#IS HER HUSBAND'S FAMILY THE ONE THAT KILLED HER ???

[pboogerswbb]

LET IT SNOW

Paige Bueckers x reader In which Paige and reader spend a snowy day babysitting reader's niece and nephew (loosely based on a request i got weeks ago) Warnings: fluff, suggestiveish? very very very sweet, will make you sick (fluff is very hard for me to write ok be nice) Wordcount: 2.9K A/C: happy christmas eve everyone <3 this is my christmas present to y'all so enjoy this while i take some time to rest and spend time with my family :) unfortunately that means you gotta wait for chapter 2 of so it goes for a little longer but i want to take a break for a few days from writing over christmas! i hope you understand. everyone who celebrates christmas pls spend it eating, drinking (if you're of age), and don't kill your family pls (i know that's much to ask over the holidays let's be real). i'll return to writing so it goes post christmas! MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS <3

-

“There’s a list of allergies on the fridge, if Mia throws a fit just put her in the stroller and walk her around for a bit, if she won’t calm down call me. Whatever you see in the fridge you can eat, and call me whenever! I’ll have my ringer up and-”

“Chloe-”

“and really call me whenever you need to! And have your ringer up too!”

“Chloe!”

Your aunt’s husband is pulling on her arm, trying to get her further than the front door but 10 minutes have already been spent going through everything for the day.

“Auntie Chlo we’ve babysat before. They’re in good hands,” you reassure, smiling brightly at her. She inhales deeply and chuckles when she realises how long she’s been rambling for.

“You’re right, the kids love you. Especially you Paige, they’ve missed you. Been showing them clips of your games!” Your aunt says, head tilting upwards to look at the blonde girl standing behind you, hands wrapped around your waist. 

You and Paige had been dating for over a year now, celebrating your first of what would be many anniversaries. In that short amount of time the blonde had made her way into the depths of your closest circle, becoming a part of your family. It happened effortlessly, the way she fit into your life, the way she clicked with your relatives. You swore they loved her more than you at this point. This was about to be the first Christmas she ever spent with your family, and just the idea of her with all your loved ones made your chest fill with warmth.

So when your aunt Chloe called you in a crisis on Christmas Eve, her babysitter getting sick at the last minute, you and Paige were quick to agree to look after your nearly 2-year-old niece Mia and 7-year-old nephew Leo. 

“Go! We got this aight,” Paige reassures, resting her chin on the top of your head as she does.

Pulled away by her husband, your auntie waves goodbye and closes the door, leaving you and Paige alone with the kids standing behind you. Before you can even react, Mia’s lower lip begins to quiver, the sight of her mother gone upsetting the small child. 

“Uh oh,” you mumble, Paige swiftly making her way to the little girl and picking her up, pouting her own lower lip to mirror the child.

“Are you sad because you miss mama? She’ll be back later, I promise,” Paige coos to Mia, rocking her in her arms. She’s wearing a white t-shirt despite the snow outside, for some reason she was always warm, and her biceps were growing more prominent as she held the child by her hip. The sight of Paige comforting your niece made your heart flutter, making it hard to tear your eyes away. watching Mia bury her face into the crook of Paige’s neck.

“We’ve got a really fun day planned for you!” You gleam at both of the children, ruffling Leo’s hair. He laughs but pushes your hand off, running to the kitchen.

“Can I have a cookie?” The boy asks, clearly taking advantage of the moment that his parents’ watchful eyes weren’t around.

“No-” you start but Paige is already following him to the kitchen. She was such a pushover, always had been with the kids. Just some pouting, eyes batting and she was ready to bend every which way for them.

“Paige!” You complain as the blonde easily reaches to the top shelf, grabbing a jar of chocolate chip cookies.

“What?” She asks unbothered by your scolding, handing a cookie to Leo, and taking a bite of one herself. “Wanted a cookie,” she mumbles, her mouth full.

“Cookie! Gimme!” Mia babbles, short hands reaching for the cookie your girlfriend is holding between her teeth.

“Oh good God…” you groan, rubbing your forehead, already knowing this was going to be a long day if the kids had the blonde wrapped around their finger this much already. But when Mia giggles as Paige feeds her a part of the cookie, you decide not to care. If there was a time to spoil the kids it was on Christmas Eve.

“C’mere,” Paige nods you over, grabbing another cookie. You scurry into the kitchen, grabbing Mia from her and kissing the little girl’s forehead. She giggles brightly, clearly in a much better mood. You nuzzle your nose into her soft cheek, eliciting more laughs from the baby. The whole time Paige can’t look away even for a second, her heart fluttering with affection. Paige was completely in love with you, and seeing you like this only made her feel it more.

“What are we gonna dooo all day?” Leo interrupts the moment, yanking on Paige’s shirt. She grins and ruffles his hair affectionately. Leo and Paige had bonded quickly the first time they met, and now they’re best friends. In fact Leo facetimes Paige weekly on your aunt’s phone.

“We’ve got some ideas.” The blonde says smirking.

-

The weather is perfect, the gentle winter sun not warming but making everything brighter as the rays reflect off the snow. Snowflakes fall softly from the sky, adding to the already covered ground as you walk behind Leo and Paige, holding Mia in your arms, trying to catch your breath as you climb on top of a hill.

“Isn’t this high enough?” You ask, glancing down, worrying that Leo would be too scared to get on the sled. Predictably so, the two in front of you look over their shoulders, immediately uttering the word “no” in unison

“Auntie Paigey and your big brother have gone cray cray,” you murmur to the babbling Mia, wrapped in her warmest winter gear. 

“Okay, here’s good!” Paige says, finally putting the sled she was carrying down, looking around the group.

“You wanna go first Leo?”

Suddenly the boy looks down, hesitating. It’s pretty steep, especially at first. You could tell he felt unsure, but Paige noticed it too.

“I’m actually lowkey scared, can we ride down together?” She asks, covering for the boy. For a moment your eyes meet with hers, wanting nothing more but to kiss her right now. Paige always had you weak in the knees, but the way she skillfully handled kids only made you love her more.

“Okay we can go together I guess,” Leo complains, deep down relieved. They sit down on the sled, Paige behind the boy, ready to steer.

“Wait!” She yelps, turning to you, blinking fast. “Kiss for good luck.”

Apparently she’d been feeling the same about the kiss.

Humming, you place Mia down on the ground to play with the snow, leaning close to Paige. Her warm lips press into yours, in a loving, gentle peck that let you know she wanted to do so much more, if it wasn’t for the company.

“Yuck!” Leo whines, making both of you giggle.

“Hey, have some respect for your auntie,” Paige grins and pushes the sled forward. Suddenly they’re riding down at such speed you can barely watch. Someone was bound to get hurt.

Both of them scream as the speed accelerates, the sounds echoing in the air. To your surprise they both make it all the way down safe and sound, Paige stopping the sled and jumping off.

“That was so fast!” Leo chuckles hysterically, making your girlfriend laugh too. You could hear them laughing all the way up where you were standing. 

“Ball,” Mia babbles, pointing at a pile of snow. Giggling, you sit down on the ground next to her, beginning to roll one snowball after the other and handing them to the girl. 

“Look Mia!” You gasp to get her attention. Her wide eyes turn to you, long eyelashes fluttering as she watches. You throw a snowball into the air, Mia’s eyes following as it crashes to the ground. Immediately she claps, a wide smile on her face to reward your efforts.

“Babe it’s your turn,” Paige’s voice says as she’s climbing up, trying to catch her breath.

You scoff, continuing to play with the snow for Mia. “Not happening P,”

“Oh you’re scared huh?” The blonde teases, a smug smirk spreading across her face.

Leo gasps. “It’s not scary at all! I was scared at first too!”

You roll your eyes, not falling for their games. 

“I’m playing with my girl here, you boys leave us alone,” you say, poking your tongue out at your girlfriend. She scoffs loud, walking over to you and wrapping her arms around your waist, lifting you up and throwing you over her shoulder with ease.

Leo laughs loud, pointing at the two of you. “Paige is not a boy!”

“Let me down!” You yelp, kicking your legs and arms but it’s no use. She’s much too strong, carrying you towards the sled. Your squeals make Mia laugh loudly, a wide smile spread on her face.

“Look after your sis for a bit, aight?” Paige tells Leo, placing you down on the sled. You’re still giggling, shaking your head.

“I’m not gonna! It’s scary!” You laugh, the blonde sitting snug behind you on the sled, wrapping her legs around you.

“Don’t be such a wuss,” she teases, her arms wrapping over your waist. Leaning in, you feel her hot air tickling against your ear as she whispers. “I gotchu ma, don’t worry.”

With that, Paige pushes off the snowy ground, holding onto you tight. Quickly the speed picks up, fluttering in the pit of your stomach. The freezing cold air tingles against your skin and your eyes water from the cold as you laugh.

“Ahhh P-“ you scream, turning your gaze backwards and finding that, to your shock, the blonde behind you is pushing on the ground to make you go even faster. “STOP!”

Paige giggles into your ear, her arms wrapping around you tight to hold you close. Soon it’s over as you reach the base of the hill, the speed finally slowing down and flutters in your abdomen disappearing.

“Told you it wasn’t so scary,” the blonde grins, helping you up.

“Uh yes it was,” you laugh, grabbing a handful of snow and throwing it at the girl in front of you. Some of it gets onto her face, making Paige pause.

Her mouth turns into a tight smile and her blue eyes widen. Immediately you know you’re in trouble.

“Oh it’s like that huh?” She says and you squeal, already beginning to run when she starts to throw the powdery snow all over you.

“No no no no please!” You can barely breathe, gasping for air and trying to run, the snowy ground making your steps heavy. Paige, being a D1 athlete, easily reaches you. 

“Oh so now you regret it!” She laughs, snow falling into your coat, down your neck, making you scream louder as the girl chasing you wraps her arms around your waist, spinning you in the air. 

“Stop! Paige!”

“Say please,” she orders, her tone lighthearted.

You roll your eyes, hating having to admit defeat, but knowing it must be done.

“Fine! Please, please stop Paige please,” you whine, batting your wide eyes at the girl. She looks at you, finally putting you down and kissing your forehead.

“Wanna hear you just like that later,” she whispers the dirty words into your ear, lips brushing against your skin, tingling. Before you can scoff or tell her off, Mia’s loud cry disrupts the moment.

Both you and Paige hurry up the hill, towards Leo who’s holding his sister, bouncing him gently to soothe the little girl.

“What happened?” You ask, swiftly scooping Mia from the boy and trying her cheeks to see if she was cold. Nope, perfectly toasty from all the layers.

“Nothing! She just started crying!”

But then, studying her face, you notice the redness of her eyes, her mittened hands trying to rub them desperately.

“Aw, she’s sleepy,” Paige says, like reading your mind, grabbing the sled. 

“We should probably head back, she needs to take a nap,” you murmur, trying to soothe the girl in your arms, ear-piercing screams and cries spilling from her mouth.

All four of you hurry to the car, but no attempts to calm Mia down help. She’s exhausted, plump bottom lip quivering as she keeps crying the whole drive home. You could feel yourself getting exhausted, the loud noise becoming overwhelming and stressful. Paige could see it too, the way you were sighing and taking deep breaths. So when you return to the house, she grabs your hand and kisses it before getting up from the car.

“I’ll take her to bed okay? You rest ma,” she murmurs. Relief spreads all over your chest and you smile affectionately.

“How’d I get so lucky?” You ask.

“Nah, I’m lucky. Got the best girl in the entire world.

-

After an hour of the faint sounds of Paige’s lullabies (off-key but she would never admit that) and trying to reason with the 2-year-old like that might help, the cries eventually quiet down. Leo is resting too, playing in his room. You’ve been in the kitchen, making spaghetti for all of you. Checking the clock you realise it’s been about 30 minutes since you last heard any sound from Mia, yet Paige still hadn’t returned downstairs.

Quietly, you sneak your way up the stairs, ever so carefully opening the door into the bedroom to not wake up Mia. But what you find makes your heart flutter - in the dimmed out room, Paige and Mia are both asleep, your girlfriend holding the little girl close. The blonde’s mouth is slightly ajar, soft snores escaping through. For a moment you just watch, allowing the love you felt for them both to spread. You walk over, make sure they’re both covered up by the blanket before sneaking back out, leaving them in bed.

“Leo, come eat dinner soon, ok?” You whisper to him in the other room. His eyes lighting up, the little boy gets up holding a toy dinosaur and follows you downstairs.

“Can I watch The Grinch while I eat? Please please please!” He begs, giving you puppy eyes.

“Mmkay, just this once,” you bend to his will, setting it all up for him. You can’t help but watch Leo getting snuggled up on the couch, a blanket around him, eyes wide staring at the TV. Leaning against the arch into the living room, you feel your body tired from the day, muscles aching and mind exhausted. But your insides are fluttering with warmth, no other word for the specific feeling but pure joy. Walking back into the kitchen you begin to make your own plate of food.

You let your mind wonder, and maybe it’s risky. It’s much too soon to be thinking anything close to it. But since it’s Christmas, you let yourself. Your mind comes up with vivid images of you and Paige, in a house of your own, decorating the tree - Paige the only one tall enough to place the star on top. You can see you two baking cookies and watching Christmas movies, hot chocolate in bed. 

And maybe, just maybe eventually, two children of your own. There are flutters in your heart thinking about building snowmen with your little family, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace, dressing them up in tiny costumes and sending family postcards to your relatives and friends. It felt so far away, yet you could see it so vividly. 

As if she had heard your thoughts, suddenly warm hands land on your waist, Paige’s reflection appearing in the window in front of you. Humming, her front presses flush to your back, fitting against you just right.

“I fell asleep,” she murmurs, burying her nose into your hair and inhaling. It’s like heaven, after a long day, to feel her like this again.

“I noticed,” you reply, beginning to make a plate for the girl as well. She watches closely, following every movement from behind you until her lips find your neck, beginning to press soft, loving kisses along the nape of it. 

Eyes fluttering shut, you hum, turning your head to face the blonde behind you. Hand reaching for your jaw, she pulls you into a gentle kiss, lips sliding against yours slowly. “Can’t wait to see you be a mom,” Paige whispers against your mouth, chest heaving.

A deep blush sets on your cheeks hearing the words, taking them in. The blonde watches your reaction, clearly trying to read you.

“I’m sorry if that’s too much to say this early but I-”

“No,” you shake your head with a smile. “I can’t wait for that either.”

Relief washes over your girlfriend, as she pecks your lips once more. 

“We’re gonna be so good ma, best parents in the world.”

Beaming with joy, both you and Paige walk into the living room where Leo is sitting, eyes glued to the movie.

“Yo! Scooch!” Paige tells the boy, who shuffles to the corner of the couch. Both you and your girlfriend sit in the opposite corner, holding your bowls of spaghetti and getting settled. The blonde quickly wraps an arm around you, pulling you to lean against her side. You’re snuggled up, feeding bites of food to each other and stealing kisses whenever the boy isn't watching.

“I love you,” Paige whispers into your ear, blue eyes sparkling with adoration.

“I love you too Paige,” you whisper back, cheeks rosy and heart fluttering from the perfect snowy day.

-

taglist: @xxloveralways14 @bueckersfive @sierrale8ne @thaatdigitaldiary @lovegalor333 @lupinqs @rosemariiaa @janaelalfysblunt @d3arapril @vamptizm

[hotcupoteckla]

Do people not understand catharsis?

Do people not understand thought process displacement?

Are people not aware that readers used to actively seek out books that made you feel and think deeply about things as a form of brain exercise?

Like why, why do you think it is when you watch movies or books set way back in time that the characters who read are bullied by the hypermachismo holders and are called "sissies"?

Because books enabled readers to cry, and crying allows a person's emotional resiliency to build, and hyper machismo holders hate it when other people have emotional resilience, because they don't have it.

Sometimes a deeply saddening thing occurs so quickly you cannot process it, because if your brain processed it right in that moment, you would stop functioning as a living being.

So you feel numb, and go through the motions, until you're safer and you start to feel happier again.

Then you read a book about a character losing someone dear to them, or how they survived child abuse, and your brain unlocks at least part of your experience in your crying and expression of catharsis on behalf of the character.

You cry and things feel better, and you're not as likely to shutdown over a memory overwhelming you when you least expect it.

AND if you are so lucky as to have not encountered anything so heart-rendingly awful yet, YOUR BRAIN IS STILL HELPED.

It now has an example to compare to when you do encounter deeply traumatizing events, and can cite the book as an example of "they moved past this style of event, I believed it possible for them, I can do it too."

Like maybe the character had magic to help them, but usually - it's not the magic that gets you out of a bad situation.

It's working with a friend, or listening to good advice from someone knowledgeable.

It's helping someone in need as you see it happen, without any thought of it being returned.

It's stopping your distress and thinking of a solution with the resources you have at hand.

It's convincing your jailer that this is unjust for everyone.

The triumph in spite of bad things happening to us is the Part that builds resiliency, and that cannot happen without a whumph getting in the way.

Like sure, the authors can make it so your favorite character that is the stand in for who you desire to be doesn't die, but would it be as compelling to read without that risk of loss?

If it was just rainbows and sunshine all of the time for everyone, wouldn't you just be reading another "billionaires get everything they want" story?

Not every book is going to be for you.

Did I throw The Last Battle across the room after C.S. Lewis decided to kill off Susan's Entire Family (we're talking 20+ funerals from a train crash before their family reunion) and then Victim Blamed Her for Not Believing in Aslan anymore? You betcha.

Did I think that sucked? Yes..100%

Did it serve his story? ...as loathe as I am to admit it, yes, he wanted to drive home the Christian Allegory and make Susan out to be a pragmatic adult, but one who lost faith in the stories of their childhood. We're supposed to feel less sympathy for her as she turned into a snooty Karen like mother to her kids. Her kids were on the train, as was her husband.

So do I hate C.S. Lewis? No, but I know now that he's willing to sacrifice anything in his story to make a point about faith and Christianity.

And all the Blorbo-Defenders from upthread really need to read more books if they think the WORST thing you can do to a character or your readership is kill a character off.

Sometimes, the worst thing you can do to a character is leave them as the Lone Survivor.

And it's better to experience it in a book, to become a more resilient person. To have catharsis built into your escape.

im starting to think you guys dont like it when stories make you feel things

[aventurineswife]

So, in one of episodes of Spy x Family, during one of Yor's missions, her butt was shot which resulted in her being constantly grumpy from pain, she couldn't tell her husband Loid about it and husband himself couldn't figure out.

So, my request, some group of people tried to attack reader (either to catch her, during one of the missions or attempt to assassinate), they managed to destroy a group, but one of still alive members attempted to kill them, but shoots in the reader's butt instead, which results to them being in pain and constantly refusing to sit down, but they didn't want to confess as it's too embarrassing for them. Request for Kafka, Jing Yuan, Aventurine, Blade, Feixiao, Silver Wolf and Firefly. (Can be read as platonic or romantic)

Through Pain, We Laugh

Tags: Kafka x Reader, Blade x Reader, Silver Wolf x Reader, Firefly x Reader, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Team Dynamics, Embarrassment, Found Family, Mild Injuries, Light Angst, Banter.

Warnings: Minor injury description, mild language, brief mentions of gunfire and violence.

Kafka always carried herself with poise, even in the face of danger. When a group of mercenaries ambushed you during a mission, her calm, calculated demeanor turned the chaos into a graceful symphony of destruction. She took down most of the attackers, making them drop their weapons and stand like obedient puppets.

But as you finished off the last assailant, a desperate grunt hidden among the rubble fired one last shot. The bullet hit its mark: your rear. The sharp pain made you yelp, but you quickly covered it with a cough, unwilling to let Kafka see you falter.

She turned to you, her eyes narrowing. "Are you alright, darling? You’re limping a bit."

You waved her off, refusing to meet her gaze. "Just a scratch. Let’s move."

Kafka smirked knowingly but didn’t press further. Yet, as the mission progressed, you found yourself increasingly irritable. The throbbing pain made sitting impossible, and standing still was no better. During a stakeout, Kafka finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"You’ve been pacing for the past ten minutes. What’s wrong?" she asked, leaning against the wall with her signature grace.

You froze. "Nothing. Just restless."

Her smile widened, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You’re a terrible liar. Did one of those grunts actually manage to hurt you?"

"N-no!" you blurted, too quickly.

She stepped closer, her voice a silky whisper. "Oh, I see. You’re too embarrassed to admit it, aren’t you? Let me guess—lower body, perhaps?"

Your flushed silence was answer enough. Kafka chuckled, a rich, amused sound. "I won’t press you further, but next time, don’t let pride get in the way of your health. We wouldn’t want you too sore to enjoy the spoils of victory."

Her wink made your cheeks burn hotter than the bullet wound, but you knew she’d keep your secret—for now.

Blade was no stranger to danger. He was always the first to step into a fight, his cracked sword cleaving through enemies with precision. During the ambush, he moved like a shadow, dispatching attackers before they even realized he was there.

You held your own, but one assailant got lucky. The moment you turned your back, a gunshot rang out, and sharp pain bloomed in your backside. You stumbled but quickly straightened, refusing to show weakness.

Blade noticed your wince but said nothing, his eyes briefly flicking to you before returning to the battlefield. Once the last enemy fell, he sheathed his sword and walked over.

"You’re hurt," he said bluntly, his gaze piercing.

"It’s nothing," you replied through gritted teeth.

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You’re favoring your left side. What happened?"

"I said it’s fine," you snapped, your irritation fueled by both pain and embarrassment.

Blade’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes softened—just slightly. "If you’re injured, it’s better to address it now. Pride won’t stop infection."

You bit back a groan as the pain flared again. "It’s... not serious. Just leave it."

To your surprise, Blade didn’t push further. Instead, he turned and started walking. "Suit yourself. But if you collapse later, don’t expect sympathy."

His dry tone was infuriating, but the slight smirk you caught as he turned away told you he knew exactly what had happened—and he wasn’t letting you off the hook.

Silver Wolf treated every mission like a level in her favorite game. This one had been particularly fun—an ambush filled with “noobs” who underestimated her hacking skills and combat prowess. With her “aether editing” ability, she turned the tide easily, and you were right there beside her, holding your own.

That is, until a stray bullet hit you square in the rear. You bit your tongue to keep from crying out, your pride refusing to let Silver Wolf see your pain.

When the dust settled, she turned to you, grinning. "That was sick! You okay, though? You’re walking funny."

"Fine," you muttered, trying to play it cool.

She tilted her head, her purple glasses catching the light. "Really? 'Cause it looks like you’re trying not to sit on a spike."

"I’m fine," you repeated, more forcefully this time.

Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Alright, whatever. But if you’re gonna keep standing during our post-mission chill time, I’m definitely gonna roast you for it."

You grumbled under your breath, refusing to meet her gaze as you leaned awkwardly against a wall. As she pulled out her game console and plopped onto the ground, she smirked up at you.

"By the way," she said casually, not looking up from her screen, "next time you take a bullet to the butt, just say so. I could’ve hacked their aim, y’know."

Your face turned beet red, and Silver Wolf’s laughter echoed through the room.

The ambush had been swift and chaotic, leaving you and Firefly back-to-back in a flurry of gunfire and explosions. The Stellaron Hunter’s sharp instincts saved you both more than once, her hair catching the light as she darted through the battlefield like a ghost.

The last attacker, desperate and cornered, aimed his weapon recklessly. Firefly moved to block, but the bullet veered off course, striking you in the most humiliating place imaginable.

You hissed in pain, staggering. Firefly turned immediately, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“No!” you blurted, too quickly. “It’s nothing! Let’s just… move on.”

Firefly’s brow furrowed, but she nodded, respecting your privacy. However, as the mission progressed, your behavior became impossible to ignore. You avoided sitting, leaned against walls in odd positions, and grimaced every time you took a step.

“Okay,” Firefly said finally, crossing her arms. “What’s wrong? Don’t say ‘nothing.’ I’ve seen you dodge Swarm projectiles more gracefully than this.”

You sighed, heat rising to your cheeks. “It’s… personal.”

Firefly’s gaze softened. “You don’t have to tell me, but if it’s serious, we should get it treated. I won’t judge.”

Her sincerity caught you off guard. While you still couldn’t bring yourself to admit the truth, her support made the pain a little more bearable.

Later, as you limped off to find a private place to rest, Firefly called out, her voice tinged with humor. “Just don’t make it worse, okay? The Hunters can’t afford to lose someone as stubborn as you.”

Her teasing smile reminded you that even in embarrassment, you weren’t alone.

[firinnie]

The Odyssey is more brutal than Epic the Musical part 42345

I would like to say that Ithaca Saga skips a bit from the Odyssey. You have some interesting facts.

Warning for brutality below! The original clearly states that Odysseus strung his bow, did Penelope's task, and killed the suitors with the same one. By the way, the bow was described as a palintonos, I found that means that it was specific, you had to pull the string other way. Most likely, suitors not had such experience and simply tried to shoot the wrong way. Or Odysseus was Luisa Madrigal.

The suitor who gets shot after he talks about "Open arms", I think, could be Eurymachus. In the original he says it right after Antinous was killd but Eurymachus tries to convince king that their leader planned everything and since he is dead now the killing should stop. We have the same logic in the song "Odysseus".

And as for the slaughter. The suitors were killed not only by Odysseus but also by his loyal servants - Eumaeus (raised like his brother, the whole book is about him), Philoetius and… TELEMACHUS. He is not a Disney Princess there.

Goatherd Melanthius is the one who finds the hidden weapon and wants to give it to the suitor. He used to serve them and give them the largest animals, he also tried to get Eumaeus into trouble with them. But fortunately he and Philoetius find him, immobilize and laugh at, and after the battle swineherd takes him on. Eumaeus (with the kind help of others) cuts man up alive and feeds him to his dogs, starting with the unfaithful collaborator's genitals. Melanthius' nose, ears, hands and feet were cut off, but his penis was torn out. It is not certain whether he was killed after that or was to exist in long agony until death.

Speaking of death, Melanthius' sister and eleven other maids who were hanging around with suitors were forced to clean up the blood and bodies, and then Odysseus tells his son to cut their throats. Telemachus considers this too mild a death and hangs the twelve women himself, instead.

Btw Penelope ordered her faithful servant Eurycleia to move the bed in front of her husband, not him. In the original and Epic his anger stems from fact that Odysseus thinks Penny changed the bed he built for one that can be moved.

The families of suitors want revenge and are ready to continue the fight. Antinous' father is killed by Laertes, father of Osysseus (hell yeah) but this small uprising quickly ends when Athena appears and pacifies the company. Athena also makes the night go longer so Penelope can enjoy her husband in peace. Epic leaves the gate open and the bridge between her and Ody burnt, that is very sad for me.

But well, I think these are the most interesting facts :)

[joels-darlin]

A Very Merry Christmas Morning

18+ Only!

Pairings: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

Warnings: sexual content, smut, fingering, teasing, pet names, Christmas smut hehe, no outbreak

Summary: Christmas Mornings spent with Joel are different than what you are used to and this year he wanted to give you an extra special present.

Word Count: 997

Author Note: Listen don't even ask hides. This might be heavily fuelled by beer and wine right now, as well as the delusions that have been living in my head rent free all day - believe me this is how I made it through.

I am also making the most of not being depressed for once, the itch to write smut has been killing me! Tbh I am particularly just feral in general right now whoops, no better way to channel it than writing about my husband. Its been quite awhile since I even considered writing smut, I am fairly rusty, but gave it a good crack so enjoy. I am actually proud of myself, I wrote this in a couple of hours.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and and Happy New Year! <3

Read on AO3

Christmas mornings had very much changed over the past few years. Once considered civilised chaos in the family home, had now become slower and more enjoyable after moving in with your long term boyfriend Joel and his daughter Sarah. She was a teenager now not often leaving her bedroom until at least midday, even on the most anticipated day of the year.

You had always considered yourself an early riser, often up at the crack of dawn or even before your alarm; making the most of day. But Christmas Day was the one you allowed just that extra bit of time in bed, making the most of the fresh bedsheets you had swapped out the night before and enjoying the feeling of being cuddled up in the warmth of Joel’s arms. It wasn’t often that you got to spend time like this - life was busy.

The feeling of Joel shifting in bed had brought you to, craning your neck to peek at the clock on bedside table - the numbers 7:32am staring back. Rolling over you where met with the chocolate brown eyes of your man, a soft smile adorned across his face.

“Merry Christmas baby girl” he crooned, sleep still evident in his voice.

“Merry Christmas my love” you beamed back at him leaning over to kiss him softly on the lips. Except he was sneaky, sliding his hands into the back of your hair to pull you closer, deepening the kiss further, teeth grazing against your lips nibbling ever so lightly.

Joel knew what he was doing, knew your body like the back of his hand and could get you going with a simple kiss. As if on cue you felt the burning desire pooling in your lower stomach, evident that your matching pyjama shorts were now flooded in hot, wet arousal. He was no longer a want but a need. You still had a couple of hours yet before anyone needed to be awake, so why not make the most of it.

“Joel…” you whined softly, detaching your lips from his.

“Tell me what you need sweet girl” his southern accent now laced with desire.

“You, just you” you moaned softly again, his hands under your pyjama top roaming your body. The feeling of his callouses against your soft skin leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. You chose a good night to not wear any underwear. Joel continued, hands now traversing around the front of your top cupping both your breasts, squeezing ever so softly, making you moan. Taking it a step further by rolling your nipples through his thumb and forefinger, back arching involuntarily at his touch. Fuck me, this man. Joel loved how your body responded to his simple actions and had voiced that on many occasions - watching you squirm and writhe beneath him was one of his favourite things.

“Gonna give you an extra present baby girl” he whispered, the feeling of his breath tickling against the skin of your earlobe. Making a mental note to return the favour later on.

“Fuck darlin’ you are so wet for me” he said breathless. The teasing was enough and Joel had slid his hand inside your pyjama bottoms, legs parting instinctively for him. He was driving you insane, fingers lazily trailing over your entrance where the arousal pooled heavily. Collecting some of it he teased running the tips of his fingers through your folds and hitting your clit lightly, making you gasp in pleasure.

“Open up” he demanded. You did as Joel said opening up your mouth, sliding two fingers inside. The taste of you own arousal flooding your senses straightaway. Rolling your tongue you cleaned off the slick from his fingers. “Such a good girl for me aren’t you, love the taste of you” he groaned.

“Please Joel, more” you begged with anticipation, craving the feeling of his thick, calloused fingers inside your center. Joel gave in to your pleas and traversed his hand down your body, where in one simple movement sunk two fingers inside of your core. The sheer pleasure causing you to lift your arm and bite down on the material of your sleeve to cover a loud moan. Hopefully no-one else in the house heard that.

Curling his fingers slightly just to hit that sweet spot, he knew exactly what to do. Dropping his head into the crook of your neck Joel started biting and sucking on the skin there continuing to drive you absolutely wild, his tongue glancing over each area he marked. He continued to pump his fingers in and out at a steady pace, the sensation from his thick fingers nearly sending you tumbling over the edge. The sounds of your quiet moans and his fingers working away at your hot, wet core filling the room.

“Good girl” Joel muttered, the low and gravely tone sending multiple shockwaves of pleasure below, clenching around his fingers. If he kept calling you that you were done for. “Joel…fuck” you moaned, walls continuing to flutter and tighten around him, his fingers sinking deeper and deeper with every movement.

“Come for me darlin’ please” he begged. Moving to graze his thumb across your clit. All it took was a couple of swipes, your climax hitting fast and hard as Joel pumped his fingers faster inside of you; back arching off the bed as your quiet moans filled the room.

It took a few minutes to come down from the high. Laboured breaths of yours the only sounds bouncing off the walls of the room, core continuing to flutter and clench around nothing - Joel’s fingers now completely withdrawn as you lay in his arms.

“Well I know what I am asking Santa for next year Miller” you turned to smile up at him, small giggle leaving your lips. Making him grin in response, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to your lips.

You prayed every single Christmas morning the the rest of your life was like this.

[1americanconservative]

@BrotherRasheed

I was born and raised as a Muslim. My father was the imam of our village mosque. I had no intention of leaving Islam if I believed it was the truth. However, I left it because it no longer made sense to me, and I could not reconcile its issues.

1. Problems with its founder, Muhammad

Muhammad’s actions and teachings raise significant concerns:

•He was a violent leader, involved in 27 wars and 56 raids, most of which he initiated rather than defended. •He subjugated neighboring tribes, enslaved their men, women, and children, and engaged in sexual relations with one of the captives just days after killing her family, including her husband. •He married his adopted son’s wife and wed a child, Aisha, when she was only 9 years old, while he was 53. •He exhibited questionable behavior, like having sexual relations with all his 11 wives in one night without even washing in between, and sometimes forgetting next day whether he had done sex or not. •He demanded 20% of war booty, suggesting a pursuit of power, wealth, and sexual gratification under the guise of prophethood. •He was misogynistic, teaching that women: •Have half the intelligence of men. •Are the majority of Hell’s inhabitants. •Appear in the image of Satan. •Are inherently crooked due to being created from a crooked rib. •Are cheaters and unfit to rule.

2. Issues with the Quran

The Quran contains teachings and errors that are deeply troubling:

•It promotes hatred towards non-Muslims through the concept of Al-Walaa wal-Baraa (loyalty to Muslims and disavowal of non-Muslims). •It commands Muslims to wage war against non-believers until they submit to Islam, and imposes the Jizya tax on Christians and Jews who refuse to convert. •It allows men to beat disobedient wives, and assigns women half the inheritance and testimony value of men. •It is riddled with historical inaccuracies, such as: •Confusing Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Miriam, the sister of Aaron. •Referring to Samaria as existing during the time of Moses. •Claiming that Haman was a minister of Pharaoh. •Depicting Alexander the Great (Dhu al-Qarnayn) as a prophet sent by God and a virtuous man.

3. Islam’s incompatibility with modern laws

Islamic Hudud punishments are incompatible with human rights and modern legal systems. These include:

•Amputations for theft.

•Stoning and lashing for adultery.

•Crucifixion.

•Execution of apostates.

These are barbaric 7th-century laws that have no place in today’s world. For these reasons and more, I could no longer follow Islam.

[presidentdisastraofgallifrey]

Companions Ranked by how Much the Rest of their Life was Ruined

Not included: companions who only went on one or two adventures or popped in and out of the story on their own

Also not included: Dan and Ruby (not enough info on the aftermath)

Also also not included: Mel (not to the end of her run yet) and Ace (not to her at all yet)

1. Bill: had a good time traveling but then was kept prisoner in a creepy hospital for 10 years and then turned into a cyberman so she still wins

2. Adric: blew himself up at like 15 trying to impress the Doctor, who had been a decent parental figure but then changed and was never around when he was needed and not at all supportive. Also he got tortured a lot

3. Romana: held prisoner and tortured for 20 years and then had to lead Gallifrey through some of their most chaotic episodes with no trauma support at all. To be fair that wasn’t really the Doctor’s fault, but he also didn’t offer the support she needed

4. Peri: had a terrible time traveling where he insulted her constantly and never took her discomfort seriously. Then was not just left behind she was straight up abandoned mid-adventure when she was about to be killed for science. And then she didn’t get an explanation and he didn’t come back and she had no way to get back to her own planet or time so really her only practical option was to hitch a ride from the sleazy blood thirsty warlord who wanted to marry her. And this was only supposed to be a fun 3-month trip, not even a way of life for her

5. Stephen: this isn’t really the Doctor’s fault, but the eu is awfully hard on him. He was a king and had a family only to lose a child, see the others tear the family and kingdom apart, and become a depressed hermit

6. Dodo: the eu is just as hard on her. Apparently she ends up institutionalized, interrogated by the Master, homeless, and then assassinated

7. Martha: gets points for having been completely alone in a hellscape that never happened for a year, and for having to recover from that with her family, but the rest of her life was pretty alright actually

8. Zoe: she was smart enough to realize she’d aged two years and pretty much destroyed her own life and ended up at the center of an experiment conspiracy because she was so desperate to remember

9. Clara: honestly she’s only this high because of the making the Doctor forget her bit. Being stuck dead is awful, but also she has a companion and a tardis and full run of the universe first and that’s really the only way her story could end without her actually staying dead

10. Nyssa: her life was hard but in a way she chose and she got to help people

11. Amy and Rory: It sucked being thrown back in time but they got to stay together and live out full lives

12. Sarah: she’s the type of person where regular life could never bring her joy again after everything she’d seen. Also she did pretty regularly get stalked, kidnapped, and shot, but she brought most of that on herself

13. Donna: gets some points for the initial impact of her ending where she lost all the confidence and experience she had gotten and went back to an aimless and unsatisfied life. But she did find love and have a kid and eventually get her memories back so she ended up alright

14. Susan: she’s in the middle because she did live a decently full life but she also lost her husband and son in horribly violent ways and then got drafted into a universe-wide war where a lot of people saw her as untrustworthy because her grandfather was a draft dodger

15. Rose: got trapped in an alternate dimension but like, with her mom and dead dad and eventually fake version of the guy she loved. Overall it wasn’t that bad for her

16. Jamie: he lived a fairly normal life but apparently as an old man ended up the weird guy on the edge of town that everyone thought the war had driven mad because he’d remembered the Doctor

17. Vicki: she was sort of fine, but also living that far in the ancient past had to be pretty hard on a daily basis

18. Harry: I don’t think the Doctor had really any effect on his life. He’s only this high because he did vanish fairly young

19. Tegan: by all accounts the rest of her life was completely uneventful and she hated every moment of it

20. Yaz: it was sad but in the way you know she’ll be ok and find happiness

21. Polly and Ben: their lives were kind of rough but in very normal human ways so it’s fine

22. Turlough: literally nothing ever happened to him again. I think the eu forgot he existed

23. Victoria: lived a pretty quiet and normal life

24. Jo: there are differing canons on whether or not she got divorced and how many kids she had, but she was alright

25. Graham and Ryan: they were good. They got to be each other’s family and the world’s heroes

26. Ian and Barbara: they were fine actually. I don’t even think their careers suffered

27. Liz: I think she actually ended up better off because of her association with the Doctor

[fairvstairs]

THOUGHTS/HEADCANONS ABOUT THE ITHACA SAGA

SPOILERS

Yes, Odysseus learned from Scylla (he used the light of the torches to find his targets) and Poseidon (he showed no mercy) but can we talk about the parallels with Polyphemus?? The "enough"??? Hello??? I don't know you but after he says it, in the chorus where they say "Odysseus", I can hear "Polyphemus".

The way his voice kept going down down every time he talked to the suitors because he was PISSED but how it came back to normal when he just said "No". That man was proud of himself in that moment.

At the end you can hear the "Just a Man" melody because Penelope loves him despite all of the horrible things he has done because, after all, he is just a man who was trying to go home.

Both his mother and his wife waited for him for years, he lost his mother because he was too late and he would have lost his wife too if he had gotten there any later.

Telemachus was scared his father wouldn't embrace him as his own because he thought he couldn't live up to who his father was.

"My son I'm finally home!" I'M CRYING I CANT OMG HES FINALLY HOME FINALLY.

Kind of wish we had more moments between Athena and Odysseus and between Telemachus and Odysseus.

His aim was always to come home to his wife and son BUT he started becoming the "monster" when someone was threatening them: he killed the infant because his family would have been hurt if he had let him live, he tortured Poseidon because he wanted to destroy Ithaca, he killed the suitors because well- you know.

At the beginning of "Would you fall in love with me again?" Odysseus sighs and says Penelope's name but later he opens the door and she starts to talk (sing), he was mentally preparing himself to face his wife, he was facing the fact that he did all of this to come back home but that she may not love him anymore (for a good reason). Penelope sings about doing things for love and Odysseus doesn't understand that she is still talking about him. HE Is the best of them all, HE is the one whose aim is true. He thinks she's ready to find a new love.

Penelope is such a smart character omg. She spent 20 years with suitors breathing down her neck, she understood that her time was running out, she made an impossible challenge AND she helped her husband realize that she would love him no matter what. He spent so many years trying to survive, she knew sweet words wouldn't have helped. The queen of Ithaca and of avoiding miscommunication.

I was a bit mad at Odysseus for his reaction to Penelope's request to move the bed (the music in the background gave me anxiety, it felt like he was getting angry) but that went away as quickly as it came, I'm glad they are okay.

I love how it all ended with "I love you", that's all Epic was really about. Odysseus made so many mistakes, suffered so much, all because of the love he has for his family.

-

These are just my opinions, please no hate! I'm a bit tipsy and English is not my first language so there could be (there will be) so many mistakes.💐

[trickphotography2]

'tis the damn season | Epilogue II

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Julie/Cece (OC, no physical description)

Word count: 4K

Synopsis: After six years away from home, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin finally went home to make his parents happy and surprise his family by spending Christmas in Magnolia, Texas. Introducing his 'pregnant' fiancee to his family was a culture clash, with rural Texas meeting California influencer. But when the truth came out, he turned to his high school sweetheart and the one that got away, Julie.

After getting married and having twins, the Jake and Julie are ready to spend Christmas together and relax.

Epilogue | Master List | Ao3

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

Epilogue II

Car doors slammed and Cece froze, french fry suspended in mid-air. Shoving the food in her mouth, she slid off the counter and crept toward the bay window in the living room, stepping over discarded toys and books. The sight of her husband leaning into the back seat of his truck usually made her happy, but today, she groaned, eyes fluttering closed with exhaustion. “Shit,” she breathed, forcing her eyes open and rushing back into the kitchen. Another curse fell from her lips when she stepped on a Barbie hair brush, the plastic bristles embedding in her sock. Hopping on one foot, she dislodged it and tossed the offending toy away. 

The front door opened, and the usual chaotic sounds of backpacks and jackets hitting the floor rang out. It covered the crinkling of the bag holding her half-eaten lunch and the muffled snap of the walk-in pantry door shutting when she darted inside. Not daring to turn on the light, she moved a few steps inside and collapsed onto the floor. “Take off your shoes!” Jake called.

“Mama! We home!” 

“Mama!”

“Mama!”

“Mama, where ARE you?”

“Yeah, where is Mama?” Jake asked. 

As the three-year-old twins' voices drew closer, Cece hoped the childproof doorknob cover would continue to confuse them. But, knowing her luck, this would be the day her snack-fiend little ones would accomplish the difficult task of squeezing and twisting. As much as she loved her children, it had been a long day - hell, a long week - at the bakery in the lead-up to Christmas, to the point that she couldn't stop to eat.

So yes, hiding in the pantry from her children wasn’t her proudest parenting moment, but damn it, she was hungry and wanted to eat her chicken and fries in relative peace and comfort. Sitting on the floor made her aching feet feel better, though the cold floor was killing her back. It had never quite recovered after her pregnancy - not that a job where she was constantly on her feet made it any better. 

A chiming noise startled her, and she swiped the fry grease onto her flour-dusted legging before grabbing her phone. Cece groaned at the picture on the screen: her drink with a prominent fast food logo on the cup. Wanna explain, Mrs. Seresin? So close to dinner?

Don’t rat me out, and I’ll give you a chicken tender

Deal

Cece bit her lip to keep from laughing at the speed of his reply. From the other side of the door, she heard a clap. “I wonder if Mama’s taking a nap?”

“Yeah!” Liam said.

“Naps are for babies,” Abby huffed.

“Naps are for tired parents and growing kiddos,” he countered. “Now, we have to be very quiet in case she is sleeping, alright?”

“Shhhh,” Liam shushed loudly.

“Right. Now, where would Mama take a nap? The bathtub?” 

“No!” the twins giggled. 

“Really? Mama took naps in the bathtub when we were in college. Wanna go check?” The sound of running was the only response, followed by a cautious, “Be careful - and don’t wake Mama up!”

The pantry opened quickly, allowing her the briefest glimpse of a silhouette before shutting. The sound of callouses on the wall was her only warning before the overhead light turned on. Clapping a hand to her eyes, Cece heard a deep chuckle and peeked through her fingers to see a sight for sore eyes: Jake crouching in front of her, his green eyes crinkling with suppressed laughter. When her hand dropped, he lifted her cup to his mouth, sipping from the straw. “I only slept in the bathtub once.” 

The unexpected words made him choke on the soda, and he cleared his throat before setting the cup beside her. “Your 21st was pretty memorable, from what I heard,” he agreed. Carefully lowering his bad knee to the floor, he planted a hand beside her hip and curved the other around her cheek. 

Jake still smiled every time he kissed her. 

Cece’s eyes fluttered closed, eyelashes dusting the tops of her cheeks. The tension drained from her body when their noses brushed. His forehead pressed against hers, and her hand curled around the back of his neck, tangling in the short hairs. “Hey, Cupcake.”  

“Hi,” she breathed. 

“Another long day?” Sighing, she nodded, trying - and failing - to open her eyes. “Almost over, at least.”

“Thank god. Remind me to hire more staff next year.”

“Will you listen to me next time or tell me the same thing you did this year?” The thinly veiled ‘told you so’ was motivation enough to open one eye and half-heartedly glare. Jake’s whispered suggestion that she bring on holiday staff had been dismissed whenever he brought it up. Even though the coffee shop/bakery was doing well, increasing payroll - even temporarily - still felt risky when she could handle the work with her usual crew. But the volume of sales and orders kept increasing, and she’d returned to work multiple times after putting the twins to bed to prep for the following day. 

Chuckling, he leaned forward to kiss her again. “You’re a meanie-head,” she muttered, using their son’s favorite insult. He laughed against her mouth, pulling away to run his thumb lightly over the dark circles under her eyes. 

“Well, this ‘meanie-head’ misses you. You have to go back - ”

“Daddy!”

“Where he go?”

Small hands slapped the pantry door, and they both bit back a groan. “Maybe if we’re really quiet, they’ll go away,” Cece whispered. That hope quickly went out the window when the pounding continued, joined by the spinning of the child lock on the knob and a thud.

“Hey!” Jake snapped. “You better not be kicking my doors.” The pounding stopped immediately. “Go sit on the couch. Daddy’ll be there in a minute.” The twins loudly made their way out of the kitchen as Cece smothered her laughter at their childish grumbling, resting her head on his shoulder. “They get that from you,” he huffed.

“Excuse me! You’re the one who punches trees.”

“Not for years.” 

“Thank god. We know how it ended the last time you did.”

“Pretty sure it ended with you kissing me.” Wrapping her fingers in the collar of his flight suit, she kissed him again. 

“Who would have thought we’d be hiding in the pantry six years later?” 

“Who woulda thought,” he agreed. “Now, I think you owe me a chicken tender, Mrs. Seresin.” Groaning, her head tipped back, and she smiled when Jake’s mouth gravitated to the hinge of her jaw.

“Any chance you’d be willing to exchange a tender for something else, Lieutenant Commander Seresin?”

“What’d you have in mind?”

“Gift wrapping tonight, then maybe…” her fingers skated down his front, toying with the zipper tab. 

“Bedtime can’t come soon enough,” he murmured before crushing his lips to hers. She didn’t notice his hand sneaking into the bag at her hip until he pulled away and clamped a fry between his teeth. Reaching behind her, he grabbed two juice boxes from the shelf and pushed to his feet. “Enjoy your contraband. I’ll keep them distracted for a bit.”

With a wink, he walked out of the pantry. Greeted by the squeals of the kids, he quickly closed the door, hiding her from view.

A loud moan burst from her mouth, and Cece turned to stifle it in her arm. Jake chuckled from where he knelt between her thighs, hands closing around her waist when she pushed back against him. “Feel good, baby?” A whimper and nod were her response, and he grinned, planting a fist in the mattress by her shoulder and brushing aside her shower-dampened hair to kiss the back of her neck. Cracking one eye open, she smiled sleepily at him.

“Harder.” 

“I feel like I’m gonna break your back if I go harder,” he said, shifting back onto his knees and resting his hands on the swell of his wife’s ass.

“You won’t,” she assured him, wiggling slightly to invite him to return his hands to where she wanted them. After a moment, she felt his thumbs digging into her lower back and moaned again. Pregnancy had destroyed her back, and - contrary to what the doctors said - it wasn’t getting better on its own. After spending a small fortune on massages, Jake started watching videos online and offered to do them. 

“It’s the least I can do,” he’d teased before the first one, his touch light and unsure. “Especially after you did all the work to have them both look like me.” 

Cece hoped the massages wouldn’t stop after her MRI in January. 

Goosebumps erupted on her skin when his fingers grazed the curve of her breast as his hands moved higher, thumbs running parallel to her spine. The bed dipped as he moved to her side, and Cece lifted her head to rest on her folded arms. Through half-lidded eyes, she watched him work; his brows furrowed with concentration as he soothed her aching muscles. As much as she loved the attention from her husband, it was bittersweet. She knew he felt some misplaced sense of guilt over her body not bouncing back after delivering the twins, and he was well aware of her reluctance to discuss having any more kids until they figured out what was wrong. Living off of over-the-counter painkillers and dealing with tingling in her arms and fingers wasn’t fun, and he hated thinking about the night her pain had flared up so badly that he’d had to carry her into the emergency room while Phoenix and Rooster sat with the twins. 

Cece hated that it sometimes felt like she was edging closer to eighty than in her thirties and that she couldn’t play with her kids as much as she wanted to without feeling it the next day. But not a single part of her would have changed it if it meant being without Abigail and Liam. She loved talking to them about their day at ‘school’ - the daycare on base that they were fortunate enough to get spots in - and everything they learned that day. Kneeling by the tub and watching the epic stories they created with their toys. The weight of them crawling into their bed after waking up in the middle of the night, fingers tangling in her hair, and the odd elbow, knee, or foot nudging her, echoing their movements when she’d carried them.

But most of all, Cece loved seeing Jake as a father. Having witnessed the Seresin men parent for years, it shouldn’t have been surprising that he took to it like a duck to water. He had been there for every midnight feeding, helping to juggle the babies on the nursing pillow and cooing as they burped or spit up. There was no judgment when she couldn’t hold them when it came time for shots, and she fell in love with him just a little more when she saw the tears gleaming in Jake’s eyes as their children wailed after every injection. The way he sought her out after having to mete out punishment, curling up in her lap and regretting making their little lips wobble and tears spill down their cheeks as he dissected every word made her want to laugh and cry and hold him. 

“Will’s the same way with the boys,” Ally had once told her. “He hates punishing them and thinks they’ll hate him forever, no matter how many times I tell him they’ll forget about the time out or getting sent to bed without dessert. He thinks he’s traumatizing them.” 

And Abigail… she was a force to be reckoned with. Older by fourteen minutes, she was well aware of her status as the firstborn and had inherited generations of Seresin bull-headedness. When Cece had remarked on this to her mother-in-law, Mama Seresin had only laughed. “Your mama and daddy come from a long line of stubborn folks, too, Julie. My granddaughter comes by it honest from her grandparents AND her parents.” 

Liam, though… Liam was her sweet boy, who loved to cuddle with her. A true mama’s boy, he broke his daddy’s heart every time he pushed out of his arms and reached for her. On nights she worked late, Cece would inevitably get a call from her son, tears on his face as he begged her to come home. It bothered Jake how quickly the switch would flip - if she wasn’t home, Liam was fine. But when it came time for bed, or she was in sight, Liam wanted nothing to do with his father. Will had assured him that it was expected - Tyler had gone through the same thing, and Kevin was in the same stage - but it was cold comfort. 

“Keep goin’, and I’m gonna fall asleep,” Cece yawned. Jake chuckled, pulling away when she rolled onto her side. Lifting a heavy arm, she slung it over his shoulders and tugged him down. His lips were soft as he settled between her thighs, and she pushed down his shorts. Jake’s cock sprung free, and she took him in hand. He grunted, smirking against her mouth.

“Definitely worth a chicken tender.” That startled a laugh out of her, which choked off when he thrust into her. “Miss you, baby.”

“Holiday rush is almost over,” she panted as he rocked against her. 

Afterward, she snuck into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and glasses while Jake grabbed the wrapping paper and gifts. And, as they wrapped presents, they caught up on each other’s day and traded kisses. Tipsy and tired, she giggled while pulling off her shirt and pressing two bows to her nipples, posing when her husband grabbed his phone and snapped a picture.

Thankfully, everything was hidden away when little hands opened the bedroom door. Jake lifted the twins into bed when Abby poked him awake, forfeiting his time to spoon with his wife. Instead, he cuddled his daughter to his chest as Liam starfished over his mother, his towhead tucked under her chin and fingers tangling in her shirt.

“Squeeze gently,” Cece cautioned, then bit her lip when a glob of green frosting burst out of the piping bag. 

“Beautiful,” Jake snickered. Liam beamed at his dad before setting aside the bag and rearranging the frosting with his finger.

“Definitely a cookie for Santa,” she said, watching Jake’s smile drop just a fraction. He was responsible for eating Santa’s cookies. Eating anything sweet after taste-testing her products for weeks turned Cece’s stomach. 

“Daddy, look!” Abby said before dumping almost an entire container of sprinkles onto her cookie. Thankfully, the paper plate caught most of them, but the rest rained down on the table, bouncing and hitting the floor. 

“Looks like another Santa cookie!” Shooting his wife a look, Jake started to sweep up the sprinkles from the table while Cece grabbed the broom. Having the kids decorate cookies on Christmas Eve was always more fun in theory than practice. 

After dictating letters to Santa and a spectacular sea battle in the bathtub that left all the Seresins soaked, it was bedtime. The twins shared a room, and Liam pulled Cece into his bed while Abby and Jake grabbed three books. The twin bed was a tight squeeze for the four of them, and Jake had to keep a foot on the floor to keep from falling out. 

The twins were asleep by the end of the Polar Express, and he moved Abby to her bed while Cece carefully extracted herself from Liam’s grasp. Together, they tiptoed out of the room, splitting off at the kitchen. “What time do you want to put the stuff out?” Jake asked, walking into the living room and offering her a glass of water. Lying on his stomach with his head resting on her chest, he tucked his head under her chin, shivering with pleasure when Cece’s fingers carded in his hair, nails lightly scratching his scalp. One arm dangled from the side of the couch while the other loosely wrapped around her, eyes drifting closed.  

“Maybe an hour? That way, they’re really asleep and before they come into our room.”

“You think we’ll ever get our bed back to ourselves?”

“Not for a few years,” she smirked.  

He was silent for a long moment, then sighed. “‘M gonna miss this when I deploy.”

“Me too.” The notice had hit his inbox a few weeks ago, and he’d told her as soon as the kids were in bed. While he’d gone on a few short missions since their birth, this would be the first time he would be gone for an extended period. “It’s only three months.”

“A long three months.”

“It’s what? A couple weeks longer than a semester?” She asked, lifting a shoulder. “We’ve done longer than that.”

“What if the kids forget about me?” His eyes shot open when Cece flicked the tip of his nose. 

“Please. They won’t forget about you because you’re away for a few months.” Catching her hand, he ran his thumb along her wedding band as her nails lightly scratched the back of his neck. 

“They might.”

“Not gonna happen.” 

“They’re little, and their memories aren’t that good.”

“Three months isn’t enough time to erase three years. Your kids aren’t going to forget you.” 

“Are you gonna be okay?” That made her pause for a heartbeat.

“I’ll miss you.”

“You’re gonna be outnumbered.”

“It’ll be easier than when they were both in diapers.”

“I’m thinking of dropping my papers.” Cece’s movements froze as she blinked down at the crown of his head, eyebrows nearly reaching her hair. “I just… I don’t want to lose my family to the Navy. Not again.”

Shaking off his hold, her palm rasped on his stubble as she encouraged him to meet her soft gaze. Worry creased his brow, the Christmas tree lights twinkling in his solemn green eyes. “You won’t, Farm Boy. I promise you - Abby, Liam, and I will be here waiting for you to come home.” 

“I worry - ”

“I know you do,” she cut him off. “And I love you for it. But we’ll be okay. Let’s… let’s talk about dropping your papers in the New Year if you’re really thinking about it.”

“I am.”

“Alright. I just…” her teeth dug into her lower lip momentarily before clearing her throat. “I don’t want you makin’ a hasty decision after all of the work you put in without giving us a chance to prove that we can do it.” When he opened his mouth to reply, Cece placed her finger over his lips. “The New Year.”

Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, he pushed onto his hands and kissed her, licking into her mouth. Time seemed to slow as they made out on the couch like teenagers, the couch feeling just slightly larger than his truck cab in high school. 

And, after putting the presents under the tree and stuffing the stockings, Jake flipped the lock on their bedroom door after pressing his wife against it, fingers delving into her panties to find her wet. 

Not even an hour later, small hands hitting wood woke them, accompanied by sleepy cries for Mama. Pausing only long enough to pull on his boxers and toss Cece her clothes, he crossed the room and unlocked the door. The twins stumbled in, Abby raising her arms for him to lift her while Liam rubbed his eyes and ambled toward his mother’s outstretched arms. “C’mere baby,” Cece cooed. 

“Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” the kids screeched as the call connected, and they caught sight of their grandparents. Nursing her second cup of coffee and nibbling on another orange cranberry scone, Cece smiled at her in-laws. After saying their hellos, the grandparents focused on their grandchildren, making appreciative noises at everything they tried to share while talking over one another. 

Setting aside his second plate of French toast casserole, Jake acted as a cameraman as Liam showed off his new dinosaurs and Hot Wheels, and Abby her baby dolls and dress-up clothes.

Thankfully, the only knitted baby blanket this year had been addressed to Abby for her toys.  

Will and Ally were at the main house, and Jake and Cece caught sight of them as the phone was passed around. Ty and Kev took their turn showing off their presents, and the four cousins talked over one another. 

But then Bill took the phone and cleared his throat. “Your Granny and I got you kids a present. I need you to put on your boots and jacket so we can go see it.”

“What’d you get, Pops?” Jake asked, shooting a look at his wife.

“Just something for them to enjoy whenever y’all come out. Keep ‘em distracted while we paint the house.” The bi-annual house painting was scheduled for the summer, not too long after Jake was to get home from the deployment. They’d already decided to take time off and drive home on a road trip, partly to allow themselves to explore and partly to save on the expense of flying the four out and renting a car.

Once the family was bundled up and the twins settled in their parents' laps, Bill led them outside to the barn. Jake bit his tongue, having a pretty good idea of the gift. The camera shook as Bill told his grandsons to stay back before passing it off to Mama Seresin.

And there, standing in the last stall with its head peeking out, was a spotted Appaloosa. She stuck out on a farm that mainly bred Quarterhorses and American Paints. “Horsie!” Abby squealed, bouncing in Jake’s lap as he ran a hand down his face. 

“Pops.”

“You got them a horse?” Will huffed. 

“She’s beautiful!” Ally sighed. 

“Broken for riding already,” Bill said proudly, striding closer and petting her forelock. “Her last owners said she loved kids and taught theirs how to ride.” Ty and Kevin got closer, each holding one of Will’s hands.

“How big is she?” Cece asked.

“Just under 15 hands,” Mama Seresin answered. “And sweet as can be. Don’t worry, Julie - the twins will be in good hands with her.”

And they were. When summer came, the Seresin grandchildren took turns riding Nutmeg. Abby and Liam were only slightly behind their cousins in riding lessons and would have stayed in the barn all day if allowed. 

So when Jake saddled up two horses, handing Abby up to Cece, and settled his son in front of him, the twins held tight to the saddle horns and grinned excitedly. After months of physical therapy, Cece was feeling better than ever with her back pain - multiple bulging disks right where her uterus had pulled on her spine - finally being addressed. “Ready?” he asked, looking back at his wife, who nodded and adjusted Abby’s little cowgirl hat on her head. The ride across the ranch was slower; both parents worried about kids bouncing out of saddles, but it was still enjoyable. Liam, who had clung to Jake after he got home, asked a million questions as they rode. 

Under his favorite tree on the property, Cece laid out a picnic she’d packed while Jake tumbled in the high grass with the kids. When called to eat, he sat beside his wife and listened to her story about running into Betty Roberts in the grocery store. He was positive that there was some new story about them running through Magnolia. There were plans to have dinner with Lucy and her family and to stop by the firehouse to introduce the kids to some of Brian’s friends. 

And, of course, they needed to visit her parents.

On their last night in Magnolia, they sat on the front porch swing, watching the twins chase fireflies with their cousins. With his eyes drooping closed and his wife’s head resting on his shoulder, he sighed contentedly.

“Hmm?” Cece hummed. 

“Nothin’,” Jake replied. “Just thinkin’ about how happy I am to be home.” 

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

Author's Note: I couldn't *not* revisit Jake and Julie at Christmas. I credit @tgmreader for encouraging me to continue writing these two. I had fun going back through the fic and pulling out reminders of my favorite scenes (such as Jake being comforted by Cece on the couch, and having Liam sleep the same way).

I definitely pulled the back pain part from my friend's experience with it after having her twins.

Happy (belated) Christmas to those who celebrate!

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[moregraceful]

made it one (1) cookie into christmas day cookie baking without a standmixer before i went this cannot stand, and now i have had my finger on the launch button of my shopping cart on the kitchenaid website for 45 minutes. an interesting thing about me is i will buy a customized jersey for $250+ without thinking twice, but then i look at a kitchenaid stand mixer and i'm like no i couldn't POSSIBLY...it is EXTRAVAGANT... even though a stand mixer will easily get more use on a consistent basis than um. z.ach h.yman leafs jersey. &tc

livejournal posting on the microblogging website

having a very nice christmas so far. i am spending it alone and earlier this week i spent about 10 minutes feeling sorry for myself about it, and then said WHAT the fuck am i doing. to wake up on christmas morning and not want to kill myself is going to be the greatest gift. and made a plan to make cookies and a sheet pan dinner that my family hates but that i love. and you know what, i did not wake up and feel like ending it all, and even though i am having immense cookie struggles, i feel better than i have in years. i like building traditions. it's fun.

talked to my sister and her husband this morning and while i always feel better about everything after talking to them, today was especially nice because her husband got on the phone whipped the fuck about their neighbor's kid or kids hiding musical instruments on their property. he was like you've worked extensively with teenagers, PLEASE explain why a teenager would do something this bizarre. and it's nice when i can be of help to them these days bc they spent so much of winter and spring trying to convince me not to gaslight myself into thinking any of it was normal or survivable. it's nice to be like, ok now i am in a safe space so i can offer my infinite wisdom. also very funny to be the teenager whisperer of the family. the three of us worked through the issue and landed on a solution that didn't involve my sister's husband narcing on the kid to their very strict and religious parents about instrument-playing lol. and that made me feel good bc we are several thousand miles away from each other but we're still very present in each other's lives.

i don't know it's being christian or if it's just spending a lot of years way too drunk on new year's eve to hashtag cope and waking up on jan 1 hungover as hell like goddammit not this shit (being alive) again. but this year christmas day feels like more of the start of a new year. i think about goal-setting and trying new things to inhabit my life more vividly and today feels like more of a place to start. like the light is here and i am too etc. this is a long-winded way saying that my 2025 goal is to take more pictures bc while i do love to live in the moment, i DON'T love that i have next to no pictures of the people i love or the things that i have enjoyed seeing or the creations i have made. not to be a Instagram Poster, but it's like i would love to remember what my internet friends' faces look like. or that cool rock i saw in someone's yard... i don't have to always live in the moment about rocks and friends it's ok to be like, i am enjoying this moment and i want simple proof that it existed beyond my memory.

and i have just tried both cookies i made and they are both very strange experiences that did not really spark joy so i am going to stare intently at the kitchenaid site for another hour

[tobiasdrake]

So, who is the best mom in Dragonball?

Let's see....

Chi-Chi gets a lot of crap from the fandom for being a tiger mom. Some of that is exacerbated by the anime which broke ranks with the manga because they wanted to keep doing tiger mom bits after the point when she canonically cooled her jets. The anime really liked Chi-Chi as a gag and doesn't like to let gags go.

I cannot hold it against her that she wanted to keep her son from growing into a deadbeat hyperfixated hobbyist who coasts on his wife's inheritance like her husband. She wanted Gohan to excel academically and grow up to be a responsible, emotionally mature adult with a stable career. That's what most parents want for their kids.

And it's what Gohan wanted for himself too. Even Goku recognizes that.

But I will ding her for the "delinquent" thing. She is vocally unsupportive of her children connecting with the other side of their heritage, and that's a black mark.

Additionally, the way she chills out and is more relaxed with Goten implies a bit of favoritism. Like many parents, her firstborn is her golden child, her heir, the successor of the family name... and the other kids can go do whatever; It doesn't really matter as long as she's got her successful pride and joy.

Bulma demonstrates a surprisingly personal touch for a woman of her status. She remains glued to the infant Trunks throughout the entire Cell arc despite having enough wealth, technology, and genius acumen that she could easily hire or build someone else to look after him.

It's clear that Bulma cares a lot about her son.

Her main black mark as a parent is the way she exposes her child to Vegeta. Future Bulma sends Trunks back with little warning or preparation for meeting the absolute monster that his father is, and this is in a timeline where she's never known a Vegeta who chilled out and learned to love his family.

Present Bulma does Future Bulma one better and invites the physically abusive and emotionally neglectful Vegeta to live with her and be in constant direct contact with Trunks, while he grows bitter and resentful of them for making him soft.

And then, after he throws a violent tantrum and kills a bunch of people over that resentment, accepts him right back into her son's life with open arms. What the fuck, Bulma.

Porunga may have vouched for him but I'd nonetheless be wary about ever letting this man near my child again. He murdered half a stadium because he was mad that he loved his family. Nope nope nope.

Videl got hit with a ricochet when Super Hero came for Gohan's parenting. They're both workaholics too busy for their kid, which is what drives the plot of that film. As with Gohan, this is relatively tame, but worth noting.

18 seems pretty cool. She blackmailed a celebrity for money and got her daughter away from local sex pest the Muten-Roshi. Good for her. I think the Dragon World's Best Mom coffee mug might be in her possession?

[epicmusings0101]

I saw that someone broke down the motifs we can hear in Would You Fall In Love With Me I have a few thoughts (that are probably won't be my last).

In I can't help but wonder - Athena says that she can't help but wonder what the world could be if they all had more empathy, that she has let him astray and asks what if there is a world where they don't have to live this way.

Odysseus pauses for a few seconds and says that if that world exists, is far away from where he is (and it almost feels like a callback to Tiresias words in No Longer You - "there's a world where I help you get home but that's not a world I know") and that's a world he'll have to miss, and that this world is not his current one - but one that Athena can make it so since she'll get to live forever and he won't.

But in Odysseus, he's at his most ruthless. He has no mercy left to spare, no thoughts to give about his opponents, but in Would You Fall In Love With Me Again, Odysseus states plainly why he's not the same man that left for war.

He gives Penelope the reasons why he's not the same man, telling her everything he did to make it back home. He's giving her example of that change - the blood he has spilled, the betrayals, the lives he has hurt, and asks her if she'd still love him.

I think the use of the waiting and Penelope's calls and responses are there to imply that she's literally calling out to him - to her husband, to the man she has always known - and he's hesitating until she insists, and insists and insists.

And Jorge uses again the themes of Just a Man with a full orchestra behind it, it ends on a far more hopeful tone than everything before, because it seems to suggest that despite Odysseus own perceived notions of who he is, who he's become and how he's changed - he's just a man.

He's not the same man he was before, but within him, lies a man nonetheless.

And I feel like they all lead to Would You Fall In Me Again.

It is the final song because it connects the arcs of Odysseus from Ithaca and Troy, the Odysseus that killed without mercy, the one that killed sleeping Trojans, the one that saved his crew, the one who sacrificed his men, the one that chose himself, the one that used guile and mercy, the one that killed mercy so that he could save his family, it's almost like an amalgamation of the entire arc in just one song.

If I find the original posts that mentioned the motifs, I'll tag them.

[soapcan18]

I’m just gonna post my Ithaca Saga live-reaction rambles here bc I can’t form coherent sentences rn and I need to express my excitement:

The Challenge

PENELOPE OH MY GOD UR VOICE IS SO BEAUTIFUL

SHE KNOWS ABT THE STORM

THE BACKUPS??? HOLYY

WHOEVER CAN STRINGGGG

Am I tripping or is that the horse and the infant motif

PENELOPE UR VOICEEE AHH THE STRENGTH AND THE GENTLENESS AHH

Hold Them Down

Oh my god I’m gonna tweak

It’s about to get DARK

FUCK THE SUITORS!!

ANTINOUS!!!!

OH OH GET IT ANTINOUS

TELEMACHUS ON DIPLOMATIC MISSION I REMEMBER THAT!!!

YOOO THIS IS DARK

BOOONESSS

ONLY THE OCEAN AND I WILL KNOWWW

NO GET AWAY FROM PENELOPE!!!!

ANTINOUS UR A FUCKIN CREEP!!!!!!

KILL THEM AAALLLLLLL

THE VOCALS DEAR LORD

YEAHHHH ODYSSEUS KILL HIS ASS

Odysseus

ODYSSEUS!!!!!!

OH MY GOD JORGEEEE UR VOICEEE

I HEAR U DARE TO TOUCH MY WIFE AND HURT MY BOYYY

I. Have had. Enough.

THE ELECTRIC GUITAR OH MY GODDD

THE SUITORS’ TIME TO SHINE

THE BOW AND SCREAM EFFECT AHHH

WHERE IS HE??? WHERE IS HE???

“You think I don’t know my own palace? I BUILT IT.”

“U destroyed the serpents head” EYY BOOK REFERENCE

NO OPEN ARMS

“No” YOOOO THATS COLDDD THAT’S A POSEIDON REF

I love him just popping in here and then makes us feel like the suitors

“BEHIND YOU”

LEGENDARY MOTIF????

AGHH TELEMACHUS IS HEREEEEE

ATHENA!! OH MY GODDDD ATHENAAA

I HEARD THAT FUCKIN PIANO TRILL

“Ur very presence has doomed the king, young prince. We don’t fight fair!”

WHO IS SINGINNNN

“And he’s made a grave mistaaake”

GET OFF ME!! GET OFF ME!!

HOLD HIM DOWNNN

THE ELECTRICCCC OH MY GODDD HES FULL MONSTER

“Mercy? MERCY? My mercy’s long since drowned. It died to bring me home. And as long as you’re around, my family’s fate is left unknown. You plotted to kill my son. You planned to R### MY WIFE. ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.”

THEY SAID THE WORD???

“You filled my heart with hate. All of you who have done me wrong. THIS WILL BE YOUR FATE!”

THE CHOIRRR AHHH ITS BEEN A NO LONGER YOU REF THIS WHOLE TIME

THE SCREAMS???? THEYRE SO REALISTIC OMLLL

I Can’t Help but Wonder

THESE SONGS ARE LONG DAMN

TELEMACHUSSS 🥹

ITS AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR NOW

My heaartttt

OMG WAIT ITS TELEMACHUS SINGING

MILO SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE JORGE

His voice is so gentle oh my goddd

MY SON IM FINALLY HOME!

FATHER HOW IVE LONGED TO SEE YOUU

THE HARMONIZINGGGG

ATHENA

ATHENA!!!!

I HEAR HER QUICK THOUGHT

“Show yourself. I know you’re watching me. Show yourself.”

THE PIANOOO THE CLOCKKKK

“You were never one for hellos.”

“I can’t help but wonder what this world can be if we all held each other with a bit more empathy. I can’t help but feel like I led you astray. What if there’s a world where we don’t have to live this way?”

“If that world exists, it’s far away from here. It’s one I’ll have to miss for it’s far beyond my years. You might live forever, so you can make it be. But I’ve got one endeavor. There’s a girl I have to see.”

“Very well.”

WARRIOR OF THE MIND MOTIFFF

Would You Fall in Love with Me Again

FINAL SONGGG

SIX MINUTESS

PENELOPEEEE

THE CACOPHONY OF INSTRUMENTS OH MY GODDD ITS LIKE ODY’S ANTICIPATION

THE DOOR SOUNDD

Youuu look different

Your eyes look tired

IM GONNA RIP MY HEART OUT

I AM NOT THE MAN U FELL IN LOVE WITHHH

Waaaitinggg waaaitingggg

The stringssss godddd

“Left a trail of red on every islanddd” RUTHLESSNESS MOTIF OH MY GODD

“As I traded friends like objects I could use”CIRCE MOTIF??

“Hurt more lives than I can count on my hands” I CANT MAKE OUT A SINGLE ONE BUT PIANO IMPLIES ATHENA??

OMG WAIT CALYPSO “FOR LOVING YOU” MOTIF

WAAAITINGGGG

“If that’s true, could you do me a favor? Just a moment of labor? That would bring me some peace. See that wedding bed? Could you carry it over? Lift it high on your shoulders and take it far away from here?”

I REMEMBER THIS FROM THE BOOK AGHH

“I had built that wedding bed with my blood and sweat…”

THE ELECTRIC GUITAR COMING BACKKK AS HE GETS MORE INTENSE

“The only way to move it is to cut it from ITS ROOTS!” “ONLY MY HUSBAND KNEW THAATTT!”

AHHH I REMEMBERRRRR

PENELOPE TEAR IT UP

THE EMOTIONNNN IN HER VOICEEE

WAAAITTINGGGGG

PENELOPEEEEE

WAAAITINGGGGG

PENELOOPPEEEEEE

WAAAAITINGGGG WAAAAITINGGG WAAAAAAAITINGGGGGG AHHHHHHHHH

forrrrrr (was that the remember them motif???) youuu

Damn she sang so high

THE SYMPHONYYY

JUST A MANNNN ITS BAAACKKKK

THE ANIMATICS R GONNA GO SO HARD DEAR LORD

“How long has it been?” “20 years.”

“I love youuuu”

BRAVO 🥹

JORGE I LOVE YOUUU

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[bluerosefox]

A Sibling Sacrifice

The JL were having a normal, for them at least, meeting when suddenly a portal rips opens and spits out a young teen with snow white hair and glowing green eyes and he's carrying a bundle as he's stumbles out and lands on his knees in the meeting room.

The two main odd things about this kid was floating above the kid's head was a crown made of stars, ice, and the colors shifting like a aurora borealis and the bundle in his arms was strangely made of stars somehow, almost like a blanket of galaxies plucked out of the cosmos.

Before anyone of them could say or do anything, the kid turns around and screams towards the portal as he scrambles for it.

"JAZZ NO DON'T DO THIS! I CAN STILL FIGHT THEM! NONONONO!" but before he could reach the portal it snaps close.

The kid lands again onto the floor when he doesn't reach it in time, pleading for the damn thing to open again, and the bundle in his arms begins to cry from the jolting and noise.

The baby crying was the only thing that stopped the kid from pleading and instead focused his attention on the bundle in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so damn sorry Ellie. I should had gotten us out of there sooner, I should had saved you bef- I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything..."

Those were the rushed, raw words the kid said down to the bundle. The kid curled inwards a bit, to both shield the baby, who was calming down somewhat into tiny cry hiccups, and for himself.

Those with advanced hearing could tell the kid was still whispering apologizes under his breath as he held the baby close.

"I'm sorry everyone, I'm so sorry. I tried, I tried so hard to save everyone but in the end... I'm sorry- everyone's gone... I'm sorry."

-x-x-

[Pssst, read the tags, they clear everything up]

[the-tenth-arcanum]

rough episode for aramis

[sukibenders]

One of Rhaenyra's biggest opps (in HOTD) really was her own father. Because how are you going to proclaim your daughter as heir, only to then marry her best friend and have four kids, three sons, in an environment that is against women already as is but even more so with one sitting on the Iron Throne? And then, not only, do you not prepare her for anything political but scold her publicly, which isn't good for her image, and just....hardly do anything to aid her until you're on your last leg? And yet there are still fans saying he was a "great dad" and that he "did all he could". HA, I THINK NOT!