He has a sense of pride knowing that I do get jealous, that I do want to be favoured. And I gain fulfillment from my increased efforts.

and i don’t even know if I should say this, but the realest answer of them all is sometimes I do get jealous and I just act like a brat. That’s it. He’s extremely in tune with my mood and he notices the slightest hint of attitude- and then he’s immediately present.

“what’s your problem?”

“who are you looking at like that?”

sometimes the only good answer is to just ask for attention, and Lucifer luckily is usually very willing to give it. He has never turned away from me when I needed him, even when all I needed was validation. He is never too far away and he will always come when I call. He’s very good at easing my obsessive mind.

So the tldr is: asides from the whole not a human being thing, Lord Lucifer is really good at keeping his hoes in check

So happy that Lord Lucifer has other followers … cause on the days I don’t have the time or energy to be at my altar or offer him something, I’m so so relieved to see posts from other Luciferians talking about what they did with him that day. It’s like, oh, thank Gods, there are others leaving him sweet treats and writing him poems and showering him in praises today. He still has the support of his cult behind him even when I’m away, he’s not alone. And seeing other people’s experiences just makes me even more excited to reunite with him. I love seeing his little quirks appear in other people’s conversations with him.

something something spiritual polyamory? ?Rejoicing in the shared love of a God is so magical …

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[gingerswagfreckles]

Gentiles will see a post where someone justifies murdering a 4 year old Jewish child for liking Batman under the argument that it is "cop propaganda" and write a paragraph about why Batman isn't cop propaganda instead of why murdering Jewish 4 year olds for any reason is bad.

[jasperthejester]

me: finally accepting theres a good chance im autistic and starting to work up the courage to ask my parents to see if i could get a diagnoses but being scared to

my mom: do you ever think you have adhd? if you want to do a screening for add next time your at the doctors you can

me:

[mcytegg]

"to older lsers, trust isnt abt never disagreeing w ur friend or teammate" [immediate flashbacks to both zam and subz, separately, worrying that disagreeing with vitalasy's plan would already be betraying him]

thats exactly the point!! the REASON newer players like derap and kab have these unrealistic expectations of trust and what it means to be teammates is they havent had the multiple seasons of experience in lifesteal to find it out themselves like older players have. like yes that is how zam and subz felt back then but thats a result of both just who they were as people during s4 which impacted their view on what it means to be teammates. they both also got like mega traumatized by other people in that season as well which Led to them pushing their own feelings and opinions to the side in order to remain loyal until they broke.

it was after what they experienced in s4 that helped them better define what being teammates w someone means to THEM, and what it means to trust someone on the server bc working on the basis that u Need to agree w everything ur teammate says and does or else youre a traitor or a bad teammate only ended up hurting them, and putting them into terrible situations. like what derap is experiencing rn is exactly like s4 zam, aka who zam was before he started standing up for himself and realizing hes allowed to have his own thoughts and feelings and boundaries in his relationships. like the way derap hides his own desires and discards his own thoughts nd feelings on things In Favour of always agreeing w zam to make him happy is incredibly reminiscent of eclipse fed zam.

its a matter of growth and experience yet to be gained; the way trust is currently viewed on ls and the way teammate is defined is individual to each player BUT generally speaking most older lsers definition of them has grown to fall under the same general consensus of "someone you wont always agree with, but who you will stick by and return to in the end bc they are someone you can trust to be consistent in their actions and behaviours BECAUSE you have known them for so long"

[assmaster-8000]

i don't know if im tripping for this but it seems a lot of millennial and gen z women on tiktok still have really. weird gender norm based perceptions on men, and their relationships. do all your complaints about the standard of dating today need to consist of insulting a man by equating him to a woman. what do you think you're actually saying here

[themyscirah]

Complaining abt Suicide Squad yet again but the fact that they have Waller exposing the alien community to space racist attacks and talking abt how she got to her position through deceit and being a terrible person and stuff is just. Ahsfiwueh JUST SAY YOU DONT KNOW WALLER.

Anyways literally the 3rd mission of the Squad ever (and the first framed as smth Waller picked and not orders from above) was the Squad discrediting and stopping a rogue vigilante who was only arresting POC and funneling white people into white supremacy groups (of which he was the most prominent member) in SUICIDE SQUAD #4. and it's explicitly framed as this mission being personal for Waller that she's hiding from the government bc its illegal like. Guys. Please why are we having her incite (space bc comics) racist attacks now

Also the whole "Amanda got her position through deceit and being a terrible person" NO. she KEPT her position through being shitty and playing complicated political games!!! She wasn't always that way like there is a difference and it is IMPORTANT ppl PLEASEEEE. In Secret Origins #14 we learn Amanda's backstory and she used to be a normal, caring person! Like even after she entered into working in government and politics she wasn't automatically morally bankrupt like please people. She was originally given control of the Squad by Reagan (*sigh* 80s comics...) to distract and get rid of her because she was so successful at pushing progressive social policy in Congress. Acting like she's this static pillar of evil is such a waste of her character and so fucking uninteresting and disrespectful to her arc it drives me MAD.

Like I am NOT saying Waller is all sunshine and rainbows, she fucking SUCKS (said w love <3) but like there's a human being there. It's a progression, she has a character arc like please, DC, please!!! They've fucked up Waller so bad and made her so opaque and uninteresting she can't even be the protagonist of her own story for fucks sake!

Like I don't know how many times I have to scream it until DC hears me or remembers but WALLER IS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF SUICIDE SQUAD. ITS HER BOOK. yet right now she's a cutout to be used as the villain wherever the writers please. Even in her book we get none of her perspective really displayed, no exploration of her thoughts with any kind of understanding of the role she traditionally has played and was made to play in the story.

[mspeevee]

Eevee from today! Was only one I managed to draw a how busy it was. The prev eevee, bulbasaur, and ampharos have gone home today!

[wtowingedtragicobsidian]

More JJK Fragrance HCs

~Kinda a continuation of this post~

Maki (and Mai):

They share the same base, a fresh evergreen scent that was pervasive around the Zenin clan mountains. Maki is more chypre; a commanding, energized scent that leans decidedly unisex. Mai is more floral and feminine, with sultry undertones and a softer finish.

Maki's Notes: violet, juniper, vetiver

Mai's Notes: jasmine, lavender, sage, patchouli

Shared notes: cedar, cypress, white musk, nutmeg, bamboo, mountain iris

Inumaki:

Very, very strong/distinct scent, almost unappealing. Citrus forward in an artificial soda pop flavoring kind of way. Underneath, providing frankly bizarre complexity, there's a vintage medley of gentle herbaceous scents.

Notes: Soft sunny smells from grandmas herb garden (lemongrass, thyme, rosemary, mint). Next to it the linens drying on the clothesline (soapy old people smell included). Sparkly carbonation from club soda, refreshing cucumber, and bright lime (nice version). Mountain Dew (honest version). Pool chlorine

For a flattering designer spin on this One Summer 2012 & One Summer 2015 by Calvin Klein

Yuta:

Smells clean and masculine with a slight nod to boyishness. Chic but completely unremarkable. He's definingly the type to buy with the trends but also never really expand into anything interesting. After he did his semester abroad in Africa he has the faintest whiff of something warm and exotic(compared to his previous standard) but its unplaceable.

Accords: cool aquatic, department store man smell (only slightly derogatory), fresh bright ephemeral scents like the breeze or sunshine, fabrics and detergent, a hint of sweet/smokey oud.

Note are from SeaZone by AVON (which sounds like a genuinely beautiful fragrance, so don't let it's simplicity be misleading)

Nobara:

Rose heavy with femininizing white florals and sweet/tart fruit, but there's an uncanny edge to it. Frequently layers perfume samples she gets from her shopping trips, which can make her overall scent toe chypre from time to time. Her favorite brands would be Confessions of a Rebel and Juliet has a Gun.

Notes: vanilla, green chypre top and base, sun-ripe red fruits, white florals, rose, metallic notes, pink peppercorn

Yuji:

(Lovingly) he smells exactly like a teenage boy would smell. His deodorant and bodywash/shampoo save him a little bit, though. In a obviously masculine way he smells bright and citrusy with a childish sweetness to it.

United Dreams One Summer by Benetton and Citrus Circus by Snif are the nicer versions of what is realistically probably (axe body spray) some convenience store products.