#and maybe this time the daughter and the son can be in balance with each other instead of needing the father to balance them out of a fight

[raventrigonsdaughter]

Back to Rosario talking about how Ezra and Ahsoka will have a deeper conection and relationship that will be important to the show, we can all agree that this is most likely a Daughter and Son of Mortis thing right? Everyone can agree on that right? Or at very least they will be parallels to Baylan and Shin

[matan4il]

Buddie 610 meta

Holy shit, this ep.

Okay, what shall we start with? Maybe with what 911 itself starts, lots of foreshadowing. At the beach call, we have Eddie looking at Buck and replying to him (about the lightning), “I really hope it doesn’t strike twice, though.” Which, of course we know it will. But the foreshadowing continues, as Buck talks to Omar about unexpected things in life coming out of nowhere. That suggests we need to pay extra attention to other elements in this ep that might act as foreshadowing for later events along 6b. ~~

That kind of connects to me with Buck being closely tied to Ely, the pregnant lady (he saves the day there twice, first by realizing the oil is dripping and if they use the saw, it might prove fatal, then by helping Bobby with the baby). First off, it made me chuckle when we learned that, despite being driven to the hospital by a man, he’s actually not her partner. 911 made sure we knew Ely has a wife, and that she has another kid with her. Is it a coincidence when Buck, who practically has a husband and a kid with him already, is the main firefighter taking care of her? Maybe, but it still amused me. What really made me take note is when he told her not to push, trying to stall her childbirth, and she replied that it doesn’t depend on her. That made me wonder if perhaps this is also in a way foreshadowing what we might end up seeing with the sperm donation storyline. I’m not sure, I can’t be, but I was not surprised to see that storyline brought up later in the ep. ~~

In general, this ep’s title, “In a Flash,” might seem to refer to the lightning storm the team experiences, but the real tempest is the havoc our families can wreak on us, tied to the unexpected nature change can sometimes take on. Chim’s dad suddenly shows up, raining on his parade. Albert suddenly thinks Chim should give their dad a chance to be Jee Yun’s grandpa, but decides against giving his brother a warning. The Buckley parents are suddenly making an effort, yet leaving everyone suspicious and unnerved. Albert suddenly leaks Buck’s sperm donation to everyone and unleashes hell between the in-laws. Denny’s changes, probably influenced by getting in touch with his dad, come as a surprise to Hen. And of course, at the climax of the ep, Bobby as the unofficial adoptive father of Buck might lose his son in a flash. The whole ep is filled with these parallels of abrupt familial disquiet, especially in relation to dads, on all 118 fronts. And as Buck deals with maybe the biggest of these questions, because he doesn’t even yet know what he wants for himself and how does the life he helped create (but only as a donor) fit into that, it’s no wonder his life ends up hanging literally in the balance. ~~

One of the most painful things in this ep for me was seeing how much Buck’s parents are willing to accept him as a donor, because not for a second do they think he can be a father. That would be the natural conclusion from him looking at a sonogram on his phone, but his parents find it easier to believe their daughter is pregnant again than to think Buck would be a dad (ironic, because he already is one. Just not to the baby in the sonogram). It reminded me of how Eddie’s parents also didn’t believe in his ability to be a dad, and actively petitioned to have Chris taken from him to be raised by them in 315. It amazes me every time anew just how much Buddie are compatible, because their stories parallel so much that they can understand each other in ways most other people can’t. ~~

And it gets to me that this whole episode also insists on reminding us how good Buck is with kids, first with the ones on the beach, calming them down and answering their questions to help them make sense of the whole ordeal. Then with Ely’s baby, a callback to how we saw him with the pipe baby in 101. It connects to him looking at the baby sonogram, all excited, once again acting so much like an expectant dad would (parallel to him and the firefighter onesie in 609), when we know he’s not actually going to be that baby’s father. It very much does feel like 911 is signaling to us Buck has some realizations coming his way in this context. ~~

Speaking of the kids on the beach, Buck telling the boy he wants to fix everything, then adding that Buck gets it, had me screaming into my fists, because hey, remember who said that to Buck? That’s right, his Eddie, back in 504. A reminder of how much Eddie sees Buck, accepts him and allows him to be himself, enabling Buck in turn to reflect that back to that kid. Of course, in the context of the sperm donation, Buck’s tendency made him want to help “fix” things for Connor and Kameron, and we might learn in 6b that Buck comes to realize he sometimes lets this tendency take him to places that aren’t actually good for him, without fully considering the consequences, and then hopefully, he’ll get to find a way to balance this, to be himself, but not derailed from his life goals by this part of himself. ~~

At the same time that the ep shows us how good Buck is with kids, it also serves to remind us of the one kid that we’ve seen him co-parent all along, the one who has always demonstrated what a good, loving dad Buck is, Christopher. Yes, when we see Buck working on his cooking with Bobby, it’s a part of the many parallels revolving around dads in this ep, so Buck and Bobby’s r/s is the immediate focus, but at the same time, we know who Buck is learning this FOR. Lazania kitchen scene from 601, anyone? Oh, but the best part? It’s when Buck tells Bobby, “Something’s missing.” He can’t quite put the finger on what, but he knows something in his domesticity isn’t fully there. I wonder what, Buck... And this is again in an ep full of foreshadowing! ~~

It may seem like a minor thing, but remember how in my past meta, I was more or less losing it over the many times Buck and Eddie did rope rescues together as their own team within the 118 team, even having their assigned roles where Eddie connects Buck to the line and then becomes an anchor himself to keep Buck safe, to the point where I wrote a smut fic involving this very meaningful act? Yeah, so imagine me seeing that the most intense Buddie call we’ve had since the end of 413 starts with them doing this subtextually intimate thing, Eddie hooking Buck up to the rope, becoming his literal life line, and even teasingly calling him “cowboy” while at it. No, I was not breathing for a full minute at least. ~~

But since I brought up the shooting in 413, can we talk about the insanity of the parallels? Take the meaningful staring once disaster strikes. Back in s4, it was mutual, right before Eddie collapsed. In 610, Buck is unconscious, so you wouldn’t think they could stare at each other at this moment, right? Plus, back in 413, it was just the two of them present at the scene out of the 118, the other members of the team weren’t there. The lightning strike seems a lot less intimate in comparison... But in this ep, the camera plays a role in recreating that same dynamic, singling out the connection between Buddie. Because when Buck is hit by lightning, we get shots of every 118 member looking up and being terrified of what just happened to their friend.

The only exception in terms of this shot? Eddie. He’s the only one that isn’t being filmed from the side as he looks up, he’s filmed from above as he looks straight into the camera. Essentially, the shot recreates Buck’s POV for Eddie, and for him alone. It shows us what Buck would see and how he would stare down, back at Eddie, if he only could. The fact that the camera has to do this instead of Buck himself further emphasizes the horror of Buck being unconscious, but the choice to do this only with Eddie highlights their connection and makes it clear that Buddie’s bond IS different to what the other team members have with Buck, no matter how close the others are to him or how much they love him. What’s insane is that DESPITE having all of the 118 there, there is still a bubble within this whole situation that is Buddie and Buddie’s alone, even as Buck himself is unconscious. It’s no wonder Eddie jumps up that electrocuted ladder without even thinking about it, it’s no wonder no one even tries to stop him or warn him of the danger in that. That is a man on a mission to save the other half of him, and the show tells us that in more than one way.

That’s gonna continue through Eddie’s attempts (and eventual success) in getting Buck away from immediate danger, as well as when the team tries but then fails to revive Buck, because Eddie will be the one to push past Bobby to see Buck, and Eddie will be the one Bobby has to keep in line by assigning him driving duty, maybe the most important thing anyone can do for Buck once all the medical assistance they can give him in the field is of no further use. ~~

One more thing regarding the comparison with the shooting arc in s4, as well as talking about camera shots, is that we get to see the difference between a platonic friend resuscitating his teammate and a man desperately trying to keep the love of his life alive. If you look at Chim doing compressions on Buck, he’s giving it his all, because he DOES love Buck, Chim’s doing his best for his friend and brother in law. But the shot is not an intimate one, we don’t get close ups, we don’t get to focus on the eyes and see the frantic look of a man who knows he CAN’T fail, we don’t see the intimate touch of a hand laying a gauze on an exposed chest and trying to keep this treasured body together, we do get “come on, Buck,” but we don’t get personal speech, begging the other man to hold on and just “stay with me.” While back in 414, in the ambulance, we had ALL of those as Buck, almost on the verge of losing his sanity, fought for Eddie’s life. ~~

Lastly, I’ve made in the past a gifset of times when we’ve seen Buck screaming Eddie’s name in horror at the face of danger (including in 413), and I love that we can finally add to that Eddie doing the same thing for Buck. But I think it’s particularly meaningful that it happened not as a matter of when Buck would be in danger, but rather it was a question of just how significant Buck had to become to Eddie for this former, highly decorated soldier to go from the stoic man he was in 218 to what we see in 610 (as seen in my latest weekly gifset). Because Eddie WAS incredibly worried back in the s2 finale. He was gritting his teeth, you can see the tension on his face, and the second it was safe, he sprang to Buck’s side. Eddie also held on to him while everyone else was lifting the truck (even though Chim, as a medic, would have been a more natural choice to hold on to Buck, while Eddie the firefighter helps lift engine 118). And Eddie wouldn’t even let go of Buck’s hand on the way to the truck. HE WAS DISTRAUGHT. But the man who kept his facade up in the hospital after Shannon, his wife and mother of his son, died just one ep earlier, did the same thing with Buck. What I find so telling is that he can no longer do that by 610. Buck has become such an integral part of his life, of his family, of who Eddie is as a person and how he deals with life, way more than even Shannon managed to be. And that’s why Eddie loses it, confirming what we’ve known for a while: Buddie are life partners. ~~

I now have direct links to my weekly meta posts, my Buddie gifs and more of my content in my pinned post. Loads of love to @whosoldherout​​ for making unbelievable gifs for my very unique requests. You’re a star! Tag list will follow in the reblog. Thank you in advance for any reblog and like! I’m operating on 1.5 hours of sleep to get this posted ASAP, so I really appreciate any and all encouragement to keep doing this. xoxox

[wannaeatramyeon]

I just thought what type of personality is thier child like and what type of dad they are.

Example: Daniel's child will be a chubby child like he is, probably shy and cute child. Daniel would be a dad that give confident to his child so they won't exprience hardship like and also both of them will have a shenanigans of eating in the middle of the night.

Gun's child would be mini Gun but doesn't look for fight like his dad. You can say the child is more of gentleman than Gun tendency. The child probably be like "Mom, How and why did you marry dad" Points at thier father who is rampaging in fight.

Thanks for the ask Sam and sorry it's taken so long 😭

Agree with your HC altho I wonder if Daniel might swing too much the other way being a health nut (after all the bullying and Lookism) and you would have to help him find a happy medium??

Lookism Boys as dads + what their kid is like

Wow that's a mouthful. HC for Jake Kim, Samuel Seo, Warren Chae, Goo Kim, Ryuhei Kuroda, Eugene, Vasco, Zack Lee, Johan Seong

General HC

Most would take after their dad and be at least adept with fighting

Unless specified they would turn out pretty ok. We all know the flaws these men have (except Jake he can do no wrong 🙏) so the coparent needs to balance that out

Jake and Samuels kids would be bff, much to chagrin of Samuel lol. He ends up seeing Jake far too much for his liking but his kid is happy so what can he do

Warren's kid and Yenna bff. Duh

Goo's and Ryuhei's hate each other at first. Always getting each other into trouble. Until. Wow, think of the chaos we can cause TOGETHER

Gun's kid IMO would probably get on with someone like Eugene's. But would be hilarious if they got swept into the Vasco/Zack/Johan dynamic

Eugene's is a bit of a loner. All the fancy upbringing means they have connections and networks rather than close friends 😔

Vasco's, Zack's and Johan's would be like siblings. Constantly pick on and insult each other. They're allowed to. But if someone joins in - WTF DID YOU JUST SAY?? YOU WANNA FIGHT?

Jake Kim

As a dad

Listen. I don't know whether my levels of delusion are way off with this man but he can do no wrong. He would be the best dad, best househusband. He would be harsh but fair and sooo much fun. Unfortunately your kid would be spoilt rotten with all the Big Deal Uncles and Auntie.

The kid

Like father like son/daughter. Absolute unwavering sense of right and wrong, maybe sometimes not too understanding of the shades of grey. A confident kid and heartbreaker - not purposely tho but their rizz will be off the charts like their dad. Of course a natural born leader. That runs in the family too.

Warren Chae

As a dad

Oof. If you thought he was protective over Sally then you have another thing coming. Needs a bit of talking around to give them their freedom and experiences. Apart from that you really can't complain. Warren has an infinite amount of patience. Also reads to them all the time to stop himself missing out words.

The kid

The cutest kind-hearted little soul! Would just be so nice and sweet! Super well adjusted and surrounded by loving adults (Hostel), and also Grandpa Manager Kim. Yknow the kids who are also constantly dirty? Like constant speck of dirt on their face? Yeah also that.

Samuel Seo

As a dad

It might be better if you're a single parent because he is gonna pass on some gnarly generational trauma. Your child will either end up like a mini-Samuel or fingers crossed there will be shitloads of therapy (for daddy and child).

The kid

Strives for perfection, and super ambitious. There's no avoiding some traits. Another natural leader, but rules less with an iron first than Sammy. Would be vain af, and looks after their appearance a LOT. A bit shallow and judgemental but will eventually grow out of it.

Goo Kim

As a dad

Shrewd af and always knows what's going on. Good luck to their kid because there is no lying to Goo. He'll play along and then drop the hammer. However, a bit too lenient so you would have to be the disciplinarian. Lets the kid just get on with things and learn by experience. "Oh you wanna play with the sword? Have fun!" "GOO NO-!"

The kid

Little shit. Sorry there's just no way they wouldn't be a mouthy little asshole. Goo would make sure they respect the parents, but otherwise they are a danger to society. A troublemaker. Figures out all the loopholes to any rules and laws... A constant headache but you can't help but be impressed.

Gun Park

As a dad

Does a lot of research before their kid is born. This guy is pretty thorough with things he is interested in, so if he's taking an active part in the kid's life then he will be meticiulous. Initially. Then, like Goo, will let their kid make their own mistakes. Otherwise, very hands on, doesn't believe in outdated parental roles. After all, this is Gun's ultimate masterpiece.

The kid

Christ. This kid could be the most intimidating child to have ever lived. Not as intense as their dad, but they are playing 5D chess while everyone else is just learning their shapes and numbers. They're cocky and confident, with the skills to back it up.

Ryuhei Kuroda

As a dad

Extremely similar to Goo imo. Would also love to embarrass the kid. Not purposely mind, just he can't keep his hands off or kissing you and no kid needs to see their parents so grossly in love.

The kid

An absolute menace, just like their dad. Huge prankster, mostly harmless. Don't get them together with Goo's kid because jfc they would be absolute terrors together. Unlike their dad in his youth, they would respect the shit out of women. You've seen to that.

Eugene

As a dad

Probably a little cold and severe, putting a bit too much emphasis on grades and perfection. Despite that, would actually be pretty good. Someone that reads up a lot on how to raise a kid, bonding with them etc etc. to form a somewhat healthy relationship.

The kid

Private school little wunderkind. Will grow up with the absolute best of everything and spoilt too so you would need to keep them grounded. Expected to take over Workers. Business acument and ambition will be drilled into them from an early age.

Vasco

As a dad

What is there to say about Tabasco that we don't already know. Would dote on them hand and foot. An absolute pushover! Their kid pulls out the puppy eyes and it's game over. Would teach them to protect themselves but probably draw the line at anything more.

The kid

Really creative? Vasco would place less emphasis on grades and would help to nurture their interest in the arts. But actually super smart too thanks to Uncle Jace's influence. Tbh I think the kid would be pretty perfect and with the kindest heart and stands up to bullies just like dad!

Zack Lee

As a dad

So so similar to Vasco. Has all these ideas on what they should and shouldn't do as a parent. Kid pops out, and Zack's a goner. Literally would do anything and everything for their child. Go absolutely crazy with pride if the kid is interested in boxing.

The kid

Would have no game... Like dad. Sorry. Good job they would be good looking af to even it out. Not a huge emphasis on education and grades thanks to Zack's influence. More focused on athletics. A little shallow and arrogant, but a huge softy underneath.

Johan Seong

As a dad

Panic and anxiety from the day their kid was born and every day after. First because of worrying about their eyes, second because he's just not comfortable with having an actual dependent. Tries to teach them about the evils of the world. Eventually chills out overall and reverts back to being the gentle-hearted boy he used to be.

The kid

For practical reasons, taught braille from an early age just in case. But otherwise a mini-Johan but without the trauma. Very softly spoken and sweet. Just an absolute ray of sunshine. Always accompanied by their dog, their bff and partner when a fight arises.

[malanasims]

Taylor Swift Eras themed Legacy Challenge

i wanted to put together two of my favorite things: the sims and Taylor Swift. so i came up with this 10 generation legacy challenge in which each generation is inspired by a different album. I created this challenge for the sims 2 ultimate collection since that is the game i normally play, but i am sure it can be adapted for sims 3 or sims 4. i also implemented the traits project for ts2 but you can easily do the challenge without it using different personality points. i set up this challenge so that each generation alternates genders but you can switch that up. i also chose first names for each generation based on references of the album. also some of the writing is very cheesy and has a lot of references because why not go crazy. this is my first legacy challenge so if you have any critiques let me know. the rules are not strict and cheats can be used as its a story-based challenge.

Debut- Gen 1: Mary

“Take me home where we met so many years before. 

We'll rock our babies on that very front porch: After all this time, you and I”

You grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other. Your parents never had the greatest relationship and your mom was always with her best friend. Since birth you and her kid have been inseparable. Will you fall into the same patterns as your parents…or will you find a place in this world?

family/romance 

LTW: reach golden anniversary

nurturing, jealous, loves the outdoors, great kisser, family oriented

marry your first love

have 2 children (at least one son)

formal wear is a little black dress

Fearless- Gen 2: Stephen 

“You played in bars, you play guitar

I'm invisible and everyone knows who you are”

Your parents raised you well but something about the fact that they only ever knew each other scares you. You want to get out there and make a name for yourself. You know no ones coming for you on their white horse. You’ll have to be fearless to become a superstar: but for now all you have is your mothers eyes and her old guitar.

fortune/pleasure

virtuoso, charismatic, irresistible, ambitious, non-committal

LTW: become rock god

go on at least 5 first dates

have at least one daughter

date a fan

Speak now- Gen 3: Emma

“When Emma falls apart, it's when she's alone

She takes on the pain and bears it on her own”

You often felt overlooked by your rockstar father. He was always busy and you spent most of your time with your mother until her mysterious disappearance. You feel like you grew up too fast, and now you love to travel back to your youth and fantasize about castles and dragons. So you become an actress; a character. Will you break out of your fathers famously destructive patterns, or will you regain your balance on the tightrope and break out before fire can catch you?

popularity/romance

LTW: Become Icon

natural born performer, childish, bookworm, shy, hopeless romantic

your first love doesn't work out/ you break their heart

have at least one son

have a strained relationship with your father but a good relationship with your mother

meet your true love at a party and then never see eachother again

Red- Gen 4: Bobby

“How you took the money and your dignity, and got the hell out

They say you bought a bunch of land somewhere

Chose the rose garden over Madison Square”

You grew up in the starlight of your mothers fame. You two were always close but after suffering from the tabloids and the camera flashes you decide this life is not for you. You move out of the Angel City and start anew. Your mother has given you some funds and you build up a family home. You tell everyone you left because the city wasn’t right for you… but maybe it was partly to run from your playboy/girl ex who you know was trouble. Now you spend your life painting and searching for your muse. Will you stay paralyzed by time or finally begin again?

Knowledge/family

LTW: become visionary

artistic, eco friendly, night owl, loves the cold, loner

Have an on and off toxic relationship

Move out of your parents house

Settle down with someone nice

Have 3 children (at least one girl)

1989- Gen 5: Love

“You searched the world for somethin' else

To make you feel like what we had

And in the end, in Wonderland, we both went mad”

You grew up secluded from the world, surrounded by your mothers paintings. Your mom loved the environment but you couldn’t wait to get out of the woods and explore new places. Somewhere along the road, you fell into a rabbit hole of insanity: mascara running in the bathroom and rose gardens filled with thorns. You blow money and string lovers along. You have fantastic delusions until your wildest dreams turn into nightmares. Will you accept the help from your family and abandon your affinity for screaming, crying and perfect storms? Or will every day continue to be a battle?

knowledge/pleasure

LTW: Become space pirate

Insane, unstable, diva, adventurous, jealous

Join the adventurer career

Have 3 loves at once

Have children with multiple people (one must be boy/girl twins)

Lose money in poker

Reputation- Gen 6: Burton (the name is so bad help)

“I don't like your kingdom keys

They once belonged to me

You asked me for a place to sleep

Locked me out and threw a feast”

Yeah, your mother may have done a number on you, but who's counting? Maybe your twin sister… Everything you did, she just had to do better. In the wake of your mother’s madness, you turned to dancing. You found peace in swaying as the room burnt down. Your twin sister on the other hand hated how you were lit up every room you walked into, but you couldn’t help it. There's nothing she hates more than what she can't have… so she turned to sabotage. Just when you think that your life is perfect- you're at the top of your career and you finally found love- your sister starts a rumor that you cheated on your love. Your reputation as a famous dancer goes down in seconds. But to your surprise, your lover isn't reading what they call you lately and your relationship is stronger than ever. Will you get revenge on your sister and become exactly what you despise, or sit back and let karma take over?

Popularity/romance

LTW: Become world class ballerina

Party animal, irresistible, social butterfly, hot headed, unlucky

Be enemies with your twin sister

Never be unfaithful

Have a bad reputation

Have at least one daughter

Lover- Gen 7: Cornelia

“I’d be a fearless leader, I'd be an alpha type

When everyone believes ya, what's that like?”

You've always known you wanted to change the world. Who cares if you were overlooked and discouraged. Snakes and stones won’t break your bones. You never had a big family as your father walked away from his. Sometimes it gets lonely trusting the wicked, and your loyalty was often a fault. You turn to politics to combat your feelings of helplessness, but no one takes you seriously and you feel lost in the light. You have to start from the ground up with the help of your best friend. You start to build your picture-perfect life: the kids, the lyrical smiles and the power. Will you drive away your lover by searching for their dark side, or will you put aside your ways and find the daylight?

Popularity/family

LTW: Become mayor

Good, easily impressed, brave, unlucky, perfectionist

Fall in love with your best friend

Have 10 best friends

Have children (at least one son)

Folklore- Gen 8: James

“I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting

I didn't know if you'd care if I came back

I have a lot of regrets about that”

You grew up trying to meet the expectations of your politician mother. Everything had to be picture perfect, even your private life. So she set you up with the daughter of one of the most powerful families in town, Betty. At first you are skeptical, but over time you fall for her integrity and affinity for old cardigans. Along the way you begin to feel stuck, tired of the sensual politics and your mother’s watchful eye. That's when you meet August -the polar opposite of Betty- and some part of you has to know what she is like. You meet in parking lots and dive bars, but after Betty finds out, you realize that summer is dwindling. In wake of losing two girls, you turn to writing: poetry and sad prose. You get lost in your stories, but once you start to gain traction, you can’t help but wonder how different your life could have been. Will you rekindle your wild flame with August or go back to the peace you felt with Betty?

knowledge/ romance

LTW: Publish 5,000$ best seller*

Great kisser, coward, bookworm, brooding, commitment issues

Fall in love with Betty

Fall in love with August

Confess to cheating on Betty

Write novels

Move into a cottage by a lake

Finally choose the one girl

Have at least one daughter with her

Evermore- Gen 9: Ivy

“And the skeletons in both our closets

Plotted hard to fuck this up

And the old men that I’ve swindled

Really did believe I was the one”

You always resented your father because he abandoned the good life for a cottage in the woods and his stories. You don’t want that; you want power and wealth. You don't need love, just a fancy car. So you turn to crime, because it’s easy for you; you love the gold rush. You con men and no one will ever prove it. You marry rich men and inherit their money when their time runs out. But then one day you meet your match, a fellow criminal, and wonder if this life will really bring you happiness. But you realized this a little too late, and now you're forced to drink your husband's wine… but he was the wrong guy. Will you leave the life of crime behind or will you stay frozen in time?

Fortune/pleasure

LTW: Gold digger

Kleptomaniac, genius, charismatic, mean-spirited, rebellious

Go into the criminal career

Marry a rich sim

Fall in love with a criminal and have an affair

Have a son

Midnights- Gen 10: Snow

“And I don't dress for villains

Or for innocents

I'm on my vigilante shit again”

You knew your mom wasn’t the most ethically-correct person. You like to think you inherited her better half; but that isn’t entirely true. You are determined to be different, so you become a spy; you get the satisfaction of working for the good guys and the pleasure that comes with great wars. Being a spy is difficult though, and you never know when things could go wrong. You are constantly burning files and deserting old lives. But you’re a mastermind, nobody can deny that. You finally meet your perfect person, but it's hard concealing your true occupation from them. You have money and respect… But can all of that pay for someone to just know you?

Fortune/knowledge

LTW: Become head of the SCIA

Perceptive, disciplined, loner, proper, daredevil

Join the intelligence career

Move homes at least twice

The rest is up to you since it is the last generation 

*50 new LTW mod can be found here

if anyone decides to do this challenge tag me! i'd love to see it

[fieldofdaisiies]

𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝟓: 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚

a nice family outing for @lucienweekofficial🧡 and dedicating this to @separatist-apologist for her brithday (yesterday)🧡

• ──────────────────── •

"What's on your mind?" Elain rests her head on her mate's shoulder, looking into the same direction as him. Their four daughters are seated together in the grass, playing with stems and small daisies. Dalia, the eldest, is enthusiastically narrating a story to her younger sisters, using gestures to emphasise her points.

"How lucky I am to have the five of you in my life." Lucien says, turning his head to gently kiss Elain's forehead.

Elain's face lights up with a joyful smile. "Soon the six of us," she adds, her smile turning into a grin as she places her hand on her rounded belly, Lucien’s warm hand finding its place on top of hers.

"Indeed, soon the six of you," Lucien muses playfully, "Perhaps this time the Mother will bless us with a son." He tilts his head back and lets out a hearty laugh, soon joined by his father's deeper chuckle.

In a gentle voice, his mother, the former lady of the Autumn Court and now the High Lady of Day, chimes in, "Or maybe it's the other way around than it was with me, and you'll end up with seven daughters." She grins at her youngest son, sitting on a blanket a little way behind Elain and Lucien, next to Helion their hands intertwined.

Lucien bursts into genuine laughter, giving Elain's hand a light squeeze. "Well, I suppose I'd be an incredibly lucky father in that case."

The sun's warm strays fall upon them, Elain and Lucien's eyes still on their daughters. But suddenly, one after the other rises from the ground, Dalia being the first, a bunch of flowers in her hands. Poppy and Willow follow after their big sister, big grins and happiness on their faces, as they try to hold the whole bunch of little petals and tiny daisies they collected in their small hands. "Mamma! Mamma!" Poppy expresses happily. 

Dalia already tumbles onto her father who catches his oldest in his arms and cuddles her tightly. "Pappa!" she happily says and curls her arms –hands still full of flowers– around Lucien's neck. Dalia has always been a Pappa's girl, just like Ivy. Poppy and Willow are definitely Mamma's girls, both hurdling to Elain.

Last is Ivy, climbing to her little legs. Her brows lie in furrows when she sees that all her sisters have already arrived at their parents, and so tries to quickly set out as well. On wobbly steps she walks over to the rest of her family, both Lucien and Elain already expecting their youngest with bright grins on their faces. Little Ivy is just too adorable, placing her feet so far apart in order to hold her balance. Once having arrived, she joins the family cuddles, also climbing onto Lucien's lap, now wedged between her father's and her sister's chest. 

Dalia tips her head back, grins and veils her face in the most innocent facade possible. Her eyes are aglow as she searches Lucien's gaze and says, "Can we put flowers in your hair, Pappa?" 

"Yes, flowers, Mamma!" Willow claps her hands, bouncing up and down on Elain's lap. 

The parents can only say yes, how could they ever deny their sweet girls a single wish. 

"Do you worst then," Lucien chuckles, giving his daughters free reign to do with his hair whatever they want. 

Helion and his High Lady are lying down, watching the beautiful scenery from a little distance. It fills their hearts with nothing but happiness, joy, warmth and love.

Their son is beaming, his face bright with joy that mirrors the emotion in his heart. This is what happiness looks like, and what greater gift is there for parents than seeing their child happy. 

Ivy is standing on Lucien’s thighs, or rather bouncing and dancing on his thighs, her tiny hands holding onto Lucien’s thumbs as she is babbling some song her sister have taught her. She is giggling while Dalia threads daisies into Lucien’s hair, meticulously working each flower into a strand of hair. 

Poppy is occupied with Elain’s hair, carefully but thoroughly placing each delicate flower into her mother’s hair. Willow is cuddled to her mother’s side, her hand resting on Elain’s round belly. "You look beautiful, Mamma," Poppy hums and leans forward to kiss her mother's cheek.

Elain reaches her hand back, so she can squeeze her daughter's small hand, her gesture conveying more love than words could speak. 

Elain leans back a little, stretches out her legs, her heels touching the soft but cool grass. She hums, her hands also placed beside the blanket, in the grass. She turns to look at Lucien, his happiness mirroring hers. The sky above them is blue with big fluffy clouds, and the bright sun in its centre. 

Ivy is still dancing and bouncing around on Lucien's thigh when Dalia suddenly says, "I got an idea, we need more." She lets go off her father's hair, turning to her one year younger sister, Willow, and grabbing her hand to pull her along with her. 

Poppy tips her head back, glancing past her mother's shoulder and then up at Elain. "Where going?"

"I don't know, sweetie, but we will soon see." Elain's smiles and when she lifts her gaze, Lucien's attention is already on her. He lets his gaze run over her, momentarily stopping at her round belly before moving his gaze back to her eyes. "You look stunning, my lovely mate," he hums, their gazes still locked. "You do too, my lord." Elain grins from one ear to the other, her hand still on top of Poppy's which rests on her round belly. 

Collecting more flowers, Dalia and Willow move through the large flower fields, laughing. They come back with bunches of wildflowers, which they gently weave together and soon their goal becomes clear — they are making flower crowns for their parents, but also for their grandparents. 

Joy and laughter fills the meadow when flower crowns are placed on top of each head, Lucien and Elain also having made four little crowns for their girls in the time Poppy and Dalia worked on theirs. 

As the sun begins to dip behind the mountains in the distance, casting a warm golden glow over the meadow, the family moves closer together. Willow is not sitting between her grandparents, one hand placed on her grandmother's thigh, the other holding Helion's broad hand.

Lucien wraps his arm around Elain, drawing her close, while Poppy, Dalia, and Ivy nestle in around them.

"We are so blessed," Elain murmurs, her eyes glistening as she gazes at her family and then turns to look at Lucien. His own eyes are glassy, his lips pursed. "These moments, these memories, they are what truly matters in life. This is happiness, Lucien." Elain's voice trembles a little and she can also feel Lucien shudder slightly. She is feeling his emotions rich and stark through the bond. 

Her mate nods, his heart warming with gratitude and love. "Indeed, my lovely mate. Not everything was always easy, but these moments remind me that everything happens for a reason and that everything is worth it."

Together as a family they watch the sun set on the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. 

~~~~~~~~

tags: @rippahwrites@shadowhunter2003@my-inner-crisis@ladyelain@acourtofthought@itwasalwaysaboutthetea@multifictional@moonlightazriel@aayo-whatt@brekkershadowsinger @sunshinebingo @gracie-rosee @a-frog-with-a-laptop

[leclerced]

Omg please hades son Oscar is what I need. He’s friends with Lando and they are the duo that everyone is scared of in camp cause they are children of the big three but in reality Oscar is really calm and very self-aware when it comes to his powers. Well Lando not so much because he likes the fact he’s so powerful, unlike Oscar. But Oscar always tries to control him as much as he can and it works. I can so see Max coming into camp later and he’s super insecure and guarded because of that. But the two warm their way into his heart eventually and now kids worry not only about Hades’ and Poseidon’s sons but also Zeus’. They are the new big three however their father don’t like it.

Oscar would date Demeter’s daughter and they are the perfect balance to each other. She’s life and he’s death and it’s just the way it was always supposed to be. I can see Lando dating Hades’ daughter so well basically Oscar’ sister and when Oscar finds out it’s the only time he looses control and maybe they have this epic fight that ends in half of the camp destroyed and them hugging each other in the end because it’s stupid to fight they can just talk it out (they can’t. Oscar just has to deal with it). Who would Max date??? I can maybe see Athena’s daughter? It fits I think.

Or well Charles. Charles is always a good idea

tbh i kinda want the big 3 kids to be only children like in the percy jackson series bc it adds a lil extra drama to be forbidden children, plus w lando as a poseidon kid i kinda want him w an athena daughter to keep up w the stupid boy/smart girl dynamic that percy and annabeth have because its sooo cute. my fav

if oscar had a sister, and lando dated her, there wouldn't even be a chance a fight, oscar would open the ground up and send him straight down to daddy. gf standing off to the side like 😦 did you just- did you just send my bf to hell? and oscar’s like oops sorry, i passively thought that i wished the ground would swallow him whole when i saw you holding hands but i didn’t expect it to happen? everyone in camp is staring down the ravine going through camp and then looking to oscar with fear in their eyes and he’s just like ): dont look at me like that im sure he’ll be back soon. my dad will get sick of him real quick.

lando’s in hades's realm playing fetch with cerebus and chatting up old spirits. hades pissed because some idiot is distracting his guard dog again. few hours goes by and lando appears in the middle of camp, a little dirty from his impromptu dive underground, but okay. gf doting on him and oscar's sick of it but doesn't make the world eat him again.

could also work w a lil love triangle/thrupple moment where oscar and her are best friends and he's hopelessly in love w her but thinks he has no shot and then he sees her and lando flirting and next thing you know a hole is opening under lando's feet and he's got a one way ticket to visit hades.

i could see max with a daughter of aphrodite, he’s normally very confident bc he’s so strong, once he settles into the camp all the girls are crushing on him and he flirts w them all so easily except for her. any other child of aphrodite yea sure pretty or whatever. but he sees her like picking berries with oscar’s gf from demeter and just stops and stares and oscar is like “y’know my girl can put in a good word for you!” and max gets all flustered and is like “im a son of zues, i don’t need help picking up girls.” oscar daring him to go talk to her if he doesn’t need help, and max doesn’t back down from any challenge so he goes to talk to her. he gets a few steps away and forgets how to speak, the rehearsed lines fade away and he’s turning around just before he gets to them. he rushes back to oscar like, okay yeah. maybe ask her to put in a good word. he goes so stupid around her and all he can think ab is how pretty she is, how nice the sound of her voice is, how pillowy her lips look.

or we talked about a nemesis child, max could date a child of nemesis and she’s sooo protective over him and will fuck w anyone who bothers him. someone makes an offhand remark about him and they have bad luck for a week. injures him sparring and they get hurt twice as bad by their next opponent. her and him flying together, holding hands and zipping through the clouds, her with actual wings and him just using the wind.

[koolcece22]

You Will Never Be Good Enough

so this short story was a Christmas collab from my Discord buddy

summary:Miguel and new baby Gabriella mostly focusing on how he feels about fatherhood and how much he loves her but maybe also some Conchata angst

You will never be good enough

Miguel can’t believe it. He is a father now. It had been almost a year since He and Xina got back together trying to rekindle their love for each other. At the same time, balancing work and being Spider-man.  When Xina broke the news that she was pregnant, Miguel was shocked, Happy, scared, and nervous at the same time.

You’ll be like him

He always wanted a family of his own, but him being a half-spider and his family track record… He doesn’t know he can do it. He made sure that Xina was taken care of as the months went by and her belly got bigger. Both of them were scared that the ultrasound would show a baby with 8 arms or a spider chelicerae. 

You're a mistake 

When the baby was born it was the best day of Miguel and Xina’s lives. It was a baby girl that they decided to name Gabriella. It was tough for them at first, taking care of a baby wasn’t easy. So far Gabriella wasn’t showing any sign of the spider's powers thankfully. And to be honest, Miguel was really glad, wanting her to be a normal child and never have to deal with the Spider-man job. 

Why bother? you’re going to fail

Miguel made sure he did all the things that he wasn’t able to do when he was a child; Give her birthday parties. Take her to amusement parks. Read her bedtime story every night—everything he can while juggling with a job and being Spiderman.

Miguel tries his best for his daughter, but sometimes he doesn’t feel like he is. He’s afraid that something bad will happen. He is a Spider-Man, and nothing goes your way when you Spider-Man. He lost so many people that he cares about for being Spider-Man. Dana, his brother, and his…mother. 

You’ll never change

One few things Miguel regretted in life, was that he wasn’t on better terms with his mother before she died. He wanted her so badly, for her to love him, to see past that he wasn’t like him . He wasn’t Tylor Stone, he was Miguel O’Hara. Conchata’s son. But she never truly saw past that,  reminding herself and him every day. He remembers one bad night in particular, his thought-to-be-real dad George O’Hara. Made her so mad that she drank. then drunk she came into his room and talked to him. She thought he was asleep, but he wasn’t. 

“You were my biggest mistake. I hope you know that. That man used me and then threw me away. Only to leave me with you. Every time I look at you…all I see is him. Why did he curse me with you?”

Miguel never forgot that night. He truly never looked at his mother the same way. He tries to provide him with nothing like his father. He has a better job, has a wife, and treats his family ten times better than his dad ever could. But looking back at it, he was similar to Tyler as much as he hates to admit it. Like he cheated on Xina with Dana and the fact she took him back was a miracle. He became the CEO of Alchemax but changed their ways for the better. And now he has a child and he was going to protect Gabriella and his wife, Xina, with his life. He was never going to let anything happen to them. 

Gabriella was the next best thing that happened to him. She has reddish-brown eyes. Not too red so she can blend in well. He checks every day to see if she gains any of his powers. She watches her get bigger, play with her, feed her, and take her to places. 

You’ll never be good enough

“Do you think I’m a good father?” 

As she puts Gabriella to bed, Xina is taken aback by Miguel's words. She knows Miguel didn’t have a good family life, and that he’s trying everything in his power not to end up like his dads and mom. 

“Why would you say that?” 

“ I feel like everything I do isn’t enough. I failed so many times and I am afraid if I can’t do this-”

Xina hugs him, quieting the worries he has, knowing the inner turmoil he has.

“Miggy, I know you’re scared about being a father. And I know you're really scared of becoming like your parents. But…” Xina grabs him by the face to make Miguel look directly into his beautiful sunset-red eyes. They were different colors when they first met, but they were still the same eyes she had grown to love. But here was so much sadness and self-loathing in them too 

“You listen to me, you are not George. You are not Conchata. And you are not Tyler. You are Miguel, the man I fell in love with and the man who’s going to give our daughter the best life that either had.”  Xina then pulls him in to kiss and smile at him as she rubs his face. 

“We will give her the best life we can give her.”

Miguel holds her hand not wanting to let go of it. Xina was always the type to speak her mind and give him the words to do more. He smiles at her, and then both look at Gabrella’s room, seeing their daughter sleeping peacefully, wanting her to have the best life. 

Lyla popped up between them. 

“Hey boss, there's trouble in downtown. I think they can use Spider-man.” Lyla said with a smirk. Miguel sighed knowing his work as Spider-man had never been done. He turns on his outfit before his masked form, he kisses Xina then turns toward the window and jumps out to swing to the danger.

You’ll never be good enough! Don’t you understand?

“I might not be good enough, but I sure as hell I can shocking try. For her. For them.” 

[harrowharkwife]

so, um.

i've been thinking about "pilgrimage" for a while now. and about how we still haven't reached much of a consensus on what we're expecting from that episode.

pilgrimage. definition: a journey, especially a long and difficult one, made to some sacred or important place, typically as an act of devotion, or in search of deeper meaning, healing, or understanding.

the way this show works, i'm expecting to see all the characters on their own personal pilgrimages. some of them are easier to imagine than others.

maddie and chim taking jee-yun on her first beach trip, maybe. maddie, reconciling and processing both her harrowing, terrifying time in the ocean and her fear of jee near water. chimney, there to support her. both of them anchoring and grounding themselves in each other's presence, in the security of their family, and in the comfort that comes from teaching jee-yun to swim. watching her safely doggy paddle and splash and play in the shallow water, a lifejacket on her shoulders and a smile on her face, with the knowledge that she's safe and happy with both of her parents.

hen, finishing med school. becoming a doctor, finally, after her long journey of stress and studying and sleepless nights. she worked so, so hard to get here, and it was worth it. she doesn't necessarily have to leave her job and her home at the 118- she could be captain there someday, after all! but she's armed with so much more knowledge now, knowledge and training that will help her save even more lives, whether that's in a hospital or out in the field. and that medical license? it will help her advocate for every patient she treats, especially the ones overlooked by the medical system- her mom comes to mind. it forces everyone to take her seriously, to give her the respect she deserves, from the moment she introduces herself to them. and above all else, she will have proven to herself that she can do it. that she can chase each and every one of her dreams, at her pace and on her terms. just like she quit her pharma job, just like she became a firefighter despite eva's lack of support- only now, she has the support and encouragement from all her family and friends.

bobby, taking a trip to minnesota. maybe athena's with him, maybe may and harry. or maybe not. the fire at dispatch brought back a lot of old pain for him, even as saving may helped heal some of his oldest wounds. a karmic balancing of the scales, in a way- we know bobby tends to see things that way. but may isn't brooke. bobby buried a wife, a son, a daughter. and visiting their resting place to pay his respects, to tell them about his sobriety, about his new family, about how he creates families everywhere he goes now, about how much he misses them every day but despite it all he hasn't stopped living- that's a pilgrimage. and one i think he sorely needs to take, in order to heal.

for a while, i thought buck might take a trip back to hershey in this episode. but now i'm not so sure. eddie's already been back to el paso, and aside from that, i wasn't sure what a pilgrimage might look like, for him.

but then it hit me.

buck and eddie, going back to the site of the shooting. together. talking about it, processing it- as frank put it, "maybe you should talk about your pain with someone who shares it. think about your trauma. and then talk to someone who can understand exactly what you've been through."

that would be a pilgrimage, wouldn't it?

there's this scene in survivors, that i don't think we talk about enough- understandably, considering everything else going on in that episode. it's a quiet, blink-and-you'll-miss-it little moment between bobby and athena, that takes place only a handful of scenes after buck hauls eddie into the fire engine and desperately tries to keep him from bleeding out. and it goes like this:

athena: you know, after i was attacked, we never really talked about it.

bobby: well, i always got the sense you didn't want to.

athena: no, i mean... we never talked about what it was like for you.

bobby: there's that thing people say... 'i don't know what i'd do without you'. because losing someone you love is such an alien concept. you don't want to imagine what it's like. and i was sitting in that engine thinking i was listening to you dying. and i didn't need to imagine anything. i knew what my life would feel like without you in it. and it scared me.

👀

so, yeah. pilgrimage. i'm a firm believer in buck and eddie having their first kiss in the kitchen- i'm ready to tell you that i'm in love with you, so i'm telling you now, because i need you to know how loved you are, but i also know you need more time, and i will wait right here until you're ready for me too.

but when it comes time for a mutual display of commitment, that we're really doing this, i'm all in if you're all in, for better or for worse moment? i can't think of a better spot than the intersection where everything changed. episode one gave us a call where a man was shot by what looked to be a (large caliber) bullet, but was revealed to be a symbol of gay love and commitment- life saving for one man yet simultaneously life threatening for another. the thing that hurts is sometimes the thing that heals.

remember the funny little thing eddie said to buck in survivors, right before it all went south?

should have gotten here sooner.

pilgrimage: that street corner, no blood in sight. foreheads pressed together, leaning close, shaky hands on each other's faces, teary eyes. a kiss, maybe, or maybe not- the meaning's still the same.

buck, to eddie: nah. we're right on time.

[horizon-verizon]

Image Credit: PlayStation

The Not So Hidden Israeli Politics of 'The Last of Us Part II'

A past Israeli wrote this 2020 article and got into how The Last of Us: Part II to "both sides" its story into a fatalist, status-quo-preserving ideology that nevertheless supports Israeli/Zionist actions in the Mid East by revealing the Israeli military infrastructure AND its stereotypes/racist mindset towards Palestinians. It also mentions the twisting of Judaism, the Holocaust, and how Israelis view themselves.

The article (all of this is the entire thing, not mine!):

The real horror in zombie fiction is usually not the legions of undead, but the frailties and cruelties that they expose in the living. The differences between stories in the genre come from the specific fears and frustrations that they render into their metaphors. The Last of Us Part II fits perfectly within these genre conventions, but what's different here is its sources of inspiration.

The Last of Us Part II focuses on what has been broadly defined by some of its creators as a "cycle of violence." While some zombie fiction shows human depravity in response to fear or scarcity in the immediate aftermath of an outbreak, The Last of Us Part II takes place in a more stabilized post apocalypse, decades after societal collapse, where individuals and communities choose to hurt each other as opposed to taking heinous actions out of desperation.

More specifically, the cycle of violence in The Last of Us Part II appears to be largely modeled after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I suspect that some players, if they consciously clock the parallels at all, will think The Last of Us Part II is taking a balanced and fair perspective on that conflict, humanizing and exposing flaws in both sides of its in-game analogues. But as someone who grew up in Israel, I recognized a familiar, firmly Israeli way of seeing and explaining the conflict which tries to appear evenhanded and even enlightened, but in practice marginalizes Palestinian experience in a manner that perpetuates a horrific status quo.

The game's co-director and co-writer Neil Druckmann, an Israeli who was born and raised in the West Bank before his family moved to the U.S., told the Washington Post that the game's themes of revenge can be traced back to the 2000 killing of two Israeli soldiers by a mob in Ramallah. Some of the gruesome details of the incident were captured on video, which Druckmann viewed. In his interview, he recounted the anger and desire for vengeance he felt when he saw the video—and how he later reconsidered and regretted those impulses, saying they made him feel “gross and guilty.” But it gave him the kernel of a story.

“I landed on this emotional idea of, can we, over the course of the game, make you feel this intense hate that is universal in the same way that unconditional love is universal?” Druckmann told the Post. “This hate that people feel has the same kind of universality. You hate someone so much that you want them to suffer in the way they’ve made someone you love suffer.”

Druckmann drew parallels between The Last of Us and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict again on the official The Last of Us podcast. When discussing the first time Joel kills another man to protect his daughter and the extraordinary measures people will take to protect the ones they love, Druckmann said he follows "a lot of Israeli politics," and compared the incident to Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinians prisoners in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. He said that his father thought that the exchange was overall bad for Israel, but that his father would release every prisoner in every prison to free his own son.

"That's what this story is about, do the ends justify the means, and it's so much about perspective. If it was to save a strange kid maybe Joel would have made a very different decision, but when it was his tribe, his daughter, there was no question about what he was going to do," Druckmann said.

Naughty Dog and PlayStation have presented Druckmann as The Last of Us Part II's creative lead and public face. Game development is a highly collaborative practice that demands the backbreaking labor of literally hundreds of programmers, testers, writers, and artists, all of whom make creative contributions and without whom a game of this size and scope would not exist. So while it's impossible to pin a big budget video game's themes and inspirations to one person, parallels between The Last of Us Part II and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict manifest in the final product, not just in what Druckmann has said in interviews.

Besides the familiar zombie fiction aesthetics of an overgrown and decomposing metropolis, The Last of Us Part II's main setting of Seattle is visually and functionally defined by a series of checkpoints, security walls, and barriers. There are many ways to build and depict structures that separate and keep people out. Just Google "U.S.-Mexico border wall" to see the variety of structures on the southern border of the United States alone. The Last of Us Part II's Seattle doesn't look like any of these. Instead, it looks almost exactly like the tall, precast concrete barriers and watch towers Israel started building through the West Bank in 2000.

The history and power dynamics of The Last of Us Part II's Seattle map to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well, if viewed from an Israeli perspective.

The main faction in Seattle is the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), known as the Wolves. The broad strokes are that after the outbreak, FEDRA, an emergency militaristic government agency, took over the city. With food shortages, constant fear of infection, and FEDRA's increasingly brutal measures of keeping order, an insurgency rose: the Wolves. They were outmatched, but prevailed with a series of hit-and-run attacks, assassinations of FEDRA officers, and other guerilla tactics. Eventually, FEDRA abandoned the city and ceded control to the Wolves, who in turn implemented an equally harsh (or harsher) regime.

In one in-game note, a FEDRA commander in Seattle writes to Central Command to explain that he has lost the city to the Wolves, which he describes as terrorists. Here, there are parallels to early Zionist organisations that fought British rule in the region. These organizations were also described as terrorists, and leaders of those organizations later became leaders in Israel, much like how Isaac, the leader of the Wolves, came to control Seattle. Other in-game notes, scenes of urban ambushes, and the bodies of executed FEDRA officers laboriously walk the player through the cliche "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

Once Isaac and the Wolves seized control of Seattle by violent means, however, the same means were used against them by another group—one that uncomfortably matches Israeli caricatures of Palestinians.

Most of the Wolves regime's restrictions are directed at a post-apocalyptic religious sect called the Seraphites (the Wolves call them "Scars" after the ritualistic scarring of their faces). These Scars vexed FEDRA as well when it was in control. The dynamic in the city when the game begins is one of conflict, escalation, and a broken truce. The Wolves, like FEDRA, leverage more resources and raw power, while the Scars rely on surprise strikes against Wolf patrols, and a zealous willingness to die for the cause.

To run through just a few key ways in which the Scars uncomfortably reflect some Israeli stereotypes about Palestinians:

The same note from the Seattle FEDRA commander that bitterly says the Wolves are in charge explains that it's now their responsibility to not only feed and shelter the people of Seattle, but deal with the "religious fanatics," referring to the Scars.

Later in the game, Ellie finds a location called "Martyr Gate," where the Scars' spiritual leader apparently died, indicating a religious significance of a specific and disputed location, and emphasizing the notion of martyrdom as central to their culture.

The Scars are able to get around Wolf patrols and various barriers around the city via an elaborate, secret system of bridges between skyscrapers. These function as a kind of flipped version of the underground tunnels Palestinians use to bypass Israeli blockades and other means of limiting free movement in order to get supplies and carry out attacks on Israel.

The Last of Us Part II goes to great pains to impress that it sees no innocent players in this conflict. It's not just that Isaac and the Wolves seized control of the city by vicious (but necessary) means—the society they've built, prosperous and protected by the walls of Seattle's CenturyLink Field, is buttressed by fascism and cruelty to an outgroup. The Wolves' bountiful crops exist to feed an army that ventures far beyond its territory to punish the Scars. Its kennels of adorable dogs are just disposable weapons. Isaac leads from a forward operating base that sits atop torture chambers. After a truce fails, the only way he can imagine peace is through the total annihilation of his enemies.

It is not a peaceful or just society, or even a sustainable one in the long run, despite its perseverance and resourcefulness. It is one that is doomed to collapse because of an inability, or unwillingness, to resolve a perfectly resolvable conflict.

This conflict comes to a head when Isaac decides to push deep into the Scars' land to finish them once and for all. We don't get to see how the battle ends or who comes out on top, but we see Isaac die in the fighting, and get the sense that the battle is so brutal and bloody, whatever survives is not worth keeping.

Rather than step back, cooperate, and seek truth and reconciliation, the Wolves and Scars keep seeking revenge for past grievances in a cycle of violence that eventually ends them both in literal fires sparked by hate. The game's message seems to be: "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," another cliche that The Last of Us Part II indulges in by taking away Tommy's eye at the end of the game for seeking revenge for his brother Joel.

A "cycle of violence" is a tempting way to interpret this conflict, or any conflict, because it signals careful nuance while quietly squashing more difficult conversations. By suggesting that since both Wolves and Scars are equally implicated and equally in pain, we are free to stop thinking about the problem. All parties include both good and bad actors. We're all human. Both sides.

This common, centrist position on violent conflict, while better than absolute dehumanization, is not coincidentally a world view that allows conflicts to drag on forever. Suggesting moral equivalence and a symmetry in ability between sides also invites us to throw up our hands and give up on better solutions because of implied and unexamined perceptions about "human nature." Indeed, the game is unrelentingly cynical, and this cynicism animates most of the 30-odd hour experience. Whereas Abby and Ellie find interpersonal resolution at the end, the game seems content to leave the question of community-scale cycles of violence as a regrettable fact of human existence. Even if the Wolves and Scars meet their mutual end, the game leaves us with the knowledge that a resistance group from the first game, the Fireflies, and other groups, are regrouping and gaining strength. The cycle continues.

Despite the lengths it goes to, The Last of Us Part II can't help but reveal that its perspective is firmly rooted in one side and not the other.

Seattle is so clearly inspired by Israel and Palestine without naming either, but it does notably spend time presenting Jewish identity. One of the first things Ellie and Dina do when they arrive in Seattle is explore a former synagogue. It's a short scene, maybe 20 minutes out of a 30-plus hour game, and it serves as a kind of a Jewish experience amusement park ride, bombarding the player with references and history as Dina and Ellie walk around a bimah, find a Torah, and so on. Almost the entirety of this section is spent explaining Jewish identity as that of survivors in the face of other groups that want to destroy them. In the span of those 20 minutes, there are three separate references to the Holocaust.

Survival in the face of persecution is a pillar of Jewish identity for good reason, and has been since before the Holocaust. It's also one that is relevant to the characters in the game, all of whom are survivors of a zombie apocalypse. But this is only one aspect of Jewish identity. The Last of Us Part II doesn't spend any time exploring, for example, Talmudic traditions which define so much of Jewish notions of justice and scholarship. Instead, in a non-optional section of the game, it spends a significant amount of time telling the player that Jews are always persecuted and fighting for survival. This is not wrong, but it is serving a specific purpose in the ham-fisted allegory about Israel and Palestine that is The Last of Us Part II, much like the Holocaust is cynically leveraged by some to justify Israel's actions.

This sermon is notably delivered by Dina, who is Jewish and serves as the game's moral compass. Dina is pregnant, dreams of a life of peace, and tries to turn Ellie back from her murderous quest. When Ellie chooses to pursue it anyway, the heaviest price she pays is that Dina leaves her.

The more moral characters in The Last of Us Part II all want to escape cycles of violence rather than reckon with them. Lev and Yara want to escape their cult. Owen and Mel want to get on a boat and sail away from Seattle. Dina wants to walk away from the mess and live on a farm secluded from the rest of society. Even our main characters, Ellie and Abby, after far too much suffering, essentially end their emotional journey when they decide to walk away from revenge.

It's certainly true that individual lives get wrapped up in larger conflicts in horrible ways. Cycles of violence exist in practice as escalations and retributions. A defining feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the macabre bargaining over which violence is worse. Images of exploded public buses are presented next to collapsed buildings and children being pulled from the rubble. Armed factions swear to deliver retaliation over specific incidents, and do.

But "cycles of violence" are a poor way to understand a conflict in a meaningful way, especially if one is interested in finding a solution. The United States, for example, hasn't been at war in Afghanistan for almost 20 years because it's trapped in a "cycle of violence" with the Taliban. It is deliberately choosing to engage with a problem in a way that perpetuates a conflict. Just as the fantasy of escaping violence by simply walking away from it is one that only those with the means to do so can entertain, the myth of the "cycle of violence" is one that benefits the side that can survive the status quo.

In The Last of Us Part II's Seattle, Scars and Wolves hurt each other terribly, and the same can be said about Israel and Palestine. The difference is that when flashes of violence abate and the smoke clears, one side continues to live freely and prosper, while the other goes back to a life of occupation and humiliation. One side continues to expand while the other continues to lose the land it needs to live. Imagining this process as some kind of symmetric cycle benefits one side more than the other, and allows it to continue.

As a result, The Last of Us Part II never quite justifies its fatalism. As Rob Zacny wrote in his review and again in his closer examination of The Last of Us Part II's ending, at the end of the day Ellie's journey of revenge seems especially cruel, even idiotic, because we are never given a good reason for why she keeps recommitting to it. Acts of cruelty along the way, like Ellie's torturing another character to get information, are presented as inevitable. This seems to be The Last of Us Part II's thesis: humans experience a kind of "intense hate that is universal," as Druckmann told The Post, which keep us trapped in these cycles.

But is intense hate really a universal feeling? It's certainly not one that I share. I, too, have seen the video of the 2000 mob killing of the Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, and it's horrific. Yet, my immediate response wasn't "Oh, man, if I could just push a button and kill all these people that committed this horrible act, I would make them feel the same pain that they inflicted on these people," as Druckmann said.

This is not a universal feeling as much as it's a learned way of seeing the world. There are many other ways to react to that video: compassion for the victims, compassion for the killers, questioning why these soldiers had to drive into the West Bank in the first place, questioning what would drive a mob to this kind of violence. Revenge and hate is just one option.

The Last of Us Part II is an incredible journey that provides not only one of the most mesmerizing spectacles that we've seen from big budget video games, but one that manages to ask difficult questions along the way. It's clearly coming from an emotionally authentic and self-examining place. The trouble with it, and the reason that Ellie's journey ultimately feels nonsensical, is that it begins from a place that accepts "intense hate that is universal" as a fact of life, rather than examining where and why this behavior is learned.

Critically, by not asking these questions, and by masking its point of view as being evenhanded, it perpetuates the very cycles of violence it's supposedly so troubled by.

[blurryvxntage]

okay vintage, please hear me out. dad!sapnap sharing his excitement and interest for pokémon with his kid/kids. maybe opening a pack of cards with them, or showing them his card collection from when he was younger. i think it would be the most precious moment ever :(

i fully believe dad!sapnap would try to get his kids to like everything he liked as a kid so he could relive his childhood.. also i don’t know anything about pokémon or the rarity of cards so i tried my best lmao

~

Sapnap always tried to include his kids in his interests. There were many times when he let his son sit in his lap while playing valorant or he and his daughter played minecraft on the playstation together. He most recently got his daughter into Pokémon cards. It was no longer a surprise when he randomly showed up at home with a few packs for her to open.

“Love bugs? I brought home gifts!” He called from the doorway.

His daughter, Lila, came running down the stairs. She was just a hair short of four years-old. She was at the age where she started to understand the games that her dad played, which made her all the more interested. She still didn’t fully grasp card games but she was just happy to get presents.

His son slowly made his way down the stairs behind his sister. Peter was a bit over one year-old. Still learning how to catch his balance and putting together small sentences.

Sapnap kept the bag in one arm, scooping Peter up in the other. The little boy tried to peer into the bag to see his gift. “Let’s go in the living room and then you can see what I got you!” Sapnap told them.

The three of them sat on the carpet, Lila impatiently waiting to see what Sapnap pulled out. He set Peter in his lap, opening the bag.

“Okay first thing is…” He drew out the suspense. He quickly pulled his arms out of the bag to reveal two stuffed animals. “Snorlax and Jigglypuff!”

The two kids eyes lit up at the sight of plushes. Peter reached out for Jigglypuff, pulling the character into his arms to hug. Sapnap handed the other one to Lila.

“But I wanted that one!” Lila pointed at the toy in her brothers hands. She was struggling with sharing and not always getting her way, something she was learning how to cope with.

“You got Snorlax, he’s good too! And I got you something else.” Sapnap smiled, pulling out a few pokémon packs.

Lila didn’t understand how pokémon actually worked. She watched the cartoons with her dad so she knew they battled each other. She was only really interested in the cool art and animals on the cards.

She reached forward to tear one open, laying the cards out infront of her. She made sure to give time to every card, fully taking in how the characters looked. She picked up a Mew to show it to Sapnap. In the process the card bended in her hands, causing her dad to cringe at the sight.

They went through the rest of the packs. In one of the packs they found a full art Blastoise. Sapnap gasped, taking the card to inspect it. “You have to be careful with this one, sweetie” He warned her.

When they were done ogling at the cards, Lila put them into a nice stake infront of her. “Can we put these in my binder?”

“Of course, honey.” He picked up Peter and the stuffed animals, following Lila to her room.

When Sapnap first started giving his daughter pokémon cards he made sure to give the girl her own binder with card holders. She had quite a collection, her dad put all of her cards safely in storage.

She started adding the new ones in, Sapnap helping her. When Sapnap saw the rare Blastoise, he quietly slipped it into his hoodie pocket. She couldn’t tell the difference and Sapnap didn’t have this card yet, so what he was taking from his kid.. He bought the cards anyway.

Lila took her time putting every one in the holders. “All done!” She smiled, jumping up to hug Sapnap.

He pulled her into a hug, falling back on the floor for both his kids to pile on top of him. “I love pokémon’s, dad.” She smiled, picking up her plushe to play with on her dads chest.

[freddie-77-ao3]

Personal Malcolm Pace Headcanons

Malcolm is a legacy of Hecate, as well as a son of Athena. Their mother killed herself when she found Malcolm, knowing she couldn't do what her mother did for her. Instead, Malcolm ended up in California with a much older daughter of Athena named Maggie Pace.

Malcolm was actually originally a Grace-- cousin to Thalia and Jason. Another reason Beryl was so unstable was her sister, as a daughter of Hecate, was idolized at home so much, and Beryl felt she couldn't measure up. When Malcolm's mother accidentally got their mother killed by a monster, Beryl started drinking.

Malcolm is not traditionally smart like most children of Athena. They can't read well, no matter the language, and detest maths.

Malcolm is trans ftm! And ace/unlabeled. Definitely likes Connor Stoll and girls, but boys are so-so.

Malcolm can weave really, really well. He's actually made himself woven armor as light as regular clothing.

As a legacy, he's also great with the mist... except he has no imagination, so he does nothing with it.

Malcolm is very embarrassed over this but he constantly messes up Minos vs. Midas.

Malcolm's disabled! He has brain calcifications which make it very hard to balance and give him chronic migraines. He's also autistic/ADHD, and has chronic pain. He's semi verbal (unable to speak 20-30% of the time) and sometimes uses AAC. He also uses a cane.

He's not dyslexic, but he can't focus on words properly, so he ends up rereading the same thing repeatedly.

Malcolm hates hospitals-- despite being at camp for five years, he's only been to the infirmary twice because he has to go to outside of camp doctors so much (he loves Will but does not trust him to perform eye surgery)

Despite this, he's actually really close to Will, although his main friends are Connor (whom he has a crush on) and Drew Tanaka. Will and him really bonded over being the bad kids-- Will was never good at archery or singing, and Malcolm's always been the 'dumb' Athena kid.

He's not close to Annabeth. She went on her first quest with Percy the first summer he came to camp, and although he became a year rounder... she left. right then. And then every summer she was going on quests so they never really got to know each other, and Malcolm takes a lot of time to warm up to new people.

Malcolm struggles with his mental health a lot (moreso than other campers).

Has a background of sexual assault.

He sleeps maybe 5 hours a day max. Then, one day every like two weeks, he'll sleep 14 hours.

Malcolm hasn't worn pajamas since he was six. He sleeps fully clothed. Connor hates it. "It's so uncomfortable!" "So is being unprepared."

If Malcolm is awake, he has at least one bag on him-- he hates being unprepared.

he wears contacts!

He loves insulting people. He and Drew get into arguments for fun sometimes.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Bumping into each other at Coney Island (maybe the first time Midge meets Kitty?)

Coney Island is beautiful in May, and Midge takes advantage of the nice weather to sneak the kids out for a day, just the three of them.

No Joel. No grandparents.

And the kids are so well-behaved. She gets them treats, and they just wander around, playing games, watching the world happen around them. Esther waves to one of the mermaids, and Midge laughs, kissing her cheek.

"Mama, do we have to go on the Wonder Wheel this time?" Ethan whines. "I don't want to."

"No, we do not," Midge tells him, taking his hand with the one that isn't helping to balance Esther on her hip. "They got a beanbag game, you wanna play a beanbag game?"

The little boy nods, smiling wide and Midge lets him drag her along, standing behind her son while he plays, putting down money to pay for the turns.

Next to Ethan is a little blonde girl, her nose a little red from being in the sun, her big green-brown eyes squinting as she throws a beanbag, trying to get it into the hole.

She manages it and jumps up and down, turning around. "Daddy, did you see?!"

A familiar voice responds. "Yes I did! Way to aim, Kit!"

When Midge turns her head, there's Lenny, wearing dusty jeans and a plain t-shirt, hair nowhere near as styled as she's used to seeing it, squinting in the sunshine, smiling proudly.

At the little girl who is likely his daughter.

And Midge feels deeply like she's intruding. They're back to being just friends, and that's been...fine. It's not what she really wants and she suspects it isn't what he wants either, but for the past few months it works. Sort of.

Aside from all of the rushed kissing and that one time they had sex in the bathroom at Troubadour after her set.

But sure, friends.

When Midge looks back, Ethan has thrown two beanbags into the hole.

"Way to go, Baby!" Midge crows, bouncing Esther on her hip. "You see your big brother? He's doing great!"

Esther joins in. "Yay, Eefan!"

It's Lenny's turn to notice, she knows. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see his head turn quickly.

"How'd we raise a couple athletes?" he quips, grinning at her sheepishly.

"Oh, this is all his father," Midge responds. "Joel is going to be so happy that once Ethan gets older he can sign him up for baseball." She smiles at him. "Hi."

"Hello," he grins back. "Nice day for a trip to Coney Island, huh?"

Midge shrugs. "It must be."

The little girl next to Lenny tugs on his hand gently, and he looks down at her, his attention completely drawn away from Midge.

"Daddy, who's she?" the little girl asks.

"Oh, this," Lenny responds, lifting the little girl into his arms. "Is my friend Midge. And her kids. Midge, this is Kitty."

Midge beams. "Hi, Kitty. This future all-star is Ethan, and this one is Esther," she tells them, bouncing her daughter again.

Kitty waves. "Hi."

"Hi," Ethan chirps. "Mama, can I get a snoopy for my price?"

"You get whatever you want, you won," she assures him.

Kitty lights up. "I wanna snoopy too!"

Lenny chuckles. "Then you go right ahead."

After that they just sort of...fall in step with each other. Ethan and Kitty walk ahead of them through the park, holding their snoopies and chattering with each other, while Midge still carries Esther and walks with Lenny.

"She's sweet," Midge smiles.

"Yeah, who knows where she got it from," Lenny jokes. "She's here for the summer, actually. School let out, so..."

"That's great," Midge tells him. "And she's already made a friend. Maybe we can set up a playdate for them." She stops, pursing her lips. "Unless that's too much."

"Nah, it sounds good," Lenny assures her. "I gotta get used to the whole domesticated dad thing, right? Be a responsible parent who doesn't jus feed his daughter licorice for dinner."

Midge wrinkles her nose.

"What, you don't like licorice?" Lenny asks, playfully affronted. "No wonder we never dated."

"Is that why?" Midge ponders. "Good to know."

He hesitates for a moment. "Actually we didn't date because I am truly a coward, and I was afraid of letting you too far into my life."

Midge frowns as she watches the kids closely, moving swifter to catch up with them. "Why?"

He shrugs. "Because- because what if you got a good look and decided...with the arrests and the other...things...that it wasn't...that I wasn't..."

Midge is about to respond, when her mom alarm goes off. "Hold this," she says hurriedly, dumping Esther into Lenny's arms and dashing after Ethan and Kitty. "Ethan! Do not punch that clown!"

Lenny sighs softly and looks at the little girl in his arms. "I think your mother might have superpowers, sweetheart."

The little girl just slumps against him and sighs.

*****

They all get hot dogs for dinner, after convincing Ethan not to punch any more clowns. They sit at a picnic table as Midge tucks napkins into the collars of all three children.

"Ethan, why did you try to punch a clown?" Lenny asks, genuinely curious.

"Pop says they're monsters," Ethan replies earnestly.

Lenny blinks and turns back to Midge. "Your ex is afraid of clowns."

"Deeply."

"If we ever do actually manage to date, I'll have to remember that," he chuckles.

"Wanna?" Midge asks, grinning at him, lifting a challenging eyebrow.

Lenny regards her seriously for a moment as Kitty accidentally dribbles mustard on his pants. "Thanks, Kit," he chuckles, reaching for a napkin to wipe it off.

She giggles. "Sorry, Daddy."

"It's fine," he assures her.

"Kitty, you really like your dad, huh?" Midge asks.

The girl lights up and wraps her arms around one of Lenny's arms. "He's the best!"

Midge smiles slowly. "I'm starting to think so, too."

Lenny gazes back at her, with that almost-sad look like someone's just squeezed his heart a little too tightly. "If I take you to dinner some night, you got a babysitter I can use?"

"Several," Midge tells him.

He nods. "Good. Good."

Midge smiles slowly, and without look at her son, says "Ethan get the hot dog out of your nose."

"Sorry, Mama."

"Sure you are."

[aajjks]

okay okay okay!! i’m writing 😭😭⚠️⚠️

TC!dad!JK

when ayame receives the letter from jungkook she spends most of the day smelling the paper. his scent is all over it and the more she reads his words over and over she finds herself sensually caressing herself.

‘I need someone much older’

‘to satisfy my needs’

‘I’ve been thinking about you’

‘I can’t even touch my wife anymore without thinking about you’

“fuck~” ayame moans as her fingers move faster and faster on her nub. she breathes in the scent of the piece of paper imagining it’s his fingers instead of hers.

‘you could handle me, right?’

yes. better than that peasant ever could and when she’s done using jungkook for the only thing he’s good at, she’ll steal every ounce of youth he has and turn him into dust. his territory will be her’s and she’ll be another 20 years young.

however, this is the first time someone has drove her this mad. every man she’s used to get what she wanted meant nothing. it was a simple ploy to steal their youth but with jungkook? she knew he would be handsome but to be blessed with a balance of both his mother’s and father’s beauty is rare within most kings.

jungkook is young and powerful and ayame is obsessed with him so obsessed that before she steals what she wants, she desires a seed of her own from him but you just had to beat her to it.

she won’t allow it. just wait until you read the words she’s exchanged with jungkook. it’ll be hard to convince you that this is all a ‘plan’ because she’ll be sure to tarnish every bit of attraction you have for your ‘ unfaithful husband.’

dear king jungkook,

wow, i am flattered.

i’ve been thinking about you too. maybe a lot more than you’ve been thinking about me. but tell me more. what have you fantasized us doing? i fantasize having you between me and my daughter day and night.

that’s someone that peasant of yours will never understand. one woman just isn’t enough but my daughter and i will be and if you don’t find her desirable enough we can always kill her and find another.

and correction, it is you who couldn’t possibly handle me. i expect a reply from you soon, my king

-あやめ皇后

“jackson, i…i can’t do that. i know jungkook and i aren’t always on the same page but we care about each other. if the rumors are true, i want to hear it from him first. until then, i won’t believe a word anyone says because he’d never lie to me”

jackson is in disbelief and so is jisung. your loyalty resides with him of ALL PEOPLE. where is your integrity? your dignity? you couldn’t possibly be doing this for the son you both share, right?

fine, if you need more proof he’ll get more proof.

~🫧

It’s so absurd that the next day, he’s got a fresh letter with the stamp of Yamato empire on his desk. Jungkook could barely sleep last night because of the cold bed and you weren’t beside him, it’s almost depressing because he hasn’t seen you or his son for a day.

But you must be busy with your new friend and here he is dealing with a disgusting horny whore all by himself. Reading the letter isn’t easy for Jungkook at all.

He has to take breaks in between because he feels so shocked and disgusted.

He doesn’t fantasize about her at all- he doesn’t fantasize about anyone but you, like how he wants to fuck you in the bath, right in the water filled large tub, or make you suck him off in his office every day.

Or how he wants to make you feel so good that your nails will scratch his back to the point of bleeding. It’s been so long since you let him touch you- the last time was when Jinseoul was conceived.

Yes.

Jungkook shakes his head and tries to focus on writing the letter instead. Oh she will never get a whiff of him. But he takes a deep breath and begins to write exactly the opposite of he wants but rather writes what she wants to read.

Dearest Ayame.

I’m so glad that you don’t find my confession inappropriate yet I’m shocked to learn that you’ve also been fantasizing about me.

I fantasize about having a much older woman take control of me, use me until there nothing left of use in me, take me by force, and make her good little boy.

Sounds shocking but I’ve always wanted to be controlled- my wife could never understand that or even try to indulge in my fantasies. I really want to be curried and loved to the point where it feels overwhelming.

I hope you can understand my message, when can I see you? And if only one will touch me? It’ll be you. Just me and you and no one else.

I’ll be eagerly waiting for your response too.

King 전정국

Oh someone just slice off his neck.

He stamps the letter and Jongho secretly follows the instructions of the king, and as soon as he’s gone, another knock interrupts jungkooks thoughts.

“YOUR MAJESTY- QUEEN YN IS HERE TO SEE YOU.”

Oh fuck him.

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

Season of The Heart

A Kostas Family Holiday Story

There's not a single warning for this story. It's simply, somehow, become an annual tradition; Leon's vest. This gift comes as a peace offering between a Mama and her son-in-law. Chag Sameach and Merry Christmas!

Honey put her sewing down and balled her hand into a fist and then flexed it. She repeated the process. It was time she acknowledged age was creeping up on her.

It was bad enough that she and Leon gave in and began wearing glasses. That Selina was pregnant with their second grandchild in less than two years. They were old and young and new parents and soon to be seasoned grandparents. Selina and Sunny were innocent littles an these amazing adults. She and Leon had been together thirty minutes and thirty years.

Time, it seemed to Honey, was an asshole.

“Who’s getting that, love?” Leon asked from beside her. He put his book down and patted the space closest to him. He gestured for his wife to settle in.

“Nikolai.” Honey carefully folded the material and packaged it away. She placed it on the floor and laid back on the bed.

"What made you change your mind?"

"It's simple," Honey let Leon cradle her head in the crook of his arm, "he's Klaus in a way. Except Klaus does everything he can to turn people off or away. Nikolai practically suffocates them so they stay put."

"That sounds more like Of Mice and Men then A Tale of Two Hargreeves" Leon sniggered at his own joke. His nose scrunching in the process.

"You're such a weirdo," but Honey kissed her husband anyways. "I just hope it's enough."

"Gracie, it will be his whole world. I promise"

----

Selina watched her mama creep out of the bedroom from over a plate of cannolis that balanced precariously on top of her pregnant stomach. She took another bite and spoke with her mouth full-

“Mama, why are you sneaking around like a teenager smoking weed?”

Honey huffed, “When have I ever snuck around to do drugs?” She waved her hand in her daughter’s direction, “Just eat another cookie. Maybe this one will come out looking somewhat Italian.”

Selina rolled her eyes and accepted a kiss on the forehead. She went back to watching Irina bury herself in wrapping like a cocoon. The little girl dug her chubby fists into her eyes and rubbed.

“Вы сами устали, Irinushka?” Have you tired yourself? “All this playing in the paper instead of with these toys?” Nikolai hoisted his daughter up over his shoulder where she nuzzled into his neck. “Как маленький котенок,” he kissed her curls. You are like a little kitten. “Do you want Daddy or Papa to put you down, hm?”

“Oh Nik, why don't you do it?” Honey suggested. “It'll take Leon fifteen minutes to get off the floor,” she teased.

“HEY! Piss off!” Leon threw a ball of tinsel poorly at his wife. When that failed he reached out and smacked her in the butt as she turned to get away from him.

“No!! Stop! It's just that there's a little something for Kolya in the bedroom!” Honey gave in and allowed Leon to envelop her legs in a hug from his kneeling position on the floor. “From me.”

She and Nikolai caught each other's eye before he and Irina made their way into the bedroom. He tended to the toddler first, rocking her and humming just as absently as Selina often did. In mere moments Irina was out, and he laid her down on the pillows.

There was a gift beside Irina on his side of the bed. Nik put it in his lap and carefully undid the bow and paper setting it aside as if to save it. Inside the tissue was a lovely scarf made from the mythical pattern that his daughter wore onher dress.

He lifted the scarf which had been fashioned from the material and wool. A Star of David was embroidered on one side which he traced with his fingertips before bundling and tying it around his neck. Then Nikolai noticed the letter.

It read:

Dear Nikolai-

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Yes, Selina’s told us. I'm not sure why you haven't said anything because if any family is Jewish friendly it's ours. You could have told Leon and I. Though I can understand your hesitation talking to me, I've not exactly been very welcoming to you these last two years.

I didn't set out to be “that mother-in-law.” Mine has been nothing short of a second mom to me since we met. And as far as I know it's been the same for Leon. The truth is, I'm not sure what my problem is.

Selina means more to me than anything in this world. Leon and Sunny of course, but when you carry something inside of you for that long it just becomes more. Selina changed my entire world. To say her birth was a bit.. traumatic is an understatement, but holy shit was she easy to love. 25 years later, and that love hasn't budged an inch. I've always told Leon that no living person on this Earth could love her more than we do.

Until she met you that is.

That first night you introduced yourself in my club, I think you scared me. I spoke you into being the night Selina came into the world. I know that sounds ridiculous, but you know our family by now.

You're so brash and boisterous and volatile. The exact opposite of Leon. The way you spoke about my daughter was a bit jarring. Like she was just another precious momento for you to steal and hide away in a drawer somewhere. Selina was yours now; you were just informing Leon and I.

It's taken me longer than it should have. You aren't possessive out of malice. You simply hold on to what you can tighter than the rest of us because everything good in your life has been taken away. You lived your entire life without affection or kindness until Oliver and Selina. No one to take care of you or teach you how to navigate the world. Being thrust into the most unconventional family ever probably made you feel out of place. I certainly didn't help.

You have treated Selina the way every parent prays for. The two of you forged your own path, and I truly couldn't be prouder of the people you helped each other become. Or what a wonderful Daddy you are to Irina despite your own lack of role models.

So this gift is for you from me alone. With a promise. A mama is there to love her child and make him feel safe and protected. Yours was taken from you the moment you were born, but I’ll step in for her. For you. I promise to protect you and love you as long as you're my son-in-law. The scarf I made is simply a physical reminder. And I do love you, Nikolai.

Always,

Mama Honey

---

Nikolai came out of the bedroom and stood beside Selina sitting on the couch. His eyes were puffy and red as he searched for his wife's touch. He patted her massive stomach absently then squeezed her fingers.

"Kolya are you alright?" she asked gently. He lifted her hand and stooped awkwardly to kiss it as if that was an answer.

"It is a good Christmas, ripka."

Nikolai walked away over to Honey sitting by the fireplace. He gestured for her to stand and helped her up. She seemed hesitant. Uncertain which direction this would go. But to her surprise he bent to kiss her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Mama."

Honey smiled and reached up to cradle his cheek in her hand. "Merry Christmas, Nikolai."

@magic-multicolored-miracle @bisexualnathanyoung @elliethesuperfruitlover @forenschik @firstpersonnarrator @heratheanon @neuroticpuppy @rob-private @love-is-dirty-baby @vonkimmeren @sylvertyger @kronoswheel @holidayspirits