#I imagine she sends money back to her siblings from the streets and writes often. ensuring their lives are good. until... the incident. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

janetbrown711 · 4 years ago

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"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," wakko?

Wakko never thought of himself as a worrier. He always held out hope that somehow, someway everything would work out- that Good would prevail and Evil would fall. He believed with all his heart it was his and his sibling’s destiny to defeat Salazar. He knew Dot was going to get better, and that Yakko would finally be able to relax for more than just five minutes.

However... being on his own for the first time challenged that.

He had taken the baker’s advice and went straight to the apprenticeship with the blacksmith. It had been excruciatingly difficult, and Wakko put a lot of blood sweat, and tears into the work he did. He had been revolted to find out that he was only paid a ha’penny a week. Sending letters had cost at least three ha’pennies so by the end of week one, he had had to get crafty.

He ‘borrowed’ paper from the blacksmith and wrote as neat and concise as he could manage before putting in the one ha’penny and the letter in an envelope (also ‘borrowed’ from the blacksmith) and snuck it into the mailman’s bag when he wasn’t looking. As for how he got food, he would take a piece of fruit or bread from the man when he wasn’t looking.

It wasn’t easy to do though, the blacksmith was a good person; he was stoic and old, hardly ever talked, except the occasional warning to Wakko that he shouldn’t touch or eat something, despite how delicious it looked. He was patient, though at the same time very distant. It was hard for Wakko to read him.

However, Wakko had gotten too comfortable too fast, as he had gotten caught stealing the blacksmith’s food and he fired him, said it was “a betrayal of his trust”. His words had stung Wakko, and he left without fighting, but not without taking a few pieces of paper and envelopes- Yakko and Dot would kill him if he didn’t write.

The letters.

Wakko thought he would love writing them, but it got harder and harder the more time passed. Wakko embellished how he was doing a lot, but he could tell Yakko wasn’t being entirely honest either. His words were fancy and he tended to dance around questions Wakko had asked. Wakko wished he had the energy and paper to argue with him, but he didn’t. He hated being lied to, but they quite literally couldn’t afford to bring it up.

After he got fired, he wandered and worked as an errand boy for a senile, but wealthy woman. He didn’t like it though- she was rude and she constantly spat on him, or hit him with her cane, which left him with nasty bruises.

He was almost thankful when she dropped dead one day.

He stole as much silverware, stamps, papers, and envelopes as he could fit into his hat before he alerted anyone of what had happened.

Still- seeing a corpse hadn’t been... pleasant.

It reminded him that, yes, death was a thing and was inescapable and could happen to his little sister at any moment while he was gone.

Needless to say, he did his best not to dwell on that, and sold all of the silverware as soon as possible and gave almost all the money to Yakko in the letter he wrote.

That should help delay Death for a while... hopefully, Yakko could buy her a new blanket, or a shawl. She always got so cold in the winter with just her skirt.

Wakko then went to work as a berry picker at the farm of an old cat couple with a few other children his age, though none of them liked talking. However, he only worked there for the month of May because he had gotten fired once they found out he had been eating more berries than he turned in. Wakko was hungry, and the farmers didn’t pay him enough for him to afford enough food anyway, Wakko thought that was bull.

However, he quickly regretted that decision when he had gotten a letter from Yakko that admitted that Dot was going through another rough patch. His brother wrote that he and Dot missed him a whole awful lot, but that they weren’t giving up yet. At least that was nice...

Still, Wakko couldn’t help but feel guilty. His selfishness had gotten him fired from two jobs, and because of that, his siblings were suffering. Sometimes he wished he could just magically fix everything with the snap of his fingers, but he knew that wasn't how it worked. If it was, he would’ve done it already.

After that, he was determined to find a job that would stick. Unfortunately, that was only getting more difficult, as the town that had once been not quite prospering still functioning well enough was starting to fall apart due to the King’s taxes only rising. The only good thing that came out of that was that prices were starting to lower which meant that if he could find a spare coin on the ground, he could probably actually afford something. However, that also meant jobs were going down, and so it was damned near impossible to find something to do.

Wakko had spent a whole month without a job. He lived on the street and picked up fallen coins and didn’t write- couldn’t write- a single letter. The last one he had sent had been about the farm, and he had lied and told Yakko it had burned down so he couldn't write to there anymore. Wakko could imagine how worried Dot and Yakko must’ve been. The thought of their worry kept him up at night.

Still.

A little voice in his head told him not to give up, that he come to far to call it quits now. He promised he’d return in a year, and that’s what he’d do.

“Bravery is not the absence of fear, it’s doing something in spite of it.”

Wakko had a vague memory of someone telling him that a very long time ago, but he couldn’t recall who.

During the late summer, he had worked different jobs every day. Some days, he’d deliver packages for a fraction of what the king’s mail delivery costed, others he’d return library books, and on some, he’d shine shoes. It was exhausting to run around for days on an empty stomach, but somehow he managed to scrape on by with just enough money to send to Yakko and Dot and survive.

Despite the feeling that summer would last forever, autumn arrived and it was the harvesting season. Wakko had heard that farms were in need of help, and he went off to go work at the pumpkin farm that was just a few miles out from town. Wakko had been delighted when he heard about the opportunity and had run seven miles to get there before anyone else. The farmer, a middle-aged Rabbit, had been pleased with his enthusiasm but warned him that he couldn’t pay much and that most of his payment would be in food and shelter, but Wakko didn’t care. He hated sleeping in alleys with a passion and swore never to do that again. Plus, he knew Yakko and Dot were probably pissed at him for not writing for several months, not giving him an address to write to, or anything. Plus, Wakko was not going to pass up on an opportunity for someone else to pay for his food.

However, he had thought working on a farm during the spring was hard, autumn was much, much harder. The town where he worked somehow managed to get more snow than Acme Falls, and earlier, so he often had to wake up before the sun rose and attempt to “fight off the freeze” as the farmer called it. Wakko didn’t care what it was called, it was agonizing. He ended up with blisters and sore arms and had even cut himself on the ax he used to chop branches quite a few times.

However, none of that mattered when he read the letters Yakko and Dot sent. Wakko hadn’t realized just how much he had missed them until he saw their handwriting on the paper in his hand.

Dot had apparently gone through another rough patch during the time Wakko couldn’t write but had gotten much better, even being able to go out of the ‘house’ and take walks by the river. Yakko wrote that Dot still missed him terribly, and was really mad that he hadn’t written in forever. Yakko then went on a tangent about how much it had worried him, but that he was still relieved and happy that Wakko was safe and okay.

Wakko’s reply had been full of apologies and embellished about his current situation (saying things like ‘i have an actual bed and it’s really comfortable’ and ‘the food is amazing’ and ‘i barely have to work at all’ and ‘I haven’t even hurt myself once!’). He didn’t want to worry Yakko any more than he already had.

In truth, the farmer wasn’t a very nice person, though he was nice enough to provide shelter and food for Wakko and the few others that worked alongside him. However, he did get annoyed when Wakko injured himself, and didn’t provide bandages, so Wakko would have to make do by tearing up pieces of his pillowcase. Soon enough, he tore it all up and there was no more pillow, which hadn’t been fun for sleeping. He also shouted and swore a lot, but Wakko mostly tuned it out, having had good practice after the senile dead lady.

Still, a job was a job, and Wakko wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. He was able to keep up his promise with one ha’penny being sent home every two weeks, which Yakko noted was becoming “more and more useful in Acme Falls, as the economy was clearly in shambles”, whatever that meant.

Unfortunately, the harvest came to an end sooner than Wakko had hoped and he was back on the streets in the blink of an eye. He had a few survival strategies he had picked up from observing his older brother over the years, but surviving on the streets in the snow was a lot, a lot harder than surviving on the streets, not during the snow.

And even more unfortunately, there were little to no jobs available anymore. The only ones that were available required him to walk far distances in the snow even during snowstorms. Of course, he took them, but they were grueling and made every muscle in his body ache.

And so he resorted to his least favorite solution: stealing.

Whenever he’d walk past the market, he’d snatch an apple or a loaf of bread if he could manage and hide it in his package until it was safe and he could eat it. He stole matches so he could start fires in the garbage. He stole books that belonged to the library for kindling for said fires. He felt insanely guilty every time, but no matter what way he looked at it, there was no other option.

His main motivator had been survival. He knew he needed enough money for a ticket home in December, but knew that that’d be near impossible if he attempted to pay for his own things- especially with the taxes taking nearly all of the money he had earned with doing the jobs- and god only knew how guilty he had felt that he hadn’t been able to send any money home for Dot. Still... he figured coming home would be an at least okay replacement.

He hoped.

He wrote letters but didn’t give return addresses, fearing what Yakko would say again. He knew he must’ve been outraged that Wakko hadn’t written or sent money in awhile, and he prayed Dot was doing okay and that they didn’t need the money he wasn’t able to get.

He didn’t have the heart to write about his worries about not being able to come home after all...

Wakko shivered as he thought of that, before snapping back into reality realizing where he was. He had an awful tendency of getting distracted while he was doing errands, it was a problem.

Especially if he was trying to focus on nabbing some food. If he didn’t focus, he was likely to get caught.

Shaking his head to get back to the present, he looked around and saw an empty stall selling some type of fruit he hadn’t seen before, but figured it’d be enough. He casually sauntered on over there, and began to walk past before snatching one with his tail and quickly putting it into the box of books he was returning to the library for an old dog man.

“Hey! Kid!” Wakko froze when he heard a voice behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and saw it was the man who owned the booth.

“Stop right there!” He shouted. Wakko bolted.

He ran through the crowded market, but unfortunately for him, he slipped on some ice on the path and came crashing to the ground, books going flying everywhere, and his fruit was squashed to a pulp.

“Hey-! Kid- are you alright?” The man’s anger faded into concern and Wakko muttered to himself and trying to gather his stuff, ignoring the throbbing in his head, and stinging in his-likely scraped- knee. Eventually, he heard the man approach him, but to his surprise, he started helping Wakko put the books back into the box. Wakko didn’t look at him much, but could feel the man giving him pitiful looks.

“Look- I know what you’re gonna say and you’re wrong. I-i... I swear that I’m a good kid, okay?” Wakko sniffled as he put a blue-colored book down.

“I wasn’t going to say anything of the sort,” the man replied, handing Wakko a green book. Wakko took it hesitantly, still not willing to look him in the eyes.

“I was going to offer you some more of that fruit you took, but you ran in such a hurry, I couldn’t get my words out,” He said. Wakko didn’t know if he believed that.

“I-i just need enough money for my sister and a train ticket...” Wakko mumbled. The man nodded.

“You got family?” He asked. Wakko nodded.

“Sister and brother in Acme Falls,” he said.

“That’s quite a ways away. I suppose you came here for work but that ain’t working out well, is it?” He asked. Wakko frowned and didn’t answer. He wasn’t liking his tone...

“Here, I’ll give you a bag of clementines if you’ll let me. I can even help you with those books if you need,” The man said, standing.

“I can take care of myself,” Wakko scowled, but realized that was probably a really stupid thing to say. He was starving...

“B-but I’ll take the clementines...” Wakko added. The man nodded, and stood up, and headed back to his booth. Wakko did his best to ignore the looks the crowd was giving him as he followed.

“Here you go, sixteen clementines. That should do you good for quite some time. Oh- and here,” The man dug under his booth and Wakko stood awkwardly with his tongue sticking out.

“This should get you a train ticket, and hopefully enough left over for those siblings of yours,” he said, handing Wakko a little brown sack. Wakko gawked at it.

“I-i can’t accept all this. I’m sure you need it,” Wakko refused.

“Nonsense. I got all the clementines I could want. And besides, I don’t need to ride on a train to return to my family any time soon,” He waved it off.

“B-but the king’s taxes-”

“I know how to make due. I know you need the money, and if you know what’s good for you you’ll accept,” He pointed at Wakko, and Wakko realized he wasn’t wrong. He just wished he could do something for the man in return, but knew he couldn’t.

“Th-thanks mister... it’s been a really long time since someone’s been this nice to me,” he looked at the ground.

“No problem kiddo. Stay safe out there, winter is a dangerous time. Might want to bandage that knee of yours,” He pointed to Wakko’s bleeding knee. Wakko nodded.

“Thanks, will do, mister,” he said, grabbing the sack of clementines, putting it in the box with the books, and put the little brown bag of money in his hat. He then waved goodbye and headed on to finish his task, get paid, them immediately lose said payment to taxes, but smiled internally. The tax collector didn’t know about the money in his hat, so he didn’t collect it.

It looked like Wakko was going to be able to come home after all.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

#animaniacs #my fics #wakko warner #wakkos wish #yakko warner #dot warner

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kuramirocket · 3 years ago

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Growing up in California in my grandmother's house, surrounded by tías, tíos, and all my cousins, I always felt a deep connection to my Mexican-American roots. Every generation of my father's family has had incredibly different experiences that reflect much about American history.

My great-grandfather on my abuela's side, Daniel Martinez, grew up in Mexico and immigrated to Los Angeles. Eventually, he saved enough money to open a neighborhood market, which is where he met my great-grandmother, Guadalupe Miranda Martinez. She had come from Mexico to Los Angeles with her mother and brother as a young teenager. They soon married and began having children. When he lost his business in the 1920s, the family turned to migrant farm work. They were forced to use segregated water fountains and bathrooms and my darker-skinned tíos and tías were sent to Mexican schools, while those with light skin and blonde or red hair were allowed to attend schools with white students.

Unhappy with the segregated schools, my great-grandfather joined up with other families to open the East Barrio School for Latinos in Claremont, CA — fighting the status quo is part of my heritage! They taught reading and writing in Spanish and learned Mexican history at a time when it was hard to show pride about being Mexican.

My great-grandfather on my abuelo's side, Catalino Alba, came from Mexico during the Revolution. He met my great-grandmother when he immigrated to Gallup, NM, where he helped build the Santa Fe Railroad. He was a musician and inspired my abuelo José Alba to sing, practice traditional Mexican dance, and become an accomplished classical guitarist. As a child, there was never a family party where my abuelo didn't play guitar while my abuela, tíos and tías, and cousins sang along. Perhaps this is where I got my love for the performing arts!

My great-grandfather moved to San Bernardino, CA, to work on the railroad and my abuelo José Alba grew up in the barrio where he and his siblings slept head to foot. With little food at home, he often asked the neighbors for fruit from their fruit trees. He was compelled to eat dirt, which he later learned was a natural response to the lack of iron that he needed in his diet. As a kid, he wasn't allowed to swim in a public pool without a certification of vaccination. He would often get glass stuck in his shoes because the soles were so thin and worn out — he couldn't afford anything else. At one point, glass punctured his foot, and as a result he developed lockjaw, which was nearly fatal.

When he could work, he made money selling oranges and picking potatoes. He says the first thing he did when he had money was to go down to Main Street to have his shoes shined by a young boy. He told that boy that he would come every week because he knew he was trying to make his own way too.

There were 12 kids in the family and my abuelo is proud that his mom figured out a way to send them to school as soon as it was possible. She understood the value of education. Even though it was hard for them, she made it a priority.

This is my abuelo and abuela's wedding above — so classic. I always thought our ancestors were Spanish, but I learned through genetic testing that they were Native American, with roots that may go back as far as the Mayan civilization. We've been here from the beginning!

My parents, Mark and Catherine Louisa Alba, were so different . . . but they had the same hairstyle! I know that when my dad was growing up it was difficult for him and his parents to be Mexican-American. The hyphen wasn't an option back then.

My abuelo had only learned English when he transferred to grammar school at around 6 years old, and he was way behind as a result. Like many others of their generation, my grandparents didn't teach their children, including my dad, to speak Spanish. My abuelo says that he didn't even think about it, but I wonder if he associated it with a difficult transition in his life.

I want my girls to embrace their Latino roots, know how much we have contributed to this country, and understand that the road ahead is richer when we acknowledge and embrace our heritage. I want them to learn Spanish like their great-grandparents. I'm incredibly proud of my diverse heritage and I want my daughters to feel the same way.

Jessica Alba is something of a triple threat: She's managed to achieve major success as an actress, fashion designer, and business mogul. It's hard to imagine anyone not wanting to work with Alba, but early in her career she had a hard time getting roles because of her race.

"They couldn't figure out my ethnicity," Alba said. "I would always go out for 'exotic.' They were like, 'You're not Latin enough to play a Latina, and you're not Caucasian enough to play the leading lady, so you're going to be the "exotic" one.' Whatever that was."

Of course, Alba eventually ended up starring in hits like Fantastic Four, Into the Blue, and Good Luck Chuck. So, yeah, it's safe to say she proved those people wrong.

And not only is this actress leading by example; she's also taking steps to change the game herself. The creation of Alba's cosmetics line, Honest Beauty, which she founded as part of her brand, The Honest Company, in 2015, stemmed from her own struggles as a young girl trying to find a foundation that matched her unique complexion. "I didn't feel like, when I was younger, that there were a lot of things offered to women of color," she said.

So Alba went out and made her own. "The philosophy around starting this beauty line is about enhancing who you are instead of cover up and turn you into somebody else," she said.

Jessica Alba’s startup The Honest Company is a veritable success — approaching over $350 million in sales during a year in which many companies struggled — but venture capitalists turned up their noses to the idea at first.

In 2009, Alba had a real issue: She couldn’t find baby products for her newborn that were guaranteed to be safe and eco-friendly. After having an allergic reaction to one of the allegedly baby-safe detergents she bought, she developed her idea the same way many successful entrepreneurs get started: She pitched building the solution she herself wished was on the market.

Alba pitched serial entrepreneur Brian Lee on her idea, who reportedly passed after saying it wasn't “very promising.” The feeling that others don’t see potential in you or your business idea is a familiar frustration for budding entrepreneurs. At the time, Alba remarked that she felt nobody took her seriously as an entrepreneur, or even believed in her idea, even though she knew there would be demand.

But just five years later, The Honest Company reached unicorn status, valued at over one billion dollars. What changed in those five years that let her take her failed pitch to becoming a success story?

To perfect your pitch, experiment

Fast forward to 2012. Alba is now in Washington, lobbying for an update to reform the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Buoyed by her growing knowledge on the subject, she went back to Lee and pitched him again.

This time, her deck was much more concise, down to less than 30 minutes from start to finish. In a world where most entrepreneurs give up after a rejection or two, Alba instead had spent the years between their two meetings pitching her idea to friends, getting holes poked in her positioning,and answering each and every supply chain question that arose.

Another change had happened over the last three years: Venture capitalists like Lee, whom she was pitching, had all started young families. Alba’s pitch was rock solid, and as an added bonus her prospective investors wanted the product themselves.

Lee said yes to the second pitch. The first year The Honest Company was in business, it reported an astonishing $12 million in revenue, a number that has only increased each year. After facing initial rejection on her pitch, Alba’s decision to persevere has led The Honest Company to dramatic success.

At first, everyone told Alba she should start with one product, then expand once that was successful. But this didn’t gel with Alba’s vision of a complete line of baby-safe products; the founder knew parents who wanted clean products wanted a brand that could provide multiple solutions.

Ultimately, Alba ignored the conventional advice and launched with 17 products, which many people believed was too many. But because she didn’t compromise on that, either to venture capitalists or herself, the launch was a total success.

Sources: (×) (x) (x) (×)

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oskarwing · 4 years ago

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Half assed Umbrella Academy Shazam! AU

Because I recently watched Shazam! and I have to project. I don’t know if this has been done already?

Vanya is Billy! She was abandoned by her teen mother who would rather have been a competitive swimmer than a parent (now she’s neither but Vanya finds out later)

In one of her many foster families she picked up playing the violin, she carries one around with her and plays it when she’s on the streets and in need of money.

After running away from a foster home one too many times she gets placed at Grace’s place which is chaotic and lovely but just a little too full and she starts to feel allienated immediately.

She gets placed in a room with the only other girl Allison who’s about her age and into every sort of movie you can imagine. Allison is pretty stealth about her nerdiness which maybe is because of her inability to speak (until Vanya gets around to learn sign language she’ll just write everything on her notepad no problem) but she is a bit of a nerd actually.

She loves superheroes and does think it would be cool to meet up with one or marry one or (best option) be one. She owns a lot of autographs. Vanya learns this slowly over the course of the next week.

Vanya is pretty much dead set on getting out of the place as fast as possible but somehow she keeps getting caught by her new foster siblings.

The first one to see her is Five who’s the oldest and always busy trying to get a college application through or working or doing school work or helping the other kids with their homework. Despite his air of seriousness and how stuck up he seems when he sees her climb down the rainpipe at two in the morning he just grins and calls her in making her a peanutbutter and marshmallow sandwich and telling her how he pretty much has been running away all his life too but that this is in fact a really good place and to not throw it away too fast. After that conversation he ruffles her hair and sends her to bed.

The second time she gets caught it’s by little Luther who she (thank God) can assure that she just wanted to go look at the snow, which then leads to him getting his snow stuff to play with his new sister! EXCITING!!!! (they built a snowman, Luther talks about all the stars he knows, he’s kinda cute)

The third time Diego tells her to get her butt back inside or he’s going to tell Mom who will be really, really, really upset with Vanya not wanting to stay. He looks really angry and stumbles over his words. But he can’t let this new foster kid make Mom sad!

Klaus and Ben don’t catch her trying to run away which is probably because they pretty much live in their shared room and only seem to come out for meals.

Klaus smells like weed most of the time and seems too get into trouble that way but he seems pretty chill.

Ben always seems to be reading about something. His eyes glued to the pages of a new book everyday on their way to school. Luther tells her that Ben is really smart but she has never talked with him properly. (She’s not sure that he talks with anyone really except Klaus)

She gets her way out when she starts to sort of like her weird new family a few weeks in.

They’re on their way out of school and a bunch of assholes make a comment about Allison about how nice it must be that she can’t scream as she makes her way out of the classroom. Allison tries to ignore it but Vanya can see how uncomfortable her new sister is so she loses it turns around and kicks them between their legs.

She might be tiny but she’s been on the street often enough to be able to defend herself.

It ends in a bit of a mess. Allison also knows how to hit someone and Diego who’s at this point still even smaller than Vanya tries to get involved (and pretty much immediately hurts himself)

In all of that mess Vanya has time to book it and runs to the subway. She discovers her violin was broken in all of the chaos and suddenly she just wants to scream. She was trying to help Allison. She was trying to show those assholes. That’s what she gets for trying to help people.

That’s why she doesn’t notice at first when the other people vanish.

And then it’s too late because suddenly she’s in a weird cave and hey! WHat the fuck?

There’s a wizard she gets the shazam! powers (it’s cool watch the movie if you haven’t!)

She wakes up again in the subway as an adult in a ridiculous outfit (she wears the pants version btw not those tiny dresses those are for Allison and Klaus eventually I’m not sure what color but I wanna say white because white violin hehe) and quickly makes her way out of there unsure what to do.

Finally she finds her way back to the foster home where she finds Allison who is pretty scared at first but when she’s sure it’s really Vanya fascinated. Vanya learned a bit of ASL in the time she’s been with the family and but can’t understand at all with how excited Allison is signing at her. ‘AMAZING’ is repeated a lot though.

Then ‘You need training’ “Training? From who? How? Why?” ‘Your superpowers. No superhero acts alone!’

And when Allison wants something she usually gets it.

First Vanya has to tell her the story of how this all happened though! And DON’T spare the details.

“Well I was going to run away I was on the subway suddenly there’s this cave... not my station at all! And this dude and you know I didn’t trust him but he kept talking about how he needed a champion and how he needed something pure of heart, told him he must have the wrong person and he said something about the seven deadly sins, you know crazy stuff and kept insisting I put my hands on a weird glowing stick he had which I finally did in case he was dangerous and then I had to say uh... Shazam! ...” BOOM child Vanya’s back

They go back inside figuring they should wait until the morning to get to training

And that’s all I got so far! I got some more vague ideas so I might add those later but I’m thinking it would be sort of different because Vanya and Allison are not Billy and Freddy (read: they’re a little smarter) some stuff just wouldn’t happen the way it did in Shazam!

Also Reggie is Dr Sivana!

#Shazam!#The Umbrella Academy #vanya hargreeves #allison hargreeves #five hargreeves #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #I sort of want to draw bad art for this AU #shazam! spoiler

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aikatxt · 4 years ago

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Letters Recovered From The Stydalous House Ruins

My dear Almira,

I miss you terribly now that you’re left Sobourn, but I am happy to know that your new home is just what Jackie and Luis needed to start feeling better. Though I must express my concerns: will you not be lonely out there? It is ever so far from the rest of us. A whole day’s trip away, in fact! But it is a trip I will make gladly and constantly if only you wish for it.

Tell me about the house. I’ve heard the stories, you know. Was it in such a state of disrepair that the slightest touch might send the whole thing tumbling down? Or was it exaggerated, as Henry’s mother tends to do? Such a grand house sold for so little, will you three really be alright fixing it up yourself? If only I could be there with you, in that house, that I might do the weary work that would toughen your hands so that you may rest and look after your siblings.

Things are largely the same around here. The street is still buzzing with the news, of course, no matter the time that passes. What your parents had done… Such horrible things done by such kind looking people. I am glad you trusted me with the truth, so that I may help you escape them. It is not without its consequences: no one will speak to me in anything louder than a whisper, and no friend stays by my side as the dreadful attention sweeps over me.

Promise me that you’ll write to me everyday. I know I made you promise before you left, but promise me one more time. You have always been my reason for carrying on despite the pain of things, and I need you more than ever. Your words, if I cannot have you in my arms. Take care and hope that we meet again soon.

Ever yours,

Elizabeth

Darling Almira,

Oh, the things I heard of Stydalous House! Surely there is no place on Earth more dreadful, I had thought, but your words have swayed my opinion. The lovely gardens, with flowers as far as the eye can see, the high walls and arches of the largest rooms, the chandeliers draped in silver; what I would give to see it all with you. I do hope you’re not catching a cold, however. It is still humid outside, and the cold winds won’t be upon us for another few months. I’ve sent over a shawl to keep you warm, do let me know when you get it. And make sure to drink plenty of tea, you and Jackie and Luis, it will do none of you good to be pale and weak after you’ve just moved into a new house. Let me know if there is anything I can do. You know you can ask me for anything.

In regards to your concerns: I will be fine. You know me, Almira. Small as I am, there is much I can hold on my shoulders. Don’t worry over me when you’re still settling in to the house. All I have to do is wait out the storm, and though I may be alone in it, I keep your letters close to my heart.

I’ll look into the old Stydalous couple as well. Surely some of the older women around here remember what happened to them. I doubt it will be anything bad, though, so don’t fret. They were old, and their son was a gambler; worse things have happened around here.

Send Jackie and Luis my love. Know that you hold most of it.

Love, always,

Elizabeth

Almira, my sweetest,

I apologize for the brief absence of my letters. I have done as you asked, searched for answers to your questions, and the story I’ve pieced together is a strange one. Most people who remember what happened have conflicting recollections. Newspaper archives repeat the same thing over and over again. And no one will speak to me for a few days after I ask them about the Stydalous family.

Here is what I know: 15 or so years ago, there was a large fire that destroyed the gardens farthest away from the house. Donny, their son, had been accused of stealing winnings and cheating people out of their money. Two men whom he gambled with often confronted him at the edge of their estate, and a mistaken toss of a match set the place up in flames. Donny had tried to put out the fire to save his mother’s gladiolus flowers, but it was an exceptionally dry summer, and so the fire spread and burned him badly.

Mrs. Stydalous had to break up a fight between Mr. Stydalous and Donny. Mr. Stydalous had knocked her back and she had hit her head on the corner of a table. She passed away in the hospital two days later. Donny had blamed his father for the death, publicly accusing him of murder many times as his father drank himself into a stupor. This is where things get confusing: many people speculate that they fought again in the house, tearing it apart. Some people say Donny killed his father in a fit of rage and then hung himself in parlour. Others say Mr. Stydalous killed Donny with a broken bottle of liquor, then drowned himself in grief. Yet others say that one had survived the fight and disposed of the body before disappearing.

The papers cover this story for a few months. First, with the death of Mrs. Stydalous, which was described as a “tragic accident”. Then, with the trouble the drunk Mr. Stydalous would get into, as well as the fights Donny found himself in when the people he gambled with came after him for money. The last few papers covering the Stydalous family say nothing of what happened to the two. Just that the house had been cleared out following the suspected deaths or disappearances of Mr. Stydalous and Donny. And thus the story ends.

It’s a rather disastrous family, and the tragedy was in everyone’s mind back then. No one has lived in the Stydalous house since, fearing any ghosts they might find there. There are no ghosts, of course. I know you worry about the strangest things, but do not worry about ghosts. The dead have nothing more to do to the living, and so they move on. There are no ghosts for afterlife is much too alluring for the dead to resist.

Try not to mention any of this to Jackie and Luis. I saw how terrible Jackie’s nightmares got at the height of it all. I do hope she’s sleeping better now that neither of your parents can get to you. I’ve sent some tea that Grandmother Ylvia made for you; it’s meant to be calming and soothe any pains in the body. Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll send it over right away. And if you need me there with you, just tell me and I’ll go.

In regards to you last letter: the house is old. It hasn’t been in a good condition for nearly two decades. I’m not surprised to hear that there have been strange noises and drafty rooms; I doubt anyone did a good job fixing up enough of the rooms to make it habitable for you. Keep Luis close, he’s always been a curious one, wandering away just to get a closer look at something we wo[...]

[The end of this letter has been too damaged to read. There was likely a page or two left of Elizabeth’s reply.]

Beloved Almira,

I must admit, your last letter caused me a great deal of concern. If it is affecting your sleep so much, I am more than willing to go to you so that you do not have to sleep alone. You and the kids could even come to stay with me, I have more than enough room here. How desperately I wish to hold you in my arms and soothe your fears; though we are apart, never forget that you carry a piece of me with you.

Jackie is young enough to be easily frightened, and old enough to understand what happened to her. Now that she is in a place where she can be safe, it’s likely that she is finally allowing herself to feel everything she shut away while with your parents. Her cryptic remarks are strange, but children have vivid imaginations we can’t keep up with. Jackie is still your little sister. She loves you dearly and looks up to you. She would never hurt you.

Luis is an explorer, you know that. I’m not surprised to hear that he’s been getting himself stuck in places he has no business being. How did he end up with his arm stuck in a vent? Never a boring day with that one, I see.

From what you’ve told me, you’ve been working too hard to take care of them, and are not taking care of yourself. Take a few days to rest. Walk the gardens and tell me about it. Curl up by the fire and read the books you treasure so dearly. You’ve only just found your footing after your parents ran away, let yourself heal from that first. I’m sure the dreams will stop once you let go of some of that stress.

Take care darling,

Elizabeth

Almira,

Love, please write to me. I’ve been so worried since your last letter (from two months ago). Stydalous House is not a good place for any of you. For anyone. Please, love, come back to me. I will keep you safe in my home. I will look after your siblings with you. I will protect you all from the pity of the others.

Had I heard this from any other, I would not have believed them. But it is from you, and so I trust in your words. Whatever is there with you three wants to cause you harm. It is already causing you harm. No child says that “the weeping wi[...]

[...] she has never been anything but bright, but whatever resides in Stydalous house with you has sunken into her. I can only pray that it doesn’t get you as well. Living shadows that walk the walls a[...]

[...]that is not the kind of things a child says. And if you cannot find Luis soon, I fear that we may never find him at all. Almira, keep with the light, the fire, and don’t listen to what the house tells you.

Please, my dear, write to me. Let me know you are still here. Please.

Elizabeth.

[Sections of this letter have been damaged, most likely by water, though some of the coloring around the edges suggest that it was blood, instead. Any letters that may have existed between this one and the one before it are lost.]

Alimra,

I will be with you soon. I love you.

Elizabeth.

[This is the shortest letter of the bunch. The rest of the paper has been torn away and some of the ink has been smudged, as though touched by tears. These are the only letters found in the ruins, from one Elizabeth addressing the last owner of Stydalous house, Almira.]

#horror #lgbt fiction #Sapphic #short story #epistolary #prose #cw: death #cw: murder #cw: alcohol #im gonna write a companion piece in the form of almira's diary entries be ready :)

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kyberled · 3 years ago

Text

send me ‘ hc ‘ + a word and i’ll write a headcanon about it regarding my character. || ACCEPTING

Anonymous asked:

Hc + Parents

Braig doesn’t know his biological parents. It’s probably best that he never does. He’s much better off with the Jedi. I’ll talk a bit about his biological father, his biological mother, and then some of his thoughts on the situation.

His biological father, Eadric Alden Claermoore, is a General in the Grand Army of the Republic, a rank he carried over from a lifetime spent in the Republic’s Navy. He made that rank his life after everything else fell away. The Claermoores were a military family. They always were. This goes all the way back to the Ruusan Reformations, but carried on in various ways since then. Government positions, naval positions, and now back in the Grand Army. Yes, it’s the naval branch; no, he’s not Force-sensitive. He is, however, exactly the sort of awful person you’d expect from someone who defines himself by his rank and his wealth and only barely - if ever - acknowledges the nepotism that went into it.

He never wanted children. He figured he’d have to have one eventually, to carry on the name and all, but he never wanted one. Like most other things, it felt like a duty. An obligation, rather than a privilege. He was that sort of person. He also wasn’t too concerned about it, as his younger sister, Adarine, had children, but first-born this and patriarch-that and blah blah blah. ‘You know how it is’. Most people who know him thinks the war might be the only thing he ever loved, as it reaffirmed his status. That’s not entirely true. He loved his (ex) wife. Shiv brought out the best in him, people would say. Most who knew him had never seen him relax, let alone smile, until she came around. Shiv wanted kids. He agreed on one. He figured that was a good enough compromise. He also figured he wouldn’t necessarily have to be that involved with the more ‘difficult’ parts of parenting. Read: The actual parenting part. He figured he’d pick up extra duties to make up for the ‘loss of income’ (as if he needed it) while Shiv stayed home with their baby.

It probably could’ve worked out, if their kid wasn't born Force-sensitive. But he was. So, of course, the Jedi took interest. Shiv said no, Eadric said yes. The Jedi figured they’d just keep an eye on them and try to educate the new parents on what the Force meant for their son. Just so they could fully think over their options and decide what was best. Then Shiv went to provide aid to a planet in the Outer Rim. When she didn’t come back, she was declared KIA. Eadric, quite rightly, decided he can’t raise a child by himself. Yes, he could have asked family or friends to help. Yes,he could have left the baby with the nanny droid he owned that was already looking after it. He could have.

He didn’t.

In his defense, he was trying to think of the long-term consequences. Nanny droids don’t work forever. And the boy was Force-sensitive; he needed to be trained by people who know what they’re doing. And, logically, he’s right. The Force is too dangerous - and draws too many dangerous people - for a lack of training to be even remotely safe. And - not that Eadric cares anymore - Braig is legitimately happy with the Jedi. So it really is the best choice. Of course, Braig was actually far too young to be given to the Order at the time. From what I can tell, kids are usually passed on to the Jedi at over a year, maybe even three. Braig wasn’t yet a year old. The young knight who’d been sent to do a wellness check/update hadn’t been prepared to take a baby. Eadric, in essence, handed him Braig and then locked the door and went back to work. He considered it like ripping off a bandage. The Jedi saw this as a cause to Not Panic, But Get Very Concerned At A Rather Fast Pace. He eventually just figured he had no choice but to take the baby back to the Temple and ask for advice.

When Shiv showed up, not dead and very mad about why her baby was gone, things went sour fast. To make a long story short, they’re divorced now, and he hasn’t seen her in over a decade. He tried to explain his thought process to her. Tried to make a case for himself, and why this was best. She didn’t agree. It was a nasty argument. Eadric never really got over it. He never really got over her. Over the years, his understanding of the situation shifted from ‘this never would have happened if I’d kept our child from the Jedi’ to ‘this never would have happened if he hadn’t been born Force sensitive’ to ‘this never would have happened if he hadn’t been born’. Eadric lives alone now in the fancy surface-level Coruscant residence that’s run in the family for generations. The sort of place money can technically buy, but you won’t ever have enough money. He exists as living proof to the old adage, ‘wealth cannot buy happiness’. He’s a bitter, angry old man who’s devoted himself to the militaristic ideals that the Claremoores have lived by - regardless of who calls the shots. When the Republic becomes the Empire, he stays as an Imperial officer. He doesn’t see a problem with it. The strong prevail.

End of discussion.

Then there’s Braig’s mother. Dr. Shiv Kiera Whelan is not a product of money and breeding, like her ex husband was. She’d come from the mid-levels of Coruscant. Not the glitterati, but high enough in the city to see what she might one day be able to achieve. Her family was loving and close, even if they were stretched thin financially. She was a middle child. She had an older brother named Cor, an adopted sibling the same age as her named Shina (shee-nah), and two younger sisters named Reni and Tel. They lived in a somewhat cramped apartment with their parents (Braig’s grandparents), Olan and Ama Whelan. They worked in factories across the street from each other, and met by chance - their love story bloomed over the course of many shared lunch breaks and continued throughout their marriage. Theirs was a hard life, and they did what they could to give their children better, while still making sure they knew the truths of the world. Shiv was the first of her siblings to attend higher education. She decided on medicine when she was young; you see a lot of need for it in the mid to lower levels. It’s what she felt was her calling. So she studied hard, saved up, worked herself to the bone. Loans and scholarships became her best friend (aside from her siblings).

On a planet of trillions, medical care is always in high demand. Shiv took to it like a duck to water, finding her place among medical droids and scanners and sutures as if she’d always been there. She expanded her horizons by not only taking what her colleagues often deemed ‘charity cases’, but also offering medical aid off-world to military operations. That’s how she met her future (ex) husband, actually. A naval scrape that went badly but could have gone worse. His family opposed the marriage, hers didn’t care as long as they were happy. And, for a while, they were happy. It could have worked out great. They’d discussed kids, come to their agreement, and Shiv was excited to be a mother. She’d always liked kids, and they were well off enough that she could take some time off to be at home with the baby, and have nurse droids to help. It would be simple.

It should have been simple.

If it was, we wouldn’t be here. Shiv is like her son in more than looks; his self-sacrificing tendencies are both nature and nurture. People needed help. A skirmish between warring factions in the Outer Rim, it happened all the time. Shiv had plenty of experience doing field work on planets where that was often the best they got, and, much as she loved her baby, she’d gotten a bit stir crazy. It’d be fine, she’d go out for a week or two, give people some help, stretch her legs, and come back before the nurse droids even needed to be recharged. Unfortunately, bad intel comes for us all, eventually. It wasn’t just a skirmish between local factions. It was a fight between spice cartels. Nobody was entirely sure which cartels, once the dust settled. Some said the Black Sun, some said the Pikes. All reports said the medic camp was wiped out. Shiv along with it.

Now, of course, Shiv wasn’t dead. She was in very bad shape, yes, but not dead. She got lucky. See, when you get a reputation for giving help to those who can’t afford it, they remember. A lot of those people gather at the Outer Rim, and a lot of people talk. A doctor that helps anyone, regardless of credits, is a good thing to have around, so Shiv got rescued by some of the ‘charity cases’ she’d taken over her life. It was a while before she was fully lucid, a while later that she was able to make contact and get back to Coruscant. By the time she got there, her son was gone.

The real tragedy is that, if given enough time, she probably would have agreed to it, herself. Given time to think it over, given more conversations with the Jedi to learn more about them, about what the Force meant for her son, given the extra years she was supposed to have to come to terms, she probably would’ve agreed that the proper training was necessary for him. She didn’t get any of that.

She just came home and he was gone.

As you can imagine, this led to a terrible argument between herself and her husband. Eadric tried to justify his decision by saying he thought she was dead, and, either way, he’d been looking out for their son’s best interest. He was where he should be. Shiv, who was already dealing with one major trauma and frankly didn’t have time for another, was furious that he’d given her baby to ‘a cult’ (despite the Jedi not being anything of the sort).

If you were to talk to Shiv now, she’d tell you she was divorced, though there was never any formal proceedings; Eadric just doesn’t talk about his personal life. Whereas Eadric will tell you he never had any children if you ask, Shiv will talk about who she hoped her son would be, and the injustices that face him now in the life he must live. Their opinions have grown to differ so much that they’re on different sides of the war, as well. Eadric stayed loyal to the Republic, and continues to serve the Grand Army. Shiv felt as though the loss of her son opened her eyes to the Republic’s corruption, and as such, she’s since offered her allegiance and her medical prowess to the Separatists. She hasn’t been to Coruscant in years, and the two of them - Eadric and Shiv - haven’t had any contact with each other in even longer.

It should go without saying that Braig doesn’t know his biological parents. He doesn’t particularly want to, either. He knows, from records, where he’s from, and he also knows he came to the Temple far younger than he should have. As far as he’s concerned, there are a few potential reasons for this:

The first is that his parents were unable to care for a child. Given that he knows they were from the upper levels, and ergo well-off, he finds this unlikely. The second is that something happened to them, they had no relatives able to seize custody, and the Jedi took him in rather than having him float around the system for a few years. This is unlikely, as the Jedi keep tabs on prospective families, but it’s possible, and, if it is the case, it’s not worth looking into. And the last option he could think of is that they just didn’t want a kid, and again, that doesn’t merit looking into. He knows who his family is - who raised him, who cared for him, who taught him, who stood by and continues to stand by him every day of his life. That matters much more to him than blood.

#Anonymous #&& as best i can; answers #&& give the sun a head start; ooc #&& temple archives; headcanons #&& mother mine; shiv whelan #&& unknown and unloving; eadric claermoore #also not a headcanon but eadric is erika's sleeper agent phrase #ask to tag

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crystal-moon-101 · 5 years ago

Photo

Ehhhhh, more redesigns/rewrites! The Hong Kong Gang up here. And yes, I added Circe because I see her as part of the squad.

-Cricket-

I tried to make her a little more bug like. Adding a couple more details to the body, adding those palps to her face and changing the white in her eyes to black. Her outfit is slightly different but I changed her hair to a pixie cut, because I thought she'd suit a shorter hair style.

Notes:

16 Years Old

5'5 (When she is half cured, she becomes 5'4)

Real name is ‘Chen Tsui’

Because of her strange bug legs, she had to wear very short shorts. She didn't feel comfortable walking around with them on, however. So she ended up also wearing her skirt.

Before she mutated, she lived with her parents. They weren't the greatest of people, both extremely rich and successful in their businesses, expecting the same with their daughter. They constantly put her down and emotional abused her. The moment she became EVO, they kicked her onto the streets.

Use to have long hair, but Skwydd helped her cut and style it to a much shorter length. It was mostly so it didn't get in the way with the amount of jumping she did, but also a little rebellion against her parents. They would never allow such a look.

Excellent chief, food is often a ten out of ten.

Was the only one in the gang, including Rex, who was already in Hong Kong before going EVO.

When she is incredibly happy, the palps on her face will wiggle.

Emotional sponge of the group.

Because of her up bringing, she sometimes just does insane or stupid stuff out of nowhere because things use to be so uptight and strict for her. It strangely relaxes her.

Took her weeks to figure out how to walk with those legs.

Loves candles, especially scented ones.

Has a thing for street boys with a heart of gold (*Cough* *Cough* Rex *Cough* Tuck *Cough*).

Many don't notice it, but her and Skwydd have a sibling like relationship.

-Tuck-

I changed him the least. His original design is very simple so I couldn't think of much to do. I did rough up his shirt a little more, adjust his build and give him a loose belt.

Notes:

17 Years Old

6'0 (Later grows to be 6'3.)

Full name 'Tuck Byron Craig'

Leader of The Hong Kong Gang since Rex left.

Before he mutated, he lived with his single father, who was a car mechanic. They were happy together, but sadly, they weren't in the best financial situation. They ended up borrowing money from some dangerous people, and when they couldn't came back they came to their place. A fight broke out, Tuck's father was killed and he ran away, living on the streets ever since, eventually mutating.

When Rex vanished, he spent the longest time looking for him. Skwydd assumed the worst quickly and Cricket gave up after a few weeks, while Tuck looked for months.

No.1 Bro to all.

Quarry had made plans to give Tuck Rex's hold spot, but he trash the idea when he saw that he didn't have the same flare as Rex did.

Because of his father, he knows a lot about mechanics with cars or motorcycles.

The one most likely to want to talk things through than fight if there is a chance (Cricket is too quick on defense, Skwydd doesn't trust easily and Circe many issues.)

God awful at trying to speak another language. Cricket tried teaching him Cantonese, but his pronunciations were way off. He tries, he really does.

Would have gotten his ear pierces if he had ears.

He likes crappy high school films, they always just make him laugh.

He's had a thing for Cricket for a long time, but when it became apparent to him she liked Rex, he didn't make any attempt. But now, in the present, he's began trying since it's clear nothing will come between the two.

-Skwydd-

Small squish boy. Honestly my favorite out of the crew. But anyway, I made his tentacles a little longer, gave him little eyebrow things, a gradient on his hands and gave him a new jacket/jumper.

Notes:

15 Years Old

5'6

Real name is ‘Walter Milo Martin’

Emo with a secret soft heart <3.

Before he mutated, he was the child of a young couple who died in an accident, so he was giving to his maternal Grandmother, who was happy to raise him. Bit of an odd child, but he loved his Grandma and had a lovely relationship with her. Even when he turned EVO, she accepted him. However, in her older years she started having heart problems and died one morning. He, of course, called for help, but fled before anyone arrived. He knew very well that being an EVO will get him into trouble. Since then, he's lived on the streets.

He loves art, his favorite form being ink stuff, ironically. Him and Rex like to share drawings, one of the few quiet moments they have with one another.

Has a dorky crush on Circe.

Has a very squishy body and it's honestly nice to hug him, if he allows it.

While his ink spray is his main defense, his does have one nasty bite.

Also, his ink stuff stains, badly.

Has suction cups on his hand/fingers. It's the only way he can hold stuff with them.

Probably listens to My Chemical Romance or piano music.

Knows how the play the flute, a skill learnt from his Grandma.

The one you could vent to for hours without him having to talk too.

Has a really strange bone structure. Like, some parts of him has bones, some don't.

Had to painfully watch the love situation between Rex, Cricket and Tuck on the sidelines.

His real hair is quite long and he learnt early on how to cut, brush and manage hair, even style it. Sadly, he can't really do that anymore, and Cricket hair is too short to style, while Tuck has none. However, sometime after Circe joined and was comfortable enough, she lets him style it for her.

-Circe Kleiss-

You read that right, in this rewrite/reboot/WHATEVER!? Circe is the daughter of Van Kleiss. It was an idea me and my friend came up with, as a way to explain some of her actions and motives, but also for more dramaaaaaa, along with adding onto Van Kleiss's character. Yes, this also means her and Rex knew each other before the Nanite Event. Again, adds more drama. Her outfit changes were to be more practical, especially because of where the Pack lives and sends her on missions. I also made her a little muscular, because this girl has quite the training. Still a bit of a goth girl though.

Notes:

16 Years Old

5'8 (Grows to be around 6'0 in her young adult years.)

Fear this girl, she knows how to fight.

She was young when her mother died, roughly four years old, so she doesn't remember her that well. However, her father has always openly talked about her to Circe, so she knows her mother was a lovely person, with a personality that somehow made the cruelest of people smile. Sadly, she died to an untreatable disease, though this is was resulting in Van Kleiss joining the Nanite Project, after learning that it was suppose to prevent illnesses.

Biowulf was her primary training, so they have some respect for each other, but can get snarky at one another.

Her and Breach however? Not that great of a relationship. Circe does feel a little bad, as she understands Breach is not all there, but that doesn't stop them from bickering.

Skalamander and her have a rather peaceful relationship. She appreciates all that he does, even if it's minimal compared to the other two.

You could imagine her shock when she saw Rex, her childhood friend, alive. Gave quite the yelling at her father when she learns he never told her this.

Her and Cricket like to have little make up session, even if Cricket doesn't keep hers on afterwards.

She's really good a writing, often making little poems or short stories here and there. Horror is a favorite of hers.

In the past, her and Rex were the only kids around the labs during the Nanite Project. You can imagine the trouble they caused.

She has trouble standing up for herself, but lord forbid you say something about her friend.

She likes to watch murder mysterious, often getting really into the story and making predictions all the time.

Has the least knowledge of online culture.

Has a giant EVO worm thing as a pet (This one is actually in the show).

#GeneratorRex #GR #Generator Rex #EVO #Generator Rex EVO #Generator Rex Hong Kong Gang #Generator Rex Cricket #Cricket #Generator Rex Tuck #Tuck #Generator Rex Skwydd #Skwydd #Generator Rex Circe #Circe #redesign #Generator Rex Redesign #headcanon #Generator Rex Headcanon #My Art

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67-chevy-baby · 5 years ago

Text

Remedy

Pairing - Jared x Reader

Tags - Slight angst, FLUFFFFFF, language, and I think that’s it.

Word Count - 2,664

Beta - @winecatsandpizza

Fic Aesthetic - Yours truly

The Song I Chose - Off My Mind by Radio Company

Written for - @saxxxology’s Vol 1 Writing Challenge

A/N - So, I couldn’t find much about Jared’s sister. I don’t think she’s married, but just so y’all know I made up Trent, Max, and Macee. Also, there may be a part 2 to this. It’s my first Jared fic, and I’m not sure I write him well. At any rate, I hope y’all enjoy it, and I especially hope you like this Saxxy. I really tried to make this good. :)

To say you’d become a failure to your parents was an understatement.

From the moment you dropped out of college to pursue your real dream, they’d cut all ties with you. Honestly, it didn’t come as a surprise considering all they seemed to care about was what they wanted you to succeed in. If it didn’t benefit them, then they weren’t interested.

Finally realizing their true intentions was the straw that broke the camel’s back. You packed what little belongings you had and left for Texas, leaving your home-town in Ohio behind in the rearview mirror. The beat-to-hell car you inherited lasted you until the outskirts of Dallas, so you decided to hole up in a hotel with the last bit of savings you had.

After checking in and grabbing some snacks from the vending machine in the lobby, you headed to your room and splayed out on the bed. You scrolled through local jobs as you munched on a Snickers bar. Nothing really jumped out at you, but this wasn’t a time in your life where it was rational to be picky. If you were going to pursue becoming a singer, then you needed some cash to get you started.

Nothing really piqued your interest around Dallas, so you decided to span your search further. After an hour of sifting through different job opportunities, you finally came across one that caught your eye.

Full-Time Nanny in Avery Ranch Start Date: Mid-January 2020 Children ages: 5 and 2 months Hours/Rate: M-F 7:30am-5pm - $18/hr Serious Inquiries Only: (512)586-2463

Other than singing, babysitting your sister’s kids was something else you thoroughly enjoyed. Her husband had cheated on her, and they divorced soon after so you became a constant in their lives. Not that you weren’t before, but since you were a full-time student at the time you often watched them during your off time.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you called the number and waited. By the third ring, you were starting to get discouraged but then a woman’s cheerful voice answered.

“Hello?”

Talking on the phone was never a strong suit of yours. Especially not knowing who was on the other end, it always gave you anxiety. Taking a deep breath, you stammered out a response.

“Um, h-hi. My name’s Y/N and I saw your add about the Nanny position. I’d like to apply if it’s still available.”

You heard the woman clear her throat and some rustling before she came back on the line.

“Hi, Y/N! My name's Megan. Yes, the position is still available! Can you come over tomorrow at noon? My husband and I would like to meet over coffee to get to know you a bit better before we introduce you to the children.”

Well, you weren’t expecting that, but the desperate situation you were in won over the butterflies fluttering against your abdomen.

“Y-Yeah! I can do that!”

The warmth in the woman’s response was evident and it eased any doubts you had bouncing around in your head.

“Great! We’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. I’ll text you the address and feel free to wear something comfortable. Lord knows with two kids I won't be wearing my best dress."

You bid her goodbye and sighed into your pillow. Despite uprooting your life merely a day ago, things were starting to come together, and for once, you couldn't be happier.

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

Jared sighed as he walked through the airport. Another season of Supernatural wrapped and he was finally on his home turf again. The familiarity of the Texas air nipped his bare skin as he headed for the awaiting taxi. Tonight, he'd rest up and then tomorrow he'd go and see his siblings.

The ride to his studio apartment was short, but it allowed him to send a few texts and emails anyway. He tipped the cab driver generously and took the elevator up to his floor.

His apartment wasn't much, but it was enough for him. The entry area was small, bearing a hook on the wall to hang his keys, a closet for his coat and shoes, and a couple of light switches. Just off to the left was the living room. He had a black leather sectional and a nice entertainment center where he could watch the latest Cowboys game comfortably. The kitchen wasn't enormous, but he didn't need it to be. It had everything he needed and all the appliances were new enough. His bedroom was just the way he left it, his king-size bed unmade and his laundry in the basket by the bathroom door.

Jared tossed his suitcase on the bed and padded to the kitchen for a beer. He'd start laundry tomorrow. It wasn't like he had anyone to impress or anything. Ever since Supernatural gained its popularity, he'd shied away from serious relationships because he barely had time for himself let alone a significant other. Settling into the couch, he flipped through the channels before stopping on the movie Die Hard, one of his favorite Christmas movies. Before he knew it, he'd dozed off, his hard work and jet lag finally catching up to him.

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

You groaned and shut off your alarm. How was it already 6 AM? Forcing yourself to emerge from your warm blanket cocoon, you padded to the bathroom praying a hot shower would wake you up. Mornings were far from your favorite thing, and if you were going to meet with your potential employer then you needed to be somewhat presentable.

Once you were dressed and had some sustenance, you wore a simple pair of jeans and a comfortable top. Your hair fell neatly at your shoulders and once you applied a small amount of makeup, you looked less like a zombie than you imagined. Remembering to grab your card key, you slid on your flats and headed to the address that Megan had texted you.

The drive was nearly three hours, but you didn't mind. It allowed you to decompress and listen to your favorite Spotify playlist. Luckily, the rental car you managed to get had Bluetooth, otherwise you'd have to deal with the local stations.

Finally, you pulled into the driveway and allowed yourself to take a few deep breaths. The house was pretty big, two-story with a two-car garage. The yard was well kept and you could see the faint outlines of playground equipment down the street. Overall, it looked to be a nice, quiet neighborhood.

Crisp air fanned your face as you walked to the front door. A couple knocks later you were face to face with a sweet-looking young woman. She smiled warmly at you before inviting you inside.

"Hi! You must be Y/N. It's so good to meet you."

Smiling back at her, you shook her hand and then noticed a taller figure walk up behind her. He nodded at you and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist.

“I’m her husband, Trent. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”

You followed them inside and gasped as they led you into what had to be their living room. Your eyes wandered and marveled at how cozy and elegant everything looked. Not that it mattered to you, but you couldn’t help but think this couple had a lot of money.

“You have a beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. …”

It only just hit you that you didn’t know their last name. Megan brought you a cup of some wonderful smelling coffee and sat down on the love seat across from you.

“Stevenson. Our last name is Stevenson. Thank you for your kind words. We moved here a little over a year ago so I could be closer to my niece.”

You nodded and moaned happily at the taste of the coffee. This was one of the many things you enjoyed in life, a nice hot cup of coffee.

“Oh, does your family live close? That’s always nice, having family that lives close by. I used to watch my older sister’s kids all the time while she worked. They’re in school full-time now, so that’s why I decided to move here to hopefully pursue my dream.”

It amazed you that you felt this comfortable around the Stevenson’s so quickly. Normally, your anxiety would get the better of you and it’d be like pulling teeth to get you to share personal things about your life. Megan nodded and scooted over to allow room for Trent to sit by her.

“Yes, one of my older brother’s lives about fifteen minutes from here. He’s not home often though due to his job. He’s an actor and really only gets time off during the summer and the holidays. My other older brother lives about forty-five minutes from here. He’s an Orthopedic surgeon.”

“Wow.” You breathed. “That’s really awesome! I have always wanted to be a singer, but my love of kids made me want to wait a little longer to try and become successful at it. I probably would have had kids of my own by now if I was fortunate in the relationship department. I seem to always find the ones who are either already married or live in their Mom’s basement.” The three of you shared a laugh and you watched as Trent scrolled through his phone.

“This is our son, Max. He just turned five about a month ago, and in his lap is our two-month-old daughter Macee.”

You looked at them both in awe. “They’re beautiful! Max sure looks like he loves Macee a lot.” Just as you handed Trent his phone back, a small voice sounded from the foot of the stairs.

“Mommy? I can’t sweep…”

The three of you looked to see little Max standing with his teddy bear and rubbing his eyes. Megan opened her arms and set him on her lap, pressing her lips to his forehead.

“Hey, baby. You can sit with Mommy while we talk to miss Y/N.”

Your ears perked up at her words. Was she giving you the job? Both her and Trent shared a look and you could tell they were having a wordless conversation. Finally, Megan turned and gave you an excited smile.

“Y/N, if you’re up for it, Trent and I would love to have you as our Nanny. You seem very attentive and dependable. We have a spare room that you can stay in for the time being, and you’ll have your own bathroom.”

“Thank you both so much! I can’t wait to work with you and get to know your adorable children. When would you like me to start?”

Megan gave you a folder with a few papers in it to go over.

“These are just a few more things about us and the kids that I want you to know. You can bring your things over tomorrow night and then on Monday you can start.”

You bid Trent and Megan goodbye and headed back to your hotel. It was as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You’d only been here a short time and you had a place to stay and a job. Now all you needed to get was a car and you’d better off than you were before you started your journey.

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

The sound of his phone’s text tone woke Jared from his slumber. He typed a quick response to his sister and stretched his tired muscles. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed he grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out the door.

His sister said to be at her house in a couple of hours, but he didn’t see the harm in getting there early. It would give him time to play with Max and Macee for a little while. The drive there wasn’t very long, and soon he was walking up the sidewalk to their front door.

He let himself in and could saw his sister in the back yard playing with the kids. Before he could head through the house out the back door, something caught his attention. A sweet melodic voice flowed through the upstairs hallway that made his heartbeat quicken. He moved so he could see better and caught sight of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She had long brown hair that waved a bit at the ends, was probably about five foot one, and her voice was mesmerizing.

He watched as she cleaned the kids’ playroom, her hips shimmying to the music she was listening to. It was then that he recognized the song she was singing. It was one of the songs from Jensen’s new album! Standing in the foyer, he let himself listen to you a bit longer.

Oh, and how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

You can only stay awake so long

While deciding what is true

I lean in for a kiss upon your shoulder

Realize it wouldn’t do, not with you

So, how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

Unbeknownst to him, his sister was watching him watch her, the biggest smirk on her face knowing that you had caught her brother’s eye.

“Her name’s Y/N, and she’s Trent and I’s nanny.”

Jared whirled around to meet his sister’s knowing gaze. He knew he’d been caught staring and was sure he was blushing furiously.

“That’s ah… I’m uh… glad you found someone suitable for the kids, Meg. I bet she’s great.”

“Uh-huh… I haven’t seen you look at someone like that since… well, since ever really. You like her.”

“What?! That’s… I mean… I don’t even know her. I just… her singing was um… really good!”

By now, you had finished cleaning the playroom and was prepared to relieve Megan so she could go out with her family. You heard her talking to someone and you assumed it was Trent.

“Hey, Megan! I finished cleaning the pla-”

Your words were caught in your throat as you looked down into the foyer. There, standing mere feet from you was your celebrity crush since you saw him on Gilmore Girls. Jared Padalecki. It took only a moment for things to click in your brain and you deduced that he and Megan were siblings.

“Y/N, this is one of my older brother’s Jared, Jared this is Y/N.”

“H-Hi…” You squeaked. He gave you a boyish grin and you forgot how to breathe. “I’m uh… just going to get a few things from my room…”

Once you were behind the closed door, you let out a shaky breath. How in the fuck did you manage to get a job at Jared Padalecki’s sister’s house?! Taking a deep breath you grabbed the Tonka set you bought Max and headed downstairs to the great room to play with him and Macee. Jared was in the kitchen with Megan, and you were lucky enough to be immensely distracted by Max to hear what they were saying.

“I’m telling you Jare, you should ask her out! I give her weekends off, and I don’t think she knows anyone here but us. I think it would be nice to show her around.”

Jared rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t know Megan… I just met he-”

“Oh cut the crap, Jared. You can make all the excuses you want, but you and I both know you like her. C’mon! Take a chance! She’s cute and you’re single. If you keep waiting around for the right person, then who knows how long you’ll be waiting?”

Jared contemplated his sister’s words as he eyed you through the kitchen. Who was he kidding? Megan was right. He sighed and swallowed thickly as he headed into the Great room.

“Here goes nothing…”

#saxxxology vol 1 writing challenge #jared padalecki x reader #jared x reader #'pala writes

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okaybutlikeimagine · 5 years ago

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What if Joyce and her kids and Hop and his (including Max if you want cus I can’t get enough how you write her and Billy’s relationship) all went on a road trip together?!

(okay i know i have other asks before this that i need to respond to but) I LOVE THIS SO MUCH AND I’M!!!! CRYIN!! (also thanks so much for the lovely compliment ohmydear♥i love writing them too it’s so fun)

Okay so i read this and i was like: ohman they’d have to take 2 cars or something bc there’s Joyce + Will and Jonathan and then Hop + El and Billy and then Max?? That’s 7 of them! But tHEN

IMAGINE THEM ALL IN A VW BUS!!!

Joyce is a hippie in my headcanon bc I love that shit and she could show the boys hippie music and help them through life w/ it and so anyway I’d like to think she’s aLWAYS wanted a VW bus. they’re just… cute as hell and so damn cool and she could decorate the inside w/ cute curtains and i just love that so much. so now imagine Billy and Jonathan knowing she’s always wanted one and Jonathan never having seen one but Billy having seen them everywhere in Cali and knowing exactly what Joyce is talking about and they both save up a SHIT. TON. of money (bc i dunno how expensive they were back then but they’re pretty cool cars that a lot of people wanted and they’re big, so) and Will and El even help out by mowing lawns for people or picking up a paper route (Jonathan doesn’t like the idea of them working but they insist) and they buy a used 1968 Kombi VW bus and Billy fixes it up a bit and it’s a faded light blue color and it’s definitely not pristine, it definitely looks a little loved, but it’s perfect and they all help fix up the interior and it’s??? The most beautiful thing. And they give it to her for her birthday or Christmas or something and Joyce cries an absolute RIVER and would hug them all for hours if Hop hadn’t torn her away to let them breathe

So anyway, when Billy and Jonathan graduate from high school in 1986 (i don’t wanna do all the math on when Billy’s birthday would have to be and when school cut offs are but Jonathan and Billy were both born in ‘67 sooooo) Joyce wants to go on a road trip w/ everyone!!!!! Bc how exciting!! and really it’s Joyce’s idea bc Jim doesn’t really like dealing w/ lots of people in one place but Joyce knows all the kids love Disney movies and she’s also always wanted to go to Disney World so they go! And they bring Max along bc El begs and pleads and Billy thinks it’d be good for her to get out of the house and Joyce 100% agrees bc even though Neil hasn’t done anything, the energy is negative and that shit affects a kid, y’know?? Plus they all love Max and would so adopt her if they could so she’s able to convince her mom and she goes w/ them and! just!

Imagine them all packed into a big VW bus w/ little floral curtains and funky retro seat covers, on the road at 7:30am and Joyce agreeing to drive the first few hours bc Hop is useless in the morning and conks out immediately once they get in. El and Will do too, El on Max’s shoulder and Will on Jonathan’s as Jonathan and Billy and Max start arguing for like, a good half hour about what music they should listen to on the trip down until there’s a lull in the fight and Joyce says she only brought her tapes of 60s and 70s music. so they all get educated on good hippie music.

and Billy and Max love each other, they do. they had a bumpy relationship when Billy was living at home before but they’re a lot closer now and they’ve been siblings for years now. but they’re just both such fiery personalities that they bicker more than half the time down. It’s a 16 hour drive (maybe even more??? If there are more roads now than in 1986) so it takes them 2 days and they’re so bratty towards each other.

So they’re all trying to explain what Disney World is to El who is still rather confused.

“We’re going to…. Another world?”

“What’s a… roller… coaster?”

“You mean Mickey Mouse is real??”

And that one makes Max giggle and shake her head.

“It’s like… Santa. People dress up as him and other characters and you can take pictures and stuff.” she gives a dangerous smirk then, turning around to look at Billy. “Billy’s afraid of them.”

“I am not.” He growls, kicking at her seat but trying not to kick too hard bc they worked too hard to get this van looking nice.

“You totally used to cry at anyone in a costume. We barely got to go trick or treating that one year because you were so freaked out.”

“Because our asshole neighbor was dressed as Jason and chased me down the fucking street!”

“Language!” Hop yells at the same time as Jonathan snorts. Billy reaches over Will to pinch Jonathan hard.

“Is that why you were shaking when we saw Mickey Mouse that one time?”

“That was on the Walk of Fame. Everyone is afraid of those guys because they’re all a bunch of coke addicts!”

“Coke… addicts?” El asks and everyone pauses, Jonathan letting out another snort.

“Like Coke and Pepsi?” El asks, and everyone immediately agrees while Jonathan laughs a bit.

“Yeah! Coke and Pepsi!” Joyce agrees, while Hop turns and gives them a harsh look to stop this conversation.

Joyce asks what character El is most excited to see. Joyce says that she herself hopes that they have Winnie the Pooh bc he’s her absolute favorite.

“I like Alice.” she says with a smile. It had kind of scared El when she first saw it, but she thought the colors were cool and Alice is just as curious as El is.

“I hope they have Peter Pan.” Max says a little dreamily.

“You just like him because he’s a ginger like you.” Billy snarks, to which Max sends him a harsh look.

“You like him too! We used to watch that movie all the time when we were little.”

And she’s right, they did. It makes him smile. Maybe there’s some psychological reason- the idea of a cute boy coming by to take him away from his terrible life and whisk him away to a magical world is pretty fucking nice -but he’s not about to overanalyze himself. And if anyone were to ask what he’s most excited for, he definitely wouldn’t admit that it’s Peter Pan.

“I like Peter Pan too.” Will admits, to which Max turns to look at him.

“Isn’t he cute?”

Will nods with a slight blush.

“Who’s Peter Pan?”

Max is distraught at El’s question.

“You haven’t seen Peter Pan???” She turns to Jonathan. “What are you guys doing depriving her of Peter Pan?”

“She’s with you more often than us!” Billy is indignant. “What have you been doing, not showing her Peter Pan?”

Max sticks her tongue out. Jonathan says he’s looking forward to Tomorrow Land and all of the parade floats. When Billy is asked, he mumbles something about wanting to ride all the big rides like Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain.

“What about you, Dad?” El asks happily.

“I’m just excited for the food.” Hopper grunts.

So yes, lots of bickering with the occasional break to listen to whatever song is playing. And you fuckin bet they bicker over where to stop to eat, too, until Hop decides for them all.

And i was trying to look up different, more obscure theme parks or attractions for them to go to but I just… couldn’t get over the idea of all of them getting matching Mickey Mouse ears. bc just… think about it. Think about a picture of all of them gathered in front of the castle wearing their Mickey Mouse hats, Hop and Joyce w/ an arm around the other, Joyce leaning up against Hop, El and Will smiling the biggest and cheesiest smiles with El’s arm around Will’s shoulder, Jonathan giving a little shy smile bc he feels pretty dumb, Max getting the biggest kick out of Billy freaking out over ruining his hair but giving him an expectant look until he puts the hat on, Billy yanking a strand of her hair out right before the photo is taken and Max shrieking so they have to take another one and when they do Billy rests his arm on Max’s head and max is stepping on Billy’s foot but they chuckle about it afterwards, giving irritated looks that break into smiles.

And i just?????? Jonathan buys Nancy a little bracelet with a Minnie Mouse charm on it and a stuffed version of Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and Billy gets Steve a little stuffed Bambi and a shirt that says “Princess” in big letters and gets himself a matching one that says “Prince Charming”. Steve pretends to be less than impressed but he blushes when Billy mumbles something about how he couldn’t stop looking at the castle and thinking of his princess back home and i just??? I have so many ideas about this Hopper Family Vacation to Disney World AUGH i love this.

(and if you want their Road Trip Playlist just ask me bc i just?? imagine their little van driving back up to Indiana on a calm road through a little patch of tall trees while Harvest Moon plays and its golden hour and Jim is driving and Joyce has her head leaning back against the seat, humming along and the sun is making it look like she’s glowing and Jim is a little worried about swerving bc he just wants to look at her. And Billy is leaning back in his seat all the way in the back, arm out the open window next to him as he waves it around in the soft air. Will and Jonathan are asleep on each other next to him and Max turns around from where she’s sitting in front of Billy to ask him something and sees her brother looking so damn calm. Just so serene and happy, a content smile on his face and golden sun hitting his blond hair gracefully as he blinks slowly. And she can’t think of what she was going to say bc it feels surreal to have this kind of moment w/ a family that feels so oddly whole. And Billy notices her staring and turns to her and she just sticks her tongue out and makes a funny face. Billy swipes gently at the air in front of her a few times w/ his left hand, chuckling a bit. She tries to kick him but she can’t reach and he just huffs a big, sharp breath in her face and she reaches to smack him as they both start giggling. then a soft click comes from their left and they see El has taken a picture of them on her little disposable camera she got on the way there and Max turns back around to talk to El and ask about how many pictures she thinks she’s taken and Billy turns back to look out the window, watching farms pass by in a haze, colored by the soft orange light of the sun, as he hugs the little Bambi plushie he bought for Steve and thinks about how comfortable happiness feels.)

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californiadreaminghq · 5 years ago

Photo

Oh good, you made it!

Did you guys know Rose was coming? She brought Birdie May, The Heart of Glass! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on the checklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!

I. OUT OF THE STUDIO

NAME/ALIAS: Rose

AGE: 23

PRONOUNS: She/her

II. ON STAGE

DESIRED SKELETON: The Heart of Glass

NAME: Birdie May

FACE CLAIM: Lily James

AGE: 28

OCCUPATION: Concertina/Keys for Indigo Dusk

III. INTERVIEW

Answer the following questions in your character’s voice:

If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?

“This! I’m doing it, aren’t I? I mean, sure, I’d love to get my go at the guitar once in a while, maybe do some writing, but other than that, it’s hard to imagine wanting anything else. This is the dream, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Nothing in the world could compare to this right here.”

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

“You know, it’s funny. I spent my whole childhood wishing I could get away, but now that I’m away, I’m just wishing I could get back home. It’s been a long while since I left, and I can’t remember the last time I saw a sky as blue or night as peaceful/…listening to cicadas in the summer…sittin’ on the porch, some sweet tea…Joey runnin’ ‘round the yard chasin’ Red…” She lost herself in the memories, that too familiar yearning for a time long gone. No amount of wishing could make it all come back - even if it could, she knew the memories were sweeter than the reality. “Of course, Los Angeles is beautiful, but you know…“there’s no place like home”! That starts to seem more true each and every day.”

What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?

“My winning smile! Nah, I’m just kidding you! I don’t think there’s anything that makes me all that different from anybody. I’m just another girl who loves music. There’s lots of us out there, especially in LA. But I don’t know, maybe my name? You don’t find too many people named Birdie, do ya?”

IV. BACKSTAGE

(death cw, alcoholism cw, restrictive diets cw)

The woman we know today as Birdie May was actually born May Beth Dixon. Sixth child to a farmer and a seamstress in rural North Carolina, little May had to fight to get even a hint of attention. Her older brothers and sisters had their loud shouting voices to break through the crowd while May was, what it seemed like at the time, cursed with an itty bitty bird voice. What were her chirps to her siblings’ roars? If it weren’t for her little brother, Joseph, or Joey as May liked to call him, it’s likely she’d never be heard at all. Joey was everything to May - her sun, moon, and stars, and she’d never let him forget it. Every morning began with a big ol’ “I love you”! and every night ended with the same. They were a team, Joey and May, especially when the family was hard up for cash, which was pretty much always. More often than not, they had to ration a day’s worth of food to last a week, and it was four to a bed in their tiny cabin, but somehow, they made ends meet. That is, till Joey got sick.

It didn’t happen often, someone catching an illness in the family, but when it caught, it never let go. The doctor said it was some kind of flu, but that didn’t really matter in the end. By the time, he was able to get checked out, Joey was already gone. He was eight years old.

In times of trauma, a family can act in one of two ways: they get close or they grow apart. In the case of the Dixons, there was nothing good to come out of their grief. May’s dad tried to manage with a bottle. And another. And another. He’d end up drinking so much that he’d pass out and lay in bed all day. Of course, the effect this had on everyone else was nothing short of devastating, especially considering they were dealing with Joey’s death too - or at least trying to. It’s hard to grieve when you gotta make sure the cows are fed, the crops are watered, and there’s some kind of food on the table. Mama grew distant, and May’s brothers and sisters did nothing but work. There was no time to breathe, no time to think, no time to live.

Sometime during her 16th year, May ran away from home. She took her father’s old guitar, a flask of whiskey for courage, and the one picture she had of Joey. Hitting the road, little May hitchhiked her way West. Where exactly she was going, she didn’t know, but that didn’t matter. She just had to get out of there. If she was gonna survive in this life, she couldn’t stay in that tiny cabin. She’d die in there - just like Joey.

Hitchhiking cross country might not’ve been the safest thing to do, but thankfully, minus the occasional creep, she avoided any huge bumps in the road. For the most part, people were friendly and happy to help out a wayward traveler, especially one with such a spirit. Since she had no money, May would thank her saviors with a song or two, if they were up for it. She’d sing them her favorites: Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly. If they were enjoying themselves, she’d give ‘em an original or two - if she was feeling frisky, she’d make one up on the spot. This was how she got herself all the way to Los Angeles. It was unlike any city she’d ever seen (granted, the only “city” she knew was Boone with a population at around 3,000), and May could feel it in her bones, this place was gonna last her awhile.

With the success of her musical hitchhiking adventures, and virtually no skills aside from farming and the instruments she picked up when she was young, May decided to try her luck at busking. It got her a few dollars - enough to grab some food, but it definitely wasn’t enough to live off of. This was when she met her first love. Well, he was a love at the time through May’s eyes, but anyone not clouded by cupid would recognize the ugly truth. She saw him as her knight in shining armor, while he saw her as a cute country hick he could use for a little bit and then toss back onto the street. The end of that relationship initiated a string of similar relationships: May finding someone who promised their heart, only to have them crush hers instead. All the while, she kept playing her music, not knowing if anything would come of it, but it felt right. Through everything, there was the music.

Eventually, her persistence paid off: May was discovered and started playing in a band. From then on out, things were looking up. Were. Since joining the band, her professional life has certainly grown by leaps and bounds, but her personal life, well…let’s just say, you can take the girl out of the mess, but you can’t take the mess out of the girl, and if there’s one thing the celebrity news media loves, it’s a mess. She tries to stay out of it, but there comes a point where she’s also gotta live her life. The only thing is, how do you do that without adding fuel to the fire? With every new headline, she wonders if that’ll ever be possible. And is it all even worth it? Yes. Yes, of course it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard.

V. ENCORE

first of all, i know i said danielle campbell, but we’ll ignore thataslkjfh

i’m really excited for miss birdie’s growth. right now, she still depends greatly on others for her happiness, but i hope to see her independence grow as she’s developed and interacts in the plot!! honestly, my ultimate goal is for her to grow into a no bs-having, fully confident in herself dolly-like figure. we’ll have to see if that actually happens for her!

also, i tried to keep her initial involvement with indigo dusk vague in the bio since i don’t wanna step on visions of how the group was actually formed!

i made a pinterest board for her here and a playlist for her here! (tbh, i’ll probably be adding to them until the submit closesasjkdfh)

a headcanon i have: when may joined indigo dusk, it was decided she needed a stage name (may beth dixon didn’t really have the kind of ring to it they were wanting), so she kept her first name as her last, and came up with “birdie” because that was the nickname joey gave her whenever she’d sing to him.

#accepted

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claraduffy · 7 years ago

Text

Anabel

I met Anabel during sorority recruitment, in the Kappa Delta house, where she had recently taken the job of maid. It was my senior year as a member, and my third time to chant and clap through the chaos of recruitment. By the fourth time I rushed by her, dressed identically to the other 150 plus girls rushing by her in white shorts and light blue shirts, it occurred to me to say hello. She was dusting.

A few days later, things were mostly the same, except different outfits and more pressure. I was hiding during a recruitment party and ran into Anabel in the stairwell. Over the swell of high pitched voices from below, I began, “Puedo practicar en español?” watching her reaction closely.

“Si,” she said, curtly, expectantly, almost challenging me. I stumbled over my words and she corrected me. I made fun of myself for doing the sorority thing, and she laughed, admitting that she thought it was loca. I agreed. We chatted often for the rest of that week, about music, her daughter, and what time parties would be over that day. A few weeks later, I set out to get to know Anabel better. We planned to meet in the study room of the Kappa Delta house after lunch on a Friday.

Before I interviewed Anabel, I hadn’t yet taken the time to see her clearly. She is short in stature, with honey brown skin and thick, dark eyebrows. Her raven hair is usually pulled back out of her face. When she sits down to talk with me, she carefully peels off blue latex gloves and pulls her cell phone out of her pocket. Trying to diffuse the tension, I introduce our interview into the voice memo app on my phone like I am a real reporter, saying the date and time in Spanish, only to get the year wrong and call it 2016. Anabel corrects me with a wry smile, and laughs uncomfortably. “Where are you from?” I begin, the Spanish words clumsy on my tongue.

Anabel was born in 1977 in San Luis Potosí, in the interior of México. She is one of seven children born to her mother and father, buena gente and an alcoholic, respectively. She grew up in a house across the street from mejor amiga, Iris. Anabel and Iris would play on the street together, picking up the large rocks off the road and carrying them around “como bebes, or Barbies.” Her family struggled to make ends meet, and at 8 years old, Anabel took her first job helping an older lady make bread and cleaning her house. To pay for middle school, she lived with her aunt and uncle and took care of their young children, so that her tio would buy her school shoes, books, and a uniform.

I ask Anabel if she will describe her mother, her eyes grow wide. “Siempre nos cuidó,” she begins. She tells me that her mother was muy trabajadora, and that she called Anabel her right hand. She doesn’t say anything more, but I wonder if she is holding back, because of her wide eyes.

Anabel speaks more of her father, but with less feeling. He got cancer when she was a teenager, around the time she began to consider moving to the United States. His alcoholism was part of the reason for her family’s poverty. “An alcoholic lives in un otro mundo than someone who doesn’t drink. My father was a good mechanic, but él desperdició all of his money on alcohol… But you learn from all of this,” Aprendes de todo, Anabel repeats throughout our time together.

I ask her why she decided to leave San Luis Potosí, and she explains that her tia, who she lived with in middle school, called her one day, saying “My nephew is moving to los Estados…where we have car repair businesses. Do you want to go?”

Anabel said yes without thinking. She giggles as she tells me this, how she said yes to immigrating at 19 without blinking, without considering. “But I still had to talk with mamá,” she begins, and I can hear the catch in her voice; I can see her wavering. “I didn’t ask for her permission. I just said, I’m going. But ella no quería, y lloraba…but I thought if I came here and made money, I could help her with my father’s medical bills. I told her on the 18th of February, and I left on the 24th of February for Austin, Texas.”

Anabel’s answer to several of my questions is mi hermana. She has two, but she always means Lorena, who was born two years before her. Lorena is Anabel’s most treasured sister and closest confidant. When Anabel was pregnant in Austin with her third son, Alonso, Lorena was pregnant too, in San Luis Potosí. “They were born on the same day, the 29th of April, mi hermana en México y yo aquí.” Anabel claims Lorena is more honest than the rest of her siblings, and of course she is la madrina of Anabel’s firstborn, Zair. “If I’m sending money to México, or if I need to pay someone: ella,” she emphasizes.

Later in the interview, I ask her to tell me in detail the events that lead up to her leaving. She replies that she and her first novio broke up right before she left. I ask her what he was like. “Me cuidaba mucho…” she says lightly. “He always had flowers behind his back. He loved to surprise me. If we were eating, he would grab the paper napkin and write me a love note. He would make me mixtapes…Almost every weekend, we would ir al cine, a un restaurante…muy bonito.” She pulls out her phone to look for a picture, but realizes that she doesn’t have one.

I tell her I can imagine him, and that it’s more fun that way. “He always had flowers behind his back,” she repeats, and I tell her I will think of him that way, con flores atrás su espalda. “You’re probably thinking, why did it end?” she prods.“ Yo no sé. It was like, yesterday to today, over. Como nada. And then I moved here.”

Anabel makes sure I know that there is not much to say about her youth. “It was muy cortita. I didn’t go to happy hour with friends.” After living and working in the US one year, Anabel got married on the 9th of May 1996, the day I was born.

She and her husband, Ciro, have three children ages 13, 14, and 18. Her youngest, Alonso, has autism. “You would never know from looking at him,” she insists. “There are some parents whose kids have special needs, and they ask God, por que? But my son is muy intelligente. He’ll draw a picture of something he sees on the computer, and it comes out igualito…igualito. All three kids are my angels, but he’s a double angel.”

The fascinating thing about talking with Anabel is that she was at once vulnerable and guarded. She both raises her eyebrows at my Spanish mistakes and lays her heart bare at my questions. She cries talking about leaving her mother in México, and laughs about young guys these days, saying all that’s on their minds is el sexo, and gone are the days of mix-tapes and paper napkin love notes.

Before I run off, I thank her for her time and she slips on her blue latex gloves again. “I’ll see you around here, right?” I nod, and my heart swells as I begin to process all the stories she’s told me. I have a paper to write.

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nuka-cola-princess-blog · 8 years ago

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Found a OC questionnaire and decided to use it to finally write my OC’s backstory. Meet Esmeralda Santiago.

1. What is your character’s full name?

Esmeralda Santiago

2. Where were they born?

San Juan, Puerto Rico. Moved to Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 14.

3. What are their allegiances?

The Minutemen. 4. Do they have any brothers or sisters?

Nate Santiago (brother) and Nora Santiago (sister-in-law) 5. What kind of eyes do they have?

Purple. Rare family eye color.

6. What kind of hair do they have?

Dark brown almost black hair with dark purple highlights. 7. What is their race/ethnicity?

Human, Latina. 8. How’s their temper/demeanor?

Usually sarcastic and flirty. A big show off. Doesn’t really take much seriously. When angry, offend or upset however she can be irrational and ruthless. Sometimes regrets her actions after she calms down. 9. What is listening to their voice like?

Often very flirty tone in her voice. Slight hints of a Puerto Rican accent. 10. Do they have a favorite quote?

“Hey, chin up I know the night just got darker, but it won’t last forever.” -Nick Valentine 11. What sort of music do they enjoy?

Hip hop, Punk, Metal, Reggaeton, 8-Bit, 12. What are their favorite radio stations?

Diamond City Radio, Radio Freedom, Jet Fuel Radio (mod), 8-Bit Radio (mod) 13. Have they ever lost someone close to them?

Her brother Nate and her sister-in-law Nora are both killed. Her nephew has also been abducted by the Institute and his status is currently unknown to Esmeralda. 14. What is their favorite sound?

Dogmeat’s happy yipping and barking when he gets attention. 15. What is their opinion on euthanasia? 16. Are they judgmental of others?

She grew up being judged so she loathes judgmental people and goes out of her way to be pretty open minded. This often puts her at odds with the Brotherhood of Steel. 17. Have they ever been drunk?

More often than she should be. 18. What are they like when they stay up all night?

Usually up taking Jet watching old holotapes or listening to the radio. 19. Have they ever been arrested?

Yes. A bank robbery gone wrong is what lands them in the hands of the law and later Vault-Tec which leads to them being frozen. 20. What color evokes strong memories for them?

Purple. She has an odd obsession with the color. 21. What do they do on rainy days?

Stay inside and mess around with Cait or take Jet, or both. 22. What religion are they?

Not a very religious person. Meditates and believes in ghosts n’ spirits though. 23. What are their likes?

Caps, power, drugs, alcohol, sex, Nuka Cola, protecting her friends and family, The Minutemen, Goodneighbor, Cait, Dogmeat, Preston, Nick Valentine, Hancock, Codsworth, Maccready, Jet, Ghouls, old holotape movies, music, holotape games, Sunset Sarsaparilla, Sugar Bombs. 24. What do they wear to bed?

Either just a bra and panties or nothing. 25. Do they have any tattoos or piercings?

Lots of tattoos along her arms and chest as well as several face and neck tattoos. 26. What type of clothing are they most comfortable in?

Easy-going casual clothing. Shorts, tanktops, jeans, boots, ect. 27. What is their most disliked saying?

Ad Victoriam 28. Do they have any enemies?

The Brotherhood of Steel, Gunners, The Pack, The Disciples, Operators. 29. What does their writing look like?

Surprisingly articulate. She loves reading and writing. 30. What disgusts them?

Judgment, child abusers/killers, The Brotherhood Of Steel, slavers, Operators, The Pack, Deezer’s Lemonade, Raiders, Kellog, people who call baseball bats ‘swattas’.

Esmeralda Santiago was born in San Juan Puerto Rico shortly after her brother Nate Santiago was born. They were born to a single mother who had taken money from loan sharks in order to pay the bills but couldn’t afford to pay them back. So at the age of 14, Esmeralda and her brother Nate moved with their mother to Boston, Massachusetts to run from their loan shark problem. Unfortunately, the loan sharks tracked Esmeralda’s mother down. Esmeralda and Nate came home from high school one afternoon to find their mother had been shot and killed. They were alone now and forced to support themselves, refusing to allow themselves to be taken in by an orphanage as they felt they were too old to have a chance at adoption and decided to take their chances on their own taking care of themselves.

The siblings had very different approaches dealing with their mother’s death and supporting themselves as time went on. Nate engrossed himself in school and work trying to better himself in order to make a living. He eventually ended up joining the army after graduating high school and marrying his high school sweetheart Nora after he came home from war, starting a family with her and giving birth to Esmeralda’s nephew, Shaun.

Esmeralda however, chose to support herself by delving into a life of crime. She used her charismatic personality and charm to gather her other down-on-their-luck friends and organize them into a purple-clad street gang to help her pull off crimes. She and her little crew began selling drugs, mugging people, burglarizing homes, and stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down. It wasn’t long before her little neighborhood crew of misfits ended up getting a hold of guns and weapons and became a legitimate street gang growing rapidly in number and an actual threat to Boston Police.

Nate tried his best to try and redirect his sister and set her on the right path but after the death of their mother, Esmeralda refused to listen to her brother and saw him as just another person trying to control her and her lifestyle. She still loved her brother and had a soft spot for her nephew, visiting whenever she was allowed since Nora didn’t approve of Esmeralda’s criminal ways and would often tell Nate that his sister was no good and beyond saving and that she felt Esmeralda would be a bad influence on Shaun.

Esmeralda had become confident in her gang. A little too confident. She felt they were finally big and powerful enough to attempt a bank robbery. Unfortunately for her, there was a undercover cop in her gang that had caught wind of the plans for a heist. The police were ready for Esmeralda and her crew and took down a majority of her gang as well as Esmeralda herself once they arrived at the bank. Esmeralda was arrested and was due to be sent to prison before Vault-Tec of all people intervened.

Vault-Tec was running an experiment. They were testing out cryogenic stasis pods for a Vault called Vault-111 and were hoping they could make some money using the pods as a new form of imprisonment for criminals. Imagine not having to pay for a prisoners needs or worry about escape when the prisoner is frozen in stasis until their sentence has been served. Guaranteed incarceration for one and all.

Vault-Tec froze Esmeralda in a stasis pod, placing her in a cryo-chamber storage room in the back of Vault-111 for further testing. Ironically, the day they decided to freeze her and imprison her in Vault-111 was the day the bombs dropped. Nate, Nora, and Shaun all escape to Vault-111 just in time thanks to Nate’s family getting a place in the vault due to his military service. However they had no idea that Esmeralda was frozen just a room away from their stasis pods as they’re frozen and anxiously awaiting a new future.

Years later, the Institute sends Kellog to abduct Shaun for his pure unirradiated DNA. Kellog opens Nora’s stasis chamber and takes Shaun away from her, handing Shaun to the Institute Scientist accompanying him. Nora fights as hard as she can to hold onto Shaun but is quickly killed by Kellog. Nate’s stasis pod is then opened as Kellog was instructed to bring a backup, but Nate immediately attacks Kellog, enraged by witnessing his wife’s murder. He almost succeeds in wrenching the gun away from Kellog, taking him by surprise as he didn’t expect Nate to have combat training but unfortunately Nate is outmatched and killed by Kellog. The Institute Scientist naturally freaks out about how Kellog killed their only backup by Kellog informs the scientist that there’s another backup frozen in the back, referencing Esmeralda frozen in the next room.

Esmeralda is unfrozen some time later, confused and angry as she wanders the vault, only to find Nate and Nora’s corpses. She breaks down and mourns, feeling rage as the last of her family is now gone. She notices Shaun’s coprse is not amongst them. She also noticed that Nate and Nora were clearly killed by a gunshot. Meaning someone must have taken Shaun after killing them. Esmeralda wipes away her tears and takes a 10mm and Pip-Pad (mod) from the vault’s security desk and takes a deep breath as she exits the vault, ascending to see the new world she’s been forced into.

(((Will write part 2 later, this is just the intro. Thanks if you actually read that whole thing! More or less, this character will be focused on finding her nephew Shaun and rebuilding the Minutemen as her new gang after finding Preston. While she’ll run The Minutemen more like a street gang than a government, she still believes in Preston’s goal of helping out the little guy and keeping them safe from raiders, slavers, and larger factions like the Brotherhood Of Steel whom she views as bullies hoarding all the tech for themselves. Despite her hate for injustice and bullying, she craves power and caps and drugs more than anything and is not above extorting people to get what she wants although she tends to reserve this treatment to those she feels deserve it such as the Brotherhood. Hope you like my character! Will be writing part 2 soon.)))

#fallout 4 #fallout 4 oc #fallout oc #Esmeralda Santiago #fallout 4 original character #fallout roleplay #fallout 4 roleplay

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