#sharing trauma like a true sibling
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
dystopiansewerrat · 2 months ago
Note
Your Motorsport au is SO GOOD OMG can we get more rod/bee brothers? Does bee come watch rods races?? I imagine Bee is the golden child of formula one (and hc that he’s had some insane crashes that he has walked away from without a scratch, lucky little bastard)
Thank you very very muchh!! Yesss, Bee never missed Roddy's races. He always showed up, sometimes in disguise(as if the crowd wouldn't recognize him- they always did). But I don't think they really talk… there's this cold silence between them. Most of their conversations happen only during interviews or public events, and even then, it can be awkward (especially since one is more favored by the public than the other👀). And yet, no matter how distant they seem, they're always on each other's front row. ughh corny trauma bonded brothers
Tumblr media
235 notes · View notes
thefluxsystem · 6 months ago
Text
DID is really fucking annoying to have, actually.
Yeah yeah, friends in your head, pre-installed found family, lifelong teammates, fun innerworld/headspace interactions, good and dandy. Genuinely, those are the only parts of all this I take any comfort in.
The rest of it, though?
There’s no point “living each day to the fullest”, because I’ll forget it by tomorrow. I have to take notes on my own life like I’m studying for a final exam solely to exist. I have to write down every appointment, every task, write down whenever I eat for fucksake, because “I” might not be here in 20 minutes and whoever comes next cannot remember what I’ve done. We’ve tried.
It’s near impossible to maintain relationships because, even though most people don’t know what is wrong with me, they can tell something’s off. Even if I do make friends, everyone in my system has such messed up attachment styles that I sometimes wonder how we have anyone.
Those who get it don’t even truly get it. I have been in and out of therapy for over 12 years, and I’ve spent most of that time learning with the professionals. This disorder has effective treatment, yet so few know anything about that, or about the disorder in general. It’s horrifying.
I adore “the people in my head”, they’ve done so much for me, for us, but it wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were supposed to be one. I was supposed to be just I.
As much as I don’t have time to think about it— I have a life to live, I have to keep going— it’s still there. Always an active part of me, voices and thoughts that aren’t my own commenting on every little thing I do. Because, even though I wish it weren’t the case, anything I do affects them, too.
I have never lived my life for myself and I never will. It’s beautiful, in a way. It just was meant to be different.
I was meant to be different.
7 notes · View notes
astrologydayz · 1 year ago
Text
MOON IN HOUSES - SYNASTRY🩵🦋🔒
Tumblr media
MOON IN PARTNERS 1ST HOUSE = house person feels less lonely in this world with the Moon person around🩵. Moon person calms the house person like no other<33 - house person can see the Moon person as their own little safe place/safe heaven. House person knows that they don't have 2 talk a whole lot 2 Moon, cuz the Moon person already knows wassup/knows what the house person is feeling without words being shared. When house person is happy, the Moon person is happy. If house person lays down in the dark, with no hopes of standing 4 a while? The Moon person lays down in the dark with em, until they’re ready🔒. Conflicting aspects can show issues when it comes 2 Moons understanding of the house person/house person not being trusting/sure of the Moon person's intensions.
MOON IN PARTNERS 2ND HOUSE = house person finally feels understood, & appreciated when it comes 2 their material possessions/their values/spending habits/their earnings! Moon can be a very supporting factor for the house person 2 really get up & work! They can be house person's biggest cheerleader!📣 House person feels safe, & understood for what they chase!😻 House person can value/see the Moon person as one of their biggest prizes/possessions! Conflicting aspects can show one feeling like they’re being used 4 financial gain/or used 4 security in life/issues/arguments bc of insecurities.
MOON IN PARTNERS 3RD HOUSE = house person can stay up all night, & talk 2 the Moon person<33 - these two can talk for hoursssss. House person feels so fucking comfortable with sharing anything there's on their mind with the Moon person!😻 Moon person is like house person's own private, & SAFE journal! Moon won't judge them. If something happens?? Moon person is the 1st one 2 know! Moon person could have known house persons siblings beforehand/or just know of them beforehand. Conflicting aspects can show issues with withholding/not sharing how they feel with each other - "not speaking one's mind"/issues with one/or both judging each other. MOON IN PARTNERS 4TH HOUSE = house person feels safe enough with Moon person 2 open up about their childhood/especially childhood issues/trauma❤️‍🩹. House person can feel like the Moon person is their 1st true person - 1st true home in this world💞. Moon person is like a healing source4the house person/healing the inner child of them. These two are really close - the types 2 know everything about each other. House person can be quite protective of the Moon person here. Conflicting aspects can show issues with house person not opening themselves up 100%/arguments, or petty feelings when it comes 2 house persons past/petty arguments between them at home.
MOON IN PARTNERS 5TH HOUSE = the Moon person can inspire the house person 2 create🎨🖌️🎶 - can be them creating music, them painting, art in general - anything creative! Like a muse & their artist! Sex here can be very much full of emotions, & creativity✨. Moon person brings feelings of joy, pleasure, & FUN 2 the house person! House person feels so fucking lucky 2 have the Moon person by their side<33. This placement can love to keep date nights going in their relationship - even when they're 60<33. Conflicting aspects can show creativity being killed/joy, pleasure, & fun getting sucked out/issues bc of awkward moments.
MOON IN PARTNERS 6TH HOUSE = house person can feel like their days are A LOT better with the Moon person around🥳😍. Moon person brings so much joy 2 the house person when it comes 2 doing the most basic daily things together! House person feels very safe, & comfortable with the Moon person around. Moon person can be very thoughtful of the house person - like check in on them a lot 2 see if they need anything, like if they're hungry/thirsty, seriously, whatever they need, Moon can handle it❤️. House person can feel very lucky 2 have found someone who's so thoughtful, & amazing<33. Conflicting aspects can show issues/arguments bc one can feel taken for granted/feel taken advantaged of/issues with the way feelings is shared/showed on a day 2 day basic/problems bc they don't think about each other's daily needs.
MOON IN PARTNERS 7TH HOUSE = the way the Moon person show/voice their feelings is exactly what the house person search 4 for in a stabile/marriage partner<33. House person feels throughly accepted by the Moon person - Moon person also got the house person's back - in private, & with others❤️‍🔥. Moon person can help the house person with feeling things from all sides/especially when it comes 2 feeling/understanding sides they haven’t been understanding of until now - house person gets more accepting of others bc of this😻. Conflicting aspects can show issues bc one is not accepting of the other/"lover 2 enemies"/arguments bc of/or over others.
MOON IN PARTNERS 8TH HOUSE = can show obsessional feelings - house person always thinking about the Moon person, they can't really help themselves. House person can't hide here. No matter how hard they try, the Moon person will see through them. House person feels very attached 2 the Moon person, bc of the intimacy they bring. Sex can be very transformative, & very intense 4 the house person here<33. House person can share anything from how their day was, till one of the worst days of their lives with the Moon person❤️‍🩹 - it's like they can't keep it in - they have almost a need, I would call it for sharing with Moon. Moon can be like their own personal therapist. Conflicting aspects can show jealousy/obsession issues/things being "hidden" from the other/clinginess issues. MOON IN PARTNERS 9TH HOUSE = house person feels really appreciated, & listened 2 here when it comes 2 things they know about higher learning📕, or 2 the things they know about different cultures/countries📚, or when it comes 2 things they believe in/or things they're not really sure about. Moon person can help the house person with figuring things out in life when in doubt, but also while being their support system2! Moon person could also join house person on a lot of their journeys - them experiencing other cultures/countries together - making memories they'll remember 4 life!🥰 Conflicting aspects can show long distance issues”/issues bc of religion - no understanding/putting the other one on a pedestal"/issues bc of a "god complex between them" - "who's right, & who's wrong".
MOON IN PARTNERS 10TH HOUSE = Moon person is house person's true supporter in public/when they're out☝️. Moon person always got house persons back in public - which the house person fucking appreciates, & loves so much about the Moon person💚. Moon can help the house person out a lot with their image/or with how they act/are perceived in/by the public! House person feels really supported by the Moon person 2 keep grinding, & 2 keep chasing their goals!✨ They know they got Moon 2 lean on, if things get a little 2 hard sometimes! Conflicting aspects can show embarrassing moments between them in public/issues bc of ones goals/work/one not being supportive enough/or realistic enough.
MOON IN PARTNERS 11TH HOUSE = house person feels an incredible support by the Moon person 2 chase their dreams in life!💋 Moon can be house person's biggest fan, when it comes 2 whatever they're chasing<33 - Moon person is always the 1st one 2 celebrate a win in house persons life! They can really love hanging out with friends together, or just hang out/go out a lot together where others are around2<33. These two can put their heart, & soul into some of the same causes here in life - they could even have met each other through it<33. Conflicting aspects can show one not being understanding of the other one's socials/dreams, or friends/issues bc of different wants.
MOON IN PARTNERS 12TH HOUSE = Moon, & house person connects in a way that can't really be explained. House person can have very vivid dreams about the Moon person. Moon person knows/sees many of the things the house person wish they could sometimes hide. - But that's all the things the Moon person appreciates the most about the house person tho - "Nobody sees house person more clearly than the Moon person". What the house person sees as imperfections = the Moon person see as perfections😻<33. Conflicting aspects can show issues/misunderstandings bc of feelings not being shared/understood/issues bc of ghosting/issues bc Moon can make house person feel anxious/or uncomfortable.
Tumblr media
THANKS4READING BABE!! APPRECIATE U, ALWAYS💜
MASTERLIST
2K notes · View notes
targaryenrealnessdarling · 1 year ago
Text
These Tender Hearts Beat as One
Tumblr media
Aemond x widowed!female character
Summary: Aemond reunites with his childhood friend, a former ward of his mother || Word Count: 7k || Warnings: too much fucking backstory lol, p in v sex, breeding kink
Tumblr media
Aemond could always tell when his mother was stressed. Out of all her silver-haired children, her second son had seemed the most adept at knowing before she even knew herself. All that remained was for him to discover the root of her worries, and calm her ever-heightening nerves if he could.
When Aemond was stressed, angered or oftentimes merely bored, nothing truly compared to the feeling of riding Vhagar, splitting through the air above King’s Landing to stretch her large, tattered wings. His beloved dragon appreciated the exercise in any case, restless from her days fought in wars, it was some consolation for him that flying was just as therapeutic for her as it was for him.
But when his dear mother was stressed, it was rooted in self-destruction, picking ceaselessly at her fingernails ‘til they were bloody and sore. And though he bit his tongue, not wishing to replicate the behaviour of his grandfather, sometimes it felt near impossible not to say anything, not to ask what was on her mind. So that whatever was swirling around her head with panic, could instead be shared out, and therefore less weight for her to carry.
Had Aegon done something perhaps?
Was there more trouble with Rhaenyra?
Or perhaps his father had said something to upset her, which seemed the most likely. Even in his sickly state, he was still capable of unknowing cruelty.
Even at five and ten, Aemond understood this.
His mother remained quiet, and it was not ‘til he sought out the company of his dear friend, that the truth became clear.
She had been his mother’s ward for little more than three years, and already Aemond had witnessed her enter the Keep as a clumsy, loud child and blossom into what many would consider a young woman already grown, though she was little older than Helaena. 
Her age in comparison to him had never once strained their friendship. In fact, at first, when Aemond was still freshly scarred emotionally by the trauma of losing his eye, he had remembered clapping his lone eye on her and scowling, thinking of her little more than a quarrelsome child. 
And, as Aegon had put it, ‘aggressively annoying’.
Which, at the time, was true enough. And yet it did not deter her from trying, Aemond would allow her the compliment of that.
She was much like him, a child created and born as a sort of secondary plan in case the first did not come to pass. A mere second daughter, and not only that, but bumped even further down the chain by her three older brothers, the eldest already wed with several children of his own. It was made abundantly clear by her own parents that she was merely another nuisance and therefore when placed into the care of the Targaryen royal family, the look of relief on their faces somewhat angered him, coupled by the manner in which they left with a goodbye that rivalled his own father’s attitude towards his children.
His empathy for her situation had drawn him to her, despite his stubbornness in wanting to pretend he did not crave friendship, especially from a girl. And her own stubbornness surprised him when he discovered she did not blindly seek the acceptance of any similar-aged child, she set her sights on Aemond alone and did not relent until eventually, he came to her instead.
He found a camaraderie with her that he had yet to find with his other siblings, feeling very much like friendship with her was more natural and spontaneous, where the ones with his family were calculated, planned and rooted in a cold necessity to keep up appearances. 
Not that she cared much for appearances. 
Her Septa berated her for what seemed like every other day for turning up to her needlepoint lessons with dirtied skirts and stray petals in her tangled hair, all from chasing one another through the bushes of the Keep to find some entertainment. Yet, even in the face of punishment, her smile never faltered, and insisted that it was all a bit of fun.
She somehow managed to inject her bright personality into his otherwise darkened life.
Because of her, there was beauty in everything. There was serenity in sitting in the Godswood and watching the petals settle in the breeze that ran past his neck and made him shiver. There was a startling allure when he introduced her to Vhagar for the first time and her hand ran across her darkened scales, seeing her expression lift in sheer wonder, experiencing her bewilderment as if it were the first time. And there was virtue in the innocence of their relationship, and how his heart began to swell with a childlike sense of belonging in her.
The unconditional power of her friendship he was sure was all he ever needed. In the way she always uttered, dragged away for her lessons in etiquette, but beaming at him.
‘My friendship is always yours,’ she would say, like a mantra.
‘Just as mine shall always be.’
He thought for a long while that he was the most hideous person in this world, not least since Aegon had dragged him to the brothels only a few years before. And yet when he shared a chaste kiss with her under the Weirwood tree. Clumsy and impractical and yet all magical all at once, he thought that when he was older, stronger, he would ask her to be his wife.
Aemond could feel the anxiety seeping off her as soon as he stepped into her chambers. Like she had a lot on her mind but not the courage to open her mouth and say it.
“What is it?”
His heart lurched into his chest when she lifted her head, swallowing her feelings and taking a deep, shaky breath.
“My sister has succumbed to a fever. She is dead.”
Aemond sighed, as if absorbing her grief. But when he took one step forward to comfort his friend, she shook her head, “there is more.”
Her tone of voice alone was enough to set every nerve on edge. Aemond stood as if stuck to the flagstone floor, and realised that the once clumsy, small girl he had once known was acting very much like a young woman now. Worlds apart, despite being stood before her.
“I am to honour the planned betrothal with Lord Lefford, under my father’s orders.”
It was the only moment Aemond remembered wanting to vomit with nausea, he had not felt such churning in his gut even on the day he lost his eye.
She sat, looking at him as if to gauge his reaction to the news, knowing perhaps in her own heart the feelings that were shared between them. And Aemond felt his churning nausea turn to anger, at how easily she had allowed her will to be broken by a command from her father, which in his opinion, she need not obey. She was, after all, a near half a decade younger than her sister, and the man in question older than her own father.
How could she have given up like this so easily.
“You will go through with this?”
He did not mean for his tone of voice to appear accusatory, but when he saw that wide-eyed helpless expression, he knew immediately it had.
“I can hardly argue with my father, Aemond.”
He felt his fists clench hard in his hand, fingernails creating crescent shaped indents in his flesh that reddened, his reply is stiff, “you simply act as if you have no choice in the matter.”
“Not all of us get one.”
“You cannot leave.”
“I must,” she insists, her voice breaking somewhat at the look of disappointment and betrayal on his face, “please do not make this more difficult than it already is, Aemond.”
“I am not the one making this difficult,” he replies flatly, his head throbbing with an incoming migraine, “If you are as much my friend as I am yours, you will not leave me.”
She could feel herself stepping towards him, drawn by some invisible force for comfort that he was not yet providing. She knew he could be capable of being cruel, but to be on the receiving end after all they had gone through was heart-breaking.
And though she was a year his senior, standing so small before him, she felt so much a child.
“Aemond, please-” she begged, reaching out for him and wincing when he pulled away, his brows drawn together in disgust.
“Marry him and I shall never speak to you again.”
Her hand dropped to her side as if limp, as if all life had drained from her body as well as the colour from her face. Her lip quivered, “you can't mean that.”
He looked in her eyes, the raw grief of watching her slip away filling him with an unmistakable bitterness, though for what? Her? Himself? Their friendship? He could not put it into words.
“I mean every word.”
That is the last memory he has of her, looking every bit as broken as he'd intended her to feel. In the days that followed, as her family arrived once more to steal her away, Aemond felt the gnawing grip of regret when he chose not to see her off at the courtyard, watching from his window as she scanned the space around for her good friend's presence and didn't find it.
It was then Aemond began to hate himself for every bit of cruelty enacted against her from him. Her carriage disappeared into the distance until it was nothing, leaving a pit of pain in his heart.
Not a day passed that Aemond did not at least think of her and wait for any correspondence to arrive, with his name etched into the paper in her curved, feminine handwriting.
But as he'd feared, she had taken his words to heart, and no letter ever arrived, and eventually, it felt no use counting the days and moons since he'd last seen her.
The guilt would eat away at him for years, the memory of her pained expression etched into his vision. Even as he grew into a man, it would never fully fade, though he was quick to tell himself that he shouldn’t care, that she was no longer the same girl he had loved so much, not since she chose her own fate.
In an attempt to fill the hole she'd left behind, he busied himself with the sword, intent with some level of obsession at becoming the most skilled swordsman in Westeros. 
Aemond would train for hours at a time, the dull ache deep within him pushed away by the strain of sparring drills and intense workouts with the sword. Though even in the midst of training, his thoughts would always be in the back of his mind, taunting him with the guilt that he felt, the shame of how he had treated her at the end.
By itself, it was not enough, but even burying his nose in books did not blur that heavy ache. But it did not mean he could not at least try.
Which is why he sighed in annoyance as he sat by the fireplace in his chambers, a large tome opened in his lap and two knocks rapped at the door.
“Enter.”
He did not tear his attention away as the maidservant entered with a short and quick curtsy, hands clasped, “Your grace, Queen Alicent has requested your presence.”
That alone was enough to draw his attention away from his reading. His mother did not request him for a small matter.
He had wondered if perhaps Aegon had managed to slip out of the Keep again, for yet another one of his excursions into Flea Bottom, and send him to retrieve his brother.
Perhaps his mother finally thought enough time had passed and he was much of a man to suggest a marriage proposal. For some reason, the thought made him ill.
“Thank you, Ser Criston,” he heard his mother say in a muffled tone once he was announced.
Aemond raised his gaze to his mother, relieved to see her calm, and dare he say, happy.
“Aemond,” she greeted softly, her smile gentle and her touch on his arms comforting, “do not look so forlorn.”
“You wished to see me.”
“I did,” Alicent beamed, clasping her hands at her front, “Come.”
He could not help but give a puzzled expression as he walked beside his mother through the winding halls of the Keep, wondering perhaps why her behaviour was so different than usual. A sort of anxiety fed through her, but not the self-destructive kind. 
“We are to receive some guests today. I would like you to greet them.”
Aemond quirked a brow, confused and somewhat annoyed in equal measure, “I am not accustomed to greeting-”
“They have travelled a long way, so remember to be courteous,” Alicent added, flashing one of her tight-lipped smiles, which only served to confuse Aemond further. His mother led him to the top of the staircase of the empty, echoing foyer and instructed quickly, “do be a gracious host, Aemond.”
He did not have a mere moment to question her, before he was watching the back of his mother disappear down the very same hallway they had just walked together. All he managed was a baffled shake of his head, as if by some miracle this was all some mad dream he had conjured. He questioned why on earth his mother would allow him to greet these esteemed guests alone, out of all her antisocial children.
But ever dutiful, he descended the stairs, hearing the low voice of Ser Westerling greeting whomever was arriving in a warm, formal tone, with their silhouettes casting blurred shadows onto the flagstone floor. Aemond’s feet were planted firmly on the step without even realising it.
This esteemed guest was no stranger to him.
Though the years had matured her gracefully, Aemond is sure he would recognise her anywhere, as she looked every bit the same as that day he regretted seeing her carriage leave King’s Landing. She stood tall, her cape fastened at her front with her house crest nestled in the middle, her dark skirts framing her womanly figure as her eyes trailed the details of the Keep that had changed since she had last been there.
Aemond stared wordlessly, the emotions so long buried resurfacing as if they had never left. His breath felt hot, his mind struggling to accept what his lone eye beheld before him. That she was here after so many years separated, in the very flesh, and yet he was unable to utter a single word.
She wandered about the space, commenting to the young woman beside her, who carried a child no older than three in her arms, how it had all looked so much larger in her youth. So he took this moment where she had not yet noticed him to look upon her with wonder, frozen entirely in place with the unexpectedness of her return. His mind raced with the thoughts of what this meeting could mean, for him, for her, and for their future; and he could not deny the strong tug of guilt in his chest for how he had treated her all those years ago, and how her renewed presence only made them more real.
Clearing his throat as he approached, the lady beside her noticed him first, “Prince Aemond,” she greeted with a curtsy, prompting her also to lay her eyes on him once more.
“Your grace,” she smiled warmly with a quick curtsy, with such a formality that made his heart ache.
He craned his head to bow lightly at her, “My Lady,” he replied with some stiffness, before gazing once more into her friendly, soft eyes and allowing his shoulders to relax, “I wondered perhaps if you would recognise me.”
Her laugh made his stomach flip, “I do not think I could ever forget you. Though I must confess, I wondered the same for myself.”
Her smile could not be described as anything less than perfect and a feeling that he harboured for her so long ago began to creep back in before he could stop it, “my Lady, I must apologise right away.”
But she shook her head, looking down at her hands, “it was a long time ago.”
He did not wish to upset her further by mentioning such an incident that had harmed his pride since, but knew that her memories of it were just as vivid as his own, “And I have not forgotten. You did what was expected for a lady in your position, and yet I was too selfish to understand that at the time. Please forgive me.”
He could not take the desperation out his tone, no matter how hard he tried. And still, she smiled sadly at his words.
“You must know that I did not wish to leave you.”
“I do,” he replied quickly, the memories of his guilt burning a hole in his throat, trying to hide the bitterness he felt towards himself, “I must confess - I have missed you greatly.”
Her hands clasped at her front, she blinked slowly and swallowed thickly, “I have missed you too.”
The silence stretched between them. Years of separation and longing had left them both yearning, but lacking the courage of knowing what to say. Aemond cleared his throat, his hands behind his back with anxiety, seeing that her ‘favoured’ husband was still not yet present.
“Are we to receive your husband as well?” he asked with some stiffness, or perhaps bitterness.
She cocked her head ever so slightly, eyebrows pulled together in confusion, until a small smile of realisation graced her features, “I regret to inform you I am recently widowed.”
In any other situation, Aemond would have been mortified at her reply. But with her smile came a rush of realisation himself, and hope swelled in his heart, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, hoping to all the gods that she could not see the way his thought ran wild in his head, and made his breeches tighten, “Widowed-” 
“Indeed. I am sorry to disappoint you, my Prince. In truth, I have just come out of mourning,” she nodded, biting back another coy smile, showing in her mannerisms that it was no great loss to her.
“I am sorry for your loss, my Lady.”
She shook her head softly, “my husband left a suitable will, so that my child and I live comfortably and so there is no need for me to pursue future marriages should I not wish to.”
Her careful wording was not lost on him, and Aemond could not help the sense of glee at this new and recent change in her life, the bitter anger at having lost her to some decrepit old man years previous seemingly dissipating. And yet despite this, he attempted to keep it hidden, not wishing to seem disrespectful to her late husband.
“Might I present you my daughter,” she added, taking the child from the woman beside her into her own and resting the shy young girl on her hip. The child’s wide-eyed innocent expression unapologetically took all of Aemond in, as children often do, and he was reminded very much of his dear friend when she was small.
She was the image of her mother, save for the slightly lighter hair, with every feature of her etched into her daughter’s youthful face. And the reality of such similarities made him feel both joy and sorrow all at once.
“She is beautiful.” His voice was quiet, seeing the child in her arms was shy and reserved, unlike her mother, but thankful somewhat that her little one was not in the slightest alike to the man she had been forced to marry. Looking into the eyes of her child felt much like staring at the girl he once knew, and with that, a rush of affection.
Aemond thought, that in different circumstances, this child could have been theirs, a shared expression of their affections for one another. That all those years ago, had her father not coerced her into honouring her late sister’s betrothal, that she and Aemond would have their own children by now.
Before he could think too long, the small girl whined in her arms and she put her down immediately, the little patter of childish feet nearly had Aemond break into a grin, watching her run off with the nursemaid chasing behind.
“I am afraid she is a curious little thing. Like mother like daughter I suppose”, she smiled brightly.
Aemond nodded, the rush of memories bringing a wistful smile to his face, “Like mother like daughter,” was all he managed to reply, watching the mischievousness unfold. Yet, once the child and the nursemaid had left them alone, she chuckled softly, feeling his heartbeat slow in pace with hers.
“May I confess something to you, without fear of judgement?” Aemond asked, his heart thudding as she nodded in return, “You may think me foolish, but I must confess that my mind still lingers on the memories of our time together, and I have found no way to erase the feelings they carry with them - your return to King’s Landing has only reinforced them,” he confessed, looking into her warm gaze, “for now, when I look at you, I cannot help but feel just as I did then.”
He watched her swallow thickly, and take a deep, meaningful breath, like what she was going to say would be heavy, “and, what feelings are those, might I ask?”
His heart felt as it was beating so fast it was cracking his ribs, throat closing with anxiety. The feelings he had tried so hard to hide with a mask of bitterness now overflowing with terrifying intensity. Yet, to say such feelings out loud to her, someone he had trusted so much in his youth, made it feel all the more real. And as he stared into her eyes, he wanted nothing more than for her to share them, despite their years of absence from one another.
“That I love you - and have from the moment I met you.”
The words came out quickly, and as soon as he uttered them he felt his cheeks grow hot, knowing her response was either one way or the other and that he, a man so long disconnected from his own feelings, hiding them with his pride for so many years, was now opening up his vulnerability. 
He wanted her to love him. So desperately.
She sighed quietly in relief, “I have loved you as well. And I was saddened to have left you - and will forever be vehemently sorry for that.”
Though his relief was palpable, but he shook his head first, “You were right then, and always have been, that you had no choice or opinion in the matter. Therefore, I will accept no apologies.”
Her eyes glistened with emotion at his words, and when Aemond stepped forward and took her cheek in his palm, her breath hitched in such a way he was sure they would spill forth in tears. But the strong person she had always been, she held them back.
“I feared - you would not desire me,” she confessed quietly. 
Aemond smirked, “It may take more than a few years of separation to extinguish what was once there. I have loved you since that day beneath the Weirwood Tree, and I will love you until this life ends and the next one begins.”
She gave a watery smile at his sweet words, “though I have been wed once already with a child?”
He was silent for a moment as he considered her question, and not a bit of him even wondered whether it were possible, “my love is no fickle thing,” he smiled, “in time I hope I may become as close as a father to her as I may become a husband to you.”
He watched as her unshed tears formed a constellation on her eyelashes, but a relieved smile graced her delicate features. Aemond could not remember the last time he had been this close to her, able to detect the delicate scents brushed through her hair and the way her cheeks warmed at the close proximity between them, and undeniable tension.
The thought of kissing her, having her to himself, made something arousing tighten in his breeches, to his embarrassment.
He drew in a breath, leaning forward to capture her lips, but both drew back a pace suddenly.
“My Lady! Would you care to join us for supper this evening,” Alicent smiled brightly, as if knowing some great secret seeing them both stood straight and blushing. And she had to take a moment to think and stammer out her reply,
“Oh - yes, I would be delighted-”
“Wonderful! I shall see you to your chambers,” the Queen beamed, giving Aemond a sideways glance as the two women he most respected in life walked alongside one another.
He felt as if the entire evening was a true test of his will and determination. Aemond is certain Alicent meant no ill will by inviting the woman he unequivocally loved to supper with his family; but as he sat beside her, remembering how close he had been just a few hours before, it was almost as if everyone around him was aware and simply dangling the situation in front of his face.
And he cursed any god that existed that Aegon was not drowned in his cups that night, as he usually was. On this night, he was frustratingly lucid and hyper-aware.
Helaena, at first, was impartial to the sudden get-together, but as soon as she and Helaena saw one another, it was as if no time at all had passed. They were, of course, the same age when she had been his mother's ward, and as well as with Aemond, had formed a close friendship.
The princess was of course eager to catch up, and even invited her up to dance, to which she happily obliged as Aemond watched from his spot at the table. It was nice to see Helaena happy for a change.
A sorrowful thought had occurred to Aemond that both his friend and Helaena were pressured into marriages and motherhood far too young. And seeing them very much acting like young girls with one another, only exacerbated this feeling.
They talked quickly with excitement, planning to have their children meet up with one another and play in the gardens. And while they were engrossed in conversation, Aegon slid next to his brother, with a knowing smirk on his face.
“She is just as animated as I remember,” the young prince smirked, raising his eyebrows at Aemond over the rim of his cup.
“I will hear none of your depravity about her.”
Aegon threw him a faux-offended expression, “I had not even got there yet. Do you have such a low opinion of me?”
Aemond ignored him and sipped his own Dornish Red.
“You wish to marry her.”
“And you are perceptive.”
“Gods, I love it when you compliment me.”
“And insufferable.”
“What makes you think grandfather will allow you to marry her anyway? He's a dry old cunt, he will not care if you love her or not. He would have you wed to some plain-faced twat from who-knows-where.”
For one infuriatingly brief moment, Aemond had to concede that Aegon was probably right. And with one restless finger tapping against the table, he glanced over at his mother and grandfather suspiciously squished together on one end of the table, leaning towards each other and whispering in low voices, with Otto Hightower looking at his beloved friend from beneath his brow.
They were talking about her. Discussing her. And by the expression on his grandfather, analysing her.
Aemond felt his heart beat faster at the prospect that they were speaking so secretively about her without her knowledge. It seemed a stark contrast to the way the two women on the other side of the table were laughing and smiling brightly, something so rarely seen on Helaena’s face nowadays.
“She is no maiden, that is for certain. Though if you are lucky, perhaps only the first three inches of her have been tainted by Lefford’s withered old cock.”
Aemond wrinkled his nose at Aegon’s depraved quip, despite his somewhat polite request for him not too. Perhaps he’d expected too much courtesy from his elder brother. Or perhaps, more likely, with the exciting renewed presence of Lord Lefford’s widow, Aegon felt the need to perform, and exaggerate his usual unfortunate traits of his personality.
“‘Tis almost as worse as our dear sister being wed to me.”
“I am certain there is nothing worse than that,” Aemond replied quickly, behind the rim of his cup, failing to keep his gaze from forever drifting to the figure of her from across the candles and ornaments.
Aemond found himself captivated by the way she moved, the subtle grace in her gestures that spoke volumes of the woman she had become. Gone was the innocence of youth, replaced by a quiet strength and resilience that only seemed to enhance her beauty. He couldn't help but notice the way her laughter rang out like music, filling the room with warmth and light. It was a sound he had missed more than he cared to admit, a reminder of simpler times when they were just children with the world at their feet.
But now, as he watched her twirl across the dance floor with Helaena, there was something undeniably magnetic about her presence. It was as if she had blossomed into a flower, her petals unfurling to reveal a depth and complexity that left him breathless.
He attempted not to move too quickly once the festivities were over, afraid of showing her in his actions his desperation to be close to her as he offered his arm, “might I see you to your chambers, my Lady?”
She gave a shy smile that morphed into one of amusement, and Aemond is sure he felt something akin to that stomach-flipping sensation when he was flying out on Vhagar when her hand rested on the inside of his forearm, “Very well.”
Aemond chose to ignore the low snicker of his elder brother, showing him his back instead, with the woman he loved on his arm.
“You are aware I know this Keep better than I do my own home, and am perfectly capable of finding my chambers myself?” she said with a teasing lilt.
Aemond couldn't help but chuckle softly, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. "Forgive me, my Lady. It seems my chivalry gets the better of me in your presence."
Her laughter rang out, filling the silence with warmth. "Chivalry or a desire to prolong our conversation, Prince Aemond?"
He felt a surge of joy at the playful banter, grateful for the opportunity to spend even a few moments alone with her. "Perhaps a bit of both, my Lady. Though I must admit, the thought of your company is a temptation I find hard to resist."
She looked at her feet, as if to hide the rising warmth to her face, “I must confess, it is nice to once again be somewhere familiar, with the company I admire most. When my husband was alive it could often get rather lonely.”
Aemond fell quiet for a moment, swallowing thickly, trying to navigate his feelings in the midst of a difficult situation, “I hope that he was kind to you.”
She glanced up at him, her eyes revealing a depth of gratitude that stirred something within him. "He had his moments," she admitted with a small smile, "but kindness was not his strongest suit. Still, I suppose I cannot fault him entirely. He provided for me in his own way."
Aemond could sense the underlying weight in her words, the unspoken struggles she had endured beneath the facade of mere cordiality. He didn't need to ask to know that her late husband had been less than supportive.
"You deserve far more than just provision, my Lady," he said earnestly, his gaze unwavering as he spoke.
Aemond could almost feel his heart sink as he had realised they were stood before her chamber doors, her hand slipping from his arm, and yet a fire stoking fierce then at the thought of an invitation inside.
She clasped her hands delicately, her warm eyes meeting his with a gentle intensity. "I couldn't help but notice Queen Alicent and the Lord Hand engaged in such ceaseless conversation," she remarked, her voice soft and thoughtful. "I do not wish to presume—"
Aemond, catching the subtle implication in her words, swiftly interjected, "I cannot claim to know their exact sentiments." His gaze met hers, offering reassurance without a hint of desperation. "But I refuse to allow something as trivial as their approval to deter me. I've already endured the pain of losing you once."
There was a quiet determination in his voice, a resolve that mirrored the fire in her own eyes. In that moment, they shared an unspoken understanding, a mutual agreement to pursue their feelings despite the potential obstacles that lay ahead.
She nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Your courage is admirable, Prince Aemond. But we must proceed cautiously. The court is a web of intricate politics, and our actions could have far-reaching consequences."
Her words were crafted in such a way that reminded him of her personality in their youth, understanding of the repercussions and yet boldly standing tall in the face of them. And with her small, mischievous smile, he knew all the same that whatever she uttered was only done so to extend her cordiality.
"I understand," he replied, his tone tinged with determination. "But I cannot ignore what my heart tells me."
"Nor can I," she admitted softly, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of vulnerability and resolve.
Silence settled between them for a moment, the weight of their unspoken desires hanging in the air. Then, with a subtle shift in her demeanour, she turned towards her chamber door. Without a word, she reached out and gently pushed it open, leaving it ajar. A silent invitation hung in the air, enticing Aemond to step inside.
Aemond's heart skipped a beat as he watched her gesture, his pulse quickening with anticipation. Without hesitation, he took a step forward, drawn irresistibly towards the open door and the promise of privacy within.
With a shared glance filled with unspoken understanding, Aemond turned towards her chamber doors, crossing the threshold into the privacy of her chambers, where their hearts could speak freely without the constraints of the outside world.
She spoke quietly, her face illuminated warmly by the soft flicker of candlelight. "I hope you do not think less of me for this," she murmured, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "You can imagine, for me there is no great ceremony in it."
Aemond's heart swelled with tenderness at her words, his gaze filled with an understanding that transcended mere words. "I could never think less of you," he replied softly, his voice brimming with sincerity.
Aemond slowly closed the distance between them, their expressions never wavering, his steps deliberate yet gentle. He reached out, his hand cupping her face tenderly, as he gazed into her eyes with an intensity that spoke of his deep affection. In that moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them suspended in a timeless embrace. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across their intertwined figures, bearing witness to the union of two souls bound together by love and longing.
Her lips parted to whisper, “I do not wish for you to do all of this out of guilt-”
She caught herself when his thumb traced her cheek, waiting for him to answer, “I do not make this bid out of remorse. I wish to be with you, and I wish to make you mine.”
Aside from the crackling heat of the fire within the hearth, her breath was all that was audible between them, coming heavier from between her lips as his thumb feathered down her cheek and to her bottom lip, caressing the skin there. After that, he felt her eyelashes against his cheek flutter when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers with a tenderness usually unbecoming of his personality.
Years of longing had each of them pressing closer to each other, lost in the sound of their soft kisses, and Aemond felt his clothing below his waist become tight with need once he caressed her tongue with his and pried her lips apart like the petal of a flower and tasting the sweet nectar within.
Her hands that had found his shoulders slid over the sleek leather to his front, tenderly and gingerly pulling the buckles apart to loosen his doublet. Her actions, instead of spurring embarrassment, renewed a deep-rooted vigour beneath, and Aemond’s new task was to pull at the laces of her dress behind her, and pull the fabric that had hidden her body from him.
He felt her shiver, pulling the heavy dress from her shoulder to pool at her waist, pushing them as fervently off her as he was able, “was he at least good to you,” Aemond asked in a whisper, his breath hot at her neck while she pulled at the laces of his breeches. 
“I do not wish to speak of him,” she answered with determination and confidence, but a breathless, wanton whisper herself, wanting nothing more than to consummate years of harboured affections masked by friendship, “I only want you.”
Her words had his heart stutter in his chest, pulling her now almost bare form atop him as he sat back onto the bed, with her hair loosened like this and her shoulders blossoming with gooseflesh, he found that he was incapable of keeping his hands at his sides and explored the shape of her feminine body beneath the shift she wore. 
Even the sheer motion of her brushing against his hardened member and her breasts filling his palms could have been enough for Aemond, but there was no returning at this point. She sighed against his lips as his fingers dipped beneath the hem of her shift to ruck the thin fabric up around her hips, squeezing the flesh of her thighs to pull her closer onto his lap.
Warmth bloomed at her cheeks, but it did not deter her as she reached between them and smiled at Aemond’s loud moan, stroking his rapidly hardening length in her palm, focussing her attention towards the velvety tip. 
She lifted herself in his lap, fingers threaded at the hair at his nape as if to anchor herself to him, and both sighed with the utmost relief of their union once he pressed himself into her, and she sank her warmth onto him, enveloping him with her body. Her lips parted at the stretch, somewhat prepared and yet the intrusion still stealing the air from her lungs.
Foreheads pressed together, Aemond's hands gripped her at her waist, pushing his hips up into her as hard as he could to sink deeper inside her, “I have dreamt of this - for so long - being with you like this -” 
A faint sheen glimmered on her collarbones as she slowly moved her hips on him, Aemond's legs parted somewhat, widening hers and opening her up more so he could rock up into her with her rhythm. The closeness of their position had the blunt head of his cock massage that sensitive patch within, her eyebrows knitted together in sweet pleasure.
“That's it -” he cooed quietly, almost watching the way she moved with admiration and curiosity, her tight, silky walls squeezing his length with every thrust of herself down. He felt her arousal coat the base of him, and the sound of their ever-quickening coupling filled the otherwise quiet chambers.
She held onto his shoulders, the amber glow of the fireplace picturing her expression in the most arousing way Aemond had ever imagined. Pulling her shift down her chest, he groaned lowly at the sight of her breasts and took one in his palm and mouthed at the other, taking her stiffened nipple between his lips in a way that made a shuddering moan slip past her lips.
“Gods - I would adore to watch you swell with my child - would you like that -”
All she could do was nod feebly, words unable to occupy her mouth where soft, sweet sounds of pleasure were pouring out. Aemond smirked, grazing his teeth over her bud.
“yes, you would like to serve your husband - give him children, wouldn't you - fuck-” his voice strained at the effort it took to hold himself back, his hands sliding down the column of her back to her plump backside, palms gripping tight and guiding her rhythm onto him, over and over.
She moaned loudly, the motion of being pulled back and forth and yet still impaling herself on him driving the fat head of his cock into the deepest and most forbidden parts of her.
“Aemond -”
“And once you have one - I'll fuck yet another one into you - keep you fat with child” his breathing grew ragged and shaky, “- take it - like a good little wife should-”
“Yes - yes-” she breathed quickly, the words slipping out without realising what they were for, her blind acceptance of being his wife, or the rising waves of pleasure coursing white, hot through her body.
He felt her squeezing him and hastened both of her rhythms, dragging her back into his lap and pushing up into her wet heat ceaselessly. Both the numbing ache of her peak and her bud rolling against his body in quick succession had her hands gripping around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck as her limbs flooded with warmth.
“That's it, ābrazyrys -”
“Gods, Aemond-” she squeaked, completely overcome and possessed by the heights of pleasure rolling through her, the endless rhythm of him fucking up into her only prolonging it.
Her tight walls squeezed him so deliciously that Aemond's heart leapt into his throat, completely surprised as he pulsed thickly and spilled within her, his lone eye tightly shut. His own fulfilment had his hips twitching, shallowly pushing his seed into her, and hoping that it took.
Even once he was completely spent and exhausted, softening inside her, neither moved, and he simply felt her tender fingertips at his shoulders in light soft circles, massaging him. And thought, that this is how it always should have been, had he fought for her.
Her breath fluttered against his skin, herself tired in exertion from their shared pleasure.
“I was a fool - for allowing you to slip from my grasp.”
She sat up, to look down at him, her face flushed, hair in messy waves, looking every bit as beautiful as the day he'd lost her.
But she smiled, her finger tracing the pattern impressed on the leather of his eye patch, “you may have been a fool,” she started.
Her finger hooked beneath it, and lifted it away, her expression unchanged as her thumb stroked the indent of the scar at his cheek. Aemond felt his heart soar in a way that almost felt terrifying.
“I never slipped from your grasp,” she uttered gently, “my heart was always yours.”
Aemond brushed her hair from her features, her words sending waves of ecstasy thrumming in his veins.
“Just as mine shall always be.”
Tumblr media
General Taglist: @aemondsfavouritebastard @bellstwd @blairfox04 @buckybarnesb-tch @castellomargot @hb8301 @jamespotterismydaddy @mochi-rose @natty2017 @nenelysian @randomdragonfires @risefallrise @thelittleswanao3 @theoneeyedprince @thetrueblackheart @tsujifreya @urmomsgirlfriend1 @valeskafics @valleyof-goldenlilies @virtualsweetsqueen @watercolorskyy @emmaisafictionwhore @minholy223
1K notes · View notes
kohvan · 1 month ago
Text
About Jacob, John, and their relationship
Tumblr media
Sometimes, I wondered why Jacob and John didn't really communicate throughout the game. There are little to no interactions between them, and for me, it made no sense. They're brothers. Jacob loved John and protected him when he was little. John, I'm sure, loved Jacob, too, because he flipped the whole damn USA upside down to find him. And yet... The only connection between them is Joseph. Only Joseph contacts John or Jacob, and it seems like they have no direct contact with each other.
At first, I thought it was Jacob's guilt and shame that caused it. For sure, he felt deeply ashamed of himself: he failed to protect John. He lost his control and got into a juvenile, and John suffered without him around. And then — the war. He came back ugly, from inside to outside. He was ashamed that his little Johny, that kind and big-eyed boy, would be terrified. He looked more like a beast than Jacob John once knew. And when John found him, it was the worst way imaginable: he didn't find his protector but found a failure that cried lying on a dirty cot in the middle of God-knows-what kind of facility. From Jacob's perspective, it ruined their relationship. From Jacob's perspective, John wouldn't want a brother like that. Would probably hate him, even.
Then I thought it went for both sides. John felt guilty for being the one who "snitched" their family to his teachers. John felt guilty for ruining it and eventually getting them all separated. And Jacob was always the one with a temper, so he'd probably be very angry at John and hate him, so it would be better to avoid him...
But then, it doesn't make any sense, really. For over a decade of running their Project, wouldn't they get along once again? Because it seems that Joseph did. Joseph communicates very closely and intimately (in a familial way) with both of his brothers. Why wouldn't they be the same towards each other?
And oh, it hit me. Joseph. Joseph fucking Seed. Comes out once again to ruin something precious.
See, here is the thing. John's fully under Joseph's control. You can argue or not. You can think John's the "favorite child," but it's not true. Joseph needs John for his traumas. Joseph needs John the way he is: angry, maniacal, unstable. When John cried about killing a woman? Joseph said John's gifted. When John overstepped by drowning the Rook? Joseph humiliated him and threatened him.
Jacob needed months to recover after they found him. So who'd John lean to? Joseph. Who'd John see as an adult figure? Joseph. Who'd John open his heart to? Joseph. John wouldn't want to throw it on Jacob, not when Jacob was still a mess. So John and Joseph reestablished their sibling closeness over time. And of course, John shared his life with Duncans (and we know he did because Joseph described it in detail in his Book). And Joseph? He used it against John. Joseph used the same tools and words to keep John in line. At the same time, he was that loving brother who supported John.
It was a smart, carefully played game. Joseph made sure his hold on John's pulse was tight.
And what if Jacob steps in? John would get distracted. Another adult figure, another loving family member in his life, would make him feel better. Jacob would never manipulate John or force John into obedience, not with the way he always protected and loved him. Jacob would support John and maybe scold him brotherly, and it would melt away John's anger. It would melt away John's traumas.
And Joseph doesn't need that. Joseph doesn't want John to betray his loyalty. Joseph needs John alone and depending. On his love, his attention, his punishments. That's why Joseph made sure Jacob's still not close with John.
I'm not saying he did this on purpose. He's not that evil. He loves his brothers. He wants the best for them, I'm sure of that. But again... What if the Voice said it would go against God's plans? Joseph loved his daughter, too, and he mourned killing her. It's something... subconscious. Not purposeful. But still, I think, even if without really meaning it, Joseph is the one guilty for Jacob's and John's relationship being so distant.
74 notes · View notes
extremely-judgemental · 3 months ago
Text
Long Post (From the Drafts)
I hate Feysand. But it’s just me hating on Feyre, really.
I struggled for so long to put this into words as I couldn’t pinpoint the exact the reason to hate this ship until recently. It isn’t because Rhysand is manipulative or Feyre turned into his trophy wife. Aside from the reenactment of the SA as the stepping stone in their relationship, my problem is solely with Feyre.
To preface this, I don’t care about romances, only the character growth resulting from it. So I don’t care whether Feyre ends up with Rhysand or Tamlin or alone, as long as she evolves.
Warnings. This is completely based on my memory of how the two relationships progressed. Because otherwise I’d have to go through the books to cite and I really, really don’t want to. As it’s hard to explain this objectively without talking about the author’s influence in the narrative, this could be also taken as more of a writing critique on how to NOT write characters falling in and out of love. Basically, it’s a jumbled mess and it took turns on its own and there will be lots of psychology talk. Also, THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION FOR SHIP WARS. Don’t bring that shit here.
The common assumption is that Feyre and Tamlin weren’t good for each other from the start, which is only partly true. The first book had just a spark of potential since more were lined up in the series exploring their relationship. Feylin falling apart was not inevitable. They definitely had strong bones to build upon.
Their relationship starts out almost whimsical, a necessary reprieve from their lives for both Tamlin and Feyre. The two come together under the worst of circumstances and grow to understand each other.
Feyre is a mortal who sees Tamlin with fresh eyes, without the stain of his reputation. And Tamlin gets to see a side of her in return, one even her family didn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge. He experiences her as a person instead of her burdens or responsibilities.
Feyre finds a kindness that she was never offered with a beast. Tamlin learns that a huntress can have a heart after all.
Their relationship was built on shared values and beliefs like compassion for other lives, intolerance towards injustices, the youngest sibling forced to take on mantles they didn’t choose for themselves. They accepted each other despite their flaws and cruel choices. They fought for each other. They endured so much for each other.
Despite all this, the romantic notes were quite lacking and physical attraction was thrown in too soon to compensate for it. This undermined the bond the two had which is often considered the proof that their relationship wasn’t real or ideal. Whereas there clearly was a beautiful connection between them, one that neither had in their lives until they found each other. Even Lucien’s friendship doesn’t compare to this as Tamlin is still his saviour which forged an unwavering trust and loyalty.
To have developed such deep bond with someone for the first time in her life, Feyre is quick to move on. She states that she fell in love with the first person who offered her kindness and presents herself as a misguided being preyed upon by someone. But in truth, none of Tamlin’s love or kindness was fake.
Feyre wasn’t safe with Tamlin, I agree. It isn’t her choice of leaving that bothers me as much as her responses. The kind of resentment Feyre harbours towards Tamlin usually comes from prolonged trauma which completely replaces every good memory in the mind. Or if the relationship was built under false pretences and the victim is forced to accept their reality. Neither is the case here.
At best, all of this—leaving UtM, the almost wedding, leaving Spring for good—happens in less than a year. And given the list of trials Feyre lived through until then, what happened in Spring was only a blip. Trauma is unpredictable and so is the response. None of Feyre’s reactions are impossible given her circumstances, but they are so inconsistent that it feels forced.
Victims tend to have some sort of attachment with their abusers and fond memories even when they understand the gravity of their situation. Feyre had core moments that made her fall in love with her time in Spring—trapping Tamlin in the forest, swimming in the stardust lake, dancing for him and with him, her bond with Alis, the teasing with Lucien who was her first ever friend. All of it is instead treated as an illusion that Feyre wakes up from when her initial feelings were clear. She was finally, truly free and experienced genuine happiness with them but she remembers none of it again. She readily demonises everyone and hates them without hesitation. Not once does she reminisce her past, or mourn the life she left behind.
Feyre forces herself to relive the traumatic moments over and over again until the image of Tamlin as her villain is cemented in her mind. While she feels no need to do the same around Rhysand when she knows he can’t be trusted. Granted she doesn’t remember the SA itself, she however remembers the head mounted on a spike, her mind being violated, her arm being broken, being tricked and coerced, being stripped naked and paraded, being forced upon twice, and yet, she has no reaction towards him.
There are two other key moments which stand out. Feyre tried to escape Tamlin’s mansion after agreeing to go with him, but she doesn’t attempt anything similar in Night during the initial stays in Moonstone Palace. Of course, later she is homeless and alone in a strange world, but she has always been an advocate for freedom and she should have at least resisted the idea of living in a secret city no one knows about (basically a high class prison), which she doesn’t. Though this could very well be exhaustion from living in survival for long, it is also an attempt to drive the idea that Feyre feels safer with her supposed tormentor than the partner she chose.
The other is her hatred for Spring when she returns from Hybern. She despises everything, she can’t stand the mansion, the gardens, the people. But she had none of this anger or loathing for CoN, which mirrors UtM, when she plays Rhysand’s whore again.
Besides Feyre has a lot of issues on her end which is completely ignored. She is very controlling and she loses a part of it when she is expected to play her role in Spring. For someone as reckless as her, she couldn’t speak the way she wanted. She couldn’t act the way she wanted. And she definitely couldn’t lord her importance over Tamlin to have her way, like she is used to with her family in the past.
Despite being so perceptive, she doesn’t grasp the idea that she can’t and won’t be everyone’s priority. Feyre wants to be doted on. As a result of childhood neglect, she convinces herself that she is above it. The narrative wouldn’t let Feyre acknowledge this either since she is a feminist hero and she can’t have girly needs like love. She can’t be like other women.
But it is obvious with how her relationship with Tamlin cracks. During her first stay in Spring, Feyre had the undivided attention of Tamlin and Lucien alike. She wasn’t exposed to the court matters as most of his subjects were cloaked.
After UtM, Feyre sees Tamlin, the High Lord of Spring. She resents everything about him when he tends to his court—rehabilitating his subjects through the social events, entertaining priestesses in his court, even a basic tax collection.
Tamlin’s attention is now shared between Feyre and his duty. When she feared his devotion for her was slipping away, she began resenting him. She turned Tamlin into the scapegoat for every pain she was ever dealt. This is contrasted with Rhysand who is overly zealous about her (and literally doesn’t do anything court related ever). Feyre doesn’t have to want attention with him, she just gets it in abundance.
The more we look into these contrasts, it feels like Feyre forced herself into falling out of love rather than it being a direct consequence of Tamlin’s actions. Ignoring the bond and its influence, the switch from one man to another so lightly, to me, it doesn’t even feel like she fell out of love. Instead, what she had for Tamlin was trust. She had learnt to rely on someone for the first time in her life and she felt abandoned again.
And most of her feelings after leaving him is guilt that revolved around pursuing a new romance too soon. The first instance I remember clearly is right before she goes into the Weaver’s cottage. That happens weeks within of leaving Spring permanently. That’s how long it took to move on from a man she died for only months ago to flirting with the man who sexually abused. (I am a liar, I remember the others too. Rubbing the tattooed hand on herself comment, teasing Rhysand after stealing from Summer. Yeah, they are despicable and I hate the pair.)
Feyre essentially cheated on Tamlin emotionally long before she ended the relationship or decided to do so. This is not a judgement given the complicated situation but combining it with everything else, her guilt is again just a forced narrative so she can retain the saintly status.
The note she sent to Tamlin is a character armour as none of her actions so far imply Feyre believes her old relationship deserves a proper closure. It comes off like an afterthought that Feyre is only acting out of societal customs. But you can also tell it is the author trying so hard for the readers to not blame Feyre for enjoying the sexual act in CoN. Even without the note, Lucien could’ve come looking for her in Night and it wouldn’t affect the plot differently. The only purpose of the note is to protect Feyre from scrutiny and eliminate any grace for Tamlin.
Instead of disrespecting the sacrifices the two made for each other and ridiculing their struggles for a dramatic yet effortless partner swap, I’d have preferred if they had come to realise they weren’t right for each other, that the three months broke something in them, that Amarantha succeeded in tearing them apart, and moving on amicably.
But now, as a result, her relationship with Rhysand comes off as coping—to some extent, denial even—instead of genuine. The biggest flaw in this narrative is again not Feyre’s choice but the lack of emotional substance in her.
Her intense monologues and outbursts at times are often mistaken for emotional depth. But since moving to Night, Feyre becomes a mouthpiece for Rhysand’s state of mind and a device to endlessly justify him rather than processing her own feelings about him or her new life. There is no organic growth in their relationship as she is quick to agree with what’s fed to her without questioning anything.
While it’s a common notion that Rhysand manipulated Feyre, it is true only to a degree. In order to turn someone as stubborn as her, Rhysand will have to hit every one of her vulnerabilities and make her doubt every belief she ever had. But he doesn’t have to try so hard. At best, he gives her a slight explanation and Feyre takes it as gospel.
The only time she truly hesitates is when she learns of Velaris. It’s because she is supposed to. Because she is a strong female lead who can’t be gullible and believe her tormentor. Although phrased as such, she doesn’t really question it out of curiosity or because of her morals. She doesn’t pause to wonder if these ideals are something she agrees with, if it goes against her values. If the latter were the case, she’d question if the Illyrians, a race she knows nothing about, are really all brutes. She’d question if the people of Hewn City, again a bunch she’s never met, are all evil especially if Rhysand and Morrigan turned out alright.
Feyre always had a skewed sense of morality but it takes a much clearer form after she moves to Night. Her disdain towards her sisters and opinion about the townspeople represent her narcissism and shallowness. She also has a superiority complex, in my opinion, which actually drives her to oppose Tamlin during the tithe and offer charity to the water sprites.
Her kindness and compassion is very selective and circumstantial, and this is easily directed towards the people of Velaris. Not to mention the community that affected her the most was the artisans’. Because Feyre saw herself in them, saw them as vulnerable and the ones deserving of protection. And this belief is extended to the rest of the city.
I digress. Rhysand strokes this side of her. He feeds her ego by making her believe she has power through a sex show. In Illyria, he goads her into believing she is a match to the Generals (who knows how old they are) who have been trained to war all their lives.
The longer this dynamic is explored, there is one conclusion for me. Feyre doesn’t love Rhysand either as much as she loves the sense of power and importance she has with him. Feyre is basically a parasite and will latch onto anyone who benefits her. At the moment, Rhysand does, by validating her in ways no one else does. As long as he offers her a modicum of control over her life or others, and reveres as someone who can do no wrong, she will be by his side.
114 notes · View notes
justmeforeverlive · 3 months ago
Text
Welcome home?
Hi! This is part 2 of Across the universe: https://www.tumblr.com/justmeforeverlive/774890726664323072/across-the-universes?source=share
Tumblr media Tumblr media
After admitting you didn’t know them, the siblings wasted no time in getting the doctors to explain what exactly was wrong with you.
“The scans don’t show anything outside of the ordinary, just a minor concussion” Dr. Roan explained in a neutral tone and if looks could kill the doctor would be six feet under right now.
“Nothing? You’re telling me that Y/N having no memory of us, her family is completely normal!
“That is not what I meant Mrs Richards, what I’m saying is that her memory loss doesn’t seem to come from brain swelling nor from head trauma. I think the best course of action is to channel her with Dr. Krim, our resident physicologist to treat her in case this a post traumatic response, please follow me”
With that statement both left the room.
Ok, you’re gonna have to play along with the amnesiac route, at least until you find a way to get rid of these people and go to Strange for help. Was he famous in this universe too?
“Whatever it is you’re planning, please don’t do it or tell me and I’ll help you but don’t try to go out that window again”  his soft voice brings you back to the present.
“I’m not… I wasn’t planning anything” you lied through your teeth
“Y/N, I know that look on your face, it’s same you have when you’re gonna pull a prank on Ben or trying to get your way in a discussion with Reed” you shrink into your seat and he stops talking.
None of those names have a meaning to you and giving the circumstances, you didn’t want to assume anything, so it was time to get some answers out of him.
“Johnny, that’s your name right?”  The question seems to steal the air from his lungs, and he deflates a little before nodding.
“Yeah, that’s me”
“I don’t mean to be rude but it’s really overwhelming having you here acting like you’ve known me since we were kids, are we cousins or something? "
He opened his mouth and closed it again, too stunned to speak. The door swings open and he almost knocks the doctor over just to get away from this situation.
“Johnny!” his sister calls out before running after him.
 To his credit, Dr. Roan only looks mildly irritated when he organizes the next appointments and discharges you.
Sue’s POV
Chasing Johnny down the hallway as if we were kids wasn’t on my list of things to do today and running in heels wasn’t making it easier.
Johnny, wait!”
When he finally stops his strut,  the heartbreak in his eyes paralyzes me. I haven’t see him in so much pain since we lost our parents. It’s the kind of sorrow that rears inside your chest and shallows you whole. As I walk closer to him, he all but whispers:
“She doesn’t love me anymore Sue”
“That’s not true”
“She asked if we were cousins for God’s sake” his voice cracks by the end of the sentence.
“Y/N is confused, she woke up with no memory and surrounded by strangers.”
“I get that part but she had never looked at me with so much indifference, not even when we first met” he sat on a bench with his head down.
“Johnny, believe me, the Y/N we know loves you wholeheartedly, she just needs time to remember it”  I approach him carefully, letting my fingers run through his hair in an effort to sooth his worries and get him to feel a little better. His breath evens out and the reality of the situation hits us.
“What if she doesn’t?
“We’ll be there for her regardless. Besides if she fell for you once, I’m sure you can make it happen again.”
The hopeful spirit didn’t last long because when we went back to the hospital, a nurse informed us that Y/N had already been discharged.
“She left 30 minutes ago.”
Great
115 notes · View notes
vanya-evergreen · 10 months ago
Text
Quick blurb- batfam x civilian sibling
Tumblr media
This was an idea that has been rattling around in my empty shell brain for about the past two days now. Anyways, basically, Sibling was adopted after tim before Damian in classic fanfic fashion, but you decided that you wanted nothing to do with Vigilante activities, if it is because of trauma or pure laziness is up to you. What you need to know is that you maintain a very public appearance with the Wayne name and all.
This means that you are lying your ass off every time one of the batfam members miss an event that they were expected to be at. So you decided to have some fun with it.
"Excuse! Where might your father be?" A reporter, covered by the crowd, shouted interrupting you mid speech.
You stop almost immediately and look out into the direction you heard the voice come from. This was the third time that you had been interrupted. And it was all about the same topic. Bruce Wayne.
This was meant to be a grand opening of a new building Wayne Enterprises had built for a small charity that was for treating childhood cancer, and the only thing I cared about was some rich guy? You didn't like this at all, and it didn't help Bruce's case that you were already pissed at him too.
"I am sorry to say but he couldn't make it..." This is typically where you left it, but out of pure spite you couldn't help but add more "he's resting in bed currently, I think he got a bad burn from last night's activities."
There are multiple rumors you could've been referring. It could've the one about him trying to grab a muffin tray out of the oven, or maybe one about him trying to slide down a pole... in his underwear. The options were endless, and you definitely weren't going to specify.
you continued on with your speech as crowd sat stunned in silence for a few seconds before people began to write once again. Even if their mind was still lingering back to what you implied..
Bruce was pissed, but everyone else thought it was hilarious. Until it started happening to them..
Some took your last snack or stole your phone charger? So what do you do? Make up an embarrassing cover story.
"Oh poor {batfam member}, I heard that he couldn't come today because they were injured. But I could have sworn that they were in the mansion playing around with some suction cups on their face."
The possibilities are really endless! Everyone would try to avoid pissing you off because of these rumors that you created. Hell, some of them even stopped skipping out on public event because of this. Your family began to fear you, you could monopolize the entirety of their public image just because you had more time to attend public events, then them.
Social media absolutely loved you though- everyone got a kick out of how you over shared Wayne's lives (even if it wasn't true). You were the prime source of Wayne gossip, a reporter needed to write something on the waynes they would just go to an event you're speaking at and ask what where your family members are and you would give them the most ridiculous stories. But they ate that shit up.
171 notes · View notes
theconstantsidekick · 5 months ago
Text
Avengers : Age Of Ultron ft. Static (3) | s.r
Pairings: Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader, Tony Stark x Stark!Reader (siblings)
Genre: Idk what this is called. Ego stroking and Fluff?
Summary: The question of the hour is, who is Y/n Stark's favorite Avenger? Is it Tony Stark, The Iron Man, her brother? Or Steve Rogers, Captain America, her boyfriend? Everyone's dying to find out.
(These scenes incorporate y/n, yet to be codenamed—Static, into the pre-existing story as a character without making drastic changes to the plot or mythos. All the major plot points from the MCU remain in place with the addition of the reader as Static, who is not only a Stark but also enhanced. Whatever events from the canon aren’t mentioned, take place without much change.)
Warnings: Drinking, Cursing, Mentions of Violence, Mentions of Past Trauma, Mentions of Bullying
a/n: there is a chunk in there about tony that i absolutely loved writing the shit out of. so tell me what you think, please. comment!
Avengers : Age of Ultron ft. Static (2) | Avengers : Age of Ultron ft. Static (4) | Series Masterlist | The Avengers (ft. Static) | Captain America: The Winter Soldier (ft. Static) | Static Verse Masterlist
Tumblr media
When Y/n and Steve walk in, most of the guests have dwindled away. Leaving only the Avengers in the room. 
Bruce is sitting on the couch, leaning over to talk to Natash on the armchair to his left. On Bruce’s other side sits Sam, on the backrest of the couch and below him is Clint, on the floor,  fiddling with drum sticks—which she has absolutely no clue about the origins of. Maria’s right there next to him, on the floor, heels abandoned to the side. Tony’s standing by the bar, pouring a couple drinks, she’s presuming for himself and her. Rhodey’s taken the seat on Maria’s right, meanwhile Thor’s half lying on the couch opposite Clint and Maria.
However, the best addition to all this is Helen Cho, sleeping peacefully in one corner of the room, while the rest of them chat away.
“Hey, hotshot!” Sam yells the moment he spots her. “Who’s your favorite Avenger?”
“I heard you put your money on Tony,” she throws back very easily as she walks over to meet Tony at the bar. Steve, on the other hand, seats himself between Rhodey and Thor. “Worried you’ll lose?”
Before Sam can respond, however, Natasha speaks up, “Oh, he’s definitely losing.”
Y/n and Tony share a smile as he offers her the drink, then together, they head back to the centre of the room and join these crazy kids at the table. 
“Why, Romanoff, you seem mighty confident for a girl who calls me a puzzle she can’t solve,” Y/n remarks, taking a seat on the armchair next to Thor while Tony sits down next to Rhodey. “Who’d you pick?” She knows the answer, she just wants to hear it. Stirring shit up is afterall, a Stark’s favorite family bonding activity.
Natasha makes a face like it should be fucking obvious. “Steve,” she says.
“Ah,” Y/n nods. “You think those baby blues work on me in the bedroom, so they must work on the field too?” 
“No,” she counters with a smile. “I’ve seen the look in your eyes when you talk about him, not just Steve Rogers, the boyfriend but Steve Rogers, The Captain America. You admire him.” She adjusts herself to look right at Y/n as she adds, “You might be a puzzle I can’t solve, but I know this much, the baby blues work wonders on you. He’s it for you.”
The statement made is utterly true, and it makes Y/n want to look over at Steve for his reaction. But she’s frankly very afraid of what that might be, so chooses not to. Instead she barely sets her glass down to respond before Clint points a drumstick at her like it’s a gavel of absolute judgment. 
“Baby blues can take a damn hike. It’s definitely Tony,” he declares, spinning the stick between his fingers. “It’s the law. Blood over boyfriends.”
“First of all,” Rhodey cuts in, with a cunning smirk, “we don’t even know if she picked anyone.”
“Please,” Sam scoffs. “That smile? That’s the smile of someone who’s already made a choice and is just waiting for us to catch up.”
She does smile. Because he’s right.
“Exactly,” Thor agrees, raising his drink like he’s toasting her superior intellect. “And the answer is clear! The bond of siblings is forged in the stars. Little Stark would never betray her brother.”
“Okay, first of all—” Tony interjects, pointing dramatically, “thank you, Point Break. Second, she would betray me, but only if it were funny.”
She raises her glass to him in silent agreement.
“That’s adorable,” Bruce says dryly, “but the answer is Steve.”
Hill hums. “Yeah, no. I’m gonna have to side with the Norse God on this one.”
“Exactly!” Clint inflates, seeing the tides turn his way again. “You can’t just disregard decades of Stark sibling history for some—” he gestures vaguely at Steve, “—muscles and morality situation.”
Steve, who’s been quietly sipping his drink, raises a brow. “Some muscles and morality situation?”
“I mean… accurate,” Y/n muses.
It makes Steve turn to her and pass a look.
‘Really?’ he asks her wordlessly. ‘Really.’ she replies with a smile.
The exchange goes unnoticed by the rest, who are still dead set on their debate.
“See?” Natasha smirks. “It’s Steve.”
Sam shakes his head. “No, no, no. Y’all are forgetting the key factor—who puts up with Y/n’s bullshit more?”
“Tony,” Clint says immediately.
“Steve,” Natasha counters, just as fast.
Bruce lifts a hand. “Steve literally chose this. Tony was born into it.”
“Oh, so it’s voluntary suffering that makes someone her favorite?” Maria deadpans. “That’s the logic we’re going with?”
“You’re acting like loving Y/n is some great hardship,” Tony says, putting a hand to his chest like a martyr. “It’s not, okay? It’s a privilege. A spectacular pain in the ass, but a privilege.”
Steve snorts into his drink. She just winks at him.
Bruce sits up then, “If we’re going purely by scientific method—”
“No one asked for science, Doc,” Sam cuts in.
Bruce is undeterred. “—she gravitates toward Cap in high-stress situations. It’s a subconscious preference.”
She tilts her head, intrigued. “That a fact, Doc?”
“It’s an observable pattern,” Bruce nods.
Tony scoffs. “Or, and hear me out, it’s just that Steve’s built like a brick wall and happens to be standing in the way most of the time.”
Steve sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’m right here.”
Rhodey, having had enough, finally leans forward, aiming to end the debate. “You’re all wrong, by the way.”
That gets the room’s attention.
“Oh, this should be good,” Tony says. “Go on, War Machine. Who do you think it is?”
Rhodey smirks. “Neither of you two, that’s for sure,” he states with finality.
“How’d you figure that?” Steve asks, curious.
“‘Cause whenever you tell her to pick favorites, she answers with the most out of pocket shit—for instance, you ask her what her favorite Star Wars is, and you’d think she’ll say Empire or Return of the Jedi, right?” Everyone nods. Rhodey just shakes his head and looks at her, encouraging her to answer.
“A New Hope,” she obliges.
Groans sound out across the room, with complaints to boot. 
But Rhodey smiles triumphant. “See?” He takes a sip of his drink, “It’s neither of you, trust me.”
“This proves nothing,” Clint counters. “Other than the fact that she has questionable taste—which seems to be the pattern,” he says looking at Steve.
Steve sighs, put upon. “You didn’t even know we were dating until an hour ago.”
“Which is absolutely wild to me,” Y/n chimes in. “You thought the kiss I gave him after the mission was purely platonic? Or did you think I kiss all the Avengers like that?”
“I knew you guys had a  thing! I just missed the part where you made it official,” Clint defends.
“We’re getting sidetracked,” Sam butts in. 
“Despite being hopelessly blind, Barton’s logic is sound,” Thor says then. “Choice made in Midgardian movies holds no bearing whatsoever on her choice of favorite Avenger.”
“You know what? We could go back and forth on this till the cows come home,” Tony states. “Let’s get right to the source instead.” He turns to her with a smirk and anticipation clear in his eyes. “Ready for it, Stark? Question of the hour…” the anticipation builds. “Who is your favorite Avenger?”
She lets the question hang in the air for a second, taking the time to leisurely sip her drink. 
But then she looks up at him between her lashes and says, “Sorry, handsome.”
Steve, as expected, is gracious in his defeat. His head falls, as if he’d seen this coming a mile away, but he doesn’t quit smiling. She apologises to him silently with her eyes, and he forgives her all the same. 
Tony, however, is anything but gracious in his presumed victory. 
“Before you start celebrating—it’s not you either, dickhead,” she speaks up, putting a damper on Tony’s celebration howl. 
He turns to face her instantly, “Then who the fuck is it?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Y/n asks, only to be met with silence. So, she answers her own question, “It’s Widow.”
“Out of pocket shit,” Rhodey reiterates, with a winning grin.
“Bullshit!” Tony slumps. “That’s a diplomatic answer you just made up, to avoid picking between the two of us,” he says, pointing from himself to Steve.
Y/n makes a face, “You wish.” Her tone is standoffish enough to get Tony off her back immediately. She takes another sip of her drink, having accomplished that goal. “She’s the only woman on the team and she’s one who keeps all you miscreants in check… which while not an easy feat, is not why she’s my favorite Avenger.”
“Alright,” Sam chimes in. “I’ll bite,” he announces, as if he’s volunteering to be the sacrificial lamb. “Why is she your favorite Avenger?”
She smiles. “You boys…” she begins. “You had greatness thrust upon you…” she looks around the room, just for good measure. “She stole it.” She takes another swig—takes her time with it too. “Please understand,” she begins, meaning every word, “I’m not trying to negate the fact that you guys had to go through some real fucking horrible shit to get to where you are today. I’m not just proud, but grateful to be associated with each and every single person in this room.” She needs to make sure that they mean it, so she pauses to let them soak in the words. And then adds, “But she’s different.” 
She clicks her tongue, “I mean, she’s done her fair share of bad things. I’ve read her files and man, it’s really not good—some of it is bordering on grotesque. Frankly, I am surprised they didn’t redact more shit then they already had—”
She’s cut off by the voice of someone clearing their throat.
Her eyes fly to meet the offending party only to come up with a smile.
Natasha’s looking at her intently, face completely and utterly unreadable.
“But,” Y/n says then. “But…” She licks her lips, and straightens, and addresses Natasha directly when she begins anew, “To be able to face your past… to look back at your history, so marred and maimed by your misdeeds… and then to say ‘To hell with it. I am going to be good, now’, that—that takes the kind of courage that only someone with balls of steel could accomplish.” Her smile slips out, she can’t help it.
When she looks around, the rest of the team is smiling too. 
She composes herself. “The way I see it… being good—is not inherent…” Her eyes meet Steve’s as she adds with a smirk, “Unless you’re Steve fucking Rogers…” Steve smiles back at her. “It’s a choice you make,” she states, tone far more grim, a stark contrast to the one she’s used thus far. “Every single day, with every single decision.” She swallows thickly with the weight of her words. After a beat, she scoffs—a little self-deprecatingly, “So, I’m not gonna sit here and say being good is easy—it really fucking isn’t, especially when it counts.” She knows that just as well, if not better than most of the people in this room. “But it is easier when you’ve been taught the difference between right and wrong,” she tells all of them. “She wasn’t. She chose to learn it, all by her lonesome… and then she stuck to it… And that is why, she is my favorite Avenger.”
There is a stunned yet warm silence in the room.
She can tell that everyone’s taking in her words, running it in their heads again, just to grasp it better. So, she lets it hang.
Tony, obviously, is the one who breaks it, “My God, that was a great answer. I—I mean, fuck! That was eloquent and emotional and very well thought out, and now I just feel like an asshole.”
“Don’t have to feel like an asshole, Stark,” she says leaning back into her chair. “You already are one.”
Tony just rolls her eyes at that. “Eat a dick, Halle Berry.”
She chuckles at that.
“I don’t mean this as an insult but,” Bruce pipes up, “I’ve never seen you like this before. I didn’t think you could…” He cuts himself off, clearly at a loss for the right word.
“Emote?” She supplies.
“Yes,” Bruce agrees immediately.
She snorts. “Yeah, well. I can…”
“Just takes a few drinks for her to get there,” Tony adds on with a cheeky smile as he comes to sit opposite to her on the couch next to Steve.
Clint’s instantly on alert. He pretends to cover his mouth and whisper-yells at Sam, “Get the woman a refill!” Sam, always happy to have a big emotional moment, obliges eagerly. It makes her roll her eyes with a smile. “Hey, Y/n?”
“Yes, Clint?”
“What do you think of me?”
The question shocks her a bit, she won’t lie. Clint and her interactions have been few and far between. She’s not holding that against the dude as such, seeing as the only time they ‘hang out’ is during a mission. It is a fucking fact. She can’t run away from it either.
“You really wanna know, Barton?”
“I’m asking, aren’t I?” Clint throws back at her while Sam offers him a fresh glass, a repeat of her drink.
With a wordless thanks bid to Sam she turns back to look at Clint.
And she can tell, he’s expecting something standoffish. A joke, maybe? But yeah, she can tell he thinks it’ll be a throwaway compliment at best and a complete dismantling of his worst habits at worst. 
Well, isn’t it great then that she absolutely loves proving people wrong.
She sits up again, “No one asked you to do this.” The statement kicks the smug look off of his face instantly. Fucker, she thinks to herself, a little triumphantly. “You spent a long time in Black Ops, so taking up the S.H.I.E.L.D. gig would have been an easy choice, but no one ever asked you to go fight aliens.” She almost jumps in her seat, her words emphatic, “Especially, when their leader had mindfucked you seven ways to Sunday! No one would have held it against you if you decided to just take a day.” She clicks her tongue, “But you didn’t. You got back up and you fought fucking aliens.” She looks him straight in the eyes, “You’re just a man, Barton, and you fight with Gods… to most people that makes you a hero, but to me that makes you a terrifying role model.” Y/n can clearly see the moment that the words hit Clint with their full force. She thinks she can even see his chest cave with the weight of them. “You keep this team grounded. You keep ‘em human. You keep ‘em together.”
Silence.
For a second.
Then another.
And then, “Fuck!” Clint exclaims. “I mean… No, yeah. I mean, fuck. Cause, fuck!” Y/n laughs. “I thought you didn’t even like me.”
Her face falls instantly. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I like you?”
“I don’t know?” Clint defends, poorly. “You don’t talk to me.”
Her nose scrunches up. “No, you don’t talk to me.”
“I talk to you plenty!”
“You really don’t,” Natasha chimes in, looking at Clint over the top of her beer bottle.
“I don’t?” Clint looks around the room for an answer. And everyone replies promptly by either looking away awkwardly or a stern shake of their heads. “Fuck! I’m sorry. I just thought that you didn’t like me. But… That was—what you said…” Oh shit, the fucker’s about to get serious. His brow is scrunching up. “What you said means a lot to me. Thank you… And I’m sorry. I’m gonna—I’m gonna talk to you more now.”
She tries her best not to laugh as she replies, “Can’t wait.”
“Do Banner next,” Clint says, pointing to Bruce.
“No, no, no, no, no. Don’t drag me into this. This is Barton’s—” Bruce is cut off.
“Too late, Bruce.”
Bruce looks at her and then exhales. “No chance of me getting out of this?”
“None whatsoever,” she tells him solemnly.
“So I have to do this?”
“Unfortunately.”
He closes his eyes, shakes his head slightly and finally lets a small smile slip out. “Fine…” He stares her down, “Hit me.”
He’s expecting the worst.
So why not hit him with it?
“You are a monster.”
At that, Bruce physically deflates, he collapses in on himself. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to do this.”
He’s not gonna get off that easy. 
“You went to try and recreate a serum that made Captain America and instead you got turned into a raging, big green guy who has no understanding of ‘tasteful nudity’. Fuck, man. My heart bleeds for your wardrobe alone…” She can hear quiet chuckles from around the room. But then she tilts her head, looking him over. Sensing the shift in her demeanor, Bruce meets her gaze. “Anyone else would have taken it as the hit that it was and gotten… angry.” Bruce smiles at the pun. “Gotten angry at the world, angry at life, angry at everything… And I mean, who the fuck would have blamed you? You had every right to be angry. Because how the fuck is fair to be dealt a hand as shit as that, when they are someone as kind as you?” She thinks her words over, fidgeting with the glass in her hand. “I won’t comment on your struggles with the Hulk, I wasn’t there so it’s not my place. From what little I do know, I can imagine it wasn’t an easy time for you. I can—I can sympathise with that… But you took the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone and moulded it as such that now you use it to help people, to protect them. To be a hero.”
“I’m not—”
She cuts him off again, “I know you don’t see that in yourself, but I do, okay? I look at you and I see a hero. So does everyone else in this room.” She gives Bruce a moment—to look around at his team, who look back at him with the same faith that she’s speaking of. He seems a little too fucking surprised to see it. “And I don’t just mean that as the Hulk. Because you’re not just the green guy.” She levels him with a stern look. “I’m also talking about Banner, the guy with seven fucking PhDs.”
Bruce blushes. 
He stares at his hands as he replies, “Well, Y/n… I really do appreciate the fact that you didn’t forget my seven PhDs.”
She can’t help it, she laughs. So do the rest.
“I know you don’t believe me but—”
Now it’s Bruce who cuts her off. “It’s probably the kindest thing anyone’s ever said to me, Y/n. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” She takes a large sip from her drink.
“I volunteer to be next,” Thor speaks up, glass in hand. 
And who is she to say no to that? “As you wish, your highness.” 
“Come on, Little Stark, let’s see what you’ve got.”
She smiles. “This isn’t your fucking planet, dude.” The big man is left confused. It makes her smile widen. “This isn’t your fucking planet, we are not your people, this is not your kingdom. You are neither obligated to fight for us, nor were you asked to… You could have just looked the other way. Ignored your brother’s annoying cry for attention and let this planet fend for itself, but you didn’t. Fuck, more than that, you kept coming—you keep coming back, helping in any way you can to help us fix things, even when it’s not your job to…”
Her eyes turn to his hammer, “That hammer of yours—you say it can only be picked up when you’re worthy, and sure, Odin’s seal of approval on you is great and all but—” her gaze fly up to meet his, “I don’t know him. So—and I mean no offense here—but him saying you’re worthy, means fuckall to me. All I know is that to me, you’re a God because you never turn away from someone asking for help. No matter where you are, no matter who it is—if they ask for a helping hand, they can always, always count on yours. That is what makes you worthy, and what will surely make you a great King.”
Thor sniffles.
He fucking sniffles. 
Her eyes widen in surprise, so much so that she forgets to quip.
“A great King, you say? Well, if that ever happens, remind me to put you in charge of all my public speeches,” he says, eyes a little misty.
“Sure, yeah,” she answers, unsure of herself. “Whatever you want, big guy.” She never thought she was going to make the God of Thunder cry.
“You made the God of Thunder cry!” Sam states, a little astonished.
“I am not crying!”
She ignores Thor completely, “And it’s your turn next, Birdman.”
“What? No! I’m not even an Avenger!” He comes to his seat atop the backrest next to Bruce.
Bullshit.
“How the fuck does that matter when you’re the one I look up the most?” 
Sam clearly wasn’t expecting her to say that. “Me?”
“Yeah, you!” Obviously. She plays with her drink a little, before taking a sip. “You have this infectious optimism about you—that a realist like me—”
“A pessimist like you,” Tony corrects her.
She flips him off, but agrees. “That a pessimist like me should technically hate… But I don’t. I kinda like it, a lot. It’s so fucking contagious that I think might just want to steal it.”
Sam smiles at her then, “I could just teach you, hotshot.”
Sipping her drink, she shakes her head. “If you’re going to teach me anything, teach me about loyalty, cause man! We came knocking on your window, with the entire might of the United States of America’s premiere Intelligence Organisation up our ass,” she points from herself to Steve to Natasha. “And you fucking let us in!” She sits up, folding up one leg under the other. “You didn’t just give us a place to lay low—no! You chose to join the fucking fight! Your first time around as an Avenger and you took down the plan Hydra had been crafting for fifty fucking years!” Sam laughs, partly at her enthusiasm, partly because she can tell he gets what she’s getting at. “That’s some top tier Avenger shit if I’ve ever seen any. Goddamn it, Birdman! Mark my words,” she holds up her glass to him. “You’re gonna take the world by storm… and when you do, I’m gonna go around gloating to anyone who’ll listen that Sam Wilson’s first mission as an Avenger was with me.” She winks at him and takes a swig. “You’ll see.”
Sam chuckles, with his head down and a hint of shyness blooming across his face. “I’ll hand it to ya, hotshot—you’ve got a way with words.” He looks over at the rest of the room, “And y’all had me believe she can’t express herself for shit!”
“That’s cause none of them have ever gotten drunk with her,” Rhodey chimes in.
“But you have, haven’t you, Rhodey?” She asks, on the cusp of slurring. The drink in her hand, the one Sam made, is doing exactly what Clint had hoped it would. “We grew up together, you and I…” Rhodey reacts exactly the way she thought he would, he looks at her with a quiet determination. “Which means you know that I love you, because I’ve told you a million times over. B—but I think I never really told you I respect you. And I do, Rhodes. I respect you more than anyone else in my fucking life. You know that, don’t you?” He nods slowly, with a smile. “I know I fought you tooth and nail when you joined the Air Force but—but you gotta know, it wasn’t because I thought you wouldn’t be brilliant at it. Of course, you would be. I knew that better than anyone. I just…” she licks her lips, afraid of the confession that’s about to come.
“I was being selfish. You weren’t just Tony’s best friend, you’re mine too. And I was fucking terrified of losing my friend, you know?” When she looks at him, he’s already staring back at her with an understanding smile. “It was an asshole move, but now that it’s been a long enough time, I’m gonna pretend that I’m old enough to admit—I have never been more proud to call you my friend, Rhodes. You have always been a hero to me… I’m sorry if I gave the impression otherwise.”
Rhodey doesn’t say anything at first. He just gets up from his seat and walks over to her. And then he kisses the top of her head while pulling her in “Not a damn thing for you to say sorry for, Chef.”
“Thanks, Chef,” she mumbles into the hug he pulls her in. 
“Right back atchya, kid.” He kisses her head again. He’s just about to let go, when Tony rushes over to them and jumps in, hugging them both harder. 
“This is by far the most emotional team building exercise I have ever seen,” Hill speaks up.
Oh, you sweet summer child. “That you’ve ever been a part of,” Y/n corrects her, fighting her way out of the bear hug the two men had engulfed her in. 
“Oh no no no no no.”
“You really thought I’d forget about you, Hill?”
“I am not a part of this,” Hill retorts. “I’m categorically not an Avenger.”
“What the hell is up with you guys and rejecting the Avenger title?” She looks around the room. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it’s cursed or something.” She takes a sip of her drink, “Look, Hill, you don’t know very much about me—”
“Apart from the suspicious fact that you’re a lawyer who can kick some serious ass,” Hill provides.
“Apart from that, yes,” she agrees. “So, I’m gonna tell you something—I know everything there is to know about everyone I meet. See, before Howie took me in, life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for me.”
“But it is now, that I’m part of it?” Tony pipes in, without any preamble as he and Rhodey take their previous seats again.
She ignores him, rolling her eyes. “Which kinda gave way to a laundry list of character flaws, one of which was a crippling and annoying amount of trust issues—it led me to develop a habit of digging into the past of anyone I had more than a one minute conversation with… I haven’t just read Nat’s files—I have made one on every single person in this room—including you. Now, the files might not tell me who you are, but as I’ve already stated, I happen to believe that a person is defined by their actions. And holy shit, Hill—you’ve got absolutely no right calling yourself anything less than an Avenger.”
She shifts to the edge of her seat. She can’t get close to Hill, who’s sitting on the floor, on the other side of the table, so this is the best she’s got right about now. “You’re painfully smart and confoundingly determined. You don’t take shit from anyone—not from Fury, not from the billionaire genius and not from the Super Soldier.” She smiles at her then, “And that makes you a fucking badass. And the rest of it? Like the op in Transnistria?” Maria’s eyes widen at the mention of it. Told ya. “In my eyes, shit like that makes you a fucking hero.”
And there it is again.
Silence.
Some more of it.
Hill, herself, is the one who breaks it this time. “Anyone ever tell you, you know too fucking much for a lawyer?”
Chuckling, she slides back into her seat, finishing up her drink. “Only the people who couldn’t afford me.”
She looks over the people in front of her, and she has to end it off on a good note, doesn’t she? “With all that said and done, I need you crazy kids to know that I meant it with every fiber of my being when I said that I’m grateful to be associated with every single one of you… but I will charge you all my entire hourly rate for every single litigation you get me and yourself trapped in. And I am very expensive.”
Everyone breaks into a laugh.
Well, everyone except Tony.
“Hold on, aren’t you forgetting someone?” Tony asks. When all he gets in response is a cocked brow from her, he points from himself to Steve. “What? Me and the Capsicle don’t get a heart to heart from Miss Summa Cum Laude Y/n Stark? How’s that fair?”
“You really want me to sit here and wax poetic about the two of you?” 
“Why not?” Steve asks, with a cheeky grin.
“Really? That’s what you want?”
“As the old man said, why not?” Tony doubles down, kicking back with his feet.
“Cause you’re the two men I lov—care about most in the whole world,” she states. Fuck. Almost fucked that up, colossally. “You want a public proclamation of it now?”
Steve smiles at her, “Maybe we do, doll.” 
Meanwhile, Tony takes this moment to stare at her and mouth the word ‘care’ like a fucking insult. The motherfucker is mocking her, giggling and snickering like a third grader and Y/n can’t even do anything about it. Cause Steve’s already looking at her, and if she gives in now, there’d be hell for her to pay. 
She’ll get back at her brother some other fucking time. 
“Fine,” she says, just to get Tony to stop. “Let’s start with you, shall we, Cap?”
Steve gets comfortable in his seat. “Let’s hear it, doll.”
And fine. If he’s gonna be cocky about it, it’s only fair for her to make him eat his shit-eating grin. 
Ignoring Tony’s knowing gaze, she lets herself relax in her chair.
“Steven Grant Rogers, the man out of time,” she begins. “You know, I have been hearin’ tall tales about you since I was a fucking teenager. All these stories of the great Captain America, the soldier, the righteous man… the hero. I heard all about your adventures and your bravery, your crazy, damn near impossible mission, in the face of great, undefeatable odds… And you know what I thought?” Steve quirks his brow. “I thought, what a steaming hot load of bullshit!” Everyone laughs, but Tony’s sounds out the loudest, obviously. “They’d talk about you like you were this great, ineffable being—not even human. To them, you were larger than life. And I’d think what motherfucking horseshit!” She plays with the empty glass in her hand.
“I’m not saying they were lying but—” She shrugs. “Howie was always an unreliable narrator, and the rest of them were probably just caught up in the Captain America of it all…” But then… “But then I met you and suddenly,” she tongues her cheek, “it all made sense…” Steve’s smile falls away and gives way to a sort of startling realization. “It made sense that Howard Stark—a man who had very little faith in humanity—didn’t just talk about you like a friend, or like a hero, but like someone he aspired to be. It made sense then, that Peggy Carter…” His eyes shine and ears perk up at the mention of her name, “Fell in love with you.” She can feel the weight of Tony's gaze on her, telling her silently to not give away too much, to not reveal more than she had, to not dwell on this one particular topic. She gives in to her brother’s silent plea. “Even before the serum, you always fought for a choice, and made the right one when you got it, no matter how hard it was.” She exhales heavily.
“You fight for what is right, damn the consequences. You fight true and you fight hard.” She smiles a little then, “Now, I won’t go as far as to say that you’re some ineffable being, because you’re not. You’re a man, and you make mistakes. But—but from what I understand, the true character of a man is how he acts when faced with those mistakes. How he works to rectify them.” She’s a little shy about it when she says, “And I think I can say this now—I know you. The Steve Rogers behind the Captain America of it all… So, please understand that I mean it when I say—You’re a good man in a storm.”
She pauses so the words can hit as hard as she wants them to. And they do. Steve, her Steve does the thing he does when he feels overwhelmed, he sits up straighter and broadens his shoulder—like he’s being awarded a medal. “And while, it a fucking honor getting to share a battlefield with you, I will maintain to my dying day,” her smile slips out, “that getting to call you mine is a far bigger accomplishment.”
For a second, she thinks Steve’s malfunctioned.
“I think you broke him,” Natasha comments, and fuck she has to agree.
“Is he breathing?” Clint asks, sounding genuinely worried.
“I—” Tony turns to look at Steve whose eyes are set on her. “I don’t think so.” He begins clicking his finger in front of Steve’s face. “Hey? Hey, Steve? Anyone in there?” Steve doesn’t even fucking blink.
“Stop that!” Hill reprimands him by throwing a stray popcorn kernel at Tony. Who does stop but looks at her, offended.
“Rogers? Are you with us?” Thor questions from his seat.
“I think we should check his pulse,” Bruce states, leaning forward with creased brows.
“I don’t know, doesn’t it feel like if you touch him, he’ll—spontaneously combust into flames?” Rhodey wonders aloud.
“I’m with Rhodey on this one, give him a second. He’s just rebooting,” Sam suggests.
“Or maybe the years just caught up to him,” Tony retorts. “I think the old man’s a goner.” He turns to Y/n and says, “I think you killed your dear boyfriend, Stark—”
Before Tony can finish, Steve’s on his knees, in front of her in the blink of an eye.
“Steve—”
She’s cut off mid-sentence, swallowed by the delightfully crushing weight of a 6-foot-something Super Soldier as Steve Rogers closes the space between them in a kiss that feels like reverence made tangible.
He’s on his knees before her—not in surrender, but in devotion. His hands, strong, battle-worn, are impossibly gentle as they frame her face, thumbs brushing reverently along her cheekbones like he’s committing her to memory. Like she’s something holy.
The kiss itself is deliberate, deep, but never demanding. His lips press against hers with an almost aching care, a silent whisper of gratitude, of thanks that he cannot express with words, something dangerously close to worship. It’s not about hunger. It’s about feeling. About letting her know that he heard her, and he was rendered speechless with the weight of her words.
Her hands sink into his hair, nails dragging lightly against his scalp, and he shudders. Shudders.
A man who has stood unshaken in the face of war, of gods, of the end of the world—and yet here he is, kneeling, unraveling, offering himself up at the altar of her.
The world around them still moves—distant voices, the soft creak of leather beneath her, their friends wolf whistles and crass comments at the overt display—but it doesn’t touch them. Steve kisses her like she’s the only thing that has ever truly mattered. Like she’s the one thing he ever got without having to fight with his entire might for.
When he finally pulls back, just barely, his forehead resting against hers, his breath is warm, uneven, filled with something raw. His fingers trail down her arms, tracing paths that feel like promises.
“Had to do that,” he murmurs, voice rough, a prayer in itself. “Hope you don’t mind.”
She exhales, a slow, wrecked thing, and tightens her grip in his hair. Like she’d ever let him go. “Don’t mind at all, handsome.” She kisses him once again. Quick and short.
“Thank you,” he says then, kissing her cheek. “You don’t know how much—thank you.”
And that makes her roll her eyes, because what the fuck does he have to thank her for? 
“Go back to your seat, handsome. Before this becomes something less appropriate for public consumption.” She pushes him off. “Come on. Get away from me!”
Laughing, Steve obliges.
“Well, that got real steamy, real quick,” Tony comments, a little too cheeky for her liking.
Their eyes meet and she hums softly. Looking at the last vestiges of liquor in the glass in her hand, she says slowly, “I guess this brings me to you—” she looks up at him, “Anthony Edward Stark… the boy who saved me.”
No one else in the room understands the connotation of the words, the weight behind them, except the two of them. It makes the cunning smile from Tony’s face fall away. He didn’t see this shift in her tone coming. He didn’t think she’d reveal herself like this, not even this tiny bit. He sobers immediately.
And fuck, we can’t have that.
She turns to the crowd then, “When Tony was younger…” She shakes her hand in casual estimation, “12, I think?” She nods to herself, satisfied with her guess. “Howie shipped him off to boarding school after he broke some rule or another. Doesn’t matter.” She dismisses out of hand, because it truly doesn’t. “Now, what you gotta know about Tony, is that he was a late bloomer.” Snickers sound out from around the room. 
“Thanks, Stark,” Tony admonishes her with no real heat.
She smiles, and corrects herself, “Not like that, I meant he was small for his age.” She pulls up her hand to her head to indicate his height. “He also cried a lot.” She shakes her head with fondness of the little Tony Stark in her memory. “I mean, I could make him cry by just calling him an asshole—he cried a lot.” She chuckles, Tony does too. “And… there is no nice way to say this… um, all that made him pretty fucking easy to pick on.”
Her smile fades as she continues, “So, when he would call me every night from the boarding school to tell me about his day… I knew he’d been crying.” She grits her teeth. “He wouldn’t say anything, of course. He would—he’d quip and crack jokes, and bitch about the classes and the teachers. He would act like everything was dandy—like everything was fine for a genius, scared little boy, at a school full of dickhead rich kids, who were taught by their parents to make everyone who was different feel lesser than…” She bites the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from breaking. “I’d ask him, again and again, ‘What’s wrong, Tones? Tell me what’s wrong, and we’ll fix it, together.’” She shakes her head, “He wouldn’t fess up. He’d say, ‘Everything’s fine, Y/n. Quit bein’ a worry wart.’ He’d act like everything was okay… But I could tell. ‘Course I could…”
She runs a hand through her hair, and exhales slowly, mustering up a smile. “So, imagine my surprise when I get a call one day and this fucker is just vibrating with pure excitement.” Her smile grows, as she puts a hand to her ear, imitating a phone. “‘What is it, Tones? What happened?’” She laughs a little. “‘I made a friend’ he said. ‘I made a friend, his name is Wallace! He just got transferred here from Hudson. You wanna talk to him?’ Of course I did!” Everyone else in the room matches her smile with their own brilliant ones. “So I’m talking to Wallace and fuck, a great kid! Apparently he was like a mini Thor?” She points at the God of thunder who looks like he’s a minute away from swooning. “Pretty big for his age?” She nods to herself. “Not the smartest kid you’ll ever meet, but he was kind. You know?” Everyone nods in unison, making her smile wider.
“So, I’m excited, Tony is clearly very excited, and now fucking Wallace is excited. We’re fucking brimming with it.” She slows down then, brings her hand to her lips and fidgets with them. “But then… the next night, I’m waiting by the phone for three hours, I don’t get a call.” Suddenly the tone in the room shifts. “It’s ass o’clock at night, I barge into Howie’s study and I pester the shit outta him for like two hours straight till he calls the School to check in on Tony. When he finally does, they tell us it’s all peachy. They tell us Tony’s asleep, safe and sound in his bed.” She sits up, “Of course, I don’t buy that, but he is safe. So, who knows? Maybe he had a rough day. Maybe he needed a night—some space to gather himself and he’ll tell me all about it tomorrow.” She hits the back of her hand into her palm. “But tomorrow night comes, and again—I don’t get a call.” She leans forward, just to bask in the curiosity that everyone’s wearing on their faces right now.
“Now that’s fucking suspicious.” She sits up straight then, “But I gotta play my cards right. I can’t wake up Howard again and light a fire under his ass. If anything had happened to Tony the school would have been obligated to call—Can’t afford to upset the guy who’s funding their new science wing. So, I gotta play it smart, I can’t be the boy who cried wolf.” She shrugs, “I gotta wait it out. Wait for him to call me tomorrow.” She pauses for a second, letting the suspense build. “Cut to—next night. No call.” She throws up her hands, and eases back into her seat.
“Means, it’s DEFCON 1. I am now screaming at the top of my lungs, telling Howard to call the School and check in on Tony. He’s yelling right back at me—telling me I’m overreacting. And fuck that. ‘I know Tony! I know my brother, Howard! And I am telling you, something is really fucking wrong! Just call the school, goddamn it!’” Her hands are flying everywhere as she enacts the entire scene out. “In the middle of all this, Maria walks in—and then shit hits the fucking fan. Now it’s Howie against me and Maria,” she enunciates with her hand. “The entire Stark Household is a fucking battlefield. Bullets are flying everywhere—curses the likes of which you have never heard. I have the telephone in my hand,” she begins acting out her words once again, “and I’m about to hurl that shit at Howard’s head so fucking hard, if he doesn’t make the goddamn call—” her voice quiets suddenly, “that we almost miss it when it rings.” Everyone’s suddenly on alert.
Her voice remains soft as she continues, with only a hint of a smile, “Now, we’ve made such a big, fat fuss about the whole thing, that even Howie’s on edge. He picks up the phone before it even has a chance to ring a second time.” She brings her hand to her face, taking a second before she breaks the suspense. “It’s the school,” she tells them. “Tony Stark has been expelled from their fine establishment for using household appliances to electrocute the shit out of the Mayor’s son.” She smiles proud and wide.
She shrugs, “Now, he’s not a violent kid, so why would he go and do that?” She gives them all a pause to guess, but it’s a rhetorical question and everyone treats it as such. “‘Cause of the bullying? Come on. He’d been living with that shit for a year—he didn’t break. So why now?” She hopes her face reflects the pride she feels inside when she says, “It’s ‘cause the douchebag had gone after Wallace.”
When she looks around at the room, everyone’s eyes have gotten a new kind of reverence as they look at her brother.
So she looks at him too. “When you came back from your God awful vacation in the desert and told me you wanted to be a hero, you might have thought of it as a career pivot—but to me… It was a prophecy coming true.” She can tell he’s trying really fucking hard not to cry. “Natasha Romanoff is my favorite Avenger, but you are my favorite fucking superhero, Tony Stark. Always have been, always will be.”
Just as Y/n makes her grand proclamation, Tony abruptly gets to his feet and turns away from the group. His hands rise to his face, fingers pressing against his eyes. She knows exactly what he’s doing.
“Tony?” Natasha calls out, her voice deceptively sweet. “Are you—Tony.”
“Is he crying?” Clint asks, slowly.
“He’s crying,” Rhodey confirms, deadpan.
“Absolutely not!” Tony snaps, but the slight waver in his voice betrays him.
Y/n grins and pushes up from her chair. “Told you it was easy to make him cry,” she announces, strolling over to him.
Tony turns away further, as if sheer willpower will keep his dignity intact. It won’t. Y/n doesn’t care. She wraps her arms around him from the side, her grip firm. “Old habits die hard, don’t they, Stark?” she teases, her voice warm. To make sure he knows she means no harm, she tightens her hold and presses a loud, obnoxious kiss to the side of his head.
“Shut up! It’s your fault!” Tony grumbles, but the sniffling ruins any heat behind it.
She chuckles, rubbing his arms in slow, comforting circles. “You’re the one who wanted me to wax poetic about you.”
“Not this poetic,” he gripes.
“Well, tough luck, genius,” she scolds, lighthearted. “You’re stuck with this—with me, I’m afraid. I’m right behind you, always.”
Tony turns so fast she barely has time to register it before she’s got an armful of Iron Man, holding onto her like she’s his last tether.
“Woah, woah—” she stumbles, unprepared for the sudden weight, but then there’s a steadying hand at the small of her back.
Steve.
With his support, she regains her footing and tightens her grip around Tony, holding onto her brother just as fiercely as he’s holding onto her.
“You’re my favorite too,” Tony whispers in her ear, just for her to hear and no one else. “I need you to know that. You’re my fucking favorite superhero too.”
She doesn’t know what to say to that, so she just kisses his head again and again and again. “Now, get off me you, damn, koala bear!” She pushes him off, not unkindly. “Okay,” she turns to the crowd, "I've hit my yearly quota for feelings in one night. If we don't change the topic soon, I might just self-destruct out of sheer principle.” Clasping the hand Steve has on the small of her back with her own, she looks over the room.
Steve takes the chance and pulls her onto his lap. She yelps in surprise, but he just wraps his hands around her, kissing her neck.
She’s just about to smooch the living shit out of her boyfriend when Clint, sensing the perfect moment to ruin everything, loudly announces, “Well, that was horrifying. I need something aggressively stupid to cleanse my brain.”
“Something not feelings-related,” Tony adds, pointing a warning finger at Y/n like she hasn’t already hit her emotional quota for the year.
Natasha smirks. “Like what? Another round of Guess What’s Gonna Kill Tony First?”
“First of all—rude,” Tony says. “Second, we all know it’s either gonna be my own brilliance or Steve’s disappointment.”
“I never said I was disappointed in you,” Steve says.
“You didn’t have to.”
Rhodey claps Tony on the shoulder. “I’m still putting money on ‘blows himself up doing something unnecessarily dramatic.’”
“Please,” Sam waves him off. “We’ve all got money on that.”
Bruce sighs. “At this point, it’s basic statistics.”
Tony hands shoot up to his chest, and onto his heart, he feigns injury and dramatically gasps like he’s been shot. “Et tu, Bruce?” To that Bruce just laughs in response, shaking his head.
“The only way Tony gets to die is peacefully in his sleep, at the ripe old age of 99!” Y/n announces to the room, ending all scope for argument. It’s a sore subject for her and no one but Tony knows the extent of that. “We’re not playing that morbid fucking game ever again!”
Natasha throws her hands up in surrender. “My bad.” Everyone else too has the decency to look admonished, except Tony who looks at her with fairly well hidden mild concern.
“So, what’s our options here?” Hill chimes in, dissipating the slight tension. “Bar fight? Competitive arson?”
“Something legal,” Bruce interjects quickly, because he knows this group too well.
Sam gestures at Y/n. “Can we get a ruling on what constitutes ‘legal’ in this room?”
She smirks, tilting her glass toward him. “Technically, nothing we do holds up in court.”
“Cleared by the legal department!” Tony declares.
Steve mutters, “I should be more concerned about that than I am,” dropping another kiss on her shoulder.
She throws her head back, chuckling, and kisses his temple in return.
Clint leans forward, rubbing his hands together. “You wanna talk about legal precedent? Let’s talk about divine precedent.” He jerks his chin toward the center of the room, where Mjolnir sits, unassuming and waiting.
Y/n raises an eyebrow. “You’re not seriously about to bring Thor’s hammer into this.”
“Oh, I’m dead serious.” Clint gestures at Thor, eyes narrowing. “Let’s discuss the so-called worthiness clause. By whose standards? Who enforces it? And most importantly—” He leans in. “Who’s to say you’re not just screwing with us?”
Thor pulls out the flask of that good fucking Asgardiaun stuff from his pocket and pours some into his drink. “Ah, Barton, your skepticism wounds me,” but the laugh that follows, renders the sentiment in the words irrelevant.
Clint gestures dramatically at the hammer, spinning the drumstick in his hand, looking around the room like he’s about to expose the world’s greatest con. “But, it’s a trick!”
“Oh no. It’s much more than that,” Thor counters easily, while passing the flask to Steve who takes a swig.
Oh, this is going to be so fucking good.
“Ah, ‘whosoever be he worthy, shall haveth the power!’ Whatever, man! It’s a trick.”
Tumblr media
Read the next part here. Find the Static Verse Masterlist here. Read The Avengers (ft. Static) here.
99 notes · View notes
thesehandsfic · 8 months ago
Note
Hi! You do not have to answer this question if you don't want to, but I was curious why you chose to portray Niall as an abuser in Tenebroso. There is no CSA in canon, so I wonder how you came to that? No pressure to reply :)
hi sure complicated question but definitely worth answering.
it's my opinion there is actually subtext in canon to support this (this being: ronan as a victim of csa). other people have talked about this, i know i'm not the first to think this and i won't be the last. i don't remember specifically which authors/bloggers have discussed it, but it's an interpretation of canon that i've definitely seen before.
when i first read the books as they were released, that's what i thought ronan's Deal was going to be; like i remember genuinely thinking that's where the author was going with it, and i turned out to be wrong, but the subtext is there.
this portrayal isn't based on things we know about niall (since we don't really know that much about niall tbh), but instead, it's based on things we know about ronan. some examples:
- something bad happens to ronan at night that he's not allowed to talk about
- ronan's father refuses to explain or educate him regarding what is happening to him at night
- he is isolated from the outside world by virtue of his "secret" and by nature of his upbringing
- he has fraught relationships with his siblings, particularly the older sibling, who "knew" about "the secret" and was not as understanding/helpful as ronan might have liked/needed regarding "the secret"
- he's weirdly attached to his father and holds him in strangely reverent regard
- he's an alcoholic, has a tendency to self-harm, he acts out for attention, is depressed, misanthropic, and "othered" from his peers
- nightmares/sleep related trauma/sleep paralysis/kills himself in his dreams/monsters appear to him in his dreams and hurt him
- he has a pretty notable reaction to adam's choice of material for the greenmantle plot; csa is the absolute worst thing adam could think to pin on this guy, and ronan is (in my opinion) triggered by it
- he hates himself/sees himself as "wrong" or "alien"
- he is destructive towards his personal property and is triggered when he returns to his childhood home/is reminded of specific things that took place in his house
- he has a deep seated compulsion/desire to please/conform/succeed
- unable to attach/bond in a healthy/regulated manner
- strange relationship with his brother, particularly interesting is that he often refers to them as a married set of parents; he refers to himself as "daddy" and himself and his brother as "mommy and daddy"
- he has a problem with authority, specifically with male figures of authority, especially those who try to "parent" or "teach" him
all of these things are not necessarily ironclad, but i spent a lot of time discussing this with @neurosses at the time of writing, trying to decide if this was a path i wanted to take or an interpretation of ronan & niall that i felt was correct, so possibly she will have something to add since this is a topic we discussed/hashed out/worked to ground in canon.
i have said before that it's my belief if you are taking away ronan's magic, you have to give him something else; there must be a wound of some sort. this doesn't HAVE to be child abuse, but if you remove the aspect of magic from the things i listed above, you have a pretty solid foundation for an alternative interpretation of his canonical trauma.
specifically regarding tenebroso, i chose not to give declan that shared experience, but there is some basis for it regarding declan as well:
- niall turned him into his "work wife" when his own wife left/his dream wife wasn't designed to be smart/useful/a true equal
- he is parentified, almost by force (assigned guardian in the will)
- strained relationship with his siblings, particularly the one that still genuinely loves their father/doesn't see father's faults
- bears resentment towards younger sibling that he perceives was "preferred" or the favorite based on the attention paid to him by their father
i don't expect everyone to agree with me and i don't expect this interpretation to become widely accepted, but i do believe there is basis for it in canon (the entire lynch clan has serious Gothic Family vibes but that's a whole 'nother essay), and i really am not sure i have anything else to say about it; it is easier for me to explore these things in fiction/character study than it is for me to sit and expound upon it through meta. so i hope this is a satisfactory answer for you!
142 notes · View notes
zoloft3 · 3 months ago
Text
never going home.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
☆彡 joel miller x gn! reader
tags -> pre-relationship, hurt/comfort, homesickness, trauma, found family, living together, healing
a/n : a little different from my usual fluff antics but i can't write for tlou without being upset anymore. hope you like it :)
-------༚☆༚-------
The sound of his boots scuffing against the mat by door has you jumping. You don't even have time to wipe your tears before he turns the corner and spots you.
There's a moment of silence. Him, taking in your current state. You, frozen in shame and embarrassed to be caught so vulnerable on his living room floor. Your fingers tremble around the record sleeve you were clutching. The record itself, maddeningly spinning and letting out the tune that unlocked those deep memories within you.
"I'm sorry-" Your voice breaks from the sobbing you had been doing just a minute before. "I just,"
The tears well again as you look down at the record sleeve, "I heard the record playing and I-"
Joel suddenly remembered how to move again and knelt next to you on the floor, "Don't worry it's fine, you don't gotta be afraid, darlin’."
His hand gently rubbed your shoulder and your heart melted. The tears just poured down your cheeks now.
Fuck.
Since when did you let a man get to you like this. Joel was never meant to be anything more than a patrol partner. A friend maybe. But these last few weeks, god.
The winter storm had taken several chunks out of you and your roommates’ house, so you were staying with Joel until it could get patched. And in Jackson, that meant it was going to take a few weeks. Joel offered since he had an extra bedroom ever since Ellie moved out to the garage, and you couldn’t say no. Unfortunately, it turned out to be much better than you expected. Shared meals, cooking together, late nights on the porch drinking the shit they called coffee in this town. It all resulted in you being genuinely content for the first time in decades, and maybe, possibly, falling in love.
It was fine, it was going great even. Until now.
You'd been cooking, Joel had just run out to grab you something from the garden that you'd forgotten. You didn't notice him put the record on before he left. It wasn't until you finished chopping the onions that you heard it. So softly at first, you thought you'd misheard. You paused, frozen and waiting. And there it was.
The song your dad used to play. The music your mom would drive and dance to in the car. The album you hadn't heard since you'd lost them forever.
The knife fell from your fingers like it had never even existed. You walked into the living room like a ghost, numb and mindless, only stopping once you saw the album cover on the coffee table.
And it all came rushing back to you. Every single memory of home, childhood, growing and laughing. Suddenly you were sobbing like you hadn't in years. You fell to your knees, crawling towards the coffee table like you were a child again. Your fingers trembled as you reached for the record sleeve. The thick paper dug into your skin as you clutched it to your chest.
The world didn't matter anymore, you just wanted to go home.
Go back to the place where you were you. Before monsters and bloodshed, before men and bodies. The childhood that so many children will never get to have.
What you wouldn't give to sleep in your childhood bed, one last time. To have your mother say goodnight the way she used to. To brush your teeth next to your sibling. To sit in your spot at the dinner table.
You were wishing you could've said goodbye to your family, wishing that it wasn’t true that you could never go home. You know you can never go home but you prayed that for a second, one fucking second, you could be back there, right where you were, when he walked in the door.
And now he's holding you, pressing you into him as you grieve the child you were, the person you’ll never get to be, the home you'll never go back to, the people who will always know you.
"Homesick, huh?" Joel spoke with no humor or pity, only understanding.
You only sob harder, nodding into his shoulder. He waits, silently and patiently, rubbing your back and petting your head. He doesn’t say anything, didn't do any of the things people usually do when they see someone crying. He just waits until you have cried yourself out, hiccuping and attempting to breathe normally again.
"Want me to help finish dinner?" He asks softly, "Or do you need time?"
You let out a final shaky sigh, "No, we should finish, I don't want the food to go bad out on the counter."
Dinner goes fine, not your best, but it’s edible. And everything stays calm, until you move out to the porch for your nightly "coffee".
"You wanna talk about it?" Joel interrupts your dissociative stare.
The sudden reminder has your chest tightening. You bite your lip, glancing over at him. The fact that you were even considering telling him anything means you are well and truly fucked.
"Yeah, I guess I should," You sigh, fidgeting in your seat, eyes fixed on the boards of the porch.
"You don't have to," He reminds you.
The tears threaten once again, and you try to blink them away, "I want to."
It takes a minute, but you find the words. Claw them up out of your chest were you had hurried them so many years before. Deep and tucked away somewhere between your mother's grief and your father's anger.
You looked back at him, "The record you had on just reminded me of everything I lost that day. It was kinda... a family favorite. I guess, I forgot how much I lost. I'll never get any of it back."
You give a small smile, letting a few more tears fall.
"I feel like a solider who's come home from war, but home can never be the same, after everything. I'll always be there, in the blood and the screaming and the nightmare. I'll never get to leave like I want to. How I want to."
You look up from your fidgeting fingers to see his eyes staring softly back at you. You never find anything but solace in them. And that’s still true now.
You doubt there's a soul on earth who could know you like Joel Miller knows you. Your pain echos the same as his. Haunting and everlasting.
He reaches for your hand, interlocking your fingers, "Well, I'll ask next time before I put it on."
You both smile, and you wipe your tears with your free hand.
"Thank you, Joel. These past few weeks, right now, it all... means a whole lot."
"Anytime, sweetheart." He gives your hand a squeeze.
Home is still a long ways away. You know you can never go back there. But maybe you could build a new one.
-------༚☆༚-------
a/n : this one's for you @groggygrogu <3 you and tlou have been on my mind. hope it wasn't as devastating to read as it was to write :)
thanks again to @saemeret for being my beta and sorry for not asking you to beta the last two times :( i needed to word vomit on the internet before i exploded.
don't be afraid to leave a note or reblog! I love reading y'alls comments <3
50 notes · View notes
millysastroblog · 8 months ago
Text
⚡️Solar return chart 2022⚡️
Tumblr media
Hello I’m am back with SR Chart observation as I promised from 2022, these are just personal observations and experiences if you haven’t experienced any sorts of things that’s complete fine. These are not facts neither predictions so don’t panic and think that the same situation will manifest for you. Alright ??? 😉
yeah let’s just get into it ! 🫶🏽
⚡️Cancer Rising:
This placement literally made me emotionally expressive and MOODY more than ever. From the start of that year i stayed at home for literally 3- 4 months after I dropped out of school. I very much enjoyed being at home with my family, cooking, cleaning doing domestic stuff . It was very interesting how the people in my environment started being very supportive and protective over my well-being like those of a little child. I definitely expressed my emotions openly : like randomly crying , huge outburst of laughter , or simply smiling a lot. I felt more caring and nurturing towards others . Thought about moving out surfaced a lot. Cancer is a very comforting energy but since it’s ruled by the moon there a lot of drastic unstable changes that could occur in once live.
⚡️Moon , North Node in the 12th house:
This placement brought a profound sense of isolation and introspection. I found myself naturally drawn to solitude, spending hours meditating, practicing yoga, or simply enjoying peaceful moments in nature. It felt like a spiritual awakening—connecting deeply with my intuition and exploring dreams that often felt like messages from a higher source. Meditation and Manifestation became a daily practice. While these moments of stillness were empowering, they also highlighted an inner restlessness and a desire to understand my true purpose. This phase was about healing, embracing the unknown, and surrendering to the flow of life.
⚡️Sun, Neptune, Jupiter in the 10th house:
Career and life path became the central focus during this time. I found myself dreaming bigger, envisioning a life where my efforts and aspirations aligned perfectly. I applied to different companies and got a new good job, I was in my hustling and bag area it was pretty good and productive year. I started thinking about the impact I wanted to have in the world like how I wanted to be perceived and what achievements I wanted to be known for. It was all about refining my goals, building a stronger work ethic, and setting the stage for future success.
⚡️SR Rising in natal 3rd house:
Communication became a major theme since I had went to a lot of interviews, had to reintroduce myself to different people which pushed me out of my comfort zone. Also writing job applications, or reconnecting with siblings, it felt like the universe was nudging me to refine my voice and share my thoughts more clearly. Short-distance travels were frequent, giving me a sense of curiosity.
⚡️Venus, Mars, Pluto in the 8th house:
Now these placements fucked meee upppp and I really mean they fucked my life up and turned it to 180
With Pluto being in my 8th house, the intensity of this year was amplified 10x. The 8th house rules transformation, trauma, money, intimacy, and taboo topics, so this energy hit hard. At the start, I was determined to open a bank and savings account, but it took forever with endless complications. I became obsessed with earning money—whether through my own efforts or others' help. Mars pushed me to focus on loans, investments, and financial security, while Venus amplified my desire for deep, soul-bonding relationships, intimacy, and, let’s be real... a lot of … Pluto, however, had other plans, flipping my world upside down. It made me face every fear and trauma regarding death, losing loved ones, intimacy, change, love, and even illness. I got sick for six months straight, lost friends, stability, and other things. It led to a mild depression, but in true 8th house fashion, I rose stronger. Now, I feel like Wonder Woman nothing and no one can shake me. I survived the storm, and that’s power. 💪🔥
⚡️Saturn in the 9th house:
Soo with this Saturn placement your girl has been hustling for good grades in school to not fail for the year. like since then I hated going to school bc it very stressful, and bad for my well-being , like I was always tense and stressed bc of school, in our normal societal living that is very much expected from us but honestly I just wasn’t having it. And even when i changed to another school it was the same shit like the environment and people were very cold ,strict and depressing I honestly didn’t had a nice time at school but at least I was motivated to study and learn as much as I can but at the end I decided to rather drop out because it was fucking with mental health. Also traveling long as hours for work and school purposes drove me crazy, that’s an area where I have been very disciplined at but It definitely took patience and determination to get there ;) .
⚡️Uranus, Chiron in the 11th house:
Guese who tf lost all their friends suddenly ??? And had a hard time fitting in new social groups because they felt different from everyone else:
🙋🏽‍♀️
(but no for real the energy is 10x intensified bc I have it natally additionaly Saturn is transiting my natal 11th house so yeah 🙁) not only did I loose most of friends but when engaging with different kinds of social groups I felt so uncomfortable and weird, like I had a very detached feeling. I hated to even be surrounded by groups of ppl that don’t hold the same value to mine or I that I can’t engage in intellectual topic of my interest. I was mostly bored asf when in interactions and stoped giving a fuck about trying too fit in and please their expectation and needs, I surely saw also trough the fake persona of a lot of ppl that I encountered and distanced myself even more. But It was that easy being all alone and isolated.
144 notes · View notes
autistichalsin · 11 months ago
Text
A Durge Theory
This is my theory for my Durge, and resist!Durge in general, but obviously YMMV with your own!
So, the core of this is the memories that are unlocked if you either give Durge a noblestalk or use Heal on them. Two in particular are relevant here:
If you eat the noblestalk but haven't met Sceleritas Fel yet, your memory is of murdering a newborn.
If you have Heal cast on you while not having eaten the mushroom nor having resisted Bhaal yet, you see a memory of having murdered a family, very likely the one that took them in.
In the first case, you have a few options for reacting, one of which is, "Delve: why did it die?" The Narrator then says (in a way that indicates it might be your own thoughts): "*Better to die than live on an earth walked by you. Each of your deaths is a mercy.*"
Durge, despite their brutality, despite their affinity for torture, ultimately views their deaths as merciful, because even torture is better than living in the same world as them. That..... is a staggering amount of self-loathing.
For the second option, Durge has a few options, all of which lead to Sceleritas taunting him: "Young Master, precious fledgling, follow ever your heart. In time, your true family will find you." Durge was quite young when their Urge first took over, and it was noted that after this, they tried to fight it off a few times unsuccessfully before giving in fully and entering the Cult of Bhaal.
Further, we also know that Durge has often not been in control of themself while committing murders, though they were for some, too. For Alfira or Quill's murder, they explicitly say it was in their sleep; if they get Steelclaw killed, they have no memory of doing it; if they choose to go to sleep rather than warn their lover after sparing Isobel, they'll wake to find their partner dead.
This suggests to me that in addition to the Urge itself, it is very possible that at times, Bhaal directly possessed Durge to make sure they killed in situations Bhaal wanted them to- particularly when Bhaal wanted them to experience bloodlust, and was angry they seemed to have forgotten this part of themselves.
So... piercing all of this together, we have my heartbreaking headcanon for resist!Durge, and especially for my Durge Kiaran.
Durge/Kiaran was taken in by a loving foster family. They loved to play and were sweet- which angered Bhaal. He needed his spawn to feel bloodlust.
So Bhaal possessed them and made them murder the very family that took them in, quite possibly including a newborn sibling. Durge started to develop an appetite for killing, as Bhaal planned, and was also overcome with grief and self-loathing, feeling they were a monster- which Bhaal also planned. Bhaal made sure the Urge persisted, and all the while, Scleritas kept appearing to taunt and guide them towards their "real family," a group of murderers who understood them better than anyone else.
Feeling there was nothing else a monster like them could do but embrace their nature, Durge finally entered the cult, rose through its ranks, and became feared and admired for their ability to create mountains of bodies. All the while, though, they loathed themselves, feeling that even their worst, most torturous deaths were a better fate than sharing the world with them.
After the Nautiloid, Bhaal tried to reignite Durge's bloodlust with more forced murders, but the brain damage from Orin had truly severed the part of themself that had given in to Bhaal, allowing them to fight back the Urge and become their own person at last.
It fits in so well with the game's themes of gods being willing to completely and utterly fuck over even their worshippers just to get what they want, and many other themes the game hits on too (especially trauma, loss, and accountability for past actions counterbalanced with the ability to change, grow, and be better.)
133 notes · View notes
darthkote · 8 months ago
Text
SFW Tropes Masterlist
For writers - or for those who'd like to request a fic from me and need help generating ideas. Click here for the NSFW masterlist. Guidelines for requests can be found here.
Angst and Hurt/Comfort
Post-Battle Care: Tending to wounds (physical or emotional) after a fight.
Nightmares and Consolation: A character seeks solace after a distressing dream.
Bottled-Up Emotions: A character finally breaks down after holding everything in.
Survivor’s Guilt: Reflecting on losses and grappling with responsibility.
Grief and Healing: Finding a path forward after devastating loss.
Action and Adventure
Escape Mission: Characters must break out of an enemy stronghold or evade capture.
Treasure Hunt: Seeking an ancient artifact or holocron with unexpected challenges.
Undercover Operation: Posing as someone else in a high-stakes situation.
Hostage Negotiation: Characters navigating delicate situations to avoid disaster.
Defusing the Bomb: A tense countdown to prevent disaster.
AU (Alternative Universe)
Role Reversal: Characters swap roles (e.g., Jedi becomes a bounty hunter).
What If: Explore pivotal moments with a different outcome (e.g., “What if Order 66 failed?”).
Canon Divergence: A single decision alters the course of the story (e.g., “What if Qui-Gon survived?”).
Time Travel: A character is sent back (or forward) in time to change events or gain new perspective.
Relationships and Dynamics
Found Family: A group of unlikely individuals grows into a close-knit family.
Enemies to Allies (or Lovers): Tension and grudging respect turn into trust or affection.
Mentor and Protégé: A seasoned character trains or guides a younger one.
Unspoken Feelings: Moments of lingering glances and unsaid words.
Sibling-Like Dynamic: Bickering like siblings but with deep care.
Adoptive Parent: An older character becomes a mentor or caretaker.
Healing Together: A group works through shared trauma as a unit.
Mystery and Intrigue
Murder Investigation: Characters work to uncover the truth behind a crime.
Hidden Identity: A character conceals their true role or past.
Lost History: Unearthing forgotten lore or secrets tied to the Force.
Double Agent: Navigating the tension of working both sides.
Emotional Exploration
Forgiveness Arc: Characters work toward forgiving themselves or others.
Past Lives: Exploring flashbacks or reincarnation themes.
Letters and Holorecordings: Communicating through written or recorded messages.
Lighthearted and Whimsical
Mundane Adventures: Characters tackle everyday challenges (e.g., cooking, fixing a droid).
Unexpected Babysitting: Caring for a child or youngling in humorous or heartwarming ways.
Festival or Celebration: Participating in a holiday or local tradition.
Animal Companion: Bonding with a creature, whether friendly or ferocious.
Whump, Survival, and Isolation
Crash Landing: Stranded on a remote planet and working together to survive.
Quarantine: Stuck in close quarters due to illness or contamination.
Lost and Found: A character presumed dead is discovered alive.
Weather Woes: Trapped in extreme conditions like sandstorms or blizzards.
Injured and Alone: A character survives despite grave injuries.
Captured by the Enemy: Psychological and physical struggles in captivity.
Lost in the Void: Stranded in space with dwindling supplies.
Dark Themes and Morality
Fall from Grace: A character descends into darkness or betrayal.
Redemption Arc: A path to atonement after a character’s mistakes.
Doppelgängers: Facing a duplicate or altered version of oneself.
Mind Games: Dealing with manipulation, brainwashing, or visions.
Rivalry to Respect: Enemies slowly come to admire each other, even if it is never made obvious.
Hidden Humanity: An evil character reveals an unexpected vulnerable side.
Villain Wins: A world where the antagonist succeeds
Jedi and Force Mysticism
Force Visions: Cryptic glimpses of the past, future, or alternate timelines.
Lost Holocrons: Discovering ancient Force teachings with unexpected consequences.
Gray Jedi Exploration: Balancing Light and Dark sides of the Force.
Force-Bonded Pairs: Two characters linked by an unexplainable Force connection.
Romantic Tropes
Fake Relationship: Pretending to be together for a mission or disguise.
Forbidden Love: Romance defying rules (e.g., Jedi Code).
Slow Burn: Long build-up to a romantic confession.
Accidental Confession: A slip of the tongue reveals feelings.
Mutual Pining: Both characters believe their feelings aren’t reciprocated.
Culture and Worldbuilding
Exploring Traditions: Delving into unique customs of a planet or species.
Language Barriers: Characters navigate miscommunication.
Rebuilding After Tragedy: A community recovers from devastation.
Artifact of Power: A relic tied to ancient Force-users that affects the story.
Undercover or Espionage
Royal Disguise: Pretending to be someone of lower rank.
Spy Among Us: A mole within a group creates tension.
Assassin’s Target: The assassin and their target form an uneasy alliance. Or things don't go as smoothly as planned.
Deep Cover: A character fully immerses themselves in enemy territory.
Legacy and Destiny
Reluctant Heir: Inheriting an unwanted responsibility.
Prophecy Fulfillment: Fulfilling a foretold destiny with unexpected twists.
Living in the Shadow: Struggling with the expectations tied to being a legendary figure.
Defying Fate: Challenging a preordained path.
Time and Memory
Amnesia: A character forgets their identity and rediscovers themselves.
Alternate Timelines: Characters glimpse or visit different timelines.
Time Loop: Reliving the same moment until a lesson is learned.
Memory Sharing: Using the Force or technology to experience someone else’s past.
Humor and Lighthearted Tropes
Miscommunication Comedy: A small misunderstanding snowballs into chaos.
Droid Antics: A droid takes center stage with humorous behavior.
Overwhelmed Jedi: A Jedi struggles with mundane tasks.
Space Road Trip: A long journey full of banter and mishaps.
Crossover or Genre Mashups
Horror Elements: Haunted ships, Sith ghosts, or terrifying creatures.
Political Thriller: Intrigue within the Senate or Rebellion leadership.
Western Style: Lone bounty hunters and shootouts.
Heist Story: A team plans and executes a complex theft.
Personal Journeys
Identity Crisis: A clone, droid, or Force-sensitive questions their place.
Self-Exile: A character retreats from society and finds company.
Reunion Story: A long-lost character is reunited with friends or family.
Breaking the Code: A Jedi defies their teachings.
Battle and Combat
Last Stand: Characters make a desperate final stand.
Truce on the Battlefield: Enemies must work together.
Training Montage: A character hones their skills under a mentor.
Reluctant Fighter: A pacifist is forced into action.
Miscellaneous
Holovid Star: A character accidentally becomes famous.
Unlikely Hero: An everyday character rises to the occasion.
Force Ghost Encounters: Guidance or conflict from beyond the grave.
Lost Artifact: Recovering an item of immense value.
Clone Troopers
Identity and Brotherhood
Individuality vs. Unity: A clone struggles with being one among many.
Nicknames and Call Signs: The personal stories behind a clone's name.
Brother’s Keeper: A clone sacrifices everything to protect their brothers.
Clone-Centric POV: The galaxy through the eyes of a clone.
Post-Order 66
After the Fall: A clone wrestles with guilt over Order 66.
Defying the Programming: A clone resists the inhibitor chip’s control.
Living on the Run: A clone deserter avoids detection.
Reunion with the Jedi: An unexpected meeting with a Jedi they thought dead.
Training and Battle Bonds
Rookie Struggles: A young clone's first mission.
Veteran’s Wisdom: An experienced clone mentors a new recruit.
Unlikely Alliance: A clone teams up with an enemy.
One Last Mission: A retired clone is called back for a critical task.
Clone-Specific Dynamics
Armor Customization: The personal meaning behind a clone’s armor.
Dealing with Loss: Coping with the death of a brother.
Echoes of Kamino: Reflecting on their training and origins.
Enhanced Abilities: A clone with unique genetic traits.
AU and Alternate Scenarios
Rebel Clones: Exploring a timeline where clones joined the Rebellion.
Post-War Integration: How clones navigate a galaxy that no longer needs them.
Clone Defector: A clone switches sides to fight for the Separatists.
Found Family: A lone clone builds a new "family."
Sith and Dark-Siders
Rise to Power
Apprentice’s Betrayal: A Sith apprentice rises against their master.
Seduction to the Dark Side: A Jedi succumbs to the Dark Side’s temptations.
Master Manipulator: A Sith orchestrates events from the shadows.
Artifact of Power: A dark relic amplifies a Sith’s abilities.
Conflict with the Light
Pull to the Light: A Sith struggles with feelings of compassion or guilt.
Jedi-Sith Bond: A Force bond forces uneasy cooperation.
Redeeming the Sith: Can a Sith truly abandon their path?
Forbidden Alliance: A Sith and Jedi work together despite their differences.
Dark-Side Mysticism
Sith Spirits: Encountering the ghost of an ancient Sith Lord.
Dark-Side Nexus: Exploring places saturated with the Dark Side.
Bloodlines of Power: A Sith discovers their lineage ties to a legendary figure.
The Holocron’s Secrets: A Sith Holocron offers knowledge at a cost.
Sith Philosophy
Rule of Two: A Sith duo’s balance of power and betrayal.
Power at a Price: A Sith sacrifices something personal for ultimate power.
Survival of the Fittest: Infighting among Sith apprentices.
Eternal Struggle: A Sith sees their existence as a battle for dominance.
Redemption or Corruption
A Sith’s Redemption: A Sith struggles to redeem themselves.
Corruption of the Pure: A Sith manipulates someone to embrace the Dark Side.
Turncoat Apprentice: A Sith apprentice secretly undermines their master.
Moral Ambiguity: A Sith challenges the notions of good and evil.
Unique Sith Abilities
Force Alchemy: Experiments to create monstrous creatures.
Illusions of Terror: Using the Force to project terrifying visions.
Lightning’s Wrath: Devastating Force lightning.
Blood Rituals: Ancient Sith rites to enhance power.
AU and Alternate Scenarios
Sith as Heroes: A Sith defends their people or fights a greater evil.
Jedi-Sith Swap: A Sith raised as a Jedi or vice versa.
Light-Side Sith: A Sith rejects the darkness but embraces the teachings.
What If: A timeline where the Sith rule the galaxy.
The Force
The Force Playing Matchmaker: Despite all reason and seeming logic, the Force wants two people together. It won't stop meddling until Its vision becomes a reality.
Spiritual Connection
Force Bond: Two characters share an unexplainable, deep connection that allows them to sense each other’s emotions, thoughts, or presence across great distances.
Shared Visions: Characters experience a Force vision together, revealing shared destinies or hidden truths.
Guided by the Force: A Jedi or Force-sensitive character interprets the Force as encouraging their relationship.
Opposites Drawn Together: The light and dark sides of the Force pull two characters toward each other, creating tension and mutual growth.
Meditation Partners: Two characters bond over meditative practices, learning to sync their energies and emotions.
Conflict and Struggles
The Burden of Knowledge: One character hides a devastating vision or premonition involving the other, creating tension in their bond.
Teaching the Force: A Force-sensitive character mentors someone who is new to their powers, deepening their connection through shared learning.
Moral Differences: Clashing interpretations of the Force (e.g., strict adherence to the Jedi Code versus emotional connection) challenge their relationship.
Force-Driven Jealousy: A character senses their partner’s lingering emotions toward someone else, creating conflict.
Healing and Support
Force Healing: A character saves their partner by channeling the Force to heal their injuries, creating an emotional and physical bond.
Force Meditation Therapy: Helping a partner process grief, guilt, or trauma through shared meditation and emotional support.
Force Awareness: A Jedi or Force-sensitive partner instinctively knows when their loved one is in distress, no matter the distance.
Strength in the Force: Two Force-users amplify each other’s abilities when they are together, creating a sense of unity and trust.
*verging nsfw Force Tropes
Intense Focus: The Force allows one character to focus solely on their partner’s well-being, whether during battle or in intimate encounters.
Dangerous Proximity: When trapped together or forced to rely on the Force for survival, their bond deepens emotionally and physically.
The Will of the Force: A relationship forms or is tested because they feel their union is destined—or forbidden—by the Force.
The Dark Side's Pull: One character’s struggle with the Dark Side adds tension, as the other seeks to save them from being consumed.
Shared Visions of the Future: Intimacy is driven by a mutual vision of a life together—one they believe the Force has promised them.
Apologies for any similarities – I tried to keep it nuanced.
86 notes · View notes
zith-ipeth · 6 months ago
Text
A dog came into the shop today, his name was Maximus
This is a post about transandrophobia and man hating platitudes
I’ve been sitting around the edge of this discourse because I have stakes and traumas in it, but idk, fuck it, it shouldn’t be discourse.
I see a lot of comparisons between humanity and our canine cousins, it helps me understand modern politics and social issues. This post might not make sense, if I say things that are harmful, I do not mean it. And please for the love of all that is holy correct me, public or private, I’m learning, and making mistakes
—————————
When I was younger, a member of my aunts family, a large mutt named Hunter, jumped on me in a playful gesture, he was about as big as I was at 9 years old, and all muscle. He knocked me over and left a massive claw mark on my stomach. He was a fantastic dog, excitable, very cuddly, loved to play with his siblings. This isn’t to say he was perfect, no one is, he got aggressive, and has barked and bit people before
This can happen with rescues, turns out abuse can often create animals that cuase harm because that’s what they know
No one is one dimensional
In middle school, I was sexually assaulted, emotionally abused and manipulated by a trans boy my age, we were both young, far too young. I can’t say he was nice man, when we grew up he refused to acknowledged any of the harm he had caused, and caused further harm as he got older. But at the time, I knew that what happened wasn’t a cold calculated process, he was too young to have learned this from anything other than abuse that happened onto him
This can happen with trans folks, turns out abuse can often create people that cause harm because that’s what they know
But no one is one dimensional…
———————
Tumblr has been having this whole moment with transandrophobia/transmisandry, it’s, a lot. And for some reason I thought as all this was happening, that my beliefs about it would be kinda, one sided.
Cis men are violent and “bad” due to masculinity: I’ve seen this a thousand times, first and second hand, I’ve felt it, in the shaking hand of a girl sobbing and I’ve felt it as bruises on my abdomen, left by boys older than me.
Trans men are violent and “bad” due to masculinity: I’ve felt this, I’ve been hurt by this, in a way that broke me down in a way nothing else has
But I still felt, off, about it
Mostly because like, yeah, masculinity can be bad and scary, this is true. But it’s not one dimensional like that, masculinity can be amazing too, masculine cis men have saved my ass from being bullied in school more times than I can count.
No one is one dimensional
Also, misandry, even separate from transness, IS REAL, I was a guy for a long time, I felt it. My friend, who was cis, felt it, and still feels it. They have trouble making friends in college because people view them as a threat, due to their masculinity, that’s a real problem
And that problem is multiplied by the intersection of transness
And like yeah, it’s not as societally pervasive as misogyny, but even if it’s small, it’s still there, and still hurts people
I have every excuse to perceive trans men as violent and evil, and yeah, sometimes men, and often trans men, get scary to me, cuase it clicks a response in my brain. But I’m also an adult, and know that I share community with my cis and trans masc allies.
And somthing interesting about the boy who assaulted me, is how fast people were to take away his transness, my friends started using his old names, using dehumanizing pronouns he didn’t use, saying that it was “man behavior”. He’s a trans man, he was a bad person, those arnt connected, and one shouldn’t effect the other, being perceived as the gender you are isn’t a “reward” for good behavior. he was an asshole, and a liar, but he was man.
I get how one can be scared when someone is part of a group when someone in that identity group hurt you, but learning to love those people is incredibly fulfilling, and is something you must do as a trans ally
The relationships with men, trans and cis, I’ve had have been some of the most fun, flirtatious and physically/mentally stimulating relationships I’ve ever had
——————
Today at the pet supply shop I work at, a dog named Maximus came in
Massive, maybe 115 pound mastiff, clipped ears, docked tail, golden chain collar. His person was a built man, shaved head, full beard.
They came in for a self serve bath, and when they left, Maximus was wagging the nub of his tail, tapping his paws and whining, smelling all the amazing smells in the store. I got down to his level to pet him, and he jumped on me, playfully. His size made the visual of him jumping on me a little scary, but the kisses made it a lot better
No one is one dimensional
—————
Trans men face unique transphobia, if that bothers you, fuck off. If you want to demonize a trans man for shit they didn’t even do, for shit that other men have done, fuck off.
Judge people for who they are, not for who they might be, I don’t give a shit how scary a man looks, try and understand them regardless
I love dogs, and sometimes they’re scary, but that’s something I need to work through
I love men, and sometimes they’re scary, but that’s somthing I need to work through.
Run fast, bite hard, bark loud
Peace love and gratitude
-Zith Ipeth
56 notes · View notes
love4rami · 1 year ago
Text
i bet on losing dogs.
Max Verstappen x fem!reader
in which formula one star, Max Verstappen, and his girlfriend, Y/n L/n, decide to trauma dump on each-other instead of bottling it up for years.
bit of a reflection because i don’t know who to talk to my past about and all of this (from readers POV) is 1000% accurate so enjoy my sad childhood
warnings: trauma dump, @buse, manipulative mother, traumatic childhood
prompt list
“tell your baby, that i’m your baby.”
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
it was a normal Saturday for everyone else, but for Y/n and Max it was filled with trust, honesty and betrayal. i know you’re thinking ‘what a funny mix of words!’. true. but here’s what happened that night.
-
it was winter/new years break for the world of Formula 1 and Max had just won his 3rd championship. Max and Y/n were thrilled of course, and the night of his championship was filled with a-lot of lust, if you know what i mean. it was a few weeks later and the couple lay soundly in their bed. Max was stroking Y/n’s hair and face and she fumbled with his fingers. they can’t remember where it first started but somehow they begun talking about their pasts. very traumatic to say the least. Max started with his. talking about the times when his father would get exceedingly angry at Max and the one time he left him at the gas station.
then it moved on to Y/n. she was scared to talk about it and almost backed out. but she knew max wouldn’t tell a soul. it started with when she was 5. “when i was 5 my mother was heavily pregnant with my younger brother. because my parents divorced a few months prior me and my older brother and sister went to my dads. one day my mum really didn’t want me to go to his and when he came to pick me up they were physically fighting over me.” she chuckled. “my dad had me by one arm and my mum had me by the other and were pulling me towards each-other. it was like one of those comedy films” she laughed but Max didn’t. “they were fighting and screaming over me on the drive way. i was scared but i got to my dads fine. a few months later i was at my mums and my younger brother had been born. i was upstairs playing with my monster high dolls and my mum was also upstairs, supposed to be looking after my brother. my older siblings were at my dads at the time. the gate at the top of the stairs wasn’t shut properly and my brother had crawled out of my mum’s room whilst she was watching TV.” Y/n’s face twisted with slight horror and sadness. “H-he fell down the stairs and i heard his cries and large thumps so i ran out my room to see what was going on, hoping my mother hadn’t of hit him. when i saw him lying at the bottom of the stairs i ran down and picked him up, i was struggling since i was only little, and i heard my mum follow me shortly after. she grabbed him from my arms and put him on the couch. thankfully he didn’t break anything or cut himself. i stared at my mum as she stormed towards me. she grabbed me by the arm and got up in my face shouting out about how it was my fault.” Y/n paused, tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered the horrific moment. “then she through me against the radiator. i was crying and scared not knowing why she did it. but i accepted it and let her be angry. the next day i woke up and she came and gave me a kiss. i was confused because i cried myself to sleep thinking she didn’t like me.”
Y/n finished her story with a tear going across her nose bridge due to her lying down and Max was surprised. they hugged all throughout that night sharing kisses and praises between each-other. they were the same, yet they were so different. alas, they were in love.
-
sorry it’s so short. i just wanted to put something out here because i don’t want to not be posting anymore. i do NOT support anything that has happened in this fic and do not condone it. hope you all have a beautiful day or night. love you so much ❤️
203 notes · View notes