Tumgik
#like I love people seeing my stuff and enjoying it
wholoveseggs · 3 days
Note
Yo I’m back. Tbh half of your anon requests are me lol. Can you write something about Elijah and the reader having a family. Kids of any age maybe living in the compound with the rest of the mikaelsons? Still smut ofc but I love that episode where Elijah is with Cami at the safe house and he acts all family man fixing the fence n stuff that was hotttt
Tumblr media
Family Man
Tumblr media
18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List}
Life at the compound can be chaotic with kids and family running around, but Elijah wouldn't have it any other way.
♡♡ Thanks for the request wonderful @elijahstwink (everyone go check out his fics!) & anon!I Love domestic Elijah sooo much, I truly believe this would be his dream life. ♡♡
4.5k words - Warnings: smut, oral sex, unfortunately I didn't make this as kinky as requested...its just very sappy and sweet, this is just a day in the life of Elijah as a devoted father and husband, pregnant!reader, uncle Klaus being precious, toddlers, hot cocoa, kittens & so much flufffffff
ps, this is pretty much a sequel to devotion...
Tumblr media
In the early hours of the morning you were awoken by a loud snore from your husband. You rolled over to face him, chuckling a little as you watched his peaceful sleeping form. It was the first time in a long time he was finally getting the rest he deserved.
You slowly turned, carefully sliding out of bed. You tiptoed out the room and decided to go down to the kitchen to make some tea.
You loved this time of night, being in the stillness of the house, just enjoying the calmness and being able to take in the beauty of it all.
When you reached the bottom step, you heard some sniffling and cries coming from one of the rooms down the hall. You rushed to the door and opened it, and a small figure ran into your arms, clinging onto you.
"What's wrong, little one?" you asked, scooping her up.
"I had a nightmare. There were these people with sharp teeth and they were chasing me. And then you were there but you were gone. It was scary, mommy," she sobbed, her head buried in your chest.
"It's okay, sweetheart, it was just a dream. Nothing bad will happen to you. You are safe," you said, kissing her head and stroking her hair, soothing her. "Come on, let's go get something warm to drink,"
You carried her down to the kitchen and began to prepare the hot cocoa, which was her favorite. As you stood over the stove, waiting for the milk to boil, you felt her little hands rubbing your stomach.
"Mommy, when is the baby going to come out?" she asked.
"Not for a while, sweetie. It needs to grow inside my belly for a little longer," you chuckled.
"Okay," she said, looking sad. "I can't wait to meet them. Is it a girl or a boy?" she asked, looking up at you with her big, brown eyes.
"We don't know yet," you replied.
"Oh," she replied, disappointed. "I hope it's a girl. I already have a brother, I want a sister," she said.
"We'll just have to wait and see," you smiled, placing the mug of hot cocoa down on the counter. "Here, drink up, before it gets cold," you said.
She hopped off the chair and held the mug with both her hands, sipping away. You sipped on your tea as well, feeling relaxed. You loved these quiet moments with her, and you would cherish every one of them, since she was growing up so fast.
"So, what was this dream about, princess?" you asked, wanting to know more.
"T-there were people with sharp teeth and they were after me," she said.
"And why do you think that was?" you asked, not wanting her to feel afraid, but curious about what caused this dream.
"I think I saw it in a movie or something," she said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "An-and uncle Nik showed me his sharp teeth, but he promised he would never bite me, only use them to protect me," she said.
"Oh, did he now?" you laughed.
"Yeah, but then he bit my teddy bear," she said, giggling. "he said my teddy was a threat!"
"That sounds like something uncle Nik would do," you chuckled.
"Can I sleep with you and daddy tonight?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Of course, sweetheart," you replied.
"Thank you, mommy," she said, smiling and hugging your legs.
"Come on, let's go to bed," you said, picking her up. She wrapped her arms around your neck and laid her head on your shoulder as you walked back up to your bedroom.
You placed her in the middle of the bed, and she quickly snuggled up against Elijah, her head on his chest. She loved having his attention. She was a daddy's girl through and through.
You slid back into bed, lying down on your side and Elijah instantly pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you, holding you both.
"Is my little one alright?" he asked sleepily, his eyes still closed.
"I had a bad dream, daddy," she sniffled, curling up against him.
"It's alright, my love. Everything will be alright," he said, kissing her head and soothing her. "No bad dreams will get you while I'm here," he said, pulling the blanket up and tucking her in.
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, cuddling him as she drifted off to sleep. He stroked her hair, and her eyes grew heavy. Soon she was sound asleep, and he placed his hand on your stomach, his precious family safe in his arms.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Exhausted. Our littlest one is keeping me up, constantly moving and kicking," you sighed, feeling drained.
"Let's hope it's not like this for the whole pregnancy," he chuckled.
"Don't even joke about that," you groaned.
He gave you a kiss on the head, your daughter snuggled in between the two of you, and you finally managed to get a few more hours of sleep.
Tumblr media
Elijah was woken by the sunlight shining through the curtains, and he smiled at the sight of his beautiful family.
His daughter was still cuddled up to him, her head buried in his chest, she stirred slightly and yawned.
"Do you want breakfast?" he asked, his hand on her back.
"Yes," she mumbled.
"Hmmm what would you and your brother like? Gruel? Porridge?" he asked, teasing her.
"Eww no," she groaned, loudly.
"Alright, alright, pancakes it is, let's go wake your brother and the rest of the family," he said, chuckling.
"Can we get chocolate chips on the pancakes?" she asked as he carried her out the room.
"I don't know, maybe your brother wants blueberries, but we'll ask," he said, tickling her.
His son and his niece were both awake and running around, and Klaus was chasing him, laughing, the children giggling as they hid under the dining table.
"Oh, look who's here. Little Rebekah is up," Klaus teased.
"No! That's not my name!" she pouted, crossing her arms.
"Yes, it is," Elijah chuckled.
"Nooo," she whined. "It's just Bex," she said.
"Alright, alright, Bex it is," Klaus chuckled, patting his head.
"Pancakes for breakfast, anyone?" Elijah asked.
"Yes, yes, yes," the children yelled.
"Chocolate chips?" Klaus asked, grinning.
"Yes!!!" the kids screamed, all jumping up and down in excitement.
"Alright, I'll make them, the last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg," Klaus said, speeding off.
The kids squealed and ran after Klaus, and Elijah chuckled and went back upstairs to check on you.
You were sound asleep, your hair fanned across the pillow. He laid down next to you, placing his hand on the swell of your stomach, smiling and talking to the baby.
"How are you, littlest one? Have you been keeping mommy up all night?" he asked, his dimples on full display.
"Yes, they have," you sighed.
"That's my job," he smirked, leaning in and giving you a kiss. "Would you like some breakfast?" he asked.
"I'll go eat later. I just want to stay here for a little longer," you replied, holding his hand on your stomach.
Elijah hummed softly and pulled you close, kissing your head and rubbing your back. He loved the way you melted into his touch.
"How is Bex?" you asked.
"She's completely forgotten about her nightmare, Klaus is making breakfast for all the kids," he chuckled.
"They have him wrapped around their little fingers," you giggled.
"He has grown soft, it's true," Elijah said.
"Bex told me he bit her teddy bear," you laughed.
"Yes, well, that doesn't surprise me," he chuckled, his lips brushing against yours.
You sighed happily and wrapped your arms around him, feeling complete bliss in his embrace.
"What would you like to do today?" he asked.
"Stay right here with you," you replied, running your hand through his hair, making him hum in delight. You were feeling a bit needy this morning, the pregnancy hormones making you want him all the time.
"I think that can be arranged," he smirked.
You grinned and leaned in, kissing him slowly, deepening the kiss. He moaned, and rolled over, pressing you into the mattress, making sure not to put any weight on your stomach.
He loved your pregnant state, the way your skin glowed, your eyes sparkled and the way you moaned his name made him crazy. He couldn't keep his hands off you, he wanted to ravish you day and night.
He thought he knew all of his kinks, but this one took him by surprise. When you were first pregnant with Henry it was like something in his brain clicked. The possessiveness, the lust, the way his cock ached to be inside you, he was lost.
Henry was a miracle, he didn't quite know how the magic worked. You tried to explain it to him once, your witch ancestry, how the moon played a part, but all he could think about was fucking you senseless, filling you up, and breeding you.
You were the perfect partner, and an absolute warrior, but nothing turned him on more than seeing you in this submissive, almost docile state. You were his wife, his goddess, and his greatest treasure, and he wanted nothing more than to please you day and night.
His hands went to your soft, full breasts, squeezing and kneading them, making you whimper and moan. He captured your nipple between his lips, flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud, his other hand moving your nightdress up your thighs.
"Elijah," you sighed, his fingers brushing over your wet panties, making you gasp and moan.
"Is my beautiful wife needy this morning?" he smirked, his fingers slipping past the lace.
"Yes," you panted, the pad of his index finger teasing your clit, making your body tremble.
"Good," he hummed, his mouth on your neck, his fingers slowly pumping in and out of your wet heat.
You were both so lost in pleasure that neither of you heard the sound of Bex running up the stairs, Klaus not far behind her.
Luckily the door was locked, Elijah knew better than that with a house full of children.
"Daddy? Mommy?" she asked softly, knocking on the door.
"One minute, my love," Elijah called, his voice strained, trying to keep himself from ravishing you.
"Okay," she said, not leaving, but sitting down outside the door.
"Come back downstairs Bex, your mom and dad are a bit busy at the moment," Klaus chuckled, his voice low.
"Are they playing hide and seek?" she asked.
"Something like that," he replied.
"Can we play after?" she asked.
"Absolutely, sweetheart. Now come on, let's finish our pancakes, you don't want Henry to eat them all," he chuckled, lifting her up and taking her back downstairs.
Elijah looked down at your flushed face, laughing at the situation.
"You are so mean," you groaned, pushing him off you.
"Mean? I was just getting started," he chuckled.
"I think our daughter needs us, and Henry has probably eaten all the pancakes by now," you laughed, getting up and smoothing out your dress.
"I'll finish what I started tonight," he smirked.
"Don't get your hopes up," you chuckled, kissing his cheek and getting dressed.
Elijah watched your every move, the way you walked, the glow on your skin, and how the dress clung to the curve of your stomach. You looked ethereal. He was completely mesmerized, and completely smitten.
You were looking at yourself in the mirror, the dress a little too tight, the buttons straining against your swollen breasts.
"We are going to have to get you new dresses," he chuckled, walking up behind you and wrapping his arms around you.
"This was my favorite," you pouted.
"We'll find you something that fits, don't worry," he said, kissing your shoulder.
"My back is killing me," you groaned, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Let me try something," he said, his hands dipping under your belly and lifting the bump, and you immediately felt relief. "Better?" he whispered against your skin.
You let out a happy groan and leaned into him, letting him hold you. His hands were gentle, his touch making the tension and aches melt away.
"Thank you," you sighed.
"You are very welcome," he hummed.
"Let's go eat, I'm absolutely starving," you laughed, kissing him and taking his hand.
"Let's," he smiled.
Tumblr media
When the two of you entered the dining room, Bex squealed and jumped out of her seat, running towards Elijah.
"Daddy I saved you a pancake, see, here it is," she said, holding it up.
"That's very sweet of you, darling," he said, bending down and picking her up.
She fed him the pancake, giggling and laughing, and Klaus was grinning from ear to ear, and he handed you a plate filled with an assortment of fruit, knowing it was your favorite.
"Thank you," you smiled, sitting down at the table, feeling your stomach rumble.
Hope was sitting with Henry, and they were coloring on their plates, syrup and chocolate spread everywhere, their laughter filling the room.
Bex was still cuddled up to Elijah, and his hand was on your stomach, and he was feeding you pieces of fruit, smiling at you.
"Your birthday is coming up little Bekah, what do you want as a present?" Klaus asked, ruffling her hair.
"Hmmm I don't know," she replied, deep in thought.
"Anything you want, sweetheart," Elijah smiled.
"Can we get a puppy?" Henry asked, excitedly.
"Not until you're old enough to take care of it," Elijah replied, ruffling his hair.
"What about a kitten?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I love kitties!" Hope squealed.
"Yes, yes, yes!" the children yelled.
"I'll have to think about it," Elijah chuckled.
"Please dad! It's all I want for my birthday," Bex begged, her big brown eyes looking at him, her little lip pouting.
"Don't let her pull that face, Elijah, it's not fair," Klaus laughed.
"Alright, alright, you can have a kitten," he replied, smiling at his little girl.
She squealed and threw her arms around him, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"I promise I'll take care of it, daddy," she smiled.
"I'm sure you will," he replied, smiling and looking at you.
Klaus could see the exhaustion on your face, and the way you rubbed your stomach. You were tired and he could sense it, he knew you needed a break and some alone time with Elijah.
"Why don't we go out and play, little ones," he said, scooping up the children. "Let's all go to the park, we can even invite uncle Kol and aunt Rebekah," he suggested.
"Yay, yay, yay," the kids cheered.
"That sounds like a good idea," you replied, yawning and stretching your arms.
"Let's go, let's go," he said, wrangling the kids out of the compound.
Once they were gone, Elijah got up and started cleaning up the mess everyone had made. The compound was bursting at the seams with his family, and it was never quiet, but he enjoyed it, seeing the children run around and play, their laughter and their love filling the rooms.
You leaned back in your chair, admiring the sight of your husband working, his sleeves rolled up, and his hair falling over his forehead.
"You are gorgeous," you sighed, making him look up from the sink.
"As are you," he smirked.
"I can't believe you agreed to get Bex a kitten," you laughed.
"She can be very persuasive," he chuckled, drying his hands and coming to sit next to you.
"She has you wrapped around her finger," you smiled, cupping his cheek.
"Like I am not the same with her mother," he laughed.
"You have a point there," you grinned, kissing him.
He smiled against your lips, his hand moving down your body, resting on your stomach, letting out a contented sigh.
You mind wandered to all the things that needed to be done for the kids and around the house, you also hadn't even started preparing the nursery. You felt overwhelmed and the hormones weren't helping. On top of all that you had a party coming up.
"Stop thinking out loud," Elijah chuckled, pulling you closer.
"I can't help it, there is just so much to do," you groaned, burying your head in the crook of his neck. "I'm already behind, the baby will be here soon and I still haven't gotten anything ready."
"We still have a few months, everything will be fine, love. We will get the nursery ready, and the party will be wonderful, I'm sure of it," he replied, kissing your forehead.
His reassurances didn't help your worries, and you knew you were being unreasonable, but the stress was starting to take its toll.
"And now we have to go find a kitten, I don't even know where to start," you sighed, shaking your head.
"We can look online, we can go to a shelter, there's plenty of options," he replied, stroking your hair.
He was always so patient, so understanding, and you had no idea how he stayed so calm. You felt like you were going crazy.
"Do you even want a kitten?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I prefer them over dogs, although their hair does get everywhere," he chuckled, cupping your cheek. "They are excellent little predators, great for catching the mice that are running around this old place," he smirked.
"You're not wrong, the mice are awful," you laughed, remembering the time you were down in the wine cellar and one of them ran across your foot.
"Why don't you go rest, my love? I will clean up here and join you upstairs," he suggested.
You nodded and yawned, standing up and heading towards the stairs, Elijah's eyes on you the entire time.
The moment you got to the bed and laid down, your eyes closed and you were fast asleep.
Tumblr media
When you woke up you heard soft hammering coming from the other room, and you went to investigate, finding Elijah, shirtless and sweaty, fixing the nursery.
"I told you not to start without me," you sighed, crossing your arms and leaning against the door.
He looked over his shoulder, smiling at the sight of you, the sunlight coming in through the window and making you glow.
"It needed to be done. I'm almost finished," he replied, standing up and putting the crib together.
"You've been busy," you laughed, walking over and running your hands over the white, wooden furniture. He hand painted the walls and assembled everything, and you felt tears prickle at your eyes.
"It's beautiful," you sighed, looking around.
"Are you crying? Don't cry, darling," he said, pulling you close, your face pressed against his chest.
"I can't help it, these stupid hormones," you sniffled.
"It's alright," he laughed, stroking your hair.
You sighed and pulled away, taking in the nursery. There was a rocking chair and a bookshelf, filled with all the children's books the two of you had collected over the years.
"It looks wonderful," you said, smiling and wiping away your tears.
"Now, what would my lovely wife like to do for the rest of the afternoon? We have the place to ourselves, so I was thinking we could make good use of that large tub in our bathroom," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"You read my mind," you grinned.
You followed him back into your room, watching him fill up the tub with warm water, pouring in some bubble bath.
"Get undressed, darling," he smiled, taking his pants off and getting in the tub, moaning at the sensation of the water against his skin.
You slowly peeled off your dress, feeling a little self-conscious about your changing body. Here was your husband, eternally chiseled, and there you were, round and swollen.
"Come, let me take care of you," he whispered, seeing your hesitation.
You slipped in next to him, the water and bubbles a nice contrast to the heat of the day.
He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against his chest, placing his hands on the swell of your stomach.
"There, doesn't that feel nice?" he hummed.
"Very nice," you sighed, resting your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes and relaxing.
His hands roamed over your skin, his lips brushing over the curve of your neck.
"I've missed having you all to myself," he whispered, his voice low and seductive.
"Mmm," was all you could say, too relaxed and content to form words.
He gently cupped your breasts, the pads of his thumbs brushing over your nipples, making you whimper and moan.
"Eli," you sighed, his touch sending shivers through your body.
"You're so beautiful," he said, his voice breathy.
You turned your head and looked at him, his gaze filled with lust and desire.
"Do you want to continue this on our bed?" You asked, your voice sultry.
"I'd love to," he replied, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smirk.
He helped you out of the tub, wrapping a towel around your body. Before suddenly scooping you up in his arms, carrying you to the bedroom and laying you down.
"I can't wait until I'm not this enormous," you sighed, looking down at your swollen belly.
"You're not enormous, you're beautiful, and absolutely radiant," he replied, hovering over you, his hand gently resting on your stomach.
You couldn't help but smile, and the tears started rolling down your cheeks.
"Don't cry again, my love," he chuckled.
"I can't help it! Just ignore me," you said, wiping the tears away.
"As if that is possible," he laughed.
He kissed your forehead, moving his way down your body, placing his hands on your hips, his lips pressing soft kisses against the curve of your stomach.
"Elijah, you don't have to do that," you whispered, feeling a little shy.
"But I want to," he replied, kissing his way down, spreading your legs.
"Oh," was all you could say, his tongue swirling over your clit, one hand on your inner thigh, the other resting on your stomach.
He hummed and moaned, the vibrations making you gasp, and arch your back. He could tell you were sensitive, and he was gentle, taking his time.
You ran your fingers through his hair, tugging a little, making him moan and pick up the pace.
" 'lijah," you panted, feeling the pleasure coil in your core.
You couldn't even see him over the swell of your stomach, but you could feel him, and the noises he was making were sending you into overdrive.
"Fuck, don't stop," you gasped, the orgasm hitting you like a ton of bricks, leaving you dizzy and lightheaded.
Elijah was enjoying himself, the taste of you on his tongue, the noises you were making, and the sight of you coming apart, was driving him crazy.
You tugged on his hair, pulling his face away, the sensations becoming too much, and he crawled up your body, kissing your stomach as he moved.
"Did you enjoy that, darling?" He asked, kissing you and tasting yourself on his tongue.
"Mmm yes, very much," you hummed, pushing on his chest so he laid back.
He watched you move, a smirk on his face, his pupils blown. You sat on his thighs, stroking him, seeing his abs tense and relax, and he let out a long, deep moan.
"You are such a good father and husband, always going above and beyond for us," you said, leaning down and licking his length. "Let me show you how much I appreciate you,"
You leaned down and teased his head with your tongue, enjoying the string of curses that came tumbling from his mouth.
A soft hum escaped you as you slowly, and carefully, sucked on the head, teasing and tasting.
"Love, you are exquisite," he groaned, burying his fingers in your hair.
You took him deeper, hollowing your cheeks, letting him move at the pace he desired. All you wanted to do was please him, you loved when his voice would crack from pleasure and the way his fingers would tug on your hair.
"Come here," he said, cupping your cheek.
You pulled off of him with a pop, moving to sit on top of him, kissing him and grinding against his length.
"Mmm, I could do this forever," you hummed, biting his bottom lip and tugging.
He ran his hands up and down your back, nibbling at your shoulder, suckling marks into your skin.
Your swell was pressed against his abs, and he could feel every slight movement, enjoying the sight of you rolling your hips.
He guided you down onto his cock, the sheets bunched up around the two of you, and he rolled his hips, his hands gripping your ass.
"You are stunning," he murmured, kissing the valley between your breasts.
His lips brushed over your nipples, sucking, his teeth grazing them, his groans vibrating through your body.
"Eli- stop, they are too sensitive," you panted, running your nails over his skin, leaving bright red scratches.
"Sorry, love," he replied, grinning at the sting of your nails.
He did most of the work, gently rocking you in a steady rhythm, and the two of you moaned, the pleasure coursing through your bodies, his lips brushing your neck.
It was a slow, hot and steamy fuck, you felt like your body was on fire, the sweat and heat radiating off the two of you.
You leaned forward a little, allowing Elijah to get a little more friction, his hips moving faster, the both of you panting and moaning.
"Ah- Elijah, I'm-," you panted against his lips.
You buried your head in the crook of his neck as you came undone, clenching around him.
Elijah followed suit, the sensation of your orgasm bringing him to the edge.
He cupped the back of your neck, bringing you down for a kiss, and the two of you hummed, content and sated, basking in the afterglow.
"I wish we could stay like this," you sighed, nuzzling against him.
He laughed, and gently rolled you onto your side, pulling out of you and tucking you against his chest, both of you smiling like idiots.
"I love you," he said, stroking your hair.
"I love you too," you whispered, resting your head on his arm, letting the world melt away for just a few minutes.
Elijah watched you drift off to sleep, a small smile on his face. He kissed your forehead and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of being next to you.
It was days like these that made him wonder what he did to deserve it. That perhaps there was some sort of higher power that had guided him to you, that brought him such profound peace and happiness after centuries of darkness.
You mumbled and cuddled up against him, he placed his hand on your belly, rubbing it with his thumb, thinking about how lucky he was.
He was living a life he never thought he would have, a family of his own, one he created. He didn't know what was waiting for him after he was done with this life, but he hoped you would be there with him.
In the next life, and all the ones after that.
Tumblr media
♡♡ Tag-List ♡♡
♡ @gorgeouslydangerous ♡ @starkleila ♡ @lydia1369sworld ♡ @notleylaaa ♡ @vampiresluv ♡ @myanmy ♡ @xflowerbombxo ♡ @maryvibess ♡ @always-and-forever-daydreaming ♡ @criminallminds ♡ @theesexystallion ♡ @rosemarypotion ♡ @spnaquakindgdom ♡ @amournoir ♡ @loving-and-dreaming ♡
♡ @meeom ♡ @damienmorton ♡ @wickedmuse ♡ @sunkissedebony97 ♡ @idk00sblog ♡ @savannaounana♡ @cs-please ♡ complicatedandconfusing-25 ♡ @hamiltimes ♡ @akala6670229 ♡ @yeaiamme2 ♡ @itsjulzandmydiamonds ♡ @spideysbabe ♡ @witch-of-letters ♡ @elijahstwink ♡ @rosecentury ♡ @sekaishell ♡ @ziayamikaelson ♡ @amanda08319 ♡ @starshipcookie
I've gotten a few dm's about my tags not working (yay) so let me know if its still a problem, I just re-tagged all of you so hopefully that solved it ♡
Also! If you wish to be removed from the tag list just send me a dm, you won't hurt my feelings (it's okay if you got sick of me ~lol) I don't wish to hold you hostage ♡
164 notes · View notes
Note
I was thinking about the Pasadena strawberry festival I used to go to as a kid, and now I want a reader who is super excited for like a local fair and drags Price along with her to go on rides and stuff. It could be fluffy, or it could dissolve into something sticky and smutty. :3
MDNI
Ever since your stressful ordeal, you and John had made excuse after excuse to get off base. Now that Makarov was rotting in the cold Russian ground, John looked as if he could finally breathe. Those first two weeks had been like a fever dream. four flights, two buses, and an Uber ride home all led to the longest hibernation session of your life.
You'd fallen asleep together on a bare mattress, not even bothering to put the fitted sheet over it. He covered you with his body, trapping you beneath him protectively, just as he'd done in your safehouse, unwilling to compromise even now that every house was safe. It seemed like you'd slept for days. Soap called, Ghost sent a few texts, and Gaz dropped by to leave you with some lo mein, but for the most part, they knew you needed rest. And time.
When you finally emerged from your cave, John Price looked like a new man. His eyes seemed brighter, and the worry that creased his forehead smoothed itself like melting ice, thawing him from the inside out.
You knew he was almost cured when he brought home two tickets to the local Strawberry Fest, his eyes twinkling and his belly hungry for strawberry funnel cake fries.
"C'mon, missus. I'll even ride the ferris wheel with you. If I pay the bloke at the bottom, maybe he'll stop it long enough for me to get my hands dirty, huh?"
He teased you, lifting up your dress to squirm a hand inside of your panties, chasing you when you laughed and wrenched yourself away.
The festival was everything good about summer. The weather was bright and clear, the breeze was cool, and the strawberry cider you were drinking was going straight to your head.
John had made a beeline for the funnel cake stand, and as you sat on a grassy knoll together, you let him feed you slices of strawberries covered in light clouds of cream. As you watched the crowd of people milling about, dragging their screaming children, kissing and laughing and eating and dancing, you finally understood the weight of what you had done.
You knew, while you were working, but your hatred for Makarov had blinded you to the truth. The truth was that normal people needed you. They couldn't protect themselves. They would never even realize the danger they were in. It was up to you to stand in its way.
You wrapped your arm around John's wide bicep and planted a kiss on his shoulder, enjoying his messy chewing, wiping off the powdered sugar from his mustache, praying you had bought him some time. Praying that you could be with the normal people for a while, until the next time they needed protecting.
You wanted to see him at peace, and if this was it, then it was heaven.
"C'mon, love. You ready to go for a ride?"
You cast your eyes up at the huge ferris wheel, watching the great machine lift its riders up into the bright sky. John traced your knee with his fingertips, pressing his warm palm further and further up your dress until it was almost indecent. You leaned into him, spreading your legs just a bit so that his hand could travel even further, enjoying the look of shock on his face as you did.
"Hope we don't get stuck up there," you joked.
He smiled, squeezing the inside of your thigh,
"I wonder how much that costs."
89 notes · View notes
perksofbeingpoet · 2 days
Text
☆ WHAT THE POETS' HOBBIES WOULD BE (IF THEY HAD NORMAL LIVES AND FREE TIME) ☆
MEEKS: something tells me meeks would be really into rollerblading or skating? idk i can really picture him as a skater boy, and i can see pittsie coming with him to try it out! meeks would be very chill about it, not trying to learn the coolest tricks or something, BUT he'd totally bring his skateboard everywhere and the poets would tease him about it like oh hey mr cool, do you skateboard? that's so cool i'm SWOONING, good that you brought it to the theatre in case there's a skateboarding emergency
PITTS: photography/videography. if he lived today, pittsie would totally be a youtuber, but i can see him always taking pictures or even "vlogging" in the canon era, too! he just enjoys capturing these memories, and at the end of every year, he'd do a sort of "best of this year" with the poets- i also see him as a big plant dad, not sure if he'd do it in the 60s though? but i can picture pittsie having several little succulents. oh and baking/cooking!! meeks always snacks on his stuff before it's ready and it drives pittsie insane
TODD: i know everyone's convinced todd would be into crocheting, but i honestly don't really see it? no hate whatsoever, i get where people get the idea but to be honest i think crocheting would make todd frustrated/anxious. this boy needs movement, something to do so his mind shuts up, and i think that's swimming. i honestly think todd would be a really dedicated swimmer, maybe to the point where it gets a bit unhealthy because he just throws himself into it to turn his thoughts off?
CHARLIE: yes this one is kinda obvious but charlie would totally pursue music if he had the time and means- he seems so passionate when he plays the saxophone, it's one of the few scenes where we get to see him not joking around, dismissing things with a quip and smirk, but earnestly enjoying something. charlie wouldn't only play, I totally picture him going to jazz clubs and loving to dance there and chat up girls. oh he'd also play video games as soon as they're available!
KNOX: i've mentioned this before but knox would 2000% learn how to play the guitar, and then proceed to play it at dps meetings and with chris. i know it sounds super douchy but honestly, i think knox wouldn't even notice that it comes off as annoying sometimes? he just really enjoys playing the guitar and wants to share that with others. also seems like someone who'd love running, i can see him being one of those people who go on 1 hour jogs in the morning :') Oh and drawing! But he'd be quite shy about it.
NEIL: this is so hard for some reason? 😭 i mean obviously he'd act, and probably go to the theatre quite often on top of that- i also think neil would like cycling, but other than that it's pretty difficult for me to think of what his hobbies would be- i kinda see him as just hanging out with friends a lot and going to parks etc. to chill when he's not at rehearsal. feel free to share your ideas if you have some!
CAMERON: dancing. he's SO ashamed of it and only does it in the comfort of his own room, but if cameron could do anything he wanted, i think he'd do ballet? HELP GUYS I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I FEEL SO SURE ABOUT THIS, CAMERON IS PRETTY MUCH BILLY ELLIOT IN MY MIND BUT HE NEVER GETS TO PURSUE BALLET/DANCING COS HE LIVES IN A TIME AND SOCIETY THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THAT?? WHY IS THIS SO CANON TO ME???? also crosswords.
79 notes · View notes
allguysshouldgrow · 3 days
Text
The Scale
hey y'all, this is my first attempt at a piece of somewhat longer fiction. if you like it, please comment/shoot me a message and encourage me to do more! hope you enjoy!
     You get out of your car, slowly, pulling the fabric of your T-shirt down as a matter of habit, just to make sure you aren't giving anyone a peep show of the bottom 2 inches of your abdomen. It's unseasonably warm today - what should be the warmth of May feels more like the heat of July, and honestly, you hate it. You're out yardsaling today - looking for deals on the nerdy shit you collect, and whatever else you might find, and getting out and about fulfills your love for meeting new people.
     "Hey there, how are you?" yells a guy from across the yard as you walk up the driveway. You respond with normal niceties as you begin to browse the wares. Tableclothes, baby clothes, adult clothes, glassware, an old coffee machine, nothing to exciting. You glance over at the guy a few times. He's in his late 30's, decently attractive face, but wearing a sweatshirt 2 sizes too big - you assume he must be hiding some sort of body he's embarrassed of. You both chit chat as you comtinue to browse, about the weather, about some of the stuff he's selling, about the upcoming storms that are supposed to roll in that afternoon.
     As he's telling you about his experience with a lightning strike, you notice something that you don't see very often. A scale, but not a normal one, but one for the big boys, one that goes up to 600 lbs. You pick it up and examine it - it's obviously used and a bit dusty, but in good shape.
     He chimes in, "It works, tested it this morming myself! Just want to move past that time of my life." You give him a look, obviously curious about what he means. "Yeah, I used to weigh 529 at my heaviest - that thing was the only thing that could tell me just how bad my problem had gotten. Lost over 250 poinds since then, and ready to get rid of it."
     Suddenly the baggy sweatshirt makes sense, as does all of the men's clothing for sale. You start to get curious about what he looks like underneath the sweatshirt, but aren't stupid (or brave) enough to ask. For whatever reason, you tell him your honest reason for picking it up.
     "Good for you, that's awesome! I get what you mean about it being hard to find - my bathroom scale has been reading 'ERR' for months, and I can't find an affordable option to replace it." You laugh as you give your gut a small slap, one that sends ripples throughout your body, more than you expected. "I think I maxed it out, one week it read 299.2, the next is was ERR. How much do you want for it?"
     "I'll take 2 bucks man, I just want it gone." You fish out your wallet, and hand him the money. He hesitates for a minute, as if condiering saying something. Finally, he takes the money and opens his mouth to speak.
     "How old are you?" He asks. You laugh semi-nervously, taken aback by the odd question. "25, why?" He hesitates again. "I was about your age when my weight started to get out of control. It felt like one day I was enjoying big meals and a lotta beer without a care in the world, and the next day I was having a hard time getting out of bed. I guess what I'm saying is.... be careful. Coming from a big guy, I know what big looks like, and you look to be a fair ways past 300. I don't want you to have the same struggles I did, being too fat to enjoy your prime years, spending more time eating than socializing. It doesn't feel good to be the guy that needs his in shape buddies to help him get off the couch."
     You stand there a moment, staring at him. Something is stirring inside you, something you don't want to acknowledge. "I appreciate the advice man. Have a good day." You say, all in one breath, trying to leave the interaction as soon as possible. You run-walk back to your car, trying to ignore the jiggles, the sweat beading on your brow, the slight soreness in your legs. You get in the car and are finally forced to confront that feeling that swirled in you as he was speaking.
     You lift up your gut slightly, and see what you were worried about - a small wet spot right over your crotch. The story the man told you, the... warning, had made you so aroused, you pre-came through your pants. You attempt to quickly rub one out to get rid of the thoughts in your head, but find that your underwear is too tight, and your belly too big.
     After speeding home, you run into your apartmemt with the scale, feeling a mix of worry, excitment, fear, and worst of all, horniness. As you set down the scale to weigh yourself, you start jerking off, unable to wait any longer. Suddenly, a number blinks back at you.
343.6.
You cum. Harder than ever before. Longer than ever before. And without you realizing, a switch flips, somehwere deep inside of you. After cleaning up, you pick up your phone, and order McDonald's for delivery, and order twice your normal order. As you sit down, finally thinking clearly for the first time in an hour, one thought sits on the edge of your mind as you try to ignore it.
"What if I max out this scale too?"
79 notes · View notes
peachhcs · 3 days
Note
Hiii!!
I was wondering if you could write something for samy and will based on this article: https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/my-man-mireille-boutin-on-michael-pezzetta?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=CHCcontent&utm_content=EN-0514-MyMan
Basically the nhl team’s media people asking the players’ significant other questions about them. Thanks so much :))
my girl: will smith on samy hughes
hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)
nhl elite prospects interviews will about samy & their relationship!
1k words
this was suppperr cute to write. i swear will’s a yapper when it comes to talking about samy. i switched it from the article so it was will talking about samy, hope u don’t mind, but i loved this request!!
au masterlist
Tumblr media
"we've been best friends since we were kids. everything just makes more sense when i'm around her."
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN — samy hughes is known for her tough offense on the soccer field.
but off the field, she's the "best person i've ever known," according to her boyfriend, will smith, a boston college forward.
while in san jose for a development camp, the nhl elite prospects were able to catch up with smith to ask him how he's been doing, including how his new relationship's been treating him.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR DYNAMIC GROWING UP.
it's funny because we never hung out by ourselves a lot when we were kids. i was pretty attached to her older brothers [quinn, jack, and luke] and she was attached to my sister [grace smith], so we never really hung out that much until we were older. although, we always got along. when we did hang out we enjoyed talking to one another and poking fun as if we were siblings. we really didn't get closer until i moved up to plymouth for the usntdp.
WHAT CHANGED YOUR RELATIONSHIP FROM FAMILIAL TO ROMANTIC?
at least for me, as i got older, my feelings started changing towards her. i started seeing her as an annoying sister less and less and the more we hung out when i was in michigan, the more attached i grew i guess. we started just..doing stupid stuff together and i just really liked hanging out with her. all the times where i thought the things we did together was just a sibling dynamic, i slowly realized it was a lot more than that.
WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO ON YOUR FIRST DATE?
i took her out to dinner in ann arbor and then we walked around for a bit before sitting on a bench and just talking for hours. it was definitely weird at first, but we eased into one another and it was fun getting to know her on a different level than what i've always known her as.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU MOST TO HER?
her personality for sure. she's super outgoing, always knows what she wants, very independent, super caring. we're very similar in many aspects, hence why we're best friends. she looks up to her brothers a lot which i admire because i also look up to them. i also enjoy her extensive knowledge of hockey because of her family, so it's easy talking about the game with her. she's just always been someone i go to when i need a shoulder to lean on and it's just so easy with her, you know? i love getting to call her so we can talk about our days together.
OF COURSE, HOCKEY'S IN SAMY'S ROOTS. DO YOU GET HER ON THE ICE WITH YOU EVER?
oh yeah, 100%. whenever we're back at michigan or in boston, we're on the ice. she's the one dragging me outside sometimes so we can play 1v1 or something. she's always had that love for hockey even if she doesn't play competitively anymore. i also love seeing her out there because it's what bonded us when we were kids, so it's nice still getting to go out and do it with her. somehow she still beats me too. she doesn't play for 4 months and then we're back on the ice together she scores 3 goals before i can even get the puck in my possession. the guys chirp at me whenever that happens if they're around.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATCH HER SOCCER GAMES?
every single one of them are on my computer. it doesn't matter what i'm doing. as soon as the live stream starts, i'm booting it up to watch. the guys love watching her play, so i always get to turn it on the tv and then we scream at the stream for two hours together.
SPEAKING OF THE GUYS, WE HEARD SHE HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR LINEMATES AS WELL.
leno and perreault absolutely adore her which i think is really sweet. i was a little worried when i first introduced all of them back when we moved to mich, but the three of them grew close really quickly. sometimes i think they're more excited to see her than i am and that's saying a lot.
WE HEARD HUGHES IS A GREAT COOK. HAS SHE COOKED ANYTHING FOR YOU?
when we're at the lake house she loves cooking all of us breakfast. she makes a great omelette and french toast, like, the best i've ever had. we all go crazy for her breakfast in the mornings.
DO YOU GUYS EVER TRAIN TOGETHER DURING THE SUMMER LIKE RUNNING OR WORKING OUT?
i'm not a huge runner, but sometimes i will run with her when she goes out, or i'd bike along side her. our training schedules are pretty different, but when we're in the offseason we'd occasionally hit the gym together or do some casual workouts that won't kill us. she knows what the hockey training is like so it's no stranger to her when she does follow my lead. soccer, on the other hand, is a lot more sprints and footwork which is sometimes helpful for me.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF SAMY'S BEST QUALITIES?
shes a huge team player. she's always looking out for those girls on her soccer team, helping them run drills, being someone to talk to—i really admire her for that. she's got a real big heart too. her love is so contagious. she's dependable, trustworthy, kind, beautiful—the list could go on coming from me.
ANY LAST WORDS YOU WANT US TO ADD?
i love her, haha. our parents knew way before us that we would end up together before we even knew. we've been best friends since we were kids. everything just makes more sense when i'm around her. this is probably corny, but i wanna spend the rest of my life with her. she's my rock.
104 notes · View notes
journeytomonkiekid · 17 hours
Note
Pardon me if you have been asked this before.
How are you feeling about all this? About eventually leaving tumblr to try and barricade yourself against AI junk. I can only imagine that it's frustrating.
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your comic while it lasted. Thanks for sharing with us for free on this sight and I hope you get plenty of patreon subscribers in the future.
You're art is wonderful and it's a shame that AI is such a parasite to the artist community. Stay safe out there. I'll see you around when you twitch stream yourself drawing or you hang out with Swag.
It’s exhausting and I wish I didn’t have to.
Sheezy.Art is lovely, and a great replacement for the void DA left behind, but it’s still incredibly depressing that AI is being treated as a beacon of progress when it is exploitative at it’s core.
The move is going fine, it’s just painfully slow, because of the limitations Sheezy.Art has placed. I hope the platform grows in a manageable way, and it can keep itself afloat. I don’t think I can manage moving again. The other frustrating thing is people acting like the comic is dead, even though it’s not.
Patreon is an enormous help, since it allows me room to work on the comic. If I get enough Patrons, then it might be reasonable for me to just work on the comic full time. (I wouldn’t need to waste time on beurocratic nonsense), but for now it has helped me pay for food, and other necessities.
To be clear, I’m not fully removing myself from Tumblr, I will still have my blog to share other people’s work and stuff, I just will not be uploading Art that I haven’t protected with Nightshade. The reason I haven’t done that already is cause my computer can’t run it for some reason.
Thanks for asking and thanks for the support.
79 notes · View notes
Text
SaiyanPrincessSwanie Reading List Weeks 199 & 200
Tumblr media
A/N: Thank you again to those who gave me recommendations for fanfics. 💜 This week had me reading 35 fics. Absolutely amazing stuff here.
As always these will be listed in no particular order. None of these stories are mine. I’m just signal-boosting them. The author is listed next to the title. My goal is to signal boost writers and spread positivity in the community.  💜💜
Click HERE to see what I will or won’t read. This is very important.
Click HERE for past reading lists.
For my Masterlist click HERE.
Please make sure you’re reading the warnings on every story. They range from dark to fluff. Do Not Read if you are under 18 years old. These stories are meant for adults only. You’re responsible for your own media consumption.
Page-break by @whimsicalrogers
Header by @fictional-affairs
If you can, please reblog these lists so they can reach more people on Tumblr.
I love you 3000 💜 Missy
Tumblr media
Perfect for Me - (Steve x Reader) - @saiyanprincessswanie
Coincidence - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan
Wildflowers - (Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt) - @nekoannie-chan
MIDNIGHT MAGNETISM - (Andy x Reader) - @labella420
Enjoying the Show - (Ari x Reader x Ransom) - @stargazingfangirl18
Night Night, Nugget! - (Bucky x Reader) - @nicoline1998enilocin
Gun for hire (Prologue) - (Lloyd x Reader) - @holylulusworld
Steve Drabble - @stargazingfangirl18
The Gift - (Andy x Reader) - @stargazingfangirl18
Filled to the Brim - (Steve x Reader) - @labella420
Come back - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan
Fight For Me - Chp 1 - (Alvey Kulina/OFC) - @talia-rumlow
What's Hers Is Mine - (Bucky x Reader) - @targaryenvampireslayer
Tunnel - (Ororo Munroe, Logan Howlett) - @nekoannie-chan
Office - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan
Little Punk - (Bucky x Reader) - @targaryenvampireslayer
Bad Romance - (Lloyd x Reader) - @deliciousangelfestival
Jawbreaker - (Bucky x Reader) - @navybrat817
Ari Dark Concepts - @hansensgirl
His Inheritance ~ Chp 34 - (Steve x Reader) - @jtargaryen18
Gun for hire (1) - (Lloyd x Reader) - @holylulusworld
Gun for hire (2) - (Lloyd x Reader) - @holylulusworld
Lurking in the Shadows - (Curtis x Reader) - @stargazingfangirl18
A Bit Longer - (Bucky x Reader) - @navybrat817
Like This - (Winter Soldier x Reader) - @jobean12-blog
You and Me - (Winter Soldier x Reader) - @jobean12-blog
Escape - (Steve, Brock) - @nekoannie-chan
Books - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan
Feelings - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan
Life Is Short So Make It Sweet - Chp 6 - (Curtis x Honey) - @sweater-daddiesdumbdork
Evermore - Proposal - (Ari x Reader, Andy x Reader) - @joannaliceevans-fanficblog
Evermore - Part 4 - (Ari x Reader, Andy x Reader) - @joannaliceevans-fanficblog
Finding Home (5) - (Bucky x Reader) - @jobean12-blog
Reconnect - We Don't Talk Anymore - (Bucky x Reader) - @navybrat817
Your Mark On Me - Part 9 - (Steve x Reader) - @georgiapeach30513
41 notes · View notes
pluckyredhead · 1 day
Note
☕️batfam (not each character, but your opinion of them as a family both in canon vs. canon)
I think the version of them that you see in things like WFA and a lot of fandom stuff is delightful and entertaining. Don't get me wrong - a lot of the fandom stuff is also wildly wrong and infuriating. But there are writers who do a great job with a more fannish take on the Batfamily and I enjoy their work. (It is usually...painfully obvious who has actually read the comics and who only knows the Batfam via tumblr posts.)
The Batfamily in mainstream continuity is...not that. The characters are significantly more traumatized and rarely joke around with each other. They're also not a unit in the same way. They almost never do anything together out of costume. They don't have a joint baseline relationship of "family" - each pair of characters has a unique relationship. Like, Dick and Damian are close, Tim and Damian have a very rocky history, and Jason and Damian have honestly just not interacted that much? (Hilariously, Jason literally shot Damian early on and Damian doesn't appear to hold a grudge, while you know Tim is still mad about the dinosaur thing.) Damian has a specific relationship with Steph. Tim has a specific (and close!) relationship with Babs. (He used to just...hang out in the Watchtower! Being nerds together!) Duke and Cass are close, which of course is largely ignored by fandom. Etc.
I think the fact that the canon relationships are fraught and in some cases either really volatile or nonexistent is potentially really interesting. Like, I would love to see a story that puts Jason and Tim on a mission together and really digs into that dynamic, or Tim and Damian. (Or my dream story, one where Tim feels Some Kind Of Way about how he used to be Dick's favorite but now Damian very clearly is. (This is not how Dick sees it at all, for the record. Tim is his little brother! But Damian is his baby. It's different.))
Or look at the Robins' current relationships with Bruce: Dick is the closest with him but also accepts and absorbs much of Bruce's bad behavior without question. Bruce and Jason cannot be around each other for more than 30 minutes without dragging up every wound they've inflicted on each other over the years. Tim is desperate to fix Bruce to a degree that's actively unhealthy for Tim. Bruce functionally ignores Steph's entire existence and she seems to have wisely made her peace with that. And Damian is desperate for the unconditional love Bruce seems incapable of giving and mad at himself for it.
I don't actually want to change that. I find it fascinating. I'm not opposed to stories about the kids healing some of that damage, but I don't particularly want it to be via their relationships with Bruce. I'd like to see it happen via their relationships with each other. (That one story where Dick was like "Tim you will never fix Bruce, PLEASE stop trying" and Bruce was like "Lol he's right" was SO good. And then the writing on Tim went catastrophically off the rails but we're not talking about that right now.)
Anyway I think I've gotten a little far afield of your original question, but basically: I like (the good takes on) the fanon Batfam, but I also think the canon Batfam is really interesting. I don't think the two should be conflated (which is what DC does when they try to give us fluffy interactions that haven't been earned, Tom Taylor). And I don't think anyone is wrong for preferring either a more lighthearted take or a more fraught, canon-compliant take. The asshole behavior comes in when you refuse to accept other people's preferences.
(But also, if you are looking for an actually loving and healthy canon family that has playful interactions, you want the Flashes or the Arrows.)
28 notes · View notes
look-at-the-soul · 2 days
Text
The Photoshoot - Part 50
Cillian Murphy series 2014, 2015
I’m sorry for not posting this sooner! Sometimes time flies and when I realize it’s boom 🤯 a month went by… but my love for these two will always make me enjoy the most for each part. And I can’t believe this story reached part 50!!?!! Like how ?
Ps. Happy birthday Cill 💙✨
Word count: 3,628
Tumblr media
Cillian waved at the crew team as they left him in front of his hotel. As it got chiller, he shivered and walked into the small convinience store to get a bottle of water, strolling through the aisles, he found a stuffed duck and immediately thought of Scout, he loved ducks. As he walked past some people, he was aware of the glances and deep down he knew the reason.
The infamous Thomas Shelby haircut.
“Hello you.” He greeted his wife after answering his phone.
“Hey baby, how have you been?” Yael’s voice spread softly to his heart.
“Missing you like crazy.” He admitted realizing he probably sounded corny.
“Well I miss you more.”
Cillian placed the phone between his shoulder and cheek to grab something.
“Give me a sec.” He managed to make it to the register balancing the items in his arms and politely asked the cashier if she could cut the tag from the stuffed animal.
“What was that?” Yael chuckled softly.
“I’m buying some stuff.” He put his wallet in his back pocket and made it out of the store. “How’s it going? How are you ladies doing?”
“I took Mum to a yoga class and then we had breakfast at this cute little café and more ladies stuff.” She explained and he could easily imagine her playing with one of her curls with a beautiful smile on her lips.
“Oh tell me more about that girls stuff.” He stopped at the red light, checking the signal to cross the street.
“We’re getting manis and pedis later.” He loved hearing her laugh. “And oh! Yesterday when we were walking, we found an antiques shop…”
“Oh shit.” He interrupted in a playful tone.”
“Stop it.” She giggled.
“And what gorgeous rare-to-find item did you discover this time?” Cillian asked not being able to stop the smile from growing in his lips. He knew Yael too damn well.
“A painting.” Yael replied shyly. “And I immediately fell in love with it.” She rushed to explain to cover for her excitement.
Cillian laughed, seeing already the scene in his mind. His wife had a weakness for antiques, but he had to admit she had a good taste.
“It’s beautiful and the frame it’s the original, took me a while to properly clean it.” She continued.
“I bet you didn’t stop until getting it hanged.”
“Actually I didn’t, still trying to decide what’s the right place.” He heard Scout barking in the background. “How’s the scouting going?”
“Grand, grand… later we’re going somewhere else, we need some scenes by the river and the caravans look fucking phenomenal.” He explained.
The project was around the corner and he tensed his shoulders involuntarily at the thought of embarking once more into the character’s chaos.
“I can’t wait to see everything up.”
“Alright baby, I’ll let you go to your pedi time, call you later.” Cillian told her that he love her and walked into the store trying to keep a low profile.
He needed to pick up the gift he ordered for Yael.
***
“Mrs. Lieberman, Mrs. Murphy welcome.” The social worker asked them to take their seats. “Let’s see,” she seemed to focus on a sheet before her, the desk had a pile of folders and papers organized with colorful post it. “I understand you traveled for this appointment.”
“Yes, my home is in London.” Isla crossed her leg. “But right now I’m staying with my daughter.”
“I see.”
It was hard to tell anything from Mrs. O’Brien’s expression. Her lips were in a tight line and Yael always felt uneasy, not knowing if she was sharing too much or if she shouldn’t have said that.
“Would you like to tell me about your family and the dynamic you share?”
As Isla went on to talk about her children, talked about how they traveled frequently to be together as much as they could and then she shared a small snippet of a birthday party she held for one of her grandchildren.
“So how would an adoption blend into this? How do you feel about that?”
Although the question was meant to set anyone back and make you question yourself, Isla managed to pull a great comeback.
“Do you mean if I’d love that children less because it’s not biologically my grandchild?” She asked openly and when she saw the social worker nod, she went on. “My husband picked me up from the ground when I was at my lowest point emotionally and economically, for months I saw my daughter struggling with physical therapy to recover from the accident and surgery after surgery and not only that, he took my children as his own and loved us unconditionally, the same goes for our grandchildren. He never made one single comment about not being linked by blood or sharing DNA with any of them, I wouldn’t know how to love Yael and Cillian’s child any other way.”
Yael had to fight back the tears that formed in her eyes. There it was, the woman who always inspired her, opening her heart to say just what she thought.
“To me,” Isla continued. “It’s not about sharing the same genetics… it’s something deeper than that, it’s about choosing to love, care and protect for another human being without waiting anything in return and I know this takes a lot of time and steps but I can assure you my daughter and her husband will be the most loving parents if you give them the chance.”
Quietly, Yael excused herself and walked out of the office, she wasn’t needed there anyways. Emotions were suffocating her and it was impossible to prevent it. Perhaps it was the fact that Cillian was away, or her Mother’s words that touched her heart. But either way, she needed a break, to keep her guard down and trust the process and its own time. But who was she trying to fool? It was damn hard and sometimes it felt like it would never happen.
“This has been extremely hard for my daughter, the process is wearing her out, but I understand this is not like going to the grocery shop and picking a kid. I know it takes time and you’ve to follow protocols and forms, but trust me, she’s the most loving person I know and motherhood has always been her biggest dream.”
“We cannot base the approval on that Mrs. Lieberman, we need to check background, records, psychology tests… we’re talking about a vulnerable child’s life.”
Isla nodded, not wanting to upset the social worker.
“May I ask how long does it takes to finalize?”
The social worker shuddered. “It can be months… even years.”
Isla’s heart shattered by the statement. She wanted to keep a positive spirit, but the time frame wasn’t very helpful.
“That long? And there’s nothing you can do?”
The social worker shook her head. “We’ve to complete each step.”
“But there are so many kids in orphanages.” She had seen it first hand, since the following day she arrived, they went to give away the books Yael bought for the children, spent hours there reading to them. It was bittersweet, but she was grateful for sharing a moment like that with her daughter.
Yael wasn’t doing it just to look good for the adoption process, she was doing it because she learned it filled her heart and soul, because she wanted to make those kids happy.
“I just wish you get everything you need to approve their adoption, they’re eager to welcome their child into their happy little family.”
“We want nothing but the very same.”
Ending the meeting, Isla went to search for her daughter. Her heart beating faster, she just wanted the best for Yael and Cillian.
“There you’re sweetie, shall we go somewhere?”
“Yes, I need some fresh air.” Yael helped her put in her coat and the pair went to the parking lot.
“I probably shouldn’t have stormed off like that.” Yael regretted her reaction.
“Don’t worry about that, the interview was meant to be just for me, and this is draining.”
“But they seem to be monitoring everything, every little thing you do and say.” Yael waited for her green light to take a turn.
“I know you and you’re probably tired of hearing this, but try to take this one step at the time, be patient. I’m sure the reward is around the corner.”
Yael knew her mother’s words were filled with the best intentions, but it was just like telling someone grieving to not feel sad about losing someone they love.
“Let’s focus on something else sweetheart, let’s go to clear our heads for a bit.” Isla proposed, worried about her daughter, she wanted to do something to cheer her up.
“Yeah, we’ve the appointment at the salon already.”
“Yes, that’s a wonderful idea.”
Yael took a deep breath. “I don’t want to tell Cill about this just yet. He needs to focus on his next project and this isn’t exactly a major step or something that tells me we’re getting good news soon.”
Yael took a U turn at the next available exit, following the instructions in the GPS.
As she was driving, her phone started ringing and Cillian’s face appeared on the screen.
“Hey handsome, I was thinking of you.”
“I got a notification marked as urgent that you left somewhere, are you alright?”
“Yeah, we just finished the interview with the social worker and I’m taking Mum for a walk. It’s the app I downloaded for you, it keeps you updated of where am I and stuff like that.”
“Oh so I can spy on you?” He joked and made Isla chuckled. “How did it go?”
Yael took a deep breath before answering her husband. “I hope well.”
“I’m sure of it.” He offered through the phone. “Why don’t you go to the movies to shake it off?” Cillian proposed.
Yael gasped at the suggestion. “That’s a great idea!”
“Yeah.” He added thinking how it had been a while since they went out. Lately he had been focusing on the script and nothing else, he felt bad because as he was getting more and more engrossed on the role, he started to grow apart from his wife. And although she never pointed it out, now that her mother was around, he was noticing the difference.
She was so supportive of each of his projects and with the adoption process, he wanted to make sure they were still connected.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking… why don’t start planning a holiday during Christmas? Or by the time I finish filming? Let’s go wherever you want, hmm?”
“Oh that’s really nice!” Isla agreed, noticing the smile on her daughter’s lips.
“I’d love that.” A few days away just the two of them? Yael was already looking forward to it.
“Alright, it’s settled then, I’m heading to the set now, let me know when you get home.”
“Will do.” Telling Cillian, she loved him, Yael hang up.
“He’s amazing.” Isla expressed, getting out of the car, as they arrived at the salon.
“I can’t wait for that holiday already, I feel like he’s been rehearsing since forever.”
She wanted nothing but have a good rest and not worry about anything else.
“Hello, welcome.” A woman greeted them and asked if they had an appointment.
Yael left her purse by a chair and started checking the nail colors options.
“You look so much alike!” The woman pointed at Isla and Yael in shock. “It’s like you did copy-paste.”
Yael blushed, she was so used to get those kind of reactions, specially now that her mother was sporting her natural curls freely.
Another woman at the salon pointed out the same in awe.
“Thanks. We hear that a lot.” Yael chuckled.
“So who’s Isla?” A kind smile appeared on her face just as a woman that was getting a haircut turned from her chair.
“That’d be me.” Yael’s mother replied waving her hand.
“Isla?” The woman turned around to face. “Isla is that you?”
“Barbara?” Her mother asked cautiously.
Yael looked the exchange with confusion.
“Oh my God I can’t believe it’s you!” Isla covered her mouth with her hands.
As the two women moved to closer to hug, Yael stared at the scene trying to understand the story behind their familiarity.
“It’s been what? A lifetime.” Isla continued.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw you, but after all this time, you still look the same.”
Then, Isla looked around, noticing her daughter’s stare. “Goodness! Let me introduce you to my daughter, Yael, she’s my youngest.”
“Nice to meet you.” Yael greeted the woman.
“She’s Barbara, I used to babysit her and her sister. I was in my early 20’s.” Isla explained her daughter. “And one day, I never saw you again.”
“She looks just like you.” Barbara admitted. “You knew they took us to a government facility?”
Isla gasped in shock. “So it was true.”
“After a few months, someone adopted my sister and I never saw her again, she was only five years old back then, I waited but when I turned eighteen they kicked me out.” Barbara explained.
“You never saw her again?” Isla asked, her heart breaking in the process.
“No, I’ve been searching for her for so many years with no luck.”
“Uhm excuse me? We’ve a full agenda, could we continue while you catch up?” The hairstylist pointed at Bárbara’s wet hair.
“Sorry! Yes.” She stretched her arm towards Isla. “Mind if we go somewhere after we’re done here?”
Isla nodded, feeling like a knot installed in her stomach.
***
Cillian stood in the middle of Arley Hall mesmerized. The place was magnetic, beautiful and oozed this old vibe mansion in every corner.
Tumblr media
“What do you think?” Steven asked, standing next to him.
“It’s amazing.” He turned around and moved away just as some crew walked past them with some furniture.
“They’re closing it to the public while we’re filming.” Steven stood there watching everything with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face.
“Are we filming everywhere?” Cillian crossed his arms imagining the scenes in this place, it was a luxury property and according to the script this was Tommy’s ultimate dream house, where he officially kick off and gets what he always wanted.
His ambitions finally materializing, his dreams becoming a reality.
Oh, but the price Tommy would have to pay…
Cillian wandered around. He learned it had been once the home of a wealthy family, it was spacious, the view to the garden was fantastic, part of the house included a cellar, and the second floor was as incredible as the first one, but for the upstairs part, they had constructed a replica on one of the sets.
As he kept walking, he arrived at the kitchen area one floor below, he had never seen something like that, it was rustic and had a huge pantry and an area where they kept the meat stored.
It was a dream, he was practically drooling over it. It was so easy to get lost and imagine how everything would look as soon as the crew got it ready for filming. Walking around, he ended in the dining room, a couple of important scenes would be filmed there.
“I think this needs something else, but I don’t know what.” Steven joined him.
It oozed luxury, it was elegant. The chandeliers sparkled, curtains with fabric that looked so expensive. Cillian imagined the kind of life the previous owners carried before it was purchased as wedding venue and a place open to the public to visit.
“A painting.” Cillian suggested casually. “A huge arse portrait.”
Steven turned around to stare at Cillian, eyes wide open as the realization hit him hard and fast.
“Yes, right there in the back of the main seat.”
Cillian nodded, hands hiding inside his pockets. It was involuntary, but it was part of the essence of his character. He couldn’t help it.
“Can your wife be in charge?”
He nodded quietly.
“Give her a call.”
But he didn’t need to do so. Because his phone started ringing in that very moment and it was Yael.
“Hello beautiful, I was just about to call you.”
“You’ve to sit down, you’re not going to believe this.” Yael started off. She sounded like there was something important she wanted to tell him.
“What’s the matter? Is everything fine?” Quietly he decided to take a walk outside, away from someone listening.
”Mum and I were at the salon, right? So when they call her name, this woman immediately recognized Mum and went to greet her, they chat for a bit. Long story short my Mum used to babysit Barbara -the woman-, when they were younger but one day she and her sister were taken away and she never saw them again.”
Cillian listened carefully, waiting for his wife to tell him the full story.
“Barbara is the Director of the child services office.” She explained him, his heart started beating faster. “She took us to her office, took a look at our records, studies, everything,” Cillian heard her taking a deep breath, “babe, it turns out we were in some kind of blacklist.”
Silence filled the call, Cillian inhaled deeply. “Why?”
“This is horrible but… have you noticed how celebrities go to places like Nigeria or Africa to adopt?”
Cillian kicked a rock he found on his way, processing that piece of information. “Yeah?”
“I don’t know about the adoption process over there, but apparently it’s easier, no questions asked and overnight, they’ve a child, we’ll thanks to that, the kind of surroundings to these celebrities lifestyle they practically catalogued us in that list so we’d never ever get the adoption finalized.” Yael’s words came out rushed.
Cillian felt a vein in his temple pulsing. “Are you telling me because I’m an actor, they practically rejected our application without telling us?”
The realization of his own words made his heart sink to the ground. Not getting the chance to move forward with the adoption process and his wife’s sadness was his fault?
Misery took over him.
“Hold on, I know what you’re thinking.” Yael interrupted his thoughts. “Not everything is as bad as it seems, this woman, Barbara she told us, basically… she’s going to help us! I asked her what do we’ve to do in order to be out of the blacklist and she gave me hope Cill, she explained us a lot of things no one told us about and I understand the reasons why they just can’t give kids to whoever starts a process, but she said literally I know your Mother, and she was always kind to me and my sister, she gave us food when we had nothing, she shared her clothes with us too, I can imagine the kind of daughter she raised.”
Emotion took over her voice, it was impossible not to feel everything right in the surface.
“How are we so sure that they won’t make it harder because of what I do for a living?” He was still processing the impact his career had, never thought it would be a negative reason in the adoption.
“She assured us she’d take our case personally.”
Despite Yael’s words, Cillian still felt doubtful now. Feeling guilty that he was the reason of not being able to adopt a child.
“So what are we supposed to do now? We’ve been begging them for the interviews.”
Yael had been calling almost daily to get the appointments, and now he was able to understand why the process had been so hard, they were trying to push them back.
“Barbara told me she’d give me a call, but I guess we’ve to wait to hear the next steps.”
When her mother told her what the social worked mentioned during her interview, Yael felt deflated. Hearing the process could take years to finalize shattered her heart. But now there was a new chance to move things forward with Barbara behind their case.
Cillian stared into the huge garden, not paying attention to anything in particular.
“Are you still there?” His wife’s voice made him snap back into reality.
“Yeah… just thinking.”
He really wanted to feel her new enthusiasm and positivism, but he also couldn’t help but feel worried, what if they have to face new challenges in the process, all this bureaucracy because of his job? He wasn’t sure to be able to deal with the guilt of knowing that because of him the process could be harder or take longer than usual because he needs to prove that he isn’t like most of Hollywood stars.
This whole thing was a roller coaster, sometimes it was Yael the one feeling down, now it was his turn while she had her hopes up. He hated to admit it but it was draining.
“If you hear anything back, call me yeah? Or text me.” He added after a few seconds, not wanting to drag her down because of his attitude.
“Absolutely.”
“Listen, Steven wants to do some photos, so I think I’m going to change my flight… your Mum is already flying back, why don’t you come with her?”
Yael took her time, to consider her options. “How many days?”
“Just a couple, to get a few photos done.”
“Okay, let me organize my planner and see how can I reorganize the things I’ve scheduled and also I need someone to look after Scout.”
“I’ll call my brother, don’t worry.” He went on walking again, sitting on the edge of the fountain. “I really want to see you.”
She wanted the same, needed to feel him close.
Tumblr media
Tag list: @lyarr24 @garrison-girl-08 @lespendy @onlydeadcells @fastfan
@winchestergirl22 @stevie75 @prettylittlehoneyeyesxoxo @esposadomd @strayrockette
@forbidden-forest-witch @elenavampire21 @forgottenpeakywriter @blondie-22 @thenattitude
@moral-terpitude @babaohhhriley @queenshelby @ange-thoughts @shaddixlife
@sloanexx @cilliansangel (cant tag) @rangerelik @already-broken144 @alessioayla
@paprikabadger @dolllol2405 @conversationpits @itsilvermorny @lafell
@imichelle-l-rigby @yrli8 @cutecurly-hair @cillspropertea @hyperfixationsonshuffle
@sydneyyyya (can’t tag) @abbymcguire @shelundeadxxxx @elk96 @pono-pura-vida
@lovemissyhoneybee @slimeantha (can’t tag) @kmc1989 @ironpen
25 notes · View notes
Text
Bartender!Kyle x gn!reader Part 2 babyyyyyy Not proofread so probably horrible. Sorry. Just wanted to get this out there as quickly as possible. I hope you have half as much fun reading as I had writing.
He's not waiting for you to return. He's not looking at the door everytime it opens the next few days. He's absolutely not hoping to see you again. Nope nopedy nope. He did not suddenly grow obsessed with you. He -
The door opens and his head whips around to look at who's coming in and he can feel himself straightening up, when he realizes that it is in fact you. You and some friends it seems.
You're all chattering amongst yourself and occupie a table in the corner. Kyle isn't sure who he has to thank for your return because his bar surely isn't the most popular with regular people and there's prettier spots out there, but he's not gonna complain.
He wipes his hands on a towel, swings it over his shoulder and approaches your table. Suddenly he's happy that his bar is so small and cozy that he can manage it alone.
"What can I get for you?"
One of your friends pats your shoulder after whatever they said to you and the two of them, a dude and a girl, order their stuff. Your eyes stay glued to the table and your friend orders for you.
He wonders what's up with that. You look.... down?
Shame, he would have loved to get a glimpse of your lovely eyes.
When he's behind the bar again, making your drinks he glances at you. Your friend goes to pat you on the shoulder again and you scowl.
Down and angry too? Maybe he can help with that.
He decides to double the amount of your drink and then approaches the table while balancing a tray with your drinks.
As he gets closer he can hear your voice, angry and frustrated.
"... improper language with a customer!? Can you believe it? That fuckwart had it coming, I swear. They should be grateful I got rid of that scum for them. But nooooo, 'You're fired' it is."
You let your head fall to the table in frustration and Kyle is being torn between feeling bad for you and being enamoured by the way you talk.
He never knew he could be attracted to the way someone talks. But your voice is utterly captivating and you have a particular way of pronouncing words, that just draws him in.
He silently puts the drinks on the table, putting yours before you. When you notice the amount in the glass you look up at him in surprise.
"Uh, I ordered a regular?", you question.
He smiles in response. "It's on the house. Noticed you didn't seem to be having the best day. Enjoy, dove."
When he turns around he can hear the girl squeal.
"Did you hear that!? He called you dove!? Oh my god! He was totally flirting with you."
"He's so cute too!", the guy adds.
Then Kyle's too far away to catch more of the conversation. Shame, he would have loved hearing your response. But he's satisfied with the knowledge that your friends will definitely nudge you in his direction.
He's pretty sure everyone in the bar is too drunk to notice him paying special attention to your table and you're too busy moping about losing your job to notice him dropping by way more often that he'd need to.
It's honestly no ones business. He needs to check on his little dove.
He's coming by to ask if you need another drink once more when he hears you say: "Just gotta find another café to serve at."
Like a knight in shining armour Kyle is there.
"Sorry for eavesdropping but... I'm currently managing this bar alone and I could really use some help. So if you're interested in a job, maybe I've got the one for you.", he offers.
He smiles brightly and warmly at you and you gape up at him.
"Holy shit! That's awesome.", you say and immediately slap your hand over your mouth. Then you rush to say: "I can control my language, I promise!"
That makes him laugh and you grin up at him awkwardly until he makes you speechless once more.
"Oh, you can run your mouth here all you want. The customers won't care and I'm just happy to hear your pretty voice."
25 notes · View notes
whiskygoldwings · 3 days
Note
can you tel us more about trooper yarn? what’re they making at the moment?
Oooooo yes please! My cutie-patootie!
And that's the honest truth. Yarn is basically my super-gratuitous, such a sweetie, fully aware of it, will use it to manipulate people into good things, sugarplum. Is he a little morally dubious for that? Yes! But he's got the sweetest little dimple and he's two inches shorter then his siblings and can make his face heart-broken at the drop of a hat so he will always get away with it...
Yarn is young when he joins the Guard - The Kaminoans start deploying them younger and younger as the losses are greater than expected. Yarn is basically, approximately 15 years old. A little bit brash and full of himself, because he's a teenager. And with the arrival of the Jedi on Kamino, a lot of the fears and harsher treatment of the clones has been eased. He doesn't fear decommissioning or recommissioning in the same way as his older siblings do. They're almost like the boogeyman, ghost stories told to scare Tubies.
Of course, Fox takes one look at him when he arrives on Coruscant and says - This one must be protected at all costs. He's the youngest one sent to the Guard, and while he thinks it's because of his high scores in all aspects, it's actually because Shaak Ti felt something in the Force that suggested he might be needed there...
He's pretty peeved when he's not allowed near the Senate and gets relegated to the top ten levels of Coruscant. He expected to be in the Senate working with the top people of the Republic! Not walking around giving people directions and letting them take holos with him...
Then he glimpses the Stich n' Bitch session. The brother he's with is indulgent, lets him watch for a little. This particular session is for the older members of the local Crochet group, and very quickly one of the grannies sents small curious child and invites him over to see what they're doing properly...
Yarn takes to crochet with aplomb. He's whipping out granny squares in no time. Thorn gets whispered to by the Captain of his Squad and ensures his patrol is always timed to coincide with the various group meetings. They swiftly claim him as their own, teaching him and sending him home with cakes and gifts for more of the Corries.
Yarn starts making decorations for the barracks, hangings for the beds, bunting, mandalas and cushions that they stuff with fluff they scavenge from thrown out furniture. Others start to take interest and he teaches them, and they start coming to the groups too. The citizens of Coruscant start warming to them all, and swiftly there's Corries getting involved in all kinds of hobbies: baking, painting, writing etc...
Yarn gets a granny square pattern tattooed on the left side of his neck (the diagram style) and gets a hoop in his right ear lobe that he hangs stitch markers from. He has long curly hair (Thorn's his fave and he wants to emulate him) which he pins up with various sizes of crochet hook. Yarn's pronouns are he/him.
His favourite thing to crochet is blankets. He loves coming up with complicated stitch patterns to make beautiful patterns and shapes. He's particularly fond of puff stitches and shells, because they look so dynamic and attractive.
All of the Commanders and his squad have a granny square each that he has personally designed and made for them. It's tradition to pin it to the inside of your chest plate to carry his affection with you always.
(They don't realise that Fox's is picking up Sithly darkness which is getting caught in the knots. Perhaps someone might notice...)
At the moment he's actually making a sweater for Fox. He complains of being cold so often; Yarn hopes it will keep him warm. The main body is red and it has golden-yellow sleeves, collar and ribbing at the bottom (Cody will tease Fox that he's wearing 212th gold. Fox knows it's the closest colour Yarn could find to Thorn's hair).
Thank you for asking about him! I really enjoyed getting to infodump my ideas for him! And it made me come up with that sweater idea, which gives me feels...
*hug*
23 notes · View notes
etincelleart · 10 hours
Text
Very random thoughts, but I'm feeling a bit sad lately of not having as much fun sharing RWBY artworks as before.
I mean, I still enjoy drawing fanarts and all, but a lot of what happened a few months ago just makes it difficult, I can't help but have bad feelings and memories when I think about drawing RWBY stuff I love because it reminds me of all that and how it went so bad
I had such a blast last year, without RWBY V9 and interactions with people about fanarts, Nuts and Dolts... this uni year would have been way more complicated, but I just feel so sad to see how stupidly wild it went. Now I see from time to time random comments of people hating on me and putting étiquettes on my back without knowing me, and I just hate that because I just want to do my best while not having to justify or defend myself constantly for shitty reasons
That's very random but it's still hard to realize that my stuff did some good to people considering how things went this year. If I can be honest, existing is already way too complicated lately especially since people at uni also decided to go after me now :'))
No matter how I try or only exist, it just feels like it's never enough
23 notes · View notes
mazzystar24 · 2 days
Note
Tim posting a buck/Tommy video kinda ruined my Sunday... no hate on bucktommy, I don't want to get you into trouble, like go off buck have fun enjoy we all know who your "it" person is but that link posting on his Facebook just hurts my hope for buddie. While I know it's mostly analytic of bucks past relationships it also glamorize buck and Tommy even though since dating they barely have had a conversation and we don't even know how they are a couple yet from little we've seen... sorry if you don't want to respond cause I'm really not looking to stir stuff up just a bit depressed by this whole link posting thing (I hope it ain't real...)
Flowers for the late reply as is my custom🫡:
💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐
I personally have only been here since like s6 so I didn’t see the stuff first hand but I’ve seen people who’ve been here for ages say that Tim used to do the same sorta stuff for both Eddie and bucks ex love interests and we all know how that ended and the passive aggressive references toward them in s7 so I really wouldn’t worry too much about it
Like Tim is just a little chaos incarnate let’s be real no one knows what’s going on in his head but again wouldn’t be worried about it
Plus I keep saying this but like the whole point of Tommy as a new love interest is to kinda have that ooo how’s it gonna go vibe that new relationships have so again I wouldn’t be too worried when we get like romantic hints
21 notes · View notes
badaziraphaletakes · 2 days
Text
In which some poor innocent unsuspecting reader submitted an ask and I respond by throwing an entire textbook at them
Like seriously i won’t even be upset if no one reads this PhD dissertation, like actually what is wrong with me omg
The ask:
I want to start by saying I love this account and really appreciate the rebuttals I see here to some of the messed up stuff the fandom’s spit out over the past few years. That being said, the most recent post about “the creepiest take you’ve ever seen,” was one I disagreed with strongly. It’s entirely normal to enjoy watching media where characters have breakdowns. It is not a desire to see a person breakdown. It is a desire to watch a good story.
My response:
Hi and thank you for your kind words! (Also idk why there is this huge gap in the text here, sorry haha!) If it were a necessary part of the story, or a part of the story that made sense, I would agree. But it’s not necessary (esp not at this point in the story) and therefore wouldn’t be “good”, if we are defining good art as being emotional truthful, which I imagine is a pretty uncontroversial definition.
Side note: We already saw him have this exact shattering breakdown in Uz. So that renders most of what I am about to say (and arguably some of what you have said) somewhat moot. But I’m going to continue anyway because some of the points brought up here touch on issues that I think bear re-visiting often.
It’s cathartic, it’s engaging, and it helps people who’ve been through the same thing see themselves reflected. For example, I like watching someone on tv hit rock bottom with their addiction because I’ve been through that, and seeing them finally realize they have to work on recovery and actually do it is motivating and empowering.
I’m so sorry you’ve been through that. I haven’t (although I am estranged from an entire side of my family due to alcoholism and meth addiction, which is a whole fun thing), so I can’t comment on this too much.
But addiction is not the same as an ab*sive relationship. (I do have knowledge of those, both from life experience and from my previous job in ab*se research. I edited a newsletter about family violence research for several years.) Seeing a person suffering from addiction realize they want to work on recovery, and realize that the substance they are addicted to is messing up their life, can make sense. Especially if they're in a place where they're able to work on it and have the opportunity to try to change.
But seeing an ab*se survivor “realize they need to get away from their ab*ser because they’re evil and have a breakdown about it” doesn’t make sense, because being trapped in an absive situation is not about “motivation” or what they think about the abser or even, really, about "empowerment". (Side note that word is thrown a lot to delude women into thinking our capitalist system is working for us rather than oppressing us. But I digress.) It boils down to the fact that they are in danger if they leave. The situation is not within their control.
(This next part is not directed at you, but at the general readership, in case this is helpful discussion for anyone: A lot of addictions aren’t within people's control at all either. It depends very much on the drug we’re talking about, the health of the individual, the quantity and duration of the addiction, whether the person has access to the healthcare they need to be cured, and whether there’s a way for them to get free from the broader societal dysfunctions that led to them being trapped in this situation in the first place.)
Also, with addiction, people can absolutely get past that without losing their sense of self and their identity. If they go through that kind of crisis in the process of healing from addiction, I would argue that something is very wrong. (Not with them, but with the society around them). In a best-case scenario, a person suffering from addiction would have access to the kind of mental and physical healthcare and support system that lets you get free from that without a shattering breakdown or loss of sense of self.
Besides, not everyone who has an addiction has toxic beliefs about themselves or their own identity or other people, etc etc. (Babies who are born addicted come to mind, if we want to talk about the most extreme example.) So I find the idea that addiction is down to toxic beliefs about one's self very suspect. I would argue that 95% of the time, addiction happens because your life sucks. The mental health community is starting to have this conversation about depression and anxiety - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to work on one's "limiting beliefs" and "destructive thought patterns" can only do so much to help you feel better when your whole life is shit anyway. And it can actually make it WORSE if the victim is made to believe that their depression is the fault of their "Faulty thoughts" rather than a reasonable reaction to a shitty situation. Not necessarily saying we should throw CBT out the window altogether, but I am saying that mental healthcare will be a LOT more effective when it learns to truly take the broader societal context into account. I suspect, I hope, we'll soon be having a simialr conversation around addiction.)
And that’s doubly the case for ab*se survivors. They’re not stuck in that situation because there’s something wrong with them that they need to fix. They’re stuck in that situation because there’s something wrong with the ab*ser.
Regardless of the victim’s personal worth as an individual, regardless of whether they’re a good person or what-have-you, they don’t deserve to be ab*sed.
(I'm just waiting to hear about how some therapist tells a victim to work on their "limiting belief" that they need to stay with their ab*ser in order not to be killed, and/or tells them that fearing their ab*ser will kill them is a "cognitive distortion", and tells them to stand up to their ab*ser and/or leave, and then the ab*ser kills them. But I digress.)
And the loss of self when separating from a toxic system that’s defined your whole life is a real thing some people go through. It’s not bad consider that Aziraphale could also go through that, or to want to see that experience reflected.
I want to be very clear that I don’t have the smallest objection to people wanting to see that in a show. But a. that’s not what the person was saying, and b. they were also saying it’s necessary. IT’S NOT. I can’t emphasize this enough.
Loss of self is the worst-case scenario for how something like that goes. Nothing good comes from that. That is a side effect of ab*se (because the ab*ser’s the one who says that “Everything you are is bound up in me and you’re nothing with me"), not an integral part of the process of getting away.
Trauma is not necessary for character growth.
The way these things should go is that the person is able to gradually and mindfully work through the beliefs that are poisoning them with the help of a therapist, trusted friends, etc.
I know what I’m talking about. I worked in trauma research for over seven years. Please trust me on this one.
And again, Aziraphale can’t “separate” from them anyway. There’s nowhere he can go where they won’t find him. So his beliefs are irrelevant to his situation. And if the show implies that his beliefs “need to change” as part of the earth being set free from heaven-hell’s tyranny, or that he “needs to change” in order to be free, I will be writing a strongly-worded letter to the creators.
But more importantly, *they didn’t just say giddy.* They also said apprehensive. Perhaps they’re apprehensive because they know it could be painful to watch. Or because they don’t want to see it handled poorly.
“Giddily apprehensive” sounds an awful lot like “excited” to me. I admit it is ambiguous, though, so I’ll give you that one. I maintain that the OP expressed themselves with an exceptional lack of grace, however. And they’d be FAR from the first person to want to see Aziraphale suffer because they are mad at him. I think I have good reason to believe that's what they're getting at here, given how many people in the poster's orbit say the same kinds of things and how many other things I've seen the OP say that are along those lines. I acknowledge I should have made that clearer in my original post.
They aren’t giving this advice (if one could call it that) to a human. They’re saying they’re excited to see a character breakdown. Character arcs like that are common and enticing for good reason.
I have yet to see a reason why I should believe that the things people say about Aziraphale are different than the things they say about people in real life.
I would point you to a couple lines down where you say yourself that we respond to characters the same way we respond to real people.
Personal growth ≠ character growth.
But what makes a good character is that they act like real people.
As an audience, character growth (even negative) is engaging.
Yes, absolutely. But we can absolutely do character growth in a way that does not spread harmful mindsets or misinformation about what ab*se and recovery from ab*se looks like. In fact, I would argue that character growth can’t happen if the writer doesn’t write the characters to behave in a way that is realistic to real life.
Characters follow the same rules, though. We respond to characters the same way we respond to real people. The same general rules of personal development and so forth apply.
The idea that “Aziraphale realizes his ab*sers are terrible” is something he needs to do for his “personal development” is highly objectionable. He doesn’t need to grow in this area. He just needs his ab*sers to leave him alone. Side note: We should give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he already does think they’re terrible and only stays with them because he is terrified. Even if this hadn’t been strongly and frequently hinted at in every episode going all the way back to S1E1 - almost every scene, in fact - we should still give him the benefit of the doubt.
Also, even if we say, for the sake of argument, that Aziraphale was a terrible, awful, horrible person -I know you’re not saying that, to be clear- even then, he still wouldn’t “need to realize his absers are terrible” or “have a complete breakdown” or “lose himself” in order to grow. That's not how growth works. The best growth happens when people are at peace and safe and loved. Not frightened and confused and alone. He never chose them in the first place, he never wanted to be on their side. If he were left alone, he would just spend the rest of eternity reading his books and eating Eccles cakes and snuggling with his former-demon. That’s who he really is. There’s nothing about him as a person that needs to change. I agree a story where a person loses their sense of self after escaping from an absive system would be interesting to watch, but I maintain that it does not make sense for the context of this particular story. And such a story would NEED to make clear that the person wasn’t bad or wrong for deriving some part of their sense of self from the ab*ser and that they shouldn’t have had to have a catastrophic breakdown in order to develop their own sense of self. No one should have to go through that.
It’s not the same thing as asking for personal growth from a real human being.
Good characters do not operate according to different emotional and psychological rules than we do, though. If they did, we wouldn’t have millions of people sobbing about how real Aziraphale and Crowley feel to them. We would be the biggest dodos in the world if we were reacting this way to paper dolls 😄
Comparing the desire to see a character go through a dramatic storyline like that (and to come out of it strong and shining) to fundamentalist rhetoric is… just total bullshit.
You said this blog has been a good place for you and I want it to continue to be that way for you. So I want to give you a chance to revisit this part and see if you can say something more constructive. Because I've gotta admit, this really made me upset and I can't let it go without saying something. It’s not cool to call someone’s commentary “bullshit” like this.
I heard the line “we must die to ourselves” many, many times from my high-control religion. It is a classic cult line. Hence why so many cults have "burial and rebirth" rituals, make people change their names, etc.
I am not just making up a comparison. This is a real phenomenon. Controlling ab*sers are the ones who’ve given us this idea that “death of the self” is character growth. It’s not. Character growth happens in spite of those excruciating emotional crises, not because of them.
Growing as a person is supposed to feel good.
Also - Again, they said he “needs” to do it.
And they didn’t say anything about Aziraphale “coming out strong and shining”. You added that in. I think it's wonderful that you want to see that for him (so do I) but that’s not what this person was saying.
If they'd said that, I wouldn't object to it at all. But they didn't. That part was left out. Which I think may be very telling in itself.
There are a myriad of reasons someone could have that desire, including having gone through something similar themselves.
Having gone through something similar doesn’t necessarily mean it makes sense for another character. It also doesn’t mean it’s necessary. And having been through something that went a certain way does NOT mean that it happening that way makes sense for someone else.
Deconstruction from a religious upbringing is different from leaving an ab*sive relationship
Aziraphale doesn’t have religious trauma. (I’m not going to talk much about religious trauma and deconstruction here, because it’s outside the scope of this blog, largely because - as attested by no less an authority than Neil Himself - Good Omens is not about religion. But I’ll say a little bit.)
Heaven and hell are not a “religion” in his world - they’re real. His fear of hell (and of heaven) is absolutely, one hundred percent, completely legitimate and appropriate, and NOT something he should be “reasoned” out of. Saying otherwise gives “your ab*ser isn’t actually that evil and scary”. But regardless, in either scenario, that kind of traumatic personal crisis is not a necessary part of the healing process. My heart aches for all the people whose deconstruction process was emotionally shattering. But what makes it ache even more is how for so many of them, the takeaway is somehow that that kind of crisis is necessary - rather than "dear god, i hope no one else ever has to go through that kind of hideous experience to get away from their shitty religion", which surely is what the takeaway should be (assuming there even is a lesson to be learned at all from an experience like that, which is doubtful) - and they go on to demand it of other survivors and gatekeep against people who haven't gone through the exact same thing they did in the process of getting away.
How, HOW did we get to the point where so many people’s deconstruction has been such a fucked-up, scarring experience that we think it’s inevitable for deconstruction to be that way????? I grieve.
I know the idea of killing one’s old self is inherently wrong to many people.
It’s not about whether it’s wrong. If that's valid for someone and they get where they need to go - you do you. It’s about the fact that it’s painful and it’s unnecessary to the process of growth.
Furthermore, it is the kind of thing ab*sers WANT to see happen to their victims when they leave. They want victims to think that they have to have that kind of crisis if they want to leave them. Because then they’re less likely to leave. When we encourage that kind of thinking, we are playing directly into their hands.
What should happen is that the victim should be given the opportunity to realize that all along there was much more to them than their ab*ser.
I don’t personally desire to watch Aziraphale do that, especially because there are so many wonderful aspects of the Angel he’s been since the beginning
Agreed.
But fwiw, this is giving a faint whiff of perfect victim syndrome. Even if he were an asshole, he still deserves to just have his ab*sers leave him alone, not to have some kind of shattering, soul-crushing emotional breakdown. They will always, always be worse than him.
but it’s not wrong to want to see that. People do go through it, and their stories are incredibly compelling.
I don’t disagree. For me it’s rather about the place this is coming from. OP was saying it’s necessary. There’s a difference between wanting to see a show address this issue overall because it’s interesting, and demanding that a specific character go through it because you think it’s necessary or that their process of leaving and healing won't be legitimate (or whatever word we wanna use) if it doesn't happen. And, as you said, it doesn’t make sense for Aziraphale. If the character is an asshole, I’d be able to see it a little more (although again, I still very much question the entire idea in the first place) But not for him. I find anyone’s thinking it “makes sense” for him highly questionable.
I know Aziraphale is much more than a character to many people
Speaking as a (very, very, very slightly, lol) professional writer and actor - every character should be “more than a character”, if they’re well-written. They should feel real if the writer and/or actor has done their job well. I like NG's line that "If you write someone who is utterly and completely themselves, you get people coming up to you and going 'Oh my God, you wrote my life!'
a desire to watch him go through a psychological breakdown is not some poorly concealed desire to watch real people go through that.
It may or may not be. I agree it isn't always.
In this person’s case, though, I very much did get concerning vibes.
(As an ab*se survivor, you start to know the vibe of victim-blamers after awhile.)
Regardless, though, the way we respond to characters is the way we respond to people in real life. Story is a primary vehicle through which people learn how to interact with one another and their environment. If it wasn’t, discussing media along these lines would be pointless, and I'd just spend all my time talking about how good David Tennant looks in those tight pants 😁 Or, probably, I would take up a different hobby altogether.
I wouldn’t have wasted my time starting this blog if the things people say about this story and especially about Aziraphale didn’t have real-world applications (not to mention making a lot of ab*se survivors feel very unsafe in the fandom - before we turned off anonymous asks, I got an average of two messages a day from ab*se survivors and other oppressed people telling them how this blog has made them feel so much safer in the fandom) - and if their views about the characters didn’t mirror the kinds of things they’d say about people in real life. (All the anti-Aziraphale autiphobic takes come to mind.) I flatter myself I have enough judgment that those takes wouldn't have troubled me so deeply if they weren't reflective of real-world societal problems and indicative of problematic attitudes in the people who right them.
In this case, the wording is identical to the kinds of problematic things people say about real-life victims/survivors. Yes, the person may not actually consciously want (or want at all) to see real-life ab*se victims/survivors suffer. But I absolutely, one hundred per cent guarantee you that anyone saying this has some major problematic biases/assumptions they need to work on that are contributing to how ab*se survivors are maligned, degraded, and oppressed in our society. (I never want to see Disabled people suffer, but if I say ableist things, I’m contributing to it whether I mean to or not. I may not want to see women suffer, I am a woman, well more or less anyway lol, and I've identified as a feminist my entire adult life, but nevertheles there have certainly been times in the past when I've said sexist things. It's something all of us will always have to be vigilant against in ourselves. I suspect at this point I'm preaching to the choir, because you do not strike me at all as a bigoted or ignorant person, but I figured I'd re-iterate all that again anyway, because screaming it through a megaphone as often as possible is what this blog is for lol.)
And what’s worse, they are spreading that rhetoric. I’ll be damned if I’ll let it go by without saying something.
Hope this makes sense and cleared some things up.
With love and respect,
Mod X.
Tumblr media
20 notes · View notes
mixelation · 2 days
Text
i thought about replying to this post, but then decided it'd be better to make my own. tl;dr OP states that they don't mind a lot types of comments AO3 writers commonly complain about and then calls for writers to read their comments in good faith. i was going to just scroll by this as it seemed to be presented as "this is my personal preference," but then OP calls for more writers to share their feelings. so i thought it might help to explain why i personally don't like certain types of comments
first, OP brings up pointing out typos multiple times. i absolutely despise having typos pointed out, although personally i don't know any other writers who care too much. i delete comments that just point out typos with no other commentary, and the fact that i don't delete comments with actual comments AND a typo pointed out is mostly because the idea makes me feel bad for the commenter. my personal hatred for the typo comments is linked more to being bullied for being dyslexic than anything else, but i do think a list of typos with nothing else is a pretty rude comment, and it ties into why giving unsolicited "constructive criticism" is, imho, rude or at the very least largely annoying
a lot of people say unsolicited concrit is bad because "fic is free." this isn't the reason. it's still rude to personally contact a writer with your criticisms even if you paid for it (assuming you didn't, you know, commission it or otherwise have a right to give such feedback). it's because concrit is essentially useless unless the person providing it understands the goals of the writer and wants to help the writer to those goals. on ao3, the writer's goal might have been to write a little story in one sitting. it might have been to write something hyper self-indulgent and so niche that it makes no sense to any other human being. the writer's goal might not be anything that would necessitate concrit at all. and, no offense, but most "constructive criticism" from random people on the internet is just "you didn't write the story i personally wanted to read" rather than anything that has to do with the story itself. on top of that, when i give people stuff for spelling and grammar, a stunning percentage of the time, people make "corrections" which are simply unnecessary or flat out incorrect. you are not a copy editor, and unless the writer asked in their notes, they have not asked you to edit. don't do it.
also, when you point out typos, there's an implied assumption you expect the writer to fix them. otherwise, why point them out? and the writer has no obligation to do things for you
other types of comments in the post:
‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ - I don't personally mind this one unless the tone is REALLY hostile to whatever ship (or trope, or character, or whatever). The reason why this one is often construed as rude is that the writer presumably is a fan of the ship, since they're writing about it. If you criticize other fics about the ship, then you might be criticizing things the author really enjoys. I think tone is a big factor here; this genre of comment can get way more hostile than OP's example.
‘looking forward to the next update’ / ‘I hope you update soon!’ - The wording of both of these is mild, but keep in mind writers with lots of fics have likely fielded a decent number of "update now you [slur]" comments. Also this is inappropriate to say on a fic marked completed (surprisingly common!). My experience on AO3 is that the really aggressive "update now!!" comments are fewer than they used to be and fewer than on FFN, but a lot of writers are still made tired by them. I'd suggest saying something more like "I'm excited to see where this goes" and make sure the fic isn't complete.
‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ - I don't think most writers would mind this one, actually. Usually writers like it when you ask them questions about their work. If I gave any commentary, I'd be a bit careful about tone again-- if you just write "why'd you do [x]" with nothing else, it could come off abrasive or like you think the choice was bad.
i do agree with OP's contention that one's experience as a writer on AO3 will improve if they engage comments in good faith. i disagree with the idea that reading in good faith means every type of comment below outright harassment is appropriate or not annoying. i do not think reading in good faith and just accepting anything anyone says to you are the same. i also don't really believe that writers complaining about annoying comments is creating a comment scarcity, mostly because i don't believe in the purported comment crisis everyone is upset about, and also because i know there were entire LJ communities dedicated to asshole comments. it's not really new.
25 notes · View notes
winterandwords · 3 days
Text
I'm 🍃 and throwing this onto the end of a queue of eight thousand tag games but I just wanted to say that I appreciate the living shit out of people who say kind things about my writing on here or tell me that they read one of my books and enjoyed it. That stuff is like if serotonin and dopamine were crack. Thank you.
Also I get to read the things you write. I scroll my dash and get tagged in games and there are bits of writing that I love just sitting there waiting for me. And then I get to read the finished books after seeing all those snippets?! And it's my friends writing them??!!
That is all very awesome actually and I'm honoured to share a hellsite with you.
20 notes · View notes