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starsofatlantis · 3 years

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Rivals

@sophitz-week day 1: academic rivals

Notes: this was a lot of fun to write and I enjoyed being able to play around with Sophie and Fitz’s dynamic! it ended up a lot longer than I expected but I’m pretty proud of it! hope you enjoy!

Relationships: platonic sophitz, pre-romantic sophitz, platonic sophex, platonic marella x sophie, platonic marella x dex, platonic, keefe x fitz

Word Count: 1986

Warnings: none!

_________________

"I just don't understand the issue," Dex said for what felt like the fiftieth time that morning.

Sophie scoffed. "The issue Dex, is that I am being forced to work with my sworn enemy."

"Sworn enemy's a little much," Dex replied, holding onto his backpack as he gave Sophie an amused look.

"Sworn enemy is perfect!" Marella exclaimed from Sophie's left. "It'll make it even more romantic when they finally confess their undying love to each other!"

Sophie deadpanned. "I can't tell if you're teasing me or just really really blind. There is no way I will ever fall in love with Fitz Vacker."

Dex laughed as Marella looked unconvinced.

"Please Soph, you both have been obsessed with each other since you first came to school in the sixth grade and beat him in the middle school spelling bee. You're like a modern day Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe."

Sophie gasped and held a hand to her heart. "Don't you dare insult my favorite fictional man by relating him to Fitz Vacker of all people."

"Favorite fictional man?" Dex questioned, quirking an eyebrow. "Whatever happened to Fred Weasley?"

Sophie glared at him. "So what if I simp for multiple fictional men? Who are you to judge Mr. 'I would lay down my life for Natasha Romanoff'?”

Dex chuckled. "Touché."

Marella grinned. "Ignoring the part where I said you two were obsessed with each other, huh?"

Sophie sniffed. "I'm not ignoring it. I'm choosing not to reply to something so ridiculous."

"Mhm."

"You're also ignoring the fact you had a crush on him when you first met," Dex pointed out.

"Dexter, my man! Always backing me up!" Marella exclaimed, and the two high-fived.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "A lack in judgment on sixth grade Sophie's part, I promise it will never happen again."

Dex snorted. "Whatever you say."

Marella gasped excitedly.

"Sophie's supposed sworn enemy 11 o'clock," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Sophie's head shot towards the boy in question as Dex just shook his head.

Fitz Vacker was tall and had broad shoulders from all the training he needed for football. His hair was dark and never seemed to fall out of place. He was kind and tutored the younger kids when he had free time. He volunteered with student council (his sister was the president) and as popular as he was, he didn't act like it.

Sophie hated his guts.

He gave her a small smile.

Subdued, she thought. She knew how bright his smile really was and she could only think he was holding himself back, which was odd. Fitz Vacker was anything but unconfident.

She stared back as he passed and out of the corner of her eye she saw his blond friend slap him on the back while chuckling.

"I love a good rivals to lovers romance," Marella gushed as they made their way into biology.

_________________

"You've got it bad, man," Keefe laughed.

"Shut up," Fitz grumbled, shrugging off Keefe's hand.

Keefe held his hands up. "Sorry, but it's way too obvious to not make fun of."

"Thanks Keefe, so grateful for your support," Fitz said, still thinking about the minor interaction he'd had with the girl he'd been crushing on for years.

"I am supportive bro," Keefe defended, "But there's only so much support I can give before the overwhelming need to make fun of you becomes too much."

"I can't stand you," Fitz said turning into his class.

"Aww how sweet," Keefe called as he walked down the hall to who knows where. "Too bad Sophie Foster thinks the same thing about you."

__________________

"Seriously, Marella, drop it. The only reason I'm going over to his house is to finish this stupid project," Sophie complained, pulling her keys out of the ignition.

She stared at the mansion the Vacker's called home, trying to work up to courage to walk to the front door.

"Ok, ok fine, just answer one thing," Marella said through Sophie's phone.

Sophie rubbed her temples as she got out of her car, already knowing this wasn't going to end well.

She grabbed the tray of mallowmelt out of the backseat, holding her cellphone between her shoulder and her head. "What is it?"

"Admit you think Fitz Vacker is the hottest man to walk the planet."

Sophie choked.

"Please, Sophie, be honest with me. I know you can't stand him for whatever reason, but you aren't blind and he's like, the blueprint of your type."

Sophie huffed as she walked up the grand walkway. She thought about his sparkling eyes and how they had always radiated comfort and safety to her, even when they were in middle school.

"I guess he's alright," she grumbled.

“AHA!” Marella cheered, and Sophie could practically hear her throwing a fist in the air. "I'll take it!"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I've gotta go, talk to you later."

"Ok! Have fun, love ya," Marella said and made a kissy sound before hanging up the phone.

Sophie shook her head exasperatedly, stuffing her phone in her back pocket as she reached the double front doors.

She raised her hand to knock but before she could, the door opened, revealing a slightly flustered Fitz Vacker.

"H-hey," he stuttered.

"Hi," Sophie said plainly before holding out the tray of sweets. "This is mallowmelt from Edaline."

"Oh thanks!" he said excitedly. "My dad will really appreciate this!"

He laughed slightly and Sophie cracked a smile. Fitz's father had been the one to find Sophie her adoptive family when her own family had passed away in a car accident. Her adoptive father and Alden worked together so he'd asked him and his wife to take Sophie in, and they adopted her a few months later.

The two stood awkwardly in the doorway before Fitz started suddenly.

"I- y-you can come in," he said, moving out of the way to let her in.

"Thanks," Sophie replied, clutching her school bag as she walked into the gorgeous house.

Fitz mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'stupid', but Sophie didn't comment on it.

"My room's upstairs and to the left, I'm just gonna go put this in the fridge," Fitz said, gesturing to the tray.

Sophie nodded. "No problem."

She walked up the marble staircase, marveling and somewhat grumbling at the grandeur of Fitz's house.

To say Fitz's room wasn't what she was expecting and was also exactly what she was expecting was an understatement.

He obviously liked the color blue, as his bedspread was navy blue and so was the rug. The walls were white and most of his things were made out of dark wood. Tall bookshelves lined the walls and Sophie found herself jealous of his collection. A glass case on the wall held all his sports trophies, but mostly held photos of his teammates or friends winning something, and Sophie almost laughed at the way they were proudly displayed. It was honestly kinda cute how adorably proud of his friends he was that he hung up photos of their accomplishments in his room. He was like a mother hen.

"Ok so we have to pick a book we're required to read by the school district and analyze whether we think it's an educational read and why we think the book is required. I know you haven't read all of the same books as me cause we're in different grades so I thought we could make a list of all the ones we have read and go from there," Fitz said as he walked into his room.

Sophie was a little taken aback by the sudden proposition but nodded anyway. "Sounds good."

She was a little mad he was right about the books though. Sophie was only a sophomore while Fitz was a senior, so he'd been through more english classes than she had.

She went to pull out a sheet of paper when something stopped her.

"I-is that your second place ribbon from the spelling bee?" she asked and he looked up from his own paper.

Fitz scratched the back of his neck, following Sophie's line of sight in the direction of a blue ribbon hanging from his glass case with the worded '2ND PLACE' written distinctly on the front.

"Uh—," he chuckled nervously, "Y-yeah it is."

Sophie turned to him, confusion etched across her face. "Why would you keep that?"

She for one, would never keep anything that reminded her she had lost to someone.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Guess it just reminds me of something."

"Of what?"

Briefly, it occurred to her this was the longest conversation she'd had with him since he beat her in the relay race at the end of sixth grade.

"Um, I- uh, I'm not sure."

Sophie looked unconvinced and Fitz blushed.

Sophie gave him another strange look before turning back to her bag.

"Why do we not talk anymore?" Fitz blurted out, and immediately had to resist the urge to slap his hand over his mouth and launch himself out the nearest window.

"What?" Sophie asked slowly, turning to fully face him.

Good going, Fitz, he thought. Now she's going to hate you even more and will probably end up starting a petition to send you to Timbuktu so that she never has to see you again.

"Um," he said smartly.

She raised an eyebrow and he sighed.

"Why don't we talk anymore? We used to be friends when we were in middle school."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know. We're rivals, and last I checked you aren't supposed to fraternize with your competition."

"Huh?" Fitz said, his turn to be confused. "Since when were we rivals?"

Sophie me jaw dropped. "Seriously? We've always been rivals."

"Uh no we haven't?"

Sophie looked incredulous and Fitz had the feeling he said something wrong. "Yes we have! You were the one who started it in the first place!"

"What?" Fitz exclaimed. "When did I do that?"

"In middle school? When you were always competing with me?"

"I- I wasn't doing that cause I thought of you as a rival! I was doing that cause I thought of you as my friend!"

Sophie's confusion and slight anger calmed down for a second. "What?"

"Yeah! I never had someone who could match me at everything I did and then some, so I thought it was fun to push myself to beat you. You made everything a challenge cause you were— are! —so good at everything!"

"Trust me, if I knew you'd stop talking to me for four years just cause I beat you in a lame race, I would have lost every single competition we ever competed in against each other."

They stared at each other as a blush formed on both of their faces. Sophie being confused on everything Fitz Vacker and feeling bashful over all he'd just said, and Fitz frustrated at himself for letting Sophie get that ridiculous idea that he didn't want to be friends with her in her head and feeling bashful over all he'd just said.

Sophie took in a quiet breath. "I- I just thought you wanted to beat me because you didn't like me."

"No!" Fitz exclaimed frantically, waving his hands, as if trying to ward her words away from the air around him. "Not at all!"

Sophie laughed slightly, and Fitz reveled in the sound of it.

"I want us to be," he stumbled, "…f-friends. I've always wanted that."

Sophie looked into his eyes, saw the pure sincerity there, and felt herself melt a little bit.

"I think I'd like that too," she said quietly. "Friends."

Fitz smiled brightly and it felt like the morning sun after a long night.

She paused.

"I'm still gonna try to beat you in everything we do though."

Fitz laughed loudly and it echoed around the room.

Sophie never thought she'd be glad he didn't subdue his smile.

#awkward fitz should be canon #kotlc sophie #sophitz #kotlc fandom #sophitz week #sophie foster #stan fitz vacker or perish #fitz vacker #fanfic

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moonlit-imagines · 4 years

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Headcanons for being a younger Avenger and mentoring Kamala

Kamala Khan x reader

warnings: avengers game spoilers, guns

a/n: so excited about this one; i made y/n just a bit older (and gn!) so that they’re in their mid-early teens during a-day! hope thats okie doke! reader has electrokinesis. this accidentally got really detailed

prompt: anonymous: “Hey there! Would you mind writing HCs for the Avengers Game about female reader being a young Avenger (around 17) and mentoring Kamala Khan?”

you were just a kid yourself when you joined the avengers

and you were an inspiration to kids around the world

“does SHIELD think nothing of child labor laws?” -bruce

the avengers became your family

and seeing what you could do...they knew you could handle yourself

and then a-day happened

the day started off so perfect

and the kids went ballistic over seeing you

“y/h/n! look, it’s y/h/n!”

“can i get a picture?”

“hi, guys! of course you can!”

but there was one kid who stuck out among the rest

kamala khan

“you’re the one who wrote about the sewers, right? i freaking loved it! may i just say your art is amazing?”

“r-really?”

“oh, yeah! and the part where you had thor spin mjölnir to push water towards the sewer lizards so i could shock them? genius!”

she could not wait to tell abu about what you had just said

you obviously took a selfie with her and handed her a little pin with your own “icon” on it

but your world got turned upside down that day

the battle was one you’d never forget

and the fighting with your own teammates afterwards would haunt you for years to come

“what do you know, y/n?! you’re just a kid!” -tony

“oh yeah? im one of the only functioning members of this team!”

“everybody calm down. y/n makes a good point, but—” -nat

“thank you”

“...but there’s some stuff you should leave up to us. you really shouldn’t have to take on so much responsibility” -nat

“she’s right, y/n. this was our fault” -bruce

“are you kidding me?! i’m just as guilty as the rest of you, i’m an equal member of this team! for years we’ve dealt with this together, taken the blame together! what’s changed?”

“y/n...you saw what we did out there. that changed everything...” -bruce

you technically were an inhuman, just not terrigen-based

didnt matter to AIM, they took dr. pym for god’s sake

so you had to run, you were on your own for a while

a long while

you laid low for five years, most boring five years of your life

at least you still had your life, though. it just wasn’t what it used to be

but you got a message one day

“‘tiny dancer,’ huh? my moneys on either nat or tony. nah, tony would have chosen ‘rocket man.’”

you couldn’t be sure, maybe it was just a random shield agent...maybe hank pym? god, this was crazy

the message brought you to, uh, cap’s memorial statue

and there was a young girl arguing with a couple of boys...an inhuman!

you hopped in and saved her, she seemed scared

“hey, kid, you alright?”

“y/h/n? is it really you?”

she seemed vaguely familiar

“are you tiny dancer?”

“no, i thought you might be? they sent you here, too?”

there wasn’t much time to chat, AIM was onto you

you two unfortunately got split up for a minute, but you were practically raised by the notorious clint barton and natasha romanoff, and various other spies

yes, you planted a tracker on her

and met her at the bus stop!

“you found me?”

“that i did, kamala. see, i do remember you”

“that is so cool! i mean—not almost getting killed, or the guy with the big head...”

“what guy? you need to tell me everything”

the whole busride was a bit overwhelming. kamala explained the resistance clues, her powers, her undying admiration for the avengers, you name it

but it made you feel good to know that there were people out there that didn’t hate you

“so what was it like? being the teenage avenger?”

“uh, it was...it was really cool. i felt like i was one-of-a-kind. but sometimes people didn’t take me seriously, it was kind of aggravating”

“yeah, no one takes me seriously either...”

“you know, depending on how this all goes, i might be able to give you a few pointers”

“really?! that’d be great!”

once you got to utah...you saw the chimera

it brought back some bad memories, kamala could tell

“you okay?”

“me? yeah, im good. just thinking...okay, well, do you have a plan on how to get yourself across all of this?”

“actually, i do!”

it was kind of creepy in there, but when you laid your eyes on caps shield, you kind of broke

“do you hear something, what it that?”

“...hulk. kamala, you need to get out of here, i’ll catch up to you, i swear”

she didn’t leave in time, so she got to see the greener side of bruce. you chased him back and tried to get bruce back

meanwhile, kamala found AIM troops...oops

bruce cooled off and man was he doing rough

“y/n, is that really you?”

“yeah, its me. surprise. how long have you been the big guy?”

“too long...a few years”

“jesus, im sorry. i’ll be right back, though. some kid brought me here, i gotta go get her. you kinda scared her off”

she was passed out when you got to her

but bruce is a doctor, he’d figure it out

“i could give her a little shock to wake her up, you know?”

“oh, i know. just let her rest for a minute. she needs it”

“right...well im gonna take a look around, maybe go see what i left behind. i could power the place up, but we’re missing some parts to actually get this thing running. best i can do is lights and doors”

you turned the little things on and turns out did leave a decent amount of stuff in here

your first pair of pistols that nat gave you, the gigantic stein that thor gifted you for your 13th birthday, gadgets tony needed an “extra boost” for *bzzt*, a note from cap that just said “good luck, y/n, you’re going to do great!” you cant even remember what it was he was referring to. you just missed him

kamala walked in while you were shuffling around and cleaning the place up

“hey, dr. banner wanted me to come get you. is this your room?”

“that it is, and it’s a huge mess. this is literally all my belongings ever”

bruce had his plan and you just went along, helping kamala out as you go

“baby steps, kam, don’t want you to pass out. but don’t worry, happens to the best of us” -you

“really? you pass out too?” -kamala

“oh yeah, for sure. tell her bruce, remember that time we had thor overcharge me to literally make me an EMP? and tony was busy listening to music so he wouldn’t get out of the blast radius and his armor shut down? so he was out of commission and i had just collapsed from it all? good times”

“y/n, we thought you died” -bruce

this hc is so long omg — anyways you guys ended up finding tony and it was sort of entertaining but he kinda punched bruce and then hugged you

“you got so big”

“shut up, tony”

you kinda harbored some bad feelings since none of the avengers did anything to help you once they started rounding up inhumans (but you still missed them)

getting attacked again

“okay, kamala, remember what i said about baby steps. dont overdo it. i trust you with this!”

“thank you, y/n! uh—oh my god!”

aaaanyways you went to the ant hill to see hank and pick up some supplies, boy was it great to see some familiar faces, then back the the chimera you went to fix it all up

“can you hold that right there for me, kamala? thanks. i think that just about does it. now i have a surprise for you...your own room!”

you helped kamala get it nice and tidy while talking about each other’s lives, she really did remind you of yourself when you became an avenger. excited, scared, underestimated, all of that. and she begged you to share some mission stories, so you obviously did

“you know, if you stick around for a while, you’re gonna have some cool stories, too. maybe even a kickass costume.”

“oh! a costume, ive got that sorta covered. check it out. a burkini, muslim women wear it for swimming and stuff. my mom got it for me”

“love it. soon we’ll find you a fitting name and update the suit, but seriously, this was the perfect way to go. you look great”

“you think so? i don’t know if i feel that cool. maybe i should try something else?”

“if that’s how you feel, you don’t have to stick to it. you can experiment all you want! but i really think you did awesome on this. come on, pose with me! and hey, i like your pins.”

at this point, you’d do anything for kamala, she reminded you so much of yourself. you would have killed for a mentor your age back in the day.

natasha was in fact tiny dancer...called it

“oh, god, y/n. you’re all grown up...im sorry we left you alone. but if it makes you feel better, i always kept an eye on you”

“well, i kind of took on a protégé...she’s like your grand-protégé. kam, c’mere”

after thor finally came back, everyone started fighting again and ditched, it felt so familiar. but you couldn’t leave kamala behind, you swore to yourself that you couldn’t do that.

she was so good for this team

MODOK was defeated (by kamala herself) but there was so much left to do, tons of threats to extinguish, training to accomplish

“y/n, tony won’t turn his dad rock off! he overrode the speakers in my room”

“oh, it’s on. get chastity’s fabric dye and bleach pens. we’re gonna start some trouble”

she gave you a high five one time and nearly broke your arm

sending each other tiny hand memes

“hey, ms. m, how’re your parents? doing okay without their favorite super-daughter?”

“my abu doesn’t stop texting me actually, says my family is super proud of me. it’s a nice change of pace”

you take her on covert missions for field training, it was Educational(tm)

*elevator music playing* “so...what do you want for dinner? i was thinking we could ask thor to barbecue”

sleepovers in her room that just turn into her showing you her superhero merch, listening to music, prank lists, sneaking off to the HARM room for hand-to-hand combat training and power experiments, thinking up new costume designs

“tip: you always need backup suits, you never know what you’re gonna run into out there. one time tony pushed me into a tower of paint cans and they spilled all over me. steve yelled at him for two hours afterwards. worst mission ever, except steve said ‘motherfucker’ and i have never recovered from the emotions of that day”

“wow, i wish i could have been there for that”

“don’t worry, kami, you’ll see some crazy ‘team bonding’ along the way”

she geeks out about captain marvel sometimes

“hey, i’ve got a book carol gave to me about ‘teens taking responsibility.’ you wanna read it?”

“is it any good?”

“i don’t know, i only read the first two pages”

you ended up having a true heart-to-heart with her after one mission when she made a mistake that nearly cost you guys the mission. you told her that not every mission is going to go perfect, each avenger had slipped up in the field, and she had just started, shes not going to be perfect

“i am literally always here if you need anything. i know what it feels like to be a teenager among legends, but trust me, you’ve made it this far and you’ve proven how much of a badass you are. i know you can take anything that gets thrown at you”

kamala said she makes vegan nachos and yeah she makes vegan nachos

you guys have to hide from the rest of the team when she makes them bc they eat ALL OF THEM

gaff (the SHEILD vendor) has you test his gear, you recommend gear to kamala

you were so excited to guide kamala on her journey of heroism

taglist: @ravenmoore14 // @purpleskiesstorm //

#kamala khan #kamala khan x reader #kamala khan imagine #ms marvel #ms marvel x reader #ms marvel imagine #avengers #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel imagine #avengers game #avengers game x reader #avengers game imagine

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alyrae13 · 4 years

Text

Alright, time to explain my weeb ass! As promised, I’m gonna tell the reasons why I like each Gold Saint and why I see them as the way I do. Keep in mind, I’ll also may have to make this into two parts because of how long this would be in one single post, so please bare with me! Anyway, onward ho!!!

Libra Dohko

Starting off simple! Being a Libra myself, it’s easy to see that I would like this cool madafaka; He’s basically a better, more sensible version of Yoda. The reason I don’t feel very attracted to him is because I see him as the badass grandfather type, like the cool Chinese grandfather that could teach you how to kick ass while also being chill enough to unwind during tea time. 100% Dope Grandpa through and through.

Taurus Aldebaran

Now for the other one! Alde is a man who’s sweet as sugar cane yet as powerful as a raging bull. Despite his height, he’s a kind man when off the battle field and ready to fight for Athena when on said battle field. He’s not a character I’m attracted to because I see him as a strong yet sweet uncle figure who’s ready to stand alongside ya in both normal life and when fighting. He’s a tender giant of a man who supports those around him. Gentle Giant Uncle 100%.

Capricorn Shura

Now we go on to the tricky stuff. Shura, dear god do I love him. His character ideology is just so interesting due to the differences between the manga and anime. Wielder of the holy sword Excalibur, he could cut you to bits and think nothing of it. There’s also a possible angst hanging over him; He was the one sent to kill off Aiolos, knowing well how it would have affected little Aiolia. Imagine the amount of guilt he had for killing someone’s only family member? Even worse when you take the consideration of him realizing that he was willing to kill an innocent man without knowing about it, meaning he now knows he just tore a family apart and cause so much pain in vain. And please don’t get me even started on the Hades Saga and Soul of Gold. His character is just so great to me and I’m glad he was able to get on good terms with Aiolia in Soul of Gold. Plus, he’s a sexy Spanish man who’s super loyal, so why wouldn’t I love him?

Aquarius Camus

Camus, oh boy... Camus is someone who just gives me a whole array of emotions despite him not openly expressing them himself. On the surface, he is rather cold and distant due to not wanting to draw people into despair by showing exasperation, yet he’s still in control of his emotions rather than just suppressing them. His willing to fight for his ideals and for what he believes as correct (Soul of Gold anybody?), and although his way of teaching Hyoga is questionable at best, his only doing what he thinks will make Hyoga stronger as a saint. Despite being a man who appears uncaring and emotionless, he really isn’t. After all, we’re taking about the same man who one stated about hating people who mourn over the past yet also deeply cares for his pupil and about being true to his word to an old friend. Camus is a man who truly cares for those around him despite him appearing otherwise. He’s also a Frenchman, and who doesn’t love a beautiful French?

Gemini Saga and Kanon

Oh good grief this will be a long explanation. For the sake of respect and love for these two, I’ll be going over them individually because why not make this post into a full on essay?

Frist of all, Saga, poor Saga. Dear lord the amount of trauma this man had to go through is just heartbreaking. A man with an undying loyalty to Athena with an evil split personality... A more tragic version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not only was he forced to see his evil side kill Pope Shion and take over his identity, he had to see him try to kill baby Athena and send another saint to kill Aiolos; And he had to endure that fact for thirteen years. By the time he was finally free of his evil half, he was practically begging his beloved goddess to forgive him for all the hurt he caused. A powerful yet tragic man indeed. Then there is his relationship with Kanon (of who we’ll talk about in a moment), because it’s also a little sad. Kanon was definitely, a bit of a traitorous prick in the beginning and it was his imprisonment that led to Saga’s split personality in the first place. Yet you could still say that they at least cared for each other despite all the bullshit they must’ve gone through whilst growing up, because Saga was definitely happy in the Hades arc when he found his brother fighting for Athena.

Now for Kanon, fucking Kanon who despite starting out as an infidel of a man, then became a great character in the same vain as his brother Saga. Dude wanted to overthrow the Pope and kill baby Athena but ended up getting his butt locked in Cape Sounion. Now we know what happens there; Finds trident, get’s Poseidon half awakened, poses as the Sea Dragon and yada yada. It’s only when fighting Ikki does he end up changing because it’s then when Ikki told him the only reason he’s even alive is because of Athena’s Cosmo. So, plans in scrambles and now possibly gripped with an overwhelming sense of guilt, he goes over to Athena and without skipping a beat, becomes a shield against Poseidon‘s trident and begs Athena to forgive him before falling unconscious. And of course, we know about everything in Hades arc.

In the end, both men are equally cherished characters of mine and I won’t have it any other way. Also their handsome Greek men who need hugs and kisses and need to be told that they are loved and appreciated, so...

Cancer Deathmask

Oh Deathmask, you beautiful bastard you... Now Deathmask is more of an asshole than Kanon for reasons we all know at this point but I’m guessing his behavior could be explain simply due to the fact he is literally surrounded by death everyday. Like seriously, is it really a surprise that he’s like this when he’s constantly exposed to seeing the souls of the living fall right into practically hell? Nobody would be the same if they had to endure that, especially since most likely he started training to become a saint at a very early age. Now, this is when Soul of Gold comes into play, because god damn it how they wrote his character is just something. Firstly, he’s shown to be an gambling addict and an alcoholic, clearly unhealthy coping mechanisms for not being able to use his cloth and you know, being exposed to death at an early age and onwards for most of his life. Then we have Helena; Now, I’m not gonna lie, the whole ‘Changed better because of love’ trope is very much old at this point but it’s kinda ok because it shows us ‘Hey, even he has the opportunity to change and become a good man’. Deathmask, despite all the things he’s done against mankind, still has the potential to become an honorable Gold Saint and a decent human being; Plus his a sexy Italian who can rock the goatee look, so yay for the crab.

Pisces Aphrodite

Ah yes, the beloved fish boi. Honestly, I love his character simply because he breaks so many boundaries that it would be hard for me not to like him. He plays into the whole ‘appearances can be deceiving’ stick so well; He looks feminine yet his personally is quite the opposite (to some extent). His personality is something that’s interesting to me as well; Despite being so god damn beautiful, he doesn’t act narcissistic at all and doesn’t even care about having his appearance messed up in battle. HIs belief that power and strength are the most beautiful things in the world speaks fucking volumes to me and explains why he was willing to follow the False Pope’s orders. His character in Soul of Gold was just great as well! Like, to see his abilities and power being fully used to it’s full potential was simply badass and I doubt others won’t disagree with me on that one; He was definitely key in the story despite showing little of him. That’s way I love him so much; He’s a gorgeous Swede who can kick your ass and think little of it. He’s the type of man who will look damn good beating you up while shrugging off any damage to his figure like a frickin’ boss... He’s just that dope.

OK, that’s the first part of this really long post; Honestly this took me nearly an entire day to write, like, really. I had to take a break and ended up taking a nap before finishing this, it was that long. Hope many of you agree with my reasons for loving these characters so far and if not, that’s ok! Opinions are fine as long as no one gets hurt, so it’s fine if you don’t like them like I do! Anyway, I’m just gonna rest now because my fingers are killing me. Have a great day guys!

#saint seiya #gold saint #soul of gold #capricorn shura #aquarius camus #gemini saga #sea dragon kanon #cancer deathmask #pisces aphrodite #libra dohko #taurus aldebaran #anime #favourites #knights of the zodiac

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the-obiwan-for-me · 4 years

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The Care and Feeding of Clan Kryze- Kenobi

At some point in “She Said the Word” (My Obitine AU), Tol’ket mentions being an expert on the care and feeding of Bo-Katan Kryze. Which made me wonder, what DOES Bo like to eat? Which then made me wonder about everyone else.

So, here it is, the definitive guide on the Care and Feeding of Clan Kryze-Kenobi.

Obi-Wan: Obi-Wan would have not called himself picky as a young man, but it took him a long time to adjust to the overwhelming spiciness that seems to be ubiquitous with traditional Mandalorian cuisine. The kitchen staff learned early on to dial down the heat for his sake….and be sure to provide appropriate condiments for the Duchess and her typical Mandalorian palate. Still, despite that, he is a game and adventurous eater, as long as the food isn’t trying to set his face on fire. But, if he had his way, he’d happily eat nerf burgers for the rest of his life.

Satine: Beyond her love for traditional Mandalorian cuisine, Satine is polite enough to eat what is set before her, but that doesn’t mean she will enjoy it. The one thing she does love, almost universally, is fruit, and hasn’t really found any type that she doesn’t enjoy. Some sort of fresh fruit can be found at all meals in the Kryze-Kenobi household.

Anakin: Food scarcity was a real thing for Anakin in his early childhood, so he will eat, quite literally, anything. He’s a bit fussy about meat, though, as the rare occasions he ate meat as a child were not great experiences. Tough, gamey, stringy roasted womp rats and off bantha meat just aren’t a great way to set up a kid for wanting to eat meat. As an adult, he tends to avoid it, only eating it when politeness dictates.

Padme: Like Satine, Padme was raised to politely eat whatever was set before her. Unlike Satine, she almost always enjoys everything. She’s never been picky, even as a small girl, and it has served her well in her life in politics. State dinners hosted by a wide assortment of species can mean some very odd, traditional meals, and, for the most part, she hasn’t found anything off putting. Except for the Mandalorians and their desire to blast their sinuses with heat. Despite the many shared meals she has had with her Mando’ade in-laws, she still finds herself coughing and sputtering at least once per meal. Padme does have a bit of sweet tooth and loves cookies, her favorite being, unbelievably, those mass produced blue wafer cookies. There is always a sleeve of them in her desk in her senate office. Always.

Korkie: Korkie loves food. All food. Any food. And he enjoys making his family squirm with the things he willing, eagerly tries when they are traveling. On his bucket list of foods to eat is a Felucian snail. Senator Orn Free Taa had told him about them when he was a small boy, and while the original tale had made him queasy, now all he wants is the chance to try one. He does also have a rabid sweet tooth, particularly for candy.

Lily: Despite her bold and wild way of living, Lily struggles to eat in the same manner. If she had her way, she’d eat nothing but one particular meal and jogan fruit for the rest of her days. But she tries to be adventurous, if for no other reason as to not be shown up by her big brothers. In fact, because of her penchant to eat whatever they ate, it was often a game for them, as children, to see what they could get her to eat by them eating it first. She built a high tolerance for eating absolute garbage because of that dumb game, so can and will survive if she has to. Her one no-go is meat. She’s totally skeeved out by eating animals and refuses to do so.

Bo-Katan: Bo started out life much like Satine- too polite not to eat what is in front of her- and while she is more or less still the same, her palate has changed drastically. Life in a secret terrorist organization doesn’t lend itself to fine dining. She tends to be very put off by things that are too sweet, too rich, too fatty, too salty. She likes simple foods (and heat. Lots of heat. The spicier, the better. She’s kriffing Mando’ad, after all). She hates the heavily processed, overly preserved food that seems rampant in soldier life, and avoids things like ration bars and MREs like the plague, only eating them when absolutely necessary. Flat bread and other baked goods are the best way to make an exhausted, underfed, overworked Bo-Katan easier to deal with.

Tol’ket: He and Bo have a similar palate, though for very different reasons. A soldier raised by a soldier raising a half dozen of his grandchildren meant that food was made to be simple, easy, and in large quantities. So, grown up Tol’ket tends to prefer simple, easy food. Despite that, he has slowly broadened his culinary horizons as Sundari has grown, carefully trying new and different cuisines that aren’t too weird, but definitely not the simple Mandalorian cuisine he grew up on. He’s found he likes a particular noodle dish (Mando cuisine doesn’t really lend itself to noodles...too complicated to make) and on the rare occasion he isn’t eating in his office, he can be found slurping up noodles at that one place he really likes. He also has a serious sweet tooth and an undying love of uj’alayi.

Ahsoka (of course she’s included): Another one who will eat literally anything. Partly due to good etiquette from being raised in the temple, partly due to her ridiculously high Togruta metabolism, there isn’t a meal Ahsoka won’t enjoy. She wasn’t sure about the spiciness of Mandalorian cuisine, but it’s growing on her, and Korkie gave her a bottle of her favorite Mando hot sauce to take with her. Now she can have a little taste of Mandalore wherever she is. She only shares it with Rex, though. Ahsoka also has developed quite the taste for uj’alayi. So much so, in fact, that it is common knowledge that if uj’alayi is being served at a family function she and Tol’ket will both be at, three need to be baked- one for her, one for him, and one for everyone else.

Ursa Wren (honorary ba’vodu): Krownest’s climate doesn’t exactly lend itself to a wildly diverse diet, even for Clan Wren, so Ursa grew up on a fairly simple diet of hunted game, tubers, and berries. Off world food and snacks were rare treats. Ursa doesn’t consider herself picky, which makes Bo-Katan laugh, because Ursa doesn’t know what to make of things like leafy green vegetables. Alrich, whose taste palate is as refined as his art, has slowly worked on expanding her culinary horizons, but, despite Ursa’s proclivity for reading recipes and watching cooking holoshows, she still can barely choke down a green salad and is happiest with a simple stew. She’s trying, though. Those Felucian snails he ordered for them that one time were actually really quite good.

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wisdomsfromeast · 4 years

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Namaste 🙏

Welcome back guys! I was literally out for 2 months searching Fanfics which can compete my or replace my Azuko ship for the reasons I will tell you. Firstly some part of my morality and culture etiquette where I live in and traditions which are dear to me were heavily conflicting in my mind that should I support this Incest shipping or not. Some said should and other said shouldn't. The other one overwhelmed plus having a sibling elder sister made me more conflicted that how could I? it's so taboo? If I write one what my public image would be? So I stopped supporting Zucest uninstalled the app and started searching good Fanfics of Other shipping which can counter Azuko. I literally read 5 to 7 fanfics a day just to have Zuko or Azula have peace in their life with their partners and you know what I got unnatural hatred or bashing of either Sibs which made either of their life miserable which I hated the most. Zuko centric ones got Azula either dead or made her total maniac. Azula centric ones made Zuko's future miserable or nearly made him small as if he was weak and Idiot from birth and Ozai was right. So let's start with shippings with their fanfics which could have countered Azuko

Zutara

The most celebrated pairing will ever find in ATLA fandom. Every day you will find thousands of writers write for this pair in FF.NET . Even though I hated this pair so much because of three main reasons. First Mutual distrust from the beginning. Second Opposite mindset. Third Impatient Katara.

I gave in through I read one of the best ones My Heart Burns for you

Sometimes it's just only beginning

Around the Sun

Fall of the White Lotus

AU ones like The Undying Fire Series

The Palace etc.

All of these are literally lack the most important thing attraction through sight even though writers force it its still not appealing. The dangerous thing which writers miss is suspicion my lord even though they are friends and Zuko sacrifice everything for stubborn Katara she always suspects and can't even read him. Zutara whatever you call it. It's failed creation just to feel love life for Zuko.

Sokkla

Reverse Zutara really. Sokka has brains and can control strong girls like Toph and Mai but Azula is too much for him to bear I series he outright fear her. Only in The Day of The Black Sun episode had some courage because she didn't had her bending when she got back he screams literally screams. I read

Gladiator 107 chapters

Airship Down with its sequel

Retroactive

Smoke Demon Series of MadameAtomic Bomb

Opposite Elements AU

Gentlemen of Weapons AU

Dishonoured

These are the best ones but what found the worst is they are not at all commited to each other especially Sokka is shown so reluctant and Azula is as casual as Ty Lee which both of them aren't. Sokka either cheats or leads himself in love triangle which I hate the most because one of the life either gets destroyed or damage.

Maiko

The worst one for me I really feel sorry for Mai but she should have encourage herself to be with Zuko in his childhood days if Zuko could have spoke in War room out of turn she could have been with him in banishment. She could have shown the courage which she have show in Boiling Rock I liked that. Zuko could have known more If Mai led herself open up more. Zuko even left her this show only one side love or to say infatuation Zuko is so cold in Maiko which he isn't. Even though few writers really focus them like.

Miscalculation and Equivalent Exchange by Ablaster86 (I read them)

They are literally used as side couple for Tyzula or Kataang which doesn't show how their relationship can develop and become one. Either their Marriage fails or they breakup which hurts me the most.

Tyzula

Yes most popular even though why I don't know. No Offence to LGBT community neither in the show both of them are shown homosexuals Ty Lee is flirty with cute boys as she claims and Azula is bitchy and frustrated that how boys hover around Ty Lee not me even though she so beautiful as jewel but boys fear her. No signs of romantic feelings for each other rather Ty Lee is bullied by Azula every time as a servant to keep her under her feet. Dominant love relationships exists I like those but Azula and Ty Lee's relationship is like Lion and Cheetah. Once got a chance strike back and free yourself. Just because Korrasami was promoted by creators bring Tyzula in counter. Just because Zuko has Mai and boys fear Azula bring Ty Lee with her who is most terrified from her. Somehow I read some

Restraint and Aphelion it's sequel

Broken Dragon and Fireflight by Nikipinz

Both in them Ty Lee acts like a friend in need but again Ty Lee is OOC a girl who freed herself from a Psychotic girl may help her in future but not sacrifice herself for friend she hated inwardly.

Zukka

Really they are Bros and thanks to Zuko he got his trust from a guy called him in names Angry Jerkbender before.

Jetko

Seriously I don't get just pair Zuko with everyone. I read

Foxfire and The Viper lizard tales

I couldn't get it what those writers wrote. How could Jet tolerate Firebenders or Fire Nation citizens. It will require whole character arc for Jet to understand Fire Nation like Zhao to believe in balance and harmony amongst nations in Rufftoon's Water Tribe.

Jetzula

The Palace

Again you know it will so hard for Azula even redeem one to have a peasant as a partner for life same goes to Jet to accept a Firebender.

Zukkaang

To much 😧😧 Zuko and Aang are friends please for God's sake bring characters those are ingrained with same sex attraction. I can't stand this ship didn't even bother to read any of its fanfics.

Azutara

Enemies till last breath and one killed one's last hope. One lost by one in her day of coronation anytime each see one another either of one will die. This pairing can't be supported because each caused huge pain which can't be relieved they can be distant friends but can't lovers. Even though I read one

Measure Each Step to Infinity

This one made me sad of Aang and Katara is too much selfish which she isn't. She likes to be concubine of her former enemy but hates to like live with a man whom she had all hopes of world peace and gave her life to save him. This is impossible! Writer didn't gave good reasons sudden changes.

Toko

This is a very interesting pairing Toph knows Zuko very well and in future they can understand each other as couple but one flaw which only limits them just to be friends is that Toph is a freedom loving girl and Zuko is honour bound to traditions and destined to be a good Fire Lord.

Embers

Lava and it's sequel

Just a Girl I recommend this one

Toph made Zuko to come out of his turmoil and become a master I just didn't like Azula being killed that was extreme.

Jinko

I read Ashes to Ashes but Zuko and Jin again I must say infatuation from Jin side. Zuko is really dork.

Zuki

Lost cause what can I say just to counter Zucest these ships are being made

Lost and Found by Tubendo

Addicted to Love

First one writer didn't knew when to start where both start to like each other. Second is just nonsense a Lord of a Nation started having crush on a Guard who has a love in her life more stronger than other's attraction come on Zuko isn't that kind of guy.

Ty luko

"I know you" "You don't know me" Those are heavy words Ty Lee used for Zuko she knows his depression and messed up life give by his parents. Even though show doesn't show any direct interaction between them except "I know you" Zuko acts as a moral support for Ty Lee. Boiling Rock is another big example Zuko's freedom gave Ty Lee hope to be free.

I know you

Good Fanfic I recommend.

One remained (Azulaang) I will give my detail analysis of mine in a next post because I read 10 of them and it's huge and I am not satisfied.

After whole lot of reading, self introspection and guidance from which I believe Scriptures. I literally fought a battle inside me and tried to find out which will win and Honestly Zucest won seriously just because it was incest I dropped it by societal norms. I was writing a Fic but stopped because what people will say? Crazy, deranged? But I can't resist it's too hot for them to be siblings and not to be intimate other wise I find that if they really wished to repair their relationship stop their all hatred of all those years they need love which will break those barriers and too much love always brings eros. So what's the big deal.

The Fire Royals allow Females to be Fire Lords so how come line continues if Female becomes Firelord and marries a noble even a sage which are below the rank. Household norms in every medieval culture is patriarchal. Which means child first belongs to man and to his family which results child to be a noble and not royal from his mother's line and that child will become the Fire Lord from that line of Family and the Royal line will end. Could it be possible for Princesses of Fire Nation got married with nobles or aristocrats and not to loose their claims to the throne are the Fire Royals that stupid that this will end their line if their females get the throne. Inbreeding is persistent among royals only just keep their divine status

As Azula says "Power is something you are born with" will her child get that power if she marry noble which are below the rank. Big No

Wisdomsfromeast

Timeout !!!

#Welcome Back

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blouisparadise · 6 years

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It’s been a while since our first A/B/O fic rec was created and because a ton of amazing A/B/O fics have come out since then, we decided to make a second part to this list. These are all alpha Harry/omega Louis fics (of course).

Happy reading!

Edit: We’ve added a third part to this rec list, which can be found here!

1) We’ll Stumble Through Heaven | Explicit | 6504 words

Louis likes to be a good boy for his alpha.

2) The Unsuccessful Promise | Teen & Up | 7152 words

At the end of the previous school year, Louis swore to everyone that he would return in the fall as an alpha. He made this promise especially to his arch-nemesis Harry Styles, who has already presented as an alpha himself.

Unfortunately over summer break, the worst thing possible happens: Louis presents as an omega. Now school is back in session and he has to return and face the consequences of pre-determining his status.

3) Something To Prove | Explicit 9425 words

Louis is the first and only omega to work at Red Valley Medical Center. Despite being more than qualified, he still faces prejudice for his career choice everyday. From patients refusing his treatment to condescending alpha doctors intervening with his work, practicing medicine in Boston is more challenging than Louis had ever thought it would be.

4) Night Out | Mature | 9741 words | Sequel

Symphony hall was the first place Louis had felt at home in this city, and he always had the box to himself. Until tonight.

5) Enjoy The Ride | Not Rated | 11103 words

The one where Louis, an omega more than tired of being treated as lesser than alphas, is forced on a road trip by his beta besties only to meet Harry who might just be the alpha he never knew he wanted.

6) Overwhelming | Explicit | 13261 words

Louis is an omega attending university to get his degree and most definitely not waste his time with unimportant things such as finding a mate. Harry is the alpha who manages to unwittingly mess up that plan.

7) No One Else Will Do | Mature | 13237 words

It takes Louis’ early heat for Harry and Louis to figure things out.

8) Anybody Have a Map? | Not Rated | 13873

The one where Louis met Harry in NYC where they bonded as fellow Brits in the large city. Years later, with Louis’ upcoming heat, maybe it’s time for their friendship to become something more.

9) If You Want More, Then Here I Am | Not Rated | 14558 words

The one where Harry and Louis are soulmates, but they can’t quite seem to get on the same page.

10) Just Let Me | Mature | 14714 words

The party was going well. So well, Niall had already sworn undying love to one multi-tiered chocolate cake, two friendly corgi-poodle mixes, Zayn’s hair, and the entire population of Los Angeles. So well, Zayn had only laughed and ruffled Niall’s hair and not even twitched towards a cigarette. So well, nearly everyone had spilled far past the boundaries of the night’s original plans, extracting bottles of vodka from the cabinets and losing a lot of clothes. Harry had proclaimed that he was finally going to throw a small and very grownup dinner party and of course here they were three hours later, fifty people half-naked in the pool. Soon to be full-naked, if Louis had to guess. Everybody in LA loved a heated pool. Everybody loved Harry.

11) Baby Honey | Explicit | 14744 words

When the next great war strikes, all alphas have to ship out. Alex leaves a little more behind than some of the others.

12) Never Understood What Love Was Really Like (But I Felt It For The First Time Looking In Your Eyes) | Not Rated | 18431 words

The one where Louis meets Harry at 14 and things don’t quite go as planned.

13) I Didn’t Fall For You (You Fucking Tripped Me) | Explicit | 20681 words

These days Louis tends to steer clear of dating alphas. He’s dated too many knotheads in his time, and he’s ready to just focus on school and his friends and his pet monitor lizard, of course.

Too bad the alpha next door won’t take a hint and stop using the worst pick up lines of all time on him. He’s really got to stop laughing with him–and talking to him and walking to class with him and letting him bring him coffee and tea and gifts for his lizard and watching Netflix together and…

14) Out Of The Wild | Explicit | 21502 words

Louis has spent most of his life as a wolf in the wild, Harry has spent most of his life as a human in the city. Their worlds collide during the audition process for the hottest new singing competition. What happens next should have expected.

15) Mark My Word (We Gon’ Be Alright) | Explicit | 35524 words

An A/B/O AU featuring an oblivious Harry as the pack leader, a pining Louis as his second-in-command, and an entourage of friends and family who are a little too good at keeping their mouths shut.

16) Worth Dying For | Explicit | 44906 words

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Louis says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. In the center of the table, a set of three glossy photos stares up at him, mocking him.

“A security detail is non-negotiable, Louis, you know this,” his mum reminds him, tapping the middle photo with two fingers.

Louis doesn’t look back down at the pictures, gesturing towards them wildly, over-dramatically. “This is not a security detail!” he protests. “This is a lanky college student. In what world do you hire someone like this kid to protect me?”

17) I Found A Love For Me (Darling Just Dive Right In) | Explicit | 46652 words | Sequel

Louis, an omega with very little control. Harry, an alpha with a lot of emotion. Neither of them have any idea what do to with this little thing called love, but they’ll be damned if they don’t put up a good fight.

18) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words

AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can’t do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor’s certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream.

That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn’t seem to like him complicates matters, though.

19) Where You Lay | Explicit | 86035 words

Note: There’s a small implied BH mention.

When Louis's upcoming heat threatens his success at his new dream job, he asks the best (and only) person he can think of to help him through it: his best mates' best mate, Harry Styles. Harry reluctantly accepts, and together the two navigate a strange friends with benefits relationship that quickly turns complicated.

20) A Taste Of Desire | Explicit | 104414 words

A Victorian ABO where Harry is the owner of the most successful cotton mill in Manchester, and Louis is an opinionated social activist about to disrupt Harry’s world.

21) Falling Into You | Mature | 143109 words

In the grand scheme of adolescence and boyhood, Harry was still working himself out, so far with little luck. But four things he could say for certain: 1) he’d been at the top of his class all through primary and secondary school, 2) he was the shittiest alpha to ever walk the earth, 3) Liam Payne never let him forget it, and 4) he’d been in love with this boy, Louis Tomlinson, ever since he was fifteen years old.

22) Cold Little Heart | Teen & Up | 194740 words

Louis is a soft omega with an abusive past and an alpha child. A few months after getting a divorce, Louis meets Harry, an ex-military alpha wolf that offers him something odd.

In exchange for teaching him how to cook, Harry will babysit his son, Abraham. Louis really could use the help.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

#a/b/o #bottom louis #top harry #fic recs #blp #blp fic recs #larry

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calderwoodrp · 5 years

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☆ AUSTIN CROSS

introduction –

NAME. Austin Cross PRONOUNS. He/him AGE & BIRTHDATE. 36 | January 9, 1983 HOMETOWN. San Francisco, CA NEIGHBORHOOD. Idlewild OCCUPATION. Mechanic at Cross Motors FACECLAIM. Jensen Ackles

story –

[ cw: alcoholism, cancer, death mention, drug use, dui ]

Like many empaths, Austin has spent most of his life being highly intuitive often giving too much of himself and absorbing the emotions of others to a draining extent. It’s been this way for as long as he can remember but perhaps could be pinpointed after the death of both his parents in a drink driving accident when he was fifteen.

Both himself and his younger brother, who was only twelve at the time, were passed between various family members. The most prominent being his Auntie June, a loving lady who struggled financially with her low income yet went above and beyond to create a supportive and safe environment for the boys. Austin forced himself to grow wiser beyond his years to help Junebug as he fondly called her, sacrificing most of his adolescence either working paper rounds, doing garden work or other odd jobs. His priority became providing a stable influence in his younger brother’s life and helping June with anything she needed. As a result, Austin was an isolated teenager and never experienced rights of passages many others do like cliché rebelling or parties.

As soon as he was old enough, Austin’s brother moved from San Francisco for good, chasing his dream of being a successful musician. Austin was left in a state of limbo. Not only had most of his own ambitions been put on the back burner, he was now the sole carer of June when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His younger brother didn’t even fly back in her final days and it was only Austin who remained by her hospital bed as she passed away. He was unable to be angry at his brother’s lack of care; he found a way to understand and forgive him. San Francisco held many bad memories for them both and Austin, as always, sympathised.

Their parent’s death had affected Austin deeper than he wanted to admit and after June passed away all of Austin’s grief became entangled and resurfaced. With no definite career ambitions, he was content with settling for whatever jobs were available and has dabbled in many professions over the years. The only one that truly suited him, and his capabilities has been as a mechanic as it combined his love of cars with a way of earning money. Drink and recreational drug use became his vices and because he was able to hold down a job, he never considered himself to have a problem. By chance, Austin began a close friendship with another man who he later learned was an established drug dealer. For extra cash, he started debt collecting for him. These years were dark for him and he watched himself become vacuumed into a way of life that went against his basic nature.

While attempting to collect a small drug debt from a younger woman called Evelyn Parker, cupid struck. Austin had a soft spot for her instantly, taking pity on her situation he paid the debt off on her behalf and didn’t hesitate to ask her out on a date. The relationship grew steadily but was perhaps doomed from the start, their social lifestyle always resulted in drunken arguments. They were on and off again, arguing one second and then professing undying love for each other the next. Austin felt as if he was trying everything in his power to fix not only Evie but himself, but there’s only so much he could give before wondering when he’d be allowed to take.

Eventually, Austin succeeded down the path of sobriety and managed to ditch the unhealthy grip drugs and drink held on his life. Evie didn’t but he remained a constant in her life trying to nudge her in the right direction. Evelyn was often unfaithful and her uncut ties to men that were clearly no good for her seemed to always draw her back in. Austin found it hard to walk away from her, he could see something in her that made it impossible for him to hate her. Like a sucker, he’d always take her back when she turned up on his doorstep only for the same things to happen again. After sleeping together while on a break, Evie dropped out of contact. This was a common occurrence and Austin decided how he had enough of the games and refused to make first contact. Two months went by and the silence had driven him crazy. Finally caving, he turned up at her home to make sure she was okay. Instead, her mother announced how she had packed up and left San Francisco because she was pregnant. She didn’t answer any calls or messages and Austin must have left hundreds of voicemails, wanting to know if he was the baby’s father. Nothing. The girl had simply vanished and the only bit of information he had was that she was in her hometown of Calderwood. Finally, four months later he received one message from Evelyn that simply stated how it was possible he could be the father and then that was it, silence yet again.

Furious that the girl seemed to be playing more games, Austin couldn’t just let it go. The idea of becoming a father had overwhelmed him, his heart becoming set on it. He made it his goal to save money and relocate to Calderwood. It’s taken him under a year of planning, saving and determination but he’s finally done it. Austin was able to save more than he hoped for, and the money he received from selling the house June left for him has been able to fund starting his own business. He understands that trying to find a girl who doesn’t want to be found won’t be an easy task and finding her is only the beginning. Luckily, escaping San Francisco seems an adventure all its own. Austin has only lived in Calderwood for three weeks and is firstly focused on establishing new roots in the city before he goes searching for answers that could make him or break him.

WRITTEN BY CLAIRE. SHE/HER. EST.

#austin cross*#taken*#idlewild*

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lala-kate · 7 years

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From End to Beginning: Ch. 4

@drevazambrano....I am your Secret Admirer! Happy Valentine’s Day from me and @lovefromoq! You’re getting Chapter 4 today and Chapter 5 tomorrow, but if you haven’t been reading From End to Beginning, (ff.net link here )don’t worry. These two chapters can be read as stand-alones. I thought this story would fit the bill for someone who prefers mature, parental OQ and enjoys angst.

And just so you know, FETB is Zelena free. :)

I’ll be posting both chapters on both AO3 and ff.net on tomorrow. I do hope you enjoy this, Amanda, and that your Valentine’s Day is fabulous. It was an honor and a joy to be your OQSA.

XO--Laura

Mr. Locksley,

I know this message will come as quite a shock to you, but I’ve just learned of your existence, and I’d like to meet you if you’re agreeable to this suggestion. I’m currently staying with my birth mother at her house on Piper Beach, a place I’m told you know fairly well. I just met her yesterday, and it’s a bit overwhelming, as I’m certain you can understand. But she’s lovely, a real fighter, and last night she told me your name and in doing so gave me the final puzzle piece to my life.

You see, my name is Henry. I’m twenty years old. And I’m your son.

Robin reads the email again, wondering if on the third reading the words will organize themselves differently. But they remain in the same order, the same meaning searing into his mind and seeping into his pores, waking him up in a manner he’d never before experienced.

My name is Henry. I’m twenty years old. And I’m your son.

Your son.

His son. Christ--he has a son?

His body tingles, his skin feels alive, the name Henry singeing veins and making him hot and cold at the same time. A son-his son. How long...why hadn’t...where did he...how in God’s name--?

Piper Beach. My birth mother. His son’s birth mother.

Regina Mills.

Regina--his first love, his sole love, the only woman he’s ever regretted, the only woman with whom he’d ever shared his heart. He can’t eat shrimp or drink Coke without thinking of her, has avoided the beach religiously since that summer, knowing the pull of the incoming tide would lull him back into a past from which he’d be loathe to leave. He’d kept the sand dollar she’d given him, one they’d found near their cave, the cave where they’d lost their virginity, the cave where they’d evidently conceived a child.

A son. His son. Their son.

Christ. Bloody, bloody Christ.

He’d left Regina at the end of that summer, hadn’t reached out to her to let her know that he and his mother had had to move in with her cousin after her cancer diagnosis, hadn’t sent her his new address because he’d been too ashamed of the fact that he’d given up his dreams and ambitions and had continued in work he’d hoped to leave behind him. She’d been accepted to Vassar. He worked in construction. He and his mother were practically penniless. She belonged to a society that would never see him as anything but the help. They were from totally different worlds, heading towards totally different futures. Why prolong something that would just break him in the end?

So he’d tried to block her out of his mind and memory, had ignored regret’s sting and guilt’s ugly head, and he’d moved forward as best as he could, trudging through life with a self-imposed limp. Without entanglements. Without attachments. Telling himself over and over that he’d done Regina a favor by staying out of her life. He’d set her free to pursue bigger and better things, to find someone who could give her all that she deserved in life rather than being attached to a man who’d struggled to pay for food and his mother’s medical bills.

But she’d been pregnant...with his baby...his son...a boy she’d evidently given up for adoption just after he was born. And she’d endured all of it--pregnancy, childbirth, and giving up her baby without him.

He’d been an eighteen year old jerk who’d tried his best to paint himself as a martyr.

And she’d been seventeen--seventeen--no more than a child herself. How hard had that been for her? Her heart was so tender, so open to love, so deserving of deep and undying affection, yet she’d handed over a child he knew she’d cherish with every bone in her body. Her family had the means to raise and care for her baby, so if she gave him away, she’d either felt backed into a corner and feared that having a child at such a young age would hold her back, or…

Or she’d been on her own and was given no choice. Had her family abandoned her? It certainly sounds like something her gorgon of a mother would have done, and her father never had the balls to stand up to her, at least according to what Regina told him.

Regina. Shit. Being with him that summer had cost her everything.

He doesn’t realize that his hands are shaking until he picks up his coffee mug and nearly spills its contents all over his kitchen table. He sets it down and rubs his hands through his hair, working off a nervous energy that’s taken control of his limbs.

Henry. His son. His and Regina’s son conceived twenty-one years ago. A living, breathing human being who wants to meet him, who is with her, who knows more about his past than he does himself. And at this moment, the two missing pieces from his life were together in the very place where he’d first felt truly alive even as a new life had been created.

That life is now twenty years old.

What the hell is he supposed to do?

He stands and paces the kitchen, rubbing hands over a face he’s certain has aged ten years in five minutes. His feet carry him back to his bedroom, back to his nightstand, into a drawer that holds a handful of things that are precious to him: a photograph of his mother, his grandfather’s pocket watch, a copy of his favorite high school math teacher’s letter of recommendation he’d been certain would help him be accepted into the college of his choice, and a picture of Regina on Piper Beach.

I’m currently staying with my birth mother at her house on Piper Beach, a place I’m told you know fairly well.

Piper Beach. That place had been imprinted into his very DNA that summer.

There are times he’s certain he still feels its sand between his toes and its salt in his lungs, and as he stares at her photograph, his throat thickens, thinking of all they experienced inside that cave by which she stands.

How they’d shaken as they touched each other in awe, as hands first explored what mouths would later taste, how they’d given each other everything and accepted everything in return. He’d nearly come apart when he’d entered her the first time, so in awe of how it felt to be inside a woman, not knowing then that no other woman he encountered would ever feel like her. He’d loved her with a purity he’d denied everyone else since then besides his mother, and he rubs his face again, feeling the beard that hadn’t existed when he’d kissed her for the first time.

He’d loved her. But he’d left her. And she had borne his son.

He doesn’t realize he’s crying at first, but he finally sits on his bed and allows tears to pour out of him like dam unleashed. Years of self-imposed loneliness and regret collide with his living past, a past he can no longer hide from, a past he both wants and fears to face.

We’ll get married once I finish college and get a job.

He’d made promises that cancer had broken as if they were no sturdier than a pile of matchsticks, promises he’d sealed with his grandmother’s ring yet walked away from when life got too hard. But Regina hadn’t been able to walk away, for his broken vows had taken root inside her womb, most likely marking her as a failure in her mother’s eyes and forcing her into a decision she should have never had to have made on her own.

Would she ever be able to forgive him if he asked? Will he ever be able to forgive himself.

His bag is half-packed before he realizes what he’s doing, and he calls Tuck on his way out the door. He knows his crew can take care of things while he’s gone--they’re good people, he’s chosen well. But he stalls once he’s inside his truck, leaving the key in the ignition as he lays his forehead on the wheel and tries to breathe.

He doesn’t need GPS to tell him how to get to his destination. He could hike to Piper Beach from memory and has often enough in his dreams. But two people are there now, two people who mean more than his own life, two people who have every right to hate him yet have reached out to invite him back.

Regina Mills. Henry Jones. His only love and their son.

He prays to God that he won’t fuck things up royally this time.

______________________________________________________________

Two and half hours later, he parks one block away, afraid of parking too close to her house, afraid of encroaching into her life again, wondering why when he’s already encroached far enough to forever alter her life. He stares at the ocean, at the play of sunlight on water, at the fluidity of the horizon, at the depth of his guilt.

A boy is waiting for him--no, a young man, rather, a child he should have known but never got to meet, a son he should have held at least once. He’s certain Regina held their baby before she gave him away, and his heart nearly shatters at the thought of what that did to her.

If he’d been there, would things have been different? What could he have offered a wife and child at the age of nineteen besides debt, disappointment and desperate times?

He could have been there. That’s about it. But Regina deserved at least that, and he’d stripped her of that right, as well.

He rubs his face again, remembering now that he’d forgotten to shave before he jumped into his truck and took off without looking back, and he chuckles to himself as he takes a final swig of cold, gas station coffee. What sort of picture will he make for this son he’s never known? What impression must he already have of him, of a man who would leave a teenage mother alone and uncared for without a forwarding address?

Had she written to him? He’s certain that she did, and he closes his eyes to sunlight that’s now too bright as he steps out of his truck and onto pavement sprinkled with sand.

As sand through an hourglass, he thinks to himself, gazing out upon a landscape that shifts at the will of the tides. Did any sand from that summer remain, he wonders, hidden in crevices just out of the ocean’s reach? Perhaps in their cave, tucked away with memories too precious and pure to disturb by the present, even though his present was crafted within its walls. He looks to his right, half tempted to visit the cave before he faces the two people in this world he owes more than he can ever pay, regardless of the size of his bank account.

He owes them a life. He owes them everything.

A breeze hits him then, ruffling his shirt and hair, pushing him away from the shore to which he is bound even as it carries the scent of forever in its wake. He removes his shoes as he steps into the sand, closing his eyes again as he allows it to caress his toes. One step, then another, until the sand becomes firm and the water licks his feet. Gulls fly overhead, as do pelicans, and he watches their V-formation in fascination, half wishing he could soar with them back in time and correct what he’d forever messed up.

But he can’t. He can only move forward and face those he left behind.

He turns to his left and begins to walk, pausing only to roll up his pants legs until they nearly reach his knees. They’d sneaked kisses all over this beach, had held hands and played in the surf, swam in the ocean and ridden the waves. They’d tried to have sex in the water once, only to end up being knocked over repeatedly and laughing until their sides hurt. Then they’d gone to their cave where they’d caressed and made up for lost time.

Lost time, he murmurs, his words carried away by the wind and surf. Sand through an hourglass, indeed.

He spies the cottage, a reclaimed relic now brimming with life, and his heart thuds in time with the surf, making him stop to catch his breath and regroup. Are they inside, he wonders, talking, connecting, getting to know each other after his decisions tore them apart? He sees nobody at the shore, so he assumes that they must be, and he forces himself to start moving again, to keep his gaze steady and his direction marked.

He will face the mess that he made of their lives. He has to. Regina and Henry deserve no less.

Kites fly further down the beach, and he imagines what it would have been like to fly kites with his son, to teach him to swim and to fish, to play frisbee and ball and read stories together at night. Did Henry have that growing up? Had he been given a father who loved him, who read to him, who took him camping and swimming and taught him how to treat a woman?

As if he had any room to judge on that final matter.

His hand runs through his hair as her cottage looms closer, and he swallows repeatedly, counting steps, marking off years, thinking of all the birthdays he missed, all the milestones, all the years of knowing a piece of him was living and breathing just out of his reach. He wonders what he looks like, what she looks like now, how he should greet them, what he should say? The questions keep tumbling around in his mind until everything stills into mist as he reaches the front porch and stops short.

His life. His family, or what should have been his family. They’re right through that door. And he can’t approach it for the life of him.

There’s a noise from inside, a door, perhaps, and he swallows again as he seeks the courage to move. Just do it, he tells himself. You’ve come this far, and you owe it to him, no, to them. Henry initiated contact, and to walk away now would be the worst kind of cowardice, so he takes one more step, and then another, and then another until he’s at the front door, fist raised to knock, heart in his hands.

For Regina, he murmurs. For Henry. Then he takes a deep breath and knocks.

Seconds tick by, and he wonders if he should knock again when the knob turns from the inside and the door swings open. His past stands before him, alive and breathing, staring at him with the same bewilderment Robin knows is splashed across his face.

God, he’s taller than he’d imagined, with hair a color right in between his and Regina’s and a straightforward gaze he’d inherited from his mom. He can’t look away from him, trying his best to remember words he’d practiced in the car, words he’d repeated and repeated until they’d been burned into memory, words that have deserted him along with his dignity at the sight of a twenty year old young man.

“H-Henry? Henry Jones?”

The words tumble out with no shape or form, crashing in between them into shards of curiosity. Eyes crease, a mouth opens and closes again as the surf continues to pound behind them.

“You must be Robin.”

There’s a tinge of fear in Henry’s voice, and he won’t have that, not for all the tea in China.

“I am,” he manages. “I-I got your email.”

Blue locks with brown as the tide presses in, then a tentative smile breaks, a young hand extends, and contact is made that sears him forever. Only one other person has marked him physically like this, the same one he’d marked in return with his child.

“I’m so glad you came,” Henry says, shaking his head in wonder, obviously just as nervous as he is. “I wasn’t sure that you would, especially this quickly.”

He feels released and bound all at once.

“Why wouldn’t you doubt me when I’ve been absent your entire life.”

His chin quivers, and tears too persistent to fight break free. Then younger arms take a hold of his shoulders and guide him inside, into the very cabin Regina’s mother had forbidden him to enter even as he’d entered her womb. He’s intruding on her yet again.

“I know you didn’t know,” Henry says with a shake of his head. “About me. Regina told me that.”

He’s sitting on a sofa looking at a boy he should have met twenty years ago, trying to pull himself out of the surreality of it all.

“I didn’t,” he mutters, trying his best to steady his voice and his hand. “I had no idea until this morning. God, if I’d known…”

The words fracture apart before spilling out of him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth he fully deserves.

“She tried to tell you,” Henry continues. “But she couldn’t find you. I think it’s only fair that you know that.”

He nods through his tears, trying to make out his son’s face through blurry vision.

“I assumed as much,” Robin returns. “Trust me, I hold no blame for anyone in this situation except for myself.”

A dark cloud envelopes him, even as sunlight warms his neck, yet his fingers are frozen, as if his body is suspended between two realities. He hears Henry get up and walk across the room to grab some glasses and fill them with ice, and he wipes his face quickly, needing to see details, wanting to memorize everything even if it shreds him to bits.

“Water?”

He takes the glass and sips from it gratefully.

“Thank you,” Robin says. “And not just for the water.”

Henry’s eyes study him, eyes that are filled with his mother’s intelligence and curiosity.

“So you’re glad I contacted you? I--we weren’t sure that you would be.”

The question hovers between them as Robin breathes it in.

“I’m very glad,” he assures his son. “And also very ashamed.”

Ice tinkles in the glass Henry picks up.

“You were a kid,” Henry states, taking a sip of his own water. “And you didn’t know.”

“I should have been there for you,” Robin insists. “For you and your mother. If I was old enough to father a child, I was old enough to own the responsibility.”

Henry quirks his head as he sets his water down on the end table.

“You were younger than I am now. You both were.”

Air rushes out of Robin’s lungs as he rubs his hand over his head.

“I know,” he replies. “And I’m sure I would have made plenty of mistakes with you. But I still should have been there, for both of you.”

“You’re here now,” Henry says. The words settle into his chest, releasing one knot as yet another forms. “God knows you didn’t have to come, but you did.”

“Of course I had to come,” Robin replies. “You’re--Christ, Henry, you’re my son.”

They stare at each other, forging the beginnings of a connection that hints at redemption.

“So you’re alright with having a son?” Henry asks.

“I’m blown away,” Robin admits. “It all still seems surreal, like I’m in the middle of a dream or something, but yes. I’m more than alright with having a son. I just wish…”

Emotions overpower speech, and he inhales to restore the balance.

“I just wish I could have known you sooner.”

Henry’s hand reaches out and lays atop his own, the contact so mesmerizing he almost cannot breathe.

“I had a good life. You don’t have to worry about that.”

He’s crying again then, nodding, relieved, and more ashamed than he’s ever been in his life.

“I’m so glad,” Robin says. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t have been the one to give you that life.”

“But you did, in a way,” Henry states. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. You gave me life in the first place, you and Regina. And then she gave me a new life when she gave me up for adoption, a life I’ve never regretted, not one single day.”

He wipes his face with his arm, reaching out for his water and taking a drink.

“That’s good,” Robin returns, pulling his composure back together piece by piece. “And even if I’d been there for your mother, we might have had to make the same decision. I had nothing to offer her, much less a child…” His words break off as he stares out the window at the sea. “But she shouldn’t have had to make that decision by herself. That wasn’t fair.”

“No,” Henry agrees. “It wasn’t. But maybe you can be there for her now.”

He realizes with a start that he has no idea where she is, and he looks around the small cabin, somehow knowing she’s not here at the moment.

“She’s at the grocery,” Henry answers before he asks. “And just so you know, she has no idea I contacted you.”

“Shit,” he murmurs, only to shake his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“No,” Henry interrupts. “You’re right. I was going to tell her sometime today, because I thought I had more time. She was nervous about how you’d respond to finding out about me, and I honest to God didn’t think you’d respond as quickly as you did.”

The thought of Regina seeing him out of the blue just after meeting their son sets his nerves on edge. She’s been through enough on his account. The least he can do is allow Henry to give her a proper warning that he’s come back into their lives after a twenty-one year absence.

“I should leave” Robin asks, standing up quickly. “Just so she doesn’t have to see me without warning after all these years. I could go get a room somewhere close by, then you--”

The sound of a car door closing interrupts him, and he gazes back at his son wide-eyed.

“I think it’s too late for that,” Henry says, looking somewhat concerned himself. “It sounds like she just got home.”

He’s frozen in time and space, everything suspended in slow motion as he looks from his son to the front door, wondering if he should hide, if he should sit down, if he should run out the side door like the guilty teenager who’d left her alone and pregnant? But his feet won’t budge, so he stands there like a condemned man begging for a pardon he doesn’t deserve.

Then he hears her on the porch as his lungs tighten and his palms grow damp. He watches as the handle turns and the door swings open, then he’s looking at the woman who forever changed his life, a woman who is more beautiful than she’d been as a girl, a woman he’d put through hell and back because he’d loved her.

She sees him. Time stops. And all of the groceries clatter to the floor.

#outlaw queen #love from oq #valentine's day #Regina Mills #Robin Hood #Henry Mills #from end to beginning #Laura writes

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magichcuse · 5 years

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&. BASICS

Full Name: Samson Brennan Mayer-Gander Foley

Nicknames: Sam, Sammy, "Sammy Sunshine", etc. (Bre has a whole arsenal)

Sexuality: Pan, assumed that everyone was pan for the longest time.

Date of Birth: June 21st

Place of Birth: -

Gender & Species: Male, 3/4 duck 1/4 goose

Current Location: -

&. MORE BASIC INFO

Languages: English

Religion: N/A

Education: In public school

Occupation: -

Drinks, Smokes, & Drugs: N/A

&. PERSONALITY

Likes:

Watching the weather; predicting it using his knowledge and magic

Spending time with his mother- cuddling her, reading with her, etc.

Sour things- especially lemon.

Coloring- has more crayons, markers, and colored pencils than one person would reasonably need to own. Has some high quality art supplies and colors beautifully. He occasionally draws pictures as gifts for his mother, but he'd rather color in something premade.

Crafting- building models from kits and the like.

Collecting rocks and gems. Weather is his primary focus, but he has a secondary interest in geology. Knowing how the earth works and what it's made of fascinates him.

Petting Ulf and teaching him tricks (Ulf already has a higher level of intelligence compared to most rabbits, he just plays along to amuse him. Plus, Samson spoils him with treats that Bre would never reasonably allow him to have.)

Dislikes:

People who think they're superior to everyone else/ostracize others for being "unusual"- Samson has been surrounded by "unusual" people his entire life and proudly considers himself to be one even if others wouldn't.

Being left alone for too long- even when he doesn't feel like being social, he likes to sit next to his mother in silence.

Itchy/uncomfortable fabric & clothing tags- why wear clothes that aren't comfortable to wear?

People insulting his loved ones, especially his mother- the moment someone says something bad about Bre (usually regarding her appearance), he loses all respect for them even if he considered them one of his closest friends the minute before.

Fast food- the grease makes him feel sick.

Climate change deniers- they make no sense to him.

Bad Habits:

Leaving lights on/faucets running- Despite trying hard to be eco-friendly, he tends to forget to turn off lights/faucets if he isn't using them.

Not putting things back where he found them- no matter how many times Bre tries to keep her home orderly and organized, Samson unravels it all the moment he borrows something from her

Overfeeding Ulf- the jackalope has gained weight ever since Samson has been giving him treat after treat. Bre has tried putting Ulf on a diet, but again, Samson foils these attempts quickly.

Secret Talent: Samson keeps this hidden ("with great power comes great responsibility"), but he knows how to control the weather as well. He uses it sparingly since he doesn't want his magic to have drastic consequences.

Hobbies:

Cloud watching- seeing shapes in the clouds; determining the different types of clouds and what they mean

Hiking- studying animal tracks, taking in the beautiful scenery, etc.

Scrapbooking - usually with his mother, uses a ton of glue and glitter

Gardening- again, usually with his mother, often gets covered in mud and dirt no matter how careful he is

Sports- mainly ping pong and badminton

Kite flying- has kites of varying designs and is learning how to design his own.

Catching frogs, lizards, insects, etc.- Samson usually sets them free after unless they are injured or sick.

Fears:

Getting lost/losing his mother- even when Bre allows him to go into a different aisle in a store or something like that, Samson never leaves his mother's side. He gets home sick too, he doesn't attend sleepovers because he can never actually seem to sleep at them. Samson also is nervous when his mother is sick or injured, staying home to care for her no matter how that might affect him.

The apocalypse- Samson has seen one too many specials about how the planet will become inhabitable if people don't change their habits.

Swans- a swan delivered Samson to Bre for Neil and he wasn't too nice to him. Since then, Samson's feathers stick up when he sees a swan though he doesn't understand why.

Five Positive Traits:

Accepting- you could have 187 eyes and Samson would gladly be your friend so long as you were nice.

Loyal- Samson would never betray the ones he loves, especially not Bre. He'd sacrifice anything he could for his mama.

Optimistic- No matter how bad things get, they'll always get better! That's what Samson learned from Bre, anyway.

Inquisitive- Samson has an undying curiousity and absorbs knowledge like a sponge.

Social- Samson is good at befriending people and socializing. He's extroverted by nature, people in his school and around town all know who he is.

Five Negative Traits:

Naive- Breanna definitely shelters Samson. He still has a childlike innocence and still has a sunny outlook on the world, blatantly unaware of the very serious and harsh realities of the world.

Intense- Samson's overwhelming positivity is just that... overwhelming.

Overly trusting- A romantic partner could cheat on Samson in front of his eyes and he wouldn't be upset because that person definitely still loves him! They just have multiple partners and nothing's wrong with that! This ties into the naivety thing, Samson being unable to conceptualize someone who'd be okay using people for their own gain.

Disorganized- Samson places things wherever he pleases and loses them a minute later. This drives Bre bonkers, but she's still patient with her lil boy.

Impulsive- Will Samson try to flush a roll of toilet paper down the toilet to see what would happen? Yes. Will Samson climb on top of the flag pole just to see if he could do it? Yes. Anything Samson could possibly want to do is done almost immediately, no matter how unwise that decision might be.

Other Mentionable Details: ( can include mental disorders, quirks, etc. )

&. APPEARANCE

Tattoos: N/A

Piercings: N/A

Reference Picture:

&. FAMILY INFORMATION

Parent Names: Breanna Mayer-Gander Foley; Neil Crossfeather

Parent Relationship: Samson is incredibly close with his mother. Bre is probably his favorite person in the world. He was and still is a pretty clingy son, never wanting to go too long without her. She doesn't mind this at all, loving spending quality time with her lil boy. Plus, Breanna is a pretty anxious mother and prefers to keep her son close by. Bre can't say no to Samson- she's more of a pushover than her father. Luckily for her, Samson's undying loyalty towards his mother keeps him from taking advantage of her submissive nature. They have a mutual trust that is pretty much unbreakable.

Neil has been absent for most of Samson's life, but made a brief (failed) attempt to take parental control from Bre. Hasn't tried contacting Samson since, they're both on bad terms with each other.

Sibling Names: -

Sibling Relationship: -

Other Relevant Relative(s): Too many.

#{behind the feathers} | ooc #{sunny day; rainy day what's the difference anyway?}| samson #bios #wip #((posting the wip bc i don't have time or energy to write a full bio))#((but i also want to have info about the boy on here for reference))

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maryenette-writes · 8 years

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They Never Told You [Dick Grayson x Reader]

A/N: Remember that thing I apologized in advance for? This is the thing

Pairing: Dick Grayson x Reader x Barbara Gordon

Word Count: 2257

@the-singing-canary @saramdeuli @schninner-writes-some-stuff

His perfection was uncanny. The swelling in your chest that occurred at the mere mention of his name left you breathless, took the air from your lungs and suffocated you. His smile, his laugh, his very presence brought every single cell of your body alive.

They never told you love was going to be like this.

They say you fall in love slowly, then all at once. You never heard of the tight feeling in your bosom that accompanied love though, or the way your heart sped up to an impossible pace when you heard his voice, or the shivers along your back when he touched you. You had fallen, and you had fallen hard.

Though who wouldn’t fall for a man such as Dick Grayson. You were a girl when you met him, and he was a boy, and you two were so young but there was a certainty there that only grew with time. You thought it was some silly crush that would dimmer out when you got older, but no. It was more than that.

They never told you love was going to stay like this.

Your love for him was raw, and passionate, and earth-shattering. His happiness was your utopia, his sadness was your despair, his anger was your fury and his pain was your misery. It was almost pathetic how devoted you were to him.

How could you not be though? You lost your parents at a young age and Bruce took you in several months after taking in Dick. He understood you, for he also knew the pain of loss. You two were each other’s backbones, always there for each other no matter what. He told you everything and you told him everything… well, except for your undying love for him. However, the closeness was not just a blessing, it was a curse, and it was funny how there was such a thin line between the two.

They never told you friendship would turn into this.

There was a time you thought that perhaps, just maybe, Dick returned your feelings. Looking back, you were a fool. He was just kind, a good friend. He was like that to everyone. You were blind by your affections, trying to trick your mind into thinking he loved you too. You were too desperate, you held onto the smallest things.

You realized you had no chance when you met Barbara Gordon. She took the title ‘Batgirl’ while you moved onto a new persona, [S/H/N].

It was subtle, but you knew him too well. He was your best friend after all, and you had studied him to such length you knew him better than yourself. The signs were there, and even when you didn't want to believe it, it was clear; he loved Barbara.

They never told you love would be unrequited like this.

And so it began; your spiral into depression. You watched as the man you loved so dearly, for so long, fall for another woman, a woman who was more superior in every way.

You hated how sickeningly likable Barbara was. You couldn’t hate her even if you wanted to. She took your love away yet you still looked up to her like a sister. You had no one else after all, no family, no friends, nobody except them.

How could you compete with her? Intelligent, kind, fierce, beautiful, determined with skills only you could dream of. She was your replacement. Soon, he drifted from you and towards her, and all you could do was stand and watch.

They never told you love was going to be as painful as this.

A knock resonated through your room. With a defeated sigh, you walked to open the door and almost jumped out of your skin when you saw Dick standing there, smiling like an idiot and making your heart melt.

“Dick, what--what are you doing here?” You inquired, feeling your heart do dances in your chest.

Dick pushed you inside the room and quickly closed the door, radiating excitement. It confused you greatly, but there was a glimmer of hope, hope that deep down, under his feelings for Barbara and his obliviousness, he found unknown feelings for you.

“Okay, I need to talk to you about something.” He started, bouncing with anticipation.

“What is it?” Your heart was beating so fast it made your head pound. Was this it? Was he finally...

“If I ask Babs out, do you think she will say yes?”

They never told you your world would fall as hard as this.

There was a ringing in your ears you couldn't get rid of. Your vision was blurring out, there was faint movement from your chest. You were frozen in time, unable to comprehend the question.

However, you always knew. In some corner of your mind, you knew this day would come, but just because you knew it was coming, it didn't mean it hurt any less.

“Y-Yeah! I’m sure she’ll--” you swallowed and tried to keep your voice steady, “she’ll say yes.”

“Really? You think so?” He asked, sounding more hopeful than you had ever seen him. You swore you heard your heart shatter.

“Yeah. I-I mean, who would not love you?” You chuckled, trying to mask your heartbreak.

A wide grin spread across his face and he raced to embrace you tightly. His cologne was overwhelming, his warmth comforting, and you cherished this moment with him. How long has it been since you've been in his arms? How long will it be until he hugged you again?

They never told you love would rip your heart out like this.

You watched them, laughing and smiling as if they didn't have a care in the world.

You never spent time with them now, both of them. They were always together, it was impossible to get one without the other, and you weren't keen on being a third wheel. Besides, it broke your heart--or what’s left of it--whenever you see Dick being intimate with Barbara, or even speak to her the way he used to speak to you. It was her who knew all his secrets now.

She really was your replacement.

And so, you and him drifted further apart.

They never told you it was going to be as pathetic as this.

“Dammit!” Barbara cried, furiously typing codes on the computer to try to override it. You and Dick stood next to her, watching with both horror and anticipation.

The mission was meant to be simple, but it went wrong all too quickly. Now you were stuck inside the enemy hideout, trying to stop the bomb that was slowly ticking down. It was wired to the computer, meaning if you hacked into the computer, you may be able to deactivate the bomb, or at least stall for long enough so the hostages could escape.

Unfortunately, the people who created the bomb were smarter than you thought.

“Nightwing, help Batman and Robin!” You ordered. “I’ll stay with Batgirl.”

“You sure you can do it?” Dick asked, more to Barbara than to you. You ignored the pang in your heart.

Barbara nodded, pausing to give a lingering kiss to her boyfriend before he left.

They never told you your heart would ache like this.

“How are we doing?” Asked Dick over the comm.

“Not so good.” Barbara admitted. “The hostages?”

“Still a dozen to find. How much time do we have left?”

“Five minutes.”

You heard Dick swore through the comm and you could feel his frustration. You watched Barbara work--she insisted she would be the one to hack--and you couldn’t eliminate the rising panic in your heart when the clock reached a minute.

“I got it!” Barbara gasped, grinning from ear to ear a moment later--twenty seconds. You smiled and leaned forward in relief, but her smile quickly fell, and yours followed as soon as you saw her grim expression.

“What is it?” You demanded.

“I can only stall it, I can’t,” she gulped, “I can’t stop it.”

You looked at the screen, and sure enough the number was changing, always adding several seconds, but never enough.

You stared at Barbara, then thought about Dick. You thought about how devastated he would be if he lost her, if he lost the woman he loved, if he lost the woman… perhaps the woman he would only truly ever love. You imagined the pain on his face, the tears in his eyes, the sheer heartbreak that he would experience.

You made a decision.

“Batgirl, you go help the others, I’ll take over.”

They never told you that you would sacrifice as much as this.

“What? No!” She protested, but you were already taking action. You forced her off the chair and began to take over, using the same codes she used while also trying new ones, playing around to see which one would work.

You smiled faintly at her and whispered, “I can handle it, I’ll find a way to stop it.” You glanced at her. “Besides… what do I have to lose?”

“Everything!” She cried, tears in her eyes. “[F/N] you don’t have to do this!”

“Do what?” Bruce questioned over the comm. You temporarily turned off the earpiece, not wanting the others to hear you say this.

You turned back to the screen and said in a pained voice, “You… you have a family, you have a home… you have Dick and the Commissioner and so many friends. Babs, you are loved by so many people. If we lose you… things will never be the same.”

“And if we lose you?!”

You chuckled humorlessly. “I’m no one’s first choice. I may’ve been, once,” you thought about Dick and winced, “but if we can’t stop the explosion, we have to minimize the casualties.”

“But--”

“No buts.” You cut her off sternly. “Now go. Help them, and don’t come back for me until each and every one of the hostages, and you, are out.”

They never told you love would hurt like this.

Your eyes widened when you heard the door burst open. The criminals poured in, shooting at you madly. You kicked the chair back into one of their faces and diverted your attention towards the men surrounding you instead, ignoring the countdown on the clock.

You fought vigilantly, throwing punches and kicks everywhere. However, you were mildly aware that there was a countdown.

“[S/H/N], everyone is out! Come, now!” Barbara yelled over the comm.

You finished the last of the criminals and glanced at the clock on the screen. You had managed to work fast and increase the clock to two minutes before, enough for you to escape, but the slight delay caused the time to go down to fifteen seconds.

It dawned upon you that you weren’t making it out of this alive.

Yet somehow, you were okay with that. A strange sense of tranquility washed over you, an unexplainable, melancholic feeling that filled your entire being.

They never told you that you were going to lose like this.

You pressed a finger against the earpiece and informed in a terrifyingly calm voice, “I’m not going to make it.”

You expected Barbara to answer, but instead the voice that came through was the voice of the person dearest to your heart. “What?! [F/N] what are you talking about?!”

You closed your eyes and tried to remember his voice. Your mind raced, remembering all the times you spent with him, all those sleepless nights talking, the movie marathons, the pranks and studying together. You recalled the time he organized a surprise party for your 13th birthday, and that time he smuggled a puppy into the manor because you wanted one.

Tears fell from your face. You were going to lose all of it, not like there was much to lose, but the things that were there were precious to you.

However, this was for the best. You were no one, the least valuable asset. Bruce was… well, he was Batman. Dick was far too talented, Barbara had a family and Jason was much too young. It had to be you. Besides, you didn’t think you could stand being with Dick any longer, knowing he would never love you.

By doing this, you allowed them to live a happy life. He would be happy to have the love of his life safe in his arms, protected from the world. It was the least you could do for him, the only thing you could do for him.

“Thank you, for everything.” You uttered, your voice wavering.

“[F/N]! [F/N] don’t you dare!” Dick exclaimed through the comm, sounding desperate.

You smiled despite your circumstances. “You gave me a home, a family, and people to love who loved me back. That’s all I ever asked for.” You stared at the clock--five seconds. “This is the least I could do for you.”

You kept your eyes trained on the numbers as it slowly decreased. It was almost poetic how your last act of life was saving others so that they could live on to find happiness. Your last act was ensuring that Dick found happiness.

Of course, while others walked ahead you were chained to the ground, being left behind as you watched them continue on. You were the only one in the darkness, in the pits of suffering… but that’s okay.

It’s okay.

“Goodbye.”

“[F/N], please--”

The loud, unmistakable sound of the explosion cut him off.

They never told you love would end like this.

#dick grayson x reader #barbara gordon #dick grayson #dick grayson imagine #richard grayson x reader #richard grayson #richard grayson imagine #nightwing x reader #nightwing imagine #nightwing #dc #dc comics #dick x reader

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allurehq-blog · 7 years

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blood status: pureblood clubs: duelling club pronouns: he/they sexuality: gay

BIOGRAPHY

To be ignored or to be groomed into a perfect little pet, to be shrieked at or to be spoiled. There’s a very fine line between negligence and puppeteering, if you really think about it. After all, it is entirely neglectful to force your child to walk along a line that you deem proper, just as neglectful to turn your nose up at them and ignore them when it isn’t necessary to your own goals.

Willful neglect, a sense of blankness and maybe disdain, was what he got from his father. The shadow behind Walburga, Orion Black never scared Sirius the way his mother did. He was the paper shuffling in the morning and the paper shuffling at night, he was racking coughs, he was judgmental eyes and scoffs but he was never violence, never more than a raised voice. Walburga was the fiend in the night, the one that Sirius still has nightmares about now. Sirius was too loud or too rambunctious, too bright or too annoying, tooeverything. His existence was a bane on hers, and so he made himself louder, made himself more rambunctious, made himself brighter, made himself even more annoying.

After all, it kept her eyes off of Regulus.

He tried to run away, once, after his mother had nearly pulled all the hair from his head trying to catch him running down the halls. He was ten, and he would be starting Hogwarts the next year, and he nearly ran that night. He did not. He could not. He was far too afraid of what would happen to him in the real world.

That had nothing on the day he was sorted. People who knew his family’s name gasped, narrowed their eyes, whispered behind their hands. A Black, in Gryffindor? Oh, his family will be ashamed.

Fun fact, they were not ashamed. They were absolutely and without a doubt livid. It didn’t help that he made sure to rub it in their faces every time he returned home, hanging up banners and erecting a shrine to Godric Gryffindor in his room. His jaw was set hard and herefused to give in or take them down, because if there was ever something that Sirius Black was proud of, it was the fact that maybe, deep down, there was something worthwhile in him and the Sorting Hat had seen that. So he fought tooth and nail, threw it back in their faces, and watched them tear themselves apart over it. His apathy towards his family stemmed from a bone deep ache, pain he couldn’t deny, but would never admit.

Still, his parents put some influence on him, a sneer and cold eyes to those who he disliked, and a cruel streak towards those he hated. Severus Snape was the prime example, and an example that occasionally makes Sirius sick to his stomach when he thinks of the damage he nearly did because of his own damn pride and stupid prejudices. He is too much like his parents sometimes, and he cannot deny it. He cannot always fight it, either. It’s under his skin like an old world curse, but Sirius would do anything to make it all end.

Leaving his family’s home was an easy enough decision, all things considered, if you look back on the abuse and pain he’d endured. Of course he didn’t sit awake at night with his head between his knees, sobbing and trying not to puke. Of course he didn’t stare himself down in the mirror and snarl out through bared teeth that he was nothing more than a coward. Of course he didn’t feel his heart tearing completely in two when his parents said nothing as he walked out the door. Of course it didn’t kill him inside to take up residence in the Potter home, the place that had been sanctuary. Of course it didn’t knock him to his knees to be welcomed so easily, to be loved so openly. Sirius had never made an easier decision in his life, of course.

Of course.

A patchwork boy who glued himself back together, a masterpiece with tears all the way through. The brightest star in the room, the dawning of a new day. Sirius Black, though broken, will never give up.

CONNECTIONS

the marauders; the family by choice. meeting the marauders was fate. he could’ve chosen any carriage on the train that morning as he boarded his first express to school, but choosing to sit in the one all the way in the back was a gut instinct - and it’d been the right one, one that he’s been thankful for ever since. it’d only taken a few minutes for the initial shyness of a first meeting to wear away - at least with the one who eagerly greeted sirius and called himself james. and from that initial hello, sirius felt like he’d known him all his life with the way they got along. through that first evening in the school, as sirius stuck by these three boys, watching as one by one they were sorted in gryffindor, he was left with a bittersweet feeling inside of him. all his life he was told he was going to do wonderful things in slytherin, like his family before him, and he was ready. there couldn’t be anything better than that, making his family proud - but there was also something that made him want to stay with james and remus and peter. during that first evening in the gryffindor dorms, as he came to terrible realization that this meant he’d have to write home and tell his parents what he’d done, how he must’ve done something wrong to end up in gryffindor - it was a comfort to know that these three boys were by his side as well, trying to speak kindly to him and cheer him up. they might not have understood the immense weight that sat upon his shoulders, nor did they know of the pressure that his parents put on him to follow in the plans that had been laid out for him since he was a child - but they were kind and understanding when sirius hadn’t expected them to be. they stood by him through everything that unfolded over the next years, more than he could’ve ever expected. when living with his family was out of the question, it was james who offered to open his doors to sirius, without a single moment of hesitation. sirius knew he’d never be able to repay the potters for their kindness and their generosity, so he knew he’d have to show his devotion to the marauders in his own ways. in his undying loyalty to james. in his solemn swearing to make sure nothing happened to remus, full moon or not. in his caring words and compassion to peter. these were his brothers now - this was his family, and he’d do anything to protect it.

regulus black, narcissa black; the family by blood. there’s an age old saying of blood being thicker than water. in the realm of the pureblood idealism, this term was often used as a source of advocacy for blood purity. and so, with the black family, it’s no surprise that it was a widely used term within their family. family came before anything - but there was something that the children had yet to understand. of how when they said family, they meant the black name, and not the people beside them. when sirius’ parents had told him they were having another son, sirius was barely two. and still, he’d known enough about what that meant. there was something so overwhelming about the thought of having a friend for life, and in that very moment he swore that he would teach his brother everything. as the two boys grew up, sirius stuck to that promise, taking care of regulus, teaching him everything - from how to tie his shoes to how to fly on a broom. they were inseparable as children, as they only had one another in a house that had quickly become devoid of love and affection. they relied on each other and they clung to each other, quiet whispers of reassurance late in the night as they snuck into each other’s room. when sirius left for hogwarts, regulus had pleaded with him to write all the time, telling him of the adventures in slytherin. however, when sirius wrote for the first time and told him the news of gryffindor, the response had a different tone than what he was expecting. over time, months passing, the replies became shorter - the love and adoration in regulus’ voice became colder. his whole family has turned his back on him following his decision to move in with james, which only tends to make it more difficult when he sees both narcissa and regulus at school. it’s not as if he’s seeing family, but strangers. he can feel the separation between them - he can feel the animosity that’s grown in the family. he loves his brother, but the question that still remains unanswered is whether or not his brother still loves him.

fabian prewett; the friend with benefits. they were partners in herbology in fifth year. that’s how it started, at least. sirius knew from the start he had lucked out because he constantly fell asleep in that class - something about the greenroom always being warm and talking about plants made him doze off immediately. but he needed to learn enough for the OWLs that year if he had any hopes of being able to pass them, and fabian was friendly and knowledgeable in the subject. even better, they were willing to study with him without asking for anything in return - simply doing it out of the kindness of their heart. sirius was never one to particularly hit the books, goofing off with james whenever lily or remus tried to get him to do so. but there was something about fabian volunteering their afternoons to study with him in the library that made sirius actually want to put in the effort to do better, as if he wanted to show fabian that he wasn’t a waste of time - that he wasn’t this big screw up that was bound to let down everyone who put their faith in him. when he received an ‘exceeds expectations’ on his OWL, he had let out a yell of joy, before running to the hufflepuff dorms in search of fabian before anyone else. sirius found them there, a wide and excited smile on his face as he showed them the results. i’m so proud of you, fabian had said, and the words left sirius blindsided for a moment, unsure if he’d ever heard the phrase before. his heart ached something fierce, because how could someone so pure and so good actually be real, and without thinking, sirius kissed them. it had been an accident, something he was prepared to quickly apologize for, but fabian didn’t stop him, so sirius didn’t stop either, everything becoming a blur. it’s continued on through the past year, and they don’t talk about what it is or what it isn’t - because they don’t know. it’s uncomplicated and it’s casual and it’s enjoyable, and that’s all it is.

hestia jones; the enigma. sirius has been familiar with the pureblood lifestyle since he can remember. it’s been bred into him, with the black family motto of ‘toujours pur’ following him whereever he went. and just in the way that he seemed to do so with everything that his family placed in front of him, he rejected the ideas as quickly as he could. it wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t something that happened overnight, as he’d been raised thinking that muggleborns were beneath him - that anyone less than a pureblood was lower than he was. but as soon as he entered hogwarts, he was surrounded by muggleborns and half bloods, and saw that there was truly nothing that separated who they were from who he was. he’d made his stance on pureblood ideology and the death eaters very clear from the start - which it’s why it’s more confusing to him that hestia jones won’t let up on him. she follows him, antagonizes him, and repeatedly tries to interrogate him in the corridors, as if she’s looking for him to make a mistake and slip up somehow. he can’t pinpoint what her angle is exactly, but he’s seen and heard enough about her that he knows she’s fallen in deep with the slytherin crowd that he’s hear so much about. it’s a odd story, of course, considering that she is a muggleborn, and this group of people make a habit of antagonizing the muggleborns in the school, but motives aside, sirius knows that she is in farther over her head than she realizes. playing with the world of dark magic and the people known as death eaters is not something be taken lightly, especially is you do have muggle blood running in your veins. though these people may accept her in this moment, there will come a time when they will turn on her. yet, despite his best intentions of explaining this to her, she ignores him every single time.

SIRIUS BLACK IS PORTRAYED BY KEITH POWERS, AND HE IS TAKEN BY JOSIE.

#sirius black #marauders rp #literate rp #lsrpg #hp rp #siriusbio #maraudersbio #closed

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readbookywooks · 8 years

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PART II "THE QUELL"

10. It's my mockingjay. It makes no sense. My bird baked into bread. Unlike the stylish renderings I saw in the Capitol, this is definitely not a fashion statement. "What is it? What does that mean?" I ask harshly, still prepared to kill. "It means we're on your side," says a tremulous voice behind me. I didn't see her when I came up. She must have been in the house. I don't take my eyes off my current target. Probably the newcomer is armed, but I'm betting she won't risk letting me hear the click that would mean my death was imminent, knowing I would instantly kill her companion. "Come around where I can see you," I order. "She can't, she's - " begins the woman with the cracker. "Come around!" I shout. There's a step and a dragging sound. I can hear the effort the movement requires. Another woman, or maybe I should call her a girl since she looks about my age, limps into view. She's dressed in an ill-fitting Peacekeeper's uniform complete with the white fur cloak, but it's several sizes too large for her slight frame. She carries no visible weapon. Her hands are occupied with steadying a rough crutch made from a broken branch. The toe of her right boot can't clear the snow, hence the dragging. I examine the girl's face, which is bright red from the cold. Her teeth are crooked and there's a strawberry birthmark over one of her chocolate brown eyes. This is no Peacekeeper. No citizen of the Capitol, either. "Who are you?" I ask warily but less belligerently. "My name's Twill," says the woman. She's older. Maybe thirty-five or so. "And this is Bonnie. We've run away from District Eight." District 8! Then they must know about the uprising! "Where'd you get the uniforms?" I ask. "I stole them from the factory," says Bonnie. "We make them there. Only I thought this one would be for ... for someone else. That's why it fits so poorly." "The gun came from a dead Peacekeeper," says Twill, following my eyes. "That cracker in your hand. With the bird. What's that about?" I ask. "Don't you know, Katniss?" Bonnie appears genuinely surprised. They recognize me. Of course they recognize me. My face is uncovered and I'm standing here outside of District 12 pointing an arrow at them. Who else would I be? "I know it matches the pin I wore in the arena." "She doesn't know," says Bonnie softly. "Maybe not about any of it." Suddenly I feel the need to appear on top of things. "I know you had an uprising in Eight." "Yes, that's why we had to get out," says Twill. "Well, you're good and out now. What are you going to do?" I ask. "We're headed for District Thirteen," Twill replies. "Thirteen?" I say. "There's no Thirteen. It got blown off the map." "Seventy-five years ago," says Twill. Bonnie shifts on her crutch and winces. "What's wrong with your leg?" I ask. "I twisted my ankle. My boots are too big," says Bonnie. I bite my lip. My instinct tells me they're telling the truth. And behind that truth is a whole lot of information I'd like to get. I step forward and retrieve Twill's gun before lowering my bow, though. Then I hesitate a moment, thinking of another day in this woods, when Gale and I watched a hovercraft appear out of thin air and capture two escapees from the Capitol. The boy was speared and killed. The redheaded girl, I found out when I went to the Capitol, was mutilated and turned into a mute servant called an Avox. "Anyone after you?" "We don't think so. We think they believe we were killed in a factory explosion," says Twill. "Only a fluke that we weren't." "All right, let's go inside," I say, nodding at the cement house. I follow them in, carrying the gun. Bonnie makes straight for the hearth and lowers herself onto a Peacekeeper's cloak that has been spread before it. She holds her hands to the feeble flame that burns on one end of a charred log. Her skin is so pale as to be translucent and I can see the fire glow through her flesh. Twill tries to arrange the cloak, which must have been her own, around the shivering girl. A tin gallon can has been cut in half, the lip ragged and dangerous. It sits in the ashes, filled with a handful of pine needles steaming in water. "Making tea?" I ask. "We're not sure, really. I remember seeing someone do this with pine needles on the Hunger Games a few years back. At least, I think it was pine needles," says Twill with a frown. I remember District 8, an ugly urban place stinking of industrial fumes, the people housed in run-down tenements. Barely a blade of grass in sight. No opportunity, ever, to learn the ways of nature. It's a miracle these two have made it this far. "Out of food?" I ask. Bonnie nods. "We took what we could, but food's been so scarce. That's been gone for a while." The quaver in her voice melts my remaining defenses. She is just a malnourished, injured girl fleeing the Capitol. "Well, then this is your lucky day," I say, dropping my game bag on the floor. People are starving all over the district and we still have more than enough. So I've been spreading things around a little. I have my own priorities: Gale's family, Greasy Sae, some of the other Hob traders who were shut down. My mother has other people, patients mostly, who she wants to help. This morning I purposely overstuffed my game bag with food, knowing my mother would see the depleted pantry and assume I was making my rounds to the hungry. I was actually buying time to go to the lake without her worrying. I intended to deliver the food this evening on my return, but now I can see that won't be happening. From the bag I pull two fresh buns with a layer of cheese baked into the top. We always seem to have a supply of these since Peeta found out they were my favorite. I toss one to Twill but cross over and place the other on Bonnie's lap since her hand-eye coordination seems a little questionable at the moment and I don't want the thing ending up in the fire. "Oh," says Bonnie. "Oh, is this all for me?" Something inside me twists as I remember another voice. Rue. In the arena. When I gave her the leg of groosling. "Oh, I've never had a whole leg to myself before." The disbelief of the chronically hungry. "Yeah, eat up," I say. Bonnie holds the bun as if she can't quite believe it's real and then sinks her teeth into it again and again, unable to stop. "It's better if you chew it." She nods, trying to slow down, but I know how hard it is when you're that hollow. "I think your tea's done." I scoot the tin can from the ashes. Twill finds two tin cups in her pack and I dip out the tea, setting it on the floor to cool. They huddle together, eating, blowing on their tea, and taking tiny, scalding sips as I build up the fire. I wait until they are sucking the grease from their fingers to ask, "So, what's your story?" And they tell me. Ever since the Hunger Games, the discontent in District 8 had been growing. It was always there, of course, to some degree. But what differed was that talk was no longer sufficient, and the idea of taking action went from a wish to a reality. The textile factories that service Panem are loud with machinery, and the din also allowed word to pass safely, a pair of lips close to an ear, words unnoticed, unchecked. Twill taught at school, Bonnie was one of her pupils, and when the final bell had rung, both of them spent a four-hour shift at the factory that specialized in the Peacekeeper uniforms. It took months for Bonnie, who worked in the chilly inspection dock, to secure the two uniforms, a boot here, a pair of pants there. They were intended for Twill and her husband because it was understood that, once the uprising began, it would be crucial to get word of it out beyond District 8 if it were to spread and be successful. The day Peeta and I came through and made our Victory Tour appearance was actually a rehearsal of sorts. People in the crowd positioned themselves according to their teams, next to the buildings they would target when the rebellion broke out. That was the plan: to take over the centers of power in the city like the Justice Building, the Peacekeepers' Headquarters, and the Communication Center in the square. And at other locations in the district: the railroad, the granary, the power station, and the armory. The night of my engagement, the night Peeta fell to his knees and proclaimed his undying love for me in front of the cameras in the Capitol, was the night the uprising began. It was an ideal cover. Our Victory Tour interview with Caesar Flickerman was mandatory viewing. It gave the people of District 8 a reason to be out on the streets after dark, gathering either in the square or in various community centers around the city to watch. Ordinarily such activity would have been too suspicious. Instead everyone was in place by the appointed hour, eight o'clock, when the masks went on and all hell broke loose. Taken by surprise and overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the Peacekeepers were initially overcome by the crowds. The Communication Center, the granary, and the power station were all secured. As the Peacekeepers fell, weapons were appropriated for the rebels. There was hope that this had not been an act of madness, that in some way, if they could get the word out to other districts, an actual overthrow of the government in the Capitol might be possible. But then the ax fell. Peacekeepers began to arrive by the thousands. Hovercraft bombed the rebel strongholds into ashes. In the utter chaos that followed, it was all people could do to make it back to their homes alive. It took less than forty-eight hours to subdue the city. Then, for a week, there was a lockdown. No food, no coal, everyone forbidden to leave their homes. The only time the television showed anything but static was when the suspected instigators were hanged in the square. Then one night, as the whole district was on the brink of starvation, came the order to return to business as usual. That meant school for Twill and Bonnie. A street made impassable by the bombs caused them to be late for their factory shift, so they were still a hundred yards away when it exploded, killing everyone inside - including Twill's husband and Bonnie's entire family. "Someone must have told the Capitol that the idea for the uprising had started there," Twill tells me faintly. The two fled back to Twill's, where the Peacekeeper suits were still waiting. They scraped together what provisions they could, stealing freely from neighbors they now knew to be dead, and made it to the railroad station. In a warehouse near the tracks, they changed into the Peacekeeper outfits and, disguised, were able to make it onto a boxcar full of fabric on a train headed to District 6. They fled the train at a fuel stop along the way and traveled on foot. Concealed by woods, but using the tracks for guidance, they made it to the outskirts of District 12 two days ago, where they were forced to stop when Bonnie twisted her ankle. "I understand why you're running, but what do you expect to find in District Thirteen?" I ask. Bonnie and Twill exchange a nervous glance. "We're not sure exactly," Twill says. "It's nothing but rubble," I say. "We've all seen the footage." "That's just it. They've been using the same footage for as long as anyone in District Eight can remember," says Twill. "Really?" I try to think back, to call up the images of 13 I've seen on television. "You know how they always show the Justice Building?" Twill continues. I nod. I've seen it a thousand times. "If you look very carefully, you'll see it. Up in the far right-hand corner." "See what?" I ask. Twill holds out her cracker with the bird again. "A mockingjay. Just a glimpse of it as it flies by. The same one every time." "Back home, we think they keep reusing the old footage because the Capitol can't show what's really there now," says Bonnie. I give a grunt of disbelief. "You're going to District Thirteen based on that? A shot of a bird? You think you're going to find some new city with people strolling around in it? And that's just fine with the Capitol?" "No," Twill says earnestly. "We think the people moved underground when everything on the surface was destroyed. We think they've managed to survive. And we think the Capitol leaves them alone because, before the Dark Days, District Thirteen's principal industry was nuclear development." "They were graphite miners," I say. But then I hesitate, because that's information I got from the Capitol. "They had a few small mines, yes. But not enough to justify a population of that size. That, I guess, is the only thing we know for sure," says Twill. My heart's beating too quickly. What if they're right? Could it be true? Could there be somewhere to run besides the wilderness? Somewhere safe? If a community exists in District 13, would it be better to go there, where I might be able to accomplish something, instead of waiting here for my death? But then ... if there are people in District 13, with powerful weapons ... "Why haven't they helped us?" I say angrily. "If it's true, why do they leave us to live like this? With the hunger and the killings and the Games?" And suddenly I hate this imaginary underground city of District 13 and those who sit by, watching us die. They're no better than the Capitol. "We don't know," Bonnie whispers. "Right now, we're just holding on to the hope that they exist." That snaps me to my senses. These are delusions. District 13 doesn't exist because the Capitol would never let it exist. They're probably mistaken about the footage. Mockingjays are about as rare as rocks. And about as tough. If they could survive the initial bombing of 13, they're probably doing better than ever now. Bonnie has no home. Her family is dead. Returning to District 8 or assimilating into another district would be impossible. Of course the idea of an independent, thriving District 13 draws her. I can't bring myself to tell her she's chasing a dream as insubstantial as a wisp of smoke. Perhaps she and Twill can carve out a life somehow in the woods. I doubt it, but they're so pitiful I have to try to help. First I give them all the food in my pack, grain and dried beans mostly, but there's enough to hold them for a while if they're careful. Then I take Twill out in the woods and try to explain the basics of hunting. She's got a weapon that if necessary can convert solar energy into deadly rays of power, so that could last indefinitely. When she manages to kill her first squirrel, the poor thing is mostly a charred mess because it took a direct hit to the body. But I show her how to skin and clean it. With some practice, she'll figure it out. I cut a new crutch for Bonnie. Back at the house, I peel off an extra layer of socks for the girl, telling her to stuff them in the toes of her boots to walk, then wear them on her feet at night. Finally I teach them how to build a proper fire. They beg me for details of the situation in District 12 and I tell them about life under Thread. I can see they think this is important information that they'll be bringing to those who run District 13, and I play along so as not to destroy their hopes. But when the light signals late afternoon, I'm out of time to humor them. "I have to go now," I say. They pour out thanks and embrace me. Tears spill from Bonnie's eyes. "I can't believe we actually got to meet you. You're practically all anyone's talked about since - " "I know. I know. Since I pulled out those berries," I say tiredly. I hardly notice the walk home even though a wet snow begins to fall. My mind is spinning with new information about the uprising in District 8 and the unlikely but tantalizing possibility of District 13. Listening to Bonnie and Twill confirmed one thing: President Snow has been playing me for a fool. All the kisses and endearments in the world couldn't have derailed the momentum building up in District 8. Yes, my holding out the berries had been the spark, but I had no way to control the fire. He must have known that. So why visit my home, why order me to persuade the crowd of my love for Peeta? It was obviously a ploy to distract me and keep me from doing anything else inflammatory in the districts. And to entertain the people in the Capitol, of course. I suppose the wedding is just a necessary extension of that. I'm nearing the fence when a mockingjay lights on a branch and trills at me. At the sight of it I realize I never got a full explanation of the bird on the cracker and what it signifies. "It means we're on your side." That's what Bonnie said. I have people on my side? What side? Am I unwittingly the face of the hoped-for rebellion? Has the mockingjay on my pin become a symbol of resistance? If so, my side's not doing too well. You only have to look at what happened in 8 to know that. I stash my weapons in the hollow log nearest my old home in the Seam and head for the fence. I'm crouched on one knee, preparing to enter the Meadow, but I'm still so preoccupied with the day's events that it takes a sudden screech of an owl to bring me to my senses. In the fading light, the chain links look as innocuous as usual. But what makes me jerk back my hand is the sound, like the buzz of a tree full of tracker jacker nests, indicating the fence is alive with electricity.

#CatchingFire

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wtcopy · 8 years

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Age: Seventeen Occupation: Junior at Constance Billard Location: Brooklyn Faceclaim: Lily Collins + Creative, Aspiring, Resilient - Naive, Stubborn, Insecure

The Humphrey family must have creativity run in their family, for the former rocker and artists youngest daughter, Jenny, happens to be as talented as her loving parents and her brother — only in a different way. A lover of fashion, and sewing ever since she could remember, Jenny is the epitome of a young, talented fashonista. She dreams of having her own line one day, but she knows education and school is important to her dad. After the divorce her parents went through, the last thing she wants to do is upset him. And so, Jenny keeps quiet about her big dreams, and keeps to sewing her own clothes in her room, namely for different events. Lucky enough to be going to a prep school like Constance Billard, where every student is decked in designer wear — from their shoes to their bags and their clothes.. Jenny finds it a struggle to fit in. But not at home. At home, in her family loft in Brooklyn, Jenny feels safest and most accepted. The Humphrey family is a strong support network, despite their mother having left them several months prior. Rufus cooks his infamous waffles each and every morning, where the three of them invest time talking to each other before they realise they’re late for school. Night times are reserved solely for dinner, chats and boardgames. There’s nothing the three of them hide from each other, at least to Jenny’s knowledge. But for her, fashion is her biggest secret. One she finds pleasure in secretly. If there’s another thing Jenny adores, it’s her big brother Dan. They’re the unusual kind of siblings, a pair who, growing up, rarely fought or were jealous of one another. In fact, they were each other’s best friends. Jenny is most appreciative and the biggest fan of Dan’s short stories and poems, the ones he chooses to share with her. And Dan knows just how much time she invests in loving fashion. But the two get along like no other, and in the midst of their parents separating, were each other’s greatest support. Whatever challenge they faced in dealing with going to a school in Upper Manhattan, Jenny knew she could rely on Dan to help her, to face anything together. As she grew older, though, Jenny realised her biggest insecurity — living in Brooklyn. You see, prior to attending a school on the Upper East Side, Jenny was, for the most part, content with living across the bridge. Until she grew up and realised what she was missing out on in the luxurious, and glamorous Upper East Side. Their designer items, that she spotted upon stealing a glance there every once in a while, fuelled her passion for fashion. The way they rid their designer items like they were cheap or broken was something she couldn’t understand. And her obsession with them only grew when she found out her father had managed to help her brother get a scholarship into St. Judes, knowing that she, too, would soon follow in his footsteps and attend the prep school. Only, she was embarrassed because she would be a nobody to them. Attending the school only made her desires for fashion worse. How could they all be so lucky enough to be a part of this world, only to treat it as though it meant nothing to them? Jenny couldn’t understand, but from afar.. the younger Brooklynite dreamed of being one of them. And one day, she knew, she would get her chance. Nonetheless, Jenny Humphrey is probably one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. Just don’t underestimate her.

If there’s one thing Jenny wants most, coinciding with her dream of being part of the exclusive of New York, it’s to be a designer. She knows she can’t quit school, and she knows she should focus on the education her father is so strong on giving her. But she still can’t help what’s within. She can’t help but want what she wants. When the opportunity for a traineeship came up at one of the local fashion stores, to be an assistant of the designer, she jumped the opportunity. It meant working for no money, after school and one day on the weekends. All she needed was an excuse, and when she began describing how much she needed to study to Rufus, her trusting father believed her without doubt. Dan, however, is mildly suspicious considering her grades aren’t the best. But she’s talked about having a tutor, with Rufus providing the funds every week. To her, it was money for new fabrics, sewing items, and a train trip to the Upper East Side. If her father ever found out, or her brother, her dream come true would no longer be an option. All she wants, is to discover whether she’s good enough.. whether her creativity could get her somewhere in the world of fashion. And she can’t do that with her dad and brother breathing down her neck.

✘ Dan Humphrey, Vanessa Abrams & Ruby Abrams: Dan, her greatest support.. there’s nothing Jenny hides from Dan, except for her undying love for fashion and dream to be a designer. And her secret. She senses that he worries for her with the elite world they’re now consumed in, but Jenny knows she’s determined and strong. As naive as she may be, she knows where her roots are and who will keep her stable. But when she finds herself overwhelmed by everything in the Upper East Side, she wonders what it would be like to be just like them. And as she watches as Dan pines for Serena, who Jenny actually likes, she feels more comfortable with the idea of investing time into the Upper East Side. And then there’s Vanessa, someone Jenny saw as an older sister, who absolutely loathesthe Upper East Side. And always having looked up to Vanessa, she doesn’t want to disappoint her. But she can’t help but appreciate the world Vanessa just doesn’t understand. But her best friend of all, is Ruby. The two brunettes grew up together, always best friends, connecting with their dreams and aspirations to move around from Brooklyn. When Ruby left, it was hard on Jenny.. but having her back in town now, she feels more at ease. ✘ Blair Waldorf & Nelly Yuki: All Jenny ever wanted to be was Blair Waldorf’s friend. After admiring her for years, hearing about her on the infamous blog, Gossip Girl, Jenny only ever wanted to impress her. To have Blair like her. For she saw what happened to those that crossed Blair’s path. She was the Queen B of Constance, and perhaps of the entire Upper East Side. Falling in love with her fashion style and the world she controlled, Jenny wanted her approval, and that meant teaming up with Nelly Yuki. At first, Jenny was empathetic towards the shy girl, being one of the minions of Blair Waldorf. She saw how difficult of a job it could be, but Nelly was always kind to her — when Blair allowed it. But it was soon after she started hanging out with Nelly that Blair finally noticed her, deeming her useful if she were to ever prove herself as a minion. And to Jenny, that’s all she ever wanted. To be a part of the world she longed after for years on end. Even if the job is most definitely going to be tough. ✘ Sienna Mikaelson: For some reason, fashion opportunities have risen in Jenny’s world ever since meeting Sienna.. a sparkling young blonde that knows her fashion. Sienna took a liking to Jenny, reason unknown, and now the two meet up on the regular. Jenny, however, is ignorant of the war between the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side, and has no idea she’s getting caught in the middle of it.. or that Sienna is using her for information. Learning to trust her, however, Jenny looks up to the seductive blonde, her personality and the way she runs her life. Not to mention, Sienna got her one of the greatest internships she now undertakes. However, underestimating the young brunette could be your greatest downfall.. for if she were to ever realise the power she could have over the exclusive and the elite, she might just use it.. and team up with people she never thought she would. ✘ Jeremy Gilbert: Jenny has had multiple crushes over the years, even the likes of Nate Archibald and other elites. But never has she ever had a crush that was interested in her the same way. Jeremy Gilbert, the new guy in town. He and his sister, like Jenny and her brother Dan, attend the elite schools despite being Brooklynites. Having moved from a different state, Jenny found herself intrigued with the guy, who was now living with his aunt. Of course, once Jenny found out about the tragic loss of his parents, she felt further drawn to him, not wanting the only boy who had ever noticed her and actually smiled at her to feel down. The problem is, Jenny can feel herself getting closer to Jeremy.. and it makes her fearful because he’s not an elitist. And if she wants to get into that world, having a Brooklynite as a boyfriend would only bring her down. And so she tries to maintain their friendship, despite obvious flirtations being thrown her way. Thing is, she can’t help but flirt back.

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