#if she’s still a baby a 500 years old then I don’t think she’ll be at her peak for a while

[notthemonthbutmarch]

I’m thinking about Natlan and I just need one thing off my chest

If the theories are right and the Pyro Archon is currently dead and will be resurrection like the title of the chapter suggests, I want her to be a strong and respected woman.

Like, I know we’re already getting Murata and she’s gonna be a Murata Himeko expy (which I kinda don’t like but sure whatever Hoyo) from Honkai Impact 3rd, but idk I just feel like we need a single female archon that doesn’t have a bad relationship with her people AND is powerful.

Right now I think it’s safe to say that the power scaling of the archons is Zhongli, Ei, Venti, Nahida, and then Furina (I know she’s not an archon anymore I’m just including her bc I like her and I’m bias). Also, as an aside, this got to long so I’m putting it down here. I ranked Venti over Nahida not because her powers are weaker than Venti’s but because Venti has more experience. He can fight and knows the full extent of her powers and survived the Archon War; while Nahida would outsmart him no problem, Venti would overpower her physically I just wanted to clarify

Zhongli and Venti are from the OG Seven and have positive relationships with their respective countries. They’re both powerful and well respected.

Ei is hella powerful, but she did steal everyone’s visions so I don’t think she’s respected exactly. She’s more feared in my eyes. Like, absolutely, they respect her because she’s their archon and is powerful and is trying to change, but the people of Inazuma are very aware that Ei is capable of hurting her people if it means achieving her goal. OBVIOUSLY Ei herself doesn’t want to hurt her people and that was the puppet being tricked by the Fatui that did all that, but the people themselves don’t necessarily know that, so they just think Ei had a change of heart.

Nahida’s whole storyline in the Sumeru Archon Quests was reinstating her as the highest and most respected authority. Everyone loves her and for good reason! She’s great, and she’s doing her job as an archon really well. However, she is possibly one of the weakest archons due to age and experience. I can see her being a MIGHTY archon when she’s older, but how long is that gonna take? We’ll probably never see Nahida at her peak.

Then there’s Furina. Her storyline was AMAZING, I think we can all agree the Fontaine Archon Quests were great. However, Furina was seen as a joke or mascot by her people rather than an actual mighty archon. They just followed her because her voice was loud and she played the role well. Furina was never strong or respected, not until AFTER she lost her divinity for good.

Ei is strong but not respected, Nahida is respected but not strong, and Furina is not strong nor respected.

And this isn’t me trying to say Zhongli and Venti are bad or anything. There’s absolutely a discussion for misogyny in Genshin, but I’m not really opening that can of worms right now.

I’m just looking at the dynamics we have for the Archons and am hoping that we get a strong and respected female archon at some point.

It could be the Tsaritsa for all we know! The Tsaritsa is incredibly badass and there’s some indications that the intentions behind the Fatui aren’t that bad but their actions are, so it could be that the Tsaritsa is our strong AND respected Archon.

Yet, Childe’s line about her makes me think that people have their doubts, so is she really that respected as we think?

That just leaves Murata, and I am hoping that if the resurrection thing is about her, then I hope Murata is very strong and highly respected.

But if the resurrection is about someone else, say,the Pyro Sovereign, then I am BEGGING Hoyo to make the Pyro Sovereign a woman. We lost a female archon to a male sovereign I don’t want it to happen again.

[vael]

2022 Annual Review

(shuffling papers) Pandemic, war, Musk buys Twitter, artificial intelligence... Humanity has certainly had an eventful year. Now age 34, here’s how 2022 was for me.

What went well this year?

Olivia was born. It’s remarkable that I’m able to have two consecutive annual reviews in which I say a new child was born! She was born completely healthy, with the exception of a congenital knee dislocation. Thankfully, it was a quick fix and she’ll be fine.

At the time of writing, she’s nearing eight weeks old and meeting her milestones. I want to publicly commend my wife Eve on her flawless dedication to breastfeeding so far.

Raising Violet. Violet continues to surpass her milestones. It’s so incredibly rewarding to watch her develop day by day, learning how to ask for something rather than scream and point at it. I don’t think we go a day without her making us laugh. The “two under two” lifestyle is a big challenge, but I’m able to give her sufficient attention.

Web development. I learned a good amount this year, and I’m happy to announce that as the lead developer at my job, I was finally able to start a new piece of software in Svelte! That means that in the next few months, a Fortune 500 company will be using Svelte in production; albeit for internal usage only.

Game development. I didn’t get all that I wanted done this year, but it was still a good year. I finally migrated Tinydark off Orbium; all games now live under tinydark.com and the Orbium is now known as the Hub. I upgraded the Hub until I was comfortable that it wasn’t an embarrassment. I’m also happy to say it looks like a friend I was mentoring will be able to step in and get some work done on the Hub.

GAM3 and URPG saw many upgrades. Details here. I really enjoyed making content for URPG.

Oh, and Tinydark is an officially registered company now. :}

Cursing. I’ve managed to keep my language clean around the kids. I’m still internally vulgar; I’ll be coding or gaming and I’ll curse. Will try to improve.

What didn’t go so well?

Lost contact with my mom. No details on this, but she’s made it clear it’s fairly permanent.

Focus, cognition, and fatigue. I could honestly write five paragraphs about this, but this was my worst year for cognition yet. I’m having a hard time retaining what I learn and I’m permanently on a “third wind” and desperately need a solid eight hours of sleep for pretty much a year straight. It just can’t happen with our present lifestyle.

I’m doing way too much stuff for someone in my state, but I just have to take the small wins where I can get them for now. Once Olivia’s sleep regulates, I can start moving toward eight hours of sleep.

I couldn’t release Black Crown: Exhumed. I did release a teaser website for it. There was too much left to be done, but the game is 99% imported.

Pokemon GO addiction. I still play, but I’m trying to limit myself. PvP is incredibly addicting for my gaming archetype and it’s just too easy to throw in a quick three-minute game here or there. I have to be careful because the rapid tapping required for PvP can end in hand pain.

My body. I kept up with strength training, but I’ve let my cardio and flexibility slide. I’m in pain as I write this because I picked up the baby the wrong way this morning. The pain I’m in is something of a distraction when working.

The biggest problem is my forward neck posture. I get a headache 4-5 days a week just from the condition my neck (and back) is in and this is a top priority for 2023.

What did I learn?

I would say I learned to finally accept that I don’t have enough time to do everything I want as quickly as I want to. This is tough for me to cope with, and I think there’s a risk that I’ll unlearn it in the coming years...

I spent a lot of time this year studying woke culture. I ramped it up again after my daughter was born; I think I felt similar to how some mothers “nest” before the baby’s born. I want everything to be safe and happy for my children, and it seemed that learning about this serious threat to democracy and quality of life was my way of coping.

Finally, I’m deciding to not give people more than I get in return. I’m a good friend, which means I’ll often reach out to people even if they haven’t messaged me in a while. I am no longer in the position to write lengthy emails and check up with people who don’t think about me nearly as much as I think of them.

Goals and Expectations: 2023

I’ve been developing games with the goal of living off them since 2007. I do not forget this important fact as I press on, building technology, trying to make a “browser game” that’s worthwhile, ethically designed, and that I could make good money with. When I accepted that I just don’t have time to guarantee a 2023 release for URPG, my mind quickly defaulted to Bean Grower. I need to start releasing, I need to start making money; I need to be a dragon.

Release Bean Grower on the app store. BG’s had a great response and it’s served its intended purpose: a supplemental game for the studio, one that doesn’t need a landing page and isn’t expected to be a game that someone plays every day. Yet experience shows that BG may have more potential than I thought, and I’d like to spend 100-150 hours finishing it off as Version 2 release. This will be a good opportunity to get a game onto the app store, which is a ToDo for Black Crown and URPG.

Release Black Crown: Exhumed in October. Making it for the Steam Halloween Sale is a stretch, but I’m confident I can get it done. 

Start building a new house... or at least find the land. After two new kids, inflation, and stylin’ and profilin’, our bank account’s not full enough for it. But I’m holding an ace: the house we’re in now has appreciated greatly since we built it. Everyone wants to live here. If I can use the equity in the house against the loan, we’ll be able to lay the first bricks this year. We’re stable now, but soon enough, Olivia will be too old to live in the master bedroom with us, and there are sundry things we don’t like about the place we live in now.

Healthy body, healthy mind. If I had my way, I’d spend this year eating as much meat as possible, strength training and cardio 6 days a week, and grinding game dev. Alas, I’m becoming my own bottleneck. I need to stretch daily, jog, take it easy on the caffeine, and see what comes of it.

For the mind, well. My ADHD is becoming a serious problem. I’m constantly making mistakes outside of the realm of IQ, and it’s affecting everything from my Pokemon win rate to the kids’ diaper changes. Aside from better sleep once it’s logistically possible, I want to get back to “information sponge” Vael. I want to spend time each week on intellectual YouTube and take notes. Some people want to read ten books a year; I want to listen to one JBP podcast a week. That’s 52 two-hour conversations with very smart people.

I’m also going to attempt to go back to my Sherlock-inspired habit of looking at my surroundings more and paying more attention in general. This means the phone’s going to stay in the pocket.

-- --

See you next year. Vael

[theshelbyclan]

Family Secrets

Summary: Polly finally lets slip what the real Shelby curse is and as the youngest Shelby, with a little encouragement from John, you feel obligated to use it to your own advantage

(Gif by @mistress-gif​) A/N: I wrote this one when I couldn’t sleep, a long time ago, fuelled by my own frustration of being picked on as the youngest. This has been a headcanon of mine for ages and I finally put it to paper. I never had any intention of posting it, but because I’ve reached the 500 followers mark, I decided to share. It’s short, fluffy and a lot lighter than the actual series. Enjoy!

Words: 3220

*** 

“Give me the fucking book, John!” you bellowed through the kitchen. Your aunt was adamant that you’d all eat together, one day a week, on Sunday. These dinners were great and important, but they always ended in chaos. Tommy usually left early to get on with work, so he was never part of the sibling banter that ensued.

You had just finished eating and while Aunt Polly was busy clearing the dishes, you thought you could read a little. How wrong you were.

Holding the book out of your reach, the most annoying brother in the world was grinning broadly at you. “I will punch you in the fucking throat…” you threatened. This only made John laugh harder and he threw the book over your head towards Arthur who caught it nimbly. “How about me, little sister,” Arthur said playfully, “Are you going to cut me?” With a sigh you turned around and made another failed attempt at grabbing the book. Arthur threw the book back at John and a little game had started that you had no energy for. Still, you wanted that fucking book. “Forget the book, Y/N,” Ada commented from behind her own book, “Let them have their fun.”

But you were too stubborn for your own good, “I’ll be damned if I let them win…” which gave rise to more laughter from your brothers. So you grabbed the nearest tea towel and threw it in Arthur’s face. Before he could remove it, you pounced and actually felt the book beneath your fingers now. Polly paused her work and watched the scene with interest, partially because it was sweet, in a very Shelby manner, and partially because she wanted to put a stop to it before her kitchen got destroyed. You were so close, but Arthur grabbed you around your waist and managed to get the book back to John. Now you were well and truly stuck. “Right, what now?” he teased in a low voice. “Get the fuck off!” you screamed, when John walked over to you and dangled the book in front of you. Stretching out your arms as much as you could, you could almost reach it. But John, evil as he was, used his other hand to tickle your ribs and you immediately crumpled down in Arthur’s arms. The second brother soon joined in and now you were being attacked by two pairs of hands. You dissolved in a mess of giggles within seconds and there was nothing you could do. Sliding down onto the floor, with very little hope of rescue from your sister or aunt, you were at their mercy completely. And then, like some miracle, Ada intervened. She grabbed John by the collar and pulled him back. You gasped for breath as soon as you could. “She’s had enough, John,” Ada said sternly, “Back off, or you’re next.” Arthur looked down on you with a huge grin on his face, “Ada, we both know she can take much more than that…” “Noo!” you whined and without waiting for him to finish his sentence, you rolled away on your stomach across the kitchen until you bumped into your aunt. “Should’ve punched him in the throat,” she said softly to you. “Don’t be a baby!” John called out, “It’s your own fault.” “How the fuck is it my fault?” you replied indignantly from the floor. “For being so fucking sensitive,” John grinned. Arthur joined in, “That’s right. Just turn it off.” You rolled your eyes almost audibly. 

John scoffed and pushed Ada away, “You’re fourteen now, Y/N. Time to learn.”

Polly turned around swiftly, “Oh, like you ever did!”

“What?” your head shot up.

Ada looked at you with a smirk, “What, you thought you were the only one?”

As you got to your feet, Polly helped you up and said meaningfully, “That’s the real family curse, sweetheart.”

Years of them pinning you down and teasing you bubbled up in frustration, “Are you saying that I’ve been going through torture for all these years, thinking that it was just me, when all this time…”

Arthur shrugged, “You’re the youngest and smallest. Comes with the territory.” 

“Besides, we’re stronger,” John added smugly. He was right of course, which made it all the more annoying.

Polly threw down the washing cloth and theatrically said, “Welcome to the Shelby family, feared by all in Birmingham and where everyone is ticklish as fuck!” Your entire worldview had been altered in seconds. Apparently this wasn’t news to your siblings, because they all looked completely unimpressed by this bit of information, while you stood there with your mouth hanging open in surprise. After thinking about all of this for a while, you asked, “Even Tommy?” “When we were kids we used to make fun of him,” John recalled with a glint in his eyes, “It’s just his ribs, but if you poke him suddenly, he literally jumps.” “He went absolutely feral,” Arthur nodded. An idea was taking shape in your head, “Would that still work, you think?” “You’ll only get yourself killed,” Ada commented in her usual bored tone of voice. “Do it!” John urged, “Come Ada, you know she’ll get away with it.” You and John had always been the most mischievous in the family and you shared a look with a similar twinkle in your eyes. You finally knew something Tommy didn’t know. This was your one chance to catch Thomas Shelby by surprise. ***

For the next couple of days, you tried to get your brother alone. It was strange, because on the one hand you couldn’t wait to try out your plan. Envisioning how he would react was brilliant already, but the feeling of power you had was even greater. However, you also feared his reaction. Thomas Shelby was a busy man and he had very little time for anyone these days. When he did spend time with you, it was short and it often involved him reprimanding you. In all honesty, you were a little scared of him, but not scared enough to let a prank like this one go to waste. You’d deal with the consequences, whatever they were.

John might’ve been even more excited than you were and whenever Tommy left to go somewhere on his own, he motioned you frantically to follow him. Finding the right time proved almost impossible though. So you decided just to get on with it. This was the day you would find out if your brother shared the family curse. Unfortunately, he’d been in a bad mood all day. He’d called a family meeting at breakfast and had left quickly after that. They’d all reconvene in the evening. Dodging all your other responsibilities, you shadowed Tommy for most of the day, but he had one business meeting after the other. His mood was getting darker and darker, and you began to wonder if you were actually suicidal. But then, unexpectedly, you found yourself alone with him outside. “Y/N,” he said strictly, “Tell me what’s going on.” You’d come outside for some peace, because today was one of the busiest days at the shop and you’d had enough of the noise. Outside, you planned on reading your book and you’d forgotten about Tommy for a minute. Until he had appeared suddenly. “Nothing,” you said, looking up.

“Then why have you been following me all day, eh?” He sounded annoyed almost and all courage left you.

Improvising quickly, you said, “Missed you at dinner last Sunday.” “I was there,” he lit a cigarette and sat down next to you on the stone steps.

“For five whole minutes…”

“There was business to attend to.” “And there’s family to attend to as well,” you replied, without missing a beat. Silently, he side-eyed you and a small smirk played around his lips, “You’re right, I’ll do better next week. Am I forgiven?” “No,” you feigned anger. He turned his head towards you and he smiled, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

The bond you had with Tommy was a complicated one. In many ways you were very similar, but the war had changed him the most. Sometimes you felt like you’d lost him completely, when you thought of how you used to talk and laugh with him when you were younger. These moments were so rare now. And these exact thoughts did the trick and you decided that you had to be the one to make that old Tommy come back, if only a little. So you said a silent prayer, decided not to overthink it and poked him in the ribs once. The effect was immediate. Thomas Shelby shot up and nearly rocketed himself off the steps. With a wild look of betrayal he turned his eyes on you and you almost burst out laughing.   “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” you asked innocently.

He cleared his throat, ran a hand through his hair and sat back down. Apparently, we’re pretending this never happened, you thought. 

A few seconds of awkward silence later, you poked him again. This time, a small yelp escaped him. The most feared gangster in Birmingham yelped, and you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing any longer. 

As you were still trying to regain composure, Tommy pointed at you with a menacing finger, “Do that again and you will not live to tell the fucking tale.” You could only snort in reply. He was trying so hard to act all scary and while that had an effect on most people, you just couldn’t be bothered right now: It was too funny. Besides, you thought you could detect just a hint of mirth behind those pale blue eyes and decided to risk everything on just that.

“I mean it, Y/N,” he repeated, raising his eyebrows, “Do it again, I fucking dare you, and see what happens.” So you did it again. 

In a flash, he was up and dove for you. But you were faster and jumped out of the way. Like the two of you were a part of a bad play, you started circling each other around the small yard. Neither said a word and seconds felt like hours. Then Arthur called from inside the house, “Tom!”

“You called a family meeting,” you reminded him, while relaxing a little at the prospect of escape.

Tommy’s eyes stayed on you and he cleared his throat again, “Fuck, alright. You’re coming with me.” And he lifted you up and threw you over one shoulder. Your shrieks filled the house as he walked through the betting den, over to the table where the family was already gathered, with you still on his shoulder. Without blinking, the leader of the Peaky Blinders announced, “Right, well you’re all here. Let’s talk business quickly…” Aunt Polly pointed vaguely at your arse, which was sticking up in the air, “You do realise you have my niece in your arms?” “Well aware, Poll,” Tommy continued, like it was the most normal thing in the world, “Business! We’ve done well this week. John’s shown me the books and we’re making more money than ever. Next week, we’re buying a new horse and I’m going to race her.” Flabbergasted, the family stared at Tommy. You could see the million questions on their faces, but they decided to wait until he was done talking. You had also refrained from protesting by now. “Poll, as treasurer I need your permission to buy the horse.” She blinked a few times and mumbled, “Buy the horse. Y/N‘s still…” Tommy held up a hand, “Not finished,” and everyone closed their mouths again, “John, I need you to talk to that old widow down the road. She’s recently lost her son and she should become part of our fund. Arthur, for fucks sake, get the books from the Garrison in order.” “It’s those bloody numbers, Tom…” Arthur grumbled in reply. “Are we all clear on what to do?” Tommy finished off in a hurry. When no one replied, he answered for them, “Good!” With this he plucked you down from his shoulder and held you in his arms bridal style. With a grave and business-like tone he announced, “As you all know, this is Y/N Shelby, youngest member of the family. While we were away in France, she kept the fort and she has often provided us with some relief in times of stress ever since we’ve come back. But not anymore.” John started to get nervous and looked from you to Tommy. Had they gone too far this time? But then he saw Arthur grinning and even Ada had a small smile on her face, so he knew Tommy was only playing. “Gentlemen,” Tommy continued, “This is the day that Y/N Shelby dies. Say goodbye to your sister.”

And that’s when you decided not to await your fate, so you made a sudden movement and jumped out of Tommy’s arms. Dashing past the table, you sought refuge behind Polly’s back. 

“Told you this would happen, Y/N,” Ada said, not helping at all.

For some reason, Polly got up and left the room, while stating triumphantly, “The secret’s out, Thomas. Deal with it.” Now you just had an empty chair for protection. Tommy pointed at you directly and practically growled, “And it’s going back in.” With three of the largest steps he was at your side once again.

So you held up your hands, “Okay, wait, I can explain.”

“Too late, little sister,” Tommy said in a low voice, “These are family secrets that are not spoken of.”

“You’re such a drama queen, Tommy,” your sister commented, while getting up to leave. And all you could think was: why would you leave me alone with these mad bastards?

You really should’ve known better but decided to go for the cocky approach, “There’s no point in trying to scare me now, Tommy, knowing what I know.” You raised your eyebrows in an attempt to show him you were still in control. You weren’t. In a flash he’d tackled you to the floor and had you pinned down, while whispering ominously, “You picked the wrong brother to fuck with, Y/N Shelby.”

And for the second time in a week, you cursed your own sensitive skin as dexterous hands attacked your sides. Incapable of little but laughing and screaming, you flailed around hopelessly. Tommy’s face was slowly softening into a smile as well.

“Tommy!” you pleaded between giggles, “It was John, not me!” “Was it now?” he taunted without stilling his fingers, “And who was the fool to listen to his ideas, eh?” He moved up to your ribs, which made the pitch of your laughter increase. “Toohoohoom! Wait!”

Now, it was no secret that your major weakness in life was your sensitivity. Usually it was John who took the most advantage of it, being the mad joker that he was, but he often got Finn or Arthur to join in. Arthur on his own could be absolutely brutal, which was due to his strength as well, so there was no hope for you at all. Ada didn’t bother much, but when she did, she was merciless, much like Polly. But Tommy, he was a whole other story. You didn’t have many moments like this with him anymore, but when he did play and did get his hands on you, it was hell. He knew exactly how to reduce you to a small heap of giggles, pleading for your life and regretting all life choices up to that point. And this was happening right now. His smile was widening and he shook his head, “You thought you could beat me, eh?” “Yeheeeheees,” you admitted. Then he stopped for a second, allowing you to breathe, “Alright, you little devil, I’ll give you one a chance to speak.”

Residual giggles were pouring from your mouth, “Never… listen… to… John.” Tommy looked up at his younger brother who was showing zero remorse on his face, and he nodded slowly, “Good. What else?” “I’ve learned that Thomas Shelby sounds like a girl when…” but you never got to finish that sentence, as he continued his assault.

“Wrong answer. And you are way to ticklish to have an attitude like that, Y/N,” he said calmly. 

As he dragged your arms up and dug his hands under your arms, you squeezed your eyes shut, “NOOOO, I’M SOOHOORYYY!” “Are you?” he asked, now smiling broadly at your reaction, “Then tell me what you’ve fucking learned from this, eh?” “YOU DON’T FUCK WITH THE PEAKY BLINDERS!” you managed to shout out between laughs. “That’s right,” Arthur commented, watching the scene while sitting back in his chair, “Finally, she gets it.” Tommy paused and looked at both of his brothers, as if he was waiting for their verdict. “Nah,” John decided to cause more trouble, “I don’t think she has…” Still struggling unsuccessfully to get out of Tommy’s grasp, you shouted, “John, shut your fucking mouth or I swear to God…” Tommy rolled his eyes and interrupted you, “Get her, boys,” he called out, “Let’s teach our sister some respect for her brothers.” So now there were three brothers trying to keep you in place, while you were being tickled from all sides. Why did you listen to John? Why did you not know better than to challenge Tommy? Spluttering, kicking and fighting like crazy, you managed to kick them a little bit at least, but the fact that they were all grinning down on you still meant that it didn’t help much. 

Tears leaking out of your eyes, you shrieked, “YOOOUAAHAHAH AHAHAHALL SUAHAHACK!”

Then Tommy stopped them and crossed his arms in front of him. The amusement was twinkling in his eyes, “Had enough?” “Yep,” you said quickly, wiping the tears from your eyes. “Whatever Polly has told you,” he widened his eyes and brought his face close to yours, “Family secrets are not spoken of.” “Fine!” you called out, “They’re not spoken of.” His smile grew again, “Remember this, Y/N. And remember this was nothing compared to what we can do and what I will do, if you ever feel the need to cross Thomas fucking Shelby again.” You got up, again, and brushed yourself off while sending a death-stare to each of your brothers. But when Tommy smiled at you, there was a certain warmth to it that you hadn’t seen in ages.

“Wankers…” you mumbled carefully. Tommy smirked slightly, “You brought this upon yourself, Y/N. Now you know what happens…” “…when you fuck with the Peaky Blinders. Bladibladibla…” you finished his sentence. Making your way to the door, you turned back for a moment, “To be fair, Tommy, I did just saw you jump up about a foot because you’re actually fucking ticklish. So much for the whole gangster act, I should say.” Tommy’s eyes narrowed, John burst out laughing and Arthur managed to shout out a quick “Oi!” And before anyone could react, you sprinted away. Somehow, this still felt like a victory. Sure, you were the youngest and probably the most sensitive in the family, but you had discovered your own weapon now. John would be next, just for setting you up. Arthur would involve more planning. But finding Tommy’s weakness, that was the real triumph. Behind you, you could hear Tommy sit down and sigh, “Well, boys, we’re well and truly fucked now…”

And you grinned to yourself. The game was on.

***

Masterlist

[geminixevans-stan]

Hiiii congrats on 500 followers! Can I request some Mafia! Steve and Pippi content??? Fluff or smut I love it all! Mafia!Steve has been occupying my brain all day🥵😩. One of my favorite thoughts of the day was about how Bella would react if Steve actually married reader and then possibly even had his babies 😭.

Thank you so much!

Steve knows his daughter better than she knows herself. So when he wants to propose to his pippi, he lets Bella know that she’s needed at a formal get-together at the mansion. She doesn’t complain because she can go in a corner and ignore you all night. But see steve knows she’ll do that and would try and make Bella be front and center when he proposes.

The party would be going on and Steve can’t keep his hands off of pippi, sneaking kisses every now and then as they dance the night away. Of course, Steve let Bella invite her friends and that makes his petty ass smile.

He’ll grab everyone’s attention and let the help distribute champagne to everyone, holding you close to him. The room will quiet down and he would start, “The light of my life has always been my bambina Bella. So beautiful isn’t she?” everyone will clap and Bella would blush, “Then she brought my pippi, the absolute love of my life. Couldn’t be happier. Which is why I would be a damn fool to not grace her with my last name,” you and Bella both look at him.

Steve will put his drink down and get on one knee, looking up at you as the tears roll down your face, “Since your pretty eyes met at those doors, all my dreams came true pippi. Dammit, you keep this man on his toes and make my heart swell more than you know. You’ve already made me the happiest man alive and now I want to make you the queen of my Empire. Marry me my pippi?”

Of course, you say yes and the crowd goes wild!. Bella on the other is not the least bit ecstatic, but she puts on a brave face and claps anyway.

Let’s talk about married life! Bella is still being a big brat about the whole thing. She didn’t think her dad would really go through with being married to you. As soon as you two said “I do” Steve whisked you away to a private room to fuck you in your wedding gown. He cared nothing about the reception and only wanted to put a baby in you.

That man is fertile because 2 months after the honeymoon you were pregnant and giving him twin boys. You wanna talk about a happy man? Steve was through the roof with excitement! He took care of pippi so well. She didn’t lift a finger. Bella was furious! She was no longer the only child anymore and all the attention was now on you and her baby brothers.

She wouldn’t come home on the weekends and would be out partying all the time. There was a time where she was home and you were waddling around, hand splayed on your belly. You heard scoff and you look over at her, “Problem Bella?” she rolled her eyes and went back to her phone.

You shrugged your shoulders and kept walking cause these babies were heavy!

When the twins are grown, there are a spitting image of Steve. Same blue eyes and every bit of you too. They’re like 3 years old now and Bella can’t stand them. She would always call them little mistakes and one day Steve heard it, “Watch Bambina your brothers are not mistakes… You are if you want to go there,” he would smirk and go back to what he was doing.

She stomps her feet, crossing her arms, “Papà! You lie!.”

“One thing I don’t do is lie bambina, you were a drunken night. Nothing more nothing less. But still, the light of my life,” that didn’t go over will with her because she stomped out of the room.

“Mistake! Mistake!” the boys sang as you tried to shush them. But Steve couldn’t stop be clutch his chest and let out the loudest laugh.

Join the Freaknik!

[fallout-drabbles-n-stuff]

Hello there , could you do some hc of what kind of parents the companions would be ?🥰i love your writings btw❤

(I love you too!!!)

(I’ve went into a little bit more detail in some other posts with specific characters regarding this and plan to do so with the others! So if these seem too short, just let me know who you specifically want and I’ll probably be able to make you a whole 500+ word list 😂)

Cait:

Cait, for a lack of better words, is apprehensive. From the moment she looked into the eyes of her child, she couldn’t help but be torn inside even more than she already was. How could her parents all those years ago look upon the face of a child like this and be able to be so cruel?

There would be quite a few learning curves for her.

Having a child would probably be the only thing that would make her stop drinking. Chems for you, drinking for your children. It was the hardest thing a person could do, but she’d do it for you and her new family.

Curie:

The typical mother hen type and isn’t afraid to show it.

She values teaching her children the beauty of the life that surrounds them rather than the doomy apocalypse that most others would see in its place. This was their home after all, she wanted them to enjoy it and understand it’s most inner workings.

May or may not suffer from a mild case of Munchausen’s syndrome, but she’ll grow out of it eventually.

Danse:

Worried dad™️.

Tries to be firm and orderly but is really a huge softie for his babies.

Still has decent rules for his kids to follow, for instance..no messing around with guns and all that good stuff.

Deacon:

Is genuinely quite distressed during the early stages of your child’s life, it’s quite the adjustment. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy each and every moment of it though.

Is totally the kind of parent that would let his kids ride on their shoulders.

Really just wants to be the one that allows the kids to do the fun stuff. Please don’t make him the “bad guy”

Gage:

Do NOT leave your child with Gage. He always ends up teaching them something stupid or doing something ridiculous. He ends up being the reason they learn a cuss word.

He’s super over protective over his baby/babies.

Will always be the designated baby holder, somehow having a way with small ones- as soon as they get into his arms, they all seem to calm down.

Hancock:

The coolest dad around.

He firmly believes that while you and him should always be there for your child, the child should be allowed to learn their ways without much interference form either of your own ends.

Totally plays “pirates” with his kids, proceeding to parade them all around Goodneighbor after the game is over.

Macready:

Considering he has some experience, he’s actually pretty dang good at this whole “parenting” thing.

Is honestly a little gullible when it comes to his young ones getting one over on him.

Has the worst time disciplining.

Maxson:

He’s really excited, just in general.

Takes the cake when it comes to being an overprotective dad.

The biggest pushover ever seen. Will even sing lullabies upon their requests.

Nick:

He’s very much so devoted to his family, loving his kids more than anything- more than should even be possible.

Likes to tell (much nicer) versions of work stories to his kids so they know what he does all the time.

Ellie becomes somewhat of an elder sister/maybe aunt like figure for his children.

Old Longfellow:

Pretty mellow in all honesty, or so you think.

Tries to teach his kids from a young age the importance of staying safe and how dangerous it is to go wander out in the fog.

Family fishing trips are an actual thing and they are all lovely experiences.

Piper:

Helicopter mom extraordinaire! A general distrust of anyone and everyone in the wasteland will do that to you though.

Like Mac, she has some experience so she at least halfway knows what is and isn’t a good idea when it comes down to chien behavior

Despite being more “hovering” she really does try her best to make her children at least feel somewhat free.

Preston:

Best storyteller ever.

Tries to teach his children the values of compassion and kindness.

Family user of the phrase “I’m not mad, just disappointed .”

Sturges:

Likes to be a very hands-on kind of parent, working out perfectly when you consider how much you need to leave for adventures.

Makes little toys and trinkets for his babies to play with.

Likes showing his kids how to build and repair certain things- but have no fear! You haven’t caught him with the power tools yet.

X6-88:

A very devoted father.

His baby is now his new mission. Making sure they grow to be happy a new healthy is all he really wants now.

Gets into so much mischief, but you’ll never know.

[notwritinganyflufftoday]

Underwing Challenge - Day 3

Previous Posts: Day 1 | Day 2

Who is your main cast? Describe as many of your OCs as you can cram into one post.

Yesterday I introduced my WIP How to Break Every Rule in the Caretaker’s Handbook, now it’s time for the characters. I already talked a bit about the main two characters, but let’s get into detail now!

Dewdrop - they/them - approx. 2000 years old/Seasoned

All Dewdrop wants to do is protect the people close to them, which shouldn’t be much of an issue, except it’s Dewdrop and they don’t know when to quit. Dewdrop is protective to the extreme and selfish, because when everything has been taken away from them, isn’t it only natural for them to be possessive over whatever they have left? Their resilience is the only reason they haven’t gone insane during their centuries in exile.

Jonah - he/him - 17 years old

Jonah lets his emotions guide him most of the time. This makes him a thoughtful and sensitive soul. When his grandma dies and his best friend moves out of town, however, Jonah's emotions are all over the place and he sinks deep into sadness. Even when help eventually comes, Jonah might prefer to ignore his issues rather than resolve them.

Time for some side-characters:

Suzy - she/her - Jonah’s mum & Dewdrop’s human - 44 years old

Suzy’s stubborn and straightforward. She won’t waste time with pleasantries and doesn’t shy away from difficult situations or conversations. She’s fiercely protective of her kids and will call Dewdrop out on their bullshit.

Stormcloud - she/her - a negligent caretaker - Less than a century old/Sapling

Pretty sure you can figure out whose caretaker this is. Stormcloud is a troubled individual with some severe personal and mental issues, which prevent her from properly caring for her current human. She’s highly compassionate, but she doubts whether she can be of any use at all.

More under the cut:

During Dewdrop’s years of exile, they have accidentally acquired a couple of caretakers and taken them under their wing.

Fifi: the oldest of the five. She’s mute and loves gardening. She’s normally calm and serene, but when someone pisses her off, she doesn’t hesitate to shove them against a wall.

Echo: Oh boy... his relationship with Dewdrop is... complicated. Echo holds a 500 year old (give or take a few decades) grudge against Dewdrop and there’s no way to fix it (I’ve tried).

Helia: She’s like a little Dewdrop when it comes to sticking her nose in other people’s business. Dewdrop finds her endearing and sees a lot of themself in her. Helia is cheerful and outgoing and a little ball of fun chaos.

Plume: Plume’s perpetually busy and spends a lot of time with their human. They can come across as rather cold and callous, but they’re just tired 24/7

Violet: the youngest and baby of the group. She’s a sweetheart, she’s as curious as Helia, but has the courtesy not to push.

And then there’s him.

Sunflare: What can I say about him other than, to Dewdrop, Sunflare is the sun’s incarnate in a world without light. Dewdrop needs him, but they can’t have him and it’s excruciating. Or it would be if Dewdrop allowed themself to think about him. (I wish I could tell more about Sunflare’s personality, but spoilers)

On Jonah’s side of the story:

Ramiro: Jonah’s dad, he’s supportive, caring and the voice of reason in a world full of stubborn, emotional people.

Dominic: a charmer who’s at the same time full of life and also dead inside. He becomes Jonah’s ally (and maybe more?) in saying ‘fuck you’ to the world and ignoring emotional issues.

Polina: Jonah’s classmate. A girl with a socialist ideology and grandma clothes. She’s fascinated by caretakers and swears that she’ll meet hers properly one day. Not that she’d purposefully run into danger to do so, but still...

Hasim: Jonah’s study buddy, not by choice of course. While Hasim is a dork and way into D&D and history movies, he’s not that bad? But people need to stop telling Jonah that he’s the perfect guy for him, because Hasim’s totally not his type. Totally not.

Okay, this turned out way too long, my apologies, but I wanted to introduce as many of the relevant characters as possible.

[gizkasparadise]

kdrama rec/review: mystic pop up bar

KDRAMA AND CDRAMA MASTER LIST OF REVIEWS

Series: mystic pop up bar Episodes: NOT ENOUGH 12 Genres: urban fantasy, urban horror lite, found family!!!, friendship, mystery, comedy, supernatural, warm fuzzies despite an alarming amount of death Spoilers in the Rec: minor ones/for the set-up If You Like, You’ll Like: hotel del luna (although it has a very different feel), early bleach (manga), found families, being human (uk & us versions), those moments in shows where you’re like OH MAN HOW ARE THEY GETTING OUT OF THIS and then they do. because friendship.

Rank: 10/10

I went into this with low expectations. it sounded like it was trying to bank on hotel del luna, but i was still down to watch a ghost version of leverage or whatever this turned out to be. figured it’d be decent to watch but not AMAZING. 

the first ep gave me that impression. by the second ep i was hooked. and by the third ep this was one of my favorite shows of all time

PREMISE

during the joseon era, a shaman named weol ju went and fucked up a perfectly good sacred tree. as punishment, she now has to resolve the grudges of 100,000 humans or go to hell. as a shaman, she can accomplish this by plying them with alcohol and entering their dreams (well the alcohol part might just be her artistic signature).

time to start a bar!

in the current day, 500 years later, weol ju owns and runs mystic pop up bar, where she learns about her customers’ grudges. and apparently has sound business strategy, as she serves like 4 people a day but still has enough overhead to craft these 4 people bespoke meals that speak to their inner tragedy. and also sandwiches.

helping her is chief gwi, a ghost cop who’s been reassigned to her bar to help weol ju accomplish her quota. because time’s running out--weol ju now has less than a month to solve her 10 remaining grudges.

enter bambi kang bae. a regular human who works a regular customer service job, kang bae has one terrible power: anytime someone touches him (or he touches them), they want to confess their deepest, darkest secrets. kang bae is understandably not comfortable around people (but desperately wants to be around people. my poor fucking heart) and incredibly lonely. 

when his and weol ju’s paths cross, she makes him an offer: he helps her out with her remaining grudges, and in return she’ll remove his powers.

deal!

MAIN CHARACTERS

weol ju

a 500+ year old shaman who is paying for her sins on earth because she went out on a limb :| . begins the series angry and ends the series angry, because it turns out angry people can still be kind, which is great to see with a female protagonist. how close she’s cutting it to the deadline on her quota speaks strongly to sixth-year senior vibes. wears modern versions of hanboks which are all v. cool and on moments of aching realization wednesdays she wears pink.

will steal your shit and look you straight in the eyes as she walks backwards into hell.

gwi/gui

a former ghost cop who’s been reassigned to help weol ju run the mystic pop up bar. he’s a lot more chill than weol ju and has the vibe of someone who forgets keys at home. while at the bar, he does a lot of the prep work, and is sometimes asked by yeom to help catch nearby, evil spirits. 

he’s actually like a hardcore warrior, but you forget it because he wears goggles to cut onions and dresses like someone who would be the spokesperson for microwaveable fish sticks. team dad. fanboy of romantic serial e-novels.

han kang bae

a baby.

in a truly amazing narrative move, kang bae works customer service at a market by day and solves grudges at a bar by night. is a sweet, simple boy who just wants to help people and is SO EXCITED to have new friends in weol ju and gwi. you want to give him a hug BUT YOU CAN’T.  human carebear

even the yellow collar of his customer service uniform makes a heart:

SOME SUPPORT CHARACTERS SELECTED BY HOW MUCH THEY ARE MY FAVORITES

kang yeo ri

lmao you know it’s going to be good when a character is introduced dropping a dude straight to the ground. yeo rin is a bodyguard mild spoiler turned security guard for the market where kang bae works. she could beat the shit out of you and you’d thank her. has no luck in dating. rocks a suit. sobs at movies about gout

yeom, the grim reaper

your friendly neighborhood grim reaper. yeom very much screams middle management, and works in the same “district” that weol ju and gwi have their pop up bar in. sometimes they’re at odds with one another (because weol ju has about the same amount of respect for the rules that an untrained puppy has for new carpet), but they’re still friends. gwi sometimes works with him to catch evil spirits, buddy-cop style. loves noodles. 

yeomra-daewang 

god of the underworld. in charge of handing out punishments and determining the fates of those sent to the afterlife. forgets who she’s texting. appreciates true love but is also aggressively annoyed by it. take your fucking scroll and go

samsin

probably the character with the most name recognition. samsin (or samsin granny) is the goddess of mothers and children, and in the show the focus is more on children. loves karaoke, basic bitch coffee, and claw games. gives out too many sexy tiger dreams.

kim wong hyun

he gave them the heebie jeebies. he had nothing else to give

ringtones.

they’re their own character. check out those motifs. 

Drawbacks

if i had any, it’s that the first episode undersells the rest of the series. and even the first ep isn’t bad

12 episodes is not enough :( 

Reasons to Watch.

i love the little details: that the supernatural characters have ring tones that correspond to their role (ex: the god of the underworld’s are screams; i believe the grim reaper’s are a shaman’s bells?, gwi has SPOILERS), or that the food special of the day connects or reflects with the person they’re helping. themes/significant moments are represented by the colors characters are wearing. im a nerd for this stuff

there are some dramatic reveals about who characters are and how they relate to one another, but like. dynamics barely (or don’t at all) change, and that’s due to how strong/familial they are already? and the show’s built up to it and it all feels really earned A+

i HATE monster of the week formats, but the ones in this show are integrated with the main characters’ backstories and also propel the major arcs forward. and it’s wholesome when the grudges are solved

i like that you think you saw a full scene in the flashbacks, but then a few eps later the flashback gets extended. idk it’s a cool narrative device

the romance is wonderful all-around

the pacing was great. i wish one of the Reveals was introduced earlier just so we could have more moments with it, but everything was cohesive/wrapped up nicely

all the characters have their own unique relationships to one another. kang bae + weol ju have their own dynamic, weol ju +gwi, gwi + kang bae, and so on. it was nice to see that none of the main trio were satellite characters 

Final Thoughts.

they’re a team, god damn it ;;;;;;

[theladyofdeath]

Prompt: “Did you see the way he looked at her?” “Honey, they’re three.” “I don’t fucking care, she isn’t allowed to have a boyfriend.”

500 words or less word count: 542 oops

“Did you see the way he looked at her?”

Rowan had stilled from his spot on the park bench.

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Honey, they’re three.”

“I don’t fucking care, she isn’t allowed to have a boyfriend.”

“I repeat,” Aelin began, taking a deep breath. “She’s a toddler.”

Rowan wasn’t paying any attention, Aelin knew this. He only made her realize that fact more when he said, “He just fucking took her hand - A, they’re holding hands.”

It came out as a mutter, and he was talking decently calm as if he was talking about nothing more than the weather. But even though it didn’t show in his tone, she knew that look in his eye.

“What’re you going to do when she’s a teenager?” Aelin asked, amused. “You realize she’ll be bringing someone home at some point.”

“I don’t know,” Rowan said. “I’ll probably die. Right there. On the spot.”

Aein chuckled and patted his knee. “Would it really be so bad?”

Rowan shot her a glare through his side-eye. “Do you not remember being a teenager? Having a broken heart? Fuck, if I had a dime for every girl-”

His words dropped off as Aelin lifted a golden brow.

Rowan cleared his throat. “For every girl I treated like a perfect gentleman and politely told that I didn’t want to date them anymore….but, of course, I suggested we remained friends. Always.” 

Aelin rolled her eyes. She and Rowan met in college, and she was perfectly aware of the reputation the scandalous nineteen-year-old Rowan Whitethorn had attainted. She whipped him into shape real fast.

And he had happily let her.

Now, they were in their mid-twenties with a perfect, beautiful, three-year-old princess. That’s what Rowan called her, anyway.

She was a daddy’s girl.

“I’m just saying,” Rowan went on. “I don’t think I could handle it. Watching her, crying over some asshole that thought she wasn’t good enough.”

“Why do I feel like you’re going to be that dad that sits on the front porch, glaring at her date’s car as they drive up,” Aelin said, laughing quietly.

Rowan looked down at Aelin, tossing an arm around her shoulder before looking back to the playground, where Analiese and her new friend were going down the slide. 

“There are worse things,” he muttered, at last.

Aelin shook her head, but she couldn’t control her grin. “I suppose so.”

A minute passed before Rowan said, “Aelin, they’re in the fucking sandbox.”

“Ah, yes,” Aelin began, “the most romantic spot on the playground.”

Rowan turned his attention to her, glaring. “Your sarcasm is unnecessary.” 

Aelin laughed, her hand finding Rowan’s and bringing it to her lips. “Gods bless the one that’s still in the womb.”

Rowan’s eyes softened as he glanced down to her little baby bump. She wasn’t due for another four months, and then their little family would expand. Another girl. He placed his hand softly atop her abdomen before kissing her forehead. 

Aelin smiled as she watched him. “At least they know they have a damn good daddy.”

And they did, with Rowan Whitethorn, the hard, stubborn, passionate ass that he was. When all else failed, when all else seemed uncertain, one thing remained: Rowan Whitethorn loved his girls.

[romanaisalive]

the ones left behind

Whumptober entry, chosen prompt: "You have to let go."

OC dnd character backstory event from our Curse of Strahd campaign, from an NPC's POV. Letta (shadar-kai rogue) leaves the family she lived with for a hundred years, the halfling matriarch has feelings about it. Some sadness and hurt/comfort, but as far as whump goes a mild start to the month.

For other players: slight backstory spoilers

500 words, under the cut

No. 1 - ALL TRUSSED UP AND STILL NOWHERE TO GO

“You have to let go” | barbed wire | bound

“You have to let her go,” said Arzu.

Lille (Uvilile officially, Grandma Lili to the kids and quite a few adults in the village, Lille to her friends and husband) didn’t even hear him. She was watching the path leading through the fields of corn, holding onto the old wooden bench under them.

“Lille,” Arzu said again.

“She’s so young,” she said, which was highly debatable. Letta was barely twenty years younger than her, but where 220 years were the sunset of a halfling lifespan for an elf it was still the first part.

Fortunately Arzu knew better than to debate. Letta was their baby since Norri and Vera found her when they were still kids, lived with them, helped around the farm and the children, stumbling through life and learning to live with whatever messed her up before they met. She never thought she’d see her go. She knew she was getting more and more restless as their generation slowly died out, she knew she was haunted (there were some things she remembered from her grandparents’ tales about the time they were a monster hunter family), but… But.

During the last century Letta became a part of their lives, with all her weirdness. She went from a young mother to a grandmother of thirteen children with her there.

“I’ll miss her too,” said Arzu. “But she was never meant to live with us forever.”

“I thought…” she started but couldn’t finish. What was there to say? That she thought Letta would stay until they were both dead? It was incredibly selfish, no matter how she twisted it.

“She’s a smart kid,” Arzu pulled her into a side hug. “She’ll be fine.”

“I hope so,” she muttered. She hated this, hated not being able to help but Arzu was right. Their hands were tied - they just weren’t equipped to help her in the long run. They did all they could already.

“Relax, mother hen,” Arzu said and kissed her hair. “It’s not your fault.”

“Grandmaaaa!”

They both jumped at the sudden voice. Frori, Vera’s youngest daughter ran to them and stared up into their faces.

“Grandpa, why is Grandma sad?” She whispered to Arzu who chuckled.

“She’s sad because your Auntie Letta went to discover the big, big world.”

“Oh.” Frori wrinkled her nose. “Will she come back?”

“I think she will,” Lille said slowly. “But maybe only when you’ll be a big girl.”

Frori turned to the corn and stared into it with all the seriousness of her five years.

“Will she stop being scared in the big world?”

“I hope so.” Her voice cracked and Arzu squeezed her shoulder. Fortunately Frori didn’t seem to notice.

“Good,” she nodded. “Then I don’t mind. Do you want to see my new pebbles?”

“Of course!”

She let Frori lead her away, her hand in Arzu’s hand. When they reached the first house she glanced back at the quickly dissolving footprints on the road. Good luck.

The corn reassuringly whispered behind them.

[doc-pickles]

500 FOLLOWERS?!

What the heeeeell?! I am so grateful for this and so thankful to be apart of our Jolex community, because I would not be at this number today without you guys. I’ve truly found a second home in writing these two idiots, I’ve even found some of my closest friends because of this fandom.

In honor of hitting 500, I’m going to share this little fic I wrote. I was originally planning this to be for our Halloween challenge, but it didn’t end up working for it because I literally word vomited this out in like two hours. But it’s fluffy and it’s a fix it. Thank you guys again so much!!

xoxo Nina

the worth while fight

This is a state of grace This is the worth while fight Love is a ruthless game Unless you play it good and right

Kansas City Children’s Hospital. The sign in front of Jo feels like it’s screaming at her, the neon lights a warning signal to turn around now before she ruins everything. But she can't, she’d come so far and she wasn’t going to let her nerves get the best of her.

Pushing through the doors, Jo resolutely walks to the reception desk and up to the first nurse she sees. Settling a smile on her face, she asks the question she wishes she’d never have to ask.

“Hi I’m looking for Doctor Karev. Alex Karev… Chief Alex Karev. Please,” Jo tries her best not to seem crazy or stalkerish, she knows she isn’t but her anxiety is soaring as the nurse states her down.

“Do you have an appointment?”

Jo blinks confusedly at the woman. She didn't expect that, hadn’t really got any further than walking through the doors in the scenarios that played through her head on the plane ride here.

“I, uh-,” Jo’s stuttering is interrupted by an all too familiar voice coming from behind the reception desk.

“Jennifer, can you tell Doctor Weller that he has a-,” his eyes meet hers and his voice stops, Jo’s heart beating erratically as she takes in Alex for the first time in almost a year. He looks exhausted, like he hasn’t slept well since he left Seattle, but his eyes shine just as true as always. “Jo. What’re you doing here?”

Her impending answer is cut off by a small cry, Jo’s hands instinctively reaching into the stroller in front of her to unclip the baby and cradle her close to her chest. She can feel Alex’s eyes on her, knows that he’s staring at her, but she can’t be bothered by it as she holds her daughter in her arms.

“Can we talk? Somewhere… private,” Jo’s eyes finally float up to Alex’s face, taking in his eyes that are glued to the little girl she’d just revealed to him. “Alex? Please?”

He snaps back to reality then, telling one of the nurses in front of him to cancel everything else he has planned for the day. Alex steps closer to Jo, grabbing the stroller she’d pushed in and leading her away from the prying eyes of the hospital staff. He leads her into an empty conference room, waiting for her to enter before locking the door and drawing the blinds.

Logically she knows she should start talking, but she can’t. Jo’s standing catatonic, eyes meeting Alex’s as they both stand in silence. She can’t tell if it’s overwhelming anger or the relief of seeing each other again or the elephant in the room, but standing here with Alex does something to Jo that she can’t quite explain.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

As if wanting to join the conversation happening, the baby in Jo’s arms lets a squeal out, tiny hands clawing at her mother's shirt as the squeals turn into cries.

“Sorry I have to feed her, she’ll start screaming if I don’t,” Jo doesn’t know why she feels the need to explain this to Alex, he’s the Chief of a pediatric hospital for god’s sake, but she doesn’t know what else to say. She makes a last minute decision to grab the nursing cover from the stroller before settling into a chair, suddenly feeling the need to hide from Alex. She knows she doesn’t have to, this man was married to her, but things felt different. She settles the baby on her breast finally, sighing in relief that her cries have quieted.

“How old is she,” Alex’s voice makes Jo look back to him, his eyes searching her face desperately.

“Three and a half months,” the answer brings Alex down into the chair across from Jo, hands running over his face in exasperation. “Alex, you-”

“You could’ve called! You could’ve told me Jo! Jesus Christ, after everything we’ve been through,” Alex’s voice booms around Jo, a discontented squeal coming from the baby in her arms. Alex lowers his voice, an expression of sadness overwhelming his features. “Why didn’t you call Jo?”

“You left Alex! You left me all alone and you couldn’t even be bothered to pick up the phone and tell me, you wrote me a pathetic letter,” she knows tears are pooling in her eyes, but she can’t hold them back. She’s been playing this conversation over in her head for months, practicing exactly what she’d say to Alex when she saw him again. But seeing him now, sitting across from him, the words slip out of Jo’s mind. “I was waiting for you to come back home so I could tell you, but you never walked back through the door. You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to come with you. Did you ever think that might’ve been an option? That I would’ve followed you anywhere, Alex?”

The silence that envelops them is tense, Jo realizing that her words had rung true. He hadn’t thought she’d come with him, he’d thought that she’d choose her career and whatever else was in Seattle over Alex and their future. The thought nauseates her, a hand pressing against her mouth as she feels more tears drip down her cheeks.

“You didn’t think I would drop everything in my life to be with you,” Jo’s voice breaks as she stares at Alex, his head in his hands unmoving as he listens to her. “Damn it, you’re so stupid! I’m your wife Alex! That’s what we vowed to each other! I love you! Does that not mean anything to you?”

The baby at her breast unlatches and lets out a loud cry, Jo bringing her up to her shoulder and patting her back gently. The cries don’t lessen though, Jo thinks it’s because she herself is still bawling uncontrollably as she tries to calm her daughter. Alex stands and gestures for her to hand the baby to him, Jo relenting almost too easily. She’s so small in his hands, the sight of Alex holding his daughter for the first time sending Jo into another round of tears.

“It’s okay, it’s alright baby girl, I got you,” Alex’s voice is calm and sweet as he sways back and forth, his own eyes closing as he pats the baby’s back gently. “You’re okay, no need to cry.”

Through her rounds of tears, Jo realizes that she hasn’t told Alex his daughters name yet. She takes a deep breath, wipes at her cheeks, then raises her voice so that Alex can hear her, “Her name is Reese. I’m... I’m sorry I didn’t call but I couldn’t...”

Her resolve to speak ends there, instead Jo looks to Alex who’s staring at her with a look of sadness. He extends his free hand to her, pulling her out of her seat and into his embrace before she has a second to overthink anything. The comfort of being in Alex’s arms again overwhelms her, worry and fear melting away as he holds her tight against him. His other hand still has Reese clutched to his opposite shoulder and the moment feels like a long time coming for Jo.

“I’m sorry, about how I left you and what happened. I know it doesn’t mean much, but I should’ve talked to you and I’m sorry that I didn’t even think of you. And if I’d known...,” Alex pauses, his words halting as he presses a kiss into Jo’s hair. “I’m so sorry Jo. I want to make it up to you, I want to be there for you and Reese. I’ll split time between here and Seattle, I’ll do whatever you want. Just please, let me try. I don’t deserve that from you, but I want to try.”

Jo presses herself into Alex’s shoulder, giving herself a moment to relish in the comfort he’s always brought her before speaking again, “We didn’t just come to visit, Alex. I told you, I’d go anywhere for you.”

She can feel the pause his body takes as he processes her words. Alex leans back, eyes searching her own for any indication that she’s playing some cruel joke on him, “You’re moving? Here? To middle of nowhere Kansas?”

Jo wipes her cheeks once more as she nods, forehead leaving against Alex’s as a small chuckle escapes her lips, “The moving truck is two days out, I couldn’t... we couldn’t stay away from you and I know you can’t leave your other kids. We just decided to make things easier for you.”

The tears that come next aren’t from Jo, but from Alex as he presses his lips to hers. The salty taste of his tears mixes between them as Jo kisses back hungrily, the time and miles that had been between them melting as they come back together. They only break apart when a small burp sounds from the baby still resting on Alex’s shoulder.

“You... you’re beautiful just like your mommy,” Alex coos at the infant, cradling her in his arms as he takes in her features for the first time. “You’ve got my nose though, sorry about that.”

Jo never thought she’d get the scene before her. When she’d read Alex’s letter, she’d thought that she would never see him again, that their daughter would never meet her father. But despite the shit they’d been through, Jo knew at the end of the day that the one thing Alex valued over everything else was his family, the people closest to him. That’s why he’d almost gone to jail for her, why he left Seattle, why he’d stuck by her through everything. They had a long road back, but Jo knew without a doubt that her and Alex would be okay.

[audiodramatist]

alright Tangled Wooden Overcoats time @labelleofbelfastcity

- the story starts the same, magic flower, sick queen, etc. 

- the man who’s been using the flower’s magic to stay young for ehh, 500 years? shows up to try and steal it back, but finds twin babies with long blue-black hair that fades to a dull, human shade of brown-black when cut.

- he doesn’t know which baby is magical, so he goes “fuck it” and takes both

- Antigone and Rudyard grow up in the tower with Father Gothel (get it because he’s goth) (the twins seem more scared of their father than mother in canon so im swapping it so he’s the big bad) 

- i don’t want them to be stuck there for 35 years because that’s hella sad, so maybe we’ll bump all characters down to like, early 20-somethings. older than rapunzel but not canon age.

- their daily activities are quite a bit more... grim. Father Gothel is a quasi-immortal mortician and he’s like “hey kids do you want to play with taxidermy?”

- Madeline has Pascal’s role, she’s closer friends with Rudyard than Antigone (likely because of his Disney Princess Animal Communication) and rides on his shoulder or head for most of the adventure.

- Eric is a gentleman thief on the run from the palace guards

- his “a long long time ago...” moments are references to the storybook that inspired his life of crime

- the entire smolder scene but with Eric Chapman, Mr. Sunshine Man. the charm actually works on Antigone, but the twins are tag-teaming the interrogation and Rudyard is immune. 

- upon breaking the twins out, Eric quickly realizes that they’re uncomfortable with sunshine and fluffy animals and general cuteness, and is like “my god do i have a place for you”

- he takes them to the Ugly Duckling, full of smiling, social townsfolk! they hate it! success! however, everyone fawns over Chapman so much that he’s pulled away from them, and the twins (mostly Antigone) start up the I’ve Got A Dream sequence

- except that they’ve convinced everyone to embrace their dark side. the lovely old confectioner wants to hunt down murderers! the baker wants to blow up a mine! the sweet, patient secretary wants to kill!

- uh oh here come the guards looking for Chapman. and one of them has a particular grudge.

- Eric Chapman has charmed his way out of capture one too many times, and Georgie Crusoe isn’t having it. she’s strong, determined, and multi-talented, and she’ll catch that thief by any means necessary. 

- unfortunately, the Funns have their own strange charms, and she’s willing to reach a truce with Chapman in order to make them happy.

- i actually think Antigone would be the one who wants to see the lanterns, and Rudyard is on the adventure just because he doesn’t want to be left alone. Antigone is the one who forces Chapman to help them, Antigone stands up to Father in the woods, Antigone realizes that they’re the Lost Princesses.

- oh yeah rudyard trans but like,, rudyard always trans amirite (although tbh i’m usually also an “antigone trans” person and im sacrificing it for some au details here)

- See the Light is in a hot air balloon. u can pick ur flavor, antman or chapyard but i have more Thoughts on the chapyard version so here it is (also i relegated rudyard to comic relief for this whole plot so far & i think he should have a nice moment)

- Antigone’s “See the Light” verse is about how she can finally see herself in a world that isn’t her tower-mortuary and how she wants to be in control of her life, while Rudyard and Chapman get the more romantic part :P

- when Eric “betrays” the twins, Antigone is hurt but determined to stay out in the kingdom, and Father knocks her out to get her back. Rudyard doesn’t believe that Chapman would leave, and suspects fowl play, but Father threatens to hurt Antigone if he doesn’t come with them, and so he follows.

- Madeline stows away in the boat when Chapman’s tied up and sent to shore. He gets captured immediately, but Madeline finds Georgie, and they go to gather the Piffling residents from the Ugly Duckling for a jailbreak.

- oh those two guys who Eric did crime with are also Father’s assistants. they dont go to jail yet because i want Georgie to fight them later lol

- so its a tower confrontation! the twins are chained in the tower with Father. Madeline sneaks through a window and picks the lock on Antigone’s chains quickly, but Rudyard’s are stuck, and she still can’t get them undone as Chapman shows up & promptly gets stabbed but he’s still standing so it can’t be that bad, right?

- Georgie is facing off against Thing 1 and Thing 2 down in the field below, and she’s tough as hell but half the size of one of them and it’s not sounding good.

- Antigone sees Madeline still hard at work on his gives Rudyard a “you got this?” look & he nods (even though he totally don’t got this) and she disappears into the shadows

- Father starts looking for her but can’t find anything until he & Rudyard hear a decisive “snip” from the rafters

- and Antigone swings down on a rope of dark brown hair and out the window, the last bits of magical blue fading from her now shoulder-length hair

- hey Eric is looking decidedly worse now. so is Father, to be honest. but as long as he still has Rudyard, he’ll survive.

- and Madeline finally gets through the lock

- Rudyard jumps to try and heal Eric, but broken mirror, surprise haircut, you know the drill. Madeline trips the rapidly-aging Father & he falls out a window! yay!

- Rudyard’s like Excuse Me We Just Watched Antigone Cut Her Hair How Could You Do This??? but obvs Eric doesn’t die because it’s a disney princess movie

- they all go back to the castle, antigone is an incredibly competent princess and rudyard is the kingdom’s beloved prince for all of 2 days before everyone is like “oh wait he’s an asshole lmao”

and then everyone lives happily ever after

[okayoonoh]

JUNGWOO’S FAMILY

a/n: i honestly can’t believe i’ve gotten this far! i’m so happy that i’ve been keeping up with these and i hope you guys have been liking them so far!

here’s the masterlist to all things nct dad related! go and check it out! i have so many other parts written already :)

KIM JUNGWOO:

he has three kids, all daughters. kim jia is the oldest, 3 years later, kim jieun was born, and 3 years after that, kim jiyoung was born.

(when jiyoung was born, jia was 6 years old while jieun was 3 years old)

KIM JIA: >> as a baby <<

she comes runner up in the position as calmest

she was so freaking chill like?

when jia was born, jungwoo saw his entire universe the second she opened her eyes and looked at her appa

you know how when jungwoo smiles, he looks like the little dumpling ?

yeah

that’s jia

she looks more like the dumpling then jungwoo does lol

jia was also pretty small when she was born

but that didn’t stop her!

when she gained weight, she mostly gained it in her belly and her face

she like was fine proportionally, but her belly was just so big lol

it honestly was the cutest

jungwoo nicknamed her mandu bc she was honestly just the sweetest little dumpling

she wasn’t shy when it came to her smiles

she was a little wary around strangers but that’s okay

jungwoo was honestly a really anxious dad

like he just would think that anything and everything can go wrong and he was just so nervous

but like jia took it easy on him dw

like if you had to leave for something for like a couple days

jungwoo would be so anxious about taking care of jia by himself

but then jia would just give her appa a pretty little reassuring smile

and he knew that he got it

jungwoo is honestly a really good dad

like naturally

he read a couple books and such

but a lot of his skills come naturally

he knew all of the things jia liked

he knew how to calm her down

she was honestly the worst with strangers

like if jungwoo or you had to leave the room

she would cry as if you left her forever

jia slowly learned that you guys still exist even if you leave the room haha

she was just so loving with her parents

>> as a child <<

she’s still just so chill dude

like obvi she’s a kid and when she gets excited, she’ll get excited

but she’s not like the “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” kind of kid

she’s more of a “woo”

she’s best friends with jeno’s oldest, lee juwon

juwon is a lot like his dad

he thinks that it’s so cool that jia is so smart

she’s kinda panicky lol

but juwon is just like weird with his humor and stuff

they still vibe together well tho

they both have the greatest smiles

like it’s one of those situations that they don’t have that much in common

but they just vibe so well together

she’s. so. smart.

jia is one of those people that school comes easy to them

like learning is just so easy for her

she was already learning really complex topics for her age

and she just kept wanting to learn more

she’s not super competitive with being top of the class tho

jia will tutor anyone who asks

even tho she’s smart

when she’s with juwon, they don’t make the best decisions

like if you send them to the store to buy more soy sauce or something

they’ll forget the soy sauce

but they’ll buy you like a pan or something

they once clogged the drain and turned the shower into a vertical bath tub

how?

no one knows

it was HE double hockey sticks to drain tho lol

when juwon and jia play, they play hard

like jia is the type of girl to be covered bruises

and she won’t care

she’s a really good sister to all of her siblings

she doesn’t really boss them around

but she will use her older sister powers if one of them steps out of line

like if one of them annoys her while she’s studying or something

she’ll use her older sister voice

she rarely uses it tho lol

>> as a teen/adult <<

she’s so heckin smart dude

honestly, probably the smartest person in the entire group

she decides that she really enjoys helping people when they’re at their worst

and she becomes a orthopedic surgeon

like she achieves to be head of surgery in her hospital

even tho she’s a doctor, she still believes in all the medical myths lol

for example

if it’s really cold outside

and jiyoung is going out for a run

jia will make jiyoung where like 500 layers

jia: “yoU’RE GONNA GET SICK”

jiyoung: “you literally just told me how that was a myth whY -- UNNIE I’LL BE OUT FOR LIKE 30 MINUTES I DON’T NEED TO WEAR MY SNOW COAT AND YOUR’S! IT’S NOT EVEN SNOWING.”

she’s so caring towards her siblings like it’s crazy

she’s proud of everything they do

jia watches every single one of jieun’s blogs

she watches every single one of jiyoung’s soccer games

she’s there for everything

jia doesn’t know what sleep is lol

she’s constantly studying and improving her skills as a surgeon

like even when she’s on vacation

she’s reading her books and stuff

her favorite place to study is qian fen’s cafe

she vibes so well in there

she’s honestly obsessed with her skin

lowkey a dermatologist at this point

jungwoo still occasionally calls her mandu lol

juwon is like one of the only people that knows how to get her to relax lol

she’s honestly a bit of a workaholic

jia can’t help it

she still cares so much about her entire family

she’ll get them in with the good doctors (discounts too)

whenever she’s overworked or overstressed, she goes home

being around family reenergizes her

she relates a lot with her dad

she’s honestly a mini version of jungwoo

if jungwoo can tell that she’s struggling, he’ll do the things he did to her as a baby

like seriously lol

he’ll find her plushy she had when she was a baby

and sing her the same songs 

it would make you cry every time because it was so gosh darn cute

KIM JIEUN: >> as a baby <<

also super chill

jieun was honestly so chic

like it would take a lot to make her smile

like if know rohui from return of the superman

like she had the brightest and goofiest smile

but jieun had to keep her chic aesthetic and couldn’t show emotions lol

even when jungwoo and you were jumping up and down making yourselves look ridiculous, she still won’t smile

when, and it was rare, she did smile, it was a big smile

she would give you guys the biggest smiles just so show how happy she is

she wasn’t a super playful baby lol

she was just so chic like idk what else to say lmao

when jieun was around her squad™ she would smile a bit more

but she still maintained her image

she loved to babble

jieun wanted to talk as soon as she could

she would talk even before she knew how lol

like omg imagine

so like you’re with jia for something and jungwoo wants to take a roadtrip with his little princess

she’ll babble the ENTIRE way

none of them are actual words other than “appa” and “eomma” 

and jungwoo would respond so well to everything 

like he would have actual conversations with her

jungwoo wasn’t as stressed this time around

it’s different with two kids tho

but it’s okay

he still kept those natural dad instincts 

jungwoo is so caring towards all of his children it’s just the sweetest

jieun honestly was just a chic baby 

>> as a child <<

she’s super feminine

like she loves all things pink

all things frilly and pretty

soft™ 

her favorite game was all games related to being a princess

she really was your family’s princess tho

jieun was so creative from an early age

and she was so artistic

like she took up drawing, sketching, etc. all from an early age

and she’s super talented with it too

jieun is in the squad of her, jaehyun’s son, jung leon, hendery’s middle son, wong liuwei, and haechan’s middle daughter, lee haeun

jieun is the calmest out of all of them

but they honestly can all be so crazy

generally, jieun is like the one who is trying to calm everyone down

but when she’s in the right mood, she’s right up there with them in crackheadedness

she speaks in tiny

she’s still super girly tho lol

she starts to get interested in makeup in this age

jieun didn’t really like playing with dolls and such

but she did enjoy playing with those makeup sets

she would do her makeup

your makeup

jia’s makeup

jungwoo’s makeup

jiyoung’s makeup

e v e r y o n e

she becomes obsessed with beauty

jieun is one of those girls who you’re like “yeah, she is a GIRL.”

and she loves it!

it’s just her aesthetic :)

>> as a teen/adult <<

she becomes a well known makeup artist

still super duper chic and artistic

she’s known for her colorful and technically perfect style

she does makeup for all of the models and celebrities of the group

like if they want to go for the aesthetic look, they go to her

and she does an amazing job

she’s so talented with all things dealing with beauty

hair, makeup, nails, e v e r y t h i n g

whenever she models for anything, she does her own makeup

her fashion sense is always trendy

jieun has a pristine self image and she tries to maintain it

guys hit on her all of the time lmao

she handles it so well tho

she looks them right in the eyes, as intimidating as possible, and takes a deep breath

she then uses words that don’t match with her image at all

but they’re so scary

like people would think she was a delinquent in her past life with all of the things she says

everyone in her squad find this kinda entertaining

she just gets annoyed because she hates creeps

even tho she cares a lot about her self-image, if someone is being weird around her friends, she’ll do the same thing she’ll do for herself

it usually shocks the dude so much

she can beat them up too lol

jieun is chic and stuff, but being in the squad, she learned how to fight

and she can take care of herself haha

jieun is pretty reliable

like if she makes an engagement, she won’t run from it

she does a really good in keeping up with everything

she gets along well with all of her siblings

jiyoung takes interest in fashion and jieun helps her out

honestly, jieun really is that girl and it’s just so cool

KIM JIYOUNG: >> as a baby <<

she’s been a soccer player from the start

she had such strong legs as a baby

like being pregnant with her was not a fun time

when she kicked, she kicked

even when she was born

her legs were just aching to start running

jiyoung was very similar to jia when she started gaining weight

except her legs were a lot more chubby than jia’s was

jiyoung was an early riser from the start

every day, you would begin by stretching out the little baby

that’s when all of her gigles were

stretching time was jiyoung’s favorite time

out of all of your kids, jiyoung was the most social

jiyoung was fine with strangers

and jiyoung would give you guys way more smiles than jieun did 

jiyoung just seemed constantly happy about life

it was a treat to see

in all physical things, she was advanced

literally the second she started walking, she was trying to run

she was just so active and wanted to explore the world

when she was a toddler oh no

you didn’t want to have to get one of those baby backpack leashes, but you had to

she was just too fast

even jungwoo couldn’t keep up with her 

she was so excited all of the time haha

nothing seemed to calm her down

she would be full of energy until she collapsed pretty much

jiyoung was such a happy baby tho it was honestly so endearing

>> as a child <<

super duper athletic

she kinda seemed intimidating if you didn’t know her

but she’s chill dw

she put all of her energy into sports and she excelled

jiyoung is so talented in all of her sports

but her favorite is soccer

mainly because her dad was so good at soccer, she loves how she can relate with him

she’s generally happiest when she’s playing sports

she enjoys being the baby of the family tho

jiyoung is pretty independent in most situations

but when she’s around her sisters, she changes lol

like a lot of people think that she’s super cool and independent and no one can hold her down

but the second jieun needs help with something, jiyoung is on her way ASAP

jiyoung wasn’t super needy or high maintenance

she would just appreciate everything you would buy for her

she had really tan skin because she was out in the sun tho

even tho it’s “against the beauty standard” to have tan skin

she embraced it

jieun, the beauty guru of the entire group, said that jiyoung and the best skin

jia is willing to fight ANYONE who makes fun of jiyoung’s skin tone

jiyoung embraced herself and loved herself from such an early age

she’s best friends with yuta’s youngest son, nakamoto itsuki

itsuki is also a soccer prodigy

they relate a lot with soccer

they honestly compliment each other so well

like itsuki is a little goofy and stuff

and so is jiyoung

they both are super tan and athletic too

they just were meant to be from such an early age

jiyoung wasn’t really into things that were super feminine tho 

she prefers “dirt over skirts”

jiyoung is such a hard worker

like she works through all of her sore muscles and everything

but she just does such a good job and maintains a positive attitude

>> as a teen/adult <<

a soccer player ™ 

she goes and plays professionally

she’s just so gosh darn athletic it’s so cool

she just genuinely enjoys playing soccer

jiyoung does have those days where she pushed herself too hard

but she just needs to see her family one more time to get back into the swing of things

whichever team she’s on, she becomes the face of the team

jiyoung honestly has the brightest smile and everyone loves it

when she speaks in any situation that’s not a soccer game, she speaks in tiny

but when she’s out on the field

she’s LOUD

so LOUD

she doesn’t know why she’s so quiet off the field but she just is lol

she starts to take an interest in fashion and such after establishing herself as a professional soccer player

jieun is like “dw jiyoung, i gotchu bb”

jieun knows her sister’s aesthetic and just rolls with it

jiyoung wears everything jieun tells her too

like even tho jiyoung has taken an interest in fashion, she sucks at choosing her own outfits lol

itsuki and jiyoung get together

everyone knew it was gonna happen lol

they were honestly soulmates from the second they met

athletic power couple of the century

if they have a match on the same night, they’ll wear the same color headbands and shoes

they do subtle things

like the even have customized cleats with each other’s names in them 

on their biggest game days, they wear those cleats

honestly, it’s the cutest

like ugh

i guess you can say that itsuki and jiyoung are goals *badum tssssss*

jungwoo just wants to be there for all of her matches

jiyoung makes sure that the two of you get season tickets to the best seats in the stadium

jungwoo is so happy whenever he sees all of his daughters happy and together

he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

---

junguwu really out here with the uwuest family of them all :,)

i hope you guys liked it! i was struggling a bit with these three because i knew how they were in my head but i just couldn’t put it to words haha

anyway, lucas’s family is next~

- amy <3

[niamhisms]

◊ ♫ ◊— look what the cat dragged in! that’s NIAMH BLACK and SHE is an around 25-year-old NEWCOMER to the store, but they’ve been in the neighborhood for 8 MONTHS. I think she is a MUSICAL ARTIST and I overheard them listening to NUMBER ONE FAN by MUNA and, I dunno man, it seemed pretty fitting. Like, call me shallow but I look at them and think of MEDALION RAHIMI and ALL EYES BEING ON YOU, EXPENSIVE PERFUME, and MULBERRY SILK. (ooc info: essy, she/her, nzt, 23)

i don’t think i’m going to shock any of u when i say: this is essy. i play 500 characters  and that’s healthy. MEET NIAMH!

BASICS

nicknames:  the way i cannot think of a nickname for ‘niamh’

sexuality: pan af

traits: charming, commanding, self-serving, duplicitous 

likes: being adored, getting likes, tactile experiences (silk, massages, the cool metal of jewellery)

dislikes: not being the centre of attention, the mundane, dealing with emotions

family: two parents, three (much older) siblings (npcs)

TIDBITS

niamh is! an aspiring! pop star! when i say pop star and not musician i mean it. sure, she has a passion for music, and she does love being talented, but ultimately? it’s about the adoration. it’s about the luxury. it’s about the more than this provincial life

she’s the youngest of four children, but the youngest by about? 15 years? so has the double whammy of being baby of the family and an only child for all intents and purposes. she doesn’t really keep in contact with her family; they live back in her hometown, which she hasn’t  stepped foot in since she left seven years ago. it wasn’t particularly that she had any bad experiences there, or even bad memories, or even a bad life, just that it was average. and? niamh will always choose anything over average. that includes bad. can and will live for the drama. 

which brings me to my next point! she can be incredibly.. how do you say... shitty! on the  flip side, she can also being wildly affectionate. it truly depends on who you are, what you can offer, and what she’s looking  for in that moment. all things being equal, she’d rather people liked her than disliked her, so she’ll generally at least start off nice. she can be dismissive if she really feels like there’s nothing to gain from a situation but usually,,, she’ll find something she wants from u :/ 

this is not to say she can’t really care about people! eden graves and rooney ruiz are good examples of this. these are her best friends and she would? truly? give them anything. niamh is very selfish but when she’s ready to let people in, they fall under that self-umbrella. so while she’s going out to reap for herself she’s reaping for her favourite people, too. will kill anyone so they can get a promotion. really not bad to have on your side

BUT CANNOT BE TRUSTED! if you don’t actually have a real connection with niamh, she will betray you. [regina george voice] this girl is the nastiest skank bitch I've ever met. do not trust her.

lives with aforementioned best friend eden graves, which is a good thing because while niamh has expensive taste? she does not have the funds. has recently signed up to championship recordings and has exactly one song you might hear on the radio now and then, but certainly hasn’t taken off (niamh: YET!) so to live her luxury dreams? a celebrity bestie is a must

her heart cannot be located

favourite colour is red, least favourite colour is blue, can’t stand risotto or knitting 

WANTED  CONNECTIONS

dare i say... CHILDHOOD FRIEND? secretly i think it might be nice to give niamh some depth by having a connection to someone much more down to earth, who’s known her all her life. they wouldn’t be fooled by her extravagance. they could still be close, or they could really, really not get along anymore. either way, niamh’s obsessed with them JSGKS you won’t be left alone!!!

ENEMIES. niamh was built for enemies. professional rivalry, not responding to her the way she wants to be responded to, being boring -- all offenses that cannot be forgiven. saying all that, if niamh cannot stand someone she will still be around them for extended periods of time because it’s more interesting than just idk getting coffee? she doesn’t know what normal people do

a GOOD INFLUENCE. god forbid she know someone nice who says hey niamh don’t be mean :/  she would proceed to not be mean whenever they were around out and that’s Something

FRENEMIES ugh we love some fakes

ANYTHING!! i just want to be Held by connections yk

[sweaterkittensahoy]

The story of Britton Bean started with finding her photo on the Humane Society website. It was April. We weren’t supposed to get a dog until July. 

But. Those ears. 

And she met all the requirements we had for a dog: Small (apartment management requires dogs under 20 pounds); female (to hopefully make it easier to become friends with the bestie’s dog; a rescue. 

So, I posted this tweet, then frantically texted @whatsmyappeal​, who was at work. Basically trying to talk myself out of going and meeting this dog. Because I knew. I just <em>knew</em>.

I mean. Those <em>ears</em>.

Here’s the thing about adopting a dog in PDX: If you adopt through the Humane Society, you have to move fast. Dogs and cats get adopted fantastically quickly in PDX. On average, dogs who pass behavioral tests and physical exams can be put up for adoption on Tuesday and gone by Wednesday. PDX is such a busy place for the Humane Society, that they take in a LOT of animals from neighboring states. It’s called the Second Chance Program. Animals from neighboring states who pass health and behavioral tests are sent to PDX so that shelters near-capacity can keep space open for animals that need more specialized care or simply more animals in general. 

We’ll circle back to this in a second.

So, here’s this adorable, scared little girl up for adoption, and I’m trying desperately not to run out and grab her. We’re traveling in June and July; which is why we decided to wait until late July to even consider adoption. I had been looking at listings just to get a sense of how often small dogs came into the shelter. This was not the moment to adopt. 

But. I knew she was ours. I just knew it. 

I ended up calling the husband and laying out a plan. We’ll go and meet her. He gets final say in if we take her home. If she doesn’t feel like a good fit to him, we’ll wait. It’s important that we both want this dog. 

We go. We fill out paperwork. We wait an hour. We go into the meeting room, and here she comes. She’s scared and nervy. Incredibly quiet. We find out she’s had a very, very exhausting week. 

On Monday, she’d been found on the streets of Fresno. 

On Tuesday, they’d put her on a truck to bring her to PDX.

On Wednesday, she’d been spayed. 

And it was now Thursday, and we were meeting her.

Sean and I took a few minutes to discuss pros and cons: We couldn’t get a real sense of her overall personality at the moment because she was clearly terrified and exhausted. But we’ve always planned to adopt a rescue, so we’re well aware of issues we may have to overcome. What we had seen was promising. She was sweet and curious, if a bit shaky. 

We took her home. On the drive there, we changed her name from Butterfly (named by the shelter) to Britton Bean. ‘Bean’ because she’s small and ‘Britton’ after my great-grandparents. They’d always been dog lovers and no one in the family had used the name elsewhere, and I think they’d have been delighted to find out our pup had their name. 

We got her home, and put her inside, and she sniffed around for a couple of minutes, then spotted the couch and LEAPED onto it, rolling around and digging at it in clear excitement. 

That answered our first question: She knew what a couch was. She probably hadn’t always been a stray. 

A couple of hours later, we had answers to other questions: She knew how to walk on a leash. She liked belly rubs. I had no doubt that before she’d been found in Fresno, she’d been somebody’s pet. 

For the next two weeks, she basically slept. Can’t say I blame her.

When she wasn’t sleeping, she was on watch. A few days after we got her, we took her for a car ride. She climbed right into Sean’s lap in the driver’s seat and stared out the window. She knew what a sweater was and liked to wear them. She knew to flop over to get her harness put on. 

When they’d found her in Fresno, she’d clearly recently had puppies. But she was found alone, and the guess was that the puppies had been weaned, and she had been dumped. Frenso’s got a bad habit of that. 

It didn’t make sense to me. She was two years old. If they’d only been using her for breeding, it seemed unlikely she’d be so good on a lease or want lap sits or know how to ride in a car. And while she was a bit skinny when we got her, she only had to put on a pound and a half to get back up to a good weight. Strays who have puppies tend to need to recover a lot more than that when they’re picked up by rescues. And if they’re lifelong strays, they don’t know how to walk on a leash or what lap sits are. 

Looking at our girl and knowing what I knew of backyard breeders, I did some research, and I came to a conclusion. Our deer-headed, big-eared, long-bodied baby was a Chiweenie. 

A Chiweenie is a “designer breed,” which is the nice way of saying someone got it into their head they had to further cute-ify dogs to their exact liking, and so they took a Dachshund and a Chihuahua and had them make babies. Now, where I come from, we’d call that a mutt, and there’d be an ad in the paper for free puppies. But since someone did it on purpose and gave it a cutesy nickname, puppies can cost up to $500 each. The fact that Bean was found on the streets with clear signs she’d had puppies but wasn’t skeletal? I’m pretty sure someone bred her specifically to sell her pups, and then dumped her when the pups were weaned. 

But prior to that? I think she was someone’s beloved dog. Like I said, she knew what a couch was. She could walk on a leash. She was housebroken. She knew how to signal to go out. She knew what sweaters were and how to ride in the car. 

I have a whole backstory of guesses of how she ended up at the Humane Society to come home with us, but I’ll skip that. Because what’s important isn’t where she was, it’s where she is, and that’s with us.

She is not without her challenges. She barks at nearly everything. She has separation anxiety (RIP living room blinds). We’re working on it. She crates well, thankfully, so we can keep her safe if we need to leave her alone, but we also have a dogsitter and try to take her with us on errands whenever possible. 

What’s good is that while these things are issues, they’re improving. The barking is toning down in a lot of places, and her separation anxiety is getting less prominent. I work from home now, so when I leave the house, she seems to think I’ll never return. If Sean leaves for work, she’s fine. If he comes home after work, then leaves again, she gets a bit moody but does all right overall. 

Even better is that the things we’re working on are changing. First, it was getting her to stop barking at every little thing. Now, it’s focusing on getting her to ignore other dogs walking by and getting her to stop threatening people dropping off mail and packages. But there’s a new twist: She barks for attention now. If we’re not giving her enough attention by her standards, she’ll come right up and bark at us. It is very, <em>very</em> annoying. But it’s also a good sign. She’s getting more comfortable, so she’s pushing boundaries to see what we do. 

We do what we always do: We work with her, then praise her when she acts appropriately. She had to go one-on-one for training, but she did great. She loved it. The trainer thinks that she’ll never be super buddy-buddy with other dogs in general, but it’s a real possibility she’ll learn to ignore dogs on walks and maybe even be able to make a friend or two over time. We’re seeing her ability to ignore other dogs already, and that’s damn good for less than a year’s work. 

She hates the cold, so we got her a warming stone for her couch nest, and the heating pad lives on her bed in front of the entertainment center. Her sweater collection grows almost every week, and she has three pairs of pajamas so far. She’s figured out that being out in the cold with the sun out is perfectly fine for a walk, but we’re still working on her accepting being out in the rain. She absolutely loathes the rain, but she’s a PNW girl now, so she has to deal. We don’t make her stay out longer than she needs to go to the bathroom if she doesn’t want to, and she has a little, fake grass patch on the porch so she can pee there in the middle of the night. 

She’s clever as hell. You put a hunting dog and a rat-catcher in the same body, it’ll happen. It’s led to pooping in the house in the middle of the night because she’s discovered if she doesn’t shake off before she does it, we don’t wake up to see if she needs out. 

She’s sweet as can be and loves treats. She also loves people once she’s gotten used to them, though she’ll still decide she needs to bark for five minutes when they visit. We took her to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving, and while she was overwhelmed at times, she mellowed during the night and was playing with her toy by the end of things. 

She gets a Puppacino once a week and knows when it’s happening. Her tiny claws are stabby knives of death, but we can’t trim them super often because her quicks are so long. She plays with her toys for about ten minutes at a time, and if she really wants your attention, she’ll get in your lap, stand on her hind legs, and lick your nose. 

She is a very good girl, and will likely live well into her teens. Right now, she’s curled on my lap to warm up her feet because we went for a walk. In a couple of hours, she’ll wake up and shake off and move back to the couch or come in and stare at me until I turn on the heating pad on her bed. If she doesn’t get her pill pocket at four, she’ll come and lick my nose.

[altphilcmena]

『NATALIA DYER ❙ DEMI GIRL』 ⟿ looks like PHILOMENA CARMICHAEL is here for HER/THEIR SOPHOMORE year as a WILDLIFE SCIENCE student. SHE/THEY are 19 years old & known to be WHIMSICAL, PATIENT, APATHETIC & UNPREDICTABLE. They’re living in NOLAND, so if you’re there, watch out for them. ⬳ JAMES. 20. EST. SHE/THEY.

hllo this is a slightly older bt not tht old like. minus a year old muse of mine tht i thought wld fit rly well into this group n i hope u guys all love her bc i love her a lot !!! anyways pls drop a LIKE if u wld like to plot because i need to know. who to plot with. there’s so many people pleathe help me out HBSJDNKFMGLH

TW CANCER, TRAUMA, DEPERSONALIZATION / DEREALIZATION DISORDER ( ALT. MENTAL ILLNESS ), DEATH, DECAY, MAGGOTS.

aesthetic.

wildflowers in your hair and bare feet against moss, binoculars and maps, madonna beating out of half-dead speakers in a half-dead van, whipping wind, jumping off cliffs and rolling down hills, a bandaid wrapped around each finger, cryptic bumper stickers and cryptids in the woods, facing the sun and letting the rays hit you, counting stars late into the night, dancing naked in the woods with nothing but fire to light your way, mismatched socks and lucky ribbons, hoarding a box of special treasures, shoplifting and diner-dashing, bleach against roots, pink sweaters paired with ripped fishnets and slip dresses with knock off uggs, willingly wearing crocs, glitter stickers, fungi and feeling one with them, lying down and decomposing, they’ll find us in a week. they’ll find us in a week.

basic info.

full name: philomena brontë carmichael

nickname(s): philly, phil, mena, etc.

b.o.d. - april 20th lmao !!

label(s): the amaranth, the halycon, the neophyte, the wanderer, etc. etc.

height: 5′4″

hometown: woodside, ca

sexuality: ??? $500 ebay mystery box. pansexual if you had to label it.

pinterest ( & her family pinterest b/c they’re my most developed family uwu)

stats

inspired by: luna lovegood (harry potter), orla mccool (derry girls), cassie ainsworth (skins), alice (alice’s adventures in wonderland), amelie (amelie).

biography.

a middle child belonging to christopher and imogen carmichael - two stanford professors. christopher specialized in british literature whilst imogen specialized in the classics. hence the name.

the order of siblings goes as such: lysander, elektra, juno, philomena, and twins orion & valora. the deal was that everybody had a greek (or in juno’s case, roman) first name and a middle name inspired by a piece of british literature circa 1800s and under. a family of nerds, if you will.

so, clearly - right off the bat, their parents are … eccentric. they’re both in love with their respected topic, and with each other, and with their kids. the carmichael family is a happy family.

they each have their own quirks and whatnot - though philly’s always been particularly dreamy - even as a child, she’d spend hours watching clouds or caterpillars or the leaves blow in the wind rather than play with other kids. she wasn’t a shy kid - she just had her own interests.

hardship doesn’t hit the family until philomena is five and starts having splitting headaches. they’re slow at first - but as soon as she’s seeing spots and unable to walk in a straight line, doctor appointments are made.

it doesn’t take long for them to discover the tumor, though the official diagnosis of malignant ependymoma comes a month later.

it’s grade ii but slow-moving, small enough to not be as much of a threat as worried, but big enough where removal is necessary. philomena earns a scar and brings it in for show-and-tell. for two months afterwards, philly’s at radiotherapy monday through friday.

they’re lucky - philomena’s considered cancer-free by the next year. she’s babied at first - handled delicately, as if she could break if touched - but with five other children … it doesn’t last for too long.

and life continues as normal.

her personality doesn’t shift much over the next few years - she’s awfully independent for a kid, and awfully quiet - when she speaks it’s about faeries and bigfoot, about how the sky is so blue and if you listen quietly, you can hear the leaves whisper their secrets to each other. this is not odd.

she’s close to all her siblings, but she idolizes her older sister - elektra. elektra’s six years older and dyes her hair whatever colors she wants. elektra bought a knife off a seedy guy downtown. elektra threw away all of her heels and renounced god. elektra is god. her music is loud but it’s not heavy - it’s florence and the machine.

they’re opposites - elektra’s boisterous and feels loudly, philomena’s softer and feels…less. when elektra sneaks out, philomena keeps watch. they are a duo.

philomena is smart - but she’s fifteen and hates school. hates sitting inside all day. hates the same routine - day after day - it’s all the same. her parents’ routine is the same, philly feels contained and she wants to live.

elektra’s twenty-one and just bought a brand new spanking (used but not falling apart) 19-something volkswagen … van - using her entire savings account. she says she’s tired of routine, she’s leaving the next day.

naturally, philomena stows away in the back and isn’t discovered until they’re two states away and she’s got to pee. elektra nearly crashes the van in shock.

it’s an argument - philomena vs. elektra, then them vs. their parents, then their parents vs. the school, the state - it’s an ordeal. philomena switches to an online program in the end.

it hurts christopher and imogen - lysander’s not having any of their nonsense, juno’s betrayed and alone - the twins are twins. in the end, it’s alright. the carmichael family is a happy family.

philomena and elektra take their time - it’s not a road trip, it’s their new life, permanently on the road. they stop and explore often - they do odd jobs in whatever town they settle in. they dine-n-dash, they shoplift. they survive in their own way.

during particularly desperate times, they two resorted to identity theft & credit fraud - getting away with it only by ditching the cards once they’ve made it out of state.

she drops out of high school officially when she’s seventeen - they have to drive all the way back to california to deal with the wrath of their parents and to deal with paperwork, but it’s done. philomena doesn’t know what path she wants in life - but it’s not that.

it’s during this time that the episodes occur - philomena’s outside her body, philomena’s wrapped in cotton, her memories are not her own. she’s looking in the mirror and she doesn’t recognize herself. they take shelter in a city for six months, long enough for her brand spankin’ new therapist to figure out what’s wrong with her. she’s diagnosed with depersonalization / derealization disorder - they think it’s stress. philomena doesn’t get stressed. they think it’s trauma. she laughs - she never laughs.

there is trauma though, deep-rooted but somewhere inside - you just have to look for it.

you. just. have. to. look. for. it. look for it. look for it. look for it look for it look -

you were ten and she was thirteen, an off-trail hike in familiar woods in a familiar town, safe and familiar. it was your idea, to stray from the carved out paths, down creeks and up hills and round, and round again. you’re the one who spotted the scarf first, sticking up from the dirt and dancing in the wind like the beginning of reincarnation. it was not reincarnation, it was discovery. it was ruin. with curiosity drawn, you skidded down - with compliance, followed juno, followed your sister - clumsy in her steps and tumbling down quicker than you. you saw the corpse, but juno felt it. decaying flesh and maggot.

and she left juno, just like that - just five years later, when juno had finally gone to the end of her wits. philly up and left. abandoned her. 

philomena and elektra leave the city after that therapy session. they do not return. she’s always been good at hiding her secrets.

three years later and her parents want philly to have a higher education - desperate for it, really - worried for her future. it’s a battle that she loses, getting her GED and applying to a local college in florida in shameful compliance.

they’re there for a year until philly gets (expectantly) expelled from the community college & the two of them are banned from the town they’d residing in up until that point. they don’t talk about it - but boy, was it one hell of a time.

they found refuge in lovell, a town that seemed to suit them well - it suited elektra’s desire to travel up and down the east coast, and it intrigued philomena enough to the point of her being content with staying. soon after, philly officially transferred to radcliffe for the fall semester & they’ve been here since!

personality.

she’s quiet but she’s confident - her voice sounds like rustling leaves, if leaves smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.

often underestimated - philly’s petite and looks like she’d fall over if a plastic bag blew too close to her. she’s independent - for the most part. elektra is the only person philly takes orders from.

has always been considered odd - weird, strange. still talks about the trees as if they’re listening, as if they’re old friends. she’s vague and doesn’t elaborate on the things she says.

believes in pretty much any superstition you throw her way. luck is very important to her. if you ask her if the earth is flat, she’ll say probably. believes strongly in bigfoot and the lochness monster. has personally seen aliens, and loves ghosts almost more than herself.

she can be amusing - whether you ‘get’ her or not, her outlook is often bright - she talks about the negatives the same way she talks about the positives. can be seen as naive or gullible, but she’s plenty smart. even if half of her education has come directly from google.

philly doesn’t laugh. a smile, yes - often, in fact - not always reaching her ears, or bearing teeth - but these are not indicators of her happiness. philly is consistently content. she thinks many things are funny - she still will not laugh.

her voice is often monotonous - she doesn’t sound dreary, she sounds far-away. her voice carries. her emotions are often unknown to others.

is apathetic in most situations. she’s hard to bother - she’s incredibly patient and enjoys the company of most - tolerates them at the very least. it’s hard for her to express her emotions, because she feels them so little that it’s very nearly not worth it. her affection is not verbal - it’s small touches and gestures of kindness, love in her own way.

is a fan of knock-knock jokes and bad puns. she won’t crack a smile while telling you them, nor does she expect you to laugh. she just enjoys them.

she owns a motorola razr covered in puffy stickers - hasn’t ever had a smartphone. she’s a fan of emoticons. her favorite is :o)

has a lot of bruises and scratches and scars - she’s often getting herself into pickles. there are always, at the very minimum, three bandaids on each hand.

she has insomnia, so she’s awake often. is often seen wandering town - even when she shouldn’t be, even when it might be dangerous. her intuition is delayed. when she does sleep - her dreams are vivid and fantastical.

keeps a box of memories - sentimental bits and pieces she’s picked up over the last few years. there are a lot of buttons and postcards, but any teeny tiny object will do.

her style changes every week - most, if not all, of her clothes are thrifted. one week she’s baby spice and the next she’s lydia deetz. she combines pieces from different styles often - she looks like a barbie clothed by a child. she feels most comfortable like this.

will either patch-up the clothes that get too worn or reuse them in some way. sometimes donates the clothes she gets tired off - isn’t minimalistic, but she’s learned to keep only a small amount of possessions.

the only consistency is her lucky ribbon - it’s pastel yellow and silky and as thin as a shoelace. she ties it onto her outfit of the day, everyday. if she loses it, she’s lost. elektra has a matching ribbon.

has no problem with minor theft - she only takes bare minimum, puts herself and elektra first and that’s how it’s always been. she tries to be good while in lovell / radcliffe - would hate to be forced out by mobs with torches and pitchforks

currently living in noland while elektra stays in their van, florence - sometimes philly stays there during the weekends.

they used to live in motels on the occasion, the cheapest room, and more often than not they’d both go home with strangers for a comfier bed and a hotter shower.

it was a common occurrence - she didn’t sleep with them - but somehow, she weaseled her way into their homes anyway. has come out mostly unscathed, on most occasions. this has been a practice ever since they’ve been on the road.

really, truly - has not slept with anybody, had her first and only kiss at thirteen with a frog. this doesn’t bother her.

will consume a n y t h i n g you put in front of her - isn’t picky.

listens to whatever they’ve picked up along the way but she likes instrumentals the best. her second favorite genre is 1990′s and 2000′s top hits. they’re nostalgic for her. third favorites? florence, of course. fleetwood mac. the bird and the bee. 

loves storms - will go out in the rain and will risk her life for it.

owns a pair of roller-skates and is often skating rather than walking. unless she’s on grass - then she’s walking barefoot.

has many hobbies, and gets bored of them often. her favorite hobby is welding. she’s not certified.

also, juggling.

also, accordion.

the kind of girl who’ll do any job you give her. odd jobs are her favorite jobs. babysitting is her least favorite - but she does it anyway. has lost children before. have they ever been found? not by philly.

dyes her hair blonde often and cuts her own hair - bangs included - finds it cathartic, likes the itchiness of bleach.

everything she does is often in pursuit of feeling free, alive, and meaningful.

( like her frequent visits to the woods, late at night when the moon is high and full. it’s freeing to dance around a fire, stark naked in the cold. builds immunity )

comes and goes wherever she pleases, nothing & nobody can stop her (besides elektra). has befriended the campus witch, or as much as the witch will allow, and shrike as well. she knows to respect nature, and abandoned sites - she’s practically free to explore as she wishes, her only pride is the trust she’s gained.

the trust expands to animals as well, she has a certain knack for getting them to like her. has too many ‘pet’ rats that reside with her, alongside a baby raccoon & a few crow pals. has a new animal companion everyday, but she doesn’t contain them or force them to stay.

leaves her window in noland wide open because of this, because her window is conveniently right besides a tree with sturdy branches. good for animal smuggling, sneaking in and out, hiding, etc. etc. world is her oyster.

though her room in noland is ??? frankly a mess ??? already ??? usually keeps most of her possessions in her memory box but she’s also turned her room into a mini labyrinth of knick-knacks. very cozy, but very nest-like. think of howl’s room from howl’s moving castle. 

wanted connections.

random encounters... it’s only her second semester at radcliffe, she hasn’t met everybody yet i’m sure

random encounters...in the wild... alternately, people she’s met before in a different part of the country. whether she’s stolen from them or crashed at their place, or simply shared a dinner. anything goes!

unexpected sleepover... someone whose place she crashed at after a mysterious night. a party, adventure, etc. etc. maybe they don’t even remember her staying over, maybe she hadn’t been with them to begin with.

employers... she does a lot of odd jobs! knows how to make a lot of things in many different mediums just to earn a small living.

friends... y’know ... people who enjoy her presence, likes her oddness. they may not understand her, but they appreciate her. or maybe they do understand her, in their own way!

not friends... philly doesn’t consider anybody an enemy in the slightest, but some people may not be fond of her ... think she’s a little too strange, or they refuse to understand her, or something of the likes.

closing in... someone trying to get closer to her, trying to figure her out on a level deeper than what she would like, and she keeps slipping out from between their fingers every time.

mom friend mom friend mom friend... older sibling figures! dad friends! take one look at philly and instantly want to swaddle n protect her.

caught red handed... someone catches her stealing or about to dine-n-dash. do they care? who knows!

late-night shenanigans... they just walk and talk at night ... very relaxing ... not actually very shenanigans filled...

a dealer... because she wasn’t born on 4/20 for nothing. she’s not turning 20 on 4/20/20 fr nothing. don’t fail us.

debating conspiracies... or superstitions, really anything. maybe they’re frustrated at her apathy surrounding all situations.

no likey... :( they distrust her. probably fr good reason tho ... i don’t blame you

thrifting pals... no explanation needed methinks

an eventual hook-up... maybe ... possibly ... it’s questionable, but it could happen! can’t stay a virgin forever! (or well. she cld. we’ll see!) she’d probably have to trust yr muse a lot though

unrequited romance uwu... probably unrequited on her end because she doesn’t usually think of anybody in a romantic sense - it’s possible, but you’d have to be something special for her to like you back. that being said ...

something returned... eventually, slowly. slow. it’ll take time.

maybe something returned !! eventually. slowly. slow.

n like rly anything u want !! anything u can think of i am here 2 fulfill ... we can brainstorm all sorts of wacky scenarios!! she’s a thief! she’s an accordion player! she dances naked in the woods! she’s been in the circus AND a small utah county jail! 

[thorne93]

Whirlwind Romance (Part 9)

Prompt: You’re getting married to Chris Evans… Everything in your life is perfect… Except when you break the news to your two best friends: Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan

Word Count: 2312

Warnings: language, anger, angst, adult themes??

Notes: This is for @carryonmyswansong challenge (Double Season, Multifaceted, 500 Follower Celebration, Writing Challenge!): Prompt – You’re marrying the wrong person! Beta’d by @like-a-bag-of-potatoes bcuz shes amazing and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo@carryonmyswansong for letting me brainstorm with them. Got this idea from @formyfandoms… Fic image made by the super bomb @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The countdown had begun for the wedding, and the engagement party. It was only two weeks away, but work right now was more important. Your film with Tom was closing in on shooting soon and you needed to make sure every muscle on your body was toned and fit. Thankfully, you had a health nut for a best friend who said he’d accompany you at the gym while he was in town for a few days.

“You excited for this new gig?” Seb asked as the two of you drove to the gym a few miles away.

“I am.  A little nervous though,” you confessed.

“Why? You’re working with Tom. Chris says he’s great.”

“No, yeah, I know that. That’s not it. We did those plays together at RADA…”

“So what’s the issue?”

“Well we have to… kiss. Like… eventually.”

“Yeeeaahh?” Seb dragged, glancing at you from the corner of his eye as he drove.

“Isn’t it weird? I know it’s part of the territory but if you and I had to kiss for a movie you don’t think it would make shit weird between us?’

He chuckled slightly, his nose scrunching as he shut his eyes briefly, his famous giggle face. “No, not really. Whether we’re strangers or it’s you and me, the kissing isn’t romantic at all.”

“Yeah, I know that. It never is. I usually just pretend I’m kissing Chris in those scenes, making sure my head is tilted right and all that jazz…”

“But you can’t do that with Tom?”

“I don’t think I can kiss my best friend and fantasize about my fiance, no,” you stated, an air of humor and sarcasm in your voice.

Seb reached over and patted your leg. “You’ll both do fine. Just don’t dwell on who it is. Close your eyes and let your lips do the talking.”

After a moment, you arrived at the gym. You got in, got your bag put away, and you were doing your warm up stretches when suddenly, Sebastian’s voice surprised you from behind.

“Look who decided to join me at the gym!” he said happily.

You spun and saw his phone was trained on him and you. He was taking a video for Insta…

“Ugh. Jesus. Sebastian. No one wants to see my ugly mug,” you complained, pushing the camera away. Your hair was in a messy ponytail and your makeup was nonexistent. You didn’t need fans (or worse, haters) seeing you like utter shit.

“Ugly? In what world are you ugly?” he asked as he peered at you with a cocked eyebrow. He grabbed your hand and pulled you close to him, back into the video. “What are we working on today, Y/N?” he inquired, trying to get some hype and enthusiasm from you and his followers.

“We’re working on not forcing people into social media!” you teased, shaking your head and sticking your tongue out.

“Oh, come on, don’t be a jerk,” he requested, his voice tender and pleading.

“My abs and my legs,” you informed finally, your hands on your hips as you looked at the camera, putting your feigned annoyance on it. “And you?”

“Arms and back,” he answered.

Finally, you decided to join in on the fun. “Tell us in the comments what you’re working on today or this week! Feel free to add gym and health tips!”

“What she said,” Seb reiterated with a nod towards you. “Okay, we better get to work before they kick us out!” He leaned in and kissed your cheek quickly before ending the video.

That kiss seemed to make butterflies burst in your stomach… why?

“Well, shall we get to it?” he asked as he gestured to a piece of equipment.

“Ready to get your ass whooped?” you asked, breaking free from the trance he’d put you in.

“Oh, you’re on. I bet I can bench for longer than you can,” he challenged.

“I bet you can’t even get on the bench,” you teased in a mutter.

He climbed onto the bench while you stood over him as his spotter. “Hey, I heard that.”

“Oh, really, old man? Wasn’t sure you had your hearing aid turned all the way up,” you mocked with a goofy face.

“Shut up and spot me,” he ordered playfully.

----------------------------------------------

“Hey! Hey! So good to see you!” Chris said for probably the tenth time already. You had stressed to him that the engagement party list should be like one-quarter, if not less, than the wedding guest list, and so far, people were pouring in.

The party had started hours ago, and now it was getting a little later but the party was still in full swing as people were still showing up.

Hors d'oeuvres were being passed around on silver platters, champagne and ice water were being handed out to guests. Guests were coming in with small token gifts, hugging and kissing you, congratulating you and Chris. Tasteful metallic decorations were accented everywhere inside Chris’s home.

He’d just welcomed in someone you had never met. You think it was his cousin that still lived in Boston with her husband and their three year old. Your parents had managed to make it, Chris’s parents were there, Sebastian and Tom were there. Mackie, Lizzy, Robert, and Paul were all there. Other than your immediate family and like five friends outside of the Marvel cast, you didn’t really invite anyone to this. It was mainly Chris’s huge family and a crap ton of friends. Everyone was kind, sweet, supportive. Everyone was throwing advice your way, or asking a million questions about the wedding. Everyone demanded to see the ring, to which everyone gasped when they saw it.

“If I could have everyone’s attention for just a second,” Chris suddenly said, taking place at the entryway between the expansive living room and state of the art kitchen. His raised voice commanded everyone's attention and after the commotion died down, he continued. “I wanna thank all of you for coming tonight. It really means a lot to Y/N and me. For me, this has been a long time coming. From the moment I laid eyes on you, Y/N, I knew you were my world.”

A sound of appreciation went through the crowd, making your cheeks blaze red as all eyes shot to you.

“Of course, you didn’t make it easy though,” he remarked, a small laugh coming from him, inciting a laugh from everyone else. “She played hard to get. Now, I’d like to say it worked. But I think the truth is, whether she said yes to me the first day, or fifty years from now, I would still be chasing her. She said yes to marrying me. In a few months, she'll say yes again, I hope--” more laughter trinkled around the room “and I’m blessed to have that. Because Y/N, babe, I will say yes to you every day for the rest of my life, even if you tell me no.”

A small tear reached your eye as Chris raised his glass.

“Here’s to chasing love. May we all get the chance to find a love worth fighting for. I love you, baby,” he said with adoration.

Everyone joined him in raising their glass and then took a sip.

Chris made his way over to you as your friends and family went back to their chatting. He wrapped his free hand around your waist and pulled you close.

“You’re a sap, you know that?” you asked in a chiding tone.

“Only for you,” he cooed before kissing your cheek. “Did you like it?”

“I loved it… you know, except for the part about being in front of everyone we know,” you said, your cheeks still hot from the sudden attention.

“You’re gonna have to declare your love to me in a few months, better get used to it now,” he said in a low voice before smacking your ass. You gasped in shock and you were about to admonish his behavior, but then Lizzy, Mackie, and some of Chris’s family you had yet to remember came over.

“So how are the wedding plans going?” one woman asked cheekily, you thought it was his aunt.

“They’re going. We’re knocking stuff down,” Chris informed as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder, his hand holding your arm, his thumb moving slightly in a reassuring motion.

For some odd reason, you couldn’t shake it, you wanted to leave. You wanted to go into the backyard, or the bedroom. You weren’t sure where, or why, you just felt like you needed to escape, like you were suffocating. It wasn’t all the attention, you were somewhat used to that in public, on the red carpet. You just couldn’t get over this feeling of needing a breather.

But why would you need a break at your own engagement party? Shouldn’t you be enjoying friends and company and food? The celebration of love?

“That’s good! So have you two decided on where you’re going to live?” she inquired. “I hear you live in LA. That might be hard on a marriage, with Chris being here. Are you going to find a new place or--”

“Boston, for sure,” Chris interjected with confidence.

“Oh good! It’ll be nice to have the family nearby!”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” Chris agreed.

From there, Chris mainly managed the conversation with everyone, answering his families questions as well as Lizzy’s and Mackie’s. You just stood by his side, sipping your champagne, hoping something would happen to pull you away from this, as badly as that sounded.

Eventually, Chris steered his family away to go talk to someone else in his family, discussing something sort of personal he probably didn’t want the other two to hear.

“You okay?” Liz asked, eyeing you.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, just a lot on my mind. People keep asking all these questions about the wedding and I’m having to make all these mental notes. Like nothing too sweet for wedding favors. I can’t play this song or it’ll make Chris’s Aunt Trina sad… Just stuff like that,” you answered. It wasn’t even a lie, thankfully. You were trying to keep track of everything people did and didn’t want, and other things you needed to check on or add to the checklist.

“Okay you just seem… down?” she commented.

“Yeah, man for a party that you’re hosting, it sure seems like you’d rather not be here,” Mackie noted.

“I’m just stressed, I guess,” you huffed. “One film has started filming, I’m trying to learn this script and plan this wedding--”

“You know I’m here for that, right?’ Liz reminded sweetly, humor mixed in her voice as she reached up and squeezed your arm slightly. “Anything wedding related you need me to handle, I can do it.”

“Thanks. I may send you some stuff tonight or tomorrow…”

At that moment, Sebastian walked up, evidently drunk. He was stumbling and a little sloppy. He wasn’t so far gone that he needed a cab, but he looked like he was just past the mark of tipsy. Heading into full drunk territory.

“Hey, Seb,” you greeted, a light filling you. You should’ve just found Tom or Seb to stick around all night, maybe then you would’ve have felt so bombarded and overwhelmed.

“Hey… you know, I love you,” he said as he stood awkwardly against the built in entertainment center.

You smiled at him. “I love you too, Seb. You’re my best friend.”

Seb shook his head and said, “Not like that.”

Color drained from your face as a pit in your stomach formed. You looked to Lizzy and Mackie who had concerned expressions on their faces. This wasn’t good. What the fuck was he talking about?

Did he really confess what you thought he did? What the hell was he thinking saying that in front of everyone?

You were mortified. Half of you wanted to hit him, the other half wanted to just laugh it off.

But you took an alternative route.  

“Would you excuse us?” you requested politely with a dazzling smile as you grabbed Seb’s hand and nearly yanked him away with you. You hauled him into the master bedroom and shut the door behind you, leaning your back against it.

“What the hell are you talking about?” you demanded, staring at him.

“I’m talking about us, Y/N,” Seb said, before sitting on the bed, putting his face in his hands for a moment. He rubbed his face and looked up at you. The drunkenness had started to fade. He seemed… tired now.

“What us? There is no us, Sebastian. We’re friends,” you stated, your arms crossed as you stared him down.

“Really?” he challenged in a disbelieving tone. “Just friends? Is that all you feel when we’re together?” he asked, looking deep into your eyes.

For a moment, you just stared at him. You swam in his ocean blues while he searched the depths of your irises. What did you feel when you were with Sebastian? Did it compare to Chris? Was it romantic love or platonic love? Sure, you and Seb seemed to have more fun than you and Chris, and sometimes Seb really understood you in ways Chris didn’t yet, but that could be because you knew Seb a long time.

Yeah, you had felt some things with Seb. Ways that made you question your entire relationship and dynamic.

But right now, at your engagement party to Chris, that wasn’t one of those times.

You shook your head. “I’m not doing this… I can’t do this, not at my engagement party. We’ll talk about this later,” you said before quickly exiting the room, leaving a very confused Sebastian behind on the bed.

You made a beeline for Chris, and didn’t dare look or speak to Seb for the rest of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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