#these ones needed their own separate post

[dilfosaur]

well i haven't spilled my guts on tumblr since i was in college but it's the platform that's felt The Most Mine thru the years, so

let's talk!

i've had a huge chip on my shoulder that i wanted off before the year ends. very bad professional experience to follow

so firstly to get ahead of the speculating, i'm not naming names or anything. some of you will puzzle out who i'm talking about, but please don't bother anyone especially not on my behalf. i've worked hard to distance myself from them the past few months. shit happens, especially when you're a dumb bitch (that's me!)

but also this person was someone i considered a close friend and it makes me uneasy to possibly direct backlash at them. "then why post about it" bc i did intermittent work for them for over a year. this is just about that. so hear me out

basically it started off fine. i initially did some commission work for good pay, then was invited to become more involved with their team. unfortunately as i became more involved with their operation it became more disorganized over time. projects started then forgotten, constantly shifting schedules, lapsing communication between roles, confusing financials, and often inconsistent if not late payments. during mid 2023 i was doing colorist work, sometimes on a one day turnaround (all while also preparing drawfee's summer merch launch). the payroll wasn't set up correctly so i wasn't paid for that work for over a year (more on that later), tho to be fair that was largely my own fault at first as i just didnt realize the payments didn't go thru lol

i always consider myself decently capable of separating friendship and coworker-ship; i run a company with 4 wonderful friends, going strong for almost 5 years. that didn't really work out in this case. by early this year our friendship was on the rocks; work issues fed into personal issues and vice versa. so as the rest of this shit plays out, we had just had our first "big fight" which i felt very bad about and added to all the upcoming tension

a huge point of friction was the fact that i really wanted to work with them to make a music video for one of their songs. i've always wanted a chance to make a music video, was confident in a concept i came up with, and even did some concept art for the idea. everyone insisted they loved the concept and that we should do it, but we kept pushing it back for various reasons. it ended up becoming a huge sticking point for my frustrations, which i tried to express productively. TLDR, we eventually got around to discussing it seriously around april.

i planned to ask for $4000 with negotiable add-on for the whole project, which was my Friend Discount price. i was offered a contract for $1000 flat rate, as they insisted that was the only budget they had for it.

don't ask me why i signed it lol. i didn't even counter offer

there was some girlmath to it: i wanted an extra 1k for a student scholarship i provide every spring and well, there it was. but if i had to guess, i saw it as something i just couldn't back down from any more. i caused these folks- my friends- a lot of problems bc i dug my heels in so deep to chase this project, so fuck it we ball

i had about 4 months to solo a 3 minute music video. they wanted it done in august so they could release it before summer ended, bc "it was a summer song". to be fair i was asked if i needed them to pay for anything extra like assistants (which i would have to find and manage) but i was so immediately overwhelmed that i didn't wanna slow down to wait on that process lol. there was very minimal communication other than brief progress check-ins every few weeks. i did everything for that project myself: the original concept, character designs, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds. i even did the editing/compositing for the final cut of the MV. the only favor i did myself was limiting the amount of it that was actually animated to simple loops and motions. hardly my best work but it was work still done

i did it all in between my full time job. i ended up having to take nearly a month away from most of my drawfee duties (with the support of the others) to make the august deadline. i only ever asked for a 3 day extension (notice given about a week in advance, around the same time i was given the final song file lol). i finished the music video at 6am on the final deadline and recorded drawfee the next day on 2 hours of sleep

but it was done, coolies. the team was very happy with the final product. honestly, without getting into it, those were a very emotionally taxing 4 months. on the professional side, i regretted agreeing to the project and especially for the dogshit rate they offered. i felt like a hypocrite- as someone who always wanted to advocate for younger artists demanding their worth in a world that's getting increasingly hostile toward creatives, i failed myself

so when i met with the manager to discuss the release plan, i told them to do whatever worked best for them as i only had one request: i wanted my credit removed from the project

tbh... like... lmao this dramatic bitch right!! but really, i decided that bad practices only breed worse business. friends or not, it was unprofessional of me to accept such a low paying job so i just didn't want my name used in association. everything felt so muddled to me and i was just really tired at this point

the manager was very understanding and then offered that i could be paid more. they said that their team "was surprised" i accepted their low rate and they would be happy to up the amount. this confused me as the initial budget seemed pretty set and at no point between april and august was i offered a better rate. i knew these guys weren't made of money. so, i declined. i didn't want to put anyone out of their means over work that was already done and agreed upon. but more importantly, i was over the whole thing and didn't want to prolong the project with a contract renegotiation. i just insisted my name be removed

they decided to use a pseudonym (which i was fine with) so they could create a story about a character who made the MV (this sounds really convoluted but i don't know how better to put it without getting specific, sorry). that way if people asked about the credit, they could speak comfortably about it without signaling that something went wrong behind the scenes. ok, kind of a silly narrative imo but whatevs. and maybe this is where i finally went truly wrong but. yolo i guess

i gave the name "D. Smithee", D as in dilfosaur and Smithee as in Alan Smithee. look it up for fun film trivia ig! was it passive aggressive of me to reference that in this context? yeah, honestly. but i thought it was kinda funny and really not that deep. if it was a problem, i have other real, non-cheeky pseudonyms i regularly use. the manager accepted it and all i had to do was wait for them to post the video and i could leave the whole experience behind me

a week later i received a message from the manager that my pseudonym had been denied by the rest of the team bc one of them got the reference. fair enough lol. however, they decided that rather than ask for a different name, the were going to make one up for me that they liked and would "fit the [story]", without asking me

and that! is when i finally snapped!

i was so tired of giving them concessions at this point and having a credit made up for me without any input from me felt genuinely violating and unethical. i started to Panic bc of how stressed i was, and asked for my overdue payments (aka the $500 still owed on the MV, and the colorist rate from a year prior that was never paid even tho i reported it in january) to be scheduled ASAP as i was leaving the work discord immediately

i finally told them off for exploiting me throughout the months while i kept trying to just be nice and finish my contact cleanly. in return i was told that it was unfair to say that as i agreed to everything- i accepted their cheap rate and denied further payment so that was all settled, and it was ok to change my credit without my consent bc i "said they could do whatever with the release". i called bullshit, ended the convo as kindly as i could, and cried lol. they agreed to ditch the pseudonym and just give no credit. that night was the last i heard from anyone on that team

and the real kicker?

august came and went. then september, october... and they never released the music video

and i don't know why, because i was never contacted about it. i've been removed from the picture entirely i guess. 4 months and boatloads of stress. just. up in smoke. i don't know what i expected honestly

it's hard to not take everything that happened personally and as done in bad faith. i really do, honestly. i've had plenty of shitty deals in my almost 10 year art career, but it hits different from people you saw as friends. but to the point of "why not keep it private", i have never felt so disrespected as a professional as i did this past year. i can toy with money and credits and other formalities all i want, but my work- my ideas, my labor, my effort- is still so important to me. i felt like the biggest idiot for doing so much work, pouring so much of myself into a piece for someone's use, for what has amounted to nothing

but more importantly i hated myself for undervaluing my work, even if initially i thought this person was a trusted friend. money is not really an issue for me- drawfee is my main job and i am fine and comfortable. it's so important to pay artists appropriately but i often undersell my own work bc i value the collaboration and passion between creatives more than the reward. i think a lot of artists tend to feel the same, and it often makes us easy to take advantage of. it's so difficult to find the balance between passion and making a fair living, and i think there's some shame within ourselves when artists choose to prioritize that passion

i wanted to finally get all this off my chest bc i was ashamed of every choice i made. things like this happen all the time i'm sure and hiding these mistakes only make it easier for it to happen to other people

tldr always value your work and protect your passion from people who just see it as a product. and don't give cheeky pseudonyms i guess lol

(and again pls don't bother anyone involved about this. a lot of chaos has left my life as i moved past all this, and this is me closing a door without opening new ones hopefully lol)

this shit was truly

so ass.

but i'm moving past it now

but on a nicer note. outside of all of this nonsense, i made lots of good memories this year. i'm truly so grateful to the many wonderful people in my life who keep me going even when i fuck up big time!

and thank you to all of you strangers who, despite everything, give me the time of day. especially if you read this whole thing. you're a real one :')

happy new year!

[blondie11067]

I think its crazy some people are dropping the show after Sinsmass/the whole Octavia thing.

I agree with the post about how complicated it is for Stolas. Also, i raise you *Child who has probably spent her whole life watching her parents NOT being a healthy couple... Or one at all*.

Now, this is important. VERY important, especially when you take in consideration that she's quite old in the middle of the divorce and her mother is an insanely manipulative narcissist. Which means, she could've not experienced half the shitty relationship it actually was and be living half a fantasy of a "happy family". Seeing how divorce can be quite difficult for children, even more if they're older and think the divorce is coming out of nowhere which makes it even harder.

Divorce is hard and it affects the relationship between child and parents regardless of how good it might be. Stolas also launched himself into a seriously unhealthy situationship he was NOT prepared for, much less capable to handle it. This divides his attention from being solely on Octavia (after it being all about her and her only) to his pet ✨BLITZY✨. So Octavia is growing up, being a teen, living in a house with parents who are NOT a couple or remotely affectionate with each other, and now this stranger is spending a lot of time with her dad (lets note that this is on Stolas, since he was the one seeking Blitz and not viceversa. For blitz it's business, transactional, his payment for 'renting' Stolas grimoire).

Then the divorce happens. Lets say whatever cause she still spends time with Stolas and he's doing pretty good (feeling better than he probably felt after years of living with Stella). Then he's so focused on his situationship and his developing feelings that he naturally shifts more focus onto Blitz. Then they break up and he's in Shambles.

Stella surely was also finding ways to keep Stolas from spending time with Octavia. So Stolas being too emotionally devastated after the break up doesn't help his lack of presence in Octavia's life.

"Why does he hate her more than he loves me?"

Octavia knows her parents don't love each other. That's probably why she does not react much to him ans Blitz at the beginning cuz "hey! At least her dsd is happy now, right?"

Still, she needs to know he loves her. And Stolas has proven to speak too much without sufficient actions to prove his words. He promises things and forgets (cuz he has his own shit to deal with. All reasonable) but his daughter needs her father.

Sadly, Stolas also dug his own grave.

"When I'm gone you'll be okay."

Stolas did not spend enough time with his daughter. A daughter who was no longer living with him. A daughter living through a divorce, a separation, and a mother who does not want her to be with Stolas.

Then he sacrificed himself for his great love!... And it cost him what he loves most, his daughter.

"And when you're gone I will be okay."

He proved to her that SHE wasn't the first thing he thought about. Not after the break up (yes, he was heartbroken but time with his beloved daughter would've been a healthy distraction and good for the both of them). Not when he risked his life, HER DADDY'S LIFE. Not when he just had his visiting rights REVOKED for 100 years.

I mean, seriously for someone who claims to love his daughter so much, he did not thought about how his actions would affect his daughter nor the fact that he would NOT SEE her for a fucking century - regardless of the fact that they're pretty much eternal.

Being there is important for a kid, for YOUR kid. When you prove to them they're not a priority, it stings. It shows them they can't count on you.

She even says it in her song,

"Was it just another lie."

"Why you lied to my face?"

"And I'll know that i was always right to doubt you."

And during such a rough time, it might just lead them to think that maybe they aren't loved.

🦉🦉🦉

Now yoy have this teen goung through all of that but, believe it or not, kids have eyes. Kids pay attention to their parents.

So she throws it back to him, how he never kept his promises, how all he did was lie, how he didn't love her as much as he loved Blitz since he ABANDONED her for him.

Octavia goes through all the drama, through all those doubts about her dad and whether or not he loves her and then... She finds a BOX full of Happy Pills!

So yes. She throws all that back to him and she blames him.... But she also blames herself.

She thinks that because of his unhappy marriage - HER parents' shitty marriage -, because of HER, Stolas was so depressed, so unhappy... That he needed ✨Happy Pills✨

"So (...) you just stayed miserable because of me?"

It's her fault his dad was miserable. He would've been better had he not stayed with his family, unhappy and forced into it.

"Was I some fucking obligation?"

She's a burden. No reason her dad left her. She was part of the reason he was miserable. Of course she'd leave her after finding happiness.

And then it all ties together with

"You lied to me once you'll lie to me again"

What goes around comes around.

"I tried so many years to make it comfortable for us; to have this family, but it was never enough. The only reason I have endured your constant insults and cruelty was for that girl to have a normal life." - Stolas S2 E1

"Also, son, you are destined to sire a precautionary addition to the Goetia family." - Paimon S2 E1

Some of you all are completely misunderstanding the second half, I am not downplaying the love Stolas has for Octavia, I am not saying that at all, what I am saying, is that Octavia is 100% going to think she was a 'obligation' when she finds out she was born to be a 'precautionary addition to the Goetia family'.

[hyunsusgf]

super shy.

synopsis … squid game women with a timid s/o ꨄ︎.

pairings … se-mi, sae-byeok, no-eul, jun-hee, ji-yeong, hyun-ju x fem!reader (separately)

warnings … fem reader, non game au, and a few are maybe ooc?

lovely notes … two posts in two days, we rejoice again!

꩜ [ 855 words ]

se-mi / player 380 is the polar opposite of you. while you’re timid, she’s a very assertive woman who isn’t apprehensive about expressing herself.

if needed, she’d speak up or defend you from someone without a second thought. she often finds herself doing simple things like ordering your food for you or speaking for you in awkward social settings.

she finds your timidness cute at times, like when you shy away from her compliments.

“hey, you look pretty with your hair down.” “oh, thank you se-mi. it looks, like, average.” “be honest, you look stunning with it down. you should wear it like that more, pretty.”

the way she was able to fluster you every time will never get old to her. she loved to say flirty things for the hell of it, and to of course catch you off guard.

she has a habit of including you in whatever conversation she’s having, whether she realizes she’s doing it or not. it’s more of a subconscious doing of hers. though, she knows when and when to not drag you into discussions of hers.

she hates to see someone targeting you, especially if they know your shy personality. she steps in without a second thought to handle the situation for you.

sae-byeok / player 067 is alike to you in many ways. she never makes an effort to put herself out there unless completely necessary.

in social situations, she doesn’t mind stepping in and doing most of the communication for you.

she’s the first to defend you if someone tests you, because how dare someone come to you when they’re aware of your timidness? especially in her presence?

“hey, i got you. lemme know if they say something to you again.” “it’s fine. i can handle my own, sae-byeok.” “mhm. you better tell me.”

she coaxes you to keep to yourself rather than speak out. weirdly enough, she likes being the only person you trust enough to be vocal around. she likes the dependency.

no-eul / guard 011 doesn’t exactly lack courage or confidence, she just isn’t an outspoken woman. she keeps to herself most of the time, similar to you.

similar to se-mi, she likes to fluster you at every waking moment. she enjoys seeing the bashful look on your face whenever she constantly compliments you.

while she encourages you to speak up for yourself more often than not, she doesn’t mind stepping in for you.

“hey, defend yourself next time.” “i was planning to. you just.. beat me to it.” “whatever you say.”

she knows how you struggle to express yourself, but she teases you nonetheless. it’s all in good faith, though. she knows when you’ve reached your limits.

jun-hee / player 222 is similar to you in numerous ways. while she isn’t exactly timid, she doesn’t find herself speaking out in a lot of situations.

if it comes down to it, she’ll speak for you without a doubt. but if she knows you can handle your own, she’d leave you to it.

she frequently teases you for how bashful you are, as if she isn’t so similar to you.

“you’re so shy, so quiet.” “jun-hee, please shut up.” “oh, so she does speak?”

the two of you can often sit in silence for hours on end, basking in the presence of one another. you don’t speak many words because the solace between you two is more than enough.

she’s the perfect person to be around if you find serenity in quiet rather than deafening settings.

ji-yeong / player 240 is a bright difference from you. she’s very bubbly, outspoken, and animated.

you two look like an unlikely couple, like opposites that people wouldn’t expect to be together. but ji-yeong is adamant about the idea that opposites attract.

if needed, she can always speak up for you. as odd as it sounds, she enjoys speaking up for you when you’re in a non-verbal state.

“hey, want me to speak for you?” “ji-yeong, as much as i love you, i need to speak up for myself.” “okay.. but please take me up on my offer in the future.”

she feels a sort of protectiveness around you. given you’re her partner, but especially with your shy nature. it’s like a need to shield you from anything and anyone.

hyun-ju / player 120 is quite the contrast, as she was never really nervous or bashful. she asserts herself in most circumstances, unlike yourself.

she stands up for you without hesitation, mainly because she knows firsthand what it’s like to be belittled by others.

she’s been in so many situations in which others have degraded her so she knows how to deal with it easily.

“come to me if they say something else to you, yeah?” “of course. thank you so much, hyun-ju. i don’t know what i’d do without you.” “don’t mention it.”

even though it’s hard to believe, you’re able to fluster her rather than the other way around. any lovey-dovey thing you say has her gone.

she enjoys sitting in silence with you, just like jun-hee. comfortable tranquility with someone she cherishes cannot be beaten.

[scruckels]

HOW STEB COMMUNICATES!

And... that's kinda it. A deep dive into how Steb communicates but I fight to stay on topic the longer you read.

NOTE: I gave this whole post a hazy and blurry zonked glance while muttering to myself before pressing post. There may be some spelling mistakes / incorrect wording.

Question by this person, but I was too lazy to make a separate post since I already had a draft similar to this question saved. I LOVE YOU CORACOOKIECRUMBLE!!! 😁😁😁😁⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️🗣🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯

There aren't many scenes of Steb trying to communicate with someone, so it's difficult to say for sure how he communicates, but I think I have a pretty decent idea.

IN THE VIDEO BELOW

You see Steb with Maddie. This is the only scene really showing how they talk to one another, and the situtiain is tense, so it's hard to say how he communicates in more relaxed situations. In this scene, Steb communicates with her that he's ready by grunting, to which she understands.

IN THE GIF BELOW

Once again, in a tense situation, Steb makes some noise to communicate. This time, he speaks. Not only does he speak, but he also motions for everyone to follow him. With that being said, this proves that Steb CAN talk. He just doesn't want to.

This is not the only time Steb uses body language to communicate.

IN THE GIF BELOW

Steb cocks his head to the side, signaling to Maddie that they should go, as well as walking away with her once they're called.

IN THE TWO GIFS BELOW

Steb uses some hand and arm motions to signal to others. In the first one, he signals to Caitlyn to fall back, being that he had planted the bomb. In the second GIF, he signals for the enforces to turn off the beacons, since there didn't appear to be anyone coming to help fight.

IN THESE TWO GIFS BELOW

Steb grabs Mel to help her up, and in the second GIF, he grabs up the other guy to detain him. (I don't know if he has a name, and im too tired to look for one.)

Steb doesn't say anything prior to touching them, but the situations are also something to consider. Steb has his hands out to both of them, catching their attention just before actually putting his hands on them. Whether or not it's intentionally meant to be a signal, it's still something he does.

With these situations, it's hard to say EXACTLY how he is when using physical contact to communicate, but it'd say it isn't something he does often. He grabs Mel because it's an emergency, and he needs to make sure she's alright and out of there as soon as possible. He grabs the guy to detain him, following Caitlyn's orders and arresting him. Every time he touches someone (on screen), it's not really to communicate, and more so to assist / do his job.

CONCLUSION AND ANSWERS:

Is Steb mute?

No.

Is he selectively mute?

It seems most likely........? (Considering the information we have, at least.)

That being said, if he IS selectively mute, he may be open to speaking more frequently with someone close to him. Maybe even if it's just a little bit. (Short sentences, short answers, quiet speaking voice, murmuring, ect.) I can speak more on this at the end of this post for the people who wanna read about it.

Do I think he uses sign language? No. I really doubt it. He communicates both intentionally and unintentionally with small gestures, body language, and expression. He might use some type of hand signs occasionally? Not sign language itself, but just hand gestures that give you a vague idea of what he wants. For example, maybe you'll ask him why he's out somewhere, and he'll tug on the fabric of his enforcer uniform, signaling he's there for work. You'll ask why he's looking at you, and he'll point to his face as reference to your own, signaling that you have something on you and showing where it is.

Again, there's isn't enough Information to be 100% certain, but I feel like my conclusion is relatively sound.

Extra yap you were previously warned about:

I can talk more about selective mutism in another post for the people interested. Keep in mind, I'm NOT a professional. I'm autstic and I'm just nerdy about this. I don't wanna dump a whole bunch of information that is not at least 87% Steb related in this post, so I'm gonna say this next part like I'm one of those youtubers who has an audience of 5 year olds and makes those 3 am challenge videos cause it's funny.

GUYS, IF WE CAN GET AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE TO COMMENT THAT THEY WANNA HEAR ABOUT SELECTIVE MUTISM IN ANOTHER POST, ILL MAKE A POST ABOUT SELECTIVE MUTISM AND HOW STEB WOULD MOST LIKELY BEHAVE OFF SCREEN IF HE HAS IT!! DONT FORGET TO SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON, SUBSCRIBE, AND TURN ON THE NOTIFICATIONS BELL!!

I LOVE YOU STEB NATION!!! 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💯❗️❗️❗️❗️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️🙏🙏🙏🙏

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Love That Burns ~ Ending 2 ~ 48

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 1,770ish

Summary: You and Laura rebuild your lives. Spans from 2029 to 2035.

Warning(s):  nightmares, injuries

Notes: I hope this chapter is okay! I know that it's not terribly long and skips a lot. Please remember to review the timeline posted here.

Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks!

You woke up with a jolt. The image of Logan laying there bloody against the tree still fresh in your mind all these months later.

You made it across the border with Laura. You found Eden, the official safe haven, and you hated every moment of it. The leaders there were happy to have an X-Men on their side, but you no longer felt like an X-Men. When you expressed your desire to leave, they weren’t too happy but agreed to help. They gave you enough money for a cheap car and first and lasts months rent for a small one bedroom apartment. They urged you not to take Laura, but there was no way the two of you were going to be separated.

You sighed, turning your head to find Laura staring back at you. You moved onto your side to face her.

“You had another nightmare,” she whispered.

“Did I burn you?” You asked. You had woken up a few times to Laura spraying you down with a fire extinguisher, making you thankful for keeping extras on hand.

“No. No flames this time.”

“But I woke you?”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not, sweetie. You need to be getting rest too.”

“Can’t… nightmares.”

You reached over and began to run your hand up and down her arm. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

~~~

You were able to get a teaching job after taking a few classes to renew your license, with help from the people at Eden. Laura was able to go to school with you. Laura was a good and smart kid, but she had her father’s temper and patience. That meant you spent a lot of time in the principal’s office with Laura the first few months of school. You were just grateful that Laura had yet to show her claws off to anyone yet.

You sighed as you drove home. Laura was in the seat beside you, staring out the window with her purple sunglasses covering her eyes.

“Laura, you know that I completely stand by you when it comes to standing up for others,” you began, “but you cannot beat each bully up because of it.”

“They deserved it,” she muttered, keeping her gaze out the window.

“That doesn’t matter, Laura. We need to be better than the bullies.”

“Dad would have been proud.”

You slammed on your breaks as your breath caught. “What?”

“I said that Dad would have been proud.”

You swallowed, mind reeling at the mention of Logan. The car behind you honked, pulling your from your thoughts and causing you to continue to drive forward.

“Your father…” you breathed out. “Your father might have been proud of you, that’s true, but he also would tell you never to do it again. That it’s not actually a victory to lower yourself to the bullies standards. He would not want that for you.”

Laura looked over at you and reached over, touching your arm. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m not mad.”

“No,” she shook her head, “sorry for making you sad.”

It was like a punch to the gut. This little girl was way too observant for her own good.

“I’m fine, Laura,” you told her, pressing out a smile. “I’m not sad.”

Laura looked at you for a moment before going back to staring out the window. You knew she didn’t believe you one bit.

~~~

Nights were the hardest. Though you shared a bed with Laura, you missed the way Logan would hold you close at night. You always felt safe and wanted. You would try to cry it all out in the shower, hoping that Laura couldn’t hear you, but she could. Silent tears would still slip down your cheeks as you tried to sleep. 

Laura would often notice, her senses like her father’s. She would reach over and take your hand, hoping that would be enough to calm you. Sometimes it was, sometimes it made it worse. You were the much older adult. You needed to be the strong one for this little girl who was still struggling with her own trauma. Yet, many days you couldn’t put your own problems aside. Laura didn’t push or press though. 

Both of you were the only constants in each other’s lives now. You didn’t know it, but through your own tears, you were helping Laura. She grew up in a place where emotion was not okay. By you showing your ranges of emotions, you were showing her that it was okay to show emotion.

One night, you woke up to a sharp pain in your arm. You looked over to see Lauras claws in your arm. She was crying out and thrashing around, all of her claws out for show. Careful not to move too much with her claws in you, turned over to face her and reached your other arm over.

“Laura, sweetie,” you called calmly. “Wake up. It’s just a nightmare. Wake up.”

Laura gasped as she shot up. Her eyes scanned the bedroom for any short of danger. She froze when she saw her claws in her arm.

“No,” she whimpered, shaking her head. “No, no, no, no!”

“It’s okay, Laura! I’m fine. I’ll heal.”

“No!” She continued to shake her head.

You winced as she wanked her claws out and scurried away until she fell off the bed and hid herself in the corner. You didn’t even bother to look at your wound as you crawled over the bed and sat yourself down on the floor next to it. 

“It’s okay, Laura,” you repeated. “We’re okay.”

The two of you sat in silence, the only notable sound being her heaving breathing. Suddenly, you got an idea. You reached out your good arm and turned your hand so that your palm was up. A flame formed in your palm, lighting up the area a little and catching Laura’s eyes. 

“See? I’m okay,” you whispered, ignoring the fact that your palm was actually aching as you formed the palm. 

Laura’s eyes darted down to your injured, bloody arm, feeling little relief though it was healing. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, still staring at it.

“No, need,” you shook your head. “It was a nightmare… You know, Logan got nightmares often.”

“I know.”

“Do you know that be stabbed me a few times as well?”

“He did?”

“Yes. He hated himself for every injury he ever caused me, but I rarely ever let him run away from me. I knew that it would only make it worse. So I helped him.”

“How?”

“I would hold him. Let me know I was there still. Sometimes I would use my heat to relax him. His muscles were always so tense after a nightmare.” You watched as Laura rolled her shoulders, like she was testing if it was the same for her. “I can help you, too.” 

You extinguished the flame and held out both of your arms. Laura was hesitant at first but then slowly moved over. As soon as you could, you pulled her into your lap and held her against you. You kept your body heat at a comforting temperature as kept her close.

“I’ve got you,” you whispered. “I’ve got you.”

It didn’t take long for Laura to fall back asleep in the safety of your hold.

~~~

You stood next to the car as you waited for Laura to finish chatting with her friend. You listened in as a small smile formed on your lips. It had been over a year since the two of you basically reset your lives and this was the first time Laura seemed interested in having a friend.

“Can you come over to my house to hang out?” Her friend asked. “My mom can take us and then bring you home.”

“Uh, let me ask my mom,” Laura said. 

Laura turned around and hurried over to you. You were staring at her in shock. You had never heard her call you that before, not that you were mad.

“Hey, um, mom,” she said once she was in front of you. Her voice was nervous. “Can I go over to Alex’s house? Alex’s mom can bring me home.”

“Uh, yeah,” you nodded, still processing your new name. “Of course. Just keep your phone on you and let me know if you need me to come get you.”

“Okay! Thanks! Love you!” Then she rushed back to her friend.

“Love you, too.”

~~~.

As the years past, Laura and you grew closer. You were not just a mother-daughter duo, you were best friends. Both of you had opened up about your lives over the years, making each other the only ones who knew intimate details about the other. She was now starting her senior year of high school, trying to figure out her life, and, for some reason, yours.

“Just one date.”

“I told you, Laura, I’m not interested.”

“Come on. He’s cute.”

“I’m not going out on a date with my boss.” You shook your head as you continued to make dinner. “That’s just weird any so many ways. Besides, he definitely doesn’t see me like that.”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “He literally looks at you like he could take you right then and there.”

“Laura! He does not!”

“Oh, he does, and everyone knows it but you. Come on, mom, it’s been six years, it’s time—“

“I’ve told you this before, Laura, I’m not going to date anyone and that’s okay. Your father was it for me.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I just don’t like the idea of me going to college and you being here all alone.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know about that. You haven’t been alone like this before.” You finally turned to face her. “Laura, thank you so much for taking care of me all these years. But it’s okay that you could live your own life. I’ll be okay… We’ll be okay.”

~~~

The two of you were out shopping for new clothes for the school year when it happened. You and Laura were walking down the street. Laura’s backpack was thrown over her shoulder as she was always prepared for anything and kept one of her father’s comics on her at all times. Neither of you saw it coming. Before you knew it, someone tased you from behind and then Laura. 

The world around you disappeared and you suddenly were thrown into an unfamiliar place. You and Laura tumbled to the ground. You groaned as a pair of boots stepped into your vision. You looked up to see a bald woman standing over you.

“Welcome to the Void.”

next chapter >

[luanarainbow]

Parallels that make me feral ~ Jayvik & Timebomb edition

(This post focuses on 2x07 because there are plenty of other parallels between these four characters in various combinations and iterations of themselves, but I just rewatched 2x07 and have a lot to say about this episode specifically.)

● AU Ekko doodles AU Powder, his lab and romantic partner, in his journal & Jayce doodles Viktor in his.

● AU Powder and AU Ekko work together to participate in the Innovators Competition & JayVik reminisce about their time at the same Competition in 1x09

● AU Powder offers her help to Ekko (and Heimerdinger) in their experimentation to build the anomaly & Viktor offers his help to Jayce to make Hextech in 1x02

● Ekko falls in love with AU Powder (and, by extension, with Powder/Jinx of his own timeline) while working with her & Jayce falls in love with Viktor while working with him (as we know, this happens in every timeline but this, since they're 💀💀 in this AU)

● Together, Ekko and AU Powder build the reversed anomaly & together, JayVik built (and are) the original anomaly (more on that in my Jayvik meta)

● "Can we just pretend like it's the first time?"

Ekko asks this before AU Powder kisses him because it's the first time for him, while it isn't for her (since AU Ekko and Powder were already together). Then the scene cuts to Jayce arriving at the top of the Hexgate tower, where another version of Viktor awaits. This is Jayce’s first time—seeing Mage Viktor’s face, realizing they’re in a loop of their own making, and experiencing it all���while it isn’t for Mage Viktor.

It’s a brilliant foreshadowing of the final JayVik revelation in 2x09, while also paralleling Jayce—who has finally reached his partner of another timeline, standing in what feels like an oasis of peace, separate and protected from the storm raging below—and Ekko, who finds his partner of another timeline in the oasis of peace that is the AU timeline.

● Ekko leaves AU Powder to return to his own timeline, leaving her with the AU version of himself & Jayce leaves Mage Viktor to return to his own timeline, leaving him with the original version of himself (again, see JayVik meta)

I kept this one for last because, so far, the character mirroring has been Ekko/Jayce and Powder/Viktor, but as I said earlier, there are many different parallels and combinations. This is relevant to this episode so I had to include it:

● Ekko gives the necklace to AU Powder & Mage Viktor gives the rune(s) to Jayce.

While Jayce always keeps the rune on himself for his entire life and makes Viktor his whole raison d'être, Powder places the necklace in her drawer alongside the Hextech crystals she has kept—a memento of "what could have been".

I've seen people interpret this scene as suggesting that Powder might become the future inventor of Hextech in this timeline because of Ekko’s influence, but I strongly disagree. She says it herself: "I like my life. I don't wanna lose what makes me 'me' chasing some wild dream."

She has no interest in pursuing this "wild dream" because she already has everything she needs: a support system. She has her dads, she has Ekko, she has her friends... she has love. She’s grieving her sister and always will, but she’s not doing it alone.

That’s the difference between her and Jayce. Powder already has the love she needs to survive, while for Jayce, the love he needs to survive will always come at the cost of dooming the world.

[jjcanwrite]

Under The Moonlight /|\ An ateez × reader fic

Under The Moonlight ~ Chapter I

Pairing: OT8Demi-wolfAteez! × HumanReader! (Mingi focus in this chapter)

Sypnosis: It's about midwinter in the forest you reside in, that time of year where it's absolutely beautiful to watch in during the day but the worst frustration to go through at night. A forgotten lanter turns into a forgotten home, and you quickly find yourself in the tight grip of none other than Song Mingi, a young wolf in the pack you met a few months ago, who has every intention to bring you back to the pack's closing and finally keep you there..~

Series content warnings!: heavy but not dark concepts like violence, insecurities, mental health, slight depictions of gore, mentions of blades, etc - Polygamy - Eventually smut- Animalistic/hybrid tendencies e.i, marking, heats/ruts, scents/scenting, clingy behavior, growling, the boys do have tails,ears,and heightened senses, ect. - Reader does develop some kind of animal mindset after marking (this will be elaborated on later. It's kind of like a second sex but..not.)

Chapter warnings: Kidnapping (but not really.) - very, VERY slight threatening behavior from Mingi (reader doesn't feel threatened, just startled), Joong is kinds mad at Mingi towards the end but not majorly, overall this chapter is pretty tame 🧍‍♀️

A/N: I will be making separate posts about how this universe works!! Please feel free to ask any and all questions because I will give them an answer 🙂‍↕️

Word count:1500-1600

Your feet are gentle on the smooth stones of your cottages path, the air is chilly and slow as it is every harvest season. The problem is, it's dark, really dark.

Maybe it's just the trees and all their leaves that are blocking out the moonlight, but the sky is also cloudy and hazed. The wind in the air is absent, but you can see your breath get wipped into a white cloud of cold smoke with every exhale.

You usually wouldn't even be out at this time of night, especially not at this time of year, and you wouldn't be out now if it wasn't for that stupid lamp you left out early that evening.

It's just entering winter, which means it's time to collect all of the lost hay, lamps, and clear out this year's harvests (which really isn't much for you considering that you live close enough to the village to attend the market). But, this time of year it's also hunting season. For..the wolf's, that is.

Now, you normally aren't very fearful of the demi-wolfs in your area, they're actually quite peaceful and friendly if you take the time to get to know them, but..it's different during hunting season. They hunt for all kinds of things, food, shelter, mates, more food. They just hunt, that's what the season is for! But, they almost enter a state of ferality during this time of year. The thoughts become more primal, more instintual and the pack near you, which also happened to be the pack you were closest with, had made it clear the year before that you could never be to sure if they looked at you with intentions of eating you or marking you as their own.

It was..the ateez pack..or something. You didn't really remember. Most of them seemed much more interested in the warm, peachy scent you radiated rather than anything they felt the need to say.

You figured most things out yourself from the eldest two, who had rightfully informed you of all the information you needed. The wolf's names, how they handled the changing of the seasons, their positions and responsibilities within the pack. Honestly, you weren't sure why they told you all of this, they talked to you as if you were the newest addition to their group and while you flattered, you did think it was a tad odd for them to warm up to you so quickly. Especially one of the younger ones..

Mingi, that was his name. He was the most intimidating looking out of the eight of them. He was tall, well built, but could not keep his mouth shut to save his life. He was also a bit handsy..not in a rude way, of course! But more that he often tended to forget the aspect of personal space. He always had a hand on you, your shoulder, your thigh, your hair, sometimes even drifting down to lock his fingers in with yours. You yourself didn't mind that much, but it always seemed to annoying the rest of the pack members with how touchy he was.

Another thing you learned about Mingi was that he was also rumored to wander about at night the most. "Couldn't sleep", is what he'd always tell you when you found him just a few couple trees outside of your cottage, sometimes you'd even catch San wandering around with him. It did freak you out the first one or two times, but you knew the clumsy giant didn't mean any harm, so you just let him wander without much question.

When you had finally made it to your small lamp left ontop of a tree stump a gentle sigh of relief fell from your lips, you hand quickly grabbing hold of the handle and pulling it up above your head so you could finally see properly-

but your hand never made contact.

The already dying flame burst into nothing but soft smoke, the overpowering scent of oak wood and sage found its way into your nostrils, the smallest hint of sea salt and an aggressive spike of spice filled your senses in a strong gust of wind. An arm came to strongly wrap around your waist, pulling you back and against a tall, firm chest. You knew it the second you had smelt him, it was Mingi, but something was different about his scent. Everything that was normally there still was, but the spice was new. His scent was normally very calm and musky but the spice in it was aggravated and new. Not to mention the wolf-boy's hold on you was much firmer than it usually was. He usually held you like an expensive peice of glass, something that needed to be held with care or would immediately shatter, but the hold he had on you now was that of posession..it was like he was afraid to let you go, afraid to loose your form against his.

His breathing was stuffy and heavy, his ears were pointed and stood tall, and his tail flicked insatiable behind him. There was an underlying growl in his chest, not one you could hear but one you could feel against your back. His hands twitched, clenching and unclenching around the fabric of your clothes. Before you could even process everything correctly he had stuffed his face into the crook of your neck, a small whine leaving him at your scent.

You could feel his canines poke at his lower lip, the low, desperate whine in his throat making it clear how much he was struggling not to dig the enamle into your soft skin.

You just smelt so damn good. He couldn't think properly, all of his thoughts jumbled and incoherent. With how you fit so perfectly into his arms, how your body felt pressed against his, how you smelt against his nose, the only thing he could thing about was taking you back home and keeping you there forever. You were his. You belonged to the pack. He had scented you ages ago which you hadn't noticed yet. It was widely known that demi-wolfs would share everything with their pack, so the second he had left his scent on you you had been claimed as theirs.

He felt bad. He felt so guilty wherever he would think about it. He claimed you without your consent, scenting you was almost as possessive as actually marking you, and it didn't just 'go away'. The thoughts of upsetting you hurt him more than whatever warmth was coursing through his blood right now, but the thought of loosing you, especially if it was to some pitiful human, hurt him even more than that.

He couldn't let you go. He couldn't loose you. They couldn't loose you.

Quickly, you feel his arm scoop under your legs, and before you can question anything or protest to his actions he tucks you into his chest and bolts. You know very well where he's going, having walked the path to the pack's cave many times, and as much as you trust him to get you there safely you can't help but be startled.

Any protest you make falls on deaf, fluffy ears. The speed of his movement generating more air than you'd walked through that whole night. It doesn't take him any more than 3 minutes to get to the pack's opening, the mixed scents they all carry finding your nose. They all lacked the spice that Mingi's had acquired, maybe it was something he was wearing? A plant he had eaten..maybe?

However, what was more important was the way Mingi shifted you to being laid over his shoulder. His arms moved to the top of your thigh and the middle of your pack, holding you down on him with the obvious intent of keeping you there.

He didn't pay any mind to the things around him, much more focused on getting you in the core of his den, with the rest of the pack, where you belonged. The only thing that made his pause was a sharp, distinct shout of his name coming from no one but the pack's caption

Hongjoong.

"Mingi! What- what the fuck are you doing!?"

Dispite his size, Hongjoong was the most commanding person you had ever seen, however despite his reputation he was also one of the most comforting. He always seemed to have an answer to every question you asked..even if you were 98% sure he got most of those answers from Seonghwa..

The older wolf's words seemed to snap Mingi out of whatever trance he was in, or at least redirect his attention. Even in whatever..thing..he had going on, he recognized the authority Hongjoong had. It gave you at least a little hope that he'd put you down soon, your stomach was starting to hurt :(

A small yelp let your lips as Mingi lifted you off his shoulder setting you down infront of him and wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you back against his chest. His ears had flattened slightly, and you could feel the pout on his lips as he rested his chin on the top of your head.

"I brought a gift.."

~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~•♡•~

Taglist:

@mimikittysblog

[sgiandubh]

For calm winter afternoons:Τεμπελόπιτα (tembelopita) or Epirote lazy pie

This is one of the easiest Greek recipes you will ever find. Requires zero cooking proficiency and takes a flash to make and bake. The result is so satisfactory, it quickly became a go-to solution when you don't feel like baking, but still crave a good savory treat.

It hails from Epirus, a coastal region of North-Western Greece. On this basic map, it's colored in orange:

Epirus is nowadays one of the poorest regions of Greece, but two thousand years ago it was anything but. It's also smack dab in the middle of the coastal Balkans, and that makes it a hub for all the cultural influences you can imagine: Turkish, Italian/Venetian (see the island of Corfu -red arrow - one of my favorite places in the world), Albanian and even Vlach (a sensitive topic I shall not dwell upon). Those two traits explain why its local cuisine is very close to the concept of cucina povera (tasty treats out of virtually nothing) and features some unusual, but still easy, baking techniques. For instance, pies are seldom made with phyllo dough, which makes the whole process considerably easier.

I found this recipe during my first month of posting to Athens, in the gastronomy supplement of I Kathimerini, the highly respected Greek daily we all loved to use for our dispatches ;). I whimsically made it for the first time for a New Year's last minute invitation. It was a roaring success and remained a firm staple in our home, I usually make around the same date (for New Year's Day, it's always, always Pasta Perestroika/Penne alla vodka).

For this tembelopita (this makes me smile, because in Romanian, we borrowed the word tembel from the Greek τεμπελό/lazy, except it means 'idiot'), you will need:

1 3/4 cups (400 grams) flour; 1 cup (250 ml) milk; 2 cups (500 ml) cold water; one egg; 2 yolks (separate); 1/3 cup (80 ml) EVOO; 1 cup (300 grams) feta cheese; 1/3 cup butter (directly from the fridge!); salt, pepper, onion powder, dried mint, cayenne - your pick.

Line a sheet pan with baking paper, slightly oiled with a bit of EVOO (use the corner of a soaked paper towel, it works wonders). Place tray in the cold oven, start heating it at about500 Fahrenheit (250 Celsius) with the tray inside - no more than five minutes!

In a big bowl, loosely mix the flour with the milk (at room temperature), add the water - mix the whole until just incorporated. Add the egg, the EVOO and the seasoning.

Take out the tray from the oven, immediately pour the above mixture into the heated pan.

Sprinkle over it the feta cheese (coarsely crumbled, using a fork or even your hands - the chunkier, the better). Make sure you cover the entire surface of the tray.

In another small bowl, beat lightly the two yolks, pour evenly over the entire surface of the tray. End up with the cubed cold butter spread evenly.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the edges are burned (I am dead serious) or at least golden brown. Take out, let cool, cut and devour.

It should look like this:

Tip: if the feta is very salted, skip the salt. You can also combine with a bit of grated cheddar (or Gouda, or Edam, or Manchego...), for enhanced flavor. In that case, add the second cheese immediately after the feta - but it's going to be your own version of the tembelopita, still glorious. ;)

You are welcome.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Not sure why but I always pictured that colors favorite types of candies would be those candied fruits and flowers, or those in the shapes of things like flowers and stars and fruits—especially gummy ones or any with gold or silver on or in them like these. Especially the ones shaped like roses at the end. Also candy rocks, he loves the crunch sound.

When it comes to making candied flowers—often for cakes and cookies—he sometimes seeks out beats (and by extension kin) for help on seeking out and identifying safe edible flowers, or if beats has any they keep in supply.

color makes sure not to seek them out so often, knowing that even if beats is growing more comfortable around him they prefer to interact on their own terms with people and can only handle so much interaction at a time—and color doesn’t want to put beats in the uncomfortable position of being torn between their desires to help and their desire to be left alone.

I also like to think beats keeps a supply or small collection of flowers that were dying or not doing well in nature for whatever reason, hoping to attempt to nurture them back to health or just making use of petals and stems if not possible. I also like to think that beats has an entire journal filled to the brim with info on various flowers, their names, histories, uses, etc.

color often lends beats his camera and scrapbook supplies so they can make their journals organized and eye catching.

Color often tends to prefer to learn recipes himself and find ingredients himself because he enjoys the sensory experience of baking and cooking and making things—and Beats just loves flowers, and the fact that Color won’t push them to do anything they don’t want, or force them to stay, and doesn’t need constant conversation either.

Beats and Color and Kin are pretty great at doing different things at the same time in the same room, or even the same thing at the same time in the same room separately—and so long as Color has sounds and the company of people, he doesn’t feel the need to fill any silence with talk or conversation too much.

I also like to think that Color never lies to Beats. Even Abyss lies to Beats or allows them to think t things that aren’t true because he doesn’t want to hurt its feelings, which in turn angers and upsets Kin.

So this is at least one thing both Beats and Kin like about Color: he can be direct, blunt, honest without being cruel about it (not to say Abyss is cruel obviously, just that some people think being an ass is the same as ‘just being honest.’)

Color’s favorite fruit is pomegranates. Mostly because he enjoys tearing them apart and getting the juice all over their fingers, it appeals to his dragon side—especially when he bites down and there’s that satisfying sound, the crunch, like eating a gemstone or a rock. He doesn’t use a knife or anything to break the skin, he enjoys tearing it apart and open with his hands and picking out all the seeds to eat.

I think he prefers eating with his hands. If asked he’ll say it’s just because his depth perception and only having one eye make using utensils a fucking chore, which while not untrue, it’s also because eating with his hands is just what’s natural for him.

While reading this post, I had the thought of Color with a color changing nose ring that changes color with the souls’ flames or some type of jewelry. Could someone with a skeleton body have a nose ring? No probably not. But they’re drawn to it anyway.

He also definitely has and wears one of these on particularly dysphoric days. He could’ve made one himself, but considering that Maestro!Gaster—Beats’ parent—appears to be able to make & design dresses and outfits, I was thinking maybe either Mae made it (and potentially other dresses) for Color and the Abyss Team. Or, Maestro taught Color how to sew and they make clothes together.

I also think that Beats would love to try melon and banana milk, they love all kinds of milk. Beats also loves the spiced pumpkin pie that Color makes, and whenever Beats is sick but doesn’t want to see or interact with anyone, Color will bake a spiced pumpkin pie and give it to Kin (often the only one Beats consistently wants to see and spend time with) to take to Beats.

Color doesn’t use nicknames for Beats and Kin as they suggest familiarity that neither may feel comfortable with, although Beats does giggle whenever Color calls Kin “pump-kin” on the notes he leaves on the boxes or bags he sends the pumpkin pie in. Sometimes Color also draws a little bee or a WiFi symbol right after to signify Beats.

Beats keeps all the little notes Color gives them.

[physics-of-one-piece]

Oh gosh thank you for the tag physics, I'll make a post about my wips too, all art of course, but before I do that I need to know more aboit this one:

"I’ll build castles for you, my love (look at me, not my brother)"

All of the wips sound lovely, can't wait for them🫶

Aaaaa, @skullfacedlady I can't wait to see what you're working on! 💕🫶🏻❤️

Oh, "I'll build castles for you, my love (look at me not my brother)"

(sighs wistfully)

This is my baby. The original. The LEGEND. The one that started it all with the Rosinante's Wife!Reader trope. Where to even start with this one? First, I'd like to link all the posts I've made up until now about this fic, it includes scenes, as well, if you want to read them.

Snippets of Doflamingo x Reader in the fic ie first ever post of the fic, the og, the LEGEND

Things Doflamingo does & says in "I’ll build castles for you, my love"

Things Rosinante does/says in the fic + Rosinante’s thoughts before he dies scene snippet

Rosinante’s Crew (Crow Corps), scenes with them + scene of Doflamingo interacting with them after Rosi’s death

More scenes from the fic, including Rosinante x Reader Scene, Rosinante & Law Scene, Doflamingo x Reader Scene

Another Doflamingo x Reader scene from the fic

How Doffy shows acts of care for Reader by providing financially for her in the fic (though this is overall for his character)

Now, let's start on explaining some more about it. The title is inspired by that thought I had when I looked at these two Donquixotes side-by-side. Like. Reaaally looked. They look very similar to each other. Their faces are nearly exactly the same at FIRST GLANCE (they have distinctive differences but a normal person wouldn't notice that from a simple glance). Usually people would say Rosinante looks like Doflamingo, except here, you meet Rosinante first.

So to you, Doflamingo resembles Rosinante when his hair is down. It's only a second, but your eyes completely change for that split moment when you think he's Rosinante. And Doflamingo notices this - it's very easily noticeable. And it fckn... Annoys him. A lot 🤣. Bcs Doflamingo was never told "oh you look like your brother" it was Rosinante who always experienced that sentence. So it's a real punch in the gut for Doffy, including his pride. Especially as he falls in love with Reader. Reader has (understandably) preconceptions about Doflamingo. So Doflamingo needs to break that preconcepted image Reader has of him so she can truly see him. It's a new experience for him.

The fic, originally, at its first outline, was only Doflamingo x Reader. But then I wanted to flesh out the entire story and Rosinante & Law happened, and they became their own chapters, and fit into the story so well, and it was my first attempt at Rosinante x Reader and damn it pulled on my heartstrings.

The Doflamingo in this fic is the Dressrosa Takeover Doflamingo (he hasn't taken over Dressrosa yet at all when he meets Reader, he simply cuts his hair short and changes his entire style after entering the Grand Line in this fic)

Why?

BECAUSE I ADORE HIM. He is HANDSOME AS HELL. WOW. JUST. WOW. And I needed to write sth with him and the idea just came. He still has a bit of his upward spikes, so when they go down they cover his forehead probably exactly like Rosinante's. And that fucks up your mind. It's an absolute mindfuck.

The story can be separated in 4 Arcs, which are for now the chapter titles.

The Marine - Chapter 1

Rosinante x Reader - it spans throughs years of Rosinante's life in the marines + meeting Reader & getting married, ends with him going on the Donquixote Pirates Mission

The Sick Boy - Chapter 2

There are 3 weeks of emptiness between when Doflamingo tells Rosinante about the Op-Op Fruit and Minion Island. These three weeks are all in Chapter 2, where Rosinante takes Law to you so you two can care for him and keep him alive. It focuses on Law, Rosinante's death (the only Minion Island scene for now), and Law's journey back to you to tell you the truth of what happened - with a polar bear and two boys sneaking into the submarine with him on the way 🤣. It ends with Rosinante's funeral and Law officially forming the Heart Pirates. ❤️‍🔥

The Warlord - Chapter 3

Doflamingo x Reader - This one is finally very much Reader's POV focused, with a bit of Doflamingo's POV as well. This part covers the next nine months of Reader's pregnancy, and Doflamingo's visits to Marineford during the weekends. There are so many things here — fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, domestic life, humor, Doflamingo singing while he cooks in a pink apron with a flamingo drawn on it with "Kiss the flamingo 🦩"... Doflamingo knocking on your window drenched like a pink cat and stripping naked while your back is turned, Doflamingo being an absolute demon you should not mess with (but you do) but also a soft three meter meow meow 🥺. Also the best support during pregnancy. Seriously. He's great at that part. Also. Doflamingo's charming smiles. Doflamingo's puppy eyes. Doflamingo's. Fucking. Puppy eyes. Damn him (I say lovingly)

The King - Chapter 4

Doflamingo x Reader - Follows post-childbirth after Reader & Rosinante's child is born, and the next two years of Doflamingo & Reader raising the child and eventually the fall of Dressrosa and Doflamingo becoming its king... I can't say too much for this one cus I don't want to spoil it too much, but... It's good. So good. And is the last chapter of the story with a Happy Ending for Doflamingo x Reader. Also, 100% will try to write some smut for this chap, bcs I neeeed it at this point. 😩

Here is the summary I made for Doflamingo's Part ie The Warlord Part when I first thought this would just be a one-shot (ha, fool!)

Summary: To Donquixote Doflamingo, family is everything. A month after Rosinante’s death, Vergo delivers him damning information after he’d ordered a full deep dive into Rosinante’s fourteen years of absence — his brother had gotten married years ago. And not only that, his brother’s wife is pregnant. Doflamingo does something both impertinent and bold, just as any pirate — he enters the Grand Line with one goal — become a warlord, meet you, and be there for you during your pregnancy. He makes history, stealing and robbing Heavenly Tributes almost every few days, conquering the Grand Line and its underworld — and is made a warlord the next month.

As the pink flowers on the single pink cherry blossom tree in Marineford sway in the wind, so do the pink feathers of Doflamingo’s coat as he steps foot on Marineford a few days later to attend a meeting with the higher-ups — and meet you.

You don't need the curse of his protection or his blood money, or want him in your child’s life — your husband would roll in his grave. However, as a former Celestial Dragon and now a warlord, Doflamingo gains permission to visit you on weekends in Marineford, and not even Fleet Admiral Sengoku can do anything about him as the orders come from "up high". The newly appointed warlord is just as your husband described him as - stubborn, sadistic, enjoys mocking people, laughs at their suffering, and a manipulating schemer. As the warlord forces you to spend more time with him, you realise there is more to the older Donquixote than your late husband told you.

I'm trying to figure out which scene to send...

How about... The first meeting?

Excerpt:

You were about to tell Tsuru they brought the wrong pirate to meet you, but then, your gaze reached his face. You inhaled sharply, the thought coming before you could stop it because of the eerie similarity of the chin and cheeks, and for a split second you thought it was…

Rosinante.

But his skin was tanned, a bronze colour. And his smile... It was all wrong.

That wasn’t your husband’s smile. It was too sharp, too wide, too wicked.

Doflamingo was taller than Rosinante, but gangly and long-limbed like him. He was bigger than on his wanted poster. His hair was no longer long and uplifted like a dragon’s head, but instead the spikes were shortened, sticking upward.

Your heart picked up its beat, dread spreading in your stomach.

Evil emanated from every fibre of his being.

“There you are.” said Doflamingo victoriously, smiling all the way.

***

For what song would fit the fic... (Giggles evilly)

This one, Doffy is thinking this one 24/7

I don’t want to let your body go 🎶

Be my queen, I'll be your king 🎶

We'll be rulers I'll give you everything 🎶

I'll be your king, you'll be my queen 🎶

Unbelievers get down on your knees 🎶

We can rule the world 🎶

So be my girl 🎶

Thank you for the ask! Can't wait to see what you're working on! ❤️❤️❤️

Taglist: @fanaticsnail @queenmimi2817 @daydreamer-in-training

[anniesilverl2]

CHARACTER STUDY: Darkwing Duck, Representation of the superhero or the insecure man?

INTRODUCTION

Good morning / good afternoon / good evening, whatever time you are receiving this, I hope you have been keeping up with your sleep schedule, and we are back with some loose ideas for characters in an animated comedy show. I apologize for the delay, it is difficult to have good plans to express the ideas that are lingering in my poor memory. I will probably mention some of my own ideas to explain some information. So be prepared for me to hide parts of the story or make jokes with double meanings among readers and acquaintances of mine who mentioned the entire plot. Without further ado about this post for the holidays, let's face the night duck!

Important warnings about sensitive content: Mentions of likely coping behaviors against bullying or recurrences such as grief and low confidence.

DARKWING DUCK SERIES - Taking everything the show SAYS for itself

Darkwing Duck, aka, Drake Mallard, is the central protagonist of the series' story along with his social circle, both family and local criminals. The series will not have a direct say as it did with the rest of the characters, no, no, that would be too much luck. A conclusion, out of curiosity, of an art project by Tad Stones and Bob Kline called “Double O Duck”. Moving on to the story before, he became a considerably clumsy crime fighter. A visual sample is given in the episode entitled.

“The Secret Origins of Darkwing Duck” was nothing more than a parody of the great Superman, but to summarize the content. The young Drake was sent to Earth by the destruction of his planet along with Negaduck where the young duck spent his time training to face the opposing duck (it's a very short summary, sorry). The parody sequence was cut, in relation to the episode “Paraducks” where Darkwing made a paradox that made his younger self need help from his older self to face a group of troublemakers and shoplifters.

Ironically, this version reunites with the continuation of his childhood to adolescence, following the episode “Crash Reunion” where they confirm that Drake Mallard himself studied and was bullied for a considerable time by the former Megavolt entity, Elmo Sputterspark. In many parts that are searched separately will complicate to a difficult level and to put together independent material is worse Going, but hold on there because I will do you a favour with the notebooks (be careful, I had to cut the technical part so as not to give away spoilers that will be used in the Purple Union AU universe).

DARKWING DUCK FANDOM - Building everything that was formed for the fans together with the most indirect interpretations perceived in my participation when writing or drawing with lore

Darkwing Duck/Drake Mallard is a character as popular as the other characters in his cast. Of course, some more and others a little less, however, both the protagonist brings enough mystery and characteristics to attract all types of writers and fans, from the series to the comics from 2010 to 2024. I also love the dynamics and stories involving Darkwing, it has the essence of 80s-90s comedy, the animation is one of the few in Disney's transition period. The story behind the character, however, is what gets me because there is nothing to deepen his life before the series and the comics. All the events that readers get are after his entire life, even more so with some rumours that make you stop and think about what exactly happened to make everything go wrong for DW.

At this point, just like Megavolt, I have some points regarding the development and carelessness of the narrative in addressing some themes. For the character Darkwing Duck, it goes much further than what is done with any other character. The character suffered from what I call the “clean formula.” Why this name? The answer is simple: it is exactly every piece that leads to a direct influence on the character’s mind, and in the next episode it is partially or totally undone to continue with the script of a single episode, which is somewhat exaggerated? Yes, my explanation makes it seem that way, but going deeper, I might be able to convince you of this point.

IN DARKWING DUCK appearing in the episodes:

Darkwing Duck - Series (1990-1991, 3-4 Seasons) -

IN DUCKTALES 2017 appear in the episodes:

The Duck Knight Returns! (Season 2, Episode 16)

Moonvasion! (Season 2, Episode 24)

Let's Get Dangerous! (Season 3, Episode 12)

Escape from the Impossible! (Season 3, Episode 13)

The Last Adventure! (Season 3, Episode 22)

IN COMICS (Boom! Studios and Joe Books):

Darkwing Duck - Series (1991-1996, 48 editions)

Darkwing Duck: "The Quackshot" (1991)

Darkwing Duck: "Danger Time" (1994)

Darkwing Duck: Classics (2011) - IDW Publishing

Darkwing Duck: "The Untimely Terror of the Time Turtle" (2011)

Darkwing Duck: "The Duck Knight Returns" (2010)

Darkwing Duck: "F.O.W.L. Disposition" (2011)

Darkwing Duck: “Toy with Me” (2011)

Darkwing Duck: "Crisis on Infinite Darkwings" (2011)

Darkwing Duck: The Secrets of Darkwing Duck (2011-12)

Darkwing Duck Annual (2011)

Darkwing Duck: "Campaign Carnage" (2011)

Darkwing Duck: Omnibus (2014) - IDW Publishing

Darkwing Duck: The Definitively Dangerous Edition (2015) - Boom! Studio

Darkwing Duck (2016-2017, 8 editions) - Joe Books

DuckTales (1988) - IDW Publishing

Uncle Scrooge (1986) - IDW Publishing

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories (1991) - IDW Publishing

Disney Afternoon (2013) - IDW Publishing

DuckTales/Darkwing Duck (2019) - IDW Publishing

Disney's Hero Squad (2019) - IDW Publishing

Darkwing Duck: Justice Ducks(2024) - Dynamite

DARKWING DUCK/DRAKE MALLARD - Story adapted without extreme spoilers, just adding the changes, ideas on his biological identity and influence:

With the introduction of the character in the Ducktales universe in 2017, there were many doubts. Not only him, however the other characters in his show suffered with the drastic change, involving all the participants and some actors such as Jim Starling, the former Negaduck. Drake Mallard is also an actor, replacing the original Darkwing Duck, who was Mr. Starling. And as we know, the character tried to get revenge and regain his great role of glory. The aspects related to his family are left open regarding the relationships before Launchpad, Fenton and Gosalyn. The changes were not that many, to a certain extent the changes make the character follow the line of his development as in the original series.

Focusing on his future, while the aspects that need to evolve arrive, positively or negatively, as the character has his moments as a hero. Or, in some cases, a not very responsible personality as a night watchman and experience will seek his responsibility as the criminals appear. In the description most often used in some of my or shared ideas, it is Drake Mallard working as a member of the acting team. Either directly as a protagonist or as an employee for effects and preparation for filming, involving everything from makeup, improvisation to editing after filming. When he is no longer active in the studios, since the events of Ducktales “The Last Adventure”, Drake Mallard came into contact with SHUSH due to some missions involving local superheroes and criminals. For now, he tends to work alone to face the big personalities of Saint Canard, he was just a vigilante until the arrival of new characters that can directly affect his way of thinking or acting (for now this part will be cut, but it is related to some future AUs with my help in the main art).

One point that was added is that Drake's childhood significantly influenced many things in his life. His family, especially, and being a little more specific about HIS ABSENCE in his life story, the character here carries many mysteries about how this happened. In the past, together with Elmo, Drake was tormenting so much that he continued in the current storyline. People hardly expect anything good from him. Although, he managed to have good influences. Such as his mention of the old show, it is an idea that I add that the series was originally presented by his father before the events that gave rise to his last events. It is a case of almost hyperfocus / a fascinating on the character, even with the near-death incident for Jim Starling, who previously became an idol. The meaning behind it did not disappear, as it was the memory that gave him his true motivation, even with everyone who does not trust him or sees him as useless (remembering that he had his ups and downs and is not confirming anything). There was a difference in Drake's portrayal of the character, who carries enough for his life and dealing with situations that put him down, very different from Elmo, who carried repressed anger until he exploded in full fury. The point is that the show would have meant much more family than directly the actors involved, not disregarding the event of nostalgia. Of course, Drake is an old guy, although the notes make him about 5 years younger than the original.

DARKWING DUCK/DRAKE MALLARD - Character Design:

Concept art Vs Final Design (Credits to User Acmeoop)

Canon Redesign

DEVELOPMENT:

One fact that I note as responsible for the brief evaluation of most DWD viewers goes far beyond opinion. Even though it influenced a good part of the critics of the time and even today, with how they deal with the program as a whole and even in the approaches given to recent writers (there were some situations of writers coming and going, I recommend doing more research if you are interested in the behind the scenes). The main fact is that I reached a conclusion after reviewing the episodes in English three times, the fact is the script style of the episodes, no, no, calm down! I'm not saying that the episodes made are bad. I love every questionnaire for the writers who didn't drink too much caffeine- I love the style, the fact that I enter is considered the atmosphere of the first pilot of the show.

“Darkly Dawns the Duck” was the first episode I looked for when I still didn't know the program. I initially came from the beginning of the release of Ducktales 2017. A fact that makes me only look for the episodes to review, it is directly about the atmosphere. The first episode mixes the tone of comedy and the tone of seriousness with balance. The scenes in which Taurus Bulba appears have always had an air of villainy worthy of a film by the studio, and without a doubt one of the few in the series that challenge Darkwing Duck's inner concern. Once again, this mood returns in a tone similar to the episode “Steerminator”. My sense of production is affected due to ADHD (and in the current situation I feel like I'm going to leave with another diagnosis, so get ready to deal with an imperative or “inattentive” young woman). Without losing the point, I say that Darkwing Duck could have followed the line of these episodes. Not just the constant continuity made from the comics and double episodes, in general, it would have been a big difference if it were remade in modern times. There is a fan universe that Beatriz (@zelda-cooper) and I made called “Classic” where we redid some changes in the 1990 Darkwing Duck series. One of the main ones was the mood of the episodes, of course, there are still great moments and development thanks to the tone of the comedy and some silly moments of family banter. However, one of the main differences is in the atmosphere and some changes in the events involving the character's life against crime. In the same way that he got some moments right, there were times when he was irresponsible due to his behaviour, an example? We have directly the degradation of his relationship with the main team of the Fearsome Five, there were ugly fights, there were threats. There were also events related to the appearances of these criminals and the main point that I will mention as a bonus is his origin story, yay! So will we have a mini Drake? Yes, my child, feel free to give an excerpt of the ideas that I wrote down in the notebooks for both the shared universes and the LYG AU.

Eliane and Musson Mallard are the names I chose for the characters that represent Drake's parents. The essential information is that Eliane had a job outside the home, and it was thanks to it that she met Musson. And, let's say, this job was not the most conventional for someone looking for a quiet family. Well, here is the first step towards a stubborn personality like Drake's could have been influenced thanks to a rebellious woman after World War II. She had a job, personal items, access to difficult equipment and had such a strong personality and was committed to bringing security to people. Hm? Was it golden with a young protagonist who would confidently lead her story? Yes, Eliane was a mix of a friendly, caring personality for a person who had high confidence and a desire to find solutions. Musson, he was created taking as reference the silliest traits of Drake, the real Darkwing Duck, besides the mask, he was a goofy, clumsy, not very mature or with a sense of being a common person. I hope the small excerpt I removed is understandable. One point I tried to make is that Drake directly had or could have had the influence of a person as eccentric as his future self, but without the “Paraducks” part. In this version, it was his own parents who inspired traits of his older personality. So, where were they both in the end? Unfortunately, as a good writer and artist, we must have the courage to put the blade to the fate of OCs, like Bruce Wayne. The Mallards' deaths are unknown. Drake still doesn't remember them completely, it was right when they left. In this space, so, created the participation of another character called Dap, Daphine Mallard, who was her little brother's legal guardian during his elementary years until the end of high school, and where is she? Unfortunately, the two don't talk to each other for a small reason linked to the X of all the character's relationship conflicts, LACK of communication.

CONSEQUENCES

The only point that raises doubts and raises some questions in the minds of fans is directly related to Drake Mallard's self-destructive personality. Individuals with events marked by high stress or lack of freedom to deal with things go through many things in their lives, and this goes from reality to fiction. Mourning, bullying, low self-esteem and anxiety are the main points that I found when reviewing the character's ups and downs. Maybe it's not so obvious, I thought at first that it was just an idea in my head until I became aware of some thoughts from Darkwing's own artists and writers. Officially or from fan activities, it is an essential fact to relate to the beginning and end of a journey. The problem that marked it was exactly this jump back to the passage of the character's development, the difficulties, and traumas were not completely resolved, they still remain in the imagination and vision of the purple duck.

What makes me believe this is reviewing episodes related to the character's mind. “Dead Duck” is the most famous and once again made characters free to work on these points for the vigilante, but let’s leave my opinions aside and get to the questions. Why exactly did Drake never have the courage to properly fix his past relationships? Who did this directly affect? We see this among everyone with Morgana, their relationship is often cut short due to the recurrence of the lack of communication. Darkwing does not respect his partner’s wishes, interests, and even requests at times, and we regularly see that situations lead both her and him to embarrassment. They think that Gosalyn could escape, in reality it is the complete opposite. Gosalyn clearly carries the hero’s motivational point, his reason for being rises and returns to the fight regardless of his original state. However, “Darkwarrior Duck” is not far removed from the imagination of some and possibly of the child who had to see his father as a worse criminal than the main cast. And it is hardly said between the hero and his insane counterpart. How do they deal with this? The answer is that we rarely have direct answers in the show, and this does not fail to bring thoughts for the fans to make.

RELATIONSHIPS

In the end, Darkwing Duck is a show chosen for children, as every company does with its cartoonish characters. However, here are some things from the point of view of a slightly older fan. The main characteristic of posts like this is to bring something original from a different line. According to the observations they left, whether serious or not. Between the lines of the show, those involved in writing Darkwing Duck still brought great things that can be used in the imagination for the present day. Feel free to disagree or correct some points, just like any artist. I am open to having opinions to develop and have better results. The character's relationships vary mainly according to the author's objective. One pattern, by chance, is the perception of how much could be deepened how much Darkwing Duck relates to his family and friends. How close he is and his strengths and weaknesses, even with all the duck's appreciation for them. Also, the parallel of his personality with the fearsome ones, there are some characteristics that have a sequence of being too specific with the opposing choice, some ideas below.

CREATIVE WRITING: What ideas can be worked and how can each one fit in?

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SUPER VILLAINS:

The best place to start is with the lowest expectations, when there is a group against the character's difficulties. Do you remember when I said that you could explore the superhero's similarities and differences with his villains? I'll give you a less visible example: Quackerjack. The character can be a counterpoint directly related to his stubbornness and inability to change, as he gets into his mind and is seen in episodes that require dealing with new information or new relationships. The same reasoning goes for Liquidator, and his greed. The mutant's character is directly related to greed for objects, but Darkwing could very well be related to indirect greed, the accumulation of things, his interests versus the needs of others. Did the examples help? In this regard, just take the opportunity to play around with how well his dynamics can work to maintain his stability and sense of duty. At the same time that he needs to face figures that remind him how close he is to being someone as crazy as evil, he has the strength and skills to his advantage in the fight. As far as it can serve for other points, such as the degradation or approximation of their dynamics, feel free to here.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS:

Gosalyn is her daughter, despite being adopted, she is everything to her character, she is her motivation, her responsibility, and the fact mainly of some episodes. Her concern for her safety, from the smallest to the biggest troubles that she follows looking for help, her only relative, Drake Mallard under the mantle of Darkwing Duck. Their dynamic has many moments of comfort and affection, as well as learning over the course of some episodes. Sometimes, will she ever grow up, and how long will it take until she wants her independence? Will Darkwing/Drake be okay knowing that she can follow in their footsteps after so many arguments? There are many approaches to be made, from the adoption process, the trust being established, to the moments when both get into arguments due to lack of communication and. Speaking directly about this, Morgana Macawber was said to be the character's final romantic partner. Having only one problem that leads to many others, does Drake trust her? Does Drake really care about trying to bring her the comfort and trust that she deserves? Of all the episodes, inconsistency, and fights more than support and support, but how would it be working on its point? Did the two resolve it? Will Drake and Morgana be sincere enough to be reciprocally boyfriends, or a step further, as married? And what is the mother-daughter relationship between the witch and the hockey troublemaker like? Dig deeper! This is the best idea to play with, and there are no answers other than those I agree with when discussing with others. The dynamic also applies to friends, they can either have access or none of your identity.

NON-INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH STRANGERS:

The point that begins another similarity with some Fearsome, this time to the beloved Bushroot, Darkwing Duck is not great at keeping things private or completely safe unless necessary. One point that marks the attention sensor is his need for approval to a significant degree. However, what would it be like for the character when there are still no people who care about him beyond the closest ones, who are his friends and family? The development of a prepared hero is when he recognizes his ability as a guardian for people, but still knows what is important to keep everyone safe. Well, those he can reach, remember the brief end of Bud Flud, right? Of course, there wouldn't be all the responsibility of the character, however… if Darkwing Duck was responsible for some problem or mistake to someone innocent? How much would the common people not pull his feet? If all the attention and admiration he wanted to get were enough to make him worried and even panic about having his head on the news posts, “Is Darkwing Duck truly an ally or a threat to propagating these lunatics with powers?” Don't be afraid to be creative or a little dramatic, it is a point that allows for many points to be explored regarding the common personality and how one or the other influences the fate of Drake Mallard.

INTERESTING REFERENCES FOR YOU TO PICK YOU TO PICK UP FOR THE CHARACTER

Batman / Bruce Wayne of DC Comics

The Shadow of Detective Story Hour

Blitzo "Blitz" Buckzo of Helluva Boss

Rose Quartz / Pink Diamond of Steven Universe

CONCLUSION

For now, that's all, I got tired of editing again and, along with that. Unfortunately, I was out of ideas of how to organize this, especially having to remove all the points that gave too much revelation to the story in planning. I hope I have answered your request well enough, what do you think of the next Liquidator being? I have some ideas for revamping the future post. Leave your opinions open, I would love to see what you think of this clumsy vigilante, see you? BYE-EEEEE!

[coffin-ramblings]

Honestly, I personally have issues for headcanoning the siblings as trans for these exact reasons.

Ashley's character and actions are heavily influenced by her being deemed "problem kid" according to the standards of being a cis female, and having serious internalized misogyny to the point she devalues her own worth as just a sex object. To have her be a trans man not only prevents an arc of self-acceptance, finding herself more, and perhaps unlearning some of that misogyny, but also has unfortunate implications with her sexism as someone else said in this post. Having her as a trans woman would mean that as a child, she wasn't seen as problematic when that was a major part of her upbringing. And honestly, a lot of people would still insist she's a "gay boy", which is a completely different experience.

Andrew also can't be a trans man without breaking the plot, because otherwise, he'd be immediately outcasted as "not normal". Andrew being a trans woman also carries similar problems as headcanoning Ashley as a trans man, but in his case, it is much less straightforward.

It is debatable until Decay's release on how far Andrew's toxic masculinity issues goes (or if it even exists as toxic masculinity and not as solely a product of his parentification and Nina's death) and how much misogyny he has that goes beyond living the 90s and early 2000s.

However, it's clear that his major issues are adjacent with toxic masculinity's, and likely worsened by societal expectations for men. One of Andrew's core flaws is that bottles up a lot of emotions growing up because of his age-inappropriate responsibilities and his forbidden feelings for Ashley. The expectation men don't talk about their emotions certainly exacerbated them. He has to learn to be more honest about his love and affection for Ashley to assure her trust in him. Otherwise, Decay happens where Ashley feels she can't trust him because he doesn't give her anything in return.

While Andrew got violent with Ashley in the end of episode 1, this is heavily implied to be a sudden change in behavior for Ashley, as she has no problems hitting him before according to Olive Branches, and she was grabbing him by the hair and yanking him down before he choked her. She was also taken aback by him threatening her after the first warden died, then declared she's not scared of him at all. He is convinced he needs to start overtly using violence to control Ashley's behavior, which is a toxic masculinity issue. However, this was in response to Ashley threatening to betray him to the cops despite their blood oath and his genuine desire to never be separated from her. This can also be connected to him not knowing how to manage his anger since he has to bottle that up, which he definitely needs to learn how to do.

And finally, a recurring motivation for Andrew to listen to Ashley and make the final decisions is he feels that he must be the one Ashley relies on as the parentified older brother, which part of the expectation men must be the rock of the family. However, because he perceives Ashley as too unreliable in their current situation and disliking her distrust of him, he can end up being tempted to regret he did not have a normal life when Renee offers him the olive branch and continue to blame Ashley. He has to learn to trust Ashley to have an equal say in making the decisions and that she will cooperate with him, to not be the one taking all the burdens of them surviving.

So much like Ashley where her being a trans man means that she can't have her arc of self-acceptance and unlearning internalized misogyny, Andrew becoming a trans woman goes in the way of learning how to be a man without those toxic issues and high expectations of himself. Ultimately, both Andrew and Ashley need to learn to be kinder to themselves and the other by unlearning society's and their family's expectations of what it means to be a man and a woman. From there, they carve their own meaning.

I swear y'all will look at the most stereotypically cishet adult man that's actually been fleshed out in an indie game ever and say "omg there's no way she's not an egg"

[jamesheathridge]

JOHNNY BERCHTOLD & KYLE GALLNER Behind the Scenes of THE PASSENGER (2023)

[mumblesplash]

part 2!!!! [read part one here]

transcript below the cut arranged into stanzas to help show where the rhymes are:

“that’s why they brought gem in? as a failsafe?” as a pawn. we were told to point her at whoever we need gone

“gem won’t hurt her allies. …yet.” the curse she carries will it’s had its eye on her since she lost the other eye she was specially selected for her hunting skill it’s quite the high honor. “wow. how generous.” we try

think about it: why does almost no one fight the curse? “given how fast scott killed skizz last season, i can guess.” [“any pain you spare your friends, you’ll have to suffer worse”?] it’s designed to shut down higher reasoning with stress

[sualne]

posting some op art i hadn't posted, there's a Lot more.

[sieglinde-freud]

let it be known that i love prince inigo with my whole soul. however sometimes it is SO much fun to think about owain and his two most loyal-est knights you ever seen: worst guy in the world #1 and worst guy in the world #2. i love retainer inigo and severa so much. retainers who bully you and make fun of you and trash on you but they’d leave behind everyone and everything they ever knew to follow you and protect you in a whole new universe. they love you so much that they’d swear allegiance to total strangers but that loyalty pales in comparison to what they’d do for you. and they were all lovers!!!!!!!