#hazel parker and joe liebgott

[l13bg0tt]

Wowowowow this is next level.

Let me finish the Soldier of Stars and then Ad Astra Per Aspera first before I get obsessed with a new one 🤭

CHARACTER DYNAMICS ( 2 / ? )

[ in attdc ] : JEANNIE DESCHAMPS + JOSEPH LIEBGOTT

Jeannie looked up from where she was sat against the cold wall of the building, sweat dripping off her forehead, and found another set of eyes already looking towards her own. They were somewhat harsh, a deep, lush brown and they were followed by a broading smirk that glistened in fire light. She took her time in looking away and staring somewhat blankly forward, a mix of contemplation and contempt burrowing it’s way onto her features.

“ You lost?” she heard a voice question and looked up to find the man that had been watching her, now standing over here, hands shoved deep into his fatigue pockets and his face darkened by shadow.

“ Not….lost.” Jeannie said quietly, readjusting herself forward from his face, instead staring out towards the streets which were littered with wounded,” Just…” she couldn’t find the word,” thinking.”

“ Just thinking, huh?” the man said, hastily finding a way to sit himself down beside her - she wasn’t eager to look towards him and make smart talk,” I do a whole lotta that. I could help ya out.” Jeannie could only internally smile and keep herself at bay as she kept her attention forward still.

“ You don’t talk much, do ya?” he asked her and she slowly turned to look towards him and met his gaze again, a warming hint of a smile on her face. There was an instance where his face softened and she saw him for the boy he was. The shaggy strands of hair in his face, youthful expression written across his eyes, the way he sat like a schoolyard boy with his knees up and his slim wrists hanging over them, linked together.

“ Not unless I have reason to.” Jeannie said softly to him, looking between his eyes and the street,” I don’t have much reason to now, I suppose.” The man let a smirk crawl on his face as he nodded his head and looked her way again.

“ Well, at that, you got a name?” he asked her. Jeannie watched his eyes for a moment, before leaning herself fully back against the cold wall and sighing. Her hair seemed soaked with sweat, hanging just above her shoulders and she could feel the nighttime humidity suffocating her.

“ Jeannie.” she said with a nod. The man smirked.

“ Jeannie with the light brown hair?” he said with a smirk and Jeannie quirked a small smile up towards him and shook her head, turning away from him to look towards the street again.

“ Jeannie Deschamps.” she said quietly, tucking lose strands of sweaty hair behind her ears,” Why are you so urgent to know?” Jeannie looked towards him with expectant eyes and found him watching her with his own playful smile that twisted up on his face.

“ You’re sat all alone, in a town practically on fire, with an Airborne company……” he said and Jeannie felt her cheeks warm at his observation a bit as she flicked her eyes away from him and let a smile crawl onto her lips quickly.

“ Right then, what’s yours?” Distract.

“ Joseph Liebgott.” he said and Jeannie smiled softly at his name and nodded.

“ Nice to meet you, Joseph.”

“ Call me Joe, Joseph makes it sound like my mother is talking.” Jeannie smiled at Joe’s words and looked away from him; his gaze was intense she couldn’t deny. But she couldn't help it as she smiled at him, a grin with dimples and teeth all at once spreading across her face. He was smiling, too. Sometimes that's all it took. A smile.

[wecomrades]

✨Hazel Parker + Joe Liebgott✨

Requested by my lovely @wexhappyxfew ! I really hope you like it, I swear I did my best! 💛Hazel is her OC for The Soldiers of Stars  go check it out if you haven’t already.

You can still request here, but I’m warning you I’m taking it slow due to some personal issues!

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If you fancy being in the taglist, you can come say hello here ! If not, you can find my drawings in my blog under the tag “myartwork”✨

[wexhappyxfew]

Hazel Parker & Joe Liebgott

Band of Brothers: The Soldier of Stars + Ad Astra Per Aspera

I fell in love with all of you

I didn’t just fall in love

with the best of you like

the way your eyes light up the room

the way your laugh makes me smile

the way your hand fits in mine

the way your personality stands out

the way your smile gives me butterflies

or the way your body moves

I fell in love with all of you

I fell in love with your scars

the way you make sarcastic remarks

the way you feel helpless at 2am

the way you cry about something from years ago

the way you can sometimes get angry

or the way you sometimes want to be alone

I fell in love with all of you

I fell in love with the great in you

and I fell in love with the ‘bad’ you see in yourself

but the bad you see is the great I see

because I love every part of you

every bit

I fell in love with all of you

[wexhappyxfew]

Soooooooo you said you could do a whole post on Hazel and Joe and I WANNA SEE THIS PLS SUNSHINE

YES MAAM!! hazel and joe’s friends to lover truly gives me SO MUCH LIFE!! i just wanted to finally write a friends to lover where they had set foundations, trust, loyalty, memories, inside jokes, all of it, to make it clear to the readers that they had history, i just wanted to show how they worked throughout the whole story, and the reason it took as long as it did was to truly show their devotion. i’m sorry if this post is LONG AS HELL but i adore these two :) 

WARNING THIS IS SO UNHEALTHILY LONG LIKE WHAT AM I DOING BUT I LOVE THEM AND HAVE NO SHAME -> this is only for the soldier of stars, so if you fancy stuff from Ad Astra, i can do that as well LOL 

Hazel Parker and Joe Liebgott - Friends to Lovers

Am I going to give a thorough in depth analysis of their friendship together? YES MA’AM! Honestly writing these two showed me, that even in dark times you can love someone for who they are, just so many things about how love continues to get through boundary after boundary and these two I feel showed me that, and it makes my heart warm :)) ANDDDD since this post is so ungodly long and just the first book LOL if you want me to do it for Ad Astra Per Aspera, i gladly can, but i didn’t want to continue to make it longer and longer HAHA <3

The First Meeting 

I loved that when they first met, Hazel managed to shut up both George Luz and Joe Liebgott with one sentence. And I think it’s where we see that Hazel isn’t what many people suspect she is because she regards the fact that if it’s worth fighting for, you’ll fight for it, and to be honest that’s okay. To fight for what’s right for you. And for Joe, seeing someone, supposedly viewed as innocent, clearly then state afterwards that she would fight for what was right as well -> something maybe not suspected of her, it draws Joe in. 

The First Stargaze

Stargazing as you know it, is one of the most important aspects in Hazel’s life and Joe coming out to stargaze with her, something that so is not Joe Liebgott, really signifies their friendship for me personally, just because Joe left the dance, to stargaze with Hazel, I mean if that isn’t the start of a friendship I’m not sure what is :)

Teasing - the softest and purest

Hazel had started offering Liebgott her notes, and soon enough they were sharing notes, huddled side by side, writing things down together, and sometimes Joe would bump her as she wrote just to mess her up or peeve her off the deep end. But it was all good fun in the end.

" You know, Joe, hitting my shoulder and messing up my notes, is messing up your notes as well." Hazel had told him one afternoon as Lieutenant Winters stood at the front of the group going over spits of information based on the ideology of the ground and its importance when doing practice runs or drills that were supposed to be of semblance to real combat. 

" I don't entirely care, Parker, I'm just here to annoy ya." Joe mumbled back as Winters voice grew louder. 

" Funny," muttered Hazel, as she kicked his foot under the table. She saw Joe smirk at her. He kicked her foot back and she glanced over towards him.

" What?" he asked, like he didn't just hit her foot.

" I'm a sniper, Joe," Hazel said softly, as she wrote another few words down in her book.

" And?"

" Well," Hazel said as Winters glanced towards the two, " my bullets came move 1,000 feet per second, Joe."

" Right," Joe said.

" And, I know the spots in the body where the most pain could be inflicted upon bullet entry." Hazel said with a nod looking up at the board again.

" Oh right I forgot." Joe said as Hazel let a giggle pass her lips.

Flowers - The Time Joe Brought Flowers

When she [Grace Burnett] opened the door she smiled wide and let out a jolly laugh.

" Well, she'll be happy to see you all." Grace said as Hazel looked over and watched as a bouquet of yellow flowers appeared with Joe Liebgott as the handler, with Shifty just behind him with Catherine and Lizzie bringing up the rear, with a laughing George Luz, which was no surprise. 

" There she is!" Joe called noticing the girl on the couch, curled up into a blanket with sunken in eyes. Hazel smiled weakly.

" Hi." she croaked out.

" Aw, honey." Catherine said, as she frowned with sad eyes, hearing her lost voice. Joe was the first to reach her and pull her into a hug.

" I'm sick." Hazel said as Joe held her close, smelling of pine and cigarette smoke. Joe pulled back with a smirk, a few strands of hair in his face.

" I don't care about that, Parker." Joe said, before holding out the flowers as the rest of the guys filtered into the room, " These are for you." Hazel smiled at him with blushing cheeks.

" Aww, thanks guys." Hazel said, turning and coughing briefly.

" You can thank this guy right here," George said slapping Joe on the shoulders, to which Joe glared.

" Thanks Joe." Hazel said to him and he smiled at her with a nod.

Joe Talks About His Mom 

" You sound like you have a nice family." Hazel said as she glanced at him. Joe glanced at her.

" Yeah, I'd say I do, but mama runs the house. You respect her or you get a slap." Joe said and Hazel smiled shyly, as Joe glanced at her.

" 'Course, you know me, I upset her a few times when I shouldn't have." Joe said. Hazel watched him.

" I got in fights a lot, bruised bloody knuckles, some skinny guy like me getting beat up in the bar down the street." Joe said, shrugging before looking at Hazel, 

" Ever since I was a kid really." Hazel softly watched him, with concerned eyes.

" I'd get pushed down in the park?" Joe started, nodding his head as he picked at his fingers, annoyed, " I'd cry. And I'd go running home to my mom, where she'd give me hugs and kisses, and then some of that Hershey's chocolate."

" It's why you love it so much." Hazel said, shifting closer to Joe in the cold and looking at him gently. Joe felt a small smile on his face as he watched her.

" Yeah, you could say that." Joe said as Hazel grinned.

Joe loves his mom and I LIVE BY THAT. And chocolate being a comfort food because it reminds him of his mom, like yes, I’m going with that, and I just love that Hazel sits and listens to him, it makes me SOFT. Because mainly they both just love their mothers :)

Tricks and Pranks

She glanced towards Liebgott again thinking of her innocent little plan from this morning. She grinned to herself, before slowly bringing her socked feet over the edge to touch the ground. She slowly stood, with her outstretched hands in front of her, tip-toeing towards the sleeping man in his bed. She wanted to get him back after almost a year of the playful teasing she endured from him. And plus, they were friends, she had every right to wake him from a peaceful sleep. Hazel watched Joe shift a bit in his bed and then resume snoring again. Hazel smirked to herself. 

Then she acted. She jumped lightly onto him, right next to his ear, and had to let out a laugh before saying a quick boo in his ear. Joe shot awake underneath her, and it seemed his first instinct was to latch onto her, shoving her to his side, down into the bed, his eyes wide, breathing heavy. But all he saw was Hazel, beside him, small giggles leaving her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, laughing. Joe tried to be mad at the girl for waking him up, but he felt he couldn't be mad at her. She was too innocent to be remotely upset for waking him up.

" Well, good morning to you, too." Joe muttered out as Hazel managed to let out one final laugh, before looking at him.

" That's for those months of teasing me." Hazel said as she giggled again. Joe couldn't keep the smirk that crawled onto his face off, as Hazel laughed.

" You're gonna get it, Parker." Joe said as Hazel just laughed, turning to roll off the bed to her socked feet again, a smile on her face.

" Sure," Hazel said, as she turned to him, with innocent eyes, and then frowned, " but why would you do that to me?" Joe bit his lip.

" Those puppy dog eyes don't work on me anymore, Parker." Joe said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, " Only when you were sick and that was it." Hazel giggled.

" Can you two shut up?" a voice groaned and the two looked towards Chuck who's body hadn't moved as the voice crept out from around the pillow.

" Yeah Hazel." Joe said childishly as Hazel scoffed.

" You shut up." Hazel said, swinging her foot out towards his bed like a kid.

" No you." Joe argued.

" How about you both shut your yaps!" Bill yelled as he lied on his side across the barrack, his voice annoyed. Hazel couldn't help but look away and let a giggle past her lips childishly as Joe smirked at her. They were just kids. Hazel and Joe together were a pair of childish kids basically.

PRANKS ARE SO FUN AND THESE TWO MAKE IT SO ADORABLE AND HILARIOUS AHHHH

Comfort + Respecting Privacy

Joe Liebgott was the one who sat down beside his best friend, wrapping his warm, comforting arm around her shoulder and letting her rest her head on his shoulder. Joe wasn't about to start asking Hazel what was wrong, he had learned from his sisters that sometimes they just liked to be held in hugs and not talked to. That being there and being held was enough. Hazel wasn't used to that sort of comfort but she was beginning to welcome it with open arms. Joe came to a realization that night; he didn't like seeing Hazel cry. When Joe finally got Hazel resting, or at least attempting rest, he saw the letter that she had dropped to the side. But Joe held himself and closed the letter up and placed it beside the girl's boots. It was for her eyes only and he respected that.

Joe respecting her privacy with the letter from her father, truly shows the amount of respect he holds for her and I truly find it so beautiful, that middle line in bold, like I just love their friendship so much.

D-Day Hug

" Oh, Easy Company!" the group heard. The group turned and faceswere filled with relief to see more members of Easy sitting on the edge with bright smiles on their faces. A smile blossomed on Hazel's face as she recognized Joe Liebgott immediately.

" Joe!" she said excitedly as he neared her. A smile lit up his features as he immediately came upon the girl and wrapped his arms around her. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so tight, she wasn't sure if he was still breathing or not. She could've cried as he held her tightly in his arms, so protectively. She had never wanted to hug someone as much as she did now, just to have someone's arms around her, holding her and securing her. She never knew what security a hug could provide.

Physical touch is an important aspect for both of them, especially the meaning of a hug for the both of them. After this, Joe comforts her after her encounter with a German on D-Day, and it’s the first time Joe reassures her about a very real and impactful and painful, traumatizing situation. From her on we see where Hazel knows she can trust Joe with her emotions. 

Talking About Their Faith

" Did you think you'd be here?" Joe asked her, " You know after you joined the WAC?" Hazel glanced at him and let out a tiny sigh before glancing at the sky again.

" I believe in God, Joe." Hazel said softly and then looked at him. Joe watched her softly.

" God believed that he could put me through something like this, and I believed I could to," Hazel said softly, eyes shining with stars in them, " so when the flyer came I signed up." Hazel looked at him with a sad shrug. He didn't know about her dad. But she didn't want to gain all his trust and then show him that she really feared trusting people so much. But the thing was, she trusted Joe, a lot. They were best friends.

This was just so important, for Joe, for Hazel, for both of them, to sit under the stars in the middle of Normandy and for Hazel to tell Joe about her faith in God, and think about her trust she held in Joe. I loved this moment.

Flowers 2.0

That's when there was a knock on the door.

" Blasted, who could that be at this time?" Harry said throwing his kitchen towel over his shoulder and heading up the step towards the door. Harry opened the door as the three women watched and saw Harry's face light up.

" I knew it was you!" Harry called, stepping out to hug the person on the other side, " C'mon in ya blood Yank, gave me half a scare." Hazel raised a brow watching as Lizzie sipped her tea softly. That's when it was non-other than Joe Liebgott who stepped through the door, a smirk upon his features, hair a bit fluffier than normal, and a bouquet of flowers in his grasp. She watched Lizzie smirk and lean over to Hazel and Grace.

" And supposedly he's just a best friend." Lizzie murmured. Hazel shoved Lizzie's shoulder as Lizzie chuckled. Grace smiled at the blush that bloomed on Hazel's face.

" There she is!" called Joe as he entered the kitchen and went over to Hazel first, grabbing her in a hug from behind.

" These are for you." Joe said as he handed her the flowers.

" Aw thank you, Joe," Hazel said, fighting down more of a blush than she ever had.

" Where'd you get them, Joe?" grace asked as Joe gave her a quick hug.

" Down at the market, they have the best flowers there." Joe said, before giving Lizzie a quick hug and resuming standing next to the little island a smile on his features as he watched Hazel gently sniff the flowers and smile at them.

" Thank you, Joe, really." Hazel said.

" What can I say? You're turning 20, I say yellow flowers are pretty important for that." Joe said and Hazel grinned.

Need I say more LOL

Having Each Other’s Backs

" Hey, man what's your issue?" one replacement snapped.

" My issue is, you're not treating her right, and I don't like that. Either grow up or go home. There's a reason you're here." Joe snapped. The replacements stared at him.

" Disrespecting her or any women, is never the reason." Joe snapped again, " you're here to fight a war. And that war's a scary thing, so open your damn eyes and get that through your brains." Joe then put the cigarette back on his lips, and turned away from them and walked back over to Hazel who stared with wide eyes at him. He just placed an arm over her shoulder and turned her around.

" I promise you right now that I'm fuming inside." Joe said to her through the cigarette on his lips. Hazel smiled softly. Joe always had her back, even when she felt she couldn't say anything.

“Best Friend Privileges” 

" Let me show ya." Joe said as he pushed from the counter and walked to her side. She glanced at him.

" No." Hazel said, a small smirk on her face.

" Good luck Joe, she's rubbing off on you." Catherine said leaning back to watch. Hazel laughed.

" No?" Joe said a smirk on her face, " Come on, I wanna help you." Hazel pulled the dart back shaking her head. Joe stared at her, a smirk on his face.

" What? No best friend privileges?" he said. Best friend privileges; a cute little phrase that Hazel and Joe had started tagging onto the end of things, when they would play around and they couldn't get what either of them wanted, or just to annoy the other.

“ Best friend privileges”? ok you two LOL

Adoration

Joe watched Hazel's eyes, even if it were from the side. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but Hazel truly fascinated him. And it was a good fascination. A fascination in the sense of adoration. And Joe never thought he'd adore Hazel as much as he did, because he kept a tight circle usually. But Hazel....Hazel was Hazel. She wasn't fake, she wasn't someone who tried to be someone else, she was loyal and trustworthy and genuine and Joe just knew he could talk to her about anything. 

Joe had never admitted it to anyone, but he had always thought that even from the start that she had a beautiful soul. And even if it were cliche, he had never met someone who was like Hazel. And he was glad that the person he did meet was Hazel. Maybe it was the look in her eyes when she greeted everyone in the barracks as he stood cowering in the corner pissed off at Bill Guarnere for the fight that broke out between the two of them, and then the anger that resided with him the rest of the boat ride. Maybe it was the fairly firm handshake she had offered and the way her eyes were gentle enough to tell a different story compared to the rest of the company. Maybe it was because she didn't approach him, asking what the other girls would ask; a dance, a kiss. Maybe it was because she had accepted Joe for who he was and didn't seem to care that he was a real asshole or that he was someone who would fight people, until his hands dripped crimson red blood, down his knuckles and into his fingers. 

Maybe it was what she had said to him, as she looked into her eyes, without fear, that sometimes people fought because they fought for what they believed in. Maybe because instead of doubting himself for launching at Bill, he actually believed it, for a probable cause. Joe didn't know what it was, why he was the way he was, but Hazel had accepted him for him - and she always seemed to do that with every person. Joe Liebgott felt there was no higher strength than that.

Soft Joe? YES MA’AM. Need I even say more about this scene.

The Two Beans Defending Each Other

Joe and Hazel, the two peas in a pod they were, were practically inseparable after the events of Nuenen and especially her ongoing sickness which fought her throat like a dragon in a cage. So there they were, passed out and exhausted as they snored silently side by side curled in balls like those cats you saw in the window shops on Main Street. But Joe, being the person he was, cared for his friends in any way he could. He agreed, he was an asshole, but he was asshole for specific reasons most of the time. But with his friends, that was different. Especially a friend, a best friend at that who was sick and was kept up at night by coughs or a fever or the chills. 

Over the past few weeks, he had been staying closer to Hazel than before, making sure she ate and drank, making sure she slept and was warm and if there was medicine that Gene could provide that she could get some. And so sleeping next to her, was another way to make sure that if she started coughing, he was there, to make sure he patted her back, and got her water. But he'd always been that way whenever one of his family members were sick. He was cocky, and admittedly rude sometimes, and he had a crude sense of humor, but family and friends were important and when he cared, he cared; he didn't try to hide that. And many of the men knew that about Joe. When Joe cared about someone, he did everything in his power to make sure they were alright. 

And in this case, it was Hazel. Catherine looked up from her cup of water towards Joe and Hazel who were curled up, sound asleep and smiled softly. Catherine truly admired their companionship. They were complete opposites, yet they were best friends who understood each other like the backs of their own hands. If Hazel was doing it, Joe probably was as well and where ever the one went, the other followed. And they acted like actual children, but knew when to get serious. And if you messed with either one of them, hell came for them.

I can’t preach enough about these two having each other’s back, it’s the cutest thing and it makes me so soft. But Joe being by her side as she is horribly sick, is one of the purest things ever, just to make sure she’s okay, I can’t even describe how important it is that he sticks around as she is so ungodly sick. (+Joe Liebgott punching Cobb out the week before for saying something about Hazel, but maybe that’ll be another post :))

Physical Touch > Comfort

Hazel watched Joe come up the dike, her eyes softly resting on him. Joe met her eyes from across the large area. Hazel bit her lip and then slowly approached Joe who stood, seemingly waiting to rip off someone's head. Joe didn't scare Hazel, whether he was happy, whether he was sad, whether he was upset. She never feared a friend. She never feared someone she trusted, but sometimes they broke your heart in the end. And that's where Hazel was careful. But Joe. Joe she trusted deeply. Hazel looked up at him, as he tried to contain himself, contain the anger that seemed to want to spill past every inch of him. Hazel slowly reached forward and gently pushed up the brim of his helmet from his eyes. Joe felt his eyes close at the soft touch. When he opened his eyes next, Hazel's soft eyes were watching his. Her eyes then went to his neck. She slowly reached to his wound and gently touched the skin on his neck. He flinched.

" Make sure you get that checked out, Joe." Hazel whispered softly. Joe looked at her and forcefully nodded. He was angry, so angry. Hazel knew that physical touch calmed Joe more than anything; it was something his mother had always done from what he had told her about Mrs. Liebgott. Liebgott had told Hazel that his mother would always try to hug him, brush her hands through his hair or scuff it up to annoy him, gently pat his shoulder, give him a rub on the back. So Hazel slowly reached forward and adjusted his collar and the part of his ODs which buttoned up on the front. Joe watched his friend, her gentle eyes remaining so focused even after the chaos of the battle they'd just gone through, the little bit of her tongue poking out from her lips as she remained focused on adjusting the front of his ODs, her freckles more prominent from the constant sun she had been getting, the way her blue eyes flitted about. Joe slowly reached up and wrapped his hands around Hazel's, causing her to look up towards him slowly. Joe let out a shaky breath, attempting to calm himself. Hazel always calmed him down, even if she didn't know it. Joe then didn't hesitate to slowly wrap his arms in a trembling hug around her neck and pull her into his arms. Hazel slowly hugged him back, pulling him close, holding him there. Sometimes the boys needed to be held, it was human nature.

Hazel comforting Joe, quite possibly is the purest thing I’ve ever written in my life and the fact she makes him calmer and more controlled makes me love them even more!! <3

Joe Returning From His Neck Wound

" Guess who?" a voice asked and Hazel's eyes widened. 

" The life size Hershey bar?" Hazel asked quietly, a small smile starting to bloom on her face.

" I think better than that." the voice said and Hazel slowly turned her head.

" Joe!" Hazel cried, shooting up from her bed to wrap her arms around his neck. She heard Joe laugh in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close. She cuddled her head into his neck, a small smile on her face, as she squeezed her eyes shut. She had missed him more than she thought.

" I missed you Joe." Hazel said quietly so only he could hear. She felt his chest rumble, he chuckled. He smelled like pine, a good pine scent, the one you smelled in winter in the mountains, sorta like when you would get a Christmas tree, and there was that familiar hint of smoke. It was comforting.

" I missed you more, Parker." Joe said and Hazel grinned. Hazel just squeezed him tighter in the hug, he was back and he was here.

THE LIFESIZE HERHSEY BAR I SWEAR I LOVE THIS PART

PARIS

There’s too many good parts in the Paris chapters to even sight, so I’m just going to tell my own view on it, where we finally see Hazel trust Joe enough to tell him about her past, where Joe finally realizes he loves her after the French Aritst drew her and all we see is his interior monlogue of the entire thing of him just straight up ADMIRING her. And Hazel telling Joe about her past, trusting him enough to know, is something VERY important to her and to both of them because Hazel doesn’t tell many people so telling Joe is H U G E. And then of course the Effiel Tower and he helps her DANCE AGAIN because dancing centers around the bad memories of her father who left her and we see Joe really starting to fall in love. AH. It just makes me so so happy to see it and there’s too many adorable things to sight so here’s the chapters:

57 through 58: https://my.w.tt/v6dzKHBML8

Joe Tells George About His Feelings (+Their Underrated Friendship)

I really wanted to bring about the friendship of Joe Liebgott and George Luz, because I feel like they’d be a chaotic duo and writing them is always chaotic and it is HILARIOUS but also full of brotherly love and just Joe telling George about his realization of his feeling for Hazel. We start to see Joe, really starting to get these feelings, but also remembering there is a war on and getting attached could easily get any of them killed in the end, so it’s very much a tough mental battle.

Joe and Hazel Talking About Lieutenant Dike

Honestly these two gossiping about Dike gave me so MUCH LIFE.

" Sergeant Lipton, he told me you had to go on OP duty. Supposedly one's been dug out." he said.

" Sir, what OP, there's multiple." Hazel asked him quickly, confused.

" He said there's one around here." Dike said looking past her and Joe, " I'm not sure, he just told me to find you and that you and Powers I believe are on duty first."

" Yes, sir." Hazel said as Dike nodded and then walked right past them. Hazel and Joe watched side by side as Dike walked away, with the audacity to be whistling as he did so.

" We are in the middle of a fucking war, right?" Joe muttered. Hazel glanced at Joe.

" I don't think he cares." Hazel said. And that wasn't in any way going to be beneficial to the men and women of Easy Company.

" You sure you're staying warm?" Joe asked Hazel as they approached the foxhole where Shifty sat, cleaning his weapon.

" Yeah, of course I am." Hazel said.

" Well, you're tiny, Hazel, and tiny and cold don't exactly mesh if you think of it." Joe said as Hazel smirked. She watched Joe's eyes search hers softly. Joe wished he could do something more to make her warmer, but he could barely maintain 98.6 for himself. She looked like she was freezing.

Hazel Tells Joe About Life After The War For Her

" What's on your mind?" Joe asked her, watching as she glanced towards him and a small laugh escaped her.

" It's stupid, Joe." she said. Joe quirked a smirk her way.

" Really? Try me, Parker." Joe said and Hazel grinned, shrugging.

" I don't know, as a little girl you always think about life when you're older and stuff like that," Hazel said and Joe watched her softly, " I've just been thinking a lot about life, after the war." Joe dropped the smirk and a smile filled his features.

" Just the little things, what I might name my first daughter, or what pictures I might hang up in my living room, just little things like that." Hazel said, with a shrug, a small smile. Joe watched Hazel smile and then loop her fingers together, nodding softly.

" You got a name in mind?" Joe asked her and she glanced towards him, fighting down the tiny blush that was on her cheeks.

" I don't know," she said, a nervous giggle escaping her lips, she never had told anyone she thought about this often.

" Why you nervous, it's just me?" Joe said as she giggled softly again.

" Juliette." Hazel said quietly, with a small nod, before peaking up at Joe who watched her intently, " Not from Romeo and Juliet, but the French way. There was a girl in my elementary school who spelled her name that way and she was always so nice to me. I've always liked the name." Hazel smiled fondly, as if a memory were resurfacing in her brain.

" It's a pretty name." Joe said and Hazel looked up at Joe.

" Yeah," Hazel said," I don't know, it's a unique spelling, I like it." Joe smiled at her, and she smiled brightly back. Even in the cold, she found a way to smile and that warmed his heart because currently she was the only thing making him smile.

ACK MY HEART. but for me this scene I felt was important because even in the middle of the war, Hazel is still thinking about life afterwards and CHILDREN something so innocent, so gentle, so kind, so warm, something to vastly different from that of the horror of the cold and blistery Bastogne. 

Hazel and Joe After the Solo Patrol

" How was it?" Joe asked her, and she glanced up at him. Hazel let out a sigh and shrugged.

" Just seeing his body there," Hazel said shaking her head, " it wasn't what I expected to see. You know, I was just thinking of what his parents are going to think when they get his dog tag." Joe looked at her.

" He was only a year younger than me," Hazel said, shaking her head.

" I know I'm not the most sentimental type, Hazel, but I know when something's bothering you. You know you can talk to me, I am your best friend. I hate to think you'll keep it on your chest," Joe said as he looked her way. Hazel's heart warmed. Hazel smiled at him, and Joe noticed her dimples show up. They always did when she smiled. She curled her knees up to her chest and let out a sigh.

" Thank you, Joe," she said quietly looking at him in the silence of the snow falling outside and hitting the top of the tarp. The two looked at each other, as Hazel's eyes seemed to shine in the night. Hazel gently took his hand in hers and began gently curling and uncurling his fingers. Joe watched her, his heart pounding faster and faster by the second and she didn't even know.

" You're still wearing this?" she said with a slight giggle, touching the bracelet she had given Joe, which lay on his wrist.

" Of course I am," Joe said, as he watched Hazel smile.

" You just have a little piece of me," she said, her fingers like ice on his skin, and Joe watched her smile. Then she looked up at him and her smile grew, like a child in a candy store.

THIS!! They can have a very REAL conversation about life, but then can easily make each other feel so much better with just a few words, even just a look, they just know how to make one another feel better, to keep humanity around, something the war deprives them of.

Chrismtas 1944 -> Singing

I wanted to make a scene on Christmas Day 1944, where we see the group have a bit of humanity, singing Christmas songs in the snow, a bit of that realness, that human like atmosphere or Christmas that they all miss still very real and very prevalent in most cases. 

" Sleigh bells ring, are you listening..." George sang joyfully, wrapping his arm around Bill's shoulder, before poking Bill's ear. Bill swatted at his hand as George chuckled.

" In the lane snow is glistening, a beautiful sight we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland..." Bill sang and George gave a whoop. Hazel laughed lightly before looking back at Joe.

" What?" she said softly, reaching forward to tilt his helmet up from his dark eyes.

" Happy looks good on you." he said with a small smile. Hazel blushed and thanked God for the darkness that night provided. Thank God for the darkness.

" Joe..." she whispered.

" I'm serious, you've been through a lot, and seeing you happy, it's a nice sight to see." he whispered softly to her. Hazel let out a tiny giggle, looking down at her hands, before looking back up at Joe. He was smiling.

IT JUST MAKES ME SOFT OKAY I NEEDED THIS AFTER ALL THAT ANGST :(((

Joe Comes Back From Being Winters’ Runner

This scene centers heavily on Joe coming back from being Winters’ Runner at Battalion for a few days, but eventually was sent back to the company because of the way he was with prisoners, but it is between him and Hazel. And normally Joe’s this soft sorta guy around her, but when he approaches her, he’s glum, and dealing with a lot of emotions of anger and hate. And Hazel doesn’t tell him “Joe, you have to be happier.” No, she tells him straight up, that it is okay to feel those things and in time you will get better, but those sad feelings are okay, and I feel that was important between them and for Joe to hear from Hazel, for her to tell him, it is okay to feel things, those sort of emotions. But by the end, we see him lighten up a bit, because I mean Joe with Hazel? He can’t help but soften up. 

" It's okay to feel that, I feel it too," she said softly rubbing his arm," your emotions, they're important, it's okay to feel that way." God, Hazel made him so happy, even with just a sentence like that.

" I don't think I've told you thank you enough," Joe said glancing at her. She quirked an innocent brow.

" Just, you're always there for me and my bullshit," Joe said shrugging as she smiled.

" And you're there for mine." she said with a toothy smile from under the brim of her helmet. Joe's heart warmed.

Quiet Comfort

That night, at the dinner line, it was so quiet. Catherine didn't show up for dinner. Hazel and Lizzie were there, but they were so quiet and closed off, that they could barely talk with tear filled eyes, and red, blood-shot eyes. Joe Liebgott sat next to Hazel that night, on the log from earlier that afternoon, as she pushed the food around in the tin. Joe could see her holding back her trembling lip, as well as the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes. So Joe decided to sit beside her and eat quietly, and not say anything. Hazel needed him to know that she appreciated him just sitting there, without saying a word. She slowly reached forward, and grabbed his hand with her gloved one without even making eye contact. She interlaced their fingers, sucking in a shaking breath as she did so. Her hand was cold in his own warm one, but Joe knew it meant the world to Hazel. Joe knew that as thanks from her, especially right now.

To Hazel, Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye meant the world to her; they were like big brothers, always looking out for her, protecting her, defending her, comforting her, just there for her, so she’s hurt after they get wounded, and Joe knows that he just has to sit by her side and not say a word to let her know that he’s there. 

Joe And Hazel Talk About The Stars and Sadness

THIS SCENE IT IS SO UNGODLY IMPORTANT FOR BOTH OF THEM - for Joe to come and see Hazel upset and ultimately comfort her and let her know that he’s there for her, it just ACK. 

" I'm sorry your sad, Hazel," Joe whispered beside her and she looked at him, " I wish there was something I could do to take it away." Hazel watched his eyes search hers and smiled gently; she knew he was truthful in his words. Joe Liebgott was always truthful to her, no matter what, they were best friends.

" Can you just stay here with me?" she whispered softly, as her eyes welled with more tears.

" Yeah," Joe said immediately, a small smile on his face, " of course, what type of best friend would I be?" Hazel let out a slight giggle that settled Joe for the moment. Joe gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she rested her weary head against his shoulder, shutting her eyes. Joe brought her as close as he could, her tiny body, shaking in his grasp as she lay there so quietly.

" I'm glad we're friends you know? Best friends?" Joe said quietly, " Remember I told you how fascinating it was to see your love for the stars? Or how caring and kind you were to everyone and how strong you were?" Hazel gently looked up to meet his eyes with her own and she smiled softly at him.

" How'd I get so lucky to have a friend like you?" Joe said to her and Hazel felt more tears rush to her eyes as she watched him, his face turning blurry from the tears.

" Do you want to tell me about the stars?" he whispered softly, brushing a stray tear from her cheek that trailed down from her sad, blue eyes.

" Yes," she whispered softly watching him and she saw him smile.

" Alright, get comfy," Joe said as she giggled a bit cuddling into his side, and they looked up towards the gleaming stars.

" I'm excited," he whispered as if he were a kid about to watch a movie and Hazel giggled.

Okay so this scene is actually much longer but I wanted to show Joe’s comfort levels from letting her know she’s there, making her feel better, staying with her to comfort her, to hold her, just let her feel safe finally, that sort of thing, and letting her talk about whatever she wants and then ultimately being the most patient listener and it makes me S O F T AHHHHHH I swear these two ruin me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I AM SORRY THIS IS AS LONG AS IT IS O M G i promise to control myself, but i was like screw it i love these two so much and they deserve this post :) i hope this works!! but i’ll be happy to do ad astra, as i’ve said, because i didn’t realize how long just the soldier of stars would be OMG LOL!! i had so much fun because i relived so many adorable moments that i forgot happened and i can’t thank you enoguh for this post on my little, innocent babies who deserve happiness and the world ;) thank you so so much, truly!! <3

[wexhappyxfew]

Catherine: Hey Hazel, you look cute today!

Joe: Hazel looks cute everyday. *Turns around and winks at Hazel*

Hazel: *slowly turning red*

[wexhappyxfew]

@wecomrades (linda my queen) has created this beautiful work of art of hazel parker and joe liebgott from my story the soldier of stars and i cant even begin to describe how much i adore and love it with all my heart. she took the time and energy to create this and i can’t even begin to thank her enough. i truly have no words for how beautiful this is and how amazing she is at what she does with her art.

linda, you are truly so wonderful and i hope you know how great of an artist you are and how much i adore this with all my heart. please never stop creating beautiful pieces like this, they are absolutely stunning 🥺💛

[wexhappyxfew]

Chapters 65 + 66 | This is Peace + Blush | Ad Astra Per Aspera | Band of Brothers 

>> DOUBLE UPDATE!! 

San Francisco was absolutely beautiful - Lizzie had remembered a few of Hazel's letters describing the beautiful city, her words laced with such knowledge and wisdom like she'd lived there all her life - it seems Joe was quite the influence in knowing San Francisco. She'd started college right after they moved into the new home - and the pictures Hazel had managed to send to her were beautiful. They were all meeting at the home, and to say Lizzie felt a bout of excitement was an understatement - supposedly everyone was showing up. Everyone that could possibly be there, would be there - officers were invited, Private, through Lieutenant, anyone who could make it would be there. Celebrating Hazel and Joe was exactly what Hazel needed, a distraction from what the war had done and from the home life and to be with the men who had been her family and will always be her family.

[read more on archiveofourown and wattpad] 

lil note: tomorrow will be AAPA’s final update :) i truly can’t believe it but the time has come - 2 chapters after this and 1 epilogue for you all to enjoy with these three women - Hazel, Catherine and Lizzie, who showed me the power of sisterhood and love in war. thank you ALL. i’m so excited for tomorrow, yet bittersweet, it will be a moment i won’t ever forget for an incredible story <3 

[wexhappyxfew]

Joe: you seen Hazel? She beat me in darts the other day, and well it's time for revenge

Me, the whole Easy Company, my parents, my brother, Jesus, God, Satan:

BAHAHAHHHAH FRANCY U KNOW I LOVE THIS WITH MY WHOLE HEART OMGGGGGG

we all know the last thing mr. joe liebgott would want to get at with hazel is revenge 🤣 probably a lil hug if ANYTHING AHAHAHAHAH

but yes we shall sit back and say ‘sure thing...’ LOL

[wexhappyxfew]

Ad Astra Per Aspera | Chapters 67 + 68 | My Love for You + Smiling Stars | Including: Epilogue + Closing Words | Band of Brothers

" Knock, knock." a voice at the door echoed. Lizzie had rushed in to help Hazel finish applying a bit of blush to her cheeks, as the guests were settling into their seats, when the knocking had come at the door.

" Shit, who is it?" Catherine hissed as she gently attached the veil to Hazel's caramel curled haired head. Lizzie glanced at the door and sighed to herself. Hazel giggled.

" I swear if it's one of the boys...." Lizzie grumbled as Mrs. Liebgott and Ms. Parker came from the bathroom after wiping the mascara from their cheeks - ok they'd all been crying, but who wouldn't seeing Hazel dressed like a Greek Goddess? Lizzie approached the door and put her hand on the handle.

" George, Floyd - either of you two out there - out." she called through the door. She heard a low chuckle from the other side and immediately mentally face-palmed.

" I don't think either two of them are out here there, Elliot." the voice came back and Lizzie put a finger on the bridge of her nose - it was Captain Ronald Speirs and her she was acting like it was the two idiots with far too loose ties. Lizzie immediately opened the door and found Speirs on the opposite side. Forcing a hopefully not embarrassing smile on her face, she looked up at Speirs with a smile.

[read the rest on archiveofourown and wattpad] <3

lil note: i have a post coming out later with my thanks on it for this story and simply my journey with this story :) thank you all for your support, your love, your kind words and joining me on this journey - it has been an absolute pleasure for me to be apart of and to see others be apart of. thank you ALL! 

[wexhappyxfew]

would you all be interested in a little post about hazel and joe liebgott’s friendship from my band of brothers fic - the soldier of stars by chance? like quotes, scenes, anaylsis, why i have them as best friends, that sorta stuff!! if not its all good, just curious is anyone would be interested!!! 💛💛

[wexhappyxfew]

"Well, looks like I'm calling it a night." Yeah, okay 😂😂. We all know Joe is going to see Hazel 😏😏. Okay, I'm done now. Have a lovely day Shannon :)

BAHAHAHAHAHA U GUESSED IT RIGHT 🤣🤣

i have never been happier to include this flashback AND include only the beginnings of joe liebgott crushing on hazel - let me know anon if you want that deleted scene 😉 LOL

i’m pretty sure we were all like OK JOE RIGHT

[wexhappyxfew]

Here I am again, in my lil bean’s ask! 💛 I wanted to ask you one thing that you like and one thing that you don’t like/wanna improve about your style! Aaaand what’s the most difficult relationship or friendship to write! Hope you’re having the best day 🥰💛

AHH LINDA I AM YOUR LIL BEAN <3  ooooh GOOD QUESTION! 

So something I really like about my writing style I feel is, something I’ve talked about earlier, is the connection of color and emotions through things like color theory and description. as someone into visual arts and art in general. I’ve always written my writing that way, because emotions and colors have just always been connected to one another for me, so it is just something I love about writing, and I feel I do fairly well :) 

Something I really want to improve about my writing style is consistency most likely, which I’ve been improving on for years, but just keeping my writing style consistence throughout the context of the story, staying true to who I am as a writer and not drawing to be like others, just to stay on my OWN consistent path of writing throughout the entire context of the story, but I feel personally I’m improving upon that each time I write, which is good, because consistency is key for many things!!!

And ok! Most difficult relationship....hmmm...

I wouldn’t call this difficult, but I would call it wanting to stay true to two characters I love and wanting to keep them in character but have the ability to trust one another. I’ve been working hard on Joe Liebgott and Hazel Parker’s sort of friends to lovers relationship in The Soldier of Stars and even though it’s not a difficult thing to write simply because I feel they mesh well, I just wanted to make it work in the right way that I wanted it to work since the very beginning. 

Their friendship turned relationship is very much based on trust, loyalty, bonds, knowing and understanding one another, that sort of inside joke mentality who can have fun together and laugh together and cry together and just have full complete trust in telling one another things. And by the time I reached their relationship together I wanted to show that their relationship means more than what a kiss can signify. That they’ve built their relationship so much that after they kiss, it’s more just like picking up where they left off, except they can be a sort of ‘thing’ now. But I really tried to get it right and from the comments I’ve received, it seems I’ve done it actually, which means that really working at something I believed in paid off!! 

Their relationship for me has always been about trusting one another, something Hazel struggles with and being able to be completely open because let’s be real - they are complete opposites, yet they are one of my most favorite friends to lovers I’ve ever worked on, truly. Just the connection they have with one another throughout the entire context of writing it, I feel I’ve done what I set out to do in the beginning of writing this, as their relationship is one of the important things. I can’t describe how much I love their friendship, turned relationship, it just makes me happy to know that even though I was too hard on myself for making it right, in the end it became what I wanted. I could go on about them I swear, and just everything little thing that led me to believe that they had a good foundation for a relationship together and just AHHHH I love them so much - they’ve been also super fun to write, even if I was extra hard on myself, they were worth it :) 

thank you so so much linda, wonderful questions as always!!! AHHH i loved these!! i got to talk about my writing and my favorite couple EVER AHHH they are truly adorable, thank you so so much!!! <3

[wexhappyxfew]

Joe: This is so frustrating! I hate everything! I hate everyone!

Hazel: *innocently approaching* Hi, Joe!

Joe: Everyone but you.

[wexhappyxfew]

just wanted to say i spent 2 days reading the soldier of stars and the sequel and they were both so good! love me some joe liebgott romance plus some lady OCs! - @ softspeirs

OMG HELLO @softspeirs AND THANK YOU SO MUCH! 🥺🥺 this is such a sweet message omg, this made me so so happy!!! i’m truly so glad you enjoyed them, they were my quarantine works and what really got me through that tough time and to see others enjoying them today, makes my entire day!! JUST THANK U!!!

AND YESSSSSS!! i’m such a joe liebgott simp that i could simply not continue on in life without making a joe liebgott romance inserted into a fic 😌 and BAM!

AND YES YES YES OMG!!!

hazel parker, catherine mccown and lizzie elliot with forever be my golden trio of viragos and my precious lil beans that i will forever love with all my heart!! 💛

truly thank you so much for this kind message!! feel free to jump on by my messages if you ever want to chat, you seem so kind and this message truly made my entire day!! 🥺💛💛

thank u so so much!! i’m so glad you enjoyed!! <3

[wexhappyxfew]

Favorite scene analysis: Joe and Hazel watching the stars in Swindon? 🥺🥺💜

KRYSTA YAY!! i was secretly hoping for this scene because let’s be honest, this is where the friendship starts :) so to do this, i’ll post the clip from the scene below and then give my bits of analysis below highlighting certain parts and such. i’ll be chunking and doing analysis on each little bit :)

SCENE BREAK-DOWN: Chapter 14 - Stars of Swindon

Hazel eventually left the table, her Coke bottle in her hands, as she slowly exited the dance club, sweating, but with orders from Sobel, she wasn't about to remove her blouse. So, she walked towards a bench that overlooked a tiny garden with a little stream of running water and decided to sit by it and gaze at the stars above. She could see the big dipper and the little dipper and the North Star as well as Leo the Lion.

" Hey," she heard a voice say and Hazel looked over to see Joe Liebgott coming towards her, smoking a cigarette and glancing up at the stars above them.

" Star-gazing?" he asked her. Hazel nodded softly at him, before looking back up at the stars. It was quiet outside, you could the gentle hum of music inside and the voices, but the building held in that volume and let the outside remain peaceful. She felt Joe slowly sit down beside her.

" Why're you out here?" Joe asked her. Hazel smiled.

" I like watching the stars, always have." she told him, her eyes shining as she looked up at them. Joe followed her gaze up.

>> Now, for this first chunk, when I was beginning to write this, I know to start off this lil friendship, I wanted it to be something over stargazing, specifically since Hazel 1) doesn’t like big crowds like the dance, 2) the stars bring her comfort, 3) I wanted to show Joe stepping away from something very Joe (the dance, drinking) to going outside and seeing Hazel there. By signifying Joe had stepped away from his comfort zone, something he always did, to going outside and away from the loud and to the quiet - Hazel’s quiet. By bringing Joe away from his normality to something, an environment we normally don’t see him in, I felt was a way to start their connection. 

" Why're you out here? Following me?" Hazel asked him with a smirk and Joe snickered.

" No," he said, " you're just an interesting person to talk to." Hazel smiled at him, she took it as a compliment.

" You ever just watch the stars, Joe?" Hazel asked him.

" No," Joe answered quickly, " life moved a little too fast back at San Francisco." Hazel glanced towards him.

" Is that where you're from?" she asked him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Joe looked at her and smiled.

" Yeah, born and raised." he said.

" I've always wanted to go to San Francisco." Hazel said, " I'm just not sure how many stars you see at night."

" Oh you can get some places where you see the stars." Joe said sitting up with a smile. Hazel glanced at him.

" I thought you said you never watch the stars, Joe." Hazel said softly, before leaning back with a smile and looking up towards the sky. She heard Joe chuckle beside her.

>> You know of course I HAD to put in some friendly banter between these two because what’s a good friendship without some playful banter. But I also wanted to point out that by Joe talking about San Francisco, his HOME, his SAFETY, where his FAMILY is, I feel is something very, very important for the context of the story, to show that these two almost ALREADY can tell each other anything and they seem so comfortable with one another. Might I mention that this is mostly because we see Hazel in her own natural setting - under the stars, where she feels VERY safe and VERY comfortable, comfortable enough to discuss such things with one another, even in the short time of knowing one another, they have a mutual trust, a mutual bond which I L O V E.

" Right," he answered. Hazel smiled. Hazel suddenly pointed up towards the sky.

" You see that?" she asked him. She was pointing towards a bluish tinted star.

" That's Sirius, the dog star." she said, " He's always out at night." Joe glanced at her. 

" How'd you know that?" Joe asked her.

" I read." she said with a small smile.

" Is that what you're going to college for?" Joe asked her. Hazel bit her lip and looked at him and shook her head.

" No," she said, " I hope to go for mathematics, put that to use somehow, get closer to the stars." Joe smirked at her.

" Math?" he asked her. Hazel looked at him.

" What's wrong with math?"

" Math's so....boring, it's just numbers on a page." he said. Hazel laughed.

" Not if you think about it in that way." Hazel told him, " I find it a way to make sense of the world around you."

" I prefer the method where I actually go out and explore." Joe said.

" That's cool, too." Hazel said, before looking at the stars again.

" Could you see stars like this in Camp Toccoa?" she asked him, " We could see them in Camp Athene."

" Not sure, I don't stargaze remember?" Joe said as Hazel looked at him, laughing. She nodded. The two sat under the stars that night, watching them as the world spun slowly, and a war raged behind them, yearning and coming closer with each and every day.

>> AND THIS ENDING OKAY. So, we get to Hazel talking about what she hopes life will be like after the war, something very personal, very sentimental. Hazel isn’t one to openly express her emotion, so talking about something basic like college with someone like Joe is already a H U G E step in the direction of their friendship together with one another, just that they can discuss very real-life related things like college even in war, WHICH I LOVE. AND THAT LITTLE ENDING. Where Joe says “ Not sure, I don’t stargaze remember?” is where we start to see that little bit of teasing, the joking, of course with boundaries as well, as they have a basic understanding of one another and what makes them happy, what makes them laugh, things that are the basic foundations of the start of a friendship really!! 

Even though this portion doesn’t have super deep, in depth meaning, it still is the start of a friendship that lasts throughout the entirety of the book to where we eventually see them ultimately ( SPOILER ) get together in the end, with where their relationship leads, but in general it is that much needed foundation for the friendship and relationship of where we know they can talk to each other about ANYTHING as well as making each other laugh, crack jokes, talking about real world things, anything really, and I feel it is just super important in friendship, simple things like that!!! thank you so so much Krysta!!! This was so fun and so cute!! <3

[wexhappyxfew]

Shannon! I have a question for today, it might be a little broad, but how did you come up with Natia’s character? :)

AMY!!! hello! sorry that i have *just* gotten to this as my weeks have increasingly gotten insanely busy between my job starting back up, school, college stuff, and ap exam chaos as well haha! i did this at about 11pm(?) and i'll be queuing it up for the morning for you, but outside of tumblr, i've thought a lot about this question and what i really wanted to include in this question. having almost spent 10 months spent writing and developing natia to who she is today makes a whole lot of stuff move through my brain when i go back to my developing stages for her! thank you for the question (and the broadness, never fear, i absolutely love it!)

Natia's character really came from the idea of just wanting to really push myself out of the box and *out there* to see what I could do. And I will say Landslide is one of my most *out-there* projects in terms of content - I mean we have Death as a personified character, crazy Agent Mortem, all these past connections to Natia? It's chaos haha! But, I had experimented previously with a partly Polish-OC, Hazel Parker of "The Soldier of Stars", and from that, I went, well there's no centrally focused Polish OC yet that I have seen (this was back in like June-July 2020 mind you, so there probably has been Polish OCs created since this time!!) and I had always felt that the Warsaw Uprising was inherently important! I also read up on the Polish Resistance and how they were the most effective resistance group of continental Europe during the war, with ultimately the Warsaw Uprising being their last final push that did sort of end that.

Something I've really enjoyed about creating Natia's character was putting a great focus on her flaws. Now, her strengths are just as important - she is a great soldier in the field, she's highly intelligent and can make quick decisions on the fly, she withholds a lot of strength when it comes to situations where she needs to focus, she's observant, and she keeps herself fairly humble when not bursting at the seems. She doesn't let herself get stepped over very often (unless it's Mortem) and if anything she will insert herself, and show what skills she has, but she won't go overboard. She's also passionate about her country and her people and she always has something to fight for and even when she feels all hope is lost, she withholds a tiny little sliver no matter what, even if she doesn't feel it. But her flaws I feel are a massive part of her character. She's stubborn, she won't let people help her, she has trouble expressing emotion, she numbs herself more often than not to not feel the pain that she is supposed to feel, she blames everything on herself, she gets hot-headed quite easily, and grows to the point of nearly irrational at some moments in time and even will let her emotions get the best of her in times like this. But that makes up who Natia is as a character and who she is as a person in general.

But even with the strengths and flaws of her character, it makes her very much still a human being. And that was one of my main goals when creating Natia - make her human enough to make that angst HURT, but make her human enough that when you see her succeed or even the little wins here and there, you want to cheer. Because those are human moments. And I know this sort of character creation is not for everyone, but for me over the past near-year, this has been one of my favorite things about creating Natia because I've found myself able to relate to her even though I'm so vastly different from her.

I did some research on a British-Polish SOE Agent, Krystyna Skarbek otherwise known as her alias Christine Granville and I took a few liberties from this amazing woman and used it on Natia. But things such as Agent Mortem, Death/War connection and the eventual introduction of another character Solomon Campbell (who will be in Part 3), as well as the Resistance group of Part 1 and her siblings and parents, are all more of my own ideas and connections!

Something I have had a LOT of fun doing is showing that even though on the exterior Natia seems cold-hearted and dark and numb, and whatever other *cold+dark* ideas can be thought up, she is very much underneath -- not that. We can see how much evidently she cares for someone like George Luz; I mean even Joe Liebgott has pointed it out to her. She always is just trying to do her best and do what is best in the situation - no longer it is about what is good or bad anymore to her, it's about doing what's best in the situation for the time being, and I really love that aspect of her character a lot! We can see that when the war ends, she wants to live on the English coast, far away from war all alone with a dog and even a little goat in a seaside cottage. She grew so attached to the word AWOL after Joe Toye came and sat with her that night in Holland and they talked for once about something other than war. She even withheld her name, her nationality and just about everything else to keep the idea of the cold-face agent she thought she was up so the men of Easy Company don't have to know the real her. But -- was it to protect her...or to protect Easy? All these little ideas I threw in there to show that she is actually, very, compassionate in many ways, and caring and attentive and observant of the men and women she works with.

I really try to show that Natia listens when she listens to someone speak and she observes and she pays attention more than anything. And she ends up, holding information like that close to her and finding comfort in it.

My goal with Natia was to show that there can be a balance to "the bad-ass fighter" idea who fights for what she believes, but also remain human as well. We can see how much things affect her, especially the loss of friends. Of course, she doesn't show this to other people, but to use as readers, we see this and we see her occasional breakdown - and in a way, she continues living on their legacies because she listened to what they had to say. For example, Zdzich told her to not let the war overtake her, and throughout the story so far, we've see her sort of repeat this to herself in various ways. Because Zdzich meant that much to her. She's lost so much by this point in war that almost it's so sad to see that she, from what we all know of BoB, still has to go through so much, but at that point, she's fought so much, that all she can do it keep pushing on with it.

I think one of the most interesting moments from writing Natia was when the first few chapters were actually uploaded on platforms and there was someone really coming after Natia for her decisions and for this, that and the other thing (amy if i vaguely remember i think you remember who this person is as well because you clapped back at them once, and man your response was GOLD!!!). One of those things was Natia's approach with food (TW: mentions of struggling to eat with food, references of depression and struggling to eat, mental health issues relating...) and the person who commented would always be saying something about how she needs to eat, and she needs to remain strong and she needs to snap out of it with her depression and all this other stuff and to be honest, I sort of sat there for a moment like??? But there's reasons WHY she's not eating? Why she's holding back? (And of course ones I had mentioned so...) But let's move on.

Mental health was a prevalent thing in World War 2, though it was not looked upon fondly and Natia essentially does have depression as well as a border-line eating disorder. And so when the comment said that she had to snap out of it, I don't know it sort of off-put me because I have family with both those disorders and they've had treatment for it for years and you can't just snap out of it. I really tried to stress that 'the snapping-out-of-it" does not work, and the person kept firing back a bit at it, so I just moved on from it and ignored it. Natia's struggle with eating, as one can see, also comes from the heavy guilt and grief that is slowly uncovered throughout the story of what Natia has done and what has happened throughout the course of the war to her. Natia's number one thing she constantly does and has now become the focus of many character relationships with her (ie Doc Gene Roe) is the clenched fists, that she squeezes until they bleed and eventually need wrapped up by the Doc. Something she also refuses to accept she has a problem with. As we can see, acceptance is a concept she struggles with more than anything and something she will essentially have to learn to simply, accept.

That's just sort of one of the many bits of information about her character that I added, especially in society today as mental health is so important and so I just wanted to share a bit of the backlash I got from someone for it. But I guess that's life, but I'll continue to write Natia Filipska as an OC who does struggle with depression because of her life in war.

Natia's character and her story is probably one of the most complex characters and stories I've written and crafted and created and I'm just extremely happy with how she ended up coming out in the end! I'm about to go and do some writing and editing for her and it's just so exciting writing her because of all these various levels she withholds and she slowly lets uncover as the story unfolds! I just love it! OH - and we can't forget about the infamous mentions of the piano....yep that'll be coming up soon haha!! <3

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION AMY!!! IT MEANT SO MUCH!!!! just getting to talk about Natia a little bit and her character and what my mind set was creating her - it means so much. my mindset with her is somehow always changing and shifting as she goes through her character arc throughout the story and how her developmental shifts and it's just something i really love and enjoy more than anything!!! <3 so thank you for letting me just talk about it for a little while as well as my thoughts and opinions, it means a lot :)