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novantinuum · 2 days ago

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Reformation ref sheet for an AU Steven (named "Astra") who's been invading my brain since like,, April. It's VERY wide, apologies. There's a lot going on here because this man is incredibly old and has poofed way too many times for varying reasons. (See This post for how I headcanon that Steven can poof and still be considered a hybrid being.)

While I will not talk in huge length about certain aspects of his AU on this blog due to some of it involving strong NSFW themes, there is a ridiculous amount of other lore I've developed over time for Astra, and I love him to death. He is my sad, lonely mans who I metaphorically hurl against the wall like a sticky hand when I need to feel something.

This version of Steven will likely never have any kind of full ass fic or comic made about him. Despite that, I do enjoy sharing some art and fun character lore for him from time to time. So, I might as well finally give followers like... literally ANY context for him. I've had this ref sheet for a while and just have never gotten around to throwing it on here, LOL.

Ridiculously long dump about my guy under the cut.

Subnote, this was supposed to be a quick post but I can't help myself and wrote you a fucking BOOK under the cut because I love my guy so much UWU

(Content warning I guess for like, extremely vague mentions of Steven/Steven later on.)

The huge tl;dr of Astra is as follows: he's a version of Steven who exists for SO long that he basically transforms into something of an ancient, lonely god.

He's outlived every single person he once knew as a child, and so as a result is starved for affection. At the same time, being vulnerable is the absolute scariest thing for him and he's really shit at navigating relationships, F.

The guy is THE most powerful living creature in his entire universe by the end, and yet remains a soft-spoken, (generally) benevolent soul. He dedicates himself to acting as caretaker for the vast, populous world he exists within, and to maintain the continuing legacy of Gemkind. A big discovery that occurs in this AU is that Gems are in fact susceptible to entropy over the span of millions of years and will eventually fall "inert," (but not him because of weird hybrid biology stuff he honestly sees as more of a curse than a blessing) so a huge plotline early on in Astra's lifespan is trying to either find a "cure" for this issue or to develop a means by which new generations of Gems can be created without the reinstatement of Kindergartens so Gemkind doesn't overtly go extinct.

But, to start... this Steven diverges off a point in canon- this is the timeline where he actually takes up the Diamonds on their offer of the throne in the movie, believing he may have a better chance of heralding true societal change working from the INSIDE rather than stepping away. Because he pours himself so thoroughly into his role on Homeworld and his mind is continuously occupied by this purpose, he never experiences the events SU: Future, nor does he develop his "pink mode" (yet...) or corrupt at all.

However, he's also so engrossed in his work that he's... kind of a shit boyfriend to Connie as years go on. (In that he's not terribly attentive... always super busy... their visits are often cut short, or few and far between.) Their relationship never really goes anywhere as a result, though Connie wants it to. To be fair so does Steven, but he's so scared that everything he's worked so hard to organize and set up in this new era will fall apart if he steps aside from his role for even a moment that he can't allow himself to follow that want.

At some point here he learns he can poof through a complete freak accident, and that's where things really begin to change in this timeline.

It takes a good few months for him to reform, but once he does he's back at it with all his work on Homeworld pretty quick.

The thing is... he doesn't have an innate physical need to eat or drink or sleep anymore, because he now consists of entirely hard light. It mimics human biology to an insane degree, so he COULD do all those things, but he doesn't need them to persist. So... he kinda takes this as an excuse to cut those activities out of his schedule entirely so he can spend more time focused on his duties as a diamond.

Connie is NOT a fan of this, and this leads to some debate and tension within their relationship. That being said, they remain an item...

Up until out of nowhere, Connie dies in an accident on Earth while Steven is off planet in a place where he doesn't have any contact with them for a few days. By the time the Gems are able to get in touch with him, it's far too late to resurrect her.

The kicker? In the autopsy it's discovered that she was a few weeks pregnant when she died.

Steven is emotionally gutted by this... and the thought of what could have been... and poofs.

The guy is understandably destroyed when he comes back in his next form, and his form reflects that- his gem flips as a sort of metaphorical severing from his own humanity.

He spends a long while in a deep depression at the loss of his childhood sweetheart... at the loss of any potential for (as far as he sees) a "normal" human life. There's a part of him that resents the choices he's made to end up in this present, but like, there's still work to be done.

And as the years move on, a LOT of that work is mitigating the growing relations (for better or for worse) between Gems and humans as humanity stretches their legs and reaches out into the stars. Humans kinda get... really aggressive in their expansion though, and quite territorial, and it leads towards some inevitable conflict between them and Gemkind. This time, with them more at fault. Things get so spicy that some groups of humans and Gems go to war.

Steven tries to mitigate one of these situations at the front lines- and gets poofed by a disgruntled Gem, speared straight through the back because she (kinda wrongly) assumed he would take the humans' side due to his ancestral ties to them.

When he reforms this time, he is glowing a perpetual pink. The Gems don't really know what to make of this, but he seems to be in perfectly fine health otherwise, so they assume it's just a normal aspect of this new neutral form.

And while this isn't something Steven has context to figure out until like... billions of years later, what's actually happened is that he's entered a permanent pink mode, pretty much. Guy's just got that much bottled up, unaddressed trauma.

He spends a long time in this form, and over all these thousands of years oversees the slow return to peace between Gems and humans... their marriage as a space age federation... and their deeper exploration of the galaxy. Beyond their home solar systems exist a bounty of alien species they've yet to meet... some friendly, some less so. There's definitely some conflict that crops up amidst the local galactic neighborhood when Gems and humans show up on the playing field here, lol.

But all-in-all, Steven develops a fairly peaceful and predictable routine during this reformation- living more like a Gem than ever before. He's still got the Crystal Gems at his side through all of this, and they are some of his greatest confidants.

And then... without any warning... Gems begin to go inert. Amethyst is among them.

Some of them simply stop reforming after they poof... especially those who were older Gems, or who have been cracked before. Steven and the other Diamonds using their powers together are able to "fix" this at first and "jumpstart" their reformation, but it's just a bandaid of a fix- these Gems will fall inert again pretty soon. And the longer they persist without poofing from alternate causes, the more unstable their form, power, and memory becomes. (Think of this as Gem dementia at its late stages,,, oof.)

The bottom line? Just like organics, Gems aren't immune to the forces of entropy. Sooner or later, their gemstones will decay from the inside out. Stubborn to find a way to save the ones he loves as he watches them slowly deteriorate all around him, Steven dedicates himself to trying to find a cure. But deep down, a part of him recognizes the futility of this. What he believes Gemkind actually needs to do is to develop a means of rebooting Gem incubation that doesn't destroy planets, so they can rebuild their quickly dwindling population and keep their legacy alive.

The big problem with this is that Gems take a SHIT load of energy and resources to properly incubate, so that puzzle will take a long ass time to sort out. There's kinda a lot of chaos that happens during this time. The reality of their own blunt mortality freaks out a bunch of Gems, and Steven has to do damage control with the heads of state for a lot of other alien species.

In the interim, all the Crystal Gems and some of the Diamonds (White is still in the picture, though) end up falling inert. Pearl is the last of the CGs to do so.

Steven is understandably SUPER gutted about this, and poofs yet again. (Lol notice a theme? Poor mans keeps poofing from friggin' anguish. Help him.)

After reforming with barely any changes, it's right back to work for this guy. He and the rest of his team of researchers are unable to find any cure for Gems decaying and falling inert, but they do end up making huge leaps and bounds in other kinds of tech. One of these advances allows Steven to finally deep-scan his own gemstone down to the atomic level to check for decay- this was previously a process that was very invasive, and came at the risk of irreparably damaging a Gem, but not anymore.

He expects to find evidence of the same micro decay that's been slowly eating away at the rest of Gemkind within his OWN diamond, but the thing is...

He just... ISN'T decaying at all? Even though the sheer age of this gemstone itself should suggest otherwise? As it turns out though, his existence as a hybridized being makes him kind of... an anomaly. When he first reformed all those thousands of years ago, all the data within his gem- data that would otherwise be susceptible to decay- was translated into genetic material. DNA that's woven entirely out of hard-light... but, DNA that has also been constantly regenerating itself thanks to a combination of all the intricate biochemistry surrounding the human telomere and his healing powers.

In other words, he is incapable of falling inert from natural causes, like micro decay. He's functionally immortal. Unless someone shatters him (or... heaven forbid... he shatters himself) he simply can't die.

Which, all of a sudden, makes his race to save Gemkind from their quickly approaching extinction all the more personal. Because if he FAILS- then he'll be the very last of Gemkind. There will be no one else left in this world who is even remotely like him. (Humanity has mixed and mingled with the galactic locals so much by now that they're very much unrecognizable from what they once were.)

His spirit is very nearly broken by this discovery, and he is severely tempted to throw all his own principles out the window and just sanction the construction of new Kindergartens again, if only to keep the dwindling Gem populations up and birth new generations. Perhaps surprisingly, it's White Diamond- the last Gem left who Steven actually knew since the very beginning- who urges him to reconsider. To not give up on his own morality, to not revert all the miraculous changes he's worked for these long few million years.

The big shift in the tides is when he discovers the means to jump to alternate timelines, and thus the existence of the greater multiverse. This allows him to gather intel and ideas from a far greater spectrum of sources.

And eventually... it's with the aid of many alt versions of himself from other lines across the multiverse that leads to him finding a suitable, eco-friendly solution to his Gem incubation problem. (This is the aspect of this AU I cannot discuss in length for discretion's sake. Use your imagination. Or don't, I don't care.)

The following two sections, I'll be talking more about the broad thematics than anything else. At this point, know that there are now new batches of Gems being created all the time. Gemkind is no longer at risk of any extinction, but now- like any stable organic species- new Gems are made at the same rate that they fall inert.

So, the BIGGEST thing here with this reformation is that this is overtly where this guy picks up the name "Astra." Why a name change? Well, after White finally went inert, leaving him the last Diamond in existence within this line, it basically just felt... upsetting to him, to continue to go by a name that every person he ever loved used for him. Thus, the new name is overtly a means to distance himself from that past, and from that pain. (It's also a name he chooses while thinking back to a meaningful conversation he had with White, back before she went inert, oOF. I'll probably yell about that at some point in another post.)

So, too, is the lack of any tangible facial features. He HAS a face, but others just can't see it. He subconsciously obscures it from almost everyone's sight as a means of avoiding vulnerability. One might also have noticed by now that this guy's proportions have gotten like, really strange and sorta "stretched out" over time the larger he becomes... and this is intentional, as it's yet another way he's just becoming more inhuman in form, yet another way he's internally separating himself from those humble human origins of his.

But here's the thing, though.

Deep, deep down, to be human and to live a simple human life is basically all he's ever craved. It's everything he feels he's lost forever, with the death of his Connie. And instead, he's kinda stuck in a hellish sunk cost fallacy of his own making, acting as eternal caretaker for this world that- no matter what he does to try and make it a better place- will never quite be PERFECT. Thus, in his mind, even though he's literally fixed Gemkind's BIGGEST problem, he can't Stop. He can't Rest. He simply can't allow himself himself to lay down and Sink Away into the unknown.

And even if he could allow himself to do so, he is so, so scared of walking that path alone.

If he's going to die... he wants that end to be at a lover's side.

How, though, is someone who's basically a god supposed to find anyone in this multiverse with experiences they can remotely relate to?

Well... ultimately, Astra finds that it's far, far easier to build up a close relationship with varying versions of himself than anyone else. He's... kinda trash at it, though. This guy has so much bottled up Gunk in his head and is so starved for any form of affection that he has a habit of throwing WAY too much of himself into the relationships he engages in, and expecting that same level of commitment in return. There's one relationship with an alt Steven he's in for a while that ends up pretty unhealthily co-dependent before it fizzles out, and then another where he assumes the individual is committing to this partnership for the long run, but then no... actually Astra was always pouring more into this dynamic than he was receiving in return.

This second relationship, when it ends, is pretty devastating to him- since it was one that lasted for like, a LONG ass time. Unimaginably long. We're talking billions of years, here.

Uh-oh! And now he's even more distanced from other people. Folks can't even parse his actual chosen name at this point- except he isn't really consciously aware of this for a while?? It's yet another silent cry for help, yet another internal defense mechanism specially intended to keep others from truly getting to know him. Because every time he does... stars. No matter what he does, he keeps getting hurt. Almost everyone he knows and loves is torn from his life eventually... if not by death, then by some form of tragedy... and he's just so, so tired.

He wants literally ANYTHING to change in his life. He craves some new form of purpose. He craves the attention of someone who might love him as passionately as he loves them.

For a while, he almost believes he's found that- in yet another close relationship he forges with an alt version of himself- but while this other Steven does care for him immensely, it's only as a friend. Which kinda kills Astra, because he's like, lost in the sauce levels of In Love with this guy. There's a LOOOOOOT of story I have here with this, oh my god. If I am thinking about this AU I am usually thinking about this Old Man Yaoi. The great bulk of it is very NSFW themed though, so y'all getting the cliff notes.

The MOST important thing to know though, is that Astra both makes intense leaps and strides in once again allowing himself to be vulnerable with this man, and ALSO kinda intensely fucks their whole mutually agreed situationship up. It's messy. I am crying and wailing at these two old dumbasses. Jesus fucking christ.

But then, it's in the aftermath of this whole deal that an individual named Orion comes into the picture.

Orion quite literally falls into Astra's world by complete accident, but it's a very lucky accident- because she is a diamond hybrid version of Connie from another universe who- beyond a few differences- has a strikingly similar history to his. The big difference, though? She never found a means to create new Gems without Kindergartens, so she was the last of just a few thousand Gems who existed in her entire line. Part of a deeply endangered species.

This version of Connie arrives in some very deep mental turmoil, and so Astra does his best to give them a stable home and a place to heal. And while a past version of him might've been tempted to throw way too much of himself into the slow building rapport they have, he's blessedly Learned a thing or two from the past few major relationship experiences he's had... and chooses to like, ease up. Just offer himself as a friend first and foremost, should they care for one. Man learns restraint, lol.

And it's a damn GOOD thing that he does, because out of the genuine friendship they foster, Orion is the one who ultimately falls in love with him first. The relationship that's established here is one that's balanced, a true partnership where they simply make each other better people. It's through Orion's encouragement that Astra eventually reconnects and makes up with that last person he had an intense relationship with, even.

In time, Astra truly grows to thrive with Orion in his life. He becomes a far more open, vulnerable person, someone who feels safe to truly exist as who he is, to bare every complicated, battered facet of his past to those he trusts. While he may have taken the LONG road to get here, he too heals. And as a result...

One day, Astra simply stops glowing entirely. Shrinks down to more reasonable proportions. He stops hovering around on automatic, stops subconsciously scrubbing the memory of his face or name from people's minds. He stops denying his truest, deepest self- the reality that he was born an organic being, and raised as a human.

The burred reality that all he's ever truly wanted since the day his first lover died is to be a father.

To live a quiet, simple life with the people he loves.

For so long it was a mirage of a future he thought he'd never chase down, but for how much he made all the wrong choices the first time around, now he has a second chance.

And so in my brain, that's exactly what happens. Astra and Orion start a family together and continue to act as guardians over this universe for many years to come, until- after they are satisfied with the long life they've lived together, and their children have moved on to start forging their own paths- they eventually pass Beyond at their own will in each other's arms, ending their impossibly long godhood at peace.

I really don't know how to end this post lmafo, so I will simply say: if you somehow read all of this, holy shit you are so brave. Thank you for engaging with my insane ramblings. Have a nice day LOL FUIHSNUFSJG

This man haunts my brain so much I missed two off ramp turns on the highway the other day while thinking about him. Help me.

#su #su future #steven universe #su fanart #my art stuff #astra #nova rambles #i am going Insane please help #i will never write a full fic but i DO have like a ridiculous amount of outlined lore for him #yeah sure why NOT make a three am post. i am insane and this man is the object of my insanity. this is all you need to know.#i am so Tired help me

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olderthannetfic · 1 hour ago

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Ayyy, there seems to be a lot of older people among the regular commenters of this blog so I'm gonna shoot my shot and ask for advice.

Idk if it's just the clinical depression but I can't help but feel like I'm never gonna find love as a straight girl. I don't hate men at all -- I've been very lucky to be surrounded by decent dudes growing up but shit. Lookin at the state of the world rn... Gen Z dudes chugging misogynist bullshit at alarming rates, women like Gisele Pelicot going through unspeakable shit from their own husbands... it's hard not to feel cynical. On top of that the decent dudes I know irl are all taken, I don't wanna go on dating apps, and as much as I wanna fuck an older man no decent one is gonna settle for a depressed young woman who's a 4 at best...

It's not that i don't have fulfilling friendships or that I don't value them, I just want to love and care for (and get dicked down by) a decent guy who feels the same way. I've always wanted that and I don't think it's changing anytime soon. Feels impossible though. I'm not sure if I'm the problem (I'm plain faced at best, no fashion sense or charm to speak of, though I do my best to be polite and kind) or there's just shit going on I've no control over.

People will give you a lot of placating nonsense, but the reality is that the supply of reasonably okay straight women is much higher than the supply of reasonably okay straight men. Finding a fulfilling long-term relationship is always hard anyway, but man... straight guys really need to step it up.

That said, a lot of people in general and straight guys in particular learn a lot from the breakdown of their first marriage/long-term relationship. Just because a guy is listening to godawful manosphere podcasts today doesn't mean he's never going to be dateable later.

Research on dating apps suggests that your average guy responds to pics where women have a lot of makeup on by looking for a hookup, passes by the ones with no makeup, and finds the ones with a little lipstick or something but not heavy makeup the most dateable.

While it would be nice if appearance didn't matter, if you're really worried about this, there are some basic things you can do where you'll get a lot of bang for your buck: Find one lipstick you can stand and learn to apply it. I like Bésame Cosmetics because I am a nerd and they sponsored a local film noir festival. Peggy Carter's lipstick was from them. They have the advantage of being intensely pigmented, so a quick swipe gives full coverage. I hate having shit on my face in general, so that's helpful. If eye stuff is less bleurgghhhh than lip stuff, learn to apply eyeliner instead. There are some liquid ones I really like even if it takes some practice to get decent at painting them on. You don't need a full face of makeup or really much of anything to read as Hot Girl™ to people who don't know anything about makeup and aren't paying much attention. Yes, even if you're a 4 and it's not just the depression talking.

Charm is hard. Some things can be taught, but a lot of that's innate. Fashion, however, is not. You don't need to be a fashionista to look better than a lot of the people around you. Save your money for fewer, better outfits. Buy things that fit well and get things tailored. Don't settle for ill-fitting clothes that don't make you feel good. Look for natural fibers and clothing that will last a long time. (And if you think you have sensitive skin that cannot handle natural fibers, you need to go up several price points on your cotton. Just saying.)

You can also increase your chances by doing activities where you meet more people who might be a good match. This means finding hobbies that actually have straight guys in them and going to in-person things where you meet new people. (This sounds obvious and pedantic, but I cannot tell you how many women I know who want a boyfriend but only do social things that are 95% women and 5% gay men.)

But the biggest thing you can do to stand out is... well... work on that depression. Self confidence and obviously being in a good place in your life are very attractive. Also, the good catches who haven't been snapped up tend to be the quiet, shy people. If you have your own shit together enough to detect and pursue them, you have a better chance of finding someone great.

I get that ~fix your depression~ is not helpful advice, but working on yourself in both important and relatively superficial ways is something you can control. Meeting the right person is not.

It might help to look at this as a 5-10-year goal and/or a lifetime goal, not a "Oh my god, my life sucks this year" problem. Yes, there's shit going on that you have no control over, but if that's your career and mental health and so on, you can work on that and be in a different place in a few years.

Frankly, I think a certain amount of cynicism is warranted, but that doesn't mean there are no decent guys or that you'll never find one.

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kylieneko · 1 day ago

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Happy birthday and Hogswatch to this post. It's not the most reblogged Discworld quote I've posted, but its had some of the best comments/tags. And I swear it's been reblogged at least once a month since posting, making it the first time the pretentious "let's have this Christmas thing last all year" has actually happened, to my knowledge.

I could post a new quote, but I just feel like these reactions are worth more. You want more Hogfather quotes, read the book -- it's basically quotable from start to finish. Or there's a two-part TV movie adaptation. It's alright, and has this scene, but there's so much that got cut due to simply being unfilmably unadaptable.

@justafterjericho added: #there's no better present than a future #love him love him so much #the best anthropomorphic personification

@lancrewizzard simply #sits and cries a little

@memorijemand wrote: #I barely remember my reading order #but I think hogfather was one of the first discworld books I read in the original english #I do know for certain that “there's no better present than a future” fundamentally changed me as a person

@purgknight said: #Death has legitimately changed my brain chemistry for the better #“THERE'S NO BETTER PRESENT THAN A FUTURE”

@bad-choices-and-femslash has the feels with the rest of us: #this part always makes me cry

@emmalily, who is an abomination unto Nuggan by the way, has an impassioned (and correct) opinion: #this scene is like me getting revenge on the bitch teacher who made us watch the Little Match Girl in 2nd grade #& then tried to tell me ''things like that [unhoused people freezing to death on the street] don't happen anymore!'' #but I knew the truth #there's nothing more infuriating than a grown up condescending a child over something that really matters & is actually true

@anthropomorphique can still find a chuckle nonetheless: #matchstick girl was probably the saddest story I've heard #thank you terry for fixing it #poorer than a disabled banana though😂😂

@milk-powrit joined us for Hogswatch in Grune by adding: #I’m glad death did this #always hated that story #what kind of Christmas story #has someone die at then end? #in no way is that a happy ending #there's no better present than a future

@krbgirl comes in swinging right before the 1 year mark with: #this really is amazing #heaven is not a happy ending #not when it's a literal fucking child

There was a moment of horrible silence as they both stared at the lifetimer. "You're for life, not just for Hogswatch," prompted Albert. "Life goes on, master. In a manner of speaking." BUT THIS IS HOGSWATCHNIGHT. Very traditional time for this sort of thing, I understand," said Albert. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY, said Death. "Ah, well, yes, you see, one of the things that makes folks even more jolly is knowing there're people who ain't," said Albert, in a matter-of-fact voice. "That's how it goes, master, Master?" NO. Death stood up. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULDN'T GO. . . . "You know you're not supposed to do this sort of thing, master. You know what happened last time." THE HOGFATHER CAN DO IT, THOUGH. "But . . . little match girls dying in the snow is part of what Hogswatch spirit is all about, master," said Albert, desperately. "I mean, people hear about it and say, 'We may be poorer than a disabled banana and only have mud and old boots to eat, but at least we're better off than the poor little match girl,' master. It makes them feel happy and grateful for what they got, see." I KNOW WHAT THE SPIRIT OF HOGSWATCH IS, ALBERT. "Sorry, master. But, look, it's all right, anyway, because she wakes up and it's all bright and shining and tinkling music and there's angels, master." Death stopped. AH. THEY TURN UP AT THE LAST MINUTE WITH WARM CLOTHES AND A HOT DRINK? Oh dear, thought Albert. The master's really in one of his funny moods now. "Er. No. Not exactly at the last minute, master, Not as such." WELL? "More sort of just after the last minute." Albert coughed nervously. YOU MEAN AFTER SHE'S-- "Yes. That's how the story goes, master, 's not my fault." WHY NOT TURN UP BEFORE? AN ANGEL HAS QUITE A LOT OF CARRYING CAPACITY. "Couldn't say, master. I suppose people think it's more . . . satisfying the other way . . ." Albert hesitated, and then frowned. "You know, now that I come to tell someone . . ." Death looked down at the shape under the falling snow. Then he set the lifetimer on the air and touched it with a finger. A spark flashed across. "You ain't really allowed to do that," said Albert, feeling wretched. THE HOGFATHER CAN. THE HOGFATHER GIVES PRESENTS. THERE'S NO BETTER PRESENT THAN A FUTURE.

#Happy Hogswatch #GNU Terry Pratchett #Hogfather

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sapphic-agent · 2 days ago

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There's something I've noticed especially since chapter 431 came out and that is that I saw a lot of his stans criticism for making Bakugou centered on Izuku and not giving him his own independence as a character, and I think it's funny because Bakugou's character has the development he has because he's connected to Izuku, if he wasn’t part of Izuku’s story he wouldn't have a narrative arc to develop. Some stans complain about it and even recognize that in the final arc of Bakugou contribution was minimal and he didn't really touch on important themes of the work, remaining only on the surface with the shiny but insignificant moments.

When I talk about his contribution being minimal is that Bakugou doesn't have a villain by himself, partly his development is just learning to play as a team but his final moment with Afo is even pathetic because the villain was already weakened and he’s the final blow (Tokoyami even had a quirk awakening much more powerful than Bakugou), his parallelism with the second user was random because each character at that moment wanted to fight to eliminate AFO, it was forced to bring that parallelism between the two when you have all the characters in the manga trying to do the same and considering that All Might had more power over AFO's emotional out of control than Bakugou himself. I can understand why someone would superficially watch the manga and say that Bakugou has the best ending (before chapter 431 according to his fans), but then you go to his final part and it’s so insignificant compared to the arcs of Shoto (who has his own narrative outside of Izuku), Ochako and her relationship with Toga and even Izuku and Tomura (as mistreated as their character treatment was), Bakugou doesn’t represent any of the main message of the plot and his arc is a redemption, chapter 431 shows Bakugou stagnating because even if it isn’t a big change, the society of heroes no longer needs heroes like him, that is why characters like Ochako, Shoto, Izuku and others have lives outside of heroism or seek to have it because at the end of the day the heroism of today's society is not fights with great threats but what would be more community work, preventing villains from forming because society has different tools than the expulsion of what they see differently (Ochako and her job) or even the initiative of the people around them who would see someone in trouble and try to act.I think there are many things I can criticize Horikoshi for in the entire manga, but I understand that the final message was that society, even slowly, is changing and that the role of heroes is also changing in some aspects (now children want to enter other fields, medicine, technology, etc.), in other words, it isn’t All Might’s era even though there is still a ranking, at least I’m going to recognize that in Horikoshi's ending.

I mean yeah you're pretty spot-on with this.

It's only because of Izuku that Bakugou was given so much exposure in the first place. Not even because of Izuku's own development, just the fact that he's always been there to validate Bakugou's character. Always defending him, always there to shove his "good" traits in our faces, and always there to forgive him. Bakugou's redemption doesn't exist without being heavily reliant on Izuku because Horikoshi failed to take the time to separate him from Izuku.

Bakugou's redemption should have been an easy one. All it needed was him not consistently forcing his victim to be the one to deal with his shit. He constantly makes his problems Izuku's to fix, which just makes him look worse every time he does it. Because he couldn't make the change on his own, everyone- including his victim- did the work for him.

Keeping Bakugou and Izuku separate would have been the best thing for both characters. Bakugou stans are only realizing that now because this time it happened to be Bakugou that got "screwed over," not Izuku

#mha critical #bnha critical #anti bakugou katsuki #anti bakugou stans #izuku deserves better #ask

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lorelune · 23 hours ago

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o4o: extended author's note

🎀 masterlist 🎀

WOW!! i genuinely... genuinely cannot believe i finished this piece 😭 like truly. around a year ago, i was cooking up the idea for an a/b/o collab and to think... almost a year later i have finished my piece :3c

o4o was originally just supposed to be a one shot featuring beloved omega jing yuan and his heat, but the idea expanded into much more fleshed out world, reader and dynamic. i truly never intended to go explicit with the mommy kink but you Know. sometimes things simply occur and you gotta go with the flow!!

omegaverse is so interesting to me in so many ways... the social workings of secondary gender, biology, and the relationships characters can have based on secondary gender too. i've had this very clear vision of scent gland anatomy in my minds eye for literally two years and it felt sooo nice to get it down in part iii for folks to like see. the vision. in o4o there is also this element of queerness that like... cannot exist in the real world! which is very fun and fascinating to me as an author to explore. both reader and jing yuan are omegas and the dynamic they with one and other is inherently informed by their secondary gender, but they express that secondary gender in very different, complimentary ways.

when i was cooking up o4o, i wanted to try and lean away from the reading of a/b/o which boils down to "alpha = stereotypical man" and "omega = stereotypical woman". femininity and masculinity are socially-informed concepts, and thereby change by concept and time, and i really wanted to (and attempted to) keep some amount of like... liminality to their expression. though jing yuan is perceived an alpha by the xianzhou alliance at large (because he is large, strong, and has a commanding presence), this is like... mostly coincidence and fabrication on his part. he cannot help that he is large (a great deal of which is soft omega pudge anyways!! and a slow metabolism adds to it), he's strong due to his lifetime of hard training, and his 'presence' is something he's like... constructed and honed because it is convenient and serves him well.

reader is more genuinely stereotypically in their world (at least what we see of them!!). they're a bit of a weakling, a lot of a crybaby, and very easy to coddle!! more like an omega kit than a grown one to be so real (see why jing yuan takes a liking to you LOL). but there's like embers of reader that distinctly aren't this stereotypical omega. they traveled to the Luofu alone, and settled without a pack or family unit. in part iii, we get a peak into reader's family, and you get a glimpse of reader's family, which is very non-traditional as well. they want to claim bite jing yuan. there's like!! in general lots of playing with perceptions in this piece. it's been very fun. playing with the expected bounds and outside of as well!!!

i DO have a sequel planned, a fun little spanking fic from reader's pov that truly i have been dying to write hehe. getting to do a deep dive on kink like o4o is very fun and like... rewarding. playing the long game on a kink to set up the Brain reasons why the characters involve enjoy it is like... long and hard. but very!!! gratifying. i'm excited to revisit these two, as both crybaby reader and milfy jy have altered my brain chemistry in unknoweable ways <3

finishing this piece would truly. TRULY. not have been possible without the cheering and support of multiple beta readers over each part. my pal honey helped out on parts i and ii and sadly doesn't have a tumblr anymore, but their jy thirsting and thoughts were VITAL!! @harmonydove was such huge help combing through part iii for clarity and cielo (@aimfor-theheart) did a much-needed final read through despite not going to hsr. and. AND!! truly truly TRULY this fic could not survived, lived and thrived with the continued, in-dms support of beloved mermie (@ofmermaidstories). she read this fic as i wrote and listened to my many questions and anxieties as this piece grew and grew. forever grateful. to all of these lovely folks!!!

thank YOU reader. for immersing yourself in this story and its world, and enjoying. truly there is nothing more that i desire as i writer. enjoy this piece this holiday season and be well 💗 🎀 💦

— lore 🩷

#lore loops #lore writes #:'^) lots of me rambling #and being very thankful for the folks who helped me get out this beast of a piece and to those who read as well ❤️#merry christmas and happy holidays loves!!

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abbysimsfun · 1 day ago

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Sims In Bloom: Bella Goth's (Actually Cozy!) Winterfest Celebrations - And a New Ring 💍

Bella Goth loved the holiday season. Even when she was unhappily married to Mortimer for years, she could always get into the Winterfest spirit. She'd always been fascinated by Father Clement, who could seemingly be everywhere at once every Winterfest Night. If families celebrated, he would come. You might even say the inexplicable magic of Father Clement was her gateway to a lifetime studying occults and paranormality.

Now, of course, she was dating the Grim Reaper himself, and to mark the season she prepared a plate of Hallacas - a traditional holiday dish passed down from her Selvadoradian grandmother, Enriqueta, at the request of her beloved sons.

Alexander was grown and had started a family of his own, and Dexter would graduate high school before she knew it (I don't think I've shown a picture of him since he was a toddler, so there he is in the green jacket, looking pretty much nothing like Mortimer). Bella cherished their excitement over the savoury dish - a mainstay at Goth family Winterfests year after year. They knew the best Hallacas in the world were the ones their mother made!

Once Alex and Lydia lit the menorah to introduce their son, Jagger, to another part of his heritage, most of the Goths went to bed. The cats, Spatula and Victory, stayed awake sniffing around the Hallacas, while Bella played and sang a tune on the piano.

She was in a good mood, waiting for her beloved Grim to return from his latest reaping. They didn't get to see one another enough, but they more than made up for time apart each time they came together. "My love," she said warmly. "I adore you. Come in from the cold."

Grim couldn't feel temperatures, exactly, but his entire being buzzed with a fire he hadn't felt for millennia whenever he spent time with Bella. But one thing in particular had always bothered him - her insistence upon wearing the oversized engagement ring from her ex-husband, Mortimer, as a fashion statement.

He'd grown tired of looking at it, quite frankly. "I have a gift for you," he said. She lifted the lid on the medium-sized box with excitement, gasping when she spotted the velvet ring box inside.

"You didn't!"

"I didn't. I asked @deardiaryts4 to design a custom ring just for you. A new fashion statement. I know how much you love her work, and I hope you like it. She did an incredible job, and considering how close it was to Winterfest when I asked her to design it, she pulled it together in no time."

The stunning bauble glistened under the lights of the Winterfest tree at their backs - a massive black diamond set on a white gold band dotted with dozens of smaller black diamonds. "It's incredible, Grimmie, I love it!"

The ring fit Bella like a glove, but they had to cut their cozy celebration short. "Sorry, duty calls," said Grim, before disappearing outside in a cloud of black smoke.

Bella went to bed satisfied though Grim couldn't stay by her side, and she awoke to the excited murmur of Winterfest morning streaming up the stairs.

Soon after breakfast, her daughter Cassandra arrived with her husband, River, and their sons.

Bella made spiced hot cocoa to greet their arrival - another common treat at Goth family holidays - and she pulled out a retro game console Cass and Alex used to play with when they were children, introducing her grandson Michael to the simple, colourful joy of earlier, more pixellated video games.

(I see you plumbob. I've been so good. But the event rewards task box was in the way!)

She even managed to wrangle all nine of them for a family portrait by the tree, and then the family put on some Winter Holiday music to dance off some of their festive energy.

clockwise from top: Dexter Goth, Alexander Goth, Jagger Goth, Lydia (Kim-Lewis) Goth, Cassandra (Goth) Nesbitt, Bella Goth holding Samuel Nesbitt, River Nesbitt, Michael Nesbitt

(Jagger also needed a diaper change, so dance party done.)

These moments with her family, surrounded by the love of her children and grandsons, meant everything to Bella.

But Grim, and the gorgeous ring she wore as a symbol of their love, meant something, too. As she grooved with her family by the fire and spent time with her beloved crow, Obsidian, this cozy celebration reminded Bella she was one of the luckiest women in the world.

Cozy Celebrations posts with Hazel & Nicola: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Nicola Enters Dating Deanna

NOTE: I didn't give this installment a part number because it's not technically canon but IS canon, if that makes sense. The ring is real and the portraits are going on the wall, but Michael, Samuel, and Jagger are all older than they were during in-game Winterfest (and aging them back down meant trying to pose infants through a couch - which I can do but I didn't wanna!) But I allude to the idea that the holidays come around every year, even though it's actually closer to every 15 years of actual game time. A sim year is 8 days, but the calendar year is 112 days because I like to fit in as many holidays as I can. So last year Cassandra, River, Michael, and Samuel were with the Nesbitts, but "this year" they rotated to the Goths, because I absolutely needed a family photo with them in it.

I know the Hazel/Nic play on Cozy Celebrations turned out to be the complete opposite, so this is like a palate cleanser, finishing the last two days of the event tasks with another side family in this legacy, instead. Not everyone's out here having a bad time!

WCIF Bella's ring? You can't, I'm sorry! This post came about because I got an exclusive and it's gorgeous, but @deardiaryts4-rb posted about the white diamond version here, and let this be my endorsement that it's stunning! If she puts either swatch up for public download I highly recommend this ring for any of your luxe sims! Thank you Zen!!

WCIF Portrait Poses? I used 9 of 19 poses from @somneasims Our Legacy posepack, and with the exception of River giving jazz hands where that would be behind another sim's back and a missing infant on Michael's lap, it's a perfect fit! And these are so minor, like it's absolutely acceptable to give jazz hands or look like you're fidgeting in a family photo. Also, Dexter should be carrying an infant, but River's hair disguises his empty hands. Thank you for sharing this, I love the results!

(And yes I considered adding Mortimer and Karl since he and Bella are on such good terms, but in the end I decided they went on a vacation because this shot is wonderful.)

And I've used the same acha-sims' Lovers 2 pose for Grimbella before, but it's so perfect and really puts the ring front and centre, which this post deserved!

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venusdeluxe · 2 days ago

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I've had so many usernames over the years I can't quite remember where all of them came from, but I have like a basic history of the main ones I used. My YouTube channel's name used to be Mardrik10 when I first made it. It was just a combination of my name and Mario lol. Just Mardrik was taken so I added the 10 cus it felt like nice number to stick on the end of it and also I might've been 10 years old?? Later I wanted to get rid of the number, but simply Mardrik felt too simple so I made it McMardrik, which sounded better in my head than it was when people actually read it. Then again a few years later I wanted a change, but I wanted to get rid of the Mardrik name entirely. I recalled how I'd often told people at school that I'm actually from Mars and decided to base it on that. I experimented a bit with McMartian, but I didn't like how that sounded. Eventually I landed on MartianDeluxe or MartianDX. Deluxe just seemed like a cool word and Kirby Triple Deluxe was a game I liked, and I was happy with how it looked when written down. That was my name for years and often people around me on Discord and stuff would just shorten it to Mars so I shortened it like myself too. At some point tho, my struggles with my gender identity caught up with me once again, as it always does, and I wanted to change it again to something that felt less masculine to me. I wanted to retain some continuity tho so Venus seemed like the most elegant option and that's where I'm at today! My YouTube channel is still named MartianDX cus… I dunno, I guess I just wanted to keep it that way. Everywhere else though I'm some variation of Venus.

But that's just one evolutionary path of mine, I've had many other names before and during this time and I won't share all of em lol. On Club Penguin and Roblox and YouTube I had several accounts as I was constantly trying to reinvent myself. I had a period where I was just making up new YouTube accounts with new usernames all the time as I wanted to find some kinda subject or gimmick to base myself around as a YouTube. Most of those I never made a single video for, but on MartianDX I made videos on for a couple years. I don't remember if most of them are private or unlisted or if more of them are public than I realized, but most of them are still there atleast. I know for a fact the first YouTube account I made was one I made at school with the username GreenTheHedghog (I didn't know how to spell hedgehog), but I haven't been able to find and it probably doesn't exist anymore. Mars and Venus sometimes feels like my name more than Fredrik does. I don't even have a particular dislike of that name, I just ingrained myself in my lil communities online that it felt like my real life more than anything. Is that a good or bad thing? You can decide.

Alr, friendship interaction thing!

What is your online alias? How did you get it?

I'll go first, I'm Vice and I got my alias from a Will Wood song (2econd2ight2eer, specifically "Vice versa, vice versus virtue")

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erosjournal · 2 days ago

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☆ it's the most wonderful time of the year !

~ leo valdez x jason grace (minor piper mclean x reyna avila ramirez-arellano, and other ships)

~ synopsis : leo really loves christmas , yet jason never really got the chance to celebrate . leo hopes to make this the best first christmas for his boyfriend.

~ tw(s) : none ! just a little mix of angst and fluff !

~ posts that clear stuff up : traveling back and forth , two homes , deleted scene

It was December 1st, the crisp holiday air filled New Rome. Jason had invited Leo over for a walk to get some coffee (hot cocoa for Leo) and just talk. They'd been dating for 4 months and Leo wouldn't have it any other way.

"Jase, how's it been here in New Rome?" Leo asked, wrapping an arm around Jason's jacketed arm and sipping his cocoa. Jason cleaned his glasses, the steam from his coffee blurring his vision.

"It's been okay," He glanced over to Leo, kissing his hair. "Missed you a lot," Leo snorted, nuzzling into Jason's jacket.

"I've missed you too, Wolfy," He laughed. Jason smiled. Leo being happy was his favorite thing ever, he'd trade anything to see it over and over again. Leo glanced around New Rome. The street was flaking with frost, snow threatening to fall.

"So, Jase, what's Christmas like here? I mean, you've been here, like, your whole life, right?" Leo asked. Jason seemed to hesitate, his lip scar twitching.

"Well..." Leo raised an eyebrow. Jason scratched his neck. "I was never really able to celebrate any holiday here, since I was always busy in Camp Jupiter or off on a quest. Never got a holiday break," He joked, but Leo's smile faltered.

"You never got to take a break during the winter?" He asked quietly. Leo couldn't imagine that. Christmas was his favorite time of year. During Thanksgiving, he would have to spend hours being ridiculed by family. While during Christmas, it would be just him and his mom. She'd use whatever money she made to get him a little something as a gift, and they'd go together to the library to rent a holiday movie. The Santa Clause was always his favorite.

Jason shrugged and stopped walking. Leo frowned.

"Well, that we can't have that." He argued. Jason laughed but Leo kept his upset face on. He was determined for Jason to have the best winter of his life.

The first day, Leo decided to take his boyfriend shopping. He pulled Jason into a nearby shop, close to their apartment, which was decorated inside and out with christmas decor.

"Here, let's get some decorations for the apartment, and some sweaters!" He grinned, noticing a wide collection of cute and ugly christmas sweaters. Jason eyed them uneasily and frowned.

"Why would we waste money on this?" He asked. Leo tsked him and smiled.

"It's a silly mortal tradition, buying ugly sweaters." He taught, looking through them. "Though, some of these are too ugly." He scrunched his nose at a bright green one with glowing red lights and bells. Jason chuckled.

"Well, we bought matching sweaters in October, let's get some holiday themed ones." He helped Leo sift through them and stumbled upon a blue one with a snowman and snowflakes, and a brown one with a red hot cocoa mug. Leo looked over and his eyes widened.

"Let's get those!" He yelped. Jason sighed as Leo pulled them off the rack and dragged him towards the cashier, which on their way there, Leo bought as many christmas lights and other decor he could grab. They bought them and went back outside in the chilly air.

"Okay. Well, I bought the brown one in my size and the blue one in yours," Leo informed, shoving the brown one over his head. Jason rolled his eyes and unzipped his jacket, daintily placing it on the frosty ground before putting his own matching sweater on. Once they were done, Leo insisted on taking a picture on his demigod-safe phone ("I made them originally for emergency contact, but Chiron doesn't need to know...").

Leo looked at it, grinning. He immediately changed it to his lock screen, Jason chuckling at how sweet his boyfriend was. He pulled Leo close and kissed his forehead.

"You're so cute," He teased. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I know, what's new?"

The next day, Leo took Jason ice skating. Leo was actually decently good, for being a demigod whose powers were literally quite the opposite. Jason wobbled a bit on the ice, very hesitant.

"How are you so good?" He asked nervously, frowning. Leo held Jason's arm as he tried to help him get off the wall. His glasses would fog up and Leo thought he was really cute like that.

"My mom taught me when I was younger. Since she liked ice skating, I learned how to so I could skate with her." Jason nodded, trembling a bit. "Here, hold my hands." Leo adjusted so he was skating backwards and Jason was being pulled forwards. Jason still wobbled on the ice, but got the hang of it after a bit. With Leo's guidance, he was able to glide (hesitantly) along the rink by himself.

"Whoo! Look at you, Grace!" Leo teased, watching as Jason pushed along the rink... then fell. Leo broke into laughter before going over and helping him up.

"Don't ever say a WORD about this again, Valdez." Jason flushed, frowning. Leo just doubled over, laughing harder.

A few days later, Leo and Jason were in their apartment in New Rome. They had decided to start decorating for the holidays. Jason helped Leo reach the higher spots on the walls to stick up tinsel and the paper snowflakes they'd cut. Leo was wearing Jason's blue sweater and Jason was wearing Leo's tank top. There were little nicked fire markings on it.

"Hey, Jase," Leo said, his tongue sticking out as he reached on his tip toes. "Can you help stick this up?" He turned and Jason was sorting through a box of other decor. He looked up.

"Hmm? Sure," He walked over and started to take the item out of Leo's hand, who shook his head.

"No, no. Can you pick me up?" He asked, grinning ear to ear. Jason sighed, blushing, but complied. He wrapped his arms around Leo's waist and picked him up, their feet hovering. Leo giggled. "Okay, up higher." Leo commanded. Jason just did as he was told, moving up and down, left and right, wherever Leo asked him to.

When they were finally done, they sat on the couch, looking at the walls covered in decor. Leo smiled, laying against Jason's chest. They'd turn on the fireplace, which was crackling softly in the background.

"We did a pretty good job, Jase." He sighed into the thin cloth of his shirt. Jason smiled and ruffled Leo's hair.

"Yes we did." He responded, smiling. He placed a kiss in Leo's hair as the sun started to set.

"JASE! DON'T FORGET TO PUT ON A JACKET!" Leo yelled from the door, wearing overalls and a sweater. He probably should've worn something more, but the cold hadn't gotten to him yet. He shoved on his work boots, which were also snow/water repellent, and stepped outside. It was chilly, but not enough for Leo to need some more warmth. Jason was good at that too though, a big, cuddly, warm guy.

They were staying at CHB for the time being, since Jason and Leo were going to hang out with Piper and Reyna, along with Percy and others, for the holidays. They'd all been hanging out since the pair had gotten to camp, but Piper had left to visit her dad for a bit.

So now Leo had Jason all to himself again. He took a step on the porch and it left deep, melted prints. Leo looked at it then shrugged, continuing to walk until he got down the stairs and onto the grass. Usually it didn't snow at camp, but Chiron had let the campers enjoy some seasonal weather every now and then. And now that the holidays were right around the corner, the campers had gotten him to let some snow in.

"Uh, Leo?" Leo blinked out of his thoughts about boot prints and turned around. He stifled a laugh. Jason was wearing his sweater, along with a bulky/puffy white jacket, a red scarf, a beanie, and gloves. And some boots. Leo couldn't hold it in longer. He laughed and Jason frowned. "Hey, that's not nice! I'm trying to stay warm!" He argued. Leo walked back over to him and kissed his rosy cheeks.

"Sorry, mon amour, you just--" He broke into a fit of giggles again, Jason's cheeks flushed from the cold and now embarrassment. After Leo calmed down, he walked back inside. He grabbed a much thinner but fleece lined jacket, and took it out to Jason. "Wear this instead, alright?" He shrugged as Jason swapped out the jackets, looking much less restricted in it.

"Thanks," He shrugged sheepishly. Leo smirked.

"I know, I'm the best," He grinned. Before Jason could respond to the comment, his hand was grabbed by Leo's. He started running down the porch, down the stairs, and into the middle of the field of snow. There were a few campers who were playing in it, running around, or taking walks. Then Leo had an idea.

"We should make a snowman!" He exclaimed. Jason cocked his head.

"A what?"

"Snowman! Look," Leo started packing some snow together with his hands, which kept melting. He frowned and it was Jason's turn to laugh.

"Let me try, love," Jason balled up some snow in his hands, and held it up. Leo watched him, mesmerized at how Jason would smooth out each bump, lump, or scruff. It was perfectly round. Leo blinked

"Yeah--Yeah that's good, uh," He blushed, embarrassed that Jason might've noticed him staring at his hands. "Anyways, now we roll it through the snow." Jason complied, rolling the snow ball on the ground. Leo smirked as Jason would be amazed at how much snow the ball collected, becoming larger and larger. Finally, it was about the size of Leo's head.

"Like this?" Jason asked, patting the ball. Leo nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah! Okay, now we need to make two more--"

"What!?" He exclaimed. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we have to make 2 more and then we stack them, like a man made up of snow!" Leo grinned. Jason sighed.

"Leo, I don't think I can make two more, especially bigger ones." Leo pouted. Jason frowned. So Leo fell behind the ball and grabbed a chunk of snow, chucking it at Jason.

"Snowball fight it is then!" He jokingly yelled, Jason ducking the melted snow only by a milisecond. He stood there startled, then his competitive side kicked in.

"Oh, you're on Leo!"

~~~

"What are they doing?" Percy asked, looking out of his cabin, watching Leo and Jason throw snow at each other. Annabeth took a long sip of her tea, sighing. "I thought they were snowball fighting, but Leo's snow is melted and Jason's is... too perfect." Annabeth raised her eyebrows, still sipping her drink.

"They're flirting." Percy looked over at her, looking confused.

"Are you sure?" Percy asked. Annabeth nodded.

"Yeah, they're gay. That's how they do it." She teased, a smirk sneaking on her face.

Leo was sitting in the apartment, wearing Jason's sweater and shorts. He held a cup of cocoa in his hands, which stayed warm since he kept reheating it. He'd lit candles and was now laying on the couch, waiting patiently for his boyfriend to come back home.

Jason had said he was going to pick something up from the stores before heading home, and it was becoming late fast.

Little Festus, or Festie as Leo called him, came bounding into the room. Leo sat up and smiled, scratching him behind the ears.

"Hey boy!" He giggled. Leo had created a smaller body for Festus to live in. He'd connected the mind of Festus and "Festie", so they both had the same memories and thoughts, it was just so he could stay with Jason and Leo in their apartment sometimes. The bigger Festus would usually be asleep in Bunker 9 when this happened.

Festie jumped on the couch, nuzzling Leo. The cold bronze shocked Leo, but he just kept cuddling his dragon while trying to keep the cocoa from spilling. "I hope Jason's safe," He mumbled.

As if on cue, Jason opened the door. His glasses were foggy and his breath was short. He carried a bag that seemed to be filled. He looked at Leo and Festie on the couch, grinning.

"Hey, mon amour!" Jason exclaimed, taking off his snowy shoes. Leo smiled, getting off the couch with Festie bounding at his feet. He walked over to Jason and kissed him.

"Hello Jase," He smiled. He helped him take off his jacket and tried to take a sneak peak into the bag while talking to Jason. "What took you so long? Festie and I were starting to get worried,"

"Oh, don't worry, I got something real special!" He promised. After they finished putting away his snow gear, he held Leo's hand and pulled him to the couch. Leo sat there, waiting impatiently.

"Well," Jason started. "You told me how you and your mom would go to the library to rent movies, so I got some for us," He opened his bag, showing the stack of DVDs sitting inside. Leo raised his eyebrows, pawing through them. Jason watched him nervously. "I just thought it'd be something sweet, you know?" Leo looked up, tears pooling in his eyes.

"Jase, you sap," He leaned in and kissed him tenderly. He sat back, trying not to cry. "You remembered."

"Of course I did. I love you." Jason smiled, pulling a specific movie out of the bag. "And I got The Santa Clause, I know it's your favorite," He blushed. Leo's heart just melted farther. He just stared at it and broke into tears, Jason pulled him into a hug as he cried. Leo felt so loved. Jason remembered the little things about him? That was something he couldn't get around his head.

Once he'd calmed down, Jason went to put the DVD in the player. When he got back to the couch, Leo nuzzled on his chest and Jason pulled a blanket over their laps. Festie jumped besides them and rested on the neighboring couch cushion.

"I love you Jason."

"I love you too, okay Leo?"

Jason inspected the tree, frowning. He was hovering ever so slightly off the ground, the way he did when he was intently focused. Leo watched him and rolled his eyes.

"Jase, I'm sure the tree's fine." He assured his boyfriend. Jason shook his head, still looking it up and down.

"It's just not right! See, this part's missing too many branches, and there's not enough foliage here..." Jason responded, using his hand to puff up parts of the branch. Leo sighed.

"It doesn't have to be perfect, mon amour." He promised. Jason didn't believe him.

"No, it does! If we're going to be doing Christmas the right way, it needs to be perfect." He complained. Leo just gently tugged on Jason's sleeve, causing him to come back to the ground and break his attention away from the tree.

"Jason, listen to me." He said, pulling Jason's head so they were touching their foreheads together. "It's okay. It doesn't have to be perfect, alright? I promise you, I'll love it even if it isn't perfect." Leo muttered between them. Jason closed his eyes, sighing.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Leo shook his head.

"Hey, don't be, okay? I get it, my mom would always have to remind me that I didn't have to get the most perfect thing for her. As long as we both loved it." He kissed Jason's nose. "Do you like the tree? Besides all the imperfections? I think that it makes it more like an actual tree, and not something cookie cutter."

"I mean, I guess. It's kinda pretty like that." Leo nodded. He stood up right and held Jason's chilled hands in his own.

"Yeah, it is. Plus, we can cover the more messy bits with even more ornaments!" Leo exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. Jason sighed a laugh, smiling at his overly excited boyfriend.

"Yeah, you're right. But I think we should keep it uncovered. Reminds us that we don't need to be perfect to be chosen, right?" Leo nodded.

"Yep! Okay, hold on," He dashed off, looking for the owner of the tree farm. "Sir! Sir! Yes! We'd like that one!"

"Oh yes, thank you Mrs. Jackson!" Jason thanked. Leo held his hand, trying to listen in on the conversation over the phone. Jason used his height to his advantage, straining away. "Yes, that sounds great. Again, thank you!" He put the landline down and Leo practically jumped with impatience.

"Jase! What was that about?" He exclaimed, Jason chuckling.

"Calm your horses, love." He kissed his forehead. "Mrs. Jackson and Percy have invited us over to their Christmas family dinners, and the whole Argos 2 crew will be there. Plus Nico and Reyna." He informed Leo and his face glowed with excitement.

"Wait, really! Oh gods! I haven't been at a family dinner in such a long time," He jumped for joy. Jason enjoyed seeing his boyfriend so happy.

"Yup! And it's a potluck, so we have to bring something."

"Don't worry Jase, I got that all figured out! Just change into something... nice but not too fancy." He dashed off then slowly walked back. "Do you think we can bring Festie?"

~~~

Jason and Leo stood nervously at the door of the Jackson residence, both wearing their sweaters and slacks. Jason held the plate of tacos and Leo held Festie's leash. He squeezed the hands they held between them two.

The door opened and the face of Percy Jackson popped out. He was wearing a bright red shirt with Rudolph on it, holding his sister on his hip. "You guys made it!" He grinned. Jason nodded.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He smiled, squeezing Leo's hand. Leo adjusted his bag, full of mini supplies for Festie, along ear plugs. He and Jason both had their own pair, but he wasn't super concerned since it was a group of 9 kids with neurodivergent tendancies.

"Thank you again, for inviting us," Leo reminded, Percy grinned larger.

"Of course! You guys are welcome here anytime," He opened the door larger so the two (three, if you include Festie) could walk in. It was average size for an apartment, but seemed smaller with the sheer amount of people that were there. Most people were on the couches, talking happily about something. They looked up and greeted the two boys.

Percy lead them towards the table in the kitchen, piled up with food.

"You guys can leave your food here," He said, moving some things to make space. Jason settled it down and they followed Percy back out. Before they even left the kitchen, Piper was up on her feet, jumping to hug them both.

"I've missed you," She cried, squeezing them both extremely tight. Jason couldn't breathe and Leo giggled.

"Me too, Pipes." He mumbled back into her shoulder. After a minute, she finally stood back, looking at the mini dragon. She crouched, petting it's smooth metal.

"Who's this cutie?" Leo looked smug, happy to brag about his child/dragon any day.

"Festie! He's basically a mini Festus with the same chip." He announced, grinning happily. Jason kissed his cheek. He always thought Leo was adorable when he was talking about his creations.

Reyna walked over, holding a glass with something in it (Jason assumed wine at first, then remembered they're 17/18 year old's in America).

"Hey, guys, wanna come join our spot? You guys also should probably get some food," They said, handing a glass to Jason. He eyed it uneasily. "Apple cider with a little bit of nectar," Reyna assured, taking a sip of their own drink. Jason nodded and drank some. It tasted sweet due to the apple juice, and the nectar made it taste all the better. It reminded him of Leo's hot cocoa stained lips.

After a bit of chatting, Leo headed to the kitchen to get him and Jason a plate, while Reyna and Piper took Jason and Festie to the couches. There sat Hazel, Frank, Nico (and Will), Annabeth, Percy, and of course, Reyna and Piper. They all seemed very excited to have everyone together.

Leo came back and Jason rested his head on Leo's shoulder. Leo knew Jason struggled with social interaction sometimes, especially in a huge setting, but he didn't care. He loved his boyfriend and he'd do anything to keep him comfortable. One thing about Leo was that he had anxiety mostly around Percy. Talking to anyone else was either borderline scary or chill, but Percy gave him the most nerves. Specifically because of his blow up after the whole New Rome incident.

Leo did most of the social interaction for them. Jason would occasionally talk to the group, but would go back to enjoying just resting on Leo. After everyone had eaten, they went around sharing stories from their travels and munched on dessert.

"Jason," Leo whispered. Jason looked up.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to have dessert?" Jason saw the rest of the group eating a Christmas log cake. Honestly, Jason had forgotten how exhausting it was to be in a big group like this. And he loved hanging out with them, it was just that sometimes he found it hard. He nuzzled deeper into Leo's neck, shaking his head. Leo nodded.

"Hey guys," He informed the group. "I'm feeling a bit tired, so Jason and I are gonna head off early, is that alright?" The group nodded, saying their goodbyes and the two headed out the door.

Once they got back home, Leo hugged Jason.

"Hey, everything alright?" He asked. Jason nodded, kissing Leo's forehead.

"Just tired. My social battery wasn't ready for all that." Leo nodded. He got that. He kissed Jason back.

"Oh. No problem. Should we cuddle up and watch something? Head to bed?" Jason shook his head.

"How about we make hot cocoa and talk?" Jason offered. Leo smiled, nodding. Jason used to not like hot cocoa that much, but he did after Leo started drinking and making it constantly at their place(s).

"Sure. Go change, I'm gonna boil the milk." Leo moved towards the kitchen and Jason went to his room to change. In their apartment, there were 3 bedrooms. One for Leo, one for Jason, and one for a guest. They usually slept in each other's room, but each had their own just in case they needed some space.

Jason came back in Leo's tank-top and blue pajama pants. He wrapped his arms around Leo as he made the cocoa, which caused him to giggle.

"Jase! You wanna try some?" Leo held up the spoon, which Jason took a sip from. He smiled in approval. Leo poured two mugfuls, with Jason still around his waist, and put whipped cream on his. Jason didn't like whipped cream, but who was Leo to judge?

They sat down on the couch, sipping their drinks. The night was young but neither of them were tired. They enjoyed hanging out with the whole 7, but sometimes it was difficult. It brought back a lot of bad memories along with the good ones. They were fighting for their lives most of the time, anyways.

"I'm sorry I left you to talk for us two," Jason offered. Leo looked surprised. He shook his head.

"No, it's fine! I love talking to people!" He grinned. Jason nodded. Leo had whipped cream on his nose, which Jason wiped off.

They kept talking about their fond memories of their days on the Argos 2, the hardships and the ones that made them laugh.

They talked until the next morning, in which they fell asleep on the couch, cocoa spilled on the floor.

And finally it was Christmas eve. Leo and Piper had forced Jason and Reyna to stay up with them that night, looking for Santa Claus.

"Pipes, he isn't real--" Reyna attempted before Jason shot a hand over their mouth. He squinted.

"Last time I said that, they threatened to put me on the roof for reindeer scouting duty," He whispered. He looked back at Reyna. "Seriously. I'm doing you a favor."

They sighed, peeling Jason's hand off of their mouth, and kept it shut.

Leo and Piper were giggling, thinking they were so sneaky kneeling under the kitchen table. Across from them, Jason and Reyna were sitting behind the couch.

"Does this happen every year?" Jason shrugged at Reyna. They both were going through Christmas activities with their respective partners for the first time.

"Apparently we-- they did this at Wilderness School too." He sighed. Nothing happened for a while, just Leo and Piper going through a sugar crash from being on cocoa and candy canes.

Jason looked at Reyna, putting a finger over his lips. Then he closed his eyes, and snapped. They heard yelping over from Piper and Leo's side, squealing from excitement. Reyna looked over the couch to see what they were so interested in. Snow fell through the chimney, leaving... were those footprints? Reyna rubbed their eyes to make sure they weren't asleep or sleep deprived and hallucinating.

Nope, they were there.

"Jason?" They whispered. He smirked.

"Keeps us from staying up all night." Reyna nodded slowly and sympathetically, not possibly being able to fathom staying up for some fictional housebreaker.

They heard shuffling and giggling, Leo and Piper crawling out from their hiding spot to look at the chimney. The cookies and carrots were gone. All four looked up as footprints were heard on the roof. As always, Piper and Leo tried to rush out to get a glimpse, but never could.

"One day we'll get him," Piper announced, Leo nodding alongside her.

"Yeah! We won't give up!" They high-fived while Jason snicked softly under his breath. Leo and Piper went back to the chimney, observing and plotting for next year. Reyna tapped Jason's shoulder as the two moved to the couch.

"How'd you do it? The cookies and the hoof-prints?" They asked, raising an eyebrow. The snow was something simple Jason could do, but the other aspects confused them. He smirked.

"I had Tempest go and walk on the roof, while I use a little wind to get the treats to go up the chimney. I'll get them tomorrow." He said matter-of-factly. Reyna looked surprised. They couldn't believe how planned out Jason was.

"That's... kinda cool."

"I know right? I told Annabeth and Nico and they both want my help to prank Percy and Will."

"I wanna see that."

"Let's go do it!"

Reyna had wanted to stay with them and open gifts, but had some urgent last minute work to do at Camp Jupiter. So they said their goodbyes.

Leo, Piper, and Jason sat in a circle, gifts in their laps. The tree in Leo and Jason's living space had piles upon piles of gifts, but Piper and Leo had a tradition. They would always opened each other's first, and now Jason joined their bubble.

"Pipes, open mine first!" Leo exclaimed, handing over his gift for her. Piper laughed, sighing.

"Yes, yes, repair boy. I'll do yours first." She took the wrapped box out of his hands. She started peeling the paper back slowly, trying to pull out the anticipation of the gift.

"Hurry!" Leo exclaimed. Jason sighed and rubbed Leo's shoulder.

"Calm down, love," Jason assured. Piper snickered and finally opened the gift. She gasped.

Inside was a glass flower lamp, one which had a steam that could twist and turn to the owner's liking. Leo had been working on it for a while, practicing glass techniques to make it work just right. Even Jason helped, keeping the electricity in the lamp ever going. The petals were a watercolor pink and the bulb a soft yellow center. Piper blinked back tears.

"You remembered..." She whispered. Leo smiled nervously, shrugging.

"Of course. It's not perfect... but," He shouldered her. "You're my best friend. And my sister."

Wilderness School was not for the faint of heart. The place wouldn't let the kids celebrate holidays. The only permitted one was Christmas. This was when all of the kids were excused from classes and were taken to the snow, by bus, to play. That had been Piper's first time seeing snow. Then they'd head back to the school and get "gifts". These usually consisted of minor things, such as a piece of candy, or a stuffed animal. The kids wouldn't dare complain anyways.

When Christmas was just around the corner, the staff had left Leo and Piper on recycling duty. While Leo was sifting through the stack of old newspapers, Piper was sitting on a box reading a catalogue. It was the kind that stores would leave on door steps and kids would circle their favorite items in hopes of getting them for Christmas.

"Leo," Piper said suddenly, causing Leo to look up from his work.

"Hm?"

"Look," Leo stepped over and looked over her shoulder, noticing the beautifully crafted glass flower lamp. It was a pretty shade of pink, something Piper was definitely interested in.

"Wow." He muttered. Piper nodded. She looked up at him.

"When we leave, we should get one!" She announced. Leo smiled fondly.

"We? Pipes, I ain't got that kind of money! Plus, you're the one with the super rich dad," He teased. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Whatever!" She looked back at the lamp. "Just... promise me we'll be friends long enough to buy it?" Leo hesitated. He pressed a kiss on her head.

"Of course." He bit his lip. "When we leave, right?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "When we leave."

After their fond sibling moments, Piper opened her gift from Jason, Chappell Roan CD's, and it was Leo's turn.

"Shit, I should've gotten you something better," Piper laughs, rubbing her eyes. Leo shook his head.

"The fact that you got me something is all that matters, alright?" He opens her gift, revealing a wrench that had been painted pink and had hello kitty stickers. Leo chuckled. "I actually needed a new one of these," Piper grinned.

"I know. I asked Jason," Leo looked over at Jason, who was flushing a light red. He laughed, and kissed Jason's cheek.

"Sweet." He started opening Jason's gift, who seemed very nervous about it.

"I'm sorry if it's bad," He muttered. Leo shook his head, still peeling away the paper at the small gift.

"No, no don't say that Jase. I bet I'll love it." He opened it, his eyes gleaming as they reflected off of the Celestial Bronze surface. In his palm was a fidget spinner. It was heavy, made mostly out of (what Leo guessed) Celestial Bronze and... Imperial Gold? He weighed it. Yup. It was painted dark red, with fire emblems on it. Leo smiled, looking up at Jason.

"You got this for me?" Leo asked softly. Jason blushed, suddenly very interested in a loose thread from his pajama pants. Jason shrugged.

"I asked Nyssa and Harley to, um, help me make it..." Jason mumbled. Leo smiled softly, blushing just as hard. He lunged and hugged Jason, who was very startled by the attack.

I love you. Leo tapped on his shoulder. Sometimes they did that, when someone else was there or they felt too shy to speak it. Jason smiled, and tapped back on Leo's shoulder.

After their hug, Jason went about opening his gifts. First from Piper, another world traveling booklet. Jason had been very interested in traveling the world, especially since he'd only traveled by 1. Dragon and 2. Flying Boat. He'd wanted to explore more, and live the childhood that he never got to.

Then Leo's gift. He opened the bag, which was stained with soot fingerprints, and found an animatronic wolf. It was much smaller than Festie, about the size of his forearm, but it was beautiful. It had silver and gold metals in it, its eyes sapphires. Jason looked up at Leo, who was grinning and nervously biting his nails.

"Leo..." He blinked back tears, trying not to cry. "I love it." He leaned over and hugged Leo, then pulled Piper in. "I love you guys so much."

"We love you too," Piper and Leo said in response, smiling sadly.

They stayed hugging for a bit, just enjoying the company of each other.

Piper left to go back to visit her father. Leo and Jason were back at camp to celebrate with other campers. With Festie their new animatronic wolf pet, they walked around camp.

It was chilly and empty, people heading home for the holidays to spend time with family. Frost flaked the ground. Leo squeezed Jason's hand, smiling up at his boyfriend. They were both drinking cocoa.

"So," He started. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"How are you liking Christmas?" Leo asked, his eyes sparkling. Jason felt his face melt into a smile.

"I enjoy it a lot." He kissed Leo's forehead. "As long as I get to spend it with you every year." He teased. Leo nodded.

"Of course, Superman. Wouldn't dream of anything else."

Once they got to Jason's cabin, because it was very cold and Leo wanted to cuddle up, they spotted a couple Demeter and Hecate kids.

"What are they up to?" Leo asked, watching them snicker and giggle. Jason looked up. Then he started blushing.

"I-- uh--" Leo cocked an eyebrow, looking up. Oh.

A mistletoe grew from the entrance, green and leafy with little red fruit. It seemed to glow with magic. Leo looked over at the kids, who must've grown it, and rolled his eyes. He held Jason's hands, looking into his boyfriends eyes.

"Well, we gotta stick to traditions, right?" He said, smirking. Jason flushed harder, nodding. Leo grinned and pulled Jason close, kissing him softly. It felt amazing. Sparks of warmth fluttered inside of them. Leo heard the kids whooping, but couldn't care less. He was with Jason. His Jason. The boy who loved him.

Leo stood back, his face flushed and his lips red. Jason looked similarly.

"Well," Jason stammered. "I think this Christmas has been a success," Leo nodded, smiling.

"Me too. Merry Christmas, Jason!"

"Merry Christmas, Leo!"

~ an : aaaaah !! i finally finished this !! this has been in the drafts for like, 3 months and i finally got to work on this !!!! this has been a blast and i am sososososos happy with it !! i think its a cute concept and i love christmas sm and valgrace and alsfjlaskdjf !! i hope you enjoyed this just as much :DDD (i dont have much to say abt this, js i really liked this hehe) 4.5 k words !!!!

ty to everyone who read my silly yaps abt this and voted on the poll!!

i love you all so much, and merry christmas + happy holidays!!!

tag list : @writerthatarts , @ros-amoebas , @emofloofchild

#☆ eros journal entry #valgrace #valgrace fic #valgrace fanfiction #valgrace fanfic #hoo fanfic #valgrace christmas fic #christmas fanfic #leo x jason #jason x leo #leo valdez x jason grace #jason grace x leo valdez #guys pls ignore the tags lmao

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