#and since some people (including friends) have a habit of mocking my intelligence
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second choice, pt. 1
hi guys (: this is my very first piece of writing that i’m publishing and i’m so nervous excited to share this with whoever’s reading. thank you for giving this a chance, ily reader. i put my heart and soul into this (literally, it took me ages) and i didn’t think i’d ever share it with anybody else, but here i am at 11:56 p.m lol. there are six parts in total, some longer than the rest. i hope you enjoy <3
summary: being in love with hajime iwaizumi is like riding a rollercoaster of emotions. it’s thrilling as it is exciting, but you feel a little lightheaded... because he doesn’t know how you feel. the worst part? he thinks you’re in love with his best friend.
warnings: just pure fluff, oikawa cockblocks, slow burn, slight angst if you squint real hard
word count: 2,924
part two here
Iwaizumi silently watched from the exit of the ramen shop as Oikawa eagerly helped you gather your belongings at the table the three of you just finished using. Despite the indistinct conversation you and his team captain were sharing, Iwaizumi didn’t fail to notice your small giggles that were probably in response to one of Oikawa’s many attempts at flirting with you. Who in their right mind wouldn’t flirt with you? You were a sight to behold, at least in Iwaizumi’s eyes... and every other male’s at Aoba Johsai, including none other than Oikawa.
It was no secret, not even to you, that you were attractive. With curves in all of the right places, glowing skin, and bright doe eyes framed by long, curled lashes, you were everything females wanted to look like and what every man dreamed of calling theirs.
Even though he knew you were physically gorgeous, Iwaizumi was more drawn to the beauty of your soul. Your alluring intelligence intrigued him the very moment he first heard you speak your mind without hesitation in class on the first day of school when you were both first years. When you became an assistant manager for the Aoba Johsai volleyball club during your second year, your kindness enthralled him when he discovered that you voluntarily stayed up all night on multiple occasions to devise game plans for every Seijoh volleyball match.
By your current third year of high school, Iwaizumi found himself utterly captivated by your empathy when he saw you through his silent tears, embracing a sobbing Kindaichi away from peering eyes, whispering words of comfort despite your own sobbing, shaking frame as a result of Seijoh’s lost chance of attending Nationals. Back at Seijoh later that day, Iwaizumi overheard Kunimi thanking you for comforting Kindaichi when he couldn’t do so himself. When he saw you smile, gently place a hand on the second year’s shoulder, and reassure him that you would do absolutely anything for ‘your boys’, he was enamored.
It was safe to say that Hajime Iwaizumi had fallen in love with you.
“Y/N, let me walk you home. It’s already dark out. Can’t stand the thought of my pretty girl getting into danger, you know?” Oikawa’s flirtatious words brought Iwaizumi’s attention back to reality. The green eyed boy’s gaze landed on your approaching frame and he couldn’t help but grin when you rolled your eyes in mock annoyance.
“The sun isn’t setting for another hour, Oikawa. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” You reassured, giving Iwaizumi a smile of gratitude when he opened the door for you. Oikawa’s quick stumbling after you however, completely destroyed the butterflies that fluttered in Iwaizumi’s stomach, causing the annoyed ace to huff.
The three of you made your way to the corner of the street but not before Oikawa could stop whining. “Y/N, you can’t possibly leave me with Iwa-chan!” The setter complained with a pout and sagged shoulders but you paid him no mind.
“Oi,” Iwaizumi grumbled, harshly elbowing his best friend’s chest, emitting a yelp from the pretty setter. “What’s that supposed to mean, dumbass?”
You glanced at the red crosslight before facing the two volleyball players with a grin. “Don’t be ridiculous, ‘Kawa. Iwa gives the best company. Isn’t that right, Iwa-chan?” You turned to Iwaizumi with a toothy smile, a small giggle leaving your lips when the spiky haired boy pouted. Hajime’s cheeks flushed not only because of how cute you looked craning your neck to look up at him, but also because of your usage of his cursed but infamous nickname.
Maybe that stupid nickname isn’t so bad, Iwaizumi quickly thought. Thanks, Oikawa.
Iwaizumi opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, Oikawa cut him off.
“Lying isn’t good, little manager. But if you give me a hug, I won’t complain for the rest of today… maybe.” The setter smirked and opened his arms in your direction.
I take my ‘thanks’ back, you sly fucker, Iwaizumi thought begrudgingly.
Once again, the ace felt as if he had been punched in the gut. When Iwaizumi saw you chuckle and embrace his cocky best friend, who was more than happy to tightly wrap his arms around your body, jealousy filled the boy to the brink. The hug you gave Oikawa was a hug he desperately wanted for himself instead. Sure, friends hugged each other all the time; Iwaizumi could simply ask you for one and call it a day.
Would Y/N even be comfortable with that?
It was that specific question that constantly lingered in the back of his mind. The fact that he had the biggest crush in the world on you however, prevented Iwaizumi from even wanting to ask you for one in the first place.
It was simple, really; the only thing that scared Iwaizumi more than asking you for a hug, was simply being rejected by you under any circumstance.
On the other hand, you always questioned why Iwaizumi never seemed to want to have any physical contact with you. You were comfortable with all of the boys on the volleyball team; even Kyoutani, of all people, allowed you to give him small side hugs. The only times you and Hajime ever made physical contact were through quick high-fives on the court when he scored points during games. Other than that, everything between the two of you was verbal. Hugging him was definitely out of the question. Perhaps Iwaizumi liked having physical boundaries set in place? Or maybe because you were a girl and he was hesitant? You weren’t sure, but you could understand. After all, the ace did have his shy moments despite his aggression towards Oikawa.
You never admitted it to anybody, not even to yourself, but Iwaizumi’s physical distance made you feel insecure. You thought you were fairly attractive and friendly enough; you felt confident most of the time. Did something about you disgust him? Did you talk too much to the point where you annoyed him? Did he lie about viewing you as a friend only to preserve peace within the volleyball team?
The idea of Hajime disliking anything about you caused your stomach to twist and turn. After all, it was only natural since you’ve had such strong feelings for Aoba Johsai’s beloved ace for quite a while.
Your troubled thoughts clouded your mind and you instinctively clung onto Oikawa a bit tighter. The action didn’t go unnoticed by Iwaizumi, who was surprised to feel his fingernails carving crescent shaped marks into his right palm. He immediately released his grip and clenched his jaw. Even if the ace decided to turn his gaze away from the sight of his crush and best friend hugging, it definitely didn’t help when Oikawa grinned and began to make flirty comments about how perfectly you fit in his arms.
It definitely struck a nerve, but the pain was overshadowed by jealousy and annoyance.
Iwaizumi had never experienced relief the way he did when he saw the crosslight finally signal for pedestrians to cross the street. With a quick sigh, the boy called out to you and Oikawa. “Shittykawa, you can let her go now. She has to cross,” he said and gestured to the crosswalk. It had taken all of Hajime’s willpower to steady his voice and keep the venom out of his voice.
At the sound of Iwaizumi’s voice, you immediately let go of Oikawa, ignoring the captain’s small whimpers and claims of ‘missing you already.’ Instead, you made your way to the edge of the curb instead. You thanked the spiky haired boy with a bright smile which he returned, but something about it was strained. Even if your heart ached at his weak expression, you found yourself quickly adjusting Iwaizumi’s unfolded collar, an odd habit you developed as the team manager, before stepping onto the pavement.
Iwaizumi was caught off guard by your sudden action but kept his composure regardless. Clearing his throat, he lifted his hand to offer you a small wave. “Be safe, Y/N. Text one of us when you get home, yeah? And don’t stay up too late studying for tomorrow’s exam,” the ace chided. “You seriously need to get more sleep.”
Your smile widened at Iwaizumi’s protective words, even though you’ve heard them on multiple occasions. I’d get more sleep if you didn’t occupy my every thought at two in the morning, you thought before stepping onto the pavement. When Oikawa’s pleas for you to text him instead of Iwaizumi interrupted your thoughts, you teasingly rolled your eyes at the setter, but nodded at the shorter boy beside him.
“I’ll text, don’t worry. As for getting more sleep, I can’t make any promises... but I’ll see you two tomorrow. Be a good boy, Toru!” You joked and gave Oikawa, whose cheeks were crimson from the cold and your usage of his first name, a pointed stare before making your way home. The setter chuckled to himself and shoved his hands into his pockets, moving to stand beside his best friend who silently watched you walk down the street.
When you were a safe distance away, Oikawa opened his mouth to speak. The setter’s words were so sudden, Iwaizumi had to steady himself; otherwise, he would have stumbled off the sidewalk and into the now moving traffic.
“You like her, don’t you?” The taller brunette noted, his eyes unwavering from your shrinking figure the farther you walked away. It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement that needed confirmation before anything else could be said. Oikawa’s tone wasn’t the usual, cheerful one that Iwaizumi was familiar with. Instead, it was serious. The team captain didn’t have to look at Iwaizumi to know that the green eyed boy was far too stunned and flustered to come up with words of denial.
The deep shade of red that tinged Iwaizumi’s ears and cheeks, along with widened eyes was enough to confirm Oikawa’s assumption. With a click of his tongue, the team captain chuckled under his breath, his lips molding into a small smile. Iwaizumi didn’t have any words; he didn’t know what to say. What could he say? How do you tell your best friend that you’ve been in love with the girl that he’s currently interested in? What kind of best friend does that?
Maybe Iwaizumi wasn’t the ‘best’ friend after all.
The small nudge of Oikawa’s elbow to Iwaizumi’s arm caused the flustered boy to shove both hands into his pockets. Together, the duo silently made their way onto another familiar street in order to get home. No words were spoken until the ramen shop was out of sight; only the shuffling of shoes against the ground could be heard. With his hands folded behind his neck and head leaned back to admire the clouds, Oikawa was the first to break the silence.
“You know you can tell me anything, Iwa,” Oikawa adjusted the strap of his shoulder bag, turning his head to glance at his friend. “It’s okay if you like Y/N.”
With a swallow of his throat and a heavy sigh, Hajime focused the path ahead of him before responding. “Look, Oikawa. I’m sorry. Really. I know you told me you were into her, but I’ve liked her since our first year. I tried to stop when you told me you were interested,” Iwaizumi’s fists clenched in the pockets of his jacket and his eyebrows furrowed. “But I just...” he began to twirl a loose piece of thread from his jacket between his fingers, a nervous habit of his. “I couldn’t. I can’t. Whatever, it doesn’t matter.“ He cut himself off.
Since I think she likes you too, was what Iwaizumi was going to finish off with, but it would make his heart ache even more than it already was. As much of a pain Oikawa was, Iwaizumi knew his best friend didn’t deserve to be the target of his demise. It wasn’t Oikawa’s fault, not at all; it was his own for liking you as much as he did.
Especially because he knew that he could never compete with his best friend.
It was no secret that between the duo, Toru Oikawa was always the preferred choice. The first choice, in fact. He was as attractive as he was charismatic; who in their right mind wouldn’t be interested in Oikawa? He was six feet tall and the oh-so very talented captain of the volleyball team, not to mention the fact that the setter received at least two love confessions a day from swooning fangirls.
What special qualities did Iwaizumi possess that could even compare to his best friend’s many accomplishments? Sure, he was the team’s ace. After his failed stunt against Karasuno’s team at qualifiers however, Iwaizumi now believed he wasn’t worthy of such a title. On a better note, the green eyed boy came to realize that he was in fact good-looking, having received a number of love confessions himself. Even if he had a serious, stoic expression most of the time, girls seemed to take interest in it. Gentle green eyes and soft, but spiky hair that gave his appearance a bit of an edge, what wasn’t to like about Iwaizumi? Nothing, really. But in comparison to Oikawa? Everything.
Even with attractive physical traits, Hajime Iwaizumi wasn’t Toru Oikawa. In fact, he would never be on Toru Oikawa’s level.
Hajime Iwaizumi was simply destined to be the runner-up. The second choice. Nothing more, nothing less.
Oikawa let out a quiet hum, but kept his eyes up ahead when Iwaizumi glanced at him. “Nothing to apologize for, Iwa-chan. But cut the shit. It does matter. Y/N is a great girl... like, seriously. Nobody intimidates Kyoutani the way she does, not even you. She doesn’t even have to try,” Oikawa let out a loud laugh and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle himself.
“I do like her, don’t get me wrong,” the setter sighed, but the smile on his face never wavered. “But I think you love her.” Oikawa’s smile, now a smirk, widened when he noticed Iwaizumi’s ears beam pink with embarrassment. The taller boy reached out to poke one, but his hand was quickly swatted away by the blushing wing spiker.
“You little shit, I-I’m just cold!” Iwaizumi grumbled and raised his scarf to cover a part of his red nose to avoid his best friend’s teasing gaze. He let out a stubborn sigh.
“Who’s the little shit? I’m not the one who’s under six feet, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa snickered mockingly. The death glare Iwaizumi sent Oikawa’s direction was enough to silence the captain’s laughter. “Whatever. But I’m still gonna back off regardless.” Oikawa’s words only confused Iwaizumi, who questioned the taller boy.
“But why? You like—“
“I like her, yeah. But it’s nothing serious, I’ll get over it in a few days,” Oikawa’s word choice immediately caused the ace’s eyes to narrow, but the setter held both hands up to his chest in surrender. “Don’t take it the wrong way! No, it’s not like that, I’m not an ass. I just really want to focus on volleyball for now, that’s all.” He reassured and grinned at his friend’s eyeroll.
“Besides,” Oikawa added. “You two really would make a cute couple.”
A cute couple?
Iwaizumi let his friend’s words float in the air as they turned the corner to near his house that was further down the block, before allowing them to sink in. A comfortable silence was shared between the two until they finally made their way in front of the Iwaizumi household. The older of the two was at a loss for words, still too flustered and embarrassed from being read so easily, especially by Oikawa of all people.
The fucking nerve. Iwaizumi bit the inside of his cheek.
Nonetheless, he turned to face Oikawa, whose face showed genuine joy; joy for his best friend who finally developed interest in a person after avoiding romance for years up until now. Truthfully, Iwaizumi couldn’t be annoyed with that. He sheepishly placed his left hand behind his neck and took a breath before speaking.
“Um. Thanks... for hearing me out. For understanding, too. I’m still really sorry though.” Iwaizumi’s sincere words were met with Oikawa’s annoyed groan.
“Jesus, would you stop apologizing? Apologize one more time and I swear I’ll actually steal Y/N from— ow, I was just kidding!” Oikawa lifted his hand to rub the side of his left arm that Iwaizumi had punched with a frown on his face. The ace then made his way up his porch steps before turning over his shoulder to glance at his friend whose pain subsided, the boy now waving goodbye to Iwaizumi.
“Make sure to tell me if Y/N texts you that she’s home, yeah?” Iwaizumi called out and opened his front door.
“You got it, Iwa-chan! She’ll probably text you instead though.”
“We’ll see. I doubt it though.”
When he entered his house, Iwaizumi quickly greeted his mother with a kiss on top of her head before making a beeline to his room. As soon as Iwaizumi put his belongings down on his desk, he heard his phone’s text tone go off in his pocket.
Guess she texted Oikawa already, he thought and pulled out the device.
When Iwaizumi’s eyes landed on his screen, he couldn’t stop his face from burning when he read the text notification. Without realizing it, he was smiling from ear to ear.
Y/N: ‘Got home safe, like I promised I would. See you tomorrow, Iwa (๑❛ᴗ❛๑)’
#haikyuu#iwaizumi#hajime iwaizumi#haikyu x reader#iwaizumi x y/n#haikyuu fluff#friends to lovers#aoba johsai#seijoh
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17: Turning Point
You were going to kill Todoroki when you find him.
Fucking running off and making you follow after him... what the hell does he think he's doing?
Just 30 minutes ago, you, Endeavour, and Todoroki were on patrol when the attacks began. There was screaming left and right, filling the air along with inhuman sounds that belonged to these mutant beasts with brains showing.
Fires and explosions went off and there were pro heroes dealing with these abominations that seemed unkillable
Endeavour was the first to react and quickly burned the thing to a crisp and you were quick to follow his lead.
Once activating your quirk, you punched one of the monsters to the ground and started beating it up, tearing it's limbs off.
The thing slowly regenerated, which brought you frustration.
You bit into it's brain out of rage and pulled its chunks out as it screamed at you.
"Blood God. Move."
You recognized the voice as Endeavour's and slowly got up. You hesitantly looked at the writhing beast beneath you before moving out of the way for Endeavour to burn it.
"You did quite the number on it." He said before fire left his fist.
The man let out a grunt as he roasted the thing alive before turning to you.
"I need you to go after my son and make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Is that understood." He said and proceeded to tell you where to find him.
You grew confused and infuriated when you realized that Todoroki was gone.
What the fuck is he doing? There are villains to fight here!
You had a moment of clarity and spat the brain bits out of your mouth.
"Yes sir."
Before he could respond, another monster came into view and tackled the man. Endeavour shot fire into its face, making it lose its control over the situation.
And thus here you were, trying to find the stupid bicolored brat.
You nearly passed an alleyway before a noise and a flash of yellow and orange caught your eye.
There he was, fighting a deranged looking ninja and... and the greenette brat. For some reason, when the man licked his blade, Todoroki fell to the ground, laying on the ground.
Just as the man was about to strike the bicolored moron, you leapt into action, quite literally.
Your body rammed the man, making him tumble back and rip up his clothes from the pavement. He was caught in a daze before shaking it off and searching for who was responsible.
"...All Might?" The man said breathlessly before narrowing his eyes.
"...no... you're not All Might."
You ignored this as your brain was registering who this man was. You knew he was familiar, no one can forget someone with his ugly mug. You heard of his ideas and his rants about society a few times before. Everyone has.
You especially heard of what he did to a pro hero by the name of Ingenium.
"So... you're the hero killer: Stain."
The crazed man slowly stood up held his sword out, pointing at you.
"You... you're the fake that nearly killed the bicolored one." He spat.
You simply ignored this and looked past him to see Deku, Iida, and a man in a Native American themed costume. Midoriya locked eyes with you and immediately yelled to you in desperation.
"Don't let him lick your blood, His quirk will paralyze you!"
Stain shifted in front of you to block your view from the greenette, which you were thankful for.
"So you've come to save your fake hero friends..." he said.
"They're not my friends." You stated.
"Hm... doesn't really matter anyways..." he said before shooting forward.
He was fast, you wouldn't lie, but you were also quick on your feet.
You ducked down really low and grabbed his feet, which took him by surprise, and pulled them out from under him.
You didn't hesitate to drag him and spin around the ground before making him go airborne for a quick second and having him make impact with the wall. Hard.
He should have passed out. Should have. But he didn't.
This infuriated you more as you quickly went to grab his face, only for him to lift his sword up just as quickly.
He left a shallow cut on your shoulder, to which you quickly grabbed the blade and pulled it away from him. You weren't about to leave the blade with him since it caught a bit of your blood.
You backed away from the slightly dazed man, who slowly walked towards you.
"You dare... take my blade... you damn fake."
"You dare take my blood, you murderer." You said back to him in a mocking tone, holding his blade in your now bloodied hand.
The man smirked, narrowing his eyes at you as he started walking forward.
"Heh... you're skillful and intelligent... I'll give you that."
He lifted his bloody hand up and licked it, which confused you for a moment before you fell limp.
The sword that you once held clattered to the ground along with your body. Stain approached you slowly like a predator ready to strike.
"...it's a shame your quirk makes you bleed out naturally."
He picked up the blade and pulled out another before standing over you.
"Any last words, fake?" Stain said while placing his two blades on both sides of your neck.
"...of all the things..."
The man's nasty smile fell and he cocked his head to the left in confusion.
"What was that?"
"Of all the things to go after... you chose fakes that still did their jobs of saving lives...? You... you could have used your skills... your fighting experience to kill pedophiles... rapists... human traffickers..." you glared daggers into the now expressionless man's eyes.
"You could have taken the hero's jobs and still make a god damn statement about how unreliable fakes are... but instead you chose to target corrupt politicians, people with shitty fucking opinions over... over actual murderers." You spat out a bit of your blood as your quirk was still activated.
"There are people you could have saved that the frauds failed to do, but instead you go after a bunch of stupid kids who wear their hearts on their sleeves, one of which had his older brother sent to the damn hospital because of you." Your voice cracked as you grew both fearful and angry each second.
This man was going to kill you, you realized. He was going to kill you, and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Everyone else was paralyzed including you.
Oh god.
You were going to die.
You never even got to save anyone and become a hero.
Fresh blood and tears trailed down your cheeks more and more, staining your (h/c) hair.
The man still stared down at you with no emotions on his face. His smile was long gone, replaced with a slight frown.
Just then, a flash of green knocked the man away from you, which caused one of the blades to leave a shallow cut into your neck.
You couldn't move your head, only your eyes and mouth, but you knew who it was.
The greenette held up against the man while the rest of you laid there paralyzed.
Soon, the ingenium kid, Iida, got back control over his body and joined the battle.
You were paralyzed both physically and mentally.
You almost died. You were about to be decapitated.
You were still in danger, after all, he isn't in cuffs yet.
But you were staring your death in the eyes.
In all of your 16 years of life, you had never been faced with something as severe as your own death.
You seen death before, you do visit the hospital and you have gotten to meet patients with terminal Illnesses.
But never have you battled your own death.
Is this what helplessness is like?
You didn't like it.
Not one bit...
You stayed laying there until someone came to pick you up.
"...No..." you croaked out, not realizing that it was the ingenium kid.
"(L/n)-san, I'm here to help." Iida said while giving you up into a piggyback ride.
"...Stain." You said, growing weaker as your quirk slowly deactivated itself.
"We took care of him..."
You could have sworn you saw tears collect in the kid's eyes.
"You all did..."
You couldn't hold onto consciousness any longer and slipped into darkness.
You woke up to the smells and sounds of a hospital, finding odd comfort in the familiar environment.
A formal voice was talking in the background followed by a woof. You didn't open your eyes but instead listened to what he was saying.
It took you a couple minutes to realize that he was talking about the legality that was the battle against Stain. A whole bunch of junk about how todoroki, Iida, and the greenette brat should be punished for initiating a fight against the villain.
"...they're the only one who was given permission by a pro hero to help keep you out of trouble and did what they were told."
It was obvious he was referring to you.
After chewing them out more in a professional way, the mutt finally told them that they have an option to pretend it was Endeavour who took out the hero killer and avoid punishment.
Although reluctant, they were forced to agree.
The police chief muttered his thanks to the kids and then left.
"...is he gone yet?" You said out loud, wincing at your dry throat and the scratchiness in your voice.
Your eyes were closed the entire time, so you didn't see the dog-headed man leave.
You heard a bit of gasping near you and some shuffling.
"You're awake!"
That annoying voice. That damn annoying voice you hate so much is talking to you.
There was a moment of silence, which made the three boys believe they were just hearing things before you spoke.
"...I believe I should give credit where credit is due..."
While you refused to open your eyes while saying this, you could still hear everything around you.
"You saved my life... Deku... and I... appreciate this second chance at life and shall cherish it..."
You could feel the shock radiating off the greenette. Tch. So obvious.
"...but don't think that for a second that I'll be picking daisies with you. I still fucking hate your guts." You said.
"Eh? How is that being appreciative???" Iida asked in a bewildered tone.
You didn't answer, which made the blue haired gentleman start making chopping motions with his broken arm before yelping when it let out a crack and pop.
"Iida!"
~~~~~~
Old habits die hard, aye? Iida couldn't help but try to scold Mc, which didn't work out for him since he just made his arm worse.
Looks like Mc is slowly gonna respect Izuku... until they find out about All Might being their secret dad.
And when they learn that Midoriya knew before them.
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do you think the red wedding outcome would happen in a universe where domeric bolton lived & fought in the WOTFK? would he have remained loyal to the starks, or have been included in roose's plans?
This is an interesting ask, but unfortunately also one with a lot of unknown variables... I will divide this long reply into chapters:
Characterization of Domeric
We only know little about Domeric’s personality. We know that he was a “quiet boy”, very talented with a diverse array of hobbies. We also know that he was friends with Lord Redfort’s sons, implying that his quiet personality doesn’t translate to him being a loner and that he has a social streak to him - he also later wants a brother by his side, so it seems he was lonely in the Dreadfort and craved company.
In the Vale, Domeric had enjoyed the company of Redfort's sons. He wanted a brother by his side, so he rode up the Weeping Water to seek my bastard out.
We know nothing about Domeric’s feelings about the Starks. He was born and raised a Bolton, who historically do not have the best relationship with the Starks; despite Boltons bending the knee to House Stark, we do not have a recorded marriage between the two houses. However, Domeric spent 4 years as Lady Dustin’s page and 3 years at the Redfort, opening up the possibility that his values might not have been entirely influenced by Roose (similar to how Ned got an education in honorable values through Jon Arryn). Barbrey is known to despise the Starks, but was also Brandon’s lover and is shown in aDwD to still have fondness for him, so it is unsure which values she might have imparted on Domeric.
Domeric is said to have been a good jouster, and enjoyed the company of his friends. He might have liked being part of Robb’s honor guard, which has at least several characters that seem to be around his age (i got the impression it’s all young people, like a squad for Robb).
While we never hear about Domeric being cruel or unlikable, we also have to take into account that most of his descriptions come from his own father talking about him, who has reason to concentrate on the positive aspects. Barbrey seems to have loved him, but she is also his aunt, and since her positon as Lady of Barrowton forces her into being an eternal widow, she might have seen Domeric as a son of sorts, so she would have been biased. We also know he was good friends with the Redforts, so he probably does have charme to his personality and does not present himself in an unlikable way. However I do not think this necessarily has to translate into him being a good person or a “cinnamon roll”; there’s plenty of characters in the books that are well liked and charming but still commit war crimes and other cruelties.
Relationship to Roose
Roose never makes a direct statement about his relationship to Domeric. We know he took care to give him a good education (music, histories, and fighting are mentioned), and he sent him to House Dustin and House Redfort to be fostered which is a great opportunity for a young Lordling to forge connections.
I believe Roose expresses fondness for Domeric in the way he talks about him; He mentions him and then launches into a long reminiscence without much of a reason (thought granted that is pretty much the theme of that chapter), he proudly mentions all his talents and how gifted he was, and seems to talk with a certain sadness/bitterness:
Now his bones lie beneath the Dreadfort with the bones of his brothers, who died still in the cradle, and I am left with Ramsay.
Horses … the boy was mad for horses, Lady Dustin will tell you. Not even Lord Rickard's daughter could outrace him, and that one was half a horse herself.
Unfortunately that doesn’t necessarily need to translate back into Domeric being fond of his father - We can compare this to Roose’ relationship to Barbrey, where he seems to put trust and effort into her (”How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known? Only Lady Barbrey“ | “[Roose] takes care to keep me sweet”), while she on the other hand talks in a very disillusioned way about him (”Roose has no feelings, you see.”). We do know Roose appears to be the only Bolton (besides Ramsay), so the lonely Domeric might feel attachment to him in that aspect. Roose is generally liked by few characters, and often appears cold and unfeeling. He is deeply flawed, has a mean aspect to his character (like his mean sense of humour), is mocked for his strange health habits, and seems to talk a lot and think hes very smart and witty. On the other hand he is also somewhat tolerant/laissez-faire (”Your amusements are your own, I will not chide you on that count”), he seems to have provided Domeric with everything he could want and supported all his hobbies, and judging by how Walda seems to like and trust him (”Lady Walda gave a shriek and clutched at her lord husband's arm.”), and he also doesn’t agree with Ramsay’s treatment of Jeyne ("Roose is not pleased. Tell your bastard that."), we can assume that Roose does not treat his family members in a cruel way. It is also worth mentioning that his cold and unfeeling attitude seems to be at least partially motivated by him trying to hide his intentions in fear of them being used against him (in line with his other cautious behaviour), so it might very well be that he is warmer towards people he trusts (Note that we only ever observe him from the PoV of people he is not close to). So while there is a lot to dislike and be annoyed by about Roose, he also has qualities that Domeric might have liked.
It is interesting to analyze the scenes with Roose and Ramsay for how he might have interacted with Domeric. We know Roose loves to educate Ramsay on how to be a good Lord and impart his wisdom to him, and that he also frequently enrages Ramsay with the tone he uses. The quote “I forbade it, but Domeric was a man grown and thought that he knew better than his father.” suggests to me that he might have butted heads with Domeric in a similar way, giving him advice that Domeric doesn’t always listen to. Since Domeric openly disobeyed Roose, it appears he was not scared of his father, and that he had a proud/stubborn aspect to him.
It is of course also important to note the differences: Ramsay is of a lowerclass background (Roose has been shown to be classist - “His blood is tainted, that cannot be denied.”); He has a cruel und unwise personality that might frustrate Roose and make him resort to using a meaner tone with Ramsay; and we know Roose on occasion talks negatively about Ramsay when he is not there (”Ramsay's nature was sly, greedy, and cruel. I count myself well rid of him.“), though he has also talked positively about him in related scenes (”Yet he is a good fighter, as cunning as he is fearless.”). While he talks in a condescending tone to Ramsay and even insults him, he might have had more of a respectful tone to his competent, trueborn son.
Domeric and the Red Wedding
I think in any case, Roose would have tried to take care to keep Domeric out of any great danger. Domeric would have surely argued with him on many points (”Domeric was a man grown and thought that he knew better than his father“), and since he seems to have had martial prowess he would have probably insisted on participating in battle. If Roose had tried to participate in the Red Wedding without Domeric’s knowledge, Domeric would have probably been a nuisance; he appears to be highly intelligent, he has no fear of speaking out against his father if he doesn’t agree with an idea, and he doesnt seem to blindly comply with his fathers wishes if he doesn’t see a reason to. Roose would likely not have let him near a situation as dangerous as the Red Wedding especially if Domeric doesn’t know about the plan, but it might have been hard to get him out of the way without a good reason.
If Domeric knew about the Red Wedding, he would be a good asset, since he’d likely have a position close to Robb (as i mentioned the guard seems like something he’d participate in). However even in this case I think Roose would have tried to keep him out of the Wedding itself, as not to put his sole heir in danger.
However, another problem is that not only does Roose never state his precise list of reasons for the red wedding (making it a point of debate to discern what exactly changes if you change the course of events), according to grrm he also wasn’t even completely set in his tracks to go through with the Red Wedding until pretty much the last minute:
As for Bolton, if you reread all his sections carefully, I think you will see a picture of a man keeping all his options open as long as he could... sniffing the wind, covering his tracks, ready to jump either way... even as late as his supper with Jaime at Harrenhal... - SSM 8/3/2000
Domeric’s presence could influence so many plot points it is hard to say if Roose would have even come to the point of getting the Red Wedding in motion.
Would Domeric even go to war with Roose or would he stay behind as Castellan of the Dreadfort like Ramsay did? Is Ramsay even still there/does he still have a position of power or role in the story? If Ramsay isn’t there do Bran and Rickon even flee and get presumed dead? If Bran and Rickon are still alive does Cat still free Jaime and commit an unpopular political decision? Does Winterfell still burn? It doesn’t seem likely that Roose instructed Ramsay in the minutiae of what happens in Winterfell considering Ramsay is presumed dead before he even enters it; So would Domeric in charge of the Dreadfort have instead opted to liberate Winterfell if someone reached out to him? Note that the disaster at Winterfell seems to be one of the main reasons that Roose considered the Red Wedding:
"I [serve] the King in the North. Or the King Who Lost the North, as some now call him.“ - aSoS, dinner with Jaime
"What … what do you owe me, m'lord?" - "The north. The Starks were done and doomed the night that you took Winterfell." He waved a pale hand, dismissive. "All this is only squabbling over spoils." - aDwD, dialogue with Theon
Also with a trueborn and gifted adult heir, would Roose even have considered marrying a Frey maiden? Would Domeric have wed one instead, or would Roose prefer a better alliance for him? Would Roose marrying a Frey count that much for an alliance if the Frey child wouldn’t even inherit the Dreadfort?
Conclusion
As you see there are many questions and What-Ifs, and probably even more that i didn’t mention considering how much of a butterfly effect all of asoiaf is. So i don’t think there is any “canon answer” to what would have happened; it all hinges on how you interpret Domeric’s personality, his relationship to his father, what changes to the plot his presence might have brought, and how you think Roose might have reacted to them.
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How Fast Can Life Change
Summary: You're a spy working at MI6, O is the only person who you can actually stand, then he decides to leave. Now someone has mentioned the Doctor and you're curiosity is piqued.
Walking through the foyer at work, once long ago you would have been looking at the amazing architecture and building around however after a while it just got boring. You would always be able to tell the new people from the way they looked around in wonder, sometimes you just wished you could have that feeling again. However after years working at MI6 nothing could surprise you anymore. These days you didn’t even get to go out and have any excitement anymore all you seemed to do was paper work and have boring jobs. It probably had something to do with the fact you didn't have the best work relationship with the Minister of Chance, also known as C, but that is a story for another time.
Heading up to your desk you can see everyone in the same routine as always, the same people making the coffee, the same people flirting, honestly when you first started at MI6 you didn't think you would be able to get bored of routine. When you had just started you had been sent all over the world and the excitement was worth the paperwork but now all the paperwork just didn't seem worth it anymore, you were rarely sent on missions anymore.
No one else seemed to have the same issues as you most people said they enjoyed knowing what they would be doing tomorrow, knowing that they didn't have to worry about being killed tomorrow, there was only one person at MI6 who seemed to understand you and that was O.
He didn’t get sent on missions any more either and he had also fallen out with C. When you first met O you enjoyed his company, he would come over and make jokes about the people in the office.
You could remember some of his jokes he’d made whenever you would have a bad day.
“I am friends with 25 letters of the alphabet. I don’t know Y.”
He really was full of these awful jokes and if he could make one about a specific person it just made the jokes all the better, after all if everyone’s nickname is a letter it would just be a wasted opportunity.
That's when the pair of you had become, well friends is the wrong word as no one at MI6 were friends and they would all stab you in the back at the first sign of trouble, but as close to friends as you got at MI6. He would make you a hot drink first thing in the morning, you’d make him one later on. Sometimes you would speak to each other when you needed to bounce an idea, he would sometimes talk to you about some of his scientific experiments and although you had a limited knowledge of science apparently you somehow helped. Although you suspected that it wasn't because you had any great ideas or any ideas at all, due to the fact that he had to explain it out loud and that helped him. And in return he could somehow help you to make sense of something you had been staring at for hours.
However it could be due to the fact that you were the only person who believes that his work about aliens and the Doctor was important. If he ever mentioned anything about aliens or the Doctor to anyone they would always comment that ‘that’s not what we do. Leave that to UNIT or Torchwood.’ Hence the reason most of the other agents had taken to calling him ‘X-files’, for his belief in aliens. Even though, it didn’t matter to them when you would point out that neither of those organisations were still around. Although to be honest, you had often wondered how they could not think it was important, did none of them remember the cybermen and the daleks or Christmas day, 2005, 2006 and 2007 etc (you get the idea).
O smiled as you came and sat down at your desk, you noted your tea was already on your desk. You smiled back and nodded a thanks. He went through to the lab down stairs, while you made a start at another pile of paperwork that was on your desk, with a groan you organised the pile of paperwork and made a start.
About an hour later you noticed a lot of people were talking and whispering but you had no idea what had happened. You stood and headed towards the commotion when someone grabbed your elbow you turned to see O.
“What's going on?” You asked although you didn't know if he would know or not.
“It’s T and U, they found them at the bottom of the stairwell, they’re saying they fell, although you know this lot, they probably think someone killed them.” O informed you as he led you to walk the other way.
“So they’re dead.” You stated the obvious until another thought dawned on you “ Oh, shit, that means C is gonna give me all of their work to do as well.”
O huffed a laugh, “You got your priorities straight.”
The pair of you looked up when C walked through the room and announced, “Oh get over it, you’ve all seen dead bodies before. Now get on with your work, we’re already going to be behind being a couple of people down, let's not get any more behind than necessary.” He walked back out the room through another door that led to the staircase.
“Well he’s got his priorities straight.” You comment back to O, who then laughs causing you to laugh.
You noticed a couple of people giving the pair of you dirty looks.
“The alphabet is terrifying…” O said quietly so only you could hear, you turned around to face him and so that no one else would be able to see your face when he finished his joke. “A bee sea, sounds bloody terrifying.” You smiled at him trying to keep your slight laugh silent. O knew you had a habit of laughing at the worst possible moments and he seemed to enjoy exploiting that fact.
You headed back over to your desk as O left to go back to the lab. You tried not to think about the fact two of your co-workers were now dead, although even if you had to admit you wouldn't miss either of them they had never been exactly nice.
Later on in the day everything seemed to be back to normal, as if nothing had happened this morning. You decided you needed a break from your desk and computer as a headache was beginning to set in. You headed over to the small kitchen and made yourself a drink and made one for O. You headed to the lab to find he was the only one there which wasn’t unusual, before you had a chance to worry about knocking on the door he had seen you smiled and ran over to open the door.
“What did the caffeine addict name his cats?” You asked as you handed him the mug, he took the mug from your hands and held it close to his face as he inhaled the smell. “Cream and Sugar.”
He groans at that “That was awful, dreadful in fact, I hope you didn't work hard on that.” He smiled at you and took a sip, “Although the coffee is good, so I’ll let you off.”
You smiled back he let you in the lab, he shouldn't really but he always did, it was like he could sense that you needed a break from everyone upstairs or you might just kill them. If anyone could kill someone it might as well be a trained MI6 operative.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet I’d move U.” He did this where he would randomly start one of his jokes, you look at him as if to continue. “Cuz U are blocking the TV.”
You let out a laugh at that one it could be because there is no one here to judge you. “I shouldn't be laughing at that, after what happened today. Do you actually do anything down here or do you just think of these?”
“Both.” You shared another smirk as you both drink your drinks.
O suddenly turns serious. “Do you still hate it here?” You just look at him and sigh, apparently that was all the answer he needed to continue. “I do, well not so much the job as a whole but the people here.” You mock glare at him. “Well excluding yourself of course, you make a half decent coffee.”
“Thanks.”
“No what I mean is, this job is not what it used to be and since me and C aren’t exactly getting along I’ve decided that I’m going to leave.”
“Oh.” Was all you could say to that, you looked down, O was the only decent thing about working here but now he was leaving, everything just seemed to be more gloomy. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to the outback, I’m gonna continue with my research on the Doctor and all that other stuff.”
“When are you leaving?” You asked not really sure what to say in this situation.
“Today, no point delaying the inevitable. I promise I’ll text.” You smile at his words and nod. “Besides it's not like I’m needed here, no one even looks at anything I do. ”
“I’ll still send you anything remotely alien and anything to do with the Doctor, you know.” You offer.
“I know, but maybe not for a while. I think C is looking a little deeper at a few of us, including you and I. All the people he doesn't really like and I think he’s trying to get rid of us, so don’t you dare go, make his life miserable, you're better than me.” You have to smile at that.
“You don’t think I’ll be found at the bottom of a stairwell do you?”
“The two who died were some of his favourite, or at least his most loyal pets. I don’t think he had anything to do with them.” O replied.
You finish your drinks in silence, you take his mug from him to wash it up.
“I guess this is goodbye, then.” You mutter quietly.
“Yeah, I guess it is. But we’ll stay in touch.” You simply nod at this.
It's only once you get to the door and are about to leave that you say “Bye O, good luck.”
“You too.” Was all he said in return, but then you supposed he wasn't one for goodbyes.
-------------------------
A month or two later, you hear someone mention the Doctor, of course you have to learn more and also if it annoys C all the better.
O had talked about the Doctor often and when he had the chance to work with the man once before, you swear you could see him vibrating with excitement.
You are a trained spy, so eavesdropping was something you were pretty amazing at.
So when you saw C and a group walking down the corridor, you took your chance, you hid and listened.
“Over the past week, there's been a spate of attacks on intelligence officers worldwide, of every nationality. None of these attacks has been ordered by rival intelligence agencies.” You could hear C say, obviously everyone at MI6 was aware of this fact and was taking as many extra precautions as they possibly could. You had made a point of making sure O was aware of the fact so he could keep himself safe.
A woman with blonde hair answered him, “At least that's what you're all telling each other.” In total fairness you had made a similar point the other day and C shot your idea down in seconds, he really didn't like you.
The group now turned down another corridor and while you could still hear them, you knew a better place to hide if you wanted to hear anything from inside the office.
After a few minutes in your hiding place, between a wall and filing cabinets, you heard the group enter as the woman you heard before was talking, you decided it would be a good idea to get your phone out and record what was being said, so you could send it to O, this sort of thing was right up his alley.
“There's nothing of her to live. It's like she's been erased. This is beyond any human technology.”
C sighed, “Ah. I was rather worried you were going to say that. Doctor, the security of this entire planet is at stake. Can we rely upon you?”
No one from the group spoke and you wondered what that meant.
You listened as he introduced all the new tech that no one had been allowed to see. You could also hear how incompetent these people were going to be, it’s really annoying isn’t it when you spend years training for this sort of thing only for the job to go to a load of novices.
You listened to the conversation but sort of zoned out listening for important information, you already knew all that information about Barton since you were the one who did the research.
When you heard the woman talking, you presumed at this point she must be the Doctor, she seemed the most competent out of the group.
“We're going to need your best man on this. What do you call him? Horizon-watcher?” Now that caught your attention, that was obviously O, which was then confirmed by C.
“Ah, well, he er... He left. I... sacked him.” C sounded so insecure at that moment and you were loving it. You couldn’t wait to send all of this to O. Although O wasn’t sacked he left by choice.
“ The only person with an open mind about all this and you let him go?” The Doctor said with some annoyance.
“MI6 has never countenanced the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The country has other organisations that deal with all that. UNIT. Even Torchwood.” Honestly, right now you were wondering how C was still in charge, he was beyond useless, he was more useless than a paper umbrella.
“They're all gone. Oh, C! You took your eye off the horizon just as things were coming over it.” It seemed that the Doctor agreed with you on that point. “Don't worry. I'll call him.”
“You can't. He's off-grid. We can't find him anywhere. Believe me, we've tried.” Well that can’t be true because you have still been in contact with each other.
The Doctor turned to C, “Shh. I'm WhatsApping. Hi. It's me. I'm at MI6 with C. Crisis. Big crisis. Serious crisis. Big, serious crisis. And C says you were right and he's sorry for being an idiot.” The Doctor just told C to shh, oh you think you might just be able to get along with this woman.
“ I did not use those words!” Shouted, to make sure he was heard over the phone.
“Send us your location. Kisses. It's quite French, that, isn't it? Kisses?” Actually maybe you might not get along with this woman that well, honestly ‘kisses’, really!
Then you hear C going on about Barton, about how he used to work at MI6 and then went rouge, well of course you were aware of that, you had been on a mission with him, a very long time ago now and you knew that O had gone on a couple of missions with him, before C fell out with all the competent agents. It really was no wonder that Barton decided to leave, with the attitude C had, you had considered leaving and O already had.
You're pulled from your thoughts when you hear a bang and then glass shatter. You popped your head from behind the filing cabinet and could see C clutching his neck and him hitting the desk, obviously dead.
You keep hidden in case this is an attack or one of those creatures that everyone is talking about tries to attack.
The Doctor shouts for everyone to get down, obviously taking charge of the situation. They all listen to her and do as she says instantly, which you find rather bizarre, but then you suppose that these people aren’t in your line of work and therefore don’t have the worries about who you can and can’t trust. Although you have to say you are rather impressed by both of the men, since they grab the cases with the new spy tech and are using them as shields.
“Go! Get to the Tardis!” The Doctor shouts at them as they all scramble out the room to get to safety, O had mentioned the Tardis to you, many times.
Even though you stay hidden, you can clearly see the two glowing creatures which have been talked about so much over the last week or so. You felt sure they knew you were there, they seemed to be getting closer and then once they were within arms length they simply disappeared as if they had never been there. You tried to shake off the fear and the adrenaline which now coursed through your body. You were about to move from your hiding place, but decided since you weren't sure that those creatures weren’t hiding and waiting to attack, to send the video of all that had just happened to O.
You then headed out and with one last glance to C’s body headed down the hall, you kept looking behind you for a while, looking for those creatures or to see if you would be blamed for the death of C. No-one mentioned it for ages, you started to wonder if anyone had found the body, but there was no way you were going to incriminate yourself. You clock watched for the next hour, waiting to see if you would be able to go home, at a reasonable time. This week you had stayed and worked a stupid amount of hour and had a ridiculous lack of sleep, with all the disappearances. You were just about to leave, when you checked your phone and saw that O had messaged you.
‘Go home and stay there.’
Was that all? You sent him a video of C admitting he was wrong, a creature appearing, C getting killed and the Doctor all in one short-ish video and all he replied was 5 words.
Although in fairness you did have to suppose that he was probably busy working with the Doctor.
You replied ‘Heading home now, if the Doctor has managed to find you, good luck. Stay safe.’
You walked home as fast as you could without looking suspicious, although you did keep looking behind you and down every dark alleyway convinced that something was going to jump out and get you. You felt the distinct feeling of being watched and followed, but you didn’t see anyone. Although normally you would cut through one alley to get home, but this week you hadn’t, you debated whether or not to take the cut through, it would cut your journey down by almost 10 minutes. Normally it wouldn’t bother you but the message you had received from O worried you, and with all the disappearances, you decided it was better to take a bit longer.
You looked one last time down the alley, but while your head was turned you heard a noise behind you. Your heart stopped and at the same time raced. You slowly turned your head to the source of the sound.
What you saw made your heart just stop. It was O, although something about him seemed different, he was wearing a purple ensemble and it really suited him, but he also had a beard. He looked good, really good.
He was just staring at you, with a dark look in his eyes that you had never seen aimed at you before. You had seen it when he thought you weren’t looking, but it had never been aimed at you. His stare was getting too intense for your liking, “You almost gave me a heart attack. After everything that's happened recently surely you know not to scare someone like that?” He didn’t reply, he simply continued to stare at you, and now you were feeling unnerved.
You went a bit closer, but careful not to touch him, O never reacted well to touch.
He suddenly snapped out of whatever trance he was in, but continued to look at you, but it was almost like he was looking through you. You held out your hand so he could see what you were doing, “Do you want to come back to mine, or go and get a drink or something?” He didn’t look right and now you were really starting to worry.
He looked right into your eyes as he said “You should be at home by now.”
“Couldn’t get out of work any earlier.” You offered, trying to explain why you were still standing in the street. His eyes followed you and you decided to head home, you turned around and he stepped closer to you, so you decided to head home, taking the alley. Since you were not alone anymore it didn’t seem so bad to take the alley.
He didn’t talk the whole way, when you opened the door you let him go in first, while he made himself comfortable on your sofa you went into the kitchen to make a drink for the pair of you. You had so many questions flying round your head but didn’t know how to ask him, this was not the O you thought you knew.
You went back through to find him sitting on your sofa looking around the room, you held out the coffee for him to take and he did with a grateful smile.
“Why are you here?” You couldn't help but ask.
“You’re the one who invited me in.” He replied with a cheeky smile that you had seen before but something had changed, something about him was different.
You can’t help but smile, he seems more himself now, “You know what I mean, I thought you were going to the Outback, what about the Doctor she …” You stop yourself from carrying on when you see his reaction when you said that, you realised something must have happened. Although you wanted to know and ask, but you knew better than to ask, O was always a private person. You decided that this conversation was dead, “Do you want something to eat?” You try to subtly gauge his reaction, “I mean I’m not much of a cook, but I can order something in, your choice.”
“Don’t mind.” He was obviously deep in thought.
“Why is it I can bake, but not cook?” You ask yourself as you walk around the living room of your apartment. It was small, so it wasn't a far walk, you had a pile of take-away menus that had been posted through your door and you had kept them. You went back over to the sofa and put the pile of leaflets in front of O.
When you looked up he seemed to have snapped himself back out of his thoughts, ‘what ever happened with the Doctor must have really shaken him up’ you thought.
“I can cook but can’t bake, cooking doesn't require precision, when cooking you can just throw anything in.” He said as he went through all the menus. He suddenly threw the menus down again. “I need your help!” was all he said.
Obviously he had your attention but your brain snapped into action with what he just said, after all in MI6 people very rarely asked for help. “What do you need?”
“We need to stop the Doctor. Are you coming?” He asked, he was now standing by your front door, he pushed it open and gestured for you to go through, while questioning you.
“Is it going to be dangerous, do I need to bring anything with me?” You hoped he knew that you meant the gadgets you used when on missions. When he smiled at you, you knew he did understand.
“I like your thinking.” He closed the door while you headed for your bedroom, where you kept everything you might now need. You turned your head, O was standing there in your doorway not making any effort to cross into the room, he seemed to be waiting for permission to enter the room.
“You can come in if you like, do you need anything, O.” You had everything laid, for him to choose, he grabbed a few things, but you weren’t really paying attention to that as you were securing your gun.
He grabbed your wrist, “O’s gone, it’s the Master now.” You turned and looked into his eyes, and they were darker than you had ever seen them before, it was like he was a different person, and now, who knows, maybe he his.
He walked out the door and you found yourself following, you had been following him for a while when he suddenly stopped, you almost walked right into him. He turned and looked you right in the eyes and held both your shoulders as if trying to see into your mind, “Do you trust me?”
You were looking into his eyes as well, and you thought for just a second you caught a glimpse at the O you knew but it was gone in a second. “Yes.” You said barely above a whisper, the intensity of his gaze was almost too much.
“Close your eyes and hold your breath then!” You looked at him for a moment before doing as he asked, it was a bit of an odd request in the middle of a fairly busy London street. You felt the most peculiar sensation and when he squeezed your hand, you opened your eyes and found you were no longer in London but in an airbase somewhere.
“Where are we and how did we get here?” You asked, he was looking around, although you weren’t sure what for, you assumed it must be the Doctor.
“I used the teleport on the TCE.” Well he sort of answered one of your questions and you guessed that was all you were going to get, although when he saw your confused face he carried on. “Tissue Compression Eliminator.” But that was all he clarified.
He started to walk around looking around when you noticed some of the people who had been in C’s office earlier.
“You know that video I sent you before,” He looked at you blankly, “Oh, come on, I sent you a video with the Doctor and C getting killed and you’ve forgotten it, already!”
“I didn’t forget but why are you bringing this up?” He clearly wasn't amused, in fact he was snapping at you, he had never done that before.
“Well some of the people she had following her around are over there,” You pointed, the pair of you were hiding behind an air hanger, not wanting to be seen. “Do you think that they’re here with the Doctor or …” You were cut off before you could finish.
“Follow them, I’m gonna keep my eye out for the Doctor, let me know if you see her, but don’t be seen and don’t do anything unless I say otherwise.” He pushed you slightly in the direction you had pointed, you did as he asked, not used to receiving orders from him before.
You look for the trio and you suddenly hear the girl that the Doctor had brought to MI6.
“Use your shoe on the machine.” They must still have all the tech that C had given them, although when you slipped into the air hanger you could see that they obviously had no idea what they were doing.
“It doesn't make any difference.” The old man said, stating the obvious.
The girl spoke again “Cufflinks!” You watched as they obviously hadn't realised that there were lasers going everywhere, meaning they should try a different tactic.
You suddenly heard a voice you recognised and smiled, it was O. No, not O, the Master. It really was going to take some getting used to a new name. “Move away. Now! I've just had the most infuriating seventy seven years of my life. Have you any idea how hard it is to live through the 20th century? The places I've escaped from. Still... just in time to watch you all pay.” Although his words confused you, now was not the time to ask any of the questions spinning round your head.
“What's the machine?” The younger man asked.
“Conversion and transmission. We're transmitting Kasaavin energy around the world all at once into every device, hitting every human being and erasing all their DNA simultaneously.” The Master answered, although you may have understood some of those words, you understood very little of the answer as a whole.
Suddenly there is a light coming out of a screen and it seems to be taking over the girl, she states the obvious, again. “I can't let go of it.”
“ First her. Then you. Then you.” The Master pointed at them all individually, you had no idea how he had any control over what was happening, but then he was a genius and you know what happens to genius’ who never have their potential realised, they go bad. “Don't do this.” You suddenly hear the Master say, you move, just to see what's happening now, that's when you notice that the statue of the silver lady has stopped spinning. You have no idea what this means. How could you help?
That's when you see the Doctor again, followed by two women dressed from different time periods. Of course, O had told you she could travel in time but you seeing this was just proving everything O had ever said.
“Sorry. I think that might have been me. And I'll admit, it was close.” She didn't sound sorry, she sounded smug, never a good thing in your opinion, especially in your line of work. Normally if someone sounded smug, it meant a near death experience.
“No.” Screamed the master, he sounded like he was ready to kill, and in fairness after having only seen the Doctor twice while hiding, you felt the same.
“Two can play at embedding things in history. I knew the Silver Lady was important, and that you built it for a reason, but I couldn't work out why. So I traced its movements through history. And when I saw that Barton now owned it, we stopped by his office. Middle of last year, using your Tardis, I built a fail-safe into that machine. Planted a virus. If it ever detected the massing of a Kasaavin army within its systems - total shutdown.” The Doctor sounded smug again, now you couldn’t see her face right now but you could just imagine it taunting the Master. O had told you so many stories of the Doctor, how she liked to play the hero, but always at the cost of others. You could now see what he meant.
Suddenly there was a lot of light in the hanger and you worried for a second that you had been found, but you realised it must be the creatures that you had seen in C’s office, although this time there were loads of them.
“You're going to have to explain yourself to them, Doctor.” The Master didn’t sound as confident as he had earlier and that both annoyed and worried you. How dare the Doctor do this to the Master.
“Am I? Listen, you lot, I've rigged the Silver Lady to exile you back to your own dimension. This planet's off-limits. Oh, and you know that deal he made with you?” You could hear the Doctor, but you couldn't hear the device that was playing back a recording. “That's the trouble with modern technology. You never know when you're being spied upon.”
“ Don't... don't listen to her.” You could hear the uncertainty in the Masters voice but you better than to just jump out on instinct. You looked and could see that he was now being surrounded by those creatures. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and he was gone.
You could see that the Doctor was talking to her entourage, and then she suddenly ran off with the two women in period costume. You move to stay hidden, and it's a good job because just a few moments later the Doctor is back but she is at the other door, the one near you. Then she and the entourage leave, not giving a second thought to the Master.
You sat there for a minute trying to work out what to do. How could you get him back? How could you make the Doctor pay?
You headed over to the statue once you were sure you wouldn't be caught, when you went near it, you could see a very small button, anyone else probably wouldn’t have seen it, but you were using all your spy skills and training, you pressed the button and the lady started to spin, very slowly. You kept checking no one was going to come, you could just picture the Doctor walking in and finding you. You noticed a buzzing in your pocket, and there was something glowing in your pocket. You had never seen it before, so you imagined that the master must have put it there. You inspected the small device, you could see a button on it and so you pressed it.
Next thing you're aware of is another flash of light, you try to cover your eyes, but the light is too bright, as suddenly as it came the light was gone, you felt someone grab wrist, you were ready to fight, except when you moved your arm you could see it was the Master. You had never felt so relieved, and you had nearly been killed multiple times in your line of work.
“I don’t say this often, but you did good.” That really was the best thing you had heard all day. You smiled, honestly seeing him standing in front of you again was the best thing ever. “Close your eyes and hold your breath.” You smiled, this time at least you knew what to expect, when you open eyes again your back in your flat.
“Fancy something to drink?” You smile already heading to the kitchen, you decide that this is not the time for tea, so you grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. The Master looks up when you walk in and smiles. He pours the two glasses of wine.
The two of you sit in silence for a while, taking in everything that's happened over the past few hours. “So, how are we gonna make the Doc… her pay?” You decided that saying her name right now might not be the best thing to do.
He turns to look at you, “What do you mean?”
“Well, she ruined your plans, you were right when you said that she claims to be a hero by crushing everyone around her.” You say with determination, you can feel a burning rage, just at the thought of what she’s done.
“That's not even the half of it.” The Master says, leaning back into the sofa enjoying his glass of wine.
“What do you mean?” You ask, with genuine curiosity although you're worried about what you're about to hear.
“She left me to the Nazi’s, she used my appearance against me.” He said although there was very little emotion in his voice, you could tell he was hurt. “You have no idea what I have been through.”
You couldn’t contain the horror on your face, you wanted to comfort him, but how do you comfort someone who has been through that. You were about to reach out and touch him, before remembering he didn't like to be touched. “She shouldn’t have, you didn’t deserve that, no-one deserves that.” You say with some conviction.
“It doesn’t matter now.” The Master sounded small, you would have thought he would have been angry but he wasn’t.
“Yes, it does, of course it does. We have an advantage, she doesn’t know you got away from wherever she sent you. What are we gonna do? How are we going to make her pay?”
The Master suddenly brightens up, looking at you, he leans close to your face before whispering, “I have a few ideas.”
You lifted your glass and he did the same, “Here’s to your revenge.”
“No, not my revenge, pet. Our revenge.” The pair of you smile at one another before both taking a sip.
#the master (dhawan)#The Master (Dhawan) x reader#reader insert#doctor who#spies#the doctor is kinda a dick#dhawan!master#dhawan!master x you#dhawan master x reader#dhawan!master x y/n#dhawan!master x reader
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hp next generation│characters
REMUS & TONKS
Teddy Lupin
Hufflepuff
Hair that changes often—currently a bright, electric blue; olive skin
Kind and considerate
Respectful and sweet
Humble and appreciative of Harry Potter and their family
Deeply in love with Victoire—for a lot more than her looks
Victoire tells everyone it was Teddy who fell for her first, just because he told her he loved her first, but Teddy secretly knows that it’s Victoire who fell first
Made Head Boy for his high academic achievement (including a nailed Outstanding in Defence Against the Dark Arts)
Out of all the Potter children, he is closest with Lily Potter; she used to ride his back when she was younger and make him personalised, singing birthday cards
HARRY & GINNY
James Sirius Potter
Gryffindor
Around 180 cm; classically handsome face; strong jawline; thick, dark brown, untidy hair that glints auburn in the sun and he constantly runs his hands through; irritatingly clear skin; prominent hazel eyes; cocky smirk
From first to third year, he conceitedly thinks that Allie likes him just because she said thank you to him after he told off some boys for pulling on her hair; this turns out to be false, as Allie starts going out with Dylan Thomas
The most arrogant out of his family members, his best friend and cousin Fred coming second
His nana started calling him “Jamie,” to which his friends started mocking him for
This led to James coming up with nicknames for everyone else, some sticking and some only for mocking (e.g. Allie, Freddie, Roxie—but not Dom because she’d kill them if they did)
Typically a player but knows when to settle down into a relationship—reliable and loyal if he’s really interested in you—if you’re just a one-time shag, he’s still nice to you though
A lover of Quidditch, pranks, making others laugh—he’s the class clown
Naturally smart; has a lot of potential to be great—especially in Potions and Alchemy—but starts off not diligent or focused enough
Cares for his family and friends—perhaps too much sometimes
Immature class clown turned just as funny Head Boy without wanting the latter
Gets others and himself into trouble all the time
Constantly curious—to the point where it, also constantly, gets him into trouble and detention with McGonagall
Free and confident being who he is, which Allie admires
Childish, stupid, hyper and more arrogant when drunk
After being turned by an infamous werewolf in the middle of his sixth year, he starts smoking excessively—”The more I do with my mouth, the less chance I’ll have to tell someone I’m a monstrous killer. Unless you, Allie, would like to help me instead?”—Dom, who used to be an addict in her fourth year when she hung out with Slytherin boys, persuades James to stop
When he becomes a werewolf in his sixth year, he decides to quit the Quidditch team so he won’t ruin it for anyone if he can’t play; he doesn’t tell Fred his reasoning—he can’t tell anyone he’s a werewolf or might be expelled for possible danger by certain Ministry workers—and Allie is forced to take his spot
McGonagall secretly finds James one of her favourite students, despite telling him off constantly for his pranks
Loves his dog Paddy
Bisexual or pansexual—“As long as they’re good-looking,” he says, cracking a cocky smirk.
The ultimate 21st century cool guy—really hot, intelligent and with no preference for partners’ sexuality
Very straightforward like Dominique—doesn’t know boundaries at times
Secretly kind
Super selfless
Finds it amusing that he actually likes Professor Malfoy, his new Alchemy teacher
Professor Malfoy finds it funny that he likes James too
Though predicted Outstanding in his Alchemy mock exam, James runs out halfway through the lesson to confess his feelings to Allie
“What’s with your son, Potter? He’s unbelievable.”—“Merlin, what’s he done now?”—“He ran out halfway through the lesson, finishing 75% of the exam—which is impressive enough as he should’ve been at 50%—and got 73% right! If your son doesn’t run out of the room during the real exam, I’m sure he could get an O.”
Albus Severus Potter
Slytherin
Only just taller than Roxanne
Almond-shaped, bright green eyes; neat black hair; thin-faced with knobby knees; thin and of average height
Listens to Radiohead and other Muggle bands
Angsty teen shut-the-fuck-up type
Used to be bullied for being so different from the rest of his family; girls dig the bad boy thing (though Albus isn’t bad and doesn’t act like it on purpose)
Like a sassy young Harry from Order of the Phoenix
Rolls eyes a lot
Nobody can tell what he’s thinking
Witty—self-deprecating humour
Lily Potter
Gryffindor—without a doubt
Around 162 cm with pale, white, freckled skin, vibrant brown eyes, straight, bright ginger hair; she eventually gets glasses due to her worsening eyesight—“At least I’m not as blind as you, Dad.”
Very curious and interested; cheery; talkative; honest; adventurous
Wants to have fun but is studious too—for sure not as extreme a pranker or partyer as James
Often argues with Albus as they’re both really stubborn; James can be seen laughing the background
Strong-willed and quick-witted
Admires Rose as an older sister
Ships Albus and Scorpius more than anyone
RON & HERMIONE
Rose Weasley
Gryffindor
Wavy scarlet/vermilion hair; light skin with minor freckles, as she doesn’t spend much time in the sun
Loves reading and the library
Prefers to keep to herself/be independent
Loves to point things out for others
Her fatal flaw is being too honest that she sounds condescending/rude, especially when she’s angry
Only impulsive when angry;
Never procrastinates
Extremely intelligent/book-smart
Slightly arrogant and snobby
Short-tempered and stubborn
Says she doesn’t care about appearances until Scorpius finds out about her contact lenses after hiding under her bed
Hugo Weasley
Ravenclaw
Shorter than most; boyish good looks; curly brown hair (an undercut when he was rebelling); lanky; long-sleeved shirts and jeans
Loves music—singing, acoustics, angst/soft/indie tunes
Quiet but frank when passionate or needed
Highly intelligent
Quietly opinionated
Named attractive by girls but he doesn’t care for them—only his studies and music
Doesn’t laugh; deadpan
Not very close with Potter-Weasley-Granger clan
Dislikes James for treating him like a child, being frivolous and always partying
Dislikes Dominique for being intimidatingly rude
NEVILLE & HANNAH
Alice (Allie) Longbottom
Ravenclaw
Around 158 cm; sweet-faced; doe-eyed; wavy dark-gold/caramel-blonde medium-length hair; long eyelashes; rich, doe, dark brown eyes; thick-knit cream and orange jumpers
A bad habit of hers is biting her nails
Doesn’t get drunk until of age but is said to remain nonchalant and the same after several drinks
Though she complains she hates it because it’s illegal, she secretly enjoys being the designated driver in the flying car—there’s no other way for her to fly, as she’s dreadful on a broom like her dad
Clumsy when she’s younger
Open-minded; the right amount of honesty; not rude
Tones down James and Fred by telling them if their pranks are going over the line
Considered the worst Quidditch player/broom-rider ever since her first flying lesson where she spun around the school for hours uncontrollably
One day when Fred is injured and can’t play a match, James convinces Allie to and she manages to help them win—by distracting the other scared players with her super-fast flying
A louder, sweeter, more humble version of Albus
Shy when with new people, but later—if quiet—she’s only observant
Wishes she had a large family but eventually finds that the Weasley-Potter-Granger clan are just as caring
Her mother, Hannah Abbott, the school matron, is dying—lethargic, pale, cadaverous, bony, tired hair
Her parents weren’t sure they could have a child due to Hannah being ill (having a blood curse)
When Hannah dies, Allie becomes very depressed because her family is down to just her and her dad; she feels guilty that she didn’t spend as much time with her mum as she did with her dad
Allie sees Scorpius crying in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom after his mother died too from a blood curse; this leads to a close friendship and slight jealousy from James, who at this point has just realised he loves Allie
Thinks she needs to excel at school because her dad works there—wants to impress her dad and make him proud
In her seventh year, she hears about a chance to intern at St Mungo’s; wanting to be nearer to family, she applies and gets accepted
She visits her grandparents at Christmas, which is why they sort-of remember her
Neville only hears about the internship when McGonagall talks to him about it and is heartbroken that his daughter didn’t tell him—this was because she knew he’d say no
She impulsively decides she wants to be a Healer
James and her get into an argument about this
“You don’t care about being a Healer. You just want a reason to see your grandparents, to be nearer people who care about you. What you don’t realise is that, although plenty of us aren’t related to you, we love you too.”—James
“You want to be a Healer? You’ve never talked about this ever!”—“Well some people can’t decide what they want to do when they’re five, like you or Fred!”—“I don’t know what I’m doing, Allie! Merlin...what’re you going to do if your grandparents pass away? Will you quit being a Healer? Do what you love, Allie. Don’t do what you think other people want.”
After James becomes a werewolf, she sticks by his side; she even becomes an illegal Animagus to help him—she is a hare, like Luna Lovegood’s Patronus, and finds herself somewhat unuseful as she’s so small
Lysander is her first kiss
Boys consider her pretty in the “cute” way; adults describe her as “lovely”; Fred describes her as “the type of person that calls other girls beautiful”; James describes her as “beautiful. That’s it.”
Her three current and past love interests are James, Dylan Thomas and Nicolas (a hot Beauxbatons exchange student), the first becoming her husband and the latter two ending up together
Zabini mocks this, telling Allie she “turned them gay.”
James murdered him on the Quidditch pitch the next day
GEORGE & ANGELINA
Fred Weasley
Gryffindor
187 cm; very tall; well-built; short, cropped raven hair; light freckles
Goofy like James
Needs to focus on his studies more and does in last two years of school, after failing multiple OWL exams and getting a Howler from his mum
From then on, he is given a tutor, Chloe, who is a year older than him, in Ravenclaw, pretty and half-Asian
Fred falls in love with her, though is scared she thinks of him as an immature guy and doesn’t tell her until the Christmas of his sixth year where James and Ally are invited to the Slug Club party and he’s left alone to study; On the way back from the bathroom, Chloe decides to ditch the Slug Club and stay with Fred late into the night
Loves/is passionate about Quidditch more than anything; wants to play professionally
After James is turned into a werewolf and some people become slightly scared of him and find him unreliable, Wood has no choice but to choose Fred to be Quidditch Captain
Fred knows he’s second best to James, as he always is, and
Always seen laughing with James
Always sleeps and snores in History of Magic
Infatuated with Ally for a period of time but never confesses himself
Instead, they become very, very close friends, Fred being the first person who finds out how Allie feels about James
Roxanne Weasley
Hufflepuff
Around 165 cm; long, rich dark auburn hair; flawless, freckle-less mocha skin
Admires Ally
Sickeningly sweet; polite; formal
Lies so people don’t get hurt
Introverted
Low self-esteem
Loves watching Quidditch, not playing, making her different from her mum and dad
Secretly very loud, opinionated and
Not an attention-seeker but wants to be noticed by somebody outside of her family
Dominique and her end up having a lot in common, including being constantly annoyed at Fred
Crushes on Lysander, the popular, smart guy, but ends up with Lorcan, the outcasted, artsy guy
BILL & FLEUR
Louis Weasley
“Hot Louis”
Ravenclaw
Looks more like his mother
Always relaxed
Close friends with Lysander
*To be continued*
Dominique Weasley
Gryffindor but almost a Slytherin
Tall and skinny; long, strawberry-blonde hair often kept in a pony-tail; light tan from the hours spent playing Quidditch; dark blue eyes that flicker with every sarcastic thought
Somewhat jealous of her older sister Victoire but doesn’t hold too much resentment towards her
The best female beater on the Slytherin team in years; she only tries out for the team after a year of being a hilarious, swearing, honest Quidditch commentator
Admittedly a hypocrite
The badass, devil-may-care type
Extra asf
Finds Herbology boring, despite everyone loving Herbology because of Professor Longbottom
Gets kicked out of Beauxbatons for using magic inappropriately after her mum sends her there to discipline her
Rough relationship with her mum
She is surprised to learn that her dad dressed as a bad boy during school, as he now worships grades and do-gooder ideals
Victoire Weasley
Gryffindor
Beautiful; tall and willowy, like a model; sapphire-blue eyes; long, pale-blonde hair (that she cuts shorter later to be “taken seriously by Aurors”); forever clear, pale skin (apart from the light freckling on her cheeks and nose)
Sweet; caring
Made Head Girl
Curious, but not rebellious, cunning, stealthy or adventurous like her sister
Graceful but not stealthy
Plays it safe, but not compliant
Deeply in love with the kind, sweet, yet misunderstood Teddy—a boy whom she helps recover from depression by showering him with friendship and love
PERCY & AUDREY
Molly Weasley
Ravenclaw
Wavy gingery-brown hair; icy, pale blue eyes; very skinny; tall; very freckled skin
Head Girl after Victoire leaves
Strict
Caring but not doting
Responsible
Easily-angered
Bickers and argues a lot with everyone
Tends to hang around her family members or teachers
Highly intelligent due to determination
Well-spoken; know-it-all
Acts like she can control everyone around her
Is disliked or not preferred by the older kids in the Potter-Weasley-Granger clan, but the young ones like her for babysitting when she’s free
Admires how Ally cares for everyone, tries to keep them out of trouble, without making them hate her
Admired by Rose
Lucy Weasley
*To be continued*
LUNA & ROLF
Lysander Scamander
Ravenclaw
Intelligent
Cool and collected
Well-known by everyone; popular
Follows in his father, Rolf’s, footsteps
Handsome; neat dirty-blond hair; “dreamy” cornflower-blue eyes
Brightest wizard of his year
The classier, more organised out of the twins
Blunt and honest but tries to hold back
Aware of his achievements
Arrogant; “Yeah, I know.”
Like a classier, quieter version of James, which Lily hates at first
Nevertheless, Lily and him end up together after the both of them consistently visit Hagrid (Lily does this because she doesn’t have many friends and hangs out with Hagrid; Lysander does this because he loves Care of Magical Creatures)
Lorcan Scamander
Ravenclaw
Quiet in speech, but loud in every other aspect
Badly-dressed—clothes the wrong size, the wrong colour, but still manages to make it looks somewhat stylish
Not-so-secretly handsome
I’ll-be-who-I-want kind of personality
Longer, messy dirty-blond hair; kind, doe silvery eyes; smiley
Loves art
Creative, confident and selfless
Great at giving advice
Called “weird” and a “hippie” by some
DRACO & ASTORIA
Scorpius Malfoy
Slytherin
White-blonde hair; pale blue-grey eyes; tall and lanky; sharp cheek bones; intimidating due to height but an actual cinnamon bun;
Easy-going
Your genuine he-who-listens-and-won’t-judge mate
Determined to make Rose like him
Persistent and passionate about things he loves
Loves Christmas with the Weasley-Potter-Granger clan more than with him and his dad alone, as being alone with his dad reminds him he doesn’t have his mum there too—which is why he always brings his dad along to the Burrow, which can be slightly awkward
Thinks of Allie as a big sister
#harry potter#next generation#harry potter next generation#james sirius potter#alice longbottom#albus potter#scorpius malfoy#teddy lupin#victoire weasley#molly weasley#lorcan scamander#lysander scamander#dominique weasley#louis weasley#fred weasley#roxanne weasley#rose weasley#hugo weasley#lily potter#james potter#draco malfoy#ginny weasley#ron weasley#hermione#astoria#scamander#lovegood family#dean thomas#neville longbottom#hannah abbott
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Honestly, I had a friend backstab me the same way Ron backstabs Harry not once but twice. I simply cannot get behind him as a character I don't see him loyal at all. He wasn't in Hufflepuff for a reason. He's loud, lazy, and only good at chess even in the books. He puts no effort into school, complains about everything, and can't even pull his head from his ass. It baffles me that people actually like him when he's got like 3 moments where he isn't a douche.
Okay, first of all, Ron didn’t ‘backstab’ Harry in GOF. He thought Harry had gone behind his back and entered the tournament without him. During the run-up to the tournament, Ron had made it clear that he wanted the two of them to enter together. To Ron, a character who is fiercely loyal, even the thought that Harry would want to hide something from him was devastating.
He also didn’t ‘backstab’ Harry in DH. He was anaemic, ill, and malnourished, as well as having a part of Mouldy-warts soul round his neck. The Horcrux played up some of Ron’s worst fears (that he was just a hanger-on, that Harry didn’t care about him, that Hermione preferred Harry to him) to try and break up the trio. Because it knew that Ron was the binding force within the group; the glue that held them together. If Ron fell, the trio would fall too, and Voldemort would never be defeated. Ron also has a sensitivity for emotional magic; being the first of the trio to realise the horcrux was sort-of alive, as well as having a hunch about the taboo on Voldemort’s name that Harry and Hermione didn’t take into consideration (heck, the only reason they didn’t say his name before they found out was because Ron kept urging them not to, resulting in Harry and Hermione developing a habit of saying ‘you-know-who’ and therefore not getting caught whilst Ron was away).
Second, the reason Ron wasn’t in Hufflepuff was because his defining trait was his bravery. Ron is fiercely loyal, yes, but he was also brave, intelligent and resourceful. He was a Gryffindor through-and-through.
Thirdly, Ron is far more than those traits you stated. Yes, he is loud, but he’s also funny, witty and quick-minded. He isn’t lazy; he’s a teenage boy who didn’t enjoy studying and wanted to spent time doing the things he loved (very much like Harry, who- need I remind you- got the exact same OWL grades as Ron except for their Defence grade. Which Ron still exceeded expectations on).
Ron is good at many things outside of chess. He was a brilliant keeper in Quidditch (despite Draco Malfoy writing an abusive song designed to mock Ron during matches), a great strategist, a sociable person able to get along with many different people, and able to stop Harry and Hermione getting lost in their own heads. And since when is being good at chess a bad thing? He beats a chess-set designed to beat adult wizards at the age of the twelve, whilst working with a handicap (making sure Harry and Hermione weren’t taken), and then sacrificing himself for his friends, showing his bravery once again. Ron is a chess-master, which also disproves the point about him being unintelligent.
Ron did take his school-work seriously. Like I said before, he passed all of his OWL excepting History of Magic (a subject taught by a teacher who bored everyone except Hermione) and Divination (again, taught by a teacher that was iffy at best). He exceeded expectations in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures, as well as passing in Astronomy. He got the EXACT same grades as Harry (who also shared his disinterest in studying) except for the subject that Harry had a special talent for (and Ron still exceeded expectations for that subject, regardless). Ron is no slouch, academic wise.
‘Complains about everything’? I guessing you mean when he was making a point about Harry not knowing what he was doing in DH. Which (as I already mentioned) was when Ron was anaemic, malnourished and under the influence of a piece of Voldemort's’ soul.
‘Can’t pull his head out of his a**’? For goodness’ sake, Ron hardly ever ignores the problems going on around him. Aside from the Lavender situation in HBP (which he delayed because he didn’t want to hurt the poor girls’ feelings), Ron was often the one trying to resolve arguments with the people around him. During the entire series, he is almost always the bigger person, apologising and trying to resolve arguments even if they weren’t his fault to begin with.
Ron NEVER gets apologised to by anyone in the series (even if the other person was the one at fault). Aside from Hermione apologising in POA about Ron’s rat, he never gets a proper apology from anyone. He, throughout all seven books, is the one who has to shred what little pride he has, give ground to other people, and resolve the situation.
‘It baffles me that people actually like him when he's got like 3 moments where he isn't a douche.’
You really think he hasso few amazing moments? You’re about to get schooled, I’m afraid. Ron has SOmany amazing moments.
Befriends Harry almostimmediately after meeting him. Tries to cheer Harry after he worries about notbeing good enough for Hogwarts. Gives Harry lots of insider-info about thewizarding world. Immediately volunteers to be Harry’s second in the duel, andgoes along with him (sneaking out after lights-out to do so). Saves Hermionefrom the mountain troll whilst in a life-threatening situation. Worries aboutHarry’s mental state after Harry starts spending a lot of time staring at theMirror of Erised. Makes sure his mum gets Harry some holiday presents, andstays at Hogwarts with Harry over the break. Is the only one to stand by Harrywhen the entirety of Gryffindor house turns against him. Literally sacrificeshimself in the giant chess game for his friends. Gets fifty points fromDumbledore for said chess game, helping Gryffindor win the house cup.
Rescues Harry from hisabusive relatives after he notices that Harry didn’t respond to Ron’s letters.Has Harry stay over at his house over the summer. Apologises when he realisesthat Harry doesn’t know about Floo Powder. Drives himself and Harry to Hogwartsin a flying car. Defends Hermione after Malfoy calls her a slur; using anon-verbal spell through a wand that didn’t even choose him. Comforts Hermioneafter she gets turned into a cat-like creature, and brings her homework. Goesto defend Ginny after Malfoy embarrasses her in public. Stands by Harry whenmost of the student body think he’s the heir of Slytherin. Is constantlylooking out for and comforting Ginny throughout the year. Goes into theforbidden forest (despite having a phobia of spiders) because it might helpthem de-petrify Hermione. Suggests that he and Harry go to see Lockhart aboutthe chamber of secrets, on the slightest possibility that Ginny might still bealive. Holds his emotions together when he and Lockhart are cut off from Harryby falling rock.
Makes up an alibi toget Harry out of trouble with Professor Snape. Immediately downplays his owngrievances with the Scabbers-Crookshanks situation after Hermione apologies soas to make her feel better. Stands up on a BROKENLEG to defend Harry against a presumed-mass-murderer, proclaiming ‘if you wantto kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us too!’
Rescues Harry from theDursleys (AGAIN). Invites Harry to the Quidditch World Cup. Tries to apologise toHarry for his behaviour (although Harry realises he doesn’t need the apology).Supports Harry 100% during the rest of the tournament. Lets Harry practicestunning spells on him repeatedly inthe run-up to the third task.
Makes it clear that heunderstands Harry’s frustrations, but that it’s not okay to take thosefrustrations out on Ron and Hermione. Won the Quidditch cupfor Gryffindor. Goes with Harry to thedepartment of mysteries. Gets incapacitated whilst defending Luna and Ginnyfrom several death-eaters (all of whom he defeated).
Won the Quidditch cup forGryffindor AGAIN. Defended Hogwartsagainst the death-eaters.
Part of the ‘sevenpotters’ plan. Took down several death-eaters whilst several-hundred-feet-up ona broom. Was worried about theCattermole family after they got away from the ministry. Got away from the snatchersafter they cornered him. Saves Harry’s life.Destroys the horcrux locket after it mentally tortured him with visions of hisown worst fears. Never blames hisleaving on the locket, even though he had every right to. Tries to fight thesnatchers and tells them to ‘get away from’ Hermione. Saves Hermione fromBellatrix Lestrange. Jumps forward when a chandelier comes down on top of her,and pulls her out of the rubble. Disapparates without splinching for the firsttime because he needed to get Hermione to safety. Stops Hermione fromstunning a giant, which could have caused half the castle to be crushed. Volunteered to go tothe shrieking shack to kill the snake in place of Harry. Remembered thehouse-elves when everyone-else had forgotten them (including Hermione). Took down FenrirGreyback with Neville.
(And these are just the ones off the top of my head...)
This is why we like Ron Weasley, anon. Because he was brave, intelligent, funny, witty, kind-hearted, and always come through for his friends.
So, yeah, I don’t agree with you on this, anon. Bye!
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I’m late with these intros but they’re all made with love. Here’s an intro for Riley Hayes-Goldstein! TRIGGERS: parental abandonment, mentions of drugs and alcohol.
MARGARET QUALLEY? No, that’s actually RILEY HAYES-GOLDSTEIN. About to begin SEVENTH YEAR, this HUFFLEPUFF student is sided with THE LIGHTNING INSURGENCY/THE NEUTRALS. SHE identifies as CIS FEMALE and is a HALFBLOOD who is known to be PESSIMISTIC, RESERVED, and SARDONIC but also WITTY, INTELLIGENT, and MORALLY RESPONSIBLE.
“In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”
LIKES & INTERESTS: Cult Classics - Movies ( Heathers, Dead Poets Society, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Cruel Intentions, The Breakfast Club, Almost Famous ), Blue raspberry Slushies, Donuts, Judaism, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, The Smiths, the color blue, writing poetry, e. e. cummings, art museums, greek mythology, rmemes, olling joints on her favorite books, biblical mythology, astronomy, astrology ( she finds it very entertaining in a mocking way and would never admit there’s a small part of her that enjoys it ), Star Wars, black cats, black cats named Boggart, black nail polish, tattoos, carnivals, comic books, ferris wheels, puns, the sea, jellyfish, NPR every morning, going to the beach at twilight, 4 am drives, 5am runs, spliff.
POSITIVE TRAITS: Observant, Cooperative, Strategic, Witty, Intelligent, Resilient, Responsible.
NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reserved, Pessimistic, Sardonic, Secretive, Curious ( it will get her into trouble ), Awkward, Suspicious.
When you meet Riley Hayes, a picturesque childhood in a picturesque suburbia is not what you would expect and yet it was exactly what she had. Born on the cusp of summer and fall, Rachel and Christopher were over the moon to have their daughter born on August 28, 1999. Finally, a child to complete the perfect family unit. Maybe they had hoped for a boy despite what science said ( hence the name Riley & a full name for a boy they had prepared ) but, they had a daughter and for the first ten years of her life they pampered her greatly. Trips to the coast every summer to visit his side of the family where Riley was praised for being such a pretty, good girl, and what seemed like infinite love from her father was doled out as long as she was what he wanted her to be. The younger girl was cooperative, it was in her nature it seemed, because she loved seeing her parents happy with each other. As long as Riley stayed within the lines, stayed within Christopher’s lines at least, everything would be well. Even when Riley started to develop a few habits and interests that were off the wall, he brushed them aside as childhood obsessions. Never could he accept his family for what they were which is exactly why he left.
The ugly truth was, Riley was an accident and the picture painted had been a lie – not that Riley knew until then. While she knew they had gotten married young she’d never known how much exactly her mother had given up to be with her father. Rachel Hayes had left her family, forsaken her religion ( as Christopher was a very religious Christian man ), the semi famous Goldstein name, and moved across the country into this suburbia all with the promise of a family. The biggest thing? Magic. When Christopher left a year before Riley entered Hogwarts school, Riley was forced to grow up and pick up the pieces of a broken lost woman who simply couldn’t find herself in the rubble that was the aftermath of her father leaving. But finding out she was an accident was the least of her worries. No matter how much poetry she wrote trying to figure out her mind, oftentimes thinking she was losing it, something within her was different, something within her felt different.
It took a few months to coax the why from her mother, and truly she was her caretaker. It wasn’t until her 11th birthday when she got the letter from Ilvermony that she realized what exactly was off. When she confronted her mother – her mother just poured everything out to her. Who Riley was, who her family was, what she was doing with her life before she met Christopher. At first, Riley couldn’t believe it – – she’d grown up hiding comics under her bed, hiding anything about the supernatural away. Even if her whole life she had felt a weird pull to these people who didn’t belong in her comics, these freaks, she never in her wildest dreams thought she was one. It all made sense though, and finally the pieces of her life started to come together. Riley knew what she had to do, so at the age of 11, she went with her mother to Wizarding NYC to try to find out more. To try to find the family her mother left behind.
After that, everything fell into place – her family was beyond accepting, even if they gave her shit, more than she’d ever knew and her mom started to get better as she become more true to herself. The family reconciled, helping Riley and Rachel move into a flat in NYC, in Chinatown. Rachel got a job at the ministry as an assistant and with the help of some family members and Riley started to prepare for school Wizarding School. She’d never been more happy in her life. New York City was her home, more than her podunk shitty town ever had, and she felt a freedom that made her wander the city, she felt a freedom to finally be herself. The only issue then? Riley wanted to go to a school far away from everything, because even if New York was her home, she needed to a break from being in the states. A break from all these people who knew who her family was & really, a place that was her own to find her own place in the world. Easily, she picked Hogwarts and was delighted when they accepted her no matter how far she was.
For years, she pushed away a lot of the pain she felt – she figured her pain was her own, it was selfish of her to dwell on it or even think about it when she had this new fantastic life. Only in her poetry would she divulge her feelings, only her poetry knew that she felt inexplicably lost in the world the more she saw it. Before Riley was to turn 14, a boy, who claimed to be her brother showed up on her doorstep. Not soon after, her father was there looking for him. Rachel and Riley didn’t know how to process this all but one thing they knew was that they couldn’t let Ellis go back to him. Go back to his horrible environment. Seeing as Ellis was of legal age – they kicked Christopher’s ass out the door and though he tried to put up a fight, they were finally a family, Ellis included, and they fought harder. It was then that Riley wanted to distance herself from her father even more, fiercely signing and writing her last name as Hayes-Goldstein or just Goldstein when she could get away with it.
The thing was, the reminder of her father, the reminder that he was out there ruining more people’s lives, that he was out there spawning more children really intensely messed with Riley’s head. Why wasn’t she good enough for him to stay? Why couldn’t they have been enough? It was stupid, but the thoughts started to consume her and the lost feeling just got bigger. Picking up vices like smoking, smoking pot, drinking beer like she was her own father after a long day of work, anything to escape the feeling that she didn’t really have a place in this world. Not one she could see. A loneliness she could not shake slept with her at night like any blanket did, every day felt like she was smothered. Every day there was a new realization that she didn’t know what the hell she wanted to do with her life, and that she didn’t really have a place in the world. When Kingsley Shacklebolt was murdered and the climate in the Wizarding World of England became a developing war zone, Riley wanted nothing to do with it but because of who she was -- because of what her religion reminded of her -- she couldn’t just stand idly by. Riley knew that even if she was Neutral, she would fight with her friends if need be, and give information to the Lightining Insurgency because it was the right thing to do.
RILEY & JUDAISM:
Judaism was once a rarely talked about religion in the Hayes house, in fact, Riley knew barely anything about the religion at all. If she had realized it was taboo instead, it would’ve been something she would’ve dipped her mind into much earlier. The Hayes family were church goers, Sundays, Easter, Christmas, that was the religious practice they followed and had been since Rachel Hayes had forgone her roots in Judaism. Once she married & became Mrs. Christopher Hayes, she lost the part of her that made her her,that connected her to her family, all because of a pregnancy that was unplanned, and a marriage that needed to happen in result of it.
Once Christopher left, Riley dug up old numbers, old things, anything she could find that would bring her mother back to herself. Here, the woman gave so much of herself to her father and Riley felt she needed to get some of her back. Anything would do, anything at all. When Riley found an old Siddur, stuffed in the back of her mother’s side of the closet, she had a pretty good idea of a way to start.
It started with looking at temples. The first month, Riley’s mom drove into Bethesda, Maryland. All the two did was walk around, taking in the city itself. Taking in the fact that there were even so many people in one place as opposed to nasty Bellbrook, Virginia where they lived. Taking in people coming back synagogue, the dress, and while it was painful at first for her mom, Rachel slowly started to explain to Riley different things, different details about Judaism. Soon, Riley and Rachel learned together and go at least once a month for Saturday evening services as well as for most High Holidays.
Riley’s favorite Jewish holiday is Yom Kippur: the day of Atonement. While she knows she had absolutely no control over being born, she does feel she has a lot to atone for. A lot to cleanse from her soul. Her poetry may be fair game – it’s raw, it’s unforgiving and it’s brutal – to herself & to others. For being what she is, for being something else other than human and purposefully standing by while others cause havoc – she feels she needs to cleanse & atone for that. It’s the day that she for once feels clean, cleansed and not like the figure from Greek mythology: Atlas.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
I once called her a Memelord Shitstain. I stand by that.
If Lana Del Rey and Weird Al’ Yankovic did a duet, that would be Riley’s vibe. LOL.
Never learned how to swim really but often dreams of water and loves water a lot.
Has four and half friends, two are NPCs, one of them being her half brother, Ellis and her childhood friend Ethan. The other two are Isa Potter and Gage Hamilton. Though, Riley is open to more friends OKAY PLS she’s just bad with them
Riley has a natural inclination towards legilimency, her first sign of magic was actually poking around someone’s mind in a grocery store and influencing them to eat a random frozen meal on accident but it’s not a developed skill in the slightest and truthfully Riley doesn’t EVER want to go into it. It’s really not developed it’s just like a fun fact.
A PLAYLIST FOR RILEY:
How Far I’ll Go ( cover ) by Alessia Cara
Miss America by Ingrid Michaelson
If I Believe You by The 1975
We Exist by Arcade Fire
Fake You Out by Twenty One Pilots
Here by Alessia Cara
Young God by Halsey
What’s Up? by 4 Non Blondes
Stay Awake by London Grammar
Change - Lana Del Rey
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something along the way
Someone’s trying to destroy Supergirl and the Super name, too. In a freak accident, all of the Superfriends have switched bodies with each other — except Kara. Now they have to get the bad guy (and switch back) before he strikes again.
ao3
chapter 1/3
Kara Danvers loves a good sunrise.
She’s well aware that sunsets are supposed to be more romantic or more beautiful or whatever, but there’s something about how the light creeps up the treetops and over buildings, up the toes of her boots and over her face, warming every inch of her— she can’t get enough of it. It has little to do with getting her powers from the sun, although she does appreciate the sentiment that’s she’s literally soaking in the strength of it as it rises. If she’s honest, it’s more about the serenity and quietness of dawn. She loves the silence right before the birds start chirping, the street lamps extinguish themselves, car horns blare, the airwaves clog with radio signals and pop hits singles of the week.
It’s the colors that she likes best of all, though. The soft pinks and oranges and yellows and blues remind her of the home she lost. Even though they have nothing on a Kryptonian moonrise, they’re as close as she can get these days. As close as she’ll ever get, probably.
Kara doesn’t make a habit of getting up early enough to watch the sun wake up the whole city, but she’ll keep herself awake an extra half an hour to see it on the days she spends the early morning hours patrolling National City. It’s special enough to her to warrant the extra morning grumpiness that she — um, everyone else — will face later for that fleeting moment of peace.
Those are the days she can fool herself into thinking that everything will be okay somehow, and that her life is pretty good.
Not that she doesn’t like her life!
She has wonderful friends and a loving family. And being a reporter makes — made — her feel like she is — ugh, was — contributing to something important. Like she’s making a difference, superhero or not. Sure, Supergirl could knock bad guys three city blocks away with a single punch and hold up a building until everyone can escape, but Kara wants to help too and now that she doesn’t have a way, she feels lost. Cliché? Yes. True? Double yes.
She feels lost but not quite as lost as when she first came to Earth, of course. Nothing will ever compare with the loneliness of being the sole survivor of an entire culture.
Maybe she’s having a quarter-life crisis or something. She hasn’t had one yet, not counting the whole coming out as Supergirl stuff. So what if she was born 50 years ago? She’s technically only 26, she’s as much a millennial as Winn and James and Alex. They all had one. Alex had, like, three. So maybe that’s what it is. She’ll have to ask Alex for her opinion later. The whole funemployment thing stopped being fun when it meant she had extra time to think about all this crap, genius-alien-brain-that-should-know-better-than-to-be-all-existential be damned.
She heaves a sigh and is ready to turn in for the night. If she gets home now, she’ll have… forty-five minutes of sleep before she’s due at the DEO. Great.
She decides that it’s a sunrise morning.
She’s sitting on the roof of her apartment watching the rays peek over the CatCo building and then L-Corp, and then—
The unmistakable sound of metal crushing against cement has her pushing off into the sky, full speed towards what can only be a car accident. She arrives to see the front end of a silver Lexus flattened against the side of an overpass. Without a moment’s hesitation, the hero rips off the roof of the car to free any people inside but instead finds a small gray device with a flashing red light. The device begins to blink more rapidly, and, oh shit, it’s a bomb. She scans the area for potential casualties and finds none, grabs the device, and launches herself and it into the sky.
When she’s above any possible flight path or where any kind of living thing might be dwelling, Kara throws it further still as the light turns solid and the device explodes.
Everything is quiet. The city is safe. Again.
For now.
---
“Supergirl! Check out this thing I did! It literally downloads—” Winn is flanking Kara with some sort of metal USB drive as she beelines to the center of the room, but she dismisses him with a quick Sorry, later! and a grimace. He heads back to his desk, grumbling and fiddling with the memory stick for a while before busying himself with security updates to the network.
“Something weird happened this morning,” Kara walks up to J’onn, arms folded across her chest.
“I heard,” J’onn says, “But I thought NCPD had it handled. Nothing extra-normal, alien or otherwise.”
Kara inhales deeply and explains, “It just didn’t feel right. It was early morning. No one was out, no one was around. Why plant a bomb if there weren’t going to be any casualties? I’m glad no one was hurt, but…”
“It doesn’t make sense.” J’onn says. “You think it was a decoy.”
“Yeah, but, for what?”
“Whoever is behind this is trying to lure you out.”
“You read my mind,” Kara jokes, and the faint pull at the corner of J’onn’s mouth is the only indication that he appreciates her jab at the limitations of his Martian abilities.
“Okay, so you’re being targeted. That makes this DEO territory.” Kara sighs as J’onn takes his leave to make some phone calls to the National City Police Department.
“I’m gonna go get some food before something else blows up,” she announces to no one in particular, arms crossed.
“Mind if I tag along?” Oh, Winn. She’d been sidetracked and completely forgot. It’s been a while since the two of them hung out one-on-one, since she and Mon-El started doing… whatever it is that they’re doing. On and off relationships are so not her thing, and she’s so stressed, and gosh, she misses her friend. She breaks into a grin.
“Let me change real quick.”
He drives them into the city, and Kara’s grateful for the sense of normalcy of not flying. Winn parks in front of Noonan’s. “Thought we’d go back to our roots,” he beams. “Also I’ve been dying for those almond bearclaws.”
Kara laughs and agrees, “Yeah, I could eat probably ten and not get sick of them.”
They chat idly in a booth, sipping their coffees and picking at the dozen pastries they bought to share. They reminisce for a while about working at CatCo together and how they met, and Kara laughs at the appropriate times but her smile doesn’t fully reach her eyes. Winn leans over the table and rests a hand on Kara’s arm. She looks him in the eye, a little surprised by the physical contact, and he asks, “Hey, Kara, are you doing okay?”
She adjusts her glasses and looks at her lap. “Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
Winn looks at her with a sheepish smile, and treads carefully. “It’s just, you seem to be, wound up? I guess. I don’t know if that’s the right word. James and I were talking—”
“Look, I know you guys do the whole vigilante thing together but talking behind my back—” the whispering makes it sound harsher than she means it, and she feels a little bad, but then Winn cuts her off.
“Kara, come on. No, listen. We’re just worried about you. Ever since you stopped, y’know, having a routine that includes stuff other than saving people all the time, you’ve been a little… touchy. We were just thinking that maybe it’s time for a friend night?” He punctuates the proposition with what Kara affectionately coined his Winning smile back when they first started to become friends. (She’d laughed at her own joke for about five minutes, and Winn knew he’d found a true friend in that moment.)
Kara inhales deeply and rubs her temples. “I’m sorry, I’m— you’re right. I am a little moody right now.” She fiddles with her hands and looks up at her friend. “I’d love that. Friend night.” They share a smile, and she continues with a wince, “Is it really that noticeable?”
“Oh, yeah. You’re like, eat-a-Snickers levels of grumpy. I’m the only one with enough guts to say anything, though.”
Kara clutches her chest in fake agony and bows her head in mock shame. “You’ve all been conspiring against me!”
Winn’s glad to have gotten a positive reaction out of her. “Only because we love you! How’s tomorrow work?”
“Yeah, that’s great.” But she sits on that for a second, and then remembers, “Oh, wait, I have plans with Lena, actually. Maybe Saturday?”
He thinks for a minute, and then surprises himself. “Or,” he suggests, “you could just invite her like a normal person? Because she’s your friend? And this is your friend night?”
Kara bites her lip in hesitation. “But she doesn’t know…”
Winn gives her a look, eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline and half a smirk, that makes her want to draw her knees to her chest and curl up into a little ball. She knows she’s being silly, but the prospect of Lena knowing that she’s Supergirl has her stomach in knots. It’s her big life secret, that she’s an alien and a superhero. She and Lena are close, but are they there yet? Once they acknowledge it out loud, it’s kind of a best-friend-for-life deal. It’s a big step. A milestone, even.
“Kara. The woman built a black body field generator, hatched a foolproof plan against her own mother to render a virus inert and save all the aliens in the city, runs a multibillion dollar corporation at the ripe old age of twentysomething, and has spent more than ten minutes with you. She knows.”
“But!” Kara’s nerves have her reaching for any kind of proof that maybe Lena doesn’t know, but she comes up with exactly nothing.
“She knows. Don’t insult her intelligence, I’ll tell her you think she’s not as smart as you,” he teases. He wouldn’t really, for reasons including he’s kind of afraid of Lena, but it’s fun to see Kara get flustered.
She opens her mouth and gestures wildly with an index finger to defend herself, but only stammers out some vowels before she gives in, shoulders dropping in defeat. “I’ll text her.” She taps out a message and clarifies, “For the record, I don’t think I’m smarter than her. Or anyone else.” It’s not a fair comparison anyway, Kara thinks. Math and science classes are way more advanced on Krypton, and if Lena or Winn had the chance to learn there they probably would’ve done as well as she had. For sure.
“Mhm.” Winn plays at being unconvinced, just to see Kara flounder a little. He misses this.
She looks up to refute him and realizes he’s kidding. She sits back and crosses her arms, and then lets out a few short laughs before shaking her head and looking down at her phone. “If she doesn’t want to come, we’ll do Saturday, okay?”
“She’ll want to come.”
“But, I—”
“You can’t keep her to yourself forever,” Winn says.
She feels a little guilty about that, now that he mentions it. She wants Lena to be a bigger part of her life, she’s just worried because her friends didn’t exactly trust the Luthor at first, and that makes things weird. And Lena’s great, and Kara knows everyone will like her once they get a chance to really meet her, but it’s always hard to be the new person in a group and throwing her into the fire like this may not be the best way. For Lena’s sake, of course. Not because Kara’s afraid of taking that next step. Which she’s not. So Winn’s right. It’ll be totally fine. Just a normal old friend night. A night of friends. Of which Lena is one.
“She’s a busy person, she probably won’t answer until tonight,” Kara says a little haughtily, “so I’ll let you know.”
Her phone dings with a notification.
Winn chuckles to himself, and Kara blushes a little. “She wants to come.”
He whoops in excitement, mostly at being right, and they finish their lunch before heading back to the DEO.
---
It’s not awkward.
Okay, it was at the beginning, but now they’re collectively three bottles of wine into friend night and things are great. Mon-El has been pawing at her hand for the better part of an hour, which has been kind of annoying, but other than that he’s behaving. Sort of. He’s also been pouting because she’s been paying more attention to Lena than him, but it’s only because Lena’s the newest and Kara’s her only connection to the whole group. It’s more important for her to be a good friend to Lena than a good girlfriend to Mon-El right now. She knows she’ll hear an earful about it later, but whatever. She’s having fun. And so is Lena. And everyone else, too.
They’re playing a round of charades, with Kara acting and Mon-El and Lena trying to guess. James, Winn, Alex, and Maggie are sitting on the couch watching the hilarity about to ensue.
Kara holds up two fingers, prompting her team.
“Two words,” Lena starts, and Kara makes a circular hand motion with both hands. “About…” Kara points to herself, “Supergirl.” Lena’s eyes are twinkling, and, yeah, it’s confirmed. Kara bites her lip and shakes her head no.
“Kara, hero, hot girl, glasses?” Mon-El tries. Kara’s eyes widen and she shakes her head vigorously. She tries again and points between herself and Mon-El a few times. “Couple, dating, in love?”
She rolls her eyes, and ugh, no, he’s not getting it, but when Lena blurts “Aliens!” Kara jumps up and down and claps, smiling.
The other team is in stitches, and Kara’s pretty sure Alex is in tears.
She holds up one finger. “First word,” Mon-El says. She starts to flap both of her arms up and down.
A high pitched tone rips into her eardrums and she gasps in pain and doubles over, covering her ears. “Loud, sick, headache?”
When she doesn’t respond:
“Are you okay?”
“Kara what’s the matter?”
She’s not sure who’s asking what, but the tone stops and she drops her hands. “Sorry guys, there was this… never mind. It’s gone now.” She takes a breath and nods to show she’s okay, and starts flapping her arms again.
Alex watches her carefully, and both Lena and Mon-El guess flying, and she’s ready to try for the second word when the tone starts up again.
This time it’s reverberating in her skull and it’s persistent. She winces as she hones in on the source of the noise, and follows it to the windowsill. She picks up a small rectangular black box, and it juts out a lancet and pricks her hand. Well, tries to. The beeping stops when the lancet breaks off.
Alex is off the couch in a second and steps towards her sister, holding up a cautious hand. “Kara, what’s —“
Something, no, someone smashes through the window. The intruder raises a massive blue fist and swings it at Kara, who ducks just in time and manages to get a hit in at his stomach on the way down.
“Everyone, get back!” They’re matching blow for blow, so Kara throws her glasses aside and squints her eyes to zap his shoulder with her heat vision. The creature roars and grabs for her, misses, and stumbles. Kara takes advantage of his weak positioning to get a hand around his throat, and another around one wrist. She shoves him backward and has him pinned to the wall, next to the window he busted through.
“You ruined friend night!” She’s mad, rightfully so, and headbutts the beast in his nose. One of his noses. Whatever. His face. He bares his teeth, but then his mouth twists into what can only be interpreted as a vicious smile. His confidence shakes her and she stares into his pitch black, beady eyes as she tightens her grip on him. With his free hand, he holds up a device identical to the one that Kara had found in her apartment and presses the small button on the underside.
There’s a moment where Kara is afraid something terrible is going to happen, but then the brute’s face begins to fall, and oh, something is not right. All of the sound seems to get sucked out of the room, and then the device in his hand explodes.
Kara is thrown across the room and lands in front of Lena and Winn, who are crouched behind the couch. The monster catches a glimpse of Lena as she’s pulling Kara behind it, and stumbles as he starts towards her. Kara looks up at him, confused by his hesitation at the sight of a human when he very clearly came prepared to attack a Kryptonian, and tries to stand up. She won’t let him hurt her friends. He takes one more look around the room, snarls, and then jumps out of the destroyed apartment wall to the street below. By the time the group has rushed over, he’s long gone.
“Are you guys okay?” Kara’s facing her friends now, and they all look uneasy. Something’s definitely not right.
There’s a few mumbled yeahs, and no one has a scratch on them. Thank Rao for small favors.
Kara turns around to inspect the damage to her house. The window is gone and the blast has taken a good chunk of the surrounding wall with it. A few pieces of drywall crumble and fall to the ground.
She sighs.
James walks up beside her and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay Kara, you can stay with me until this gets fixed.”
Kara’s flattered, and her and James are good friends, but yeah, no. There’s hardly any awkwardness left from their break-up, and they made up after their fight about James being Guardian, but it would still be… weird, is what Kara settles on. She lets him down easy.
“Thanks, James, but I think I’ll just crash with Alex.” She turns and offers him a reassuring smile, and then looks at Alex. Alex knits her brows and turns to look behind her, where no one is standing.
“I’m not James,” James says, and then holds his hands up to look at them. “Wait, I’m James? No, I’m not!”
“Did you hit your head? Should we go to the hospital?” Kara’s concerned, and reaches up to the man’s face to check for any missed injuries.
“I’m James,” says Maggie, raising her hand. There’s a pause as everyone looks around the group.
“I’m Maggie,” says Alex.
“Wait, wait, wait. Everyone hold on.” Kara’s holding her hands out in front of her, trying to get her bearings. “I think I hit my head.”
“Maybe, but, uh, I think something else has gone Super wrong,” and it’s Lena’s voice, but only Winn would talk like that. And make a joke at a time like this.
“So if Maggie is Alex, and James is Maggie, who are you?” Kara turns back to ‘James.’
He huffs, “I’m your boyfriend, Kara.” Oh, great. So now her boyfriend is her ex, on top of this all. Perfect.
Kara looks between the two remaining people. Winn pipes up, "Alex."
“Right. So if Lena’s Winn, and Winn's Alex, then you’re—” She faces the body of her boyfriend “—Lena.” Lena looks like she’s about to pass out.
“I need to sit down,” Lena says.
Kara closes her eyes and rubs them with the heels of her hands. “Okay, this is happening.” She takes a deep breath and picks up the device that has fallen to the ground.
“We need to call J’onn.”
#supercorp#supercorp fic#kara/lena#karlena#kara danvers#lena luthor#kara danvers/lena luthor#supergirl fanfic#there are a lot of other characters in here too#also warning: it starts out mon-el/kara sry#slow burn? maybe? they get together later#bodyswap trope
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My Autism Traits Bolded w/ Some Explanation
I copied this from mlmscout so that I could bold the traits that pertained to me. Here is a link to the original post
School/Learning/Thinking/Executive Functioning:
○ Average to high intelligence, may have high grades
○ May have low grades due to executive dysfunction
Explanation: There are times when my grades are excellent because I am able to maintain a consistent routine and there are times when things like depression, as well as family matters throw me off balance and my executive dysfuction takes over and my grades start to dip.
○ Difficulty with executive functioning, i.e. remembering chores/assignments, beginning or finishing tasks, trouble multitasking or switching between two tasks, etc.
○ Has symptoms of AD(H)D such as forgetfulness, restlessness, impulsivity, and trouble focusing
○ Has symptoms of OCD such as anxiety, paranoia, delusions, and odd habits or routines that stem from anxiety (compulsions)
○ Has been (correctly or incorrectly) diagnosed with co-morbid disorders such as depression, anxiety, AD(H)D and OCD
I have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I was incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school.
○ A “teacher’s pet” and tells on students for breaking rules, may be a “tattler”
○ Seen as odd, shy, eccentric, and/or annoying by peers and classmates
○ Uses “formal” or “pedantic” language rather than casual/conversational language
○ Exceptional vocabulary since childhood
○ Skills tend to be far above or far below those of peers
○ Considered “gifted” or a “savant” in areas such as math, physics, science, vocabulary, reading comprehension, art, and/or music
For me it is was reading and being hyperlexic. But I never did well on the exams given in school, so they put me in remedial english in elementary school, but I would come home from school and read my mother’s college textbooks.
○ Superior skills in mathematics or physics
○ Poor understanding of mathematics
○ Has or has symptoms of dyscalculia, a learning disorder characterized by:
○ Difficulty with mathematics (including basic concepts such as addition and subtraction)
○ Difficulty identifying patterns
○ Difficulty telling left from right
○ Poor navigational skills and sense of direction
○ Difficulty remembering long sequences of numbers such as phone numbers
○ Difficulty reading clocks and telling time
○ Difficulty with applying math concepts to real-life situations
○ Difficulty with measurements
○ Difficulty applying previously-learned skills to new concepts in math
○ Difficulty finding different approaches to the same problem
○ Difficulty reading charts and graphs
○ Poor spatial awareness, difficulty estimating distances and have poor depth perception
○ Has or has symptoms of dyslexia, a learning disorder characterized by:
○ Difficulty recognized letters
○ Difficulty matching letters and words to sounds (i.e. pronunciation errors, not knowing what sound a “B” or an “H” makes)
○ Limited vocabulary
○ Difficulty with word sequences such as counting or the days of the week
○ Confuses the order of letters, makes frequent mistakes in spelling and grammar
○ Difficulty remembering facts
○ Difficulty understanding the rules of grammar
○ Difficulty learning and retaining information, relies on memorization without complete understanding of concept
○ Difficulty with word problems in math
○ Difficulty following a sequence of directions
○ Difficulty understanding jokes, idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech
○ Difficulty learning a foreign language
○ Obsessions with particular topics, known as “special interests” in the autistic community
○ Talking about a special interest brings comfort and happiness, conversation is limited to or focused on a special interest
○ Not interested in talking about topics besides a special interest
○ Spends long periods of time researching a special interest and categorizing information on a special interest
○ Has a “comfort item” such as a toy, blanket, or stone, may take item everywhere and refuse to part with it, doing so causes anxiety, sadness, and/or a meltdown
○ Superior long-term memory
○ Weaker short-term memory
○ Prefers to be self-taught and direct learning
○ Intense interest in literature and writing, may have taught self how to read before formal education, may be hyperlexic
○ Prolific writer
○ Deep thinker, curious
○ Drawn to philosophy, may have shown interest and curiosity in subjects such as death and the meaning of life since childhood
○ Prefers visual and kinetic learning, needs to get hands-on to understand topics
○ Highly creative and imaginative, drawn to art and writing
○ Art and writing relieve anxiety
○ Enjoys music, may be interested in songs and lyrics
○ Tasks with several steps can be troublesome
○ Difficulty remembering and following verbal instructions, needs written instructions to complete a task
○ Difficulty locating objects
○ The thought of having to leave the house for an event causes anxiety, may avoid leaving the house, talking to people, or confronting people
○ Upcoming events cause a feeling of dread of anxiety
○ Easily irritated and/or frustrated, avoids and/or gives up on tasks that are not easily overcome or mastered
○ Difficulty lying, may appear to be naïve, gullible, trusting, or a “pushover”
○ Tendency to be logical and see things at “face value” and take figures of speech, jokes, sarcasm, metaphors, etc. literally
○ Odd combination of strengths and weaknesses in regards to memory, executive functioning, motor skills, academics, intelligence, and interests
Motor Skills/Physical/Sensory/Routine:
○ Poor motor skills, may be clumsy or cumbersome, difficulty holding a pencil, kicking a ball, writing/drawing by hand, etc.
○ Auditory processing difficulties, may take a moment to process and interpret words, speech, and noises, may have auditory processing disorder (APD)
○ Odd gait or posture, may walk on toes or drag/shuffle feet, may sit in a crouching or perching position
○ Learning to ride a bike or drive a car can be difficult due to a lack of necessary skills
○ Becomes non- or semi-verbal when stressed, overwhelmed, or tired (i.e. being unable to speak, speaking takes a lot of effort and is tiring/exhausting, words feel “stuck”)
○ Experiences meltdowns/shutdowns when stressed, overwhelmed, or tired, may cry, scream, become snappy/irritated/impatient, or become withdrawn (may appear to be a “temper tantrum”)
○ Thumb-sucking lasts past childhood into adolescence
○ Bed-wetting lasts past childhood into adolescence
○ Experiences insomnia
○ Not a “morning person”
○ Has a co-morbid chronic illness, such as IBS, gluten intolerance, allergies, asthma, fibromyalgia, seizures, epilepsy, etc.
○ Resistance to and/or inability to cope with change, which causes anxiety
○ Adheres to a daily routine, straying from routine causes anxiety
○ Likes to sit in the same seat in the car or at meals, wear the same outfit, or eat the same food
○ Sensory issues, sensitive to textures, touch, sound, taste, smells, light, etc.
○ Avoids loud or harsh noises, bright light, certain tastes/textures/smells
○ Experiences “sensory overload,” may experience a meltdown or shutdown if sensory input is too much to handle
○ Dislikes physical contact with people, resists hugs/kissing
○ Engages in self-stimulating behavior to soothe, cope with sensory input, and/or express emotion, known as “stimming” by autistic community
○ Visual stimming includes watching moving objects such as water, leaves, or cars, and waving or fluttering fingers in front of eyes
○ Physical stimming includes spinning, jumping, waving arms, flapping hands, swinging, waving or fluttering fingers, flicking or rubbing fingernails, rubbing hands against a surface or texture, bouncing legs, rocking, chewing or sucking on objects, fidgeting with toys, and petting/stroking/twirling hair
○ Vocal stimming includes shrieking, laughing, singing, humming, repeating sounds or words (echolalia), and clicking tongue
○ Auditory stimming includes listening to music, blocking out noise, and listening to sounds
○ Prefers comfortable clothes over stylish clothes, may have a favorite shirt or outfit, may cut tags off of clothes due to sensory issues
○ Has or has symptoms of sensory processing disorder (SPD)
○ Has a “sixth sense,” notices the presence of people, may dislike standing close to people or standing in front of people
○ Has an odd tone of voice, may speak with an odd inflection, in a monotone voice, with an accent, or too loudly/softly for a situation
Social/Behavioral
○ Difficulty understanding “social rules,” may be unaware of boundaries and personal space
○ Difficulty understanding the “social hierarchy” and roles within a family or classroom, may act as a teacher to their peers
○ Shy and quiet in social situations, may be an introvert
○ Loud and aggressive in social situations, may cross boundaries
○ Clings to one or two friends, prefers to have a small friend group
○ No interest in socializing or making friends
○ Prefers to interact with people who are younger or older, little interest in peers of the same age
○ Has trouble keeping up a conversation, whether face-to-face or online, may abandon conversations due to anxiety or boredom
○ As a child, preferred to talk to teachers than peers, may view peers as “boring” or “stupid”
○ Dislikes and avoids eye contact, eyes may wander during conversation
○ Appears rude due to lack of understanding of “social rules,” not making eye contact or using “appropriate” body language, or dominating discussion/reverting discussion back to self
○ Dislikes “small talk,” prefers to have “intelligent” discussion, talk about self, or talk about a special interest
○ Difficulty understanding social cues such as body language, gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions, may not be able to read emotion
○ Taught self how to act “properly” in social situations and/or read emotion, may mimic people in real life or on television
○ Conversation and socializing is anxiety-inducing and exhausting, may need a lot of rest and “de-stressing” after socializing
○ Tendency to be bullied, shunned, mocked, teased, or ostracized by peers
○ Tendency to over-share
○ Difficulty understanding what is and isn’t considered “socially acceptable,” may be blunt and considered “offensive” or “rude”
○ Difficulty knowing when to speak, may interrupt
○ Considered annoying by peers, “unable to take a hint”
○ Sense of humor is “quirky” or “odd,” may not understand typical humor used by peers
○ Excess apologizing
○ Difficulty knowing when a mistake has been made, may not apologize
Imagination/Empathy:
○ Escapes through imagination, may have maladaptive daydreaming disorder (MDD)
○ Intense, overwhelming emotions
○ Hyper- or hypoempathetic
○ Highly imaginative and creative
○ May have had imaginary friends as a child
○ Easily distracted, gets “lost in thoughts”
○ Fantasy brings comfort and relief
○ May not be interested in fantasy
○ Prefers to play with toys in an “unusual” manner, may spend time setting up scenes with toys without acting out a scene, may line up or organize toys, etc.
○ Prefers fantasy over reality
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maybe i’m not smart enough to pass
#i’m starting to stress to the point where it’s seeping into my every insecurity#and since some people (including friends) have a habit of mocking my intelligence#i just really really need a hug right now#maybe even a blanket snuggle#sophie’s school shit
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August 14th- Scratch Showing and Feedback
No video for the scratch showing I did on the Wednesday- am honestly kind of glad for that. I’ve known for a while that scratch showings and the like tend to put me in a very nervous, hyperactive state of being, and as a result the performance I give is usually lacking. I’ve tried to combat this over the years I’ve been a student doing scratch showings- five years now!- and while there’s been improvement, I still find them very difficult. I think this might be to do with the fact that I’m very much a solo maker/performer, if something I present is bad I only have myself to blame, and I have this innate- perhaps even childish- fear of being personally attacked, or mocked for my ideas.
So, knowing that what I presented was not as polished as it could have been, I was anxious about the type of feedback I’d receive but can honestly say now I had nothing to be so worried over, it’s some of the most useful and non-judgmental feedback I’ve ever gotten, and has provided me with lots of ideas for how to move my project forward!
Below I’ve written up the notes I made of the feedback, and my own reflections on it- which will be written in italics, to differentiate.
Quick feedback on what people generally liked liked
How I related being A Woman & being A Grown Up
The self-awareness through the ‘what Facebook thinks a proper grown up is’ section
The simple staging
The impression that it was actually about something completely different to what they were hearing
the incessant nature of the piece
I hadn’t thought much about how the way I intrinsically link womanhood with being a grown up might not be the way everyone sees it- for me, I felt like I was being viewed as ‘a woman’ (read; being sexualized, or at least having the potential to be sexualized because my height and breasts made me appear older) long before I was old enough to be, so I suppose this is where that association comes from. Definitely something to explore- is it a common experience for women to be expected to be mature and grown up because their bodies dictate they should be? Is the same true of men? I don’t want gender politics to become the sole focus of my piece, but it’s something I should consider more going on, as it is such a big part of my experiences.
Self awareness is common in many of my pieces- I quite like it. Dry, glib humor is really my wheelhouse so I’m sure this will crop up throughout the piece.
I usually prefer a simple set up- never want to get too bogged down in the details of that kind of thing, I want a better chair than I had in that run-through, but I know we have some at Beckett.
Yeah, I get that. I’m not entirely sure of the deeper meaning of this piece yet- it’s become kind of a monster in my brain about all this different stuff. My fear of growing up because of my ‘childish’ habits, my dislike for being sexualized, my fear of transitions between periods of my life (between college and university, university and the ‘real world’ etc) a yearning to find other people who connect with these fears, a desire to create a world with a different kind of grown up, this worry that I will always struggle. It’s a lot to tackle, I think I’d like to keep most of the dialogue kind of surface level, with occasional and intense peaks into the roots of these issues.
Yeah, this incessant nature is born of a few things- I’ve always been a pretty fast talker, and I only get faster when I’m nervous. Since this has become something too difficult to combat I’ve begun to try and just work it into my persona. It’s an autobiographical show, it would feel weird to be too disingenuous about my character. It’s absolutely something I need to control more though, and that will come with practice. If I have the time I’d like to play with it too- more on that later.
My questions/Their responses
Q: Do you think I need to more tightly choreograph my movement around the space?
A: Resounding yes
Q: Were there any problems with the /pace/ of movement?
A: Yes, there were certain bits of dialogue that could’ve done with more stillness to emphasize them.
Q: Were there any bits of dialogue that particularly stuck out to you?
A: ‘I didn’t care about having friends in primary school’, ‘If I was a grown up I’d call them breasts’, ‘I’m eight I don’t want to be the treasurer’, ‘mum thought I was at a house party’, ‘we weren’t friends in highschool but we were friendly, to avoid the need for much socialization’.
Their questions/My responses
What is the end point? Do I come to a conclusion about my own definition of a grown up? Is the conclusion that I say and the conclusion that I imply the same thing?
(Three different but similar questions grouped together.) The truth is I’m not sure- at this point I think the ending won’t necessarily include a solid definition of a grown up, but rather me coming to peace with the fact that there might not be one. Being okay with being a bit odd and rough around the edges. I think any solid definition of a grown-up would have to imply that there is some ideal way to be, and I’m not sure I want that. A conclusion based on what kind of grown-up /I/ am might be okay, though. A conclusion grounded in the idea that stereotypes continue to rule assumptions and actions.
What do I want people to be saying this is about?
Adulthood, I suppose. The tricky incline from a spotty, scared kid to a capable and clear-headed adult. Me, because that’s absolutely what it’s about. Figuring yourself out, finding reasons for your odd little quirks, being okay with them, how constantly being busy might not be how we’re actually wired to be. I don’t think I could drill it down to one specific, I think people will find their own context for it, dependent very much on what their background and opinions on such a topic already is.
What would it be like if I presented my own experiences as if it were all research?
Pretty cool honestly, there’s something in that but I’m not sure it’s the direction I want to go in- my assumption is it would feel quite clinical, and while I like the idea of turning something autobiographical slightly on it’s head I’m just not sure what it would bring to the show, or if I’d be invested in that enough as a theme.
What are my success criteria- how will I know if I achieved them?
I want to make people laugh. I want to create something that reflects my ability, i want to not panic and rush my way through what I’m saying. I want to be sure of what I’m doing on stage, I want to create something that builds on a format I’ve used in the past and pushes it further. I just want to be proud of what I’ve done by the end of it, I want to feel like I I didn’t waste my time.
Do I use the toys at any point?
I might. I’m not sure yet what it says if they’re left untouched- my desire to move forward but my reluctance to entirely let go of that part of who I am? I /like/ soft toys, I like teddies. The world has told me that to be a proper grown up I have to let go of those things, but I don’t want too! What if THAT’S the ending. I sit down, and I play with my toys, because I can be a grown up who likes those things.
Do I want to be seen as vulnerable in the space?
I think, inevitably, by virtue of sharing so many personal details with the audience, I will seem vulnerable at points whether I want too or not. I don’t think it’s something I’m looking to emphasize too much, though.
Do I want to be seen as intelligent in the space?
I don’t think that’s quite the right word. Capable, would be better. I want to be seen as capable.
Do I want people to think I know exactly what I’m doing
See above- though there’s a nuance of difference between people thinking I’m capable and people thinking I know exactly what I’m doing. A capable person might just be good at thinking on their feet- I think that’s more what I’m going for. I want people to think anything could happen next, but also like I know exactly what is about to happen.
What is the worst thing people could say about the show after seeing it?
That they weren’t amused and they think I’m odd and they can’t relate to my situation at all.
What is the best thing?
That it was funny and relatable and well presented.
Opinions
The delivery was borderline stand up comedy- you should either try going all out for real, or making some terrible cheesy stand up comic persona
Since I performed ‘You and Your Legs’ in third year I’ve been a bit hesitant to be ‘funny’. This was my first comedic piece and it happened by accident- I hadn’t initially meant to make something funny, it just happened to be funny and I rolled with it. Then I veered off trying to be a ‘serious’ artist in artist mentor and it blew up in my face- for several reasons. Trying to be funny on purpose is a lot harder, I think it’s the nerves over that which make my delivery seem ‘borderline’. Once I’m more confident in my script I’d like to try and show the piece again in front of a different crowd, to see if that works out better.
I do like the idea of going into a terrible cheesy bad stand up character, but I don’t think I have the time here.
Could you include a movement section based on movements already occurring naturally?
Technically, yes. But I’m a bad choreographer and not the most comfortable mover, I think I’d just feel awkward and no matter what I did it wouldn’t translate well because of that.
Something about the friendship bench- could we see you, in that moment, as a lonely and un-caring kid
Again, technically yes. But I don’t want to slip too much into a different character for it to only be used that one time.
the speed at which I talk is sometimes more interesting than what I’m saying
I agree. I absolutely want to play around more with dialogue and speed, I think there’s something in that repetitiveness and getting lost in the drone, it starts to mean something else entirely.
Take time to outline this fear of adulthood
Good point! I should make my fear more definite, perhaps this is something that can come about by playing around with speech patterns more!
You could focus in more on gender and link that to the resistance of growing up
This and focusing in on my experience as a bisexual youth has crossed my mind, but I’m worried about getting bogged down in it and making the show about something else entirely.
Sitting/being still for more of the piece could really change things
Yep- I really need to bring in a chair that’s actually comfortable and find moments where being still will work with what I’m saying.
How close should the audience be
Cabaret style?? That worked for my last major piece and I really liked the more casual vibe- wouldn’t feel right to have everyone sitting in neat rows.
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The Last True Republican President
Yesterday I went to pay my respects to former president George Herbert Walker Bush as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The crowds were considerably thinner than what I remember from when I went to see former president Ronald Reagan lying in state in the same place in 2004, when the lines of people who wanted to see his casket snaked all the way around the Mall. Fourteen years ago, I waited all night to get into the Capitol by daybreak, and there was a palpable feeling of being present at the passing of one of the greats of our time. Bush’s memorial was a solemn and respectful occasion, but it was not charged with anything like the same world-historic electricity as Reagan’s.
The contrast would not have surprised Bush, who in his later years held no illusions about his legacy. “I feel like an asterisk,” the one-term president told his biographer John Meacham. “I am lost between the glory of Reagan — monuments everywhere, trumpets, the great hero — and the trials and tribulations of my sons.” However, Bush may be of more interest to history as the last president of his kind.
Bush was the last president to have been shaped by the distinctive culture of the New England WASP upper class and the gentlemanly values inculcated at prewar prep schools like his alma mater, Andover. He exemplified many of the best characteristics of that culture, including a basic personal decency, an even temperament, an inclination toward self-deprecation, and an obligation toward public service — not to mention his endearing habit of producing uncounted thousands of handwritten, personal notes.
But he also reflected that culture’s starchy discomfort with open displays of emotion as well as its difficulty in comprehending the experiences and perspectives of the less fortunate.
He was the last president from the so-called “Greatest Generation” that was shaped by the searing experiences of Depression and war. He was, in fact, the last president to have been alive during World War II. As a Navy pilot in that conflict, Bush engaged in combat and emerged a war hero. None of his successors ever fought in a war.
Bush was the last president to have been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Republican Party leadership (as chair of the Republican National Committee). He was the last president to have been an ambassador (to the United Nations and China) and the only president, ever, to have been director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Despite his half-hearted efforts to pass himself off as a Texan, Bush was the last president who represented Eastern establishment values of prudence, pragmatism, tolerance, measured judgment, and internationalism. At the same time, he revealed himself to be willing to subordinate his principles to the higher need of winning elections in a Republican Party that was becoming increasingly Southern and conservative.
As an undergraduate at Yale, Bush had led a fundraising drive for the United Negro College Fund, but in 1964, running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, Bush opposed the landmark Civil Rights Act that ended Jim Crow segregation in the South. Once in office as a member of the House of Representatives, however, Bush was able to recover his conscience and courage, voting for the 1968 Fair Housing Act in the face of angry criticism from his Houston-area district.
A similar pattern recurred later in his career. As Reagan’s vice president, Bush brokered a congressional deal to strengthen the Fair Housing Act and enable the government to enforce its provisions. But when he ran to succeed Reagan in 1988, he countenanced a nasty campaign that used the menacing mug shot of “Willie” Horton to aggravate white fears of black crime, effectively Southernizing the Republican stance on race relations.
Bush’s victory over Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis made him the first sitting vice president to be elected to the presidency since Martin Van Buren in 1836. In hindsight, the election is notable for Bush’s having received a higher percentage of the popular vote (53.4%) than any of his successors. Bush also was the last Republican presidential candidate to win California.
Our forty-first president held the White House for the Republicans for a third consecutive term — the only time either party has achieved this feat since the Roosevelt-Truman era. Following the phenomenally popular Reagan, Bush promised continuity rather than change. Bush’s invocation of a “kinder, gentler America” was interpreted as a backhanded criticism of his predecessor, but his domestic agenda was much the same as Reagan’s, though with more emphasis on voluntarism (the sometimes-mocked “thousand points of light”) and education reform.
Bush’s ability to enact major domestic programs was in any case limited by Democratic control of Congress throughout his presidency, and by budget constraints created by the deficits that had exploded during Reagan’s presidency.
Bush was the last moderate Republican president, and the last to uphold that now-diminished faction’s values of fiscal prudence, social tolerance, consensus building, and multilateral cooperation in foreign policy. His centrism had been the reason for his selection as Reagan’s running mate, in order to reassure voters who worried that Reagan was too ideologically extreme.
Bush did his best to allay the suspicions of Reagan and his conservative followers — by renouncing his former support for Planned Parenthood, for example — but he never fully succeeded. His wife, Barbara, was the last Republican presidential spouse to support the Equal Rights Amendment. Friends said she was privately pro-choice; publicly, she called for keeping abortion out of Republican convention platforms.
Bush’s fundamental loyalties were to the traditional Republican Party rather than the conservative movement or his own brand of populism. He enraged Reaganites with many of his appointments, including moderate-leaning James Baker as secretary of state, Richard Darman as director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Colin Powell as the first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Bush advocated for the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and secured passage of an updated and expanded version of the Clean Air Act. He openly defied the National Rifle Association by supporting a ban on AK-47 assault rifles — something all but unthinkable for a Republican president today. He later resigned as a life member of the NRA in protest against executive vice president Wayne LaPierre’s characterization of federal agents as “jack-booted thugs.”
While Reagan gets far more credit for pushing the Soviet Union towards collapse, it was Bushwho was in office when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, when Germany reunified in 1990, and when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Bush’s muted public response to these epochal events stood in sharp contrast with Reagan’s rhetorical approach; Reagan almost certainly have commemorated these epochal events in ringing terms as victories for America and freedom. But Bush’s studied avoidance of triumphalism may have helped to avoid a backlash by hardliners in Eastern Europe and brought the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion. The WASP reserve paid diplomatic dividends.
Indeed, Bush was the last president to have entered office with significant experience in foreign policy. His signal accomplishment as president was the assembly of an international coalition to oppose Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Through masterful use of personal diplomacy, Bush secured the financial and military backing of 39 nations for the U.S.-led Operation Desert Storm as well as a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing “all necessary means” to reverse Iraq’s occupation.
The resounding military victory in the first Gulf War offered the promise of what Bush called a “New World Order,” marking the last moment when it seemed that powerful but self-restrained American leadership could usher in a new era of global cooperation, solidarity against aggression, and respect for international law and human rights. (Some critics, missing Bush’s emphasis on American restraint, heard Orwellian overtones in the “New World Order” phrase.)
Bush was the last Republican president who seriously believed in the party’s legacy of fiscal conservatism — though, again, he found himself awkwardly tailoring his views to maintain his political viability in a changing era. He had once railed against Reagan’s “voodoo economics” — the idea that tax cuts pay for themselves — then recanted when picked to be Reagan’s vice president, and later as a candidate for the presidency. At the convention at which he was nominated, he made the Clint Eastwood-like pledge “Read my lips: no new taxes.”
But as president, Bush returned to the long-held Republican orthodoxy that while lower taxes were desirable, to cut taxes when the federal government was running a deficit was senseless: It would spur inflation and drown the economy in red ink. Republicans also had traditionally believed that raising revenues as well as cutting spending was a legitimate response to growing deficits.
The 1990 recession, combined with the savings and loan crisis that had begun during Reagan’s presidency, convinced Bush that tax increases had to be part of an overall deficit-reduction package. The ensuing deal, reached by necessity through negotiations with Congressional Democrats, included an increase in the top marginal tax rate, from 28 to 31 percent, in exchange for spending cuts and mechanisms for controlling future deficits.
The right wing howled that Bush had betrayed them (and his own sacred lip-reading oath), and predicted that the budget deal would wreck the economy while doing nothing to reduce the deficit. Both predictions proved false. The Budget Enforcement Act contributed significantly to the economic boom and budget surpluses of the ‘90s.
Bush and his economic advisors argued that the 1990 tax increases, as a share of GDP, were less than half of those Reagan had accepted in 1982 (in response to the eruption in deficits sparked by the excessive tax cuts of the year before), and that Reagan had in any case raised taxes eleven times during his presidency. But by this time the conservative movement’s orthodoxy of tax-cutting had replaced the old Republican orthodoxy of fiscal responsibility, and most Republicans in Congress voted against the budget deal.
At present, Bush is the last president to have lost a reelection campaign. His 1992 defeat stemmed from a number of factors including the primary challenge mounted against him by paleoconservative Patrick Buchanan, Bush’s seeming unresponsiveness to public anger over the economic slowdown, and widespread concern that the Republican Party had veered too far to the right in responding to the “culture wars,” the Los Angeles riots, and other polarizing events.
But the lesson most Republicans chose to draw was that Bush had committed political suicide by raising taxes and alienating the party’s conservative “base.” Because that framing won out, Bush may go down in history as the last Republican president ever to agree to a tax increase.
Bush achieved partial vindication when his eldest son, George W. Bush, won the presidency in 2000 and was reelected in 2004. But his son’s terms in office cemented the new identity of the GOP as a predominantly Southern and Western party, dominated by ideological conservatism and evangelical religion, committed to unilateralism abroad and tax cuts at home, and characterized by hostility toward science and political compromise. The Republican Party under President Donald Trump has moved even further toward populism and away from the moderation that had defined the GOP throughout most of its history.
Most tributes to George H. W. Bush have remembered him for his decency, gentlemanliness, civility, and willingness to work with people who disagreed with him. But beyond his personality, and even beyond his accomplishments, history may remember him as the last true Republican president.
The post The Last True Republican President appeared first on Niskanen Center.
from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/the-last-true-republican-president/
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