#to think he really protected aunt marie

[tristansarchive]

It's the way you move I knew I would stay with you After just one touch The way you move has got me stuck Stuck

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

How is Angel’s parents/family getting along with their newly adopted kids and “husband”

Angel's parents are going to LOVE the newfound family of +80 toys! I'm working on a small comic to show how their first meeting went before I write it post-factory arc, but although confused and extremely worried for Angel's one week dissapearance and experiences inside PlayCo, their family is, ultimately, extremely supportive of them. Angel really is their mother's kid, because Mrs. Oliveira is instantly head over heels for her surprise grandkids. Angel's dad is almost collapsing, and their brother is Very Confused. Sister-in-law is already reaching the #1 aunt spot, she's wasting no time.

The human family will be extremely helpful for Angel, helping them house hunt and get enough supplies and groceries for ALL the kiddos. They'll also babysit the kids for when Angel is away helping the Smiling Critters in the hospital, or having to run in order to talk to their lawyers and what to do against what remains of PlayCo. When Angel and the kids move to the farm house, they're there to help, and when they get better homes thanks to Angel's money, it's the toys' turn to help. I think they end up being a very close family, despite the initial distrust from the toys!

Now, for their reaction to the Prototype...

Angel's mother, Marlene, got herself mentally prepared when Angel told her about how there was one final experiment for her to meet. "He looks like an actual horror movie monster, mom. He isn't like Marie or Oskar". Marlene listened closely, and, when Prototype stepped out of his hut to say hi and introduce himself, she somehow managed to not stumble her words or look weirded out. Angel and her really are alike.

Angel's father, Roger, was way more prepared than when he first saw the toys. However, what he was expecting was for Prototype to be at least humanoid, not that centipede-looking thing. He could not look even more weirded out than he was, but he was still very nice to him, and probably asked a lot of questions before Angel told him to calm down a bit.

Angel's brother, Miguel, was a bit quiet the whole time, letting their mom do the talking and nodding along. Internally he's just "yeah, I thought he would look worse than that, but oh my God he looks this close to collapsing". Introduces himself before telling Prototype he better help Angel with the kids. Miguel can't do shit against him but he gotta protect his big sibling! Somehow!

Angel's sister-in-law and Miguel's wife, Amy, was lowkey a bit heartbroken as she thought about all the horrible things PlayCo. must have done to their first EVER succesfull experiment. She's a bit sensitive over the idea, having heard firsthand from the toys what living there was like, and gently slaps her husband's back so he can shut up. "Please ignore him, I'm very sure you are doing your best in there, you look very tired! I-I MEAN, you must be, of course you must, you-" and she goes on a rant before Miguel calms her down.

Eventually, they all get along just fine with Proto! They all have different reactions when they find out he was originally Elliot Ludwig, and as the years go by they just see him as another member of the giant household. Angel's brother, however, knows from a mile away a QPR is on the making just from the way Angel treats Prototype/Elliot. When Angel tells him about it he's just "well, took you long enough!". Angel is offended (affectionate). Amy is SO happy for them, also probably knew it since Miguel told her (he tells everything to her). Angel's dad is just "oh thank goodness you didn't get a weirder partner, I was worried someone would try murdering you for the money". Marlene was going to reprimand him but she's thinking the same.

However, when Angel and Elliot DO decide to get married on paper, Angel. Straight up forget to tell Miguel and Amy about it for a whole MONTH before dropping the info, thinking they already knew about it, before being bombarded with questions.

"Well, that's on YOU for forgetting to tell me you and Amy got engaged, Miguel!"

"TWO DAYS. I FORGOT FOR TWO DAYS".

"AND EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY KNEW. I TAUGHT YOU HOW TO FIGHT AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?"

"YOU FORGOT TO TELL ME FOR A MONTH! DO MOM AND DAD EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT?"

Angel pauses, trying to remember. Miguel is in shambles, Amy is trying not to laugh at how stupid this whole situation is. "I think I did".

Miguel looks up.

"You. THINK. You told our parents. About the fact that you are going to be LEGALLY MARRIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE?"

"YOU FORGOT TO TELL THEM YOU EVEN HAD A GIRLFRIEND".

"I DID NOT FORGET, IT WAS A STRATEGY TO AVOID MY OWN EMBARASSMENT IN CASE SHE GAVE UP ON ME".

Angel points at Amy: "As we can see, that was for fucking nothing".

The sibling fight continues.

[ask-mikitama-suzuki]

What do you think of other ocs?

(oh gosh she’s shipped with a lot of boys so get ready-)

Ayuna- “Sh-she’s really nice and strong..! I really admire her..! I do wish she’d take better care of herself though..”

Amika- “Sh-she’s very sweet and helpful, I enjoy sewing with her..!”

Yuto- “I-I love him so much, he’s so amazing and loving..!”

Sadashi- “Sh-she’s a bit loud and aggressive, b-but she’s also silly.. We aren’t very close but I like her..!”

Asai- “I-I love her so much..! She’s the best aunt ever..!”

Michika- “She’s v-very blunt but also nice..!”

Ames- “Sh-she’s so sweet and I love playing with her..!”

Shiina- “Sh-she’s the best Itoko-san ever..!”

Shou- “I-I love that he always does his best to be affectionate with me, I-I really appreciate it and I love him so much..!”

Hanako- “I love talking to her and training with her..! I just wish she’d take better care of herself..”

Miyu- “Sh-she’s so bubbly and sweet..!”

Satoshi- “I-I love him so much, h-he always goes above and beyond to make sure I’m safe and happy..!”

Irina- “She’s so happy and outgoing, but she also always makes sure to tone it down when I-I’m around..! I-I really appreciate it and she’s like an aunt for me..!”

Kishin- “I-I love how sweet and gentle he is..! I love doing crafts with him..!”

Liliya- “She’s very silly and sweet..! I really enjoy talking with her..!”

Sebastian- “H-he’s so funny..! H-he needs to be nicer to Kishin though..”

Yudi- “I-I love how cuddly and cute he is..! I’m so thankful for him protecting me from Zankoku and Takahiro..!”

Takahiro- “…..”

Nikko- “He and my Itoko-san are so cute..!!”

Yuna- “B-best mama ever..!”

Zeno- “He’s so n-nice and silly..! I think he and Kitari are really cute..!”

Aneko- “I-I’m a bit scared of her, but she’s nice in her own way..”

Hachikazu- “I-I love how compassionate and loving he is..! He’s so silly too..!”

Hikaru- “H-he’s so cool..! I-I love his hair so much..! I love letting him play with my hair..!”

Amari- “I-I love all of the gifts she gives me, she’s really nice and she’s always helping me do things I’m scared to do..!”

Mari- “She’s so fun..! I-I love to talk to her..! I wish I could be a better help when it comes to overtraining herself..”

Ilona- “I think it’s cool that she’s a half demon..! She’s really pretty and cool.! I love going on missions with her..!”

Hiroyuki- “H-he’s so kind to me, I’m very grateful for him and I love him very much..!”

Hasuki- “H-he’s so sweet and silly..! I love him a lot..!”

Gideon- “I-I really admire him, I think of him as another big brother..! I’m so thankful for him, h-he protected me from my uncle 3 years ago b-back when we met, a-and we’ve been super close ever since..!”

Chiaki- “H-he’s like a father for me, I’m really glad that I h-have him in my life..!”

Basil- “H-he’s very kind and generous, I really care about him and I’d do anything to keep him safe..!”

Ceres- “I don’t know that much about him, but he seems really strong and cool..! H-he and Vesper are a cute couple too..!”

(okay ik this is far from everyone, if you want me to add on then lmk pls)

Tagging: @ayunakatsukiwolfhashira @night-mince0 @donkeybro @nothingtoseehere1-2-3 @rion-isnot-an-ai @shycroissanti @kimetsu-chan @pinkwisteria @risingscorchingsuns @knyinfinity @cloudymistedskies @tokito-dulya20 @zeechyii @ackie-slays @ame-delights @aceofstars0

[aurumacadicus]

Yes TikTok is rotting my brain again. For background purposes, Steve is Peter’s biological father, he came out of the ice way earlier and SHIELD couldn’t catch him after he ran off so he was Nomad for like... twenty years. And during those years he does fuck around. Lo and behold, Mary Parker is one of his one night stands. He only learns about it once he goes back to SHIELD and finds out that they eventually caught up with him but decided it was best to just observe rather than try to bring him in when he didn’t want to be. He decides it’s safer for Peter to stay with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Only when Ben dies does he reluctantly step in. Luckily, Peter is very forgiving and loves his dad even though they both know he’d much rather have his Uncle Ben still around.

Also Steve thinks pranks are funny as long as they’re the “confuse, don’t abuse” type. He thinks the abusive pranks of today are absolutely heinous.

--

“Mr. Stark, you know what would be so funny?” Peter asked, sitting at the kitchen counter.

“Tony,” Tony said, then sighed, setting his coffee cup down and tipping his head back. “I’m scared. This sounds like a trick.”

Peter began kicking his feet back and forth. “It’s nothing to be scared of. Just a TikTok prank.”

Tony sighed again and turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. “You know how your dad feels about TikTok. And pranks. And TikTok pranks.”

“It’s not anything bad,” Peter rushed to assure him. “It’s actually really sweet!”

Tony remained skeptical, picking his cup back up and taking a long, slow sip of coffee. Finally, he lowered his mug and asked, “Okay. I suppose I’ll let you tell me what the prank is before I shoot you down.”

“It’s only fair,” Peter agreed, placing his feet on the stool again. “So, basically, it’s to see how dads react when kids are rude to their moms.”

Tony blinked at him slowly, then carefully said, “If you think I’m going to let you sass Aunt May--”

“No!” Peter yelped, horrified. “Do you think I’m crazy? Steve wouldn’t have to do anything because Aunt May will kill me!”

Tony blinked again. “...Then I’m not entirely sure where this is going.”

Peter beamed at him, horror forgotten now that he knew that he and Tony were on the same page about sassing May. “I was thinking I could sass you!”

“Peter,” Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“No, you see, it’s perfect! Low stakes,” Peter explained, enthused. “You and Steve are basically married--”

“What,” Tony said.

Peter plowed over him. “And as soon as you realized I was a package deal with Steve, you really stepped up to make me feel welcome without spoiling me, too. Or, well,” he added, squinting. “You do spoil me, but not like in a way that makes me feel icky or turned me into an entitled brat.”

“Huh,” Tony tried again.

“Anyway!” Peter continued, ignoring him. “I just think it would be funny to see Steve’s reaction if I gave you attitude and told you to shut up after you asked me to do something. He gets super protective of you at the weirdest times. Besides, it’s been getting a little chummy around here and as a teenage boy I thrive on chaos.”

Tony tilted his head to squint at him skeptically. “I don’t think you have the emotional constitution to tell me to shut up with attitude.”

“It’ll be the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do,” Peter told him solemnly.

“I think this is a terrible idea,” Tony began.

“That’s not a no, I’ll get everything set up,” Peter said quickly, then bolted from the kitchen.

Tony stared after him, mouth still dropped open in shock.

.-.

Tony still thought this was a supremely bad idea, because he knew Steve’s opinions on TikTok pranks (and TikTok. And pranks in general.) and it just felt like he was going to be yelled at for being a co-conspirator. But! Peter had been right. Tony liked to spoil him. And apparently that included being a con-conspirator in a stupid TikTok prank that would probably backfire anyway because while the team joked about him and Steve being Team Mom and Dad (and even then, who was Mom and who was Dad depended on who was most apoplectic).

Tony sat down beside Steve, handing him a can of coke as he settled in with his Stark Pad. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Steve said, cracking it open without looking up from the baseball game. It must have been the Dodgers, Tony figured. Steve was still bitter about them moving to LA, but he was also nostalgic for the old days, so sometimes he’d overlook it.

Peter poked his head into the living room. “I’m headed over to Ned’s to work on our physics project! Bye Steve! Bye Tony!”

Tony sat up a little. “Oh, wait, Peter, did you get your model from the lab?”

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’ll get it later.”

Tony noticed Steve carefully going very, very stiff beside him and chose to ignore it. “I need you to grab it before you leave. I’m doing a project that requires no clutter.”

“Sure, when I get back,” Peter huffed, heading toward the elevator.

“I need you to do it before you leave,” Tony called after him. “Otherwise I won’t be able to start--”

“God, okay, shut up!” Peter sighed loudly.

Tony opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by Steve slamming his soda on the coffee table and surging to his feet with a snarled, “What the fuck did you just say?” He stared up at Steve, mouth continuing to hang open in shock.

Peter turned to face him, apparently just as surprised. “Uh...”

“No, you were real confident saying when you thought it was just Tony answering,” Steve said, taking a step toward him. “Say it again.”

Peter was quiet for a moment, considering, before finally, with bravado only a teenager could have, he said, “Shut up.”

“Okay,” Steve answered, voice shockingly calm, and then took a very deliberate step forward.

“It’s a prank it’s a prank it’s a prank!” Tony yelped, throwing himself off the couch to wrap his arms around Steve’s waist and stop him. “Stop Steve it’s a prank you cannot commit murder I will not be cleaning blood out of this carpet again!”

Steve swiveled his blank stare to him. “What do you mean a prank?”

Tony chewed on the inside of his cheek, considering whether he wanted to draw Steve’s ire onto himself in the face of his blank expression. “I did object,” he tried weakly.

Peter appeared between them, planting himself in front of Tony protectively. “He did! He’s just a pushover when it comes to me because I’m your kid. So! This is really your fault.”

Steve’s mouth dropped open, but luckily the blank stare turned to an outraged glare. “What did you just say?!”

“Okay let’s go,” Tony said hastily, grabbing Peter’s shoulders and steering him toward the elevator. He heard Steve move and started shoving him instead. “Peter he’s coming hurry up oh my god.”

“I’LL TELL AUNT MAY YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!” Peter shouted defensively over his shoulder.

“I’LL TELL AUNT MAY YOU DESERVED IT!” Steve bellowed back.

Peter swerved around Tony so he could meet Steve face to face. Tony threw his hands up and just left.

[widowed-mistress]

Do I have an obsession, yes?

Is it getting bad because I can't write dialog and have little to no stories on ao3 with this concept? Yes! Will I fix the issue? Also no!

Here we go!!

Why More Steve Harrington is Finney Blake Stories Should Exist:

1. As is, Finney Blake and his sister have a power that basically makes them oracles or profits. Imagen him dressed to the nines in an outfit that embodies that, you're welcome baby girl Steve Harrington believers.

2. His horrible experience with the Grabber would provide a solid outline for the harsh words he uses in season one while also making his return to goodness one that makes sense. He was wildly abused in his hometown, so he aimed for the top when he was given a chance to start over without ever actually laying his hands on someone. When he realizes he's become what he hated most, he works to redeem himself.

3. Ghost children. Ghost children follow him around, why do you think he handles the party so well?

4. There are several deaths in Stranger Things that never get brought up again, so I will. His home is now a safe haven for all those lost souls. I want him to make amends with Barb, I want him to hold Max telling her everything Billy saying he wished he told her with such confidence that she finally believes him. I want that.

5. I want him to be able to channel ghost energy. That's it. Imagen him summoning spirits of past experiments to help hold the Mind Flayer back when it went to attack Billy.

6. His arm is mint. Okay, losing a fight to Billy? Understandable. Loosing a fight to Jonathan? I love my him, but no. ESPECIALLY when Steve can bat a fucking demadog easily. This man was holding back because the last time he truly fought, he killed a man.

7. There are so many ways he could have ended up in Hawkins.

Gwen was murdered by someone who suspected her of working with the Grabber because of her inside knowing to the murders. The parents of their mother then offers their home in Hawkins as long as the dad works for their company, wanting to do right by his child and wanting a fresh start, he says yes. The name gets changed to fit their higher image and Steve is left in the mansion alone, a bargaining chip for his grandparents to show that they are in fact caring for the family of the lost daughter.

His aunt and uncle take him in, but not Gwen for sexist reasons, after their home is deemed unfit when questioning him about the Grabber.

His dad hits well with the life insurance and moves them to start away from the horrors that happened.

8. I want Hopper to be related to Vance Hopper, like cousins or something. That's it.

9. Imagen channeling ghost strength? Or even better him being able to communicate with El in that void because of his abilities.

10. If you want a song fic, fucking Bloody Mary is right there.

11. I want the angst of people around him reminding him of all the people he's lost. It would make his need to be needed even stronger. Moreover, his sense of devotion and desire to protect would be through the roof.

12. I really like the idea.

That's it, that's the post.

[officalroyalsofpierreland]

re: ask meme, the whole relationships category, for hortense and also oliver!

Oh boy! so for Hortense, @empiredesimparte may have to correct some things...but here are my answers!

👪 - does your character have a good relationship with their family?

Hortense: She does with certain people. Her strongest bond has to be with her mom, since I think they have similar thought processes. Her relationship with her twin is strained due to Oliver's antics while they were dating , the fact that she is going to be so far away, and Louis's decision to not tell her his plans. Her most strained relationship is with Charlotte because...they got history....

Oliver: He has a great relationship with his family! He's very close with his mom, Marie Christine and gets alot of his traits from her however he gets his protectiveness from his dad, Alexander Darrien. He's also close with his cousin Magnus, who is much more like a brother. He also admires his Aunt Katalina and often turns to her for help and advice.

👰 - what are your character's views on marriage?

Hortense: Marriage is for love, life and for children. She's been raised with a very conservative and Catholic view of marriage. However she probably wished for her fairytale, which she's gained with Oliver!

Oliver: Marriage is a bond of love that exists for all time between equals. He admires the give and take he's seen in his parents marriage as well as his aunts and uncles where everyone plays to their strengths and he hopes to emulate that with Hortense, once her confidence has been built up.

💏 - what are your character's views on relationships?

Hortense: I gotta leave this one for @empiredesimparte

Oliver: He views relationships as something that are serious, especially at this stage in life. He's very cautious with those he lets into his life, and especially into his and Hortense's shared life.

💗 - which relationship in your character's life is the healthiest?

Hortense: Definitely her relationship with Oliver. Oliver gives her options, freedoms, and opportunities that she would never have in the Francesim bubble. He constantly shows her a different way of being and thinking that are very different than hers, showing her that her true self was locked away.

Oliver: Hortense for sure! She makes him strive to be better, to be more empathetic, and to see the best in others. She also challenges him and reminds him that he has been fortunate to be raised the way he was.

💔 - which relationship in your character's life is the most unhealthy?

Hortense: Probably her relationship with her twin Louis. They were very codependent right up until Louis became emperor and got married. Once he was Emperor, his views dictated Hortense's life, such as not letting her read the old Louis's book and delaying her own wedding. This control, Louis's own hypocrisy (in Hortense's view) due to his pre-marital activities with Charlotte, and him telling Oliver his big secret and asking him for advice instead of her left them in a fragile place.

Oliver: Probably his relationship with his dad. At times there is more of a King to subject, boss to employee dynamic with them that Oliver chafes under because sometimes his dad doesn't understand Oliver's reasons for things, like buying a French Chateau.

👩🏼‍🤝‍🧑🏾 - does your character have many close friends? do they make friends easily?

Hortense: Of her own? Not really. Her friend group mainly comprised of Louis's friends and now Oliver's friends. Though she has a close friendship with Lady Evie, it was very much bridged by their connection to Oliver. She finds it difficult to make friends due to her isolated upbringing and has a level of trepidation that people won't like her.

Oliver: he has many close friends from childhood! his circle of trust is small however, it is tight because those that break the trust are immediately gone from his life. He does find it difficult to make friends since he doesn't want to be used for his title and future power.

[watsonjackpot]

+ ( So after seeing that cute giftset the other day from the end of the City That Never Sleeps DLC for MSM2, really think it was time to point out just how important a step like that is, not only for Peter and MJ's relationship, but for Mary Jane as a whole.

Buckle up, this may be a bit heavy.

Mary Jane, as a character, has shown more than a few times in differing canons that she can have a problem with intimacy. For a long period of time, she's been pretty adept at putting up a front to mask what she actually feels. Almost all of this stems from her family life growing up.

Mary Jane's father was a failed writer , and despite the loving way that their relationship and marriage started out, he quickly turned to take his anger out on not only Mary Jane's mother, Madeline, but also her and her sister, Gayle. Eventually, this was grounds for the three of them to outright leave . They bounced around from relative to relative, including Mary Jane's Aunt Anna, whom would come to play a big role in her life .

But the problems didn't just stop there. Gayle fell in love with a man, and married and quickly discovered she was pregnant with their first child. While things again were happy at first, they quickly began to fall apart , just as they had with Madeline and Philip . When Gayle broke the news to him that she was pregnant again, he abandoned her and their children, leaving Mary Jane and Madeline to help Gayle pick up the pieces.

This mirror of what had happened to their parents wasn't something Mary Jane could ignore.

Things truly came to a head in her life when Madeline fell ill, and eventually passed away, leaving Mary Jane and Gayle on their own. Having already developed the party-girl facade that she would allow to define her for years to come, Mary Jane finally snapped at the idea of now being the one who would be forced to help her sister raise her children.

It's important to note that Mary Jane had been using this mask for a long time by this point as well, to the point that Gayle entirely viewed her sister as not caring for her whatsoever. To MJ, it was like a second skin, and one that she almost seemed to prefer living in entirely.

Eventually, MJ came to live with her Aunt Anna , and finally find some grounding in her life. By this point, she was well aware that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, having found out the night that Uncle Ben was shot, and had been keeping this secret the entire time . Prior to this discovery, she had felt a sense of kinship with Spider-Man after seeing him on television, feeling that they both wore a mask to protect themselves. After finding out who really was under the mask, however, she couldn't deal with knowing the kind of dangers Peter was putting himself in, and actively avoided meeting him, despite Anna and May's attempts to set them up. Eventually, she ran out of excuses, and did meet him finally. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward a bit, and after having grown closer after the death of Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane and Peter did start to date a bit . Eventually, Peter thought that he should ask Mary Jane to marry him, which he did ... to be met not only with Mary Jane's rejection, but also that she was leaving to Florida with Aunt Anna . She would not return for a few years, but when she did, things with Peter eventually came to a head. She revealed that she did know he was Spider-Man, and that she had known all along . While this was initially done by her to explain why she couldn't handle being around him, it eventually led to their friendship becoming even more important in both of their lives.

After a mess of a situation involving Peter's then-romantic entangling's with Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, Peter asked Mary Jane to marry him again. Right on the cusp of Mary Jane heading to Pittsburgh to deal with Gayle being arrested in connection with helping their father steal art . While her initial answer was again ' no ', she did concede that with how chaotic things were, she didn't have an answer for him. Leaving for Pittsburgh, Mary Jane quickly discovered upon landing that Peter had followed her there, intent on standing by her side while she dealt with her family issues.

It was this steadfast refusal to abandon her, and the way that the two of them teamed up to defeat a Spider-Slayer that had been tracking Peter, that finally made Mary Jane step back and think. She had long harbored fears that Peter, despite all the years she had known him, might end up being exactly like her father . But the way that time and time again, he had refused to abandon her, finally made her realize that she could trust Peter completely. While waiting for their flight back to New York, MJ agreed to marry him.

What does all this prove ? It shows just how much an important moment it is for Mary Jane, in any adaptation, to tell Peter that she's willing to make that step . Because it's not something that she would make with just anyone , but rather, it's a symbol of just how much she absolutely trusts Peter with that step . No-one else would ever be capable of that level of trust from her. No-one.

Furthermore, it highlights MJ being willing to push back her own fears of not being a good mother, or a good wife . Reading through the Spider-Man material post the wedding annual highlights just how much growth it takes for MJ to grow into the role of being a partner to Peter, especially given the horrors she had already witnessed via Madeline and Gayle's relationships . And she and Peter are not perfect , by any means. They have their spats, but they make up . They don't give up on one another, rewarding that faith MJ placed in him time and time again that things wouldn't end like her parents or Gayle's marriages .

It's this continued renewal of trust that makes it so when they do decide to take that step to having a family, it's without even a smidge of fear hanging over her . Because she knows that if there's anyone in the world who she could have that family with ? It's Peter , the person who she would trust with her life, time and time again .

[ohtobealady]

We did it, gang! We finished it! The last chapter is posted :)

Preview under the cut

==============================

He chuckled and it was a weak, dry bounce in his throat. “Not Mary.”

“Not Mary, indeed,” she smiled at him, and the image of Aunt Mary pushing Donk’s chair through the gravel came to her mind. “She really does have the family’s best interest at heart, doesn’t she?”

He chuckled, again, in a way. A dry choke of what should have been a laugh. “She’s the champion of us all.”  The air in his thin chest vibrated with his long exhale. “The heroine of the story.” 

“Yes.” Sybbie grinned; again she stroked his fingers. “The heroine of Downton.” 

But Donk shook his head against his pillows. “No, not that.”

“Oh yes,” Sybbie passed her thumb against his hand. “That was Granny.”

“I was wrong.” She watched him close his eyes and move his lips, quietly, before looking back at her again. His mouth sounded dry as he spoke, dry but very solemn. “The times I’ve thought Downton needed saving. My life’s work: saving Downton. Protecting Downton. Only now that I’m at the end of it all can I see what it’s really been.” 

She didn’t like this. But she’d listen. She swallowed down the feeling that had risen up high in her throat at Barrow’s cottage. She swallowed down the feeling that had lodged itself tightly at reading through Granny’s letters. She swallowed it all down, and she breathed around it. “And what’s that?”

“Downton saved me.” He nodded, slowly, and his lips trembled into a smile. “Only I was far too self-important to understand that. Hubris.” 

“But—” Sybbie adjusted herself in her chair. “You did save it, too. By marrying. And Uncle Matthew. And now with Georgie—

“—yes, the house.”

“What?”

“We worked to keep the house. The Abbey. Oh, but Cora always knew, I think. And… in her gentle way, she tried to tell me so many times.”

Sybbie blinked. “Knew what?”

Donk exhaled a long, but shallow breath. And then Sybbie watched him smile. “Downton is more than just this house.” He turned his hand beneath Sybbie’s, and his soft fingers squeezed her own. “It’s given me far more than I have ever done for it.”

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

Leap of Faith (Catch Me If You Can)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54620467 by alighterwood, ErinWantsToWrite He clicks on Gotham Wikipedia with bated breath. And it doesn’t take long for Peter to figure out just how bad the situation is. Gotham isn’t just a city, it’s apparently a hellhole. What kind of villain playground is this world running? How could anyone let it get this bad? Where is the government? Where are the heroes? Peter’s heart swells at the thought. He needs heroes! They’ll be able to help him! For villains, there is always a hero around. He searches for just regular “list of heroes.” The first thing that pops up is a website- JusticeLeague.Org. - Peter, like any 14 year old superhero, really wants to catch a break. He's just a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, nothing special. Well, only if you don't look at his biology ever since the radioactive spider bite. And his extensive track record of running away and deaths in his life. And that his foster-dad is Tony Stark. And that his mentors are the Avengers. And the fact that he was randomly kidnapped one morning on his way to school and now he's in an alternate universe with a bunch of different superheroes that keep stalking him. He thinks they mean well, but they're really weird. Besides that Red Hood guy. He's pretty cool. Words: 23611, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel), Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Richard Parker (Marvel), Mary Parker (Marvel), Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Spider Sense - Character, Friday (Marvel), Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, villain OC, background oc - Character, mentioned Skip Westcott - Character Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Ned Leeds/Peter Parker, Dick Grayson & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Peter Parker, Batfamily Members & Peter Parker Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant, like sort of but in the "canon is mine now", DC stands for Disregard Canon, Homeless Peter Parker, Dimensional Travel, Angst and Humor, Found Family, they found him and decided to steal him, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter has ALL the parental figures, he collects them the way batman collects orphans, Hurt Peter Parker, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter Parker Has His Shit Together, Protective Peter Parker, BAMF Peter Parker, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Teen Peter Parker, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Dick Grayson is Peter Parker's Biological Parent, Peter Parker Calls Tony Stark "Dad", Peter Parker is Trying His Best, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Needs a Break, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter Parker has PTSD, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Romani Dick Grayson, Good Parent Dick Grayson, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Batfamily Shenanigans (DCU), Caring Batfamily (DCU), Mutual Stalking Shenanigans, Peter Parker is a Foster Kid, BAMF Tony Stark, Tony Stark is a Bad Medical Patient, Past Rape/Non-con, does NOT go into detail but it IS there and please look after yourself, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/54620467

[g0blinwitch]

Okay I need to talk about The Princess's Jewels for a hot minute

The Princess's Jewels by JYUN and Hong Cha is a webtoon that has garnered plenty of criticism over the past two years, and while I agree that it should be criticized, I don't agree with most of the current criticisms aimed towards it. Namely, the main character, Ariana. But before we get into the meat of the discussion you may be wondering what the hell the webcomic's even about. The Princess's Jewels follows Princess Ariana as she tries to become the ruler of her kingdom, partly because she doesn't want her aunt to rule it and partly because she wants to marry multiple men who she calls her "Jewels", who she also uses to help her gain more political power(she also thinks they're super hot). It's basically a reverse harem mixed in with a political drama.

The main criticisms I see most often lodged at the comic are as follows:

Ariana's a Mary Sue

Ariana is manipulative/a creep/pervert/slut

Ariana's boobs are too big(yes I'm serious)

The "Jewels" are Ariana's sex slaves

Now I feel as though these critiques are mainly rooted in misogyny(with the exception of 4, but we'll get to that in a minute) Yes, Ariana is horny, but I really don't see a problem with that?

Like yeah, a woman is horny, but these people are acting like she's insufferable for it. This leads us into the next criticism, that Ariana's a Mary Sue. Now yes, I'll admit, Ariana, by most people's definition, falls into the category of "Mary Sue". She strong, she's beautiful, everyone loves her and those who don't are the villains. Again, to that I say "okay, and?" There are much bigger criticisms(which we'll get into later) and this is the one you're talking the most about? Who cares if she has big tits and everyone loves her. Good for her, I hope she happily breasts boobily throughout the story. Moving onto the "Jewels are slaves" thing, that's just straight up a lie. Now assuming that they're using this first definition; "The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner's control, especially in involuntary servitude."

I genuinely don't know that the fuck these people are talking about. You can maybe argue it for 2/5 Jewels, Huan Baek and Jade Melda(side note why the fuck is the blue character named after a green stone this will never not being annoying to me)

While the other three Jewels agree right away to be Ariana's "Jewel"(essentially her consort) in exchange for political power/protection, these two don't. Huan Baek out of a sense of loyality to the kingdom/its rulers who raised him, and Jade because he just straight up doesn't like Ariana at first. People use this as an example of them being slaves/Ariana seeing them as property but I don't see it. Is it because of the chokers? Is it because she calls them her "Jewels"?

The chokers, to me, feels like her giving her boyfriend a bracelet and telling him to wear it for her, and the Jewels thing is just an affectionate pet name. Again, would we seriously be having this conversation if a male character was calling a female character his Jewel?

As I mentioned before, there are plenty of other(more weighty in my opinion) criticisms to be had about this webcomic that I didn't really see being brought up as much. The darker skinned characters(namely Nell Phantom and Efrit Karsia) can both turn into/shapeshift into animals while the lighter skinned characters can't, which kind of comes across as a bit odd to me, especially when it seems to be a trait that only the darker POC characters have.

(Efrit also has a bird form but I can't find an image of him in it :/ )

There's also really gross fatphobia which I have yet to see a single person talk about

And(most importantly I'd argue) the artist HONGCHA is a pedophile.(Since the original google doc with the evidence from the og reddit post doesn't seem to be working, you can also watch it here, starting at the 15:10 mark.)

I'm not trying to say that the Princess's Jewels is this perfect webtoon, but I'd at least like to bring attention to the rampant misogyny I feel as though is dominating the criticism of this webcomic.

[1whimsicalgal]

Shooting Daniel Pearl’s Infamous Dolly Shot (From Pam’s POV) Or How I Got Lucky In Spite Of Myself.

When I came on the set that morning in Quick Hill, Texas, our make-up artist Dottie was repairing my make-up. I looked out of the corner of my left eye, over at the swing where I knew I was supposed to sit for our next scene of Pam approaching the house. Perplexed, I noticed Daniel Pearl, our cinematographer, lying down on his stomach, hunched over his camera, UNDER the swing, and exactly where I was soon to park my posterior. I noticed Danny wasn’t moving. He was settled in. I asked Dottie as she was powdering my face, “Hey, Dottie, what’s Daniel doing under the swing?” She mumbled something similar to “Idunno…”, and quickly walked away.

They told me they were ready and where I was to sit. Huh?? No way. Yes, the stories are true. I freaked out, 😱 Pam and Tobe began to argue, me refusing to do the shot. Meanwhile, and totally Unbeknownst to me, this was immediately following a giant argument he’d just had with the money dudes, the investors, who didn’t want him to do this new shot that Daniel had come up with the night before, at all. They were ranting at him, telling him that they HAD to stick to the storyboard. .. or else (btw, dpearldp tells that delicious story on his IG - link below). Well, I had No Clue what it was either. I was protecting my cheeks… if you read me. Chewing on his cigar stub, and none too happy with his troublesome actress playing ‘Pam’, Tobe had had enough and said, “Aw, goddamnit, Teri, we’re gonna shoot all around it!!!” Hmmmm, I’m thinkin’, ‘shoot-all-around-it’? Just what the hell does that mean? Anyway, I shut up and sat down, however, remaining highly, highly suspicious. I later learned that everyone, except me, was in on the tracking shot.

All I could think of was my mother 😲 O.M.G. (who was unsupportive at best of my chosen career) and my Aunt Gerry, who were both super-duper religious. I could literally picture them coming unglued when they saw it. Before it was released a year later, I dreaded watching myself on screen and THAT scene, having never seen dailies, I was haunted by the thought of watching it.

When it was released in October ’74, I was living in Dallas and drove with a friend to see it at a Saturday matinee in Tomball, TX, along with 300 screaming kids. When the scene started, my eyes were covered 🫣 I watched through my fingers, scared to death, and NOT of Leatherface. There, up on the screen, in CinemaScope and vivid Technicolor, were my cheeks in those red shorts… O.M.G. 🥶🥵

They certainly did "shoot all around it"!!! The irony of all my worry, neither one of them ever saw it. 😂

That scene has been taught in directing classes across the world for decades, and the 1974 film is held in the film archives of MoMA, The Smithsonian, and The Academy /Oscars.org.

MoMA recently announced a weeklong celebration the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre August 8-14, when members of the film’s creative team will join to discuss The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s production and legacy.

How fortunate we are.

As many of you know, I didn’t come out of anonymity as 'Pam for ’35 years, till March 2008, when, Bill ‘Kirk’ Vail and I both first appeared at a humongous Cherryhill, NJ, Monster-Mania Convention.

Cut to 2008 when my sweet Aunt Gerry was in her 90's, I went to visit her in Arkansas at her apartment in Peachtree Village for a few days, and I told her, "Aunt Gerry, did you know I'm famous?" She said, "You are??" I said, "I certainly am." 😎 I got out my Mac, opened it to FB and showed her the shot above. She giggled and smiled. She loved it! We enjoyed a really good laugh together.💞😂

Tobe and Kim had apparently seen my picture in the Austin American Statesman for a play I was doing with Frank Sutton (Gomer Pyle's Sargent) at @Mary Moody Northern Theater. Somehow for many years, I always remembered my eyes were closed in the Statesman picture. When I recently looked at the picture, my eyes were open and it was Frank Sutton's and the corpse of the dead priest that were closed. 😂 Kim Henkel had called the theater and our director, Ed Mangum, gave me the message when I came in for rehearsals that afternoon. I was to return their call.

WHO KNEW??? Certainly, none of us!

🎥 Follow our amazing cinematographer, Daniel Pearl, for his post & POV on filming this scene, at dpearldp's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvtejukgJIP/ as well as many more great stories from his 50-year career. Daniel's website: danielpearldp.com/

[kylejsugarman]

Do you have any BrBa headcanons you’re yet to share?

hmm thats a tough one because i feel like the instant any thought pops into my head, i just instantly post it.....honestly my favorite "headcanons" to discuss aside from like me making 6 million posts a day about jessimer are those that involve skyler, flynn, holly, and marie, just because there's so much room to speculate about what became of them after the events of the show. ive talked a little about it, particularly in the context of flynn and marie bonding in the aftermath because she's lonely and grieving and he needs someone to rely on while his mom deals with the legal fallout and her own depression, but it just really, really fascinates me to think about what life would be like for them in the wake of something SO life-changing. marie trying to put up a facade of bravery and coldness a la what we see in the bcs finale (btw I was literally screaming and crying and throwing up when she showed up) and advocate for hank because for all of his many (many) flaws, you can tell that she really loved him and his awful death really broke something in her and she tries to still be perfect, well-kept marie even though there's no one to really perform for and nothing to occupy her free time except for her niece and nephew. its my belief that marie gets a little possessive of holly and views her almost as her own daughter because marie really throws herself into caring for holly in the aftermath to distract herself/help out skyler (she's angry at her sister and will be angry for the rest of her life, but no amount of anger could stop her from loving those kids), and it's really, really hard for her when she has to go home at the end of the day and go to bed alone. holly is given a lot of love by her mom and her aunt and her brother, but theres a degree of insulation to it, this desperation to protect her, that she picks up on early in life and gives her a rebellious streak. she's a smart, nice kid but independent and defensive. skyler gets asked a lot if she'll ever write a book about her experiences since she's a writer, but she never does. she writes some children's books about a dog and his adventures instead that see some success, ostensibly for holly to enjoy. the dog has a collar but he holds the leash.

[tritoch]

fuck it. have an enormous oc lore dump. this is the "canon" wol oc i conceived as part of my personal preferred approach in some games to take the game's text as presented, not headcanon away any elements, and, as much as possible, adhere to whatever "definitive" canon as best as can be discerned from what's given as an option. as a comedy bit, I also wanted to make a Warrior of Light who does everything you can do in canon, like an omnijob level 90 did all the raids did all the beast tribes caught every fish did all the relics did every hildi questline kind of WoL. Someone who really does mostly communicate through nods and punch gestures and only says the specific lines you can say in game (except for the scenes, increasingly common in later expacs, where they let you imagine a conversation). I just think it's funny to take an approach to the game that is at once fairly restrained (no elements beyond what is already presented in the lore) and extremely maximalist (yes, he one hundred percent did steal those pants). spoilers through stormblood under the break.

Wolund Anadezhda (not his real name) was born in Bozja in the year 1533 of the Sixth Astral Era to a young gunbreaker in Bozja's army and her husband, a foundling adept of the Verdant Path and fellow soldier. Resolving that their son would not grow up in the shadow of war, the Hrothgar couple resolved to have him sent out of the country shortly after his birth. He grew up instead under the care of his father's adoptive sister, a master of the Verdant Path in her own right, who left Bozja some years prior under uncertain circumstances after a serious injury left her unable to return to the front lines.

The sister (a Sea Wolf Roegadyn) had through various adventures found herself running a Dalmascan caravanserai, a walled inn a day's travel west of the city of Rabanastre. There, she raised Wolund both to run an inn and in the forms of the Verdant Path. Though not a warm woman, she did her best to raise Wolund carefully and lovingly, and honoring her brother and sister-in-law's wishes, tried to shelter him from the horrors of the world. He, in return, idolized her. He received sporadic letters from his parents, at least until Bozja fell. Their ultimate fates are unknown, though Wolund believes that even if they didn't die during the course of the war, they likely died as part of the resistance or in the Bozja Incident.

In the year 1547, 6th AE, Dalmasca is invaded by the IVth Legion. The caravanserai is close enough to the border for the Garlean line to advance past it fairly quickly, and Wolund chooses to remain with his aunt in order to protect her from the occupation as best he could. As Wolund has grown, his aunt has told him stories of the devastation war had wreaked in Bozja, and of the losses she still grieved. She explained to him that students of the Verdant Path such as herself had been targeted by the IVth Legion to be brought in dead or alive in a bid to control their knowledge and break Bozja's ability to resist, and that she had fled the country at her brother's behest to preserve the school's knowledge for future generations. Chafing under Imperial rule, Wolund aspired, at the time, to learn as best he could from her, follow in her footsteps, and do his part to maintain the lineage of the Verdant Path school.

In my conception, the Verdant Path, as a multidisciplinary school that teaches (at least) spear, greatsword, katana, and unarmed combat as part of its tradition, encompasses more of a martial philosophy, conceptual approach to space, and footwork system than a specific set of techniques for various weapons. This is a key element of why Wolund, in order to adhere as closely to the maximum extent of the available canon as possible, can pick up like 19 different martial disciplines, sweet Mary Sue that he is.

As he aged into his late teens and early twenties, Wolund was settling into his role as his aunt's chef, handyman, disciple, and likely future replacement innkeeper, as her war injury made physical labor increasingly difficult. Also around this time, Wolund has a brief engagement with a Keeper of the Moon Mi'qote merchant, part of a tribe of several Keeper families who operated a caravan which plied a route between Rabanastre and Martrvje in Bozja. At her behest, largely as a practical matter on her end though not without some romance, they had a child together, with the intent that, as in most Keeper families, she would raise the child herself, though he would, by grace of the caravan's route, have periodic contact with them both.

Before the child's birth, however, an imperial recruiter looking to fill a quota came through town. And so in the year 1556, 6th AE, at the age of 23, Wolund was conscripted and assigned to the VIth Legion, then a corrupt and disorderly force occupying the relatively peaceful southern coast of Ilsabard. A far cry from Emperor Solus's disciplined armies, the VIth Legion then was scarcely indistinguishable from a private mercenary group answering to local colonial governments.

Wolund struggled after his initial conscription, seething at the prospect of two decades under the Garlean Empire's yoke, fell into despair, and tried to emotionally withdraw. Since he was a quiet, disciplined conscript as well as a young and fairly imposing Hrothgar, his Garlean officers read in him the ready Garleanization that they wished to see. His practiced prowess in the training hall further contrasted his "bestial" appearance in the eyes of the bigoted Garlean officers. In Wolund, they saw a useful tool and status symbol for their occupation.

Consequently, while Wolund's time resembled the expected conscript experience in many respects, it was also marked by unexpected success in the unusual, corrupt environment of the VIth Legion. He spent plenty of time in his first couple of years on hard, undesirable labor, as any conscript would: digging ditches, building infrastructure, policing occupied populations, and, in the singular case of open conflict breaking out, serving on the front lines. However, he stood out from his peers, and he found himself frequently serving as a sort of exotic trophy or bodyguard for increasingly senior officers or local bigwigs. Eventually, he found himself attached to the staff of the legion's 10th Cohort as vexillarius, or standard-bearer, for the cohort's pilus prior. This turned out to be, given his centurion's corruption and close links to the local colonial government, merely a slightly more elevated form of his old work serving as muscle and an imposing presence behind preening dignitaries.

At this point, about six years into his two decades, Wolund's conscription seemed on a steady path to eventual citizenship. For his part, he remained as emotionally disengaged as he could manage, materially secure in his position in the 10th Cohort. The insulated world he built came crashing down in his sixteenth year of service, when crown prince Varis yae Galvus sent his close friend and confidant Regula van Hydrus to reform the corrupt VIth Legion. Many senior officers, including Wolund's centurion, were executed by firing squad for their abuses and indiscretions, with still more clapped in irons and hauled before military tribunals. Efforts to reform the legion's reputedly undisciplined soldiers saw Wolund, like many other conscripts, detached from the VIth in the hopes that reassignment to a more disciplined legion could salvage the conscripts that, in Regula's eyes, the VIth had nearly wrecked. Wolund found himself assigned to the VIIth Legion in 1572, on the eve of Carteneau.

In year 4 of the Seventh Umbral Era, Wolund completed his term of conscription. Engraved and sealed legionary diploma in hand, he made his way to Garlemald itself, where his paperwork was verified and his name added to the citizen's registry. He returned to the caravanserai outside Rabanastre as Wolund pyr Anadezhda. There, he found his aunt, now some 20 years older, and her unexpected apprentice as innkeeper: his own daughter, now a 20-year-old woman and soon to be running the place herself.

Of Carteneau itself, there is little to say, and what few coherent memories Wolund may have had were taken by Louisoix's magic, along with Eorzea's Warriors of Light. Wolund crawled out of the catastrophe and butchery of the Seventh Umbral Calamity to find himself one of the VIIth's few survivors. Reassigned to the Vth, he served out the rest of his term quietly, though nightmares of Carteneau continued to plague him. While serving in the Vth Legion, he served as a quartermaster and honed his skill in both literacy and sums.

For about four months, Wolund tenuously reinserted himself into the daily life of the inn while attempting to form a connection to his daughter and reconnect to his aunt and his daughter's mother. His efforts to begin his life again were cut short when soldiers came sniffing around the caravanserai on the order of a local magistrate, a former officer of the VIth Legion who sought to employ him as a trainer to his household guard. Recognizing that he would not be able to live a life free of the Garlean Empire's boot so long as he remained within their lands, and not wishing to endanger his daughter or aunt by enlisting them in his decision, Wolund simply skipped town one night. He left behind all his possessions except for enough money to see him safely overseas, as well as a letter that stated tersely that he did not wish to be followed. From the caravanserai he made his way by horse to Rabanastre and then to Valnain, where he caught a ride on a merchant ship bound for Hingashi, and from thence to Limsa Lominsa, where he arrived in year 5 of the Seventh Umbral Era.

Upon arriving in Eorzea, Wolund, leaning on his most recent skills in math and reading, as well as his admittedly rusty knowledge of trade goods from his time at the caravanserai, applies to work at the Arcanist's Guild. Everything proceeds as it does in the game from there.

All this is in service of a couple things. First of all, honestly, giving him a big backstory where various bad things happen to him over the course of a long time is primarily in service of dealing with what I think is one of the shakiest scenes in the game: the moment where Fordola accidentally uses the Echo on you and is shocked to her core by the scale of the tragedy you've overcome. I just don't think this makes a lot of sense for the WoL based just on what's depicted in-game, as sad as the events of the Banquet and Haurchefant's and Ysayle's deaths and Minfilia's sacrifice are. Giving him a comparable backstory to Fordola as a legion conscript does a lot, in my book, to smooth out that scene and make its emotional weight land better in my head, as do elements like the death and destruction he witnessed at Carteneau and the stuff about his daughter.

Secondly, in addition to that scene, this is just supposed to help set up a lot of stuff about the WoL I find a little clunky, particularly earlier on. Why does everyone in the Scions immediately glom on to you and decide you're their hero? Well, maybe the WoL is a stoic and outwardly emotionally reassuring older man who's conveniently older than the oldest of the Scions by more than a decade, and he can fill the Louisoix-shaped hole in their hearts that each of them except maybe Y'shtola very obviously has. How are you simultaneously everyone's favorite guy and also a story non-entity? Maybe he's nice and kind to people but very bad at handling and leading them initially (as evidenced by letting Alphinaud sleepwalk you all into a trap at the Banquet), in part because he spent the better part of two decades playing the part of mute imposing muscle for aristocratic officers. And maybe the fact he's consciously silenced himself for 20 years plays into the fact that the Warrior of Light becomes chattier throughout the expansions. Maybe he knows how to wear Garlean conscript armor and operate magitek because he was once a conscript himself. And so on and so forth.

Third, playing by my dumb "canon" rules, the WoL has to come from outside Eorzea. You're arriving by ship or cart and you're clearly unfamiliar with the city-states by the text. However, you also can't come from a lot of known places, since then you're bumping up against the issue that those places will also treat you like a stranger when you arrive in-game. There's no Bozja dialogue for being Hrothgar, but 1) to them it's not weird they'd have no reason to mention it and 2) this is why he isn't culturally Bozjan. Linking the WoL to Dalmasca solves this issue because the only Dalmascans you meet would have no reason to know a random Imperial conscript, you have no real time with them to shoot the shit about culture, we will not go to a functioning Rabanastre ever, and there is no reason you would have wanted to share all this with anyone on board the Prima Vista. Fourth, the WoL is a person of many talents and skills. Chalking up his weapon skills to the Verdant Path and his conscription, and linking his DoH/DoL skills to his upbringing, goes a long way towards helping ground some of that (as much as delightful nonsense can be grounded). Fifth, I think it's really funny to make the Warrior of Light a deadbeat dad. Final Fantasy is so full of bad sad dads already, WoL should get to be one. Lastly, I'm jealous that 1.0 players got to be at Carteneau and I want to bite their style but I refuse to break canon to do so, which means conscript it has to be (since being from a Free or Grand Company would contravene the earlier point about having to be new to Eorzea).

(A note on timelines: ARR begins in the year 5 of the Seventh Umbral Era, which would have been Year 1577 of the Sixth Astral Era. Per the wiki, Bozja is noted to have been invaded some fifty years ago, suggesting a war that begins in 1527 or so, but its conquest is described as happening "over thirty" years ago and multiple places note the campaign as grueling, so I think part of the idea (which gels with the trenches we see in the southern front) is supposed to be that the Bozjan campaign was a brutal and grinding one for the IVth Legion, or that after seizing Bozja proper it still took a long time to stamp out all resistance. Dalmasca was invaded 30 years ago in 1547, also by the IVth Legion, presumably fairly soon after stabilizing their grip on Bozja. I don't think there's any time given for when Regula goes to the VIth and reforms it, but since they only clear their tainted reputation in the succession war following Solus's death, I figure he can't have been there that long and he makes a convenient reason to move Wolund around, so five years approximately concurrent with the 1.0 to 2.0 timeskip seems like a decent timeline for his reform.)

[sunshinelulusplatoon]

4 months ago:

Lilia.

At first she was confused.

Then tears seeing Orca again.

And then questions.

She was surprised to hear life had continued on Earth and that we had advanced so far to be able to reach here.

We were surprised to hear what happen to the humans.

Typical really; at least for me.

Population growth, different opinions that broke out into civil war, Obo got the idea to turn everybody into robots to protect the survivors of the depleting oxygen levels as the atmosphere they once created to let them live was now dying due to their actions.

Yet people put their fate into Obo and his terrible thirst for control let them all down a grim path. Stuck in a cruel hive mind, any left who had converted to wires and steel were being hunted down by Obo’s men.

And sadly, they got to the last of them.

As Lilia gave their graves blessings in hope for a peaceful afterlife, there was business still attend to.

Obo was building a rocket.

He wanted the hive mind to head back to Earth.

With the threat looming over us, we had no choice.

Target: heart of the colony to destroy Obo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m so surprised the ink is effective,” Lilia remarked in complete shock as the squidbeaks were taking soldiers down one by one.

“Squid Ink is a funny thing. Texture and Strength makes it quite stronger than typical bullets and seeing the change of the atmosphere here and from Earth after so long, typical metal composite won’t stand a chance to it. It’s just get int the systems and gunk things up before it breaks,” Lutarna explained.

“And we Squidbeaks are quite use to combat,” Joey boasted.

“Our grandfather is military trained. So us, Joey, and Lutarna’s sister have been trained under him,” Marie explained.

“I’m from Octarian military as well. I was a top solider under King Octavio and have position in the palace guard,” Pixie replied.

“Octavio is my sister and I’s grandfather and we are also combat trained,” Lutarna remarked.

“And I..um..have been trained a little under my friends...I’m a good shooter,” Marcy hesitated.

“Marcy’s one of the best charger users I’ve seen. Can hit a mark miles away,” Joey chuckled.

Marcy just blushed in embarrassment.

“My mother and aunt have trained me as well as my grandfathers and cousins,” Jr. replied.

“So one big unit. Impressive. I hit the jackpot with sending out my help signal,” Lilia replied in relief, “I know we can stop Obo. We must. He can’t reach Earth.”

“And he won’t. We won’t let him. Right?” Joey replied sternly.

“RIGHT!” the rest of the Squidbeaks replied.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilia giving us the floor plans of the colony, it wasn’t safe just walking in. We needed to take a back route. Sending in a squid drone, a project Joey asked me to work on, it went unnoticed as we got footage of the place; so low to the ground the robots couldn’t spot it.

Sure enough, although a long wrap around, we could easily take the back corridors and access the rail systems to go directly to Obo without being detected. We just had to be careful, sneak around, knock solders out to let Lilia through, and once there, deal with Obo.

Over the years in secret, Lilia had been devising a virus to inject into Obo’s main motherboard to destroy him and destroy the hive mind. The attack we had found her and the humans in, was an attempt to get to Obo to execute this virus into him.

So with getting all supplies we need, we made way on foot to the entrance of the corridors to make our journey.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You hear it...don’t you,” Lilia whispered as she noticed Lutarna tugging at her ears in annoyance.

Lutarna blinked; a look of confusion before sighing.

“Is it what I think I’m hearing?” Lutarna asked.

“I’m afraid so…..Their pain...crying out for freedom...sadly on a frequency most can’t heard,” Lilia sighed.

“….I’m glad they can’t hear it….” Lutarna replied.

“May I ask how?” Lilia questioned.

Lutarna looked at her for a moment before speaking.

“Head’s not all squishy,” Lutarna replied.

“I can tell from the phone pieces,” Lilia chuckled.

“Was once a phone,” Lutarna explained, “The became a octo.”

“I see….” Lilia replied.

Then the walk went silent again.

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Taking a rest, things have been quite so far. As we figured, Obo has abandoned this pathways. With humans practically gone, he feels no need to bring robots here. I have a feeling he has caught on to our presence yet either.

That being said, I’m not sure if Lilia has caught on to what I am yet.

Or if I should even tell her.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Leap of Faith (Catch Me If You Can)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ScxuNsB by alighterwood, ErinWantsToWrite He clicks on Gotham Wikipedia with bated breath. And it doesn’t take long for Peter to figure out just how bad the situation is. Gotham isn’t just a city, it’s apparently a hellhole. What kind of villain playground is this world running? How could anyone let it get this bad? Where is the government? Where are the heroes? Peter’s heart swells at the thought. He needs heroes! They’ll be able to help him! For villains, there is always a hero around. He searches for just regular “list of heroes.” The first thing that pops up is a website- JusticeLeague.Org. - Peter, like any 14 year old superhero, really wants to catch a break. He's just a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, nothing special. Well, only if you don't look at his biology ever since the radioactive spider bite. And his extensive track record of running away and deaths in his life. And that his foster-dad is Tony Stark. And that his mentors are the Avengers. And the fact that he was randomly kidnapped one morning on his way to school and now he's in an alternate universe with a bunch of different superheroes that keep stalking him. He thinks they mean well, but they're really weird. Besides that Red Hood guy. He's pretty cool. Words: 23611, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel), Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Richard Parker (Marvel), Mary Parker (Marvel), Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Spider Sense - Character, Friday (Marvel), Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, villain OC, background oc - Character, mentioned Skip Westcott - Character Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Ned Leeds/Peter Parker, Dick Grayson & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Peter Parker, Batfamily Members & Peter Parker Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant, like sort of but in the "canon is mine now", DC stands for Disregard Canon, Homeless Peter Parker, Dimensional Travel, Angst and Humor, Found Family, they found him and decided to steal him, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter has ALL the parental figures, he collects them the way batman collects orphans, Hurt Peter Parker, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter Parker Has His Shit Together, Protective Peter Parker, BAMF Peter Parker, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Teen Peter Parker, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Dick Grayson is Peter Parker's Biological Parent, Peter Parker Calls Tony Stark "Dad", Peter Parker is Trying His Best, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Needs a Break, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter Parker has PTSD, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Romani Dick Grayson, Good Parent Dick Grayson, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Batfamily Shenanigans (DCU), Caring Batfamily (DCU), Mutual Stalking Shenanigans, Peter Parker is a Foster Kid, BAMF Tony Stark, Tony Stark is a Bad Medical Patient, Past Rape/Non-con, does NOT go into detail but it IS there and please look after yourself, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ScxuNsB

[iamsherlocked1479]

Chapter 13

Sherlock woke up before you, it was still fairly early but he wasn't big on the whole sleep thing anyway. He looked down with a small smile at the sight of you still cuddling up to his chest, god you were even prettier in your sleep. He never imagined himself one for cuddles but this is nice, he liked watching the rise and fall of your stomach as you lay sleeping softly, laughing to himself  as he watched a loose strand of hair repetitively fall onto your face, tickling your nose. He found himself closing his eyes again only wanting to stay near you, where he felt safe, where he could protect you.

You looked up at the man who cradled you into his chest, he was gorgeous, you finally lay where you wanted to be, in his arms. You traced your hand to his cheek, hummed pressing his face into your hand pressing his lips to your palm. 

“You’re staring.” he mumbled through his sleep

“You’re still here.” you smiled, he opened his eyes revealing the blue orbs that were hidden in his sleep. 

“I wish we could stay here forever.” he smiled

“I do too but they’ll be coming home soon.” you sigh as you sit up “i still don’t know how this is going to work, moriarty kidnapped me just to confuse you. Imagine what he’d do if he found out we were together, he could go after so many people we care about, louise, mrs hudson, john, mary even the baby.”

“Then what if we hide it? What if this becomes something and we keep it to ourselves.” His palm curved around your face followed by his lips pressing against your forehead.

“Do you think we could?” You grip his writ with an uncertain smile.

“I know most things people don’t.” He smiled as you tutted

“Be serious. You said you don’t do relationships.”

“Then what if it wasn’t?”

“What are you saying?” 

“An agreement, you and me. We share our bodies with nobody else. And when one has something they want to get off their mind they talk to the other?” He tucked your hair behind your ear

“Sherlock, that's a relationship.” You giggle

“Is it?”

“Yes. And what if Moriarty finds out?”you sit on your elbows.

“So what? I’ll find him and send him to prison.” He sighed “What does it matter now.” he sat up pulling you onto his lap “We’re here together, now. I don’t care what the rest of the world wants. I want you.” he pressed his lips to yours, trailing his hand down your spine rocking you against his waist as you leaned into the kiss further, still naked from the night before, straddling his waist. He purred as his teeth sank into your lip still being gentle, you moaned at the sudden pressure. 

“Y/n! I’m home.” your aunt's voice echoed from downstairs you pulled away as Sherlock sighed, dropping his head into your chest.

“Just about to get into the shower.” you shout back “Sherlock is out!” you add as you slide of his waist.

“I could join you.” he huffs

“We both know we wouldn't be quiet enough.” 

“That wasn’t a no?” he smirked

“Out.” you instruct playfully, throwing his clothes to him, he hung his head leaving the room. You smiled to yourself as you shut the door behind you, he stayed the night, which meant an ounce of him had to care at least a little which warmed your heart. Your moment of thought was cut off by the ringing of your phone. An unknown number

“Hello?” You asked 

“Hey, is this y/n hudson?” The familiar voice came from the speaker

“Professor Hiddleston?” Just asked confused

“Yes, I got your number from your friend Louise, sorry to do this so suddenly. I'm really disappointed the board won’t be allowing you back next term. And I was wondering if you wanted to help you write that story? If you’d be comfortable of course.” His voice sounded caring and genuine 

“I’d love to, only the issue is that a bomb went off in my apartment a few weeks ago and my laptop was destroyed.” You sigh

“A bomb?” He sounded confused 

“Its uh complicated, i live with Sherlock holmes if that helps?” You palm your face hearing how you had said something so serious so casually 

“Right.” He paused for a moment “wait I believe i can help, i keep a memory stick of my students work. Incase of any losses, though normally it's just coffee spilled over laptops.” He chuckled 

“Wow you have no idea how much  that helps!” You eagerly replied 

“If you’d like to meet up to discuss an arrangement I would be happy too this afternoon?” He asked

“Sure how about this afternoon, sorry for the suddenness of all this, I'm going away this weekend.” He sounded sincere as he asked

“Sure that's fine there's a pretty decent café on baker street?” You add

“Great, is 2pm okay?”

“Sure.” You smile before ending the call. You look around the room as if checking there was nobody around before doing a giddy little dance, everything was working out. And a month before christmas? Must be a miracle. You skipped to your shower and proceeded to get ready before heading downstairs to find Sherlock downstairs sat in his chair.

“Afternoon” he smiled warmly 

“Hey” you smiled heading to the kitchen to make a cup of tea before you left. It wasn’t long before his arms snaked from behind you as he planted kisses down your neck. “What are you doing?” you laughed as he slid his hands downward playing with the fat of your ass.

“Entertaining myself.” He purred pushing his crotch against you

“As much as i’d like to, we should discuss some things first, but right now i have to go.” You hand him your tea realising it was pointless to make one and headed to the door.

“Where are you going?” He asked curiously 

“To meet my professor he wants to discuss my story.” You say putting on your coat

“I thought you were kicked out of university?”

“He still wants to tutor me.” You smile as you head down the stairs.

Before Sherlock had time to reply his attention was drawn to familiar sound. A buzz in his pocket and a familiar moan, the moan he’d forgotten about, he looked at his phone and there it was.

The woman: Miss me? X

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A/N: God ts been so long since i posted a chapter for this. i'll be honest it just a filler but as the ending suggests some interesting things are comming. i finnish college soon and will have about 4 months between now and unversity so hopng to get an upload schedual down so hopefully i won't have big gaps between posts.

I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as i am writing it.

back soon :)