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#and yet. and yet. he got legos from half the family. in addition to his pollyanna gift
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is it really a family holiday gathering if u don't end up trying not to cry
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apollosgiftofprophecy · 3 months
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18, 23?
18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage.
Xenoclea — or, well, Gaea within his favored priestess’s body — rose to her feet. Apollo remained in the half-kneeling position he took in his panic to help Xenoclea. She examined the body she possessed.  “Hmm,” the primordial deity hummed, gazing at Xenoclea’s nimble fingers, her bronzed skin. “Rather strange, the body of a mortal. Not at all vast like my own…” she sounded wistful, like she missed the sensation of a physical form.
From my fic Shattered Minds
I just. absolutely loved writing Gaea. Imo, she was done dirty by HoO - a not-at-full-power Kronos took an entire book/war to defeat him, with major losses of beloved characters to boot.
Meanwhile, his mother, the frickin primordial goddess of the Earth itself...died in one chapter. #LetDown
Sadly, I cannot edit HoO, but I can give Gaea the justice she deserves and be the manipulative, savvy queen we all know she is :)
And like. it's not just this specific passaged I liked to write! It's was her whole scene! Xenoclea's sudden possession! Because they're in the Delphic cave, and it used to belong to Gaea! It makes sense that she could possess Xenoclea!
Also just. the creepy factor of Xenoclea being possessed. Marie Levesque's whole deal was creepy for Hazel, and it was creepy for Apollo too! Terrifying, in fact!
Also also! She calls Apollo 'Paion' a lot here! 'Paion' literally means 'helper', and later in the fic, she's like 'heehee, thanks for the help~', and Apollo realizes that he was dupped into helping her agenda! again
Gaea is just. so good at manipulation imo. she can play the loooong game. Shattered Minds is basically where she lays the groundwork for HoO, for her eventual comeback!
SHE IS A CUNNING QUEEN AND DESERVED TO BE A BETTER VILLAIN!
23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture.
Okay, so, this got long lmao XD
pale blue walls. my bed is a mess of green sheets, a black comforter, and a white tiger-print soft blanket. i have four pillows staked on top of each other on my bed, with my gray reading pillow propped up against them. no, i don't sleep with the reading pillow. but yes to the four pillows.
also, many stuffed animals. many. and i have no shame in saying so :)
my bed also functions as a dresser/bookshelf. in the three bookshelf slots are all of my Warrior cat books, as well as many of my Star Wars ones (that i have yet to read oop) and on top of it is a special edition cup i got from a Iowa football game as well as a cup I got from a production of Newsies i saw with my grandma and mom. both hold an assortment of pens/pencils/sharpies/ect.
a mini globe sits up there too, with two dreamcatchers i've had since forever hanging off it. one is from a great-aunt who lives in Connecticut, btw! a couple remotes that i barely use anymore are up there too, as well as the current books I'm reading (The Iliad - also packed with the Odyssey - and the first Hunger Games book). My alarm clock is next, with my blue earbuds nearby, and my blue flashlight is next door. more hairties because i am disorganized. a tissue box (green and blue). another book - Star Wars Allegiance - a mini motivational quote my aunt and uncle got me this past Christmas, and three small LEGO sets - Luke Skywalker on a Tauntaun, Ahsoka V Maul, and Mando & Grogu.
also a new blue-green lamp! :D got it in my stepdad's family white elephant gift exchange (pro tip: put what you want in (don't make it obvious it was you) and then do your damnest to get it. has worked the past 2 years for me.)
my computer sits on a computer stand on my very old white desk. i have a coaster i bought from the Branson Belle Showboat with my special edition Queen Ester cup i got from Branson's Show & Lights Theater. I also have a little trinket from my trip to Branson's Titanic museum - one of those clear, long rectangular things filled with blue liquid? with a little floating Titanic in it? with an iceberg? my ADHD loves that thing. also a quartz necklace i bought in Branson is just lying there.
behind my computer is a picture of my graduation class - 11 kids total, 6 girls, 5 boys. we be small. also, it has a picture of me with my principal getting my diploma.
to my left is my desk lamp, a real skinny black one with like. three modes of light. i have a couple rubber ducks sitting by it - one's the statue of liberty, and the other is a Kansas City Royals duck (I am not a KC Royals fan - cough St. Louis Cardinals 4 Life cough - but i have solidarity with the fellow Missouri team. if the Cards aren't in, and the Royals are, I will root for them.
also i have a little cross-stitch thing i did back in Quarantine by my lamp. it has a couple white and red bead necklaces (you know the ones) wrapped around it so that's how the cross-stitch stays up. also, the flower bracelet i wore to my last Homecoming is still kicking and hanging from the lamp in question. it has a white band, with now-crinkled pale green leaves and white flowers - roses, and i think hydrandea? real small white flowers. real small. tiny.
i also have a small foam airplane i got way back in Freshman year of high school from the nearby aerospace administration. the girls where invited to see what they did and we got some free stuff out of it and the squishy plane was one of them.
(I got to do a bit of welding during that lol)
I also have various other things. my wallet and car keys. a fitbit i still need to hookup to my new phone. a yellow sharpie i use to highlight my school books/notes. a couple hairties (white and black). a black pen. a portable charger i should probably charge before this weekend's vacation. also a pale blue turtle decoration my dad bought me. a pair of green earrings i should put away. a couple Senior photos of myself i still need to mail to my dad and paternal grandpa.
also a paper with all of my future college classes on it that i use to write my grades down on.
i have a 3D model of the Eiffel tower i got when I was 8 and didn't put together until Quarantine XD it's down to the left of my desk. directly next door is my closet, one door is usually open revealing the absolute mess within. on the other side of it is my clothing hamper, where clothes go to be forgotten about for a week until i remember hey, laundry's a thing.
FINALLY. the magnus opus of the room - my bookshelves.
This holds the rest of my precious books, as well as various other things - blank notebooks, school books, jewelry box, my diploma, a small telescope made out of metal from my grandpa way back during my astronomy obsession phase, Cardinals stuff, coloring books, space books, multiple binders, my Bible, picture of my sister, fuzzy orange dice, box of a star wars puzzle i got in last year's gift exchange i have yet to put together (we are focusing on out long-forgotten Busch Stadium one shush), GREEK MYTHOLOGY BOOKS, extra sparkly pillows, and my clarinet case.
on top is my TV with a DVD player (i use it. like....twice...a year?) and MORE LEGO SETS.
i have the death star duel. 301st clone troopers. London, New York, and San Fransico CITY sets. mini Slave I. Luke's X-Wing. TIE-Fighter. Grevious's starship. big Slave I. also, 3-in-1 LEGO set. i can make a car, boat, or bike. it's in car mode rn.
my floor is carpet. kinda a soft brown with specks of black. couple school books are on the floor. couple notebooks. a wite-out. and a black pen.
lastly, on my walls: above and around my desk is a black and white bulletin board with purple ribbon. it is completely covered in old photos, things I got from a school trip to Indianapolis (yes i got to see the inside of the Colts Stadium hehe i was like 'COMMODUS USED THIS IN TDP! :D'), ect ect. I also have a old framed picture saying 'Let's Get Lost' that I wanna move to my bathroom. further to the right is a poster of Big Ben from way back during my London obsession (i wanted to visit someday but now Delphi, Delos, Sparta, Rome, ect ect are top priority lmao).
on the next wall is a Ravenclaw banner i've had since i was seven. a window takes up most of the rest of the space (white trim btw).
next wall i have my sports teams pride hung up :D a pennant each of KC Chief's quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Celtics.
WARNING: SPORTS GEEKING OUT AHEAD
and no. i am not a bandwagon. 4th gen Cardinal fan. my paternal great-grandpa chose the Cardinals (idk the story behind it i will have to ask my grandpa).
I was BORN and RAISED on these teams. I was raised on the tales of backflip-boss Ozzie Smith, the Man the Myth the Legend himself. I HAVE HIS BASEBALL CARD! I STILL HAVE MY MATT HOLIDAY JERSERY WHEN HE USED TO PLAY! I HAVE AN ADAM WAINWRIGHT BASEBALL! AND A HOLIDAY ONE (i am his biggest fan)! I AM IN MOURNING WITH THE REST OF THE FANS FOR YADI'S FINAL YEAR. I CHEERED WHEN PUJOLS RETURNED HOME AND HIT 700 HOME RUNS.
I. WAS. RAISED. ON. THE. DUO. OF. YADIER. MOLINA. AND. ADAM. WRAIN. WRIGHT.
i still have a Matt Carpenter poster. i remember Matt Adams playing first base. I remember Goldschmidt & David Freeze, who received a standing ovation from Busch Stadium when he came up to bat for the Pirates because We Loved Him.
I am determined to get a Tommy Edman jersery. he can hit homers with the right and left AND steal bases.
I am also a 3rd gen Chiefs fan. my paternal grandpa chose the Chiefs when they SUCKED and he is LIVING THE LIFE now that they are back in business <3 I watched the famed Super Bowl Win after a 50-year drought. My family was going nuts in my living room. so nuts my aunt accidently pulled her Achilles's tendon 🫢 dw she's alright now we got a little crazy that night it was INTENSE
I was not able to wear my Chiefs jersery to school the next day (dresscodes eyeroll) but I did wear the reddest sweatshirt i could find, my Chiefs necklace, and a hairtie decorated with red and white ribbons from my middle school volleyball season.
I had a shit-eating grin on the whole day. Everyone knew I was the winner <3 Also pretty sure I was the only Chiefs fan in the high school then. It was an exhilarating feeling <3
(Sidenote: The Kelce Bowl was a 10/10 too lol)
(sidenote sidenote: AFC Championship is this Sunday AHHHHH! We'll be playing the Ravens. i had a classmate who was a Ravens fan. he was supremely annoying. i wanna see them lose. :) to every other Ravens fan out there, sorry but he was that annoying. also racist. and homophobic. and sexist. so. you understand why i want the Ravens to lose to spite him.)
and I became a Celtics fan when I was seven. because my stepdad is one as is my great-uncle/godfather. Larry Bird is The GOAT and #GoCelticsTonight
quench that Heat. :)
END OF SPORTS GEEKING OUT
i want to put up the Hawkeye pennant i have too but haven't gotten around to it. it'll go below the Cardinals one because they are the smallest ones.
and finally, in the small wallspace between my door and my closet, above my hamper, is a small, rectangle picture frame of Patrick Mahomes (yes, again. he is that good.) with his surname printed across it. i bought it during my first trip to Kansas City and first Chiefs game (it was against the Chargers. very good game. we beat them :D sorry any Chargers fans I am a very happy Chiefs fan <3)
welcome to my room lmao it is a humble collection of my past and present obsessions, and my hyped-up love of my teams <3
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wiypt-writes · 3 years
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Stark Spangled Forever
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Duo Shot: Stendhal Syndrome Part 1: Brat
Intro: It’s Rori’s fifth birthday party, and there’s someone there who Katie doesn’t really appreciate hanging round her man. And Steve doesn’t really appreciate Katie’s attitude either.
Uh Oh….
Warnings: Bad language.
Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark
A/N: This was a one shot. I got carried away and wrote 24 pages. So now you have a duo shot thanks to that photo sending me to a dirty place. No smut in this one…but it’s on its way in the next part! 
Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.
Stark Spangled Forever Masterlist // Main Masterlist
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 May 2029
“Katie…” Steve called up the stairs. He waited for a moment. There was no response. “Honey?”
Still nothing.
He bounded up the steps, taking them two at a time and headed over the landing and into their room. He paused in the doorway, smiling gently as he saw his wife curled upon the bed, Harry snuggled into her, his head tucked under her chin as they both slept. He wasn’t surprised they were both flat out. They’d had a rough time with the tot the previous night. He had woken up at about 2 am crying and Steve had gone into find both he and his bed full of vomit. After they’d cleaned him up he’d continued to be sick, grumpy and teary, and hadn’t settled even when they’d brought him into bed with them. Eventually Katie had given up and taken him downstairs. Steve had initially gotten up with them but Katie had sent him back to bed pointing out that one of them needed to be with it enough to look after the others the day after. It was also an unspoken fact that they both knew Harry wouldn’t settle for his dad when he was like this. Steve thought Jamie was a momma’s boy but that was nothing compared to their youngest.
He gently closed the door and headed back downstairs and into the den where Jamie was sat cross legged on the rug faffing with some Lego and Rori was perched watching The Wizard of Oz.
“Guys, what do you fancy for lunch?”
“Are you making it?” Jamie looked up at him. Steve snorted.
“Fraid so pal. Momma’s asleep with Harry.”
“Is Harry still sick?” Rori looked around, her eyes wide.
“He’s ok sweetie.” Steve assured her “He just has a tummy bug.”
“Or he ate your cooking.” Emmy said from behind Steve as she passed him heading into the kitchen.
“Enough cheek thank you.” Steve said, raising an eyebrow at her back. He heard her chuckle as she opened the fridge.
“Jamie its ok…” she called “There’s left over lasagne.”
“Yesss.” Jamie said, jumping up off the rug. “Mom’s lasagne is the best.”
“Daddy?” Rori spoke again, her round green eyes looking at Steve.
“Yes baby?”
“Will Harry be ok for my birthday party?”
Steve noticed her biting her lip, the same expression Katie wore when she was worried. With a soft chuckle he crossed the room and knelt down in front of her. “Of course he will, it’s not for another week yet.”
She considered his answer and nodded. Steve reached out and gently tucked her dark hair behind her ears. It was then he noticed her lip wobbling.
“Hey…” he said, frowning, as he stood up to sit besides her. She crawled onto his lap and tucked her face into his shirt “What’s wrong?” She sniffled slightly and pressed her face further into his chest. Steve gently rubbed her back and stayed still waiting for her to speak.
“Jemima at school…” she sniffled, and Steve took a deep breath. He knew where this was going. “Her brother got sick and he dieded.” “Ok…” he said gently, “Jemima’s brother was very poorly. Harry just has a tummy bug. I promise you Rori, he’s not going to die.” She sniffed again and looked up at him “Pinkie promise?”
He smiled and held up his hand, little finger extended “pinkie promise.” She mimicked him and intertwined her small finger with his before she reached up and wrapped her arms round his neck, nuzzling her head into the space against his cheek.
“Why is your face always scratchy?” she asked and Steve gave a laugh.
“Blame your Momma, she won’t let me shave.” he said and Rori pulled back, her little hands raking into his beard. He playfully snapped at her fingers with his teeth, a loud clicking noise sounding as he bit onto thin air and she giggled.
“You gonna come get some lunch?” he looked at her. She nodded and he stood up with her in his arms, carrying her through to the kitchen where Emmy was already halfway through making a salad to go with the leftovers which were heating in the microwave.
“Thanks Em.” Steve said, dropping Rori onto a chair by the table before he moved over to grab some plates.
“Think we should save mom some?”
“No it’s ok.” Steve shook his head “if she’s hungry when she wakes I’ll make her a sandwich.”
Emmy nodded. “Oh, I thought Peter and Brooke could come over later, if that’s ok? I mean, if Harry’s not still sick.” “They can come over anyway, it’s fine.” Steve said, “Harry will most likely be upstairs anyway.”
“We were just gonna hang out by the pool for the evening…” “Em.” Steve chuckled “It’s fine…” and then he paused and smirked slightly as he looked at her “You want the beer don’t you?”
She wrinkled her nose and nodded.
“There’s plenty in the bar…just don’t get that drunk one of you drowns.” he said after a pause. “Explaining that to Peter’s Aunt or Jennifer would be a bit awkward.”
“Thanks dad.” she smiled at him.
They ate their lunch, the 4 of them chatting away, Steve pleased to see Rori was settled now, her earlier upset forgotten. Once they were finished Emmy took Rori and Jamie out into the garden to play on the jungle gym whilst Steve cleared the dishes. Every so often he glanced out of the window to see the kids playing a soft smile on his face. He enjoyed days like this, weekends or during the holidays when they were all together. It was just a shame their brother was too poorly to join in. He called out of the open door to tell Emmy he was nipping upstairs before he repeated the journey he had taken a little over and hour ago, checking his watch.
Katie glanced up as he opened the door, her finger on her lips.
“Hey…” he whispered.
She smiled and gave a soft yawn “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not sure sweetheart.” he said, “I came up about an hour or so ago and you were flat out.”
She gave another yawn and Harry stirred gently, his hand rubbing at his eyes before he settled back down. Katie gently felt his head.
“He’s not as warm as he was.” she said as Steve gently perched on the bed, smoothing back his son’s dark blonde hair.
“Rori got really upset.” he said, smiling softly “She mentioned Jemima’s brother.”
Katie sighed and frowned “Yeah. It was hard trying to explain that when we heard the news. Is she ok?”
“She’s fine.” he assured her “Gave her a pinkie promise Harry only had a tummy bug so.”
“Daddy’s girl.” she smiled and Steve gave a gentle chuckle.
“Peter and Brooke are coming over later.” he said “Emmy wants to hang out in the pool house with a few beers.” Katie smirked “You’re definitely going soft in your old age.”
“Well Emmy is 21 now so I can’t stop her and as for Pete and Brooke, well, sooner they do it here than in a bar.” he shrugged. “You want some lunch?”
Katie shook her head “I’ll eat later.”
Harry stirred again, only this time he grumbled slightly and blinked, opening his eyes sleepily. He looked at his momma before he nuzzled into her closer, his hand winding into her hair as he started to grizzle slightly.
“Hey baby…” she said, kissing his head.
He mumbled something again, his noises not quite forming into words yet, still being half asleep, and then he turned his head to peek up at his dad.
“You ok Pal?”
Harry eyed him for a moment before he moved and held out his arms in Steve’s direction. Slightly surprised Steve moved to take him in an embrace as the little boy snuggled into his chest and Steve kissed his head. Katie smiled, the sight of Steve with his kids was something she would never get tired of. Being a father brought out all his best qualities, just like the serum had amplified them, having kids had too.  He was loving, patient, gentle yet strong, stern and happy to deal out the discipline when appropriate.
She sat up, pecking him on the cheek at the point where his beard met smooth skin. “You know you might not have the shield anymore but you’ll always be their superhero.”
********
Much to Rori’s relief (and everyone else in the Rogers household for that matter) Harry’s illness only lasted 24 hours and he was back to his cheeky, happy little self the next morning. Arrangements pressed ahead for the party, it wasn’t a huge gathering-namely Rori’s closest friends from school and family- which was to take place the weekend before her birthday.  As she shared her day of birth with her late uncle, Katie always found the day a little bittersweet but she tried to keep any of her sadness and nostalgia at bay for the sake of her little girl and focus on the celebration instead.
By 2pm in the afternoon their garden was packed with 7 other 5 year olds, a couple of parents and the usual additional suspects, namely Morgan and Pepper, Jennifer and Brooke along with Bucky and Sam. Rori had stipulated that she didn’t want any games or anything, just to play in the garden on a bouncy castle with some “Princess Punch” which was basically pink lemonade full of chopped up strawberries and raspberries, something her dad had made her one day and she insisted that no one else could make it the same. So, that’s what she had gotten.
“So who’s the blonde Katie’s throwing shade at?” Sam asked as Steve handed him a beer. Steve groaned. Rori’s best friend, a girl called Aurelia was obviously at the party. And so was her mother. A certain Dani-with-an-I, the real-estator who had shown them around the first house they had looked at in Brooklyn all those years ago But, as Steve knew only too well, his wife held a grudge better than anyone he had ever met in his life.
Ever.
Sam gave a loud snort of laughter as Steve explained about the whole incident when they’d been looking round the house and Dani flirting with him whilst Bucky took another Asgardian beer from the stack Steve had placed in a specific chiller in the garage and popped the top off effortlessly with his metal hand. The three men emerged out of the side door back onto the garden, taking up their spot by the side of the garden overseeing the proceedings whilst the women were perched on the decking which ran flush along the back of the house. Katie was milling around the garden somewhere, making sure everyone was ok.
“Bet that makes for interesting conversations when Aurelia comes for sleepovers…” Bucky mused.
“Katie’s not callous enough to have issues with a child simply because she doesn’t like her mother.” Steve shook his head, immediately defending his wife. “In fact she’s nothing but welcoming to her, she’s Rori’s friend after all. She just keeps any exchanges between her and Dani to a minimum.”
“Well, you best watch your back…” Sam said “Because it looks like she’s heading over.”
Steve sighed and spun round to face Dani as she approached him.
“Hi Steve…”
“Hey Dani.” he said “Everything ok.”
“I don’t want to cause a fuss but, well Jamie and Morgan are causing a bit of an issue.”
“Issue?” Steve frowned. At that point Rori came running over to him, tears flooding from her face. “Princess…” he crouched down. “What’s wrong?”
“Jamie and Morgan are throwing those little ball thingies that bang at everyone!” Rori said, stamping her feet. Steve glared up at Bucky.
“I told you not to give him those!” “I aint given him any for weeks!” Bucky held his hands up. “He’s clearly stashed them…I’m sorry Rori…”
“What have you done now?” Bucky turned to see Katie stood there, her eyebrows raised, sunglasses perched on her head as they acted like a headband, keeping her long hair off her face.
“Given Jamie contraband.” Sam said.
“Those damned firecrackers?”
Bucky shrugged.
“You’re an ass.” she said to him as she crouched down to look at Rori. “You ok sweetie?”
“He keeps throwing them at me!” she yelled.
“Ok…” Katie soothed her, and Steve took the opportunity to glance at his wife. She still knocked him off his feet after all these years. Her make-up was light, leaving those freckles he adored on show, and the pale yellow and blue maxi dress she was wearing complimented her amazing figure and curves to perfection, leaving her shoulders bare bar the thin spaghetti straps which crossed at the back. And it was low cut enough that Steve could see a fair bit of sideboob as well. Which he would never complain about. She turned to Steve, raised her eyebrow as his gaze lifted from her chest to her eyes. “Did you hear a word of that?”
“No.” he said honestly. She snorted.
“I just said that you’d go and speak to Jamie and Morgan.” she said, nodding to Rori.
“I’ll deal with your brother, I promise…” Steve confirmed “Go and play and don’t worry about it…”
He wiped her tears away with his hands, gave her a kiss and stood up
“Where are they?”
“By the side of the pool house.” Katie responded at the same time Dani said the same thing.
“We got it, thanks…” Katie looked at the woman. She nodded and sidled off, Steve ignored the look of utter glee that Sam and Bucky shared at the fact Katie was getting all “Starky Snarky” as Sam called it. Katie watched her leave before she turned back to Steve, ignoring the look he was giving her. “Spotted the little shits before.” she continued “They’re trying to hide behind the stack of sun-loungers”
He nodded, dropped a kiss to Katie’s lips and headed off to find the trouble makers. He took the long way, striding round the edge of the pool so they wouldn’t see him coming. He stood simply watching them for a moment. Jamie and Morgan were thick as thieves. With little over a year between them, they’d practically grown up as brother and sister, which Steve and Katie loved, but they were a recipe for trouble. With Morgan’s cleverness and Jamie’s penchant for mischief they made a right pair. Jamie said something to Morgan and she sniggered and they both stood up which was when Steve made his move. He gently grabbed Jamie’s collar and the back of Morgan’s top, pulling them back, ignoring their yells of protest as he bent over.
“If you two don’t stop right now, you’re gonna be in big trouble.” his voice was low and steely as he spoke and the pair of them stiffened slightly. He let go and stood up, hands on his hips.
“Dad, we were only-“
“Son…” Steve cut him off, holding his hand up in an instruction to stay quiet “Just don’t.” He held his palm out in front of him “Hand em over…”
With a sigh and a scowl Jamie emptied his pockets, Morgan following suit and they both passed Steve the small boxes of the little white firecrackers.
“I mean it you two. One more toe out of line…”
“Sorry Uncle Spangles.” Morgan bowed her head.
“It isn’t me you should be apologising to” he said, looking at the 10 year old. She was getting more and more like Tony with each day that passed. He felt a little pang for his brother-in-law as he looked into her brown eyes and took a deep breath, his voice softer when he spoke again “Go and say sorry to Rori, both of you.”
********
“What’s Morgan done?” Pepper asked as Katie headed up to the decking.
Katie snorted “Her and Jamie have been throwing firecrackers.”
Pepper groaned “I’ll have a word…”
“It’s ok… Steve’s sorting it.” Katie shrugged “No biggie, just being kids…”
“I don’t understand how she can be so like Tony when he’s not around.” Pepper said gently.
“Stark DNA.” Katie grinned, “it’s strong.”
Pepper snorted. “Yeah, it must be.”
The two women watched as Steve spoke to the kids, taking the boxes off them before dismissing them. He strode across the lawn, looked up at Katie and gave her a smile before he made his way into the garage to dispose of the offensive ‘weapons’.
“Where did they even get them from?” Pepper asked.
“Bucky” answered Jennifer and Katie the same time. Katie glanced back over the garden, everything seemed to be back to normal. Her eyes fell on Dani who was now stood with one of the other mums that Katie had been speaking to earlier.
“Who’s that?” Jennifer asked.
“Some tramp.” Katie shrugged.
“Her name is Dani.” Pepper snorted “With an I…”
“Was she the last Trashbag you had to take out one morning?” Katie asked. “She mentioned something about that last time I met her and she does look a familiar.”
Pepper snorted. “No…she never got there. Not for the lack of trying. But you’re right, she does look a little like Christine Everhart.”
“Of course…” Katie snorted, “Christine…”
Katie wandered through from the kitchen in her cami and short pyjama set, clutching a bowl of cereal, groaning at the raging headache she was sporting. She was visiting home for a week or so to attend the Apogee Award ceremony in Vegas, which was honouring her brother. Pity he hadn’t actually cared enough to attend himself, instead living it up in the Casino. Obediah had accepted the award for him and then she’d continued drinking with the rest of the party that had turned up…and continued the drinking on the private jet home.  As she shuffled into the living area, she stopped dead looking at the blonde woman, dressed in nothing but one of Tony’s shirts as she sloped around their living area. Another one of Tony’s bimbos that he picked up in Vegas and flown home with them. Said bimbo made her way over to the pad that led to the workshop and pressed a few buttons.
“Hey, Tony?”
“You are not authorized to access this area.” Jarvis said, making her scream and jump. Katie sniggered.
“Jesus.” the woman said.
“No, JARVIS…” Katie spoke loudly and the woman span around. “He runs the house.”
“You must be Katie…”
“And you must be Miss Saturday.” Katie shrugged, sitting on the sofa “Well, for this week anyway…”
“Christine…” she said. “We met last night…”
“Yeah I don’t bother learning names.” Katie shrugged. “They never last long enough for me to give a shit.”
At that point Pepper walked into the room holding up a clothes carrier.
“I’ve got your clothes here. They’ve been dry-cleaned and pressed, and there’s a car waiting for you outside that will take you anywhere you’d like to go.” She said, smiling at the woman.
“You must be the famous Pepper Potts.”
“Indeed I am.” Pepper smiled.
“After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning.” she commented sarcastically.
“Bitch.” Katie said loudly. Christine looked at her but Pepper simply remained still and smiled, her tone pleasant and even.
“I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires, including, occasionally, taking out the trash.”
At that Katie choked slightly on her cereal and looked up as the smug bint’s smirk slid off her face.
“Will that be all?” Pepper asked.
Christine took the hangar and sidled off.
“Taking out the trash…” Katie grinned “Pepper that was fucking genius!”
Pepper arched an eyebrow.
“Where is my dickhead brother?”
“Where do you think?” Pepper asked.
Katie hummed and put down her empty cereal bowl before she made her way through the door Christine had been trying to unlock and down to Tony’s workshop.
“JARVIS, lower that racket…” she muttered.
“Certainly Miss Stark…” 
The noise dimmed and Tony wheeled round “Please don’t turn down my music” “Good morning to you too.” Katie rolled her eyes “Last night’s conquest has left. Pepper just threw her out.”
“Speaking of which, you are supposed to be halfway around the world right now.” Pepper appeared but Tony wasn’t listening.
“How’d she take it?” He looked at Katie. 
“Like a champ.” she shrugged.
Tony grinned and then turned to Pepper “Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?”
“Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.”
“That’s funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there.” Tony quipped sarcastically.
“Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door”
“Doesn’t it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?” Tony continue and then Pepper’s voice rose.
At that point Katie groaned and decided she needed to go to bed before she split for her own flight home and left them to it. 24 hours later she was back in London, getting the notice from Rhodey that Tony was missing…
Laughter dragged Katie back out of her memory and she wiped her eyes slightly, memories of her brother still hit her hard. She turned to catch the last of Pepper’s explanation about Dani’s ‘antics’ at a Stark Party once to which Jennifer, Emmy and Brooke were all laughing along with as Pepper glanced at Katie.
“What is she doing here anyway?”
“Well, her daughter happens to be Rori’s bestest friend in the whole world.” Katie said, repeating the words Rori used to describe Aurelia her “And of course when I asked a few parents on the invites to join, she jumped at the chance.”
There was a pause as they all continued to watch the woman as she tilted her head back and laughed at something that one of the other mom’s had said.
“Is her hair even real?” Emmy asked suddenly.
“Nope. And neither are her tits…” Jennifer mumbled. “Aint no way she’s had a kid and they’re still…” she grabbed her own breasts and hoisted them up, causing all the women to snigger into their drinks.
“Momma?” Katie spun to look at Rori who was grinning up at her mum.
“Hey sweetie” Katie smiled, crouching down “You ok now?”
Rori nodded “Please can I get a drink?”
“Course you can baby…” Katie smiled “Why don’t you go ask daddy to grab you some of the Princess Punch?”
She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before she skipped off down the lawn to where Steve was stood with Bucky and Sam. Katie watched as he immediately looked down when Rori tugged at his black jeans. With a huge, genuine smile he swept her up, her legs causing Steve’s sweater to ride up and at the flash of his toned stomach Katie bit her lip.
“Down girl..” Jennifer mumbled and Katie snorted.
“That obvious?”
“You’re not exactly subtle…” Pepper smirked “That’s the Stark in you.”
Behind her she heard Emmy groan before Brooke quipped “Em, not being funny, but your dad is hot.”
“Fuck off.” Emmy shot back as Brooke cackled “That’s disgusting.”
“His best friend ain’t bad either…” Jenifer mused, cocking her head to one side as Bucky reached up to gently ruffle Rori’s hair, and then tilting his head towards her as she reached to do the same to him, a huge smile spreading across his face.
“Eww.” Brooke groaned, and this time it was Emmy’s turn to laugh.
“Speaking of which, where’s Peter?” Katie turned to Emmy.
“He’s dropping May and Happy at the airport and coming down later…” she said, a faint pink tinge on her cheeks. Katie looked at Pepper, the pair of them smiling to one another. Emmy and Peter had been pretty on and off over the last 5 years but seemed to have been going pretty steady over the last 12 months.
“Which reminds me, can you tell Dad and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee to behave?” Emmy looked at her mum “They’re always teasing Pete…” “That is a right of passage.” Pepper said wisely “Tony was a shit to Steve when he started dating Katie.” “Tony was a shit to Steve way before that.” Katie grinned “But I gotta admit, he was never that pleased about how he found out.” “Which was?” Jennifer looked her.
“He walked in and found us in the kitchen half dressed…” Katie shrugged “Was his own fault, he should have knocked instead of swanning into my apartment like he owned it.” “Yeah, I don’t…” Emmy started before she shook her head “Shut up!”
“Erm, where are you two off to?” Katie heard Pepper say and she looked up to see Morgan and Jamie half in, half out of the kitchen door.
“The den Auntie Pep.” Jamie answered. “Gonna go watch a film.”
“Least you can’t cause any trouble in there…yes, I heard.” Pepper said sternly “Another toe out of line Morgan H Stark and I’ll take you home.”
“Sorry Mom…” she said, and Pepper dismissed her.
Katie smiled again and her attention turned back to the party. She glanced over the garden and was just about to head down to mingle again, not wanting to leave the rest of the parents feeling awkward when a certain blonde haired tramp caught her attention. She watched her for a moment as she walked over to Steve and then stiffened slightly as she touched his arm, but then she stepped way over the line.
“Oh hell no bitch…” Katie’s eyes narrowed as she saw Dani kiss Steve’s cheek.
“Kick her ass mom…” Emmy mumbled.
“Hold my beer…” Katie said, before she paused “Actually, on second thoughts… I’ll take the beer with me…”
“$50 dollars says Trashbag is leaving here in a box…” Brooke quipped. Pepper, Jennifer and Emmy all sniggered.
********
After getting Rori a glass of punch and retrieving another 3 beers for him, Sam and Bucky, Steve headed back across the lawn, Rori still following him.
“Daddy…” she spoke again.
“Yeah?” he looked at her.
“What are tits?”
Steve choked on his beer and heard Sam’s guffawing laughter from the side of him, punctuated by Bucky’s snorts.
“Ermmm…” Steve wiped at his sweater where his beer had slopped down the front and racked his brains “They’re a type of bird…” The laugher and snorts grew even louder. Steve looked at Rori who was frowning before she shook her head “Why would Aurelia’s mommy have fake birds?”
At that Sam began to cough, and Steve looked at him. He was doubled over, slapping his knees. Bucky was wiping his eyes and gave Steve a thumbs up. “Fake birds, I can’t…”  Bucky’s hand fell to Sam’s back as the pair of them continued to laugh.
“I don’t know…” Steve looked at Rori. “Who said that anyway?”
“Jennifer.” she said, and Steve rolled his eyes and glanced over at his wife who was stood, looking out over the garden. “Well Jennifer is just being silly.” Steve looked back at Rori “Don’t worry about it.”
Rori accepted his answer and ran off.
“You can stop laughing now.” he turned to his friends.
“Man, I love your kids.” Bucky said as Sam straightened up, wiping his eyes.
“Yeah well right now they’re behaving better than their mother.” Steve frowned.
“I dare you to say that to her face.” Bucky smirked “And whilst you’re at it, you can tell Jennifer you think she’s silly…”
Steve shook his head “I’m quite attached to my balls thanks, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Good luck with that…” Sam said, “Blonde haired real estator at 12 o’clock.”
Steve let out a silent groan, he really didn’t need this.
“Steve…” he felt an hand on his arm.
“Yeah?” he turned to face Dani, polite as always.
“I’m sorry about before,I didn’t want to get the kids into trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Steve shrugged “Jamie and Morgan are a handful together.”
Dani laughed, and then stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. Steve hadn’t seen that coming. He stepped away slightly and gave her a smile as she looked at him.
“Well, Aurelia was really upset so thank you for sorting it out…”
“Wife…6 o’clock…” Bucky mumbled. But he needn’t have bothered, Steve knew his wife was behind him even before she slipped her arms round his waist, the hand that wasn’t clutching the beer bottle gently slipping under his black sweater, rubbing his stomach softly. He smiled to himself, knowing full well she was here to make a point, and gently placed his large hand over hers.
“Hey beautiful.” he said softly and Katie felt that fire in her belly light even more at his soft words.
“Hey…” she mumbled, pressing her face into his back, gently kissing between his shoulder blades through his sweater before she moved and slid into the space under his arm, placing herself between him and Dani. Steve rolled his eyes at his wife’s passive aggressive display of possessiveness and glanced at Sam who was grinning ear to ear, watching the exchange.
“You know, Mrs Rogers…” Dani smiled at Katie, ”I was just wondering if we were past the formalities of using our surnames now seeing as our daughters are inseparable? ”
She started to laugh and Katie continued to smile before she replied “Nope, I’m good with Mrs Rogers thanks.
Sam started to cough, which was clearly to cover up a laugh. Steve looked at him to see him smirking ear to ear.
“How’s your husband?” Katie looked Dani. “I don’t see him…”
“We’re not together anymore.” Dani said, her smile faltering slightly
“Oh, sorry to her that.” Katie replied, although her tone said otherwise “Guess he wasn’t a fan of you touching what doesn’t belong to you either.”
Dani’s face slipped, but luckily for her one of the other mom’s called her name and she excused herself. Katie watched her go before she felt Steve move his arm from her shoulders.
“That was mean.” he looked at Katie, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t like people touching my stuff…” Katie shrugged.
“You’re a fucking brat.” Steve said sternly, his face displaying no humour. Katie was completely unabashed by his tone and shrugged again
“I warned her last time I’d snap her hand off. She got off lightly.”
With that she turned and walked back towards Pepper and Jennifer. Steve watched her go, his face flushed with anger at her childish display.
“Damned…” Bucky whistled out. “I know you said she could be vicious, Steve, but wow…”
“I think that’s called marking your territory.” Sam quipped as Steve shook his head, the nerve in his jaw twitching.
“It’s called being rude.” He said, before he drained his beer and tossed the empty into one of the recycling tubs by the table “Scuse me fellas, I need to go have a word with my wife…” Bucky and Sam watched as he strode across the lawn, hand pushing his hair back off his face. He reached Katie, acknowledge the women before he gently wrapped his hand around her arm and bent to speak into her ear. She looked at him, frowned, and then allowed him to lead her inside.
“So now they’re gonna have a row and then angry sex, right?” Bucky looked at Sam. Sam nodded.
“Totally…shall we join the ladies?”
“Good idea.” Bucky agreed.
*******
“Uh oh Dad’s approaching…” Emmy said to her mum.
“Is he pissed?” Katie asked, grimacing slightly. As soon as he’d chastised her before she knew he wouldn’t leave it there and she was going to get a lecture about her attitude.
“He’s wearing his Captain’s face…” Emmy wrinkled her nose.
“Shit…”
“A word, inside now…” Steve’s voice was quiet, calm and level as he gently gripped Katie’s arm, but she recognised the icy tone it carried. Frowning slightly, she let him take her hand as he led her inside and through to the lounge. Steve shut the door behind him and Katie watched him, cocking her head to the side.
“Was there any need for that?” he said looking at her.
“For what?”
“You know damned well what.” he said, his voice still low as he raised an eyebrow “What you said to Dani, it was rude.”
“Whatever.” Katie rolled her eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me…”
“Don’t speak to me like I’m one of the kids…” she shot back, her voice slightly louder.
“Well stop acting like one of them.” Steve’s hands dropped to his hips. “The dig about her husband was awful, you do realise he cheated on her right?”
Katie’s face slipped a little “No, I didn’t…but, hang on, how do you know that?”
“She told me, the other week when I dropped Aurelia off home.”
“Oh so you’re like friends now, she confiding in you?”  Katie’s tone was steely.
“No, she just mentioned that she was grateful for us having Aurelia because she’d had an appointment with the solicitor. So maybe, just maybe you should think about apologising.”
“Piss off…” Katie laughed in disbelief. “She kissed you on the cheek…”
“And?” Steve frowned “You forget that plenty of guys do that to you…”
“My or our friends, yeah. She is NOT my friend Steve…”
“Do you seriously feel that threatened by her you have to be so downright nasty?”
“I’m not threatened…look, like I said before, I told her last time she touched my stuff again and I’d snap her wrist. She got off lightly.”
Steve shook his head at his wife, he loved the bones of this woman but sometimes her behaviour drove him up the wall. She could be so petty and obtuse it was ridiculous.
Rogers by name, Stark by nature.
There was a tense silence which Katie broke.
“Are we arguing still?”
Steve sighed “I’m not arguing with you, I’m just pointing out I think you were out of line. If you don’t think you were then that’s your prerogative.” Katie hummed, before she grinned and looked at him “Wanna go fuck in the Camero like last time?”
Steve shook his head, she was unbelievable.
“No.” he said simply, turning to open the door. But Katie wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Shame, because I’m not wearing any panties.”
Ok so that got Steve’s attention. He let out an inward groan as frankly, that sex they’d had in the garage after the previous Dani incident had been hot as fuck but no, he wasn’t giving in here. What was it she always told the kids? “Actions have consequences”
Damned right they do sweetheart.
He turned back to face her, his back pressing to the door as he glanced down at his hands, the sleeves on his sweater were rolled up slightly exposing his forearms. He raised his gaze to meet that of his wife’s and damned, he nearly caved, because she really did turn him on more than she would ever know. But right now, he wasn’t giving her what she wanted.
He sighed and repeated his earlier statement to her “Such a fucking brat.” before he turned and walked out of the room.
Katie remained where she was, stunned. For the first time ever, in their 16 years of being together she had failed to seduce her man.
Part 2
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Text
Stark Spangled Forever: Stendhal Syndrome
Part 1- Brat
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Intro: It’s Rori’s fifth birthday party, and there’s someone there who Katie doesn’t really appreciate hanging round her man.
And Steve doesn’t really appreciate Katie’s attitude either.
Uh Oh….
Warnings: Bad language.
Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark
A/N: This was a one shot. I got carried away and wrote 24 pages. So now you have a duo shot thanks to that photo sending me to a dirty place. No smut in this one…but it’s on its way in the next part! Also apologies for the lack of formatting on here…my laptop is screwy….
SSF Masterlist // WIYPT Masterlist
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May 2029
“Katie…” Steve called up the stairs. He waited for a moment. There was no response. “Honey?”
Still nothing.
He bounded up the steps, taking them two at a time and headed over the landing and into their room. He paused in the doorway, smiling gently as he saw his wife curled upon the bed, Harry snuggled into her, his head tucked under her chin as they both slept. He wasn’t surprised they were both flat out. They’d had a rough time with the tot the previous night. He had woken up at about 2 am crying and Steve had gone into find both he and his bed full of vomit. After they’d cleaned him up he’d continued to be sick, grumpy and teary, and hadn’t settled even when they’d brought him into bed with them. Eventually Katie had given up and taken him downstairs. Steve had initially gotten up with them but Katie had sent him back to bed pointing out that one of them needed to be with it enough to look after the others the day after. It was also an unspoken fact that they both knew Harry wouldn’t settle for his dad when he was like this. Steve thought Jamie was a momma’s boy but that was nothing compared to their youngest.
He gently closed the door and headed back downstairs and into the den where Jamie was sat cross legged on the rug faffing with some Lego and Rori was perched watching The Wizard of Oz.
“Guys, what do you fancy for lunch?”
“Are you making it?” Jamie looked up at him. Steve snorted.
“Fraid so pal. Momma’s asleep with Harry.”
“Is Harry still sick?” Rori looked around, her eyes wide.
“He’s ok sweetie.” Steve assured her “He just has a tummy bug.”
“Or he ate your cooking.” Emmy said from behind Steve as she passed him heading into the kitchen.
“Enough cheek thank you.” Steve said, raising an eyebrow at her back. He heard her chuckle as she opened the fridge.
“Jamie its ok…” she called “There’s left over lasagne.”
“Yesss.” Jamie said, jumping up off the rug. “Mom’s lasagne is the best.”
“Daddy?” Rori spoke again, her round green eyes looking at Steve.
“Yes baby?”
“Will Harry be ok for my birthday party?”
Steve noticed her biting her lip, the same expression Katie wore when she was worried. With a soft chuckle he crossed the room and knelt down in front of her. “Of course he will, it’s not for another week yet.”
She considered his answer and nodded. Steve reached out and gently tucked her dark hair behind her ears. It was then he noticed her lip wobbling.
“Hey…” he said, frowning, as he stood up to sit besides her. She crawled onto his lap and tucked her face into his shirt “What’s wrong?” She sniffled slightly and pressed her face further into his chest. Steve gently rubbed her back and stayed still waiting for her to speak.
“Jemima at school…” she sniffled, and Steve took a deep breath. He knew where this was going. “Her brother got sick and he dieded.” “Ok…” he said gently, “Jemima’s brother was very poorly. Harry just has a tummy bug. I promise you Rori, he’s not going to die.” She sniffed again and looked up at him “Pinkie promise?”
He smiled and held up his hand, little finger extended “pinkie promise.” She mimicked him and intertwined her small finger with his before she reached up and wrapped her arms round his neck, nuzzling her head into the space against his cheek.
“Why is your face always scratchy?” she asked and Steve gave a laugh.
“Blame your Momma, she won’t let me shave.” he said and Rori pulled back, her little hands raking into his beard. He playfully snapped at her fingers with his teeth, a loud clicking noise sounding as he bit onto thin air and she giggled.
“You gonna come get some lunch?” he looked at her. She nodded and he stood up with her in his arms, carrying her through to the kitchen where Emmy was already halfway through making a salad to go with the leftovers which were heating in the microwave.
“Thanks Em.” Steve said, dropping Rori onto a chair by the table before he moved over to grab some plates.
“Think we should save mom some?”
“No it’s ok.” Steve shook his head “if she’s hungry when she wakes I’ll make her a sandwich.”
Emmy nodded. “Oh, I thought Peter and Brooke could come over later, if that’s ok? I mean, if Harry’s not still sick.” “They can come over anyway, it’s fine.” Steve said, “Harry will most likely be upstairs anyway.”
“We were just gonna hang out by the pool for the evening…” “Em.” Steve chuckled “It’s fine…” and then he paused and smirked slightly as he looked at her “You want the beer don’t you?”
She wrinkled her nose and nodded.
“There’s plenty in the bar…just don’t get that drunk one of you drowns.” he said after a pause. “Explaining that to Peter’s Aunt or Jennifer would be a bit awkward.”
“Thanks dad.” she smiled at him.
They ate their lunch, the 4 of them chatting away, Steve pleased to see Rori was settled now, her earlier upset forgotten. Once they were finished Emmy took Rori and Jamie out into the garden to play on the jungle gym whilst Steve cleared the dishes. Every so often he glanced out of the window to see the kids playing a soft smile on his face. He enjoyed days like this, weekends or during the holidays when they were all together. It was just a shame their brother was too poorly to join in. He called out of the open door to tell Emmy he was nipping upstairs before he repeated the journey he had taken a little over and hour ago, checking his watch.
Katie glanced up as he opened the door, her finger on her lips.
“Hey…” he whispered.
She smiled and gave a soft yawn “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not sure sweetheart.” he said, “I came up about an hour or so ago and you were flat out.”
She gave another yawn and Harry stirred gently, his hand rubbing at his eyes before he settled back down. Katie gently felt his head.
“He’s not as warm as he was.” she said as Steve gently perched on the bed, smoothing back his son’s dark blonde hair.
“Rori got really upset.” he said, smiling softly “She mentioned Jemima’s brother.”
Katie sighed and frowned “Yeah. It was hard trying to explain that when we heard the news. Is she ok?”
“She’s fine.” he assured her “Gave her a pinkie promise Harry only had a tummy bug so.”
“Daddy’s girl.” she smiled and Steve gave a gentle chuckle.
“Peter and Brooke are coming over later.” he said “Emmy wants to hang out in the pool house with a few beers.” Katie smirked “You’re definitely going soft in your old age.”
“Well Emmy is 21 now so I can’t stop her and as for Pete and Brooke, well, sooner they do it here than in a bar.” he shrugged. “You want some lunch?”
Katie shook her head “I’ll eat later.”
Harry stirred again, only this time he grumbled slightly and blinked, opening his eyes sleepily. He looked at his momma before he nuzzled into her closer, his hand winding into her hair as he started to grizzle slightly.
“Hey baby…” she said, kissing his head.
He mumbled something again, his noises not quite forming into words yet, still being half asleep, and then he turned his head to peek up at his dad.
“You ok Pal?”
Harry eyed him for a moment before he moved and held out his arms in Steve’s direction. Slightly surprised Steve moved to take him in an embrace as the little boy snuggled into his chest and Steve kissed his head. Katie smiled, the sight of Steve with his kids was something she would never get tired of. Being a father brought out all his best qualities, just like the serum had amplified them, having kids had too.  He was loving, patient, gentle yet strong, stern and happy to deal out the discipline when appropriate.
She sat up, pecking him on the cheek at the point where his beard met smooth skin. “You know you might not have the shield anymore but you’ll always be their superhero.”
********
Much to Rori’s relief (and everyone else in the Rogers household for that matter) Harry’s illness only lasted 24 hours and he was back to his cheeky, happy little self the next morning. Arrangements pressed ahead for the party, it wasn’t a huge gathering-namely Rori’s closest friends from school and family- which was to take place the weekend before her birthday.  As she shared her day of birth with her late uncle, Katie always found the day a little bittersweet but she tried to keep any of her sadness and nostalgia at bay for the sake of her little girl and focus on the celebration instead.
By 2pm in the afternoon their garden was packed with 7 other 5 year olds, a couple of parents and the usual additional suspects, namely Morgan and Pepper, Jennifer and Brooke along with Bucky and Sam. Rori had stipulated that she didn’t want any games or anything, just to play in the garden on a bouncy castle with some “Princess Punch” which was basically pink lemonade full of chopped up strawberries and raspberries, something her dad had made her one day and she insisted that no one else could make it the same. So, that’s what she had gotten.
“So who’s the blonde Katie’s throwing shade at?” Sam asked as Steve handed him a beer. Steve groaned. Rori’s best friend, a girl called Aurelia was obviously at the party. And so was her mother. A certain Dani-with-an-I, the real-estator who had shown them around the first house they had looked at in Brooklyn all those years ago But, as Steve knew only too well, his wife held a grudge better than anyone he had ever met in his life.
Ever.
Sam gave a loud snort of laughter as Steve explained about the whole incident when they'd been looking round the house and Dani flirting with him whilst Bucky took another Asgardian beer from the stack Steve had placed in a specific chiller in the garage and popped the top off effortlessly with his metal hand. The three men emerged out of the side door back onto the garden, taking up their spot by the side of the garden overseeing the proceedings whilst the women were perched on the decking which ran flush along the back of the house. Katie was milling around the garden somewhere, making sure everyone was ok.
“Bet that makes for interesting conversations when Aurelia comes for sleepovers…” Bucky mused.
“Katie’s not callous enough to have issues with a child simply because she doesn’t like her mother.” Steve shook his head, immediately defending his wife. “In fact she’s nothing but welcoming to her, she’s Rori’s friend after all. She just keeps any exchanges between her and Dani to a minimum.”
“Well, you best watch your back…” Sam said “Because it looks like she’s heading over.”
Steve sighed and spun round to face Dani as she approached him.
“Hi Steve…”
“Hey Dani.” he said “Everything ok.”
“I don’t want to cause a fuss but, well Jamie and Morgan are causing a bit of an issue.”
“Issue?” Steve frowned. At that point Rori came running over to him, tears flooding from her face. “Princess…” he crouched down. “What’s wrong?”
“Jamie and Morgan are throwing those little ball thingies that bang at everyone!” Rori said, stamping her feet. Steve glared up at Bucky.
“I told you not to give him those!” “I aint given him any for weeks!” Bucky held his hands up. “He’s clearly stashed them…I’m sorry Rori…”
“What have you done now?” Bucky turned to see Katie stood there, her eyebrows raised, sunglasses perched on her head as they acted like a headband, keeping her long hair off her face.
“Given Jamie contraband.” Sam said.
“Those damned firecrackers?”
Bucky shrugged.
“You’re an ass.” she said to him as she crouched down to look at Rori. “You ok sweetie?”
“He keeps throwing them at me!” she yelled.
“Ok…” Katie soothed her, and Steve took the opportunity to glance at his wife. She still knocked him off his feet after all these years. Her make-up was light, leaving those freckles he adored on show, and the pale yellow and blue maxi dress she was wearing complimented her amazing figure and curves to perfection, leaving her shoulders bare bar the thin spaghetti straps which crossed at the back. And it was low cut enough that Steve could see a fair bit of sideboob as well. Which he would never complain about. She turned to Steve, raised her eyebrow as his gaze lifted from her chest to her eyes. “Did you hear a word of that?”
“No.” he said honestly. She snorted.
“I just said that you’d go and speak to Jamie and Morgan.” she said, nodding to Rori.
“I’ll deal with your brother, I promise…” Steve confirmed “Go and play and don’t worry about it…”
He wiped her tears away with his hands, gave her a kiss and stood up
“Where are they?”
“By the side of the pool house.” Katie responded at the same time Dani said the same thing.
“We got it, thanks…” Katie looked at the woman. She nodded and sidled off, Steve ignored the look of utter glee that Sam and Bucky shared at the fact Katie was getting all “Starky Snarky” as Sam called it. Katie watched her leave before she turned back to Steve, ignoring the look he was giving her. “Spotted the little shits before.” she continued “They’re trying to hide behind the stack of sun-loungers”
He nodded, dropped a kiss to Katie’s lips and headed off to find the trouble makers. He took the long way, striding round the edge of the pool so they wouldn’t see him coming. He stood simply watching them for a moment. Jamie and Morgan were thick as thieves. With little over a year between them, they’d practically grown up as brother and sister, which Steve and Katie loved, but they were a recipe for trouble. With Morgan’s cleverness and Jamie’s penchant for mischief they made a right pair. Jamie said something to Morgan and she sniggered and they both stood up which was when Steve made his move. He gently grabbed Jamie’s collar and the back of Morgan’s top, pulling them back, ignoring their yells of protest as he bent over.
“If you two don’t stop right now, you’re gonna be in big trouble.” his voice was low and steely as he spoke and the pair of them stiffened slightly. He let go and stood up, hands on his hips.
“Dad, we were only-“
“Son…” Steve cut him off, holding his hand up in an instruction to stay quiet “Just don’t.” He held his palm out in front of him “Hand em over…”
With a sigh and a scowl Jamie emptied his pockets, Morgan following suit and they both passed Steve the small boxes of the little white firecrackers.
“I mean it you two. One more toe out of line…”
“Sorry Uncle Spangles.” Morgan bowed her head.
“It isn’t me you should be apologising to” he said, looking at the 10 year old. She was getting more and more like Tony with each day that passed. He felt a little pang for his brother-in-law as he looked into her brown eyes and took a deep breath, his voice softer when he spoke again “Go and say sorry to Rori, both of you.”
********
“What’s Morgan done?” Pepper asked as Katie headed up to the decking.
Katie snorted “Her and Jamie have been throwing firecrackers.”
Pepper groaned “I’ll have a word…”
“It’s ok… Steve’s sorting it.” Katie shrugged “No biggie, just being kids…”
“I don’t understand how she can be so like Tony when he’s not around.” Pepper said gently.
“Stark DNA.” Katie grinned, “it’s strong.”
Pepper snorted. “Yeah, it must be.”
The two women watched as Steve spoke to the kids, taking the boxes off them before dismissing them. He strode across the lawn, looked up at Katie and gave her a smile before he made his way into the garage to dispose of the offensive ‘weapons’.
“Where did they even get them from?” Pepper asked.
“Bucky” answered Jennifer and Katie the same time. Katie glanced back over the garden, everything seemed to be back to normal. Her eyes fell on Dani who was now stood with one of the other mums that Katie had been speaking to earlier.
“Who’s that?” Jennifer asked.
“Some tramp.” Katie shrugged.
“Her name is Dani.” Pepper snorted “With an I…”
“Was she the last Trashbag you had to take out one morning?” Katie asked. “She mentioned something about that last time I met her and she does look a familiar.”
Pepper snorted. “No…she never got there. Not for the lack of trying. But you’re right, she does look a little like Christine Everhart.”
“Of course…” Katie snorted, “Christine…”
Katie wandered through from the kitchen in her cami and short pyjama set, clutching a bowl of cereal, groaning at the raging headache she was sporting. She was visiting home for a week or so to attend the Apogee Award ceremony in Vegas, which was honouring her brother. Pity he hadn’t actually cared enough to attend himself, instead living it up in the Casino. Obediah had accepted the award for him and then she’d continued drinking with the rest of the party that had turned up…and continued the drinking on the private jet home.  As she shuffled into the living area, she stopped dead looking at the blonde woman, dressed in nothing but one of Tony’s shirts as she sloped around their living area. Another one of Tony’s bimbos that he picked up in Vegas and flown home with them. Said bimbo made her way over to the pad that led to the workshop and pressed a few buttons.
“Hey, Tony?”
“You are not authorized to access this area.” Jarvis said, making her scream and jump. Katie sniggered.
“Jesus.” the woman said.
“No, JARVIS…” Katie spoke loudly and the woman span around. “He runs the house.”
“You must be Katie…”
“And you must be Miss Saturday.” Katie shrugged, sitting on the sofa “Well, for this week anyway…”
“Christine…” she said. “We met last night…”
“Yeah I don’t bother learning names.” Katie shrugged. “They never last long enough for me to give a shit.”
At that point Pepper walked into the room holding up a clothes carrier.
“I’ve got your clothes here. They’ve been dry-cleaned and pressed, and there’s a car waiting for you outside that will take you anywhere you’d like to go.” She said, smiling at the woman.
“You must be the famous Pepper Potts.”
“Indeed I am.” Pepper smiled.
“After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning.” she commented sarcastically.
“Bitch.” Katie said loudly. Christine looked at her but Pepper simply remained still and smiled, her tone pleasant and even.
“I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires, including, occasionally, taking out the trash.”
At that Katie choked slightly on her cereal and looked up as the smug bint’s smirk slid off her face.
“Will that be all?” Pepper asked.
Christine took the hangar and sidled off.
“Taking out the trash…” Katie grinned “Pepper that was fucking genius!”
Pepper arched an eyebrow.
“Where is my dickhead brother?”
“Where do you think?” Pepper asked.
Katie hummed and put down her empty cereal bowl before she made her way through the door Christine had been trying to unlock and down to Tony’s workshop.
“JARVIS, lower that racket…” she muttered.
“Certainly Miss Stark…” 
The noise dimmed and Tony wheeled round “Please don’t turn down my music” “Good morning to you too.” Katie rolled her eyes “Last night’s conquest has left. Pepper just threw her out.”
“Speaking of which, you are supposed to be halfway around the world right now.” Pepper appeared but Tony wasn’t listening.
“How’d she take it?” He looked at Katie. 
“Like a champ.” she shrugged.
Tony grinned and then turned to Pepper “Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?”
“Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.”
“That’s funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there.” Tony quipped sarcastically.
“Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door”
“Doesn’t it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?” Tony continue and then Pepper’s voice rose.
At that point Katie groaned and decided she needed to go to bed before she split for her own flight home and left them to it. 24 hours later she was back in London, getting the notice from Rhodey that Tony was missing…
Laughter dragged Katie back out of her memory and she wiped her eyes slightly, memories of her brother still hit her hard. She turned to catch the last of Pepper’s explanation about Dani’s ‘antics’ at a Stark Party once to which Jennifer, Emmy and Brooke were all laughing along with as Pepper glanced at Katie.
“What is she doing here anyway?”
“Well, her daughter happens to be Rori’s bestest friend in the whole world.” Katie said, repeating the words Rori used to describe Aurelia her “And of course when I asked a few parents on the invites to join, she jumped at the chance.”
There was a pause as they all continued to watch the woman as she tilted her head back and laughed at something that one of the other mom’s had said.
“Is her hair even real?” Emmy asked suddenly.
“Nope. And neither are her tits…” Jennifer mumbled. “Aint no way she’s had a kid and they’re still…” she grabbed her own breasts and hoisted them up, causing all the women to snigger into their drinks.
“Momma?” Katie spun to look at Rori who was grinning up at her mum.
“Hey sweetie” Katie smiled, crouching down “You ok now?”
Rori nodded “Please can I get a drink?”
“Course you can baby…” Katie smiled “Why don’t you go ask daddy to grab you some of the Princess Punch?”
She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before she skipped off down the lawn to where Steve was stood with Bucky and Sam. Katie watched as he immediately looked down when Rori tugged at his black jeans. With a huge, genuine smile he swept her up, her legs causing Steve’s sweater to ride up and at the flash of his toned stomach Katie bit her lip.
“Down girl..” Jennifer mumbled and Katie snorted.
“That obvious?”
“You’re not exactly subtle…” Pepper smirked “That’s the Stark in you.”
Behind her she heard Emmy groan before Brooke quipped “Em, not being funny, but your dad is hot.”
“Fuck off.” Emmy shot back as Brooke cackled “That’s disgusting.”
“His best friend ain’t bad either…” Jenifer mused, cocking her head to one side as Bucky reached up to gently ruffle Rori’s hair, and then tilting his head towards her as she reached to do the same to him, a huge smile spreading across his face.
“Eww.” Brooke groaned, and this time it was Emmy’s turn to laugh.
“Speaking of which, where’s Peter?” Katie turned to Emmy.
“He’s dropping May and Happy at the airport and coming down later…” she said, a faint pink tinge on her cheeks. Katie looked at Pepper, the pair of them smiling to one another. Emmy and Peter had been pretty on and off over the last 5 years but seemed to have been going pretty steady over the last 12 months.
“Which reminds me, can you tell Dad and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee to behave?” Emmy looked at her mum “They’re always teasing Pete…” “That is a right of passage.” Pepper said wisely “Tony was a shit to Steve when he started dating Katie.” “Tony was a shit to Steve way before that.” Katie grinned “But I gotta admit, he was never that pleased about how he found out.” “Which was?” Jennifer looked her.
“He walked in and found us in the kitchen half dressed…” Katie shrugged “Was his own fault, he should have knocked instead of swanning into my apartment like he owned it.” “Yeah, I don’t…” Emmy started before she shook her head “Shut up!”
“Erm, where are you two off to?” Katie heard Pepper say and she looked up to see Morgan and Jamie half in, half out of the kitchen door.
“The den Auntie Pep.” Jamie answered. “Gonna go watch a film.”
“Least you can’t cause any trouble in there…yes, I heard.” Pepper said sternly “Another toe out of line Morgan H Stark and I’ll take you home.”
“Sorry Mom…” she said, and Pepper dismissed her.
Katie smiled again and her attention turned back to the party. She glanced over the garden and was just about to head down to mingle again, not wanting to leave the rest of the parents feeling awkward when a certain blonde haired tramp caught her attention. She watched her for a moment as she walked over to Steve and then stiffened slightly as she touched his arm, but then she stepped way over the line.
“Oh hell no bitch…” Katie’s eyes narrowed as she saw Dani kiss Steve’s cheek.
“Kick her ass mom…” Emmy mumbled.
“Hold my beer…” Katie said, before she paused “Actually, on second thoughts… I’ll take the beer with me…”
“$50 dollars says Trashbag is leaving here in a box…” Brooke quipped. Pepper, Jennifer and Emmy all sniggered.
********
After getting Rori a glass of punch and retrieving another 3 beers for him, Sam and Bucky, Steve headed back across the lawn, Rori still following him.
“Daddy…” she spoke again.
“Yeah?” he looked at her.
“What are tits?”
Steve choked on his beer and heard Sam’s guffawing laughter from the side of him, punctuated by Bucky’s snorts.
“Ermmm…” Steve wiped at his sweater where his beer had slopped down the front and racked his brains “They’re a type of bird…” The laugher and snorts grew even louder. Steve looked at Rori who was frowning before she shook her head “Why would Aurelia’s mommy have fake birds?”
At that Sam began to cough, and Steve looked at him. He was doubled over, slapping his knees. Bucky was wiping his eyes and gave Steve a thumbs up. “Fake birds, I can’t…”  Bucky’s hand fell to Sam’s back as the pair of them continued to laugh.
“I don’t know…” Steve looked at Rori. “Who said that anyway?”
“Jennifer.” she said, and Steve rolled his eyes and glanced over at his wife who was stood, looking out over the garden. “Well Jennifer is just being silly.” Steve looked back at Rori “Don’t worry about it.”
Rori accepted his answer and ran off.
“You can stop laughing now.” he turned to his friends.
“Man, I love your kids.” Bucky said as Sam straightened up, wiping his eyes.
“Yeah well right now they’re behaving better than their mother.” Steve frowned.
“I dare you to say that to her face.” Bucky smirked “And whilst you’re at it, you can tell Jennifer you think she’s silly…”
Steve shook his head “I’m quite attached to my balls thanks, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Good luck with that…” Sam said, “Blonde haired real estator at 12 o’clock.”
Steve let out a silent groan, he really didn’t need this.
“Steve…” he felt an hand on his arm.
“Yeah?” he turned to face Dani, polite as always.
“I’m sorry about before,I didn’t want to get the kids into trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Steve shrugged “Jamie and Morgan are a handful together.”
Dani laughed, and then stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. Steve hadn’t seen that coming. He stepped away slightly and gave her a smile as she looked at him.
“Well, Aurelia was really upset so thank you for sorting it out…”
“Wife…6 o’clock…” Bucky mumbled. But he needn’t have bothered, Steve knew his wife was behind him even before she slipped her arms round his waist, the hand that wasn’t clutching the beer bottle gently slipping under his black sweater, rubbing his stomach softly. He smiled to himself, knowing full well she was here to make a point, and gently placed his large hand over hers.
“Hey beautiful.” he said softly and Katie felt that fire in her belly light even more at his soft words.
“Hey…” she mumbled, pressing her face into his back, gently kissing between his shoulder blades through his sweater before she moved and slid into the space under his arm, placing herself between him and Dani. Steve rolled his eyes at his wife’s passive aggressive display of possessiveness and glanced at Sam who was grinning ear to ear, watching the exchange.
“You know, Mrs Rogers…” Dani smiled at Katie, ”I was just wondering if we were past the formalities of using our surnames now seeing as our daughters are inseparable? ”
She started to laugh and Katie continued to smile before she replied “Nope, I’m good with Mrs Rogers thanks.
Sam started to cough, which was clearly to cover up a laugh. Steve looked at him to see him smirking ear to ear.
“How’s your husband?” Katie looked Dani. “I don’t see him…”
“We’re not together anymore.” Dani said, her smile faltering slightly
“Oh, sorry to her that.” Katie replied, although her tone said otherwise “Guess he wasn’t a fan of you touching what doesn’t belong to you either.”
Dani’s face slipped, but luckily for her one of the other mom’s called her name and she excused herself. Katie watched her go before she felt Steve move his arm from her shoulders.
“That was mean.” he looked at Katie, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t like people touching my stuff…” Katie shrugged.
“You’re a fucking brat.” Steve said sternly, his face displaying no humour. Katie was completely unabashed by his tone and shrugged again
“I warned her last time I’d snap her hand off. She got off lightly.”
With that she turned and walked back towards Pepper and Jennifer. Steve watched her go, his face flushed with anger at her childish display.
“Damned…” Bucky whistled out. “I know you said she could be vicious, Steve, but wow…”
“I think that’s called marking your territory.” Sam quipped as Steve shook his head, the nerve in his jaw twitching.
“It’s called being rude.” He said, before he drained his beer and tossed the empty into one of the recycling tubs by the table “Scuse me fellas, I need to go have a word with my wife…” Bucky and Sam watched as he strode across the lawn, hand pushing his hair back off his face. He reached Katie, acknowledge the women before he gently wrapped his hand around her arm and bent to speak into her ear. She looked at him, frowned, and then allowed him to lead her inside.
“So now they’re gonna have a row and then angry sex, right?” Bucky looked at Sam. Sam nodded.
“Totally…shall we join the ladies?”
“Good idea.” Bucky agreed.
*******
“Uh oh Dad’s approaching…” Emmy said to her mum.
“Is he pissed?” Katie asked, grimacing slightly. As soon as he’d chastised her before she knew he wouldn’t leave it there and she was going to get a lecture about her attitude.
“He’s wearing his Captain’s face…” Emmy wrinkled her nose.
“Shit…”
“A word, inside now…” Steve’s voice was quiet, calm and level as he gently gripped Katie’s arm, but she recognised the icy tone it carried. Frowning slightly, she let him take her hand as he led her inside and through to the lounge. Steve shut the door behind him and Katie watched him, cocking her head to the side.
“Was there any need for that?” he said looking at her.
“For what?”
“You know damned well what.” he said, his voice still low as he raised an eyebrow “What you said to Dani, it was rude.”
“Whatever.” Katie rolled her eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me…”
“Don’t speak to me like I’m one of the kids…” she shot back, her voice slightly louder.
“Well stop acting like one of them.” Steve’s hands dropped to his hips. “The dig about her husband was awful, you do realise he cheated on her right?”
Katie’s face slipped a little “No, I didn’t…but, hang on, how do you know that?”
“She told me, the other week when I dropped Aurelia off home.”
“Oh so you’re like friends now, she confiding in you?”  Katie’s tone was steely.
“No, she just mentioned that she was grateful for us having Aurelia because she’d had an appointment with the solicitor. So maybe, just maybe you should think about apologising.”
“Piss off…” Katie laughed in disbelief. “She kissed you on the cheek…”
“And?” Steve frowned “You forget that plenty of guys do that to you…”
“My or our friends, yeah. She is NOT my friend Steve…”
“Do you seriously feel that threatened by her you have to be so downright nasty?”
“I’m not threatened…look, like I said before, I told her last time she touched my stuff again and I’d snap her wrist. She got off lightly.”
Steve shook his head at his wife, he loved the bones of this woman but sometimes her behaviour drove him up the wall. She could be so petty and obtuse it was ridiculous.
Rogers by name, Stark by nature.
There was a tense silence which Katie broke.
“Are we arguing still?”
Steve sighed “I’m not arguing with you, I’m just pointing out I think you were out of line. If you don’t think you were then that’s your prerogative.” Katie hummed, before she grinned and looked at him “Wanna go fuck in the Camero like last time?”
Steve shook his head, she was unbelievable.
“No.” he said simply, turning to open the door. But Katie wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Shame, because I’m not wearing any panties.”
Ok so that got Steve’s attention. He let out an inward groan as frankly, that sex they’d had in the garage after the previous Dani incident had been hot as fuck but no, he wasn’t giving in here. What was it she always told the kids? “Actions have consequences”
Damned right they do sweetheart.
He turned back to face her, his back pressing to the door as he glanced down at his hands, the sleeves on his sweater were rolled up slightly exposing his forearms. He raised his gaze to meet that of his wife’s and damned, he nearly caved, because she really did turn him on more than she would ever know. But right now, he wasn’t giving her what she wanted.
He sighed and repeated his earlier statement to her “Such a fucking brat.” before he turned and walked out of the room.
Katie remained where she was, stunned. For the first time ever, in their 16 years of being together she had failed to seduce her man.
@the-omni-princess   @momobaby227  @geekofmanythings16  @angelofhell-666  @thewackywriter  @marvelfansworld   @cobalt-gear   @asgardlover75​   @jennmurawski13​   @jtargaryen18​  @saiyanprincessswanie​   @navispalace​  @patzammit​   @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​   @icanfeelastormbrewing​  @djeniiscorner​   @ayamenimthiriel​   @coldmuffinbanditshoe​   @disneylovingal​  @madzmilllz​  @sgtjaamesbaarnes​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​     @fatbottomedbarnes @official-and-unstable-satan​
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crusherthedoctor · 4 years
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Jungles may commonly appear earlier than other environments on the sliding scale of video game geography, and Viridonia is no exception to that cliche. But in this case, I purposefully used a jungle as the setting for Zone 2 to make a point.
Jungle levels are full of greenery, just like with Green Hill-esque levels, which means if done poorly, they can risk ending up blending together despite the different climate. By going all out with Tricky Tropics however, and giving it its own distinct qualities, the different (yet still upbeat) atmosphere compared to Gleaming Meadows would further my point about how you can breathe new life into any level trope if you know what you're doing. And if these two zones can feel unique when compared to each other, despite all that green between them, it sets a good precedent for the potential it suggests for later zones...
Creating Zone 2: Tricky Tropics
2-1: Luscious Jungle
When comparing Luscious Jungle to previous jungles and other foresty areas in the franchise, one of the two biggest inspirations was the very first of its kind: Jungle Zone from the Master System version of Sonic 1. Specifically, how the green REALLY pops out, and gives off a warm and inviting atmosphere despite the dangers present.
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The other main inspiration being, as you'll already know from reading the fic, Frog Forest from Sonic Heroes, what with taking the idea of using fruit as a gimmick for obstacles and platforming, and heavily expanding on it. Unlike in Frog Forest however, they don’t require giant frogs to activate them. They’ll help or hinder you by their lonesome.
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Though I suppose the wildlife hanging around in all shapes and sizes means there's a slight touch of Dinosaur Jungle in there as well, at least in spirit... if you replaced the dinosaurs with elephants, tigers, zebras, and all the rest.
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Aside from the oversized fruit, as well as the deep brown trails of soil on the ground, additional flowers and other plant life help round off all the green, with the flowers in particular taking a page or two from the most striking ones in the Amazon rainforest. This doesn't just apply to the gimmick-related flowers either, it applies to the ones that are just part of the scenery as well.
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Viridonia does not half-ass its vegetation. What motivation is there to saving the place from Eggman’s insidious influence if it doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as possible?
And obviously, the savannah area would be considerably more yellow, though its appearance and gimmicks would prevent it from feeling like a repeat of Yellow Hills from the previous zone. The beaming sunlight peeking through the clouds mixed in with the sprawling landscape may go as far as to bring back nostalgic memories of... LEGO Racers 2?
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Um, sure, okay.
And before you ask, this isn't Trudy's family either.
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First Section (jungle): Jungle Classic Tiny Temple (Crash Nitro Kart)
Second Section (savannah): Rock Star (Kirby 64) Jungle Falls (Diddy Kong Racing)
2-2: Temple Village
Remember the echidna village from the ancient past, before Chaos activated his trap card and sent them all to the Shadow Realm? Violently?
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Well, we've got a similar schtick here, but different at the same time. The Mayan influence remains, as evidenced with the blocky pyramids sprinkled around, but you also have huge idol structures keeping them company, not unlike the ones you see in Idol Springs from Spyro 2.
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The camp site and its explorer NPCs also help to liven up the place. But then, so do the Badniks, for a certain definition of “liven up”. (By which I mean, the intention to do the exact opposite of that.)
Then you have the wooded blockades, which are similar to those in Sonic '06, but with much more colorful paint markings, despite the rust accumulated over the years. They're also less prone to making the Havok physics engine shit itself. So they wouldn't make it into Tracy Yardley's good graces.
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Meanwhile, up in the trees, the process of going through carved paths within the trees may bring Honeycomb Highway from Sonic Lost World to mind. But there's plenty of wooden walkways as well, and rope bridges of varying rickety quality, with all that risk that implies. Whoever designed them may not have the most advanced skills, but they’re still more qualified than Bioware.
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And going inside the pyramids themselves will cause another bout of cultural whiplash, as instead of keeping up the Mayan feel, it's more reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves in India, gold lighting and all.
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Perfect for somewhere so mysterious and potentially deadly, yet still early on in the adventure, and thus nowhere near as oppressive in sheer tone as Eggman's factories or what have you.
First Section (outside): Planet Wisp (Team Sonic Racing) Golden City (Bug Bunny & Taz: Time Busters)
Second Section (inside): Leading Lights (Sonic Adventure) Deku Palace (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)
2-3: Gloomy Bog
Gloomy Bog's rivers have been corrupted by Mega Mack. I assume you know what Mega Mack is; it's purple, it's unhealthy, and it gets a No from Trudy.
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Despite this setback, the swamp otherwise has a laidback mood. The vegetation may be a darker green than two acts ago, comparable to the dark green present in the original Dreamcast version of Mystic Ruins...
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...but that's to be expected for a swamp. And even so, the blue and white flowers still add some complimentary brightness and - say it with me, boys and girls - contrast.
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As does the omnipresent white glow in the air, which even reflects off of some of the plants as well. It brings cloud forests to mind, except in this case, it's not actually fog.
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Shining and hovering over the Mega Mack-infected rivers, it almost seems like there’s meaning to it, as if the swamp itself knows that despite its current predicament, the light will overcome and ultimately vanquish the dark. Very George Lucas as far as visual metaphors go, but whatever works, right?
As for the boardwalks, they were inspired by this concept art for Sonic Saturn, AKA one of the many decapitated heads of the video game hydra that was Sonic X-Treme(ly doomed to fail).
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Fortunately for Sonic, his nose wouldn't be mutilated this time.
First Section (walkways): Misty Bog (Spyro 1) DK Jungle (Mario Kart 7)
Second Section (lake): Salad Plain (Sonic CD) The Great Boggly Tree (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)
2-4: Hornet’s Nest
In the fic proper, I compared the exterior of the giant mecha bee hive with Great Megalith from Sonic and the Black Knight. This is because it shares similar thorny fortifications on the outside, albeit in a more modern and industrial form, as you'd expect from man who will conquer the world with his tools.
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Even comes with the flags and banners! Though they too have been given the Eggman flavor. (Maybe he's getting revenge for not being in that game?)
As for what's inside... well, what do you expect the inside of a giant bee hive to look like, mechanical or no? Since Donkey Kong has probably one of the most famous examples in a video game, we'll turn to his franchise again to get the gist.
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It wouldn't be all yellow though. Remember, this is the plant that's producing all that Mega Mack, so among all the honey and honey-associated gimmicks, there's some purple contrast as well.
And the area outside the hive entirely? There's still a bit of honey (and Mega Mack) here and there, and though the white glow from the previous act has largely disappeared, the blue flowers and dark green plants and trees remain. So in that regard, you could say it's akin to Honey Marsh from Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly.
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Less buggy, though.
Probably.
First Section (outside): Mushroom Hill Act 1 (NicoCW) Wizard Peak (Spyro 1)
Second Section (inside): Minty Mines (Spyro 2: Season of Flame) Zip Line Shrine (Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze)
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writingformadderton · 4 years
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Change of Heart💞
Ship: Madderton
Word Count: 4901
Summary: Taron and Richard spend a beautiful Christmas with their families. Watching Richard with his niece and his own sisters makes Taron's heart warm, making him long to have children with Richard. But the Scottish isn’t thrilled about the idea and Taron is more upset about it than he shows in the beginning. When the situation between the two gets harder, Richard decides to leave and spend a few days with his sister and niece. Will he have a change of heart coming back home?
Additional Tags: fluff, soft, angst, children, fight, Christmas, comfort, kisses
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“Mum wants to know what our plans are for Christmas,” Rich asks one night in the middle of October over a bottle of wine and a plate of spaghetti. He pushes the food around on his plate and looks up at Taron, baby blue eyes meeting green. 
“We don’t have anything yet, do we?” Taron asks, his mouth full of garlic bread. Rich smiles. 
“No, not yet. Think we can get this place ready for the family to come for the holiday?” Rich asks, looking around at the mess. They’d finally taken the plunge recently to put down roots together. They’d been together for four years, gotten married the summer before last, but had continued to rent. Their projects had taken them from place to place, and it had seemed to make sense to just rent while they searched for the perfect place to really settle down. They’d found this beautiful home in London a few months ago, and both of them had decided that this was it. They’d made an offer and had just moved in three weeks prior. They hadn’t gotten around to unpacking, both of them too busy with work, and Richard had gotten to the point where he was afraid they’d be living out of boxes forever. 
“You want to host Christmas?” Taron asks, looking around at their cluttered home. 
“It could be fun, get everyone together, show off the new place.” Richard reaches out and takes Taron’s hand, squeezing gently. “I’m proud of us, I’m proud of what we’ve got here. I want to share it with them.” He seems sincere, and Taron’s heart fills with pride for the man he’s married. 
Taron squeezes Rich’s hand back. “You want to have Christmas, we’re having Christmas. Done.” Rich smiles and goes back to eating dinner.
--------
Two months later, it’s Christmas Eve and Rich is a nervous wreck. The house is spotless-when he’s nervous, he cleans, and he’s been anxious about this for two weeks-and ready for company. Taron’s mum and sisters had arrived the day prior, and the girls are playing upstairs in their guest room while Taron’s mum is bustling around the kitchen, helping Taron prepare the roast for the evening. Rich’s family is due to arrive any minute, and since Taron’s forbidden him from cleaning anything else- “For the love of God, Rich, if you clean the downstairs bathroom counter one more time, it’s going to bloody fall off!”-he’s set his sights on the Christmas tree. 
Part of the reason they’d bought this particular house was the grand high ceilings in the family room. When they’d toured the property with their realtor, they’d stared at the cathedral ceilings in wonder, and Taron had snaked his arm around Richard’s waist. “Imagine the Christmas tree we could cram in here,” he’d muttered, and Rich had agreed adamantly. Now they’d done it, secured a twelve-foot tree from a tree farm, and they’d spent ages decorating it. It was flawless, down to the last detail, but Rich still finds himself nervously rearranging bulbs, tweaking the lights, checking to make sure the base has enough water. Taron looks up from the kitchen counter and sees Richard, and he chuckles a little. 
Taron crosses the room and wraps his arms around his husband from behind, impulsively burying his face into Rich’s sweater. Rich jumps, startled, and turns around, Taron resuming his hold on him once he’s facing him. “Let me go,” Rich mutters, half-heartedly. 
“You, my love, need to calm down,” Taron says softly. “I know you’re nervous, but everything’s going to be just fine. Our families are going to get along wonderfully, and the house is beautiful, and you’re beautiful. It’s all going to be great.” Taron leans up and gives Richard a slow, soft kiss. Richard leans into him, allows Taron’s arm to tighten around him protectively, allows himself to enjoy it. Rich is taller, and bigger, and stronger than Taron, but he will always himself to be held by him. He feels safe, and when they pull away from each other, he feels calmer. Calm enough to go in the kitchen and help with the meal, and calm enough not to fidget with any more of the Christmas decorations. 
(He does sneak in one last cleaning of the bathroom counter, though.)  
-----
A few hours later, Richard’s family arrives: his mum and dad, one of his sisters, and his little niece. The next few days are spent in a flurry of activity, presents, good food and even better company. Taron’s right, of course, and everything goes smoothly. Their families get along, they always have. Their mums have become great friends, and Rich’s dad fits right in, as well. Taron’s delighted to see that his sisters and Rich’s niece are getting along, as well. They’re close in age, and they spend the next couple of days playing with each other’s toys, chasing each other in stockinged feet as they race around the house. The most surprising part of the holiday is just how smoothly everything goes. None of the food gets burned, no one gets into a fight, there is no drama whatsoever. It’s like a Christmas out of a book or a movie. 
Well, there is one other thing that catches Taron by surprise. He realizes it on December 26, the day before everyone is due to head back home. He’s sipping gently from a drink, something Rich’s dad has made. He has no idea what’s in it but it’s strong, and his head is just a little bit fuzzy. It warms him from the inside out, and as he watches Richard play with his niece on the floor in front of him, he realizes he’s spent precious little of the holiday with his husband, even though they’ve been in the same house. 
All weekend it’s been a blur of tiny voices yelling “Uncle Richie!” or “Rich, look at this!” or “Richard, come play with us!”. His sisters and Rich’s niece absolutely adore him, and he’s spent most of his time playing with their toys, reading them stories, making crafts with them. Taron’s always been an involved older brother, but Rich is next-level with the kids, devoting his time and attention to them. As a joke, Rich’s sister had bought he and his niece matching pajamas for Christmas, and they’re both decked out in them now: green dinosaur pajama onesies, complete with a hood and a tail. Taron watches as Rich places the last Lego on top of a giant tower, and chuckles at the steely glint in his niece’s eye. One well-aimed kick and the tower tumbles down, and Richard pretends to growl angrily at her before scooping her up into his arms and tickling her belly. Taron’s heart flutters, melts, as he watches. 
He feels the space on the couch next to him shift as Rich’s sister sits next to him, holding her own drink. He looks over and smiles at her, and she smiles back before they both turn and watch Rich. 
“They’re precious together, eh?” Rich’s sister asks, and Taron nods. 
“They really are.” 
“I love watching them together. She absolutely adores Richard. They don’t get to spend enough time together, it breaks my heart. But when they are together…” she gestures at the pair, who are now focused again on building up their tower of Legos. The intense concentration on Richard’s face is almost comical to Taron, if it wasn’t so adorable. 
“I’ve never seen this side of him,” Taron says softly and Rich’s sister smiles. 
“He’s a completely different person with her. Not that he’s not always lovely, but it’s just...different. Special.” They both take a sip of their drinks and then she says, quietly, “Have you guys ever thought of, you know. Having kids?”
Taron pauses for another moment. “We haven’t discussed it.”
“Sorry, am I being too nosey? Richard would kill me,” she says with a small smile and Taron smiles back. 
“Not nosey at all. It’s just...something we haven’t talked about yet. But seeing him with her...it’s something else, you know?” he says, and she nods in agreement.
---------
Taron’s family leaves earlier in the day, his mum crying as she kisses her son goodbye, his sisters clinging tightly to Taron and Richard both in turn. Richard’s mum, dad and sister set out later in the day, and before Taron knows it, it’s time for them to leave for the airport. 
They drive to the airport and say their goodbyes. Richard’s niece clings to him with ferocity, and what really tugs at Taron’s heart is that Rich is clinging just as tightly. 
“Come on, love,” Rich’s sister says softly, gently prying the little girl away from her uncle. She wails, and burrows into her mother reflexively. Richard rubs her back. 
“I’m gonna come see you so soon, okay? It’ll only be for a little while, us being apart,” Rich says soothingly. He hugs his sister and parents goodbye; they hug Taron and then they’re off. They watch them walk away and then head back to the car, Richard holding onto Taron’s hand tightly. Their ride home is quiet, punctuated only by Richard sniffling, every so often. 
When they get home, the house is quiet. It feels empty and lonely, and Taron can tell that Richard is feeling the same that he is. He looks at Richard’s face, and watches as it crumples. Taron pulls him in, tight to his chest, and wraps his arms around Rich. He rubs slow, small circles on Rich’s back, whispers soothing words into his ear. “S’okay, Richie. It’s gonna be okay. I know you’re sad, but we’ll go see them soon.” 
Rich sniffles and nods, his face buried into Taron’s shoulder. “I can’t help it, that little peanut just means so much to me. We always have the best time together. I’m always so sad when we have to leave each other.” 
Taron nods, and they stay like that for a while, the two of them holding each other, caught in a moment of emptiness.
---------
The next few weeks go by and everything returns to normal. Richard and Taron are busy with their respective projects, and they return to the every day hustle and bustle of their normal lives. In his free moments, however, Taron finds himself thinking about his conversation with Richard’s sister.  
He hadn’t been lying when he said the subject of children was something they hadn’t talked about. With their busy schedules and the wedding and moving into the house, they just hadn’t found the time to talk about it. It seems silly, now that Taron thinks of it, to ignore a subject as big as this one. In truth, he hasn’t given much thought to children on his own. But he can’t get the images of Richard with his niece and T’s sisters out of his mind, and he has done nothing all week but picture the two of them with their own child.
He pictures bath time and Christmas card photos and school plays. He sees the two of them reading stories, dressing up for Halloween, and baking cookies with their son or daughter. He sometimes looks at their spare bedrooms and imagines the two of them transforming one of them into a nursery, painting the walls, setting up a crib, putting together a rocking chair. It has become his own secret fantasy, one he hasn’t indulged his husband in yet, and he isn’t sure how to bring it up. He can’t imagine a world in which Richard doesn’t want a child with him, not after how he’d seen him on Christmas with his niece. 
-------
Which is why it comes as a shock when, a week later over a glass of wine, Richard says no, he’s never wanted children, when Taron brings it up to him. 
They are sitting on the sofa, and Taron has started a fire in the fireplace. The lights are low and everything is soft, and they’ve just had a lovely meal and Taron decides that tonight’s the night. He’s never been one to ruminate on things alone for long, and so he starts the fire, pours two glasses of red wine, and burrows deep next to his husband. “What do you think about...having kids?” Taron asks, and he stills when Rich nearly chokes on his wine. 
“Oh, God no,” Rich says, taking a long drink of wine. “I’ve never wanted children.” A beat of silence fills the room, and he glances down at Taron, who has wriggled away from being tucked beneath Richard’s arm. “Why do you...T, do you want children?” 
Taron’s face flushes a bright pink, and he looks everywhere but at Richard’s eyes. “Well...yeah, Rich, I kind of do.” 
Richard’s eyes widen to the size of saucers. “You’ve never said anything before.” 
“Well, I never even considered it before, but...what do you mean you don’t want children? I saw you with your niece and my sisters over the holidays, you’re brilliant, they love you and you love them. I thought…” Taron trails off, unable to think of anything else to say. 
“Well, yes, of course I love the kids, but...they go home, you know? I get to have fun with them and then my niece goes back to my sister and she gets to deal with the tantrums and the homework, and whatnot,” Richard says, taking another long drink of wine. 
“You’re so good with them, though,” Taron says, feeling lame, feeling like he’s been backed into a corner.
“I’m good with them, yes, but full time? Being responsible for an entire human life? I can’t handle that, T.”
Taron reaches over, grabs Rich’s hands with his own. “Oh, love. Yes, you can. If anyone can, it’s you. Actually, if anyone can, it’s us,” Taron says, giving Richard a confident smile. 
Richard scowls, just a touch. “Taron, you’re not listening to me, okay? Being a parent is more than matching pajamas and building a Lego city. It’s...it’s doctor’s appointments and discipline and making sure they eat their vegetables. It’s dealing with all of their problems and school calling when they misbehave. It’s making sure he or she turns into a good person, and I don’t think I can handle that responsibility. I don’t think I want that responsibility. With our work schedules, and our careers in general, plus just...I don’t know. I can’t.” 
RIchard finishes his speech and then chances a look at Taron’s face; he immediately regrets it. Taron’s face has crumpled. He looks devastated, and Richard reaches over and tries to kiss Taron, but T pulls away. He drops Rich’s hands and backs away on the couch, pushes himself to his feet. 
“I just...need a minute,” Taron says, and goes upstairs.
---------- 
‘A minute’ turns out to be three days. Taron avoids Richard for three days. He turns away from him in bed, showers and leaves the house by the time Rich gets up, and sits next to him on the couch in the evening and says almost nothing. 
Richard’s strategy is to leave him be, let him feel whatever he’s feeling. He’ll talk to Taron when Taron’s ready. But by the third evening of near-complete silence, he decides that it’s been long enough. 
They are watching TV, some obscure baking competition (Taron’s favorite, Rich’s way of trying to draw him out), and on the commercial, Richard punches the ‘mute’ button on the remote. He turns towards Taron, and God, he’s beautiful, even like this, he thinks. Taron’s face is impassive, and he can’t tell at all what he’s thinking. It scares him, just a bit, because he’s always been able to tell what’s going through his husband’s mind. 
“Taron,” Richard says softly, but Taron’s face remains stony, staring forwards. “Love.” 
Finally, Taron turns and looks at him, and there are tears shining in his blue-green eyes. A lump forms in Richard’s throat. “Oh, bubs,” he says quietly, and Taron swipes at his eyes hurriedly. “Please don’t be angry with me.” 
“I’m not angry!” Taron bursts out, and Richard nods quickly. “I’m not angry, Richie, I’m upset. I’m sad. I know I shouldn’t have, but I let myself get hopeful about this.” 
Rich takes a deep breath and waits for a minute. Taron is crying, just lightly, and Rich takes him in his arms. They stay like that for a short while, holding each other, pretending that this is just an ordinary night, an ordinary conversation. Richard presses a soft kiss on the top of Taron’s head before speaking.. “I’m sorry, T. I wish I wanted this like you do.” 
Taron wrestles away from him abruptly, saying nothing but extracting himself from Richard’s arms and going back to his separate side of the couch. Richard sighs. “I knew you were mad.” 
“If you can give me three good reasons why you don’t want to have a child with me, then I won’t be upset. Three reasons that don’t have to do with our careers and the responsibility, because schedules can be rearranged and we’re both adults and can handle the responsibility,” Taron says, an edge to his voice, his eyes hardening in a way that Richard has never seen. 
He pauses for a moment and then says, gently, “I don’t need three reasons why, T. ‘I don’t want to’ is reason enough.” 
Taron nods, and gets up from the couch. “I’m having a shower.” 
Richard watches him go, wishing he could say something, anything. He wishes he could tell Taron that he’s afraid, more than anything else. He doesn’t feel like he’d be a good father, he feels like he’d fail a child, and he wishes he could tell Taron that it has absolutely nothing to do with him or their relationship. Instead, he watches his husband leave the room, hears the bedroom door slam from across the house. He closes his eyes.
--------
The warm water is soothing as it pours down his shoulders and back, but it doesn’t change the reality of what’s happening in his personal life. He doesn’t know if the reason Rich doesn’t want to have kids because of a personal preference, or if it’s because of some failing in himself or their marriage. He wishes he could convey to Rich that he’ll love him no matter what, but this hurts, it really hurts, and he hadn’t realized how badly he wanted to have kids until the option of it was taken from him. 
It’s true, he thinks as he towels off and changes into his pajamas. He will always love Richard and this won’t change that. But it might change something, just a bit. He goes into the living room to find him and tell him that, but the room is empty. Richard isn’t in the kitchen, the den, the office. He finally checks one of the guest rooms and sees Rich’s still form in the darkness, curled into himself in the bed. Taron feels like he’s going to cry again. Nothing will change the way he loves Rich, but can the same be said when it’s the other way around?
---------
The next morning, Richard is awake and eating a bowl of cereal when Taron comes downstairs. His eyes flick up and catch Taron’s, and he offers the tiniest of smiles. 
“Figured you were mad,” Taron says, his voice still husky from sleep as he reaches for the cornflakes and pours himself a bowl. 
“I wasn’t mad. I just thought you might need your space. And I...I needed some space as well,” he admits, continuing to eat. 
“I see,” Taron says curtly and Rich chuckles softly. 
“Taron. Hey, look at me,” he says after a moment, when it becomes clear that Taron’s ignoring him and focusing intently on his cornflakes like a child. “Bubs. I have something I need to discuss with you.” 
Finally, Taron sighs dramatically and looks up at him. “What?” 
“I’m going to see my family for a few days. Just for a few days, a week, tops. I need to clear my head and I miss them,” Rich says, and his voice is soft and low and he is trying to break this gently, but Taron’s face registers the shock he’s feeling. 
“You’re leaving?” he asks quietly, and Richard sighs. 
“I’m not leaving you, I’m just...yeah, I guess I’m technically leaving, but it’s only for a few days. A week at the most. This isn’t a separation or anything, darling, I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed and I need my family right now,” Rich says, reaching over and trying to take Taron’s hand, although he jerks it away. 
“I’m your family, Rich. At least I thought I was,” Taron says, and Rich can tell that he’s angry. 
“Bubs, you are my family, you know that, I just meant…” Rich says hurriedly. Taron holds up his hand and cuts him off. 
“So I’m your family but I’m not part of that family,” Taron says flatly. In the back of his mind, he knows he’s being obstinate for no reason. He knows that it’s perfectly okay for Richard to take some time to go see his parents and his sisters. But right now he feels himself being petulant because he’s hurt and sad and this isn’t how he is, this isn’t how they are together. 
Richard sighs. He can tell that nothing he says is going to be enough for Taron, and, simply put, he doesn’t feel like digging himself any further into the hole. “Taron, you know in your heart that’s not true. You know that. I don’t know what’s going on between us right now but I need a minute to get my head back on straight, and I think you need that time, too. I’ll see you soon.” Richard kisses Taron’s cheek, gently, and reaches down to grab his suitcase before heading out of their home and into the cold morning air.
-----------
Rich heads straight to his sister’s as soon as he arrives and spends the afternoon with his niece. He picks her up from school and takes her for ice cream, lets her get two scoops even though it’ll ruin her dinner and insists on whipped cream. Then he helps her with her homework, his patience never waning even when she gets frustrated.
After his sister comes home, he helps her cook dinner, and they eat together, the three of them while he listens to his niece chatter sweetly, grinning and in her element with her mom and her favorite uncle.
 After dinner, he helps with bathtime and spends the rest of the evening on the floor, making tiny plastic dolls talk with a high-pitched voice that he’d sooner die than let anyone else hear. He plays the part of the egregiously wronged college girl whose boyfriend has dumped her for the other doll. He chuckles as he watches his niece prance around her dollhouse, marvels at her attitude and spunk.
At half past eight, he lays his doll down and says, “Alright, love, I think it’s time for bed.”
She plants her tiny hands on her tiny hips and shakes her head angrily. “No! I want to keep playing!”
“Listen to Uncle Rich, darling,” his sister calls from across the room, absorbed in her novel, grateful for a break and more than willing to let Rich take over.
“We can play again tomorrow, but tonight, it’s time for sleep. Come on, I’ll read you a story,” he says softly, tweaking her gently on the nose. She sighs dramatically but nods, and Richard scoops her up into his arms.
When his sister comes to check on them twenty minutes later, they’re both asleep in her bed, Rich’s niece burrowed into his side, his arm around her tightly. She watches them both for just a moment before snapping a quick picture with her phone, and then she shakes Rich awake gently. He looks around, bleary-eyed, then lays down the book he’d been reading and gently lays his small niece down in her bed. He kisses her forehead, softly, and then tiptoes out with his sister into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.
Once they’re back in the living room, Rich’s sister pours him a glass of wine and they sink down next to each other on the couch. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. I’m beat,” he says with a sheepish smile, and she nods, sipping slowly and looking contemplative. “What?” he asks, knowing his sister long enough to know when she’s got something on her mind.
“So, tell me again why you don’t want to have children with Taron?” she asks, almost nonchalantly. Rich nearly chokes on his wine, and thinks, vaguely, that he ought to avoid drinking with the people he’s closest to, because it inevitably leads to a discussion about children.
“What on earth are you talking about?” he asks, and she rolls her eyes.
“Don’t play dumb with me. I watched you pick up your niece from school, help her with her homework, cook dinner, give her a bath, play with her, and then read her a story. Very lovingly, I might add. And you didn’t look miserable.”
“That’s different.”
“Explain,” she says shortly.
“This isn’t permanent, this is just for a few days until I go home. Maybe I don’t want to do this permanently,” Rich says, trailing off lamely. He knows she will see through it.
His sister chuckles. “Richard Madden, I have known you all our lives, and that’s crap. You’re scared. And that’s valid, because having a kid is scary! It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done. But it’s so worth it. I promise. You can do this.” Richard’s sister reaches out and squeezes his hand, and he takes a deep breath.
He thinks of his niece upstairs, sleeping soundly. He imagines that he is home, with his husband, with the one great love of his life. He imagines that it is their child sleeping safely upstairs. They are exhausted from a long day at work and the dishes need to be done and bedtime has taken an entire bloody hour that night. But he imagines that they have a child upstairs, his or her arm curled protectively around a stuffed animal, his or her cheeks flushed with sleep and lost in dreams. He imagines raising this tiny human with the one great love of his life, and he feels something swell inside of him, some beacon of hope or light.
-----------
Richard takes a few more days with his sister and niece, and when he returns home he feels fresh and rested and when he opens the front door and sees Taron, he nearly bowls him over as he rushes at him.
Taron lets out a whoosh of air in surprise, but tightens his arms around his husband regardless. “Missed you,” he says softly, and Richard can tell he means it.
He intends to say ‘missed you, too’, intends to do nothing more than bury his face into Taron’s soft sweater. But his sweater smells like him and it smells like home and he is filled with an overwhelming rush of love, and he blurts out, “Have a kid with me.”
There’s a long moment of silence where Richard’s words hang between them, fat and heavy and full of potential. “Don’t mess with me,” Taron says quietly, and Richard smiles a little. He looks up from his vantage point and smiles bigger.
“I’m not messing with you. If you still want to, I...I want to have a kid with you,” Richard says, liking the way the words sound coming out of his mouth.
Taron laughs, really laughs, and kisses Richard full on the mouth. “What...happened? Are you sure? What changed your mind?” The words tumble over themselves and come out in a rush, Taron’s so happy.
“I’m sure. I...my sister helped me to see that I’m just scared. I still am, in a lot of ways. But the idea of having children just seemed so...hard and scary and impossible. I couldn’t picture myself as a father, my insecurities just screamed at me whenever I imagined it. But then I spent some more time with my niece and I thought about...well, I thought about you,” Rich says shyly. Taron is rubbing slow circles on his back and listening, and at this he stops for just a moment, unable to believe what Richard’s saying.
“What about me?” Taron asks quietly.
“Well, look at this life, T. Look at this life we’ve built. This home and this relationship we have. The truth of it is...you’re it, bubs. You’re it for me. The moment I met you, I fell, hard, and I’ve never been the same since. My fear over having kids pale in comparison when I’ve got you with me. We will be the most amazing Dads, T. The most amazing Dads,” he says quietly, and reaches out with his thumb to wipe away a tear that’s winding its way down Taron’s face.
“We absolutely will,” Taron whispers, and then he’s kissing Richard again and it is everything.
“I’m going to need you, T, because I’m still scared,” Richard says and Taron nods.
“I’m confident enough for us both,” he says, “and I’ll believe it until you can believe it all the time, too.”
“It won’t be long,” Rich says, and he knows it’s true, as he imagines their child, caught between them both like a promise.
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Lego - A Background Of these Building Blocks Of Creativity
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disney lego books
Lego bricks. Creative imagination. Childhood. They go collectively like Mickey Mouse and Disney, wizards and Harry Potter. Lego has actually been part of childhood for more than 3 generations. Approximately every person under 50 has played using these setting up blocks of creativeness. There is absolutely no telling the amount of engineers and experts were being spawned by these plastic building blocks.
disney lego books
Lego is synonymous with plastic toy bricks which can be easily transformed into structures, space ships, autos, boats, trains along with a myriad of other toys. The hot button is that the little one receives to assemble the toy in the essential developing blocks. Every toy is usually assembled, disassembled and reassembled in ample new styles and varieties to tickle the creativity and extend the youngster's creativity.
These days, Lego is far a lot more the basic blocks invented in 1949. It truly is toys, topic parks, motion pictures, and CDs. Lego setting up blocks and various items are dispersed worldwide. These very small plastic bricks along with the company they have got constructed, absolutely are a phenomenon that has a results as extraordinary as Mickey Mouse.
Lego Bricks Turn out to be The Setting up Blocks Of Fantasy
Exactly where did Lego come from and just how did it reach be such a vital tool for childhood creativity?
Our tale starts in Billund, Denmark. It can be 1932. Learn carpenter and joiner Ole Kirk Kristiansen opened a new organization. His little firm makes stepladders, ironing boards and wood toys. He has just 6 workforce. No person might have imagined, but Lego along with the small creating blocks of creativeness had just been born.
Two many years afterwards, Kristiansen adopted the identify Lego as being a brand name name for his toys. The title is derived in the Danish words "leg godt," which necessarily mean "play well." Ironically, he later on found that Lego in Latin suggests "I place with each other." Lego has really come to signify "put together" and "play well" in virtually every language. At this time, all the firm's toys had been becoming produced from wooden.
In 1942, the Lego factory burned into the ground. Kristiansen rebuilt.
In 1947, the Lego Business grew to become the initial corporation in Denmark to buy an injection-molding equipment. It began producing plastic toy dolls together with other toys. The popular bricks had been yet being invented.
It was not until 1949 that the Lego business launched the automated Binding Brick, just a little plastic brick, some with four studs and many with eight. At this time, the company was manufacturing about 200 different plastic toys. The automatic Binding Brick was bought solely in Denmark.
By 1950, plastic toys became half on the firm's business enterprise. Ole Kirk's son, Godtfred Kirk, who experienced labored within the firm because age twelve, was appointed junior vp at age thirty.
In 1954, Godtfred Kirk built a trip to England to satisfy by using a purchasing agent. The paying for agent told Kristiansen that he imagined the automated Binding Bricks lacked an notion and system. Godtfred returned to Denmark. The Lego Technique was created. The following 12 months, Godtfred launched the Lego Technique at a toy honest in Germany. It was the main time it was released outside of Denmark. The outcomes had been disappointing. Kristiansen did not surrender. Later that year, the Lego System Engage in was formulated. It absolutely was an improved system for the Lego bricks. The Lego Technique Participate in was exported to Sweden, exactly where it bought well.
In 1959, Lego bricks as well as the Lego Technique have been introduced in Wonderful Britain, France, and Belgium.
It was not till 1961 that Lego bricks were being first marketed inside the U.S. and Canada. They were being a direct strike and distribution all over the world continued. From the close of that 10 years, 843 men and women in Billund worked to the Lego organization. The primary Legoland movie was made. In 1969, the DUPLO system for kids under age 5 was introduced.
By 1970, there were nearly one,000 staff members on the plant in Billund.
In 1980, the academic Goods Section was recognized. The DUPLO Rabbit logo was launched in addition to a study showed that 70 p.c of all Western European families with young children underneath age fourteen had Lego in their household.
As 1990 unfolded, the Lego Group experienced come to be one of the world's ten biggest toy manufacturers along with the only toy firm of that dimensions in Europe. The other people were in Japan as well as the U.S. Far more than just one million persons frequented the LEGOLAND topic park and Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen celebrated his seventieth birthday. Lego Publishing was renamed Lego Licensing and also the LEGOLAND Band issued an LP.
Along with the starting with the new century, LEGO carries on to expand. It's also ongoing to remain a loved ones owned enterprise. As of late, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the grandson of Ole Kirk, runs the company.
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The Young boy Along with One thing Additional.
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Christmas is close, so could you write soldier verse, where Henry realizes that in reality Santa is uncle little John. What is his (and his parents) reaction?
Many companies held holiday parties throughout the month of December and Robin’s was no different. He made sure they set money aside in the budget that could not be touched until it came time to plan the party, wanting to thank his employees properly for their hardwork throughout the year and boost their morale. The party was held in the office but was fully catered and a DJ was brought in to play Christmas music as well as oversee games. Especially the ones for the children as Robin always insisted that the parties be open to his employees’ families, even before he had his own. And at the very end, “Santa” came to visit and give gifts to everyone–young and old.
Robin was very proud of his parties.
“Does he always look like that?” Killian asked, motioning to Robin with his gloved hand as he clutched a glass of eggnog in the other.
Robin tilted his head as he studied his friend. “Like what?”
“Like the proud father watching his family have fun,” Killian replied. “I swear, your chest is even puffed out.”
“It is not,” Robin protested.
Regina chuckled, wrapping her arm around his as she rested Diana on her hip. “It kinda is.”
He rolled his eyes as he took the girl from her, bouncing Diana gently. “You ready to see Santa, sweetheart?” he asked her.
She cooed, waving her little hand at him as she flashed a smile revealing one little baby tooth. Robin took her hand and kissed her fingers. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You better go get Santa, then,” Regina said. “You can’t keep this one waiting.”
He nodded, kissing her cheek. “I’ll be right back. Can you and some of the others start rounding up the children?”
I’ll give you a hand too,” Killian said, setting his empty beer down on a table. “Should be some fun.”
“Do you define herding cats as fun?” Regina asked, raising her eyebrow at him.
He grinned at her. “The very best kind.”
Leaving his wife and childhood friend behind, Robin headed toward John’s office. The door was closed and he knocked on it. “John? You in there?”
“John? There is no John here,” a loud booming voice responded. “Only Santa Claus in here.”
Robin rolled his eyes and opened the door. John stood in the middle of the office, all decked out in his Santa suit. His hefty frame was covered by red velvet lined with white fur. A black belt with a gold buckle was wrapped around the middle of his coat. Gold rimmed half-moon glasses were perched on the edge of his nose and white hair framed his face, matching the long white beard covering his chin. His nose and cheeks were rosier than usual and he was just putting the hat.
“You get a little too into this, you know,” Robin said, crossing his arms as he studied his friend.
John chuckled, the belt bouncing up and down with his stomach. “I don’t know what you mean. I am Santa Claus, Robin.”
Robin rolled his eyes. “Fine. Come on, Santa. Your audience awaits.”
“Lead the way!” John bellowed, picking up the bag of toys he was to give out to the children. “And don’t forget the bell!”
“Can we not?” Robin begged, wincing.
John shook his head, holding out the bell to Robin. “You know what to do.”
“I humor you too much,” he muttered. But he rang the bell as he walked down the hall, John following the sack on his back.
As they approached the main room, Robin heard the cheers of the children. They all started chanting “Santa” in unison and he had no doubt that Will was leading them. He was sometimes an ever bigger child then the actual children.
Robin entered the room and stepped aside quickly as the children rushed “Santa,” clamoring around him. Roland was right up front, jumping up and down to get Santa’s attention. John laughed, guiding them over to the chair set up for him.
“Ho, ho, ho,” John said. “Now, boys and girls, have you been good this year?”
“Yes,” they chorused.
John paused, stroking his beard as if considering their answer. He then smiled, nodding. “I agree. So I had my elves make these toys just for you! Listen for your names and come get your present.”
He reached into his bag and pulled out a little box, smiling. “This one is for our newest addition–Diana!”
Regina approached with the baby girl, accepting the box from him. “Thank you, Santa. I’m sure she’ll love it,” she said.
“I’m sure she will too,” John replied, winking. Regina herself had picked out the set of Christmas themed pacifiers herself for Diana.
Robin had bought the gifts for Roland and Henry so he grew more and more excited as John handed out more presents to the children, waiting for his sons’ names to be called. He knew they would love the Star Wars Lego sets and he wanted to see their faces light up.
“Roland!” John announced, handing the present to the eager boy. “Merry Christmas, Roland.”
“Merry Christmas, Santa, and thank you,” Roland replied before giving John a big hug.
“You’re very welcome,” John replied before reaching into his sack to call the next name.
After a few more children, Henry’s name was finally called. Robin watched his oldest bound up to Santa and accept his gift with a “thank you.” He also hugged Santa but as he pulled back, Robin saw a peculiar look come across Henry’s face. He tilted his head and frowned as he walked away, sitting down next to his mother.
Concerned, Robin walked over to the table. He placed his hand on Henry’s back. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” Henry said but it didn’t sound convincing. Robin caught Regina’s eye and she frowned as well.
Before they could press him further, Roland had finished opening his present and had gasped loudly. “A Death Star Lego set! Santa is awesome!”
Henry’s eyes grew wide and he tore into his own present. When the wrapping paper was torn away, he let out a whoop. “The Millennium Falcon! Just what I wanted!”
With his mood improved, Robin decided to let the matter lie for the moment. He and Regina could address it later.
“Come on. Let’s go have your picture taken with Santa” Regina said, placing one of the new pacifiers in Diana’s mouth. It had a Santa on it, which moved as she sucked it.
The boys nodded, following their parents to join the line of other families waiting for their picture.
Henry and Roland climbed onto John’s lap, thanking “Santa” for his gifts. Regina then set Diana in his arms and they stepped back, letting Belle take some pictures of the family. She smiled at Robin and Regina. “They’ll be ready before you leave,” she said.
“Thank you, Belle,” Regina replied before going to gather up Diana. She helped Roland down as well and he waved goodbye to Santa.
Henry stayed on John’s lap, studying the man intently. Realization dawned in his eyes and he hopped down, a purpose in his step. Dread built in Robin’s stomach as he realized his son had just realized who “Santa” really was and prayed they didn’t have to have the “conversation” with him just yet. He didn’t want Henry to lose his belief just yet.
Their children were absolutely exhausted by the time they got home from the party. Regina carried Diana into the house while Robin did the same to Roland, dragging a zombie-like Henry behind him. They easily changed their children and tucked them all in, all concerns about Henry’s peculiar look at the party forgotten.
Forgotten until after lunch the next day, that was. Robin and Regina sent the boys into the living room to play while Diana napped in her carrier. They double checked all their lists, making sure they had gotten gifts for everyone and didn’t need to return to the mall. As they did that, Robin heard Roland say something he couldn’t quite make out but Henry’s response was very clear:
“You know Uncle John is Santa, right?”
Robin and Regina froze, their eye locked onto each other. He knew the same debate raged on their heads–did they let it play out or did they step in before they had two disenfranchised children?
“What do you mean?” Roland asked, confused.
“I recognized him yesterday when he gave us our presents,” Henry said. “It was Uncle John. He’s Santa Claus.”
“Do you mean he’s like one of the elves Santa sends out to learn what children want, like the mall Santa?” Roland asked.
Robin held his breath, praying that was what Henry meant. His heart pounded wildly and his stomach dropped as he heard his eldest say: “No.”
He had just started to push back his chair when Henry continued: “I mean that Uncle John is the real Santa Claus.”
“Really?” Roland asked, sounding excited. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure. I mean, he travels a lot for work, right? And he always says that Virginia is very hot, even when it’s cold to us. He’s also very knowledgeable about reindeer too,” Henry said. “And Christmas is his favorite holiday.”
They heard Roland gasp. “Uncle John is Santa Claus! Cool!”
“But we can’t tell anyone,” Henry said, sounding solemn. “Not even Neal and Eva.”
“Why?” Roland asked, confused.
“Because there’s a reason why Uncle John hasn’t told us, right? So we need to keep his secret or else he might stop visiting,” Henry reasoned. 
“Oooh. Okay, Henry. I won’t tell anyone. Promise,” Roland said. Robin imagined the two had just locked pinkies. 
He looked up, meeting Regina’s eyes. They sparkled with amusement and they both chuckled softly. It seemed their boys’ belief was safe for another year. He was just going to have to text John to give him the head’s up. 
John was no doubt going to have a lot of fun with this one.  
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midarecrit-blog · 6 years
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Father’s Daughter
Nikki and I were talking today as we were getting dinner and one thing she mentioned was, “Well, you are your father’s daughter.” This is the first time I’ve ever been referenced as anyone’s daughter and it made my heart flutter quite a bit. But it also made me realize: someday, sometime, eventually I’ll probably have to come clean to him about myself. Especially if HRT works magic.
My Dad is the type of person who says he doesn’t vote on party lines, but his viewpoints are about as fundamentalist as they come. My older half brother, from his previous marriage, has basically blocked our family. Dad feels like he’s failed his son because of this.
Growing up, I could tell we were always being compared--even if it wasn’t ever said. He was everything my Dad valued in a man. Strong. Confident. Extroverted. Popular. Charismatic. Sure he had his problems, like never holding a girlfriend, but he always had a new one. Sure he got that one girlfriend pregnant, but hot dang now he’s a Dad!
Meanwhile, I was weak. Timid. Introverted. Barely even had a friend because we moved all the time. I kept largely to myself and was immersed in games and LEGOs. Sure, I was smart and got good grades--but he always feared that I was a wuss. He told me that one time, to my face. After he woke up in the hospital one time, he said, “I always feared you were kind of a wuss. Turns out you can man up when it’s needed.” All I did was put a tourniquet on him. Sure, that was a huge factor in saving his life, but... really? “Man up”?
My Mom told me once that when she was pregnant with me, she wanted a boy. Boy’s are easier to raise apparently, was her logic. But my Dad wanted a girl because, well, he already had a son. So not only was I kind of always the second, but my Mom finds it amusing that he got his way without knowing yet.
I’m just afraid of coming out to him. He consistently believes that because “there’s no Gay Gene”, that homosexuality is a conscious, active choice. Nevermind that the brain exists and functions beyond the limits of DNA. I explained it to my Mom once as thus: DNA is the blueprints of the body. You can still make additions, changes, paint the walls, add and change and move furniture, change the landscape, etc.
He’s told me once, to my face, that trans people don’t exist. That we’re just a bunch of confused perverts who want special attention and need God to cure us. I want to tell him sometime, if God doesn’t make mistakes, perhaps His intent was for trans folk to be born this way. To live as trans, to learn to love ourselves, to find people who love us, or in some cases to teach love to those who don’t understand it.
But for now he’s one of the few people I definitely want to be in masculine around for a while. We’ll see what happens, but he failed to notice an entire wall of wreaths for a year and a half so he might not notice me being a girl.
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Cole Anthony Wants to Revolutionize Basketball (And Play Zelda)
“Come on, Cole!” It’s a sticky Saturday night in a rec center on the Upper West Side, and Cole Anthony, the most talented high-school basketball player in New York City—and arguably the preeminent point guard in the entire county—has just missed his third straight jump shot.
His obvious disappointment is quickly masked by unwavering energy and focus. Anthony nails a series of step-back threes with instinctive precision. His T-shirt, which was light gray 45 minutes ago, now resembles a gushing raincloud. Another exasperated cry echoes off the gym’s wall like a clap of thunder. “Short!”
A handful of middle-school-aged boys are dribbling around below two hoops that flank Cole’s basket. Each one pretends to ignore the sound, but not staring at its source —a blur of green shorts and white Nikes—would be impossible for anyone.
Anthony is as likely to toss a self-alley-oop off the backboard as he is to orchestrate a surgical half-court set. His game is capricious in the best possible way, with physical and mental characteristics that can’t be learned studying film or living in a gym (both of which he does fastidiously). He’s an immediate learner with a voracious appetite for information, and the older he gets—Anthony has played up a level in the AAU’s 17-and-under division for the past couple years—the more complete his game looks.
As the session strings through shooting drills aimed to quicken his release and attack in various ways out of a pick-and-roll, DJ Sackmann, a skills trainer who regularly works with some of the top high-school players in the country, asks Anthony if he wants to go a little longer than they originally planned.
He spins his head as if the question was “Would you like a piece of cake?” then trots to the corner and fires up another 10 minutes’ worth of jumpers. Once that’s over, Sackmann directs Anthony to stand about four feet behind the top of the arc. The postscript to this workout’s postscript is for him to make 20 NBA-range threes.
“20 in a row?” A devilish grin slides across the high-school junior’s face. He swishes eight before a misfire—short!—but eventually reclaims his rhythm. The ball doesn’t hit the floor. Instead, it flies from Cole’s fingertips through the nylon net to Sackmann’s reach below the rim…then back to Cole. I think about how long we’d be in the gym if anyone else in it had to sink 20 shots standing about 24 feet from the rim. Anthony wraps it up in under a minute.
“He has a different mindset as far as his work ethic is concerned,” Sackmann says a couple weeks later. “He’s very receptive to criticism and he’s willing to take everything in and try to work on his weaknesses to improve his craft. You don’t see that from any high-school kid, let alone a top-10 kid. He’s already a Division-I point guard.”
Two or three of the kids who were dribbling on the side have stuck around to watch Anthony wrap things up. Each has turned his basketball into a makeshift chair along the baseline, a few feet behind the net Cole’s jumpers are eviscerating. Free front row seats to watch a teenager who’s all-around flair and technical skill suggest he’ll someday compete in the NBA’s Slam Dunk and Three-Point contest.
Ray Lego
Coming off a summer in which Anthony dominated several circuits, invite-only camps, and AAU tournaments—all overflowing with the best prospects in the nation—the young point guard has begun to treat the present as daily preparation for what very well could be a lucrative future doing what he enjoys most.
“I think he has a chance to be the prototype for how the point guard position is played at the highest level,” says Greg Anthony, Cole’s father and a former NBA player turned basketball analyst for Turner Sports. “He’s what I call a natural basketball player. He’s not methodical. He sees it before it happens and that’s a special trait that all the great players have, is the ability to see things two, three steps ahead.”
Anthony’s days start at about 5:15 AM, when he arrives at a recreation center a couple blocks from his home. Andre Charles, an assistant coach from his PSA Cardinals AAU team will guide him through drills via FaceTime from Staten Island if he can’t make it in person.
Anthony is 6’2″ and is still growing. His primary goal heading into next season is to bulk up his trim frame, so before he ventures down to his building’s basement for an hour-long calisthenics workout, he chases a peanut butter sandwich down with an Ensure. Before he leaves for school, Anthony will inhale a plate crammed with pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
After school, he’s back in the gym to hoist some more shots up, then home to focus on his academics—according to a mandate from his parents, if he doesn’t maintain a B average, he can’t set foot on the court—before he climbs into bed by 8:00 PM every night. The routine hardly sounds sustainable for anyone, let alone someone who celebrated their 17th birthday a few months ago, but in addition to his unparalleled talent and surreal athleticism, it’s Anthony’s innate drive and discipline that will soon allow him to play basketball at whichever college he wants.
Ray Lego
“He truly loves the game every bit as much, if not more, than I do. I think the better he’s gotten, the more he’s wanted to improve,” Greg Anthony says. “It’s been a fun journey to watch thus far.”
Indeed, Cole’s future feels filled with endless possibility. As he sees it, “[The NBA] is really not that far ahead. If I play my cards right, do what I need to do, I’ll be in the NBA in probably three or four years? I’ve just got to keep my head on and stay focused.”
On the court, Anthony is simultaneously cerebral, steady, and relentless. He anatomizes defenders with ease and can already attack in myriad ways from all three levels. Duck under a screen and he’ll stick a pull-up jumper. If a defender steps up to take away the shot, Anthony, who first dunked when he was 14, will slip by and deliver a teeth-rattling finish. In June, he was named Co-Most Outstanding Player at the Pangos All-American Camp, an honor once awarded to James Harden, John Wall, and Harrison Barnes. The subsequent weeks were filled with impressive performances at an array of invite-only camps and tournaments.
“He’s a top-five-in-the-country athlete,” says Terrance Williams, Anthony’s head coach on the PSA Cardinals. “But he doesn’t rely on his athleticism.”
Towards the end of the summer, Anthony had the opportunity to meet Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving while his family vacationed in the Hamptons. According to Anthony’s mother Crystal McCrary, the four-time All-Star flipped the script and told Cole how much he loved his ability.
“He actually said he was a fan of my game,” Anthony says. “It was awesome.”
Ray Lego
Anthony is nestled near the top of just about every prospect list there is (For the Class of 2019, ESPN currently has him ranked sixth and Rivals.com has him fifth), but instead of worrying about who’s in front of him or what schools are rumored to have interest, he instead studies his peers at every position, reading scouting reports and absorbing film to get a solid understanding of those likely to become his friends and foes at the next level. All other elements of the process—contact with college coaches, scheduled visits, etc.—are controlled by his father.
“You want to feel good and be proud of the program and all it has to offer, not just on the court but off it,” Greg Anthony—who helped shepherd UNLV to a National Championship in 1990—said. “That stuff is really important because that becomes your family. And that’s gonna be a part of your family your entire life. So all that stuff will play a role and we’ll look more at it as he develops more.”
Thanks to his dad, Anthony can forget about college recruitment and zoom in on all the ways he can improve as a person, player, and student. Anthony enjoys playing hide-and-seek with his four-year-old brother, and sometimes wakes up at 3:00 AM to play video games for an hour or two before his day begins. His favorite, he says, is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. “I beat that game like three times already,” he adds.
There are few distractions in his life, and his family, which constantly demands humility, help prevent his ego from creeping in and becoming an antagonistic force. He feels no pressure outside that which he sets on his own shoulders. He doesn’t care about the simmering belief that he can be one of the most exciting guards to ever emerge from New York City, and comparisons to his dad don’t stress him out in the slightest bit.
“He is my dad and I’m his son,” he says. “There’s really been no disadvantages for me. Everything’s been an advantage.”
Ray Lego
Anthony hears his name whispered when he walks down the hall at school, receives complimentary DM’s from fans all over the globe (most recently from someone in New Zealand), was once recognized while on vacation in the Bahamas. Spike Lee, a family friend, is in his cell phone. The taste of celebrity is nice, but Anthony’s self-awareness and head-down concentration keep his priorities glued in place.
“[Popularity] is not something you can fall into,” he says. “I didn’t make it yet, so I can’t get accustomed to that.”
Though he may very well find himself shaking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand on draft day in the not-too-distant future, right now Anthony is driven less by NBA dreams than he is by a pair of crushing defeats he suffered in recent months. In early spring, Anthony’s high-school team lost in the Catholic High School Athletic Association championship by two points, with Anthony missing what would’ve been a game-tying bucket in the final seconds.
A few months later at Peach Jam—a Nike sponsored AAU tournament that pits the nation’s best programs against one another—Anthony led all scorers in an event that also featured Duke commit and future NBA lottery pick Marvin Bagley Jr., but his PSA Cardinals failed to make it out of pool play, losing in the final seconds to a team that went on to win the whole thing. (“That’s gonna be in the back of my head until I win Peach Jam, which we’re gonna do next year,” Anthony says.)
“How he handled defeat was really telling,” Greg Anthony tells me. The elder Anthony then imparts some wisdom he’d gleaned from Pat Riley, his former coach whose legendary idioms have become gospel among basketball fans. “[Coach Riley] used to say there are two things in competition: There’s winning and misery. And you have to embrace both. And the guys that embrace the misery oftentimes are your best winners because they know what it’s like not to win, and they’re gonna do everything in their power to not feel that misery.
Ray Lego
Since Cole was a small child, the act of competition was a minute-by-minute way for him to validate his supremacy at everything, but especially the most mundane activities—whether it was dashing past his sister into the bathtub before she could climb in, seeing which of his siblings could eat dinner the fastest, or brush their teeth the quickest. When he was still tiny, a foot race against a nine-year-old first taught him to hate losing. Anthony came up short by an inch; he was inconsolable.
“We were thinking ‘Oh you did such a great job. What an effort,’ and he was just crying and crying, and we were like ‘Why are you crying? You did such a great job!'” McCrary remembers. “He said ‘My feet are supposed to be faster than his. I was supposed to win.’ He was three years old.”
Anthony was born in Portland, Oregon, while his father was a backup point guard for one of the best teams in Trail Blazers history, then moved to Manhattan when he was still a toddler. (Greg and Crystal divorced over ten years ago.) He could throw a wiffle ball before he could walk, and as he grew it became clear to his parents that their son had uncommon agility. Competitive juices around the game of basketball started to bubble up right before he entered the fourth grade, when Anthony would frequent local parks and look to prove himself in pickup games.
He’d patiently wait for his turn on the sideline, eager to square off against kids that were five or six years older. At first they were amused: Look at you, little guy, little Cole. Anthony’s response was fiery: I’m not little. Stop calling me little Cole!
“He has dog in him, as they say,” McCrary laughs. (The one trait Anthony admires most in an NBA point guard is Russell Westbrook’s tenacity.)
Shortly after, he joined his first AAU team. At that age, Anthony’s talent level didn’t stand out relative to his peers, but he played with irrepressible emotion and a level of aggression that bled over from his desire to win at anything and everything.
“I used to call him the Charles Oakley of fouls, because when he fouled somebody, he fouled them,” Billy Council, the team’s coach, says. “So if you had beat Cole to a spot or you beat him to the basket, you best believe he was gonna chase you down and foul you hard so you won’t do it again.”
Ray Lego
Though his passion shined under Council, Anthony truly came into his own in the fifth grade, when Steve Harris—an established figure in New York’s AAU scene who also mentored NBA All-Star Kemba Walker—became his coach. After Anthony’s first game with his new coach, Harris, going off a gut feeling, told his newest player he could be the best kid in the country as early as next year—course-altering words that awoke a confidence inside Anthony that he didn’t know was there.
“He looked at me like I was crazy,” Harris says. “The next year he was the best kid in his class.”
That team utilized Cole at every position, in every role imaginable: On the wing, down low, at the high post. 25-point performances were the norm; he was the hub of their entire system. In one game against the top team in his region, Anthony’s squad entered as a 25-point underdog. Harris remembers how worried he was before the opening tip, until Anthony walked by and looked up at him, as if to say, Coach, keep your head up. We got this. We’re gonna beat them. We’re gonna run them out the gym.
In the end, Anthony’s team won by 25.
“When he steps on the court, you can see his whole facial expression change,” Harris says. “Like, he’s a lion. I see my prey, I’m going to kill it. I’m going to eat today…I talk about it with my kids to this day: ‘You gotta be strong-willed like Cole.’ That’s what separates him.”
As Anthony was about to start his freshman year at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, he decided to switch over to the PSA Cardinals, an AAU club that competes in the Nike-sponsored Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). The move allowed him to cut his teeth beside and against some of the best players in the country.
During that first year he was one of the youngest players in AAU’s oldest age group, on a team that featured several NBA prospects slated to play for Division-I schools this winter, including Mohammad Bomba at the University of Texas and Brandon Randolph at the University of Arizona.
Anthony still started every game while averaging double figures in points, then blossomed into the tip of PSA Cardinals’ spear this past spring. Not only did he become the first sophomore point guard to be named Defensive Player of the Year in the EYBL, but he also grew to embrace the expanded leadership role his coaches and father have urged him to accept. He’s conscious of how his body language affects those around him, and understands that each teammate is wired differently.
“I think his ultimate strength now is he’s learned how to lead individually, where he can understand and define different guy’s trigger points,” Williams says. “He knows one guy needs to be yelled at where another guy needs to be coddled; another guy needs a phone call. So he’s been able to expand his knowledge of leadership.”
Ray Lego
Anthony’s living room is spacious enough to fit several couches and a glass coffee table that’s neatly concealed by enormous books on Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, and The Image of the Black in Western Art. He lives with two siblings, his mom and stepfather Ray, an investment banker at Citigroup who played basketball at Harvard. Between towering windows that overlook Central Park, the walls are adorned with paintings by William Johnson and Norman Lewis that make the room feel like it belongs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. A black baseball bat autographed by Derek Jeter rests in a glass case on a mantel above the fireplace.
“Cole is a child of privilege,” McCrary says. “What we constantly remind him is ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ This could all be taken away in any number of ways.”
Given his surroundings, it’d be so understandable for Anthony to behave as if the entire world revolved around him. But his support system is wound by unbreakable cable. Everyone around him is there for a reason.
“It’s pretty unique,” Williams says. “It’s holistic. His situation is so pinpoint that no one gets into the other person’s lane. So like his dad has a role, his mom has a role, his step-dad has a role, AAU has a role, he has a role, even high school for a certain amount of time has their role, and then no one steps on each other’s toes but everyone is connected.”
Ray Lego
Impending fame separates Anthony from a vast majority of people his age. But he has also grasped his own good fortune. He has a selfless streak.
“He’s definitely learned compassion and appreciates his life and his upbringing,” Greg Anthony said. “And that in order to truly be the kind of person he wants to be, you have to be someone who’s willing to be generous with your time, whether it be to teammates or friends or those less fortunate.”
Over the summer he was given free shoes, shorts, and t-shirts as a participant of adidas Nations. Instead of keeping the free goodies for himself, he gave everything to an 18-year-old assistant coach who’s headed to college in the fall. “It just shows that Cole is mentally mature, that materialistic objects don’t trigger him,” Williams said. “And that’s a little different for his age group. Most guys enjoy that stuff.”
Anthony’s munificence applies to people he doesn’t even know, a reflection of the belief his family has instilled in him: To whom much is given, much is expected.
“I joke with him, like, I see him on social media and he gives away his sneakers,” Council said. “If a kid wants his sneakers he’ll tell them to hit him in his DM’s. He’s got more sneakers than a sneaker store, and he’s just a good-hearted individual.”
Last year, Anthony took a self-imposed six-month break from social media. “I just felt like it was a distraction,” he said. With over 53,000 followers on instagram, Anthony has a link on his page to a GoFundMe he started to help those in the Houston area who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. It was an idea that started after a conversation with his sister and mom.
“I see a lot of people on Twitter, on Instagram, just say ‘oh pray for…’, alright thanks for that,” Anthony said. “It’s not really doing much. I wanted to actually go make a change. I know I’m not physically there, but see if I can do something that’ll physically help them.”
There’s no way of knowing what the future will hold for any person (let alone an athlete) as young as Anthony, no matter how dominant they are or how much better they project to be. Guarantees do not exist in the world of sports. But reasonable optimism surrounds Anthony, whose ascendance is only accelerating.
“If Cole didn’t make it to the NBA, I would say it’s gotta be a bunch of politics or he just simply didn’t want to be there,” Harris said.
Again, so much can go wrong between now and then. Immense odds are stacked against each and every individual who wants to earn millions of dollars playing a game. But Anthony’s foundation foreshadows a happy ending; it’s admirable how well he balances confidence and wariness as the stakes around him start to rise.
Back in the gym, Anthony and Sackmann are working on a few advanced separation moves. In one fluid motion, he stabs the ball into the court, sidesteps back and to the right, then, without losing his balance, rises up a few feet to stick a jump shot. He gets the ball back and does it again. And again. And again.
Cole Anthony Wants to Revolutionize Basketball (And Play Zelda) syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6
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flauntpage · 7 years
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Cole Anthony Wants to Revolutionize Basketball (And Play Zelda)
"Come on, Cole!" It's a sticky Saturday night in a rec center on the Upper West Side, and Cole Anthony, the most talented high-school basketball player in New York City—and arguably the preeminent point guard in the entire county—has just missed his third straight jump shot.
His obvious disappointment is quickly masked by unwavering energy and focus. Anthony nails a series of step-back threes with instinctive precision. His T-shirt, which was light gray 45 minutes ago, now resembles a gushing raincloud. Another exasperated cry echoes off the gym's wall like a clap of thunder. "Short!"
A handful of middle-school-aged boys are dribbling around below two hoops that flank Cole's basket. Each one pretends to ignore the sound, but not staring at its source —a blur of green shorts and white Nikes—would be impossible for anyone.
Anthony is as likely to toss a self-alley-oop off the backboard as he is to orchestrate a surgical half-court set. His game is capricious in the best possible way, with physical and mental characteristics that can't be learned studying film or living in a gym (both of which he does fastidiously). He's an immediate learner with a voracious appetite for information, and the older he gets—Anthony has played up a level in the AAU's 17-and-under division for the past couple years—the more complete his game looks.
As the session strings through shooting drills aimed to quicken his release and attack in various ways out of a pick-and-roll, DJ Sackmann, a skills trainer who regularly works with some of the top high-school players in the country, asks Anthony if he wants to go a little longer than they originally planned.
He spins his head as if the question was "Would you like a piece of cake?" then trots to the corner and fires up another 10 minutes' worth of jumpers. Once that's over, Sackmann directs Anthony to stand about four feet behind the top of the arc. The postscript to this workout's postscript is for him to make 20 NBA-range threes.
"20 in a row?" A devilish grin slides across the high-school junior's face. He swishes eight before a misfire—short!—but eventually reclaims his rhythm. The ball doesn't hit the floor. Instead, it flies from Cole's fingertips through the nylon net to Sackmann's reach below the rim...then back to Cole. I think about how long we'd be in the gym if anyone else in it had to sink 20 shots standing about 24 feet from the rim. Anthony wraps it up in under a minute.
"He has a different mindset as far as his work ethic is concerned," Sackmann says a couple weeks later. "He's very receptive to criticism and he's willing to take everything in and try to work on his weaknesses to improve his craft. You don't see that from any high-school kid, let alone a top-10 kid. He's already a Division-I point guard."
Two or three of the kids who were dribbling on the side have stuck around to watch Anthony wrap things up. Each has turned his basketball into a makeshift chair along the baseline, a few feet behind the net Cole's jumpers are eviscerating. Free front row seats to watch a teenager who's all-around flair and technical skill suggest he'll someday compete in the NBA's Slam Dunk and Three-Point contest.
Ray Lego
Coming off a summer in which Anthony dominated several circuits, invite-only camps, and AAU tournaments—all overflowing with the best prospects in the nation—the young point guard has begun to treat the present as daily preparation for what very well could be a lucrative future doing what he enjoys most.
"I think he has a chance to be the prototype for how the point guard position is played at the highest level," says Greg Anthony, Cole's father and a former NBA player turned basketball analyst for Turner Sports. "He's what I call a natural basketball player. He's not methodical. He sees it before it happens and that's a special trait that all the great players have, is the ability to see things two, three steps ahead."
Anthony's days start at about 5:15 AM, when he arrives at a recreation center a couple blocks from his home. Andre Charles, an assistant coach from his PSA Cardinals AAU team will guide him through drills via FaceTime from Staten Island if he can't make it in person.
Anthony is 6'2" and is still growing. His primary goal heading into next season is to bulk up his trim frame, so before he ventures down to his building's basement for an hour-long calisthenics workout, he chases a peanut butter sandwich down with an Ensure. Before he leaves for school, Anthony will inhale a plate crammed with pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
After school, he's back in the gym to hoist some more shots up, then home to focus on his academics—according to a mandate from his parents, if he doesn't maintain a B average, he can't set foot on the court—before he climbs into bed by 8:00 PM every night. The routine hardly sounds sustainable for anyone, let alone someone who celebrated their 17th birthday a few months ago, but in addition to his unparalleled talent and surreal athleticism, it's Anthony's innate drive and discipline that will soon allow him to play basketball at whichever college he wants.
Ray Lego
"He truly loves the game every bit as much, if not more, than I do. I think the better he's gotten, the more he's wanted to improve," Greg Anthony says. "It's been a fun journey to watch thus far."
Indeed, Cole's future feels filled with endless possibility. As he sees it, "[The NBA] is really not that far ahead. If I play my cards right, do what I need to do, I'll be in the NBA in probably three or four years? I've just got to keep my head on and stay focused."
On the court, Anthony is simultaneously cerebral, steady, and relentless. He anatomizes defenders with ease and can already attack in myriad ways from all three levels. Duck under a screen and he'll stick a pull-up jumper. If a defender steps up to take away the shot, Anthony, who first dunked when he was 14, will slip by and deliver a teeth-rattling finish. In June, he was named Co-Most Outstanding Player at the Pangos All-American Camp, an honor once awarded to James Harden, John Wall, and Harrison Barnes. The subsequent weeks were filled with impressive performances at an array of invite-only camps and tournaments.
"He's a top-five-in-the-country athlete," says Terrance Williams, Anthony's head coach on the PSA Cardinals. "But he doesn't rely on his athleticism."
Towards the end of the summer, Anthony had the opportunity to meet Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving while his family vacationed in the Hamptons. According to Anthony's mother Crystal McCrary, the four-time All-Star flipped the script and told Cole how much he loved his ability.
"He actually said he was a fan of my game," Anthony says. "It was awesome."
Ray Lego
Anthony is nestled near the top of just about every prospect list there is (For the Class of 2019, ESPN currently has him ranked sixth and Rivals.com has him fifth), but instead of worrying about who's in front of him or what schools are rumored to have interest, he instead studies his peers at every position, reading scouting reports and absorbing film to get a solid understanding of those likely to become his friends and foes at the next level. All other elements of the process—contact with college coaches, scheduled visits, etc.—are controlled by his father.
"You want to feel good and be proud of the program and all it has to offer, not just on the court but off it," Greg Anthony—who helped shepherd UNLV to a National Championship in 1990—said. "That stuff is really important because that becomes your family. And that's gonna be a part of your family your entire life. So all that stuff will play a role and we'll look more at it as he develops more."
Thanks to his dad, Anthony can forget about college recruitment and zoom in on all the ways he can improve as a person, player, and student. Anthony enjoys playing hide-and-seek with his four-year-old brother, and sometimes wakes up at 3:00 AM to play video games for an hour or two before his day begins. His favorite, he says, is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. "I beat that game like three times already," he adds.
There are few distractions in his life, and his family, which constantly demands humility, help prevent his ego from creeping in and becoming an antagonistic force. He feels no pressure outside that which he sets on his own shoulders. He doesn't care about the simmering belief that he can be one of the most exciting guards to ever emerge from New York City, and comparisons to his dad don't stress him out in the slightest bit.
"He is my dad and I'm his son," he says. "There's really been no disadvantages for me. Everything's been an advantage."
Ray Lego
Anthony hears his name whispered when he walks down the hall at school, receives complimentary DM's from fans all over the globe (most recently from someone in New Zealand), was once recognized while on vacation in the Bahamas. Spike Lee, a family friend, is in his cell phone. The taste of celebrity is nice, but Anthony's self-awareness and head-down concentration keep his priorities glued in place.
"[Popularity] is not something you can fall into," he says. "I didn't make it yet, so I can't get accustomed to that."
Though he may very well find himself shaking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's hand on draft day in the not-too-distant future, right now Anthony is driven less by NBA dreams than he is by a pair of crushing defeats he suffered in recent months. In early spring, Anthony's high-school team lost in the Catholic High School Athletic Association championship by two points, with Anthony missing what would've been a game-tying bucket in the final seconds.
A few months later at Peach Jam—a Nike sponsored AAU tournament that pits the nation's best programs against one another—Anthony led all scorers in an event that also featured Duke commit and future NBA lottery pick Marvin Bagley Jr., but his PSA Cardinals failed to make it out of pool play, losing in the final seconds to a team that went on to win the whole thing. ("That's gonna be in the back of my head until I win Peach Jam, which we're gonna do next year," Anthony says.)
"How he handled defeat was really telling," Greg Anthony tells me. The elder Anthony then imparts some wisdom he'd gleaned from Pat Riley, his former coach whose legendary idioms have become gospel among basketball fans. "[Coach Riley] used to say there are two things in competition: There's winning and misery. And you have to embrace both. And the guys that embrace the misery oftentimes are your best winners because they know what it's like not to win, and they're gonna do everything in their power to not feel that misery.
Ray Lego
Since Cole was a small child, the act of competition was a minute-by-minute way for him to validate his supremacy at everything, but especially the most mundane activities—whether it was dashing past his sister into the bathtub before she could climb in, seeing which of his siblings could eat dinner the fastest, or brush their teeth the quickest. When he was still tiny, a foot race against a nine-year-old first taught him to hate losing. Anthony came up short by an inch; he was inconsolable.
"We were thinking 'Oh you did such a great job. What an effort,' and he was just crying and crying, and we were like 'Why are you crying? You did such a great job!'" McCrary remembers. "He said 'My feet are supposed to be faster than his. I was supposed to win.' He was three years old."
Anthony was born in Portland, Oregon, while his father was a backup point guard for one of the best teams in Trail Blazers history, then moved to Manhattan when he was still a toddler. (Greg and Crystal divorced over ten years ago.) He could throw a wiffle ball before he could walk, and as he grew it became clear to his parents that their son had uncommon agility. Competitive juices around the game of basketball started to bubble up right before he entered the fourth grade, when Anthony would frequent local parks and look to prove himself in pickup games.
He'd patiently wait for his turn on the sideline, eager to square off against kids that were five or six years older. At first they were amused: Look at you, little guy, little Cole. Anthony's response was fiery: I'm not little. Stop calling me little Cole!
"He has dog in him, as they say," McCrary laughs. (The one trait Anthony admires most in an NBA point guard is Russell Westbrook's tenacity.)
Shortly after, he joined his first AAU team. At that age, Anthony's talent level didn't stand out relative to his peers, but he played with irrepressible emotion and a level of aggression that bled over from his desire to win at anything and everything.
"I used to call him the Charles Oakley of fouls, because when he fouled somebody, he fouled them," Billy Council, the team's coach, says. "So if you had beat Cole to a spot or you beat him to the basket, you best believe he was gonna chase you down and foul you hard so you won't do it again."
Ray Lego
Though his passion shined under Council, Anthony truly came into his own in the fifth grade, when Steve Harris—an established figure in New York's AAU scene who also mentored NBA All-Star Kemba Walker—became his coach. After Anthony's first game with his new coach, Harris, going off a gut feeling, told his newest player he could be the best kid in the country as early as next year—course-altering words that awoke a confidence inside Anthony that he didn't know was there.
"He looked at me like I was crazy," Harris says. "The next year he was the best kid in his class."
That team utilized Cole at every position, in every role imaginable: On the wing, down low, at the high post. 25-point performances were the norm; he was the hub of their entire system. In one game against the top team in his region, Anthony's squad entered as a 25-point underdog. Harris remembers how worried he was before the opening tip, until Anthony walked by and looked up at him, as if to say, Coach, keep your head up. We got this. We're gonna beat them. We're gonna run them out the gym.
In the end, Anthony's team won by 25.
"When he steps on the court, you can see his whole facial expression change," Harris says. "Like, he's a lion. I see my prey, I'm going to kill it. I'm going to eat today...I talk about it with my kids to this day: 'You gotta be strong-willed like Cole.' That's what separates him."
As Anthony was about to start his freshman year at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, he decided to switch over to the PSA Cardinals, an AAU club that competes in the Nike-sponsored Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). The move allowed him to cut his teeth beside and against some of the best players in the country.
During that first year he was one of the youngest players in AAU's oldest age group, on a team that featured several NBA prospects slated to play for Division-I schools this winter, including Mohammad Bomba at the University of Texas and Brandon Randolph at the University of Arizona.
Anthony still started every game while averaging double figures in points, then blossomed into the tip of PSA Cardinals' spear this past spring. Not only did he become the first sophomore point guard to be named Defensive Player of the Year in the EYBL, but he also grew to embrace the expanded leadership role his coaches and father have urged him to accept. He's conscious of how his body language affects those around him, and understands that each teammate is wired differently.
"I think his ultimate strength now is he's learned how to lead individually, where he can understand and define different guy's trigger points," Williams says. "He knows one guy needs to be yelled at where another guy needs to be coddled; another guy needs a phone call. So he's been able to expand his knowledge of leadership."
Ray Lego
Anthony's living room is spacious enough to fit several couches and a glass coffee table that's neatly concealed by enormous books on Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, and The Image of the Black in Western Art. He lives with two siblings, his mom and stepfather Ray, an investment banker at Citigroup who played basketball at Harvard. Between towering windows that overlook Central Park, the walls are adorned with paintings by William Johnson and Norman Lewis that make the room feel like it belongs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. A black baseball bat autographed by Derek Jeter rests in a glass case on a mantel above the fireplace.
"Cole is a child of privilege," McCrary says. "What we constantly remind him is 'There but for the grace of God go I.' This could all be taken away in any number of ways."
Given his surroundings, it'd be so understandable for Anthony to behave as if the entire world revolved around him. But his support system is wound by unbreakable cable. Everyone around him is there for a reason.
"It's pretty unique," Williams says. "It's holistic. His situation is so pinpoint that no one gets into the other person's lane. So like his dad has a role, his mom has a role, his step-dad has a role, AAU has a role, he has a role, even high school for a certain amount of time has their role, and then no one steps on each other's toes but everyone is connected."
Ray Lego
Impending fame separates Anthony from a vast majority of people his age. But he has also grasped his own good fortune. He has a selfless streak.
"He's definitely learned compassion and appreciates his life and his upbringing," Greg Anthony said. "And that in order to truly be the kind of person he wants to be, you have to be someone who's willing to be generous with your time, whether it be to teammates or friends or those less fortunate."
Over the summer he was given free shoes, shorts, and t-shirts as a participant of adidas Nations. Instead of keeping the free goodies for himself, he gave everything to an 18-year-old assistant coach who's headed to college in the fall. "It just shows that Cole is mentally mature, that materialistic objects don't trigger him," Williams said. "And that's a little different for his age group. Most guys enjoy that stuff."
Anthony's munificence applies to people he doesn't even know, a reflection of the belief his family has instilled in him: To whom much is given, much is expected.
"I joke with him, like, I see him on social media and he gives away his sneakers," Council said. "If a kid wants his sneakers he'll tell them to hit him in his DM's. He's got more sneakers than a sneaker store, and he's just a good-hearted individual."
Last year, Anthony took a self-imposed six-month break from social media. "I just felt like it was a distraction," he said. With over 53,000 followers on instagram, Anthony has a link on his page to a GoFundMe he started to help those in the Houston area who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. It was an idea that started after a conversation with his sister and mom.
"I see a lot of people on Twitter, on Instagram, just say 'oh pray for…', alright thanks for that," Anthony said. "It's not really doing much. I wanted to actually go make a change. I know I'm not physically there, but see if I can do something that'll physically help them."
There's no way of knowing what the future will hold for any person (let alone an athlete) as young as Anthony, no matter how dominant they are or how much better they project to be. Guarantees do not exist in the world of sports. But reasonable optimism surrounds Anthony, whose ascendance is only accelerating.
"If Cole didn't make it to the NBA, I would say it's gotta be a bunch of politics or he just simply didn't want to be there," Harris said.
Again, so much can go wrong between now and then. Immense odds are stacked against each and every individual who wants to earn millions of dollars playing a game. But Anthony's foundation foreshadows a happy ending; it's admirable how well he balances confidence and wariness as the stakes around him start to rise.
Back in the gym, Anthony and Sackmann are working on a few advanced separation moves. In one fluid motion, he stabs the ball into the court, sidesteps back and to the right, then, without losing his balance, rises up a few feet to stick a jump shot. He gets the ball back and does it again. And again. And again.
Cole Anthony Wants to Revolutionize Basketball (And Play Zelda) published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
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