#just thinking about all andrew's old foster brothers.... | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lilyliveredlittlerichboy · 2 years ago

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Oh hi! I think you're right, gendered socialisation exists and is usually experienced differently depending on whether you were assigned f or m at birth. You experience pressures that they won't and might not even see, and they experience different pressures that in turn you don't, and you might not even see. For example, if you fall and hurt yourself, people would probably be more likely to fuss over you and care openly and make sure you're okay. If your brother hurts himself, he might be chided for being reckless, and told not to cry and man up. He would be expected to swallow his pain and go on as usual, receiving care mostly for physical issues only, applying a plaster but not necessarily comforting him the same way they would you.

You'd be forgiven for being jealous and mad that you get told off for playing in the dirt and your brothers don't. Likewise, your brothers would be forgiven (by me at least - not so much society at large) for being jealous and sad if you get care and affection if you hurt yourself, and your brothers don't.

The gender divide is held up so women can be oppressed, yes. But it's held up so that men can be oppressed too. Stay with me now: I'm not saying it's women oppressing men. You know as well as I do, that women can perpetuate misogyny just fine; men are not the only ones oppressing women either. Misogyny and antimasculism, toxic masculinity misandry whatever you wanna call it, it all exists to foster a divide between two oppressed groups, so they are less likely to organise together and overthrow the ruling class. And it's shockingly effective. I mean look at us. Divide and conquer, across the board.

I won't say that either women or men are "more" or "less" oppressed than each other; oppression can't be dished out in a measuring cup, and I've not really lived very much of either gender socialisation, it's not for me to say. People are violent all the time. Violence is deeply ingrained in male socialisation - so we have to adress the socialisation.

And men and boys are socialised by all sorts of people, including women. And there are plenty of women who are so fucking ready to belittle and ridicule and emasculate men and boys, including tiny little baby boys who can barely even speak yet, at the slightest hint that they may not be masculine enough.

Part of male socialisation is overt violence; part of female socialisation is covert violence, which women had to learn as a defense mechanism, to lie and cheat and manipulate, to get absolutely anything they wanted, back in the days when we didn't have any rights. and this has stuck around in female socialisation.

Female violence being ultimately reactive doesn't actually make it less violent, though. It can fucking break people.

Now this isn't meant to be victim blaming, to say that male oppression or male violence is actually the women's fault. It's not. At least not more or less than it is everyone's; that's the thing about systemic oppression, it's deeply rooted in people's psyches, it's rooted in systems, in the media, in a million different things that individual people don't have much power to change.

Feminism has been hugely successful and influential. There's now a widespread consciousness of how women are oppressed, women have their spaces, their communities, their hashtags. Obviously there's still a ways to go, with issues like Iran or how prominent misogynistic talking points are becoming once again. But overall, women (white women at least) have their rights, their community, awareness of their oppression.

Men have no such thing. A lot of men are therefore turning to tar pits like Andrew Tate, who sells them this fake idea that men are oppressed because women are evil and conspiring against them or something. I think we could gain a lot if we countered that with "yes, you are oppressed, but it's not the women". It's a centuries old system that conditions men towards violence, and it's really fucking oppressive. It hurts men, who are the majority of people on the receiving end of violent crime. It hurts marginalised men extra hard. It hurts women too of course, it hurts everyone. But men don't have the language, awareness or community to state that outright.

I'm not sure what my point is; other than gender and gendered socialisation are more nuanced than just "men oppress women". and as long as we have gender, we will have trans people, and as long as we have an understanding of biological sex, we will have gender as well. And as long as we have gendered oppression that goes both ways, people will want to change their genders, to escape gendered oppression or switch out one set of gendered oppression for another, or literally any other reason at all. (Most trans people I know don't really tie their identity to gendered oppression at all, but rather something intrinsic to their soul - while accepting that they may just be swapping out one set of gendered expectations for another - no net gain in terms of oppression, but they're just happier that way.) Trans people are not inherently misogynistic and they're not even "trans rights activists" with an "agenda" mostly they are just people who are making personal, individual choices about their gender and their body, which isn't anyone else's business and isn't inherently hurting anyone. Thanks for reading.

another one for the terfs ig

socialisation isn't clear cut, just like biological sex

and even if you're being "socialised" to be one of the genders you will still be around constant socialisation of people of the "opposite" gender and you will have internalised some things about them

not all negative too, there will be plenty of experiences to induce jealousy in either gender. boys get to be seen as strong and taken seriously, meanwhile girls get to be seen as beautiful and resilient. boys get viciously bullied for violating the terms of masculinity and girls get harassed and made fun of for violating the terms of femininity.

i won't ever blame anyone for wanting to switch out their assigned gendered pressures for a different set of gendered pressures, if they're gonna be more happy that way. never mind that many trans people actively subvert gendered stereotypes and many of us are gender abolitionists and almost all of us are feminists too. like i prommy we are not just going "eep i don't like being a woman im gonna be a man instead" or vice versa. we are naturally gender divergent and expressing that in a way that makes sense to us.

everyone has to decide for themselves how to deal with society's gendered pressures. it's not on me or you or anyone to judge them for that.

trans people are undoubtedly oppressed so they should get to enter safe spaces in order to, you know, feel safe

#terfs cw #sorry for the late this has been in my drafts for fucking ever #but yeah i am genuinely considering making a side blog for my takes and debates with terfs #to keep my followers from having to see this shit all the time #antimasculism #misandry #misogyny

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twin-yards · 2 years ago

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sometimes you read about fictional characters going through some crazy shit and you compare it to your life and be like why do i think i've got it rough when Andrew was literally raped by his foster brother more than once, and there was blood, and he laughed when it happened once again because he didn't give a fuck about his own wellbeing, but because of the rape developed an intense negative reaction to even the littlest physical contact he received without his somewhat explicit permission ?

when Neil had to burn the dead body of his own mother to take and bury the bones, running away from a father who wanted to capture them both, was coerced by a worthless piece of shit to head over to the black torture chamber where psychological wellbeing went to die and get beaten every day, and was later kidnapped by his father's people and tortured with a dashboard lighter to the face, and knives to the palms and hands, and his father himself told him he was going to rip the tendons in his legs or something like that with his wicked axe or cleaver so Neil would never run away again ?

when Kevin had his Exy playing hand stomped on and broken by someone he was close to who was just really jealous, had been abused for years being a Raven and now had panic attacks and lived in fear of Riko and his old coach, but most of all the whole fucking Moriyama family before he finally conquered it ?

or is it just me

#this is a lot #sometimes when i'm going through stuff i just tell myself not to complain because look these fictional characters have it much worse #please correct me if i got anything wrong #i wonder if anyone else does this #all for the game #andrew minyard #andreil #neil josten #aftg #nora sakavic #all for the gays #riko moriyama #worthless piece of shit

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rockislandadultreads · 3 years ago

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Celebrating Black Authors on Black History Month: Romance Picks

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

Meet Nora Hughes—the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.

When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons' authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or...herself and her future.

And They Lived Happily Ever After by Therese Beharrie

One unexpected kiss . . . Successful romance author Gaia Anders has a secret: anything she dreams at night is magically written into her bestselling novels. After a lonely childhood in foster care, her dream life is the only one she trusts. Gaia’s waking life just can’t compare—until she gets caught in one utterly surprising, crazy-passionate, real-life kiss . . . One near-perfect guy . . . Workaholic businessman Jacob Scott has had a crush on his brother’s best friend, Gaia, since forever—but he never expected to literally share her dreams. Living out their magical nighttime fantasies is explosive, but it’s their waking desire turning his single-minded ways upside down. It’s making him want a future he didn’t think was possible . . . One dream that could come true . . . But Gaia has secrets from her past she won't reveal. And Jacob's attempts to keep the peace in his own fractured family puts him up against her deepest fears. Soon, they’re facing hard truths about who they are and what they’re running from. And the only way to break this curse is realizing true love's real-life power . . .

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

Valinda Lacey's mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq. As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda's determination. And he can't stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda's father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn't love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite

When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime… You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything? Actually, a lot. Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I'm spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a "spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret. All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse. You know, typical drama. But it's nothing I can't handle.

#Romance #contemporary romance #to read #black authors #black history month #black characters #tbr #booklr #booktok #book tumblr #ebooks #reading recommendations #Book Recommendations #valentines day

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juicegremlin · 3 years ago

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I think your fics are awesome!!! Do you have any wips you’d like to talk about?

Hey thank you so much!! And absolutely, I’ve got a few (and by a few I mean like fifteen documents taunting me from my desktop, but I’m gonna limit myself to three here).

I’ve got about 25k written of a Last of Us II AU with Neil as Ellie and Andrew as Dina. I stg those games have had me in a chokehold since I was, like, thirteen.

I’m also in the process of outlining a fic where Andrew is a single dad and Neil, still on the run, barrels into his bookshop one night because Kevin said, once upon a time, that he could be trusted. Neil is done running, and small-town Palmetto, SC seems like an alright place to die. Andrew isn’t so keen on letting that happen, especially when his daughter has so loudly and vehemently attached herself to Neil’s hip.

Also ye olde Hunger Games Au!! Andrew won his games at sixteen by killing his own district partner *and former foster brother*. Two years later, Neil’s name is called at the reaping, and Andrew, now infamous and a damned-near outcast, is assigned to be his mentor. They have to work together to keep Neil alive and not fall for each other in the process.

Thank you for the ask!! I love talking about this stuff.

(Also, I read your fic Two Sunrises for the first time the other day, and may I just say: how dare you?? I have been in real physical pain ever since??? You are brilliant and talented and so, so mean for doing that to all of us 😭❤️)

#aftg #JuiceGremlin

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willowbird · 3 years ago

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HEY for the prompt game: au 7, trope 3 (i love chaos), and very specific location 2? i'll leave the pairing up to your whimsy i just saw the combination of au and trope and HAD to request it lmao

Foxes as kids, foxes WITH kids, INSIDE ANDREW'S CLOSET.

Guys guys guys there were SO MANY WAYS I wanted to do this that my brain kinda exploded for a moment before I decided to go this route. Hope you enjoy!

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"Oh no oh no oh no oh no!!!!!”

Andrew looked up at the ceiling, where the small, modern chandelier above the kitchen island swung in time with the distressed shouts and several ominous thumps. He looked over to where his husband was flipping pancakes and rose a single brow in question.

Neil shrugged, as if to say 'How should I know?'

A brief staring contest ensued, continued chaos still racketing upstairs. Finally, Andrew lifted one hand and curled it into a fist. Neil lifted his own, and after a brief round of rock-paper-scissors Andrew sighed to his loss and pushed away from the counter.

Neil caught the edge of his shirt as he passed him, tugging him in for a quick kiss. "I'll put extra chocolate chips in the pancakes."

"Bribery is unnecessary when you won fair and square," Andrew grumbled back.

Neil raised his eyebrows. "You turning down more chocolate? I mean okay, if you're-"

Andrew cut him off with a kiss. "Too late to take it back." Then he turned and headed out of the kitchen, only to be nearly mowed down by a wide-eyed eight-year-old.

"Watch yourself there, Kev," Andrew cautioned as he prevented the gangly child from sending them both to the ground.

The kid's big bottle-green eyes were wide with alarm. "Dad! He's going bonkers! I dunno what's wrong with him." He wrinkled his nose. "Well, there is a lot wrong with him. But I mean I don't know what's wrong with him today."

Andrew sighed, more because he was pretty sure he did know what was going rather than because he didn't. It was honestly better if Kevin just thought his brother was being weirder than usual for as long as possible. He had a feeling that if Kevin could get any leverage on his spazzy older brother he'd turn into even more of a terror than he already was.

Andrew ruffled his younger son's hair and gave him a nudge. "I'll check on him. Go help your dad with breakfast."

Kevin perked up. "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes," Andrew confirmed with a solemn nod.

"Do you think dad'll make one in the silhouette of a dead French guy?!”

"If you ask him, maybe."

That's all it took, and the kid was taking off like a shot again. Andrew watched him go, grimacing at the thought that they would probably have to enroll him in sports this year if only to help him burn off all that damned energy. He was just as bad as Neil.

A scampering upstairs followed by the slam of a door drew Andrew's attention back to matter at hand. The slammed door did not come from either of the boys' rooms, but rather the opposite end of the hall, where Neil and Andrew's room was. In all, this wasn't all that surprising - at least not when it came to his fourteen-year-old. He'd been hiding in Andrew and Neil's closet whenever he got particularly upset since he was four and Neil had performed a "magic ritual" to make the closet a "bunker against all evil".

Andrew climbed the steps and made his way down the hall, stopping once he came to the closed closet door. From inside he could hear the muffled mutterings of an anxious teenager. He lifted a hand and knocked with just two knuckles.

When there was no answer, he knocked again and asked, voice mild, "Can I come in?"

Then he waited, giving his son time to process that he was here for him, whatever the issue was. Almost a full minute passed before a tight, watery voice said, "Y-you can come in."

Permission granted, Andrew swung open the door to find Nicky curled up in the corner, cheeks flushed and brown eyes full of tears. Nicky was technically Andrew's much younger cousin on his biological mother's side, but he and Neil had adopted him when, at two, DCFS took him away from his parents due to a severe case of neglect. The first few years had been tense - because Luther and Maria had tried to fight it - but Andrew's adoptive mother was a child psychologist and Neil's foster sister a renowned family lawyer.

Even without the connections they would have fought to the death to keep Nicky, though. From the second they brought him home, he was theirs, and they were the only real parents the boy had ever known.

"H-hey pops," Nicky stammered through a poorly-attempted smile.

Andrew waved away the bravado and took a seat next to his son. "Should I talk to Grandpa Wymack about getting us a bigger closet? We aren't both going to fit in here much longer," he said lightly, a soft opening for Nicky to tell him what had him so upset.

Nicky laughed, a more genuine sound, then sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. "N-no. I'm sorry. I just..."

Andrew shook his head to stop him. "I would rather pay to have the closet expanded than take away a place you feel safe when you are upset."

As he watched, tears filled Nicky's eyes again, then he launched forward and it was honestly probably a good thing that the closet was a tight fit, otherwise Andrew might have gotten knocked over by the force of the hug. As it were, he was able to catch his son, patting his back only slightly awkwardly as Nicky let out a choked sob and began to ramble:

"..and then I told him that I liked his EARS oh my god Pops I am such a MORON why couldn't I tell him that I liked his eyes like a normal human or even that I liked his mouth or something!? That's sexy right? Oh my god this is terrible. And then! AND THEN I went and I liked about ten of his posts IN A ROW LIKE A CREEP and he NOTICED and then he MESSAGED ME and oh my god I can never show my face again.."

There was very little that Andrew could do other than listen, so that was what he did. As he did, though, he felt a warmth pool in his chest. A warmth that his son felt so safe and comfortable in his and Neil's space that he came here to hide when he felt upset. A warmth that he felt so comfortable, so safe with Andrew that he invited him into that space with him. That his son would cling to him and ramble about his boy problems without fear of judgement. That the biggest problems Nicky had right now were typical teenaged woes, not all the horrors that both Andrew and his husband were far too aware of existing in the world.

"I just don't know what to DO. Oh my god my life is OVER," Nicky finished with a flourish, pulling back and looking up at him with wide dark eyes.

After a thoughtful pause, Andrew finally gave a hum and said, "Well, that depends."

"Depends?"

Andrew shrugged. "Does he really have cute ears?"

Nicky made and high, defeated sound, burying his face in his hands. "They are ADORABLE, Pops. A-dor-a-ble."

"Ah." Andrew nodded his understanding and patted his son on the shoulder. "Then I think that definitely calls for extra chocolate chips in the pancakes."

And, because Nicky was a teenaged boy with boy problems - but he was also still a teenaged boy (and moreover, he was Andrew's son), his head went up and his eyes brightened. "Chocolate chips."

"And whipped cream."

"Oh!" Nicky scrambled to his feet and bounded out of the closet with a flourish, only to come up short when Andrew snagged the back of his shirt.

"And Nicky, those crashes from before..?"

Nicky blushed brightly and glanced out the bedroom door toward his own room and quickly back again. "Um.. I'll clean up after breakfast?"

Andrew put on his most impactful Dad Stare, then gave a firm nod before letting go. "You better. Now hurry on before Kevin eats them all."

Nicky yelped in an entirely new kind of distress, all but sprinting out of the room. "KEVIN DON'T YOU DARE YOU LITTLE MONSTER!"

Andrew watched him go and didn't bother to stop the smile that crawled onto his face from a hidden chamber somewhere in the center of his heart. There was once a time he might have resisted it, when he was younger and wounded and angry, his teeth bared against a world that had only ever hurt him. Now, though? Now there was so much fierce, protective warmth inside of him - so much pride, so much adoration, so much love, that he no longer saw the expression of joy as a sign of weakness.

Shouts and scuffling downstairs pulled him out of his thoughts and he sighed to himself, but he was still wearing the smile as he headed down to breakfast.

#aftg prompts #asks #aftg #aftg fanfic #andrew and neil as dads #because i can #don't @ me #idc if it seems OOC #these are fun fluffy ficlets of randomness

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strawberryshortpace · 4 years ago

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Okay I keep reading fanfics about the foxes having kids so here

Most people say Dan and Matt are the first foxes to have kids

But I personally think it’s going to be Nicky and Erik adopting

While Matt and Dan would definitely have kids fairly quickly they both think it’s important for them to have a couple years for just them (and their careers)

While Nicky spends is Germany after graduation and immediately feels sad cause of his empty nest

So he brings up the thought of fostering/adopting to Erik and since they know it’ll be a long process they decide to start it immediately

Soon enough Nicky is settled in at his job along with Erik who has already been their forever and they’re finally allowed to start fostering a kid

Both of them are aware that unless there are serious issues between them and the kid, they’re gonna be adopting them

Their little family of 2 becomes a family of 3 when they adopt a 4 year old girl

Nicky and Erik immediately fall in love with her and after a couple months she is in love with them as well but they wait to actually adopt her until she’s a little older and can fully say that she wants them to adopt her

(Mini Addition is That she calls Erik vater and Nicky dad)

Okay next is the obvious Matt and Dan

After graduating they take a couple years for the 2 of them to live and travel together but eventually they start talking about kids

Dan is actually the one to bring it up and they both agree that they would love to have a couple children

After the conversation Dan pulls out a pregnancy test and shows Matt that she’s already pregnant

So their first child was unplanned but completely wanted

Matt completely freaks out when he sees the positive test and immediately starts telling Dan how much he loves her (and their kid)

He keeps kissing her and her stomach cause he’s so amazed that they’re gonna be parents

Then he gets so excited being like ‘I need to tell Neil he’s going to be a big brother’ which just makes Dan laugh

So the two of them call Neil (Andrew is still on a different team so he isn’t in on the call)

Neil isn’t quite sure how to react but he’s extremely happy for them and agrees not to tell anyone else (he also finds it concerning that they keep saying he’s gonna be a big brother)

Obviously after hanging up with him Matt and Dan decide to call Wymack and Abby (who moved in together during neils senior year)

Dan is the one to do most of the talking this time and informs Wymack that he’s going to have a grandchild (yes she does phrase it like that cause he is practically her dad)

He just sits there in shock before mumbling ‘about damn time’ because he knows how much they love kids and how great of parents they’ll make (he tell Dan this and she tears up)

They wait a bit to tell the other foxes

They arrange a big Skype call for all the original foxes to tell them

Everyone offers up their congratulations because they’re so excited

But soon enough the jokes start up

So many jokes about Kevin being an uncle

But there were even more about Neil being a big brother (seriously he’s getting concerned here)

He gets even more concerned when Matt texts him to not sign off when everyone else does (well him and Andrew because they’re currently visiting each other and are logged in together)

Eventually everyone has to go which leave Matt Dan Neil and Andrew

They catch up on more personal things before Andrews like ‘so why couldn’t you do this before with the other foxes’

And that’s when Neil and Andrew are asked to be The Godfather’s of baby fox

Neil absolutely freaks out cause he knows nothing about kids

But he realizes that he would absolutely drop everything if this kid needed it and that’s what they’d need if something happened to Matt and Dan

So they accept and Neil thanks them for asking him

Months later Matt and Dan have a beautiful girl and ask Neil if he wants to hold his goddaughter

Neil is absolutely terrified so Andrew stands next to him and talks him through how to properly hold her

Neil thought he couldn’t love Andrew any more than he already did but he was proven wrong

She grows up being spoiled by the foxes but none of them go as far as Andrew

Who is her absolute favorite person in the world

(She may or may not call him uncle Drew and many people have been glared at for laughing at the nickname)

Okay so this has gotten pretty long so I’ll make a second part

#andreil #andriel #andrew minyard #neil josten #matt boyd #Dan wilds #renee walker #alison reynolds #renison #aaron minyard #Kevin day #jean moreau #jeremy knox #jerjean

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scullydubois · 4 years ago

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Only the Light Ch. 18

Scully, Mulder, and Missy travel to California to meet Emily and wrestle with the future.

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The echo of Scully’s heels against the linoleum is almost enough to drown out her racing heart. Mulder’s thumping steps and her sister’s daintier ones help too, but their collective power does nothing to ease Scully’s awareness that the Earth circles the sun at a thousand miles per hour. Today, she’s feeling every bit of it.

The three of them round a corner, and a broad-shouldered man and tiny-waisted woman come into view. Agent Feniston and the lawyer, this must be. Outside of conference room C--as planned.

Straightening every disc in her spine, Scully extends a hand and exchanges a firm shake with each of them. Mulder and Melissa hang back.

“Dana Scully,” she declares. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“That decision rested with the foster parents,” the male agent insists. “As does any from this point forward.”

“Yes, and I’ll be sure to thank them as well,” Scully acquiesces.

“Hello, Ms. Scully.” The lawyer uncrosses her ankles. “I’m Tanya Joyce, you can call me Tanya. As a representative of the state of California, my priority is guarding the child’s wellbeing and ensuring that any choice made is what’s best for her.”

“Of course,” Scully murmurs. “Thank you for being here.”

Tanya thumbs toward the closed door of the conference room. “Brian and Cecily are eager to meet you. The foster system has extremely limited information on little Emily. Your testimony will help us all fill in some blanks.”

Scully nods. “Me as well...this is as much a surprise for me as all of you.”

“Are we to understand that you were not aware you bore a child, Ms. Scully?” Agent Feniston asks.

“Yes, sir. I know it’s quite hard to believe, I feel the same. I was missing for a period of time last year and was comatose when I returned.”

“Yes, and how long was that period of time, Ms. Scully?”

The edges of her lips fall. “Approximately five weeks.”

“So is it safe to assume that though the child shares your DNA, you did not carry her?”

“No sir, not that I know of. I believe that my eggs were harvested, and she was...well, she comes from one of those.”

The agent hums a note of acknowledgement. “As I told you over the phone, the federal database contained no viable DNA match of a father.”

Scully nods. “Yes sir, and I have no knowledge of what sperm may have been used.”

“Noted.” He rubs his neck. “We were lucky, we only found you because you were in the missing persons database.”

“I had no idea I was still listed there,” Scully says. “I’ve asked the FBI to remove it.”

“Well, it was a stroke of luck for us,” the agent tells her. “This little girl’s foster parents encouraged the state to pursue child abandonment charges against whoever left her. She was found outside a local care center at two weeks old, as I’ve told you.”

“Yes.” Scully purses her lips. She imagines a baby with her eyes, nose, toes, chromosomes crying on a nondescript doorstep...she and Mulder did not know what they were doing when they said they wanted the truth.

“We’ve already confirmed your story with the FBI,” Feniston continues, “and we have proof that you were working on cases in the east at the time of Emily’s delivery to the foster center, so you are free of any child abandonment charges.”

“Wonderful,” Scully replies, but really, those were the least of her concerns. “May I see my daughter now?”

That’s the first time she’s ever said that sentence, and she didn’t expect terror to shoot up her spine. Is this what it is, having an extension of your life outside your body?

The lawyer steps forward. “I’ll introduce you to Brian and Cecily, they’d like to speak with you first.”

Scully does not like the way that sits in the air. Still, she musters a smile. “It would be my pleasure.”

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

Mulder and Melissa make themselves at home on a pair of leather chairs outside the conference room. They have been the pall-bearers keeping Scully aloft as her crushed dreams reinvent themselves as high hopes. They don��t understand how it happened any more than Scully herself: one phone call turned into multiple consultations with Agent Feniston, then Tanya and California Social Services and finally, DC social workers who performed background checks and prepared forms so that Scully could come here today to meet her baby and, God-willing, bring her home.

It doesn’t happen this fast, it never does--different voices said these same words to them a dozen times. And yet, barely two weeks after Agent Feniston’s fated voicemail, here they are. On All Hallow’s Eve, no less. Just in time for Emily to complete her first rotation around the sun.

They both play contrasting yet crucial roles in Operation Miracle Baby, as Mulder dubbed it. Dana has sobbed into Missy’s shoulder every night for the past two weeks; happy tears (her baby! she has a baby!), sad tears (she has a baby…and she didn’t even know...), scared tears (a baby! a baby, Missy! probably already walking, and maybe even talking if she’s exceptional...). The situation--and its implications--are impossible to reconcile in such a short time, if at all. Scully’s petite frame could not physically contain it.

Mulder’s the comic relief, the distraction, the reminder that nothing can be so grave if there's still breath left in your body. He bought a CD of nursery rhymes and stuck in it his beat-up office radio, playing it through the day while Scully labored over this form or that and he pretended to alphabetize the case file drawer. Now, he hums himself to sleep every night with one of those rhymes; he’s hoping this new skill will come in handy.

He would’ve bought toys and baby clothes too, but Melissa made him swear not to in case the adoption falls through. And she’s right, he can’t bear to imagine the pain Scully would feel packing those away. For sale: baby shoes, never worn hits you no matter who you are. Still, he has a stuffed UFO and a Build-a-Bear fox (yes, he went in and filled it himself) hidden in his closet, and he hopes they won’t go to waste.

Operation Miracle Baby has been as covert as anything Mulder’s ever been involved in. He, Melissa, and Mrs. Scully are the only ones in his partner’s circle with any knowledge of what’s going on. No one else, in Scully’s words, matters. Trinity too has received a full briefing from Missy and is ecstatic about her girlfriend potentially becoming an auntie. Skinner was told it was a family emergency--and well, it is--though surely he’s suspicious about both of his agents requesting time off. Bill Jr. has no idea they’re in San Diego, though they may seek “refuge” (the air quotes are Missy’s) at his place if the proceedings drag on.

This is a triumph or failure to be shared only with those most beloved, that’s what Scully said to them the night before they boarded the plane. Mulder has never been included in anyone’s most beloved before. It feels pretty damn good.

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

The perky lawyer raps on the conference room door, opening it in response to a voice on the other side. Scully’s breath catches….a strawberry-haired infant rests in her mother’s arms (Scully hates to think it, but surely this woman is more Emily’s mother than she is), pulling at a lock of the woman’s blonde hair.

The woman turns her way, and Scully gets her first glimpse at Emily’s face. Emily. Her baby. She wondered the whole flight here whether she would feel a connection….a sense of recognition...upon laying eyes on her daughter. And my god, it’s like some chained section of her heart has burst open, flooded with all the good feelings of the world. Icy blue eyes and cherub cheeks...that’s her baby. That’s her baby.

She watches as her baby is passed to a woman in a CA Social Services button-up who slides past Scully in the doorway like she’s not even there. Scully has a split-second to notice the dimples on her daughter’s cheeks, but that’s it. Emily’s gaze misses her entirely.

Tanya strides toward the couple in the room, Scully following behind.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lace, this is Dana Scully, Emily’s biological mother.”

“We’re so glad to meet you,” the man says, shaking Scully’s hand with a firm grip. “I’m Brian, and this is my wife Cecily.”

“Thank you for speaking with me,” Scully tells them, shaking Cecily’s hand in kind. “I understand you’ve cared for Emily since shortly after she arrived at social services.”

“Yes,” Cecily confirms. “She came to us when she was a month old. Raising her has been an absolute joy.”

Brian nods. “She’s the second infant we’ve fostered. We adopted our first one, Andrew, when he was a year and a half.”

“I didn’t realize you had another child,” Scully converses, feeling out of her depth. “It must have been quite a transition, taking Emily in.”

“It sure was, but she’s an angel, truly,” Brian says. “We couldn't fathom that someone could abandon her and get away with it, that’s why we contacted Agent Feniston.”

Cecily chimes in--”We were told the chances of finding a DNA match in the federal database was slim. We didn’t expect to learn that you were unaware of Emily’s existence!”

“Yes, I’m still coming to terms with it all,” Scully replies. “I’m grateful that you’ve given me the opportunity to see her, at the very least.”

“When we heard your story, we knew it would be heinous of us to say no,” Cecily says, offering a sympathetic smile.

“You’re an FBI agent, did we hear that right?” Brain asks.

“Yes sir, I’ve been with the Bureau five years now.”

“You live in DC?”

Scully nods. “Around the corner from the National Mall.”

“That’s exciting!” Cecily pipes up. “How did you find yourself having Emily in San Diego?”

“I actually have no idea, Mrs. Lace,” Scully murmurs. “My family lived here when I was young, but I haven’t been back since. Coincidentally, my brother lives not too far off.”

“Wow,” Cecily gasps. “They weren’t kidding about you being a missing person.”

“No ma’am.” She went from a missing person to missing a person. No wonder she’s spent the past year feeling so empty.

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

Mulder and Melissa get only the slightest moment to catch their breath before a child that is unmistakably the progeny of Dana Scully is carried into the lobby. Her hair curls around her ears in a cute mushroom top, her tongue dancing in her mouth like it has a mind of its own. They stare; they know better, but fuck it, if any baby is worth staring at, it’s this one.

“Is that--?” Mulder whispers.

“Yeah,” Missy breathes.

They’ve both seen the pictures, they are well aware that it’s her. They say these things for the awe of it.

“She’s…” Mulder’s eyes are wide. “She’s bigger than I thought she would be. Not fat, I mean. Just...a whole tiny human.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Melissa smiles at her niece, who is now seated on her caretaker’s lap across the hallway. Emily’s big eyes blink at her, containing silent judgements. How like her mother she is.

Missy elbows Mulder. “I bet she orders mushroom pizza and then picks the mushrooms off because apparently ‘the cheese tastes better than on the regular cheese pizza,’” she muses, naming one of her sister’s quirks.

Mulder likes this game. “I bet she vehemently denies the existence of extraterrestrials only to secretly believe that her dashing partner is right,” he offers.

Missy smirks. “I bet she would find this game very stupid if she understood it.”

“I’m all in on that one.” Mulder mimes pushing a pile of poker chips into the center of a table.

Missy laughs, looks toward her seat partner with soft eyes. “She’s gonna be a great mom, isn’t she? Dana, I mean?”

“Oh yeah.” Mulder clasps his hands in his lap. “We should be so lucky to have a little Scully in the world.”

“Mm-hm.” Missy focuses on his face, watching for the slightest move that might give his thoughts away. “And she’ll be able to do it alone, do you think?”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll need some help from Mrs. Scully, and you, and…” he trails off before adding his own name, but Missy’s mind fills it in reflexively. “She’ll need help,” Mulder finishes, “but yeah, she’ll be incredible.”

The details have already been parsed out. As a single mother, Scully is required to list a guardian who would take custody of Emily if something were to happen to her. She listed her mother as the primary one--the social worker told her it’s best if it’s someone who has child-rearing experience--and Missy as the secondary guardian. She would, after all, already live in the child’s household.

Then there was the matter of the job--its extensive time requirements, travelling, and danger level were all of concern to the agency. This came as no surprise to Scully; a single female FBI agent does not make the ideal adoption candidate. And though she hasn’t yet spoken to the Bureau, Mulder has promised her they’ll work something out. It can be like your leave of absence, he assured her. You tackle the paper trail and I’ll focus on following the suspect’s trail. Easy-peasy.

That’s what he says to her, though he’s terrified of losing her as his partner...Of her being reassigned to something simpler or leaving the Bureau entirely. She could teach at Quantico, that schedule would be a hell of a lot easier than running on Mulder time. Agent Scully can pack for hastily-booked flights at midnight then catch them at 7am, but Emily’s mother couldn’t. He will have to reckon with this if all the pieces fall into their graceful place. He’ll have to figure out how to rearrange their partnership for her, or even worse, how to live without her as his partner. Or maybe even at all.

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

Scully glances at her shoes, then summons the courage to meet Mrs. Lace’s hazel eyes. “I hope you will consider my request. I know it’s not up to you entirely--the court will have the final say--but my abduction experience has left me unable to have a biological child, so learning of Emily was truly a miracle of the highest order.”

Her voice clips as she takes a breath. “I understand that it would be a huge sacrifice on the part of your family, and that you’ve developed a bond with Emily over the past eleven months. I just ask you both to please...think about it.” Tears twinkle in her eyes. She made it, thank god, she made it without breaking down! She’s rehearsed that speech ten times over.

Cecily lays a hand on her husband’s arm. “Of course, Dana. It would be a painful sacrifice to us, you’re correct, but we understand that you’ve flown across the country to be here, and that you’ve brought witnesses to testify to your character, so your commitment is clear. We’ll listen and make as compassionate a decision as possible.”

Scully’s lips creep into a smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” She steps back, the weight of imminent sobs settling over her chest.

“Ms. Scully has already undergone most of the requirements needed for adoption,” the lawyer tells Mr. and Mrs. Lace. “Medical clearance, psychiatric clearance, criminal background check, and home study. In the spirit of her unique circumstances, California and the District of Columbia have agreed to cooperate to make the process as smooth and expedient as possible, if you should choose to surrender Emily to her. I don’t mean to sway your decision in any way, just to give you all the available information.”

The couple nods. “Thank you, Tanya,” Cecily answers. “We’d like to speak with the first witness now.”

Scully balks. She expected more questions, a barrage of them, as intense and prying as if she were testifying in front of Congress. And she was ready for that--she was prepared to do whatever they asked of her, to show that there are no lengths she wouldn’t go for Emily. She’s already documented every detail of her life for social services and given over the necessary specimens to prove that no, she’s not a drug user, and yes, her thyroid is hyperactive, but she takes medication for that and her doctor will confirm that it’s under control.

And if they wanted to know more, she’d tell them. She’d tell it all. Her deepest, darkest secret (telling Daniel that yes, he should leave his wife & kids...all for her, to be with her), the most petty thing that haunts her (stolen cigarettes, smoked on the family porch at 1am), what she wants to say most but can’t (I love you)...a part of her was taken to create Emily. She would give the rest away to keep her.

There was a moment, in one of the drab little interrogation rooms at DC social services, where Scully was met with a question that lunged toward her like a time-bomb. Pull the fuse, pull the fuse it taunted her. See what happens. Instead, she played it off. Pretended she didn’t hear its doomed tick. Feigned none the wiser. No, she isn’t aware of any potential medical condition that would inhibit her life expectancy or ability to care for a child, she told the nice woman. Thank god they got the chip out of her neck before it showed up on any x-rays.

She snaps back to reality, watching as the conference door opens, and her sister enters the room.

“Thank you, Dana,” Tanya says, and she assumes that’s the lawyer’s way of telling her to get out, so she does. Outside the room, she settles next to Mulder in a seat that’s still warm.

“How’d it go in there, champ?” he chatters. “You need some water or anything?”

Scully’s not listening. Her eyes are trained on the baby girl across the way with hair too auburn to be brunette that’ll require a smattering of box dye every two weeks to qualify her as a soulless ginger.

Emily’s eyes land on the woman she does not know is her mother, studying this new face with an infant’s usual curiosity. Mulder has realized by now that the little girl is of much more interest to his partner than he is, and he watches as mother and daughter wave to each other.

Scully lets out a laugh so strangled that for a moment Mulder thinks it’s a cry and jumps to comfort her. He relaxes back into his seat once he sees the joy on her face.

“She’s a sweetheart, huh?” Mulder wisecracks as the young girl jams her fingers into her mouth.

Scully beams. “She’s a baby, that’s her way of learning the world!”

“Hey, I’m not knocking it. That’s my personal preference as well,” he says with a lop-sided smile.

“Yeah, well, she’s not licking evidence,” Scully quips.

Mulder shrugs. “A man can’t help his oral fixation. Haven’t you ever heard of Freud…?” he lets it slide off his tongue.

Scully rolls her eyes. His inability to maintain an appropriate manner is nothing if not inspiring.

She gestures toward Emily. “You’re already encouraging bad behavior. Tsk-tsk,” she teases.

“That’s my job as--hey, wait. What’s she gonna call me?” If you get custody, of course passes silently between them.

“I don’t know, Mulder,” Scully says, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eye. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” That’s a lie. She’s sat up during the night trying to decipher Mulder’s relation to Emily. He would certainly be the male authority in her life, but that doesn’t make him a father figure. Right?

Scully adored her father because he was the head of the family, and he embraced the responsibility, always making sure they had what they needed. While her mother was often the one doing the grunt work of caring for them, her father provided for them. His long deployments with the Navy protected them. Scully understood his sacrifice and loved him for it

That’s not how it would go with Emily. If she were so lucky as to get the child, Scully would be the caretaker and the provider. A two-in-one deal with a high price. What would that mean, for Emily? Scully could do it, she believes that. Not that it would be anything less than utterly exhausting, but with a little help from her mother and her sister, she could make do, and they say it takes a village to raise a child anyway, so what’s so bad about that?

Since she’s filling those roles herself, that leaves...well, Mulder could be the fun uncle, that fits him. Bill Jr. isn’t gonna cut it, and neither is Charlie, considering that he’s god knows where. Besides, it’s unlikely that Mulder will get a chance to know a biological niece or nephew. He and Emily could fill missing pieces in each other’s lives.

Scully’s eyes trace the contours of her partner’s face. “Do you have a preference about what she calls you?”

“I was hoping for His Royal Highness Fox Mulder of Martha’s Vineyard--is that too much?”

Scully lets a strand of hair fall over her face. “It might take her awhile to get her tongue around that.”

“Or it’ll speed up her speech acquisition,” Mulder replies.

“Oh, you’re a child-rearing connoisseur now?”

Mulder twiddles his thumbs. “It is my goal to raise the first kid to transcribe canine language into English.”

“Really? I wasn’t aware of that,” Scully tells him, a smile flitting on her lips. It’s this kind of banter that keeps her sane. A few minutes out here with him, and she’s forgotten that what happens in that conference room will dictate the rest of her life.

Across the hallway, Emily giggles at the air, and it fits, doesn’t it? Here she is, already laughing at Mulder’s jokes like the Scully girl she is.

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

It feels like a prisoner exchange when witness number one in their civil-that-sure-feels-like-a-criminal case joins Scully back in the hallway, and Mulder is called forward “to the stand.” He swears he found a penny in the parking lot this morning & promises to bring back good news. Scully’s pretty sure he made that story up, but she’s no less hopeful that it’ll come true.

Returned from her brief stint in captivity, Missy dives right into a discussion of her niece: “Look at her, Dana, she looks just like you!”

“Well, she does have fifty percent of my DNA,” Scully concedes with an admiring glance at the little girl.

“Have you gone over to see her?”

Scully shakes her head. “I didn’t think that would be proper.”

“Are you kidding me?” Missy retorts. “First of all, Brian and Cecily are very nice people, and I’m not supposed to say this, but I think there’s a chance that Emily will be yours. Secondly, this could be your only opportunity to interact with your daughter and you’re not gonna take it?”

Scully bites her lip. Her sister knows how to craft an argument. “Alright, but you have to back me up.”

“Trust me, I wanna see her just as badly as you.”

Scully steels herself, then approaches the woman in the polo shirt. “Hello.” She does a polite half-wave, which she’s never done before and which makes her feel ridiculous. “I’m the potential adoptee, and I was wondering if I could say hello to this precious little girl.” It all feels completely out of character, like she’s reading lines from a script. But this is it, this is her reality.

The woman’s face offers little in the way of recognition. “You can have a supervised visit with her, yes,” she recites, as rehearsed as Scully.

“Great.” Scully claps her hands together. “May I take her to my sister right over there?”

The woman nods. Scully lays her hands on Emily’s waist and lifts the girl gently from the woman’s lap. She is heavier than Scully imagined, or maybe just heavier than she hoped. Every ounce is a reminder of unseen existence and unwitnessed growth.

Emily does not balk, just stares up at her mother with those probing eyes.

“Hi baby girl,” Scully coos to her daughter as she settles her against her hip. “Can you say hi? Have you got that one yet?”

The girl blinks. “Ma-ma.”

Scully crooks her neck, tries to reign in her racing imagination. All babies do this at this age, don’t they? Calling every woman mama and every man dada. Emily’s no exception. And yet...for that to be the first word her daughter has ever said to her. God winked at her, and she’s glad to have caught it.

The pair makes it to Missy, who blows a kiss in Emily’s direction. “Hey there little one.” She extends her index finger, and the girl latches onto it.

Scully cradles her baby’s head, Emily’s fine hair soft beneath her fingers.

“She’s even-keeled for a baby,” Missy remarks, wiggling her finger and watching Emily crack a smile.

“Yes,” Scully gurgles out of the sheer joy. She settles into her chair with Emily in her lap. “Do you know what she said to me?”

Missy looks up. “What?”

“Mama.” Scully dons a triumphant grin. “She called me mama.”

“Oh, no way!” Missy squeals. It’s a bit too loud and sudden, making Emily jump. The ladies laugh, and Scully pulls her daughter in closer, kissing the crown of her head. She still has that baby smell; the freshness of new life and all its purity. Scully sighs. It must have been even stronger when she was born.

Scully closes her eyes. If she had one chance to pause life somewhere along the way, to linger in a perfect moment longer, she would do it right now and she would never regret it.

“My baby…” she breathes into Emily’s ear, hoping it will stick. That one day she’ll remember and find her way home, should she need to.

A warm tear slides down Scully’s cheek and lands in Emily’s lap, a dark drop on the girl’s corduroy pants. “Mama loves you, Emily.” She tightens her embrace. “That’s me,” she sniffs. “I love you, Emily.”

Observing this, Missy feels that she is an interloper and slips off to the bathroom, leaving mother and baby to have their moment.

Scully strokes the girl’s tiny palm with her thumb. She has missed so much already, and my god, she could miss so much more. What is love, if not sacrifice? Hadn’t that been the takeaway from each week of Sunday school?

The conference door opens, and Scully finds herself irritated that life has failed to pause. Oh, what wouldn’t she do to take the reins from God, even for a moment? She looks up at Mulder, doe-eyed as he processes the optical illusion that is Emily and her mother. Said mother sees the tenderness on Mulder’s face as he comes to terms with this sight, and something in both of them breaks, and something else opens.

Mulder approaches quietly, apprehensive about ruining the moment. Little does he know, he’s not ruining it; he’s completing it.

“Hey,” Scully swoons. “How was it?”

He’s too earnest to crack a joke right now. “Less nerve-wracking than I expected,” he murmurs. “Brain and Cecily are good people.”

Scully can’t help but wonder if they’re hammering this point about Brian and Cecily to make her feel better when the gavel falls in their direction. Mulder directs her train of thought away from this when he kneels in front of Emily. His eyes are as soupy as ever, Scully notices; she could sink right into them.

“May I?”

Scully chuckles under her breath, like a stranger has just asked if they could pet her dog. “Of course, Mulder. Say hi.”

Over the past weeks, Mulder spent considerable time anticipating this initial interaction. First impressions are important, after all, and there is no one he has wanted to impress more than this sweet girl. Ultimately, he decided that he didn’t care what their meeting was, as long as it would be. And now that he’s here, knelt in front of his two favorite girls, he’s ready to make a promise.

He envelops Emily’s closed fist with one hand and uses the other to caress Scully’s palm. “I want you to know,” he begins, shifting his gaze between mother and daughter, “that I’ll always be here for you.”

He looks to Scully, realizing that Emily is unable to comprehend what he is saying. “Regardless of Brian and Cecily’s choice, I am prepared to make every sacrifice so that you two can be a family. The family you deserve to be. I know what it’s like to not have that, and christ, Scully, I’m not letting you go through that. You’ve had enough for one lifetime.”

Scully’s face puckers. She is moved on a dimension that transcends the spiritual, if such a thing is possible. She closes her eyes, lets the tears slip out, then softens her focus on him.

“Thank you, Mulder...Fox,” she effuses, needing to heighten the intimacy. “Emily and I…” she kisses her daughter’s temple again. “Well, you know. You already know.” Her voice is somber almost, reminiscent of a wedding vow’s binding utterance.

Mulder smiles up at them, pats Scully’s hand. “I know. Me too.”

There are many phrases that could fill her blank, but he chose his favorite, and he’s got an inkling that he’s right.

Scully sucks in a breath, and it’s the first one that has ever counted. Earth is new to her, again.

The door opens a second time, and the lawyer approaches with Brian and Cecily behind her.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lace would like to take some time to think about their decision,” Tanya announces. “You will understand, they hope…?”

Scully nods, swallowing back a lump in her throat. She would like to break into a tantrum, throwing chairs and screeching every obscenity she knows. Begging please, please, don’t let me miss another heartbeat. Let me live in this Heaven I’ve found. But no answer is better than an immediate rejection, so she screws her lips into a smile and gives away two more handshakes.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lace. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

#you guysss i have been excited for this chapter since day one!!!#it only gets more emotional from here ahhhh #hope you enjoy <3 #i am hugging anyone who reads this #only the light fic #missy and scully fic #the x-files #txf fic #txf #fox mulder #dana scully #melissa scully #mine

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side-effect-of-the-meds · 4 years ago

Note

I know it’s not what you usually write, but could you do hc’s for Nicky / Aaron / Neil learning the actual timeline for Andrew and Roland’s “relationship” and then completely cutting Roland out of their lives? Bonus points if Neil like, kills or calls up Ichirou to kill him :) thanks :) I need closure :)

Don’t we all, babe? Here’s a lil something for your trouble

“How old were you when you lost your virginity,” Andrew read off the block. All the Upperclassmen, save Renee leaned forward in anticipation. Amidst the flood of articles published upon Andrew’s admittance to Easthaven, the media had muddled much of the story in regards to the entire Pre-Thanksgiving Fiasco. While Neil had taken the time to clear things up with the Upperclassmen, he’d left out a lot of the details, namely Andrew’s history of trauma.

“It’s none of y’alls fucking buisness-” Aaron started.

“Seven.” It was as though someone had sucked all the air out of the room. “He was dating my foster mother. She knew what he was doing. So long as she got her check, she didn’t care.”

Folding his hands in his lap in an attempt to sate his urge to reach out, Neil let his eyes go out of focus. Every single fiber of his being ached to touch Andrew. For eight months, Andrew had stood by his side, quelling his every urge to run despite the looming threat of his father. Even after Nathan’s death, Neil had bolted awake in the middle of nights, iching to cut and run. Every single time, Andrew had hooked a hand behind his neck, drawn him close, muttered quiet reassurances until he’d smoothed over all of Neil’s ragged edges. Admitting this could not be easy for Andrew. Why he’d even done it, Neil didn’t know but he wished that he could offer Andrew with at least a fraction of the support he’d provided him in the last year. By nothing short of a miracle, he was granted the opportunity to.

Andrew’s arm dropped from off the couch back, settling across Neil’s shoulders. Immediately, Neil felt himself relax.

“How old were you when you chose to have sex for the first time?” Nicky asked, hesitantly. That wasn’t a distinction anyone should ever have to draw and it cut Neil deeper than any of his father’s knives.

“Seventeen,” Andrew answered. The Foxes collectively exhaled. In South Carolina, the age of consent was sixteen. It probably wasn’t a good call to grant hormonally charged teens the legal ability to consent to sex but what were they going to do? Have sex with an adult?

“Who was it?” Nicky asked. Aaron groaned, clapping his hands over his ears.

“Roland,” Andrew admitted. The second the name left his lips, Nicky’s smile faltered. Aaron’s hands dropped away, his brows knitting together as they always did when he was sorting through something.

“No way,” Nicky laughed but it was false cheer. Concern welled in Neil’s chest. “Andrew, when you were seventeen, Roland was…”

“Twenty-three,” Aaron said. His voice was empty, devoid of all the fury painting his features. “He was twenty-three years old and you were a child.”

“I’m more than capable of making my own-” Andrew started.

“No you fucking weren’t!” Aaron roared. “He was your boss. Not only was he older than you, he was in a place of power.” Once more, a pregnant silence fell over the Foxes. None of the Upperclassmen nor Kevin deigned to intervene.

“Aaron-” Andrew began.

“No,” he snapped. “I don’t- I can’t,” Aaron said as he rocketed out of his seat. Storming through, he knocked into the table and sent the jenga tower toppling.

“How about we call it a night?” Matt asked. He didn’t wait for an answer before he began clearing away the blocks. Renee moved next, clearing up the glasses and coaxing Dan and Allison to help her with the dishes. Nicky stood, his movements mechanical as he made his way from the room. Kevin followed him out in silence. It wasn’t until everyone had left the room that Andrew moved. Unfurling from where he’d curled up on the couch, he drew his arm back from around Neil and stood.

“Andrew,” Neil called quietly. There was something poisonous in the gaze he turned on Neil but it did nothing to deter him. “He wasn’t just older or your boss. He didn’t respect you.” Andrew’s lips curled in a snarl. “You had to handcuff him just to keep his hands off you.” Neil’s voice broke near the end but he didn’t care. It seemed to break something in Andrew too.His apathetic facade fell back into place but there were cracks in it now. From the slump of his shoulders to the muscle ticking in his jaw, Neil could see how their words had affected him. Andrew didn’t believe in regret for it was the result of shame and guilt. Surely, he felt neither of those things now. There was no shame in sating his desires. All teens had them. There was no guilt in it either. He wasn’t the one that had done anything wrong.

Fishing his cigarettes out of his pocket, Andrew slipped one out of the carton and lit it up. He headed out the door with Neil at his heels. They parted ways at the door to their room, Andrew headed for the stairwell in search of some time to clear his head and Neil headed for their bed to give him the space he undoubtedly needed.

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

“How was y’alls weekend?” Bee asked, chipper as ever. “I heard you forwent the usual Columbia outing in favor of going to one of Dan’s game night.” Aaron’s heart stumbled. A wave of anger washed over him, thinly veiling the anguish beneath. Seven. Andrew had been hurting since he was seven. Not only that, but he’d allowed the unthinkable.

“How can you stand him?” Aaron asked, his body trembled as he struggled to contain his anger.

“How can you stand her?” Andrew countered. As always, he looked entirely uninterested in the proceedings. He was slumped down in his chair, absently stirring his hot chocolate.

“Tilda didn’t rape me.” Bee sat a little straighter. Immediately, her gaze flicked towards Andrew. Aaron watched as Andrew set his cup back onto the desk.

“I trust Neil.”

“Like you trusted Roland?” Aaron’s voice came out sounding cold, empty, and nothing like himself. Fury lit up Andrew’s face. “He was twenty-three, Andrew. An adult! You were seventeen. What the fuck were you thinking?” A heavy silence settled over them. Bee always gave the boys a few minutes to cool down or pick up the conversation without her own intervention. Just as she opened her mouth, Andrew spoke.

“It was the first time I’d felt in control of things,” he said finally. “Everyone was always taking what they wanted from me. My… arrangement with Roland was purely transactional. I got him off and I got to feel like I was in control.” Andrew picked his mug back up from the desk. Aaron watched as he drained it in one go. “In retrospect, I see that I wasn’t. My sense of control was an illusion that Roland allowed me to maintain so that he could get what he wanted.”

“That’s a very interesting insight, Andrew,” Bee remarked. She made several notes on her clipboard as Aaron digested his brother’s words. That was all they had time for. The two of them allowed Bee to walk them to the door of the clinic and drove back to the court in silence.

Despite it being the middle of practice, Nicky was standing in the parking lot.

“Hey,” he said, plastering a smile to his face at the twins’ approach.

“What are you doing?” Aaron asked. He watched as a shiver ran down his cousin’s spine at the chilly tone.

“I left the flash drive with all my old photos of Erik at the house a while ago. I’ve gotta go grab it so I can make him a video for our 7th anniversary! Kevin’s letting me borrow his car too. How was Bee?” Neither of the twins answered. “Alright, good talk!” Nicky called after them.

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Good talk indeed. It seemed that neither of the twins suspected a thing. Cutting the engine on, Nicky peeled out of the lot. A month after Riko’s death, the Ravens had sent his old car to Kevin. They’d said that, as his brother and closest family member, Kevin should be the one to inherit all his belongings. Of course, their intentions weren’t as pure as the media portrayed them to be. Every single one of Riko’s belongings served as a reminder of Kevin’s time in the Nest.

The Foxes had held a bonfire on the beach in which they’d burnt all of it. Neil had attended as well. From what Nicky had managed to wring from him, his mother had died on a beach and Neil had been forced to burn her body.

“It won’t be easy,” Neil had admitted, “but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” The smile that had stretched across his had been so undeniably fox-like that Nicky had done a double take.

It was nice seeing Neil smile. It was even nicer to see the way Andrew relaxed around him. The two of them had been forged in the hellfires of their upbringings into the most wicked blades in the Fox arsenal. But that didn’t mean they were invincible. Even the sharpest of knives could be scratched and chipped and, eventually, broken.

Ever since Andrew first arrived in Columbia, Nicky had sworn he’d protect his cousins to the best of his abilities. He’d never once managed it. In fact, more often than not, Andrew was the one protecting him. It was time he paid him back for it.

Nicky pulled into the parking lot of the ramshackle apartments at the edge of Columbia in record time. Atop his car, lounged a familiar figure.

“Nicky?” Roland called as he sat up. His eyes were red and he reeked of weed. “What are you doing all the way out here without Andrew?” Nicky could feel his blood boiling beneath his skin.

“When did you start sleeping with him?” Nicky asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. Roland’s brows knitted together as he thought.

“Started maybe… four years ago? It ended as soon as your little runner joined the line, though. Shame,” Roland said, sliding off the trunk of his car, “Andrew was the best I’d ever had.”

“Do you know how old he was?” Nicky demanded. There was no hiding the way it trembled now.

“He was seventeen.” The answer was immediate and it knocked the air out of Nicky’s lungs. “He was legal,” Roland said with a shrug. The old one two, he heard Matt say in his head. It suddenly struck Nicky that Roland was older than he was.

“He was a child,” Nicky roared. “My child!” Before he even realized, Nicky had closed the space between them. His hand came up, curled in a fist. The jarring pain of his own knuckles connecting with the side of Roland’s jaw knocked him back into his body.

“What the fuck, Nicky-” Roland started but, as he looked up from where he’d fallen, terror washed over his face.

“Don’t you ever speak to me or my boys again,” Nicky snarled. The drive back passed in a blur. Making his way up the stairs mechanically, Nicky headed back to his own room. When he opened the door, he found Andrew settled on the couch with Neil in his lap and a controller in his hands. Aaron was stretched out on the other couch, watching the screen.

“Can’t wait to lose a fourth time, can you, Minyard?” Matt taunted.

“Fuck off, Boyd,” Andrew snapped. Aaron laughed, warm and bright, and the sound filled the room. Nicky watched as Andrew’s gaze flicked over to his brother, the ghost of a smile flickering across his mouth. My boys, Nicky thought with a smile.

“Come on, Nicky,” Matt called. “I need someone who’ll put up a real challenge.”

“Get ready to have that fine ass of yours handed to you,” Nicky shot back.

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“You’ve missed quite a few birthdays,” Neil said, offhandedly.

“That’s a helluva birthday present, Abram,” the man on the other end of the line remarked.

“It is,” Neil agreed. The man huffed an exaggerated sigh.

“Fine. You’ll have Roland’s head by the end of the week.”

“Thanks, Uncle Stuart,” Neil said. He could feel the cruel smile curling his lips but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was one of the monsters after all.

#just a pipe dream #the foxhole court #tfc #all for the game #all for the gay #aftg #andrew minyard #andrew joseph minyard #andreil #neil josten #neil abram josten #nicky hemmick #twinyards #minyard twins #wholesome twinyards #reveal to me your deepest desires

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percontaion-points · 3 years ago

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Raven King chapter 6

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions.

Chapter 6

Nicky was bringing Jim from his improv class...

I thought Nicky had a long-term boyfriend?

Well, if he did, he probably doesn't anymore. Not with all of Nicky's jokes about cheating and him taking some rando to the big dinner.

Blackwell was slow to appear in the distance, but it didn't take long to spot the two stadiums. The football and Exy stadium were on opposite sides of the campus like massive bookends.

I'm still having a really difficult time swallowing that society completely shifted because of a sport invented some 30 years earlier.

Like I'm willing to overlook a lot for the sake of a story. But for society to just go completely and utterly apeshit over a 30 year old sport makes zero sense. AND I READ THE STORY WHERE THE LADY HAD SEX WITH THE LITERAL BULL.

Wymack pulled a bottle of vodka out of the bag and put it down beside Kevin. "You have ten seconds to inhale as much of this as you can. I'm timing you. Go."

It was alarming how much a man could drink when he needed an emotional crutch.

WOW THAT'S SUPER FUCKING HEALTHY.

Like I get that his foster-father and brother abused the shit out of him. But therapy is much better than alcoholism.

Madison was using the home locker room to change right now, so the Foxes had to go all the way around to the away side.

I really love how there's this big fancy banquet dinner where they invite all of the college exy teams, and they literally have to change in the locker room.

My high school did this band banquet, too. But we didn't have to fucking eat dinner out on the football field with our parents... We had the school cafeteria for the evening.

Out of touch author can't even think of a world where these idiots would want to rent a banquet hall. Oh no... it's got to be at the fucking stadium, for some unholy reason.

Judging by Neil's quick headcount, the Ravens hadn't brought dates. They hadn't brought any color along, either. All twenty-two of them were dressed head-to-toe in black. The twenty men wore the same shirts and slacks, and the two women wore identical dresses. They even sat the exact same way, all with their right elbows on the table, all of them with their chins in their hands. Another team might look foolish going so far, but somehow the Ravens looked imposing.

I joke about the fox characters outside of Neil, Kevin, and Andrew being cardboard cut-outs... but this ain't got nothing on those cardboard cutouts.

"I know who you are," Riko said. "Who here doesn't? You're the woman who captains a Class I team. You've done admittedly well despite your disadvantages."

CASUAL SEXISM.

The man to Riko's right stood up as soon as the Foxes were settled and walked behind the Ravens until he was across from Neil. Two fingers to the woman's shoulder got her out of her chair and she moved to the newly-emptied seat. The stranger sat across from Neil. As he did the Ravens fell out of their frozen poses, but they did so only to lean back as one in their chairs.

Did they practice this ahead of time?

The black three tattooed on his left cheekbone meant he could be no one but Jean Moreau.

Imagine getting a tattoo of a college sports number. Of which you would only get to play for a few years before being forced out.

It took him only a few seconds to realize the Ravens were coming. The entire team was crossing the court toward Kevin, walking in V formation like a flock of birds going south.

I can't with her descriptions of the Ravens. Like one team's colors are orange and white, and the other is black and red. ONE OF THEM IS GUD AND THE OTHER IS EBUL. THE RAVENS ARE EBUL, AND THEY'RE ALL HENCHMEN ROBOTS.

"We're sure it is," the Raven striker said, "seeing how you're dating a prostitute."

"Stripper," Dan corrected...

[…]

Neil tried not to stare at her. He would have dismissed the Raven's insult as an outright lie if not for Dan's easy response. Too late he remembered her telling him she'd worked an overnight job during high school to make ends meet.

THE AUTHOR DOES REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE 18 TO WORK JOBS LIKE THAT... RIGHT?! Like please tell me that the author didn't write about a 15 year old getting a job as a stripper.

This series is bad enough without needing to drag child strippers into the mix.

The others fell asleep within a few miles, but Neil spent the entire ride thinking about Riko and his father.

Chapter 6 summary: So it's time for the banquet. They do a random lottery draw where they decide which school will host the banquet this year. The school picked is only about four hours away. The banquet itself lasts for two days, in order to justify some of the travel time for those further away. However, the foxes are of the opinion “fuck that; we're not staying the entire two days”.

As they get closer to the school, Kevin starts to have a panic attack. As the others leave the bus, David gives Kevin some alcohol, and tells him to chug it. Which... yeah, that sounds fucking healthy. They have to change out in the locker room, which is fucking weird if you ask me. And then they go into the stadium, which has been turned into a banquet hall. The sight makes Neil angry, and mood. Rent a fucking banquet hall for this, assholes.

They're upset to see that the foxes are randomly supposed to be sitting across from the ravens. And the ravens are all dressed like evil henchmen, and are even randomly acting in unison. Talk about zero personality. David warned the others not to pick a fight, but obviously wasn't counting on Riko bringing his planet-sized ego with him. A rando Raven player named Jean-- who is the embodiment of every French stereotype you can think of-- starts to antagonize Neil, and calls him by a bunch of Neil's former names. He then moves on and starts insulting everybody else.

Their little pissing match goes on for a long while. But hey, it's not like anything else is going on, so this might as well happen, I guess. Finally, Riko antagonizes Neil into speaking, and Neil calls Riko out on his shit, saying that he's a whiny, entitled little brat who doesn't have anything going for him. Then, Jean and Riko start to act like they “own” Neil, which has fucking creepy slavery undertones to what they're saying.

David finally shows up to say that they're trying to move the foxes to another table. As they get up to leave, Jean can't help but name-drop Neil's father. The others rally around Kevin and Neil once they're away. Kevin is sent back to the bus to drink some more liquor, and Neil thinks about following. Not only that, but just fucking leaving. But he doesn't, because then this series would be put out of its misery.

After dinner, then they put all of the tables away and everybody starts socializing and networking. The ravens come over, act like they've never met the foxes before, but then continue to insult them. I'm really fucking over this. Riko's uncle and the raven coach comes over. The two teams awkwardly stare at one another, and the only thing this scene needs is some dramatic finger snapping. Tetsuji says that he ran fingerprint test off of a glass Neil drank out of back during that dumb morning talk show, and knows who he is. He yells at Neil about crimes that Neil's dad committed against The Family©, as if Neil himself personally did all of that. However, Neil stands his ground and refuses to be bullied by these assholes.

Matt finally drags Neil away, and threatens to tell the exy board about Riko's shit behavior and have him benched for the rest of the season. They all go back to the bus finally, and start to head home.

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dayzone · 4 years ago

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perfect court/dark academia aftg au

so if u know me u know I love crime aus and rich kid dark academia aus SO

kinda perfect court au where the ravens + neil (nathaniel) + kevin + andrew all attend a v posh private boarding school in a town where all the residences know that the boys who wear those uniforms mean trouble but no one does anything bc 1. their daddies are rich as fuck and 2. their trouble tends to be mostly harmless to those outside of their school

(ft. kevineil, jeaneil, + kandreil (kinda))

kevin, riko, and nathaniel have been joined at the hip ever since riko’s uncle adopted kevin when he was like 5

riko and nathaniel already knew each other but they had their tempers, even when they were toddlers, so it was hard for them to get along until kevin came in to play middle man between the two of them and nathaniel and riko still get into petty little fights but kevin smooths it all over

(page break bc this got long)

despite what their popularity and old money might suggest they were... pretty much just like every other kid their age and were kinda nerds

of course, at this age, nathaniel already knew how to wield knives and his skin was littered with suspicious scars, riko had been attending therapy for his anger and such since he was 8 years old, and kevin’s anxiety could rival that of a college student during finals week but no kid is perfect in this town

so they would do silly things like make up their own intricate coded written language to leave each other messages in their hidden treehouse that they built themselves, that even their parents don’t know about

when their school started offering latin in middle school they took to it like a house on fire

not only could they have a secret written language but they could learn an obscure speaking language together, they were so excited

going back to where it was mentioned earlier, they built a secret treehouse back in the woods that separate the wesninski and moriyama households that neither of their parents know about

they go there constantly, to study, to hang out, to get away from their parents when nathan is too heavy handed, mary is too overbearing, tetsuji is disappointed, when kevin hasn’t been able to get his mother’s death out of his head

kevin tells them irish folktales that kayleigh told him when he was younger, and the three of them start to collect books about the tales that they leave in their hideout. whenever one of them is upset or having a panic attack, one of the others will hold them and tell them a tale they've memorized to help ground them

kevin told nathaniel that he wished he could send a far darrig after nathan when nathaniel came to the treehouse with the burn of an iron on his shoulder

(nathaniel always tells kevin that this was when he knew he loved kevin)

they meet jean in their freshman year of highschool

his older sister lives in the area and eventually he tells the three boys that he was sent to america from marseilles because his parents got tired of their fifteen year old child getting in trouble for street racing all throughout france when he was supposed to be attending galas and yacht parties; he was the middle child anyways, and he knew his parents cared more for his sisters which was fine by him (“honestly, nat, I don’t care about their approval anymore, stop threatening to eviscerate them.”)

nathaniel is a little bit in love the first time he makes jean smile, and a little bit enamored when he makes jean laugh

kevin knows the dangerously smitten look in nathaniels eyes from experience; hes grown up with those sharp blue eyes always pointed his way. kevin just rolls his own knowingly before nodding at nathaniel and hiding a smile

theres nothing official going on between nathaniel and kevin or even nathaniel and jean but everyone knows and no one talks about it

everything is good and well until the summer of their senior year

the four of them spent their highschool years so far sneaking around cops, evading the law, eating ice cream at 3 am at the overlook above town, jean taking them on joyrides and using tetsuji’s money and nathaniel’s smile to get whatever they want; theyre all a little bit in love with each other, even riko

until kengo dies

thats riko’s final breaking point

kevin day is the one who eventually files a missing persons report after finding their hideout soaked in blood fresh enough to smell and jean no where to be found

nathaniel wesninski is the one who finds kevin curled up and shaking, silently sobbing at the base of the tree, blood and dirt smeared over his hands and clothes

riko moriyama is the one who gets mysteriously shipped off to a different boarding school on the other side of the coast without saying goodbye

andrew minyard is the one who starts to decode messages that are being left daily in a seemingly abandoned treehouse that he found in the woods at the beginning of senior year when he was trying to escape his new foster brother, the wood of the structure stained a suspicious red

jean moreau is the one missing

YEAAH tell me how u feel about this and if u think I should elaborate on this more,,,

part 2

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ultrahpfan5blog · 3 years ago

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Retrospective Review: Spectre (2015)

So going into Spectre, expectations were incredibly high. Skyfall was a massive triumph and the entire cast and director were coming back. Christoph Waltz cast as the villain seemed to be idea casting. I loved Andrew Scott as Moriarty in Sherlock so he was also a welcome presence. I remember that the first teaser was brilliant and I was convinced that the film was going to be excellent. What we got was unfortunately a mixed bag. Spectre is a movie that s not as bad as some people make it out to be, but is a relative disappointment compared to Skyfall, which was its immediate predecessor.

I would say that Spectre is a film with a bit of an identity crisis, Craig's Bond films are decidedly modern. Breaking away from lot of the known aspects of Bond films from previous eras. This has what has distinguished his movies from others. However, Spectre is a film that is trying to be classical Bond in some ways, with the bomb in the watch, the villain with a lair with a torture device, the almost wordless henchman etc... and still trying to be modern and continue on from Skyfall with a plot concerning global surveillance and intelligence. And the film has a difficult time juggling these aspects. In my opinion, Spectre is about 2/3 a pretty good movie, with a final act that just feels lazily written.

The storytelling in the movie is not as airtight as it should be. While I had a few issues with Skyfall storytelling, the issues with Spectre are a bit more apparent. The opening of the film is outstanding. Might be the best opening sequence of all Bond films. And its probably the best of the action sequences. But the film never really tells us why Bond takes Siara's ring. How did he know that ring is important? Its just one of those questions that isn't answered. There is also a bizarre personal connection between Blofeld and Bond which was completely unnecessary. What it does is raise a really bizarre coincidence that the boy who was Bond's foster brother grew up to be his arch nemesis. There is also the case of trying to retcon Mr. White a bit and make every single movie a part of an overarching narrative. Until Spectre, Skyfall felt separated from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Spectre tries to tie all these movies together in a rather clumsy manner.

A part of the issue is that Blofeld is supposed to be this grand, maniacal head of Spectre, but he comes off as a pompous blowhard rather than genius villain. He doesn't actually do anything in the movie. He shows up and claims credit for manipulating the events of the previous movies, bragging about how powerful he is, and then does nothing much else of note. It feels like a waste of an actor who is perfectly suited for the role. Waltz does what he can with the role but in the end he can really elevate it to the level that we got from Bardem in Skyfall or Mads in Casino Royale. I would say he's better than Greene just because its Christoph Waltz but it does feel like a role he could do in his sleep. Andrew Scott is the secondary villain and he's also a bit annoying. Again mostly there to lord over his power over M. He's essentially just an antagonist for M. Ironically, the villain that leaves the most effect is Dave Bautista who is an impressive physical presence. I think he says only one word all movie but he does make a significant impact. His entry scene is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Lea Seydoux has a very significant role in the movie as Madeline Swann. Her relationship with Bond is built as a legitimate romance. I felt that her performance was pretty strong in the movie, but the film doesn't use her all that well. By the final act, she's again reduced to a damsel in distress for Bond. Another issue is that the chemistry between Craig and Seydoux is a bit lacking. Given the film tries to pitch this as a love story for bond where he could finally have a life outside of being an assassin, its a bit of a problem, especially because his chemistry with Eva Green was so strong. Monica Bellucci shows up briefly for a complete throwaway role. She could have been removed without it making any difference to the movie. She's literally there to appeal to old school Bond fans where you get to have Bond seduce a woman into helping him. Naomie Harris is back and wonderful as ever as Moneypenny and she and Craig continue to have a fun banter and she's certainly more actively involved than previous Moneypenny's. However, she is a tad wasted.

All the returning cast members are top notch. Ben Whishaw continues to be brilliant as Q and one of the highlights of the movie. His relationship with Bond is really fun and he gets to have a substantial role in the movie. Fiennes is excellent in the movie as well, as he always is. Rory Kinnear as Tanner is a background presence but is enjoyable. Jesper Christensen reappears early on in a vital scene as Mr. White. They try to retcon him into a character with some morals which doesn't really work when you remember him from CR and QoS, but its a well acted scene.

Daniel Craig continues to be excellent in the role. He continues to have touches of humor throughout the movie and excels in the action scenes. He manages to carry the film through its weaker moments. At this point, you can tell he's very settled into the role. He continues to add little touches to his performance which I love. Like after his early dispute with M, he is clearly irritated that he is suspended but he tried to be polite but because he's annoyed he's unable to button his suit smoothly. I don't know if that was just something that happened accidentally or it was on purpose but it was a cute moment. Similarly when he's admiring the car and Q tells him its going to 009, you can tell his annoyance as well as his irritation when he's handed a watch.

The action in the film is all pretty solid. Like I mentioned, the opening action sequence is the highlight. The train fight sequence is pretty cool. You see Bond getting his ass handed to him for once. The plane scene in Austria is pretty excellent. There is a dull car chase scene which feels awfully like a car commercial with completely empty streets. The climactic action sequence is a bit low key compared to previous movies. Like I mentioned earlier, there is something a bit lazy about the final act and climax suffers as a result. It should have probably been better because it is basically just Bond and Madeline avoid the destruction of a building and shooting down a helicopter with Bloefeld in it. I did like that the movie emphasizes the idea that being an assassin also means you have to be sure whether killing someone is the right thing at the time. And I liked the symbolism of Bond choosing not to kill and choosing to leave it behind and be with Madeline.

The film has its plusses. The first 2/3 are entertaining despite some flaws. Its only the last act that doesn't work for me. I think this is a decent Bond film. It could have been edited down a little but Mendes does a good job directing the film. I am glad its not the final film even though it ends in a way where it could have been Craig's swansong. I am hopeful that No Time to Die gives him a better send off. This film is a 7/10.

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palmett-hoes · 5 years ago

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Picture young and/or Medicated Andrew going out of his way to step on every single sidewalk crack he can. Tilda might be dead, but spite is immortal

(okay first of all this is such a vivid image. i remember being 6 and timing my steps to avoid the cracks)

but yes i can totally imagine this!

on his meds i think there's a certain level of irony at play, so he's walking with aaron and he's bored. he and aaron almost never speak to each other directly but maybe aaron's getting too cozy with his lab partner and maybe andrew wants to start a fight.

"aaron. aaron. psst. hey, aaron. aaron, look here. aaron"

and aaron's trying SO hard to ignore him bc he KNOWS andrew's just going to do something fucked up and crazy as soon as he looks, but he's got a short temper and eventually he gives in

"WHAT!"

and andrew's looking at him with that stupid, awful grin on his face and he says

"play a game with me."

"no"

"c'mon, brother dear, play a game with me, for old times sake"

they've only known each other face to face for two years. there is no old times sake, but andrew keeps going

"it's easy, look. step on a crack, break your momma's back"

bastard.

he's already standing on a huge crack that splits the sidewalk in half, anyway. he doesn't even move, just looks down at his feet and says

"oh look, i won"

and bursts out laughing

like it's fucking funny

like that wound isn't still fresh

like he didn't murder aaron's fucking mother!

he's so angry he can't even speak, he just runs away until he can't hear andrew laughing anymore

as a kid though? as a kid i think it's different

as a kid, he's young, very young, maybe four or so and he's on his second or third house, and he's starting to really understand that this is his life. he's going to be shuttled around from house to house forever.

sometimes the other foster kids tell him about their parents. about how long their dad has left in his prison sentence or how their mom is back in rehab or how their handler just found their grandma and that soon they'll be home, with their family, their REAL family.

and andrew used to think that, someday, his real family would come for him, too. that it was just a matter of time.

but he's only four and he understands now. no one is coming for him. his mother doesn't want him. she's out there but she didn't want him and she went through every effort to make sure he couldn't find her. he has no last name. no signature on his birth certificate.

the closest thing he has to a mother is the state of california that named him (because god knows whatever miserable woman he crawled out of hadn't bothered to give him a name) and sends a weasily little man every two months or so to make sure he's still alive in whatever shithole house they've stored him in. and it's never going to stop.

so he rages. he stomps on all the sidewalk cracks he can, over and over and over. trying to smash to concrete.

he knows the rhyme and he knows how the kids who have someone coming for them avoid the cracks, just in case, and he hopes that it works because he wants his mother to suffer. he wants that woman to bleed and break for abandoning him without so much as a name

except it probably won't, because she's not even his mother. she made that very clear.

#thank you SO much for this ask #i LOVE bitter jaded angry child andrew #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #tilda minyard #txt #fic #my posts

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kingofbr00klyn · 4 years ago

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Newsies prompts! Yeah! Um... 1. Jack being a big brother to Race. 2. Crutchie and Racetrack getting into some trouble together. 3. Jack and Spot caring for some of the littles. Pick one or write them all idc. Can’t wait to read!

Hi this took me like 4 days to write, I thought it was longer than that but okay, I have loads of other stuff in the works, this is just the first one I finished. Sorry for the wait. So this is for the prompt we’re Crutchie and Race get into trouble.

I tried to mix both 1992sies and livesies in this, but I don’t think it really comes across. Also, this story is ever so slightly exaggerated, but oh well. But it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, so this probably isn’t the best.

This will also be found on my AO3 account.

"Remind me ta never listen ta you again."

"How was I'se suppost ta know this would 'appen?"

"Well, I dunno. But now I’m in trouble because a’ summing I didn’t even do."

“Oh c’mon! Nuthin’ bad happened. I came out worse than you did. You get to go home scot-free.”

“But still. This is all your fault an’ I’m gonna make sure everyone knows it.”

"Wow, Crutch, whatta' way to throw a pal under da bus."

"You'se deserve it."

Race rolled his eyes and sulked further down into his chair, only to regret it when the hard plastic rubbed uncomfortably into his back. He glanced at his companion, who looked just about as shit as he felt. Crutchie kept nervously running a hand through his hair and fidgeting with the helm of his shirt, he looked like someone who had just been caught doing something illegal. Oh wait, that's because he had. Let's take a step back, shall we?

2 hours earlier.

Crutchie stood outside his door step, awaiting Race's arrival. The two had decided to spend the evening together, since none of their other friends were available. Race had said he would pick him up at 6. After Crutchie's watch ticked 6:15, Race's old TP Cruiser pulled up. He wore a bright, cheeky grin as he leaned over to open the passenger side door. "Get in loser, we're going shopping!" Crutchie gleefully obliged, grabbing his crutch and sliding into the front seat.

"Are you ready for the funnest night of yer life?" Race asked, a unlit cigar hanging loosely from his mouth.

Crutchie laughed. "We'se just goin' ta the diner on 4th, ain't we?"

"Nope," Race grabbed something from the cupholder beside him and handed it to Crutchie. "Just got this from my guy. Thought we'd treat ourselves tonight." It was a fake ID.

Antonio Higgings

11/12l1997

XXX XXXX XXX

XX/XX/XX

"Yer guy?" Crutchie snorted, handing the card back. "You'se mean Albert."

"Maybe I do. Anyway, I'm low on cigs and shit, so I thought we'se stop by a corner shop and see how well this baby works." Starting the engine, Race pulled out of Crutchie's drive and set off for the nearest place that would give them what they wanted.

"What if we'se get caught? I don't wanna be done just because you'se got a nicotine addiction." Crutchie offered, messing with the diles for the radio.

"Then I punch Albert in the face," Race resorted. That drew a snicker from the blonde. "But seriously, don't worry 'bout it. Everthin's gonna be a-okay!"

Spolier altert; it wasn't.

After 10 or so minutes of driving, Race pulled to a stop and poorly parked the car. "Eh, good enough." He got out, with Crutchie tailing right behind him.

"You don't gotta come in. Ya know, cuz yer so scared of gettin' caught." The taller boy mocked.

Crutchie retaliated by hitting Race in the leg with his crutch. "I'm comin' wit' cha so you don't get punched in the face." Race forged offence, but waved off the comment.

The shop was small, just your regular off-licence, cheap booze with an even cheaper taste, the perfect thing to fuel Race's needs. A little bell rang as they opened the door, there weren't many people inside the shop, Crutchie noted the few middle aged men who were likely in there for similar reasons as themselves. Race swaggered to the front counter, an air of confidence around him. The shop clerk, a young man with a stoic expression, rolled his eyes at the tall blonde.

"What can I get you?" The clerk's tone was as cheerful as expected.

Race grinned cockily. "A smile would be a start, sweetheart," The shop clerk didn't respond, but continued to glare the boy down. "Okay then… A box o' ya finest Corona's and summa that scotch ya got up there." Race slapped $50 on the counter, along with his fake ID.

The clerk picked the card up, eying it suspiciously. Crutchie had a feeling this wouldn’t end well. “Yah think you’re funny, kid? Think I don’t know what a fake ID looks like?” The clerk said. “I’m gonna have to call the cops, you know.”

Race’s expression floored. Disbelief and fear quickly made itself at home. Crutchie felt a similar dread rise up in his stomach, he looked to Race for an inkling of what to do next, but the tall boy just continued to stare dumbly. Until he finally said, “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill Albert.”

As it turns out, the shop had an undercover officer outside the shop to deal with instances like this. The clerk called him in, and he escorted Crutchie and Race to the local station. Luckily, they had pretty much just been given a slap on the wrist and a call home. Except, since this wasn’t Race’s first offence, so he had also been slapped with a $50 fine.

The boys anxiously awaited the arrival of the parents. Race had already had a million and one messages from his brother, Jack. The sonva’ was having a field day with this. Text after text about how much trouble Race would be in, how he was grounded and how much shit Jack’s going to give him for this. Race ignored his brother, instead opting for spamming Albert with a variety of angry messages in all caps.

GottaGoFast - RedHeadHoe

19:05

GottaGoFast: ALBERT FUCKING DASILVA

GottaGoFast: U FUCKING BITCH

GottaGoFast: IM SO GOING TO KILL U

RedHeadHoe: ???

GottaGoFast: im at the police station

RadHeadHoe: oh what did u do now???

RedHeadHoe: OH

RedHeadHoe: YOU GOT CAUGHT

RedHeadHoe: HA

GottaGoFast: YEAH AND ITS ALL UR FAULT

RedHeadHoe: how is it my fault???

GottaGoFast: BECAUSE UR THE 1 WHO GAVE ME THE ID

RedHeadHoe: dude u didnt have to use it

RedHeadHoe: also i dont make them so it aint my fault

RedHeadHoe: blame my guy

GottaGoFast: ur guy?????

RedHeadHoe: ye

RedHeadHoe: skittery

GottaGoFast: ok but ur still dead

RedHeadHoe: cool

GottaGoFast: dentys gonna be here soon so gotta go

RedHeadHoe: good luck my dude

GottaGoFast: fuck u

RedHeadHoe: :)

Race slipped his phone into his pocket, just in time to see some familiar faces walk though the station door. Bryan Denton, Race’s foster father, walked up to the receptionist desk, before being pointed towards where the boys were sitting. Race looked at Crutchie, before straightening his back and putting on his most charming smile. "Heya Denty!" Race beamed, hoping to the gods above that this would go in his favour. Bryan didn't look particularly mad, but Denton never really got mad. It was like the man was incapable of it, it was great, and Race had done a lot of things that would cause any parent to flip their shit.

"Race," Bryan started, calm and collected as always."What were you thinking?" Okay, maybe it wasn't as great as Race thought, Denton's tranquill state was quite unsettling at the moment, Race had no idea what he was thinking.

"We'se just wanted to have a bit a' fun, ya know, teenage stuff," The blonde rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Did they'se tell ya 'bout da fine?"

"Yeah, they told me over the phone," Denton said. "I'll pay it and then we'll go home. Jack's waiting for us in the car.”

Race rolled his eyes. "Oh yay."

Crutchie didn't really pay much attention to the scene in front of him, he was too caught up in his own head. Fear and worry filled his thoughts, his grandmother wasn't the most forgiving then it came to things like this. Crutchie remembered once when he was 7 and snuck out of his room in the middle of the night to get one of the freshly baked cookies his grandmother had made that day, the elderly woman had found out about his midnight snack and boy was there hell to pay. She wasn't particularly mean or nasty, she could just be strict at times.

Times like these, Crutchie thought as he saw his grandmother barrel towards him with an expression that would make the toughest of men wet themselves. "Charles Andrew Morris! You are in so much trouble, young man!" Oh no, she used his full name. He really was a goner.

"Race, I don't think I'm comin' outta this alive…” Crutchie said.

Race snorted. "Don't worry, my dude, I got this." Crutchie didn't have time to ask what 'this' was, as Race stepped in front of him and greeted his grandmother.

"Mrs Morris, so good ta see ya 'gain," Race started. That diverted the woman from her path of destruction, as she instead gave the blonde a striking glare. The Italian tried not to shrink under her gaze, opting to continue with his sentence. "So um, ya see, Ma'am. It wasn't actually Crutchie's fault, it was mine. So, err, don't punish him for my mistake."

What?

Crutchie was in complete disbelief. And he wasn't the only one, Bryan shared a similar expression. While Race was a good friend, he was also a bit of an asshole, so him taking all the blame for this (even though it was his fault), was a surprise.

Crutchie’s grandmother eyed the boy suspiciously, before she turned on her heels and walked away. “Come on, Charlie, it’s time to go home.”

Crutchie was slightly dumbfounded, but didn’t question as he hugged Race. “Thanks man.”

Race winked and smiled. “No problem, Crutch. Text me if you ain’t dead!”

“Will do!”

RiceCrutchies - Racer

21:35

RiceCrutchies: Guess who aint dead :)))

Racer: yayyyy

Racer: so what happened

RiceCrutchies: Gran wasn’t very happy but she wasnt too mad

RiceCrutchies: Im grounded for 2 weeks tho

Racer: oh well at least we had 1 last night of fun before that

RiceCrutchies: Yea so how’d it go with Denton???

Racer: not too bad

Racer: im also grounded but they took my cigs at the police station so i need to get more from Albert

RiceCrutchies: You think you would have learnt your lesson but ok

Racer: 👌

Racer: i gotta go crutch see you in school???

RiceCrutchies: Yeah, see you and try not to do anything illegal between then

Racer: no promises

RiceCrutchies: 🤦‍

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