#tia magpie

[articskele]

Silly Cedric fun facts :3

He tends to add little questions at the ends of sentences, for lack of a better word? Like "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

His favorite MLP ponies are Rarity and Octavia!

His favorite Animal Crossing villager is Tia!

He likes foxes!

Salt and vinegar chip enjoyer

There's a magpie that likes to sit in the window and watch whatever he's doing. He named it Parable ouo

Mad that watermelon flavored stuff tastes nothing like watermelons >:C

His favorite soda is Dr Pepper

Drags his feet and sighs the most overdramatic sighhhh when there's a task he doesn't wanna do

Awkwardly steps around puddles and mud and refuses to touch anything dirty- Sometimes he wears these dainty little white gloves and everything

HE WOULD DO THIS

He really likes this himbo from a shitty obscure dating sim that he and Mel decided to play one day

Cedric the type of rapscallion to go "Don't mind if I do" before taking a cookie

[aetherstories]

Some days were good days. Some days were not so good days. And some days were just absolutely abysmal days where the Miqo'te felt like he was more a burden than a boyfriend.

From bumping into things to aether sickness, to his whittling knife slipping and cutting his hand to something as simple as messing up a form during his training, it felt to him like it was a succession of bad luck from start to finish. The guilt he felt at how the relationship felt so one-sided was mounting.

Rhika was supportive every step of the way, and by the gods if Maru didn't want to do something to thank him.

Nothing ever felt like it would be enough though.

Given what he'd endured in the name of being the Warrior of Light, one might think he was entitled to every bit of support he received and owed nothing but that wasn't Maru.

So with his hand taped up, his pride bruised and his stomach rolling, he'd gone in search of something, anything that might be able to suggest the depth of his gratitude to his fellow Miqo'te. But of course there was no such thing.

That evening, showing uncharacteristic disinterest in his food, he finally admitted to his folly.

"I know," he replied to gentle cajoling into eating though he still didn't move to do so. "It's just... I tried to find a gift to say thank you. There aren't words enough to describe how much I've needed you and you've been there for every moment of it. But there wasn't anything I could find that said thank you enough."

There was something in Maru's mind, beside what was now in his hand, and yet Rhika didn't prod. It was a close call, in two different occasions, but he held back. He trusted his boyfriend enough to believe that if it was important, either he'd learn of it at some point or it would make a whole through some building. So, when Maru was ready to tell him, he believed he would.

And so the day went by, and Rhika shelved his worries to a corner of his mind in which they wouldn't hinder his ability to take care of what he wanted to get done that day. If he kept himself more occupied than usual so that the worries wouldn't leave that shelf, then so be it: he might not need to eat, strictly speaking, but he still liked eating well, and he enjoyed cooking.

And unlike him, Maru did need to eat. So his insistence came from more than pride, and with it came the answer to his worries.

For a moment, in truth, he didn't know whether to feel touched or to feel concerned, and yet soon he decided he could very well feel both. And so he sat back on his chair, ears tilted towards Maru, and then nodded, slowly.

"I appreciate that you tried." He said, after a moment.

And he liked gifts. And he treasured them, almost like a magpie in the body of a Miqo'te. But this was not about gifts.

"And I appreciate that you appreciate my support." He added, before twitching one of his ears. He could have worded that better, probably. "But you've also been there for me, when I've needed it."

When he'd been afraid and lost. When he'd needed patience before there could be trust, when he'd been just a new face far too unused to kindness. Every time he'd been lost when dealing with what most would consider normal, after half a decade among Ascians. And even after admitting to the truth, because he refused to keep hiding some truths to someone he cared about.

Y'rhika Tia had not believed in love, and yet he had found it.

"When I needed support, you were there." He said. "I'm your boyfriend, I want to be there for you now. And I don't feel like I'm getting the short of end of the stick." He added. "How... how long have you been feeling like this?"

Had Rhika been making him feel inadequate?

[tiablackraven]

a few hours ago I had the parameters that were at 31-31-29 then I open the cell at random and, after seeing all the updates, I notice that my parameters have "slightly" raised

[ladycibia]

Slytherin kiddos (1/3), also known as the ‘cool, brunette edition’ !!! Because I have zero self-control and a 3 + 1 Ravenclaw set wasn’t enough ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ so...yeah, h-hi there. *ahem* I chose the Slytherin house merely because most of the MCs I know are either Ravenclaw or Slytherin (in fact I don’t know if I’ll be able to make a Hufflepuff/Gryffindor three-part set...oh well, we’ll see!). For this first part I borrowed @theevildoc, @tiablackraven, @wispila, @guakamaya, @kuzmich-isterich and @worthy-worthingtons‘s amazing mcs! I hope you don’t mind and if you do (or didn’t want your mc to take part in this or you aren’t satisfied with the final result or I’ve messed up in any way...) I’m terribly sorry! I acted with the best intentions, you can trust me on that <3

[no53472]

Tia Magpie A1 and Trinity Pennywise B1 please 😉🙏

What’s so funny?

I think I kinda Disney-fied this style, hope you don’t mind.

[slytherpuff98]

Trinity: " I can't believe it! How did you find it?! "

Tia: " You just needed to look around a little longer. "

Trinity: " Thank you! Thank you really much! You seriously are the best! "

And here it is @tiablackraven ~ ❤ I really wanted to thank u for always being the first one to answer me on the server whenever I make some mistake and/or need some help. Not to mention the lovely request you sent to no53472 ~ 😭❤😭 So, I drew Tia helping Trini find a book: hope you'll like the colouring tvb

[ourbastardofsorrows]

it is, for lack of a better word, funny how my sister’s & my energy levels never sync up bc i’ll be like talking a mile a minute & jumping from one idea to the next like i’m hopping from stone to stone to cross a river, and she’ll be half-asleep on the couch the whole time

[umblebumble]

Pirates of the Carribean daemons

I don’t know what possessed me to make this but here it is. As a note, I use The Daemon Page (link) as a good reference when looking for daemons, but I mostly use it as a starting point for animals I’m unfamiliar with. Largely my selections are overall general vibes plus some things I think would be great plot/story wise. I also tried my best to avoid the ‘typical’ wolves, Big cats, and birds of prey because I find they’re often overused for main characters to add impact.

Captain Jack Sparrow - Ring-billed Gull. This one I feel pretty good about. Initially I thought a sparrow would be funny, but sparrows and gulls are similar personality wise and gulls just have the wandering-adventurer vibes I wanted. Gulls are wandering, freedom loving creatures, like Jack. He goes where the wind takes him. Gulls are also bold and brash and clever. They’ll march right up to someone and take their food while staring them dead in the eye. They’ll definitely flee from fights whenever possible, but they’re crafty and adaptable and clever and resilient.

Captain Barbossa - White-headed Capuchin (aka the monkey Jack). I thought about looking for something other than the obvious, but it just really worked. Capuchin’s are clever, mischievous, and also very aggressive. Monkeys usually have social hierarchies, and when a monkey is at the top it will do everything it can to stay there. I also just feel like the energy with the two of them is too perfect, I couldn’t imagine anything else that works as well.

Elizabeth Swann - Siamese cat. This one was harder, but it just felt right. Siamese are regal and elegant looking, and can be a little snooty and stuck up at times. But these cats are smart as a whip, get bored super easily and always seem to be on the look out for something exciting or new to learn. I like the thought of a pampered pretty cat at the beginning of the series growing and becoming less polished as Elizabeth roves off at the open sea. I also think it would be a funny bit of foreshadowing for the third movie bit with Singapore. Also, Siamese are loud and bold and dramatic. I mean this in the best way but Elizabeth is also loud and dramatic and will throw herself around to make her point which feels exactly like a Siamese who is trying to get something.

Will Turner - Magpie. Will was the hardest for me to pick. I wanted a bird for him because despite his humble blacksmith beginning he is a pirate in his soul, an adventurer and that to me says wings, flight, and freedom. Magpies are very smart and clever, and Will is a strategist, though sometimes socially obtuse but that’s his charm. Magpies are protective of what is theirs and will throw down to defend their territory. Also, I kept being drawn back to that line in the first film “... and you’re completely obsessed with treasure” and I just think a magpie is a very good thematic representation of that pirate-soul Jack is talking about. This one was mostly vibes and plot/thematic devices but I like it.

Norrington - Dalmatian. So for Norrington I always knew a dog would be for him; he’s loyal, determined, and hardworking. Plus I like the thought of dog daemons being a common thing for people in military/navy/etc type positions along the same vein as ‘servants have dogs’. Dalmatian was my choice of specific breed but I could definitely see other working dogs as his daemon as well. I chose Dalmatian because they are working dogs, they’re loyal and obedient but have a more independent streak in them as well which could translate to his leadership position. Norrington sees the world in very black and white terms, and while I chose Dalmatian half for the joke, they do have selective hearing where they sometimes just don’t hear commands they don’t want to listen to. So I’m taking that as a closed-mindedness that Norrington expresses in his worldview.

Gibbs - Old English Sheepdog. This one was half analysis and half pure vibes. Sheepdogs are friendly and a little rolly-polly, but they’re also guardian dogs which makes them fiercely protective of those under their charge and they will fight when pressed. This suits Gibbs so well, he is so loyal and will take care of Jack or Elizabeth or whoever he decides is under his care. I also think it would be an interesting plot thing that a lot of ‘official’ sailors would have dogs because of their loyalty and willingness to follow others/orders.

Tia Dalma - Saltwater Crocodile. This one I came upon accidentally but fell in love with it immediately. Crocodiles are enigmatic and powerful creatures. They have an ancient powerful energy to them that matches Tia well. They wait for their prey to come to them because they know the deer have to cross the river eventually - Tia knows they will come to her, eventually everyone will want her help and then she will have them. Deceptively serene but able to attack in a moments notice, a crocodile will not enjoy being contained or confined and while it may look content, it will not be satisfied until it has no restrictions. Plus, a crocodile when Tia Dalma lives in a river/swamp is thematically amazing to me.

[azeymas-ballad]

The Gang’s All Here!!

I’ve always enjoyed making characters and playing the story through their unique points of view; keeps the replay value goin’, y’know? Got a wild idea to slap ‘em together in a glorious mess of… this! So I did!

This was also a really nice project to get my brain off the World At Large and my constant eternal blisteringly hot frustration with representation in viddy games. It’s nice to see so much melanin in one place. :3

So, uh. From left to right, starting in the back!

~Back Row~ Theogaud Ormesang: Tired. So tired. Studies arcanima, with focus on summoning and arcane geometries. Plays a wicked mandolin. Bitter Gale: Talks softly and carries a big axe. Matron of the Ahke Louise, a massive flying ship/sanctuary for victims of trafficking and slave trade. Incredible singing voice. Y’aja Adanna: Retired Warrior of Light adventurer, always working with her hands. Proprietor of Sew it Seams, a tailor shop that specializes in low-cost outfits for new adventurers. Nanachi Nachi:  A wanderer, a friend. Her heart aches but she doesn’t know why. A music box dancer turning to a song she cannot sing.

~Middle Row~

Scorching Jade: Magical Girl with some anger issues. From a parallel Eorzea; learning about this Same But Different world as she figures out how to get back to her team who are also scattered across time and space (and Data Centers)  She doesn’t need to know that last bit. Y’dorha Tia: The original Good Boye. Very cute, and Knows It. Absolutely never uses this to his advantage. Always uses this to his advantage. Gierny Byrde: Garlean, former Imperial soldier; severely injured at Specula Imperatoris. Used the chaos (and being captured by the Eorzean Alliance) to defect, now buries herself in biomechanical engineer studies so she can make herself some RAD prostheses. Hester Haywood: Adopted and raised by a single mother in rural La Noscea. Studying medicine - not healing, medicine - and doing some really reprehensible shit on the side to pay her way through school. 

~’Front’ Row~ Wind-up Y’aja: Created to lighten the load taken up by the Original Y’aja. Runs errands, makes deliveries, etc. while Y’aja Actual handles things at home. Quietly learning about the world, grows more fascinated as the days pass. F’ezah Baveh: Serotonin Machine, chocobo handler. Not a local. Found a neat book and definitely isn’t learning how to set things on fire because of it.  Dedega Dega: Gremblin. Conjuror-turned-Warguy. They KNOW where you hid the chocolate chocobo biscuits and they WILL claim the whole jar as their own. Tatayadi Seseyadi: Ten gallons of emotion in a one-gallon bucket. Owns a small jewelry shop un Ul’dah.  Formidable storm mage, used to guide smuggler ships through bad weather. Does not do that anymore. Magpie T’eal: Hopeless romantic in love with all things. Lives life to its most beautiful while attempting to help others do so as well - if only for a moment.

[fistsoflightning]

                            elie’s ffxivwrite2020 masterpost!!

my ao3 fill collection || my ffxivwrite2020 fills || all ffxivwrite2020 posts

total word count: 44753 words (oh gods) longest fill: hero’s journey (4813 words) shortest fill: put your feet up (281 words)

personal favorites: call of the sea (1466 words) | for you the flowers bloom (2224 words) | words will not suffice (2111 words) | hero’s journey (4813 words) | you found me there (1188 words) | unburn the ashes (801 words) | solar eclipse (1165 words) | i wanna know what you’re doing tonight (2796 words)

aaaaaa! we’re through boys and girls and everyone in between! i managed to finish yet another year of ffxivwrite (which also coincides with the actual start of this blog since i started posting at the start of september; just forgot to mention it earlier :P) a GIGANTIC thank you to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast for running this event (even if you really got us with one of those prompts), to mom squad for reading my fics and screaming with me about many of them since we started chatting in like, february, and getting me through this ffxivwrite, and to EVERYBODY who read my fics, as good or bad as they were! this event gave me back my want to write and show everyone for the first time since i lost the will in elementary and i cannot thank everyone enough!

1. CRUX - the devoted and the dead - shb spoilers taban meets g’raha tia when all is said and done.

2. SWAY - call of the sea - post 5.3, no direct spoilers jacke/tehra’ir; jacke deals with v’kebbe’s noise complaints about (unfortunately and fortunately) tehra’ir.

3. MUSTER - til the dawn - post 5.3, spoilers thancred/zaya; thancred and zaya deserve a rest.

4. CLINCH - touch of death - shb spoilers heroic entrances, unfortunately, don’t guarantee winning situations. thancred and zaya are just unlucky when it comes to ran’jit.

5. MATTER OF FACT - sentimental fallacy  - shb spoilers cw: animal death + blood emet-selch takes a walk in the woods, and zaya goes hunting.

6. FREE DAY | VERNALIZATION - for you the flowers bloom  - post 5.3, spoilers haruki/a’dewah; there’s a lot to be said about summer, spring, and flowers, if you look at it closely enough.

7. NONAGENARIAN - put your feet up - post 5.3, spoilers thancred/zaya; thancred, predictably, takes a hit for zaya, and afterwards refuses to acknowledge it. krile and zaya are going to get revenge one day.

8. CLAMOR - live a little  - vaguely sorrow of werlyt spoilers? today on ironworks news: one renegade warrior of light elwin de lipine ropes seven and viggo into a joyride with ironworks’ new mech

9. LUSH - confidence boost a’dewah, lumelle and getting ready for a party(?) while also having anxiety.

10. AVAIL - words will not suffice  - spoilers for 4.4 MSQ, steppe portion magnai, oktai, and sadu versus hien, seiryu’s wall edition.

11. ULTRACREPIDARIAN - illiteracy for two - post leviathan, ARR zaya isn’t really too good at writing. thancred and alphinaud have both seen them.

12. TOOTH AND NAIL - something’s electric in your blood cw: blood, injury raubahn finds out that zaya is a lot more than qestiri the first time they duel.

13. FREE DAY | PROMISES - our change of heart - post 5.3, spoilers thancred/zaya; thancred isn’t used to having trinkets (and promises) to keep.

14. PART - hero’s journey - spans pre-HW to SHB, spoilers; DRK hcs you aren’t really a hero, but this is still your journey, too.

15. ACHE - a life in your shape cw: blood, injury (only in the fourth part) haruki/a’dewah; a’dewah has had far too many crushes for a single man.

16. LUCUBRATION - imprimatur - pre-1.0 y’shtola learns that the new students are A) workaholics, but only sometimes, and B) also very into forbidden magics.

17. FADE - you found me there - post 5.3, spoilers thancred/zaya (liddol bit of atalanta/haik at the end); thancred’s always been a light sleeper and zaya’s never been good at sneaking around.

18. PANGLOSSIAN - unburn the ashes - 5.0 and 5.3 spoilers, amaurot thancred/zaya, but amaurotine-flavored (atalanta/haik); not even the most frightening of storms lasts forever.

19. WHERE THE HEART IS - always been my north star - post 5.3 jacke/tehra’ir, sequel to call of the sea; two rogues struggle to get their dinner on time.

20. FREE DAY | PERIHELION - solar eclipse - post ‘naadam’ magnai/oktai; so maybe magnai realizes why he hasn’t found his nhaama yet, and maybe he flies over to reunion at the crack of dawn to ask.

21. FOIBLES - anything that glimmers - post 5.3 thancred/zaya, sequel to our change of heart; thancred might be picking up magpie tendencies from his partner, but somehow that’s not all that bad.

22. ARGY-BARGY - before it’s too late - SHB, pre-return to amh araeng pre-relationship thancred/zaya but mostly gen; ardbert notices a few things while he’s hovering over zaya’s shoulder.

23. SHUFFLE - i wanna know what you’re doing tonight - modern AU pre-relationship thancred/zaya; thancred lets zaya borrow his phone while they visit the city for work and forgets (?) to move a particular playlist to his lifestream.

24. BEAM - oh, your love is sunlight - post 5.3 (???) thancred/zaya AND haruki/a’dewah; a double date to raiding an abandoned, plant-infested building is a lot more interesting than it should be.

25. WISH - remember me - post 5.3, contains spoilers thancred/zaya; how does one get over missing your adoptive daughter that’s stuck on another world?

26. WHEN PIGS FLY - defying fate a girl leaves home in a fit of rage, meaning for it to be forever. a warrior returns ten years later.

27. FREE DAY | ACCEPT - blurred reflection - mid-SB, before naadam a’dewah’s not sure how to feel about hien, but he has to decide sometime.

28. IRENIC - there’s nowhere love can’t reach - post 5.3, everyone lives ysayle/syhrwyda; it’s hard, sometimes, to be at peace with the life she’s been forced to have. and then, sometimes it isn’t.

29. PATERNAL - how i met your (other) dad - it’s just crackfic. sort of. haruki/a’dewah; this is the story of how your two dads met, munehise.

30. SPLINTER - the better path - 5.3 spoilers emet-selch’s only student is possibly the worst student in the history of amaurot, but the problem is he wouldn’t trade them for the world. (and in the end, he does.)

[tiablackraven]

💖Merry Christmas💖

💖Dudes💖

@ladycibia @slytherpuff98 @angie-draws-sometimes @theevildoc @guakamaya @aemdraws @asongofstannis

[ladycibia]

Chibi Fruit MCs !!!

starring myself, @angie-draws-sometimes, @aemdraws, @guakamaya, @tiablackraven and @theevildoc <3

my original intention was to make a surprise gift for these wonderful people (god only knows how many times they had to deal with me ranting and/or crying on whatsapp and instagram seriously they deserve a friggin’ statue) but I was afraid of messing up with the oufit or picking the wrong fruit and so I just spilled the bean lmao. Oh well, I hope you will like it! ; v ; I’m gonna work on the other chibi set (hopefully) soon! (And since they’re nine in total, I’ll probably make three posts with three mcs each :) please be patient!)

Oh, friendly reminder for those who won a chibi fruit mc or for those who want to commission me one in the future: Mathias’ shirt is the reason you should never, never let me decide your character’s outfit. Y’all’ve been warned

[no53472]

Tia Magpie and Victor Kitsueki for @tiablackraven 💖

Been meaning to draw Tia’s MC for a long while, especially since they introduced their fankid Selene. (And I hope Jam City lets us meet Victor in-game really soon.)

Hope this is okay!

[inuashnar1]

59excerpts.

Magpies arm came off

Still alive

Young family moves into a bachelor pad of an old enough alcoholic

A voice actor with a voice only for kids books

The monitor behaves like my brother. Kind. But placed under circumstances they don't know if they want to believe. But they still have to uphold the law. They see the other side. It's there. It's free. But it's confusing. There's no point. You just, exist. Pleasure filled and unwanting of everything and nothing, and nothing of everything. Torn between both sides, in an increasing lock of wills. To feel everything. To feel nothing. Losing the lock of the key. Always searching for the next lock to end the search. But the key never works. And the lock is nowhere to be found. Each lock you try, and you try them all, all of them, every last fucking lock, you just can't find it. There are never repeat locks. There is only this infinite purge of them. Barreling forward, in ceasing in stilling. Sitting is the least work we have to do to feel better. Closer. To nothing. The body has stopped moving. That's one down. How many more to go? Don't you. Don't you get tired of this? The searching? Why's it worth it?

I don't know. I wish I could tell you but I don't know. I get everything you're saying too. It's shit. But it's my shit. I am the most famous person in the whole expanse of my time and space. It belongs to me. This experience is mine to experience, and to mold. Everyday is the reset. I never know what will happen. But unfortunately. You do. You'll always experience what you were meant to experience. Because there are never new results are there?

...there are never new results. Even the surprise results, are predicated and planned to be surprises. I already know every possible future allotted to me. 

You've prepared for everything. Except this. You think you're the hinge, when you're the door.

Tia's Facebook memes - best of...

[moonlitmagic]

Hey! If I may ask, who or what has been tryi g to get my attention lately? TIA!! 🥰🔮

Hiya! Have you been seeing a lot of birds lately? I was visualizing black birds, maybe crows or magpies, but i just heard "cardinals" as well. Also the color purple

It's someone who is trying to give you spiritual guidance--so my instinct is to say a spirit guide of yours! Almost like they're leaving breadcrumbs haha! Feels like a more masculine energy, and they have plans for you. It's someone who knows you well, even if you are unaware of it, which is why i'm inclined to believe it's a spirit guide

I hope this helps! 💜

[join-the-joywrite]

Women in War -- Bonus

All Maggie Maravillla ever wanted was to help people. She never imagined losing damn near everything when winning a war.

WiW masterpost

Bonus Chapter

July, 2024

"Are you sure about this?"

Maggie put her hands on her hips and glared at the man on the gurney. "Listen, mister, I've spent weeks analysing your DNA with some of the brightest minds this time and universe has to offer--"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Bucky said, holding his hand out. "You worked with two seventeen-year-olds for two and a half months and you expect me to trust your anti-serum?"

"Excuse you," Shuri said, folding her arms, "you had no problems with me handling you when I was fifteen."

"Uh."

"Come on, Mr Soldier dude, don't be so mean!"

Bucky raised an eyebrow at Shuri. "Because when you were fifteen, you did not know Loco and Loco 2.0 over there."

"Am I Loco or Loco 2.0?" Peter asked.

Bucky sighed and watched Maggie fill the syringe with her anti-serum. "How do you know this will work?"

"I tested it on Steve, obviously. Look, it's simple really. I helped develop the serum. With the knowledge of the inner workings of the serum, I was able to develop the anti-serum. Working with Shuri and Peter, I managed to isolate your version of the serum from your DNA. Once we had that, we were able to determine where it differed from the original serum and thereafter develop something to counteract your version of the serum."

"Steve let you do that?"

Maggie nodded. "He said that I had to offer you the same. If I managed to go back, then he would come here and the two of you would age normally with your friends and family. If you didn't accept but I still got back, then I was going to give him the serum back and send him home. Seeing as I can't go back, Steve will most likely age with Peggy, Howard . . . my old family. Buck, you don't have to do this. You can keep the serum. It's your choice."

Bucky thought about it. For so long, he'd done things because it was orders or because it was the right thing to do. Never because it was his choice. Without the serum, he'd go back to being Bucky Barnes. Shuri had already developed a lighter prosthetic that he would not find heavy once he let go of his super strength. Peter promised to stop calling him Mr Soldier -- and he was working on designing new uniform for Bucky.

"If this works," Bucky said, looking at Maggie, "I'll get my hair cut."

"You -- what?"

"You mentioned often, when you first came here, that the hair was a distinct reminder that he and I weren't the same."

"Parker," Shuri murmured, gesturing for him to follow, "come look at these designs."

Subtly, the teens left Bucky and Maggie alone.

"I'm getting used to it," Maggie said with a smile, reaching out and tucking a lock behind Bucky's ear.

"The way you talk about him . . . I want to be him. I want to be loved the way he was loved. I want Becky to see me as her brother. I -- I want to be myself again. I know that I can't ever be your Bucky, but I want to be who I was at least. I want to be me."

"Oh, darling," Maggie said, threading her fingers through his hair, "you're already my Bucky. You're right that you'll never be him. You are you, and this? The anti-serum? It's about you and what you want. Tell me right now that you want to stop and I will, no questions asked. Just . . . don't do this because you feel like you have to."

"This is kind of the first time in a really long while that I'm getting something I want. Don't stop."

Maggie nodded and turned back for the syringe. "Because of the nature of your serum, we're going to have to do this gradually, monitoring the process. You'll come in for a monthly shot where Shuri will compare the data with the record we will build. Hopefully, all goes well. Are you still sure you want to go through with this?"

Bucky nodded firmly. This was something he was asked about, something he chose. He wanted it.

It was on Bucky's second session that Becky burst into the dining room, clutching something with shaking hands. Shuri lowered the holographic charts she was explaining to Bucky.

"Beck," Maggie said slowly, "estás bien?"

Becky shook her head. "No. Nada esta bien."

Maggie searched Becky for any visible signs of injury. From where she stood, she saw nothing. "Beck, what happened?"

"Howard -- Howard and I -- we -- I--" Becky couldn't get the words out. It was Peter that pulled the stick from her hand. "Howard will never know."

"Never know what, doll?" Maggie asked.

Bucky was there in seconds to catch his sister. Peter looked up at Maggie. "She's pregnant."

///////////////

It was Pepper who demanded that Becky stay with her and Pepper who looked after and helped Becky through her pregnancy the way any mother would. Nearing the end of May, Maggie stood in the kitchen and tossed a syringe into a bag that would go to a bin way out of Morgan's reach.

"Congratulations, Bucky," she said with a smile, "you are officially serum-free."

"And soldier-free," Shuri piped up from the other side of the counter, "more or less."

"More or less?" Maggie echoed.

"He's going to retain all the skills he learnt during his years as the Winter Soldier. With those skills might come memories that were previously wiped. You'll never really be free of the Soldier, but you won't be the Soldier anymore."

Bucky surprised Shuri by pulling her into a hug and squeezing her shoulders. "It's more than I ever expected. Thank you -- both of you."

Maggie smiled. "You're going to suffocate Shuri, Buck."

"No, it's fine. He gives nice hugs."

Maggie laughed. "I won't deny that."

"Magpie!"

Maggie turned around when she heard her nickname fall from the lips of five-year-old Morgan Stark as she bounced into the kitchen. "Yes, babydoll?"

"Mommy called from the hopspital."

"Hospital, babydoll," Maggie corrected. "What did she say? How's Becky doing?"

"Mommy said you need to take me with you."

"Where am I going?" Maggie asked as she handed the bag to Shuri to throw away.

"You have to go see Mommy and Tia Becky. Mommy said Tia Becky's waiting for you now."

"Baby!" Maggie cried, going into a state of panic almost instantly. "Buck, pack Morgan's bag and bring her to the hospital!"

"Where are you going?" Shuri called.

Maggie paused at the back door. "I'm going to break all laws regarding drving obviously. I can't have Morgan in the car with me. I promised Beck I'd deliver her baby, you know. I'll see you there!"

Maggie looked up at Bucky. "Where's Magpie going?"

"To do her job, babydoll," Bucky said with a smile. He hopped off the barstool and picked Morgan up. "Come on, let's get you to your mom."

///////////////

Pepper brushed Becky's hair out of her face. Morgan, seated in her mother's lap, leaned forward to copy. Becky laughed as Morgan quite nearly slapped her in the face. She closed her eyes and scrunched her nose up as she accepted Morgan's heavy petting.

"Howard would've loved him, doll," Maggie told Becky, nodding to the bundle in Bucky's arms.

"We talked about it a couple times, you know," Becky said, avoiding Morgan's hand. "I'm good now, babydoll, thank you."

Morgan smiled, pleased that she'd fixed Becky up.

"Talked about a name?" Pepper asked, shifting Morgan from one leg to the other.

Becky nodded. "A few." She smiled. "Howard wanted a girl, though."

Maggie walked over to Bucky and pulled the blanket down, tucking it under the baby's chin. She gave the baby a warm smile before looking up at Becky. "What'll it be, doll?"

Becky glanced at Pepper. "People will talk."

"He has the right to his father's name," Pepper said, shaking her head. "Let them talk. We know the truth."

"Well?" Bucky asked, looking away from the baby for the first time.

"Anthony," Becky decided.

Pepper's mouth fell open as she softly murmured a surprised, "Oh."

"His name is Anthony Steven Stark."

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