#stepmum!au

[artsy-hobbitses]

Fancy Rich Boy is having the TIME OF HIS LIFE here and when Workplace BFF Tia unveiled new uniforms for our Pokemon!AU country, man grabbed his sewing kit and was like “Okay but how about I make this 75% sluttier”.

Feat. Gavroche his Squirrel Son who he put down on his will to spite his stepmum ✨👌🏼

[vigilskeep]

Been a while since I played as a Tabris so just to clarify - Is Adaia canonically their stepmum or is that just a Rowena thing?

just rowena!!

i wanted to make my non-heroic tabris look like the classic concept art because i thought that was interesting, but i didn’t find it particularly believable that adaia, who iirc has the darkest skin tint in the game, is that girl’s biological mother. so this is what i came up with! it’s a fun dynamic to play with and it lets me have half-sibling aus with my friends’ tabrises :)

adaia is never mentioned as anything but tabris’ mother in game and obviously other tabrises wouldn’t have rowena’s specific restrictions on what makes sense

[onsunnyside]

Au of soft!dark Lloyd.

He was hired to be your personal bodyguard by your dad which entails him following you all over college/uni and basically everywhere. But when he first meets you he's like a love sick puppy bc you immediately asked if you can name a your brand new big pink teddy bear after him bc the tie he's wearing reminded you of your teddy bear.

After that he's always getting you cute clothing for your teddy bear so you can dress mini Lloyd up. And when you get late night cravings, Lloyd will drive you to the local McDonald's and in the back seat strapped in the middle is mini Lloyd 🥺🥺🥺

But also he starts picking out your clothes too bc he made up a lie abt how certain clothes can attract enemies but in reality he's dressing you how he wants sometimes he makes you match with him too😌 and then shopping with him is so fun bc you can get anything you want all you have to do is ask Lloyd with puppy dog eyes🥲 What he didn't tell you is that your not using your dad's credit card to pay you're using his and he spoils you constantly without you knowing.

Omg also he's huge ofc he's huge, he's like 6'5 and you always force him into your huge princess room and make him build you a pillow fort on your bed so you can cuddle him and watch random things and ask him abt all the places he's been.

And ofc bc he's a maniac 😌 whenever he sees you so much as talking to a guy at uni whether it's for help with homework or flirting he just picks you up over his shoulder and marches out and while you throw a fit over him being so rude he just spanks you to shut you up😳

He eventually gets so tired of sharing you with everyone he just starts brainwashing you bc Ur so dumb and naive and he adores the fact you listen to him and when he kidnaps you to his house he makes you think you're going on vacation bc he brought mink Lloyd with you😌

Man he would be so rough in bed the absolute filth he would say to you would be so tkejsyakwu. He always turns all your teddies away when you're about to do the nasty. Sometimes while you're blowing him he likes to just put his dick on your face to show you how big he really is and how your job is to worship his cock��� your first time with Lloyd he held your hand the entire time🥺 after that he's feral he's into exhibition so much one time he bent you over and fucked you over the kitchen isle while your stepmum was right outside the room.

Basically he's a softy for you but for everyone else he's just unhinged and will slit their throat. 😌

👁👄👁

[bwoahtastic]

stepmum nico AU but bring in the ultimate plot twist(?): MIKA. he definitely knew nico before he ran away from keke and sina and was close to the little peacock. so when Toto brings Nico along as his date for a company event celebrating a merger or partnership and Mika happens to be there as well? oh he is both happy to finally find him, but also wtf Toto get your hands of nico??? he promises nico not to get in touch with keke/sina unless nico wants to, but there is no way he is approving of Toto before he interviews him for at least 2 months. mika won't listen to any of nico's convincing that Toto is a good guy. it's their lil cub Seb and lil mousy Nicky who shows Mika that yes, Toto is a great father and partner for momma because look, he gives momma and them lots of hugs and kisses. and papa is best papa "because he definitely has broken someone's arm after they try to terrorize nico" says the lil pups with big innocent smiles lol

Oh pls!

Nico in a pretty dress being a little shy and moody, clinging to Toto because he isn't good at socialising and is just rhere because Toto asked him, Toto looks hot in a suit, and he likes champagne.

Nico being startled when Mika is there, they used to work together until Mika went to a different division and they lost touch and Nico adored theAlpha!

Mika is so happy to see him but gives Toto a suspicious glare lol. He likes toto but this is about Nico!

Nico talking to Mika all night and Toto let's him, trusts Nico to come back to him although he is a little uneasy because maybr Nico and Mika were together foe a bit?

Mika coming over to their house for dinner another night and getting introduced to mousy and sebby and they convince Mika Papa Toto is good and always protects mommy!

[autism-disco]

so what are all your thoughts on my brighter timeline chapter

<- guy who's going through another parent divorce except they weren't married and he wont see his stepmum anymore and also he wont see one of his cats anymore after she moves out and needs a distraction

(holy shit dude??? that’s??? i’m sorry to hear about that i sincerely hope that uh. i mean i can’t promise you that the matter will simply resolve itself but it will get better and less horrible it always does)

ok ok my thoughts are a bit jumbled i can try organise them but zombie saga brighter timeline

- i think may and del friendship is a real testament to may’s ability to befriend people and be awesome, but equally importantly it shows that del is really genuinely trying which is nice to see

- i’m looking forward to seeing francois’ development, i think it’s important for him to figure out how he can live his life without being perpetually centred on may- yknow it’s good and important to care about people and love people but equally you’ve gotta have a good understanding of yourself beyond the people you love and i’d like to see how francois can really find his own feet, as well as may. because ultimately that’ll make them both better for each other and they’ll both be happier (sorry that got a bit deep for funny crossover zombie apocalypse au fanfic)

- i do think it wasn’t the best move of may or del to leave in the middle of the night but equally that’s how these things go. sincerely wishing both of them the best

[mrsarnasdelicious]

The Last Kingdom - Biker AU

Focusses on The Band of Bebbanburg

A minor yet affluent and influential Biker Gang in the London area

Lead by Uhtred Ragnarsen

Second in Command: Finan

Uhtred works as Head of Security for Alfred of Winchester

Finan is a baker with his own bakery

Sihtric is a cagefighter who moonlights as an escort

Leofric works as bodyguard for Alfred

Alfred at one time had an affair with Leofric's sister, whcih resulted in Osferth

Osferth's mother passed away not long ago and Alfred agreed to take the lad in until he's graduated

Osferth is a theology student and two years from graduating

To say Easlwith hates him is an understatement

Leofric can't bear seeing how Alfred's wife mistreats the lad and vent about it to Uhtred

Uhtred has the luminous idea to tell Leofric to take Osferth along for the next meeting

It is at Finan's place, as usual

Osferth at first very shy, especially about Sihtric's flirting with him

And God does his heart flutter whenever he is near Finan!

Finan's house becomes Osferth's save haven

Slowly but surely he moves his stuff in

Finan is not at all complaining And neither is Sihtric, who rents Finan's attic

Osferth spends all his free time at Finan's Mostly just going his homwork, but he'll gladly help Finan in the shop and around the house.

At first he sleeps in the guestroom

He is very good at guilt tripping Sihtric into doing chores, but like in the most angelic innocent way

Sihtric sorta hates it, but can never stay mad at Osferth for it. The guy just wants a neat living space, okay!

He has his first kiss with Finan His very first kiss and he is enxious as well as giddy about it for DAYS

But Sihtric gives him his first BJ

And this messes him up for a good bit

Because he is in love with Finan and buidling things up with the man, but he defo was no reluctant participant in that BJ

He sort of avoids them by not staying over for a week or two

Uhtred spots him over at Alfred's place and gets really worried, bc it is evident Osferth is miserable there

Yeah, Elswith is not nice to him at her best days

So Uhtred goes and talk to Ose and then proceeds to get very angry at Sihtric

Nothing Sihtric says can soothe that rage

But a blowjob sure goes a long way

And post nut clarity makes Uhtred realise that all Sihtric wants is to make people feel comfortable and happy

He is just not going about it in the smartest way

So he makes Osferth sit down with Finan and Sihtric and acts a bit of a mediator

And Osferth just bursts, babbling about how he is in love with Finan and how he never meant to get this deep into his feelings and how Sihtric made him feel confident and comfortable and and and

He's full on ugly crying after a while

Uhtred gets up and drags Sihtric out of Finan's house

Finan and Osferth make up and agree to take it slow, but to try and build something with each other

Osferth moves back into his room in Finan's house

They are cute and domestic

Sihtric does not meddle, he's learned his lesson

Meanwhile, Uhtred is getting hitched

Again...

To Osferth's half sister

Of course Alfred and Aelswith are of the devil

But Aethelflaed loves Uhtred and Uhtred loves her

And she is a great stepmum to his kids

She assimilates well into the gang, too, which is a huge pro

And she is sweet to Osferth

Despite being his half sister

This of course causes an added layer of spite from Aelswith

And thus Osferth does no longer go to his father's place

Officially moves in with Finan

And comes out in the process

Alfred is not pleased with that last part!

Osferth, Finan and Sihtric then sort of roll into a poly thing

Sihtric is SO protective over Osferth

Holy fuck, no one gets to even as much as fart in Osferth's general direction without having beef with Sihtric

Finan loves that about Sihtric

Sihtric teaches Osferth how to please Finan

Sihtric is the only one Finan's ever met to easily take him, be it mouth or arse

Finan is defo a bit too big for Osferth to fully take him

But Osferth does his best

And Sihtric is a good teacher

Though he usually is on the receiving end of any play going on

It gives Osferth practise, at least

For which Osferth is very grateful

Eventually the three become an official throuple

Sihtric quits his escorting

He and Osferth both start also working for Finan

The Bakery gets an upgrade

A lil coffee corner with Sihtric as barrista

And the three of them settle in nicely together

End up adopting first Aethelstan, who is Osferh's nephew, and then Cynlaef

Happy family

Kiddo's get to ride in the sidecar with Osferth when they go touring with the bikes

[bobbie-robron]

Robron Fanfiction Recommendations (Oct-2022)

The below are/were recommended during Oct-2022 on Twitter.

If You Trust Me (2015) 30.8K words, MonkeyLuv

It’s June 2015 and Robert is trying to track down Vadam. He’s acquired Adam’s mobile and looking through it for clues. Seeing photos and videos of Aaron on it, Robert realizes that he chose wrongly to stay with Chrissie. Very soon afterwards, he rights that wrong and admits his love for Aaron after a brief altercation with him (the first to learn this is his stepmum). The story then follows the very loved up pair with their ups and downs of learning to be together first at the pub then Woodbine Cottage… with Scrappy.

Suffocating (2018) 22.7K words, orphan_account

It’s 2003 and Aaron has been suffocating in his marriage to wheelchair bound Jackson for years being his carer as well as being under the thumb of his mum, Hazel. They’ve even put a tracker on his phone to always know where Aaron is and went ahead with IVF without telling him! To have a semblance of ‘me’ time, Aaron runs regularly and that’s how he meets Robert and soon starts up an affair. Things end after a scare from Jackson but that doesn’t mean they’ll not ever see each other again when circumstances change months later for both…

Teach Me Tonight (2016) 16.8K words, robron_til_the_end

Robert and Aaron meet at a bar leading to a one night stand but are more than happy to see each other again. Thing is, though, the next morning they learn that Robert is a teacher and that Aaron is a student of his. Well, that’s it, innit? Not really. This is not something Robert would normally do and Aaron cannot resist him so they continue seeing each other even with all the potential consequences for both…

Don’t Let the Sea Steal You Away (2018) 19.5K words, zoeteniets

Persuasion AU. Robert and Aaron had a very bad breakup from their secret relationship. It’s six years later and the Whites have bought up most of the village property forcing Robert and his family to move in with his sister. With the upheaval, Robert meets up with Aaron again who’s been (and still is) in the Navy. The guitar playing Robert is hesitant to go near Aaron because of their past. Can the past be forgiven for them to get a second chance?

The Project (2018) 23.3K words, orphan_account

Robert is driving Chrissie crazy always being around due to the fact that he has zero friends and no hobby to occupy himself with. Enter Aaron who’d be perfect to help Robert renovate a classic car and Chrissie is more than willing to secretly pay the reluctant mechanic to do it. The car is more than enough incentive to tolerate Robert. Things take a turn when Robert learns Aaron is gay and continuing to be faithful to Chrissie may have just go out the window especially with Aaron seeing there’s more to Robert than meets the eye…

Incredible. (2015) 2.6K words, tenpercentbatteryremaining (Louise)

At a pub, Robert saves Aaron when a drunk and persistent woman won’t leave him alone. The two not only wind up having drinks and talking but Robert becomes Aaron’s wingman… darn it… with Robert’s subtle hints going over Aaron’s head. When a bloke takes a fancy to Aaron, is Robert’s opportunity lost especially when he realizes he’s already having feelings for the man, something’s he’s never experienced before…

If you don’t love me, let me go (2015) 18.5K words, straeon

After the lodge and outing Robert, as well as Robert’s inability to take responsibility for his actions, Aaron calls it quits with him. But when a fire breaks out and Robert not only saves his life but Paddy’s life as well, is there a glimmer of hope for them as Robert begins to reevaluate who he was with Chrissie and who he wants to be with Aaron?

New Beginnings (2018) 17.1K words, orphan_account

It’s May-2015 after the incident of Chrissie pretending to put Robert on fire and Aaron has decided to take the leap and leave the village to be with Robert (with check in hand). Their destination: Northumberland. After a few months, social services tracks Aaron down asking if he’d look after his 14-year-old sister, Liv, until Gordon is able to take her in. Aaron automatically agrees (before talking it over with Robert) and privately is determined to hold onto Liv and not let their dad get her. Will they be successful?

Welcome Home (2015) 3.3K words, lullabelle_moon

Two years ago, Robert and Aaron left the village and now they’ve returned married and with their baby girl, Leah. Chas is, well Chas, when it comes to Robert and him marrying Aaron. Can they get past the animosity for the sake of Leah?

Here series (2016) 12.2K words, Alfinia79

Robert and Aaron pulled each other and it’s the next morning (and hungover) that they learn each other’s names and Robert is shocked to learn he’s back in his home village. Robert winds up staying in the village (not letting on he knows Aaron) and bunking with Aaron no less! He also offers to help out behind the bar. The story progresses with their relationship (secret and then public) and moving in together (and it’s not The Mill!). Three stories in the series.

Secrets Lies and Retribution (2016) 35.1K words, friendoftheearth

Timeframe: early on with Diane having the chemotherapy and just when Aaron learns about Paddy’s affair. Aaron’s not in a good state with the vile one being back and his mum lying about not seeing him anymore. Robert picks up on all this and manages to coax Aaron to talk to him. This paves the way for Aaron’s abuse story (and his and Robert’s getting back together) which gets jiggled around a bit to incorporate Paddy as support, something he was excluded from on screen. What will the vile one’s outcome be here?

Every No Turns Into Maybe (2016) 18.7K words, perksofbeingaiko

Robert becomes a smitten kitten when delivery guy Aaron drops off packages at the office he works at. Unfortunately he strikes out on asking him out on a date AND didn’t get his last name. That’s okay as happenstance goes, they run into each other while grocery shopping and it’s where Robert learns Aaron isn’t alone - he has a six year old daughter, Max. This doesn’t bother Robert at all as he easily takes a liking to the blue-eyes girl. With that out of the way, Aaron is all for seeing Robert but taking things slow since Max would be part of the equation and always his priority if things get serious…

The Miseducation of Robert and Aaron (2018-2019) 38.0K words, Gertrude_Perkins

After Jack comes across Robert with the farmhand Tom in the barn, he beat Robert up. Jack’s solution to Robert’s ‘problem’ is conversion therapy. At the facility, Robert becomes a third roommate to socially awkward Aaron and Finn who’s excited to have another person to look after. Things get off to a rocky start as Robert is already trying to find ways to sneak out at night and angering Aaron for being there and not wanting to be cured of ‘same sex attraction’ (SSA) like he does. Attraction between the two grows causing massive conflict for Aaron both mentally and physically but as Robert’s mask falls, Aaron persistence to be cured takes a turn…

[alternis]

i think it would be funny if the closest thing to a living functional okayish parent Tim ever had (in shs au or canon) was his fake uncle who still checks up on him from time to time

imagine being an out of work actor and one day getting hired to pretend to be some teenagers uncle so he doesn't go into social services, and slowly realising that you are the only normal parental figure in his life. except you are technically his employee

unfortunately it's implied he died when bludhaven exploded since he vanished after that event. but since bludhaven exists again maybe he popped back into existence? but that means Tim's stepmum should also be alive...

dc simply closes its eyes and pretends everything they write makes sense, and when that doesn't work they do a crisis about it

[senseiwu]

I know Christmas isn't a thing in Ninjago aside from Kai's hallucination in s1, but that didnt stop me from thinking about Halloween in family au, it's not gonna stop me now

[shredsandpatches]

sunday snippet

This is from the same fic I posted from last week--the sequel to my AU fic where Anne of Bohemia survives the plague. I think I mentioned last week that I’m having Henry remarry, and this bit includes a little more info about who exactly he’s going to be marrying. I figure she and Henry probably bonded over their mutual loathing of her (now-deceased) ex-husband. ;)

*

Queen Anne's hand is firm on his arm, and she pats it a little again before indicating a small stone bench. "Shall we rest for a bit?" she says.

"Are you tired, your Highness?"

"A little." She smiles at him—she does look a little tired, Hal thinks. "It is hard to talk about these things, no?"

"It is," Hal says. "Maybe we should talk about something cheerful."

"If you would like," the Queen says. "I thought you might want to talk. You do not have to, of course."

Hal nods, gazing off into the distance where a small group is riding out with their falcons. Lady de Coucy enjoys falconry, he remembers, like his father, and his stomach knots up when he thinks of her. "Do you know Lady de Coucy very well?"

The Queen takes a deep breath, releasing his arm at last and looking at her own lap intently as she smooths her skirts. She seems sad, which doesn't make sense. "She is my husband's cousin," she says at last. "I always thought of her as a friend, but—many years ago, I did her a great wrong. I meant to do good for everyone involved, but it led to nothing but sorrow."

"Oh," Hal says. People call the Queen "Good Queen Anne"; since her miraculous recovery from the plague, and the peace she helped to make between the King and his enemies, they speak of her as though she were a saint. It's strange to hear her talk about herself as an ordinary person with her own sins, but it doesn't seem appropriate to ask her to clarify, and he certainly can't ask his father, or King Richard, or (God forbid) Lady de Coucy herself what she's talking about.

"If your father can make her happy," the Queen continues, "I will be glad of it—but I know that must be difficult for you."

Hal continues to stare off into the distance, watching the falconers. He doesn't know what to say to that, but it doesn't seem polite not to answer the Queen. He nods, instead.

"Your brother was not wrong," the Queen says, "when he said I should have died."

"Your Highness?" Hal turns and looks at her, amazed, but her face is calm and she is smiling, even, a little.

"I thank God every day—every hour—that he saw fit to save my life," she says. "It is not a grace he grants often to those in the state I was in. But if I had died, I would not have wanted my husband to live the rest of his life in mourning."

Hal nods again, thinking that her hopes for the King's eventual happiness would surely never have come to pass. King Richard is so clearly in love with his wife that it's a little embarrassing to be in the same room as they are. He doesn't think his father could ever have acted like that, although maybe you settle down when you have children. If the Queen had died, Hal thinks, the King would surely have died himself of a broken heart, and he's not even sure that's something that actually happens in real life.

"I do not think your mother would want that for your father," the Queen says. "Or for you."

[tomhollandfics]

Mini Fic Lists (Requested)

here are all the smaller fic lists that i have compiled for my followers - i am continuously updating it x

SMUT

Breeding Kink

Innocence Kink

Car Sex

Public Sex

Sub!Tom

Praise Kink

Overstimulation

Threesome Fics

Edging

Sub!Peter

Virign

Humiliation / Degradation

Sex Pollen

Masturbation

Bratty!Reader

Dirty Talk

Hate Sex

One Night Stand

Lap Dance

Cockwarming

FLUFF

Quarantine Fics

Peter x Shy!Reader

Insecure/Anxious Reader

Panic Attacks

Fluff

Telling Tom You're Pregnant

Meeting Tom's Family

Peter Parker Comfort Fics

Soulmate AU's (Peter)

Cuddle & Comfort Fics (Tom)

Dad!Peter

Drunk Confessions

Lazy Days

Upside Down Spiderman Kiss

ANGST

Unrequited Love (Peter Parker)

Cheating

Peter Parker Angst, 2

Nightmares

Fights

Jealous of Zendaya

Enemies To Lovers (with Peter)

Depression

Angst To Fluff

OCCUPATION

Personal Assistant

Youtuber!Reader

Nanny!Reader

Makeup-Artist!Reader

Surfer!Tom

Stark!Reader

Rich-kid!Tom

Florist!Reader

OnlyFans

Doctor!Reader

RACE/ETHNICITY (Reader)

Desi!Reader

Black!Reader

MISCELLANEOUS

Tom's POV

Hanahaki Disease (Peter Parker)

Golf Fics

Age Gap

The [Number] Of Times Tom/Peter [Did This]

Featuring Zendaya

Featuring Harrison

Arvin Rusell Fics

Monaco GP

Tom's A Fan

Exes (Second Chances)

Roommates ft. Haz, Harry & Tawaine

Roommates

Instagram Live / Accidentally Reveals Relationship

Childbirth

Songfics, Taylor Swift, Little Mix

Royal AU

Brother's Best Friend/Best Friend's Brother

Vampire!Tom

Peter x Blackcat!Reader

Plus-size!Reader

Social Media Fics (Authors)

Stepmum/Stepdad

[macpot]

My mum's cooler than yours.

[sometipsygnostalgic]

imagine the first hours after save the cat

bow, looking glimmer dead in the eye: 'there is no other way to put this. i have a son now.'

glimmer: 'wait wh-'

bow, in tears: 'i am way too young for this glimmer'

Was discussing a potential human au with tippen where bow and entrapta somehow adopt a child even though they are absolutely not together. Bow has a new dad crisis, and then parental shenanigans ensue, but what is this? Bow meeting a glittery single mother at the daycare centre?

I left out a lot of the details because idk if tips will actually use it in the future and if it'd be rude to say more but my general impression of canon wrong hordak is his parents are just very lucky their personalities contrast each other so well. Bow looking after him alone would mean Wrongie has the most boringly safe life ever. Entrapta may be a bit too eager to pull him into adventure... Stepmum Glimmer is actually a great figure in his life because she can reel Entrapta's worst ideas in (or at least rescue Wrongie) and push Bow out of his comfort zone

[seanfalco]

— W I N • L E W I S —

B A S I C S

full name: Winrey Jane Lewis

fandom: Misfits

face claim: Kailee Morgue

gender: cis-female

sexuality: bisexual

pronouns: she/her

age: 20

zodiac: libra

O T H E R S

family: David (father), Ellery (mother, deceased), Karen (stepmum), Delilah (stepsister)

birthplace: Greenwich

job: convince store clerk, adult bookshop clerk, musician

phobias: being replaced, rejection, being seen as too needy

guilty pleasures: sleeping in, not wearing pants around her flat/stealing Nathan’s shirts, whiskey (or milk) straight from the bottle/carton, chocolate cake, the occasional joint, semi-public sex

hobbies: music/playing guitar, horror films, video games

M O R A L S

morality alignment: chaotic neutral

sins: lust / greed / gluttony / sloth / pride / envy / wrath

virtues: chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert / extrovert

organized / disorganized

close minded / open minded

calm / anxious

disagreeable / agreeable *mostly*

cautious / reckless

patient / impatient

outspoken / reserved

leader / follower *not by choice*

empathetic / unempathetic

optimistic / pessimistic

traditional / modern

hard working / lazy *when it comes to something she wants*

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: Nathan / Win

ot3: Win / Nathan / @super-unpredictable98‘s Lydia, Win / Nathan / @bisexualnathanyoung‘s Mel

brotp: Kelly & Win, Alisha & Win, Simon & Win

notp: None

[ other ocs: Win Hargreeves | Aev Swift (Bad Samaritan!au) | Aevy O’Brien ]

[carewyncromwell]

I’m regularly blown away how consistent and well thought out your characters are. 💛💛

How is the process of designing them?

How do you come up with all the different backstories?

And how on Earth do you keep up with all of them? 😅

Awww -- you are too unbelievably sweet, cherie!! *virtual huggle* 💙 

Let’s see here...let’s split these answers properly...

What is the process of designing your characters?

My general feeling on creating characters is that there should be something real at the heart of everything imaginary -- a core of something from the real world that you can refer back to, when you’re having trouble writing for that character or figuring out how a character would react to a certain situation. That “something” from the real world can be a person you know (Jacob’s based off my uncle), a historical figure (Jackson’s based off Harry Houdini), another fictional character you really like, or even just a personality type or archetype you want to explore (Ana is an INFP Gryffindor and Carewyn is a paragon Slytherin). I don’t really care for self-inserts, and generally my characters ultimately acquire aspects from multiple sources, but I find it’s good to at least have one source of inspiration, to start with. Once you have that source, it’s also good to give every character, regardless of their importance in the story, a driving motivation -- something that fuels them in-universe, the way that their real-world source fuels them from a meta sense. It can be anything from a dream they passionately fight for or just what fulfills them as a person...but it’s basically an engine that drives the character’s actions in your story, just as your core source of inspiration is your character’s battery. Once you have those two things -- a real-world source of inspiration and a driving motivation --  they can be a spring that you can return to for the water of inspiration when you’re running on empty. 

Breaking away from the metaphors now so as to hopefully explain my process better, let’s take one of my characters as an example -- Robert Harker / Bartholomew “Bat” Varney. 

The real-world source of inspiration for Bat, in the beginning, was the character of Garrett from Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 -- more importantly, how I felt like a Revolutionary War veteran vampire like him had such potential as a major character and yet in my opinion wasn’t given a proper amount of focus in his source material, as well as what I would’ve personally loved to see in a vampire character when I first read the Harry Potter books and tried and failed to get into the Twilight series. Bat’s motivation is to leave a lasting, positive influence on the world, with the extra time he’s been afforded. 

From there, as I developed Bat’s character and personality, he acquired more elements from other sources. To avoid the “brooding vampire” trope, I made Bat a Ravenclaw, as my mum, stepmum, and stepbrother are all Ravenclaws, and all of them are infinitely more proactive and less prone to angst than I am. To explain the in’s and out’s of why someone like Voldemort wouldn’t want to become a vampire, I developed a backstory not unlike Garrett’s where Bat went off to War and died, only to come back as a vampire against his will with greatly reduced magic. To give Bat an arc that would accent his struggle with a greatly lengthened life-span and potentially watching everyone around him waste away, I took elements of Sirius Black’s history with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, so as to explain why he’d have trouble opening his heart to love and why he might choose to detach emotionally from others. To give him a reason to be near Hogwarts and better justify his house placement, I gave him an interest in teaching not unlike the one that my stepmother, some of my close friends, and I have. And little by little, more traits crept in, stitching a web from that initial starting point. If Bat was a military veteran, him being a Muggle-born in need of stable money would make sense. If his decision to detach from others emotionally but not physically wasn’t something done out of any sort of angsty reason, then perhaps it was done out of Ravenclaw-worthy logic, since vampires tend to go mad after a while and cause devastation after experiencing a lot of loss. If Bat was the “Sirius” of his friend group, he could take on other aspects from other “lancer”-type characters like Ron Weasley, Han Solo, and Katsuya Jounouchi. 

One can even apply this principle to minor characters. Taking Carewyn’s uncle, Blaise Cromwell, for example, his real-world source of inspiration is an emotionally abusive parent of a friend of mine, only as a Slytherin single father, and his core motivation is keeping his family close to him, like a dragon would hoard treasure. That was all I’d initially planned for him, but with those two things set in stone, it’s made it very easy to write him in multiple AU’s with slightly different backstories while keeping his characterization the same. 

How do you come up with all the different backstories? And how on Earth do you keep up with all of them? 

A lot of elements of my backstories for my characters tend to likewise have touchstones in reality, but as before, it’s all about experiences, whether things you experience yourself first-hand or through other people, through research, or through other stories you enjoy. One of my core interests is psychology, so once I have a character pinned down, I like to try to analyze how this character would react to certain situations, which can likewise color their backstory, as honestly one’s history is built on the choices they’ve made previously. Severus Snape never would’ve joined the Death Eaters if he hadn’t decided to elevate himself through terrorizing others, but he also wouldn’t have ultimately turned his back on them if he hadn’t decided his feelings for Lily were more important than his desire for advancement. If you were to place someone like Carewyn in Severus Snape’s shoes -- namely, making her a neglected half-blood child who grew up with only one true friend -- it’s possible she might have been tempted by similar vices as Snape was since she’s a Slytherin, but she also as a stoic, yet empathetic paragon (rather than the cold, vindictive personality Snape’s been established as) would’ve likely not made the choice to align herself with the Death Eaters, regardless of where she started. 

Just like with developing a character’s personality with just their core source of inspiration and motivation, one can create a whole web of a backstory based on a few core events and how the character established would react to them. Carewyn grew up in a poor house with a single mother and an older brother who raised her more than her own father, only for that brother to disappear mysteriously. Because of her overly sensitive heart, losing one of the most important people in her life hit her very hard, and so she lost all sense of her identity and had to rebuild one anew for herself at school. Because of her proactive nature, she became obsessed with finding her brother, at the expense of every other dream she’d had prior to starting at school. Because of her tendency to “look after” her brother the way he did her, she likewise took to nurturing her friends and became the “Mama Bear” of her friend group. And it can branch off from there.

As for how I remember it all...honestly, that’s something I can’t properly explain, given how friggin’ ADHD I am. XDD Sometimes I make notes and profiles for myself to keep details straight, but other times, it’s really just because these characters end up feeling like such real people to me that I remember these things about them the way I would for my real friends and family. (Or just my historical crushes. LMAO.) 😂

❤  Fanfic Writer Friday ❤      

[nehswritesstuffs]

Basil Oswald and the Caretaker of Dragons - Part 3

I got a lot of nutso stuff going on right now, but at least I was able to eventually crank out another chapter of this. It’s a bit long and infodumpy, but it’s been a while and everything flows fairly nice, so hopefully that helps.

Chapter 1 - 2 - FFN - AO3 

Never had Basil, let alone Clara, thought such a reunion was possible, and yet the doors that it opens up are innumerable. [4308 words; a HTTYD!Whouffaldi AU]

Clara and Basil’s hearts skipped beats at the first word they’d heard the rider say. She stood before them a stranger, yet stared in great confusion as she seemed to very quickly piece things together. An awkward tension hung in the air as the three adult humans all processed the situation to the best of their abilities.

“…Bill…?” Basil breathed. He passed Aodh to Clara and stepped forward. Reaching out, he went to her by the sound of her heavy breathing, his eyes attempting to focus out of habit. He found her arm first, then went to touch her face, fingers tracing her features. “You… you… you’re alive…?”

“Where have you been?”

“I can ask the same for you, young lady.” He swallowed a laugh in an attempt to keep his composure as he continued to feel her face. “Gods… you look so much like Mels…”

“Dad… what are you doing here? How’d you get away from Aunt Velda? Why are you looking at me so weird and touching my face? Did you get to save Mum, or…?”

“I’m blind, Bill,” he explained, hitting the most immediate topic first. “I can’t see you because I’m blind… I have been for a few years now.”

“Blind…? But how are you…?”

“That is… a long story.” He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead into hers. “Clara? Can you put logs on the fire again? I think I owe her an explanation before anything.”

“I think you owe all of us one,” she stated, sheathing her sword. It was not a statement made of malice, yet it still hung heavily in the air as she placed her son down and went to stoke the fire again. Aodh looked curiously at his father and the newcomer, tilting his head in confusion.

“Dad…? Who is this?”

“This is your sister, Bill,” Basil said. “She’s been away since before you were born, but now she’s back.”

“You gonna stay now?”  Aodh wondered, excitement bubbling in his voice.

“Let me hear what Dad has to say,” Bill said awkwardly. She tried to not resist as the small child took her by the hand and pulled her over to where the large, comfortable chairs sat. Aodh had her sit in one, pausing long enough to let her get comfortable before crawling into her lap and snuggling in, only knowing he felt cozy and safe. Clara came over with a blanket that she wrapped her son in, locking eyes with the stranger.

“You were the one I saw in the cave,” she noted.

“Yeah… but I didn’t realize that… you’re my stepmum…” Bill glanced over towards the dragons as they were sniffing at one another. “It’s been so long I couldn’t even recognize Idris.”

“How long has it been?” Basil wondered, embarrassed. “I lost track.”

“Sixteen years,” Bill replied. She watched him sit with Clara on a wide chair and tried to not frown. “You’ve been busy.”

“Only the past few,” Clara clarified. “I’ve heard bits and pieces about you and your mother, but never the whole story.” She held Basil’s hand in hers and saw how wet his eyes were. “It’s clearly painful, so I’ve never forced the matter. I…” She trailed off for a moment, the thought weighing heavily. “I didn’t even hear your names before now.��

“It’s true,” he confirmed. His shoulders sagged with the weight of the years piling on him at once. “All this time, I thought you were dead, and even thinking your names was too painful.”

“That makes two of us,” Bill said. “You fell off Idris from very high up… you didn’t move after that, and I hid, running to make sure I was never found…” She trailed off, then gestured at Basil.

“After I came to, I saw that your aunt had control of the dragons, and that she had them eating your mother,” he replied quietly. Clara stared at him, unsure what to do or say.

“You only said there had been nothing to bury,” she mentioned. He shook his head.

“There wasn’t,” he said. “Mels was readying to have another child in the summer, so I’m sure there was more incentive for the dragons to rip into her and eat what they could before dragging the rest away. With Bill being young and small, it was plausible she became a finished dish much quicker, and I’m sure it was something that Velda herself thought as well. I was allowed nothing to mourn with—I ran, and ran, and kept on running, and that is all.”

“How did you end up here?” Bill asked. She felt Aodh’s tiny hand clutch her shirt and she looked down at the boy; he had already fallen asleep in her grasp.

“Idris collided with one hell of a skua and we crashed in the forest on the outskirts of the village,” Basil said. “Clara fed us, made sure we stayed secret, and was ready to fight for us. In fact, she even fought your auntie after she kicked me off Idris again and…” He gestured towards his eyes. “Despite everything that’s happened, I haven’t felt like a calm like the one she’s given me since your mother was alive.”

“How did you even find us?” Clara wondered. Bill shrugged.

“It wasn’t terribly hard,” she claimed. “You aren’t exactly subtle. Then again, I’m sure Dad taught you how to ride Idris, and subtle he is not.” Clara stifled a snicker—with that sass, there was no way Bill wasn’t Basil’s daughter. “I’ve been hiding along the edge of the village these past two days, watching these people and how they are with the dragons. You didn’t just restart your family—you restarted Gallifrey.”

“Berk appreciates the dragons, now that they’ve gotten to know them,” Basil frowned. “Gallifrey took them for granted, which is why their legacy has crumbled to dust.”

“Still,” Bill said, “I now know where the dragons from my den have been going. They’ve been leaving and not coming back more often than returning. Sometimes they wander off for a while, but… not like this…”

Basil could hear the trepidation in his daughter’s voice and knew something was wrong. “What’s happening to your den? I imagine you personally wouldn't need much more than what a quick raid of a trade ship wouldn’t fix, meaning it has to be serious for you to wander.”

“It’s dying,” she admitted solemnly. “On my Promise as the Caretaker, I’ve been trying to find out what it is or what it could be, and I’ve been slowly going from village to village looking for information on dragons. When Pilot and I followed you here, at first I thought I was going to find it, considering how hostile Berk has been in the past towards dragons…”

“...because what better place to learn how to kill a dragon than here, where the children were taught to be dragon killers?” Clara posed. Bill nodded.

“If you know how to kill, then you know how to prevent.”

“So you remembered your lessons,” Basil nodded.

“The only problem is that I never was able to sit all of them.” Bill skritched Pilot on the nose and the dragon nuzzled her shins. “I never expected to find you; now I not only have my dad back, but my teacher as well. Come back to the den with me, please.”

“Do you think I can really be of any help in this state?”

“I remember you talking with dragons without uttering a single word! You were the alpha of the den when I was a kid! It wasn’t a dragon that was the alpha—it was all you! A human! That has to count for something!”

“We’ll do it,” Clara said. Both Basil and Bill turned their heads towards her in confusion. “We’re the alphas of Berk’s dragons—two beings as one—we can do it.”

“Are you sure?” Bill asked.

“Of course,” Clara said. “Basil has been sharing knowledge with me the entire time he’s been here. We can consider it a weird family holiday.”

“Clara,” Basil frowned. “What about Aodh?”

“We can leave him with Adrian, take Danny and the Riders with us as backup, like we were originally planning.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be, you daft old man?” she smirked. “Bill’s mostly self-taught in recent years, but we need a genuine, classically-trained Dragon Lord for this one.”

“Bill is a Dragon Lord,” he reasoned. “The kids in the school, Aodh, our children… they will be Dragon Lords. I am done.”

“Dad, please,” Bill pleaded. She passed Clara the sleeping child in order to take his hands in hers and tried to look into his eyes, knowing full-well he could not see her. “Please… I’m the Caretaker… help me fulfill my promise to care for the dragons who need our help.”

Basil considered that pensively. He closed his eyes leaned forward, pressing his forehead against his daughter’s. “Promise I won’t lose you again?”

“Never ever,” she said. He exhaled heavily.

“We’ll go.”

“Oh, thank you, Dad!” Bill threw her arms around his neck in a hug and clung to him happily. It brought them both vague memories of years ago, when she was little and he was less grey, to happier times now bittersweet with age. “I never thought I’d see you again, that all your knowledge was lost forever, and now…” Tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes—she was living in a faerie story.

“How about we all get some sleep, hm?” Clara offered. She gave her husband their son and gestured to Bill. “We still have a job to do with other dragon riders, and I think the chief will be more than willing to let us change our course. In the meantime I can get you set up in the room we use when my dad’s over. It’ll be yours while you’re here.”

“Thanks,” she replied. Bill gave Basil one more hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning, Dad.”

“Sounds good, Bill.”

He heard both his wife and eldest child go up the stairs, only for his young son to begin fussing in his arms after having been passed back and forth so much. Aodh whimpered and clung to him as he found his way up the stairs and into the nursery, where he knew the boy’s bed was waiting.

“Relax now—it’s not as bad as you think,” he assured. “You’ll love having Bill around, I can promise you that.”

“Yeah…?”

“Yeah.” He continued his attempt to soothe his son; after a few minutes, familiar footsteps entered the room. “Is she settled?”

“She is,” Clara confirmed. She closed the door and looked at Basil expectantly. “Are you alright?”

“Just a little shocked still,” he said. “I might be in shock for a while. Never in all these years did I think...”

“How did you meet Bill’s mum?” she wondered, sitting down in the nearby chair. The Doctor went quiet, stroking their son’s back as he bounced him gently.

“She tried to kill me,” he admitted, voice quiet as he sank himself into the reverie. “Mellan Potts sailed to the den Velda and I were living in at the time with the aim of killing the Dragon Lords she thought were sending their beasts of death and destruction to her village. We fell in love instead, and within a few years Bill was born. The three of us were so happy together… and then…” He kissed the side of Aodh’s head, the boy finally sleeping once again, and placed him down in his bed, drawing the child’s blanket over him. “If I could take back that night and do one thing different, it would have been to wait longer at the den, so that I would take my daughter with me and raise her properly.”

“Don’t do that,” Clara warned. He raised an eyebrow at her and she frowned. “Don’t get enveloped in the past—that was how Velda became the way she was.”

“I know, I know… it’s just…” He exhaled heavily and crossed the room, kneeling down in front of her. Placing his hands on either side of her, he turned his face towards her as the heels of his palms and his thumbs rested around their child while his fingers lay spread towards her hips. “One thing that I hope you never, ever have to endure is losing one of the children. Bill was lost to me for all those years—I would think it’s only natural for me to wonder what could have been different had I raised her as a father should his child.”

“I wish you had that time back as well, but the fact remains that you cannot change the past,” she reminded him. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, showing the tender affection that lead to events that brought them both the child in the bed and the one in her womb. “Don’t be absent for Aodh and his sibling because you feel guilt over their elder sister.”

“Quite the gap between them, eh?” he laughed weakly. He paused pensively and frowned. “Mels changed me, you know, made me a better person. Our daughter made me a better person. I honestly think that because of them… I didn’t go down the same path as Velda.” He curled up and placed his head in her lap, something he knew was going to be barred from him soon as he hugged her loosely. “They made my life full instead of the loneliness it had been until then—you and the children now fill that void…”

“...and you’re worried that you won’t be able to care for Bill the same way as you did before,” she figured. He nodded silently in reply. “That’s silly—you will always worry for your children, just as you shall always mourn who came before. I’m not that much a fool to have ever thought that Mels no longer resides in your heart, or that our children and I completely fill the void. You still love her, and that’s a good thing.”

“You sure?”

“I thought I was the boss,” she teased. “Now let’s go to bed; chances are that tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

Taking her husband by the hand, Clara led Basil out of the nursery and across the floorboards to their bedroom. She could see him trembling as he attempted to take off his clothes, showing how shaken he still was. After helping him take off his day clothes and put on a nightshirt, she helped him to bed, knowing that it was more the residual shock than anything.

“Clara…?” he whispered, laying in bed as she changed for the night.

“Basil…?”

“This changes nothing about us, does it?”

“Of course it doesn’t,” she assured him. Climbing into bed, she pressed herself against his back as they laid there, sharing in each other’s warmth and company. “Let’s figure it all out tomorrow, hmm? Go to sleep.”

...and they did.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

By the time morning had broken, the rains had not yet stopped. Basil and Clara brought Bill with them to the Great Hall, heading straight up to the chief without even grabbing anything for breakfast yet, allowing Aodh to be accompanied by Idris and Pilot over to the food.

“Are you sure this woman says who she claims she is?” the chief asked once he was done listening to their story of the night before. Several hatchlings were competing over the coveted perch called his lap, and he was attempting to shoo them away the entire time. “It’s not like the one person who can confirm what she looks like is now blind…”

“Her face is similar to my first wife’s, whom she favored even as a child,” Basil said quietly. He could feel the stares of not only the chief, but of all the other people in the hall. “Her face, her hair, build… she’s said things that only my daughter can know… that I have not spoken of in a very long time. I believe this woman is my daughter despite the fact I can’t see her.”

“Please… my den is dying, and I need my dad to help me figure out why it is,” Bill pleaded. “Either I’m going to move my dragons here, or I’m going to care for them until none are left there so that the sickness doesn’t spread, and I need to know which it is I’m going to do.”

The chief considered it all for a moment, giving weight and credence to Basil and Clara’s words based on everything he had known them for and what they had brought the village, and sighed heavily. “Any deviation from the plan and I need you to abort the mission immediately. Danny and the Stealth Riders will have similar orders.” He then turned to Bill, his stare hardening intensely. “If you are not who you say you are, then believe me when I say that you will regret it.”

“I have regrets, but that’s not one of them,” she replied. The words cut through her father, though he hid his emotions well. “Please, let me bring your Riders to my den and see if we need to evacuate or I’m in for a sickness to run its course.”

“Half of the riders bring dragons, and those that go have to stay in the caves upon return until we’re sure they didn’t catch anything,” the chief said. “You can go the sunrise after the rains stop.”

“Thank you!” Bill beamed. “I am in your debt!”

“Make sure you don’t spread the disease to our dragons and bring me back our esteemed dragon-taming teachers and we will go from there.”

“Are you sure about that?” a member of council scowled. “There could be disease on her dragon now.”

“We’ll be the judge of that later,” the chief said. “For now, this woman and her dragons need our help. It would be a disgrace to our way of life to let her go without.”

“She is not one of us,” another council member reminded him.

“That is where you’re wrong: she is the Doctor’s daughter, and therefore is welcome in Berk along with all her dragons if need be,” he declared. “If the Doctor became one of us when Clara first took him in, then this…”

“Uilleam Potts, sir.”

“...then this Uilleam Potts is, by extension, one of us.” The chief looked at Basil and raised an eyebrow. “You named your daughter Uilleam…?”

“Her mother was persuasive,” Basil claimed, attempting to shrug the guilt away.

“Now go begin introducing her to some of the other Riders before you’re due in for classes.”

“That’s right, you’re both teachers,” Bill smirked. They began to walk away from the chief and his council as they began to squabble, moving to a safer location. “Do you think I could be one? If I move here permanently?”

“We’ll see how it goes before making that sort of decision,” Basil warned. “Now let’s get something to eat before Danny sees us and we have to explain everything all over again.”

“Hate to break it to you, Basil, but he’s already here,” Clara said. The other man in question was already making to intercept them at the food counter, and there were many a question within his confused stare.

There was no way they were going to make it out of this breakfast without a full-on grilling and none of them were entirely cross about it.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

The rains finally stopped late in the afternoon, after classes had dismissed for the day. It had been rather exciting at the school building as Basil introduced his daughter to students and other members of the staff, and it had been enough of a commotion for Clara to push the two of them outside with Aodh once they returned home, saying it was going to be good for them to take a walk together. With Idris and Pilot off interacting with the other dragons of the village, it was just Basil, Bill, and Aodh as they walked along a quiet pathway in the woods.

“It still feels very much like I’m in a dream,” Bill said. Her father’s arm was hooked in hers as they walked, making sure he stayed on the path. Aodh scampered about just ahead of them, staying just within sight, while still just out of earshot. “Everyone is so nice here… it’s incredible to think that this is the Berk you warned me about.”

“One and the same,” Basil said. He felt the cool breeze run through his hair and he exhaled heavily. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be… not that way,” she said. “I’m not going to have the first whole day we’ve had together in years be filled with you being sorry.”

Silence passed between them as they walked, with fallen pine needles crunching beneath their boots and Aodh giggling just out of reach. It was awkward, but that was why Clara had sent them out there, wasn’t it? Gods, they hoped so.

“So, you married again? No more Basil Potts?”

“Clara kept the existence of Idris and I a secret, fed us, and made sure we were safe multiple times before Berk came around to us,” he admitted. “She accepted me for who and what I am, despite the fact I fell from the sky on a dragon and she was raised to hate them. It was an easy thing to nurture.” He turned towards Bill and could feel her theorizing. “What…?”

“This means I really do have a new mum, and a baby brother!” she claimed. They had come to the edge of a glen, where Aodh had stopped to stomp about in a couple puddles, giving them some time. “I remember how much you and Mum tried to give me a baby sibling and now you did!”

“Uilleam…”

“Dad…” She placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to look into his eyes, seeing that pain was still there despite the fact his vision was not. “I’m glad you fell in love with Clara, that you had Aodh, and that you did so while not forgetting about Mum and me. We’re all together now, and that’s what matters. How many people out there have stepmums and baby brothers by them? More than a few, I imagine. He gets to have a sister too, now that I’m here.”

“You might have a sister as well before the snows,” Basil admitted self-consciously. “It’s not clear to you since you’ve just met her, but Clara is beginning to show she is carrying a second child. If it is a girl, you might be getting that sister after all.”

“Dad, you idiot,” Bill smirked. She grabbed her father and brought him in for a close hug. “Family is not neat and tidy—it’s messy and complicated and full of weird things. You told me that once, remember?”

“I told you that because your aunt was insane and your sister was stillborn.”

“...and it applies now as much as it did then,” she claimed. She then grew quiet and let her grip on her father slack. “Then, if my math’s right, Clara’s almost as far along as Mum was when she died, isn’t she?”

“Nearly,” he confirmed. “I’m so terrified, Bill, but I can’t tell her that.”

“Why not?”

“People like Clara and I… there are things people like us don’t say.” He moved from his daughter’s grasp and leaned against a tree, using it as leverage as he sat down. “Have you been in a relationship? A romantic one?”

“Not really,” she shrugged. “Stared at some girls from afar, but I know I’m too involved with dragons for most of them to even give me a second thought.” Bill paused and flinched. “Oh yeah, uh… you should probably know that I’m into women.”

“I knew that when you were a child—don’t make it sound like you’re confessing,” he said with a laugh. “Your old dad doesn’t blame you on that.”

“Yeah…” Bill sat down and leaned over, allowing her head to rest on Basil’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and the two shared in one another’s strength for the moment. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

“I’m more glad for you,” he claimed. “If you ever find yourself with a wife and child, I hope you never have to go through what I did in regards to your mother and you. A great deal of me died that day, and despite the fact I have Clara and our children, nothing has been able to heal that wound.”

“I’ve felt the same about you and Mum...” Bill was about to continue when Aodh came over, jumping into her lap and trying to hug both adults at once.

“Big hug!” the boy declared. “It time for a big hug!”

“A hug with both my kids, yeah,” Basil agreed, placing his other arm around Aodh. He sat quietly, until a squelching noise came from his stomach.

“Dad! Your tummy’s loud!”

“I should hope it is—I’m hungry,” he said. “How about if we go back home and fetch Mum and the dragons so we can go get something to eat?”

“I’d like that!” Aodh decided. “Bill! Bill! Can I ride your shoulders?”

“I don’t see why not,” she said. She helped Basil up before grabbing her baby brother and putting him atop her shoulders, allowing him to sit nearly higher than eye-level with their father. “Having fun up there?”

“Yeah!” the boy cheered. “Today is the best day ever! Don’t you agree?”

“It is pretty neat, yeah,” Bill replied. She hooked her arm into Basil’s and smirked at him. “What do you think, Dad?”

“I think…” he mused, “...that you both are right.”