#he's absolutely my son and I am his proud mama

[taketwoinink]

if I may make an addition... My cat rooting around in the trash can: *little thieving noises* Me: "Absolutely not!" *escorts her to her food bowl* My cat: "Mother I fear you have gone blind, for clearly we see that this bowl is empty." Me: "It's because I didn't get the food wet first, isn't it?" My cat: "Release me from thy view so I may rummage in the depths for something to sate my endless hunger! Spare me that I might not suffer and starve in these cruel conditions!" Me: "Yeah it's cause I didn't get the food wet." My cat: "MOTHER RELEASE ME-" Me: *gets her food wet* My cat: "Oh look, sustenance!"

Me: *Removes my cat from my lap to do something else.*

My cat: Father is...evil? Father is unyielding? Father is incapable of love? I am running away. I am packing my little rucksack and going out to explore the world as a lone vagabond. I can no longer thrive in this household.

[icarusredwings]

i *live* for your agere wade omg 😢🙏🏻 i also age regress there's just something about your favorite character being like you that makes me smile :) your writing is absolutely wonderful as well!! :3

Hi hon, Im so proud of you for doing what's good for you, and I am so happy that you've found something to enjoy that makes you feel good about yourself.

Thank you so much for the support. I've seen more people mention how excited they were to find cute, mild, and nonnsexual regressions for Wade, so I've decided to put it on A03 for more people to enjoy.

I actually was nervous about posting them in general because of the stigma around it but seeing how supportive you all have been (I dont know why im even shocked) it's made me a little more confident in my writing. I was abused quite a bit as a child, and while I don't regress, I do have a special attachment to my stuffed animals and find comfort in kids' shows. Annnddd, as someone who was working towards becoming a geneticist? It's comforting to know that some very intelligent and successful people also do.

While you're waiting for me to write more or upload to A03, have some HCs:

Depending on what's going on, he fluctuates between 5-8.

Wade has 3 caregivers, Al, Vanessa, and Logan. He loves them all so much but certian care givers are for certain things. Al (Mama) is he goes too for booboos, Ness (Mommy) is who takes him out the most, to the park and doctors (If things get too out of hand, she can pull the "He's my disabled son you bastard" card, and Logan (Kitty) is general. The one youll find when wade is casually colouring or playing tea party with.

He'll take "sippies" but hes a bit too old for them because he chews the tops off.

Cereal, mac and cheese, pizza, bassically anything he already eats as an adult, including spicy tacos.

He doesn't have a lot of toys (and if he does, they're from a give away or a dumpster) so is very possesive of them and will instantly get upset if you try to take them away or "hurt" them.

Wade is the type to just chill with you on the couch and eat snacks if you don't have the energy to play or take him to the park. Even as a child, he was very emotionally intelligent, and it shows.

Most kids would have tantrums, but he seems to either be understanding or go cry in silence while isolated (its what hes used too)

As much as people say he's a potty mouth, I don't see it. Not yet anyway. Sure he'll say "bad words" sometimes but as someone whos used to being screamed at to shut up all the time, I believe he talks so much as an adult BECAUSE he wasn't allowed as a kid so he's more of an observer unless you are unfortunately his favorite and then hes going to tell you random facts.

Oftentimes, the "perfect child" are ones that are independent, quiet, and who monitor their emotions/ actions around other kids and adults. This means being forced to act older than you actually are, walking on eggshells around adults and trying to do things by himself.

He likes to wear clothes that are too big for him rather then tight. (Bonus points if they're a hoodie or a sweater)

He likes baths and sometimes will tell you that his "Skin hurts" when really it's just itchy/peeling/ needs lotion.

He's not big on babytalk but "puppy" "mama" "mommy" "park?" "Kitty scratch bad guys" "I watch tv?" "Go home?" "Play horses?" Are common. Its either small unfinished sentneces or endless rambling with full sentences that repeat themself. Logan has once heard "Did you know-?" 30 times once all in 10 minutes

He has a stuffy of a Wolverine named Fluffy from Kitty, a unicorn named Buttercream from Mommy, and a bear shaped dog toy from Mama. In her defense she didn't know it was a dog toy (because shes blind and cant read duh) but Wade loves it more that it squeaks.

Because kidWade (He is "NOT little", he's a "Big boy") is bigger than them, he has issues playing a little... rough... with other kids. He has infact shoved a kid into the sand while playing tag.

Wade is very erm... possesive.. over his caregivers and will act out if he believes Kitty is ignoring him. Because of their history, hes even more prone to acting out with Ness and has gone as far as telling someone they looked like a burnt quesodilla that "had a baby with a wrinkled cucumber" before (and will do it again)

Flappy hands. Giggles. Screeches. That is all that needs to be said.

Wade likes music, arts, and crafts. Physical exercise is nice too but naps are needed afterwards.

Naps must be willing. If you tell him to go take a nap he'll just stomp his feet and cry that hes "being good" so "doesn't need one" bassically, naps are punishment.

Tw for sensitive topics such as mental and physical health

The worst part about having Wade isn't that he is a "brat" or "bad", no infact wade barley ever is a brat. He's very people pleasing because he just wants as much affection as possible. it's the fact that you can't trick him or keep him from doing something. He's too smart.

"Come on baby, we're going to the park"

"Yay!!- wait.... Mommy... Mommy the park is that way...Mommy this is how you go to the mean doctors! They're gonna rip my teeth out!"

It's even HARDER to care for a kid who can escape literally anything and can run all the way home if you upset him too badly. The only thing really you can do is call a different cg and double up on the reassurance. (And maybe a bribe)

Another thing is that just because he's in this headspace doesn't mean his issues are gone. Between the nightmares, the flashbacks, the scary hallucinations that he can't understand, intrusive thoughts about harming a person, impusive thoughts, and just straight up having to deal with cancer on top of it all, etc.

Do you know how hard it is to explain to a child that they're nauseous and exhausted because the cells inside of him are eating the other cells, dying, and healing all at the same time?

[daisyblog]

It’s a…

Our Story Masterlist Summary: Gender reveal.

Harry and YN had been for an early gender scan, due it being so close to Christmas and they are going to be travelling back up North for the holidays. 

Their family and friends had sent in their predictions the night before, all trying to guess what baby Styles was going to be. 

Anne: Girl💕

Gemma: Boy💙

Michal: Boy! 

Louis: Girl x 

Lottie: 💙💙💙

Phoebe: 💕

Daisy: 🩷

Jen & Len: Girl xx

Mark & Sally: 💙

Jeff: Glenne and I think Girl!!

Mitch: Boy!

Sarah: Girl xx

Pauli: BABY STYLES IS A GIRL! I think! 

Lloyd: Booooooy!!

Brad: Girl! p.s good luck H😂

James: I think boy! 

Louise: Lux and I think girl💞

Niall: Girl!❤️

Liam: Boy! 

Zayn: Khai says girl x 

In all honestly Harry and YN didn’t mind if their baby was a boy or girl, they just prayed for a happy and healthy little one. 

Once YN and Harry were called into the room, YN laid down on the bed with Harry sat next to her, holding her hand for comfort. 

“Are we ready to see your baby?.” The sonographer asked. 

“More than ready!” YN smiled at Harry, who brought their joined hands up his lips and pressed a quick peck to them. 

The room was silent whilst the sonographer moved the probe around YN’s tummy. The sound of a racing heartbeat broke the silence, and YN’s new favourite sound could be heard. Their baby’s heartbeat!

“You have one wriggly baby…they don’t want to keep still for me today!” The lady joked, causing YN and Harry to laugh as they watched the screen. 

“Is everything okay? With the baby I mean?”. Harry asked, something he liked doing at every appointment. 

“If I could use the word perfect, I would.” The older woman smiled. “But I can’t, but honestly your baby is growing absolutely beautifully in there…so keep doing what you’re doing Mama!”. 

Harry gave YN a proud smile, knowing that YN needed to hear that today after having a few days of insecurities. 

“Would you like to know the gender?”.

“Yeah please!” Harry didn’t hesitate, eagerly wanting to know if they were having a baby son or daughter. 

After a few more pokes and prodes on YN’s tummy, the woman smiled. “Congratulations Mum and Dad…you’re having a…”. 

---

Originally YN and Harry were going to share their baby’s gender with their families at Christmas. But not wanting to take away the attention away from Louis on his birthday or the younger children at Christmas, they decided they would share the news with everyone at the same time. 

Keeping it simple, YN sent all their family and friends the same photo sharing the news. Both waiting for the reactions!

Louis: 

OI OI!!

I am absolutely buzzing right now! I’m chuffed to pieces for you both. I can’t wait to meet your baby and you best believe I’m going to spoil her rotten! 

Give bump a kiss from her Uncle Lou!! Can’t wait to see you all Christmas. Love you xx

Anne:

Congratulations my darlings. Words can’t describe how proud I am of you both. You really do deserve all the happiness. Thank you for making me a Grandma, but a bigger thank you for blessing me with a precious granddaughter🩷I love you three so much xx

Gemma:

YOU’RE HAVING A GIRL!!

I’M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE TO A GIRL

I’M HAVING A NIECE!!

🩷🩷🩷

Lottie: 

YEEEEEEEEESSSS! OMG I’M CRYING! I’m so happy for you both💖I can’t wait to meet your baby girl xxxxx

Phoebe:

I KNEW IT!! I’M SO EXCITED!! OUR BABY GIRLS ARE GOING TO BE BESTIES🩷🩷

Daisy: 

Another Niece!💓💓💓I’m the luckiest auntie in the world. Congratulations xx

Mark: 

Another granddaughter💕I am truly blessed. Congratulations!!xx

Jen: 

What beautiful news. Congratulations sweethearts. We are over the moon for you. Love you all xx

Jeff:

A mini YN…good luck H😂😂

Congratulations both! We are thrilled for you and can’t wait to meet your little girl❤️

Mitch: 

Uncle Mitchy can’t wait!! Congratulations both! 

Sarah:

Aww how cute! Congratulations guys!💖

Pauli:

YESSSSS!! WOOOOOO!! 🩷💖💓💕💞

Lloyd:

NO WAY!!❤️

Brad:

You’re going to have your hands full H😂I’m only joking! Congratulations both, amazing news and I can’t wait to meet her🥰

James:

I should have known you were a girl dad H! Best feeling in the world! Congratulations both! X

Louise T: 

TEAM PINK🩷Love ya both!xx

Niall: 

Uncle Niall favourite niece!! ❤️

Liam: 

Wow! Congratulations both, what a lucky little girl she will be to have you both ❤️

Zayn: 

Khai and I can’t wait to meet her! Congrats to you both, FaceTime soon? x 

---

yntomlinson story:

Tag List:

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @harrys-flower @platinumbarbie143 @frickin-bats @harrysbbyh0ney @chronicallybubbly @goldensunflowe-r  @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @kaverichauhan @peterholland04 @panicattheuc @or-was-it-just-a-dream @hittiesontour @bunnyharold @fanfictioncafe @lilfreakjez @iamahallucinationnn @theekyliepage @indierockgirrl @buckybarnessimpp @ashleighsss @jerseygirlinca @fake-coolbeans @itsmytimetoodream @treehouse-mouse

[arcane-vagabond]

Congratulations for 100 followers! 🥳❤️

How do you think Jake is right after the birth of your first baby?

Thank you so much!!

And Jake would absolutely be so soft, my GOD. If you'd like to read the prequel, go here!

He'd be right by your side, still holding your hand and stroking your hair lovingly, torn between looking at you and your newborn baby.

You could hear the cries of your son as the nurses cleaned him up, and you fought to keep your eyes open despite the exhaustion that threatened to overtake you.

"You did so good, mama," Jake cooed as he showered your hairline with kisses before leaning down to press a slow, gentle kiss to your lips. "I'm so proud of you."

"Do you want to hold him?" the nurse asked you, your son wrapped up in her arms. You nodded vehemently, already reaching out your hands as Jake helped to prop you up against your pillow. You took your son gently in your arms, tears already threatening to fall. He was beautiful with your hair and his father's nose. You felt a sob threaten to break free, and Jake looked at you with concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" he asked. You shook your head.

"I'm just so happy," you whisper, smiling at him and then back at your son. Jake hums, placing another gentle kiss to your temple.

"Get some rest, mama. We'll be here when you wake up," he said, taking your son into his own arms.

A few hours later, you woke up to a darkened room. Groggily, you turned your head to see Jake still holding your son at the foot of your bed.

"Hey, Bubba," he whispered. Your heart threatened to burst at the sight of your husband as he cradled the baby gently in his arms, tiny fingers wrapped around his much larger one. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."

Your son gurgled, and Jake smiled softly. "Been waitin' a long time to meet you. Thought your mama was gonna kick my ass if you stayed inside her one more day."

You had to stop yourself from chuckling at his words.

"But all those late nights of runnin' out to get your mama what she was craving was worth it," he continued. "I love her so much, ya know? Didn't think it was even possible for me to love her more until you came into the world."

Your son gave a small cry, and Jake laughed. "That's right, Bubba. She is amazing. I know you don't know her yet, but she's smart, funny, kind, and so very, very beautiful. I'm not sure how I managed to snag her, but I am one lucky son of a gun."

Jake moved to sit down in the chair next to your bed, taking special care to not disturb either of you.

"I'm never lettin' either of you go. That's a promise."

[thestarstoasun]

Will and Naomi Solace don't normally celebrate Easter considering the whole she slept with a Greek god, had a demigod child but could only tell her small-town religious family that she had a one nightstand and got pregnant thing. She had been told they still loved her but was still publicly shamed and shunned until she got famous for her music.

Will didn't think his grandparents, uncles, or aunts deserved his mom in their lives after what they put her through, but he figured if she could forgive them, he could too. Except they didn't know he was bisexual. They didn't know about Nico. Will had been all too willing to tell his sweet, loving, adoring mother about his boyfriend. He made sure Nico knew when he first brought it up that there was no rush, and just like when it came to everything, he was willing to wait forever. (Nico had actually stared at him in disbelief, and with the oh-so-noticeable red splashing across his pale skin muttered a quiet, "Idiota". Will didn't need to be fluent in Italian to know /that one/, even when he first heard it.)

Introducing Nico to his mother was a mistake, not because of any homophobia or monster attacks, but just how much they both love to embarrass him. His mother shares stories and shows pictures (which Will panics about because technology and demigods don't mix well) of a much younger and embarrassing Will, and by the look in Nico's eyes Will knows he is never living it down. In return, his mother learns of his embarrassing flirting in the middle of a war.

The memory was nice now, a year and a half later, especially since Will was currently on the verge of an entire mental breakdown. Being back in Texas had that effect on him. At camp, he locked away all panic, grief, loss, suffering in order to run the infirmary and be strong for his siblings, but here, he had no infirmary and no siblings. He could honestly care less of what these people thought of him - Lee's opinion had mattered, Michael's opinion had mattered, His mama's opinion matters, Nico's feelings and opinion matters. Hades, he cares more for Apollo's opinion than these people, and he was still struggling with his own complicated feelings towards his father - not that they ever showed outwardly.

Will was more worried that these people that shared blood with him would shame his and Nico's relationship and upset his boyfriend. Nico had suffered so much pain and suffering already, especially when it came to his sexuality and accepting that there wasn't anything wrong with himself for loving boys. Will was so proud of how far Nico had come and felt sick to his stomach at being an indirect cause of a relapse.

"You worry too much," The words sounded so beautiful that they must have been spoken by an angel. (They weren't, they were spoken by none other than Nico Di Angelo, but what can he say, he is Apollo's son. It is in his nature to be dramatic at least sometimes.)

"I don't think I worry enough. I mean, there is jus' so much that could go wrong. Mama-" Will shot Nico, who was failing to hide a wide smile, a curious expression unknowingly tilting his head slightly to the right. "What's so amusin' about this?"

"I think I finally understand what Lou Ellen meant when she called you a dog." Will stared blankly absolutely stunned out of his panic, his lips formed a small pout that was absolutely not adorable. Nico got up from where he sat comfortably on Will's bed and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist, resting his head on Will's shoulder. "Breathe. I'm already prepared to ditch this dinner and shadow-travel us both and your mother out somewhere nice at the slightest sign of trouble. Catholic guilt is a bitch, but I am done letting it, Gods, or anyone control my life."

Will felt both relieved and worried. Nico had learned so much about his boundaries with his powers over the last year, but it didn't mean Will didn't worry. "Is that why-?"

"Yes, that is why I slept so much today, il mio sole. Even before we left camp you were doing that nervous thing where you wrap bandages around your wrist. I figured something was bothering you and it had to do with our vacation. You love your mom, so it was obviously this dinner. I'm from the 30s, not an idiot, William, amore mio."

Will couldn't help but gently remove Nico's arm's from around him and sweep the boy off his feet. This frustrating, self-destructive, annoyingly attractive, smartass paid way too much attention to a simple healer such as himself, but Will couldn't imagine his life without Nico in it anymore. The half-hearted glare he received filled him with so much warmth and made him smile so wide it hurt, which in turn caused Nico to turn away to hide the slight upturn of his own lips.

[blacklegsanjiii]

oh my goodness I am in absolute LOVE with Croc!Sanji. So much potential in this little prince! I know your idea has him and Robin meeting the Strawhats in Alabasta, but how would it go if they did end up meeting him in Baratie? Maybe Zeff got partial custody lol and Sanji was bored and thought why the hell not. Vivi and Igaram dont recognize him at Whiskey Peak but he sure as hell recognizes them and that is the most fun time of his life because most of Baroque who knows who he is is trying to figure out what the fuck their Mr Prince is doing here and Robin figures it out but is mostly just amused. Gets a little trickier with the Little Garden dendenmushi call bc Croc def knows his sons voice and is too busy being confused to try to stop the Strawhats. Robin has popcorn and is watching the show. The crew figures out something is definitely up with their cook during Alabasta but he does an admirable job of hiding it. However the reveal goes is up to you!!

adoring all your ideas over here <3 be proud of yourself !!!!

Amazing. Croc has to figure out a co-parenting situation with Zeff who refuses to come back to the grand line so hes the one doing all the shuttling. It becomes a joke for Baratie and Baroque that they have completely different views of parenting and women. Croc keeps yelling at Zeff to shove his "chivalry" up his ass because the women Sanji knows will kick his ass if acts like that but also Sanji isn't just a boy(Thanks Mama Clay!) And needs to be treated like a fucking kid, a deadly one at that.

Zeff doesn't know what to do because sometimes Sanji is dressing immaculate suits and other times Sanji is in a very pretty dress with make up on and his hair like shoulder length and styled well either way. Zeff wants to strangle them all the time. Crocodile will only eat when Sanji is cooking because fuck his coparent, he's a dumb fucker. So fucking dumb. Sanji is just in constant agony.

Croc gets the dad title and Zeff gets called "geezer" and Croc absolutely rubs it in his face. Daz is "Uncle Daz" and Bon Clay is "Auntie" and that's it.

Crocodile gets a call from Baratie saying Sanji joined a pirate crew who said they'll help him find the All Blue. The massive groan he lets out makes Robin giggle lightly. She's seen Sanji in all his chaotic mess so she'll know this will be entertaining. Galdino looking at Sanji and Sanji looking between him and crew and crossing their arms. Like every time they run into someone from Baroque their looking at Sanji and they're looking right back.

I feel like the reveal would be after Robin joins the crew and mentions Sanji easily teaming up with someone to overthrow their dad. Sanji's whole reaction basically boils down to 'it's really fucking funny to overthrow my dad with the daughter of the man he overthrew' which makes Robin laugh and the crew gawk at them.

Also thank you!! I'm glad you like these!

[munariplans]

your writing is remarkable. saw you were open to doing drabbles for the chaos makes the muse series so i wondering if we can see something about natasha and reader as parents? how many kids did they end up having?

hi anon,

so sorry for the delayed response! i am open to drabbles and requests, and i've written a peek into natasha and reader's lives as parents in this fic below, hope it answers your questions and enjoy!

i would also like to preface that while this is related to chaos makes the muse, you can absolutely read it without having read / completed the series :)

The final lap ensues, your eldest son a tenth of a second slower than the go-kart in front of him, and you sighed. Putting your hands together in a silent prayer, you hoped with all your might that he might be able to pull an early exit into one of the turns, cutting off his only opponent and retaking the lead in the race.

The karts whizzed past the stands, your hair followed in the wind. Each kart’s engine the only loud noises in the air as everyone watched the race with bated breath. Your phone was ringing; probably a note from your secretary. You quickly switched it off as the final turn before the chequered flag appeared for the karts.

Nicholas didn’t make it to first.

Still, you rushed over with the rest of the parents to where the karts were coming in slowly and parking, and quickly found your son with his head down, still sitting in his kart as celebrations for first place rang through the air.

“Hey, there’s my champion,” you kneeled down to his level, smiling as you helped him remove his helmet. “You did your best, and Mama and I are so proud of you.”

“I didn’t win,” was all he said before engulfing you in a hug, soaking your jacket with tears he refused to show anyone else. It reminded you of Natasha’s own habit of doing so, and you only hugged him tighter.

“It doesn’t matter,” you reassured, walking him to the small podium, “It doesn’t matter to me, or to your Mama. There’s always the next race, and the next. We’ll tweak your engine together, so you go even faster, and we’ll review your data together too. You are forever my pride, Nicholas, losing one race isn’t going to change that.”

–

On the drive home, as Nicholas fell asleep in your passenger seat hugging his second-place trophy, you received a text from Natasha at home.

Are you on the way home? I gave up on Nathaniel’s maths homework, by the way, I need you.

You smiled to yourself at the text, shaking your head and turning your attention back to the road in hopes that you would arrive home faster.

–

“Mama, we’re homeee!” Nicholas’ mood was considerably lighter as he passed the threshold of your home, proudly showing off his trophy. But alas, Natasha was not in the living room as he had expected, nor was she in the kitchen or anywhere in his vision. Natasha always greeted the both of you home after Nicholas’ karting races, so you knew only one thing must have happened.

You rubbed the boy’s back comfortingly, and directed him to place his trophy along with all his others on the shelf. “Mama’s probably asleep, sweetheart. You know how tired she is these days, your little sister’s not giving her the easiest time.”

At his pout, you knelt down to his height again. “Hey, you can still show her your trophy tomorrow, I’m sure she would be just as excited. How about I make you a box of mac-and-cheese and we can share it without her knowing? I say that’s a fantastic way to celebrate, yeah?”

You were engulfed right into another hug as he smiled into your neck; another one of Natasha’s little quirks.

–

With Nicholas settled in at the dining table and tucking into his bowl of mac-and-cheese (that Natasha had always disapproved of you making for the boys), you snuck into your younger son’s room, the lights still on.

Nathaniel was clearly in over his head, his ginger hair a mess and balls of crumpled paper scrawled with maths equations strewn across the floor. He had fallen asleep on his desk, and your heart squeezed at the fact that he had to wait for so long before you came to the rescue.

You slowly shook him awake. “Nathan, I’m home.”

Opening his eyes blearily, Nathaniel leaned his head against your shoulder as you took the papers from underneath him, shaking the drool on them dry.

“You smell like your office’s air freshener, yuck.”

You tipped his head playfully. “Been there since eight this morning, bud. Didn’t have time to change before I had to go for your brother’s race in the evening. Now I’m here doing your homework with you.”

“Don’t you get tired?” He yawned as you began scanning the questions.

Truthfully, a wave of fatigue had long past swept through your bones; even in the stands watching Nicholas race, even as you entered the office that morning. With Natasha set to deliver your daughter any day now, coupled with Nathaniel’s exams approaching and Nicholas’ races, you truly felt like you were drowning most days. To top it all off, business was booming; clients were streaming in by the dozens most days, and you rarely even had time to breathe between waking up and going back to bed for the past few weeks.

But you only smiled at your son, and came back with, “And if I do, what am I supposed to do? Stop working?”

“Yeah, and spend time playing more video games with me.”

“And who’s going to be able to afford to buy those games for you, kid? Your brother’s racing career, your mother’s shopping sprees, even your baby sister’s shopping sprees when she’s born and older, I need to work so you guys can keep having these things.”

He gave a non-committal grunt. A sign for you to bring his attention back to the papers in front of the both of you. “Let’s start, shall we? I promise we can steal your brother’s leftover mac-and cheese if we can finish this by midnight.”

–

By the time both boys were tucked into bed and snoring softly into their pillows, you knew you were about two seconds away from dropping dead onto the ground with exhaustion. Shuffling your feet to your shared bedroom with Natasha, you barely made out the shape of her figure before collapsing onto your side of the bed, your eyelids begging to close themselves.

But it was the soft drawl in her voice that woke you up. “You’re home already, baby?”

“Been home since seven, darling, had to make Nicholas dinner and finish up the rest of Nathaniel’s homework.”

At your confession, Natasha sat up, guilt coursing through her at her dismissal of you returning home and doing so much with the boys. Lately, it felt like the ‘team effort’ she had promised you would come with more children had been more solo on your end, regardless how many times you reminded her that she was busy growing a third human within her herself, and it could not compare to the amount of stress she was putting her own body in.

Her hands found themselves carding through your hair, and you shifted further up to lie across her legs. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“For what?”

“For not being there. You were in the office so early today, you had to do so much work, and then having to be there for Nicholas’ race and taking care of Nathaniel after, too. It’s so much,” Natasha found a lump in her throat that she was unable to swallow.

Instead, you shook your head, merely reaching out for her hand and rubbing your thumb over hers lovingly. “All part of the process, love. Please don’t feel guilty about this. Besides, I enjoy spending time with the boys, and letting you rest.”

You could sense your wife was still apprehensive, so you reached into your pocket and pulled out your mobile phone, in hopes of distracting her mind. “Look, Nicholas got second place in the race today. Kid was a bit disappointed, but you can see how well he drove.”

Natasha began watching the clip of Nicholas’ final lap in the race, one hand resting over her bump affectionately as she smiled at her eldest. Getting up from your own position, you noticed the legs you had been lying on were incredibly swollen, and you cursed internally at the fact you had been neglecting your wife in exchange for caring for your sons, too.

So when she physically let out soft pants and happy moans once you started massaging her feet, Natasha had to drop the phone and put a pillow over her face in embarrassment once she caught your grin at her. “Baby, you’re exhausted…please…”

“Nonsense,” you assured, “Anything for you. And anything to hear more of those amazing sounds too, please, love. They’re music to my ears.”

You were met with an eye roll and a laugh that alleviated any shred of tiredness you thought you had earlier. Everything was worth it, for her. –

Natasha thought you were dead to the world in your slumber, seeing the day you had and the pent-up stress and exhaustion accumulated of taking care of her, and the boys. You rightfully deserved to be, as she watched your features, asleep beside her with an imaginary ‘best parent in the world’ crown she imagined on your head. Her heart squeezed with how much she knew you loved and sacrificed for the boys and her.

But she had to wake you, unfortunately. There was no other option.

So when you felt her hands shaking you awake and rolling over to check that it was only half past three in the morning, you groaned at having to be awake so early. “Yes, Nat?”

“My water broke.”

She had said it so calmly, almost serene, that you would have found it almost unbelievable had her voice not been the only thing filling the white noise in the room. Then, as if you couldn’t hear her the first time, she reinforced, “Baby’s coming.”

You were up with a start, still half-hazy with details, but mind alert and screaming at you to do something. You had been through this twice, a third shouldn’t be a surprise at that point.

With the hospital bag packed by the door, Yelena on her way to babysit the boys until the morning, and your hair finally combed enough to a civilised hairstyle, you turned back to Natasha, slowly waddling down the stairs.

“How are you so calm?” You asked, rushing forward to help carry her, despite her protests at such.

Once her feet were back on the ground, she squeezed your shoulder just a little too rough, and her eyes shut in pain. “Am…not. But it’s the only thing I can do to keep the pain manageable. Can we please drive to the hospital, now?”

–

“A little more, love, just a little more.”

“I’ll fucking break your neck once we’re done if you dare say that to me again!”

At Natasha’s scream, and the threatening words pinned against you, you kept your mouth shut, instead choosing to recline a little in the stiff plastic chair the operating team gave you, in hopes that it would also alleviate the pain from your hand getting crushed under her grip.

You leaned your forehead against your wife’s, and tried to focus on the arrival of your daughter, and not how much pain she was putting Natasha through currently.

Finally, with the last push from Natasha, and both of her hands crushing the bones on one of yours together, the baby was out, and it was the moment that you knew you had just fallen in love with your daughter. It had happened twice before, but never the same.

–

Bags under your eyes, shoulders sinking in on themselves, Natasha knew you had the telltale signs of burnout and exhaustion written all over your features. But as she watched you bent over the small bassinet the hospital had wheeled your daughter in, a hint of a smile on your face watching her interact with her first few moments in the world, she knew that you would have given up everything, risked it all and more, for this moment to happen.

All those years ago, when she had met you at the club, when she merely knew you as the broken, fragile lawyer with an ego bigger than the sky itself, she found it hard to believe she could witness your growth to now, the very best parent you could be to her three children. Sacrificing each weekend to tune up Nicholas’ go-kart and coaching him for races, coming home each night to help Nathaniel with his homework, and then having to deal with her mood swings, pregnancy hormones, and all sorts of aches you had to massage and sort out, she wondered if she really had gotten so lucky at times; or if it was all just a dream for her. You were patient with the boys, and her, you were kind, you never complained. You were everything she had always wanted.

Natasha almost said something; she started, but couldn’t find it in herself to finish. She called out your name, and said, “I…”

You looked up at her, and the words caught in her throat. “Yes?”

“I…”

“Mummy! Mama!” For the first time in a long while, Natasha heard the two boys’ voices in unison, cutting through your small moment as they rushed into the room, followed by a very haggard-looking Yelena behind.

“Gentle, gentle, boys! What did I tell you?” Yelena’s voice sounded like the boys had taken ten years off her life. At her state, Natasha saw you grinning too, and thanked her quietly for being able to come and babysit at such short notice. “Now move, I want to see my niece, too!”

Making space on the bed for Nicholas and Yelena to sit beside her, along with you at the foot of the bed with Nathaniel on your shoulders, Natasha cradled the newest addition to her family lovingly, her elder brothers already cooing and fighting over who gets to hold her first.

Her eyes met yours, and the words that were stuck came rushing back. She wanted to mouth I love you.

You smiled back at her, and when Yelena brought the boys down later on to grab a snack, you said it right back, your daughter in your arms this time. “I love you too.”

“Mm, enough to give me a fourth child?”

You looked up to her in panic, and at the expression on your face, Natasha found it hard to keep her own serious, as she burst out in giggles. “I was kidding.”

“Respectfully, my love,” you replied, “If this baby is not our last, I don’t think I am going to even live until I see forty.”

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 15

October/November 1987

"Oh Milla, that's marvellous, absolutely wonderful!", Rosalind cheered excitedly and even had to wipe a few tears away. "What an honour!", she added, looking at her husband. "Isn't it, Bruce?" "Yes, darling, of course.", Camilla's father replied and cleared his throat. He'd never been as much of a passionate monarchist as his wife was but he couldn't deny that it was, indeed, an incredibly kind offer from the Queen Mother to hold Theodora's baptism at the Royal Chapel. Of course, he had always been aware of both his son-in-law and his daughter's close connection to the Royal Family, he himself had been knowing the Queen Mother for ages - the old lady was a good one without a doubt! - and, yes, it was particularly nice of the Princess Royal to become little Thea's godmother - but he couldn't help it: something about the whole thing felt kind of… suspicious. Yes, both Queen Mother and Princess Anne had been present at Andrew and Milla's wedding back in the day, and yes, the Prince of Wales had agreed to become the godfather of their first child which was definitely a great honour and proof of their close friendship - but nobody had really cared about Laura at her time a few years ago so it happened rather unexpected that all of a sudden they were all making such a fuss about the little one. Of course, Thea was their little angel, their pride and joy and the sweetest baby he'd ever seen - along with all of his other wonderful grandchildren - but he stuck with it: something about it was strange.

"My goodness, what am I going to wear?", Rosalind asked almost in panic and Camilla was more than grateful when Annabel, who thank goodness had been able to attend her little Afternoon Tea as well, assured her: "You'll definitely find something, Mama!" Camilla herself still hadn't come to terms with the prospect of having her baby christened in the Royal Chapel with all three of them present, the Queen Mother, the Princess Royal, and the Prince of Wales, who also happened to be her secret lover and the secret father of her baby. What a ridiculous soap opera! But the Queen Mother hadn't accepted any kind of protest and, of course, Andrew had been delighted, and when eventually Anne had offered to become a godmother, there really had been no escape anymore. Not that she minded that Thea was going to be Anglican - she herself was and, frankly, she'd never been too keen on some of the Catholic elements of Christianity but then again she'd never been so much into religion that she'd have bothered. What she did worry about, though, was her daughter's safety and the attention they were all giving her at the moment, and especially the public attention they would eventually attract with that big fat royal christening wasn't quite what she had planned or hoped for. All eyes would be on them, they'd appear in the newspapers even - they had with Tom back in the day but that had been different; their names would be in everybody's mouths and even if nobody was going to be suspicious, it felt wrong and too risky and just made her feel very uncomfortable. All that she wanted was for her baby to be safe and grow up as normal as possible and as far away from the limelight as possible!

At least Annabel had agreed to become a godmother as well, and Camilla was more than grateful for her sister's constant, loyal support. Apart from her two men, she was the only one who knew the truth, the only person she could talk to and who understood her concerns. "It's not surprising that Andrew's enjoying the attention.", she had casually said when Camilla had first told her about the christening. "He loves to be the star, the hero, and he's super proud of his royal connections, no matter how they might come about." She couldn't deny that her sister had a point here. God, how on earth was she supposed to get through that awful ordeal without letting anything show? She'd just have to in the end…Theodora Elizabeth Anne was christened at the Chapel Royal, St James Palace, London, two weeks later in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen Mother as well as Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, who even became little Thea's godmother. Andrew almost burst with pride and gave a picture perfect, pride and loving daddy (much too Charles' displeasure but, thank goodness, and thanks to a few warning glances Camilla decently gave him, he managed not to let anything show). Camilla herself felt absolutely miserable all day long and could hardly eat anything, especially when Andrew handed Thea to her godmother, saying: "Go and meet Auntie Anne, darling.", which caused her hissing: "She's not 'Auntie Anne'! Don't give her ideas, Andrew! She'll be 'Ma'am' to the children, just as Charles is 'Sir' and nothing else!" Andrew had just rolled his eyes at her, as if she was the boring spoiler of the party but this really wasn't funny and she was more than happy and relieved once the professional photographs had been taken and the whole charade was finally over without any further incidents. "It was a wonderful day.", Charles gushed when they talked on the phone the next day. "I'm so glad we could do it that way." Of course he was happy that he'd been blessed to participate and in some way, Camilla was, too; she loved him and he was Thea's father after all. But it had also been incredibly risky and she had felt miserable all day long. They couldn't go on like that. What would he do next, invite them all for Christmas at Sandringham, Easter at Windsor Castle or maybe Buckingham Palace for the next Trooping the Colour? No, that wasn't possible. They had to keep some distance and he had to understand that. It was for their daughter's safety… "When am I going to see you both again?", he asked with a longing voice, which gave her goosebumps. "I miss you… I want to hold you in my arms and kiss you, darling." He sounded so sad and desperate that it almost brought tears to her eyes and, though she tried to fight it, she couldn't deny that she felt just the same. They hadn't had a proper weekend together since Thea's birth and after three months she started to feel needs other than sleeping and feeding her baby again… In fact, she was just as desperate to see him as he was to see her. "I miss you, too, darling.", she sighed, trying hard not to sound too obviously desperate. "Let me check with some friends and see if I can arrange something, somewhere..." "Please, darling. And let me know where and when. I can make it anytime.", he promised and she laughed. "Of course, because the Prince of Wales's diary is one of the emptiest in the United Kingdom.", she chuckled, rolling her eyes, knowing exactly just how busy he always was and what a drama it had always been to find an appointment. "Well, darling, as you said: I'm the Prince of Wales and if I want to meet with the mother of my child, my wish shall be everybody's command…" "You might be the Prince of Wales but you also are an idiot.", she giggled, before adding: "The most adorable idiot I've ever met. I love you, darling." "Love you, too."

[bedlemboy]

More Incorrect Star Wars Quotes

Maul: I called you here because I’m in peril!

Ezra: Pft! Peril.

Maul: Don’t pft my peril! Someone’s trying to kill me! That's why I called my Apprentice!

Ezra: I’m not your apprentice, I’m your worst enemy! Get it through your head!

Maul: This kind of bickering is what makes us such an adorable couple!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Mama, this is my apprentice, Ezra Bridger. And this is my personal assistant, Mangy Kanan.

Kanan: You can just call me Kanan, ma’am. Maul: Mangy Kanan used to be a homeless gentleman. I work with a charity that finds jobs for down-on-their-luck Jedi.

Mother Talzin: Oh, that’s sweet! He’s been so good to your people!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: I can’t help it. You’re like a son to me. A white, crispy son.

Ezra: How would that even work? Am I adopted or something?

Maul: No, your mother’s just really pale. Almost invisible. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul (escaping): Ezra, I can’t hear you through the vacuum of space! I’ll just assume you’re finally admitting to be my apprentice!

Ezra: Dammit, Maul! I will bring you to justice one day!

Maul: No you’re MY best friend! I’m so proud of us for finally being able to say it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quinlan: Ventress, I know we just met, and I don't wanna be too forward. . .

Kenobi: Quinlan.

Quinlan: Sometimes you just get a feeling about a person!

Kenobi: Quinlan.

Quinlan Vos: I've got that feeling about you. I like you. I think tonight we-

Kenobi: Quinlan, look down!

Quinlan: Oh. . . shoot.

Ventress: They just gave me ten years in prison.

Kenobi: . . . She didn't say no!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ventress: Will you tell my sweet Mother Talzin the inspiring story about how Maul saved from being a mulch-butt hoe?

Ahsoka: . . . That is 100 percent accurate, Ma’am.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Oh, my God, Lady Tano, are you saying what I think you're saying?!

Ahsoka: Yes. You have a copycat!

Maul: I didn't think I'd accomplished enough in my career for this!

Ahsoka: I know, it's big!

Maul: It just feels so good to be seen, you know?!

Ahsoka: Wait. The only way to catch a copycat is to team up with the original crime lord!

Maul: I'm back in the Order! Give me a lightsaber!

Quinlan Vos: Absolutely not.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hondo Ohnaka: Hey, who’s your boyfriend?

Ventress: Who said boyfriend? Quinlan services my needs and then shuts his pretty little mouth so I can get down to BUSINESS. Make ‘em bounce, daddy!

Quinlan: (sighs, does the pec-pop)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul: Stop caressing my baby sister!

Quinlan Vos: How can I be caressing HER with MY pecs?

Maul: Look at those things! They have thumbs!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ventress: I am a grown woman, Maul! I. NEED. TO. SMUSH.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bo-Katan: I can’t believe Quinlan Vos is dating Maul’s sister. I remember when Kenobi made out with my sister, I was mad at him for ten years!

Kenobi: That was only five years ago.

Bo-Katan: And you’ve still got five left.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quinlan: Ventress has a ranch on Dathomir where she goes when she’s on the run. She’s there now, getting rid of the scorpions. Or adding more scorpions. I dunno, the reception was bad.

[askinkiskarma]

Hi love! I absolutely adore your new name and theme it’s sooo cute!! I was laying here listening to this song called Grave Digger by Matt Maeson. This song reminded me of Neteyam when I actually sat and listened. And I wanted to share my thoughts on the song with you. Because the vibe.. the angst.. it was giving.

I can't run to you, father

I need love

I can't talk to you, mother

I know it's got you caught up

Neteyam has to put up with all the restrictions and responsibilities of being the oldest but not only that the weight of his father being Toruk Makto. The boy had a lot of pressure and sometimes felt the weight of the world crushing him. But one thing was sure he refused to give up.

But tell me if I run away,

How long will I bleed?

So tell me if I run away

How long will I bleed?

Yet sometimes he couldn’t help but feel like the world was caving in around him and he wanted to leave, wanted to feel the joys of being free even just for a little while.

Colors blend

They're all black and white

Goddamn me, I can not bend

I'm all shriveled inside

He always did his best to do everything right even when things weren’t his fault, he pushed and pushed to always be his best to make his father proud, to make his clan proud. He was determined to be all he could even if he couldn’t bend and break like he was expected he still never gave up.

So tell me if I run away

How long will I bleed?

Tell me if I run away

How long will I bleed?

Even when he lay dying with his family surrounded him he still felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, as he stared back into his fathers eyes, the urge to speak weighed heavily on his dying heart. He still refused to give up, despite knowing he had given his all he was still determined to be the best he could be for his family. For his father. Even when he knew that he couldn’t go on he was determined to fight, refused the help, until his very last breath. The might warrior was determined to not give up.

Ain't no point in tryna picking me up when I'm down

Yeah, you can stick out your hand

And you can lean towards the ground

I'll be tryna suckle all the liquid out the dirt

Tryna catch a curve, digging my own grave

Ooh mama

I'll be tryna suckle all the liquid out the dirt

Tryna catch a curve, digging my own grave

Ooh mama

ARGHHHH WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME IM SO SAD!!!! 😩😩😩 this song fits him so well, my poor bb, he was the best brother and son and he deserved so much more and better!!! I am coming for ur ass james cameron ISTGGGG

[praple-art]

I am absolutely LIVING off of pirate Leo I swear😭 it fits his personality SO well I am absolutely loving him!! also, DRAXUM MIKEY DRAXUM MIKEY DRAXUM MIKEY!! i love how he can still be a happy little ball of energy and still have draxum as his caretaker:]] Big Mama Donnie always and will forever give me life it fits him SO well. Also, I love how the disaster twins parallel eachother alot whether it was intentional or not, like Donnie was raised by this elegant proper and slightly intimidating woman who Donnie grew up with which I'm sure altered a bit of his personality. And then...on the other hand we have Leo who grew up with freaking pirates. I'm positive when Donnie meets him hes gonna full on "I'm sorry- Your my twin??" Cause bro is a freaking pirate like??(unless they like aren't twins in the au, I need to read up on it more) But anyways, I just think that the dynamic between them is super super fun and interesting. Also, RAPH RAPH RAPH he's SO. COOL. in separated aus even when he's with Splinter. I can almost feel that little dudes anxiety like I cannot imagine man. Sorry for going on a rant I just really like this au :,]

AAA oh my god the excitement i felt when i saw this was nuts. thank you sososo much for takin the time to acknowledge my littl au, it means alot ^^

and honestly, pirate leo is like the thing im most proud of for coming up with, coz i just havent seen anyone else DO it, yknow? so im glad you and some other folks like the idea.

honestly when i was thinking of who to stick the turtles with i was just thinking, 'who would each of them be the most compatible with?', and looking at canon i think the choices are pretty clear,

leo with the pirates, because i wanted him to keep his connection with hueso.

mikey with draxum, because, well, just watch the show, draxxy has some favoritism goin on

donnie with big mama is more for a handfull of small reasons, like the way she compliments his tech and, he soaked up the attention like a sponge, aaaand theyr both purple

and raph honestly mostly stayed with splinter because the man needed to keep at least ONE of his sons, but that doesnt mean raph's story or personality isn't any less changed. And honestly... raph might actually be the turtle who ended up the MOST different from canon...because when i started thinking, alot of raph's anxiety in canon comes from rangling and protecting 3 unruly brothers, like i know he loves them and he wouldnt trade them for the world, but lets just say, his raph chasm in my au as alot more shallow...

aaand heres what donnie and leo's first thoughts upon meeting eachother would probably be like

im gonna try and hopefully make some more stuff to put out for this au. this is honestly the first time iv ever made and fleshed out an idea for an alternate universe like this so im not super sure how to expand on it, uhhh,, story-wise i guess?? but feedback and hearing thoughts deffo helps ^^; 💖💖😊

[fjtrickster-blog]

Another ROTTMNT Rant (feat. Splinter)

I'm going to preface this that these are thoughts that just keep bugging me and I just wanted to scream them into the void and no one seemed to mind the Big Mama discussion one so here we are.

Granted this one is a bit more of a spicy take as this is Rise Splinter and over all I think his characterization in general is... spicy.

I've seen two camps that have sorta formed over this Splinter and I just can't get out of my head my need to talk about it and only the internet shares my hyperfixation so thus this post. If you don't agree: fair. If you want to discuss I don't mind. I just want to examine the situation as I haven't seen anyone really stop to examine it without clearly being in camp "Splinter is a good Dad" camp or "Splinter is the absolute worst Dad" camp. And I think there's merit in examining both why those two camps exist and seeing what evidence is actually presented in the show. Though I'll admit I'm not outside the campgrounds in this situation but I am sorta on the edge of the "good Dad" camp looking over the fence and going "y'know those guys have a point" which is what this rant will be about.

Okay disclaimers out of the way we'll get into it now. Now keeping in mind that the Rise series for the most part has a lot of moments played for comedy. The series for the most part presents the world with this lens so it is inherently difficult to see what is supposed to be taken as truth and what is played for laughs. It's difficult to line up objective reality when the comedic effect of for example Splinter acting like the teenager trying to avoid being grounded when he steals the Turtle Tank. Where Donnie in particular takes on the angry strict parent role.

In fact it's interesting how many moments between Donnie and Splinter both bring up problematic behavior of a parent being framed in comedic light. Donnie is the one who suggests in an off handed line when they're tricked by Big Mama that he's never gotten parental approval before thus why he was tricked. This comes up again with Donnie frustrated when Splinter is interrupted when he was possibly about to say "I'm proud of you". Not that it's limited to Donnie but Donnie tends to be the one to throw out jokes about these things in offhanded comments.

Given Donnie's mad scientist energy and Splinter's boomer-esque quality of not understanding tech. It's possible that Splinter over the years has had a hard time dealing with or understanding Donnie and so he would be overly harsh when Donnie messed up likely because it resulted in a bigger mess than his other brothers. It doesn't help considering Donnie is cannonically autistic which wouldn't help with either understanding the more subtle cues of the other.

However that doesn't explain how the other turtles show little signs of Splinter's emotional distance. Again everything we see is presented in the idea of "haha isn't this funny" but examine the kind of lengths and steaks they put into EARNING the right to get HUGS. All the Rise turtles (Donnie I can see arguements either way) tend to be very touchy with each other: climbing on each other, turtle pile lots of hugs. Given their isolation the fact that Splinter seems to hold physical affection as a reward rather than something freely given is I think concerning. Of course it's an isolated episode but the turtles all seem to crave approval and validation to a certain extent. Some more than others. I'd argue this is an indication of some amount of neglect.

Moreover Spliner IN THE SERIES. Has actively put himself and his sons into dangerous situations. More over. It bothers me that the moments we see Splinter being a GOOD father figure. Where he gives an encouraging speech and such. The only moments where he makes that sort of connection of building up someone instead of yelling at them how they should do something. The TWO WHOLE TIMES we see it. ARE WITH APRIL AND CASANDRA. (I'm not counting the movie in this and even then he had like two lines max with Leo about listening to his team). I don't mean to exclude April but I found it telling that Splinter's episodes where he willingly goes out and hangs with someone it's APRIL. It's ALWAYS APRIL. Sure the turtles ditch Splinter on occasion but the only moments we see Splinter in good mentor roll is with a human. I find this concerning. His conversations with his own sons are very much tinged in regret or him pushing an agenda (in the demolition derby case). It's like he can't get over that his sons aren't human on some level or sees too much of himself in them and it taints his reactions to them. To be fair the show doesn't give much chance to show off Splinter maybe he's had these moments with the turtles but we only have the show to go off and I think this fact is one of the points people who don't think Splinter is a good dad twig on. I'll also admit the one time we see Splinter hanging with a turtle that isn't agenda based is in the hidden city tales and there Draxum gets in the way. It's just the show seems to actively sabotage moments of Splinter being a good dad to his actual sons.

You can even see some of this behavior reflected in the turtles. The ditching Splinter or excluding him. The strict parenting attitude (mostly Donnie). The vanity (Leo mostly). The keeping secrets (none of them tell Splinter about Draxum in fact this is paralleled in the scene where Splinter realized the Foot are a thing to draw attention to it). Splinter is consistently shown prioritizing his own interests or wants or feelings over his sons.

NOW Splinter has several reasons for why he is the way he is. He's clearly going through depression. He had a strict grandfather as his only father figure. The loss of his mother had a big impact on him. I think the betrayal of Big Mama hit hard. The years and years of constant fighting in the Battle Nexus. The implied "duty and destiny" of the Hamato clan that was shoved on him. He also went from prisoner to single parent of 4 and also mutated into a freak in one night. All of those inform the reasons for WHY he's like this now.

But while they inform his character I don't think they should JUSTIFY his actions. However on the other hand his actions I don't think should CONDEMN his character. Splinter as the series goes on clearly grows WITH his sons. He tries to open up to them more. He more actively attempts to be involved in situations. He does his best to protect them. He clearly LOVES his sons.

Does love justify him? No. Not alone at any rate. However Splinter clearly does more than just pay lip service to the notion. When he realizes the problem when the boys are kidnapped, he clearly starts actively attempting to do better. Does he always stick the landing? NO. He's a person. He has flaws but he doesn't remain static either.

Honestly I think that's the best thing about this Splinter. I find it occasionally frustrating when people either make Splinter this empathetic emotionally open Dad who is here for his kids all the time and knows exactly what to say. I also find it frustrating when he's made out worse than he is being openly neglectful to the point of forcing Raph to be the adult (because while Raph has Eldest Child Syndrom he is clearly NOT that mature at the start of the series).

Splinter isn't the BEST dad. He's not the WORST either. He's trying and he's willing to admit his faults which is not something everyone can do which I think puts him in the "better than some dads" camp. And much like some people rant about how people focus too much on only certain aspects of the Turtles. I feel like the same could be extended to Splinter. He's more than his mimicked strict parenting techniques (from his grandfather) or his selfish nature or his familial love for his kids. He's a well rounded character that has some distinct flaws and really should be appreciated for all of them.

Alright rant over. For anyone who read this far. If you want to further the discussion I'd love to hear other thoughts. I think active literary discussion is fun and interesting and I appreciate you reading this to the end. Have a great day.

[mechformers]

For some reason I can imagine in ma miles that Spider mama have Spider strap on her chest when he was a baby to a kid when she needs to go out to get stuff, like food and healing plants, and even do the Simba thing when raising Spider up to meet Hawnu ( hope spell that right, since the banshee seem friendly)

Like " look at my son my friend, he is tinny, be very gentle with the child as he is baby" while raining Spider with a smile on their face

Or " looked at this my son, this fruit is good, this one is band, don't eat that one that one is for adults to make drinks with to get drunk " while pointing at each stuff at home when Spider was a toddler/child so he can learn

Just a thought I liked to share

Oh, the reader is stupidly proud of her small, drooling, toothless human child!! It's beyond ridiculous actually lol And she definitely had a hard time understanding what to give and what not to give him as he grew up to eat "normal" food. She sat through class after class on both what was poisonous to humans, what would give a runny bummy, and what would cause hives. First aid classes for both babies, toddlers, and children, as well as the added fear of "what if his exopack gets damaged/stops working/runs out of batteries". She had a very, very, very steep learning curve, but she took it in stride. the reader loves Spider above all else - like any mother should <3 Actually, the reader didn't have Hawnu (protect/shelter) when Spider was a toddler. We will get to learn how she got to create a bond with him when Miles asks about Hawnu later on. The reader is not a hunter or a warrior, and therefore never went through Iknimaya. The circumstances around how the reader created a bond with Hawnu is well known across the Omatikaya though, as it involves the children lol But she definitely had Spider spend a lot of time with Hawnu. They both did as he became another unexpected addition to their little weird family. They spent a lot of time flying together when Spider was younger, and although the trips got fewer as the teenage years set in, they still do them <3 I absolutely love that Simba moment though! I can jus picture it. Look at my majestic son, oh mighty ikran! Only for Hawnu's point of view to be a diapered pink blob with blue paint, drooling and toothless as he tries to fit the entirety of his small fist inside of his mouth lol Thank you so much for sending another ask! I am so enjoying these!!!! <3<3<3<3

[sunshine-shitposts]

Clementine

Listen I know this is hella late but I am very proud of it 😌

=

August 18, 2022

"You're showing," Toby breathed, eyes wide with wonder as he looked at the slight swell of his friend's stomach.

Sunnie laughed, still holding up the bottom hem of her large tie dye sweatshirt so he could marvel at the sight. "You've been out on duty for a while, you should have expected this. That's what babies do, y'know, grow."

"Yeah, I know I should have but… you're showing!! There's a bump! There's a… a bump, wow," He repeated, voice filled with awe and adoration and tapering off into a whisper. He moved his hands over the soft skin of her belly. "Look, this appendectomy scar even kinda moved a bit!!" He continued, poking at one of the three larger silvery-pale marks on her skin and her eyes blew wide.

"Oh shit? For real??" She looked down to where Toby pointed before her mouth split wide into a smile. "Babe!!!" She called out, "Babe, get a pad of paper and a pencil… and a tape measure too, or something!!"

"Of course, darling. What for?" Dio called back from the kitchen, the gentle clinking of plates and glassware being packed up ringing faintly through the air.

"We're going to start tracking the distance between my appendectomy scars," she said excitedly, and he laughed.

"You can take the STEM teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom experiments out of the STEM teacher," he mused as he pulled open one of the kitchen drawers and rummaged around, finding her adorable bear-shaped measuring tape quite easily. Grabbing a pencil and pad, he strolled into the living room, dodging the various packed boxes as he walked, before handing the items to his wife. He gave her a kiss on the head, then turned and gave Toby a kiss on his head as well before he turned and walked back to the kitchen. "The packing calls to me, darlings!"

Toby and Sunnie stared at each other for a second, eyes wide, before giggling.

"He's really cute when he's being affectionate," Toby whispered.

"Oh, totally cute," Sunnie agreed.

They both knew that he'd probably heard them anyways.

After taking down the measurements between scars, and their distance from the belly button, Toby set his head against Sunnie's stomach. "You know I'm gonna be the best uncle, right?" He grinned ear to ear, "I'm gonna learn how to change diapers, I'm gonna babysit them when you two need time alone, they're gonna be my new best friend!"

Sunnie smiled back at him, running her hand through his fluffy hair. "I know you will," she said, and he preened under her touch, "I've seen your search history, Toebeans. 'How to change a diaper', 'how to rock a baby to sleep', you're really doing research."

"I'm really glad your parents gave you that rocking chair you fell asleep on when you were a baby. I feel like it'll help a lot, though I might fall asleep on it too." Toby smiled.

"Trust me," Sunnie snickered, "My dad did that a lot. Still puts me right to sleep all these years later."

Toby sighed contentedly, then pushed his head a little bit further into his friend, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I've never had this before," he said softly, "You guys are the only family I have, besides mama."

Sunnie dropped next to him on the sofa, wrapping her arms around him. "I know, bestie. I know." She squeezed tighter, remembering the first time she met Toby's mom—Vanessa was absolutely gorgeous, yes, but there was a distant yet palpable loneliness in her hazelnut eyes and in her genial rosy smile. Both of the Culvers truly only ever had each other prior to the aftermath of Sunnie's first mission, and every time Sunnie had visited her with Toby after that, she could see a little more light return to her, as if she was happy that her son had finally found friendship. "Tobs, we're both so lucky that you're in our lives. Ever since Maine, you've been here for both of us. And you've never stopped! You're nothing if not persistent."

"It's not my fault that two hot people with oddly simmering sexual tension between them popped up in front of me like that," Toby laughed a little shakily, "I had to take advantage of the situation. And neither of you… you didn't judge me for who I am or what I do, or that I enjoy what I do. Not many people here have ever wanted to get to know the Foundation's resident torture specialist. You welcomed me, though. Sunnie, you both—"

She could feel him tensing up, so she diverted his energy by squeezing and pulling him backwards into the comfort of the crux of the sectional sofa, padded with pillows and blankets. She laid next to him, nuzzling into his cheek reassuringly.  "Listen, Tobs. We love you. Both of us, we love you so much."

Probably sensing that Toby's emotions had riled up, Dio returned with two glasses of ice water, setting them down on the coffee table and sitting next to Sunnie. "Tobias, trust me. You are as much a part of our family as we are yours. We guarantee you that. And both of us will remind you of it, over and over, whenever you'd like." Toby and Sunnie sat back up, the former reaching for his water as his face could hardly contain the blushing joy he was feeling.

"You guys will be the death of me," he forced out, nearly trembling with happiness before taking a long drink. "Both of you are too much, almost. It's a lot to handle at times."

"We have a lot of love to give, silly," Sunnie teased. "And you do too. You're going to be one of the best uncles the world's ever seen."

"Agreed," Dio said.

"But!!" Sunnie blurted out, a warm sharpness in her tone that made Toby straighten up and answer her with a clipped 'yes ma'am!!', "I have some rules regarding media. They are to be strictly followed, as the situation allows."

"So, if it's on in a public space, it's generally fine," Dio said, nudging their friend behind Sunnie's back. "It's mostly an 'if we can help it' policy."

She nodded. "Firstly: no Paw Patrol until the kid can be spoken to about the show's implications," she said, tapping her finger on the coffee table, "I don't trust it. It seems like an authoritarian police state fantasy packaged up in cute vigilante puppies. The lack of social services depicted in the show and the normalization of drone surveillance over the citizens alarms me. I could go on a rant about my problems with it, but I'll spare you."

Dio chuckled lovingly. "I defer to my wife on this one. She's the political science major, I trust her judgment on matters such as this above all."

Toby nodded dutifully, understandingly: "Honestly I got a nasty vibe all along with that show," he then snickered, "Like it's paw-paganda."

Dio rolled his eyes, smile pulling at his lips despite himself. "Oh my god."

"Secondly," Sunnie continued, "No Peppa Pig. I've seen the devastation that porcine pest can cause. Do you know how hard it is to stop an entire grade of children from oinking after each sentence?? Her effects are horrifically memetic in nature. Shit catches on like an SCP cognitohazard-based plague."

"I've seen some Peppa Pig episodes," Dio grimaced, "Can't believe my country of origin produced something like that."

"No phallic-headed piggies, got it," Toby nodded again, thoroughly amused by Sunnie's personal vendetta against a children's cartoon.

"And thirdly:" Sunnie said, "Fuck Caillou, if I could punt that bald-headed little shit across a field I would. No Caillou. Absolutely none."

At that, Toby laughed, loud and ringing. "At this point, do you guys have an approved list of kids' media?"

"Oh, of course. Most media is alright, it's just that we've taken a stand against these specifically. But we do have several that we favor," Dio said, almost sagely, "Daniel Tiger, Bluey, The Backyardigans, many of the shows on PBS—barring any aforementioned—Mr. Rogers in particular is a show that Sunshine has introduced me to, and I find its quality to be incredible."

"He's healing his inner child," Sunnie interjected, to which Dio smiled.

"Yes," he said, voice soft and a little distant, "Yes, I suppose I am."

Toby looked up at him, his usually manic gaze softening. "I'm happy for you, Big D," he said, voice comfortingly warm, "If anyone deserves it, you do."

Dio laughed. "Oh, I hardly think I deserve it," he said, ruffling Toby's undercut a bit, "Actually, amongst all of those shows, I think I've found myself appreciating Bluey the most. It's… helpful to see a healthy family dynamic such as theirs."

Sunnie planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. "You're talking like my family isn't enough of an example, babe," she said jokingly, to which Dio's face went slightly paler than normal.

"That's—my love, that's not what I meant at all, I just—"

She cackled, "I'm teasing, big guy. I know." Sunnie pressed some extra kisses to his face, and he relaxed.

"I agree with Toby, you know. Sometimes you are too much." Dio took a deep breath in while Toby snickered at the blush that dusted the vampire's cheeks. "I don't know how to raise children. I have no idea what it might be like, nor what being a good father to a little child is supposed to entail. I've met some of Sunshine's former students, and I've watched how wonderfully she interacts with them, how she treats them as equals rather than looking down on them. But I, myself, have never done so." He looked over to Sunnie, his smile loving. "Your parents are excellent, the best of the best. Your relationship with them is so open and honest, but I've only ever seen pictures and some sparse video of you with them when you were a child. So, watching Bandit and Chilli's grace in raising their little animated puppies is the best I have in that regard." Reaching a hand up, he cupped her cheek, running his thumb along the soft, glowy skin. "I spent years filled with cruelty and covered in sharp edges. Being soft and yielding is still a new experience for me. I only hope you allow me leeway as I navigate this new chapter of my life, my love."

Sunnie's lip trembled a bit and her eyes noticeably began to water slightly. She drew in a shuddering breath as she smiled widely. "The hormones are getting to me. I'm so happy I wanna cry."

"Then I shall be there to dry your tears," her husband said before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Or rather, for now, Toby shall have the honor of comforting you. I'm almost done packing up the kitchen." Toby and Sunnie laughed as he stood, running a clawed hand through Sunnie's messy dark purple hair. "Don't strain yourself too much, Sunlight. The big move is soon after all."

"I'll watch myself, big guy. Have fun with the cutlery!" She called after him as he returned to the kitchen.

"Toss around a few knives for me!" Toby joined in.

"You have my word!" Dio responded.

Sunnie took a moment to drink from her glass of water, nearly emptying it in one go before setting it back down. "It's really weird, Tobs," she looked around at the now-mostly-empty room, a majority of their belongings safe in labeled boxes, "I've lived here for… four years now? I escaped a horrible marriage here, and these are walls I've healed from that in. I found new love here, new friends, a new life, and as claustrophobic as some people might find living underground, I'm going to miss it here."

He grinned his toothy grin and pulled her in for a hug, nestling her comfortably into his side. "I feel like this change will be incredible for you two. A yard! A pool, a creek in the back, so, so many trees, and a lot of them are climbable!" He rested his head on hers. "You guys are gonna have so much space to work with. This kid's gonna have it good. They're gonna wake up from a mid-day nap to the sounds of birds and maybe some squirrels, they're gonna catch toads and fireflies on summer nights. It's literally an idyllic childhood home. Not to mention, the house already feels magical."

"It really does," Sunnie said, smiling at the thought of the beautiful home, and of how she could feel its history the first time she traced her fingers over the intricate carvings on the front door.

"Welp, before we keep packing," Toby said, slapping his thighs before he stood and stretched his arms and back, then went to walk off down the main hall. "I gotta take a piss. I'll be back in a jiff!"

Sunnie stood as well and walked over to the TV, reaching up and pulling her large photobook of Ireland off of the recessed shelf above the screen and held it in her hands for a moment. She ran her fingers over the cover—rolling green hills with a line of an old cobblestone fence running through it, bright blue sky filled with white clouds hovering above the land like an embrace. She wondered if one day they'd be able to travel to Ireland as a family, to see the lands that many of her own ancestors had hailed from.

It had been a little longer than twelve years since she had met her biological mother. And even though that relationship ultimately wasn't fated to work out—her biological mother was fine in the beginning, but she eventually succumbed to a path of conservative religious extremism—it had opened up Sunnie's world to meeting her other family, and eventually her biological father. Sunnie's relationship with him was also ill-fated; as it turned out, he was an Illuminati conspiracy theorist and Sunnie was a Freemason-by-family, so upon learning that, he'd dropped communications with her and, within the past year, had passed from cancer.

Neither of her biological parents, much to her dismay, had Stands. Nor did, to her knowledge, anyone else she was genetically related to. At the time it was an incredibly difficult concept to grasp: she'd spent twenty years assuming and hoping that meeting her biological family would clear up the mysteries of why she was the way she was, of why she could control wind almost instinctively. She never got any answers. In the end, she'd come to peace with the unsatisfactory outcome, and found solace in the discovery of her ancestry instead. Her biological father had an anglicized Irish last name, and upon getting her genetics tested at the behest of her ex-husband, she'd confirmed her predominantly Irish origins.

But she knew that eventually, the child growing inside her would ask why they had no grandparents on dad's side. They'd ask where dad was from. They'd ask questions upon questions, because that is what children do—they explore the world around them through inquiry. She and her husband had had many discussions on how to handle this, and had agreed that the kid would grow up knowing dad was different. That he was a vampire. They both figured that if Sunnie had kept the secret of having a Stand so well as a child, their kid could handle knowing the reality of their dad's condition. Dio had even called his in-laws and asked for advice, which they were happy to give. As for Dio's history, they'd parcel it out in bits and pieces according to how well they'd figure the child could handle it. You can never plan exactly when a kid is ready for something, Sunnie told Dio, they grow up thinking Santa and the tooth fairy exist, and then one day they figure the reality of it out. It'd just be a similar thing to work out.

There was a strange creeping of dark green—almost black—at the corners of her vision, and her brows furrowed. That wasn't normal. She blinked it away, or at least tried to, but it persisted, slinking further and further as her head suddenly felt light and off-kilter.

In the other room, something tingled at Dio's nose, and not in a way he liked. "Love?" He asked, popping his head out from the kitchen doorway. "Is everything alright?"

Sunnie stared at him, wide-eyed, before she felt the hold on the book loosen and it fell from her hands to the floor, narrowly missing her foot. As her vision nearly completely darkened, she felt gravity shift and her knees buckled.

Dio immediately vanished from view, but she knew she was safe, because as she fell, his arms were already there to catch her.

○

The first thing Sunnie noticed when she came to was the sterile smell of a hospital room. The beeps of medical instruments, however, were nowhere to be heard; the room was instead bathed in a watery shimmer, like sunlight viewed through the rippling water of an aquarium, as a large, translucent jellyfish-like creature floated above her, the lights inside it pulsing as it emitted comfortingly echoing hum-like noises. Several of its thick tentacles fell around her like a sort of curtain, soft specks of light drifting down towards her through them like snowflakes, and one tentacle seemed to be placed so that it could connect with her body through her chest. A second tentacle, however, extended itself so that it could connect with her stomach.

Seemingly upon registering Sunnie's awakeness, rainbow lights flitted along the outside of the tentacles, and she found herself admiring the sight—it was like the lights on a comb jelly in the deep sea.

She'd heard about this Stand before: Clementine, a Stand used by one of the major doctors at the Dallas location. The Stand itself couldn't heal, but it was renowned for its diagnostic and monitoring abilities. Toby had excitedly talked about it before, having had to be taken care of by it multiple times (his job as 'interrogator' came with a few dangers), and he'd always sung the praises of its user's bedside manner.

She turned her head towards the windows and saw a tall man, broad-shouldered and framed in the warm light of the sunset, his hat set on the table so his dark hair fell slightly messy around his face as he wrote on something before consulting what was likely a textbook, his long coat draped over the back of his chair. She blinked, brows furrowed as she wondered if she was seeing things, before asking:

"…Jotaro?"

He set his pen down and looked over to her, aquamarine eyes just as vibrant as she remembered. "Sunnie. Hi."

"Uh, hisashiburi." She gripped the soft, sterile sheets under her hands. "How've you been?"

"Well enough."

She looked at him oddly, an unspoken question in the air, which he seemed to pick up on.

"This room isn't protected against the sun, so Dio can't be in here yet." He turned back to his notes, leafing through them for a moment before picking them up and tapping them on the table, straightening them. "Toby was in until he got called out to do some work. I just got in town, and I agreed to watch over you."

Sunnie stared at him, eyes wide, before she laughed, waving her hands in the air placatively. "Thanks a bunch, man, but you didn't need to! This place is super safe, after all."

Jotaro looked back at her, mildly bemused. "I was requested, actually."

She stared at him, face blank. "Uh, Cat? Er–Mrs. Gupta?"

He smirked a little. "No, not her. Your husband asked for me."

Her jaw dropped and she bolted forward in her bed in disbelief. "Wha—Dio asked for you?"

"I was just as surprised as you are. But apparently, he said he couldn't think of anyone more capable of protecting you besides himself. He was… he was very worried for you."

Sunnie sat back on her hospital bed, almost at a loss for words. "Holy shit. Well if that ain't character development, I don't know what is."

Jotaro gave her a light shrug in response. Before he could say anything else, the door opened, and a cheery voice danced through the room.

"Good morning, Mrs. Brando～! Or rather, good evening!"

Dr. Charlotte Wilder's official title was Chief Diagnostician, which was true, but she also had an incredible knack for many other fields, surgery being a particular interest of hers. Her off-record primary work, however, was diagnosing, monitoring, and rehabilitating (if needed) employees affected by any Stand attacks they'd encounter in the field. She was young—only twenty two years of age—with long braided peach colored hair and a multitude of light freckles all over her body, and big, round light green eyes that almost always sparkled. Her position at the Dallas Foundation had been secured since she was scouted at the young age of eleven.

"Oh, call me Sunnie," Sunnie laughed, automatically rising to meet the bubbly personality of the doctor as Jotaro did the opposite and buried himself back into his work.

"Alrighty then, Sunnie," Dr. Wilder grinned widely before making a beeline to the wheeled stool in the room by a desk, "And you can call me Charlotte. We're all Stand users, we're all part of the same gang. So, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

Sunnie thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Nah, I feel good. Rested." She then lowered her face into a mock-grim expression, dropping her voice dramatically. "So, doc, give it to me straight… how bad is it? How long do I got?"

Charlotte laughed brightly. "It's anemia," she said, pushing herself closer to the bedside on her stool (but not before doing a 360° twirl on it). "But it's, uh… weird anemia."

"Weird anemia?" Sunnie repeated, slowly.

Charlotte looked at Sunnie over her rectangular wire frame glasses, tapping her Foundation-branded silver pen on the mattress. "While you were passed out, your iron levels dropped a few times. But your child's—" She consulted with her Stand for a moment, and it seemed to let out a few confirmatory warbles, "—your child's rose significantly each time that happened."

Sunnie's eyes blew wide and she leaned forward, shocked. "You mean the kid is leeching off of me??"

"Well, they're half vampire, what did you expect?" Charlotte giggled, one of Clementine's translucent arms beginning to flash dimly as she filled out a form on her clipboard, "But this isn't anything to worry about. We just need you on a special iron supplement regimen. I'll take the data from Clementine into the lab and get something fixed up for you. I'd like you to come in weekly to check for any adjustments that need to be made at least—you know as well as I do that we're winging this pregnancy as it is. If you begin to feel lightheaded before that week mark hits, let me know immediately and I'll get you in."

Jotaro saw Sunnie relax into her pillow slightly, breathing a sigh of relief. "Yeesh. What a little gremlin." She smiled and placed her hand on her belly, caressing it through her sweatshirt softly. "You're gonna pay for this in so many cuddles when you get outta there, buddy."

Charlotte looked at Sunnie and held her hand up, whispering a small 'may I?' before Sunnie nodded, and Charlotte placed the hand on her stomach as well, right next to her Stand's glowing arm. "You know, when I heard about the circumstances of this pregnancy, I was fascinated—a non-human and a human producing offspring, and this is the first time we'd be able to monitor it all the way through. A medical first…" she trailed off for a moment, before looking at Sunnie, alarmed. "Oh–oh god, I'm so sorry, I'm talking about you like you're an experiment—"

She was cut off by Sunnie's bright, cackling laughter. "No! No, I get it. I totally get it, I'm rather scientifically-minded myself. I'm just as interested as you are, frankly."

Charlotte relaxed substantially. "Oh thank god," she chuckled, "I tend to overwhelm people sometimes. Don't mean to, it just kind of happens." She stood up, putting her pen in her lab coat pocket. "I'll get the supplements ready in the pharmacological suite. By the way," she said, almost as an aside, "The sun's just set. Your husband will probably be up soon." She then motioned to her Stand, which detached its tentacles from Sunnie's body and made a deep warbling noise. "It was good to meet you, by the way! Don't forget, I'll see you next week."

Sunnie waved excitedly. "Next week! I'll definitely be there."

Charlotte smiled again before turning to leave out the door. As Clementine followed the doctor out of the room, Sunnie looked at Jotaro and saw his gaze following the Stand intently. After the door closed, she waited a few seconds before releasing an amused huff of air.

"…Did you like Clementine because it looks like a jellyfish?" She asked, a sly grin on her face.

Jotaro looked off to the side slightly. "…I didn't hate it."

Sunnie giggled. There was a comfortable silence between them for about a minute before she spoke up.

"Dio and I bought a house that we're moving into," she said, "It's massive. Three stories, Victorian. There's a pool, a garden… There's a creek in the back too, with fish and ducks and frogs. We've even already had all the regular windows replaced with a special Foundation-made UV-resistant glass, and all the stained glass is being treated so that Dio can walk around during the day and not get hurt." She looked at Jotaro with a warm smile. "We're also having a second, more planned out marriage celebration early next year. Our wedding was really rushed and really small, but if you'd like to attend, I'll send you the details."

He stared at her, face stoic as always, before nodding. "I'll see if I can make it," he replied. "I suppose I need to get over the fact that this Dio isn't the one I fought. The fact that he's been in with the Foundation this long speaks for itself, but…"

His words died off and he seemed to not know how to continue his thoughts out loud, but Sunnie nodded knowingly. "I get it, Jotaro. Sometimes it's hard to let go of a past that affected you so deeply. I know how it feels."

He gave her a small, appreciative smile before the door slammed open and there was a blur of blonde hair as Dio wrapped his massive arms around Sunnie, pushing her back into the pillow on the medical bed with the force of the hug.

"Oh. Speak of the devil." Jotaro deadpanned.

"Darling, I spoke to the doctor in the hall," Dio said hurriedly, not paying any mind to Jotaro's comment. "She said it's anemia, and assured me that you and the baby are going to be fine, but how do you feel? Are you alright??" He pulled back and looked at her pleadingly. She just broke out in a peal of laughter, cheeks flushing.

"I'm fine! I promise, I'm fine, big guy." She brought her hands up to his face and pulled him down, pressing their foreheads together. "Both of us are perfectly fine. It just turns out our little bundle of joy is taking a few cues from his dear old dad and taking some of my blood."

Dio's eyes widened for a moment, then he laughed as well, the sound deep and sonorous. "Well well well, I certainly don't blame them! They'd better leave some for me, though. I've been holding off on partaking since the beginning of the pregnancy and I would hate to be left out."

A cough interrupted them, and they both turned to see Jotaro, whose normally aloof demeanor had cracked to show slightest hint of disgust at their display of affection. Sunnie cackled again, and she apologized profusely as Dio straightened himself up.

"Jotaro, I would like to thank you personally for watching over Sunshine," he said, though his furrowed brows gave away his discomfort being so close to the man. "And, by proxy, our unborn child."

"It's no problem, really," Jotaro replied, voice a little clipped. There was a small twitch in one of his hands, and he seemed to grit his teeth. "Do you, uh, do you know the sex of the child?"

"We know, but we're keeping it between us," Sunnie explained, to which Dio chuckled.

"Sunshine has some… more traditional family members. When we do finally announce both our marriage and pregnancy to them and the baby showers happen, we'd prefer to not have them forcing these weirdly gendered baby items on them."

Sunnie grimaced. "Like those onesies that say 'daddy's girl'."

"Or the shirts that say 'lady killer' or 'hide your daughters' or some such nonsense," Dio added in disgust.

Jotaro felt some of the tension leave his body. "That's understandable." He paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought. "You really aren't the same man that I killed, huh?" Jotaro said, standing to his full height. Even this Dio was different—he was slightly taller than Jotaro, maybe by an inch or an inch and a half.

Dio's brows creased, and he looked away. "We may have been similar. Dio Prime and I have both done terrible things—arguably, I have done far worse. Since I escaped, the number I've killed in the name of survival is far higher than Prime's ever was." He sighed after a moment, then met Jotaro's eyes again: they were the exact same bright aquamarine color he remembered from that night in Alta, but these were calmer and wiser and not filled with hatred. He breathed in deep before releasing a sigh. "Ultimately, I do feel I've changed. A wise man once said, 'Which is better: to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?'"

Sunnie immediately slapped at his hip. "Oh my god," she stage-whispered, "Oh my god are you fucking quoting Skyrim to Jotaro???"

Dio just as quickly grabbed the top of Sunnie's head, pushing it around in circles as he, too, stage-whispered humorously, "Shh. Hush, my love. Don't say anything."

Jotaro just stared at them in disbelief. "…Dio played Skyrim?"

Dio shrugged. "Whenever Sunshine goes out on missions, I find myself with little to do. She enjoys video games, so I decided to try some out, on her recommendation."

"He's played Shadow of the Colossus too, and we play Guild Wars 2 together as well," Sunnie interjected, grinning, "And several Pokémon games, but I question his team building methods."

Dio leaned down, leering at his wife. "I build my teams for the aesthetic. It's important."

She glared at him. "What about functionality, because I kick your ass EVERY time we battle!!"

"It doesn't matter that you kick my ass. What matters is that I look good."

Despite himself, Jotaro let out an amused huff. Both Dio and Sunnie stared at him with wide eyes. "You really are a lot different than him," Jotaro said, almost under his breath, before continuing. "I have to get to my room, I have a call with the Antarctic Expedition team in an hour."

"It's been good seeing you, Jotaro～!" Sunnie said cheerily before her face contorted in what seemed to be confusion and some slight discomfort. Then, realization hit. "BABE," she whispered, eyes like saucers, "The kid's kicking!!"

Dio immediately dropped down and knelt by his wife, placing a large hand on her stomach, a short moment passing before his eyes lit up. "Oof, that's a strong child. I expect nothing less." He smiled proudly. "Especially considering who the parents are."

"When's the kid due?" Jotaro asked as he gathered his things into his briefcase.

"December," Sunnie smiled, "So, soon enough."

Dio laughed softly. "Soon? Love, that's several months away yet."

Her smile turned cryptic. "The people that get it, get it."

Her husband rolled his eyes. "You say the strangest things sometimes." As the Joestar began to walk to the door, Dio stopped him. "Jotaro?"

Jotaro looked back at him over his shoulder, and they shared a sustained moment of eye contact that, refreshingly, wasn't fueled by animosity and rage.

"…Again, thank you." Dio finally said.

Jotaro nodded to him and left, leaving the two expecting parents to their own devices.

[callsigndragon]

Okaaay. Buckle up once again, loooong message ahead. I can't help it, you are the one who keeps making me have feelings and melting my heat! (And I love you for it.) So,

"“Fuck, Jake. You need to come back immediately.”" - protective dad Mav is also the best, it's so lovely to see every time

"“I’ll kill that son of a bitch if he tries to touch Liam.”" - I'm sorry, but I can't get past the amazingness that protective dad Jake is, holy moly, I love it and have the urge to comment on it every. single. time.

"Liam is smart, he must have sensed your fear, and he’s now scared, too", "“I want to stay with Mama and Dada.”", "Liam nods softly, sitting down in front of the TV and hugging his new plushie." - MY POOR LITTLE DARLING BABY!!! Holding Red's skirt with white knuckles 🥺 This precious little sunshine personified must be protected at all times and all costs! (and I am so glad it is what happened with him being looked after by the ⭐FAM⭐ instead of daycare, he must be kept happy and care free and safe, I-... sorry for the rant, I just love Liam so much)

"“I’m not going anywhere this time, Red.”", "“Promise?”", "“I promise you.”" - ahhhh, their love!!!! Goals. Just, goals. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Love, love, love it 💗💗💗 

"“Red, would you like to be a full-time instructor at Top Gun? You won’t be taking unnecessary risks, and you won’t be related to the Dagger Squad in any way, but that’ll make possible that yours and Jake’s relationship can be considered legal.”", "“I honestly don’t care about your surname, Jake. I just care about the pilot, and you’re probably the best pilot of your generation.”" - Iceman, my goodness, I could kiss you, honestly, I knew you were a great guy, but you are an actual angel. Love to see supportive superiors (take notes Cycunt) It literally made me tear up, it is so good 🥹

“Well, that’s not going to happen. Because you have me, and you have your family. We’re fighting with you. We're soldiers, Jake. We fight.”", "“I don’t know what I would do without you.”", “You won’t have to find out.”" - ahhhh, AGAIN!!! GOALS!!! Pure beauty and pure, unconditional, stunning LOVE!!! I can't find words that do it justice!!! 💗💗💗

"Turns out that Mav’s friend, the one who had been trying to prove all the crimes that Jake’s father has committed, has disappeared.", "You just hope he's okay, but a little voice inside your head tells you that the man is probably dead." - awww, poor guy. I know he wasn't mentioned much, but you still managed to make me have an emotional reaction to his disappearance. Incredible writing, I say!!!

"He’s being investigated" - yesss!!! That's what you get if you are being a cunt, Cycunt (omg, sorry for the swearing, but he just brings the worst out of me... after the stunt with the picture and all...) I guess he should be thanked for bringing Red back to Jake??? But the man must rethink his later actions.

I love the catch up with everyone. Poor Bob stressing about Doc, the lovely doting husband and dada-to-be he is. And Navy sailing proud and beautiful is just so great to hear, they are so cute, honestly. 💗

"“It might be Jake’s first pregnancy.”", "“How am I supposed to bring another baby into this world when their big brother has to be constantly guarded in case someone tries to take him away from his parents?”", "Nat hugs you tightly, caressing your hair. “You’re not alone. You have this big, crazy family that will help you every step of the way.”" - I honestly cannot wait to see how Jake is during the pregnancy, it is going to be the softest most wholesome thing ever, I know for sure. And Liam finding out he is going to be a big brother!!! I will melt from all the cuteness and sweetness. And I love, love, love, adore the support system that these girls (and the whole fam) have. This moment is so vulnerable and so touching and wholesome and amazing, just warms my heart 💗

"“His aiming skills aren’t legendary only on the air.”" - hahahaha, Amelia keeps being the Legend™ that she is and we love her for it! 💗

"You’re pregnant." - YESSSSS!!!!! BABY SERESIN #2 CONFIRMED AND ON THE WAY!!! YAY!!! Charlotte is going to pop champagne for 9 months straight!!!

Jake's dad should really just go to the first police station he finds and get them to arrest him. Confess all his crimes and plead for a life sentence. Like, I'm sorry, asshole, but how dare you not only keep tabs on your son, his family and everyone he loves but also critique the amount of food he is eating on top of all that?!?!?! I must say tho, love the angst and drama, it is so exciting still. Beautiful work my Lovely, absolutely amazing!!!! 💗

AND! Before I go - MICKEY AND MINNIE?!?!?!?!!!!!🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭 Keep steady my beating heart, that is the cutest ever!!! 💗

Anyways... Incredible and stunning work as always my wonderful, amazing and incredible Beauty, you are one hell of a writer!!! 💗

Lots of love and hugs and all good things to you still!!! 💗💗💗💗💗💗

(italics anon 💚)

My looooooove 💚💚💚💚💚

Let me comment on some things but, thank you for these messages you sent me, they make my day ten times better 💚

"“Fuck, Jake. You need to come back immediately.”" - protective dad Mav is also the best, it's so lovely to see every time

we'll talk about this in the future, okay? now i can't comment on that jsdjkdkjdsjk

"“I’ll kill that son of a bitch if he tries to touch Liam.”" - I'm sorry, but I can't get past the amazingness that protective dad Jake is, holy moly, I love it and have the urge to comment on it every. single. time.

Dad Jake is a whole kink, tbh. It's amazing.

“Well, that’s not going to happen. Because you have me, and you have your family. We’re fighting with you. We're soldiers, Jake. We fight.”", "“I don’t know what I would do without you.”", “You won’t have to find out.”" - ahhhh, AGAIN!!! GOALS!!! Pure beauty and pure, unconditional, stunning LOVE!!! I can't find words that do it justice!!! 💗💗💗

I love the catch up with everyone. Poor Bob stressing about Doc, the lovely doting husband and dada-to-be he is. And Navy sailing proud and beautiful is just so great to hear, they are so cute, honestly. 💗

We all wanted to know more about Navy and soon-to-be-dad Bob so i gave you all a little update hehehhe

AND! Before I go - MICKEY AND MINNIE?!?!?!?!!!!!🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭 Keep steady my beating heart, that is the cutest ever!!! 💗

MICKEY AND MINNIE ARE MY OTP ALREADY AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEE THEM YET AKSJDHFKJAFDHKA

[ddejavvu]

MEI OKAY I'm watching s6 of criminal minds (S6EP22) and I just watched Hotch be the soccer coach to Jack's team and oh my God I'm practically melting 😭🥹🥹

HE'S SO CUTE BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING THERE W HIM as his girlfriend that's cheering him and Jack on from the sidelines

Wearing a t-shirt that says "Coach's Girl"

Getting up super early to pack sandwiches and juice boxes for the kids then taking them out to pizza after because you just can't say no to their puppy eyes and pouts

Catching Jack as he runs up to you after each goal, going "Y/N! Y/N! Did ya see that? Did you see me? I did so good!!" and you just melt as he beams at you, giving him high fives and telling him how proud you are of him

Hotch coaching them to a win and then coming up to you and Jack in your arms with a smile that turns into a fake pout, "where's my prize??"

he lets out a chuckle and his cheeks redden when you tuck yourself into his chest, leaning up to kiss him and then Jack, "my favourite two boys"

It becomes a Sunday tradition to go get ice cream after pizza and Jack is absolutely obsessed with mint chocolate chip just like you are except hotch is absolutely disgusted

"it tastes like toothpaste!!" "you take that back, it's the best flavour there is!" "yeah daddy, you take that back"

Hotch secretly loves mint chocolate chip but he just likes to pretend he doesn't because then he gets to watch his favourite two people team up on him and they're so damn adorable

By the time you get home, hotch has to carry Jack up to his bed, the kid is so tuckered out

You and hotch have your own traditions of breaking out a bottle of wine and you're on the couch, TV on in the back, but you're really just wrapped up in each other

Quiet giggles and hushed conversations as you stare at each other, just so damn in love

I AM ABSOLUTELY DYING RN 😭 this became a whole thing oops I'm sorry but I just had to share

BABYYY THANK YOU SM FOR THIS I SAW IT JUST BEFORE I WENT TO GO GET DINNER AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT :(( ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!

the mamas of the boys on jack's team have definitely been pining after the Big Handsome Coach but you show up in your shirt?? and aaron spins you around and kisses you?? oh my god they are so jealous - you befriend them later but they alwaysss ask you questions about him

you bring them popsicles on super hot days too!! maybe some orange slices to go with their sandwiches :(( and aaron watches you feed a hoard of little boys who are all jumping at you and thanking you with toothy grins for their food and then immediately beg you to go get pizza which you agree to and he's like wait we have to pay for that!! and you're like baby :) it's okay :) they're cute :) and he buys four pizzas afterwards but it's worth it to see you happy :')))))) jack definitely brags about you too they're all eating their sandwiches and he's bragging through a mouthful like 'my mama makes the best sandwiches, i get them every day!'

SOMETIMES WHEN JACK COMPLETES A PARTICULARLY HARD MANOUVER OR PASS OR WHATEVER HE JUST DITCHES THE GAME TO RUN AT YOU 😭 HE'S LIKE MAMA DID YOU SEE???? DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID??? WASN'T I SO COOL??? AND HE'S SPRINTING OFF THE FIELD AND AARON IS LIKE :0 NO SON :0 NO COME BACK SON :0

ugh if you ever congratulate jack aaron is like 😁 guess who did that 😁 and you're like :/ the kid in my arms rn :/ and jack giggles and hugs you and aaron is like >:( no me >:( so you gotta give him kisses or else he gets all sulky and jack thanks him for being such a good coach :((

you and jack share a huge sundae (you let him think he's getting the most but you're actually swiping most of it) and you guys bully aaron the entire time for his little vanilla scoop you're like >:) loser !! boring loser flavor !! and jack just giggles with green ice cream around his mouth and tells aaron that he has to be more 'aventurous' and you don't bother to correct him because it's so cute to hear him mispronounce things :')

you only find out that he does like it because !! you catch him eating it once behind your back !! you come down to his home office to convince him to come to bed and >:( he's having a bowl of your mint choco ice cream >:( he looks up at you like o.o with the spoon still in his mouth and you are OUTRAGED you are like Aaron!! this whole time?? i trusted you!! and he has to buy you a new carton to make up for it and you threaten to tell jack that he's been lying the entire time </33

jack falls asleep in the carseat and you help aaron hoist him out and aaron throws him over his shoulder like a lil sack of potatoes and he slumps limply into the embrace and you and aaron giggle bc your sleepy boy is so so cute and floppy :')

and yes!! the perfect ending to the night, snuggled up with wine under super soft fluffy blankets :') you're telling him how amazing of a coach he is and he's blushing like :') stop :') and you just keep going and you're a little too tipsy to stop so he has to kiss you to get you to stop and you definitely fall asleep all snuggled up together and magically you wake up in bed the next morning with everything cleaned up for you bc your husband is the best husband <33