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randomshyperson · 2 months

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Five Times Carol Danvers Kisses You

Summary: The five times Carol Danvers kisses you until you two finally get together.

Warnings: Mentions but nothing explicit, a lot of fluff, mutual pining (and typical angst of trope), best friends to lovers, pre-canon-compliant (takes place before Carol is taken), kissing, happy(ish) ending. | Words: 4.836k

A/N-> As mentioned on this blog before, I absolutely love the dynamics of "Five Times Something" and after watching The Marvels I became obsessed with Carol Danvers, and here I am with something about my beloved blondie. It's short and sweet, and I didn't want to write anything too angsty but you can get hints of what's to come from the canon (Dr.Lawson being a Kree in disguise and what will happen to Carol). But the fic doesn't address this directly and ends up with a happy scene. Let's all live in denial.

General Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad

-&-

One.

“This is not a place to raise a child” was the justification your father used when he left. Funny enough, he didn't take the child, you, away from all the high-tech military weapons that he described as inadequate for a child to grow up around.

His lost, it what your mother said, an easy smile on her lips while she offered you a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. She still had some grease on her jacket and a lot of dust on her hair but she looked beautiful. That was just how things were for Wendy Lawson.

And because she was the best mom anyone could ask for, or at least that was what you would perceive it with your limited references of healthy families. She was the best because she would let you sit around while she worked for the Shield, casually teaching you advanced engineering like it was the same homework you had from secondary school.

That was the only life you knew: Afternoons of trying to stay out of the way of Shield Agents and their big weapons until you were old enough to have a gun yourself.

But before that time came, some of them worried you weren't having a decent childhood. Away from guns at least.

You don't know which of the Agents suggested to Doctor Lawson the kart track, but you wish you could thank them. Your mother, as the busy cientist she always has been, was not available to be around all of the evenings you wished to spend there but she trusted your independence to use the bus after school. Besides, you had the impression that there were always Shield Agents keeping an eye on you no matter where you went.

Só for three whole years, that old place was your favorite. You would run out from the classroom with the first ring of the bell to get to the kart track as fast as you could, and for all those three years, you were also the best runner there.

Of course, it cost you some bloody noose and bruised hands. Especially with sore losers little boys who were very unpleased to be second placed by some random girl. There were also the parents, who would whisper not very lowly on how absurd it was to let an unsupervised little girl in such a violent activity.

As luck would have it, someday you were no longer the only little girl around.

The Danvers were local, and you always thought there were only three of them. The grumpy father and the loud and popular sons. But one day, the one with the warmest smile, the youngest son brought someone with him.

His little sister's name was Carol. She had her blonde hair tied down and she looked ready to punch anyone who gave her a hard time. All the Danvers kind looked the same to be fair. Blonde, strong and angry.

Unlike her brother and their free pass to do as they please, Carol was constantly reprimanded by her father. Even there, in front of the whole crowd and runners, he would scream and pinch her ear, adding to the fury that shone behind Carol's little blue eyes.

The other children would whisper just like their parents but growing up with spies and secret agents gave you this second nature to sneak in and out of places without being noticed. You weren't supposed to hear some of the adults whispering how Mr.Danvers drank more than he should or how his older son was leaving next summer for the army with a purple eye he didn't get in the training. You weren't supposed to but you did.

So the next time Carol crashed a car with one of the other runners, you messed up your perfect record to help her.

Her dad screamed again, as usual. But he left, muttering she could find her way home since she was so clever and Carol had those thick tears in her eyes that made them bluer, so you were helping her before you could give a second thought to it.

She didn't mind that you took her hand and brought her to the administration lobby. She's more interested in knowing how the hell you knew how to get there in the first place.

When you told her you grew up with spies she laughed thinking you were joking. You decided to tell her more stories in the hope it would distract her from the pain of the cuts she got in her legs from the crash.

It worked.

Carol had colorful patches on both her knees when you two sneaked out of there to the bus stop. You could take her home if she wished because you knew a lot about public transport but Carol smiled and said she could do it alone; Her dad was often not around and with soldiers brothers, she knew a lot about doing things by herself.

Yet, she appreciates the gesture and the thought. Her bus should be here in 25 minutes so you sit next to her and let your healthy knee brush her bruised one.

“My name is Carol Danvers by the way.”

You have to chuckle at her line.

“I know who you are, Danvers.” You retort with an easy smile. She looks up with curiosity. You chuckle again. “You know your name is on the scoreboard, right?”

She laughs, almost shyly. You don't know that yet but Carol is not the best at making friends. Especially girlfriends because apparently, every girl hated how not 60s girly behavior she acted on as much as any boy.

You didn't mind. If anything, it kinda made you like her more.

“You didn't have to do that back there you know?” She starts over, fingers tugging at the bandaid you put above her knee. “Lose the race to check on me.”

You shrug, eyes on the road. “No worries. There'll be other races. Besides, you're the only real competition I get there. If you're not participating, what's the fun in winning?”

Carol's cheeks grow a little hotter, but you're both too young to know it has nothing to do with the sun above your heads. You offer her a smile and she gets up to signal to the bus.

But before she leaves, she turns to you again.

It's quicker than her crash that morning, the thank you little peck on your right cheek but is as meaningful as losing a three-year Invictus status on a track race for someone.

Carol nearly flees the scene once she catches the first glimpse of surprise in your expression. You were caught off guard, that's all. But all you can do is laugh to yourself as you watch her run to her bus.

Tomorrow, when you are back here, you'll find Carol so you can share your lunch with her. Today, you would walk home with no clue why the spot she kissed was tingling.

-&-

Two.

Shield Academy is not the army.

It is, as the name suggests, an academic program for the gifted-minded. It's a place where a child who grew up surrounded by the brightest minds on the planet can get it easily.

Well, of course, there's a lot of studying and tiring exams that you wouldn't describe as easy but when taking everything into consideration, the only place a brainy - or huge nerd as Carol would call it - could end up was there.

So while you had big dark blue sweaters with the Shield logo on them, Carol had worn out public school uniforms.

But she was doing okay. In fact, if anyone asked you, even though you were the nerd one in that friendship, for you, Carol was quite brilliant. She had a quick mind and such a strong, well, everything. She was as clever as she was kind. She was passionate about anything she cared for and she was easily your favorite person.

The kart track gave space for the public library and the green plains behind Shield Academia as you two grew up. Carol would take her bike from across town and spend the whole day after school in those green yards with you. Often, she had a football with her while you had a book.

And while you tried to escape your Shield colleagues, Carol would find her spot at your side. She would watch those training agents and wish to be like them, while both of you knew she would follow her brothers to the military when the time came.

But for now, you're sixteen. And Carol has been your best friend for almost 6 years now. You're not sure if friends have anniversaries or if it's something reserved for dating, and since you're not gonna ask any of the agents around, especially not Doctor Lawson, you just assume is okay to get Carol a gift.

She had been wishing for a walkman for so long - she had three already, all broke down during some of her naughty antics, from jumping into the reservation without remembering to take them off her backpack to get into a fight with older kids who thrown her stuff just for the fun of it. So yes, she had those before and she loved music but somehow she always ended up breaking them so you thought maybe because you were the one gifting it, she would be more careful.

You were right of course, but that's hardly the point.

Carol started to act strange after the gift. Even days later, during movie night at her house, she got quiet, which is definitely not a Carol Danvers kind of attitude, so you started to wonder if the present was a good idea at all.

That of course, until Carol clarified the whole thing.

“I got you something too. For, hum, the anniversary thing.”

You pinched her ribs, the nearly shy behavior was such an odd thing to testify that was actually terrifying you. Carol has been your best friend for way too long for that or anything to be awkward between you two.

But then again, adolescence makes everything weird.

You don't open the gift very graciously. Because you were in the middle of movie night, of course, hands full of popcorn butter and Carol was being weird and suspect that you just wanted to put an end to it.

You chuckle at her worn-out team jacket there.

“So your gift to me is your jacket?” You asked with a confused frown, watching your friend struggle with her words the next moments.

“No, I mean yes. But not, just that.” She starts and it's quite the scene. Carol Danvers not being able to talk when that's all she does. “It's my favorite jacket. I… really like it.”

“Do you want it back then?” You suggest with a confused laugh but Carol shakes her head immediately, her cheeks rosy.

“God, no, that’s not…” she takes a deep breath. “I like the jacket, a lot, but not as much as I like you. So I thought, maybe if I can give you something that I really like, it will mean…”

“Oh, I get it.” You say with a smile, holding the jacket against your chest as Carol switches the weight in her foot. “Thank you, blondie. But you don't have to give me your favorite stuff to show me you like me. You don't have to give me anything at all really. Perhaps, all you have to do is say it and I'll believe you.”

Carol nods, shallowing dryly, and without missing a beat, she repeats her words from before: “I really like you.” It's nearly a whisper, and the way she struggles to hold your gaze tells you everything you need to know.

You smile, aware of the warmth spreading in your cheeks and ears.

“I really like you too, Carol.” You tell her and with no hush, you put her jacket on. The blonde in front of you takes a shaky breath once the jacket is properly around your body. You're distracted with the new outfit to take notice of the new dark shine her eyes hold. “Gotta admit it, Danvers, I could totally worm the athletic style. I mean, I look super cool don't I?”

But your question goes unanswered. Carol moves forward, her hands grab the collar of the gifted jacket and just like the first time, she kisses you quicker than you can manage to process.

Her lips are dry against yours because she's nervous. Trembling and terrified. You pull away, and Carol has her eyes closed tightly, breathing unevenly.

You take a deep breath and lick your lips to moisten them a little and the second kiss is much better.

There's this soft noise she makes when you move your mouth but the second you feel her tongue on your lower lip, there's noise around you two.

As if getting electrocuted, Carol jumps away just in time for her evidently drunk father to stumble inside the garage.

Carol is not eight anymore, but she's the only one left in that house. Her older brother taught her five different ways to break someone's noose, but Carol still shakes like the leaves if her father is around with his harsh words and angry looks.

This time, however, he takes a long glance at you both. The guilty looks, accelerated breathing, and he just laughs.

The only thing he says is a slur that makes Carol flinch. Then he turns his back and climbs the stairs to his bedroom, passing out in the hallway before he can make it through.

“Carol, I-” You try but she forces a smile and nods at the door.

“Please go.” She asks. “I have to take him to bed and you don't have to stay.”

“But-”

“Please.”

You leave. And Carol doesn't bring up that night for the next two years.

-&-

Three.

Graduation means Army. More specifically, the Air Force because of course Carol Danvers wants to fly away from everything and everyone.

“Not everyone.” She frowns when you tell her that. Then she smiles, legs brushing yours at the back of her truck. “I would love to have you up there with me.”

You chuckle, giving her shoulder a little bump with your own.

“Sorry Blondie, you know I hate planes.” You joke but the shine in her eyes is deeper now.

“What about spaceships?” She insists it.

You sigh into the night, pensive for a second.

“Well, Mom would probably love it if I ever suggest anything that involves flying.” You say, breaking into a chuckle as your hand moves to the leg you have bent in that position, which allows you to trace your fingers toward your ankle. “Of course, anything other than my secret little Pegasus.”

Carol gives a compliance smile at the mention of the secret tattoo you got on her seventeenth birthday but continues to watch you in silence.

The stars are shining bright above you two, and the parked truck gives as much privacy as one could get in that neighborhood. If you and Carol weren't girls, people would make conclusions.

Perhaps they’ll do it anyway.

“What would I even do up there, Danvers?” You ask her because Carol is so passionate about flying that you're starting to wonder if she is able to see a whole different world up there that you can't.

This time, her hand finds you before her lips. She brings her fingers to yours resting on the truck and locks them. She gets closer and closer and gives you all the time in the world to push her back.

But she's Carol, and she's beautiful and she's your best friend. Why wouldn't you want to kiss her?

There's tongue this time. Hesitant at first then curious, until finally hungry. Of course, Carol Danvers is a good kisser, this asshole.

You break apart, to complain with a husky tone that is unfair but Carol only chuckles before kissing you again. And again. Until somehow you end with your back against her truck, painting into her mouth.

And Carol is seventeen years old and she's a huge virgin like you who really wants this to change tonight. Not just that, of course, but she's still a teen and that's exactly what she chooses to say in order to make this less life-changing than it is.

Because sleeping together as a way of ending high school without the V Card has a completely different meaning than sleeping together because you really want to ruin a friendship.

You swallow at her suggestion, aware that the heat in your veins doesn't cover for the way your heart just broke inside your chest.

But you smile and tell Carol you love her, making sure it sounds platonic. Just to hurt her just as much.

It works, but she kisses you anyway.

-&-

Four.

Maria Rambeau is the most incredible person you have ever met. She's clever and fun and kindhearted. It's so easy to love her and it comes so naturally, that you can't really blame Carol.

You also have no right to be jealous, you tell yourself.

After all, Carol asked more than once for you to at least consider following her to the Air Force. You both had military families, so it made sense for her that you both ended up following the same path.

You were not entirely excluded from that, of course. But unlike Carol with her soldier training, you had medical classes. And while she and Maria learned to shoot people, you learned to heal them.

That of course until the third year, when Carol's training moved to space crafting and yours moved to biological charts. The Pegasus was not the only military project available for you, and being home was good but every time you caught a glimpse of the empty fields near the station, you remember afternoons with Carol and the lack of her ache a hell lot inside your chest.

But visiting her at the base and then at a local bar was a bittersweet occasion.

Because time went by and Carol made a new friend. A lovely and brilliant and apparently less confused woman new best friend. Maria who made her laugh and blush and was such a great company that you couldn't hate her no matter how much the jealousy burned inside your veins.

Somehow, no matter how many dove eyes Carol threw at Maria, she didn't catch them. Immune to her charm entirely. You kinda wished she would teach you that.

The last free week you had was spent visiting Carol and ending up in a bar. But Maria's night was continuing with a good-looking soldier somewheres else, so yours and Carol's would continue with cheap drinks.

It was probably common sense, not to mix alcohol with feelings but you and Carol clearly skipped that class.

You ended up pressed behind the bar's wall in a messy attempt of drunken make-out with your former best friend.

Carol tasted like beer and the army's year changed her. Even drunk, she knew her way around a woman's body now and you had to force your stupid brain to stop wondering about who she had been practicing with. Perhaps Maria was not immune to her charm as you thought she was.

Just as things were getting out of hand, that is, it was probably against some army rules to have sex behind one bar in the military area, Carol pulled away.

She looked so good like that, with messy hair and flushing cheeks, her lips swollen due to the whole thing.

But her eyes were so sad. And you couldn't push the alcohol and the lust away to have clear thoughts on that.

“We can't do this again.” She declares with a seriousness that makes you swallow hard. “I can't.”

She stumbles away and you nearly slip down the hall on your shaky legs. Carol is looking for her car keys but she will definitely fall asleep on the seat.

To be fair, you kinda wished that night would end in her car seat, just in very different scenarios.

“Why not, Danvers?” You manage to question once the anger pushes a little of the alcohol away. Carol sighs tiredly. “Why?” You almost scream and she stops in her tracks, turning to give you a hurt look.

“I can't do this again, okay?” She retorts and she's drunk but she's so hurt. You can see it in her eyes and it kills you to think it is something you have done it. “I don't have the strength in me to get over you again”.

Your world freezes for a whole second. Your mouth is bitter suddenly.

“O-over me?” You repeat her words, confusion mixing with the pain you feel growing in your chest. “When… When were you under me?”

The question is the best of what your drunk brain can come up with but it's enough for Carol to understand.

She lets out a sad chuckle. “C'mon, Lawson. How could you not know? Everyone did. Even my dad, especially my dad.” She corrects herself then, bitterly before taking a deep breath. “It's past. It doesn't matter anymore. We are no longer kids, messing around with things we don't understand. I know what am I. And I know we shouldn’t. I won't jeopardize our friendship again for someone I cannot have.”

There are tears in your eyes, and Carol has the fucking worst timing in the world because your brain simply can't catch up with the meaning of this conversation with all the booze in the way.

“Carol, what are you even saying?”

She just smiles, giving a nod to the bar.

“Let's get inside, I'll get you a cab back to your hotel.”

She doesn't let you question further and the next morning, when the hangover barely allows you to open your eyes, Carol says the worst thing you did last night was try dancing with a Statue.

-&-

Five.

Doctor Lawson has been acting strange lately. She says it's work stress when she returns your calls and ignores your advice about her retiring.

You use your mother's stress as an excuse to come home, and it seems ridiculous that you have to invent reasons to see Carol, but she gives you no choice. Things have been very strange between you in recent months.

The house is a mess, and it's the first time you've worried about the possibility of dementia.

Strange phrases, disconnected words. You think about calling the head of Shield when you put Dr. Lawson to bed after making her some hot tea, but you end up calling Carol.

Your former best friend brings her old truck into your garage.

"Hey, blondie." She hugs you first at the greeting, and you sigh with satisfaction at the contact. You almost forget the stress of the whole meeting with your mother. "It's good to see you."

"I missed you." Carol says with a smile, squeezing you tighter before letting go. "What happened? You sounded worried on the phone."

You sigh before telling her everything you saw, standing there leaning on Carol's truck in the dim light of the garage. It's her turn to sigh when you finish.

"Good thing I brought beer." She comments, getting a laugh out of you.

You don't even notice the time passing that night, but it's like being back in senior year, sitting side by side in the back of Carol's truck, forgetting the world around you for a moment.

When the case of beers is about to run out, you've said almost everything you have to say. Carol thinks she needs to add something more.

"I know the circumstances aren't the best but... I can't say I'm sad." She begins, looking straight ahead, a half-full can of beer in her hands. "With the possibility of you coming to live here again, I mean. I've kind of hated Washington since you left. And Shield too, for taking you away."

You giggle shyly at this and don't know what to say to Carol, so you just decide to hug her. But you're a bit dizzy after the third beer and miscalculate your approach. You end up too close to her face and can see almost in slow motion how the blue darkens or how Carol chokes on her breath.

"I'm sorry, I-" you begin in a hoarse voice, but she doesn't let you finish. The beer can slips out of her hand as she uses both to pull your face towards her.

It's an intense, messy, and passionate kiss. Carol swallows all the sighs that escape your lips as she presses her mouth to yours. Her tongue doesn't ask for passage. You melt against her and try your best to match her energy, suddenly feeling very dizzy, unrelated to the beer.

Her hands move from your face to your neck and down to your waist. Carol mentions pulling you onto her lap, but the balcony lights flicker on and she grunts as she pulls away.

You're still blinking spellbound at the whole thing, trying to catch your breath as she stands up, adjusting her hair.

"Fuck, I shouldn't have done that." She mutters more to herself than to you, hoarse and upset. You swallow dry. "I'm so stupid."

"Carol."

"You're so fucking stupid, Carol Danvers, I swear to God." She ignores your call, continuing to curse quietly to herself. You frown, but end up looking at the porch; your mother has woken up and looks just as lost as before and you really need to check on her.

When you get out of the truck, you touch Carol on the shoulder, and she turns around almost in despair.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I'm leaving-"

"Carol, shut up." You cut her off and don't let her say another word.

She shuts up immediately. "I really have to get back inside, and make sure my mom doesn't turn on any water or store the cat in the fridge again." You chuckle apologetically, stroking her cheek. "But I need you to understand that this isn't a mistake, an accident or a thoughtless act after a few beers. At least it isn't and it never was for me. We need to start talking to each other."

Carol nods quickly, swallowing as she looks down at your swollen lips. "Yeah, talking is good."

You smile, and hear the sound of the cat in the house and think you'd better start running. "Later, okay?"

"Later."

But your mother doesn't have dementia. She's not even allowed in a regular hospital. Shield is strangely private about everything, but you're practically coerced into signing confidentiality papers about the current state of Dr. Lawson, who seems to miraculously improve after spending an hour in a room with other agents.

Carol is the only person you can talk to about things, and she has news of her own.

"Maria is pregnant." She tells you, with a twinkle in her eye, without waiting for you to finish absorbing the news. "And she wants me to be the godmother!"

You're happy for Maria, especially perhaps because she's seeing that handsome soldier and she and Carol have nothing going on. Also, you need to tell Carol that you can go back to Washinton now that your mother is better.

"Oh, I thought..." The blonde hesitates as she hears the news, trying not to look upset by forcing a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "I thought you'd decided to stay."

You're having breakfast in the living room of your house, Dr. Lawson is working upstairs. You swallow the bitter feeling of hurting Carol again.

"I would, for Mom. But why would I stay in Louisiana?" It's a rhetorical question because you both know very well what would make you stay. Carol laughs sadly, looking down. You get tired of pretending. " I would stay for you. I would stay for... us."

She looks at you in silence, a conflict of emotions on her face. "Don't be ridiculous, you can't just give up your career for a friendship-"

"Carol." You cut her off seriously, and she choked on her sentence, her eyes as tearful as yours. You give her a small smile, trying to ignore the way your heart is pounding in your chest. "You know that's not what I'm saying."

She swallows dryly, and despite reaching out to take your hand, she insists; "I'm gonna need you to say it."

"God, you're such an asshole." You gasp with emotion, laughing as tears of happiness escape yours and her eyes. Carol also laughs but waits. "Okay, Danvers. You've got me. I'm completely, irrevocably in love with you. I have been for a long time, maybe since the first time I saw you. And I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."

Carol almost knocks over the coffee table when she moves in to kiss you but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

#carol danvers x reader #carol danvers fics #captain marvel x reader #captain marvel imagines #captain marvel #marvel imagines

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justporo · 4 months

Note

Astarion doesn't know how, but he's somehow become a cat dad of Baulder's gate.

One of them has been catnapped by a new bad guy.

And he's about to go John Wick on their asses.

(spawn or ascended, dealers choice)

Oh, I love this idea but I gotta be honest with you I kinda struggle with writing something for the last part. But! How about I give you something about how Astarion becomes - unwillingly - the friend of Baldur's Gate's street cats? This is not proof read, just a headsup!

Unlike friends

Astarion didn't know exactly why it was specifically cats but out of all animals felines were the most relaxed around the vampire. Maybe it was because they acknowledged a fellow predator and his skills. Or maybe it was the similar independence of will, the spark of chaos that lay at the core - always ready to lash out and wreak a little havoc.

Already on your adventures, whenever there had been a cat they were often found in close proximity to the vampire, stroking around his legs in an attentive posture, rubbing their little heads against Astarion’s shins as if greeting an old fellow. Once a cat had even dared to jump on the rogue’s lap at one of the inn's you had stayed at. And had been lucky enough to be graced with Astarion’s careful, skillful caresses: his long fingers finding that spot under the chin to scrub it, long, slow pats along the spine, scratching behind warm, fluffy ears. The purring could have probably been heard a mile away.

The vampire usually tried to not let it show but he enjoyed the instances of coming across one of graceful creatures. For two hundred years of hunting in the dark, felines - from feral veterans that seemed to rule the streets of Baldur’s Gate at night to lazy housecats out on the occasional stroll - had always been delightful and often the only company on his late night hunts.

And Astarion admired the small animals for their common determination, proudness, stubbornness and independence - sentiments he felt very much inclined to.

And so after the vampire had settled down with you in Baldur's Gate, it came to happen that he - unwillingly - became a patron of the city's street cats.

Bringing home a forsaken kitten to take it in and give it a place to lounge on a warm pillow and be fed to grow up strong and healthy had merely proven Astarion’s first action.

Because when one night he sat in the small garden of your joint townhouse with the night-blooming flowers you had so graciously planted all throughout the small plot fenced in by brick walls and an overgrown iron fence, there was a visitor.

Astarion was enjoying a book by lantern light, a cup of wine next to him as he noticed her first out of the corner of his eye and immediately turned his head. With his heightened vampiric senses he saw a small black cat, crouching close to the ground, half hidden by a bush in one corner of the garden. The glinting green eyes were the only thing really visible of the small feline hunter in the dark. A human would have surely noticed the creature.

Being intrigued by the cat’s presence he observed her moving ever so slowly along the edge of the garden. It was quite obvious the feline was on a hunt.

And as someone who understood the importance of undisturbed stealth and stalking the vampire remained utterly still where he sat, merely observing. His ruby eyes flicked around, trying to find the supposed target. And he had to bite back a hiss when he saw that it was a fat rat - almost as indistinguishable in the dark as the cat - that sat in a seemingly empty flower pot: munching away on some seeds you had only just planted.

The cat prowled closer, paws moving slowly and silently and her whole body still crouched impossibly low to the ground. She neared the oblivious rat still munching away on some flower seeds. Then the feline readied herself to pounce, tip-tapping her soft paws in anticipation. She pounced.

There was hissing, clambering, clanking. The pot got knocked over. And even Astarion was barely even able to notice that the rat sped away and quickly wiggled away through some hole in one of the brickwalls. The cat went after it, trying to claw at it by sticking her front leg through the opening but it was already too late.

WIth another and this time very frustrated hiss the cat sat up again. She shook herself and then began to lick her paw while her tail swished around in annoyance.

Astarion smiled to himself as he observed the scene.

“Not every hunt can be successful, dear”, he said and grabbed the chalice of wine to take a sip. The cat’s head snapped around, green eyes immediately finding the source of disturbance.

She hissed again. Astarion huffed slightly.

“I merely pointed out the obvious. There will be another rat - there always is”, the vampire said with a grin towards the cat that narrowed her slitted eyes at him. Then he went back to his book.

The small furry creature though wasn’t done with the conversation though and slowly crept closer towards the vampire reclined on the chair reading.

Astarion who was now focused again on his reading again didn’t even notice. Itn was only when a raspy meow was uttered directly in front of him, that he put down his book again in surprise.

The small black cat was sitting in front of him now, tail still darting around in annoyance. In the lantern light it was now visible that the cat’s ear was chewed on and a stroke of scars crossing her eyes gave off the look of a seasoned fighter.

She gave another meow - raspy and very loud.

Astarion looked at the small angry critter in front of him.

“You’re not making me responsible for your loss, are you?”

(Meow!)

“Well, you’re not going to make a catch when you sit here meowing at me.”

(Meow!)

And with that the cat moved to forcefully rub her head against Astarion’s leg while aggressively starting to purr.

The vampire was taken aback, not really sure what to do with the random affectionate outburst. He just looked at the - rather small, as he now realised - feline wandering around his legs and positively headbutting him.

Then a thought sprung to his mind and he quickly jumped up, by that causing the cat to meow in protest. But Astarion had already thrown down the book and had went inside.

He’d remembered that there was some leftover cooked fish from your dinner.

“You’re done with this fish, yes darling?”, he screamed into the void of the house. You were dozing in the bathtub and didn’t even notice anyway.

He quickly put some of the leftovers in a bowl and some water in another before he went back outside.

The small street cat was still there, waiting begrudgingly and immediately hissing at the vampire as he came back.

“I’m doing something nice for you and that’s how I’m getting rewarded?” Astarion scolded the cat while putting down the two bowls in front of her. He clicked his tongue and then motioned towards the two bowls while settling down again, grabbing his cup of wine.

“Go on then! No need to complain anymore.”

The feline just slowly blinked at him. Then she sniffed at the bowl while eyeing the elf in front of her with suspicion in her glowing green eyes.

Meanwhile the vampire tried to act casually, opening up his book again but out of the corner of his eyes carefully observing the feral creature. And finally she indulged: gobbling up the leftover fish which probably was as much as a gourmet dinner for a street cat like her.

The street cat enjoyed her gratuitous meal while the vampire softly smiled to himself and returned to his reading.

When the cat was done, she licked over her snout profusely, spared the vampire a last glance and quick as an arrow darted off. Astarion had only been able to catch a black tail disappearing over a brick wall and clicked his tongue. “Not even a thank you, ungrateful little thing”, he said to himself but still smiled softly as he grabbed both empty bowls and carried them inside.

There he was met with your confused look as you walked into the kitchen while still toweling off your wet hair.

“Did you develop a sudden taste for fish?”, you asked your vampire with some suspicion. But Astarion just smirked at you.

“No, but a new friend maybe did.”

You frowned at him but let it slide for the time being.

Several days later Astarion had grabbed another book from his large pile of newly bought literature and with a chalice of wine in hand was just getting ready to take up his seat in the small garden. When he opened the door though he was startled.

A whole bunch of cats was sitting and strolling through the little garden - some seemed to be playfully chasing each other round, some were lurking from atop the brick walls or shyly hidden away in the bushes with only their eyes visible.

In the front sat the little black rascal Astarion immediately recognised. She cocked her small head at him, the chewed off ear twitching softly. She offered one of her rough meows. And quickly some of the others joined.

Soon all cats in the backyard were focused on the startled vampire who seemed rooted in place at the entrance to the garden. Some crept closer, starting to stroke around his legs as Astarion simply kept watching.

“Tav, darling?”, the pale elf screamed out towards the inside of the house. And alarmed by the tinge of panic in his voice you quickly came over and peeked over his shoulder with your mouth forming into a big “O”. Immediately, the street cats also started meowing at you, walking over to you standing behind Astarion and rubbing their heads against your legs.

“Well, Astarion - looks like you’ve made more than just one new friend.”

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #fanfiction #bg3 spoilers #astarion x tav #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate #astarion x mc #astarion x oc #astarion x you #astarion x reader #poro answers #ficlet #bg3

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sad-not-glad · 1 year

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We Know Something You Don’t

Pairing: Bucky x pregnant! Reader

Word count: 3415

Warnings: pregnancy symptoms, allusion to birth, tooth-rotting fluff

A/N: the second part to I Know Something You Don’t, This is going to become a series :) reposted, again, from the account I deleted like a stupid mf.

First part: Here

Bucky really was amazed at what the modern world could do now for expecting mothers. He had accompanied you to every doctors appointment and there was a healthy stack of parenting books growing on his bedside table. Everything that the doctor said he soaked in like a sponge, asking so many questions you had to tell him to stop more than once in your so far short pregnancy. They supposed you were only around 10 weeks along so you still had quite a while to go yet.

The best part by far was the ultrasound. Bucky was brought to tears when during your first appointment you both were shown the very first image of your precious little baby. He unashamedly began to brag on his child, praising them for growing so well and being so strong. He wouldn't listen when you told him that it was barely a tiny blob, because that in itself was amazing. One of the pictures now had a permanent place safe inside his wallet.

The one thing that was less than exciting to you both was the idea of telling your team the news. For Bucky it was the fear of judgment and potential for harm if anyone outside of your friend group caught wind of the upcoming child. Your fears revolved around losing your independence. It was bad enough that the team babied you already, you didn't think you could stand it if they got any worse. You valued your independence, and while you were on a leave from missions for the time being you had no intentions to stop your training. Maybe modify things a bit for your new condition, but you really wanted to remain active for as long as possible.

So the both of you kept dancing around the subject. Excuses for why you weren't going on missions, faking dates for doctors appointments, avoiding any situation where alcohol would be involved. Of course you knew that you couldn't hide it forever but it would be nice to adjust to the idea of becoming parents before they overwhelmed you with their own excitement.

Tonight was making that hard though. It was supposed to be a simple, slow evening in which everyone could be lazy and watch TV together. And it had been up until a few minutes ago, when Tony appeared with some kind of new takeout from a place that had recently opened nearby. The food is passed around and you decide on a serving of spicy chicken with rice. It was something you usually loved and you were sure this place would be no different. The first bite was… odd. You chewed slowly, poking at the chicken before cautiously lifting the fork to your mouth again. All at once the spice and smell and texture hit you as you threw down the container and made a mad dash for the kitchen.

“Holy shit-” There's the sound of something being tossed down as footsteps follow you. But that doesnt matter. Not when you're about to blow chunks all over the countertops. With one last strain of effort you launch yourself over the sink as you begin to vomit painfully. Carefully you feel two hands sweep the hair from your face into a makeshift ponytail as cold fingers press against the back of your neck. You heave in a deep breath before hurling again. Tears are streaming down your face and you know there's bile stuck in your hair and to your face, but all you can focus on is getting the sickness out of your system. After several grueling minutes of emptying your stomach you finally felt the nausea fade off.

“Is she okay, Barnes?” That was Tony. Bucky struggled to find an answer to the questioning stares as you heave in deep breaths. “Yeah, she's gonna be okay.” You shake your head softly, glancing back at him with wavering eyes. This was a secret you had to spill, you couldn't hide it any longer. Not from a team filled with assassins and geniuses.

“Buck, tell them”

“Tell us what? What's going on you two?” Bucky takes your still shaking hand into his, nodding softly before turning towards the team littered around the kitchen. “(Y/N) is pregnant.” The silence is deafening and it puts you on edge for a moment before the tension is broken by Steve’s sharp cry of surprise. All hell breaks loose suddenly and you're both swept up and passed between people for long, tight hugs.

“Oh my god, Baby Banres!”

“You’re pregnant?!”

“I'm so happy for you two!!!”

Nobody seemed to mind the mess you had made of yourself as they all took turns hugging and showing you with praises. After a considerable amount of time Bucky managed to pry you from Natasha’s tight hold, slightly take aback by the reaction to such a simple sentence. But it wasnt simple, your entire life was going to be changing drastically in the next year. You beamed up at him, simply glowing after being showered in so much affection. And he was so ready to start to journey with you at his side.

Bucky was sure that he was going to die right there in the stiff hospital chair he sat in. The doctor’s kind words flew right over his head and the only thought in his mind was that she had said this baby was a little girl. A daughter, he was going to have a little baby princess with you. A little girl with your soft hair and striking eyes, listening to her giggles as her Daddy dotes on her, heading her call him Daddy. That alone was what broke the dam of his eyes, allowing the tears to fly freely over his cheeks. By now the doctor had left you alone and you were already sitting up on the bed.

“Sweetheart?” He turned to you, opening his mouth to respond but coming up short. Your expression melted as you reached out and pulled him forward into your arms. He gripped tightly to you, overwhelmed with the pure love flowing through his veins. He had no idea what he had done along the way to deserve this, but god Bucky would do anything to keep his little family safe. After the tears slow he finally looks up at you, sniffing as you wipe the dampness from his face. “Its a girl?” You nod softly and he chokes on another sob as it becomes so much more real. He held tightly to you as together you celebrated in the news of your upcoming daughter.

Upon returning from your appointment the tower was suspiciously quiet. Nobody in the communal area, nobody on the floor you stayed in with Bucky and Steve, and nobody inside your little shared space. Bucky was too caught up in admiring the new pictures of your baby to notice but you immediately took note of the striking silence that lingered everywhere you went. After shedding your shoes and coat you pulled out your phone, checking for a text from anyone really. Nothing. You called Tony, no answer. And then Natasha, and again no answer. By now your nerves were standing on edge and you couldn’t ignore the creeping feeling in your gut.

“Bucky, where is everyone?” He looks up from the photo held tightly in his hands to you in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The tower is empty. I-“

You paused, trying to think of any reason the entire team would disappear like this. After finding none you sighed, finally calling out to the AI within the walls for some help . “FRIDAY, where is everyone?”

“I’m afraid I’m not permitted to say, Ms Barnes. I can tell you they will be returning in around half an hour though.” Bucky now looked just as confused as you did. But for now it seemed the only thing you could do was wait, so you did just that. Half an hour passed, then an hour, and then two. The day was crawling towards the evening and still with no word from anyone the anxiety began to run high. It was nearly 8pm when finally FRIDAY announced you and Bucky were being asked to join the team in the conference room.

Bucky held the door open for you to enter and you jumped in surprise as several loud pops sounded and you were both showered with confetti.

“Surprise!”

The room was decorated from floor to ceiling, filled with pastel colors and various baby-themed decorations. You can’t help the tears that flood your eyes at the display of your team’s love for you and your husband. “Guys, what is all this?” Bucky steps forward, gently wrapping his arm over your shoulders as you take a really good look around. It’s absolutely beautiful, with just the right amount of tacky to make it funny and cute. “It’s your baby shower, silly! You didn’t think you were going to have a kid and not let up spoil them rotten, did you?” Tony laughs, pulling you forward into his arms as he pats your back. One by one both you and Bucky receive a tight hug from everyone before you’re being led to sit at the head of the table.

One by one each person presents you with an array of gifts for your unborn child. Clint provides you with a surplus of diapers and wipes, Natasha gifts you a set of avenger themes onesies she found and a pump, Sam gives you a giant teddy bear in a falcon uniform that was holding a basket of clothes, and so on and so forth. After two full hours of unwrapping presents and being blown away by the generosity of the people who loved you, both you and Bucky were surrounded by piles of baby gear. Ranging in variety from cribs and diapers to toys they wouldn’t be able to play with for years to come. Despite the fatigue seeping down into your bones you just couldn’t pull the smile from your face. Things were finally calming down as everyone split into groups and chatted amongst themselves while snacking from the small buffet provided by Tony. Bucky gently pulled you closer to his side, guiding your head to rest on his shoulder as you soaked in the moment. It was strikingly normal, almost in a funny way. These were the avengers, earth's mightiest heroes. And they were all bouncing with excitement over a baby that wasn’t even born yet. Your baby. The thought made your smile stretch even wider as you observed the love everyone held for your child.

“You getting tired, mama?” The new pet name made your heart skip a beat, he had taken to calling you that lately. With a subtle nod you shifted your gaze up to him, smiling despite the exhaustion settling over your mind. “Yeah, I’m pretty pooped. Do you think they would be offended if we went to bed?” He chuckled, shaking his head as he moved a piece of your hair away from your face. “I don’t really care. If the baby needs sleep then that’s what the baby gets. Let’s go, sweet thing.” As he gently helped you raise from the chair everyone’s eyes turned, conversations stilling. “You two heading up to bed?” He nods, wrapping his arms around you as a means of support. You hadn’t realized how truly tired you were until now as you fought to keep your eyes open while you swayed on your feet. “Yeah, (Y/N) needs the sleep right now. Thank you guys for this, really. It’s… more than I expected, it’s amazing. Thank you.”

There are several mumbles of goodnight and no problem as he leads you to the door, making your way back to your room and your oh-so-sweet bed that is calling your name loudly right now. The elevator ride up was short and you were asleep the moment you laid down, not even changed out of your clothes for the day. Bucky took a moment to kneel by your side, eyes drifting slowly over your face down to the swollen bump in your midsection. Carefully he reached out and ran his fingers over your exposed skin as the little girl inside got the sleep she deserved. ‘My girls’ he thought to himself with a small smile.

By now you were nearly 30 weeks along in your pregnancy. Tony had helped set up a nursery space for you both and it was bursting at the seams with toys and clothes for your child. You told the team about the gender several weeks ago and they all celebrated greatly at the news of a baby girl joining them. You sweat that Steve cried but he very much denies it every time you mention how his eyes misted over. Today was surprisingly slow, half the team gone on various missions and political trips which left the tower quiet and peaceful for once. You were enjoying the silence by laying on the couch in the living room, dazing in and out of sleep and Bucky filed away some paperwork for the team he was now supervising. Instead of doing active field missions he elected to take a backseat, now mostly filling out papers and instructing his team on how to conduct their own missions. You were just about to slip back into your dreamless slumber when a strong tap against your navel made you gasp. Bucky turned in mild alarm, tossing down his pen to give you his full attention from where he sat next to you on the floor.

“(Y/N), you okay?” You shrug, hand sliding down to cover the spot your daughter had just elbowed. She was usually asleep this time of day so it surprised you to feel such a prominent shove against your insides. “Yeah, baby is just moving a little-“ your sentence breaks off into a sharp cry of shock as you pull your hand away from your bump. Now Bucky is very worried, sitting up next to you and inspecting your body closely for signs of harm. “What’s wrong?” Instead of answering you rush to grab his hand, pressing it firmly where yours had been only moments before. A few second pass in silence before-

Bump

Now it was Bucky’s turn to gape in surprise, staring down at his hand where his daughter had kicked him for the first time. “Did you feel that?!” Your voice is brimming with excitement as you also watch your stomach carefully. Before Bucky can respond there’s another, softer tap against his palm. He chokes on his laugh, head swiveling to catch you in a joyful kiss.

“She kicked me, (Y/N)!” You nod, holding his face as he laughs with glee. He pauses after a moment before springing to his feet and grabbing up his phone. “Bucky?”

“I have to tell Steve!” He rushes from the room to call his best friend, who is probably halfway across the world asleep right now. But his excitement is contagious and you giggle as you watch him pace the room before the blonde answers.

“Steve, you’ll never guess what. She kicked me! Yeah I know, it’s great isn’t it? She was so strong too, such a little fighter already-“

Slowly you settled back into the couch, letting your eyes drift closed as you listened to Bucky brag about your child and all of her capabilities thus far, no doubt in your mind about his fatherly love. Your daughter was already the center of his entire universe. You fell asleep to his warm voice and images of your baby girl floating through your mind.

It was nearly 3 am, and you felt absolutely miserable. Braxton hicks had been keeping you awake all night and no matter how you tossed and turned about you just couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Bucky had no issue, snoring like a brick beside you as you languished about your condition. You loved your baby so much but you couldn’t wait for her to finally arrive. Your body was always aching from the added weight you were carrying and you were always bloated and cranky. With a sigh you shuffled to sit up in the bed, freezing in place when there’s a soft pop that comes from inside you and a gush of fluids between your legs. Your mind is reeling, mostly mortified that you had managed to have an accident in the bed. Your good luck could only last so long. Slowly you shifted your weight so you could stand and walk to the bathroom in order to clean up, stopping suddenly as an intense pain seizes through your abdomen. It takes you off guard and steals your breath, leaving you gasping for air as the pain subsides. These weren’t Braxton hicks, they were contractions. You had been in labor, apparently. Without giving it much thought you blindly reached backwards, smacking your husband in the face clumsily in an effort to wake him up. It works as he bolts into a sitting position with a small shout of confusion. After a moment to gather himself he looks over, noticing the grimace in your face and the way your holding tightly to your midsection. His eyes blow wide as the realization strikes him. “Are you…?”

“In labor? Yes, yes Bucky I am. Would you mind helping?” Your voice is strained, panicked even, and that’s all it takes for him to spring into action. Within five minutes he had you changed into new pajamas and gathered all the bags that had been packed over a month ago, despite not really being needed. After all, Tony had paid to have specialized doctors live-in at the tower over the last month in preparation for this very moment. The tense silence of the elevator ride is broken by your sharp hiss of pain as another contraction rips through you. Helen and the delivery nurse are waiting for you when the doors open, courtesy of FRIDAY. You make a mental note to thank the AI for her kindness later. Everything happens so quickly after that. You’re helped into a hospital gown and set up in a room. The delivery doctor arrives to check your progress and before the hour is up you’re told it’s time to push. Bucky has one arm anchored around your shoulders, the other held tightly in your hand as you mentally prepare yourself for what was about to take place.

One by one the team arrives at the waiting room, everyone having been notified of your labor and progression into birth. There’s little conversation as they wait and watch the clock tick on. The sun has risen across the horizon and breakfast had long passed by the time a nurse came to get them. Before entering the room she instructs them to stay quiet, explains that both you and the baby were sleeping after such a long delivery. The door opens to reveal your sleeping figure on the bed, sweaty hair stuck to your face and cheeks flushed from the strain you had gone through. Seated next to you is Bucky, a tiny bundle of blankets cuddled closely in his arms. He’s completely enamored by the little life, not even noticing the arrival of his friends and family. All his attention is focused on the baby girl in his arms, her chubby cheeks and dark curls. A spitting image of her father.

“Hey, we brought some food for you guys.” Steve sets the takeout on the hospital tray as the team crowds around the chair. All of them are fighting for a change to look at the sleeping child held safely against her father’s chest. Bucky finally takes notice of his company, flashing a blinding smile as he gently lifts the little girl in his arms. Everyone visibly melts at the sight of her, sleeping so peacefully after such a dramatic entrance to the world.

“She’s perfect.” Several nods and words of agreement are shared around before Wanda speaks up. “What’s her name?” That was one thing you had elected to keep a secret. Bucky’s smile softens as he carefully readjusts the sleeping miracle in his arms. “Her name is Rebecca Natalia Barnes. Named after two of the strongest women I’ve ever known.” Nat meets his eyes, her own wet with tears. She gives him a small nod and he smiles in return as his gaze turns back to his precious daughter. “A perfect name for a perfect girl.”

#bucky barnes #bucky imagine #bucky x female reader #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #james bucky buchanan barnes #marvel #the avengers #bucky fluff #bucky fanfic #bucky x you #bucky x pregnant!reader #pregnant #pregnant reader #avengers

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thestrangestthing89 · 12 days

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Reasons I think Byler is getting together early... 1) Everyone thought byler would get together at the end of S4 because there was so much build up and tension between the two. It made sense with the story to fit that at the end of the season, so much so, that people were anticipating it. 2) The constant interruptions, mainly by Jonathan. They don't need to be interrupted if nothing is happening. Both scenes in Lenora that get interrupted were flirty scenes with a lot of tension. If Jonathan hadn't interrupted this, what would have happened? There is a strong implication that something would have. Otherwise, why bother doing it. There are several other conversations that get interrupted, like the one on top of the car, where things were getting personal and they were on the edge of saying something. They are close to saying what they want to say and being honest. 3) The original plan of Jonathan's that Will and Mike agree to, is to go back to Hawkins and help their friends. It wasn't to find El. When Mike realizes this he goes to have his second talk with Will (the one where Will is kneeling on the floor). He stresses they are a team. If their original plan was to go on a less stressful road trip back to Hawkins, what would have been happening with them? Because that letter El left Mike was a break up letter that Mike is moving on from. (I don't know anyone who would have thought they were still together with someone after being told they weren't going to see that person again for months, possibly years, and weren't going to be able to communicate with them during that time. Who would be waiting around indefinitely? Mike was moving on the second he threw that note out.) 4) The audience needs to start rooting for Mike again and he needs a redemption. Will brings out the best in Mike and he knows him best. So I'm not surprised we have hints that they are filming a lot together. Getting to see the side of Mike who is in a healthy romantic relationship is an important part of his character arc. Especially given how much this show likes to compare Will and El. We need to actually see him with Will to know that this is better for him. Without seeing this side to Mike, there isn't as much of a chance for the audience to reconnect with him because we would still not get to see him when he's at his best. 5) Will's character arc has been about embracing his sexuality and using that as a source of empowerment. A thing that doesn't have the same impact if he doesn't actually get to act on his identity/sexuality until the very end. Seeing both Mike and Will be confident and comfortable with themselves would provide closure to both of their arcs. 6) Other character arcs relate to byler getting together - mainly Jonathan. Jonathan is struggling to find himself and feels very strongly about protecting his family. He feels responsible for them and doesn't want to leave them. Part of this is because they moved away from Hawkins (where their friends and support are) and part of it is the loss of Hopper, who has been helping protect them all. Hopper returning helps a lot. But there is also the added component of Will being gay that I think would still make it harder for Jonathan to want to get his own life if he isn't sure how Hopper would respond to this. Plus, I don't see him leaving Will if Will feels sad and alone and is still having problems with Mike/El. El's character arc also plays into this because her independence has to do with her and Mike breaking up. A thing I suspect already happened by the end of S4. But El really hasn't seen what a healthy romantic relationship even looks like at this point. Byler could be a good example of that for her. Not to mention would be a good reason for Mike and El to clearly end things with each other. El has had trouble separating herself from Mike and uses him as a safety net/backup caretaker when Hopper isn't there. It's not good for her. Knowing that Mike wants to be with someone else could push her to stop being so fixated on him and learn to rely on herself instead.

7) I suspect that one of the main themes of the show is going to be how love saves the world - in opposition to how El's anger has saved them (and not been affective at saving them). Byler being the key to this, and Mike being the heart. There needs to be more interaction with their relationship. Will is the main character and the hero of this story. If his romance is saving the world, we need to see it. And Will deserves to have this whole story play out and not just have it be quick at the end. 8) Just because a lot of other shows have the main couple get together at the end, doesn't mean this one has to do the same. They have inverted plenty of tropes already, this could be another one. Plus, all of the other endgame couples are already together (or mostly together). Byler not getting to have a relationship that we see sticks out as them not wanting to show the gay couple specifically. Which I don't get the impression is an attitude they have. 9) The outfits we have seen Mike and Will wear so far in S5 have been a lot of blue, yellow, and green. They match. Couples on tv shows usually match and they have for several seasons now. But the green is an interesting addition. We have seen blue be associated with Mike and yellow with Will and now we are seeing them wear their own colors along with the other persons. The green (a mix of those 2 colors) suggests that they are already together. 10) I don't think they are going to push this as a love triangle. The time to do that would have been S4 when there actually was one. We got Will pining for Mike, Will standing between Mike and El, tension with Mike and Will, El being confused by some of Mike and Will's interactions. There was something going on with the three of them this season. But the promo/posters didn't suggest this. We know mileven is either over or almost over so there is no point pretending like this is ambiguous. Especially when most of the audience is rooting for Will/byler.

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stomach-bugg09 · 1 year

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Ever since fali met the readers parents I was wondering what his fa would be like and how they would interact with the reader I was wondering if you could please make a little stable of that? ps love ur work💗:)

fali's family

okay !! so , this is a wonderful question. fali is an only child , his two parents ( vi'ieo + fpai ) decided that one child - especially one like fali - was more than enough.

he obviously grew up as the practical older brother of tsireya and ao'nung thanks to their mothers being close childhood friends

thanks to his upbringing as the only child of two highly respected warriors , he was expected to become just as good of warriors as they were

and he was , if not better. he was one of the youngest to become an official warrior because of his skills.

his parents are so extremely proud to call him their son , but they recognize they put quite a bit of pressure on him growing up ( something he can relate with [y/n] about )

he loves his parents , and they have a very comfortable and healthy relationship

his dad loves making fun of his son , and he totally grew up as a mama's boy

the one time they had a really big dispute was right before the sullys arrived and they talked to him about finding a mate sometime soon

he was just really upset because he wasn't ready to settle down and find a girl , especially not a girl that he was set up with through his parents

that all changed when [y/n] came though

they still tried , but he was even more stubborn so they gave up

when he introduced [y/n] to his parents they were like "ohhh..."

it all made sense now !!

and , by the way , they adored her

like adored

his mom loved her because she was a strong independent young woman

his dad liked her because she was funny and very polite ( she also made good food )

they quickly became very good friends with [y/n] and it got to a point where fali had to be like , "mom, dad, stop trying to steal my girl."

[y/n] thought it was hilarious , fali did not

overall , they love her , she loves them , it's adorable

they also love that she makes their son happy because... he definitely needs someone other than himself to entertain him ( he thinks he's a comedian )

#avatar 2 #avatar the way of water #neteyam sully #loak sully #sully family x reader #sully family x y/n #tuk sully #tuktirey #sully family #kiri sully #fali x reader #sully!reader #⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎ we just got a letter !! ⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

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starrbitez · 4 days

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Why Morty Smith is “like a dog” (pun unintended)

Okay so i saw a post (I’ll link it in comments!) that was talking about how Rick is more like a dog than Morty, and I definitely agree that Rick is similar to a dog too, I am going to discuss my personal opinions on Morty’s dog-like symbolism, parallels with snuffles/snowball, and my own ideas for the dog analogy. It begins below the cut :3

Firstly, there are some parallels between Morty and his former fluffy companion I think are important and very interesting !

One example, Morty is treated very similarly by Rick to the way Jerry treats Snowball. See; Rick pushing Morty down the stairs, Jerry rubbing snowball’s face in his pee. Both unnecessary punishments or just entirely unnecessary.

Morty is also threatened emptily a lot, in the way that an owner might threaten their dog when they do something bad, ie. “we’ll take you back to the shelter or replace you if you dont stop peeing on the rug,” and the replaceable nature that abusive pet owners exemplify towards their dogs is the exact same treatment Morty gets, with the you’re replaceable almost ‘I’ll take you back to the shelter’ threats Rick gives.

Morty is treated like a dog constantly, and while all Morty’s are on some level imo, Pmorty is the most. When Rick takes the voucher for a free replacement Morty — it’s like getting a discount on a rescue dog or picking up a stray when your dog dies.

Then, morty is talked down to like a dog, just like how Jerry talks to snowball.

Morty: whats wrong?

Jerry: your idiot dog! …. Don’t praise him Morty, he peed on the carpet! Bad dog, bad!

Rick: youre a perfect suit of impenetrable armor, Morty! because you’re as dumb as I am smart!

And then,

Morty: look rick, there’s a bunch of people strapped to that building!

Rick: Not people morty. Mortys.

At this point in the show (s1e10) Rick doesn’t even consider Mortys to be human, and he values Morty about the same amount that Jerry valued snowball — little to nothing, simply valued to feel superior over something.

I also think that in Rest and Ricklaxation, healthy morty and toxic morty are two opposite and extreme sides of the spectrum of dog-like behavior. While normal morty is loyal to a fault, he still his has own morals and enough personal confidence to argue with rick and engage in adventures. There’s a clear divide in his character in many episodes where he see his more violent tendencies, and in this episode you can see a split between his more “feral” side and his “domesticated” side. Healthy Morty is a sort of lone-wolf, he believes that health is being able to survive on your own, be strong and completely confident to an almost selfish and narcissistic point, and he desires to be a leader. Toxic Morty sees himself as weak, and he says that he just wants to die. He feels like the runt of the litter, left behind and clinging to the first person that offers him protection — rick. When combined, morty is somewhere in the middle, but the separate parts are opposite sides of dog-like behavior.

OKAY now im going to talk abt my SNOWBALL PARALLELS a bit more….

When snowball realizes how he is being treated, on some level gaining sentience, he starts to develop his intelligence, get stronger, more independent, rebel against the people who treated him like shit and took advantage of him. Snowball realizes how he is being treated and he does everything he can to prove he is intelligent, but out of his care and loyalty to morty, he leaves because he wants morty to live and be happy !!! Sound familiar?

Yes it is the exact same track as Morty’s character development.In season 3 episode 7 after the dinner with evil morty, morty realizes he is being manipulated, that he is replaceable, that he is just someones property. He gains ‘sentience’ or the conciousness of his free will ? Kinda. And from here on we see Morty’s attitude change significantly, asserting himself over rick often in season 4. Morty joins in on the intro, he leaves rick to die, he focuses on himself, he becomes more violent and more in control of his own decisions. In season 4 we see him become independent from ricks control, but he is still loyal and wants rick to be happy, the same loyalty snowball had to the one person who treated him right.

Snowball had an attachment to morty because morty was the only one to treat him well.

Morty has an attachment to rick because rick is the only one who gives him praise, albeit irregularly. He gets attention from rick. Morty is continuously in vulnerable or weaker positions to those around him, and i believe it is symbolism !! I think its even in subtle ways like when rick will pat morty on the head, call him ‘buddy’, rick even outright compares morty to a dog with his unwavering loyalty. Which — just like a dog — he was bred for.

I think the acknowledgement of morty being similar to a dog in his loyalty, his obedience, but also in his parallels to snowball align well with the citadel plot of Mortys being bred for forgiveness. Only when the Mortys. Become aware of their treatment and how they could be better, they start to change into a more violent/feral/intelligent/confident form, depending on the Morty. Intelligence seen in evil morty and c-137, feral behavior in the mutated morty’s on the citadel who are aware of their position And the corruption around them.

I think we are in track for morty to become more and more of an independent kid, following in the footsteps of snowball and developing his intelligence, confidence, ad strength until he will possibly leave or find independence from his codependency on rick, just like snowball was able to escape his codependency on humanity in general. (Interesting to think abt how Beth and Jerry have a codependent marriage and rick and morty have a codependent partnership… v interesting)

But yes . These are my thoughts on morty smith c-137 and the general theme of Mortys being a dog. For more info read my fic, like a dog. Jkjkjk B)

Pls pls tell me ur opinions on this !!

#rick and morty #rick n morty #morty smith #morty #rnm #rick sanchez #evil morty #toxic morty #rick and morty analysis #analysis #i was going to do my homework but i got distracted and spent like 45 minutes on this #anyway. morty dog #fanfic #meow !

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nalpurex · 1 month

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i got souyo brainworms again and i gotta share some thoughts i have

this ones a long one so ill put a 'keep reading' thing here just in case yall dont wanna scroll past a wall of text

basically some headcanons about a healthy mix of chad narukami and normal yu, injecting loads of gap moe into this guy

(and it eventually devolves into some weird semi-story because my brains really spiralling here)

okok so, hear me out, chad narukami isnt that bad as an idea...? maybe as a more calm iteration, just another layer to yu

in the p4 manga, we get to see some of yu's backstory. (its been a while since ive read it so i might get some details wrong but) his parents are very busy people, always working and moving around, so yu's always moving around with them

because of this, hes a very independent but also lonely kid. poor guy doesnt talk much with his own mom and dad, and he never really have a good enough chance to form lasting friendships

so when he moves to inaba and starts making friends there, hes like 'oh i really want to keep these guys around...' so he starts putting up a bit of a persona (hah), some cool, unfazed guy that everyone can rely on thinking thats what people might like more. to his credit, it works pretty well, but its a bit stifling for yu himself. hes never had this many friends though, so he'll keep it up

we all know yosuke admires him quite a fair bit as is, just as a dependable friend and a strong leader. he looks up to yu in these aspects, thinking hes basically the perfect guy. (and lets never unpack that thought.) talented, charming, 'gets all the ladies', that kind of stuff

at some point its just the two of them, maybe walking home from school or something, yu gets pretty comfortable and his facade slips a little. maybe he says something completely silly, or heavens forbid theres a stray cat along the road! ("awww look at the little guy, cmeree, pspsps- oh- ahem- uh, its pretty cute...") it surprises yosuke quite a bit. he's thinking about it a lot as they part ways, it was... definitely a new side to his partner, but its also not a bad thing...

after that, yosuke starts noticing more small things about yu. whenever he invites anyone to share his lunch, its always something they like. whenever the IT are talking, he makes sure no one feels left out. he likes cats, a lot more than hes willing to show, and he loves nanako a whole lot too. his partner's... a bit of a softie under that calm and collected vibe, isnt he?

(alternatively, it'd be really funny if the entire IT knew? like "yeah, hes got a straight face all the time and sparkles fly around him whenever he strikes a pose, but hes got a dedicated schedule for hanging out with us and hes always asking when we're free. hes a big puppy, really.")

anyways, yosuke tries to encourage him to show more of this other side of him. stuff like "c'mon, we'll think you're cool either way!" and yu at first is a little hesitant, so yosuke suggests he just try it out with him

he feels some pride about it, because hes the first to learn about this side of yu! his partner trusts him the most, hes the most comfortable around him! (whats this strange other feeling? hm. dont like that.)

yu takes a little more time with the others, but theyre very welcoming about it nonetheless. specifically, they find it very charming! (making cute shapes in your bento? sewing cute stuffed toys with kanji? playing with literally every single stray cat you lay your eyes on? hell yeag.)

of course the facade doesnt completely shatter, because some parts of it are still true to yu. its just that he'll now crack the dumbest joke youve heard in your life with the same old straight face

(aaand now to derail for the sappy stuff huhuhu)

because yosuke's usually the first to be exposed to whatever new shenanigans yu's up to, eventually he starts getting some... weirder things. he brings some of it up to the other IT members and he looks insane, like:

"what? he hasnt been giving you guys origami?"

"why would he? i mean itd be cool, but thats just his part-time job isnt it? hes probably sick of paper cranes!"

"cranes... haha, yeah..." (as he thinks about the row of stupid paper animals sitting on his windowsill)

yu over time starts getting real sweet with yosuke, and he kind of gets the feeling he should just... keep this to himself...? especially when he doesnt see him acting this way with anyone else, and a small part of him wants to keep it to himself. all of this, just for him.

but that would be kind of gay, wouldnt it? hes not gay, is he...? he gets pretty happy whenever yu smiles at him, whenever he does something for him, but its just because he appreciates him as his partner... right?

eventually it all comes to a head when yu invites him to that... that spot high up in inaba. (ykno the one, its got the railing and shit.)

yosuke's climbing the hill, wondering whats yu gonna tell him, and at the top he sees him already waiting there as the sun's about to set on a nice breezy day

he kinda jokes a bit about it, like "damn did you ask me to come here now for the atmosphere?" but yu's strangely quiet

so they kinda just stand in a bit of an awkward silence before yu clears his throat... and confesses to yosuke.

...

they just. stare at each other for a bit. yosuke's at a loss, heat slowly rising in his cheeks, because what the hell?

and then yu explodes into a flustered mess, bumbling about "hey yeah man you dont have to accept if you dont wanna, i was just saying things yknow? you dont really have to-"

yosuke cuts him off, sighing a little. he tells him its okay, hes kinda had a feeling he felt the same way but he wasnt ready yet... and now his partner's confessing to his face, he cant really put it off anymore, can he?

("by the way, did you plan this? like, the timing and everything?"

"i... had a hard enough time saying 'i like you' with a straight face as it was, i kind of had to..."

"... ah.")

#ive never done this kind of headcanon dumping before so it feels kind of embarrassing???#like my attitude going into this was “hell yeah! im gonna expand on yu so much because he has a lot of potential and i adore him!”#and i came out of it thinking like how i always do #sappy fluff and making dolls kiss 🙄#i cant even guarantee ill remember my own damn headcanons bc ive always been one to prefer lighthearted silly stuff #hence me avoiding writing dialogue when i can... especially that confession bit #eugh...#anyways i just hope yall enjoy my thoughts haha #persona 4 #souyo #yu narukami #yosuke hanamura #farts and sharts

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theageofsims · 2 months

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Hey guys, sorry I've been away. I had an ear that was bothering me when I was building that fast food place. Stayed with it for two weeks, then went to the walk-in.

They flushed my ear out (first time had that happen), had no infection either. But my blood pressure was sky high. They checked it 3 times and told me I needed to go to the hospital.

Long story short, today I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and Diabetes.

Mentally I'm really struggling to take everything in, but my mother's been a diabetic for 33 years so I know all about it growing up and also living with my mom since my parents divorced (way back then).

Some may know my dad passed away from stomach cancer about a year and a half ago. It's been hard dealing with that, amongst other things in my life, and now I've got more to deal with.

I'll be fine, but sometimes when I get very stressed with stuff in life I end up forgetting to take care of myself the way I should.

I'm still around and all, but I'm afraid of a lot of things. My mom is this strong as hell independent chick since the moment I came into this world 36 years ago -- hell, since she had my brother 43 years ago. Maybe even long before that. She keeps telling me I've got to be strong and I know she's right.

I feel like the older I get the more worried I become about things. Losing my dad didn't make it any better, but I'll manage to handle that as best as I can.

Thankfully (and unfortunately) diabetes for me genetically plays a part, but I also love home cooked meals and healthy foods, I just got carried away with everything else I shouldn't have been eating or drinking and I stopped working where I was for 10 years that kept me on my feet and doing 10,000 steps a day.

I already hate myself or beat myself up for a week already, but I know I shouldn't do that. Anybody can get high blood pressure and/or diabetes no matter if they're a health nut or they aren't. Regardless of how much they way as well.

I really wish I could call my dad up and say hey, dad! Like I normally would. Chat with him about anything and everything, including tech stuff (since he worked as an IT guy for 30 years), or even Harrison Ford being in a new movie since he loved watching him in movies, too -- but I can't. I think a lot of me being afraid is because I haven't got my dad reassuring me when I need it the most.

I'm usually someone who doesn't feel down. I guess I've spent so many years just holding the stress inside or hiding it because I never wanted help or someone to ask me how I was doing -- and there's been a lot of stresses since I was 15 years old.

I'm pretty down now though. I pretty much just wonder how I got where I am and how much of it was my fault and how much wasn't.

Since I left my job two years ago, nothing has gone right in my life. My dad got sick with stomach cancer and then he died within 5 months. I am struggling to make my small handmade business work. There are other family issues going on indirectly to me, but are in my immediate family so I am around the stress and trying to help others deal with it, and now I've got my health to deal with and worry about.

I know I'm not the only one either. I knew what I would be diagnosed with, but I didn't say it. I've been checking my blood pressure and pricking my finger to check my sugar level for a whole week on my mother's machines. But I wanted to wait until after my appointment today with my new PCP who I will be seeing regularly now, which will also hopefully help calm my fear of doctors (I've had every day of my life since birth -- took 5 nurses to hold me down once JUST to get a culture test for strep throat. When I say all my life -- I mean, ALL my life.)

Anyway, I shouldn't be upset and I sure as hell shouldn't cry because Lord knows I've been crying so many tears for awhile now, but right now I've got blurred vision from crying as I write this post and hope the eye doctor I have to go see since I have diabetes, doesn't tell me that I've damaged my eyes for good.

Anyway, if you read this -- thanks for reading this. I know I pretty much stick to Sims stuff all the time sprinkled in with my favorite movies / actors and not things like this, but I guess I just need some support because I never really had any my whole life and never thought I'd need it -- but I'm human like everyone else and I suppose, after all of this, I do need it.

#blurb

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storkmuffin · 3 months

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I wanted to share a little of my perspective on John Silver. I am by no means a Silver stan and honestly, I didn’t really care for him either way (hate him or love him) in my first watch. Through my second (I’m now on both a third and fourth watch simultaneously, it’s complicated) watch, my feelings towards him changed somewhat. He’s still not one of my favourite characters, and by no means does he even compare to Flint in my mind, but I really think painting him as entirely bad is an oversimplification of his character.

Black Sails is, at its core, a show about incredibly complicated characters, all of whom have been through hell, and who are coping with their trauma in different ways. We never get Silver’s backstory which, to be fair, I was also mad about, but we do get hints at it. We know that he started off as a member of a merchant crew, and not a high ranking one which, at the very least, implies that he was not from a privileged background and likely never had any stable employment or family support (those who did were rarely enlisted into these merchant crews). The interpretation of the few bits of insight we do get into his childhood that I favour the most are the ones that suggest that him stating that all his backstory taught him was that the world was a place of unspeakable horrors (or something similar, I can’t remember or find the exact quote) is true—that so much of what we see him do is an effort to distance himself as much as possible from some trauma that he cannot bring himself to think about or disclose to anyone, first by doing everything he can to remain as independent as possible, then by making himself as necessary as possible. He cannot reveal what has happened for fear that speaking of it will make it more real, and possibly even bring its effects back into his life. It sure as hell isn’t a healthy coping mechanism and it definitely hurts those around him, but the same is true for so many of the other characters. Flint, in season one, kills Gates to continue his war against civilisation, one that hasn’t even started, because Gates calls him out on his recklessness (and was right, the battle that Flint killed Gates in the hopes of continuing ended with the Walrus wrecked and the crew decimated and stranded), but, in that moment, the audience feels for Flint, even though we don’t yet know why he’s so dedicated to doing what he’s doing, because, even as he’s killing possibly one of the most “good” characters, we feel sorry for him.

Silver’s backstory is one rooted in loneliness and pain. He starts with being unable to trust anyone then, as he starts to bond with the crew, they start to die off alarmingly quickly. Even in season two, he becomes important to the crew and vice versa, and this process is accelerated by the loss of his leg. I think this acceleration is also worth noting, as it puts him in a place of dependence before he would have been comfortable to do so, before he has learned that he can be vulnerable with someone and they won’t necessarily immediately hurt him. His refusal to allow his leg to heal properly and to let people help him stems from this wariness of vulnerability. Sure, it’s not a healthy attitude, and it does hurt other people, but, especially given the general attitudes towards disability at the time, I can at least understand it. In the eyes of his society, and, therefore, in the eyes of John Silver, disability = vulnerability = weakness = letting others hurt you, so he becomes consumed by the goal of making sure he seems as strong as possible. There’s also a heavy dose of toxic masculinity mixed in here, but, again, as I see it, it’s an understandable (if not excusable) result of what he’s experienced so far. The only physically disabled character we see before Silver is Randall, who is nearly kicked off the crew and then killed (without being able to raise any kind of alarm or defend himself), which certainly isn’t a comfortable frame of reference for someone who has also now lost their leg.

Moving on to Silver’s position in the revolution, I think a lot of my interpretation of his role comes from knowing that Madi & Flint’s mission cannot succeed. Black Sails is, in many ways, quite intricately and accurately tied into the historical context of the time and, the fact is, that the golden age of piracy ended, slavery continued, the empire won out (at least for the next few centuries), and the prejudices that they were trying to fight continued. By the historical context that is set in stone, Flint and Madi’s revolution could not have succeeded and, honestly, Black Sails shows this. Their ideas were good, as were their tactics, but they had no widespread support. Any support for Nassau had to come at the cost of the end of the revolution, and they had none of the numbers, weapons, money, ships, land, public support, or really anything that would have let them succeed. It’s a good fight, and that’s what hurts the most, because we as the audience want them to succeed but know that, historically, and even within the context of the show, they cannot. Silver sees this, and it definitely isn’t a good look being the only major character in that trio resisting this revolution, but he knows, as we must also know, that it is doomed to fail. He is not stopping it because he doesn’t care for the cause, he is stopping it because he knows that the sooner he stops it, the less likely it is that he will lose someone he cares about, has he has already done with countless members of the crew. He knows in stopping it that he will probably lose Madi, but he does it anyway, because he sees that, whether she lives, dies for nothing, or dies and becomes a martyr, the revolution will fail, and all that will be different is that she and countless others will have died. Again, this level of pragmatism does not look good on him, but between the dreams of Flint and Madi and the sacrifices they will make to try to attain the unattainable, it is incredibly necessary.

Honestly, I can’t fully argue this case without your knowledge of the last part of 4.10. It isn’t a tragedy; it isn’t just filled with a sense that it was all for nothing. At the bare minimum, there are some very cool Max moments. Please, even if you have to skip through all the Silver scenes, watch to the end.

Sorry for the essay :)

posting bc I'm very honored that you chose to write this in response to my unhinged ranting!

I don't have the spoons for a proper response and this deserves one so I will hopefully be able to write something coherent in response sometime soon. I didn't want to just leave this hanging!

#food for thought #black sails asks #storkmuffin liveblog

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xiaq · 1 year

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what was alex's mom's reaction to him coming out since it's assumed that she didn't know and is religious

Alex's mom (and her whole family 2.0) more or less pretend that Alex doesn't exist since that's most convenient for them (less because he's gay and more because she'd prefer that she never had a wild youth and was the perfect housewife from day 1 with her perfect husband and kids who look just like him).

However, I do have a head-canon that Alex's baby half-sister Katie ("call me Kat or I will shank you") comes out as bisexual in high school and her parents had 0 prep and handle it badly, not in a "she's in danger sort of way" but in a "we're well-meaning but our response is deeply hurtful" way. And being a strong independent teenager, she's like well fuck that, I'm out.

So one day Eli opens the door and there's a furious teenage girl who's like, "whattup, I'm Alex's half-sister Kat, I've run away from home and I'm not going back and you can't make me; you have to harbor my fugitive ass because I'm queer and also sort of related to you. Do you have anything to eat?" And Eli is like, "how did you know where we live? how did you even get here?" and she says, with a degree of distain only a teenager can muster, "mom has your address so she can send her stupid Christmas card every year. And I got here on a plane, duh." And he's like, "well, you better come inside because the baby is going to wake up any second and also my southern upbringing dictates that I feed anyone who expresses the slightest indication of hunger."

It turns out she's crazy for itty bitty sleepy infants and he conveniently has one of those. So he gets her a healthy snack and leaves her cooing over their fresh spawn and franticly calls Alex from the other room (it's playoffs and he's on the road, naturally). Alex ends up having to call his mom for the first time in a decade. Long story short, Kat stays with them for a few weeks since summer vacation has just started and she's, you know, full of riteous fury. But after a couple weeks things simmer down and apologies are made. Because Alex's mom and her husband realize this isn't a phase they can talk their kid out of and they're going to lose her if they don't act right. So they actually start having productive, meaningful conversations with Alex and Eli and over the next several years their relationship drastically improves. Kat visits often and actually lives with them through college (she goes to the same fictional university Eli did in Houston) to save money on housing and help out with her nieces and they stay super close. So that relationship never fully heals, but it gets better. And it gives them Kat.

I also head-canon that during Kat’s junior year of college, when she's still living with them, Alex and Eli let a new rookie stay with them for a bit. Naturally, Kat and Rookie end up falling for each other which gives Alex a very fatherly existential crisis and nearly gives Rookie a heart attack when Alex catches Kat sneaking out of Rookie's bedroom one night.

Uh. Anyway. That was probably more than you were expecting.

#lrpd #lynltp #alex/eli #mywriting #author things #lrpd adjacent #breakaway series

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sapphickz · 4 months

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predebut history

synopsis: an in depth look at lee minseo's life prior to debut, including both information known by the public and unknown by the public.

a/n: bold is public information!

humble beginnings — 𖤐

lee minseo, known best as stray kids minsoul, was born november fourth two thousand two in incheon to her unnamed parents and older brother minho. minseo’s rebellious and against-the-grain personality became apparent the day she was born, arriving more than two weeks early just in time for a dinner at her mothers family’s house. thankfully, the nearest hospital was only a short distance away and exactly sixteen days early the lees had a new addition to the family; a strong baby girl delivered perfectly healthy.

it was only a short time after bringing the new bundle of joy home that young minho began doting on his new sibling. only four years apart, minho was still just a baby himself when he started looking after little minseo, always watching the baby monitor intently while she slept and reminding their parents that her grapes should be cut in half. for being an only child up to this point, minho adjusted surprisingly well to the new family dynamic and because of this consistent nurturing minseo grew up practically attached at the hip.

for a long time - even after they got older - minseo was only ever interested in doing what minho was doing, and although an anxiety diagnosis wouldn’t come until much later on, this was around the time that her anxious tendencies began to appear. likely a result of her older brother always helicopter-parenting during her most formative years, minseo would exhibit extreme distress when separated and would often work herself up into fits of hyperventilation. not only this, but she also became a completely different kid when she had to navigate the world without him. typically a giggly and playful girl at home, minseo became statuesque once alone; still and quiet and wholly uninterested in what was going on around her. up until her third year of elementary school the lees often received calls from concerned teachers letting them know that she wasn’t responding to others and asked if she was feeling well that morning.

finally, after a particular incident when minseo had been sent to the office for refusing to answer a question, it was decided that it would be best for minseo to finish elementary at an all-girls school in order to work on her independence. this arrangement would make it so minho and minseo’s days were spent primarily separate aside from time at home and - fortunately - with no other choice after switching schools, minseo did get better at dealing with being alone.

however, after minho’s admission into dance classes in 2011 that took away from their small window of sibling time, minseo suddenly ‘found an interest in dance.’ since she had rarely indicated what she wanted to do on her own volition, the lee parents heeded her word and minseo was soon a new member of the dance team. this scheme to spend more time with her brother can be marked as the true beginning of minseo’s ‘boy group timeline’ due to her insistence that she could do what the older boys were doing. and though it looked very silly for a group of tween boys to be joined by a nine year old girl, this laid the foundation for her ‘boyish’ style and ability to blend in with the masculine crowd.

trials and tribulations — 𖤐

with a new hobby to look forward to after school, minseo’s parents were hopeful that these social spaces would help spread her wings and eventually bring her out of her shell. yet, despite her outgoing and warm personality in dance practice, minseo continued struggling socially in school. she proved to still be very reserved in class and often only spoke when spoken to, leading to the beginning of a long list of issues with her classmates.

the following school year, peers in her 5th grade class began to poke fun toward minseo’s antisocial and so-called ‘weird’ temperament. it started out as relatively harmless teasing, asking if she ever learned to talk or if she’d move if they threw something at her. at the time it was okay to deal with as all she really had to do was ignore them, but the further into the school year she got, the further these jokes would push the line of harmless teasing and genuine bullying. sometime during the middle of the year a classmate actually threw something at her for a reaction - which then resulted in a slew of other students joining in on physically bothering minseo to see if they could get a reaction from her.

minseo’s final year of elementary school loomed over her head the whole summer prior and after spending all day practicing or swimming in the river by their house with minho she’d lay in bed with wide eyes as she thought of a plan. originally, she’d hoped that if she just played her cards right they’d end up leaving her alone — but as she entered the class on her first day back it quickly became evident that not even the summer break was enough to dissuade her perpetrators. she’d have gum stuck in her hair while she wasn’t looking or important papers stolen from her bag resulting in a failing grade. minseo tried to bare these struggles alone for a long time, returning home with nothing to tell minho about her day other than the cool bird she saw out the window.

that was until one morning when she was getting ready before class. it had started out as any regular day; worrying about how bad it would be today or how she’d have to defend herself as she brushed her hair. but these usual daily stresses suddenly grew bigger and bigger until it got to the point where she couldn’t feel her hands anymore, numb fingers dropping the brush without any choice in the matter. minseo ran to her family in tears begging to go to the hospital in fear that she was dying, and upon being checked out by the doctors, she and the rest of her family were reassured that she was not dying. instead, she had simply experienced a panic attack, and they were given a referral to a nearby psychiatrist that could diagnose her before suggesting treatments.

in april of 2014 minseo was formally diagnosed with both social anxiety and situational mutism and immediately started attending therapy on the weekends to help with her coping skills. this revelation came as a major shock to her parents who had always assumed she was just shy, but they remained supportive through this difficult time and even allowed her to switch back to her old school before elementary graduation in order to evade the bullies she had finally mentioned. and while these efforts didn’t immediately fix all her issues, there was progress made by the end of the school year. it wasn’t leaps and bounds ahead of where she started out, but she had gotten further than ever before and had even worked up the courage to simply ask to go to the bathroom, so it was safe to say that these accommodations were doing something.

new beginnings — 𖤐

by january of 2015 minseo’s social ability had improved to the point of gaining her first real friend from school; one-week-older oh eunbyeol. the girls had grown close after finding shared similarities and interests, and paired with the encouragement from family to try anything and everything, their dreams were able to blossom into actualized goals for the future. this would act as the catalyst leading to minseo’s very first step toward the public eye in the form of a commercial.

released march 2015, minseo was featured in a commercial for the online game ‘sudden attack,’ who had released a popular commercial the year prior featuring miss a’s suzy. the focus follows that of minseo - who was 12 at the time - ‘protecting’ the camera and leading the viewer to safety amid heavy gunfire and smoke. this satirical scene is painted similarly to wartime movies of the time up until the last 10 seconds where minseo is ‘shot’ and asks the camera to ‘join the effort and play now!’ before cutting to the logo with the narrator stating; ‘anyone can be a hero!’

while this venture was simply a short ad between regular programming and didn’t go majorly viral or anything, the vast majority of the comments about this particular commercial completely overlooked whatever it was selling and focused primarily on the young lead. some were shocked by her visual, some found her extreme-seriousness funny, some even found her charming enough to actually check out the game. and though the general public didn’t focus too much on it after their initial reaction, ceos and entertainment businessmen had definitely noticed.

in the final week of april minseo’s father received a mysterious letter in the mail addressed from a company named ‘inkreative.’ this letter, signed by ceo im namgyu, expressed high praise for minseo’s off-whim talent and a significant interest in working with her.

at first, the lees were very apprehensive to meet with the ceo of a small company they had never heard of before. however, as this was around the same time their firstborn began journeying toward furthering his passion into a career, it didn’t take long for them to give in to her pleas and meet with said ‘im namgyu.’ this discussion shared within the company building consisted mostly of her ‘star quality’ and ‘obvious potential’ before ending with a mutual agreement in the form of a 35/65 contract without time constraints. instead, each acting opportunity would be divided in favor of the company so as to achieve more significant roles. this contract also allowed minseo and inkreative to work together without completely binding them for a set period, thus enabling minseo to cease work whenever she pleased.

and yet, she never did. minseo tried out for new roles frequently, such as infomercials and support characters in tv shows, forming a bond built on trust with the company that allowed her to then introduce her previously-mentioned friend, oh eunbyeol. soon, both girls were listed as talents under the agency and their consistent hard work paired with reappearances in many different mediums finally opened up opportunities for main roles. minseo’s first lead role would take form as ‘surin’ in um taehwa’s ‘vanishing time: the boy who returned’ which released in november 2016.

because of this role, however, april 2016 would be the first time minseo actually signed a contract period - securing her commitment to the company until 2021. while this initially seemed a little daunting to the family, namgyu reassured them that this was simply to ‘protect’ both parties from fraud or embezzlement. and for the first 6ish months, this agreement went swimmingly; minseo’s portrayal of surin was praised highly and even ended up winning her the ‘popular film star award’ at the night of stars: korea top star awards.

the beginning of the end — 𖤐

in december of 2016, prodded on by eunbyeol, minseo stopped by jyp entertainment for open auditions with 4minute’s ‘crazy’ and (to her surprise only) passed with ease. her reputation as a budding actress preceded her and it didn’t take long to begin training. with permission from her company minseo would begin cementing her place in the entertainment industry and would later convince older brother minho to join after touring as a back up dancer for bts. just like old times, minseo would always practice with minho, who ended up being rounded up into a group with 8 other boys. this would be the key point that changed the course of minseo’s career off the beaten path.

with a jyp trainee survival show in the works, namgyu had brainstormed an outstanding idea and subsequently reached out to park jinyoung in order to discuss. this plan, which called to lump minseo in with the boys group for the show until her predetermined elimination, would (hopefully) highlight minseo’s tool-belt of talents for later as well as create parallels to her past role and introduce her lesser-known sibling. and being the persuasive man he was, namgyu succeeded in securing minseo a spot on the show.

as expected, minseo’s appearance in 2017’s ‘stray kids’ survival show raked in viewers following after her and created a buzz online about jyp’s decision to put her in a majorly-male group. but the further she showcased her talents outside of acting, the more viewers actually voted in favor of her debut. this overwhelming support from netizens made minseo’s predetermined elimination extremely difficult to execute based on her skills and presence compared to the boys, so when it finally did happen, viewers and new fans were outraged.

thankfully, all previously-eliminated members made their return to the show per jyp’s forward-thinking and by audience vote in the final episode, all members were granted their debut together. but amid the joy of this feat, minseo’s original company inkreative was not happy; they had specifically planned for minseo’s elimination in order to free her schedule for an upcoming role that had her name written all over it. so when it came time to sign contracts with jype, scheduling and profit issues were thrown her way to dissuade her signing. it did not in the end, as she signed a 7 year contract with jyp and notably stray kids, but this division between minseo and her very first agency would only later become an issue as she debuted march 25th, 2018 as the maknae of stray kids.

#𖤐 minsoul #oc’s are for projecting your own trauma onto and i fully believe that 🫡#buckle up minseo is coming and she’s here to fuck shit up #stray kids added member #stray kids addition #stray kids oc #stray kids 9th member #kpop added member #kpop oc #kpop addition #tw bullying #cw bullying #not proofread i’ll check it again L8R

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