rivesti

[koka-mi]

I'm so jealous of ppl with irl friends tbh :'D

[dcxdpdabbles]

I love your writing. It's just the best. Seriously I check dc dp tags to see if you've written anything.

By the way, can you write anythng with another dc hero or maybe a villain? Maybe Superman or Captain Marvel(Shazam) or anything. You don't have to obviously, but it would be really cool if you did.

Oh gosh, thank you! I'm glad you like my rambles. I'm happy to write you a dabble! Hope you like!

Billy Batson was expecting a lot when the Wizard told him to only break the ice crystal in dire situations. He figured if the dying man had enough time to pass on thousands of years' worth of knowledge and store Old magical artifacts, then the Crystal had to be a last resort.

He also figured it wouldn't be so darn breakable. Billy felt they should have made the last resort a little steadier if it was so important.

But no, one accidental trip over his far too worn-out pants legs had the thing shattering like cheap glass.

Billy stares at the shimmering remains, his heart pounding in his chest as the soft green glow that had always come from the crystal fades away.

"Oh no. no, no, no. I can fix this. I can fix this. " He whispers to himself, falling to his knees and scooping up the pieces. He tries to reattach them, but the crystal melts in his palms. "I can't fix this."

All this because some jerk kicked him out of his old sleeping place, down by the docks. He had been squatting in Old Man's Jackson shed ever since the man finally bit the dust, and he had been so excited to have a building all to himself. Word must have gotten around somehow because he comes back from a Justice Leauge Meeting to find a sixteen-year-old rooting through his stuff.

As a homeless ten-year-old, Billy had scrambled to reclaim his possessions, including this critical crystal, jumping on the intruder with a war cry. He got a broken arm, a black eye, and a few bruised ribs for his troubles.

Thankfully he could walk away with most of his things as the teen sneered and screamed at him while he ran away.

It's not that Billy couldn't fight off the homeless teenager, but he didn't, and to go all Captain Marvel on some random citizen. Captain Marvel can go toe to toe with Superman, but plain old Billy Batson struggles to take kids his own age. He's always been smaller than his age group, not to mention hunger's damage to him.

He returned to the abandoned subway, stumbling down the dark tunnel. Billy didn't like the place- it was damp and cold and a little too open if someone else wandered in, but it was the only place he could go for the night on such short notice. He was thinking of asking Batman if he could take more shifts on monitor duty just so he could sleep at the watch tower.

Then his pants leg got stuck on a broken stair, and he fell, sending his dew earthly possessions into the air. Now he was, blinking away the spots from the beating the teenager gave him and a powerful artifact he promised the Wizard he keep safe, broken beyond repair.

Against his will, sobs start to shake his body. The more he fought to clear his eyes from the tears, the more he began to fall. He leans his forehead on the floor, uncaring how a piece of crystal cuts his skin, causing a trail of crimson to flow down his face. What's one more scar on his already broken body?

In a moment of weakness, he violently wishes he could run to his mom for comfort. It's a fantasy. She's long gone, buried next to his dad, and his uncle was somewhere warm spending their money.

The knowledge causes more despair, and he sobs harder.

Why does he have to be here hungry, without a home, when his father's brother didn't even bother to attend their funeral is living off of his inheritance? Living great, if all the zeros he saw on the check were any indication?

Life is genuinely unfair sometimes. That's why he took being Captain Marvel so seriously. Someone had to protect people from the cruelty of life.

A swirling green portal rips open underneath him just as the trailing thought of I wish someone out there wanted to protect me just as much.

His echoing scream, the swirling green, is the last thing Billy knows before everything goes black.

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

Billy wakes to the sound of someone humming. He blinks open his eyes, fighting against the exhaustion and the siren call of slumber. The first thing he notices is the soft green of the walls, like the color of Easter eggs he used to paint with his Dad. He smiles at them.

It's his favorite color.

Then Billy notices his eyes getting heavy again as he slowly turns his head into the plush pillow and sinks into the warm blankets around him. His body is boneless in comfort, his eyes are closed, and he's just dropping off into dreamland when his mind finally notices that you're homeless and don't know this room. You're in danger!

Billy leaps off the bed like he's been shocked, throwing the two blankets on the ground. Glancing around, he's horrified to see he's in some kind of kid room- comics, toys, posters- all tailored to his tastes. He can even spot an archeology kit for kids sitting on a desk, just like the ones his parents used to buy him when he wanted to help out in their digs.

He always thought he actually found something in his little play rocks while waiting at one of the tents as his parents worked. They always beamed when he showed them the fake dinosaur bones he discovered in his kits.

He even has nice, fluffy pajamas. The kind that doesn't have buttons or zippers but is oversized, so they let him toss and turn in the night. His bottoms are a grey and black checker pattern, while the top has the Batman symbol proudly on the front.

Everything is perfect, from the decor, to his clothes to even the furniture placement.

It's the bedroom of his dreams.

Oh gosh, he has been Coraline-ed!

"Oh, Billy! You're up. Breakfast is ready and I just finished ironing your uniform." A man's voice says from the doorway. He swings his head around to see a man in his late twenties in an apron smiling at him. He's handsome, has fluffy black hair and baby-blue eyes, and practically embodies comforting vibes.

The other-mother.

"Who are you!?" Billy demands, fist raised. He can't go Captain Marvel with someone dead on staring at him- at least he risks his secret identity, but he has been on the streets long enough to put up a decent fight.

The man seems flabbergasted by his aggression which causes Billy to bristle until he slaps his own forehead.

"Right, forgot about the introduction. I'm Danny Fenton, and I will be your new guardian until you are old enough to care for yourself." Danny smiles, and the boy can't help but find it too pretty to be authentic. "As per your request as the champion of Magic."

Billy has been taken by someone who knows he's Captain Marvel. Which could be better on the one hand but on the other, it means he can do this.

"Shazam!" A bolt of lighting has him shifting into his adult form and flying a break neck speed towards the threat. He intends to punch Danny, but his fist is caught in Danny's palm like it's nothing.

Danny seems unimpressed. "Don't think you can Shazam yourself out of class, young man. Being a hero will cut your attendance, but I won't allow you to skip just because."

Calm yourself, child Batson Solomon says to Bill. King Phantom is here per your request for aid. He will not harm you.

What request!? I never called for him!

When you broke the Infinite Realms Crysta of distress, you called for someone to protect you like your caregivers once did. King Phantom is the most vigorous protective spirit in all the realms. He answered the call. Solomon replies. Billy can feel the god shift on his golden throne a sense of amusement. It's strange to know what the gods are doing without really seeing them He made a deal with the wizard to pose as your father until you are of age. You both are bonded by this Oath.

An oath. That made Billy feel a little better. He knows that once an Oath is made, no one in the parties involved can break it. If the Wizard had done one while borrowing Billy's body then Billy would be untouchable until the contract was done.

He has a new dad that would be bound by magic and the might of the six gods to protect him.

Billy was curious to know if that was a good thing or not. Being protected is not the same as being loved.

"Kid? You okay?" Danny asks.

"What is expected of me? What do you want me to do?" Billy counters, floating back a little now that he knows what's happening. An Oath is a two-way deal. If Danny had to pretend to be Bill's father, then Billy had to do something for Danny.

"Well, I expect you to have your teeth brushed and eat your breakfast before class, but something tells me that's not what you mean." Danny jokes with a chuckle. Billy frowns, which makes the humor on the man's face disappear. "In all honesty? You are my anchor. I haven't been in the material world for years. Not since my home dimension was destroyed by an asteroid. I missed it. I missed people."

Okay, nothing sinister. But he would never let this random stranger think he had the right to boss Billy around.

"You don't have to pretend to be my dad when we're alone. And you can't tell me what to do!" Billy hisses, expecting the man to get upset like other foster fathers had been before he ran.

Danny nods. "Sounds fair. Sorry for coming on like a fruitloop."

"A.....fruitloop?"

"A big fruitloop. One with a cat."

Right.

"You said my uniform. What uniform?" Billy asks to choose to come back to Danny's odd phrase later.

"Gotham Acadamy. I signed you up for classes-"

"We're in Gotham!? Why?!"

Danny tilts his head. "It's the only place with enough death to sustain me."

Billy is glad he is Captain Marvel right now. Otherwise, he thinks he would need more guts to ask. "Why do you need death?"

"Not death itself, more like the by-product. I need ectoplasm since I;;m a ghost." With a bright flash of twin rings, Danny shifts into a very obviously non-human form, and Billy's mouth drops.

"You're dead?!"

"So-and-so. I'm a halfa. A being dead and alive but at the same time neither" Danny rubs the back of his neck, twirling his small point tail nervously. "Yeah, it's a bit confusing. Sorry."

"It's fine....ugh so we just live in Gotham until I'm what eighteen?"

"Until your twenty." Danny winces at the glare Billy throws him. "Sorry, ghosts see adulthood as two decades for the living, two centuries for the dead. Since I'm both, I have to follow both and thus have to be your caregiver until you're twenty. I can portal you to Fawcett whenever you need to hero with the snap of my fingers. It'll be inconvenient, but I promise it will be better than the streets. And I will never, ever hurt you, Billy."

Billy crosses his arms, listening with half a ear as the gods start speaking at one, their voices and opinions a background noise he long learns to turn out until Atlas is louder than the rest.

I understand this might be a lot at once, young Batson, but accept King Phantom's help. You will no longer be alone. It is not easy carrying the world on your shoulders, trust me.

The god's words make Billy sure this is a good idea.

"Shazam!" With another burst of lighting, Billy is a kid again, stretching his neck back to make eye contact with the taller man. "Alright. You got yourself a deal .... again."

Danny grins, warm and delight dancing in his eyes. "Excellent! Lets's hurry then, we're supposed to arrive at your school early today to meet with a man in charge of your scholarship who is my new employer for computer software. That's our cover, by the way. We moved here after I got a job at the man's company."

"Who are we meeting?"

"Someone unimportant, I'm sure," Danny says, waving a hand. "My friend Clockwork set us up our background, we have the papers to prove everything."

Billy finds out that Danny really is from a different universe because how in the world could he claim Bruce Wayne as unimportant!

[iid-smile]

can't get rid of me , fushiguro toji

a strong legacy to be left behind , chapter one

the series masterlist. | previous | next

cw: profanity, mentions of pregnancy (pills) but filtered for megumi's sake, mentions of violence in prison, you're broke, smoking cigarettes

author's note: sigh... im out of my fluff era 😞 (sorry guys) kinda wanted to write something that i think would actually happen in some sort of alternate jjk universe and um idk how far to go because this kind of stuff does happen in the manga, but writing it feels illegal??? idk...

"mom?" megumi peeks out from around the corner in the hallway. "who was calling?"

another groan escapes your lips, around the fifth one in the last three minutes, and you silence your phone once again. "your— excuse my language, shitty deadbeat dad keeps wanting to call me." you slap your hand across your forehead and lean back on the couch, a small creak coming from somewhere below. "apparently he's getting aggressive in prison. shut off the house phone, but they still found my number..."

your son comes closer to you, and you scoop him up, placing him by your side. he glances up at you, and you swear your fight or flight instincts nearly kicked in, (not that you'd be able to fight of a guy as big as toji anyways) flinching slightly from his sharp gaze. it sucks how he looks so much like his dad, because you loved megumi so much. but the image of that guy was almost too much to bear, and he's the spitting image.

"shitty?" he repeats. for a well-behaved kid, he really doesn't respect your words.

"don't say that megs, it's bad language." you swear around him all of the time, so what's the point in scolding him? "only your mama can say it."

"don't tell me what to do."

wow. okay. why do you feel threatened by a six year old? "damn, you've got his attitude too." you mutter, but you've only got yourself to blame for that. you knew you were never cut out to be a mother, so your ways of parenting weren't the best.

he snuggles closer to you, and you openly accept, moving your free hand to his hair to rub over it. "why can't i see toji?"

ah, this lovely story again. "because he left me as soon as you were born, love." really, you couldn't and didn't want to stop yourself from wrapping him up in your arms, feeling the need to protect him. "at this point, he's dead to me. seems like he doesn't feel the same though... i'm so sick of his ass." you also knew it wasn't good parenting to rant to your child about adult issues, but you've only got him to talk to.

that hug was out of comfort then. why are you lying to yourself?

he looks up at you with an irritatingly cute but blank face. "why?"

"god, i hate how many questions you ask." you speak under your breath once again, looking up at the ceiling from any sort of help from a higher being. the amount of times you've had to family-friendly-ify things that have happened isn't even funny. you're not naturally rated u for universal. it's more embarrassing when he recites those same stories to his teachers, and you get called into the school for a little talk.

yikes... here we go. "he lied when he said he gave me the right magical candy after we visited the stork. tried to make it drop you off back to where babies are made in heaven, but i wanted it to deliver you to me, whether he liked that or not." the story's got to be a little filtered somehow. you'd rather not get yourself in the principal's office again. "you're my little hero; a miracle to me. i would've given up on myself ages ago. your dad is a bad, bad man."

the type that would kill. if he found where you lived, or perhaps where megumi goes to school...

"and now i'm left broke in an apartment that barely functions, yet i still spoil my little hero." you sing-song, leaning your head back. "and with what money? i'm broke as hell, megs. can't even make both of us breakfast in the morning cuz your elementary school is too damn expensive."

"is this my fault?"

"...no. no, baby, of course not." you furrow your eyebrows more, a small pout in your lips. "if anything, you made my situation a bit more fortunate."

it's a selfish way of thinking, using your child to avoid solving your problems, using your child to wail and complain about how much you hate your life, but you've got nothing to lose. nothing to lose except for the one person you love.

you can feel your phone buzzing again.

"you stay here and watch tv, okay? mama's gonna go to the kitchen and talk to her friend." he seems a bit relieved as you let go of him, and you stand up.

you hear him mutter. "it's only playing the news though..." no shit it only plays the news, you can't afford to get a good television company that has any kids shows. that is, unless you wanna get scammed out of all of your money.

begrudgingly, you make your way to the kitchen, confirm that you closed the door completely, and answer the vibrating device. "hello?" you sigh, placing the device over your ear.

the other person on the call replies quickly. "is this miss—"

"yeah, yeah, it is. what the hell do you want?"

"um... we apologise, but we strongly suggest that you come to the prison building. he—" the guy's voice cracks. must be really nervous. "pardon me. he's been physically assaulting other inmates and guards, he doesn't follow orders, he never leaves his cell unless it's to visit the closed visits room. you know, in hopes that you'll come..."

obsessed much? where was this energy six years ago? "that's got nothing to do with me."

"please, ma'am. he won't listen to anyone, and we are unable to place him into special facilities as he doesn't emit any cursed energy." ah, he's begging? that's a first. you never would've thought you'd hear a person who works at a prison begging.

cursed energy, cursed energy, this talk again and again and again. "urgh..." you take a deep breath. your options are limited, and they won't stop calling until they can get that lunatic to calm down... surprise, surprise, you really don't want to go.

but if you were really uninterested in him, wouldn't you have already spent the bail money that's been sat on the counter for ages, neatly concealed in an envelope? wouldn't you have paid off all of your debts already? "will i— hm..." choose your words carefully, goddamn it. "can i get a reward of some sort if i go? money?"

"yes, yes! please do visit. there's nothing we can legally do to him in check anymore." ...you think this guy sounds a little too eager.

damn toji and his "supernatural powers", or else you wouldn't get yourself into this mess. finally, after your moment of silence, you respond. "okay. i'll visit."

"thank you—!" you cut off the line.

"fucking bastard..." you drop your phone on the counter, running your hands through your hair and over your face. "stressing me out for what? you don't even love me." your words turn into whispers. with haste, you rummage through your back pocket, trying to find those last few cigarettes, but as your hands were occupied, your eyes moved over to the ashtray that was collecting dust on top of the microwave. oh, right... you don't smoke anymore because there's no ventilation indoors.

you'd have to head out if you wanted to, but then megumi would be in the apartment on his own. and nobody can babysit, because you don't have anybody to ask to babysit. great, you can't smoke until monday. it's a friday afternoon. you have two whole days to get through!

you know for a fact your addiction won't hold out for that long.

[that-random-outsider]

Okay so allow me to explain my unbridled hatred for King Beast

For starters it is said that the barrier along with Auradon was formed 20 years before the first movie, then add 2 because their 18 in the 3rd movie, and then another 6 I believe for rise of red (Don't quote me on that this is just an approximations) that leaves you with 28 years, Red and Chloe travel back in time 30 years which leaves them to meet there moms at age 16.

That leaves everything that happened to happen when they were 18 and I'm pretty sure it's assumed that Beast is in fact older than them by a few years. My educated guess is that he was about 21-24 years old based on what I remember from the original movie. Now understand that would this 24 year old forced an 18 year old Fay to trap every villain and their kid on a purgatory (most of whom she grew up with may I remind you) And if you really want to go there how many times can you think of the line "We used to be friends" appeared in a dcom because I can name a lot so there's a very real chance she used to be friends with a lot of them.

Just something about forcing a barely adult to lock away all of her childhood friends seems wrong to me but hey maybe I'm crazy. Now secondly BRIDGET poor sweet Bridget was going to war at 18 and no really think about that. She was ostracized for two years after castlecoming assuming that she could even make it to graduation between all the bullying and having no friends. Because yes she lost her only friend so she's been living in isolation for 2 years. And her mom is apparently gone. (I know this fandom has their own opinions but good or bad she was still her mother. ) Because at this point she is queen which means that her mother either stepped down or died and I really don't think Wonderland monarchs believe in stepping down. Either way she’s leading completely alone at this point and all she has is this country and now Beast wants to take that too!

The only thing left that's hers, her home, her safe place. The place where Bridget grew up, not the Queen of Hearts. And he just expected her to hand it over! Like he was entitled to her home, her kingdom. Just this random white man decided he should own this land because he wants it, and that sounds too familiar so ofcourse Bridget fights. 18 years old fighting for the right to her own home by herself and you expect that not to break her? It's no wonder she acts as if kindness is weakness people have been taking advantage of hers all her life. She's such a protective person but it manifest in the worse ways. In her mind She's protecting her people, her daughter from getting hurt by hurting her first and that's always my thought process for her. Not an excuse but an explanation.

[tothebestofmyabilities]

@seemoreseymoursbay day 3! OC day

So in the episode 'Bad Tina' Zeke mentions that his dads girlfriend just had a baby, assuming that the dads gf he talks about in early seasons is Cheryl his step mom and that the father of that baby is Zekes dad we can also assume that Zeke has a very young half sibling. And I did go ahead and assume all those things so this is Zekes baby sister Cherish (Cherry for short).

Used the prompt wonder wharf

Im gonna talk some more about her under the cut bc im sure that will devolve into infodumping zeke lore/headcanons and i dont want anyone to get stuck scrolling past a wall of text

Interestingly she's the only oc i have that's part of a different piece of media rather than one of my own projects.

She's a spunky little toddler for sure she's always got tons of energy, she's extremely confident and fearless constantly running off when she sees something that excites her or to ask strangers questions. She has a big sweet tooth but also loves spicy foods, off the top of my head I don't think its been discussed in canon where Zeke is from originally but recently I've been thinking of him and his bio mom as being from louisiana (projection on my part my mom is from louisiana and bc I like Zeke as a chef and the food there is soo good) I love the idea that his mom taught him to cook the local dishes and that he makes them for Cherry. She dresses in a chaotic mix of her own love of bright, clashing rainbow colors and dingey hand-me-downs from Zekes childhood and from their other cousins. I definitely think Zeke has adhd and Cherry does as well.

I tend to draw her/think of her around age 2 1/2- 3 (so when zeke is 16ish) but in canon time she'd still be a newborn. I love the idea of Zeke with a young sibling he's portrayed in the show as being super caring, protective of and loyal to the people be cares about, and good with younger kids all of which read as big brother qualities to me and he's also mentioned wanting siblings hes closer too. (He mentioned having a 44 year old brother in Presto Tina-o but also has said his bio mom was pregnant with him at her prom which is probably just a continuity error with his throway lines but taken at face value makes his dad out to be a gross old creep which is my personal headcanon idk if there's anyone out there who are big fans of Zeke's dad and step mom but my headcanons do not paint them in a nice light so beware of that)

Based on pretty much everything Zeke has ever said about his family I get the impression that the adults in his life are pretty neglectful and irresponsible and definitely not super present (he rarely ever speaks about his dad I hc him having a job that keeps him away from the family most of the time probably something like trucking and Zeke has mentioned Cheryl being an alcoholic I also hc her as much younger than the dad maybe she's a bartender? I definitely see her having a nightlife kind of job also for reference picture her as a redhead with blue eyes and a lot of tattoos that's where cherry gets her eyes and freckles)

I believe with Cherry a lot of parenting responsibilities would be placed on Zeke and while i think he has qualities that are really well suited to that the parentification of an older sibling is not ok and would negatively impact him, I like the idea of him applying for a job at Bob's Burgers bc he needs a more stable way to provide financially than doing odd jobs around town and not only getting a job but also getting a support system and adults who care about him and his sister and their wellbeing. I think Bob would take Zeke under his wing and help him make himself and his education a priority (the belchers helping out with Cherry when they can so he can focus more on school and extra curriculars) and help him get into a culinary school after graduation. Linda would fall completely in love with her (we know how much she loves babies) and basically treat Cherry like she's her own grandbaby. They all babysit her when needed but Louise is her favorite babysitter and maybe person also she really looks up to Louise and likes to imitate her fashion style and the way she speaks, Louise would pretend that this annoys her but not so secretly finds it adorable.

Anyways clearly i could go on and on but ill just cut myself off there hope y'all like her!

[tiny-pretty-sana]

be as one | twice

pairings: nayeon x jeongyeon, momo x mina, sana x jihyo genre: christmas fluff warnings/tags: au, unnie line as mothers, school meal club as kids, twice reunion, stablished relationships, domestic fluff, christmas day, subtle past angst, now proofreaded and edited w/c: 11.3 K a/n: i wanted to post this for christmas but it's too cute to stay in my drafts, so take it as a belated christmas gift from me 🧸🤎

"Aren't you excited to meet the dogs?" Sana asks the little girl in the back seat as Jihyo watches her from the rearview mirror. 

Tzuyu looks at her with her eyes wide open and nods her head sheepishly, being so shy you wouldn’t tell she has been waiting a whole week to meet not one but three doggies as promised by her new moms, Sana and Jihyo. They also told her she will meet two girls like her and their mothers, but this part of the deal is not as thrilling for her. 

She is a really shy kid. She gets nervous in crowded places and it takes her a while to feel comfortable around new people. It took her around five visits to start talking back to Jihyo and Sana and she finally told them she wanted to go home with them after six months of almost weekly visits. So the idea of meeting six new people at the same time is not very appealing, that is why their moms have made sure their friends bring their dogs too. 

Tzuyu loves dogs and Sana and Jihyo love Tzuyu. They are both willing to do whatever it takes to make her feel comfortable, safe, protected, cared for and heard. 

A month ago she arrived home, since then the three of them are adjusting to their new life together. It is still an ongoing process, but with these small steps they hope that little by little this will become their new normal as a family.   Soon she will have to start school, so when Jeongyeon told them that her sister had rented a hanok for her to spend Christmas with her family and invited them to join them with Momo and Mina as well, they did not hesitate to accept the offer. It would be the perfect opportunity to introduce them to Tzuyu and besides, their daughter could start socializing with children her age and it might go better than their attempts to get her to interact with other kids at the park.

A little farther away, in Jeongyeon and Nayeon's car, Chaeyoung asks her moms in concern "Does Tzuyu like strawberries?" while absent-mindedly caressing Kookeu that sleeps resting his head on the girl’s lap.

Jeongyeon sighs after losing count of how many questions her daughter has asked them about the new member of their unique family. After finding out she is not a baby but a six-year-old girl like her, her interest increased and she has been asking nonstop about her. Things like her favorite color, if she likes painting or drawing, what food she likes and a dozen other things that Nayeon and Jeongyeon can only answer by saying she can ask them herself when they arrive.

Something similar happens with Dahyun, although her questions are undoubtedly much more complicated,probably due to the one-year difference between the two. It all started because she doesn't understand how her aunts have had a daughter of Chaeyoung's age instead of a baby. “I don't get it,” she says, crossing her arms slightly frustrated and looking at her mother with distrust. "It doesn't make sense, mommy" she says fussing and raising her voice slightly "How can auntie Sana have a 6 year old girl in her belly? She can't fit in! And auntie Jihyo is even smaller!" she whines.

In the driver's seat, Momo tries to contain her laughter, but can't help letting out a chuckle at her last statement. Next to her, Mina just giggles as she realizes the reason behind her daughter’s worry, maybe they should have had a conversation about this whole thing earlier and not on the way to meet Tzuyu. However, with everything that Mina has had on her mind these past few weeks she has been letting the now inevitable conversation slide.

"Honey, Tzuyu doesn't come from Sana's or Jihyo's belly. Remember when we talked about the different types of families there are?" Mina begins to explain.

"Yes" Dahyun nods energetically. "Some people have a daddy and a mommy, other people have two daddies or two mommies and sometimes they have just a mommy like me, but there are as many types of families as there are colors" she quotes the explanation her mother has given her so many times.

Mina can't help but smile as she hears her daughter repeat word for word the phrase she has told her every time she leaves the father's information blank on school trip authorizations, when other children ask her where her dad is, or that time she had to make a family tree as homework. Her daughter knows these words by heart and she can only hope that Dahyun truly feels this way. 

"That’s right love” she asserts. “There are also children who don't have parents and there are families who don't have children, so they adopt those children and become a family. Tzuyu used to have no mommy and daddy, but now she lives with Sana and Jihyo who are her mommies".

She speaks slowly taking into consideration every word that comes out of her mouth, trying to simplify it as best as she can, so that the information can be processed by the child's brain. Mina knows she has to make it easy and clear while discussing it with the importance that such a topic requires. 

During the explanation Dahyun listens attentively and her mother can see her opening her mouth slightly showing the gap left by her baby teeth that are no longer there. Mina immediately recognizes that look, her daughter is considering all this new information and she gives her some time. 

"What does it mean to adopt?" she asks, frowning at the new word. 

This time it is Momo who gives an answer "It means they take her home to live with them and now they take care of her, give her hugs, help her get dressed, feed her...just like I did with Boo and-".

But before Momo can illustrate the definition, she is cut off by a slap from Mina on her thigh. 

"Oh my god you're not comparing the dogs to Sana and Jihyo's daughter" Mina scolds her in a hushed tone so Dahyun can't hear her. 

"Sorry" Momo mutters as she turns her attention back to the road.

The conversation is interrupted by Boo’s bark after hearing his name, still this distraction is not enough to stop the gears in the kid's mind. Both adults are willing to indulge her curiosity whether she is aware of the weight of the matter they are talking about or if this is just part of her ‘why?’ phase.  

"But if she wasn’t in no one's belly, why is she their daughter?". 

"She doesn't need to be in any of your aunt's belly" Mina smiles softly "Don't you love Momo?" she tries.

"I love Momo" she says, nodding quickly. 

"And I love you, Dubu" Momo speaks again with a big smile. 

"And she's your family, right?" Mina already knows the answer. It is something that has been confirmed by all the drawings pinned on the fridge door with three stick figures surrounded by hearts and joined by two circles with ears that are supposed to be Boo and Dobby. 

"Yes!".

"But you weren't in her belly and Momo takes care of you just like I do. She makes you breakfast, walks you to school, takes care of you when you are sick, dances with you and lets you sit on the counter while she cooks. She loves you just like I do" she says, watching Momo's cheeks blush.

"MOMO IS ALSO MY MOTHER?!” she screams shocked by this newly found fact. Still surprised, she adds a second question  “CAN I CALL HER MOM?" Dahyun screams again, causing Momo to almost swerve the car.

This time there is only one person who can answer the question, so Mina just looks at her partner with the most loving gaze while Momo is short-circuiting. It's not as if the conversation has never come up before, the two have talked about it many times and she knows that, to Momo, Dahyun is her daughter and that she loves her as such. Even if she hasn't vocalized it yet at least consciously. On some occasions the little girl has called her “mom” or “mommy”, but she always assumed she did it accidentally, so to hear from her own mouth that she wants to call her the same way she does with Mina is a big deal.

“S-sure” Momo stutters after a few seconds and just smiles widely.

Beside her, Mina feels like her chest is going to burst as she grabs Momo's hand and looks at her smiling with eyes sparkling with love. The truth is that for some time now when she thinks of family she no longer thinks only of Dahyun and her older brother but also of Momo, Boo and Dobby. When she thinks of family she thinks of her friends whom she sees as sisters and her daughters whom she sees as nieces. It's just a word, but it makes it all more real. They are a family. 

In the front seats both women do their best to hold their tears back, behind them Dahyun starts rambling about how she will tell Chaeyoung that now she has two mothers too and that her mom can cook just like Jeongyeon, so she has a mom and a mommy who can cook yummy things as if it's some kind of competition. They know that at some point they will have to tell her that she should not brag about these things to other children, but for now they let her enjoy the moment.

The way is long, but they all think it is worth it when they see the stunning place that Jeongyeon's rich and famous sister has rented as a belated birthday present and an early Christmas present so that they can enjoy this holiday with their other family, the one that her sister and sister-in-law have built and chosen. The gift was well received and greatly appreciated by all, except for Mr. and Mrs. Yoo. Jeongyeon's parents did not like the idea of not spending Christmas spoiling their only granddaughter, but when her daughter told them that it would be a good opportunity to meet the newly adopted daughter of Jihyo and her wife, they were quick to ask her and Nayeon to organize a lunch at their house with all the kids. It took them only a few hours to buy matching pajamas for Chaeyoung and the other girls.

Now they are all in the large traditional style house surrounded by nature, away from the city, but close enough to a village not to be too isolated. The air is fresh, there is no pollution and the only thing that can be heard is the one or two birds, since at this time of the year most of them have flown to other places in search of higher temperatures. Without a doubt, it is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas and take a well-deserved rest that will last until the last days of the year. The truth is that there is still no agreement on whether they will celebrate the New Year here as well, but at least they will stay long enough to celebrate Sana's birthday together.

They all arrive around the same time and as soon as the cars stop two little girls who are a bundle of nerves  jump out of Jeongyeon and Jihyo's cars.

"BROOOOOOO!" they both scream at the same time as they do their – not so secret – handshake before melting into an embrace as if they hadn't seen each other a few days ago at school. 

Mina sighs and covers her face with her hand "I need to have a word with my brother" she says aloud as a reminder to herself. 

"I think she's so funny and adorable" Momo replies. 

"Momoring, you are the least objective person in the world when it comes to these two" she smiles at her girlfriend. "They can literally do anything and you'd say they're adorable." 

Between all the fuss caused by the two children, who are slightly over a meter tall, Tzuyu goes almost unnoticed for a few seconds as she clings to Sana's leg and grabs Jihyo's hand with her other hand.

"These are Chaeyoung and Dahyun, I promise you they are usually quieter" Jihyo informs Tzuyu as Sana laughs at the sight of the two's handshake and greeting. 

At the sound of their names the two immediately turn their heads to their Aunt Jihyo and then to the girl holding her hand. Their eyes widen and point at her, then they look at their aunt again and it is Dahyun who speaks first.

"Is she Tzuyu?" she asks in excitement.

Jihyo and Sana nod at the same time while Tzuyu shyly waves her hand without saying a word. 

They again turn their gaze to Tzuyu and then look at each other. 

"You are very pretty" Chayeoung says, looking at her again. 

"You are very tall" Dahyun says.

“Thank you” Tzuyu says almost in a whisper while she tries to hide even more behind Sana’s legs.

The rest of the women, noticing how scared their new niece looks, decide to give her some space before starting the introductions. For now she has enough with their enthusiastic daughters. 

"Why don't we start taking things inside?" Jeongyeon asks, drawing the attention away from the timid girl. "You girls can give the dogs a walk so they can pee, since there are three I think we're going to need Tzuyu's help, don't you think?".

The children nod their heads and Tzuyu’s eyes light up at the suggestion, because since she got out of the car she hasn't taken her eyes off the three doggies still waiting in the cars for their seat belts to be unbuckled. 

"Tzuyu would love that, right?" Sana states as she crouches down to Tzuyu's height to explain that she is her friend Jeongyeon, the mom of Chaeyoung and a pomeranian named Kookeu.

She just nods and stays silent but lets herself be guided by Sana, who walks with her to Momo's car, where Dahyun starts with the introductions. She introduces herself first, then her mommy Mina, her mom Momo. The latter who introduces her to Boo and Dobby while she puts the leashes on them and hands Boo's to Dahyun and Dobby's to Tzuyu who, despite her shyness, is clearly filled with joy. 

At all times Sana stays by her side and gives her comforting glances every time she looks up and gently squeezes her hand reminding her that she is by her side. The gesture reassures Tzuyu who dares to thank Dahyun, Momo and Mina and then says in a whisper "I am Tzuyu, nice to meet you", just as her moms have taught her.

Dahyun smiles as she grabs the leash and seconds later Chaeyoung and Kookeu join in. This time, the oldest girl introduces Chaeyoung and Tzuyu formally, explaining that they are both the same age even though Chaeyoung is shorter and Tzuyu is even taller than Dahyun herself. Sana watches the interaction closely and can't help but laugh, her heart melts every time she sees Dahyun taking on the role of unnie as she usually does with Chae, and now doing it with her own daughter. She walks and watches over the three of them as they explore the surroundings of the house with the dogs before going inside while the rest of the mothers are taking bags and backpacks full of clothes, food, supplies and - of course - gifts out of the cars while the girls are distracted and out of sight.

"No, no, no, no" they hear Nayeon say as she takes some bags from her wife's hands. 

"Oh come on honey, are you serious?" grumbles Jeongyeon. 

"I'm dead serious, join Sana and the girls. I'm not going to let you carry anything."

"Nayeon... Even if I was you-know-what, I could carry this. I'm already following all the precautions and recommendations as well as having a bunch of vitamins, but I'm not going to be getting the pregnant woman treatment as if I can't do anything. I refuse to do that" she argues and in response receives a negative head shake. 

"Look, I have a good feeling so I'm not going to let you carry anything. And the only reason I'm letting you drive, for now, is because we both know that between you and me only one of us is capable of driving us safely to a house in the middle of the mountains. And obviously the one who owns a car with scratches in the three colors of the parking column is not the one".

"Don't tell me you scratched the car again" sighs Jeongyeon tiredly. 

"Don't change the subject and go inside the house now or go stretch your legs a bit with your daughter before we lose her among these plants that I'm sure are taller than her."

After hearing her reasoning, Jeongyeon has no choice but to accept his wife's suggestion and joins Sana, the three girls and the three dogs. 

Once inside the house, Nayeon, Momo, Jihyo and Mina put everything in order and catch up with each other. Since the friend group was formed they try to see each other regularly and in the case of Momo, Mina and Nayeon - along with Jeongyeon - they often see each other at school and occasionally on play dates in the park. However, with the hectic pace of work, raising their daughters and taking care of the house, sometimes it is almost impossible to meet all of them together. Besides the fact that Jihyo and Sana have been practically absent these last few months, since they spent some time preparing everything for Tzuyu's arrival at home, and that this last month has been entirely dedicated to adapting to this new situation. This is the main topic of conversation among the women who ask Jihyo how she is handling it, if it is difficult, assure her that the best is yet to come, ask her how Sana has been doing and give her some parenting tips.

Jihyo is euphoric, she and Sana are the extroverts of the group and in general she is a very vocal person, but it is more than obvious to everyone that she is more talkative than usual. It is not the first time they see her like this, she was the same way when she met Tzuyu for the first time and when they started the adoption procedure. They love to see their friends like this and Mina and Nayeon remember that feeling of being new moms and how their friends were there to share the joy, fears and doubts. For a moment they are both brought back to the times when they listened to them talk for hours about names, diapers, cribs, milk, clothes, ultrasounds and a thousand other things. 

In fact, it was Jihyo and Sana who were present during their pregnancies, respectively. Jihyo was the one who took Nayeon, who was suffering from contractions, to the hospital while Jeongyeon at her side told her how to breathe, even though she was the one who needed the breathing exercises the most at that moment. And well, Sana was even present when Mina gave birth to Dahyun taking the place of the biological father - or the sperm donor as Sana calls him -.

Momo, despite being the most recent addition to the group, almost three years ago, shares the excitement equally as the three of them listen to the first anecdotes that Sana and Jihyo have already experienced with Tzuyu at home. The truth is that they have all been hearing about her for more than half a year and although today they have finally met her, they already feel that they have known her for a long time and that she is part of their family. 

"And it looks like Jihyo and Sana aren't the only new moms in the group, right Momo?" asks Nayeon arching her eyebrows looking at her "new" best friend. 

Mina hearing it can't help but smile and Jihyo makes a surprised face, they both look at Momo who smiles shyly.

"That’s right" she says while still smiling "Dubu has officially given me the title".

"I was honestly surprised she hadn't called her mom by now. There are times she looks more like your daughter than mine" she says to Momo as she holds out her hand and strokes it with her thumb. 

Mina takes advantage of Nayeon bringing up the topic of conversation and explains that it all came up in the car talking about Tzuyu and the adoption thing. Nayeon almost gets tears of laughter listening to Dahyun's confusion with the logistics, and like Momo she can't help but let out a laugh when she hears that one of the things she was really worried about is that Jihyo would have had someone so big in her belly when she was so small. Nayeon, for her part thanks aloud that Chae's questions were not so complicated, although they all agree that she and Jeongyeon have admirable patience after hearing that the questions didn't stop during the three-hour drive. 

Jihyo's heart warms, despite her height being a joke even to her seven-year-old niece, listening to how the little ones have taken the news. It was a fact for her that both her friends and their daughters would welcome Tzuyu with open arms, but hearing the girls' doubts and their mothers' responses gives her peace of mind knowing that her daughter is surrounded by such wonderful people. For a while she felt guilty for not being able to give Tzuyu some grandparents to spoil her since the relationship with her own parents is non-existent and given that Sana's parents live in another country, but that thought disappears from her head when she listens to her friends. This is her family.

Not only is she comforted by listening to the three women but she takes note of their experiences and especially Mina's explanation to her daughter about the different types of families in case she ever has to use it with her daughter. 

"Wow that's great" says Jihyo excitedly "Tzuyu still calls us by our name from time to time, but at least she has stopped calling us Mrs. Jihyo and Mrs. Sana" she laughs.

Once everything is in place, Mina starts preparing tea for the adults and milkshakes for the girls. Chocolate for Dahyun, strawberry for Chaeyoun and for Tzuyu... When she is about to look for Jihyo to ask her about it, the three dogs run in followed by the two children, Jeongyeon and finally Tzuyu who hasn't left Sana's side the whole time. Seeing the cute scene makes Mina smile tenderly, it reminds her a bit of herself when she was a child, so she can't help but laugh a little as she imagines how such a shy girl will handle having the most outgoing people she knows as mothers, for now they seem to be handling it quite well. She doesn't remember seeing Sana this calm in her life. 

"Tzuyu, which milkshake do you prefer? We have chocolate, strawberry and vanilla" she asks her.

The girl looks first at her mother who gives her a little squeeze on the shoulder encouraging her to answer herself, even though she already knows the answer.

"Vanilla, please. Thank you" she replies immediately.

"Good choice. Dahyun is going to be delighted but you might break Chaeyoung's heart". 

"Don't worry about that part, Mitang. We brought that ice cream that has all three flavors and I think everyone will be happy" says Sana looking at her daughter. 

"Is Jihyo still competing with Nayeon for the favorite aunt spot?" Mina asks while Sana nods, rolling her eyes. "I think Nayeon brought the ingredients to make hot chocolate, I just hope Dahyun doesn't try to eat it all." 

Sana laughs and replies "If it happens let's hope then she won't get a stomach ache like that time. I just can't stop Jihyo, you know how she is. She is very sexy when she gets into competitive mode." 

"Have some decorum" she says laughing, covering half of her face with her hand and looking towards the little girl. "I can imagine, it's going to be fun when school starts. Remember when Nayeon almost got into a fight with a parent on sports day."

The two laugh while Tzuyu plays distractedly with her mom’s fingers and rings. The conversation does not last much longer because when the girl sees the dogs, she asks her mother to come with her to play with them.

As soon as Sana disappears from the kitchen Jeongyeon shows up, offering to help Mina, but they both know it's just an excuse. Like Momo and Nayeon, they haven't known each other practically all their lives - as is Jeongyeon's case with Nayeon and Jihyo - but from the beginning they connected very well and are now quite close probably because of how similar their personalities are. As people who sometimes deal with a bit of anxiety and have a tendency to overthink, they have found someone to lean on who understands them.

"You haven't done it yet, have you? "Jeongyeon asks Mina first. 

She shakes her head "I've tried, I promise. But the truth is I'm glad I waited, if you give me a hand tonight I think I will do it" she says, unable to hide her gummy smile as she thinks about it.

"Yeah sure, just tell me what you have in mind and we'll find time to set it up."

"Same goes for you, I overheard your conversation with Nayeon earlier. So if there's anything I can help with, let me know" she offers.

"Don't worry about me, I've got it all planned out, Mitang" she tells her as she starts placing the cups of tea and milkshakes on a tray. "Or should I say bro" she teases her. 

"Oh shut up Jeong, I'm regretting letting my brother babysit. The other day she called me 'bro'!" she says, making her friend laugh.

When Mina and Jeongyeon appear in the living room, they all sit around a table and start drinking tea while the girls drink their milkshakes, obviously Tzuyu's choice of flavor doesn't go unnoticed by the other two. Just as Mina predicted, Dahyun couldn't be happier to keep all the chocolate for herself while Chaeyoung is a little put off that her new friend doesn't share her passion for strawberries, although she is more reassured when she tells her that her favorite is vanilla but she also really likes strawberries. Chae and Dahyun soon get up to start exploring the house and play hide and seek while Tzuyu, still overwhelmed by all these new people, stays by herself playing with the dogs.

She talks to them, throws the ball and tries to teach them tricks although the only one who responds to her commands is Kookeu.  They all look at Tzuyu with adoring eyes as they see how tender she is with the animals while Nayeon's look of pride is directed at her beloved dog. Still she can't resist how adorable her new niece is so she takes the moment to introduce herself while showing her the tricks she has taught the pomeranian, making Tzuyu feel more comfortable. She is a shy and quiet girl and it is normal that the situation is too much for her, but as soon as they start talking about dogs, Nayeon gets to see the Tzuyu that Jihyo and Sana have already known within the walls of their home. She is lively, smiling, intelligent and can become talkative when the topic of conversation interests her, at least if it's about dogs.

After a while, Chayeoung goes to look for Tzuyu who is still playing with Kookeu and her mom while Dahyun makes a loud announcement for the adults. It seems that they have found a Christmas tree so big that it almost touches the ceiling with some boxes around it with all kinds of decorations in one of the rooms of the house, some of them similar to the ones they have at home and the ones they themselves have made at school. For the girls it is something magical and the adults let them believe it. 

The next few hours they are all together decorating the tree, both kids and adults, while talking, laughing and singing. The end result is... colorful and eclectic. The tree has lights, ornaments of different colors and shapes that they had at home, the girls have collaborated with diy decorations full of glitter and doodles and some stuffed animals and superhero toys and even Mina and Jeongyeon have made their contribution with ornaments made of LEGO. All that's left is to put the star on the top of the tree.

Deciding who puts the star turns into a rock-paper-scissors competition between Chaeyoung and Dahyun, but also between Nayeon and Jihyo who want their daughters to place the star. After three rounds, Sana encourages her wife who has already rolled up her shirt sleeves showing her shoulders and is wearing her cap backwards. It is not until Jeongyeon sees the same competitive expression on her wife and daughter's face that she decides to put an end to it. Fortunately, they make the wise decision to have the three girls together put on the star with the help of their mothers. Jeongyeon, being the tallest of them all, has no problem holding Chaeyoung in her arms. Mina is a little taller than Momo, but her daughter has grown up and she finds it harder to carry her in her arms as she did before, so the girl ends up in the arms of Momo. The same happens with Sana and Jihyo, however, Jihyo's strength does not make up for her height even though Tzuyu is quite tall so she reluctantly lets Sana hold Tzuyu while Nayeon looks at her amused.

Each one of their little hands holds a part of the star with the help of their mothers and it is Nayeon who captures the moment first with her film camera and then with her phone, sending the photos to the group chat instantly. As soon as she receives the photo, Mina smiles when she sees one of them with only Momo and her daughter in it and quickly makes it her new lockscreen. The camera stays in Nayeon's hands for the rest of the day. 

Decorating the tree together gets the youngest out of her shell, still she continues to play with the dogs, but she also starts playing with Dahyun and Chaeyoung. They run around the house for a while until Chaeyoung takes out her notebook, coloring books and crayons. In the kitchen Jeongyeon, Momo and Mina prepare lunch and in the dining room Sana, Jihyo and Nayeon set the table. The house is full of voices, laughter, jokes, curious questions from the girls and some barking from the dogs and also the children. When the food is ready all nine manage to adjust to the small table eating with their arms glued to the one next to them. They wouldn't change it for the world, but they comment that they should come back during the spring or summer so they might be able to eat at the large outdoor table under the sakura tree to enjoy the beautiful place where they are. From that moment some of them take out their phones and start looking at dates on the calendar, but Mina's mind travels to other places when she hears that the big tree outside the house is a sakura.

After eating and cleaning up together with the help of their daughters, they go around the house. Surprisingly, they get the girls to agree to take a nap, probably tired from being up early and having been awake throughout the long car ride. Jihyo joins them, as do Boo and Dobby who find a gap between Dahyun and Tzuyu, the younger one snuggles up to Jihyo's chest who even in her sleep puts her arms around her protectively, something that has come naturally to her.

In another room the rest have some Japanese sweets made by Mina and Momo with a game of cards between them, without Jihyo and Chaeyoung, there is no one to fuel Nayeon's competitiveness, leading to the most peaceful card game they have had in their life. It's certainly something that tends to happen when Nayeon is around Mina as long as Jihyo and some kind of game, competition or betting isn't also present and it seems that Tzuyu has that same effect on her mothers. But like all good things, the quiet is short lived and in less than an hour the girls wake up and show up with Jihyo, she could still take another hour of rest. She instead sits behind Sana resting her chin on her shoulder and wrapping her arms around her until she realizes that her wife has some cards in her hands and after giving Nayeon a defiant look she starts whispering strategies in her partner's ear.

Dahyun realizes that they are playing cards and runs to her backpack and takes out her UNO junior and they start a more serious and less noisy game than their mothers. If it wasn't for the colors and the printed animals on the cards, anyone would think that they are the ones who are betting money and not Jihyo and Nayeon who keep shouting while Sana only laughs. This time it is Momo who captures the moment on film after being the first to lose in the game. She sits next to Dobby and Boo and caresses them while watching and listening to them. She can't help but smile as she listens to the questions they ask Tzuyu trying to get to know her. When the game ends in a draw by Dahyun's decision and without any protest from Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, even though Momo doubts they have understood the game well, she finally asks.

"Who wants to make cookies?". 

The question revolts the three little girls who immediately get up and squeal an enthusiastic "YES YES YES!" in unison joined by an excited Sana. 

Momo takes them to the kitchen where there are two bags with everything they need. From the first bag she takes out three aprons like the one she wears in her restaurant, but these are a smaller version with each one's name embroidered on them. This small detail touches them so much that for a moment they forget the reason why they have put them on and Sana, despite not having an apron for herself, gives Momo a huge smile and says "thank you", touched by her friend's gesture.

In the end the little cooking class that Momo had prepared attracts the attention of the older ones as well and they all end up in the kitchen among flour, eggs, dough, icing and all kinds of toppings with all kinds of colors. Of course, they replace the Christmas gingerbread cookies with chocolate cookies, vanilla flavored cookies and cookies with strawberry icing to please everyone's tastes. Some mix, some knead, some shape the cookies and then bake them, and each one ends up with a pile of cookies to decorate according to her taste and decorating skills. When they are done with the cookies, they all dare to make a big cookie house, all nine of them.

To say that when they finished the kitchen was the usual mess you would expect after cooking would be an understatement, as it took almost as long to clean up as it did to make dozens of cookies and the eccentric cookie house. When everything is finally cooled down, they make some hot chocolate and coffee with whipped cream, marshmallow, caramel... Then again they gather around the table with a cup in their hands.

It's not very late, but it's been dark for a few hours now and the only light outside is from the lamps hanging from the ceilings of the house, some small bulbs decorating the garden of the house and the lights of some houses in the distance. They all take it as their cue to shower and get ready for bed, at least for the kids who instead of getting more and more tired are more and more animated as the evening comes and the time when Santa Claus will bring them their presents is closer. 

There are only three girls, each under the care of two adults, but it takes them more than an hour to get them showered and dressed in their matching pajamas in the bed they have prepared for them. At first Tzuyu does not seem very sure about the idea, not that she is not used to it, in fact she used to sleep in a room with about ten or fifteen other girls, but this month she has spent it in the bed between Sana and Jihyo because she is still not able to sleep alone and now the idea of sleeping without them does not convince her.

"Come on, Tzuyu, sleep with us!" asks Chaeyoung, who can't stay away from her new friend. 

"Sleep with us Tzuyu, you can sleep in the middle, since you are the little one we can take care of you just like when I let Chae the side of the wall so she won't fall" Dahyun tries to convince her.

That last statement just melts the heart of all the women who are watching their little negotiation, but especially Sana and Jihyo. They are no strangers to these special moments between girls but now, witnessing it as mothers, hits different.

"I have an idea" interjects Sana. "I will read a bedtime story to the three of you so Tzu can test if she likes this bed and if she likes it you can leave her one of the sides so she can come to our room if she needs it" she says while looking at her daughter who nods in agreement with the solution offered by her mommy. 

"Yes, read it, auntie Sana!" exclaims Chae excitedly as Dahyun nods.

They love listening to Sana’s bedtime stories and the funny voices she does and Sana loves to read them bedtime stories. It has always been her favorite part of babysitting either of them and on occasion when she and Jihyo would invite them to have a sleepover at home giving their moms a break while at the same time she could enjoy something she thought she would never have until Tzuyu came into their lives. Sana has always had a very strong maternal instinct and with these things it shows even more. Her storytelling, answering the strangest questions and convincing three kids excited for Christmas to be in bed even before their usual bedtime are things that come naturally to her. Jihyo feels like her heart is about to explode when she sees these kinds of scenes and her friends couldn't be happier for her, to see that finally something she once saw as an impossible dream is now a reality.

Normally the only one who usually stays awake until the end of the tale is Chae because she gets absorbed with each story and can't sleep unless she hears the end, but this time Sana has to read them up to three stories until they all finally fall asleep.

Eventually it's time for the adults to relax, drink some wine, beer or soju and be able to talk and gossip without having to keep an eye on their surroundings to make sure that there is not a half-meter girl that they can badly influence if they hear them say a swear word or talk about some inappropriate topic. From time to time one of them goes to the room to check that everything is alright and that they are still asleep.

Once again, Mina somewhat nervously finds an excuse to drag Jeongyeon into the kitchen where she finally tells her about her plan and asks her to keep an eye out in case Dahyun wakes up or needs her while asking for some discretion. As she leaves the kitchen she heads to her room and returns with two coats, giving one to Momo to go with her to get some air. The others either don't notice or for Mina's sake pretend not to notice except for Jeongyeon who gives her a subtle thumbs up.

Her obvious nervousness and shaking hands suddenly catches Momo's attention causing her cheerful and slightly drunk expression to change to a worried face holding Mina's hands immediately.

"Babe, has anything happened, has your family called?" asks Momo worriedly knowing it's one of the things that triggers Mina's anxiety around this time of the year. 

"No, no. Everything is fine" Mina assures her with a nervous smile and unable to hold her gaze. 

"We've already talked about this, your hands are shaking. You can tell me anything, Mina. I got you" says Momo wrapping her arms around her and Mina can only feel lucky to have someone like that by her side.

She lets herself be taken in by the embrace and breathes in Momo's perfume, something that always soothes her, before pulling away and starting to talk. 

"Baby, I'm okay. I promise" she says, grabbing her hands to stop the shaking of her own hands. "But if I'm going to need you to listen to me".

Momo nods and looks at her expectantly.

"I'm going to need us to move to that tree" she says pointing to the huge tree that by this time has not a single leaf or flower. 

Once they are under the tree sitting on a small wooden bench while holding hands looking into each other's eyes, the youngest takes a breath and begins her speech.

"This isn't as cute as I had originally envisioned in my mind, but this is a sakura tree" she says gesturing awkwardly as if she is introducing the tree as the other looks at her in confusion. "I don't know if you remember" she takes a deep breath trying to calm her nerves so her voice doesn't sound so shaky. "But when things started to get serious between us, when I was afraid to let you into my life and Dahyun's, you told me that when you looked at the two of us you felt the same as when you saw the sakura blooming in the spring when you had only been here in Korea for a short time because they made you feel at home. I feel something like that too. When I think of you I think of family and when I think of family Dahyun's face is not the only one I see, I see you too." She thinks about her words for a bit and adds "It's not like I didn't see you as part of my family before, but today when Dahyun started calling you 'mom' I felt like everything was finally in place.... W-what I want to say is that I want you to be our Dubu's mom, I want to say that you are my daughter's mom when people ask me and I also want to say that you are my wife" she finishes saying with bright eyes full of tears while looking at Momo in expectation.

Momo also has some tears in the corners of her eyes and can barely articulate any words for a moment until she finally says "Minari, are you asking me to marry you?" she asks with a smile from ear to ear.

"Yes, s-sorry I forgot the most important thing" she stutters nervously searching for the ring in the pockets of the huge jacket until she finally pulls out a small velvet box and opens it before her eyes "I wanted to wait for the sakuras bloom season, but I couldn't wait any longer and when she asked if she could call you mom-" she starts to ramble as she does when she gets nervous.

They have been together for two years and ten months. It still happens to her at times like this. It still happens to her just like it did during the dozens of encounters they had until Momo understood that her best customer might be interested in more than just the Japanese food she missed so much and finally asked her if she would like to meet outside her restaurant. Mina hates that she still makes her stutter sometimes and for Momo it is one of her favorite things in the world to know that despite the time they’ve been together she still has the same effect on Mina. 

Suddenly she feels Momo's lips crashing against hers in an clumsy and rushed kiss, but full of emotions. Their arms are wrapped around each other's body and they can feel their cheeks wet with tears as the older one pulls away and softly says "Yes!".

"Let me ask you the question!" she whines. "Hirai Momo, will you marry me?" she finally asks, resting one knee to the ground and all. 

"Yes. I will marry you, Myoui Mina" she says laughing at the use of her full name.

Momo smiles as she sees her with one knee on the ground giving her the ring, a scene she thought she would never experience like so many other things when she discovered she liked girls in her last year of high school. Now she has the most beautiful woman in the world saying she wants her to be a mother and a wife, asking her once again to make a family together. They are already family and they both know that the ring doesn't change anything because they have been a family since the moment Mina decided to introduce Momo as her girlfriend in front of her friends and then her daughter, when Dahyun started treating Dobby and Boo like her own dogs, when Momo offered to pick up her daughter from school when Mina couldn't, when Mina asked her if she would like to live with her and Dahyun, when Momo started calling the little girl Dubu and started reading her bedtime stories or just a few hours ago when Dahyun asked her if she could call her mom.

"I'm sorry but Nayeon and Sana's rings are going to have to go to the other hand", Mina teases her being now more relaxed, taking her out of her thoughts while she takes her hand and starts to put the ring on it. 

It is a thin, simple, white gold ring decorated with three diamonds, while she puts the engagement ring on her finger she explains that since she prefers simple rings she thought it would probably be better to have a few small diamonds than one big one and that she liked the idea of three diamonds because they are three. This time she explains it more calmly, as if she isn't feeling her heart pounding in her chest and ears at full speed.

"I love you" says Momo, this time in her mother tongue. 

"I love you, Momoring".

It's been spontaneous, no picnic in the spring watching the sakuras bloom and no dinner at the nice restaurant she saw when they passed through the nearby village and the speech she's been preparing for a month was forgotten as soon as she saw how Momo cared about her when she thought something bad had happened, but Mina couldn't care less. Momo has said yes to continue having a life together now with the promise of forever and that's all she needs. 

It's cold and the first snowflakes are starting to fall from what looks like it will be the first snow of the year. Neither of them move, enjoying a little alone time before going back inside the house. The two cuddle and kiss, some of those kisses are short pecks on the lips and some turn into heated kisses that leave them breathless. When Mina's freezing hands sneak under several layers of clothing to caress the skin of Momo's stomach under her shirt sending a shiver throughout her body they go back inside.

When they come back they all know, even though all she asked Jeongyeon to do was to keep an eye on Dahyun and keep her mouth shut. You can't really blame her, the time they were there for them felt like an instant but it was really over forty five minutes of listening to Nayeon and Jihyo listing every moment they had told her some secret or gossip since they have known each other while Sana was about to have a breakdown thinking they were arguing and thinking about what she would do if they made her pick a side. All this while her social battery was at a minimum, so she ended up confessing everything and even shared some parts of the speech Mina had texted her asking if it was too cheesy.

As soon as she enters the door all eyes turn to Momo's hand and before Nayeon, Sana and Jihyo start to scream, Jihyo shuts Sana's mouth with her hand and Jeongyeon covers Nayeon and Jihyo's mouths. Mina and Momo are a blushing mess trying to hide in each other's neck while Jeongyeon apologizes for announcing it before them, knowing that they would have preferred to say it one by one to avoid this.

The three of them start asking them a million questions and start planning their wedding. Then Sana whines about not being the first to know but it doesn't last long because they all agree that she would have been so happy that she would have told the others and maybe even Momo herself if Mina had told her about her plans. After a while Jihyo shows up with more soju and even a bottle of champagne she had prepared in case they stayed to celebrate New Year's Eve, but the occasion is worth it. And if there's one thing Jihyo doesn't mess around with, it's alcohol, so you can trust that it's some good, expensive champagne.

They all toast to Momo and Mina's engagement with champagne except for Jeongyeon who raises her cup of tea, no one is shocked because since she started the artificial insemination treatments she has not been drinking for months, but they all need to know as soon as possible if she is finally pregnant because they really need to get used to the idea that Nayeon is going to keep drinking for the two of them at every celebration. Nayeon is not a bad drinker, but when she is drunk she can’t stay still for a second, she even becomes more giggly and hits the arm of anyone next to her. Jihyo and Jeongyeon tell that sometimes during their college outings they would wake up with bruises on their arms.

When they decide it's way too late and they have to place all the presents under the tree, the only one who is drunk – thankfully – is Nayeon. Momo and Sana have a slight blush on their cheeks while Jihyo has drunk twice as much as Nayeon and is doing better than Mina who has only had a glass of champagne because it is her own engagement, but is still a bit dizzy from today's emotions. 

It doesn't take them long to place the gifts despite Nayeon's interruptions and her and Sana's giggles threatening to wake up the girls. Luckily, Jeongyeon and Momo go a couple of times to check that they are sound asleep when they hear a soft snore from one of them.

They all say their good nights among smiles and laughter, feeling as excited as their daughters to open the presents as a family. Each couple disappears into their respective rooms and the moment they lay their heads on the pillow, they all fall asleep instantly. It has been an intense day and the best is yet to come. 

The next morning they are all woken up at 7 am one by one by the three girls who only scream "CHRISTMAS", "SANTA" and "PRESENTS". The strategy they follow is the same, Dahyun and Chaeyoung come in screaming and jumping on top of the adults shaking them followed by Tzuyu who is less shy around them but not enough to assault the adults like her friends do, so she just carefully tugs at their pajama sleeves while the others do the rest of the work. When they arrive at Nayeon and Jeongyeon's room things are different and Chaeyoung instructs the attack to be directed only at Nayeon because she has told her that she has to be careful with her mama.

The older ones have only had a couple of hours of sleep and some have a slight headache, but they make their way to the tree at about the same speed as their daughters until all nine are seated around the tree. Nayeon takes pictures with her camera while Momo has her cell phone in one hand and a video camera in the other with the intention of recording at least the highlights. Each time she checks that the camera settings are correct she can't help but smile at the sight of the new ring that now decorates her hand. 

Finally it's time to open the presents.

Dahyun receives a small digital piano that is halfway between a toy and a real one for starters with a microphone, lately she is in her singer and rapper phase. Momo and Mina know that in a few days they might regret giving her not one but two things that make noise. They also know that they will end up dancing and singing with her or that they will enjoy the small recitals that their little Dubu organizes at home. Another surprise they have prepared is for her to start piano lessons, but first they have to make sure that she knows they would be real piano lessons and that it is not like when she plays her toy piano keyboard at home. They also give her some books from her favorite collection and of course, chocolate.

Chaeyoung, like every Christmas, birthday or any other special occasion, receives paints, sketch pads, watercolors, pencils and other art supplies that are of better quality as she gets older. The little girl always gets excited as if it were the first time she gets them as a gift because in a month half of the things are already used up and her mothers no longer knows where to keep so many drawings. The last gift she opens, however, is something that makes her even more excited and that is a toy set to make temporary tattoos with markers. Since she was a toddler, she has had the habit of painting all over her arms and legs even before she could speak, and now there is not a day that goes by that she doesn't come home with a drawing in one hand and a note from her teacher in the other. When Nayeon saw the advertisement for the toy while she was on her phone, she ordered it online and it has been hidden in a corner of her house since summer.

Both Chaeyoung and Dahyun have among their gifts a package of a different color than the rest, Dahyun insists that Santa Claus knows they are bros and that's why he always gives them something that matches. The truth is that it's Jihyo and Sana who always get their nieces something special, since they didn't have a child to buy presents for until now. The fact that this year Tzuyu has come into their lives is not going to change this little tradition. This time Dahyun receives a stuffed eagle and Chaeyoung a tiger, their favorite animals. The choice of the oldest is surprising and even more surprising is that the couple found a cute stuffed animal of an eagle.

As for the new member of the family, she has been receiving gifts from her mothers ever since she arrived at her new home. Most of them such as clothes, school supplies, books and toys were just things that a 7-year-old girl needs at home, but Sana and Jihyo are still in the excitement of being new mothers so it is likely that she has been spoiled a little too much. After asking their friends for advice, they decided it was best to give her a few meaningful gifts rather than showering her with presents as they originally planned.

They didn't count on the fact that Tzuyu, given where she came from and with her background, is not the type of kid who asks for things, instead if she likes something you can see it on her face and maybe she mentions it because it has genuinely caught her attention and not because she is asking for it in a subtle way. They are both very happy to have such a good little girl and know that anything will be welcomed with sincere joy as they have seen so far, however it has made the job of being Santa difficult for them. Luckily, since they discovered Tzuyu's passion for dogs, it was clear to them what the perfect gift would be. A dog, this was the perfect gift, except that they had their doubts about it. After much discussion and thinking about it, Jihyo and Sana agreed that they didn't want to be the kind of mothers who give a dog as it was a toy for Christmas, especially after listening to Jeongyeon talking about how many dogs arrive at the shelter a few months after Christmas when they are no longer adorable puppies.

Tzuyu for the first time receives presents that are actually for her and not generic toys donated to the orphanage. On her first Christmas with her new family Tzuyu opens a package bigger than her and almost the size of Jihyo, it is a life-size golden retriever stuffed dog that makes Tzuyu cry instantly. As soon as the stuffed dog is free from the wrapping paper the little girl hugs it tightly and goes to her mothers and hugs both of them. 

"Thank you mommy Sana, thank you mommy Ji" she says sobbing making her mothers also cry with her. 

"You don't have to thank us Tzu" says Sana as Jihyo picks up her and the huge stuffed dog in her arms. "Santa got it for you because you've been such a good girl". 

"All we did was tell Santa that you changed your address" Jihyo adds and kisses her on the head.

There are still two gifts to be opened, one of them an illustrated book about dogs and then a letter that her mommy Ji has to read to her. It is an invitation to visit the shelter and help the dogs living there. At the bottom of the invitation are a pair of paw prints of different dogs for which Sana and Jihyo are very grateful to Jeongyeon who has also offered to be the one to accompany them to the shelter where she started volunteering and where she now works as a veterinarian. 

The other two children don't quite know what is going on, so they clap their hands when their mothers assure them that they are crying from happiness and not sadness. They themselves try to hold back their tears and in Nayeon's case hide them by covering themselves with the camera as she captures the emotional moment.

The next picture they take is one of the girls holding their stuffed animals. Dahyun poses like a rapper, Chaeyoun still doesn't know how to smile in photos and next to her Tzuyu stares at the camera with her eyes a little too wide. They take a total of thirty photos of them and they all agree that it's best to save those photos for posterity and not for social media. Luckily, the girls come out much better when they get their pictures taken while playing and Nayeon keeps saying that she can wait to develop the two rolls of film she has already spent since they arrived the day before. 

After the photos it's time for the older ones to open the gifts and as with the card game the task of telling who is more mature is difficult. Of course, Nayeon turns it into another rock-paper-scissors competition to choose the order and Jihyo accepts so the others are dragged into the game. The oldest loses and in addition to enduring her wounded pride, Nayeon will have to wait until the end to receive the gift. 

Contrary to other years when they have played secret friend, they have preferred to take the easy way and the gifts are only between the couples with the only condition that they are not allowed to give each other inappropriate gifts in front of the children. A rule especially addressed to Sana who on all Jihyo's birthdays gives her a lingerie set which is actually for herself and which Jihyo accepts with too much enthusiasm in front of all of them.

Sana gives Jihyo a designer leather jacket, a bottle of a really expensive soju that Jihyo loves with some glasses with a nice and elegant design to match the bottle. "I'll give you your other gift later in the room" Sana whispers in her ear before giving her a kiss. 

Nayeon gifts Jeongyeon a fancy watch and a letter which she asks her to read another time and is quite insistent that she doesn't read it in front of the others.

Mina tells Momo that her gift was given to her in the evening, but she has a small present. In the package there is a t-shirt with a drawing of the family done by Dahyun, there are a total of five t-shirts and Momo for a moment freaks out at the sight of two small t-shirts until Mina tells her that they are for Boo and Dobby making everyone laugh at Momo's momentary panic.

In between laughter, there is a loud sob and suddenly they all realize that Jeongyeon is crying her eyes out as she reads the letter. "Jeong! I told you not to read it!" says Nayeon in between laughing and crying as he wraps her arms around her wife and whispers "Well it's already in the letter, I love you baby." At another time her friends would have teased them, but Jeongyeon seems to be truly touched so they leave the couple a moment and continue. 

Mina is next and receives a LEGO set that Momo has caught her looking up more than once when they go to the mall and a Nintendo Switch game, as well as a simple necklace adorned with three hearts. Mina loves it all and Momo is still surprised that jewelry always ends up being the gift that costs her the least money and effort.

Sana is confused when she receives an envelope from Jihyo because she has always been very thoughtful with gifts and usually gets her a seasonal branded bag among other things. What she sees in the envelope, however, makes her scream in excitement more than any bag when she sees the tickets to go to Japan with theirs and Tzuyu's names on it. "Let's go see your parents next week, so they can finally meet their granddaughter," Jihyo says before she has to look up the details on the tickets herself.

Last of all is Nayeon. Finally her turn comes and she can't stop jumping up and down with excitement when she sees the box that Jeongyeon hands her. She tears the wrapping paper excitedly and when she opens the box and sees what's inside, her smile disappears. 

"Seriously Yoo Jeongyeon" she sighs, looking at her seriously.

The others just stay quiet not sure how to react because Nayeon seems really annoyed so they just watch the exchange between the couple. Then she takes out what's in the box and they all burst out laughing when they see a t-shirt that reads 'World's #1 Dad' on it.

It's a good joke and it's nothing that's unusual for the couple. They love bickering and teasing each other as much as they love giving each other kisses and whispering sweet nothings. This time it looks like Nayeon is not having it.

"I hope you have something better hidden, I spent days looking for the perfect watch" she whines and at that moment everyone sees the usual Nayeon again and the mood of the room instantly lightens up.

Jeongyeon also looks serious but it is obvious that she is holding in laughter when she says "I think I should have gotten you new glasses, haven't you seen what else is in the box?".

Her wife rolls her eyes and looks in the box again, not very convinced that there is anything in there, thinking it is still just part of Jeong's joke. You never know with these two. Once Nayeon gave her fifteen boxes tucked inside each other for their anniversary in college, though then he gave her something that kept them busy for several days locked in the room. One of the best gifts she ever gave her, unless you ask Jihyo who at the time was sleeping in the room next door. To this day, the youngest of the three has not wanted to know what that gift was, but today she is dying of curiosity, just like the others.

"OH MY GOD JEONGYEON!" She screams at the top of her lungs, making her friends jump in their seats and catching the attention of the girls who have been busy with their new gifts for a while now. "If this is a joke I swear-" she says trying to sound tough as she starts bawling her eyes out.

"I'm serious," Jeongyeon says in a whisper, taking the paper Nayeon is holding in her hands and showing her friends the ultrasound.  "We're going to be mommies again" she says with a huge smile.

It takes a few seconds for everyone to react and all of a sudden everyone starts to congratulate them while the oldest one complains to her wife that she didn't tell her, even more so when she finds out that she is almost three months pregnant and that they are expecting twins. Neither of them can believe that Jeongyeon made it on the first try and they couldn't be happier, especially with Chaeyoung's reaction. The little girl stares at them with wide eyes and when they confirm that she will be the big sister to two babies, her eyes glaze over and she climbs onto her mom's lap to hug them and caress her mama's belly. 

"This is a better gift than the tattoo machine" she says, still pouting.

All these emotions seem to have made them hungry and they soon gather at the small table, which is now more crowded with the girls' stuffed animals. In the middle of the table they have a mountain of cookies that they didn't finish yesterday and there is also hot chocolate, tea, coffee and milkshakes. The Myoui-Hirai family is wearing their t-shirts. Sana and Jihyo tell Tzuyu about Japan, tell her about the food and let her know that she will meet more new people, this time it will be her grandparents. Jeongyeon is still forced to listen to her wife scolding her for not telling her earlier that she is pregnant and lists one by one the things that could have happened until Jeong admits that she was afraid something would go wrong and Nayeon's gaze softens.  After that she promises her that now that they're both in it, everything will be okay because they have each other and because they have this wonderful family they've chosen.

[beanghostprincess]

Don't know if you've ever read about this ship but: Portgas D. Rouge x Sora.

Garp helps Rouge run away to the East Blue and lives in Dawn Island and Ace is born here. She lives on a small house on the jungle, between Foosha and Dadan's house and Garp sends money (Rouge doesn't like to depend on him but until her boy is a little older it will have to be this way). Sora kills Judge poisoning him and runs away, stoping at Dawn Island while still pregnant. She has some money to live until she's able to get a work.

Both women meet at some months after Sora gives birth to the quadruplets. They discover they houses are near and, well, they have kids and maybe they can meet each other and play, even. Rouge and Sora get really along. At time pass they start to go together buy things for their houses, talk a lot, falling in love. Rouge think the only one she would be in love with was Roger, but oh well, she was wrong. Sora never was in love with Judge and this was a arranged marriage, so she's discovering just now she is a lesbian and in love with this beautiful woman.

When Ace is 3, the quadruplets 2 and Reiju 5, Garp arrives asking Rouge to raise Luffy. It's... chaotic. But at the end Rouge stays with baby Luffy, because PLEASE, she knows better than let a baby in the man's hands. Garp leaves sure Rouge is having "something" with Sora.

Ace and Luffy grow up together as brothers since the beggining, with Reiju + 1234ji as friends. They don't start dating until Ace is 8 yo, Luffy 5 yo, the quadruplets 7 yo and Reiju 10 yo. Since Ace and Sabo meet at the age of 5 or 6 (if I am right), I can see Ace taking Sabo to meet his 2/3 years old baby brother and his friends. Rouge asks were his parents are to Sabo and he says he doesn't have none. Rouge adopts him after less than a month.

ASL love their mother and they like Sora a lot! She is kind and likes them all very much! Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, Sanji and Yonji also love Rouge, their mommy is happier around her! The 8 kids have a a strong friendship and they all get along a lot. Sabo and Sanji get close and along quick. (Can't let the chance to put childhood friend to lovers Sabosan in this)

(I am really thinking about if Sabo stays with them and Dragon take him to Rouge and if Ace lives on Marineford but- things will stop before the angst, 'kay?)

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT AND I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! (I have a weak spot for sapphic rareships/crackships they're my favorite thing ever)

I'm loving the whole thing about them raising the kids on their own (even if Rouge has some help) because I genuinely think they would've done such an amazing job as moms if they had the chance :(( Also, Sora finally being able to take care of her kids the way she wants to (with real love) and Rouge showing Ace that he deserves to live and be happy.

The headcanon of Sora being a lesbian has always been one of my favorite things because I adore stories about queens/princesses being forced to marry men and then realizing they didn't want that at all in the first place and their real happiness isn't with a man... Sora and Rouge falling in love and Sora realizing that she can be so much more than just a wife and being appreciated by someone who will treat her right and make her feel both loved and valued. While Rouge, even if still obviously loving Roger, has the power to move on and love again.

So this story about the kids being raised with love by these two sweet and powerful women is just beautiful to me. They would've been so happy... Rouge would've taken care of ASL so well and they would've been able to grow up without the need to survive on their own (I mean, I believe they would do the exact same things they do in canon. Ace and Luffy are the typical "we need to be strong to protect mom too", but this time they have a cozier place to call home and Ace has his mom with him). In this world, Ace would still resent his father a bit, honestly, because the comments about him wouldn't cease, but Rouge would tell him stories about Roger anyway and would try to make him see that he is loved despite the rest of the world hating the idea of him. Sabo's fate is basically the same even if he's being taken care of by Rouge, but in the meantime, being so loved by a mom and having more friends would have helped him in so many ways. Same thing with Luffy, honestly, his abandonment issues would still be there even if there's just a bit more of a peaceful environment around him. I need to mention that I'd like Dadan to be here too helping Rouge more than Garp does and being also kind of like a caretaker for ASL because I believe that she deserves that too. She loves them so much that I don't want to take that away from her even in this world.

On the other hand, Sora raising the kids and them turning out... Normal (as normal as these kids can be) is just so sweet to me. They'd be so loved. And even if they were born with these abilities, there wouldn't be more experiments after that, so perhaps Sora can help them deal with it. Sanji would have a decent dynamic with his siblings... Imagine the Vinsmokes actually being sweet to him. Going insane with this one. And Sora would probably hide that they're royalty, honestly, I don't think she would want them to know. But they would be raised with so much care and love... If you wanna add some angst you can always say they find out about Judge, but I'm focusing on fluff mostly here.

And please please please!!!!!! Childhood best friends to lovers Sabosan mentioned??!!?!?!?!??!? It's one of my favorite things ever. I just know they'd be the ones to get along the most. I have talked about this before but there is no way ASL isn't fighting for Sanji's attention since he probably learns to cook at a very young age and the three of them adore his cooking. Although Sabo is actually down bad for him for other reasons that aren't just that-- I would talk about this more, but I think I have mentioned this AU too many times already to come up with something new that isn't "They fall in love and Sabo dies and then they reunite etc etc".

What you say in the end makes sense. I mean- Perhaps this is just a good timeline where nobody actually dies and there's no Marineford and no Whole Cake Island, buuut I love angst and I believe Ace's death to be one of those things you cannot change no matter the plot. So there would be angst, but let's not talk about it (mentioning the Vinsmokes going to help Ace too tho. That'd be great). And as per WCI...... Idk how this could even happen but I swear that you just need imagination and you can come up with something. No amount of love can fix Sanji's mental stability imo he's always a bit messed up and I love him for that.

Anyway!!!!!!!! This is a wonderful concept. I just love the idea of these two women taking care of the kids on their own and giving them the love they deserve despite the world constantly going against them. Perhaps what these kids actually needed were two sapphic moms and a bit of a better childhood to be less depressed and fucked in the head... I would love to see this, honestly. Sora and Rouge also deserve the world and I hope they're happy in this timeline (when the kids grow up and go in their own separate ways, they stay living together in their house and grow old together as cottage-core sapphics) (maybe Rouge takes Sora and they go sailing together for a little while) (pirate x ex-queen my beloved).

[curses-of-the-void]

Dance with somebody - Derek Hale

Fandom(s): Teen Wolf

Wordcount: 1219

Warning(s): Mentions of sex, story about being bullied, age gap, MDNI

Summary: Winter Formal, dancing, it wasn't exactly her speed, but she's protective of her friends and family.

<Does Not Follow The Episode>

Sitting on the steps to the gym, she sighs as she rests her chin in her hand, watching couples come and go, music pulsating and lights flashing. When her brother and Stiles convinced her to come to the Winter Formal, she didn't think she'd have to dress for it, or that Stiles would have a date, and Scott would be stalking Allison, leaving her alone. So, she's been shoved, tucked, and zipped into a short dress, face caked with makeup, hair done up, and uncomfortable heels pinching her feet as she stands guard for any sign of the Alpha.

"You don't look like you're having fun." Derek says as he approaches the school, hands shoved into his pockets.

"It's a dance. I lost interest in dances, my Freshman year." She replies, looking down at him as he comes to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "It's not like you, to crash a dance."

"What do you know about me?" He huffs, ad she shrugs, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"You put on a tough front, because you're afraid to be hurt, or to seem weak. You use anger to cope, to have some modicum of control. You refuse to acknowledge that you care too much, especially when it comes to your pack or family." She gives him a grin, as he frowns. "Psych paper's due next week. How'm I doin?" She asks, throwing an arm over her knee, and Derek shakes his head, climbing up and dropping onto the step next to her.

"See, maybe that's why Peter wants to eliminate you. You see too much."

"I just see what is in front of me." She answers, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "I can't believe I came to this stupid thing. I can't believe that Scott asked me to, after-"

"After?" He urges her as she falls silent, and she shakes her head, rubbing her arms again.

"My first and last dance was Freshman year. I was super excited about "being an adult" and staying out late. Getting to dance with my friends, with a boy." She laughs weakly, shaking her head. "You said it before, that I'm the pushy type, I care too much and let it be known. Well, I was asked by this really popular kid, to the dance, and I got all dressed up, like now... I was stupid."

"What happened?" He asks, looking her over before he shrugs off his leather jacket, tossing it over her bare shoulders, making her jump, looking down at it, before looking over at him with a smile.

"I walked to the dance, because I was too excited to wait to be picked up, but when I got there, he was standing with a bunch of his friends, and they saw me, and started laughing. He asked if I really thought he was serious about asking me out, and then they all started throwing water balloons at me. Some of them were filled with paint, others with rotten eggs, or nasty fruits, and dirty water." She shrugs, not noticing Derek tensing his jaw, clenching his hands into fists. "Learned my lesson then. I'm pathetically hopeful, and people see that. They use it to hurt me, but I refuse to let them use it to hurt others."

"...I'm sorry." Derek apologizes, and she shifts in place, shrugging his jacket over her shoulders more.

"Happens. People are assholes. Can't trust em."

"You're a little young to have that point of view."

"Derek, I'm 19." He blinks in surprise at her. "I turn 20 in a few months. The only reason I'm still in school, is because Scott and I used to live with our dad, but we moved in with our mom when his drinking got out of control again. Mom thought it'd be best for me to start a grade lower than I was supposed to, because of our dad's negligence in our school lives." She looks at him with a sideways smirk. "I'm not that much younger than you."

"I thought you'd be like 18."

"Is that so?" She tilts her head, smirk growing as she looks up at him from beneath her lashes. "Is that why you've been flirting with me one minute, then acting cold the next?"

"I wasn't-"

"Not a child Derek, I know when someone's flirting with me."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. At least I know you weren't being a creep." She laughs, shivering a bit as she stands, brushing the skirt of her dress down, and Derek frowns, standing to follow her down the steps. "I think the boys and I have the school covered. You can head out."

"Do you have a date, coming to sit with you?"

"Do you see me as the dating type? High school is all about short burnout romances, that last about a week- a month if you're lucky. Last thing I need is some kid mooning over me, once he gets his dick wet." Derek chokes on the sharp inhale he takes, and she smirks, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder. "I'm a big girl, Derek Hale. I know what I want, and I know what boys constantly think about." She laughs at the pallor that overcomes his face. "Too much?"

"Little bit." He replies, and she shrugs off his jacket, handing it to him, but he shakes his head. "Keep it on. You seem to be planning to stay out here all night, and it's just gonna get colder."

"Mm..." She steps closer to him, smile nervous but well hidden as she touches his arm. "Or, you could keep me warm."

"What?" His eyes are wide as she laughs.

"Not that way, weirdo. Dance with me!" She grabs his hand, and he moves easily, looking like he's breathing again after she shrugs on the jacket, then she sets his hands on her waist, then threads her arms around his neck as they start to sway to the slow music coming from the gymnasium. "You'll have to forgive me, if I step on your feet. I've never danced with someone that wasn't stepping on mine before."

"Scott?"

"And Stiles." She laughs softly, shaking her head as he spins her.

"Of course you'd dance with those two."

"For a long time, those two were the only boys who wanted to dance with me." She replies as he pulls her closer.

"Not anymore. You're too beautiful to sit on the sidelines anymore." The husky chuckle that escapes him at her blush makes her blush worsen, hiding her face in his neck. "You're so confident, up until you're complimented." She purposefully stomps on his toe, making him laugh again. "Feisty."

"You like it." She retorts, and he lifts her face with a finger under her chin.

"I do." She stiffens, blush growing hotter as he leans in, kissing her, and she giggles shyly as he pulls away, one of her hands raising to card into his hair, pulling him down to her as she kisses him, making him grin in return.

AN: In my state, you can be in high school until you're 21, then you're required to take the GED test, rather than get your diploma. I dunno about California. Thanks for reading and enjoying!

[catbountry]

Kill. Murder. Rape. Suicide. Pedophile. Nazi. Hitler. Covid. Dead. Death.

When's the last time you watched a YouTube video or a TikTok video where some or even all of these words were censored, either by being bleeped out like what used to be reserved solely for swear words, or having sound-alike stand-ins (sewer slide, PDF File) or euphemisms (unalive)?

I'm not sure exactly where "unalive" came from, but I want to say it was in a similar batch of Roblox screencaps of children trying to creatively get past wordfilters by telling people to "go commit die." And I guess Fortnite played a role as well. Apparently "game-end" is attributed to a short film covered by Pyrocynical which was made to be family friendly, but I swear I have this memory of official Epic Games promo material using the term and I don't know if this real or not. I don't play Fortnite and I never will, so this was not considered important enough to really properly commit it to memory.

EDIT: It came from a Spider-man cartoon where Deadpool used it in an incredibly in-character way. Thanks, Guy I'm Going to Reference Later in this Post.

It's an incredibly childish word. It seems like it was one that used to be used ironically until TikTok, being owned by a Chinese company where censorship laws are much stricter than here in the U.S., decided that words like "dead" and "death" and even "hole" were too dangerous of something, causing users to start getting creative and adapting these absurd euphemisms and they became so popular that people started using it who weren't even using it as a cheeky way to get around these word filters, on other sites that didn't have these same restrictions.

YouTubers can say the word "death" and "die" and (usually) don't have to worry about demonitization. The self-censoring that I remember starting on this very website, done as a way to either prevent posts being found through search or possibly offending the most sensitive of followers, is now being used by users to get around the restrictions set by giant faceless corporations to protect The Children, whose parents are giving them unrestricted access to the internet at younger and younger ages. I watched a video from an adult YouTuber crying about Newgrounds-style animations that were on YouTube about My Little Pony and about how traumatized he was by these, while also insisting he had good parents.

Good parents would not have let you have unrestricted access to 2012 YouTube unsupervised at age seven. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I gotta be the one to tell you this. I'm sure your parents are very nice people, but they could have easily used the internet to find out what kind of stuff was available on the internet. That was an oversight.

I was an adult on the internet in 2012. If I saw a parent just sit their toddler in front of YouTube, I would have asked them what the hell was wrong with them. Now, I see my cousin's children with their iPads watching videos of a faceless person playing with Paw Patrol figures, and I feel uneasy, but a little more hesitant to say something since my cousin seems well aware of the kind of place the internet is, and is always nearby when his kids are watching things. The internet was a constant presence for me in middle and high school, in the late 90's to early 2000's, and I saw some shit I should not have seen. But the trade-off was that I had a space where I could express myself openly, a place my mom didn't care about and wouldn't see. I clicked things I know I shouldn't have because I was a dumb, curious kid, and my mom was happy to not have to deal with me and have me be quiet, I guess. And my cousin is only a year older than I am, so I imagine our experiences on the early internet weren't that much different, considering he's also a bit of a nerd.

So this YouTuber aims his ire at the animators, who were making animations for other adult fans of the show (which he acknowledges), for daring to make edgy content of something made for children, holding up this children's media as a sort of sacred cow. For comparison, in middle and high school I was watching crude animations of frogs in blenders, stick figures bashing each other's heads into walls, and torture simulators featuring anyone from Pikachu and Elmo to Osama bin Laden. But because kids like him, kids brought up in the age of web 2.0, found these videos and watched them before their age had hit double-digits, those videos got lots of views from other children. And from that, we got Elsagate and Finger Family, videos that are still around but have mutated from featuring Elsa and Spider-man to now featuring Huggy Wuggy from Poppy's Playtime, or Pomni from The Amazing Digital Circus or Bluey from, uh, Bluey. These aren't edgy animations made for and by teenagers and young adults for a laugh, they're videos presumably made by teams of adults to mass produce and fill with as much shocking, click-baity content that doesn't even require being able to understand English to understand the plot, all to get watch-time to make money. There's no artistic merit to it. It's neither satire, nor is it an earnest expression of love for the source material, the latter of which, whether you like it or not, is where most rule 34 falls. No, these videos have only ever been content slop since this started around 2016. And this shit is still happening.

That same YouTuber has made a video about how we need to stop saying "unalive," which is part of what inspired me to post this at all, and I can't help but feel like this dude takes himself way too goddamn seriously, frowning upon "commit toaster bath" and "late term fetus deletus," which my edgelord, former 4channer millennial brain finds funny (it is too late for me, lads). This dude is in his early 20's and it's really interesting seeing someone discover pretty much things I've known since I was his age, but acting like they're these huge revelations. Like yeah, I've known about media influence on culture since I was in middle school, because of the internet, which was new and unrestricted by the Standards and Practices that shackled old media like radio and television. That used to be something that pretty much everybody on the internet was aware of; it's the reason why we came here in the first place. And you are right that giant corporations are censoring people, but also, the internet being corralled into a small handful of websites makes internet culture more homogenized and disposable. People can still meet life-long friends through the internet, but the sites where I first met some of my best friends are digital ghost towns, if they still exist at all, or they've become overrun with users infected by political brainworms that make them have incredibly strong opinions on a one-off promotional video done by Budweiser with a transgender TikTok influencer. You've got better luck making life-long friends through playing in the same Minecraft server together than you do being mutuals on Instagram or Twitter. And while Discord is the closest thing I've been able to find that replicates the feeling of both forum culture and chatrooms of the past, it's got its own set of problems unique to it. I can just say "Discord kitten" and most people who use Discord will know exactly what I mean.

Whoever decided to stop teaching kids about how to be safe online should probably be shot. Facebook made putting your whole-ass name and face and location on the internet not just normal, but people will find you suspicious if you choose not to do that. God, I fucking hate Facebook so much.

He's right, though, about the social contagion effect of language. This was a concern for me on this website a decade ago, but that was all social pressure. There was no corporate mandate cracking down on people, making them type "st*pid" to get around restrictions. That was all moral peacocking, baby. People did that shit to themselves.

Tumblr nowadays feels more sane, just because those of us left after the porn ban got a couple of years to grow up and chill out. But because of the porn ban, we can only really talk about the effects of it and complain, rather than be able to post our smut openly. Human sexuality expresses itself in some genuinely weird ways; I should know, and you should probably donate to Archive of Our Own to make sure there's a space where these things can be expressed without fear of censorship to protect The Children. But "unalive" is a symptom of a much larger problem, which is to sand off all the edges of the internet to make it marketable; the free market is more than happy to cater to the whims of the CCCP if they think it can make them more money. There's a lot of people in China, after all. The internet has more people on it but they're confined to much smaller spaces. Children don't have their own spaces online, and when they do, they're not as carefully moderated, instead opting for either overworked humans overseas, or dumb robots that just filter certain words and just become an obstacle to maneuver around to tell something to kill themselves with the creativity of someone who's at a sixth-grade reading level. People in their 20's are uncomfortable with nudity and sex scenes in films, perhaps under the assumption that it's always exploitation, that these scenes can't have artistic merit and are solely there to titillate, and given the sort of dumbing down of art thanks to Marvel and Disney, this seems like the only natural result when combined with the trauma of finding things online that you shouldn't have at way too young of an age. I do not like where this is going, and it's really saying something that those brought up in a sex-negative, American puritanical mindset only start paying attention when the censorship is affecting how we talk about death, something we have absolutely no problem with glorifying in our culture.

And if you're wondering why I wrote yet another long-ass essay bemoaning the slow death of internet culture and the Weenie Hut Jr's-fication of younger generations, well, it's because of this screenshot from 4chan.

Now if only they could bully out the tradcaths.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "The Protector of Concord Dawn"

In which Kanan is the best and Sabine eventually learns to follow his example on things.

I honestly don't think I've watched this one often enough to remember it that well so this'll be an adventure for me.

Having been driven off Garel the Phoenix Cell fleet is once again just kind of ambling through realspace in the middle of nowhere.

Rex casually recanonizing the "Mandalorians trained the clone troopers" thing from Legends.

Oof, you know this conversation had to hurt Sabine in some private places.

Lol, Hera's "Sounds familiar." She talking about Sabine there? Probably.

Sato's line here about warriors only understanding strength is interesting, considering it was suggested/implied that he's a former Separatist. Who knows if he ever had to tangle with Mandalorians during the Clone Wars, but he clearly recognizes that they tend to be a stubborn and belligerent people.

Side note, I love how bouncy Hera's lekku are.

"There was a time when it [diplomacy] always won the day." *CRIES ABOUT THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE REPUBLIC FOREVER*

You uh... you look like you're missing a little... a lot of... something there, Concord Dawn.

This is a unique music cue, frenetic and tense even before there's any actual danger.

Hera's slight hesitation when she talks about those who would stand against the Empire, hngl, she's so hopeful for the best-case scenario, she has so much faith in people's inner goodness and desire for freedom and autonomy.

Too bad Fenn Rau already made a self-preservation deal with the Empire.

This battle is really nicely staged and shot.

Was that a very fragmented excerpt of the "Shenanigans" theme?

*listens harder*

Sounds a bit like!

Sabine groaning in aggravation when Hera tells her to "just follow orders" oooh boy that's a sour spot for her.

I think it's only thanks to their bonding in "Out of Darkness" that Sabine chooses to trust Hera.

AND THE CURSED WORDS, "I'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU."

FANDOM DID NOT FORGET THAT THOSE WERE THE LAST WORDS KANAN SAID BEFORE HIS HEROIC SACRIFICE IN "CALL TO ACTION", WRITERS.

:((((((((

My gosh the way shards and pieces still seem to be floating around the A-wing like they're pulled by gravity towards it.

Wonder if the Chimaera looked similar when it exited hyperspace, wherever that was.

The worry in Kanan's eyes and his pinched brows, ugh.

The kids waiting anxiously for news about mom. :(

Sabine immediately blaming herself, and I can't help but think about the parallels to "Call To Action", how Ezra must have blamed himself for leaving Kanan behind, for not fighting alongside him.

Sabine sounds so vulnerable here, ouch.

Kanan backstory! If I remember, the issue of the Kanan: The Last Padawan comic that covered the event he's referencing here came out right about when this episode was airing, in a bit of fortuitous narrative timing.

Sabine be very angry. That Mandalorian call for revenge be beating strong inside her.

Kanan decides to protect the others by barring them all from coming, only risking himself.

Except, grudgingly, Chopper, who is none-too-happy about this lol.

Takes his frustrations out on Ezra, of course.

"You must be pretty distracted not to have noticed I stowed away." Well, you know, Hera is in the ICU, that's probably pretty distracting.

I actually really love that Kanan is going full Jedi here, offering the protectors, and Fenn Rau specifically, another chance to do the right thing. There's something to be said about his and Hera's shared faith in the true inner goodness of people.

"This Jedi philosophy stuff doesn't work for everyone." "That's why we're at war." CHEEKY BASTARD KANAN.

He's right though, if everyone were just more forgiving and self sacrificing and compassionate like the Jedi there would be far less problems in the galaxy, "You said the biggest problem in this galaxy is that nobody helps each other." CATCH ME SOBBING ABOUT THE PURE GOODNESS OF THE JEDI ORDER AND THEIR MODUS OPERANDI OF SELFLESS COMPASSION AND HOW THEY DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF IT.

"You always bring enough explosives." Lolol Kanan knows his surrogate foster daughter.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: Kanan leaning in and peering through Sabine's helmet antenna display.

Sabine gives every impression that she intends to take revenge for Fenn hurting Hera so it's a little bit weird when she suddenly backs off from her rage and anger to reinforce a "no killing" moral.

The only reason she doesn't follow through is Kanan's Jedi influence, so I'm going to picture him as a little shoulder angel next to her ear, whispering to her the right thing to do and I'm going to assume that's the deliberate intention of the writers.

Side note: Kanan gives a lot of encouraging/calming/reassuring touches to Sabine's shoulder in this scene. It's adorable.

Oh wow, Kanan legit pushed Sabine's blasters down as they were sneaking here.

This location feels very weird to see in light of "Imperial Supercommandos", I swear they reuse shot and camera angles for some of the scenes.

Kanan saying he trusts Sabine, aww.

Rau is remarkably considerate of Kanan's intrusion. I really like this scene. Gives the impression of two worthy foes sizing each other up. Feels very much like some kind of callback to classic samurai films.

Rau puts his blaster away when he learns Kanan's a Jedi, a subtle hint to his true loyalties. Rau wants to believe in the miracles the Jedi are capable of but years of subjugation have made him cynical and bitter.

This tapping percussion bit in the score is often used to signify stealth or infiltration.

LOL Sabine blowing her cover by banging her head on a fighter, lololol.

I remember fandom went kind of nuts when Sabine declared she was "House Vizsla". I was never really into the Mandalorian lore side of things so I was like, "Cool. That's nice."

(Basically it means her family was Death Watch and caused way too many Problems On Purpose in the Clone Wars.)

"I believe they have the strength to defeat you and the resources to back it up." UNEXPECTED THRAWN PARALLELS HELLO??!?!!!??

No but seriously, Fenn Rau allied with the Empire for much the same motivations that Thrawn did, to preserve his own people and further their interests. He owes no true loyalty to the Empire but his strategic mind has determined that acquiescing to them is the best option to protect his own.

Wow I did not expect that in this rewatch.

Lol Kanan's whole expression of, "Goddammit Sabine."

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The way Sabine's bangs bounce as her head moves.

Kanan desperately appealing to Sabine's better instincts, the ones Hera instilled in her, and Sabine seeming serious all the way to the end until she holds herself back and shows mercy.

Aaaaaaaaaaah I have so many feelings!

Also LOL at Kanan being so frustrated with Mandalorians and how they fight at any provocation.

Sabine's "You need to trust me." sounds like she's already mentally backed down from her "RAWR MUST TAKE REVENGE" plot and is more calmly assessing the situation and figuring out how to accomplish the goal and adhere to Kanan's (and by proxy Hera's) wishes.

More Old West Hollywood shots here.

I don't think the visual similarity between this moment post-explosion and Sabine's fight with Gar Saxon in "Imperial Supercommandos" is a coincidence.

"You love making this hard for me." Lol aww.

...Where was Fenn intending to go? No really, this is gonna bug me. Was he going to search for the ship Kanan and Sabine clearly came in? Was he going to contact the Empire?

Oooh there's a leimotif in here that I'm sure I've heard, I can't determine what it's meant to symbolize or be associated with (maybe Kanan?) but it's a good one.

Obligatory pretty cloud shot.

Looks Rau straight in the face as he stabs his lightsaber through the Fang controls lolol, what a badass.

Kanan is exceptionally competent here. It's really sexy.

For those fans whose primary blorbo is Kanan I mean.

Fenn Rau begrudgingly accepting his defeat in acknowledgement of Kanan's raw skill. <3

It's not exactly what Hera wanted but it's close enough. Rau submits to a clearly superior foe and chooses to hedge his bets by ordering his men to grant them safe passage, out of a chagrined respect.

Love the callback to the joke in "A Princess On Lothal" lol

SABINE ACKNOWLEDGING KANAN'S POSITIVE JEDI INFLUENCE ON HER AND IMPLICITLY CALLING KANAN AND HERA HER PARENTS WITH HER COMMENT ABOUT BEING "RAISED RIGHT", WEEPING, SOBBING, GNASHING TEETH.

Awwwwwwwwww!

I... don't remember being super into this episode when it first aired. Mandalorians infighting with Mandalorians was never a drama I was into and I thought Sabine was frankly a little... boring?... as a character? In the early days for me at least. I was never much invested in her focal episodes in Season Two. She only really started getting interesting for me in Season Three.

But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed rewatching this episode and seeing Sabine struggle against the competing family instincts and influences inside her.

That being said, it's Kanan who really shines in this episode, demonstrating perfect Jedi training and compassion, determined to find a peaceful solution to the conflict that honors both his values and Hera's wishes. He tempers Sabine's instinctual rage and anger and drive for revenge with calm serenity and mercy and it's this example that would influence several of her decisions in Season Three.

This episode is honestly a really quality one for the Kanan-Sabine bonding and relationship exploration. Maybe I didn't give its due at the time, but I'm finding myself really liking it now.

We're about to hit the Golden Streak, I am SO looking forward to covering the next several episodes. <3

[seahorse-dad-in-training]

Cisheteronormativity

I think it's one of the hardest things I've had to deal with as a queer trans parent. No matter what you do, it's unavoidable. No matter what you do, it's going to influence your child in some way at one point or another.

Kids shows and media, children's songs, school, family, and public places in general.. They're all filled with it. I truly think the best thing you can do is provide representation and education as young as possible. And I don't just mean books and such about diverse families, gender, and sexuality. I mean also dismantling cisheteronormativity in other areas too. I mean advocating for your kid and yourself when possible.

(Keep in mind this is just my thoughts/strategies, this is not me saying that anyone HAS to do these things or that they're inherently bad for doing things differently)

When teaching age appropriate sex Ed at various stages of their life, don't frame it in a binary or straight way. When teaching the proper names for genitalia don't say "girls have this, boys have this". Don't talk about puberty in that way either. For example "people born with vulvas typically experience a menstrual cycle aka periods". When going into the realm of relationships at whatever age you feel appropriate, don't address sex as just a reproductive thing or man x woman. Don't talk about the importance of protection from just a standpoint of preventing pregnancy.

Don't talk about sex as just PIV (or even just PIV and anal). From personal experience, this can really warp your view of what's "real sex". This lead to me not seeing it as sex, and being a lot more risky than I should have been. After all, nobody stressed the importance of being safe with people who don't have penises.

If people do the gross "do you have a little girlfriend/boyfriend?' depending on your kid's AGAB, shut it down. You could just generally say that's not appropriate or be blunt and say "we won't know what kind of partner they'll have in the future if any".

Something I like to do when it comes children's music is change the lyrics of some songs when singing them to accommodate our family. Kiddo calls my partner both mom and dad or "momdad" so when songs say mommy/Mom, I change that lyric to "momdad" (momdad shark, momdad finger)

And just be willing to gently correct your kid when they say things because of external influence. It's okay to correct a small kid when they use the wrong parental title "haha I'm daddy silly!". It's okay to have to gently remind them that Barbies aren't "for girls". It's okay to be honest and say that a lot of families are stuck in really outdated/old mindsets when it comes to these things.

You can't avoid the unfortunate hell that is cisheteronormativity, but you can do your best to be that safe place where they learn inclusivity, openness, and love.

[writerfae]

I am very talkative today, it seems! I hope you don't mind!

I have an interesting question, because though I don't know the answer, I have a good guess!

But Endre would want to know this way more than me.

To Endre Henry would seem like the ideal big brother (cause he is). Even knowing that he left Aiden, he'd still seem perfect to Endre because he sees how they act around echother. He sees how Henry still looks out for Aiden, and he hears about how they were as kids.

And Endre, who's trying to be a better big brother, who regrets the way he treated his siblings in the past would really admire him.

But in one of his guilt fuled, self-deprecating moments, he would surely ask something like this, and I want to hear what Henry would answer:

Endre: H... how did you do it? You were carrying so much pain. You were out of place. Your mom died. You bacame a vessel for your father's grief, just because you looked like her. You had to care for both him and your brother and Aiden... he didn't have to carry as much. You had to make sure he didn't. You did make sure he didn't, so how did you never get jealous? How come you never wanted to switch places? How did you never take it out on him? How come... how come I wasn't more like you?

Please answer as Henry if you can!

I don’t mind at all! In fact I’m happy for every ask I get from you ^^

I feel really sorry for Endre. I think Henry would too. He’d probably tell him something like this:

I am not an heir like you. I didn’t have a whole kingdom to worry about. All I have is my family and they are everything to me. I was taught from my mother from a very young age on to do what is best for my family and that stuck with me. Especially after losing my mom. I had to keep looking after them, like I promised her.

It was really hard, yes, and often I hated it. But for me, it was something I had to do. Someone had to keep this family from falling apart and I did it. Because I’m the eldest child. Because I love my family. And no matter how hard it can be, love is not a burden. I had to take responsibility. My father couldn’t and my mother was gone and Aiden was just a child.

And I wanted him to be a child. See, the thing is that unlike you (I assume), who had to prepare for a reign all your youth, I had a pretty carefree childhood. Sure, there was this secret I carried, but still, I was happy. When I was eight, I got to learn and play and joke around. It wouldn’t have been fair if I didn’t let Aiden have the same experience. I’ve never been jealous of Aiden for getting to be a child, cause I got to do it as well when I was his age.

And that makes the difference, I think. You never were allowed to experience being a child in the way your siblings did. I get why that would make you jealous. You know, I never told anyone but Callan before, but when I was younger, I sometimes found myself envying Aiden for being our father’s biological son. It’s not like Milan loved Aiden more, he’s always treated me the same gentle way, yet the two had a sort of connection that him and I didn’t have and it was obvious to me. So it is not like I never got jealous, but jealousy is an ugly feeling. And like all negative emotions, it needs an outlet, so it won’t eat us alive. Again, that’s something my mother taught me. (What we learn from our mothers really shape us as a person, I think.) For me, that outlet was going to the woods. It cleared my head, sorted my thoughts and made me calm down.

I don’t know how you were raised and I can only guess from what I know from Callan how much pressure there was on you ever since you were a child. But if I had to assume, I think you lacked such an outlet and to protect yourself, you started letting your negative emotions out on your siblings. You know as well as me that that’s not the right way, but you didn’t know any better. Growing up takes time for a reason. If you have to grow up too fast, like you and me, you can act mature all you want, but certain things, certain emotions and processes simply aren’t fully developed yet. Deep down you’re still not an adult, you are just a child keeping up an act all the time. Not just in front of others, but also in front of yourself. And that can lead to miscalculations and wrong decisions.

Like you mistreating your siblings. Like me leaving behind my brother. Because that’s the thing. I am by far not perfect, I haven’t always been the best brother in the past. But Aiden has forgiven me for that, just like your siblings forgave you, so all that is left is to do better in the future. Give yourself time to grow. You have acknowledged your mistakes and your mistakes have been forgiven, so now it is time to forgive yourself. There is no need to look back, look ahead instead. Look at your siblings, meet them eye to eye.

[cainluvr69]

Literally Just The Cain Parts Of Arc 2 Chapter 19 (half of 19-7, all of 19-8)

Cain: (I hope the Sage is okay… I know they went to Cortes in Western Country along with that person who got turned into a bird, but…)

Western Lady: Fufu… And here I thought Central was just full of the serious and completely boring types… But listening to you talk is so lovely and stimulating, Lord Cain…

Cain: Haha, thanks.

Western Lady: Would you like me to pour you another glass?

Cain: Please.

There are many forms justice can take. For instance, I'd decided that protecting my country and my master is what justice is to me. And so because of that, I think that acting as though I'm going to sell my country out so that I can protect it also qualifies as justice. My mother's justice that she believed in as she raised me, was that she was willing to turn a blind eye to me telling lies.

✦✧☾✧✦

I remember this time when I was a kid, when I latched onto my mom, crying my eyes out. I was one of those way-too-active kids, but it wasn't like anyone had scolded me too hard that night, and it wasn't like anyone was hurt. But still, there were tears rolling down my cheeks, and my mom was gently rubbing my back. Hey! Stop that! See you later! Take care! Oh my! That's amazing! Tonight, my mom's normally bright voice was small and quiet and trembling.

Cain's mom: It's all right… You've been good…

Little Cain: …I'm not good. I told a lie to my friends.

Cain's mom: You didn't tell them a lie, dear. When they asked you if you'd ever met a wizard, you just stayed silent.

Little Cain: That's the same as lying. Everyone said that…they wanted to see a wizard.

Cain's mom: And what did you say?

Little Cain: …"Me too"… …Even though I'm a wizard… Hey, I lied to them. Telling lies is bad, isn't it? That's what dad said.

Cain's mom: That's right.

Little Cain: My swordsmanship instructor said the same thing. That friends shouldn't tell lies to each other. …But I still…

Cain's mom: I know you're upset, but you kept up what I asked you to, didn't you? About never telling anyone about being a wizard.

Little Cain: …Yeah…

Cain's mom: Thank you, Cain. Thank you for making sure I don't worry about you.

My mother sadly stroked my hair. Normally, being thanked was something that made me feel good, but for some reason, today it just made me feel even worse. I didn't want to make my mother sad. But at the same time, I didn't want to make my friends hate me, either. But more than anything else, I was terrified that I'd become a creature that couldn't live with itself. Something that couldn't accept what it had done. I think…that night was the first time I lost sight of what righteousness is. When I was a kid, there was only one kind of justice, and I truly believed that as long as I held to it, I would make it out alright. I wouldn't do anything bad. I wouldn't lose to my own desires. I wouldn't hurt anyone. I would chase my dreams with all my heart without abandoning them. I would be thankful to my parents for raising me. I would treasure the friends that I met along the way. I thought it was as simple as just not giving in to darker temptations. God, I really had no idea. Sometimes, chasing your dreams and honoring your parents and cherishing your friends can come into conflict with one another. And it'll all feel like each has the same sense of righteousness to it.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain's mom: Please, Cain. Don't go to the capital. Being a knight here in the Town of Glory is more than enough. Everyone here loves you, and our local lord favors you too.

Cain: But that's exactly why I want to go. It's thanks to everyone that I was able to get this chance in the first place. I want to do as much as I can. I've been dreaming of this day for ages! I'll be fine! I'm your pride and joy and all that, right?

Cain's mom: There's still so much you don't know about society… You're far too young to be doing this.

Cain: You don't need to worry so much.

Cain's mom: The knights in the capital surely can't be as good as they say. The people in this town still…

Cain: Why are you saying things like that?! Haven't you always been rooting for me to follow my dreams, ever since I was little? I'd rather you be smiling as you see me off like usual. It's going to be fine. Don't worry.

Cain's mom: …

Cain: Being able to go to the capital is amazing… Err, I don't really know how to put it, but it's like I got given a luxury gift! I'm really excited about it!

Cain's mom: …Do what you like.

Cain: … Well then, I'm off, mom!

Sometimes we misunderstood each other, and then we'd argue. There's all sorts of things we can't see eye to eye on. Just like how not everyone was always going to agree with me, there were times I couldn't agree with them either. Sometimes I'd make a joke, and someone'd get angry at me for it. Sometimes someone would make a joke, and I'd find I couldn't laugh along. But I could still feel how loved and protected I was despite all of that. I wouldn't say it was perfect, and it certainly wasn't classy, but my world was still one that loved me. The city I was born in had watched over me.

Cain's friend: Hey, good luck, Cain! Go get as famous as you can out there!

Cain's friend: You've always been the best of all of us! So go 'n get 'em, Cain!

Cain's friend: Once I convince my parents to let me, I'm gonna go to the capital too! So go and wait there for me!

Town of Glory citizen: Take care! Keep yourself safe and rack up those medals in the military!

Town of Glory citizen: Those city folk can be touchy, so don't let it bother you no matter what they say! And if you really can't stand it, you can come back here!

Town of Glory citizen: Cain, take care. I hope that no matter how many wonderful people you meet, you won't forget about us…

Cain: I won't forget! Well then, I'm off! Thank you, all of you!

✦✧☾✧✦

I'd thought that there was only one form of justice. If everyone followed the same rules, then no one would ever be hurt. That had been a childish fantasy. There's so many different kinds of justice in the world. And just as there's many different kinds, each person has a different kind of justice they'll prioritize. And as the differences in people change day by day, or even mood by mood, the things that they prioritize in their justice change as well. Like about individual freedom. Or how to assist those more vulnerable. Or how to honor tradition. Or how to have an impartial heart. Or about laws. About liberty. About rights. And how they want to uphold their justice is all different as well. To be peaceful, to be judgmental, to be tolerant, to be an example. But still, I tried to be as good a human as I could possibly be. I wanted to be kind to them, and I wanted to help them. I wanted to understand them, and I wanted to be friends with them. I didn't need anything in return. No one was forcing me to do these things. I just wanted to love and protect people the way that my family and friends had loved and protected me.

Owen: Don't be ridiculous. You're just trying to make yourself look better, my hypocritical Sir Knight.

I bet if I told that to Owen, that's how he'd ridicule me for it. But I'm not lying, I'm not trying to put on an act. The world I've seen really is that beautiful. Wasn't there anything beautiful… …in the world that he saw?

Chapter 8 -- What It Means To Believe

Owen: We're almost there.

Arthur: It sure looks that way. Even from far away, the City of Wealth is still bright with light. Truly, this is a city without night.

Owen: Why did you change your outfit?

Arthur: I figure it's better if no one can recognize my status where we're going.

Owen: Even though you're a prince? I thought that among humans, being a prince was one of the better things to be.

Arthur: What do you mean by "better"?

Owen: Like how strength speaks for itself in the North, doesn't social status speak for itself in Central? The nobles are above the commoners, and royalty is above the nobles. And the king is about as intimidating as Oz or Mithra. So why are you hiding your status?

Arthur: He's not that intimidating. And I don't particularly think Lord Oz or Mithra are intimidating either, are they?

Owen: They are.

Arthur: Are you intimidating too, Owen?

Owen: Of course I am.

Arthur: Like when?

Owen: Hah? Always. Like right now?

Arthur: I see!

Owen: Yeah.

Arthur: Owen. Regarding what we were talking about earlier…

Owen: Keep the conversation moving naturally! Are you going to let me intimidate you? Even though you're a prince.

Arthur: I didn't realize I was being intimidated, so it's fine. I think we're both appropriately intimidating for who we are, don't you think?

Owen: Something about that is pissing me off…

Arthur: Owen. Regarding what we were talking about earlier, could you tell me a bit more about what's going on? Why is Cain throwing away his honor?

Owen: So that the Western army will trust him.

Arthur: Trust him…? Wouldn't upholding his honor be a better way to get them to trust him?

Owen: Hmph… Cain said the same thing. You're just as foolish as he is. That's why I told him. A man like Cain isn't trustworthy at all. The kind of person they can trust is someone filthy with mud. Someone more shameful than they've ever seen. Someone with no heart who'll betray people at a moment's notice. Someone who'll do anything to protect themself and their own interests. That's the kind of person who's really trustworthy.

Arthur: Why?

Owen: That should be obvious. Because everyone knows the rules that way. I said rules, but it's different from laws. It's not anything that ever got written down. It's understood without using words. It's a person's true nature.

Arthur: A person's true nature…

Owen: Yep. When you encounter someone more fortunate than you, you get jealous and envious and want them to fall hard. There are desires you can't admit in front of people, but can indulge in when no one's around. That's a human's true nature. And everyone wants to hide that ugly part of themself. That's why if you can see how ugly someone's nature is, you don't have to worry and can be friends with them. That's trust.

Arthur: …

Owen: …But no one knows what Sir Knight's rules are. So he can't be trusted. He doesn't show his heart to anyone. Haha… How stupid.

Arthur: …And that's why Cain is choosing to throw his honor away? Because he took what you said seriously?

Owen: Yep. Are you disappointed?

Arthur: No… I'm worried. That's not like him. I wonder if something else happened.

Owen: …What do you mean?

Arthur: Ordinarily, Cain wouldn't take what you tell him so seriously.

Owen: Hah? What's that supposed to mean?

Arthur: It means that I believe in Cain. This is what I think trust is, Owen. Cain's concept of faith in others isn't wrong.

Owen: …

Arthur: And don't you believe in him too?

Owen: In who? In Sir Knight? As if. Arthur. The one who tempted him into going down this path was me. And it's something I've been waiting so long for. Ever since the day I stole his eye, I've been waiting for him to show his true colors. He's weak, foolish, cowardly…

Arthur: But you don't seem happy about it at all.

Owen: Hah?

Arthur: Even though Cain is about to fall to depravity, you're not happy about that.

Owen: I am happy about it. That's why I'm bringing you. So I can make the situation he's ended up in even worse. You're the last person Sir Knight wants to see as he sinks into gambling and lust.

Arthur: …

Owen: I just know it'll break him apart. I'm looking forward to it already.

Arthur: …You're very contrary, aren't you.

Owen: A drop from this height will kill you, Sir Prince.

Arthur: Let's say I take you seriously for a moment. As a wizard that loves to be unkind to others, you're looking forward to Cain's corruption… So I thought that if Cain were do to anything even slightly unbefitting a knight, you'd point and laugh at him. That's why you're always following him around.

Owen: Haha… Exactly. I want to see everyone's beloved paragon of virtue Sir Knight drown in his desires once he sees who he really is in the mirror. And I'm going to sit and laugh when he does. …Hmph. There really is no such thing as an ideal knight, is there. Everything in this world makes me sick. There's nothing but my beloved vile and disgusting malice and lies. Serves him right. But he can't fool me.

Arthur: …But in truth… Didn't you believe in him?

Owen: …

Arthur: Which is why you came to me…

Owen: Haha… Don't be stupid.

Arthur: Owen.

Owen: Shut up. I'll rip your tongue out.

Arthur: I feel the same way. I'm thinking the same things you are. I want to believe in him…

Owen: …What?

Arthur: … Owen. You're a Northern wizard who's lived for a very long time.

Owen: That's right.

Arthur: …Do you know… Do you know why Lord Oz is called the Demon King? Is it just because of his strength? Or is it… …Exactly as the stories say? That he once made to conquer this world? If you've seen him that way, then…

Owen: … What did Figaro and the twins say about it?

Arthur: …They avoid the subject. But I get so angry when I hear people dragging Lord Oz's name through the mud… They just comforted me by agreeing with me. And I just took it as them denying those stories without actually asking them. Lord Oz also says nothing of it.

Owen: Fufu… Is that right.

Arthur: But you know, don't you, Owen? Won't you tell me?

Owen: Nope, I don't know. Maybe I'll remember something later, but right now I don't know anything about it.

Arthur: Why… Please just tell me without putting on an act about it.

Owen: I told you, I don't know.

Arthur: Owen. Please.

Owen: Oz was once a terrible Demon King. He was more brutal than the <Great Calamity> itself and crushed the world beneath his heel.

Arthur: …

Owen: Do you believe me?

Arthur: …Are you lying to me?

Owen: Which would you rather? You can pick whichever you like, Sir Prince. Picking what you like means living in a world that you like. You can cover up the pieces so you don't have to look at them.

Arthur: … I wish I could. Serves you right. But you can't fool me. I'm glad I believed in Lord Oz. …Is what I wish I could say.

Owen: Hmph. We're going down. Don't make a fuss since we need to be quiet about it. I'll take you to Cain.

Arthur: We're going to see him quietly? I thought you wanted to get in the way?

Owen: I am. I want to make you feel terrible, too.

✦✧☾✧✦

Western officer: Ahaha! You're an interesting man, Cain. If the general were here, I'd introduce you to him. Too bad.

Cain: General Barnett, right? I hear he's running the Magical Technology Division all on his own. He worked with Nicholas too, didn't he?

Western officer: Yeah. To be honest, he was supposed to be back by tonight, but it looks like that's not happening… Huh? He is back…? Sounds like he's back in the City of Wealth.

Cain: That's good to hear. How soon can I meet with him?

Western officer: He is his Excellency the general. He's not that easy to get a meeting with. But… Since you've been such a good 'n sociable guest, if he drops by this club tonight I'll be sure to introduce you.

Cain: Really?

Western officer: Sure. But y'know, it's already pretty late.

Cain: It's on the days you work the longest that you want to drink the most. Is there anything the general likes in particular? Is he one for dancing? I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Western officer: Ahaha, sure, you can dance. If I'm remembering right, there's this popular novel series he really likes.

Cain: Oh, what a coincidence. I'm probably a fan of it too.

Western officer: Really?

Cain: Sure. Put it in front of me and I'll read it out loud as loud as I can, too.

Western officer: Haha, I'd wanna hear that, too. There's so many risque lines in that thing.

Cain: That's perfectly fine. I wonder if the general heard, he'd be interested?

Western officer: Well, if he's not too tired… But it's definitely something he'd be into. The protagonist is this young maid girl, and…

Cain: Yeah, just lend me one of the volumes. How about I just start reading it here and now?

Western officer: Yeah! Now that's what we wanna hear!

Western lady: Lord Cain is so darling.

Cain: Alright, here we go. That would be the first night of many nights of hands-on experience, my ample breasts bouncing with every motion…

Arthur: Excuse me.

Cain: …?! (Lord Arthur…! Why is he here?!)

Officer's club staff: Hey, you can't be here. This isn't a place for kids.

Owen: It should be fine if there's an adult with him.

Cain: (Owen…! So you were the one that brought him here!) (For Lord Arthur, this is as good as walking onto a battlefield.) (No matter how much you want to needle me, there's still a limit on what's acceptable!) (I'm never going to forgive him for this one.)

Owen: …

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

just finished reading Home and oh man is that a heartbreak of a tale. their entire lives gone by while she hasn’t aged. and i hate to think of poor maya wondering the rest of her life if she’s really home, questioning all the differences. does she ever really accept it as being real, or will she always have some doubt?

Before I actually answer the question, I must provide you with the secret (read: original) ending to the story!

****

Qi Le scoffed. “It's been two decades, May. I don't remember things as good as I used to. Also, you still sound like a kid.” She exhaled loudly. “It was Brown, wasn't it? Mayra Brown.”

“Hmm,” I replied, noncommittal. “Mom? Pops?’

The people who called themselves my parents perked up. “Yeah, kiddo?”

“What's our last name?”

My father laughed. “Have you forgotten all that already? It's Brown. You used to say it was the colour of your hair.”

I smiled wanly. “QL? You still there?” The vague sound of water came from the phone.

“Yeah, just gotta wash the dishes. You need me to pick you up?” I could picture her, wearing gloves up to her elbows to protect her overly sensitive skin. The motherly tone in her voice matched nothing I ever remembered, however.

Damn, but I wanted to go… Home.

There. I said it. I missed home. I missed the world I had once lived in. I missed my family, my school and my friends. Perhaps, just perhaps, this had been home once. Certainly, if I squinted, it looked similar enough. But my friends had grown up, my school was torn down, my parents old and withered.

I had no home now.

“No,” I said. “It's fine. Thanks for everything. Tell Betty to keep grooving, and hopefully without those fugly bell jeans.” Before she could respond, I hung up.

Turning to my parents, I threw my arms around my mother, then bent down to hug my father. “If you really are my parents,” I whispered, just loud enough to hear, “Then I'm grateful to see you again.”

With the same caution I had thrown to the wind earlier, I disentangled myself from them. They smelled different, of pills and age. My mother brushed my cheek slightly. “Come on, Mayra, and tell us everything.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, and turned heel. They were old, too old to catch a girl who'd been running for twenty years. My feet carried me down the too-familiar streets, past the places I had known all my life. Lie or not, this place had been eroded by time. There was nothing left for me here.

I came upon the station just as the train pulled in. Jane and Pall sat in one of the empty carriages. Decent folk, they were, and perhaps more familiar than the home I once knew.

Hurtling myself through into the train, I turned just in time to watch the doors close on the image of the world I once knew.

“By the fifteen gods, whatever was that fuss about, Maya?” Pall shook his head. “Never in my life have I seen you run for something, let alone with that expression on yer face.”

I shook my head. “You know those rumours about the midnight train?”

“Yeah,” Jane said, leaning in. Ever the gossip, Jane was. “You went and investigated it?”

“It’s a lie. The places we once called home are no more.”

****

So. Yeah. My friends told me the ending was too cold, which is why she does choose to stay there in the end.

And honestly, I like letting people interpret the story whichever way they want, which is why I enjoy open endings a lot. I do find it interesting that you chose to interpret it as her actually finding her way home, since most of my friends (who I showed it to before sending it out) assumed she had simply accepted a fake world as her own. Then again, that opinion was probably tainted by the above original ending.

Truth be told, I personally like to imagine she did get home in the end. Nonetheless, I do think she's too jaded and cynical to ever believe that she really made it back.

But that's me, and I'm an evil angst-loving bitch. Like with most of my writing, I strongly encourage you to keep your own headcanon. If Maya getting a happy ending is what you want, then let it be canon. The greatest joy I take in writing is to see it be interpreted, after all.

Thanks for the ask!

[skylarmoon71]

Harry Wells AU (Flash) - Oneshot

There were always risks that came with having a father so wealthy.

Although you'd insisted that you wanted to make it in life by your own means, he respected that. He only ever got involved when it was needed. So while you lived your life as a criminology professor, most days were uneventful. That's why when your father asked to see you, you knew it must have been serious.

"Thank you for giving me your time sweetheart."

You grin.

"Of course dad." You bat your eyes and he laughs.

"So did you forget mom's anniversary again? I told you to put it on your calendar." He shakes his head.

"It's not that. Trust me I learned my lesson. You know your mother is just as strong willed as you."

You look around his office curiously.

"Then what is it?"

He placed a folder on the desk. When you opened it, there were pictures of you with threatening words written at the top.

"I believe it is a threat from my competitors. I've alerted the authorities already. In the event that this isn't just a scare tactic I need to ensure you're safe. I know you won't just sit around your home until this blows over so I hired a bodyguard. "

He pressed a button for his assistant and you heard the door open.

The man that walked in had beautiful blue eyes, a pair of glasses and a sharp suit.

"Harrison Wells, this is my daughter. I trust that you will take the utmost care of her. "

He nods.

"I will Mr. Grant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He held out his hand, but you just stared. Turning back to your father, you tried to get a gist of what was happening.

"Wait a minute, so I get to do my job and this handsome guy is going to be looking after me until the threat is gone. "

"Yes, essentially." Your father looked fairly confused.

Until he saw that smile.

"(Y/N)."

"What, I didn't do anything. I'd love to be protected by this big strong man." You sent a wink to Harrison, gaining a raised brow from him.

Your father placed a palm to his face.

"Sweetheart please refrain from flirting with Mr. Wells. He runs a very professional security company and I'd like to keep our strong ties. That won't happen if I have to deal with a lawsuit because you assaulted the man. I apologize, Mr. Wells. My daughter is a bit shameless."

"Hey! What kind of father are you!? You should be glad I'm getting out there. You and mom are the ones who keep saying I'm too invested in my work. It's hard when you can profile the bad intentions from men miles away. "

"Maybe you should have picked a profession that wouldn't turn you into a human lie detector. "

"It's called profiling dad. For your information you'd probably double sales if you were as gifted as I was. "

"I think I'll take my chances."

Harrison just watched the back and forth banter.

"They aren't what I expected at all."

He heard talk of the youngest daughter being a princess and her father being ruthless, but that seemed to be tabloids blowing everything out of proportion as usual.

"If she does anything indecent just let me know. I will reprimand her immediately."

"Noted sir."

"Wow, well I'm leaving because you clearly don't care about my happiness." You faked sobbed, walking away and glancing back dramatically. Your father just smiled.

"Enjoy the rest of your week sweetheart. I'll keep you updated."

You return the smile.

"Thank you dad, really."

He brushes it off and you leave after blowing a kiss. Harrison follows you out, ready for whatever this job would bring.

~~

For the most part he is impressed at how cooperative you are.

This isn't the first rich kid he's had to guard. Most of his clients were always entitled and bratty, regardless of their age. Money tended to do that.

"I'm surprised you haven't given any resistance." His eyes are still on the road. You look over from your seat.

"Are you kidding me? This is literally like one of those movies. Strong mysterious man protecting the daughter of a rich business man. Feel free to inspect me for injuries if anything happens."

Harrison maintains a neutral expression.

"So are you single? I don't see a ring and you haven't checked your phone since we left the building. There's also small specs of lint on your suit. Women pay more attention to these details when dressing. Especially for their significant other. That tells me that there isn't anyone at home."

He's impressed at the assessment. When he spares a glance, you grin.

"Did I impress you?"

He doesn't respond and you giggle.

"If it's okay with you, can we stop by the chinese place on the way home. I'm sort of craving and I don't feel like cooking today."

"Of course."

He's quiet for the rest of the trip and you just observe.

~~~~

It's a weird dynamic you've adapted.

Every attempt you have to flirt Harrison finds an expert way to evade. You admire his professionalism. Sometimes you find yourself stealing glances when he isn't working.

He's been attentively taking you to all your classes and conferences. You'd explained to him that it would be suspicious if he just stood by the door, so he usually sits at the very front of your classes, marking entrances and exits. You smile, because he listens to every detail that you say. The first couple times it actually made you a little nervous. Having his eyes so focused on you for such an extended time.

The room begins to clear out after the class, and Harrison moves to your desk.

"How did you like the class? Learn anything?"

He nods.

"Yes. I always learn something when you teach."

"Well knowledge is power."

"It is."

You mean to say something else.

"We should get going, please."

He moves to the side and you exhale in disappointment. You purposely brush next to him.

"Okay."

If he notices he says nothing.

You'll break him somehow.

Unfortunately that's easier said than done.

It's been two weeks and you are no closer. He has a schedule that he sticks to without fail.

Impressive to say the least.

On a weekend, you decide why not go out and have a little fun. It's still a bit weird being monitored all day everyday. You go into a couple stores but only buy a few items that truly catch your eye. Your eyes glance at a lingerie set in the window. Harrison is right behind you. It feels a bit weird to go in there with him.

"Would you like to go in?"

You flush.

"N-No it's okay."

"We're both adults, you don't have to be so bashful. Let's go." You follow him inside clumsily and the cashier smiles at the both of you.

"Please let me know if you need any help."

You nod shyly, heading to the item that drew your attention. You grab it off the rack, heading for a dressing room. Harrison follows diligently behind. He stands right outside the small doors.

It's strange knowing he's right there. You slowly strip out of your clothing, eyes on the mirror. You can see his shoes under the door. As well as his head over the top of the door. You shake the thoughts, slipping into the garments. You get on the underwear with no trouble, but the bra is a bit tricky. The clasp isn't what you're used to. You grunt trying to close it. You end up taking an uncoordinated step back and your arm rams into the wall. You groan and you hear the bags drop outside.

"Are you alright!"

He barges in and you try to cover your chest in your haste. Because of your panic, when he enters, you crash into his body. He catches you, looking for danger but sees none. Your chest is now pressed to him, bra just barely on you.

There's a hint of shock on his expression and your face is cherry red. He turns his head, setting you upright.

"I'm sorry."

He exits and you just place your head on the wall, embarrassed.

You supposed worse things could happen.

During the course of that month, you fall into a steady rhythm. Harrison is very considerate of your space. You'd given him a guest room and showed him where everything is. It's hard to read other than what his body language gives off. He doesn't speak more than necessary. It doesn't deter you from trying to get to know him.

Like now. You've just cooked some cookies and you grin as you head for his room.

"I baked you some sweets." You knock on his door, but it creaks open. You tilt your head.

"Harrison?"

You step in the very moment he steps out from the shower it seems. He's in nothing but a towel, and you blush despite yourself. You turn around.

"I-I'm sorry I-I didn't know!"

"Is something wrong?" He doesn't appear affected.

"I made cookies. I-I'll just leave them here for you." You place the tray down on the dresser next to the door, pacing out the room as you close the door.

"Woah.."

It really was like a movie. In a way, it is even now. He did see you in your underwear already.

That afternoon wasn't as awkward as you expect. Harrison is sitting at the dinner table with his laptop and he goes through what you assume are files from his company. You're seated on the couch, doing your own work. Running through test papers and reports. Something dawns on you.

"If you own a company, why did you take this case?"

"Why didn't you refuse your father when you can take care of yourself?" His question catches you off guard.

"You have five pairs of sneakers. At first glance they look no different from joggers, but two of them are specifically designed for combat training. There's a pair of boots tucked to the side of your flats. From the scuff marks and dirt at the bottom, I assume you teach some kind of training at a facility. Government if I had to guess. FBI or maybe even CIA."

You're shocked.

"You aren't the only one good at reading others. I'm good. I took this job because it is good for my company. Having wealthy clients to endorse who aren't known criminals is good for business. "

That does make sense. You look down.

"Your father doesn't know of your extra curricular activities."

You nod.

"I love him and I know he worries but he thinks I'm defenseless. When I was younger I promised I'd never be in a position where I would have to rely on someone to protect me. "

"Because you've been hurt before."

It's hard to lie when he sees right through you.

"My ex. He was controlling. The first time he hit me I broke it off and he started stalking me. I never told my father, and I knew he would freak out. I told the police but they said they couldn't do anything until he really hurt me. He attacked me and I defended myself. My mother got involved and I begged her not to say anything to dad. My ex went to prison for assault and I never heard from him again."

It's weird to reveal all this to a total stranger.

"I promised myself I would never go through that again. So I got tough."

"That's admirable."

You can't believe it, an actual compliment.

"People don't seem to realize just how difficult it is to escape those kinds of relationships. The women are always blamed for staying with the man, but it's hard walking away when fear is what has you trapped. You're very brave."

"T-Thank you."

"You're welcome."

This is probably the most you've both said to each other.

It feels nice.

Getting him to open up was so hard at the beginning. But maybe that's because you kept pushing. Harry was private, and you are his client. So you understand his need to keep distance, that's why you're a bit shocked when you see him one day smiling at his phone. You've never really seen him smile.

"Wow, she must be a very special woman if you're smiling."

It comes out a bit more jealous than you expected.

You look away and he pockets his phone.

"Jesse is special. She's the greatest thing in my life." The way he speaks and the look he wears doesn't really scream lover. It's more along the lines of relative. Like a..

"Daughter.."

You mutter.

He nods.

"She just completed her fourth Phd."

"Wow..that's impressive. Congratulations."

"Thank you, I'm very proud. I knew her mother would be too."

It doesn't take a profiler to put two and two together.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

He nods in appreciation.

"It's been ten years."

From that expression it's clear that he's never loved someone as much as he loved his late wife. Probably never met anyone since then.

"She must have been an amazing woman."

When he looks at you, those eyes show such vulnerability. You're a bit convinced that this is a different man.

"She was incredible."

Looking at his face makes you believe in true love. Because although you've never experienced that, you can only imagine it looks something like that.

"I hope that someday you can be happy like that again."

These aren't your usual flirtatious words. You truly do wish for that.

Harrison smiles inwardly.

"It might not be so far away."

He thinks wistfully.

Harrison has learned on the job, there are no such things as coincidences. His eyes scanned the documents that your father received, cross checking some old photos you'd posted. His eyes ran over the signature, taking a picture and sending it immediately.

The very next morning, he does a sweep of the house. His routine usually starts at seven. You always wake up at eight to get ready for work, so he knows he has at least an hour before you're moving about.

The ding on his computer catches his attention. He moves over, reading the email.

"I knew it."

Definitely no such thing as coincidence.

"You're up early."

Harrison doesn't turn, and you smile.

"How did you know I was behind you? I barely made a sound."

Harrison turns and those eyes seem to stare into your soul. You swallow. When you woke up, staring dreamily into his gaze was not on the agenda.

"Intuition."

He gestures that you take a seat. You follow.

"So what's up, you look more brooding than usual."

"Your ex boyfriend is the one who sent the threat."

Those words wipe the smile right off your face.

"What.."

He moves over to your side.

"I checked the signatures with some old photos you posted of gifts he gave to you. They match. Drue Berrymore was released ten months after he was arrested. Usually after that kind of experience people often move on. But it's no secret that he was obsessed with you. He's mentally ill. I had no choice but to bring in the authorities as well as your father. I have a friend tracking his whereabouts as we speak. He won't get to you."

There's the sound of glass shattering in the background and you jump to your feet. Harrison moves in front of you protectively and you both stare at the man that walks out from behind the corner. His hand is dripping with blood. You can see the pieces of glass embedded in his knuckles. It looks like he rammed his hand into your backdoor just to get in. He doesn't even look affected by it.

"Drue..."

You couldn't believe it.

This entire time it had just been your ex boyfriend. Not some competitor. The blade in his hand has you uneasy. You always thought that if he came back, you would be ready. You're much stronger than that girl he knew in college. But when you see his face, that sense of helplessness returns.

When his face settles on Harrison, you can see the anger bubble up.

"W-Who the hell are you?!"

"It's obvious you didn't do any homework, I'm her bodyguard."

Harrison does a good job of keeping you behind him.

"You won't keep us apart. She still loves me. It was just a misunderstanding. Right babe."

You can't speak. The sick smile on his face has you paralyzed. You feel as though you can't breathe.

Harrison's gaze hardens.

"She's mine, she loves me now."

Harrison's statement makes your eyes widen, and it causes Drue to charge. You flinch. He doesn't even make it within a feet of you. Harrison retaliated, dodging when he swung the knife. He knocks him in his throat, and when he's gasping, he strikes him in the stomach. He buckled to the floor, and the sound of sirens in the background rang in the distance. Harrison pulls out two pairs of zip ties, locking his arms and legs behind his back. As soon as he's done, he moves back to your side.

"The police are on their way. I'm sure they kept your cell nice and cozy."

~~

It's not shocking that your father wants to know everything. You'll have time to fill him in with your mom. When Harriosn is done filling in the police, he walks back over to you.

"He won't be coming after you again. Your dad is going to make sure of that."

"I figured."

You stand at the side, watching the blinking lights and chatter in the background.

"I guess this is it huh. I don't get to have a handsome bodyguard anymore." He nods.

"I no longer work for your father."

It brings an unsettling feeling in your stomach. You hug yourself.

"Harrison-"

"Harry."

You're a bit confused at his correction.

"Call me Harry."

His expression is the softest you've ever seen and you smile.

"Okay Harry." 

[writerbythewater-blog]

Prompt: Time Travel Pairing: Percy and Annabeth

Percy watched Janus lean against a door. A door he said would take Percy back in time to fix things. He could save lives. He could save the people they lost in the war. The only catch was Janus wouldn't tell him when the door would open too. What point in time could Percy help the most? He also didn't know if there was a way back. He could be trapped on that side of the door forever. He held his camp necklace.

They had won the war with Gaia, and they had closed the Doors of Death. But at what cost. Annabeth had to stay behind to make sure no one stopped him leaving. She'd tricked him into leaving her. Could he change that? Could he make sure she never fell in the first place? If he was stuck in the new timeline he made he would be alone. He sighed.

"I'll do it." Percy said. Really the chance to save the people he cared about meant there wasn't really a choice for him. Of course he would risk everything for them. He would go back and save as many people as he could.

"I thought you might say that." Janus smiled and stepped away from the door. He waved for Percy to open it. "Good luck godling." Percy didn't look back as he walked to the door. He had told his mom he would come home, but he was sure she would understand why he didn't. She would be upset, but she would understand. Hopefully. He opened the door and stepped through.

He was behind a house in the middle of the night. Looking around he recognized it as Annabeth's house. Why was he here? What time was it? He heard a scream. He ran for it without thinking bolting over the fence with ease and scaling the wall to the window it came from. Inside was a little girl cowering from a hoard of spiders. Percy waited a moment incase Annabeth's Father came into the room, but there was no sign of him coming. Percy slid the window open and call water from cup on Annabeth's nightstand to wash the spiders away. Tossing them out the window Percy hoped the drowned. He then turned to the little girl shaking on the bed.

"Hey there," he kept his voice soft. "Are you okay?"

She watched him with eyes smarter than any other child he had seen. She was studying him so he waited. He knew her mother tended to watch her more at this age, and he was vaguely worried she might smite him but he had to help. Annabeth finally nodded.

"That good. Is this the first time this has happened?" He asked knowing it wasn't. If it had been he Father would have come running, or Percy hoped he would have. Annabeth said it had taken a while before he stopped checking on her, but he had to ask. To find out if he should just take her and find Luke and Thaila now. Annabeth tilted her head like she was trying to remember.

"It's the first time daddy didn't come to check on me." She said. Percy nodded so she knew he had heard her. He needed a plan. Annabeth told him her Father stopped checking on her about a year before she ran away. He had no clue when Luke ran away, but he knew Thaila was already on the run. She ran away after Jason was given to the Romans.

"Has your mom told you anything?" He asked sitting down on the end of her bed. She still had her knees pulled to her and a stuffed owl held tight in her hands. She nodded.

"She told he change was coming, and to trust the sea. I don't know what it means." Annabeth looked at him like he might know, and for once he did. Of course Olympus would know he went back in time. Janus would have told them. The fact she wanted Annabeth to trust him was shocking to say the least, but he wouldn't let anything happen to the kid. Because this wasn't his Annabeth. Didn't mean he would take on the role of protective older brother.

"I think she wants you to come with me. My Father is Poseidon the god of the sea. I can take you somewhere safe, but we need to pick up a few people first. They need help too." He knew where Luke's house was and he could check there for him at least. Thaila would be harder, but he could keep Annabeth and Luke safe while he search for Thaila. He could use that time to talk to Luke too. Make him understand the rule the gods are working with. He didn't think it would help, but it might keep him from turning.

"Okay," Annabeth smiled at him. A childish smile showing off a missing tooth. "When do we leave?" She asked so trusting. This wasn't the girl he met at camp forged by the lost of a dear friend. This was a trusting child putting her faith in someone she didn't even know. It broke his heart, because he knew the world they lived in would break her.

"Pack a bag. We can leave now." He gave he a smile as she ran to do just that. She emptied out a pink school bag and filled it with clothes at the very top she put in her toy owl. She look at the book on her shelf, and he knew she want to take at least some. "Put some of them in a different bag. I'll carry them." He told her. Her smile made it worth it. Would his and Annabeth child have looked like that? He'd never know now. She filled a much smaller bag with ten books, and handed it to him.

He tossed it over his shoulder and walked to the window. They were on the second floor, and while the drop was nothing for him it was way to high for a kid. He dropped the bag down, and turned toward Annabeth.

"I'll need to carry you down okay," he waiting till she nodded to go on. "We'll do it piggyback style okay." She nodded again and he turned to let her get on his back. Once she was on he scaled down the wall. Annabeth yawned. He grabbed the book bag and kept walking with her on his back.

"Are you going to put me down?" She asked.

"No. Go ahead and take a nap. We'll be walking for awhile."

_____________________________________________________________________________

It took a while but they made it to Luke's house. It wouldn't have taken as long as it did if Percy hadn't set up a camp for them each night. That first night he stole a tent and two sleeping bags so Annabeth could sleep without fear of spiders in the woods. Every night she asked for a bedtime story, and honestly who was he to say no. The words didn't like to stay in place for him to read some nights, but making something up to go with the pictures seemed to work just fine. But they had made it to Luke's house at last.

Percy could smell the burning cookies from here. With a heavy heart he lead Annabeth to the door and knocked. It didn't take Luke long to answer the door. Luke glared at Percy before looking at Annabeth.

"Who are you?" Luke asked his voice hard, but not angry. He was mistrustful of who came here.

"We're demigods like you. I'm here to help." Percy said keeping his hand where Luke could see them. While Riptide was in his pocket so long as Percy didn't have it drawn he was sure it was fine. Luke studied him closely then gave Annabeth a quick once over. She was young and untrained while her mind was a good weapon Luke was right to think Percy was the main threat.

"Come on in." Luke said stepping to the side. Percy smiled at him letting Annabeth walk in before him. Looking around Percy saw the house was better kept than the last time he had been here, but not by much. A child shouldn't be the one in charge of keeping a house together. Percy frowned leading Annabeth to sit on one of the chairs.

"How's your mom?" Percy asked. Luke's eyes hardened, but his body stayed relaxed. He wasn't going to fight yet.

"I feel like she's getting worst. How do you know about her?" Luke asked. Percy knew he must think this was some kind of trick. That he must be Luke's Father in disguise.

"I had a vision. She tried to become the Oracle." Percy said. None of it a lie. Luke looked at Percy confused.

"She what?" Luke asked sitting down.

"Well demigods like us sometimes have dream visions-" Luke cut him off.

"I know that. My Father told me about it. He said there was nothing he could do to help mom, but he keeps checking on her."

"Ah okay. Sorry I wasn't sure what all you knew. I'm teaching Annabeth here everything I know so." Percy trailed off with a laugh. He didn't want Luke to get upset. Luke looked between them.

"Are you taking her to camp?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, but I saw I needed to get a few more camper first. She's tagging along to get them." Percy answered patting Annabeth's head. She beamed at them both.

"I'm one of those campers huh?"

"Yeah. When we find a way to help your mom you can come back. For now it'll be safer for you at camp, and your Father checks up on her so she'll be safe." Percy tried to give Luke a reassuring smile, but he wasn't sure he managed. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Luke, but Luke had been nothing more than a tool for Kronos in the end. Percy had to try to save him to. His Annabeth would have wanted him too.

"Okay. Do you know why she tried? Why it didn't work?" Luke asked. He looked younger than Percy had even thought he could. He looked like a child.

"I know she tried for you. She was gifted with sight before you were born, and she knew you had a hard path in front of you. She wanted to be able to guide you. As for why." Percy paused thinking. If he told him about the curse right now it could be used to twist him to the other side. But if he didn't and Luke found out later he would hate Percy for hiding it. Percy took a deep breathe. "I think I know why it didn't work, but I still need more information. Would you mind waiting till I have all the facts?"

"She wanted to help me?" Luke whispered mostly to himself looking toward where his mother was making cookies. "Yeah. I'll wait, and I'll go with you. How many more kid are we picking up?"

"Just one." Percy said smiling. He thought it would take more to get Luke to go with them. "I don't know where to find her though."

"Okay let me pack a bag." Luke said standing up.

"Make sure to grab a sleeping bag if you have one. I have a tent for us already, and some books for bed time." Percy called after him. Luke waved to let him know he was heard.

Now they just need to find Thaila and Percy could start making big changes. He would need to get her to join the hunt, because there was no way the camp would be ready for war by the time she turned sixteen, but she was also smart and her was sure she would see that. She would want what was best for their campers just like Percy. He was sure of that.