#im coming to your house and eating every piece of silverware you own

[natjennie]

hello mutual jennie natjennie im thinking rn like can you imagine if all the ghosts that had been there when cap was alive didn’t really pay him much attention bc they were all more occupied doing their own thing or thought some other soldier was more interesting or whatever. and then he died and they all realized oh shit this guy has a lot going on and they should have paid attention to what he was doing when he thought no one else was around bc there’s no way he’s telling them anything now. i don’t know where i’m going with this but like. you know

OUUUUGGHGGHHHH that's sooooooooo sad because like. I always forget that a lot of them were around for whoever else's death until it's really explicitly pointed out like fanny telling her story and thomas going "I did know all that, I was there" and the thomas thorne affair with everyone's different recollections of how it happened and the quick scene in perfect day when pat remembers his death but this time the ghosts are there and all wince like. it's hard to reconcile the ghosts as Ghosts in the past, that they've been here in roughly the same state through everyone else that has passed yknow within their timeline. kitty is kind of iffy because everyone seems to know that she's touchy about her sister and it's not wise to talk about her past, but no one outright takes over narrating for her or giving their own perspectives so it's hard to say if they definitely bore witness to her life but.

if the captain just. didn't get that at all. no one knew or noticed or payed attention. that makes everything so much more tragic because then NO one knows him. all those little things that make someone human, the things that only family and loved ones get to see, your quirks and your habits when you're alone and truly yourself. things that you would share with people you trust. NO ONE has shared that with him. because if the ghosts are around then there's always this little seed of hope, right like. when I said a nice word to my plant, someone noticed and cared and it made someone a little happier. or when I tripped and busted my ass it was embarrassing but it hurt and maybe someone felt bad for me in another plane. but if they straight up ignored him. he has nothing to show for his life. I mean we have no knowledge of a family or friends. other than havers but I can't get into that right now. so like.. no one in his life ever got close to him to feed that little spark of humanity. and then no one on this constant other plane of people noticed him either!

the idea that the ghosts don't say anything about cap's life not because they're respectful of his privacy but. because they don't know. and in all those years no one has tried to learn anything about him. they stay silent about the bomb and the letter and his time on the front and his military experience because they didn't care to pay attention to it.

it all just feeds so much into the fact that we are defined by our connections to each other and the idea that humans are social creatures and that like "these are my ribs- as defined by your reaching" or whatever that poem says. I mean. we become who we are because of our reflection in others. names are sounds other people use to get our attention. and he doesnt fucking have one.

[buoyantsaturn]

sappy Victorian au?where Nico lives on the streets and catches wind of a lord who needs a maid so Nico dresses up at a Girl (and steals a wig and and such so he looks the part) and goes to work for the Lord Will Solace. while he’s working there, he’s slowly steal from Will tho he feels bad but he really needs the money and the old antiques sell for A LOT of $$! and over time they fall in love and Nico confesses abt being a boy and so Will is heartbroken Bc he’s been betrayed and happy ending plz

im usually not up for writing cross-dressing of any kind but,, this prompt was too interesting to turn down so here u go pal i hope you like it it’s very long

so nico lived with bianca who was a maid but who got sick and they both had to stop working and used up all the money they’d made to try to get bianca healthy again but she died and left nico with a few changes of clothes and a maid’s outfit and he had to pack up and get out of there before he got evicted and probably arrested

he moved to the next town over and spent a whole day going into businesses and asking if they could give him a job but he got turned down at every one and the few coins he had in his pocket weren’t enough to rent a room anywhere so he went to the park in the center of town and slept in like a gazebo

he goes back into town the next day and uses all his money to buy himself some bread to eat when he hears a conversation about somebody looking for a maid so Nico sneaks into a back room in the bar or wherever he’s at and changes into bianca’s old maid’s outfit and ties his hair back and runs back out to make sure those guys looking for a maid were still there and he walks right up to them and pitches his voice up before he talks and asks if they said they were looking for a maid

one of them is like “please we don’t hire randos off the street” but the blond one is like “well now hang on a second what are your qualifications? im looking for a live-in maid so would that work for you” and nico steals all of biancas qualifications and like her name and identity and the blond guy is like “sounds good enough to me”

nico gets set up at will’s giant manor that will def take a solid day to clean at least and will tells him that he got the house bc his father that he never knew had just died and left it all to him in a will he’d never seen but it wasnt like he would say no to all this but anyway this is your room and now let’s go meet the rest of the staff

leo is the cook and hazel works in the stables and theyre both super friendly and even will seems nicer than any boss that nico or bianca had ever had, and the four of them all sit down together for dinner that night which seems odd to nico but nobody else seems to have a problem with it so he doesnt say anything and before nico goes to bed that night will gives him a list of things to clean the next day

on top of having a place to live and meals to eat nico gets paid but its only a tiny bit but nico doesnt know how long he can keep this up so he starts taking things - just a little at first like a piece of silverware here and there but then he gets bolder when he realizes that there are rooms in the house that will doesnt even go inside so he takes this stuff and sells it so he can try to get enough to buy his own place to live

he also uses the first bit of money that will gives him to go out and buy makeup and things to make him appear more feminine and it takes him a few hours to get the makeup to look right but he bumps into will while he’s cleaning something later that day and wills like “oh! um. u look very nice today” and his face is very red and he spins around and leaves the room

sometimes will sits and chats with leo while hes cooking or asks hazel to keep him company when he takes the horses for a ride ((and he subtly asks what they think about bianca/nico and theyre both like “ooooh you think shes preeettyyy”)) and sometimes will hangs out in whatever room nicos cleaning and sits and chats with him to get to know him and he knows he shouldnt be crushing on his maid but he cant help it

He asks nico to take a walk with him in the garden and will talks about needing to hire a gardener sometime soon and nico doesnt really get why hes out there with will until will stops him and starts saying a bunch of weird things about feelings and now nico really doesnt know whats happening and then will kisses him and nico just. runs away and locks himself in his room

will like camps out outside nicos room that night and apologizes in the morning as soon as nico opens the door so nico pulls him into his room and closes the door and tells will that hes been lying to him and stealing from him and that hes a boy and his name is nico and bianca was his sister that died just before they met and will looks like hes gonna cry and he says that he wants nico out of his house by tomorrow morning and he turns and walks out

nico changes out of his maid outfit and into boy clothes and after he packs up his stuff he goes to say goodbye to leo and hazel and they tell him that they knew all along and that wills just overreacting and he’ll come to his senses soon but nico doesnt believe it and when they all sit down for dinner that night will won’t even look at him ((which is false bc every time nico looks at will, will looks away so he doesnt get caught staring))

nico goes to bed early to hopefully get up and out early but somebody starts pounding on his door in the middle of the night and its will and he asks nico not to leave bc hes not sure whats happening for some reason his feelings for bianca didnt go away when bianca became nico and he doesnt want nico to be gone if he realizes that he wants to act on those feelings but if this makes nico uncomfortable then he can leave if he wants and will could even give him some money to find some place to live

nico cuts him off by grabbing his face and telling him that he’ll stay as long as will would have him and they dont kiss despite the fact that they both want to but there will be time for that in the future

thank u for the suggestion!!

[marblesarelost]

Some Things You Have To Work For (don’t give up on the Dream)

(Author’s note: I honestly had no idea that changing my Tumblr name would make this disappear.  My humblest apologies.)

(Author’s Note: I love soulmate tropes. In this universe, there are two types of soulmates: platonic and romantic.  Platonic soulmates’ words are written in silver on one’s skin once activated. Romantic soulmates have golden words, once said.  This will be a serial, updated on the last week of the month.  Hope you enjoy!)

 The only sound  for miles around was that of the night birds and bugs, and Kurt’s soft humming as he did the supper dishes.  Logan settled a little better into his lawn chair, fishing pole in hand, beer between his legs.  Yep.  Things were good.

“Is this what you always do?”  Nightcrawler called through the screen door.  “When you go off on your rambles?”

“Not always,” Logan admitted after a minute.  “I like this best, though.”

“Ja.  I can see why.  It is beautiful here,” Kurt replied softly.  

“Peaceful.  It helps with…things.”  Logan shrugged, sitting up a little; the slouch was starting to hurt his back.  “Mind bringin’ me a fresh beer when you come back out?”

“Almost done,” came the promise, and Logan settled back again for a second before a new scent crossed his nostrils, bringing him up and out of the lawn chair in an instant, a low growl rising in his throat.

“Logan?”  He heard Nightcrawler say, but he didn’t respond, holding his hand up instead in the team sign for wait, quiet.  He sniffed again, tested the wind, judged the angles, then gave the sign for come, quiet, trusting that Kurt would sneak instead of teleport, since there wasn’t a way to dampen the noise.  A minute later, he felt the give of the dock behind him.

“Somebody’s down the shore,” Logan said quietly.  “I can smell their adrenaline, they’re trying to work themselves up into something, but they’re scared.  They’re real scared.”

“So you would frighten them more by having me come outside?”  Kurt whispered.

“You only look scary, Elf. You got a better way with folks than I do,” Logan replied.  “Come with me an’ do the talkin’.”

“Mein Gott.  How do I let you talk me into such things?”  Kurt grumbled, but he followed Logan down off the dock onto the path beside the lake, both of them well able to see in the dark.  They moved quickly and quietly, Logan leading them up into the patch of underbrush and Kurt careful to put his feet precisely where Logan had as they went.  Logan held up his hand again, and crept forward, a little further, little further…

The girl leapt at Logan like a wild thing, fists flying, kicking, biting, but the old brawler whirled her around, picking her up and holding her as she writhed and struggled. "Calm down, little bit, we ain’t gonna hurt ya,” Logan said, before that telltale sound rang through the forest.  

SNIKT.

“Logan, no!”  Kurt shouted, bursting through the underbrush as Logan dropped the girl, blocking -- “Mein GOTT!”  

Two blades gleamed in the half-moon’s light, swinging wildly at Logan, whose own claws rose to block hers. She stopped then, backing away, looking at Logan with a face neither man could read.  “Shiny, sharp,” she muttered.  “Shiny sharp.”

“Oh, hell,” Logan said, and dropped to a knee.  “No. No, I won’t kill another. No.”  He retracted his claws, watching the girl.  “Hey.  Hey there.”

“Hey,” she repeated. Kurt got a good look at her then; her cheekbones were  sharply accented, her cheeks sunken.  Her shirt was at least three sizes too large, and she held the waistband of the pants she wore tightly, the pant legs raggedly cut, and she was barefoot.  She was at least a teenager, he thought, but he wasn’t precisely sure.

“Hey.  You got -- you got writing on you, honey?  Words?  Written words?”  Logan asked softly.  “Can you tell me your name?”

“Words?”  She said, and Logan nodded, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on her.  

“Yeah.  Words.  Writing.” He reached down with one hand, tugged his shirt up over his belly, exposing the silver words written there. “See?  Like this?”  The girl dropped to her knees, crawling forward slowly, looking up at Logan with wary eyes every other second.  “I won’t hurt you if you don’t hurt me, baby girl,” he rumbled.  Tentatively, the girl reached out with one finger, tracing the words on his skin.  “You know what it says?  Can you read?”  She shook her head, sitting back on her haunches.  “It says, shiny, sharp, shiny, sharp,” Logan told her.  “Your first words to me.  Do you have words?”  In answer, she tugged up her left pant leg, showing Logan’s scrawling handwriting winding around her leg.  “Yep. Those are my first words to you. Silver, like mine,” he said. “Means we’re gonna be real good friends. You know what friends are?”

“Friends,” she repeated, still sitting there in a pistol squat position.  “Friends.  Not hurt.”

“Yep,” Logan agreed. “Can you tell me your name, little bit?”

“Name?”  She cocked her head to the left.

“What do people call you? I’m Logan,” he said, pressing one hand to his chest.  “Logan.”

“Not doctor.”

“No, baby,” Logan agreed, his lips curling back from his teeth in a feral snarl.  “No doctors.”

“Doctor talk.  Doctor talk, X-23 successful.  X-23 weapon.  Doctor talk X-23.”

“The doctors called you X-23?”  Logan asked in a low growl.  “They didn’t even give you a goddamn name?”

“X-23.”

“You ain’t a number. You’re a person,” Logan snarled. “Did you run?  From the doctor?”  She nodded fiercely.  “Did you get’em, baby girl?  Did you make’em bleed?”  A snarl to match his own crawled across her face as she nodded again.  “Oh, good job, dolly.”  Logan swallowed.  “Okay. So.  You want somethin’ to eat?”  

“Yes…” her voice trailed off as she looked to the side.  “Please?” She added uncertainly.

“Yep.  Come here, I’ll carry ya over these rocks, some of’em are sharp as hell.  You like fish?”

“Fish?”

“Swimmies.”  Logan pointed to the lake, made a side to side motion with his hand, and she smiled.  

“Swimmies, fish. Yes.”

“Okay.  Come here,” he held out his arms.  “Promise, we’ll get you some fish, let you take a bath with bubbles, get you some clean clothes, you can sleep in a nice soft bed.” Slowly, she crept forward, and Logan picked her up like a princess, leaving her hands free.  “Jesus, you’re too skinny, dolly.”  He turned to where Kurt stood at the edge of the forest. “Go get Chuck, Elf.  I think we’re gonna need him.”

“Jawohl,” Kurt agreed. “I think you are right.  Take her to the cabin, I do not wish to startle her with the noise and smell.”

“Good plan.  Come on, dollface.  Let’s get some food.  You like chocolate?  I think I got some Oreos, too,” Logan said, and began to make his way down the lake shore back to the cabin, its lights gleaming in the dark.  Kurt waited until he heard the screen door slam, then

BAMF!

Jumped

BAMF!

Back to

BAMF!

The mansion, appearing in Professor X’s study.  “Charles, there is -- we need you,” he said quickly to the man behind the desk.

“What is it, Kurt?” Charles asked.  “Should we rally the team?”

“No.  No, just you, look,” Kurt offered, and felt the slight tingle as Charles Xavier touched his mind telepathically.

“Oh my God,” the older man said softly.  “They did it again.”

“I think so.  And this time, they have made the gravest of mistakes; she is his soulmate, platonic, but --“

“Yes, I see.  Well, if you wouldn’t mind, Kurt?”  Charles asked with a wry, small smile, wheeling himself out from around his desk.  With a nod, Kurt picked up the older man from the chair, and

BAMF!

Jumped again

BAMF!

Back to

BAMF!

The cabin in Saskatchewan, arriving beside the lake.  “I would have jumped into the cabin, but I am afraid I will frighten her, the noise,” Kurt offered as he made his way up the shoreline path to the house.

“A very good idea. Yes, I can feel her.  She is…oh, the poor child,” Charles said softly as the back door opened, Logan stepping out.

“I’m fuckin’ glad ta see ya, Chuck,” Logan said, his eyes wet.  “I don’t…she’s…”

“Feral, or nearly so,” Charles agreed.  “I’m already picking up on her fear, and her pleasure?  She’s eating?”

“Fish, we had lots left over from dinner.  Won’t touch the goddamn green beans,” Logan said, a tiny grin pulling at his whiskered face.  “The hell did they do, Chuck?”

“I’m not sure yet, Logan, but I have a bad feeling,” Charles admitted as Kurt carried him in through the open door.  “Easy; easy, child,” Charles said as the girl looked up from the table, and in the light…

“Gott im Himmel,” Kurt murmured, taking Charles to the couch at his gesture.  She was filthy, long brown hair matted against her back, and she was desperately thin.  Logan hadn’t even tried giving her silverware, her plate containing half a piece of fish yet and a handful of fried potatoes, one slice still between her fingers, hovering over a puddle of catsup as she watched them come in, scowling.

“It’s easier here than to try to sit up at the table.  Thank you, Kurt.”  Charles sat up, staring at the young stranger, who stared back, one claw popped in defense for a long moment before it slid back into her fist, much -- no, exactly like Logan’s.  She looked around, then back at Charles, shook her head, put her fingers in her ears, took them out again.

“Most of her memories seem to be of a facility of sorts,” Charles murmured.  “White coats.  Metal tables. A collar around her throat, shackles on her feet.  She has claws on her feet, as well.  I’ll have to have Jean or Moira look at her to be sure, but I think she’s about sixteen. Perhaps a bit older.  She has no name.”  He winced suddenly, and shook his head before looking up at Logan.  “Happy Father’s Day, Logan.  She’s yours, or at least, a clone.  There are memories of men talking about the original Weapon X…and what she will be capable of, since she has been created and treated differently.”

Logan’s jaw worked for a moment before he gave a sharp nod.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I figured when I seen her claws.  And our scents are real similar.”

“Well.  And you’re soulmates, Kurt said.”

“Yep.”  Logan crossed his arms over his barrel chest.  “You find’em, Chuck.  You find’em.”

“You will not go on a suicide mission, Logan, no matter how good you think your reasons are,” Charles warned him.  “She seems to be highly intelligent; she planned her escape, and she’s been living on her own, scavenging, for at least a year.  I find two different sets of winter memories.”

“Jesus, tryin’ to make it on her own in the winter -- up here?”

“I’m not sure, though there is a great deal of snow.  The facility was, I believe, in the desert somewhere.  She escaped during a transfer.  It was…a common routine, that they would transfer her from one place to another, but she was always returned to the desert.”  

“Course she’s smart. She’s mine.”  Logan puffed up, the epitome of a proud papa, and Kurt burst into laughter, drawing the girl’s attention.

“Lo-gan.  Who?”  She pointed at Kurt, then Charles.  “Friend?”

“Friends, lil’ bit, even if one of’em’s a pain in the ass Elf,” Logan agreed, taking a seat at the table. “That’s Charles,” he pointed. “That’s Kurt.”

“Hello,” Charles said kindly, leaning forward as best he could.  “I’m very sorry to just poke around in your head without so much as a greeting, but we need to know what’s happened to you.  Tell me, would you like for us to give you a name?”

“No number, person. Lo-gan say,” she insisted, reaching and finding Logan’s big hand.

“No.  You are not a number.  You are a person, with a person’s rights.  Let’s see.  I will suggest names, and you tell me if you like them, hmm?”  He asked, and she nodded.  “Excellent.  Jane?” She shook her head. “Hannah.”  She wrinkled her nose.  “Maggie?  Megan? Laura?”  She nodded at the last.  “Laura?  You like that?”

“Yes.  Laura.  My name Laura.”

“It’s the first syllable,” Charles said, smiling.  “It sounds like --“

“Fuck,” Logan, said, shaking his head.  “Yep. I get it.”

“Yes.  You’re like her, and she recognizes that, and you’ve made her feel safe.  I don’t think she’s ever felt safe.”  Charles’ voice and face took a sympathetic tone.  “Poor child.”

“She’s safe now,” Logan growled.  

“So she is.  But she is not safe, herself, to bring to the school. She needs to be…gently acclimated to society.  Taught how to behave around others.  She is rather feral.”  Charles turned his attention to Kurt.  “Kurt. Would you be willing to stay here and help?  I may need to ask you to come and go between the mansion and here, bringing Moira or Jean out to help with checking her over, et cetera.”

“I would be glad to help,” Kurt agreed.  

“Good.  I’ll begin making arrangements in the morning. Would you mind taking me home for now? It’s very late in New York.”

“Not at all.”

  When Kurt returned, he found Logan on the porch, beer in one hand, cigar in the other.  “Where is Laura?”

“Sleepin’.”  Logan took a long drink.  “I’m gonna find the bastards who did this.”

“I know you are,” Kurt agreed, crouching on the porch rail, wrapping his tail around it for balance. “And I will go with you.  Mein Gott.”

“Nope.  You’re gonna stay behind an’ make sure she’s okay,” Logan said, looking up at him from his chair.  “Done told her, Uncle Kurt, he’s an annoying brat, but he’s a good man.”

“Too kind,” Kurt chuckled. “How long do you think it will take to…” he searched for words, and Logan spoke up.

“Tame her? Dunno.  But she’s smart as hell.  Asked why you carried Chuck.  Why you’re blue, except she didn’t say blue.  She don’t even know colors, Kurt.”

“Then what did she say?”

“Asked why you were night sky man,” Logan said with a fond grin.  “An’ why yer fingers an’ toes are different.”

“It will be like having a larger, smarter, easily angered toddler,” Kurt sighed.  “But I am used to being around you, so it will not be so hard.”

“Ass,” Logan said, shaking his head and grinning.  “We gotta do somethin’ ‘bout her hair, that’s a mess.”

“Yes.  It might be easier to cut it very short, to begin with.”

“I was thinkin’ the same thing.  But all that’s for tomorra, I reckon.”  Logan sighed. “Fuck.  I’m a daddy.”

“So you are,” Kurt agreed softly.  “And you missed the diapers, yes?  She is toilet trained?”

“Yep.  Reckon they had one in her fuckin’ cell.”

“So.  You are a daddy.  And you will have the luxury of teaching her all the things about the world, Logan.  Think of it that way,” Kurt offered.  

“I don’t…” Logan looked down at his beer bottle.  “I don’t know if I can, Elf.  I ain’t exactly role model material.”

“Kitty and Jubilation would both disagree with that,” Kurt replied.  “And you know I am right.”

“Yeah, but --“ Logan began, and Kurt jumped down from the porch rail, coming to stand beside his friend, laying his hand on the bulkier man’s shoulder gently.

“Nein.  You are not alone in this; I am here, and I will help you. And we can and will get help from the others, as well.  She is no longer alone.  She has a family.  You have a family.  We will raise her properly and well, Logan, I know we will.”

“Yeah, well.  Say a couple prayers, if’n you would.  Who’s the patron saint of daddies?”

“Saint Joseph,” Kurt responded automatically.  “And I will.”

“Okay.”  Logan nodded with a sigh.  “Okay.  You’re right. We’ll…we’ll raise her right. Teach her how ta not just gut whoever pisses her off.”

“How to read, and write.”

“How ta track and hunt an’ fish.”

“How to draw?  Do you think we should get crayons?”

“How to lay a trap.”

“How to use silverware.”

“Hell.  We got a lot o’work ta do, Elf.”  Logan shook his head.  “Ain’t gonna be easy.”

“No.  But things that are worth having, are worth work.  And I can already tell that Laura will be worth it.” Kurt squeezed Logan’s shoulder. “You were.”

 Next month:  Laura’s first birthday party, and more soulmate shenanigans.

STAY TUNED, TRUE BELIEVERS!