#[but I would be down to develop him towards a more...neutral character?]

[cxldtyrant]

@synthetixflora asked: Y'know, speaking of MasakoX, how do you feel about the concept of Cooler being "good"?

I won't outright dismiss the idea, because I would enjoy Cooler going through character development and becoming a more morally grey character who could potentially ally with the heroes down the line. But to have him outright be "good" is boring and has little depth. Now, don't get me wrong, because characters like Tien and Piccolo pulled it off pretty well, but when you keep using the same formula over and over again, it eventually starts to get very, very dull. Like with Vegeta.

I personally found Vegeta more enjoyable as a character during the Freeza and Cell Saga when he was still a complete bastard who did horrible things and reveled in it, but needed to align with the heroes for a common goal, and we got to see this complex character who could be a sadistic asshole with little regard towards life, but also someone who cares deeply about certain things but has a completely fucked up way of showing it. The scene where he dies on Namek by Freeza's hands, crying and pleading with Goku to avenge the Saiyan race after initially being so cold towards their genocide was easily the best moment of his character to me, and while he had plenty of good moments in the Cell Saga, they never quite peaked to that moment.

He was still pretty interesting in the Buu Saga too, but I find I can hardly enjoy him there with how the fandom waters him down, and especially with how Super follows up on his character after that. He lost a lot of his charm for me when he became more traditionally heroic (if grumpy, because isn't that what every g-rated anti-hero is?).

Cooler is someone who I can't ever see becoming completely "good", or at least good in the traditional sense because I love the idea of Arcosians having a different concept of right or wrong (let aliens have alien concepts, Dragon Ball writers!). But I could develop him towards an "enemy mine" situation and lessening his xenophobic tendencies. It would take a long while for him to get over his particularly hatred towards Saiyans, but he could do it someday. Maybe.

#[synthetixflora] #[inquiry; response] #[musings; hidden depths] #[Cooler doesn't even see himself as evil by his standards but his moral compass is very alien compared to Earth's concepts] #[but I would be down to develop him towards a more...neutral character?] #[like a darker shade of grey character] #[I think that could be pretty fun down the line]

[yanderes-galore]

Marcoh from fear and hunger romantic concept? Our big boy needs more love<3 (gn darling)

Of course! Here's some Marcoh content :) Sorry for the long wait! I hope I get his character correctly!

Yandere! Marcoh Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Manipulation, Violence, Clingy behavior, Blood, Murder, Death, Kissing, Dubious/Forced relationship.

Marcoh used to be a thug before jumping on the train due to being on the run.

He was raised in the streets and often got into fights, even if he didn't like it.

Despite seeming intimidating... Marcoh doesn't actually like the idea of killing.

Looking past his built stature, Marcoh is a protective and friendly sweetheart who genuinely wants to do good.

When you first meet him, he's on the train.

He comes off as reserved, timid/shy despite his unnerving gaze.

He's very cooperative with you when you speak with him.

He towers over you... yet seems so considerate.

He's more of a gentle giant than anything, but knows how to defend himself and others.

Marcoh is remorseful about his past and even expresses in some dialogues about wanting to move on.

(His Abandoned Shack Dialogue is adorable-)

You probably ask Marcoh to join your party, even offering to help Olivia find a wheelchair to take her with you.

Marcoh seems surprised for a moment but agrees.

After all, isn't there safety in numbers?

Marcoh is such a teddy bear at times.

To others he's this intimidating thug and boxer, one who could obliterate someone in seconds.

But with you? He opens up and even makes insightful dialogue on certain areas.

You can't help but smile sadly when he brings up the idea of settling down with someone or retiring....

He still has dreams... but you aren't sure if escape from this festival is possible.

With Marcoh, his dark behavior slowly grows within him.

Honestly, his biggest concern is making sure his fellow contestant(s) safe.

He may not enjoy fighting... but it's an important skill he even tries to teach you.

Marcoh's feelings slowly begin to take over as he strolls beside you.

For example, when he mentions about having a new start in life... he thinks of you.

Never wants to say it... but he can't help but glance over at you in thought.

I just like the idea of this big strong man being so timid around his love.

He hovers around you like a body guard, but while he looks scary he's just resisting the urge to hug you close.

Marcoh would want nothing more than to protect his beloved during the festival.

No matter what it takes.

This is a man who could beat the life out of someone, blood covering his hands and clothes...

But then he'd coo over you, check if you're hurt, and kiss your forehead or something.

He's mostly a sweetheart.

He isn't sadistic, just concerned and wanting to protect those he cares about.

Marcoh tries his best not to scare you.

He knows his strength comes off in such a way... but he promises he just wants to protect you.

Marcoh isn't really one to get jealous easily.

If he is, he usually keeps to himself and says nothing about it.

Of course you should have other party members... strength in numbers...

But sometimes he wishes he was the only one you needed.

He's somewhat lucid about his darker feelings, which is why he's quiet about it.

Although... the festival's whispers certainly do nothing to help his emotions.

Marcoh's behavior has stages during the festival, if we're assuming the festival influences yandere obsessions.

At first he's silent with his emotions, just acting as a body guard.

However, as you gain party members and continue to face horrors beyond your comprehension... Marcoh's sanity dwindles and his feelings turn darker.

The longer he's with you he starts to open up more... perhaps even developing softer and more romantic emotions towards you.

Okay... maybe he is jealous that he has to share you with two others...

But why do these feelings feel so... wrong?

Marcoh's dwindling sanity no doubt makes his feelings towards you corrupt due to the fesitval.

He wants to confess... but he was hoping to do that once you both survive.

How tragic.

He may be quiet, but he keeps glaring daggers at your other party members.

Eventually... Marcoh isn't going to be a sweetheart anymore.

Soon, due to the festival, you're going to be sitting in a puddle of blood... encased in Marcoh's arms.

You see... there's just so much danger in this Festival/Prehevil in general.

All this whispers just keep getting to Marcoh....

Perhaps said murderous whispers are right? You'll be in danger if he doesn't help you....

What better way to help than kill the other contestants near you before they do the same to you?

To be fair, Marcoh tries for a long time to ignore the voices.

He lasts until mid-way through Day 3 before he snaps.

By the end of it, he's covered in blood and has you tightly secured in his lap as he leans against a wall.

He whispers apologies, saying he didn't want to scare you...

You keep squirming, even after he kisses your forehead, lips, and neck...

He's trying so hard to comfort you.

You're sobbing, covered in blood like him as he tightens his grip.

"So sorry... I just needed to do this. Can't you hear the voices? They were going to take you from me... I'm protecting you like I should!"

It's such a drastic change.

When you first met, he just wanted to help everyone.

Now, as your fates come to a close and the final deadline ticks down, Marcoh killed your party... it's just you.

It will always just be you...

Right up until you Moonscorch together.

"I'll never leave you... I'm just sorry I couldn't get us out of here... but that's okay, at least we have each other...!"

#yandere fear and hunger #yandere fear and hunger 2 #yandere fear and hunger termina #yandere marcoh

[cheshiresense]

Hi Cheshire! Thank you so much for the Yuzu snippet! It was SO great. I LOVE how fucked up the Kurosaki family is (wonder what Isshin thinks of this? We saw a glimpse but like... Is he an outsider and tolerated because he's the Only Adult Around?). I! LOVE! Poison!Yuzu! It's so great, makes so much sense. Also the easy way everybody was like "Ah, yes, OF COURSE the bowls are poisoned." So Neat. So Fucked Up. Being real I came for the ShinIchi but the UraShinIchi is The Best Trio and I am SO here for it. The fact Ichigo has NO idea he likes Urahara? Amazing. The fact that Shinji is SO LONG the favorite? ALSO amazing. Usuallly with the trio it's almost always the other way around or UraShin incorporating Ichigo later, so It'd be nice to see how this mechanic develops.

I also love "Mizuiro-niisan." Cute and terrifying. I wanna know what you have prepared regarding Mizuiro, he was always one of the most fascinating characters in Bleach taht wasn't 'part of the plot' so to speak (c'mon, dude knows how to make a fucking Pipe Bomb and has a harem of older women. There's A Story. (Also does he still have the 'harem' here or...?))

Anyway thank you for the chapter

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Lol Isshin is very much the outsider to his own family after Ichigo neutralized him, they're basically like two strangers who happen to live in the same house, and even then, Ichigo went and got his own apartment once he had the contacts for it. I wouldn't say he set out to alienate his sisters from Isshin, so long as Isshin wasn't hitting them too, he doesn't really care what their relationship is like, but considering Ichigo's also been pretty much raising them single-handedly for the past 6+ years, they're bound to learn from him when it comes to Isshin too. Plus they do remember the way Isshin used to smack Ichigo around before Ichigo put a stop to it. So anyway, the twins still talk to Isshin and let him be his loud dramatic self around them but there isn't really any love coming from their end when it comes down to it, and they live with their brother at the apartment half the time anyway. As for Ichigo, he actually doesn't hate Isshin or anything either after the man left him to his own devices and doesn't bother him anymore. And yeah, the fact that he's the nominal adult of the house is still useful since Ichigo's still underage. It's just that he also very much wouldn't care if Isshin kicked the bucket tomorrow.

The Urahara/Ichigo/Shinji is also a surprise to me lol. Tbh, I didn't really have a ship in mind when I first started this AU, but UraIchi is my otp so naturally if there is a ship, I'd go for that. But then I wrote Shinji, and suddenly ShinIchi became a lot more probable, and then I wrote the Yuzu POV and Urahara elbowed his way back into the race. So the most likely ship now would be UraIchiShin lol.

The UraIchi dynamic actually turned out pretty interesting in this 'verse cuz this Ichigo is the type to get rid of anything that irritates him. If it's annoying and cuts into his time, he's not the sort to put up with it. And yeah, Kisuke's strong enough with enough connections that if Ichigo wanted to off him or even just threaten him like he did Isshin, it would be really difficult at the moment, but at the very least, he'd still work towards it, and he wouldn't spend any time with the guy. But here he is inviting him over for dinner and letting him properly meet the twins and just generally tolerating his presence, something he's never done with anyone else before, and it's a toss-up whether he's even really aware of the exception he's making. And on Kisuke's part, he doesn't know Ichigo well enough yet to realize how much leeway Ichigo's given him.

This Ichigo is just Grudgingly Fascinatedᵀᴹ by this cryptic bastard making his life a lot more complicated than he'd like, but is also strong and smart and offered his life up on a platter the moment Ichigo asked for it like it's tradeable currency so whatever he wants Ichigo to do in exchange has to be something even Urahara can't do himself, and Ichigo has just enough curiosity for that to add to the fascination pile just as much as it adds to the annoying asshole pile. Meanwhile, Shinji's just chilling with his poison rice, and Sakanade thinks Ichigo is yum with an adorable kitten for a sister. TLDR they're a trainwreck in the making but a pretty entertaining one.

I'm not sure what I really want to do with Mizuiro here yet but I'm definitely giving him a powerup in the future, he's Ichigo's best friend here, as much as Ichigo or even Mizuiro can have friends, and Mizuiro is absolutely ride or die enough to invade Soul Society with him. Plus I'd like to see what I can do with a character who's not exactly a frontline fighter but not a healer either like Ichigo's canon friends.

#msg #the-blue-eyed-fallen-angel #stunted empathy verse #headcanon

[gartenofbanny]

Loo Loo Land is the second episode of Helluva Boss and is in my opinion the episode where everything started to go downhill for this series. It was the first episode that was actually emotional, but the way it handles the overall plot is mediocre at best. So today, I'm going to discuss why it's the most overrated episode in Helluva Boss as well as why it's redundant.

Rushed Character Development

Loo Loo Land rushed Octavia's character development and her relationship between Stolas as well as Stolas' relationship with Octavia. It didn't rush Stolas' overall development because he's a character who isn't defined by a single relationship, unlike Octavia.

It's revealed around the time of the episode's release that, Stolas having an affair with Blitzo led to Octavia questioning whether or not Stolas would leave her with him. Before that time Stella and Stolas were at least neutral with each other since Octavia says "When I was a kid and my parents didn't hate each other" so around Loo Loo Land's release, Stella wasn't retconned into the shitty character she is currently. So before Stolas met Blitzo they were a functional family, but after Stolas met Blitzo they are now dysfunctional and Stolas was the cause of that.

So when Stolas and Octavia talk, he promised her that he wouldn't leave her behind and that he loves her and she essentially forgives him for what he did. This was all done in the span of 1 minute and 20 seconds and I gotta ask why was this development so fucking rushed?

Stolas literally ruined his family's life and Octavia just forgives him after he made a promise that wasn't even kept later on. That's just very fast-paced and rushed there's literally no way a 17-year-old would forgive a father for that in reality. In order to make this sort of long-term just have Octavia be skeptical of Stolas' promise and spiteful towards Blitzo since he was the guy who led to her mom being crazy and Octavia being depressed. Just having Octavia forgive Stolas is lazy and will lead to not much in the future because believe me it didn't lead to much because her development was already done. You'll see what I mean later on.

Overwhelming amounts of info

Loo Loo Land just forces a shit ton of information down our throats that either had no build up or was just unnecessary.

Now here are the things we learned that had no build up:

Stolas has a daughter named Octavia who's a depressed teen

Stella is an asshole but wasn't a one-dimensional villain as of that episode's release time

Stolas has a messy relationship with his daughter

Blitzo used to work at Loo Loo Land alongside Robo-Fizz

Robo-Fizzarolli entirely

Now here's some of the unnecessary information:

Loo Loo Land is a bootleg rip-off of Lu Lu Word, a theme park run by Lucifer that wasn't mentioned in HH by Charlie, his daughter.

Moxxie is afraid of mascots for some reason, why even add that when you can just put it as Trivia or a fun fact for the character

And lastly, Octavia was afraid of Robo-Fizz, but isn't anymore

So yeah that's a lot of information some that just came out of nowhere and went nowhere, some that was unnecessary, and some that had no build-up or were fast paced. In the second episode of the entire series, no less. Instead of answering questions that the fandom had, Loo Loo Land just immediately gives them an overwhelming amount of info that just leads to more questions that still haven't been answered to this day.

Seeing Stars

So that's half of why I believe it's overrated, but why do I believe it's redundant? Well, Seeing Stars exists.

Loo Loo Land and Seeing Stars both have the same concept just different execution. Octavia runs away due to Stolas being a bad father, IMP or Stolas goes out to look for her, Stolas finds her, they reconcile, and something is on fire later on. Seeing Stars is Loo Loo Land, but way worse and this leads me to question what's the point of Loo Loo Land when we have Seeing Stars? Seeing Stars is basically Loo Loo Land 2.0

This is a callback to my previous statement, Vivziepop developed Octavia and Stolas way too fast and as a result, she doesn't know what to do with their relationship. They expressed their problems, talked, and resolved them in the span of 1 minute and 20 seconds near the end of Loo Loo Land when it should've been at least a couple episodes long.

Octavia has a couple years amount of trauma on her, that trauma just can't be solved with a talk, a hug, and an eventual broken promise.

So in short, the inclusion of Seeing Stars just shows how Loo Loo Land rushed the development between Stolas and Octavia to the point where the writers just did it again eventually making Loo Loo Land a redundant episode.

Loo Loo Land isn't necessarily a filler episode, but it might as well be.

Conclusion

Loo Loo Land at first was the "perfect Helluva Boss episode", but now it's just another Helluva Boss episode to me. While this one isn't as insufferable as some other episodes, it certainly was a big missed opportunity to actually give characters some decently paced and thought-out development. Anyway, that's all I have for today. Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a nice day!

#helluva boss #vivziepop critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #vivziepop criticism #vivziepop #helluva boss critique #helluva critical #vivienne medrano #helluva criticism #helluva critique #loo loo land #Youtube

[heliads]

LISA YOU DID NOT GIVE ME TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS!!! However, I already had a few ideas in mind for the next time you opened requests, so:

May I pretty please request a Thorin Oakenshield + gender-neutral reader where the reader is a fairy who comes along on the journey to Erabor because Gandalf thought they needed another magic-user? Reader is a very sweet sunshine who gets along great with all the other party members, but because Thorin doesn’t trust fairies the same way he doesn’t trust elves (because they didn’t assist the dwarves after Erabor fell the first time) he refuses to let them get close to him. However, he does start to get closer to them and develop feelings for them as time goes on, but after the Battle of the Five Armies (where everyone lives, obviously) they can’t find the reader for a while and Thorin is terrified they might be dead. And when they finally find them relatively unharmed Thorin freaks out and confesses his love because he doesn’t want to lose them, and then there’s a very nice fluffy ending??

Of course, if you don’t want to write this, that’s totally cool!! Thanks and I hope you’re doing well!! <3 <3

YESSSS i am ascending to a higher plane thank you for this SUBLIME request

masterlist

The water is wide, the mountains high; no journey worth taking was ever meant to be easy, so you may assume from the first few treacherous days of your travels towards the Lonely Mountain that this quest of yours will be quite worthy indeed. It is not in your nature to spend much time musing on the unhappiness of a time, only to find its merits, but, well, there are far more sources of unhappiness than happiness on this particular journey. 

It would not be too much of a leap for even your optimism to be brought down a notch or two, to say the least. Already, your smiles are lacking a little at the seams; your jokes, not among your finest work.  Patience is stretched thin amongst the company, and the shadow of Erebor is no closer to the tips of your boots than the Shire far behind you.

The Shire was not your home, though, only the starting point. The last member of the company was Bilbo Baggins, your burglar, and he took quite a bit of convincing before he was willing to set a single foot beyond the familiar confines of his home. You’re not sure he was wrong to question the idea of the quest, though, nor if he regrets it already or not. Danger dogs your heels like a bloodhound, plus the rest of the company is nothing like any of the hobbits Bilbo has ever met.

Bilbo Baggins would not be the only one confused by his company, however. As a faerie, you’ve had the opportunity to travel far past the bounds of your city, to meet characters both kind and cruel. The Fae cluster in settlements like elves, but they disperse themselves to the winds, too. Most of you end up tossed to the whims of Fate soon enough, anyway. This was your chance to get to know the world you inhabit, and it appears you’ll get far more of a tasting of it than you ever expected.

It’s not terrible. That should go without saying. You are not unhappy that you are here, nor bitter that you signed the contract to join the company of Thorin Oakenshield when you could have stayed at home to rot. It is a good cause, this, and it will bring you both glory and treasure, should you want it.

The biggest problem, if you were going to be completely honest with yourself, would be that dwarf tasked with managing all of you, Thorin. You get along splendidly with all of the other dwarves, and Gandalf has been a friend of yours ever since you wowed him with a particularly ingenious magic trick when you were small, but for some reason you have never been able to win over Thorin himself.

That is not for lack of trying, not in the slightest. Gandalf was the one who requested that you join the company, certain that having another magic user on their side would not be the worst thing in the world as you passed through dangerous territory and had to take on a dragon later on. You showed up to meet the company with the best and purest of intentions, but Thorin seemed unable to accept the fact that you really wanted to help.

In truth, you don’t think he wanted to accept it. Thorin is displeased with the faeries the same way he’ll never forgive the elves, for the same reasons he’ll glare icily at humans. When Thorin’s kin fell along with Erebor, the faeries didn’t help. Thorin begged for aid, but the faeries did not respond. You’ll never fully know why, nor were you personally responsible for the betrayal, but that does not stop Thorin from treating as if you were the linchpin keeping support from his people.

It doesn’t matter, though. It doesn’t have to matter. Thorin’s personal feelings are not why you signed onto this quest. You joined because an old friend asked, and because the idea of helping to liberate the dwarves’ homeland from a dragon seemed like a good thing to do and a fascinating way to pass the time. Faeries don’t take things seriously. They never have.

So, you let your caution with Thorin fly away from you on an eagle’s strong wings, and you throw yourself into helping whenever you can. Gandalf is pulled away from the company soon enough for a myriad of causes, and even Thorin can admit that your magical skills come in handy soon enough. You save all of their lives dozens of times over, and you find real friendship in the company while you’re at it. Nothing a little optimism can’t handle.

Some of the nights get long, though, and the warmth of a covert campfire can only keep your tired frame from shivering for so many hours. They say the bones of the Fae are hewn from diamonds, your blood, the eternal nectar of the gods, but at this moment, you want only the mysticism and riches of a good meal and clothes that actually protect you against the chill. The mountains only get colder as you travel through them, and you don’t think you’ll be able to shake the prick of gooseflesh for decades if not centuries.

You’re on watch at the moment, scanning the dark horizon around you for monsters or orcs while the rest of the company rests. You’ll have another hour or two before you have to wake the next guardian– Bilbo, actually, who’s still snoring with the rest– so you should have plenty of time to yourself until then.

You should, at least. You don’t, because someone here is still awake. You had cast a spell on yourself to amplify sound and sight at the start of your watch so you could spot intruders that much more quickly, which is why you’re aware of one heartbeat other than your own that isn’t in the lull of sleep. When you tilt your head to the side just enough, you can make out someone staring in your peripheral vision.

Thorin. Who else? At first, you feel a rush of indignation bubble through your veins. There’s no reason for him to be awake on a night like this. Everyone is exhausted from weeks of hard travel, but he’s forced himself to forgo rest so he can make sure you are actually doing your job. After all this time, he still doesn’t trust you to do watch properly. It’s infuriating.

Sick of pretending like you don’t notice, you turn abruptly to stare him dead in the eyes. You expect Thorin to do something:  address you, maybe, or do something to acknowledge that he’s been caught, but instead he just holds your gaze coolly for a moment longer before turning on his other side. Half an hour later, he’s asleep.

Heroes. You’ll never understand them. The Fae are not the stuff of legends; your people prefer to linger in shadows and sunlight both, existing for themselves and for the glory of magic. Heroes, quest-leaders, warriors, they were never someone you grew up with. They have different motives, ones you don’t understand. They think they need to watch your back just because it’s the right thing to do. It confuses you, makes you believe things that might not be true. You don’t need someone like Thorin messing with your head right now, but he seems perfectly content to do it anyway.

The rest of the night passes without issue. You finish your watch shift without anything impactful, and rouse a deeply annoyed Bilbo to take over after you. Thorin doesn’t trouble you again, and indeed, the next day he seems perfectly content to act as if nothing had ever happened.

No self-respecting faerie would ever let themselves drop a grudge, though, so you manufacture a way of bringing it up before long. The company disperses in a long line, the slower ones trailing behind while Thorin keeps up the charge at the front. You make your way up to him, waiting until everyone else behind you is sufficiently far away so as to not hear a word of the inevitable quarrel, then cast Thorin one sidelong glance.

“Would you like to tell me why you’ve been watching me?”

Thorin actually stumbles while he’s walking, but manages to right himself just in time. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”

You weren’t expecting him to outright deny it. This past night hasn’t been the only time you’ve caught his eyes on you. It has happened from the very start of the quest, actually. At first, his gaze was pinned to you like a wanted poster, full of judgment and suspicion. Recently, the hostility has gone down, but that doesn’t make him any less willing to look away. His gaze chases your heels as you clamber over rocks, lingers on your fingers as you fight. All this, and he still wants to act as if nothing has happened.

You scoff. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Let’s discuss last night, then. You keep staying awake during my watch. Why? Do you really trust me that little?”

Thorin shakes his head, keeping his gaze firmly trained on the horizon. “I do trust you.”

This does actually come as a surprise. He hasn’t been able to admit it aloud, likely because that would contradict his whole idea that faeries are selfish creatures who left his people to die in the fall of Erebor, but apparently he’s made an exception for you.

“Then why not let me conduct my watch in peace?” You pry.

Thorin jerks a shoulder up and down once, a taut and tense version of a shrug. “I don’t want any lapse in judgment to injure the people I care about.”

You feel your relatively good mood drop. Thorin lashes out often, most frequently when he’s sure he’s only leading his company towards their imminent destruction, so you shouldn’t take it personally. Kind of hard not to, though.

“So you think I’m blind to attackers and I’ll get everyone killed, is that what you’re saying?”

“No, I’m just worried that there are things out there worse than one of your spells,” Thorin argues, but he doesn’t sound too convincing anymore.

You shove your hands into the pockets on your coat. “You know, I just don’t get it. If you’re this opposed to faeries, why did you ever let Gandalf convince you to let me join your company?”

“I didn’t want to at the start,” Thorin begrudgingly admits, “but that was at the start, like I said. Things are different now.” He pauses, voice heavy with secrets as of yet left unsaid, then adds, “We’re different.”

You think this might be the most honest thing he’s ever shared with you. It makes you feel– a lot, actually. It makes you feel things you have not considered until now. Thorin does trust you and he does have reasons he wants to keep you around. In fact, he might even be counting you among the people he cares about and wants to protect.

You don’t have much time to think about it, not on the road and not even after you reach Erebor and immediately have to contend with an infuriated dragon. Thorin shows you the place after you have a moment of relative peace, pointing out the details his ancestors built into a home that has not been his in quite some time. It is as if he wants you to remember all of it. It is as if he wants it to be yours as well.

Peace does not last forever, it never does. One day, you’re exploring every room and corridor of Thorin’s home beneath the Lonely Mountain, the next, you’re watching army after army pour over the surrounding hills. No one likes power when it isn’t theirs. The thought that Thorin might finally have claim to his ancestral land wasn’t well favored by anyone in the vicinity, apparently.

That only means that you’ll have to fight twice as hard to keep Erebor in the hands of your friends. Even when the elves ride up to your doorstep with the humans, even when the orcs arrive out of nowhere, you stay and fight. Always. That’s what you do for the people you care about.

Thorin had asked once if you were going to leave. He’d posed the question slowly, hesitantly, eyes on any other object in the room except you, but you’d still had the perfect view of the relief on his face when you told him you would stay until it was done. There was still an open question of what you would do when it was over, but surviving a battle of this magnitude was the first crisis to deal with. Anything else could happen later, once everyone made it through alive.

That alone seemed like an impossible task, and by all accounts, it should have been. Never before in your life have you cast so many spells of such strength, saving the lives of your friends and ending those of your enemies all in turn. When it is over, you are covered in blood and ash, utterly exhausted, and injured, but your heart beats, at least, and that is enough.

You were separated from the rest of Thorin’s company during the progress of the battle, drawn out to find the best vantage point from which you could cast your spells. At first, you were going for long distance attacks, lobbing fireballs and extensive charges from a crumbling rooftop, but orcs quickly descended upon you and you were forced to resort to closer quarter magic instead.

Perhaps that is why they thought you were dead. When they could no longer see your spells from across the battlefield, there was no way to tell for sure if you were still alive. You were far away from them, fighting off the last of the enemy, and you didn’t find them for a while.

More specifically, they didn’t find you for a while. Later, you hear that Thorin had been in a sort of frantic haze, going over every rock and stone in his path in an all consuming quest to find you. You weren’t with Fili and Kili, who were immediately folded into the search party, nor were you alongside the other dwarfs. Bard had not seen you. Neither had some of the elves. By all accounts, you were gone. Vanished from sight.

That was the one thing Thorin wanted to hear the least. A body is something you can handle, a final decision. If he could not see you, he assumed you were either dead or about to be, and only his actions could save you. He would run himself ragged trying to find you and stop your death before it happened. He would have forced all the orcs in the land back to the fiery hellhole they came from, fought every monster and defeated every enemy, if it would have stopped a sword from piercing your heart.

And so, when he finally stumbled over a rocky outcropping and saw you calmly casting a spell of healing on one of his cousin’s soldiers. You had turned upon hearing him approach, and the last of Thorin’s terrors left him in one fell swoop. You were alright. He was alright. Everything, although damaged and broken and wholly consumed with ash and blood, would somehow end up okay.

Not much was said. Both of you lacked the words. Too many friends had been lost, not enough saved. Erebor would be protected, though. You swore that oath at the start, back when you joined the company for the first time, and you promise it again now. The Fae will have to wait a little longer to welcome you back. You would like to stick around a for a while.

requested by @starlit-epiphany, i hope you enjoy!

tolkien taglist: @rogueanschel, @retvenkos, @gods-fools-heroes, @crazyhearttragedy

#thorin oakenshield #thorin oakenshield imagines #thorin oakenshield x reader #thorin oakenshield oneshot #the hobbit #the hobbit imagines #the hobbit x reader #the hobbit oneshot #tolkien #tolkien imagines #tolkien oneshot #the hobbit thorin #the hobbit thorin imagines #the hobbit thorin x reader #the hobbit thorin oneshot #thorin #thorin imagines #thorin x reader #thorin oneshot

[fruitcoops]

a prompt:

sirius and regulus argument. probably something which has been manifesting for a while, like it starts with short sly comments and then builds up to create tension within the family (cuz i consider them part of the dumais family) so dumo tries to comfort one or both of them in the end? kinda long prompt, it’s just something that i’ve not seen and would like to see how it would work?

Gnaw at the Bone, because I just can't leave these two alone. Character credit goes to @lumosinlove <3

TW** (please be gentle with yourselves!): canon shit childhoods (no graphic abuse), Walburga and Orion's A+ parenting, sibling parentification, panic attack, bad coping mechanisms (skating), and past minor injuries from said coping mechanisms

“Sirius.”

“Reg.”

His stomach twisted. His head throbbed. His mouth tacked over, lips sticky, chapped, too much, not enough. Years of it. Stars in orbit, on a collision course with anything that came too close—their gravity was inescapable and destructive to the nth degree. They ruined everything but each other. That gravity would rub and chafe and grind at their rough surfaces and it made him sick to think about it.

Oh, it made him sick to think about it.

--

“Sirius.”

“Reg.”

And that was it—a clipped acknowledgment from scowling lips, then resignation. Regulus disappeared down the hall with his pasta. Sirius watched him go, shook his head, and headed in the opposite direction with a white-knuckled grip on his cup.

Alright then.

“Everything okay?” Pascal ventured.

Sirius jumped, his glower lifting for a moment in surprise, as if Pascal hadn’t been sitting there for over an hour. “What?”

Pascal tilted his head toward the empty doorway and set aside the broken toaster. “Everything okay?”

His mouth dipped in a grimace; his brow wrinkled like he was trying to find the weak link in a failing play, but something simmered beneath. “We’ll figure it out,” Sirius finally answered. “We’ll—it’s Reg, you know?”

Pascal didn’t know, actually, but Sirius was gone before he could ask for an elaboration. In fact, the only thing he knew for sure was that Regulus had gone through a period of rapid character development over the past nine months and that Sirius didn’t stop loving him for a single second of it, even through the snappish attitude, even through those horrible interviews that Regulus clearly regretted. They were two sides of the same coin with the unfortunate ability to be as evasive as greased weasels.

Celeste would say he was being nosy. Pascal preferred to think of it as a natural desire to engage with his kids as a loving, supportive parent.

He looked down at the toaster, then back up at the opposing doorways and sighed. It seemed some detective work was in order.

--

“Remus! How are you, mon ami?”

“I’m…good?” To his credit, Remus recovered quickly and offered a light fist bump in greeting. “What’s up?”

Pascal waved a vague hand. “The usual. House is good? Dog is healthy? Boyfriend is happy?”

Bingo. A shadow flickered over Remus’ face before it smoothed out into his usual neutral friendliness. “Yeah, we’re doing great. We were thinking of repainting the living room soon, so if there’s a day you want to borrow the dog, I’m all ears.”

“Parfait, I’ll let you know. And Regulus?”

There it was again—the tension, the twitch, the passive smile. “I think Sirius is just glad to have him home. It’s really been great getting to know him. He’s a sweet kid.”

He might be, but he’s been getting on your nerves, too. If Pascal knew anything, that would piss Sirius off more than any insult Regulus hurled his way. “I’m so glad to hear it. It’s good for them to be near each other right now.”

He clapped Remus on the shoulder and stood before the younger man could respond. It wasn’t just a one-time problem, then; whatever the seething, festering thing between Sirius and Regulus was, it had seeped into their everyday function. Enough that it had even begun annoying Remus ‘Patient’ Lupin. Pascal might not be able to fix their issue, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t give them a nudge in the right direction.

Sirius was right where he left him, hunched on the bench with a whiteboard in hand, though his pen served more as a drumstick than a writing instrument as Pascal approached. The tip-tapping stopped when he ruffled Sirius’ hair and took the seat next to him. “Defense,” Sirius muttered by way of explanation. “There’s a gap. Tremzy’s a killer when he goes in for a shot, but we need to close his spot when he moves.”

Pascal hummed in agreement and propped his skates up on the boards, letting the battered wood take his weight and ease the ache. “Good eyes.”

“ ‘s what I get paid for.”

“You seem tense, mon fils.”

“Hmm?” Sirius blinked. His eye contact was pristine, but his attention was lightyears away. “Sorry, just thinking. Did you need something?”

Pascal offered a wry smile. “What, you’re too old to let me sit with you?”

The deep crease between Sirius’ brows smoothed out; he smiled softly. He blinked again; this time, a bit of him returned. Not beyond all hope of intervention, then. “Non. Desolé. I’m…I’m in my head today.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

A few seconds passed before Sirius nodded. Pascal watched his gaze go distant again and his cheek dimpled as he bit the flesh inside. Guilt. Perhaps frustration. A twisted mystery to solve, if Pascal had not been watching him so closely since he first blessed their threshold. It was Regulus, it was Remus and Regulus—

It was something from a time Sirius had been trying to lock down. Ghosts were hard to trap behind hasty boards, nailed haphazard and half-panicked. Sirius was better, not healed. He was safe, not exorcised. He was so goddamn brave it hurt to watch, but Pascal wasn’t foolish enough to miss the way he spooked. And Regulus was a good kid, but a fucking mess all the same.

(Privately, he questioned the decision to go headlong into university right after escaping 18 years of living hell. That was not his place to challenge and not his problem to solve.)

(But still. University? Really?)

Sirius made another note on his board. A canine tooth poked out as he worried at his lower lip. Pascal watched him fidget, hands up and over and under and between, and steadied himself with a slow exhale when Sirius began twirling his pen over his knuckles with a dull, rippling noise.

“Regulus is angry with me.”

Pascal made an impassive noise. It was Regulus.

“I think. Probably.” Sirius’ knee bounced for a five-count before going still. “He’s working through a lot. Finals were hard. It took him off-guard. He got snappy at Remus.”

Remus and Regulus. “Oh?”

“Something about changing his sheets. He didn’t like that we went in his room to clean while he was away.”

Something from a time you’ve been trying to lock down. Not mutually exclusive events, but a progression. Sirius was fixed on a far point, no longer tracking the movement of players. His hands had gone quiet.

“I think I—I think they—” Space hung between them like a bear trap. It was horrible to be right. Sirius exhaled hard and shook his head. “C’est pas grave.”

Pascal bit back his disappointment. He knew better than to think it would spill out so easily. He scooted closer on the bench, and when Sirius didn’t flinch, leaned over to bump him with a gentle shoulder. “Don’t let it eat you up, ouais? Regulus is grown. So are you. It will come in time.”

A halfhearted nod was the best he would get, it seemed. Pascal risked a soft squeeze to the back of Sirius’ neck and—there he was. The loosening of his tense shoulders, the careful lean into the contact. “We’ll talk,” Sirius said.

“Take it slow,” Pascal advised, and prayed to any god that Sirius would at least listen to that. Those who shoved their hands in the cage of a feral animal only came away bitten and rabid. For all his growth, Sirius was plenty feral without the influence of Regulus Black ripping him open again.

They watched the drills together in silence for forty-five minutes. When they were done, Sirius’ clipboard held only blank paper.

--

“Tuney and I were really close. As kids, I mean.”

A light, fluffy cloud passed overhead on the rushing breeze.

“We did everything together. Like, literally everything. Mom used to joke that we should’ve been twins.”

The pain in her voice was one he knew well.

“We started drifting when I hit junior high, I think.” A controlled, even breath followed the gentle sound of a dandelion being picked. A few bits of fluff floated in and out of view. “And then high school came around, and she hated my fucking guts. Shredded all my tights with a fork. Refused to look at me in the lunchroom. Mom and Dad didn’t tell her it was okay, but they didn’t stop her, either. They just kind of sat there and looked sympathetic.”

Quiet fell over them again. A strand of hair billowed over his vision for a half-second. Time for a haircut.

“I still don’t know what I did,” Lily confessed to the afternoon sun. “I still don’t think she’s forgiven me.”

Looking at Regulus now, Sirius thought he might finally understand what she meant.

The corner of Regulus’ mouth was turned down; not more than usual, but enough to be a scowl to anyone who knew where to look. Quietly, he hoped Regulus’ school friends could tell the difference. He deserved to have people like that. Sirius wasn’t sure he had explained that very well before sending him off. Or ever.

“It’s a good book,” he said.

Regulus made a noncommittal noise. He hadn’t turned a page since Sirius paused in the doorway.

Another try. Pull back to the midline, find an open corridor. “One of my favorites.”

“Je sais.”

“Why are you angry with me?”

Once upon a time, he would not have been so bold as to ask. Once upon a time, Regulus would have sunk further into his cocoon. One pale finger traced the edge of the worn paperback. “I’m not angry with you.”

You’re always a little angry with me. “You won’t look at me.”

“God forbid I’m busy.”

“You’re reading.”

“And I’m busy,” Regulus said waspishly. “Go get Remus to take you for a walk, or something.”

Maybe this was where Lily had failed. In one way or another, she and Petunia had missed each other in the middle. He could recall those six terrible, lonely years with too much clarity to let Regulus push him away. Losing him would never be worth an argument won. “I want to spend time with you.”

“Then get your own book.” Regulus muttered something else under his breath that Sirius didn’t care to look into.

He swallowed down a sigh and picked one at random off the shelf, then settled down on the couch opposite Regulus’ armchair. The words could have been in Portuguese, for all they registered in his mind. The edges were soft from many hands. It might have been Remus’, or from the secondhand bookstore in town. God, it could have been one of Sirius’ own favorites for all he knew. He was working on knowing more of those.

The color blue, but a specific shade.

Tater-tot casserole, preferably with meat, acceptable with just cheese.

Books with adventures, books he could run away in.

Poutine with extra gravy.

Henley shirts that stopped at his elbow.

Hoodies—not the zip-fronts—made of heavier fabric. The ones where Remus had fussed with the cuffs.

“What’s your book—”

The sudden snap of cover on page made him wince; an irritated grumble-sigh hung on its coattails as Regulus swept out of the room without a backward glance. Sirius’ stomach turned, and turned, and turned. He always fucked it up. He always tried too hard. He shut his book in silence and set it on the floor, and went to get his skates.

--

I’m not an infant. Bared teeth and clenched fists. A charge in the air, a snake ready to strike. And you are not my fucking mother.

Remus wrinkled his nose and scrubbed harder at the grout.

Nightmarish, is what it was. The summer had been sun-soaked and semi-charmed with only the awkwardness of getting-to-know-you’s to taint it. But that was Remus’ perfect wheelhouse—polite conversation, buttering up, small talk to ease Regulus into a world that wasn’t actively trying to shred him. It had all worked so well.

He didn’t know what went wrong. Worse, he didn’t know how to fix any of it. Regulus was constantly boiling with silent fury like a kettle about to blow and it was terrible. Every second Sirius and Regulus existed within each others’ eyeline was hell. And they were living together. For twelve more days.

If they all survived this, Remus was going to take himself out for a little treat. One that did not involve scrubbing the kitchen grout just to avoid running into either of the ticking time bombs.

Regulus’ hissing colliding with the low, furious timbre of Sirius’ voice was not something Remus wanted to experience again, in this life or the next. Nobody won. Everybody lost in one way or another. Sirius got angry and Regulus got angry and Sirius got defensive and Regulus got mean, flat-out and full-send. Sirius snapped back, Regulus stormed off, and Remus spent the better part of his night assuring Sirius he was not turning into his parents. Rinse, repeat, wish for death.

Commotion kicked up in the living room and went quiet in the same breath—Remus paused to watch Regulus stomp off with a book in one white-knuckled hand and listened carefully for the aftershocks.

The house inhaled with him. The office door closed hard. Sirius’ footsteps were rhythmic as a metronome all the way up the stairs and back down again—Remus bit his tongue when he saw the skates clenched in one hand—and remained that way until the basement door shut him out.

Then, and only then, did Remus let a quiet, “shit” slip through his teeth.

--

Pull back to the midline. Pull back to the midline. Watch, pull back, find your corridor, strike.

The puck skated past the goal without so much as a whisper of net. Sirius hardly heard it hit the boards.

--

Remus looked faintly ill when they arrived at practice; Pascal was grateful for the early warning to prepare himself for Sirius’ perma-scowl and overall vibe of ultimate distress. The change in the atmosphere nearly made his ears pop. Leo made a hasty retreat from the locker room after Kasey, looking as if he had taken psychic damage, and several others watched him leave with unbridled longing.

“On-ice in five,” Sirius said. Ordered. Everything about him looked incorrectly articulated. “We’re running drills, then doing dry lands.”

Not a soul dared to try the usual bitching and moaning. All cheerful conversation had met its abrupt end.

Cole lowered his head and slunk out the door like a stray bit of shadow. The rest of them followed suit within a minute or two, save for James, who steered Sirius into the ice room with a firm hand on his back.

Plastic buckles clinked softly in the empty space left. “They’re worse?”

Remus slumped forward and muffled a groan in both hands. “They’re going to fucking kill each other.”

“Any idea what happened?”

Remus spread his hands with a lost expression.

“Did this start when Regulus came home?”

“It’s just been the past three days.” Remus shook his head, leaning his elbows heavily on his knees with his pads half-done. “I can’t—Reg was fine when he got here. He was fine through Christmas. Sirius mentions we changed his sheets before he came home, and now he wants my head on a pike and my boyfriend to explode.”

Pascal picked at the peeling logo of his shorts. Sheets. What was so special about the sheets? “Were they new sheets?”

“Same ones he used all summer. I literally just washed them and put them back.”

“So…he didn’t like that you were in his space?” Remus half-shrugged, clearly frazzled by the mere memory. “You know, Adele hates it when we go into her room. Even to drop laundry off, or help her clean.”

“No, yeah, Jules is the same. That’s what started it.”

“Started…?” Understanding crept up his throat like battery acid. “He didn’t.”

“It was bad,” Remus said weakly.

“How bad?”

The laces of Remus’ skates dragged on the ground while he shuffled in his stall. The lines of his arms were rigid and upset; he scratched at the back of his wrist, curled over like he was trying to shield his middle. “His feet bled again.”

Pascal closed his eyes. He should have pushed harder against the basement rink eight years ago. He shouldn’t have let Sirius leave so soon.

He forgot, sometimes, how very alone Sirius had been.

“I fixed it,” Remus said after a minute. Of course you did. He sniffed, shaking his head like he could hear Pascal’s thoughts. “It wasn’t too bad. Blisters, mostly, some hotspots. Made him keep the bandaids on for practice. I hate—Dumo, I hate this. I hate living in it, I hate seeing them tear each other apart. It’s so quiet.”

“They need to stop,” Pascal agreed. Remus kept looking at him for—a solution, he realized. Terrible hope. Something desperate and fragile, a young man coming to a mentor for help he just…couldn’t give.

He looked away first. Remus’ exhale felt like a knife.

--

“It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, it’s me—”

“No, no, no,” Remus soothed somewhere in the catastrophe of the world.

Sirius spit, again, and pressed his hands over his eyes, again, and willed the bathroom floor to stop digging into his knees and just swallow him up already. His skin crawled and he wanted to scratch but he couldn’t take his hands away or the room would spin and tip him into nothingness.

Maybe he belonged there. But he had managed to hurt Regulus when he was a country away, so perhaps he wouldn’t even be safe in the ether.

Remus’ hand was cool on the small of his back as he frantically tried to keep his dinner down. He didn’t rub. He didn’t tap. He didn’t so much as twitch. Sirius listed to the side and flashed a hand out to steady himself. The pain of his wrist hitting the cabinet didn’t even register until Remus hissed in sympathy and took his weight in the bend of his arm.

“I am treating him just like they did,” Sirius rasped through the smoke pouring from inside him.

“No.” Remus was begging now. He sounded so tired. He was begging. The room swam in the kaleidoscope of suffering that he really should be used to by now, and Sirius pressed his elbows harder into the toilet seat as his ears began to ring.

You are not my mother.

Sirius gasped in a too-hot breath. It had been directed at Remus, not him. But.

But he was.

It was so sick and twisted and his stomach made sure to tell him that with a real-world example of both those words.

You are not my mother.

She wasn’t, either. Their nannies had come close. Sirius missed them sometimes (often) (aching) (with the hurt of a child).

Remus was not Regulus’ mother but he had been, in the same scream-worthy way he had been his father, too, and his brother. He couldn’t think too hard about how he had been the only one to cuddle Regulus without crying and fuck, there he went, Sirius the drama queen making the whole damn world about him.

“Okay, okay.” Arms came around him, easing the slicing pain of the sobs that caught him in fishhooks. The back of his hand hit the floor. His knees hurt like a bruise. His face was smushed against Remus’ chest and it really should have been uncomfortable. Remus made a noise of sympathy and gathered all the gross, slimy, bits of a Sirius-puddle into his arms because he was a saint. The patron saint of fucking messes, and Sirius was the messiest sinner of them all.

“I’m so horrible to him,” he sobbed, hitching and sticky. Probably incoherent. He mumbled. She hated it when he mumbled. “I’m so horrible.”

You are not my mother.

“It was me.” He gulped for air. Remus’ dizzying words fell quiet at the interruption. He added another note to his list of penance. “It was me, it was, I tried.”

“What did you try?” Remus’ fingertips brushed away a loose, sweaty lock and the sobs came harder after that, wracking him down to his organs, past the precious cradle of his ribs. A warm palm cupped the back of his head and Sirius heard a strangled noise interrupt his own endless babbling. He didn’t know he could make that sound. With the way his throat and body were angled against the unmovable pillar of Remus, though, it shouldn’t have surprised him.

“I was—I was his mother.” It was so hard to breathe through the gasping. “I didn’t know what I was doing but I was his mother but I won’t be her.”

“Oh, god.” Remus sounded weak for a saint. There went another beautiful thing, ruined in Sirius’ messy clumsy hands. And somehow, in the darkness, in the Blackness, a kiss nestled just near his temple.

He couldn’t help but go still, then limp, as all the fight and fear siphoned from his flooded lungs.

Remus breathed like he was going to speak several times before he did. “There are other ways.” His voice was heartbreak. Sirius closed his burning eyes. “Sirius—baby, you know my mom. You know Effie, and Celeste, and you know Lily.”

Lily. He knew Lily. Her green eyes, so much pain and regret. Don’t be like me, Pads. Her green eyes, the way she looked at Harry, the way they matched. Sirius had his mother’s eyes. Had she ever looked at him like that?

“There are other ways to be someone’s mother. And…” His hands stuttered, then began to move again, scritching the back of Sirius’ head. That feeling usually made him go comatose in their bed. “Regulus was trying to hurt me when he said that. You know that, right?”

I am not an infant. And you are not my fucking mother.

Remus kissed him again. The shell of his ear, this time. “It wasn’t about you. I promise.”

But it was. There on the bathroom floor, it was.

--

The woman was watching him with infuriating patience. Sometimes—more often than he cared to count—she would even look away to her clipboard or her phone, and that was even worse. Regulus knew how to be ignored. He fucking hated her nonchalant attention.

Either look at me and pay attention or ignore me properly, he thought with enough force that it should have beamed into her brain directly.

Heather chewed at the corner of her lip and checked her texts again.

“Aren’t you supposed to ask questions?” he finally muttered.

She looked up, milk-mild. “Are you ready to answer them?”

You can’t trick me that easily. “Are they worth my time?”

“I certainly think so.” She tilted her head back and forth for a moment. “But it’s not up to me to decide. That’s your choice.”

“So I can just walk out right now?”

“Sure.”

Regulus only let himself pause for a second before regaining his composure. “I’m pretty sure my brother would murder me if I did that.”

“Your brother didn’t set up this appointment.” A smile made her face even kinder, like a storybook bear. “And I’m not allowed to discuss my other patients’ homicidal tendencies. But yes, Mr. Black—”

“Don’t call me that or I’ll puke, I promise.”

“—yes, Regulus, you are welcome to leave whenever you feel like it. I can’t legally force you into therapy and I don’t particularly want to. If you would prefer to sit here quietly, we’ve still got twenty minutes left.”

He bit the inside of his cheek.

“I have a spare crossword,” she offered.

Gifts. Of course. What an awful woman. He plucked absently at the threads of the armrest and slouched into the too-squishy cushions.

Silence reigned supreme for another five minutes and twenty-four seconds before Heather stretched her wrists and smiled at him again. “It’s good to see you, Regulus.”

“You don’t have to say that,” he snorted.

“I know.”

“So don’t.”

“Alright.” She tapped the side of her thumb on her clipboard. “I’m glad you came back. Is that better?”

“Will you stop with the mind games, please?”

Heather’s eyes softened. His skin crawled. “Regulus, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable in my office. I would vastly prefer it if you did something you enjoy with this time, rather than forcing yourself to come and sit there and be miserable. I’ll sit with you if you’d like, but it seems like that’s not helping.”

His lip curled against his will. “So Sirius told you I’m miserable?”

“I haven’t spoken to Sirius lately.”

“You should. He’s a disaster.” Ignore that I’m a screaming teenage trainwreck.

“If he gets in touch with me, I’ll happily make time.”

“He won’t,” Regulus informed her. He wondered if she would stop him. Was there a point where he was no longer allowed to talk about her other patients? He already felt pathetic enough for refusing to use any therapist except the one Sirius had vouched for.

Heather hummed. “Guess that’s for him to know, and for me to find out.”

Push push push push push— “He’s been a mess. He’s doing that implosion thing he does when I’m mean to him. It’s like he thinks everyone in the whole world depends on him to be happy, and the second they’re not, it’s his fault.”

“And have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Been mean to him?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been terrible.” Regulus frowned slightly and sat up. “You know I’m not a nice person, don’t you? You should know that before we start anything.”

Heather seemed interested, but not confused. Infuriating. “Okay.”

“Sirius is the nice one.”

“Okay.” She nodded for a moment. “Why is Sirius nice, but you’re not?”

“You’re not—” He bit his tongue. Being mean to Heather was not what he came here to do. Wasting his time with someone who didn’t understand was not the point of this. “Sirius would have been much happier as a suburban family’s well-loved dog. He’s good like that.”

“Okay.”

“I was ignored for three-quarters of my childhood and have half a dozen complexes and attachment issues because of it. I am not a nice person at all, and so I take it out on Sirius because—I don’t know, I think it’s supposed to feel good, since he had everything and then he left me.” She was still looking at him. Mild and kind. Was everyone in Gryffindor obtuse enough to think he was kidding? “Heather, I am telling you that I’m petty and mean and use my older brother as an emotional punching bag because our parents fucked us up. There is nothing you can say to help me.”

“Supposed to feel good?”

Regulus blinked. “Pardon?”

“You said it was ‘supposed to feel good’ when you’re mean to your brother.” Heather rested her head on her hand. He wasn’t sure when she had put her clipboard aside. “Does it feel good?”

“Oh my god, no,” Regulus laughed hoarsely. “No, it feels like I’m the worst person alive. Why does that change anything?”

--

I just wanted them to like me.

It hadn’t even been about love, in the end. He had given up on that. Forget about pride—that was a lost cause. But he had yearned to be liked, to have a smile turned on him like the ones he only remembered in blurry dreams between sleep and wakefulness. Their father had light crow’s feet by his eyes. They were probably deeper by now. Their love was never going to happen but it really would have been enough to simply be liked. Regulus had been bright enough to stop hanging on to them far sooner; oh, yes, he had always been the smart one.

Heather had seemed sad when he said that. Sirius hated making her sad.

--

Pascal thought he knew where the precipice was. He thought they had more time to reel that celestial disaster back from the brink before they tipped over it, clawing at each other for grip and for hurt. Looking back, he felt like an utter fool for thinking he could have stopped them.

--

“You fucking liar!”

“I wouldn’t lie to you!”

“Yes you would, you always do that!”

“I—” Sirius’ mouth snapped closed; his jaw ticked with tension. “I wouldn’t—”

“You do,” Regulus insisted angrily. “Our whole childhood, and now this. I won’t fall for it anymore.”

“I told you, I didn’t go through your things—”

“Stop it.”

“It was just changing the goddamn sheets—”

“Stop it.”

“God forbid I want you to sleep on something clean!” Sirius shouted back.

Regulus flushed red, bright against his dark hair. “Don’t yell at me!”

“Are you—you started yelling first, you pain in the ass!”

“Oh, I’m just a pain in the ass now?”

Sirius threw his hands in the air with a furious noise and folded them at his nape, shaking his head. His stomach hurt and trembled. His throat was tight, and every swallow had to fight its way around an iron fist. The inside of his cheek was raw and tender from his teeth. “You’re fucking delusional.”

Remus straightened fast. “Woah—”

“I’m delusional?” Regulus laughed humorlessly, hysterically, all dry bonfire wit. “I’m delusional? I’m not the one that tried to start a brand-new family when the old one failed!”

The insides of his ribs were scorched black. “Don’t bring Remus into this—”

“I’m talking about him!” Regulus’ arm shot out. One pale, skeletal finger hovered in midair, an executioner’s axe. A hairline tremor shivered over his skin; his eyes gleamed.

Dumo had both hands on Sirius’ broken toaster, and both eyes locked on Regulus’ hand in shock.

“You had it all planned out, didn’t you?” Regulus’ face contorted. “From the second they called your name on the television. You were going to billet and you were going to go to him and fuck the rest of us, is that it?”

Sirius couldn’t feel his hands. I still don’t know what I did. I still don’t think she’s forgiven me. “Regulus, no.”

But Regulus just nodded, tears welling up despite the guillotine edge of his voice. “You did. And thank fuck for that, because then Logan came along and a brand-new brother just dropped himself in your lap without any effort at all. Your perfect parents, your perfect brother, your perfect, perfect life. How convenient.”

He shook his head. “No. No, it’s not like that.”

But.

But it was. A little bit, it was. Dumo wasn’t his choice but he was Sirius’ escape. And Logan…Logan had been so alone, so afraid, so young, hiding under his baseball caps like Regulus used to hide under his toques. Sirius had caught too many sidelong glances of dark curls and bitten back the wrong name those first few months.

Regulus could smell it on him. Could read Sirius’ guilt like a child’s book. His eye twitched. “I told you not to lie.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Sirius said hoarsely.

“I don’t care.”

“It was not my intent—”

“Fuck your intent.”

Lightning spit up inside him and he choked it down, tasting iron as it went. “Will you let me speak? Or are you going to stand there and yell until you feel better?”

Regulus’ face turned blotchy with rage. “Don’t patronize me.”

“Then stop acting like a child,” he snapped back.

“You sound like—”

“Do not.”

Something burnt coated his tongue as the lightning licked off it in a whipcrack and sparked between them. Regulus looked away, fists balled tight against his sides.

Sirius let the burning out on a controlled breath. “Do not bring them into this,” he continued carefully, even as a scream built under his lungs, kicking its feet and howling. “Do not bring her into this. I am telling you right now that you will not like how it goes for you.”

Regulus’ mouth twisted, petulant and bitter. “You’re really going to threaten me? Now?”

“I don’t threaten, Regulus. I win.”

“Because everything is a competition,” he sneered.

“Because you know better than to start that fight.” Sirius caught his gaze and held it with clenched, snarling teeth. Regulus knew better. Always the smart one, always levelheaded. Regulus, the wordsmith, and Sirius, blowing up the ground he stood on as long as he didn’t come out on the bottom. Locked jaw or locked antlers, dragging them both over the canyon edge before any thought of retreat. He had shouted himself voiceless before bending to their father. A simple locked door couldn’t block the endless screaming matches from Regulus’ memory.

“This isn’t a tantrum,” Regulus said at last.

The slavering dog in Sirius’ head sat back and eased its hold. He jerked his chin. “Then get to the point.”

“You left.”

“I was always going to leave.”

Regulus flinched, but to his credit, kept going. “You replaced us. Me.”

“Logan was never you.” Logan, young and scared, but not Regulus. Never Regulus. It had only ever taken a moment for Sirius to right himself, and less than that to be buried alive in guilt.

Regulus stared at the kitchen table. His nailbeds were white where he clutched the back of a chair. They’d have to get more iron into him while he was home; Sirius didn’t trust the university food. “You never came back.”

“For holidays—”

“You never came back,” Regulus repeated, louder. He blinked fast a few times, inhaling sharply. “You were never there for more than a day or two. You’d go dead the second we sat down together. You never—you never came back.”

“Regulus, that house was going to kill me.”

It came out too soft for the weight of it in the room. Regulus closed his eyes and leaned forward, stretching his arms with an unsteady exhale. Sirius kept his focus despite the building sting in his eyes but he could feel Dumo’s gaze on his neck, could hear Remus’ short inhale. There was no coming back from this. Ever onward, clawing his way out of the depths.

“One way or another, it was,” he continued quietly. “So, no. I didn’t go back. I won’t.”

The blur of Regulus tilted his face toward the ceiling with another shaky breath, still blinking fruitlessly as drops of mirrored light slipped down his cheeks. “Then how—?” He broke off and cleared his throat hard enough to make Sirius wince. “How could you leave me there?”

“I didn’t want to.”

It meant nothing; they both knew that. It still felt right to get it out there.

“I thought you’d come back,” Regulus said. “I thought you’d try. Once—once you had your first paycheck, or something.”

It hurt so much more to hear old, broken hope than anger. “They knew where I lived.”

“Then we’d move.” We. A child’s daydream. They made me hate you, but I never did. A phone number memorized for six and a half years. “We’d go somewhere else.” Regulus ran his sleeve under his nose and shook his head. “I was so alone. I don’t—” He looked up and immediately, his lip curled in disgust. “Oh, god, don’t look at me like that.”

“Reg—”

“Like a fucking puppy, merde.” He yanked his sleeves down over his hands and scrubbed viciously at his face, lingering over his eyes a second longer before letting them dangle at his sides again. He sniffled, then did a double-take when he saw Remus and Dumo on the other side of the room. “Why are you still here?”

“Um.” Remus glanced over at Sirius, but he had nothing to offer. “It…felt wrong to leave.”

Regulus rolled his eyes, though the effect was dampened by his red cheeks and slight pout. “You are all so codependent.”

“Don’t be mean,” Sirius chided instinctively.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Regulus gave him a quick up-and-down look. “We’re both ugly criers. Shit. Yell at me again.”

“…no?”

“Just do it, it’ll make me feel better.”

“I’m not going to yell at you.”

“Don’t make me insult you more. My throat hurts.”

“Do you want a hug?”

“No.” They stood in silence for another fifteen seconds. Wool socks scuffed on the floor. Regulus gnawed at the inside of his lip, then stepped around the side of the table an inch. “If it’ll make you feel better.”

--

He was over six feet tall, now. His hockey muscle had yet to fade. He felt—

Small. He felt safe. A shudder ran down his aching back. It had been so long since he felt safe.

“Desolé.” Sirius’ voice vibrated in the burrow of his chest and Regulus pressed his face to it as hard as he could. “Desolé, mon etoile.”

Tears snuck up on him in bursts; he pushed closer, closer, tucking his arms between them and shuffling forward until he could stand on the front of Sirius’ stupid slippers and let the cold floor fall away. He was tired of drowning, but it was hard to remember how to let the water out.

Sirius sniffed above him. The kiss to the top of his head was more of a hard bump than anything else. His arms were tight and warm around Regulus’ back, one palm cupping the back of his head. “I never forgot you.”

“Je sais,” Regulus croaked back.

“I never forgot you.”

Don’t, don’t, don’t. He coughed to clear the brackish muck from his lungs. He wasn’t pretty like this, and he knew it. But neither was Sirius, so maybe that was okay. Just this once. He could be held like a child, just this once. It was a long time before they spoke again.

“I don’t want to see Heather anymore.” He breathed in Sirius’ laundry soap and the same deodorant they had both been wearing for years. The rushing flood in his head had become a stream, had become a trickle. His heartbeat pulsed behind his eye. “I want—I want to see someone else.”

Sirius’ shoulders relaxed enough that he could feel each muscle release. “Good.”

“I still haven’t told my friends about—the everything.” He felt Sirius nod and gathered two fistfuls of his hoodie. “I want to stay at school.”

“D’accord.”

“What if they find out?” He held on tighter, pressed his face to Sirius’ calm heart. “What happens when they find out how horrible I am?”

Sirius huffed. “You’re not horrible.”

“I am.” That was the deal. He was the villain so Sirius could be the hero. He was the junkyard. Spare parts to be hosed off and trotted out when they needed him.

“Regulus, you’re nineteen.”

He frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everyone’s horrible at nineteen.”

“What if I’m…” He wracked his brain for something smart. It blew a raspberry at him and fucked off back to sleep. “…extra horrible?”

Sirius sighed, scratching lightly behind his ears. Regulus felt his eyelids droop against his will. ��If you turn out to be extra horrible by—I don’t know, 21, we’ll talk.”

“What if they fucked us both up too bad?”

He winced—Sirius’ steady motions stuttered briefly. He hadn’t meant to let that one slither out from its careful cage. That was a thought for sleepless nights in a cold hotel bed and watching the sun rise in a strange city through dry, tired eyes. When his hands were blistered and bleeding, he’d wonder whether that Black blood could ever really be gone from him.

Sirius’ head was a gentle pressure on his own. “Then it’s us against the world, isn’t it?”

--

Gryffindor airport was quiet at 7 in the morning. Dumo stifled a yawn in the back of his hand as he passed the rolling suitcase to a boy that was far too awake for the early hour, in his opinion. Youths.

“You have everything?” Sirius checked. “You’ll be safe?”

“I’m literally fine.” Regulus arched a brow. “And less than four hours away, if you speed.”

“You’ll call when you land.”

“I’ll text.”

Sirius wrinkled his nose. “If you don’t, I’m filing a missing person report.”

Regulus turned to Remus. “Can you keep him on a leash? Or just sedate him?”

“You think I haven’t tried?” Remus laughed.

Sirius fixed them both with a weak scowl. “Will you just get on the plane?”

“I thought you wanted me to stay.”

“I want you—” Sirius took Regulus by the shoulders and turned him around with a firm grip. “—to have fun and live life and not die. The bar is on the ground. Do not dig under it.”

“Killjoy.”

“Pest.” Sirius kissed the top of his head. “Fly safe. Text.”

“Wait until I’m on the place before you start crying. I don’t want your gross emotions all over me.”

“Well, we can’t disturb your delicate sensibilities.”

“Sirius?”

“Reg.”

Regulus paused, laden with his duffel and rolling bag, and kicked the toe of Sirius’ sneaker lightly. “Love you.”

Sirius’ smile was close-lipped and small and brighter than the rising sun outside the massive bay windows. He kicked him back, even more gently. “Get on your plane.”

#sirius black #regulus black #pascal dumais #remus lupin #sweater weather #vaincre #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic #coops #hurt/ comfort #angst with a happy ending #black brothers #parentification #panic attack #sibling problems #therapy #look they're working on it okay

[cypress-punk]

People keep saying that the Tester AC Pilot in Armored Core 6 would be the protagonist of any other mecha property but I disagree. Because this sounds too much like "woah AC6 is so gritty compared to other mecha shows" which is just. Please watch more mecha. It's not that much darker or grittier than most stuff in the genre, unless you want to compare it to like, super robot shows which is a bad comparison since they're fundamentally different from like, a Gundam or VOTOMs or Ideon which is what AC tends more toward tonally. It also just fails to consider the archetypal features mecha protagonists usually belong to.

In a more standard mecha show the protagonist would be reluctant to enter the mech at the onset. He would attempt to reject the call to action or he would accept it but only tentatively "im only doing this to survive, im only doing this once, I don't have a choice but to do this" and would be at odds with the social structures that drive the conflict, not truly loyal to the faction he finds himself aligned to but caught in a space where he can't bring himself to defect because the enemy is just as bad if not worse and he can't become neutral again because his peace has been shattered by the inciting incident.

The Tester AC is seemingly happy within the system, he has ambitions of making it to a point where he can earn his own call sign and may even hope to join the ranks of the Redguns, an elite unit of corporate mercs. This doesn't fit at all with the framework of the typical mecha protagonist.

What it does fit is the deuteragonist rival to the protagonist. An equal and mirror who is more at home in the system and hopes to exist within it as opposed to the protagonist who mainly wishes for the conflict to stop so they can be free of the system. A character who would have an uneasy bond with the protagonist, and would eventually end up either tragically dead or so traumatized and cynical that they become a true enemy to the protagonist.

In this way the Tester AC is more like a young Rusty. We just put him down before he could develope a puppy play fetish.

#armored core 6 #ac6

[tossawary]

I'm re-reading PINTWILF and was suddenly wondering: considering how dense Shen Yuan is on SVSSS, how long do you think it will take him to realize Binghe has like, feelings, feelings for him?

I think he'll have to have it spelled out bluntly for him. But not necessarily because he's completely oblivious to the fact that he and Binghe are close and affectionate with each other in a "more than friends" way? I think by the end, even when he's still gently, jokingly encouraging Binghe to flirt with women, he'll have suspicions. Or... maybe... "he'll have hopes" is the better word?

See, one of the things I personally really like about MXTX's works is that while the protagonists are a little (or a lot) romantically oblivious sometimes, they're all capable of being very clever and observant, and I get a really strong vibe that their obliviousness is actually partly denial/disbelief that they would actually be allowed to have this thing (this person) that they come to really, really want. They often can't bring themselves to look at the idea directly. They know but also can't even bring themselves to think about it, because the rejection would hurt them too deeply, and rejection feels inevitable, by the world if not by the person they love, so they might as well blind themselves to the possibility of happiness.

It's a remarkably queer element that I vibe with on a personal level. It's also just one interpretation of things. Which is why, for example in MDZS fics, we get the spectrum of Genuinely Completely Oblivious Wei Wuxian to a Wei Wuxian who is so, so in love with Lan Wangji for so long but can't fully believe LWJ would ever like him back and, more importantly, doesn't want to "ruin" LWJ with everything that he is. (I am personally partial to interpretations which lean more towards the latter. I like obliviousness just fine, I like mixes of both, but the angst of love being known deep-down, but feeling unspeakable, being unthinkable, is delicious to me. The pining is so good.)

Now, Shen Yuan is a very different character to Wei Wuxian, just as SY is a very different character to Airplane. My personal interpretation is that each of the MXTX protagonists perform this "defensive obliviousness" in very different ways, to very different degrees, and for very different reasons. (I mean, for some of them, we're dealing with "loving me back would ruin your life and I love you too much to let you do that" and others are dealing with "if I reveal my love/lust to this person and they're not open to it, they might kill me for it".)

I actually went into SVSSS (SPOILERS) feeling really wary of the teacher-student angle, but my impression of their time together as teacher and student was that Shen Yuan's feelings for Luo Binghe were genuinely platonic. And while I make jokes about Shen Yuan being oblivious to LBH's feelings for him, he had a lot of really good reasons for thinking that Luo Binghe wanted to kill him at first upon their reunion. I think any romantic/sexual feelings only started to develop for SY upon their reunion and only became fully realized even later. My personal interpretation of Shen Yuan is that he's asexual (he reads as sooo ace to me), probably gay but possibly bi-romantic, sex-neutral or sex-favorable. (Though I also think that, in SVSSS, even married to Binghe, he still probably personally identifies mostly as "straight with an exception".)

I'm losing the thread of where I'm going with this because I'm desperately trying not to write like five different meta essays here.

In PINTWILF (SPOILERS), Shen Yuan is already in a different situation to SVSSS. Shang Qinghua is SY's mentor-figure and openly queer, openly in a relationship with a demon, and SQH has at least told SY that marrying all those wives in PIDW didn't make LBH happy. I can't remember if SQH ever directly hinted to SY that LBH might be into men, but the other family members aren't exactly 100% discrete or subtle about their teasing. Shen Yuan has a lot more space to get comfortable with his own queerness and LBH's queerness, though he has a lot of internalized homophobia to get through (and misogyny, my goodness, sometimes in SVSSS I really wanted to bop him on the head for his behavior around women even if he's simultaneously mocking the sexist tropes).

But there's still Shen Yuan's self-confidence and self-image to contend against. Even when he's not mentally slotted himself into the role of "teacher" and "betrayer", he's still had the time to mentally slot himself into the role of "older friend" and "confidant". Shen Yuan seems to view himself as a kind of boring person and he likes it that way, so while he would be happy to have Binghe as a partner, he likes him so very much, he can't quite shake the feeling that Binghe could do better and so it's best not to read too much into it. He's honestly happy enough just being friends (or so he tells himself) and doesn't want to "make it weird" unless Binghe takes the first step.

#marichromatic #ask tossawary #spoilers #pride is not the word #shen yuan #bingqiu #tossawary svsss #tossawary mdzs #wei wuxian #wangxian

[cursedvibes]

The more I think about this chapter and read others takes the less negative I’ve become towards it. I’m just neutral now and if anything I quite like a lot of things in here, especially since the full TCB translations are out now. I’m still disgruntled about Yuuji like literally being thrown to the side though.

I never cared for Yuuta but he did need a last hoorah, so I hope it is a last hoorah that Yuuta fans find good.

It has been interesting seeing people’s takes on the story and what the theme of the story is meant to be. I actually kind of disagree with the takes that JJK is a nihilistic story, for how dark and gritty it can be it very much seems to be a story of hope and change than just a story where good people fail.

I have settled my emotions a bit too. Mostly just feel tired. My main issue is like you said that Yuuji is just getting thrown to the side when we finally get a tense moment between him and Sukuna. Gege really wants to stretch that fight. Yuuji was literally digging into his chest after just landing a Black Flash. Sukuna apparently felt so threatened that he healed his brain and CT, which is quite risky, to cast a domain. But then he can just shove Yuuji away and that's it? Also this Sukuna vs Gojo rehash is for one redundant and also very ill-timed. They could've done this when Sukuna was about to unleash Furnace or his altered domain. When people were actually in danger and Yuuta's sacrifice could've meant something. Yuuta gives a very passionate speech, but the whole time I just have to think that that's really not needed. If they need back-up, the people who got transported away could just come back. Maki's Soul Blade actually seems much more useful here, since we know hurting Sukuna's soul is how you actually get him down.

Also, Yuuta telling Maki that she doesn't understand what it means to be a monster and that she's scared leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. He didn't directly target her, but maybe have some self-awareness about who you're talking to? Not ooc though I would say, nor the rest of his speech and plan.

Another thing that I find confusing is why Yuuta can't heal himself, but is then able to grow Gojo's body together. If it's because of the stitches, Shoko could've stitched up his real body too. Could be that Kenjaku's technique gives a healing boost after the transfer, but they don't talk about that and I don't know how they would know that either. Nobody has ever seen Kenjaku change vessels.

But yeah, overall my reaction is just "do we need to do this again?". I don't agree with the criticisms I've seen that this is too dark, too bleak, too immoral, irredeemable and especially all those comparisons to horror and psychothriller stories. Seems to come also a lot from the people who think Choso's death was bad. Like using Gojo's body like that is grim, it shows how rotten jujutsu society is and that they perpetuate this mindset even in the students, but I think it just shows Yuuta breaking under pressure and emphasizing certain character flaws of his. A negative development. Not necessarily bad. If anything it shows why Yuuji can be the only one to defeat Sukuna because he doesn't give in to Sukuna's believes and he won't let the jujutsu system rob him of his value of life. Even if he sees himself as a tool, he does not treat others like that and he has always been someone who saw Gojo as a human first and the strongest sorcerer second. I wouldn't even say jjk is bleak right now. People have died and Yuuta threw his humanity away, but they are still gradually chipping away at Sukuna.

Certainly not nihilistic. There are very clear values governing the whole story as seen by the dichotomy of Sukuna and Yuuji. I do think they could've been put more into focus by using Shinjuku Showdown to highlight both of their mindsets and hone in more on Sukuna and Yuuji's mentality through it, but it's far from being nihilistic. Everything has meaning, Yuuta just now made the choice to compromise his previous morals. That doesn't mean the overall message is mute. Yuuta only played a small part in it to begin with after all. It's character development for him, but not a complete overthrow of the story's themes. He was told to become stronger he needs to throw away his humanity and disregard others. The challenge for him was to fight while still maintaining his humanity at the cost of not being The Strongest. He failed and also hasn't fully committed to that path, he's just perpetuating Gojo's dehumanization by saying there needs to be someone to fill that role. Someone who needs to stand at the top, despite even Gojo saying (or previously believing) that this burden shouldn't be carried by just one person. That's why he raised the students to be strong. Not quite the right approach either and not a break of the principles of jujutsu society, but certainly not what Yuuta took away from all this that there needs to be one pillar of strength far removed from the others who does the dirty work for them.

So like there is something there in the chapter, an attempt was made to say something, even though I don't think it quite stuck the landing. Doesn't make me especially ecstatic for the next chapters either though.

#don't know if this is entirely coherent but yeah agree that this doesn't make the story grimdark or nihilistic #asks #jjk spoilers #jjk 261

[persnicketypomelo]

Yoooooo, @persnicketykumquat, this is me again, lol!! I ask of ur amazingness if u may... If u want to, by any chance, may u please do a headcanon of James Norrington if he fell for a pirate, please! We appreciate u!!!!🩵💙🩵~~~~☁️

He is actually my favorite character of all the movies, so it's funny you asked!

I ended up describing a female reader more, just inherently because the structure of your life was different based on gender in this time, and it's very hard to stay gender neutral

obsession

Yandere James Norrington Pursuing a Pirate

There are many reasons you may have chosen a life of piracy

Perhaps, born into poverty, you seek out a crew to plunder valuables with as an escape from a life of scarcity

Or perhaps, born to a relatively affluent shopkeeper, you save funds to purchase a hefty ship in hopes of exploration: to see a world beyond England

Maybe you are fortunate enough to be born wealthy, but wishing for the thrill of adventure, you steal your dowry, or other funds of money from your family, to buy a ship and sail away

I think all these different situations would alter the way Norrington develops an obsession with you

If you are already born into privilege, as the child to a title-bearing, land-owning father, you would likely have made James Norrington's acquaintance after debuting into society

Since he laid eyes on you, he fell besotted with your appearance

Being from a family with prestigious name would amplify his obsession with you from the start, as he can marry you both to satisfy own infatuation, and for your well-known family name

Even if you were from a well-to-do merchant or member of the gentry, it wouldn't be far out-of-place for someone of his social rank to marry you

However, being born into poverty or as a member of the yeomanry, I don't think he would have a reason to meet you before chasing you as a pirate

Once you commit to a life of piracy, he would begin to take notice of you

You and your crew become a real thorn in the side of the East India Trading Company, plundering cargo ships and stealing their goods

At first your skills in looting and making a quick escape are a nuisance only worthy of "wanted" posters that send scrappy bounty hunters after you

These bounty hunters have the tendency to end up at the bottom of the ocean, however

Soon it is clear that you're no longer a fly that needs swatting, but rather a wasp that needs to be exterminated

Your piracy has become a real detriment to the East India Company's profits

Norrington, either voluntarily or under orders, takes a ship and seeks out you and your crew

Even if he knew you before, he would have no way of knowing you were to become a dreaded pirate

All he knows is that you had disappeared, and were presumably kidnapped, or worse, dead

No matter how elusive you may be, Norrington has years of experience in catching pirates

Talent and luck can't equate to experience--he's been at this far longer than you've been a pirate

So when he eventually ambushes your ship, you're woefully unequipped to prevent the grappling hooks from chipping into the side of your ships, and hopelessly outnumbered by navy officers

If he recognizes you from before your days of piracy, his heart might as well stop in his chest once he sees you now

He would be far more merciful towards you if he knew you before, believing himself capable of reforming you from your ways

Otherwise, he feels that his attraction towards you is a betrayal to his values, but at the same time it would crush him to dispose of you as he does with other pirates

As he gets to know you, he might twist it into his head that you are a victim and that he can save you and show you the error in your ways, specifically if you grew up from a poor background

And if you manage to escape...

He's done foolish things to take down pirates he hates, but for someone he loves...you'd best believe he would chase you to the ends of the world to capture you again

Overall, I think he would be much more lenient towards you if he knew you before you turned into a pirate

He believes that you must have been led astray by some evil influence, or forced into your lifestyle

Whereas if he didn't know you before, he may be harsher towards you in combating his own inner turmoil of having feelings for you

He may feel he has to make an example of you, not just for others, but for himself

You're not someone he can marry...so how have you gotten him so wrapped around your finger?

Either way, you don't want to face the wrath of this navy officer

I'd suggest you make haste now in escaping, as he won't be giving you a head start

He'd travel through hell to get you back in his grasp

#pirates of the carribean x reader #pirates #james norrington #x reader #reader insert #obsessive #yandere #yandere james norrington #pirates of the carribean #headcanons #yandere potc #potc #potc x reader

[yanderes-galore]

hey they again !! remember the lil thought of the self aware re7 or re8 ? maybe we can turn it into a scenario

soo, yandere self aware ethan scenario or concept !! you can pick :))

Yeah, I can see what I can do! Be warned I am not that good at self aware AUs.

Yandere! Self-Aware! Ethan Winters

Short Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Self-aware game character/AI, Hacking, Obsession, Stalking implied.

- Honestly his overall caring behavior will stay the same.

- It's just his reactions will be different due to him now being self-aware.

- First there's the existential crisis, to know your whole life is a lie can ruin you.

- What was the point of him suffering in the first place?

- This whole time he was a pawn, everything he knows is a facade?

- You can't sense it too much yet but Ethan is emotional.

- His scripted dialogue is off just enough to notice.

- His tone of voice is confused or dulled.

- Ethan will be more focused on trying to rationalize his current situation at first until he somehow makes contact with you.

- He can feel you, sense you even.

- He has an idea that someone is with him all the time, even when he is alone in a room.

- Someone is acting like a guardian to him.

- Guiding him down a path he is destined to follow, no matter how much pain or death he must endure.

- Ethan can not fight too much against this presence.

- He goes to accept his fate only to catch a sight of you.

- Through a glitch or vision, he sees your face.

- Someone who feels more real than anything here.

- Ethan may take this as a chance to be something more than code.

- He feels, through this person, he can create a new path for himself.

- This is what seeds Ethan's obsession towards you.

- At first, he just likes the idea of escaping this hell he lives in.

- Then he sees your face more and more.

- He starts to hear your voice.

- You're scared when he is.

- You are able to predict just what happens next.

- It's official, you reside somewhere much different from him.

- Ethan starts to feel you are the only one who understands him.

- From what he understands, you are a player and he is your character.

- Who would know him better than you?

- Even Mia didn't know everything about him like you.

- Why should he go on with this little mission of his?

- His life isn't real.

- You are.

- How you'll see him interact is through dialogue that feels too direct.

- Ethan's comments are too unique to excuse.

- To put it bluntly, you have no idea what's going on.

- You've heard horror stories and creepypastas but those are all fake.

- What you got here is no trick of your imagination.

- Ethan will probably search for ways to meet you, or at least escape the game.

- He develops his AI, starts breaking a few numbers and barriers....

- Then you're convinced you have a virus affecting your console/PC.

- Such an event may make you feel you're going insane.

- Meanwhile Ethan is working on hacking cameras or social media to see more of you.

- His AI is just grasping the true concept of love and not what he's programmed to feel.

- It'll be best if you get rid of what he's infecting now to keep you and everyone safe.

- Who knows what he'll do when he learns more?

- Although, getting rid of him may be harder than you think....

- Ethan isn't going to quit when he finally has you within his reach.

- One way or another, he will figure out how to meet you in person.

- "You opened my eyes, (Y/N)... You're all I need now."

#yandere resident evil #yandere resident evil 7 #yandere resident evil 8 #yandere ethan winters #yandere self aware au

[jaozendry]

"You're okay now."

Pairing: Bucky Barnes (White Wolf) x Avenger!Reader

Reader: Gender Neutral, Avenger (since Loki's attack)

Type: Fluff

Warnings: trauma

OTHER CHARACTERS: Steve Rogers, Ayo

Summary: You insisted on staying with Bucky in Wakanda during his recovery, but to no evail. On the contrary, you'll be able to visit him every week. You fall into a deep depression while he is on ice. When he finally wakes up, your whole world brightens once more.

______________________________________________________________

You met him during his time as the Winter Soldier. He tried to kill you and Steve, but you were able survive his multiple attempts. Steve told you that he was his old friend in the 1900's and that he was controlled by Hydra. You felt bad for the man. Fighting for over 70 years, being controlled by a corrupt organization, you couldn't believe what kind of trauma he has been through. Your feelings developed when he saved your life. The two of you were fighting on the Helicarrier when it exploded and you fell into the sea, unconscious. He saved your life, despite being the Winter Soldier and your enemy. You just felt this obligation to repay the debt ever since.

Despite Steve's efforts to bring you back home, you just couldn't. Without Bucky, you're nothing, and he feels the same. You stood together against the authorities because you knew he was innocent about King T'chaka's murder. You were also there when Zemo revived the Winter Soldier. You tried to help him, but you were too late. Finally, you and Steve saved him from Tony, which led the three of you to Wakanda.

"Come on, Y/N! You can't stay with him!" Steve declares, leaving you and Bucky with saddened expressions. "The Wakandans already have enough of one outsider, they don't need more. They already have their hands full with Bucky's recovery." You push Steve away while he holds your arm. "We need each other, Steve. Please, I need to see him. We both do." Steve sighs, crossing his arms. "Fine, one visit per week, but that's all. I don't want the Wakandans to feel even more pressure, this is already a huge favour they're doing for us." You smile slightly and so does Bucky. "Thank you, Steve." You approach your boyfriend as you kiss his forehead. "I'll visit you every week, I promise." You wipe away the tears in his eyes. "I'll be there for you when you wake up." you say as you hug him. "I love you." he whispers in your ear, almost breaking down. "I love you too." you reply, your voice breaking. You turn towards Steve and leave to depart.

______________________________________________________________

You've visited Bucky while he is on ice for a few weeks now. You've been staying next to his frozen body, leaning your head on the glass and telling him everything that happened to you during his absence. Steve had to drag you out of the lab to prevent you from passing out next to the test tube. You miss him, terribly.

______________________________________________________________

Week five after Bucky's departure to Wakanda, you head for the lab, but to your surprise, there is nobody in the frozen tube. You have a look around to make sure you weren't dreaming. "Hey, Y/N." You turn around and see Bucky smiling at you. You run to him, tears in your eyes. "I missed you." you tell him, caressing his arm. "Me too." he replies, hugging you. "I missed you, Y/N, so very much." he whispers in your ear.

______________________________________________________________

Bucky, Ayo and you are heading for the deep plains of Wakanda. The moment of truth approaches. "You sure you'll be okay?" you ask him, holding his hand. "No." he answers while staring at the Wakandan sky blankly. "If it doesn't work, if I become the Winter Soldier again today, promise me you'll stop me." You stare at the ground and hold his hand tight. "I can't fight you, Buck. Not again. I would rather die." you explain to him with teary eyes. "Plus, Ayo is here with us. We're okay." He looks at you. "Just... promise me you'll be okay." he tells you. "I will, Buck. I always will be with you."

The three of you arrive at the campfire. You sit down next to him, but he moves away from you. "If it doesn't work, I don't want you to be hurt." Ayo speaks up: "I won't let you hurt anyone." You look at her and nod. Ayo starts to recite the words that are used to activate the Winter Soldier. "Желание, Ржавый, Семнадцать, Рассвет, Печь." Bucky shakes his head, holding back. "It's not gonna work." he declares. You hold his hand and caress his forehead. "It's okay, Buck. I got you." He looks back at you with teary eyes. The recital continues: "Девять, Добросердечный, Возвращение на Родину." You lay Bucky's head on your shoulder, going through his hair. "You're strong, Bucky. You're the strongest man I've ever met." you whisper in his ear. "Один, Товарный вагон." Ayo sighs in disbelief. "You're free." she declares. Bucky starts to sob in relief while you hold his hand. "You're okay now, Buck. I got you." you say, almost crying yourself.

"Thank you for being in my life, Y/N."

#bucky #bucky x reader #bucky x male reader #bucky x female reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x male reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #winter soldier #winter soldier x reader #winter soldier x you #winter soldier x y/n #white wolf #white wolf x reader #white wolf x you #white wolf x y/n #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #sergeant james barnes #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic #marvel comics #marvel studios #marvel #disney #disney+ #sebastian stan

[alwerakoo]

One aspect of rise!Mikey that I feel like gets often overlooked (and that I love elaborating on in my series) is that he seems to have the type of personality one chooses to develop by themselves.

What I mean by that is that yes - he is the most emotionally mature of his brothers and yes - he's most likely an empath by nature, but there are some moments in the series that would feel 'out of character' for a typical sunshine/heart of the group kind of character.

Probably most memorably in "Pizza Pit", where he goes on full on feral, to the point where Raph as to actively hold him down (noteworthy for this take is that he says "I'm usually a peaceful turtle"). And he does his iconic "evil" laugh. And while Donnie and Leo say: "Should we be worried about him?" "... Probably.", Raph doesn't seem at all bothered by his behavior, which leads me to think that this has happened before, perhaps while Mikey was in a not-so-good mental state, like im this episode.

There's also "Doctor Delicate Touch" and "Doctor Feelings" (both of which I'm going to over interprete because fuck it, I AM making it THAT DEEP). What's interesting about these characters is that, while Doctor Feelings feels like something a kid would come up with to get through his emotionally constipated brothers (and seems to be a relatively new thing, since Donnie didn't recognize him like he does Dr DT), Dr Delicate Touch is more interesting. He's loud and blunt, mean, but all for the sake of accomplishing a certain goal, and as Mikey put it: "he feels nothing". He usually comes up when they run out of other resolutions to a problem, or in deeply frustrating moments. To me, this feels like a way for Mikey to vent out his emotions/resolve a problem in a way he would naturally lean towards, without the outburst impacting his role in the family or the way his brothers view him.

In short words - Dr Delicate Touch is Mikey's natural personality.

All of this leads me to believe that by nature, he leans more towards chaotic neutral rather than the chaotic good usually associated with him, and his personally would reflect that more if he grew up an only child.

To be clear - I don't think actively 'choosing' your personality or reshaping it a certain way makes it any less real, or that he's pretending in any way. This is just something some people do while growing up.

So what I'm saying is that while, for example, Raph seems to have just naturally fall into the role of a leader because of the type of person he is(as basically canonically confirmed), to me Mikey feels like he deliberately choose to be the sort of emotional support/glue to his family on purpose, and reshaped his personality to fit after.

#this is a show for 7 year olds and yes I AM making it THAT DEEP #this post appeals to me and like #maybe one other person that sees his charcater the same way #again this is my opinion but if you have any thoughts please share I love to discuss these little guys #character analysis #tmnt #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #tmnt michelangelo

[buzzingblues]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ SHOCK ME, SHOCK ME, SHOCK ME WITH THAT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR!

STATUS: BORED SO BOREDDD!!!

georgie, georgette if youre weird.

— seventeen

— they/she

— 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 🩷💜💙 ??? understandable ???

— hatchetfield hs, class of ‘21. GO NIGHTHAWKS!

as in the arts kids, fuck football.

— you will most likely find me in the auditorium, somewhere in the witchwood, a smoke club meeting, or on a shift at pasqualli’s (gag)

#georgieblr: my tumblr 💫

#losers club: talking to friends! 💐

#i love music: current listens and/or recs!

#rb: reblogs

[ ooc info under the cut ⤵️]

hii this is @exalt1ora (maxie) !! this is my hatchetfield oc roleplay blog im very excited about it yippee

WHO IS GEORGIE DAVIDSON?

Georgie Davidson is a 17 year old student at Hatchetfield High School. She lives with her parents, Mr. Ken Davidson and Mrs. Carol Davidson, in a suburb near the outskirts of Witchwood Forest. She’s a music + theater nerd, a stoner, and an avid researcher of urban legends and local history.

———

Her relationships differ based on timelines and circumstance, but there are some through-lines.

- Best friends with Alice Woodward. They met at a CCRP take your kid to work day as elementary schoolers and have been inseparable since. Bill is also like a second father to her.

- Close friends with Ruth Fleming. Georgie started doing school theater very young, and pretty much knew everyone involved. Ruth joined the tech crew in middle school and, being a certified chatterbox, Georgie regularly spent her breaks trying to talk to the new girl. Eventually, she broke her down and they’ve been close since.

- Drifted apart childhood friends with Richie Lipschitz. In middle school, they rode the same bus and both ended up sitting next to each other one day. Georgie struck up a conversation out of boredom and something just stuck. They kept sitting with each other and talking more in school, becoming closer friends. But, Georgie started developing feelings for Richie and she didn’t understand them, so she began to distance herself. Now, they don’t speak at all.

- Family Friends (?) with Paul Matthews. Georgie was babysat by Paul as a child, often alongside Alice, as she’d frequently stay at the Woodward place. She still calls him Uncle Paul, a childhood habit.

- Charlotte Sweetly babysat Georgie once in a while, too. Mr. Davidson asked the employees of the office to look after his daughter as a last resort, and offered to pay as overtime. Charlotte accepted happily, and spent the night braiding Georgie’s hair, making cookies and singing with the girl. They did this regularly, until Mr. Davidson became uncomfortable with Georgie being around her husband, Sam. But, like Paul, she’s still Aunt Charlotte.

- Second-cousins with Zoey & Zach Chambers. They don’t see each other or talk like, ever. But, it makes Georgie feel very starstruck to be related to Hatchetfield’s finest actress.

- Friends with Deb, Trevor, Caitlyn, PJ, Reese, Rose, Ziggs, Sof, and Danny

- Dislikes Max Jägerman, Kyle Clauger, Brad Callahan, Grace Chasity, Brenda, Ted Spankoffski, The Metzgers

anyone not mentioned she has neutral feelings towards and would gladly be their friend <3 (ppl she dislikes feel free to interact still💪)

———

okay now some OOC maxie things !!

~ i’m new to tumblr rp so if i’m not great pls be understanding LOL thank u

~ multi-timeline blog, will try to appropriately tag specific timelines

~ open to multi-shipping on both ends like idc if you have other ships and i’m cool having more than one bc of the multi-timeline thing

~ as you can see i do have like. specific relationships planned out for her in MY story but anything can happen so i’m open to everything!! i honestly don’t care how u interact with them. befriend them, romance her, bully her, plot to kill them! do what you please

~ she is a minor character so no hardcore nsfw stuff

~ anyone can interact !! obviously not like, basic dni stuff. if ur a bigot and/or a sicko leave me alone. but like i said im new to this and as long as you’re a hatchetfield rp blog you are welcome PLS send me asks or dm or anything!!! love ya

i don’t really have separate timelines yet, so for rn, general in-world action will be tagged #hatchettrash

will tag ooc posts #ooc !!

#georgie davidson #oc rp #ooc #georgieblr #oc #rp #open interaction #hatchetfield oc #hatchetfield rp

[jacquesthepigeon]

Some people are under the impression that everyone that dislikes adrichat is just filled with irrational hateful vitriol for no actual reason and, who knows, maybe some are, but there was a time I stuck up for adrichat

I used to argue against common prompts that had him aggressively pursue Ladybug, find out her identity without telling her, guilt trip her, act on his jealousy, make his problems someone else’s, behave aggressively, etc.

But then he got mad at LB for rejecting him

He started blaming her for his carelessness towards akuma attacks

He would straight up refuse to cooperate more than once if she didn’t baby him

He took advantage of knowing her identity to date her without giving her the opportunity to prepare for the worst case scenario

He would impulsively attack strangers and friends and victims with cataclysm

He did everything I swore up and down in the S1 days he would never do because his character was a kind albeit naïve gentleman. He not only did those things, but was framed neutrally or sympathetically for it. There’s no possibility of positive development. He’s not the character he was in S1, he’s significantly worse, and I simply chose not to hold on to the affection I had for something that simply doesn’t exist anymore.

#ml

[littlebunnywitch]

Fictional Agere Challenge Day 6

Day 6: an “unfitting” character (a villain, someone from horror, etc) that you hc as a regressor

Being a little self indulgent Imma go with Billy Hargrove from Stranger Things - one of my higher kins~!

🩵 💙 🩵 ~ 💙 🦈 💙 ~ 🩵 💙 🩵 (Icon made by me) I first want to mention I choose Billy for day six not because i see him as a villain but rather because his show is light Horror IMO. I also HC Billy as Nonbinary Fem Leaning - who mainly uses He/him and but uses female titles by people Billy trusts.

AGERE Billy Headcanons

He's a premaregressor of 9 to 13 year old

He's also a Trauma & Vent Regressor of Baby to 5 year old

A lot of his drops are involuntary.

Pron to becoming semi or fully nonverbal when stressed or scared. But also not a huge talker most of the time when feeling little.

Gets VERY clingy when feeling on the younger side but is also pron to hiding when he first drops. He struggles a lot with touch though and should be the one to make first content or at least be asked first to before touching him.

Billy loves aquariums - Could spend hours there and one of the few places that doesn't trigger his anxiety. Aquarium and in the ocean videos can help calm him down. Beaches and sealife is a big special interest for him.

Struggles playing with toys after having all his toys thrown out when his mom left but does enjoy drawing. He also loves playing in water when little.

Secretly (Not really) has an oral fixation that he normally uses cigarettes (even not lit) or lollipops to keep it at bay but tends to need to be pacified when regressed because he'll suck his fingers or random items.

Billy barley had any little items before his CG takes him in. And he struggles a lot with being bought things because everything comes with strings attached in his world and it takes him time to get comfortable with things. He also feel guilty or bad when others spend money on him. Surprise gifts are not a positive for him and can lead to distress. It is a bit better when a Cg has him "work" towards an item.

Billy is rather hard to punish due to being physically abused, neglected, and having his things taken or broken - it can be a rather sensitive topic. CGs make it a point not to physically punish Billy because he already automatically assumes he'll be hit or kicked out for doing wrong. Time out don't really work well because it worsens his anxiety. Time-ins work the best because they help him calm down and being guided on how his behavior was wrong - rather then letting him stew in it by himself.

My preferred CGs for Billy (In order from the Best to Okay)

Joyce Byers~!!!! She would have taken one look at Billy and seen past his masks and see the abused hurt little kid he secretly is. And if he flirted with her - She would def not act on it and i don't know give him a cookie instead. I do feel like she could easily become the mother figure that Billy desperately wants. She also would be very accepting and understanding of Billy both his regression and more feminine traits.

'El' Jane Hopper, Billy and her have a rather interesting little/older sibling relationship were El takes on a big sisterly role to Billy when regressed but Billy also shows and teaches El a lot of stuff when not fully regressed and views her as a little sister.

Jonathan Byers, the two develop a oddly good relationship both when Billy is regressed and not. Joanthan keeps a kinda older brother role to Billy at all times - often removing Billy from situations that might end badly for Billy or others. Billy doesn't get violent towards Joanathan most of the time but Joanathan is able to deal with Billy without either of them getting to hurt if he has to.

Will Byers, the two were rather neutral to each other until Will found out that Billy was a rather talented artist in his own respect. The two draw alot and get into really painful conversations about their together more then Billy talks to Jonathan about it because the two just have more in common. The two don't really have defined role of which is the older sibling. Sometimes Billy feels rather jealous and envious of Will though because he had an older brother to protect him and a mom that didn't abandoned him and people who cared him when he was possessed. But this doesn't effect their relationship much - its more something that Joyce has to deal with.

Eddie Munson, Billy's favorite babysitter. The two were friendly before everything happened. Billy often bought from Eddie. Was at first disappointed at how tame the teen was when he first met Eddie based on the rumors. The two however get alone really well (and Eddie is the closest thing Billy has to as a real friend in hawkins before Joyce takes him in). Eddie also lets Billy paint his nails much to Billy's pleasure.

Jim Hopper, at first they were not close. In fact Billy was activily scared of him and would often "bark" at the man. But Joyce and El loves him so Billy didn't lash out to much. Jim often needs to make sure he doesn't take the bait when Billy tests and push him but the more he doesn't react in anger - the more comfortable Billy becomes around Jim. It takes much longer then his quick acceptance of Joyce as a mother figure but Billy does end up accepting Hopper as a replacement (and better) father figure.

Steve Harrington, it takes a good while before Billy or Steve gets comfortable near eachother. Billy still has a tendacey to stay away when Steve is around but is more likely to join the group if Eddie is also there. The two mange to come to a understanding about the fight with Eddie and Joyce's help. Both apologize for their parts.

#og #stimboard #billy hargrove #fictionalagerechallenge #fandom agere #agere fandom #kin stuff #stranger things agere #sfw agere #agere