#love child between bubby and... well its not who you think

[higgs-the-god]

cricket peawee......

[ask-the-riders]

Eager Deal Maker

Not all demons enjoy making deals and stealing souls

But most of them thrive off of it

((Gonna add some warnings for implied abuse, implied domestic disturbances, threats, manipulation, threats against animals, and dark themes))

The drama was a frequent occurrence within the household, and frankly, none of it came as a surprise anymore. If anything, the demon found it amusing, and the negative environment fed him well. It began when the dumb brunette harlot moved in with her worthless drunk of a boyfriend. Naturally, her teenage daughter went with her; Not that she was  given a choice on the matter. The woman’s boyfriend also had a daughter of his own, who’d made it clear from the very beginning that she had no interest in befriending the other girl.

Living together wasn’t always the best, but it was doable. Then the family relocated, and a little time passed before the woman’s eldest child moved in with them, absolutely riddled with anxiety and depression. Of course, while Othni relished those emotions, it was the fear and anger that blossomed there that really caught his attention. First it was from the pair of siblings and their overactive imaginations, causing them to fear their new home’s basement. They despised the dirt and cobwebs, the old, musty odor, and the various dark crawl spaces. Their minds painted the image of monsters lingering in the gloom, and more than once, they feared that if they looked into the darkness too long, they’d catch something looking back at them. Othni had been so very tempted to indulge their imagination a little, and he contemplated all the various forms he could take to scare them.

He never got the chance, though. The rage that took hold of the house was located on the second floor, and it was provided by the daughter of the mother’s boyfriend. She was so angry and often carried the stench of jealousy, and Othni was intrigued. She had such an easy life; So he didn’t understand what she had to be angry about. Her parents loved her, she didn’t have to work even a single moment to attain anything she currently owned, she had a loving boyfriend of her own, and she had virtually the entire upstairs of the house to herself. She was bitter and ungrateful, and Othni could hardly believe some of the things that she had the audacity to say to her father. Hell, if he’d even considered saying such things to his father…

Othni shook off those thoughts, refocusing his attention on the present moment. Right now, a fluffy black cat that belonged to the pair of siblings was staring at him from across the small living room, it’s large, green eyes locked on his every move. He paused, stopping in the doorway that connected the living room to the kitchen, and he arched an eyebrow, watching the cat tilt its head and take one tiny, cautious step toward him. Smiling slightly in amusement, the demon slowly lowered himself to the floor and sat down, turning his body a bit and facing away from the cat. As he’d expected, the fluffball continued to very cautiously approach him, stretching its neck and sniffing the air. This was a creature that was pure of heart, and he could tell how timid it was, so he did his best to stay as still as possible. 

Crouched low to the ground, it crept even closer, slowly making its way around him and sniffing at his arms and hands. Looking up at him with wide eyes, its mouth hung open as it tried to process the new scent, and he chuckled, amused by the way that particular expression looked on its face. A door slammed upstairs and the cat immediately bolted for the stairs, likely to go hide in its owners’ room. Othni made a face, pouting as he watched it leave; It was fluffy and timid, and it reminded him of his precious Misfit. It saddened him ever so slightly that the fluffball was gone now, but he shoved the feeling aside. After all, he could always see it some other time. 

The stairs creaked and he vanished into the shadows, quietly watching as the resident home-wrecker descended. Usually she emitted nothing but anger and jealousy, but at the moment, she gave off a sick, twisted sense of joy and satisfaction. Noting the cocky smirk she wore, he frowned; Oh, wonderful. Just what in the hell had she done now?

He waited for her to pass from the room before he warped through the shadows and manifested in the shadows that occupied the guest room. Careful to stay out of sight, he took a deep breath, sensing the anger, frustration, fear, and despair from across the hall. The elder sibling’s anxiety had grown so much that it was almost suffocating, and he furrowed his brows in puzzlement. Again, he warped through the shadows of the house, manifesting a second time within the siblings' closed bedroom closet. Listening in, he caught the sound of sniffling, as if one of them was crying. When they spoke, their voice shook, “If she does anything to him, I swear… I’m gonna throw the bitch down the damn stairs. I’m not letting her get away with this.” As they spoke, he could hear the anger and venom that were laced into their words, and he tilted his head. 

He was all for violence and revenge, but just what was going on? The one that was speaking was usually so reserved and considerate of others. They reeked of kindness and empathy, and this was incredibly out of character for them. Willing to risk being seen, he warped through the small gap beneath the door, quickly finding a new spot just outside one of their windows. Peering inside, his eyes scanned the room before they settled on a piece of paper that laid on the foot end of one of their beds. Squinting a bit, he focused in on it, and then immediately bristled. On it, there was a threat to kill their cat, along with an additional insult. From the brief meeting he’d had with their little black fluffball, he could tell that it was a sweetheart. In such a short amount of time, it reminded him so much of Misfit that he felt his long dead heart give a small pulse in affection, and he found himself already harboring the urge to protect it. This… This wouldn’t fly. If these humans didn’t do something to protect it, then he’d be taking it with him, and that was all there was to it. 

“I can see you out there!” The other siblings' words caught Othni by surprise and he jolted, quickly ducking out of their line of sight. Hiding in the shadows again, he listened as the first sibling questioned them, frowning as they gave their response, “There was a shadow out there. It was all dark, and then I saw it move.” The demon mentally kicked himself for not being more careful and he remained frozen in place, waiting for their conversation to change before he moved again. When it did eventually drift back to the subject from before, he prepared to move, but then abruptly stopped, listening as he caught the tail end of something the first sibling had said, “-I wish demons were real. At this point, I’d willingly give one of them my damn soul if it meant getting rid of that bitch and keeping Bubby safe.”

A lightbulb went off in the demon’s mind, and a wide, sharp toothed grin stretched across his face; An opportunity to make a deal had just presented itself, it seemed. He didn’t even care if he laid claim to their soul or not, all that mattered was protecting their little feline friend. Grinning devilishly to himself in delight, he warped back into their closet and waited. Some time passed before their light shut off and the room became illuminated by nothing more than a small, handheld lamp, and he prepared himself, his tail and claws disappearing, his sharpened teeth becoming dull and human while his eyes faded and turned emerald green. He allowed his greyed skin to shift, becoming a more human looking color before he rapped on the door exactly three times and waited. 

Naturally, a few expletives slipped from their mouths, and he arched a brow. There was the sound of movement before the closet door slowly opened after a moment and the pair of siblings gawked at him. Clearing his throat, he took the most polite tone he could manage, “One of you wished for a demon to solve your recent problems for you, so here I am.” While the elder of the two continued to stare at him, the younger one seemed taken aback, “Uhh, no, we didn’t. Who the hell are you, and why are you in our closet?” The demon  couldn’t help the amused grin that found its way onto his face and he tilted his head, “One of you said they’d willingly give up their soul to get rid of that dunderheaded doxy across the hall and to keep your pet safe.” The younger sibling shot a look at the elder of the two, and the elder seemed to shrink back a bit, offering them a small, guilty smile. 

Shifting his attention to them, he hummed, “I presume it was you?” They sheepishly nodded, not quite meeting his gaze, and he warped through the distance between them, “Luckily for you, I can do that. I can get rid of her, and I can make sure your cat is safe. You caught me on a good day, so I won’t even ask for your soul.” The elder of the two siblings regarded him with a look of clear suspicion, narrowing their eyes, “…What would you be getting out of it? You’re a demon, so I don’t think you’d ever do anything just for the sake of being nice.” He chuckled lowly to himself; Oh, so they were a clever one. How interesting. 

The demon shrugged his shoulders, noting the way their cheeks reddened the slightest bit as he drew even closer to them and leaned down, wrapping an arm around them. Lowering his voice, Othni murmured, “I saw the note she left, where she threatened to kill your cat.” He paused, slowly letting his appearance shift back to normal. As his fair skin became greyed and his teeth sharpened, his eyes began to glow a vibrant shade of blue and his tail appeared, unwinding from around his waist. It curled around the elder sibling’s waist and he dug his clawed fingertips into the fabric of their shorts as he purred, “As you can probably imagine, I happen to love cats. If someone has the audacity to kill a cat, then I kill them. Simple as that.” Registering the change in his appearance, the tail around their waist, and his words, their eyes widened and they froze, unsure what to do.

Sensing this, he lifted his free hand, delicately turning their head so they’d meet his gaze. As their eyes met his, he offered them a sharp, charming grin, “While your soul would be a nice little add-on to this deal, I don’t need it. All I want is the satisfaction of ridding this home of someone who’d dare hurt an innocent animal. All you’d have to do is keep your mouth shut and let me feed off of the growing negativity here.” He stole a glance at the younger sibling, “Both of you. Do you think you could do that?” The siblings shared a look, the younger one nodding first before the elder nodded back. Meeting Othni’s gaze again, the elder sibling made a soft sound in agreement, “Yeah… We could do that.” He seemed to light up, his grin widening, “Wonderful, I’m glad! Since I am still making a deal with you though, I’ll need you to shake my hand.” Offering them a blackened hand, he patiently waited as they internally battled with themselves. 

A few seconds passed before they hesitantly took his hand, and his grin became mischievous. He tightened his grip on their hand and dug his claws into their skin, drawing a small amount of blood as he hissed, “Excellent, I’ll get started immediately, then. I’d suggest putting your headphones on… You might not want to hear the screams.” 

[enigmasalad]

Weddings Are Great And All But  My Mom Wants You Over For Dinner Tonight

It has been a boring day so far. Deceit was currently typing away on his fifth laptop (his personal one cause the other four are for his “business”). Remus had gotten a last-minute contract from a rather entitled older man who wanted one of his nephews or something killed. So here Deceit was, alone, bored and totally enjoying his day off. And even though he had just planned a “vacation” for them, he couldn’t get rid of the sappy loneliness in his chest. He groaned and shut his laptop because he needed a nap.

He went to their bedroom, a relaxed form of exhaustion seeping into his limbs once he entered the room. He turned his head to where Jekyll and Hyde were. The twin-headed snake was taking a nap after a rather indulgent lunch. Deceit smiled softly at the sweet creature before falling back onto the bed with his arms spread out. As he shut his eyes, he let his mind become passive, letting each thought come and go. With each thought he slowly drifted to that state between consciousness and sleep.

He didn’t know how long he was in this state, but he did know that he was now more on the conscious side. A soft, fond smile graced his lips before he even thought about it. “Hello Remus. How was the hunt today?” he asked.

 Just as he thought, an uneven pitched giggle revealed that the crazed man was indeed there. Deceit opened his eyes to meet wide green eyes that were filled with a mischievous joy, the kind of joy a child who stole a toy from a person they didn’t like had. “Boo! I thought I could surprise you this time!” Remus laughed.

“Were you about to jump on me or something?” Deceit asked, raising a brow.

“Yep! You looked so peaceful I thought it would be funny to startle you!”

 Remus crawled into bed, still in his lightly bloodied clothes and curled up by Deceit’s side. Deceit moved one of his gloved hands to Remus’s hair and gently scratched the man’s head. Remus let out a low, relaxed noise and snuggled closer.

 “Turns out the whole family was in on the kill. They gave me a large tip for not getting the floors bloody!”

 Remus paused before laughing.

 “Heh! Large tip! Heh heh!”

 Deceit rolled his eyes but smiled none the less at the crude joke. He gave a kiss to Remus’s head. Remus perked up and went to go kiss Deceit. Deceit moved his free had to Remus’s mouth to block the kiss.

 “Did you dispose of the body?” Deceit asked.

 Remus huffed and pouted.

 “I did!” “Remus.”

 Remus sighed and slumped a little.

 “I did not eat the body this time.”

 Silence.

 “Or anything else from the crime scene.”

“Good boy.” Deceit softly praised.

 Remus grinned as Deceit removed his hand and kissed him. Remus immediately and eagerly kissed back. And as usual Remus had to make the kiss filthy the second his lips met Deceit’s. They kissed for a while, enjoying each other’s presence. When they split Deceit decided to tell Remus the news.

 “I arranged our little vacation.” Remus grinned and wiggled excitedly, moving Dee with him a little.

 “Oh fun! Oh, we can use the blood money to get some things for the trip! Like toys! You know I love take two Ds at once!”

“Damn it Remus.”

——-

 “Roman get out of the kitchen.” “What? I just wanted to see what you’re doing! It smells good in here!” “Roman get out of the fucking kitchen I swear to go-don’t touch that!”

“Ow!”

 Roman huffed and held the hand Virgil whacked with a wooden spoon. Virgil glared at him and pointed the spoon at him. “Fine, fine! I’ll just go to Patton’s side of the kitchen!” Roman pouted and quickly moved over to where Patton was mixing batter.

 Patton giggled as Roman hugged him from behind and peppered his neck and cheek in quick kisses. Roman smiled and looked at where Virgil was making fresh pasta dough.

 “You could have this too, but you whacked me with a spoon! Also why are you making fresh pasta when we bought the quick pasta?” Roman had to ask.

 Virgil looked at Roman with a deadpan look, stopping the pasta dough making process.

 “I’m half Italian Roman. You fucking know this.” He said

“Well sorry for asking. Just figured with the time constraint you put on

 Patton laughed again, interrupting

 “Your mom makes the best pasta so I’m glad we’re having her recipe!” he praised.

 Roman grinned as Virgil blushed and ducked his head down. The argumentative tension instantly vanished. Patton had that kind of amazing power.

 “Anyways dear heart, what are you making?” Roman asked Patton, swaying them both gently.

“I asked Imaj what we should have for dessert this time and he asked if we could have brownies tonight so Im making brownies!” Patton replied before tasting the batter.

“Oh fuck yeah.” Virgil said while smiling a little.

 The Petrovs love pasta and brownies more than life itself.

 Patton and Roman chatted, Virgil putting his input every now and then. They talked about how Ginerva and Rosita were at the store, wondering what they were getting there.  Patton brought up how excited his boss, Adam, accepted to come as Patton’s father to the wedding. Adam was Patton’s boss, but the southern man from the Lone Star State was the closest thing to an actual father Patton had. Plus, he paid for Patton’s top surgery out of his own pocket without asking for anything back, so the definitely liked him.

Plus he threatened to shoot them if they ever hurt Patton so..

 “Is there anything I can help with?” Roman asked, mainly because he was bored

“No.” “Not really but I’ll let you know!”

 Roman placed a kiss on Patton’s cheek before rushing to Virgil and kissing his cheek. He ran out of the kitchen with a laugh as he heard Virgil sputter and went into the living room where Logan was sitting on the couch talking to Missy while Imaj sat near the corner with his ukulele and sheet music.

 “-used the blood eagle torture method to sacrifice to Odin and also get rid of people who have no honor in their lives.” Missy was rambling, probably about Vikings.

“You are very knowledgeable about Vikings in..many aspects Missy.” Logan attempted to praise.

 It was a little awkward on how it came out but it made the irritable girl grin widely with pride. She pushed her Viking helmet up so it wouldn’t slide over her eyes.

 “Well duh.” Is all Missy had to say.

“Hello Tiny! Teaching Logan about Vikings again?” Roman greeted.

 Just like that, her smile turned back to her usual irritated frowny face.

 “Don’t call me tiny! Im going to rule the freakin world one day! Im not small!” She said, which only made Roman laugh fondly.

 He remembered when he had given Missy the nickname. She leapt off the couch and headbutted him in the gut so hard he curled up on the ground. Good..weird...good times.

 “And how are you right now Imaj? Still practicing?” Roman asked.

 Imaj startled upon hearing his name but he looked at Roman with a soft smile.

 “Mhm. I think I got it this time.” He answered quietly.

“Good! Will you be playing it for us sometime soon?”

Just like that, the young teen squeaked with embarrassment and pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head.

 “Nooooo..” he quietly whined.

“Alright, alright don’t disappear on me. I’ll leave you alone.”

 Roman sat down next to Logan and wrapped his arm around Logan’s shoulders, pulling the nerd closer.

 “And how are you my pocket protector?” Roman asked. “I am well as I can be.” Logan replied.

 Ah, Logan was nervous cause this was his first actual family dinner (and the first family dinner they’ve had since all four of them got together). It’s taken him a while to work up to this moment, but they were so proud of him.

Still didn’t mean Logan wasn’t nervous about it.

 “You’ll be fine mi amor. You know mama and Mrs. Ginerva love you.” Roman reassured.

“I know this, they’ve made it very apparent.” Logan said with a faint hint of a smile.

 Roman smiled and leaned in to give Logan a kiss. Logan huffed a laugh and met Roman the rest of the way.

 “VIRGIL YOUR BOYFRIENDS ARE BEING GROSS.”

 The two men were startled by Missy’s loud shouting.

 “I can’t help you right now! Cooking food!” Virgil called back.

“BUT ITS GROSS.” “You’re gross!” “NO YOU AND YOUR BOYFRIENDS ARE GROSS.”

 Patton came in, apron gone, and hands washed which meant the brownies were probably in the oven.

 “What’s this about being gross kiddo?” he asked. “They’re kissing!” Missy huffed.

“Kissing!” Patton faked a gasp.

 Missy nodded and crossed her arms grumpily. Roman watched as Patton came over and put his hands on his hips and gave a disappointed look.

 “Boys Im shocked at your behavior. How dare you be kissing-“ Patton then grinned widely. “Without me!” With that Roman’s arms were full of his bubby, kind boyfriend and Logan’s lips were being kissed by said boyfriend. Roman laughed as Missy let out a shriek and stomped to the kitchen. Soon Patton was kissing all over his face to, each kiss slightly ticklish and with an audible “mwah!” sound. They could hear Virgil chuckle from the kitchen. Logan was smiling softly, more relaxed with the ones he cares about near. Patton got up and sat next to the other side of Logan and held his hand tightly.

 “I’m happy we’re doing this. I’ve had family dinners before but..they lacked warmth.” Patton admitted.

“That’s one thing our family doesn’t lack is warmth.” Roman said with a grin. “Indeed. You and Virgil have…exceptional mothers.” Logan agreed.

 Roman grinned and wrapped around Logan’s shoulders.

 “I wasn’t just meaning them my iridescent nebula. You both are part of this family too now.”

“Awwww Roman!!!” Patton squealed.

 The sound of the front door opening interrupted anything else that could have been said.

 “Booooooys! Missy! We’re hoooome!” Roman’s mother, Rosita sing-songed

“Hi Miss Rosita! Hi Miss Ginerva!” Patton called back.

 Rosita giggled and came into the living room.

 “Dawww I hope you weren’t mentally scarring poor little Imaj over there.” She said.

 Oh shit Imaj has just been sitting there quietly. The thing about that kid besides having almost crippling anxiety is he could disappear from people’s view despite being there.

 “Don’t worry Rosita. I don’t mind.” Imaj softly said with a smile. “This is why you’re my favorite.” Roman said.

 Immediately there was a loud, high pitched angry “WHAT?” from the kitchen.

 Rosita grinned and bent down to kiss Patton’s cheeks, the usual greeting she gives loved ones. Patton giggled and held onto her arms as she went “Mwah!” with the two kisses. She then bent down and did the same to Logan. His face went red as Roman’s varsity jacket, but he sat still and allowed her to do so, because he honestly didn’t hate it. He’s never had any form of parental love and he once admitted he liked the affection the mothers gave him.

 “I’m so glad you both are here today. Our first dinner as a whole family!” Rosita cheerily said.

 Roman grinned at his loves. They looked happy. Things were normal. This family was normal.

 “Well hello my dears. Patton, thank you for making dessert.” Virgil’s mother, Ginerva said as she too entered the living room, holding two rather thick books in her hands.

“It’s no problem! I love baking! Plus, a meal isn’t complete without a sweet!” Patton said.

 Ginerva smiled. Then she held up the book with a mischievous glint in her eye.

 “Would you like to see some baby pictures after dinner?” she asked.

“Oh my gosh YES!” Patton squealed.

“Absolutely.” Logan agreed, his own grin on his face.

 Roman gulped.

 Maybe this was a horrible idea.

———-

 “Going to the sex store~ We’re going to the sex store~” Remus sang, unashamed as they walked through the mall.

 People glared at them as Remus walked next to Deceit, arms swinging back and forth happily. Deceit has once thought maybe he should stop Remus. Here’s the thing though.

 He didn’t give a fuck.

 These poor bastards can deal with Remus happily singing the lewdest things for a small portion of their lives, even if they weren’t going to the sex store.

 A mother gasped, offended and covered her child’s ears.

 “Shame on you!” she shrilled.

 Deceit flipped her off with both of his hands while Remus held his index finger and middle finger in a V formation in front of his mouth, wiggling his tongue in between the fingers with a wicked grin. The mother shrieked in horror.

 Deceit laughed as they left her. However, Remus grabbed his wrist and yanked him back to where Remus was.

 “I want that.” Remus said, pointing into an arcade.

 Inside the arcade was a claw machine with many stuffed animals. On top of the animal pile was a plush green octopus with tiny black eyes.

 “I’m not wasting my money on a rigged game,” Deceit said.

“But Deeeeeeee!” Remus whined.

“that’s why I’m not going to.” Deceit continued, holding up a wallet that totally was his.

 Remus grinned widely and held Deceit’s hand as they planned to spend every pound of an asshole’s money.

————

 Dinner was good, as usual. Virgil was a phenomenal cook and every dish he made was some of the best Roman’s had (he wont tell mama that though). He blushed as they complimented him.

 “This is yummy! What is this called again?” Patton asked.

“Bucatini all’Amatriciana. It’s nothing.” Virgil replied, eyes averted and blush on cheeks.

“I have no idea how to pronounce that but I love it! Logan loves it! Roman does too!”

 Roman will deny he was shoveling the pasta into his mouth messily ‘til the day he dies. It never happened. No way. Thankfully he wasn’t the only messy eater in the family, for Missy was doing the same thing, but messier.

 “You did good. I’m proud of you.” Ginerva praised with a soft smile.

“Whatever.” Virgil said, faint smile on his face at his mother’s praise.

 “So how is the wedding coming along?” Rosita asked with a smile. “We found a venue. It has a garden area that looked rather appealing to us so we’re planning the ceremony will be there. The reception will be inside.” Logan found himself effortlessly saying to Rosita.

  Roman was so proud of him and judging by Virgil and Patton’s smiles they felt the same.

 Imaj smiled, looking a bit excited at all this wedding talk.

 “I like gardens. They’re quiet and yet they’re lively.” He said, his approval and delight making the four men internally sigh in relief.

“Fuck gardens.” Missy grumbled as she stuffed pasta in her mouth.

“Marietta Ursa Petrov, you will not swear at this table. Do it again and you’ll be grounded.” Ginerva warned sternly

 Missy huffed but nodded, shoving more pasta to get everyone’s eyes off her. Ginerva turned to Virgil with stern eyes as well.

 “You too Mister. I know what a mouth you have.” “Yes mom.”

 Roman snickered at the scolding.

 “Oh! Remy got us measured for our wedding outfits a few weeks ago!” Patton cheerily said, changing the topic.

“Im so jealous of you boys. Friends with a famous fashion designer and won’t even get me a dress.” Rosita teased.

 Roman chuckled.

 “Mama he’d freak if he got to make you something. He’s our very own Edna Mode.” He said.

“Good to know! He better not hit me with a rolled-up newspaper or have heavy security in his studio.”

 Yeah dinner was nice, but afterwards was downright embarrassing. You see, Roman was convinced Miss Ginerva forgot about the baby pictures. He was so wrong.

 Logan and Patton sat on both sides of Ginerva as she pointed to pictures. “-on that Halloween I tried to get Virgil to be a cat or a witch or even Wednesday Addams. Whenever I’d propose an idea, he’d pout. He insisted he wanted to be Elton John for that Halloween, specifically Elton in the Im Still Standing video.”

 And for sure there was a picture of a small Virgil standing next to Roman, who was dressed as Hercules from Disney’s Hercules in Elton’s iconic outfit. On the other side of Virgil was a kid dressed as a garbage can who looked almost exactly like Roman.

 As embarrassed as he was, Roman smiled to see the picture of Remus, back when the three of them were the best of friends. Innocent.

 “Oh, and this picture didn’t turn out the way we wanted it. Rosita sneezed so the boys started crying.”

“I’ve said I’m sorry at least once a year since then Ginerva! Get over it!” Patton giggled at the picture of Virgil in the middle of Roman and Remus in a purple onesie crying. Roman was in a red striped overalls outfit sitting up and crying just as hard. Remus was in the same outfit but green and he fell back as he cried. It was adorable.

 “Mom please stop.” Virgil weakly pleaded, hood pulled over his face.

“Hush. They need to see these.” Ginerva said with a laugh.

They avoided pictures of Virgil’s father, who just up and left one day to go back home to Russia without a word. A slightly angry aura surrounded her, but she pushed on.

 “Oh, this is Rosita’s favorite!” Ginerva pointed out.

“Is it the play time one? Oh my goodness I love that one so much! Their chubby cheeks and tiny hands aaah!” Rosita squealed with a grin, getting up from the armchair and hurrying over.

“Mama stoooop.” Roman groaned.

 Logan gave Roman a look that suggested yes, this was indeed blackmail material. Roman flipped him off, only to be whapped lightly from his mother.

Damn you Logan.

 The photo had a “castle” made from cardboard boxes. Inside the castle was a grumpy, if not bored looking Virgil with a plastic princess tiara on his head and a bright pink princess dress over his black sweater. Roman had a plastic crown and pointed a foam sword at Remus, who had devil horns and fairy wings on. That was the closest they could get to a dragon.

 Rosita smiled wide, but it held a small bit of sadness. Roman knows, cause he feels the same way.

 “Ugh this one?” Virgil grumbled, looking over.

“You guys are adorable! I love your princess costume!” Patton cooed. “It was Roman’s.”

Roman laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

 “CUUUUUTE!”

 Rosita was telling the story about that day, but Roman found he wasn’t listening. He just stared at Remus in the photo, his grin wide and his hands bared like claws. His eyes filled with his usual mischief. He always wanted to be the villain or the monster. He remembered a time when Remus built a city out of blocks and toy cars and proceeded to stomp through it and making monster sounds, making Roman laugh at his brother’s silliness as he altered between making noises or pretending to be the shrill voice citizens of the town either being afraid or just saying the weirdest thing like “Dang it I left my pudding at home and now my pants are on fire!”.

Memories came rushing. The times they tried to do a secret handshake but could never remember the steps. The times they slept over at Virgil’s home with red and green matching pajamas and sleeping bags. The times they’d fight over the last homemade churro and forced to split it and apologize. When Remus would come to him when he had horrible nightmares of terrible actions his mind told him to do and he’d cry while hugging Roman tightly, who would cry cause his twin was sad. The gap-toothed grin Remus would give him as they planned to do some mischief and even sometimes dragging Virgil into it. Their red and green “brothership” bracelets they wore until they broke.

 “Im going to the bathroom. Don’t start dessert without me!” Roman suddenly blurted out, leaving the room and rushing quickly up the steps to the upstairs bathroom farthest away from the stairs.

 He locked the door and turned the fan on. He let out a shuddered gasp and pressed his back against the wall.

“You’re fine Roman. You’re fine. You’re with your family, your loves are enjoying themselves. Don’t ruin this for them. You’re fine.”

 Suddenly a sob escaped his lips. He couldn’t stop it. Oh god he was a horrible person. A fraud.

 He was the one that abandoned the other two members of their little musketeer group just for some ill-deserved attention by horrible people.

He was the one who pushed his brother away, insulting him and ignoring him when Remus didn’t understand what he did wrong.

He was the reason Remus was gone, never able to attend his wedding, to see his loves or be part of their growing family and instead out there doing who knows what. Was he even still alive?

His loves had poor choice in men, since they were marrying him.

His mother was a fool to love him because he was a horrible son.

 His fault.

His fault!

 A knock interrupted his thoughts.

 “Hijo I know you’re in there.”

 It was his mom.

 “I’m fi-“

“Open the door Roman.” She said, usual sass or warmth in her voice gone.

 Roman gulped and unlocked the door. He opened it for his mother to come in. She stepped inside and locked the door behind her.

 “Roman, my sweet baby.” She cooed comfortingly and cupped his face, which was wet with tears. “Lo siento mama. Lo siento!” he sobbed, burying his face in her shoulder.’

 She stroked his hair as he sobbed and shushed him softly. He gripped her white blouse and sobbed, feeling like a child again, guilty for doing something wrong.

 “Lo siento. I’m sorry! I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for turning those pictures into sad memories!” he cried.

 It felt like a million eyes were glaring at him, a phantom hand was gripping his throat. Harsh voices whispered his guilt over and over and over until he was dizzy.

 “Hijo it’s not your fault.” She whispered.

“But mama it is! I’m the reason he’s gone! I’m the reason family dinners feel so empty! I’m the reason I split our family apart!”

“Roman.”

 Rosita’s stern voice made him push back to look at her. Her green eyes stared into his blue ones, filled with tears, but held a strong determination and a love he could never comprehend.

 “Roman, it’s not your fault. Yes, you’ve made some mistakes, but it’s not your fault.” She said firmly, wiping his tears away with her thumbs.

She sighed shakily and frowned, which was never a good look on his usually happy mother.

 “It’s mine.” “Mama how could y-“ “It’s mine because I didn’t do anything. I didn’t guide you to make better decisions back then, like a mother should.”

 Roman’s lip wobbled, god he was an ugly crier.

 “It’s my fault that I was so focused on fixing Remus because I was scared for him that I didn’t even think about how he felt or wanted. Yes, your brother’s actions were troubling, deeply so, but I did nothing to help him. I did nothing to understand or support him. And now, its my fault for having you endure so much guilt.”

 It was quiet for a bit. Too quiet.

 “You may never stop feeling that guilt, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry you carried this with you for so long. But honey, I’m so proud of you!” Rosita said with a wobbly grin.

“What?” Roman shakily asked.

“I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself and making a change. I’m proud of you for making things right with Virgil. I’m proud of you for being such a hard worker, and an amazing dreamer. I’m so proud of you for being a kind and determined man who puts everything into what he does.”

“And honey, I’m proud of you for being a good lover. For being true to yourself even though its scary. I’m proud of you for saving Patton from those god-awful people and supporting Logan during this dinner cause I know he was nervous. I’m proud that you and Virgil and Patton and Logan love each other so much. That despite polyamorous marriage not being legal here, you all said fuck it, cause love conquers everything.”

 Roman whimpered before sobbing again. He may never get over the guilt, but with time he can move on. He was so fortunate to have people who he loves with all his heart, and they love him with theirs. He had the best family and the best friends, even if it was hard to see that at times.

 He had the best mother.

————

“Why don’t we break it?” “Remus we need to remain as anonymous as we can.” “Boo!” “Do you want this octopus or not?”

 It was their last dollar out of like, three hundred. They took a break ‘cause they got hungry, but they came right back. Remus watched, eyes looking between the claw of the machine game and his love’s concentrated and yet frustrated face. He looked like he was about to scream “YOU LOSE! Good DAY SIR!” in a shrill tone.  The claw once again picked up the green octopus. Its floppy tentacles hang limp as the claw started to slowly move over to the little dispenser chute. It suddenly slipped through the claw’s metal arms.

 “NO!” they both almost screamed.

 Ah, but a miracle has happened! One of the octopus’s tentacles was caught on the claw! The claw moved over the chute and dropped the plushie down into it. “YEAH!” Remus cheered, hearing a startled yelp from someone.

—————

Roman came down with his mom, face clean and no longer blotchy. He smiled as he saw his family still sitting downstairs. They turned to him and Patton grinned, looking relieved. Logan and Virgil just stared at him like he had done something stupid.

 “Dude I can’t believe you got your hand stuck in the faucet drain. What were you doing?” Virgil asked.

 Roman turned to Rosita, who grinned. Oh, his mom made up an excuse to check on him, which was nice, but still that’s embarrassing. He came up with a lie to not seem like too much of an idiot.

 “I was washing my hands when one of mama’s earrings she left by the sink went down the drain! I had to rescue it! It was her favorite pair!”

“Well now that you rescued the earring, we were gonna have brownies and watch Frozen 2! Interested?” Patton proposed.

“Definitely!”

 Roman felt so much better. He sat down on the couch with Virgil pressed against his side and Logan’s head on his shoulder. Patton came back with brownies for everyone and gave Roman a peck on the lips as he gave Roman his treat. Rosita and Ginerva argued over how Disney Plus worked, only for Logan to instruct them carefully. As Ginerva got the movie set up, Imaj sat down on the floor with his knees drawn up in between Patton and Virgil, happily nibbling on his brownie. Missy walked over and crawled into Roman’s lap, still looking irritated, but there was a shy plush on her face. He decided not to say anything and just ruffled her hair. She smiled a bit at that. Then, she grinned a mischievous grin that reminded him of when Virgil jump scared them as a vampire last Christmas and..someone he used to know.

 “I hope Olaf dies.” She said.

 Patton and Rosita gasped in horror as Virgil laughed loudly.

———-

 “What are you going to name it?” Deceit asked Remus.

 Remus looked at the cute octopus in his hands.

 “Can Mr. Squishyboo join your tea party Roman?”

“Yeah, but he can’t poison the tea this time! Ms. Fluffybottom got sick last time!” “Fiiine. Then you can’t call him a squid. He’s an octopus!”

 Remus smiled softly down at the octopus’s happy little face.

 “Squishyboo jr.” he said.

“Oh thank god. I thought you were going to name it hentai.” Deceit sighed.

“Oh! His full name is Squishyboo jr Hentai Lokir!” Remus laughed loudly.

“Do not use my last name for your stuffed animal.” Deceit huffed.

 Remus giggled and kissed his love’s forehead. They walked hand in hand out of the arcade, past Pac-man games and children giggling and playing ski-ball. They were near the entrance when a man with a pink Sailor Moon T-shirt stopped them for a moment.

 “Oh my stars I love your Invader Zim crop top sir!” he said, Irish accent prominent.

“Thank you! I love your anime titty lady!” Remus greeted back as they left, Deceit snickering and squeezing his hand with affection.

——-

 The man just blinked for a moment before noticing his phone was ringing. He smiled and answered it.

 “Heeeey babe! How’s your like, family reunion going?” a voice spoke from the other end.

“ ‘ello Remy. Its going fine! Mum, Mama and Dad want you to come next year!”

“Maybe I will go. Like, making wedding stuff is okay, but like, when its for your friends, it sucks. Like, I know im the best bitch in this business, but it has to be so perfect they cry.”

“You are the best Remy. They wouldn’t ask you if you weren’t”

 A laugh on the other end.

 “This is why I love you Emile, my little piece of Picani pie.”

 Emile Picani giggled.

 “So, what are you doing now?”

“I’m about to set a high score on the DDR machine. I saw they had some Miku songs and I wanted to try them!”

“Fuck yeah Miku. Hey, face time me so I can see you like, totally shame on everyone’s scores.”

[curious-kittens-ocs]

Send me a ship and a number and I'll tell you...

Riley Wayne & Victor Zsasz OTP: Dressed In Black

For: @agb-random

Questions

1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals.

The two of them usually get to sleep super late because of their inconsistent schedules. Riley will most likely be in one of Victor’s shirts and he’ll be in some pajama pants. Riley is for sure the little spoon between the two of them. If they are at one of each other apartments one will usually drag the other away from work into bed.

2. How’s their team work? Do they share well?

They work really good together because Victor refined her already impressive fighting skills. Riley can sometimes be too reckless and willingly put herself in harms way if it means bettering a situation. 

They share well enough to that it’s equal but sometimes they can make each other frustrated if the other thinks its a game. Riley does enjoy her coffee so Vic shouldn’t try to drink hers.

3. Are they open about their relationship? How do they feel about public displays of affection?

At first they try to keep it on the down low, but as they grow closer and Riley turns more towards the darker side of Gotham. People start to realize she is Victor Zsasz’ girlfriend and they shouldn’t mess with either of them. They are too big on public displays of affection. They’ll kiss each others cheeks and hold hands under tables if they want to. Normally Riley is just close by that they can see each other and they are okay.

4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

Victor saw her in a club so she was all dressed up to get some lookers. She saw him and was intrigued. They both saw danger in each other but they liked it. It wasn’t love at first sight, more like lust.

5. Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?

Victor calls Riley his Angel, cause that’s her nickname in Gotham, but when Victor calls her it she takes it as a sign of affection. Riley calls Victor, Vic or Babe if she’s feeling affectionate. 

6. Any tasks that are always left to one person?

Then tend to do a lot of their tasks together, if they have to torture someone its more Victor, though Riley tends to stand by watching. Domestic wise Riley normally cooks until one night Victor surprised her with dinner.

7. What annoys them the most about their partner? Would they change it if they could?

Victor would probably change the way Riley is reckless in situations, running in despite the obvious danger. If he could change it he would try to have her see his thoughts on it. Riley would probably change how unemotional Victor can be at times, it’s annoying when he’s being stone cold.

8. What do the like best about their partner?

Riley likes that Victor accepts all parts of her, especially the worst parts of her. She was raised to be a pristine example of the Wayne family and that just isn’t the real her. She loves how even as a Hit Man Victor still has his own moral code. Even if its rather unique, but Riley doesn’t have to worry about Victor going after people she cares about. 

Victor likes that Riley cares so much about her family that she’d die for them. Better yet, she’d kill for them. And she does so for Bruce. With the amount of rage she has built up over years of being pent up she lets it out and everyone gets to see the real her. Victor sees the real her under the Wayne Facade.

9. Do they discuss big issues? Religion? Marriage? Children? Death?

They talk about Gotham, discussing the cities problems and what they do for it. Riley wants to find her parents killer/enemies. She wants to clean up Gotham in her own way. Her own way being diving straight into danger to get information and fighting those who get in her way. 

They’ve discussed marriage briefly, the subject was quickly changed when brought up. The two of them thought it was a bit too soon to be talking about it, Victor was spinning one of his many rings on his fingers while they were talking about it.

They have discussed children a few times as well. The two of them agreed that neither of them could handle a child in their lives and that they were both in danger quite often that it wouldn’t be good. Also Riley had some private aspects with it that she hasn’t told Victor yet about her younger years.

10. Who drives? Cooks? Does the handiwork? Cleans? Pays the bills? Handles the public?

Usually Riley would be driven by Alfred to places. Riley convinces Alfred to just worry about Bruce for a while and that she would figure herself out. She has her own car of course and is good with driving. Originally she would drive herself wherever she needed to go, then as she and Victor get closer she likes to ride with him. 

Public image is extremely concerning to both Riley and Victor. On one hand Victor is alright with being in the spotlight for murder. He sometimes enjoys it. As a Wayne, Riley is always in the spotlight of someone. It makes it very difficult for her to have a double life if she’s being followed all the time by cameras. She’s done her best though, and so far it’s worked.

11. Do they celebrate holidays? Anniversaries?

Riley goes to Wayne Manor for Christmas and Victor shows up unexpectedly. Alfred invites him in which is when they all meet. Riley is shocked and drops a mug of hot chocolate to which Alfred catches. The Christmas actually turns out pretty good, Vic brought gifts for all of them. They celebrate holidays together and sometimes with family. 

For their anniversary they went out for dinner, getting an entire restaurant to themselves, based off both their reputations. At the end of the night Victor surprised Riley with desert and a stereo playing there favorite song. They danced on the rooftop for a while. Later in the night it was steamy.

12. Is there a wedding? What was the proposal like? Any kind of honeymoon?

Riley wakes up one morning to smelling a fresh pot coffee, her eyes open to see Victor walking over to her. He kneels down next to her and grabs her hand. She’s obviously a little nervous. He slips on one of his rings he had sized down and asks her to marry him. It’s not extravagant but it’s emotional because shes crying as she says yes and pulls him into a kiss.

The wedding consists of a decent size amount of people. Riley has Alfred walk her down the aisle. Victor’s grandmother is there, Riley is super happy to see Victor with his grandmother, cause his grandmother is all he has for family.  Now Riley was a part of his as well.

The vows aren’t traditional and the honeymoon is them in Greece for a week. They spend a lot of the time exploring the ruins and cost line. Riley and Victor cliff jumping which was completely Riley’s idea. She convinced him to jump by her jumping off first.

13. What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up? 

When Riley figures out that Victor likes disco she insists that they go to a disco club. She gets all dolled up in 70′s era dress and when they arrive she gives him roller skates. He doesn’t skate the first few times but he eventually tries it and he and Riley both have a good time. They do like to spar with each other, Victor finds it fun when she ends up pinning him. They also like to go terrorize people idiots of course. 

14. Anything they both dread?

They both dread losing each other but I have a feeling that’s a cop out.

Riley dreads having to pick between her two worlds, the one where she is a Wayne having to be a CEO and her brothers guardian. The other world where she is able to stop the bad within her city, being the anti-hero Angel.

Victor dreads if one day he would have to kill the only other person he felt a connection with besides his Bubbie. Victor has stuck by himself for most of his life and when he meets Riley he sees how his life could be. He has talked to Bubbie about her and she has given him some advice.

Don’t lose her.

[sketch-rambles]

Davy Maccruim

Davy started as a side character in Asher’s sets, but once presented with the opportunity to add another official character to the group, I couldn’t resist the urge to give him his own story. I did manage to retrieve the entirety of the original text from this audition, so some of that will be under the cut. A warning: the story is third person, but as it is still written from Davy’s perspective, it is littered to a frankly unnecessary extent with slang. I can translate if anyone wants.

And yes. I’ll admit it up-front, he was definitely based heavily on Grantaire.

Davy Maccruim Audition

2016 - 07 - 17

Personality

Davy is loud and brash, with a tendency to lash out if made uncomfortable. This will generally consist of merciless teasing, which he is prone to do anyway. He is competitive and likes to boast his manliness, often over-exaggerating to make up for shortcomings.

Brief Bio

As a child, Davy was a handful, to say the least. His parents shipped him off to the navy as soon as they could, where he remained a cabin boy for years because he lacked the initiative to rise in the ranks. He was on the same ship as Asher Levi when the pirates took it over, and wasn't thrown overboard purely on the merits of Asher's charm. And some charm it was. Davy was grateful, of course, but that didn't stop him from teasing Asher about his less manly qualities. Because, well... the way the other boys always talked about women? That's how Davy felt about men. Had been since forever. But in specific, now, it was how he thought about Asher, and he wasn't going to risk anyone finding out, so he turned all those labels he himself knew he deserved into taunts for Levi. “Molly,” or “Nancy,” or “Sod.” He had a whole list.

Eventually, when the ship crashed, Davy took the opportunity to affirm to everyone how VERY into women he was. And all the while, his jabs at Asher got worse and worse, because despite himself, he still wasn't over it. 

For a Twirl, or So I’ve Said

2016 - 07 - 17

Story prompt: describe how your character arrived on the island, what their first impression was of the island, how well they settled into island life, what they like to do in their spare time, if they help out with the near constant renovations taking place on the isle, and, if they do, how they do so.

Davy was playing cards with Sam and Logan when the lookout cried, “LAND HO!” and the crew went off its chump. Davy, for his part, wasn't about to go mad over a patch of sand under his feet, he quite liked being out at sea, but he was happy of behalf of his friends (Logan was starting to get seasick, Sam was sick of the ever-staling food, and Asher... well).

And then, of course, the ship crashed. Out of the corner of his eye, Davy caught sight of Sam's cheroots blaze up the mast, but everything was quickly dowsed in an enormous wave and he didn't really have time to dwell on it.

The captain didn't keep the cabin boys around to "help" for long. Logan, huddled and green off to the side, wouldn't be particularly until he'd had a chance to fire and fall back. Davy wasn't helpful on a regular basis, and Cap didn't expect much from him at this point. Asher... tried. Sam was the only one out of the four of them that seemed to be of any use right now, but he couldn't seem to get his mind off bust head and diddeys. After a little, they were gruffly dismissed to explore the island.

Sam, as previously mentioned, already knew what he wanted to do, Logan did whatever Sam did, and Davy was not one to miss the chance to flaunt his love of oh-be-joyful and buors.

“I ain't see the point o' bein' afternoonified wif me chink, Sherry,” Sam explained to Asher. “I'm gonna find me some lush an' get arfarfan'arf, an' then I'm gonna find me some Miss Laycock, I am.”

Asher didn't care to come along.

“Ah, Chukaboo,” Davy proclaimed to Sam, “he'd rather find himself a truncheon than a pair o' bubbies! 'Less you're offerin' him?”

Tight smile from Asher. Mock disgust and a shove from Sam. Laugh from Logan. It wasn't true, of course, or, at least, Davy was nearly certain it wasn't - he didn't let himself hope it was.

“Maybe I'll buy myself a cat-lap and impress me a toffer,” Davy announced as they walked away.

He didn't throw one last look at Asher over his shoulder. He didn’t.

The island was a beautiful place, once he got a real look at it. He'd never seen a sky more beautiful, and honestly, the arfarfan'arf pirate he'd seen kissing the sand might have had the right idea.

His evening out got him kunard and a slap-mark, but the cloudless sky was almost worth the hangover he'd suffer in the morning. And, as expected, he'd refuse to learn his lesson and continually spend all his push on such activities, rather than helping with renovations.

Speaking of push, he had to earn it somehow. After slipping from job to job, he eventually settled on selling fish. Mainly, because he liked being out by the salty air of the sea. But the solitude of fishing also gave him an opportunity to think where no one would ask him about it. It gave him an opportunity to scribble none-sensible verse in his book without anyone giving him a hard time.

It gave him an opportunity to twirl Asher's necklace between his fingers where no one would watch.

Goblet Full of Heartache - a Davy Maccruim Playlist

2016 - 07 - 18

Demons by imagine Dragons

Make Me Happy from 35mm: a Musical Exhibition

No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross by Sufjan Stevens

Land of Opportunity by A Great Big World

Out Tonight from RENT

Oasis by A Great Big World

Sound of Madness by Shinedown

Hear Me by Imagine Dragons

If You Only Knew by Shinedown

Take Me to Church by Hozier

Pirate Party - an Unfinished Story

2016 - 09 - 27

There was plenty to see from the moment Davy stepped in, and that hadn't changed after an hour at the party: a pool full of mermaids (best to avoid that, the collie shangles ended badly for him right quick), Asher dancing along with a few other people (and having narty narking, by the looks of it), and a woman by the bar. Davy figured his best bet was to head for that last one. After all, he had a reputation of tot hunting to keep up.

“Tickle yer innards?” the woman behind the bar offered as he sat down.

“Don't mind if I do,” Davy agreed.

A moment later, she slid a mug of gatter in front of him. He thanked her and turned to the buor beside him.

“And what's a bit o' jam like you doin' in a place like this?” he asked.

She smirked, curls bobbing as she tipped her chin. “Waiting for someone better than you.”

He might have gone with the hint of flirtation in her tone, played the part of a gal-sneaker, dabbed up with her if he got that far and had something to brag about with the boys, or he might not have — he'd never know one way or the other, as a boy chose his moment to fling himself at Davy, giggling out, “Hullo!”

Not just any boy, Davy realized. Asher. Asher, tight as a boiled owl. Asher, draped over his back, daddles in Davy's hair, which really, was far too much for Davy to handle. He shoved Asher off, immediately feeling guilty as a flash of hurt danced over Asher's features.

“Blimey, Sherry, took you for a cat-lap type,” Davy groaned. “Who stuffed you full o' neck oil?”

Asher merely giggled again, reaching a hand out to brush through Davy's hair. “Your hair is so curly!” he exclaimed, and then, in a sincere undertone, “I'm glad it's there.”

Before Davy had a chance to reply, Asher three a quick, "Hullo, Astrid!" towards the woman at the bar and dragged Davy out towards the center of the room.

“Let's dance, Davy!” he called, far too loud, “come on, let's!”

And if Davy were alone with him right now, this might be a right can’t, but there was Sam, weaving his way through the crowd, and Davy felt every bit the meater right then.

“Oh ho, what have we here, Davy?” Sam crowed.

“Damfino,” Davy groused, trying and failing to ignore Asher hanging onto his arm. "Got himself some grog and he's mad as hops."

Sam — held a candle to the devil sometimes, he did — only laughed and whispered “Mandrake,” as he passed.

Davy gritted his teeth, turned back to Asher, who was still grinning at him, damn the fool who gave him mecks, and said, “Why don't we get you home, Sherry?”

Asher's face fell. “I just got here, Davy, not an hour ago, I can't leave now! Besides, I wanna dance!”

I don't need you flopping all over me like a mil looking for coin, Davy thought. “We can dance when we get home,” he promised Asher. A flam he had no intention of keeping once they got back to the rooms they shared with Logan and Sam, but he'd sell Asher a dog if it meant getting him out of here quick.

[I never got around to writing the rest of this, although I’ve got some ideas of where it would go. Maybe I’ll write more if there’s any interest.]

[malkakugel-blog]

What Changed?

Bubby’s Education and Mine, What Changed?

 My education is so unique to the time and place of my childhood. I’m so lucky and blessed to have been born into a Chabad Lubavitcher family in Brooklyn, New York. I went to Beis Rivkah for Primary school and continued there all the way through High School. Education is timeless. However, there is always room for growth and innovation. Technology, politics, religious persecution, moral outlooks and many more aspects of life each apply another alteration to the way the world educates its youth.

My grandmother, Freeda Drizin-Kugel has had an immensely different educational experience growing up in the mid-20th century. My grandmother was born to a large Orthodox Jewish family in Russia. She did not take part in a structured school system until she was in high school.

With the stormy political weather of the era, and the strong vibe of anti-Semitism, politics greatly affected education. My grandmother refers to herself as a ‘war child’,  a child who was not raised or educated in normal circumstances. The schools were teaching communist ideas and distorted perspectives on the war that kept changing. This left the kids confused.

She and her siblings did not attend the schools where they grew up since the school would not allow them to observe the Shabbat. There was school on Saturdays, making it complicated for the Jewish kids to explain their need to be absent every week. Because the school administration was non-Jewish, Jewish people would not get off of school for the holidays either. Instead, the children would have to learn about religions other than their own, Christmas, Easter etc. for religious Jews, the Russian school systems at that time were not an option.

Many agree that the methods used to teach back then are not what we need today. What they used is now known as Factoy-Modeled Education. This outlook sees the teaching methods of the past as a means for children to learn how to do well in their industrial workforce. That means, they force the kids to sit in desks, do their work on the same level as everyone else and repeat the process the next day. These days, we see schools looking to diversify their goals to meet the potential of each child. Uniform education is the opposite intention.

The school I attended had over 1,000 students at the time I attended. Preschool through middle school is all in the same beautiful building, and the High School is on a different campus. My school set out to raise what is known as a ‘Shlucha’. This is a female representative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to some far out location in the world. There are Shluchim in every state in America, in countries like Hong Kong, Thailand, India and thousands of other places. A Shlucha’s job is to be a partner to her husband, the Shliach. The Shliach is the Rabbi of the town. He is responsible for the spirituality in his area and ultimately, is there to help fellow Jews. There is no way he can do it alone. His partner, the Shlucha, is the homemaker of this far out town. She is the one who makes the Shabbat meals for countless guests to feel welcomed to . She runs the women’s Mikvah in the area and inspires the Jewish women there by being a role model. The job description for a Shlucha is a long one. She affects those around her with an aura of happiness and warmth. She shares her wisdom of the Torah and Chassidut. She welcomes the Jewish people of the world under her roof to share in holy laughter and spirituality. Can you tell? My school did a pretty good job. To be a Shlucha, however, does not require you to move away, to some far off place with no other Orthodox Jews. It is to live as a beacon of light and knowledge onto others.

This clear goal that my School set for my peers and I was only possible because it is a private, Chabad, Lubavitch School. This is a real Jewish administration, with no Stalin to answer back to. This unbelievable freedom opened up the doors of so many opportunities as a Jewish School. Days off for Shabbat and Holidays are no longer hidden, rather celebrated and looked forward to by teachers and students alike. Our curriculums are rich in studies of Tanach and Chassidut, Jewish History and philosophy. Teachers are trained to initiate thought-provoking inspiring class conversations over the meaning of ‘working on oneself’ or ‘self-control’ according to the Tanya (Baal Hatanya, Shneur Zalman of Liadi) . My school did much more than just teach me how to work in a factory.

A strong Jewish school administration also allows for enforcement of laws of Tzniut, religious dress code. This has become a much bigger deal in our lives than it was in my grandmothers school days.

Today’s amazing progress of technology since my grandmother’s school days has made my education so different from hers. In the eighth grade, my class started using a smartboard for the first time. This innovative invention made learning so much easier for the teachers, clearer and more fun for the students. The smartboard was used for Chumash class. We were now able to see the text of the Chumash on the board, as well as in our own Chumash. Later on, in eleventh grade, we used the smartboard for trigonometry class. My teacher was able to draw graphs and triangles on the board and then save them for later. We were able to do examples on the board together and this kept the class moving forward faster. In 9th grade, we had typing lessons. I can now type pretty quickly which makes assignments and projects that much more pleasant. In 11th grade we had a QuickBooks class twice a week and learned the intricacies of managing finances efficiently. In 12th grade we learned Microsoft formatting. All of these variations to the classic methods made learning so much more enjoyable for me.

Another difference technology made between my education and my grandmothers, had to do with accessibility of so many things today. An example of this is the calculator. These days, although simple arithmetic is still studied in elementary schools, I did not have to compute many mathematical steps that can be done using a calculator. This also sped up the learning process for me and many others

My grandmother is one my most favorite people in the world. We love to talk, shop and eat out together. I don’t think there would ever be a time that she couldn’t make me smile. There is one interesting observation, however, regarding our relationship. We almost never agree! Our viewpoints and opinions are almost never the same. We like different TV shows, different styles of shoes, different food, coffee, people etc. I think the age gap has a lot to do with it, but our upbringing, definitely takes the cake. Aside from us both being female Chabad Lubavitchers from large families, there is nothing the same about how we both grow up. I went to a steady school with a well-rounded, goal-oriented, consistent curriculum. She only got to sit in a desk when she was a teenager! My teachers often had similar backgrounds to mine. Hers were the peddler, the butcher and the kind Rabbi who taught her Yiddish in the German DP camp, giving over precious life lessons.

I must say I am blessed to have attended such a fantastic school, supported by my parents and beliefs. My grandmother was not. I want to clarify that in no way possible do I consider my grandmother uneducated in the slightest bit. She is one of the wisest women I know. But she had a harder time getting that knowledge, she had to really work for it, and grab it whenever she had the chance. My grandmother’s education experience and mine could not be more different. From her days of youth ‘till mine, so many things had happened in our world. As mentioned above, technology, politics, moral outlook, religious persecution and so much more have evolved to create a free environment. An environment in which girls like me can have a free world to learn all the things they need to become the generation that will change the world even more.

Bibliography  

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