#except the occasional art request which I ALWAYS END UP STRUGGLING TO DO AS WELL but she doesn’t push

[poppyseed799]

That feeling of guilt when a loved one is upset, not because you did anything wrong but because you struggle to provide anything for them other than simple happiness despite them doing everything for you and not minding so you feel like you need to keep them happy all the time in order to earn the love and not be considered a burden but they’ll be unhappy at times and it’ll have nothing to do with you and there’s not much you can do to stop it but you just feel so crushingly guilty because despite devoting yourself to keeping them happy they’re not

[insfiringyou]

BTS girlfriend series - Their relationship with the other OC girlfriends

Thanks to the anon poster for the request. 

New readers can find out about our headcanon girlfriends for the BTS members here.

To read each member and their girlfriends’ fics in order, follow links below:

RM   /   Jin /   Suga /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook

Our masterlist of fanfics and original art (including art works of the girls) can be found here

& Our most likely to/preferences/quizzes and fun stuff masterlist can be found here

Content below the cut

Their relationships together definitely vary and change over time, and in the end it may not especially matter how long certain girls have known each other. Examples of what we are saying below can be found in many of our fics, and I have highlighted a few at the bottom which show certain friendships.

In the early fics (before any of the members of BTS enlisted within our storyline) there were definitely a few friendships that had started to form between the girls.

Early on, Ji-eun and Min-seo started to spend more time together, though Min-seo always felt a little intimidated and shy around the older woman. Their friendship would have formed because we think Jin and RM would have gone on a lot of double dates together (as well as on holiday), and it is mentioned in certain fics that they have carshared to events and parties together too. RM and Jin would have opened up about having girlfriends to their family, friends and the other members from fairly early on, and I think they both would have considered themselves to be in ‘grown-up relationships’. Ji-eun especially is someone who really craves company, as she is someone with few genuine friendships in her life, so she would have naturally attached on Min-seo for this reason. However, their personalities and temperaments are very different, with Ji-eun being a lot more liberal and open about her sex life. Min-seo would sometimes find her questions quite invasive and would feel somewhat nervous around her, especially when the older woman has been drinking. The amount of time they spent together would have rapidly dropped off once RM enlists in the military because Ji-eun would throw herself into her job to help her forget about it. Furthermore, Min-seo’s pregnancy would definitely cause a bit of a rift between them, because Ji-eun deep down wants to have a family of her own, but also knows it would be at the cost of her career, and hasn’t yet achieved all she wants from her job.

Ji-eun and Cassandra likewise became friends fairly early on, as they both have a lot in common in terms of intelligence and interests, as well as both being a bit more ‘wild’ and loving to drink. Cassandra, inadvertently, would have been the perfect enabler for Ji-eun’s drunken behaviour. While there is a 4 year age gap between them, they would mentally be about the same age and are both open in terms of talking about their sexual experiences. Despite this, however, we don’t think they are especially ‘close’. They both suffer similar problems with having (or not having) many female friends they can confide in and be vulnerable with, but as they are both quite proud, they’d hate to even show that side of themselves to the other. Ji-eun would have only seen how delicate Cassandra actually is when the younger woman told her she was pregnant and struggling financially. While we think Ji-eun is the one who paid for Cassandra to move back to Seoul and stay in her old apartment, we also think the older woman would be secretly judgemental towards her decision to have a baby, especially (as mentioned above with Min-seo) because while her career is much more stable than Cassandra’s and she is financially in a good place to start a family, she knows she can’t without making too many sacrifices. She would see Cassandra as a bit of a mess, and her decision to tell Taehyung that Cassandra is pregnant is partly because she wants to pass on that responsibility to someone else.

Another friendship which formed early on, even before the fics take place, is between Cassandra and Ara who know each other from taking singing lessons together a few years prior. The fact they used to be quite close is revealed through the fact Cassandra owns a colourful rug mentioned in a few fics which Ara once bought her. However, once Cassandra and Taehyung take a break following the roleplay fic, they would slowly lose touch. This would be partially to do with Ara’s new career as an Idol which means she is often very busy, along with Cassandra feeling that she needs to separate herself from that particular group of people. As Jimin and Taehyung are close friends, with Taehyung even staying in the other’s apartment after being kicked out by Cassandra, she would not feel comfortable talking to Ara, knowing that what she says to her might get back to Taehyung via Jimin.

While not close, Cassandra knows she can trust Nana which is why she turned to her (albeit as a last resort) following her big argument with Taehyung.

Jeong-sun and Min-seo establish a connection quite early on when they meet in at Supreme Boi’s Boat Party, with Min-seo being the only person other than J-Hope to truly recognise her and Suga as a loving couple. Unlike with Ji-eun, Min-seo feels really comfortable in the older woman’s presence and finds her a calming and stable influence. Although she doesn’t have much interaction with her, beyond the odd occasion when they bump into each other such as during ‘The Play’, she feels a deep regret when she hears that her and Yoongi have broken up. It should be mentioned that Min-seo likewise feels really comfortable around Yoongi as she recognises that like her, he is quite softly spoken and avoids drama. When she discovers that they have gotten back together, Min-seo would be relieved and happy for them both, as she instinctively liked Jeong-sun and also has a deep fondness for Yoongi and wants him to be happy. Of all the girls, Jeong-sun and Min-seo would become the closest as they grow older, with Jeong-sun acting as a godmother figure to her baby. The younger woman would find a lot of reassurance in Jeong-sun’s knowledge of illnesses and medicine, especially during times when herself or her baby is sick, and Jeong-sun, in turn, would enjoy spending time with Min-seo who she would consider very bright and kind as well as quietly dignified.

I think as the storyline progresses, Jeong-sun and Min-seo would also enjoy spending time with Nana. We can see all three couples cooking for the others, and sometimes having them over for dinner parties. We also think Jeong-sun and Nana would be really great with helping Min-seo as a new mother. Jeong-sun would especially be amused by the fact that Nana is just as ‘away with the fairies’ and hyperactive as Hoseok, and would be fond of her, but probably somewhat relieved when the dinner party is over (we feel the double whammy of having both Hoseok and Nana over would be somewhat exhausting).

Ara would be fond of all the girlfriends, but probably closest later on to Nana and Young-soon. As she’s somewhat younger than them, she would look up to them for advice, especially when having doubts about her career. Both women would seem like people who have a good grasp of who they are as people and professionals, while we think Ara sometimes struggles with understanding what she wants from life. We also think the three women would have in common the fact they were bullied as children/teenagers, which has shaped how they behave as adults. Ara was bullied for her dyspraxia, which would have come across to other children as her being clumsy, as well as the fact she is pretty and had quite a complicated home life, with the other children not realising she had a terminally ill mother to take care of. Nana would have been bullied for her body shape (being tall and very slender) as well as her ‘daydreamy’ personality and somewhat unusual interests. Young-soon we think was bullied due to the mole on her face; something which she is still insecure about as an adult.

Young-soon would likewise enjoy the company of all the girls to varying degrees, but also has her own friendship group she is closer to. She has always tried not to get involved in their various dramas, and actively avoided some of the group settings earlier on in her relationship with Jungkook. We see her and Jungkook naturally becoming more independent as a couple once they move permanently to Incheon, though they would still join the others for the occasional get together. We think Ji-eun might try to ask Young-soon for advice, with them both being a similar age, later on, with the younger woman being surprised at her reaching out.

I think that’s everyone pretty much covered, but more will come to light as the stories progress. Some notable fics which show certain friendships include (but are not limited to):

Boat Party - The dynamics between Ji-eun and Min-seo, as well as Min-seo and Jeong-sun are first revealed

The Play - The growing ‘friendship’ between Ji-eun and Min-seo is highlighted as well as Min-seo and Jeong-sun. The members/gfs opinions on Cassandra are also first brought to light.

A Celebration to Forget - The various friendships between Ji-eun, Min-seo, Cassandra and Ara are highlighted

Jin’s Bachelor Party - Min-seo, Cassandra and Ji-eun spend some awkward ‘girly time’ together. Ara and Nana are also mentioned.

Jin’s Wedding - The dynamics between all the girls (except Jeong-sun) are shown. There is also an accompanying fanart of a scene which shows J-Hope, Nana, Young-soon, Cassandra, Ji-eun and Ara laughing and joking while waiting for the ceremony.

Refuge - Nana and Cassandra share an unexpectedly tender moment together when Cassandra flees her apartment after a frightening encounter with her boyfriend

Trouble in Paradise - One of the last times Ji-eun and Min-seo spend some time together during a double date holiday

A Reunion - All girlfriends except Cassandra are present and share interactions. Cassandra is mentioned several times in passing by the girls. Also the first time Jeong-sun is formally introduced to the group.

Home Again - Young-soon and Nana share a moment together when Nana visits her apartment to collect some unwanted candles the older woman is giving away

Expecting - Jeong-sun and Min-seo spend some quality time together before the younger woman gives birth.

***

Thank you for reading. To read each member & their girlfriend’s headcanon universe fics in order, follow the links here: RM   /   Jin /   Suga  /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook

& Our full masterlist of fics and art can be found here

& our most likely to/preferences can be found here

You can support us by buying admins a coffee here (if you wish). :)

[bountyofbeads]

‘Angels’ in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret https://nyti.ms/31fz0BT

‘Angels’ in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret

A Times investigation found widespread bullying and harassment of employees and models. The company expresses “regret.”

By Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Katherine Rosman, Sapna Maheshwari and James B. Stewart | Published Feb. 1, 2020, 10:58 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 1, 2020 |

Victoria’s Secret defined femininity for millions of women. Its catalog and fashion shows were popular touchstones. For models, landing a spot as an “Angel” all but guaranteed international stardom.

But inside the company, two powerful men presided over an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment, according to interviews with more than 30 current and former executives, employees, contractors and models, as well as court filings and other documents.

Ed Razek, for decades one of the top executives at L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, was the subject of repeated complaints about inappropriate conduct. He tried to kiss models. He asked them to sit on his lap. He touched one’s crotch ahead of the 2018 Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

Executives said they had alerted Leslie Wexner, the billionaire founder and chief executive of L Brands, about his deputy’s pattern of behavior. Some women who complained faced retaliation. One model, Andi Muise, said Victoria’s Secret had stopped hiring her for its fashion shows after she rebuffed Mr. Razek’s advances.

A number of the brand’s models agreed to pose nude, often without being paid, for a prominent Victoria’s Secret photographer who later used some pictures in an expensive coffee-table book — an arrangement that made L Brands executives uncomfortable about women feeling pressured to take their clothes off.

The atmosphere was set at the top. Mr. Razek, the chief marketing officer, was perceived as Mr. Wexner’s proxy, leaving many employees with the impression he was invincible, according to current and former employees. On multiple occasions, Mr. Wexner himself was heard demeaning women.

“What was most alarming to me, as someone who was always raised as an independent woman, was just how ingrained this behavior was,” said Casey Crowe Taylor, a former public relations employee at Victoria’s Secret who said she had witnessed Mr. Razek’s conduct. “This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal. It was almost like brainwashing. And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn’t just ignored. They were punished.”

The interviews with the models and employees add to a picture of Victoria’s Secret as a troubled organization, an image that was already coming into focus last year when Mr. Wexner’s ties to the sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein became public. Mr. Epstein, who managed Mr. Wexner’s multibillion-dollar fortune, lured some young women by posing as a recruiter for Victoria’s Secret models.

L Brands, the publicly traded company that also owns Bath & Body Works, is on the brink of a high-stakes transition. The annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show has been canceled after nearly two decades on network TV. Mr. Razek, 71, stepped down from L Brands in August. And Mr. Wexner, 82, is exploring plans to retire and to sell the lingerie company, people familiar with the matter said.

As those plans progress, L Brands’ treatment of women is likely to come under even closer scrutiny.

In response to detailed questions from The New York Times, Tammy Roberts Myers, a spokeswoman for L Brands, provided a statement on behalf of the board’s independent directors. She said that the company “is intensely focused” on corporate governance, workplace and compliance practices and that it had “made significant strides.”

“We regret any instance where we did not achieve this objective and are fully committed to continuous improvement and complete accountability,” she said. The statement did not dispute any of The Times’s reporting.

Mr. Razek said in an email: “The accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context. I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.” He declined to comment on a detailed list of allegations.

Thomas Davies, a spokesman for Mr. Wexner, declined to comment.

Fiery Explosions

Victoria’s Secret, which Mr. Wexner bought for $1 million in 1982 and turned into a lingerie powerhouse, is struggling.

The societal norms defining beauty and sexiness have been changing for years, with a greater value on a wide range of body types, skin colors and gender identities. Victoria’s Secret hasn’t kept pace. Some of its ad campaigns, for example, seem more like a stereotypical male fantasy — the director Michael Bay filmed a TV spot in which scantily clad models strutted in front of helicopters, motorcycles and fiery explosions — than a realistic encapsulation of what women want.

With its sales declining, Victoria’s Secret has been closing stores. Shares of L Brands have fallen more than 75 percent from their 2015 peak.

Six current and former executives said in interviews that when they tried to steer the company away from what one called its “porny” image, they were rebuffed. Three said they had been driven out of the company.

Criticism of Victoria’s Secret’s anachronistic marketing went viral in 2018 when Mr. Razek expressed no interest in casting plus-size and “transsexual” models in the fashion show.

Then, last summer, Mr. Epstein was charged with sex trafficking, and the festering business problems at Victoria’s Secret escalated into a public crisis.

Mr. Wexner and Mr. Epstein had been tight. The retail tycoon gave the financier carte blanche to manage his billions, elevating Mr. Epstein’s stature and affording him an opulent lifestyle. Mr. Wexner has said he and Mr. Epstein parted ways around 2007, the year after Florida prosecutors charged him with a sex crime.

On multiple occasions from 1995 through 2006, Mr. Epstein lied to aspiring models that he worked for Victoria’s Secret and could help them land gigs. He invited them for auditions, which at least twice ended with Mr. Epstein assaulting them, according to the women and court filings.

“I had spent all of my savings getting Victoria’s Secret lingerie to prepare for what I thought would be my audition,” a woman identified as Jane Doe said in a statement read aloud last summer in a federal court hearing in the Epstein case. “But instead it seemed like a casting call for prostitution. I felt like I was in hell.”

Three L Brands executives said Mr. Wexner was alerted in the mid-1990s about Mr. Epstein’s attempts to recruit women. The executives said there was no sign that Mr. Wexner had acted on the complaints.

After Mr. Epstein’s arrest last summer, L Brands said, it hired the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell to conduct “a thorough review” of the matter at the request of its board of directors. The exact focus of the review is unclear. Mr. Epstein committed suicide in jail in August while he awaited trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Davis Polk has worked for L Brands for years. Mr. Wexner’s wife, Abigail, previously worked at the firm. Dennis S. Hersch, a former L Brands board member and a financial adviser to the Wexners, was a longtime partner at Davis Polk. The law firm also has contributed money to Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts.

Employees interviewed for this article said Davis Polk had not contacted them.

A Davis Polk spokeswoman didn’t respond to requests for comment.

‘Someplace Sexy to Take You’

“With the exception of Les, I’ve been with L Brands longer than anyone,” Mr. Razek wrote to employees in August when he announced he was leaving the company he had joined in 1983.

Mr. Razek was instrumental in selecting the brand’s supermodels — known as “Angels” and bestowed with enormous, feathery wings — and in creating the company’s macho TV ads.

But his biggest legacy was the annual fashion show, which became a global cultural phenomenon.

“That’s really where he sunk his teeth into the business,” said Cynthia Fedus-Fields, the former chief executive of the Victoria’s Secret division responsible for its catalog. By 2000, she said, Mr. Razek had grown so powerful that “he spoke for Les.”

Sometimes Mr. Wexner spoke for himself.

In March, at a meeting at Victoria’s Secret headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, an employee asked Mr. Wexner what he thought about the retail industry’s embrace of different body types. He was dismissive.

“Nobody goes to a plastic surgeon and says, ‘Make me fat,’” Mr. Wexner replied, according to two attendees.

Mr. Razek often reminded models that their careers were in his hands, according to models and current and former executives who heard his remarks.

Alyssa Miller, who had been an occasional Victoria’s Secret model, described Mr. Razek as someone who exuded “toxic masculinity.” She summed up his attitude as: “I am the holder of the power. I can make you or break you.”

At castings, Mr. Razek sometimes asked models in their bras and underwear for their phone numbers, according to three people who witnessed his advances. He urged others to sit on his lap. Two models said he had asked them to have private dinners with him.

One was Ms. Muise. In 2007, after two years of wearing the coveted angel wings in the Victoria’s Secret runway show, the 19-year-old was invited to dinner with Mr. Razek. She was excited to cultivate a professional relationship with one of the fashion industry’s most powerful men, she said.

Mr. Razek picked her up in a chauffeured car. On the way to the restaurant, he tried to kiss her, she said. Ms. Muise rebuffed him; Mr. Razek persisted.

For months, he sent her intimate emails, which The Times reviewed. At one point he suggested they move in together in his house in Turks and Caicos. Another time, he urged Ms. Muise to help him find a home in the Dominican Republic for them to share.

“I need someplace sexy to take you!” he wrote.

Ms. Muise maintained a polite tone in her emails, trying to protect her career. When Mr. Razek asked her to come to his New York home for dinner, Ms. Muise said the prospect of dining alone with Mr. Razek made her uneasy; she skipped the dinner.

She soon learned that for the first time in four years, Victoria’s Secret had not picked her for its 2008 fashion show.

‘Forget the Panties’

In 2018, at a fitting ahead of the fashion show, the supermodel Bella Hadid was being measured for underwear that would meet broadcast standards. Mr. Razek sat on a couch, watching.

“Forget the panties,” he declared, according to three people who were there and a fourth who was told about it. The bigger question, he said, was whether the TV network would let Ms. Hadid walk “down the runway with those perfect titties.” (One witness remembered Mr. Razek using the word “breasts,” not “titties.”)

At the same fitting, Mr. Razek placed his hand on another model’s underwear-clad crotch, three people said.

An employee complained to the human resources department about Mr. Razek’s behavior, according to three people. The employee presented H.R. with a document last summer listing more than a dozen allegations about Mr. Razek, including his demeaning comments and inappropriate touching of women, according to a copy of the document reviewed by The Times.

It wasn’t the first H.R. complaint about him

At a photo shoot in June 2015, the company put out a buffet lunch for staff. Ms. Crowe Taylor, the public relations employee, went to get seconds. Mr. Razek intercepted her, she said. He blocked her path and looked her up and down. Then, with dozens of people watching and Ms. Crowe Taylor holding her empty plate, he tore into her, berating her about her weight and telling her to lay off the pasta and bread.

Ms. Crowe Taylor, who was 5-foot-10 and 140 pounds, fled to a bathroom and burst into tears. She said that she had complained to H.R. but that as far as she could tell, nothing happened. She quit weeks later.

In October, shortly after Mr. Razek had left the company, Monica Mitro, a top public-relations executive at Victoria’s Secret, lodged a harassment complaint against him with a former member of the L Brands board of directors, according to five people familiar with the matter. She told colleagues that she had gone to the former director because she didn’t trust the H.R. department.

The next day, the head of H.R. told Ms. Mitro that she was being placed on administrative leave, the people said. She recently reached a financial settlement with the company, they said.

Mr. Razek’s son, Scott, also worked at Victoria’s Secret. Sometime after the H.R. department was told about his mistreatment of a female colleague, he was transferred to Bath & Body Works, according to four people familiar with the matter. He didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The woman he mistreated later received a settlement from Victoria’s Secret, according to several current and former employees.

Mr. Wexner was seldom in New York, where much of the fashion show’s staff was based, leaving employees with the impression that Mr. Razek was his proxy. Mr. Razek flaunted that power, invoking Mr. Wexner’s name to get his way.

Even as complaints piled up, the elder Mr. Razek maintained Mr. Wexner’s support. In 2013, Mr. Wexner helped raise a $1.2 million fund in Mr. Razek’s name at Ohio State University’s cancer center.

‘A Voyeuristic Journey’

Russell James was one of Victoria’s Secret’s go-to photographers. The company at times paid him tens of thousands of dollars a day, according to draft contracts reviewed by The Times.

At the end of sessions with models, Mr. James sometimes asked if they would be photographed nude, according to models and L Brands executives. Mr. James was popular; he had a knack for making women feel comfortable. He also had a close relationship with Mr. Razek. The women often consented.

The nude photo shoots weren’t covered under the models’ contracts with Victoria’s Secret, which meant they weren’t paid for the extra work.

In the industry, “everyone is using their influence to get something,” said Ms. Miller, the model. “With Russell, it was getting girls to pose for his books or portrait series nude.”

In 2014, Mr. James published a glossy collectors’ book, “Angels,” which featured some of the nude photos. The women agreed to have their photos included in the book, according to Martin Singer, a lawyer for Mr. James.

Two versions of the books currently sell on Mr. James’s website for $1,800 and $3,600. Victoria’s Secret hosted a launch event for “Angels” during New York fashion week in 2014. Attendees included supermodels and the company’s chief executive at the time, Sharen Turney.

“This ample volume offers an unprecedented and personal view into James’s most intimate portrait sittings,” the book’s jacket says, noting that Mr. James met many of the women during his 15 years working for Victoria’s Secret. “Readers will be taken on a voyeuristic journey into a world of subtle provocation.”

At one point, a poster-size version of one of the book’s photos was displayed in a Victoria’s Secret store in Las Vegas. The model’s agent complained to Victoria’s Secret that his client’s photo was being used in the store without her consent. Mr. James also complained about it and asked for it to be removed, according to Mr. Singer. The company took down the photo.

In 2010, Alison Nix, a 22-year-old model who had worked occasionally with Victoria’s Secret, was invited to attend a weekend event to raise money for the nonprofit foundation run by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The venue was Mr. Branson’s private Necker Island in the Caribbean.

The live-streamed event, hosted by Mr. Branson and Mr. James, was billed as featuring “some of the world’s most stunning supermodels.”

Ms. Nix said her agent had told her that if she chose to go on the all-expenses-paid trip, she’d be expected to pose for nude beach photos shot by Mr. James. She said that was fine. She was left with the impression, she said, that “if Russell likes you, you could start working with Victoria’s Secret.”

Mr. Singer, the lawyer for Mr. James, said his client had no influence over whom Victoria’s Secret selected as models. He said models were not required to pose for photos, nude or otherwise. He said Mr. James had agreed to shoot the nude photos at Necker Island at the request of the models and their agents “as a favor and professional courtesy.”

Ms. Nix called Mr. Singer’s comments “absurd.”

She said that she and other models who attended the event were provided with copious amounts of alcohol and were expected to mingle with men, including Mr. Branson.

“We were shipped out there, and all these rich men were flirting with us,” she recalled. She said the models were asking themselves, “Are we here as high-end prostitutes or for charity?”

The last day on the island, Ms. Nix said, she and at least three other models lined up to have their nude photos shot by Mr. James.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Branson said he had “no knowledge of anyone being invited to the event for any reason” beside the charity fund-raiser.

Two photos of Ms. Nix from that weekend — one, in profile, with her breasts obscured but her bare bottom exposed — appeared near the middle of Mr. James’s “Angels” book, with her consent.

Ms. Nix never landed another modeling gig with Victoria’s Secret. Was she disappointed?

“To be honest, I didn’t expect much after the trip,” she said. “I could tell I wasn’t right for the brand.”

______

Emily Steel and Mike Baker contributed reporting. Susan Beachy contributed research.

*********

[kyokkou]

𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 | part seven. mid- to late-heisei (1989-2019) era.

☼ part six. ☼

                    ❝You and I, we'll keep moving forward                     Even if we let go of the grasps on each other's hands                     We have a bond between us that will never end.❞

          IF SOMEONE TOLD HIM THAT, IN THE FUTURE, he would be allies with the very person who defeated him some six decades prior, Kiku would have laughed them out of the country. He wouldn't have believed it for a second that there was even a chance that he could be in the same room with that spoiled child and not lose his mind. It had happened before; sometime in the early nineties when Alfred had come by for a visit. That ended in humiliation; he was weak now, and couldn't do anything but make idle threats. However, there were more things at play than Kiku even realized, and it took the better half of two decades for them to sort out every last grievance they held onto since the 1940s-- or at least, most of them.           AFTER THE CONCLUSION of the joint exercises, Kiku decided he needed to take some leave-- it was difficult to keep up with everyone now, his ships and his human enlisted sailors both-- not to mention Alfred already being difficult to deal with. Things between them were no longer tense; it was actually by request that he went on these joint exercises. Hikaru didn't want the American in the country unless need be, but Kiku actually found his company somewhat enjoyable. In spite of their previous hatred for one another, they shared more similarities than he would have liked to admit-- which was one of the reasons that he ended up helping him with the little problem the younger nation was having. It had caused Alfred quite a lot of grief over the years, but Kiku was still caught up in his old ways of helping when it was advantageous to him. Having this younger ally with a massive navy was something he couldn't pass up, regardless of what had happened in the years prior. Perhaps he even enjoyed his company when they were out on exercises-- though he'd deny it if asked...

          HIKARU WAS STILL HAPPY to see that he was home and relaxing after being at sea for a week-- he never used to bother with time off to recover, but nowadays he was much more willing to spend time away from his duties. Somehow, too, he found himself relieved that Kiku no longer wanted to constantly fight Alfred-- regardless of the things that had happened between them, Hikaru was tired of any and all fighting. He could stomach them getting along if it meant peace. They could figure out the other details later; he did want Alfred to stay out of Japan entirely, but with the way the world had changed, that likely wouldn't be much more than an alternate reality. Kiku was probably right; it benefitted them more to have him around now that they could no longer have a true naval force anymore, and Hikaru still trusted him with matters of self-defense.           THE SIGHT OF KIKU SLEEPING with two of their three children using him as a pillow was incredibly endearing. Every day at the same time, the three of them napped; it was how Hikaru knew he didn't come home too late in the evening. The third child was probably outside in the garden; he wasn't as well-adjusted as the other two. Hikaru would find him for some light kitchen chores, and eventually the other two would wake up and join in. Hikaru always woke Kiku up himself; it was risky to wake him up these days. Sometimes he reacted poorly to being awakened too abruptly, and Hikaru didn't want any more stress on either of them-- or the children, who were disputed territories and had been through a little too much for their age.           ❝IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR DINNER,❞ Hikaru spoke quietly as he gently ran his fingers through Kiku's hair. Miko and Kazuhiko lingered nearby, and waited for Kiku to sit up before getting closer, but as soon as he did, they were ready to bombard him with details about what was for dinner and how they had helped Hikaru prepare it. In his groggy state, he couldn't really respond past a quick head-pat for the both of them, and a tired smile at Hikaru. In spite of sleeping more than enough during his time off, he was still exhausted, and Hikaru could see right through his attempts to deny it. ❝Don't get up. We'll bring everything in,❞ he insisted, as he did every other day of the week; this time, though, Kiku didn't protest and follow them out of the room.           OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE he saw the slightest movement in the hallway. Confused, Kiku kept his gaze on the doorway-- he could have sworn he heard an unfamiliar voice from the other room, too. Sure enough, a small child came running down the corridor, past the open door of his room-- and it was not one of their children. She was dressed traditionally, with a bright red bow in her hair, and he had to wonder if maybe Hikaru had managed to find Kazuhiko's sister, or maybe even the last disputed island. Doubtful of the latter, Kiku shook his head, and waited for Hikaru and the three children to get settled. One thing was wrong, however-- where was the fourth one?           ❝HIKARU, DID WE GAIN ANOTHER ISLAND while I was asleep?❞ Kiku asked, only to be met with a confused look from Hikaru.           ❝NO, I HAVEN'T BEEN IN NEGOTIATIONS with anyone since last year-- and I definitely cannot ask for Takeshima now,❞ Hikaru answered, putting his bowl of rice down slowly. ❝Is that what this is about...?❞           ❝NO, BUT I SAW ANOTHER little kid, she looked about Miko's age. Does she have a friend over? Why not let her sit with us?❞ He had known better than to pester Hikaru about Takeshima, and even gently asking if Russia had responded in regards to Kazuhiko and the southern Kuril islands as a whole was pushing it. Hikaru had been through a lot of stress over the Senkaku islands in recent years, and they still had a hard time adjusting-- Akimitsu more so, of course-- so Kiku found it in him to just let Takeshima go.           ❝THERE IS NO ONE ELSE HERE, Kiku. Miko was asleep when I returned home, and you know Pochi and Momo would have woken you up with their barking if someone had come to the door.❞ Hikaru looked the slightest bit concerned, and things grew somewhat awkward as they both returned to eating. Kiku wasn't sure what to make of it; he was definitely awake and hadn't any reason to be hallucinating like he was. Even after dinner, he sat pensively near the window, occasionally glancing over to check the clock until it was time to put the children to bed. He took Miko and Kazuhiko, while Hikaru took Akimitsu, to their respective rooms, and retreated right back to his own once they were settled. Hikaru was waiting there for him.           ❝I WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING-- about what you saw earlier. What did the girl look like...?❞ Hikaru didn't bother to hold back as he usually did, and the rather straightforward behavior was concerning to him.           ❝SHE WAS SMALL, LIKE MIKO, with short hair, a bright red bow... really colorful yukata, as if it's summer. It's November...❞ Kiku felt almost as if Hikaru didn't even believe him; but it was quite the opposite. Hikaru looked relieved.           ❝YOU CAN FINALLY SEE HER?❞ Hikaru asked, seemingly overwhelmed with joy; the way his voice seemed to struggle to hold back his excitement was something Kiku easily picked up on these days, having relearned all of the things that he had forgotten in their separation.           ❝FINALLY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN-- that she's some sort of ghost!?❞ Kiku had never seen anything that could be considered supernatural, and he wasn't entirely thrilled that this entire time there had been some sort of spirit in their home. Hikaru stifled a chuckle, covering his mouth with his hand.           ❝WELL, IN A WAY, YES-- she's a zashiki warashi-- a house spirit. She's good luck. I cared for her for so long... and I always wondered why you couldn't see her, until eventually I couldn't, either.❞ The way he worded it made Kiku realize exactly when Hikaru had lost track of her-- when he came about. Hikaru almost always spoke of the war in vague terms; even the way he spoke those words had changed. He knew, and felt immediately guilty.           ❝HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE her, when I've never even believed in any of this before...❞ Kiku asked, but he didn't expect an answer. Hikaru couldn't have known exactly why this was happening now; nothing had really changed much with him, except that he was a bit more observant of traditions now that they had children. Both of them had agreed that they would introduce the kids to traditions so that they could feel like they belonged a bit more, but he never once thought that it would affect how-- or rather, what he was able to see.           ❝I HONESTLY AM NOT SURE WHY, but I wonder if that means...❞                                                 PART EIGHT COMING SOON!

[master-sass-blast]

Everything Needs a Little Magic

ALL. ABOARD. THE FLUFF TRAIN!

Seriously. This is just fluff. Entirely self indulgent.

Summary: You and Piotr spend the day watching Disney movies.

THAT’S IT. NO PLOT. NOTHING BUT FLUFF. I’M DEADASS SERIOUS.

Pairings: Piotr Rasputin x Reader.

Rating: T for making out.

@colossus-and-cable-and-thanos THIS IS ALSO FOR YOU, BB. YOU KNOW WHY! YOU KNOW!

(Also, while we’re here, I highly recommend that y’all check out @x-men-babe‘s blog. They’ve got a masterlist (unlike me, who can’t get their SHIT together) and their writing is really fantastic (READ ICEBOX. DO IT. YOUR LIFE WILL BE BETTER FOR IT. I PROMISE!).

And, unlike me, they take requests! I’ve had a couple people ask me if I take requests. At this point, I don’t, and I’m not sure if I ever will. Outside of special occasions (or finishing my Piotr fic series, which’ll probably take at least a year), it’s not something I can see myself doing. I get very attached to ideas and tend to covet them closely, which ultimately doesn’t work well with doing requests (that and I don’t struggle with writing of my own volition).

But yes! Check out x-men-babe’s blog! You won’t regret it! 10000% Goblin Guarantee of quality!)

Sunlight dapples the bright green undergrowth of the woods behind the X-Mansion. Birds chirp overhead, their merry sounding songs echoing up to the bright, flawless blue sky. Bees occasionally buzz past, in search of the next patch of cutely colored flowers.

It’s a picturesque day.

You, however, are not.

You’re absolutely drenched in sweat, slick and shiny with it as you jog on a well worn path in the woods. Your shirt and gym shorts cling to your body, darkened with your excess perspiration. Your hair is equal parts limp and frizzy, and the strands that have fallen out of your haphazard pony tail --tied during the ugly hours of the morning when you’d first woken up to start your work out--are plastered against your forehead or your neck. Your knees are smudged with dirt from where you tripped earlier --along with your hands--and you just generally look like a mess.

A happy mess, though. A well-exercised mess. This run has been a part of your daily routine for several months now, and you’ve built enough endurance to go the whole distance without stopping or passing out!

You are, however, realizing that you might need to get up earlier if you want to avoid the sweltering summer temperatures and the corresponding sweat bath. You’re not sure which is more disgusting --being so sweaty that people can see their reflections when they look at your skin, or getting up early.

You’re pretty sure it’s getting up early. Probably.

As you jog through the gardens and towards the back of the mansion, you spy Piotr sitting out by the back door in his human form, presumably waiting for you.

Part of it is elating --because just last night he confessed he was in love with you and borderline made out with you on a secluded bench behind a tree, and you’re always happy to see him--but part of it is groan worthy --because just last night he confessed he was in love with you and borderline made out with you on a secluded bench behind a tree, and right now you look absolutely awful.

You slow to a stop a few feet away from him and spread your arms wide, as if waiting for applause before taking a bow. “Behold me and all my drippy glory!”

Piotr chuckles as you flop onto the ground. “You look fine, myshka. I take it your run went well?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, but it’s so damn hot.” You sit up and grimace when you try --and fail--to wipe stray blades of grass off your arms.

“Perhaps you should start waking up earlier.” He’s frowning now, concerned. “It is not good to run in this heat. You could make yourself sick.”

“Okay, I know you’re just trying to help me be healthy, but you should know that suggesting waking up anytime before eight is treason.”

He smiles fondly and shakes his head. “Will you listen if I offer something in return?”

“Absolutely. Even if it’s just you taking your shirt off. Especially if it’s you taking your shirt off. Can you tell I have a vested interest in seeing you with your shirt off?”

His cheeks flush red, but he laughs anyway as he holds out a water bottle to you. “I thought you would be thirsty, since you usually don’t take drink with you. Which--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Not healthy.” You groan as you press the cool plastic against your hot skin, then take a few icy sips and sigh contentedly. “You’re a real prince among men. You know that, Piotr?”

“Last I checked, it’s called being nice.”

“Pretty sure you’re just an alien that thrives off being courteous.”

He raises an eyebrow at you and smirks. “So, I am alien Prince?”

“I don’t see why not. You’ve got manners and can morph into a massive metal version of yourself. Pretty fuckin’ weird, if you ask me.” You guzzle a little more water, then groan as you push yourself into a standing position. “You’re dressed casual today. Is school not in?”

“Nyet. We are out for year.”

Right. You knew that. Duh.

Your brain does the math of it’s own volition. 

The students and most of the teachers are out for the day and won’t be back until late evening. Those who’ve stayed behind will likely spend the day doing what they want. And, as if that wasn’t wonderful enough, Wade and Nathan are out of the house on a job for Weasel. 

You smile as an idea comes together in your head. “Are there any missions you have to go on.”

Piotr shakes his head. “Nyet.”

“Do you have any hard set plans for the day?”

He’s smiling now, catching on to what’re you’re getting at. “I do not.”

“Then, what say you and I spend the day together once I’m done showering? I’m thinking marathon movie session.”

“I think I would enjoy that very much.” He opens the back door for you and ushers you inside. “But you really should take water with you on runs, moya lyubov’. Dehydration is no joking matter.”

You hide your fond smile by lifting the spout of the water bottle to your lips and let your mother-hen boyfriend lecture you about proper athletic safety and the importance of being well hydrated.

God, you love this man.

Once you’ve thoroughly scrubbed yourself and put on some dry clothes that don’t reek of sweat, you pop downstairs in search of Piotr.

He’s in the kitchen, making an early lunch for himself. “Have you eaten yet, myshka?”

“No. I prefer doing fasted workouts. You build more muscle that way.”

“Da, but you should eat something. You have burnt great deal of energy.”

“I’m going to.” You pat his arm reassuringly. “You don’t have to worry, okay? Believe me, I’m starving. There’s no way I’m going any longer without eating than I absolutely have to.”

The line of his shoulders relaxes as he exhales. “Sorry, I--”

“Don’t apologize, Pete. I like the way you’re sweet and want to take care of everyone; it’s endearing.” Then, to prove your point, you clamber up onto the stool next to him and kiss him.

Even though most of you is completely swept away by the sheer sensation of his lips pressing against yours, a tiny part of your brain still registers ‘holy fucking shit, I’m kissing Piotr, I’m his girlfriend now, I can kiss him whenever I want, this is so fucking awesome--’

He breaks the kiss with a smile and rubs the swells of your cheeks with his thumbs. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get enough of that.”

You grin and lean back in for another kiss. “Me either.”

He presses a gentle finger against your lips. “Eat something, please, dorogaya moya.”

You kiss the pad of his finger and hop off the stool. “Fine. If you insist. So, what movies are we watching?”

“I thought I would let you choose. I put my DVD binder on table in rec room.”

You stealthily lift a pack of Pop Tarts out of one of the boxes Wade has stashed on top of the fridge, then use Piotr’s meal prep distraction to slip into the rec room with your hard earned treat in hand. You situate yourself on the couch, open the foil wrapper holding the breakfast pastry as quietly as you can, and shove half a Pop Tart in your mouth while you start flipping through the DVD booklet.

The sheer number of choices is overwhelming. You wouldn’t have pegged your boyfriend as a movie junkie. The case contains a little bit of everything, from some discs with titles in Russian --no surprise there--to cheesy rom coms to several pieces by Alfred Hitchcock.

What is surprising, though, is when you spy Disney’s Peter Pan movie at the bottom right corner of one of the ‘pages.’ After staring at it for a moment, wondering why Piotr would have a kid’s movie, you shrug it off and flip over to the other side. He’s a teacher. Of course he’d have a kid’s movie or two.

Except it isn’t just one or two. Peter Pan is just the tip of the iceberg; a few quick, disbelieving flips to the end of the binder confirms that he has every Disney movie released on DVD, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Moana.

Woah. Did not see this coming.

“Pop Tarts are not a meal, dorogaya moya.”

“Agree to disagree.” You look up at him as he walks into the rec room with two plates of food. “Hey, why do you have so many Disney movies?”

“They are happy movies,” he says as he sets one of the plates in your lap. “Besides, I like the art and animation.”

“I’ve never seen ‘em. What makes them so great?”

“Well, the older ones were done by hand. Artists made backgrounds, then painted animation cels for each frame. The cels were photographed, then put together into full movie. It is...” His voice trails off as he tries to find the words. “Awe-inspiring, as artist, to watch. Compared to modern standards, the movies are arguably crude, but the amount of effort is... amazing. And I think the old movies are beautiful in ways that new movies aren’t. The texturing of the backgrounds, the softness... it is incredible.”

“Wow. That is cool. What about the newer ones?”

“Computer animation is fascinating. I doubt it will ever be ‘my thing’ but it is still interesting to watch. Plus, stories and plots are better written. Usually.”

“Always a good thing.” You shove the last Pop Tart half into your mouth and shrug. “Disney’s good. You pick where we start.”

“We start at beginning,” he says emphatically as he carries the DVD carrier over to the entertainment center.

You look down at the plate as he sets everything up and gasp when you realize it has a neat little pile of Cheetos on it. “Wait, is this for me?”

“Da. I told you Pop Tarts were not meal.”

“Man, I scored a total package. How did that even happen?”

He blushes as he stands and walks over to the couch. “I think am I the one who ‘scored,’ myshka.”

You smile and sigh happily when he presses his lips against yours.

There’s no way life gets any better than this.

Life, in fact, does get better.

Namely, in the sense that you get to spend the whole day watching Disney movies with your boyfriend.

And in the sense that, if prompted, Piotr will literally spend several minutes explaining the behind the scenes effort that went into the animating the old movies, the techniques used by the artists to construct the backgrounds, and the sheer level of talent it takes to sync audio to hand-fucking-painted animation.

That, and the movies are just that gorgeous. Granted, the writing in the newer ones are usually better --the two of you opt to hop back and forth between old and new since there’s no way you’ll make it through every single Disney movie in one day--but the level of artistry in all of them leaves you absolutely speechless.

“Man, I’ve really been missing out!” you murmur, awestruck, as you watch the ‘Whole New World’ sequence in Aladdin. “This is amazing! How did they even do this?”

“Much of animation was done on computers at this point,” Piotr says. “It allows for art to move better with music, more creative freedom.”

“No kidding.” You can’t help but smile as you watch the magic carpet soar up into the clouds as the music swells. “This is really beautiful.”

“Da,” Piotr agrees softly.

And then he shifts closer to you, stretches his arms above his head, and lets one settle around your shoulders as he relaxes again.

Suddenly, your proximity to your boyfriend is a lot more interesting than the movie. You’re tucked against his side, sitting thigh to thigh, and his arm is warm and comfortably heavy on your shoulder.

You’re hit by a desire to kiss him --and it suddenly occurs to you that there’s nothing stopping you. The two of you are in a relationship, there’s no one around that would make doing it ‘inappropriate,’ and you’re practically on a quasi-date. There’s never been a better time for it.

You wriggle into his lap until you’re straddling him, propped up on your knees --he’s so much taller than you that at times it’s almost ridiculous--and loop your arms around his next before leaning into kiss him.

Piotr’s hands flit up and down your arms, your shoulders, and your sides before settling at your waist. He uses his hold on you to pull you close, bringing the two of you flush together.

You let out a happy sigh when he wraps his muscular arms around you, effectively cradling you against his burly chest, and kiss him harder. You’ve been pining for him for so long, and now that the two of you are together you never want to stop kissing him. Touching him. Being around him.

“Is this your way of saying that you don’t want to watch movie anymore?” Piotr asks, a little breathless, when the kiss breaks.

“No,” you murmur as you kiss the bridge of his nose. “I just love you.”

His cheeks flush a lovely shade of rose as he smiles sweetly at you. “I love you too, myshka.”

You turn around and settle in his lap to finish watching the movie, snuggled happily in his arms.

This. Life definitely doesn’t get better than this.

Except it does. The universe is hellbent on proving you wrong today, and you’re loving every moment of it.

Once the film finishes, Piotr suggests that the two of you take a stroll through the gardens to get your blood flowing.

The carefully arranged and tended to patches of flowers and bushes look utterly wonderful in the golden, early evening light. A soft breeze stirs the late spring air, keeping everything perfectly comfortable as the two of you walk along the gravel pathways.

Piotr’s hand in solid and warm around yours, and you never expected such a small, simple form of contact to feel so exhilarating. You almost can’t believe that it’s real, that he’s really your boyfriend now and really loves you.

The two of you talk about whatever comes to mind --mostly the movies you’ve been watching--and take your time as you meander around the grounds of Xavier’s. There’s no reason to hurry; the students and teachers won’t be back from their beach trip for a few more hours, there aren’t any missions that need responding to, and with Wade out of the house on one of his jobs there aren’t any explosions or other disasters to shatter the easy, peaceful lull in the air.

“I’ve really enjoyed today,” you say quietly as you squeeze Piotr’s hand.

“So have I, dorogaya moya. This has been... wonderful.” He stops --slowly enough that you don’t stumble or jerk back--and bends down to kiss you.

You smile into the kiss, and rest one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek.

It’s absolutely magical. Maybe the Disney movies have been rubbing off on your life.

“Think we have time for one more movie?” you ask when he pulls back.

“I think so,” he says with a soft, happy smile.

“Cool.” You grin giddily as you walk back to the house, hand in hand, the promise of more quiet, intimate, magic-filled time together beckoning alluringly.

This. Life doesn’t get better than this.