#even an aunt he didn't meet until adulthood | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ur-fav-inactive-writer · 11 months

Text

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫/𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐨'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞...

Being Luthers daughter would be rather boring

You never knew who your mother was, Luther had been with a few women on missions and one day you appeared on the doorstep. They DNA tested you and you and Luther were a match

(Yes I'm aware in canon Luther is a virgin until he goes to some furry convention but shhhh, its for the story)

Because he was on the moon, you didn't get to see him for so long

You became adjusted to being raised by Grace

You, like your father, had been born with special abilities. You didn't find out for years what it was but as you got older you discovered that you had the power of telekinesis

When Luther was around when you were younger, he was a very boring dad

You'd be grounded instantly for the tiniest things

There were very few times you had fun with him when you were much younger, he rarely ever had time for you

Then he had to go to moon and that was the last time you saw him for years

There were very high expectations for you after being raised by Grace, Reginald and Pogo for 4 years while your father was gone

Reginald decided to train you, even called you number eight

Grace never referred to you as number eight, only ever by name

You were taught by them so you were very smart

They kept you inside, not many people knew of your existence, only those you lived with knew about you

Once Reginald had died, you met the rest of your family

And you were also reunited with your dad

He was much bigger when he came back, but so were you

When he saw you for the first time he was rather shocked

"(Y-Y/N)? Is that you?"

"Well.. yeah. Thought you might recognise your own daughter."

"O-oh, you're just so much... older."

"Thats kinda how aging works, dad."

As boring as he was as a father, you were so happy to be reunited with him

Once you started talking to Klaus though, you were wreaking havoc constantly

You got to meet Allison and quickly sensed something between her and your dad, which was weird considering she was your aunt

It was probably nothing.. right?

Diego didn't exactly like you in the beginning because you were Luthers daughter

He quickly learned to love you once he learned you weren't like Luther, he loved to team up against your dad with you

He always took you out and let you do things your dad never let you do, doing all this just to spite your dad and it worked

"Diego! I told you she wasn't allowed to have that!"

"No shit, that's why I did it"

You just stood in the corner laughing, thinking of the next thing you'd get Diego to do for you

Meeting Five was... strange

He was impressed by your smarts compared to Luther

You didn't ever get a chance to properly bond with Five, yknow with all the saving the world stuff

Your dad didn't really like you being around Viktor, he thought that if you tried bonding with him he'd spill your secrets and even reveal your existence and put you in danger

You had never actually left the house so once you met your uncles and they let you out of the house, you were ecstatic

Once you got to the 1960s, you felt so lost and lonely

You'd never been by yourself before, it was terrifying for you, you had always been with someone

You had to try find your way around a world you'd barely ever explored, eventually you learned how to navigate yourself and be by yourself

Well not entirely by yourself, when people found some strange teenage girl wandering around by herself, looking scared to death they took you to an orphanage and you stayed there for 2 years

People never wanted to adopt teenagers, especially not when they were nearing adulthood. Until one day when you were called into a room to meet someone

It was your dad, he had somehow figured out where you were, you soon learned he had found out because of his boss but you didnt care, you were just overjoyed to see your dad again

He took you back to some random store, where you were reunited with your family, you couldn't have been happier to finally see everyone again. Though you didn't know your family that well, you loved them more than anything and when they saw you, they leaped to hug you.

You had to attend the family dinner with your dad, uncles and aunt

You just sat there awkwardly throughout the whole experience, Reginald was shocked to learn he had a grandchild and was further shocked by your intelligence

You demonstrated your powers to him and began to recite things he had taught you, he kept you behind after the dinner to talk to you

Luther was very opposed to this idea but allowed it to happen

When you were at the farm and the battle began, your father was purely focused on protecting you. As the bullets flew through the air, he picked you up and used himself as your personal shield. Your eyes were ringing from the sounds of the shots and he covered your ears for you

You were terrified, you'd never really been exposed to this before. The only time that you had experienced something like this was at the bowling alley and at Viktors violin show but even that didn't even compare to what you were experiencing there.

Once all the commission was wiped out, you were in the barn, watching as Diego had a heart to heart with Lila until a shot rang out

Diego collapsed to the floor, the handler stood in the doorway with a gun and suddenly

She fired it at all of you

You collapsed to the floor

Then Five reversed time and you then had to travel back to your original timeline.

Well, you thought it was the original timeline

(Not gonna do HC for season 3 in this because there's already so much for Luther)

𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐨, #2

Diego is a funnish (???) dad

You came from a one night stand that Diego forgot about

Nearly a year later, Al called him to tell him a 3 month-old had just been dropped off at the gym and it apparently belonged to Diego

Though, as soon as he saw you, he remembered the hook up because you looked just like your mother will small resemblances to Diego

He was scared to be a dad, his father was so cruel, abusive and distant

Diego didn't want you to be raised with the same hatred that he had for his own father

He's a busy guy, you were mostly raised at the gym with Al

You were also raised by Eudora, she was like a mother to you

But any free time Diego had, he was determined to spend with you

He loved you dearly, he lived for you

When you were much younger, around 4, you had wandered out of Al's sight and watched your dad training

You were inspired by watching your dad train, you wanted to try too

Diego heard some small grunts and looked over to you

There you were, mimicking the sounds and punching moved he was making, his heart melted

But he was very mad at Al for letting you wander out of sight

After seeing you, he decided to start training you

You had lots of fun with your dad

You went to public school, your dad couldn't afford anything fancy

If you ever got detentions, Diego would just laugh, he found it hilarious

When he was with Eudora, she encouraged you to be a good student, you rarely listened but you truly loved her so you did try

Then your grandfather died, which meant Diego had to attend his funeral, but he didnt want you staying at the gym for too long by yourself and decided to take you with him

That's when you finally met the rest of your family, they were rather shocked to learn Diego had a kid

When Eudora died, your heart broke, you just cried, cried and cried

Diego attempted to comfort you but it didn't work too well, you really did miss her

You were used to being around Klaus, your dad often picked him up from jail when he got in trouble or would find him on the side of the road and take him back to your place

Klaus was fascinated to know that he now had another niece, he bonded with you quickly and took care of you when Diego was gone

Well, he tried to take care of you, he more messed around with you whilst Ben reminded him to be gentle and responsible with you

Klaus was your best friend, you didn't get along with a lot of people at school and Klaus was your escape from that

He was so funny and eccentric, he was way better than all the kids at school. Diego didn't think the same, he thought Klaus was a bad influence on you but you never cared

Meeting the rest of your family was certainly strange

Luther didn't exactly like you but fuck him, he was annoying anyway so you didn't care

Allison liked you slightly more because you reminded her of Claire in some ways

Your dad didn't let you speak to Viktor, the most you could do was give an awkward wave

It was strange to finally meet your family, but you were happy you did

(Sorry loves, I'm not gonna write much for Diego because I've already done something pretty much exactly like this in the past)

(A/N) : Hope you enjoy reading this, I really hate it but i hope you guys like it!

Taglist: @book-place @shefollowedthestars

#ur fav inactive writer #tua #diego hargreeves #luther hargreeves #luther hargreeves x reader #diego hargreeves x daughter!reader #diego hargreeves x reader #luther hargreeves x daughter!reader #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #klaus hargreeves #klaus hargreeves x reader #allison hargreeves #allison hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves #ben hargreeves x reader

265 notes · View notes

palaceoftherakes · 9 months

Text

"i suppose marriage has always been a financial proposition, even in fiction."

Little Women (2019), dir. Greta Gerwig

the idea of marriage has always been strange.

for me, well i'm bisexual, and i never thought that marriage would be a prospect to me because i didn't think i'd ever be capable of loving one person for the rest of my life. then, i watched Little Women (2019). it wasn't this epiphany, but a slow realisation about how i'd been brainwashed to believe that marriage was the way to fulfilment. while there are many things about Greta Gerwig's adaptation that i'd like to discuss, sisterhood, womanhood and youth being few to mention, i would like to focus on this concept of marriage as it is represented through the eyes of Jo, who up until my tenth watch, i identified with the most.

Jo March, as self-described, is frumpy, homely and unlike any woman, Theodore Laurance would ever want to marry. i too have always felt like that. never be the one to be asked out, or even noticed by boys in school, and when i realised i liked girls too, it became a taboo subject that left me with slurs and various degrees of internalised homophobia. growing older, I've realised that perhaps it is me being a poc in a majority-white setting that has made it so difficult to feel the right to be loved by others romantically. or maybe it's because i've been stagnant in my approach to sexuality that it's scared others away. enough self-evaluation: Jo sees marriage like a prison, and that makes sense. or does it?

a perfect home life, yes. a nuclear family, the husband, the wife, the children, the white picket fence and a warm hearth to surround when it gets cold outside. even though the love between marmie and father is one to be idolised, it is caring and unconditional love that surrounds Jo, and yet she finds herself opposed to the very notion of marriage.

the setting that the march family sit in is quiet, a cottage core aesthetic (to use contemporary reference) where the only people they interact with are the Laurences, the Hummels and one Mr. John Brooke. when Teddy and Jo pair off and become quick and steadfast friends the natural conclusion is that they'll get married and have a hoard of children while living a mildly happy life. it works for Meg and Mr. Brooke, so why wouldn't it work for Teddy and Jo?

to me, it's very clear. it's clear for the moment Jo leaves her family home and moves to New York to work in a boarding house. meeting the foreign professor is this sign shouting "THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN WHAT YOU KNOW!" he applies a different school of thought and challenges her in a way that Laurie and her family never did. the challenges she faces, the rejection from the publishing house, not being chosen to go to France with Aunt March, and most significantly the death of Beth, all push her to the conclusion of finishing her book and getting it published.

but the question becomes, why was i more satisfied with the ending of Jo and Friedrich (the professor) than with her getting her book published? i guess it becomes the conversation of what romantic films have periodically presented us with the 'happy ending', which has been, falling in love, getting married, having oodles of children and then dying. to be honest, it's not just romantic films, it's the disney princesses that surrounded me in childhood. its stereotypes that are perpetuated even further into media, and are ingrained into young girls from a young age. even now, as I'm meeting adulthood for the first time, the questions of marriage, kids and the future keep on cropping up in conversations. i don't think i was ever conscious of my own bias when watching films, but watching Little Women for what seems to be the 100th time makes me wonder what it really means to be married, what that commitment really means. Is it like Jo says, an 'economic proposition' or is it something much more than that?

author note:

amy and laurie >>>> jo and laurie

#little women #little women 2019 #greta gerwig #saiorse ronan #timothee chalamet #jo march #laurie laurence #amy march #meg march #beth march #marmie

13 notes · View notes

bunbeeplays · 3 months

Text

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 38 - Hopple Borfna, Duncan

It's Duncan's first birthday! Travis and Becca keep it lowkey, since they're the first parents of the friend group.

Judging from Libby and Ophelia's faces, I think Becca's talking about what delivering a baby is like.

Ophelia: *nom* Oh my Watcher these fried chicken sliders are so good

Libby: You sure your new trait isn't actually Glutton, Feefs?

Apparently Ophelia's on clean-up duty.

Travis: Ophelia, this isn't your house anymore. You don't have to do the dishes.

Ophelia: Force of habit.

Libby: I think we all know where I stand. Do you two want kids someday?

Mark: Sure, I'd love to be a dad. Not this second but before I hit full-on adulthood.

Summer: Maybe. I heard they can have blowouts now though, so maybe Mark could do that part.

Mark: Wow, thanks, babe.

Ophelia has a gift for her honorary nephew.

Becca: Aww, a little knitted turtle! That's so sweet, thanks, Ophelia!

Ophelia: Made it myself!

Ophelia Marie Lemon, no you did not! You bought it off of Plopsy! I'm going to make you learn how to knit just to keep up with this lie!

Duncan is now an infant! And he's adorable.

Summer: Oh no. I think I do want one of these, even if they do smell sometimes.

My man Mark is just sitting there while his girlfriend is getting baby fever like 'this is fine'

Duncan's not much of a partier yet, time for a nap.

Mark autonomously came into the nursery to kiss Summer, I'm not controlling either of them. Guess he really would like to have kids with Summer someday and this is his way of saying so.

Ophelia gives Travis and Becca a break so they can socialize, and tells Duncan a bedtime story until he starts snoozing.

Libby comes in, hoping to get a second to talk to Ophelia privately after she's done.

Libby: Hey. I'm really glad things are cool with us now. I want to wait until it's official before I introduce everyone to the girl I've been seeing, and I didn't want to make Duncan's big day about me, but I'd really like you to meet her.

Ophelia: I'd love to meet her too.

Libby: I don't want to overstep, please tell me to stop if I am, but this guy you've become woohoo partners with… Please be careful. You're still my best friend, and I care about your feelings. I hated hurting you, and I don't want to see you hurt again.

Ophelia: I appreciate that you care so much, Lib. He's a good friend. We talked a lot about it, and we get along really well. Even if it's not serious, it's been fun.

Libby: I trust you. I just want to make sure if something happens, that he'll do the right thing like Travis.

Ophelia: If what happens, accidental try for baby?

Libby: Don't act like it's ridiculous. The evidence of that being possible is sleeping two feet away from us.

Ophelia: We're being safe, I swear. But when I do have kids, I'm making you babysit!

Libby: In your dreams, Feefs

It's nice that they can really talk again, and even joke around with each other. They hug, and this time, it really doesn't feel awkward.

Duncan chooses then to wake up and Aunt Ophelia is on a mission.

Ophelia: You wanna see your Auntie Libby, huh?

Libby: No, I'm scared I'll drop him!

Ophelia: Too late, here you go! You can smell her fear, can't you Duncan? Yes, you can!

Libby: Okay, I'm holding him and he's very cute. I still don't want to be a mom.

Ophelia: That's okay. But being an aunt isn't so bad, right?

Libby: Dude, I can feel him using his diaper. I'm giving him back to Travis and Becca and playing dumb.

Ophelia: Fair.

After the party, Ophelia stops by for a quick meeting with the Laurents. It's the first day they've been in the office since the Pizzazz wedding. Ophelia thought maybe they wanted to talk about the next wedding, and that's kind of true, but there's something else as well…

Hector: Let's cut to the chase. Tiff is… no longer with the company. That means the singer position is open. You were amazing on Saturday. How'd you like to become our band's permanent singer?

Hilary: We know it's a bit early for a promotion but we thought you'd be a good fit.

Ophelia: I'd be honored!

Hector: That's our star! We knew you'd be onboard.

Ophelia: What about my current role?

Hector: Anaya's husband Baako will fill in until we find another violinist.

They hash out the details for the next wedding. Things seem… off between the couple.

#The Sims #The Sims 4 #The Sims 4 Legacy #The Lemon Legacy #TS4 #The Sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 #generation 1 #ophelia #hilary hector #mark #travis #becca #duncan #summer #libby

4 notes · View notes

outrunningthedark · 2 years

Note

I see the grief as a "Freudian Excuse" more than anything; it explains their bad actions, but does not excuse the bad action themselves because children shouldn't have to compromise for their parents' misery for years, especially when the compromise has a deep lasting impact to the children's development and adult life, especially if the misery is not explained to them until far into adulthood leaving them wondering why their parents are miserable (to them) in all their childhood.

Apologies for projecting, but my aunt was depressed after losing her married daughter after childbirth, but her son-in-law and her siblings living in another city help her walk through it and prevent her grandson from being abandoned even though it takes a long time for her to recover. The lack of extended family involvement and the Buckleys' impression of putting their image in society on front make the grief ineffective in explaining their emotional neglect toward the siblings. Where's their parents? Where's their siblings? Why aren't they involved? Do they even exist and are they alive in present timeline? As powerful as grief is as an explanation, the storytelling narrative isn't strong and complex enough. We see Eddie's parents and extended family discuss what next step Eddie should take after Shannon's death, making him choose to stay. That is what is lacking in The Buckleys' backstory.

I may be remembering some plot points wrong, but I still stand on "this explains, but not excuse" stance on them. If we see an onscreen dedicated scene of them trying to make amends, my opinion on them may change.

(Not @ you, but) I feel like people get my Buckley parents (especially Margaret) posts a little twisted. In no way do I believe their neglect of both of their children is okay. What matters to me is that this is (unfortunately) one realistic portrayal of what happens to a family after a sibling death. Not every parent is able to bounce back mentally and emotionally after the death of a child. Some become dependent on substances to get through each day, don't they? The Buckley's didn't go that route, thankfully, but the fact that the mother was contemplating ending her life tells me 1) she wanted to be with her son, yes, but also 2) when you're considering that big of decision, it's because you think people are better off without you. No insult Margaret's kids can throw at her can be worse than whatever has gone through her head since the early '90s. Her behavior isn't right. But it's understandable. And, I'm sorry, but savior baby story line or not, the resentment towards Buck (and Maddie, let's not forget!) is very much a real thing that can happen. When you're one of multiple kids, and one of you dies, your parents see your sibling in you, so it hurts them to imagine where their child would be if they were still alive. And if you do something that really upsets them? Well. Then the resentment can be mutual, because the child starts to feel that it would have been better if it was them who died in place of the sibling. I know this because I live it, and I've watched others live it, too. The problem with this arc is, as you said, that it's not detailed enough. We did get the semi-reconciliation at the end of Buck Begins, but the show moved away from letting Buck (and his sister) start to heal from their childhood trauma because JLH had to be written out and Buck at peace was not really conducive to the story. His big sister's gone again. How else would he react, right? (My whole issue with that story line is that her coming back did not "fix" anything. If he was only acting like that because he missed his family...he should have been able to tell TayKay to kick rocks after the loft convo. But then L & T wouldn't have met and TayKay wouldn't have been the bad guy all over again. So.) I'm super curious to see whether Oliver was right in saying that Buck's therapy is still a factor off screen (I know that's what he hopes) and we meet a "new" set of Buckley parents - this would be another situation where there was resolution that should have made it onto the show - or we're going to find out that everybody backed out because they still weren't ready. It just depends what kind of story KR & co. think is "best". [Let it be known, though, that a complete erasure of the attempt at healing, brief as it was, is dumb af when we've had no updates on that front since s4. At least throw out a line about "Have you thought about going to therapy again?" or something.]

#people who haven't experienced it will not get it #and you know what? i hope you never have to #anonymous #tina speaks #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1 #evan buckley

8 notes · View notes

c0smicfern · 6 months

Text

in order for me to *actually* believe that i'm autistic, i need to rely on my intuition more than... you know. logic, facts, what i know about asd after *months* of research. is young fawn's intuition more credible than current fawn's months of research? fuck, dude, maybe. i have no idea anymore.

i originally had the thought when i was quite young. and then it kept happening over the years. when i got the sense that i was 'overreacting' to a sudden change or stimuli (which wasn't prompted by my environment, moreso just a gut feeling), i'd think, "it's that fucking spectre again. haunting my life." similar thing when my family would visit our cousins on my mom's side. one cousin in particular, i was especially close with growing up. idk if i feel comfortable going into detail on his traits, but i think i knew before anyone else. my mom tried to tell me that he's "ocd moreso than autistic" just a few months ago. like, no. i'm sorry, but no. idk if she & my aunt just never talked about him in that capacity, but it seems unlikely. i'm sure he has his rituals & genuine ocd symptoms, but he's literally been interested in the same video game character since we were kids. the franchise he's from is still in his most played & his avatar on his nintendo account is that character to this day. growing up with him, though, i just got this sense that, for all the distance between his experience & mine, we were the same. as i moved into middle school & started having even *more* struggles relating to or connecting with anyone, our connection actually started to make me feel resentful. wasn't his fault, and he was confused & upset when i said that i liked his brother more at that time. it was... sort of true, i guess. but only because i didn't feel that spectre looming over us in the company of his brother. in other words, i liked his brother better at the time because he was different from me. i didn't want to be reminded, not during that difficult part of my life. eventually, i got over myself & we went back to being close friends until we stopped visiting. now, i have to contend with the idea that i may have been distant from him for that period for *no fucking reason*. if we're *not* the same, then i was just needlesly cruel toward him for that part of our childhood. it was needlessly cruel, anyway, but it really served no purpose *at all* if that 'spectre' was only my imagination the whole time. it's a difficult thing to accept.

i thought *anyone* with a lived experience like mine had to be autistic before i even knew that word or what it meant. i mean, imagine "knowing" from such a young age, growing up & meeting other people like you & knowing that they were *like you* without needing to even speak. going through middle school & high school, counting the number of words you said each day & knowing that some days, that number was zero. upsetting others despite your best efforts to manage their emotions & be polite. not knowing whether you were actually being bullied or not, and realizing years later that people treated you like a freak from the moment they saw that spectre looming over you. always feeling like *normalcy* was just outside your reach, despite being able to 'see' it. watching others in an attempt to learn how to 'reach' it. despite it all, reaching the conclusion in adulthood that these experiences were just a patchwork of adhd symptoms, social anxiety, and a tendency to doubt yourself & the cruelty of others. burning out, and the quiet acceptance that kept these thoughts at bay just... fizzling out. and ultimately, knowing that the answer won't change anything for you. you've been broken either way, and you need to keep moving forward regardless.

#gonna delete these later. just need to purge the thoughts from my head.#if you don't want to know my personal life & private thoughts then get out of my diary ❤️#i don't especially love the metaphor i used here but idk how else to describe the feeling.#imagine being 7 & your brain telling you 'that one. that one's *just* like you.' wtf would you call it?#it's an almost psychic perception that i've experienced as being outside / separate from myself.#alternatively maybe i was picking up on adhd??

1 note · View note

despairparfait · 1 year

Text

AS PARENTS? — obamitsu.

i. SYNOPSIS. what, perchance, would the demon slayer corps' mitsuri kanroji and obanai iguro be like as parents?

ii. PREMISE. obanai and mitsuri x child!reader. (headcanons)

iii. CONTENT WARNINGS. demon slayer manga spoilers for as late as chapter 200. this is an alternate universe in which their fate was a lot happier.

i. When you were born, you were gifted the name of Kanroji.

For if your father had granted you his sullied family name, he would have seen it as a stain on your blinding radiance. You, whom he had anticipated with a heavy dread in his gut for what his bloodline would mean for you; whom he had prayed to whatever god would listen that you would share your mother's inherited brightness, and discard his darkness. That you would be the filter of his disgustingly filthy blood. Yet the very moment he saw your perfect little face for the first time, he couldn't help but uncharacteristically weep.

For it was the very display of such adoration which had prompted Mitsuri to cry herself. Witnessing love in its purest form as her husband held their precious newborn. Your father, Obanai, who felt almost like an impostor as he brings his hands to gently cup your face. Your cheeks within his tarnished palms, peering down at your faultless little face with a melancholic heterochromatic gaze. You were everything that he would vow to protect, even if Kibutsuji had already perished. For he would sully his hands a hundred times over if it meant keeping the lights in both you and your mother alive.

ii. You had shown signs of inheriting your mother's body structure growing up, and it honestly relieved Mitsuri to no end. Her biggest fear when going into motherhood was overfeeding you, and knowing that her muscle density prompts an almost bottomless stomach, it had made her glad that she could mother you on what she experienced growing up herself. Unlike her own mother, who had quite the fright.

iii. Also, Mitsuri still had her own mother to give her advice. She had her own family to give her a hand if she needed it, not to mention how many of her younger siblings had gushed over you and jumped at the opportunity of being cool aunts and uncles. they taught you how to swear.

iii. If there was something that Mitsuri loved doing, it was styling your hair. It's one of her favorite things to do, doing your hair for the day. Braids, hairpins, she would do your hair into adulthood if you'd let her. She loves every quality about you, but if she had to choose her favorite, it would be your hair.

Or your eyes, regardless of which of the two you inherited, they're guaranteed to be gorgeous.

iv. Significant other in the future? No. Obanai's standards are so high that they are impossible to meet. Impossible to match. Unless they had pushed Kibutsuji Muzan into the sun themselves personally (which they did not), they aren't even allowed to think of touching a hair on your head.

If you date behind his back despite that, it's fine. Just expect to find the guy that broke your heart gagged atop a tree because Obanai tied him up there a week ago to learn his lesson. He tasked Kaburamaru to ensure that you don't find him, but the snake could only do so much.

v. Aside from his family history, there was one other thing that had worried Obanai about having a child of his own, and that thing was the current state of his face. For the first few months, he had kept his bandages wrapped tight, quickly replacing them when you managed to tug them free. He had feared that his face would scare you, feared that he will make you cry. He didn't want his own child to be scared of their father's face, it sounded ridiculous. So he kept his mouth covered at all times until Mitsuri eventually persuaded him to try.

vi. In which, he had fallen in love with you all over again when you didn't cry. In fact, you looked intrigued. Not by the scars which provided evidence of when he had his mouth cut to his cheeks, not by the lengthy scars present on his face from that last battle with Muzan, but just because it was your first time seeing your father's face uncovered. He was still your father, but he didn't look like your father, and instead of the fear and hatred which is taught to children, you were just in wonder. He had allowed you to touch his face when you lifted your hands to him. As your small hands gently felt the rough skin, he closed his eyes. He couldn't have imagined a better outcome, and he was entirely certain that you were sent to him by the gods.

#ㅤㅤ( LIBRARY . . . mine ✮#ㅤㅤ( LIBRARY . . . headcanons ✮#obanai iguro x reader #mitsuri kanroji x reader #obamitsu #obanai #mitsuri #obanai iguro #mitsuri kanroji #kny imagines #child reader #platonic kny #platonic kny x reader

571 notes · View notes

romeulusroy · 2 years

Text

Being An Ex-Hydra Experiment And Falling For Kate Would Include: (Pt. 1) (Pt. 2)

A/N: Final part! Based off this post :) I got a bit carried away, but I'm really excited for it!!! Hope you like it! 💕

It seemed like you and Kate were always destined to meet

Even before you ever spoke to one another, you'd seen her, you'd seen her, you'd been around one another more times than you could count

After everything you've been through, your father finally called it quits. He retired, he settled down the way he wanted to for years. Your mother and siblings were so excited, so happy, but you couldn't help but see what you lost

Clint was different. He was quieter, he had a far away look in his eyes, he wasn't the same. You couldn't blame him. You'd changed too. All those years took it's toll. Of course your mother noticed, but when she asked you, you had nothing to say. You couldn't put that time into words. She never pushed the subject, understanding even if you told her every second, she still couldn't completely understand

They insisted things go back to normal, as normal as possible

It took a long time to adjust, but eventually you had to give up on expecting your aunt to visit, for the team to get back together, to have any sense of your old life back. It was time to move on

So, you did

You parents helped you apply for colleges, wanting you to get some sort of experience with young adulthood. You didn't mind. You were more than smart, even without traditional schooling, and with an impressive essay, you got in

It was strange, leaving them when you'd just gotten them back, but they couldn't let you put your young life on hold because of them. Nothing had been easy or normal or you, and though it wasn't their fault, they blamed themselves. If they could help you move into the dorms, pick out your classes, get calls from you about annoying professors and new friends, they'd be able to forgive themselves

It's not like you weren't excited. You'd always loved learning, though you questioned it would be the same education Hydra had given you. No seminars on the history of torture or essays on all of SHIELDs most back-stabbing agents. You feared that if you weren't there, they might disappear again. That you would leave and never get to see them.

You all shared that fear. . . .

You had no idea you were going to same college as Kate Bishop

You called them every day, if only for a few minutes, neither of them minding. You shared classes with Kate, saw her in the hallway, even went to a few archery tournaments together. You never showed off you full set of skills though, it didn't seem fair. Your dad was Hawkeye after all

You shared the same train coming home for winter break and was even a witness to her hilarious prank that went too wrong too fast, though you hadn't been able to see it was her

"You should have seen it! The whole bell tower came down."

"That sounds irresponsible."

"Lighten up, Lila. It was hilarious."

She became a familiar stranger, and a cute one at that

You never worked up the courage to talk to her though

It was supposed to be a normal holiday season. Your mother insisted you all go into the city and spend time together. The Avengers musical was downright awful, ruining your appetite for dinner, but being able have some one-on-one time with your father and siblings was nice

It isn't until the next day does Ronin show up on the television, making you and Clint feel more ill than that musical had made you.

Immediately, he's thrown into action. He tries to send you home with your siblings, but you refuse. It's not the best time, you know, but it's your only way in: you tell him he's not leaving you again

He can't help but cave, explaining to your mother only three of her four children will be home soon. She trusts you, she knows you, so she doesn't put up a fight. You need to do this, it's that simple and that necessary. She does, however, make you both promise you'll be home for Christmas

You go after this Ronin impersonator, finding them way in over their head, completely outnumbered. Together you and your father take down who you could, dragging them away

It's the girl from school, the familiar stranger under that mask

How the hell did she get this suit? Why did it still exist?

You learn her name is Kate, that she's the one who destroyed the bell tower, that wearing the suit was an accident, it was

Now with the Tracksuit Mafia after Ronin, after you and your father and Kate, stuck hiding in Kate's aunts apartment, Clint regrets ever letting you follow him. This was too dangerous for either of you. He'd fought this fight before, he could do it again. Alone.

The two of you insisted though. He wasn't getting rid of you that easily

In this time, you and Kate bonded, more than Clint liked. You were always making jokes about his grumpy attitude, his "old man" ways, how you got used to the sarcasm eventually. She appreciated the insight, wanting to win him over somehow

You talked about the Avengers, too. About how talented you both were with an arrow, how boring that one professor was. Clint didn't appreciate being talked about, but he was happy to watch you grow, to watch you have some sense of normalcy

You teach Kate both sign language phrases and some Russian swears, too just for fun

When his hearing aid broke, you translated for him, seeing how hard it was to be away from the rest of your family so close to Christmas

Kate blames herself for dragging you two into this, but your father admits this is his fault, that he made these enemies for Ronin

You work together, as your own version of a team, trying to figure this all out. You meet a lot of interesting people along the way. You know you shouldn't, but you missed this. You missed the fight. You missed the action. It was instinct at this point.

As you liked to joke, and your father absolutely hated, you could take the assassin out of Hydra, but not the Hydra out of the assassin. This is what your life had been about

You impress the both of them when you're all caught by the Mafia. There your skills come in handy. Kate wasn't expecting that at all from you and won't stop talking about it until you've shown her every move

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"It's a long story."

You both show off your skills with a bow and arrow, blown away by one another despite how your nerves affected your aims

Helping create possibly the dumbest trick arrows your father has ever heard of, so much so it's almost painful

"Cotton candy is not a weapon."

"No, but it is delicious."

Clint can sense there's something going on between you and Kate. When you brush it off as nothing more than friendship, he reminds you he's deaf, not blind. It's obvious in the way you look at one another, how you talk, how quick each of you are to protect the other. It's cute, reminds him of him and your mother

"Dad, it's nothing okay?"

"Sure it is, kiddo."

"Just don't say anything, okay?"

When your father is nearly killed by Maya, and Yelena shows up, things change

You weren't scared before, but you are now. Kate's there to comfort you, to assure you you all have the skills to take them down. Clint can't stand to see you like this, assuring you you can go home at any point, but the thought of leaving them is worse than if you stay. They need you and you need them

Yelena goes after you to get answers from your father. She knows you are his weakness. She knows that by holding a knife to your throat she will get what she needs from him: answers. It's now, reliving his grief all over again, does it come out that your aunt sacrificed herself. He hadn't killed her like she thought. He wouldn't risk your life for a lie, not his child. It made the truth even worse.

Kate can't help but run up to you afterwards, petrified, hugging you tight. She's on the verge of tears, telling both you and your father all you need to know about how she feels about you. . .

She's too aware of your wounds, holding your hand as your father stitches you up, cringing as if she could feel your pain. You assure her you're okay, that this is nothing new. She gives you the coldest bag of peas for your aches and pains, too.

"You'd make a cute couple."

"Daaad!"

"I'm just saying, that's all."

It comes out that, despite all this time of Kate blaming Jack, it had been her mother who was the problem the whole time. The bad guy. Working with Fisk, hiring Yelena, it was awful. You were the shoulder she cried on. You knew it wasn't on you, but you apologized anyways. You knew what it was like for your whole life to change. Kate didn't deserve any of this

When it's time go home, Kate comes with you. There's no one else in her life. You're more than happy to welcome her

With Lucky by your sides, you go home. You put the ugliness behind you. The suit is burned. Fisk and Eleanor arrested and Ronin officially gone, you got to spend the holiday together just as you promised

Of course word spreads between your parents how close you and Kate have grown, though your mother noticed it within minutes of you being home

Now is not the time to start dating. Everything was still fresh, still new. When time has healed itself, then maybe you'd ask. Hopefully she'd still say yes by then. For now you practiced your archery together, turning it into teasing games. You watched movies together with your siblings. You had inside jokes that annoyed everyone else and cared for Lucky. You liked her, you like-liked her, and you were willing to wait as long as she needed

Eventually you'll tell her about your past, too. You just needed there to be a right time. Telling someone you were a child-assassin wasn't exactly a great opener for a first date. Not that it mattered. In the small time you'd spent together, it felt like a lifetime

"They're not gonna stop making heart-eyes at us anytime soon."

"No they are not."

#headcanon #kate bishop #kate bishop headcanon #hawkeye #hawkeye headcanon #marvel #marvel headcanon #clint barton #clint barton headcanon #series #hawkeye spoilers

59 notes · View notes

blackdiamondwrites127 · 3 years

Text

Nightmare

A little follow up one shot to my Hal angst post. Hope y'all like it!

--------------------------------------------------

Catalina woke up in the middle of the night. She sits up and looks around.

Something was wrong.

She could feel it.

She looked beside her and found Jane sleeping peacefully. She allowed herself a small smile at the sight of her wife before focussing back on the task at hand. Carefully, she got out of bed and exited the room quietly so as to not wake up the slumbering silver queen. She stands out in the hallway for a while. Looking at the closed doors of her housemates. Deducting which one was out of place.

Then she noticed it.

The dark yellow door with a large white rabbit painted on it leading to her son's room was opened by a crack.

She goes over to it and knocks lightly. She waited. No answer. She knocks again. A bit louder this time. No answer again. She grabs the knob and gently pushed it open. She then takes a look inside the rabbit themed bedroom.

Empty.

Hal's bed looked recently used. His rabbit patterned blanket thrown back, his favourite rabbit plushie that Jane handmade for him since he was a baby was on the floor and his pink bunny slippers was missing from beside his bed. Catalina frowned and closed the door. She goes over to the bathroom and found it unlocked and empty after knocking and asking if anyone was there. She decides to move to her next destination of her investigation.

"Bugsy's in the kitchen."

The gold queen lets out a startled yelp and turns around to find Mae standing outside her bedroom door. Clad in light blue pj's with cat patterns on it, blue cat slippers on and her curly hair in a mess.

"Ay dios mio. You startled me. How did you...?" Catalina asked.

"He always goes to the kitchen whenever he's feeling down. Probably a nightmare again," Mae said.

"Again?"

The youngest Boleyn-Parr nodded. "I told him yesterday to talk to you or Aunt Jane about his nightmare but it seems that he didn't," she said.

"What was his nightmare even about?"

"It's not my place to tell. It's best that you talk to him."

"Okay. Thank you, Mae. You can go back to bed now," Catalina said.

Mae nodded again before going back in her room. Closing her light blue door shut. The first queen sighed and makes her way downstairs. Sure enough, the kitchen light was on and she could see Hal sitting on one of the barstools and hunched over the island counter. He was clad in his yellow rabbit printed pj's, his feet covered by his favourite pink bunny slippers and his curly brown hair messy and out of his usual bun.

"Mijo?" she called as she approached him.

The young prince sat upright upon hearing his mother's voice call out to him. Catalina could see him do a quick wiping motion to his face followed by hearing him sniffle.

"M-Ma, hey. What are you doing up so late?" he asked in an attempt to act fine but it failed due to his voice shaky and cracking.

"I should be the one asking you that. What's wrong?"

Catalina pulls out the barstool next to his and sat down. She took note of the glass of chocolate milk in his hand and the half empty jug of said chocolate milk next to it.

She distinctly remembers that that specific jug was bought just yesterday.

Drinking chocolate milk is always his go to drink whenever he's upset. And drinking about half a jug of newly bought chocolate milk worried the golden queen.

"I'm fine, ma. Nothing to worry about. I just can't sleep," Hal said. Turning to face her and giving her a forced smile that didn't reach his golden brown eyes.

"Drinking half a jug of newly bought chocolate milk in the middle of the night while crying is something to worry about. Mijo, tell me what's wrong," she said. Gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

His smile dropped from his face and he started to sob. His tears falling down his already tearstained face. Catalina gently pulls him in her arms and lets him cry on her shoulder for awhile. He held on to her tightly as he cried. Letting all his emotions pour out while his mother comfortingly rub circles on his back.

After a while, he pulls away and managed to collect himself.

"Sorry ma..." he said. Catalina gave him a reassuring smile as she wiped his tears away with her thumb.

"It's okay, mijo. Now, Mae mentioned about a nightmare that's been bothering you," she said.

He sighed and finished the last of his glass of chocolate milk. The first queen waited patiently for him to collect himself.

"It started when I decided to do more research on myself," Hal started.

She nodded. Signaling him to go on and that she'll listen. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I...I read some historians theorize about the events happening in history if I had lived up to adulthood. Obvious things like me being king and England staying as a catholic country and all that. But what really struck was the possibility of...father...not divorcing you and separating you and Mary. Leaving you to die alone..."

Catalina held his hand and gently squeezed it reassuringly. She said nothing. Just waiting for him to continue. She knew talking about their past lives is always hard for them.

"...it also made me think of the possibility of...him not marrying five more times and...mum and the others not suffering under his hand."

"Tell me about your nightmare," she said in a calm and quiet voice.

Hal takes a shuddering breath.

"I was...in a dark place. Then a spotlight was on and I saw...I saw a crown floating above my head. Then I felt a heavy weight on my right shoulder. When I looked, I realized...it was father's hand. He was standing next to me. Looming down on me with his heavy hand still on my shoulder. Then I heard a voice declare 'All hail King Henry IX'," he started.

Catalina listened intently to him. Hal continues his recount on his nightmare.

"I started to freak out. Everything was a blur now and I saw myself as king...I saw myself as father...doing the same atrocities he had done because I realized...in a world where I lived to adulthood...in a world where father was prevented in doing his atrocities...I would be the one to execute them instead..."

Hal's hands and voice were shaking by the time he finished and fresh tears welled up in his eyes and fell down his face. Dripping onto the cold tiles of the island counter. The first queen was quiet for awhile. Mulling over her son's words. She snaps out of her stupor when Hal suddenly spoke.

"Ma...do you think...I'm going to end up just like father...?"

She immediately pulls him closer to her.

"No. No you will not. You are Hal. You are MY son. Unless you actively seek out to be just like Henry, which I highly doubt you will, you will not end up like him," she said. Hal sobbed into her shirt as he held on to her tightly.

"B-But...I was named after him...I was born to be the next Henry..."

"Mijo, look at me."

Hal looks up at her. His tearful golden brown eyes meeting her golden ones. Catalina placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed his forehead briefly before looking at him again.

"You may be named Henry but that does not mean you are Henry. You are not a king who marries six times due to his obsession in having a son. You are a young boy with an obsession for rabbits and a passion for the culinary arts. You are Hal. Son of Catherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour. You're my little prince and you will always be my sweet and kind Hal," she said.

Hal gives her a genuine smile this time and she returned it with a smile of her own.

"Gracias mamá. I really needed to hear that," he said. Hugging her again. She kissed the top of his head and holds him closer.

"De nada, mijo. Think you can go back to bed now?"

"Uh...the chocolate milk sort of made me more awake."

Catalina chuckled. "Well then why don't we watch a movie until we both fall asleep?" she suggested.

Hal grins and hops off the barstool. Making his way to the living room to pick a movie. The golden queen smiled and followed her son. Flicking the kitchen light off before joining him on the couch. Zootopia already playing on the T.V.

Hal snuggled next to his mother as they watched his favourite movie for the umpteenth time.

--------------------------------------------------

Jane woke early as usual but what was unusual was the empty space next to her. Sure, Catalina often woke up early as well but she usually stayed in bed for another hour, wanting cuddles from her.

The silver queen gets up and gets dressed for the day. She goes downstairs to find Anna in the living room. Clad in her running clothes, holding a blanket in one hand and her phone in the other.

"Anna what--?"

The red queen cuts her off by shushing her. She then motions for her to come closer to the couch and look.

Jane walks over and couldn't help but gush at the sight that greeted her.

Catalina and Hal sleeping on the couch. The first queen had her arms wrapped protectively around her son and the young prince curled up quite comfortingly against his mother.

Anna takes a picture of the moment before draping the blanket over the slumbering mother and son.

"I found them sleeping here with Zootopia playing on repeat," Anna said.

"Hal probably couldn't sleep last night and Lina went down to keep him company," Jane said.

"Probably. It's best to let them sleep in. I'm off on my run."

"Yeah. Be careful and be back before breakfast."

The fourth queen nods and exits the house to go on her morning run. Jane looked back at her wife and son and smiled lovingly. She planted soft kisses on both of their foreheads before going to the kitchen to start on breakfast.

She didn't notice the empty glass and the half empty jug of chocolate milk still on the island counter.

#six #six the musical #sixtended verse #catherine of aragon (six)#catalina de aragon (six)#mae parr (six)#hal aragon (sixtended)#jane seymour (six)#anna von kleve (six)#anna of cleves (six)#minor aramour #my art #my writing

62 notes · View notes

cartoonist-ks · 3 years

Text

The Only One I Live For... (Prologue)

About: You're playing as a girl, who's lived a pretty sad life. Your parents had passed away and you used to live with your aunt and uncle who have always made your life a living hell. Now, living alone, you've always been this emotionless husk. Until you met someone, who wasn't entirely human; but there was still something about him that you couldn't help but grow strongly attached to. And you're willing to keep him all to yourself. Even if it means hurting others. Even... if it means killing others.

Ratings: PG-13

Pairings: Leonardo x Yandere! Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Abuse and Bullying.

___________________________________________

For a long time...I've suppressed my emotions. I've prevented myself from feeling anything...because all I've ever felt was...

sadness...pain...suffering...

I never knew my parents. They passed away when I was just two years old, so for as long as I can remember, I've lived with my aunt and uncle. They were never good to me. They've always treated me like I was a burden to them. They would tell me how worthless I am. How I'm not loved. How the only reason my parents died was to get away from me. And I believed them; every word of it. Their abuse would turn physical whenever I would fall out of line. Speaking when not told to speak results in the hand. Coming home past curfew results in the shoe. Not finishing my chores results in the belt. And low grades mean the whip. The whip means no food for the day. I'd be lucky if I ever received water.

I wasn't allowed to make friends, so at school, I was always alone. No one to talk to. No one who cared. I was always forced to lie about the bruises on my arms and face to my teachers. I was always very quiet and sad. The other kids would ask me what was wrong, but I would ignore them. I was never allowed to talk to anybody for fear of getting punished harshly. I wished I didn't have to live this way. I was tired of all the pain and suffering. I was tired of feeling sad all the time.

So, when I got into high school, I trained myself to feel nothing. If I couldn't feel happy or joy, then I would feel nothing at all. It wasn't easy. But eventually, I grew used to it. I lost all care in the world. In people. In life. Others thought I was weird. Some even bullied me just to get a reaction. But they would get nothing at the end of the day. I didn't care for their torment. I've dealt with worse. I would wear a lot of dark clothing, so others would think I was emo and make up rumors about me. That caused people to stay away from me because they were too afraid of what I might do. Someone once told me, "it wouldn't be a surprise if you ended killing someone one day." That line stuck with me, all the way into adulthood.

Even though I no longer lived with my aunt and uncle I still refused to let myself feel. I didn't want to suffer anymore. I couldn't bear it. Though, I would put on a fake smile for my job. Greet people with a happy demeanor. Interact with co. workers. And act like I was doing well all the time when in reality, I wasn't. It's not as bad as it may sound. I'm aware that I'm broken inside, but I don't care. It's become normal for me. At least, until I meant...

...him...

It was one night when I was walking home from work, a bunch of guys in masks were about to rob me. But then, someone saved me. His name was Leonardo. He wasn't exactly what you would call a knight in shining armor, but he was MY knight in shining armor. When I first saw him, for the first time in a long time, I actually felt something.

...shock...

I wasn't expecting my knight to be a giant turtle, but despite that, there was something about him I couldn't help but feel intrigued about. I wanted to see him again. And so, I did. And the night after that, and the night after that, and the night after that. Each night, I would learn more about him and get to know him better. It wasn't long until we became good friends. For the first time in my life I actually felt...

...happy...

To be in his company. To be near him. He made me promise to never tell anyone about his existence because it would bring danger to him and his family. So, I never told anyone about him. I didn't want to lose the only friend I had in this world. Eventually, once it trusted me enough, he took me to go meet his family. He lived in a sewer with his three brothers, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and his father/sensai, Master Splinter. He also had two human friends, April O'Neil and Casey Jones who I grew close with too. For the first time, I didnt feel alone anymore. I finally had friends who I could talk to. People who cared about me. I was grateful for everything they've given me. But the one person I was grateful for the most was Leo. I couldn't bear being away from him for too long, so I would visit the lair very frequently just to see him again. He's the only one that can fix me.

He's the only one I live for...

#tmnt #leonardo x reader #tmnt 2016 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #leo x reader

11 notes · View notes

holdon-a-minute · 5 years

Text

As Time Repeats

Chapter I

A New World

*Present Day*

Shuffling feet, deep laughs, screeching brakes, choirs of songbird, pieces of conversation...each adding to create the loud bustle that loafs through the street. Listening. She slowly raises her eyelids, to only be greeted by the soft morning sun welcoming each body with its warmth.

Shining smiles, trees of chartreuse, paves of stone grey, breeze-caught hair...all merging together to paint one picturesque scene. Watching. She rests back onto the wooden public bench, controlled deep breaths escaping through her button nose.

Mature parfum, strong mowed grass, golden-baked delicacies, polluting fumes, freshly ground coffee beans...scents of good and bad are to be known everywhere you turn. Inhaling.

Now comes feel.

"Ugh..." Renae lets out an exasperated breath in defeat, sitting her elbows on her spread knees and burying her face deep in her dry palms. She tightly traps her airways, holding her breath as the tears threaten to spill from her eyes once again, before she stops herself and forces the words off her tongue, "I do not want to feel this way." She may not be happy now, she thinks to herself, but this is the start of a new beginning. And at new beginnings there is always hope. "Be optimistic..!" she whispers to herself, but Renae knows better than anyone that it's hardest to keep up with your new start when you didn't even want it in the first place.

Standing from the bench, she turns her judging eyes away from the classy lady who had tried to sit down beside her, and soppily strolls down the direction of her destination. Renae pushes herself past—fitted in her signature style of a soft fabric zip-hoodie and a dark leather jacket layered on top—determined to get through the swarm of bodies and make it back to her quiet house quickly. She wanders through Paris as if she's known it all her life now; the street of shops damp and dewy. Wind whistles through her raw ears as they heed the leftover rain that pitter-patters through gutters, down drain pipes and into the city grids.

The screeching, beeping of a pedestrian crossing makes a deafening echo as Renae and a huddle of rushing people cross the cobbled road, instantly zooming her back into focus of reality. Walking through the avenues of France you can smell dozens of different scents everywhere and anywhere. But Renae's favourite of all, she's come to realise, is the trace of a gingerbread man that runs past her. Every time, he calls out, and every time she ends up chasing him to Mr Baker's Bakery. Mmm, the bakery. This is where the baker she's come to know torments everybody with his luscious pies and pastries sitting on display in the window. And when he opens his huge oven door every day, religiously at 10:30, the whole road is filled with the most sensational smell of freshly baked bread rolls.

When her leg starts to vibrate, she reaches into her pocket and answers the person calling, "Hello."

"Ren, how come you're not home yet? You're going to be late."

"I'm on my way now Alice, and I've got half an hour yet. That's plenty of time to get ready."

"Well have you had any lunch yet? You can't go on an empty stomach your nerves will get the better of you."

Renae chuckles, "I'm not that nervous Al, I'll just eat an apple or something on the way there."

"An apple? Alright then, whatever suits you, I'm not going to argue with you on this important day now am I?"

"No, and I shouldn't think so," she teases as a smile plays at her lips and Renae rounds the corner. "Right, I'm round the corner now I'll be two minutes."

"Okay hun, see you in a minute. Bye."

"Bye!"

Renae was now in the neighborhood, the rush of the street of shops (as Renae and Alice call it) now gone, giving way to the open and tranquility of her housing estate. She loves her short over-the-phone conversations with Alice. They always play quite amusingly, and never fail to reveal their bond of trust, love and laughs.

She swings into the hallway of her home, and is almost immediately greeted with a "Hello!" coming from another unlocated room of the two-bed house, as usual. She shouts back a 'Hi!" and rushes upstairs, dodging another of her Aunty Alice's extremely energetic speeches that are supposed to be the best motivator out there. She changes into something a bit more formal, touching up her makeup as she passes the standing mirror, fills her faux leather bag with almost everything from her desk (just in case), picks up an apple and heads back out onto the street, where her taxi is conveniently waiting.

"Good luck!" Alice wails as she watches her niece drive straight into the fate of adulthood.

~~~~

*Ding-a-ling*

Renae steps through the old brown door and enters the café she hopes to call a workplace sometime soon. The space is fairly large considering its compact look from the outside, and it is so beautiful—everything the young photographer in the corner would need for his aesthetically pleasing Instagram page. She lets the soft, welcoming atmosphere envelop her whole as she strolls deeper into the intricate café, the warmth of brewing tea, the fresh scent of lavender, the ancient bookcase lining the wall, the smokey smell of lit candles, the dark brown wooden furniture, all making Renae feel as cozy as you can be in a Paris café. The building has an aged, withering feel, but the dozens of lush green plants dangling from ceiling to floor brought the life back into the room quickly; the pop of bright emerald managing to spark the creativity into any person who might pass through.

She finds her way to the counter, and politely addresses the waitress. "Hi, I'm here for a job interview with the owner. My name's Renae Cruzette, I rang a few days ago."

"Oh chéri, that would be me," the woman speaks in perfect English, but with a French roll to her tongue, "Come with me and we'll have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"Green tea would be nice, thanks," Renae replies and finds a small round table for two to sit down.

"I'm Clemence Rosher—founder, owner—of this place, as you will already know."

Renae smiles and does a little laugh, "It's nice to meet you Clemence." The two shake hands as the bleach-blonde woman passes Renae a steaming mug of green tea, the teabag still left in of course.

"Yes and you are Renae Cruzette, you said?"

"Mhm." Renae was waiting for the traffic of questions to come along and preparing herself not to get stuck or lost in them, but they never did, and she finds herself feeling utterly relaxed with the welcoming woman before her.

"So, let's get down to business yes? Why are you here today?"

"I'm looking for a first job actually, and when I heard you were hiring it seemed perfect, because I don't live too far from here and I love baking every now and then, as well as being creative with coffee art. I'm quite the artistic person, you see."

"Good good. That's what I like to hear," Clemence looks into Renae's eyes and gives a shining bright smile, "So are you willing to give your all into this job? I need someone new, someone fresh who will put a part of their soul into my café. I need perseverance, a respectful and capable person. Why would I choose you?"

"I am all of those things and more Miss."

"Madame," she interrupts.

"Right, sorry Madame."

"Who always comes first in my business?"

"The customer does, always!" Renae eagerly answers after not understanding the question for a few seconds.

"Are you good with mathematics? Can you quickly count change?"

"Yes, I graded a nine in my GCSE when I lived in England."

"In England you say? I thought you had a different accent chéri!"

"Yeah I just recently moved here actually."

"Tell me a bit about that then. Why did you move, are you here permanently?" Clemence curiously asks.

"I think I'll be staying here for a good few years now until I have the money to move out and go back to Britain. I've always lived with my Aunty, ever since I was a baby. My parents have never been around, I don't even remember my mother's face, but my Aunty Alice got a promotion, so we had to move here."

"Oh chéri that must be terrible for you, not even knowing your parents!"

"It's fine really! I love Alice so much, she's always been there for me and I respect her with all my heart for deciding to take me in, but she never took the opportunity to become my mother. She's always been my aunty and kept the truth at bay about my parents."

"I see, so is she your true biological aunt then?"

"Yes! She's my father's sister."

"Oh she must be so very brave then, I admire her strength taking in just a child!"

"I do too. You know she is French as well, so it was a delight to her when the company said she'd be moving to their Paris branch. She took me in when she was just eighteen, and we both went to England so she could finish university. It was very stressful for her, and I am so greatful for her determination to not only provide a steady life for herself, but for a child that wasn't even her own too!"

*Snap*

"Yes she sounds like an amazing woman! So how old are you now then?"

"Seventeen."

*Snap* The photographer guy's camera clicks away

"When would you be willing to start? I'd have to give you some training first of course, but it'd be nothing major."

"As soon as possible Clemence!"

"Okay then how about I give you a call next Monday when I'm ready for you to come down? I have meetings and all sorts until then."

*Snap*

"Perfect, thank you so much!"

"Oh no worries, I have great expectations of you," and she give Renae a wink as they stand and part ways, Renae not knowing yet that it'd be the last time she speaks to the friendly woman who owns a café.

*Snap*

~~~~

Five days later.

"Alice, she still hasn't rang me after three days!" Renae bursts as she storms into the kitchen. A series of transparent patio doors line the back wall of the completely white kitchen, the only colour of the room being the numbers of herbs scattered along the windowsills and the grey laminate flooring below. It reminds Renae of a hospital, and she would very much like to hand some paintings on the walls and colourful flowers, nevertheless it's still comfortable to be in when you've got Alice as company.

"She probably just forgot, don't stress," Alice reassures her.

"I saw her write it in her diary! And she definitely said that she was going to employ me. It's getting ridiculous! Even if she did change her mind about me, a little text to apologise wouldn't hurt!"

"I know, she shouldn't have left you hanging like that, that is very unprofessional," Alice speaks in such a wise, calming manner.

"I really would've liked that job as well," she says saddened now, "It would've met all my needs of a simple first job, but one that I would still enjoy and be easy to settle into."

"I know Ren, but you can't just sit here sulking about it, why don't you go back there and see what's going on with this woman—for your own sake at least."

"What if I make it more awkward though?"

"You won't. You're only going to politely ask when you're going to be set for some training, because you've got other things you need to attend and you can't keep having it delayed or being left in the dark."

"I suppose..."

"Come on, it's not fair on you that she's done this, so go and change out of that old hoodie and get down there standing loud and proud!"

"Okay, thanks Al," and Renae gives her understanding Aunty a bear hug, then rushes upstairs to prepare herself to face Clemence again.

~~~~

The moment she steps out of the front door, an ear-splitting ring starts to sound in Renae's earlobes and an eye-aching migraine begins to crawl into her mind. She should just brush it off, but not matter how hard she tries, Renae just can't shake the bad feeling that drops to the pit of her stomach and the butterflies that flutter up and get lodged in her throat. Renae steadies herself on the doorway for a second, closing her eyes to ease the pounding in her head. She takes a shaky breath in through her nose and out through her mouth, and pushes aside this feeling, ready to take on her plan of action.

Her taxi ride seems to drag on for hours in the stuffy, cramped backseat, the breeze of the day barely noticeable even with the car windows all open. The heat is almost unbearable. Renae can't understand if it's anxiety (which she's never experienced before), or an illness she's suddenly caught that's making her feel this way, but something isn't sitting right in her flesh and bones. Due to the long, unmoving queue of vehicles, Renae decides to just pay the taxi driver now and walk down the rest of the way where café stood stunningly at the end of the road.

She looks about her to see that everyone is busy trying to get to places, and as she strolls further down the street she notices that she's come to a hidden alleyway, "Millbreury Lane, hm." Given her situation and the want to avoid it completely, Renae roams down the alleyway of tall, old-fashioned buildings taking her time to observe her exquisite surroundings.

Right along the bottom of the attached buildings are stores, and they are magnificent to the eye: cafés sit with intricate metal tables and chairs outside; hanging baskets spread throughout are filled with the most colourful, delicate flowers; antique shops showcase their treasures in the wide window each store possesses; and the cobbled floor beneath glows and sparkles as the afternoon sun shines down on the moist puddles and excess rain.

*Chuchak*

Renae stands still. So impossibly still.

The beautiful antique alleyway seems to disappear around her in slow motion as Renae is sucked back into reality and her eyes are met with metal.

Thick, cold, silver-grey metal.

Pointed at her forehead, in-between her eyes, is a slick handgun. For a while she cannot see the person whose hand is slid around the trigger, nor the group of men accompanying them. For a while, it was just her and the weapon, playing a dangerous game in a little world of their own—the opponent not even alive but still taking the lead and winning the girl over completely. She cannot break her eyes away from the metal in front of her, and the hand-held violence cannot take its eyes off Renae.

She feels frozen in her place, barely able to breathe, as the gun wielder speaks, "Oh chéri," before smacking Renae over the side of her head with the loaded gun.

All soon went black.

0 notes