#this is done after a drawing u found in pinterest long ago

[violecov]

Manwë Sulimo, Lord of the winds. (baby).

Edit: The original drawing has been found and I have been sent the link!! Here you guys have.

[marichat-verse]

Mist Memories

Leo Valdez x reader for his birthday ahhhh (even though it's angsty) with a platonic/developing jason x reader cameo at the end (lmao im sorry i couldn't help myself 😭)

Based on this picture I found in pinterest + also [kinda] based on traitor by olivia rodrigo and omg i really recommend u guys listen to this edit because it reminds me so much of this fic that's been stuck in my head for MONTHS also kind of a run away with me prologue lol

Your POV

I nervously made my way across the forest until I reached a limestone cliff. I knocked on the iron door, not really expecting to get an answer.

My boyfriend has been shutting himself in Bunker 9 for the past few weeks. I stood there counting up to seven before knocking again. I knocked again two more times, until he answered in the middle of my last knock.

He removed his goggles and winced as sunlight hit his eyes. He'd grown thinner and paler, making the dark circles in his eyes more pronounced.

"Oh, Leo..." I reached out to brush a few strands of hair away from his face, but he moved away.

"What are you doing here?" He said in a monotone voice.

I moved to walk inside the Bunker, brushing off his hesitation to let me in. "I'm your partner, remember? And I'm really concerned because you're shutting yourself out lately. You know everyone's starting to worry about you. Percy asked me to check on you because you missed pegasus riding with him. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Jason's coming back from Camp Jupiter soon. I was hoping you and Annabeth could be with Piper while Percy and I hung out with Jason because it's been a little awkward since their breakup. Plus Piper wanted to tell you something—"

"Please," he said forcefully causing me to stop and look at him. "Just... Get out."

Normally, he'd shut himself from the world for a few days to work on an important project or because he was feeling really sad and he needed space. But this was getting out of hand. He had never locked me out of his life when I offered to help him. He was never this mean when he asked for space. I was not having this attitude of his.

"Okay, Leo. I tried to play nice. What is so important that you blow off all your friends for nearly a month that you can't even tell your partner, or maybe say hi to your best friend who's coming back from the other side of the country?"

He didn't say anything. He pursed his lips and avoided eye contact. I scanned he room for any signs.

It was messier than usual with all the crumpled paper scattered on the floor, especially on his desk. He could have been drawing up new plans. Something in my gut told me that something wasn't right. There were no new unfinished projects, indicating that he wasn't starting a new invention. Harley's helicopter lay on his bench in the same state it was weeks ago. Huh, not even his siblings could enter the Bunker.

I turned and Leo was already changing Festus' oil. I took this moment of distraction to pick up a few pieces of crumpled paper on the floor and on his desk. I had to process the words a bit longer—too long that Leo took notice. Damn dyslexia.

I heard footsteps speed up behind me, but it was too late. I read enough and got the gist of what he had been trying to do these past few weeks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled at me. Small embers started to erupt between his curls.

I laughed dryly. "So this is what you've been up to?"

His fists tightened, further crumpling the paper in his hands. His eyes flashed with anger, despair and confusion.

I sighed and focused my eyes on his desk, not daring to look at him any longer. Under some pieces of paper were old photographs of him and Piper from Wilderness School. Yup, those definitely were the mist memories she had with Jason. I read the latest draft he'd been writing:

Dear Piper,

Remember the mist memories from boarding school with Jason? They were real, but they were with me.

I miss you. I miss when it was just us. I miss the night on the roof.

Yours truly,

Leo Valdez

I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "How long?"

I heard him sigh. "Three weeks."

I balled my fists. Tears started to fall and smudge the ink. I wiped them away as fast as they came.

"How?"

"In a dream," his tone softened now. "Hera came to me in a dream and told me to check an old drawer in Bunker 9. I found the photos and the memories came rushing back."

"How long were you dating back then?"

"Two weeks."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

Silence; then a deep breath.

"No."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because I knew you'd get upset like—"

"I meant why would you throw away months of our relationship for a couple of weeks of your relationship with her? And without even bothering to tell me? Gods damn it, Leo. We've been together since you've first arrived at camp. And what about those promises you made when we were sailing to Greece? You've been keeping these feelings away from me and you've been lying to me, making me believe that there's still something between us and—"

"Oh, calm down," he said with an annoyed expression and tone, which only infuriated me more, "it's not like I did anything were her yet! I didn't kiss her or tell her how I truly felt for her! She just got out of a relationship with Jason around the same time I had that dream. I had to figure out how to talk to her about it. I've been alone in this Bunker for three. Fucking. Weeks. I didn't cheat on you."

"Oh, and that makes everything better?" I countered. "Being in a relationship isn't about not cheating, Leo. It's about being honest and communicating with each other."

"Oh, like you've been communicating with me? After the war, you take go back to Manhattan for school, and you take a job. I haven't seen you much during the holidays because work has been keeping you in the city. And you won't tell me what you even do for a living!"

I took in a deep breath. "I told you I needed to have a life outside of camp! I needed to know first that I could handle myself in the mortal world as a normal human being. I needed this demigod part of my life to be separate as much as possible! I've been in two wars, Leo. I needed time to myself, too. And I was about to tell you guys in a few more days. But I guess now, I'm glad I've kept you out of that part of my life. At least I have an escape from all of this. And now, especially from you."

I took another deep breath and walked to the door, about to let myself out. I turned back again, both our tear-stained eyes meeting each other.

"If it makes you feel any better," I said softly, "I would've hated the idea of us breaking up. But if you really love her, if you really feel like you have this special connection to her and she makes you happy, then I won't get in your way. You could at least have had the decency to talk to me so we could have left on a good note."

He looked at me with wide eyes, clearly regretting his actions. I sighed and looked around the Bunker, possibly for the last time. Lots of memories were definitely created in this room; all just as grand and meaningful as the inventions they made here. But just like some of Hephaestus' contraptions, some of them were flawed and dumped in his scrapyard, no matter how much potential it could have had.

"Goodbye, Leo."

I sat on a rock on the beach that gave me a beautiful view of Long Island Sound. To my left, the sun started to set, casting an orange filter on everything. My heart broke, remembering how everything glowed orange in the Bunker. Leo always left the fires burning when he was working. The sunlight twinkling against the sea reminded me of how small bits of flame peaked through his hair earlier. I remembered how mad he was at me. Or maybe he was mostly mad at himself.

"Hey."

I jumped when someone sat—or rather, landed—beside me. I turned and smiled, seeing one of my good friends back at camp.

"Hey, you're back," I said weakly. "How long have you been here?"

He smiled at me, although he could maybe sense that something was wrong. "Half an hour, maybe? I saw Annabeth making plans to expand camp to have a city. She made me do an aerial inspection and I told her I'll get back to her tonight. That's when I saw you."

"Mhmm," I mumbled, not really knowing what to say. It was silent for a few minutes before I spoke up again, knowing he was just waiting for me to open up.

"I broke up with Leo."

His head quickly turned to me. I guess he wasn't expecting it to be that bad. "What?"

"Oh yeah," I laughed dryly. "Turns out the mist memories Piper had in Wilderness School with you? They were real. But not with you."

His eyes widened. "Oh... With Leo."

"He locked himself in the Bunker for weeks trying to write a letter. It was heartbreaking. Like, truly heartbreaking. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how much he missed them. Then he said how much he missed that night with her under the stars and... It hurt. Like hell."

"Oh," he said. "I guess Piper didn't tell me everything then."

"She knew all along?"

He shook his head. "Maybe not everything, but she told me she's been confused about her feelings lately and she'd been having visions or dreams of possible old memories that were messing with her head."

"I'm sorry about you and Piper," I said.

"Don't be," he said. "I understand her. It did hurt, though. But I think I can get over it some day. We're still awkward around each other, but at least we left on a good note."

I scoffed. "Leo couldn't even give me a good ending to our relationship."

"Hey," he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You're a great person, y/n. You've done so much, especially for him. It's his loss that he was stupid enough to let go of you."

"I know that."

"Do you really?"

"I do!" I said. "I'm a great person and I know that. But that doesn't mean what he did doesn't hurt me."

"I know," he said. "You'll find someone who'll treat you like the queen that you are. You're a great person, and I'm not just saying this to cheer you up. I truly think you're amazing."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Jason. And you'll find someone great, too. Maybe not as great as me but, then again, who is?"

We both let out a laugh. The conch sounded in the distance, signaling dinner. I moved to stand up before hearing Jason speak up again.

"Hey, do you maybe want to just grab a couple of plates and eat out here?"

I smiled. "Yeah. That sounds good. I don't really want everyone else hounding me about the breakup right now."

I don't know how long it was going to take me to get over Leo. We really did gave something special. It was cruel how the universe gave me something so good, to make me have hope that something was finally going right, then have it yanked away from my arms just as suddenly as it came.

He never cheated on me, but that didn't mean he didn't betray every promise we made to each other. I should have known it was too good to be true. Life has always played cruel jokes on me.

Then again, who's to say that things won't turn out for the better, right?

•••

Tagging: @drvrslcense @bubblybubbubs @dreamerball @quteez @aesthetxcimagines @chasingpj @beingleft @wadewilsonsgreatestfriend

[rylie-barton]

⌜   CIS FEMALE, SHE / HER   |   the hearse by matt maeson, gryffindor, infp   ⌟    ⏤   meet RYLIE NATALIA BARTON ; a TWENTY TWO year old who kind of resembles WILLA HOLLAND, don’t you think? she originally hailed from NEW YORK CITY where she lived with her parents, CLINT BARTON & NATASHA ROMANOFF (   MARVEL   ), but word is that she’s been making strides to rejoin shield and finish her law degree this past year. she’s always been pretty AUDACIOUS & COMPASSIONATE, but has gotten way more CODEPENDENT & PRIDEFUL since she woke up. maybe her ability of WEAPON PROFICIENCY and power of INNATE COMBAT can help in taking down the dome. you can check out her stat page HERE& her pinterest board HERE.

i was a woman who thought only of dead things                                        ( all the time ). i couldn’t HELP it.

part one of two : the backstory.    (   trigger warnings for talk of death, drug / alcohol abuse.

born on july 21st, 1996, to clint barton & barbara morse. the youngest of three children, lewis and callum were five and nine respectively at the time of her birth. 

her mother and brothers died in a house fire when she was just three months old ; the files concerning the accident are blacked out and encrypted, and the story given to rylie amounts to ‘your mother went missing in action.’ 

understandably, she’s always wanted to know more ; unfortunately, she’s never had the means in which to find anything out.

raised by clint. really loved, but vaguely overprotected. ‘aunt nat’ was in her life from minute one, essentially, a shoulder for clint to lean on and a motherly presence that rylie found she craved. in time, they got married. it never felt anything but natural.

she was raised alongside the rest of the next gen ; troy banner, dan rogers, calder thorson & phoebe stark. they were and remain the closest thing to siblings that rylie has ever had, and as the youngest, she got to annoy them endlessly and still be assured that whatever may have happened down the line, they would always have her back.

as a little girl, rylie’s dreams amounted to little more than being the prima balllerina of her company. if she couldn’t be that, she would have settled for being an award winning pianist. she was a remarkably ordinary little girl, the only thing completely out of the norm about her being the fact that her father had her trained from the time she could walk to use a weapon, and her stepmother had her taught well how to fight. 

her time in school was... tough, to put it mildly. she was homeschooled at certain points, and moved around a lot for others. kids could be cruel, and rylie’s self esteem was never destined to be that good. 

rylie’s lift changing can be pinpointed as the moment that shield enlisted her, along with the rest of the next gen. she was just a LITTLE KID - playing dress up in between recitals, saving the world before she’d ever really even lived in it. they were kids trained for war. how could any of them have ever been well adjusted?

she dropped out of ballet. she stopped attending her piano lessons. the only thing that mattered was working with her team. how stupid she feels, now, to have been so caught up in trying to be an adult that she forgot to have a childhood.

her friends meant EVERYTHING to her. 

she started attending the same school as phoebe because the other girl made a strong case to clint for rylie, so she wouldn’t have to go through another year of torment. she didn’t just LOVE her. she wanted to be her. to compare to the beautiful and intelligent and utterly flawless phoebe stark was something that she always knew would be impossible, but tried to do, anyway.

troy was her BIG BROTHER. he still is. when she was scared of storms, he would stay awake and hold her through the night to help her through. they teased one another mercilessly, but at the end of the day, they always knew just how much they loved one another - it was all in good spirit, and at points, it was what both of them needed. 

daniel, the voice of reason - not just for rylie, but for everyone. she always looked up to him, both as a leader and as a friend. he made good calls. he tried to do right by everyone. it wasn’t easy to do - and looking back, rylie hates how it all rested on his shoulders when he was just a KID - but he did it anyway.

and calder...- she’s always loved him, even when it was difficult. back then, it wasn’t. he was always a stoic, but how much he loved them all was evident. he was her training partner and best friend, always present, even when he didn’t know what to say, or do. 

the five of them were like some kind of mismatched breakfast club, but no one in the world understood what it was like to grow up with heroes for parents as well as they did.

and then PHOEBE died. rylie was sixteen years old. the rest of them weren’t much older. loki attacked avengers tower while their parents were away on a mission, and she tried to protect calder ; it wasn’t anybody’s fault except loki’s that she fell that day, but they all shouldered the guilt regardless. rylie never was the same. 

in the months after, rylie tried to numb the pain, the responsibility. she couldn’t sleep, so she took pills that were meant to help. when they didn’t, she took more. the subsequent overdose was swept under the carpet, the choice to send her to wda alongside the rest of the guys their way of trying to bring some life back to her, after. it was phoebe’s dream they were living, after all. maybe being there with them would help.

believe it or not : it DIDN’T. walt disney academy was living under the threat of the darkness at the time, and rylie was one of many students who fell victim. while on a mission with shield in late 2014, she was shot ; it was a horrible event that weakened rylie more than just in her resolve, and months later, the darkness took hold. under its influence, she hurt people that she didn’t know, and she hurt one’s that she did, too. her freedom was temporary, she and many other students were taken over once more, and troy saved the day by drawing out the good ; but enough had been enough. 

rylie turned to alcohol. the rest was history. she drank to sleep. she drank to get herself through the day. she drank when she was happy, when she was achingly sad, when she was just trying to feel something. she would go on weekend benders that bled into the weeknights when the littlest inconvenience happened, and drunk, she made some truly horrible decisions with some truly terrible people. she kept hurting the people she loved. she kept ruining her relationships. it became a cycle, wash and repeat.

whatever she might have had with emmett wicks, a rock she leant on during the early darkness saga, was gone as quick as it came. rylie got too involved too quick with alexander kaligaris, with disastrous results. we know how unhealthy that particular relationship turned out. 

shield suspended her from active duty in early 2017. she was over the legal limit to drive and still thought she could go on a mission for them, and she could have gotten her whole team killed. she didn’t, but it didn’t matter. they were right to do what they did, but rylie took it personally ; she lashed out. she made bad choices. she had lost the ONLY thing she really had left. her father wanted to pull her from school to try and help, and she point blank refused. it caused a rift between them, for understandable reasons. without her dad, without her family, without many of her friends - rylie just got worse. 

in the summer of ‘17, the school suffered from an earthquake during prom. rylie took a hard fall, and the resulting head trauma damaged her eardrum. it wasn’t her father coming back to support her during the subsequent operation to try and fix it that gave rylie a wake up call. it was her pregnancy, discovered a few weeks later ; rylie always loved, and alex always left. one mistake from the two of them caused a bigger one that spooked her. rylie made the choice to have an abortion. she took control of her own life, for once, instead of allowing it spin even more out of control - and she started attending alcoholics anonymous, almost immediately after. 

part two of two : what u missed on glee.

rylie has been sober for 21 months and counting. it’s as hard for me to believe it as it is for you all, i’m sure ; but she’s been doing BETTER. she’s been back training, brushing up on some old skills that she let get rusty. she’s healthy, too, the sallow look to her skin that everyone got accustomed to long gone. to say it was easy for her, or that she didn’t have moments of doubts, would be... totally incorrect. she’s just been fighting through.

she was one more bad month away from flunking out of her law degree, the last time y’all saw her ; but she’s picked up in the past year, really knuckling down to try and catch up, for one, and do better, for another. she’s still worried that she’s going to have to do an extra year, to finish, but she’s dedicated to doing so if she’s GOTTA. 

her relationship with her father? fixed. clint has always put rylie above all else, and never would have even required the apologies she gave, really. likewise with the relationship she has with natasha. both of them forgive her for her weakness, though it’s unlikely that rylie ever will. we love on ( 1 ) girl with a guilt complex.

the one thing that ISN’T fixed is her hearing, at least not 100%. she has a loss of fifty nine db in her right ear, and that’s probably never going to change. it makes her and her father even more alike, though i’m sure clint would have rathered the similarities not be so much. 

as of right now, she’s prepping for a hearing with the board of directors at shield on whether she should be reinstated as an active agent. she’s passed all of the physicals, and she’s been in therapy for about as long as she’s been sober, working through her issues. she’s still got miles to go, but they’re certainly optimistic. rylie moved past feeling hard done by a long time ago, and now she just... wants to be a part of the agency, again, in a way where she can actually be of help. 

[makeroomforlaferry]

Prompt: “Coming Home”

Prompt list Requested: U - Coming home LaFontaine & Perry

AN: Listen up before reading this - I obviously can’t know what parental term LaFontaine would want their kids to use with them, but I chose to go with my gut, and I understand that some of you may not agree with it. I personally didn’t feel like my written version of LaF would want the kind of mashup-title for genderneutral parents that the internet suggested to me, obviously there would be nothing wrong with them, but the version of LaFontaine that I write and understand would want a more traditional word, lowkey because they feel like their relationship and family with Perry is traditional in a sense and wants it to show, but anyway, I had a look at the available words already existing and “parent” just seemed way too impersonal, and I’m fully aware that LaF identifies with neither female or male expressions, but I chose to have them use a word that normally stands for mother, “ma”, but to me it sounded like it could mean whichever. If “pom” and “mad” are acceptable as genderneutral terms I don’t see why “ma” couldn’t be. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that in this fic, and to LaF and to me, the term “Ma” is 100% a genderneutral word. I just want to make sure that everyone knows I’m not putting a gender on LaF as a parent, or otherwise? I know everyone will have differing opinions on this, but I wanted to explain my point of view as I might continue using this term for them in other/future fics. Anyway, here goes!

Obviously, Perry and LaFontaine had spent years building their lives, building their home. It looked like it came straight out from a Pinterest board at this point, mixed with the cosy elements only Perry’s grandma-ish tendencies could bring to it. Not that LaF cared much about the decorations, but it was perfect.

But then again, regardless of where they were, LaFontaine had always felt like they were at home with Perry, or like Perry was home. Missing Perry was the same as feeling homesick, and every time they made some commitment, made some gesture or move that showed that they belonged together, it felt like a step closer to where they’d always been meant to be. After she came out of the possession and they transferred from Silas, it seemed to determine that no matter how far apart they’d grown, they’d still do whatever came next together. When they started up LaFerry industries, it was the most grown-up thing they’d ever done, but they were doing it with Perry, and even though they were already partners, becoming business partners as well felt like another step forward. Proposing had been a success - they’d planned it out perfectly since the age of six - and nothing else could have filled them with joy like the sight of the engagement ring on her finger.

Though as expected, of course, most joyful sight got replaced by the image of her walking down the aisle towards them in a white dress. It was a while before anything replaced that, but when it did, it knocked them off their feet completely.

A plus on a pregnancy test after months and years of research and experiments of a whole new kind. Endless models of embryos and DNA fusions, and they swore they could have fainted when it all proved fruitful. The feelings of happiness and content and pride and joy and nerves and excitement multiplied by the week after that, it seemed, every time she was sick in the morning, or they found her eating something funny, or when they had to buy new shirts because she kept outgrowing them.

------------3 pregnancies later-------------

They came through the door without knocking, putting their suitcase down on the floor and bending down to untie their shoes. It was getting harder every day to deal with their back, but they only had themself to blame for all the hours slouching over books and screens, after all. Before they’d gotten off either shoe, though, a small body slammed into them, tiny arms wrapping around their neck and a high voice all but yelling in their ear. “Ma’s home!”

They laughed, steadying themself on one knee so they could hug their youngest child close. “I aaaam!”

The five-year-old cuddled close, giving them a wet kiss on the cheek. “I missed yooou!”

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” they smiled and gave her (all their kids, knowing LaF’s pronouns, were well aware that they didn’t need to have a set gender, but three out of four seemed comfortable with the pronouns people assumed them to have so far, including Clarke, even if she was only five) one back. “What did you guys do today?”

“We drawed with the sticky colors--”

“The finger paint?”

“Yes, and we drived Queen and Rey and Flo to school, and we went grocery shopping, and then mommy had to clean out the fridge…”

They shook their head, amused smile on their face. Had to, sure... “Did she, now?”

“Uh-huh, and I helped!”

“Ohhh, what did you get to do? Did you get to eat the things that didn’t make it?”

“No…” she pouted. “Mommy said I couldn’t…”

They laughed, going to ruffle her hair a bit. Truly their child. “And she was probably right to say that, baby. What are they all doing now?”

“Rey and mommy are doing their hairs, Flo is doing homework, I don’t know where Queen is…”

LaF raised an eyebrow at that - they had no doubt Perry knew exactly where Quinn was, but still. “What do you say we go find her?” They got their shoes off and hoisted Clarke up on their hip, going around the house to find their firstborn. It didn’t turn out to be much of a mystery, however, as they spotted the calendar in the kitchen, remembering the day of the week. “It’s thursday, Clarke, Quinn’s at elf practise.”

Their wife’s voice called out from the nearby bathroom, then, having heard them through the open door. “LaFontaine, stop. She’s at band practise, and I will not have you teaching them another meme.”

“Why, what was wrong with the last one?” They grinned, going to peek into the room, finding nothing but utter ridiculousness - Perry and René, both with some sort of white goo in their hair, probably something to tame it slightly. All their kids had inherited Perry’s curls, but only René seemed to care about actually managing them, like their mother.

Perry raised an eyebrow at them. “For one, it was annoying not to be able to say ‘some’ without---”

René and Clarke both burst into loud song immediately, as if on cue. “Some-BODY ONCE TOLD ME, THE WOOORLD IS GONNA RO-”

The song stopped and both kids dissolved into a fit of giggles when Perry got more of the goo on her fingers and shushed them, booping dots of goo on the tips of both their noses. “I swear, one more word of that god-awful song…”

LaF mock-gasped and held a hand over Clarke’s mouth to silence her. “Hush, sweetheart, she’s attacking!”

“I noticed!” Clarke grimaced, wiping the goo off her nose with her sleeve.

“Don’t you mean you nose-ticed?”

Both children groaned out loud, and Perry rolled her eyes and went to kiss LaFontaine’s cheek. “Welcome home, darling.”

“GROSS!” Clarke declared loudly.

LaF shook their head, grinning. “You kissed my cheek only a few minutes ago!”

“But you and mommy are GROSS!”

“Are not!” They did their best to look offended, but Perry only laughed, smiling softly at them. “I don’t know, sweetie, we are pretty disgusting...”

“Yeah?” They raised an eyebrow, smile never leaving their face.

“Mhmm,” she nodded, her hands settling on the barely noticeable baby bump under her shirt. LaF’s face softened, and let Clarke down before going to cover Perry’s hands with theirs, giving her a proper kiss. “Did you have a nice daaay?”

She nodded, smiling happily at them, ignoring the sound of Clarke gagging and running out of the room. “We did, how was work?”

“The usual, the usual… I’m tired, but y’know, normal.”

“We saved some pasta for you, but I figured I’d reheat it and the sauce for you both when Quinn comes home, is that okay?”

“Of course,” they nodded, kissing her cheek softly before going to pat René’s back - they would have hugged them, if not for the sticky state of their hair. “Hey, R, how’d your test go?”

“Aced it,” they replied with a smug grin directed at LaF. “You were right, I didn’t have to study as much as I did.”

“You did really well with the studying, kid, I’m proud of you. Keep it up and you’ll thank me in high school.”

“I can’t remember all this until I go to high school,” they teased.

LaF rolled their eyes a bit. “Shush, you know what I mean.” René grinned and went to poke LaF’s ribs, but they backed away. “Nuh-uh, not with your hair. I’m staying away from both of you until that’s out.”

Perry rolled her eyes from where she stood, reorganizing the bathroom cabinet. “Because you care so much about making a mess or ruining your clothes? Please, I’ve been doing your laundry for twenty years. Besides, it’s not like it’s bleach.”

“Hey, I’m catching up on the laundry,” they defended themself.

Perry laughed out loud at that. “Oh yes, darling, only nineteen years to go, then.”

They huffed a bit, knowing there was nothing they could say to that, and Perry blew them a kiss before turning back to the cabinet. “René, sweetie, how long has it been now?”

“It’s been...exactly 27 minutes,” they replied, looking at the clock on the wall.

“Right, put your phone away, not in your pocket. We’re getting this out.”

LaFontaine backed towards the door. “Not staying to see this… see you two later.”

“You sound like we’re gonna come out of here bald,” Perry said with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve no idea what’s in that, you never know,” they chuckled and pecked her lips once more. “I’m gonna go check on Flo,” they told her and left. They found Clarke watching cartoons in the living room as they made their way to knock on their son’s door. “Florence?”

“Come in,” he replied, sounding way too mature for a seven-year-old, but it wasn’t like LaF didn’t know someone else who’d been an adult since the age of five. They just hoped he didn’t feel the same kind of pressure his mother had. He was sat by his desk as they entered, looking frustrated.

“Hey, Flo.”

“Hey, ma…”

“Whatcha doing?”

“English homework,” he grumbled, bottom lip sticking out. “Why can’t the other classes be easy like science?”

They chuckled at that - it seemed the older kids of theirs had inherited both LaF’s affinity for science and Perry’s for social studies and languages, but Florence was into science and didn’t care much for other subjects. “You know, kid, most people don’t find science easy…”

“You do,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“We do, and everyone finds different things easy, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn it all. What’s the assignment?”

“Writing about our favourite book, but miss Kenner said I couldn’t pick a science book, it has to be fictional,” he huffed, clearly annoyed.

LaF bit their lip so not to smile. “When is it due?”

“Next week…”

“How about I go get you a kid-friendlier version of Frankenstein tomorrow?”

He lit up then, his bright smile making their heart melt slightly. “Really? I can read Frankenstein?”

“Not the original one, you’ll get there when you’re older. But you’ll get the monster bits.” And no details on how their ma had transferred a sentient entity slash consciousness through a USB cable into the corpse of a vampire.

“And she’ll let me write about it?”

“Totally! It’s a classic, she should be thrilled.”

“Awesome!” He grinned, turning the lamp on the desk off, apparently done now. “Are mom and René still doing their hair treatment thing?”

“They just started taking it out, and Clarke’s watching cartoons. Wanna watch with her until Quinn comes home?”

“Yeah!” He bounded down the stairs and they followed as he ran to the couch, and LaF sat down between them, wrapping an arm around Florence as Clarke snuggled into their side wordlessly.

LaF kissed her hair gently before letting their head lean back against the couch, eyelids drooping, not realising how tired they were. They didn’t wake up until about an hour later, when Clarke shook their shoulder, quite gentle for being her. “Ma, Quinn’s home!”

They blinked and shook their head slightly, indeed hearing chatter in the kitchen. “Thank you for waking me up, sweetheart…”

Clarke grinned cheekily. “Mommy said I had to. And that I couldn’t tickle you awake.”

“That’s because your mommy’s nice,” they chuckled. “And you should take after her.”

“No fun!” The five-year-old chimed, shaking her head and making ginger curls fly in their face.

“Yeah, yeah…” they laughed and picked her up, carrying her into the kitchen on their hip to find Perry reheating the food for them and Quinn, who sat at the table talking animatedly about her day, but paused when she noticed them coming in, getting up to hug them tightly, and Clarke in the process. “Hi, ma!”

They hugged back with their free arm, leaning down to kiss her hair. “Hey, Quinn! Wanna start over? I want to hear about your day too…”

She nodded, smiling at them. “I hadn’t gotten that far anyway.”

“Great,” they grinned and put Clarke down on one of the chairs next to Quinn and moving to help Perry prepare the food as they listened. Boring classes, new band songs, friend drama… Florence and René both came in as well after a while, and it all turned into a big discussion about their P.E. teacher, with Clarke agreeing loudly with everyone as if she went to their school as well. They saw Perry’s gaze flitting between the kids by the table and the pot on the stove fondly, and they moved to gently rub her back, helping her keep an eye on both and almost shaking their head with a sort of disbelief, even after all this time, as they took it all in. Everything they’d ever dreamt to have was in this very room. Their dream as a kid to become a scientist was pretty well-represented in that they’d figured out a way for Perry and them to have biological children, and their more adult dreams - marrying Perry, having kids, having more kids, a family of their own… all there. This pregnancy was going to be the last one, they both knew that, but it felt right. LaFontaine and Perry with their five ginger kids was a home they’d always dreamed about coming home to.

(There had been times when they’d wondered if maybe they’d have kids inheriting other haircolours from the family, but so far they were all ginger with Perry’s curls. LaF wouldn’t have them any other way.)

[isamariejones-blog]

( hey demons it’s ya boi ( or girl idc at this point the gender of the day? cheetos )  jinx and i’m here with my one of my fave ocs isabella jones!! i hope everyone is doing well and pls like this if you’d like to plot and i’ll come bother u! )

is that ( isabella 'isa' jones )? i think i saw the ( thirty-one ) year old ( cis-female ) ( candy store manager & owner ) in the town square earlier. the ( deborah ann woll ) lookalike could be described as ( kind ), but also be considered ( overthinking ). i heard someone in town say ( she ) was the town’s ( heart of gold ), but only time can tell if that’s true or not !

AESTHETIC: always having a deck of cards & candies in her pockets & purses, sugar, curiosity, rain, worn hardback books, broken paper back spines, courage that doesn’t roar, learning to abandon masquerades but having trouble not telling white lies, a fire crackling, exploding when you least expect it, hiking trails. fighting through the fear, recovering one day at a time, forcefully finding peace & screaming off a mountain top. PINTEREST: [ x ]

triggers: eating disorder tw ( i will specifically label it ), illness tw, death tw, drinking tw, drugs tw

quick points before her bio!!!

don’t call her bella, bells, you can use isabella but that’s usually if you know her, she’ll usually introduce her name as isa. Edgelord obviously™

Tired Mom Friend

comes from a wealthy af family that owns a small string of candy stores around the US. one in chicago, one in san francisco  and one in new york!!

if u ever hear this lady raise her voice LMK!!! or run cause she is v soft spoken

she wants to travel the world and climb everywhere and honestly wants to backpack through europe all that eat pray love shit and !!! has not

loves nature tho! a hoe for nature

probs an annoying white person who’ll suggest u try yoga for something wild but SHE MEANS WELL she just likes yoga

*NSYNC VOICE* BI BI BI ( BI BI )

just a heads up – i have extensive experience and have done research w/ eating disorders, and im not here to glamorize it, use it as a plot device etc. still, i will tag it so it doesn’t trigger anyone else!!!

BIOGRAPHY ( it’s long sorry ):

Born on the cusp of winter and spring, March 21,1986, was a day her parents, Michael and Amelia Jones, cherished. They were two highly respected FBI Agents who had been trying for the longest time to conceive children — their  window of opportunity was running out. It was their only way they could think of keeping their marriage together, especially after the war. Both had been through a great deal, including losing two of their previous children ( due to backlash from various enemies they’d made on the job )  and found themselves irreparably changed — but scared of being alone. In turn, they clung to each other and decided to build a new life — starting by restarting a family. Her mother who was almost too old and weathered to have children, went to doctor after healer, trying everything she could to have a child. Finally, their miracle of miracles, Isabella Marié Jones was born.

They spoiled their daughter rotten and made sure she was educated in absolutely anything and everything from a young age. Her mother, Amelia, was harder on her daughter than her father was. Especially when it came to food and appearance. She wanted her daughter to be the epitome of perfection but not only that, to grow up a strong woman. Amelia felt by being tough on her daughter, this would cultivate a strong exterior. While this did happen, Isabella was also utterly miserable. Instead of playing games with the other children in their new Chicago suburb, Isabella was learning languages like Spanish, French, German, and just injected with all kinds of knowledge she didn’t really want at the time. Happy was what she wanted, and happiness to her was in the form of being free, especially from these expectations — but going outside to play would do.  Isabella never got the chance and eventually gave up trying to fight her parents, and ultimately instead started trying to please them.

Still, the absence of the children they should have had, weighed heavily on Isabella’s shoulders. Late at night when they thought their prized daughter was asleep, her parents would bicker and cry about how much they missed their other children. Amelia and Michael blamed each other — and all this made Isabella want to do was make them happy even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness. The only truly happy childhood memories Isabella could draw around her childhood revolved around food — which was a great coincidence seeing as her uncle owned a self made business, 'Jonesin' For Sugar' Candy Shop . She was always completely entranced when she went in, and Andrew and Arabella Jones always gave her the parental love she desperately needed and was lacking. Once her mother saw her love sweets she nicknamed her daughter  “Belly”, in an attempt to maybe get her to lay off the candies. It didn’t really work, so her mother’s primping and comments became frequent.

Isabella tried to be what they wanted and it never seemed to be enough even when Isabella became the perfect daughter they wanted her to be. Involved on sports teams, community outreach, perfect grades. Still, to them, Isabella felt just average at best especially when at her preppy private school she never seemed to be the top of her class or the president of their student government. She was always either second best or fell further behind. The girl was under such pressure, one day she just snapped and yelled at her parents, telling them what she thought. Her parents then started to fight, and blaming each other.  In turn, Isabella once again felt she had to make them happy. The cycle continued.

[ !!!! eating disorder tw !!!! ] It was in the beginning of her Junior year that Isabella fully started to feel her parents pressure. Food became a comfort, and she’d often sneak to her uncle and aunts shop to binge on sweets whenever she was nervous or anxious about something. Then, because she felt guilty for eating so much, she’d force herself to throw it up. This became a coping mechanism, and it gave her a sense of calm until it just became something she couldn’t stop. Bulimia was something all her own, something her parents didn’t control. Something she was good at. [ eating disorder tw end ]

[  eating disorder mentions, drugs mention ] At the start and for a long time after that, Isabella’s life became a blur. She maintained her grades, but starting hanging around the wrong side of Chicago -- getting into drugs, drinking, promiscuous sex and even drug dealing for a thrill. After she graduated, her parents practically forced her into her first stint at a treatment center but left when she realized it would interfere with her classes at Northwestern if she stayed any longer. Isabella ended up taking a lot of shifts at her uncle’s store, Jonesin’, and when her uncle fell ill — they trusted her to take care of the store. Since her aunt was always taking care of her husband, they gave complete ownership to Isabella — who felt completely bound to it. Her and her eating disorder were in a hellish like equilibrium as she graduated with a generic degree in Business. To try to cope further with it, she went back into the cycle she fell into during high school ( though, she never really stopped ) -- excessive drinking, meaningless sex, drugs occasionally ( it wasn’t AS bad as high school, she tried to convince herself ) on nights because being in her head was too much to handle. She clung to it, it was her, an escape but knew after a while that those were horrible behaviors to have as well as a disease that ate away at her. Self awareness came slow, but it did, finally come. 

The years she was supposed to use finding herself and discovering who she was have been used to help with Jonesin’ and fuel her disorder. At age 29, she finally looked into treatment and luckily her parents supported her financially but barely emotionally, but it was enough. Isa didn’t know much about what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew it wasn’t destroying herself. Finally, with a residential treatment center in Colorado and Isa opening up to and getting support from some friends – she got better. She became more open. She fought for herself and her sanity and has been in recovery for over two years, healthier than she’s been before.  [  eating disorder mentions end ]

Her parents helped run the family candy store that her aunt and uncle were too ill to do, and as the years went by it gained traction. They opened two more stores, but as Isa raved about how amazing Colorado was -- they figured opening a store in a small town atmosphere would be a risk they were willing to take as well as a good business opportunity without as much competition like Ghiradelli and such. They figured it would also be good to have Isa there, to run the store, overlook it and since she feels indebted to her parents as well as chained to Jonesin’ she agreed -- though she did love Colorado too. She moved there about a year ago after completing intensive outpatient in the city. 

You’ll more than likely see Isabella walking around with a bright smile, walking around, talking with her customers, getting to know each in every one of them. Isa is very caring, extremely kind, but also very nice which sometimes make people think she’s a pushover which she’s really not ( anymore ). She does like to please people, something she’s still not managed to shake off as time has gone by and what really tethers her to Jonesin’ but she’s trying to make the best of it. Being very soft spoken, it’s been really hard for Isa to stand up for herself as well, something she’s working on. She still goes to therapy because even though she’s been behavior free for a couple years, she still wasn’t completely recovered or healed from what years of self destruction did to her. Isa has a quiet fire and she’s doing everything she can to fight & think for herself. 

negative traits: overthinking, guarded, distant, defensive, overly logical

positive traits: maternal, kind, witty/has a sense of humor, intelligent