#and also well. he has a brother... strained relationship. i love siblings in media always and forever

[gorillaxyz]

dropped this. had a german sausage for the first time for his sake. and then never spoke about him again

[wintfleur]

🍂 ͡ ꒱ JULIETTES RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BROTHERS

au masterlist - everything for the AU is under #🍂 ͡ ꒱ Juliette Leclerc

𐙚 LORENZO!

Lorenzo . . . ‘Enzo’ is the best big brother, he’s such a role model for her, and she’s always looked up to him.

He’s always been her voice of reason and encouragement, helping her calm down her emotions and not do anything rash, to help her understand what she’s feeling and to listen to what she says and, to always be there to cheer her up and help her out of those dark feelings.

Enzo was the first person she told when she realized she also wanted to kart.

Enzo helped teach her how to drive with there father, Arthur and Charles to scared to get in the car, claiming that she’s ‘going to kill them and drive into a store’ Julie did end up threatening to kill them in a more private and painful way because of all there teasing. Neither of them got in a car with her for months.

Julie gets sister privileges !!!

They have there weekly calls, checking in and making sure everything is good.

Enzo is the best advice giver! And she knows she can talk to him about anything

She loves just curling up in his side.

Just the sweetest big brother ever.

Has have had to pick Julie up at parties when she’s gotten too drunk . . . many times.

They both definitely laugh and tease the other two when they are being dramatic

He loves his little sister very much and will do anything for her!

𐙚 CHARLES!

Out of all her siblings, she’s definitely the closest to Charles, ever since they were kids.

Yes they had their fair share of arguments and fights, but they have always stuck up for each other no matter what, they can only mess with each other . . . no one else!

They’re each other’s safe place, they both understand the pressure they are both under, and they really help each other out.

Charles was the first person Julie told when she realized that she liked girls as well. And he was the one who helped her gain the courage to come out.

Charles is always the first person to defend her, from the media, interviewers, from anyone. He will not have his sister disrespected.

They both absolutely love their family, planning outings and get togethers for all of them!

They see each other the most

They had a tree house! And would always tease Arthur about not being cool enough to come up and hang with them.

He’s the most nosey brother, wanting to know everything going on in her life . . . but he means well !

They have had some moments where their career has put some strain on their relationship, but it doesn’t last long. It’s just because Julie hates talking about her feelings, and Charles loves talking about hers . . . aka avoidance from Julie.

He loves having sleepovers at her homes!

Sassy duo fr!

They are always messing with each other! And the media absolutely loves it.

You know that tiktok sound ‘this is bob, bob loves his personal space. This is Larry, Larry also loves bob’s personal space’ that’s them, bob is Julie and Larry is Charles.

Sees Julie’s soft side the most

𐙚 ARTHUR!

That’s her baby . . . no one messes with her baby (yes she’s only a year older . . . but still, he’s her baby)

Julie is Arthur’s favorite sibling and he’s very open about it, Arthur was quite the emotional kid and despite his outburst or over reactions, Julie was always there for him, to help him out, calm him down and, to let him know that he’s not crazy about his feelings

Julie has always been there for Arthur to listen to his worry’s about driving and what his future is in the sport, he trusts her opinion and thoughts more than anyone else.

Arthur hates how every single one of his friends are in love with Julie, and Julie just loves teasing him about it, always giving them a sweet smile and wave.

Arthur is quite clingy towards Julie, physically and emotionally.

Always wanting to sit next to her, get her attention, all of it. I mean, she’s the cool older sister.

He loves practicing his English with her!

He’s also like her biggest fan

He can get a little petty and upset if things don’t go his way with her . . . aka he’s super dramatic.

Arthur loves all of her cooking and baking, like he could eat it all.

First time he got really drunk, he called up Julie and cried, only crying harder when she giggled and tried to reassure him.

He’s always the last one to warm up to Julie’s significant others.

They love watching movies!

Arthur is quite attached to julie, has a fear that she will leave them.

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( this is pretty short, but I hope it gives you a good idea of Julie’s relationship with her brothers !! She’s a family woman definitely !! Please let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist )

°. — taglist ( @lovings4turn @toasttt11 @cixrosie @ru-kru @alwaysclassyeagle @theopenlocker @lavisenri @callsignwidow )

[fizzyorange-v2]

yeah you put all of my thoughts about david and william's relationship into that one post they're so tragic... i cant help but think of a different timeline where they could have been awkward brothers together, maybe one where they didn't both come from deadwood. the foreshadowing on william's part too, where in the Michael in the Bathroom parody intro from ep 32 (of all places) william sings "he's always such a bummer, he wants to trust his brother" in referring to himself. Also, the implication that everyone who comes from deadwood is messed up makes me wonder how william's parents are. maybe it has to do with the hallway of fears all the way from season 1, where william's mirror showed his father behind him with messed up eyes?

/ pd ep 33 spoilers referenced beware

Maybe in a totally different universe they could’ve had an awkward and strained but mostly healthy and normal sibling relationship. but god knows with who David is in this universe (a morally corrupt ceo) any version of William that allows himself to get close with and trust his step brother is a version that is either equally morally corrupt, very manipulated or both, and no matter what it wouldn’t be a healthy dynamic. (and that’s not really a compliant on my part, i adore fucked up and messy relationships in media lol).

Totally agree that the Michael In The Bathroom cover gave us probably one of the clearest looks into William’s psyche during this whole thing. William really did go that far because he wanted to trust his brother, and he knew if he backed out then he could lose that potential sibling relationship forever. But obviously once he realised he’d actually KILLED someone for it… the betrayal and horror overpowered that old yearning.

William’s parents have always been a source of interest to me because like… William has never said anything outwardly negative about them, but then his actions and demeanour around them always portray something slightly different. I do believe he loves and cares for his parents. But I also think the relationship there has always been kind of strained. My guess is, on top of the general David was the big shot success story William could never live up to, William was always quite distant with his family. He could always see the supernatural (something that even then made him somewhat a freak from this weird but still rural seemingly conservative leaning town) and he spent most of his time out with friends on hunts that I doubt he ever told his parents the truth of before he actually died.

His parents are canonically church goers, it would make sense that William wouldn’t want to tell them he was messing around with devilish stuff, nor that he himself was possessed in some way and able to see the dead. But then he dies, and his freakishness goes from 1 to 100 and there’s no way he can hide it now, especially not if his parents are shown his dead, lifeless body before he wakes back up in it. And maybe his parents saw this as a miracle at first, rather than the work of the devil, but either way we know from the recent rolled that William truly believes his parents see him as some freak, and I’d definitely guess the other towns people if they knew… maybe it wasn’t great for the family reputation wise in such a small town.

And there is something to the fact that, well, in the end when the monsters came for William they did just give him away to the heroes. And sure, they stayed in touch somewhat? But even then it’s one or two calls in months to years of time to your teenaged kid (though I’ll retract that if it’s implied that it was William dodging their calls… but even that leads to a point I’ll make in a bit).

But then whenever they do come back,,, even after everything they don’t seem to take William seriously. Which is very interesting. They’re often worried about him, but they don’t seem to listen to him as we saw in their recent scene where his mum got mad and had to be really persuaded to leave. They don’t seem to comprehend the severity.

They don’t understand what’s going on with him, they don’t have a clue, and I don’t think they ever really did. I think William has always been too afraid to tell them the truth about what’s going on with him (whether that was being able to see the dead, or now all the hero villain mess he’s stuck in), he’s always been afraid of them seeing him like a freak, them no longer loving him. And so he keeps it a secret and he keeps it away from them and he distances himself the best he can. He’d probably argue that it’s to keep them safe, but I think he’s mostly protecting his own heartbreak of them finding out “who he really is” and rejecting him. I think that’s his big fear, and it’s a fear he’s carried around with him since even before his first death.

So while I don’t think his parents are,,, necessarily malicious. I think they’ve definitely fucked up with William. I don’t think they ever made him feel safe enough to be himself around them. I don’t think they’ve ever been there for William when he really needed. And I don’t think they’ve ever known who their son was. But then they still act like they know best for him, they still play the concerned parents. And I think they genuinely believe they do know and want what’s best for William. But the issue there is… they don’t know who William is, and they haven’t for a really long time.

David left too, y’know? He also got the hell out deadwood as soon as he could. He also talked to (and bonded with) William over their clear joint disliking of that place. And I wonder if his parents are oblivious to how much their kids hated where they grew up, if they’re just oblivious to all of the weirdness of deadwood. Why they chose to live and stay there in the first place. They still live there to this day!

I don’t know,,, I have a lot of thoughts about the wisp-bell family and all the mess and dysfunction there. I didn’t even really get into the religious trauma of it all, which is likely a strong part of why William felt the need to hide and distance himself from his parents,,, but yeah I’ll stop rambling for now lol

[anewkindofme]

Globbing on to your Damon analysis and mention of how men can’t form a bond without fighting over a woman, I always find it off-putting when it’s the brother love triangle trope. I love familial relationships and struggle with rooting for either couple due the strain in the sibling dynamic, same goes for two sisters fighting over a guy. It’s just icky to me. I think Supernatural does a really good job of depicting a well-written sibling relationship, especially between two guys. Although Dean and Sam have their issues, you can clearly tell that they love one another and would do anything to protect the other—regardless of who gets hurt. Especially the parentification of Dean and how he views Sam perpetually as a child is awful but so interesting to see. Their codependency and Defan’s codependency are very different forms but also entirely similar. Should’ve had a cross-over😮‍💨

I loathe that the 2 brothers/neighbor girl love triangle has grown over the years. It's just ridiculous that siblings would risk their relationship, over someone who's not even that important. And I say that as someone that not only loves Elena, but ships Stelena. I just think that they could exist or even if the writers wanted it to be Delena, they could exist, without coming between the boys.

It's why I'm glad the Nathan/Peyton/Lucas love triangle in One Tree Hill was so short-lived. Lucas and Nathan had their drama, but it was never a girl that kept them apart. They had one of the healthiest brother dynamics I've seen on TV.

Dean and Sam are truly one of the best sibling relationships in all of media history. It's not always the healthiest. They are both pretty possessive over one another. Dean treats Sam like a 5 year old 90% of the time. But the love is there. They'd do anything for each other. And a lot of it can be explained by how they were raised. Dean falls into "dad/mom mode" (I think there can actually be an argument that Dean is more of a mom than a dad, but that's a whole other thing) and Sam falls into "baby that needs his parent mode". Given all they've been through, of course they can't be separated for very long.

The Salvatore brothers are equally codependent, in different ways. Damon spends a good century vowing to cause Stefan nothing but eternal misery. He easily could've hurt/killed him after it all happened and move on. But he didn't. We see there are several times they attempt to rebuild that bond but something goes wrong. They love each other and can't quit one another, no matter what happens in life. Because they're brothers. The only family each other has.

Dean is a far better brother than early seasons Damon, but I think he'd be proud of the brother that Damon becomes. Especially when Lily is back in the picture. I think they'd bond over moms coming back from the dead and not being how they once were.

[hopefulstarfire]

I currently have about six households created for the Sims 4 Lore fix;

The Goths: Mortimer (YA), Bella (YA), Cassandra (Child) and Cerberus (Rottweiler). Mortimer is determined to explore every field in the arts while Bella suffers from paranoia after discovering her old favorite childhood book, Where's Bella, and seeing how in line it fell in with her life -- and it only grew worse when people in black suits showed up at her door, asking what she knew about the situation in Strangerville, where infected people repeat her name over and over again.

The Pleasants: Diane (Adult), Jeff (Adult), Daniel (teen), Jennifer (child). Diane is working in the culinary career and this time around Jeff will fulfill his wish of becoming an Astronaut. There's some tensions in the house and an interesting marriage between the parents.

Oldie: Coral (Adult), Herb (Adult), Mary-Sue (teen). Coral is a stay at home mom and Herb is in the business career. Mary-Sue works part time as Cassandra Goth's babysitter and the two have formed a bit of a friendship because of it. They're looking to adopt again.

Hart: Holly (Adult), Bebe (Adult), Brennen (Child), Hannah (child), Blythe (infant), Daisy Mae (Ragdoll). Holly broke away from her family's criminal lifestyle, essentially being disowned. Her parents have passed and left behind everything to her younger brother, who was raised by Nick's brother and she is hesitant to reach out but wants to. She's a painter. Bebe wants to help those in need and end stigmatism around different needs or illnesses, seeing how her parents were ostericized for being different and she's working as a doctor. Brennan is a Nerd who loves void critters and wants to give back to those in need. Hannah knows no fear and is always running around, and is also the kid trying to bring home all the strays. Blythe is a cautious baby.

McIrish-Bunch: Ethan (Adult), River (Adult), Aiden (teen), Junie (Toddler). Ethan is still an all around great guy and amazing father with dad energy since he was a teenager. With his parents gone, he feels it's fell on his shoulders to keep his siblings together and helps his youngest sister Darlene and her son where he can. River is a successful artist and came out as non-binary in college and recently began identifying as transmasc nonbinary (they/them pronouns). They still keep in close touch with Molly and Sandi French. Aiden is a cute but shy chess player that is a history fanatic and can give whole presentations on different areas. And Junie is my silly little goose.

Alvi: VJ (Adult), Lisa (Adult), Fouzia (Teen), Bunny (Lhasa Apso). VJ and Lisa ran off the night of their high school graduation as VJ wanted nothing to do with his father -- something he never regretted. Though it caused a strain on Lisa's relationship with her parents, they got by well enough and their daughter's birth helped smooth things out with the Bunchs. VJ has pursued a music career and has kicked ass at it. He's still more on the evil side but he's an incredible father. When things became more stable, Lisa started pursuing a style influencer career and is set to release her own fashion label and make everyone look hot -- just not as hot as her. Fouzia is the queen bee of Copperdale High and is living the social media influencer lifestyle. She's cheer captain, a good student and absolutely obsessed with her dog and always looks out for her cousin Aiden...she's just a little spoiled, as she's her dad's favorite and only daughter.

[loorain]

Sims 4 Legacy Challenge - Fontenot Legacy

For funsies (mainly for myself), I thought it would be fun to start making posts about the drama I get my sims into. Right now I’m playing with a legacy save, this is generations 3 and 4 in one picture. 

Long family intro under the cut if you’re interested.

From left to right (using the first photo) I will introduce the family. First is Sabrina, she’s the daughter of Scarlett standing behind the couch. Sabrina was born thanks to IVF. Sabrina is super into sports and being active, but she also has asthma that sometimes makes things difficult for her. Despite this, she plays rough any time she gets. Very soon, Sabrina will age into a teen and I’m not ready for it 😭 The family is not sure if she’ll grow up to pursue a career in sports, but sports will always be a part of her life.

Sitting in the middle is eldest child Anya. Anya was born to Kira. Kira became a teen mom to Anya, and her relationship with her boyfriend (the father of Anya) became strained the moment he found out about it. He decided he did not want to take much of an active role in raising Anya, so Kira took on the responsibility on her own, and she was a devoted and loving mother to her daughter. Eventually, well into her young adult life, she met her husband, got married, and gave Anya a sibling. Unfortunately, Kira died tragically young from anaphylactic shock caused by a bee sting, leaving Anya and her little brother in the care of their aunt and Anya’s step-father. Anya was an incredibly gifted child, maxing out the violin and singing skill before she aged into a teen. She also became a mildly-famous social media star, recording her own videos and posting them to the internet. Her fame has reached the max level now as a teenager. Anya has been struggling a lot as of more recently, rebelling by oftentimes not going to school, getting involved with boys, and experimenting with substances. Unfortunately, her foolish decisions have resulted in her own unwanted pregnancy. Unlike her mother, Anya could not fathom the idea of becoming a mother at a young age, but the father of her child was adamant about wanting to keep the child. They decided that once she gave birth, she would give their child to him to raise, with a substantial amount of money to assist with expenses, earned from her years of royalty payments. These photos were taken previous to those events. Anya now has a toddler-age son named Colt. Anya hopes to become an actress when she ages into a young adult and leave the mistakes of her teenagedom behind, but hopefully with time she will come back to her son and be the mother Kira was to her. Like her mother, Anya is allergic to bees, so the family is extra-careful to keep her safe.

The young boy standing next to Anya is her little brother Robin. Robin is the son of Anya’s mother Kira and her husband Armani. Robin is a bright and vivacious child who lost his mother at a very young age. Unfortunately, because of this he does not remember much of her, but the family photos around the house and the stories his older family members tell him helps him to visualize her. Robin is diabetic and still working on a system to maintain his blood sugar continuously, but in time I believe he’ll get the hang of it. He is also quite active, but also has a very sweet side. The family is still fostering his interests to see which one will take hold as his biggest passion. Maybe in teenagedom we will have our answers. Though he has big shoes to fill in terms of his incredibly gifted older sister, there is no pressure on him to be anything but himself. 

Again, Scarlett is the woman with gray-dyed hair standing behind the couch. Scarlett is asexual and aromantic but always wanted a child or her own, so she got IVF to have Sabrina. Sabrina gets her sporty-ness from her mother. Scarlett was the golden child of her parents, the older of two girls. Scarlett grew up on the heavier side, but was determined to get in shape and really took up working out as a teen. Her body has transformed a lot through the years, from heavier to getting very slim. She is finally at a size she feels comfortable and strong at - somewhere right in the middle. Scarlett grew up with her little sister Kira and their parents, Maisie Tanaka (and then Akiyama) and Taku Akiyama. Scarlett’s mother also died tragically young thanks to a game glitch that had her die from laughter when I wasn’t looking 🙃 Their father took on full responsibility of raising his two girls, heartbroken when Kira fell pregnant, but supportive of her journey as a mother. Scarlett went through her own years of exploration, dabbling in substances for a brief time. Once she really got into fitness though, she cut all of that junk out and committed to living a clean, healthy life. She was the one that caught on to Anya’s own struggles with substances and confronted her on multiple occasions. She is determined to not let Anya take on all of the mistakes of her generation, but her becoming a teen mom makes Scarlett feel like she’s already losing the battle. Scarlett has a comfortable parenting relationship with her brother-in-law, and the two focus on raising the three kids as best they can. Scarlett is very talented, mastering violin and guitar as a well as singing and fitness, she went to college for computer engineering and had a long successful career at the top level, but once she got bored of that went on to pursue a brief career as a professional athlete. She quit her job after feeling unhappy with it for a while, but years of hard work has made sure the family will be perfectly fine without this regular income. For now, she is focused on the kids.

Finally, Armani married into the family when marrying Scarlett’s younger sister Kira. They were deeply in love, and even before engagement he became an important father-figure to Anya and they grew close. He was already a bit older than Kira, who was in her young adulthood while he is a full-fledged adult, but nothing could tear them apart. He was ecstatic to know he would become a father and the two of them happily welcomed Robin into the family. When Kira died, Armani was devastated. He knew he could never love another woman like he loved her. It has taken him a while, but he has casually seen other women for some time. There was one woman he was getting a bit closer to, but the relationship fell apart and they went their separate ways. Armani has recently found out he is a father to a young girl, Matilda, after a casual hookup with her mother Robin (coincidentally the same name as his son, NOT PLANNED). They are not looking for a serious relationship, but he is a committed father to all of his kids and wants to be there for her as much as he can. She lives with her mother and is a young child now, so he does his best to see her regularly. 

And that’s the fam! If anyone is interested I’d be more than happy to give more information of the previous gens, including my legacy starter Alison Fontenot. There’s lots of stories still to be told!  

[alteredphoenix]

A Question (And More) on the Matter of Human-Elf Relationships

I’ve had this thought in my head for a while, and I’ve spoken of it somewhat in notes from a couple Windrunner-centric fanfics, but I wonder if the Sylvanas novel will touch on the subject of human-elf relationships. It’s a trope that is popularized from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy with Aragorn and Arwen and dates farther back to Lord Dunsay’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter with Alveric and Lizrael, which is most commonly attributed to a male human/female elf pairing, and World of Warcraft is no exception with the likes of Alleria and Turalyon, Sylvanas and Nathanos (however this may be interpreted), and Vereesa and Rhonin.

However, it should not come as a surprise that whenever the Windrunners are brought up in regards to the tumultuous strain Sylvanas - and, by extension, Alleria - have put on the family, the men in their lives are often brought into the fold in snide, disparaging tones. More than once I’ve heard the cracks that “they [human men] are taking away our women!” from blood elf players, remarks that the Windrunners are only known for being arm candy despite having their own goals separate from the men, making assumptions that Arator would be into men the same way his mother and are despite having little development, and calling Giramar and Galadin (and just these two, since AFAIK no one ever brings Arator into this) “abominations” for simply being half-elves. This last part especially hurts me on a personal level since I, as well as my older brother, are of mixed heritage, our father Italian and our mother Mexican with Native American ancestry, and while I’m positive I haven’t heard anything of the like from either sides of the family when they were dating it’s no secret that neither grandparents - or at least my maternal grandparents - weren’t particularly keen on seeing my parents hook up after dating for three months. Or rather my mom’s siblings didn’t want to see her get with my dad; it’s a literal crack ship made real, my mom being someone who’d fit right in with a cheesy Hallmark movie that fits every trope Under the Sun and my dad being cut straight from the cloths of Italian-American gangster period pieces and stoner flicks (and much more that fit into this topic, but for the sake of this piece let’s preserve his youthful years in this particular image).

But I digress. You get the idea.

However, I do wonder how this would translate in-universe with the Windrunner family. We don’t know of Sylvanas and Vereesa’s reactions to Alleria developing romantic feelings for Turalyon in the Second War, but since we know that Vereesa and Rhonin raised Arator once Alleria and Turalyon departed for Draenor and went missing thereafter we can assume the reception was positive. Sylvanas being close to Nathanos, however, whether or not it’s romantically reciprocal on her end or merely of a deep, platonic, unspoken fondness, is met with scorn: Nathanos was always at odds with Lor’themar in life from the moment of his induction as a Ranger Lord (a position that Kael’thas, Renthar Hawkspear, and Halduron were against, if we are to take In the Shadow of the Sun as canon), was discriminated against by the people of Silvermoon in life even as rumors began to spread of the possible romantic developments he and Sylvanas may have had, and in death is callously if rightfully disregarded for his role in the Fourth War, again by Lor’themar. This is especially odd now, in a time where we have the inclusion of an interracial couple involving Lor’themar, a blood elf man, falling in love and committing himself into a relationship with Thalyssra, a woman who was once a night elf - two races that have locked horns and butt heads with each other as far back as ten thousand years ago and were just as recently fighting right outside Suramar’s gates. However, neither is human, but this does bring up the question as to why a blood elf/nightborne coupling is acceptable but a high elf/human is not, especially when you take into account that blood elves and pre-Void ritual void elves are at their most basic high elves in all but magical and political affiliation. Let’s also not forget we also have LGBTQIA+ inclusion with Matthias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind - but again, they are a human/human coupling, not a human/elf, so this throws this double standard into a more glaring light.

Obviously we can assume that the reason why human/elf relationships might be frowned upon in elven society is because of the discrepancies of their longevity. Elves in media are either long-living or immortal and humans maintain their mortal lifespan (unless you’re of the race of Men from LotR, then you’re going to last over two centuries). An answer to this question can be found in the Warcraft RPG, where the scorn and prejudice half-elf offspring face is boiled down to disapproval toward human-elf unions as well as profiling because of their ethnicity: humans are jealous of the half-elf’s extended lifespan, the high elves see the half-elf as proof of their bloodline being diluted, and the night elves are suspicious of the half-elf due to having high elf blood, as mentioned here in this section. Unfortunately the RPG and its supplemental guides are rendered non-canon; the night elf-high elf schism remains, but nothing is spoken of toward human-elf relations, save that the honorbound pact they had established in the Troll Wars waned and then deteriorated after the Second War (although some elves remained in Lordaeron and Dalaran among their allies, disagreeing with Anasterian’s edicts to return to Silvermoon).

This leads me to believe that part of the distaste is military ability, at least where Nathanos is concerned. He was, after all, the first and only human Ranger Lord in Quel’Thalas. But Nathanos is just one person that is seen in a negative light in-universe, whereas Rhonin and Turalyon are looked upon more favorably. If only briefly, I would like to read how Lireesa and the Windrunner patriarch responded to Alleria and Sylvanas getting close to Turalyon (and perhaps Nathanos; while we don’t know what happened to Papa Windrunner, the timeline is very inconsistent in that Lireesa has three separate instances of death that contradict each other at; if we look upon Tales of the Hunt from the Trueshot Lodge, then we can assume Lireesa died during the Second War, so she may or may not have known about Turalyon).

Perhaps through the upcoming novel, we may get a more in-depth look at human-elf relationships through the context of the Windrunner family and how this extends to the blood elf, night elf, and human perspectives. Through them we might have a better understanding how this will affect half-elves, few and rare as they are in Azeroth, emotionally and where they stand in the world in canon proper, and if the same racial prejudices that we encounter in real life are either matched or nonexistent.

[authenticcadence18]

ferb for the character asks??

Y E AH FERB LET’S GO I LOVE FERB

Favorite thing about them: everything ok I just really, REALLY like Ferb. He’s such a great character. I love his sense of humor, I love how he is able to express himself in his own way, I love his bond with Phineas (and the entire family), I love his interactions with the other kids....and I also LOVE CHAOTIC FERB. AKA: I love when Ferb says or does things that are “chaotic,” such as him pulling out a mace in “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together” or Vulcan death pinching Buford in “Raging Bully” 🤣. (On my blog, I usually use the phrase “chaotic Ferb” to refer to him teasing Isabella and Phineas about their feelings for each other, but that barely scratches the surface of him being chaotic in canon, LOL.) Also wingman Ferb is the best (but i’m gonna talk about that more in a second). He’s also a SUPER fun character to write, omg.

Least favorite thing about them: Sometimes Ferb’s character development is pushed to the wayside. I love ATSD, but in recent years I’ve come to realize Ferb doesn’t have nearly as much character development as Phineas in it. So I guess I wish he’d had more time to grow as an individual. The growth/character development he has is AMAZING, and I just wish there was more of it!

Favorite line: gOSH THIS IS HARD. Actually you know what, I’m gonna say a couple of my favorite lines from him in canon AND my favorite line I’ve written for him (because it’s my blog, things roll my way🤣)

Favorite lines in canon: “Well you could, it would just be ‘platyp.’” “Give up? Give up??” (And so on)

Favorite line I’ve written for him: “I suppose you didn’t need a skylight to see stars earlier....right, Phineas?” (This makes no sense out of context but it was VERY FUN TO WRITE, I LOVE FERB.)

Bonus line that wasn’t spoken by Ferb but to Ferb: “Not yet, Ferb.”

BrOTP: I’ve got two!!!!

BrOTP #1: Ferb and Phineas (obviously). I LOVE that their sibling relationship is 100% positive and friendly and supportive. So many times, sibling relationships in media are shown to be strained or cynical, but that is not the case for these two at all. They get along so well and clearly care SO MUCH about each other and each other’s interests. I love their relationship as siblings sooo so much, and I love that Phineas doesn’t push Ferb outside of his comfort zone. Liiiike like, aaah. I LOVE POSITIVE SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS IN MEDIA.

BrOTP #2: Ferb and Isabella!! I love, love, LOVE THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO MUCH. Ferb is comfortable enough around her to tease her, and she’s comfortable enough to talk to him about her feelings for Phineas (which speaks VOLUMES, because he’s Phineas’s brother. She trusts that Ferb will respect her privacy and not tell Phineas anything). “Wingman Ferb” is my favorite thing: the moment at the end of “Happy Birthday Isabella” where he steps aside to let she and Phineas spend time together is just, the sweetest ever. (I talk about that more in this post, but in short: he wants to help Isabella but also is thinking of Phineas in that moment. He wouldn’t have stepped aside to let them be alone together if he didn’t trust Isabella.) They’re going to be siblings one day and THAT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY😭

OTP: u h m. I don’t have one😅.

NOTP: Ok aside from obvious nOTPS (I’m not gonna say em but...i suspect some of y’all will know what i mean😑) and F*rbnessa (which I talked about in this post), I reaaaally don’t like Ferb/Isabella as a ship. I would never judge anyone who ships it—it’s a personal opinion thing and there’s got to be good reasons to ship them, so ship away if you like them—but likeeeeeee......in the context of canon, I think Phineas is the better match for Isabella. First of all, I just like Ferb and Isabella’s friendship and view them as having a sibling-like dynamic. And, from what I’ve seen, some people only ship F*rbella because Ferb is more in tune with romance in general than Phineas and because Phineas is oblivious to Isabella’s affections for him. They want Isabella to be with someone who is more romantic, which I get but like.....her and Phineas’s dynamic is so interesting and compelling in of itself. It’s like they’re trying to punish Phineas for being a child who simply isn’t interested in romance. Phineas and Isabella are best friends, and he cares about her SO MUCH, even if he doesn’t consciously view her in a romantic light in the main show. Thus, shipping her with Ferb just because he’s more aware of romance leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (I talk about this at length in this post, if you’re interested in hearing more thoughts about it! And again, if you’re reading this and you ship F*rbella, no judgement! It just isn’t my cup of tea. And I would never leave hate on anyone’s F*rbella content: I just avoid it when I can and keep scrolling if I see it.)

Random headcanon: once Isabella and Phineas start dating, Ferb takes every opportunity to refer to Isabella as his “future sister-in-law” and lovingly teases them about how oblivious they were to one another’s feelings every so often. (Did I steal this from one of my fics? Yes. But that fic is basically just a bundle of my headcanons so IT COUNTS.) Also ok, here’s a non-phinabella themed headcanon: it’s canon that Ferb likes expressing himself through music, so when he’s a little older (or maybe once he starts college), he joins a community orchestra and plays whichever instruments they need. One week he might be on the viola, the next on the tuba, and the next he might be conducting because the director is out sick! His favorite orchestra memory is getting to play a solo on his harmonica during a holiday concert one year.

Unpopular opinion: i don’t think Ferb and Vanessa should have gotten together in AYA. In that episode, he’s just out of high school and she’s in her mid-twenties: they’re in completely different parts of their lives, and I think it’s strange that the crew made them canon in a show whose primary demographic is kids. (Plus i can’t watch the Phinabella kiss without being reminded that F*rbnessa is canon...couldn’t they have kissed WITHOUT ANYONE WATCHING THEM???? .....ok I’ll stop peppering this Ferb ask with Phinabella hot takes now😅)

Song I associate with them: “Hey Ferb, I know what we’re gonna do today!” Also “We’re Watching and Waiting” because Ferb playing guitar in that song always makes me happy.

Favorite picture of them: THIS IMAGE IS PURE SERATONIN. I LOVE THIS SCENE AND I LOVE THESE THREE😭

Thank you sm for the ask, Maddy! I know Ferb is your fave, so I hope you enjoyed getting to read my thoughts on him! 😊

[softpunks]

we can fly / jason todd-centric / 3.8k / for jason todd birthday week

“I told you this was stupid.” Jason tells Dick.

“Shut up.” says Dick miserably.

Damian glances at him. “You look stupid, Todd.”

Jason sniffles. “You think I don’t know that?”

AKA: 16 prompts for jason todd’s birthday. 

read it either on the ao3 link above or keep reading

i. — first

The stars are dazzling from this view. This is Jason’s first thought. 

Tim, who is the sibling that ends up riding the ferris wheel with Jason since the only one really willing to ride with Damian is Dick, notices the look of amazement on the older’s face. “Have you ever been here before?” he asks. 

“No.” Jason admits. Entering cost money, and though it was relatively easy to sneak in, it was a bit disheartening to see families and friends enjoy themselves and carelessly spend their pocket change on snacks and games when you were a hungry orphan who didn’t have any of those. Back then, Jason would make sure to not even look twice at the rides, because that would only sour his mood more. “Not if you count loitering outside.” 

“So this is your first time.”

Jason can’t help but bristle, even though Tim doesn’t mean anything bad with his comment. He’s just stating a fact. “So?”

They’re here for Damian, really, because Dick said he lacked a proper childhood — they all did, to some extent, but somehow, none of them turned out as aloof and arrogant as Damian, so — and didn’t know anything about the joy of carnivals and theme parks. From there, it isn’t difficult to see Dick’s logic: exposing Damian to relatively happy things should make Damian a happy kid. 

(Jason did not have to be as smart as Tim or Barbara to know this way of thinking was entirely bullshit, but he also didn’t have the heart to argue with Dick.)

Jason’s never actually been to a carnival or theme park either, since he never thought it was a big enough deal to ask Bruce to visit these places back in the early stages of being his ward and being a lot more childlike and demanding. But he hadn’t wanted the entire visit to be about him because that meant he cared about those kinds of things— and he didn’t, it was just something interesting — so he didn’t say anything. Still, with Damian currently not in the picture and generally not for Jason to worry about, he could pretend like the night at the carnival was meant for him and enjoy it to the fullest, admiring the new sights and experiences with the wonder he could never afford as a kid. 

Tim just shrugs, unaffected by Jason’s attitude. “It’s nice, right.” 

“Sure.” Jason says flippantly, leaning back and crossing his arms. He doesn’t want to admit Tim’s right, and that it’s more than just nice. It’s goddamn beautiful. He’s seen the sky from rooftops when he’d patrol, so it’s definitely not the matter of height, but seeing it from here still feels a lot different. Jason can’t exactly describe it, but he’d like to think that it’s because it’s not often they have times like these, where they get to act like normal people and appreciate the mundane things in their lives when so much other outworldly things occur. Like a reminder that this is why Jason fights crime, besides looking after and protecting those who can’t save themselves. To have moments like these that they can enjoy to the fullest because they’re safe and they’re alive. 

“We’ll come back here.” Tim continues, like a promise even though Jason hadn’t even asked. “We’ll take Bruce with us, next time. And Alfred.”

“Like I care if Bruce is with us.” Jason replies, but it’s half-hearted, because he’s still staring at the bright-lit sky. 

From the side, Tim smiles fondly at his older brother. 

ii. — healing

“Meditation,” starts Talia. “Is an essential part of the healing process.”

“But I’m fully healed, you know.” Jason whines. “I don’t need this kind of crap.”

Talia glances at him sharply and kicks him firmly at his side. Jason yowls in pain and cradles his abdomen. “What was that for?” he demands. “I’m injured!”

“Hmph,” Talia huffs. “I thought you said you were already healed.” Jason just pouts. Talia does not look amused. “This is healing for your mental state. Not your physical one.”

“Whatever.” he grumbles, because it isn’t as if he has brain damage anymore. But Talia clearly isn’t going to budge, and he doesn’t think they’re getting out of this strange zen-like garden in the middle of nowhere anytime soon unless he follows her. 

She closes her eyes and returns to her earlier pose. “Now, let’s continue.”

iii. — unconventional

It's a loose but also the most accurate term they have for it— for their relationship that involves Renee Montoya occasionally running into this Crime Alley kid she caught one night trying to steal Batman's tires. She has the savings to take him in as her own and provide for him, and considers doing it by the fifth time they've met and got to know him better, but every time she'd offer, he'd take off, like the thought of trusting his life to an adult's hands scares him more than anything. Regardless, he always comes back to their meeting place at Gotham Park every Sunday evening. Renee is disappointed, but as Kate constantly reminds her, being a cop doesn't mean you can save everyone, and just because people may need saving doesn't mean they necessarily want it. 

"He's a kid." Renee argues. "Like, ten."

"Then maybe he's testing how long you'll be willing to stick around with him and keep that offer." Kate says. "Maybe he'll come to you when he's ready."

Renee listens to her girlfriend and waits, but that time never comes. It doesn't mean they stop their weekly run-ins, or that she doesn't give him anymore life advice when he voices out his problems. It doesn't mean she retracts her offer because it's been years or she stops paying for his school supplies when he finally admits to her that he decided to go to school so he could get a job and get out of the slums. It just means he isn't officially hers to keep and call her own kid. 

But when he wears her brown leather jacket and says he looks just like her, it feels a lot like that anyway, and she can live with that. 

iv. — open

“I can’t open it.” Damian admits sullenly. The unintentional pout on his face makes Dick coo and Tim look away because it looks embarrassing. It makes Damian angry, of course, but there are currently more important matters to deal with.

Jason simply laughs loudly, clearly amused, takes the jar from Damian’s hands, and twists it open easily. 

v. — grip

Alfred’s grip is so tight on Jason’s clothes that it's enough to rip his worn-out but well-loved clothes off and tear through them with ease. He almost thinks that the butler is angry, for whatever reason, but when Alfred looks up, there is nothing but pride and sorrow in his eyes. 

“How you’ve grown, Master Jason.” he says. “It was as if it was only yesterday when Master Bruce took you home and said you were going to be staying with us.”

Jason’s gaze can’t help but soften. It’s just college, but somehow, Alfred makes it sound like it’s so much more than just that. “I promise I’ll visit.”

Alfred nods before reluctantly letting him go. “I should hope so. As much as Master Duke tries, he’s not as good at helping around in the kitchen as you are.”

“I’ll tell him you said that, you know.” Jason teases. “You’ll break his heart.”

“Just as you’re breaking mine?”

Jason rolls his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.” he says, but the reprimand is half-hearted. He beams at the butler. “I’ll be going now. Take care, okay?”

“You too, Master Jason.” 

vi. — siblings

He grew up an only child, so he doesn't know exactly what siblings are supposed to be like. The headlines have said they were always a strange bunch, and given their respective secrets, Jason is inclined to agree. 

Still, he takes his biweekly trip to the Manor and sees Damian angrily chasing Stephanie down with a water hose around the garden, both their faces and clothes dirty with paint. Dick and Cass are sitting right outside the porch, eating popcorn as they watch the entire scene unfold like they're viewing the best movie of the year; Duke can be seen through the window, looking mildly exasperated as Alfred beckons him with a gesture to focus on whatever task they're doing inside the house. 

Tim opens the front door and steps out with a tablet in one hand and a mug likely full of coffee in the other. He looks down at Dick and Cass before gazing straight ahead, where Stephanie and Damian have finally stopped running and have resulted to downright wrestling in front of everyone. "I don't want to know." He says loudly, immediately retreating back into the Manor when he sees the mess outside. Cass and Dick share a look before going back to Steph and Damian. 

Jason may not know what siblings are supposed to be like, but these are what his are like. And though the press may call them strange, this is probably the most normal Jason's ever going to get.

vii. — resurrection

Resurrection is a fickle thing. Or maybe that's just because there are only a few ways to go about it. When Jason died, Bruce mourned him terribly, but never thought about bringing him back. The same way he never thought of bringing his parents back.

Somehow, Jason returned anyway. In the end, Bruce realizes that it's pointless to sweat the details of it— or at least, too much of it — because all that matters is that his son is alive, and he's okay. Sort of. 

But resurrection doesn't solve everything. Not their strained relationship because he refuses to kill the Joker, not those moments when Jason would just shut down without warning and wouldn't respond to anything until he's taken back to his old room in the Manor and looked after by Alfred for a night or two, because Jason's always been attached to him. 

Not the white paper with the doctor's signature that confirms that his son only has five months to live. 

Jason isn't dead— not yet, anyway, but Bruce mourns like already is, and it drives their entire family insane. He wants to leave to find a cure, because for someone as pragmatic as he is, he's also always been good at denial.

"Don't." Dick says, gripping him hard on the shoulder. "Jay doesn't need a Batman right now; he needs a Bruce. He needs his father. You might as well start acting like one now."

Bruce relents. He sits by Jason's bedside and reads him lines from his favorite classical books — the original copies he used to treasure before Ethiopia, because Alfred and Bruce both value sentimentality — as if Jason was still a kid and needed bedtime stories to go to sleep. 

One night, Jason, who pretends not to be bedridden most days because he's always been a proud boy, stops him mid-reading. "You know," he says. "Moments like this make me glad I came back." 

And you'll stay. Bruce wants to say, because the only time he'll ever let himself be naively hopeful is when it's for the sake of his children. Resurrection may not solve everything, but at least it gave him this. 

Instead of talking, Bruce reaches out and holds Jason's hand. 

viii. — protect

“Why the hell are you protecting me?” Tim snaps, and Jason would’ve taken the venom in the younger’s voice a lot more seriously if not for the fact that he was clutching onto his bleeding harm and sprawled on the floor like a wounded animal. “I thought you hated me!”

“That was yesterday.” Jason replies easily, surveying their surroundings. They’re surrounded by around twenty men, but he can take them. “I’m in a better mood now.”

ix. — touch

Though Dick is the most physically affectionate one, Cass communicates with people through touch. Jason is naturally averse to that sort of thing, growing up in Crime Alley where it meant that being touched meant you were in trouble, but she’s his first sister, and he has an undeniable soft spot for her the way the rest of them do. So when she pulls him back to ask something because she’s always spoken softly and doesn’t plan on changing that, he lets her; when she pats him on the head like she’s the older sister even though he’s pretty sure they’re around the same age, he doesn’t protest. 

When she wants a hug, he lets himself melt into her embrace supposedly more for her sake, but actually for his own too. Dick will definitely throw a tantrum later on, but right now, he’s too busy enjoying the warmth only Cass can give. 

x. — another

“Another one for the boy right here.” the man tells the bartender. Jason smiles sweetly at the tattooed woman before turning to the man beside him. Though the forty year old is dressed plainly, there are hints of his wealth scattered around him in the most subtle of ways— the Rolex watch, the gold ring, the manicured nails, the neat way his hair is pressed back, the glasses Jason recognizes to be around triple the price of Tim’s. 

Jason shifts in his seat, thankful he’s already used to wearing fishnets and tight clothing. He hates these kinds of gigs, but it’s what puts money on the table, and Dick says that the deadline for the payment for Damian’s tuition is next week. The cash Jason can nab from this guy should be enough to cover the expenses for that, so Dick’s bodyguard job can pay for their rent instead. 

“Thanks.” Jason says gratefully, when the lady returns and gives him his drink. It burns his throat and he doesn’t like the feeling, but he knows he’ll need this to get through the night. Even if he has to deal with Dick’s incessant scolding because alcohol is a bad vice they can’t afford.

(“Where’d you get all this?” Tim asks later on, eyes wide as he stares at the wads of cash Jason dumps on the dining table the next morning. Damian already left for school, Dick accompanying him as always even though Damian is perfectly capable of going on his own by now. Cass hasn’t left her room, knocked out from returning just a few hours ago from her job at the gym. 

“Oh, you know,” Jason shuts the cupboard with the cereal box in his hand. “I got another job.”)

xi. — hour

It takes an hour of radio silence before Jason grows concerned. “You’ve been gone for quite a while, red.” he says through the comm. “You sure you’re alright? Your boyfriend will never forgive me if I let something bad happen to you.”

“Relax.” Barbara finally says after a few moments, and Jason crushes down the urge to let out a sigh of relief. “I didn’t know you were such a worrywart.”

Immediately, he scowls, even if she can’t see it. “Fuck you. Am not.”

Barbara laughs, but it’s immediately cut off by Bruce’s stern voice leaking through their earpieces. “Break it off, you two. We have a mission to complete.”

“Aye, aye, captain.” Jason and Barbara chime in unison, though they’re both snickering.

xii. — time

There isn’t enough time, he thinks, as he stares at the bomb going down second by second in the horror. The doors won’t open, and he hears his mother sobbing. He wishes he had the voice to scream, to comfort her, sit back and make the most out of these last moments he has thinking of all the goodbyes he hadn’t said and all the things he shouldn’t have done. 

But the only thing circling in his head is, there isn’t enough time. There isn’t enough time. 

Bruce might not make it in time. 

xiii. — morning

Jason’s favorite time of day has always been the morning, because it reminds him of the times when he’d catch his mother whistling a happy tune as she waters the plants in their tiny backyard, of his father listening to the radio on the kitchen counter. Eventually, Jason learned to appreciate it for the smell of Tim’s coffee drifting from the dining area to the hallways, the careless padding of Bruce’s footsteps when he’s just woken up and is too groggy to be conscious of his loud movements; the way Dick decides to do his morning stretches right outside the kitchen and how Damian carries around all his pets’ food and meticulously puts them into their respective bowls, while Cass urges Duke to go on a morning jog around the garden before settling down for food. 

Besides, Alfred always cooks breakfast best when there’s someone awake enough to enjoy it, and maybe that’s why he likes mornings the most. 

xiv. — believe

“There is no way the brat is going to believe this.” Jason states, giving Dick a dirty look. “He’s been trained by the League of Assassins and by Bruce.”

“Oh, c’mon, little wing! Damian’s eleven. Kids like those believe anything!” Dick insists. Jason helplessly shoots Tim a look. 

Tim shrugs. “This was Dick’s idea, not mine.”

“Yeah, clearly, because no one would think of something this ridiculous.” Jason rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you do it? You’re the one who actually gives a shit about that kid.”

“He’s right.” Tim agrees, voice slowly fading as he leaves the cave, not wanting to be involved with Dick’s plan anymore. 

Dick crosses his arms. “Because Damian already thinks I’m the jolly guy himself. I need him to believe we’re two different people, so I definitely can’t be in the costume.” The thing is, Jason doesn’t even have the build needed to pull this kind of shit off. Not to mention that it’s, well, stupid. “If you do this, it’ll totally make up for you trying to kill Damian before.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t he be giving me that kind of forgiveness instead of you?” But Dick is pulling the biggest puppy dog eyes he’s ever mustered in his entire life, and while Jason really wouldn’t fall for that, the sight is disgusting enough to make him relent, so it probably doesn’t matter. “Fine. But I don’t owe any of you jackshit for the rest of my life.” 

“You don’t even give us presents!”

—

The plan to make Damian believe in Santa Claus fails spectacularly, of course. Even if Jason did put on the fake belly, he just doesn’t have the Santa Claus vibe, despite having the bulky build for it — because of the muscles, not the fat; Jason will skewer anyone without hesitation if anyone tries insulting him — and Damian is too pessimistic to believe in an old man who loves children with the ability to tell whether they’ve been good or bad and sneak into their houses to give them presents. Damian would rather much stick to his belief that Dick leaves him anonymous gifts under the Christmas tree that somehow always end up being the best things he’s ever gotten. 

“Santa Claus sounds like a pedophile, Grayson.” Damian says. “Why would anyone want to believe in someone as vile as that?”

Jason has to hand it to the kid; he easily beats Jason in ruining any situation. Dick unconsciously flinches, while Tim looks like he has to agree with Damian’s point, no matter how much he also looks like doing so would result in him vomiting in the bathroom. Cass and Duke are ignoring the entire exchange, mostly for Jason’s sake, since he’s still dressed in the ridiculous Santa Claus getup, and way more focused on opening their own presents despite how Bruce told them to wait until tomorrow. 

“I told you this was stupid.” Jason tells Dick. 

“Shut up.” says Dick miserably. 

Damian glances at him. “You look stupid, Todd.”

Jason sniffles. “You think I don’t know that?” He shrugs off the thick red coat before setting the pointed hat on top of Dick’s head and sauntering off. “Christmas is a capitalist movement anyway. You shouldn’t follow it.”

“Jay!” Dick protests. 

Jason says that, but on Christmas Day itself, there’s a gift for each of them under the tree.

(“I thought you didn’t believe in Christmas.” Damian points out after Christmas dinner. 

“Well, I don’t believe that middle-aged men who live in basements and dress in all black can actually save people, but here we are anyway.” is Jason’s only reply to that.)

xv. — over

Jason has nights when he forgets it's already over—the warehouse, the crowbar, the laughter, the bomb — because there will be times when it's the only thing that runs through his head when he dreams. It's likely Fate's design that the nightmares are always at their most frequent whenever the anniversary of his death inches near, so Jason makes it a point to never sleep during that week. Or at least make himself tired enough to just black out so he can't dream. 

"You look like you could use a drink," Roy comments, turning to him and handing him a bottle. "It's on the house."

Jason snorts. "Your boss is gonna kill you for this." 

"Eh." Roy shrugs. "Figured we deserved it. Yesterday's mission was a shitstorm." Jason can't help but hum in agreement to that.

"Well," Roy pours the both of them and glass and raises one in a faux-toast. "At least it's over, right?"

"Yeah," Jason says quietly, glancing at the clock. A few minutes to midnight, and then it'll be the day of his death. The tick of the clock faintly reminds him of the tick of the time bomb, but there is no awaiting explosion here and no death lurking the halls in the quietness of this bar in Star City. Jason's safe and alive. "It's over."

xvi. — robin

"That's a stupid name." Jason states, eyeing the uniform in his hands with distaste. "Robin?"

"It's what Dick chose to use." Bruce simply says. Jason can't help but frown. He doesn't really like it when Bruce talks about Dick, even though he is the first son, because Bruce always tries to hide how sad he really is at the thought of Dick and fails at it. Jason doesn't really understand, not when he's here, the new son, but despite the look on Dick's face when Bruce introduced him to Jason that screamed replacement, he isn't that, really. Or rather, he can't be. Dick is the golden circus boy with jolly laughter; Jason is the dirty street rat with good survival instincts. They're different, so of course things won't be the same. Or at least the same that Bruce unconsciously wants. But that doesn't mean Jason won't make it worthwhile. For both him and Bruce. "You could always pick a new one, if you want."

"Nah." Jason says. Bruce looks at him, and there's a newfound determination in his eyes. "I'll keep it."

"Yeah?" Bruce raises an eyebrow. "What changed your mind?"

"I'm gonna be the better Robin." Jason declares confidently, grinning up at Bruce. "I'll be so good you'll stop moping about the first one. Just you wait."

[rcsefleur-blog]

hi all !! this is an introduction to my freshest muse and newest baby yeo eunchan otherwise and more commonly known as ‘chan’, he’s a sweetheart but of course because its me and i can’t resist giving my muses slight torture, he’s a tormented sweetheart. if you look at his pinterest here you’ll get an idea of his style better since that’s pretty essential to him as a muse in this case hshd. below the cut you can find out a bit more about him and if you hit the like, i’ll be sure to throw him at you for plots !! lets get into it: 

BACKSTORY: 

chan’s childhood wasn’t particularly dark or strained. he is by far the least tragic out of all my muses. but for me, that’s still pretty tragic by mosts standards. growing up he always had a very supportive father in regard to his homosexuality and androgynous qualities. he grew up in a happy home and despite not being rich he was very fortunate to have rich opportunities come his way. to be fair he’s pretty easily pleased but most of his experiences thus far have been plentiful

perhaps that is why his luck has to run out somewhere down the line, in the worst way it possibly could. his mother passed when he was young due to cancer. it was a grave and difficult time for his father as well as the rest of the family. his father crumbled eventually, in the hospital with health issues now that are so severe he’s due to pass any day and is basically in a vegetative state already. chan was left to raise his five year old sister nari and take on the responsibility. 

for this reason, he could be considered a struggling single father as he’s pushing his own dreams and goals aside to accomodate for nari and make sure she has the best upbringing which is comfortable for her, where she can see chan as a father figure as well as an older brother now, who can be relied upon and responsible. balancing the line and the roles between brother and father isn’t always easy though when the lines are constantly blurred. he has sacrificed most of himself and his youth to keep nari happy and healthy and mostly untouched by the death of their parents. 

this hasn’t been easy though, it’s left chan isolated and with no one to speak to but the five year old girl a lot of his feelings get locked in a box and left unexplored, he cannot have a moment of hesitation or weakness because then that will affect nari. his mourning process and grieving has been put on a backline, and he only really allows himself to break down in quiet moments without nari. such as when walking through the forest to be with nature, visiting their graves or on the edge of his bed having a good cry when nari is fast asleep due to the feeling of living in the empty space where his parents used to fill it all up. 

PERSONALITY: 

chan is a makeup artist, he does it professionally for models and artists all throughout the industry but he also does it for fun, becoming pretty popular as a person who gives tutorials on youtube and instagram as an ‘influencer’ but he really hates that label and prefers to simply think of himself as an artist. he also does the bit of fashion blogging and photography on the side. 

he considers himself an adventurer and for that reason he also travels a lot, usually while he is there he’ll study as he does photography for a course as well as a part time student and his main interest is in ancient architecture and art. most of the time he’ll roadtrip in his styled up vintage pick up but occasionally its flights to more beachy area’s, his two favorite places are greece and italy and he spends most of his time in those places if he can.

chan has a very vintage sense of style and he enjoys doing most things the traditional and old school way. although he does add a modern mindset to a lot of it. aesthetically style wise envision chan as fingers full of plenty of rings, ankle bracelets and arm cuffs with loose puffy sleeved shirts and ripped up mom jeans or high waisted ones. he cycles mostly everywhere on his vintage style bike. 

very much a gentle soul, little bit of a nerd and activist in the sense he wants to save the earth. he can be really intense about learning about nature and how to preserve it. he has always felt the most in touch with the natural world compared to the hum and chaos of the modern world and city life. he’s no saint of course and he’s still a sucker for coffee but other than that he likes to think he does his best. 

paints and draws very amazingly likewise, he prefers to draw flowers and people the most but he’ll work with whatever he’s got on hand. usually you can only catch him whipping out a sketchbook if he’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed as a form of escapism and quiet time. 

he is a little bit of a quixotic type so sue him, like one of the ‘have you ever fallen in love’ 'five times a day’ types but it’s not obsessive, it’s more of an admiration he considers all people beautiful and worthy of love in their own way and would state most of them are art to him. you could be the worst person and he’d be all ’ you dont have all the facts’ 'which are?’ 'i love them’.

although he doesn’t identify as genderfluid, he has a very genderfluid and androgynous sense of fashion and often wears clothing and makeup typically labelled as being more feminine. he likes a soft and classy look that usually consists of a good lip tint or ultra glossy lip and a natural but glittery smokey eye look. think kinda like the instagram influencer ivanbaaaaah for reference. 

MISC: 

growing up chan struggled with religion a lot, he and his family are very religious but his sexuality caused some issues. his father had always been supportive but his mother was a different story, unfortunately his memories with her aren’t the fondest. though he has a very dark history with religion, he loves to be in churches that are empty or abandoned for moments of reflection. often he wonders if he doesn’t even have god as the one consistent and reliable thing in his life, then what the hell does he have. he feels even now sometimes that he’s letting god and his mother down for the way he is but there is less shame now than what he suffered when younger. 

everything in his life basically revolves around nari, she goes most places with him and any task he’ll find a way to make fun for her, he doesn’t spoil her but he also doesn’t ever leave her to go without even if that is at his expense to do so. they love to bake together and he does that pretty often. 

has a part time job as a barista on night shifts and also in a patisserie. he works from home on his influencer content again to accommodate for nari and he also takes his course in photography and media online to best suit nari so he doesn’t have to leave her with a babysitter too often as he believes that’s no childhood and him just being lazy in his duty towards her as her parental figure at this pivotal time in her life. 

he’s putting off most of his dreams and aspirations right now for until nari is older, he could’ve been much more famous as an influencer but he chose not to be and put those opportunities to broaden his career on hold for a while because having a famous sibling in her life wasn’t the kind of overwhelming attention and pressure nari needed to be surrounded with right now. 

he honestly just wants to make sure nari grows up feeling safe, comfortable and happy as well as confident in herself and chan. she’s his primary responsibility and he considers himself her closest bet to a father now so he wants her to feel she has that bond with him as well as the bond of him being her brother. 

PLOT BUNNIES: 

a babysitter plot would be great, someone who he can rely on and uses often to leave nari with when he has no other choice and particularly on nights when he has to work. ideally it would be someone nari felt very close to and idolized so he knew they had an amazing relationship and she’d be happy and relaxed when he was gone. he’s very over protective of her so he’d also have to feel pretty close to the person. it could go any way really, it could be a pining thing, a best friend thing, whatever honestly. 

this boy definitely needs a confidant so throw that at me any day. 

friends who can help him reconnect with religion and spirituality in different ways so he knows there’s always a way for him to feel tied to god somehow and a god who loves him and best suits his needs somewhere even if it isn’t necessarily in the religion he grew up with. 

work buddies at the cafe he works in or patisserie would be amazing too. 

maybe a tutor/study buddy kinda person he met online through doing his course of media and photography to make sure he was making up for the classes he was missing out on by not being able to attend day lectures in college. 

just people with the similar hobby of photography would also be awesome or models even that he can do a couple of freelance jobs for on the side when they need him. 

muses for him to draw they’d be very special people indeed bc chan will rarely whip his sketchbook out in front of anyone let alone ask to draw them. 

more single parent muses would also be awesome eventually or older siblings who kind of take on that role half the time so have some idea of what its like who he could meet through taking nari to things like nursery, etc. 

neighbor bc who doesn’t love a good single dad and his neighbor plot  who’s all like woah that guy is super young and he has a kid but im also sure there’s no woman on the scene and wow they’re noisy and its kinda infuriating but its also cute as hell cause he’s a hella good dad and in the mornings i can hear them baking and doing food fights or playing together and i often see them messing about coming back from grocery shopping etc and actually its kinda touching?? 

gay pals cause we love gay pals as well as ur everyday pals we love a platonic bond between fellow gays. 

love interests of any kind rlly, pining situations, crushing, flings, ex’s ( they’d have had to have ended on good terms tho bc chan just can’t hate anyone ), first times e.g. sexually, boyfriend, kiss u get the idea 

[dontknockitkid]

Farewell

You knew this one was coming haha

I never posted anything on social media about baseball being over for me because I didn’t want to accept it, acknowledge it, or over-romanticize the ending of a simple game for me.

But I will, however, write this;

These are my sentiments about a game that had an exceptional part in molding me into the man that I am today. I will never communicate anything like this again, unless it’s in person and verbal and only if someone asks.

Here i present to you, Chris Ramirez, the baseball player.

First and foremost, I feel the need to give the greatest gratitude and praises to God for blessing me through my baseball years without a debilitating injury. I never broke, severely strained, pulled, or tore anything in the 16 years of constant travel, overhead motions, conditioning, or weightlifting. I praise my almighty God for that absolute blessing. With saying that, I’m not talking down to anyone who has had one because I’ve realized how anxious it makes athletes as well as how much it affects their confidence, self-esteem, sense of worth, and identity. I truly feel for those who have been affected by the unforeseen traumas of athletics.

Now, for the tear-jerky portion of my outpouring.

My dad has told me that he wanted to sign me up to play little league baseball when I was younger, but my mom was opposed to the idea because she said it was dangerous and I might get hurt. My dad, being the person that he is, went on to sign me up at South Side Little League in south Oxnard, CA. I make sure to specify SOUTH Oxnard because it was the most rag-tag, blue-collared, league in Oxnard (in my opinion of course). Being in this league for the first couple years of baseball made me the humble, quiet player that I was because we always played (and were crushed) by the surrounding, more wealthier and supported, leagues. The best thing about my younger years (pre-high school), was the traveling. Specifically the long drives I had with my dad. We would drive 3-4 hours and basically spend the weekend together. We would wake up early, go to the nearest McDonald’s, and then head to the sports complex. Those are some of the moments, weekends, and trips that I will cherish the most regarding baseball because they constructed the relationship I came to have with my dad. My dad went to as many games as he could, but the majority of games I either had to hitch a ride with a coach or teammate, and he would show up whenever he was able to. Both my mom and dad have supported and been there for me after every great and terrible game to give their unique feedback (you sucked today but we still love you; keep fighting kid. You have unbelievable potential.) I held on to each and every pre- and post-game talk with my dad because above all else, he was PRESENT. He cared about what I had to say and how I felt about my performance, and he absolutely 100% knew that I cared what he saw or had to say (even though after the tough losses I acted like I didn’t want to hear anything from him at times, but like a young boy, I yearned for my father’s edification and approval). They provided the life and the beautiful days I would never EVER take back, and seeing them smile at me and say they’re proud of me when I didn’t get drafted, had my last start, and graduated college meant the entire world to me.

Now, while I’m talking about my family, I wanted to include a few words for the village that raised me.

These pictures are from my very last season of baseball, but it embodies the support I’ve received from my beautiful family. From fundraisers, to them traveling/camping overnight for several days to see me play (succeed, and sometimes really suck, which often made me really sad), I am forever grateful for their presence. My brothers, Angel and Kevin would often help me forget about a tough loss by providing laughs that turned into happy tears, as well as celebrating with me when I had a great game. Their hugs and affirming, congratulatory presence throughout my life have fueled me to be a respectable sibling. I have always wanted to make them proud of me. I value the photos we have together in our baseball uniforms growing up, as well as the ones we took when they came to visit and watch in Vegas and southern Cali. Even more so than the photos, the moments I was blessed to experience when I hugged them and told them that I loved them after a game or after having not seen them in months, are where my love during those years rests. Te quiero muchisimo mis hermanos. Cousins, Tia’s and Tio’s, family friends, who have housed me on my trips, and let me crash on the couch or guest bedroom for a night or two as I was making my way across the country or back home, I love you. You have no idea how grateful I am for your gracious hospitality. It is and always has been truly heartbreaking as a little kid knowing I wasn’t able to make a baseball trip because of insufficient funds. My parents have done everything that they could to make sure I was able to go to at least a couple trips growing up, and I tear up just thinking about how they made it all possible. I am so thankful for the limited opportunities because it made me appreciate each and every one of them a whole lot more. I love you, mi familia. Near and far, familial and friend.

I couldn’t write something like this without mentioning my coaches. The men (and their wives because if you know anything about coaching, it is a HUGE commitment and sometimes takes a toll on their families. So if any of my coaches’ wives read this, THANK YOU for being patient, kind, and supportive to the men that helped mold me physically, emotionally, and spiritually) that took their time showing me how to simply throw a small object wherever I wanted it to go with controlled aggression, allowed me to spend a good-sized portion of my life having the most fun I’ve had playing a little kid’s game.

I wanted to give a special and heartfelt thank you to my friend, brother in Christ, and former pitching coach Matt Merricks because he (by God’s wondrous grace) developed a form of pitching that incorporated your walk with Christ. Once I was saved by God and my world changed forever, I also became a different type of pitcher, and Matt was there to help refine the explosion of my new heart in Christ. Thank you forever Matt, you helped a young boy understand what it takes to heave a baseball and leave it up to God from there as soon as it left my fingertips, as well as doing the same in life.

To my amazing teammates:

To say you guys have changed my life would be the biggest understatement ever. My boys at Channel Islands and the surrounding high schools who I became so close with, you guys gave me afternoons worth enjoying. You made Oxnard and SoCal a place that tore my heart leaving, but oh so wonderful reflecting back on. If I wrote a small little paragraph for each person or year of baseball, this blog would span a lifetime haha, but I’ll keep it short and to the point.

Channel Islands: Jonny, Isaiah, Matt, Beto, Alfred, Ricky, Manny, Micah, Felipe, Greg, Miles, Anthony, Ray Ray, Leo, Wade, Josh, Stefon, and a few others who were my little tribe in high school: thank you for riding through it all with me. All the high school shenanigans, trouble-making, talks about girls, long days of practice and conditioning, were boosted to absolute nostalgia because of all of you. The memories jam packed at that one school and ball field, are some of my most cherished moments of my upbringing. People always say that you should go to college because those are supposedly the best years of your life, but in all honesty, these years are a definite close Second haha. I can still remember and feel the deep belly laughs at jack in the box, trips to fresh and easy, and countless other get-togethers I will not mention because some of my family might read this eventually hahaha

I love you, and I pray you all are doing well.

Colorado Northwestern:

A small junior college in Rangely, CO was the perfect place for my collegiate baseball career to kick into gear. Why? Because of these guys: Joe, Ricky, Alaska, Mikey, Cado, Nies, Chase, Trevar, Colin, Tanner, Riding, Hoff, Texas, the Woods brothers, Naus, Cory, and several others who brought seriously so much happiness to my days there. At a low point in my life, you guys helped keep me afloat by your jokes, brotherhood, invitations, inclusivity, and acceptance of a new direction I was going in life. You supported me, held me accountable at the late hours of the evenings, and poured into me when I really needed a laugh, friend, or a late night/early morning trip to Vernal or the gas station. The trips we took to the lake, the hikes behind the school, phenomenal bonfires at red rocks, runs up and down Kennedy, when we discovered the “rollercoaster”, and post-game dinners in the caf; dang, I freakin miss that small little school in that small little town.

If you didn’t see your name, don’t take it personally I promise. Even if you were only at that specific school for a couple weeks, you still were part of my experience and growth, and for that I am forever grateful for you all.

Mesa:

Finally, my Mesa family.

Not enough words could describe the absolute excitement and gratitude I had entering a program that was notorious for having a winning record, playing home games at the same stadium the junior college World Series is held, and where a minor league Colorado Rockies affiliate resides. I talked about the anticipation and excitement that was literally almost oozing out of me to every person that would listen, and I want to take a moment here and thank each person that listened to my gripes, groans, and endless soliloquys about a little boy’s dream coming true. You may not have known it at the time, but those moments and conversations built me up (or how us young people say it these days, “it HYPED ME UP”) and encouraged me to live up to the “hype” that I was giving myself haha

Colorado Mesa is where I bore my fruit; the fruit I had worked so endlessly for throughout my life. I was crafted and molded into the pitcher I would come to be my sophomore year at CNCC (and that summer), and CMU is where it all flourished. The grit was there; the motivation was there; the humility; the approach; the passion; the youthful zeal (you’re gonna hear me say that NUMEROUS times throughout my written pieces, so you better get familiar with it because it’s one of my favorite phrases). Everything was already in place, by God’s gracious love, and now it was time to showcase it. Soli Deo Gloria style. Coram Deo style.

Pitching at CMU was everything I’d hoped it would be and so much more. Having the opportunity to pitch in a rotation that included some of the best pitchers in the nation was a dream come true for a little kid from South Oxnard. My friends and roommates making their way over to the stadium on some Saturday or Sunday afternoon would come to be one of my favorite memories of putting on that creme colored jersey and doing what I loved. Now instead of making this a 55 page blog post, I’m just gonna talk about the memories that stand out the most:

I’ll start with the entire 2017 season. The 2017 season came with a ton of extraordinary moments, some of which I’ll go into a bit of detail soon, but it also came with devastating news that would lead to the season’s mantra and future banner of pride, brotherhood, and hardwork. A ball player and dear friend to many named Ryan Teixeira past away from his second battle with cancer. His wake and funeral services in California were unbelievably moving, and I couldn’t help but admire (and absolutely sob) on how unashamed of the gospel his family was at his funeral service. They were bold, broken, vulnerable, but stood firm on the promises of God. It was truly spectacular. May Ryan rest in glory.

I had the best year of baseball in 2017. Although my sophomore year at CNCC was super wonderful, I cannot compare the two as to which one was better than the other because each one was vastly different. At Mesa;

- I experienced a beautiful Friday night fireworks celebration after breaking a school win-streak. The stadium was as full as it ever had been while we were playing in it, and there was this aura of happiness and genuine enjoyment, regardless of wherever you were sitting (even in the visitor section). Fireworks and baseball have always been like peanut butter and jelly, ham and burger, salt and pepper, and tyga and Chris brown. 😂

- I flew for the first time (in a private airplane at that) to play in a regional tournament, as well as a D2 World Series. This playoff experience had me almost in tears thanking God for getting our team and I to that point in order for us to experience and excel in an environment like that. I pitched the BEST two games in my life that season (complete game shut-out against the #1 team in the region at their home field to eliminate them and send us to the championship, and a complete game win against the #1 team in the nation to eliminate them and send us to the semi-finals in the World Series).

Baseball is boring to a lot of people; I’ll admit I even think it’s boring sometimes, but I found an aspect that was worth cherishing the boredom forever. Through this game God gave me memories, friends for a lifetime, extreme frustration and anger, absolute joy and passion, and a love and appreciation for a game played by 4 year olds and 70 year olds. How amazing is that?

God, thank you for these years.

I will miss it forever.

[veritas-alice-blog]

The Siren - Alice DeRauge

Hello hello!!! I’m Jolie and I am honestly so excited to be here and create some amazing connections with you all, as well as read about and learn about all the amazing characters you have created. Below is some information about my girl Alice, who is also known as The Siren. I’m always here for plots, interactions and creating interesting connections!

A young woman leans against the slightly rusted rails of the small, Parisian apartment, the cigarettes drawn to her ruby red lips as she stares at the world passing by below her, watching as the ash falls from the tip of the cigarette and down to the earth below, the smoke billow up above her as she is caught in the middle of it all. The faint shouts of her parents an echoing reminding behind as she brings the cigarette to her lips once more. If a girl falls in the city, and no one sees; did she really fall?

Alice DeRauge was the only child born to two Parisian artists, them claiming that little Alice was merely a manifestation of their love and their art brought together. She was truly like something from an artists mind, with her pouted lips and wide dark eyes- she was like something from a dream state even as a child.

Despite her parents being passionate people, they did very little to provide for Alice growing up. Their art very rarely selling for a high enough price for them to live contently. The small family of three living in a two bedroom apartment in the heart of Paris where it was always too hot during the summer and too cold during the winter nights. Despite having a small child to care for, they still very much lived under the starving artist mentality. There was always never enough food in the cupboards and empty wine bottles littering the apartment.

Despite the hardships that were faced, Alice was a relatively happy child. The cobblestone streets of Paris becoming her playground, finding kindred spirits among the other children who the world seemed to have left behind. They would run through the streets well into the late evening, stealing candy from corner stores and cigarettes from their parents. They were content with the small lives they had created for themselves but young Alice always craved something more.

As she get older, Alice fell into darker habits. Sharing beds with men twice her age after spending the day drinking two bottles of red wine. The pills were always readily available and she indulged in this small escape, knowing she could get away with it, her parents having a complete disregard for what their daughter truly got up to in the evenings.

Alice was a mere seventeen years old when her father declared that she was finally leaving her mother for good, forced Alice to pack a small duffel bag and shoving a one-way ticket to America in her slightly, hungover face. The brief hug she shared with her mother being the last time she saw her as Alice’s father made promises of a brand new life for both of them.

It didn’t take long for Alice to adjust to American culture. Enjoying the wild parties that were thrown every weekend, the drugs that were happily supplied to her and the various males and females who showed a physical interest in her. She indulged in the popularity she had as being the exotic French girl and everything that was given to her with ease.

She was eighteen when she had first rehab stint, it was the average eight week program that introduced Alice to the twelve steps but really, it just taught her how to be more sneaky about her habits and the things she did when no one was looking for her.

Despite all the issues and the need for rebellion, Alice always managed to get good grades- something that helped her get accepted into St. Etinne on financial assistance, majoring in classic literature and wanting to live like the authors she worshiped growing up. The likes of Jake Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and the likes of the rest of the beat generation who opposed everything around them.

It was around her first year of college when her father announced that he engaged to be married to a woman, something that shocked Alice but begrudgingly accepted especially with an introduction of a step-brother into the mix though she believes as far as step-siblings go, he isn’t too bad.

It was halfway through her second semester when she was sent to rehab once more after a harrowing incident where she was found unresponsive at a frat party. It was there that she met Daisey, the two girls becoming fast friends and confiding deeply in one another about everything they had been through and what they hoped to achieve in life.

What Alice didn’t expect was to return to school and find Daisey acting as if the two were strangers, that they hadn’t spent sleepless nights sneaking cigarettes and talking about everything Alice had never spoken of before; missing her father, missing Paris, her resentment towards her mother- things she would never dare say aloud without the comfort of darkness.

Though Alice merely pushed it aside and acted as if Daisey were nothing more than the spoiled, entitled child everyone else viewed her as. Keeping their stint in rehab together a dark secret, though she would often catch the female eyeing her when she thought Alice wasn’t looking yet no words were ever exchanged between them. The two clearly being from two separate worlds.

The night the incident with Daisey occurred, Alice had reluctantly been attending the party, sneaking outside for a cigarette when she saw a car speeding away and then the commotion from inside. She then spent the next eight hours at the police station with no coffee or cigarette breaks, something that annoyed her greatly.

Down the rabbit hole:

Is very much a hopeless romantic but also a very big cynic due to being jilted in the past, though her heart often overrules her head.

Very much tries hard to live the beatnik lifestyle, resenting modern trends and pretending to despise the use of social media. Dreams of living a wild life like her favorite authors.

Likes to play the role of the femme fatale but often ends up falling for the person she is seducing.

Very much pansexual and open about her attraction to all people.

Has never been able to hold down a steady relationship; either she is too distant for the person or ends up cheating on them or vice versa. Tends to fall into very toxic relationships with people.

Is a popular student yet no one truly knows her. Keeps things very close to her chest.

Has a slightly strained relationship with her step-mother and father especially after her second rehab stint. Though she does tried to keep the peace as best as someone like Alice can.

Rarely seen without a cigarette hanging from her mouth and a glass of cheap red wine.

Often seen wearing a red beret; considers it her trademark.

Misses her mother deeply but has not been able to get in contact with her since she left Paris. Can you scream mommy issues??

Always wanting something more. Never content with what she has.

Is a sucker for a good foreign film and obscure art expeditions.

Is honestly just an overall hot darn mess.

[theshapeshifter100]

Guess What? I’m Not a Robot Epilogue

Summary: Android Allies protest in Washington

Chapter Warnings: Some casual swearing, implied anxiety

Word Count: 1,211

There’s a long A/N at the end, but it has some important information, so please read it.

11AM Monday 22nd November 2038

“This is insane,” Megan looked at the crowd of people. Alex had put the protest on social media, and it had exploded.

Thousands of people were crammed into a few wide streets in Washington. Most were bearing signs, either cardboard or electric. Some had banners and others even had megaphones.

The crowd was mostly human, but androids who had managed to avoid the massacre were in the crowd. Hats covering their LEDs just in case, but Paul pointed them out with ease.

The three main chapters of Android Allies were here, with the leaders all where Megan was standing. That included everyone in the Detroit Chapter, Lucas’s sister and her group, and Megan’s brother James.

Hank Anderson was also there, although no one could explain why. Not even him, but here he was, grumbling like an old man.

Alex grinned broadly as Megan spoke. “You’re not kidding!” was it her, or was their smile strained? “We’ll easily counter the anti android protest!”

“We’ll certainly be able to drown them out,” Megan agreed, looking around again. The march hadn’t started yet, so the leaders were standing on some steps to get a feel for who was there. In the distance it looked like someone had brought a freaking marching band!

Someone clapped her hard on the back and she stumbled for a second. She wasn’t worried though, only one person announced themselves like that.

“James! I am not one of your football buddies!” Megan protested loudly. She was still wearing the sling, and she hoped that her brother had spotted that.

“I know you’re tougher than you look,” she could hear the smug grin in his voice. They had the same colour hair, but that was where all similarities ended; while she was short and skinny, he was tall and broad. However, he wasn’t as large as Oscar. Megan suspected they played different positions in football, but what those positions were she had no idea.

“Yes, but I still have a hole in my shoulder,” she reminded him. “And I’d like to keep the stitches as they are.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t told mom and dad about that?”

“No, and you won’t either.”

“Gotcha.”

“Why won’t you be telling your parents?” Paul asked, having watched the exchange between the two blood siblings.

“Because they’ll fuss and demand I come home, again,” Megan sighed. “I’ll probably have to go home for Christmas, and make sure I book a flight back so that they can’t keep me at home.”

“They would do that?”

“Oh, they’d try,” Megan assured.

“You can come for Christmas with me and my folks,” Alex offered, overhearing.

“That’s, a lovely offer, thank you,” Megan was uncomfortable now, looking at her shuffling feet.

“It’s cool, my parents always cook loads anyway,” Alex easily shrugged it off. They then checked their watch. “We’ll have to put Christmas plans aside. It’s time to get going!”

They grabbed a megaphone from next to them and brought it to their lips. There was a loud squeal of feedback which managed to catch everyone’s attention.

“Alright people! We’re about to move out!” Alex announced. “I will be at the front with the rest of the Detroit chapter, all of whom you should know by now. Hopefully enough of you have the route to hand in case anyone gets lost. And remember! We’re here to protest peacefully! If the other protest starts something, that does not mean we can retaliate in kind! Leave the confrontation to Nathan and the marching band!”

There was some laughing at that, but that was the actual plan.

“Who the fuck hired a marching band?” Hank asked, more to himself.

“I did,” responded Nathan, like it was obvious.

“Of course.”

“Finally, we’re all friends here! There’s enough water and snacks to hopefully keep everyone going. If someone’s struggling, stop and help! We’re here to show the best of humanity and that we can live with androids. Most importantly, have fun!”

There was a cheer as Alex put down the megaphone. On their face was an odd expression. Nervousness.

Julia was quick to put a hand on their shoulder as the rest of the chapters took their place in the crowd. “You’ll be great,” she reassured, and Alex nodded.

“Thanks Jules,” they swallowed. “I never, seriously thought, that it would get this big.”

“This is your baby,” Megan added with a lopsided shrug. “Be proud of it,”

Alex nodded again. “I am. Let’s take our places.”

The Detroit chapter made their way to the front of the crowd. Without having to say anything Paul put Megan on his shoulders. Megan could almost hear James huffing in annoyance, but too bad, James had never done it when he had the chance.

She held a sign in one hand, with Paul holding the massive banner in front of them along with the rest of the Detroit chapter. On it the name ‘Android Allies’ was emblazoned in blue with Markus’s stick figure/peace sign, the CyberLife triangle and the initials ‘AA’ in various colours on the white background.

Alex stood in front of all them, holding a megaphone. Usually Allison or Ivy would be standing with them, but they all recognised this as their brainchild. They deserved the credit for this.

“What do we want?!” they bellowed into a megaphone, and the crowd chanted back.

“Android rights!”

“When do we want it?!”

“Now!”

The crowd, several thousand strong, began to march through Washington. Alex kept up their chant, while at the back different chants were popping up.

“Androids Are Alive!”

“Equal right for androids!”

“The tin man has his heart!”

That one threw Megan off, but it made some sense. The tin man went with Dorothy looking for a heart, but it turned out that he had it the entire time. Oddly fitting.

Paul never faltered in his pace as he walked. Even when James forced himself to the front to offer to give him a break.

“I’m fine James,” he assured. “Perhaps we should talk later, over a coffee or something?”

“Can you drink?”

“No, but the offer still stands.”

James looked at him oddly for a second before nodding. “Sure, okay. I’d like that.”

“I’ll leave you two to your budding bromance then,” Megan smirked. “Finally, Alex will have another ship!”

“I’ve just met him!” James protested.

“I’m messing with you!” Megan laughed. “But seriously, I’ll leave you two to talk it out. I’ll probably hang around Alex or something. We’re in DC for a few days after all.”

“Sure, whatever,” James huffed before chanting again.

Megan looked around at the crowd, and felt a surge of pride. She had contributed to this. She had helped make this happen. Now, there was a partnership with Markus, the government was starting to listen, people were starting to change.

It wasn’t over, and of course this wasn’t solely down to them. Most of this was down to Markus and his revolution. But one week won’t change a country, won’t change laws. Markus had laid the groundwork, Android Allies had been on the sidelines, helping with the public opinion and both efforts had lead to this.

This wasn’t over, but it was another step in the right direction. They intended to keep walking.

Yeah, this is it. The epilogue. This has been a wild ride from start to finish, in a genre I never really tried before. I tried a few new things with this, the slice of life opening, the flowchart things at the end and the connection between Paul and Megan. I deliberately did it like that, and it was surprisingly easy. I did have to watch myself a couple of times to stop it going romantic, but overall, not as hard as I thought it would be. I just had to think of fluff for them.

In the chapter itself. I understand why it might seem a little out of left field that Alex has the glory moment at the end, but Android Allies is their brain child. It always was, Megan and Paul just got caught up in it, and yeah had the most to lose or gain, but this is still Alex's group, their idea, their baby. We also finally meet James, I know his mental health side story never really went anywhere, it was more to showcase that any can suffer from mental illness, especially the people we least expect.

A few reasons why I wrote this story. One, was because of some complainants I saw on tumblr about the main game, primarly, where are the human pro android supporters. The game says they exist, but we never see them. Here we go, I made some!I also did this, a little out of spite. I am incredibly sick of seeing stories, original and fanfic, where there's two leads of different genders and they end up in a romantic relationship. I hate it, despise it. It's not necessary and it pops up all the damn time, heck I'm guilty of it! So, I wrote Megan and Paul, and made them deliberately adorable just to piss off anyone who thinks that they'd make a good romantic couple. Which, actually, even if Megan wasn't Ace/Aro they wouldn't be a good romantic couple, I don't that would be healthy. I'm not quite done with this yet. I've got a list of the alternative endings and how to get them almost ready, with some 'post credit scenes' for them. There is also a completely different ending. You know how in the main game you can have Deviant/Machine, Pacifist/Revolution and Canada/Camp. Well, there is an alternate ending for this as well, where Paul gets arrested and sent to one of these Recycling Camps.It's not finished. Not yet, and given that I'm on holiday right now and will be for another three weeks, I can't guarantee when it will be up. I'll get the alternate endings list up some time next week, but other than that I make no promises.I think that's all I had, and no flowchart this time. It's the ending cutscene, there is nothing left to influence.

Tags: @nightmarejim @septicart-appreciation thank you both for sticking with this. To your, and everyone else reading, thank you for sticking with this.

[wormsongs]

some uhh personal thoughts related to marvel stuff... its uh... long

as much as i love the expansion of gamora and nebula’s relationship, how nice it is to see sister relationships explored in hollywood media. i think ill always relate more to mcu thor and lokis relationship. while gamora and nebula represent siblings in an openly abusive household pushed to the extreme and scifi, something i cant directly relate to, the boys represent more a relationship strained by expectations, envy, and ignorance; something i WAY more relate to

my half brother is 10 years older than me. when i was a kid i idolized him, as most kids do with their older siblings. he wasnt a perfect student, hell, he wasnt even a GOOD student he was pretty angry and rebellious during high school. but i was a kid i didnt care i loved him, like really loved him (before i knew what marriage was actually i thought it just meant spending forever with someone and i wanted to “marry” him so you can imagine how healthy this relationship was). he spent time with me sometimes, yeah, we played video games and stuff but i got in the way alot. then he graduated and left me. he moved out of state, to where his mom lived. and i grew up, moved on, didn’t see or even talk to him for probably 5 years. I was maybe 9 when he left. I was always told “you cant be as bad as drew was” or “you’ve got to be better than he was.” this was a brother i idolized for my whole life, and i was being told of his flaws without him there, being compared to him constantly by my parents (mostly my mom which is a whole other can of worms). and even though he wasn’t the perfect brother, you can imagine the kind of pressure that puts on a kid.

then his mom died of cancer and he moved back to austin. we hadn’t talked for 4 or 5 years, and last time we did i was a kid. the first memory i have of him where i wasnt a straight up kid was him taking me and my dad to watch Avengers in theaters. (wow what a coincidence that i just put together on the spot). but even then his life was a wreck and i was still a kid. we didnt talk. what had been idolization became distance and pressure on me.

i was the perfect kid, never snuck out, always got good grades, didnt do a weed or drink, never went to parties. I had to be, bc i “couldn’t be as bad as drew.” So i was sure not to be. But i had maybe 3 friends. this was early highschool, 2013 about and i still barely talked to my brother. I think the first time we hung out in probably months was seeing thor 2 (huh how bout that. I was in the Loki phase by then.) but I was still the perfect student and a good swimmer, if a bit weird and obsessed. i still had a chance to be “better than drew.”

then junior year of highschool rolled around. and thats when i started to fall apart. good ol Depression kicked in, wasnt too bad yet, but my grades started to slip. But all that mattered was “i wasn’t as bad as drew.” I couldn’t be so i didnt talk to anybody about it, let alone my parents. I couldn’t, i had to be better. so i swam and a went to school and i obsessed over marvel bc it was what i had. I shamed myself out of liking loki (NOT what i should have done turns out that only made things worse)

Senior year was the worst. figured out i wasnt straight. Depression was bad, cutting, suicidal thoughts, the whole 9 yards. It was rough, but i still went to school and i still swam, i still saw marvel movies, my life went on bc “i couldn’t be as bad as drew.” my cuts got found out and the counselor called me in. I lied, said it was my cat. a good excuse because i do have scars from my cat. i lied, and my parents believed me. still believe me to this day. still dont know that i used to cut. i lied, i kept lying every time someone asked me about the scratches on my leg. but my parents knew i “wasn’t as bad as drew.”

only difference was that i was talking to my brother again, barely, but talking. mostly through work out class that he taught. it was weird, he never knew how i felt, doesnt know still. but it was something. he was older and better than me now, his life was back on track, he just got a girlfriend, he had a job. I was a depressed, suicidal, cutting, queer highschooler who picked a college only passivly and let others do most of the decision making (which suited my mom fine), i didnt care, i was so tired. I was “worse than drew” even if no one ever knew it. I knew it.

things got better after highschool, i stopped cutting, got my first tattoo over my scars, i tried to pull myself out a depressive spiral, i prepared for college. I was “Stable”, i talked to my brother sometimes. turns out the college i basically let my mom pick for me was a good fit. life was hard but it had been harder. and away from my parents i didnt have to be “better than drew” even if the memory remains.

only problem was, i had never paid any attention to my jealousy and anger. i never addressed that i had any towards my brother. only now, years and years later, after a summer where i finally hung out with him almost twice a week, am i finally letting myself get mad at my brother. im letting him annoy me if we hang out too long. im letting myself feel jipped if he says were gonna do something and then backs out. im acknowledging his flaws and my own. i still struggle with the “worse than drew” mentality bc he is better than me now, and what i want to do is not a profiting business. but its better.

and well, tldr:

ive got an older half brother who i idolized. who my parents compared me to constantly. who, by some weird coincidence, has a deep connection w mjolnir in my head (via his tattoo of it) and a cool dark haired athletic girlfriend that could kick my ass (like what kinda fucking coincidence), that dropped out of my life pretty dramatically at a turning point. a brother that i was secretly, even to myself, envious of, envy that came from unhealthy idolization. a brother who thinks “you can tell me anything” even though i CANT because of the distance between us he hasnt quite fully acknowledged either. 

and me, the younger, not straight, sibling who was(is) depressed, who felt abandoned by a brother who didnt really mean to abandon me, who was held so high and tried so hard to keep that reputation that i didnt let myself grow healthily. who lied about my problems and still isnt really to term with how i feel about my brother. who feels worse than their sibling because they were always told to be better.

and reconciliation is everything i want but everything i dont think i can get because of my own inclination to lock things away and ignore them.

also ive called my brother thor so many goddamn times totally on accident and my brain needs to chill the fuck out like i get it i understand the connection pls dont expose me im not ready for that yet

and just like... mcu thor and lokis relationship is something i hold so dear and close bc its so familiar. i want them to do better bc i want to do better

[geniusorinsanity]

i would like to her ur nursey family feels pls!! (i have plenty of my own & made a post but i need All the nursey content)

ahaha YOU JUST OPENED THE FLOODGATES BUDDY

Okay, so,Nursey’s birth parents:

Amal Hassan Nurse      

born in Morocco, but spent the first ten years of herlife moving all around northern Africa and the Middle East because her fatherworked as a security consultant and would spend a few years in various placesdesigning systems for different companies

speaks both dialects of Arabic fluently, but willalways prefer Moroccan, because it sounds like home to her

moved to the States when she was thirteen and her dadgot a permanent job working for a security firm in Manhattan. Grew up in theprivate school system and never left

has a BA from NYU and a JD/PhD from Columbia. Is asenior partner in an NYC firm specializing in foreign and comparative law.smarter than all of us.

Elijah Nurse

grew up in Washington, DC. As a child, was 100%convinced that his father was a spy, because he traveled all the time and nevertold him what he did.

his mother is Haitian and from a very strict family inPort au Prince. Was not a fan of Nonsense and this had a pretty significantimpact on how Elijah related to other kids

Raised speaking English and French, but never spokeFrench outside the house because he associated it with his mother scolding himor his siblings

Got his BA in economics from Georgetown and then wentto do his MBA at Columbia, which is where he met Amal

This marriage was Not a Good Idea

Very tried and true case of people who are physicallycompatible but VERY NOT COMPATIBLE IN MOST OTHER WAYS

Amal is emotive and a little scatterbrained, Elijah isstrict about routine and doesn’t communicate feelings well

Not a Good Combination

They got married anyway to piss off their parents

Don’t do that, kids.

They got divorced two years after Derek was born. Itwas not friendly. 

They agreed on split custody of the kids, Derek and hisolder sister Farah (more on Farah, Love of My Life, later). 

About two years after the divorce, Amal reconnects witha friend from college, Gabriela Torres.

“Reconnects” = They literally crash into each other inthe subway #thatNYClife

promptly has the following thought process:

“Was she always this hot?”

“Was I always this gay?”

“This explains SO MUCH.”

they get married a year later.

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT NURSEY’S STEP MAMA GABRIELA

first generation Chilean American. Both her parentswere artists who moved to go to school in California.

she’s a ~San Francisco child~ in that she is: veryqueer, unfazed by a lot of strange things happening around her, and fucking hates the cold.

her parents are a strange blend of Liberal Artist andOverprotective Catholic, in that they want her to follow her dreams but willalso guilt the fuck out her if she misses mass and/or isn’t home for Christmas.

It’s not a total surprise to them that she decides tomove to New York for college but they still guilt the fuck out of her for it.

Everyone cries, but they get over it.

goes NYU all the way through her degrees: BA in ArtHistory, PhD in Fine Arts. 

Her dream is to be a full-time painter, but she isRealistic and knows that shit is not how it works.

Gets scooped up by the curator of the gallery where she’sdoing one of her internships.

Works her way up to co-director of the gallery because#womensupportingwomen, and has her own studio on the side

Elijah also remarries, about two years after thedivorce, to a pediatrician living out in Westchester. They have two more kidsin pretty quick succession, and both Nursey and Farah try to ignore how muchmore their dad seems to be around for those kids when they’re little than heever was for them.

It doesn’t really work.

They’ve got some baggage about this.

SPEAKING OF MY BABY GIRL FARAH NURSE.

Farah is four years and five grades ahead of Nursey.

She was an Angel Baby but a Demon Toddler--Nursey beingborn flipped her back into being a reasonable child because all of a suddenthere was this Small Person Thing who was kind of interesting but also madenoise and Huh, Okay.

fiercely fiercelyfiecrely protective of her baby brother. They’ve never been in the sameschool, but she is intensely aware that he’s a soft, sensitive kid, and shewill claw someone’s eyes out if they mess with him.

really, really intomedia and how it influences people, particularly the way queer people, peopleof color, and QPOC are influenced to see themselves and develop theirself-worth based on media depictions. Starts getting into critical analysis ofart and news and movies and TV in like, eighth grade. 

Gabriela is SO PROUD.

has gone back and forth on wearing hijab a few timesthroughout her life. Talks to her mom about it a lot. Amal tells her consistently that it’s always her decision,that she can change her mind whenever she wants, and that as long as shechooses to wear it (or not) for reasons she feels okay about, she supports her.

The only time she ever feels guilty is when she thinksabout wearing it at Andover just as a fuckyou to the guys who talk about how Muslim women are Always Oppressed. Shedecides not to wear it.

follows her moms to NYU, where she meets her boyfriendRami, who’s an Arab Jew. They move in together their senior year. She is super nervous about meeting his parentsfor the first time at their house in Brooklyn. They take one look at her, tellher she’s too skinny, and attempt to adopt her.

She’s 5’11” and has never been told she’s too skinny byanyone in her life.

She wants to adopt them.

Rami’s parents have brunch with her moms every month and gossipabout when they’re going to get married.

I’m getting off-track but I love her.  

The shared custody thing goes okay for awhile--the kidsdon’t really like going out to Westchester for half the week because it makestheir commute to school so long, butit’s part of the job. Eventually, Amal gets sole custody--Elijah isn’t doingthe emotional work of parenting, and the kids aren’t happy when they’re withhim.

I also have sad headcanons about shit that went down ifyou read my fic but that’s not crucial to this family HC necessarily.

for awhile, Nursey and Farah stay in touch with Elijahfairly frequently, but he’s not big on Feelings, and they’re not big on beinggaslighted about the fact that he’s really emotionally distant and his momyells at them a lot, so as they get older they really only talk to him on theirbirthdays, Father’s Day, his birthday, and major holidays.

Amal really tries to get them to keep in touch moreoften, because she’s really close with her dad and she wants her kids to have arelationship with theirs, but like...she’s not gonna force it.

Also, like...no one fucks with her babies.

So now: the Nurse-Torres Household:

one high-powered lawyer, one artist/gallery director,one super-analytical and overprotective child, and one sensitive,clumsy-as-fuck baby hockey player.

My. Loves.

there are a Lot of Languages in this House

Amal teaches the kids Moroccan Arabic literally as soonas the divorce is finalized--Elijah didn’t want her to teach them while theywere married because he didn’t like them having a language with her he didn’tknow, but NOPE.

Nursey soaks it up like a sponge. Farah’s seven so shehas a little more trouble, but like fuck is she going to let her baby brotherbe better than her at something so 

Gabriela laments thefact that her step-children speak fluent Spanish but their accents are afucking mess because the nannies they learned from were from Guatemala, thenSpain, then Argentina

Other languages spoken, scattered across multiplepeople, in varying degrees of fluency: French, Portuguese, Mandarin, Italian,Latin, Haryanvi, Hebrew.

family dinners are mandatory--anyone who’s home musteat together, sitting down, at the table, without electronics.

Nursey refuses to come to dinner for a week after Farahleaves for Andover because it won’t be The Same

there’s a Lot of physical affection: hugs, cuddles,forehead kisses, hair-playing, etc. Lots of wrestling between Farah and Nursey.Nursey usually loses.

Nursey always loses.

:(

once both kids are at college, there are regularlyscheduled Family Google Hangouts

Also mandatory

Basically family dinner

Nursey does it in the Haus once and everyone freaks outat how hot everyone in his family is

he’s Aware, thanks dudes

This is four full pages long in a google doc and I needto stop but basically: Nursey has a really complicated and strainedrelationship with his dad, and he misses his half-sisters sometimes, but he’s so so so loved by his moms and hissister and he’s so supported and he loves them so much and i have about amillion feels and i could go on forever please stop me.

also it’s not a family member but their next doorneighbor has a pit bull named Lupe who loves Nursey and every time he comeshome he takes it for a walk in central park and he wants a dog so much and he’s counting the minutesuntil he can get one

thank you for your time.

i’m crying now.

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Meghan Markle begged her father to stop 'victimizing' her after wedding - Daily Mail

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/meghan-markle-begged-her-father-to-stop-victimizing-her-after-wedding-daily-mail/

Meghan Markle begged her father to stop 'victimizing' her after wedding - Daily Mail

Meghan Markle was so upset by her estranged father’s repeated attacks in the media that she wrote him a letter begging him to stop ‘victimizing’ her, say friends – who also voiced concern that the ’emotional trauma’ of dealing with her dad could have a negative effect on the Duchess’s baby.

Five ‘close friends’ of the Duchess, who have not revealed their names as they don’t want to jeopardize their relationship with her, told People that Meghan penned the letter to her father, Thomas Markle, shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry.

‘Dad, I’m so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship,’ she is said to have written to Thomas after he gave a flurry of negative press interviews about her. 

The five female friends, reported to be in Meghan’s innermost circle, say Thomas then responded in a long letter of his own, in which he asked his daughter for a photo shoot. 

‘She feels like, ‘That’s the opposite of what I’m saying. I’m telling you I don’t want to communicate through the media, and you’re asking me to communicate through the media. Did you hear anything I said?” they said. 

Meghan Markle (pictured with Prince Harry on February 1) was so upset by her estranged father’s repeated attacks in the media that she begged him to stop ‘victimizing’ her, say friends

‘I think she will always feel genuinely devastated by what he has done,’ they told the magazine. 

The group of unnamed friends also voiced their concerns that the strain of her ongoing estrangement with her father, and the stress of dealing with his public rants about her, could well be taking its toll on Meghan and Prince Harry’s unborn child.  

‘We worry about what this is doing to her and the baby,’ they said. ‘It’s wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they’re pregnant.’ 

Since Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018, which Thomas did not attend,  her estranged father has spoken out on several occasions about his daughter, addressing everything from his personal relationship with her – to the Duchess’s alleged feud with Kate Middleton.   

In December, he spoke exclusively with The Mail on Sunday about the ‘wall of silence’ that he said he has faced from Meghan, and Prince Harry, since their wedding, insisting that he had made ‘dozens of attempts to reach his daughter via texts and letters’ but that every effort to get in touch had been ignored. 

At the time, he also insisted that he had been villainized by the public, and that the ‘lies’ spread about him had caused the rift with his daughter to become all the more serious. 

Months earlier he spoke out to criticize his daughter for her ongoing refusal to speak with him, confessing that he was ‘really hurt that she’s cut me off completely’, while hitting out at his daughter over her ‘sense of superiority’. 

However, Meghan’s friends are now insisting that Thomas knows exactly how to reach his daughter, but say he has never actually tried to get in contact. 

‘He knows how to get in touch with her,’ added one longtime friend, adding that Meghan’s phone number had never changed, despite Thomas insisting previously that her contact information had been changed. 

‘He’s never called; he’s never texted. It’s super painful because Meg was always so dutiful. And at the same time, because she’s a daughter, she has a lot of sympathy for him.’

Friends say Thomas Markle (pictured on February 1) has actually been able to get in touch with his daughter the entire time

After Meghan sent Thomas Markle (left and right with his daughter in happier times) a letter, he responded by asking Meghan for a photo shoot

According to one friend, Thomas’s claims about how his daughter and Prince Harry responded to his staged paparazzi pictures are also untrue, which happened six days before the wedding.  

Meghan had reached out to her dad the Saturday before the wedding, after hearing that the story was about to come that he had staged pictures with the paparazzi.

‘So Meg calls Tom and asks him, and he’s swearing up and down that it’s not true.

The next day the pictures came out. Even with all that, Meg and Harry were still so focused on getting him to London.’

The images the photographer took in exchange for money showed him being fitted for the suit he planned to wear to his daughter’s wedding as well as holding a book about the royals to show he was ‘researching’ the future in-laws. 

One friend told People that even after Thomas’s staged paparazzi photos came out, Meghan was still adamant about having her father at her wedding.

‘At no point was there talk of ‘Now that we know he lied, he’s in trouble.’ Tom wouldn’t take her calls, wouldn’t take Harry’s calls.’

They claimed that when a car arrived to take the 74-year-old to the airport for the wedding, he refused to get in. 

A short time later, the former actress heard he’d suffered a heart attack. Thomas reportedly underwent surgery the Wednesday before the wedding on Saturday to repair the damage. 

Meghan then released a statement through Kensington Palace on that Thursday to further explain the situation with her father. 

‘Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,’ the statement read at the time. ‘I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.’ 

‘She’s calling and texting, even up to the night before the wedding,’ Meghan’s friend told People. ‘It was like, ‘Please pick up. I love you, and I’m scared.’ It was endless.’

A former colleague said it was a ‘shame’ that Meghan was being portrayed as someone who didn’t care about her own dad.

‘She (took care of her father) with such incredible generosity. The fact that this could be flipped around, that she was acting out, or not caring for him, is preposterous.’ 

They continued that Meghan had never really had a relationship with her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr., and half-sister Samantha Markle – who has been particularly critical of Meghan in the press.

Samantha, on multiple occasions, has blasted Meghan for being ‘selfish’ and ‘pushy’. She also attacked Meghan for allegedly ‘ghosting’ her entire family in order to be one with the royals. 

The estranged sister is now planning on releasing two bombshell books about Meghan in the months to come. The first part is expected to release in April or May, right around the same time Meghan is due to give birth. 

But friends claim Meghan hardly ever had a relationship with her half-siblings, like Samantha has previously suggested.  

‘They have been made to appear as siblings who had this falling out, and that’s not the truth at all,’ said the friend, explaining that both Thomas Jr. and Samantha were in their teens by the time Meghan was born.

‘They were not a part of her life.’ 

The anonymous friends were furious about the diva claims that have trailed Meghan since her engagement to Harry and that she has become ‘difficult’ since moving to the palace. 

The 37-year-old was accused by royal insiders of demanding that the 14th century St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle was sprayed with air freshener to mask the ‘musky smell’.

‘She didn’t throw a fit about the tiara or ask for fragrance to be sprayed in the church,’ a close confidante said. ‘These are outrageous claims and 100 per cent untrue.’

Another branded the claim ‘ridiculous’ saying that Meghan has a close relationship with God, which she took very seriously, and would never disrespect the church with such demands.

The Duchess also came under fire after her PA quit just six months into the role, as it was revealed she would email staff instructions as early as 5am.

‘The email thing is such a weird slant on someone who is actually an incredibly organized, diligent, focused, hardworking person,’ her former colleague said.

‘She was always that way. She showed up on set more prepared that anyone else.’

Another friend added: ‘There will be these stories about the turnover in their offices, and the fact is they’re all natural courses of employment – nothing to do with Meg or Harry or their style.’ 

The friend said that even after Thomas Markle’s staged paparazzi photos came out, Meghan was still adamant about having her father at her wedding. Pictured on her special day as she wed Prince Harry on May 19

Friends had concerns about what the stress of the negative press, often stirred up by Meghan’s own estranged family, was doing to her and the baby. The pregnant Duchess is pictured with her husband Prince Harry last week

Friends also rejected rumors of any feuding between Meghan and her sister-in-law Kate Middleton. These started when Meghan and Harry announced they were moving away from Kensington Palace in London to instead live in Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.  

‘She is the same person,’ they said, ‘though everything around her has changed.’

‘There is nothing behind the feud with Kate. It’s completely untrue. ‘

A friend and former costar from LA said that Meghan preferred a fairly simple life.

She described visiting Meghan and Harry’s cottage, where the former Suits star was more than happy to get her hands dirty.  

‘We had a couple of days together recently,’ they told the magazine. ‘Her husband was out of town on work. In the room she made up for me, there was a candle lit by the bed, slippers and a robe. We were the only two in the house. It was our time. 

‘She made the most lovely meals. She made tea every day. It was raining and muddy outside, so the dogs got all dirty, and she’s wiping them off with towels. How much she loves her animals, how much she loves her friends, how much she loves feeding you, taking care of you — none of that has changed.’ 

They insist that the public portrayal of the ‘difficult Duchess’ could not be further from the down-to-earth, ‘selfless’ friend they know.

‘We’ve all been to their cottage,’ another pal added, describing the couple’s former home at Kensington Palace’s Nottingham Cottage, a ‘small’ but ‘cozy’.

The friends insist that the caring Meghan seen chatting to the public on royal engagements really was the real deal.

‘When you see her at walkabouts, when she crouches down to talk to the kids and genuinely has real conversations with people, that’s Meg.

‘That’s how she crouches down with our kids at home. That’s how she plays with them. That’s how she engages with people and how she always has.’

The confidante told People that Meghan stayed grounded through meditation, and even on the biggest day of her life, her wedding to Harry last May, she remained a sea of calm throughout. 

‘We could feel Meg’s energy,’ they said. ‘The calm that she moves with. That’s how it felt because that’s how she and Harry are as a couple.’

She was also the first friend they turned to for advice, and Meghan was always insistent that she hear about her friends’ lives before talking about her own – and now they want to help her in the same way that she has done for them so many times. 

Meghan appears to be enjoying her pregnancy during her royal engagement with Prince Harry. She was pictured last week during a visit to One25, a charity which helps female sex workers in Bristol 

Fruity! Messages written on fruit by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex when she was helping to prepare food parcels to go in the charity outreach van, are pictured at One25 in Bristol, England, that said ‘you are special, strong and brave’ are seen

‘We want to stand up against the global bullying were seeing (against Meghan), ‘ the friends said. ‘Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths. 

It emerged last week that Kensington Palace staff are spending hours each week moderating online abuse aimed at Meghan, a former star of the show Suits, and the Duchess of Cambridge. 

It’s unclear who the friends are, but Meghan’s former Ninaki Priddy has previously shared a plethora of childhood photos to various outlets, including DailyMail.com. 

Thomas Markle gave yet another interview about his daughter in December – the fourth interview since the fall-out with Harry and Meghan after he staged paparazzi pictures shortly before the couple’s wedding in May. 

‘I have been frozen out and I can’t stay silent,’ he said. ‘I have made dozens of attempts to reach my daughter via text and letters, but she and Harry have put up a wall of silence. They have done what they once told me not to do – they are believing everything negative that has been written about me. So I am reaching out to them, once again, to try to correct the lies and get the truth out there.

‘Everyone says, why don’t I just shut the f*** up? That Meghan can’t speak to me because I’ll give away secrets. But that’s bull****. I’ve been accused of every terrible thing you can think of. In one magazine they had an awful story about Prince Charles right beside one about me. But no one is shunning Prince Charles.’ 

Meanwhile, Meghan appears to be enjoying her pregnancy during her royal engagement with Prince Harry. 

An adorable video clip taken last week appears to show Meghan feeling Baby Sussex getting active in the womb during a tour of the Bristol Old Vic theater last Friday. 

The Duchess is expecting her first child in April and is now well into the third trimester, when movements from babies in the womb become much stronger.

As Meghan’s due date draws closer, a longtime friend revealed that she had always wanted a big family.

‘Meg would come home with me at Thanksgiving and said “It’s so fun to be around a big family gathering. I wish I had that.”‘

The whistle-stop tour of the West Country city saw the parents-to-be also visit a sex worker charity where Meghan wrote messages of hope on bananas, which are distributed across the city to sex workers. 

REVEALED: The history behind Meghan Markle’s tumultuous relationship with her father

Thomas Markle first met Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, in the late 1970s.

‘My dad was a lighting director for a soap opera and my mom was a temp at the studio,’ Meghan wrote in a personal essay for Elle in 2015, prior to dating Prince Harry.

Meghan was born on August 4, 1981, and the couple moved to a home in the Los Angeles area. The couple later separated when Meghan was six years old, and she mainly lived with her mother.

But Meghan still kept a close relationship with her father as she would often spend afternoons on set with him while he worked as a lighting director.

‘Every day after school for 10 years, I was on the set of Married … with Children, which is a really funny and perverse place for a little girl in a Catholic school uniform to grow up,’ she told Esquire in 2013. This closeness to Hollywood inspired the former Suits star to become an actress.

Problems in their relationship appeared to start when Meghan was a teenager and went on to attend college at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. 

Childhood friend Ninaki Priddy shared a candid video of Meghan when she was 18 years old. ‘From Dad’s house, you can see the Hollywood sign. But we aren’t going to go there because my dad and I aren’t on the best of terms,’ Meghan said in the video.

But in Meghan’s profile with Vanity Fair in 2017, she asserted her father was supportive of her career and proud when she landed a role on the legal drama Suits. ‘My father knew how hard it is for an actor to get work, so he above all people was so proud that I was about to beat the odds,’ she said.

Thomas retired to Rosarito Beach, Mexico, and was planning on attending Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry on May 19 when the pictures scandal was revealed six days prior to the nuptials.

It was revealed Thomas was paid money from a photographer to stage pictures of him trying on suits and researching the royals before the wedding.

Meghan, still eager to have her father attend, was prepared to forgive the scandal. But then Thomas suffered a heart attack and had to undergo surgery on Wednesday ahead of the wedding. He decided not to attend.

Issues continued for the father-daughter duo as he first appeared on Good Morning Britain on the Friday before the wedding to explain why he was not attending. ‘I was excited about it and ready for it,’ Thomas said at the time. 

Prince Harry has yet to meet Thomas Markle as the wedding was supposed to be their first in-person encounter. But they reportedly spoke over the phone prior to the wedding. 

Meghan and Harry were reportedly blindsided by the interviews Thomas continued to give to media, and his daughter allegedly begged him to stop talking to the press.

But Thomas ignored her requests and publicly accused Meghan of changing her number and halting all ways for him to communicate with her. 

In his fourth interview in December, Thomas said Meghan formed ‘wall of silence’. 

‘I have been frozen out and I can’t stay silent,’ he said. ‘I have made dozens of attempts to reach my daughter via text and letters, but she and Harry have put up a wall of silence.’ 

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6673951/Meghan-begged-father-stop-victimizing-wedding.html