#marrying someone still in their teens and then cutting them off from their family and abusing them???

[turnedinto-themoon]

thinking about Ursa tonight :/

[therealvinelle]

From what I can tell, in the actual books there's just one line from Sirius saying Alphard left him some gold, and not much other canon mention of him. How did Alphard become such a big character in your fics/Tom Riddle's love interest?

You know, that's a very good question.

The true and full story behind how Alphard Black became an important character in our fics is laden with a lot of spoilers and back-and-forth, though I will say it wouldn't have happened at all if @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin hadn't already used him in When Harry Met Tom. When we later then needed to add a character for The Man Who Would Be King, Alphard's name lent itself easily and on discussion we found he was the only that really fit the role we needed a character to play. He went on to become a surprisingly large part of secret fic, now we've imprinted on him like baby ducks and he's in everything.

So, what makes Alphard Black so fitting for what we need him to be?

We have little to go on from canon, but compared to some of the other characters fandom has decided on characterisation for, we at least have something to go on when we make stuff up. Oh, we have to conjecture, fabricate, and headcanon away, and for every possible Alphard Black we draft up someone could have used those same clues to create a different Alphard, but we would both be following certain constraints.

By contrast, characters like Alice Longbottom or Abraxas Malfoy have very strong fanon characterizations, a lot read into them, but I'd argue we have just as much, if not slightly more, to go on with Alphard Black.

With that said, here is the information we have on Alphard and how Muffin and I used every bit of it to make up as much as we could.

Teen pregnancy 1.0: Pollux edition

Alphard's sister was born when their father Pollux Black was twelve, and his father married her mother. Going by his young age, I assume this was so Walburga wouldn't be a bastard. Walburga, by her painting's ravings, appears to have spent all her life in 13 Grimmauld Place, she feels a connection to "the house of my fathers" and always had a strong sense of Black identity she tried to pass on to her sons: I think it's a very fair assumption that the Blacks raised the baby, and not her mother's family (as her mother would have been in Hogwarts as well or else a statutory rapist, either case spells a grim homelife for Walburga).

Now, Alphard's birthdate is unknown since he's struck off the family tree, but it was sometime between 1925 and 1938.

Muffin and I have decided that he was born the next year, since this gives Tom a dorm mate, and more importantly it gives Alphard a teen father, one who learned nothing from last year and assumed no responsibility. Tom now has a fucked up dorm mate, and we didn't have to (completely) invent a character.

You now have two kids raised by family members not their parents since their father is a literal thirteen-year-old, and the generational age gap is so narrow that when Walburga starts school her paternal aunt Dorea is canonically a fifth year. They want for nothing materially and the family does step up, but the complete parental absence in their life has an impact.

For the sake of funny, we thought Arcturus Black, who is already raising Lucretia and Orion, is our candidate for raising his cousin's spawn. Now Walburga's marriage to her second cousin is to someone who was raised alongside her, which is funny and so awful. Another feasible candidate is Cygnus Black, Pollux's father and currently raising four kids, but... not as funny.

Teen pregnancy 2.0: Cygnus edition

Cut to 1951. Alphard is a happy bachelor, his father has stopped having kids (legitimate ones anyhow), Walburga's happily married to their cousin, and then... their brother Cygnus does a booboo.

Bellatrix is born, Cygnus is thirteen. Andromeda's birthdate is unknown, but must have been while he was in Hogwarts because Narcissa is born in 1955, while he is still seventeen.

The same problem as with Pollux arises with Bellatrix: who wants baby? And, as with Walburga, I think a fair argument could be made that the Blacks took her in, not the Rosiers.

There are many options here (and can't rule out the Rosiers), but I think it's fair to assume Bellatrix went to live with close family.

Per the Black family, this gives us three options that I find feasible: Walburga, Alphard, and Pollux.

I don't think it was Walburga, I think that would inevitably have come up in canon, either as Walburga lost her shit when Andromeda eloped, handled her grief differently after Regulus died if she had surrogate daughters, or Sirius had a different dynamic with Bellatrix. The Orion-Walburga-Sirius-Regulus family unit doesn't come across at all as having had three nieces raised alongside the boys, so Walburga's a no.

Which leaves us with Alphard, Pollux, someone in the Rosier family, or extended Black family raising Bellatrix.

Pollux, per his wild youth, might not be topping the lists. One could posit that Pollux wants a second shot at parenting and would take in his granddaughter based on this, but he already has Cygnus if he wanted a second shot at parenting. Still, he's a candidate.

So is Alphard, however, who is living alone and has no wife to worry about, no children of his own, and a pile of gold. Per his choice to give Sirius gold after he ran away, one can also assume he's one to come through for family, which fits with taking in his much younger brother's daughter.

TL;DR: we can't prove Alphard Black didn't raise the Black sisters, or at least care for them in their early years, but someone must have and it might as well have been him.

Let there be no pregnancies and no marriages

We then enter the bit that had Muffin go "oh, gay. I will use him in my fic" long before any of the detective nonsense to come up with the above, which is that Alphard did not marry. Now, that could mean anything, perfectly straight people don't marry and gay people do marry.

However, from 1938 through 1960, no Black heirs are born. Which isn't necessarily a long time, on the contrary, Cygnus has been supplying the family with children for years now, luck just had it so they're all daughters who can't pass on the family name.

Still, taking a step back, Orion, Walburga, Alphard, and Lucretia (who married a Prewett) are all adults who are just not having any children. The Orion and Walburga are perhaps not even married, we don't know when they married, and it could be they married specifically because neither of them had found anyone else to marry and there were no sons. Alternatively, they married earlier but then did not have children until they were in their mid-thirties. Considering Lucretia's childless marriage, it might be some Blacks struggled with infertility.

A bit of nerding about why I think Walburga waiting so long to have children is odd

The tldr for Western European demographics is that if you can afford to have children and provide for your family, you will marry and have children early. The upper classes have historically married and had children much younger than the lower classes because of this. The mother's education will also impact when she has children - higher education means having children later.

I think we see this reflected in the wizarding world, in that education is both low (arguably nonexistent, considering the curriculum at Hogwarts) and in magic making material considerations Muggles must make obsolete. And we do see a lot of young parents - Lily and James are both 20 when they have Harry, Andromeda is maximum 24 when she has Nymphadora Tonks, Molly Weasley is 20 when she has Bill, Narcissa is 25 when she has Draco, Fleur would have been 23-25 when she had Victoire, Harry and Ginny are 26 and 25 when they have James Sirius, Hermione and Ron are 26-27 when they have Rose...

Young is the norm.

And with the Blacks, who were lineage obsessed, and where Walburga is never reported to have had a career keeping her busy, I find it very interesting that Walburga doesn't have children until she's 35.

There are three possible explanations I can see:

Walburga and Orion didn't want to have children, and waited for Alphard or Cygnus to get on with it, only for Cygnus to only have daughters and Alphard to have no children at all (bit unlikely since they had two sons, a couple who pointedly did not want children would have called it quits after the first)

They had fertility issues

Walburga and Orion did not instantly marry, but waited for years until it became clear Orion wasn't going to find anybody else, Alphard apparently not either, and Cygnus said "fuck you all, I've contributed three kids already", at which point Walburga and Orion were both single, both cared about the lineage, and went for it.

We've gone for option 2 since it's just funnier to have a pair of cousins all over each other at Hogwarts, "Aren't they-" "Yes and they're very happy together :)", but I think option 3 is pretty feasible too.

Either way, you can read into Walburga and Orion from the late births of their children and you also get free Alphard characterisation, because his choice not to marry starts to look rather pointed.

Back to Alphard

While the Blacks were not dying out at the time, they also weren't swimming in children. Only Cygnus was passing on the family name, and that was exclusively to daughters, and he went on to have no more (legitimate) children after leaving school. Pollux wasn't having any more (legitimate) children, and while there are and grandfathers uncles on the family tree who could do the deed they were quite old, many unmarried, and most importantly they canonically had no children.

We're down to Alphard, Orion, and Cygnus having to pass on the family name, with Orion and Walburga a decade into their marriage with no sons to show for it. Sure, Cygnus could have sons, but that would be placing all their dragon eggs in one dragon basket (and indeed, he had no sons).

Why doesn't Alphard marry?

The family must have brought it up, if not pressured him. Alphard not marrying in a world where arranging a match would have been the easiest thing in the world looks to me like a deliberate refusal.

The giving of the money to the Sirius

This all brings us to the one thing we know for sure that Alphard did in his life: he willed money to Sirius after he'd been disowned.

We know Alphard was not a blood traitor prior to this, or he'd have been burned off earlier.

I frankly take this to mean Alphard most likely subscribed to pureblood supremacy, or at least he did not mind it enough to do anything else to cross his family. Giving money to Sirius isn't a political act, it's an uncle providing for a family member who has suddenly lost everything.

(And, if we assume Alphard himself is gay: it's an uncle who sees his nephew run away from home to be with his best friend, and perhaps drawing a few conclusions of his own about the strength of Sirius's friendship to James. There are many ways to interpret his choice to support Sirius financially, is what I'm saying.)

It also seems a distinct overreaction to me that Walburga would burn him off the family tapestry for something like this, and... it seems very much like one angry, mourning, woman's way of hurting a brother she can no longer confront. If she had been hoping Sirius wouldn't make it out in the wild and be forced to return, then Alphard giving him money would be a betrayal of the highest order.

Walburga putting a cigarette to her wallpaper isn't the same as the entire Black family disowning Alphard posthumously, it's an act of grief and anger.

Where we make things up wholesale

I'll go ahead and assume Alphard was gay, had a good and stable but slightly fucked up family life, and got overly attached to his dorm mate Tom Riddle as a stranger to all of this who perhaps seemed above it all. I also vote he raised Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda, because it's a more interesting option than Pollux. (In case you didn't notice, Muffin and I subscribe to the Black family being as fucked up as we can reasonably make them.)

Vinelle, what was the point of this?

My point is that we may not have any canon appearances to go on with Alphard Black, but we do have dates, biographical facts, what he did with his will, a few statements from Walburga's insane painting and other characters, and a whole lot of imagination. And an obsessive tendency.

And a willingness to say "Mm, no. Can't read. Sorry, that fact's just wrong." when we don't like things (more specifically, Sirius's phrasing making it sound like Alphard died not too long after Sirius ran away from home, which would make him dead for The Man Who Would Be King, a fic that takes place in 1982. We will assume Sirius meant "gave", not "left".)

Wee.

[olympeline]

@fireandspiceland’s recent posts made me realise I never knew how much I needed a USUK cardverse/omegaverse combo AU in my life. Well now I do! So have a Situation Involving Them that I just came up with:

The King of each of the four Suit Lands is always an alpha, the Queen an omega, and each kingdom has their own way of choosing their royal pair. In the Land of Spades, the Queen is born with his or her Royal Mark and so taken from their family and raised to rule from a young age. Meanwhile the King gains the Mark once he or she beds the Queen in heat for the first time. This means the Queen is born to rule, but the King can be anyone so long as they’re an alpha. To make sure they get someone worthy, a potential King must face a series of trials. Ending with the most treacherous of all: catching the Spade Queen in the traditional hunting grounds of the Garden of Thorns. Catching the Queen, subduing them, then bringing them back to the castle to be wedded and mated during their next heat. While the Queen can fight to kill, obviously the would-be-Kings can’t. Which puts them at a huge disadvantage right from the start.

The Spade Queen is always a powerful mage so the threat of facing them one-on-one is enough to repel all but the most elite warriors. Nevertheless, there’s usually a new Spade King a year or two after the Queen comes of age. The prize of a kingdom is a big motivator after all. Enough to bring the greatest warriors from all over and make them daring. But - unfortunately for the kingdom - their latest Queen is different. Their latest Queen is one Arthur Kirkland: green-eyed, straw haired, peasant son of a sailor turned Spade Queen-in-Waiting from the moment his midwife spotted the Mark before the cord was even cut. As is traditional, Arthur is a mage. But even for a Spade Queen, he’s not just powerful but stupidly powerful and ruthless with it. He’s also proud, haughty, and absolutely bound and determined that no one, but no one, is going to subdue him. He’s nobody’s broodmare, goddamnit! He’s his own man! Arthur bloody Kirkland is not getting wedded and bedded, not ending up wasting his talents raising litters of babies while some meatheaded brute usurps his place in the kingdom he’s been learning to rule since he was barely more than a babe himself! Arthur has a razor sharp mind and many plans for the Kingdom of Spades. Plans to reform society and make life better for all who live there. Something he can’t do if bound to a Spade King and forced to do his or her bidding. The laws of the land make the King of Spades monarch supreme. The Queen utterly subservient to them and there to birth royal children - Dukes and Duchesses of Spades - who can then be married off to forge alliances with other kingdoms. Excuse Arthur while he seethes at the thought of all of his brilliance being squandered on a life of endless sex followed by birthing royal brats in a nest.

Arthur had his first heat in his early teens and the kingdom officials started the tournaments as soon as he did, confident they’d have a new King of Spades in a year or two at most. Only to grow increasingly horrified as Arthur destroyed every champion brought in to chase him. Most of the time he didn’t even bother to run as a Queen usually would. Instead just calling on his litany of flesh melting, bone shattering spells to finish each encounter in mere minutes. His sixteenth birthday passes, then his eighteenth, nineteenth, on and on. Now the Queen of Spades is close to his twenty-first year and still he’s unmated! Not only that, but his reputation has grown so fearsome that the kingdom officials can barely find any champions willing to face him. The old fossils are close to despair and Arthur is smugger than a smug vendor at a convention of smuggery. He knows if he can make it past his twenty-first birthday then he will legally be an adult and the kingdom’s steward will have no choice but to hand all the powers of monarch supreme over to him. The old King of Spades is long dead and so is the old Queen. Making Arthur the undisputed highest authority in the Kingdom of Spades once he comes of age. Then no one can stop him making himself Queen Regnat, able to rule with no King. Able to change whatever laws he wants. Able to put a stop to these cursed tournaments once and for all and choose his own Spade Prince - not a Spade King, a Spade Prince! Subservient to his Spade Queen! Definitely a Prince - in peace.

He’s so close now, just one more month to go. All the years of training and endless sleepless nights of practicing spellcraft til he keeled over from exhaustion will be worth it. Arthur knows he can do it. He’s powerful now, so, so powerful. Who could ever hope to match the sheer force of his black magic? As far as he knows, there’s only one challenger left who’s been stupid enough not to throw in the towel. A young knight from a minor noble family by the name of Albert or Alfred or some such. Arthur barely listened to the details when Councillor Yao told him he had another challenge coming up. Arthur has practically been through more would-be-Kings than he’s had cups of tea. He’s heard it all before. He’s sure this Alfred or whatever will be no different.

Quite sure.

(This is getting long so end of part 1! Hopefully you guys will be interested in reading more once I type it up. 😘)

[essaytime]

I think the main thing that absolutely infuriates me about the "Romeo and Juliet were just dumb, horny teens" take is this implication that because they were so young, their relationship had to boil down to them being dramatic and inventing some great romance to moan about, or lust and hormones. As a teenager, it makes me want to tear the speaker apart with my bare hands. Interchangeably with stabbing, maybe.

When you look at the text, you can clearly see that there is some emotional connection between Juliet and Romeo. Their first conversation is literally a sonnet - which already indicates some sort of understanding and mutuality, and it's also beautiful poetry. They are the only characters in the entire play that they are really fully comfortable talking to. The adults are caught up in the feud, Nurse loves Juliet, but cannot understand her (and makes a dirty joke at her expense in Act I, which for a person Juliet's age would be awfully unpleasant), Romeo's friends, though I Iove them, don't get his sensitivity - Mercutio laughing at it and Benvolio worried by it - which Juliet, in turn, appreciates. They speak of each other with respect and admiration, quite unusually in Verona, where all is conflict and even Juliet's own father insults her: look at the sonnet, the balcony scene, Romeo comparing his sweetheart to the sun or a jewel (in contrast to his earlier quotes about Rosaline, which are literally a compilation of clichés stacked on top of one another). Even when Juliet awaits their wedding night, in a speech clearly centered on sexual matters, there is a visible softness and affection with which she treats Romeo ("cut him out in little stars"...). She waits for the night because it's him, not "I want to sleep with someone because I want to sleep with someone". The two genuinely care about each other, and are fond of each other. Of course, we can wonder if this love would last if they were given an opportunity to grow older, but when the play takes place, this love is there, and it's beautiful.

(Off-topic, I'd also like to note that this is an Elizabethan play that takes place in even earlier times, presumably late medieval - early renaissance Italy. They wouldn't live in the modern world where you can date many different people and settle well into your thirties or fourties. The average marriage age for girls in Shakespeare's time was about twenty, in fifteenth century Florence it was eighteen. Both of them were from wealthy families, so they'd likely be expected - even if Juliet's parents did not force her into a marriage with Paris - to marry earlier, for financial and political purposes. There couldn't be a "growing older" like we imagine it. Even their hypothetical different relationships would be early relationships for today's standards)

And it makes my blood boil when the visible genuine bond between these two is reduced to just "dumb kids being horny". The motive behind these words being partly, of course, the high-school-acquired All Required Reading is Nonsense edginess, but also a deeper issue - the inability to comprehend the fact that teenage love is also often real love.

Being capable of having deep and meaningful romantic relationships does not come baked into your birthday cake when you turn eighteen or attached to your first ever bill. Not every single feeling a teenager might harbour is at its core shallow lust and wanting to get laid. Of course, there's lots of cases of shortsighted infatuation where the pair really have nothing in common! I could name at least a few examples I have seen personally. But still, on every street and every corner of the world, and often a few metres from these pointless infatuations, teens fall in love because there's something more to it. Because they find they have a lot in common, because they get along well with each other, because they are able to see the good in the other person - their kindness, their intelligence, their enthusiasm, you name it. "Teens" including the younger teens, from thirteen to fifteen. And this love is a deep emotional bond. Sure, in most cases it will not last until death (and to be honest, relationships not working out is not really a teenage-specific phenomenon and a sign that young love of all is inherently doomed and it has to die so the curse of growing up is fulfilled), but it doesn't make it less of a love when it still remains, and it includes all the things love is about. Young couples go on dates, and have fun. They confide in each other. They support each other through hard times, they show care, they sometimes make sacrifices for their loved one's good. As any person in love does, at any age.

When I fell in love four months ago, I did not fall in love because I wanted to sleep with someone so bad. In fact, I do not want to - not for the next several years. I realise it's something I might want someday, but it's not today; and above all, I'm way too young. If anything, what I want is to kiss someone, or run my fingers through his hair, or read with his head in my lap - but it's not something I'd go out of my way and date a random person to get, come on. I fell in love because he is actually the first boy that reminds me of myself so much, the first I can understand so well. Because I also have a penchant for history and writing, I also tend to use formal and flowery language in very informal situations, I also enjoy people's attention (though I seem to worry more about being a potential inconvenience than he does), I also believe that we should judge people as individuals, because there's too much nuance in one person to make proper statements about large groups - and I find in him so many things that I can relate to, though of course I can't say I know him well enough to speak much for sure. Besides, he's simply a wonderful person, not flawless, of course, but he has a good heart. He is always kind, and well-mannered, and intelligent, and you can laugh with him. I think he would care if something bad happened, no matter if he says that he wouldn't. I think I know him well enough to say this at least. And if he loved me back (a thing I consider unlikely for now, but not entirely impossible), would we stay together forever? Heaven alone knows! Maybe not! It is up to the higher power. But even if we broke up, that wouldn't erase the fact that I loved him, and I would have done a lot for him, and we were able to have meaningful conversations. Just because a love isn't forever, doesn't mean it was never there.

Because - what the "dumb kids" people don't seem to grasp - teenagers are also human beings with a functioning, even if not fully developed, brain, capable of having complex feelings and thoughts just like an adult. Note that Shakespeare's leads, at least Juliet, actually do that - hence the pre-wedding night monologue, the "deny thy father and refuse thy name", her statement (I don't know the English original of that one, to be honest) that she is too soft and loving towards Romeo already, but it's because she has such profound feelings for him she can't even pretend to be strict. It's noticeable that she has some emotional maturity, at least - she shows some critical thinking abilities, she understands the consequences of many actions, she is able to see that the feud is pointless and a name is just a name. She's a teenager, and someone in their teens is also a Homo sapiens specimen, not a being from a different planet. Teens think and feel. It might not be the same reality as the adult one, and they don't deal with emotions with such ease as an adult would, but that doesn't mean they are unable to truly love and care, to enjoy talking to someone and want the best for them, like grown-ups do - as developing an affection for someone that makes you happy is a very human thing, and I can guarantee you a thirteen or fourteen-year-old is a developed enough human being to experience it.

So, to sum it up, if I hear any "Romeo and Juliet were just dumb kids being horny" on my watch, the author of this statement will presumably be mercilessly killed, and then I'll do as Fulvia allegedly did to Cicero and stab something through their tongue, except instead of a hairpin, I'll probably use one of the darts my little brother got for Christmas. They are very sharp. We have several holes in the floor already.

[vogelfreyh]

Finally came around to create a small character sheet for Ash! My OC Hogwarts Legacy/Wizarding World OC, Auror and Sirona’s wife.

I didn’t include much text on the sheet itself, but if you’re interested in her background, keep reading under the cut!

Born: 15th of August 1861 in Edinburgh, Scotland Nationality: British Gender: Female Blood Status: Pure Blood Height: 174 cm (5'8) Eye colour: Brown Hair colour: Ashen blonde Sexuality: Lesbian Occupation: Auror (1881)                       Lead Auror (1888) Family: Allan Crowley (Father)              Ophelia Crowley (Mother)              Philomena Crowley (Great grandmother)              Sirona Ryan (Wife ⚭ 1892)              Kelly (Adopted daughter, 1898)                  Saoirse (Adopted daughter, 1898)

Early Years & Family Relationships

Aislinn Crowley, called Ash, was born in Edinburgh as the daughter of the famous aurors Allan and Ophelia Crowley. Her family was extremely toxic and strict and had high expectations of her. Like most members of her family, she was supposed to serve in the Ministry of Magic and marry into a good family. As a result of this pressure, Ash often felt caged and inferior even as a child, and her relationship with her parents was hardly of an affectionate nature. Even Ash's bubbly personality, as well as her quick temper was viewed with suspicion by her family, and they never stopped preaching to her about the way she had to behave.

Due to their work, her parents rarely had time for her and employed a witch named Mimsy to take care of their daughter and raise her. Tragically, Mimsy passed away when Ash was just thirteen years old. Also in her teens, her parents had little more than rules and set future plans for her and made her feel that all that mattered to them was the family's reputation and that no one stepped out of line. Ash had a hard time tolerating family gatherings and from an early age was labeled the black sheep of the family, especially after she revealed to her parents that she was a lesbian.

After her successful entry into the ministry and taking up work as an Auror, Ash's reputation with her family improved a little. This only lasted until her parents arranged a marriage for her with a highly respected Ministry wizard, whom Ash rigorously refused. While her parents knew of her relationship with Sirona Ryan, they did not accept it. Ash, however, made them understand that Sirona was the only one to whom she would ever take the vows of marriage. That was the moment when she ultimately broke with her family and the relation between them finally crumbled. They never spoke a word to each other ever again.

  Personality

She is a kind and life-affirming character who comes off pretty self-confident and tough most of the time. She’s also very justice-loving and protective of her friends. If she overheard people talking bad about someone she liked, she sometimes would react very emotional and has been seen punching some of her classmates because of that.

Due to the toxic and judgmental nature of her family, she has learned to mask her fears and insecurities and only dares to drop her mask with a few people. She suffered from sudden anxiety attacks. This got better after she became friends with Sirona.

 Hogwarts Years

By the age of eleven, Ash received her Hogwarts letter and soon after came to start her first school year, where she was sorted into Gryffindor. Thanks to her kind and bubbly nature Ash quickly made friends, including the fellow Gryffindor Ruth, as well as Ravenclaw Sirona Ryan, with whom she literally collided during her first broom flying lesson.

Ash proved herself to be very skilled and talented in the subjects Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Transfiguration but had difficulties with Herbology and Potions. Especially in the subject of potions she ran into more and more problems during the school years, mostly on account of the fact that most of the potion ingredients made her feel nauseous. On one occasion, it was so bad that she had to throw up right into the cauldron. Sirona was still laughing about it years later and affectionately teased Ash about it.

Ash was on very good terms with Dinah Hecat, her teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts, who also gave her extra assignments and helped her prepare well for her future career while she was still in school. Even as an adult and after many years, Ash still maintained a friendship with her.

Since Ash needed at least an "Exceeds Expectations" in Potions for her N.E.W.T.s to qualify for Auror training, Sirona actively supported her and  the two practiced day and night. As a result, Ash managed to get the required grade in the subject. Potions actually was the only subject in which she did not have an "Outstanding".

  Ash & Sirona

Ash and Sirona first met when they literally crashed into eachother during their first broom flying lesson. After realizing that nothing bad had happened to them, they couldn't help but burst out laughing. This moment marked the beginning of their relationship.

The two quickly became inseparable and from that moment on hardly ever spent a minute without one another. Their understanding for each other worked even without words and they shared their deepest secrets and dreams. When they were together, they didn't have to put on a mask and could be themselves without being judged for it. They studied for exams together and played pranks, often to the annoyance of their classmates and teachers. Ash helped Sirona through a very difficult period in her life and supported her in pursuing her most ardent goal, even though it was anything but easy. Sirona was deeply grateful to have her at her side and always described Ash as her kindred spirit. They were also very protective of eachother and not seldom Ash got into fights when classmates talked bad about Sirona. Since the age of 14, her and Ash jokingly referred to each other as the 'other half' of one another. Over the years, their friendship had become so profound and intimate that many classmates described it as love, even before the two realized it themselves. But soon it was a thing they knew for a fact- they loved eachother and they had become the most important person in the other one’s life.

Ash usually spent her Christmas vacations with Sirona and her family, since her own family never celebrated any holidays. She was well liked by Sirona’s parents and always welcome in their home. As the years went on she rarely went back home to her family in Edinburgh, and rather stayed in Hogwarts for her holidays. She also spent the summer vacations together with Sirona in Hogsmeade, where the two of them waited tables at the Three Broomsticks and Sirona dreamed of one day owning such place by herself.

By the time their seventh school year drew to a close, Ash had completed all of her N.E.W.T.s with an "Outstanding" thus qualifying for a career as an Auror. She was excited, but she also knew that it would mean leaving Hogsmeade and Sirona, who was in the running to succeed her as the owner of the Three Broomsticks, for at least three years.

Their naïve dream of spending their future as a couple in a small cottage near Hogsmeade was slipping further and further away, but the stakes were high.

After a tearful parting and a promise to never lose sight of each other, Ash leaves for London to face her Auror training.

Over four years, apart from Sirona's few allowed brief visits to the ministry, they communicated only through owls. But sent eachother a letter at least every two days.

Ash learned that by a stroke of luck, Sirona had become the proprietress of the Three Broomsticks and was now managing the pub single-handedly. Ash, on the other hand, had passed her Auror training with distinction and had already made a name for herself during her first years by taking on an important mission. The two couldn't be happier for each other, but they missed each other terribly.

After a few years, the Ministry of Magic allowed Ash to leave London for the first time and she immediately set off for Hogsmeade. Sirona could hardly wait for her to arrive and as she finally stood in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks, they knew their love for each other was just as strong as the day they parted. If not, even stronger. Overjoyed they celebrate their reunion, making plans for the future. However, due to a dramatic incident, Ash is called back to the Ministry only a few days later. An association of dark wizards, who until recently worked underground, have taken the offensive and are now threatening not only the world of wizards and witches, but also the Muggle world. All Aurors were called back to London for immediate action.

Throughout this mission Ash is badly wounded in an ambush after tracking down the leader and barely survives. But thanks to her taking action, the rest of the Aurors manage to confront and kill their leader, Silas Vandalore.

When Sirona heard that Ash had been seriously injured, she immediately travels to London to be with her, fearing for her beloveds life. Back in the day, she often worried for Ash and was afraid to read her name among the obituaries in the Daily Prophet. To her great relief, however, Ash is strong enough and survives her injuries. However, the curse had left a mark on her and the doctors make her understand that she would hardly become as strong as she once was and that the remaining power of the curse would slowly drain her life energy. Later, she is given a special potion brewed by her old potions professor Aesop Sharp that would help slowing down the process of the curse and and allow her to live a relatively pain-free life, if she drank the potion on a regular base.

After withdrawing a little from the ministry and succeeding Dinah Hecat as professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ash and Sirona finally settle down together in a small cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade like they always dreamed to. They get married in 1892 and continue to live a happy and fulfilled life together. In 1898 the two adopt two little girls, whose families had been killed by black wizards, Kelly and Saoirse, and raise them as their daughters.

  Auror Career

In 1878, Ash began her Auror training in London. In the beginning she had a hard time adjusting to the new situation and life, but within a few months she had fully adapted and three years later completed her training with distinction. Just a few weeks later, she embarked on her first mission, where she would meet the hit wizard Aiden Langley, with whom she would remain close friends for many years to come. Working together, they uncovered a circle of notorious black wizards, escorted them to Azkaban and made a reputation for themselves within the Ministry.

In 1888 Ash takes the position as a Lead Auror within her department.

During 1889, when several cases of brutal murders involving Muggles and wizards occur all over Britain, Ash takes up the case and comes across the trail of a massive organization that has made it its goal to exterminate Muggles and all non-pureblood wizards and witches. As they have members all across the country, Ash sets out to find and turn in the leader, who, to the dismay of the wizarding world, is a former Hogwarts professor also not unknown to herself. Silas Vandalore.

She confronts him in Edinburgh, where he imprisoned and tortured a Muggle family. However, she is ambushed and gets severely injured by Silas with a curse. Langley finds her in time and takes her to St. Mungo's, where she continues to fight for her life several months. Deeply worried, Sirona travels to London and does not leave Ash's side, fearing that she might eventually lose her. Fortunately, though, Ash is strong enough and survives. However, the curse has left a mark on her and the doctors make her understand that she would hardly become as strong as she once was and that the remaining power of the curse would slowly drain her life energy. Later, she is given a special potion brewed by her old potions professor Aesop Sharp that would help slowing down the process oft he curse and and allow her to live a relatively pain-free life. She retains her position as Auror, but increasingly works in the background. When Dinah Hecat retires, she takes over as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, where she taught students up until she hit her sixtieth birthday and passed on her position to her successor.

[ato-catto]

Beast Gohan x Reader

'A very sudden, not quite warranted but enjoyable kiss.'

/kissing/implied cheating (I'm sorry Videl)/intense/childhood crushes

_♡_♡_♡_♡_♡_♡_♡_♡_

You couldn't help but stare. The red eyes coupled with the white hair left your gut twisting it a respectful amount of fear. Gohan relaxed into it and rolled his shoulders back, the usually polite and timid man grinning at you with oozing amounts of charisma and cockiness.

"What do you think~?" He purred. "Honestly."

Your mentor and friend looked at you in a way that made your knees weak. You felt like prey under his weighty gaze pray. You swallowed the sensation in your chest down. He was a married man!

"It's... New. You don't seem yourself, something in your face has changed, other than your hair and eyes." You mused aloud.

Gohan crossed his arms and looked bemused. "Like what-"

"You just don't look so.. polite." You laugh softly, his face contorting into irritated disbelief.

"So I look like an-"

"Asshole. Sort of." You began to laugh more heartily, covering your mouth. "I'm sorry Gohan-"

He shook his head and sighed. "I did ask for an honest response." He cocked a hip and placed his hands on his waist, looking you up and down.

You look down, then back up at him. "What? What is it?"

Gohan cracked a fanged smile. "Nothing.."

You reddened, feeling exposed. "Then why are you looking at me like-"

You where suddenly cut off by the young man pushing his mouth to yours, his spiky white bang brushing your forehead. Gohan stepped away after a moment with a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"GOHAN!" You touched your lips, your mouth buzzing from either emotions or his energy. "Why did you do that!?"

He grinned, running a tongue over his lip, like he was tasting the remnants of you off his skin. Your insides quaked, and your mind span.

"Why not? You looked all cute and flustered." His voice was gravelly and deep (thanks Beast) and his eyes still wandered you.

It was like he was someone else. Your gut twisted tighter, and you stepped back, but he advanced on you, red eyes piercing into your skin.

You regretted the short shorts and cami now- perhaps you shouldve sacrificed a little sweat and worn a jacket.. even in this heat.The blood red eyes prowled over your skin as he stepped closer... and closer.. until he grasped your shoulders and held you in place.

"Are you trying to run from me?" He husked, his tone accusing.

You shook your head- but you were. He was intimidating.

Gohan felt a pang in his heart. Were you.. scared? Had he overstepped his boundaries-? He deformed and gave you a sad look with his original big black eyes. "Did I scare you?" He sounded concerned.

This was the Gohan you loved. The soft eyes and gentle voice.

But the Beast ... that was something else. It made your face hot and insides tremble with anticipation of something that would never come.

"No-" you breathed. The kiss had stolen the breath from your lungs.

Gohan touched your face, gently, with the tips of his fingers. Your cheeks were hot and blushed.

"Are you sure?"

You nodded. "I just.. why did you kiss me? That was super uncalled for." You crossed your arms. You didn't appreciate having your feelings meddled with- wether he was aware of them or not.

He gave you that signature clueless Son family look, before his gaze faltered and his shoulders drooped.

"Sorry Y/N- sometimes forms come with their own unique personalities, I didnt mean it in any way-"

You sighed. Your feelings hurt, but that was the way it had to be. All those years ago, when you had stayed away to train, you had been absent when Videl had appeared in his life during your teen years. The feelings you had had to be forced away when you returned hearing of their engagement. Your heart had shattered, but you eventually healed, even if some of the fleeting feelings for him never went away.

"No worries." You swallowed again.

Gohan tilted his head. He knew, and had always known. Perhaps Beast Form brought out an emotion he had never acknowledged before? He frowned, looking down at your face when something dawned on his. Something achingly painful.

Oh. He liked you. And had for a long long time.

He stepped back, blinking and bewildered.

You frown. "Are you alright?" He looked like he had seen a ghost.

He shook his head, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh." He whined to himself. "This is bad."

Now it was your turn to be concerned and step towards him. "Hey, it's no big deal! It's fine!" You started, grabbing his hands in an attempt to calm him down.

He paused and met your eyes. "It is a big deal." His tone was hushed. "Because I've wanted to do that since I was 14. I've squished it down for years but... I guess the more raw side of me doesn't have the same censor as I do."

There was a thick silence between you both, his hands in yours, your eyes locked on his.

Joy and petrifying fear jumped about in your stomach.

"W-what?" Your heart thrummed in your ears.

"I..I am sorry, Y/N. Truly." His warm, dark eyes searched yours. You could tell he felt terrible.

"Gohan.." He had just admitted to liking you all those years ago. Now he was apologising for that?! "Gohan I liked you too. I still do. But you're married." The words came out strangled. The confidence you had been gathering sifted through your fingers like sand.

Gohans breathing seemed to halt. "You.. what?"

"I liked you." You reiterate gently. "I ... still do. I always have."

"You.."

"Since i was 13 years old, Gohan. Every single day I wrote in my stupid journal that I would marry you when I grew up- but then I left. And you grew up with out me, and that's my fault and my fault alone. Videl is a beautiful wife and excellent mother." You were choking now, tears brimming in your eyes.

"Oh.. Y/N." He soothed, pulling you to his chest and wrapping you in his strong arms. "I had no idea. I.. I want to say sorry but I don't know if that's the right thing to say-"

You bury your face in the purple material of his gi. "Don't apologise for anything. Please."

You stood in a silent embrace for a little while, a thousand words spoken but unsaid. His hand came to your chin and tilted your head up, and he kissed you again, better this time. Gentle and silent, his hands cupping your face.

It was an apology, a feeling gone unexpressed, covered in cobwebs that his kisses gently brushed away. He tasted you, earning him a whimper, rewarding you with a small smile against your lips.

Once Gohan pulled away, he thoughtfully adjusted a few stray hairs about your face.

"I can never do that again."

"I know." You leant into his hand.

".. Even if I want to." He looked at your lips again.

".. Just.. just one more?"

His mouth was on yours again, mumbling "more" against your lips over and over, his hands grasping your waist.

This week was about to get very complicated.

[mermazeablaze]

I need to vent about my SIL especially after losing my MIL last week. This might be a lengthy post. Because I'm petty, angry & hurt. I need the catharsis of publicly shaming her sans her name.

My SIL grew up spoiled. She wanted for nothing. What she couldn't get from others, she learned to manipulate from them.

My hubs & his brothers had to beg, plead & steal for all they had.

SIL beat the shit out of my husband when he was around 5yrs old so badly with an extension cord - he still has nerve damage in his back.

Anytime she didn't get her way, she took it out on him because he was the youngest at the time.

SIL was a teen mom & there's no shame in that. But she has always been ashamed of being Hispanic.

She would bleach her son's head as a toddler & when he got older forced him to wear blue contacts until he stood up for himself in middle school.

SIL gloats & brags about ruining lives just because she's practiced enough to do it - careers, families, citizenship, etc

When our girls were smaller we gave SIL a chance hoping she had shed her skin. Nope, SIL was still SIL. She used her own nieces to make herself look good - new SOs, new friends & bosses. Once she seemed wholesome enough & secure, she wanted nothing to do with them.

SIL always lives outside of her means. When hubs Gpa was still alive she forced him to pay her mortgage, auto loan & so much more. Meanwhile vacays, cruises, designer clothes, motorcycles, bought her own cabin, etc

When Gpa cut her off, she bled everyone else within her reach, except us, dry & called it a day.

SIL tried buying our three daughters social security cards from us to get her bio father's family into the USA. When we told her no, she called CPS on us.

SIL treated MIL like shit. Which wasn't a surprise. SIL didn't like MIL was one of the few who didn't spoil her during her life. It was everyone else around her who did. & so SIL made it a point to ice out MIL, including keeping her son, MIL's grandson from her.

SIL tried to convince her son that his own son wasn't his just because she didn't like the girl. SIL made this girl's life a living hell. SIL forced him to terminate his parental rights, which he did. A paternity test proved he was his son, but by then the damage was done. The girl ran from that family & didn't look back.

SIL's son married a girl who had a child with someone else, nothing wrong with that. SIL had an issue with that because he was fresh out of HS. They now have a daughter together. SIL's son rarely interacts with her.

When MIL had her stroke that placed her in a long term nursing home - SIL got POA. SIL embezzled what money SSI gave her outside of paying for the home. We knew this would happen, but SIL was the only one capable of being her POA.

We found out one of my BILs was a child predator who preyed on one of our daughters. SIL who could care less about him before all of this - is suddenly his protector. & said despite what he did, he deserves love & his family. Girl, what? 👁️👄👁️

When Gpa died of Alzheimer's. We were not notified despite being very close with him. We had to find out through Google searching his name here & there. It was a few months after his death.

MIL, her stepsister & all of the grandkids were supposed to get an inheritance when Gpa died. Husband never received his. But he didn't want to take SIL to court. He just said, "She can choke on it."

The nursing home kept calling my husband about MIL because they hadn't heard from SIL in weeks, sometimes months. The only person visiting MIL was her husband she was separated from. We couldn't visit her because SIL told the home we couldn't without her permission.

We found out MIL had been diagnosed with uterine cancer while in the nursing home. We found out through one of the phone calls when they couldn't get a hold of SIL.

More phone calls from nursing home because they can't reach SIL to schedule cancer treatments.

Eventually the calls from nursing home said MILs cancer had progressed to the point of hospice because of the lack of consistent medical intervention.

SIL *finally* contacts us & said we can visit MIL before she's moved to hospice.

MIL was never moved to hospice we found this out because one of hubs paternal cousins got a job at the nursing home.

Last week when MIL died we found out because the nursing home contacted us because guess what? They couldn't get ahold of SIL.

SIL didn't even bother to contact us about her death. She posted about the funeral on her FB page. My aunt told me the details because I have SIL blocked, husband doesn't have her blocked.

I was confused about the funeral home being used because it wasn't the one that side of the family uses. So I called them. SIL went cheap - no embalming (not that I agree with it), no viewing, no open casket, just a graveside service.

I also found out MIL would not be buried next to her dad despite having a plot. She was so proud of that plot before being in the nursing home & comforted that she would be next to him. We still don't know if SIL sold the plot before MIL died because of her POA.

We visited MILs grave a few hours after the service (we didn't attend because predator BIL) & found out she was buried next to her mother, aunt & both maternal grandparents. Which made us glad she was at least next to some family.

There was no headstone at her grave. Which we know isn't placed right away. But knowing SILs behavior - we went in person & spoke to the funeral director. SIL did not purchase one, but said she would be back to place one on a payment plan. We told the funeral director that either SIL will ghost her or meetup & not buy one.

We told the funeral director we would purchase the headstone, but to tell SIL there was an 'anonymous donor'.

SIL did come in for the payment plan appointment, but once she heard there was an 'anonymous donor' - the funeral director said, "SIL had her checkbook out & immediately put it back in her purse when she heard there was a donor. She said she'll pay whatever they (us) don't pay."

We're paying for all of it tomorrow. Out of love for MIL, but also BDE & pettiness at this point.

One last thing. SIL used a free obit service, Echovita, which I'm not mad at. But it was a stock obit that ChatGPT wrote. Echovita has that as a feature. I got on Echovita & wrote one my damn self, that was actually personalized.

End Vent

[sequinsmile-x]

This is Our Place, We Make the Rules

A collection of mini-fics and one-shots of Hotchniss being domestic idiots in love.

Chapter 3 - Paperwork

The master list for this collection is here.

-x-

hi friends <3

some pure fluff to help us all get through the midweek slump

-x-

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: None!

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

The first person who makes her think about it is, of all people, Dave. 

They were at their defacto engagement party, drinks that Penelope insisted they all went for as soon as they told the team Aaron had proposed and Emily had said yes, when Dave made the comment. She was looking at her engagement ring, the cool metal still foreign against her skin, a heaviness she now felt naked without, when he sidled up to her, a joke about her being the second Mrs Hotchner already in the air around them before she looks up.

Emily had always maintained that, on the off chance she found someone she loved enough to marry, she’d keep her surname. She’d made a name for herself with it - proved herself time and time again as she showed those around her who doubted her that she was more than simply her parent’s daughter. 

She’d watched her mother build a career with the surname of the man who’d abandoned them both, disappearing from their lives and only leaving his name and a broken family in his wake. She told herself she would never do the same thing. 

She was Emily Prentiss. Yale Grad. Spy. FBI Agent. And she liked it. 

She brings it up with Aaron not too long after the engagement party, half convinced that it would matter to him. She knew if it was a big deal, if it was important to him that she changed her name, she’d do it. He simply smiles at her and kisses her forehead before muttering he would never expect her to do that, that he understood how important her independence was. That he loved her for who she was not who he, or anybody else, wanted her to be.

So she doesn’t change her name. They get married, a small ceremony that she knows her mother hates, and they move on. Their life slowly becoming what they’d both wanted, and deserved, for a long time. Then Benjamin comes along, the child she’d always convinced herself she’d never have. There’s a moment after he’s born, when the hospital bracelet on her wrist and the one around his ankle have different names on them, when she feels a flash of something she can’t name. A moment of something that tastes a little like regret until Aaron walks back into the room with Jack, the little boy excited to meet his little brother. 

She barely thinks about it until a few years down the line when a case where they collaborate with the state department, giving her a view of the diplomatic immunity that had gotten her out of some trouble in her teen years from the other side, brings it back to the forefront of her mind. A man who knew her mother, and also her father, recognises her name instantly. He tries to flirt with her at first, something that is nipped in the bud quickly by a combination of her wedding rings and Aaron’s glare, but then he switches to talking about how fantastic her parents are. How smart and talented she is like them.

And she hates it. 

It puts the idea of changing her name firmly back in her mind and she can’t shake it off. She slowly, but surely, comes to the realisation that she doesn’t want to be associated with her childhood. To the name that she couldn’t deny had given her some favour over the years. To the parents who had always put other things first. Instead, she wants to be associated with her family. Her beautiful sons that she’d do anything for. Her husband who she loves in a way she had once thought was just for silly Christmas movies and books she hated. 

She fills in the paperwork without telling anyone. She prints out the forms at work and fills them out before she makes a copy and sends them off in secret. It seemed so simple for something that had taken her years to do and it feels like such a big step. It takes only three weeks for her new social security card to arrive, her new name printed on the front. She hides it from Aaron, determined to surprise him with it the first chance they got to be alone. 

After they get the kids to bed that night, Jack in bed with a strict bedtime and Benjamin in his nursery for now, although she knows he’ll end up in their bed eventually, she decides it’s time to tell Aaron. She walks to their shared home office with the paperwork in hand and she blows out a  steady breath before she walks in, smiling as their eyes meet. 

“Hi sweetheart,” he says, immediately putting his pen down to give her his full attention, “Did Benny go down ok?” 

She nods as she closes the office door behind her, “Yeah he fell asleep halfway through Goodnight Moon,” she says, smiling at the thought of her son fast asleep against her like he had been only minutes ago, “Although I think we both know he’ll be in our bed by morning. 

Aaron hums in response, his smile getting wider, and she gives herself a moment before she steps towards him. She clears her throat as she dumps the paperwork on his desk unceremoniously, not dissimilar to how she used to present him with her case files. He raises his eyebrow at her before he looks down at what she’s placed on his desk. 

He frowns, wondering why on earth she was applying for a new social security card, let alone why she was involving him in the process, but then he spots it. He picks up the form to look at it more closely, her familiar scrawl written neatly in small boxes. 

Name at birth: Emily Elizabeth Prentiss

Name to be shown on card: Emily Elizabeth Hotchner

He looks up at her, his eyes wide as his mouth falls open in shock, huffing out a laugh as he seems lost for words. She clears her throat and twists her hands together, overcome by nerves she doesn’t expect and can’t explain. 

“Did you know there’s no set limit on how long after you get married you can apply for a name change?” She says, watching him as he shakes his head as he looks back and forth between the forms and her face. 

“You changed your name?” He asks, finally finding his voice, love threatening to burst out of him. It had never mattered to him, but he couldn’t pretend that knowing she’d done this didn’t fill him with joy

She smiles and nods, “Yeah,” she says, “I changed my name.” 

It’s the first time she’s said it out loud, and she doesn’t expect the emotion that swells in her chest. He places the paperwork back on his desk and rolls back slightly in his chair, beckoning her to close the gap between them. She climbs into his lap and wraps an arm around the back of his neck. He kisses her before she’s fully settled, making her laugh as she responds eagerly.

When he pulls back to look at her he’s smiling, “You said you didn’t want to…”

“I know, and I didn’t,��� she says, settling into his embrace as his arms automatically wrap around her, holding her against him, “But…it’s hard to explain. I realised I was essentially walking around with the name of a man I haven’t seen since I was 12, and that I wanted to have the same name as you. As the boys. My family.” she smiles wryly, shrugging nonchalantly like she always did when she was this honest, “Plus this way whenever I travel with them alone now I won’t have to prove I’m their mom.”

She rolls her eyes as she thinks of the over-eager airline agent the last time they went on vacation who queried the fact she had a different surname to Jack and Benjamin. Aaron had unexpectedly had to fly separately because of work, and it had led to Emily almost losing her cool at the gate agent who queried her relationship with her sons, even though she’d long since become a legal guardian of Jack. She feels herself getting irritated over it again, her jaw tight. 

“I mean one of them came out of me-”

“Sweetheart,” he says, smiling fondly at her, “We’re kind of getting off track here.” 

She clears her throat and nods, her teeth sinking into her lower lip, “Right, sorry,” she smiles at him, “I know you’ve never pressured me into this, and that you’ve always said it’s my decision,” she says, reaching out and pushing his hair off of his forehead, idly thinking that he and both the boys were overdue hair cuts, “And I love you for that, but…I wanted to do this.” 

He has so many questions but he knows it isn’t quite the time yet, that this was a big step for her. Even bigger in some ways than marrying him in the first place and having a baby with him. He kisses her again, his hand on her cheek as he holds her in place. 

“So after you send the paperwork off how long will it take to be official?” He asks, smiling at her as she turns her head just enough to kiss the palm cupping her cheek. 

“Actually, it’s already official,” she says, digging her driving licence from where she’d hidden it in her pocket and handing it to him, “I sent the paperwork off a few weeks ago, this is just a copy. My social security card arrived this morning, and when I told you I was going to coffee with JJ I was actually at the DMV getting this changed.” 

He takes it from her and smiles at the sight of it. Everything about it was the same except her name. It was the same picture, the same address. It was practically the same piece of plastic she frequently misplaced, leaving him to find it for her in the strangest of places before handing it to her with a wry smile on his face. But the change in name makes his heart swell in his chest. 

Emily Elizabeth Hotchner. 

“I love you,” he says, his smile wide as he looks back at her. She leans in to kiss him, her hand grasping at the hair on the back of his head as she holds him close.

“I love you too,” she murmurs, sighing as he holds her even tighter, his fingers pressing into her hips through her shirt. Her eyes are slightly glazed over as she pulls breathlessly pulls back, “Is that paperwork you were doing important…” she asks, her eyes flicking to the desk and what he’d been working on before she interrupted, “Or shall we go to bed?” She asks, kissing him again, nipping at his lower lip, “Make the most of our time before we have a toddler in our bed.” 

It takes less than a second before he stands, making her shriek as he lifts her and supports her as she finds her footing. He kisses her fiercely, and she just about registers the sound of her new driver's licence hitting the carpeted floor. He pulls back to look at her, a smile on his face that makes her stomach flip. 

“Lead the way, Mrs Hotchner,” he says, and she beams at him, turning in his embrace as she goes to leave the room, his hands never leaving her hips.

She was Emily Hotchner. FBI Agent. Wife. Mother. And she loved it. 

-x-

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[amethystamanda]

1896, Part 4-1897, Part 1

Seating is in short supply at the school now. Some of the younger children have to wait until someone leaves school to attend.

Olivia isn't as happy to do needlework as her sisters, but sometimes Lydia can get her to sit still.

Uncle Maurice finally married! The former Miss Luna Villareal seems lovely.

Virginia has learned everything they can teach her at school! Her parents are so proud of her. She's now ready to find employment or further education, if she and her parents choose that. Maybe she would become a nanny, or see if the Merchants needed any help in their general store? Maybe join a larger household and try to work her way up to housekeeper?

They aren't short on money, and they don't need to make room for more growing children, so they decide to give her some time to see if she would rather marry now or go to work first.

While mom makes Winterfest breakfast, the children tease each other.

At some point the family portrait... fell off the wall. It's been returned, hopefully on a sturdier nail.

Father Winter visited them again, but Virginia found herself feeling unwell. She recovered, but they were thankful that she hadn't went out to work.

Eleanor and Andrew caught it too, and they sent Olivia off to rest as well, just in case.

Veronica is now old enough to attend classes with Lydia and Laurence's younger children.

Fierce hunter.

They expanded the school, and now everyone can attend!

I can no longer deal with the lag caused by having a lot of things in the fridge's inventory on top of the lag from custom food on top of the general lag from having so many plants and animals and sims on the lot. Simple living is gone.

In the next week, Andrew ages up to teen and Virginia starts looking for a husband.

I would like to point out again that years are wrong. They are proportionate to the decade based on the heir's life--year 0 starts when the heir gets married and becomes head of the household, year 1 starts when the next heir is born and 1-8 are proportionate to the heir's age, year 9 is the heir looking for a spouse. That is, of course, depending on getting a male heir for this time period. If there are only girls, then all bets are off. And if an heir dies and there's a backup heir, who knows? Right now, I have YA sims in game who, by the years, are 10. Year tracking is for me, not for reality. In this save, at least. Some years may be very short or very long, depending on in-game events.

At the end of the week, I removed more traits in CAS. The remaining traits:

Laurence

CAS/Discovery: Family-Oriented, Proper, Angler, Loves Outdoors, Handy

Other: Baby Expert, Been Kissed, Likes Fruitcake, Had Woohoo, Worship of the Watcher, Would be Happy to Have a Child, Naturalist, Family Member, Collector, Domestic

Lydia

CAS/Discovery: Proper, Neat, Active, Cheerful, Family-Oriented

Other: Baby Expert, Does Not Want a Child Right Now, Naturalist, Worship of the Watcher, Had Woohoo, Family Member, Collector, Domestic

Virginia

CAS/Discovery: Music Lover, Cheerful

Other: Family Member, Worship of the Watcher, Top Notch Infant, Likes Fruitcake, High Self-Esteem, Muser, Graduated High School Early

Andrew

CAS: Active

Other: Family Member, Baby Expert, Top Notch Infant, High Confidence

Olivia

CAS: Loves Outdoors

Other: Family Member, Baby Expert, Top Notch Infant, High Confidence

Eleanor

CAS: Neat

Other: Family Member, Top Notch Infant, Likes Fruitcake, High Confidence

A mini story in pictures and my rules for marrying (they got a bit long) under the cut.

I kept that cowplant alive so much longer than I usually manage to do when I'm trying, and I wasn't trying.

My rules for marrying, probably until 1950:

Must have graduated high school or reached 30 days as a teen (I will allow them to continue high school while married if needed), whichever comes first. If they don't graduate early or don't attend high school because they can't afford the tuition, they have to reach the 30 day point, out of 42.

I only roll for marriage-related rolls when they reach that point.

Girls must not have an unmarried older sister (who will marry) living at home. Widowed is fine, but if they're going to marry, the older has to get married first, or at least give it a good shot.

Then they have to find a partner. Since I'm not following teens to school, my playstyle does not lend itself to already having a sweetheart. Typically, a girl would marry an older boy/man, and a boy/man would marry someone younger, for quite a few decades.

Since I can't apply the graduated rule to NPCs, they follow the 30 days rule, more or less, to marry my sims--MCCC can do what it does. I'm keeping track of townies, but I might need to adjust some ages. This means boys will need to wait for the 30 day point to have a wife the same age or younger.

Marking chosen NPCs to not marry to save them for my sim is allowed. I still won't force it if they hate each other when the time comes, but I can make them wait and give it a try.

If I find I don't have enough sims to pick from or don't like the ones available, there's always the gallery or making them myself. I like picking ones who already exist, because then there's varied genetics, though.

For finding a spouse, I think I'm going to have a club for single sims to flirt and see how that works--my sim and appropriately aged potential partners and other potential partners for those potential partners (so not just Virginia and a bunch of guys). Parental supervision is required for a club gathering, but they can't be club members because being single will be a requirement, so that if anyone marries, they will be removed.

[huraiyra]

sorry for vent posting guys you can scroll away really fast now. if youre reading this please be advised I am using a metaphor I am fine lol

but damn I do not feel like a person. I've been this way my whole life and as a teen I thought I had dependent personality disorder bc I just wanted others to make every decision for me and I would ask permission to eat or watch TV or use the bathroom even if I didn't NEED TO and people would be like why are you ASKING. and as I grew up I realised that my fear of making the wrong decision and ruining my life for myself was so stupid. I used to think if someone else ruined my life it would be okay bc at least it's not me. and others know best. but a decade later and I feel like a fucking dog being paraded around to show off its obedience and it gets disciplined when it barks and when it makes a decision against its owner it gets its leash tightened tighter and tighter till it feels like it might die. and I can't escape it. my dependence is self imposed but I can't survive on my own and maybe I learned how to think and eat on my own but I fucking suck BUT I'M WILLING TO TRY but there's no way out. I'm stuck here. what am I without my mom to control me. I'm afraid of leaving I love my home I just want to be taken care of but this leash isn't comfortably snug anymore it's starting to hurt. if I stay here there's no way I can fight them. some day they'll hold me down and have me married and then someone else will hold me down and... more imminent, soon I'll be shoeholed into another career that will damage my body again. my mom says the damage is my fault and if I cant do it I'm a worthless idiot who should die bc life is pain and that's final. but today my doctor said there's no reason to treat me for weak legs that can't stand and a brain that's spasming and making me want to off myself if I can just... quit the job that's making my body do that. how revolutionary. I'm crying freaking out bc all my parents tell me is tht theres no way out and I have to work jobs I hate bc work sucks and thats how life is and why did my doctor have to give me hope? but if I'm a dog what decision does the dog have. I don't know how to want. I don't know how to be interested in things. my depression doesn't let me like anything and bc of this I'm being controlled. maybe if I wanted something I could do it but all I want is comfort. as long as I crave only the comfort of my bed and the softness of my mother's arms holding me I have to deal with the leash. it's not a bad deal but by fuck I should not deal with this any longer. I can't force myself to leave bc I'm unemployed and psychotic and living alone—even my brother knows I'd fall into pieces from lack of money and general insanity. what the fuck do I do. I like being a pampered puppy but I'm a human and I need to accept it. no matter how psychotic I am, no matter how I've never believed I am a human, I am. my autism says I'm scared of other people and only my mom halfway gets me and I just want simplicity and depression says stay in bed and my health says I have no future and my psychosis says stay in a small ball or else everything will hurt you and my family says I need to listen to them and life is only pain and I need to embrace pain and shut the fuck up and do whatever they say or else. but I need to survive. I can't keep doing this. what do I do? dog on a leash... I can't make myself cut through it. can someone else do it please? I want a different owner. but I don't think any owner is going to be as comforting as my parents. their (prev physical and lifelong psychological) abuse is mixed with so much love I still doubt it's abuse even though I know. they've loved me as much as they're capable of and they do truly take care of me. I need to be my own owner but how the fuck. every few days I cry and want to die to end all of this bc the worst part is that after I get away from them all my problems will be worse bc I'M the problem and my parents love is the only thing keeping me in one piece. I'm a dependent pampered dog that can't run away and can't handle a leash. I just keep ruminating and ruminating and I can't do anything. what the fuck do I do?

[zarvasace]

Hi I just reread your marvelous misadventures fic and I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely adore it!

Would you be able to toss some hc’s about the boys in the fic? 💜💜💜💜 (no pressure if you’re busy or have better things to do!) : )

Awww thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you like it!! 💜💜💜 (Here's the fic in question, it's a modern "everyone's a mythological creature" AU that's pure self-indulgence with a plot)

I'll be careful about spoilers but I can totally throw out some hcs!

Wind's a seer, and he'd be nosy even if he couldn't See things. He can't See emotions like some seers, but he can See other manifestations of emotions (see: Hyrule's wings, or Twilight's wolf), and he's gotten really used to using those cues to help him navigate social situations. If he couldn't use his talent for some reason, he'd get really awkward.

Downfall, the magically cut-off continent that Hyrule and Legend are from, has government, but it devolved a while ago into.... we'll call them bureaucratic warlordships. It'll take some effort to get that organized again. Anyway, those warlords don't give official recognition for being a Hero, not like the mainland does, but they used to. Legend knows the stories better, but Hyrule knows the more romanticized versions, and he used to dream of becoming a Hero. He still does. Legend sort of does, too, but he'd never admit it.

Sky is a dragon, as were many Skyloftians, but there aren't too many left. They're not immortal, just slow agers. The government's in on it, or at least a few high rankers are. Wind was right when he hypothesized that there's only ever been one Hero of the Sky, rather than a long line of them. Loftwings are endangered, since they live longest when bonded with one of the flightless dragons. Sky and his Zelda have been alive for at least two hundred years and still aren't married, incredibly.

Warriors is a half-demon who literally grew up in hell, and though his Zelda/Sheik and a few others have mostly pounded decency through his head, he still has a few messed-up assumptions about the world internalized. Due to his abnormal education, though, he's the only one who actually knows what Wild is (including Wild himself.)

Four's pretty sure he's just human. The colors in this story work more like LU canon than I usually write them, they're more just extensions of himself than fully realized individuals.

Twilight and Wild live on a patch of good land that one of Twilight's older relatives willed to him. They're currently living in an old cabin there, but someday Twilight wants to build two new cabins, and settle into one with a family of his own. His half-baked plans include setting Wild up with someone who won't mind how unafraid he is of death and giving them the second cabin. He's not sure how he'll do that, though, and he is increasingly unhappy with the fact that "werewolf" is both on his ID and his background check.

Wild's just half-aware of all of that, and is more focused at the moment on getting settled into the modern world—his land was cut off from the continent for that century he wasn't around, and both he and everyone else there are getting used to cars and fast food chains.

Due to some spoilers, Time isn't able to have biological children, and he and Malon are starting to look into fostering. Time's realizing that there are a lot of teens and tweens out there with magic who are a lot like Wars was (i.e. in need of realistic expectations of cause and effect), and he wants to help.

...okay that was a lot sorry I love them too!

[cherrytreeshipper]

a lot more people than usually see my posts saw my wedding post and i got a few new followers from it (hi new followers 👋) so i decided to go through and explain everyone in the group photo because most people aren't gonna know who most of these characters are (under the cut because Long)

so to start off with we've got N and Sylvan, both of whom are simultaneously the bride and the groom and i'm only joking a little bit about that. If you don't know about them... you will. they're the stars of the show 'round these parts.

next we've got the pkmn bw and bw2 protagonists, hilbert, hilda, nate, and rosa. i inserted them in this picture last minute so they kind of all look like shit. (sorry rosa i did you so dirty) but uh anyway they're here because i wanted more people who like, would probably mostly show up at the wedding for N as opposed to most of the other characters in the picture who are Sylvan's friends and family. I also wanted more canon characters in the picture because there's a lot of OCs here. but there are two more canon characters here...

Anthea and Concordia! N's (often forgotten about :( ) sisters. Well. I don't think they ever explicitly say they see each other as siblings but they were all adopted by the same fucked up evil guy and the fandom calls them siblings and I Like That. Um... There's not a lot else for me to say about them. I also forgot about them until I got into PKMN IRL roleplay and most of my thoughts on them come from someone's roleplay blog about them. There's... not much to them in canon. Regardless, I think they're Neat.

But next up we've got Sylvan's half-siblings, Oliver, Laelia, and Willow! Oliver is a guy who pretends to be Kalosian (French) for fun and for profit, Laelia wants to be a professor who studies The Power Of Friendship, and Willow's like six years old, her personality is liking minecraft or something.

This is Aurelia, i've hardly talked about her Ever, but she was Sylvan's rival when they were teens. Sylvan soon realized he didn't like Pokémon battling and Aurelia eventually realized she still does like Pokémon battling but there's other stuff she'd rather be doing. I've gone back and forth over whether she now does Pokémon Musicals or works for Pokestar Studios. Maybe both?

Aaaaaand last on our journey we've got Sylvan's parents, Azalea and Vernon. I've gone back and forth about whether or not they were ever married but regardless of if they were married, they are Divorce. That's not a typo, They Are Divorce. Um. There's more stuff I could explain about them but it's complicated and would take forever I want to eat breakfast. bye

[unovanhunny]

If you’re still talking about your aus, can I hear about the Husband Murderer Ingo au? I am a slut for the ‘wealthy widow murderer’ trope (assuming that this is Ingo murdering his husband and not Emmet’s husband lol)

Okay, so. You see, the original AU is Ingo murdering Emmet's husband, and I will get into that in a moment. But because you brought it up, we now have an actual wealthy widow murderer Ingo AU and I will get into that too. I'll start with the original that wasn't the idea you had and then get into the one that was.

A cut as always because I talk too much. They're both Dark (which is to be expected of our AUs + if Ingo is killing someone its certainly not a happy AU), but still, just fair warning.

Ingo and Emmet were born into a wealthy family that was closely tied to a religious sect. They were raised with this religion and Ingo idolised the prospect of becoming the religous figure head when he got old enough. Emmet was less involved in the religion, though he feigned his interest. However, he was also dealing with something a lot worse that took up much more of his mental space. One of their parents' friends, wealthy and influential, would come round the house often and would visit Emmet at nights. He was threatened with Ingo's innocence, his family's standing, and his own safety if he were to ever tell anyone. So he stayed quiet.

When they were of age, a choice had to be made. One of them would follow their role in their religion and become something akin to a priest, and the other would be married off to the very man that had been doing terrible things to Emmet all this time. Emmet knew his brother's dream and without hesitation volunteered to marry his abuser. No one questioned the decision and Ingo went on to do what he always wanted while Emmet went to live with the man he hated with his entire being.

Emmet was not treated particularly well in his new home. More of a plaything for his husband than anything. The only thing keeping Emmet any form of Sane was knowing that he had protected Ingo and helped him acheive his dream. He endured what he had to, and he still got to see Ingo at times.

Ingo could pick up on how distressed Emmet was and he would not stand for it. His precious younger twin wasn't doing alright and he would do whatever it took to see him happy again. And if that meant ensuring that his husband died in a slow and subtle way like poisoning and no one would suspect anything, well so be it. And with Emmet freed from his obligations with his husband and Ingo realising that he would have no qualms about fulfilling his duties while living with Emmet, he moves in with him. And now Emmet can get cared for by his brother up close and personal forever.

And now for the new Black Widow Ingo AU.

At a young age Ingo was made a

replacement for the boys mother, in more ways than one. In this AU, Emmet is about 5 years younger than Ingo. Ingo did all the chores around the house and whatever else their father decided. Emmet found out some of the things Ingo was doing with their father and Ingo was absolutely horrified at the thought that Emmet had seen what he was made to do. And that was when Ingo decided to kill their father. Emmet should

have never been exposed to any of that. Ingo was in his late teens at this time and after their father was dead, he made the decision to send Emmet to boarding school. Emmet did Not want to leave his brother's side, but Ingo insisted it was for the best.

Ingo however didn't really have much going for him. He didn't have a full education and he certainly wasn't skilled in anything but home making so... He married. And he married someone a lot like their late father. He had no other frame of reference for how he should live. He was miserable but at least he knew Emmet was alright at school. He wanted Emmet to come and stay with him again now that life was stable, but his husband refused. He didn't want to take care of some brat. So... Ingo got rid of him. Emmet was more important than anything and if this man wanted to keep them separated, he wouldn't stand for it.

And with Ingo's husband gone, Emmet could come and live with him again! Emmet is happy and relieved that finally it can just be them without anyone else getting in the way!

[detectivetramp]

Theodore "Theo" Holms // Forty-One // Human // Detective

TW: Murder mention, alcohol & drug mention

Growing up with a silver spoon in his mouth was never the life Theo wanted for himself. He was just as quick to spit it out as it had been shoved in his mouth. He could have anything he wanted but all he wanted was freedom and not being used as his parents toy. He hated dinner parties, thought manners were stupid, and never took responsibility for his actions. For a while his parents played it off as being a child but as he got into his teen years the problems only worsened. He snuck out and went to parties, came home drunk far past curfew, and even had the police escort him home a few times.

His parents didn't know what to do with him. The three were always fighting and it always felt like his parents were against Theo. After a final straw and a screaming match Theo was kicked from his home. He was only sixteen at the time and this proved to him his parents never really did love him as a child, just as something to show off to their rich friends. As much as he acted like it didn't bother him, it sure did. He spent many sleepless nights on the street, often just wandering until sun rose. A bed became a rarity for him and food was scarce. He didn't have a penny to his name anymore and he was alone. Theo saw the bright side in many things though and though he struggled for a while, he finally felt free.

It was a lot of odd jobs here or there that Theo would often get fired from because he was still just a punk ass teenager. He didn't like the restrictions of shelters so he found himself a group he wandered with. For a few years they were here or there. Theo got himself into more trouble and the drinking began to get bad. He was angry when he was drunk and all repressed feelings were channeled into whatever surface his fist would collide with.

After a while Theo found himself in Evermore and it would change his life forever. His first day in town he met Layla and she was a sight to thank heaven for. It wasn't his beauty that drove Theo in though. She was from the same background as him, he would learn later on, and yet she wasn't like any of the girls he'd ever met before. She was kind and generous, caring in so many ways, and she wasn't a pretentious brat. He was intrigued by her right away.

They were inseparable from the moment they met and though he may have denied it at first it was love at first sight. Theo had never had anyone in his life that he would take a bullet for or jump in front of a train if it meant sacrificing his life for theirs. Layla quickly became that person. He fell for her hard but was so against a stuffy life again that he was scared to settle down with her. He was still a tramp from the streets that had yet to be tamed.

Theo showed Layla the fun side of life and she made him appreciate the things in life he had once had. He started to clean up his act, cut his hair, and did better for himself for Layla. He loved her so much and never in a million years did he expect to end up settling down and marrying someone he loves. Even three children and a steady career later he was still in awe at his life. There may be stuffy dinner parties again and rules to abide by, but he was truly happy.

There isn't anything Theo wouldn't do for his children. Sure, they're a little spoiled but he only ever wanted them to be shown the love he never had been given. He made sure they were close as a family and wanted nothing more than them to be safe and happy. He tried his best and even at times he was frustrated he loved them dearly. If anyone were to ever hurt his children they would regret the way they were born.

Theo is still very much in love with Layla after all these years. He showers her with his love and makes it known how special she is to him. There is no one he loves more than her, or their kids, and he's often writing her love letters or sending her flowers just because. He's a bit of a romantic deep down but only she's ever seen that side of him. It's reserved only for her.

There was a while, in the beginning of their relationship, when his drinking habits were still rough. He doesn't think he'd ever have gotten through them without her. He lightened up and really only reserves himself to a few drinks at events or some wine on date nights. There are times he's working a case that makes him stay at work a lot of extra hours so he'll occasionally have a drink to unwind when he gets home. Even if he does drink a bit too much now he's not that angry person he once was. He's let a lot go and grew a lot over the years so when he is drunk all he wants to do is kiss his wife and tell her how much he loves her.

He didn't have many hobbies growing up other than being a menace to his parents but as he found a stable life for himself he began to find things he enjoyed. Some cliché, but others he's found he just has a strange enjoyment for. He collects vinyls, reads fiction novels, and has a strange affinity for funny coffee mugs. He likes to go fishing in the summer and teach his kids but also enjoys staying up a bit too late to finish the latest show he is watching with Layla. He's also found he has a knack for cards and enjoys playing, sometimes for money and sometimes for the hell of it.

He's very content with the life he has now and wouldn't trade it for anything. He did a full 180 on himself and shaped up, found love, and made something of himself. He's proud of his progress, but tries not to let his cockiness let that out too much. He's pretty reserved about some of his emotions still, but Layla manages to get it out of him most of the time. He doesn't like talking about his childhood much and focuses that energy on making sure his children have a happy childhood of their own.

He's made quite the name for himself as a detective. It's never a profession he saw himself in but he's passionate and good at what he does. Most of his cases tend to be things like disappearances or murders and he works damn hard at figuring out the case.

He's not as arrogant as he once was but that part can still come out. He's still sarcastic and cracks jokes, but as he's tamed over the years he's become more serious and stern at times. He's still the same tramp he once was in many ways but so much more of him shines now.

Libra sun, Leo moon, Scorpio rising

[mywrittenavenue]

Some backstory/ trauma-rant.

My life has been nothing short of hard. I've had depression and existential crises since I was 6. My parents got divorced when I was 7. I have had severe anxiety and exiting-ideation since middle school. Chronic illnesses appeared in high school to the point where I had to drop out of school... But the worst was when I realized my mom, dad, and family members were narcissistic and toxic people when I was in college.

When I graduated, I cut off contact with my dad because I couldn't handle him anymore. He was getting too sexist despite having 4 daughters, too conservative, and he was always horribly absent. He would only come over when it suited him and he would make me and my sister wait for hours past when he would promise to pick us up. He liked to present me like a doll to his side of the family and keep up the charade of being a good father. He was glad to have my sister and I go home to mom immediately afterwards, and would cut contact for months until it suited him again. Interacting with him was like a play. I would smile, listen, be the good daughter, and wait until the show was over. He would only ever talk about himself and he ignored all my interests. He hated buying anything for us. I later found out all my past Christmas and birthday gifts were actually from my Abuela's money and that he refused to ever buy me anything. He would complain about buying me cheap thrifted clothes. He only ever would spend enough for us to have pizza. I was so tired of it, of him, the dance of us both. The dance was worse when he married my mean stepmom (after only a year after my parents divorced mind you) who hated me because, in her words to my pre-tween self, my mom was a "gold digging b*tch".

Speaking of her, my mom is very mentally ill due to her narcissism and bipolar behavior. She's currently in a religious cult and wants to drag me into it, furthering my trauma into religious trauma on top of everything else. She is the one who has caused the most mentally damaging behavior to me. She and her cult leader caused the death of my beloved pet bird who was like my own child. When my bird died I went into a spiral and had a nervous breakdown that I still havent recovered from years later. I don't feel like myself after my breakdown, I feel like an alien living in my skin, or a monster, an imposter. People no longer like me, no longer like talking to me because I come off weird now, as if I'm a creature mimicking a human. I used to be sociable, people used to like me, and now, compounded with the awkwardness I developed during quarantine, I can't be normal anymore.

I don't have a physical support system. I have about 3 friends and they are all virtual friends who can't speak to me often for various reasons. I love them a lot and I deeply appreciate their friendship but I don't really have anyone here when I need them. I don't really have anyone to talk to when I desperately need someone. I don't have a therapist due to cost and every therapist I have tried (with the exception of one) has further traumatized me. The first from elementary school until middle school would stare at me like a robot and only write things down. She never cared to connect to me, even though I was a deeply hurting child. The second when I was a teen/newly aged adult, ghosted me on our first meeting and made excuses. I never got to see her ever. The third after hearing all about my abuse and trauma told me that my mom was in the right to abuse me. She then abandoned me callously when she moved to another practice and ghosted me. The fourth was an amazing person who helped me feel better about myself, helped me understand the abuse was not my fault. But my growth stagnated and we both agreed I needed further trauma counseling with a different therapist who could provide better so we mutually parted. The fifth was an online therapist since I couldn't afford regular therapy. When telling her about my pharmacaphobia, she proceeded to tell me the story of herself almost dying due to medical issues and then smiled when I told her I was scared and uncomfortable. I cut contact with her on the same day.

My most recent trauma was college. My mom had forced me to change my major, and while I did learn a lot in design, I was also miserable. All my classmates avoided me. I would try to strike up a conversation and was always doing my best to be friendly, approachable, and I always helped out and did my all in everything. I would put in so much effort to people please, but in the end they ostracized me. I remember one occasion in which I was absent due to chronic illness on a day when the class was supposed to pick group partners. My professor was angry at me and told me it was my fault for missing class and she told me to beg my classmates to join their groups and that nobody in the class was obligated to be my partner. I tried to join one group, they proceeded to accept me and then later when they felt they had too many members, kicked me out. I asked another group who said yes and then they all left the classroom without telling me on purpose. I begged another group and they reluctantly let me in after another member didn't show up. I cried in the bathroom after class, I felt so bullied and alone. Later on after we graduated, the only classmate who spoke to me told me that I needed to socialize better and that I was always to myself. The thing is that every time I tried to talk to people in class, they always iced me out or ghosted me. It took me a year after graduating to kind of recover, which is where I'm at right now. I still have some lingering issues. I could never understand what was wrong, although I think that I'm probably neurodivergent, a mixture of Autism and ADHD, or just neurodivergent from having CPTSD mess up my brain.

As of right now as a person who just graduated last year, I'm struggling so hard to even apply for jobs due to the intense CPTSD and trauma I have. I get panic attacks with every application I work on. Interviews are also the worst, I blank out and I panic because I'm being looked at with scrutiny. My very first interviewer was really confrontational and aggressive when I had let her know that files were missing from the assigment she had sent me. She was telling me I was a liar, even though I truly didn't have them. It was my dream to work at that publishing company to design book covers/ book ads and now it was ruined for me. Right now my plan is to find part time jobs until I gain the confidence to go for bigger design jobs. But I really just need money so I can save up and leave my house because my mom has been getting more and more controlling and religious and angry. She hates me. She thinks I am my father, thinks that because I'm struggling with life that I'm being lazy and ungrateful. When she comes home my stomach hurts so bad due to stress. She makes me feel like I'm losing my sanity due to how she gaslights and twists my words.

I dont know what I want from writing all this out but, here it is. My life story.

[sillywitchsong]

I'm about halfway through round 6 of 4 day rotations in Pleasantview. Each round has had 1 twin birth. Revising my rules to say only after halfway through adulthood can the 4th level of aspiration tree be reached. My currrent ages have sims starting adulthood at 22 (also when acr allows pregnancies to begin). I have not adjusted the fertility arc in acr (fertility begins decreasing at 30 i think, with 0 reached at age 50). They age to elders at 70 in my game though. So at age 30? I would add the 4th tree level (40 days to elderhood). I add second aspirations at adulthood, but haven't really made rules about how strong up the tree that goes. I have discovered I don't like the needs tree. With a good bed they almost never sleep.(this means i play daniel pleasant out on dates-3 in a day) plus the home lot to make him tired enough to sleep at night. I do not have the comunity time mod. I've had sims stay out for 24+ hours to get them tired enough, and that would be awful to wait through on the home lot! I also think that the lower the overall needs are the more frequently they reroll wants. And in basegame guide it said must sleep in a bed for 3 hours to even reroll wants when they rise. Discovering the cheat to increase allowed visitors was a blessing. Especially for going on dates or hunting date material. When you're related to half your peers with only two visitors allowed; finding townies to woo was rough🤣.

So far the only sims to age to elders have been the Pleasants. Daniel was caught cheating for the 3rd time when a townie asked him if he wanted to meet someone perfect for him (I didn't realize this immediately started a date) and had 3 bolts with Bella Goth. Mary-Sue decided enough was enough, and broke up with him immediately after the date ended- and I was caught off guard again when he became unselectable and left the lot. (I had planned for him to pack his exercise machine but Mary-Sue had other plans). He has since married Marylena Hamilton, whom he knocked up with twins! As she was a townie, I rolled my percentile dice and she was the unlucky one. Used sim blender to move her in, then impregnate with, then had her find her own place. I thought for sure he would run away or turn her down when she proposed and suggested elopement. She is the last house of the round though, so I haven't had a chance to play them yet for round 6. My next house to play is Nina Caliente, who married Benjamin. Her first child is just getting ready to head off to college in a day or so...the hot tub did not protect her on day one from Don Lothario. Since she is so shy I saw her as a one sim romance...constant dates. Very rare to see a meet someone new want in her panel, and her kids bringing home friends fills that regularly. Not entirely sure how friends are counted in this game... Brandi's friend count cut down to just 3 when her last child moved out to college... I've removed the no carpool for mother's mod, but not sure they get paid for using vacation. I know they weren't getting paid with that mod in. (My families are all dirt poor) Lillie managed to bring back several thousand from grants/ scholarships, which is good because she still hasn't rolled a want to get a job...

Dirk Dreamer married Lillith a few days after she moved in with him (went by day of the week when they moved out, so the girls are actually younger than the boys). While her sister got immediately knocked up with twins Lillith did not, and her husband found a lamp on his last day as a teen so wished for wealth. They have a very nice house, which is good. Maybe Dirk will take in his half siblings and help raise them. I just thought of that- I had Mary-Sue take them in (via sim blender so no name change/ memory) The dog was originally Dirk's so that was the only thing I was thinking when I moved the kids into the Pleasant house. Since she was adopted I figured she would be more willing to do that for the orphans. Also, Dirk is trying to raise an alien child...and I think I just saw Lillith puke behind her hand when visiting someone...👀

Lucy Futa stopped by to visit her parents (Burb) and threw up twice in the toilet...I hope that doesn't mean twins are coming from her...she'll be twin 6 if it is! Anyone a simpe wizard and know how to modify 4x acr for longer? Like, 6?