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#ofc both were ideas of my father. and then my mother went ABSOLUTELY NOT.
deadrlngers · 1 year
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i was randomly hit with the reminder that i was going to be named nikita or venusia before my actual name came up, like. everyone would've made sooo much fun of me in school
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dootznbootz · 27 days
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I'm not very fond of Epic AUs where Odysseus adopts Astyanax.
It's fine for a one-off joke or comic and ofc this is just my opinion but... if Astyanax lives (like in Racine's play), he should always stay with Andromache. His actual mother, yk. Not with one of the men who sacked Troy. Zeus' prophecy is bound to happen and Odysseus knew keeping the infant around was a bad idea.
If Astyanax dies, I want to see him in Elysium with his father, finally in a peaceful place and having all of eternity to catch up. Then Andromache joins them (sending her to Asphodel would be too cruel) and they finally reunite.
Would anyone picture Neoptolemus adopting Astyanax ? The son of Achilles, who dragged Hector's body in a chariot. No ? So Achilles' associate doing the same would be weird.
And Odysseus ? I want him CRAVING for a son, waiting for so long until he can express his paternal affection (and always cursing Palamedes even after his revenge 😂).
Him meeting Telemachus all grown up should be his first real shot at fatherhood. It'd be underwhelming if he already had a little boy with him. If Telemachus has a little brother, Penelope should be the mother. Or they adopt another baby together afterwards. No Astyanax and ESPECIALLY NO TELEGONUS !
So yeah, imo Astyanax and Odysseus don't belong with each other. Any thought ?
Headsup: This is just an opinion. My opinion does not matter. If you like this AU, PLEASE don't let that stop you from creating! Just because it's not for me, doesn't mean it's not for you or for someone else :D
I absolutely agree and you absolutely put into words WHY.
There's the term "woobifying" and in some cases...I think that's what people just often do with Epic/The Odyssey. (especially from Epic) I'm saying as someone who is a very soft and fluffy person. I love soft and sweet fics and ideas. I love stuff that makes me smile. But I almost feel as though with certain soft things, you're taking away what makes characters who they are. which DOESN'T make me smile lol
like I think there's more fun in simply a "no-war AU" than the "Astyanax lives AU" xD like, that way, Odysseus is with his family, gets to be a dad, Astyanax gets to live (let's not think too hard about how "no war may have meant no Astayanax")
As that way, they still get to be in character as well.
Penelope and Odysseus for example, are scallywags lol. They scheme and swindle. They giggle and kick their feet when they get extra cattle. They hold grudges. They can be snooty and prideful. They're as full of love as they are full of hate. Odysseus, during the Sack of Troy, in both the Odyssey AND Epic, will do whatever it takes to get home. Like yes, in Epic, Jay has it where Odysseus has to "become ruthless" but I can understand what he's doing with the narrative. Odyssey Odysseus? Um...Iphigenia is proof that Odysseus is already ruthless.
Btw, why is Astyanax the only one Odysseus would want to save with these AUs? What about Iphigenia? Is it because of Epic?
Yes, I DO think Odysseus (and Penelope for that matter) have a lot of parental instinct. I plan to write Odysseus carving lil wooden toys for random kids just as something to do. He does tricks. (ngl, while it seems they weren't around in the Mycenaean era, Yo-yos were a thing in ancient Greece. I just KNOW Odysseus would be the type to do so many tricks. (also string and wood🥹)) He has a soft spot for Greater Ajax's boy. My goober was friends with Menelaus and Agamemnon even before he met Penelope (he saw two exiled guys take back their kingdom and thought "hm??? vulnerable state??? They're very rich?? hehe >:3" but then became fond of them. The reason why he went to Sparta was to help Menelaus with Helen but fell in love himself.) and he's carved lil toys for Agamemnon's kids
He's carved lil Iphigenia toys. She likes Dolphins. He still helps sabotage the letter in some myths and even hypes up the crowd.
Even if it IS just based on Epic, "The Horse and The Infant" and "Just a Man" are HUGE turning points for Odysseus. Or even just a show of character. Like yes, "Odysseus is learning ruthlessness" but he already is ruthless. He literally says "I would trade the world to see my son and wife". AND HE STILL DOES THE DEED! HE WAS RUTHLESS SINCE THE BEGINNING! The Second song in the Musical and it already tells you about Odysseus and what he is willing to do. Is he sad and haunted? Yeah. Still did it.
And I really love that as that's Odyssey Odysseus as well! Odysseus isn't an unfeeling violent villain. He's just a man.
Also...What happens in the Odyssey is no fucking place for a child. ;~; The cyclops, the Goddesses, the monsters? Why should a lil boy be anywhere near that? How did he survive while drifting to Ogygia? Does Poseidon try to keep them together? As no one would be in the state to take care of each other together for that many days.
And in general, in the Odyssey, to me, it's such a huge thing that he literally lost EVERYONE. THAT HE IS ALL ALONE. All of the people who were with him are now dead, and there was nothing he could do. It was already fated.
It's horrible but there's something so poetic in him being the "Sole Survivor", especially after all the hell he went through.
Also yeah, I DO really hate the thought of Telemachus knowing "You took care of this baby when I needed you?". Like my OdyPen have a daughter after he returns as the whole "only one son" and that's already really hard for Telemachus to watch Odysseus be a father for her, regardless of how often and how adamantly Odysseus reassures him that Odysseus desperately wished to do the same with him.
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merakiui · 1 year
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meraaaa I had a dream that Floyd was so in love (see: obsessed tbfh) towards his shrimpy that he shamelessly goes to his room to masturbate and moan their name loudly. In my dream Jade walked in like the unfazed bad bitch he is /pos and just went “oh? Seems like you’re enjoying yourself” as he calmly folds his sweater over his own chair DHFJFJFJF and went about sorting his terrarium as Floyd is just like:
“Shrimpy! My Shrimpy! Need them so bad—only mine, mine—!” Floyd was so desperate and needy getting himself off on his side of the room and ofc his brother, the enabler that he is, would think to put ideas in Shrimpy’s head later so that the two of them could properly be together. After all, Floyd practically claimed his Shrimpy as his forever mate— why not pull some strings to make it a reality?
AAAAAA OMG it really is so on brand for Jade to be completely unbothered by Floyd's antics, but then that's probably because Jade is his own version of shameless when it comes to his obsessions. T_T he absolutely puts ideas into both your head and Floyd's head. He's just helping his brother out! Isn't he so sweet? He tells Floyd after he's come down from his orgasmic high that the real Shrimpy is much better (and tangible) than a fleeting daydream. That, and Shrimpy is warmer and tighter than Floyd's fist. Naturally, if Floyd wants something so badly, he should just take it. They were always spoiled as elvers. No one could ever say no to them, and if they did they'd beat them in a fight until they got a yes. It's how they obtained those shiny sturgeon scales, after all. Getting Floyd his Shrimpy won't be that difficult.
Jade is very determined to match you with his brother. He's subtle when he needs to be and direct when he wants you to see just how perfect his brother is for you. Floyd's so terribly lovesick. He adores Shrimpy so much! It won't be a problem if Jade happens to slip something into your tea as a last-ditch effort so your body will be a little more honest with Floyd. He's really just doing his best to play Cupid. You can't fault the oh-so-benevolent matchmaker! If you're particularly gullible, Jade might even trick you into yawning in front of Floyd so he'll happily mistake it for an invitation to mate. >:)
It was getting much too stagnant in the Leech family. Jade wants new excitement (as do his mother and father), and he's so very pleased to tell his parents that he and Floyd may be accompanied by a special someone come spring break. Whether you're willing or not doesn't matter. As long as a few love potions keep you docile and a few aphrodisiacs keep you aching, you'll want Floyd just as much as he wants you.
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kattythingz · 12 days
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10 and 13 for the ask game
-👑🐢
Hello hello! Ofc!
10. Which three fics were you most nervous to post? Why?
Just for You - Oh boy, this fic. This fic. So, at first glance it's pretty innocuous, just a cute roleswap of my boy Hiccup getting the Scourge of Odin instead of Astrid. But this prompt has originally started as a VIGCUP idea specifically. And I reaaaally wanted to keep that element because—that was why I was writing the fic in the first place! But, y'know, people get weird about ships of this nature, even when both parties involved are adults. Sigh. I worried a lot about the reception of this fic, but it thankfully reached its target audience at least!
Apple of Your Eye - as stated in a previous ask, this fic explored several darkfic elements, including predatory behavior from Adam. I made it VERY CLEAR throughout the fic that Adam was fucked in the head for his obsession with Reki, but a big part of me still worried people would think I liked the ship unironically because I. Kinda went ham on Adam's creepy behavior. BUT I HAD TO MAN!! PREDATORS ARE VERY REAL PEOPLE AND I WASN'T ABOUT TO SUGARCOAT THAT SHIT. I was dedicated to portraying the sheer fucked-up-ness of Reki's situation. Despite my extreme anxieties.
Mother(ghost) of Mine - also in that same prev ask, I mentioned this fic being very self-indulgent. In this case, it involved Dani and Dan calling Danny, a boy, mom. And the phandom as a whole looooves its trans Danny headcanons (I don't personally hc it, but I respect it). So naturally at the time, I worried people would get the wrong idea from the use of that title (and I def did receive a few comments of that nature lol). The phandom is uh... kind of a monolith, in the worst way possible. I don't regret leaving that fandom tbh. That fic was a huge stepping stone for me back into serious writing tho, so I'd never tell my younger self to not post it. No matter how much I cringe at the old writing.
13. Which three fics did you enjoy writing the most?
What Sort of Imminent Threat - I BLAZED THROUGH THIS FIC IN A STRAIGHT WEEK. It was honestly insane how consistent my energy was for it, but I had a very strong love for Ody and Eury's relationship, and I had an even stronger love for Ody as a nuanced character. Honestly, as soon as he sang "I could raise [the infant] as my own", I was locked in to make this man a father. He deserves it, damn it! It doesn't help how precious little Galen turned out, and put together with Ody being soft for him??? I'm only a woman, plz.
reap what you sow - I'm a sucker for Edward Elric and I'm an even bigger sucker for FURY Edward Elric. I really, really, really love my Hades au okay. Really. And getting to explore Ed's pov?? While exploring his several friendships and his budding relationship with Ling?? My absolute FAVORITE thing to do is explore/expand a character through their relationships, and this fic was kinda just that, with a lovely side of self-indulgent world-building. Did I mention that I love my Hades au?
By No Auspicious Day - Crown by itself is obv a fic I enjoy writing a lot (you don't slave over 110k+ for sth you don't adore lmao), but its unedited sequel holds an esp dear place in my heart. I will have to revamp it to match the new Crown, BUT, even as it is—this fic was so goddamn CUTE. It's edling being silly despite the end of the world!! They're in love!! I was giggling the entire time I was writing this fic back in 2022, and I'll do it again after Crown's finished. (Hopefully.)
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steele-soulmate · 11 months
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Tattooed Wings, CHAPTER 495, Peter Steele & OFC, Soulmate AU
SUMMARY: Mary Claire Bradley meets her soulmate- literally- the famous Peter Steele of metal group Type O Negative. But will obstacles including trauma, stalkers, and toxic family members get in the way of their life?
WARNING: mentions of child rape (nothing graphic) PTSD, milk kink, soft smut, grinding, assault, fingering, hand jobs, blow jobs, 69, P in V sex, blood, noncon rape, violence, death, vandalism, graffiti, attempted kidnapping, break-ins, wild animal attacks, terrorist attack (sabotage) consensual impregnation, bareback, impregnation kink, creampies, terrorist attacks (shootings) hit and run pedestrian accident, precipitous labor, neonatal death
WORDS: 1190
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“- and then BOOM!” Katie was chattering excitedly as she told me about the episode of MythBusters that the kids had watched while Isabelle swept the kitchen and dining room following dinner the night before. “It was so cool!”
I hummed softly as I finger combed out her silky hair, a dark black in color with natural red highlights, a feature which she inherited from her father. She had her mother’s almond shaped eyes and delicate Asian features, but I couldn’t tell who she took more from personality wise.
“What was your favorite episode of MythBusters?” Elizabeth wondered as she knitted, something that both she and her sister did to channel their nervous energy.
“Well…” I nibbled on my bottom lip as I fell into deep thought. “The one where a cannonball accidently goes shooting off into someone’s house is always a good one!”
“We didn’t see that one yet!” Katie yelled out in excitement as Peter exited the bathroom, carrying a bundled up Baby Violet Marie. Cocooned in towels and love, the redheaded baby was bright pink from an impromptu bath following her EEG. “When is that?”
“I don’t remember exactly,” I confessed from my spot on the floor, where I was engaging in some gentle post pregnancy yoga. Little girl and Baby Tommy were on either sides of me, both babies copying their mommy to the best of their abilities.
“Mama Wen Wen, mesies strechies stretchs like you?” little girl meeped, looking up at me with her mother’s sapphire blue eyes. “Pleasies please?”
I hummed softly, not quite knowing what she was saying until she plonked herself down into a full on split.
“Let me clarify that now, little girl,” I said to her as I folded myself into criss cross applesauce. “You want to be flexible like your Mama Wen Wen, am I understanding you right?”
“Yes yes yes yes…” chanted the adorable three year old.
“Mesies too too, mesies too too!” pouted Baby Tommy, trying to copy his big sister.
I only smiled as I showed them a few easy stretches to get them started and then sitting back to watch them. Both babies sat on the floor in a spread eagle position with their feet touching and began to gently pull the other towards them, both babies giggling manically as they babbled absolutely nothing to each other.
“Sweetheart, what have you started?” Peter chortled as he sat down in the recliner to give Baby Violet Marie some skine to skin.
“I have no idea, my love!” I retorted back to him with a dainty sniff as Elizabeth and Katie waited patiently for their turn at chattering their parent’s ears off.
“Mommy mommy mommy, Auntie Sammi dropped Baby Noah off for a sleepover last night!” Katie continued spilling the tea. “She had to attend a work related meeting and her usual sitter backed out at the last possible minute.”
“Ah.” I knew just what Sammi’s “work related meeting” was. “Sound like fun. What did you do?”
“We watched Wish!” Elizabeth answered in a bright tone of voice. “And then we got bundled up and went into the backyard to wish upon wishing stars!”
“Oh my, it sounds like you had fun!” I commented as little girl pulled Baby Tommy across herself.
“I think it’ll start snowing soon!” the Asian American member of the Ratajczyk family beamed. “And you know what that means!”
“Baking Christmas cookies!” cheered Elizabeth.
“Snowmen snowmen!” guggled little girl, letting go of her younger brother to clap her hands.
“Cwist mas movies!” yelled Baby Tommy as he chewed on his fist.
I giggled at the sudden explosion of love and giggles that flooded over me and made my heart feel light and fluffy and happy. I used the bed to get back up onto my feet, waving the two older girls away as they flew to my side to help me.
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” I protested. “I’ll be better once I get off from the toilet, though!”
“Alright, blueberry of my heart!” Peter chuckled. “Let out a yell if you need absolutely anything at all.”
“Yes daddy!” I sent him a smart salute before scuttling into the bathroom.
I sighed as I sat down on the toilet, tossing me head backwards as the feeling of too full, too full went away as my bowels released the urine that they have been storing.
Ten minutes later, I was still peeing.
“Sweetheart? Are you alright?” Peter asked me as he hovered in the doorway, not quite entering as he waited for me to grant his access.
“Peter?” I meeped timidly as my fingers curled into my fist from their place in my lap. “I can’t stop peeing.”
“Jesus-” he swore softly. “Do you want me to call for a nurse?”
“Yes please.” I was absolutely embarrassed at the state of my body as I sat there on the toilet, ejecting urine in a nonstop stream. “Peter? Can you please make sure that it’s a female nurse?”
“Always.” The corners of his dazzling hazel blue eyes crinkled upwards as he kipped out of the bathroom and went off down to the nurses’ station to ask for some assistance. He returned five minutes later with a nurse in pink scrubs and a yellow cap.
“Okay, what seems to be the problem here?”
“I can’t stop peeing…” I whined, scooting backwards a little bit to allow her to collect some of my pee into a cup for lab testings.
“I think you may have a urinary tract infection. They’re totally normal to get right after giving birth. I’ll send this off to the lab for further analysis and then I’ll return with some medication for you, okay?”
“Gramacy,” I whimpered as she went off on her way.
Peter came back into the bathroom with a sealed bottle of water, which he handed to me with a smile.
“Never fear, sweetheart of mine,” he rumbled playfully. “Super Peter is here!”
Gramercy, thank you, old French? 
TAGLISTS ARE OPEN/ ASK BOX IS OPEN/ REQUESTS ARE OPEN/ PLOT BUNNIES ARE WELCOMED
If you liked this, then please consider buying me a coffee HERE It only costs $3!!!
PETER STEELE TAGLIST
@rock-a-noodle
@ch3rry-c01a
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soleilnomoon · 2 years
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*lets herself in* the door was unlocked. —Anyway!!— I want to request an arranged marriage/contract marriage AU where Character A has a deep dark secret that Y/N knows and she uses it to her advantage not that she needs to since Character A is also into the arrangement for their own benefit. For fandom how about 🤔 Aki from Chainsaw Man. Or like in the words of a great philosopher named Miss once said: you can flip it turn it and reverse it. Whatever suits you. Xx fall in love 💋
ily so much 💋 thank u for being patient w. my slow slow writing; i had to cut myself off bc this was gonna get long, u already know what time it is w. me ૮₍  ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა
3k, fem reader, sfw - but it's suggestive, 18+ mdni, a lil angsty; arranged marriage/contract marriage au; aki is a brat, we all know this - and ofc y/n doesn't know when to shut up. this might be a series who knows... note: decided to make this a short series called "all the devils are here" so this will be chapter 01: occlude. index | next ⤹
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as the matriarch, his grandmother often told him that the key to succeeding in a family like theirs — one that is rife with blackmail, blood money, and barely tolerable relatives — is to always be several steps ahead; to have a plan with a backup plan, and a backup plan for that backup plan. hayakawa aki is well versed in the art of planning; he learned the skill early on in his childhood, finding it absolutely necessary in order to navigate the treachery of his large family. there were several smaller branch families, but they do not have the reach and power that the main family has — which is just as well, there’s no need for that many people to have influence around the country.
with their hands tied heavily in finance — both in the public and private sectors — over the past decade or so, they’ve made their move into politics. an inevitable choice, as they have enough members in their family to make their vision a reality. as the eldest of his parents’ children, it’s been decided that aki is to marry within the following year — to continue the family name, to further their legacy as much as he can. it’s awfully archaic and terribly trite, so naturally he’s against it from the very beginning.
“i don’t see the point,” he says one morning, sipping coffee — the kitchen spacious and cold, with a minimalist design. it’s located in the main house on his family’s absurd and expansive estate. “marriage, that is. i’m too young.” he isn’t; he’s at the age where it’s time, but aki doesn’t care for following any path that doesn’t make sense to him — especially when it means his movements will be heavily monitored, possibly even dictated for him.
his father remains quiet, his lack of input is why aki is precisely in the situation he’s in now. his mother, on the other hand, leans against the kitchen island, a well-rehearsed sigh drifting from her lips. “not this again,” she says wearily, as if the very thought of entertaining this conversation is a troubling matter for her — which isn’t too far from the truth. “we’ve already signed the paperwork, what’s done is done.” she leaves little room for argument, and aki doesn’t press her. his dark eyes land on hers critically, but he just sips the rest of his coffee and contemplates his next course of action.
where aki absolutely detests the idea of being tied down, you’re more than happy; it actually happens accidentally, or, it appears that way. your older sister’s sudden disappearance pushes you to the forefront, making you the next in line to carry the torch for your family. 
you’ve seen him before, he’s well-known not just because of his family name, but because he’s notorious for having short-lived relationships with people from equally powerful families. he barely shows affection, can seem entirely closed-off, uncaring, even. it was as if they were accessories to whatever outfit he was wearing whenever they went out; the true definition of doing things for appearances. 
you know more about him than necessary, and, sure, maybe you have a tiny crush — he is handsome, after all — but you know better than to believe there’s any possibility of reciprocation. not when there are other people of higher social standing around for his choosing.
“i am so, so sorry,” your father repeats, head hanging as he tries his best to placate mr. and mrs. hayakawa. they’re sitting stiffly on the sofa, backs straight, their tea untouched on the coffee table before them. your mother clears her throat which only prompts your father to apologize again. you’re not meant to really be seen — the hayakawas aren’t too pleased that the bride they chose for their eldest son is nowhere to be found. the son in question leans against the wall, hands in pockets as he surveys the room before him.
it’s gauche, not to his liking, but much more authentic than his parents’ home; maybe that’s what compels him to cut his mother off before she opens her mouth to lash out at your parents. 
“her,” aki says in a crisp voice, one that commands your attention almost immediately. you blink slowly, unsure if he meant to say that or not.
“her?” his mother asks, voice shrill, appalled at her son’s brashness.
“mhm.” aki moves off of the wall, his long legs carrying him over to you fairly quickly. you’re not sure what to do, so you just smile nervously, hoping this isn’t some big joke or ploy somehow. he looks you over, eyes trailing down your body, and while you’re sure it’s meant to be just a general assessment, you can’t help but feel like you’re a slab of meat and he’s the butcher. it should frighten you, really it should; but it doesn’t, and that’s a chilling thought.
moistening your lips with your tongue, you decide that enough is enough; your parents don’t need to continue shouldering a blame that isn’t their fault — not entirely, anyway.
“you’ll do,” he says after a moment, nodding to himself and swiveling on his heels. “we’ll send movers to drop by in the afternoon.” 
it’s brilliant, really; he couldn’t have planned it better himself. he’d fully intended on just attending this makeshift meeting for appearances, but when he saw the way his parents were wholly uninterested in hearing your parents’ side, it just… bothered him. so, as a bit of a fuck you to his grandmother and his parents, he opted to choose you, instead. his mother’s face was priceless — his lips curl upwards as he hides his mirth behind a closed fist and a cough.
you can’t believe it’s happening; he chose you, and while you’re not sure of his exact reasoning, this works in your favor. 
“o-okay,” you say quietly, nodding, unable to find fault with his words. it’s better this way, for things to move quickly, rather for them to drag out. that’s what happened to your sister; she had too much time to think and found a way to escape her fate. you’re not the dream-chasing sort, you want to live a relatively normal life as best as you can — and aki doesn’t seem like the kind to impose impossible expectations on his spouse, or, that’s what you’re telling yourself as you look at his retreating form. as usual, he’s in all black attire; you’ve noticed that about him, that he refuses color for some reason — and if there is another color, it’s as an accent, nothing more.
you want to ask him why he dresses that way; you want to ask him why he looks as if he’s fed up with the world and also bored with life itself; you also want to ask if he really actually wants to marry you, or if he’s just using you. the thought gives you pause; if he finds you unuseful, will he call off the engagement? you didn’t intend on dredging up secrets, of unburying skeletons and revealing truths, but you will if you have to. it just so happens that you have one that will ensure that aki follows through on this marriage one way or another.
the movers come promptly at four; there are things you leave behind, but it doesn’t matter, your mother assures you that your fiancé can buy you more. you want to tell her that that’s not the point, but you don’t bother. after a short goodbye — since aki also sent a drive to come get you as well — you make the long drive to the hayakawa estate, your nerves getting the best of you as you fidget with the sleeve of your thin cardigan. everything will be fine, you remind yourself, albeit nervously, what’s the worst that can happen?
and, naturally, you imagine the worst; aki kicking you out on your ass, paparazzi capturing every embarrassing moment, your sister appearing at the final minute to show that she was also in on it. it’s all very cruel, and you can’t help but close your eyes and press your lips together firmly, willing those images to go away. your sister would never do that, you know she wouldn’t; but a part of you can’t help but wonder. she didn’t say much before leaving, if anything it felt like a normal morning, but she was definitely a little off — you couldn’t put your finger on it, but you knew instinctively that something was going to happen.
the hayakawa estate is formidable, the manor even more so; from the weathered brick, to the winding driveway, to the neatly trimmed hedges and manicured lawns; there’s a fountain — three, actually — with a statue of sorts, the water pouring out at an impressive rate, making a perfect arch, stray droplets splashing off to the side. 
this is what they do with their money, you muse before exiting the car, stretching and yawning softly. you remember to keep your movements delicate and demure, to appear every bit the well-mannered, capable bride-to-be that your mother desperately sculpted you into — even though you are far from it. but they hayakawas don’t need to know that; all they need to see is how compliant you are, and then you’ll have the luxury of living the life you’ve wanted. away from your parents, away from their expectations, petty comments, and harsh critiques. your sister also wanted to get away, she just chose a more extreme option than you did.
you’d rather have things easy, with minimal stress and even less drama. 
they escort you to the main living room, the cushions on the plush sofa softer than you original thought they’d be. you sink into the seat comfortably before aki enters the room, his eyes glued to his cellphone, lithe fingers flying across the screen as he types out a long text. he barely looks at you before he sits down on the armchair adjacent to you. a long stretch of silence passes between you, minutes feel like hours and you clasp your hands together in front of you, laying them neatly on your lap as you wait for him to say something.
it seems, though, that your fiancé is determined to make this as difficult as possible, which pisses you off a little. clenching your jaw, you try another tactic — clear your throat gently, appear every bit as cordial and sweet as you need to be, and smile at him.
“um, i don’t think we’ve actually been properly introduced,” your face flushes as you speak; you realize you’re out of your element dealing with him. he glances up at you, just briefly, before casting his eyes lower and focusing on his phone again.
“it’s not important,” he says at last, words laced with boredom.
you stare at him, mouth parted, your thoughts racing as you try to calm yourself. it won’t do for you to get upset; if you do then he’ll have the upper hand and he might terminate the engagement before the day is over. you can’t have that. so you switch tactics.
with your voice lowered, you fix him with a cool stare. “i know your secret,” you say confidently, head tilted as you take in the slight shift in his expression — his eyebrows lift just so, mouth twitching at the corners, eyes settling on you again except this time he really looks at you. his stare is intense, scrutinizing, but there’s also a faint flicker of amusement.
“is that so?” he leans forward, making you tense immediately. “well, go on, what’s this secret of mine? if it’s about zoe, that’s been debunked as a drunk rumor on her part.” she was obsessed with him and liked to tell people that he left her at the altar, even though he’s never even been remotely close to dating her.
he’s calling your bluff, and doubts you know anything concrete. you don’t like that he isn’t taking you seriously, so you inhale deeply before speaking again.
“it’s about my sister.” the subsequent silence that descends upon the room is thick enough to choke you both. aki narrows his eyes at you, the brief moment where he eased up has vanished completely; something about the way he’s looking at you makes you squirm in your seat. you’re not sure if it’s because he actually makes you nervous or because you know that you’re not really nervous or afraid of him at all. 
a harrowing truth that you will fight tooth and nail to keep hidden.
“go on,” he says gruffly, annoyance evident in his hawkish gaze, thick eyebrows sloping downward as if he’s finally seeing you for the first time — the real you. if you weren’t so intent on putting yourself on equal footing with him, you’d get lost in the elegant shape of his mouth, the sharpness of his jaw, the curled lashes that frame his eyes. even more devastating in person, you may have underestimated your attraction to him. still, you’ll persevere and see this through.
swallowing hard, you remind yourself to be brave, and continue. “you…”
he lets out a ragged breath, clicking his tongue in a dismissive manner as he goes back to his phone. “you’re boring me,” he says blithely, which propels you to blurt out the remainder of the secret.
“you helped sneak her out of the country so she wouldn’t have to marry you.” you’re not too sure why he did it, but you have a few running theories.
aki puts his phone down on the short coffee table and stands up — he towers over you even as he leans down, his face a few inches away from yours. “now that’s a very interesting secret you’ve found out.” he’s impressed, actually. no one else knows — save for one other — and he didn’t peg you as the type to snoop around. your sister said as much to him, that you wouldn’t suspect a thing. it’s laughable to him, the idea that he’d get caught that quickly.
“i won’t tell anyone,” you say in a rush, the words tripping over your tongue, breath still as his lips curve upwards and tug into a sly smile. “i promise.” your voice grows quiet, which is wholly unlike you; you’re normally much more interactive, but you know if you don’t follow the script you’ve been fed, you’ll end up back home. you can’t let that happen.
“oh, i know you won’t,” his amusement returns as his large hand grabs onto your forearm, “you’ve got too much to lose.” aki yanks you up to your feet, a small squeal coming out of your mouth at his touch — you didn’t expect him to be this handsy so early on; he’s normally much more reserved, choosing not to embrace others in public. you suppose behind closed doors it’s much different for him.
“wh-what do you mean?” you look around to make sure no one else is around, voice a harsh whisper as you step closer to him. “don’t you care that i know?” you want to lay down your terms, that you require him to follow through on the marriage or else you’ll tell everyone about his involvement in your sister’s disappearance.
part of the reason why he left your house so quickly was because of one simple thing: he couldn’t bear to look at you for longer than a few seconds. it’s bizarre, unheard of, and absolutely maddening. your sister is exceptionally beautiful, there’s no doubt about that — but there’s a frigidity to her that couldn’t be thawed no matter what; besides, it was expected of both of them to marry. according to his mother, they complement each other so well. but you… you’re so much different, a wild card that was thrown into the game at the last minute. his mother was beside herself, fuming at his decision — he was so very grateful that you offered little resistance to his hasty proposal (if you can call it that). 
and now here you are, showing off your teeth; it seems he made a good choice after all.
while you feign innocent, stifle your personality to suit the needs of others, and act demure, he sees right through that. he’s known from the moment he visited your house, when he officially met your parents the first time to discuss the arrangement between him and your sister. she was flighty, irritable, with terrible opinions; you did your best to blend in, to not be seen or heard in the presence of outsiders unless your parents or sister called for you. he found it odd at first, but the more he watched you, the more he understood. just like him, you’re careful, observant, and determined. there’s a small fire inside of you — he knows there is — one that he hopes will burn brightly and fiercely in the near future. that level of unbridled chaos should be cultivated in the right environment; by choosing you, he threw everyone for a loop and now they don’t know what to say or do with him.
it’s perfect. and because you’re so damn stubborn, you’ll play the part you were chosen to play without issue.
if that’s not beauty, he doesn’t know what is.
“no,” he says at last, tugging on your arm so you’ll follow him out of the room, “i don’t care, because i know you won’t tell.” he pauses in his gait and pushes you against the wall, caging you and crowding your space with ease. you try your best to not look affected, but you can’t, it’s much too late for that. aki is displaying an aspect of his personality that you didn’t expect to see. it’s exciting in a way you don’t quite understand just yet. 
“don’t worry, i still plan on marrying you. your confession just makes things easier.” his mouth grazes the curve of your ear as he whispers the last bit to you; a shiver travels through your body, your heart beating tirelessly in your chest, making it hard to breathe. 
a smirk graces his lips before he gives you space and leaves you to your thoughts. a thought crosses his mind, making him stop and look over his shoulder at you, saying darkly, “i look forward to a happy union between us, y/n. don’t disappoint me.”
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ynscrazylife · 3 years
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hi there! so i saw that you write about the mcu and dceu which is super cool bc i have this amazing idea of a story between me, the avengers, the guardians and the justice league (platonic ofc!) i was thinking about the three teams were preparing my birthday in a yard and while they are preparing everything, bruce banner is picking me up and him and i could get closer in a romantic way (mostly because he's my fav), and when i arrive everyone is suprising me and then we have a lot of fun 1/2
The Surprise Party | avengers, guardians, justice league fluff fic
Summary: Ignoring how they’re from different universes, the superheroes throw their friend an amazing surprise birthday party.
Authors Note: Thanks for requesting & happy birthday!
Request to be on a taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)
MCU Masterlist #1 | MCU Masterlist #2 | DCEU Masterlist |  Main Masterlist
PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of these works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me first and b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.
header c @/gagalacrax on twitter
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There was a reason why the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Justice League didn’t all get together: with that many superheroes, in one space, chaos was bound to break out. That chaos could be, quite literally, anything. From Iron Man challenging the Flash to an arm wrestling contest to Aquaman attacking Groot when he thought he was an enemy. Long story short, it just wasn’t a good idea . . . Until they found out that besides saving the world, all three teams had one thing in common: Y/N Y/LN.
Y/N had, to everyone’s astonishment, been on all three teams. Born as a Metahuman, she had started out on the Justice League team. Then, on a solo mission, she accidentally entered a black hole and bam! she found herself in another universe, and quickly bonded with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Eventually, it was determined that the Guardians couldn’t help her return to her home world - or universe - so she bid them goodbye and sought out the Avengers.
Y/N was the reason they had met. The reason that they knew of each other's universes. Now, seeing as her birthday was rapidly approaching, she was the reason they were coming together once more. Each superhero had their own connection with Y/N and adored her. Batman and Captain America were like father figures while Black Widow, Mera, and Wonder Woman were her mother figures, Furthermore, Aquaman and Thor were her mentors, Starlord, Iron Man, and Superman were like her big brothers, Gamora and Scarlet Witch were like her sisters, and Falcon, Rocket, Groot, Hawkeye, and Drax were her best friends.
There was someone else who fit into Y/N’s life in an entirely different way, though. That was the Hulk, aka Bruce Banner, who Y/N had a growing crush on. Coincidentally, his role in their birthday surprise was to be the distractor. He’d take Y/N out and about, staying as far away as possible from the Avengers Tower, while the other superheroes set up.
As expected, the planning hardly went smoothly.
Tony and Barry got into another confrontation, this time over Y/N’s choice of music (which went on until Mera and Wanda butted in with the music Y/N actually enjoyed), Arthur began to get on Natasha’s last nerves, and Rocket almost started eating her cake . . . and that was only a bit of what happened in the first half of the day.
Meanwhile, Bruce kept Y/N occupied. He took her out to her favorite breakfast place and breakfast was on him and then they filled the day at a carnival park. Bruce happily accompanied her on all the rides she wanted to go on (despite almost Hulking out multiple times) and even won Y/N some stuffed animals by throwing rings. He even got her lots and lots of cotton candy and then let her ride on his back when she got a stomach ache. All in all, though, it was a fun time. So fun that Bruce almost forgot that they had a party to get to!
Which is exactly why he frantically texted the groupchat that they were on their way and had to practically drag Y/N away from wanting to go on the ferris wheel for the third time. When confronted with questions, the lie that there was an emergency mission slipped off the brunette’s tongue -- probably not the smartest lie because Y/N had declared weeks before that if there were any missions on the week of her birthday, she wasn’t going -- but it worked long enough to keep her distracted, even if she was too busy with pouting and grumbling.
As they got closer and closer, Bruce could barely contain his excitement. Not only had he had a fantastic game, he was about to spend the night partying with the woman he had a crush on and celebrating her birthday. Who knows - maybe he’d even ask her out?!
When they got there, Y/N was ready to march inside and suit up, but Bruce tugging on her arm made her stop. Ignoring her endless questions and cries of frustration, he took his time leading her through the tower and into the backyard so the superheroes would have time to hide. Bruce let Y/N go before him and the moment she opened the doors, everyone jumped out wearing party hats and yelled: “SURPRISE!”
To say she was surprised would be a total understatement. In fact, she was so surprised that she stumbled back, directly into the scientist, and with his quick reflexes he steadied her and lightly nudged her forward and out of her shocked state. She had let out the biggest gasp that any of them had ever heard, her eyes went wide, and her hands flew over her mouth.
Slowly, she walked forward, overwhelmed by the sight before her. Not only were all her teammates - her friends, even family - together, but the place looked amazing. There were streamers, a big sign saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY, balloons, even a fake throne that Tony and Bruce had constructed earlier that week!
“Oh-oh my god, you guys . . . Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She cried out, jumping up and down.
Everyone smiled. “Of course, sweetheart,” Arthur said.
“Go sit on your throne - presents are up first!” Tony added.
Y/N immediately ran and jumped onto the big throne.
“Aren’t presents supposed to be last or something?” Clint muttered to Steve as they walked over.
“Yeah, but Tony keeps boasting on how good his present is,” Steve replied.
Everyone mingled on over there and Tony presented his birthday present, which was definitely over-wrapped, first. After the squeals she emitted, the others were next. Everyone had gotten her their own birthday present, but Arthur and Mera went over the top when they joined together with their powers to make Y/N something super special.
Afterwards, they spent the rest of the time absolutely PARTYING! They had a dance contest which JARVIS was the judge of and Y/N won, but the next round Y/N co-judged with JARVIS and they determined that Rocket and Barry were tied for first place, Peter and Clint tied for second place, and Bruce got third place. Then, they moved onto playing games (Y/N and Bruce teamed up and they CRUSHED everyone else, because they already had experience working together at the carnival that day) and finally, it was time for cake. Y/N got the biggest piece and, of course, Rocket and Arthur fought over the cake (Groot smacked them).
They partied until the sun came up, where everyone either fell asleep or had someone fall asleep on them. In the morning, everyone awoke, only to see Y/N still asleep, her head resting on Bruce’s shoulder and a blanket wrapped around them both. It was the most adorable sight they had ever witnessed and Bruce carried her to bed while Natasha took her shoes off. The superheroes left her to sleep in and she came downstairs a couple hours later, a breakfast full of waffles, pancakes, anything you could imagine waiting for her.
Permanent Taglist: @natasharomanoffismywife @hehehehannahthings @paulawand @blackbat2020 @cerberus-spectre @marrymemcgrath @celestialbarnes @kathryndimitrescu @snipyloulou @big-galaxy-chaos @cc13723things
MCU Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @summerlovingbaby @ineffablebean @okkulta @procrastinatingsapphictrash @prettysbliss @caseyfish @sarahp-stan @thewidowsghost @basiclesbianbitch @mycosmicparadise @kidswhofightmonsters @xtraordinaryfangrl @peggycarter-steverogers @username23345 @ima-gi--na-tion @yori-nakajima @hi-i-1 @mmmmokdok @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @mads-weasley @tenaciousperfectionunknown @afraid-to-be-me @lilclownx @acertainredhead @natromanoffxox @lilymurphy03 @thanossexual @avengersz-biotch @kozumekoi  @mjaudrey
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goatpaste · 4 years
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shroom story? :0
 oh my god this sdgjkh sat in my inbox for days because i didnt have the energy to awnser it right away and then forgot. i think this was prompted because of this ask which still makes me laugh to think about 
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anyways shroom story, its sdjkgh a favorite story in my server and new friends
but like ough i was in the summer between middle and highschool so like ?? 14 i think maybe 15, i forget what age most people are round then
but probably 15, old enough that my parents could question me doing any sorta drug in a normal way. like not a concerning way but in a genuine way.
and my parents smoke weed, SO much fucking weed all the fucking time their a nightmare. and i was in the room next to them and often could smell it in my room at night.
but myself, i dont do any sorta drug, just not something iv been able to do or had a desire for ig sorta.
also more context, my mom stopped smoking and this was about the time she started her road to being a crazy vegan person and it started when she watched some video about how refined sugars and salts will give you cancer. so out went all sugar and refined salts in our house for the rest of the time i lived with them.
but once in awhile when i had a few bucks i still went out and got soda and a snack at the gas station, or we’de have sweets like graham crackers or dfjkgh like literally whatever was sweet like some caramel on bread. shit like that. and on weekends id scrounge the cabinets for snacks and hole up in my room and watch shows on my computer in my room.
and so one night i was doing that and idk, as some of you can probably guess, i found two little chocolates wrapped in tin foil. and ME fucking absolute DUMBASS didn’t think anything of it and went mmm choncholate for sammi! and promptly took it to my room along with some other things.
was watching my show, snacking fine until the chocolates. 
let me reiterate, i am a fucking MORON.
i bit into the first one and went, yuck! gross!....... maybe the other one taste better? bit into that one, didnt taste good. went, hmm theres something in there maybe i need to eat around it. not realizing it was like THE WHOLE CHOCOLAte i tried to eat around the center to find it still gross, gave up and threw the chocolates away.
and see i didnt think anything of it because one, im a fucking idiot. and two, my date was terribly lactose intolerant and kept dark chocolate in the house and its very bitter and i didnt like it, and at the time had assumed it was just dark chocolate.
went back to my shows for awhile
annnd then the shrooms kicked in.
and to be clear, im a dumbass and had NO idea what i had just done.
and i start to feel sometHING is wrong with me and like i cant describe how it made me feel except that when it started my brain decided “oh god im being punished for not exercising enough. i dont do enough cardio and im dying RIGHT NOW for it.”
so i went outside to the backyard where my parents work blowing glass and making weed pipes. and im like... mother.. i have to go outside right now i need to run around the block right now
NOT RELIZING HOW INSANE I SOUNDED
and my mom straight up is like... are you on drugs???
and i ofc, somehow still dont click it together and go, “nononinon no no i dont do drugs!”
and return to my room to calm down and watch my show some more before i accept i MAY be high fjkghg
returning to the backyard both my parents are there and i tell them about the chocolate, they honestly think its a lil funny and my dad and is kinda like “ :O!! my fuckin shroom chocolate we were saving that!”
and they start like trying help me, asking me if i wanted to watch a movie in the living room until i come down and everything. and im telling them i want to be alone and go to sleep until  its over because i was miserable and a little stressed because OFC this didnt happen on my terms.
so i return to my room and try to lay down, but i remember like trying to close my eyes and just seeing fucking colors very much like a kaleidoscope. Annoyed i tried to push that from my vision
but when i would attempt to push away colors and find a dark patch in my like brain? there was a small puppet of me just like, doing the jig. And it was shaped like mister smarty pants from between the lions
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so i give up on sleeping and grab my blanket and pillow and go to the living room, leaning against the wall singing “im just a kid” on the way.
i asked my parents to put on some disney movie, they told me no because it fuck me up too bad. and then they turned on the lorax.
i remember that movie being SO blurry and i remember looking at my mom and going “this movie is too fucking orange >:(”
the rest of it was mostly fine, i went outside with my mom and ask if she could hear my poop through the window to the bathroom that was connected to the patio. she told me no
my father tried to get me to drink nyquil, i said no and layed on the floor and rolled away from him because i just remembered i really didnt like how it tasted.
then my parents told me i texted my friends “i ate something weird and im starting to feel weird???” sdjkgh and they told me i needed to clear everything up and make sure my friends didnt think i was high. the next day i went to my friends house and told them this exact story, and iv been telling this story since.
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keanureevesisbae · 4 years
Text
Protection - Chapter 1
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Summary: Mia Makaruku meets her new neighbor, but he isn’t at all what she expected him to be.
August Walker x Mia Makaruku (ofc)
Wordcount: 3.2k
Warnings: Mentions of a car accident.
Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter 
My muscles scream bloody murder, as I trudge through the hallways. Did coach Riley have to be so gruesome today? Goodness me, I don’t even know if I’m gonna make it back to my car. However, when I see the coach standing further down the hall, I quickly straighten my back and ignore the slight dulling pain I feel in my ankle and the rest of my leg muscles. ‘Mia,’ coach Riley says in a stern tone as I come closer to her.
Oh no, I think to myself. I did something terribly wrong. If she uses that tone after the first training of the week, it can only mean I’m in severe trouble. ‘Yes coach?’ I hesitantly ask.
Coach Riley’s looks indicate she is strict. Her blonde hairs are pulled back in a tight knot,  a pair of glasses with a thick black frame rests on her nose and the eyeliner that hardens her eyes. While the indication is absolutely one hundred percent correct, you eventually find out she is a sweetheart deep underneath that hard exterior.
When I first arrived in Chicago five years ago, I had no idea what Thanksgiving entailed and I was ready to spend it alone in my apartment. She invited—correction: forced—me to spend time with her family, because she did not want me to sit alone in my apartment on Thanksgiving.
With my last foster family being everything but a great success, it felt good to be welcomed with open arms into a family. I’ve had my fair share of families and while they were all sweet, the last one was a total nightmare. Being slightly traumatized by the experience, it was good to be hugged by a grandma I had never seen before.
Hugs from grandma’s do wonders.
‘You did good today,’ coach says.
Great, now I know for sure I have severely fucked up. If coach Riley starts with a compliment, she is going to break some pretty bad news within a few seconds. I have trained with her for a little over five years. I know her and her odd and slightly crude way of communicating.
‘Okay?’ I say, waiting for the bomb to drop.
‘However, I want you to take it easy, so next training you’re going to train with Tristan on the side of the field.’
‘Come on, coach,’ I whine. ‘Why?’
‘Upcoming Saturday it’s the second to last game of the year. I need you top fit then.’
‘But I am top fit. Honestly!’
Coach Riley isn’t impressed, but to be honest: when is she ever? If this woman has made a decision, she’ll simply power through, no discussion possible. ‘You take it easy during tomorrows training and you listen carefully to Tristan. I noticed a limp on the field just now.’
‘There wasn’t a limp,’ I say. ‘I swear, it’s nothing to worry ab— Okay, I’ll take it easy tomorrow,’ I quickly say when I see her cocked eyebrow that does not bode well.
She finally smiles. ‘Good. Now scocch, I don’t want to look at your face any longer.’
Just when you think she is finally a little bit approachable and kind, she thankfully does this, because her smile was nearly creeping me out. I can’t stop my chuckle. ‘See you tomorrow, coach,’ I say, holding up my hand as I continue to walk through the hallways.
The closer I get to the exit, the colder it becomes. When I’m training, I somehow forget about the ice cold temperatures. However, when I’m not training, which is the majority of the day, I remember we are nearing the winterbreak and that handling these types of temperatures, is not one of my strengths.
I tense up when I step outside and if my ankle wasn’t slightly bothering me, I’d run to my car. When I reached the vehicle, I quickly step in and start to heat it up. My car, unfortunately, isn’t the most advanced and it takes quite some time before it’s even remotely warm. I shiver in the drivers seat. My phone peeps in my pocket and I pull it out, to check the notification that popped up on my screen.
Reminder to yourself: YOU NEED TO DO SOME GROCERIES. GET YOUR FAT ASS CAT SOMETHING TO EAT.
No, no, no, I forgot. I totally forgot. I curse morning-me for sleeping in today. If I had just done groceries this morning before practice, I could’ve go home now. Why was I lazy and chose an extra hour of sleep over doing something actually productive?
I drive off the parking lot, wave to some of my teammates and go to the nearest grocery store. If I have a clear idea of what I want before I go into the store, I can actually manage to do this pretty swiftly and then go home, so I can curl up on the couch to watch yet another cheesy Christmas movie. I desperately need to buy some food for my cat, some eggs and chocolate and… Do I need more?
This is why one makes shopping lists.
‘You idiot,’ I mumble to myself, as I park the car in front of the store. I get out and walk to the entrance. While I’m strolling through the aisles, to at least get the eggs, cat food and chocolate I do know I need, I hear some girls giggling behind me.
I look over my shoulder to my right and see two young girls standing at the produce section. When they look away, I see a glimpse of their red cheeks and notice they are both wearing Chicago Red Star jerseys. I can’t—and won’t—stop my smile. ‘Hi,’ I say to them, causing them to carefully wave at me.
They shyly wave back. ‘Are you Mia Makaruku?’ one girl asks when she finally found the courage to do so.
I nod. ‘The one and only.’
They look at each other and exchange some excited looks. ‘Can we get a picture?’
This has been my favorite part of the job so far. I mean, sure, I love soccer with all my life, however seeing girls this age cheering me on during the competitions and hearing about how they watch clips of me, so they can learn from my techniques, makes me realize I love that even more. They call me their role model and with the status I have, I can actually be one for them. It’s a job I should take seriously and I do.
When kids tell me they are going to try and watch the European Championship for Women’s Soccer, because I am on the Dutch National Team, I try even harder to be the best player of the competition and be a model for them to look up to. Be someone for them I wished I had when I was younger.
I nod again at the girls. ‘Of course. I love your shirts. Tell me: whose name do you have on the back?’
They start to laugh and turn around, showing the backs of their shirts. ‘Yours of course!’
◎ ◎ ◎
Life hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for me. I just barely think about it nowadays, since it only leaves me with more questions than answers and I’d rather not wander in the dark like that. It’s weird to think about the things I do remember and don’t.
I do remember the second we skidded off the road. I don’t remember I had a mother or father or three brothers with me in the car. I do remember eventually taking the officer’s hand and despite repeating my name like mantra, kept asking him if he had heard my name correctly. I don’t remember any bodies on the scene, because there weren’t any and I also don’t know how their bodies disappeared.
It’s hard sometimes, knowing there is a memory inside my head that I simply can’t reach, but also not knowing what I’m missing in life. Did my parents love me? Did I have a good bond with my brothers? Was there a specific reason I wasn’t in the system? Why weren’t there other people with the same last name in the Netherlands who recognized me?
I moved from foster family to foster family, while trying to regain my memories by visiting multiple specialists. I went to a lot of places. To England, Ireland, France and Luxembourg, but no one could help me out. At the age of twelve, they simply stopped trying, because it was no use anyways and there was one family back in the Netherlands who insisted on me staying in one place for a change.
Thankfully they did, however I only stayed with them for four years, before I moved to my final family, that was a hell to put it mildly.
Finally, for the first time in yearsI wasn’t going from one specialist to another and there was one place where I was always—despite the family—welcome: my soccer team. In all those years of me visiting specialists, there was always one thing I looked for: a ball to kick around. Soccer was my love, my passion and the only thing I started to care about.
And now I have managed to not only make a name for myself in the USA, but also worldwide. When I was nineteen, I debuted in the Dutch National Team during the European Championship and my performance there was what caught the attention of the Chicago Red Stars. I could leave the small SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands behind and go to the USA. I had seen the American National Team. They were exceptionally good and now I got to play alongside some of them.
My first World Championship was when I was twenty one and the Dutch team was in the finals against the USA. Despite my two goals, the USA was too good and beat us with 4-2. Sure, I was disappointed, but still I was very pleased with the fact that the Netherlands became second and it was such a highlight in my seemingly short professional soccer career thus far.
I managed to overcome all these things and still be the person I am today. Since I can’t remember my past, I made it my mission in life to make the most of my future.
Don’t ask me how, but I managed to come back from the store with three full bags. Apparently, if you wander through the aisles long enough, you’ll find tons of excuses to buy crap you didn’t even need in the first place.
I’m finally back at my apartment building and the automatic doors slide open as I reach them. I walk towards the reception and I say with a smile: ‘Hello Harold, how are you today?'
Harold, the clerk behind the reception who is nearing his pension, greets me with his signature smile and I see the two familiar dimples form in his cheeks. ‘Hello, miss Mia, I’m doing splendid this Monday. How was your training today?’
I simply shrug. ‘It was okay, but I have to take it easy now.’ I can’t help but to roll my eyes. ‘According to my coach, I was “slightly limping” and she needs me top fit this Saturday.’
He scrunches up his nose. ‘But my dear, I think you are incapable of taking things easy. Isn’t your coach aware of that?’
I can’t help but laugh. I always like to talk to Harold, it’s so easy to strike up a conversation with him. ‘I think she just wants to bully me. Is there by the way any mail for me?’
‘There certainly is. Three envelopes for you. Almost makes you seem like a very important lady.’ He sends me a playful wink. ‘Oh, before I forget: I told you about the apartment next to you being sold, right?’
I nod. ‘Does this mean Mystery Person is finally moving in?’ I ask.
Harold nods. ‘He moved in today.’
‘Ah, it’s a man. Is he hot?’
He shrugs. ‘He is pretty stuffy and a bit authoritarian looking. I was hoping for someone as radiant as you. I think we need more people like you around here, not a copy of miss Thornhill.’
I throw my long brown hair over my shoulder. ‘Well, what can I say?’ I chuckle. ‘Not everyone is a ray of sunshine like yours truly. Is there mail for him as well? I can bring it to him.’
‘An envelope did arrive, indeed. I don’t think he will go down here to pick it up. We barely made eye contact today. I hardly even know if he is aware there is a reception, let alone that I’m the clerk.’ He hands me the other yellow envelope and says: ‘Are you sure you want to do this, miss?’
‘Absolutely positive. It might be nice to get to know my next door neighbor. Let’s hope he is not a gigolo. I really can’t use sleepless nights anymore. I have two important games coming up, I need my rest.’
‘Mister Toriello was quite the man,’ Harold laughs. ‘Thank you, my dear, for doing this.’
‘No problem, Harold. See you later!’ I walk to the elevator and hold my card in front of the scanner. The doors slide open and when I get in, I press button number nine. I look at the name on the envelope. It’s actually addressed with a sticker, no handwriting, which I find so impersonal.
A. Walker
A. Walker is probably the most generic name I’ve ever heard. This man could be anybody. Would he be bald, have a beer belly and burps all the time or would he be young, attractive and actually a chance for me to leave my forever alone status behind?
While that would be nice, Harold did say that the man was quite stuffy and authoritarian looking.
As someone with barely any date experience (none at all, actually), I’d say stuffy and authoritarian looking isn’t really my type, but never say never right?
The doors open and I step out on my own floor. I walk through the broad hallways and stop in front of apartment number 943. From behind the door, I can hear someone dragging furniture around the apartment and an occasional male grunt. I knock on the door and just hope that he can hear me. I don’t want to start banging on the door like an idiot.
Thankfully, he did hear me, because footsteps approach the door and when it swings open, my eyes widen.
The man standing in the doorway, does not match the generic sounding A. Walker name at all. He is tall, with broad shoulders and the shortsleeved shirt he is wearing, totally accentuates his muscled biceps. I mean, the body is a total A+ (I don’t think I have ever seen someone this buff, while still being proportionate), his face on the other hand… I mean, he does have a beautifully sculpted face and it looks rather perfect, don’t get me wrong, but he looks so angry with that deep frown between his brows and the mustache isn’t really my thing either. Kinda ruins his entire face, if I’m being honest. ‘Who are you?’ he asks, his voice monotone and already bored.
That is not a good start.
‘I’m Mia,’ I introduce myself with a smile, because smiles make people comfortable and this man does not look comfortable. ‘I live next door, in apartment 944. I brought you your mail.’ I extend my arm, so I can hand him the yellow envelope. ‘Thought it would be nice, since we’re neighbors after all.’
He rips the envelope out of my hand and is actually inspecting the seal on it. I am deeply offended. Why on earth would he think that low of me? As if I would snoop through other people’s mail.
After his thorough inspection, he looks at me again. His eyes take me in and leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest. The shirt has a slight v neck and is that a tiny bit of chest hair I detect?
I’m almost expecting something condescending leaving his lips (he seems like the type), but A. Walker doesn’t say a word. He simply stares at me and now I kinda regret bringing his mail with me.
He looks and acts like an utter asshole.
‘What’s your name?’ I carefully ask him. Despite him looking like an absolute dick, I do think this is a man you might want to have on your good side. After all, he is my neighbor, I don’t want him to hate me, especially since from the looks of it this man can break me in half with just his pinky, which is intimidating on its own.
‘August Walker,’ he says, tilting his head, as he seems to scan my entire face. ‘Aren’t you that soccer player?’
Before I can even stop it, a smile breaks out on my face. I always like it when people acknowledge the fact that I’m a soccer player. I worked really hard to get where I am now and when people recognize me as that soccer player, it makes me happy. ‘I am,’ I say with an even brighter smile.
Maybe he isn’t so bad after all…
‘I hate women’s soccer.’
I’m dumbfounded. Why on earth does he have to be so rude? What on earth did I do to him to deserve this? What a fucking dickhead. I can’t believe I was actually trying to make a good impression on him. Maybe I don’t want him to be on my good side. Maybe I sort of miss mister Toriello now, with his late night adventures with very noisy female customers. At least he was nice enough to bring me cookies every now and then, to apologize for the noise.
I highly doubt August Walker knows how to bake cookies, let alone buy some of them to apologize for the inconvenience, whatever that may be.
‘Why?’ I ask, as my expression falters.
‘It’s stupid,’ he simply states. To make it even worse, he adds a shrug, as if it’s a well known fact and not just some stupid opinion. ‘Not as advanced as male soccer.’
I frown, as I try to cover up the fact I’m deeply hurt. ‘Well, that’s okay. To each their own,’ I say to him. ‘If we are being frank here: I think your mustache is pretty stupid.’
He simply raises his eyebrows, while his eyes still look bored and annoyed. ‘You do?’ he asks me. ‘Why is that?’
‘I don’t know. It makes you look like a pedophile, really. Have a good day, mister Walker.’ I walk towards my own door and barge inside.
Who gave mister August Walker the right to be this rude to me, someone who he barely knows? What a piece of shit.
My big orange cat Bobo walks up to me and he starts to meow, pulling me out of my racing thoughts.
The hairy companion makes me instantly forget about my new neighbor. ‘Hi, Bobo,’ I say with a chuckle. ‘I missed you too, little fella.’ I place the bags on the floor, before I lift him up, to press tons of kisses on his head. He purrs in my ear. ‘I bought you some food, so that means you can finally stop putting your head in my bowl and be a decent cat from now on.’
‘Meow.’
‘That’s what I thought.’
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wiypt-writes · 4 years
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Stark Spangled Forever
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A Very Rogers Christmas. Part 3- From Head To Mistletoe
Summary: It’s Christmas Eve and Steve has a little accident in the bathroom. Once the trauma is dealt with the Rogers family head off to visit Pepper and Morgan before coming home to settle in and wait for Santa. And Steve’s hell bent on unwrapping one particular present early…
Warnings: Language, smut (NSFW, 18+)
Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark
A/N: The final part of my Stark Spangled 2020 Christmas special- A Very Rogers Christmas.  I hope you all enjoy and thank you for your support when my other blog was flagged as obscene. Next year SSB will be ‘relaunched’ through the new blog, and I will take the time to change anything that I didn’t quite like. I look forward to seeing you all there. But for now, I leave you with this hot mess and wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. Thank you for being as invested in Stark Spangled as me.
And to my Evangers… @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ , @icanfeelastormbrewing​ , @southerngracela​ and @ohthankevans13​ I would NOT have got through 2020 without you. This one is most CERTAINLY for you girls. I love you 3000.
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Steve groaned as he heard Rori's angry voice from the landing.
"Jamie, tell Stark to stop chasing Erica!"
"He's a dog!" Jamie responded. "It’s what they do, they chase cats."
"Well, stop him!"
"How?" Jamie's voice was punctuated by laughter. "It isn't like I make him do it!"
"Hold still." Katie warned Steve and he let out a sigh, his hands gently smoothing up the back of her thighs as she concentrated on ensuring the lines of his newly shorter beard were neat.
"Sorry, Doll." He muttered, watching her face as she concentrated, her green eyes following the trimmers as her right hand steadily guided them across his left cheek. "Listening to them argue is setting my teeth on edge."
"Baby, I only have the other cheek to neaten, then you can go and tell them both off." Katie stepped back to admire her handy work. "I was kind of hoping their Christmas Eve boxes would have kept them quiet for a little longer."
"Well," Steve turned his head to peek into their room where Harry was sat in the middle of their large bed, looking at the activity book he had gotten in his, "worked for him."
"Always does." Katie chuckled. "He's so well behaved compared to those reprobates."
They watched him for a moment or two before Katie reached up and moved Steve's face sideways so she could start on his right cheek, giving him a soft kiss as she did so. "You look incredibly handsome." She practically purred and Steve grinned, feeling his cheeks and neck grow warm as they always did when she looked at him the way she was doing.
Seventeen years and she could still turn his insides to mush with a single look.
"Yeah?" He asked, her lips still brushing his as she nodded. "Even though I've shaved the beard?"
"Well-" she kissed him again, "-technically you trimmed it, not shaved it. It's just shorter. But yes, I'd still find you devastatingly good looking without it, as you know."
Steve grinned, turned his head to allow Katie to finish and just as she had raised the clippers it all went horribly wrong.
There was a yell again from the landing and a moment or two later the door to their bedroom flung open, causing Steve to whip his head round.
"STEVE!" Katie cried out a warning but it was too late. As Steve turned his head to look at Rori as she barrelled through the door to their bathroom, he managed to catch his cheek on the clippers and he heard Katie gasp. He froze, looked at his wife and then stood hastily up to glance in the mirror and gave a groan. A large chunk of his beard was now completely missing from his right cheek. And he could tell as he looked at it that no amount of trimming was going to save it.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he turned to Rori and she swallowed, eyes growing wide as she registered the tone of his voice. It was deep but quiet, the voice he always used when he was pissed off. "You knock before you come barging into mine and your mother's room, Aurora."
"I'm sorry." Rori blinked, the use of her full name not passing her by. "But Jamie-"
"Don't wanna hear it."
"Yeah, but he-" "What did I just say?" Steve’s voice rose in volume as he glared at her. "I'm not interested in whatever stupid little argument the pair of you have got going on. It stops now. You understand?'
Rori stared back at her father, her face positively mutinous and Katie hastily turned away before she burst out laughing at the fact they were stood in identical poses, arms folded, feet apart as they engaged in the silent stand-off. Whilst Rori undeniably looked like her, she had so many of her father's mannerisms, all the kids did to be fair, and her middle daughter was a perfect blend of both the Stark and Rogers sass and stubbornness.
She was a nightmare at times but at others amusing as hell.
As Katie busied herself straightening a few bottles on the bathroom side she heard Rori give an exasperated sigh.
"Look, I'm sorry I barged in here okay? But Jamie really is being a pain!"
"Right now you're being a pain." Steve shot back somewhat childishly. "A huge pain in my ass."
"Language!" Harry chanted as he looked over towards his father, and that was it, Katie couldn't hold it any longer and she burst out laughing.
Steve turned to her, arching an eyebrow and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Steve, but..."
With a groan Steve rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go speak to Jamie, then I'll come back and sort this out." He gestured to his face before he turned and headed out of the room, calling to Jamie as he went. Less than ten minutes later both brother and sister had been told to quit it, Rori was in her room with the cat whilst Harry had wandered into Jamie's room and settled on a bean bag by his elder brother to watch Back To The Future. Flossie had, miraculously, slept through the entire scenario and …well, she was mourning the loss of Steve's magnificent beard he had sported for so many years.
"I can’t believe it." She whined. "Stevie, I wanna cry.”
Steve rolled his eyes, whilst he had to admit it wasn't exactly what he had planned, he wasn't as bothered about it as her. "It'll grow back.”
Katie eyed him shrewdly, cooking her head to one side. He'd come back from the barbers yesterday with a shorter cut than he had sported in a long time. It reminded her a lot of how he had used to wear it when they first started dating. Short on the sides, slightly messier on top. Coupled with his now smooth face, she had to admit, it did make him look somewhat younger, although you could still see the odd fleck of grey here and there spattered in his dark, blonde locks.
"You know, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were having some some kind of midlife crisis" She looked up at him and he snorted. "Although you gotta admit, babes, you're a bit late to the party age wise so to speak."
He stood up with a shake of his head and glanced at the mirror. He hadn’t seen that reflection in a very long time.
“Bucky’s gonna have a field day when he sees this.”
“Well, lucky for you he’s away with Jen and the family for the holidays so you won’t have to face him until New Year, same goes for Sam. Morgan, on the other hand…”
“She’s seen me without a beard before.” He shrugged before he turned and headed into the bedroom.
“Not for a while.” Katie followed him as they both left their room and headed onto the landing.
“Yeah, I know but surely it-“
He was cut off by a loud scream and then the sound of crying which erupted from Harry as he stood in the doorway to Jamie’s room.
“Hey.” Steve frowned and made his way over towards the toddler “Buddy, what’s…”
But Harry continued screaming and he backed away from Steve, running into Jamie’s room and hiding behind his big brother who looked at him, then to his dad, a puzzled expression on his face. Steve glanced at Katie who was also frowning as she made her way into Jamie’s room and crouched next to their son who was gripping onto his brother’s sweater for dear life.
“Harry? Baby boy, what’s wrong?” she asked him softly, smoothing his hair back.
“That man!” he cried, his voice wracked with sobs “Who...where’s Daddy?”
“Oh, Honey!” Katie chuckled, picking him up. “That is your daddy!”
“No!” Harry screamed, shaking his head and burying his face into her neck. Steve stood dumbfounded in the doorway of Jamie’s room, absolutely stuck for words. He felt awful and completely helpless as Katie tried to soothe their son but Harry wasn’t having any of it.
“It is Harry!” Jamie spoke, looking at his brother who glanced at him, then to Steve and then continued crying.
“Steve, sing the song.” Katie spoke suddenly as she was hit with an idea. “The one you always use to sing him to sleep.”
“Erm…” Steve cleared his throat, before he gently began to croon the song he’d sung to all of their kids as young children. “Would you like to swing on a star…” his voice croaked a little, as he found the pitch to the Bing Crosby song, “carry moonbeams home in a jar.  And be better off than you are. Or would you rather be a mule?”
At the sound of Steve singing Harry stopped crying and peeked across the room at him, his hand fisted in Katie’s hair, his cheeks tear stained, but his expression was almost curious now, not fearful.
“A mule is an animal with long funny ears, he kicks up at anything he hears” Steve continued as Katie rocked Harry a little in her arms, nodding to Steve as he tentatively walked into the room. “His back is brawny but his brain is weak, he's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak. And by the way, if you hate to go to school. You may grow up to be a mule”
Harry studied Steve a little more, his sniffles subsiding slightly.
“Or would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar, and be better off than you are, or would you rather be a pig?” Steve was just wondering how many more verses he was going to have to go through but thankfully, at that point, Harry gave a hiccup and held his arms out towards him. With a smile, Steve took him from Katie and held him securely, looking at him as he reached up and squished Steve’s cheeks with his little hands.
“Hi Daddy.” He whispered, wrapping his arms round his neck and Steve chuckled a little in relief, one large hand falling to the back of his son’s head as he kissed his cheek which was wet with tears.
“Hey, pal.”
“What’s going on?” Rori appeared, Erica in her arms, purring loudly as she scratched the kitten behind her ears.
“Oh, nothing.” Katie looked at her, “Harry got a little upset that’s all.”
“Why?”
“Because I shaved my beard.” Steve explained before he snapped playfully at Harry’s finger which was prodding his nose.
“Well, what did you do that for?” Rori scoffed.                  
Steve looked at her as she gave a dramatic roll of her eyes before she spun on her heel and left heading back to her room. Steve turned to Katie and Jamie, the pair of them stifling laughter.
“Anyone got a seven foot block of Ice I can take another seventy year nap in?” he grumbled.
**** As was tradition on Christmas Eve, they celebrated with Pepper and Morgan. This year it was Pepper’s turn to host so just before 11am they all piled into the car, the roof rack packed with presents and made the hours trip upstate to the lake-house, Emmy and Peter set to meet them there.
As they walked up to the house, Katie carrying Flossie, Morgan came out to greet them stopping dead as she looked at Steve.
“Huh.” She mused, taking in his clean shaven face.
“Yeah, yeah, get it over with, Moo.” He rolled his eyes.
“I’m not laughing.” She shook her head seriously, looking at him from dark brown eyes the exact same as her fathers, the familiar Stark nose accentuating her face. With a sad sigh she walked over to Katie and lay her hand on her Auntie’s arm. “I’m so sorry for your loss. That beard, well it must have been hard to take.”
At that Katie burst out laughing as Steve let out a groan as he spotted Emmy doubled over on porch, howling.
“Did you tell Em what happened?” he looked accusingly at Katie who shrugged.
“I may have mentioned it before when she called.”
Steve rolled his eyes as they trudged inside, stomping their boots on the mat to get rid of any excess snow, a wave of loud chatter hitting their ear the minute they did. The room was warm, fire blazing and dotted around stood Rhodey, Happy, Pepper, Peter and his Aunt May. Greetings and hugs were shared, Happy taking the opportunity to coo over Flossie as she was much bigger than the last time he had seen her some months ago, and Katie hugged Pepper tight, accepting the glass of champagne that was passed to her.
As was the usual tradition, Pepper had laid on a glorious buffet which went down a treat. And once the food was eaten, Jamie and Morgan both wrapped up and headed out to give Gerald the Alpaca some of the vegetable trimmings that Pepper had saved for him. The younger kids settled in front of the TV to watch a film, Emmy and Peter both happily choosing to sit with them and Katie took a moment out of the wonderful madness to watch as Steve was actively engaged in some discussion with Rhodey, both men laughing and joking. With a smile she then turned her attention to Happy who had his arm looped around May, the pair of them chatting to Pepper as she topped their glasses up with a bottle she plucked from the fridge.
It had been this way for almost seven years now, how they spent Christmas Eve, and whilst Katie loved being surrounded by this patchwork, extended family, she couldn’t help but notice the huge Tony shaped hole.
A hole which, like the one he had left behind in her heart, failed to get any smaller as the years passed.
With super stealth skills that Natasha would have been proud of, Katie silently made her way from the room, grabbing her jacket and headed out, her feet crunching through the layer of snow that lay on the ground as she walked across the lawn and down to the small jetty from which they had laid Tony’s Arc Reactor onto the lake the day of his funeral.
She always felt a sense of peace being here, like there was some part of Tony still present. And to be fair, there was. Said Arc Reactor had sunk to the bottom of the lake once the wreath had rotted. But it was more than that, it was the only place she still felt truly close to her brother and she understood why. It was because this was where he’d gotten everything he’d ever wanted, a daughter, a wife, a home…the very things he’d sacrificed his life for.
With a sniffle, Katie stood at the edge of the small jetty and sighed, looking out over the partially frozen water. “Merry Christmas, Tone.” She whispered, wiping her eyes as her tears trickled slowly down her cheeks.
Back inside the house, Steve looked around for his wife only to notice she wasn’t there. Knowing instantly where she would be, he excused himself from the conversation and grabbed his coat, making his way down to the lake. Sure enough, he saw her stood at the end of the jetty, but before he could cross the snowy lawn towards her, he spotted Jamie and Morgan making their way back from Gerald’s little hut. Jamie stopped, spotting his mom and he turned and said something to Morgan, who nodded, and the pair of them trudged towards her. As Jamie reached his mother he gently slid his arm round her waist, and she turned towards him, dropping a kiss to his head, her arm draping over his shoulder. She then smiled at Morgan, her other arm looping round her niece and the three of them stood still for a moment, Katie’s cheek leaning on the top of Jamie’s head.
Steve gave a little smile, once more the pride and love welling in his chest at how damned thoughtful and willing to look after Katie his son was. As a cold wind whipped against his cheeks he took a deep breath and let it out softly, where it fogged in the air in front of him.
“Merry Christmas Tony.” He said gently before, satisfied Katie wasn’t alone, he turned round and headed back inside.
****
They stayed at Pepper’s until just early evening, when Katie suggested they head home as they still had a few things to do before they got the kids settled and tucked up for the evening. Rori opted to ride home with Emmy and Pete, much to Jamie’s delight, and at just gone five they headed back where the usual Christmas Eve chaos began. In true Rogers-Stark tradition, everyone had a new pair of Christmas Pyjamas to wear, as purchased by Katie, and once showers and baths had been had they all dressed in them and met in the den, Emmy and Peter roaring with laughter at Steve’s which bore the slogan ‘you Jingle my bells’. Rori’s were sparkly and pink, with a unicorn wearing a Santa Hat, Jamie’s were a replica of an Elf Uniform, Harry’s had a huge Christmas pudding on the front, Flossie’s little romper made her look like a reindeer and Katie had gotten Emmy and Pete matching Santa and Mrs Clause ones.
Once the tradition of singing a few carols around the piano was done, Rori insisting Katie played ‘Santa Baby’ three times,  they moved into the living room, the adults with a glass of wine or beer, kids with a hot chocolate and then began the usual discussion about which film they were going to watch.
“Do we have to?” Jamie groaned, as Rori demanded The Muppet Christmas Carol.
“I thought you liked this one?” Katie looked at him as she stood in front of the DVD rack.
“Yeah but we’ve seen it like a thousand times already this year.” He sighed. “Can I go watch It’s a Wonderful Life in the other room?”
“Erm…” Katie took a deep breath and Steve could tell she was trying to keep her face from falling at the fact Jamie didn’t want to sit and watch with them, which would break their tradition for the first time, and he gave a little cough and leaned towards Jamie who was sat on the chair next to the couch.
“Let’s watch The Muppets, and when they’ve all gone to bed you can stay up with and we’ll watch your choice.”
“Really?” Jamie looked at him.
Steve nodded “You keep telling me you’re older now so, well, you can stay up a little later. Just don’t mention it, okay?”
“Sure.” Jamie grinned, before he cleared his throat. “It’s okay mom, I changed my mind.”
Once the film was on, Katie settled down on the sofa, tucked under Steve’s arm as he pressed a kiss to her head, her hands lightly trailing shapes over his arm which was crossed over her chest, holding her close to him.
They laughed and sang their way through the movie, the only movement being Pete and Steve taking it in turns to keep the adult’s alcohol supply topped up and once it was done Rori jumped up, grinning and exclaiming loudly that it was time to leave the treats out for Santa.
Katie and Steve both headed into the kitchen where Katie handed Rori the large plate that Steve had painted years ago, which identified spaces for each separate item, and now sported Flossie’s name alongside the other four and with a loud instruction for Rori and Harry to calm down, Steve handed, Harry a carrot before he grabbed a mince pie and a bottle of beer for Santa- well, he can’t have milk in every house, that just gets boring- and he made his way into the living room where Rori placed the plate down in the middle of the coffee table and they set about arranging the treats.
But Rori wasn’t happy.
"Daddy it's wrong!" "What’s wrong?" Steve looked at Rori and she pointed to the plate.
"There's only one carrot."
"Yeah, for Rudolph."
"But what about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen?" Steve blinked as she dropped her hands to her hips, giving him a look so reminiscent of the one Katie shot him when she thought he was being a dumbass. "It isn't all about Rudolph, Daddy" "Well, we haven’t got any more carrots, Princess." He pondered "You think the reindeers would like broccoli?" "Don't be ridiculous." Rori shot back but at that point Peter interjected "They do, Titch. I left it one year. They ate the lot" Steve didn't miss the way Emmy looked at Peter as he nodded seriously to Rori, his eldest daughter’s eyes wide with pride and love and he bit back the smile threatening to spread across his face. "It’s true Rori." Jamie added, playing along. "They like most veg." "Ooh, okay! I’ll go ask momma for a selection." She exclaimed, running out of the room. Steve turned to Pete, clapping him between the shoulders "Nice one Queens." He then shook his head "Why the hell is leaving just one suddenly a problem this year?" "Yeah that might be our fault." Emmy grimaced a little "We watched the Christmas Chronicles earlier at Auntie Pep's" "Figures." Steve sniffed. "I suppose I should be thankful she's being so kind. She does love animals." Jamie snorted "Yeah go tell that to Mom now little miss Diva is in there demanding half the veg prepped for dinner tomorrow." Steve groaned "Ahh shit, Honey!" He quickly exited the lounge and headed to the kitchen in time to see Katie stood, frowning as Rori hastily explained the issue. "So I need some broccoli, and cauliflower and...erm...what else is there?" "Potatoes, cabbage, green beans and sprouts." "Yeah. Sprouts!" Katie looked up at Steve, mouthing what the fuck is going on and he snorted as she shook her head and moved to the pans on the stove. She pulled a few pieces of each veg out, placed them in a bowl and handed it to Rori. "Thanks Momma!" She grinned, carefully carrying her precious reindeer food from the room. "Nine reindeer huh?" She looked at Steve as he laughed and crossed to room to give her a kiss. "Reckon you just saved Christmas Eve, Mrs Rogers." "Hmmm." She grinned, her arms sliding round Steve's neck. "How fast do you think you can get them into bed?" Steve arched an eyebrow as his hands landed on her hips. "Why? You got plans?" "Yes." She deadpanned, causing him to chuckle. "We got another film to watch with Jamie first." Steve's fingers flexed against Katie's hips and she gave a sigh. "I forgot about that. God, why does he have to keep growing up?" she grumbled, and Steve laughed as she pressed her face into his chest."I wish I'd known last year it was gonna be the final time he believed in Santa." "Well, I'm kinda pleased that the fat, sack carrying bastard doesn't get the credit for all our hard work with at least two of them." He shrugged causing Katie to snort. "The amount of effort we go to only for him to take the plaudits takes the piss." "Steven Grinch Rogers." Katie looked at him as she pulled away. "You sound like Tony."
"Well, he didn't always talk crap." Steve smiled and Katie grinned as he gave her another soft kiss. Together they left the kitchen and headed back to the lounge where the kids were now dotted about. Harry was sat on Emmy's knee looking at a book, whilst Rori was busy prodding at her tablet showing something to Peter. Jamie was snuggled with Stark and Erica on the chair and Katie had to smile, the kitten had taken a liking to her rescuer, much to Rori's irritation. "Okay kids." Katie clapped her hands. "It’s getting kinda late and I'd hate for Santa to arrive and not be able to come in so..." "Bed time!" Harry grinned, jumping up and off Emmy's lap, the young woman scoffing indignantly. "If only you were this enthusiastic about going to sleep all the time."  Steve mused, swinging Harry up into the air, smoothing his hair back, planting a kiss to his cheek. "But we don't get presents all the other times when we wake up." Rori shrugged. And Steve couldn't really argue against her logic.
***** Jamie fell asleep halfway through It’s A Wonderful Life, and when the film finished Steve gently woke him up where he stretched and let out a yawn before he rubbed his eyes, coming to. He stood up and bid them all a good night, and by the time Katie went upstairs to tuck him in, he was once again crashed out.
Steve, Katie, Emmy and Pete then all settled in the kitchen as it was the furthest part of the house from the bedrooms. Katie pulled a charcutteri board from the fridge as Steve cracked open the Asgardian Bourbon for him and Pete, Katie and Emmy remaining on the champagne. With Christmas songs playing in the background they played a few games of Go Fish, which grew louder and more competitive the more drink they consumed. Eventually, when Pete claimed the last game, Steve tossed his cards down with a disgusted grimace.
“Outrageous.” He shook his head, laughing as Emmy nudged him hard in the ribs.
“You’re such a sore loser, dad!” she scoffed and he looked at her, arching his eyebrow.
“Carry on and Santa won’t be leaving you anything tonight.”
“He isn’t anyway.” Pete grinned, “She’s firmly on the naughty list.”
There was a pause as Steve turned his head slowly to look at him and Pete flushed furiously, recoiling in his seat as he realised what he’d just said as Katie tipped her head back, letting out a huge laugh.
“Aaaaand that’s our cue to leave.” Emmy stood up. “Come on Pete, you fucking moron.”
“Language!” Steve shot out, pointing at her and she replied by flipping him off.
“See you in the morning.” She smiled, giving both her parents a hug and a kiss before she headed out of the door, Pete simply smiling sheepishly as she tugged him behind her and across the garden to the cabin.
And then it was time to set out the presents.
Katie began to clear the table as Steve headed out to the garage to retrieve the gifts from their hiding place, setting them out in the lounge into separate piles before Katie came in with the smaller items she’d hidden in the under-stairs storage for the stockings which were hung over the hearth. Half an hour or so later they stood back to admire their handy-work, new bikes for Jamie, Rori and Harry taking centre stage on their piles, whilst Emmy and Pete’s gift was a little smaller, as keys to an apartment in London didn’t really take up much room when all was said and done.
“I can’t believe it’s Christmas already.” Katie sighed, looking around. “I mean this time last year we were getting ready to have Floss, and when I think back about everything that’s happened since then…”
“It’s been a heavy year.” Steve nodded, his arms wrapping around her as he hugged her from behind. “But we made it. You’re amazing, you know that.”
“Team effort.” Katie leaned back into him, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Steve gently moved one hand and reached up to sweep her hair away from her neck. His fingers softly brushed her skin and she gave a little shudder as he dropped his head, his lips kissing softly beneath her ear.
“Gram mo Chroi…” he whispered and she let out a soft sigh, his lips kissing up to her jaw line before she turned and ran her hands up his chest, bringing them to rest on his shoulders.
“Still?” her eyes were bright a she peered up at him and Steve smiled, nodding, knowing full well she was referring to the first time he’d said those words to her on Christmas Eve some seventeen years ago.
“Til the end of the line, pretty girl.” he dropped his head to give her a kiss, one hand on her hip, the other cradling the back of her head as he held her to him, his mouth locked on hers. Soon she felt both of his hands on her back, then they slowly slid down her body, cupping her ass.
“So, about those plans you had…” he muttered against her lips and she smirked, pulling back a little.
“Thought you might fancy unwrapping one of your gifts early.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah…” she grinned. “I mean I’ve been a very good girl, Santa.”
“That’s debatable.” Steve’s smirk grew even wider. Although the sooner I can get out of these hideous pyjamas the better!”
“You know they’re gonna have to go back on after, right?” she laughed as she reluctantly untangled herself from him so she could turn off the lights on the tree and the garland over the hearth. “None of that lot are knocking tomorrow morning before they come in to wake us up.”
“Remind me again why we have no lock for the door.” Steve asked as he took her hand and they walked up the stairs before they took a quick peek in on their kids. All four were sleeping soundly, Stark curled round Jamie’s feet, Erica round Rori’s head on her pillow.  As Katie gently pulled the door to Rori’s room shut, she turned to Steve who pulled her back towards him, his hands sliding down and grabbing the top of her thighs, hauling her off her feet, causing her to giggle.
“Now, where were we Mrs Rogers?”
“Debating whether or not I’m on the naughty list.” She grinned, her legs locking around his waist.
“I think that’s a given, Doll.” Steve smirked, kissing her as he carried her into their room. “When it comes to being naughty, you’re very good at it.”
Katie let out a chuckle as he dropped her onto the bed, wasting no time as he stripped her bare, before he dispensed of his own pyjamas, falling over her, his hands running through her hair as he looked at her.
“You’re beautiful.” his lips ghosted hers, noses bumping and she smiled against his mouth.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She whispered before he kissed her again, deeply and slowly, the desire and love flowing between the pair of them was evident as Katie let out a soft whimper, her back arching a little into the kiss which broke a moment later as Steve trailed hot, open mouthed pecks across her jaw line to that spot below her ear. He watched carefully, Katie’s facial expression forming into the one he knew so well as she sighed, his mouth dropping down her neck to her collar bone, his teeth gently grazing over the skin.
His hand trailed down her side, tracing the curve of her hip, the pads of his fingers barely touching her but it was enough. She started to clench her legs together as she bucked her pelvis up and his other hand gently reached up, curling around her jaw as he turned her head back to look at him.
“Patience.”  He instructed, his voice a deep, quiet chuckle. Her eyes widened and she swallowed, a whimper escaping her mouth as he kissed her again, his tongue sliding over her lips before it tangled with her own, grazing the roof of her mouth. He broke the kiss again, but this time their mouths stayed pressed together, each breathing the other’s air as his hand moved down over her stomach and gently parted her folds. Katie moaned as he softly ran his fingertips up and down across her slick, his touches soft, teasing nowhere near enough to satisfy her at all and he knew that. He kept his strokes feather-light, just enough to keep exciting her, coaxing more and more wetness from her as his mouth moved down her neck, sucking at the hollow before he moved then to her breasts. His tongue lapped at her nipples in turn, teasing them to hard peaks slowly, as his fingers were working her and she trembled underneath him, the subtle touches not nearly enough.
“Steve…” she let out a choked whisper of his name that was almost a sob. “Please.”
At that he pushed one finger inside of her, curling against her spot, his thumb gently stroking over her clit. Katie’s back arched violently off the bed and he moved again, his mouth back on hers. She responded by kissing him back, and as the kiss grew in intensity so did the pace of Steve’s fingers.
This was torturous pleasure for Katie, Steve just toying with her as he wished. The fire was burning in the pit of her belly, but it was like the low, dull burn of an ember which was waiting to burst into flames. And it was driving her wild. But, as always, he knew just how and what to do and sensing that she was reaching her limit he picked up the pace a little, inserting another finger insider her as he continued tracing circles on her clit. Her back arched off the bed again, and her core tightened before she gave a strangled, low groan which died in her throat as a wave of pleasure washed over her, her legs growing stiff a little before she stilled, her breathing deep, breasts heaving in the dim light of the lamp.
Steve didn’t give her a second’s reprieve. His mouth was back on hers, both large hands cupping her face with a strong grip as he rather unceremoniously nudged her legs apart with his knee. As Katie bent her legs to accommodate him he shuffled forwards, and she reached down with one hand, grabbing at his solid cock, guiding it to where she needed him most.
He slid into her easily, his hands gripping into her hair as he rest on his elbows which were planted either side of her shoulders. His thrusts were deep, slow, controlled, each roll of his hip forward brushing against that spot inside of her. It felt so fucking good that Steve was in no rush for any of this to end, enjoying the fact he was loving his wife in a way only he could. Their bodies were moulded together in the most intimate of dances, Katie’s moving slightly with Steve’s as his hips drove into her, lips pressed together in a barely there kiss, mouths open, as he pressed his forehead to hers.
“So good,” He whispered. “Always so good for me, sweetheart.”
Katie sighed back, it was all she could do as Steve gave a small whimper, his head pressing further to hers as her hands slid up his back, tangling in his hair. As her nails dug lightly into his scalp, Steve tipped his head back a little bit and gave a harsher thrust into her making her cry out a little, her hands tightening around his blonde locks.
He repeated his action, barely pulling back an inch, rolling into her as opposed to thrusting and she felt the familiar, tingle brewing in her belly and upper thighs before with a final silent cry she bucked underneath him, her walls clamping down on his dick as she came, her entire body going rigid before she sagged back underneath him, utterly boneless.
Steve picked up the pace a little, chasing his own release, his mouth back on hers, his groans gathering volume as his hips increased their momentum. With a dirty grunt, which he stifled into the crook of her neck, he came hard, and the world felt like it was completely tipping on its axis as his hips slowed to a stop and he dropped down, pressing his weight onto his wife.
Neither of them moved for a while. The room was silent bar the deep, ragged breathing from the both as they lay still. Katie could feel Steve pulsing inside her as the final throes of his orgasm subsided before he lifted himself a little, his mouth seeking out hers as her fingers danced down his neck.
The kiss was soft, his hands once more cupping her face, thumbs softly stroking over her cheekbones as he pressed his forehead to hers, his nose gently sliding against hers as he pulled away ever so slightly to look at her.
“I love you,” his hands brushing her hair off her face as he kissed her again, enjoying the feeling as her lips curled into a smile against his, “from your head to your mistletoes”
At that she burst out laughing, her head falling back further against her pillow as she looked at him, her eyes shining as she shook her head slightly.
“Your dad joke game is strong, old man.” She snorted before she moved her hands from where they had been stroking the nape of his neck and cupped his face in the pads of her fingers. “I love you too, jingle balls included.”
At that Steve gave a bellow of laugher which she hastily stifled beneath her hand so as not to wake their children. As his chuckles subsided, he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist and kissed her palm.
“Merry Christmas, Sweetheart.” He smiled, letting go her arm as he dropped his head.
“Merry Christmas, Soldier.” She whispered, before his lips captured hers once more.
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mimik-u · 4 years
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“Mr. Universe” Thoughts:
Pie in ice cream looks good on paper, but oh my go d, it’s super duper sweet. My town has a local milkshake place where their gimmick is putting whole ass slices of cake/pie in their milkshakes andidjdoejsmsjdisijs it’s so much.
Aughshdhsh, Greg is being wonderful here: attentive, caring, present.
“I spent so long trying to figure out whether or not I was Mom, now that I actually know I’m me, it’s like I have no idea who that is.” ;-; I think I talked about this in some odd post or another, but something I really commend Future for doing is showing what it’s like to be sixteen and faced with an existential identity crisis. This really is that time where kids have to reconcile their pasts with who they are now in the present and who they ultimately want to be in the future. It can be a scary process sometimes—if not most times—and here, of course, it’s heightened by the extraordinariness of Steven’s story and selfhood.
Greg with short hair is good, but I keep staring at him thinking something is wrong here firirkifiejdjdjdjs.
THE DEAR, OLD DAD SONG. AUGHNDF, MY FEEL IN G S
My favorite shot in this montage is the one of Steven snoring and Greg fondly looking over, a small smile on his face. 😭😭😭
Omg, is this Greg’s childhood home????????
Oh, my go d, the living room looks like my grandmother’s living room used to. The woolen doily on the couch. The assorted knickknacks everywhere. The wooden walls.
“Letters from Dad? They’re all unopened.” That is one of the saddest fucking lines I’ve ever heard in this show. What the actual
And then the camera zooms into one of the pictures on the wall that confirms where we are—this is Greg’s parents’ house. From the portrait alone, I get the vibe that Greg’s folks were the strict, high expectations, buttoned up shirts kind of parents. And if this is true, then boyyyy, that Rose/Greg parallel is really going to hit me in the feels.
As Steven enthuses about this new revelation in the background, Greg’s back is turned to him, but we see his face: the melancholy in it, the conflicted feelings.
“You looked just like me... only more human.” AUGH. DAMMIT, THIS SHOW.
I was talking to someone on AO3 about how Future has really made me appreciate the human episodes in SU more in hindsight, not because they were the most engaging in the series—admittedly, there are only a few I can name that stand out to me as being favorites—but because of their overarching function. These episodes were the ones in which Steven got to be half-human, in which he learned about what it was to be a human generally. But inherently, the tension has always resided in the fact that Steven is neither fully human nor fully gem. As the original show progressed, Steven and the people around him tried their best to navigate this tension, especially in the earlier seasons. You have quotes like Garnet reminding Amethyst and Pearl that Steven needs his human friends. You have Greg and Connie forming a “humans” bond, which Steven silently felt excluded from. You have Steven feeling on the outside of Onion’s group of friends. And the more Steven became necessarily drawn into the mythos of his mother and his inherited powers, the less human-centric episodes there were, which tracks with Steven’s development as the half-gem savior of Earth, but unfortunately, in the commotion, he lost out on fleshing out his humanness, too. This is a big part of the pathos in “Bismuth Casual,” which reveals to us that Steven’s forgotten how to talk to humans who aren’t Connie and his dad. And this is a huge part of the pathos in this episode, too, Steven yearning for his father’s humanity and wanting to connect to his past.
Greg’s graduation photo. ;-; He looks so sad. And is that, like, a military buzz cut?
OH, HE GOT HIS LAST NAME OFF OF A SONG 😭😭
This song is really lovely. 😭
Greg’s eyes being bright with his tears as nostalgia rushes in. 😭
“They can’t be worse than Mom’s family.” WOOF.
“I can’t believe I ever realized you’re just like Mom.” FUCK FUCK FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUFUFFJF
“I grew up in a VAN. I never went to school. I’ve never been to a doctor until two days ago.” I CSNT DO THIS. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK
“My problem is that I’m a UNIVERSE.” FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKF CUFKCMDUFJC
OH MY GOD THE VAN
HOLY SHIT THE VAN FLIPPED
JESUS
HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS LONG ENOUGH FOR A TOW TRUCK TO BE CALLED???? GREG, CALL AN AMBULANCE?????
OH, GOD, GREG TRIES TO BE POSITIVE AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE DEEP EMOTIONAL STUFF, BUT IT’S PRECISELY NOT WHAT STEVEN NEEDS TO HEAR AT THE MOMENT, SO HE TUNES HIM OUT. HOLY FUCKING SHIT
NO. THIS EPISODE. OUCH
HE DELETES THE PHOTO BC GREG DE MAYO ISN’T PRESENT. FUCK FUCK FUCK.
FUCK?
I’m suing this show for emotional damages.
Final thoughts: Greg’s life, like Rose’s was as Pink, was heavily regulated to the point of suffocation, and so I think it makes sense then that Greg’s own parenting style has decidedly been the antithesis of that. He’s pretty much allowed Steven to do as he pleases and not exert that same sort of exacting control that he experienced from his own parents. But just as Greg’s parents represented an extreme in parenting, I think, too, that Greg’s on the polar end. Steven was loved and cared for, which is fundamentally the most important thing, but there was a lot of maintenance work (a la parenting) that I think Greg unfortunately wasn’t attentive to in his desire to be the total corrective to his parents. Yes, Steven should have gone to a doctor way before two days ago. Yes, Steven should have gone to at least elementary and middle school. Greg says, in response to the doctor bit, “You’re a gem. You weren’t like other kids,” but just as everyone else has done over the course of the last couple of years, he, too, has forgotten the fundamental fact that Steven is half-human.
And ofc, I think there’s absolutely something to be said about the fact that Steven, having not known his grandparents, can’t accurately judge the situation as he did with his mother and the Diamonds. I don’t think it’s fair for Steven to completely compare Greg and Rose together because he’s missing essential context, or maybe, more accurately still, he’s forgetting a crucial fact. Greg has apparently tried—for years—to reestablish contact with his parents, and the silence of the unopened letters speaks louder than words. Unlike the Diamonds, awful as they undoubtedly were, the DeMayo parents don’t appear to want reconciliation, and that’s an important distinction.
But then, God, I think about that last scene again and go feral. Greg, your kid just accidentally flipped the van, and you don’t, like, call an ambulance? Instead of being emotionally honest with him, you default into safe and sage platitudes that both of you know aren’t entirely authentic in light of everything that has happened?
But THEN, I think... well, what did I expect? This has been Greg’s modus operandi for the entirety of the series. When bad things happen, he tries his damnedest to subjugate all of his negative emotions beneath his chosen veneer of the calm, easygoing father. It used to work—it used to work so well—but not anymore.
A fact I’m not sure that Greg recognized at the end of this episode.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
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laryna6 · 3 years
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One of those ‘A Christmas Carol’-based fics with Saotome Eiji.
Kyousuke’s dad appearing warning of the demons of the Sanzu river and the measuring of karma that awaits the dead, and Saotome going ‘I must have fallen asleep/that’s a foreign Buddhist thing’ because of the... heavy pushing of a... propagandized version of Shinto as part of Japanese nationalism building up to WWII.
Instead of Christmas it’s Obon (a festival of Buddist/Confucian origin) ofc.
To fit with ‘the idea that people have to earn the right to live is effed up’ from the original, perhaps as a child he was sent to an orphanage bc his family couldn’t feed him? The additional damage of not knowing who your ancestors were in a culture practicing ancestor worship.
Other students of psychic research inviting him to hang out at the university but he wanted to get an officer position in the army, so needing to avoid undesirable elements.
Saotome’s present day obon, Kyousuke who was raised in China being taught about Shinto because as a half-Chinese person on top of an esper in an era of nationalism... they worry about the kid and he might be safer if he do all the ‘I am a loyal subject of the emperor’ signaling. Two of the espers in the unit canonically come from traditional priesthood families and have OPINIONS about what these motherfucking nationalists are doing to corrupt and twist everyone’s spirituality and traditions and their sense of connection to their families and their people and the land. Making shinto priests government officials?!
Saotome going they’re not proper LoyalTM to the army and Japan
Spirit #2 going ‘was the army ever loyal to them?’
Fujiko and her father discussing how their family is nobility and the need for the nobiiity to give up power and instead bring about democracy if Japan was going to escape being conquered and exploited by imperialists like the countries around them.
Fujiko going ‘but the warrior classes all got positions in the military, and now we’re a military dictatorship and Japan has just become one more imperialist power, it’s disgusting and her father going absolutely, and discussion of duty to their ancestors and their country foreshadowing Fujiko making a choice that according to traditional morality and the noble code of conduct was ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLY HORRIBLY WRONG to the point of disgracing her entire family line because what kind of people could have produced a traitor like that... but because of it in the modern day Japan is the second least awful country in how it treats espers.
Then spirit #3, and Saotome going ‘I’ve seen the precogs, espers going to war with normals, Kyousuke betraying the country/me to serve a queen’
And then it’s the younger queen and two other girls going ‘Minamoto we want to go to a festival with you’ while a harried man basically shoos them out the door with a broom and goes ‘go! Your families want to see you! Here are your boxed lunches and snacks for the trip’ and the girls are espers who use their powers to get to their normal families. the queen and her big sister get in a wrestling match over the cookies and only belatedly realize their mom’s eaten them all while commentating while they dress for the festival. another girl and her normal father engage in some police brutality towards festival pickpockets as bonding. the third girl, at least, is traditional and proper even if she’s performing a ceremony that comes from non-Japanese origins (and yet... it’s still a tradition that ties them to their ancestors and the gods and who they are, and Shinto says that tradition is sacred, it doesn’t say that traditions that first came from outside aren’t sacred)
The man is following his mother around as she chatters with everyone and gets up to shenanigans at the festival. ‘Father couldn’t make it again’ mentioning a grandmother who used to stay with him at these. Looking up at the sparks rise above the fire to send the dead home, lonely even though he’s surrounded by people in his hometown... and then he gets tackled by the three girls demanding he take photos with them while they’re all in kimonos
And then it switches to someone announcing That Bastard is finally dead. Far from the land he was born, with no one in the country he served who cares to claim his body ‘so we should send someone to pretend to be a relative’ and someone declaring that this is now a formal meeting because while obviously they all want to desecrate his grave, they are going to do it in an organized fashion that reflects the gravity of his crimes and pays respects to his innocent victims and continuing victims of that bastard’s legacy of murder and hatred. Eggs and toilet paper are not up for discussion is said with a pointed look at another man, who whines ‘big bro!’
This is the most diverse group of people Saotome has ever seen, people from all over the world united in their hatred of someone who gets referred to with several different languages’ curse words.
And then someone walks in and goes ‘here you are, okay, what are you up to? I’ve been raising kids for half a century, I know that when you’re all quiet and busy somewhere you’re up to no good’ and it’s Kyousuke. The guy who went ‘big bro’ gets his ear twisted, and whines ‘dad!’
It’s revealed that ‘that bastard’ is someone who hurt Kyousuke, who they’re protective of like the unit is (he still looks so young...) but when he gets it out of them he’s no! and there is a whine of ‘dad! He shot you!’ ‘I know’ *bullet scar revealed* ‘I’m the one he shot, so I get to decide what to do with him’
Kyousuke lifting away a sheet to reveal a body old and twisted and crippled. And Saotome’s. Kyousuke is blank an solemn... and sad.
Going through the Shinsosai funeral rites, all foreign Buddhist influences removed as he would have wanted, and maybe there’s a reason the people of Japan for centuries were happy to have Buddhists to help them usher their families into the next world, because he can see the weight of the kegare on him, how Kyousuke mourns him, is the only one who mourns him. Eventually a woman who treats Kyousuke as both an embarrassing younger brother and as a respected father comes to help, to cheer him up, even though she despises Saotome too, for hurting him.
A picture of the unit, in Kyousuke’s family shrine. ‘Now everyone in this photograph but Fujiko is dead... He took my family from me, but he, too, was family.’
Then he grabbed the woman, teleported, and dragged her down with him into the ocean for purification.
...then Kyousuke goes to bully the man from before, who is arguing with the three girls about how yes, they are sleepy, Kaoru nearly flew them into the ground getting home, while making them all tea before he shoves them into their bedroom. When he turns around Kyousuke has stolen the cup that was supposed to be for him, and the man at first automatically raises his hackles, but then looks sympathetic.
Kyousuke looks away, annoyed and pouting, at sympathy from this person.
‘...If I try to comfort you you’re going to shove my head in the toilet again,’ the man says, getting himself another cup of tea.
‘Absolutely’ Kyousuke agrees.
Silence, and eventually Kyousuke says, ‘at first I thought you were his reincarnation, even though he would have been offended at the idea of him reincarnating. Then I found he was with the Comericans, had been since the war, and I thought, it would have been better if he was you. Not for the Queen. But for him. If I hadn’t failed to avenge my comrades back then, he could have moved on to a better life or the otherworld. Not been forced to live on a failure and a pawn in a foreign land, unable to return home. He was a proud man.’ Looking down at his tea, ‘when I met him again, he asked me to kill him.’
‘..in the precog, I know there’s a nuke on the way when I shoot Kaoru,’ the man says, and now Saotome knows where he’s seen him. ‘even though I want to kill her so she can’t leave again and I want it enough to kill her before she stops that nuke from destroying Tokyo, I still know that I have to die for this. I’m just getting the order wrong. I should die before I do that. Having to live with what I do in that precog would be a fate worse than death.’
‘That was why I erased his memories that day. He... there was no point in him continuing to suffer. None of us would have wanted that for him. I thought... didn’t he know our feelings? That we were loyal to him, that we didn’t mind dying for him? And then I saw that he truly didn’t recognize our feelings. Because he didn’t know what it looked like, to recognize when people truly cared for him. But he cared for us, and so when he thought that espers would turn against normals, that it was impossible for us to ever care for him... Those damn precogs. They broke his heart before he put a bullet through mine.’
‘Maybe... next obon?’
a shake of the head. ‘he thought it was too foreign. It’s fine, our comrades will beat sense into him in the afterlife.’ Kyousuke drank the rest of his tea.
‘..Some of the parts of the traditional ceremony... PANDRA loves you, but I think that would have made it hard to force them to cooperate,’ the man said. “I don’t want to hear words honoring him either, but you like to do things I don’t want.’
‘What, are you going to give me condolences for his loss?”
‘I can honestly say that I am very sorry he’s dead, because it means I will never get to strangle him,’ the man vigorously throttled the air, going from kind and patient to a man more than capable of shooting a young woman in love with him, and back, ‘from turning you from such a sweet, good little kid into the godawful brat I have had to deal with.’
Kyousuke snorted.
“Do you want another cup of tea, or a cup of milk?”
“Milk.” Kyousuke said, and when the man was on his way to open a white door, he began, “Utsumi-san said that he graduated first in his class, but he had no family and no background. The esper unit was his proposal, so when he told us that we could serve our country and be accepted, he wagered his own future on the chance that ours could be happy. Utsumi said later that he never trusted Saotome-Taicho, because he knew he didn’t truly care for us. I asked once why he didn’t warn us, if he knew that, but... Utsumi knew his heart, so he knew that Saotome-taicho also was different, was desperately wishing to prove he was valuable enough to accept. He knew what bait to dangle before us because it was the exact same lure that led him to the army. We all wanted him to have that happy future, along with us.’
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cloveroctobers · 4 years
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SEBASTIAN “SEB” KATSAROS —
IG bio/info: @/s3bgl00m | 17.4k followers | i hate it here. i hate my username name too. Listen to my podcast wth my mate here...open.Spotify.com/podcast/?!.doomngloom
28 years of age
Born & raised in Liverpool, England...don’t ask if he’s met the Beatles he will completely ignore you if you do
Music shop owner in the heart of town
It’s called, “Kicking Kettles”
loves collecting vinyls, cassette tapes, & cds sorry, what did you expect?
His mother is a children’s illustrator
She’s Ashkenazi Jewish
His father is a graphic designer
And is from Nafplio, Greece
They’ve been separated for about a year now, with seb’s father living in France
His mother was skeptical on dating around while she was in a place of uncertainty in her marriage but with a deep discussion with her husband, then her children, she slowly went forward just to see what was out there & found that she wasn’t sure if she’d be open permanently with other beings
Seb was similar to his mother in many ways...
Has a older sister by 2 years named, Xenia...she’s very bossy, a busy-body, & is very vocal. The opposite of seb
she used to beat up guys just for them to turn around and ask her out on dates, a few of them tried to bully seb but Xenia was not having that ofc
very close to his family, even if things are a little off between mum & dad
I feel like he went through a buzzed hair phase & when he finally made the choice to start growing out his hair, going on 4-5 years now, everyone seemed to approve
Even if they didn’t? It be no matter, sure he’d feel a little awkward if someone he cared about didn’t like it but he was sure they would get over it OR get used to it
The hair only comes out when he’s showering or going to bed
His best friend who’s a barber (and a bit of a douche) tells him he’s got to let his hair breathe more often or he’ll have breakage, seb doesn’t think it’s that serious? He’s not sure how much longer he’ll keep the bun now anyways...
This same friend encouraged him to get a “Pompadour” haircut & seb’s never been so offended before in his life, “I wouldn’t want to look like the rest of you knob-heads.”
Anyways, he takes care of his hair the best way he knows how and it seems to work for him...some slightly expensive haircare products here and there & a trimmer & he’s good to go
When he first started growing his hair out, he felt like he needed to go to the salon to know how to manage it. After awhile he learned how to do it on his own + you save $ that way
uses his hands to talk or holds one hand in the other when having a conversation since he doesn’t know what to do with his hands exactly
He’s a chapstick kinda guy who always loses his before he can finish it (been there)
Absolutely loves Japanese food and eats it almost everyday
Japanese Mayo is the superior condiment, bill can stfu!!
probably watches anime
owns a bunch of vans, beanies, and hoodies
smokes hookah every now & then but isn’t too crazy about it
canon: catlover! I feel like he would have a Sphynx, Abyssinian, Ocicat, or oriental shorthair + was over the moon when his baby had babies !!!
He wanted to keep all 5 of the kittens but knew he probably couldn’t, at least not forever but he was going to wait until they were all at least a few months before he decided to put them up for adoption...which sucks but would ultimately be the best choice, maybe???
tried eyeliner again outside of the villa & finds pencil or pomade is better than the standard liquid liner
likes black nail polish but is slightly embarrassed to be seen out with it, it’s the same thing with the eyeliner...he’s not that confident
the guy is a huge blusher & he despises the fact that his face betrays him 80% of the time
often gets nosebleeds
loves red wine especially if it’s on a rainy day and he’s home to fully enjoy it, he feels like he’s on his grown man shit when he does so
I feel like he’d be a fan of the umbrella academy & thinks it’s way better than stranger things...him & nick have argued over this on doom n gloom!
Five is his favorite
Everything he owns is in either black, red, gray/grey, or green
His main phobia is emetophobia (fear of v*mit) & he won’t share why, that’s just what it is
Introvert!
Canon: he’s not a Aquarius
So wtf r ya? Nick & I would like to know plz
Virgo sun? + Taurus moon? + Pisces rising?
I feel like he’s one of those people that feels the need to bring a backpack with him everywhere and you can imagine it to be black ofc
“Who tf are you Linus? But with a backpack?” His sister often jokes (I do this with my sibs, both of them love carrying backpacks. Me on the other hand? I don’t have time for the shit)
He drives a shitty car from the 90s that’s Engine sounds as if it’s about to blow
but 100% perfers to drive his moped, Atticus around
played football (soccer) growing up to help get rid of his asthma
Cannot sleep with the tv on or any form of light around him, it has to be completely dark & quiet!
He’ll only do so if it’s with Genevieve since you know they’re trying this whole long distance thing out
Are one of those couples that will fall asleep on the phone/cpu together
Genevieve might be the, “no you hang up first” & seb will actually hang up the phone and get into bed lmao
Just for vieve to call back like?!! “I can’t believe you’ve done this!
“Well you said—
“Never mind what I said, sebz!!! It’s extremely rude...”
his last relationship before Genevieve lasted 6-8 months (there was a time when he felt like he was unsure if he was still in a couple with that person, isn’t that a shame?)
his love language is acts of service, he’ll do things for you to ease your worries out of love and not obligation so that you feel valued as his partner & I believe he wants this in return as well
I think he’s a bit of a worry wart too when it comes to certain things even if his exterior might show him trying to hide it
He was super nervous to get his first tattoo on his chest, “if words fail, music speaks” but he found that the slight pain was worth it? And quite nice! then he kept going back monthly and soon enough his arms were completely covered
mum hated it, her baby boy was becoming a man! (It’s not like he’s almost 30 but you know how moms are)
Deff has a collection of silver rings, he’s tried out necklaces but he thinks he looks better with his rings
The slit in his brow came from trying to squeeze thru the broken patio glass door with his sis as if it were some booby trap (not exactly, but a safety hazard forsure!) & a piece of glass fell from above slicing his brow and left him with 4 stitches
Secretly into watching those dating shows before and after experiencing it himself
people he enjoyed seeing on the Telly from previous seasons: jen, jake, talia, erikah, lottie, Noah, Carl, Kassam, Priya, & Hannah
AJ is his best girl friend (besides vieve) they FaceTime quite a bit & chat shit to each other on the daily
Feels like she fits in well with his friend group, which just contains his barber friend — they put up with his banter & give it right back to him but he can also be vulnerable & comfortable with those around him so that’s always a plus
It’s the same with nick, except they share a hobby together, their podcast & that’s what seb wants to keep it as, a hobby, for fun & giggles yet nick is thinking about getting paid for what they do. He thinks it’s a great idea whereas seb doesn’t want this to turn into a career/chore
He’s perfectly happy at kicking kettles
He feels strongly about his stance while nick is on both sides
They’ll figure it out, soon.
How are things outside of the villa & since the boat party? They all have a group chat that they randomly speak up in, in the beginning they would do morning and goodnight texts but that became tedious so they settled for either or. Or simply just checking in to see how each other’s days went with seb secretly being the most curious to everyone’s days
Things are awkward between him and Yasmin, he kinda avoids talking to her tbh & not because he doesn’t want to...its just yeah it’s not the same with him and aj where they can easily move forward, it feels like pulling teeth with Yasmin since they’re some what similar & it seems like she’s waiting on him to take the lead on fixing some imagined issue they have with each other? It’s weird idk
Lives in a cramped studio apartment, it works for him so he doesn’t need any inputs thank you
celeb crushes? Demi lovato, Hwasa, Amanda Seyfried, & Birgundi Angel Baker
as for music? Sleeping with sirens, pierce the veil, teagan & Sara, the pierces, panic!at the disco, all time low, twenty one pilots, x-ambassadors, awolnation, jon bellion— listen when atl dropped? Seb felt like he was reborn okay?! , Japanese breakfast, & great grandpa
Anthem = The Postal Service, “Such great heights”
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aileysmirnov · 4 years
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Loki x Ailey hc! part 1
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I was watching Thor Ragnarok with some friends (over zoom ofc) and then It popped up in my head a conversation that I had with @melyaliz and Alex (ig: shir.0_guru) a while back, and I couldn't shake it off my brain as I was trying to write some other thing. So hopefully writing this down would apace my mind.
TW: Arranged marriage, depictions of emotional/psychological abuse
Summary: Eris and Odin find a solution to what's been threatening their domains, an alliance between 2 of the most powerful families, but Ailey and Loki don't seem so keen about it.
Disclaimer/notes: Ailey is my OC! You can learn more about her in here!
Ailey has finally been reunited with most of her family and entered the realm of gods in this AU.
Samaras is the last name of the Eris family, they are rulers of Thera (Eris kingdom) and each member bears a royal title.
Ailey is the only demi-goddess in her family, Demigods are seen as shameful in this AU and usually they have a birthmark and a weakness that distinguishes them as such. In Ailey's case is her golden rose hair once she transforms in her god-form and her weakness is her allergy to gold, it practically burns her skin, debilitates her magic and herself, is like kryptonite for her.
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The only reason they even know about the other, is because of their parents: Eris had been in conflict with Ares lately, and one of his recent attacks greatly debilitated her army and Odin had trouble with a few of the realms under his command forming complots against him and the safety of Asgard.
Both rulers found themselves in need of the other: Odin had the greatest warriors and military at his service, and Eris being the goddess of discord could easily rise or disipate any conflict that may come her way (except for Ares ofc), an easy way in or out of war.
And so, they decided to form an alliance; But Odin being the wise men he is, knew better than to trust blindly in the goddess of chaos, after all...Eris was known for being a backstabber who acted only to beneficiate her own interests.
To prevent that, Odin decided to make the alliance under the condition that one member of the Samaras family must marry the second son: Loki, God of mischief. And so, Eris agreed and offered her youngest daughter: Ailey goddess of ruin and folly.
God it was an absolute mess since the beginning!
Frigga was the one to inform Loki, who immediately went to Odin to protest, but like always his father ignored him, shutting him down by comparing him to his brother and how he would do anything to protect Asgard but Loki was being selfish.
Ailey in the other hand was kept ignorant of such decision and only knew about it a few hours before the engagement party began and only because a servant accidentally told her.
She was furious and much like Loki tried to protest but Eris couldn't care less about her daughter's opinion.
Ailey could rage all she wanted, Eris wasn't even paying attention, the only thing she was accomplishing was in making her angry.
—Child, I think you tend to forget your place in this world, you see: among humans you might be...special but in here... you're just an idiot with too much privilege—Eris had a way with words that could make them feel like poison, creeping in to the insecurities of one's heart.
—If it weren't for me and your brothers, you would be Hera's new toy, so please remember, dear. You not only owe me but to your brothers and this kingdom as well.
Ailey headed back to her room feeling ashamed and angry, she felt her mother's words had some truth in them, seeing as how different she was viewed here in comparison to the human realm.
When the time came for the engagement party and for Ailey and Loki to meet for the first time, is fair to say neither of them were in a good mood.
Even though deep inside they knew both of them didn't have any say in the matter and were pretty much in the same situation; they still felt irrationally mad at each other, that's why since the moment they met to the end of the ceremony they would throw little passive-aggressive remarks at each other.
She viewed him as a pretentious asshole, and He saw her as a spoiled brat.
Almost near the end of the celebration and no announcement had been made so Eris took it upon herself to throw them into the spotlight.
—I believe you two have something important to share with all of us—her face was smiling but her eyes were threatening.
Ailey bit the inner side of her cheek, rolled her eyes as she turned to face Loki who only gave an exasperated sigh before speaking in a monotone voice
—Do you want to marry me?—he didn't even bothered to get on one knee and just extended the ring for her to take.
Ailey felt tempted to say "no" and walk away gracefully but doing that would probably have a negative impact on Thera, so after a long pause she answered.
—Whatever—and put the ring on, herself.
Clearly a good start :) .
I think they didn't saw each other that much afterwards and when they did it was mostly for wedding arrangements in which they continued with the passive-aggressive comments but this time about everything the other would pick.
The mood was so uncomfortable every time they were together everyone around them was like:
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I think that sometimes they would have moments where they realize they had been too harsh with the other and would tone it down a little but treating each other like that was the only way of protest that was allowed for them.
Specially for Loki since he constantly had to travel to Thera bc for some reason unknown to him Ailey refused to go to Asgard, which only made his negative opinion on her grow.
In his mind, it was probably because she thought she was too good for Asgard but the reality was: Asgard is practically a death sentence for Ailey since 90% of every building in there was made of gold.
But she will never tell him that.
I think their first "moment of closeness" came to be purely out of the realization neither of them had any option other than get married or see their domains destroyed.
So, they decided to call it a truce: both would play along with the whole marriage fiasco for a while until things died down and then they could divorce and pretend they never even met.
And so, the passive-aggressive comments slowly died down, not that they started acting like lovers all of a sudden, instead they acted like they were just... co-workers or something.
They would greet each other in a formal manner and then only talked about the arrangements and left, nothing else.
But then, inevitably they started to get closer.
It was something so gradual none of them really knew how it happened.
It started off with small comments about decoration ideas for the venue, it turns out they both had quite the interest in interior design.
Eventually those small comments became lengthy conversations about which combination of colors would look the best.
When it came down to learning about the nobility attending the wedding on each side, both would spend a little more time together. Studying the proper way on how to address them and their interests all for the possibility in forming new alliances.
But I feel like instead they would roast the hell out of them, like they would be going through a list of the Asgardian nobility that were to attend and Ailey would just point at a picture of a random Asgardian noble and go: "Oh. My. God. what is he even wearing?"
And Loki would try to force back a smile or a laugh but eventually he would just give in and start joining Ailey in the roasting.
They also have a very similar sense of humor, but Ailey is just more blunt and open about it while Loki isn't, I feel like most of the time he has genius comebacks to stupid comments people make but he's a gentleman and normally just keeps it to himself or would only say it in a polite but slightly aggressive manner, so when Ailey just bluntly says something similar to what he was thinking he can't help but laugh a bit (he won't admit to it though)
Other things Ailey and Loki have in common is their love for drama and spectacle, while Ailey is more of a ballet/dance-based plays person, she understands Loki’s enthusiasm for theater and books even sharing some of it herself.
Not only they enjoy these things, but they also found comfort in them: For Ailey ballet began as something her mother forced upon her but transformed in an outlet for her emotions and a way to connect and control her powers.
For Loki theater was a form of escapism since he was a child, every time he felt like he didn’t belong he found a safe place in countless stories of the misunderstood heroes.
This only makes their bond grow deeper; up until this point they never had anyone to talk to about their interests in such depth, so now they talk all the time about it, sometimes they would surprise themselves looking forward to the next meeting just to gush about a new play or book they just saw or read.
I feel like Loki might’ve even lend Ailey some copies of his favorite books and Ailey as a “thank you” decided to sneek out with him to the human realm to watch "Tristan und Isolde".
Everyone is able to notice the change in attitude of these two, especially Thor who only had heard about the girl but could tell how happy she made him every time Loki would mention her.
And he was happy for his brother but felt curious about his soon to be sister-in-law.
So, it was only natural when Thor asked Loki if he could tag along the next time he went to Thera.
He said no.
Thor went anyways.
When Ailey met him, she could only think about one thing: "he himbo" which she thought was cute btw.
Thor could see why Loki liked this girl so much, they were practically the same, which he found sweet yet amusing.
—Lady Ailey, a pleasure to meet you, mi brother has told me a lot about you!—he stated.
—Really?!—Ailey questioned directing an incredulous glance at Loki. 
—He asked­—Loki tried to defend himself by downplaying his brother statement. 
—No, I didn’t.—Thor retaliated with a mocking smile, he could tell his brother felt embarrassed so he decided to tease him a bit more. 
—In fact, he won’t shut up about you. 
—That’s not true, he’s just.. 
—No, he’s all the time saying Ailey this, Ailey that. It peaked my curiosity and so here I am… 
—Brother, Could you shut up?—Ailey could only smile and hold back a laugh at the brothers spontaneous quarrel. 
Truth is she thought it was sweet of Loki to talk about her with his brother. And teases him about it afterwards.
I think Thor might talk privately with Ailey and would ask her to take care of his brother. 
—I know Loki can be a bit…difficult, but have patience with him, I can tell he really likes you. 
And Thor was correct, Loki really did like her. But it might take a while for him to come to terms with his feelings, and would only manifest in small gestures towards Ailey, like: tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, subconsciously offering his arm for her to take as support when walking down the stairs, placing a hand on the small of her back as guidance whenever they were in a crowded space, sneaking small glances at her, etc.
Overall, he starts acting a lot softer with her, a lot more caring.
Ailey might be a bit oblivious to this (since she’s only used to overly sexual advances and has a difficult time understanding genuine affection), but she appreciates it none the less.
And both might even find themselves thinking that maybe…just maybe spending the rest of their lives together isn’t a bad idea after all.
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The Guardian’s Oath, Part One
This is the first thing I’ve written in the “spirit of the season”. I've always been a huge Halloween geek, probably because it falls close to my birthday, so when I was little, it kind of felt like all this fun stuff was somehow related to me. 
I usually avoid writing for characters who are already popular in wrestling fan fiction because I figure that there’s already so many good things to read and I don’t have anything particularly new to offer, but this idea couldn’t have worked with anyone other than Finn Balor. I’m not claiming that this is incredibly original either because it absolutely is not. Anyone who’s read any classic gothic stories will recognize that this comes close to outright plagiarism in bits. Nevertheless, I started writing it to see where it went and this is what happened. Well, it’s the first part of what happened. This is about half of what I have written thus far and there is more coming. 
The setting is 19th century Ireland, about which I know precious little, so please forgive me any egregious errors. 
Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC 
Word count: 3,706
Content advisory: Nothing other than that it’s a slow burn so some people are going to find this section a little flat (more fiction than fan content here)
It was one of the first warm days of spring when I arrived at Wynn Cottage. I was practically trembling with nervousness, waiting to meet my new employer. Although the education I had received from the church was a good one, the offer of a position as governess for a priest in the hamlet of Bray came very quickly after I was ready to work. Indeed, the offer seemed to have come from nothing, from a chance meeting of a deacon at my church with a parishioner from Bray. I liked to think that it was fate, that the position had come to me at the exact moment I was ready because this was where God intended for me to be. While the arrangements for my transfer to Bray were conducted mostly by the two churches, I had been touched to receive a kind and welcoming letter from my new employer, Reverend Feargal Devitt. 
He explained in his letter that he was a widower and that because the tiny protestant population of the county was widespread, his work required him to spend a great deal of time travelling from village to village. He needed a governess who could care for and help to educate his two young children, a boy and a girl, one whose faith was in line with his own.
I alighted from the carriage and took my case with all my meagre belongings from the driver and stepped through the gate into my new life. 
As he had promised, Reverend Devitt was waiting for me with his children. There was a slightly older woman, clearly a servant of the house standing with them like an equal member of the family. They made a lovely picture, standing before their quaint cottage under the dappled sunlight that broke through the apple tree just next to it. 
"Miss Miles," he greeted me warmly, "welcome to Wynn. I hope your journey was easy."
"Quite easy, sir. It was my first time on a train, so it made for a rather nice adventure."
He beamed and placed his hands on his children's shoulders, gently pushing them a step towards me. "This is my son William and my daughter Sophia. Children, this is your new governess, Mis Miles."
The children were an odd pair. I knew that the boy was eight and the girl nine but they gave the impression of being quite a bit further removed in age. The boy figured his father with his large blue eyes. His sandy hair was lighter than the Reverend's but I could imagine it would darken to the point where their resemblance would be quite striking. He was a little small for his age, although his fresh complexion and proud stature showed all the signs of perfect health.
His sister, by contrast, was tall, almost to my shoulder, and dark. Her hair and eyes were the colour of coffee and her skin a warmer, like the shell of a walnut. As she tilted her heart-shaped face in my direction, I was struck by the keen intelligence in her eyes, mixed with a hint of apprehension. I could not fault her for that and I only hoped that I could win her over. 
"This is Kate, our cook. She's been with us since before the children were born. Any questions you have about the house or the town, she'll be able to answer."
The woman gave me a smile, her round, pink cheeks pressing her eyes nearly shut. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"Susan, one of the girls from the village, comes by to help with the cleaning and upkeep and Mr. Jones is the gardener but they don't live with us. You'll meet them later."
It was only then that my eyes came to rest on Reverend Devitt and truly take in his appearance and I felt my breath catch in my throat as I did.
His eyes were bluer and clearer than any sky I had ever seen, the highlight of his handsome face with its squared jaw and neat beard, shaved in such a way that his full lips were still visible. He flashed me another smile and I felt my heart quicken in response. I had never met any man, or any person, who inspired such a reaction in me and, as rash an idea as it was, I believe that I fell in love with him at that moment. 
"Please," he said softly, "come in."
I picked up my case and Kate immediately moved to help me."
"Your rooms are in the garrett," he explained with a hint of embarrassment. "It's not too large and the ceiling is a little low but it's warm and dry and there is a window that gives a nice light. On clear days, you can even see the ocean."
"I am certain it's more than enough for me, sir. I expect I shall be spending most of the day with the children anyway. And I should very much like to see the ocean. I've only ever had it described to me."
The Reverend looked shocked. "You've never seen the ocean? At all?"
"Never in my life sir." I caught a look that passed between the children and looked down, ashamed. My situation had never permitted me to travel any distance from the inland village where I was born. It was not until I uttered those words, however, that I realized what an ignorant peasant I must seem as a result.
If Reverend Devitt saw the look on his children's faces, he gave no sign of it. He only gave me another of his thrilling smiles and said, "Well it's settled then. We shall go for a walk while Kate prepares dinner."
I felt my cheeks color at his words. This hospitality was far beyond anything I had dared hope for and I wondered if he would have been so congenial with anyone, or if it was possible that it was something he did just for me.
Kate and I carried my trunk to my rooms and while the light was strangely mournful in the late afternoon, the accommodations were better than I had been led to expect for a woman in my position. 
"You don't want to see the view?" Kate asked, noticing that I avoided looking towards the window. 
"I don't want to spoil the surprise," I answered shyly.
She gave me a smile that was every bit as warm, although not as beautiful, as her master's. 
"I hope it's not too forward for me to say, but I believe you'll fit in well here."
*
I was a little surprised that the shore was so close and so easily accessible. I had always imagined the coast to be a series of tagged cliffs towering above the wild water but here the land gently rolled down to meet the water, a soft stretch of sand the bridge between them. 
Reverend Devitt took my hand to help me down the last few steps to the beach and I had to turn my face away so that he could not see the effect it had on me. He kept my hand in his until he was sure my feet were steady on the unfamiliar surface.
The children walked ahead of us. William rushed off and started gathering stones and shells. 
"He collects them," the Reverend informed me. "For what purpose I'm not sure but he's done it for years." 
Sophia strolled on her own. She ventured closer to the water, which struck me as a very good thing to do. Many of the stories I'd heard of the ocean involved people being swept away into it. From time to time, her brother would call her over but each time she returned to the water's edge, as if it were only there that she was happy.
"I'm too indulgent with them," Reverend Devitt sighed, noticing how my eyes followed Sophia with concern. "I try to keep discipline but I find it hard. They lost their mother young and their father is off helping the lord's flock rather than his own."
"Well I hope I can set your mind at ease on that score, at least a little," I offered. 
He turned to face me, his smile a little softer and sadder. With the light behind him, it was like he had a golden halo. I had been delivered to the home of this angel of a man and once again, my heart rushed at the feeling I already had for him.
I was so much in his thrall that I was startled when both the children rushed up, to their father and to me.
"Look what I've found!" William cried excitedly. He extended his hand to reveal a live crab, its legs grasping at the air while the boy dangled it by his shell.
"It's a big one," Sophia added, a mischievous little grin spreading across her face.
"Put your hand out, Miss Miles," William goaded. "He can hold him. He won't hurt you."
"William, hush," his father tutted. "Don't ever speak to her like that again."
Both children had their gleaming eyes fixed on me, as if their father were no longer there, waiting to see what I did next.
I disliked the crab, finding it like an armored spider, and I shivered at the movement of its spindly legs, but something in me hated the idea that I might fail an early test from my charges, strange though it might be.
"No," I quavered, holding my palm out flat. "He can put it in my hand. I don't mind."
Not one of our group could have believed that I didn't mind. My hand shook almost violently as I offered it. Nevertheless, I nodded to William to proceed. I hated the sensation of the legs of my hand, too light for the size of the creature. And despite William's assurance, I felt certain that it would happily snap one of my fingers with its grotesque claws.
What should we do with it, Miss Miles?" William cajoled me. He and his sister leaned in closer, their eyes bearing in on me with even greater intensity.
"You take it back and put it back exactly where you found it," his father ordered without waiting for me to reply. "Now."
The two of them scampered off and I saw William toss the crab back, none too gently, into the rocks where he had found it. From there, they walked together, Sophia taking his hand in hers and pulling him close as they spoke to each other with animated expressions. I knew instinctively that they were discussing me.
"So what do you think of the ocean?" Reverend Devitt asked after a long pause.
"It's very beautiful."
I paused and took a deep breath, my nostrils filling with the briny scent. At that very moment, looking out on its endless expanse, I wasn't sure if I liked the sea or not. 
"I feel like it's all around me, even here on land. The smell and the sound and the mist in the air.."
He looked at me with a tenderness I had never known. "You get used to it," he promised.
We headed back to the house as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of flame and rose and indigo. He took my arm and rested his hand on my back as he helped be back up the path away from the beach and I felt the echoes of his touch as we took our dinner together, as I watched him read from the bible and a book of fables to his children, and even after I retired for the evening.
I had hoped that the air I'd taken in on our walk would make me fall asleep quickly but it was not to be. I felt I could not get comfortable, either hot or cold and the sounds of the house were different than I was used to. The thing that made me the most anxious, however, was that I could hear the waves rolling in the distance. It left me unsettled, as foolish as I knew that to be.
The Reverend stayed at home most of the next day before he headed out to visit the adherents of the faith where they needed him. I learned that he was normally gone from Monday afternoon until Saturday night and I had to hide my disappointment that I would see so very little of him. 
I reminded myself that I was a servant in his house and my role was to tend to and educate the children, not to pine after him. Although it was late for lessons by the time their father had gone, I did have both the children practice on the small piano in the drawing room before dinner. They did so without any resistance and paid respectful attention when I corrected their mistakes. 
After we had taken dinner, I was about to send them to bed when I was startled by the sound of something creaking and banging loudly from outside. My nerves were already on edge as a storm and blown in as darkness fell, the coastal wind being much wilder than I was used to, so I gave a startled cry at the sound.
Kate rushed in and her face softened upon seeing me standing, hand on my chest, my gray eyes wide with fright.
"I'm sorry, miss, it's just the back gate's come loose again. The Lock's needed replacing for a while now but Mr. Jones keeps forgetting to do it."
"We'll get it," Sophia cried, grabbing her brother's hand and rushing past the two of us. 
By the time I'd recovered my wits, I heard the back door close. I don't know what I thought might befall the children but I tore after them, practically falling on the wet grass as I rushed to the gate. 
Sophia stared at me as if I were a crazy woman and William laughed a little.
"What on Earth are you doing?" I panted. "You mustn't run off like that, especially after dark."
I wiped away the rain that slashed at my cheek and motioned for both of them to get inside. There was a wooded area behind the gate and with the wind up and the leaves blowing, I felt myself unnerved by the shifting shadows within.
"Don't be silly," Sophia reassured me with excessive sweetness. "It's just the gate in our own yard. Besides, you don't know the trick to it. If you don't know the trick, it'll just blow open again."
"And then you'll have to wake us to do it for you," William chimed in.
Each of them took one of my hands and steered me back towards the house, as if they were the adults and I the child. It wasn't until we were back inside and I had sent them to get ready for bed that it occurred to me that I should have asked them to show me the trick.
I went upstairs with the Bible in hand to read to the children on my own for the first time. I had thought of a passage or two that I believed would be instructive at their age but I still felt nervous. 
It was a great relief when they sat in their beds, poised and quiet, listening attentively. 
"Do you have any questions?" I queried, closing the book on my lap. 
They exchanged a  glance and Sophia spoke for both of them.
"No ma'am."
"I know your father read you stories from another book. Would you like me to do that?"
"We've heard all those stories before," Sophia sighed. 
"When Kate or Susan put us to bed, they tell us fairy stories," William added excitedly. 
"Oh, is there a book of those you'd like me to read from? I don't mind."
"Oh they don't read," Sophia laughed. "They just tell us the stories they know."
"They tell us about the creatures here."
I bit my lip. "I'm afraid I don't know any fairy stories from this area."
"What monsters are there where you come from?" William asked a little too sharply.
"Well I'm not going to tell you stories about monsters when you're going to bed or you won't sleep."
Sophia laughed as if I'd said something foolish. "Oh we're not afraid."
"Do you have Bog Maeve where you come from?" William pressed, his excitement only growing. "She's the old lady who lives under the bogs and pulls travelers under."
I felt like I had somehow lost control of the conversation and yet I found myself wanting to impress the children, hoping to overcome the impression left by my cowardice in the face of the storm. 
"I believe we have stories of something like that, but the name is different."
"What about ghosts? We have the White Man. He walks around the edge of the graveyard and leans against the church wall, crying for his wife."
"You mustn't carry on like that, William," I chided. 
"Tell us about a spirit from where you grew up."
"Well there are woods all around, so we mostly have stories about wood elves and sprites that inhabit the trees. But those are just folk tales." I gave a proud little smile to show them I was unaffected by such things.
"You mean woods like the ones behind the back gate here?" Sophia asked coyly. William giggled.
"I suppose they're a little like them." I felt increasingly desperate, like I was being drawn into some sort of trap. 
"Do you have Finn Bálor where you come from?" William asked.
"I don't think so. Or at least I don't know that name. What is he supposed to do?"
The two of them exchanged a quick look and began reciting in unison:
Finn Bálor comes in the dark of night
With his seal black skin and his eyes of white
He comes for the children and takes their breath 
Or spirits them off to certain death;
But even worse for the maiden fair
Who he drags away to his watery lair
And though her screams are still heard through the wind and rain
His maiden will never be seen again.
Sophia furrowed her brow. "They wouldn't have Bálor where she comes from."
"Why not?" William responded, as if he were reciting the script to a play.
"It says Bálor's lair is watery. So he must live near the ocean."
William made a soft noise as if he was disappointed.
"That really isn't a story for good Christian children," I stammered, a little shocked at the ugliness of their rhyme.
"Everyone around here knows that story," Sophia answered. 
"Well, I think it's time to stop the stories for tonight and for you to get some sleep."
"Just a little longer," William pleaded.
We won't sleep for the storm," Sophia cooed.
I didn't want to think I'll of a child but I felt like she was mocking me over my own nervousness about the storm.
"You don't have to tell us any more stories like that," she continued. "You could just tell us about yourself."
A little hesitantly, I settled back in my seat. "Very well. What would you like to know?" 
"How did you end up working as a governess?" Sophia prompted.
"This is actually my first position. I had just finished my education through the church in Killfoyle and they found this post for me."
"Why did your parents not do that?" William asks, his eyes so innocent I could scarcely believe this was the same boy who had recited that ghastly rhyme just minutes before.
I lowered my head, wondering how much of my story I should tell. "My parents have been dead for some time."
Sophia slid to the end of her bed and rested her hand on mine. "You poor thing."
The maturity in her voice was a little unnerving, but I nonetheless gave her a little smile before motioning for her to lie back down.
"How did they die?"
"William!" His sister snapped. "Don't you ask such things!"
"But I was lucky and my church took me in and saw that I was educated. They made sure I had prospects for a good life."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" the girl asked gently.
"No." I paused, feeling uncomfortably like I was lying. "I had a younger brother but he died when he was small."
"Did he die with your parents?"
"William stop it right now!" Sophia's dark eyes were furious. "I'm sorry," she said to me, composing herself, "he's a baby and he doesn't know any better."
"I'm not a baby!"
"You hush this instant! You're upsetting her! How do you expect her to like us if you act like that?"
"Oh but of course I like you!" I insisted. "You're lovely children. He's just speaking rashly because he's tired."
Sophia's expression was skeptical. "He had no business speaking to you that way."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please don't be angry."
"I'm not angry. But now I really think you must sleep."
I stood up, wondering if I should give them a kiss but deciding against it.
"Miss Miles?" Sophia said primly. 
"Yes?"
"I hope that you will be much happier now that you're here."
"Thank you, Sophia. That's very kind of you to say."
I knew that the children hadn’t meant to hurt me, but my heart felt heavy as I retired to my room for the night. Thinking of my family was always harrowing for me. It reminded me how narrowly I had escaped a miserable fate. Although my heart soared being here, living under the roof of such a beautiful man and his precocious children, I knew there would always be a part of me that lived in fear that everything good could be taken away from me as it had been before. 
I spent another fitful night, unable to clear my head enough to sleep, my mind a turmoil of memories and uneasy thoughts of the sinister Balor and the chilling rhyme the children had shared, set to the sound of the crashing waves in the distance.
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dawniebb · 4 years
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Thoughts about Renegades
ALRIGHT FOLKS, TAKE A SEAT BC I’M ABOUT TO KICK MYSELF OUT OF THIS FANDOM :’)
Not really
But I’m going to rant for a while so perhaps you can go grab a snack or something :’)
So…I LOVE Renegades and I always will but I’ve been thinking about some of the things that seem…off to me. Not that they’re a big deal ofc (because I love Renegades in a really dumb and blind way) but some of them are quite unpopular opinions among the fandom, so I’m finally going to share them in case someone out there feels the same way X’DDDDD
They’re not in any particular order. Here we go:
- I completely stan the idea of Nova and Oscar and Nova and Callum being brotp material, but I stan Nova and Callum way more, not because I don’t like Nova and Oscar, but because I think it was genuinely good (and healthy) for Nova to have a friend out of Adrian’s circle. I mean, she’s been isolated most of her life now, and when I realized she finally had someone of her own… like, a person she met with whom she connected without Adrian introducing them to her, was a HUGE step. Callum is one of my favorite characters in the whole series, and when the t h i n g  happened I was devastated for MYSELF *sobs* but also because MM took him away from Nova. She opened to him more than she ever opened to Oscar throughout the three books. Sorry not sorry :’).
- AS A YOUNG ADULT (I’LL BE 20 IN MAY, YOU GUYS) let me tell you that all these dumbasses act like completely normal teenagers and all their shitty decisions sound like something I would’ve done when I was their age. Actually, the Team Sketch really reminds me of my own circle of friends. I’ve seen you guys complain about Adrian acting extremely dumb for his age but GUYS HE’S FUCKING 17. WHEN I WAS 17 I WAS AS CLUELESS AS HIM. ALL MY FRIENDS WERE. AND IT WAS SO STUPID IT HURT BUT SHIT BE LIKE THAT SOMETIMES. I was the Nova among them. That is: I joined their group hella late and one of the guys became my crush. I was so dumb I told him he was my crush when I was defeated on the floor with a dislocated knee because I was having a breakdown and I legit thought I was D Y I N G. Teenagers.Are.Like.That.
- HOWEVER, EVEN IF I JUST SAID ALL OF THAT….And I want to believe all of you agree with me: I don’t justify Oscar. It’s okay being a dumb teenager, but you can’t just ask your crush to be your girlfriend during a PUBLIC EXECUTION. That wasn’t romantic. At all. If I were Ruby I would’ve been really offended, no joke. (AT LEAST WHEN I TOLD *MY* CRUSH WHILE I THOUGHT MY LEG WAS GOING TO BE AMPUTATED, WE WERE IN CHORUS CLASS. ALL THE GUYS WERE SINGING TO ME BC THEY THOUGHT THAT WOULD CALM ME DOWN. IT WAS A GROSS AND ODDLY SWEET MOMENT, YOU KNOW?).
- I feel like Ruby is…I’m not going to say mistreated, but…Idk. I feel like she’s trying her best and she’s kind to everyone in the group and in some parts of the books they just…forget about her :’). (This may be Marissa’s fault, though). Which makes me really sad, because she’s genuinely sweet and I felt like she was the most welcoming to Nova since the very beginning (Apart from Adrian, of course).
- I’m part of the “Leroy switched sides at some point” squad, but at the same time I believe he’s just very, VERY chaotic neutral and (I’m never giving up on this) since he loved Nova, he would just stick to the side where they promised to keep her safe, even if that meant being jumping back and forth between the Renegades and the Anarchists.
- I ALSO BELIEVE WINSTON MAH BOI SAW A LOT OF HIMSELF IN NOVA. To my particular point of view, his mental state was the most stable when she moved with them. He unconsciously tried to stop her from becoming what he’d become and the Anarchists realized that, so when they found Ace’s little human weapon being threatened, they just teared her away from Winston, which caused his mental health to go downhill again until he ended up all psychotic (which is how we got to meet him during Renegades).
- Honey had way more complicated issues than just being “evil”. Yes. She’s dead. And me defending her won’t make her less dead. And I know she got what she deserved because she was…completely out of control and Marissa tends to kill those who are too far gone (take Levana as an example). But I think that if she hadn’t neglected her own mental health so much she would’ve had a chance; Honey had good in her :’) maybe, before meeting Ace, she was a different person. Like, it’s mentioned she grew up in a small farm. I think she fell in love with him at some point and, by the way he talks to her sometimes, I’m *almost* sure he knew that, so he tried to take advantage of the situation to keep her in line, even though he had no intention to reciprocate her feelings. Sure, Honey is a manipulative brat, but she’s a hundred times worse when she knows Ace is around or when she knows she has a chance to get him back (she goes batshit crazy in the cathedral, you know?). Ace was a power-hungry sociopath/psychopath and she was a depressed, also power-hungry woman who was in love with him. And that’s a BAD combination. Honey Harper was hopeless… and I think she even showed some signs of Stockholm Syndrome.
- Still, Honey and Nova’s relationship reminds me a lot of my relationship with my dad. Theirs was a toxic relationship, but since I’ve been through that (still going through that), I refuse to believe it will be easy for Nova to overcome her death *that* easily. They loved each other in a…violent, weird way, but Honey was Nova’s mother more than Tala ever got the chance to be (because Ace took that opportunity away from her) and if Honey hadn’t been so –like I mentioned before- hopeless, they could’ve fixed their relationship until it was normal and healthy, because Honey showed signs of loving Nova, and Nova showed signs of loving her.
- Every death in Supernova had a very specific narrative purpose but, even if I hate Evander as much as y’all do, I think his death was done for the sake of the shock factor afgshja like, he died in such a sudden, meaningless way :’).
- Tamaya is nothing but wasted potential. You have a savage, feral, badass woman with w i n g s and the only thing she does is getting her fucking face burned and throwing fists with entitled teenagers.
- I LIVE for Simon and Hugh as couple, but (gosh, saying this makes me feel really guilty) the fact that they didn’t share not even ONE kiss throughout the trilogy made me feel really queerbaited :’). Same thing happened with Danna and Narcissa, but I think that was PLAIN half-assed.
-Why doesn’t Adrian has Simon’s last name as well? :’)
- ADRIAN NEEDS THERAPY AS MUCH AS NOVA DOES. LET’S BREAK THIS DOWN, HERE WE GO:
*So, we know that Marissa Meyer’s male characters are always really sweet and kind and wholesome and omg :’)…and then there’s fucking Jacin (whom I love, but that doesn’t minimize the fact he shall burn in hell X’DDDD) . I mean, he’s kind…to Winter and Winter only…and Cress…sometimes. When it comes to Winter, he’s capable of a lot, A LOT of things. He comes off as rude many times (especially to Cinder, during Cress) and…yeah. He looks like he could kill you and he could ACTUALLY kill you; I feel like the fandom moves Adrian to …whatever category Kai’s in….but I’m not sure that’s the case. Let’s analyze Cinder’s equivalent to Nova’s bracelet: Peony’s chip; Kai was mad at Cinder, FUCKING mad. But once he kinda figured out Cinder was grieving his sister and keeping the only thing she had left from her for emotional reasons, he didn’t, under any circumstance, no matter how much he hated Cinder at the moment, want that chip to be taken away from her. Kai had lost his father. He KNEW what it felt like and he didn’t want anyone to feel the same way, because he SAW Cinder suffer her little sister’s death. Adrian had lost his mother and he knew Nova had lost both her mother and her father AND her little sister; she had opened up enough to tell him that bracelet was the only thing she had left from her father…and when he learned Nova was Nightmare, instead of interrogating her, taking a sample of her blood or things like that, he straight took her bracelet. Because Adrian was hurt and he wanted her to be hurt too, so he took away the one thing that mattered the most to her and THAT WASN’T VERY KAI OF HIM IF YOU ASK ME. My point is, sadly: Adrian is ABSOLUTELY traumatized due to his mother’s death (who wouldn’t?) and now that he knows he indirectly killed her he will only get WORSE. He hated Nova for being Nightmare just because he thought she had something to do with Georgia’s death, so when things went to shit, he did her in the dirtiest way he could, making her feel hated and unwanted, which were Nova’s delicate spots afgshja…like, Adrian’s capable of a lot of things(just like Jacin). He NEEDS therapy. Now.
- The heated kiss scene during Archenemies is both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time (besides…you know, heated). Nova’s so touch-starved she gets overwhelmed when Adrian suddenly gives her all the physical affection she didn’t have during her childhood. And…I feel it was a very intimate moment between both of them, because they were physically and emotionally invested and omg. This only makes my previous point (about the bracelet) more horrible, because I can’t imagine how she must’ve felt when he took away her bracelet with so.much.hatred.
-WE DESERVED TO KNOW THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO THE SYSTEM BC TBH THE RENEGADES SYSTEM WAS SHITTY AF… It’s like…they claimed to be against what the Anarchists did but then suddenly they were doing the same things themselves. And I don’t think that’s fair. The Renegades acted as messed up as the Anarchists during Supernova. They wanted to EXECUTE a MINOR who committed MINOR CRIMES. I mean, what did Nightmare even do? Right, she tried to assassinate Hugh but she FAILED, and she neutralized Team Frostbite in SELF-DEFENSE and in Max’s defense.
- Besides, the way Anarchists were treated was...really inhuman. As far as I understand, they didn’t have access to public services or anything like that. What if they needed meds? Where did they get their food from? Did they have, like, fucking running water? Electricity? There are also three women among them and they get *periods*, people, and *period stuff* is expensive as fuck. Like, did they have to steal tampons? And if they did…were they chased because of it? Even though they had no way to get income in a legal way because they were Anarchists and being out there like normal people was against the rules for them? Lol?
- JESUS THAT SYSTEM REALLY NEEDED TO BE CHANGED LMAO AFGSHJA
-Also, Cragmoor? Wtf.
- AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NOT BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY BUT BECAUSE THIS IS TOO LONG ALREADY: It think Nova and Evie have been apart for too long and it’s going to be hard for them to create a bond. They’ll have to get used to it, because it’s going to be confusing for Nova and, given the fact Evie’s personality is…like that, I think she’ll go as far to blame Nova like “But you were SUPPOSED to look for me.”
I rest my case.
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