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bixels · 9 months ago

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Learning that fans hated Applejack and called her "boring" is crazyyy to me because I genuinely, unironically believe AJ's the most complex character in the main six.

Backstory-wise, she was born into a family of famers/blue collar workers who helped found the town she lives in. She grew up a habitual liar until she had the bad habit traumatized outta her. She lost both her parents and was orphaned at a young age, having to step up as her baby sister's mother figure. She's the only person in the main gang who's experienced this level of loss and grief (A Royal Problem reveals that AJ dreams about memories of being held by her parents as a baby). She moved to Manhattan to live with her wealthy family members, only to realize she'll never fit in or be accepted, even amongst her own family. The earlier seasons imply she and her family had money problems too (In The Ticket Master, AJ wants to go to the gala to earn money to buy new farm equipment and afford hip surgery for her grandma).

Personality-wise, she's a total people-pleaser/steamroller (with an occasional savior complex) who places her self worth on her independence and usefulness for other people, causing her to become a complete workaholic. In Applebuck Season, AJ stops taking care of herself because of her obsessive responsibilities for others and becomes completely dysfunctional. In Apple Family Reunion, AJ has a tearful breakdown because in she thinks she dishonored her family and tarnished her reputation as a potential leader –– an expectation and anxiety that's directly tied to her deceased parents, as shown in the episode's ending scene. In The Last Roundup, AJ abandons her family and friends out of shame because believes she failed them by not earning 1st place in a rodeo competition. She completely spirals emotionally when she isn't able to fulfill her duties toward others. Her need to be the best manifests in intense pride and competitiveness when others challenge her. And when her pride's broken, she cowers and physically hides herself.

Moreover, it's strongly implied that AJ has a deep-seated anger. The comics explore her ranting outbursts more. EQG also obviously has AJ yelling at and insulting Rarity in a jealous fit just to hurt her feelings (with a line that I could write a whole dissection on). And I'm certain I read in a post somewhere that in a Gameloft event, AJ's negative traits are listed as anger.

Subtextually, a lot of these flaws and anxieties can be (retroactively) linked to her parents' death, forcing her to grow up too quickly to become the adult/caregiver of the family (especially after her big brother becomes semiverbal). Notice how throughout the series, she's constantly acting as the "mom friend" of the group (despite everything, she manages to be the most emotionally mature of the bunch). Notice how AJ'll switch to a quieter, calmer tone when her friends are panicking and use soothing prompts and questions to talk them through their emotions/problems; something she'd definitely pick up while raising a child. Same with her stoicism and reluctance at crying or releasing emotions (something Pinkie explicitly points out). She also had a childhood relationship with Rara (which, if you were to give a queer reading, could easy be interpreted as her first 'aha' crush), who eventually left her life. (Interestingly enough, AJ also has an angry outburst with Rara for the same exact reasons as with EQG Rarity; jealous, upset that someone else is using and changing her). It's not hard to imagine an AJ with separation anxiety stemming from her mother and childhood friend/crush leaving. I'm also not above reading into AJ's relationship with her little sister (Y'all ever think about how AB never got to know her parents, even though she shares her father's colors and her mother's curly hair?).

AJ's stubbornness is a symptom of growing up too quickly as well. Who else to play with your baby sister when your brother goes nonverbal (not to discount Big Mac's role in raising AB)? Who else to wake up in the middle of the night to care for your crying baby sister when your grandma needs her rest? When you need to be 100% all the time for your family, you tend to become hard-stuck with a sense of moral superiority. You know what's best because you have to be your best because if you're aren't your best, then everything'll inevitably fall apart and it'll be your fault. And if you don't know what's best –– if you've been wrong the whole time –– that means you haven't been your best, which means you've failed the people who rely on you, which means you can't fulfill your role in the family/society, which makes you worthless . We've seen time and time again how this compulsive need to be right for the sake of others becomes self-destructive (Apple Family Reunion, Sound of Silence, all competitions against RD). We've seen in The Last Roundup how, when no longer at her best, AJ would rather remove herself from her community than confront them because she no longer feels of use to them.

But I guess it is kinda weird that AJ has "masculine" traits and isn't interested in men at all. It's totally justified that an aggressively straight, misogynistic male fandom would characterize her as a "boring background character." /s

At the time of writing this, it's 4:46AM.

#mlp #yeah i wrote this last night during insomnia.#yeah i know an embarrassing amount of crap about this kids show #but whatever it's my hyperfixation i'll store as much useless information as i want!!!#i'm gay and neurodivergent i have an excuse #in case you needed more proof that aj's my favorite character #personal #delete later #unless you like this analysis stuff #i get why they didn't reveal aj's parent's death until way later and why they didn't do much with it but i wish they did #cuz narratively there could've been so much material with aj's grief. like. i feel like we gloss over the fact that she lost her #mother and father as a teenager #i tried keeping my personal hcs out of this to keep it unbiased #but i'll put some in the tags #involving rarijack –– i think aj can be (but not always) very self-conscious about her relationship with rarity #anxieties that she's not the right fit or that rarity will move away and leave her some day or that another woman will take her attention #(like in rollercoaster of friendship?? nudge nudge??). basic seperation anxiety stuff #long post #regarding applebloom whenever i think about her and her parents i think about that scene in steven universe where steven looks up at #a portrait of his mother and openly wonders what kind of sack lunches she would've made for him. that episode still fucks me up

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noellawrites · 2 months ago

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Belly of the Beast - Sonny Carisi x reader

summary: Reader has been hooking up with Sonny and gets kidnapped by William Lewis, who is determined to get them pregnant against their will. Reader does eventually become pregnant and is unsure of the paternity of the baby.

AFAB reader but no specific pronouns used.

warnings: rape, abduction, torture, pregnancy, discussion of abortion, canon-typical violence

The night before you were taken was completely normal. No alarm bells ringing in your brain, no voice telling you not to go into work the following day. You were spending the night with your co-worker, Sonny Carisi, and having amazing sex as usual. It was the kind of intimate intercourse that was normal with him, making you feel so special and loved.

As detectives in the same Manhattan SVU squad, you had to keep your companionship a secret. You both loved your jobs and you knew it could cause trouble if anyone found out. Besides, Sonny was brand new to the squad, and you knew Liv would transfer one of you in a heartbeat if she found out.

It happened so fast. One moment you were grabbing a cup from the cabinet in your apartment, the next moment a gun was being held to your head.

“N-no, please—“ you gasp, mind racing. You were wearing your holster, but your gun was still locked in your safe. You weren’t thinking this morning. Your mind was scattered from last night’s events, and it was about to massively screw you over.

“Gotta say I’m offended, sweet cheeks. No warm welcome for an old friend?” William Lewis says with a sinister smile, “I just knew I had to come back for you, such a sweet young thing. Couldn’t stop thinking about what I wanted to do to you, to Olivia Benson’s protégée. Hit you both where it hurts.”

His sentence is punctuated with a swift slam of the gun to the side of your head, knocking you out cold on your kitchen floor.

—

The first thing you notice after regaining consciousness are the handcuffs attaching your hands to the pipes on the wall and binding your feet together.

The room you were in was bare except for the pipes, the cuffs and you. It looked to be a utility closet with no windows, only a lone lightbulb above you with a string attached.

Duct tape covered your mouth, leaving you unable to scream. You thrashed around, tugging on your cuffs, hoping someone might hear.

Your eyes darted around the room. Were you still in Manhattan? Were you even in New York anymore? You had no idea what time it was or even what day. Your squad had to be looking for you by now, after you didn’t show up at work.

You didn’t have to guess for long, because the door swung open to reveal William Lewis, smiling down at you.

“God, you’re even cuter than I remember. Knew I needed you right away,” he sighs, stepping inside and closing the door behind you.

“You scream, I shoot,” he says, hand moving to his side as he pulls out a gun and fixes it on you.

He leans over, tearing the duct tape off your mouth along with some of your skin.

“Gotta say, I’m pretty hurt. Detective Amaro leaves, new guy comes in and you start hooking up with him?” Lewis sighs, shaking his head.

“What do you want from me?” you huff, tugging on your handcuffs again.

“This time, I’m taking what’s mine,” he smirks, “I’ve got a bed set up for us. Thought of you with all the other holes I fucked, and I knew I had to get my hands on you myself.”

“What, you mean all the women and children you raped, beat and killed?” you snap, writhing around as he un-cuffs you from the pipes and then re-cuffs you.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you the royal treatment. I’ve got something special for you, little one. You might’ve started out as Benson’s protégée, but you’ll end up carrying mine,” he laughs.

Your blood runs cold at his words, knowing he must be planning on raping you. You wracked your brain for all the delaying tactics that Olivia’s taught you, and everything she’s told you about Lewis’ temper.

Lewis leans over and pulls you up, grabbing his gun with the other hand and fixing it on you.

“You’re insane, you know that? I’m not letting you do this,” you grunt.

Lewis yanks the door open and pushes you out, hand holding onto your cuffed ones. You look around what appears to be an abandoned warehouse for a few seconds before you are pushed down onto a dirty mattress.

“Olivia wasn’t enough of a thrill, so you just had to come for me, is that it? What about Amanda, is she next?” you challenge.

“Olivia is boring and Amanda’s all used up,” he laughs, “you, however, are perfect for this.”

“What are you gonna do to me?” you hiss as Lewis turns you over, pinning your hands under your back.

“This sweet little womb is going to carry the next rapist, the next little life-ruiner,” Lewis says, fingers tracing over your lower stomach, “first, he’ll rip out of you, ruining your body forever. And then he’ll follow in his daddy’s footsteps when he grows up.”

“What makes you so sure you’ll get me pregnant? And that it’ll be a boy?” you huff.

Each word that came out of William Lewis’ mouth made you even more terrified, your mind racing to rescue yourself from this situation.

“I’m more than just a pretty face, Detective (y/l/n). Right now is your most fertile time, according to the chart you keep in your desk. And we both know you’re too sappy and weak to get an abortion,” he laughs, shaking his head at you. So weak, so pathetic. An SVU Detective who couldn’t even save themself from becoming a victim.

“That’s— you have no idea what you’re talking about,” you gasp, thrashing around.

“Now you’re gonna make this hard on me? Fine,” he sighs, grabbing a bottle of alcohol from beside the mattress and unscrewing the cap, “drink up, baby.”

—

Over the next few days, you were out of your mind. If you weren’t passed out or asleep, you were drunk or high at Lewis’ force, shoving edibles down your throat and washing them down with bottles of cheap vodka.

Your throat burned, stung red with pain, and your body was dirty and disgusting. As if the drugs weren’t enough, Lewis was getting off on burning and scarring you, too. Lighters, cigarettes and metal objects were on rotation across your skin.

The worst was the rape, for which you preferred to be unconscious for. At least if you weren’t mentally there, you weren’t being traumatized again.

After the first few times, you knew you would never get a good night of sleep, never have a calm moment, never become intimate without feeling what you felt when William Lewis forced himself inside you, fucking at a brutal pace, spitting and screaming and grunting horrible things as he used and abused your body for his own pleasure.

He came inside of you as much as he physically could, getting off on mocking you for becoming his rape victim and eventually the carrier of his monstrous offspring.

After a few days, he figured SVU would be catching onto him, ever loyal to their own. He couldn’t risk moving you so he cuffed you back to the pipes, kissed your lips and disappeared. William Lewis had his fun with you, but he needed to keep moving if he was to avoid arrest.

You hadn’t been fed the entire time, barely given any water and mostly having had drugs and alcohol forced down your throat. You didn’t hear anything as SVU busted in, Olivia and Sonny leading ahead as they sprinted towards your weak figure.

“(Y/n)? Oh fuck— oh ma’ god—“ Sonny’s voice breaks, looking up at Olivia with tears in his eyes.

Liv pulls out her radio, immediately ordering a bus for an officer down.

“Baby, c’mon, it’s Sonny. ‘M right here—,” he coos, taking off his jacket and laying it over you to give you some privacy. You were fully naked and chained up, blood and burn marks everywhere. It didn’t take a genius to understand what had happened.

“Mmmph—“ you mumble as he unlocks the cuffs with the standard key used by NYPD.

“Ah know ‘ya can hear me, jus’ hold on. We’re gettin’ a bus, okay?” he sniffles, hand on your arm. Sonny wished more than anything that he could take your pain and make it his.

Sonny scrambled to grab a water bottle before Liv stuck her hand out, keeping him back.

“I know you want to help, Carisi, but the inside of their mouth could have DNA evidence,” Liv says with a pinched expression.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill whoeva’ did this,” Sonny growls, looking around as his blood boils. You had only been gone for three days, but it had felt like an eternity. Sonny had never been so afraid in his entire life.

—

If you ever had any question of what you and Sonny were to each other, it was answered in the days following your attack. Sonny spent a week and a half straight with you in your apartment, doing anything you needed. He bathed you, cooked for you, gave you space if you needed and held you when you woke up shaking or crying from a nightmare.

You returned to work a month later, even though Liv wanted you to take a longer break. She kept a close eye on you, having gone through multiple horrific William Lewis experiences herself, although none included rape itself.

A week into your return, Olivia pulled you into her office and gave you the grim update that there were basically no updates. Very much unlike him, Lewis had disappeared or gone into hiding. And Liv had one request for you: she wanted you to take a pregnancy test.

You laughed, taken aback at the absurd notion. Sure, you hadn’t had your period yet, but it wasn’t uncommon for survivors of extreme trauma. But Liv wanted to be sure, as Lewis’ mission with you was to force you to carry his offspring.

“I-I think the worst part is—“ you gulp, “he was right. I don’t have the balls to get an abortion. I’ve always wanted a baby, and I just— god, Liv, if I’m pregnant by my rapist, I have no idea what I’ll do.”

“And what about you and Carisi?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Me… and Carisi?”

“(Y/n), I’m not blind,” she smiles softly.

“We haven’t— you know, since the assault. I just can’t. But that would be even worse, I mean, I know Sonny would stick around. Both of us together, raising Lewis’ baby? A-and with the threat of him coming back and wanting custody? It’s just too much. I would put that poor baby up for adoption,” you sigh.

“Take the test and we’ll figure things out from there, Detective (y/l/n). I’ll be here for you every step of the way,” Olivia promises.

You both stand up and she gives you a hug, noticing how your body trembles. She had a hunch you’d been like that since the assault, and she couldn’t blame you. She’d be lying if she said Lewis didn’t haunt her dreams sometimes, too.

You took the test in your apartment, alone. Sonny’s shift ended two hours after yours, which gave you enough time to grab some tests from the bodega and take them with your fingers crossed praying to not be pregnant.

You still had flashbacks to those moments, the ugly ones where you were drunk or high and still awake with Lewis on top of you. You saw his repulsive smile every time you closed your eyes, hearing him babble about knocking you up and wrecking your life even more.

Your job was everything to you and you loved helping people, but you had never fully understood how it felt to be a sex crimes victim until it happened to you. Until your power was stripped away, every piece of your humanity torn to shreds. You never knew what it felt to want to burn your body, to destroy the evidence, to put an end to the agony plaguing you day in and day out.

You never wanted to die as much as when you flipped over those tests, seeing the plus signs and knowing you were giving William Lewis exactly what he wanted.

After a few days of moping, Sonny sat you up in bed and reminded you of the small, but still possible, chance that it could be his baby. You hadn’t used a condom with Sonny on the night before your abduction, though you usually did.

“Baby, jus’ get it checked. If it’s ours—“

“And what if it’s not, Sonny? You really want to raise a baby conceived with my rapist?” you cry, burying your head in your hands.

“Wouldn’t want t’give Lewis the satisfaction of lettin’ him raise it himself, doll. ‘N it’s still gonna be ‘ya baby, have ‘ya DNA either way,” Sonny reminds you, stroking your arm softly and gently.

“I-I’ll go in for a fetal DNA test,” you agree, allowing Sonny to call and make an appointment for your next day off.

In those moments between, you lived in a sweet purgatory outside of your body. The only times you felt grounded were when Sonny’s hands were on you, holding you, kissing your forehead, lacing your fingers together.

You couldn’t believe a tiny organism was growing inside of you, relying on you for nutrients and nourishment and love. Something so innocent that might be born from something so awful. You couldn’t even close your eyes when you thought about it, you just saw Lewis’ scarred face and his eerie, victorious smile.

“You’re sure you don’t want me t’come with ‘ya?” Sonny frowns, turning to face you as he buttons up his dress shirt.

“I’ll be okay, I promise,” you say, though you’re not so sure.

“If not, call me or Liv, alright? One of us can come, we don’t want ‘ya t’be alone,” Sonny says, stepping towards you and placing a hand on your shoulder gently.

“I will, Sonny. Don’t worry,” you smile, leaning into his warm embrace.

You were told the results could take up to two weeks to arrive, so you went back home and looked around your apartment. It was a one bedroom, barely big enough for you and a baby. If the baby was Sonny’s, would you move in together? Would you have to switch departments? Would you get engaged?

And if it was Lewis’? You loathed the thought, but it was the more likely possibility. You wish you could give it up for adoption, but the truth was that it would be your baby too. Could you really give your baby away just because it was conceived through rape?

—

Two weeks later, like clockwork, your phone rang. The caller ID was your doctor’s office, so you glanced at Sonny. He was none the wiser, sitting on the couch and reading through case files.

“H-hello?” you answer, ducking into the bedroom. Your hand shook as you held your cell phone up to your ear.

“Hello, is this (y/n) (y/l/n)?”

“Yes, that’s me,” you say nervously.

“I have the results of your fetal DNA test. The sample from Dominick Carisi Junior is a 99.7 percent paternal match.”

“Wh— a-are you sure?” you whisper. Your shaky hand comes up to your mouth as you blink slowly, hardly believing your ears.

“Yes, with a match that close, it is virtually impossible to have another paternal match,” the voice on the other line explains.

“Okay, thank you. So much. I-I really appreciate it,” you smile.

You exchange pleasantries and hang up, tiptoeing out of your bedroom as you glance at Sonny again. Your last look at him before telling him he would become a father.

“Sonny? I have some really good news.”

#law and order svu x reader #sonny carisi x reader #law and order svu #law and order svu imagine #carisi x reader #law and order special victims unit #sonny carisi imagine #sonny carisi

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buckets-and-trees · 4 months ago

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Steve Rogers Collection

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

Unless specifically noted, all of my stories feature a female reader insert character.

dividers by my lovely wife @rookthornesartistry

Series & Collections

EXILED NOMAD a series of encounters that could have happened between Civil War and Infinity War SOFT DARK, explicit smut, rough sex, emotionally damaged Steve, lonely reader

↠ July 3, 2017: When He First Got Me [2.2k] (Steve POV) ↠ July 4, 2017: You Should've Seen Him [1.2k] ↠ September 28, 2017: Pull the String [3.7k] ↠ September 28, 2017, around midnight: Put Me Back on My Shelf [750] ↠ January 2, 2018: Danger in the Heat of My Touch [2.3k] ↠ March 10, 2018: It Fit Too Right [690] ↠ March 21, 2018: Puzzle Pieces in the Dead of Night [1.5k]

CEDAR TREES a Royal AU historical romance King!Steve x Queen!Reader politically arranged marriage, reluctant pining to true and utter love, SMUT (rough fucking to fluffy and intimate sexual situations)

↠ Fire Burning From a Cedar Tree [3.4k] ↠ The Thrill of Knowing How Alone We Are [1.2k] ↠ Winter Solstice (response to an ask) ↠ Cold Hands, Warm Hearts [1.3k] ↠ A Shift in the Morning Routine [1.1k] ↠ Love That's Laid Beside Me [5k] ↠ The Silence of the Hushed Sublime [4.8k]

RED, WHITE & TRUE a Steve Stays AU Presidential Candidate!Steve x Wife!Reader politically arranged marriage, slow burn, eventual smut

↠ Prologue: Upstate New York (Steve POV) [1.3k] ↠ chapter 1: Manhattan & Brooklyn [4k] ↠ chapter 2: Las Vegas & Cleveland [4k] ↠ chapter 3: Houston [3.4k] ↠ chapter 4: Fort Wayne, Toledo, Detroit [4.2k] ↠ chapter 5: DC, Tampa, Athens [6.1k] ↠ chapter 7: Brooklyn - Pre-Interview [5.8k] ↠ chapter 8: Brooklyn - The Interview [6.1k] ↠ chapter 9: Kansas City - Interview Broadcast Day [7.6k] ↠ chapter 10: Kansas to Tucson - Fallout [6.5k] ↠ chapter 11: Tucson - Refocusing [4.7k] ↠ more coming soon

WARM SHADOWS - complete post-endgame omegaverse AU Alpha!Bucky x omega!reader, Alpha!Captain Hydra x omega!reader, eventual Alpha!Bucky x omega!reader x Alpha!Steve DARK SMUT, tw: non con, tw: dub con, fluff beginning

↠ chapter one: When You Fall On Me Like Night [2.5k] ↠ chapter two: Let All Light Go [7.5k] ↠ chapter three: Carving Through the Dark [14.4k] ↠ chapter four: The Working of Your Hands [15.5k] ↠ epilogue: The Dawn Has Come [5.5k]

LITTLE LARK a modern mafia AU with dark elements mean Mafia!Steve x curvy Millennial Female!Reader x mean Mafia!Bucky

↠ Little Lark ↠ Bird on a Wire ↠ Bird Home in the Darkness

BUCK’S ELEVEN a snapshot series, historical AU, Ocean’s Eleven-style heist premise Steve and Bucky and many other Avenger cameos

↠ Buck's Eleven Steve & Bucky ↠ Bookings and Rings Steve x Pan Am Stewardess Reader [600 words, light smut] ↠ Good Luck the team [600 words]

THE BROOKLYN BOYS - complete a post-endgame where Steve stays in the present rom-com drabble series, slow burn Steve x reader, Bucky x reader, eventual Stucky x reader

SERIES: ↠ 1: Bucky and the Bench ↠ 2: Steve and the Sandwich ↠ 3: Bucky and the Books ↠ 4: Steve and the Skyline ↠ 5: Bucky and the Brief Brush ↠ INTERLUDE ↠ 6: Steve and the Ballet ↠ 7: Bucky and the Shelves ↠ 8: Steve and the Blindside ↠ 9: Bucky and the Situation ↠ 10: Steve and the Best Friend ↠ EXITLUDE

MORE STORY: ↠ First Night [takes place immediately after part 10] ↠ Idle Hands [first fall/winter] ↠ Big Red Bow [a few days after their first NYE]

Double-Shots

Tiny Vessels [1.5k] + Don’t Forget You Were the One Who [1.3k] end of Endgame Steve gender neutral Reader insert, brief moments of non-graphic physical intimacy

So Black the Darkness Hums [9.1k] + Come Down from Battle [2.4k] Viking King Steve Rogers x curvy Female!Reader DARK, viking AU, explicit smut (non-consent re: prima nocta)

One-Shots

Peering In My Hollow Core [2.4k] Nomad!Steve x Morally Grey f!Reader explicit smut (dubious consent re: sex pollen)

Witchview [1.3k] ignore Endgame/Steve stays, post-WandaVision, witch!reader soft!dark, smut, magic, manipulation

King [1k] mob AU

All the Pieces Fall [3.4k] unidentified male main character x female!reader modern AU, second chance, smut

Drabbles

Not Meant to Be Like This [680] omegaverse, smut, unexpected heat

Steve with a Breeding Kink [750] soft dark, smut, tw: dubious consent

Steve and a Dog [200] ignore Endgame/Steve stays gender neutral reader, fluff

With You fluff, potential future Neighbor!Steve scenario/chaptered work

Bodyguard Steve mildly smutty, modern AU

Other Chris Evans Characters...

#steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x yn #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fan #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers smut #forest navigation

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bttfjanaury · 26 days ago

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janAUry 2025!!

my sincerest apologies for the lateness, but i have FINALLY made the list! explanations for the various aus will be listed below! the rules remain pretty much the same - please respect the aus creators!

medieval au by @bg-sparrow - Featuring Marty as Prince of the Hill and Doc as the Royal Alchemist

clara in the 80s au by @itsthemorph- That one fic I have where Clara makes it on the delorean and comes to the future with the gang and then kinda regrets it for a second

weredoc au by @kit-screams-into-the-future - after a mishap with a bit of einstein's DNA and the power of Science, doc finds himself with a bit of a problem, if "a bit" means "11-feet-tall and very hairy and also not exactly human". basically he just turned himself into a dog man. a big, wet, sad dog man. taking the term "dog person" to new heights, doc and marty now have to figure out how restore doc to his previous state of being without anyone else in hill valley suspecting a thing. which is easy at first (doc's always been a bit of a recluse, so it's not like this is any different) but, of course, when have things like this ever stayed easy for long when it comes to these two...

spy x family au by @izzy-draws05 - Based on the anime Spy X Family! (I recommend reading a plot summary to get more details!) Doc is a scientist working for a spy agency, who needs a fake family to complete a mission. He adopts Marty, who as a young kid, escaped a lab that gave him the power to read minds. Queue found family and slice of life shenanigans while Doc tries to complete his mission, and Marty tries to help without revealing his secret and what he knows.

ashen pines au by @rose-of-pollux - In 1971, the Cold War goes hot, and Hill Valley is incinerated in an attempt to get Doc, who has escaped; with him is a 3-year-old Marty McFly, the only survivor of his family, and now his adopted son.

trinity trilogy au by @daryfromthefuture - marty ends up stuck in the 1940s permanently due to a delorean malfunction. shenanigans ensue when he ends up in los alamos with his adopted father, the 29-year-old doc, when the latter is recruited for the manhattan project.

everything everywhere all at once au by @stillpreoccupiedwith1985 - Basically Marty is aware and can access all universes. Here is a link, https://www.tumblr.com/stillpreoccupiedwith1985/745704523820089344/as-promised-my-everything-everywhere-all-at-once

zombie au (! multiple versions by multiple creators! ask either @jayisnotdrawing or @mundancheemudomo for more context, i am too lazy to copy all of it in here at the moment lmao)

stuck in the 60s au by @bri-to-the-future - marty ends up in 1967 based on the first draft of bttf 2. remember the lsd

spiderman au by @styxbugg - marty is spiderman (see the doc for last year's challenge for context! in fact, i can say that for a lot of these)

frankenstein au by @jayisnotdrawing - marty dies in the train experiment in 1885, and doc revives him with science. angst ensues.

mermarty au by @itsthemorph - see last year's document!

stuck in 1885 au (this one specifically refers to @daryfromthefuture's "until i get home". i think) - see last year's document!

time circuits series by @bg-sparrow - see last year's document!

the shadow's gambit/spies au by @aceofthyme - Summary: Spies? Spies! Doc is a technical agent working for a spy organization, and Marty is his apprentice/a junior field agent. Longer Explanation: Doctor Emmett L. Brown is a member of a top secret organization dedicated to ensuring world peace. As an agent in the technical and scientific department, he spends most of his days buried in research or working on various inventions. He enjoys his work, and it pays well, but there’s one problem: every senior agent is expected to take on an apprentice, and Doc hasn’t yet. Were he not so indispensable to the agency, he suspects he would have been ‘released from service’ long ago. Regardless, he can’t risk losing his position—he needs the funding, after all, and he doesn’t have much else lined up. When a teen is brought in as a suspect relevant to a new case, Doc is able to clear the boy’s name thanks to the power of science. He finds himself taking a liking to the kid, though, seeing something there that reminds him of himself. Before he can think about it, he offers the boy the apprenticeship—and Marty McFly immediately says yes.

around the world in 80 days au by @daryfromthefuture - marty and doc take over the roles of passepartout and phileas fogg based on jules verne's novel. marty, orphaned, is employed as a servant at emmett brown's house, who, as a result of a bet, is going to travel around the world in 80s days. read "the perils and the promise" on ao3 if you want it as a whole, but there's also clara and hurt/comfort because doc is marty's first employer to actively care about him and all the stuff

jennifer in 1955 au by @carrotsofthepirabbean - With Marty out of the picture due to an incident in Hell Valley, Jennifer goes back to 1955 to retrieve the almanac and repair the timeline

marty & the pinheads au by @stillpreoccupiedwith1985 - Think of the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats, but with Marty and his band. Based on the fact in the movies they are just The Pinheads, but in the musical it is now Marty McFly and the Pinheads. In Josie and the Pussycats, they were just the Pussycats first. So tons of music industry corruption and Marty getting temporarily brainwashed into being a snobby rockstar.

nutcracker au by @stillpreoccupiedwith1985 - Says on the tin, the nutcracker. Doc is Drosselmeyer, Marty is his nephew/The Nutcracker, and Jennifer is Clara (from the ballet/story not Clara Clayton)

royalty au by @professorsaber - see last year's document!

it's like utopia! au by @jayisnotdrawing - instead of doc, marty disappears upon arriving in citizen valley. cue doc dealing with nerd marty while trying to repair the timeline.

fenrir au by @madscientists1mp - After an invention mishap, a terrible white wolf starts to terrorize Hill Valley... and it looks all too similar to Doc. Can Marty help his friend cure his bloodthirsty dark side? Will Clara find out about her husband's bone-breaking transformations? Will the Men in Black claim him for dissection? Tune in to find out!

vincent au by @whosmurphy - see last year's document!

once upon a time series by @bg-sparrow- see last year's document!

miitopia au by @daryfromthefuture - marty is cast as the hero in the video game miitopia, and the other bttf cast joins him over the course of the adventure. au post is here!

alien doc au by @alex-a-fans - see last year's document!

local legend au by @styxbugg - see last year's document!

steampunk au by @stillpreoccupiedwith1985 - Yet another stuck in 1885, but this time Jennifer is with them in 1885. After Doc married Clara, Marty and Jennifer tie the knot and move to Kansas City. While they are there they discover an underground advancement of technology, using steam. They go to learn more as a way to see if they can use this to help get back to 1985, while also navigating their life in 1885.

jennifer in 1885 au by @kit-screams-into-the-future - what it says on the tin! jennifer has stayed concious through their time travels and now has to work with marty to save doc's life in 1885. so basically part 3 but if jennifer was there. she gets to be a cowboy yeehaw

soulmate au by @daryfromthefuture - see last year's document

for the alternate ones ALSO see last year's document! i will link it once again:

thank you all for your wonderful submissions! i can't wait to see what you create :D

#back to the future #bttf janaury #bttf janaury 2025 #bttf #marty mcfly

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thedecoy-if · 2 years ago

Text

It occurs to you just then, the true depth of your helplessness: you've been taken to another universe, alone with no way home, you're stuck prisoner, your phone has no signal...and they don't even know what Wi-Fi is. Yeah. You're screwed.

DEMO (3/04/2023) ♔ FORUM POST ♔ ARTBREEDERS

♔ The Decoy is a dark fantasy that follows you, a 21st century normal human, kidnapped to an alternate magical universe to play the part of the missing heir to a powerful throne...who also happens to be your doppelgänger. ♔

Life, for the most part, has been all-around uneventful. You work in Manhattan at a convenience store under a sleazy boss in order to scrape by and support your struggling family. Your dad is absent, your mom is too tired to parent, one brother is getting arrested while the other has detached himself from the life he once had. Still, while your days as a twenty-something employee are mundane, at least they're predictable.

Meanwhile, in another realm, the magical dark world of Eterna is in ruin. A war against an entity and his bloodthirsty creatures is brewing, and after the powerful royal family is viciously murdered and the only living child--and now rightful owner of the throne--goes missing, that evil is one step closer to winning.

But of course, that's not your problem. That's in a whole other universe, one you don't even know exists. Your biggest worry is whether you'll be able to take on a double shift tomorrow. Right?

Wrong.

Turns out the missing heir is your doppelganger. In a desperate attempt to save face and stop from losing a war before it even starts, you're kidnapped and taken to Eterna in order to play the part of the monarch, all while working behind the (bloody) scenes to find the true heir and get home.

Stuck in a world of magic and fantasy you've only ever seen in movies, an entire country--and an impending war-- is now dependent on how well you can act.

No pressure.

The Decoy is rated 18+ for dark themes, violence, and explicit content.

FEATURES

Customize your MC from gender identity, pronouns, personality, and appearance.

Choose whether to adapt to this new world or reject it, whether to be defiant or not. Pick what kind of monarch you'll lead as and take full advantage of your new royal identity.

Build yourself up in this new world, focus on honing combat or knowledge of the realm, choose a preferred choice of weapon and more.

Romance one of eight ROs (two male, two female, one nonbinary, three gender selectable) with a variety of backgrounds and magical types. Some more dangerous than others.

Maybe teach your new makeshift gang what television is? Hopefully find some signal for your phone? (not going to happen).

CHARACTERS + ROs

SERIDA/SOREN/SAHAR CRETILLON (m/f/nb , identity dependent on player choice ): the successor to the throne and only living person left in the Cretillon line, S has gone missing not long after the slaughter that murdered their entire family. People have been waiting for them to be coronated in order to plan their next move, but they're now gone without a trace and without them and the power that binds them together, Eterna is vulnerable. That's where you come in.

AZRIEL DAMARIS [RO] (m, he/him): once S's primary royal guard, Azriel has been promoted as the general of the Eternan army and head of the operation to save S. Stiff, serious, and severe, Azriel is tasked with being guard and guiding you through the world of politics and royalty. Unfortunately, Azriel doesn't want you here and he doesn't do much to hide it.

NAMARA AL-LUVEN: [RO] (f, she/her) Azriel's second, Namara is a fierce warrior and loyal to the cause. She's quite difficult to read, distant considering who you are.

DRENWIN SILVA: [RO](m, he/him): a skilled Mage and jester, Drenwin works alongside the Eternan army and puts his skills to work. He seems to be the most approachable of the bunch, which isn't saying much.

VALE: [RO](nb, they/them) the boisterous, flirtatious and arrogant mercenary turned pirate captain of The Lady Mystica. Vale exists simply to make and spend as much coin as possible while engaging in their harem and abundance of bad habits.

CERIS BESILLE [RO] (selectable, she/her, he/him, they/them): a priest-in-training, Ceris is fiercely devoted to their beliefs. Reserved and easily scandalized, they haven't left their quarters in the church since they were twelve, contributing to their lack of outside experience and rather insular outlook on the world.

TALEEA FAREWYN [RO] - (she/her) A half-fae Healer, Taleea follows alongside you as your right hand. She seems to be the only one empathetic to your circumstances, but it's hard to trust anyone in this world, especially someone who is so keen on being...nice.

ARWEN/ARYA VALARIN: [RO] (selectable, she/her, he/him): A Valarin is S's childhood friend and their arranged betrothed. A has been S's other half since they were kids, which means you need to be extra careful around them. They have no idea you're not S and judging from your orders, it's better they never find out.

????? [RO?] (gender selectable) -- They are actively hunting you.

#interact-if #interactive fiction #interactive novel #interactive fiction wip #choice script #choicescript #choice of games #interactive game #text based game #wip #COG

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torksmithtruther · 15 days ago

Text

Peter and Mike interactions

EPISODE 1: The Royal Flush

4:20 - Peter glancing over to mike

5:17 - what time does the sun come out that window

EPISODE 2: Monkee See, Monkee Die

1:25 - it’s working so hard it’s tired

9:47 - scare each other

16:52 - holding hands in seance

23:04 - you’re looking at the fastest hand in the west

EPISODE 3 - Monkee vs Machine

0:05 - mike answers phone under Peter’s chessboard

1:18 - mike tying peter’s tie

4:15 - mike comforting Peter

9:07 - Peter looking mike up and down

EPISODE 5 - The Spy Who Came In From The Cool

5:42 - look see what you did you made him cry

10:42 - we’re gonna miss you old buddy

EPISODE 6 - Success Story

15:53 - crying on mike’s shoulder

EPISODE 7 - Monkees in a Ghost Town

13:34 - mike dusting off peter’s back

EPISODE 11: Monkees A La Carte

5:25 - Peter slapped, turns to Mike, what did I do wrong? Idk man but don’t do it again

EPISODE 12: I’ve got a little song here

0:00 - Peter and mike playing a board game

6:25 - looking at each other next to each other

15:34 - hey mike hey Peter hey mike what Peter my mum says….

19:14 - nishwash NESMITH

20:45 - close proximity, Peter mouthing nesmith

23:42 - where’s Peter, looks up in awe

EPISODE 13: One Man Shy

2:58 - picture frame talk

9:35 - Quick Look at each other

11:58 - arm on Pete’s shoulder, he looks up

15:23 - cmon Pete cheer up

15:36 - mike staring at him (didn’t u ever have a crush on anybody)

EPISODE 14: Dance Monkee Dance

4:00 - you didn’t sign anything I hope not

5:39 - bonks on the head

13:50 - a stoOne drag

23:14 - close proximity

23:38 - mike comes back to drag him out the door

EPISODE 15: Too Many Girls

4:41 - close proximity tea leaf reading LOOKS AT LIPS

19:06 - shakes hands behind seats

EPISODE 17: The Case of the Missing Monkee

00:18 - close proximity (ive never heard it put quite that way before)

3:30 - he’s got a little button nose :’)

15:40 - hey Pete how’s it going babe

16:12 - soft look (he’s having a relapse)

EPISODE 18: I was a Teenage Monster

7:45 - your home shotgun, not mine

12:52 - hey Pete you okay? Tooth ache

24:12 - mike grabs Peter when instruments explode

EPISODE 19: The Audition (Find the Monkees)

5:50 - close proximity (hiccups)

7:42 - close proximity (hayfever)

EPISODE 20: Monkees in the Ring

2:45 - just p cute together w Davy

3:11 - AWW the way mike looks back at him

17:20 - glance at each other

EPISODE 21: The Prince and the Pauper

4:40 - close proximity (there he is)

5:08 - look at each other

19:40 - helps Peter fight the guy

EPISODE 22: Monkees at the Circus

11:23 - mike the mozzarella brothers are coming

12:20 - tightrope walk through each other

EPISODE 23: Captain Crocodile

0:20 - Pete gives him a lil tap

3:08 - no Peter not that wire

9:29 - idk Peter just looks at mike in the background

11:37 - aw cmon Pete don’t cry

14:34 - Peter tries to punch mike and he pretends to be hit

EPISODE 24: Monkees A La Mode

5:24 - mike’s looking awfully longingly at Peter

EPISODE 25: Alias Micky Dolenz

14:15 - close proximity

16:26 - close proximity again

17:23 - close proximity again again

19:17 - close proximity again again again

EPISODE 26: Monkee Chow Mein

0:04 - everyone knows you’re not gonna take egg rolls home to a dog

1:26 - you’re gonna get sick… oh but I love fortune cookies

1:45 - MIIIIIKE

8:50 - close proximity

24:00 - close proximity agaaaaain

EPISODE 27: Monkee Mother

3:45 - pete’s lil smile at mike’s joke

12:20 - there’s no room in the refrigerator

18:02 - bisexual lighting I see you

21:25 - I see u staring mike

23:12 - their cute lil high fives someone sedate me

EPISODE 28: Monkees on the Line

7:30 - Pete rubbing his wrists

24:04 - Peter gives him a lil tap on the shoulder

EPISODE 29: Monkees get out more dirt

0:24 - what are you doing (buttons missing)

1:42 - close proximity

17:37 - close proximity

EPISODE 30 - Monkees in Manhattan

0:23 - MIKE ABSOLUTELY STARING

EPISODE 31 - Monkees at the Movies

9:48 - mike using Pete as camera

14:06 - down Peter

14:46 - beach date

18:48 - lil glance

EPISODE 33 - It’s a nice place to visit

4:14 - Peter just staring

11:41 - close proximity, lil look

16:32 - close proximity

19:11 - close proximity

EPISODE 34 - The Picture Frame

7:16 - you guessed it, close proximity

EPISODE 35 - Everywhere a Sheik, Sheik

15:26 - lil convo

EPISODE 36 - Monkee Mayor

1:27 - grabs Peter in fear

11:47 - grabs Peter again lol

17:16 - Peter dusts mike down

20:47 - lil glance at Pete

EPISODE 37 - Art, For Monkee’s sake

3:35 - Peter paints mike’s hat

9:42 - mike thats one of the thieves

11:00 - mike counting peter’s fingers

EPISODE 38 - I was a 99 Lb Weakling

5:55 - I wish mike were here

EPISODE 39 - Hillbilly Honeymoon

3:58 - car date

7:09 - close proximity, we’ll be back to get ya or we’ll die trying

16:50 - Peter laughing at mike’s joke

17:05 - damn Pete could u be any closer to him

18:45 - wrong accent!!!

21:05 - Peter staring

EPISODE 40 - Monkees Marooned

2:35 - buried treasure….

3:00 - you guys are always picking on mike… thanks Pete

4:59 - close proximity

5:30 - MICHAEL MICHAEL DID YOU HEAR THAT

8:49 - Peter crying, mike comforting

13:07 - close proximity

14:20 - thats not what defected means

14:51 - close proximity

16: 45 - mike closes peter’s mouth

24:11 - can’t get over Peter singing what am I doin hangin round while staring at mike

EPISODE 42 - Wild Monkees

5:01 - close proximity

5:53 - where did you get that water… the radiator

7:42 - very close proximity

13:06 - REEAH

16:20 - clooooose proximity

17:51 - still v close, hands on shoulder

18:18 - smeared smerched whAT.. well they hurt my feelings

EPISODE 43: A Coffin too frequent

6:10 - the dashing debonair mike nesmith

EPISODE 45 - The Monkees in Texas

0:02 - in the car next to each other

0:12 - two shot :))

EPISODE 46 - Monkees on the Wheel

5:16 - Peter’s hand on mike’s mouth

7:05 - Making capital M with fingers

8:55 - OO OO in face

19:28 - pete’s cute lil glances to mike

20:51 - love this frame

EPISODE 47 - The Christmas Show

0:28 - clooooose proximity discussing peter’s xmas prezzies

2:11 - mike calls for Peter lol

3:46 - close proximity discussing the kid whole scene

10:50 - Peter helps mike get up and dusts him off

12:36 - close proximity whole scene

16:29 - mike sitting on Peter

20:01 - I actually don’t know what Peter just did

20:30 - don’t cry…no I won’t.. both cry

21:00 - close proximity innit

EPISODE 48 - Fairy Tale

0:40 - you gotta stop thinking abt the princess man

14:25 - two shotttt

19:52 - idk whether to rlly include Gwen but here u go a anyway

EPISODE 50 - Monstrous Monkee Manor

5:14 - a lil bit of close proximity

6:53 - they look so good in this scene wtf, also Pete grabs arm

7:28 - I’d rather stay here where its safe with you Michael

23:28 - thats a nice watch where’d you get that… Michael

EPISODE 51 - The Monkees’ Paw

7:23 - lil look

10:56 - another lil look

12:22 - Peter pokes mike

13:43 - Peter scares mike

14:11 - cloooose proximity

14:24 - seems you two came together….

17:03 - lets hope so

17:45 - Ahhh stop it stop it

EPISODE 52 - The Devil and Peter Tork

3:06 - you can’t play the harp

7:04 - Peter wants his other 4 hours please thank you

10:40 - I remember reading in the news tomorrow is cancelled

17:14 - this whole scene makes me cry

19:25 - the power is inside of you - it was this scene that made me a torksmither icl I been waiting for this one

EPISODE 53 - Monkees Race Again

0:40 - close proximity

2:50 - close proximity

16:39 - somethings missing, yeah it’s a car

18:51 - yep thats right close proximity

EPISODE 55 - Monkees Mind Their Manor

0:51 - shaking their heads together

20:45 - hey mike… can I say something

EPISODE 56 - Some Like it Lukewarm

3:33 - Peter grabs mikes hand

EPISODE 58 - Mijacogeo - Frodis Caper

11:26 - close proximity

14:01 - coming back to get Peter

okay wow that's it. truth is i went into a temporary psychosis while making this. anything I haven't included was because I thought it wouldn't really do well in an edit or anything. and there are some episodes where there is nothing. been a monkees fan since 2015 ish when i was 10, i’m sure younger me would be proud this is what i’m dedicating my time to 10 years later. god i love consuming media.

keep torksmithing fellas

#the monkees #mike nesmith #peter tork #torksmith #davy jones #micky dolenz

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demigodsanswer · 1 month ago

Note

royal au: Percy and annabeth making their relationship public

I wrote this whole thing for the modern royals au, then realized you just said "royal au" so sorry if that's not what you meant.

This is really more of a "getting dad's approval" story than anything else lol.

modern royals au

Their relationship wasn't -- couldn't be -- a secret. Not after their first hookup had briefly made international news. But they'd been exclusive for three months now, and Percy was introducing her to work colleagues and friends as his girlfriend. It was probably about time they made their relationship officially public.

Annabeth had invited him on a ski trip in the Swiss Alps. It was going to be her extended family, a who's who of the Swedish government, and a bunch of her friends.

"My cousin Astrid is bringing her baby," Annabeth said with a smile.

"I'm always in for a week away with you, you don't need to make a sales pitch," Percy said. "I'm just not a super strong skier." He much, much preferred surfing.

"I do need to give you the sales pitch," Annabeth said, warning him. "My dad is going to be there. And he wants to talk to you and give his blessing before we make anything public."

Annabeth loved her father, Percy knew that. But she also usually just did whatever she wanted. If she wanted to make their relationship public without her dad's approval, she'd do it. He could tell by the sensitive, worried look in her eyes (he'd gotten to really appreciate these sensitive parts of her, not just the tough, scary, witty exterior) that getting her dad's approval was, unlucky for Percy, very important to her.

"Of course I'll go," Percy agreed. "I might just need some coaching."

"No you don't. Just be yourself," she insisted, resting her head on his shoulder. "He knows how much you mean to me. He just wants to make sure ... that you're ready."

"Ready for what?" Percy asked.

"Our future."

The ski lodge was warm and cleared out of anyone not on Fred Chase's invite list.

"There are so many tall, blonde people," Percy whispered.

"That's the family for you. Viking stock," Annabeth joked.

They grabbed drinks at the bar -- a white Russian for Annabeth (the idea of milk in a cocktail made Percy nauseous) and an old fashioned for him.

They said hi to a few people, Percy introduced himself, put on his charmer personality, and stuck close to Annabeth.

There was a blip of silence to the left of them, then a murmur of "your majesty" followed by a loud, "Oh! Stop stop stop stop stop!"

Percy instinctively took Annabeth's drink out of her hand, as she moved towards her dad. There were no bows or titles, just a big hug and some words exchanged in Swedish. Percy made a mental note to keep an eye on his Duo-Lingo streak while he was here.

Annabeth walked her father over to Percy, and she took her glass back so he could bow, do the correct greeting, even as Fred Chase begged him to stop, before finally shaking the King's hand.

"It's great you meet you my boy," Fred said with a smile. Percy was relieved. It was like Fred had forgotten about the window incident.

"You and Annabeth go sit, catch up. Can I get you a drink?" Percy offered.

"A Manhattan," Fred said, not specifying beyond that as he and his daughter walked towards some couches by wide windows that showed off pristine show-covered mountains.

"Can I get a Manhattan?" Percy asked the bartender.

"Whiskey preference?"

"Uh ..."

Percy was about to say "anything top shelf," when the woman next to him said: "Uncle Fred's not a fan of anything too fancy," and then she pointed to something on the lower shelf that Percy knew to still be a pretty fucking fancy bottle of whiskey.

"Are you saving my life right now?" Percy asked with a smile.

"Maybe so," she said. She looked a bit like Annabeth, but had a thicker Swedish accent and a baby in her arms.

"Are you Cousin Astrid?" Percy guessed.

"I am, and you must be Percy," she held out her free hand and Percy shook it. "This is Poppy."

She turned the baby towards him. She was as blonde as the rest of the room, with big blue eyes. Percy waved at her, and she extended a little baby hand. Percy let her cling to his finger.

"Lovely to meet you Miss. Poppy," he said. "Not a very traditional name," Percy said.

"My husband works in America. Her first name is Elsa really, after my mother but ..."

"Frozen?" Percy guessed.

"Frozen," Astrid confirmed.

"Forgive me, but you're not a first cousin, are you?" Percy asked. He was pretty sure Annabeth only had one living first cousin.

"No, no, I am her grandfather's brother's granddaughter." Percy tried to map the tree in his head. "Which makes me ... eighth in line for the throne," Astrid finished with a laugh.

"I'm seventh in line myself," Percy said. Astrid held up her drink, which looked like just soda water. He cheered her as the bar tender sat down the drink.

"Good luck with Annabeth's father," she said, before turning him back towards his girlfriend.

"Ah, thank you my boy," Fred said as Percy handed him the drink. "Oh, nice choice on the whiskey," The King said after a sip.

Annabeth offered Percy an approving smile.

"Sorry for the delay, I met your cousin, Astrid," Percy said.

Annabeth grabbed his knee. "Did she have Poppy with her?"

"Yeah, she's --" Percy pointed to Astrid.

"Sorry Percy, I need to see this baby," and with that Annabeth left him alone with the King of Sweden, who was also the single most important person in his girlfriend's life.

The King was on his own couch facing Percy with a coffee table between them. Percy felt like he was in a job interview, or on trial.

"So, Percy, what do you do?" The King asked him.

"I work for the MET, in the antiquity archives. I'm thinking about doing a Ph.D. Hopefully at Oxbridge if they'll have me," he explained.

Fred nodded. Percy was pretty sure it was approval. "Are you excited for the skiing this weekend?"

Percy tried to smile. "I think it'll be all bunny slopes for me. I never really took to it."

"See if you can get Annabeth to stick with you. She'll take off down a Black Diamond at the speed of sound with no concern for my nerves," Fred said.

"I'll do my best, but she doesn't have much concern for my nerves either. On our second date, I nearly lost her in the Paris catacombs because she kept wandering away from the guide."

Fred laughed. "That's my girl. I've always said, I can control Sweden or I can control Annabeth, but I cannot do both."

"You do mean everything to her, your majesty," Percy said.

"Oh please, Percy, call me Fred," The King said.

"I'm sorry sir, but I had my manners beat into my by nuns, I don't think I physically can," Percy said with a laugh.

"Are you Roman Catholic?" Fred asked.

Percy took a healthy sip of his drink. "Officially. I'm confirmed."

"Well, if you ever want to convert to Church of Sweden, we're a bit more open minded," Fred said.

Percy knew, of course, that he'd have to convert if he ever planned to marry Annabeth. She'd be head of that church one day. He had no real attachment to the Catholic faith, beyond an appreciation for the Virgin Mary and general artistic flair that non-Catholics seemed to pitifully lack.

There was a long pause in the conversation, and Fred's eyes seemed to drift past Percy. Percy turned to follow his gaze, and saw Annabeth holding Poppy, bounding her up and down on her hip as she spoke to Astrid.

"Can I be honest with you, young man?" Fred asked, shifting more to the edge of his seat to get closer to Percy, despite the table in between them.

"Of course sir," Percy said, shifting to match Fred's posture.

"If every single person in this room vanished right now, except for her," he pointed to his daughter, "it wouldn't matter to me. As long as I had her with me, I'd know everything would be okay."

Percy nodded, not exactly sure what to say. The King kept talking.

"Losing her mother was a grief I don't think either of us have ever recovered from."

The first time he'd ever seen Annabeth really cry, not just tear up at a movie or sad song the way she was prone to, was after she spent a day with Percy and his mother. It had gone so well, and she'd been so happy. Until they got back to his loft and she broke down crying, overwhelmed with grief that Percy couldn't understand but knew was real.

"If anything ever happened to her," The King said, "I don't know how I'd make it through that."

"Sir, I hope it goes without saying that I don't intend to --"

"No one ever plans to hurt Annabeth, but I've seen it before. She meets someone, falls fast, and then they can't stand up to what being her partner actually means, let alone what being a consort would mean," Fred said. "I don't expect you to marry her any time soon or ever. If you two part ways in the future, though, I want it to be because things simply aren't right in the relationship, not because you have put her in a position where she must chose between you and her birthright."

Percy sat up straighter, waiting for what he knew was coming next.

"I've met your mother. She was an exceptional woman. I considered it a great loss for the monarchies of Europe when she left you father." Percy took another long drink. King or not, if Fred insulted his mother, Percy wouldn't react well. "I don't blame her for walking away. It's not easy to be thrown into all of this. But if you are going to be with Annabeth, I need you to be ready for it."

"Sir," Percy said, scooting forward to the edge of the couch, "my family has tried to push me out of this in every way they can. I speak to my uncle once a year at most, and it almost always ends with him reminding me that he doesn't think I should be a legitimate part of the royal family." Fred looked sympathetic, apologetic even. "But I've managed to stick around in this world because I'm good at being in it. And I like being in it."

"But will you like it as much when she is the center of that world?" Fred asked.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. Annabeth was dazzling, but the Swedish queen would never exactly grab the same level of attention as a Kate Middleton.

"I've watched plenty of men struggle to cope with their wives getting all of the attention. Prince Phillip dealt with it. King Charles never coped well with Lady Diana. Even, and forgive me, your father could never deal with how much people loved your mother. From my perspective, that drove them apart more than anything."

That was news to Percy. All parties had always led him to believe his mother simply left, gave up on the monarchy and married a school teacher instead.

"I won't watch the same thing happen to my daughter," Fred said.

"If I'm lucky enough to marry your daughter," which he didn't know he would, they'd only been going out for three months, "that won't happen to her," Percy promised anyway.

"Are you sure? Could you give up your job, your career, your own attention to do what ever she needs, whenever she needs it?" Fred asked.

Percy nodded. "Can I be honest with you, sir?" Percy set his drink down as Fred nodded back. "I like my job just fine. I love New York. But --" Percy glanced back to where Annabeth was still cooing at the baby, "all I really want is to be a dad. And if my future is just raising your daughter's kids while shines on an international stage, that will be enough."

Percy could have fooled himself into thinking he'd rehearsed that little speech. He meant every word, but ...three months. That was a short amount of time to make a promise like that. But it seemed to work for Fred, who was smiling and nodding without anything else left to say. Percy picked up his drink and tried not to look triumphant. But he sure had the sprezzatura someone like him needed to survive in this world.

"There's something else you need to know," Fred said. "I won't be King forever."

"Nonsense sir, Annabeth assures me you're going to live forever," Fred smiled, "and she threatened to have me drawn and quartered if I ever suggested otherwise."

"Well, immortal as I may be, I don't plan to still be king at ninety-five." Fred leaned in closer to him. "When Annabeth has had her children, and lived her life a little more, when she feels she's ready, I'm going to abdicate. She knows this. The moment she says she's ready, I'll be stepping down."

Percy turned back to look at his girlfriend, and when he turned back to Fred, Percy found that his eyes were on his daughter too.

"I don't want her partner thinking they have decades and decades to mess around. Within the next fifteen years --" Fred gestured towards his daughter, drink still in hand, "-- that woman will be queen."

Percy stared at Annabeth, and he knew it was true. She wasn't paying attention to him, just mingling with her family like it was any other reunion. For all the privileged and wealth it provided, Percy didn't fundamentally believe in birth right monarchy. He wasn't sure he believed in God, and he certainly didn't think God picked out any of these people to lead any random patch of land in Europe. But Annabeth did seem uniquely born for it.

Annabeth caught Percy looking at her, and excused herself from the conversation she was having. She rejoined them then, Poppy still in her arms. She sat back down. "Sorry about that, I made a new friend." Annabeth picked up Poppy's chubby little arm and waved it at her dad, and then at Percy. "What are you talking about?"

"The slopes," her father said.

"They're so great here, Percy," Annabeth said. "There's a black diamond that --"

"--and how I'm sticking to the bunny slopes," Percy added. "I'd like to not break my neck this week."

Poppy reached out for Percy, and Annabeth handed her over as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Percy guessed he'd made a friend in Poppy too. It wasn't surprising. Babies tended to like him. He felt Poppy rest her head against his shoulder, and he rubbed her back and rocked her gently.

"You won't break your neck. No one ever gets seriously hurt skiing," Annabeth said, like a liar.

"Didn't King Charles once nearly die in a skiing accident?" Percy asked Fred.

"You know what, he did," Fred confirmed.

Annabeth looked back and forth between them, assessing them as a pair of traitors.

"Well, I'll be extra careful," she promised, picking up her previously abandoned drink.

"I'd really feel better if you stuck with Percy," Fred said.

"The buddy system," Percy said. "Anyway, I need you to keep me safe. I'm going to be hopeless up on that mountain."

"I haven't been down a bunny slope since I was nine," Annabeth said.

"It will be fun!" Percy promised.

Annabeth looked at him, and then her father. "Fine, I'll take it easy," she agreed. Fred looked shocked. "Poppy is asleep," Annabeth said. Her little head was resting on Percy's shoulder. Annabeth brushed some of her curls back gently, but the baby didn't stir. For a moment, Percy could imagine their future, their little blonde baby girl. Three months, he reminded himself, you're literally meeting her father for the first time. No babies yet. "I'll find Astrid," Annabeth said, standing and leaving them alone again.

"Take it easy?" Fred said, amazed. "I have never, not once in my life, heard Annabeth even suggest she will 'take it easy.'"

"Maybe we just need to team up more," Percy suggested. "But lets see what she actually does tomorrow. No guarantees she sticks to her word."

"It's progress nonetheless," Fred said as Astrid stepped in to scoop up Poppy. Percy missed her already.

"If you need a baby sitter this week," Percy said, "I'm looking for any reason to get out of skiing."

"I'll keep you in mind," Astrid promised.

Annabeth sat down next to him.

"I'll leave you two alone," Fred said. "I have to make a call to my press team about our statement of support."

"Support for what?" Annabeth asked. She was playing dumb, Percy could tell.

"Your relationship announcement. Have you posted it yet?" Fred asked.

"I'll email Ines right now," Annabeth said with a wide smile. Ines managed her public, official social media. They'd had a perfectly tailored post ready to go for weeks.

When her father left their ear shot, Annabeth squeezed Percy in a tight hug from the side.

"You were perfect!" She said. "And I can't believe Poppy even fell asleep on you, oh my god, that was too cute!"

"Will you really go down the bunny slopes with me tomorrow?" Percy asked, putting an arm over her shoulder.

"Maybe just once or twice, until you get your ski legs," Annabeth said.

"Next vacation, we're going to Tahiti, and I'm teaching you to surf," Percy said.

"Oh a black diamond is too dangerous, but you're going to dress me up like a seal and put me in shark-infested waters?" She asked.

"They aren't shark infested, the sharks live there," Percy pointed out.

"Breaking and entering into the poor sharks' home?" Annabeth said, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

"I thought you had some experience breaking and entering," Percy said. Annabeth looked at him confused. "You remember, you broke in, ate some porridge, slept in their beds --"

"Oh fuck off," she said with a shove. "I'm adding Goldie-lock's jokes to the no-jokes list."

The list in question was: no dead dad jokes, no dead mom jokes, no muppet jokes, and now, no Goldie-locks jokes.

"Fine, fine, just ... never abandon me with your father again," Percy said. "I swear I think he's planning our wedding already, the way he was talking."

"Was it too much? I know he can be protective," she asked, a look of genuine worry on her face.

"No, it was fine, just ... I hope I can live up to expectations," Percy said.

Annabeth took his hand in hers. "He just wants me to be happy. And to not die in a tragic skiing accident."

"I'm adding jokes about you dying to our list, by the way," Percy cut in.

"Deal. But, if the expectation is me being happy then, you do meet it, Percy. I promise."

He lifted her hand and kissed it gently. "You make me happy too," he promised. "How many kids do you want?" He asked, pivoting quickly. Annabeth followed him without stumbling in the conversation.

"Four," she said, sure of her answer. "A girl. Sofia. Then, two years later, another girl. Ingrid. Then a boy three, maybe four years later. Frederick, obviously. And then another girl. You can name her."

Percy smiled. "Do I only get to name her if I'm the dad, or will you call me up in ten years to name her even if we break up?"

Annabeth's face was bright red. "Their father. Their father gets to name the fourth baby," she said, her face in her hands.

"Penelope," Percy said. "I always liked that name."

Her blush faded a bit. "I like it," she agreed. "And you always have been more of an Odyssey boy."

#modern royals au #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #love that i cut annabeth's step mom and berryl grace from this universe #but paul bolfis is still very much a part of sally's life #My writing

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newyorkthegoldenage · 3 months ago

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Before leaving for England, members of the Royal Australian Air Force visited the observation roof of the RCA Building, Rockefeller Center, November 11, 1941, from which vantage point they got a look at the Manhattan skyscrapers.

Photo: Associated Press

#vintage New York #1940s #aerial view #Veterans Day #Royal Australian Air Force #Nov. 11 #11 Nov.#RCA Building #World War II #1940s New York

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austinslounge · 4 months ago

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The KRAZY Kaustin Relationship 🤡 Circus (2024 Timeline)

(Hey everyone! 👋 Since I was starting to get mixed up and confused with all of the dates and drama going on in this ghetto situationship, I figured I would create a timeline so we can track this craziness. It might also help make clearer some of the things going on in this clown-show 🤡 of a "relationship" lol. 😂 **PLEASE feel free to let me know if there are any relevant things missing that you feel that I should definitely add to this year's timeline. I will continue to update as time goes on.)

2024:

December 2023/Jan 2024 - Austin went to Cabo with Kaia and her family for their annual Christmas Holiday and New Year's vacation. Link 1 Link 2

January 5, 2024 - Kaia posts a cringey Instagram story where she's crying because Ayo wins the Golden Globe that night, and some shippers swear that it was Austin filming her.

But Callum and Austin both state (twice, in two different interviews for MOTA press) that they were watching the Golden Globes together, "just the two of them", at Austin's "pad", and one article even mentions that "no girlfriends" were around. Link

January 10, 2024 - Life & Style posts an article stating that Cindy Crawford "doesn't want Kaia to wait for a commitment from Austin Butler". This seems to be one of the first few times the couple has ever received any type of negative press about their relationship. Link

Austin has the MOTA premiere in LA. The L&S article came out on the same exact day as his MOTA red carpet premiere.

March 13, 2024 - Austin and Kaia are spotted at the gym in LA looking just as bland together (as always). Link These pictures were taken the day right before Kaia's "Palm Royale" red carpet premiere night on March 14th. Link

Presley posts a picture of him with Austin at the Palm Royale premiere.

FOR MORE: CLICK BELOW! 😁👇

May 25, 2024 - Kaustin did a NYC Pap Stroll where they both look miserable. Link 1 Link 2

May 26, 2024 - Austin kicks off "The Bikeriders" press tour with Jodie at the Indy500 race. Fans immediately notice that he looks way happier with Jodie than he looked with his gf Kaia just a day ago in NYC. Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

May 27, 2024 - People.com posts an exclusive from a source that claims that Austin and Kaia are "still happy and in love". Many fans strongly suspect that this was a message put out from Kaia's team because they both looked so miserable in NYC, and perhaps the media reached out to ask what is going on, or perhaps her team herself reached out to People.com to put out this fluff article. Link

May 31, 2024 - Life & Style posts an exclusive story from a source that claims that Austin and Kaia "have nothing in common and they know it". Link

June 4, 2024 - Fans noticed that Austin liked a post on Instagram (Posted on May 24th) about girls "with two A's in her name". The post was tagged #toxicrelationships Link 1 Link 2

June 9, 2024 - DeuxMoi posts on her "Sunday Spotted" a message from a sender that says they supposedly saw Austin, Kaia, Camila Morrone, and her boyfriend Cole in the Cayman Islands together. The sighting seems strange (and fake) since Austin has been on a Bikeriders Press Tour the whole entire time. Link

August 3, 2024 - Kaia is in Montana for a Gerber Family Wedding (Cousin). Austin was not in attendance.

August 8th or 9th, 2024 - Austin is spotted arriving at JFK Airport wearing a Library Sciences shirt from Kaia's book club merchandise. Link 1 Link 2

August 16, 2024 - Presley Unfollows Austin (AGAIN) lol

August 17, 2024 - Austin's Birthday Pap Stroll. Link 1 Link 2

August 18, 2024 - Pictures of Austin hanging with Dylan O'brien at the Joyface bar/club in NYC surface on DeuxMoi "Sunday Spotted". It was stated that there was "No Kaia". Link 1 Link 2

August 21, 2024 - Austin spotted with Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz in NYC Manhattan at the "Blink Twice" after party. The difference between how happy and lively he looks with them, vs how lackluster and bored he looked just the night prior while out with Kaia is not lost on fans.

Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

August 27, 2024 - Austin spotted in Muskoka with Kaia and the Gerbers Link 1 Link 2

On this same day, Kaia posts the "Dear Dickhead" post to her Instagram while on vacation in Muskoka. Link

September 4, 2024 - Kaia's birthday at Disneyland. Actress Ayo Edibiri and Presley's gf were also in attendance, but Austin was not present. Link

Presley posts a birthday tribute to his sister Kaia on Instagram, and in it, he posts a picture of Austin with them at a Halloween event last year. Link

September 9, 2024 - Austin begins filming "Caught Stealing" in NYC around this time.

September 10, 2024 - Kaia and SNL movie co-star Corey Michael Smith do an interview on the red carpet that raises a few eyebrows. She appears to be flirting with him. Link 1 Link 2

September 15, 2024 - DeuxMoi's "Sunday Spotted" post mentions Kaia and Marcello were spotted at The Odeon restaurant in NYC, and were "all over each other". They were supposedly "ignoring everyone else at their table", and one point went downstairs together for 20 minutes.

Interestingly enough, DeuxMoi also posted that a fan saw Austin at iSodi restaurant inside, and that Kaia was walking in the general vicinity, but weren't together.

■

September 16, 2024 - Kaia and Marcello appear to be at a friend's party at Victoria Bar (NYC) getting kind of close for a woman who's supposedly in a relationship with another man. Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

September 19, 2024 - Marcello untagged himself from the photos with Kaia at the party in NYC.

September 20, 2024 - Life & Style posts that Austin is "outgrowing" his relationship with Kaia, and that Kaia is "trying to stay interesting" in order to keep him interested. Link

September 21, 2024 - Kaia is in LA celebrating her best friend Travis' birthday. Link 1 Link 2

Austin attends the "Dune: Part 2" FYC event in NYC with Timothee, Zendaya and Denis. Link 1 Link 2

September 29, 2024 - DeuxMoi posts portions of her podcast that deal with Austin and Kaia, and she swears that Austin and Kaia are still together. She also posts (for the first time) a supposed Kaustin "sighting" that said that Austin and Kaia were spotted together getting coffee on the weekend (14th) and that they looked "happy" and "in love". She never posted this sighting until now. Link

On DM's Sunday Spotted, someone reported that they saw Austin and Kaia at iSodi restaurant in NYC. Link

October 1, 2024 - Kaia is spotted out at a play in NYC with Camila Morrone's boyfriend, Cole Bennett. Link 1 Link 2

The Daily Mail posts the outing with Kaia and Cole to their website. Link

Marie Claire also posts about the outing, and even claims that Austin and Kaia have broken up. Link

Earlier this day, DeuxMoi posted a supposed sighting from one of her followers that said that they "worked with Kaia during TIFF" and saw that she was FaceTiming Austin at one point, and that they were "incredibly loving" and "happy" over the phone.

That evening (Oct 1st), Kaia is spotted with Cole Bennet (Camila's bf) going to a play in NYC, and the outing looked like a date, so much so that Marie Claire and The Daily Mail were even speculating about Austin and Kaia breakup rumors lol. 😅

October 2, 2024 - Kaia is featured in Time100's issue.

Page Six puts out an article showing Kaia out to dinner with Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth the night before, and claiming that Austin and Kaia are still together, and that there is "no trouble in paradise". Some feel that this is only damage control since it seems very odd to many that Kaia has been spotted in pictures (paps and citizen photos) all over NYC with everyone but her boyfriend. 👀 Link

The article goes on to mention that Austin was supposed to join them for dinner that night, but he got tied up with work and couldn't make the dinner. Some feel that's really strange, especially when signs stated that "Caught Stealing" was having a night shoot on October 1st, so why would he have committed to having dinner if he knew he was going to be filming that evening? 🤔

October 3, 2024 - The Daily Mail posts pictures of Austin and Zoe kissing on set for "Caught Stealing", and makes sure to let everyone know that they are just acting, and that both are in "serious, real-life relationships". 🤣😅😂 As if we the reader is dumb and didn't know that lol. 🙄Link

October 5, 2024 - Austin and Kaia attend Kaia's friend, Gracie Abram's concert in NYC together (looking miserable as usual). Link

This was their first public outing where they're papped together since the whole Marcello thing and breakup rumors. Some fans and people on the general public aren't buying it anymore though. Link

October 11, 2024 - Life & Style yet again puts out another article stating that Austin and Kaia's relationship has been having issues "for weeks", and that Cindy thinks that Kaia needs to try "harder" to "keep Austin interested", and even suggests that the couple should go to "couples therapy" together. Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

The article also hinted that Austin's career is what is most prioritized and on his mind, and that Cindy is a little upset that Kaia has been acting flirty with other guys instead of working hard to keep Austin interested in her.

October 13, 2024 - Kaia follows actor Nicholas Chavez on Instagram. Link

October 16, 2024 - The Daily Mail posts an article stating that the Gerbers are giving Austin a "fierce warning" and want him to commit to their daughter Kaia with an engagement 💍 Link

Austin starts following The Daily Mail. 👀

October 21, 2024 - Actor Nicholas Chavez follows Kaia back on Instagram. 👀 Fans notice that he liked a bunch of Kaia's pics -- even posts from 2017. 😏 Link 1 Link 2

November 2, 2024 - Kaia attends the LACMA Hollywood event in LA, and is overheard in a video talking to fellow actress Laura Dern about a "breakup" and how it came as a surprise to her. 👀 Link

November 22, 2024 - A woman/fan wearing a DeuxMoi merch sweatshirt supposedly sat next to Austin on a flight from NYC to Mexico, and they supposedly had a very long, 4-hour conversation about yoga, life, relationships, and the fan confirmed that Austin and Kaia are still together in the DM group chat. Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4

November 24, 2024 - In DeuxMoi's Sunday Spotted, Kaia was spotted with Marcello (again) and Jake Shane at an Italian restaurant (Jone's Hollywood) in LA 👀

December 4, 2024 - Austin (now shaved bald) is spotted in Tulum, Mexico with his "Caught Stealing" Director, Darren Aronofsky, at the Xieltun Park on a retreat and underground river tour. Link

The Instagram account for Xieltun stated that the pictures were taken that day. Link

Meanwhile, Kaia posted a photo of her dinner table with some man with "toe thumbs" (lol 🤭) at a restaurant in LA. Link

December 7, 2024 - Today, fans noticed that apparently, one of Kaia's best friends, Charlotte Lawrence, has unfollowed Austin. No one is sure exactly when she unfollowed him. It was just noticed on this date that she is no longer following Austin. 👀 Link 1 Link 2

December 12, 2024 - Kaia is pictured sitting on her "guy pal's" lap while being photographed with Santa at the after-party for the Babygirl premiere in LA, leading many fans online wondering whether or not Austin and Kaia are even still together. 👀 The guy friend was ID'd as Charlie Walker. Link

#the kaustin circus #2024 timeline #the timeline will be updated as new things appear #feel free to let me know if you feel that something needs to be added #the Kaustin Karnival

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firstpersonnarrator · 4 months ago

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When TUA Was Still a Fetus

From Rob’s interview with Collider about The Umbrella Academy (X)

The last time we spoke, for Bad Samaritan, you were in the middle of shooting The Umbrella Academy TV series for Netflix. Have you finished shooting the show?

SHEEHAN: Yeah.

Having only had one script when you signed on, how did it ultimately turn out compared to what you thought it might be?

SHEEHAN: They really leaned into the unusual. It’s very untethered creativity. There’s nowhere that the show won’t dare to go.

It’s just so incredibly left field. That’s what’s so wonderful about it. It has an essential kookiness. It’s a really strange combination of stuff. It’s hard to know what the world will say or think. Ultimately, I don’t care what they say, either way, because I really, really love it, but it’d be nice if they loved it. I’m just more curious than anything else. It takes a lot of really quite left field sci-fi ingredients, and splotches them together. I’ve seen the first four episodes, and they live this Upper West Side of Manhattan, luxuriant but very neglected upbringing. The Royal Tenenbaums springs to mind. They are these messed up adults, who are still emotionally stunted by their childhoods, and they just all happen to be very super, with super abilities. It’s very interesting. It’s like a traumatized X-Men.

Is that more in line with your own personal taste? If you were going to do a comic book project, was it important to you that it was just a bit off-center?

SHEEHAN: I like stuff that’s more story driven. The storylines are just really incredibly unique, but are always story driven. It has a lot of the same writers as Fargo, and Fargo was all about the moving pieces on the chess board. You just never know what’s gonna happen, from one scene to the next, and Umbrella has that quality, too. It’s completely mad, and they completely embrace the madness. They don’t hold back, and that’s what excited me so much about it.

#robert sheehan #the umbrella academy #tua #klaus hargreeves #umbrella academy #tua s1 #collider #rozza inna interview

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amphibious-thing · 1 year ago

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Pink is for Boys

"Pink or Blue? Which is intended for boys and which for girls? This question comes from one of our readers this month, and the discussion may be of interest to others. There has been a great diversity of opinion on this subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." ~ The Infants' Department, June 1918

[Left: The Blue Boy, oil on canvas, c. 1770, by Thomas Gainsborough.

Right: The Pink Boy, oil on canvas, c. 1782, by Thomas Gainsborough.]

Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. But it hasn't always been this way. Colour coding infants as a way of denoting gender was popular in 20th century America. The problem? Pink and blue? Which is for boys and which is for girls?

In 1927 TIME Magazine asked ten of the "leading stores that sell baby equipment" which colour was for which gender. Four stores responded pink for girls and blue for boys; Macy's (Manhattan), Franklin Simon (Manhattan), Wanamaker's (Philadelphia) and Bullock's (Los Angeles). Five stores responded pink for boys and blue for girls; Best's (Manhattan), Marshall Field's (Chicago), Filene's (Boston), Maison Blanche (New Orleans) and The White House (San Francisco). Curiously Halle's (Cleveland) responded that pink was for both boys and girls.

This debate would continue and it wasn't until mid-20th century that pink for girls and blue for boys became firmly cemented in western culture.

However the idea of colour coding infants dates back to the 19th century. According to La cour de Hollande sous le règne de Louis Bonaparte in 1808 in Holland pink was used to announce the birth of a girl and blue a boy. In March 1856 Peterson's Magazine (Philadelphia, USA) advises that the ribbon on a christening cap should be blue for a boy and pink for a girl. On the 23rd of July 1893 the New York Times writes that for baby clothes it's "pink for a boy and blue for a girl!"

[The Oddie Children, oil on canvas, c. 1789, by William Beechey, via North Carolina Museum of Art.]

During the latter half of the 18th century one of the most popular outfits for young children, regardless of gender, was a white dress with a coloured sash tied around the waist. Pink and blue being the most popular colours, although other colours were worn as well. It would be tempting to assume that the colour of the sash indicated gender but there isn't clear evidence that this was the case. The Oddie Children (above) depicts Sarah, Henry, Catherine, and Jane Oddie. The three girls are all wearing white dresses; two with a blue sash one with a pink sash. We also see Henry Russell (bellow left) wearing a blue sash and Prince William (bellow right) wearing a pink sash.

[Left: Anne Barbara Russell née Whitworth with her son Sir Henry Russell, oil on canvas, c. 1786, by George Romney, via Woolley & Wallis.

Right: Prince William, oil on canvas, c. 1767, by Allan Ramsay, via the Royal Collection Trust.]

Pink was just one of the many colours popular in 18th century English womenswear and seems to have stayed popular throughout the century. On the 3rd of January 1712 The Spectator published an article in which a man recalls seeing "a little Cluster of Women sitting together in the prettiest coloured Hoods that I ever saw. One of them was Blew, another Yellow, and another Philomot; the fourth was of a Pink Colour, and the fifth of a pale Green". On the 1st of May 1736 the Read's Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer reports that the ladies attending the royal wedding wore gowns of "Gold stuffs, or rich Silks with Gold or Silver Flowers, or Pink or White Silks, with either Gold or Silver Netts or Trimmings;" shoes either "Pink, White or Green Silk, with Gold or Silver Lace and braid all over." On the 24th of May 1785 Charles Storer writes to Abigail Adams advising that fashionable colours in English court dress are "pink, lilac, and blue" such "as is worn at Versailles".

[Left: Frances, Daughter of Evelyn Pierpont, 1st Duke of Kingston, oil on canvas, c. 1700-23, by Godfrey Kneller, via Art UK.

Middle: Mrs. Abington as Miss Prue in "Love for Love" by William Congreve, oil on canvas, c. 1771, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, via Yale Center for British Art.

Right: Mary Little, later Lady Carr, oil on canvas, c. 1765, by Thomas Gainsborough, via Yale Center for British Art.]

In particular pink was popular amongst young women as the colour was associated with youth. Older women who wore pink were mocked as vain for dressing in a way that was seen as improper for their age. On the 31st of January 1754 Lady Jane Coke writes to Mrs. Eyre criticising old women who wear pink:

As for fashions in dress, which you sometimes inquire after, they are too various to describe. One thing is new, which is, there is not such a thing as a decent old woman left, everybody curls their hair, shews their neck, and wears pink, but your humble servant. People who have covered their heads for forty years now leave off their caps and think it becomes them, in short we try to out-do our patterns, the French, in every ridiculous vanity.

[Folly Embellishing Old Age With the Adornments of Youth, oil on canvas, c. 1743, by Charles-Antoine Coypel, via Master Art.]

For Englishmen acceptable clothing way much more limited. In A Foreign View of England in the Reigns of George I & George II Monsieur César de Saussure writes that Englishmen "do not trouble themselves about dress, but leave that to their womenfolk". He explains:

Englishmen are usually very plainly dressed, they scarcely ever wear gold on their clothes; they wear little coats called "frocks," without facings and without pleats, with a short cape above. Almost all wear small, round wigs, plain hats, and carry canes in their hands, but no swords. Their cloth and linen are of the best and finest. You will see rich merchants and gentlemen thus dressed, and sometimes even noblemen of high rank, especially in the morning, walking through the filthy and muddy streets.

César de Saussure warns that "a well-dressed person in the streets, especially if he is wearing a braided coat, a plume in his hat, or his hair tied in a bow, he will, without doubt, be called "French dog" twenty times perhaps before he reaches his destination" and is not only at risk of "being jeered at" but also "being bespattered with mud, but as likely as not dead dogs and cats will be thrown at him."

[Reverend Charles Everard Booth, Captain Griffith Booth, and an Unidentified Man playing Billiards, oil on canvas, c. 1775-9, by John Hamilton Mortimer, via the Royal Collection Trust.]

For Englishmen dressing "plainly" mostly meant wearing blacks and browns. In his book on macaroni, Pretty Gentleman, Peter McNeil found that in contrast most English menswear that he describes as generally consisting of "monochrome broadcloth" macaroni wore a variety of colours including green, orange, yellow, violet, red, white, blue, gold, silver and of course pink.

But it's not just the macaroni of the 1770s & 1780s that wore pink. We see pink in descriptions of feminine men's dress (both real and fictional) throughout the 18th century.

On the 2nd of June 1722 Sarah Osborn writes to Robert Byng:

I believe the gentlemen will wear petticoats very soon, for many of their coats were like our mantuas. Lord Essex had a silver tissue coat, and pink color lutestring waistcoat, and several had pink color and pale blue paduasoy coats, which looked prodigiously effeminate.

On the 18th of October 1729 the Universal Spectator and Weekly Journal published a story where an "effeminate" man's clothes were described as follows:

He had a flower'd pink-colour Silk Coat, with a Green-Sattin Waistcoat lac'd with Silver. Velvet Breeches, Clock'd Stockings the Colour of his Coat, Red-heel'd Pumps, a Blue Ribbon at the Collar of his Shirt, and his Sword-Hilt he embrac'd under the Elbow of his Left Arm,

[Sir Miles Stapylton, 4th Bt of Myton, oil on canvas, c. 1730-35, via Art UK.]

In The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) the effeminate (and queer coded) Captain Whiffle is described as follows:

our new commander came on board in a ten-oared barge, overshadowed with a vast umbrella, and appeared in everything the reverse of Oakum, being a tall, thin young man, dressed in this manner: a white hat, garnished with a red feather, adorned his head, from whence his hair flowed upon his shoulders, in ringlets tied behind with a ribbon. His coat, consisting of pink-coloured silk, lined with white, by the elegance of the cut retired backward, as it were, to discover a white satin waistcoat embroidered with gold, unbuttoned at the upper part to display a brooch set with garnets, that glittered in the breast of his shirt, which was of the finest cambric, edged with right Mechlin: the knees of his crimson velvet breeches scarce descended so low as to meet his silk stockings, which rose without spot or wrinkle on his meagre legs, from shoes of blue Meroquin, studded with diamond buckles that flamed forth rivals to the sun! A steel-hilted sword, inlaid with gold, and decked with a knot of ribbon which fell down in a rich tassel, equipped his side; and an amber-headed cane hung dangling from his wrist. But the most remarkable parts of his furniture were, a mask on his face, and white gloves on his hands, which did not seem to be put on with an intention to be pulled off occasionally, but were fixed with a curious ring on the little finger of each hand.

[Henry Ingram, 7th Viscount Irwin and His Wife Anne, oil on canvas, c. 1745, by Philippe Mercier, via Art UK.]

On the 28th of July 1780 the London Courant reports:

A few days ago, a Macaroni made his appearance in the Assembly-room at Whitehaven, in the Following dress: a mixed silk coat, pink sattin waistcoat and breeches, covered with an elegant silver nett, white silk stockings with pink clocks, pink sattin shoes and large pearl buckles, a mushroom coloured stock, covered with a fine point lace; his hair dressed remarkably high, and stuck full of pearl pins.

On the 6th of August 1792 The Weekly Entertainer published Sketches and Portraits form the Life by Simon Tueopnrastus which included the following description:

Mercator was a youth of some genius and expectation, but by a strange perverseness of disposition, notwithstanding the extreme natural stiffness of his limbs, he had acquired an early attachment to the most finical and effeminate finery; so that, while yet a boy, he would exhaust every expedient of a fertile invention to procure a laced waistcoat, or the most foppish toy; would dangle a watch-string, with brass seals, from each fob, at a time when the frugal care of his parents would not permit him to wear a watch in either; and would strut in a fine pair of second-hand pink silk breeches, and a light blue coat, with all the formal dignity of—a soldier upon the parade.

[Left: Thomas King in "The Clandestine Marriage", oil on canvas, c. 1792, by Samuel De Wilde, via Yale Center for British Art.

Right: Edward Payne, oil on canvas, by Arthur Devis, via Art UK.]

While pink is mentioned in these descriptions of feminine men's dress it's not singled out as the girl colour the way pink would become in the 20th century. I would argue pink is seen as effeminate not because pink is a uniquely feminine colour but because it was used in fashionable dress. In 18th century England being interested in fashion was seen as an frivolous female trait. Men who showed too much interest in fashion were mocked and ridiculed for their gender nonconformity. "A Man must sink below the Dignity of his Nature, before he can suffer his Thoughts to be taken up on so trivial an Affair, as the Chosing, Suiting, and Adjusting the Adornments of his Person," complains a letter published on the 8th of May 1731 in Read's Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer:

Decency of Garb ought inviolably to be preserved; nor can there be possibly an Excuse for Dressing like a Merry-Andrew: Rich and coloured Silks are in themselves effeminate, and unbecoming a Man; as are, in short, all Things that discover Dress to have been his Study 'Tis in vain for a Fop of Quality, to think his Title will protect him.

[Left: Madame de Pompadour (detail), oil on canvas, c. 1756, by François Boucher, via Alte Pinakothek.

Right: Elizabeth Wrottesley, later Duchess of Grafton, oil on canvas, c. 1764-5, by Thomas Gainsborough, via National Gallery of Victoria.]

English fashion was highly influenced by French fashion. A popular colour scheme in French fashion was green and pink. A famous example of this colour pairing can be seen in François Boucher's portrait of Madame de Pompadour (above left), she is depicted in a green gown with pink bows and flowers. You can see and example of how this style inspired English fashion in Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Elizabeth Wrottesley (above right), who is depicted in a green gown with a floral pattern adorned with pink, white and green striped bows.

[Left: Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh, oil on canvas, c. 1776, by Pompeo Batoni, via Wikimedia.

Right: Francis Lind, oil on canvas, c. 1775, by George Romney, via Mackinnon Fine Art.]

Fashionable Englishmen were also inspired by these French designs. Horace Walpole refers to the popularity of the colour combination writing to Lady Ossory on the 19th of February 1774 "If I went to Almack's and decked out my wrinkles in pink and green like Lord Harrington, I might still be in vogue". Almack's is referring to Almack's Assembly Rooms on Pall Mall which is believed to be the inspiration for the Macaroni Club. (see Pretty Gentleman by Petter McNeil p52-55) In a letter to Lord Harcourt on the 27th of July 1773 Walpole writes of "Macaronis lolling out of windows at Almack's like carpets to be dusted."

[Left: Detail of Stephen Fox from The Hervey Conversation Piece, oil on canvas, c. 1738-40, by William Hogarth, via Fairfax House.

Middle: Sir William Jones, oil on canvas, c. 1769, by Francis Cotes, via Art UK.

Right: Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on canvas, by George Romney.]

Men who wore green seem to have been just as much, if not more, at risk of being ridiculed, or even assaulted, for the colour of their clothes as those who wore pink. In Pierre Jean Grosley's A Tour to London (originally published 1772) he recalls traveling with a young English surgeon who was harassed by Londoners due to his green French frock coat:

At the first visit which he paid me in London, he informed me, that, a few days after his arrival, happening to take a walk thro' the fields on the Surry side of the Thames, dressed in a little green frock, which he had brought from Paris, he was attacked by three of those gentlemen of the mobility, who, taking him for a Frenchman, not only abused him with the foulest language, but gave him two or three slaps on the face: "Luckily, added he in French, I did not return their ill language; for, if I had, they would certainly have thrown me into the Thames, as they assured me they would, as soon as they perceived I was an Englishman, if I ever happened to come in their way again, in my Paris dress."

#fashion history #god I spent so long sifting through primary sources for mentions of pink

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