#Like the man really put what seems to be his most rebellious (literally) kid in charge of the rest of his children
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You know, when I think about Arcane I can't help but think about the fact that I'm not a huge fan of how Vander handled things.
I mean his heart was definitely in the right place, he wanted to protect his children and his people, but to be honest there were moments where I felt like he was very confidently doing the wrong thing.
Specially in a child rearing sense. Now I just want to put it out there, that we the audience are shown a biased depiction of Vander.
Just about every scene he's in he's surrounded by his people who (mostly) look to him for protection, his children who adore him, or his enemies who are literal drug lord gang leader bad guys and corrupt policemen. Who are not humanized by the story until after his death.
For one there's Vi's pretty obvious eldest daughter syndrome, which Vander does nothing to try and curb. In fact I feel like in most of their scenes together Vander is treating this unhealthy dynamic as Vi being her sibling's leader and that she therefor needs to take more responsibility for them.
Even though I feel like Vander teaching Vi that way of thinking caused a lot of problems for all of the kids.
Sure it's great when your kids can work together, but there shouldn't be a pecking order among them, and if there is you shouldn't encourage it.
Vander fully expects Vi to take responsibility for Powder(which makes some level of sense considering she's 4-ish years younger than Vi), but also Mylo and Claggor, who are both the same age as her.
Meaning that if Vander trusts Vi to look after herself (and Powder) I feel like he should be able to trust Mylo and Claggor to look after themselves.
Vi should not be saddled with the responsibility of being in charge of her siblings, who are literally the same age as her.
If Vander is going to be reprimanding Vi for getting into trouble, he should be getting on to Mylo and Claggor just as much.
Sure Mylo and Claggor mention that Vander is going to be upset, but it's very obvious that the majority of the responsibility rests on Vi's shoulders.
Which, sure they look up to Vi and listen to what she has to say and what she thinks they should be doing.
But if it's to the point where Vander thinks it's gotten to the point that they will literally blindly follow Vi into dangerous situations because she said so. Then I feel like it's time for Vander to have a sit down with the rest of his kids and have the very important "Thinking for yourself" talk.
It's- You can't raise your children to just blindly follow their oldest sibling their entire life, and raise the oldest child to be the caretaker of the rest of their siblings their entire life.
Yeah, Vi needs to think things through a bit more, because the other kids look up to her a lot, and will go along with whatever her plans are, because they think she knows what she's doing and they trust her.
But also the other kids need to know how to assess things for themselves, rather than just blindly follow whatever it is Vi says, no matter how much they look up to her.
Like this man fully thinks that his 15 year old daughter, who clearly has problems with her temper and being impulsive herself, should also be responsible for her two adoptive brothers who are functionally the same age as her [one with a pretty obvious superiority/inferiority complex], alongside her younger sister who already has problems of some kind of anxiety.
Mylo and Claggor are just fully not held to the same standard as Vi in spite of being the same age, and literally getting into the exact same trouble. Their choice to go along with what Vi planned, is put onto Vi's shoulders when it shouldn't be, because if Vi is old enough to know better in Vander's mind, so are Mylo and Claggor.
If it was just Powder I could somewhat understand. She's younger, more impressionable, she idolizes Vi, she's not as strong or fast as the other three and if Vi forgot that at some point Powder could have gotten left behind or hurt.
You know the general "You need to be a good role model for your younger sibling because they look to you for guidance" stuff.
Like the fact that Vi feels the need to fight Piltover in order to secure a better life for Powder in Act 1 tells me so much just how parentified Vi is when it comes to Powder's care.
Which I do think originated from before Vander adopted the girls, to be fair to Vander. Vi gives off the vibe of looking after Powder having always been her responsibility.
To be unfair to Vander, I don't think he did anything to try and undo Vi's over responsible and over protective mindset when it came to Powder after adopting them.
#arcane#thoughts about Vander's parenting style#I know he probably did spend more time with Claggor Mylo and Powder that we're just not shown#but the show didn't show us that#so in the actual show it kind of feels like Vander is trying to parent his children via the trickle down economics way of things#like if he's just Super Good at parenting Vi and he leaves her in a role of responsibility over the others#that said good parenting will just trickle down the sibling totem pole to his other three children#and I just gotta be like mmmm doesn't work with economics and it sure as hell doesn't work with parenting#he wonders why they all go along with Vi's dumb ideas that go against the rules he's made#while he makes Vi responsible/in charge of them and the other 3 all know this#Like the man really put what seems to be his most rebellious (literally) kid in charge of the rest of his children#and then wonders why they're out breaking laws and getting into street fights#Sometimes I gotta grasp the thought that Vander very suddenly became a dad of 4 after never having had children very tightly when watching#because sometimes he'll say something that sounds really wise but it's actually genuinely unhelpful#like the talk he had with Vi is literally what gave her the idea to hand herself over to enforcers and act as the fall guy#the man gave paternal advice worded so poorly his kid almost gets sent to jail over it
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Hi idk if your even taking request but I was wondering if you could do a mid 90s?? But just of fuckshit yk? 
yes ofc 🙏🙏🙏 requests are always open pookies !! hopefully I got what you're looking for 🤞🤞
FUCKSHIT ; dating headcanons
warnings ; language, mentions of weed, cigarettes, and alcohol
masterlist
this man has a soft side
he's not the hard, rebellious boy he puts an act on for
when it's just you two, he's really clingy and shit
he's usually the driver but most the time you're driving him around, istg
fucking passenger princess ass
you even have to order for him when getting fast food
"Dude just lean over me, I'm not memorizing your whole order"
he likes sharing music with you, like if he has a new favorite song or if he got into a new artist, he always goes to show you first
"It's a fuckin kids meal!"
getting high with him in his car and sleeping the nights in the back is a usual activity
skating with him ⁉️⁉️⁉️
constantly complimenting you and catcalling you
if you're learning something new, he refuses you trying to give up. literally places you back on your board and shoves you away
"you got this shawty!"
calls you all those fuckboy nicknames like ma, mamas, shawty, etc.
he usually calls you a nickname though, he likes putting the friendship you had before the relationship over the whole dating thing
very carefree in your relationship
he's not controlling at all idk what some of yall are talking about
he's pretty lowkey about the whole relationship thing, like his friends obv know and yk estees group, other skater groups and whatever, but he's not prancing it around
look, if you dress a little less for a chilly day, he's got a hoodie and probably some spare pants for you too
he's pretty much like a 7 or 8 on a pda scale but he's not making out with you in public
he'd literally kill you if you even suggested that
for valentines day you just straight up got him a tiny box of joints that you hand wrapped yourself and a six pack
he totally forgot to get you anything but repayed you in some stickers and t-shirts from motorz that you wanted
unlike popular opinion, he's not that much of a player
at least to you
there's some sort of mutual bond you've gotten from your friendship and you carried it into your relationship. there's no lying, there's no hiding shit
people fuck up, it's fine
although when he gets fucked up, he gets fucked up
he's not abusive, just scary cause he gets loud and dumb
if you have acne, he loves it. it makes you look like a real person and not all those conventionally attractive fuckers who are made of plastic
he's been diagnosed with ADD so thats a whole different thing in itself
he seems like the type of person to trace over your bacne scars with a marker
also uses the marker on your back to draw random doodles
always gotta sign his name on your shoulder blade for some reason
he loves skating with you, his passion and his love
he's corny as fuck sometimes and the other boys pick at him but he can't help it
constant makeout sessions when you're alone at motorz/at each other's houses
he subtly matches his outfits with you sometimes
like if you're wearing a red flannel, he'll wear a red tshirt. if you're wearing nikes, he is too
ass smacking competitions
#lowkeyrobin#mid90s x reader#mid90s#olan prenatt#olan prenatt x reader#fuckshit#fuckshit x reader#a24#a24 films
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Alright, I'm rewatching st 04×02 and I'm going to write stuff while it happens so I don't forget anything.
I'm going to dissect the episode by scenes, so it's going to be pretty long, but whatever.
1) Max and the boys
Nothing much to say here, but I like that it's pretty clear who Lucas and Dustin listen to the most in the serious kinds of situations. (Lucas looking at Mike after Max asked him what they were talking about, Mike shaking his head and Lucas not even hesitating to turn Max off.)
(Also, Mike being the one to stay with Will, and he probably asked Lucas to bring the others outside)
2) Joyce and Will(+ the MF)
There's so much r@pe analogy in there I don't even know where to start, and I don't think I'm going to go too far on this subject anyway because oh boy, does that make me uncomfortable.
I know people who have been r@ped before, and the way Will talks about what he feels during his episodes are so similar to how they talk about their assault. Also, the flashbacks are cristal clear about these implications. Moreover, Will feels guilty of letting the MF get to him.
(here's a direct copy-paste of the subtitles)
Will: And I tried.
I tried to make it go away.
But it got me, Mom.
Joyce: But what does that mean?
Will: [crying] I felt it... everywhere.
Everywhere.
I-- I still feel it.
[sobbing] I just want this to be over.
Joyce: It's okay. It's okay. Hey.
Listen. Look, look at me.
Will: [sniffles]
Joyce: I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again.
Whatever's going on in you, we're gonna fix it. I will fix it.
I promise. I'm here.
Alright. Now let's get out of the MF/possession situation, and just read this.
To anyone who's seen/read anything that relates to r@pe victims guilt, does that seems familiar? It does, right?
Yeah.
I won't go further about this for now, but think about it.
I like that Joyce is trying her best to be supportive of Will without making him feel ignored or like he's overeating. It's nice to see. :)
3) Eleven and Hopper
Alright, that scene was a perfect example and definition "what to not do when my kid put themselves in danger by not following the rules I gave them to protect them because I let them place expectations in me that I knew I wouldn't be able to reach before they loose their mind."
Because, seriously Hopper? You really expected that kid to not go out after almost a year without seeing anyone but a grumpy old man? Wow, really smart of you.
I'll be honest here: I don't like Hopper, and the only thing that makes me not hate him is his relationship with El. Most of the time. Not this one.
Eleven was in the wrong here, she put herself in danger by breaking the rules. Alright. But you know who was the wrong by even putting these rules in the first place? Hopper. Now, I know this was for her safety, but I'm sure they could've find something much more efficient than completely isolate her from anyone, and with only company a fucking TV.
Anyway.
In my opinion, the worst thing about this argument is Hopper insinuating that he was going to send Eleven back to the lab. I'm really fucking mad at him for that. Because of course, the logical thing to do when a traumatized teenager does something wrong for the first time in more than 300 days is to menace her to send her back the incredibly abusive hellish place she's been living in her whole childhood! Of course, what a wonderful reaction!
And about the TV thing, of course you should cut the rebellious teenager of their only distraction from the fact that they're literally forbidden from having any fucking life! That was such an amazing thing to do! Good job Jim, how smart and logical of you!!
I can't believe this man is an adult. Urgh.
My poor girl El was probably send straight back into a flashback too.
Alright I'll stop taking about this now, next scene.
4) Jonathan (+ Will being fucking possessed HELP--)
Jonathan my boy I love you <33
WILL FUCKING HELL YOU SCARED ME
5) The Wheelers
Love Mike and Nancy asking Holly things <33
6) Nancy and Jonathan
Nancy: You don't have to do this, you know.
Jonathan: Stop saying that.
[both nods]
I love them :3
7) Joyce and Will
Joyce calling the police and never getting Hopper to aweser is getting kinda old tbh--
Anyway, this isn't about them
My son Will is getting possessed and I'm excited sad about it.
8) Dustin (+Dart)
Nothing much to say here, but aww. Dustin's taking care of his murderous little friend. :)
9) The boys and Max
Okay, first of all, ew.
Now, second of all, your crush is showing so bad Dustin it's crazy lol--
And then, last but not least, I like how the boys just assumed that Mike know if/when Will is coming. It makes me happy. :3
10) Will (+Mr.Cleark's speech about fear) and Joyce
Holy shit, I forgot how fast the possession went.
11) Hopper (+ Eleven)
Ok, fuck you Hopper, this is not how you deal with teenagers. Learn to be the biggest person and apologize you dumbass adult.
Also, "for my sake, please, deal with her! (Florence to Jim about Joyce)" lmao--
12) Steve (+Billy and Tommy)
Well damn, more reason to hate those two assholes that I forgot about.
13) Jonathan and Nancy
Love how creepy that whole scene is. :)
14) Will, Joyce, Hopper
Holy cow. My poor boy's going though it.
Also, this is the part were I realized why this episode is called "Will the Wise": While Will was explaining how he felt about the "now-memories" of the vines, Joyce looked at a drawing of Will the Wise looking at a Cristal Ball, impling that he's seeing something supernatural that most people don't know about.
15) The party (+Max)
Rip Max, I promise they have nothing against you my girl!
Still love how it's clear that they trust Mike's judgement almost without hesitation. They really act as a team, and they all have their own roles. They trust and listen to each other, and I think that's beautiful. :)
16) Eleven
I like that even if she's frustrated (and has every right to be!!), she's not putting herself in danger and is actually listening to Hopper.
Also, she found the document!!
17) Nancy and Jonathan at the Lab
"you guys 'been together for long?" Lmao--
Anyway.
Still can't believe that the Russians were brought up already! These guys are everywhere!
18) Will's drawings
Hopper: Vines. He's drawing vines.
Wow, good job Hopper. First actually smart thing you've said today.
Sorry sorry, let's be serious for a bit.
These drawings are actually really cool. And also pretty disturbing, but that was a given.
I'm really impressed at how fast Will draws too, tbh--
19) Max and Lucas
Now that's kinda sad.
They signed NDAs Max, they can't tell you wear, sorry 😔
20) Max and Billy (+Lucas)
Urgh, here comes the racism.
My girl Max deserves a hug, and Billy should shut his crap and die already.
21) Hopper
I forgot what he's gonna do with those pumpkins ._.
22) Eleven
Noooooo, El my baby :(
23) Mike and Joyce
Joyce at this point you should know that you son tell Mike everything. Including the shadow monster shit. Stop trying to deny him.
24) Nancy and Jonathan
I love how Nancy's being a total badass, and Jonathan's like "yep, okay, that's hot-"
25) Dustin (+Dart)
NOOOOOOO, NOT THE CAAAAAAAATTTT D:
I trusted you Dart :((
Anyway, on a more serious note, how the fuck did Dustin hide those big-ass blood stains from his mom??
26) Hopper
Holy shit, that hole's big as fuck. Every kid's dream beach hole. (Sorry, sorry)
Alright, he's underground, Jesus fucking Christ, I forgot about that.
— End note
Can we talk about how amazing Noah and Millie's acting skills are?? I got chills from Will's overfocused looks and really bad for him while he was crying. Millie made me feel so bad fol El istg I wanna hug her. :(
Obviously the same goes with everyone else, but these two are the ones who made me feel the most things during this episode!
Alright, I'm done with this episode! I might start with the next one soon. :)
#stranger things rewatch#stranger things 2#stranger things#st2 rewatch#st2#will byers#eleven hopper#04×02#Will the Wise#stranger things 2 analysis#stranger things analysis
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Constant hickey/nape is for hubby jokes aside, do you think there's any significance to Sherlock growing out his hair? I keep thinking that growing your hair out is meaningful in different cultures, but that could just be the Sunday School kid in me remembering Nazarite vows specifically.
Obviously his hair was pretty long anyway so it could just be a preference, and any guesses about some meaning would be total speculation at this point, but I guess I'm wondering if there's any immediate "Oh, it could mean such-and-such!" that comes to mind from Japanese culture or in general. (Though I mean, at this point Sherliam is so canon that the nape thing might actually be the wink-wink-nudge-nudge reference that's being made.)
Firstly, I want to thank you for providing something for my brain to pivot on to focus properly when I asked. Man. I do like people asking things they're actually interested in. But. Sometimes I just need an anchor for my wandering brain.
Now, for the answer to this.
I think redesigning the deuteragonist to this extent is not something done lightly or without reason--especially since Miyoshi-sensei put so much care into each character's design from the get go, to the point of having Billy designed and ready to go five years ago.
As for what it means, hm. That's a bit trickier. There's plenty of things about hair in Japanese culture, but Sherly's hair isn't really a Traditional Japanese hairstyle (nor is anyone else's).
Longer hair is often used to show a time skip--and as Sherlock was the first character we sort of saw after the time skip, it could've just been that if he didn't keep his hair long. And it wasn't so significant. And they hadn't literally just told us it was three years later in the manga.
Most characters also didn't really receive much or anything in way of redesign after the time skip. John briefly had a mustache, but it's already gone. And Bond's transition happened ages ago for other reasons. So what we really end up with is:
Sherlock and his new wardrobe (much more formal and conservative from all appearances), his new hair (longer, wilder, more feminine (?), less conventional, more rebellious)
William and his new scar, blindness, and eye patch. He also seems to carry a cane around less than he used to...it's still sort of his symbol but I did note that he had one when he approached Albert's cell (to tell us who it was), but he didn't actually have one in the cell, so ???? His cane has always been very symbolic of him: a classy, formal accessory that slides perfectly into society yet hides a dangerous weapon. A symbol of authority and power. And even something used for silly theatrics, in The Tea Party. He even had one just after waking up from the coma. This remains to be seen, but he does seem to have relinquished all of that. And his eye patch and scar really show the struggles he's overcome in the past three years, that he's changed and wounded but still willing to live on, and given that the very first chapter was named The Scarlet Eyes, Well.
Louis and his new haircut. For once, we actually see him get this, and the meaning I think is the most obvious of all of these. He is no longer hiding himself (behind his hair) and his scar, and is wearing himself and his past openly and proudly without shame. He is willing to take what those things mean and own himself and his mistakes, and his reminder of his bond with his brothers.
Albert's hair is a bit longer as well, but I don't know if it's longer enough to really be massively significant. We'll see later, I suppose.
So at the end of this, what we have is James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes having redesigned themselves and changed in the last three years...and not really anyone else.
So what does Sherlock's new hair mean?
This is a good question!
I think part of it might be to balance out the formality and polish of the rest of his look. He has long, wild hair and he always will be that rebel inside.
Cutting one's hair is also often a symbol of change and a new life, but that's typically long-to-short, not a simple avoidance of cutting hair. There are, of course, a number of religions (like Sikhism) that don't cut hair, but I'm not sure that's really what's going on with Sherlock here.
Long hair is also sometimes associated with either more "primitive" people or ones more touch with a nature/spiritual aspect. This could maybe be what's going on with him. He seems to be more in touch and at peace with himself than he used to be. But Sherlock is a man of science and progress, so that feels a liiiiiittle weird.
Long hair is also often considered feminine (see Bond cutting his hair with his transition, for instance...). Sherlock is not a woman (nor does he especially like them), but he is queer, so. Maybe it's him vibing with that. I'm not really into this idea, because of his lack of interest in women.
Anyway, I like to think of it most especially with him having grown it out and gotten in touch with himself and his wild rebellion, but being able, I think, in a way he wasn't before, to contain it and present himself and who he is more acceptably to the public. His new ponytail is much neater and looks much more like how he used to wear it before the Queen in The Final Problem. But when it's unbound it's hella more dramatic and wild.
And I think that really fits where he's at emotionally and as a character right now.
But we'll see if anything more concrete turns up.
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Gojo Satoru general headcanons
Let's get one thing clear: this man is absolutely chaotic. He is always full of energy. His energy levels never reach below 50%. He is loud and proud, always running, and never takes a minute to relax.
Do not give him Monster. Shoko did that once and it took her forever to get him off the ceiling. Also, avoid caffeine. Shoko replaces his normal coffee with decaf and he still hasn't noticed the difference. Keep it that way.
He was the class clown when he was younger. He wasn't exactly a trouble maker, but he may as well be. I cannot word that sentence and I am sorry. Next.
All of his teachers assumed he never listened in class, so they always called in him when they thought he wasn't paying attention. It still shocked them every time he rattled off the correct answer.
Not only did he answer the question correctly, but he could also explain his reasoning behind the answer, and if it was multiple choice, explain why the other answers were wrong.
This tall man child would march up to the board and absolutely fill it to the brim with work, turn around, drop the chalk-like a mic drop and walk back to his desk with the smuggest look on his face.
That doesn't mean he did the work tho
Idk how schools in japan work but we all know schools in America only care about the amount of work you do and not what you actually know so we'll use that for the sake of the headcanon: he had straight D's bc he never turned in his work
Despite not doing the work snd goofing off, teachers actually really liked him
A lot of people liked him and he was super popular, but he still felt alone
Fake friends, you know how that works, he didn't meet any real friends until he became a shaman
Clean freak. This dude actually makes his bed. He scrubs his bathroom twice a week. His desk can get cluttered but he straightens up once a week. He's not exactly a germaphobe because
He cannot respect your personal space and that's actually canon but let me take it a step further
He's a slapper. Especially when he laughs. It doesn't hurt, it's playful dw. He hugs you from behind especially when he's cold. He picks you up and carries you around. He will grab your wrist, arm, or hand and lead you around even if you're following him. He lays his legs across you or lays across your lap. Puts his head on your shoulder. Platonic cuddling between friends is mandatory. He's just so hands-on it's ridiculous.
Unless you explicitly tell him you're uncomfortable he won't stop
Don't worry, if you aren't in that type of relationship, your no-no square is safe. Except, if you seem chill, he will slap your ass regardless of friendship status. His ass is also slappable. You can't tell me Geto and Gojo didn't run around slapping each other asses, okay
He was weird and scrawny as a child. He didn't start beefing out until he started training to be a shaman and he's still kinda smaller than most beefy boys
He can pick you up and throw you around easily. He carried around a 170 pound Yuji like a sack of potatoes and can easily carry around three times that weight
It's amazing he's so tiny because you remember 2014 Shane Dawson making all of those wack ass desserts that was just s pile of chaos wrapped in chocolate?
He can eat every last bite of one of those monstrosities without getting a stomach ache, gaining weight, or dying basically
He knows bc Yuji dared him to do it
He has really cold hands and feet
He sounds old. Let me elaborate. He's constantly cracking his joints. They also creak when he moves. He complains about body pains like he's 80 y/o
He also shares wisdom with the kids as if he's actually 80 y/o
It's irrelevant advice that doesn't make sense but is also useful. Megumi can't count the number of times he's asked Gojo for feedback on his technique but had been told to remember to chew 40 times or never go to bed angry
Starts off sentences with "now son" and "when I was your age"
He uses his blindfold as a headband when he wants his hair out of his face. He also uses headbands as... Headbands... When he wants to wear sunglasses but get his hair out of his face
He owns so many pairs of sunglasses but he always wears the same pair
He's only bought a handful of them himself, most of them are gifts
No one knows what to get him for Christmas or his birthday bc he has everything, so they resort to sunglasses
His favorite pair is a pair that Shoko and Geto bought him as a gag. He thought they were dead serious, though, so he wore them around for a month
They were heart-shaped, rose-tinted glasses
Can you believe this man doesn't use any gel or anything to keep his hair spiky with the blindfold on? It just naturally defies gravity when the blindfold is on
Tell this man he's pretty because he already knows. He's narcissistic but not the cringy kind
Photogenic as hell. Takes great pictures from any angle.
He gives everyone a different story as to why he covers his eyes. Sometimes he says it's because his eyes are too pretty and are a distraction. Sometimes he says it's because the sunglasses/bandages/blindfold look cooler than his eyes. Sometimes he says it's to protect the six eyes from seeing things he doesn't want to see. The world may never know
He's tried covering his whole face before, but he thinks he's too pretty for that. He at least wants one of his many amazing features to be shown at all times.
So about his driver's license;
He knows how to drive. He can be a good driver. When he wants to be. He just doesn't have a driver's license.
Now he TELLS people he just never got around to getting one, however, there's a rumor he lost it due to too many parking tickets
It's amazing the only tickets he's ever gotten have been from that and once he got caught without a seatbelt; he would have gotten out of that one if he hadn't been flirting with the police officer so bad
This doesn't stop Gojo from driving places though
He steals Ijichi's car a LOT and Ijichi DOESN'T KNOW HOW like??? The windows are never broken and it doesn't look hotwired-
Gojo has a key
You're not even supposed to be able to duplicate car keys but Gojo did
Also; none of the first-year trio knows he doesn't have a driver's license, though that much should be painfully obvious
He whips around corners, speeds up at yellow lights, goes "watch this" and does a donut, it's just a mess
The poor students have to sit in the backseat too. Just imagine Megumi with all three seatbelts around him like that one meme.
He thrives off of Nobara and Yuji screaming from the backseat, and he can see Megumi being smooshed because he thought the middle seat was the safest through the rearview mirror
Which he doesn't even need because of the six eyes
Despite being such a reckless driver, he knows when danger will happen, so he's never once gotten in a wreck
He blasts the radio, which makes up for the driving.
Has a habit of getting in a car and ending up in the McDonalds drive-thru
Steals other people's fries and keeps the fullest one for himself.
He was rebellious as a kid and teenager, but hey, at least his juvie record is sealed
He's been detained and in the back of a cop car many times, but the reason was never really bad enough for him to be arrested. Mostly he's just being mouthy. And the time he got caught spray painting on the side of a building. And that one time he and Getou hopped the fence to get into the local pool. And that other time-
It got worse after Getou wasn't around to get him out of trouble. Suddenly, breaking the rules wasn't fun anymore and he mellowed out.
Tried alcohol and cigarettes before he was legal. Decided neither was his thing, however, he did start drinking occasionally when he was legal.
He's a fucking chaotic drunk. Oh my god he's absolutely feral
Most bars in the vicinity know him by name and they sigh whenever he walks in
Shoko is his emergency contact. She hates it
Shoko has to drag drunk Gojo home at least twice a month and is not happy about it
Once she left him in an alley. He made it home okay so she guesses it's fine
Once he got so drunk he spilled beer on his sock. The thought the fastest way to dry them was by sticking them in the microwave. Forgot about it until someone asked, "Who the fuck is cooking socks???"
I feel it important he was in the break room of the local grocery store and no one knows how he got there
As he was escorted out he stole a grocery cart and rode away in it while singing Don't Threaten Me (With A Good Time) by Panic! At The Disco
He has no alcohol tolerance at all what so ever
He will literally just stare at you and giggle
It's funny he's really flirty but also doesn't seal the deal. Literally, every woman in that bar is willing to get in his bed but he declines every offer. No one knows why
Its because he respects women
He helps his students break the rules as long as they're within reason. Once night Yuji was really hungry and after having a temper tantrum he couldn't order Uber eats bc the school is supposed to be secret Gojo helped sneak him out to get food. Who needs curfew anyway.
The shirts in his closet range from like twenty bucks to the iconic rich bitch shirt the kids ruined in that one chapter we all know the one
He still wears that by the way, he calls it "art"
When he was younger, Megumi drew a picture of Gojo being eaten by his shadow dogs. Gojo found it and now it's framed in his room.
He keeps up with current trends and memes like no one's business. This is how he bonds with his kids.
Don't call him old, but also, he'll tell you to respect your elders it's a mess
He has a lot of games on his phone. You can usually find him holding his phone sideways playing some RPG game he probably spent too much money on
He did hop on the Pokemon Go hype train but after becoming overpowered he got bored
This happens to a lot of games. He pays way too much money, gets to be the strongest in the server, and gets bored
He likes games where you can kill other people's troops and likes to watch as they lose all their power
I canon him as being borderline sadistic
This is why he's Sakata Gintoki reincarnated
White hair, sweet tooth, black leather clothes, dad vibes, never takes anything seriously bc when he does he's scary as fuck, the works.
He is Sakata Gintoki
He liked Gintama growing up. He watched a lot of iconic shows as they aired. He considers himself an og
He's hella bilingual
Because he's the strongest he goes overseas for missions a lot. Because of this he speaks a lot of languages and knows a lot about international cuisine
He takes pictures of himself eating disgusting foods like snails. He never likes them but he loves the idea of Nobara gagging back in japan
Has paperwork sitting untouched on his desk from three months ago that he will not touch for at least another three months
Does the crossword puzzles in the newspaper every week
Uses humor as a coping mechanism and it honestly just became a personality
Constantly popping his joints. I'm sorry if you find this gross I too find it gross.
Probably brought home every stray animal he ever met ever until he was at least like 22 y/o
Tags: @wasabito @kittaliapenn
#jjk#jjk spoilers#jjk headcanons#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen headcanons#jujutsu kaisen spoilers#gojo satoru#satoru gojo#jjk gojo#jjk satoru#gojo headcanons#gojo satoru headcanons
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Have You Been Drinking?
Hi twonk (love you really) <3 Thanks for the request even though it took a dark turn oops <3 If you don’t like drinking then don’t read this!
Summary: You got a little bit tipsy at a party and pay the price when
You had always been a bit defiant
It hadn’t started out as much: Staying up late, stealing leftovers and then it went to going out for hours without texting anyone
You always said you forgot (which most of the time you did)
5 Missed calls. 12 Texts and Happy literally tracking you down and taking you back to the tower. This is what you got back to after your, how long had it been ? Seven hours?! No it couldn't have been that long, last time you checked you were 87% sure that it had been lunch time, the sun had been shining and you even got talking to this sweet old lady who was interested in birds. So how did it end up being seven hours later in the tower with a very very angry Tony and Steve as the others just listened in not so subtly at the door? “This is the 4th time you have done this this week and still you use the ‘my phone died’ excuse, what am I meant to do with you” Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as his other hand waved animatedly around in front of him “you aren’t meant to do anything, I lost track of time I promise! It’s not like I do this on purpose” you tried to reason, tears starting to threaten to spill, why couldn't they just understand that you hadn’t meant to be out late and that it was an accident “nope that’s not the right answer kiddo better luck next time” Tony said a hint of frustration seeping through his usual sarcastic demeanor. With that the men left, closing the door to your room behind them.
But there are only so many times a kid can hear ‘you’re wrong and I’m not listening’ from family who mean well but don’t exactly have the best way of showing it before they burst
If they wanted you to play the part of rebellious but strong and powerful soldier then that was exactly what you would do
So you started to go out with MJ and Peter to the occasional party they got invited to
Then it felt like you were 3rd wheeling so you decided to just go by yourself
You started to swear more
Put your feet on desks in boots/shoes you knew would make a mark
And that was when the concern started to shine through more than the anger
“Look we are just trying to help you sweetie” Wanda said as she stirred the sauce and the pasta together in preparation for dinner, looking back as you leant back in the chair the black from your hoodie a stark contrast to the white of the marble table. “Well don’t I’m fine I promise, just leave it alone alright I have already heard this 10 times from Sam and Bucky today” you mumbled eyes searching for somewhere to land that wasn’t her face as that was something you did when you were uncomfortable however she mistook that for you rolling your eyes and just muttered something about disrespect as you got up and walked off.
“So Wanda told me you rolled your eyes at her today” the comment sounded so nonchalant rolling off the metal armed mans lips that if you weren’t paying attention you would have missed the fact it was about something negative. “I didn’t but I know you won’t believe me so I’m not going to argue” you replied, the bag splitting slightly from the sudden increase of force in your punches. “I am not saying I don’t believe you! I am just saying that if you did you need to cut that out right now before you do it to the wrong person” he defended. This was ridiculous! Grabbing your towel from the side of the room before you started to walk out “I DIDN’T DO IT!” you called back over your shoulder, only just capturing the look of disappointment on Bucky’s face. If you would have looked harder you would have seen the look of concern that followed but it was too late and the glass door had already slammed behind you.
It was always the same you defending yourself and no one believing you
You were just an angry teen after all
An angry, misunderstood and hurting teen
There was one person still on your side, Loki
But he wasn’t around much
But as if by magic that came in green swirls and bitter earl gray tea
He was there that night
The world seemed to sway below you, the constant spinning a reminder of the alcohol you had consumed earlier that night. You didn’t care, in fact you didn’t care about anything right now. The light buzz and soon to be hangover keep you from anh logical thoughts and feelings. Which is probably why you ended up bumping into the table right down the hall from your room and knocking over the horrific looking lamp that Wanda had decorated with seashells (not that it made it look much better). “Who’s there?” you heard from behind you, too drunk to really reply to Nat you made a sort of grumbling noise and carried on walking to your room “Y/n? Is that you? Have you been drinking?” Bruce had joined the quest to find out who the mystery intruder was and even in your drunken lamp destroying zombie gurgling state you knew it was best to just sit down on the floor and wait until the whole team joined in. And soon enough they had a circle of people now surrounding you as you just sat and looked at the ceiling dreaming of being anywhere but here. “What in the nine realms is going on here?!” you heard Loki’s voice say, everything sounded as if you were underwater or in a bubble, you just wanted to sleep. A few minutes later you heard Loki start to argue, ranting and raving about something it was too dark to see what his face looked like but you could imagine the emerald green robe and matching checkered trousers he would be wearing as his face contorted in shapes filled with rage and hurt. You couldn’t quite make out all of what he was saying but you did manage to catch a few bits “they are a child and it is your duty to protect them…. They don’t need lectures or discipline… just listen to them and pull yourself together” it was that or he was very passionate about chickens.
And so that’s what happened
Sorrys were said,bonds and trust was rebuilt
And everyone had a picture of Loki looking ridiculous in his dressing gown
Let’s just say the hangover you had the next day put you off of drink for a while
#the avengers#avengers x platonic reader#avengers x teen!reader#avengers x reader#avengers imagine#tony x reader#tony x teen!reader#tony x platonic!reader#tony stark imagine#steve x teen!reader#steve rodgers#steve imagine#steve rodgers imagine#wanda x teen!reader#wanda x reader#wanda imagine#bucky x teen!reader#bucky imagine#bucky x you#loki x teen!reader#loki x y/n#loki imagine#loki x reader#loki laufeyson#bruce banner x teen!reader#nat x teen!reader#natasha romanoff x teen!reader
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Till Death do us part - 2
Y/N grew up in a wealthy family, she always was seen as a beautiful and smart kid and was most likely to take her father’s place as the CEO of one of the most important companies in South Korea. However, after the death of her mother, Y/N’s family slowly started to break apart. Her father was always working to forget his uncalled pain while his kids were left alone at home.
She was 17 years old when her life took a sudden turn when she met him in a dark alley. He was a bloody mess, bruises everywhere but behind blood and dirt, she could see his beautiful features and his addictive gaze. Maybe she should have walked away, maybe she shouldn’t have helped him, but the moment his gaze locked with hers, she was already his.
Choi San was his name.
Genre: Mafia AU, smut, angst, fluff, stranger to lovers
Words: 2237
TW series: Y/N is described as an OC. Please be aware that this story will contain a lot of triggering content such as smut, blood, death, murder, drug, kidnapping, etc. Do not read if you are under a legal age!
TW chapter: Body shaming, reader being forced into a marriage, character got slapped, swearing, threats.
I was finally back home. Fortunately for me, my dad hadn’t noticed me since he was already sleeping on the couch.
I quickly went upstairs to my room and collapsed on my bed, my mind still processing what had happened earlier. It was scary to say the least but fascinating at the same time. I was still confused even after showering. This San had a deep effect on me, not only mentally but physically too.
“Choi San���” I muttered before closing my eyes and drifting into a deep sleep.
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Chapter 2
2 years after.
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Days and months went by so fast, I didn't even see them go by.
It has already been two years since my first meeting with San and since then, I didn't met him again. However, he was still on my mind, from the moment I woke up tired in the morning until the moment my head was hitting the pillow at night.
I just couldn't stop myself from thinking about him, his voice, his gaze, his touch, and the shivers he gave me when his mouth had come close to my ear.
"Hey sis’, what is going on? You had been absent-minded for a while and I still don't know why" Jin said with a hint of worry in his voice before he looked around, checking the surroundings to make sure we were alone "Is it because of dad?" he asked.
For the first time since our mother passed away, dad was at home for a whole month without any explanation. He was now working from home and even though It was something I dreamed of a few years ago, it was now so stuffy, I couldn’t breathe properly in my own house. Every single time I went outside of the comfort of my room, I silently prayed not to meet him, hoping that our house was big enough to let me avoid him.
"I'm fine but I'll be better if he wasn't around" I shrugged while looking at my plate "I'm not hungry today" I nonchalantly played with my food.
"Please force yourself and eat a little, you loosed too much weight recently" he furrowed his eyebrows with true concern in his soft brown eyes.
"I'm fine Jin, really! No need to worry for me" I stood up but felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my track.
I turned around and saw my dad with his usual stern expression "Sit down." he calmly ordered.
I sat down without a word, I knew I was about to be lectured one more time.
"Why are you not eating?" my dad asked, voice sounding more as a threat than a question.
"Not hungry" I simply answered.
A long silence settled in the dining room, Jin and I were looking down, trying to avoid any eye contact with the man we referred to as our dad. I laughed internally at the situation, wondering if the kids in other families were afraid of their parents too.
"You don't have to eat if you don't want to, men love slim girls so it'll be good for you to start a diet." He stated, unbothered by the awkward silence.
I was annoyed by his remark 'how dare he' I thought 'Is he thinking my body is his?'
"I'll be dumb if I'd choose a man who loves me just for my body, I will not change anything for anyone" I retorted, Jin nodding in approval, visibly proud of me. But, my father didn’t seem pleased at all by my answer and my rebellious behavior.
"Well, I wasn't talking about any random man, but about your fiancé. He likes slim girls." my dad crossed his arms.
I shot a glance back at my father with wide eyes, he was smirking over my shocked expression, feeling visibly satisfied by the way he made me go silent.
"My fiancé? What are you talking about? I never had a boyfriend in my whole life, how could I have a fiancé?" I shouted, standing up from my chair which quickly and loudly fell on the ground.
"I chose a good boy for you, he is the son of a rich politician who will be useful to me and the future of my company. In two months, when you'll turn 20, you will marry him" he said, not sparing a glance at me as he busily taped on the screen of his new expensive phone.
My mouth was now wide open, and so was my brother's.
Jin stood up angrily, it was the first time I ever saw him defy our father's authority. His brown eyes who always seemed so soft to me were now darker than ever. The anger in his body was showing with his tensed muscles and the vein in his forehead that was angrily popping up. His jaw was so tight, I swore he could have been able to break his own teeth.
"What to do you mean she will marry him? Are you not concerned about your daughter's happiness? Can't you stop thinking about your work and think more about your family instead, for at least once in your life? That's why mom died! You-..." Jin got slapped by my father before he could even finish his sentence. Our father’s face was red and rage was visible through his eyes.
I gasped and kneeled myself to my brother's side, the impact was so hard that he was now laying on the ground, his right hand hiding his red cheek. Jin shot a death stare up at my father who was still standing in front of us.
"I heard that you want to integrate the Seoul national university, Y/N. You will need money for that, right? If you marry this man, I'll give you all the money you want. If not, you can already say goodbye to this dream of yours." he told me with a harsh voice "Think well cause your birthday is coming up" he added before exiting the room.
I collapsed on the floor, tears were stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. Jin hugged me tightly and patted my back, whispering sweet nothings to my ear to comfort me the best he could.
I hid my head on his neck and cried silently, I hated this, hated this situation, hated this life. I was like a bird trapped in a silver cage.
I ate nothing for the rest of the day after my dad had announced my upcoming wedding.
I still couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. How come a father could do this to his only daughter? Wasn't he supposed to love and cherish me?
It was Saturday and after a lazy morning, I finally stood up to do my daily routine. I put the prettiest dress I had on my dressing and put natural makeup on. I tried my best to cover up my dark circles and hide the exhaustion in my face caused by a long night of crying.
Today, my best friend Hana and I, planned to hang out together for a shopping day. It was the best way for me to think about something else than my current situation.
I took a look at my phone and saw her message "Hey honey, I'm waiting in front of your house~" I read before smiling and joining her outside the house, in front of the big gateway.
"Wow, you are stunning! Why is that? You're going to meet this San again?" She smiled widely.
Hana is the first friend I ever made in my life, I first met her when I was just 6 years old and she always stayed by my side even when I went through hard times. Her cheerful personality and her warm smile made her easy to get along with, she was the best at socializing, she was literally a burst of energy by herself and never failed to make me crack up a smile even when I wasn’t in a good mood. She made everyone feel attracted to her, she wasn’t only nice and outgoing but beautiful and funny as well. Her short and messy hair were completing her chubby cheeks and her brown eyes. Her tall frame and perfect curves made everyone drool over her, men and women.
She knew everything about my life. When something happened to me, she was the first one I talked to.
"I already told you! I know nothing about him, I don't even have his phone number, how could I meet him?" I pouted before laughing playfully.
We took the first bus we saw and headed downtown.
"It's a shame he isn't on any social media" she whined loudly "Dude, don't get me started" I answered, almost complaining.
During the bus ride, I talked once again about how I felt about San and the gorgeous charisma he had. Hana listened to me as if it was the first time I talked about this whilst I already told her a hundred times before.
Within ten minutes, we had reached our destination.
"Y/N! Look at this! I'm sure this top will fit you perfectly" I heard Hana yelling from the other side of the shop.
Everyone looked at us, some customers were judging us silently while others smiled, probably finding amusement in my friend’s behavior. I apologized to the other customers for the noise and quickly went to my friend's side, slightly embarrassed even though I was used to it. Hana didn't know the word "silent".
After 3 hours of shopping, I went outside to eat ice cream with Hana. We moved to a quiet spot with no one around. The weather was nice, it was a sunny day and I let myself relax under the comfortable heat. I always liked rainy days better but I liked to feel the sun against my skin from time to time.
"I'm sorry to say this Y/N, but your father is truly an asshole" Hana swore between her teeth after I told her what happened at home the previous day.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about this. Is it better to agree and then divorce this guy? But my dad is well-known, he always will find a way to keep me under his grip, no matter what I do. I feel completely useless and trapped, I can’t find a good way to escape from this" I spoke in a low tone, sadness filling my voice the more I talked.
I sighed, concerned by the situation I was into. Hana gently rubbed my back to give me some comfort while my head was on her shoulder. We stayed silent for a few minutes, both of us didn’t know what to say because we both knew that there was no way I could escape my fate.
"Excuse me, are you Kim Y/N?"
I turned around to see who had called my name. In front of me stood was a well-dressed man, a bit older than me with a confident look. He wasn't especially handsome, but he wasn't unpleasant to look at. He had this classic Korean vibe one could find everywhere here in Korea.
"Yes? Who are you?" I politely asked.
He took my hand in his own, making me stand up from the bench I was sitting in. Soon after, he put a slight kiss on the back of my hand.
"What the hell?" I shouted and took my hand off his.
It wasn't in our culture to do something like this so I first assumed he had grown up abroad but honestly, from what I knew, even in the USA or Europa no one kissed a perfect stranger met in the street less than ten seconds ago.
"Who the heck are you?" Hana jumped between the man and me.
"I'm Hwang Jinyoung, her future husband" he simply stated, a smirk on his face.
"I never agreed on that." I frowned my eyebrows at his statement.
"What do you mean you never agreed? Your father told us that you were glad to be my future wife" The man seemed truly surprised or at least, he was pretending well to be.
"He lied!" I yelled out, the anger taking over me while I clenched my fists, nails finding their way onto y skin.
I was angry that my father had one more time, talked for me without my consent. My body was shaking from anger while the man laughed at my reaction.
"Move, you're in my way" He suddenly stopped laughing and violently pushed Hana to the ground.
My eyes opened wide from the shock. I was about to check on Hana to be sure she wasn't hurt but Jinyoung grabbed my wrist and pulled me in his chest.
"Why are you so angry? I will take good care of you!" he chuckled.
"Let me go!" I screamed against him, feeling the tears tingling my eyes.
I suddenly felt a strong arm around my waist which encircled me from behind.
"Holy shit." Hana gasped when she saw the handsome man who was protectively hugging me.
I had no need to look back, I already knew who it was. This touch and this warmness were simply unforgettable.
"If you don't let her go in the next five seconds, I'll blow your hands off." the voice behind me growled against Jinyoung.
The beating of my heart quickened. For the past two years I had dreamed about him every night and now, I was finally able to see him again.
"San!" I shouted happily, finally looking to the handsome boy. He smiled back atme but his expression became cold again as he stared at Jinyoung. My so-called husband finally let my wrist go and hardly swallowed his spit.
"Y-you! What are you doing here?" he asked with a shaking voice. I had no doubt about the fact that he knew who San was and that he probably knew him better than I did.
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Edit: Guys, I'm so surprised, I didn't think I would get so many likes for this series, I just uploaded it two days ago after all lol but I'm glad! The next chapter is already done but I'll wait a bit before uploading it, maybe next week? Anyways, thank you again!
Tag list:
@hijirikaww @pinkchampagne2
#ateez mafia#kpop mafia#ateez san#ateez scenario#ateez x reader#choi san#san x reader#choi san x reader#ateez imagine#choi san mafia au#ateez fluff#ateez angst#kpop au#ateez au#kpop angst#kpop fluff#kpop series#ateez series#kpop scenario#kpop imagine#strangers to lovers
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Title: little delinquent pt ii
part i | part ii | part iii
Warnings: Female!reader (bat!sis), mostly family fluff, AU, hurt/comfort, language
word count: 4000~
It had Bruce and Dick sharing a look for a moment before the latter spoke up, “It’s not like I’m against continuing to expand the family, but…” he eyed the child you held nervously, “please don’t start bringing home every child you find…” he tilted his head, “he’s bad enough.” Bruce settled a light glare at his first son (that definitely wasn’t what Bruce was thinking), though Dick was stilled by the way your eyes narrowed at him instead.
“His name is Terrence,” that was all you said, brushing past as they were suddenly on guard at the inherited Wayne-scowl on your face.
-
a/n: still no jaybird lmao I’m sorry, but I brought in mamabat duke, because he’s the best at being a mamabat without smothering you like your other siblings. Steph too because she’s your sweet bean partner in crime u v u)9 For my sanity, Metropolis is in Deleware across the bay from Jersey (tho Gotham is still north of Atlantic City).
-
He wasn’t certain if he should be proud or upset at how quickly you’d turned Tim against him, the two of you now working in unison, playing ‘keep away from big papa Bruce.’ No matter when he tried to approach you, something always seemed to happen or come up, and it was actually starting to get on his nerves. Worse was Damian seemed to be joining in, his rebellious nature being nurtured by the influence of both Tim and yourself.
He knew it would be difficult to deal with you and your ability to hide anything, just like you could hide yourself, but… Now he had to deal with more than just you, and Tim wasn’t going to make it any easier for him. Oh no, this was going to be a headache with you two. And Damian… He couldn’t trust that his son wouldn’t give away anything he did to you, his loyalties giving out to the growing childish nature he was developing. Bruce was again at a loss, should he be happy Damian was acting his age, or upset that he was more interested in working with the ‘opposition?.’
“It’s not a mission,” Damian had commented, so it was “fair game.”
He rested his head in his hands, fingers lightly massaging his temples as his elbows supported him, propping him up on the ornate desk in his study. Fucking hell, he had to outsmart both the tech sleuth and the stealth agent of the family. Information was literally their game. Rather than giving into the growing frustration in his stomach, he stood up, now a bat on a mission as he quickly headed down to the cave. He thanked his moody bat heart that it was just two of his kids (he wasn’t certain of Damian yet, the wild card), and not… more…
The League computers would definitely come in handy right about now.
He was gonna go full fucking vigilante detective bat mode on his kids.
Again.
He groaned.
-
[bigR] Dad took off for the League, bet you can guess why.
Flipping your personal phone closed with a light snort, you refocused your attention on buckling the toddler into the hand-me-down car seat. You’d definitely have to get him a new one on your shopping trip, you just hoped Duke’s car could fit everything…
Damian was securing his sword between him and the kid before he crawled in, closing the door and putting on his safety belt. You grinned at him as he avoided your smile, looking away instead, “hurry up.” Shaking your head, you leaned in to rub your nose against Terrence’s own, his chubby fingers coming up to grab at your face, hair, clothes, ears, and earrings ohgodstop. Having cooed at him enough, and having been assaulted by his little nails, scratches now on your chin, you leaned back and out of his reach, closing the door softly.
“Are you sure it’s okay to shirk off for the day? You’re the one usually patrolling at this time…” you headed to the passenger side, “Big guy said it was fine, besides…” Duke smiled and nodded his head towards the car with a wink, “wouldn’t want to leave you alone with a bunch of kids.” It’s not like he was wrong, but you were skilled enough to handle your brother and… son… ah… that was going to get some getting used to. A smile and spread on your face with a light laugh as you climbed in, settling, and closed the door behind you, “ready to get going?” Damian glared at you before refocusing his attention on Terrence, ignoring your obviously dumb question, “Pennyworth mentioned Todd having finally gotten back before I left.”
Duke had started up the car and checked over everything before heading down the manor drive, now officially on the road. Meanwhile, you hummed happily, “guess I’ll have to go see him when we get back.” Damian made a face, “gross.” You rolled your eyes in amusement, “you knew what my reaction was gonna be.”
The two were ridiculous in how they treated each other, honestly.
“It’s still gross.”
The ride down the ocean side drive was calming, the windows lowered to let the cool ocean breeze in. Damian was back to his “poking the toddler’s nose” game, having gotten used to the sound of a baby, and no longer acting like it wasn’t his fault when he made the toddler laugh.
Meanwhile,
“So, who made you the baby-sitter?” Duke kept his eyes on the road, the ever-responsible budding adult that he was, “Bruce, actually.” He grinned at the way you looked at him, catching sight from the corner of his eye, “surprising, I know. Woulda thunk Tim’d have asked, huh?”
Nodding, you leaned back, “well, I mean, yeah. He’s been pretty upset since the other day, he won’t leave Terrence and I alone at the manor. He’s been staying over...” You might have felt bad for lying to Duke, but the truth was that you were lying to everyone but Tim at this point. Not that it was the first time you’d lied to them. You told the truth so often that they took you at your word, never catching on when you did fib, but you were pretty certain this would blow up in your face.
They’d catch you eventually.
This wasn’t one of those easy to digest lies either, that was the complicated part. It terrified you how they’d react once they learned the truth.
Then…
Before that happened, you made the silent determination that you’d make your… son a part of the family. They won’t be able to decide anything for him then, they’d be in too deep, you’d make certain.
Yeah, you could be a little… manipulative sometimes.
Probably something you got from your father.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, sorry, nothing. My mind was just wandering,” Duke frowned a little, flipping on his blinker while coming to a slow crawl, “not believing you.”
Turning your head to him, your grin was a bit scary, “okay, so, I was just thinking about if your car can fit everything I’m going to want to buy.” It was enough to distract him, a groan finding its way out as he pulled into the ticketing line for the ferry.
“If..??”
Now, to really drive it home, you pulled something from your purse and waved it at him, “Is… is that…” he eyed it nervously. “Yes, yes it is, dear brother.” His ears burned as he turned his eyes from you, hand now outstretched in your direction.
“You’re paying the ferry, then…” he muttered.
You put your dad’s credit card on his palm,
“Rich little daddy’s girl.”
This time the snort came from the back seat, “I have one as well, Thomas. You need only ask father.”
Duke sputtered and refused to acknowledge either of you till after having crossed the Deleware Bay.
Rich kids. Honestly.
-
Metropolis always amazed you, honestly, the bright skies overhead and the amount of people without a care in the world was enviable. Still, it just wasn’t… home. By now you’d developed some serious Stockholm for the cesspit that is Gotham. Even so, you preferred to go shopping here, their selection of high-quality stores mixed with less people recognizing you, and your family, were boons.
As you stared up at the towering high rise in front of you, Damian having disappeared inside minutes before, there was one other reason for coming to Metropolis…
“You’re always so slow! I told you to hurry up!!”
“Who’s slow?! You’re the slow one!!”
“Boys, please—”
The loud sound of twin crashes echo’d out the opened lobby door, the two boys in question bounding out with plenty of energy and two very red chins. “That… looks painful…” you smiled, walking over to check Damian’s face for actual injury.
“Tt, I’m fine.” He smacked your hand away, glaring at the super next to him, rubbing his own, already healing chin. “Hey Jon, enjoying Metropolis?” The bright-eyed boy, sans cape, grinned at you from ear to ear, “There’s so much to do here!” he almost lifted off the ground in his excitement, “but I miss the farm.” A chuckle came from the entrance to the building, deep and warm and just as kind as the child now sticking his tongue out at your youngest brother. On the man’s broad shoulder was an overnight bag, and a sheepish smile on his face as if he felt guilty.
He probably did, the two boys were a handful.
Duke was leaning against the roof of the car with a huge dopey smile on his face, waving at the man approaching, “Hello, you must be the chaperone, Duke Thomas?” your newest brother nodded enthusiastically, almost at a loss for words, “Yup! I-I mean y-yes, it’s nice to meet you, sir!” Clark only chuckled, far too used to such formalities, “Clark is fine, our families are… close, after all.” He watched the boys pull at each other’s faces in mock battle.
“Ah, Clark! It’s been a while!” the older male smiled as he stopped a few feet from you and the car, hands resting on his hips, “Miss Wayne.” Near immediately, his eyes shifted to the backseat of the car and he leaned against the door, looking in.
“Bruce has another kid? He looks like how I always imagined him to look as a kid, suspiciously innocent,” you froze, and he would have laughed at the thought of Bruce with more secret kids, but he straightened. Looking at you in concern instead, he started, “I know he’s not… the most affectionate father, but…” you quickly shook your head, attempting damage control. “It… no, he’s not dad’s…” You laughed nervously at the look on his face, his hand raising to point at you as his mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to process.
“Yup. He’s… His name is Terrence, and he’s… my… son…” your tone turned warm and kind, and your eyes settled on the babe in the car with all the grace of a mother, just like Lois when Jon had been born, the older super nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad it’s you, then. If anyone in that family can raise a good kid, it’ll be you.” The two of you shared an understanding smile, though yours was accompanied by a twitch or two, swearing he enjoyed his little joke, before he turned his head painfully in surprise, as if an enemy had suddenly appeared.
Following his sight, you had to laugh at the dark glare on Damian’s face directed at Clark, “well, I think it’s time I take my leave, then.” He scratched the back of his head, avoiding the kid’s gaze. He wanted to inquire more about the new addition to the family, but it would have to wait. Jon gave his dad a huge hug, getting his hair ruffled in the process as Clark waved at Duke, chucking the overnight bag into the car.
With a last good-bye to you, he turned high-tail and ran, as if he were almost eager to get away. Watching him jog slowly inside the building, you almost swore his steps were far lighter than his build, “probably prefers to float…” looking away, you missed him trip.
“Alright, c’mon you two. Get in.” when you’d opened the door, the two boys stared in horror, “I’m not sitting in the middle.” Damian ground out before Jon pushed him with more force than Damian could resist, “HE’S YOUR BROTHER!!! YOU SIT IN THE MIDDLE!”
“STUPID! HE’S MY NEPHEW!”
“Still, you sit next to him…” Jon pouted, and combined with your stare, Damian crawled in with a grumble, “Stupid super.” Jon ignored him without issue, and you’d have to ask Damian about it later, curious as to why his best friend was so used to his insults like it was a common occurrence? Then he climbed in after, shutting the door behind him.
“Nerves of steel, that one,” you mumbled, getting back in the car as Duke laughed lightly, starting the car up before heading a bit further into the city. After a few minutes and a few stop lights, Duke gave in to the side-glances you kept giving him, having caught them from the corner of his own eyes, “what now?” The growing devious grin on your face had him on edge, “speaking of nerves of steel…” a shiver hit the back of his neck, “please don’t.” His begging stopped nothing, “fanboy,” but of course you would, and he did his best to pay attention to the road, “don’t make me ignore you all day.”
“I thought it was cute though? Haha, Izzy would be jealous.”
“It’s… I mean, he was…” his ears were burning, especially at the mention of Isabella’s name, and he pouted worse than Jon had.
“I know, but still. You know you’ve met him before, right?” Duke looked like he wanted to disappear in his seat, “just… in costume…” you hummed in amusement.
It didn’t take long for Duke to pull into the parking lot at one of the high-end furniture stores, resting his head on the steering wheel for a moment after parking. The two boys were already out of the car, bickering and racing into the store, “you have no taste! It’s all dark! You can’t put a baby in a depressing room!”
“YOU WANT TO BLIND HIM WITH BRIGHT COLORS!”
“YOU WANT TO SCARE HIM WITH DOOM AND GLOOM!”
The two were practically racing at this point, shoving each other back and forth, though Jon often made Damian stumble through raw strength, and Damian often made Jon trip through dirty tricks.
“Aaaaand there they go.” You were already out of the car as you said it, heading to the driver’s backside door. Duke stepped out before stilling, his face falling at the straps in your hand, outstretched towards him, “you have got to be kidding.”
“Nope, you’re the babysitter today, Papa Duke.”
He took the child carrier from you, strapping the pack on with a depressed aura of resignation, “this so doesn’t look cool.” You snickered as you transferred Terrence over to the pack on Duke’s front, “yeah, but people won’t mess with a big guy like you. Besides, I can handle Damian better than you, can you take care of our son?” you teased him.
“Yeah, I can take care of… him…” Duke eyed the child looking around at everything he could, taking in every sight with silent baby contemplation skills, thumb in his mouth.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Izzy about us,” you thought for a moment as he ignored your comments, switching tactics. Eyeing him before patting him on the shoulder, you began heading after the two boys, “when you get back, tell Izzy you think she looks like a piece of candy.”
He had a confused look as he followed after you, catching up in a speed walk, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
Not only did his ears turn red, but his entire face and neck burned hot at the suggestive smile on your face, “Oh… wait, w-why out of nowhere though?!”
“You forget, I live with nothing but men. Harper’s not around often and Steph is the only female I see on a regular basis.”
“Get some friends,” he groaned.
“That’s what family is for.”
Ugh.
-
Shopping actually went a lot better than expected, and you were able to get a new car seat at the behest of Damian, “no way you’re using a hand-me-down,” he all but threatened. There were some smaller things you could easily fit into the car, a few boxes, one for a mobile, one for a few bed sets, a giant pregnancy pillow -- regardless that you weren’t pregnant, you wanted the giant horseshoe pillow. Jon was jealous of it, now wanting one of his own, as you picked up some non-essentials.
The bigger things would have to be shipped, a crib for a few months till he was big enough, small bed with side bars so he wouldn’t fall out when ready to swap out the crib. They even had a huge rocking chair! It was probably one of the most comfortable things you had ever sat in, its ability to “rock” you back and forth on its slides without losing much momentum was heaven.
And you could curl up in it.
Somewhere in all the chaos, just as expected, you’d gone and lost both the boys. Or, well, more like they lost you. Duke was still dutiful with Terrence, and he was also really amazing at looking at details and knowing what item was better than the next. Sure, you’d been taught the same skills, but you were preoccupied with Damian and Jon (until you weren’t).
“Hum… hey, I’m gonna go check out next door, okay?” Duke turned to you from the different curtains in his hand, having taken to looking at a few general things for the room; curtains, bookshelves, a desk or two.
Unlike your father and most of your family, you had far more free time to do these small things yourself, never needing to hire an assistant to do all the work. You only needed some help with moving things, of course. It was something you’d picked up from both Alfred and the Kents, the equally uneasy and comforting feeling of being humble.
“Sure, which one?”
“The clothing store, I think there’s a dedicated kid store a bit further down the mall strip, I’ll probably make my way towards that.” Duke pouted, “leaving me alone with the kids?”
“Just one.” To emphasis your point, Terrence decided to start pulling on the same curtain as Duke, though Duke swatted his hands away quickly. A one-sided glaring contest began as the kid kept his frown on Duke, not looking away.
Duke looked around ignoring him, “that’s… true…”
“Thanks Papa Duke!” you gave him a hug, burying your face in Terrence’s and pelting him with kisses, pulling back only when his laughter echoed around the three of you. Duke refused to look at you as you cooed at the child strapped to his chest, awkward, “I hate you.”
“You love me.”
He snorted and went back to picking out curtains, “and don’t you forget it.”
“You have my card still, right?” He nodded, not even bothering to ask if you needed it. He knew you didn’t carry paper notes around, having seen you use your phone to pay for things physically too often.
Taking that as your cue, you turned to leave, “text if you need anything, and keep an eye out for the boys, I’ll… look, too,” and a moment later you were outside the store, stretching in the sun with a big breath of fresh air. Dang you loved Gotham, but also? Dang you loved Metropolis, too.
-
[steph] hey, herd u like
[steph] have a baby now???!
[steph] ;)))))
The buzzing of your personal phone caught your attention,
[you] tim? also, switching over for a bit.
You switched recipients,
[you] ready.
Turning the phone off and flipping it closed, you began walking in the opposite direction that Duke had been told, popping the back of the case off and pulling out the battery.
You’d asked Tim to redirect a dummy signal for your phone, keeping it within a five-foot radius of Duke for the next forty minutes or so. He’d given you the thumbs up, your telling him everything when you got back being his payment for helping.
He was very curious as to why you were breaking in to the LexCorp building.
The rather fast-paced walk (almost a light jog) to the building wasn’t that long, you’d made certain the stores you chose were close on purpose. Taking out your business phone, you opened it to another text as you started up a rather… illegal app. Your phone’d been rooted from the moment you had it, and it was hooked up to a very specific closed network.
This outing was one of the only chances you’d get, having lucked out with the more lenient Duke, as your other siblings were far more vigilant. Damian meanwhile was distracted by Jon, the two acting more like brawling siblings than best friends. Though Damian preferred the term rivals, but Jon was just happy to have a close friend he could be himself with.
[splr] he couldn’t contain himself
[splr] was vibin’ like flash lol
There were very few people who had access to this phone, and unfortunately for Tim, it was a hazard for both of you to have any kind of connection to him on your work phone. Stephanie however was one of the very few people who got to have that privilege.
[you] remind me to thank him for stealing my thundr
The family had the Bat-computer, Batman had the League’s Womb mainframe, the Robins had their Nest, and you? You had access to something older, reborn too many times, and set up and now maintained by some genius mastermind you’d never heard of.
It was a mostly defunct information network by this point.
You’d met some really interesting people when you used to tail your father, and through repeated encounters, you’d met even more interesting uh... “friends.” Eventually you weren’t stalking your dad, instead, you were learning to do what you did best: Spy-games and recon.
And you’d impressed the wrong people.
But you didn’t mind, you liked the constant link to “their” information hubs.
[splr] lol
[splr] coffee tmrrw?
The Society’s Networks.
You knew your dad suspected some of your activities, but he never approached you about them. Probably because Batman enjoyed your access to these networks often when they were online, having come to you on multiple occasions to see if you could help with his detective work.
You were playing double agent, compiling what you could from the chatter picked up from specific phones hooked into the closed channels. Sure, they weren’t always active and so sometimes you had to go with information from recon, but you did what you could, your bias for your bats, and birds, too strong. For your family.
[you] the same-same
[splr] c u tmrw then ;)
[splr] don’t forget the kid lol
Not that you’d ever shown him, if Batman knew what kind of information the Society had in their databases, well… you were pretty certain the world would burn.
He once said it was best he didn’t know, something about helping to keep a balance between the good and the bad, causing both sides to stay in check.
The database’s app held all kinds of information, and as you downloaded the LexCorp building plans (sans recent modifications), you stared at the towering complex in front of you. Before you went further, you made certain the matrix encryption program was running, after all, “no reason to let anyone know I’m here.”
“Done this tons of times, can totally do this again,” but LexCorp was terrifying, Lex Luthor was terrifying, almost as much as Wayne Enterprises. Here’s to hoping your dad’s technology and Tim’s brain were smarter than anything Lex could cook up.
Besides, wasn’t he under house arrest right now?
It did nothing to calm your nerves.
“Nerves of steel, totally.”
You had to be fast.
#tim drake x reader#dick grayson x reader#jason todd x reader#stephanie brown x reader#duke thomas x reader#bat!sis
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Thunderbird Headcanons
Thunderbird headcanons I just kinda forgot to post.
Scott
Not a single brain cell.
Like 6’1”
Is like really not down with the kids as much as he thinks he is.
Fully believes he is cool.
Writes a letter to his Mum every year and just puts it in a drawer.
Did have a mullet at one point.
Dimples and some moles.
Hates strawberries.
He really loves pies (not made by grandma though)
Good hugs.
He was rebellious as a kid, still got good grades at school but skived a lot and smoked probably.
Wears double denim.
Close to all his brothers due to him helping his dad raise them.
Especially close to Alan as he was only 8 when their dad went missing and kind of hand to become a parental figure in his dad's place.
Wears crocs and socks.
If he needs support will go to Virgil or John, but since he feels comfort in physical contact he tends to go to Virgil.
Full on had grey hairs at 25 from taking over IR.
Really likes porridge.
Reads/watches something for an hour before bed, unless the rescue literally causes him to pass out as soon as he gets on the bed.
Favourite tic tac flavour is lime and orange.
Really bad with spice.
Not allergic to bees
Virgil
Mans built, a good mix of both muscle and fat, bulking him out more than his brothers.
Was a bug kid, used to draw them all the time, he still remembers bug facts.
Really interested in scarab beetles
Moles on face as well as scar near eyebrow.
Like 5’9”-5’10”
Probably could lift the sofa with one hand if given the chance.
Can easily pick up Scott and John at the same time.
Usually the brother Gordon and Alan hang around or ask for emotional support.
Close with Gordon as he was the main brother who cared for Gordon after his accident due to his medical knowledge. Was around when Gordon had his breakdowns and Virgil knows a lot of Gordon's fears or insecurities, he knows most of his brothers insecurities as well, and always checks up on them if they are faced with something that could bring up their insecurities.
Virgil covers up alot, he can be quite insecure about his body, it fully depends on the day, if there is a day where he is more confident with his body and shows more skin, his brothers make sure not to comment on it as that can throw him off and make him insecure again.
Best hugs ever.
Can bake okay, can kind of cook, nothing too hard.
Has his own soup recipe that tends to be used when one of his brothers is ill.
Gay.
Close with all his brothers but tends to end up hanging around Gordon and Alan.
Is allergic to ibuprofen and aspirin
Sarcastic humour.
Full on had a crush on Kip Harris and Tycho reeves.
Can fill a sketchbook in a week.
Landscapes and figures are his favourite things to draw.
Has a birthmark on his palm
John
Tall an lanky.
Good at gymnastics.
Light freckles all over face.
Very close to Alan due to their shared love of space.
John used to teach Alan about space when they were younger, and used Alan as an audience (as well as Jeff) for when he had to practice for a presentation.
Like 6’1”
He had a punk phase when he was a teen.
Has severe hay fever.
Social anxiety isn't good with crowds, unless one of his brothers is with him, they help distract him from the crowds. Alan usually does space talk. Scott and Virgil tend to talk to him about mechanics and coding, usually asking John to babble about it. Gordon usually makes jokes or asks him about what he did that day, half the time Gordon doesn't understand what he's talking about but he's respectful and listens.
Does not like physical contact as much, he will hug his brothers but he has to be in the right mood, his brothers always seem to know when he is in the right mood.
Always hugs Alan and Gordon though.
Tends to keep a level head but if someone were to hurt one of his brothers he would get angry.
Was a generally quiet kid.
Was good at getting a baby/toddler Alan to stop crying.
Has a mole behind his ear.
Gordon
Little, like 5’6” to 5’8”.
Big shoulder from all that butterfly swimming.
Jokes about a lot, not only because he is funny but he is insecure, he hates seeing family so sad, it reminds him of when he was in his accident.
Is actually kind of insecure about his body, he has a lot of scars from accidents and from being in WASP.
He is shaped like a dorito and has little body fat.
Bisexual
Massive crush on Penelope, eventually asks her out and they hang out as much as they can, which isn't much since they both have very busy lives.
Has a mullet.
Also wears crocs and socks but does it better than Scott.
Is a mess.
Military lad but if you didn't know him you would not be able to tell.
Suffers from depression but again you wouldn't be able to tell, he hides it well.
Nothing but bright clothes in his wardrobe.
At one point he did have a crush on buddy.
He did have a good relationship with Jeff but from ages 14-16 they just didn't get on, Gordon just seemed to get on Jeff's nerves a lot and also seemed to just keep making the wrong decisions. This all got better when Gordon talked about going to work with WASP. Too bad Jeff never got to see him there since the accident happened before Gordon started.
Gordon naturally feels relieved when Jeff comes back, they start again and so far they are getting on well.
Is actually a really good cook.
If not swimming or on a mission he will spend the day cooking if given the chance.
Likes veg more than fruit.
Catch him munching on a carrot whilst listening to the info on the mission.
Always has tic-tacs in his pockets, both suit and civvies.
Really good with spice and heat, he survived eating a carolina reaper pepper.
Knows how to do the hoedown throwdown.
Knows origami.
Alan
Was only 1 when his mum died, he blames himself sometimes due to him being the one his mum was trying to save in the avalanche. [All versions]
Pansexual [All versions]
Never had a good bond with his family until he was 14 and the hood attacks, sure he liked them and they cared for him they just never gelled as well. Despite this he is close with John. John was the main one to actually listen to him and actually let him speak through his issues and John never judges him [04].
He has a boyfriend who he meets at whartons, they meet before the hoods attack and get close whilst Alans in recovery via video calls and when Alans is allowed back into school they start dating. [04]
Freckles :)
Is very little, between 5’4” and 5’7” depending on the version.
When Jeff comes back Alan is iffy around him, Jeff manages to get back in to the father figure role quickly but Alan hasn't seen Jeff for years and has forgot a lot about him, Alan naturally goes to Scott with any issues, isn't used to Jeff being around. It takes a few months for him and Jeff to actually bond properly by themselves.
Has a prosthetic leg, the story behind it depends on the version, 04, his leg was severely injured after falling and catching his leg on the moving mole during his fight with the hood in the bank. In TAG it's a situation of explosion in space that nearly kills him. (Sometimes this is a thing sometimes it's not idk)
Has a bed full of stuffed animals.
His room is filled with rocket posters and models.
Has a shelf that's just the rockets in mission order.
Loves the mercury 7.
Alan's baking ability is making those cookies that you just add like milk into.
Used to copy Gordon a lot.
Still copies him sometimes, like him keeping sweets in his pockets at all times and sometimes copies his reactions in conversations cause he zones out a lot
Will tear up if someone shouts at him, usually he hides it and when alone he lets it out. His brothers know this and will usually try to prevent the shouting from happening.
#thunderbirds#thunderbirds are go#Scott Tracy#Virgil Tracy#John Tracy#Gordon Tracy#alan tracy#thunderbirds au#thunderbirds headcanons
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allies + eje human au headcanons
I had to look up what eje meant, which was Axis in Spanish 🌮 (there's no sombrero emoji, and I'm mad about it). This is mostly a college Human AU, but there's still some future stuff in there. Enjoy the longest list of Headcannons in one post lol
Human AU Hetalia!
Allies:
America:
Has rich parents, but doesn't tell anyone, and somehow his big house that everyone parties at doesn't give it away.
The only person who knows is Japan, and that's specifically because Japan's dad works for America's dad.
Is a college student, hoping to go for some kind of music degree.
A first year.
Black T-shirt and jeans. Has a plaid button up for everyday of the month, usually has it tied around his hips.
Has like, one basic tux and refuses to wear anything but converse or airwalkers.
Space nerd #1, except he's more into what's beyond our boundaries, and loves the constellations.
One of the most popular kids, and no matter how hard you try he's not easy to hate.
Gives off dumb college kid energy even though he's one of the A+ students.
His glasses are for show. It was meant to be a rebellious thing since Canada use to get bullied about his own glasses, now it's just an esthetic.
Skate boards and plays the acoustic guitar in his free time.
Jeans are usually missing the knee section.
Once set off firecrackers in a metal trash can as a school prank.
England:
Last year of college, majoring in history after failing his cooking classes.
Graphic tee central. We are unsure how many he has but he's up to 43 different shirts worn on campus.
Usually has his earbuds in, listening to punk rock.
Has an ungodly amount of bracelets. His favorite one is a black snap bracelet with little pirate skulls.
Was practically raised by his older brothers.
Lives alone, but is secretly an amazing writer.
Has a Tumblr blog he writes spooky stuff on.
Top of his class, but can be a dummy if he's put on the spot.
France:
No one is sure how he's been allowed to take nothing but art classes. No English, or science, just art.
Is also a transfer student, he's probably the second richest thanks to daddy.
Is the school stud, despite not sleeping with a single soul, and is actually extremely nervous about dating, and is just more comfortable with playful flirting.
He wants to be a fashion designer, or Model. Mostly a Designer.
Loose shirts and tight pants.
Has a weird obsession with belt sashes.
Plays violin like a god, and is a senior.
China:
Another senior in college.
Had the unfortunate event of being in the same cooking class as England before Arthur decided to switch degrees.
Still hangs out with him and Japan.
One of the few who is taking advanced classes, and is literally everyone's tutor.
Going for a Degree in Cooking. Wants to be a head chef.
His parents are over seas, but he promised to get them to America as soon as he can.
He wears a lot of colorful shirts that is always tucked into his pants.
Most of which look like bowling shirts, but he likes to add little Chinese patches to them. Has a signature jean jacket that is overwhelmed with patches.
Has a panda beenie baby keychain, so everyone knows exactly who it belongs to when he losses his keys.
Very quick to panic, and hates to admit he's wrong.
Russia:
Third and final transfer student, along with Japan, and France.
Poor confused child is trying so hard.
He's kind of shy, and is fully aware his social akwardness creeps everyone out.
Almost cried the day America and Prussia adopted him into the cool kid circle.
His broken english is probably the biggest turn off for the people at school. It's why no one really talks to him, mostly because they can't figure out what he's saying most of the time.
Biggest sweetheart though, and is painfully smart, but do to the english thing he's stuck in the average classes, but China comes swooping in and his english gets almost fluent by his third year.
He doesn't own a single thing tech, minus a flip phone, but somehow knows all the hot keys on the computer to every program, and it's only because he's lazy about it and it's the funniest thing.
Space nerd #2 but knows more about the planets and can name every single moon, and knows the history of space discoveries by heart.
Secretly a hopeless romantic, and doesn't realize he reads England's blog.
Is pretty much a closet goth, but likes bright colors too much to be seen in all black.
Knows way to much about torture devices and learned very quickly that gets you out casted in a school setting.
Isn't upset that he doesn't have many friends, but somehow attracts all the little kids from the grade school.
He likes his northface sweater, and loose pants. But his shirts are pretty colorful, and he likes collecting shoelaces.
He spends a lot of time in the woodwork shop, creating amazing figures and such.
Canada:
I can feel the dissapointed stares of Matt not being a photographer. Welp, guess he also gets a degree in art then.
Second year, Because he skipped one year in college.
Clothing style is long sleeves and vests.
He likes feeling fancy, and owns an endless amount of beanies.
One of the few people who talks to Russia.
His locker has a snot ton of polar bear stickers that everyone stuck to it, and he loves it.
Is baby but can kick butt in the wrestling club after school.
Has a tiny white Pomeranian that he rescued from it's mother who wouldn't take care of it, probably because the puppy was the runt of the litter.
Has a Harley Davidson and it's been painted black with the aurora on it, making everyone think it was his non-existent girlfriend's or something. Now it's a running joke.
Axis:
Germany:
He's not a jock, but he's friends with them.
Military Dad.
Is usually found hanging out in the gymnasium on breaks. It's quiet and no one is going to bother him. Usually.
Senior, and so ready to get the heck out of college.
Ladies love him, but he really hates the attention, like please help him.
Style wise he's pretty basic, but really loves his camo print.
Has owned countless doggos, and only attracted so many girls the day he walked to school with a fluffy poodle that France Hijacked for the day.
Doesn't ever go to dances after the first one and everyone tried to get him drunk, to no avail.
Had out drank some of the dumber students to shut them up.
Can be mean if you persistently pester him for dumb stuff, especially if he's already said no.
He's into construction and is working on a degree in Construction Management.
Japan:
Exchange student number 3
Degree in technology is what he desires.
Style = Geek, but like a stylish geek.
Him and Canada are in photography class together.
Japan is also part of the cool kids, but only when they're about to do some dumb stunt, and need a camera man.
Doesn't mind, loves watching them make fools of themselves.
Has a rebellious streak, and tends to be a complete sass.
As soon as something seems to go bad, he gone. He's heading towards the door. Been in detention once, and that was it.
Why does everyone go to him for advice when china is literally down the hall?
Rich kid #3 and his parents are traditional and are having a crisis over their son's rebellious attitude.
Italy:
Is a first year, and is oddly enough, going for a degree in history.
Really likes antiques and old artsy stuff.
Has a few shared classes with France, and they pretty much own those classes.
Rivals America's charisma, but isn't as popular due to:
Being seen around France, and not doing dumb and entertaining crap like america.
Gets picked on a lot Because he doesn't understand you can't be nice to the Jock's girlfriend without everyone thinking your flirting, even though you just needed directions on your first day of school.
Germany is now his bodyguard and he was kind of like "???" But they get closer the longer they hangout.
Fancy shirt man, like hand me downs from his Italian father. So they're really nice, and a lot of eye melting patterns.
Gets attached to people easily, and is sensitive when he gets taken advantage of during assignments, but toughs through it because he has too.
Has two cats literally named Mona, and Lisa.
Has cried at least once at school because he's a soft guy, but he gets a thicker shell the older he gets and learns to just laugh off other people's stupidity.
Romano:
Protective older brother gooooo
Second year in school, and his first year made him want to eat brinks.
Doesn't know what degree he wants, but settled for a degree in cooking.
Shares his brother's shirts practically and it confuses everyone Because, didn't Feliciano wear that shirt last week?
Immediately thinks people don't know washing machines exist Because of this, so his sass factor is high up there.
Doesn't really have friends, and also does not care. He's a bit of a lone wolf and needed something to do.
The amount of not caring attitude contrasts his high grades and his teachers are painfully confused by it.
Will jokingly tell people to fight him at McDonald's, and almost fought someone but literally laughed, and suggested they got something to eat instead.
He's somehow, in a bizarre and unwanted sense, everyone's brother which is just...
No one understands him, but they like him, and he doesn't know why and it kind of bugs him.
He's usually in the front of the school daydreaming about, god only knows what...
Is the epitomy of the "she doesn't even go here" joke from mean girls, except he does go to that school.
Why did he need a degree? Oh yeah, Because work places don't care what kind of paper, you just need a paper.
Prussia:
Rival friendship with america, and Russia has had to step in to break up petty fights.
He's not sure why he's part of the popular kids since he's so fricken chaotic and obnoxious. Or so he thinks.
Genuinely a sweet guy in his last year, desperately wanting a degree in mathematics. Like, no one understands why mathematics until he starts pulling card tricks from his pocket that deals with it, and blows everyone's mind.
He is also head of the newspaper club.
Has the style of a teenage band member and will not apologize for it.
Has hijacked the schools speaker system to blast evanescence, which gave a huge boost to his friendship with Russia, since the big fellow shares Prussia's taste in music.
Can eat a whole ghost pepper without batting an eyelash, and this is only Headcannon and a worthy note because he became sick the day after and the whole school had "in loving memory of Gilbert's stomach" posters all over the place.
Teacher's are very much done with his harmless antics. They're noticably stupid pranks, but only to the point it's annoying.
Like he managed to make all the teacher's computer backgrounds as Brad Pitt wearing a sombrero. There's no joke, and no punchline. It's just a poorly Photoshopped sombrero?
Races his brother to school every morning, and afternoon. Cops have stopped them at least twice due to other bystanders getting freaked out.
Him and Romano don't mix well, but try to leave each other alone.
#hetalia american#hetalia england#hetalia france#hetalia china#hetalia russia#hetalia canada#hetalia germany#hetalia italy#hetalia japan#hetalia romano#hetalia prussia#hetalia#hws#hetalia world stars#aph#human au
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My take on a Genshin Impact Circus AU Part 4 with Noelle as a strongwoman and Amber as a death-defying archery stuntwoman. Their backstories are under the cut!
Noelle:
First off I have a very self-indulgent headcanon that she is ridiculously strong. Like. Can benchpress people. Canonverse or AU.
She used to help out around the circus and she was kind of indifferent to the fact that she was likely going to be a maid. It's a respectable profession. And helping out at her childhood friends' (Kaeya and Diluc) manor as she'd been born into doing seemed like a good job.
How she got into the circus life requires a bit of backstory. Back when they were kids, Kaeya, Diluc, and Noelle would mess around (as kids do) and have little challenges for themselves. Who can run the fastest, who can do the best cartwheel, who can jump the highest, and the like.
Noelle got a little hesitant as she got into her early teens bc she was always told to be ladylike, so she spent one or two of their hangout sessions watching Kaeya and Diluc and talking. One day, however, Kaeya and Diluc are being Teenage Boys and lifting heavy things trying to outlift each other. Noelle has lifted furniture when cleaning up after these two so she figures this one unladylike thing would be okay.
She comes up behind them and just. Picks them both up. On top of the things they were lifting already. Kaeya and Diluc have to take a second and just look at her like "yeah no you are never sitting out of our competitions again"
And so they try other things like cartwheels and tests of courage like who can climb the highest on a tree and things are back to normal.
Skip forward a few years and Crepus dies. There's a huge mystery around it that not even his son's attendants are privy to. The only thing people know is that the sons have been sent away to boarding school. The whole manor is abandoned, all the workers fired.
Noelle for the next few years spends her time working at laundromats, and other odd jobs, but eventually she runs out of luck and suddenly there's too many people and not enough opportunities.
One of her friends from one of her old jobs invites her to go out and see this new circus that happens to be in town. She goes because why not. And wouldn't you know it one of the acts is her childhood friends doing these death-defying stunts that hit her with a wave of nostalgia bc their entire act consists of essentially the song "anything you can do" but with more and more dangerous stunts.
Noelle of course has to say hi, so they catch up and Noelle's lack of work comes up and would you look at that Aether and Lumine happen to have an opening for a maid.
So Noelle settles in, continuing to lift heavy shit to clean under it (Bennett swears up and down he saw her lift a fridge once but he might've been sleep-deprived). She also got into helping Chongyun with the techy stuff so sometimes she'll be at tech rehearsals moving things around and one time a rope holding up a person breaks near Noelle and she. catches it.
Now, one night. One of the acts drops out at the last moment bc injury or last-minute commitment or the like. And it leaves a gap in the show. Everyone else is busy. And panicking bc the circus is still relatively new and they really need to build their rep rn.
They start wondering what kind of last-minute acts they can put together like "what about the gymnasts??" "They all have group routines" "do they have old routines??" "Not polished enough for what we need" and someone somewhere pipes up "man I wish we had a strongman or something" and Diluc and Kaeya immediately whip their heads around to look at each other for like half a second before Kaeya bolts. He finds Noelle doing her usual rounds she's been doing for like a month now and Bennett was right, she is currently under a mini-fridge that she is lifting over her head whilst leaning it against a wall.
Kaeya takes Noelle by the shoulders and just zooms her over to where the commotion is happening and pitches the idea to Aether and Lumine. They're hesitant as hECK bc this is a huge risk they're taking since Noelle isn't even a performer but Diluc pitches that they could literally just scatter really heavy items and have Noelle clean under them and as long as she looks at the audience every once in a while it can be played off as a bit.
Noelle with qUITE the stammer says that she'll try her best but at this time is in need of a moment. She has never performed before. Kaeya and Diluc have to go perform so they leave her with a shoulder squeeze and a thumbs up.
She gets on-stage. She flinches under the lights for a second. She takes a deep breath and focuses on the first thing before her with her best "oh heavens, it's filthy in here", and she gets through the entire act by doing that for every object. So the audience is seeing this seemingly petite young girl lift the equivalent of a hecking car in order to clean under it.
Needless to say, there's roaring applause the second Noelle leaves (which she hears from far away because holy shit I just cleaned for people and they liked it)
This was a bit of a one-time thing and she goes back to her regular maid duties until the circus gets a new strongman by the name "Zhongli".
His style is more about lifting exTREMELY LARGE ROCKS, and breaking them in half whilst giving a history/geology lesson on them.
He quietly observes the maid who he hears fantastical stories of That One Time She Charmed An Audience By Cleaning. He was bewildered at first but saw the merit of it while watching her clean. He immediately decides that this girl has sO MUCH. POTENTIAL that is being wasted by having her work as a maid. He has nothing against maids or their profession, but he invites her to train with him.
Noelle gets hELLA stronger and they come to a conclusion. Noelle performs part-time and is a maid part-time. She doesn't have a particular performance style. She'll sometimes play catch with Zhongli and his big rocks, other times she'll be in the background of performers like Amber in the art lifting some hEAVY SHIT.
She gets along with Chongyun super well bc Chongyun has to make less trips to move his equipment since he's worked with her. She's a blessing for when they have to pack up and move.
Amber:
Amber's story is a little more straightforward. She started out engaged to a suitor. Amber was the kid in kindergarten who was learning about dragons and "idk what everyone else was doing". She's known what she wants for a long time, and what she wants at the moment, is not a relationship.
Throughout her childhood she was a very lonely child. Her family exposed her to lots of academic or ladylike things (do not ask me when this au is set, it's the 1800s and the 1990s at the same time or a suspendes steampunk time) to get her away from the thing she liked most: archery. She'd been exposed to it as a kid and latched on.
This drove a bunch of suitors away, so her family got more desperate and exposed her to more classes and activities to get her away from it. She went "that's easy, I'll just practice at night"
So she does that. She practices at night and underperforms in the coming weeks. It is during this time that her parents (high class ppl) find her a man to marry for some business deal idk.
The man's nice enough. It's just obvious he can only take Amber in small doses, and Amber takes full advantage of this to practice and stay in shape.
How Amber gets into the circus life was essentially running away. She bonds with Eula over this.
So because of all the attempts to make her fit into the ideal lady description, her rebellious streak said "yeah we're going to go as far away from that as possible" and she goes "I'm going to run away with the circus" bc that's what the books she's read say is the most rebellious thing you can do.
She finds THE FIRST circus she sees and begs to be let in. This is the shadiest most sketchy place but Amber sees it as the key to her freedom. She signs a contract.
They treat her like the US treats their students. She barely gets time to practice for performances and she's mostly doing dirty work. When they ask her what she can do she's like "I'm really good at archery" and they go "cool, you're going to be doing that while everything is on fire now. Can you do a handstand"
Essentially they push her and push her and push her to do more and more hazardous things she has to pick up on under the threat of being kicked to the curb.
After a while of this Amber is extremely burned out (pun intended) and as she's packing up after one of her shows, covered in burns but proud bc she hit all her targets without killing anyone, she's approached by a blond foreigner.
Tbh for all she's read, Amber really doesn't consider leaving and this time she can't run away since she's now bound by a contract (not Zhongli's btw in case anyone was wondering).
This foreigner tells her that there's so many ways to improve her situation and that he runs a circus looking for members.
Amber refuses since she's not getting tangled up in another legal mess, but she takes his advice on how to take care of her burns, and improve safety while she's performing.
Skip a few months. She hears word of this mysterious new circus around. Her encounter with who she'll later know as Aether stuck with her, and so she goes. To see whether she could really shoot her arrows without being burned alive.
After a show one night, she tries to get past security and fails repeatedly. She turns to leave and wouldn't you know it there's Aether. And Lumine. Waiting for her once she turns the corner. Amber's biggest concern is her existing contract and when Aether and Lumine say they have a nICE lawyer, Amber sees her next step to freedom.
Aether and Lumine essentially gain custody of Amber (but like for adults) and Amber is. Shocked. She's walked through her new contract of employment clearly and essentially treated like a human being.
And now that she knows things and has more freedom (though still under the watchful eyes of Aether and Lumine to see how she does) her creativity and competitive streak flourish. She decides she actually doesn't hate fire, she just doesn't like when she doesn't know when or where it's coming. And she makes fast friends with the gymnasts, so she ends up incorporating that into her routines. Now she uses her canon goggles to protect her from the burning eyes of prolonged smoke exposure when she uses fire.
When she meets a little pyromanic girl named Klee, she's thrilled that someone this chaotic and sure of herself exists.
#genshin impact#genshin#genshin impact noelle#genshin impact amber#genshin amber#genshin noelle#genshin impact circus au#genshin circus au#circus au#genshin impact fan art#genshin impact fanart#genshin fanart#genshin fan art#genshin noelle fanart#genshin amber fanart#genshin impact headcanons#genshin amber headcanons#genshin noelle headcanons#my art
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Hi Whetstonefire. I have a question about the comic where Nightwing cheats on Starfire with Barbara: What happens directly after that? Does Starfire find out that Nightwing cheated on her? And, if so, how does she react? I've read online that (according to Marv Wolfman) Starfire is the opposite of everything Batman taught Nightwing to be and that Batman taught Nightwing to be repressed and cold. What did Nightwing contribute (emotionally) to the relationship between him and Starfire? (Cont.)
(Cont.) From what I can tell, from online, Nightwing was adamant about standards of mercy and monogamy - how do you think, if Starfire were to be written as her own character and not written around Nightwing and his emotional needs, she would handle and react to that? (This bit is an FYI for other readers: this is just speculation, not hate. Sorry about that.) Sorry about the questions! Have a nice day!
Okay there are so many separate questions packed in here! I may miss some of them lol and I do not want to put in the hours it would take to produce an orderly response to all this, so this post is going to be a mess.
Initial query and important point: the cheating story was out of continuity. Like, literally, not just by ‘being rejected by the fanbase,’ it was just this weird retcon oneshot that seems to have been some sort of fuck-you to Nightwing or his fans or something. So no, it had no in-setting fallout lol. It, in more ways than most comics, didn't exactly happen.
It was just this weird thing where Dick hooks up with Babs before giving her a wedding invitation, which is both out of character for him in general and out of step with where he was leading up to the wedding--he was desperate to get married so they could have some Normal Stable Adulthood Happiness; the choice to recharacterize him as a fuckboy who regards it as a loss of freedom isn’t congruent, on much more than the level of principle.
As far as how Kori would feel about it, if she had learned...that is very hard to say. Apart from how it would require her to reinterpret everything about where their relationship stood at that point, the data is very unclear, and I don’t even have all of it. Gonna back up to cover some of the rest of the ask, get some context here.
So this actually brings up two of my biggest gripes with Wolfman’s NTT--weird Kori characterization and the weirdly negative interpretation of Batman as parent that backwashed heavily into other titles and influenced the character for the worse, in ways we're very much still dealing with today. 😩
The latter is pretty self-explanatory, though Wolfman’s take that the main thing Bruce taught Dick was repression does shed light on some writing choices and make others funnier. But Kori. Oh my lands.
So, item one, I wouldn't say that Kori is overall opposite Bruce, or even of his philosophy? There are just some very major points of opposition. She isn’t emotionally buttoned-down like at all, especially about positive feelings, although considered realistically with all the bullshit they’ve piled into her backstory she absolutely leans on repression to cope and stay positive, which makes her a lot like Dick actually.
To an extent, she was clearly written around foiling Dick’s Batman-derived traits in the same way that Robin was written to foil Batman, bright and glad and aerial. A Flamebird to his Nightwing in theme if not in name.
You could do some interesting stuff with that, and the bildungsroman aspects of this period of Dick’s life, like he has two roads forward in terms of how he’s going to define ‘adulthood’--does it necessarily require becoming more like his mentor-father, for good and ill, or can he make Kori in part a destination, as it were, and create an adult self that is derived from who he has always been as well as the man he’s modeled himself after?
To an extent I think this even was one of the things going on in ntt but like. Only a little bit.
(Given how much like Bruce Babs is in most of the ways Kori isn’t, especially once she’s Oracle, you could make a case for her as love interest being like. Symbolic of his not being in a rebellious phase? That gets weird and oedipal really fast tho lol.)
Okay stepping down one meta level lol, the thing about answering the 'what would kori' question here is that her character is deeply bound up in her culture, about which we are told and shown a great many contradictory things. Any attempt to read her as an independent character has to tackle not only the gender stuff you allude to and these inconsistencies, but how much of the sheer mess of her is rooted in racism.
'Fantastic' racism, technically, because Tamaraneans aren't real, but the 'taming the savage' narrative that kept surfacing between them and the language used in reference to it is just. The existing racism of presumably the writers, placed in Dick's mouth, and it's super gross. I hate it so much.
(I had a faint hope when they cast her for live action it was with a deliberate intent to directly tackle and better that history, but lollllllll nah. At least they didn’t double down in it tho! Can you imagine, with a black actress, in this day and age....)
So to predict and comprehend Kori, you have to make a lot of calls about Tamaran as a civilization. I like to slightly privilege stuff established earlier if there's no good reason not to, so while much is made over time of her inappropriate rage and the violence she was raised to normalize, I think what she says in her first appearance is good to keep in mind: in her culture, kindness is for friends and cruelty is for enemies. She doesn't understand why the Titans seem to have this backwards.
Kori is not a merciless person. She’s very empathetic, as a rule. With people she loves, she is self-destructively forgiving. That's not a trait only Dick benefits from--her family keeps betraying her in new exciting ways, and she keeps letting them.
Her arc of growing away from that habit is however greatly crippled by centering Dick in the narrative and by the awful 'civilizing' overtones that keep coming into it. When she comes back after the 1986 breakup, still married to Karras, she brings with her a commitment to doing things the Earth way--to eschew lethal force as more than a compromise with her friends’ values, but as a deliberate choice.
This deserved a lot more space and time than it got, and the fact that it didn’t get it is only somewhat due to her being subordinated to Dick and to general writing fail; a lot of it’s just the team book problems of everything happening to everybody all at once.
I mean, Dick’s journey later on to deciding he loves her enough to date her even though she’s married and it’s technically against his principles was packed into this absolutely heinous issue where he was inspired by a woman refusing to separate from her husband who’d just threatened to kill her and their kid with a knife, until being stopped by Nightwing. Because he’s apologizing for what he did.
This is his inspiration for accepting Kori’s marital status! It’s supposed to be heartwarming, as far as I can tell! Not heavyhanded messaging that this is a self-destructive terrible choice in which Kori will inevitably harm him somehow! This issue is pro ‘consensual open relationships under certain circumstances’ and also ‘giving abusers another chance’ as expressions of love. Welcome to the 80s ig.
(Notable is that the wife in this issue was black and the husband and son both looked very white, so it’s probably her stepkid and she probably wouldn’t get to keep him if they separated; this is not even vaguely treated as a factor.)
Point is, everyone was getting too little space to actually go through the amount of development they were getting, and it was clumsily handled; it’s not just her.
In an overlapping period Gar processed his issues with his adoptive father with whom he constantly fought and their shared trauma over the rest of their family (the Doom Patrol) having died violently not long ago via a batshit several-issue storyline where Mento went crazy, created supermutants, and abusively mind-controlled them to attack the Titans. It is literally all like this.
Back to the infidelity thing, now. So much to unpack. So like I mentioned above, their first big breakup, while partially driven by Dick’s existing conflicted feelings about their different ideas about things like ‘killing in battle’ and ‘her identity and loyalties being tied up with her home planet,’ is explicitly over different takes on monogamy.
When Dick is breaking up with her, Kori makes it clear she thinks it’s totally reasonable to have both a husband and a love, since Karras also has someone he loves and they’re both fine with it, but the story doesn't really explain how nonmonogamy works on Tamaran, or even if it's practiced outside the context of political marriage. They do do a sort of...soulbond fusion dance...thing, as part of the ceremony, so marriage is definitely serious business. There are so many levels of cultural difference that get poor to no development.
But to return to the weird ooc retcon cheating story: because of this context, no matter what her personal norms are, Dick specifically casually sleeping with someone else would be something for Kori to be mad about, because of the hypocrisy.
Then there’s the Mirage Incident, which I haven’t read through properly and which was very poorly handled by the writers. Kori is upset about Dick having slept with someone impersonating her and there’s a general vibe of this being treated by Dick’s social circle as unfaithfulness even though he was in fact sexually violated by deceit; it famously sucks.
We still don’t learn a lot here about Kori’s ideas about monogamy, from what I have seen, because her focus is mostly on feeling like Dick doesn’t care about her enough or in the right way since he couldn’t tell the difference. Which is an understandable feeling, even if it’s not an appropriate reaction to have at him at this time.
What Nightwing contributed emotionally........hm. This is a mess, honestly; he was all over the map, and not just because of having Brother Blood in his head. I cannot speak definitively on this, it’s too inconsistent.
For most of their relationship, Kori was the more intensely invested one, the one to initiate and the one who was shown at length to be excited to come home at the end of the day to their shared apartment because her boyfriend was there to see and talk to. If we set aside his more egregious white male bullshit, Dick was pretty emotionally available most of the time, though? They were cute.
Since they split up a lot of ink has been spilled making him less into her in retrospect, but he was pretty invested--leaving her coincided with mental breakdowns both times, and it wasn’t even mostly because she was doing his emotional processing for him, because she wasn’t, although it’s fair to say he often fell into using the relationship as an emotional crutch. Kori was definitely doing the same thing though so...it wasn’t the most balanced relationship in fiction history, but apart from slight codependency and the racism, it was decent enough.
She gets more evenhanded development than most superhero love interests, honestly, because she was costarring in a team book. She had her own storylines. She had other friends.
Mostly both of them just needed some space to finish growing up and stop being retraumatized long enough to process some of the existing trauma better, and I think they could have gone on being good for each other for a long time.
#long post#this did in fact take me about two hours#ask#a nonny mouse#dickkori#koriand'r#dick grayson#nightwing#hoc est meum#teen titans#new teen titans#wolfman and perez#sexism#racism#relationships#monogamy#drama#shipping#lol nonny if you're sorry why do it#do you mean sorry to inconvenience me?#do you mean 'sorry to activate your compulsive question answering?'
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i love ur stuff!!! do u think u could write something like diego and the reader not liking eachother (maybe the reader is friends with klaus or allison or someone) and then slowly they begin to like eachother ??? :0
A/N: Thank you so much for the sweet message Nonny ☺ it was a lovely prompt, and I hope you enjoy. Word Count: 2060 Content Warning: mild swearing
“Hey Y/N, why don’t you like Diego?” Klaus asked one evening as the two of you lounged on your couch watching Allison’s latest red carpet event.
“Is that a serious question?” you counter with a raised eyebrow, popping another piece of popcorn in your mouth.
“Yeah. I mean, you get along with everyone else, literally. But not Diego.”
“I don’t get along with everyone else. And I just…think he’s jerk.”
“He is. But so’s Luther and you like him fine.”
You rolled your eyes. “Look, I don’t know how to explain it. I just, every time I talk to your brother I get filled with this overwhelming desire to hit something.”
Klaus started laughing and you raised an eyebrow questioningly. He just shook his head, still laughing. However, he dropped the subject after that and you decided not to push him on what might have been so funny.
~
“You’re welcome,” he said with a smirk, still holding onto your arm.
“Oh don’t do that, Diego,” you snapped. “Don’t act like you did me some favor and I should be grateful.”
“I just saved your life, Y/N.”
“It was a guy on a bike; I think I would have been fine. I can take care of myself.” You folded your arms over your chest, pulling out of his grasp in the process. “What are you even doing here?”
He shrugged. “Out for a walk.”
“Really? In this part of town nowhere near anything you usually have to do with?”
He shrugged. “It was a long walk.”
“Whatever,” you rolled your eyes. “I’m outta here.”
“Not gonna offer to buy me dinner for saving your life?” he called after you as you started to walk away.
“In your dreams Hargreeves,” you shot back.
~
The next time you saw Diego, you had called him to meet you and he seemed quite surprised when he showed up to the park.
“What’s going on, Y/N? No offense, but you were the last person I was expecting to hear from,” he asked, trying to hide the fact that concern had made him run most of the way there.
“It’s Klaus. He hasn’t been by in a while and he missed our weekly breakfasts. He never does that, especially since I pay. So I’m worried and…I couldn’t think of anyone else who might be able to help. Sorry to bother you.” You shifted uncomfortably and bit your lip, worried that you had annoyed him and that he would refuse to help.
“Shit,” he sighed, running a hand through his close-cropped hair. “Alright, I’ll help you look for him. But the kind of places he hangs out…we probably shouldn’t split up, even if it would let us cover more ground.”
“That’s kind of what I was thinking too. I figured I should call someone in for backup.” You shrugged and forced a smile.
The two of you walked in silence for a while, figuring that you would be more likely to actually spot him if you moved on foot than by car, even if it would take you more time. And, if you were being honest, you didn’t mind the amount of time. You found that when you weren’t actively fighting, you appreciated the presence of the other Hargreeves. You certainly felt safe with him beside you, between the knives and the subtle strength that you could see in his stance and the muscles that his clothing clung to.
“Is there something going on between you and Klaus?” he asked suddenly after a while of quiet.
“What? No. He’s my best friend. I don’t…I don’t see him like that.”
He gave you a look that suggested he didn’t quite believe you.
“I’m serious. I love him sure, but the same way I love my baby sister. I want the world for him and would do anything for him but…romantically…blegh.” You scrunched up your face in disgust at the thought and the man beside you laughed.
“So if not my brother…is there someone special?”
You fell silent, studying Diego through the corner of your eye. Part of you itched to snap that it was none of his business. The other part of you, quite rebelliously, admired the slope of his shoulders beneath his black sweater and the cut of his jaw, how the long scar above his ear interrupted his smooth, almost militaristic appearance and made him more attractive, more dangerous looking.
“No,” you said, after maybe too long of silently enjoying the view of him. “No one’s seemed worth my time.”
“You really think highly of yourself don’t you?” he laughed.
“What?”
“’No one’s seemed worth my time,’” he quoted back, “sounds awfully pretentious.”
You felt your cheeks heat in embarrassment. “No…I just meant that I’ve dated quite a few duds in the past, and I don’t see the point in wasting my time. If I don’t feel a connection with the person before we go out…” you shrugged. “Maybe it’s high maintenance, but I’d rather be that than miserable.”
He nodded and stayed silent. A quick glance over at him showed that he was lost in thought.
As the two of you patrolled, looking for any sign of Klaus, you found yourself wondering more and more about the mysterious “Number Two.” But after several hours, even though you were enjoying your, mostly silent, time together, you were growing frustrated.
“This is hopeless,” you groaned. “It’s going to take the two of us days to canvass the whole city, and if he’s been checked in somewhere, we still won’t find him.”
“You’re probably right, Y/N,” Diego said with a nod. “Let’s grab some lunch and then we can start—”
“Calling the usual rehab centers,” you finished at the same time as him. “Sounds like an excellent plan.”
He smiled softly at you and reached out, as if offering you his hand to hold before quickly retreating and shoving them into his pockets.
“Do you like Greek? I know a great Greek diner nearby,” he offered.
~
After that day, you found yourself spending more time with Diego, realizing your initial distaste was misguided, a snap judgement that he really didn’t deserve. One afternoon, Klaus caught you chatting with his brother on the phone, he had called to invite you to one of his boxing matches, and twirling the cord between your fingers as you did.
“Oh. My. God.” he cried out, slapping his hands to either side of his face with exaggerated shock. “You liiiike him.”
“Shut up,” you hissed, punching him lightly, a hot blush creeping across your face at the thought of Diego potentially hearing.
“What was that?” he asked, voice tinny through the receiver.
“Nothing, just your idiot brother.”
You heard him chuckled. “I see. Well, anyway, the gym is kinda out of the way so it can be hard to find, so how about I meet you at your place and we can walk there together?”
“You don’t have to do that Diego.”
“But maybe I want to?”
“O-oh,” you stammered, thrown by the warmth in his voice. “Well, in that case, that sounds nice.”
“Good. It’s a date.”
“A date?” you raised your eyebrow even though he couldn’t see it and tried your best to ignore Klaus’s flailing and pumping his fist excitedly in the air.
“Yeah, a date. I’ve gotta run, but I’ll see you later, Y/N.”
“Okay, see you later Diego.”
You were smiling when you hung up the phone, and the warmth in your chest made you feel like you were floating. So much so that you were completely compliant to Klaus dragging you through the apartment the two of you sort of shared, insistent on picking out the “perfect outfit” for you to “stun his brother so hard he drops in shock and awe.”
~
The night of the date, you fidgeted nervously on your couch, bouncing your leg and chewing on the corner of your thumbnail, waiting for Diego to get there. A thousand thoughts a minute ran through your mind and you stomach twisted itself in knots. You tried to tell yourself you were being ridiculous, the two of you had become friends over the past several weeks, and there was no reason to think this evening was going to be any different, just because Diego had said it was going to be a date.
You were so lost in your own thoughts that you didn’t hear the buzzer or notice Klaus rushing to greet his brother until Diego stood in the doorway, trying to get around his brother to say hello.
“If you ever hurt her Diego,” Klaus said sternly, poking an index finger against his brother’s chest, blocking the short hallway of your apartment.
Diego raised an eyebrow as if challenging whether Klaus was actually trying to threaten him.
“If you ever hurt her, my beloved brother or not, I will eat your shoelaces,” Klaus continued, undaunted, eyes narrowed and face the picture of seriousness.
“What?”
“Every single shoelace. Slurp ‘em up like spaghetti. Inconvenient as hell.”
“Klaus, you are my very best friend and I love you,” you interrupted, rising to go and stand by the two, equally unable to get Klaus out from between. “But what the fuck? Please don’t eat shoelaces in my defense. God that is the weirdest sentence I’ve ever said…”
“Yeah, and we can’t afford to take to the vet and have them removed when they tangle around your intestines,” Diego added, rolling his eyes. “We’ll have to just put you down.”
“Unsettling and inconveniencing my family and dying? Best day ever!” Klaus gave a little clap and jump of joy, which quickly morphed into an apologetic look when he glanced over his shoulder and saw your glare.
“Well, I’ll get out of your way. You two crazy kids have fun now,” he said cheerfully, as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened. “Don’t do anything I would do!”
You rolled your eyes as he sidled past back to the living room, giving you an affectionate pat on the shoulder as he did.
Diego felt his jaw drop as he took in your outfit. It wasn’t quite your usual style, but was enough like you to not feel like you were trying so hard. And you looked stunning in it.
“Wow,” he eventually breathed, causing you to chuckle and rub the back of your neck nervously. “You look…I don’t know if I’m going to be able to focus on the fight with you looking like that.”
“It was Klaus’s idea,” you mumbled. “I know it’s a bit much…”
“No!” he assured, a little too quickly. “It’s great…you look great.”
You shot him a slightly flirtatious smile. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” You let your eyes rove over his tight-fitted jeans and Henley, in black of course.
“C-c-can I kiss you?” he stammered, stepping closer. “For luck?”
You responded by snaking your arms around his neck and leaning in to press your lips to his. He groaned into the kiss, hands coming to rest on your hips, fingers digging into your sides and pulling you closer. Gently, he backed you up the few steps necessary to pin you against your wall, running his tongue over your lower lip at the same time. You let out a little gasp as you bumped into the plaster and he took the opportunity to slip in and begin exploring your mouth.
Grasping his hair in your fist, you eventually pulled him away from you to drink deeply of the air, trying to ignore the wave of desire that shot through you when the action made him moan hungrily.
“We should stop,” you panted.
“Why?” he responded, equally out of breath and fighting your grip to kiss the side of your neck.
“You have a match to get to. Wouldn’t this be so much better as a reward for winning it?” You teased lightly. “And somewhere your brother wasn’t…?”
He laughed. “You have a point there. I want you all to myself.”
“Well then get a move on. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
He threaded his fingers through yours as he led you through the door.
“Don’t wait up!” you called back over your shoulder to Klaus, making Diego groan once more and you smirked. Tonight was shaping up to be even better than you could have hoped.
#something of an abrupt ending but I got stuck and gave up#Diego Hargreeves x Reader#featuring Klaus Hargreeves#because he's too much fun not to include lol#Diego Hargreeves#reader-insert#The Umbrella Academy#TUA#a little light enemies-to-lovers?
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tobirama might be madara and other thoughts tobirama doesn't want to have
(i tried to organize this and not to get too repetitive or go on a huge tangent about the details of hashirama and tobirama’s strained sibling relationship beyond the way they tie into tobirama and madara, but it’s a ~3k monster and i am but a simple nerd)
ftr i don’t think that everything here is the correct interpretation of what was happening, but i do think it's how tobirama saw things
to get to why tobirama is shit scared of madara, i think you have to begin with when they’re kids and look at his relationship with hashirama because that’s where the seeds of bad choices to come are planted
1.
tobirama prioritizes hashirama. he can think for himself and doesn’t completely follow hashirama’s directions, but lbr he works within the framework of the things hashirama wants and builds. if hashirama had changed his mind and decided that peace was unattainable, tobirama wouldn’t have left him to start a village on his own. he would have stayed with his brother and kept fighting
madara and hashirama being pulled apart started all the shit, but it was tobirama and izuna who tattled and made that happen
why was tobirama following hashirama in the first place? because butsuma told him to? fuck no. he followed hashirama for the same reason izuna followed madara: his brother has been sneaking off without telling him. hashirama is keeping secrets, even from tobirama
you know what makes you feel like shit? guilt
tobirama made hashirama miserable because he did what he was supposed to do and told butsuma about hashirama’s secret friend (read: he did what a jealous kid does and tattled)
from the start of their friendship, hashirama chose madara. he had to stick with tobirama because they’re brothers, but hashirama wanted madara to be in his life because he liked madara
sure, hashirama chose to die before he chose to kill tobirama but what if those hadn’t been the options? what if madara had told hashirama to choose between madara and tobirama?
both of their younger brothers get killed by madara’s family, but hashirama won’t stop talking about his friend who he should have killed but won’t
tobirama killed izuna like he was supposed to but hashirama won’t kill madara
you know what else feels really bad? the possibility that the brother you love and built your life around might hate you but you can’t be sure one way or the other
hashirama is ready to abandon everything for madara, but he doesn’t really acknowledge tobirama. one of the things tobirama is known for- being a sensor- only comes up later, when hashirama mocks him for not noticing that orochimaru has hashirama’s cells. it's sort of brotherly ribbing but because he's never been shown doing that before or joking with anyone other than madara, it feels more barbed than it normally would
hashirama in general kind of ignores tobirama until they butt heads
maybe it's because there isn't a parallel character to tobirama, but tobirama’s scale of someone’s worth is based on hashirama being at the top, while hashirama doesn't think about tobirama at all outside one moment in the flashback where he thinks about wanting to keep his brothers safe
hashirama, who trusted a stranger because he was playing in a river, doesn’t think much of tobirama, and that’s where the fear starts
why doesn’t hashirama like him? what isn't tobirama seeing?
why can’t hashirama forgive tobirama for telling butsuma?
why was it wrong for tobirama to kill izuna when izuna would have killed him?
madara, who wanted to build konoha and loved hashirama (even if you read it as platonic, if they don’t love each other, what the fuck is up between them bc that relationship wasn’t built on superficial trauma bonding), can be forgiven for turning against the village
why is what tobirama did worse than what madara did?
why does hashirama get so fucked up about madara even though madara tried to kill him, but he gets mad at tobirama for being wary of the people who’ve been trying to kill them (and who they’ve been trying to kill) for generations?
the fear of being replaced by madara is already there, and it only grows as hashirama mourns himself into an early death bc he wouldn’t have done that over tobirama
now add to that what happened when madara turned against konoha. more accurately, what didn’t happen
i’m repeating myself here but if tobirama and hashirama had worked together (if hashirama had called for him to help because tobirama has no business hopping into a throwdown between hashirama and madara and he knew it), they could have subdued madara without killing him (technically madara didn’t die, because izanagi or w/e but they didn't know that). hashirama didn’t want to kill madara. he explicitly, specifically did not want to kill madara and only did after madara pushed him into it
so why didn’t hashirama ask for tobirama’s help? if he’s at the point where he’d kill anyone who threatened the village (which i don’t reeeeeally buy as true bc it feels a lot more like something hashirama told himself to make killing madara less, you know, devastating) wouldn’t he prioritize stopping madara as soon as possible? he never showed any doubt in tobirama’s abilities, so if he wasn’t scared of his brother getting killed, why wouldn’t he call tobirama up?
because he doesn’t trust tobirama
hashirama doesn’t distrust other people. he wants to be friends with anyone. madara was attempting to stir up an insurrection, and hashirama still tried to keep him in the village. but he won’t rely on tobirama
so the fear expands
you know what tobirama doesn’t have? friends. a romantic interest. anything for himself as he grows that isn’t wrapped up in hashirama
this man likes rules. that was how he imagined the ideal ninja world. people make agreements and abide by them
if the founders era is an analog to the sengoku period ie the end of the muromachi period, which it is, then it’s worth noting that at this point in its history, real world japan was transitioning from the system of multiple heirs to a single heir. that wasn’t necessarily the oldest, but when one of your kids is a fucking brick shithouse with a kekkei genkai that’s never occurred before but rebellious and the other one is a genius who would be willing to follow through on your family’s blood feud but a) is loyal to his brother and b) has the charisma of a clammy handshake, who are you picking?
no way did tobirama expect to be made heir and imo he wouldn’t have wanted to be. hashirama is good at being the emotional leader and rallying people bc they like him. tobirama isn’t that interested in being the powerful one bc he’s more of a kingmaker
but you know it occurred to him that butsuma should want him to be the heir. hashirama isn’t exactly reliable and he sure doesn’t want to kill uchihas. tobirama would and he’d do it well
even the he doesn’t actually want the role, when you’re like 16 and your brother who you think is naive and lbr incompetent gets picked- something nobody does bc tobirama is, you know, a dick- it’s going to feel significant
so the fear grows more. he doesn’t want to be the head of the clan, but if he’s the one who could carry out butsuma’s plans, why is he still the second choice?
2.
speaking of butsuma and childhood trauma, it’s kind of interesting that tobirama winds up dealing with uchihas the same way he defused butsuma, philosophically
in terms of their behavior, to a traumatized kid who never made any uchiha friends, uchihas could resemble a certain senju, you know?
volatile, self-prioritizing, self-cannibalizing (fighting within the clan, not literal flesh eating), powerful by standing on the backs of others (no way was fugaku the first to think 'i'll show my kid what mass death looks like and that will make him strong.' the sharingan awakens through painful experiences, and uchihas are even more obsessively devoted to their clan than tobirama is to his. but paradoxically, they were ready to double down on inbreeding and blinding themselves to use izanagi, so they wouldn't be above deliberately exacerbating the trauma their kids couldn’t escape anyway for the sake of getting an edge)
to an adult tobirama, the uchihas sure could seem like a clan of butsumas, huh
how did tobirama deal with butsuma? he got in between him and hashirama. and how did butsuma react? he left to cool down (but i’d bet he never really repented, esp bc hitting hashirama wasn’t surprising to any of them)
what does tobirama do with the uchihas? he gets in between them and konoha. if they’re angry with him, they aren’t angry at konoha. he gives them something else to focus on- and tobirama likes rules, so it isn’t that much of a reach to say he’d think that being trusted to be the people keeping the peace was actually an honor- and relocates them. now they can cool off (but their fundamental nature will never really change)
i definitely don’t think most of that is conscious, but you know. he didn’t trust his father and if that’s who he relates the uchihas to, that’s fertile ground for another type of fear
butsuma was fine letting tobirama’s brothers die. what’s to stop the uchihas from letting konoha die?
konoha is entrusted to tobirama. again, though, he isn’t hashirama’s first choice
now he’s afraid of the village falling apart because of madara and his family (read: because tobirama can’t keep them in line) and hashirama’s dream will die because of tobirama
3.
you know what’s a bad idea? fucking around with corpses. you know what else is a bad idea? war crimes. you know what tobirama’s got a lot of? bad ideas
tobirama is intelligent and more concerned with the end result than the way to get there. he has a backwards idea of what protecting people means and a brutal approach to making peace. he loves hashirama (not like madara does but still, you know. he does love his brother)
the major difference between tobirama and madara is the sharingan, which should put madara in a separate class, but the thing is, tobirama is butsuma’s son
you awaken the sharingan by getting hurt. you’re butsuma’s son by learning to do the hurting
there’s a persistent fear that can grow with that knowledge, which i think tobirama wrestled with until he decided it doesn't actually matter- except for the fact that it would matter to hashirama. coupled with the fear that hashirama sees butsuma in tobirama and that’s why he won’t trust tobirama, that isn’t something tobirama could think his way out of
he might be doing the same thing butsuma did, causing harm for nothing
that fear is further compounded by the knowledge that madara would have destroyed everything and tobirama could do the same. without hashirama to argue with him, tobirama can do what he thinks is right. he knows more about making systems that last than hashirama did, so he’s going to put structures into place that will make sure the village survives
the thing is though, tobirama is well aware that madara isn't cruel for the hell of it. he says flat out that madara is dangerous because he loves so much; that intense love got twisted without madara wanting it to be (more below). he let it happen, but he didn’t just choose it
madara isn't just dangerous because he's strong. he's dangerous because he's the only person even hashirama can't just push around and he's personally invested in what he's doing. he believes that what he’s doing is right; he’s invested in being right
he’s following logic. it isn’t good logic by any stretch, but he isn’t just causing chaos just to cause chaos
tobirama follows logic, too. it’s better than madara’s logic because almost anything would be
he’s living his life for the purpose of maintaining hashirama’s dream. tobirama wanted peace, too, but he doesn’t call konoha his dream. konoha is hashirama’s dream. konoha is hashirama's village. tobirama is just trying to make it work
after all, he told butsuma and killed izuna. the least he owes hashirama is the village he wanted. not fun how hashirama would but run better because tobirama knows better
and lbr tobirama is also the second choice for the villagers. constantly standing in hashirama's shadow and feeling the distance between how loved hashirama was and how distantly appreciative the villagers are of tobirama could perhaps be alienating
4.
tobirama can’t protect konoha from madara because he knows he couldn’t beat madara on his own. hashirama and madara know that, too. everybody knows that if it came down to it, a fight between madara and tobirama would go in madara’s favor
madara has the same attitude but about the inevitability of people hurting each other
tobirama can’t control madara. madara can’t control people
the only way to be safe around something you can’t control is to destroy it
tobirama understands madara better than he understands hashirama. hashirama’s dream is impossible. it’s based on thinking people are better than they are. madara isn't right, but he isn't entirely not right
madara was the biggest threat to konoha, and because tobirama isn’t hashirama, he can’t do anything about that except, as the time between hashirama’s and his own grows, understand madara better
5.
this isn’t canonical but it isn’t non-canonical and i think it works so it's going in
tobirama’s palette swap happened because he found out how/why uchihas’ get the sharingan and in his child soldier brain that doesn’t know anything about genetics (but maybe did???), it seemed like a very sound idea to, you know, try to traumatize himself into developing a sharingan as a senju
but he has the wrong ¼ alien’s blood so he doesn’t get the handy dandy cursed eyeballs. what does he get?
obviously, he got his iconic look, tumblr user asotin. you just mentioned the palette swap
i did, and he definitely got his new style. but he got more than that
specifically: a terrifying insight into what uchihas have to feel when they awaken the sharingan. bc he didn’t get the eye upgrade but he did fuck himself up enough to flood his chakra system with pain and turn his eyes red (sadness makes you pale ig? he’s a nerd so maybe he just stayed inside and didn’t eat well. idk and that part is just to enhance how much more he looks like an uchiha than hashirama, who got the ‘be careful who you call ugly in middle school’ bonus)
the amount of emotional distress it took to get there? the shit he had to make himself watch? the things he had to make himself do?
if an uchiha feels that kind of pain just to form the basic sharingan, which isn’t as fucked up as the mangekyo, then please consider how that would feel to a kid whose coping mechanism is repressing
6.
there are rules about what you do in war and in society. tobirama likes rules. tobirama thinks rules will keep peace
so how could he justify violating almost all the rules to make edo tensei? i would like to propose that it isn’t just hypocrisy or machiavellianism taken to an extreme that made it acceptable to him to do everything that must have entailed. i propose that it’s all the fears above and a trauma response that everybody and their grandma knows now but they probably didn’t in the ninja sengoku period:
if you think i’m bad, i may as well be
in his conscious mind, tobirama isn’t bad. he’s necessary. the whole time he’s hokage, he’s doing what needs to be done
in trying to do what a good brother would do, in accepting that there’s something about him that’s malfunctioning, in accepting that his brother will never approve of him, tobirama accidentally became the worst parts of madara
madara did what he did out of love for other people. he’s got the mangekyo and a dead brother. tobirama knows what it’s like to get the first sharingan. how much worse must it feel to get the mangekyo?
tobirama is dispassionate and logical. he isn’t an uchiha. he values kagami and the other, unnamed uchihas who could overcome the curse of hatred, but that's also a condemnation of himself
tobirama couldn't overcome his own hatred. he’s worse than they are, and he knows he is
everything tobirama tried to do better, he made worse. his legacy, the students who carried on his work, nearly destroyed konoha
if hashirama had been forced to choose between tobirama and madara, it would have been better if hashirama had chosen madara. everyone is thinking that
madara betrayed hashirama because he loved so much it turned him against hashirama
tobirama betrayed hashirama because he didn’t have enough love, and every time he’s looked at madara, he’s seen his own inadequacy
#aptxt#naruto#long post#this is such a train wreck and i realized at the end that i only needed the last section and i didn't even need all of that#this doesn't even have the ~800 words cut out the first time lmao#i'm sure i missed some things#the real tl;dr is that tobirama's sense of purpose got too tangled up in what hashirama wanted
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White~Part Three
Summary: You try to compose yourself while going through all of the old memories, both good and bad. You try to confront Mace about his disappearance and he exposes a ten year secret.
Warnings: adult themes, sexual content, mentions of loss of virginity, language
Luckily, the restroom was empty, and you were free to pace back and forth without looking like an idiot. The sound of your feet on the tile floor and your heavy breathing echoed in the chilly bathroom as you tried to shake your nerves out of your arms and fingers. This was ridiculous, beyond crazy and stupid. You were a psychologist for god’s sake. Dealing with emotions was literally your job, but it was always easier when it was someone else’s emotions and not your own.
“Come on.” You coached yourself as you quit pacing and leaned your weight on our arms on the counter top. “Come on, don’t do this.” You willed away the tears the best you could, but a few managed to slip down your cheeks regardless. “Shit. Come on.” You drew in a deep breath and tried to calibrate.
You felt like there was a different person inside of you that you had hidden for a long time, and she was starting to come out again. James had that power over you, even if you tried to deny it. Despite all of the teasing and bullying in school, you still got butterflies when he gave you a Valentine’s day card in class, noticing that yours was always different from anyone else’s. When he had grabbed your face and kissed you in middle school, you hit him because that’s what your friends would have done, but the truth was you went to bed that night with a giddy smile on your face. And when he had finally really and truly kissed you years later, it was the moment you had been praying for since that first terrible kiss in the hallway. When he made that stupid comment about bringing you to bed in high school, you were genuinely hurt, but you remember fantasizing about it regardless. You tolerated the torment he bestowed upon you, because you so badly wanted, and needed, his affection.
This was not just some man you used to be friends with back in the day, this was, as you were convinced, the love of your life. At least at the time. You used to sneak each other notes in school, silly little love letters that made you giggle and blush. You used to pour your teenage heart out onto a piece of paper daily over him. You used to lie to your parents and sneak out to see each other, knowing they disapproved of him for his gruff ways and lack of religious upbringing. He gave you your first kiss, your first orgasm, your first real heartbreak. A small twinge hit your chest as you started to recall certain memories.
That time you snuck out at night and met him at the lake, and he fingered you under the stars. God how you mewled and moaned, but he was so gentle with you, kissing you and leaving a mark on your neck you had to cover up with makeup to hide from your parents. You saw more stars than what was really in the sky that night. That time another guy in school was being mean to you and calling you a slut, and he punched the guy in the face, but he gladly took the detention to defend your honor. After your grandmother died, he snuck in through your window to sit with you through the night and hold you as you cried, but he was gone by morning to keep you both from getting in trouble. When you lost your innocence, how tender and sweet he had been with you, kissing the tears away and going slow to try and ease the pain, asking you if you were okay. It wasn’t at all like you had imagined it, it wasn’t anything like in the movies, but he cradled you after and told you he would always love you.
And then there were all the other times you had given yourself to him. In his truck, in his bed, in your bed, in the woods, at a friend’s house, each time it got better and better. He took the time to learn your body and how to make your feel good. That was what was so addicting about it. Every time you got to feel his hot skin against yours, he managed to make your toes curl a little harder, or make you squeal a little louder. He worshipped your body in a way that made you feel dirty going to church, but it also made you beam from the inside out every other moment outside of that building where you were supposed to have vowed yourself to God. How could you keep denying yourself that amazing feeling? That intimacy with him, when nothing else mattered but the two of you?
And then the hardest time of your life hit you like a ton of bricks. You were burdened with a secret, you and your family, and you needed James the most, to lean on, to turn to. But he was gone. He had been expelled from school after getting into a major fight with another boy, and he was shipped off to military school. He swore he would write you, but the letters never came. The phone never rang. Your parents told you it was for the best, but you cried, and cried, and you were broken into a million pieces over it. Of course, you had never told anyone that he had beaten the shit out of that other kid for trying to force himself onto you at a party. A party you were never supposed to even go to. You told your parents you got the bruises from gym class, but really, it was when he was trying to force your clothes off. You had somehow managed to fight him off of you, and you ran away crying, hearing his taunting and drunken words echoing in your head for days. “You’re a slut.” “Since you’re so willing to give it up…” “Come on little church girl, don’t be such a tease.” Your reputation had been sullied when a friend spilled that you had been having sex with James. You cried to him the next day, and while he didn’t tell you that he was going to beat the kid to a pulp, you had a feeling he was going to. The rumor was that it was either military school or jail.
For years, you wondered if some of the blame for his disappearance fell onto your shoulders. You were so mad for so long about not hearing from him, but was it your fault? Was it even worth discussing? You had buried those thoughts and worries long ago, but now they were back from the grave and gripping you by the throat. Was this a chance of closure? Was that what he was hoping for? Was that the purpose of this whole meeting?
You grabbed a paper towel and delicately dried the tears from your eyes, trying not to smudge your make up more than it already was. It was humiliating, crying in the bathroom over this man again. Hell, there was a ring on your finger, this was shameful. Your fiancé would have been beyond upset to know that you were spilling tears over an old lover who you lied about going to see. Everything about this was wrong, and it was time to end it. Once you were composed, you took some deep breaths to find your courage, and you finally left the bathroom and made your way back to the table. Your eyes stayed on the floor until you got closer to the table, rehearsing how to end the conversation and get out of there without making a scene. When your eyes finally left the floor and went to the table, you saw that the food was sitting on the table waiting for you, along with James who sat there with his food untouched and a serious look on his face.
“Look, James,” you tried to start without even taking a seat, but he cut you off.
“You’re about to leave, aren’t you?” he finally looked up at you, and the blue of his eyes swallowed you up. He was sad, maybe he was even scared.
“I…I don’t think this was a good idea.” You tried to be honest without hurting him any further. Why did it matter, though?
“Please just sit for another minute, let me explain.”
“I think you’ve explained enough.”
“No,” said sternly, “I haven’t.” and then he gestured to the spot in front of him, “Please.” You stood there and briefly considered his offer, and somehow, you ended up giving in. You cursed at yourself as you slipped into the booth again. James let out a big sigh and got comfortable in his seat. “I called you because there is no way I’m leaving this planet without fixing things between us.” His eyes hit you again, the urgency of his plans were now apparent. And there it was, proof that he was looking for closure, and it had you quiet. “I didn’t realize you were so hurt by…what happened between us,” he didn’t seem to know how to word what he wanted to say, “I know that your parents were very religious, and I get how that makes you feel guilty, but don’t forget, I was a virgin also.”
“A girl losing her virginity is very different from a boy losing his, let’s be honest.” You mentioned.
“I get that, that makes sense.” He nodded, “But, it’s still a big deal. I didn’t sleep with you to prove a point or hurt you, I did it because I thought we both wanted to, and I had feelings for you. Yeah, I was a teenager, and teenage guys usually want one thing, but I wanted more than that. You meant more to me than that.” He placed his hand on his chest, emphasizing his feelings. “And if you felt that way, why didn’t you say anything? Why did we keep doing it?”
You thought for a moment, wanting to give a good answer. You kept doing it for many reasons. “Because I thought you genuinely cared about me.” You drew in a deep breath and sighed, “And I genuinely cared about you. And… it felt good?” you answered with more of a question than a definitive statement. You shrugged a shoulder, feeling exposed and like you were trying to pry the feelings out of your chest. You had dealt with many clients who were emotionally choked up, and you were able to get them to open up, but here you were struggling. James’s lips curved up into a tiny, crooked grin.
“Yeah…we got pretty good at it.” There was a mischievous tone in his voice.
“I guess…also… because it was rebellious. I was sick of being that good little girl who always went to church and dressed properly and never put a toe out of line. There was a lot of pressure being the pastor’s daughter, and I guess I kind of cracked under that pressure. You were a bad boy, a tough guy…I liked that.”
The words spoken stayed heavy in the air between the two of you, and you both stayed silent for a moment, letting it all sink in.
“Do you remember what I used to call you?” he suddenly brought up an unexpected question. How could you forget?
“Angel.” You had to push the nickname past your lips.
“You really were.” He tilted his head. “I knew you were too good for me. I didn’t deserve you. But that’s what made me love you even more.”
Your heart sped up and you started to tingle. “You loved me?” you spoke as your mouth went dry.
“Of course, I did. I told you that.” He stated with confidence.
“Yeah but, we didn’t know what love was. We were kids.”
“You can choose to believe that if you want, but from what I knew about love, I knew I loved you.” And then he looked down at the food on the table, “I didn’t want to start eating while you were in the bathroom, but I’m sure the food is getting cold.” He changed the subject.
“Oh, sorry. You should have started without me.” You gave an automatic response, barely registering what he was talking about or the food that was cooling in front of you, you were still caught up on his previous statement.
There was a weight that suddenly dropped onto your shoulders, and it crushed the air right out of your lungs. You forced another deep breath into your lungs before slowly exhaling, and you noticed your hands were starting to shake. Why were you suddenly feeling so fragile? Your eyes landed back onto him as he cut into his steak, taking a cube of meat and placing it into his mouth and chewing, keeping his gaze down and on his dinner, but he looked like he was concentrating. You knew that furrow of his brow meant something, there was no way he could go from such a deep conversation to simply enjoying his meal, right? An unsettled feeling was shrouding the both of you from continuing, but you didn’t know if you wanted to be the one to push the envelope further. James popped a single fry into his mouth and then reached for his beer.
“Your food is going to be cold. Do you want it heated back up?” you knew right then and there that there was more on his mind then he was leading on. He took a long swig of his beer and you shook your head slightly.
“Why didn’t you call me?” you meant for it to come out so much louder than it did, but it was barely loud enough for him to hear. You wondered if you had to repeat yourself, but when his eyes shot up, you knew he had heard you. “Why didn’t you visit?” your eyes started to water up again, your voice was weak and stunted. “If you loved me then why did you leave me like that?” The words hurt coming out. There was panic in his face as you sat waiting for an answer, still shaking your head slightly.
“It’s complicated.”
“It was my fault you went away,” was your bottom lip starting to tremble?
“No, it wasn’t.” he quickly interrupted you, his eyes wide and shaking his head with more gusto than you were.
“You blamed me, didn’t you?” the thought was suddenly very clear in your head, just as clear as the day you realized he wasn’t coming back to you. The tears started to form again, against your will.
“No, no…” he dropped his fork and knife and reached out and grabbed your wrist, “Hey,” you stared him down, cutting him with your tearful gaze, “Hey…” he tried to stop you from your emotional spiraling, but your gut was already in knots and your chest was already burning with anxiety. “It wasn’t your fault. It was my own doing, okay? I was treading on thin ice even before I beat up that kid.”
“Then why didn’t you call?” you challenged him more, a single tear made its way down your cheek, and you weren’t sure which was angering you more, the conversation or the fact that you were crying again.
“I tried to!” his hand slid down on top of yours, but his other hand ran down his face in exasperation, he was getting tense. “I tried to visit you, but…!” he huffed as he placed his hand back up on his forehead, “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to make the situation any worse.”
“What are you talking about? How could you have made the situation any worse?”
“Not with us,” his eyes turned to daggers, “With your dad.”
“My dad?” you cocked your head, spilling another tear. What was he talking about now? He had the most uneasy look on his face, and you saw his cheeks dimple as he clenched his jaw. You remembered that look. He was angry. “What about my dad?”
“Did you get any of my letters?” he paused, and you froze, “I must have sent you a dozen letters the first month I was gone.”
“What letters?” you whispered, a tear now slipping onto your lips.
His nostrils flared as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Y/N, I wrote you trying to explain everything, I even went AWOL and had my friend drive me back home one night so I could try and see you and talk to you.” His grip tightened on your hand, “But your dad wouldn’t let me see you.”
You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out, not even a squeak or a single sound. There as an entire hive of angry bees swarming inside of your chest and you felt your body going hot from head to toe. Was there a key part to the story that you were missing?
Was all this heartache a misunderstanding? Were you not the only one with secrets in your family?
Next part here.
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The Gay Cousin Pt. 1 || Moon Bros
Summary: Jun and Tae’s cousins from Canada zoom in... and reveal a pretty shocking secret!
TW: anxiety, thoughts/mentions of homophobia (no actual homophobia expressed)
@moon-yeongtae
JUN: A couple of times a year, the Moon family skyped the other Moon family. It happened only on your standard occasions: Chuseok and Christmas. Much more common were phone calls to Eomma’s extended family still living in Korea-- her cousins and aunts and uncles, most of whom Jun had never met.
But the other Moons-- his father’s younger brother’s family who had immigrated as well, but to Canada, not England. Well, they were like Santa Claus. Or a unicorn. Popped up, said hi, sent cards but only over email. In fact, there were times they could not work out the time difference between Toronto and Swynlake and so they missed the Skype call.
But not these days. Oh no, these days, ever since Abeoji died, Eomma was making a real effort to keep in touch with Nam-seok and his two sons. Whether it was out of guilt or maybe her way of feeling closer to her late husband, Jun didn’t know.
He also didn’t argue though when she told all the Moons that it was Jacob’s birthday in a few days and they were going to Skype him from his new apartment.
“After church, this Sunday, so no plans!” Eomma said fiercely to all of them, waving a knife in the air. She glared more fiercely at Star, who was truly going through the rebellious-teen-phase on behalf of both goody-two-shoes Sky and eager-to-please Sunny, and was texting at the table.
“But Eomma, I was going to go over to Janet’s--”
“No. Jacob emailed me, eh? We’re doing it. No excuse.”
And so now it was Sunday, at 2:26 p.m., which was 9:26 a.m. in Toronto, which seemed pretty early for a 25-year-old (and shouldn’t he be going to church too? Jun was not going to point this out to Eomma, for Jacob’s sake). They gathered around Jun’s laptop as he logged onto Zoom, which was much better than Skype, he told Eomma.
“Agh, your butt is too big, Star!” yelped Sunny behind. Sunny and Star were fighting for Jun’s nice desk chair, trying to shove each other off with their hips.
“I called it!”
“Aish, girls!” Eomma snapped. “Sky, put the book down.”
“We’re not even on yet?” Sky huffed, not lowering her book.
Jun rolled his eyes and glanced at Tae. Who knew that Tae would be the best behaved of his siblings? Not him. Though, his brother was almost 18 now, so maybe his bad attitude really was just a symptom of those early teens, like the girls now.
Just then, his screen began to ring. “Yah, he’s calling!” Jun announced.
Eomma ripped the book from Sky’s hands. “Okay everyone, be nice or I’ll kill you!”
The next moment, his cousin appeared: Jacob with his big grin, which immediately reminded Jun of Tae. But that was about the only resemblance. Jacob was blond now! Aish! A second after, his other cousin leaned in onto the screen: Kevin, with his hipster glasses, wearing a beanie even though it was spring there, unruly hair poking out. Too long, thought Jun. What was with kids these days and growing their hair so long? “Yooooooo, Moon fam, hi!” Kevin said.
“Gomo, hello hello!” sweet Jacob said, waving both his hands. “How’s everyone doing?”
TAE:
When Tae was younger, he used to wish he belonged to the other part of the Moon family. It wasn't because he hated his life or anything even though he sort of did sometimes (at least back then), it was because they just seemed so much cooler! Like right now his cousins were smiling so big and Jacob had dyed his hair blonde! Tae had a feeling that if he tried to dye his hair blonde his eomma would try to slap some sense into him with a kitchen spoon! Ha!
"We're great," Tae said, leaning closer to the screen and blocking his sisters' view of the screen and smiling big in return. They didn't need to see anyway.
Predictably, though, the second he was fully in the way he felt shoving at his back.
"Oppa you're in the way! We can't see!"
"You don't need to see anyway," he said and laughed when Star yanked him backward by the shirt. "I like your hair! How long did it take to turn it blond?"
"Like, a long time," Jacob said with a laugh. "It looks good though so it was worth it."
"Maybe I'll do it next," Tae said and smiled really big. "Eomma will help me, right, Eomma?"
JUN:
Aish, was Tae trying to pick a fight? He took back what he was thinking about one minute earlier: Tae had not grown out of his annoying teenager phase at all. He was still in it, a troublemaker to the end. Because he knew! Oh he knew, he heard the fights between Star and Eomma as Star pushed and pushed. It had taken her almost a full six months to convince Eomma to let her and Sunny dye bleach their hair in the first place. And she’d not even asked about the blue colour, just showed up, tossing those locks and letting Eomma lose her mind.
Remember what Eomma had just said too? Behave. Picking a fight in front of their cousins was not behaving.
“I think Star has more experience with that,” said Jun swiftly, so Eomma did not have to answer. Eomma nodded, not adding anything else, which Jun knew was because she did not like the idea of Tae-- any of her children-- dying their hair at all.
“Yes! Girl, I saw your Insta pics, that blue was so cute!” Jacob said.
“Fire!” Kevin added, putting his hand to his mouth like a megaphone.
Star preened. “Thanks! It was super hard to manage though and like, washed out to this ugly green colour.”
“Right, yeah, I get that,” said Jacob. “So what’s everyone doing?”
“No, you tell us about you, you are both so busy,” Eomma interrupted with a smile. “I see Jacob’s graduation pictures?”
“Right, yes! I finished my Masters in Music Ed,” said Jacob. “Kevin’s still working on his degree, he’ll be done in like no time though. And then I just moved here! Ahh, first place of my own! Well, not like on my own, on my own, but you know--”
Eomma clapped her hands lightly. “That’s so wonderful! So responsible. You have a job?”
“Um, yes, but not actually teaching music yet!” Jacob laughed. “I’m just like, working in a restaurant right now.”
“Music is a very hard degree to find a job for,” said Jun. Then flinched as he felt Eomma pinch him. He shot her a confused look. What! It was! Who could get a degree in music education and expect to make real money?!
“Haha, yeah it is but like, I just graduated so I mean, I’ll be interviewing for stuff for next school year.” Jacob went on like he didn’t notice. “But so wait, no, everyone tell me what’s up! Tae, aren’t you going to uni soon?”
TAE:
Tae's smile fell for a moment before he could control himself but he quickly recovered, pasting it back in place. The thing was, theoretically? Yes, Tae was supposed to be going to uni soon. Actually, he was supposed to be going to uni next year if everything had gone the way it was supposed to, but he was a giant failure of a human being and had to repeat an entire year.
He didn't really want to get into all of that, obviously, so he just kind of smiled and nodded. "I still have one more year before I have to get into that, but yeah, I can already tell that year is going to go by fast."
There, that was much easier than talking about how he felt like an utter failure and like he was too stupid to ever get into any uni, right? Perfect!
"Jun-hyung is really doing great with the store, too! We actually have employees now and he's even dating one of them."
He looked over to his hyung with s little wince, hopeful that Jun would take pity on him and not kill him later.
I'm sorry, he tried to communicate with his eyes. I just can't talk about uni.
JUN:
Now this wasn't fair. Why should Jun have to suffer because Tae was irresponsible and lazy and didn't study enough or own up to his choices???!
Okay, maybe that was putting it all a little harshly but Jun was not feeling very forgiving when Tar mentioned the g word.
Girlfriend.
His cousins were going to gobble that up, two hungry hyenas scenting gossip.
And sure enough, both Kevin and Jacob gasped.
"Yooooooooo no way! But wait-- wait wait, what about Tiffany?" exclaimed Kevin.
" They broke up! Kevin that was in Gomo's Christmas email! I'm sorry Gomo, I swear he read it--"
"Course I read it, I just forgot! Tiffany was around forever!"
"Anyway, this new girl? Tell us about her!" Jacob beamed.
Jun would rather not. He would rather do anything but talk about Haru. He needed to say something fast though or else--
Already too late. Jun's one second grimace opened the window for Eomma.
"Oh she's wonderful! Her name is Haru, she is Japanese but very beautiful! Very polite and friendly and she goes to church--"
Jun cleared his throat. "Yes, we are still getting to know each other. It's new."
"Well she has worked for us for a year, that isn't very new--" Star said with a smirk like the traitor she was.
"Don't you want to show us your new place, Jacob?" interrupted Jun maybe a little desperately, who could say!
"Oh yeah, Zoom tour!" Kevin flashed rock our signs.
"Definitely! I was just hoping we could wait for--" Jacob turned at that moment. "Did you hear that? Oh I think he's here! Wait just one minute everyone!" Jacob waved a hand and then scurried out of the room.
Kevin leaned in to the screen. "Soooooo… anyone else got any hot significant others, hmmm? Star-- Tae, my man??"
TAE:
“Ha,” he blurted, and then instantly he panicked and shut his mouth.
Tae had literally been about to say he had the hottest one. It had been right there on the tip of his tongue, because any chance to talk about how hot Nemo was was something he wanted to take advantage of. Then he remembered that most of his family had absolutely no idea he was gay and if his eomma knew that about him she’d probably tell him he was going to hell.
This zoom call was quickly turning into a nightmare. Not only was he forced to think about how dumb he was, now he had to think about how closeted he was too. He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t, so he sat there and tried to keep a smile on his face while Star babbled on about someone in her class and all her boyfriends or whatever she was talking about.
If Tae had been panicking a little bit less, he might’ve caught it. He might’ve been able to prepare himself for what he was about to see because all the hints were there. No one was trying to hide anything at all.
Jacob had clearly said he’s here and then right after that, Kevin had asked if anyone else had any hot significant others. So yeah, Tae should’ve been prepared when Jacob walked back into the frame holding an unfamiliar boy’s hand.
He should’ve been prepared, but he wasn’t.
In fact, when he saw Jacob walk back into the frame, everything around him went black and he stopped breathing while he gripped his chair so hard his fingers hurt. He was going to pass out.
Tae looked over at his eomma, trying to read her expression, but all he saw was a blank stare.
“Tae!”
Tae blinked and the world filled back in around him. Star was pushing at his back and giggling. “Aren’t you going to say hi? Jacob is introducing his boyfriend!”
“Right, sorry! Hey, it’s nice to meet you,” Tae said with a respectful little bow of his head.
JUN:
From Jun’s point of view, it went like this:
“Star’s flirting with like six different guys right now,” Sky spoke for the first time, right after Tae’s very strange squeak. Jun met Sky’s eyes for a beat, his own eyebrows furrowing down for a moment. Did Sky…? But he thought only Sunny--
“Oh my god, am not,” groaned Star. “Sides, Eomma won’t let me date yet anyway.”
“You’re too young,” said Eomma. “Whoever these boys are too, stop flirting with them--”
“I’m not flirting! I’m friends with them. You won’t let me go out with Tyler--”
“Ooooh, who’s Tyler?” said Kevin, wiggling his eyebrows.
“A friend,” said Star, looking very pointedly at Eomma.
And this was when the door opened and Jacob returned with another boy. He looked Korean, maybe-- was he Korean?-- with short black hair and thick-framed, stylish glasses. He carried coffees with him and a large, friendly smile. But that smile was nothing compared to his cousin’s. His cousin’s smile had crinkled his eyes into precious rainbows and he squeezed the boy’s arm once--
And Jun knew, right before Jacob said anything, but not fast enough to suddenly smash his hand on the keyboard and instantly disconnect them. The panic seized his throat.
“Gomo, everyone, I wanted you guys to meet my boyfriend. This is David!”
“Hey everyone, I’ve heard so much about you,” said this David as he pulled up a chair. He grinned again, leaning closer to the screen. “Seriously, Jacob is always talking about his cool British cousins.”
“Wait, I’m screaming!” squealed Star (not actually screaming). “You have a boyfriend?”
“It’s nice to meet you!” piped in Sunny, and Sky echoed her, “Nice to meet you!”
Jun, meanwhile, was trying not to look at Tae, but could not help himself. And so he kept jumping his eyes around like he was following the path of a fly in the air. Look up, look to the side, look at the mouse, okay, look at Tae--!
Tae looked like he’d been punched in the face.
Eomma looked like she was listening to some very serious news.
“Yes, very good to meet you,” said Eomma finally, after Tae had spoken too. She smiled very politely. “How do you know Jacob?”
“We went to school together,” said David. “Undergrad, I mean.”
“We started dating our third year,” added Jacob. His knee was bouncing, Jun could see it on the screen. Ah, so he was nervous too. Good, he should be, he might have just exploded the Moon families forever! This was sabotage! What was he thinking?! “So it’s our third year together. So we decided to get a place. He’s great,” Jacob gushed. “I mean, totally genius level smart, he works at an engineering firm.”
“Yeah, David’s awesome,” chimed in Kevin.
“What do your parents do?” asked Eomma.
“They’re both teachers actually,” said David. “That’s how they met, uh, in their PhD programs. My mom mostly does after school tutoring in sciences, but my baba’s a professor at McGill.”
“Oh, very impressive,” said Eomma. She pressed her lips together. Jun was staring at her; he could not look away. “And has David met your appa and eomma, Jacob?”
“Yes,” said Jacob with a nod. “Yes, yeah. That’s one of the reasons I wanted you guys to meet him too, you know? We’ve just been dating so long it felt silly at some point, haha!”
TAE:
Tae was having a heart attack.
They’d learned all about it in school--the sweaty palms, the shortness of breath, the unbearable pain in the left side of the chest. He was absolutely going to die right here in this chair while talking to his cousins from Canada. Or he was going to puke. One of those two things was going to happen and it was the most important thing in the world that he not give any of that away with his face. He had to remain still. He had to remain stoic. He was not allowed to talk.
He heard everything Jacob was saying. They’d been dating for a long time. They’d been together so long, actually, that Jacob’s new apartment was actually Jacob and David’s new apartment and his parents knew all about it and they still loved him. They loved him enough for Jacob to think it was a good idea to introduce David to their family.
Their very traditional, Christian family.
Yep.
Tae was actually dying.
The screen in front of him started to waver. Actually, the whole room kind of looked a little misty, and Tae realized there were tears in his eyes. His Eomma was barely moving. She was talking, but they were like short little clipped sentences and Tae was so afraid of what she was going to say when they ended the call. He didn’t want to hear it.
Slowly, Tae looked over at Jun, his eyes big and pleading. He didn’t know what he wanted his hyung to do, but he needed to get out of this. He didn’t want to be here anymore.
A hand, small and warm, was suddenly covering his where he was gripping the chair with all his strength and he looked down to see it was Sunny. She’d leaned forward just a little to reach him and Tae had to cough to cover what sounded suspiciously like a sob. Ha.
He couldn’t think about David meeting his aunt and uncle. He couldn’t think about how cute it probably was and how much they probably loved their son’s boyfriend. If he did, he’d start wondering if it would ever happen for him.
He’d start thinking about bringing Nemo over to his eomma and telling her they were dating. He’d start imagining how happy she would be for them and how supportive she would be when he said they were going to move in together. He’d start daydreaming about what it would be like to live with Nemo and how happy he would be because his family could come visit them and they could cook dinner and entertain and--
He pulled his hand away from Sunny’s and wrapped his arms around his knees.
JUN:
Tae looked at Jun the way he used to when he was just a kid. It had been a long time since Jun had seen that sweet boy in his brother’s face. Those big eyes, that nervous lip. He was five years old and crying about his scabbed knees. He was six and begging Jun for chocolates. He was seven and teary-eyed as he struggled with his maths homework, Jun sitting with him at the kitchen table.
And Jun wished he were the hyung he had been all those years ago-- bad hair and acne but all the time in the world to answer to his brother’s needs. He’d once been a superhero, the smartest person Tae ever knew! There was nothing he could not fix!
But this.
This was Tae, eight years old, asking him not to go away to university. That had been the first time that Jun had ever broken a promise and let his brother down.
And here he was again. He stared back helplessly. What could he do, eh? Stop the call abruptly? Make an excuse for Tae that wouldn’t upset Eomma? Turn back time, call his cousin, tell him that coming out was a bad idea?
And was it?
Jun could not say. Eomma was not causing a scene. She had not shut down. She was not as happy as before, but maybe it was a shock, or maybe the slight had nothing to do with Jacob bringing a boyfriend, and instead it was about him bringing anyone at all to a family call.
Jun would just have to wait and see.
And so he sat there. Just like Tae sat there. He sat there, failing his brother all over again.
“Well I think that’s all super awesome!” blurted Sunny, proving to be more useful than Jun. “Maybe we could visit you guys one day!”
“Totally!” said Jacob.
“Oh yeah, the first ever Moon family reunion!” said Kevin as he pumped his fist. “Man, we’d gotta get some of the O-G Moons.”
“O-G?” David snorted.
“He’s talking about the real Koreans,” said Jacob. “In Korea.”
“You... are real Koreans--” David started.
“Point is, all the Moons!” Kevin said. “One day! Would be fun.”
Jun could only nod and press his lips together. At least they were not talking about David anymore, not really, eh? Best keep it that way. Maybe that was what Jun could do. “So eh, you wanted to give a tour of the apartment?” He prompted.
The rest of the call was mostly that. Jacob walked them around their place. They had been in the spare room, which was mostly an ‘office’, but Jun saw the massive computer screen and knew it was a gaming computer, mhm. And then there was a rather new kitchen, brand new appliances, David bragged. David also talked a lot about some of the apartment complex amenities, the on-site gym, a movie theater big enough for a group of say, eight to ten. He was proud, Jun saw that-- it was an expensive place, and no doubt he was covering most of it for Jacob. Jun wondered about that aspect of their relationship, he wondered if Jacob really was ready for it all, only 25 years old, on the cusp of his start of career, to depend on someone else…
And then the bedroom, which they did not spend much time in, because they wanted to show the bathroom with its nice sized tub.
And then the balcony, which had a nice view of Toronto. Star sighed dreamily. “I wanna live in a city like that one day!”
And then they all said their goodbyes. “This was so fun, I’m so glad you guys could call in,” said gentle, naive Jacob. He did not seem to suspect anything. Maybe he was hiding it. Maybe not.
Eomma stood up first as the Zoom ended. “He is doing very well,” she said. “What a beautiful place to live, eh? See, this is what happens when you study hard.” She looked at Tae sternly.
“Tae, I need your help!” Jun blurted at that moment, slapping the arm of his chair and making his sisters flinch. “With-- there’s-- the thing, you know, I told you to do this morning. You didn’t do it.”
TAE:
The second his hyung spoke, Tae jumped out of his chair and nodded, heading to the back door where he kept his mud boots. He couldn’t breathe. The air in their house had gotten too thick and every time Tae tried to take a breath it stuck in his lungs, gummy and wet.
His eomma hadn’t looked happy. In fact, she hadn’t looked much of anything, her face kind of a blank slate, and Tae’s brain had absolutely no problem projecting all of his fears onto that blank slate. She’d been disgusted. She’d been upset, mad, disappointed.
That last one really was the worst one for Tae.
Pulled his boots up over his jeans and stomped down the stairs, heading toward the barn with one thought swirling through his head over and over and over. You’re already such a disappointment, and when she finds out you’re gay that’ll be the last straw.
It was true, though, wasn’t it? He’d failed a grade. Now, the second time he’d done this school year, he was passing, but just barely. He was stupid. He was a giant idiot and his eomma knew that. That’s why she’d taken that dig at him, told him that if he studied hard he could have a nice apartment like Jacob.
Tae hated Jacob.
Well, no, he didn’t hate Jacob, but the jealousy burned through his bones and left him shaking and empty, barely able to stand. Wait. He wasn’t standing.
Tae looked down at his hands and found them covered in dirt. He was on his knees behind the chicken coop, his chest heaving as his heart attack finally caught up with him. He was going to die. It was kind of a relief actually, because now he wouldn’t have to come out to his eomma at all. He’d just die and be buried in a cute little grave and she could cry and say he’d had so much potential and maybe she’d even believe it because he hadn’t lived long enough for her to see how wrong she was.
He should probably call Nemo before he died, his brain offered up, but he’d left his phone in the house and it was probably better this way anyw--
A loud, rasping sound caught Tae’s attention and he looked around, his eyes wide and wet, until he realized it had come from him.
“I can’t,” he was saying. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.”
JUN:
Tae hopped up right away. Good, good, that was what Jun wanted. Jun could not follow his brother as quickly though, caught in the dynamics of the Moon women before he could escape. This mostly consisted of Star gripping at his arm and saying, “Junnie oppaaaa, you need to post a picture of you and Haru on Instagram, so Jacob can see her!”
“I don’t have a personal Instagram,” Jun said and tried to drag his arm away.
“Ugh, I’m making you one, that’s so sad,” said Star.
“Posting a picture would be good, Junnie,” said Eomma. “Maybe Facebook?”
“No one uses Facebook anymore, Eomma!” said Star.
“Aish, that’s not true, I use Facebook all the time,” said Eomma.
“I have to-- help Yeong-tae--” Jun cleared his throat and managed to squeeze out this time around, leaving talks of Facebook and selfies behind.
But not Jacob.
No, he carried that with him as he went outside. He had no idea where Tae would have gone, considering that Jun did not actually give him a task. He headed toward the chickens though, because that seemed to be a good distance from the house. And sure enough-- there was his brother-- on his knees.
Jun stopped, still far away as though he’d stepped in mud and it had sucked his feet down. He did not know what to do. Jun was not someone who comforted others-- not well. Whenever Tae had cried on his shoulder in the past year, he had sat like a useless, limp pillow, just there to be grabbed onto. He did not know what he’d say to Tae now either. He didn’t know how Eomma felt. Maybe she’d never talk about it, and maybe that was a good thing? Maybe later today, she’d rant about it all much too harshly. Jun could make Tae no promises.
Perhaps he should just leave. Hadn’t he already failed his brother enough today? Space could be what Tae needed, just...space, and time, so he could calm down…
This was not the right answer, Jun knew that and so he hesitated, second after second, before finally forcing his feet to move.
“Tae-yah, what are you doing? Get up, come on now,” said Jun, and he reached down to help Tae onto his feet again. His hands went clumsily up to his brother’s face, wiping away the tears over his splotchy red cheeks. “Look at me, eh? Why are you crying?” It was a genuine question, but also Jun felt like Tae needed something firm right now-- someone to keep him grounded, not have him spin off into whatever painful scenarios he was concocting in his head. “Eomma doesn’t know about you, okay? You’re okay. This is a good thing--”
He said it. And he believed it.
His hands moved down to grip his brother’s shoulders. “You aren’t alone anymore, don’t you see that? Jacob understands you, eh? He knows exactly what you’re going through!”
TAE:
“He doesn’t!” Tae heard himself say.
He wasn’t being fair, but he didn’t want to be fair. He wanted to be Jacob.
“He doesn’t know anything. Jacob--his eomma probably didn’t care at all! She probably smiled and hugged him and told him to bring David over for dinner and our Eomma just stared at him like he was gum stuck on the bottom of her s-shoe.”
Tae’s sobs caught up with him and his whole body shook. He didn’t care if what he was saying was true or not because in this moment it was how he felt. Alone.
Except Tae wasn’t alone, and for a moment, it was like he was six all over again. Jun-hyung, was standing here with him, his hands on his shoulders, and telling him everything was going to be okay.
Why couldn’t he live in a world where who he loved didn’t matter? He was a good person! Or, he tried to be at least. Sometimes he got a little bit angry and he was definitely short-tempered but...he just wanted his family to love him. He just wanted to be accepted.
“Hyung, you can’t let her hate me,” he said, his voice a little smaller--like maybe if he said it quiet enough the universe wouldn’t get any ideas. Hot tears slipped down his cheeks and Tae gripped at the hem of his hyung’s shirt. “She’s going to hate me, but you can’t let her.”
JUN:
“She won’t hate you,” said Jun. “I promise.”
It was not something he should promise.
But Jun had always felt this way, since Tae came out to him-- that there could be no other alternative. He could not imagine his loving eomma turning on one of her own children like that, no matter what she believed or didn’t believe. And really, did they know? A belief in God did not mean a belief that all gay people should be damned. He had seen plenty of Christians to argue the opposite: that God meant love, and love was for all of His children.
Maybe Eomma would be shocked, maybe she would be-- disappointed or confused. That was what Jun tried to find on Eomma’s face when Jacob had introduced his boyfriend, but she had been much too polite about it all for him to figure it out. And yes, those emotions might hurt Tae too, but it couldn’t be hate. Never hate.
Jun wished his promise could secure that. He would trade anything in order to give Tae that peace of mind.
As it was, he could only fumble his way through this like always. “Tae-yah,” he said then gently. “You should talk to Jacob again. You don’t know what it might be like for him. He was probably scared too, even if our gomo did accept him right away. I’m telling you, this is good.” He said it again, wiped his brother’s face again. “No matter what happens with Eomma, you will always have family, see? Me, and our sisters, and Jacob and Kevin-- and yes, even Gomo. So many people are going to be there for you.”
TAE:
His hyung was right. Tae knew his hyung was right and he shouldn’t be scared, but it was just so hard not to be. He took a deep, shaky breath and nodded his head. And when he really thought about it, maybe he was just a little bit less scared now than he had been before, because Jacob had come out and nothing had caught on fire. His eomma’s head didn’t explode and she didn’t start praying for him immediately and saying he was going to go to hell. So really, it had been a little bit like a test run and no one had died.
Now that he was a little more calm, Tae really wanted to know how Jacob had done it.
“I--Yeah I think I want to talk to him,” he said in a small voice, still holding onto his hyung’s shirt. “And I think I want to tell Sky and Star too. I think they should know.”
A small seed was starting to bloom bright with hope inside of Tae’s chest and he wanted to water it. He wanted to give it all of his energy until he wasn’t scared at all anymore. He leaned into Jun and wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him tight and pressing his cheek to his chest.
“Thank you, hyung,” he said, and he meant it so much. “Thank you for helping me.”
Maybe it was stupid, but what Tae really wanted now was Nemo. He wanted to tell Nemo all of his feelings. He wanted to explain to him that maybe he was ready, but he was also still so scared and he wanted Nemo to hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay just like his hyung was doing now.
Tae felt safe in his brother’s arms and he wanted to tell Nemo about that too. He wanted to tell Nemo that his hyung was a hero.
“You--I wouldn’t be able to do this without you,” he said, still mumbling. “You’re a good hyung.”
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