#i simply could not do that to CHILDREN. the guy said they may call me back for more info and i was like yeah thats fine
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timeisacephalopod · 1 year ago
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Ended up calling CAS (Canadian CPS Americans) and I did not expect to have complicated feelings on such a thing because it's not as if the call wasn't needed years ago if I'm honest, but I typically do not like involving myself in such things especially when so many people make frivolous calls to cops and agencies like this. Seriously, child abuse is the crime that receives the most false accusations and of course I'm not talking out my ass, but I also don't want to disrupt a bunch of kids lives over their mothers bullshit.
On the flip side me messing around with their lives at this point is probably the best option for them and that's not something I say lightly, I told the guy twice I was making that call with a heavy heart but what little I know is deeply disturbing to me. And specified that I believe my oldest niece is the primary victim in part because she's a vocal kid, good for her. But that's done, I can at least know I tried for those kids and did what I could to make myself sound credible and give what info I know even if I made it clear that I don't know probably anything really. But I'm tired of waiting for change from someone who isn't capable of it. Those kids need better, it's not like I didn't wait 13 years for her to do better by those kids. It's not like I said anything untrue to anyone involved either, so complicated feelings or not know I didn't just run around making nasty frivolous phone calls. I'm genuinely concerned my oldest niece will end up dead and that the only thing done about it on shitheads end will be protecting my nieces murderer and if I did nothing about that I'd never be able to live with it.
#winters ramblings#i feel bad for calling i DO even if as far as im concerned that piece of shit deserves to be vivisected for what shes done#its the KIDS i feel for. i just dont want their lives fucked up because of ME but like. their lives are fucked already#thats why i called like i said id call a month ago but decided that was too extreme and WAY too soon#but the way things are going im afraid shell speedrun her usual abusive relationships and my NIECE will get killed#maybe that scum fuck wont care if her kid isurdered since she doesmt care if that same kid is BEATEN#but ID sure shit care and i wouldnt be able toive with myself if something happened and i DIDNT SAY SHIT before it could be prevented#i simply could not do that to CHILDREN. the guy said they may call me back for more info and i was like yeah thats fine#anything i can do to help those kids which he seemed to appreciate. but really i sat around FAR too long#complicated feelings or not i didnt make that call to be frivolous OR as any kind of revenge for her bullshit#i did it because if shes willing to go THAT FAR with me over nothing im afraid she'll let that SCUM actually KILL my niece and do nothing#or WORSE out and out PROTECT him from any consequences for KILLING her. and god help me if that happened#and i did NOTHING id need therapy for the guilt i could NOT live with that. so i made a call i never wanted to make#beyond being pissed off in a moment but i sat on it for a couple days and when i woke up today#i knew what i had to do and whether i like it or not. i did NOT make that call lightly#the fact that i called anyone when i LOATHE phone calls is already a massive hurdle on my end jumped#but like really am i going to sit around wondering if my niece will be DEAD soon without trying to DO something?#no. i just couldnt live with that and if nothing happens well. i did what i could#whatever DOES happen i hope those kids are ok and i hope theyll either be close enough to visit#or that my mom would be nice enough to drive my ass to visit with them somewhat often since if they get placed in other homes#or just one other home then id like to at least try to provide some type of familial stability by maintaining contact#i know the kids use kids messenger too so if anything happens ill try to get that info so o can contact them#and they can reach out if they want to. especially my oldest niece im so worried for her that kid WILL press all the buttons she can#which is good for her on one hand but has me worried she'll get HURT on the other and i dont want THAT of course#regardless hopefully whatever might come of this those kids get the environment they deserve and thrive
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thevoidstaredback · 7 months ago
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"Guys!" Nightwing shouted once he and Batman arrived in the main are of the Bat Cave, "I have some fantastic news!"
Bruce pulled his cowl off, his amusement no longer being hidden as he nearly failed to keep from laughing.
Everyone had gathered in the Cave to await the two who'd gone to the Watchtower, so everyone was already there to hear the exclamation. Even Alfred was with them all.
"Calm down, Big Bird," Jason said from his place on the meeting table, "What's going on?"
Dick was bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Can I tell 'em, B? Can I, can I?!"
Bruce chuckled, "I'm not stopping you."
He cheered before turning back to the rest of his family, "They think there's a total of three-" he held up three fingers on his left hand, "-of us operating within Gotham, myself excluded because I'm in Bludhaven."
"Wait," Stephanie called, "They think Batman only has three people helping to cover Gotham? They know we're human, right?"
Dick shook his head, his grin only getting bigger. "Nope! They think Batman only has two sidekicks covering Gotham with him."
This caused everyone to laugh, the humor breaking any seriousness anyone would've tried to control to keep on topic. It was nice, Bruce smiled, to be able to let loose with everyone like this. His family was altogether, spending time with one another, doing things that didn't include head hunts or injuries.
Alfred took his place beside Bruce. "This is nice, isn't it."
"It is."
"You can die a happy man now?"
A chuckle. "You killing me off so soon?"
"Of course not, Master Bruce," He's smirking, "I'm simply stating a fact."
"Ha!"
"What're you guys talking about over there?" Tim called. Everyone had gathered at the meeting table to go over final details and slight changes for the set up tomorrow. "C'mon! We've gotta finish putting this all together."
Duke nodded from over his shoulder, "Yeah! New information allows room for some much more fun!"
Jason smirked. "Yeah, old man, Alfred! We want to see if we can get away with switching out with each other. It'll confuse the hell outta the Leaguers."
Bruce raised an eyebrow as he and Alfred joined the kids at the table. "How are you going to pull that off? Despite what you all may thing, the others are all a lot more observant than given credit for-"
"Except the Flash and Green Arrow." Cass cut in.
"Hey!" Dick said, "Don't dis Barry like that!"
"Yeah," Barbra agreed, "And Ollie's whole thing is spotting details. He prides himself on it!"
"If that were true, then we wouldn't be planning on how to mess with them, now would we?"
Tim nodded, "Damian's right."
"As you were saying?" Bruce prompted.
"Well," Jason continued, "You, Damian, and Dick have to be here as Batman, Nightwing, and Robin. They all probably know about me, so I'll stay out of the Cave, but you can bet your ass that I'll be in the Clocktower with Babs, listening in on everything." He looked to Tim and Babs. "Should we set up cameras?"
Tim thought for a second, "If we want to record this, then yeah. I can have them all set up by morning."
"I'll help you set it up before I head out tonight," Barbra agreed.
"Anyway," Stephanie interrupted, pulling the attention to herself, "Tim, Cass, and I could totally get away with running around and messing with their senses and shit. And if we can get Kate and Selina in on this-"
"You've already talked to them, haven't you." Bruce asked. The matching grins on everyone's faces was answer enough. He sighed.
"Having fun," Cass patted his arm, "Bonding."
He snorted. 'Bonding', yeah right. Maybe letting his coworkers be the target of his childrens' whims is a bad idea. Then again, their not hurting anyone. It's all fun in games.
Bruce sat at the head of the table. "Alright. We all know about Superman's ability to hear heartbeats and breathing patterns. He's able to memorize someone's vitals, especially his friends. It's safe to assume he's got mine down, as well as Robin's and Nightwing's."
Damian scoffed. "Changing my vitals will be no issue for me."
Bruce nodded, "Me, either."
Dick nodded along, "Soundseasy enough. But what's the plan?"
"Oracle will call you out for an emergency in Bludhaven. Red Hood will call me out for some information at the docks. We'll met up at the Clocktower and switch costumes." he explained.
Barbra had a manic look on her face. "We should have Steph and Cass stay away from the Cave at first, then have them come in separately, but sharing a costume." SHe turned her attention to the blonde. "You have a spare Spoiler costume, yeah?"
Stephanie matched her grin, "Naturally."
"What about me, Tim, and Damian?" Duke asked.
"How would you and Tim like to be actual bats?" the red head wondered, "Or maybe ghosts?"
"Do we get to mess with shit?" Tim asked.
"Naturally."
"I'm in," the two responded.
"Damian will run distraction," Jason said," He'll be the only one who stays with the JL the whole time they're here. Alfred will have to keep cover upstairs. I'll bounce between the Manor, the Clocktower, and patrol."
"Are you quite sure?" Alfred asked, "That's quite a lot to be doing."
"Yeah, I'll be fine," he assured.
Brice cleared his throat. "If everyone's ready?" Looks around the table before nods of affirmation. "Good. Finish up any last minute changes and preparations. They've agreed to meet at the Watchtower at fifteen hundred New Jersey time so that I can bring them here. Damian, I want you to come with me."
"Of course, father."
"Ready? Break."
Part 3 Part 5
Tag List: @sebas-nights
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child0feden · 5 months ago
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LITTLE SNOWFLAKES
sebastian vettel x wife! reader x ( platonic! ) oc daughters
♡ how valerie and valentine vettel / little snowflakes came to be!
୨୧ this can kind of be any era but i think it works best with retired sebastian <3
♡ view my formula 1 masterlist here
reading music recommendations: lisztomania by phoenix - blue romance by black honey
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♡ when you guys found out you were having twins… oh boy… that day was a day to be remembered
୨୧ the second the nurse performing the scan said “ oh… hold on a second, looks like you’ll be needing two cribs ” with a soft chuckle, the room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop
♡ but then sebastian spoke…
“ yep… yeah, i guess we will, huh? jesus christ! two babies… that’s… oh, that’s so exciting ” ( it took a couple seconds for it to really click in his head before a huge, goofy smile spread across his face and he started laughing )
୨୧ when you guys get home, he’s straight to his computer, looking up online stores to buy things for twin babies
“ oh! look here liebling, a twin pram! we’ll probably need that, hm? ” ( okay, now it’s really really beginning to click in his head that he’s getting not one but two babies and he couldn’t be more excited )
♡ he goes on quite a shopping spree that afternoon, ordering things like another crib, cute matching twin plushies and WAY more bottles…
୨୧ your babies arrived on valentine’s day!
♡ the birth went fine! except for the fact you had to push out TWO babies…
୨୧ you had a moment filled with nothing but hatred for sebastian for putting two babies inside of you, cussing him out all while he holds your hand
♡ he gave a slightly freaked out look towards one of the nurses who simply told him it was “ totally normal ” and you didn’t mean what you were saying
୨୧ so he doesn’t say anything, just keeps brushing your hair back from your face, cheering you on and praising you for how much progress your making <3
♡ it just felt right to name one of your babies valentine… your greatest gifts made from love arriving on the day of love and the second would be called valerie
୨୧ sebastian is a natural at cradling both of them at the same time almost immediately, you swear just about everything comes naturally to him!
♡ he nicknames them his little snowflakes because whilst from afar snowflakes may look identical, when you really look at them, they’re actually always unique and it’s the same for his babies! his girls may look the same but they’re their own person, they’re both so unique and special in their own different ways <3
୨୧ since they sleep in the same room, when one of them wakes up crying, so does the other…
♡ sebastian is always the first to jump out of bed, telling you to go back to sleep, claiming you need it more than him since you just went through the birth and hey, you’re not going to fight him on that
୨୧ but often times, you do stay awake, waiting for him to come back to bed, more often that not with both of his little snowflakes cuddled in his arms
♡ he slips back into bed next to you, being extra careful with the twins before gesturing for you to cuddle up into his side
“ they’re so perfect, liebling… thank you, thank you for giving me such perfect girls ” ( his voice sounds slightly choked up and before long, you see small tears dripping down his cheeks, you spend the rest of the night cuddled up together, whispering words of love towards your husband and your babies as he falls into a deep sleep )
୨୧ sebastian LOVES teaching his little snowflakes all about animals and bugs, making sure they know how important it is to take care of their planet
♡ because of this, valerie and valentine don’t really want a lot of toys and similar things when they’re children! they’re incredibly aware and smart for their age which is something you both take a huge amount of pride in
୨୧ the only thing his snowflakes really want is those monthly subscription wildlife magazines! y’know the ones that come with a plushie and other little knick knacks like plastic bug containers?
♡ sebastian had already signed them up for it when they were old enough to read a lot and showed an interest in wildlife like he did and they’ve become OBSESSED with receiving them every month <3
୨୧ he has to hold back a huge smile everytime one of the twins asks him when the end of the month is, so happy that his little snowflakes care about the planet as much as he does
♡ the twins LOVE bugs and always try to bring them into the house, yelling for their papa to come and see what they’ve caught this time
୨୧ it can be slightly daunting for you to see them walk through the back door, one of them holding a bug in hand, knowing they’ll probably drop it in the house and it’ll be weeks before you find it…
♡ which is why when sebastian hears them yelling, he’s speed walking towards them and gently steering them right back outside with a hand on each of their backs, throwing a wink your way as he walks out the door
“ what’ve you got there my little snowflakes? come, outside, show me outside on the grass ” ( you let out the most relieved sigh, thankful you won’t be moving your couch to try and find some bug )
୨୧ the twins absolutely love going on bike rides with sebastian too, it’s one of their daddy daughter activities, leaving you once a week for around an hour or two to have some me time
♡ when they get home, they’re talking your ear off about EVERYTHING they saw, no matter how mundane it may seem, sebastian’s little snowflakes find beauty in everything around them
୨୧ sebastian built a tree house for the twins in your backyard!
♡ not only did he build a treehouse, he decked it out inside with SO many books about bugs and wildlife and shelves for them to put their little bug containers on…
୨୧ safe to say they spend more time in the treehouse than they do your actual house! it’s hard for you guys to get them out of there, even just for lunch and dinner
“ will you come down from there, my little snowflakes? please? your lunch is ready… okay, well you know, i just found this really cool spider and i wanted to show you guys before lunch but i guess you’re not interested- ” ( they come barrelling out so fast sebastian yells at them to “ please be careful ” and extends his arms, fully prepared to catch them if they fall )
♡ you guys take the twins out for ice cream a lot! it’s one of their favourite sweet treats
୨୧ which is probably because you ate it a LOT whilst pregnant with them…
♡ sebastian goes in to order with the girls whilst you sit at one of the tables outside, watching them through the glass windows of the store with a soft smile on your face
୨୧ you chuckle as you see sebastian have to hold valerie up on his feet so that she can see the flavours, she’s always been the smallest of the twins which makes him especially soft with her
♡ when he comes out, he gives you a cone of your favourite ice cream with two chocolate flakes stuck in it, you didn’t think he forgot your favourite did you?
୨୧ sebastian makes them tuck a napkin in their shirt, no matter how embarrassing they think it is, he doesn’t want you having extra laundry that could’ve been prevented
♡ they already get so many clothes dirty from sitting on mud in the garden, you should really get around to buying them more overalls!
୨୧ as you all sit in the sun, eating your ice creams ( some faster than others ) sebastian can’t help but admire his little family! his gorgeous wife and his perfect little snowflakes
♡ oh, how lucky he feels…
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sebastianvettel and ynln: merry christmas from the vettel family ⛄️ 🦌 🎄
sebynforever: the vettel twins are so big now, oh my god
> loveyouseb: sebastian’s snowflakes in the snow 🥹
lewishamilton ✔️: merry christmas to you two and the girls! hope they liked my presents ❤️
> sebastianvettel ✔️: they loved them, thanks lewis! - sebastian
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youremyheaven · 7 months ago
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Moon Dominance & Manipulation pt 3
I just keep finding more examples and I couldn't not share. They will vary in terms of the severity of abuse and manipulation. Some are quite silly but some are pretty fcked up. Salty Moon dominants who cannot stand being criticized, stay mad boo 😘you will never stop me from speaking my truth<3
One thing I have noticed about Moon dominant individuals is that they completely seem to believe the lies they tell others. They don't think they're being manipulative at the slightest because they fully believe everything they say, no matter how absurd or outlandish it is. This means that Moon dominants are easily influenced and can be manipulated easily even if they are also capable of blatantly manipulating and deceiving others. I see Moon dominants stuck in unhealthy relationships simply because they'll just play mind games with their partner until the day they die instead of just choosing peace.
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Katrina Kaif, Hasta Moon
Katrina has lied about being half-Indian and half-white her entire career to be more "relatable" to Indians. no one knows who her father is or how exactly she grew up and how a British woman like her ended up modelling and acting in India at the age of 17. She's now one of the biggest stars in the country and to this day no one knows much about her background.
She is one of 8 siblings, all of whom are extremely white looking
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it is possible that Katrina is mixed while her siblings are not but it's also possible that she just inherited a more olive complexion compared to her siblings??
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this is a picture of Kat and some of her siblings as kids, this man vaguely looks like he could be POC but there are plenty of spicy white men who have darker features/hair & eye color?
if this is the father in question, his name is Ronald Turcotte (Katrina's birth name is Kate Turcotte, she "Indianized" her name to be Katrina Kaif when she made her debut 20+yrs ago) and this is a pic of him with his current wife:
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He literally just looks like a regular white guy with some Italian ancestry or something.
Katrina has not only lied about being "half-Indian" but also said her father's name is Mohammad Kaif and that he was a Kashmiri businessman lmao
The producer of her first film who introduced her to Bollywood said:
 "We created an identity for her. She was this pretty young English girl, and we gave her the Kashmiri father and thought of calling her Katrina Kazi. We thought we'd give her some kind of Indian ancestry, to connect with the audience ... But then we thought that Kazi sounded too ... religious? ... Mohammad Kaif was at the top, and so we said, Katrina Kaif sounds really great" (for context, Mohammad Kaif is the name of a well known cricketer)
She once said:
 “Probably it may sound very stupid. You know you must have seen enough and your friends, how you have dark children who grew up to be fair. I was a very dark child so there was no way that you would look at me and say this is a Caucasian child. I was always viewed upon as oh how exotic or how ethnic."
Even Emily Ratajkowski is very non-white looking for a white woman, imagine if she started claiming that she "feels" ethnic as she "looks" ethnic.
Here are some excerpts from a 2011 interview:
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The complicated politics of a tan skin white woman feeling validated by being comparatively light skinned in a deeply colorist country like India and lying about being half-Indian is just ..... 🤢🤮🤢
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Bella Hadid- Hasta Sun
Bella, her brother and mother all suffer from a condition called "chronic Lyme disease". Gigi, the only person who does not have Lyme, has Hashimoto's disease.
Lets get a few things out of the way. Lyme disease is a real, entirely treatable and completely curable illness. All you have to do is take antibiotics and you'll make a full recovery in about 2 weeks.
Chronic Lyme disease is a different condition and widely debunked by the medical community for not being a real condition.
Wikipedia defines Chronic Lyme as:
"Chronic Lyme disease is the name used by some people with non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle pain, and cognitive dysfunction to refer to their condition, even if there is no evidence that they had Lyme disease."
That said, Bella and her mom have been talking about their struggles with Lyme disease for over a decade now. Medical professionals all deny the existence of this condition and both Bella and Yolanda (her mom) are treated by various quack, pseudoscientific "alternative" medicine practitioners who are more or less ill qualified and not real doctors.
When Bella was 16yrs old, she was arrested for driving under the influence and this was literally addressed on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the show that her mother starred in. Yolanda used to write a blog for Bravo in which she expressed her thoughts about this incident and she also mentioned writing a long letter to Bella.
Yolanda's dad died in a car accident when she was 7 and she was very frightened by Bella's accident but also relieved that neither she nor anybody else was injured.
That letter she wrote was somehow leaked and is available on the internet. Here it goes:
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Interestingly enough, Bella was diagnosed with "chronic lyme" 👀in the same year. Bella once mentioned that she started smoking cigarettes at 14yrs old and clearly by 16 she was drunk driving with a cocktail of substances stashed in her car. Bella's old tumblr blog that has been widely circulated also reveals that she struggled with an eating disorder at this time and perhaps depression as well.
I mention all this because I have always suspected Bella of using "chronic lyme" as a cover up for her struggles with substance abuse and her eating disorder. Even all the symptoms for chronic lyme are so vague that pretty much anybody could experience them, but their occurrence is greatly exacerbated if one suffers from stress/anxiety/is abusing drugs etc (more on this in a minute).
In an interview, Bell said of her DUI:
"I stopped driving because I kept crashing, because my brain just stopped working.’ She had an accident — ‘It was when I first got sick. It was a dark time’ — which was reported in the press as a DUI. ‘I was exhausted all the time. It affected my memory so I suddenly wouldn’t remember how to drive to Santa Monica from Malibu where I lived. I couldn’t ride. I was just too sick. And I had to sell my horse because I couldn’t take care of it.’ It was an emotional blow on top of the physical."
Now the thing is, Yolanda mentioned in her own blog post that Bella went to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings as mandated by the court:
"I decided to take her phone away, make her pay for her own lawyer bills from her savings, and we sold her car. The court suspended her license for one year, she received six months probation, and was required to conduct 25 hours of community service and 20 hours of AA meetings."
She likely stopped driving because Yolanda got on her ass and sold her car lol?? As Yolanda herself said??? Yolanda never said one word about Lyme and she's pretty much the self-appointed spokesperson for Lyme so the fact that in her own blog post literally right after the accident, she addresses the issue for what it is makes Bella's later remarks of her being tOo siCk tO drIvE sound like a lie 🤥
This is an easy example of how Moon dominants manipulate the truth to suit their narrative and make themselves look better. Bella made her debut later that year and it would look bad if everyone saw Bella as a spoilt bratty nepo baby who was also a teenage alcoholic riding her sister's coattails into modelling. Also you have to remember, Bella was the less popular sister back then and she only became an icon and it girl by like 2019ish.
It suited Bella and later Yolanda to keep pushing the chronic lyme agenda to win sympathy.
Also just btw, I think Yolanda is super fucked up and this letter offers an interesting look into her mind. She is Uttarashada Sun and Jyeshta Moon and I think its sooo bizarre how her daughter almost died in a car crash and all she can talk about is how dirty and messy the car is??? Why isn't she talking about Bella being drunk out of her mind or about her alcohol habit in general??? Why is she not pointing out her actual concerning lifestyle instead of "oh my god youre soooo messy and im soooo sad" ??? anywayyys
Ever since then, chronic lyme has been Bella's go to to describe everything about herself. Symptoms that could easily be from stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, starving herself etc are all blamed on a non-existent condition. When actual doctors say the condition does not exist and you and your mom claim it does, I think it says something 😬
Also, Yolanda was sick during the filming of her reality show and it was found out that her breast implants had ruptured and the silicon was leaking into her bloodstream and making her sick. She later said it was Chronic Lyme instead lmfaooo. So there is plenty of proof that both mom and daughter are just making this shit up.
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one thing I cannot stand about Moon dominants is how they constantly seek validation for everything they do and love to win sympathy. Meghan Markle, Hasta Moon is another example. Sympathy capitalist, Selena Gomez (Cancer stellium) is another example.
What exactly was Bella trying to prove by posting pictures of her looking very out of it?? To prove to people that she is indeed sick?? There are many celebs out there who struggle with chronic illnesses, are they posting pics from their treatment??? Overall, it feels very "🥺🥺poor me, im so grateful despite everything, im so strong, look at how much i suffer and struggle!!!" as if she's trying to downplay any privilege bashing she may get by counteracting it with a "im extremely sick" narrative bc no one can hate on someone who is ill even if that is a fictional illness.
There were rumours all of last year that she took a break from modelling to go to rehab and she had also broken up with her then bf.
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look at those symptoms and tell me you haven't experienced those at some point lmao. I used to struggle with severe anxiety many years ago and an eating disorder several years ago and I experienced pretty much all of those symptoms. I say this because those symptoms by itself are really vague and not specific to any one illness.
another really sus issue is why Bella felt the need to post pics of her medical history??? like she's a model not running for President lmao,,,, its obvious that she really wants to be perceived as struggling with chronic lyme. Most people with a health issue stay quiet about it (their issues are also actual illnesses but oh well)
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This is a screenshot of a lab test she posted:
A clinical lab scientist who performs tests on infectious diseases (like Lyme) said:
First off, having this amount and varied pathogens within your body at once is not impossible but is highly unusual. Even one of these pathogens would make a patient extraordinarily ill. If I were performing PCR and got that many positives, I would 100% not release results until a consult with an infectious disease MD.
In that list, there are bloodborne bacteria and viruses, intestinal parasites, many of which have nothing to do with Lyme disease.
That last page is important. The source states "urine". There are virtually no PCR tests performed on urine currently because pathogens are not usually shed through urine and often urine is contaminated by urogenital flora. This is the ARUP tickborne PCR panel which details out which pathogens would be tested for and the type of sample they would need (blood). ARUP is a large reference lab in the US and performs some rare tests. Again, it's extremely unlikely to see that many pathogens positive in one sample.
All of this is to say, Miss ma'am Bella Hadid faked her hospital records by paying some quack guy for it and put it on IG for sympathy 😬💀💀
I have nothing against Bella, I think she's iconic but her spreading literal medical misinformation to millions of impressionable people who eat up her every word is absolutely dangerous, unprofessional and awful and I sincerely hope she's called out/exposed for it.
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first of all, none of these words mean absolutely anything.
"energy is in proper balance" ??? "alkaline tissue pH"? ?? just say you dont have a medical degree and goooo
On this document it says the test was conducted by 'Manhattan Advanced Medicine'.
Here is an excerpt from Manhattan Advanced Medicine's LinkedIn page:
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Do they sound like legitimate doctors to you?? They're just one of those scammy New Age-y alternate medicine places that rich people with money to blow, go to, so they feel better about themselves.
I sincerely hope Bella gets actual treatment for her real struggles with mental health/ED/potential substance issues etc and I hope she has the strength to admit to herself that she's using a fictional narrative to gain sympathy from others and as a coping mechanism to avoid dealing with her real problems. Bella grew up as the middle child and felt neglected by Yolanda pretty much, some say that the whole "chronic Lyme" has probably become the only bonding activity for the two of them and the only time Bella felt like she was loved by her mom (which is so sad) which is why she's been going on with it for 10yrs now. Whatever it may be, I hope they all get better.
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Elizabeth Holmes- Shravana Sun
Many of you are probably already familiar with scammer Liz Holmes
She was founder and CEO of Theranos, a blood-testing company.
Prosecutors accused Holmes of intentionally misleading investors and patients. Out of the more than 200 blood tests advertised, the in-house “Edison” machines could perform a very small number themselves and could not provide accurate results. Holmes is also alleged to have lied about the scale of the company's profits. 
Two of the most striking examples of the Theranos machines’ faulty test results were two female patients. One of the women was diagnosed as HIV positive but the finding was refuted by further blood tests. A second woman who had suffered several miscarriages received test results from Theranos during her pregnancy which indicated that she had lost her baby once again. The test was faulty and she later gave birth to a healthy baby. Internal emails, however, revealed that the start-up concealed the erroneous results from investors and business partners by using a modified demo device or by partially hiding test results from them. 
The prosecution also presented a 55-page report in which Theranos officials added the logos of pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Schering-Plough to give the impression that they had approved the technology. However, a scientist employed by Pfizer testified that he found the start-up’s claims to be implausible and advised Pfizer not to collaborate. The prosecutors were able to show that Theranos had nevertheless sent the report with the subsequently inserted logos to investors and business partners. 
The interesting thing about Moon dominants and their manipulation is that unlike Saturn which is direct and in your face with how awful it is, Moon natives deceive and pretend. You will never realise the truth until you learn to look for it. With a Saturnian, you can always tell because they dont know how to hide it.
Moon does not have any light of its own. Moon also does not have a fixed form. Its waxing one day, waning the next. So it makes sense as to why these natives "manipulate" or "distort" the truth, since its kind of in their nature, to do so?
This brought me to an interesting observation of how Moon dominants seem to completely fall for pseudoscientific stuff. Bella, whom I already mentioned is one example but there are many more.
So, in Hinduism, the Moon God is named 'Soma' but the word 'Soma' is also used to refer to an intoxicating drink.
In the Vedas, the word Soma was actually primarily used for an intoxicating and energizing/healing plant drink and the deity could have received his name from the drink potentially?👀
The Hindu texts state that the Moon is lit and nourished by the Sun, and that it is Moon where the divine nectar of immortality resides.
In some Indian texts, Soma is the name of an apsara; alternatively it is the name of any medicinal concoction, or rice-water gruel, or heaven and sky, as well as the name of certain places of pilgrimage.
Whilst this connotation can explain their dizzying relationship with presenting the truth and how absolutely convinced they are of their own lies (Moon dominants manipulate others but are also easily manipulated tbh, they are both predator and prey). I think mythological backdrop also explains why so many Moon dominants are always kind of on the hunt for the elixir of life by adopting all kinds of New Age-y, holistic, spiritual 'alternative' medicine/lifestyle/treatment etc.
The thing is, there is truth to herbal remedies and holistic living but Moon dominants seldom pursue the truth of these practices, they always pick the weirdest, strangest stuff that absolutely helps no one and is most definitely a scam.
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Gwyneth Paltrow- Hasta Sun & Mercury, Rohini Moon, Venus in Ashlesha atmakaraka
Lady Goop is a classic example of how Moon dominants can be very deluded with their "alternate" therapies/lifestyle. Moon dominants are easily confused and the path of wellness and spirituality is paved with many distractions to weed out the unworthy. Many get lost in this completely and mistake this Maya for the truth. Miss Gwyneth is one of them.
I have beef with this bc some of Goop's stuff is stupid but harmless (vagina candles, anyone?) but other times, she literally spreads dangerous medical advice to a very large audience (just like Bella).
On her website, she has an article about how to treat 'Candida' (a real condition which she has approached in a very pseudoscientific way). The symptoms, like Bella's, are vague, and include bloating, dandruff, sugar cravings, a bad memory and fatigue. Diagnosis includes something called a urine organix dysbiosis test (Bella's diagnosis also included a liver dysbiosis lmao) , while treatment involves limiting yourself to one piece of fruit a day and “overpowering the yeast” with anti-fungal supplements.
In 2017, Paltrow suggested women should insert a $66 egg shaped jade or rose quartz stone into their vagina to help “increase vaginal muscle tone, hormonal balance, and feminine energy in general.” Users were encouraged to thread dental floss through a purpose-built hole to help with releasing the egg. After facing backlash from gynaecologists over its dubious health claims and potential harmful results including toxic shock syndrome, Goop settled a $145,000 lawsuit for “unsubstantiated” marketing claims.
In Daoist sexual teachings, this is actually a legit practice but a white woman appropriating it and then selling it does not sit right with me :// and also its to be used along with a strict spiritual practice and has to be performed according to proper techniques. Obviously eastern spirituality is suuuper commercialized in the west and its reduced to sticking jade eggs up inside you and misses the very important context and tradition its rooted in and also sticking factory produced and probably chemically treated anything INSIDE U, is not a good idea??
A 2018 detox guide recommended an at-home coffee enema kit to stimulate users’ intestines from the comfort of their own home. A couple of years later, while hooked up to a vitamin drip on The Art of Being Well podcast, Paltrow revealed she had also “used ozone therapy, rectally,” a procedure which involves pumping oxygen via catheter into the colon. Scientists immediately dismissed Paltrow’s health claims.
In 2017, Goop suggested that anyone who wanted to “rebalance the energy frequency in our bodies” should try placing Body Vibes stickers on their arms or near their heart. The site claimed the stickers ($120 for a pack of 24) were “made with the same conductive carbon material Nasa uses to line space suits so they can monitor an astronaut’s vitals”. A fact that was quickly debunked when Nasa confirmed that they “do not have any conductive carbon material lining the spacesuits.”
There's a lot more but I'll stop here for now. Gwyneth is convinced of the validity of her claims and does not see anything wrong with it. This is how Moon dominants are and thats what makes their manipulation so damaging.
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Andrew Huberman- Rohini Moon
He is a neuroscientist and wellness podcaster called "Goop for bros".
His protocols for good living involve things like taking enormous amounts of expensive supplements, ensuring you view early morning sunlight for 10-30 minutes after waking, carefully timing when you drink coffee and plunging yourself in ice baths. (probiotics and supplements are a complete scam, there are studies proving they do absolutely nothing for u)
He has covered everything from creativity to hair loss and despite having no professional expertise on all the things he covers, he acts like he does lmao
Huberman was exposed for taking steroids to achieve his body while he was promoting "wellness" and telling people to take cold showers and work out and eat clean etc lmao. He also reportedly earned millions from running adverts for dietary products and wellness supplements.
He went from science expert to guru. He used to have discussions of how the brain and body respond to certain stimuli but later extended that to broad prescriptions for lifestyle and dietary modification which he is not qualified to do??
Last month he was exposed for having 5 different girlfriends who all thought they were in an exclusive relationship with him.
Sarah, says she was in a relationship with Huberman for around three years, and had been undergoing IVF treatment to have a child with him when she found he had been having unprotected sex with at least five other women at the same time.
Her suspicions were aroused when she contracted a high-risk form of HPV, a sexually transmitted infection linked to cervical cancer, despite having been tested for ten years.
Along with Sarah, others known only as Eve, Mary, Alex, and an unknown fifth and potentially sixth, were all romantically associated with him - some having been led to believe they were exclusive for years. All believed that other exes in Huberman’s life had been “stalkers, alcoholics, and compulsive liars” according to the report. (Moon dominants manipulating the truth to suit them)
“I’m at the stage of life where I truly want to build a family,” he told Eve while he was reportedly involved with several others. “That’s a resounding theme for me.”
Yet, despite the reassuring words he appeared to be chronically unreliable disappearing for extended periods of time with no indication of his whereabouts.
For a man interested in promoting personal growth, he also appeared to be unapologetic about deceiving his therapists, of which he has had several over the years.
“We were at dinner once and he told me something personal, and I suggested he talk to his therapist,” shared Eve. “He laughed it off like that wasn’t ever going to happen, so I asked him if he lied to his therapist. He told me he did all the time.”
Despite his dismissal of therapy, the podcaster appears to have maximised the use of “therapy-speak” to familiarise himself with the internal experiences of many women.
“I hear you are saying you are angry and hurt,” he texted Sarah as she discovered journal entries about his infidelity. “I will hear you as much and as long as needed for us.”
“Your feelings matter,” he told Eve on a day when he had injected his girlfriend Sarah with hCG as part of their IVF treatment. “I’m actually very much a caretaker.”
Discussing sex addiction with another woman, Huberman denied he was a sex addict instead referring to himself as a “love addict”.
On one day in March, the women realised that Huberman had flown Mary thousands of miles from Texas to LA to stay with him in Topanga, California, some six-hour drive from where Sarah stayed in Berkeley. On that same day, he left Mary at home with his dog as he drove to a coffee shop to meet Eve to have a serious conversation about their relationship.
Anywayyys, thats enough about him. He's a cheating, conniving, manipulative asshole.
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Oprah Winfrey- Shravana Sun
Oprah has used her platform to air dangerous pseudoscience for decades.
In 2007, The Oprah Winfrey Show, the no. 1 talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, welcomed former Playboy model and MTV host Jenny McCarthy. 
The program gave McCarthy carte blanche to share a theory: that her son’s autism resulted from vaccines laced with hazardous chemicals. Despite a lack of concrete scientific evidence, McCarthy was lauded for her “warrior spirit” to speak up for other concerned moms. The lasting damage this has done to the country is concerning bc now it seems there are more antivaxxers than ever before.
The longest-reigning queen of daytime television promoted New Age scams, pushed unsustainable fad diets, and anointed problematic faith healers like John of God (now imprisoned) or pseudoscientific doctors like Dr. Oz. She sold us on magical thinking. 
Indeed, before the “Goop-ification of wellness,” there was the “Oprah-fication of medicine.”
In the ‘80s, Oprah helped fuel the satanic ritual abuse / repressed memories panic by interviewing folks like the author of the later-debunked memoir Michelle Remembers. In the ‘90s, she had “women’s health expert” Christiane Northrup—a quack physician who spewed nonsense like thyroid dysfunction stems from women not speaking up enough (an “energy blockage”), that love can heal AIDS, and mammograms aren’t safe—on her show 12 times. In the early aughts, she promoted the feel-good gibberish that is The Secret, insinuating positive thoughts were all that separated you from success, riches, and yes, even medical recoveries.
And remember when Oprah notoriously hosted Suzanne Somers in 2009? The actress touted injecting hormones directly into one’s vagina to stave off aging and menopausal hot flashes, along with downing 40 supplements daily.
Like Gwyneth and Huberman, Oprah sold pseudoscience to millions of people who didnt know any better to make hugeeee profits. I am pretty sure Bella will follow suit and also set up a vitamin supplement business in the near future and it will probably also be her downfall.
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Song JiA- Shravana Moon
She became extremely popular after her appearance on the show Single's Inferno and there are hundreds of videos trying to analyse why all the men on that show went ape for her lol
But she was exposed for wearing fake designer stuff lmao?? Koreans be wilding
Her career came to a standstill after that and she hasn't done much since.
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Agatha Christie, Hasta Moon & Mercury, Jupiter in Shravana in 1h
aside from the fact that she wrote murder mystery books that were known for misleading the reader (a more fun manifestation of Moon's tendency to manipulate?) she also had some other tendencies:
On the evening of Friday 3 December 1926, Agatha Christie left her home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, got into her car and disappeared into the night. Her disappearance sparked a manhunt involving the police, members of the public and famous figures and was lapped up by the tabloid press.
In the aftermath of Agatha’s disappearance both Archie Christie (her husband) and his mistress Nancy Neale were under suspicion and a huge manhunt was undertaken by thousands of policemen and eager volunteers. A local lake known as the Silent Pool was also dredged in case life had imitated art and Agatha had met the same fate of one of her unfortunate characters. Famous faces also waded in to the mystery with the then Home Secretary William Joynson-Hicks putting pressure on police to find the writer, and fellow mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle seeking the help of a clairvoyant to find Agatha using one of her gloves as a guide.
She was found living at a hotel under the name Theresa Neale (yeah she used the mistresses' last name). She apparently did not recognise her husband when he went to see her at the hotel and they divorced not long after?
The nature of the Moon is ever shifting, watery , always projecting and I think its interesting how Agatha, who found out about the affair pulled that stunt to cope perhaps. I have noticed this with many Moon dominants, if they learn of something depressing, they will immediately distract themselves with something else and pretend that issue is more concerning??? Or they will pull a stunt and redirect everybody's attention there. They are veryyy image conscious, so this could be bc of that. After all, being remembered for her strange disappearance is better than being perceived as the woman he cheated on and left, I guess.
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St Vincent- Hasta Sun & Mercury, Shravana Moon
This is kinda innocuous but she lied about being a Kate Bush fan lol??
What I mean by this is that she said two different things on Kate Bush and on how she was introduced. In 2007 she was interviewed with Pitchfork and said "this may sound really silly-- but I just discovered Kate Bush, probably six months ago, and I think she's so great. I know I'm very late to the party here [ laughs ], I know this is old news, but I got a Kate Bush record, and I forget-- I think "The Dreaming" is on it, though I'm spacing on the name of the record. [The Dreaming --Ed.] It has Kate Bush in this totally miraculous ascot, too, on the back [ laughs ]. She just went for it. It's so great. She totally went for it." (http://pitchfork.com/features/guest-lists/6680-st-vincent/)
Now that doesn't sound so bad on it's own, but in 2014 during the Kate Bush documentary she said a completely different story on how she got introduced to Kate Bush around 46:47 and said "I still remember going to the CD World and buying The Sensual World when I was sixteen. And the cover, there’s a rose in front of her mouth that has bloomed, she’s got big wide eyes. And I remember, you know, putting it in the shitty car stereo on the way home, and you know, my life was forever changed.” (https://youtu.be/c4sLwt8mhZs?t=46m49s)
Its the detailll thats giving Moon dominant manipulation lmao
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Alfred Nobel- Shravana Moon
 He is known for inventing dynamite as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize. So now no one remembers him for being the horrible man he was lol.
He made millions selling explosives and then decided to manipulate his legacy as that of a philanthropist.
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Mahatma Gandhi- Hasta Sun, Ashlesha Moon
In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."
Gandhi championed women in politics. But he was also obsessed with his own celibacy. In his late 70s, before he died at 78, he slept naked with his grandniece when she was in her late teens. He said he wanted to test his willpower to abstain from sex.
Gandhi denied life saving treatment to his wife. She was in bed, extremely sick from pneumonia and he refused to let the doctors administer her with penicillin.
Instead of giving her the medicine, Gandhi decided to fill the room with followers who sang devotional songs, as per the book. The next day, on 22nd February 1944, Kasturba Gandhi died. He said, “’How God has tested my faith! ‘If I had allowed you to give her penicillin, it could not have saved her. But it would have meant bankruptcy of faith on my part… And she passed away in my lap! Could it be better? I am happy beyond measure.”
Going by the rigidness of Gandhi against modern medicine, one may think he had observed the same for himself and other associates. But the case was different. Interestingly, records show that he had undergone repeated medical tests and surgery throughout his life though Kasturba was denied penicillin.
Manu was Gandhi’s grandniece and was used by him as one of the participants in his so-called ‘experiments with celibacy’ where he used to sleep naked with girls and had naked girls bathe him. She was often seen with Gandhi, who used her and Abha, another grandniece, as support while walking.
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Manuben’s diaries revealed that Gandhi used to control almost every aspect of her life, including food, education, sleeping, rest schedule, and even the clothes she wore. She even used to sleep in the same bed with him.
Moon dominants twist the truth as and when it suits them. They can be controlling, manipulative liars who parade around as virtuous, kind hearted and generous people. Most people on this list have a good reputation. This is the danger of Moon influence; very few people see the darkness that truly lurks within them.
Obviously this only applies to unevolved Lunar people<3
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morganas-pendragons · 3 months ago
Text
Grieving Is Like Suffocating | Elendil
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You don't know how to come back up for air.
2/2 on the ROP fan fiction. I can't stop writing for these guys. The ideas just keep pouring.
This is based in S1, Ep 7 and 8. Set when Elendil returns to Númenor. Another female reader. This one is a long time friend of Miriel.
In this fic, Elendil meets Míriel when they're younger as opposed to meeting when they're older in the show.
Enjoy! This got away from me, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'd love to know what you guys think!
I'll be writing 2 more for Celebrimbor and 1 for Elrond within the next week or so!
***
It started off with you and a young boy on the shores of Númenor. He was screaming. You were only just learning how to defend yourself during those years, barely an adult and now newly appointed to Miriel's guard, and you found yourself called to the screaming 10 year old by the water.
You quickly realized why as soon as you calmed him down enough to talk. His mother's body was floating face down in the waters of Númenor. He himself was soaked to the bone, so young and so full of fear as he clung to your side.
“I got caught in a riptide. She.. she drowned-“
You held him there, whispering comfort into his ear as you stroked his hair. You later found out his name was Isildur and that his father was Elendil The Tall, someone you’ve known for years but have never actually met.
Elendil spent the entire day looking for Isildur. When he eventually found him, his son was bent over his wife's body, and he was calling out for you.
"Who does that name belong to, son?"
"She found me by the water and helped bring Mother to the shore! She said her name, but she ran away before I could ask her to find you!" Elendil wrapped his hand around Isildur's shoulder as he hid his face in his father's hip, trembling hands clutching the fabric of his trousers. "Mother... Mother's gone...."
Elendil could do nothing but whisper assurances to his little one and wrap him up in his arms to return him home. He dare not let Isildur see his tears fall.
Elendil never learned the face of the one who'd saved his son. See, you'd sworn Isildur to a secret: He had to keep your identity a secret to come back and meet you again. Everyone knew who you were because of your standing with the Queen Regent.
No one knew who you were as a person. No one knew you as the person who saved Isildur and Elendil both.
In the quiet despair of the funeral, someone was singing.
There was a beautifully ornate casket before him with his three children standing idly by on either side of where Elendil knelt before it. Very few people were allowed to the funeral, as he'd wanted it to be a private matter, but the person singing was enough to catch Isildur's attention when they came up behind his father to rest a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Through the shadows falling over Númenor, not one could catch the face belonging to the person standing vigil over his family. Elendil did not care enough to do so. Under most circumstances, he simply would've shrugged off the hand and continued to wallow in his grief.
He was not old enough to be a widower.
"May the spirit of Nienna comfort you, Elendil."
Fingertips tenderly grazed his shoulders before the touch was gone, almost as if it had never been there to begin with.
Elendil never forgot that song or that offer of comfort. Despite years having passed since, he never forgot the sound of that haunting song that brought him some modicum of comfort on the worst day of his life.
Grief was like suffocating. He had always wondered how his wife felt when she sank beneath the waves, desperate to rescue their son before the waters claimed her, and how she'd died with water in her lungs. She'd suffocated.
Elendil understood part of that feeling. He'd been suffocating since he found Isildur on that beach, and it was getting progressively harder to find the will to come back up for air.
He doesn't know how to. Or if he even will.
***
Past
Tar-Míriel was the only daughter of the 24th King of Númenor and one of your dearest friends from your childhood. There had been many nights of complaints, whispered secrets about those in attendance at court, and dreams of lives that people like the two of you could never live.
Fortunately, Tar-Palantír was sharp enough to recognize potential when he saw it. That was what led him to enlist you to be part of Míriel's protection just before you both were to become adults. Your birthday was a mere few weeks away, and you had been asking for your own bow for long enough now for your parents to take notice.
That was what led you to the docks where Númenor's bravest and boldest of the Sea Guard were often found.
"This is quite an interesting place to find respite," Míriel remarked as she took her seat beside you and adjusted the hood of the cloak on her head. "Are you-Is that a bow?"
You tenderly ran your hand down the weapon your father had handed you that morning. "My father gave it to me early. The arrows are handmade as well." Your eyes flickered out across the docks. Elendil The Tall was standing idly beside in deep conversation with a woman you did not recognize. He was one of the most handsome men in Númenor. Every woman knew it. "That up-and-coming Sea Guard. There's just.. something about him."
"Can't be focusing on unattainable futures when you know where your future lies."
You took Míriel's words to heart. They would change later, of course, but you knew why she said them. Despite your curiosity about Elendil, you opted to look from a distance and to never approach him yourself. It was better that way. When you were dedicating yourself to the safety of the future Queen of Númenor, there was no time for idle dreams of romance.
You found yourself meeting Elendil a few months later. With his recent promotion to Captain of the Númenorean Sea Guard, the King had invited him to court to meet the dignitaries and other highly esteemed members of their society who he would frequently interact with.
Both you and Míriel were in attendance that day. Your father, the right hand of Tar-Palantir, took it upon himself to stride up to Elendil and introduce him to the future Queen and the Queen's right hand.
Being in his presence made breathing difficult. If you thought he was handsome from afar, he was a true sight to behold up close.
"It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain," You greeted, bowing low to the ground while Elendil reached out to take your hand and place a kiss thereupon. You barely noted the sudden look of astonishment on his face before he turned to do the same to Míriel. "As I am sure you will do Númenor proud."
Elendil would have been lying if he said he didn't find himself drawn to you. Of all the people he knew in Númenor, most of them were fairly easy to read. He was able to tell what kind of person he would be meeting simply by watching them - How they carried themselves and their interactions with others, their body language and facial expressions and intonations in conversation.
You, however, were the first person he met that he could not do that with. You were closed off. Guarded.
And why did you seem so familiar?
"Your kind words speak volumes, my Lady," Elendil returned. "Tell me... Have we met before?"
You tried not to think about the countless dreams you'd had about Elendil since you'd secretly started spending time down at the docks. About how Isildur often came seeking you out at the beaches - because his son was clever and knew you would always return to the site of where you first met - and about how you often intervened with the sailors of Númenor who dared to wish him harm.
"Maybe in another life," You remarked. "If you'll excuse me."
For the next several years after that, Míriel desperately tried to convince you that you should further pursue Elendil. She noted his approach to you during the party and every time after that as one of curiosity and interest. You denied her. Why would he be interested in you?
***
Ironically enough, it is not long before the soldiers of Númenor and the Sea Guard are set to depart with their Queen Regent for Middle-Earth that Isildur finds you again. You were one of the few people present who accepted the elf's presence in Númenor. Many did not, especially with the rising acceptance of Ar-Pharazôn as their desired King.
This time, however, he is with Ontamo and Valandil.
"There you are! I was wondering if you would be down here. Why are you not preparing to depart with the Queen?"
"Keep your voice down, Isildur." You whisper, dragging the younger man behind the cluster of boulders you often sought refuge in when you were down here. It was only the nature of your hiding spot and your disguise that kept most of the people here from recognizing you. "Míriel wishes for me to stay here. Besides, you know as well as I do that your father is enough protection for her. As are you."
You had been one of the few people in his life to offer Isildur the necessary encouragement and affirmation he needed to maintain his confidence as he grew. When he felt as if he could not disclose such struggles to his father, he often came and found you.
"My father speaks very highly of you, you know. The you that he actually knows. Seems like I'm the only person in Númenor besides the Queen-Regent who truly knows you. Doesn't that ever bother you?" He asks.
"It used to." You shrug. "I am duty bound to the Queen of Númenor. Even if I were to tell you how I truly felt about your father-"
"Wait," Despite well knowing they're both there, instinct finds you knocking an arrow and aiming it directly at Valandil as he and Ontamo approach. "Is this the woman from the Queen Regent's court that your father has spoken about?"
Isildur's eyes slowly slide to your face. Valandil was one of the few people in his personal life who was close to his father besides him and his siblings. He knew who you were by your identity in Míriel's court. He did not know you as Isildur did. As a comforter, a warrior, and a friend.
"As I said, my father speaks highly of you. You should see him before he departs for Middle Earth." Isildur motions between himself, Valandil and Ontamo as the three begin to back away from your spot. "We are going with him. I'll see you when I get back!"
You give a half-hearted salute in return. Over the years, you've greatly come to love Isildur. He's been under the shadow of your protection almost his entire life.
"Make sure you come back." You call. "You hear me? No noble deaths out there, not for any of you!"
You contemplate Isildur's request as you venture back to the castle, hidden beneath the sanctuary of your hood. He seems to know something you don't. If you were to be truthful with yourself, it was nice to be aware of a man like Elendil desiring you. Wanting you near.
That thought combined with years of Míriel's desperate pleas is what leads you to the docks. Elendil's ship stands tall and fair against the waters, a trademark of the people who sail upon her and the captain who commands her.
Once you are within earshot, you clear your throat and dust off your clothes as you approach the gangplank.
"Captain?" You call.
Elendil's aspect softens at the sound of your voice. Part of him had quietly hoped you would be here. "Afternoon, My Lady. The Queen told me you would not be joining us." He remarks, turning to face you fully. You find your eyes drawn to his own. They're so blue. "I assume it is because you are needed for another reason here."
The unspoken words of, "Keeping an eye on Pharazôn." do not go unnoticed by you. He's closer to Míriel than you originally realized.
"That's true. That's why I'm coming to you to ensure that you as her Captain will do your duty in protecting our Queen," You tease. "And protecting yourself. We need you to come home."
Daring to be brave, you reach into your pocket and produce a recently made handkerchief with your initials embroidered on the bottom of it. You reach outward and take Elendil's hand into your own so you can wrap his fingers around it.
A stuttering breath flutters in his chest. It's the first time he's felt like his lungs work properly in years, having this token of your affection tucked into his palm.
The words spill from his lips before rationale can take over. "I will return to you. I promise." Elendil lays something of his own between your fingers: A chain containing a token belonging to the Captain of Sea Guard. You tuck your hand just out of sight before anyone can catch it.
You don't think you've ever longed for anyone more.
"Namárië." You whisper.
The chain hangs heavy around your neck.
Present
Here Elendil is on the second worst day of his life, and he is still thinking of that song. Of that offered comfort from someone who may as well be a ghost.
Part of him finds himself wishing for the gentleness of your presence beside him.
"Where is my son?"
No one could tell him where Isildur was. His eldest had fought hard to earn his right to be on this trip to Middle-Earth. Isildur had fought for him and had saved his life when they'd encountered those orcs. According to Miriel, he was the only reason she was still alive.
Isildur and his body are nowhere to be found.
When he's standing on the cliffside with Míriel and Galadriel, it all comes rushing back to him: The way his son had clung to him during that hug after his first battle against the orcs, the curve of his daughter's smile, the warmth of your hands and the gentleness of your touch as you wrapped his fingers around your handkerchief before he'd left.
"You're quiet today." Míriel remarks. The Queen Regent stopped beside him and laid a shaky hand on his shoulder. He knew she was having difficulty adjusting to life without her sight.
"Not much to say."
Elendil and Míriel were closely acquainted. She trusted him implicitly. He was loyal to her through his duty to the Queen of Númenor and to her as a woman. She knew him, and she knew you, which is why she already knew the answer to her next question.
"What are you thinking of?" She asked softly.
Elendil ran his fingertips over the top of the handkerchief.
"Home."
***
It is hard to hide how distraught he really is when Míriel dismisses him upon their return to Númenor. She utters quiet thanks for Isildur's involvement in saving her life and allows him to depart for home before he can argue. He's grateful for it. It's impossible to breathe while in the palace.
Where is my son? My son, my boy...
His heart aches to seek you out instead of going home. Going home is simply another reminder of Isildur. That is not what he wants.
It is mere luck that he finds you in the courtyard training with another archer in front of a row of targets. Elendil's form shifts in the corner of your eye, and you thank your companion for the training time together before slipping your bow over your shoulder.
The breath is knocked from your lungs once the two of you lock eyes. He is wrecked.
"Oh, Elendil." You murmur. Your hand is moving of its own accord before you can stop yourself, and part of you is expecting him to flinch when your fingertips just barely touch his cheek. He leans into the warmth with all the fervor of a man starved and presses his hand against your own. Yours dwarfs his in comparison. Everything about him is so mighty in comparison to you. You're so small... and yet he makes you feel so safe. "Come on. I know a place."
The place in question is a private part of the beach that few ever dare to wander for fear of reprimanding from the Crown. It is usually only used in circumstances for private gatherings or weddings. You toe off your boots upon approach, removing your quiver and bow before extending your hands to him.
You can tell he doesn't wish to talk about it. Part of you is curious about the whereabouts of Isildur, as he is not with his father, and a deeper part of you dreads that the reason for this anguish is because Isildur did not make it home.
"I do not understand what it is that draws me to you," Elendil's confession is quiet, barely perceptible through the crash of waves against the shoreline just feet to your right. "Perhaps it is your gentleness and devotion to that which you care for." Elendil pauses to glance down at your hands, both still extended as he links them with his own to press them against his chest. The action has you blushing as you gaze up at him. "I know how much you love my son. I have seen it. That is why I wish to tell you-"
Dread curls in your belly as he rapidly blinks away tears and turns his head to the coming sunset just over Númenor's ocean.
You have so many questions. You don't ask a single one. The only thing you can do is hum a familiar tune that has always brought you comfort and stand on your tiptoes to envelop him in an embrace.
Everything comes to a screeching halt once he hears the song. It takes him back to the darkest time of his life, weary and drowning in his anguish in front of the casket of his wife. Of the comfort of a stranger.
"All this time, all these years," He moves you away just enough to gaze into your face, and you know then that he's figured you out. You are the angel who stood vigil. You are the one who has been secretly protecting his son. "It was you."
You nod. You fear that this will force the two of you apart, driven away by secrets and deceit. You face two roads now. Will he let you in, or will he force you out?
Your eyes meet Elendil's with all the confidence of a soldier ready to face a horde of the enemy alone. You will not falter no matter what choice Elendil may make.
"Me."
part two?
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ikykwklk-ash · 9 months ago
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"How did you meet?"
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Pairing: Kim Seungmin x fem!reader
W/c: 1180
Synopsis: A normal history and philosophy lesson with Professor Kim Seungmin and the topic "do opposites attract?" and the story of how y/n and seungmin met.
A/N: Hope you like it!! ♡
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<<Professor I still do not understand why opposites attract! It does not make sense! We call them opposites, but they could also be equal in theory! >>
It was the twentieth time the poor professor had heard that question. Of course, if we talk about chemistry and physics, it is all different...but in love things are more complicated.
That was how that working day had started, a simple statement from the professor and millions of objections from his pupils.
<<Professor, tell us know what you think! We pupils are always talking, and you keep quiet as if you were in detention.>> One of the boys in the class had spoken only to say that sentence.
Seungmin looked up at him, adjusting his glasses that had almost fallen to the tip of his nose.
<<In my opinion: opposites attract.>> he replied simply, nothing more, nothing less.
<<Come on, teacher, which is not fair! Give us more motivation.>> This time one of the girls said.
What was supposed to be one hour of History and one hour of Philosophy had turned into two hours of debate without even meaning to.
<<I think: it is true that opposites attract, we can say that from many points of view, can't we? You did it in science. The north pole of one magnet attracts the south pole of another and vice versa. We could summarise this in the practicalities of life as 'despite being different from you it attracts you' right? Do you agree? >>
The class had his undivided attention.
<<But if we apply this idea to life, it is not so because there are people who like people of the same sex and people who like people of a different sex.>>
<<Rightful observation, but surely the concept of 'opposite' should not be attributed to the physical but to character. However similar two people may be physically; they will never be equal in character. Consequently, opposites, understood in character, attract.>>
Of course, it was easy for him to attract attention with those words; teaching philosophy had served more than just teaching the subject.
<<Are any of you here engaged?> a third of the class raised their hands.
<<And you professor? He never told us anything about you.>> Cleverly someone took advantage of the moment to ask that question, which elicited a laugh from the professor.
<<I am engaged, but that is all you need to know.>> The pupils, obviously curious as they were, started asking a thousand questions.
<<Oh, come on professor, at least tell us if you are older than that!>> and the professor denied it.
<<Could you tell us whether your hair is curly or straight? And the colour? Does she wear glasses?>> They were flooding him with questions it was difficult to please everyone, Seungmin knew that in their own way they were building up a sketch of his girlfriend to see if she was someone from the school or from outside.
<<Hm let us see, dark curly hair, wears glasses yes, dark eyes, bigger than me by a little but I am taller. She is from Busan while I am from Seoul...>> and so on.
Paradoxically, he had just revealed that they were opposites.
<<And what does her girlfriend do? >> Someone asked in the middle of the crowd of guys who were no longer even sitting in their seats.
<<She is currently working in a bar to pay for his last year of university.>> They looked at him curiously.
<<But if she was older, she should have finished university like you! Prof do not make fun of us.>> He laughed with gusto at that sentence.
<<I graduated earlier than expected and the principal at once provided me with a job here at the school. What, you are not happy to have a young prof? >> he pretended to be offended.
<<Of course we did, but once in a while he could dress in a way that he didn't look like the usual forty-year-old father with three children prof.>> he laughed, maybe he did dress that way, but he liked it, and so did his partner, so he would continue to dress that way.
<<Prof tell us how you and your boyfriend met, come on! >>
He began to tell the long story.
Our two protagonists have known each other for a lot of years, by pure chance they met in the third year of high school following an educational trip to Seoul for the one in Busan and a simple field trip for the one in Seoul.
The teachers from both schools knew each other they had organised that 'field trip' together and so they spent the entire day together.
From small and quick glances, they went on to sit next to each other during lunch, talking and talking to no end, until they exchanged numbers. The two best friends of the little boy with the discoloured fringes soon found out about this and began to make plans to try and get them together. Somehow, they even succeeded.
<<Wait, so you have known each other since you were 16, and if he is 26 now...oh my gosh you have been together for 10 years? Congratulations teacher, I did not expect that to be honest! >> The last few minutes passed quickly amidst the chatter of the students until the bell rang and everyone started getting ready to change classes.
<<For tomorrow I want to bring in a little essay on what you think of the phrase "opposites attract" and I want some good reasons.>>
<<Of course, though, a boy from Seoul and one from Busan who are now in Japan... that is a beautiful story. I wish I had one like theirs.>> There were only two girls left in the class and without knowing it, they made Seungmin smile as he continued to correct the previous week's tests.
With his school day over, he could finally go to his favourite café to relax and spend time with the companion he had fallen in love with ten years earlier.
<<In what sense do your pupils know me?>> Y/n asked as he put the usual things, he always took in front of him: peppermint tea and handmade almond biscuits. <<In the sense that they practically interrogated me about you, honey. They are kids are more curious than Scooby-Doo was.>> he replied, drinking the tea, and making the other laugh.
<<You have biscuit crumbs on your chin love. Also... I understand you are the students' favourite. Where did the subject of us being engaged come from? >>
After wiping himself with a handkerchief he replied: <<From a simple sentence. "Opposites attract". I had intended to lecture but they didn't, so some sort of debate ensued and from there the topic "prof but are you engaged?">>
<<And I guess you did not hesitate to tell the whole story to lend credence to your thesis that opposites do indeed attract. Right? >> the boy sitting at the table smiled, also making the waiter smile, who kissed him lightly shortly afterwards.
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am-i-the-asshole-official · 9 months ago
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AITA for reprimanding someone else's kid?
I brought my friend's 2 foster kids to the park so she could have some time to work on adoption paperwork. The kid this pertains to is the two year old, he's super social and charismatic, both adults and kids are drawn to him, I'll refer to him as K. A little white boy was playing with a soccer ball, he must have been around 7 or 8 years old. K fucking loves soccer and eagerly ran over to the other kid, and they started playing together.
The older kid's guardian was there and asked about K, we exchanged small talk and I praised how gentle and patient her kid was with K. I learned her kid's name, we'll call him T. At some point K got distracted and stopped playing, following his foster sister around. T began playing on the playground with 2 other boys in the generally same age group as T, both were white.
K once again was drawn to T, and now his friends, as they were playing something like cops and robbers. T's guardian and I observed from a distance. T seemed perturbed by K's presence, though K was just watching them and not doing anything in particular. T informed his peers of K's name, then proceeded with, "but he's a poop. A stinky brown poop!" his peers weren't paying much attention and were arguing over where the jail should be. T continued insisting that K was a stinky brown poop. K was becoming upset, he could definitely tell this was an insult and not in jest. K isn't particularly good at communicating yet, he's only 2 after all, but he did manage a proper, "it makes me feel bad when you say that!" as his foster momma has been very good at encouraging her kids to express emotions through sentences with one another like this. What I'm supposed to do with the 2 foster kids, if one uses their words appropriately like this, and the other one fails to stop, I'm supposed to intervene to get the other one to respect their request.
T's guardian was simply observing. I think the social situation was a bit loaded (I was presently the white guardian of a black kid, she was the black guardian of a white kid, I don't know if she was his mom or babysitting like I was, addressing the situation was tricky either way). I don't know if T's comments were necessarily a learned racism thing, or if it was related to K being younger. At any rate, he didn't seem to want to be seen with K by his peers.
I made eye contact with T, and said loudly and sternly, "T, be kind to K or hush up." T looked shocked that an adult stranger addressed him by name. The 2 other kids heard and, as children do, started making fun of T with, "oooo you're in trouble!" and, "yeah, hush up T!" K joined in as well, though he was definitely just parroting the others. T became flustered, his face got bright red and he began shouting that he wasn't in trouble, telling them to stop. I noticed It's guardian watching me, but she didn't say anything, and I didn't either.
T backed away, his two friends then started paying attention to K and were amused by K parroting them, they then resumed playing cops and robbers with K this time. K went back to smiles and being his typical charismatic self, while T kind of stayed away, repeatedly glancing at me. After a bit K veered away from the other 2 and made finger guns at T and pretended to shoot him, leading T's 2 friends back over to include T once again. All 4 boys were then playing together, as though nothing had happened.
I feel like I may have been TA because really, what happened was T was requesting space from K, just going about it wrong. Kids who don't learn to say things like, "I need space," usually use insults or hitting instead. But I do feel that T began insulting the little guy because he's got weird feelings about race, that are triggered when he's with his friends. I have no way of knowing. When we left, T's guardian waved at me and smiled, I returned the gesture and told her to have a good night. I told K's foster mom about it afterwards, and she said it's tricky and thinks what I did was fine, but I dunno. Additionally I may be TA for not stepping in when the other 2 and K berraded T.
AITA?
What are these acronyms?
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lymoncat · 1 year ago
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AOT HCS MODERN AU! What pet you guys own
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Eren-
he has a dog I’m not even gonna lie, he comes across as a dog person, he doesn’t care what breed but prefers big dogs specifically German shepherds he bought a dog when y’all moved in together and he’s actually really close with the dog, you named the dog bobo you chose the name cuz you thought it would be cute, the dog is very attached to eren
armin-
a cat, an orange tabby cat. Armin comes across as a more calm less crazy person meaning he would want a cat to chill and read with. He named the cat tangerine cuz it’s orange. You bought him the cat for Christmas one year since you didn’t know what to get him. It’s the wholesome moments, when you see him on the couch after work holding the cat, you fall in love all over again with your gentle small ray of sunshine
Jean-
you may think that he has a horse but your very wrong, he has an annoying green parrot that calls you mom, you can simply walk by the change and you’ll hear “food mom?” And you eventually get used to it and get another parrot for them to play together and stop bugging you
connie-
oh you poor unfortunate soul, him and that tortoise. Jk he has a dog still, you poor unfortunate soul, him and that dog do everything together, he has a border collie that joins you two in everything, taking a shower, the dog is at the door, using the bathroom?, the dog is staring into your soul, trying to leave? The dog is following you out the door. The dogs same is bacon cuz the dog loves bacon
Reiner-
Bull dog off the bat, he has a big dog strong like him, they wrestle on the living room floor all the time, go on walks, play fetch, chase little kids- wait- what?! Yeah, they think it’s funny to chase children in the park especially the snotty teenager brats over in the corner doing some not so innocent things, the dog is a female named Presley very energetic and playful but don’t expect any unwanted visitors there will be none, middle of the night a robber comes ain’t no way that person getting out alive, maybe in a body bag but not alive.
Bertholdt-
a tortoiseshell cat with gold eyes, you guys went to an animal rescue center for your anniversary and he fell in love with this cat, he was begging you until you said yes I mean how could you not?! He’s batting those pretty green eyes while on his knees with the cat “please can we get her? I’ll do anything my love” it was a yes in that very moment and next thing you knew you were on your way home with a cat named pineapple don’t bother asking how that name came across his mind but it’s always nice to see him in one of his weird sleeping positions with pineapple splayed across his chest on her back
Erwin-
a lazy pug named Mr. There’s no question just a fat lazy pug that sheds buckets of fur.
Levi-
you begged him to get an animal and he kept saying no until he came home to you having bought one without his permission, he glared and looked pissed until that fat fluffy black cat looked him in the eyes with her emerald ones. He caved in. The cat was named jasmine and he allowed you to keep it because cats are very hygienic and easy to take care of. He hates changing the litter box but will do it for Jasmine. And when he does actually sleep it’s curled up with you and jasmine and absolutely precious, jasmine sits on his lap when he’s doing work and he shares his food with her all of the time strangely enough she loves lettuce, you’ll be in the kitchen making salad and she’ll prance over and sit there meowing for lettuce
I hope you guys liked this, please comment your thoughts and send me requests and don’t be afraid to give me feedback ❤️✨
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stranger-stardustt · 11 months ago
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Little snip of the beginning of Dive Off the Deep End (vampire Eddie, Steddie friends to lovers, blah blah blah)! NO TWS just yet, expect for like... mentions of vampires doing vampire things (feeding off of nonhuman prey.) follow #diveoffthedeepend for more snips and updates of this fic!
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Steve wasn’t one to believe in the supernatural. He never understood why people did, why they decided to go along with something that was completely nonsensical. Sure, he found superheroes interesting as a kid, but he never wanted to be one. He didn’t see the point in dreaming about something that wasn’t real.
And then, in the blink of an eye, his life flipped upside down in the most literal sense possible. Everything he thought was fake was true, he was best friends with a bunch of children, one of which was a literal superhero, and he was in constant danger. 
Those four years of chaos were probably the only reason that Steve didn’t completely lose his shit when the presumed dead Eddie Munson turned up at his house in the middle of the night as a vampire, fangs and all. In fact, he was unusually calm about the whole thing, and now the undead was sitting on his couch.
“Are you hungry?” he called from the kitchen, grabbing a bag of chips and a beer. “I need to go to the store tomorrow, I can get you whatever you want.”
Eddie blinked at him. “Steve,” he said slowly, gesturing to himself, “I can’t eat human food.”
Hesitating, Steve nodded. “Right. This is going to take some getting used to, sorry.” He pressed his lips together. “When's the last time you…fed?”
“Few days ago,” Eddie answered, kicking his feet up. “I woke up in the Upside Down completely starving, I swear I’ve never been hungrier.” Upon seeing Steve’s concerned look, he spoke more. “I took down a demogorgon, don’t worry. I may be a freak, but even I wouldn’t feed on a human.”
The tension in Steve’s body dropped before he could notice it was there. “Cool,” he said with a nod, falling next to Eddie on the couch. “Um, when will you need to feed again?”
The look Eddie was giving Steve was one of pure confusion. “Soon, probably.” His hands fidgeted in his lap. “Can I ask why you aren’t, like, freaking the fuck out? Because even I’m freaking out a little, and I’m not the one with a vampire in my house.”
Steve simply shrugged. “Honestly?” he began, looking over at Eddie. The vampire's eyes were slightly tinted red, but there was still that same brown in them that Steve found himself comforted by. “I have zero clue. I think after like four years, I’m just not as shocked anymore.” The answer was lame, and Steve knew that. But he didn’t really have any other explanation as to why he was so calm. 
“And you trust me?” Eddie asked slowly, shifting to make direct eye contact. “You trust me enough to think I won’t feed on you in the middle of the night or something?”
Silence rang clear through the air for a moment as Steve thought. Did he trust Eddie? He barely knew the guy, even though they had risked their lives together. And somehow, despite everything, he found himself so sure of his answer. “I trust you,” he confirmed. “I’ll admit, I hadn’t really thought about you… doing that. But I don’t think you will. You’re a good guy, Eddie Munson. So yeah, I think I trust you.” Steve hesitated. “No. I know I trust you.” He focused back on Eddie’s face as his ramble came to an end, and a gasp nearly fell from his lips.
Eddie was grinning at him, fangs on display. It was a smile of pure joy, and that saddened Steve a little bit. He figured Eddie didn’t get a lot of people who trusted him so fully. 
“Thanks,” Eddie swallowed, pressing his lips together to contain his grin. “Means a lot, ya know?”
Steve nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.”
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renegades-garbage · 6 months ago
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Admissions
Hey guys I'm back lol. Finding out about the new renegades book inspired me to write for the fandom again! I decided to write a little fic about Adrian and Nova getting back together a few months after the Supernova assuming that they broke up to deal with their mental health and such. This ended up being a lot longer than I intended and I did a shitty job proofreading but I love you all and hope you enjoy it anyway. It's also on ao3 as usual!
PS. I hate writing combat scenes so I simply didn't even though it may have been necessary sorry lol
Adrian watched as Nova examined the broken window. They were out on a call for a home invasion but considering this was the only thing amiss Adrian was beginning to wonder if this was just a prank by some neighborhood kids and not a robbery as the elderly woman inside was so convinced.
Most of Adrian’s team came back to work only a few weeks after the Supernova but Nova had, understandably, taken a bit longer. This was only her first week back on patrols after four months and Adrian would be lying if he said it wasn’t hell. He wouldn’t exactly call their breakup messy but it wasn’t exactly easy, necessary and mutual, but definitely not easy.
Nova was a very valuable asset to their team but she was also extremely strong willed and after a few months without her they all needed to remember how to work together again. That was the only reason he was finding her return difficult. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had been doing a lot of healing and had a new brightness to her skin and eyes, or the fact that she was experimenting with new hairstyles and clothes that suited her much more than what she had before. No, none of that had any impact on him. Breaking up was what was best for both of them and he knew that. He truly believed that. One hundred percent. 
“Sketch? Hello?” Ruby’s voice crackled through the communication band. He hadn’t even realized she’d been talking to him. 
“Sorry what did you say”
“I saaaaaiid” she replied in mock annoyance. “Did you guys find anything on that side of the house, because we’ve got nothing.”
“Just the broken window she was telling us about but it looks more like it got hit with a baseball or something than a home invasion.” Just as he said it Nova shone her flashlight inside.
“Adrian.” her voice shook a bit. “Look”
He peered through the broken glass and sitting on the floor was an orange haired puppet. 
Nova looked up at him concerned. In the weeks past a man impersonating the Puppeteer had been terrorizing homes with small children, and the Renegades hadn’t been able to catch him or even find any clues about his identity. He was all anyone was talking about at HQ and Adrian knew that his dad’s would have sent a more advanced patrol group if they were aware of the perpetrator, especially since Adrian hadn’t yet finished re-tattooing his sentinel abilities, but maybe this could be a good opportunity to prove themselves.
He lifted his wrist to his mouth “Red Assassin, Smokescreen can you guys go inside and check if this lady has any young grand-kids staying here or anything.”
Ruby’s voice flowed back through the band “Um sure but why? Is there something wr-... Wait, did you guys find something? Is it that puppet guy?”
“Ruby. Please just go check. We might have limited time.” 
“Yeah of course. Okay. We're going inside now.”
Nova began reaching her hand inside to grab the puppet. 
“Careful of the glass” Adrian warned though he knew she would be. Nova only nodded and offered a small mhm. 
Though the window was very low to the ground and the puppet was just inside Nova was having a hard time reaching due to the jagged glass. 
Adrian knew she wouldn't ask for help so he simply walked over and grabbed it easily.
“I could have done that.” She mumbled.
“I know”
They both looked down at the creepy thing which was almost an exact replica of Winston Pratt’s infamous puppet Hettie. A note was pinned to the front of the doll which read, It’s time to pay for your betrayal Nightmare. A shiver ran down his spine and Nova’s jaw hardened.
“We don’t have to do this, you know. We can always call for backup if this is too much.” The threat was disconcerting to say the least and even besides that, Adrian knew that Nova’s connection to The Puppeteer was complicated and this may not be the best thing for her mental recovery. 
“I'm fine Sketch.”
She didn’t exactly sound fine, and Adrian wanted to insist that they call someone else, considering Nova was much more important than his desire to prove himself, but before he got the chance they heard Oscar’s voice through his communication band.
“Two kids in the upstairs bedrooms. A boy and a girl. Going to check on them now.”
“I'm going to check the back of the house.” Nova began to walk towards the gate that led to the backyard. 
“I'll come with you, Monarch can check around the other side.” 
“No, everyone else is still inside. It's faster if you go around the front and I go around the back.”
“Nova there’s a note on this thing threatening you.” He said holding up the doll. “I'm not leaving you alone.” 
“Adrian I'm not scared of him and I can handle myself, you know that.” 
In any other situation Adrian would have insisted that they stay together, but there were kids in danger and they needed to find this guy. He didn’t want Nova to be unsafe but he was probably just being paranoid, how much of a threat could this guy be? 
Nova’s head was pounding. Her memories of the night were coming back to her in short bursts. The sound of maniacal laughter. A face covered in marionette makeup exactly like that of the Puppeteer. The cold press of a knife to her throat. Her hand fumbling to find bare skin. A stab in her side. Pain. Searing white-hot pain. And then nothing. That’s when she had lost consciousness. And now she was laying in a hospital bed with large bandages wrapped around her midsection. 
‘Miss Artino?” 
Nova opened her eyes and looked up at the man in the white doctor's coat standing next to her bed. An older, balding man with friendly eyes.
“How are you feeling?”
“Um…fine I guess” she replied, testing her voice, and it was true she did feel fine. She had some soreness from the wound in her side but the prodigy doctors at HQ were some of the finest and she was sure it would heal completely within a couple of days.
“Good, the wound was pretty severe but it looks like you’ll make a full recovery. Would you like me to let your friends in? They've been here all night.”
Right. Her friends. Her team. Adrian. Was he okay? 
She shook herself. She should be asking about her whole team. She shouldn’t care any more about Adrian’s safety than the rest of them. And she didn’t. She definitely didn’t.
“Miss Artino?” The doctor looked at her mildly concerned, and Nova didn’t blame him. She probably looked crazy right now.
She cleared her throat “Yeah, yes please let them in.”
The doctor offered a small friendly nod and walked over to the door, exiting the room and letting her team file in. Ruby being the first to burst through the door, followed by Oscar, Danna, and Adrian. He- They all looked tired, drawing some minor scrapes and bruises but they were otherwise unharmed. 
“Oh my stars I am so glad you're okay,” Ruby rushed over to Nova’s bed offering an enthusiastic yet gentle hug, which Nova did her best to return. “You were covered in blood and it looked awful. I mean the doctors told us it wasn’t as bad as it looked but it was terrifying and that guy was so creepy.” Ruby shuttered.
“Oh come on we all knew she would be fine. Nova is the toughest of us all.” Oscar walked over to give her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. “You did have us scared for a second there Artino, but I knew you’d pull through.”
She could tell that Oscar was trying to sound braver than he actually felt, as he so often did. It warmed Nova’s heart a bit to see that her team truly cared, even if they couldn't all fully admit it.
“Well I'm glad you had faith in me.” she said a bit weakly. She was still tired from the battle and her injury. “What happened to the Puppeteer impersonator after I passed out?’
The answer came from Danna “You ended up putting him to sleep right as he got you. We have him in custody.” 
Nova nodded. This was a relief to her. She didn’t want that guy out there impersonating Winston, especially if it meant hurting kids. That, and she didn’t almost die for nothing. 
“I'm really glad you're okay Nova.” Danna sounded sincere when she said these words. Nova didn’t think Danna would want her to die, no matter how rocky their relationship, but the way she said it made it seem like more than that. Like maybe in these past few months she had found friendship and maybe even forgiveness for Nova. 
“Thank you.” Nova offered the brightest smile she could muster up, but it wasn’t great. 
She turned her eyes to Adrian who hadn’t said a single word since they had walked in. He looked like he’d been crying. Maybe that meant he still had feelings for her? No, he was just concerned, as he would be for any of his teammates. She wasn’t special, well, not anymore. And she shouldn’t hope to be anyway. They couldn’t be together. And besides she was over him. Totally. One hundred percent. They just stared at each other. No words came to her, and no words came to him either apparently.
“Weeeeeelll,” Oscar’s voice cut through the tension. “Guess it’s time to get home, maybe grab some food. Long night and all.” He said, gently grabbing his girlfriend's arm and feigning a yawn. Nova just shook her head at him. 
Danna began walking towards the door as well. “Yeah I’m gonna second that.” 
They each said a rushed goodbye, and Nova thanked them for sticking around before they exited the room.  
She looked back at Adrian. She had the striking thought that he looked handsome, even with obvious red eyes from tears, and being awake for many hours, he still looked handsome. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about that, this wasn’t the time nor the place, and they had been broken up for months. But still, she thought it.
When he finally spoke his words were heavy. “I thought I lost you.” 
Stupidly, Nova relished in the words he chose. Not, ‘I thought you died’ or ‘I didn’t know if you’d be okay’. He didn’t want to lose her and that meant something. To both of them, she hoped. “Nova this is what? The third time you’ve almost died? You have to be more careful.”
This was slightly offensive to Nova considering his track record. “You're the one who’s always saying this job is dangerous, and you're almost more reckless than me.” 
“I know. I know okay.” he sighed. “But you should've let me come with you as back up. Someone else could have checked the rest of the house.”
“Well it’s over now and I’m fine. I survived.”
“No Nova, it's not over now.” He was starting to become angry, well not angry but more…flustered? Nova didn’t understand why he was acting like this. He knew better than anybody about risking his life. “This is our job. This right here.” He made a general gesture to the space around them. Or maybe between them? She couldn’t quite tell. “This is our life.”
“Adrian. I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.” And the truth was she didn’t. Why was he getting so upset?
“Nova I can’t do this okay.” He was almost struggling to get the words out now. “I can’t go into work everyday and watch the person that I love almost die.”
Nova was taken aback. There it was. Plain and simple. His admission that he still loved her. And she wanted to believe him, but he knew they couldn’t be together. This was sleep deprivation and emotion talking. He couldn’t possibly know what he’s saying. 
“Adrian, maybe you should get some sleep, and we can talk about this tomorrow.” It hurt Nova to say these words but she knew she had to. Out of respect for him. 
“No, Nova this past week has been horrible. Ever since the Supernova things have been hard, but having you here, around the team, with me, but not with me. It’s been hell. I know exactly what I’m saying. I love you, Nova Artino.” Nova’s jaw was almost on the floor at this point and she saw the look in his eye as he misread whatever he was seeing on her face. 
He started towards the door. “Um you know what, maybe I should get some rest, and we can just put this behin-”
“Adrian” 
“No, I'm really sorry. You're trying to heal and I’m just-”
“Adrian” She said again, more forcefully this time, stopping him in his tracks. She could practically hear Adrians heart racing, alongside her own. 
“Come here.” Adrian started towards the bed slowly and as soon as he was close enough Novas grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his lips to her own. Adrian made a small noise of surprise but didn’t pull away. He  sat down on the edge of the bed, cupping her face in his hands as the kiss became more intense. 
Nova pulled away gently pressing their foreheads together.
“I love you too Adrian Everheart.” 
He smiled that beautiful smile of his and pressed one final kiss to her lips.
“Do you mind if I stay here tonight? It's pretty late and I told my dads I would stay in one of the rooms we rent out.”
“I would love for you to stay with me.”
Adrian gently maneuvered himself and the blankets so that they could both lay down without hurting her. They laid together in comfortable silence for a few moments, a feeling Nova had missed so much these past months, until Adrian whispered into the darkness. 
“So does this mean we’re back together?”
Nova just laughed and replied “I hope so.”
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myehm228 · 2 months ago
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Sorry if you've answered this before, but why do you hate the reboot so much?
well, actually, I’ve already talked about this several times here
I hate him because it ruined everything for me. I’ve been in the fandom for quite a long time and it’s not just a fandom, it’s already become my home, it’s one of the few things that makes me happy, that can bring me good emotions, I had it during the terrible periods of my life, I’m very close to the show and the characters, I love this very much, I can’t take it any simpler, I just can’t. I built so many things, I had so many ideas, I thought about the holes in the plot and in the lore, about the characters, about what could have happened before and after the canon, taking into account almost everything that was said in the canon, I really tried to do everything logically and as best as possible. and now that this has come out, everything I’ve done all these years has become worthless in an instant, I don’t know what to do now. previously, no one cared much about my ideas and creativity either, it was almost of no interest to anyone, and now even more so. people only like the reboot, they don’t like anything else, they don’t always like the original either. I don’t like it, I don’t want it this way, and it’s everywhere, I can’t even hide from it, it’ll get me everywhere, everywhere they will shove it at me, everywhere they will equate my headcanons to a reboot, everywhere they will call my designs peri and irep, and they will be surprised that I use the original canon, wow. I can isolate myself from artists or writers that I don’t like, but I can’t with this, it makes me sick, I want to bang my head against the walls.
and in general, the reboot itself is pretty mediocre, let's be honest. it may not be downright terrible, but it’s pretty boring and mediocre, and it’s only being singled out for its beautiful graphics (and even then, computer animation doesn’t suit the style and it looks bad). if it weren’t for all this, I simply wouldn’t care, but I really don’t understand how people can lick this so passionately, and also say that this is a masterpiece and much better than the original, well, excuse me of course. they forgot about the canon, if you are making a direct sequel in the same universe, as reboot are very fond of repeating all the time, then can you at least, I don’t know, normally review the original cartoon? seriously, there's a change in how Cosmo and Wanda met, well guys, I wanted to cry. it feels like everyone who created this didn’t watch anything other than season 9 and half of season 1 (and then only with one eye and background), otherwise I don’t know how to explain these huge holes and illogicality. and the fans are also good, they’re sitting there, they haven’t even watched the show and are already proving something to others and doing something, well, are you serious or what. how many fans of the reboot will cry if I say that fairies canonically cannot have children not from fairies, but how can that be, but what about the children of perirep оh how did it happen🥺🥺🥺 and the fact that Cosmo and Wanda should be fairies of Timmy's children and not on some vacation and with Hazel, because it corresponds to the time, well, who cares about stupid original. and this is not an isolated case.
and also, simply because I didn’t like the reboot (at that time I didn’t hate it yet, I just didn’t love it), so much shit was thrown at me than I had ever seen in my entire stay in the fandom. I was called a racist simply because I don’t like Hazel and I think that she’s not an interesting character, well, because after all, we know that everyone who doesn’t like the reboot is racist, really, yes yes, that's the truth. and also in response to criticism of the reboot, they told me to grow up, touch the grass and that I’m toxic, oh how cool, and after that it’s me who’s bad, it’s me who needs to be cancelled, I DARE NOT TO LOVE A N*W W*SH OMG, that’s how it works yes.
I have enough reasons not to like the reboot and its fans, especially after what happened to me. I really feel bad watching this, it ruined my whole summer, it was terrible, it was so terrible, if they release a season 2, I don’t know how I’ll live, I don’t think I can stand it. I don’t want, I don’t want to see this, I want the fandom to die again, I feel bad, it’s killing me from the inside.
ой достали меня эти омерекосы все вам объяснять надо😑😑
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nikki-is-a-nerd · 1 year ago
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Saviors from long ago
Synopsis:
Rey meets two travelers in Tatooine. Simply searching for their son or whatever item he may have left behind. Only to find out who they really were.
Genre: General Fluff and witty banter.
Warning: None
Note: as per usual this has an AFAB!reader, but no other appearance indicator. So feel free to imagine either yourself or an oc.
--------------------------------------------
How long has it been since you and Ezra left the resistance, well more like retired forcefully because someone (your children) basically petitioned for the both of you to exit the fight. Well physically being in the fight and just remain as Intel collectors? Twenty years? Maybe more. All you knew was that being fifty-three and having a twenty year old son who was already a commander in the resistance and suddenly disappeared doesn't really help you relax. Now here you and Ezra were. In a planet filled with sand that kind of reminds you of your own home, Lothal, if Lothal was run by criminals and people who would sell off information for a few credits. You honestly felt bad for all the children living here, they deserve so much better.
"Honey, are you alright? Do you need more water?" Ezra asked looking at you.
Saints, age really made Ezra look even better, the subtle whites in his curly black hair and the wrinkles around his eyes, somehow, the longer you look at him the more he looks like his father.
"I'm alright dear. Just thinking. If Kanan decided to hide here in Tatooine, wouldn't it be easy to spot remnants of his ship? I mean he and Poe decided to make their respective X-wings very, different." You said after a small pause.
"Caleb did say that Kanan's signal disappeared here, there's a chance that Kanan sold his ship to buy an inconspicuous one, or he scrapped it and sold it for credits." Ezra answered.
"You're right, Kanan is a survivor and a very charming guy, I bet he'd think of something." You said calmly.
"Exactly he's charming, witty, and a genius like his father." Ezra said smugly.
"Ehem-"
"But mainly like you, honey." Ezra added.
"We should probably keep a low profile here. Tatooine may not be under the empire's control but information is a commodity." You said quietly.
As you and Ezra continue to search for any evidence of your missing son to find out about his whereabouts, you both bump into a small group of scavengers. The one you bumped into seemed to recognize that a lot of what you have on your person could be worth a lot of credits and food.
When they started hassling you for them, Ezra decided to step up and shield you from them but both of you know that, any attempt of harming them would lead to more problems, thankfully something spooked them enough to leave you be. Your savior was a young woman, probably a few years older than your son, she looked like a scavenger but as she approached you, she raised both arms up as a sign that she means no harm.
"Hello, are you two alright? Did they steal anything from you?" The woman asked.
You and Ezra checked your belongings and noticed that they stole your small pouch of credits.
"Nothing from me, but they stole my wife's credits. It's fine though, it's not much." Ezra said kindly.
"Thank you for saving us from more trouble though." You spoke
"No problem, you two seemed like nice people and that particular group has no qualms of robbing anything that moves." She joked.
"I'm Rey, we should probably leave the open space, a sandstorm is coming." Rey added.
"Oh alright, I'm (Y/N) and this is my husband Ezra." You said warmly as you followed.
"What are you two doing in Tatooine if I may ask?" Rey asked politely as she led you inside her small home.
You and Ezra sat down and shared a look, both agreeing that she seemed nice enough to tell the truth to.
"We're here because this was the last location where the signal from our son's ship was last seen." Ezra spoke.
"We're here to try and find him or even just his ship and then call out to our friends to pick us up." He added.
Rey looked at the both of you until finally something clicked in her mind upon seeing the both of you.
"You're Ezra and (Y/N) Bridger, former resistance fighters and your husband's the infamous savior of Lothal." She said happily.
"Oh, we didn't expect people to still remember us. We haven't been in action in years." Ezra chuckled.
"Are you kidding me? I used to tell other kids my age here that one day someone like the both of you would free Tatooine. You gave me hope as a child." Rey said kindly.
"You have the heart of a rebel you know." You said softly.
Rey gave you a small appreciative smile. She felt so at ease in both of your presence. She then remembered something.
"There was a ship that crashed here a few weeks back, the pilot's been taken to the hutt's location." Rey said.
"Kanan..." You whispered softly.
"Excuse me, did you say hutt's?" Ezra asked.
"Yes? Is there a problem." Rey asked confusedly.
Ezra only grinned at you, a small inside joke from your time as part of the ghost. You shook your head, your husband truly was something else and if Kanan was with the hutt's, you just knew what Kanan would say.
"Karabast, we have to get Kanan back, your son thinks too much like you." You said as you rubbed your temple.
"What did I do this time?" Ezra asked.
"Ezra, darling, what did you say kanan should say his name was when kidnapped?" You asked.
"Oh that's easy Jabba the-Oh kriff." Ezra said realizing what Kanan might do.
Kanan does know that Jabba is dead but if he was taken forcefully and his ship was with them, your son who was blessed with your intellect but Ezra's personality, you just knew that he'd get under their skin. Why was it that your eldest was the one who acted so much like Ezra when he was a teenager and not your literal teenager of a son? Nonetheless you hoped that Kanan could hold his tongue better than Poe to ensure his safety.
"I'm going to guess you need to leave as soon as the sandstorm is over?" Rey asked.
"Yeah, our son might just get himself into a huge mess if he sees anyone try to dismantle his ship." Ezra said light-heartedly.
"Well, ever since Jabba died, the hutt's lost most of their power and influence here in Tatooine, so most of their manpower is by the entrance, the back entrance isn't as guarded though." Rey said.
"Would you like to come with us?" You asked.
"Of course, I can help you get there, I have a second sand speeder that I won from one of the competitions here. I can also help ensure that nobody gets in." She said kindly.
"You sure you don't want to be a rebel fighter?" Ezra teased.
"Oh no thank you, I don't think I'm good with that. I'll help you get your son and get back to your ship." She said apologetically.
You smiled at her as you and Ezra waited for the sandstorm to pass. You all talked, finessing your plan to ensure the least amount of casualties and keeping a low profile, as to not let any empire supporters alert the empire themselves. Afterwards while resting, you felt Rey's eyes on Ezra and yourself.
"You're staring sweetie, what's going on in your head?" You asked kindly.
"What was it like?" She asked.
"What was what like?' Ezra answered with a question.
Rey took a deep breath before asking her question.
"What was like for you to be so far away for most of your youth?" She asked Ezra.
Ezra smiled sadly at Rey's question. Mulling it over in his head before speaking.
"It was lonely. At first I felt a bit proud, I could protect my family, I probably made Kanan proud, I foiled Thrawn's plan, but when it all sunk in that I was away from everyone I knew, in a place I didn't even know." Ezra sighed as he took a deep breath.
"I started to take that time to mull things over, I felt sad too but I had hope. I hope that I will be found and that I can return home. Which I did and although my closest friend, Sabine and one of my mentors, Ahsoka had to be left behind to get me back to safety, I was grateful that they found me. I got to go home, to live a somewhat normal life and build a family with the woman I fell in love with." Ezra said softly with a small smile.
"I'm sorry if I made you remember things you didn't want to." Rey said apologetically.
"No, no, it's alright. I'm thankful for my experiences. It led me to where I am now and that in itself is enough." Ezra reassured the young girl.
Rey smiled softly at you and your husband before her eyes drifted to look outside and she smiled as she saw the sandstorm had finally passed. It was nearing night when you all decided to go to the Hutt's hideout. Just as Rey had said it wasn't the same as it was before. More of a shell of its former glory. As you neared the back entrance, you heard your son's voice.
"You know for a bunch of Hutt's your more of ass hats now you know." Kanan said snarkily.
"Shut up vermin!" One of the hutt's spoke.
"Oi, don't hurt him, we can offer em' up to the empire and they'll pay us a good sum of credits. Enough to bring back our glory." Another spoke.
"Hey, don't you know who i am? I'm Jabba the Hutt incarnate dickwipes!" Kanan mocked.
You looked at Ezra as you heard this. Of course your son would use this. Of course he just had to have your rage but his father's sense of humor and sarcasm. Ezra wasted no time unclipping his lightsaber from his belt and you pulling out your blasters. You instructed Rey to hide while you dealt with the problem. When you were sure that she wouldn't be spotted so easily, you and Ezra decided to barge in.
"Lay a hand on my son and You won't have a hand." Ezra said sassily.
You shot one of their men who tried to attack Ezra from behind.
"Try to attack my husband and I'll kriffing kill you." You said menacingly.
"Mom! Dad! Oh I'm so glad to see you." Kanan spoke.
You took one glance at him and your blood boiled. He was covered in bruises and cuts, some fresh, some old, and some just starting to heal. You immediately shot the creature that had his weapon pointed at your son. Ezra managed to disarm and knock out the rest. The remaining Hutt's left the vicinity to avoid death and that was considerably smart of them. Never mess with two angry parents. Ezra cut through the metal bindings that held Kanan down while you searched the area for any other slaves that they might have, but saw none.
"How'd you find me?" Kanan asked.
"Your brother was the one monitoring your ship's location, and he told us where he saw your ship's signal disappear." You spoke as you checked his injuries.
"That and I annoyed someone enough to let your brother tell us what happened." Ezra added.
"General Organa?" Kanan asked teasingly.
"Yup, your father managed to annoy general Organa enough. Again." You said.
You helped Kanan get up and supported his body weight as one of his legs was badly injured from the crash. Once leaving through the back door, Rey immediately arrived, her speeder and the one she lent Ezra already with her. Kanan rode In front of Ezra to ensure that he won't fall, while you rode with Rey. Kanan informed you that his ship has been stripped bare and already scrapped, but he managed to hide the information disc he stole. Kanan was upset since his ship was destroyed but glad to be able to return home. As you, Ezra, Rey and Kanan returned to Rey's home to rest before you return to D'Qar to get Kanan back and for you and Ezra to return to your home in Lothal.
"You're lucky to have parents like them." Rey said to Kanan, when she noticed you and Ezra were asleep.
"I know. My brother and I wanted them to retire from fighting since that's all they've known, but seeing them come save me, made me feel like I was a kid again." Kanan said softly.
"I wish I had parents like yours." Rey muttered.
"I'm sure whatever happened to them and why they gave you up, probably had some bigger meaning. Although I do acknowledge that my parents shouldn't have had the reason to come and save me, I am deeply appreciative that they did. I wasn't blessed to be force sensitive like my twin brother Ephraim, so I found other ways to be useful." Kanan spoke.
He looked at you and Ezra and smiled. Reminiscing his and his brother's childhood.
"Growing up, I looked up to both of them. They never told anybody else that when dad got back from Peridea, Mom ran away from him since she got so nervous. How dad still gets nightmares of his time in exile or how they had to lean on each other for support because they anchored each other to reality." Kanan smiled.
"To love someone enough to wait for a decade, not knowing if the other is alive, with another or worse, is dead. That kind of loyalty is something rare. I hope to find that one day." Kanan added.
Rey smiled softly at Kanan. She understood that. They were both startled though when they noticed that Ezra had been awake the entire time.
"You'll get there buddy. Mom and I are very proud of you. I mean, you didn't join the dark side, you didn't pull a second order 66 by murdering a bunch of padawans because your uncle decided to pull some kriffing dirt moves, so you're already better than a kid I know. Plus, your mom and I spent the better parts of our youth avoiding our feelings that if I didn't marry your mother I would have rather returned to Peridea myself." Ezra teased stroking your sleeping head gently.
"Now sleep you two. You did really well Rey, I'm proud of you too and I'm sure your parents wherever and whoever they may be, are as well. Good night kids." Ezra added, as he really did went to sleep.
As night turned to day and you were all packing your things, Rey saw you off as you boarded your ship, still you asked if she wanted to join, but she said no. Well she said maybe one day and you believed that this wasn't the last time you'll see her. Leaving her with some credits to feed herself for about a month as that's all you had with you. You all departed Tatooine and returned to where you all should be.
Rey never expected to meet you three or to understand things about you and Ezra but now she knew you two to be more than just saviours of the universe. You were first and foremost just good people who love their children very much.
-------------------------------------------
Note: holy smokes I did it! Also I might make a small drabble about Kanan and his twin Ephraim, and who knows I might make a lil doodle because I need copium while having no star wars content XD
Til next week! Bye bye
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maxzinn · 8 months ago
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Hello, buddy (is it okay to call you that). I just got into an argument with someone and wanted some advice.
So, my former classmate (who's a gamer), my best friend, and I had an argument over how I felt towards the Fatui and the Tsaritsa. While me and my friend don't believe they're (all) evil, we do have mixed feelings about them and their way of doing things, especially regarding the orphanage since it feels like they're raising child soldiers in a sense. But, my former classmate (who's a die hard villain apologist) accuses us of downplaying the suffering of the Fatui (especially the Harbingers) in favor of characters who didn't suffer (enough) like Diluc or Navia. He then proceeds to call me and my friend every slur in the book. Me and my bestie had to get up and leave the room we were in as soon as he started raising his voice. My mom had to practically throw him out of the house because he was having a meltdown.
I was so baffled by his words. Especially his slurs and the things he said about Diluc and Navia. He called Diluc an emo teen that never grew up and wants to play hero while Navia got called a bratty, rich glutton who never cares about anything but sweets and cries a lot.
We blocked him after this and my mother had to phone his parents to tell them about the situation.
Are me and my friend in the wrong in any way? I kind of feel like a bitch for feeling suspicious about the Fatui and Tsaritsa.
HMM, the answer is simply no - I don't think you and your friend are in the wrong.
Your "friend" needs to know that you guys are entitled to your own opinion and that he didn't need to raise his voice and get all defensive. If he finds your opinion wrong in some way then he could have just told you his pov and calmly explained what he thinks is wrong bout what you said.
Also, he needs to know that the Fatui are basically villains/gray characters in Genshin and everything they do is not even morally right. THEY AIN'T SAINTS. Yeah sure, most of them have tragic back stories but that DOESN'T excuse all the crimes and evil that they made. The Fatui are doing heinous crimes on their own volition. Not to mention that they're also causing the SAME trauma and pain to their victims, using their tragic backstory to excuse their terrorizing is hypocrisy.
He accuses you of downplaying the Fatui's suffering... but he's also downplaying Diluc and Navia's suffering like what? It may not be as "tragic" as the Fatui's story but losing your family/relative is just as painful. No one gets to decide who is most deserving of sympathy and love based on their "tragic" story.
Not to mention, the House of Hearth is basically shady and sus man. Arlecchino seems to care for the children but it feels like she's forcing them to go down the path she wants them to take, it really does feel like they're raising child soldiers at that point. Dotore's actions just cannot be excused man, what he did to the people of tatarasuna and to scara was unforgivable - he basically ruined his life and killed the people he treated as family. Scara's crimes cannot be excused too despite his story. Childe, despite doing this for his family is also doing bad guy stuff - he doesn't act like a villain much, but he's a gray character. Signora cannot be excused too despite her story. All of them did crime on their own volition despite knowing it will hurt a lot of people.
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yournameoneverypage · 2 years ago
Text
Falling Forward
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Shawn Mendes x Reader. Angst, fluff.
Word Count: ~2.6k
A/N: It may be an “anon”, but I know who requested this. (She’s one of my besties.) 😉 I hope you like it, bub, especially since you requested it so long ago! I’m sorry it took me way too effing long to get it written. 😕 Call it a very belated birthday gift. 😋
So, I didn’t follow the prompt exactly. Well, I did, but I distorted the perception a bit? (That's probably not the best description, but I think you'll see what I mean.) I tried with the angst, I really did, but I feel like my angst is never really all that angsty.
~ ❤️ ~
You were sitting at your desk, rubbing your eyes, when you sensed you were no longer alone. You might’ve been startled by how he’d snuck up on you if you hadn’t smelled his cologne. You could find him in the dark just by his scent alone. It was maddening, because you hated how much you loved it.
Sure enough, you swiveled your chair to see Shawn standing in the doorway of your room, leaning against the frame.
“What are you doing here?” you said in greeting, trying to keep your tone indifferent. Your voice often tried to betray you in his presence; it was a genuine struggle.
He shrugged the shoulder not leaning against the door. “I came to see if you wanted to hang out for a bit.”
“Maya isn’t here.”
You thought maybe you simply imagined the... hurt that flitted through his honey brown eyes before he said, “Yeah, I caught her on her way out. Who do you think let me in?”
///
Maya was your best friend, who Shawn had had a thing for ever since you’d met him nearly six months earlier through a mutual friend who you had no idea had any clout whatsoever. You suppose, that was the point. Jaiden wasn’t the type of guy to just throw facts around like, ‘yeah, Shawn Mendes is a friend of mine’. You had to earn his trust before he let you completely into his inner circle.
Apparently you had finally managed to do so the night you found yourselves all at the same bar and being introduced to the beautiful, bright-eyed, pink-cheeked, affable popstar.
Maya and Shawn instantly connected. You were happy for her, of course, but you had liked him for a while, had been a fan of his longer than she had, and well before you had ever met him. You had to remind yourself that she was your best friend and “dibs” was for children.
You did your best to shake off your disappointment, while Shawn tried his hardest to dispel your sometimes debilitating shyness.
There was one moment, one brief, shining moment, just as you were truly starting to relax in his presence and open up, when you thought maybe, just maybe, the tiny spark you had thought you felt flare between the two of you might be realized, but then Maya made a slightly suggestive comment and snatched away his attention.
Even though you knew she hadn't purposely done so, - Maya was an outrageous flirt, - it left you cold and on the verge of tears. As you willed away the wetness of your eyes, and forced yourself to smile, you felt a wall around your heart begin to build and fortify.
You said your goodbyes shortly thereafter, but not before Shawn asked for Maya’s number. You excused yourself for the ladies' room, not wanting to witness the very possibility of anything more between them.
///
You never felt excluded from conversations whenever you found yourselves spending time with Shawn, and quickly settled into the banter that flowed freely between you, but you did feel like you sat stuck slightly along the circumference of Shawn and Maya's little flirtation bubble. You could only take so much before you made your excuses to leave them to their privacy.
You wondered how much longer it would be before they hooked up. You were surprised it hadn't happened already. You didn't know how you were going to handle it once they did. You would have to make yourself scarce when they began dating, and find other places to crash before he started staying over. You wouldn’t begrudge Maya for having a sex life with Shawn, but you knew it would kill you if you had to see the proof of it standing in his underwear in your kitchen afterwards.
Your heart tightened in your chest and you forced those thoughts away.
You almost questioned why he had chosen to stay then to entertain you, but you didn't want to see that look again. It made your skin itch uncomfortably.
It wasn’t as if you hadn’t hung out alone together before, but the texting was easier. You texted all the time about things from mundane to thought-provoking. You loved it when it was just the two of you, even though you held that close to your chest, but simultaneously you hated it because, in these instances, all the stronger, more-than-friends feelings you had for him tried even harder to surface. It was easier for you to talk to him when there was distance and a screen between you.
If only you were selfish and could just take what you so desperately wanted.
If only you were brave enough.
How would he react if you did, and what would that do to both your friendships, with him and especially Maya? It wasn't worth the risk.
“You could’ve called first?” you suggested, falling into your usual bantering to try to alleviate your sudden discomfiture, spinning back toward your laptop.
“Do I ever call?” he chuckled.
Touché. Your apartment was near his favorite coffee shop. As soon as he learned that, he started coming by all the time.
“You should just give me a key at this point,” he smirked. “Besides, I knew you’d be home,” he said, pushing off the frame and crossing your room.
“Because my life is oh, so boring?”
“Because I know you have a deadline for Monday and would be working through the weekend.” He set a to-go cup beside you.
You sighed and tilted your head back to look up at him. “Thank you.” You brought the cup to your lips and took a tentative sip. Of course, it was your favorite.
Shawn placed his large hands on your shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. Your stomach flipped. From the rush of caffeine, obviously, not his touch. “All that caffeine probably isn’t good on an empty stomach. When was the last time you ate anything?” He raised an eyebrow when you took too long to answer. “Mhm,” he smirked. “That’s what I thought. Take a break, sweetheart. I’ll make you something to eat.”
Your heart skipped whenever he called you ‘sweetheart', which was both too often and not nearly enough. Your heart was a traitor, too.
When Shawn was gone, you sighed and tried to refocus on your work. It was futile now that the man you were in love with was only two rooms away. It was getting more difficult with every passing day to bury your feelings.
You felt a flare of anxiety, nearly overwhelming in its intensity. This was not the time to fall apart. You didn't have the luxury this afternoon of leaving him with Maya and fleeing. You couldn't let him see your vulnerabilities or he wouldn't stop till he pulled everything out of you that you were trying to hide from him.
Breathe. Just breathe…
Thankfully, upon his return, you had calmed yourself down and the attack had retreated. You pretended to be engrossed in your assignment but if Shawn had paid any attention to your laptop screen, he'd easily see you hadn't made a stitch of progress since he disappeared to the kitchen.
“What happened to ‘take a break’?”
You held your hands up in surrender. “Fine.”
He snapped your laptop shut, - he didn't have to ask if you saved your work as he knew you were a little OCD about that, - and set a bowl of noodles and two chocolate chip cookies before you. He knew you better than he should as someone else’s soon-to-be boyfriend. Your comfort foods, where you carried your stress, how much you loved anything chocolate.
You reached for the cookies.
"Noodles first," he playfully reprimanded.
You scowled. He just smirked and threw himself across your bed, languorously stretching his long frame out. Damn it. Now your bed was going to smell like him.
Shawn snagged your journal from its current place on your nightstand. It was your own fault, really, for leaving it out, in plain sight. “What's this?”
“Nothing.” You made to snatch it out of his hands, but then you thought, why bother? You never wrote his name in your journal, or the name of the friend who he belonged to. He would never know the staggering crush you had was on him.
Even though your face burned hot, you didn't stop him from cracking it open, - you think you secretly wanted to see if he'd figure it out, - and busied yourself by inhaling your noodles even though they were still a little too hot.
"'There must be a reason why the greatest love stories never have a happy ending.' Well, that’s bleak."
"We can't all be optimists."
Shawn rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Says the biggest optimist I know."
He had you there. You were normally a wide-eyed and hopeful, glass-half-full kind of person.
“'Never trust a man whose smile steals the breath right out of your lungs.'" Without reading the actual entry that followed, he flipped to another page. "'What’s worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?'"
Most of your entries began with a sentence or quote that reflected your mindset on that particular day.
His eyes stayed locked on your neat scrawl, his thumb and index finger poised to turn another page, as he cleared his throat and asked, "Who's the guy? Do I know him?" He finally looked up at your silence.
Your answer was to lower your eyes, shrug noncommittally, and stuff one of the cookies into your mouth.
You wondered which passage it was that caused Shawn to abruptly close the small, leather book and mutter, "You should've told me not to read it."
"I shouldn't have to. Are you happy now? Curiosity quelled?" You immediately regretted your words and tone. You had been trying for sarcasm but it came out too harsh. You were normally quick to apologize, but you were suddenly equal parts frustrated, terrified, and annoyed.
"Look," you cleared your throat and took a deep breath to steady your voice. "I should really focus on getting this assignment done." You can't be here anymore. I'm not strong enough. Not today. "Thanks for the coffee, and- and noodles, and cookies. I should be able to push through now, so…"
"Yeah, okay." Shawn stood and began to leave. He paused in the doorway. "You don't ever have to thank me for taking care of you. As someone who…"
You felt the wall around your heart fissure and you held your breath, balancing between hope and heartbreak.
But instead of completing his thought, he only sighed. "Don't work too hard." And then he was gone.
///
Shawn met Maya at the café beside the coffee shop.
She knew it hadn't gone well with the way he stalked toward the corner she'd settled into. She raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
Shawn just growled and tugged the curls that had found themselves twisted in his hand. "She's definitely into someone; it's just not me," he sighed wistfully, squeezing into the booth that was too small for his 6'3" frame. He dropped his head into his palms and rubbed his eyes. "Her journal is one long, unrequited love letter."
"You read her journal??"
"In my defense, I didn’t know it was her journal. At first.”
"You read her journal."
"I know, I know. But she didn't stop me! I just- I thought maybe, maybe, I'd see my name in there.”
"Boys are so dumb," Maya huffed, sliding out of the booth and tossing a twenty onto its surface. "Girls too, for that matter."
"Where are you going?"
"To put an end to this. I'm tired of waiting for you two to get your shit together."
"What?"
"It's you, stupid."
"What is?"
"The boy she's writing about."
///
Your door was still open. "Give it over," Maya demanded upon entering your room.
"Give what over?"
She glowered at you.
"He told you. Of course he told you. No. Just go. Just… leave me alone."
"Like hell. Give it."
"Does my privacy not mean anything to anyone??" But still you retrieved your journal.
"You let Shawn read it, but I'm your best friend."
You tossed it on your bed toward Maya, who quickly snatched it up and began to page through it. “Ha! I fucking love being right! Bub, why didn’t you tell me??"
Your eyes began to water. Maya took your hand and pulled you toward your bed. She settled herself cross-legged in the middle of it, facing you as you assumed the same position.
"Why didn't you tell me you’re in love with Shawn?” Maya asked softly.
You nearly collapsed with the relief of not having to hold it in anymore, of not having to pretend. Finally, the tears spilled over. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" She reached for you to swipe them away. "What is there to be sorry for?"
"What do you mean 'why'?? You two are…" You completed your thought with a gesture.
Maya immediately connected all the dots. Every single one of them. "Oh, honey…" She then laughed. "You are so oblivious, babe."
"Gee, thanks."
"He's not into me. He's into you."
"No, no, no, no, no," you chanted, rising from your bed and beginning to pace around your room. Your entire world had abruptly flipped upside down and you were grasping for a way to right things again, because this was just… too much. If your unrequited love wasn’t as unrequited as you thought… "But you two flirt all the time."
"I flirt with everyone, hon, which you're well aware of. So does he. It's just fun for us; it doesn't mean anything." A realization suddenly dawned on her. "Shit. I'm so sorry, bub. I never considered how it must've looked to you… You must hate me."
"Of course not," you exhaled. *It's just- I always thought- when he started coming around I thought, he's just being nice. Get in good with the best friend, you know?"
"You're right in your assumption, but he doesn't hang with you because of me, he hangs with me because of you. It always frustrates him when you disappear on us. You've really done a number on his confidence, hon, and his heart... He's crazy about you, and he thinks you're desperately into someone else. You should probably correct that, hm?"
///
Shawn stood in your doorway, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Hi."
You were as far away from the door as you could get, twisting the rings on your fingers. "Hi."
“Permission to enter?”
You nodded.
He took a few tentative steps forward and closed the door behind him. With the audible click, your heart quickened. He paused beside your dresser and picked up your small, metal infinity cube. He changed its shape before setting it back in its place and clearing his throat.
“Maya said you had something to tell me.”
“I’m sorry about how I spoke to you earlier.” That’s not what you knew she’d meant and what he was expecting to hear, but you weren’t ready to acknowledge anything else in that moment.
“I’m sorry, too. I should’ve stopped reading your journal the second I realized that’s what it was.”
How had you found yourself standing before him? Had he moved, or had you?
“You didn’t stop me. Why?”
“Shawn…”
“Say it.”
“I- I think maybe you know why?” you muttered, blush growing darker, and lowered your eyes.
His chin started to tilt toward you. His lips parted.
“What are you doing?” you whispered.
"It's not obvious?" he hummed, touching the tip of his nose to yours.
You were fighting between stepping back or falling forward. “Shawn…”
“Just tell me that it’s me.” His lips brushed yours, testing. They were soft, softer than you could have imagined.
“It’s you,” you breathed, rising to your tiptoes and winding your hands in his hair, as you’d wanted to do since the first time you met, and you brought his mouth back to yours.
~ * ~
@chocochipcookie305 @mendesblurb @monikamendes @mendesficsxbombay @silverswallow @misti-ka @fallinallinshawn @hiding-behind-a-flower @benito-mi-vida
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bamboobrat · 2 years ago
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succession s4 e3 recap: i just called to say are you a cunt? 1/2
ding dong the bitch is dead!
today we celebrate! extra long recap! (you'll find part two here and at the bottom)
it's finally time to fire gerri:(((
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this has been in the cards since the hazmat suit remark, but still shakes me to the bones.
and sticking her with cruises? horrifying.
almost as horrifying as logan asking roman to kill her...
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"you two, you know, you were close"
dickpickgate, the laughs were too high a price to pay.
on a more positive note, greg is also not having a good day.
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is he out of the inner circle? was he ever in? did kerry really look up if a focus group existed and pull him apart like string cheese?
my guess is it's because he is annoying. on this, logan and i agree. visually aggravating, indeed.
(on a more serious note, yes, i've seen the posts about nick and all i can say is believe women)
big boss man's last words:
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i wasn't paying attention. karolina was in the scene.
tom uses one line to summarize the episode we never got.
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wanting to kill cyd and gerri on the same day can kill you, you know. it's called karma.
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felt a strong impulse to skip the intro having seen the trailer, but i'm a good lil nick britell fangirl of course.
also, you know it's going to be a good episode when it's a mylod.
roman is very nervous about breaking up with his girlfriend firing gerri. "let's enjoy this sham marraige and the death of romance", he said...
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i know i asked for more gerri. THIS NOT WHAT I MEANT!
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roman is me, i am roman etc.
i'm also sad to report that i am, in fact, team hat.
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they are sad and angry but not in a perverted way:(
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so, so pretty<333 j. for supporting! sarah for lead, please!
it's the least they could do. seriously.
looks like having to kill gerri was the last drop for our romey.
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calling your dad a cunt right before he dies? it's shakespearean.
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connor associates victoria spunge with the loony bin. some of you might think the cake is not an essential part of this episode, but you are wrong.
shiv doesn't pick up the phone. first the cake, now this!!
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this is what my mom tells me all the time: gotta pick up the phone, i could be dying.
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and just like that... logan roy died. on the toilet. where all horrible fathers deserve to die. special shout out to tywin lannister!
the writers are absolute sickos for making me actually morn this guy by watching how his children absolutely fall to pieces:
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roman repeating how everything will be okay. ken saying he can't forgive logan, but that he loves him. shiv immediately reverting back to her younger self and calling logan daddy...
anyone else have some trauma responses to share?
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these asshole kids crying over their asshole father </3
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they frantically go back and forth between accepting that he is dead and making action plans on how to save him. it's a beautiful and heartbreaking throwback to the first season, when they still believed their money and status could save them from experiencing death.
even billionaires are mortal. really makes u think 👀
frank calls kendall son and i think it finally sinks in. i'm a pool of tears ready to be wiped up off the floor.
shiv and ken go to let connor know.
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they look so smol and lost and sad, i CAN'T. they really are kids.
connor is on some GOAT shit with this line:
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well, his father may not ever have liked him, but at least he got the world's strangest hug from his homey romey.
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being in denial too hard can cause hug disfunction.
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it's not a nice thing to call someone dead.
truly a heartbreaking rant we get from kieran here. one emmy for our favorite slime puppy!
karl continues to be the voice of reason:
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i feel connected to this man, spiritually and emotionally.
he should pour one for kerry as well.
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our girl is simply not dealing. fingers crossed for a delicious breakdown to come.
tom agrees.
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funniest shit i've ever seen.
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this is why we like to keep karl around, for the drinking and the nicknames.
part 2
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james5-doe · 7 months ago
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Royal Family of Earth N
Concept: @amanda-multifandom
Art: Plustina
Chapters 1 through 7: James
Archive: DoE Database
Bye!
------
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The Royals of Earth N are a family of nobles in Defenders of the Earth fan fiction. Introduced by AmandaDoE, they are the most powerful and famous royal family on the planet Earth of Dimension N. The members rule a technologically advanced subterranean kingdom called the Netherworld, and offer occasional aid to the surface. 
The matriarch, Queen Jedda Gordon, is a former jungle girl who met her future husband Rick when they joined their respective fathers on a team called the Defenders of the Earth. Following a dangerous accident, Jedda was healed by Queen Hadea of the Netherworld, who essentially adopted her, taught her how to govern, and gave her the kingdom's throne upon taking another position. Rick and Jedda then married and had two children. 
Queen Jedda is sometimes considered the de facto ruler of Earth N due to her worldwide following, beneficial assistance, and influence within governments. Tales featuring the royals generally examine the exploits of Jedda, Rick, and their kids as they deal with personal and political matters.
Members
Queen Jedda Gordon
Family
Rick Gordon (husband)
Dale Gordon (daughter)
Chris Gordon (son)
----
King Richard Gordon
Family
Jedda Gordon (wife)
Dale Gordon (daughter)
Chris Gordon (son)
----
Princess Dale Gordon
Family
Jedda Gordon (mother)
Rick Gordon (father)
Chris Gordon (brother)
----
Prince Christopher Gordon
Family
Jedda Gordon (mother)
Rick Gordon (father)
Dale Gordon (sister)
------------
Chapter 1
Jedda knelt with Rick at Hadea's throne, waiting for an answer to why they'd been called. Rick's eyes were fastened on the queen's bare feet, which was the proper way to show respect. Jedda got to look at her mother's face.
Hadea was clearly in serious mode — even more serious than usual. She rested her arms along those of her chair. "Duncan MacLeod...has certain opponents. Many will rise in the days to come."
Jedda's brow twitched. She was surprised. "How did you even know of Duncan MacLeod?" And why did Hadea care about the guy? His struggles were occurring on the surface world.
"His clan and mine have history. A vow was made very long ago. There is a debt to be settled now." She paused a few seconds. "In order to assist him as best I can, I have to ascend to the rank of Empress. The title of Queen...shall go to another."
Jedda froze stiff, staring at her. This simply couldn't mean what she thought it did.
Rick began glancing between them both.
"I know that you desire to bond with...Jade..." Hadea said the name rather quietly. "But I may need your assistance soon."
Jedda had to pause to take all of it in. A part of her was utterly stunned by this. Another part of her wasn't smitten at all. She'd sensed she was going to live here someday. She was the Princess of the Netherworld, a title she'd been given when she'd met Hadea, when she was adopted informally.
But ruling here? Reigning as queen? She wasn't so sure she was ready for that — even if Hadea could help her prepare. "Mother..." she murmured. "Do you mean me?"
"It is the safest course of action now," Hadea affirmed. "Once MacLeod's opponents know who you are, once they have learned of the bond we share, they will endeavor to hunt you down. When the time arrives for you to join this fight, you will have better resources here. You shall be able to defend yourself — and to assist any others in need."
Jedda knew Hadea had a valid point, but she wasn't sure about this just yet. She and Rick had made certain plans above. They weren't quite ready to abandon those.
Where, exactly, would their future be?
----
Chapter 2
"Jedda," Rick said, spreading his arms, "we don't know a thing about ruling here."
Jedda looked out from their private room, eyes on the sparkling Netherworld. "We can learn, though. I know that we can." Her mother believed it, and so did she.
"You understand what we're getting into, right? The kingdom has hundreds of thousands of people. We're going to be responsible for all of them."
"No," she muttered, "they're going to be responsible for themselves. We'll simply provide them protection and help." The passion in her heart was beginning to rise. "It feels like I grew up preparing for this — and to an extent, you did too." They both had expected to defend and serve. This was just different than what she had planned. "She's right, you know? It's safer here. Safer for us...and for our child." Jedda felt a quiver as she held his gaze. Finally, she'd let him know.
Rick made a squint. "And for our 'child?' What do you... What do you..." Rick fell silent, staring at her.
Jedda felt her eyes getting damper now. She smiled while moving his hand to stomach. "We're going to be parents," she said quietly.
----
Chapter 3
Rick felt tense — which wasn't bad. There was a good reason for that now. He held her hands, stroking them. "The first time I ever laid eyes on you — your little bare feet and your jungle skirt, messy hair spread above the leafy bra... Well, I reached a rather silly conclusion. I let my prejudice get the better of me." He took a slow breath. "But everything changed in the next few days. I saw you were smart, I saw you were skilled, and most of all, you were sensitive too." His eyes welled up. "And once I realized what was happening...I tried to deny it. I tried to ignore it. But that was a battle I was doomed to lose. I couldn't reject what I felt within."
He noticed her blushing as the words sank in.
"Jedda Walker..." He lowered himself. "There's nothing that I want more on Earth right now, than to have the honor of marrying you."
----
Chapter 4
Several Years Later
Netherworld Throne — 3:50 pm
Rick watched his daughter as she played on the floor, moving her dolls on a burgundy rug. Something was unusual about the scene: Dale wasn't adding dialogue today. On most occasions, to Rick's delight, Dale had the dollies talking to one another, demonstrating some of the things she'd learned — eloquent speech, personal manners, and even some basics of politics.
She had been quiet for the past few days. Rick hadn't figured out why that was. It always disturbed him when the kids were upset. Not when they were pouting, but truly upset. He had an obligation to shield them from pain.
He studied her lengthy, gold-colored locks, pulled right back in a cute half-up. He'd never seen a female as precious as her — except, of course, for her beautiful mom.
Leaning toward his wife, he lowered his voice. "So why is she being so quiet of late?"
Jedda adjusted her sparkling crown, curling her toes as she frowned a bit. She obviously had something painful to share. "She misses you, hon," she said in a whisper.
Rick felt a jolt. "What do you mean?"
He already knew. Over the last couple years or so, he'd done the very thing that he'd sworn to avoid. He'd made a child wonder why he worked so much.
Jedda smiled a tad — and only a tad. "She's not an infant, Rick. She's five years old. She wants to know a little more about her dad."
He stared at Dale, twitching a bit.
When he'd agreed to lead the Netherworld knights, he'd vowed to stay devoted to his kids and their mom.
But certainly enough, in Gordon tradition, he had let his duties take priority.
Things had been different for his father and mother. They weren't just spouses. They were a team. That had made it easier for them to commit — or less difficult than it might have been.
But Jedda was a queen. Rick was a knight. People like him had to be on the road. If he started living out there too long, he would be neglecting what mattered most.
Was it only Dale whom he'd come to upset? Were Chris and his wife feeling shunned as well? "Jedda," he said, holding her hand. "I promised that I'd be here for all of you..."
She smiled at him. A full smile now.
"And that's exactly what I'm going to do." He gave her a kiss. She kissed him back. Then he left the throne and eased down on the floor. "Hey, kiddo."
Dale grinned. She looked a bit cautious — as though she thought she had to protect her heart.
Rick eyed the floor. That definitely hurt.
Then he looked up, beaming at her. "Let's go out and play."
----
Chapter 5
Several Years Later
"What's wrong?" Dale asked, approaching the throne.
Her mother looked tense as she turned to her.
People liked to shower Dale with compliments. They called her astute for a nine-year-old — claimed she had the makings of a prodigy. Dale knew it wasn't really like that, though. She was no genius. She never would be. But she could read her mother pretty well by now. She always sensed when something was bothering her.
Her mom touched her brow. "A queen in the east — a foe of MacLeod's — claims she helped the Netherworld years ago. The time has arrived for us to pay our debt."
Dale scowled a bit. That didn't sound good. "What does she want?"
"Your brother's hand. She wants Christopher to move into her home, then marry her daughter when they come of age." Her mother grew quiet, eyeing the wall. She seemed to be in deep contemplation now.
What in the world was there to think about, though? Her brother simply wasn't a bargaining chip.
"Mom..." Dale felt a shiver within. "You can't be planning to agree to that."
"What? No..." her mother declared. "We told the queen to offer us proof of the debt. But even if she does, she can't have Chris. We'll simply find another way to pay her off." She stroked her chin. "There's something that's beginning to trouble me. The woman's been nothing but quiet since..."
Dale grew stiff. She eyed the door. "Speaking of Chris...where is he now?"
----
Chapter 6
There!" Dale yelled, spotting her brother.
Chris was on his knees in the green courtyard. A dark-garbed man was laying at his side.
A little dagger glistened in the fluttering grass. Splotches of blood were sprinkled everywhere — along the dirt, along the man, and most notably, on Chris's chest.
Dale froze a second, twitching in place. Someone had come to abduct the prince. This had resulted in a gory scene.
"No... No!" her mother called out, losing her crown as she rushed to Chris.
Her dad ran too, red in the face. He wore a look of horror that was foreign to her.
Dale hurried forth. She couldn't keep up.
"Chris!" her mother called out as she knelt.
Several guards were rushing to the courtyard now. Where had they been a few seconds ago?
"I'm all right, Mother," Christopher said, holding his eyes on the fallen man. Blood was splattered along his shirt. Sprinkles were mixed in his raven hair. "I grabbed his dagger as he picked me up."
The man had a gash right across his chest.
Her mother looked awed. Her dad did too. Both of them were too stunned to speak right now.
Her brother still appeared rather shaken as well. Only Dale was locked in reality.
"Chris," she said, touching his arms, "were there any others?"
"The other one ran."
Dale spun around. "Soldier!" she called.
A guard came and knelt.
"See that the outside walls are secured. We have to ensure that the partner is caught."
"Right away, highness," he said before moving.
Her mother looked proud as she turned to Dale, then she leaned down and hugged Chris at her side.
------
Rick took a seat on the side of the bed, claiming the spot right beside his wife.
Jedda rubbed the muscles near the sides of his neck, soothing his skin as she often did.
He let his stare linger on the carpeted floor. "He's nine years old, and there's blood on his hands." He'd never, ever, wanted that for his son. The people behind the abduction would pay. Both of the intruders gave their bosses up.
Jedda took a breath. "I had a bit of blood on my hands then too — back when I was Christopher's age, I mean."
Rick was confused. She'd never shared this.
"I had to strike an animal down in defense," Jedda revealed. "It left me upset...but it wasn't the same. It wasn't comparable to what Chris went through."
Rick looked away. "He's gotten so quiet."
"It's all sinking in. That's the way it was after my first time." She paused a moment. "I had just turned fifteen back then."
"I thought you killed the animal when you were nine."
Jedda hesitated. "I wasn't referring to the animal."
He eyed her again, deeply surprised. He loved this woman, and she loved him. They'd opened their hearts on so many occasions — but there were still things he didn't know about her.
He kissed her head. She stroked his cheek.
Then she stood. "I'm going to go check up on Chris again."
Rick remained quiet as he watched her leave.
----
Chapter 7
Dale took a seat in the gold throne room — something she wasn't often asked to do. On most occasions, only the queen got to sit in here, but not while issuing punishment.
Her father and brother had chairs as well. They would listen in on her mother's words.
The men who'd invaded knelt down in chains, several guards keeping them well-secured.
Dale had discovered what their fate would be. Her mother would say it in a moment or two: for trying to assault or abduct a royal, both of them would face execution today. That was a law in the Golden Land, one that preceded her family's reign.
Her mother faced each with a hardened stare. "I've reached my decision," she said quietly. "You shall be imprisoned for forty years."
Both looked stunned.
"Remove these two," she said to the guards.
After the men were taken out of the room, Dale looked up at her parents in awe. "I thought that execution was the proper course."
Her dad shook his head. "We've changed the law." He almost sounded like he hadn't wanted to. Those men had attempted to abduct his son.
"They would be forgotten if we took their lives," her mother explained. "By locking them up, we'll remind people of what they did, and of the sentence they face each year."
And that could deter similar attacks. Dale was beginning to get it now. Her father and mother were wise indeed. And not just wise, but very strong. They had resisted the urge to lash out. Her parents wanted her and Chris to learn from that.
Her dad reached down and rubbed Chris on the head. Chris responded with a gentle grin.
Her mother gave Dale a little stroke on the cheek. 
Dale made a smile, then looked outward. She was so proud to be sitting here now, proud to be a member of her family.
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