#He definitely cares and loves his son. I will forever die on this hill | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nocturnal-dreams · 4 years ago

Text

As Our World Caves In

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

Pairing: Wilbur Soot x GN!Reader

Warnings: deep angst, death, blood, stabbing, explosions

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

Part 2 here!

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

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

Another scream left your lips as you were flown back by the impact of the wither hitting you, sending you down into a crater losing a lot of your health. You quickly drunk a health potion and started to climb out of the hole, trying to avoid the wither heads being shot at you. The screams of people you had once called your friends, some your enemies, rang in your ears.

How could Techno have betrayed you like this? He was almost like a brother to you, you two had bonded so well preparing for this war just for him to turn a blind eye at your pleads for him to help. Tommy had ran off after Techno, you losing sight of the two when one of the withers started to target you, Dream attacking you in the process.

A part of you wished Dream hadn’t just left you for dead, a part of you wished he had actually killed you. Not that you had much to live for anymore. The place you had once called home, fallen in love in, and built was destroyed. Your friends had betrayed you. All you had now was Wilbur...

Wilbur...

Where is Wilbur?

You looked around the chaos of L’Manberg, the town being torn apart by the withers that raged chaos on everyone and everything in its wake. You scrambled to what safe land you could find, eventually the land being blown up under your feet.

Calling for Wilbur, you cursed to yourself not finding him anywhere. Where had he gone off to, you were worried. You looked down at the netherstar hanging around your neck, the same netherstar that Wilbur had giving you the day he had beaten Dream and became president of L’Manberg.

Why couldn’t the days just stay that way? No wars, no withers, no chaos, just you and Wilbur running a beautiful nation. The days you and Wilbur would sit at the top of the towers, watch the sunset in each other’s arms while he would mutter words of admiration.

“Y/N?!” you slid down the hill quickly hearing your name, finding Phil standing at the top of a hill staring down at you. You picked yourself up quickly running over to the blonde man, hugging him tightly and looking him over for any wounds from the wither attack, “where is Wilbur?”

“I don’t know,” your breath was ragged, your hands shaking as you held onto Philza, “I’m scared he’s dead, he’s on his last life Phil! I can’t lose him!” You buried your face into Phil’s shoulder, tears running down your face while Phil tried to calm you the best he could and also find out where his middle son had disappeared to. Wherever Wilbur had gone however, Phil knew it wasn’t for good intentions.

You and Phil had exchanged letters for weeks leading up today, you rambling off in your letters how you were scared for Wilbur, he seemed to have been turning more insane day after day, disappearing for days at a time to somewhere. Phil was trying his best in the letters to give you comfort and to calm your mind but at the same time, he knew what his son could be capable with if he got pushed too far for too long.

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

There he sat, singing to himself quietly to the words on the wall. He sat in a small wooden chair, it creaking quietly at the slightest movement and a single lantern hanging on the ceiling above him. A small but powerful button in front of him as he stared at it, going to press it but something continuing to pull him away from the button.

Well, I've heard there was a special place, Where men could go and emancipate, The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers.

“There was a special place, where men could go and emancipate,” he rambled to himself, pulling at the sleeves of his brown trenchcoat, “and there definitely was that special place that once existed, it did.”

Well, this place is real, we needn't fret, With Wilbur, Y/N, Tommy, Tubbo, fuck Eret It's a very big and not blown-up L'Manberg

His face fell into his hands, “even with Tubbo being in charge I don’t think it can exist again, it just can’t.” He sighed loudly to himself, his hand hovering above the button that would end everything, all of his work would be over, “it’s right there, if I’m ever gonna press it then I’m pressing it now. And...” His brows furrowed for a second, slamming his hand against the wall, “the thing that I built this nation for doesn’t exist anymore! The thing I worked towards! Our dream! It doesn’t exist anymore! It doesn’t exist-”

A voice cut him off, just down the long hallway that lead to the room hidden in a small mountain stood Phil, Y/N behind him covered in bruises and burns from the wither attack. Phil was the one to speak, Y/N being too weak in that moment to even look at Wilbur, the man they had once loved, “what are you doing?”

Silence, until Wilbur spoke up quietly, not bothering to turn around to face his father, “Phil?” Phil repeated his question, “we made Tubbo president, Schlatt is gone, we won Phil.”

Phil nodded, pulling Y/N to his side not wanting them to completely break down watching the man they loved go insane, “so... You are? In L’Manberg?”

Wilbur finally turned around to face his father, noticing Y/N by his side. Wilbur looked over them, taking a second to look at just the bruises that littered Y/N’s arms and the burns on their hands.

You choked back a sob staring at Wilbur, “Wil, please just stop. Come home, come to-”

“This is home, Y/N. What are you talking about?” Wilbur asked, his head turning to the side, unable to understand why Y/N was in such a state after they had just won. He thought this was what they wanted, that they wanted L’Manberg back.

Y/N’s eyes narrowed, “this?! A nation that is corrupted, people living in fear, how can you even see a future here?!” You broke free from Phil’s grasp, going over to Wilbur and grabbing him by his jacket, pulling him closely and showing him the wounds that littered your arms, legs, hands, and face, “Wilbur can’t you see that I’m in pain? The Wilbur I knew wouldn’t even allowed me to go into the battlefield!”

“Y/N...” Wilbur’s expression seemed to soften, his eyes seeming calmer and almost like he was about to break down into your arms at the slightest touch. Wilbur looked away from your pleading eyes, dodging your hand that tried to go to his face so you could make him look at you again, “alright, I will admit. Do you know what that button is?”

Y/N stayed silent, Phil nodding to Wilbur’s question, “I read your notes, I know you son. I know what that button will do.”

“Have you heard the of the song, the song on the wall.”

“My L’Manberg,” Y/N said quietly, your voice breaking as you held onto Wilbur.

“There was a special place,” Wilbur’s hands grabbed your own, prying them off of him, making you sit down in the chair in which Wilbur had once sat. Wilbur looked around the room, reading each word on the wall, “I was just saying that there was a special place that men could go but it’s not there anymore.”

“But it is there Wilbur,” you said, looking up at him from the chair in which you were now sat at, “we won it back, Tubbo is now the president, we can be happy.”

“I am so close to pressing that button!” Wilbur yelled, catching you off guard as he slammed his hands down on the wall again, staring at the button intently, “I have been here on days where I wasn’t even planning! I’ve been here like seven or eight times just wanting to press it.” Suddenly everything was making sense to Y/N, this is where Wilbur was sneaking off to at night, this is what Wilbur was marking down in his notebook that he wouldn’t allow you to read, “I’ve been here so many times-”

“And you just want to blow it all up, throw away everything you’ve worked so hard for,” Phil responded, Wilbur giving a small nod as he rested his forehead against the wall, “what you and everyone that has loved and cared about you have fought for.”

“I don’t even know if it works Phil, I tried once and someone had destroyed the redstone so who’s to say they haven’t destroyed it again,” Wilbur sighed, “I could press it and have it not work.”

“Wilbur please, just try to reconsider. We can make a new nation, with everything you stand for, it will be us in rule, no Schlatt, no Dream, just you, me, Tommy, Tubbo, and whoever else you want,” you reached for Wilbur’s hand, him pulling away from the action, “please Wil, I love you.”

Wilbur bit his lip, staring at the button, “you know Y/N, there was a saying, by a traitor.” Your heart sank to your stomach, you knew what was coming, “It was never meant to be.”

Just the small click made you go numb, he had done it, he had pressed the button.

And there it was, the giant hole in the wall showing all the work was destroyed, everything was gone. Everything, every memory, every laugh, it was all destroyed. Wilbur just smiled to himself, staring at the destruction of his nation.

“My L’Manberg Phil,” Wilbur sighed staring at the destruction, the nation torn to pieces, “my unfinished symphony that will forever be unfinished! If I couldn’t have it than no one could!”

“Wilbur! You’re insane!” Y/N cried, staring at the destruction of their once beautiful home.

Suddenly Wilbur grabbed Y/N by the arm, pulling something out of his pocket and giving it to Y/N, “kill me.”

Your breath hitched in your throat at Wilbur’s request, you couldn’t murder Wilbur, you loved him. Wilbur kept going on, begging you to stab him as you held the blade in your trembling fingers, tears streaming down your face.

“But-”

“Kill me Y/N!” Wilbur had yelled, grabbing your harsher and almost shaking you as you stared at him, tears blurring your vision, “everyone wants you to do it! Look at them, the traitors Y/N, they never cared about us. I want to die, please just do it!”

“I love you!” You yelled, the diamond enchanted blade trembling in your hands, Wilbur’s hands landing on top of your own and aiming the tip of the blade towards his heart.

“You just need to push,” Wilbur said, his voice calm for someone that was about to be murdered. Yet you couldn’t do it, you just couldn’t kill him after everything he has done for you. You loved Wilbur more than anyone, he was your entire world, now he wanted you to destroy your world like he just destroyed his home, “Y/N, look at me.”

You looked up at him, your vision blurred by the tears that streamed down your face. Wilbur grabbing your face in his hands, tilting your head slightly to the side and smashing his lips on your own in a passionate kiss. You clung to him, the sword dropping between you two as you held onto him, as if the entire world and chaos around both of you had paused and you two were the only ones around.

But suddenly Wilbur stopped, his hands dropping from behind your head, sinking to the floor. You tried to cling to his body the best you could but he still fell to the ground, you catching his head before it could hit the ground. You looked behind Wilbur to see Phil, tears in his eyes and a blood stained sword in his hands.

You held his head between your hands, watching the blood pour from his lips as he gave you a weak smile, “Y/N, love, you know how Dream said earlier that there was no traitor?” You nodded, holding onto Wilbur through his final moments, “he fucking lied.”

You held him tightly, watching his breathing stop and his heart that had once put you to sleep just by it’s beating had now froze. You clung to his body tightly, burying your face in his chest not bothering with the blood that would stain you. What point was there to care? The man you loved more than anything was dead, the man you had trusted had murdered him right in front of you.

“Get out,” you whispered quietly, but Phil still hearing you.

“Y/N I’m so sorry,” Phil sighed, taking his hat off to help pay his respects, “but he was dangerous, I had to put an end to him. He was suffering Y/N, he was a danger to you, to everyone here, and most importantly himself. I did want I believe is best.”

“You fucking murdered him!” You yelled, holding Wilbur’s lifeless face to your chest as you cried into his brown curls, “just get out.”

“Y/N...”

“Get the fuck out!”

Phil nodded sadly, dropping the blade from his hands that was stained in Wilbur’s blood and left the room through the hole left by the explosion, leaving you to cry.

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

Thanks for reading, don’t forget to like and maybe reblog as it really does help me out :)

I’m gonna go to sleep now since it’s now 1 in the morning and I’ve been writing for hours

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

Taglist: @sadassflatass @gamerboykarl @ajesterscrown @bored-functional-human @aremegay

(To be added to my tag list, dm me)

S-Tierre Taglist: @corpse-br1de

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

#wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #wilbur soot imagine #philza #philza imagine #mcyt #mcyt imagines #mcyt x reader #dreamsmp #dreamsmp imagines #dreamsmp x reader #it was never meant to be #sleepy bois inc #sleepy bois inc x reader #sleepy bois inc imagines #I'm gonna go cry now #wilbur x reader #wilbur imagines #wilbur

458 notes · View notes

imonthinice · 3 years ago

Text

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 3/?

Word Count: 1.5k

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your name, A/N -Any name (your best friend’s name)

Part 3! Date 2 is going to be underway with this one. Enjoy!

I had to change my pfp and my header cause they were being dickheads so just be aware if you liked looking at the batboys when clicking on my profile lmao <3

Warnings: Swearing, no beta bitch we die like Jason Todd, Dark humor.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Y/N woke up the next day feeling like she could take on the world, energized, with a new crush, and full of life, a stark shift from how she usually was. She was never normally a morning person and had a severe addiction to caffeine. I mean, the addiction was still there and she still needed coffee before she could go to her 3pm class and meet up with Jason again, but she was happy. She would put on her clothes and pack her bag before even getting coffee.

“G’morning, A/N!”

“Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?” A/N joked.

“Down girl, I’m just peppy today, it’ll probably wear down and it’s probably a once-in-a-blue-moon deal,” Y/N said as she started brewing her coffee.

“You got a date with Jason today?”

“I do!”

“That explains it,” A/N joked again.

“Says the one with a boyfriend,” she shot back.

“He’s not my boyfriend, we’re just hooking up right now, trust me, if he was, you’d know, darlin’.”

“So what did dreamboat ask last night?” A/N asked.

“Well I said ‘What do you want to know?’ and he said ‘We’ll talk about it today, maybe during notes or maybe during our lunch date, we’ll see how i’m feeling.’ so I think that’s good?”

“You kidding? You got that man wrapped around your finger, respect.”

“Shut up.”

“No thanks, I have free speech y’know.”

“Yeah you can say whatever, but I can also use my free speech rights to tell you to shove it, so, checkmate,” you sneered at her.

“That’s fair,” A/N paused and then changed the subject, “Have you heard Brutal yet?” she asked.

“You’re damn right I have, I wonder where that was for me at 17. But to be fair, I would still blast it now at my parents just to make them irk.”

“They would kill you for listening to that song instead of their Christian Rock.”

“Worth it, I’ll die swinging and singing.” Y/N mused.

“It really is Brutal out here.”

“Leave, get out, that sucked, blocked, friendship over.”

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

She walked up to her 3pm class, to be greeted by Jason at the door, with of course, her new knowledge of the tabloids and their minions, she questioned why he’d do this.

“Hey, Y/N.”

“’Afternoon, Jason.”

“I’m trying to give the tabloids a show, don’t mind me.” he mused.

“I’m not surprised, but class is in 5.”

“Then I guess we should sit down and get ready to write at lightning speeds.”

She went to sit down, followed close by Jason. She couldn’t help but notice everyone was staring, but she didn’t care. This is going to be fun, she thought, I’m glad they’re gonna get a fucking kick out of this, she finished her thought.

Class went on as usual, with her scribbling down the notes so quick her arms hurt by the end of it, and Jason just sitting around making sure she wasn’t losing her arms to the writing, and casually laughing at the Professor. Then, the Professor brought up Barry Allen. Dr. Barry Allen and what he does for the criminal psychology people.

“Forensics go hand-in-hand with criminal psych, normally we can tell, as scholars, from the hitting of the weapon why and who might’ve done it.” The Professor said.

She saw Jason tense up a bit, and whispered over to him;

“You know Dr. Barry Allen don’t you?”

“He’s my uncle,” he whispered back.

“Well, be sure to tell him I’ve read some of his essays when I wanted to go into forensics instead of criminal psychology.”

“Really? He has essays?”

“Many. Very good writing. 10/10.”

“You’re going to make his week if you keep talking like this.” he mused.

“Good.” you mocked.

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

“So, you’re intermixed with a renowned journalist, a legend in forensic testing and you’re the son of Bruce Wayne?” she asked Jason, she couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, but there they were, all cards on the table.

“Yeah, I know this is all new to you but famous people tend to know other famous people.” he joked with her.

“Well that’s fair, I guess I kind of know Clark, I met him once at a office party with my mum.”

“He’d probably remember you.”

“Enough of your family ties, huh? You said you wanted to know more about me?”

“Yes, that, did you tell your roommate to pick up your car?” he asked her.

“I did, why was I meant to do that, by the way?” she asked him.

“Because, we, you and I, Y/N, are going to go for a joyride on my motorbike and try to get away from these,” he lowered his voice, “bitch ass cameras,” he grabbed her hand and started running towards his bike, dodging all the paparazzi who just wanted the snag shot of the two. They don’t even know my name, and they’re going off about this, she thought.

When the two met his bike, she looked over it fondly. This guy really likes his red, she thought, that’s fair, I do too.

“Nice bike.”

“Thank you, Y/N. We can ride this bad boy out to the country and try to escape the cameras, which kind of cuts into the lunch date, but hey-”

“That’s just the life someone famous has to live?” she questioned.

“You’re catching on.”

“I could have been a detective if I wanted it.”

He laughed and sat down on his bike and like instinct, she sat behind him and wrapped her hands on his chest and leant in. She didn’t know how to passenger a motorbike, but he didn’t say she did it wrong.

“You ready?”

“Jason, are you going to kill me?”

“Well if the shoe fits.” he mused.

“I’m ready.”

And off they went.

There was something about the way the bike drove through the streets of Gotham that she loved so much, she had already fallen in love with the restless city and called it home long before right now, but this was exhilarating for her. Somehow driving at 120mph was amazing, it brought out this feeling of freedom, something she hadn’t ever felt back home in Metropolis.

It’s worth it, she thought, it’s forever going to be worth it.

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

Pulling her off of his bike, the two of them laid underneath the tree on the small hill Jason pulled over by.

“Do you think we escaped the pap?” she asked him.

“Probably not.”

“Festive.”

“So, Y/N, it’s your turn to open up about your family. Besides your mum, I already know about your mum.”

“So, my twin sister goes to our rival school, the Metropolis one, I think she’s more of a people person than I’ll ever be. My parents are still together, they got married after they had my sister and I, so I’m a bastard,” she laughed, “I always like telling people I’m by definition a bastard, a lot of them get mad all like, ‘don’t call yourself that you’re a lovely girl’ and it’s just funny to me,”

He laughed, “You call yourself a bastard out of spite?”

“Am I supposed to not? I think it’s funny-”

“It’s pretty funny. I live out of spite too,” he said, almost like he was pulling out a bad memory, but she egged him on slightly,

“Spite who?” she asked.

“Spite God.”

She let out a laugh, and he seemed to let go of whatever memory he had clung onto to watch her laugh. It was clearly a distracting laugh.

“God tried to strike you and you just went ‘Nah mate, go away’? Respectable. I would do that.” she said while laughing.

“That’s exactly what happened, Y/N-” and his phone pinged, he turned it over, it was Dick.

“Mind sharing who that is?”

“I don’t mind, it’s my older brother sending me an article of us today. We really gave them a show holding hands,” he began reading, “ ‘Millionaire’s Son, Jason Todd, Caught Holding Hands with the Mystery Girl.’ “

“One day they will know my name. And it will be a massive article. Like a gender reveal.”

“Like a gender reveal?!” he said back to her, laughing so hard his smile reached ends she didn’t expect it to be able to go.

“It wasn’t that funny of a joke, Jason,” she said.

“It’s a better joke than my brothers and sister could ever come up with, Y/N, and they’ve had Galas to practice for,” he retorted.

“I’ll set it ablaze like the California gender reveal,” she continued with the joke, expecting this to be too far, but this also showed her that Jason liked dark humor, and she did too.

He burst out laughing at this, and she smiled.

“You have perfect teeth, Jason.”

“Is that what you’re focused on?” he asked.

“They are the forefront when you smile, it is hard not to.”

“Romantic,” he mocked her.

“I can be more romantic next date, if you want it,” she said, inclined towards him saying I want it. She was right.

“I want it.”

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #jason todd fluff #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood x fem!reader #red hood x y/n #red hood x you #red hood fluff #batfam #batfamily #batbros #dceu #dcu #dc

73 notes · View notes

a-froger-epic · 3 years ago

Note

You said Freddie "was in love with an idea of Mary". I don't understand this and some other people's opinion on this. They were in a relationship. They broke up, because Freddie was gay and couldn't have romantic relationship with her. They stayed friends, which isn't unsual (see Joe). He couldn't love her as a friend? Only "the idea of her"? She didn't deserve to be loved? Why is it wrong to ask Phoebe about her? Why the fandom tries to forget she ever existed? She's known Freddie for 22 years.

Alright, I will elaborate then since I think you've misunderstood what I said there, and that is fair enough because I didn't explain.

I'm really not keen on getting into any discussions about Mary, to be honest, which is why I said none of this is a hill I'd like to die on. I'm not interested in defending how Mary acted after his death, there's a lot of valid criticism and it's true that their relationship is and was often misrepresented in a way that is disrespectful to Jim and the very fact that Freddie was a self-identified gay man. So I understand the frustration with that. But anyway, here are my thoughts on Mary and Freddie and their actual relationship with each other.

Let's start at the beginning. Although none of us can really know what their relationship was like, I personally think it's clear that they clicked very well in the beginning, on some level.

Let me just pre-empt this again by saying that pretty much all of this is speculation and my personal opinion, I'm not trying to tell anyone they're wrong. This is just my take. Don't come for me. Let me have my opinion, please and thank you.

I think they fit well in the way that, knowing Mary's background (deaf parents, started working full-time at 15), she was very used to being in a caretaker role and Freddie liked, in many ways, to be taken care of. I think she was also somebody who was not very outspoken with her emotions, not very emotional overall, and I think that actually perhaps suited Freddie quite well. Because I think that her keeping her feelings close to her chest gave him the excuse to do the exact same. Why do I think so?

Having read Rosemary's book, it's apparent that she is a very emotional person and what ended up happening, is that Freddie opened up to her in ways he never did with Mary. He never, until their break up, let on to Mary that he wanted to be with men. Freddie and Rosemary, by contrast, were only together for a year or so and he could not stop talking about it. Rosemary was open, so Freddie was open. I think Freddie was a bit of a chameleon when it came to relationships, which stemmed from his deep desire to be loved and accepted. He wanted to please, he wanted to be a good fit for his partners. I think that was sometimes detrimental for him because he would push himself to be somebody he wasn't. I think incidentally with Mary it sort of worked out quite well for quite a long time. I think that while they did have feelings for each other, there was also a lot of unspoken things, an emotional distance, and I think that made it easier for Freddie to be in the closet as long as he was. Again, having to grow up so fast, I think Mary was someone who learned to swallow things down and not address them and just function. In a way, Freddie had a very similar approach.

Now, let's talk about love and what I meant by him being in love with the idea of her. I believe that Freddie definitely believed and felt that he was in love with her for much of the time they were together, in part because I think he really, really wanted to be. Here was this girl who was in many ways perfect for him, the kind of girl his parents were thrilled about. Also, quite importantly, somebody who believed in him and did support him. I remember seeing one interview with her where she says her first impression was that he was this charismatic, long-haired musician and seemed so confident. Not at all like the person underneath, I think she goes on to say. But it did give me the impression that being as young as she was at the time, there was definitely a sort of wide-eyed admiration of his huge personality there from her side. And I think that stroked his ego a lot. I'm sure that later on in their relationship, she did become somewhat disenchanted with him and most likely even frustrated with him much of the time, but again, being someone who keeps themselves to themselves, I think she put on a brave face and funnily enough he did the exact same thing.

It think that towards the end of their relationship, they functioned as partners, rather than a romantic couple. I think Freddie clung on for a very long time - if not forever - to some ideal of what his life should/could/might have been if only he hadn't been gay (internalised homophobia galore), and that is also what I mean by being in love with the idea of Mary. The idea of the beautiful fantasy relationship with a woman he was never able to live up to, and I think a lot of guilt stemmed from that, for him. That he should have been able to give her that, but he couldn't. That he had failed her. That, therefore, he had to provide for her as long as he lived. Because if he hadn't been gay, he could have married her and everything would have been brilliant - which, you can't tell me, that his parents did not likely think exactly that. I will eat a hat if his mother did not once bemoan that he hadn't or wouldn't marry her. Again, I repeat, this is some deeply ingrained internalised homophobia I'm talking about, I'd be hesitant to say that Freddie was even aware of it.

Now, here's the thing. Freddie was someone who could not be alone, we know this, and he was someone who could not let go of people easily. He stayed friends, if he could, with many of his exes. And I think he was terrified of the thought of losing Mary - who he was used to, who he relied on, who he felt deeply guilty towards because he wasn't the man she deserved - when their relationship ended. Basically, he wanted the to have the cake and eat it, too. And he got that, in a way. He did get to keep her in his life, she agreed to that, and I don't think that was at all times particularly healthy for either of them.

I think Mary resented that Freddie was gay. Again, I don't even think it was a very conscious thing, but I think she absolutely believed that if only he hadn't been gay, they would have been perfect for each other. I don't think she ever stopped feeling like he was the one that got away. I think this led to her deeply resenting a lot of his circle and his lifestyle, resenting having to be involved in it, which I think is a large part of why she burned all bridges when he died. I think she felt free from an obligation that she herself had put on herself. I think the woman could have done with some therapy, tbh, I think they all could have. Anyway.

When I read what Phoebe said in that interview, what jumped out at me was that this was an important dinner with Freddie's parents. I think Freddie took solace in the idea that he could bring Mary out to dinner with them and it was almost as if it was real. That they had the son they wanted, in the way that he knew they didn't. I'm tearing up writing this right now because it's really heartbreaking to me.

But that is what I meant by the idea of her. I think, also, Freddie was generally very romantic. I think he was a bit in love with love, overall. And I think he held that fantasy somewhere in his mind forever, of what could have been, if only. And I think Mary did the same.

Of course it isn't romantic. It's terrible, it's sad, there's so many things wrong with it. But that's what I think their relationship with each other was. I think it always carried an echo of his perceived failure to have been the man she thought he could have been, he thought he could have been, if only he hadn't been gay.

Tl; dr - I'm not interested in erasing Mary from Freddie's life, any more than I'm interested in erasing anyone else who was important to him from his life. I do think he had a lot of love for her, and she for him. I don't think acknowledging that takes away from his love for his husband or makes him any less gay.

#Freddie Mercury #Mary Austin #ask response

28 notes · View notes

sunmoontruth-stiles · 4 years ago

Text

Ok this is gonna be long. I’ve literally been slowly working on this for… too long. I’m just in a mood to have a long discussion about ships. I’ll be looking at canon and not, so bare with me. I don’t ship all of these personally. I’m mostly just picking the most popular ones. I chose to leave out a few that I just don’t want to talk about. I tried to keep this loosely chronological, but that quickly went to hell. None of this is meant to be hate towards anyone’s ship, just my personal opinions on each of them.

Canon:

Scott x Allison: True Classic

Scallison is so sweet as it is truly the epitome of young love. Romeo and Juliet, except Romeo is even more of an idiot and Juliet is a badass who dies for a cause. They’re moral and ethical codes are both highly valued by themselves, even if they don’t align with others very often. They loved with everything they had. They were beautiful. We’re they soulmates in the end, or just the first love who will always hold a special place in your heart? Who knows, but I’ll always love these immature kids who thought their love could change everything.

Stiles x Lydia: The Long Awaited

Stydia is as slow burn as you can get. Unfortunately their actual getting together was slightly rushed in my opinion. They didn’t have time to find their own as a couple because Stiles just wasn’t in the show enough at that point. I know the reasons behind it, but it did leave this couple at an awkward stage of official-but-not-shown. The idea that Stiles loved her as a kid, immature and infatuated, and he saw her for who she really was, will always be cute. Then they grew, changed, became friends, and found other people. Them finding each other later on, having real love that’s developed slowly, is a wonderful arc. Though, a part of me will always believe they should have pursued other story lines in the wake of Stiles’ absence from the plot. They’re finally together! …but we don’t get to see it.

Jackson x Lydia: The Image

Oh Jackson and Lydia. Honestly, I love them. Their connection at a time in their lives when they couldn’t open up to anyone else, just hits me right in the feels. I mean, god that HUG. You know the one. Always brings me to tears. I’m so sad their relationship was almost entirely depicted during Jackson’s kanima time when he couldn’t think nor truly act for himself. Those small moments of scared vulnerability when he wanted to protect her from himself… I’ll miss these two. They deserved to find other people and remain life-long friends. I loved their moment in the last episode. I wish they’d gotten to see each other grow. Also they had such bixbi solidarity vibes, and I’ll die on that hill.

Scott x Lydia: Leaders

Ok, I’m gonna be honest here. I ship it. The power couple they would have been?? Also them coming together after they lost Allison would have actually made sense. A part of me kinda wishes the writers had moved on from Stydia as a romantic relationship and leaned into them growing as friends and Stiles moving on from his childhood crush. Scott and Lydia actually would have had good chemistry. They were both very headstrong heroic types, but Lydia would have balanced Scott out well intellectually. They had the history, and I think it could had worked if they wrote it right. Plus, Scott and Lydia would have been a better endgame that Scalia.

Scott x Kira: New Beginnings

These two were adorable. Kira was a badass, don’t get me wrong, but she let herself be soft in a way Allison was always afraid to. This couple was truly Baby. Absolute dorks. I can definitely see the lasting quality between the two of them. They saw things very similarly, and had a ton in common. I do think Kira deserves more characterization outside of their relationship, like more of her friendship with Malia. Overall, her departure from the show will always be sad to me. It was bad writing. Scott was over her far too quickly.

Aiden x Lydia: Pretty People Herd

I honestly didn’t see much between these two other than mutual attraction. The best thing to come out of this relationship was Lydia’s line, “You’re not just a bad boy, Aiden. You’re a bad guy. And I don’t want to be with the bad guys.” Good character development moment.

Ethan x Danny: Step to Redemption

Danny really was the thing that made Ethan look outside of the pack for what he really wanted out of life. They had a few cute scenes. Gotta love Danny’s final remarks, “Dude, it’s Beacon Hills.”

Allison x Isaac: Unexpected Rebound

Ok, I like these two. Isaac could match Allison’s snark in a way Scott couldn’t. They both fought the progression of the relationship slightly. They didn’t expect to fall for each other. They were less willing to let someone in close. I’d love to have seen more… but unfortunately their time was limited. On a side note, sometimes their relationship did feel like ‘we both are in love with the same guy, let’s cope with each other’, but I find that completely valid. I’ll talk about Scallisaac later though.

Stiles x Malia: Anchors

Ok but, them <3 I love what they did for each other. Stiles was able to help Malia connect to her humanity and other people. He never tried to isolate her in their relationship and encouraged her growth. Malia offered Stiles the emotional support he never asked for. She defended him, fought for him, and loved him fiercely. Stiles needed that so much after season 3. I think they were a love that wasn’t meant to last, but the impact of it was forever. I wish we’d gotten to see a real end for them where they agreed that they needed to grow as individuals but would always still care.

Liam x Hayden: Three’s a Pattern

These two’s characterization stopped whenever they had storylines together. Their relationship was built on Scallison references. Hayden’s character could have been interesting, but they never really gave her a moment to shine. Liam has the worst plots when they revolved around her. Cute couple, poor writing.

Derek x Braeden: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girl Boss

Derek deserves to be happy so much. Kate and Jennifer were just... jeez. Him and Braeden were cute and deserved more screen time. I think her intensity allowed for Derek to let go of control a bit more comfortably. Let Derek Be Soft. Anyway, love them.

Corey x Mason: Gotta Have That Rep TM

These two could have been cute if they were shown for more than two seconds at a time. I highkey forget Corey even existed all the time. Kinda just felt like a relationship to fill TW’s gay quota.

Jackson x Ethan: The Callback

Honestly? Loved them. Loved the chemistry. Loved the dynamic. Best twist. I know it was probably written in like that because Colton came out during his time away from the show, but it absolutely fit his character. Jethan is top tier.

Melissa x Chris: BAMF Parent Duo

Ok, so like, Melissa deserved this plot. She deserved someone to care about her. However... what the hell? Chris? In canon, his wife died like 2-ish years prior? His daughter died 1 year prior?? Is Chris really in a position to pursue a new relationship?? Also, like, Scott and Allison dated and loved each other up to her death. Kinda weird to have their parents hook up. I don’t hate it, but I don’t ship it…?

Scott x Malia: Lead up? What’s lead up?

These two came out of nowhere I stg. Like, 6B really tried to tell us this was something that had been slowly developing in the background? Also, I understand that they are their own people, adults, and completely in charge of their own romantic pursuits: but did Scott seriously never call Stiles? Like, Malia wasn’t just his first girlfriend. She was his first. Like, dude that’s your best friend?? Not even a head’s up? No, ‘hey would this bother you?’ Oof. Plus Malia was way too chaotic for Scott. She existed in gray morality that always prioritized her immediate circle, and Scott was a very black/white type of heroism. I just didn’t feel like they fit.

Non-Canon:

Scott x Stiles: Childhood Best Friends

Ya, sorry, I don’t ship Sciles at all. I get it. Like, I totally understand the ship, and I mean no judgment at all. I just see them as friends. I really value good male friendships in media because I feel like we don’t get enough, and I always liked these two.

Stiles x Derek: Enemies to Lovers. 100k. Angst. Hurt/Comfort.

God these two really are what fanfiction was made for. I could write a much longer discussion about Sterek, and I probably will eventually. I’ll try to keep this brief. These two weren’t always on the same side, but their approach was the same. They were very similar at their core. Plus, wow the chemistry. This should have been canon. Jeff’s a coward.

Allison x Lydia: Powerful.

This ship is so great. They really had a great dynamic, and a romantic plot would have easily fit the established narrative. Lydia’s confidence in herself and Allison’s confidence in her own abilities crossing over to each other because that’s what the other lacked? Iconic.

Danny x Jackson: He Gets Him

Danny really saw Jackson for everything he was and still cared. I wished we’d gotten to see more of them. I want more background with Jackson’s eventual coming out and his friendship with Danny. Like, they ended up dating the same guy. What did Ethan have to say about that??

Stiles x Jackson: Bastards

Ok these two had a super fun dynamic. The asshole-energy between them was, great. The snark was always so entertaining.

Melissa x Noah: Family

How were these two not endgame? Their sons were practically brothers already. They had amazing chemistry. The flirting? Not to mention, their timeline would have made way more sense. Missed opportunity.

Chris x Peter: The Opposite of Love is Indifference, Not Hate

Ok so like, this was definitely one of those ships that I had absolutely no knowledge of before I was pretty into the fandom. Like, this was not something I would have guessed just after watching the show. That being said; my god the chaos alone…

Scott x Isaac: The Disaster Duo

Okay ya I love these two. Two dumb asses who act like idiot puppies. Such a fun dynamic. Plus?? Chemistry??? Hellooo

Scott x Allison x Isaac: Three Heads Are Better Than One

This ship is definitely one of my personal favorites. I very rarely poly-ship. I just feel like most of them are just love triangles with an ‘easy solution’, when two of them have no real connection. That is so not the case here. I feel like all of them have such great chemistry with each other. They also have a great dynamic as a group. Season 3A was really just Scallisaac rights.

Stiles x Isaac: I Hate You, jk…Not Really

Ok I loved their banter, but I really just don’t see this ship. Idk, I don’t personally ship it. Would have loved to see their friendship develop more tho.

Erica x Allison: Duo that would stab you with a stiletto

I don’t ship it, but I do wish we’d seen them become friends. I feel like they had a very artificial ‘girls fighting over a boy’ dynamic? They could have been such a badass duo.

Stiles x Erica: Batman x Catwoman

Ok I’m not sure exactly how to express my feelings for these two so bare with me. OMG I love their dynamic so much, and they are sooo cute. Their energy? Amazing. Chemistry? Great. History? It’s there and has so much potential. 10/10. Love them. But, no, I don’t ship it lol. Just really love their friendship, but with the underlying history of crushes.

Boyd x Erica: Was This Not Canon?

How can anyone not love Berica? Ugh they are adorable. These two deserved so much better.

Boyd x Cora: Survivors

Honestly I don’t really see it? Like they definitely had a connection, but it never felt romantic. I really feel like they just had to lean on each other and bond to make it through captivity, and it just lasted.

Boyd x Erica x Cora: The Pack

I literally learned this was a ship a couple days ago. Similar feelings towards this as Bora, but with the added hesitancy of we never actually saw Erica and Cora interact.

Cora x Stiles: Slow Build Up

These two were clearing being lined up to be a thing before Cora ended up leaving. I can’t say I’m disappointed they never happened. Kinda felt like they just wanted to straight-code Sterek.

Cora x Lydia: Mean Lesbians

Not much interaction to actually go off of, but yes I 100% support. They have very different approaches to problems, which is fun. Very ‘opposites attract’.

Malia x Kira: “Maybe you could date the coyote?”

Another one of my favorites!! They really complimented each other. Also, how full circle would they have been? They were introduced in back-to-back episodes. Malia stalking her as a coyote? The line from Kira’s dad about dating it? It would have been so funny if that ended up happening.

Malia x Lydia: Beauty and the Beast, but make it wlw

These two were fun. I liked their friendship, but I don’t really ship it. Though, rip Stiles that would have been hilarious.

Parrish x Lydia: The Cop and The Minor

Must I say more? Like, Parrish’s character, so sweet and big rule follower, did not make sense for what went down with Lydia. I love Parrish, but the dynamic just felt off. It didn’t feel consistent with the rest of his characterization.

Parrish x Stiles: The Cop and The Minor, but gay?

Ok, same reasoning as above, but also they had absolutely no connection romantically.

Scott x Theo / Stiles x Theo: Sometimes The Villain is Hot

Ok I’ve put these together because I have the same opinion for both. I don’t ship it. Neither had any rebuilding of trust, and Theo really hurt both of them. I just don’t really think they work.

Mason x Liam: Sciles Puppy Pack Edition

Similar to my feeling about Sciles, I just don’t ship these two. They had a good friendship, from the little we saw of it.

Theo x Liam: Anchors 2: Electric Boogaloo

Another personal favorite! I really don’t even understand why this didn’t go canon?? The elevator scene was just, so intense. They helped each other grow in 6B, and I really loved their dynamic. They should have hooked up.

Honorable Mention?:

Parrish x Laura: What’s canon?

I’ve seen this in fanfic a lot, and I actually really like it lol. I thought I’d add it in here because I do love the creativity of fandoms.

78 notes · View notes

rein-ette · 3 years ago

Note

Are you still working on your Commonwealth study? Do you have any thoughts on Arthur's relationships with his colonies apart from Canzuk + US?

Not properly, unfortunately with exams and then work I haven’t had mental/emotional capacity to do real research (and probably won’t for a while 😔). But I have continued to think about and develop certain relationships, and I think I also have old hcs I’ve never shared, so I’ll put those down!

Born into the Empire

Australia

@oumaheroes has already done such great hcs on him idk what I can add, but basically he was a little bit of a rowdy child, always breaking windows and shattering fancy pots, never able to sit still. I think rainbow once mentioned that Ken (short for Kenneth, my name for Aus) was a lot like England as a child in his curiosity and energy, and I wholeheartedly agree. But I think Arthur’s intensity was more inwardly directed, pushing him to pursue and master new talents and learn whatever he could, while Australia is a little more carefree in his love for the outdoors, exploring, jumping around and off things, little wild animals. Unfortunately for him, he was born in a period of the empire when Arthur was very serious about his kids education, and therefore often praised those who studied hard and learned fast, which really just wasn’t Australia’s cup of tea. Australia took this kinda hard and thought he was the “dumb” one in the family that Arthur was always scolding, but in reality Arthur knew and appreciated that Australias interests lay elsewhere — he was just a frustrated, tired, parent who really wanted to give his kids the best while also holding his empire together, two goals that were never going to fit well in the end and would completely exhaust him.

As Australia’s grown older he’s realized a bit of this (not entirely, though) and also that 1) he really did break a lot expensive things and cause general mayhem 2) scolding us Arthur’s way of showing he cares, if he didn’t he wouldn’t have payed attention to him at all 3) despite being a penal colony, he was still one of Arthur’s more “legitimate” children (being white and a boy) and was therefore still incredibly privileged — never having to question, for example, why it was that Arthur was his dad, if it should be this way, or if he had a seat at the family table at all (more on this later).

New Zealand

Zee, from birth, was a clear favourite. Obedient, calm, quietly intelligent, he would also later develop a blistering sense of humour which combined with his appearance made it overwhelmingly clear who’s child he was. If Ken questioned his place in the family because of his poor academic record and others did because of their appearance/race/other complications, Kaelan never had such problems; his siblings called him the “prince.” Zee, however, also had a charm that, like Matthew, endeared him to his siblings and mostly protected him from jealousy, though he certainly still had issues with being called a try hard, daddy’s boy, bossy, arrogant. Certainly as a child Zee was a little prideful and, under that unperturbed demeanour, willful, but he grew out of it by the 20th century and became one of those most trusted by Arthur, second only to Matthew. He’s also always been inseparable from his brother Australia despite their differences, and today they both have one of the healthiest and most amicable relationships with Arthur of any nation, let alone former colonies (family road trips, every summer).

Bermuda

I absolute fell in love with this girl after reading about here, once, in this fic by @shachaai, and after that my mind just ran away with me. For me, her human name given to her by Arthur just has to be Ariel — for the little mermaid reference, yes, symbolizing her connection to the sea and stunning good looks, but also because:

1. Ariel is a biblical name, meaning lion of God. This makes sense to me, because Bermuda began as a Portuguese trade post, so Arthur definitely consulted our resident bad catholic Port before naming her.

2. Ariel used to be boys name. This also makes sense, because I hc Bermuda was and still is a tomboy. Bitch is fierce, takes no prisoners, and has zero filter. Her letters to Arthur, which all the colonies sent so Arthur could keep an eye on things, were full of shit like “I swear to god if the Spanish don’t get out of my waters I might eat one of them,” and “father, I asked you for destroyers two months ago, and yet you sent them to Hong Kong — could you explain this most unusual occurrence, surely it’s not that you forgot”, and “thank you for the harpoon on my birthday, I caught a small shark a couple days ago and have sent you some of its teeth for your collection.” Arthur tolerates this attitude because he’s weak when it comes to girls; he absolutely spoils his daughters (and flushes like a 16 year old when a woman so much as bats her eyelashes at him). Yes, p*ssywhipped Arthur is a hill I will die on.

3. It also suits her because? Ariel? Shakespeare? The Tempest? Bermuda Triangle? Shipwrecks? Daughter-like figure of powerful and vengeful sorcerer? Yeah. And this girl is a fire spirit — she is so lively, snarky, clever. As she’s grown older she’s mellowed out a little, but still: a no shit taken, no fucks given type of gal.

4. Speaking of growing up, she’s also become quite the beauty. Shacha, if I’m remembering correctly, described her as dark skinned, wavy-haired, and green eyed and that image has been burned onto the back of my eyelids ever since. Those Iberian genetics really be pulling through for her, that’s for sure. Engport love child if I’ve ever seen one. Definitely one of the prettiest in her family.

Singapore

I’ve already mentioned this to needcake, but I’m not too big a fan of canon Singapore, so this is my oc version. Singapore is fascinating to me because it had only a very small local population before it became a colony (The original settlement had actually been destroyed by the Portuguese about two centuries before the British started building a port there.) So nation-tans like Singapore and Bermuda really are Arthur’s children in the most direct sense of the word. And yet, Singapore is mostly ethnically Chinese, with Malays being the second largest group. Growing up Asian in a white, Victorian era family surely cannot have been easy and more than once Singapore probably wondered if there hadn’t been some mistake. To make up for the constant fear that he wasn’t “really” British, Singapore studied ferociously and had a truly terrifying work ethic. I’m not sure if this is common knowledge outside Asian circles, so I’ll mention that this hc comes from the fact Singapore is well known for having truly exceptional students and some of the most prestigious schools. Singaporeans score highly in literally everything and they have an advantage with good English learning environments, a highly desirable trait in Asia, but these results come from brutally long hours — and its really saying something that they’re known for working hard, considering the studying ethic of students in Korea, Japan, and China aint nothing to sneeze at, either. To me this actually fits really well with Singapore’s upbringing in Arthur’s household, because Arthur himself prizes intelligence and hard work above all else, being a workaholic himself.

As for their relationship, it was probably the best when Singapore was young and peaked in the 1930s with the massive naval base the British built at Singapore, at the time the largest dry dock in the world. Singapore was a well-behaved child, not necessarily introverted but not rowdy either, and all the way into his teenage years he truly admired Arthur and was proud to be a part of the British Empire, despite his lingering unease and insecurities. The British defeat in World War II, however, was a massive turning point. He had worked his ass off to be a good son, a good brother, to contribute to the only family and system he had ever known, and he had thought by the 30s he was finally on his way to becoming a fine adult. And suddenly, the British surrender brings his entire world crashing down. He had followed the rules faithfully thinking it was his destiny, but suddenly it was clear that all rules were made up. Of course, his insecurities exploded. If the empire was a ruse, what the hell was he? A part of the illusion? He couldn’t have a truly Asian identity, because many of the old East Asian nations shunned him for his Western upbringing, and he could not entirely understand their values either. So he was a kid who kinda had to figure out late and very very suddenly who the fuck he was and wanted to be.

And, well, he’s done pretty well for himself, hasn’t he. After having a total crisis and questioning everything, I think Singapore slowly started to realize that just because the British Empire as a political entity didn’t last forever, that didn’t mean that his entire childhood and identity weren’t real. The love he gave to his siblings and the love he got back, the hard work he put in, his bond with Arthur and the safe, happy childhood he had — those memories and feelings didnt have to be diminished by what came after. Essentially, he learned the lesson all nations have to learn, which is that one needs to be able to discern between duties as a nation and feelings as a human being, and to some extent keep them separate to protect both.

Whoooooo ok I’ll stop there because this turned into a dissertation, sorry. Let me know if there are any specifics u want me to elaborate on or anything I missed, but I’ll leave this here for today :)

#hws england #hws Australia #hws new zealand #oc: hws Bermuda #not gonna tag anymore I’m lazy #fun times with the commonwealth #I probably won’t write so much for all of them I just put it there to remind myself #needcake #ask #my hcs

43 notes · View notes

roselightfairy · 4 years ago

Note

A,B,D,L,X for the fandom asks!

From this ask meme.

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

Well, haha. For LOTR: Legolas/Gimli, as everyone knows. Lately I’ve been having lots of feelings about various OC pairing, and I have particularly strong feelings about Thranduil and his wife – feelings that are only growing stronger, really. I really love a triad with Frodo&Sam/Rosie, where Sam and Rosie are romantically and sexually involved and Frodo is a queerplatonic partner to them.

Outside of LOTR, the only main pairings I really have strong feelings about are all the canon pairings from ATLA – Katara/Aang, Sokka/Suki, and Zuko/Mai. I just think those couples are so lovely and well-executed (unpopular opinion, in some cases!) and I love them all very much.

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

This one would be Gimli/Eomer! I hadn’t thought much about it (I didn’t even notice the incredible innuendo the two of them trade in my first read because I was so occupied by Gimli and Legolas) until I read “A Question of Honour” by Honesty and it changed my life and now I need more fic of Gimli and Eomer making out rightnowrightnowrightnow.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

Unfortunately… basically any ship that includes Legolas but not Gimli. Most of them I don’t particularly wish I liked, but every now and then, someone comes around with an OC that they’ve clearly put so much thought and care into, who has a really thoughtful backstory and worthy relationship (no I’m not addressing this at anyone in particular why ever would you think I was) and I just wish I could engage with it, but . . . the NOTP feelings are real. Somehow, as we have discussed, I am able to simultaneously hold the belief that romance is not inherently more important than other relationships – and the utter inability to picture Legolas romantically with anyone else. (This would be the case with any long-term pairing with Gimli, too, but he doesn’t really tend to get paired with anyone else so I don’t run into the issue. My theory is that by the time fandom came around to recognizing the inherent attractiveness of dwarves, most of those people had also come around to recognizing Legolas and Gimli as a forever love.)

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

I am not generally a big fan of Angel from the Buffyverse, but I really genuinely enjoy watching him when he’s being goofy with his friends on his spinoff show. The moments are fewer and farther between than I wish they were, but they always make me smile and I wish the show had leaned into them more, because he can really be sweet and silly when he’s with people he has a good rapport with.

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

(Note that for this question I am making a distinction between favorites specifically and characters I would die defending – there is certainly a lot of overlap, but there are some characters I adore but don’t perceive as needing defense, and others I adore but who don’t deserve my defense – and others who need defense but I do not consider my children. It’s actually a very convoluted question!!)

Aang. AANG AANG AANG. He is my SON and my CHILD and my LOVE and as soon as I see anything that has even the slightest whiff of disfavor I’m climbing that hill, knives out.

Korra, also. I’m not as involved in LOK fandom, but I’ve definitely seen some stuff that makes me want to shield her with my own body (though she’d never let me).

Buffy Summers. She has suffered ENOUGH; stay AWAY from her.

The following are characters who specifically need my defense from Peter Jackson and the ensuing fanon:

4. Legolas

5. Gimli

6. Frodo

7. Sam

8. Merry

9. Pippin

Thank you for asking! Some of these took quite a bit of thought!

#ask #ramblings #whining about the lotr movies #shipping

12 notes · View notes

surveys-at-your-service · 4 years ago

Text

Survey #293

“your head upon a stick would look really sick, but they would call me crazy for the way i spoke to it”

Hey bitch, what's your fucking name? What a start, jc lmao. Brittany. What color are your nails? They're not painted. Last time you got some ass? Well this survey's gonna be a journey. Many years ago. Do your parents like your style/music choices? Yeah, at least most of it. Some music my mom really doesn't like or just hates, while I can't even imagine Dad's reaction to some bands I enjoy. Ever seen your parents make out? tbh would rather slam my ankle on a Razor scooter. What's your dream height and weight? Forget about my height, if I could just be at least 120 again... Do you put your hair up a lot or down? It's too short to put up. Most of the time do you straighten or curl your hair? Neither. What do you do when your house loses power? Light a bunch of candles and carry flashlights. What piercing do you hate? I'm not a fan of cheek piercings. Were you raised in a religious house? Yes. I grew up going to Sunday school and church, even though I hated both. Do your parents get mad when you're on the computer for hours? Gah... it was a very, very big source of argumentative fuel between Mom and me all the way up to my late teenage years when she just gave up; now, it's to be expected and is completely "normal." I always wanted to be on the computer once I was introduced to it; she tried to limit my time on it, and it was without fail what she would take away whenever I was grounded. I'd even sneak onto it when I wasn't allowed to if she wasn't home and Dad was in their room. My mom really did try to keep me from being hooked on technology, she really did, it just didn't work, but dear god I wish it did. I just about turn into a caveman without some form of it, and it's pretty pathetic. Dad meanwhile has never really cared much, but he'd make a comment here and there that would make me self-conscious about it. Have you ever been asked for a nude picture? No, and guess who would be ignored for the rest of their lives if they did. It's so fucking disrespectful and objectifying to me. If someone wants to send a partner something like that by their own volition, that's cool, but asking, that just seems incredibly rude to me and turns the person into an object of lust. Ever been so scared you pissed? Caaan't say I have. Can you watch scary movies at night and not be scared? Yeah, they've never really fazed me. Last reason you got your cell taken away? I actually don't know if that's ever happened, given the aforementioned computer thing. I was never hooked on my phone. Could you handle working on a farm? Nooooo, that is way too much physical exertion. Have you ever been attacked by an animal? No. Have you ever had to put an animal to sleep? ugh Do you have a favorite type of firework? Well, visually I really just like the big colorful ones, but I don't endorse the use of fireworks anymore. Some animals literally die from fear, they can be seriously upsetting to veterans with PTSD (you could have one in your neighborhood and never know you indirectly gave them a panic attack), and they're a large source of litter. Where would/did you get your first tattoo? My right wrist. What's your favorite kind of pet? Snakes. Favorite dinosaur? Spinosaurus is obviously the coolest. It's always been my fave. How many pets do you have? Sigh, just two. Our landlord doesn't want us to get anymore pets than what we came in with. What were two of your favorite Disney movies as child? The Lion King and Finding Nemo. They're still my favorite Disney movies. When carving pumpkins, how do you decide what you're going to do? I haven't carved a pumpkin in years... so idk. Do you own any art supplies? Some, yeah. Do you believe you have a higher IQ than most? Definitely not. What is the name of the doctor that delivered you? I have no clue. Mom knows him for sure because she's mentioned him from my childhood, but I don't. Have you ever seen a Lamborghini in person? Hunny, I live in rural North Carolina. You don't see that level of bougie here lmao. Shane Dawson: funny or annoying? I honestly think he's fucking hilarious. I just have such conflicting feelings about him after "the drama," hearing so many people's opinions (particularly from those who know him so well, like his fiance and Ryland's sister), fact checking, audio cutting and mixing, the whole "people change" philosophy... I don't know. When you have a container of Neapolitan ice cream, what flavor do you leave for last? I ain't touchin' strawberry. Gross. If you could choose to have any superpower ever, what would you pick? I'd wanna be a shapeshifter/druid. What would you be more embarrassed to buy: sex toys or adult diapers? Yikes, sex toys. Given my age, I'd say if I bought adult diapers, people would assume they weren't for me. I'm awkward enough with all things relating to sex to begin with, so. What’s the biggest animal you’ve ever killed? Yo wtf I never have and never will (intentionally) kill an animal. Well, correction: I've killed bugs before, the biggest probably being some spider or something, but I really try to avoid this now. Could you win the Hunger Games? lol hell to the fuck no, have you seen me??? For you, would getting amnesia be a good thing? ... Maybe? Not saying I wanna find out, though. Have you ever been punched in the face? No, plan on keeping it that way. Is morality universal or relative? I question this myself. Who is your favorite late night talk show host? I don't have one. Where do you put your keys when you get home? They stay in my purse. Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee? Neither. The sheer variety of questions relating to coffee and tea in surveys boggles my mind, always feel left out that I can't answer 'em lmao. What’s your phone background picture? My lock screen is this pretty, soft aesthetic screen that has "i am strong, i am loved, i am enough" written in the center. I've really needed it for my mental health lately. My home screen is some meerkats. I know, can you believe neither are currently Mark? Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? Plenty. How do you cope with anxiety? Deep breathing, mindfulness and grounding exercises, confiding in my mom, listening to music (usually my favorite calm, instrumental soundtracks, like from the Silent Hill franchise - particularly the second game! - or Shadow of the Colossus), try to nap, play a game as a distraction, watch my favorite YouTubers (typically something funny)... I'm lucky to have learned a lot. Now, if only I could cope with social anxiety... What was the last takeout food you ate? Oh Jesus, how embarrassing is this timing, seeing as it was one of my unhealthiest fast food orders: Son of the Baconator and Baconator fries from Wendy's. It was so fuckin good tho. Who makes you laugh the most? My friend Girt. What does a successful relationship look like to you? One with great communication and total honesty, and when you are able to build each other up and bring out the best in your partner. It's also imperative for you to feel safe being your authetic safe for me to consider it "successful." What do you like to put on your baked potato? "Salt, pepper, butter, cheese, bacon bits." <<<< That's how we do it, lads. What was the most memorable birthday you’ve had? My 16th, but not for good reasons. Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? That's easy as hell, mountains. I don't like the beach. Do you look in the mirror before you leave the house? Yeah. Not gonna like what I see no matter what, but I'd like to make sure I don't look worse whan what's normal. Have you ever seen someone quit their job in a dramatic way? No. What do you like to dip your fries in? It varies between ketchup and honey mustard. What’s your favorite kind of museum? Science. Do you believe in alternate universes? Nah, I don't think so. Whose house did you last visit? My older sister's. What games do you play on your smart phone? Mostly just Pokemon GO nowadays. I haven't touched Dragons of Atlantis in a long time... Do you know anyone who is colorblind? Jason's older brother is red/green colorblind, I think? Are you the youngest, middle or eldest child in your family? Middle. What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but keep putting off? Ugh, I need to finish decorating my damn room... Got most of the stuff on the walls now, but it's still pretty skeletal in self expression. My motivation is abysmal. Have you ever flown a kite? Oh yeah, I loved to fly a kite with Dad as a little kid when the tobacco field just across the road was barren. Who was the last person you talked about sex/relationships with? My doctor. How many brothers does your father have? I'm almost certain he doesn't have one, just one sister. Do you think you act older or younger than your actual age? It depends on the situation. When it comes to "adulting," I don't have a fuckin clue what I'm doing. I doubt anyone would believe I'm a month shy of 25. In terms of general maturity, I think I act my age, if not older. When was the last time you swam in a pool? It's been years. What are your parents' views on your relationships? Mom is always very supportive so long as they treat me right; she's taken to all my previous partners very well and treated them like family, too. My dad is also supportive as long as I'm treated properly and happy. Is your best friend dating anyone? No. Have you ever babysat before? Twice, but not really willingly. Way too stressful. Do you delete pictures of you and your exes off of Facebook? It took a very, very long time, but all pictures with Jason are forever deleted. Ever had a huge crush on someone who still doesn’t know? Not a huge crush, no. Ever watched porn? No. You do you, but I don't see the appeal of watching some random people fuck. Ever performed in a talent show? No. Would you audition for a reality talent competition? Nope. How many celebrity crushes have you had? I'd say Jesse McCartney, Link Neal, and Mark Fischbach are my only BIG celeb crushes I've had. How many non-celebrity crushes have you had? I dunno, don't feel like reaching back and counting. Ever been compared to a celebrity? Not visually, but with my adoration of animals. Have any embarrassing pictures on Facebook? Oh, I'm sure. None that are horribly embarrassing though, or else I would have deleted them. Ever seen a therapist? I've regularly seen a therapist since the 6th grade. Ever purposely ignored a text? Yep. A Facebook message? Sure have, when I was beyond done arguing with a former friend. A friend request? No, I just decline or accept it. My page is private, so you can't see my activity, and it's not like they get notified if it's declined, Would you say you read into things too much? I am the fucking sovereign of this. If you turned out exactly like your mom would you be pleased? I love my mom to death, but no. I'd be disappointed. Ever had a credit card denied? I've never had one in the first place. Ever had the lead in a play? No. I do remember though in elementary school, I was real bummed that I wasn't Snow White for one we did for Music class. What about a solo in a concert? Never been in a concert. Would it bother you if you found out that your mother was pregnant? Well. One, she's long past menopause. Two, because of ovarian cancer, she had all those organs removed. So, that would be impossible. Have you ever had a threesome? No; I'm personally strictly monogamous and would feel it to be disloyal, even if my parnter was okay with it. What's the last game you used dice for? Not a clue. Are you interested in surfing at all? Have you ever been? No. What brand of bottled water do you prefer? Essentia. What is your favorite type of bird? Barn owls. What is your favorite chocolate candy? motherfuckin REESE'S Have you ever been called a racial slur? No, considering I'm Caucasian. Why did you last stand in line? I was at the doctor's office, I think? What is your favorite pirate movie? /shrug What is your favorite character from Orange Is the New Black? I've never watched it. What was the most unsettling film you’ve seen? Watching the ending to Paranormal Entity was VERY uncomfortable. It was a decently scary movie, but the ending was seriously intense. When was the last time you were snooping, and found something you wish you hadn’t? I don't recall. Which celebrity or band has the worst fan base? I don't know. What are you interested in that most people aren’t? The sheer degree of my love for meerkats would definitely be missed by probably most people. What smartphone feature would you actually be excited for a company to implement? I dunno. Anything I could think of, the most current products probably already have and I'm just uninformed of them. Like, I use a Tracfone lmao. What’s something people don’t worry about but really should? Their plastic usage and disposal. I'm certainly no saint when it comes to plastic either, but I try to do all I can. What movie quotes do you use on a regular basis? Hm, ARE there any? Do you think that children born today will have better or worse lives than their parents? This depends on what you consider "better" and "worse." Environmentally, I honestly don't think mankind can maintain itself for that many more generations at the rate we're currently at, so that's probably just gonna keep getting worse. On the other hand, advances in medicine and things like that will certainly continue to improve quality of life in that sense. Human rights are getting better and better. I do fear that we're becoming too comfortable with laziness and convenience, but I hope that's a decline we don't continue to venture down. What’s the funniest actual name you’ve heard of someone having? I had a college classmate named Apple. Which charity or charitable cause is most deserving of money? Oh, come on now. It's not a competition. What game have you spent the most hours playing? So. When you type /played in World of Warcraft, it will show you your total playtime, and mine is YIKES. Like, around a year's worth of time of pure playing since 2014, I think. What’s the most comfortable bed or chair you’ve ever been in? I don't recall. What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked? When I did WiiFit religiously and lost around 40 pounds in HS. I was in the best shape of my life. What movie, picture, or video always makes you laugh no matter how often you watch it? Oh, there's certainly something. Probably some Unus Annus clip. That channel was a fucking blessing and a curse all the same. If you could have an all-expenses paid trip to see any famous world monument, which monument would you choose? Oh boy, I'd have to think, but probably somewhere in Rome or Greece. What’s the coldest you’ve ever been? I'm unsure. Probably jumping in the pool as a kid. My sisters and I would nag Dad to put the pool up on like the very first day of spring, so of course it was cold, but as a kid, I didn't mind that. What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought? Hm. What’s the most depressing meal you’ve eaten? Ha ha yiiiikes, struggle foods... I don't know, but I've had some. What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to? Herping, though I change my mind on-and-off about it. I'm not very into the idea of disturbing wildlife just because they're cool and you wanna check them out. I'd totally go exploring with a camera, though, and not actually pick anything up. If you were given five million dollars to open a small museum, what kind of museum would you create? Hm... I actually think something like an art museum for the mentally ill would be pretty interesting and educational? Even something that could build empathy. Maybe mix some psychology in there to understand conditions.

#survey #surveys #questions #questionnaire #lyrics: ''apex predator'' by otep

2 notes · View notes

finnofamerica · 5 years ago

Text

Change Your Mind - Sirius Black X Reader

Summary: You love Sirius Black, but your father doesn’t approve.

Word count: 1563

Date: 9.22.2019

Warnings: Mild language

|| Masterlist ||

Your dad did not like Sirius black. Not one bit. Not at all. He heard all the rumors. Sirius Black was a heart breaker. Sirius black played with women like they were his childhood toys and tossed them aside like they were yesterday’s news. Sirius Black betrayed his family.

He wasn’t exactly wrong, of course. Sirius Black was all those things. Well, except for the family thing. As far as you were concerned it was his family that wronged him. Stil your father wouldn’t hear of it.

You remembered the first time you saw Sirius - really saw him. He was standing across Hogsmede listening to something Remus was saying. An early spring glow filled the air, opposite to the way Remus was shivering. You couldn’t hear was Sirius was saying, but he gripped Remus hard by the shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes, speaking sternly. If it had been anyone other than Remus, you’d might think Sirius was bullying him, but you couldn’t miss the way Remus shuddered into a sob, collapsing into the arms of his friend. You’d figured you’d seen enough, after all, you didn’t know Sirius or Remus, and they didn’t know you. Just as you were about to look away, Sirius caught your eye, his silvery pools boring into yours. You could feel the heat on your cheeks as you quickly hurried away.

“Had enough of a show had you?” Sirius cornered in the back of the library, where are the muggle novels were.

“I don’t know what you mean.” You gripped your book tightly.

“Right,” He snorted, “Of course you don’t. What, do you get off seeing Gryffindors in peril, snake breath?”

“I’ll have you know, asshole, that I thought you were sweet for comforting Remus and now I see a was proved wrong.” You stood your ground, but fury burned at the derogatory jab at your house. You wouldn’t let Sirius Black scare you. You wouldn’t let him win if all he was doing was making wild accusations based upon something as trivial as house identity.

Sirius blinked. He wasn’t used to women standing up to him, then again, he wasn’t the type to harass women to protect his friends. Why was he so keen to confront her?

“Now, if you don’t mind, I do believe I have a schedule to keep.” You pushed past him, leaving his eyes trailing after you.

“I’m sorry,” He called after you, but couldn’t tell if you’d heard him.

Since then you could feel Sirius Black’s proverbial grip on you tighten, drawing you in. Glances from across the great hall, “subtly” making sure he was in your line of sight as much as he possibly could. Until that inevitable moment, he cornered you again, this time instead of feeling like a confrontation, a conversation.

“I’ve been trying to apologize for a month now,” Sirius huffed, out of breath after chasing you down. “I wrongly accused you of malice, just let me fucking apologize already.”

“Oh, I know,” You laughed. “I heard you the first time in the library, but I have been enjoying your attempts.”

“You’re terrible.”

“Thank you.”

There was a pause, neither of you quite knowing what to say.

“Fresh start?” You quirked a brow at him.

“Yeah.”

“Well then, I’m Y/n.” You stuck your hand out to shake. He took it without hesitation.

“I’m Sirius.”

“A pleasure. I hate to greet and dash but I have an exam to get to.”

“You’re pining,” James would say to Sirius days later.

“Sirius Black does not pine,” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, sure he doesn’t, that’s why you’ve been making googly eyes at that Slytherin girl all week.”

“Her name is Y/n.” He corrected.

“So you admit it,” James smirked, enjoying the way Sirius was beginning to fluster.

“I admit to nothing, I was simply correcting you is all. Besides, I don’t pine after girls, girls pine after me.”

James was right, for once. Sirius had been pining over you. Not only did you stand up to him, but you so effortlessly forgave him. The end of their time at Hogwarts was fast approaching and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle it if you disappeared forever.

He found you in the courtyard that evening, perched between two stone pillars, book in hand as the sun was slowly beginning to set.

“Can I sit here?” He asked, catching your attention. You hummed with a nod, setting your book to the side.

“What’s up?”

“Gorgeous, there are some things you need to know,” His voice was soft like the rain, “My family aren’t good people.”

You listened intently as he poured out his heart to you, revealing the deepest and darkest corners of his soul. His life at home, living with the Potters’, first year when he desperately tried to change his red robes to green. At the end of it all, you weren’t sure why you were crying, but you pulled Sirius into the tightest hug you could muster.

There were rough days after that, after the end of your seventh year. Your father had heard of your “fling” with the eldest Black and disapproved. He told you that it was wrong, that Sirius wasn’t any good for you. You ignored him, however, and sent weekly letters to Sirius. Snuck out when you could, if only to spend a few hours with him under the cover of the stars. Leaving kisses of hesitant goodbyes in your wake.

That’s when he told you James and Lily were getting married, but your father didn’t want you to go not if you were going to go see Sirius. You snuck out anyway, telling yourself that it was only for James and Lily, but as Sirius held you dancing, the truth couldn’t be hidden from anyone, even yourself.

He held you long after the lights went out and James and Lily went to celebrate. You sat with Sirius on a hill in some muggle town, Lily’s choice, of course, watching as the sun set and stars flickered to life in the night sky.

“Y/n.”

You hummed in response.

“I love you.”

Your eyes flickered to his, a smile overcoming your features.

“I love you too.”

“Will you stay with me? Even if just for the night?”

“I’d like nothing more.” You leaned into him, pressing your lips to his stubble covered cheek. You’d deal with your father in the morning, but the night - the night was for you and Sirius, away from the prying eyes of people who cared only for reputations.

You woke the next morning to voices coming from downstairs, taking you a moment to realize where you were. Sirius’ room at the Potters’. You’d spent the night after walking around into the wee hours of the morning. You rubbed your eyes, creeping downstairs in a pair of Sirius’ boxers and a t-shirt. He was in the kitchen, laughing with Mrs. Potter while he helped her prepare breakfast. Mr. Potter was sitting at the table, reading the day’s paper, while idly listening to his wife and somewhat adoptive son.

“Ah and the angle awakes,” Mr. Potter drew their attention to you, while elderly, he never lost his wit.

“Goodmorning,” You said shyly, embarrassed over your inappropriate dress.

“Goodmorning, dear,” Mrs. Potter beamed at you. “Take a seat at the table, breakfast’s almost ready.”

You took a seat, fiddling nervously with your hair. Sirius was watching you from the corner of his eye, heart-swelling and ears growing pink. If he could have this every morning he’d die a happy man.

“Did you enjoy the wedding?” Mr. Potter asked.

“It was beautiful, Mr. Potter. I’m sure you’re very proud of James.” “Please, call me Fleatmont, and the woman Euphemia, she won’t have any of that Mrs. Potter business.”

Euphemia flicked his ear at being called “the woman”, but winked at you nonetheless.

“Y’know, it’s not too often that Sirius brings women home,” Euphemia mentioned casually, causing Sirius to redden more.

“Only for your sake, Euphemia,” He joked, but the truth was that he didn’t want to bring home someone that his pseudo-parents couldn’t be proud of.

“What, do you think the poor woman’s heart couldn’t take it?” She shot back at him full of mirth. You smiled at the interaction. There was so much love in this home, you almost dreaded going back to see your father.

After breakfast, and after you dressed, Sirius walked you out.

“Can’t you stay?” He asked.

“I can’t, my father has definitely noticed I’m gone by now, I’ll be back soon.”

“We could get a place of our own.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

He kissed the promise on your lips as if to say he’d hold you to it. Hidden in the darkness of an alley, you apparated away,

“You’ve been out with that boy again.” Your father scowled.

“I have.” You nodded.

“It’s not right. You disobey your father-”

“No, it doesn’t seem right, and nobody said it’d be easy, but I love him. Trust in me, I’m gonna need your blessing. Even if it takes my life I will change your mind.” You swore, fury come and gone in a flash, “You look at me like the sun, and I can see that your mind’s made up, but Daddy he’s got a hold on me. I swear that he’s the one.”

TAGS: @diggorysghost @niffleurs @siriuslyimmoony @carolinesbookworld@untildawnremus @thoseofgreatambition @nosebleednougats @moonynprongs @marauderobsessed @theboywhocriedlupin @astertist @swellwriting @blimey-ron @dyngflwrs @fortisfiliae @essenceoflumos @bluemadcnna

#sirius black x reader #muraurders x reader #finn writes #full length #9/22/2019 #guess who is finally writing HP again #me bitches #full circle #heck yeah

129 notes · View notes

runnfromtheak · 5 years ago

Text

fanfic author’s tagging game (yay!)

Thank ya darling for tagging me!!!! @boyblunder-thedarkheir!!!!!

AO3 Name(s): LostandLonelyBirds aka RUNNFROMTHEAK

Fandom(s): Primarily Batfamily (so, Dick Grayson) and Young Justice (along with DCU obviously, but I also dabble into Miralculous Ladybug, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, and MCU (none of which I will ever seriously write for? Idk man).

Number of fics: 22 I will admit to (how do you have so many, my dear @boyblunder-thedarkheir? What is your secret?)

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Are we talking writing or thinking about writing, cause those are two very different answers. I spent the most time writing this bitch of a fic I’m working on right now, and the most time thinking about the two latest installments of my main series, Death is But An Illusion (aka How Could He and How Could It Be). I agonize over every goddamn detail with Dick’s anger, Jason’s Jason-ness, and every person’s every move and word. I am a mess, and I’m going to be murdered if I don’t update them soon. I am not sorry about that XD

2. Fic you spent the least time on: You Came Behind Me Secretly and Shattered Every Piece of Me (There's Blood On My Hands) aka my pick-your-own-canon clusterfuck of Dark!Dick Grayson and Dick Grayson being traumatized and tortured with no comfort (Some of them are so fucked up I question my own mind). I take less than an hour to write 80% of them, cause they’re short, and they very rarely take any time to plan. Fun and easy!

3. Longest Fic: At present, he had a chest full of heart and a body full of scars (pain became the only way that he could ever learn) is my longest, but the fic I’ve been hinting at on my other tumblr, @lostandlonelybirds is easily double the length (why do I do this to myself? Why am I like this?) the long boi (named one, not the one I won’t shut up about) is easily my best fic at the moment, and I’m so excited to write a sequel whenever I get the chance.

4. Shortest Fic: With Bated Breath and Pain You See (We're Nothing More Than Memories) technically, I have one shorter than that, but it’s a collab that wasn’t my original idea so I’m not counting it :)

5. Most Hits: You Came Behind Me Secretly and Shattered Every Piece of Me (There's Blood On My Hands) why do you people like this trash-fire so much? I don’t understand

6. Most Kudos: How Could He which does not surprise me.

7. Most Comment Threads: Technically, How Could He followed by the trash-fire AU title thing I’m too lazy to type again, but I’m gonna love on this one: Just Close Your Eyes (No One Can Hurt You Now) because it’s my baby, and it deserves it okay?

8. Fave Fic You Wrote: Ooo we are doing a top five.

5. How Could It Be (Jason is precious and sad and Dick is oblivious, and I love one-sided pining wayyyy too much)

4. How Could He (I put my life force into this stupid fic, so ofc it’s here)

3. I'm Scared to Live But I'm Scared to Die (I'm Numb Inside) (the suicidal boy, major trigger warning)

2. I See Things That Nobody Else Sees (And It's Slowly Killing Me) (the only fic I’ve ever written from Cass’s perspective, and definitely one of the creepiest and most fucked up. Bruce does not look good here)

1. he had a chest full of heart and a body full of scars (pain became the only way that he could ever learn) (so ummm Bruce doesn’t look good here either? RHATO #25 if DC wasn’t cowardly and let Dick react how he actually would, aka fuck Batman is the new motto)

9. Rewrites?: Fuck. All my older ones? Everything? Who knows.

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning:

Let’s do two. I’m nice.

First comes from How Could It Be:

“You loved him,” Donna says, ignoring his barb. “You loved him, and no one’s seen you or heard from you and I’m concerned, damnit.”

She punches his shoulder roughly, and he’s reminded of her strength, no matter how small she seems in her dead best friend’s sweater.

“I’m fine. Peachy-keen. Couldn’t be fuckin’ better. Honestly, you should be more concerned with Replacement, don’t think he’s slept in—”

“Jason.” Her voice is firm, even as her eyes swim with tears and she holds her arms tight to herself, breathing in the well-loved item’s scent. Jason wonders when Dick wore it last, if Donna had taken it from his abandoned Gotham Penthouse or his Chicago Apartment. He wonders if he’d left it draped over the couch, like the natural disaster he was, or if it had been folded neatly in a drawer.

For someone who prides himself on not being sentimental, Jason suddenly wishes he had something of Dick’s too.

“I’m here because I care, and because if Dick was here, he’d be doing the same thing I am.”

“But he ain’t here,” Jason snaps, “Is he?”

Donna’s head falls, and he feels like a giant jerk. He just… reacts poorly to that name, hasn’t heard it spoken since the transmission and subsequent funeral, since the guy he’d had the hots for since wearing the scaly panties had his mask ripped away and his life taken in front of Bruce’s eyes (who, to absolutely no one’s surprise, failed to save his son).

In the aftermath, no one said Dick Grayson’s name, always Nightwing, or some inane nickname the superhero community had for him. Last time he said it was to Damian, a failed attempt at comfort. But even Jason’s form of mutual grieving had been better than any of Bruce’s shit ideas. Bastard immortalized the ripped costume from his own son’s corpse (not that it had been the first time) and hadn’t even had the decency to give it a plaque (No ‘Good Soldier’ or ‘Good Son’, just a bare glass case with a bloody suit). Which… was weird. Jason was far from B’s best friend, but even he noticed something seemed strange, off, just not quite right. Like the funeral he didn’t speak at, like the breakdown none of them had witnessed beyond a one-off rage fit

“B, what the fuck happened down here?”

The Batcave was a disaster, dents glaringly obvious in several vehicles and a large spiderweb crack across the Batcomputer. Bruce closes the screen down, but Jason manages to catch a spiraling eye.

“Nothing, just…”

Bruce looks at the spare Nightwing costume none of them had taken down yet, still clean and ready for use (too bad its owner died and would never wear it again).

“Dick?” Jason questions, and the way Bruce’s eyes snap to his face is almost suspicious, almost enough to arouse concern.

“Yes. I—”

Jason sits next to Bruce on the desk, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I miss him too, Old Man. Don’t mean you need to be an ass about it.”

A memorial next to Jason’s own, but Dickhead’s is empty and broken from Damian’s fists and grief, and Jason’s is just gone. No one told him why, it was just gone.

Kind of like Dick.

He wonders if Bruce would have told him if the video hadn’t been broadcast, if he would’ve told anyone. B did love his fuckin’ secrets.

“No,” she whispers, and he can hear the tears in her voice, can feel her grief as keenly as his own. It’s palpable, tangible, “He’s dead, and I’m alive, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

And then, to Jason’s mounting horror, she starts crying openly.

…..

Second comes from my one I’m working on rn with Stray!Dick called I See Sunset In Your Eyes (I Hate This Part Right Here)

“Come on,” Wally says with a pout, dragging an overly amused Jason and Dick with him through the karaoke bar doors. “Donna and Roy are waiting for us, and Dick had to take forever to primp.”

Dick shrugs with a grin.

“Beauty takes time, time I can tell you did not take.”

Jason snorts, and Wally glares at him.

“At least I don’t take five hours to finish getting ready.”

“At least I can last longer than five minutes.”

“Ouch!” Roy butts in, throwing an arm around Jason and Dick’s shoulders. “Claws are out tonight!”

“Speaking from experience?” Jason asks, eyebrow raised.

Dick smirks without comment, sauntering past the group towards the table Donna’s lounging at.

“Hey gorgeous twin of mine,” He greets with a kiss to her eyes. She smirks, rolling her eyes at him.

“You’re just stroking your own ego with the twin tacked on, Wonder Boy.”

Dick bumps his shoulder against hers.

“Can’t I stroke both our egos?”

“You can stroke mine,” Wally mutters, turning red when Stray winks at his phrasing. Jason and Roy both facepalm, groaning. “Not what I meant guys!”

“Why Kid Idiot,” Dick replies, hand on his heart, “I had no idea you could be so forward~!”

Wally glares, waving over the waitress.

“Round of shots, on this dick,” he jerks his thumb at Stray, offering up his fake ID. She doesn’t bother checking it, probably because this is Gotham, and they were all in uniform. “Whisky, please.”

“Trying to get me drunk?” Jason jokes. It is, after all, his first big outing with the Titans for non-mission reasons. Stray had practically dragged him out of the Manor with a wink at Alfred and a middle finger for Bruce, saying that Jason needed to have fun outside of books.

Jason knows better than arguing with Dick Grayson-Kyle when he wants something, Stray trained him well.

“Of course, Batboy,” Roy replies, “It’s not a Titans outing if Stray is fully dressed and everyone’s sober.”

Dick shrugs.

“You’ll have to get some real liquor in me if you want me to do anything like last time.”

“Last time?” Jason asks, looking to Donna for an answer. Dick snorts. You get near naked one time…

“Boy Blunder ended up in just his boxers in a dancing cage drunk of his ass. Everyone thought he was one of the strippers, and he made, what, three-hundred dollars in bills?”

“Five-hundred,” Dick replies proudly, offering the waitress a twenty as she came back with their drinks. “Keep the change, darlin’!” He adds with a wink.

She flushes, making Jason frown.

Stray, of course, notices this and elbows Jason.

“Don’t get jealous, Blue Jay, it’s not becoming.”

Jason does not blush. He doesn’t, and that’s the hill he will die on.

“I’m not. On an unrelated note, pass me a shot.”

Jason is the master of changing the subject, Stray thinks sarcastically, passing him a shot and downing one of his own.

“Five bucks says alley cat blacks out,” Roy says smugly as Dick makes a face, the way he always did with heavier liquors. He glares at the redhead, who shrugs unapologetically.

Donna eyes them both speculatively, taking a sip of her own drink.

“Twenty says he gives a lap dance before he blacks out.”

Roy snorts.

“I’ll take it,” and to Dick, “Don’t do it, for me.”

Dick bats his eyes innocently.

“Lil’ old me? I would never do something so…” He trails a finger down Roy’s chest, making him swallow roughly. “Scandalous.”

Donna grins victoriously as Roy groans, trying and failing to hide his excitement.

“I hate you. I hate you both.”

Tagging whoever sees this, I suppose?

#dcu #dick grayson #my writing #stray!dick

11 notes · View notes

readermagnifique · 5 years ago

Text

Anne with an E Season 3 finale!

Spoilers.

Good grief I am in LOVE!!!

I want to have a character on this show for the sole purpose of having a bisexual affair with Winnie Rose, no I am not taking constructive criticism at this time.

Josie Pye counting the hours until she can get away from all the whispers and snide comments that she is definitely still getting, and probably mostly from her parents broke my heart she deserves to fly they all do.

Ruby is still a little gem and I love her.

Shirbert Part I: They are so proud of each other, look at those cute grins.

Moody still holds the title of best awkward comments.

"Congratulations"

You poor dumb dumb babies I love you both.

Miss Stacy is the best you can't change my mind. Potato lightbulbs forever indeed.

"7 days until we spread out wings and soar" Tiny babies, we stan.

"It's your future, not theirs"

"It's not your future, it's ours!"

This next scene was heartbreaking.

The Barry's were getting better and I hate them again now.

Matthew Cuthbert you are a cute potato and your one (1) flaw in life is pushing people away to protect them. We stan.

Mummy Lacroix learning to be softer is what I am here for!

Shirbert Part II: Beautiful! Sublime! This letter was everything we've been wanting to hear since day 1. Also definitely breaking his promise to Winnie to not say ANYTHING about not being engaged for 2 weeks, but we'll let it slide because you're cute as a button, and the pen mention at the end was the cherry on top.

I honestly expected her to completely miss the fact that the letter was even there. Never expected her to rip it, and was even better when she ran around trying to find the pieces, and GOT IT COMPLETELY WRONG! You are the most adorable tiny human, and this had me shaking my head not knowing whether to be frustrated or laughing.

Diana being almost catatonic at the idea of her future broke me. It is not being talked about enough, this was heartbreaking.

"I can't fly"

"My poor Diana, they've clipped your wings" This was beautifully tragical, and so so sad. Dalila Bela was phenomenal in this whole episode - more on that later.

Marilla being the best Mum. She has grown so much and she is the sweetest. This whole episode she was a damn star! I love her! She's done a complete 180° from where she started, from big things like being kinder and more open with those she loves, to small things like making a dress with beautiful, most definitely expensive, blue velvet for her girl.

Elijah redemption arc - I love a redemption arc, and they are the hill I will die on thanking you. And Bash learning to forgive him and allow him into his daughter's life - this was inspired, thank you Moira!!!

Marilla talking the Barrys round to the idea of Diana's desire to control her own life not being a selfish one was beautifully done. Just her being careful and considerate as she has always been at her core.

Miss Stacy and Anne both giving beautiful presents to each other - and MISS STACY WRITING KINDRED SPIRITS ON THE FRAME WAS SPECTACULAR!!! And her conversation about happiness was so sweet and caring, and mentioning depression in her own way did anyone else notice this?

Marilla being so excited about letters of Anne's past, and putting Matthew straight, just like he did earlier in the series.

Matthew crying; I can't cope with it. End of discussion, couldn't deal. He's too sweet.

Elijah is going to be such a good big brother now he's doing his best.

Anne packing away her room; so beautifully filmed, and so bittersweet. She has loved this little room more than anywhere else, and it's lovely.

Jane and Josie are friends again? They're stood together in the line, and no snide comments. They smile to each other while the matron was talking. Was there a deleted scene or something? Can someone write their reconciliation as a one shot? I want to see Jane learn like Prissy exactly what her family is.

Anne is definitely going to learn sign language, I will place good money on those odds. Just you watch her.

Somehow the matron reminds me of the librarian in Monsters University?

Anne putting her necklace on the bed meant for Diana.

The girls being excited and giggling in pure delight with each other, dancing and carefree, away from the small minds of their town. Beautiful and inspirational, and most of it is down to Anne, you cannot change my mind.

Miss Stacy screaming in excitement for Gilbert going to Uni! His yelling with her!

Mummy Lacroix learning from her son to help him forgive his own stepson. Redemption arcs all around in the Lacroix farm.

Siblings united at last. Mary would have been the happiest woman to see this.

AUNT JO! MY ULTIMATE FAVOURITE!!! LIFE GOALS!!! I LOVE HER!

Can we all just appreciate that Cole has been at art school carefully studying and perfecting the Gay Artist Walk™ and he is doing so well? The hips. The hands. Look at that beautiful carefully learnt carelessly elegant flounce! That is Growth.

Jo calling Marilla Anne's mother and how happy it makes her.

ANNE'S PRINCESS MOMENT! THAT DRESS! I CAN'T EVEN! ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!!!

Anne is the bravest of women, so strong, and all of those closest to her know this.

Cole and Jerry are the best brothers, you cannot prove this wrong.

Anne takes that moment to break apart on one that she trusts with her life, and one who she knows trusts her with his, and then just as quickly pulls herself back together again and carries on. She just needed that moment, and he knew to give it to her.

The cows are Pride and Prejudice and this is fantastic.

Matthew you adorable bean, and I cannot cope with you tearing up twice in one episode.

Anne with her dress, and gloves, and parasol. Mesmerising.

Mrs Thomas is hilarious.

"They were SCOTTISH!"

"He's DEAD! You know that." Cracking up laughing.

I want to know who Katie was? This is the second time she's been brought up. The imaginary friend who lives in glass cabinets. Other than that we know nothing, and I need to know more.

The book.

I want to have a character on this show for the sole purpose of having a bisexual affair with Winnie Rose, no I am not taking constructive criticism at this time.

I fully and completely believe that after they sorted out the fact that neither of them had any idea what the other was bloody talking about, Anne and Winnie are pen pals, and they're going to chat about Paris and Uni and become good mates. I am here for Anne's respect for other women, and you know for a fact that she has never said or thought a bad word about Winnie from day one, because none of it has ever been her fault. And Winnie has been understandably angry, but once she stops hurting over Gilbert (and has a bisexual affair with me that is definitely going to happen I swear) she will be happy to call Anne a friend, because she has always been loyal to her friends and never made a move on her man while he was hers, even when drunk and looking gorgeous after the exams.

The train. How amazing was every scene on this damn train. Diana going to Uni, hearing about Gilbert not going to Paris and not engaged, but also not going to queen's and definitely not sorting things her friend and this is unacceptable??? Her face??? Incredible!!!

Anne running in that dress is a vision.

Diana's face as she sits in the chair opposite Gilbert. And he smiles politely and has to do a double take because the FuRy??? Of this girl??? Phenomenal.

I am always here for whenever Anne has her hair down.

Diana going HARD for Anne. On a public train. Fully laying in to the smartest and dumbest boy in her class.

Diana is a wonder, all she needed was friendship with an unlikely redheaded orphan brat to unlock her imagination, and that redheaded orphan is the girl who has saved her from misery and drudgery and brought colour into her life, and she deserves so much better than the confusion Gilbert has been giving her this whole time and Diana is throwing EVERYTHING at him and I am here for this ride or die friendship!!!

"DIANA WHAT LETTER???" THE URGENCY THIS POOR BOY!!!

This running montage was perfection, then the silence just as they saw each other. Majestic.

That gentle hand on her cheek, asking permission, then the kiss.

And then Anne Shirley Cuthbert does the most Anne Shirley Cuthbert thing and pinches herself to check it's real.

And Gilbert So-Smart-And-So-Dumb Blythe still had to check that she loves him as much as he loves her and both of these reactions are the most valid thing I have ever witnessed.

And that second kiss; Anne "If I wanted to kiss a boy, couldn't I just, kiss him?" Shirley Cuthbert going for it, I am here for it on every level, I hope it's within the correct timespan for visiting suitors, because you're definitely not in the parlour Anne!

Anne not even getting mad that he's leaving just after he kisses her, she is so understanding what a damn angel.

And Gilbert desperately trying to reassure her before he has to run off again. That hand kiss, I am swooning over their romantical notions, the pair of them!

"DiANA???"

"Can I still be your roommate?" Look at this baby, with her witty quips and dramatic entrances! I adore that Anne has found a home among people who are just as dramatic as she is.

Mr Barry redeaming himself somewhat - "Take the carriage! Run boy! Accomplish your dreams!" He's learning, it's all we can ask for. Maybe next season I'll begin to like you again.

That hop out of the carriage, the return of the flirty eyebrows, that kiss; Mr Blythe! Straight out of a romance novel! He knows how to put his romantical notions into action.

"I have follow up questions."

Marilla and Matthew running with the book! The book itself! Mummy Shirley had red hair!!! Baby Anne's First Picnic!!! "Their handwriting looks like mine." !!!

"You are a wish come true, I never knew I was making" Marilla tear my heart out why don't you?!?!

Dear Gilbert I look like my mother.

This was a phenomenal, perfect ending to this series, we were not only fed, but giving a ten course meal, thank you Moira!!! Only thing I could have wished for was more Jerry, because he is a tiny baby, and more ka'kwet. Also the brutal and gruesome death of Billy Andrews would have been a nice bonus, but I'm happy to wait until season 4 that is definitely going to happen.

Now just give me a character on this show for the sole purpose of having a bisexual affair with Winnie Rose. Jo and Gertie 2.0! Meeting in a Parisian bookshop! Yes please!!!

21 notes · View notes

mirkwoodshewolf · 6 years ago

Text

My brave soldier muse; Eugene Sledge x reader

*Author’s note*

Wow okay so this is something COMPLETELY different than what I usually write. But after reading and actually watching The Pacific a couple months back with my dad, I’ve decided to take a crack at writing for our baby boy Joey Mazzello’s character; Eugene Sledge. Now before I get started I want to start off by saying I do NOT MEAN TO ROMANTICIZE PTSD or other mental illnesses. I know that gets people riled up and I hope I don’t offend anyone with this piece of fanfiction.

I also DO NOT own the pic that I’ve included in the fic, I’m just using it as a visual purpose for the story instead of having you guys try and look it up by watching the opening credits of The Pacific on youtube.

__________________________________________________

*1942*

The world was at war. The Nazi’s were planning on world domination but my people of America didn’t want to get involved because we had just started getting back up on our feet due to the Great Depression that lasted over 10 years. But it wasn’t until Pearl Harbor when the Japs bombed it without warning, or even reason.

From then on, every able bodied young man or previous vets from the first world war wanted to sign up and serve. Including my best friend Sidney Phillips and best friend turned boyfriend Eugene Sledge. The three of us have been best friends since the school yard, when a bunch of bullies were picking on me because I was drawing instead of playing during recess.

From then on, the three of us have been thick as thieves, always sticking together till the very end. It was shortly after our junior year of high school that Eugene and I started dating, in fact you may think he finally worked up the courage to ask me out well you’d be wrong.

I mean he tried, he really did but in the end I ended up asking him out. So he took me out to dinner and after—I kissed him, I knew we were made for each other. Of course Sidney had a field day and would constantly tease us any chance he got, especially towards Gene.

Sidney had already been deployed and been on the field on the Marines for a few months now, and Eugene tried to enlist but due to his heart murmur, he wasn’t qualified to go.

I was in my art studio currently working on a new painting that I had in mind. I had my canvas out and was doing the picture in charcoal when I heard the door open and slam shut. I stepped aside and saw Gene storming in and he placed himself right there on my cushioned couch where I would have my models usually sit.

“Still there?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He muttered. I sighed solemnly and set my charcoal pencil down and grabbed some wipes and cleaned my hands up a bit before sitting down next to Gene. If I’m being truthful, I’m glad the murmur is still there.

I know it sounds selfish of me but I’ve already lost my big brother James Barnes to the war with the Japs, my mama could barely stand and was depressed for weeks till one day she just died of a broken heart. Of course my daddy barely escaped the first World war with only a missing arm but it was during the Depression that finally killed him, without money coming in he couldn’t pay to afford a doctor to come and help him with his arm which had soon gotten infected and he passed away due to the infections of his missing arm and no antibiotics to keep him healthy.

Eugene and Sidney are all I have of family now, and I’m already fearing of losing another brother, I can’t lose the love of my life to this war.

“Do you wanna head for the lake?” I asked him. He turned to look at me and I took his hand and soon I led him out the backway and the two of us headed just down the hill from my house where the lake stood.

Our family home was like a little place of heaven. Wild flowers as far as the eye can see, all varying in different breeds and colors, a small little lake that circled just at the bottom of the hill, and when the sun would hit it, it made the lake shimmer and shine like a beautiful diamond ring.

Sometimes I would come here to sketch and get away from everything of the real world, my own little patch of heaven. Eugene would come here too when he needed to de-stress or get away from it all from the insecurities of his mind. And lately because of his failure to enlist and seeing himself as a failure, he needed this more than I did.

We both lay down on our usual spot and I lay my head right across his lap. His hands gently stroked and played with my hair as the two of us stared up at each other.

“I know you feel happy about me not being able to enlist.” He stated bluntly. I sighed heavily and said to him.

“Gene…..”

“Don’t lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. I know you to damn well (y/n).” I sadly looked at him and said.

“But it’s not what you’re thinking. You know how devastating it was for me to lose my brother. And then I had to take care of my mama and in the end she died of a broken heart from losing a child, not even caring that she left her youngest one behind. And with Sidney now away fighting the Japs I fear that he too will die. Gene I—I can’t lose anyone else in my life, I just can’t I…..” tears started falling down the corner of my eyes.

“Hey, hey I’m sorry, I’m sorry sweet girl, come here.” He pulled me up and embraced me. My head resting against his shoulder as I softly wept. “I’m sorry doll, I’m so sorry. But you do realize that Sidney is about as stubborn as wild hog, he ain’t gonna let no Jap get the best of him, he’s too stubborn for his own good. Always has been.” That at least got me to choke out a laugh. “There’s my happy girl, with that million dollar smile that I love so much.” He said as he separated from me and wiped away my tears with his thumbs.

He softly kissed the corner of my mouth and I said to him.

“I’m sorry Genie I just….I just don’t know what I would do without you in my life. You’re my soulmate, the one I want to spend my life with till we’re both old and grey, sitting on the porch swing back at the house. My muse.” His thumb kept stroking my cheek and wiping away any tears that fell down my face.

“And I’m honored to be your muse. If I could draw half as good as you, you’d most definitely would be my muse as well. But know this my sweet girl, when I do pass and this murmur goes away; know that I will always be there for you. I’m making you a solemn promise right now that I will fight my way back home to you. Because I’m not just wanting to join because of my country, I want to enlist because I want to protect you. If the Japs managed to bomb Hawaii what’s to stop them from coming here in Alabama? I couldn’t live with myself if I came here to see this place burned to the ground and you lying dead burning. And I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

“Oh Eugene….” I said as I captured his lips softly with mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my hands gently combing through his auburn hair while feeling his arms bringing me tighter and closer to him as our kiss deepened. When air became a burden, we separated but kept our foreheads together and our noses brushing against one another every second.

“I love you (y/n), more than a frog loves the bayou, more than a gator needs water to live, and more than birds need to fly. You are my dove, and I want you to always be safe.”

“And I you Eugene Sledge.” We kissed each other again and just remained together in each other’s arms kissing back and forth between each other listening to the birds chirping and the crickets playing their symphonic orchestra.

Weeks passed and I was down by the lake doing a sketch of Eugene in Marine uniform when I could hear footsteps behind me coming down towards me. I knew instantly who it was and I had a feeling that I knew what he had to say.

“It’s gone.” He stated. My heart shattered and I shut my eyes trying to hold in the tears. “I’m planning on leaving for boot camp tomorrow morning, will you come with me to the station to see me off?” I turned towards him and said trying to be happy for him after our talk weeks back.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Plus it’d seem unfair if I went to see my best friend off and not my own boyfriend.” He softly smiled and chuckled lightly before coming and sitting down beside me.

“Promise me you’ll look after Deacon for me?”

“Of course, he’s practically our son after all.” I said. I leaned against his shoulder and sighed softly trying to keep my tears at bay. “Can you promise me something Eugene?”

“Anything.” I turned towards him and picked up my picture that I had been working on and folded it up before holding it out to him,

“Take this picture and be sure to bring it back to me. If you do, I promise to make more of them. But if you don’t, then I give up painting forever.”

“What? (Y/n) you can’t give up painting because of me, it’s been your dream—”

“And my dream wouldn’t be complete without you in it.” I interrupted him. We stared into each other’s eyes as I said, “You are the reason I keep getting inspired Genie, and I want to one day share my fame of being an artist with you by my side and introduce you to everyone as the man whose inspired my paintings. My muse. Most girls would give a ring that symbolizes their heart but I’m giving you something far more precious to me. A work of art that I’ve been working on since the but crack of dawn this morning. But don’t you dare look at it till you get on that train.”

“Why can’t I have a peek of it now?” he asked.

“Because I may not have the strength to let you go if you see it. And I know how fighting in this war means to you. My brave soldier boy.” I stroked his cheek and he leaned against my palm and kissed it.

“You have my word. I will not look at it until I get on the train. I promise to always keep it close to my heart. And when I come back, I shall return it to you.”

“That’s my brave boy.” I said as I leaned forward and kissed him. His arms wrapping around my waist pulling me closer to him.

The next morning right before sunrise, I stood at the train station standing in front of Eugene who was officially dressed in full Marine uniform.

“You got everything you need?” I asked him.

“Yeah.”

“You have my picture on you?”

“Right where I said I’d always keep it.” He said as he patted the left side of his chest.

“Good, now you remember your promise to me?”

“I remember my dove.” I smiled and nodded but could feel my throat tightening up. “Oh (y/n),” I sniffled and felt him hug me and I tried my best not to cry on his uniform and he whispered, “Please don’t cry, I don’t want the last thing I see before I leave to be my best girl weeping her eyes out.”

“I’m sorry Gene I—I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I’ve even been practicing but I guess it was for nothing.” I choked out.

“Aww doll, shhh, shhh. It’ll be okay. I promise I’ll be back before you can even have the chance to miss me.”

“Not possible.” He softly laughed and looked down at me and cupped my face in his hands. I placed my hands on top of his and guided his left hand towards my lips and kissed each of his finger tips and he said.

“Let me see that smile one last time.” I looked right up at him and did my best to smile for him. “Aww there it is. Keep that smile on that beautiful face for a while longer, long enough for me to forever remember it.” He said as he wiped away any stray tears.

The train whistle blew and the conductor was calling for last minute boarding’s.

“I have to go.” He whispered to me. “I love you so much (y/n) (l/n)”

“And I love you Eugene Sledge. Please stay safe out there, and never forget about me.”

“Doll it’s impossible for me to ever forget about you. Keep painting while I’m away, can you promise me that?”

“I’ll try.”

“That’s my best girl.”

“Promise to write to me?”

“Whenever I can my dove.” We kissed each other one final time and Eugene picked up his bags and boarded the train. I shakily exhaled as I wiped away the tears from my eyes as I soon saw Eugene open his window and wave to me. I waved back smiling and blew him a kiss just as the train was starting to depart.

The last I ever saw of Eugene was him waving goodbye to me, telling me that he loved me till the end of our days.

*Eugene’s POV*

As the train left the station and I could no longer see (y/n), I sat back down on my seat and closed the window up. After a few seconds I then reached into my breast pocket of my uniform and took out the folded piece of paper that would have her drawing that she had made me take.

Like I swore to her, I never did look at it overnight while I was packing my bags. Otherwise I knew she’d have my head if she found out. I unfolded the paper slowly until it was finally unfolded and there on the page was a picture of me.

It was a charcoal drawing of me in full combat gear, the helmet I was sure to wear once I would go out onto the battlefield, probably using either her brother’s or even her father’s helmet as a reference picture. The picture looked like it could be a future shot of what I may look like in my times at war.

My girl was always clever when it came to her art. She always made it realistic, never once giving someone an inappropriate emotion based on the scenario at hand. It was then I finally took notice of a note at the bottom corner of the page. It read as followed;

My brave soldier,

Please come back to me my Muse, my soldier, my love.

-Yours forever

(Y/n) (l/n)

Her name signed in her beautiful penmanship whenever she would sign her drawings and sketches.

I sighed and quietly said her name as I folded the picture up and kissed it before placing it back in my breast pocket and pressed it over my heart.

I promise my love, I’ll fight my way back to you. Remember me. I will come back for you my darling artist.

*My POV. July 21st, 1943*

It had been over a year since Eugene left and life hadn’t been as easy as you would think it would be. I tried to get on with my life working and trying to sell my paintings but with rejection letters coming in left and right, and the workload at the restaurant piling up, I sure wish Gene was still here.

The only upside is when I would visit his parents and make sure our baby boy Deacon was still a happy, healthy dog. Today I had asked to take Deacon for the weekend just to give Dr. and Mrs. Sledge a bit of a break, and since knowing me ever since I was a little girl, they gladly accepted for me taking Deacon, Mrs. Sledge knowing that I needed something of Eugene’s to keep calm by.

As we arrived back at my house after going for our walk in the park, I checked the mail same as every other day. More bills and mortgage payments on the house, but then I came across a letter that was addressed to me and right in the corner it read.

EUGENE SLEDGE.

“Oh Deacy, daddy’s wrote back to us. You wanna hear what he wrote? Huh? You wanna hear what he wrote?” Deacy barked happily and I giggled and led him inside as I said, “Come on let’s go inside and read it.” He barked and raced on inside the house and I followed behind him.

Deacon hoped up onto the couch and I sat down beside him and took my letter opener and slide it through the envelope. Deacon came up onto my lap sniffing the paper so I had to push him back and say.

“Hold on boy let me get it out first of all,” finally I managed to get the letter out and I had seen that it had been written about 4 weeks ago according to the date in the corner. It read as followed;

My dearest, (y/n)

Your words and letters are about the only thing that help bring me comfort in this God forsaken island. It’s always either hot or raining like it does back home during the wet seasons.

I’m so glad that Deacon is doing fine and I can’t thank you enough for taking care of our boy. Please give him my love and tell him that I miss him. But every night when I can, I pull out the picture you gave me before I left and it feels like you’re right there beside me. And it’s shocking how now I’m beginning to look more and more like the picture.

War is brutal and it really changes people. And I’m really glad that you aren’t here to see it, I couldn’t bear it if m best girl changed forever.

In fact funny story, one day when I was looking at the picture, my war partner Snafu (real asshole by the way) he saw me looking at the picture thought I was looking at some porn mag or somethin, so he snatched it away from me and soon he and the other guys in my unit were hassling me. They didn’t believe that my girlfriend the artist ‘captured my ugly mug correctly’ according to them. Telling me that she must either be ‘blind or I had to bribe you to draw me like that’.

I miss you my dove, I miss you so much. Every night I dream about you and our quiet little paradise right in your backyard. Please if you can in the next let that you send, will you include a picture of yourself. Not a photograph but a hand drawn sketch of yourself. I want to see you in art form, draw yourself as beautiful as you make your drawings. (Not to say that you aren’t beautiful in real life because you are, it’s just I’ve never once seen you sketch yourself, and I would like to have a portrait of the beautiful artist that I found myself lucky to call my girl).

I look forward to hearing your response my darling. I love you forever more and I’m always thinking of you.

Yours forever,

Eugene

I laughed and cried as I read his letter. I wiped away the tears and Deacy softly whimpered as he raised his nose up to my cheek and licked my tears away. I laughed sadly as I stroked Deacon’s head and I told him.

“Thanks Deacy, and I know. I miss your daddy too.” I then went over to my desk and took out a sheet of paper and a pen and I began writing my response to him.

My darling Eugene,

Even though this letter arrived four weeks after you wrote this, I am still glad to have received another one at all. It still gives me hope that you are still alive and kicking Jap ass out there. I’m so sorry the weather’s unbearable to you but we’ve survived worse, right?

And I always give your love to our baby boy, he really does miss his daddy so much. Sometimes when I bring him over to my place, he just lays there by the door with his head between his paws just waiting for his daddy to come home.

I on the other hand could be better. I’ve been trying to sell my paintings but each time I’ve gotten rejection letter after rejection letter, I really wish you were here right now. You’ve always known what to say to help boost my confidence up and make me keep striving until one day I get that acceptance letter.

And them boys just be joshin you. My brother’s unit was the same way when he first joined but they eventually became not only brothers in arms but brothers for life. Every now and then the ones who have been honorably discharged come and check up on me just to see how I’ve been holding up. You’re handsome and you always will be handsome.

I’ll try to include a sketch of myself but you know I how feel about it. I never thought I was sketch worthy but for you, I’ll try to come up with something. Maybe then it’ll get your Marine buddies of yours to quite picking on the fact you’re lying about a girl.

I love you Eugene, you’re the light of my life. Keep that promise you made me and come home to me safe and in one piece. Your parents, Deacy and I love and miss you so much.

Your beautiful dove,

(Y/n)

I sighed solemnly and that’s when I noticed my mother’s old camera sitting a few feet away from the entrance to the studio. The wheels and gears began turning in my head as I sat up and grabbed it and tried to see if I could get it to work since it hadn’t been used ever since James died 2 years ago.

When I finally managed to get a good test picture out, I placed the camera a few feet away from the studio couch and angled it to the exact spot I wanted it in. I set the timer and quickly went over to the couch.

“Deacon come here boy.” I whistled and he soon hopped up and set half of his body up on my lap while his lower body came around behind me. I looked up at the camera stroking Deacon’s head so that it would make him stay while the camera soon flashed and took the picture. As I stood up, Deacon hopped off and I went to grab the picture and let it get developed properly.

Once the picture was ready, I took out a sheet of plane paper and a basic pencil and studied the picture and did my best to copy the exact picture into drawing format.

Of course due to my insecurities of drawing myself, my trash bin was filled all the way to the top of failed sketches. Also my job kept me pretty busy so I had to hold off on the sketch for what felt like forever.

Until finally about a month later, I managed to get semi-correct with my portion shown in the picture. Deacon of course looked good as per usual, he’s always been my favorite thing to sketch besides Gene. Whether he was running, chasing the ducks by the river, swimming or lying right under the sun, Deacon was worthy of sketching.

I hoped that Gene didn’t think I was bailing out on him for this late response so I added a quick note to the picture apologizing for taking so damn long. I also went ahead and placed the photo in with the letter and drawing just so he’d understand why it took me so long.

I didn’t hear anything back from Gene until the following year.

1944 was a cruel year. Not only for the war and the lives we were losing but I was depressed because one day Deacon could barely walk anymore. I went to pick him up for the weekend but he barely even noticed I was there. I had asked Mrs. Sledge what was wrong and she too didn’t know. She told me Deacon wouldn’t eat, drink, and he barely got up from his little dog bed.

So we took him to the vets office and it turned out that he had a tumor in his stomach and that there was nothing that they could do about it. So we had no choice but to put Deacon to sleep.

To show him that he wouldn’t be alone, I stayed with him as the vet gave him the injection and my last words to him as I stroked his head gently.

“You’ve been a good boy Deacon. And even though daddy couldn’t be here to say goodbye, just know that he loved you soo much. You’re a good boy Deacy, mama loves you so much and she always will.”

From that day I barely picked up another pencil, hell I barely even went into my studio anymore because of that. Not only that but without Deacon, I began to have nightmares of one day answering the door and like a repeat of what happened with James, the office of the Marines telling me that Eugene had be KIA.

The only upside was when Sidney came back and made a surprise visit. I almost couldn’t believe it, at first I thought I was dreaming but I soon realized that it wasn’t a dream at all. Sidney Phillips had returned home to me, my best friend since childhood had survived the war and returned home.

He told me how he and Eugene actually reunited with each other on the island of Pavuvu several months back. He told me all about the islands he went to, and of course Sidney Phillips can’t go one conversation without bringing up all the exotic women he got to meet whether in Australia, the nurses on base camp, even British girls.

“I swear Phillips you can never go one day without bringing a beautiful girl into a conversation.”

“Ahh c’mon (y/n) you know that no matter how many girls I meet, you’re always gonna be my number 1.”

“Yeah right.” I teased.

“I swear as a Marine you will always be my number 1 best girl, even once I find me a lady of my own you will still be my number 1. You’ve always been like a little sister to me (n/n) and nothing’s ever gonna change that.” I smiled softly at him and he opened his arms and I fell into his embrace and hugged him back. “And Eugene was faithful to you, wouldn’t even look at another woman.”

I slapped him in the back of the head making him cry out in mock agony and I told him.

“You always have to get a rile out of me don’t yah?”

“Well you two are just so adorable that it’s practically my sworn duty to tease you both to no end. I’ve been wanting you both to get together since our start of junior high. Oh speaking of which, I have something for you,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Eugene wanted me to give this to you once my licenses expired. He also told me to tell you that he’s sorry that this letter couldn’t be delivered sooner and he explains it more in mushy gooey lovey-dovey detail that you both talk about in your letters.”

“I swear Sid if you read this letter I’m gonna beat your ass from Mobile straight to New Orleans.”

“I promise I didn’t read a single thing, I just know that’s how you both talk. Goof Lord I still remember all the love letters Gene used to make me pass to you in class back in high school. What a nightmare.” I shoved him playfully and opened up the letter and I immediately recognized Eugene’s penmanship.

My darling girl,

It pains my heart to hear from your last letter of what you’ve been going through. And those stuck-up, high horsed business men don’t know true talent when they see it. Your work is a gift from God, I would give up every bone in my body if I could draw half as good as you.

It hurts to not be there to hold you in my arms, to tell you that everything will be okay, to kiss away your tears of heartbreak. But never doubt your skills, I still believe that one day someone’s gonna come and beg to you on their hands and knees for just a simple sketch of your work.

I’m sorry to have to tell you this but this will unfortunately be my last letter for a while. They’re sending my squad out to Okinawa and we can’t risk letters getting intercepted, I asked Sid here to give this to you personally so that it would immediately get to you and that you wouldn’t have to wait for months on end for this one.

If only I could control it, I would say screw it I’ve got a girl worried sick about me, let me write to her I would but unfortunately I can’t. But, I keep your self-portrait right next to mine over my heart. And of course once Snafu and the other guys saw both the photograph and the drawing of you and Deacon, they did what all Marine men do from not seeing a woman for months even years on end.

But don’t worry I set them straight and told them that if they made one single crude comment about you, then my boot would be shoved straight up their asses. And I thought your drawing was beautiful, it’s just how I remember you my beautiful tulip.

I will always love you and you are always on my mind. I hope you realize that and that I dream of you every night, holding you once again in my arms. Because I still have a promise to keep, and you know that once I make a promise, it never gets broken.

All the best love my best girl. Stay strong my best girl.

All the love,

Eugene

P.S. keep and eye out for Sid, ever since joining the Marines he’s gotten an even bigger head than usual, make sure he stays out of trouble back home.

“So be honest, did he mention me at all?” I heard Sid asked. Suddenly I fell to my knees and felt my throat choke up. “(Y/n)? What is it what’s going on?” Tears formed in my eyes and I openly wept.

“I can’t…..I can’t do this anymore!”

“Hey, hey, hey c’mere sweetheart, c’mere” I felt Sidney wrap his arms around me and I wept into his chest. The only thing to come out of his mouth were words of comfort as he held me tighter and rocked me from side to side.

“I miss him Sid, I—I miss him so goddamn much!”

“So do I baby girl, so do I.” he whispered as his hand rested on top of my head and I continued to cry and sniffle into his chest.

“What if this is the last letter I ever get from him? What if he—I…..I know I’ll lose him. Just like I dream every night. I’m gonna lose him just like everyone else in my life.” I sobbed out.

“Hey now, you look at me (y/n) (l/n).” He separated from me and gripped my shoulder tightly. I winced at the strong grip he was giving me and at seeing my face wince that at least got him to loosen up his grip as he said, “I’m sorry, but what kind of bullshit was that that I just heard out of your mouth? Eugene was too damn stubborn to give up when he had that heart murmur as he tried to enlist. He’s too damn stubborn to let his unit get him down when they would tease him about your gooey relationship, and he’s too stubborn to love anyone else but you. You strive him to be better. He will come back to you (y/n). Even if I have to perform some freaky voodoo magic just to bring him back from the dead to do so.”

“Do—do you really think so?”

“I know so sweetie bell. Gene loves you too much to let you be alone. After all that you’ve been through, he won’t kick the bucket just yet. Not unless you’re there by his side and you both are old and gray with 12 mini yous named after me by his bedside.”

“12?” I choked out laughing as I stared up at him.

“Not enough, okay how about 24 then.”

“God Sid Gene was sure right about one thing, your big head has gotten even worse.”

“I deny that. I should have him take that back, so when he does return you give him this from me to him.” He then wrapped an arm around me and proceeded to give me a hard yet playful noogie.

“Gah Sid stop it!!” I laughed out as I tried to free myself from his grip but he kept a tight hold of me.

*Aug. 15th, 1945 3rd Person POV*

It finally happened. The Japanese surrendered to the Allied powers and it was on this day that WW2 had finally come to an end. After America had suffered 4 long, agonizing years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor the military men from each branch were free to go home and return to their families that they had to leave behind.

Eugene Sledge rode on the train bound from East coast to west coast taking all the military men and woman back to their hometowns. As he buttered up his biscuit one of his friends, Romus Burgin asked him.

“What about you Sledgehammer, got any plans back at Mobile?”

“No job, no plans, but the first thing I’m gonna do is see my girl again.”

“Ahh right, the artist. Think she could paint me like one of those French boys?” teased Snafu as he leaned up against the wall.

“Please your ugly mug would break her canvas before she could even start.” Teased Eugene which made the three of them laugh.

“Think she’s gonna come greet you back in Mobile?”

“That is if she hasn’t gotten her big break yet.” Answered Eugene as he popped a piece of his biscuit into his mouth.

The next day, Eugene finally arrived back in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. He had woken up to see that Snafu and the rest of his unit had left, leaving him the only one in his booth. He gathered his sack and exit the train and walked along till finally he saw his best friend, Sidney Phillips parked along the station standing in front of his car.

Eugene smiled as he walked up to his best friend and tossed him his sack as he said.

“You wanna take this for me or what?” Sidney laughed as he caught the sack and patted his best friend’s shoulder and said.

“Good to see you Eugene.” Gene walked over to the passenger side of the car while Sidney tossed his friend’s sack into the backseat and got into the driver’s seat and soon pulled out of the station and headed on down the road.

As they drove, Eugene asked.

“You talked to (y/n) lately?”

“Check in whenever I can. But you know her, sometimes she’s as stubborn as an ox. Which makes her perfect for you because you’re pretty much the same way.” Eugene sarcastically laughed at Sidney who snickered and then Eugene said.

“What was she doing last you checked on her?” Sidney sighed heavily and said.

“To be honest Gene, I don’t know. I mean this last year has been pretty rough on her but I won’t say any more than that. That’s something for you and her to discuss in your own time. I made a vow to not spill any beans of her secrets.” Eugene nodded in understandment, meanwhile feeling his heart clench at the fact that his girl was suffering, from what he had no idea but he knew he was gonna try to make everything right again.

Finally after driving for about an hour and a half, they reached their destination; (Y/n)’s house. Sidney had parked a few yards away from the front door as a way of surprising (y/n) much like he did when he had returned from war.

“Go and get your girl Eugene.”

“Keep it running for us will yah?” Eugene said. Sidney nodded then Eugene opened the passenger side door and got out of Sidney’s car.

*Eugene’s POV*

I now stood on grounds that I haven’t stepped foot on for what felt like a lifetime ago. I walked up the gravel road until I reached her front yard. Thankfully I didn’t have to go in because right there sleeping on the front porch swing was my beautiful girl.

As quietly as I could, I walked up the three front steps of her porch and stood over her. She certainly has changed since the last time I saw her; her hair now appeared to be shoulder length as she would usually keep her hair up in a messy bun whenever she would sleep, she certainly has grown as her face now looked more mature than that child-like face I’ve always came to love so much.

But she was still as beautiful as the day I left for the Marines.

She had one hand tucked underneath her head while the other was placed on top of one of her many sketchbooks. I slowly reached out and stroked away a strand of her hair and caressed her soft cheek. The first time touching something this soft in what felt like eternity.

She practically looked like Snow White sleeping in her glass coffin, and with the sun bouncing off her giving her that halo look, it was like looking at an angel.

I smiled down at her then I slowly leaned forward and I almost hated to do this but I had to, I hadn’t kissed my girl in forever and if I didn’t do it now, then I’d really go crazy. I gently pressed my lips to hers and god it really did feel like I was home now. Her soft, plump yet slightly chapped lips from all the times she’s licked her lips or bit then whenever she was fully concentrating on a piece she’d be working on, felt like heaven on mine.

After the first soft kiss, I kissed her again and this time I felt her sleepily kiss me back. I smiled into the kiss before I backed away from her, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings as she started to stir and wake up.

*My POV*

I was having the first perfect dream in months. Eugene had come back alive and unharmed and the two of us were down in our little heaven at the lake and that’s when he leaned forward and kissed me.

But the strangest thing happened. Unlike this kiss, it felt almost too real. Like I was actually being kissed physically. As Eugene separated from me, he told me as he faded into darkness.

“Wake up Snow White, wake up.” Soon my dream disappeared into darkness. I softly moaned and stirred awake and that’s when I saw someone in Marine uniform kneeling right beside me. At first I thought it was some sick pervert taking advantage of a sleeping girl on her front porch, but the face soon cleared up and kneeling before me was Eugene Sledge.

My Eugene.

“I guess the saying is true, if you kiss a princess with true love’s kiss, she’ll wake up.”

“Eugene” I muttered softly. I hesitantly reached up to cup his face, fearing that this was still a dream. My heart hammering away like a sledgehammer. He softly smiled at me before taking my hand and placing it over his heart. Even through the uniform, I could still feel his heartbeat. I choked out. “I’ve only dreamed of this about a million times and every time I end up waking up and crying hysterically because you always end up gone in the end. I can’t handle it again if this is a dream. Please, please to God in heaven let this be real.”

“It is my beautiful dove, I’ve come back to you. You don’t need to cry hysterically for me anymore.” He said as he cupped my face with both of his hands, his thumbs stroking the top of my cheeks. His touch sent shivers up my spine as his eyes bored into mine. I lowered my head and wept out.

“Oh yes I do!” Eugene then pressed his lips against mine and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as we both kissed each other.

His chapped lips clamped onto mine with the most gentlest yet urgent pressure as I felt his strong arms now wrap around my back bringing me down to his lap cradling me while still keeping his lips on mine. I felt his arms go under my knees as he picked me up bridal style and spun me around softly.

Even though our lips separated from each other, our noses didn’t as they kept grazing against each other and we both stared into each other’s eyes. His brown eyes staring deeply into my (e/c) eyes. Both of us filled with tears of joy.

He set me down on my feet but kept a strong grip around my back as we both smiled at each other lovingly. I placed my hand on his cheek and he nuzzled into my palm kissing it while the back of his hand brushed against my cheek, his thumb wiping away any tears that came streaming down like a river.

“Every day for 4 years…..I—I hoped and dreamed that you’d come back to me, but this past year I began to fear that you weren’t I….I tried so hard but I just couldn’t……”

“Shhh, shh, shshsh hey. I’m here now, I’m right here. This is real (y/n), I kept my promise to you. I came back for you. And I’m never leaving your side again.” He said as he brought me closer to him and embraced me tightly. I hugged him back with just as much strength as I could as I wept into his shoulder.

“Hold me.” I wept out.

“Ohh forever and always.” He said.

“Tighter!” I cried out and soon I felt Eugene’s arms wrap around me tighter bringing me closer to him. He kissed my temple, the crown of my forehead, the top of my head, anywhere he could reach assuring me that he was here.

“Although I broke my promise about the picture, I lost it in the last recon mission I went on before the Japs surrendered.”

“I don’t give a damn about the picture,” I looked up at him and cupped his face in my hand, “All I care about is you. You’ve come back to me in one piece, just like you promised.”

“And I never break my promises to my best girl.” He said with that loving smile on his face as he leaned against my palm and kissed it once more. He then brought me in for another kiss and held me in his arms once more.

The day went on and I went with Gene to go see his parents, his ma was about as emotional as I was to see her baby boy back home alive, and his pa had never been more proud of his son in all his years.

That night we all had a welcome home feast at the Sledge manor, Eugene, his parents, myself, his brother Ed and his wife Martha. Everyone was full of smiles and laughs as Edward told us war stories and even gifted Mary with the German Nazi flag that he himself took down during one of his missions.

I noticed Eugene hiding in the corner so I walked up towards him and took his hand in mine as I told him.

“You got no war stories to tell?”

“What’s there to tell? I fought and killed Japs in the worst possible way, seen things no human being should ever see, and there should be men that deserve to be home with their families, not still on those islands rotting away like trash.” I stroked the back of his hand comfortingly and I said.

“I’m not saying tell the stories of what you’ve done. Tell me more about them boys in your unit. The way you talked about them in some of your letters to me, they seemed like you all have become true brothers. Much like James’ unit did. C’mon Gene at least tell me what they were like.” I dragged him out of the darkness and the two of us sat together on the couch and he told me everything about every man he had ever known while serving out there.

He told me about the friend’s he’s made, what he learned from them and told me of how they’d always poke fun at each other but to them it was all out of love, the Marine way anyways.

When it was time for bed, Mrs. Sledge offered me a guest bedroom to sleep in that was right next door to Gene’s bedroom as well as some night dresses for me to wear. But I woke up hearing the sounds of Eugene screaming and crying. I raced out of my room to see Mrs. Sledge looking from the master bedroom worried while Dr. Sledge sat on a chair looking solemn with sorrow and regret.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s dealing with the past trauma of what the war has done to him. He may not have any physical scars but the mental ones will remain forever.” I went over to Eugene’s door but before I could open it, his father told me, “I would force him awake. It will make him lash out at you, and I know Eugene would be even more devastated if he found out he had hurt you.”

“I love him Dr. Sledge, please at least let me try to get a hold of him.” He turned to his wife who looked at him with sad eyes before he sighed solemnly to me and he said.

“Very well (y/n), but don’t touch him or move him at all. That’s usually what causes Veterans like Eugene to lash out.” I thanked him and went inside Eugene’s room.

Even from the darkness and the light of the moon, I could see Eugene thrashing around, sweat glistened on his face and tears staining his cheeks. His knuckles burning white from the grip he had on his sheets as he kept crying and screaming in his sleep.

I slowly walked up to Eugene and grabbed a chair from his desk and sat beside him. I tried to remember the lullaby my old nanny Harriet used to sing to me and my brother as well as my father when he was going through this. I thought and thought about how the words went since she sang it in her native language of Swahili until finally it came to me.

Imba wimbo

Wa upepo

Wakati unajiwa na

Imba wimbo wa upepo

Wakati ndoto tamu

Lala mpaka usiku uisheni

Upepo wa usiku

Wimbo wanko na

Wimbo wangu inaendelea milele

As I sang the song, Eugene began to calm down within the first few lyrics of the song until he settled down completely and his eyes soon opened up and looked up at me. I smiled down at him and stroked the hair out of his face and I said to him.

“It’s okay Genie, you’re not there anymore. You’re in Mobile once again, far from that god awful place. You’re with your family, Sidney, and me. You’re back home with your dove.”

“My dove?”

“That’s right Eugene, your beautiful dove is here.” I said as I took his hand and placed it over my heart. He looked up at me before breaking down into sobs.

“I’m sorry…..I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for Eugene Sledge, you hear me boy? Not a damn thing to apologize for.” I said as I embraced him, laying his head over my heart as I continued to sob. I rubbed his back and stroked my fingers through his hair as I kissed the top of his head and hummed the song once more, hopefully to put him to sleep.

Once I felt him relax and I looked down to see that he had in fact fallen asleep once more, I stayed with Eugene the entire night and never once left his side.

Days passed by and now it was the time for the ball. Every military man was decked out in uniform in honor of celebrating the victory against the Axis powers. I of course had to arrive late because of an interview I had for a new job.

Ever since getting let go from the restaurant, I was jobless and frantically searching for a new job since I practically gave up drawing after Deacon died. Music was playing from the orchestra, the manor was crowded with people both inside and out all dressed to the full T in either tuxes, dresses or Military uniforms.

I walked around hoping to see either Sid or Gene in this crowd when I heard a voice call my name.

“(Y/n)!” I turned around and saw Mary.

“Mary.” She raced up to me and we both hugged each other and kissed each other’s cheeks.

“How did the interview go?”

“Horrible. The guy was a creep I think I should give up the job search.”

“Well you know my brother owns a law firm, I could help get you a job there as his new secretary.”

“No, no Mary I can’t ask that of you.”

“(Y/n) at least consider it. I mean I did ask you last minute to be my Maid of Honor after my first one had to step down because of the sudden premature birth of her baby.”

“I’ll think about it, but you know how I feel about working behind desks.”

“I know honey, you lookin for Eugene?” I nodded and she said, “Well Sidney went out back to find him since he had snuck out. Been gone for god knows how long, come with me and we can bring those two Marines of ours back in here and dance the night away.” She took my arm and guided me towards the backyard.

We soon found the boys outside at the bottom of the stairs that led to the garden. Mary smirked and strutted towards the boys and cried out.

“Sidney Phillips!”

“Yeah!” he cried out as he turned around.

“Will you get back in here and dance with the woman who loves you?”

“I’m coming boss lady!” Sid proclaimed as he stood up. He then turned to Gene and said to him, “why don’t you come on in? And we can find the woman you love and dance with her.”

“She’s already present and accounted for Phillips.” I said as I now stood by Mary. Gene laughed but declined the invite and soon Sidney and Mary went back on inside arm to arm while I walked down and stood by Eugene.

“Have I told you, you look beautiful in (f/c)?” He said to me. I looked down at the (f/c) dress that I had chosen for tonight’s ball….well more like Mary dragged me out to the mall and bought it for me.

It was a floor length velvet dress and I had on the same color velvet gloves that went up to my elbows. Mary had helped me earlier that morning for my interview by curling my hair into gentle waves and helped me with my makeup and I just kept that with the dress I would eventually wear for the ball tonight.

“Mary picked out the dress, I had nothing to do with it. I almost didn’t even wanna come till she told me you were coming. Just without the uniform on.”

“I don’t feel the need to see why I should. I did what I did because I had to. I did what I was ordered to do, I don’t see why I need to brag about all the horrors I’ve done wearing the uniform that I did those things in.”

“And I don’t blame you, besides uniform or not I know what the love of my life did to serve his country. And I’m always gonna be proud of him for it, no matter what.” He smiled softly at me and took my hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of my hand.

“How did the interview go today?”

“Horrible, the guy kept looking at my breasts than anything else. He barely listened to a word I said at all, so I just walked right out of there in the middle of the interview. Spent hours in the shower trying to get the interview off of my, that’s why I’m so late.”

“And it’s a good thing you did. Now do you mind telling me where his address is so that I can beat his ass in for eyein my girl.” I laughed softly and said to him.

“If I knew I would tell you, how did registering for Alabama Poly-Tech go?” I could tell from the expression on his face that it didn’t go too well. “So I guess we’re both in the same boat of terrible days then, huh?”

“They asked whether I did any accounting or journalism while in the Corp.” I scoffed and shook my head.

“I’m sorry Gene.” I wrapped my hands around his arm and leaned up against his shoulder, hoping that would give him some comfort.

“Do you think you can paint me something once we get to your place?” I sighed heavily and looked up at him and said.

“I don’t know Gene……”

“Please? I’ve missed seeing my girl work in her prime element. The way you’d move your pencil when sketching out the bases, the way you’d stroke your brush against the canvas.”

“I haven’t really done anything artistic since Deacon died, and the nightmares of you ending up dead only kept giving me negative influences when it came to my art. After I did one drawing of you dead on the battlefield I immediately burned that picture in the fireplace and swore I wouldn’t paint or draw again until this war was over. Even now I think I’ve lost all inspiration and creativity to even pick up a pencil to even sketch a flower.” I looked down at my feet shamefully as tears formed in my eyes.

I felt Eugene’s fingers softly cup my chin as he raised it up and I was now staring into his hazelnut brown eyes.

“Then let me be your inspiration. You always called me your muse didn’t you? And now that I’m back, I can stand by you and help you figure out what to paint or draw. We’re not thinking of trying to impress others, we’re doing it for the hell of it. To get back the artistic girl I fell in love with the day I first met her in art class back in the 2nd grade.” I smiled at him and said to him.

“I love you Eugene Sledge.”

“And I love you, (y/n) (l/n).” He leaned his forehead against mine and we stayed in that position for awhile until Eugene secretly took my hands and wrapped my left one around his shoulder and I felt his right hand go to my waist as he softly swayed.

“I thought Eugene Sledge didn’t dance?” I teased him.

“You missed the second part; Eugene Sledge don’t dance unless he wants to. And when it comes to his most favorite artist who is also the light of his life, he’ll gladly dance until the end of time.” I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder and felt him kiss my temple while the two of us kept swaying from side to side.

We soon ditched the party and now we were back at my place. For the first time in over a year, I stood before my art studio. A dark aurora surrounded it like a dark storm cloud over the horizon.

“It’s okay doll, we’ll go in together.” Eugene said as he took my hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze. He did not once force me inside the studio or drag me into it, he waited right there behind me and allowed me to lead him inside. We stood there for lord knows how long until finally I got the courage to step inside the studio.

We sat down at the couch and Eugene handed me a sketch book and pencil. He then brought me close, having me sit on his lap with his arms wrapped around my waist as his head leaned against mine. I opened the sketchbook up and I asked him.

“What would you like?”

“Whatever you feel like drawing. I know I’ll love it either way.” He kissed my temple gingerly and moved his head onto my shoulder. “Take your time darlin, there’s no hurry.” I shakily inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth and pressed the pencil point onto the paper and just paused there.

I thought and thought about what I wanted to draw. I started doing random scribbles at either the top or corners of the page until finally like the flick of a switch, something came to me.

I began drawing out the basic shape of what I wanted. I tried to work out the highlights and shadowing of the drawing. There were multiple mistakes so I had to go through and erase them to the point I almost had no more eraser. That was until Gene handed me one of my 2 inch erasers.

After what felt like forever and multiple mistakes and smudges later, I came to the verdict of a semi-decent picture.

It was of Eugene lying on his back, holding a tiny flower towards the sun.

“It’s silly but it was the first thing that came to my mind…..”

“It’s beautiful, just like you.” I looked up at him and whispered to him gratefully.

“Thank you.” He turned to look at me and simply kissed my temple and leaned his head against mine as he whispered in my ear.

“Draw another one, this time of you my darling dove.” I turned the page and decided to draw a picture of me sitting by the lake, my feet in the water with ripples forming.

The rest of the night was spent me drawing and painting of pictures of either me, Eugene or the two of us together. Until finally we fell asleep right there on the couch cuddled up together holding onto each other.

A few days later, I was currently with Eugene out along his front yard. The two of us sitting underneath the grand tree that grew in their front yard. A small blanket spread out underneath us, my head was resting over Eugene’s chest, his heartbeat echoing through my ear softly beating out my name. While his arms were wrapped around me, his left hand stroking my head while his right kept a protective yet gentle grip along my waist.

“Honestly Eugene, you look like a gangster with those glasses on.” His mother’s voice spoke up as she came towards us with two glasses of iced tea. It’s true Gene was wearing circular brownish sunglasses over his eyes but I told her.

“I think it makes him look handsome, really brings out his hair a bit more.”

“Thank you darling showing some appreciation.” I giggled as his mother softly shook her head at us and handed us our tea glasses which I thanked her for.

“Your brother’s coming for supper this evening. Evidently he’s been named some kind of supervisor at the bank.” She said to us as she now stood in front of us.

“Better get our money out of that bank.” Eugene bluntly said. I playfully hit his chest and muttered.

“Behave yourself.” Now not that I don’t appreciate Mrs. Sledge, I mean she’s been good to me all these years, especially for the last 10 when my family was going through death, depression and financial troubles. She became a second mother to me especially after my mama died, but I knew there had to be a reason why she was still out here talking to us.

And my suspicions were proven correct once she said.

“I’m sure Edward could arrange a starting position for you. As well as an assistant desk job for you (y/n) at the bank.”

“We’re never gonna work at any bank mother.” Eugene said.

“Well….you need to make a plan for the future. The both of you.”

“Our plan is to do nothing for a while, we both talked about it the other night and agreed together that this is what we want to do.”

It’s true. One night while cuddling in bed together, Eugene and I started talking about where we should both go from here. I still wasn’t up-to-par of my drawings that I would normally send in to various companies or museums, and plus no one was hiring so I was practically jobless. While Eugene failed to meet any requirements college requires all because the Marine Corp thought that education was worthless when the real thing you need to know is how to survive.

But of course civilized people don’t know that, nor do they see that to be a good check off your college career, so Gene and I made an agreement to just not do anything for a while.

Just remain together and catch up on the 4 years lost with each other.

“How long is a while Eugene?”

“Leave them alone Mary Frank.” Eugene’s father spoke up. His mother soon walked away from us and whispered to her husband. Patronizing us calling Eugene a boy and me a girl but his father told her.

“Mary Frank you have no idea. What men like him have been through. And (y/n) had to suffer not only the death of her brother and mother, but her father suffered much worse. In a way she’s experiencing what our son has been through just in her own way. Now go on let them be.” With that Mrs. Sledge walked back into the house while Dr. Sledge stayed out for a moment longer before heading back inside.

Eugene kissed my forehead once more before reaching up for his tea glass and taking a sip of it. He turned to me and held it to me. I raised my head and he placed his glass at my lips and I took a sip of his tea before he set it back down and I lay my head back over his heart while his fingers stroked through my hair.

Later that day, Eugene and I made a hike to a field that was about a half mile away from his place. All around you could see tall grass and beautiful wild flowers that varied from pink to yellow specifically in that order, some logs and boulders, rising hills and sometimes birds would come down and sit upon the logs before taking off flying again.

Eugene held up a small yellow flower between his fingers raising it up in front of the sun and that’s when I found myself chuckling.

“What’s so funny?”

“You ever hear the expression ‘life intimates art?’”

“I think you might’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

“Well you remember the first picture I drew in over a year, the night we left the ball?” He then began to piece it together and I laughed softly as he smiled and turned towards me and brushed the flower against my nose making me smile at him and he smiled back.

“Now there’s that smile I’ve been dying to see the second I got home. My happy girl is finally back.”

“All because of you Genie. Had you—then I don’t know where I’d be.”

“Let’s not think about that right now,” he picked up my left hand and very gingerly with his thumb, caressed my left ring finger as he said, “Let’s focus on the now. No more ‘what ifs’ whatever comes our way, we face them together, no matter what.”

“Together forever—”

“Forever more.” I looked down and the next thing I saw, he had tied the yellow flower around my ring finger. I looked back up at Eugene and his eyes held such strength in them after witnessing such horror for as long as he did, but there was also a gentleness to his brown eyes, a warm, affectionate gaze as he stared back at me.

I leaned forward and kissed him and he kissed me back cupping my face gently in his hands. Soon the two of us spent the rest of the day until sunset walking through the fields hand in hand, my flower engagement ring still wrapped around my wedding finger until the day in one year time, it would be replaced with a real wedding ring.

In the years to come, Eugene would receive his Ph.D. in Biology then spend a career teaching at the University of Montevallo, Alabama, while in 1954 had gotten a call from the Washington D.C. art’s institution and they signed a deal with me for their Marine art exhibit that allowed either former Marines or spouses of Marines to write or paint what war has been like for them.

I’ve sold over hundreds of my drawings and paintings to the exhibit and I also teach at the same University as Eugene as the Art’s professor for realism and 3D drawing.

Managing to convince him decades later after finding his notes from the war, I told Eugene to get it published as a book and in 1981 his memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa was published. Together Eugene and I had 2 sons and three grandchildren before he passed away in 2001.

Two months later after his death, I died surrounded by our sons and grandchildren and in heaven I was greeted by Eugene and we spent the rest of eternity together in heaven along every other comrade in arms that Eugene had come to know, and I was reunited with my brother and my parents.

#joe mazzello #joe mazzello imagines #eugene sledge #joe mazzello x reader #the pacific #the pacific fanfiction #the pacific imagine #the pacific imagines #eugene sledge imagine #eugene sledge imagines #eugene sledge x reader #hbo the pacific #joe mazzello imagine

226 notes · View notes

mavrustheunskooled · 6 years ago

Note

Why is Bare: A Pop Opera not as super popular as Dear Evan Hansen or Be More Chill? The fandom loves LGBT rep (which Bare has) and the songs are amazing and I think B:APO is actually superior to both of those. Thoughts? I mean the musical fandom tends to try to find LGBT characters even when they aren't stated, so why do you think Bare is not as popular?

this is a very interesting question and I am hopefully going to do it justice by analyzing Fandom, Musical Writing, and Many Other Things I’m Super Passionate About

the short: many factors and a lot of luck

the unnecessarily long:

(opening disclaimer: I love dear evan hansen and be more chill, and I’m not upset that they’re popular musicals because I feel that they’re popular for a reason. anything that sounds like an insult in the following response isn’t such because I truly enjoy both of those musicals a lot)

(another disclaimer: spoilers for bare, DEH, and BMC, also mentions of homophobia)

on paper, bare seems like the exact sort of musical that would be popular. bare the musical (cursed as it is) has a cast of super popular actors like Barrett Wilbert Weed, Gerard Canonico, Taylor Trensch, Alice Lee, Alex Wyse, a high quality bootleg exists of the 2013 LA cast, it’s got LGBT+ rep, complex women characters… and yet it’s got a tiny fan base. Why?

first let’s look at why dear evan hansen and be more chill are popular. I’m more well versed in bmc, so let’s look at its history (disclaimer: I’m estimating dates but this is roughly the timeline)

the original bmc run was in 2015 I believe. they recorded a soundtrack, everything was fine, and they closed. in 2017, people began discovering the soundtrack in hoards. specifically, they were discovering one song: Michael in the bathroom. that’s even how I learned about the show- I heard that song and had to look up the rest of the soundtrack. and in February of 2019, they’ll start previews on broadway because the fandom was revived

why this song? I think a ton of fame comes from talent, yes, but also from luck. I think bmc was lucky that Michael in the bathroom, a great song, was discovered as the great song that it is. I also think the fame came because that song is super relatable. as someone with pretty bad anxiety, that song really touched me because I’ve definitely spent parties hiding in the bathroom and avoiding everyone and wishing I was dead because I’m so overwhelmed with anxiety. it’s relatable, so people flocked to it.

this made me pause to think “what is bare’s hook song” my first thought was a quiet night at home if we want a song in the same vein as MITB, but that song isn’t as hype as MITB (and fandoms don’t care about fem characters as much as it cares about masc characters). my next thought was are you there because I think it’s a bop and a relatable “pls someone help” kind of song, but I don’t know which song everyone could relate to as much as everyone could relate to MITB

and speaking of relatable content- that’s where the DEH connection comes in. dear evan hansen is similarly relatable, although it takes that to an extreme given what Evan does as a result of his anxiety. Michael and Evan are relatable characters, even if you don’t condone everything they do (and if you condone everything Evan does, we have much to talk about)

but doesn’t bare have relatable characters?? absolutely !! there’s Peter, a closeted gay kid who wants to come out, and Jason, someone who acts tough but is secretly very insecure, and Nadia, with her body image issues, and Ivy, who people won’t take seriously because they’ve decided they already know her, and so many other complex characters. so why are they left behind?

let’s look at bare’s history:

bare was originally written in the 90s (I want to say 1999, but I could be wrong) the performance most people consider the quintessential bare performance was in 2004 with Michael Arden, John Hill, Jenna Leigh Green, etc.

if you compare this to DEH and BMC, the first issue is clear. DEH was hugely popular around 2016. BMC began to grow in popularity in 2017. these are very, very new shows. 20 years doesn’t sound like a lot, but in our current age where time seems to pass so quickly which each new fad, bare seems like an older musical, and a lot of people aren’t the biggest fan of older musicals. and they don’t have to be !! but it’s a personal preference of some people that could affect how they view bare as a potential musical to be a fan of

in terms of the music of bare, it’s definitely catchy, but it’s not like a pop song. (again, no shade at DEH and BMC because those aren’t jukebox musicals or anything). bare is simply not as easy to listen to as DEH and BMC are in my opinion (and it’s not the most complicated thing ever either, but holy cow its lyrics are smart and I have to throw that in here)

now let’s look at reasons why people may not want to watch bare. while it is great that it has canon gay characters, compelling women characters, and is very cleverly written it also has issues that can be turn-offs to people. this includes:

-bury your gays

-gay-guy-cheats-on-boyfriend-with-girl trope

-gay-guy-gets-outed trope

-and potentially other homophobic tropes

I’m not shaming bare for perpetuating these tropes because it was written 20 years ago, and lgbt+ people are allowed to enjoy media in spite of its perpetuation of negative tropes, but for some people these things are enough to turn them away. and I don’t blame them! I watched bare the musical before I watched bare a pop opera, and when Jason I died I closed out of YouTube without finishing the show because I was so Sick of bury your gays.

I am aware that there are reasons Jason died at the end of bare (they’re making a statement about how homophobia kills, particularly how homophobic religious people can have an awful affect on young religious gay people), but there comes a time when “reasons for a gay character to die” is just too much. sometimes, you just want the gay character to live, and I completely respect that notion because I felt the exact same way when I watched bare the musical. I remember when I first watched bare the musical I wrote a thread about how as a Romeo and Juliet adaptation, bare follows some things closely (like death at the end) while avoiding other extremes (Romeo running off to another country) and I thus felt the death was unnecessary. if someone else feels similarly about being sick of gay characters dying, they have every right to not want to watch bare

that’s enough on why someone might not want to watch bare. let’s get back to bare vs DEH and BMC

I also think a big aspect of fandoms is shipping. the fetishization of MLM (and consequently ignoring fem characters completely, along with focusing solely on white men for their shipping and ignoring men of color) is a huge problem in fandoms that I could talk about forever, but for the sake of this response, I’ll keep it a bit shorter

DEH and BMC profit heavily off of shipping in terms of gaining popularity. people love Evan x Connor (and other ships but that’s the main one I see), and people love Jeremy x Michael (and others). so why then do people not care about bare, a show with a canon relationship between 2 basic white men, which is their ultimate goal?

I think people like the idea of these mlm ships more than canon content. if there’s canon, it’s harder for them to make a variety of ships because it feels like everything else has to rotate around the canon without touching it (which is where the bare fandom gets Matt x Lucas because they’re the closest they have to 2 basic men- I can write my criticism of them another time though)

I’ve also seen posts saying that things with canon lgbt+ characters sometimes have smaller fandoms because there is no need for lgbt+ theorizing- it’s right there, and if you want lgbt+ content, watch the thing. I don’t necessarily agree with this for myself (I’ll reblog every pilgrim’s hands gifset I see) but I can definitely see how other people might think this way

failing to hype up stuff with lgbt+ characters can have a negative impact. BMC is the prime example of how a show can be revived by its passionate fan base. if people aren’t talking about bare, it’s not going to spread like other shows do

this is kind of all over the place but anyway- I want to talk about characters more. one thing DEH and BMC have are great, complex characters that are very easy to boil down to a fandom’s favorite stereotypes. I am absolutely not saying DEH and BMC have simple characters because I think all of them have layers; however, fandoms do love to go “this is precious cinnamon roll who can do no wrong and this is evil awful terrible irredeemable person” and it’s a bit difficult to do that with bare.

you can say Peter is your perfect son, but he does try to force Jason out before he’s ready. you can say Ivy is the evil seductress trying to tear apart your gay babies, but I will physically fight you. there aren’t any black-and-white good or bad bare characters (except Father Flynn- hate him), which doesn’t fit in line with the way fandoms function. sweeping generalizations about the current state of society based on the internet are exhausting and bad, but we do live in an age where everything must either be perfect or evil, and you can’t do that with bare. no one “did nothing wrong uwu” and that’s what fandoms Want

(note: they will excuse wrong actions, such as everything wrong Connor Murphy has ever done, if the character is played by a mildly attractive guy they want to ship with another mildly attractive guy)

another point that I don’t have fully fleshed out thoughts on enough to devote too much time to is the integration of parents into the shows. in both DEH and BMC, the parents get redemption arcs. in bare, Claire does say she love Peter at the end, but she’s much less of a sympathetic character than Mr. Heere or Heidi (that’s her name right- Evan’s mom) or the Murphys. when I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to watch anything that painted parents, or adults in general, in a negative light, but maybe that’s not a universal experience

this is getting way too long and it probably has more thought put into it than what was necessary, so I’ll try to close this quickly

I think, first off, that DEH and BMC completely deserve the hype that they have received. they’ve got compelling stories, interesting characters, and fantastic soundtracks. I also think that luck factors heavily into them getting what they deserve. there are plenty of great shows, like bare and the boy who danced on air and spies are forever and probably more that I’m not thinking of, that have great music and characters and story that, out of sheer chance, don’t get the chance they should have been given. there is no bulleted list someone can follow and at the end they’ll be on broadway with an armful of tonys; is the luck of the draw, and bare has not been afforded that chance

I’ll end with some reasons why anyone who happened to read this but might not be a bare fan should listen to or watch bare:

- it is an amazingly clever show; every time I watch it or listen to it, I realize another moment of foreshadowing or a line I originally brushed off was actually very significant or there’s another recurring motif/theme in the music

- it’s full of bops (go listen to you and I or are you there or portrait of a girl)

- canon gay characters in a canon gay relationship

- 3 dimensional fem characters that actively criticize stereotypes

- it’s about a religious gay boy who grapples with his religion and his sexuality and how those two things can coexist

- it is Very Very Good

in conclusion: bare is very good and deserves attention xx

#this is all over the place but I tried #idk if this is what you wanted but it's what you got ldkfjdlsjfk #I Love analyzing stuff like this- this is my dream ask ldkfjlskf #ask #bluejaye91 #bare a pop opera #dear evan hansen #be more chill #it's after 5 tags that stuff doesn't show up in main tags right?#bc I'm tagging for myself and not for everyone but who knows if everyone will see it anyway ldkjfdlf #rambles

89 notes · View notes