Tumgik
#same time next year 1978
mourningmaybells · 6 months
Text
The Exorcist (1973)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
real screencaps from The Exorcist 1973 i promise
82 notes · View notes
thenewdemocratus · 1 year
Text
Lain Lucey: Video: Same Time Next Year (1978) Starring Alan Alda & Ellen Burstyn
. The New Democrat Same Time Next Year might be the best romantic comedy of all-time. And if it isn’t, it might be the smartest romantic comedy of all-time and definitely in the top one percent of both categories. Because I don’t believe it was trying to be funny, but the movie was just so natural. With the two main characters George and Dorris played by Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn, who were just…
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
0 notes
brodieland · 2 months
Text
.˚ 𓈒 ࣪.𝝑𝝔 Can we finally call a Truce? ´ˎ˗
Percy Jackson x Fem!Hades!Reader Synopsis: Percy takes you on a roadtrip to his favorite place ever, Montauk !! Warning(s): some swearing Word Count: 1978
╰➤ MASTERLIST pt6
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The semester at college for Half-Bloods was now coming to a close. Students were allowed to go home and visit family, or go where ever they wanted really, and have fun before the beginning of the next learning period.
Sadly for you, your mom was kinda not taking visitors. In other words, she died when you were young. While you stayed at camp you were a year-round camper, and now you were a year-round college student. Except for this year, now you had a boyfriend who invited you to stay with him for the next two weeks before the semester started up again.
"Soo Percy, are you ever gonna tell me what we're doing?" You asked Percy as he laid on your chest, between your tits.
"I can't telll youuu" he snuggled in closer.
"Oh my godsssss pleaseeee" you begged as you rolled the two of you over, with you now sitting on his lap. Percy didn't answer you as he just sat there and stared. "Take a picture it'll last longer."
And without missing a beat, he took out his phone and took a picture of you. You just groaned louder and slapped the phone out of his hand. "PERCY."
"Yes Y/NN" its hard to concentrate when he talks in that tired voice, dragging out his words. But you pull through. Gods your so strong, you deserve a medal.
"I need to know so I know what clothes to pack, we literally leave tomorrow " your now gripping his shirt, pulling him back and forth.
"As little clothes as possible" you just started shaking him harder for a real answer before he grabbed your wrist, making you stop. "Alright alright. Just pack.. beach clothes. Shorts, bathing suits, you know."
"Now was that so hard?"
"Extremely, but honestly why pack? With a body like yours, who needs clothes?"
"HAHA." You shouted and put on a straight face. Trying to keep your straight face just made you want to laugh even more. You just leaned down and kissed him before running pack to your dorm and packing.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
StyxGirl • 12 min
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Liked by BeaurengardOnTop and others... @StyxGirl: guys my boyfriends kidnapping me for the next two weeks send help @seaweedbrain View comments...
@seaweedbrain: why are you acting like you weren't so overjoyed and agreed instantly →@StyxGirl: @seaweedbrain idk what ur talking about →@deathboynicoo: @StyxGirl she's lying !! can confirm she did !! I was in fact there !! →@StyxGirl: @deathboynicoo oh ok. →@seaweedbrain: @deathboynicoo omgomgomg are u standing up for me rn❤️❤️ →@deathboynicoo: @seaweedbrain don't get used to it💔💔
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
Today was the today Percy was kidnapping you and taking you to this undisclosed location. Just kidding, that's extreme. As you both got into the car Percy finally told you where the two of you will be going.
"So finally, is it the time you'll be telling me where your taking me?"
"FINEE. We're going to this cabin up in Montauk. I used to go there all the time when I was younger."
"Gods I feel like I haven't left that college in literally forever." you groaned out.
"And you'd think you at least get a little smarter, but your still the same airhead you were when I first met you" Percy snickered.
"Oh ok" you turned your knees away from Percy, he just laughed at your pettiness.
"This is basically you saying you want to stay here and give the classes a better shot." You slowly turned just your head and glared at Percy. He was giving you that stupid grin you've grown to love, and you turned back around while Percy put his free hand on your thigh.
"That's my girl" he leaned over and gave you a peck on the lips before starting to drive off.
The drive to Montauk was about a 2-4 hour drive, you were one to get a little carsick but Percy kept you too entertained to notice it. He decided to start playing music and switched to his playlist. And the first to song to play? You wouldn't have guessed it. 'California Gurls' by Katy Perry.
"Oh my gods Percy there's no wa-"
"I" Percy cut you off. "Know a place!" You just sat there laughing your ass off as Percy obliterated the song. "Where the grass is really greener."
You couldn't help but join in. "Warm, wet, and WILDD" you both harmonized horrifically.
"There must be somethin' in the water Sippin' gin and juice Layin' underneath the palm trees"
Gods don't let them become singers.
"You could travel the world but nothing comes close to the golden coast Once you party with us You'll be fallin' in love Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh"
You couldn't even continue, you were laughing to hard at Percy. He was truly resonating and becoming one with Katy Perry. He become one with me first Katy.
[6:54] PM
Thankfully after about one more hour, you finally arrived at the cabin. Before you walked in, you both sat on the hood of Percy's car and finished watching the sunset in piece. Percy was laid back while you laid in his chest with his arm around you. As the both of you sat together in silence, you had the same thoughts. Three words you wanted to say to each other.
"I love you."
You both raised your eyebrows and turned to each other, wondering if you both really said it at the same time. When it clicked that that's what happened all you could do was just lean in and kiss him deeply.
After you both pulled away Percy grabbed the both of your bags and headed over to the cabin. You walked inside you started to look around. It was so.. warm. It really felt like this was where a family would live. It's something you ever really experienced, so this was nice.
"I could only imagine the parties you've probably thrown when nobody was home." You said as you leaned on a counter in the open kitchen.
"Parties? I've never brought anyone here before."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah, this is a really important place to me and my mom, so I've never brought anyone here."
"Wow, are you saying im special or something?" You started fluttering your eyelashes, on the cusp of laughing.
"Very, I don't know. When I'm with you, it's like I'm home. So why not bring home home." Percy just beamed at you. He looks at you like you were the only girl in the world for him. Who was better for him than you anyways?
"Wow it almost sounds like your in love with me."
"I think because I am, I don't know though I could be wrong."
"Perchance." You can't just say perchance😭
"Anyways.. get your swimsuit. Third times the charm I'm winning this hippocampi race."
"Yeah yeah, in your dreams fish brain."
You guys ran the ocean together. This water felt different, like it was more fresh or something you didn't know. Maybe everything just felt better when Percy was around. It was like he wielded heart-shaped glasses on your face and you saw the whole world in a shade of pink. The hippocampi finally swung by prompting you guys to hop on. And weirdly enough. You won again. How Percy loses races in his own domain? You'll never know. Was he letting you win? Big chance. You thought him letting you win was cute so you didn't mention it. Plus you just liked winning.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
@seaweedbrain • 10 min
Tumblr media
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
You and Percy would cuddled up on the bed in his room. His head was in on your chest while you ran your fingers through his hair. His hair smelled like the beach, he always smelled like the beach. It was a musk that came off at all times. It was so calming. Being in Percy's arms, you felt protected. Slowly, you felt yourself drifting off to sleep.
[9:43] AM
Next morning you woke up to Percy still asleep in your arms. You decided that'd you sneak off and make him some breakfast. As you got up, you tip-toed your way into the kitchen and say that there were ingredients to make pancakes. You weren't a cook, but those were your specialty. Twenty minutes pass ad your just about finished with the batter when you hear the door open. You turn and see a bed-haired Percy walking up behind you.
"Aww is this for meee" he wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.
"Of course, your not the only chef around here you know."
"Debatable, if you only really have one dish on your menu, how much of a chef are you really?" You just rolled your eyes.
"I'm an amazing chef thank you."
"Yeah okay. You're still missing a crucially ingredient in the Jackson house." Percy walked to a cabinet, leaving you confused. Your questions were quickly answered as he pulled out a small bottle of blue food coloring. You giggled as you held out the bowl to Percy as he turned your batter a nice sea shade of blue.
"Okay now they're perfect. You can just sit and relax now, let mamas spoil you." He just laughed at the name you gave yourself, ultimately listening to you and just watching you do your thing. You looked so in your element, so focused. That's how you always looked when you did something you enjoyed. He wondered if you'd have the same smile on your face when you cooked for more people in the future. Wink wink.
"And.." You turned to face Percy with a giant plate of pancakes. "Bon appétit."
"Wow, it actually looks edible"
"Your so kind and loving."
"Thank you, it's some of my better qualities. Including my amazing jawline and bulging muscles."
You hummed in agreement before speaking up "Yes Percy, its good for us to dream I agree."
"You dream, I live in reality."
"Can you just enjoy my pancakes?"
"Yes ma'am" Percy saluted and continued to devour your food. After you finished Percy began to clean the plates. Relationships are 50-50 of course. You went to put some clothes in the closet when you found little cans of paint sitting on the bottom. It was body paint, who gasped as you grabbed it and ran out to Percy.
"PERCY PERCY PERCY" you were jumping up and down waiting for him to face you.
"What's got you so excited?" He finally turned around.
"You had body paint sitting in your closet look" you held up the cans in his face. "Can we pleaseeeee?"
"Yo tat me up. Make me look exquisite if you will." And of course you did. You were a secret little artist.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
StyxGirl • 23 min
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Liked by wisegirl and others... @StyxGirl: bro who let me be such an artisttt😭👋 @seaweedbrain View comments...
@wisegirl: no bc who let herrr😭😭👋👋 →@StyxGirl: @wisegirl bro someone stop mee😭👋👋 →@wisegirl: @StyxGirl no she's literally cursseeddddd😭 →@BearuengardOnTop: @StyxGirl a titans curse one would say😭 →@StyxGirl: @BearuengardOnTop: ONE WOULD SAYYY
@deathboynicoo: can you stfu I was sleeping →@StyxGirl: @deathboynicoo I forgot ur fanboy ass has my post notis onnn😭😭👋 →@deathboynicoo: @StyxGirl stfu bc u know dam well u turned them on and idk how to turn them off →@wisegirl: @StyxGirl yo his ass is not a wise guy😭
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝜗𝜚
"Can you stop squirming" you said as you sat on Percy's butt while painting his back.
"Gods forbid I'm a wee bit ticklish"
"A wee bit, no way the phrase a wee bit just left your mouth."
"Sorry I'm just one for words in a world where you tell me to 'GFY'." He used air quotes around 'GFY'.
"And I'm just a girl in world in which my only job is to marry rich."
"I regret showing you fucking Hamilton."
"I love you too."
271 notes · View notes
one-divides-into-two · 3 months
Text
"If we treat the Stonewall Uprising as initiating the modern gay mass movement in 1969, the left-adventurist line was initially dominant, and fell by the wayside in the late 70s. Those who led the first wave of the LGBT movement of the 60s understood themselves (however incompletely) as participating in a revolutionary movement and process: In broad strokes, the early “left” line groups of gay liberation located the center of gay oppression in the family form itself and were explicitly in solidarity with the women’s movement as in many ways the same as their own (ideologically if not always practically). The British Gay Liberation Front’s Manifesto reads
The oppression of gay people starts in the most basic unit of society, the family...At some point nearly all gay people have found it difficult to cope with having the restricting images of man or woman pushed on them by their parents...we are expected to prove ourselves socially to our parents as members of the right sex (to bring home a boy/girl friend) and to start being a 'real' (oppressive) young man or a 'real' (oppressed) young woman
The Boston Gay Men’s Liberation group argued in their manifesto for the collectivization of childcare and housework, saying
Rearing children should be the common responsibility of the whole community. Any legal rights parents have over ‘their’ children should be dissolved and each child should be free to choose its own destiny. Free twenty-four hour child care centers should be established where faggots and lesbians can share the responsibility of child rearing
Others explicitly aligned themselves with the national liberation and anti-imperialist struggles of the time –Third World Gay Revolution went so far as to explicitly call for armed struggle towards establishing socialism. The gay struggle, to these organizations, was necessarily part of the struggle for the end of capitalism and the liberation of all oppressed and exploited peoples.
Nevertheless, these groups primarily took the left-adventurist line, and the failure of these organizations to place politics in command and take up Marxism fully (despite its influence within the movement), and the failure of the leading Marxist organizations of the time to cast aside their chauvinism, place politics in command, and embrace the LGBT movement (most notably RU/RCP, which maintained that homosexuality was “perpetuated and fostered by the decay of capitalism” and to be eliminated under socialism until 2001 and engaged in conversion therapy-style practices on their gay cadre), allowed the bourgeoisie to co-opt the movement and suppress its revolutionary strains. By the end of the 1970s the main left-adventurist groups that emerged from the movement's popular initiation via the Stonewall Uprising (GLF, STAR, TWGR, etc) had collapsed, and were replaced by the newly dominant right-opportunist trend, represented in groups like Lambda Legal (founded 1971), GLAD (1978), and the Human Rights Campaign (1980). Occasional left-adventurist ruptures emerged over the succeeding years, with ACT UP's break (rooted in part in gay and lesbian anti-imperialist solidarity work in the preceding years) from Gay Men's Health Crisis representing the most significant of these, but over the next three decades the bourgeois "marriage equality" became the central demand of the movement, with the implication that once these various reforms proposed by the right-opportunist trend were enacted, the gay movement would cease to be necessary.
In the first two decades of the 21st century these reforms were realized, and the idealist fantasies of the leading bourgeois gay organizations were not. These reforms were granted because they reaffirmed the bourgeois family form, successfully assimilating the leading upper strata of LGBT people as a method of defusing the movement as a whole. While in some ways the broad social acceptability of homosexuality, transness and gender nonconformity have increased, the reaction to these reforms has produced a vicious effort to oppress the lower strata, typically trans people.
Indeed, all empirical evidence points to the continuing existence of anti-gay and anti-trans oppression. In our younger years, parents, teachers, and other authority figures will attempt to suppress any expression of homosexuality, transness, or gender non-conformity. The passive and active social enforcement of your sex/gender role is a universal experience, but is felt particularly acutely by those most directly in contradiction with those roles. When this fails, authority figures sometimes resort to violence and sexual abuse – gay and trans children suffer higher rates of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse across the board as compared to their cis and straight peers. LGBT people as a whole make 10% less than the average worker. This is felt more acutely among trans people, particularly trans women (in line with their cis counterparts), who make just 60% of the average. What bourgeois sociological evidence does exist points to significant discrimination in housing, jobs, medical care, etc. Accessing medical care is a struggle of its own for trans people – getting the treatment needed for basic day-to-day existence is often humiliating and expensive.
For younger LGBT people, particularly trans people, this political sequence has produced significant "whiplash." We grew up in a period of a real increase in broad social "acceptance," and being told that these reforms would guarantee an end to our oppression. But the utter abdication of leadership by the rightists following the reforms (after all, "we won") and the reactionary backlash has left the movement with a vacuum of political and organizational leadership at a crucial conjuncture. In the absence of this leadership, small groups have begun to emerge, largely taking up the left-adventurist anarchist line, sometimes explicitly. In some ways, this is a positive situation for communists. The broad masses of LGBT people are crying out for leadership in their struggle against the reactionary offensive, and the failure of the bourgeois rightist line to provide its promised victory has revealed to many gay and trans people, particularly those of the lower strata, the bankruptcy of reformism.
The current assault on our self-determination by the reactionary wing of first-world politics presents us with an opportunity to smash that trend, to effect a final rupture. Gay and trans people, particularly trans people, are increasingly forced into direct confrontation with the bourgeois state (through its repressive laws) and its extra-legal shock troops (with trans events becoming one of the primary targets for street fascist attacks). Not since the AIDS crisis have we seen such direct confrontation – and with it, openness to revolutionary communist political projects.
The task before communists in the gay movement is therefore to rectify the line of the movement through theoretical and practical struggle, to offer leadership to the gay and trans masses, and transform this movement into a detachment of the world proletarian struggle for communism."
Half the Sky: Preliminary Materials for a Proletarian Feminist Politics
152 notes · View notes
lupinmoonlight · 8 months
Note
Could you do smth like they meet again after years??? She's a professor and he too so she saw him at the first day in the great hall and after that they run into each other in the teachers' room. They were friends when they went to school and they were always attractedby each other.
Thank you and btw I love your writing:)
Lost and Found
Masterlist AO3
Summary - You and Remus Lupin had a crush on each other ever since you were students at Hogwarts but never had the courage to even speak. You spend the next 20 years living your separate lives, you as an Auror, and he, just surviving. Unable to live under the stress of your profession anymore, you retire and start teaching at Hogwarts, still hoping to fill the void Remus had left behind. In September 1993, everything changes. (3,190 words)
Warnings - Fluff, cheesy, angst, a bit of hurt/comfort, a bit of self-hatred, kissing, mention of wizarding war and lost of loved ones, my grammar (english is not my first language), not proof read.
Notes - I am almost ashamed of posting this considering I received this request over a month ago. I am so sorry anon, I have been traveling all of August. Thank you so much for your request and kind comment. I hope you like this one! (sorry if it's too cheesy I got carried away lol)
June 1978
One last glance, that's all you wanted. You pulled your hair back, looking discreetly across the Great Hall. As always, Remus was there, just a few seats away. He looked sad, just as sad as you, but it couldn't be for the same reason. The warm, golden rays of the sun reached through the windows and danced across his face, as if the sky itself was trying to comfort him. It graced his scars, making them glow a beautiful shade of gold. You were doomed. Absolutely doomed. And sad. And in love. And doomed. 
You would always sit close, steal glances, exchange the occasional smile in the library. You had become experts at unsaid conversations, your hearts screaming out words that your lips never uttered. 7 years of unspoken love, of quick glances, of butterflies in your stomach, of hoping he would sit next to you in potions, of worrying when he would disappear for a few days. You knew why, it was easy enough to figure out for anyone who paid close attention. But you didn't care. You loved him for 7 years. 7 years that were about to be ripped away from you. 
Remus felt your gaze and looked up. Your eyes met, and for a split second, time seemed to stop. You wanted to say something. I love you. But the lump in your throat held your words hostage. The weight of the impending silent goodbye threatened to shatter the fragile world you had created. 
As breakfast came to an end, you all began your journey towards Hogwarts Express. The station was alive with chatter, laughter, and tearful goodbyes. But amidst the chaos, there were two souls whose worlds had never been more silent. 
You found yourself in a compartment and gazed out the window, lost in thoughts, watching what had become your second home for 7 years slowly disappear in the distance. Every time the train jolted, you wished it would be Remus entering your compartment, as if he would be braver than you. Why didn't you go to his compartment? You were a coward that's why. Because being rejected would hurt more than saying goodbye. 
Remus sat a few compartments away, his heart pounding in his chest. Despite the presence of his three best friends, he felt alone. The knowledge that this journey might be his last with you was gnawing at his soul. 
The train finally pulled into King's Cross, and students disembarked, eagerly searching for their families. You made your way through the crowd, hoping, stupidly praying for one last moment with Remus. As you approached the barrier between the platform and the muggle world, you took a deep breath and looked back. And there he was, Remus, looking just as lost as you felt. Your eyes met across the platform, and everything went quiet, blurry. 
You crossed the barrier and found yourself on the muggle side of the platform and looked back once more, catching a fleeting glimpse of Remus, who seemed to be vanishing amidst the crowd. You felt a visceral ache. A lump formed in your throat, stubborn and solid, just as you had been during those 7 years, refusing to admit your feelings. You hated yourself. Coward, you kept telling yourself. But you loved him. Was teenage love supposed to be this painful? Because if yes, you were done with it. Never again, you thought. You wiped away the unshed tears from your eyes, put on your most determined face on, and went to your parents waiting in the crowd. You had a career to build, and Aurors were not made of lovesick teenagers. 
1981 - 1991
After graduating, the world outside Hogwarts proved to be colder and crueler than you had imagined. The First Wizarding War was a brutal, heart-wrenching time. As planned, you took the path of an Auror, but not for the same reasons you had wanted. Rather, it was in a desperate attempt to right the world's wrongs, to lose yourself, to numb yourself. It was your refuge, but it was also a painful reminder of the war's cost, a daily confrontation with terror and death. Was Remus alive? The question gnawed at you the moment you opened your eyes every morning. It consumed you. You had not seen each other in over 10 years, but the mere thought of him losing his life felt like someone was ripping you open with their bare hands, no magic. Maybe that's what drove you, in the end, to be an Auror. Stupid teenage love. 
The horrors of your profession haunted you every night. You had been dishonest with yourself. Sure, you wanted to "right the world's wrongs". But really, every time you were out on a mission, you were looking for him, the boy, now man, with sandy hair, with golden scars, with the softest voice, kindest eyes, shyest smile. But he was never there. So you gave up and did everything you could to bury every memory of him as deep as possible, unreachable, and decided to try and go teach other lovesick teenagers. At least then, you would feel at home. 
And home, you were. The old headmaster was still there, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. Professor McGonagall, head of your house years ago, welcomed you back with the expression of a proud mother. In her eyes, you had made it. You had been successful. An Auror retiring to teach young witches and wizards. But you didn't feel successful, you felt broken, empty. And the only other colleague who seemed to reflect that void was Severus. You had been surprised to see him as a teacher. The man had always been isolated, grim-looking, sad. He reminded you of a dementor, and maybe that's why you enjoyed sharing a cup of tea with this old classmate in the staff room, to torture yourself and forget about your lost love. Had he really been a dementor, you don't even think you would have been affected because all that was left was nothing. Longing. Hurt. Despair. 
Yet, in your first term as a teacher, you had this stupid hope. Maybe. Maybe Remus would walk through the Great Hall. Of all four troublemakers, he was the prefect, after all. Of course he would be a teacher. You had been so obsessed with this idea that you started losing sleep months before the term started. You surveyed the staff table like a hawk, looking for him. You were going mad. Here you were, grown, accomplished, yet still obsessing over your teenage love, retracing your steps through the halls like you used to 20 years ago to catch only a glimpse of him. Except now you knew he wouldn't be there. 
September 1993
You sat at the long staff table, your eyes idly scanning the crowd of eager young faces gathered in the Great Hall. You were numb. Not even waiting for anything anymore. Just going through the motions. Professor McGonagall had just finished calling out the names of the first-year students when the staff entrance at the side of the Hall creaked open. 
You turned your head reflexively, expecting another late-arriving student or perhaps a staff member who'd lost track of time. What you did not expect was the sight that greeted you, freezing you in your seat. 
A man stepped into the Great Hall, pausing for a moment to soak in the ambiance as if he too were revisiting old memories. Older and more weathered than you remembered, his sandy hair was now tinged with grey, and his face bore scars that were definitely not there during your Hogwarts years. His robes, though neat, were faded and had seen better days. But it was his eyes- those gentle blue eyes, filled with a unique blend of sorrow and kindness- that told you everything you needed to know. 
Remus. 
Your heart was pounding so loud in your chest that you were sure the entire Hall could hear it. The moment his eyes met yours, he too froze in place, as if the mere sight of you had rooted him to the ground. A mixture of emotions swirled in his gaze- surprise, confusion, and something softer, more intimate, that you hadn't seen in anyone's eyes for a long time. 
Tears welled up in your eyes, unbidden but not unwelcome, as you shared a look so intense, it was as if no one else existed. A look that whispered of years lost, of what could have been, and- perhaps- of what still might be. Not a word was spoken, but in that moment, volumes were said, a dialogue only you could understand. 
The gravity of the moment was so strong that you barely registered Remus moving again, navigating his way through the Hall to join the staff at the table. As he sat down beside you, the familiar scent of him struck you like a freight train- parchment, coffee, and a hint of pine trees. It was intoxicating, transporting you back to a simpler time, back to late-night study sessions and furtive glances. Your cheeks flushed as you realized that the empty chair next to you would be his for the entire year. There you were, a lovesick teenager again. 
You found yourself struggling to maintain your composure as Dumbledore rose to his feet to introduce the new staff member. 
"Before we continue, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he announced, his eyes twinkling as he gestured towards Remus. 
The students erupted into applause as Remus stood up awkwardly, a sheepish smile on his face. You found yourself unable to clap, your hands trembling in your lap as you watched him. It was surreal to see him here, after all these years. 
As soon as the ceremony ended, before the feast even began, Remus got up from his seat and made his way out of the Great Hall almost immediately, without saying a word. He looked almost...flustered? Impossible, you thought. YOU were flustered. How could he be? 
For days after your wordless reunion, you and Remus moved in parallel orbits, close yet never intersecting. The tension between you was palpable; an emotional undercurrent that resonated through every stolen glance and momentary brush of your eyes. You would catch him staring at you across the Great Hall during meals, only for him to look away, flustered, when you met his gaze. He would spot you in the corridors, seemingly engrossed in conversation with Professor McGonagall, but he knew you were acutely aware of his presence. 
You both longed to talk, to share the feelings that had overwhelmed you during that first eye contact, yet you were both paralyzed by a mix of fear, vulnerability, and the weight of years that had gone by. Remus, scarred by the war, lost everyone he loved most, was terribly afraid of loving again. And you, scarred by years of void, searching, numbing, were terribly afraid of being rejected. 
The tension reached its peak one fateful evening when you found yourselves alone in the staff room. You had come to fetch some papers you had left behind, while Remus had sought the space for its quiet ambiance to prepare for his next lesson. As you entered, you were met by the aroma of ancient books, polished wood, and a hint of brewing tea. Remus was standing there, looking startled but then quickly regaining his composure. 
"Ah, good evening," he stuttered, his voice tinged with the nervousness he felt. It was the first time you heard his voice in 20 years. It was deeper, but just as rich, just as soft, making you feel just as weak. 
You felt your cheeks flush as you stepped further into the room. "Good evening," you responded, your voice a half-octave higher than you intended. 
It was awkward, the air was thick with unspoken sentiments and unanswered questions. Remus cleared his throat and offered a formal, almost painfully awkward introduction. 
"You might not remember me, I'm R-" 
Might not remember him? Was he dumb? Clueless? Blind? No. He was just a man, you thought. 
"I know," you cut him off gently, trying to act as if he had not consumed 99% of your brain capacity for the last 20 years. "I do know, Remus." 
The air lightened a little at your words, as if acknowledging your shared history made it easier to breathe. Almost easier. 
"I was just about to make myself a cup of tea. Would you like one?" he offered, trying to navigate the awkwardness that hung in the room. 
"Yes, thank you", you agreed, grateful for a way to break the emotional deadlock. 
As Remus moved to pour the boiling water into the cups, his hands were less steady than he'd have liked. You watched him, your heart pounding in your chest as if it wanted to leap out and bridge the gap that had opened up between you over the years. He handed you the cup, your fingers brushed ever so slightly. The contact, though fleeting, sent a rush of warmth surging through you both. 
From that day on, you became inseparable- or as inseparable as two Hogwarts professors could be. You found excuses to bump into each other in the hallways, 'accidentally' coinciding your evening strolls by the lake or the Forbidden Forest's edge. You began to steal moments wherever you could- sitting together at meals when you could manage it, pausing in empty classrooms for brief, whispered conversations. 
Yet, for all your newfound closeness, you both tiptoed around the deeper emotions and unspoken confessions that hovered in the background. You would catch yourself about to say something too revealing and would quickly pivot the conversation to safer topics. Remus, too, would often find himself on the verge of saying something he feared could ruin everything but would pull back at the last moment, as though treading on dangerous ground. 
The late-night strolls became your sanctuary, where the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you and your carefully guarded feelings. 
"You've changed the curriculum quite a bit," you would say, your eyes sparkling as you discussed his innovative teaching methods. 
"And you've managed to make Arithmancy popular. I've never seen so many students signing up for it," he would reply, his eyes lingering on your face as if trying to decipher the mysteries hidden behind your eyes. 
You would both laugh, the tension easing for a moment, yet neither of you would take that final, daunting step to acknowledge the flame that had been rekindled and now burned almost painfully. 
It was a dance you both had perfected, a dangerous game you played. And though you circled around your feelings, it was clear to you both that this delicate balance couldn't last forever. It was as if you were students again. Desperate, lovesick, terrified teenagers. 
And you couldn't take it anymore. You wouldn't. That night, the air was particularly cold, the air crisp, and the half-moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds. 
"It's been weeks, Remus. Weeks since you came back into my life," you began, your voice shaky. "We keep circling around each other like we're afraid of something." 
"Afraid?" Remus responded, trying to maintain his composure. "There's nothing to be afraid of." 
"Isn't there?" You looked up, your eyes meeting his. "Then why haven't you touched me? Why haven't we talked about what's really going on between us? Why haven't you invited me out for a coffee?" 
Remus looked away, visibly wrestling with himself. "I can't. I can't give you what you want." 
The raw pain in his voice struck you, and you felt your own eyes brimming with tears. "And what do you think I want, Remus? Is it so wrong to want to be with you? Or am I not good enough for you?" 
He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with bitterness. "You deserve someone better, someone who can be there for you in all the ways I can't."
That was it. The dam of emotions you'd been holding back for years finally burst. "Better? Do you have any idea how many nights I've lain awake wondering if you were even alive? Do you know how terrifying it is to love someone and not know if they're dead or alive, Remus?" 
Your words struck him to his core. Of course, he knew what it felt like. He had lived it for 20 years. 
Your voice had risen to almost a scream, your body shaking as you confronted him, assaulted him with your words. "All those years, I never had the courage to approach you, to tell you how I felt. We lost all that time, and now here you are, yet you've never felt so out of reach." 
Remus couldn't look at you. His gaze was fixed on the ground, and he seemed to be shrinking into himself. "You don't understand. I'm not good for you." 
"Why? Because you're a werewolf?" you snapped, the words tumbling out of you before you could stop them. 
Remus's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. 
"I've known since Hogwarts, Remus. And I never cared. Are you blind? All I've wanted for the past 20 years was to be with you, to even just see you, to-" 
Before you could say another word, Remus closed the distance between you in two quick strides, his hands gripping your waist as he pushed you against a tree. Your eyes met for a split second- a second filled with anger, surprise, confusion, but above all, an overwhelming love- and his lips crashed into yours in a desperate, hungry kiss. His hand snaked up to your neck, feeling your pulse, as if he was trying to convince himself that this was real. You pressed your body against him, the heat radiating from him was intoxicating, dizzying. 
But then the kiss slowed, its intensity giving way to a slow, loving gentleness, one that you associated with him so much. Remus's hands moved from your neck to cup your face, his thumbs wiping away the tears that had spilled onto your cheeks. Your hands found their way to his chest, gripping his robes like they were a lifeline, like he would vanish any second. 
Finally, you broke the kiss, a little out of breath, but remained close, your foreheads touching. "I'm sorry," Remus whispered, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm sorry for all the years we lost, for all the pain I've caused you." 
You shook your head, your eyes searching his. "We can't get back the years we've lost, but we have now, Remus. That has to count for something." 
He looked at you, really looked at you, and for the first time since the war, he allowed himself to believe in the possibility for a future- a future filled with love, warmth, and a happiness he had never thought he'd deserve. 
"Okay," he said softly, the word heavy with the weight of the promise it carried. 
"Okay," you repeated. 
170 notes · View notes
kimpossibly · 1 year
Text
THE CHAIN -> e. roundtree PART FOUR: aurora
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
PAIRING: eddie roundtree x fem!reader WARNINGS: swearing, drinking, drugs, minor injuries, blood, very suggestive content, implied sex (NOTE: some warnings for this story include MAJOR spoilers for this series down the line, so I'll put those beneath the cut. If you don't want to get the story spoiled, then just ignore it ― but I did want to provide the chance for you to get an idea of how the story will go later down the line if you have any sensitive topics you'd like to avoid. please prioritize your mental wellbeing!)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: HIIIIIIII HI HI HI HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE FOURTH AND FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE CHAIN! I'm so sorry this took me ten million years to write, it was really hard both time-wise and emotionally, as you'll see later...but HERE IT IS!!!!! This little story has gotten so much love since I posted the first part and it is absolutely insane. I'm almost at 800 followers now, compared to the 300-and-something I had before. It is absolutely crazy how this little plot bunny turned into something that you all really love. I'm glad that this story has brought you guys joy, and I hope I can do that one last time. So, here you go! Part four of The Chain!
WARNINGS (SPOILERS INCLUDED): reader has a life threatening illness. Discussions about death and loss, depictions of grief, hospitals
Tumblr media
AURORA (1977-1978)
EDDIE: It started with little things, you know? The drip before the dam breaks. She would have these moments of...of absentmindedness. She'd say "I think I'm going to wear the red sweater at tonight's gig." And I'd say, "I love that one." And she'd say. "Me too." And then she'd pause, and go back to whatever the hell she was doing ― strumming on the guitar, packing for tour ― and all of a sudden she'd say, "Oh, Ed, I'm going to wear the red sweater at the show tonight." I thought maybe she was telling a joke, but she'd look up at me, waiting for a response. So I'd say, "Baby, you just told me that." And she'd say, "I did?" And I'd say, "You did." And then she'd pause again, thinking. And then she'd shrug and just say, "Oh." Oh. Like it didn't even matter that she'd just said the same thing twice and forgotten she'd even said it in the first place. I don't blame her for it. I mean, she was like the opposite of a hypochondriac. She could stitch you up when you got hurt, but she thought she was indestructible. It was all I could do to get her to see that everyone has a breaking point. Everyone has that point that they can't come back from. And I didn't know it then, but she'd already crossed it.
KAREN: The first time it happened ― the first time we really started to realize that something was up ― was during a rehearsal. I think...I think we might've been recording, actually.
Aurora was coming along better than any of them thought it was. The songs were recorded in six days. The band was in the middle of the fourth day, mid-recording of "Kill You To Try," when the drums came to a sudden halt at the song's peak.
And Billy, whose only goal was getting the album recorded so that he and Teddy could take over on the mixing, was on the verge of losing his mind.
It took him a moment to realize the drums had faded away until they were completely gone. The rhythmic guitar faded next, next the bass, and then Billy caught up, his voice breaking off and his headphones pulled away from his ears.
He turned around, an angry knot forming between his brows. "Y/n?" he said impatiently. When there was no answer, he said it again. "Y/n."
She was staring straight forward, arms fallen limp to her sides, a blank look on her face. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, more half-blinks than full stops.
Karen, who was closest to her at the keyboard, walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, are you all right?"
And then it stopped. Y/n blinked one last time and her eyes went still. She looked around at all of them, a crease forming between her brows. "What?" she asked, looking back at their stares. "What did I do?"
DAISY: We just...we didn't know what to say.
"You zoned out, dude." Warren replied.
"I did?" she asked. There were nods. "Oh. Sorry."
They went back to recording then, mostly at Billy's insistence, but Eddie couldn't help watching Y/n through the corner of his eye for the rest of the day. She seemed fine enough for the most part, but he couldn't get rid of the sneaking suspicion that something was very, very wrong.
Tumblr media
"Okay...okay. Mom, go, I don't need Dr. Medina getting mad at me. I'll call you in the morning. I hope the surgery goes well. Be the best damn nurse the world has ever seen. Okay, bye. Love you."
Y/n hung up the phone and jumped over the top of the couch, lying down and laying her head in Eddie's lap. Everyone else had left the house in Laurel Canyon by now, making them its only two residents. It was quieter than it was before, sometimes unsettlingly so, but they liked it. With the band becoming more and more chaotic, they both needed the quiet. Plus, they could make out in the kitchen without worrying about anyone walking in on them. That was a definite plus.
Eddie stared off into space for a moment, absentmindedly running a hand through Y/n's hair. "You ever think about getting married?"
Y/n sat up, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Getting married. Out of the blue. Just like Camila and Billy."
Y/n stuttered, "Camila and Billy have been together since, like, the beginning of time. We've only been together for...we can't..."
She trailed off, and Eddie's face fell. He covered it up with a shrug. "No, it's fine."
"Eddie, hey."
"No, no it's fine, I get it," he said, getting up from the couch. Yes, it was a risky thing to say. And he hadn't exactly known what to expect, but it definitely wasn't that.
Y/n got up to gently grab his wrist, stopping him in place. "Eddie, Eddie," she said gently as he reluctantly turned. He looked somewhat dejected ― it hurt her to see, so she put on her sweetest smile as she laced her fingers behind his neck. "Camila and Billy got married at three in the morning because she got knocked up. That's not me. That's not us."
He said nothing, but his features softened just the slightest bit.
"It can't be out of the blue, okay? Call me old fashioned, but I want the planning. The pretty cathedral, the stupid vows, the white dress...I want it all. And being in a rock band doesn't really coincide with that, yeah?"
Eddie just rolled his eyes at that, but there was a slight grin on his face as he did so. "Come here," she muttered, pulling him closer and hugging him tightly. He held her back, his chin resting atop her head like she'd fly away if he didn't try hard enough.
"Give me some time. We have a world tour coming up, but after that..." she trailed off with a smile. "That sound okay?"
"Yes ma'am," Eddie responded with a shit-eating grin. Now it was Y/n's turn to roll her eyes and push him away, smiling.
"Why are you in such a rush to get tied down? Aren't rockstars pretty flighty people?"
"I'll let you know you when I see one," Eddie said, and pulled her in to kiss her.
Tumblr media
Billy and Daisy were nowhere to be seen. Daisy Jones & The Six's World Tour of Aurora was set to begin in less than a month, and their main attraction was missing from rehearsal. The rest of the band sat around like sitting ducks, fiddling with their instruments like they had no purpose. Well, right then, it was like they didn't. Without Billy or Daisy...practice almost wasn't worth it.
And eventually, Eddie had had it. "Okay," he said, standing up, "this is bullshit. Just because Billy and Daisy aren't here, we have to sit with our thumbs up our asses?"
Warren paused. "Yeah, basically."
Eddie shook his head, giving a bitter laugh. "Yeah, fuck that. Up."
He slung his guitar over his shoulder as they all reluctantly got up, groaning in exasperation. Y/n took her seat behind the drums, Karen got behind the keys, and Warren picked up his guitar. And Eddie headed for the mic, causing a few confused glances between the other band members.
"Hey, Ed?" Y/n called. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? We're going to rehearse."
"Yeah, but...you're not going to sing, are you?" Graham said.
Y/n threw a drumstick at him. "Dude."
Warren and Karen held back laughter. Eddie looked around the room, eyebrows raised. "Fine. Anyone else want to volunteer?" he asked. "Please, someone else take over."
No one moved to take his place. Eddie nodded. "That's what I thought. Okay, let's start with Regret Me."
"You're going to sing Daisy's part?" Y/n said, eyebrows raised.
"Nope," Eddie responded. "You are."
Y/n froze. For a moment she thought that might've been a joke.
KAREN: She looked like a deer in headlights. I knew Eddie wouldn't ask me, probably because he was still a little scared of me. But Y/n always hated being front and center. She looked like she was going to be sick.
Eddie beckoned her forward. She looked at the others for help, but all she got in return was wide-eyed looks and desperate shrugs. She looked back at Eddie. "N-No! I-I have to do the drums!"
"Teddy can play the drums. Right, Teddy?"
Caught off-guard, Teddy pressed the speaker button. "Um, sure?"
As Teddy came from the booth into the studio, Eddie walked over to where Y/n sat behind the drums. She had shrunk down as if to hide herself. She stared up at Eddie as though he were about to lead her to the slaughter. "What the fuck are you doing?" she said in a harsh whisper. "I'll kill you, you know. The second we get home, I'm taking the bat and crushing your fucking kneecaps."
Eddie just laughed as he took her hand to guide her to the mic with him. "I know you can do this," he muttered, quiet enough so that only she could hear, "I've heard you sing it."
"In the shower."
"Still counts."
She resisted the urge to slap him right then, looking around at the rest of the band. "If any one of you ever bring this up ever again―"
"Yeah, yeah, save the death threats," Warren said. "Can we all just shut up and rehearse?"
"Oh, now you have a sense of urgency." Y/n muttered.
After one final look around, Graham counted them in, and the song began. And Y/n who had no instrument to play, only stood a solid foot away from the mic, her heart beating so quickly that she could feel it in her skull. Eddie gently took her hand to pull her closer. When he opened his mouth to sing, hers stayed shut.
"You regret me and I regret you," he sang alone. "Except I don't care what you're feeling and I don't need your reprove."
He squeezed her hand, trying to encourage her with only his eyes. And then, quietly, she joined in on the next line.
"I'm a slippage in the system with a natural gift, how I move," he found himself starting to sing through a smile, "So go ahead and regret me but I'm beating you to it, dude."
The chorus was approaching, making Y/n feeling more and more like she was going to throw up. The logical part of her knew that she wouldn't burst into flame if her voice cracked. But the other part? The other part of her wanted to punch Eddie in the face for ever bringing her within a five foot radius of this mic.
"You regret me and I regret you!"
WARREN: They had that chemistry that Billy and Daisy had, but it felt more…lived in. Daisy and Billy were like two pieces of flint that you’d knock together. Sparks would fly and hey, maybe something would catch on fire. Eddie and Y/n were like a bonfire. Controlled. And, if you stood a good enough distance away, you could see how nice it was. It wasn’t as exciting, but it sure was good enough to take the place of the real thing.
She gained confidence the more that she sang. Whether it was the fact that her voice held on or the fact that she got to stand so close to Eddie, she didn't know, but she felt okay.
"Go ahead and regret me, but I'm beating you to it, dude." Y/n finished the song with a smile at Eddie, her face flushed. It took her a moment to realize that the room around her was silent.
Her smile fell. "What?"
"Nothing," Graham said. "That was great. Um...what about Honeycomb?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, going back to their instrument. Eddie pulled Y/n to his side, pressing a kiss to her head. "Told ya."
She suppressed a smile. "Shut up."
Tumblr media
EDDIE: The lead up to the tour, I think. That was when things got really weird. She was tired all the time, no matter how much sleep she got. I mean, yeah, we were recording an album and getting ready for a world tour, but it wasn't like normal. We'd come home and she'd go straight to be, sleep until the morning, wake up, and an hour later she'd be yawning again. For a while I thought she might've just been tired of me [laughs].
"Y/n, come on. Time to get up," Eddie said quietly, crouching beside their bed to be at her eye level. Her eyes blinked open reluctantly and she groaned, rolling over.
"My head is killing me."
"I'll get you some Advil."
"No, no, I got it," she said, and then proceeded to lay in bed, eyes shut, curled under the blankets.
After a few moments, Eddie spoke. "Y/n?"
"Five more minutes."
He laughed quietly. "Come here," he said, sliding one arm under her back and one under her legs, scooping her up into his arms.
She wrapped an arm around his shoulders gratefully, burying her head in his neck. "Wow, you're so strong," she said with a little giggle.
"Yeah, yeah. I can still throw you down the stairs."
"Ooh, I'm counting on it."
They went to rehearsal―where, luckily, Daisy and Billy were already located―and got to work. Eddie kept an eye on Y/n out of the corner of his eye. Her headache had worsened on the drive there despite her taking more pain pills than was probably necessary. She played just fine, but she cringed ever so often at the punctuated hit of a hi-hat. He thought about taking her off the drums for a bit and putting Teddy in her place, but she'd just get angry at him.
In the middle of Let Me Down Easy, the drums stopped suddenly, drum sticks clattering to the floor. Everyone looked up to see Y/n sprinting out of the room, a hand clamped over her mouth. Eddie froze. Karen was the first to move, running after her to make sure she was all right.
They all stood in silence for a minute or two, unsure of how to proceed. Karen came back, running a hand through her hair. "She just got sick. She's fine now, but I think we should give her a minute."
"What, does she have the flu or something?" Graham asked.
"Maybe she's pregnant," Camila suggested. Everyone turned to look at her at once. She blinked. "What?"
Eddie left the room then, feeling like he was about to be sick himself. The bathroom door was ajar when he got there. Y/n was sitting on the floor when he walked in, knees tucked to her chest, her head propped up by one palm.
"Hi," she croaked.
"Hi. You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her.
"Fucking fabulous," she replied with a slight grin.
He smiled and kissed her forehead, wrapping an arm around her. "D'you think that maybe it's time you see a doctor? I mean, the headache, you're tired all the time, and now this?"
"No, no," she waved her hand to brush that away. "I get like this sometimes. It's like allergies. It's whatever. I'll ask my mom on the phone later. She's never failed me."
Eddie nodded, going silent for a moment. "Are you maybe...do you think you might be pregnant?"
"No, I'm―" Y/n began, then cut herself off. She paused for a moment, thinking. Then she turned back to Eddie, eyes wide. "Um."
Cut to the two of them in the bathroom at midnight, Eddie pacing and Y/n staring at a little pregnancy test on the counter. It had taken them nearly half a dozen drug stores to find a regular pregnancy test, not to mention the fact that they grew more and more panicked with every second that passed.
"What if―"
"Nope, no," Eddie cut her off, "We are not playing the What If game right now. Whatever happens happens, and we'll deal with it."
Y/n nodded, pursing her lips. "But, what if―"
"Y/n, no."
After a few minutes of anxious silence, Y/n exclaimed. "Look, I see a line!"
Eddie quit his pacing to rush to her side, looking down at the test. "What does that mean?"
"Two lines means I'm pregnant."
"There's only one."
"I know that, Eddie."
"Well, what does that mean?"
And then they were scrambling for the box, looking for the instructions they worried they might've accidentally tossed out. Once the box assured them that one line meant Y/n was definitely not pregnant, they both let out a sigh of relief, Y/n slumping over the counter in exhausted victory. "I feel like we should take several rounds of shots right now."
Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank God, I was about to call Karen's priest."
She laughed, feeling giddy.
"Would it have been the worst thing In the world, though?" he asked.
Y/n turned her head to look up at him. "Sweetheart, we're about to leave for a world tour. The timing isn't exactly ideal," she paused. "But no, it wouldn't have been the worst thing ever. I mean, I would have a lot to explain to my extremely Catholic grandparents, but no, I wouldn't be entirely devastated."
Eddie couldn't stop a smile that spread out of her sight. "First you want to marry me and now you want to have my children? God, are you obsessed with me or something?"
She gasped in mock offense, tearing herself from her grip and glaring at him. "You precocious son of a bitch."
"Careful, you might accidentally turn me on."
She narrowed her eyes, staring at him for a moment. Then, quick as a flash, she turned and ran to the bedroom. Eddie chased after her, their screams of laughter floating up through the ceiling as he slammed the door behind them.
Tumblr media
AURORA WORLD TOUR (1978-1979)
WARREN: Tour life was crazy, man. It always had been, but that one was insane. Daisy and Billy had it out in Rolling Stone, and everyone wanted to see their little shitshow. I'm not saying that their blowup was what rocketed us to the top...but it fuckin' was. Drama, man. The people eat it up.
Daisy Jones & The Six was the shit. Everywhere they went, massive crowds followed. Record sales were at an all-time high. Everyone knew the band. They were on top of the world.
Eddie thought every day about taking a knee and proposing to Y/n. In the middle of a show, even. He'd do it in the dead of night. They never tired of each other, no matter how long they were together. They were attached at the hip until they were forced away, which, now that they were on tour together, wasn't often.
They had made a routine. Wake up, rehearse with the band for a couple hours, and then go walk around whatever city they were in. Then they'd play the show, go to a party, and go back to their hotel room. They clung to each other through all of it. Eddie wasn't quite sure what the terms of common law marriage were, but he was sure that they would meet all of them. But he'd wait until the tour was over, just like she said. And then he'd marry her. That much he knew.
When they got to Chicago around early July, it was set to be their biggest show of the tour.
KAREN: Tensions were high. I don't think the two of them noticed, or they were too in love to care.
They stood backstage, the sounds of the crowd growing louder and louder as more people arrived.
Camila turned to wish her good luck with a smile, but it quickly faded. "Oh, honey, your nose."
Y/n frowned, then felt a drip. She swiped her thumb underneath her nose and it came away slick with blood. "Oh," she muttered, "oops."
"Are you alright?" she asked in a very mom-way.
"Yeah, feeling okay," Y/n nodded. "Goodnight, Julia."
Camila rocked her daughter, "Say bye-bye, Julia."
Julia lifted a hand and made a grabby motion in farewell. Y/n giggled and did the same back, still holding her nose. "Bye, Squishy," she said, poking one of Julia's little dimples. The girl giggled and clung to her mom, disappearing out of sight.
She staunched the blood as best she could once she found tissues, stashing bloody tissues in her bag rather than the trash can so as not to worry anyone. She swiped on some glitter anywhere that would catch the light. Eddie came in as she was tying her hair up. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder.
The moment her eyes closed, she got this feeling like she wanted nothing more than to let them stay closed, to drift away into sleep right there. She was tired. There were thousands of screaming people out there waiting for her, and all she could think about was getting to sleep as soon as possible.
"Maybe this tour is it," she muttered into Eddie's shoulder.
"What?"
She paused, trying to form a thought into words. "After this. I don't know if I can do it again."
They pulled apart and Y/n saw a crease between Eddie's brows. "What makes you say that?"
Before she got a moment to figure out what exactly made her come to that conclusion, she was being pulled forward onto the stage by Warren. The crowd came to a deafening roar as they appeared, and Y/n waved and smiled like she had done a hundred times, taking her place behind the drums.
They all picked up their instruments, and then Billy turned and gave Y/n the nod. The first drum hit of 'Aurora' rang out, and the show began.
EDDIE: The show was great. We all played great, the crowd was great, it was all...[pauses] it was great.
The set was coming to a close. They had played through nearly the entirety of the album, throwing in some older songs of theirs. But the crowd had ceaselessly been chanting for one song in particular, one that had purposely been left off the setlist for the entirety of the tour: Look At Us Now.
Everyone looked around at each other, then at Billy. He glanced back at them as if asking permission. They each gave a nod, and Daisy turned back to the mic. "Who wants to hear Honeycomb?"
The screams of the crowd that followed were enough to answer that question. Billy looked back at all of them again. "You know what to do."
Billy picked up an acoustic guitar from the side of the stage and came back. He tapped his foot a couple times to set the pace, and then he began to play.
The crowd sang every word with them, for them at times. And Y/n selfishly thought she had the best seat in the house. From the back of the stage, she could see it all. The crowd, the band, and everything in between. How could she let this go? This tour couldn't be the end of it all. She decided right then that she wouldn't let it. Not when there were views like this in the world and she was one of the few that got to see it.
And in an instant, it all went haywire.
Daisy and Billy were so caught up in the song for a moment that they both failed to notice as the drums grew more and more muddled until they stopped all together. Drum sticks clattered to the ground, heads snapping in their direction. Thousands of eyes saw as Y/n slumped out of her seat, collapsing on the ground beside the drums.
Instruments were dropped haphazardly as everyone on that stage stopped what they were doing to rush to the drum set. Rod left his spot in the wings to see for himself as Y/n laid stiff on the ground, seizing.
What followed was a rush of colors and light, of ambulances and ceilings, none of which she could really see or understand. But Eddie could. Eddie saw and understood all of it. And that, possibly, was the worst part.
Tumblr media
Y/n woke up not long after, feeling as though she had just woken up from restless sleep. She asked quick questions, which were answered in short, quick words by Billy and Camila. Who she really wanted to speak to was Eddie, but he was laser focused on whatever needed to happen next. All he could do was hold her hand and squeeze back.
By the time she was in her hospital bed, she was convinced that she was perfectly fine. The part she was most upset about was ending the concert early―which, she assured them, would not happen again.
"After I get treated for whatever this is, I can come back, right? Rod?"
"Calm down, kid. You just had a seizure. Give yourself some time to be overdramatic before you get back on the road," he said with a slight chuckle.
"Miss L/n, have you ever had a history of epileptic seizures?" the nurse in the room asked. Y/n shook her head, and the nurse gave a nod. "I'll be right back with the doctor."
She left, and Warren suddenly gave a shiver. "Fucking hate hospitals."
Y/n shrugged. "I basically grew up in one."
"Ah, so that's why you're...you."
Several people had to dodge as Y/n hurled a pillow at him. Then, realizing it was the only one she had, she pouted. "Give it back."
"Oh, this pillow? The one you threw at me?" Warren said, being annoying as usual. "No way, sister. This is my property now. Bequeathed to me by your sorry arm muscles."
"I'll beat you up as soon as I get out of this bed."
"Sure you will, honey."
The door to her room opened and the doctor stepped in. He was tall, older, and graying a bit at the ends. "Hi there," he greeted. "I'm Doctor Lawrence."
Y/n waved, and he suddenly seemed to realize how many people were in the room. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid only family are allowed in here," he said.
Y/n immediately grabbed Eddie by the wrist. "He's my husband!" she said. Everyone quieted. "And they're my brothers," she looked at Billy and Graham, "sister-in-laws," she glanced over at Camila and Karen, "he's my cousin," she nodded to Warren, "and he's my weird uncle," she said, looking at Rod. Then she looked back at the doctor. "They're my family."
The doctor didn't believe a word she'd said. But after a moment of silence, he nodded to the group. "You can stay."
Y/n sighed in relief, lacing her fingers with Eddie's. If anything were to happen that night, she'd rather have him by her side.
Doctor Lawrence asked her a couple menial questions, then rambled a bit about what exactly seizures are (which, of course, she already knew) and suggested a CT scan to better understand what was going on. She agreed.
The next few hours were rather boring. Silences were punctuated with pain, as Y/n grew to realize how stiff her neck was. Her arms and legs were sore, but that, she assumed, was from the seizure.
"It's too bright in here," she commented when she was returned to her room. "Can I turn the lights down a little?"
People milled about. Camila had to go to be with Julia and the twins. Graham and Karen got coffee. Warren and Rod sat around her hospital room, competing to see who had the crazier stories (the winner, of course, was Rod). Eddie sat beside Y/n on the hospital bed the entire time, talking to her as she came in and out of consciousness
One of the times her eyes blinked open, she frowned, looking around in confusion. "Where the hell am I?"
Eddie paused. "You're in the hospital, Y/n."
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"You...you had a seizure."
"Oh," she said. He felt her flex her fingers in his. "My hands feel weird. I can't feel your hand."
Eddie began to panic. She was treating every new horrible thing as though it were a new science fact she had just learned. "Y/n, what―"
Doctor Lawrence returned then, Karen and Graham trailing behind him. Billy returned not soon after. The only one not pale and freaked out was Y/n, who seemed content braiding small strands of her hair.
"The CT scan came back. She has a severe case of encephalitis."
Everyone looked around, most of them either hearing that word for the first time or not knowing what it is. Y/n did. "How? Meningitis?"
"Hard to say. It probably started out as a virus, something that triggered a strong autoimmune response."
"Can I take an antiviral to treat it?"
"Sorry, can someone explain what the fuck you're saying?" Warren finally asked.
Y/n sighed, letting go of her third braid. "My brain is inflamed, and it's swelling. It's pressing on my brain stem and it caused the seizure."
"That sounds...bad?" Graham said.
"Yeah, but it can be treated," Y/n said with a shrug. "I'll need to take antivirals for a bit, right?"
The doctor paused. "Yes, you would for a less severe case."
Her eyes narrowed. "So, what do I do for my case?"
He went silent. Y/n froze. Everyone looked to the doctor, who seemed unsure of how to continue. "I'm sorry."
Y/n understood what he was saying. She felt her sore muscles stiffen up again, this time from panic. "You're saying there's nothing? Do I just have it let it go away on its own, or...?"
"A case this advanced won't go away on its own."
"Well, if it won't go away on its own and we can't treat it, then...then what?" she asked, her voice becoming more panicked. "What do I do? Tell me what to do, I'll do it."
Lawrence just shook his head again. "I'm so sorry. I'll give you all a minute to figure out how you want to proceed."
He left then, and everyone was silent.
"Y/n," Eddie said, his voice quiet and careful, "what does that mean?"
She was staring at the blanket over her legs, eyes blank. "Can someone please get my mom on the phone please?" she asked quietly.
"Y/n, what does it mean?"
"It can't be treated. It's not going to go away on its own, it'll just get worse," she said in a quiet, calculated voice, like she was reading from a textbook. "It'll put more and more pressure on my brain stem. And the brain stem regulates circulation and breathing, so..."
Karen let out a sob, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth. Y/n couldn't bear to look up at the faces around her, because she knew she'd see a reflection of exactly what she was feeling right then: hopelessness.
It meant that she was already gone.
"Someone get my mom on the phone. Please."
Tumblr media
The night that followed was awful. Camila returned, having finally found someone to watch Julia and the twins. Y/n had watched as Billy told her the news. She teared up, tears streaming down her face within minutes. But she shoved them away as she walked into the room to give Y/n a hug. She chatted about how Julia missed her. She did a good job of keeping the conversation off of the obvious. Y/n was glad for it.
Eddie ended up beside Y/n on her bed. She curled into his side, floating in and out of consciousness. She seized twice more, once just past one in the morning, once after the sun had just started to come up.
Her mom arrived on a flight from Pittsburgh at two. The first time Y/n cried was when she saw her walk into the room.
The morning brought some sense of comfort. Karen and Billy went out to get coffee and bagels for everyone. They all sat around and talked about something other than music, which they hadn't done as a group in years, maybe in forever.
Y/n glanced up at Eddie at some point during the conversation and noticed that he had a strange look on his face. "What?" she asked, nudging him.
Eddie looked down at her, a million thoughts in his head at once, all of which combined to form one coherent sentence.
Tumblr media
EDDIE: I told her right then and there that I wanted to marry her. I didn't care how much time she had left. I wanted to call her my wife.
KAREN: When I looked at Y/n, I could just tell...he didn't have to say it twice.
GRAHAM: It all happened so fast from there. Karen called the minister that had done Camila and Billy's wedding ― once we told him the circumstances, he was pretty quick to agree to officiate. That guy was metal, man. He'd done two last-minute weddings for a rock band within two years. Show me another priest who could brag about that. Not that priests brag, right? Jesus was humble and shit. But you know what I mean.
CAMILA: Eddie left to get a tux. He said he wanted to do his part, even if Y/n was wearing a hospital gown.
EDDIE: I think I said something really cheesy about how, if she could look that good in a hospital bed, then I could at least do my best to look the part of a groom. She loved it.
KAREN: Graham went with him, for "style advice," is how I think he phrased it. Really I think he just went to make sure he had someone there with him. None of us really wanted to leave Eddie alone.
GRAHAM: I think we got the first one that fit. He wore it as we left the place. Eddie wasn't screwing around. He was giddy the whole time. He would go dead silent for a few minutes and then talk my ear off for another few. All in all, I think we were gone for maybe forty-five minutes. An hour, tops. We didn't know...we didn't realize they couldn't call us if something happened.
KAREN: It happened so fast. She was so excited, she was talking so quickly I could barely understand her. But she was beaming at us the whole time. You couldn't help but be happy for her.
BILLY: Twenty minutes after they left, she asked for something. Ice chips, I think. The nurses gave them to her all the time, she was kind of addicted. She asked if we could get her some, and Karen said something stupid like, "I'd get you a private jet if you asked for it." And she laughed and said "Don't tell me that ― I might ask, just to see you sweat."
DAISY: Billy left the room to get her some ice and then...I'm no doctor, I can't tell you exactly what happened.
CAMILA: She started seizing up again, so Karen and I tried to put her on her side, but she started fighting us. Like, smacking us away whenever we tried to touch her. I don't know if it was her or...[Pause] something other than her. That's the kind of thing that keeps me up, you know? She was so happy to get married. So happy. But when she hit us away...it was almost like she knew exactly what she was doing.
KAREN: The doctors came in and shooed us back out into the waiting room. Camila didn't want to let go. Neither did I. They practically had to pull us off of her. Billy found us out there, still holding the ice chips, and Camila just started bawling. She didn't say anything, but I think he could piece together what it was that'd happened.
DAISY: Karen sat down. Billy stayed up with Camila, holding her while the ice in the cup started melting down to water. We couldn't have been out there more than ten minutes when the doctor came out. The look she gave us...we just knew. We knew.
BILLY: Camila was almost screaming. Karen left; we didn't ask where she was going. All of a sudden, it was like...like the first time I ever took a punch. You know, you've heard about getting in a fight and taking a hit so hard it makes your head spin. And then there's the first time it really happens to you, when you take your first punch. And there's this brief moment in between the hit and the pain. You know it's coming, but there's that delay before it gets you. In a second, you get the air knocked out of you, and then...[Shakes head] and then it hits you. It didn't feel like losing a friend, either. I lost a sister.
KAREN: I was just completely blindsided. I walked out, not really knowing where I was going. I felt like I was going to puke, and I didn't want to do that in front of everyone. I think we all forgot, you know, that Graham and Eddie were out...
CAMILA: I remember looking over Billy's shoulder, seeing the car drive back up and Eddie stepped out in the tux. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands, talking a mile a minute, and I just...[Chokes up] I couldn't tell him.
BILLY: He walked into the room, and he saw her, and...God, he just...he pulled out this little box from his pocket. He took her hand, opened the box, and put the ring on her finger. He kissed her on the forehead, and then he left.
KAREN: Camila was his first love, yeah. But Y/n? She was the love of his life, man. He had something people would die for, kill for. And the minute he realized it, the minute he realized what he had, the universe snatched it away from him. Life is un-fucking-fair, man. Always has been and always will be.
CAMILA: God, he really loved her. He really did.
Tumblr media
When Eddie got the call, he was surprised to hear that she wanted to speak to him directly. Even more so, he was surprised to hear that someone wanted to write a book about the band. He had always been a firm believer in leaving the past in the past, but she was persistent. Plus, he couldn't say no. Not to her.
They met in a park near the coast. They chatted about life, what she was doing, what he was doing, and it was the general consensus that all was good and well.
"So, where should I start?" he asked as she hit record on the camera.
Julia stepped back from the camera. "Just...tell me about Y/n."
He paused, caught off-guard. And then, he smiled. "This might be a while."
Tumblr media
EDDIE: It's not all bad anymore. I got time with her. I'll always wish I had more, but the time I got...it was great. It was the best time I've ever had. But I was able to move on, meet someone new. I think about her every day, and I always will, you know? A person like Y/n...that doesn't leave you. And Jesus Christ am I grateful for that. Julia...I'm really glad you're doing this. Your Aunt Y/n would've loved it.
Tumblr media
TAG LIST: @itsametaphorbriansblog @lcversrockk @yipyipmorals @chemicaldeathwish @greengarsstuff @karenfockingsirko @lilyhw1 @simmo04 @unsaiddaisy @simpswhore @chaoticavrey @pinkdaiisies @procrastinationprincesses @astablacksword @f0rking-bullshirt @maraudersrry @sapphiclm @alessiaparigim @itsleniiilosers @onlyangel-444 @joliettes @ceciliahargrove @luvremlu @whataloadofmalarkey @peabod3 @inmyloveworld @southstreetsunrise @spidermanenthusist @prongsio @thefemininemystiquee @labrinths @neptunes-curse @guichu @marauders-luv @raggedyoldwitch @void-daphne @silkenthusiasts @littlehoneyfreak @aispunk @itsjustmikii @mlwriting5 @mannstarkey @whenmypartysover @accidrainonme @aclmagic @dirtyhanqs @labrinths @atrimmunson @prongsio @inmyloveworld @inky-sun @peabod3 @comeonnee @alessiaparigim
263 notes · View notes
penny-anna · 2 years
Text
so im watching superman (1978) (slowly lol it’s a long-ass film and i have a short attention span) and I’m not 100% into the traditional ‘lois is only into superman’ dynamic im thinking. thoughts about it.
like Lois meets Superman and is Instantly Smitten but also aware very quickly that the idea of ever having an actual relationship with him is just a fantasy. Like he’s an alien and he’s basically a god. it’s obvious he liked her but he keeps her at arms length and she’s pretty sure he’s basically Above the whole idea of dating. so she’s made her peace w it but part of her is still like ‘but what if someday’.
& meanwhile there’s Clark who’s her awkward co-worker and the embodiment of Just Some Guy and very Friend Shaped. and they get closer & closer and more wrapped up in each other’s lives as time goes on. and suddenly she’s like, hm, this guy has a key to my apartment, i know all his favourite take-out orders and he has my hyper-specific starbucks order memorised and i know the name of both his childhood dogs and he’s met my parents and even my grandparents cause we’ve been each other’s dates to weddings and things (platonically!! ofc) for years now and I guess he’s like, my best friend? he’s like. the human embodiment of a comfy sweater u just want to wear every night.
then one day they���re hanging out and she has the slow-burn ‘.....oh.’ moment
and now she’s like, ok I’m in love w my friend Clark, i’ve probably been in love with him for years, and I don’t even know if he feels the same way (he definitely had a crush early on but he backed off as soon as it was clear she wasn’t interested so for all she knows he’s fully over her by now) so I guess I’ve got to. tell him.
and also like!! she thought she was in love with Superman but now it’s like ohhh ok. that really was only ever a fantasy. like, this, this is real, this is a relationship I could maybe actually have and I want it more? i want this more.
but she feels Involved enough with Superman (and like she’s pretty sure he knows how she feels about him) so she’s like i guess i should tell him that there’s someone else. i feel like he has a right to know. 
so next time she sees Superman she tells him she’s fallen for someone else and Clark’s just like. dying inside bcos he figured years ago that Lois didn’t (would never) like him back so it never crosses his mind that she might be talking about him. but outwardly he has to be like ‘that’s great!! tell me about him, what’s his name?
‘he’s my co-worker, his name is Clark’
‘....’
‘Superman? Are you okay?’
*screaming internally* ‘yeah i’m. i’m just fine.’
2K notes · View notes
siriusly-rem-writes · 24 days
Text
Where Will We End Up? (Headcanons/Context)
In honor of the resurfacing of JATP S2 rumors, here's some context set in the WWWEU? Universe.
Warnings: mentions of absent fathers, relationships with parents, implied hostile home environment, use of Y/N, Alex is Catholic, implied homophobia, female reader (Let me know if I missed something!)
Luke Patterson
Born November 25, 1977 (13 at the start of the story)
The oldest of the group
Born and raised in Canada
Moved to LA when he was 12 for his 8th-grade year
Only child
Lives with both his parents
Has a good relationship with both but struggles to communicate with his mom more
His dad plays guitar and taught him how to play
Has ADHD
Has a slight accent 
And a stutter
Started cutting the sleeves of his shirts because too much fabric bothered him 
Was overstimulated on the first day of school 
He bumped into Alex in the cafeteria causing both of their trays to fall down
It was his last straw and he exploded
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”
Y/N put him in his place after he yelled at Alex
He looked for them a few days later to apologize
“I uh, brought cookies?”  
He brings cookies every time he messes up
Doesn’t have physical boundaries with his friends 
It took getting smacked on the forehead by Bobby many, many times for him to understand not to hug him unprompted
Emily loves hosting 
The group used to sleep over at Luke’s a lot 
The more serious Luke got about music, the more arguments he had with his mom
It got so bad he eventually ran away from home
He actually wasn’t allowed in Alex’s room alone anymore after they got caught kissing
Every time he went over to Alex's the air was tense
He stopped showing up the way he used to, instead opting to sneak in
He picked up a job as a waiter at a local diner
The group loves to go in just to terrorize him
Firmly believes that you choose your family and he chose his
Isn’t bad at school, he just can’t focus on it for the life of him
Gets detention a lot because he gets caught not paying attention
The reason they have a zero-tolerance after 3 tardies rule 
He takes boxing lessons with Jose Camacho to release his pent-up energy 
Forgets he knows how to fight
Reggie Peters
Born May 06, 1978 (12 at the start of the story)
Third oldest of the group
Born and raised in LA
Lives by the beach 
Likes to sneak out and listen to the waves 
Can surf
Lives with both his parents 
But he doesn’t have a good relationship with either 
He doesn’t hate them nor have they directed anything at him, he just wishes they’d listen and spend more time with him
Only child
But he babysits Diego Miller, the little boy next door who he decided was his little brother
He’s not as dense as he makes himself out to be 
He just doesn’t like to think about things too much because it stirs his feelings 
Really good at Math and Science
He likes that it's logical thinking, not emotional
Doesn’t like English because it requires him to tap into emotions and he really doesn’t want to 
He doesn’t like History either because it leaves him bothered by the shitty and unfair past
Has selective mutism 
It kicked in badly during one of his parents' fights 
The longest he’s gone mute was 2 months
It kicks in every now and then but not for as long and not around everyone 
He learned ASL because of it 
Sometimes he uses it outside of an episode just because it’s easier 
Everyone else tries to pick it up, levels of proficiency vary
He found “Wright’s Domain” a comic book shop one day after he had walked out of his house
He spends most of his Summers there
He sits in the same bean bag
The more time he spent there, the more he found himself doing random things 
He’d reorganize comics, reposition figurines and when someone asked him where they could find a specific section he pointed them to it 
The couple that owns the store started to notice him
They left snacks by his bean bag chair with a note thanking him for fixing up
He wrote back a thank you with a doodle of himself holding two thumbs up and an arrow pointing out his name was Reggie 
The snacks waited for him every visit
His voice did come back, at the shop 
He spoke to the owners, Donna and Michael, quite often, they love hearing about his day 
He eventually got a job there
Ended up bringing everyone one day
He was a little nervous because the shop was his safe space but so was the group
The owners loved the group too
Donna and Michael live in THE house
Alex Mercer
Born August 23, 1978 (12 at the start of the story)
Second to last youngest
Lives with both his parents 
The eldest
He has a younger sister named Sophia 
Had a good relationship with both his parents up until he came out
Always watches out for his sister
He plays tea party and dresses up with her
His dad made a comment about it and Alex stopped doing it so frequently
Grew up Catholic 
He never really thought much of it until he noticed he looked at boys a lot for being a boy himself
He’s not the biggest fan of it anymore
Was already an anxious kid but as he got older; his religious background, his dad's expectations, and being more aware of the world's problems made his anxiety skyrocket
He fidgets by tapping his fingers on a surface or hitting his thighs with his hands 
His parents got him a drum set to help ease it
He met Y/N when they were 7 
He defended her against a bully
He got detention
She walked home with him that day and they realized they lived 3 streets down from each other
Really wants to make his dad proud 
His dad has a lot of traditional views of men which contradict with Alex 95% of the time
His first crush was on Ryan, a boy he went to church with, but he didn’t know it yet 
His stomach dropped when he saw Ryan and another girl share a quick kiss at the park
Developed a crush on Luke  
His first kiss and boyfriend was Luke 
His dad opened the door to Alex’s room and caught them kissing 
His dad stood there, closed the door and walked away
His dad didn’t speak to him at all through dinner
The next day, his dad told him he’d take him to church to repent
Alex said no and came out when he was 15
They got into an argument
His dad didn’t kick him out (to save his image) but told him that until he repented, he wasn’t his son
He was the first to meet Reggie 
They’re in the same Math class and the teacher asked Reggie to tutor him 
They met up after school twice a week
Alex wasn’t looking for a friend but Reggie being the social butterfly he is, didn’t care
The more times they saw each other, the more Alex got used to him and his antics 
He actually understood Math the way Reggie would teach him
One day Luke didn’t want to go home because he had fought with his mom and Y/N was busy, Alex found Reggie to tell him he had to stick to Luke 
Reggie told him Luke was welcome to join their session
Luke sat across from them and wrote in his journal but was still fidgety 
Reggie cut the tutoring session short and invited them out for ice cream
Alex questioned his life choices as Luke and Reggie’s loud personalities mixed
He initiated his and Luke’s first kiss 
And then immediately panicked before Luke laughed and pulled him back in
He was the one who broke up with Luke
There was an awkward air for like 2 minutes before they talked about everything and went back to being best friends
Bobby Shaw
Born March 16, 1978 (13 at the start of the story)
The second oldest of the group
Never knew his dad
Lives with his mom and grandma
Has a good relationship with both
Only child (not really but we'll get into that later)
Keeps to himself mostly
Skates
He paints, though he doesn’t like people looking at his art 
Took an art class during his freshman year 
He never did anything in class
He’d do it at home and sneak in the assignment the next day, nameless
His art teacher caught him one time and told him he’d leave the art room open for him to do his assignments so as long as he starts signing his name
He spends a lot of time in the art room
Close to the art teacher, Mr. Cervantez 
He was the first positive male influence in his life
Befriends Y/N first, she takes an art class with him
He’s actually not sure how to handle social interactions 
He’s pretty awkward 
He helped Luke on their first week of high school
Luke was being picked on and they had taken the beanie off his head 
He stopped Luke from launching himself at the other guys 
“Come on guys, give it back.” 
One of the guys looked at him questioningly 
Bobby stood his ground
The guys tossed the beanie back at Luke and Bobby walked off as soon as they left
Luke approached him weeks later and he internally panicked the whole time
Has problems with authority 
That guy that will touch something after you said not to 
His grandma hates that he does that but he can’t help it
He’s respectful to both his mom and grandma, no one else really
Lacks a filter, has accidentally hurt people’s feelings because of it
Not a big physical touch guy 
He has to be very comfortable with you to initiate touch
All talk 
Like he can’t fight
He’s gotten by on physical appearance alone 
The guys hide behind him all the time and when Y/N needs him, his tall looming presence behind her has people running for the hills
He’s punched one person and one person only
It was Alex’s dad
Y/N Y/L/N
Born September 01, 1978
The youngest of the group
Only child
Lives with her mom
Dad walked out when she was 7
Her mom started drinking, causing the mother-daughter bond to break
Spends the night at Alex’s a lot
The first time, her bed was set up in Sophia’s room 
After everyone had gone to sleep she snuck into Alex’s room 
The next day, his parents found her sleeping at the edge of his bed with his blanket draped over the edge also to cover Alex who slept on the floor
After it happened 3 more times, they stopped trying to separate the two 
She has clothes in the bottom drawer of Alex’s dresser
Alex’s number 1 protector
They made friendship bracelets, purple yarn for her and blue for Alex 
Luke and her = sibling energy 
Likes to wear other people's clothes
Makes her feel like they’re with her and she’s not alone
Literally carrying their love with her
It started with one of the shirts her dad left behind 
She likes Alex’s hoodies, Luke’s beanies and in the Summer she’ll snag one of his sleeveless tees, Reggie’s flannels and in the Winter his leather jacket, Bobby’s t-shirts and vests
The guys knock on her door when they can’t find the item they want to wear because they know she has it
She and Alex remade their friendship bracelets to include Luke (Orange)
She made them remake them later once Bobby (Green) and Reggie (Red) became part of their little group
All 5 of them wear it no matter what
She likes to draw
Was the first to befriend Bobby in art class
She admired him from afar (because look at him) and wondered what he did, given that he always slept in the class
One time while waiting for Alex and Luke to get out of detention, she walked around school and caught Bobby in the art room
His back was to her and he wore headphones as he painted
She loved his piece and wondered why he never did anything in class
Wrote him sticky notes encouraging him to show his work
Eventually, he wrote back saying he’d reveal his work if she revealed who she was
It was a deal and they started talking more afterwards
Luke was upset when he learned she was friends with Bobby 
Mostly because he thought Bobby was a dick (a dick he tried to be friends with first but failed) 
TEASER
19 notes · View notes
a-dinosaur-a-day · 1 year
Text
Round One: Ngwevu vs Kholumalumo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Factfiles:
Ngwevu ntoloko
Tumblr media
Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs and @zygodactylus
Name meaning: Grey skull
Time: ~190 to 180 million years ago (Pliensbachian to Toarcian stages of the Early Jurassic)
Location: Clarens Formation, South Africa
Ngwevu is a dinosaur with a case of baby-face so bad it was classified as another genus for 40 years. Initially discovered in 1978 and thought to be a specimen of Massospondylus, turns out it was just a really baby-looking prosauropod of a different kind! Many times in evolution animals will retain “baby” characteristics into adulthood - the classic and easily recognizable trait being large, round eyes, but also other features such as stunted proportions and chunkier limbs, depending. It seems that Ngwevu went through one of these processes, looking more similar to juveniles of other prosauropods (such as Massospondylus) than adults, all while actually being adults themselves. Predictably, it had a squat face with large eyes, a wide snout, robust proportions, and a thick body - babified Massospondylus! It probably had a more generalist diet than its cousin, indicating probable niche partitioning as the two lived in the same environment. The Clarens Formation, coming right after the Elliot, was an arid desert dominated by dunes, with a few types of dinosaurs including ornithischians, theropods, and other sauropodomorphs. In addition, fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates are also known from this location. 
Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum
Tumblr media
Artwork by @alphynix, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs
Name meaning: Kholumolumo (giant reptilian dragon from Sotho folklore) named for Paul and François Ellenberger (the original excavators of the fossils)
Time: 210 million years ago (Norian stage of the Late Triassic)
Location: Lower Elliot Formation, Lesotho
Kholumolumo is an old friend with a new name. Its previous informal name, “Thotobolosaurus” meaning “trash heap reptile”, was truly magnificent and became one of the great memes of Ye Olde 2010s Palaeo Tumblr! Needless to say it was a bittersweet moment to see our old buddy finally published but lose its iconic name in the process. Rest in peace, Trash Heap Lizard.
The reason it wound up with that name is because the fossils were in fact found basically right next to the local rubbish dump of the village of Maphutseng in 1955. The trash pile turned out to be sitting on a bone bed of around five to ten animals, and over the course of several years they were excavated and moved to the University of Cape Town. Unfortunately, and perhaps appropriately to the name, the subsequent study of these fossils ended up being a complete trash fire. Specimens went missing that have never been found, professional relationships fell apart, and the animal itself wasn’t mentioned in the literature until 1970 when it was dropped into a discussion on the stratigraphy of the Elliot formation and named “Thotobolosaurus mabeatae” without any description of the fossils. This made the name “Thotobolosaurus” a nomen nudum (naked name) and thus invalid.
Finally in 2020 all the tribulation paid off and it received a proper initial description, although many fossils that weren’t lost in the chaos still remain under study and could be the subject of future papers. It’s nice to see our beloved trash heap of a dinosaur finally coming into its own!
DMM Round One Masterpost
170 notes · View notes
waywardxwords · 8 months
Text
Part Four
Part 4 of the Highway to Hell series Word Count: 2,374 Ratings/Warnings: Some cursing, I promise it will build more in the next chapter - this had to be a little touch of filler before the story picks up!
Tumblr media
Sam and Dean had only been gone for a few hours. Castiel had sent them back to 1978, just like her vision had predicted. She couldn’t help but wonder if her vision had encouraged them to go. Dean had tried to assure her it hadn’t, that they would have gone back to 1978 with or without her dream. But the thought still crossed her mind.
In the meantime, she had to return to life as normal. Castiel had said it was important. So, she sat at her cubicle in the newsroom, just staring at the cursor blinking on the screen. Her teeth gnawed on her thumb nail, a bad habit she had picked up years ago and did aimlessly at this point.
“Hey, stranger,” the voice of her closest colleague broke her gaze. Connor Markham was someone she had worked with for years. After interning together, they landed jobs at the same newspaper. It was bittersweet–she was thankful to see Connor after the last forty-eight hours she had endured, but at the same time, she knew she couldn’t lie to Connor. But she also knew without a shadow of doubt, there was no way she could tell him the truth. 
“Hey,” she breathed, hoping her voice sounded stronger than it felt. 
“Where the heck have you been?” A smile pulled at the corners of his lips, which gave her relief. So far, he wasn’t asking any questions.
“Oh, you know,” she cleared her throat and glanced down at her keyboard. “I, uh, I had some old friends come into town. They surprised me, so I completely blanked on reaching out.”
“Oh, nice!” Connor seemed surprised. She didn’t blame him. She wasn’t really the kind to have many friends in general, let alone out-of-town friends. “Well, I’m glad you’re back.” His smile…something was different. She wasn’t sure if she was just being paranoid or if something was off. Either way, she didn’t have much time to think about it before Connor’s phone began to ring. “We’ll catch up later.” He whispered before rolling back to his cubicle in his computer chair.
Her teeth found the inside of her cheek–another bad habit–as her brain went back to thinking about Dean and Sam, like why no one had called yet. She thought for sure they should be back by now. With a quick glance at her cell phone, she released the flesh she had grasped between her teeth and dialed the number she had added to her contacts before she headed to work that morning.
“Hello?” She heard his comforting drawl. 
“Bobby?” Her voice dropped low so no one around her could hear.
His voice dripped with concern as her name sounded through the receiver. “Everything alright?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said quickly, she hadn’t meant to startle or worry him. “Sorry, I was just calling to see if you had heard anything from Sam or Dean? Or even Cas?” Her fingers found a loose thread on the hem of her blouse. She pulled at it gently, careful not to cause a tear.
A sigh fell from his lips, relieved she was alright. “Not yet, darlin’. These things take time, you know,” he tried to reassure her. Her silence told him that she wasn’t buying it. “There’s a whole lotta hurry up and wait in this life. I know it’s frustrating and can really keep ya up at night,” she heard what sounded like the pour of coffee in the background. “Trust me, I’ve been dealing with these idjits for a long time.” 
A small smile and chuckle came from her lips as her eyes stayed focused on the small thread from her blouse.
“Look, all I’m sayin’ is this…I know it’s hard to be patient, but there’s not much else you can do. And take it with a grain of salt, but I’ve known Sam and Dean a long time. They always find a way back,” he sounded confident…at least, she thought he sounded confident. That would have to be good enough.
“Thanks, Bobby,” she breathed into the receiver. 
“You call me if you need anything, you hear?” 
A smile tugged at her lips once more. “I will, thanks again…and you’ll call if you hear anything?” She questioned nervously, her teeth finding that same spot on her bottom lip once more.
“You bet.”
They said their goodbyes and she turned her focus back to her computer screen. The feeling of uselessness set in–there had to be something she could do to help. The boys had already assured her she was doing more than enough, but she felt about as useful as a gardener watering weeds. She wanted so badly to start researching something, anything. But she knew she couldn’t…not on her work computer. She could just imagine that conversation with Human Resources. There were no good explanations she could come up with to explain away her Google search history for the things she wanted to look up.
Before she could even consider searching something on her cell phone, a strange, tingly sensation came over her–a heavy pressure on her chest. It practically took her breath away as her eyes widened. Everything went black, but then she saw something. It was almost like an out-of-body experience.
She was walking down the same street she would when she left work for the day, headed to the parking garage. This was from today…she had on the same skinny jeans, black blouse and leather jacket. She was distracted with her cell phone, reading and typing things feverishly as she walked. It must have been important, she usually had more awareness of her surroundings when she was alone. 
But then something–or someone, rather–caught her eye. Connor was following behind her. He had left about five feet between them. That was odd, if anything, Connor would usually walk along beside her. There was another man, someone she didn’t recognize, walking just next to Connor. They exchanged a glance.
As if she was watching CCTV security footage, her view shifted and the two men hurried their pace. In one swift movement, they grabbed her. She could hear herself scream as they pulled her into an alley. From another perspective, she was back in her body–her eyes looking into both of theirs. In an instant, they flashed black.
“So, you’re the new prophet, huh?” Connor, or the demon possessing him, scowled. 
And with that, she inhaled a sharp breath and steadied herself with her palms flat on her desk. She sputtered a few breaths as her eyes moved across her desk. That was a first. She dialed the last number once more.
“Hey, it’s me…I-I’m sorry for calling you again,” she moved away from her desk, her eyes carefully on Connor–or whatever he was–as she passed by. 
“You alright?” This time he could tell something was wrong, you knew by the sound of his voice.
“Uh, not really,” you dropped your voice to a whisper. “I uh, I…saw something.” You pressed the ‘Down’ button on the elevator, but after a moment of processing, you decided against it and headed for the stairwell. 
“You had a vision?” He filled in the blanks.
“I think so?” The affliction to your voice let him know you were questioning it. “I didn’t see anything with Sam or Dean…it was me, I saw myself.”
“Balls,” Bobby grumbled. “Okay, listen to me very closely. I need to know everything you saw, alright?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled as her eyes moved around to make sure she hadn’t been followed into the stairwell. “I, uh, I was leaving work and walking to my car. I wasn’t paying attention but I was followed…they were…” she hesitated as she tried to catch her breath, partly from descending so many stairs so quickly, but also as she processed what she saw. “I don’t know, Bobby…maybe it was like a bad dream? Or something? Finding out all of the…information I’ve recently learned has been a little overwhelming. Maybe my brain is trying to figure it out…”
“Slow down, girl,” Bobby breathed as he sounded a bit out of breath. She assumed he was probably rolling around in his wheelchair trying to get to a book or his journal. “The people following you. How many were there?”
“Two,” she answered quickly. 
“Did you notice anything off about ‘em?” The sound of pages flipping in the background sounded in the ear piece.
“They…they had black eyes, Bobby,” her voice dropped even lower as she reached the ground floor. There was a major pause, and silence on the other line. “Bobby?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” he sighed. She could almost envision Bobby rubbing at his eyes in frustration. “Well, shit. Okay, where are you right now?”
“I’m outside my office building in Sioux Falls,” she answered quickly.
“Alright, I want you to get in your car and head straight to my house,” Bobby said firmly. “Do not stop for anything, you hear me? You just drive. You got salt or iron on you?”
“I grabbed some salt packets from my desk,” she said meekly. 
“Balls,” he groaned once more. “Alright, well…just get here, would ya?”
“I’ll do my best,” she breathed and continued on her way towards the parking garage. Unlike her vision, she was very much aware of her surroundings this time. In the midst of the people walking around downtown Sioux Falls, she spotted Connor (or possessed Connor) opening the door to the building. She was able to dip around the corner and quickened her pace in the alley towards her car. “They’re coming, Bobby,” her words slipped out in a terrified whisper. 
“Keep your hand on the salt, girl. You throw it straight at their face if they get close. It will deter them at least for a moment,” he answered, the frustration that there was nothing he could do seeped through his words. “God dammit,” he muttered.
She heard something happening on the other side of the phone. “Bobby? Bobby, are you okay?” 
“They’re back,” he breathed, relief coming through. She could hear chatter on the other side–something was wrong with Castiel. But it sounded like the boys were in one piece. “Hey, we don’t got time for that,” Bobby chirped back at them. She heard Dean say her name. “She’s bein’ followed. Two demons.”
She heard her name louder this time. Dean was holding the phone. “Talk to me,” he breathed, his voice gruff. She felt bad for a moment–he had just been through his own personal hell, but now he was in a position where he had to help her. 
At that point, she was running to her car. She was too scared to look behind her but she assumed Connor would be getting close at this point.
“There’s two of them, Dean. I-I have like, seven packets of salt which I can’t imagine will get me very far,” she was breathless as she pulled open the driver’s door of her sedan, silently thanking God for keyless entry. 
“Okay, listen to me,” Dean’s voice was so firm it startled her. She fumbled with the lock, slammed her foot on the brake and pushed the ‘Start’ button. “You in the car?”
“Yes,” she breathed as she hit the gas. Connor had just run into the parking garage–he stood in the middle of the road. “Dean…they’re here, he’s standing in the exit.”
“You run him over,” Dean said matter-of-factly, his voice gruff and deep. “You have to run him over.”
She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt a tear drop from her chin onto the denim material covering her thighs. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. 
The tires squealed against the concrete of the parking garage. She watched as Connor’s body rolled up the hood, onto the windshield and then rolled off the back. Instinctively, she hit the brakes and looked behind her at his mangled body.
It wasn’t until Dean said her name again that she was brought back to reality. “You okay?”
“Y-Yeah,” she breathed, but that turned to a gasp when she saw Connor’s body start to move again. He was on his hands and knees, pushing himself to a standing position. “He’s still alive, Dean…”
“It’s the demon,” his voice was so rigid. A cry fell off of her lips, and it softened him. “I know how hard this is, sweetheart. It’s confusing and I get that, I do. But you have to keep going. Do not stop.”
His instructions were clear and she knew deep down he was right. She sucked up her feelings and turned back in her seat to keep driving. Standing by the car now was the second man, the man from her vision. She hit the gas and refused to look back.
“Okay, Dean. I’m on my way,” she said shakily. 
“Good girl,” the pride he felt made its way over the line. She couldn’t put her finger on it yet, but there was something about the way he said ‘good girl’ that elicited a shudder deep within her. “Do you want me to stay on the phone with you? I can, if you’d like.”
“Yeah, maybe…just in case,” her voice came out in a whisper. 
“Okay, then,” she heard him get settled. It sounded like people were talking in the background but it got quiet. She figured he must have moved to another room. 
“God, I’m an ass,” she sighed. “Are you okay? Sam and Cas, too? What happened? I’m assuming you stopped Anna, since you’re back…” she hadn’t realized they could have just vanished, had things not worked out as they planned. 
“We’re…okay,” he said simply. “Cas is running low on his angel juice, but we’ll be alright. And yeah, we stopped her.” 
She could tell there was more to the story, but he didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it at that moment.
“I’m glad you’re all okay…” she nibbled on her bottom lip again as she watched the light start to change in front of her. “Shit, red light.”
“Run it,” Dean’s voice was firm again. Her eyes danced in the rearview mirror.
“Dean, I think it’s fine–”
Your name fell from his lips. “Please, run it.”
And so, she did. 
------------------
Read Part Five here!
Taglist: @roseblue373, @nelachu2423, @deans-spinster-witch, @lyarr24
Thanks for reading! If you'd like to be tagged, check out my Tag List in my bio :)
61 notes · View notes
mywifeleftme · 2 months
Text
327: XTC // Black Sea
Tumblr media
Black Sea XTC 1980, Virgin
XTC’s discography has a very organic flow to it. Andy and Colin’s voices aside, it’d be tough to guess the same band was behind the albums that bookended their career (convulsive 1978 New Wave speedball White Music and the lavishly arranged psych pop of the turn of the century Apple Venus tandem), but if you follow the band over time, from one album to the next there are few radical departures. Each link in the chain contains elements of the record that precedes it and the one that follows it. Still, you can clearly divide their discography between their early years as a hard-touring New Wave act and their second act as a pastoral psych pop studio project—and, in that light, the albums that straddle that transition (today’s album, Black Sea, and 1982’s English Settlement) could be considered the “definitive” XTC records.
youtube
It’s easy to forget what a spectacular live act XTC were in their early days, something like a combination of ‘60s bubblegum, Devo, the Residents, and Wire, but with cardio that would’ve put most of those acts to shame. As a guitarist, Andy Partridge scorned anything that smacked of blues, slashing out hiccupy riffs way up the neck, hurling himself into head-spinning rhythms that often wouldn’t be out of place on a Fugazi record (if he didn’t have such a sweet tooth). He surrounded himself with collaborators whose ability as players was such that they were able to make their own marks on the band’s sound despite Partridge’s dictatorial tendencies—not only minority songwriter and exceptionally melodic bassist Colin Moulding, but ultimate utility man Dave Gregory (who flitted with ease from lead guitar to keys) and their gem of a drummer Terry Chambers, a non-writing / arranging member who would be lost when the band’s studio transition reduced him to a glorified session man. Chambers was an absolute machine, and many of the band’s most memorable early statements rely on his power and precision behind the kit.
Black Sea is their last record to be dominated by the quirky sound-over-sense rhythm workouts on which they built their name, and they go out with a bang: “Rocket from a Bottle,” “Burning with Optimism’s Flames,” and especially “Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)” are fine reminders that new wave was as much Body as Head music, while the tribal stomp of “Travels in Nihilon” feels like a hint at what XTC would’ve sounded like as some kind of Swindon krautrock band. But the songs that are best remembered from this one are those first stirrings of their burgeoning reinvention as basically the attention deficit disorder Kinks.
By his own admission, Colin Moulding’s early songwriting efforts had aped Partridge’s style, but here it seems Partridge was inspired by Moulding’s sardonic kitchen sink satire “Making Plans for Nigel” (from the previous year's Drums and Wires). “Respectable Street” reads almost like Partridge proving to himself he can write his own “Nigel,” while the chiming psychedelic pop of “Towers of London” scales its social commentary to the Empire itself. His finest moment though is “No Language in Our Lungs,” one of the band’s first genuinely emotional statements. The wordy lyric is typically “clever” (“I would have made this instrumental / but the words got in the way”) yet it captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by the intensity of…well, a feeling. The credit lies mostly with its arrangement, which heaves and stumbles behind Andy’s inconsolable howl like someone dragging their feet in exhaustion.
youtube
Black Sea usually sits somewhere between third and fifth in my personal XTC rankings, but it’d be the place I recommend a new fan start with the band (or would be, were the record available on streaming services). Between Andy’s peculiar voice and a smartass quality that can get a little cloying, XTC’s not for everyone—but for those on the wavelength, their catalogue is one of the greatest of the rock era.
320/365
Bonus
For the hell of it, my personal XTC discog rankings.
Skylarking English Settlement Black Sea White Music Drums and Wires Apple Venus Volume 1 Go 2 Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) Oranges & Lemons Mummer Nonsuch The Big Express
19 notes · View notes
smilingformoney · 4 months
Text
Rickmas 2023: Day 19. Hope | Severus/Persephone
Tumblr media
Read now on Ao3 or below the cut:
December 1978
The work for the Dark Lord didn’t stop for any holiday, not even Christmas.
Severus preferred it that way. He found no joy in Christmas anymore. He hadn’t for years, not since his mother - his only real family - had died. So when other Death Eaters were reluctant to carry out orders over Christmas for the sake of family time, Severus stepped up and volunteered to fill in for them, spending as much time as he could carrying out the Dark Lord’s orders.
Including, of course, his one main order: getting information from Persephone Payne. So when Christmas Day approached, he invited her over for Christmas Dinner, knowing as he did that she didn’t have family to go to. Whether they were estranged or dead, she’d never let slip, but Severus knew enough to know she’d be alone for Christmas.
The dinner mostly cooked itself, leaving Severus and Persephone time to sit on the sofa and drink their way through the bottle of mulled wine she’d brought over.
“So, your first post-Hogwarts Christmas. How have you been spending it?” she asked.
“I’ve hardly had time to think about it, I’ve been so busy with tasks for the Dark Lord. A lot of the others are spending time with family so I’ve been covering for them.”
“Is he okay with that? Surely he’d expect them to put him first?”
“He certainly wasn’t happy about it, but he knows raising the next generation of wizards is important, so nobody got crucioed. Especially when I said I’d pick up their slack. He seemed pleased that I was willing to put the cause first. Not that I’ve… got anything else to do at Christmas. I’m all alone here.”
Persephone snorted. “He’d get on well with my boss. Always gives me the Christmas assignments because he knows I’m the only one without a family. I’m glad you invited me over when you did, by the way - the next day he asked me to work today and I had an excuse to say no.”
“Glad I could help,” Severus laughed. “Sounds like your boss is worse than mine. At least he let me do what I want today.”
“And you chose to spend time with me?”
“Yes, of course! I remembered you said you don’t have family, so I thought we could be alone together.”
“Ha. Well, here’s to being alone together.” Persephone raised her glass and drank. “I have to admit, I miss Christmas at Hogwarts. Nothing beats the elves’ cooking. And I usually got the common room to myself - at least until you started staying behind too,” she said with a friendly nudge. “Shame we weren’t friends then.”
“I tried to talk to you,” Severus admitted, fidgeting slightly with the glass in his hand. “But I never had the courage.”
“Was that why you never thanked me for the hot chocolate?”
“…What?”
“The first Christmas you stayed back, I left you a hot chocolate and a note. You never said thanks, so I figured maybe you didn’t get it or you didn’t like it —“
“That was you?!” Severus frowned. “I thought - well, I don’t know what I thought. I didn’t recognise the handwriting. And… nobody knew about my mother. Only Slughorn and Lily.”
Persephone winced awkwardly. “I… may have overheard you telling Lily. And by overheard I mean eavesdropped.”
“But the hot chocolate — how did you know about the hot chocolate?”
“What do you mean? I just thought you’d like it.”
“With cinnamon? From the stall in Diagon Alley?”
“Well, yeah, that’s the best hot chocolate you can get.”
Severus sank back into the cushion, his mind spinning. The mystery of the hot chocolate that appeared on his bedside table that Christmas had always plagued him. Who had put it there, and how had they known about both his mother’s death and the significance of the hot chocolate? And all along it had been Persephone who left it, having overheard him telling Lily — and the hot chocolate was just a coincidence?
“My mother and I used to have that hot chocolate every year,” Severus admitted. “It was something of a tradition for us. Then she died and that very same hot chocolate appeared. I thought - but it was just you being… nice?”
“I know, me being nice is rare.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re always nice.”
“To you. I like you. Don’t like anyone else.”
“…Did anyone ever tell you that leaving hot drinks and mysterious notes next to a person’s bed is not the most efficient way of making friends?”
Persephone laughed, almost choking on her wine, and Severus smiled.
“So that’s why I don’t have any friends! What should I be doing instead? Leaving cold drinks?”
“Well, signing the note would be a good start. I’d have thanked you if I’d known it was you.”
“I was the only other Slytherin there, I thought it would be obvious it was me! Damn, we really did just keep missing each other at school, didn’t we? Lucky that we were both in the Leaky Cauldron last July, huh?”
“Yes, very lucky,” Severus lied. Luck had nothing to do with it. I was looking for you.
“You know, Severus, I… I haven’t enjoyed Christmas in a long time. But this… this is nice. Gives me hope, y’know? That people like you and me can still have merry Christmases.”
“People like us?”
“You know… people without families. I only ever feel lonely at Christmas.”
“…So do I,” Severus admitted. He’d been staring into the bottom of his now empty glass, but now he looked up at her, and she smiled a cautiously warm smile, one which set his heart aflutter.
“Can we do Christmas next year too?” he asked. “At yours, perhaps.”
“Yes! Yes, I’d like that. Even if we get married and end up with our own children, we should still see each other every Christmas. Make sure neither of us is lonely.”
“Deal.”
***
December 2000
“Here they come…”
“Oh, no…”
The bedroom door swung open at exactly 5am, and Severus hid under the duvet.
“Dada’s not here,” he said firmly.
“Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!” Ariadne squealed excitedly as she and her twin sister jumped onto their parents’ bed.
“Christmas is cancelled. Dada’s going back to sleep.”
“No, Dada, wake up! Father Christmas put a million presents under the tree!”
“Get your sister up first. Jump on her while she’s asleep. That’s an order from Dada.”
Laughing rather maniacally for a two-year-old, Ariadne raced out of the room, followed by April, and through two walls Severus heard the girls screaming excitedly as they burst into their older sister’s room.
“Those two need to calm down. It’s only Christmas.”
“It’s their first proper Christmas, Sev! And it’s their birthday too, they’re excited. They were too young to understand it last year.”
Persephone rolled over, stretching, as if she’d just woken up serenely and the screaming, bouncing two-year-olds hadn’t bothered her. Then again, she was married to him, so surely nothing could faze her.
“No Grinch this year, you promised.”
Severus sighed. “I suppose. Besides, it’s hard not to enjoy Christmas when I have you.” He wrapped an arm around her, holding her in close, savouring the peace and her warmth until he had to get out of bed and face the chaos of the day.
“Christmases are going to be a lot more chaotic now with those two around.”
“Mmm… I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I’ll tell them you said that.”
“You will not.”
“Better get downstairs before me, then.”
“What - Sephy!”
But she was already up, waving her wand to dress herself; Severus jumped out of bed too, scrambling for his own wand, knowing he was doomed. But even so - being doomed to a happy life with the family he loved wasn’t so bad after all. If only his younger self had known where he’d end up, happy and safe and loved - it may well have given him hope.
43 notes · View notes
d3d9 · 1 year
Text
Official Akira Pre-movie Timeline
Character childhoods, historical events etc.
hiiii Akira tumblr, I haven't been around here much but here's a translation I did. I've never seen this full timeline translated anywhere, so maybe it'll be of interest !😳
(I did a condensed version on Twitter a while ago, but I figure it's easier to follow in its original format .)
(Long post under the cut)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Source is the book Poster & Graphic Akira released in 1988. Also a special thank you to my old friend Shina-san for the photos from the book, I don't yet own a copy myself !!
1970
Nezu's birth - Born in Chiba as the third son of farmers.
1976
Colonel's birth - Has an older sister and an older brother. His father served in the Japan Defense Agency, JGSDF major.
1977
Nezu age 7 - Started elementary school.
1982
Nezu age 12 - Started middle school. Excellent grades.
1985
Nezu age 15 - Started high school.
1988
Nezu age 18 - Started law school. The disaster of Akira’s awakening occurred. In the chaos of the next 3 years, he studied life as a black marketeer. During that time he became acquainted with the people of this underworld.
Colonel age 12 - His father died to Akira’s first awakening. (He was on a special mission, suspected to be related to the Akira Project). After the world war (which ended after 3 weeks), until he was 15 he spent the next years of chaos with his mother and siblings. These events would profoundly shape his later development. (Until 1991, Japan lacked a governing body and was controlled by the US)
1992
Colonel age 16 - Started night school. Studied while working.
1993
Colonel age 17 - Having regained autonomy, Japan emulates the US and establishes an American-style military.
1994
Nezu age 24 - As university resumed operation, he returned to school.
1995
Nezu age 25 - Graduated. Passed the bar exam, and became a lawyer.
1996
Colonel age 20 - Graduated night school. Enrolled in the newly established military academy (National Defense Academy).
1999
Colonel age 23 - Graduated military academy with excellent grades. Admitted to Officer Candidate School on recommendation.
2000
Nezu age 30 - From around this time he begins to appear in politics.
Colonel age 24 - Graduates from Officer Candidate School. Enlists in the Army as a First Lieutenant.
2001
Colonel age 25 - Studies abroad at the US Department of Defense.
2002
Nezu age 32 - Hears about Miyako-sama, and becomes a devoted believer.
Colonel age 26 - Returns to Japan. Establishes the Army Special Forces. Becomes its commander. Promoted to Major.  Dispatched in the Soviet-DPRK War, which had been ongoing since 1996. He is awarded a decoration for his service.  
2003
Colonel age 27 - Through matchmaking by his superior officer, he gets married.
Kei - Born in April. Her father, born 1967 (age 36), is a teacher. She has an older brother. They're 14 years apart.
2004
Kaneda - born in September (at this time, schools would have September enrollment and August graduation). His father born 1977 (age 27). His mother born 1978 (age 26).
Yamagata - born in November. His father is a Yakuza.
Colonel age 28 - By creating a new unification of land, sea, and air defense systems, he successfully allows Japan to gain independence from the US protective defense system.
2005
Nezu age 35 - He trains diligently under Miyako, and establishes himself. From around this time he separates under a new sect of Miyako's religion, and starts a political organization, becoming its president. Behind the scenes he is backing anti-government activists at the same time.
Kai - Born in January. His father works in the construction industry. He is blessed with a good home environment.
Tetsuo - Born in July. His father born 1980 (age 25). His mother born 1981 (age 24). In 1984, as part of the Akira Project, experiments were conducted on children around the age of 10, and genetic manipulation was (secretly) performed on newly born children. The effects of this skipped a generation and manifested in Tetsuo… and are gradually beginning to show in other children.(His grandfather was a genetic engineer. He participated in the Project. He died during Akira's awakening in 1988)
Colonel age 29 - He and his wife separate. They have no children.
2006
Yamagata age 2 - His father is arrested. He will serve 25 years. His mother makes a living as a hostess.
2008
Kaneda age 4 - His little brother is born. His parents open a laundry service. His little brother is born with a disability, and goes between home and treatment centers since the time he's 2 years old.
Yamagata age 4 - His mother gets a boyfriend. A little brother is born.
Kei age 5 - Her father dies. (Illness)
Tetsuo age 3 - His father (a graduate student), who's been sickly since birth, develops pneumonia from the common cold, and dies. His parents were never officially married, so as his father's child born out of wedlock, he's poorly received by his mother's side of the family.
Colonel age 32 - He is appointed commander of the nation's top secret 'Akira Plan' as Colonel. (The 'Akira Plan' began 3 years after Akira's awakening in 1988, when the US began investigating, and in 1996 it was turned over to the Japanese government. Since then, despite organization of records and repeated experiments, there hasn't been much progress. This may be why the US let go of it….) The heads of government began to feel threatened by the Colonel's excessively growing power, so even though it was a top national secret, they appointed him to this do-nothing position to force him to withdraw from the front lines, as a means of dismissal. …As for why the Colonel resigned himself to this sinecure, perhaps it's because he was seeking answers about his father's death, or trying to fulfill his father's dying wish, or maybe he himself saw potential in this investigation…. There are various possibilities, but one can only speculate.
2009
Yamagata age 5 - His mother gets another boyfriend. A little sister is born.
Kei age 6 - Starts elementary school. Her older brother is 21. He's already a student activist while also supporting the family.
Tetsuo age 4 - His mother remarries. Tetsuo is adopted by another family. But he can't get used to his new home and is gradually shunned as a gloomy child.
2010
Kaneda age 6 - Starts elementary school. Due to the fatigue of nursing his younger brother, his father collapses.
Yamagata age 6 - Starts elementary school. Another little brother is born.
2011
Kai age 7 - Starts private elementary school. Gets excellent grades.
Tetsuo age 6 - Starts elementary school. At this time he starts repeatedly running away from home.
2012
Kaneda age 8 - Changes schools due to his little brother changing treatment centers. His mother runs off. They live off of government assistance. His father shows a distinct turn towards alcoholism. 
2013
Kaneda age 9 - His father is deemed unfit to take care of the children, so Kaneda is sent to an orphanage. His little brother is kept at a hospital. Half a year later, Tetsuo comes to the orphanage.
Tetsuo age 8 - His parents try to return him, but his birth mother won't accept him, so he's sent to an orphanage. He then meets Kaneda.
2014
Kei age 11 - Starts middle school.
2015
Kaneda age 11 - Graduates from the orphanage and goes to a boarding middle school. He's separated from Tetsuo.
Yamagata age 11 - Starts middle school. His mother continues to have children, both boys and girls. She also keeps changing boyfriends.
Kei age 12 - Her older brother is arrested as a suspect in a major incident. (Something like the Mikawashima train crash). There are rumors that it was a US plot against the organization her older brother was connected to. Following this, Kei's family was supported by donations from her brother's group, organized by her brother's junior, Ryusaku.
2016
Kaneda age 12 - His defiant attitude stands out in school.
Yamagata age 12 - Caught by the police for shoplifting. He was stealing sweets for his little siblings.
Kai age 12 - Goes to the same private academy for middle school.
Tetsuo age 11 - He's adopted again by another family. He then starts middle school.
2017
Nezu age 46 - He may be doing it to spread the religion's ideals, or he may be using the religion for his own desires, or perhaps both….?
Kaneda age 13 - A complete juvenile delinquent. His grades are above average.
Yamagata age 13 - His mother joins a new religion. He leaves home.
Kei age 14 - Her older brother dies in prison. The authorities claim it was a suicide, but it's suspected that he was tortured. Kei leaves home and asks Ryusaku if she can become an activist too.
Tetsuo age 12 - Becomes truant. Frequently runs away from home.
Colonel age 41
2018
Kaneda age 14 - Expelled after a brush with the law. Starts at vocational school.
Yamagata age 14 - Starts at vocational school.
Kai age 13 - His father runs away from home. They find him. His father confesses: "I'm gay, and have been deceiving our family this whole time…." 
Kei age 15
Tetsuo age 13 - Due to misconduct with an elementary school student, he gets in trouble with the police. From this point forward he stops going to school.
2019
Kaneda age 15 - Forms a motorcycle team at the vocational school.
Tetsuo enrolls.
Kai age 14 - As junior representative, he reads an essay titled 'Is Life A Joke' to the graduating seniors, and is suspended. One week later, he turns in his notice to withdraw, and enrolls in vocational school himself.
Tetsuo age 14 - His parents convince him to go to vocational school. He reunites with Kaneda, and is admitted. There, he joins the motorcycle team.
165 notes · View notes
citizenscreen · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Alan Alda and Ellyn Burstyn in Robert Mulligan’s SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR (1978). Love it!
29 notes · View notes
Text
This Day In History April 25 1928 Buddy, a German Shepherd, becomes 1st guide dog for a US citizen Morris Frank
Morris Frank became the first American to benefit from the help of a Seeing Eye dog. Frank lost the use of one eye in a childhood accident and the other in a boxing match as a teen and before his soon to be companion Buddy came into his life, Frank received assistance from a human guide.
Morris Frank was a blind man from Nashville. His father read him an article by Dorothy Eustis, a woman living in Switzerland who had seen shepherds training dogs to lead blind people get around. Excited by the idea, Frank wrote a letter to Eustis and received a response letter 30 days later inviting him to come see for himself. Frank then took a ship to Europe and trained extensively with a dog that had been bred specifically to lead a blind person. The training was hard, but after weeks with the dog, Frank could get around the nearby Swiss village holding tightly to a harness to which Buddy was strapped.
Morris Frank returned to America. From the day he got off the ship, he was successful. At one point, in front of a group of dumbfounded reporters, Buddy led Frank safely across a busy New York street. “I shall never forget the next three minutes, Ten-ton trucks rocketing past, cabs blowing their horns in our ears, drivers shouting at us . . . When we finally got to the other side and I realized what a really magnificent job she had done” Frank later wrote.
When Frank returned to Nashville, people were amazed at the sight of the blind man and his dog successfully navigating busy sidewalks and couldn’t believe that it was the same blind boy they had so recently taken pity on. What amazed people the most was that Buddy had an ability best known as “intelligent disobedience,” which meant that he would obey Morris except when executing that command would result in harm to his master. If there was a low hanging branch ahead on the sidewalk, for instance, Buddy knew how to navigate around it to the point where Morris wouldn’t hurt his head on it.
About this time, Frank, Eustis and several others cofounded The Seeing Eye, an institution set up to train guide dogs and their blind masters. Today, the organization reports that it has, in its 80 year history, trained 14,000 dogs. Buddy is considered the first. In 1978, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school, the U.S. issued a commemorative stamp in honor of The Seeing Eye.
Frank worked with Buddy until her death on May 23, 1938; he named her replacement Buddy, as he would all his subsequent guide dogs.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
15 notes · View notes
rock-and-roll-hell · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
May 19, 1978
KIϟϟ Meets the Phantom Press Conference
Magic Mountain Amusement Park - Valencia, California
The concert depicted in the film was recorded in the parking lot of Magic Mountain on May 19, 1978, in front of a crowd of 8,000 people. Tickets for the concert were given out by local AM radio station KTNQ, where "The Real" Don Steele was a disc jockey. This is also the same radio station where Kiss made an appearance as DJs on Steele's radio program the previous year while in town to record Alive II at The Forum. The group performed a full concert, followed by lip-synched performances of some songs. "Rip and Destroy", an altered version of "Hotter than Hell" that was featured in the film, was not performed during the concert
KIϟϟ' commercial popularity was at its peak by 1978. The group's gross income in 1977 totaled $10.2 million. Creative manager Bill Aucoin felt, however, that the cycle of album releases and touring had taken KIϟϟ as far as they could go, and that it was time to elevate the group's image to the next level. He formulated a plan to cast KIϟϟ as superheroes, a process that began with the 1977 release of a KIϟϟ comic book. The band agreed, and plans were developed for a KIϟϟ film
65 notes · View notes