#Forgive the amount of italics they were necessary

[solomonssock]

The Art of Reassurance and Reframing

My "agenda"? My "aim", you ask? Well, Asmodeus. It's always Asmodeus.

Pairing: gn!reader x Asmodeus (every brother’s closeness with you is expressed, but it’s princess Mo’s golden hour <3; no established relationship, yet, but confessions take place)

TW: some theatrics, slight suggestive content, some clinginess, toe shoe slander, snippet of Asmodeus baby talk (I cry from laughter when he does this to Belphegor in game), some possessiveness and jealously, some hurt/comfort, mentions of violence, brief use of pact, uhh I think that’s it! If anything is missing, let me know. Ty!

Word count: ~4,800

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It was nice meeting you. I had a really good time! Be safe heading home :-)

You send the text before setting your phone onto the counter, careful to avoid the small puddle forming as water droplets drip down your jacket sleeve. As much fun as your date had been tonight, the downpour had cut your plans short. You're home much earlier than you anticipated and admittedly, a little bummed out. You had been pretty excited to scope out the pastry shop they swore was one of, if not the best, in your area.

It's too bad, you think, as you shrug off your jacket.

You hang it onto the back of a nearby chair to dry, pointedly ignoring any mess that might be accumulating on the floor in favor of changing into drier clothes.

You grab your phone before heading into your room. As you plug it in to charge, a notification pops up that causes you to smile and shake your head softly.

Home safe! Thanks for coming out with me, I really had a good time. And if it's not weird or anything, I would like to hang out again! We can go to the cafe I mentioned, and maybe you can show me a place you like?

Ah! Sorry to text you if you never planned on seeing me again, that's totally fine! You were just...a lot cooler than I expected

Your friend gave you a head's up about your date's social anxiety, but that didn't trouble you at all. In fact, they were quite charming once they stepped out of their shell. Never had you met someone so devoted to the art of restoring furniture that they upholstered nearly every piece in their home. Even going so far as to woodwork new legs for the pieces they had collected when dumpster diving. It was cute how passionate they got about their interests, and how intently they had listened to yours. You haven't had a conversation like that in some time, not since...

You snort to yourself, lips curling upwards as Leviathan comes to mind.

Sounds like a plan, I'm already thinking of a place or two I'd love to show you. I'll let you know when I'm free next week!

You send the text back in record time, not giving them a chance to spiral into a bout of overthinking. You'd mastered the art of reassurance and reframing during your time in the Devildom.

Your eyes flicker over to the clock and you sigh through your nose. You still have about another two hours before one of the brothers will check in with you. You suppose while you wait in the meantime, you could watch a movie or mess around with the games still downloaded on your D.D.D.

You walk over to your dresser, pulling out a pair of pajamas to change into. Once you're finished, you throw your damp clothes into the hamper and move to open your sock drawer. Although it serves little use here, your D.D.D. can still send and receive calls and texts. This little blessing, however, soon became a point of contention during your first week back.

You rub at your temples as you recall how your D.D.D. began to ring at odd hours with creative excuses as to why it was absolutely necessary for you to pick up the phone at four in the morning.

"Wait, wait, don't hang up! C'mon human, you're my lucky charm. Ya gotta tell me what I should call, red or black? I got 10,000 grimm riding on roulette, but no pressure! Go with yer gut."

"What?! No! You can't go yet! I haven't even told you about what happened to Mammon when Solomon and I caught him trying to pawn off one of his tools! Oh, won't you stay on a bit longer with me? You don't have Devilgram out there, so how else am I supposed to keep you updated on all things Mo?"

"H-hey, you can't go to sleep now! I've been trying to plan out my panel attendance order for the convention, but no one gets how important the sequence is like you do! S-speaking of events I need your opinion because there’s a TSL group meeting on Saturday, but the Dreaddit House of Sorrow Fanclub Meetup is scheduled at the same time. So now I don’t know if -"

"I was eating a burger and thought of you...are you making sure to eat over there? Ah, good I'm glad. Oh, that sound? No, it's just my stomach. I got hungry thinking of the human realm food you've been sending pictures of. Could you send a recipe or two? Satan promised to recreate some if I stay away from the cat food he hides in his room. Yeah, I tried it. Hmm, it was actually pretty tasty."

"If you fall asleep on me now, I'll just have to visit you in your dreams. Who cares if I'm yawning? I'm always yawning. I want to talk to you, so tell me about your day. A botanical garden at night? Was it as nice as ours? Just different...hm, I guess it wouldn't be too bad if I got to see it with you. Human world fireflies don't suck up light, right? Then what do they eat?"

"Don't worry, I took care of Mammon; he won't be calling you anymore tonight. Oh, I didn't harm him, we just had a talk. No, no, I'm not upset anymore. Speaking with you calms me down. Are you enjoying the book I sent you? I'm relieved to hear it. What do I think? Well...I find myself thinking of the lead often. They sit by the ocean every day, at the same time, waiting for their lover to return. After 5 years, it seems illogical to believe they'll just appear one day. Yet, I think I've come to understand that sort of irrational thinking. Ah, what am I doing? I'm just as bad as Mammon. You're tired; I'll take my leave."

"I've handled the matter, so please get some rest. How did they take it? Hmph, surprisingly well when they realized how they've exhausted your patience. I sound tired? Your patience is not the only one which has been exhausted this week. Yes, things have been going well. Diavolo remarked earlier this evening that the Devildom has dimmed in your absence; I am inclined to agree with him."

To preserve peace within Lamentation and give you breathing room, Lucifer forbade his brothers from contacting you at unreasonable hours or at unreasonable rates. With your input, he established a strict calling schedule: three nights a week set aside for a private call with one of the seven brothers.

But not a day has gone by without someone messaging you. Even Solomon continues to contact you through your D.D.D. despite having your human world number.

He had caught you by surprise earlier, calling you while you and your date were halfway through dinner. Although the timing wasn't ideal, you should have expected it. You haven't checked your D.D.D. all day and someone was bound to over speculate the reason why.

You pull the device out from under the socks you've tucked it between for safe keeping and raise a brow in concern as the screen turns on.

A stack of messages from the group chats is nothing out of the ordinary. But 16 texts from Asmodeus alone is a bit excessive.

Heeey!!

C'mon cutie, don't ignore me

Ugh, you don't have your D.D.D. on you, do you?

I can't stand it! Answer me as soon as you get back!

I hate that you're so far!! I'm so worked up that I walked all the way up to your bedroom door before I remembered you're not here...

I was so gonna scold you!

You know more than anyone I hate being neglected like this, especially by you <3

It's no fair! If you don't answer me, I'm gonna barge into the castle and demand they let me go check on you.

Ok, I'm totally bluffing. There's no way Lucifer would let me reach the castle to ask Diavolo anyway!

But, it's my job to protect you...

I mean a little punishment wouldn't be too bad, right? It sounds kind of exciting!

Aren't you honored a beauty like me would risk it all for you?

We finished dinner and now I'm tucked into bed, but I'm freezing under the covers without you beside me to keep me warm.

What am I supposed to do, MC? My most precious person won't acknowledge me, I'm heartbroken...

You have to take responsibility for this!

I miss your voice.

You roll your eyes at his theatrics but can't stop the smile that tugs at your lips. Asmodeus could be frustrating at times, but you miss him.

You chuckle as you recall countless memories of him barging into your room, insistent on spending his allotted quality time with you. How if you couldn't indulge him right away, he'd lounge on your bed, scrolling through his D.D.D. until you were done studying.

He could be even worse than Mammon when the mood struck, but you can't deny the pride that puffs up in your chest as you acknowledge how content he is just to be in your company. It feeds your insatiable heart, gluttonous for the selfish satisfaction that thrums in your veins whenever you hold his attention.

You feel it coursing through you now as you reminisce about late-night cuddles shared beneath his room's rosy canopy, face mask slipping off as you laugh uncontrollably at his nightly facial exercise routine. You reminisce about the way he'd cling to you as you walked to and from school and how he would hang off your arm, fingers pressed against plush lips, when he couldn't hold back his laughter.

If you picture it for long enough, you can still feel the phantom touch of his hugs. Lithe arms embracing you, pressing your body against his as his head comes to rest into the crook of your shoulder...

You sigh, dragging a hand down your face.

Ok. You really miss him.

Warmth blossoms in your chest as your eyes scan over the texts again. Even realms apart, he still makes you feel adored.

I'm not ignoring you, Mo. I was just busy today. Are you doing alright?

No sooner than you send the text, a call comes in. You click to accept it before holding the receiver up to your ear.

"Hey Mo, wha-"

"You love me, don't you?!"

You pause for a moment, trying not to laugh as his petulant tone crackles through.

"Course I do."

"Then, where were you all day? No one could get a hold of you, and you wouldn't answer anyone's texts. I mean I get it when it comes to the others, but to not answer my texts! How could you?" You can hear him shuffling around, a slight splash of water following the movement.

"Asmodeus, are you taking this call from your bath?" You feel his sigh roll through the receiver, puffing up against your skin.

"Don't try to change the subject. You're the reason I'm in here, you know? Stress damages the skin! I had to calm down somehow." Continuous splashing only accentuates the image of him building in your mind, frantically gesturing at you before crossing his arms with a pout.

"I'm sorry I got you all worked up. How can I make it up to the lovely princess Mo?" You bite your lip as his infectious giggle tinkles in your ear.

"Well," his tone turns coquettish, "you could start by telling me what you're wearing?"  The question drags an exaggerated groan out of you, but it's all in good humor.

"Are you aware of how insufferable you can be?"

"Yes," he gloats, "but that's when you admire me most!" A stupid grin plasters itself to your face, one you picture him to be wearing too.

He's right.

Over the time you've spent with him, you've come to find his forwardness more silly and endearing if anything. He's made it too easy for you to be carefree around him, and if he asked it of you, you'd bare to him the darkness locked within your heart without batting an eye.

"I'm in pajamas." You offer him a bite.

"Aw, cute! I'm wearing nothing." He takes it and swallows it whole.

"Yes, I think we've already established that." You snicker at the huff he lets out.

"It would be way more interesting if you had worn something into the bath with you." You laugh into the transmitter.

"Like that one time you came back from partying with succubi after finals! You were so drunk I thought you were going to strut straight into the shower with your pretty high heels on." A slight squeal has you pulling the receiver away slightly.

"Aaah, so you do remember the red bottoms! Oh, oh! Darling, can I confess something about that night?" The water sloshes back and forth in the background with his excitement.

"Mhm, what is it?" You hum.

"I actually changed into those before I came home. The pair I left with got stomped on at the club and looked so gross!" He lets out an exasperated sigh.

"It's a pity that some demons have no rhythm, but it's unforgivable that they have no shame ruining the dance floor for everybody. I mean, so many people came out to celebrate me and I had to greet them like that! Can you believe it?!"

Some more sloshing spills through the receiver, but it sounds more like he's wading through the water than disturbing it.

"What an embarrassment! There wasn't a hope in hell I'd let you see me like that." You hear him shudder.

"So, I stopped at a late night boutique and when I saw the red bottoms I just knew I had to buy them. After all, you're the one who said they would look gorgeous on me!" He pauses for a moment, a loud splash sounding, before he speaks again.

"I've only ever worn them that night," the lilt of his voice makes warmth rush to your cheeks.

"Just. For. You," he teases. "Did I look good?"

"You looked like you always do, " you mumble. But he catches on quick.

You've caught him alone in his room once, and only once, with tears prickling his glassy eyes, shaken and unsure of himself. You didn't know where you stood with the demon you had only recently formed a pact with at the time, but you pushed down your apprehension, refusing to leave his side unless he pushed you away.

But, he never did.

So, you stayed. Bracingly conveying to him all the ways you found him to be breathtaking inside and out. You can recall the alarming rate at which your heart palpitated as he curled up into you under the covers, his tears dampening the shirt beneath your RAD uniform as he sobbed into your chest. It was daunting to toe the line of a confession you weren't ready to deliver, especially to a demon just beginning to respect you. But your desire to soothe his self-doubt had won out.

You regret nothing. You two have been inseparable since.

"Then what a sight I must have been." He sighs, dreamily, tearing you away from your thoughts. "Lucky you!”

A wicked little idea comes to mind.

"I have something to confess too." You suppose you'll play along some since he wants to be such a tease tonight. Tired of standing in front of your dresser, you go lay down on your bed.

"And that would be?" You hear a door open and shut, confirming that bath time is indeed over.

You fake a deep sigh. He seems to be ruffling through something that you suspect to be his wardrobe.

"Today, I tried on something new. Agh, it's a bit embarrassing, Mo. I've...never felt this bold." The sound stops for just a moment.

"Oh." What sounds like hangers clatter in the background.

"There's no need to be shy! You know you don't have to hide anything from me. No matter how depraved you might seem to others, everything, well - you - will always be endearing to me."

You almost feel bad for starting this anticlimactic buildup...almost.

"You swear you won't think differently of me?" Immediately, he lets out a cry of indignation.

"Oh, never! If anything, I'll only fall for you more."

"Ok..," you pause for dramatic effect, "Today...I wore toe shoes. It took some time to get used to each toe pocket, but my feet have never felt so free!"

"Very funny, dear," Asmodeus mocks. "But seriously don't even joke about those things, just ew! Your feet deserve so much better, you shouldn't disrespect them like that. What would you even wear with those abominations?!"

He cuts you off before you can reply with something stupid.

"Don't you dare say cargo shorts and a t-shirt! I forbid you from ever wearing such a fashion disaster!" Yeah, there's no stopping the laughter that peels out of you.

"Forbid me?! They can't be that bad." Again, he sighs.

"Darling. If you truly love me, promise you won't wear something so treacherous." You finally begin to calm down, taking in shallow breaths.

"I promise, cross my heart!"

"Good."

You hear what you think is the phone being plopped onto the bed before there’s more shuffling, albeit further away this time. It lasts more than a moment or two, so you figure he's changing. Surprising, since he sleeps in the nude whenever you're not with him.

"I can't say I'm not disappointed. Here I was thinking I would get to hear about you trying on something more," he hums a coy little tune, "fun."

"You know I'd adore you in anything that makes you feel confident," he purrs. "But something cute and risqué like that should only be seen by me."

You can't place it, but something about his tone doesn't sit right with you. Shifting up on your bed, you recline back onto the pillows holding you up against the headboard.

"And who else would have seen it?" You scoff.

"Hmm, I wonder. Oh, what about that human you went on a date with today?" Your mouth parts in shock.

Oh, indeed. You feel your heart drop as his tone twists into something sour.

"How did you...?" It hits you, your call with Solomon. You sigh, for real this time, running a hand up and down your thigh as you try to process how to best explain this to the impassioned demon.

"How much did Solomon tell you?"

"Enough." You can hear the slight waver in his voice.

"Is that why you sent me all those texts today?" He's silent, but you hear a slight sniffle.

"Have you mentioned this to the others?" Your chest freezes at the thought. You don't want this to get out of hand. The last thing you need is a livid horde of demons, or worse, crows, appearing at your doorstep.

"No." You breathe a sigh of relief. Ok, you can fix this.

"Not yet. Can you imagine how it's going to break their hearts?" He laments.

"Leviathan nearly summoned Lotan on me this afternoon when I asked him to switch days with me this week. He'll set him on that human the minute he finds out, you know?"

A snarl rips through the speaker, sending sparks down your spine. You try to say anything to calm him down so you can explain, but you can't get a word in.

"It's not like me to get so angry, but I can't stand the thought of some filthy human putting their hands on you and dirtying your beautiful skin. Hah, I could just-" Your heart speeds up when you hear what sounds like the rapid flapping of wings.

"You belong with us." He hisses. "We never should have let you go back there! Ugh, I won't let anyone take you away from me!" Petulance dips down into a deep, dark growl. A low rumble drones in your skull and buzzes beneath your skin; the work of Asmodeus's infernal curses that no human ear can decipher.

"You are the only being in all three realms I love more than myself." It's not the first time he's said this, but this time it feels different.

"I won't share you with some stranger who has the gall to approach you! You're mine." You feel your brows jump up as the word leaves him with a snarl. You've never heard Asmodeus so wound up.

"I'm...yours?" The words tumble out before you can stop them.

"Yes, my precious little human," he croons at you and your heart leaps in your chest from an emotion you can't place just yet. Somewhere between hope and concern, you think.

"And I'm yours." Your mindless repeat seems to abate some of his hostility. As his admission sinks in, your skin begins to flush everywhere.

"Mo-"

"Mm, maybe I should request to go to the human realm after all so I can bring you home," his cold clipped tone makes your body shudder from the conflicting sensations he plucks from you, unable to keep up with his favor and fury.

"I don't blame you, dear. Of course someone would come to adore you during your time there. Who wouldn't? You even managed to woo me!" The flapping doesn't stop, but it slows down considerably.

He sucks in a shaky breath before he robs you of yours.

"What do they offer you that I haven't, that I can't?" He spits the question out, voice warbling.

"You told me that I was enough for you as I am. Did that mean nothing?"  You need to stop this before it escalates further.

"Asmodeus, listen to me. I need you to calm down."

Even through the phone, your authority carries over and activates your pact. You place a hand on your chest, taking deep breaths yourself as Asmodeus's panicked breaths finally mellow out. He'd only ever sounded that shaken up that one night, long ago.

"Yes, I did go on a date with a human today." Another frustrated snarl rips through the speaker, but you push forward despite how your body screams at you to flee.

"But, I have no romantic feelings towards this person. I went on a blind date with a friend's coworker. They've only been on one or two dates before and were nervous to re-enter the dating scene - that's it. We are only acquaintances, maybe we'll become friends, but I promise you that's it."

You can't help but fiddle with your pajama shirt as he stays silent, your head racing with the revelation that the flirtatious demon's teasings have meant more than you let yourself believe.

It excites you, makes your heart thud against your ribcage, and your chest feels as light as a feather. But, it also terrifies you. The weight of the words wears you down, tipping you over the line you've toed for so long, completely unprepared for the fall.

He can try to suppress them, but Asmodeus's muffled sniffles resonate through the receiver and claw at your heart.

"You're someone, I mean you, I love you more than anyone in the three realms, worlds, too." You start, cursing at how you fumble your words.

You grip your shirt tighter as his breath hitches.

"I meant everything I said then, that night, and now - I mean I still mean it now. You were right, I admire you, adore you, even. My life here in the human realm, world, whatever, it's fine. But even with the sun shining on everything, it feels dimmer here than it was when I was in the Devildom with you."

You're starting to put all the pieces together as the words fall out of your mouth.

"I hate that I made you feel this way. I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was important, that it was something that would matter to you. Demons are vying for your attention all the time; humans aren't for mine."

"Those demons don't matter." He finally speaks, voice soft. "The only being whose attention I want is yours. My heart can't take the thought of someone taking your eyes off me. I need you to see me."

You take a deep breath.

"I do see you, Mo. You have always been enough, and I'm sorry that my actions caused you to think differently. I've missed your voice too, you know?" You feel pressure building up behind your eyes as tears start to form. He really wants you. You want him to know you've wanted him too.

"I-," your voice cracks some.

"I think about you guys all the time. I think about you all the time. Whenever I have a cupcake at a party, I wish I could share it with you. Whenever I go shopping, I think of what you might like best. When I watch movies, I wish that you could be there on the couch sitting next to me. When I crawl into bed, I wish I could curl up with you. I just wish that I was with you. Even right now, I wish I could hug you and tell you this face-to-face." You wipe at your eyes, unable to hold back the pure love you have for this utterly ridiculous demon.

"I-I love you too, Mo. Seriously, I see you." The feelings hidden behind sweet little jabs or subtle teases aren't enough for you two anymore.

"Why can't you be here right now?! It's not fair!" Asmodeus whines into the phone.

"Solomon said you sounded like you were having such a good time. I love hearing you're happy, but it hurts when you're not happy because of me."

You sniffle, chuckling into the phone.

"Silly, I'm always happy cause of you. Even right now, I mean yeah I'm crying, but I'm really happy."

"Oh, that's it! I really need to come see you as soon as possible. I'll beg Lucifer if I have to! I can't let all those tears dry out your skin. Make sure you drink water - I'll be furious with you if you let yourself wake up with a headache tomorrow."

"Can you show me how you do that face thing again, when you come?" Tension begins to fade from your tired muscles. Finally, things feel fine again.

"You shouldn't underestimate the wonders of facial reflexology and its endless benefits! Wait - are you seriously laughing? You stop that! Ugh, oh I'll show you when I get there alright!"

Actually, things are way better than fine.

You glance over to the clock as you feel your eyelids begin to droop and wonder how three hours passed by so fast.

You’re still on the call with Asmodeus, catching up on what’s happened in the house and what the rest of his plans are for this week. Planning his trip to the human world has now moved to the top of his agenda.

"Hm, darling? Are you alright? You're too quiet."

"Yeah, Mo. Jus'shleepy." You can feel yourself fading out, head drooping back onto the headboard.

"I guess it's time to say goodnight."

Tired as you are, you can't fight the blush that rises as Asmodeus begins to make obnoxious kissy noises into the phone.

"Aah, I mwiss you so much my pwetty wittle huwman. So sweepy."

"Asmodeus, please. Anything but the baby talk!" You groan in embarrassment.

"Sorry, darling, I couldn't help myself. You sound so precious. Mwah, I love you and I promise you'll see me soon."

"Yes, see you soon. G'night, love you." You end the call, getting up to go put your D.D.D. to charge. A notification startles you as you drift along in your sleepy stupor.

You crack a small smile as you click on it, opening your chat with Asmodeus. He's sent you links about facial reflexology and the importance of doing skin tightening exercises.

Brush up on it, beautiful. You will have a set routine by the time I'm done with you!

[chilling-in-the-dark]

The Golden Cage Part Four: Final

This is a yandere story; it mentions elements of obsession, possessiveness, death, murder, kidnapping, imprisonment, and mental abuse. If any of this is triggering for you, I understand, and you don’t have to read it.

I know I said the story was going to be five parts, but chapters four and five (mostly chapter four tbh) didn’t have enough meat on their bones to stand alone (this is what I get for never outlining folks, surprises, and not the good kind.) so they ended up mashed together into one chapter. Italics are pre-room, non italic sections are post-room.

After you’d first woken up after being shot with lightning, you were grateful to have Zuko by your side, but soon enough his presence began to feel suffocating, and if he couldn’t be there himself, because you know being ruling a country could keep a man busy, he’d have a healer and a guard by your side twenty-four seven. For the first couple of months it made sense, after all, there was only so much Katara’s healing could do, and you’d needed help to do even the most basic of tasks, but now that you didn’t need so much better all of the people doting on you was stifling.

Not to mention you’d spent most of your life free wandering where you please when you pleased, it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to say that palace life with its strict routine was unbearable. So, you’d somehow managed to slip off and find a bag; over the past week, you’d been stuffing it full of essential supplies. Then one night, you’d set out, but one of the servants must have tipped Zuko off because he’d meet you in front of the servants’ door you’d planned on using to slip out without being noticed.

“Your leaving,” Zuko said, his voice catching in his throat ever so slightly. You couldn’t leave him; you were his world, didn’t you know that.

“I’m sorry, Zuko, but I can’t stay here anymore I’ve tried, but I just don’t know how to put down roots, it’s not who I am.” You chocked back the tears threatening to spill out from your eyes, you couldn’t let him see you cry, you didn’t want to break his heart more than necessary. You knew you should have said goodbye, but part of you knew that if you did, he might be able to talk you into staying. You were withering here, losing parts of yourself, because you just weren’t made for a stationary life.

“You can’t, or maybe you don’t want to try.” You were surprised by the amount of venom dripping from Zuko’s lips, you thought it was understandable after all you might as well have just ripped his heart out and stomped on it.

Zuko let you leave after that; at least that’s what you thought, but when you drank from your water skin, the water tasted strangely bitter, although you didn’t have much time to contemplate this before you fell to the ground unconscious.

The women around your rushed to help you get dressed for what they thought would be the happiest day of your life, but that really just filled you with dread. There was a point in your life where you’d dreamed of marring Zuko, but that had been back when the two of you were still traveling together on a decommissioned fire nation warship. You’d always imagined standing on its metal deck, Lieutenant Jee as acting captain he would officiate your vows, and you’d be surrounded by the members of the ship’s crew that didn’t hate you, and of course, Iroh would be there to serve tea after the wedding.

You’d always dreamed your wedding would be a happy occasion, but now you’d be forced to stand in front of thousands of strangers promising to spend the rest of your life to a man whom you hadn’t loved in years, a man who’d kept you locked away in a room for years, a man who’d burned you because he was jealous. Maybe you could weasel your way out of this, but then you couldn’t just think of yourself, the world was depending on Zuko to keep the peace, it wouldn’t take much for the Fire Nation army to take back the earth kingdom, it was still weak after fighting a losing war for a hundred years. Not to mention The Earth King was as spineless a jellyseal, the man wouldn’t fight his own battles even if he was the last man in his Kingdom.

The avatar was an option, but even if you told Aang there was no way to guarantee he’d believe you, Zuko was his friend, not yours, and because of that, he’d have no reason to believe you over Zuko. Even if you got Zuko magically removed from the throne that would still leave a nation in chaos, Azula couldn’t rule because she’d gone mad, Iroh had already renounced his claim to the throne, and Ozai was locked up in an Earth Kingdom prison somewhere.

A civil war was always going to be one assassination away, at least until Zuko had kids. That was a thought that sent a chill down your spine when you realized whether you wanted to or not; you were going to have to have children with Zuko. Why had the spirits chosen you to endure this fate, wasn’t there some Fire Nation citizen who would be happy to spend the rest of their life serving the Fire Lord and bending to his every whim?

You woke up in a small Fire Nation prison cell, wearing clothes you definitely hadn’t been when you’d left. You didn’t own any silk, let alone silk this fine. The juxtaposition between the cell and clothes threw you for a loop, why give you beautiful silk robes but leave you in a room that barely had enough space for a grown man to lay down.

It all made some sort of sick sense when you saw Zuko approaching, why hadn’t you seen it before that something was off with him. You’d seen creeps of all kinds on the road, but something about Zuko made you drop your guard, maybe it was because something about him reminded you of a kicked dog. One fact remained Zuko had drugged you and had locked you up in a prison cell, you’d be moved to the room in a few months’ time, and you’d spend years of your life trying to leave it, only to give up and accept your fate.

The women dressing you gently slid the amber necklace that you hadn’t seen in over five years, over your head. You’d given it to Zuko just before the siege at the north pole, it was your way of making him promise to come back, you’d told him he’d have to return it to you one day and that if he died an lost it out there, you’d never forgive him.

Unfortunately, he’d survived and chosen today as the day to fulfill his promise, though not for long, he’d be getting it back at the ceremony, and your family heirloom would become just another artifact of the royal family.

After you were dressed, it didn’t take long for the wedding to start, and it seemed like it went on for hours, mostly because it did, the Fire Sage wouldn’t quit droning on and on about the sanctity of marriage, and the importance of the vows you and Zuko were about to take. You didn’t know if all fire nation wedding ceremonies were this long of if royal weddings were just long-winded. The latter seemed likely, but then again, who could say.

Now after you were to the part of the ceremony where you’d give your vows, two golden ceremonial blades were brought out along with a fan and three bowls, the largest of which was empty but sat atop a small stand that would allow for a fire to be lit underneath it. The other two contained water and dark volcanic soil; with practiced precision, you and Zuko each took a blade.

The weapon in your hand was heavy and sharp, sharp enough to slit a man’s throat, especially if he wasn’t expecting it, with this fact in mind you turned to Zuko, took a deep breath, said your vows, and pricked your finger. You wanted to kill him, you wanted to kill him more than anything, but a Fire Nation civil war would end badly for the whole word. Zuko had always thought you’d make a good Queen. He didn’t know how right he was. You and Zuko turned once again to face the Fire Sage and allowed a few drops of blood to fall into the water, you’d literally just made a blood vow to spend the rest of your life with Zuko.

“Agni,” the Fire Sage called loudly, invoking the sun spirt his people worshiped. “We ask you to bless this marriage with your radiant light so that it may have the stability of earth and can endure all that comes its way.” The fire sage poured the soil into the large empty bowl.

“The fluidity of water, so that the couple may grow and change together.” Again, the water and the blood it contained were added to the bowl.

“The warmth of fire, so they will never have to endure the cold alone.” This time it wasn’t the Fire Sage that added the element but Zuko. He created a whisper of flame and used it to light a fire beneath the bowl, as was traditional when a Firebender was getting married.

“Lastly, we ask that you may always grant this union fresh air so that it may never grow stale.” The Fire Sage picked up the fan and used it to stoke the fire. The end result of all of that was a boiling mixture of mud that the fire sages would use to grow a fire lily; it was said that if the plant died, then the marriage would end in tragedy. Rumor had it the one representing Zuko’s parents had withered within a day.

Now you were at the end of the traditional Fire Nation wedding, but there was still one more thing left that Zuko had insisted upon. The two of you turned to face each other you gently slid your heirloom necklace over your head. “I give you this as is tradition in my family, it is a symbol of love freely given.” Or it used to be at least, now it had become a symbol of Zuko’s obsession. “From a wife to her husband, and one day a father to his daughter.” You forced a smile and slid it over Zuko’s head. If you cried any tears, it would seem the world mistook them for Joy.

Tags:

Everything

@yanderepeterparker @idkmanicantenglish @prettyafghan

@zoned-out-till-further-notice

Zuko

@phoenixambers​ @svveet-peas​

[onelastbreath-writes]

I’ll Meet You There (Part 3)

Pairing: Marcus Moreno/ Wife!Reader (AFAB, no y/n) 

Word Count: 2.6K

Warnings: Talks about loss of spouse, loss of child, medical conditions/inaccuracies, grief/mourning, manipulation/brainwashing (subtext/implied, but we’ll get into it later *winkwink*)

Tags: Hurt/No comfort (for now), ANGST, eventual happy ending, one really sad man for whom I just keep making things worse, #sorrynotsorry, and now I’m just making stuff up as I go along

Summary(lite): You are Marcus’s wife, and you’re definitely not dead. No one is having a great time right now, but like hell if there's a force on this earth that’ll keep you apart forever. This is not a goodbye, its just a see you later. And the interim is going to be everyone else’s problem, you’ll make sure of it.

A/N: Hello dears, welcome back to my twisted mind story,,, guess who showed up like 2 weeks late with a smoothie! So things about this new chapter: I am a criminal with italics and someone needs to stop me, hello switching scenes and perspectives because I just want to fast forward to the good stuff but y’all don’t live in my head and don’t know all the stuff that happens to get us there so here we are taking the slow lane, and I keep brainstorming new and horrible things for my characters because I am A Lot, All The Time, and will not be stopped. Also hey, Marcus the Simp is here for you, so much. I hope this is acceptable to be a reader fic still, because I am giving you some serious personality traits... ehh, it is what it is. Tell me if you spot any of my various references, there’s a lot of ‘em. Thanks to everyone who has liked/reblogged/commented, y’all are gorgeous and I’m so grateful for the love <3 Drop me a message/ask if you want a secret about one of the characters (specify which one), I need an outlet for my endless b.t.s. plotting >;) Please enjoy p3!

AO3|Masterlist

[Previous Part]

---

There were more casseroles in his fridge that Marcus knew what to do with, and more sympathy and “thinking of you” cards stacked in piles around the house than he could count. He appreciated everyone’s gestures, but he could recognize the difference between people who were kind in the interest of helping others, and those who were kind only to help themselves. It was quite obvious which type were flooding his mailbox.

Hell, most of the people sending him cards, his fans, didn’t even know his wife, never spoke to her, didn’t feel the empty Her-shaped-space in their very souls. They just wanted the clout, the prestige, of being ‘involved’ and sympathetic to a grieving superhero. It was exhausting, but no one seemed to empathize with him on that.

The Heroics upper management, and the director specifically after his press conference and the publicity the attack had brought the organization, had insisted on Marcus taking an undetermined amount of leave from the team so he could “process and mourn his loss in the comfort of his own home.” Like he didn’t look around and see every piece of himself and his wife over the years; the Home they built for their family, filled with all the hopes and dreams of two starry eyed lovers ready to take on the world together. Like her absence wasn’t slowly killing him. 

And it wasn’t like she was gone gone.  

Dead.  

She wasn’t dead.

No way in Hell.  

Whether it was because she worked with superpowered people, her experience as a medical professional, or if she was just more paranoid than most, his wife was a planner, and she was prepared for this. “In the event of my death...," like she just knew it would be necessary.

Truthfully, she had schemes and contingencies and all manner of reactionary plans prepared for if (and when) the worst happened; terrified to be blindsided or caught unaware, unable to help those she would have been able to, if only if she had the time to think. Unpreparedness costs lives in both of their careers, and she refused to leave anything up to chance if possible. And so, she’d plan, and he’d listen.  

All throughout their relationship, from before they’d even gotten serious enough to discuss marriage, to when they heard their unborn child’s heartbeat for the first time, and just on random weekday afternoons when they would take Missy for walks around the neighbourhood to show her the beauty in their lives, his wife would paint her theories and ideas like artwork. She’d tell him a story, full of action and mystery, humour and theatrics, tragic romance and harrowing adventure; she could spin a tale like she had a silver tongue, but she never lost herself in her own narratives. In the end, they were messages, lessons, for him to remember when everything was going wrong.    

“It’s all about momentum, babe. Bleeding off energy and taking a bad hit instead of a fatal hit. You can’t just full stop; you’d absorb all the kinetic energy, and the resulting trauma will turn all your squishy internals into, like, body soup, which is just super unpleasant. And of course, head is always number one priority. Bracing for impact works better at giving you fewer serious injuries, especially for your neck and head. Muscles should absorb as much of the energy as possible, instead of letting it fall to your ligaments, discs, and nerves to take the force. So, tense up and roll in the case of a low air evacuation.”

Low air evac... she was concerned he was going to have to jump from an aircraft without a parachute at some point in his life. Which was probably accurate he’d admit, but still, he wasn’t hoping to actually need that plan.

Thankfully, it wasn’t always fire and brimstone with her, and she had many strange and terrible schemes to keep the common, everyday superhero family on their toes. Always carry at least two lip balms... never tell someone you don’t have plans for the evening... don’t smile in your mugshot... no clowns. Ever.

She was so weird, a total nerd, and so completely the girl of his dreams.  

He loved teasing her about her unending train of thought, the brain that never sleeps, how she’d go on tangents while on tangents but always circle back around; even nicknamed her (quite cheekily, and because it made them both laugh) Doctor Batman, which was usually saved for when she was being particularly dramatic and gloomy. Turn the supercomputer off for a second, Bats, come see what Missy’s doing!  

He was her anchor, always ready to pull her back to earth when she started drifting off too far from them, but he never asked and never wanted her to change. He adored her, silly or serious, or when she woke him up in the middle of the night to make him promise that he’d never get their kid(s) a pet owl (because they’re “scary”, and “our kids would be too powerful, Marcus. Promise me!”), or that in the event of them inviting a third to their bed, it would “absolutely never, ever, ever be Miracle. No way!”  

He thought it was quite entertaining most of the time, listening to her plan for zombies and old gods and what to do if everyone just started hating cheese one day, but if it was all so important to her: having him remember this or agree to that, he’d accede to her requests in a heartbeat. Most of it was cute, harmless stuff he didn’t think would even happen, but sometimes she would hit him with serious stuff. Entirely out of left field, she’d go for his heart, and ask him for things that would hurt him, destroy him inside, if he ever had to follow through with it.

“Marcus, if it’s a choice between my safety- my life, and Missy’s? I’m always going to choose her. Kids come first, okay?”  

She wasn’t superpowered, didn’t have a shred of anything other than pure, normal human in her, but she was easily the strongest person he knew. Fearless and brave, kinder than this world deserved, she’d do anything for the people she cared about. And she’d promised him, maybe as a way to repay him for all the things he’d agreed to over the years, that she’d move heavens and the earth to return to their family. That nothing in this world, or beyond, could keep her away. “Eventually,” she’d stared into his eyes, glossy with tears from how forcefully she believed, “I will find my way back to you. I swear it, so keep a weather eye on the horizon.” See? A whole-ass nerd, and he couldn’t have loved her more.

So, she wasn’t dead. Pure and simple. She was somewhere, somehow, and he was going to find her again.  

---

“Marcus, the grieving process is different for everyone, but it is always unpredictable and painful. You will have days where you will feel like you haven’t made any progress, or even lost the progress you’ve previously made, but please know that this is natural; it's something everyone experiences, and that it doesn’t mean you’ve failed in your objective. Healing takes time, and a major part of recovery is learning to forgive yourself when you slip up. No one expects you to be back to normal tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Healing from grief is not a race, so we will go at your own pace, and we will work together to accomplish your recovery goals. You aren’t alone in this journey, and you don’t need to handle everything by yourself.”

The grief specialist he was seeing was someone he would describe as an “old soul”. She exuded the patience and peace of someone who had watched empires rise and fall, seen the turning of the wheel of time and drifted along with the current. Her voice was deep, rich in emotion and empathy for those who needed guidance, calming and intriguing with a soft lilt on her vowels. Timeless and ancient all in one, and even if he wasn’t actually mourning the death of his wife, he did find himself deeply grieving being without her. They were two halves of a whole, and though his soul was at a loss without its partner here, he still had their greatest creation, their pride and joy, their baby girl to raise.  

He would do whatever he had to do to be the best parent he could for Missy. And so, if meeting with a physiatrist every week was something that would help, then he would be here, every week. He'd learn to live with his grief, his sadness and loneliness, with just the memory of his Everything, and he’d help their kid with all hers too.  

It’s what he promised to do, after all.

“If anything ever happens to me, you’ll just have to love her enough for the both of us.”  

---

There was nothing they could recover of the people closest to centre of the explosion. No remains, no blood, nothing. Like they hadn’t been there at all.  

Suspicious.

Upper Management had brought in a team of private investigators to handle the case, people who would keep the details quiet and the public appeased with what little information they’d choose to release.  

Marcus was a superhero, and sure, his job was to hit things until they weren’t a problem anymore, but he couldn’t understand why all the highly trained professionals didn’t question the sheer amount of evidence that just wasn’t adding up.  

He tried to bring up the inconsistencies once with the lead investigator, but they had just given the distraught, widowed husband, so lost in his own denial and grasping at straws, a sad smile and told him they would do everything they could to find the truth for him and the rest of the victims’ families.

Typical.

After being brushed off without a second thought, he decided to keep his ideas quiet, and since they’d proven their unwillingness to listen, he’d just have to solve the mass disappearance himself.  

“Have you ever thought about how to commit the perfect murder, mi amor? I have. First: If there’s no body, they can’t prove the person is dead. No evidence of death? No murder. Simple. But of course, completely vanishing a full human would be a challenge. Short of having the superpowers necessary to, like, erase someone from reality in their entirety, there would be a lot of chances to leave evidence. Ordering suspicious chemicals leaves a trail, driving out to a pig farm in the middle of the night is shady as hell and all neighbors are professional narcs, and fires? Hah! Do you have any idea how hot the fire needs to be to cremate human remains, and how long they would need to grill for? Huh, maybe the perfect murder isn’t a murder at all...  

Hey babe...  

Always doubt a body, but always doubt no body, more.”

---

You tended to lose time when there was no one else in your room. It was hard to tell when your eyes were open because you started dreaming about the only things you could see since you first woke up: drop-ceiling tiles, white walls, and pale blue curtain dividers. And it was easier that way, in the end. Your heart didn’t hurt when you only dreamt of the room. You couldn’t mourn the things and people only your soul could remember if you thought of the room. Drifting in and out of consciousness was how you were coping.  

---

You had been here, left in this room alone, for ages. You had agreed to help the man who had saved you from the explosion that killed your family, but apparently you couldn’t help him until you had recovered enough. You’d read your charts, grilled your nurses and doctors more and more the longer you were kept here. What were they all waiting for? There was nothing wrong with you except the mild post traumatic amnesia, and the whole not-remembering-much-(or anything, really)-about-your-personal-life-and-family-of-the-recent-few-years thing you had going on. It was nothing compared to when you first awoke and could remember nothing. It killed you to be without the memories of your husband and child, to know only of them instead of actually knowing them, but there was nothing you or the doctors here could do. The brain was a tricky thing, and you had to accept that your memory loss might be permanent.  

That just meant that you had to put all that you could remember to good use. You could help people here, and work towards getting justice for your family. Years and years of school, practical experience and training, you had gained it all back; re-read textbooks and studies, wrote papers on your re-emerging knowledge and jogged your memory about long nights and early mornings, surgeries and follow ups... it was all still in your head. It had returned to you easily, like diving into a cool pool on a hot summer day. It was like coming home and taking off your shoes; it felt good, freeing, as-it-should-be.  

But still they weren’t letting you leave. So: what were they waiting for?  

“Ah, Doctor, it’s lovely to see you, as always. How are we feeling today?” Okay, so the guy who “saved” you (read: paid the people who actually saved your life)  gave you the heebie-jeebies. He looked like a classic pompous asshole bigwig, like, oil tycoon or something. And he definitely had some sort of thing for you. Gross.

“I’m doing as well as can be expected, trapped in a room with nothing to do, you know, brain rotting, et cetera. Thanks for asking.” The sass was a choice, probably not a great choice, but your choice none-the-less. You really hadn’t had many opportunities to choose anything for yourself in a while.  

Well...

You were bored, and that was going to be everyone else’s problem.  

“Ah, well, good news then! You have been cleared from observation and you’ll be able to be discharged soon. Isn’t that just delightful!” Mister Craig (“Please, just Greg is fine”), was some sort of horrible group hallucination, you were convinced. No one was that cheery, that animated, unless they were on something, or you were on something. “I’ll have someone bring you your personal effects shortly, and then I can show you to your new apartment. The complex isn’t in the best neighbourhood unfortunately, but it's got some real charm, very vintage! You’ll love it!”

“I’ll look forward to seeing it then; sounds like it’ll be a real interesting place to stay. You can also explain what it is I’m going to be doing with your organization. Because you haven’t specified yet. And I expect a proper contract and wage agreement. Legally binding preferably, for your sake, of course, Mr. Craig.” Even if you weren’t the most physically intimidating person around, you knew how, and more so, when, to assert your dominance in a conversation. Especially with men like him. He was the type of guy who would pinch a nurse’s ass and then accuse them of not being able to take a joke.  

“You wound me, Doctor, I am a man of integrity! I promised you an opportunity to make a difference! To get justice for the loved ones so cruelly torn from you! You have nothing to worry about!”  

Sounds legit. Totally above board. Can’t wait.

---

Taglist (omg!! thanks love): @killtherandomness​

Drop me a line if you want to be added <3

[an-all-write-life]

Repercussions

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Warning(s): Descriptions of injuries, angst, Bruce being a jerk

I'mma just...leave this here. 😂 (Takes place after the events of RHATO #25. I'm not quite sure about the ending, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) Feedback is always welcome!

Italics indicate a flashback/reliving a memory.

You'd known in your gut that when Jason went out that night, armed and angry, that it wasn't going to end well.

Sitting beside Jason as he lie motionless on the bed, clutching his hand in yours, you never wished more that you'd been wrong.

"Tell me again what happened." You said, your gaze flickering to Roy, who sat on the opposite side of the bed, his foot tapping nervously.

Roy took a deep breath before delving into the story. "Jason killed Cobblepot, and Bruce-well, Bruce got mad. Beat the crap out of him, and probably would have thrown him in Arkham if I didn't get there when I did."

Sighing, you rested your head in your free hand. "Thank you, Roy. I'm glad Jason has such good friends."

Roy shrugged. "He would've done the same for me."

You closed your eyes as you relived the memory of just a few hours ago.

Lying in bed, you glanced over at the clock, then at Jason's side of the bed, which was currently empty and cold.

Biting your lip, you couldn't help the ball of dread in your stomach. It had been there all day, and intensified when Jason left for patrol.

Just as you were wondering whether or not to call him, you heard a knock at the window.

Slowly crawling out from under the covers, you grabbed the baseball bat that Jason had requested you keep next to the bed.

Pulling aside the curtains, you breathed a sigh of relief as you saw Roy crouching on the fire escape. Your relief turned to concern when you saw Jason leaning heavily against Roy, blood dripping from several wounds.

You quickly unlatched the window and threw it open, the bat discarded on the ground.

"Get in here," You hissed, your heart clenching with worry.

Roy crawled through before gently helping an unconscious Jason through.

"Lay him on the bed." You said, pulling off the covers and tossing them in a corner.

Doing as he was told, Roy laid him down just as you ran to the bathroom and grabbed the first-aid kit.

"Have you assessed his injuries?" You asked, laying out the contents of the kit on the nightstand.

"Yeah," Roy answered, removing what was left of Jason's helmet. "The worst one is on his chest."

"Concussion?"

"Probably."

Handing Roy a clean cloth, you instructed him to go wet it with cold water while you cut away the rest of the fabric around Jason's chest.

The amount of blood made your eyes widen. Your heart was pounding, blood rushing in your ears. Whoever had done this clearly hadn't held back. They'd been fighting with everything they had, even after Jason had been thoroughly beaten.

You were seething when Roy came back with the washcloth, but as you dabbed around the wound, your hands were steady.

When you'd cleared away the majority of the blood, you bandaged the injury, Roy helping by lifting Jason into a sitting position so you could wrap the bandages around his chest.

The next hour was filled with gauze, blood, and stitches. But by the end of it, Jason was breathing steadily and all of his injuries had been bandaged or stitched.

"Who did this, Roy?" You asked, your eyes fixed on Jason's chest as it rose and fell evenly. "Bane? Two-Face?"

Roy paused. "Bruce."

Even now, just thinking back to when Roy had explained everything to you, blood rushed in your ears. Bruce had done this to his son. He had beaten Jason until he could hardly stand, and he'd done it willingly. No one had forced him to do it; it was his own choice.

Furiously, you stalked over to the closet and grabbed a jacket, shrugging it on. As you reached for your keys, Roy spoke up.

"Whoa, [Y/N], what are you doing?"

You hesitated, not meeting Roy's eyes. "I have to...run and errand."

"[Y/N]."

Reluctantly, you met Roy's steady gaze. You were silent as he searched your eyes, looking for the truth. Finally, he nodded.

"Tell the old man where he can stick it, yeah?"

You relaxed, grinning. "Yeah."

Before you left, you went over and kissed Jason's forehead and lingered there for a moment, your eyes closed as you said a silent prayer for him. Straightening, you turned to the ginger archer.

"Call me if..." You glanced over at Jay. "If anything changes."

"Of course," He promised, squeezing your shoulder reassuringly.

_____

Now, as you stood in the menacing shadow of Wayne Manor, instead of wavering, your conviction grew even stronger.

Raising the elaborate knocker, you slammed it against the door with what was probably more force than necessary.

Arms crossed, you waited a minute, and, after receiving no answer, lifted your hand to knock again when the door was suddenly opened, leaving your hand hanging in empty space.

"Good evening, Miss [Y/N]." Alfred greeted.

"Where is he?" You asked, brushing past Alfred into the foyer.

"Whom, Miss [Y/N]?" Alfred asked calmly, closing the door.

"You know very well who, Alfred." You said, turning your icy glare on him.

You waited as the butler stood there, clearly torn between his duty and his love for his grandson.

He sighed. "Downstairs. Come, I'll walk you."

Silently, the two of you made your way to the main study, where Alfred wound the hands of the grandfather clock to 10:47.

As the clock slid aside to reveal a staircase, you hugged Alfred.

"I hope this won't affect our weekly brunches." You said.

Alfred chuckled. "Of course not, Miss [Y/N]."

With one final squeeze, you descended the stairs, the distant sound of bats screeching adding to the spooky atmosphere.

Reaching the final step, you paused to take in your surroundings. The Batmobile was parked nearby, and Bruce was hunched over the Batcomputer, cowl down and typing away, the click-clack of the keyboard masking the sound of your footsteps as you approached.

"Looking for more family memebers to hit?" You called once you were a few feet away.

He barely even glanced in your direction. "Alfred let you down here, I assume." It wasn't even a question, more of a statement.

"Yeah. Guess he's as fed up with you as I am."

Bruce stopped typing and glared at you over his shoulder. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" You repeated, throwing your hands in the air. "You beat Jason within an inch of his life! And what, you expected everything to be fine?!"

Bruce began to defend himself, his eyes narrowing. "You don't understand-"

"I understand just fine!" You interrupted, your voice rising in volume. "The way you see it, Jason broke your 'Golden Rule'. So he needed to be punished, right?

"And of course, you had to be the one to hand out the punishment! Because what would be more degrading than Jason's own father beating him?"

"I had to." Bruce growled.

You laughed humorlessly. "You had to? You had to beat him? No, Bruce, you didn't have to do anything. But since it was Jason, you did."

Bruce's hard demeanor faltered. "What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, World's Greatest Detective. When Damian died, you literally went to Hell and back for him. You even dared to bring Jason back to the spot where he died, all so you could find a way to bring Damian back. But what did you do when Jason died?" You tapped your finger against your chin, pretending to think. "Oh, that's right. Nothing."

His eyes darkened dangerously as you went on.

"Why are the rules different for Jason, Bruce? Huh? Why do they change when it comes to him?"

"He killed a man!" Bruce roared, his composure snapping.

"A heartless man!" You countered. "And certainly not an innocent one!"

"He can't just go around murdering people, [Y/N]!"

"Like Damian did?" You spat. "Jason's not the only one who's killed people, Bruce!"

Bruce raised a gloved hand, the Kevlar shining in the dim glow from the computer screen.

"Go on," You said. "Hit me like you hit Jason."

Bruce lowered his hand and set his jaw, a silent refusal to answer.

"And you want to know the worst part?" You said, your voice cracking. "He'll forgive you. With enough time, he'll forgive you for everything you did."

Wordlessly, Bruce turned back to the Batcomputer and resumed typing.

You shook your head, amazed by his bull-headedness. Although Jason had to get it from somewhere, you supposed.

"I'll see myself out," You said quietly, turning towards the stairs.

Just before you mounted the first step, Bruce called out.

"The ring. It's from Jason?"

Your gaze automatically went to the ring on your left hand, a soft smile on your face. "Yeah. He proposed a few months ago."

"Congratulations." He said, his voice lacking any sort of emotion.

You shook your head again in disbelief. "Goodbye, Bruce."

_____

When you returned home, you tossed your jacket on the couch and put your keys on the counter before making your way to the bedroom.

The sight that you were greeted with made you smile.

Roy was fast asleep in his chair, gently snoring, his head resting on his hand, and Jason was-

Your heart skipped a beat. Jason's eyes were open and he was looking at you, a bright smile on his face.

"Jay!" You whisper-shouted, a grin lighting up your face.

"Hey, babe," He replied, his voice scratchy.

Careful not to disturb Roy, you sat on the bed next to Jason, instinctively reaching for his hand and lacing your fingers together.

"How are you feeling?" You asked.

"Like I was hit by a truck." Jason joked. "So...I guess Roy told you what happened?"

You nodded.

He closed his eyes and took a breath. "I'm so sorry, [Y/N]."

Shaking your head, you let out a dry chuckle. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Jason. But...I do."

At Jason's confused look, you explained.

"I-I went to see Bruce."

"Oh, babe," Jason said, sympathy written on his face.

"I know," You whispered, fixing your gaze on the sheets. "I just...I couldn't take it, Jay. He beat you. And I...I snapped."

Jason's grip on your hand tightened, concern filling his eyes. "Did he hurt you?"

You shook your head. "No."

He relaxed upon hearing that, and you promised yourself to never speak of Bruce raising his hand to you. It would only cause more friction between the father and son.

"[Y/N], I have to-" Jason struggled to sit up. "-Nngh, I have to explain-about Cobblepot-"

Gently pushing Jason back down on the pillows, you shushed him.

"You can explain later, Jason. Or not at all. It won't change my love for you." You said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"I love you, [Y/N]." Jason murmured against your lips.

"I love you too, Jay." You whispered back before kissing him again, slow, soft, and sweet.

Breaking apart, Jason took your left hand in his larger ones, his fingers playing with your ring.

"Did Bruce...?"

"Notice? Yeah," You said. "He didn't seem to care very much."

"Typical," He huffed, rubbing his thumb over your hand.

"Jason," You said, cupping his cheek with your free hand. "Screw Bruce. Screw what he thinks. We love each other, and that's all that matters."

Leaning into your touch, he closes his eyes and nods, a smile tugging at his lips as his breathing steadies and he quickly falls asleep.

Smiling to yourself, you brush his bangs back before lying down next to him, your hand still clasping his.

"So, I'm guessing it's safe to say Bats isn't getting a wedding invite?"

"Go back to sleep, Roy." You said, closing your eyes.

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Jason Todd tag list: @rebellca @jason-todd-rh @boosyboo9206 @peterparkers-waffles @blu-eyed-devil

Wanna be tagged? Shoot me an ask! ♥

[nanadesuyo]

[Drama CD] 俺様レジデンス —西園寺三兄弟— -Oresama Residence- : Track 03 TRANSLATION

Track 3 a.k.a. the track that made me never want to translate such technical drama cds ever again _(:3 」∠)_

I know next to nothing about biochemistry let alone the Adrenal Cortex and Cortisol and I couldn’t catch some of the words he said so please correct me if any of the information I’ve translated is wrong.

Please DO NOT repost my translations under any circumstances. Reblogs and likes are perfectly okay but please don’t post my translations anywhere nor claim them as your own. If you want to share them outside of tumblr, please just share the link to this post.

Track 01 | Track 02 | Track 03 | Track 04 | Track 05 | Track 06 | Track 07 | Sakuran Territory | Free Talk

Track 03 – The Eldest Son・ Fuji

[t/n]: The italics are Fuji’s thoughts

[00:00]

*food sizzling, cookware clinking*

*door opens, footsteps*

[00:12]

Fuji: Ah. …Oi! What is all this?!

Fuji: …Not ‘Welcome back’! Didn’t you hear me?! I’m asking you what all this is.

[00:27]

Fuji: ...Dinner? Hey, did you forget what I told you in the morning? I believe I told you we have a person who exclusively makes food for us. Rather, they should already be here by this time.

[00:42]

Fuji: …Huh? Who gave you permission to send them back?

[00: 50]

Fuji: …Your contract with Dad? I didn’t hear anything about that. First of all, what kind of relationship do you have with Dad? I thought it was strange, for him to call just for the sake of a housekeeper.

[01:08]

Fuji: …Ah. Is that it? Are you his lover or something?

[01:16]

Fuji: *grunts* If you’re not then who the hell are you? Tell me!

[01:25]

Fuji: Tsk. A women’s specialty of going silent, huh? Whenever things turn inconvenient for you, you women always immediately go silent like that, don’t you? Almost as if you’re shifting the blame by acting as a victim in all this.

Fuji: Really, why are these living creatures called women always so troublesome?

[01:44]

*plate clinks*

Fuji: …Do you honestly think this Saionji Fuji will eat food prepared by a commoner woman?

Fuji: What’s with that face? Are you sad?

Fuji: Ah, that’s right! This is just perfect. You, come to my room.

[02:07]

Fuji: Don’t ask why, I’m telling you to come. Listen well, the only thing you’re allowed to reply with to me is ‘yes’. You have no right to refuse. Let’s go.

[02:30]

Fuji: Cry.

Fuji: You couldn’t hear me? I told you cry.

Fuji: What are you misunderstanding? I have no interest in you. I just need a sample, that’s all.

[02:52]

Fuji: Do you know what Cortisol is? Inside humans, there’s something called the Adrenal cortex that mediates the stress response. One of the steroid hormones produced there is called Cortisol.

Fuji: It reacts to an excess of stress or low blood sugar and activates. When it reaches a certain point, we cry. Tears contain a large amount of Cortisol. When feelings get highly strung and put under stress, people cry in order to release excess stress hormones.

Fuji: The research I’m currently doing is about that Cortisol but to go into more detail, we’re trying to conduct artificial release of compound hormones from the Adrenal cortex. Ah, the compound deals greatly with cholesterol…

[03:45]

Fuji: Ah… *clears throat* It’s too hard for you to understand, huh? Well to put it simply, I need a tear sample for synthesis. By the way, all the samples of the women that worked here until now were all very lacking.

Fuji: There you have it, now cry. Once it flows out, place it into this test tube. Two millimeters is more than enough.

[04:22]

Fuji: Huh? I don’t know. Do your best and make them come out.

[04:28]

Fuji: Are you an idiot? I’m Saionji Fuji-sama. What do I have to feel sad about and cry about?

[04:40]

Fuji: *sigh*Tsk. You said you’d listen to anything we say right? Then do it. I’m your employer, you know? You’re not gonna listen to your master’s orders?

[04:56]

Fuji: Hmph. What’s the problem?

[05:00]

Fuji: Obviously! If your feelings don’t get worked up, the corresponding nerve won’t be stimulated.

Fuji: Ahh is that it? Then I should just do things to make you cry?

[05:17]

Fuji: Argh shut up! Don’t make a fuss! This Fuji-sama is saying he’ll do this for your sake. Be happy.

[05:30]

Fuji: It’s not like I’m telling you to be sad and cry. It doesn’t matter how—all tears contain hormones. Be it joy or rage. I’ll even specially listen to your desire.

Fuji: Hey, how do you want me to make you cry?

[05:52]

Fuji: You won’t say it? Then shall I make you say it by force?

[06:01]

Fuji: Shall I make you cry by doing terrible things to you like I did to the ones until now is what I mean.

Fuji: I’ll say it again. I just want to obtain a sample. I have no interest in the person. However, crying faces are my favorite. Meek and laughable… Just seeing it sends shivers.

[06:30]

Fuji: To call this me of all people a pervert! What a rude person. Well it’s fine. Don’t think too hard about it. You were hired with money, just a manservant.

Fuji: As long as you obediently listen to me, I won’t do anything bad to you. Got it?

Fuji: Your job is to not wreck my mood. Wag your tail and gain favor from me.

[07:00]

Fuji: What’s wrong? You can’t even speak now? Then no matter what I do—

*slap*

Fuji: *gasp*

[07:11]

Fuji: Th-This girl…did she just…hit me? This me?!

Fuji: Those eyes glaring daggers straight at me…what was delivered from them were feelings of contempt. Without a moment’s hesitation she slapped my cheek and called me disgusting. Having a woman raise her hand at me, of course, it’s never happened even once.

[07:45]

Fuji: *breaks out into laughter*

[07:54]

Fuji: I mean come on! You slapped me, you know?! *laughs*

[08:05]

Fuji: Ahh, it’s been so long since I laughed so hard. Is that so? It seems I’ve underrated you. I didn’t think you were a woman with this much backbone.

[08:20]

Fuji: The certain pain left on my cheek had an impact like an electrical current and resonated towards my heart. From inside me, something slowly began welling up. It was different from anything I’ve ever felt before and my heartbeat slightly hastened. What was…this?

[8:52]

Fuji: Hmph. You’re pretty good. I’ve taken a liking to you. We’ve finally found a manservant that suits my tastes. This Saionji Fuji-sama will deem you worthy.

[09:05]

Fuji: What’s wrong? This Fuji-sama deems you worthy, rejoice as much as you’d like.

[09:14]

Fuji: Eh?! You—YOU JUST LOOKED AT ME AND CALLED ME AN IDIOT RIGHT NOW, DIDN’T YOU?!

[09:20]

Fuji: OI YOU! I DARE YOU TO SAY IT AGAIN!

[09:24]

Fuji: WHY YOU LITTLE—for a housekeeper, you’re pretty cheeky, aren’t you?! I’ll make you cry right now and make full use of your tear samples!

*running around*

[09:35]

Fuji: WAIT!

Fuji: You little—! Stay still!

[9:40]

Ran: Ehh? I see~! It’s the first time I’ve seen a girl slap THE Fuji-kun’s cheek. She’s pretty interesting…that girl.

[09:55]

Gen: Hmm? Ran-kun, what are you doing?

Ran: Ah, Gen~! Welcome back~!

Gen: Why are you peeking into Fuji-kun’s room? What’s going on? Hmm?

[10:07]

Gen: …Uwah! Fuji-kun’s at it agai—wait.

Gen: *gasp* You’re kidding me! Fuji-kun is…smiling.

Ran: It seems she’s completely different from all the ones until now…that girl.

[10:25]

Gen: *grunts* She probably just said something to him.

Ran: You think so? If I had to pick, I’d say it looks like Fuji-kun is the one going after her though?

Ran: Ah! You’re jealous, aren’t you~? Could it be that you took quite a liking to her?

Gen: Huh? I have no interest in that woman! *walks away*

[10:50]

Ran: Wait a second.  *pulls him back*

Gen: Ow! What?!

Ran: Gen. Something happened to you, didn’t it?

Gen: Huh? Why?

Ran: Your face doesn’t look like it always does. Could it be that your mock exam didn’t go well or something?

[10:11]

Gen: *grunts* *slaps hand away*

Ran: Ah!

Gen: Ran-kun…what would you know?

Ran: What would I know? I’m your older brother, after all. Just by looking at your face I can at least tell that something’s not right.

Gen: Nothing’s wrong. I’m acting like I always am.

[11:27]

Ran: Gen. When you lie, you’ll definitely always look down to your left.

Gen: *grunts* …I don’t…do that.

Ran: Yay bingo~! You looked down to your left again! If something happened, you’ll feel better talking about it, you know? You’re the type to always keep it in and then explode later, after all.

Gen: Not really. I’ll be fine even on my own. Even if I don’t take help from you guys, I’m not a kid so I can do anything.

[11:55]

Ran: You are a kid.

Gen: Huh?

Ran: Without even saying what you want to do, you act all aloof. And on top of that, you make this brooding face and insist that you’re fine on your own. Don’t you think a baby that cries and screams is much more honest?

[12:14]

Ran: Ever since Mom left, I understand you’ve been having a hard time but—

Gen: STOP IT!

[12:24]

Gen: …If you say anything more than that I won’t forgive you, Ran-kun.

Ran: *sighs* Yes yes. I understand~! I’m sorry, I’m sorry~!

Gen: I’m fine on my own. Don’t meddle more than necessary. *walks away*

[12:42]

Ran: The fact that you keep saying stuff like you’re fine on your own isn’t the least bit fine though~

Ran: Well…I guess I’m not one to talk.

Other translations: [x]

Please do let me know if there’s any mistakes in my translation or if there’s a better way to word things. ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[thegloober]

The History of Polarized Politics in the U.S. and Money

How much is polarized politics affecting your financial situation and wealth. Don’t let the politics of others destroy your dreams. Learn how you can take control and excel.

The polarized political environment in America is not unusual. What makes the current situation so incredible is the comparison to what came before.

After World War II the United States experienced a prolonged period of relative political calm. While disagreement was rife, there was a sense of compatibility between the opposing political parties. A few Republicans were more liberal than some Democrats and a few Democrats were more conservative than a few Republicans. It was a world where liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats existed.

That started to change in the 1970s and blew full force as the 1980s arrived. The reasons are varied, but not the topic of today’s discussion. We are interested in the history of polarized politics and how it affected wealth. The goal is to learn from the past so we can better position ourselves for success in the toxic environment we find ourselves.

Politics is always a dangerous topic to cover. And it might not have an immediate connection with money or wealth. But experience (with heavy doses of research) reveals politics indeed has plenty to do with wealth and wealth creation or destruction. Polarized politics has visited America before and in much worse circumstances.

We will address politics first, then personal finances.

History of Polarized Politics

Founding Fathers

There is no exact count as to how many Founding Fathers the U.S. had. Some say there were 7, others 10. The Constitutional Convention had 55 delegates.

Regardless the number of Founding Fathers, there are several points worth noting about their behavior. First, they were all men of the landed class. In other words, the Founding Fathers were men with at least a modest amount of wealth in real estate. This isn’t the most politically correct situation by today’s standards. But we can (or at least should) agree this group of men did a pretty good job at nation-building.

Many Founding Fathers owned slaves. Benjamin Franklin had to dance around the subject when he was the American agent in London for the colonies. The British found it ironic Americans wanted freedom while holding tight to slavery.

Storing crops was more difficult in those days so it was common to store the excess corn crop as whisky. Consumption of alcohol was high in the 18th century. Bad water also encourage more alcohol consumption. It is no exaggeration to say the men who brought America to life were inebriated much of the time. While not drunkards by the standard of the time, some might be surprised how much work these men accomplished with the blood alcohol level they regularly had.

Benjamin Franklin

We only have time to discuss one Founding Father at length; we will touch on several others for reference. Since Ben Franklin is a leading Founding Father he will make a prime example for our discussion.

Much of the polarization of modern politics revolves around the identity politics of the left and the conservative ideas of the alt-right. There isn’t a single Founding Father who wouldn’t be nauseous over the current national dialog. Or would there?

Conservative Franklin: To the chagrin of the left, most Founding Fathers were decidedly conservative. Before President Reagan, Benjamin Franklin had his own version of trickle-down economics. Franklin believed the more money the rich had the more it percolated down to the poor. Franklin stated the”rich do not work for one another…” The rich, according to Franklin, spent their money on the poor buying the goods and services they produced. (Benjamin Franklin: An American Life  by: Walter Isaacson; Simon & Schuster; 2003; pages 267-8.)

Welfare and Social Security: Franklin also warned against the welfare state. He wrote welfare had unintended consequences and promoted laziness. Modern ears may find this palatable, but Franklin went further. “I fear the giving mankind a dependence on anything for support in age or sickness, besides industry and frugality during his youth and health, tends to flatter our natural indolence, to encourage idleness and prodigality, and thereby to promote and increase poverty, the very evil it was intended to cure.” (Italics mine.)

What Franklin was saying is you either work or deserve to starve, even in old age or during illness. Social Security is something Franklin would probably not approve of. If you lacked the necessary frugality and industriousness during the vigor of youth, you serve as a living example to those who consider such sloth.

Minimum Wage: Franklin also disagreed with the minimum wage. By artificially raising wages Franklin felt it would overprice goods destined for foreign markets.

All these positions place Franklin decidedly to the right of center. But was he really cold-hearted? Did Franklin believe people should be allowed to suffer?

While conservative readers might be licking their lips by now, the liberal folks will have something to cheer shortly.

Liberal Franklin: Benjamin Franklin had a balanced political stance. In some ways he could be called a liberal Republican by today’s measures. Franklin had no problem with taxes as long as they were coupled with representation. His lack of debate against the Stamp Act of 1765 is indicative of his political position. Only when there was a serious backlash back home did Franklin give us our first political spin campaign to right his reputation.

Policies should encourage hard work, according to Franklin. He felt hard-working people lucky enough to achieve wealth (became rich) had an obligation to serve the community. These duties should improve the lot of the community, providing for a prosperous middle class. Those in genuine need (people suffering illness before they had time to work for their keep, children and widows, et cetera) were the responsibility of the wealthy. Today we might consider many welfare programs as serving this need in a much larger population than existed in 18th century America.

There are also a few things we might find appalling in Franklin’s behavior even in the Age of President Trump.

The Un-family Man: Franklin left his wife and children to serve as colonial agent in London for the Thirteen American Colonies. Even when opportunity arose, he chose to stay in London or travel to Scotland and Paris, even as his wife’s health failed. Ask John Edwards how that helped his political career. Even the King found this behavior strange when he inquired as to why Franklin remained in England in 1774 when Franklin had no more duties there.

Womanizer: We can forgive Franklin for many of his political positions due to the age he lived in. His position on slavery softened over the years, but as Isaacson reports, Franklin used the qualifier “in time” in letters he wrote. He knew slavery wasn’t a workable prospect, buy also kicked the can down the road.

Modern eyes are ears will be most disturbed by Franklin’s behavior towards women. The list of affairs and potential affairs is long. Need I remind you Franklin was married with children during many of these flirtations.

History records Benjamin Franklin enjoyed the company of women more than men when it came to social gatherings. The flirtations weren’t always innocent and the women not always unattached. There is a crude sketch by Charles Willson Peale of a scene he walked in on of Franklin kissing Polly Stevenson. It is possible Franklin’s real goal was time with Polly’s daughter, Mary. Mary was 18 years old at the time Peale accidentally walked in on the kissing scene. But there is also a story of Franklin in a flirtatious conversation with Mary when she was 11 years old discussing her desire to be with an older man Franklin’s age.

Final Notes on Franklin: I spent a fair bit of time on Benjamin Franklin for a few reasons. Franklin is a Founding Father and certainly one of the most important and influential of the Founding Fathers.

He was a man with all the failings and shortcomings of men. His humor was crude at times, as we see when he recommended to the Royal Academy of Brussels that they should study the causes and cures for farts. It is unlikely Franklin was faithful to his wife and was distant to his family often. He even missed his only daughters wedding.

Franklin had strong political beliefs that would have toppled normal men. He didn’t suffer such a fate because he never held a high office. He was more a grandfather and guiding hand in the creation process of the United States. His role was certainly instrumental, but he managed to avoid the polarization politics brings once high office is held. Even Washington faced real criticism for the first time as president.

Another benefit of reviewing Benjamin Franklin is he shows us the world and human nature when the United States was just a dream and there were only American colonies as part of the British Crown.

If we fault Franklin for his short-comings that many current political leaders share, then we espouse the notion that Franklin should not have been allowed to do his work of nation-building. Such opinions at minimum presuppose the right of the United States to exist or at least ever to come into existence.

It is a truism of the ages: The worst of human nature can lead us to greatness.

Maybe we should be more open to human failings if we aspire towards a better tomorrow.

Thomas Jefferson

We will cover the next actors with less detail as they all share similar traits we find so disqualifying.

Thomas Jefferson is also a Founding Father of the United States. He wasn’t the biggest fan of slavery and history assumes he treated with slaves with dignity and respect. (How else could we remember a man as great as Jefferson and his contribution to our morals, values and standards.)

Jefferson also served as the third president of the U.S. That said, Jefferson did own slaves regardless his dialog on the subject. Over 100 years after the abolition of slavery in this country we still feel the scar it has left. The black community more than any other.

To make matter worse, Jefferson had a child with at least one of his slaves. In a modern era where people in authority are criminally liable for sexual activity with someone under their authority, this seems like a serious offense. Yet it happened and we seem unmoved by the act. Maybe time does heal every wound. Or not!

For all Thomas Jefferson gave this nation, he was still a man with failings. Failings we would consider criminal in the current environment. If modern rules were applied Jefferson would never have been president and his work may never have been created. How a man with such concerning behavior gave us rules to live by is hard to understand. But once again, the greatest of us tend to have the greatest failings, too.

President Andrew Jackson

President Andrew Jackson did more to define and solidify federalism than any other president. But could a man of such accomplishment be endowed with faults?

Polarized politics were at their worst in Jackson’s day. Jackson won the popular vote three times and the presidency twice. He also gave Native Americans the Trail of Tears.

Instead of focusing on Jackson’s flaws, I want to refocus on our topic: political polarization.

People today think the things said and done are the worst ever. Wrong! People had no problem Jackson killed a man in a duel, he was also hated enough to be the first president to have an assignation attempt on his life.

He married his wife before she was legally divorced from her husband. As you can imagine, adversaries made hay of this knowledge. They hounded Jackson and his family to the point of murder.

The political campaign of 1828 was brutal. The fight contained numerous ad hominem attacks. This isn’t so different from modern times. The difference was how the attacks also dragged Jackson’s wife, Rachel, into the fight.

Rachel Jackson started to suffer from what we would call today anxiety and depression. The stress became so acute it lead to a heart attack that killed her. Jackson never forgave his enemies for murdering Rachel. We have no way of knowing if the stress caused her death, but Jackson didn’t care. He blamed his enemies and hated them to then end for what they had done.

If you think politics are polarized today, you might want to read up on President Jackson. Few political leaders in the U.S. experienced such an assault in attaining office.

President Abraham Lincoln

Most Americans hold President Lincoln in high regard. They hold views of Lincoln as a moral and honest man. He freed the slaves so he must be good, right? He also preserved a nation rent in two by political division. Never before or since has our nation been so politically divided. There is nothing in the current dialog we can compare to the division our nation faced and underwent in those days of the early 1860s.

These are not the worst of times. Our nation weathered far more serious problems than a misogynist Trump. Need I remind you the great Abraham Lincoln consorted with prostitutes while married. Yeah, great leaders are riddled with flaws. Perhaps the flaws are what make them great.

Yes, I digress. It is political division that most concerns us. Except, all the discourse on said divisions seem to revolve around moralistic behavior.

FDR

Before we finish with the Supreme Court and discussing the personal finance implications, we turn to FDR, the hero of the left.

FDR also had serious flaws when it came to women. He also had an affair. (It starts to sound like a nervous tick after a while.)

The Great Depression was the issue of the age when Roosevelt took office. You would think after the economic crisis the Republicans presided over, the Democrats would have unchallenged rule. You should think again.

Before World War II became an issue, FDR had a New Deal. There was only one problem. Republicans packed the Supreme Court for years and the Court kept knocking down his programs.

Roosevelt had an idea. If the Justices wouldn’t retire so he could nominate his own choices friendly to his programs, he would expand the Supreme Court so he would have vacancies to fill.

This struck Republicans a very wrong. And what do you know, even Democrats felt it was a power grab by FDR. FDR’s own party denied him the ability to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court for political reasons. Talk about political polarization! Yes, it happens even within parties. Even worse than we see today.

Supreme Court

There is always the temptation to think this is the worst time EVER! Rarely are such thoughts true.

Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court by President Trump signals the worst ever injustice in the history of the U.S. But is it?

There is already talk of impeaching Justice Kavanaugh. Some have warned this would set a bad precedent and has never happened before. And that is a lie!

Here is a quick rundown of notable Supreme Court dramas.

Removed from Office: Supreme Court justice John Rutledge was removed from the court by the Senate in 1795. Yes, 1795! Rutledge’s wife died in 1792 and he didn’t take it well. His mind deteriorated to the point where there was no other choice.

The same year Justice John Blair suffered from such severe headaches he was unable to continue. Rather than have the Senate remove him, he resigned.

Assassination: Justice Stephen Johnson Field was nearly assassinated in 1889 by a California State Supreme Court justice in a confusing story of divorce, alimony and a lost case.

Antisemitism: The Supreme Court had a justice so hated not a single member of the court attended his funeral. Justice James Clark McReynolds was a very vocal anti-Semite. In 1916 the Jewish justice, Louis Brandeis, joined the Court. McReynolds left the room every time Brandeis started to speak.

Racism: Justice Hugo Black  belonged to the Ku Klux Klan prior to taking the bench.

There are stories of bribes and other nefarious behavior by Supreme Court justices. Justice Kavanaugh may still resign or face impeachment by the Senate at some point in the future. Regardless, we sometimes wrongly assume the Supreme Court, the final arbiter of law, rule and justice in our nation, is free from political polarization. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is just as liable to the shortcomings of human nature as any group.

With the groundwork on political polarization in place, we now turn to the impact polarization has on personal finances, wealth and money.

Personal Finance in the World of Political Polarization

The lesson above clearly outlines a history of political polarization in the United States from before its inception until today. The luxury of self-pity falls on deaf ears when history is called into action. Things have been marching higher for a long time, as Steven Pinker notes in his landmark works: Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress and The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined. 

Stop burning money! Learn the secrets the wealthy have used from the beginning of time to build their financial fortune.

The Long March of Growing Wealth: Humans have lived on the Earth for a few hundred thousand years. We lived short lives back then and progress was slow. Life was dangerous. Basic shelter might have been a cave, tree or outcropping.

Then man (it might have been a women for all we know) discovered how to create and control fire. Cooking soon followed which improved life immensely. Cooked food was easier to digest and it killed pathogens. Life was still hard, but lives were made a bit easier with the discovery of fire.

Shelter improved slowly over the eons. Fire made the home warmer in cold climates. Still, disease and subsistence meant most lives were brutal and short.

The pace of human progress was painfully slow for the first several hundred thousand years. Rape, murder, war, disease and starvation were constant threats. Men died from injury and women in childbirth. When God informed Adam and Eve of their curse as they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, he meant it. But curses have a shelf life.

Civilization: Somewhere back there, over 10,000 years ago, humans became civilized; congregating in cities, that is. This was another improvement. War was a constant threat, but now a larger group was needed to harm the community.

Health issues were the age old problem.

Fast Forward: The pace of improvement in the human condition keeps accelerating. First rudimentary shelters, then fire, now cities. A few lucky souls avoided disease and injury, living to an old age, even by modern standards.

Cities grew and slowly man discovered ways to alleviate medical afflictions. Many remedies were more harmful than helpful. Such is the nature of progress.

Money was invented and the ancient Greeks debated what money really was and how it worked. (Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind) Over half of Jesus’ parables dealt with money or wealth. Life was improving at the fastest pace ever in history and it was slowly picking up steam.

China flourished in isolation from the West; Europe enjoyed the Pax Romana. It would be nearly the thirteen hundred years before mankind experienced the Pax Americana.

From the scientific advancements of Greek and Roman culture, mankind dropped into a Dark Ages. The path of progress is steady and up, but there are plenty of detours along the way. The line is not straight, but it leans ever more so upward every day.

1870: Something happened around 1870. The Dark Ages had long passed, the Renaissance morphed into an Age of Reason and science and discovery flourished. And most important, enough humans finally existed to hit a critical mass, causing an explosion of economic growth the world has never seen before.

Gross World Product

As the graph above illustrates, economic growth was painfully slow until 1800 where we see a slight tilt north. In 1850 the Gross World Product turns decidedly higher and goes parabolic in the 20th Century.

The pace of wealth creation accelerated like never before. Things got better. A lot better! Really fast.

Pockets of suffering still exists. The 20th Century experienced two world wars, Stalin’s Russia and Mao’s famine. Many people suffered and died. But many more lived better and longer, too.

Inequality: The buzzword of the day is inequality. The rich seem to get richer while the poor get poorer. But is this really true?

Inequality still exists and surely always will as long as more than one human is alive. There has been an uptick in income and wealth inequality recently. Compared to historical norms we live is really good times.

The wealthiest people alive in 1930 rarely, if ever, had indoor plumbing. Today, with rare exception, we all enjoy indoor plumbing.

Medicine is even more widespread. Polio is a rare disease; small pox eradicated. While indoor plumbing eludes many in third-world (I hate that term) countries, modern medicine is brought in on a regular basis. Fewer women are dying in childbirth. Men have fewer dangerous jobs shortening their lives. Children live beyond infancy at a very high rate. These numbers have never been so generous ever in history. Things are as good as they’ve ever been, and believe it or not, it’s still getting better and better every day.

Walter Scheidel in his book, The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty -First Century outlines how inequality is on the decline and has been for a long time. Periodic catastrophes level the playing field immensely, but there seems to be a natural level of inequality. The good news is that everyone can have a significantly high standard of living even on the lower ends of the income distribution scale.

Optimism is the Best Financial Choice: If you have to make the call, always bet things will get better. For thousands of years things have been doing just that and at a rapid clip for over 100 years.

Warren Buffett has a reputation as a master stock investor. People spend a lot of time dicing his decisions looking for the secret sauce. I can save you the time. Buffett is the most optimistic guy you’ll ever meet. Even his good friend Bill Gates acknowledges surprise by how upbeat Warren always is.

Buffett came out in support of Hilary Clinton in her bid for the presidency. When Donald Trump won many called it the end of America and probably the world. A bit dramatic, I think. Buffett made it clear America has the “secret sauce” when it comes to economic growth and that America will do just fine even with Trump as president. I personally think the human race has a bottle of that patented sauce.

Yes, some people have it bad. Cancer might not feel like a time to be optimistic. But this isn’t about the individual level. We are talking humanity here. As a whole things are chugging higher all the time with only periodic setbacks.

The stock market reflects these facts. In the U.S. the stock market has powered higher decade after decade. Even the Great Depression is a minor speed bump when the charts are viewed over large time periods. It looked scary up close and personal. Then, a few decades later it looks like a minor dimple on the chart.

The 1987 stock market crash is the same story. The Dow dropped 22.6% in one day. The decline requires you squint your eyes to make it out now.

To the Future and Beyond: Life is good and getting better! Calls for the “end of the world” have been with us from the beginning of time. It’s a story that sells, but never delivers.

The future is bright. Today isn’t so bad either!

America and the world will have challenges ahead. That doesn’t mean optimism is wrong or dead! It is only an acknowledgement of reality. Every challenge will be confronted and re-challenged as we boldly go where no species has gone before.

Don’t miss out on the progress happening all around you. Don’t let polarized politics harm you financially. Use the “secret sauce” the wealth have used forever to build wealth.

Back to Politics: I know, I know. We never had a president like Trump. True.

We never had a Founding Father like Franklin either. How could such a womanizer, a masher, be allowed to engage in nation-building after the things he did.

And a president who fathered a child with his slave! How will the nation survive?

And don’t forget the evil of the Trail of Tears, a duel and murder and the death of a president’s wife.

A Civil War didn’t slow us down. A great president with massive flaws sewed the nation back together.

FDR tried to manipulate the Supreme Court to no avail. Talking of the Supreme Court, these are the people who gave us Dred Scott! These flawed men (most of them were men) did something wonderful as a whole. As bad as they were, their flaws made us stronger, more vibrant.

Politics is NOT more polarized than ever before. The First Lady is miffed, but not dead or even scuffed.

Things are not going to hell in a hand basket. The economy may falter from tariffs, but before long we’ll scale even higher heights. It’s almost unbelievable and then it happens again!

Never lose faith. Optimism is always the best choice. Things are good and getting better. We live longer and better lives. Economic and personal wealth is at sky high levels and rocketing higher! And any decline in the markets is a correction soon to be followed by greater heights!

It’s not a Dream; Success is Real: I’ve been around long enough to personally hear many of the doomsayers. They fall by the wayside every time. Yes, much of the Western world in more polarized than it has been for many decades. Let me remind you of the above chart. From 1850 to 1900 the U.S. exploded higher economically. During this time we experienced the Civil War and what many in the south thought was the end of the world, the freeing of the slaves.

Not only didn’t the world end when we took the moral high ground, we excelled. But we had to experience the debauchery and evil of slavery to propel us from the ignorance. We certainly don’t want to go back. It will require vigilance to retain our hard fought gains.

This is not the End: In recent times we were told the U.S. was caput because  a womanizer like Clinton was president. Did anyone take the time to research Franklin and Jefferson? Caput! I think not!

Then Bush was a sign of the End Days. Nope! President George W. Bush proved to have human failings, but we did fine.

President Obama was the worst. I had clients who came into my office saying their life’s mission was to prevent Obama from getting a second term. What a waste of time! The economy grew, the stock market was up and America and the world did great after a serious economic debacle.

And now we have the hated President Trump. Many tears have been shed. The Supreme Court is forever tainted (unless you read few history books where you’ll discover it was always tainted). I’m not a fan of Trump. I disagree with many of his policies. But not all! An honest person will find issues where agreement exists. Who doesn’t like lower taxes? We can debate who gets how much and the fairness of taxes, but com’on! I also agree with more infrastructure spending. I’m against tariffs which are nothing more than a tax on consumers. Call it a quasi value added tax, if you will.

The Beginning: In the darkest hours of World War II, Winston Churchill gave encouragement to the British people as Nazi bombs decimated London. His immortal words are as vital today as they were then as we worry ourselves sick over geopolitical events. His words are a reminder things always get better and setbacks are only temporary.

Now this is not the end.

It is not even the beginning of the end.

But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

More Wealth Building Resources

Credit Cards can be a powerful money management tool when used correctly. Use this link to find a listing of the best credit card offers. You can expand your search to maximize cash and travel rewards.

Personal Capital is an incredible tool to manage all your investments in one place. You can watch your net worth grow as you reach toward financial independence and beyond. Did I mention Personal Capital is free?

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Medi-Share is a low cost way to manage health care costs. As health insurance premiums continue to sky rocket, there is an alternative preserving the wealth of families all over America. Here is my review of Medi-Share and additional resources to bring health care under control in your household.

PeerSteet is an alternative way to invest in the real estate market without the hassle of management. Investing in mortgages has never been easier. 7-12% historical APRs. Here is my review of PeerStreet.

QuickBooks is a daily part of life in my office. Managing a business requires accurate books without wasting time. QuickBooks is an excellent tool for managing your business, rental properties, side hustle and personal finances.

A cost segregation study can save $100,000 for income property owners. Here is my review of how cost segregations studies work and how to get one yourself.

Amazon is a good way to control costs by comparison shopping. The cost of a product includes travel to the store. When you start a shopping trip to Amazon here it also supports this blog. Thank you very much!

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