#if any of these formulas are wrong then forgive me bees

[ophanimgold]

angeltober day 3 - honey aka chemistry angels

they're singing OHOHOHOHHOHOHO

[miraculouscontent]

Didn’t Need Burrow (May 23rd-25th)

Anonymous asked:

Didn't Need Burrow: Astruc admitted Sabine was based on an ex and Marinette is what he imagined their daughter to be like. He later admits Audrey was based on an ex and Chloe is what he imagined their daughter would be like. Despite moving on, he still bitter and created two teen girls as "payback" against his exes.

The whole “virtual daughter” thing still squicks me out.

Also, I don’t actually take “Didn’t Need Burrows” referring specifically to the staff/fandom since that’s outside of the show, but I also definitely think about them all the time and like sticking them in here.

Anonymous asked:

Didn't Need Burrow: Building off of the "Adrien knows about Marinette's crush on him and tells Plagg about it" Burrow, Plagg will point out to Adrien that this is a bad idea and what he is doing is wrong and that Adrien is leading Marinette on so as to stroke his own ego. He will not be listened to, and the show portray him as in the wrong, despite him being right, because anybody who stands up for Marinette's agency deserves to be shut down. In the meantime, Adrien will be allowed to continue

Bonus if Plagg will be considered “wrong” because Adrien not leading Marinette on would lead to him being sAd because Marinette isn’t fawning over him anymore (as if he doesn’t have a million fans).

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Zoe will be presented not only as "Chloe if she was good person", but also as "Marinette if she wasn't constantly making mistakes"

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Zoe will be basically  Marinette if "Marinette's Mistake of the Week" formula never existed.

Sounds about right.

Amazing what can happen when the show doesn’t have a gun to your head telling you to make mistakes in every episode.

Anonymous asked:

Didn't Need Burrow: The show delves into a shitty harem as the writers forget that Adrien is not the main character. Who knows, maybe Zoe will join the harem.

The only reason I feel like Zoe wouldn’t be a part of Adrien’s harem is so she can ship the love square.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: There will be Animaestro-type episode where Marinette "makes alliance" with (read: is manipulated by) Chloe or Lila against Zoe. In the end she is only one punished, while her "partner in crime"  (or rather person who manipulated her) walks away completely scot-free.

To the surprise of no one. Can’t have the antagonists be punished, because that would make sense.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: (narrative-wise) Agreste's family drama and Bourgeois's sisters drama will overshadow whatever Marinette character arc will be in season 4.

I’m taking this a step further and saying that Marinette in generall will keep having her plots/”arcs” overshadowed by everyone else.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Marinette will be akumatized. She will be easily defeated due to "bond" between Chat Noir and Temporary Ladybug Zoe. This will be presented like Ladybug's constant refuse to "bond" with Chat Noir was reason why their fights with Akumatized Villains are so hard. (bonus: This episode will be followed by a group of fans that would state that Zoe should replace Marinette as Ladybug Miraculous Holder and not Chloe as Bee Miraculous Holder.)

Uggggh, I’m always waiting for the “love square magical bond” garbage.

Also, the bonus reminds me of the fact that I don’t understand people who hate on both Marinette and Luka but continue to ship the love square. Like, wouldn’t they want to ship Adrien with someone “””worthy””” of him??

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: If Marinette akumatization has Miracle Queen-type set-up, Chat Noir will quickly defeat her and whatever all other Miraculous Holders alone (or optionally supported by Temporary Ladybug Zoe). This will be presented by narrattive as proof of why Chat Noir is Brawn in Ladybug-Chat Noir duo. (Bonus: After that episode Adrien stans will make mass of "I hope this will shut up everyone who think that Chat Noir is useless/weaker than Ladybug/etc." type posts)

At this point, I’ve just grown numb to Chat suddenly being able to do things that don’t make sense for him.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Temporary Ladybug Zoe

Okay but is she keeping the black highlights or do they turn red. These are important questions.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Kagami will be changed (ret-conned) into  Adrienette (or other Love Square's part) shipper after "Lies"

Something similar is already on the card so that’s fun. :’3

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Zoe, not Marinette, will be wearing that dress from the Season 4 Concept Art.

*eye twitch*

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Rena Rogue will be appearing even when she isn't needed to defeat Akuma of the Week. This will be probably used to justify Chat Noir's increasing resent up towards Ladybug and (probably) consequent reversal of Love Square.

anything: *happens*

Chat Noir: bad Ladybug

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Ending: Marinette will willingly sacrifice herself to wake up from coma/ressurect Emilie. Both Adrien and Gabriel will be happy that Emilie is back. Adrien will have his happy relationship/ending with Zoe whom personality is (or was ret-conned into) "Marinette in anything but name". (Bonus points: if everyone behave like Marinette never existed after Emilie revival)

I’m sad.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: If Akuma of the Week isn't Reflekta/Mr Pigeon/Gigantitan/etc,.Pig Miraculous"s "Gift" power will basically fail and only make current Akumatized Villain angrier and more determined to achieve his goal, basically restarting whole fight against Akuma.

PIGELLA NO

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Lila will never react to Zoe becoming more popular than her

I imagine Zoe isn’t the same age as Chloe since they’re not twins, so Zoe at least won’t be in Bustier’s class.

Now, if they make her a Lila slave, then we’ll see.

Anonymous asked:

Didn't Need Burrow to know that Marinette is going to hate Zoe for being related to Chloe and this will be limited to her or she'll be the only one scolded for it (likely by Adrien), because you can't hate someone for who they're related to (which actually is a good lesson but ml will probably f it up somehow).

I feel like the writers just look at a character and go, “okay, how can we engineer them in a way for Marinette to mess up around them?

Anonymous asked:

Didn't need Burrow - Chat will find out Rena Rouge knows her identity and becomes angry bc "You and me against the world, m'lady." This will cause one episode of Adrienette becoming closer and Ladynoir drifting apart before Chat magically forgives her like it was no big deal after she makes a huge gesture to get him back.

You’d think they’d have worn out the reset button by now...

Anonymous asked:

Didn't need burrow: one of two things will happen, either Adrien will try to help Luka get back together with Marinette (basically the same plot as Mr. pigeon 72) or the relationship will not be brought up ever again and Mari and Luka don't really directly interact with each other anymore

“Bonus” if Adrien is “taught a lesson” that he shouldn’t meddle, and it’s only because he chose to meddle in Lukanette. “Double bonus” if his attempts actually get Lukanette back together but this is presented as a bad thing (for some reason)..

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Zoe will be(e)come pernament Bee Miraculous Holder.

This won’t be added because I think we already got official confirmation on this?

Oh, or do you mean “permanent” as in her keeping the miraculous eventually?

edit: yes, that’s what they meant (also, A+ pun)

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Every Miraculous Holder introduced in Season 4 will be will lose right to their Miraculous, except Zoe/Vesperia.

lol me just imagining them struggling over either making models or trying to not use those miraculouses anymore.

Anonymous asked:

Didn't Need Burrow: Luka will be forced to say Adrien and Marinette are perfect for each other in "Optigami".

Wow, show, why don’t you just prove more that you’re purposefully pointing out that you’re giving Marinette a grand total of One “Obvious” Option.

Anonymous asked:

Unsure if this one has been sent yet but | Didn't Need Burrow: Alya is going to continue Marinette to pursue Adrien even after Marinette broke down and said she doesn't have time for love right now.

We have some similar ones I think.

“Marinette’s feelings towards moving on are invalidated/ignored by one of her “friends” to push for the Love Square“

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Sandboy 2.0: Ladybug's nightmare will be about Chat Noir abandoning/hating her

I was dumb enough to raise an eyebrow at this like, “Would they really reuse akum--oh wait.”

Anonymous asked:

I'm gonna try and go for a good Didn't Need Burrow: WHen Sole Crusher gets Marinette we'll either get a lovely King Kong moment between them, or Chat Noir will come in and save her (and it'll possibly be a moment of reverse love square).

If they have Marinette doing the cliche “crushing because they got saved” I’m gonna throw hands.

Anonymous asked:

Don't need to burrow:

Marinette will never have a heart to heart with Luka revealing she's Ladybug or even explain the reason for their breakup.

Just gonna slap a big asterisk on this because it’s like:

*despite Luka being an obvious choice and they could’ve worked out the issue but the show is afraid of the side ship they’ve created working out better than the love square itself

Anonymous asked:

Don't need to Burrow: For Optigami, the episode will barely or never acknowledge Luka's and Marinette's relationship/breakup. It will be ignored and we won't have any cute Lukanette moments. As long as Adrien is in the picture, Luka will be always sidelined.

Honestly that last one is basically one of the commandments of this show.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Lila will now only appear in cameos (probably without even any voice lines).

show writers, shoving Lila under a rug: Leela Ransai?? Never heard of him.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Since Lukanette is over, Luka can be ret-conned from show. Everyone will behave like he never existed at all (and Lukanette never hapenned).

We at least know that Luka now appears in a later episode, but this could easily be worded as “Luka can be retconned away from being Marinette’s love interest and everyone will act like he and Marinette aren’t that close or never made soft eyes at each other.”

Except I wouldn’t count on Lukanette being retconned because that would stop the show from being allowed to make Marinette feel bad and guilty and possibly cause another akuma over it, plus possibly Luka “rejecting” his feelings for her and thus making her feel worse that he sees her in a lesser light.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: There will be an episode that will break "Mr Pigeon" episode record of  "Don't Need a Burrow" and close calls.

Not gonna lie, I would be legitimately impressed if that happened. I’m just wondering what predictions would be mashed together to make it as such.

Anonymous asked:

Didn’t Need Burrow to know that Zoey (I heard somewhere that that’s how her name is going to be in America, it might be wrong), is going to get involved in the love square somehow.

Bonus:

Or she will replace Kagami’s role as Marinette’s friendly rival, and when her heart gets broken Marinette will be the one to blame, for no reason, like always. Or she will have an interest in Marinette, since it seems they are going to be close friends, only for Marinette to put her in the friend zone, and she gets akumatized. People will blame Marinette for giving false hopes to the girl, even though, she never acted different than how a friend would act.

All girls exist to comment/have an opinion on the love square, obviously, and they’re antagonists/villains if they have a negative opinion on it.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Writers will use Alya bashing concept of Alya proposing Lila as potential new Miraculous Holder. Marinette will obviously refuse, but due to fact that Lila is suddenly ret-conned into being good person this is Marinette's Mistake of the Week. She will repair it by making Lila pernament Miraulous Holder

Waiting for the one episode long Lila redemption...

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Sabrina will be redeemed. She will change from Chloe's servant... to Zoe's servant.

and it’s fine of course because Zoe and Sabrina are best friends and Sabrina is doing this all happily and willingly.

Anonymous asked:

Don't Need a Burrow: Alya will be changed into basically Marinette's Guardianship mentor

Somehow, this is one of the ones I hate the most because it seems accurate so far.

[forever-rogue]

Agent Whiskey is given a target, but when he gets close to her, he realizes she's innocent of what she's being accused of.

I hope you all enjoy, my little honey bees!

»»————-　♡　————-««

Whiskey never really questioned the assignments, or the targets he was given. He knew the jobs he was assigned were given to him for a reason; because he was capable of carrying out almost any mission with adept precision. 

But as soon as he was spotted you, he was taken aback. You didn’t fit the normal picture of the targets he pursued…no, you were much different. Normal. But not in a bad way by any means. In fact, you were downright breathtaking, but so very not what he expected. You didn’t look like you were any sort of expert smuggler meets cat-burglar. But he supposed that the information and sources he was given had to be correct, surely they wouldn’t royally mess up and get their information screwed up, right?

In reality, which Whiskey would soon find out for himself, you were anything but what you were made out to be. In fact, you were a simple school teacher, enthralling a class of young children day in and day out. You just happened to look almost exactly the same as a wanted woman, who was a criminal. Talk about a bad time to have a doppelganger. 

But you weren’t privy to any of that information, at least not yet. Naturally, you didn’t question anything when Whiskey made his first appearance, catching you by yourself at the bar a girls’ night out as you tried to order another round of drinks.

“Why, do my eyes deceive me, or have I just seen an angel?” it was the warm southern drawl that first captured your attention, and you couldn’t help but giggle at the man as he leaned against the counter and watched you intently with honeyed eyes. A smile was playing on his lips as you tried to flag down the overwhelmed looking bartender.

“I think you should get your eyes checked,” you playfully rolled your eyes, trying to fight off the flush that was crossing your features. 

“Why I think they’re working just fine,” his tongue darted out and wet his full lips as you tried to keep it together. He was…hot to say the least, but not in a typical way. More so in older southern gentleman that you should try to avoid way, “may I buy you a drink?”

“I’m…ugh, actually here with some friends,” you beckoned behind you where your girlfriends were already staring holes into your back. They had spotted Jack approaching you long before you were aware of it. Naturally they would have no problem with you getting a drink from a handsome stranger. They were firmly in the ‘finally get you laid again’ squad, and any good looking man that approached you was a welcome sight.

“Somehow I get the feeling that they would be okay with you getting a drink,” he held up his hand and waved at your friends. You tried around and found them all giggling wildly. You narrowed your eyes at them but they just silently mouthed their approval, “unless I’m getting that old and reading the room incorrectly?”

“I don’t think you are,” you agreed with a small, nervous smile. Holy shit. Was this actually going to happen? You turned to him and tried to keep calm, “I guess I’ll take you up on that drink.”

“What’s your poison?”

“Old fashioned,” you replied as he effortlessly flagged down the bartender and placed your orders. Of course he’d have no problem getting service right away.

Jack was surprised that his plan was working so effortlessly. He was formulaic in his approach, much like he was in every aspect of his life, but he almost expected you to put up a fight. Surely, a career criminal wouldn’t fall prey so easy to him? But you did. You fell right into his lap…and after a few drinks you fell right into his bed.

That was something neither of you fought very hard.

»»————-　♡　————-««

The next couple of weeks included a lot of Jack “accidentally” falling into your life. He happened to be in a lot of places you were at, and while you thought it was mildly suspicious, you decided not to question it took much. Maybe life was giving you a break and finally putting a decent man into your life.

Meanwhile, Jack was confused beyond all heavens as to why he hadn’t managed to extract a single piece of evidence or anything incriminating from you. You were that good. But the thing that surprised him even more was the fact that he found himself falling for you. Fast. Hard. Unconditionally.

He was sure it was going to be a hell of a time in once he learned of your secrets.

So imagine his surprise, after weeks and weeks of wooing you when he got a phone call from the Statesman headquarters while you were out at a fancy dinner.

Jack groaned when his phone went off, and told you it was work and wanted to brush it off, but you insisted he take it. You knew he had an important job, although you weren’t privy of any real details. Obviously.

“Go on,” you smiled at him, “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“I promise it’ll be a few minutes, baby,” he leaned over and kissed your cheek before standing up and answering his phone, making his way to step outside of the crowded restaurant.

“What?!” he almost shouted as he answered the phone, surprising Champ on the other end with his brashness.

“Whiskey,” Champ started and Jack could tell something was off, “I’ve got some bad news.”

“What the hell is it?”

“The woman you’re with?” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, “she’s not the mark. Turns out she really is just a plain old schoolteacher.”

You were anything but a plain old school teacher in his heart.

“What on God’s green earth are you on about?” Jack growled, more confused than ever.

“The real mark has been on the move. The one you’ve been with, Y/N, apparently is just an exact duplicate,” Jack could barely believe what Champ was saying, “you’ve been with the wrong person this whole time. Intel was incorrect. You’ve got to get out tonight and go after the real one. She’s planning a heist tomorrow.”

“Champ, I cannot just up and leave,” he stated firmly as Champ scoffed at him, “it’s not that simple.”

“Of course it is. Just make up an excuse and leave.”

“No.”

“Oh shit, Whiskey, you got it bad for her, don’t you?” when Jack remained silent, he had answer, “it’s all been a lie, Whiskey. Do you really think she’s going to want to be with you when everything started off as a lie? Doesn’t bode well for a relationship.”

“My feelings for her are true, and real-”

“But is she going to believe that?”

“Maybe I don’t have to tell her…”

“So you’ll just keep living a lie?” Jack kicked the wall in anger. He had no clue what to do, “look I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but you need to leave and fast. Your job requires it.”

“But-”

“No buts. You’re expected back at headquarters tonight for a new debriefing,” the line went dead before Jack could say anything else. He felt like he could cry. How was he just supposed to leave you after he had fallen in love with you?

He looked back in through one of the windows, easily spotting you inside. You looked beautiful; a sweet, soft smile on your face, a stunning dress on. Perfect.

How could he ever tell you that this whole thing, whatever you wanted to call your relationship, had started off as a lie? He could never break your heart like that. He’d never forgive himself.

Instead, he tucked his phone back into his pocket, and walked around to the front of the restaurant, hoping you didn’t see him. He hailed a cab and gave it directions to the back to the Statesman headquarters. He deleted your contact information, every single text message, every single photo of your hoping it would help. It didn’t. It never did.

Meanwhile you sat there and waited. And waited. And waited. And-

Eventually you realized something had changed. You threw some bills on the table before leaving, trying to the stop the tears from flooding down your face. It never worked. So you cried. For a long time, hoping that he might somehow come back to you.

But he never did.

[qqueenofhades]

Okay ONE MORE because I'm needy. “Ring the bells that can still ring. Forget your perfect offering. There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” For Garcy or Asher/Maria.

The Engineering & Aerospace Technical and Industrial Summit’s keynote opening address is held in the New York Hall of Science, and starts four minutes past nine AM on April 28, 1972. Maria is in the audience with the others, Lockman lanyard around her neck, notepad and number-two pencils at the ready. As promised, it’s a notably international gathering. President Nixon’s groundbreaking visit to China in February means that a group of student engineers from Beijing have been granted permission to attend, and they sit together in a self-contained huddle, with wary glances at the others. There are Mexicans, several Brits (instantly recognizable as they moan about the quality of the conference-supplied tea) and a decent selection of Western European intelligentsia. There are also some who may well be from the other side of the wall. Maria has heard snatches of German, something that might be Polish, and other Eastern Bloc languages, though nobody is dumb enough to openly speak Russian. The fact of this being conceived as a showpiece for the promotion and exchange of advanced American technological prowess means that it is also a possible target for the Soviets. There are a few ordinary-looking men in plainclothes, occasionally wandering up to random delegates and making friendly conversation, who Maria suspects of being CIA.

The keynote address is dull, but Maria takes dutiful notes. There are three more days of panels and papers to go, and the morning proceeds as you would expect. Weedy men in badly fitting suits struggle with their slide projectors, and drone on about bogglingly obscure minutiae in commercial combustion engine design. Even some of the other Lockman delegates are yawning, but Maria pays intent attention, and not just because it’s her job. She’s good at this, she knows she is, and she translates some of the more obtuse mathematical formulas into plain English before she hands them over to the men, who are supposed to understand better than she does, but don’t actually. Shocking.

Lunch is held in the cafeteria, a not-terribly-appetizing selection on offer, and Maria wrinkles her nose at whatever is pretending to be beef stroganoff on her plate. As she’s trying to decide whether she wants to eat it, a voice says, “Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

She looks up with a start. She thought it would be one of the Lockman engineers, but it’s not. The man is tall, lean, a few years older than her, and wearing a trim blue blazer, a tie, and slacks that actually fit. He does not have one of those disagreeable mustaches; he’s clean-shaven, and his hair is thick and dark and prone to flip over his forehead. His eyes are dark too, lively and intelligent, and his strong nose suggests southeastern Europe, as does his accent. The badge around his neck reads Jugoslovenski Aerotransport. JAT, the national airline of Yugoslavia. He might be into those very engines.

Maria is surprised – yes, there is open space at the table, but there are spots at other tables too. Presumably he should be sitting with the rest of JAT, as she should be with the rest of Lockman, but she makes a small gesture, inviting him to set his tray down. He does, swings his long legs over the bench, and examines the dismal culinary prospects without relish. “Do you think they’ll make us eat this the whole time?”

Taken aback by the fact that he has read her mind, Maria laughs. It feels like something for which she should have asked permission, though from who she has no idea. “I hope not.”

“I hope not too.” He speaks English well, mostly fluently, with the careful intonation of someone who has learned it out of books. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I am sitting down next to you, and I have not introduced myself. Asher Flynn.”

“Maria,” she says by reflex, glancing down; his name is indeed printed on his badge, though it strikes her as slightly Anglo for someone from Yugoslavia. Not that it is her business why he would have any kind of name at all. “Maria Tompkins.”

They shake hands, and he nods to her, having evidently also read her badge. “You are with Lockman? That must be exciting. They work with NASA, yes?”

Maria nods back, though she cannot help be wary of why this man has chosen her to chat up and immediately seemed interested in her employer. They choke down the gluey stroganoff for a few moments, and then she says, “Isn’t Yugoslavia a communist country?”

This is rather skip-the-formalities with someone she’s just met, and Asher Flynn looks surprised. “Yes,” he says, as if that was obvious. “Well, mostly. Tito is no friend to Moscow, though, and we are officially non-aligned. We’re the only country in Eastern Europe where you can travel abroad without an exit visa, and emigrate if you want to. Those poor bastards in the USSR, they need a passport even for domestic travel, they have to request leaves of absence from their hometown council if they plan to be gone longer than thirty days, and they can’t leave the country. I wouldn’t want to live that way.”

Maria notes the elegance of this answer, how he seems to be responding to the real question (are you a Soviet spy?) hidden within her first one, while never letting on that he is. Or maybe it’s just her imagination, and he’s gotten this a lot from suspicious Americans, inclined to mistrust a dark young man with an Eastern European accent and an interest in spaceflight technology. Maybe that’s why he goes by Asher Flynn, if the name is easier for the West to trust. Maria takes a bite of bread (stale), and says, “So that’s where you’re from?”

“Yes. SR Croatia. Zagreb.” He doesn’t seem offended by her asking. “You?”

“Texas.” She bites her tongue on asking if he knows where it is. Just because she couldn’t find Zagreb on a map doesn’t mean he can’t. “Houston.”

“Houston,” Asher says, nodding. “Yes, yes. Where they launched Apollo 11. Were you there for that?”

Maria looks at her plate. She can feel the stroganoff revolting, threatening to come back up and taste even more vile this time, and swallows heavily. Asher cannot know that he has stepped directly onto her most vulnerable sore spot, her most enduring wound, and she tries to concentrate until the urge to scream and run backs down. He can sense at once, however, that something is wrong. “I didn’t – ” he says. “Sorry, is that – ?”

“I – no. I wasn’t there.” The words are dredged out of her like leaden anchors. “There was – there was a family emergency. My son, he – ” God, no, no, no, she is not telling this man she just met, she is not doing it, she is not throwing it onto him, and yet she is. “My son actually – my son died that day. It was – a bee sting, a bad allergic reaction. He – he didn’t make it.”

Asher blinks like she’s hit him. There are any number of things he could say or do in response, not least some screaming and running of his own. Then he reaches out and pats her hand; his own is large enough to cover it, if he held on, but he doesn’t. “Please forgive me,” he says quietly. “I did not know, of course, but I am very sorry. You may tell me to go away and eat my lunch somewhere else, if you would like.”

“I – no.” Maria is determined not to crumble, not to sit here and cry in the middle of the cafeteria, and she might do that if he left. “No, it’s – ”

He’s still looking at her, pensive, considering. Then he says, “What if we throw away this mess, and go get a sandwich? I heard New York has good sandwiches. The next panel I want to attend is not until two o’clock.”

Maria tenses. “Are you just – because you feel sorry for me?”

“I do feel sorry for you,” Asher says, simply and unpretentiously. “But I was going to ask if you wanted a sandwich before you said that, so it’s not why. There is a shop on the corner. It would take only a few minutes. If you would like.”

Maria supposes there is something to be said for the fact that he took the dead-son bombshell and his next move to is to seek out more of her company, to see her cracks and her ruins and somehow find them -- well, not beautiful, but not dead, unbearable, disqualifying. She can give into it, she’s never going to see him again, and the stroganoff is disgusting. She pauses, then says, “Okay.”

Asher smiles – it’s unforced, natural, dazzling, and her insides do something strange – and gets to his feet, once more nearly tripping over the bench that has not been made with the interests of a six-foot-three man in mind. He strides at her side as they leave the cafeteria, as Maria recalls the warning against walking alone in New York and then decides that after all, she isn’t alone. The sandwich shop is not far from Shea Stadium, bedecked with graffiti, and the 7 train rattles overhead on its elevated tracks, felonies presumably being committed aboard. It looks seedy, but Asher ducks inside with easy confidence, strides up to the counter, and orders them both a New York sub special, opening his wallet and carefully counting out cash to pay before Maria can offer to go Dutch. It’s hot and greasy and possibly the most delicious thing she has eaten in her life.

She looks at her watch when it’s done, decides to get back so she can serve as Lockman stenographer for the afternoon sessions, and Asher escorts her back. As he regards the Unisphere with a slightly ironic expression, Maria asks, “Is this your first time in America?”

It’s rich of her to be asking, since she’s a newcomer to the city herself, but she finds herself wondering. He nods. “Yes,” he says. “I can’t say that New York’s impressed me very much.”

“Is it different back home?” Maria has no idea what Yugoslavia is actually like, other than presumably Soviet Union-lite. The American imagination does not encompass much social diversity (or quality of life) over there in the Red parts of Europe, those oppressed and faceless millions bereft of the freedom and luxury of the West. “Better?”

Asher shrugs. “Every country has its problems. It was devastated by the war, the Nazis occupied it and turned it into a puppet state – it used to be the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, but the last heir to the throne fled in 1941, and the monarchy was abolished. That’s the year I was born, so I don’t remember, but Tito rallied the Partisans and the anti-fascist forces, and they fought to drive the Nazis out. Then he became president of the republic, and he separated from Stalin fairly quickly. But my mother was born in a farmhouse with dirt floors, in a poor and rural country that was still essentially in the nineteenth century, and now she lives in a nice rent-free apartment in Zagreb. She can go on vacations to the seaside and to cafés with her friends, her health insurance is paid for, she has a television set and a washing machine and likes to read Žena u borbi and watch soap operas. I can even take her to Paris, Milan. I don’t think that is so bad, no?”

Maria glances sidelong at him. The way he speaks about his mother makes it sounds like he loves her, and is proud that she has a comfortable life. Maria wonders what Asher is leaving out, what sacrifices are made for this, but then, is it any less than the sacrifices made in America, this increasingly strange land that they all accept as the norm? She looks at this dirty city, the trash blowing in the gutters. Remembers the pictures of burning TV sets and prostitutes and homeless people in suits sleeping in the street. She says, “No, it sounds nice.”

They reach the fairgrounds, and go inside. Asher gives her half a bow, old-fashioned, oddly charming, before he returns to the JAT contingent, and Maria finds herself inexplicably reluctant to see him go. In her defense, he was polite and well-dressed, gracious about that inadvertent emotional minefield, interesting to talk to, not from around here, and saved her from having to eat the cafeteria food. Out of nowhere, she wonders if he’ll take her to lunch again tomorrow, if she could induce him to do so, but that seems manipulative. She could even ask, but that – no. She doesn’t want to give the wrong impression. Not when, as she already has to remind herself, they are never going to see each other again.

[devoverest]

Getting to know me: a novel

@ignisgalaxia @imaginationdrift @bizships @lodessa and @streepmulgrew  have all tagged me for this, and I just can't take the peer pressure any longer. However, I'm so long-winded everyone will surely be very sorry that you five ever asked me. I will try very hard to put most of this below a "read more" link, but my mobile app doesn't play nicely with that feature any longer, so I truly deeply and sincerely apologize if yours doesn't either and you get a callus scrolling past all of what follows on your way to the gifsets you're on Tumblr to enjoy.

1. Relationship status: married -- legally and everything. It was the mid-'90s. I was considering having a religious ceremony but forgoing the state-recognized marriage license part, in solidarity with same-sex couples who at the time and for many years afterward were denied that privilege. However, my father absolutely put his foot down (something he almost never did with me, especially in my young adulthood) and insisted on the marriage license. He supported marriage equality, but he was thinking of my economic security in case our marriage didn't last. He was right to do, as I ended up taking many years out of the paid workforce to raise children, which I hadn't planned on doing when I decided to marry.

In case Tumblr is stupid, right here is where I’ve inserted a “read more” link as I’m writing this post. I tried. 

2. Lipstick or chapstick: Usually neither. Actually, never literal Chapstick because that stuff is made out of petroleum and isn't good for your skin. I learned that when I was playing a lot of flute in high school and college and had to take extra special care of my lips to play well. If the weather gets really cold and dry, which it rarely does where I live, and if I can hang on to any of the half-dozen tubes I buy every year but which invariably get swiped and then lost by family members, I use a Burt's Bees lip balm. I seem to have a knack for finding them barely-used in the bottom of my purse during the warm months and then never having one at hand when I actually need it. I think I own one lip pencil currently and I'll sometimes use that to outline my lips when I'm doing some sort of special-event public speaking kinda gig but I don't wear any make-up normally. My husband claims that I knew full well it was a date the first time we got together socially because I wore make-up. I have never admitted to him that he is correct, but he is.

3. Three favorite foods: Too many to narrow down to just three. I enjoy and appreciate a wide range of foods. Things I enjoy and appreciate perhaps a tad more frequently than I ought to in the strictest interests of nutrition are chocolate in almost any form, ice cream (especially that of the chocolate persuasion and most especially any form of peanut-butter/chocolate), and Starburst brand jellybeans, which my son and I share somewhat ritualistically most evenings after dinner (which is somehow not the same thing as for dessert.) Why yes, I do have a sweet tooth -- why do you ask?

4. Song stuck in your head: Currently "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (I had to google that.) I don't know why but suspect it was on TV this evening, which makes me fear that it may be the campaign song for some politician I would never vote for. Which reminds me -- US citizens, please double-check that you are registered to vote and make a plan for voting in the upcoming midterms! This will probably the most important election of your entire lifetime, past or future, no matter what your age, and in many races in many states, voter turnout will be the single deciding factor in who controls the future of our country for a very long time to come. Please vote!

5. Last movie you watched: "Crazy Rich Asians," with my husband, unwisely just two days after I had minor (but surprisingly butt-kicking) surgery. We went to the first matinee showing on a Saturday and actually arrived at the theater before it even opened, a sure sign of mature middle age if I've ever heard of one. We both loved the film -- it was glitzy, funny, extremely well-written and -acted, got all the Chinese cultural details right, offered caricatures but no stereotypes, was very female-centric and multi-generational, and of course starred the exquisite and inimitable Michelle Yeoh who also plays Philippa Georgiou on Star Trek: Discovery. Laughed until my belly hurt (literally, sadly) and then went home and slept the rest of the day.

6. Top three shows: This will sound really strange for someone who is on Tumblr because of TV show fandom, but I don't watch TV. I grew up with Star Trek TOS reruns and movies, then TNG in college & grad school, then Voyager until extended stays abroad made it impossible to keep up with (back in the days before streaming and VPNs.) I reconnected with Star Trek in summer 2017 when I was home alone for six weeks and binged all of Voyager and then started digging up fanfic for all the reasons all the Voyager fans turn to fic -- to fix what the show's writers mutilated -- and now here I am, but I don't watch TV, and when I do it's the nightly news or whatever sports my husband is watching and then it's just because I feel like sitting in the same room with my husband at that particular time. The one exception to this fact about me is that I did watch Star Trek: Discovery as it was being released last year, and even got my teenager into it. (He is a Netflix addict but never watched any Star Trek anything before that. I don't know where I went wrong with this child.)

7. Books I'm currently reading: Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer because @voyager-book-club; Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (audiobook but I'm counting it); Five Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. LeGuin, Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations by Margaret Benefiel; Pachinko by Min Jin Lee; and Selecting and Using Breastfeeding Tools: Improving Care and Outcomes by Catherine Watson Genna. Except that the last three books on the list are ones I have at hand and keep wanting to read but haven't so much as opened yet. But including them gives you a more complete sense of my interests.

8. Last thing I googled: "you ain't seen nothing yet lyrics" because #4 above. Before that, "instant pot beef stew recipe." No need to look further back in my search history (she said during a break from writing smut.) *whistles innocently*

9. Time: 10:30pm as I write this. No idea when I'll post it or when you'll read it. This seems like a silly question to include for a post of this nature.

10. Dream trip: India. But I've also never crossed the equator and really feel I should someday, so who knows, maybe I'll find a way to drop in on all the Australian friends I've made in Voyager fandom. Now wouldn't that be lovely?

11. Anything you want: Anyone who knows me in real life (and anyone hanging around the Voyager Book Club discord server) knows I never shut up about breastfeeding support and advocacy. But I always try to make it clear that I'm not preaching at parents about how they should feed their babies; rather, I'm working to help parents who want to breastfeed overcome any challenges they encounter. I save my preaching for the folks involved with policy and institutional barriers to breastfeeding, and when it comes to the unethical and demonstrably harmful advertising practices of the infant formula industry, my preaching leans hard toward the hellfire and damnation variety because that is some truly evil shit, folks -- the advertising practices, not the formula milk itself; let's be very, very clear about that.

Rules: Tag 15 people you want to get to know better.

Here I shall echo @imaginationdrift: "(Really?! That sounds like a number chosen by an extroverted maven.) / Ok, here goes. / FEEL FREE TO: never complete this. I won’t be disappointed, promise." Also, apologies to those who have already responded -- feel even freer to ignore. 

@garrulus  @rikerssexblouse  @klugtiger  @ussjellyfish  @kate-coleman-writes  @lameraextranjera  @armitagetrekkie  @warp6  @admiralkatcornwellfan @zjofierose  @writtenndust @trekkiefeminist @quirkette100 @nerdfishgirl @hoidn

[canadian-buckbeaver]

Into the Portal Hole

As the others back home work on Gaster's machine, Sai finds that her friends of the other dimension are more than willing to lend a helping hand.

Sai couldn’t believe it.  She honestly couldn’t.  She knew from Blue’s previous conversations that Stretch had once worked with the other scientists under his father, W. D Gaster, and her Edge had said something similar about his brother too.

But she was not expecting to have a small, ultra-intelligent taskforce in their kitchen.  Gaster was re-drawing his blueprints from memory, his glasses taped to his skull.  Stretch, Bee, and Red were hanging over him, all making comments or calculations about what could have possibly gone wrong in their test.  “Do you think it was an external factor?  One that you hadn’t calculated in?” Red asked, peering at the sketch.  When he wasn’t crackling awful jokes, or moping around either of his mates, Sai could see exactly what Edge meant.  Red was smart, almost as smart as Gaster.

“it would have to be, otherwise the failsafe would have kicked in and would have spawned back in their own universe…” Stretch muttered, squinting as he followed a gear line in the engine.

“try adding a quadrant of five here…” Bee said, pointing at something on the paper.

It honestly just made Sai’s head spin though she was grateful that progress was being made to get everyone home.  If slowly. Bucky giggled.  “You have the same facial expression that I do when the twins start talking science.” She said, smiling at her.

Sai sighed.  “They are all just too smart for their own good… I hope the twins take after their daddy’s mind at least.  If they take after me, they’ll be hooped.  Gaster will have them enrolled in all sorts of math and science…” the twins were nestled in her lap, leaning against her as they fed off her magic.

“Hey now.  If they take after you, they will be just as lucky.” Lines said, bumping her head against Sai’s hand.  “After all, it takes a special person to keep monsters in line, and you have more than the rest of us.”

Nikki snorted and shook her head.  “Certain punishment just gets Red all excited.  You’ll need to show me how you do it with the rest of your crew.” Beside her, Artemis nodded.

Sai had to smile. Everyone was just so welcoming and friendly.  Out of the rest of the AUs, she supposed that they were lucky to make it into one where she had the head start on friends… “Do you happen to have some water?” Sai asked Bucky.  Feeding the twins always made her thirsty.

“Sure.  I have bottled water in the fridge, bottom shelf, right-hand side.” She gently took Corbel from Sai, cradling him close.  “Mind grabbing me one too, please?”

Nikki took Ignatius and carefully held him.  “Me three,” she said, her eyes not leaving the babies.

Excusing herself for a moment, Sai walked by the scientist group where a stunned Grillby had been forced to listen to the numbers and scientific formulas.  The poor man looked half asleep.  Maybe she’ll need to save him and let him escape for a nap for a bit.  He hadn’t been sleeping well at the mansion either, Sai remembered, pulling open the door to the fridge and scouring the shelves.  Christ, there was a lot of honey here.  She supposed that with double Stretches, the honey devouring was also increased.  Por Bucky and Blue really had their hands full with these Papyruses.  

Chuckling, Sai closed the door, eyeing the pictures that scattered it.  There was a world here too, different perhaps, but just as developed as her own.  There was a baby Blue sleeping next to his elder twin brothers, then the three of them standing beside what looked to be the Gaster of this world.  The twins, now older and more tired looking, sitting at Muffet’s café – the shot had to be taken by Blue.  Then there was Bucky sitting between the twins, a dark blush on her cheeks as the twins kissed her.  And then a sonogram of four tiny souls curled close together….

Wait… WHAT?

Suddenly that explained Stretch’s and Bee’s reluctance at letting her out of her sight or move much.

“YOU’RE PREGNANT?” Sai cried out, interrupting of the all conversations that were being held in the dining room.  Everyone jumped, spinning around to look at her.  “WITH QUADRUPLETS?”

The Papyrus twins looked smug and proud of themselves, grinning as they chewed on their lollipops.  Bucky smiled warmly at Sai.  “Yes….  The twins went into heat about a month ago.  We just found out the good news and told everyone about one… two weeks ago?” Bucky asked, looking around at the small group of friends, her arms wrapping around her middle.  Now that Sai was looking at her closely, there was the smallest bump to her.

Sai’s mouth was agape, and she trembled slightly.  Dropping the water on the table, she wrapped her friend in a huge hug. “Oh, I cannot believe it!” she exclaimed.  She pulled back, looking at her other friend. “My goodness, you are small…. You’re gonna look like you have an exercise ball under your shirt by the end of it.”

There was a snort from Bucky.  “I always imagined something of my stomach out to here,” she gestured with her hands, giggling.  “Something like a half Pacman character.”

Nikki grinned, pulling out her phone.  “Now we were practising,” she whispered in a stage-whisper.  “We haven’t shown the twin these pictures but…”

There was an odd, high pitched squeak from a quickly reddening Bucky.  “Hey!  No, you promised that you guys didn’t save them!”

Sai caught a quick glimpse of a picture of Bucky with what looked to be a basketball shoved under her shirt before the phone was snatched by a bony hand.  Stretch and Bee were peering at it, hearts in their eye lights.  “you should send those to us,” Stretch said to Nikki.  “we’ll pick up some of that salami that you like.”

“Deal,” Nikki said, grinning and taking her phone back, ignoring a sputtering Bucky.

“I SWEAR TO THE STARS IF YOU DON’T DELETE THOSE RIGHT NOW, I WILL KICK YOUR ASSES.” Bucky threatened them.

Bee and Stretch chuckled.  “aww come on sweetheart.  you know that you can’t do that to us 1 HP monsters… our children need us~” they purred together.

“I CAN LOOK AFTER THEM MYSELF IF NEED BE.  ESPECIALLY IF YOU KEEP THOSE FREAKING PHOTOS!” Bucky threatened, the others laughing.

Lines shook her head, shaking her fur.  “I keep telling you that I know a great place to hide a body.  Or two. You just need to ask me.”

Grillby knelt under the table, grabbing a slowly escaping Ignatius.  He came close to a laughing Sai, wrapping an arm around her, watching the chaos unfold.  ‘Almost like home?’ he signed to her, his eyes twinkling.

Sai nodded. It was close to home… “So how are we getting home?” she asked, nodding to the paper.

“I believe that there is a movie that you close your eyes and clink your heels together three times.” A familiar, English voice said behind her.

Silence fell heavy on the group as the others turned around to face the newcomer. Stretch and Bee came in front of Bucky, Fell stepping in front of Lines in a similar manner.  Nikki’s tail wrapped around a growling Red, a large red spike erupting from the grey fur, Pizza taking a defensive stance.

However, Sai leapt at him, hugging him tightly. “Sebastian!” she cried out, hiding her face in his crisp, white button-up.  “How on earth did you find us?”

The demon butler chuckled, his eyes glimmering slightly red. “Now, how good of a butler would I be if I couldn’t rescue my mistress?”  His eyes looked around at the others, his eyes resting at the familiar and unfamiliar, scanning them in his own way.  “Though I am pleased to see that you were not in any danger.”

“Of course not! I had Grillby and Gaster here, and Edge has taught me more than a few things.” she fake pouted, a large smile on her face.  Sebastian was here.  They could go home.

Sebastian chuckled. “I do not doubt your skill m’lady.  Forgive me if that is how it came out.” he smiled at her.  “Now, shall I escort you and everyone home?”

“Yes!” Sai said, far too quickly.  “I am so ready to get home and see everyone…” she paused, turning around to see her new friends.  The others were silent.  A little numb over the sudden appearance, but also that they would be losing her so soon… “I… I mean…”

Bucky smiled at her.  “It’s alright.  We understand.  We are friends but,” here she chuckled.  “I think that we would all feel the same way if it was us in your situation.”

The others nodded in agreement, still eyeing the demon butler as they slowly relaxed.  “I would do anything to get back to Red and Nikki.” Pizza said, his hands reaching out to his mates.  Giving them a gentle squeeze, he shot a dazzling grin at Sai. “We know what you meant.”

Sai trembled for a moment before coming up and hugging them all tightly.  The little group hugged her tight, being wary of Bucky’s stomach. Sai was surprised to feel the tickle of tears in her own eyes as she stepped back.  “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered.

“We’ll miss you too,” Bucky whispered back to her, smiling.  “But now that you know we are here, you could always visit us.”

Sai nodded. “Yes… maybe you can come up to our universe and live there?” Sai wondered out loud.

Gaster chuckled. “We’ll update the mansion first before then.” He said to Sai, winking at her.  

“Very well…” Bucky pulled her into a tight hug. “Then until we meet again.”

Hugging her back, Sai nodded.  “Until next time.” she agreed.  Drawing back, she quickly wiped her face, stepping back to be close to Sebastian again.  Grillby and Gaster stood next to her, each of them holding one of the twins in their hands. Sai waved at the other universal copies even as the colours blended together, whirling together in a dizzying manner.

* * * * *

Sai stumbled a little bit as the floor solidified under her again.  Sebastian’s teleport was a little different than Gaster’s… she gasped as there was a sudden vice around her, knocking some of the wind out of her.  “SAI!” Bucky, her Bucky exclaimed, holding tightly to her.  “Oh I was so worried and the machine wouldn’t turn on or work or…”

Another hug captured her other side.  “I knew you would be back!” Alana exclaimed.  “Oh, but I was so worried.  I just…”

Sai sniffed and held her friends close to her, watching as Sebastian stepped out of the room, quietly as if he had never been there. Gaster and Grillby chuckled to themselves, holding the twins close to them.  “I missed you guys too…. but I have so much to tell you guys!”

[texanredrose]

Handle With Care

Zearth asked me a while back about this headcanon in the context of a Bee’s Schnee relationship and... well, this is my answer, expanded. Also, featuring a younger version of the Bee’s Schnee twins from Odd One Out. (I didn’t expect it to get this long or this... heavy.)

Yang trudged through the door, weary down to her bones and only managing to punch in the alarm's code through muscle memory. Her brain and all thought processes had shut down a while ago. Taking the missions every now and again to thin the remaining Grimm was a necessary byproduct of their lives but, sometimes, it wore on her harder than others. This particular group had consisted of several Alphas, long enough in the tooth for her to have not even a second's respite throughout the grueling battle. The next time the mission alert recommended two Huntresses tackling the task, she wouldn't be so quick to assure her wives that she had it well in hand.

The blonde rolled her neck, trying to work out some of the tension still present while activating the alarm again; riding in an airship's cargo hold as opposed to an actual seat had left her unable to sleep on the long trip back, but it would be worth it in the end. The next regularly scheduled flight didn't leave for another four hours and that was just too long to wait. She missed her lovers and her kids and, considering it would take at least a day to recover from the rigorous mission, she wanted to be at home as soon as possible to begin that process. Weiss and Blake wouldn't mind if she missed the next doctor's appointment, but she'd never forgive herself if she did.

Yang did her best to shut the big, solid oak door softly, kicking off her boots and pushing them to the side. She'd probably get an eyeroll for not putting them up in the little cubby holes off to the side of the entry way but she'd apologize for it. Honestly, she didn't even have the strength for a shower and her thighs protested just the thought of climbing the staircase to get to the bedroom. Not to mention all the racket she'd likely create in the process- it was the middle of the night and her family deserved to sleep.

With a quiet groan, she knelt down by the reinforced steel box beside the doorway, flicking her wrists to put Ember Celica in their expanded forms and popping open the bolt covers so she could reach the fresh belts of ammunition. She would usually do this before even setting foot in the house but her coordination wasn't the best and dropping the blasted things wouldn't do her any good. Clumsily, she pulled the belts free and punched in the code, activating the latch beneath the lid and waiting for the beep before opening the box and depositing the live shells. She flicked her wrists again to collapse the gauntlets, shutting the box and waiting for the locks to engage once more before forcing herself to her feet, expression pinching into one of agony. Yeah, she definitely wasn't getting up those stairs tonight, and her aura had taken too much of a beating for her to risk speeding along her recovery just yet.

With a sigh, she lumbered over to the doorway leading into the living room, bleary lilac eyes falling on the couch. It wasn't the most comfortable or preferable, but it would do in a pinch, and she really didn't have the strength to crawl into bed with her wives right then. The blonde didn't even bother easing herself down, effectively faceplanting onto the furniture and releasing a quiet groan of relief. Tomorrow, she'd make it up to Blake and Weiss, she swore, but tonight she just wanted to get what sleep she could before sitting down to breakfast in the morning.

The only thing she managed to do before drifting into a deep sleep was turn so her artificial limb was on the inside of the couch, preventing her from a rude awakening if the weight of it happened to pull her off in the middle of the night. She should probably disconnect it, but the stand for the blasted thing sat on the triad's dresser and she'd already made her decision on that front.

At least she'd wake up in a few hours to see her family; that alone would be worth taking the earliest possible flight back.

Blake sighed fondly, leaning against the doorway into their living room with a smile on her lips. She'd awoken sometime last night, thinking she'd heard the front door, but had gone back to sleep convinced it was her imagination. Apparently, she was very wrong, seeing as one of her wives was currently passed out on the couch, somehow sprawled across the thing despite how uncomfortable it looked, having one leg thrown up and over the back of the couch like that. Judging from the slightly awkward angle of her right shoulder, the Faunus could surmise that Yang hadn't bothered taking off her prosthetic, which meant she was definitely exhausted from her latest mission.

"Blake? Is everything alright?" She turned, seeing Weiss carrying the twins down the stairs effortlessly despite their size. The healthy six year-olds looked just as confused as their mother, Noire's ears cocking forward just in time to catch the soft snore coming from the living room at about the same time the woman continued, blue eyes falling on the doorway. More specifically, the muddy boots sitting just to the right of the door. "Ah, I see Yang's home."

"Momma's home?" Zise looked around, as if the blonde would materialize simply because her name was said.

"Momma's home!" Her sister cheered, having heard the proof herself.

Almost immediately, the twins began squirming, not enough for Weiss to lose her grip on either but getting their point across regardless. The moment she reached the landing, their mother set them down, allowing the two to rush over to the doorway, where Blake stopped them in their tracks.

"Momma's sleeping and she's very tired. Don't wake her up just yet, okay?" Although it was hard, she managed to stand firm against the dual pleading looks. "I mean it; you can go in, but at least wait until breakfast is ready."

"Okay!" They responded before darting past her, suppressing their giggles as much as possible as they rushed over to stand beside the couch.

"I could've helped, you know," she said as Weiss came to stand beside her, adjusting her bolero. Yang's last message indicated she might not get in until early afternoon, so they'd decided to have everyone dressed and ready first thing in the morning to ensure they could meet the woman at the airport. Naturally, their wife had somehow managed to get home earlier, negating that, but they were still happy to have her home and in one piece. Plus, now they didn't have to worry about getting the girls dressed or the mischievous duo playing with their food at breakfast, seeing as they were both wearing their favorite outfits that they consciously tried to avoid getting dirty.

If only they had more outfits they held in such high regard.

"Nonsense; you're pregnant, Blake. You don't need the added stress, trust me." The woman waved off her comment easily. "Besides, Zise loves wearing her overalls and Noire absolutely adores that dress; they practically did all the work for me."

The Faunus rolled her eyes but let the subject drop, smoothing out her maternity shirt. Five months along and she was beginning to show, which, while exciting, also had her nervous. The doctor's appointment just around the corner should soothe her worries though- or at least, that's what she hoped. "I suppose we should-"

"I will take care of breakfast." Weiss patted her shoulder gently, a smile on her lips. "Stay here and watch the kids; you know they'll fidget in place until they wake her up if you don't keep an eye on them."

"And then we'll both catch the third degree for it, too." It felt so strange, being treated so delicately after years of fighting tooth and nail for every little bit of ground gained, but she full well knew it had nothing to do with her wives' confidence in her abilities. Now that they were mostly at peace, with the Grimm a resilient but minor threat being chased to extinction in the kingdoms' wilderness, there was time to relax, and she just happened to be the one enjoying it for the moment. She and Yang had already agreed that Weiss was next in line to be pampered, once the newest addition to their family was old enough to start on formula. Until then, she would just have to accept that her wives weren't inclined to let her do anything strenuous or stressful.

While Weiss went off to start on breakfast, Blake watched as the twins sat in front of the couch, just staring at the sleeping blonde. Neither had yet to truly understand the concept of patience, so it was only a manner of time before they tried to crawl onto the furniture and 'accidentally' wake Momma up, but the Faunus had a sneaking suspicion that Yang wouldn't mind in the slightest waking up to their daughters' poor attempt at being courteous. All three of them loved the twins but the blonde had taken to motherhood quicker than a duck to water, though she could be a bit... extreme in some regards. She effectively raised Ruby after the death of Summer, and a child as energetic and curious as their team leader had likely warranted such measures. It was Yang's strict policy that one of them be with the twins at all times and she'd taken the most convincing when it came time for them to begin sleeping in their own room. It wasn't paranoia, per se... but it veered along those lines sometimes.

As the faint smell of cooked eggs wafted from the kitchen, Blake inhaled deeply, utterly content with the morning thus far. She'd finally passed the morning sickness portion of her pregnancy, and her appetite now vastly exceeded her diet even during the height of her huntress training. Just smelling the sure-to-be delicious food had her mouth watering.

"I think it's time to wake Momma up," she said, taking a few steps into the room. "Then, we can eat."

Suddenly, everything was in slow motion, or maybe it just felt that way because of how quickly she processed the information because her body simply couldn't keep up. The twins jumped up, excited to wake the sleeping woman, and they'd gone with their first inclination- shake her awake. Tiny little hands reached out, and that's when she saw the problem as it unfolded; Zise wasn't watching where she was about to touch, her gaze focused on Yang's face.

Before she could say a word, though, the blonde snapped awake.

Yang awoke on high alert, brought to that heightened awareness that came so easily to those with small children the instant she felt tiny little fingers brush between the skin of her forearm near the cool metal of Ember Celica. She immediately jerked her arm away, eyes opening so crimson red could scan the immediate area before landing on the two little ones standing by the couch, one looking markedly more guilty than the other.

"ZISE! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT TOUCHING MOMMA'S BRACELETS?" She sat up, created distance, checked her wrist twice to ensure the weapon hadn't activated, all the while her heart thundered in her chest. A thousand possibilities flashed through her mind's eye, each one more terrible than the last.

"Yang, calm down-"

"S-sorry, Momma-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR 'SORRY' ZISE!" Yang checked her other arm, ensuring that the lack of sensation in her right limb hadn't led to the gauntlet being activated without her being the wiser. Once satisfied Ember Celica was in the same condition as she'd fallen asleep- with no changes made without her knowledge- she turned her heated gaze on her daughters, both of whom looked chagrined. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears, the pure shot of adrenaline from sheer terror just barely beginning to subside. "I'VE TOLD BOTH OF YOU SEVERAL TIMES. NEVER TOUCH MOMMA'S BRACELETS, EVER."

"Yang." Her gaze snapped to Blake, standing just on the other side of the coffee table and leveling an impressive glare her way. "Stop yelling at them."

"I'M NOT-" She growled, rubbing at her wrist absently with her artificial hand and switching tracks, her mind too fuzzy from the abrupt wake-up call to register how the Faunus had gotten downstairs or dressed so quickly. "You were supposed to be watching them!"

That, as it turned out, was the very wrong thing to say, amber eyes alighting as the Faunus prepared to launch into a tirade of her own.

"What is going on in here?" Weiss came into the room at a jog, wearing an apron over her clothes and showing the barest hints of recent use, a splotch of something shining wetly on her chest. One look around the room was all she needed to assess the situation, snapping off crisp orders before anyone could start explaining themselves. "Nevermind. Blake, take the twins into the den. Yang, in the kitchen, now."

"But-"

"Now, Yang." She pointed for emphasis, blue eyes turning hard as diamonds. "I won't repeat myself."

Clenching her jaw, Yang shot up, her muscles protesting the movement but she was too angry to care, marching past both of her wives. She stormed across the foyer, into the other hallway, and ducked into the first doorway on the left. She immediately turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and fully prepared for the impending argument.

She wasn't quite ready enough, however.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Weiss started the moment she rounded the corner, her voice low but edged with ice.

"We have a rule, one I thought all of us agreed on," she replied, keeping her voice just barely below her normal speaking tone. "They know better. If Zise had-"

"They were trying to wake you up, Yang; they weren't trying to play with your gauntlets." Although shorter, the woman had always possessed the ability to seem larger, the straightening of her spine doing little for her physical height but intimidating all the same. It had been years since the last time she'd actively employed the 'patented Schnee intimidation technique' on the blonde, yet here it was, plain as day. "They were excited and not paying attention. Can you really blame them? You've been gone three weeks-"

"Oh, so just because I haven't been here, the rules go out the window, huh?" She refused to back down, beginning to pace around her wife to throw off the sensation of being towered over. Yang was fully aware she had to tilt her chin down to look the woman in the eye but their arguments always put them on equal footing somehow, in a way she could never properly articulate. "It's for their safety, Weiss. You know what happens when Ember Celica is triggered. What if she'd gotten her hand caught in the gears when it opened or the back plate shot out too quick and she freaked out? She could've been hurt!"

"And instead, she's crying her eyes out in the den thinking her Momma hates her!" Weiss snapped back, positively incensed and willing to match the blonde step for step.

Yang jerked back, furrowing her brows. "Don't blow this out of proportion, Weiss; I just told her-"

"You didn't tell her anything! Or Noire, for that matter!" The shorter woman took a step forward, jabbing a finger in her face. "All you've ever told them is to not touch your 'bracelets', and they don't. But you've never told them why. They both have no idea why you're overreacting like this. To them, Zise accidentally did something, and you immediately yelled at her after being gone for three weeks. That's the first thing you did after coming home. Noire's scared she did something too; they just don't understand why you're so upset!" She drew back, a scowl on her features. "Do you have any idea what that feels like, Yang? Neither of them were paying any attention to what they were doing, they were just sitting there waiting for the opportunity to wake you up because they missed you, and now they're convinced you're angry with them."

The blonde exhaled heavily through her nose, flexing her hands while trying to keep her anger in check. "I'm trying to keep them safe."

"I understand that, but you're being overprotective and needlessly aggressive." The severe line of the woman's shoulders relaxed slightly, blue eyes softening. "You're exhausted and you've always been a bit too strict with them- and I know you have their best interests at heart, but really, Yang? You really don't see anything wrong with how you handled the situation?"

"I-" She paused, taking a moment to actually think about the question. Weiss had a point. They'd rarely, if ever, raised their voices at the twins, either in anger or reprimand. A stern tone was usually all they needed to get their point across, and even then it was rarely warranted; they were well behaved and the most mischief they got into usually included Ruby visiting, helping them sneak sweets before supper or something of the like. Even the dreaded 'terrible twos' weren't that bad, from what Weiss recounted. "I... could've handled it better."

Her wife nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know most of that was the jet lag and the mission; you're still exhausted and you didn't mean to be so short with them. But they don't really understand that. None of us have returned from a mission this long, or this difficult." She took a step closer, reaching up to cup the blonde's jaw, lithe fingers gently working at the lingering tension. "You know Zise wouldn't intentionally disobey us, or Noire. It was an accident."

"But what if she'd triggered it?" Raising her left hand, Yang looked at the slightly tarnished metal, the newest coat of paint already showing signs of wear. Years of fighting had turned the metal underneath to a black mess of carbon that she'd never be able to get completely clean and the heat from long, sustained firing during battles long past had nearly made both of her weapons inoperable, warping the metal to conform to her forearms even more. She'd probably need to upgrade to something new soon, or rebuild the model; her fighting style had altered slightly over the years and Ember Celica did the job, but she could do more. Not that she had an abundance of opportunities to look forward to, though. "You know it doesn't take much- a flare of aura, a flick of my wrist."

"Neither of them have unlocked their aura yet and the mechanism relies on your movement anyway; we both know no one can operate Ember Celica if you're unconscious or you'd never have fallen asleep with them on in the first place," Weiss said, shaking her head with a small smile. "You'd sooner walk around in full plate armor than risk them activating while you’re taking a nap. And they're both unloaded, correct?"

"Yeah..." Her muscles relaxed somewhat, the anger bleeding away as her head cleared. Without the fog of waking up in a panic, she could at least acknowledge that the chance of anything happening was minuscule at best. That was part of her argument for keeping her weapons on her person at all times; unlike Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud, Ember Celica posed virtually no threat when unloaded, possessing no sharp edges. Her wives' blades were locked up in a bulletproof glass case in the foyer, on display but still within reach and fully loaded for those possessing the access code- and one of the triad's fingerprints. Blush and Wilt sat in Blake's reading nook under lock and key, and Blitzkreig in Weiss' study if they needed means of self defense and couldn't get to the foyer, plus a few cheap, run-of-the-mill weapons Ruby had confiscated from cache raids while chasing the last remnants of militant groups across Remnant. Yang kept Ember Celica, though, seeing as they could be discreetly hidden from the naked eye and would provide her a way to defend herself and the twins if anything were to happen... which, considering the veritable fortress they'd built for a home and the eradication of the White Fang and the SDC's unsavory business practices, their enemies numbered less than ten, if that. "Maybe I am a bit... overprotective at times."

"Try 'all the time'." Her fingers slid to the back of the blonde's neck, tracing along her hairline. "If they understood why you don't want them touching Ember Celica, it might help them understand why you reacted so badly. But being hard on them without explanation or due cause won't help them understand; they'll just jump to conclusions the same way you jump to the worst case scenario. You need to talk to them, Yang, and especially Zise."

"She doesn't really believe I hate her... does she?" Yang frowned, brought down from her rage entirely by the soothing fingers on her neck and her wife's voice. Even if it was the worst way to wake up, it was finally sinking in that she should've at least greeted her family before reprimanding the twins; three long weeks trekking through wilderness had brought with it the bittersweet longing for home that wouldn't go away for a few more days. She didn't want to spend them with one of their daughters cowering from her.

A cloud passed over the woman's face, prompting her to retract her hand. "I can't say if she truly believes it... but she remembers how my father acted around her and Noire, and there were certainly enough times growing up that I believed he hated me." Weiss turned, heading back towards the stove, which had a frying pan filled with half cooked scrambled eggs sitting atop a cold burner. "Go talk to them and apologize to Blake."

She winced, scratching at the back of her head. "I... did kinda snap at her too, huh?"

"Yes, you did, and you are digging yourself out of that one." With a practiced flick of her wrist, she turned on one of the other burners and moved the pan over. "Smoothing things over with the twins is one thing, but you definitely earned the doghouse this time." She paused, just before grabbing the abandoned spatula on the counter. "Or would it be the scratching post?"

"Princess, babe, I love you, but you still need to work on your sense of humor," Yang said, chuckling at the terrible attempt at a pun that somehow brought a smile to her lips anyway.

"And you need to work on not spending another night on the couch- this time, involuntarily. Mommy Blake is not happy you were yelling at the twins and while I'm not too crazy about it myself, I wasn't there to witness it. You still need to talk to her before it's all said and done."

What little mirth she had fled at that reminder, heading out of the kitchen and back across the foyer, opting to skip the lecture while she could and putting her boots up as she passed. It was little more than a stall tactic, true, but it did make her feel a little better knowing that she wasn't trying to earn her wives' ire. However, she couldn't avoid the reckoning forever, and found herself standing just outside the den before she could really process how she'd gotten there. She still felt exhausted from the trip and the long weeks away, but all that fell away as she heard a tiny voice thick with tears speak.

"I didn't mean it, Mommy." A hiccuping sob. "I didn't. I'm sorry."

"Hush, little one, Momma knows that and so do I." Blake soothed, her voice soft and it nearly broke Yang's heart. "You'll see. Mommy promises you; Momma's not mad."

"B-but-"

"Zise," she said, stepping into the den and seeing the twins curled beside Blake, one on each side. Noire was quiet, more so than usual, with her ears pinned back against her skull and silent tears slipping down her cheeks. Her twin was louder, crying softly as she pressed into the Faunus' right side, face screwing up more as the blonde entered the room and a fresh round of sobs spilled forth. Yang's brow knit together, heart clenching painfully even as Blake shot a glare her way. "Come here, Zise. I'm not mad. You too, Noire."

There was a single moment of hesitation that tore at her, where it looked like neither of her daughters might leave their Mommy's side, but both carefully clambered off the den's couch and ran over to her. Yang knelt down, just in time to catch the twins, one in each arm, as they buried themselves into her shoulders. She held them tight, tears stinging at her eyes; it felt so good to hold them both again, and she swore they were bigger now than before she left.

"I'm s-" Zise started but she quickly cut the little one off, her tone soft.

"No, I'm sorry. Momma shouldn't have yelled," she said, turning her head to plant a kiss against each of the little heads pressed against her. "Momma was tired but that's no excuse. I'm sorry, Zise." The little girl continued crying, though her sobs had died down some. "Hey. Look at me." She waited for purple tinged blue to look up at her- unlike the blonde, her daughter's eyes changed with every powerful emotion, not just anger- before she repeated herself. "I'm sorry."

"'s'okay." She scrubbed at her face, eyes returning to their normal baby blue. "I'm sorry I touched your bracelet."

Yang sighed, weighing her options. Unfortunately, it really only left her one path to take, because she could still hear the warble in her daughter's voice. She had to make sure both of them understood what got her so upset. "We're gonna go to the practice room now, okay? Just for a little bit, and then we'll sit down for breakfast." The blonde looked up, seeing surprise evident in Blake's expression. "There's something I need to show you, first."

Slowly, the Faunus nodded; between the three of them, it was Yang who vehemently argued against the twins starting any sort of combat training. They'd lost so much during the years fighting against Salem that just the thought of the twins following in their mothers' footsteps made her panic a little, and the Grimm threat was so reduced now that it might be completely eradicated by the time they were old enough to attend a combat school. Surely her little ones could take a nice, safe desk job at the SDC or something, right?

Weiss and Blake doubted it. They'd told her several times that a lack of Grimm didn't always mean a lesser need for Huntresses and Atlas still had a standing army to consider. Plus, if they were anything like their mothers, they'd get the itch for adventure, especially if Ruby kept bringing over those storybooks Yang used to read her when she was their age.

Yang looked down, seeing the confusion and surprise in her daughters' eyes, the twins exchanging a glance before nodding. Noire still hadn't said anything, not even a mumbled 'okay' like her sister, which had the blonde a bit worried, but she hoped it would all make sense soon.

She stood up and turned to head back out into the hall, bending down a little to take a small hand in each of hers. With a deep breath to steady her nerves, she led the twins down the hall, back across the foyer and down another hall to the practice room. There, she had to release Zise's hand to activate the keypad, the door sliding open a moment later. When it closed behind the three, she led them to a little area off to the side that acted as a sort of observation deck, elevated just slightly and surrounded by bullet proof glass, with a bench for sitting. They'd originally installed it so one of them could watch the other's technique, ensure they weren't getting sloppy now that they didn't have Beacon's full facilities or a seemingly endless supply of people after their necks, but it would work well for what she had in mind now.

"I need both of you to stay in here, okay? Watch me, but don't leave this box."

"Okay, Momma," Zise replied, her twin offering a slightly subdued response, but at least she said something. It seemed curiosity was winning out over concern they might be in trouble.

"Good. Just watch me. That's all I want you two to do." Tension brought her shoulders together as she turned around and went back out, towards a little staging area outside of the 'hot zone', as they'd taken to calling it. The room itself was reinforced and designed to withstand their standard attacks and the projectors could only create hard light opponents, so it wasn't the same amount of utility as the ones back at Beacon, but it suited its purpose just fine. With only a small tremble in her fingers, Yang input the code to access the ammunition box, pulling two fresh belts out and laying them on a nearby table for the moment.

It felt strange, to some extent. She was the one who didn't want them training, she was the one who absolutely forbade anyone from carrying loaded weapons in the house, and she was the one who would glare at anyone who didn't immediately store their weapon when they came to visit, aside from the exceptions of close family. Even then, she would watch them, because- unlike everyone except her own father- she remembered all too vividly when Ruby got to the age of playing with whatever happened to be lying around. They didn't have any weapons in the house at that point- she never learned what her father did with his, and he was often too morose to mention anything that could lead on a tangent back to Summer- but that didn't stop her little sister from getting into a whole world of trouble.

"Alright." She wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or the twins' but, when she turned around, both sets of blue eyes were upon her. "I'm going to show you why I don't want you touching my bracelets." She held out both her arms. "I don't say it because I want to be upset with you... I say it because it can be dangerous." With quick motions of her wrist, Ember Celica began to expand, the mechanisms clicking and whirring while the twins jerked back in surprise. "You know Mother and Mommy have their weapons, right?" Although a little delayed in responding, the duo nodded their heads. "Good. These are my weapon. They're called Ember Celica." She walked closer and knelt down, allowing both of her daughters to marvel over the shotgun gauntlets. "This is part of why I didn't want you two touching them. It doesn't take much to activate, and they could hurt you."

Zise and Noire looked up at her then, surprise showing clear in their expressions, and Yang mentally acknowledged that she'd have to bite the bullet and admit Weiss was right. They likely had thought they weren't supposed to touch the bracelets simply because she told them not to, completely bereft of the context to what an unintentional activation could cause.

"You can touch them, if you want." She bit her lip lightly, curling her hands into fists so they wouldn't see the way she trembled. "Only now, though."

The twins looked at each other, exchanging one of those silent conversations that none of them could begin to decipher before reaching a decision. Carefully, they laid their tiny little hands on the cool metal. They traced along the different pieces as lilac eyes watched, trying to look everywhere at once as the irrational fear mounted. She hadn't put the ammunition in and it took kinetic force to trigger the pump action, but knowing that and not thinking it could happen anyway appeared to be two different things.

"That's why we can't touch them?" Noire lifted her gaze, but retracted her hand at the same time. "Because they move?"

"It's part of the reason," she replied, gently pulling her arms back and out of Zise's reach. "Go back behind the glass. I'm going to show you the other reason, okay?"

With a few nods, the twins retreated back to their previous spots while the blonde went back to retrieve the ammunition belts. She made sure to keep an eye on the little ones, that they were well behind the glass before opening the bolt covered and fitting the belts through. Normally, she wouldn't be as careful or as nervous, but neither would Zise and Noire be present. Keeping that in mind, she made sure the barrel of her weapons always towards the blackened back wall, scored by fire and chipped by ice and bullets from use. They would probably need to replace that top coating on the door before it got too weak; the last thing they wanted was to create a ricochet prone backdrop and pouring tonnes of dirt to create a mound inside wasn't entirely practical. Ruby would be able to fix the problem easily, though, and she made a mental note to ask about that, later.

With both belts in place, she closed the bold covers and took a deep breath. "Polly, begin simulation."

"Simulation active." Perhaps it was a bittersweet form of torture but, when Ruby had partnered with SDC scientists to create a suitable program to run their practice room, she's used the copy of Penny's audio files General Ironwood had given her years prior. She didn't have a physical body- at least, not yet- and this version didn't posses the ability of sentience like the real Penny did but it reminded them all of the odd little ginger they'd met back before everything went to shit. Memories of those 'good ol' days' flashed through her mind, as they did every time she came to blow off some steam or just brush up on her skills, bringing both the melancholy of lost friends and appreciation for what they still had, even after fighting to the edge of oblivion and back. "Welcome back, Yang. Please select your regimen."

"One beowolf, stationary target," she said, looking over at the twins. "Remember, you're safe right where you are. It's okay."

Noire and Zise looked confused for a brief moment before the holograms hummed to life, constructing a life sized beowolf in the center of the hot zone. Hard light shaped the planes of its bone plates much better than the texture of fur, but when the light fell away and it turned darker, more closely resembling the actual creature, she heard two gasps from her left. Now they recognized the creature, having seen them occasionally in those damned books Ruby brought. She honestly had hoped they'd never become familiar with the creatures of Grimm at all.

"Simulation begin."

"This is the other reason." She waited until the twins looked at her, ensuring they saw what was about to happen, before raising her left arm. Then, she flared her aura, activating the trigger and sending a single round flying into the hard light construct. It immediately shattered into pieces- the years of fighting had allowed her to upgrade to a bigger caliber, and Ruby's innovations with Dust from the SDC certainly hadn't hurt- in tandem with the sound of the blast echoing off the walls, causing Noire and Zise to jump closer together. With smoke still rising from the barrel, Yang lowered her arm.

"Simulation end."

"Polly, begin simulation." The blonde raised her right arm. The prosthetic had undergone a few... revisions since that fateful day. Between Ruby, Ironwood, and a few others, the simple replacement had been transformed into a weapon all its own, strong enough to deflect all but the red Dust blades that could cut through anything and with a built in, Dust infused power core than transformed Ember Celica's rounds from a simple projectile to a highly modded blast of destruction whenever she fired. "Five beowolves, 'I' formation, stationary targets."

The holograms sprung to life once more, hard light forming into five more beowolves standing in front of her.

"Simulation begin."

Unlike with her left, firing with her right arm took a few seconds to charge. The dull hum was just white noise to her now, like the sound of her own breathing, something she could consciously acknowledge but usually filtered out completely. The sharp crack of the round firing, however, resounded ten times louder than the previous shot, blowing all five of her conjured opponents into fragments that dispersed in the blink of an eye. The startled cry her daughters gave, however, nearly broke her focus, a glance confirming the two had started clinging to each other with wide eyes as the hard light projections disappeared, leaving only a faint trail of smoke from her arm and a fresh scorch mark on the wall.

"Simulation end."

Lowering her artificial limb slowly, Yang waited until the faint whir of the mechanics died down before popping open the bolt covers again, removing the nearly full belts and replacing them in the ammo container. When she turned around, she waited for the little ones to calm down before speaking.

"Do you understand now?" Her expression lost some of its severity as she took a few steps forward, holding up both of her forearms. "Momma's bracelets aren't just jewelry; Ember Celica is just as dangerous as Mytenaster and Gambol Shroud. Not all the time, but they can be." With a flick of her wrists, the weapon began collapsing again until they were nothing but bracelets once more. "That's why I don't want either of you touching them. You could get hurt, and I would never forgive myself if that happened."

She walked back over until she was in the safe zone, somewhat relieved when neither of her daughters drew back from fear. Instead, they seemed a bit... confused.

"But, Momma..." Noire bit her lip, ears twitching slightly. "Can they do that without the box things?"

"Do what?" Both twins looked to the side, at the scorch mark that just now had stopped smoking. "Oh, the bullets. Well, no. They can only do that if they're loaded. Uh- if they have the things in box."

"Then... they won't go 'boom', right?" Zise's eyes flew open, hiding her hands behind her back. "We won't touch 'em! Just... they can't do that, right?"

"You always put the box things back." Her twin noted, also tucking her hands away from view. "We can't hug you until you put the box things back when you come home. You always put the box things back."

Yang sighed, kneeling down to look at her daughters. "Yes, I always put the box things back, and yes, they won't go 'boom' without the box things. But... what you have to understand is that... Momma's afraid." Her brows drew together as she tried to formulate an explanation they would understand. She didn't want to worry or scare them but she needed to be certain they understood. "Before you were born, Your Mother, Your Mommy, and I all went to school, so we could learn how to fight creatures like the fake ones in here." She looked back to where the hard light beowolves stood. "Back then, they were everywhere, and we had to fight every day to keep them from hurting people. Then things got worse." Her gaze then fell to her artificial limb. "A lot worse. Momma... lost some friends. We all did. We lost a lot during that time. And I almost lost your Mother, your Mommy... and you two." Taking a shuddering breath as tears stung at her eyes, Yang reached out to her daughters, pulling them into a tight hug. "That was the most scared I'd ever been, and I swore I would do whatever it takes to keep you safe. You two, Mother, Mommy- everyone, because I'd already lost so much and I was scared of losing even more. I... I can't lose my babies, too." A sob burst from her chest as she squeezed her eyes tight, trying to stymie the tears. "So even if it doesn't make sense, Momma's gonna worry. Momma's gonna be scared. Because I love you two so much and I don't ever want anything bad to happen to you."

Tiny hands fisted her jacket, the twins burying their heads in her shoulders and making soft, calming noises. She didn't mean to cry- she tried to never cry in front of them, because she remembered watching her Dad's agony and Qrow's drunken pain and it always hurt knowing she couldn't make things better- but the tears came anyway.

"I love you both so much."

"We love you too, Momma," Noire said, her own voice thick with tears.

"Uh huh!" Zise chimed in as well and it didn't take visual proof for her to suspect that the little girl was crying already. "I'm sorry-"

"I'm sorry, too." It took a few shuddering breaths for her to regain composure but she somehow managed it, drawing back from her daughters to wipe at her eyes. "This morning was an accident and I was wrong to yell at you two." She sniffled. "So... what did we learn?"

"Don't touch Momma's bracelets, 'cause they could hurt us," Noire said.

Zise continued. "And be more careful when we wake Momma up."

The corner of her lips pulled up in a small grin. "And Momma learned not to yell over nothing. It was just an accident." She stood up, turning towards the door. "Now, come on. Mother's making breakfast and I'm sure it'll be delicious."

When she didn't hear the patter of little feet following after her, the blonde turned around with a raised brow, left to wonder for a few moments more as the twins had another of their conversations. Blake and Weiss insisted it was common for twins to be able to read each other's microexpressions and the like much easier than other people could, making verbal conversation unnecessary, while Yang asserted they were essentially telepathic in contrast. Either way, the two came to a conclusion and, in very soft voices while holding their arms up, posed their query.

"Will you carry us?"

Normally, she wouldn't. Weiss would coddle them- that's what the blonde called it, anyway, but it was certainly something the triad would never see eye-to-eye on- and lavish the twins with all the physical contact and loving affirmations she never received as a child. She, on the other hand, advocated for doing so sparingly, encouraging them to carry themselves and gain as much experience and reliance on themselves now, while the triad was there to watch over them, because she knew kids never stayed kids long enough, not in their world. Blake struck a middle ground, saving some gestures for when they'd done something well or when they asked for it but mainly leaving them to their own devices. Yang was never cruel or neglectful but the twins knew that, if it wasn't play time, she wasn't going to pick them up.

But after the excitement from the morning, and being gone for three weeks, and missing her daughters more than anything, she could let some things slide.

"C'mere." She knelt down, arms open wide, and wasn't the least bit surprised when the twins shot forward without further prompting, already trying to find themselves solid holds on her jacket. That's when she got an idea, her grin widening a bit. "Hey, you two wanna be top of the world?"

The twins looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

Carefully, she lifted them up until they were sitting on her shoulders. She used to do it with Ruby, when her sister was small enough, and she did it with Weiss and Blake on occasion, but those times were distant memories now and it worried her, even though she had her hands curled around their legs to keep them in place.

"Hold onto Momma's jacket, okay?" She turned back towards the door. "... and don't grab Momma's hair."

Both of them giggled, because the one time Qrow had done it as a joke she'd managed to maintain her tenuous grip on her fury until well after the twins were out of earshot, though she did turn an impressive shade of purple from the force of holding her rage in, according to Ruby. Regardless, much like her gauntlets, the twins were told expressly to not play with the blonde's hair. They just didn't know what would happen if they did, yet. That would be a lesson for another day.

But, she wasn't going far and everything would be okay, even if her heart was going a mile a minute as she walked, being very careful as she reached for the keypad.

"Hold on tight, Noire," she said, as much as a warning as to soothe her nerves, only feeling somewhat relieved when the door opened and she could secure the little Faunus once more. "Watch your heads." They weren't quite tall enough to reach the top of the doorway, and she knew that, but the words left her mouth regardless. "Alright, breakfast time."

Yang started off taking small, steady steps, paying special attention to their weight on her shoulders with every move. When she heard Zise's inhale and felt the twitch from Noire that seemed to halt any words from leaving her sister's mouth before they'd formed, she chastised herself for being so cautious.

Jumping out of an airship over a Grimm infested wilderness? No problem. Just the slightest chance some harm could come to her children? A complete basket case. Her younger self would laugh and call her a worry wart, but those were better times.

She'd grown so serious since then.

Lengthening her stride, Yang turned to bring them into the kitchen, where Weiss was setting the dirty cooking instruments in the dish washer. Blake was just finishing setting everything on the table in the adjacent dining room, the smell of fresh cooked eggs, bacon, sausage, and traditional Atlesian bread hanging heavy in the air.

"Just in time!" The woman's smile was genuine when she turned around, though it fell a moment later, turning into a blank, flat look. "Really?"

While the twins seemed curious as to their Mother's consternation, the blonde merely smiled. "Everything good, short stuff?"

"Unbelievable; I'm finally not the shortest, and you take it from me so soon? How rude; I thought I'd have another six years, at least." She huffed, marching over and looking up at their daughters. "How's the weather up there? Having fun?"

The twins shifted slightly, as if looking at each other, before responding.

"It was hot..." Zise started, allowing Noire to continue.

"... but it cooled off."

Yang's face screwed up. "Wait a minute- did they just make a joke about my temper?" Judging by the stifled laughter from above them and the twinkle in Weiss' blue eyes, they'd done just that. "Hey!"

"It's about time you've met your match," Blake said, entering the kitchen with a smile. "But before Mass Pun War Seventy Six kicks off, let's eat."

"Agreed. We've already had enough excitement on empty stomachs." Reaching up, the shorter woman carefully accepted the precious cargo from Yang's shoulders, turning to carry the twins into the dining room while the Faunus remained behind.

"Blake... I'm sorry for-"

"I know." She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not saying I forgive you, not yet, but I probably would've snapped too if I'd had the same three weeks you did. You were cranky and scared but... Yang, you have to let go of the past." Her hands reached out, cupping the blonde's face. "We have two beautiful daughters and a third child on the way. Now's not the time to let those old demons back into your heart."

Yang wrapped her arms around the Faunus' waist, pulling her close and bending down just enough for a kiss. She could feel Blake's baby bump pressing against her own belly, bringing a smile to her lips despite the morbid topic after the kiss ended. "I'm trying."

"Now you are." Blake chuckled, gently breaking the embrace and heading towards the dining room. "I think it'll take baby steps but, in time, I think we'll be alright. We can talk more about it tonight."

"Tonight?" She raised a brow, hoping it meant she wouldn't be exiled to the couch. Although such instances were rare now... well, their first year living together had brought with it a few more adjustments than any of them had anticipated.

At the doorway leading into the dining room, the Faunus paused. "I'll let Weiss explain."

Before she could inquire further, Blake went to the table while their wife quickly returned to the kitchen while the faint sounds of silverware clinking indicated the twins were sitting at the table and awaiting their parents' arrival. Yang thought about asking- or at least being the one to initiate the conversation- but quickly found herself pinned in place by a sharp look as the shorter woman approached.

"Listen closely, Yang, because I'm saying this once and only once." Weiss got close, poking her in the chest with a single finger. "Despite your efforts to completely derail mine, I've spent the last two weeks getting Blake comfortable and 'in the mood' and, even considering this morning's events, she's still... open to the idea." She narrowed her eyes. "Now, we're going to have a talk about this whole fiasco tonight and you're going to be on your best behavior, because after that, we might have a chance for a little fun." Before the blonde could open her mouth fully, she was shushed by a finger against her lips. "Between the two of us, who's been pregnant? That's right, me, and even if she's a tad hesitant about it, I absolutely believe a little... stress relief will be beneficial for her, and us as well. So, if you fuck this up, I'm going to spend the next month giving you so many chores you won't want to move at the end of the day, am I clear?"

Yang weighed her answer for all of two seconds. "Yep. Crystal."

"Excellent." The shorter woman sighed, the severity in her face and voice gone as a small smile claimed her lips. "It's good to have you home, Love. Now, let's go eat."

The blonde followed her wife into the dining room, where their children and other wife were already seated, with the twins staring at each other very intently. Given the slight furrow in the older Faunus' expression, this must've been going on for some time, and at first she worried that they might've overheard the conversation in the kitchen. However, once Yang and Weiss had sat down, they looked towards their plates as if nothing was the matter. Without much further ado, they started eating, passing plates around while Weiss and Yang took turns making sure the twins had enough of whatever they wanted to eat. Normally, the blonde would be a bit more concerned about the portions, but now that she'd completely calmed down, it was a struggle in itself to not scarf her own food down, nevermind chiding the kids on eating more eggs and less bacon.

Blake finally broke the silence. "So, how was your mission?"

"Good. Long, tiring, and we probably could've used an extra few hands or so, but we cleared out the nest with no casualties." She sighed, a small smile on her lips. "At the rate we're going, it might be just another generation or two before the Grimm are gone for good."

The patter of plastic being set down drew her gaze towards the twins, both of whom were staring intently at their plates.

"Zise? Noire?" Weiss' brows furrowed. "Is there something wrong?"

Slowly, the little Faunus looked up, blue eyes darting to all three of them before she replied. "Can we learn to fight?"

Yang set her own fork down, completely forgetting about the big of egg and sausage she was just about to eat. "What?"

Her tone was probably a bit more severe than entirely necessary, and the tension mounting in her shoulders probably didn't help, but Noire didn't back down and Zise came to her sister's aid rather than hide away.

"You said you all learned to fight the monsters. We want to learn, too."

"And why do you want to learn to fight?" Blake took a sip of her orange juice, no inflection in her tone.

"To defend ourselves," they said.

"Well, I don't believe that for a second." Weiss scooped more eggs onto her plate. "There's more to it, and if you two want an answer, you'll have to tell us."

Again, the twins exchanged a look. "So Momma doesn't have to be scared anymore."

Yang blinked.

"How will learning how to fight keep Momma from being scared?" Blake raised a brow, just as skeptical.

"If we know how to fight, we can protect ourselves," Zise replied.

"And, we can keep the monsters from coming back."

"And we'll know how to be careful with weapons."

Slowly, the blonde raised a hand to her face and sighed, rubbing at her forehead. This was exactly why she didn't want to show the twins how her gauntlets worked in the first place. Banking on them not somehow inheriting their Aunt's curiosity when it came to weapons- regardless of how genetically impossible the notion seemed- was just asking for too much, and she'd known that all along.

Yet... she had the same feelings when Ruby got that look in her eyes the first time, but she didn't have all the negative experiences to intensify them. Instead, she had nothing but admiration for Huntresses, and she'd supported her sister's enrollment in the combat schools. She still remembered how proud she was when Ruby, a full two years younger than most, was expressly invited to Beacon by the Headmaster himself.

Lilac eyes lifted to look at her wives, both of whom had their minds already made up, and sighed before looking at the twins.

She'd definitely lost this battle before it had even begun.

"Here are the rules. You can't start until after the baby's born; fighting to protect yourselves is one thing, but you need to have someone to protect, too. The innocent, the helpless, the weak- that's what Huntresses do. So once your sibling's born, it'll be your responsibility to keep them safe, and we'll teach you how to do that. To start, anyway." She pressed her lips into a thin line. "But we'll take no excuses. If you want to quit at any time, that's fine, but neither of you will rely on Auntie Ruby's position as Headmistress of Beacon to gain acceptance to any of the combat schools. You'll do the work, you'll attend every lesson, and you'll gain every inch of progress through your own merits, individually. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Momma."

"You'll only have one instructor at a time," Blake said, sitting back in her chair. "Momma will be first. Once she deems you're ready, I'll train you. And when I say you can advance, you'll learn from your Mother. We use three very different styles and techniques, so whichever seems to fit you best, you will pursue on your own with us as your sparing partners. But we can't go easy on you."

"Yes, Mommy."

"This isn't just lip service, sweethearts; take this very seriously." Weiss turned towards them, crossing her arms over her chest. "The moment your training begins, we're not your parents. We're your teachers and we're covering subjects that could very well save your life or the lives of others. We will always love you, whether or not you choose to pursue this, but we will be hard on you during training. We will be strict and we will be exacting." She reached out, waiting for the little ones to put a hand in each of hers before she continued. "We will push you, but we will never put you in harm's way. We don't want you to get hurt but, in that same vein, we can't allow you to get lazy or sloppy, either. We'll hold you to a much higher standard that any of your potential classmates, and we do it because we care. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Okay," Yang said, taking a slightly unsteady breath. They still had at least five months before the baby was born, so that gave her some time to truly accept the idea, but it was honestly a fool's hope that their children wouldn't follow in their footsteps somehow. "Then... that's settled. Finish your breakfast."

As the twins returned to their meals with renewed gusto, Blake reached over and lightly squeezed her hand, drawing her attention to her wives. Both of them were smiling, encouraging her that they'd made the right choice. Frankly, she didn't think so, not really, but she couldn't help but admit that there were worse things than their eldest daughters becoming Huntresses...

... still, she really hoped the next one would become an accountant.