#dabbey | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lannisterdaddyissues · 2 years

Note

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

And

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

For the ask meme <333

omg aww @lauwrite1225 @fleurdufeu ty all for the asks!!! also @faeratil bold of you to assume you can retract your challenge just like that, watch me do all of them anyway

A: Ships/platonic pairings that you currently like a lot ok so thanks to @potatoesforsamoo i am simping on main for steven stone and flannery from pokemon which is such an obscure ship but she writes amazing fic for them!! i also love twiyor from spy x family rn! as for platonic pairings i'm obsessed with literally everyone in major. the father-son relationships in that show are EVERYTHING and i love the friendship dynamics so much. in my head i've written over 1 million words of meta about them

B: A pairing that you initially didn't consider, but someone changed your mind franky/nightfall from spy x family... i was a yuri/nightfall shipper for a while bc i thought it would be comedic and hilarious but i saw some art of franky and fiona and honestly it would be the FUNNIEST thing if he had a crush on her. they would be like fix-it felix and sergeant calhoun from wreck-it ralph if they were a couple i think. and i love it

C: A ship you have never liked and probably never will sheith i guess?? i'm trying to think of ships from fandoms im actively in but not sure. anyway yeah whenever i see sheith i'm like ew. not even bc of their familial dynamic, like i don't care who ppl ship or anything go ahead and ship them all you like i just cant see them together. it makes my blood boil for no reason at all. it might be bc i ship klance or smth idk i'm gross

D: A pairing you wish you liked but just can't i guess all the thomas ships in downton abbey but i just don't Like thomas that much and im not very interested in his subplots sorry... it seems like everyone who stans thomas is having a genuinely good time tho and i wish i could be one of them bc im starved for good fic in the dabbey fandom :(

E: Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? how easily you forget all the memes i made for tlk lmao... as for my current fandom i made this thread summarizing the entire plot of major through memes bc watching the anime made me so mentally ill. if u actually click on the second link tho don't read the tags i beg you... i thirstposted in there and it was bad

F: What's the longest you've ever been in a fandom? i've been in the fullmetal alchemist fandom for going on 8 years now and it's been pretty good. after that i was in the man from uncle fandom for 3 years or so

G: Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? gee it was so long ago but i believe the first ships i ever actually shipped were like kimron and drakkgo from kim possible. the first ship i actually consumed content for was either shirogane and ichigo from tokyo mew mew or yullen from d-gray man i think. if we're talking actual brainrot otps tho then it was stony jdkfsjskfds

H: What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff? oh anime 100%! i watch so much anime its a wonder i haven't magically turned into an anime character already

I: Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why? h*zbin h*tel bc the fandom was toxic as fuck and the show is actually so, so evil...

J: Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr duh it's the gay pirate show and the vampire book club... i'm not in them but they ARE all over tumblr so i have to think about them obviously

K: What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc? JOE GIBSON MAJOR JOE GIBSON MAJOR JOE GIBSON MAJOR!!!!!! I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH WHAT AN INCREDIBLE CHARACTER HE IS!!! MY BRAIN IS SO ROTTED FROM THINKING ABOUT HIM ALL THE TIME OK YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANS TO ME NONE OF YOU KNOW HIM LIKE I DO

L: Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves ugh... ok aethelwold WAS admittedly really funny sometimes. i hated him but he made me laugh and sometimes i miss the levity he brought to a scene with just his overall existence

M: Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend alice from major!!! she's just so cute and i think we would get along super well i love her <3

N: Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom content, content, and more content. the major fandom is a barren wasteland i hate it here

O: Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of? the first song to come on was if u seek amy by britney spears... idk why but it reminds me of junior from major bc i think he would have the trashiest white girl taste in music i just know he would be belting out an impeccable falsetto in his fancy jag while bumping his hand on the steering wheel. i know it

P: Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas) courtesy of ro i am still thinking about a major au where gibson adopts goro and raises him and junior together with momoko after shigeharu's death to atone for his mistakes. i just want gibson to be a father figure is that so wrong

Q: A fandom you’ve abandoned and why there are a lot of them so i can't really give one answer but like i said, the h*zbin h*tel fandom is so toxic i will never go back

R: Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom? GIBSON AND GORO ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ME!!!! despite their history there was never any lingering hostility or anything between them. they respected each other so much and took so much inspiration from one another and grew as people because of it. like gibson had been so arrogant and almost selfish in his debut eps but he transformed thanks to goro's influence and became such a humble and selfless person like even when he was dying he never put himself first. it was all about keeping his promise to goro, and making up for lost time with junior, and upholding the pride of his country, even if it meant putting his life on the line to do so. and in the last arc of season 5 we saw how he touched the hearts of fans all around the world with his resolve and i think it's so so beautiful

S: Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged) major au where no one dies and everyone is happy that's my personal headcanon right there. bc if shigeharu had lived i actually think he and gibson had such potential for a rivals to besties dynamic like it was all there. in my heart shigeharu lived and he and gibson became reluctant carpool buddies during the little league arc. i just really wish they had been friends that's it. nothing else to see here

T: Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? toshi is so in love with goro it's not even up for debate he is in LOVE with goro!!!! also i think goro and alice dated for a little bit. i just need it to be true

U: Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites roy mustang from fma/b, jaime lannister from game of thrones, and joe gibson from major. they're all war criminals (only emotionally in gibson's case) who are traumatized by the sins of their pasts but later redeemed themselves through their actions thanks to an excellently-written character development arc (in the case of jaime, this was all erased at the last minute. thank you d&d for your service)

V: Which character do you relate to most? KAORU MY BELOVED!!! i too am a spaz who loves sports but can't be normal if her life depended on it and i for one would LOVE to be goro's girlfriend so if she would just hand him over please <3

W: A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom i hate breakup+makeup/divorce+get back together aus i just can't stand the relationship drama smh

X: A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom slow burn mutual pining gets me every time its so basic. but if we are being oddly specific here then it's when a character who's the last person you would imagine to be competent in this type of situation is actually terrifyingly competent and you are So Confused and a little turned on right now like who is this and what have they done with [insert character here]

Y: What are your secondhand fandoms? succession, yuri on ice, she-ra reboot, attack on titan, mdzs and tgcf, and riverdale

Z: Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! uhhhhhh i guess with the new pjo adaptation i'm a bit concerned with alleged racism in fandom spaces now?? so many people are up in arms about annabeth's casting like "you're racist if you don't support this casting!!" like it's not that we don't support it? i love that annabeth will be black in the show! it's great! but... in the books and the movie... she is still... a white character... and maybe... it's not so bad... if people PREFER the books and the movie... so they continue to think of annabeth as a white character as a result... like, it's not erasing black annabeth at all! it's just they will continue to think of annabeth as white bc it's the annabeth they know and love! either way, the character is still annabeth! same source material and everything! anyway that's it, people will probably come after me for this but i just wanted to say it :/

#ask #reply #ask game #fandom ask #lauwrite1225 #faeratil #fleurdufeu #mutual #mutuals #yall will be like WHYD SHE DO ALL 26 but i said i would do it so i did. i needed to it was very cathartic

9 notes · View notes

its-caw · 17 days

Text

owton dabbey

0 notes

the-apotheosis-is-upon-us · 5 years

Text

I know the options should be Dalice or something, but I honestly just want Deb and Alice’s ship name to be Dab

#i have an oc ship called dabbey and i think we just need more bullshit ship names around tbh #tgwdlm #the guy who didn't like musicals

89 notes · View notes

starlightshadowsworld · 2 years

Text

Qrow is definitely that person who's fridge is just full of little boxes and bags.

#Qrow Branwen #Man's got debay for dabbey for days #Rwby

1 note · View note

bibbleboo · 3 years

Note

Could we get some headcanons/more background on Abbey and Doyle’s kids? 🥺👉👈 I love the premise of this AU

YEEEEE (im just gonna ramble a bunch about the backstory i have so far but ill put it in bullets so its easier to follow lol i apologize for it being long as fuck-)

OKAY SO,,, first of all,,, doyle and abbey timeline,,,, [i am looking respectfully]

in this au, they get back together and have a sort of ‘lovers pretending to be enemies’ chaotic on again/off again hookup thing off to the side just between the two of them thru like Most of the final season, they try to keep it a secret (especially doyle who doubts the saturdays would be hAPPY if he was seeing her again) but in the end, saturdays ofc find out, probably are unsure about it at first, but she gains enough of their trust to be there for the big finale battle in the weird world mansion.

when shit goes down and argost becomes the vessel for the two opposing kurs (regular kur, and the anti kur from zak monday) and they like. explode his matter or w/e, i imagine instead of kur just completely disappearing, the ‘anti kur’ gets shot back to its universe, while original kur gets forced into a new vessel in this universe... the closest of which happens to be the unborn child abbeys unknowingly carrying. basically, what if the two kurs just LOOKED like they evaporated but actually did what happens when you try to like tape two same sides of a magnets together and they YEETED-

So thats how we have Parker, their firstborn daughter! and this... also implies ‘Parker Monday’ exists which. 8^) i havent thought about yet so forgive me on that but hoo,

they dont know parker is kur, they got no idea and rly just assume kur is gone for good. but after they find out abbeys pregnant (which is a huge emotional trip for both of them in its own right) they do eventually sort of agree they dont want their kid exposed to that whole world of mystery. like, ik its a vital thing to the whole family, and ik these two people were probably voted least likely to ‘settle down’ in high school, but i cant imagine they didnt escape the kur/zak situation without a LOT of trauma, so while the saturdays stay in the cryptozoology field, doyle and abbey slowly pull away from the mystery and mercenary stuff, and also instead of going for big dollar lifestyle settle with ‘independently wealthy’ parenting.

also, neither of them really . grasp the concept that theyve even started a family, and are ‘together’, and that this is REAL, until around when she gets pregnant with their second daughter, Kendall. and then theyre like. oh nooo wait are we actually like boyfriend and girlfriend EWW-

when kendall is born parker is 3, and the next like 10+ years are pretty smooth sailing. as far as what the kids know/see, they probably know the cryptids when theyre little but. (tw animal death sORRY TO BE DARK I JUST??????) idk,, how long komodo dragons live/how old komodo already is and i definitely dont know Anything about giant prehistoric birds and am not even sure if science knows that lifespan, so. im not sure how long they could really be in each others lives??? i almost imagine parker would have memories of them that she assumes she remembers wrong, like “oh yeah they used to have a lizard and a bird... my imaginative little kid brain thought they were a komodo dragon and a dinosaur”, and as for fisk im still working on it but i . actually kind of imagine he might have a much longer lifespan (since lemurians are like ancient or w/e? and also if hes by dna like a gorilla cat or w/e gorillas at least live long af) and also feel like once he got older and settled down a bit he might live somewhere in the woods, maybe even his old tree? and the saturdays see him ALL the time obviously, but hey zaks gotta go to college eventually, a gorilla cats gotta eat bugs in forest, we all have to grow up and leave the nest sometime,

so idk the last time parker has actually seen fisk and she might assume he was an imaginary friend or smth but, 1. if i do write a fic they absolutely have to meet again, 2. overall the vibe is they know the saturdays are cryptozoologists, like, the same way josh gates does destination truth, seeking answers and studying, they dont really. know that theyre REAL. to them its like, a hypothetical science. (this is also part of why they dont realize parker is kur, she isnt around cryptids and therefore whenever her powers would actually show up they wouldnt be recognized) anyways parker isnt embarrassed or put off by it but just thinks its a little wacky, meanwhile kendall is obsessed with the world of mystery/paranormal/cryptic lol

speaking of the girls personalities;;;

parker is like. not really normie/preppy, even if she seems it at first glance, shes nice and has a good head on her shoulders but also is a teenage girl (inherently unhinged) and shes THEIR teenage girl (+5 feral) so despite her success and charm shes also very witty/crass when she wants to be, and deep down shes closer to the kind of person that would on pure inexplicable instinct put something random in your mouth when you’re yawning so you bite down on it afterwards. or like. that video of the girl singing in the bathroom while her friends curl their hair and she grabs the curler to use as a microphone before realizing its burning hot??? shes. the voice of reason, but the voice is usually shrieking in fear, making a cursed joke, or half the time whatever shes saying is actually smart. she kinda wants to go to college and travel, but struggles with indecisiveness and anxiety, so she has no idea where to go, what to major in, etc. and is again kinda just livin thru the typical teen life in that regard

kendall on the other hand is like. weird kid culture, the kind of kid that believes they are secretly a new supernatural creature each year (mermaid phase, werewolf phase, alien phase, etc), probably completely accidentally starts cults or witch covens at school (didnt realize teaching peers how to become ‘blood brothers’ and ‘make potions’ from puddles and stolen school supplies would be taken so seriously by parents) , very into emo/scene/punk/alt culture but not rly in an overtly dark/edgy way, more of a having fun and expressing self way. she wants answers for everything, really loves mysteries and being open minded, and definitely a rebel/adventurer at heart, even if she gets naive or in over her head sometimes.

the girls get along well! parker is not dismissive of kendall she just. isnt really into the same stuff/is more freaked out by it most of the time, but she would tag along on certain adventures, especially if it was to keep her safe. and kendall definitely directs gentle mockery towards parker a lot but does see her as a good role model and guiding figure, their bond is really strong!

other details !

doyle and abbey prob decide to say fuck it and get married after kendall is born, they probably have a few rough patches but nothing is more important to them than the kids now and in the end they understand each other better than anyone else so . canon tension idk her! family ftw! power couple! they intimidate the teacher during parent teacher conferences together hand in shady little hand !

their parenting style is exactly what one would imagine, 70% fun and sass and controlled chaos where theyre the bigger children than their children, 15% ‘this is how you hack the government and dual wield swords-- i was not supposed to teach you that im sorry’, and 15% actual guidance / emotional depth / etc. flaws might be overcoming their own immaturity for the first few years, and then being lowkey overly protective (while claiming they arent, but just bc you semi jokingly tell parker she should join the football team doesnt mean you dont actually hide 60% of ur life from her and check that her bedroom windows are locked every night and have 24 people listed in her school emergency contacts and used to cut up her food till she was 7 and-)

so abouT THE BABY BOY (Phoenix), 1. his middle name is leonidas bc im gay and i love emotional turmoil babes , 2. fully unironically the idea behind such a late pregnancy is abbey would be mid fourties when hes born right. so like. [has two kids] ‘ok birth control time’ [when theyre teens many years later] ‘ok im old enough to stop taking this’ [the hyperfertility curse that plagues many women rears its ugly head with one last hoo-rah]

and finALLY a very quick elevator pitch of what id write an actual fic to focus on;;; kendall sneaks into the attic to look for old shit bc they BOTH know their parents have been hiding stuff over the years, she finds things like a cryptopedia (now offline), the claw, maybe even a piece of the kur stone, and ropes parker into the long haul of figuring out what all this stuff is. and ofc the second they ever find the naga relic and parker comes face to face with it, [rest in rip] time for mom and dad to find out and all this kur shit to start ALL over again-

#long post/ //#tw animal death ment//#GOD THIS IS SO LONG IM SRY--#idk what to call thsi au forreal yet so ill just tag it as #dabbey baby au #TY FOR ASKING THO HEART HANDS

0 notes

noteonthepolaroidpicture · 5 years

Text

Someone else enjoys being in the closet.

#this dog i swear #puppers #💕💕💕#abbey dabbey doo

0 notes

princessnijireiki · 4 years

Text

so quarantine finally let downtown dabbey sinks its little english hooks into me smh... anyway new hobby is: ogling the real estate; horrified laughter at both characters' political optimism & the vein of british propergander running its way through the heart of wartime patriotic themes and "keep yer chin up guv'nah" soap opera schmaltz; aggressively googling anachronisms & joking abt how risqué it is for like. the main sister to be an 1800s wasp with pierced ears lol; and trying to figure out how old these characters are supposed to be + how much time has passed at any given time between crises since there's no age makeup or anything

#since apparently british prestige tv doesn't like too many episodes per season it's easy enough to binge #currently i'm as far as ''wait are they all about to get the spanish flu? wowwww the drama of it all lmfaooooo''#still wrapping my head around yung socialist though lol... he really said ''the bolsheviks would never hurt a fly!''#and then heard abt those romanov kids & hit that mf 180⁰ to ''well... to make an omelet... 🤷🏽‍♀️''#WILD... WILD!!!#downton abbey

22 notes · View notes

modestfox · 2 years

Text

This is AbbeykaDabbey. She was named by my niece for a Sesame Street character. Abbey, Dabbey, Dabbs.. Abigail, Abidale, Dale, she has many nicknames now. Abbey is my best hiking buddy and protector. She is sweet like southern tea and copper like a penny. I also call her my shiny copper dog. I think there’s a whiskey called Copper Dog - maybe I’ll try it one day. Abbey gets many compliments when we’re out in public. She is alert and friendly, and BIG. We were told she was a mutt - she was adopted as a puppy from the pound in Texas - but to us she looks an awful lot like a Chesapeake Bay Lab. She acts very much like a Lab too. Her coat pattern is so unusual that she gets lots of attention. She stands head-high at my hip. She is a very good girl. She even gets along with the cats! So here she is trying on one of my disguises, a bit confused and pretty sure she’s not going to fool anyone. Abbey is a manifestation of my subconscious. I am fooling myself trying to believe that I can participate in the world anonymously. Anyone can follow me home, trace my IP, check my photo data… I give away details myself by sharing photos of plants and landscapes and the name of the damn forest I’m in. How can I share without over sharing? Is it possible? Could someone let me in on the secret? One of the reasons I left other social platforms was because I felt too accessible - too available for manipulation. This platform seems to provide a bit more distance - LESS interconnectivity. It was more appealing to write…to expel this dumping of words and thoughts like a journal that maybe someone will care to read. Maybe even interact with. I don’t need my mother’s coworker’s opinion, and I definitely don’t want to annoy my entire graduating class with photos of my lunch… but a photo journal is appealing. If someone comes across all this and decides to give it a read, cool. I probably don’t need to fear overexposure though… What am I so afraid of anyway when I have Abbey???

#funny dogs #labrador #pets of tumblr #cute pets #hairoftheday #master of disguise #hiking #protection #nanny dog #funny pets #sesame street #animals #nature #mountains #west coast #southern california #national forest #mystery woman #hair extensions

0 notes

alexardenti · 2 years

Photo

Repost @sahilkhan @alexardenti photo 💯 % Original Supplements From My Store - HAR DABBEY PAR MERI GUARANTEE With Barcode Only 💪🏻👌🏼 @buycepsindia ☎️ 82757 77577 Pic By @alexardenti . . #SahilKhan #divinenutritionsuppliments #divinenutrition #icon #FitnessIC⭕️N #OneLifeBaby #OneLife #lasvegas (at Las Vegas, Nevada) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXtaWzErzd7/?utm_medium=tumblr

#sahilkhan #divinenutritionsuppliments #divinenutrition #icon #fitnessic⭕️n #onelifebaby #onelife #lasvegas

0 notes

sokhiharpal · 3 years

Video

Masaley dabbey ka asli saathi #lghingh #tadkawithlghing #lghingwithharpalsingh https://www.instagram.com/p/COZdLmbjUNa/?igshid=pbmyvq1pbdgt

#lghingh #tadkawithlghing #lghingwithharpalsingh

0 notes

kelyon · 1 year

Text

Dark Mistress 26: Affection

Bae loves his little brother

Read on AO3

Somehow, Baelfire was able to get himself, Papa, and Gideon all down the mountain and home safely. Papa was too much of a wreck to hold the baby, so Baelfire charged him with carrying the reed basket and all the sundry supplies they had brought with them the night before. He did as he was told, but had no will to do anything else.

It was hard to look at Papa. Hard to see the shell left behind after the Dark One had died in his arms. Her magic had saved his life and taken away the pain of labor, but there was something inside him that was broken, now that she was gone. He didn’t talk, showed only the slightest interest in Gideon. He looked at the ground as he walked, holding back tears and clutching his staff.

Baelfire had to lead the way. He swaddled Gideon in cloths and tied the bundle to his chest like mothers in the village did. He wasn’t sure of his knots, so he had to keep one hand on the baby the whole way down.

Gideon had slept through the first night of his life. Now that it was day, he was awake, and very unhappy about it. He was such a tiny thing, but his wails rang out through the forest. Baelfire tried to comfort his brother, but those efforts were about as useful as comforting Papa in his grief. He was trying his best, but he wasn’t the person they needed.

The baby was hungry, he needed a mother. Papa was bereft, he needed the woman he loved.

The Dark One.

Belle.

He’d read her name on the dagger she’d used to cut herself open. If Baelfire had wanted to do the will of the Blue Star, he would have used that dagger to kill her. Instead, she had sacrificed herself to bring Gideon into this world, and to save Papa’s life.

Those two both owed their lives to her. They needed her to stay alive. And Baelfire was caught in the middle, trying to hold his strange little family together.

****

When they got to the cottage, he changed Gideon’s cloths and set him down in his basket on the table. Throughout all of this, the baby never stopped crying. Baelfire had the thought to put the basket in the barn, just to keep the noise away for a few minutes.

“No, no,” he sighed. He nudged the basket to try to make it rock. “No, all your caterwauling would upset the sheep.”

No, the sheep were still outside. He had never put them back in the barn last night. Baelfire groaned. If any of them had wandered off, or if the lambs had been taken by wolves or by the cold, it would be all his fault. Baguette hadn’t barked or run up to greet them when they came home. Maybe she was in the pasture with the herd. Maybe she had kept them safe.

As important as the sheep were, their wellbeing couldn’t take Baelfire away from Gideon. Not yet, not while he was still wailing and Papa was still helpless.

His father had made it as far as his bed by the door. He had collapsed, and now looked like he would never get up again.

“We need to feed the baby,” Baelfire said. “Are the ewes still giving milk?”

Papa nodded. Even that much movement seemed to exhaust him. “Your Dabbey,” he said. “She gave me a bucket yesterday. Gods, was that only yesterday?” He covered his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, Bae. I’m so useless.”

“Hey,” Baelfire put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “We’re going to get through this. I promised you that I’d take care of the baby, and I will. I just--I need to know what to do.”

Papa took a shuddering breath. His nod was stronger this time. “I put the milk from yesterday in a jug in the creek,” he said. “You’ll need to warm it up, then dip in a clean rag into it. Let it soak in and he’ll learn to suck on that.”

“Thank you.” He squeezed Papa’s shoulder, then stood up and brought the basket over to the bed. Papa’s cries had eased for the moment, but Gideon’s had only gotten worse. “I’ll be right back.”

****

He ran outside to the pasture, calling for Baguette and the sheep. His dog answered with happy barks, which made the sheep start bleating. He got close enough to count all nine of them, then ran back to the creek. The milk was where Papa said it would be. Baelfire grabbed the jug and held it against his chest as he ran back into the cottage. He built up the fire and prepared the milk as Papa had said, testing it on his skin to make sure it never got hot enough to hurt the baby.

By the time all this was done, Gideon had worn himself out from crying. Papa held him close, but all the rocking in the world wouldn’t help a baby who was too hungry to sleep. Baelfire heard the change in the baby’s cries. They were weaker now, not as loud, but sharper. It sounded like he was in pain. Desperate. It was as though his little brother knew he had no chance at life if he stayed this hungry.

He took Gideon and held him in the crook of his arm in front of the hearth. Papa had wrapped him in one of his old blankets. Carefully, Baelfire dipped a corner of a folded rag into one of their clay bowls. The milk soaked into the rag. He brought it up to the baby, making sure not to spill a drop.

At first, Gideon was too occupied with crying to realize that help was coming. Baelfire had to catch him mid-wail and stick the milky rag into his open mouth.

After a moment of frustrated confusion, Gideon’s mouth closed around the folded cloth. Then he began to suck.

A shudder went through Baelfire, a sob and a laugh at the same time.

“Good!” he breathed. “Good job, Gid.”

He waited a minute, then took the rag out of the baby’s mouth and dipped it in the milk again. There was a cry of protest that went away once Gideon tasted milk again. Soon, every time Baelfire took the rag away, Gideon kept his mouth open, expectant. He knew he would be taken care of.

Drop by drop, Baelfire fed his brother. As the feeding went on, Gideon’s blue eyes grew wider, his motions became more lively. Instead of crying, he gurgled and smacked his lips together. He spat up milk a few times, but Baelfire wiped it away with the other end of the rag. He didn’t stop until Gideon turned his head away, letting milk dribble out of his open mouth.

Baelfire took a moment to look at his brother. This tiny, perfect thing that he had just helped keep alive. His eyelids closed, his lips curled up in contentment. Baelfire had never seen anything so beautiful.

“Do you know how to burp him?” Papa had managed to get to the table. He was sitting down, looking at them. He still looked hollowed-out, but at least he was able to talk.

Holding the baby carefully, Baelfire got up from the hearth and sat down next to him. “Can you show me?” he asked. “Do you want to hold him?”

Papa had been so happy last night, in those fleeting moments when he had held Gideon for the first time, before everything had gone wrong. He took the baby now, and brought him up to his shoulder. One of his hands covered the whole of Gideon’s body. He held him by the bottom, and brought his other hand down on his back with a steady rhythm.

“You have to be harder than you’d think,” he said. “Babies cry like the devil if they’re not burped after a feeding.”

Somehow, Baelfire found it in him to smile. “Did I do that?”

Papa nodded. “How do you think I learned?”

Tilting his head back, Baelfire stretched his arms wide. All of his muscles were sore. He groaned.

“He’s so small, he shouldn’t be so heavy.”

It was supposed to be a joke, but Papa didn’t smile. Still patting Gideon on the back, he looked at Baelfire sadly.

“It shouldn’t be your burden, son.”

“He’s not a burden, Papa, I didn’t mean--”

“I know,” he said. “I know what you meant. Of all the tasks that have fallen on your shoulders, this is probably the one with the best reward. Or at least, the reward I would choose first.” He turned his head to kiss Gideon on the ear. “But I truly do thank you, Bae. No matter what else happens, you were there for your brother in the most crucial hours of his life. And these past few months, you’ve been here for me. I’ve needed you more than a father should need his son. And you’ve answered the call, every time. Thank you.”

Baelfire pressed his lips together. He didn’t know what to say.

“Well, it’s not over,” he tried. “Gideon is still going to need a lot of looking-after.”

“The time will fly,” Papa said. “Before you know it, he’ll be a man like you.”

He tried to imagine that. What would Gideon look like at fifteen? What would Baelfire look like at thirty? It was so far away. So much could happen between now and then.

“I wonder what he’ll be like.”

“Scholarly, maybe,” Papa said. “If he takes after his mother. She--” His voice broke. He wrapped both arms around Gideon. After a moment, he was able to speak through his tears. “She told me that she loved to read, when she was a girl.”

Baelfire didn’t know how to comfort his father. All he could try was to distract him. “You said you picked out the name Gideon from a book?”

Papa nodded. “Her favorite book. She showed me--well, it doesn’t matter now.” He sighed. “If I knew that story, I could tell Gideon more about who he’s named after. As it is, all I know is that Belle was lonely as a child, and that she loved to read about Gideon and Alma.”

Lonely seemed an odd word to describe the Dark One. It was odd too, to hear Papa talking about her being a girl, being a child. That floating terror he’d seen on the mountain--had she really been a baby once? Like Gideon? Had she been born with blue eyes, blessed by the Blue Star?

“I’m sorry he won’t know her,” Baelfire said. “It’s hard to grow up without a mother.”

His own mother had been hard to live with sometimes, but at least she had been around for a while. There was always the possibility of catching her on a good day--when she would play with him and speak kindly to Papa. Baelfire at least knew what his mother looked like. Gideon would never have that.

“It is,” Papa agreed. “I’ve always wondered about mine, if she--” He shook his head.

“What?” Baelfire asked. He didn’t know anything about that grandmother.

Papa rocked Gideon as he spoke. He was strangely calm. “When I was growing up, my father always made sure I knew that my mother had not died in childbirth. That she had abandoned me--me specifically, not him, not ‘us.’ He would say if I hadn’t been born, the two of them would still be together and happier than ever.”

“Gods,” Baelfire whispered. “That’s horrible.”

“It is,” he nodded. He held the baby out in front of him, resting him against his forearms. “Gideon is never going to hear that. Belle gave her life for his birth. I wanted him, when it would have been easier not to. You have already done so much to take care of him. If we can give your brother nothing else, we can give him our love.”

“Yeah.” Reaching out, Baelfire put his finger inside Gideon’s tiny hand. His brother grabbed him, and didn’t let go. “We can give him that.”

****

It wasn’t until Gideon was asleep in his basket that they were able to think about anything else. Papa put more logs on the fire and reached up into the rafters with both hands to bring down some smoked sausage links.

Baelfire stared at him.

Papa returned his stare with a questioning look. “I thought after everything we’ve been through, a bit of meat would do us good. Is that a problem?”

He kept staring. First at Papa, standing in the middle of the room. And then at Papa’s staff, where he had dropped it on the floor by his bed.

He hadn’t used it since they’d come home.

“Oh!” Papa said when he realized what he was doing. He staggered back, nearly fell to sit on the hearth. With a dazed expression, he stretched his legs out in front of him. He kicked both feet inside his shoes. They both moved with the same ease. There was no pain in Papa’s face.

Mouth agape, he brought his bad foot up to take off his shoes and stockings. Baelfire had seen the injury only a few times, but he knew what it looked like. A limb so twisted and scarred that it barely looked like a foot at all.

It looked like a foot now. Papa could move it back and forth. He wiggled his toes. And there was no pain. Even the scars were gone. It was like the wound had never happened.

He looked up at Papa’s face, and saw the same shock and joy that Baelfire felt.

“She did this,” Papa whispered. He got up--quickly, and without any help--to stand in the center of the cottage. “She--Belle. Every time we were together, she would take my pain away. When we were done, she would give it back. She always said the balance had to be maintained, or else there would be a price.” He lowered his head. “She must have paid for this, as well as for Gideon.”

Baelfire got up from the table. “Y-you can walk.” He could never stop saying obvious things when something amazing happened. “And--and you’re not in pain at all?”

“No.” Papa shifted his weight from one foot to the other, again and again until he was practically dancing. He threw both arms around Baelfire. “I’m whole.”

In the joy of the moment, Papa tried to pick him up, but Baelfire was still taller and heavier than his father. Papa just laughed.

“I suppose I can’t do everything.”

“I can’t believe it,” Baelfire said. “She--the Dark One--did this for you? For us?”

Papa put both hands on the back of Baelfire’s head. “I keep telling you, she isn’t evil. Not to us, anyway. She stopped the war for you, son. Now Gideon, and this. She has given me every good thing I’ve ever lacked.”

And it had killed her.

Baelfire didn’t ruin their happiness by saying it out loud, but it was true. All of this, all of their joy, had come at the cost of Belle’s life.

****

It was all too big to think about. Baelfire and Rumpelstiltskin didn’t have the luxury of sitting around marveling at great events, not when there was work to be done around the farm. Baelfire went out to the garden to bring in some carrots and cabbage for Papa to fry up with the sausage. They had to eat, and so would Gideon sooner or later.

“We’ll need to start boiling some water as well,” Papa said. “There’s going to be a lot more laundry until he’s old enough to walk to the privy.”

Baelfire groaned. “Right,” he said. “I’ll go out to the well.”

“No, don’t,” Papa said. “Stay here and chop the vegetables. I can get the water.”

And he did. Papa brought back two buckets, one in each hand. He poured one bucket into the big iron kettle and set it to heat over the fire. He left one bucket on the ground inside, then sauntered back out with the other.

Never in his life had Baelfire seen his father move like that, so fast, so sure. He was like a different person.

After supper, when Gideon began to wake up and fuss, Papa was the one who darted over to him. He took the feeding, leaving Baelfire with nothing to do but wash the dishes and the baby’s rags. It was work, but it wasn’t hard work. For the first time in a long time, Baelfire didn’t feel like it was his job to do everything.

When night fell, he brought the sheep and the chickens into the barn. Then--with nothing else to do--he stood outside with Baguette for a little while, looking up at the stars.

He breathed.

She was up there, as always, like a diamond in the sky. The Blue Star. Should he make a wish? Should he try to call her down to talk? Should he explain everything, that the Dark One was gone and that Gideon was a real baby after all? But the stars saw everything, they would have seen what had happened on the mountain last night. He didn’t need to explain anything. Baelfire turned away. He headed back into the cottage where his family was waiting for him.

Just for now, it felt like all his wishes had come true.

****

“Bae, wake up. There’s a problem.”

Baelfire jerked awake. Papa was standing by his bed, holding Gideon to his shoulder. From the light in the cottage, it was just after dawn. There was an odd smell in the cottage, an odd sound. He couldn’t make out what it was.

“Is he alright?”

“For now he is, I just fed him. But that was the last of the milk and the ewes aren’t giving me anything more.”

He sat up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

Something bleated.

“Is--” Baelfire rubbed his face. “Is there a sheep in the cottage?”

Papa nodded. “Dabbey. I think it was the cold that dried her up, staying out all night when Gideon was born.”

Still very tired, Baelfire nodded. “So you brought her inside so she’d stay warm by the fire.”

“We might have to keep her here through the winter, though I worry about her spirit.”

“And the smell.” Baelfire loved his sheep, but there was a reason they were kept far away from where he ate. “So that’s all sorted, isn’t it? What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that these things take time, son. I won’t even try to milk her until tomorrow.”

“And Gideon will need to eat before that.” He let out a heavy sigh. “What do you think?”

“I doubt any other shepherds have kept their sheep milking this late into the season, same with cows or goats. No animal is going to help us.”

“So a person,” Bae said. “A human woman, who is nursing a baby.” It all made sense now. “Tabat. We need to take Gideon to Tabat.”

Papa nodded. “I didn’t want anyone to know about him so soon,” he said. “It’s easier to believe a foundling would be a few months old, not two days.”

“And Tabat knows babies.” Baelfire began to put on his clothes. “They’ll be no fooling her about how old he is. Or that he needs a mother.”

At least he could tell her the truth about that. Gideon’s mother was dead.

“Tell them he is your brother,” Papa told him. “He’s my son, and the mother is gone. That’s all anyone needs to know.”

“Wait, am I doing this alone?” Bae asked. “You’re not coming with me?”

Papa gestured down to where he was no longer lame. “I don’t have an explanation for this yet.”

“Yet,” Baelfire snorted. “I’m sure you’ll figure out some story.”

“No one’s seen me in months anyway. Maybe they’ll have forgotten what I used to be.”

“We could just say you spent the whole time on a pilgrimage somewhere and found some magic that healed you.”

Papa grinned. “Maybe. But one step at a time, Bae. Right now the only thing that matters is Gideon.”

“Right.”

Together, they took the straps he had used the day before and bound Gideon’s swaddled form to Baelfire’s chest, front to front. Papa was better with the knots than he was. Everything was more secure now that he was able to help.

“Will you be alright while we’re gone?” Baelfire asked him.

Papa shrugged. “Of course.”

“No, I mean--” How to say it? “--In your heart? You--you know we’ll come back, right?”

Papa took Baelfire’s face in both hands and kissed him on the forehead. Then he kissed Gideon on his tiny, hairless scalp.

“I do,” he said. “I promise, I will be alright.”

“He’ll need a few feedings before tomorrow morning. I’ll ask if we can stay the night.”

“They’re good people,” Papa said. “They won’t turn you away.”

He nodded. There was one more thing he had to ask before he left. “Papa, it’s after the harvest now. You told them you’d talk more about me and Morraine after the wheat harvest.”

“I did,” Papa said. “And you can tell them I’m ready to discuss the matter whenever they like.”

Baelfire’s breath caught in his throat. “Really?”

Papa looked at him, a little sadly, and nodded. “I never wanted to keep you from being happy, Bae. Morraine is a perfect match for you. You two should be together. I just--it all had to wait, until we knew what would happen with the baby.”

Baelfire rubbed his thumb against Gideon’s back. He was sleeping, for now. His little hands were scrunched up in front of his red face. It all made sense to him now. His brother was worth waiting to be with Morraine for. Gideon was worth all the lies and the secrets. Gideon was worth everything.

“We’ll be back tomorrow morning,” he promised.

“I know,” Papa said.

****

Gideon slept through the journey to town. Walking through the forest, Baelfire saw the familiar path with new eyes. Morning sun shone through the trees in beams of golden light. Everywhere around him, he saw something he wanted to tell Gideon about. The trees, the animals, everything he knew, every memory he had of their home, he wanted to share it with his brother.

Of course it would be years before he’d be old enough to understand, but that didn’t keep Baelfire from planning what he was going to say. The world was so beautiful, and there was so much of it, even on this little path. He understood why Papa always talked about knowing things as being so important. If Gideon could just be told everything that Baelfire’d had to learn from experience, then he’d know it all that much sooner. He’d be spared a little heartache, and that was the most important thing in the world.

“I’m gonna tell you everything,” he murmured into the skin of his head. “And you’re gonna have a better life than me, I promise. That’s all Papa ever wanted for me, and it’s all I want for you, Gid.”

He cut through the forest to get to Morraine’s house, instead of taking the main road. It was one thing to tell her and her family about his new brother, quite another to parade him in front of everyone. When he got to their back garden, Morraine was outside with two of her younger sisters. They were gathered around a fire on the ground, with a big iron pot hanging from a hook over it. From the smell, they were boiling down animal fat to make soap. Another child--a boy--was bent over the garden plot, being carefully observed by a baby barely old enough to toddle around without help.

Morraine’s face brightened when she saw him by the gate. Gods, her smile was perfect. Every time he saw that triangle, he wanted to stop the world so he could look at her forever. Maybe when Gideon was his age, he’d have someone to smile for.

“Baelfire!” She abandoned her work and ran up to let him in--but stopped short when she saw Gideon. “Baelfire, what are you doing with a baby?”

“It’s a long story,” he said as he came into the yard. “Is your mother home?”

“Of course. She’s minding the shop while Papa and the boys are threshing the wheat. Why aren’t you with them? Papa said he was looking forward to showing you how it’s done.”

“Right now, I have to take care of this one.”

Baelfire made his way into the house to the back entrance of the butcher shop. Morraine followed after him.

“Why do you have a baby? Where did he come from?”

It was rare in their friendship that Baelfire got a chance to be more clever than Morraine. Grinning, he took the opportunity. “Really? As many brothers and sisters as you have, and you don’t know where babies come from?” He shook his head and tutted.

“Oh shut up!” Morraine giggled. She probably would have shoved him, if he didn’t have Gideon on his chest.

There were no customers in the shop when they got there. Tabat leaned over the wooden counter, counting coins and writing in a ledger book. Near her feet, her newest baby was sitting up in a cradle, joyfully banging a wooden spoon against everything in reach. Tabat looked up when she heard them coming.

“Well, hello,” she said to Baelfire. She tilted her head at Gideon, and put her hands on her hips. “And who’s that?”

“Gideon,” Baelfire said. “He’s my brother. He’s two days old and he’s going to be hungry in a few hours.”

“That is usually the way.” If Tabat was shocked to see Baelfire carrying a baby, it took second place to making sure that the baby was taken care of. “Can I see him?”

With Morraine’s help, Baelfire undid the straps that held the baby to his chest. Gideon began to wake up at this new movement. His arms unfurled inside his swaddle, and his mouth opened. He didn’t cry, but there was a little sound as Baelfire handed him over to Tabat.

“There he is,” she cooed. “There’s a good little hogget.” She looked Gideon over, once he was in her arms. “He doesn’t look hungry yet, but I’ll take care of him when he is. How about you, lad?”

Baelfire shrugged, “I’m fine. I’m not as picky as he is.”

Tabat snorted. Cradling Gideon in one hand, she used the other to put away her tools of business. Then she turned to Baelfire.

“Now tell me again, you say he’s your brother?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Where’s his mother?” Morraine asked.

“Who’s his mother?” Tabat added.

“She’s gone,” Baelfire said. “She died, just after the birth. And--and she was… a lady, that Papa knew. I mean, guess he would have to know her. She didn’t live in the village, though. I didn’t know her until the birth. I think she was from far away.”

Tabat’s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. “A lady?” she said. “Do you mean a lady lady? A lord’s lady?”

“I think so.” Baelfire covered up the half-lie with a shrug. “It was kind of hard to tell in the moment.”

“Rumpelstiltskin?” Tabat said. “With a noblewoman?”

“Your father had a love affair?” Morraine sounded delighted at the idea. “That’s so romantic! I bet she was married and that’s why they couldn’t be together.”

“Papa didn’t tell me a lot about how it happened,” Baelfire said, truthfully. “He probably never would have told me any of it, if it weren’t for the baby.”

“And now she’s dead, you say?” Tabat asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s so sad,” Morraine whispered.

Tabat made a noise, a sort of “Hmpf,” as she walked Gideon up and down the meat counter. Her brows furrowed, and she muttered to herself.

“Rumpelstiltskin?” she said. “Who would have ever thought? But then…” She raised her eyebrows, tilted her head back and forth. “They do say there’s someone for everyone.”

“We’ve been trying to feed the baby with sheep milk.” Baelfire tried to get the conversation back to the important part. “It worked well enough, except they stopped producing this morning.”

“When did he find out?” Tabat spoke like she was still trying to figure something out. “About the baby? Was it in the spring?”

Baelfire swallowed. “I think so,” he said. “Around the time of the shearing, probably.”

“Uh-huh.” Tabat nodded. Her expression turned smug, like she had just untied a tricky knot.

She must have done the arithmetic in her head, that a baby born in the fall would have been first known about in the spring. Even with this altered version of the truth where Gideon’s mother was an ordinary woman, it would follow that Papa knowing that a baby was coming would make him hesitate to arrange Baelfire and Morraine’s match.

“He did say that he wants to talk to you and Yahn again,” Baelfire said. Behind him, he heard Morraine gasp.

“Yes, and I imagine he’ll be more willing to show his face in the village as well, now that his big secret is finally out.” Tabat shook her head. “Oh, that man.” She looked at Gideon, tickled him under the chin. “Oh, that silly father of yours! The things people do when they’re in love!”

****

They spent a day and a night at Morraine’s. Gideon slept and nursed and slept again. Tabat strapped him to her chest inside her bodice, like she had for every one of her own children. Baelfire tried to help with Morraine’s chores, but he couldn’t let himself stay very far away from the baby. When Tabat noticed this, she put him to work taking care of her baby, who was older than Gideon and much more active. She kept him near and taught him as much as she could about minding children.

Morraine spent the whole day looking at Baelfire like he was a prince.

After sunset, Yahn and the older boys came back from the threshing. The whole family ate dinner on one long trestle table outside. When Tabat explained the situation to her husband, he laughed. They promised they would come up to the cottage soon to discuss terms for the betrothal.

He slept on the same pallet as Morraine, with most of her siblings in between them. He wanted to drift off while thinking about sleeping next to her, what it would be like to bury his face in her golden hair. But his thoughts always came back to Gideon. Every sound might be a cry, and he wouldn’t leave his brother to cry.

Despite his worries, he knew Gideon was safe. Tabat had placed him in the cradle next to her bed, right beside her own baby. She knew what she was doing. Gideon would be alright.

In the morning, Tabat asked if he wanted to leave Gideon with her, but he couldn’t do that. Papa was probably worried sick as it was. Baelfire promised Tabat and Morraine he would come back if there were any problems. They gave him as much food as he could carry and sent them on their way.

When they came home, Papa ran up with Baguette to greet them on the road. A night inside the cottage had done Dabbey a world of good. She had already given half a jug of milk. Papa took Gideon, and he looked happier than Baelfire had ever seen him.

Papa had done a lot of work while they were away. He could do more with two good feet. He’d washed every rag and blanket they had, including the one with embroidered stars that had used to belong to Baelfire. He’d brought in all the vegetables from the garden, and began the process of preserving them. He climbed a ladder and gone up onto the roof of the cottage to find weak spots in the thatch, so they could repair them before winter set in.

That night, they ate a feast of fresh pork, baked apples, and bread from the bakery. They talked of the future. How Gideon would grow. What they could do on the farm, now that they were two men working together. Hopeful as their talk was, there was still sorrow in Papa’s eyes. The past would always be fraught with loss. But Baelfire was able to look forward to the future, a world that had no darkness in it.

They were cleaning up dinner, when there was a thud against the door.

“What on earth is that?” Papa looked up. He was washing dishes, while Baelfire fed Gideon.

On instinct, Baelfire began to stand up, but Papa waved him off.

“Hello?” He called to the shut door. “Is someone there?”

There was no answer.

“It’s probably nothing,” Baelfire said.

“Yes, probably,” Papa agreed. But he picked up his staff and went to the door anyway.

Sitting on the hearth, Baelfire didn’t see what happened when his father opened the door. All he heard was another thud, then a gasp. Then Papa shouted:

“Belle!”

#dark mistress #rumbelle #rumbelle fic #baelfire

13 notes · View notes