#but I have to assume it must be under a similar scenario only they resent her more for not being ‘worthy’ of their fav | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

russilton · 2 years

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🤲 pretty please, anything you like! <3

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

YOU KNOW I WILL, here’s 800 words from my favourite scene in aiwlyn so far

Australia feels like a dream.

George feels an ache in his jaw from smiling, his skin is sticky with champagne and beginning to itch where his under suit is glued to his neck, but he doesn’t care. He’s buzzing, a muted hyperactive feeling singing through his nerves as he’s rushed from the podium back to the excited cheers of his team, then before he can blink he’s ushered away to handle his press duties. He knows p3 isn’t something a lot of drivers would be happy with, a necessary part of a champions mentality being the instinct to only be happy with first. But it’s different for George, not only is this his first podium for Mercedes’, it’s his first true race podium too, erasing the conflicted feeling he had about Spa with new, joyous pride.

It’s only as he’s walking to the press pen that George catches sight of a grid showing the final race positions. The giddy joy of seeing his own name in the top three turns sour when he sees Lewis placed just behind him in fourth.

For the team, fourth is a great result, he knows when asked Toto will say he and Lewis achieved the best possible result for Mercedes’ today, that George will have to echo something similar himself. But George is a racer, he knows what it’s like to place behind your teammate. How frustrated anger can override any fondness. George doesn’t even know how he hadn’t noticed, he must have been too wrapped up in the glory of celebration. He had always assumed when he got his first podium for the team, that Lewis would be right there alongside him, that he wouldn’t have to worry about Lewis hating him because he’d be a step or two above him, hoisting his own trophy high.

But instead he’s the one keeping Lewis off the podium, and anxiety starts to climb up his throat as he wonders if Lewis hates him for it. It settles right in with the soreness from yelling. His feet are rooted to the ground, mind running horrible scenarios at break neck speed thanks to the residual adrenaline in his system, till his Press Manager finally realised George isn’t on his heels, and turns to grab him and pull him back on the path to his interviews.

The last thing George wants to do right now is put on his PR smile and talk to journalists. He wants to run back to his drivers room, hide on his own till he can figure out what he has to say to Lewis in order for Lewis to keep liking him. How to protect the new seed of their closeness, small, and oh so fragile.

His legs carry him on auto pilot, instinct taking over as he turns to talk to his first interviewer, hiding his now almost frantic worry about Lewis behind a stretched thin smile. He can’t let any of his anxiety slip, or they’ll pounce on it. The media have been desperate to get him to turn on Lewis, or vice versa, vultures circling an animal they’re sure is dying.

Suddenly, there’s a familiar hand on his shoulder turning him, and he’s yanked into a hug. It only takes a second to realise it’s Lewis, and George can’t stop himself from sinking into the embrace. It’s barely a half hug, there’s people around and both of them have interviewers to speak to, but it’s enough. He thinks he’s holding it together, fingers gripped vice tight around his water bottle so he doesn’t accidentally drop it and embarrass himself, but then Lewis opens his mouth.

“Congrats George, I’m so fuckin’ proud of you”

It’s barely a whisper, right into his ear, just for him. The already weakened dam around his overwhelmed mind cracks, and he has to tip his head forward and hope the brim of his hat hides the tears gathering in his eyes. It’s such a small gesture, but it’s exactly what George needs, a simple tactile reassurance that Lewis is happy for him. He won’t have to worry about resentment if Lewis is going out of his way to find and congratulate him. George is so relieved he has to resist burying his face in Lewis’s shoulder. This is enough.

His breath hitches as the strong band of Lewis’ arm around his back squeezes tight, patting him firmly once, and then he’s letting go. The moment barely lasts 30 seconds, but It feels like a lifetime.

He turns back to his interviewer on autopilot, taking a deep breath and trying to centre himself. He’s aware his eyes must look wet, and his lip wobbles as he opens his mouth to answer, but he doesn’t care.

He’s done it; he has his first true podium, the first that counts. As the interviews wind down he glances over his shoulder and spots Lewis grinning at him, he feels the answering smile threaten to split his face in two.

Fanfic Writer Emoji Asks

#asks #anonymous #britcedes #gewis #4463 #mark’s fic tag #ask games #aiwlyn #ask memes

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samwrights · 4 years

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Plastic Flowers [ 4 ]

Chapter 4: Desperate to Tame the Beast

Warnings: language, existential crisis.

"Dude, you guys were back there for a long time." The shit eating grin on Kirishima's face was wide with pride as Katsuki finally emerged from the back room of the Upside Down—finally! His stupid, stubborn friend made his move at last! And while Bakugo's face was as disgruntled as ever, the looming anxiety that had been ever present with him previously was no longer around him. "You all good now man?"

"Tch," Katsuki grumbled before reclaiming his seat and downed the lukewarm beer left in his pilsner. "For now." Was all he said, looking away from the red head. From the nature of their relationship, the blonde knew that Red Riot had expected him to seal the deal and form his permanent bond. That was just the kind of faith and confidence Kiri had in Bakugo. But it was apparent that Kirishima only knew of Kohta’s surface personality—not knowing how deep her stubbornness or even her innocence ran.

"What do you mean 'for now'?!"

"We didn't bond. Just taking our time." Katsuki grumbled in a mix of shame. It wasn’t that the blonde was upset that the two still had yet to bond; far from it, in fact. If anything, the blonde wasn't necessarily proud of his track record after learning of how damn near pure his soulmate was. The red head in front of him, being ever the supporter of Bakugo being able to snag women left and right for emotionless relationships, was unable to discern this gloss of disgust on the blonde's face. Kirishima stayed quiet out of sheer disbelief before his mouth began to spill word vomit.

"Wait, you. Y-you didn't..."

"Of course we didn't!" Bakugo snapped, clutching his beer glass with a knuckle white grip. Eijiro was quiet once again, slowly realizing this situation was going to be much more complicated. "S-she doesn't know how the bond is formed. She doesn't know that we need t-to..." Bakugo dropped his head onto the table, burying his face in his arms to prevent his myriad of emotions from showing on his face. No matter how many different ways words were minced, there was no pretty way to explain to someone that the bonding hormone was transferred through intercourse. Whomever discovered this connection had to be some perverted freak, Bakugo thought. His logical mind figured the protein was probably discovered through trial and error, scientific research even, conducted on people in a similar predicament as him. Considering the solution to Bakugo's problem was only temporary, Kirishima grew concerned for what was to follow. Had this been a one night stand type of arrangement, there would have been nothing to worry about and the two of them were in confident in that. It was the simple fact that Bakugo had to confront his own feelings. Which, in some cases, not every soulmate pairing ended up having genuine feelings for each other. There are rather morbid tales of some heinous acts committed amongst pairs—some would rape and abuse their partners, saying it was out of love. Some still neglected and committed adultery; some even murdered their mates. And though Kirishima knew Bakugo would never do any of the aforementioned acts, he was very aware that the blonde was never good at genuine relationships—romantic or otherwise.

In a strange way, Bakugo was a romantic himself, in the sense that he fantasized the way his life, his reality should play out and unfold. In his mind, he called it having a plan. Since he was a young child, he idolized All Might and, after the discovery of his quirk, he knew he was going to be the top hero—better than All Might himself. Katsuki figured if he worked hard, he would eventually get there, according to his plan. The blonde never took into account reality and destiny and fate, and the same scenario reared its head the moment he was branded with his soulmate mark. The day script tattoo appeared on his body, he had no idea what to make of it. With the words "I never want to see you in here again", it was challenging for Katsuki's romantic mind to idealize what situation him and his soulmate would be in, let alone imagine what she would look like. In his mid teens, probably about ten tears ago, he finally settled with the fantasy that his soulmate was an ER nurse that wanted him to stop getting hurt—he thought his marking was supposed to be something along the lines of playful.

Now at twenty five years old, Katsuki Bakugo stood in front of his soulmate that he'd just made out with moments ago, a counter separating the two of them as he grabbed another round of beers and two shots of whiskey as a bonus. Their first meeting shattered the romanticism and idealistic image he once had of his emergency room nurse. Instead, his mate was the owner of a local downtown dive bar; quirkless, lonely, and independent—completely opposite of the doting woman he had pictured. Facing reality was the romantic's worst enemy, and was going to be the biggest obstacle for Bakugo if he truly wanted to make this bond work. "Thanks." The blonde mutters under his breath as he tries to carry both of the shot glasses and pilsners back to his table, making sure to avoid his soul mate's violet gaze. After his brief conversation with Kirishima, Bakugo felt conflicted and knew that making direct eye contact with Kohta would only distress himself further. Each time he looked at her was another taste of the reality the two of them were in. This thin, brunette woman named Hitoko Ohta was his real life soulmate.

Kohta was a flurry of emotions herself. After running away from the orphanage, her sense of self-preservation was at an all time high. The first time Kohta even let down her walls was when Dabi and Toga meandered their way into her little dive nearly two years ago. At first, it started off with simple exchanges of hellos, then small talk. It eventually turned into Kohta sharing her frustrations from day to day business that lead to Toga dubbing the brunette with her nickname. 'Its your first and last name put together! I think it's cute!' The blonde woman had told her, and ever since it stuck.

Now Hitoko Ohta was confronted with her soulmate—a whole other beast of emotional confusion—Katsuki Bakugo. Seeing that she didn't truly gain her first actual friends in life until two years ago at the age of twenty three, the idea of being eternally bonded to someone frightened her. From what she knew of him so far, he was brash and aggressive and while Kohta herself had a bit of an edge, he was light years beyond her. But she knew too well where his angry nature had been birthed from; fear was an emotion she knew all too well. Bakugo had his own walls, walls of resentment and anger that formed a pyramid at which he sat at the very point to prove to himself and everyone else that he was the best. In a strange way, Kohta envied him. How amazing it must have been to be so utterly confident to strive and continue to be the best. To not have to hide from the world due to poor choices.

It was one of the many reasons that Hitoko felt she wasn't even good enough to be Bakugo's soulmate. It was one of the many reasons she wished to keep her distance. But Kohta would be lying to herself if she denied her desire to also be closer to Bakugo. In the midst of their kiss, her mind was clouded with uncertainty; but her body seemed to decide every movement was right. Kohta wanted to continue to chase the first right feeling in her life. Even if he intimidated her, Katsuki Bakugo was still her soulmate. And her soulmate apparently couldn't carry two highball and two shot glasses at the same time, she noted as she watched him fumble with her drink ware. "Katsuki." She called out, catching his attention as he tried to rework his grip. With a shake of her head, she placed the taller glasses side by side in her left palm, with a shot glass sitting near her locked wrist as it rested behind the highballs. The last glass was held by three dainty fingers in her right hand.

Kohta maneuvered around the bar with ease despite the glassware in her hands as she made her way past Katsuki and dropped the drinks off at the table where Kirishima sat. The red haired man gave thanks as the blonde sat back down, only earning a nod from the owner before she made her way back behind the bar to continue tending to her patrons. As she walked away from their table once again, Bakugo's crimson eyes could only follow after her form, a motion not missed by his company. A small smile formed on Eijiro's lips knowingly—it was so nice to see the man he considered one of his closest friends actually show a minuscule amount of a positive emotion for once. Still seeing Bakugo stare and Kirishima being ever the wing-man decided to prod the blonde a little further. "So when are you gonna see her again?"

"Huh?" The question caught Bakugo off guard, as if he hadn't given it much of any thought. To be fair, he hadn't really. He just assumed he would see Kohta again whenever him and Kirishima, or even him alone, decided to return to the Upside Down. But even he knew that only being with her when she was working would leave them in the same predicament of being an unbonded pair. "Tch, fuck I don't know." Katsuki grumbles under his breath.

"Well, I don't think you need me to tell you what to do." The bomber rolled his eyes, silently telling Kirishima that he didn't need the guidance. If anything, he needed the courage, the balls to even ask Kohta when she would be available. While getting women was no difficult task for Katsuki, this situation was entirely new. This was long term, whether he wanted it to be or not, and was something of them neither really had a say in. As a nervous tick, Bakugo checked the gold watch on his left wrist, seeing it was nearing four in the morning. Taking a glance around, he had noticed most of the bar had emptied out. How had time flown so quickly, he wondered. Him and Kirishima only had a few drinks—certainly not enough to grant him the liquid courage he so desperately needed. All he had was an excuse; he needed to close out their bar tab after all.

Kohta was cleaning her draft taps when Katsuki approached the counter, closing down the bar and readying her business for the morning rush of the café. A small cough left his throat, making the brunette woman turn around. "Closing out?" Her tone was quiet, polite even. Much different than what Katsuki had seen from her usually snark. Instead of a verbal response, the blonde just gave a brusque nod, handing her his credit card. The bright glare of the screen in front of her reflected off of her large glasses as she pulled up the check, swiped his card all in silence.

"When is your next day off?" Bakugo asked as casually he could muster as he signed the credit slip, leaving a hefty tip, and handing it back.

"Sunday. The Upside Down is closed every Sunday and Monday." Kohta replies evenly, not once making eye contact with him—a lack of gesture he definitely noticed. She was treating him as if he were just any other bar patron; certainly not like he was the last guest for the evening and even more so not like the man in front of him was his soulmate. Before Kohta could turn away, Bakugo grabbed her frail wrist, turning her around to face him.

"Hitoko, look at me." Despite his patience wearing thin, his voice didn't tremble with anger once and while he used enough force to spin her around, his grip was earnest. "Sunday, you and I are going for lunch."

"What makes you think I'm going anywhere with you?" She bit. There she was, the woman Katsuki barely knew. The blonde let her wrist fall from his grasp, a smirk plastered on his lips; from what he had seen so far, he much rather preferred the sassy side of Kohta.

"You know our business is far from finished." The brunette woman stayed quiet, her previous qualms with their situation coming back and rearing its ugly head. In truth, Hitoko had no idea what she wanted out of this so-called partnership. While their little rendezvous had stirred strange feelings within her, it didn't change her perspective or stance on having a soulmate. She didn't want companionship, or so she thought; she doesn't know how to share her world with another person. Even her friends were kept at bay with a ten foot stick. So when Kohta finally uttered a simple word of compliance, it came from a place of selfishness.

"Okay." She says quietly, only agreeing to satisfying her own curiosity. What was the big deal about soulmates, she wondered. "I'll see you Sunday."

"I'll see you Sunday."

Hitoko "Kohta" Ohta has not seen Katsuki Bakugo since the late night, or rather early morning, that he decided to take her to lunch. The blonde had hoped his absence would instill a sense of desire within the brunette. While it didn't quite work the way he wished, as she didn't intentionally seek him out, her head would perk up any time the front door to the Upside Down jingled open or close just hoping to see the semi-familiar blonde bush of hair. It was currently Saturday night, nearing closing time for the Upside Down. The minute the clock struck half past two in the morning, Kohta gleefully boomed last call for alcohol. Not that many people were present, despite being one of the few bars open later in the downtown area, her crowd consisted mostly of regulars and a couple unfamiliar faces. Most of the patrons has already closed for the night, and were just finishing up their drinks before heading home for the evening.

Katsuki Bakugo had fought himself with every bone in his body to not see Kohta at this time. The receding blood red words of his soulmate mark slowed its transformation to a snails pace, and it was driving him mad. Though he had regained a bit more control of his quirk, his full strength had yet to return. That was his reasoning for wanting to see Hitoko sooner rather than later, but the ache of emptiness that gnawed the bottom of his gut wished to say otherwise. Though he acknowledged the feeling, its presence confused Bakugo greatly. He had never felt such a looming loneliness before, and wondered why the only person he wanted to seek out was a woman he seldom knew. In the end, he rationalized that the whole ordeal was stupid, and he would see Kohta for lunch soon. As if that thought offered him any comfort.

Three in the morning finally strikes on the clock. With not another soul in sight, Kohta locks the front door to the Upside Down for her weekend before nearly bolting for the back room and heading up the flight of stairs to the right to enter her small, one bedroom apartment. Being the owner of tiny, not so busy dive bar and coffee, many people assumed all of Kohta's earning went into making the bar look semi modern while keeping a humble home. It was a fair assumption, considering all tables were rich, undamaged mahogany, granite counter tops, and a ritzy espresso machine to boot.

But the bars design was made to match Kohta's personal tastes, and her home was no different. All the floors in here home were a deep brown hardwood, luxurious white fluffy rugs accompanying the appropriate spaces such as the living room and a matching runner for the entry way. To the right of the entrance was a large, two door mirrored closet for coats and her shoes with a sleek black shoe rack standing proudly at the bottom. To the left was a half wall that displayed her small, simple dining room. A rectangular, black wood table with a black glass center, as well as matching black chairs with white leather, and a large crystal chandelier took up the entirety of the tiny, often unused space. Kohta took a seat on one of her white leather couches that sat directly in front of her foyer and dining room. One couch had her back towards the door, the other resting on the gray blue wall to the right of her. In the corner was a white, knee height entertainment center with three drawers evenly spaced along the bottom. Perfectly center along the top was an over-sized flat screen TV, one much too large for a singular person. Flicking on the television and turning on some cartoons, Kohta set the remote on top of the round white and gold marble coffee table before getting up and heading to the kitchen directly next to the dining room table, a stone counter separating the rooms.

Kohta knew she should be heading to sleep to wake up at a decent hour, but her mind was reeling with anticipation as she thought of why she needed to be up. With only the dull hum of the television as her company, Hitoko was left with her nagging burdens. While she wasn't necessarily fearful of receiving the answers of what she didn't know about bonding with her soulmate, the idea of sitting with Katsuki for more than twenty minutes terrified her. Not because of him or who he was, but because of who she was.

Or rather, who she wasn't.

Kohta knew she was, for lack of better term, boring. Her hobbies were limited as her only talents were coffee craft and billiards; two things people often found boring or uninteresting. She kept up with news and current events, mostly to ensure that she had yet to be discovered as a master thief. Kohta was as plain as they came, and she knew that—she was okay with that. But she couldn't ignore the heavy weight of her heart at the thought of her soulmate not being okay with her. No, she didn't plan on changing anything about herself—mild villainy and all—but the mere thought that the one person who, in theory, should accept everything about her, didn't? Doesn't? That was a scary thought for her.

Kohta had worked so hard to put up the walls she had around her heart, and she would be damned if she let them down only to face more rejection in her life. Rejection often reminded her too much of her time in the Exemplary Home for Girls. As a young child, before her quirk, before her soulmate mark, Kohta was once full of curiosity. All of her insistent, baseless questions always drove Lady Shougi mad. At first, the headmistress would entertain and humor the young girl. Eventually, growing tired of answering silly questions as to why the sky was blue or if it was raining despite the sunny sky, Lady Shougi just began to say, "No" with nothing else accompanying it. Hearing that single, solid two letter word, hurt Kohta. When she still had her parents, they had raised her to be curious, to question everything. The EHG had broken her. Maybe she partially blamed the Exemplary Home for laying down the brick and mortar of the walls around her.

While her walls usually severed her curiosity, often preventing Kohta from seeking out answers, she could not run from this—Katsuki wouldn't let her. Hitoko could not run; she had to face the truth, she had to prepare for the impending rejection.

Plastic Flowers Masterlist

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Thank you guys for checking out this story! I’ll be updating the chapters every Saturday! Chapter title taken from The Front Bottom’s song “Ginger” off their album “Back On Top”.

Kirishima is implying/asking if Hitoko and Bakugo boned. No, no they did not Kiri.

Taglist:

@wwwwyamd @bubbzibubbles (I’m sorry bb, your handle wasn’t working)

#my hero academia #my hero academia headcanons #my hero imagines #my hero fanfic #dabi my hero academia #bakugo katsuki #bakugo x oc #bnha bakugou #bakugou imagine #katsuki bakugo x oc #Kirishima Eijirou #eijirou kirishima #my hero kirishima #slight dabi x oc #bnha dabi #toga himiko #toga x twice

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shinneth · 5 years

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Gem Ascension Tropes (General: R - T)

Refer to the initial post for details on this. Here’s the full version on Google Docs.

Reality-Breaking Paradox: According to the laws of gem physics, no two gems with a matching facet code and cut series ID can coexist. It’s believed should this happen, and the identical gems make physical contact with one another, that reality itself will tear the universe apart. This is a simplified explanation for why Steven and Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond can’t coexist, since Steven directly inherited her diamond.

Relationship Upgrade: Steven and Peridot become an Official Couple, while Lapis and Bismuth become Fire-Forged Friends after Peridot gives them the Ten Minutes in the Closet treatment to work out their problems in Chapter 3 of Act I. As of This is Who I Am Chapter 6, 5XF and Sphalerite go from acquaintances who just met to Official Couple within a day or so.

Replacement Goldfish: What Peridot and Steven’s Diamond Alter Egos are to White Diamond for the deceased Blue and Yellow Diamond. Everyone’s aware of this, and is the primary reason why White’s We Can Rule Together act never, ever works.

Rescue Arc: Act I. Can also apply to Act III, but is more of a hybrid of this and a War Arc.

The Reveal: In Chapter 8 of Act II, Peridot’s Mismatched Eyes (witnessed only by Steven and Garnet at the end of Act I) are indicative of her identity as an Unwitting Test Subject. She is the first confirmed case since before the start of Era 2, and it’s heavily implied (later confirmed) that no one, not even Peridot herself, was aware of this.

The nature/full extent of what Peridot is in terms of being an experiment is not revealed until the beginning of Act III. Peridot’s identity as a hybrid Diamond and an ascended gem is not made known to the main cast until Chapter 3 (Steven only; Garnet also found out, but was silenced and internally damaged before acknowledging it) and is fully revealed by Chapter 5.

By the end of Chapter 8, it is confirmed that Steven and Peridot’s Alter Egos can fuse into the mythical “Diamond of Miracles”, a legend White Diamond spoke of and wished to invoke in Chapter 6.

Romance Ensues: Chapter 6 of This is Who I Am almost exclusively features Sphalerite and 5XF on an uninhabited island while recovering from the traumatic events of the previous chapter that have Steven and Peridot completely out of commission. For the last 3 days of the vacation, it’s only Sphalerite and 5XF who share similar identity issues and learn about themselves and each other… which eventually leads to this.

Ruling Couple: Generally defied with Steven and Peridot for the stories set after Act III, though that reportedly hasn’t stopped many refugees from seeing the pair as this. Peri-dise: The Capitalist Anarchy confirms they’re referring to Steven and Peridot as their “king and queen”. Especially since they’re the only living Diamonds left in existence, it was inevitable for the couple to get this kind of label. They’ll have to work hard to convince these gems that they aren’t ruling over them.

Sadistic Choice: A few of these are scattered in the story.

Act I has the dilemma presented in Chapter 7 (which is put in action next chapter) via Sapphire’s Prophecy: Regardless of who brings up the rear in the operation to escape Homeworld, that person will end up being left behind. As Peridot is The Leader of this operation, it’s on her to make the choice who that will be. While it doesn’t take her long to nominate herself, Sapphire does inform Peridot that even if she does this, history is likely to repeat itself as her friends, Steven especially, will inevitably come back and risk everything to save her. Peridot ultimately sticks with her decision.

At Act I’s finale, this is somewhat turned around on Garnet as Steven (who is unaware of the aforementioned prophecy) is determined to save Peridot. She’s faced with respecting Peridot’s decision while breaking Steven’s heart (leading him to resent her), or risking everyone’s safety on the off-chance that Steven might be able to change everyone’s fates for the better, even though that’s blatantly disrespecting Peridot’s final wishes in the worst way possible. Garnet at least attempts to let the latter play out until she can no longer pretend Steven can change fate this late in the game. Luckily, she manages to get her act together in time to keep everyone safe (outside of Peridot, of course), but that ultimately leads to the consequences of the former choice.

Act II brings up one in its final chapter, but it never actually happens in the story: Peridot orders everyone to shatter her should Steven die for any reason, as she’s certain she’ll completely lose herself and be a threat to everyone else. At first it appears to be a Played for Drama scenario, but when everyone finds out Peridot’s an Unwitting Test Subject (and historically, other gems like her had very tragic endings – most infamously was one who nearly committed genocide on Homeworld after the Diamonds killed her close friend behind her back), Bismuth realizes this is a possibility everyone needs to be prepared for. Garnet agrees, but emphasizes on making sure their situation never gets that far in the first place.

Early Act III has Peridot in the middle of another rock and a hard place when she encounters her friends for the first time in a week… but now that she’s Chartreuse Diamond and firmly under White Diamond’s thumb, with White able to hear and see everything they’re doing, it’s a huge risk to simply revert back to being Peridot and running back to her friends. White could immediately kill Peridot or any of her friends at this stage. But that means Peridot’s only real option is to be the Crystal Gems’ enemy, even though she can hardly bring herself to fight them at all. This is the route Peridot ultimately takes once she sees hows hostile her friends are to her Alter Ego (not knowing it’s really her, of course), as this makes Peridot believe even if she did reveal herself at this stage that the Crystal Gems would never take her back and presume Peridot herself is once again the irredeemable traitor they once saw her as when they first met. While she can’t bring herself to truly hurt her friends (especially after severely damaging Garnet on accident), Peridot settles on capturing her friends with far less brutality.

Peridot does eventually return to the Crystal Gems as an ally, but it isn’t long before White captures her again following a Curb-Stomp Battle that she ends up being manipulated into becoming a permanent hostage when White forcibly fuses with Chartreuse to become Celadon Diamond. Just before the fusion, Peridot leaves a note by Steven that’s basically an order to Kill Us Both. Now Steven is faced with either going through with this or risking his friends’ lives fighting a double-diamond fusion. While Steven is crushed by being tasked to make this decision, this choice is soon subverted as Steven finds a way to Take a Third Option.

This is Who I Am Chapter 5 takes this trope to the extreme when a power-corrupt 5XF splits Steven and Peridot into two individuals; one that represents their best traits, and one that represents the worst (dark side vs light side, basically). However, a cruel twist is put on this trope: Peridot and Steven have already achieved total self-acceptance in GA Act III, so fighting their counterparts would be anticlimactic. To remedy this, Light Steven is forced to fight Dark Peridot while Light Peridot must face Dark Steven. The fights are separated by dimensions, so Steven and Peridot have no way to help each other whatsoever. However, since these split personalities are still legitimately part of the full beings they came from, the dark and light sides of one individual are linked; they share each other’s pain, and should one side die, the other will follow. Dark Steven and Dark Peridot aren’t bound by love and fully embody the selfish aspect of their full selves, so they have absolutely no problem offing each other to ensure their own survival. With Light Steven and Light Peridot not willing to harm even the darkest part of their loved one, it’s just a matter of which one will get worn down enough to take out; either way, 5XF organized this pair of deathmatches to ensure that only Peridot or Steven will leave alive. While Steven and Peridot do ultimately make it out of this with their lives, it required Peridot to nearly kill herself (as her Dark side was strangling Light Steven; also felt by Dark Steven) to force both matches to end in a draw. The Peridots were too severely damaged to keep up fighting even after the Stevens healed their wounds, and the Stevens had been strangled for so long that they were in no condition to coherently fight, either.

Second Chapter Cliffhanger: If you’re reading the original Gem Ascension (the one where the individual acts are all one single chapter – and the current Act II was just an Interquel separate from the main series), Act II/Chapter 2 ends with Re:Ascension’s final chapter of Act I involving Peridot’s Heroic Sacrifice.

Secret Relationship: Attempted by Sphalerite and 5XF, since they went out of their way to not be discovered or interrupted during Their First Time by shutting off any digital device that would give away their position. For about two days, they succeeded… then upon coming home next chapter, Garnet consults the pair soon after they arrive and very quickly pieces together the fact that they’re in a relationship. After Sphalerite defuses, it’s not long before Steven and Peridot remember everything their fusion did with 5XF. It’s safe to assume their relationship will become common knowledge with all the Crystal Gems soon enough.

Secret Test of Character: Bismuth and Lapis put Peridot through this in the very first chapter to determine whether or not she’s qualified to lead the charge for the impending rescue mission. Peridot passes with flying colors, but is extremely miffed that her friends had the nerve to pull a stunt like that.

Garnet teases this in Chapter 5 of Act III when she requests Peridot co-lead with her after she’s been rescued and engineers a similar situation to prove her point. Then she does this for real in Plans Change to determine whether or not Peridot’s qualified to make this promotion stick from there on out.

Sequel Hook: Invoked In-Universe so many times in Act III, it’s ridiculous… but justified. There’s tons of ways GA can be (and currently has been, to some degree) continued, given the number of loose ends it concludes on.

Shared Family Quirks: Made evident in This is Who I Am, both Peridot and 5XF are Tsunderes when their sentimentality is pointed out. 5XF also shares more than a few traits of how Peridot speaks.

Shipper on Deck: Although only Amethyst, Connie, and Lapis are overt about it, pretty much everyone is cool with Peridot and Steven being together. The only one who shows the slightest hint of discomfort is Pearl, but given the team’s ongoing dire circumstances in the story, it’s really not worth her effort to get too upset about it.

Shout-Out: So many, it needs its own page.

Show Within a Show: Beyond the standard Camp Pining Hearts in canon (which is seldom mentioned in the GA continuity), one unique to GA stands out by the name of The Cost is Correct – a shout-out to The Price is Right. It’s only mentioned and never seen, but it is surprisingly relevant in that it plays a role regarding Peridot’s age. Its rules are the inverse of the real-life equivalent; namely the rule that the winning answer is determined by the person who guesses the closest number/amount without going under.

Sickeningly Sweethearts: Steven and Peridot’s relationship can definitely be seen like this, especially in the Post-GA stories.

Sidekick Glass Ceiling: Defied; Peridot not only retains her promotion as leader of the Crystal Gems (although with Garnet back, they are jointly leading), but her ascension has assured she will be a key figure in the heroes’ restoration project. Likewise, Lapis, Bismuth, and Greg (albeit to a lesser degree because he does have an occupation) are all officially Crystal Gems of equal importance living under the same roof with their own individual rooms.

Signs of the End of Times: Pearl especially is quick to notice how much Homeworld looks like it’s barely hanging by a thread in Act III. Once the Crystal Gems are caught up in an unprecedented downpour not long after returning to Homeworld, Pearl takes this as a major sign that this planet’s end is nigh. Subverted in that said downpour was deliberately caused by Chartreuse Diamond who naïvely hoped to restore life to Homeworld, then zigzagged as she does inadvertently cause landslides and other forms of widescale damage simply for bringing so much rain to a planet that was never conditioned for it. However, the entire planet losing all of its color as a side-effect of White Diamond’s influence is played straight here.

Sitting on the Roof: Steven finds Peridot sitting on his house’s rooftop by herself gazing at the moon at the start of Bottled Up. Peridot allows Steven to join her, and the entire story takes place with them never leaving the roof. The scenario is reprised in the final chapter of This is Who I Am as the pair tries to calm down and reflect on the hell they just went through during the latter half of their vacation. On both occasions, the couple end up falling asleep in each other’s arms on the roof.

Slow-Motion Fall: Towards the end of Act I, the narrative indicates that in Steven’s perspective, this trope was in effect the entire time Peridot’s Twisted Ankle moment played out.

Slow-Paced Beginning: The first two chapters of Act I (or the entirety of Act I in regard to how GA was originally released) fully revolve around planning and preparation for the rescue mission to Homeworld outlined at the very beginning. Chapter 3 deals with team bonding and final planning stages and ends only when they’re about to disembark upon reaching their destination. The first three chapters in general can also be considered a Prolonged Prologue. The mission itself (and actual events during it) starts in Chapter 4. On top of that, the Crystal Gems do not properly reunite until Chapter 6.

So Crazy, It Must Be True: In Chapter 8 of Act II, once Steven proves how he used his evolved powers to figure out that Greg, Lapis, and Bismuth had a sing-a-long they never told anyone about back in Chapter 3 of Act I, everyone concedes that whatever is going on with Steven’s powers is the real deal.

Speed Sex: An interesting variant in that both Steven and Peridot fall victim to premature ejaculation when attempting Their First Time. In fact, Peridot’s probably more at fault than Steven since she not only came first, but locked Steven out from inserting himself any further before he followed suit. Although Steven managed to keep his fluid entirely inside of Peridot, he couldn’t get more than the head of his phallus inside her before she climaxed. So, it wasn’t just premature; Steven was barely able to penetrate her at all, which would suggest that despite their efforts to throw caution to the wind, this couple still hasn’t had proper sexual intercourse.

Split Personality Merge: Steven and Peridot’s fragmented light and dark sides ultimately come together to become their full selves again, but they require 5XF’s help to do this, as she was the one who fragmented their personas to begin with and is in possession of the only means to bring them back together. With some forceful persuasion by 5XG, 5XF finally complies.

Stargazing Scene: This is the nature of the final scene in GA’s main series with Steven and Peridot on their first date. Chapter 3 of This is Who I Am also has a scene of this for Steven and Peridot in the Sahara Desert. It’s a Birthday, Yes It Is Chapter 2 closes out with Steven and Peridot stargazing from bed in their secret hideaway on the Moon.

Starts Stealthily, Ends Loudly: In Act I, the Crystal Gems try to be careful, quiet, and discrete when they first make it to Homeworld. They’re well aware their mission will be next to impossible if they’re being actively pursued from the start, and they’re nowhere near strong enough to confront Homeworld’s gems (much less the Diamonds) on their own. By Chapter 6, shortly after the last of the imprisoned Crystal Gems are rescued, they’re all discovered by White Diamond. A Heroic Sacrifice by Blue Diamond allows them to escape, rest, and plan out the remainder of their escape route from there. However, by the time the Crystal Gems are closing in on their goal, the Diamonds corner them and force them into a giant battle with their escape route less than a mile away.

This can apply to the story overall, as well. The first few chapters of Act I are relatively tame since it’s the “planning” phase of the rescue mission that largely happens before the Crystal Gems even leave Earth. There’s even a large emphasis on the importance of a stealthy approach. By the end of Act III, it’s a race against time before Homeworld’s Earth-Shattering Kaboom.

Status Quo is God: Averted so hard. Most Post-GA stories have at least one scene where someone’s dwelling on the fact that Nothing is the Same Anymore.

Stranger in a Familiar Land: Pretty much all of the Crystal Gems fit in with this trope in regard to Homeworld. With the exception of Peridot, everyone is primarily a Fish Out of Temporal Water; just as Lapis was in canon (and still is). Although it hasn’t even been a year since Peridot left Homeworld for Earth, it’s still very unsettling for her to step back into its atmosphere. Once she begins to regain her memories of her Homeworld life, Peridot quickly loses any lingering affection she still had for her old home.

Streisand Effect: While Era 2 gems (and even the majority of Era 1s) were blinded by the Propaganda Machine facilitated by the Diamonds to keep them ignorant of certain historical past events that expose the empire’s flaws (most notoriously, the war on Earth with Rose Quartz’s rebellion after Pink Diamond’s apparent death), there remains a single event in the distant past that nearly destroyed Homeworld from the inside that absolutely could not be covered up no matter how hard the Diamonds tried. The “Lone Twin Massacre”, a civil war between the Diamond Authority and Fluorite – a heterochromatic gem who could commune with any shattered gem’s spirit – broke out after the latter lost her sanity due to the Diamonds murdering a gem she was close to. Her powers enabled her to amass an overwhelmingly large army of deceased gems who were similarly wronged by the Diamonds (thus were easy for Fluorite to recruit). She also had the power to shatter a gem with a mere touch. While the Diamonds eventually managed to eliminate Fluorite and her undead army, Homeworld lost 85% of its population in that short-lived conflict. Colony planet development was severely delayed due to this, and it took many hundreds of years for Homeworld to recover from these losses. Future heterochromatic gems were shunned by society due to this, and had White Diamond not stepped in, it’s entirely possible that Fluorite would have eliminated the Authority – this event was a major black mark on the Diamonds’ credibility, and consequently it became illegal to even speak of White Diamond. The fallout from this event is immense; the Diamonds couldn’t spin this story to make them look better. Consequently, it was only a matter of time before the truth became public knowledge. Even Peridot and 5XF, gems made very late in Era 2, know of this historical moment.

Symbolic Blood: Represented as bright “superfluid light” that pours out from Peridot’s wounds as she’s blocking an energy blade with her bare hands to keep it from cutting her neck. It oozes from her nearly-severed fingers and sprays out gratuitously when the blade ultimately reaches her neck. All of this was an illusion made by White Diamond to invoke Your Mind Makes It Real on Peridot to overcome her Heroic Willpower.

Their First Time: Happens in It’s a Birthday, Yes It Is Chapter 2 despite Peridot and Steven’s attempts to resist going that far. However, it was probably the worst kind of “first time” a couple could possibly have. So bad to the point that both Steven and Peridot would Retcon it if they could.

A few months earlier, this happened with 5XF and Sphalerite in This is Who I Am Chapter 6. They had a much better experience… that is to say, so good that their “first time” technically lasted 41 hours.

Three Act Structure: Gem Ascension was intended to function this way from the start. Played straight in both the original release and Re:Ascension, albeit in differing ways. The original Act I was simply the first two chapters of the current Act I; chapters 3-8 were Act II (as one chapter) while the current Act II was originally relegated to Interquel status. Act III is the same in both versions, but the original is all a single chapter opposed to 9.

This is Gonna Suck: The Crystal Gems’ reactions towards the end of Act III when they realize the responsibility of handling the thousands, if not millions of gems that were transported from Homeworld to Earth falls entirely on them. It only gets worse when they consider the staggering amount of work that needs to be done now that they’ve ended the war, the Diamond Authority is gone, and Homeworld is no more.

Thwarted Escape: The escape sequence in Act I’s finale is basically this, especially for Peridot.

To Absent Friends: In Chapter 1 of Act II, the Crystal Gems discuss Peridot in this vein before Garnet reveals the odds favor Peridot still being alive given their present circumstances. While everyone largely believes and presumes Peridot to be alive throughout Act II, certain characters aren’t ruling out that she could be dead after all.

Trash Talk: The majority of the characters partake of this trope gratuitously in GA, especially in Act III. Peridot’s the one who utilizes it the most, but there’s a good amount of this from Amethyst, Lapis, Bismuth, Ruby, and Connie as well.

Trilogy Creep: Despite the deliberate Sequel Hooks late in Act III, there weren’t initially any plans to expand on the Gem Ascension continuity beyond the original three-act novel. A little over a month later, a total of six stories related to the GA continuity were released. An additional one-shot was released late in the summer. All stories are completed as of August 2019, but there are plans for even more stories to come in the future.

Troubled Fetal Position: A few characters are reduced to this across the series. Peridot, Steven, and 5XF immediately come to mind.

Two Beings, One Body: Per canon, fusions are a thing in the GA continuity. Opal, Sunstone, Rainbow Quartz 2.0, Alexandrite, and Stevonnie are the canon fusions that have appeared in this particular series so far. Sugilite, Smoky Quartz, Sardonyx, and Obsidian have been namedropped, but haven’t yet appeared. There are also new fusions unique to the GA continuity: Moonstone (Lapis/Bismuth), Celadon Diamond (White Diamond/Chartreuse Diamond), Iridescent Diamond (Pink Diamond 2.0/Chartreuse Diamond), and Sphalerite (Steven/Peridot).

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davidcdelreal · 7 years

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How Supporting Adult Children Can Ruin Your Retirement

When I first sat down with Jack and Peggy to talk about retirement, I noticed a sense of desperation right away.

Just two years away from his hopeful retirement date, Jack worried he may have to work forever. Peggy shuffled around in her seat with a wary look in her eye.

It was almost as if she hoped I would change the subject already – as if she didn’t want the help she so desperately needed.

The thing is, we all knew why they were there. They needed the help of a financial advisor, some third-party advice, and maybe even a dose of tough love.

Most of all, they needed a reality check.

Once I started asking questions, it didn't take long to figure out the root cause of the myriad problems they were facing. First, the couple hadn’t saved nearly enough for retirement over the years, mostly due to a lack of planning. Worse, they had already refinanced their home four times and still carried a mortgage balance even into their 60’s.

Between the two of them, they brought in a decent income but not much more. Jack still worked and brought in a regular salary, they said.

Meanwhile, Peggy brought in a lot less, basically “only enough for groceries.” Now that they were facing retirement, they worried about about becoming ill, whether they could afford to stay in their home, paying for health care, and becoming a burden on their kids.

When asked how retirement might look, the couple agreed their future looked “frightening.” They wanted to retire, they said, but they weren’t sure if they could. And despite their best intentions, they didn’t have much of a plan to turn things around.

This is what it looks like when you actually reach retirement age without a plan.

The thing is, Jack and Peggy had one more detail to share – one detail that changed almost everything in my eyes.

For the last decade, the couple had been supporting their adult children – now ages 28, 26, and 21. On top of helping pay their college tuition, the couple had been covering some of their living expenses – including gas in at least one child’s car.

No wonder they weren’t getting ahead!!!!!

How Supporting Adult Children Can Ruin Your Retirement

Jack and Peggy are far from the only parents who have sacrificed their retirement goals to help adult children. During a 2015 Pew Research Center poll, 39 percent of parents admitted helping adult children with errands, housework, and home repairs, while a full 48 percent admitted helping adult children financially.

For some parents, “helping” could mean offering an occasional loan. For others, it might mean full-fledged financial support. The circumstances that bring these situations into play are all different, but the outcomes are eerily similar. When parents put their own retirement savings and planning last, everyone suffers.

Obviously, it’s not the help itself that’s the problem. Offering adult children sound advice or emotional support is something every parent should strive for no matter their age or financial situation.

“The main problem with supporting adult children that arises is the fact that, in many cases, the support of your children financially draws resources away from you and you may need them later,” says Bellevue, WA Financial Advisor Josh Brein.

That’s right; the money is the problem – especially if there’s not enough to go around.

4 Reasons You Should Put Retirement Savings First

Jack and Peggy’s story should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone supporting adult kids to the detriment of their own savings goals. Because they helped their kids so much and so often, this couple missed out on tremendous retirement savings and growth – money they could have used to retire in peace. But, what else can you learn from Jack and Peggy’s story? And what other consequences arise when you help adult children before your own finances are secured?

I reached out to several other financial advisors for their advice and experience with this issue. Why should parents fund their retirement before they consider helping their adult children with money? Here’s what they said:

Reason #1: Giving to adult kids can create ongoing dependency issues.

“One problem we have seen is that once the parent starts giving money to the adult child, the child expects for it to continue,” says San Diego Financial Planner Taylor Schulte.

When you float an adult child’s living expenses in their early 20’s, they might expect more of the same in their mid-20s. Eventually, they might even expect that spigot of cash to continue, relying on it as part of their regular income.

This may not be the mark of selfishness, either, notes Schulte.

“It’s rare for the child to know a parent’s complete financial picture, so they just start to assume that there must be more where that came from,” he says. Heck, they might even assume your finances are in perfect shape, then use that line of reasoning to build a lifestyle that relies on financial padding from your coffers.

And it may not be their fault, either. After all, you created this monster, didn't you?

No matter where the fault of dependency lies, the effects of long-term giving can be devastating for couples who aren’t putting their retirement savings first. By and large, the best thing you can do is avoid giving too much in the first place – especially if you can’t afford it.

#2: You may burden your children later in life.

Jack and Peggy’s story illustrates this outcome perfectly. Because they helped their adult children with money all this time, they don’t have their own finances together. Now, what happens if one gets sick? If Jack can no longer work and provide an income? Under those circumstances, the couple themselves might need financial help.

“The best gift you can give your kids is your own financial independence,” says Portland financial planner Grant Bledsoe. “As a parent it can be easy to delay your own gratification & retirement savings because you want to help fund your kids’ education. But at what cost? For many, helping out with tuition means shortchanging their own retirement, and needing to rely on their kids financially 20 or 30 years down the road.”

The bottom line: Helping your children too much now could mean becoming a burden later. To avoid this situation, you have to put yourself first.

#3: You can’t borrow for retirement.

Many people help their adult kids with college expenses to help them avoid debt. The problem is, they may sacrifice their own retirement savings in the process. This sets up an impossible scenario for parents who will eventually reach retirement age.

Sure, their kids may graduate college debt-free, but where is the retirement money going to come from?

Minnesota financial advisor Jamie Pomeroy likes to remind his clients of this simple fact:

“Students can take out a loan for college, but parents can’t take out loan for retirement.”

“Creating clear priorities is important,” says Pomeroy. “Families get into trouble when parents and students haven’t communicated the overall plan, students assume parents will pay, parents grudgingly do, and subconscious resentment ensues.”

Sacrificing one’s retirement while resenting your child’s education is not a wise plan, says Pomeroy. There’s nothing wrong with helping with college, but you have to put your own financial security first.

#4: You may be setting your kids up for failure later on.

As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

“This applies perfectly to supporting adult children,” says Haynes. “Absolutely, you should help them, but more importantly, you should teach them so they can flourish and eventually provide for themselves.”

Remember, you won’t be around forever. If you never let your kids make their own mistakes – financially and otherwise – you may set them up for a world of hurt later on.

“Provide for your adult children, but don’t enable them,” says Haynes. “If it means turning the “loan spout” off, then so be it.”

Like it or not, the best lessons are often learned the hard way.

By bailing your children out when they hit a tough financial spot, you may prevent them learning to solve problems on their own.

You won't always be around to help. What then?

Final Thoughts

As parents, we’re wired to love and support our kids. It’s natural for us to rush to help them, especially since we do so from the moment they are born. The problem comes when we carry that support well into adulthood – when we sacrifice our own financial goals and well-being to support kids who should learn to support themselves.

The point we all need to remember is, we're not really supporting our children when we're setting ourselves up for failure. That’s why we have to put ourselves first – not to be selfish, but to ensure the financial well-being of everyone in the family – not just the kids.

One financial advisor I spoke to, Joshua Brein, put it this way:

“Ever see how on an airplane they tell you to put your oxygen mask on and THEN help your kids fasten theirs?” he asks. “They tell you to do that because, if you can’t breathe, then you’ll probably have a rough time helping someone else get their mask on.”

Think of this as a metaphor for helping your adult children financially, says Brein. Secure your breathing room first, then look for ways to help others.

This post originally appeared in Forbes

The post How Supporting Adult Children Can Ruin Your Retirement appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

from All About Insurance http://www.goodfinancialcents.com/supporting-adult-children-can-ruin-retirement/

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